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bills5lut · 28 days ago

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⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ where we begin

masterlist prompt list

synopsis: you and billie’s journey of ivf, from the first hints of billie wanting a kid, to birth.

warnings: smut (at the start, and about halfway thru), strap r!receiving, fingering r!receiving, pregnancy, lots of fluff, ivf, needles, hospitals, fertility issues, angst at points.

w.c: 19.7k

12th January, You and Billie’s house, Los Angeles. 11:22pm.

The house is quiet except for the faint hum of the city leaking through the slightly cracked window. It’s late, the light outside golden and lazy. You and Billie are in the bedroom, the soft cotton sheets tangled around your legs, the air still warm from her body pressed against yours. You feel her breath, steady and slow, warm against the side of your neck.

Billie’s fingers trace lazy circles on your hip, nails barely grazing your skin. The mood is calm but electric, you can tell what shes thinking, what she wants, what’s coming. You catch her eyes in the mirror across the room, those deep blue eyes framed by thick lashes, intense, playful, and a little wild. She gives you that small smile, the one that melts your chest and makes your heart speed up.

Without a word, Billie shifts, climbing on top of you with a fluid grace that’s almost hypnotic. Her touch becomes firmer, and her eyes search yours, asking for permission without needing to say it. You nod, breath catching, feeling your pulse flicker at the slow deliberate way she pulls the waistband of your underwear down, exposing your bare skin to her hands.

Her hands explore like they’ve memorized every inch of you, mapping out every curve and hollow. Her lips brush against your collarbone, warm and soft, sending a shiver down your spine. You close your eyes, focusing on the sensation, the way her tongue flicks teasingly against the sensitive skin there.

“What do you want?” Billie murmurs against your neck, words humming against your skin

You roll into her touch, hands splaying across her back and at her shirt, helping it off as you speak slowly and a little tired, “Strap please.”

She reaches for the strap, the harness smooth and worn. When she secures it around her hips, you watch the way her body flexes, the way her muscles tighten in anticipation. Her hands slide down your sides, gripping your thighs lightly, steadying herself.

The first slow push in is a whisper of pressure, a deep and stretching sensation that pulls a low, breathy moan from your throat. Your wetness pools around the strap and billie’s hips move with deliberate care, slow and sure, matching the rhythm of your breathing. Her eyes never leave yours, locked in a quiet conversation, full of raw desire.

You feel Billie’s chest press to yours, her breath warm against your skin as she leans down, lips brushing your ear. “I want to give you a baby,” she murmurs, voice husky and low, almost shy in its intensity. “Gonna fill you up.” Her words float through the room, fragile and fierce all at once.

You snort softly, a little laugh breaking free despite the tight coil of sensation winding inside you. That’s impossible, you think, but she sounds so sure it doesn’t even matter.

Her hips press deeper, slow and steady, every movement a promise, a claim. The heat between your bodies rises, slow-burning and thick. Her hands tighten on your thighs, nails tracing faint scratches that sting deliciously against your skin. She leans forward, lips brushing your cheek, then down to your collarbone again, lips parted in soft sighs.

“I’m gonna cum in you,” she repeats, voice cracking, rougher. “Gonna give you a baby.”

Your breath hitches. Her body trembles slightly, a shudder running through her as she rides the edge, her control slipping, hands gripping your sides tighter. The strap shifts against you, hitting your sweet spot and you groan out, “Fuck bills harder”

You reach up, tangling your fingers in her hair, pulling her close. Your lips find hers, slow and deep, a wet dance of tongue and breath. Her moans press against your mouth, her hands sliding lower, stroking you through your skin, delicate and fierce at the same time.

She says it again, “I’m gonna cum in you angel, gonna give you a fucking baby” and you almost laugh again, holding it back, letting it fall out as a moan

The room becomes fuzzy, narrowing to just the rise and fall of your chests, the slick wet heat between your thighs, the faint, desperate sounds Billie makes as she edges closer and closer. Her eyes flutter shut for a moment, and then she gasps soft and broken.

“I love you,” she whispers against your lips.

You answer her with a shaky breath, voice rough. “I love you too.”

Your pussy clenches around the strap, a slow, rolling wave of pleasure that pulls you both over the edge. Nails scraping at Billie’s back, teeth digging into her collarbone. Your hands hold her tight, your heart pounding against your ribs as your own pleasure crashes over you, slow and deep and aching. You gasp her name, your body shuddering with the force of it.

“Gonna fill you up,” Billie says again, voice strained as she cums. Her body shivers against your teeth as she cums, words stretching out into long moans, suddenly her body falling against you.

Her lips find yours once more, soft and hungry, full of promise and love and something sacred. “I love you,” she breathes.

“I love you,” you whisper back, eyes closed, your bodies tangled in the afterglow. Warm, spent, connected.

The last echoes of your shared breath still hang between you, slow and ragged, as the heat of the moment melts into something softer, more fragile. Billie’s hands, slick with both your sweat and cum, work methodically now, unclasping the strap from her hips. The faint click of the buckle sounds unusually loud in the quiet bedroom. Billie moves toward the dresser, bare skin glowing faintly in the low light, the room cloaked in the heavy darkness of night, shadows pooling around her.

You watch her from the bed, still tangled in sheets, sweat cooling on your skin. Her back is to you, the curve of her spine delicate and tense under the weight of unspoken things. She pulls open the drawer slowly, sliding the strap inside and closing it with quiet finality. In these few seconds, when you can’t see her face and everything feels less exposed, you find the courage to speak.

“Did you really mean it?” Your voice is soft, barely above a whisper, the words floating hesitantly between you. “About… the baby.”

Billie pauses, frozen mid-motion, and then slowly turns on her heel. The dim light catches her eyes, wide and vulnerable, eyes you rarely get to see. Her mouth opens slightly, as if to say something, but no words come out. Instead, she simply nods. No anger. No confusion. Just a quiet, fragile admission.

You pat the bed beside you, inviting her to come closer. She slides back over with a slow grace, draping a soft, oversized shirt over your shoulders. You pull it on carefully, the fabric cool and comforting against your skin.

She sits beside you, fingers curling around your wrist, her palm open for you to trace. Your touch is gentle, deliberate, steady. “You mean it,” you say softly, your voice warm, grounding.

Billie breathes out, a shaky laugh escaping her lips. “I’ve always wanted kids,” she admits, voice low, almost scared. “It’s just… I never thought it would be like this.”

You squeeze her hand, your eyes searching hers. “It’s scary. But I want it too. We’ll do it together.”

Her gaze flickers, a range of emotion passing through her: hope, fear, excitement. You see her shoulders relax a fraction. “You would? You’d try?”

You nod, heart full, voice steady. “I would. And if it doesn’t work, we have each other. That’s what matters.”

Suddenly, her usual post sex tiredness disappears, replaced by a bright, almost giddy grin. “Really? Like, really really?”

You chuckle softly, warmth blooming through your chest. “Yeah. Really.”

Billie’s eyes sparkle as she leans closer, brushing a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “So… how do we even start?”

You take a breath, feeling the weight of the moment settle comfortably around you. “We’ll see the doctor. IVF, probably. I’d carry.”

Her smile grows, radiant and full of life, lighting up the dark room. Her excitement brushes over all her features. Her smile is wide. Her dimples are clear. Cheeks bunched up and reddening. Her eyebrows are knitted, trembling slightly. The point of her nose is twitching. You’ve only seen her this excited a few times, award shows, birthdays, when you first dated, festivals, rarely in moments like this, tucked up in bed leant against eachother.

“Okay,” Billie whispers, voice shaking with hope. “Okay.”

You reach over, fingers brushing the smooth glass of the water bottle on the bedside table, the condensation cool against your palm. The quiet clink of the bottle opening cuts softly through the stillness. As you take a slow sip, your eyes catch the sudden glow from Billie’s lap. You let out a choked laugh of surprise, echoing into the open bottle. She’s already pulled out her laptop, fingers poised over the keyboard with a focus that surprises you.

At first, her screen fills with pages for IVF clinics, names, reviews, locations, success rates. The quiet clicking of the keys becomes almost rythmic. But then she shifts, the page changing fluidly, now to baby clothes, tiny booties in soft pastels and muted earth tones, knitted hats, little onesies folded neatly in catalog photos. Your chest tightens at the sweetness, but you know she’s getting ahead of herself. You watch tentatively, leant up on your elbow, letting her bathe in the excitement and the possibility.

She pulls up prices next, treatment costs, medications, consultations, numbers and percentages scrolling like a silent ticker. Then, almost without pause, the screen flips again: a glimpse of her savings account balance. It’s a quiet moment, the digital numbers stark against the soft glow of the screen. Her brows knit briefly.

And then the tour schedule. Dates and cities bleeding together on a calendar filled with color-coded notes and reminders, flights booked months in advance, sound checks, interviews. You see her lips purse just slightly, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes as she compares those dates against possible treatment windows.

Your hand slides softly to her arm, “Bills,” you say softly, voice thick with sleep and tenderness, “angel, these things take time, first of all. And also, it might not work the first time, yeah? Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Billie looks up, eyes still bright but suddenly more grounded. Her nod is slow, deliberate, the weight of your words settling between you.

“And I’m absolutely wrecked” you add, voice low, tired.

She leans back against the pillows behind her, a small, understanding smile curling the corners of her mouth. “Yeah,” she says quietly, “I know. Me too”

But the fire isn’t quite out yet. Her fingers tap lightly on the keyboard, pulling up ideas, possibilities, plans swirling between hope and fantasy. She talks quietly, words tumbling out like a soft stream. Names of doctors she’s heard about, articles she’s read, little things she thought would be sweet.

You don’t say much, letting your head rest gently against her chest, the steady rhythm of her heartbeat lulling you closer to sleep. Her voice softens as she talks, slower now, and you trace slow circles on her skin, feeling the warmth of her body beneath your fingertips. The tension in your limbs dissolves, eyelids heavy, the world narrowing to the sound of her breath and the weight of her hand resting on your back. You drift, caught between dreams and waking, as she continues to speak quietly.

30th January, You and Billie’s house, Los Angeles. 9am.

Weeks later, the quiet morning light slips through the blinds as you sit on the edge of the bed, tying your shoes. The worn laces press against your fingers, a little rhythm to the nervousness knotting your stomach. Billie’s bare feet pad softly behind you on the hardwood floor. Her fingertips graze down your spine in a familiar, calming motion, slow and deliberate.

She leans close, voice low and steady. “You okay?”

You glance up at her reflection in the mirror across the room, catching the way her eyes search yours, calm but bright with that steady confidence she always has when she’s trying to be the anchor. “Yeah. I think so,” you say, voice quieter than you mean.

Billie smiles, that small, knowing smile that reaches her eyes and softens her whole face. “It’s gonna be fine.”

The air feels a little colder now, the weight of the moment settling in. But Billie’s hand finds yours, fingers weaving between yours, holding tight.

30th January, Beverly Hills fertility institute, Los Angeles, 9:30am.

At the clinic, the hallways stretch ahead, bright, clinical, the floors gleaming under fluorescent lights. It smells sharp, sterile; the antiseptic smell biting at your nose, reminding you this is real.

Billie walks beside you, hand never leaving yours. “You ready?” she asks gently.

You nod, throat tight but voice steady, repeating what Billie had said earlier. “Yeah. It’s gonna be fine”

In the waiting room, the silence is thick, punctuated only by the soft tapping of a clock and occasional murmurs from other patients. Your name is called, and a nurse with a kind smile leads you to a small exam room.

“You’ll have some blood drawn first,” she explains, pulling out a syringe. “Try to relax, okay?”

Your pulse picks up at the sight of the needle. Billie squeezes your hand, voice soft in your ear. “I’ve got you. Just breathe.”

The prick stings more than you expected, your body tensing instinctively.

“Almost done,” the nurse says, removing the needle and applying a small bandage.

Billie brushes a stray strand of hair from your face. “You did so good.”

Later, you lie back on the examination table, the cold gel spreading across your lower belly as the ultrasound probe presses gently against your skin. The doctor’s calm voice narrates the images on the screen, reassuring but businesslike.

“You have a good baseline,” she says. “We’ll begin hormone injections tomorrow to stimulate your follicles. You’ll have regular monitoring.”

Billie’s thumb traces light patterns on your wrist. “See. Exciting”

12th February, Beverly Hills fertility institute, Los Angeles, 1:22pm.

Over the next several weeks, the rhythm settles into your days. Early mornings with hormone injections, evenings tangled up together on the couch while your body responds.

Then comes the day for egg retrieval.

The clinic’s hallways feel colder now, the echo of your footsteps swallowed by the sterile walls. Billie stays close, her presence a calm steady pulse next to your own.

“I’m here” she murmurs as you enter the procedure room.

You settle onto the table, paper crinkling beneath you. The doctor walks through the process one last time.

“You’ll be sedated. We use ultrasound guidance to retrieve the eggs. The procedure takes about 30 minutes.”

A nurse inserts the IV line. The sedation washes over you quickly, pulling you into a soft darkness.

When you wake, Billie’s hand is there, brushing back your hair, her eyes bright with relief. “You did so well,” she whispers.

17th February, Beverly Hills fertility institute, Los Angeles, 10:12am.

Back in the clinic, you lie on the table, legs propped, heart racing.

“The sperm will be gently inserted through a catheter,” the nurse says, her tone calm, practiced, almost soothing in its steadiness. “You’ll likely just feel a little pressure. It’s very quick.”

You nod, the paper crinkling under your back as you shift slightly on the table. The stirrups are cold against your calves, your feet bare and slightly clammy with nerves. Billie’s standing just to your left, her hoodie sleeves shoved up to her elbows, one hand gently curled around your wrist. She’s watching your face, not the nurse, eyes searching.

“You okay?” she murmurs. Her thumb’s brushing slow and steady across the inside of your wrist, soft strokes like she’s trying to imprint calm directly into your bloodstream.

“I’m fine,” you say, but your voice is thinner than you’d like. You force a little breath out through your nose. “Just weird, you know? Being so… aware of your own body like this.”

Billie huffs softly, leaning over to kiss your temple. “Your body’s doing something amazing. I know it’s scary. But you’re doing so good, baby.”

There’s a rustle of gloves and packaging, and the nurse moves closer with quiet efficiency. The doctor enters then, greets you both with a nod, and glances briefly at the chart.

“We’re going to start in a moment,” she says gently. “You’ll feel the speculum, just like during a regular pelvic exam. I’ll walk you through every step.”

You nod again, swallowing around the knot that’s risen in your throat. Billie doesn’t let go of you. Not for a second.

When the speculum slides in, your body tenses out of instinct. It’s not pain exactly, its more the strangeness, the clinical chill of it. Billie’s hand tightens around yours the second she feels your fingers flinch.

“I’m right here,” she says under her breath. “You’re safe. Breathe, yeah?”

You do. Slowly, trying to let your shoulders drop even as your legs stay awkwardly hoisted. The bright light overhead feels too harsh, your skin too exposed. You stare at the ceiling tiles and Billie’s knuckles instead.

There’s a pause, a small shift in sensation, and then,

“Okay,” the doctor says, voice as calm as ever. “We’re inserting the catheter now. You might feel a bit of pressure, but it shouldn’t be painful.”

You suck in a breath as something narrow threads its way through your cervix, it’s uncomfortable, strange, more mental than physical, but Billie’s hand is still right there, warm and steady. You glance at her face, and she gives you the smallest smile, eyes glossy, like she’s holding something in. Like she knows how big this is but also knows she needs to stay still for you, be calm.

“Doing great,” the nurse murmurs softly. “Almost done.”

You blink at the ceiling. Your breath comes slow, a little shallow, your free hand twisting in the fabric of your gown near your stomach. The whole thing feels oddly suspended in time, this strange, surreal moment where the quiet hum of a nearby monitor and the rustle of Billie’s jacket sleeve is somehow louder than everything else.

The doctor’s voice cuts through gently. “And… we’re done. Embryo is in. Catheter’s coming out.”

It’s over before your brain’s fully caught up. You feel the subtle shift as the instruments are removed, and the sudden emptiness of your body, like a sigh from deep inside you.

“You did amazing,” Billie whispers, leaning in to press her forehead to yours. Her hand slides up to cup your cheek, thumb brushing at the edge of your temple. “So fucking proud of you.”

Your body’s still tense, but the wave of relief makes your muscles ache with how long you’ve been holding it all in.

The nurse adjusts your blanket, and the doctor’s voice is calm as she steps back. “You’ll need to lie flat for about fifteen minutes. Just rest. Then we’ll walk you through next steps, medications, bloodwork dates, follow up scans.”

Billie stays close. Doesn’t sit, doesn’t move. She just hovers at the edge of your bed, both hands holding your face like you might float away otherwise.

You exhale shakily, feeling the weight of it all finally settle in. “That felt like… more than I expected. Not painful, just…”

“I know,” Billie says, pressing a kiss to your forehead, slow and lingering.

You shift slightly under the blanket, the paper beneath you rustling again. There’s a dull ache in your abdomen, like the suggestion of a cramp that might come later, but mostly it’s just the strange, slow thrum of your own heartbeat that you notice.

You let your eyes fall closed. Just for a second. Just to breathe. Billie helps you walk to the car, whilst rambling about baby names, how good you were, how well this is going. You nod, head held low, sleepy, sighing at the odd thing Billie says, humming in approval at others.

The tires hum against the road like a lullaby that doesn’t work. You’re slumped low in the passenger seat, sweatshirt sleeves tugged down over your hands, your fingers tucked into the cuffs like you’re cold. Even though you’re not. Billie’s driving with one hand on the wheel, the other animated in the air as she talks. Still talking. Still full of that buzzed, forward tilted excitement.

“And I looked at this clinic in Pasadena too, just in case, like, a backup option and they do this package where you get three tries and it’s cheaper per round if…”

You stare out the window. The sun’s too bright. The glass has fingerprints on it. Everything feels just a little off, a little too real, too clear. You press your forehead against the window for a second, cool glass anchoring you, and then lift your head again.

Billie doesn’t notice the shift in you, not yet.

“…and I saw a post where someone used the same donor bank and the kid was born with, like, the cutest fucking dimples, and I was like, babe, imagine a baby with your nose and dimples…”

You inhale sharply and cut in before you really mean to. “Can you just stop?”

Billie glances at you like she’s misheard. “What?”

“I…” You blink, swallow hard. “Just… can we not talk about it right now?”

Her brow furrows, the tiniest downward twitch. “Wait what’s wrong?”

You sit with it. Your jaw tight. Shoulders stiff. You feel raw, like your nerves are still outside your skin from that table, those stirrups, the bright light above you. The way they said “Now just a little pressure”and then shoved something inside you while Billie was gripping your hand with both of hers like she thought it was fine. Like you were both having the same experience.

“I didn’t like it,” you say, flat.

Billie’s eyes flick over to you again. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I didn’t fucking like it, Billie.” You’re shocked by your own tone. The sharpness. You almost never raise your voice like that, especially not at her.

She slows the car slightly, turns down the music without even thinking. Her voice is quiet. “I thought. I thought you were okay.”

You shake your head, throat dry. “You were so excited. I didn’t wanna ruin it for you.”

There’s a pause, thick and warm in the car, like the engine heat’s pressing in through the vents. Billie glances down at the road, then back to you. “Babe. That was a big thing. They went in there. Like, for real. And you…why didn’t you say something?”

You exhale through your nose, eyes stinging. “Because I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t expect to feel like that. I thought I’d be… I don’t know, happy. Or, like, overwhelmed in the good way. Not like that.” You break off.

“Like what?”

You press your fingers to your temple. “Like I wasn’t even in the room for half of it. Like I was just this, this body they were poking at. Like I was lying there with my legs open and people were talking over me like I wasn’t even there.”

Billie’s lips press into a line. “Fuck.” She’s whispering now. “I didn’t think. I mean, I held your hand the whole time.”

“I know,” you snap, then wince. “Sorry. I know. I know you were trying. It’s not you. I just. ” Your breath hitches. “I didn’t expect it to be like that.”

Billie’s already pulling into the driveway. You hadn’t realized how close to home you were. She throws the car in park but doesn’t move to turn it off yet. You cover your face with both hands and let out this broken little half-sob, half-laugh sound that catches you both off guard.

“I don’t even know why I’m being like this,” you mumble, voice muffled. “How the fuck am I gonna survive the actual pregnancy if this is how I’m reacting now?”

There’s silence.

Then Billie giggles. Genuinely giggles. “Oh, baby…”

You peek out from between your fingers.

“I was just thinking that.” She leans over the center console to pull your hands down gently, thumbing over your knuckles. “Like. Hormones. Mood swings. Me doing everything wrong. You sobbing over commercials and dog videos.”

You let out a breath that turns into a laugh. It bubbles up weird and unexpected. You’re still crying a little. But it’s that stupid tired laugh you get when your emotions are all tangled together and you’re wrung out and all you can do is laugh or scream.

“Can you imagine me trying to get dressed in the third trimester?” you sniffle. “I’ll be crying because my socks don’t match.”

Billie smiles so wide it almost hurts to look at. Her hand squeezes yours. “You’ll be beautiful. I’ll match your socks for you. You won’t lift a fucking finger.”

You wipe your cheeks with the sleeve of your hoodie, looking at her through bleary eyes. “I’m sorry I snapped.”

“You didn’t snap,” Billie says gently. “You’re just… you’re overwhelmed. And I should’ve noticed.”

You nod slowly. “It’s not that I don’t want this. I do. I really do.”

“I know,” she murmurs. “We just… we’ll go slower, okay? We’ll talk more. You tell me when it’s too much. I won’t bulldoze it with my excitement.”

You’re both still sitting in the car, engine off now, heat fading slowly into the silence. The afternoon is bright outside the windshield, but everything inside feels quieter. Still. Billie’s thumb is still moving in soft circles over the back of your hand.

You take a deep breath, grounding yourself. “Can we just lie down for a while?”

She nods. “Absolutely.”

And she opens her door, loops around to yours, holds out her hand to help you out. And you take it.

23rd February, You and Billie’s home, Los Angeles, 5:10pm.

It’s raining outside, barely. That weird LA drizzle that doesn’t even hit the ground, just hangs in the air like static. The bedroom’s dim, gray light pushing in through the sheer curtains. The duvet is twisted around the bed. Billie’s in one of your sweatshirts again, the sleeves pushed halfway up her forearms, her hair messy. You’re both sitting on the edge of the bed, socked feet pressed flat to the hardwood, barely breathing.

The test is sitting on the dresser.

Neither of you have touched it yet. You’re five minutes in. You set a timer. Just to have something keeping track. Something that isn’t your thudding pulse or the nauseating hope tangling in your chest.

Billie bounces her knee restlessly, hand half-covering her mouth, eyes flicking from the test to your face, then back again. Your hand shakes slightly against the duvet.

“I don’t know,” you mumble. “I’ve been feeling weird.”

“Weird how?” Billie’s voice is soft, but eager. Her knee keeps going. Up, down, up, down.

You shrug, stomach fluttering. “Just… off. Bloated. Kind of sore? And like, that thing when you almost cry at the granola bar advert?”

She lets out a sharp little laugh. “The one with the golden retriever and the kid? You did cry at that.”

“Exactly,” you smirk, nudging your knee into hers.

The nervousness is starting to tip into giddy. Not because you know, it’s still too early to know, but because for a second, you both let yourselves imagine it. That this could be it. That maybe the procedure worked, maybe all the poking and measuring and waiting added up to something real.

Billie turns toward you slightly, her leg pressed solidly to yours now. Her voice dips, dreamy. “I keep thinking about names.”

You smile, head tilting. “Oh yeah?”

She nods. “There’s one I love. I don’t know if it’s dumb.”

“Tell me.”

She shifts, shoulder brushing yours. “Claire.”

You lean your head back, grabbing her knee with both hands. “I love that name.”

Her face softens into a slow grin. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you murmur. “It’s perfect.”

And for a moment, it’s like the whole room fills with warmth. Not from the air, which is still cool and damp, but from the feeling itself, hope, thick and golden, stretching quietly between you.

Then your phone buzzes on the nightstand.

The alarm.

Billie freezes. You do too. The whole room stills.

You both look over at the test on the dresser. Neither of you move.

“I’ll do it,” you whisper, even though your throat is dry and your limbs feel sluggish.

Billie grabs your hand. “No. Together.”

You both stand, half-leaning on each other. The test is flipped over, window face-down. Billie reaches first, then pulls her hand back like it’s hot.

“Okay,” she breathes, eyes wide, meeting yours. “You do it.”

You both reach at the same time. Hands bump. Fingers fumble. You’re laughing, both of you, this jittery little burst of absurd tension as you accidentally knock the stick onto its side.

“Okay, okay.” you say again, laughing. “Okay.”

And then you flip it.

The silence is immediate. Total.

Not even breath.

Just stillness.

Negative.

The little single line feels sharp. Too sharp for such a small thing.

You stare at it. Billie stares too. No one speaks.

It’s like the room shifts in temperature. A hush so heavy it lands on your chest.

You glance at her. She hasn’t said a word. Just stares down at the test, jaw tight, mouth pressed shut like if she opens it, something will fall out she can’t take back.

You swallow. The disappointment floods in like something you were trying to outrun.

Your voice comes out gently. Too gently. Like you’re afraid it’ll startle her.

“Hey. It’s okay. Baby, hey. It’s okay.”

Billie blinks, but doesn’t look up.

You wrap your arms around her waist, pulling her to you, holding her close, her body stiff against yours.

“They said this was likely, remember?” you whisper, mouth at her temple. “They told us not to get our hopes up too fast. This is normal.”

She nods against your shoulder, but says nothing.

You hold her tighter.

“I know it sucks,” you murmur. “I know. I wanted this one to be it too. I was already picturing the little socks and. Fuck.” Your voice cracks a little. “But we get to try again. And it’s gonna work. It is. Next time’s gonna be it.”

Billie exhales hard into your chest, a sound that’s somewhere between a breath and a sob. You feel it vibrate against your ribs.

She curls her fingers into your sweatshirt, clinging to the fabric like it’s keeping her upright.

“Hey,” you whisper. “We’re okay. You and me. We’re still in this. All the way. And I promise next time, next time I’m gonna throw up from hormones and I’m gonna cry over another granola bar ad and then we’re gonna meet our kid.”

That gets a little snort out of her. Muffled.

You smile against her hair. “Me crying over a commercial with a duck? It’s gonna be beautiful.”

Billie sniffles into your shoulder, and then her shoulders shake a little, and you realize she’s laughing. Just barely. Just enough.

“Stupid fucking duck,” she mutters.

You kiss the top of her head. “Stupid fucking duck.”

She lifts her head finally, eyes red and puffy, but her mouth tugging into the start of a smile. “I really thought it worked.”

You nod, brushing her cheek with your thumb. “Me too.”

Billie leans her forehead into yours, sighs deep and steady. “Next time?”

“Next time.”

And you hold her. Both of you a little quieter now. But the hope hasn’t gone. It’s not loud anymore, it’s tucked into the silence between your breaths, the way you don’t let go of each other, the quiet steady thud of your hearts still choosing the same rhythm.

28th February, Beverly Hills fertility institute, Los Angeles, 11:15am.

The hallway feels the same as last time. Same pale tiles, same too-bright overhead fluorescents, same faint hospital smell, antiseptic and old sheets. You and Billie walk side by side down the long corridor, her hand brushing yours occasionally, not quite holding it yet. You’ve both been quieter this morning, less giddy than last time. Not exactly anxious, just aware.

Your shoes squeak slightly against the floor. You glance down at the scuff on the toe of your left shoe and then back up at the blue sign ahead: FERTILITY CLINIC – SUITE 406.

You’re a few feet from the door when Billie stops walking. You feel the air shift before you see her expression. She doesn’t look at you right away. Her hand comes up to tug lightly at the chain around her neck, thumb rubbing against the little pendant you gave her last year.

She swallows, jaw working.

“You don’t have to do this,” she says suddenly.

You blink, caught off guard. “What?”

She finally looks at you, brow furrowed. “I mean it. You hated this last time. I know we both want a kid, but… there’s other options. We can try surrogacy, or adoption, or literally anything else. I’m not gonna force you through this again. I don’t want this to be something you just… survive. You know?”

She’s rambling. Fast, breathy.

Her hand gestures vaguely. “I can’t stop thinking about how quiet you were for days after that first round. You didn’t even say anything when we got Thai food and they forgot the spring rolls. You always say something.”

You huff softly, the corners of your mouth twitching. “I really wanted those spring rolls.”

Billie groans. “See? You were traumatized.”

She’s trying to be funny now, to mask the panic in her voice. You see it all over her face, in the way she’s barely blinking.

You reach out and touch her wrist gently. Her skin is cool. She goes still the second your fingers land there.

“I want to,” you say quietly.

She looks at you, eyes searching. “Are you sure?”

You nod. “Yeah. I want to try again. And if I change my mind, I’ll say. Okay?”

Billie’s expression softens, just a little. But her eyes stay serious.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

You lace your fingers through hers. She exhales slowly and leans in to press a kiss to your forehead. It lingers for a beat longer than it needs to. You don’t pull away.

“I just love you,” she mumbles against your skin. “And I don’t want this to be the thing that breaks you.”

You squeeze her hand. “It won’t.”

The appointment is shorter this time.

Or maybe it just feels shorter. The nerves are still there, your leg bouncing while the nurse checks your ID, the cold gel on your abdomen for the scan, the blood draw that makes you flinch just like last time. Billie holds your hand again. You squeeze hers tighter than you mean to, and she doesn’t let go.

The nurse, different from last time, younger, kinder voice, chats about the weather while prepping the syringe. It’s a new donor this time, one you both read about late one night, curled up on the couch. You had made a dumb joke about his height and Billie laughed so hard she snorted wine out her nose.

You think about that as you settle back into the reclined chair. About how it felt to be hopeful.

The nurse explains everything again, slowly, with the same calm, practiced tone: “We’re inserting the embryo now… it’ll only take a few seconds.”

This time, it stings less. You already know what it feels like. The pressure, the strange awareness of your own body in a way that’s hard to describe. Billie’s hand never leaves yours. You focus on her thumb brushing circles into your palm.

It’s over fast.

You’re told to rest for a few minutes, again, and Billie helps you sit up slowly. Her hand is warm on your back. The nurse hands you a printed sheet of instructions, another round of meds, a mild warning not to exert yourself. Everything echoes the first time, but with less dread. Less unknown.

On the way out, Billie carries your tote bag over her shoulder like it’s sacred cargo. You walk slower this time. Not out of fear. Just out of intention.

In the elevator, she finally says, “You okay?”

You lean your head on her shoulder and nod.

“I think I’m okay.”

And maybe this time, you really are.

15th April, You and Billie’s home, Los Angeles, 8:37am.

The kitchen feels colder than it should for mid-April. The morning light filters weakly through the thin curtains, washing the counters in a pale, muted glow. Billie’s already there, her silhouette sharp against the pale cabinets as she moves around the small space, chopping fruit with a quick efficiency that makes the knife clicks sound harsher than usual.

You shuffle in from the bedroom, the soft padding of your bare feet muffled by the thick rug, still waking up. The scent of oats and cinnamon is supposed to feel comforting but instead just sits heavy, like the silence between you.

Billie slams the ceramic bowl down on the counter with a sharpness that echoes through the room. The fruit tumbles slightly over the rim, the sound startling in the stillness.

“Here,” she says, voice clipped. “Breakfast.”

You blink, surprise prickling your skin. The sharpness in her tone isn’t like her usual morning voice. There’s an edge, a tension you can almost see vibrating in the air.

“I.. uh thanks,” you say softly, reaching for the bowl.

She doesn’t look at you. Instead, she turns to the stove and stirs the coffee pot like it might explode if she doesn’t keep moving. You bite your lip, trying to swallow the lump of discomfort rising in your throat.

You don’t say anything at first, but the frustration builds quietly beneath your ribs, twisting tighter with every second. The IVF hormones you’re on are rewriting your body in ways that catch you off guard, the emotional swings, the nausea that pops up without warning, the sudden hot flushes. You’re notyourself. Neither is Billie. Clearly.

Finally, the words come out, sharp despite your effort: “Billie, what’s going on? You’re being… snappy.”

She stiffens, the spoon clattering against the pot. “I’m not snappy,” she says quickly, voice brittle. “I’m just… stressed.”

“Stressed about what?” you ask, voice quiet but firm.

Billie whirls around, eyes wide and a little wild, like she’s been holding this in for too long. “You think this is easy for me? Watching you like this, up and down every day, thinking every cycle will be the one, and then it’s not. It’s like I’m constantly waiting for you to break. And I’m scared. Scared it’ll all fall apart.”

You feel the sting of tears, and your voice cracks, “I’m scared too.”

She exhales sharply, running a hand through her hair. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just. Sometimes I’m a bitch because I’m scared.”

The room feels smaller, the air heavier. You step closer, trying to bridge the distance.

“I’m sorry I’m so hormonal. I don’t mean to snap.”

Billie nods, biting her lip.

You both try to sit down at the small kitchen table, but before you can even lift your spoon to your mouth, a wave of nausea hits you like a freight train. You clamp your hands over the edge of the counter, eyes wide with panic.

“Bills,” you whisper, voice tight. “Bills, stop.”

Billie freezes, brows knitting together. “What?”

You shake your head, but your throat tightens. The room tilts. Your knees buckle slightly.

“Please,” you manage, voice almost gone.

“What?” Billie’s voice is sharp now, worry blooming across her face. “You’re stressing me out. What is it?”

You don’t answer. You jump up and rush to the kitchen sink, bending over just in time.

The first heave hits, hot and harsh. You hate being sick. Hate the weakness, the vulnerability. Behind you, Billie is instantly there, steadying your hair, soft hands tucking strands behind your ear.

“It’s okay,” she whispers, voice low and calm. “It’s okay.”

You heave a few more times, Billie brushing your hair back, rubbing circles on your back. The room spins a little less with each wave.

She hands you the glass of water you’d barely touched at breakfast. Your hands tremble as you take a few sips, spit out the harsh taste, then take a few more and finally swallow.

Billie’s voice is gentle, tentative: “Do you want to lie down?”

You shake your head. “No. I don’t feel sick. Maybe I just… ate something weird last night.”

She watches you carefully, nods, then moves to grab the bottle of painkillers from the counter.

“You think you’re coming down with something?” she asks quietly.

“No,” you say, voice firmer now. “I just… don’t think so.”

You both sink onto the sofa, Billie’s legs stretched out with you half-curled into her lap. She strokes your hair slowly, the rhythmic motion grounding.

Minutes pass. The room is quiet except for the soft rustling of fabric and the occasional distant car passing.

Suddenly, Billie laughs, soft and surprising, breaking the tension like glass shattering.

“Oh my god, we’re so dumb,” she says, shaking her head.

You giggle, the sound light and shaky. “What are you even talking about?”

Billie’s lost in thought for a moment, then looks at you with that serious half-smile she gets when she’s both amused and exasperated.

“You’re such a weirdo, Bills,” you tease.

She shakes her head, expression unreadable for a beat. Then, with that same sharp edge returning but softened by affection, she says, “Do me a favour.”

“What?”

“Take a test.”

You practically leap off her lap. “Oh my god, we’re so stupid.”

She laughs, nodding, the sound rich and warm.

You dart down the hallway, heart hammering, grabbing the test from the bathroom cabinet with trembling hands. The bathroom feels impossibly small, the light too bright, the silence too loud. You close the door behind you and lean against it for a second, steadying your breath.

You don’t look at it yet. You don’t even think about looking at it. You just walk slowly back into the living room, still a little dazed from throwing up, still wiping the corner of your mouth with your sleeve, and the pregnancy test held carefully between your fingers like it might burn you.

Billie’s sitting exactly where you left her on the couch, her arms resting loosely over the back cushions, her head tilted back, jaw tight. Her whole posture is restless still, like she hasn’t exhaled yet.

You sit down beside her, easing the test down on the coffee table, face down.

No one touches it.

Not yet.

Your knees tap together gently, rhythmically, and Billie picks up on it and lets her knee start brushing yours, soft back-and-forth, a silent kind of grounding. Her fingers come to rest on the outside of your thigh, thumb tracing the seam of your sweatpants.

Your mouth still tastes like sick. Acidic and stale. You’d barely touched breakfast and now you’re weirdly starving but also queasy. Your body doesn’t quite know which direction to go in.

“Still hungry,” you mumble, like it’s a neutral fact, a simple announcement. Trying not to make everything feel like it means something.

Billie lets out a short little huff of a laugh. “Of course you are. You puked up your whole stomach.”

“I didn’t even eat anything yet.”

“Exactly,” she says. “That’s how bad it was. Ghost puke.”

You laugh softly, letting your head fall sideways onto her shoulder, just for a second. She smells like the kitchen, like cinnamon and oat milk and dish soap and her own warm, sleepy skin underneath. Familiar. Calming.

You’re both pretending you’re not thinking about it. Not thinking about the test lying flat and silent between you on the coffee table. Not thinking about five minutes.

You try casual. “Maybe after this we do bagels. That place near the park.”

Billie raises an eyebrow. “You want bagels after throwing up?”

“I always want bagels.”

She smiles a little, tugs at the end of your sleeve. “That’s true.”

You nod, eyes on her, watching the way her mouth shifts between nervous and soft. She’s trying too. Trying to play it cool. To keep from overloading this moment.

You take a breath, throat still raw, and say gently, “If it’s negative again… it’s okay, baby.”

Billie’s face twitches, just barely, but she nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

“We’ll keep going,” you say. “We’ll figure it out.”

Billie doesn’t answer, just swallows and looks down at the floor.

You go quiet again. The low hum of the fridge filters in from the kitchen. The weight of the test on the table in front of you starts to feel like gravity pressing down on your ribs. Your phone buzzes, jolting you both.

The timer.

You both sit up straighter, Billie’s knee bouncing slightly, her fingers flexing on her lap. You reach forward first, your hand hovering for a second. Then you flip it over.

It takes a second to register.

Then you both lean closer, your eyes narrowing, staring like it might morph if you blink too fast.

Two lines. Clear. Unmistakable. Positive.

You gasp.

“Billie” your voice breaks halfway through her name.

Billie stares at it for a beat longer, frozen. Then her mouth drops open. “Oh my god.”

You’re laughing before you even realize it, breathless and giddy and half-delirious. Billie looks at you, then laughs too, too loud, almost stunned, and grabs your face with both hands, kissing you hard and quick and messy.

“Holy shit,” she says against your mouth.

You pull back, both of you grinning like idiots. “Billie. Billie. It’s real.”

She kisses you again, softer this time, slower, almost reverent. “You’re pregnant.”

You giggle, nose scrunching. “I’m gonna throw up again.”

She laughs, head falling against your shoulder. “From joy. It’s fine.”

You nod, eyes glassy now, still trying to believe it’s real. “I love you.”

She looks up, eyes shining. “I love you so much. Oh my god.”

You both collapse sideways on the couch, tangled and laughing, half on top of each other, hearts hammering, hands roaming like you’re trying to memorize each other’s shape. You cradle the back of her head, pressing your cheek against her temple.

“This is happening,” you whisper.

She nods against your skin. “It’s happening.”

For a long while, neither of you move. You just breathe together, wrapped up in each other, the test sitting on the coffee table in front of you.

17th April, San Laurel Restaurant, Los Angeles, 6:40pm.

You stand outside the restaurant for a minute too long. You and Billie have planned this quickly, a nice dinner with all of Billie’s family to tell them the news. Billie wanted to tell Finneas instantly, but felt bad telling one person first, so thought it best to group everyone together and say it to them all. The sun’s starting to dip, casting a soft golden hue over the glass facade of the place. A swanky but warm spot Billie picked, low lighting, lots of wood and plants and dark, comfortable booths. You’re both early on purpose. Billie checks her phone again, even though there’s no text, and shifts her weight from foot to foot.

You can feel her nerves humming through her.

Her hand finds yours, fingers threading instinctively, her palm warm and a little sweaty against yours. She squeezes.

“You good?” you ask gently, glancing over at her.

She nods, jaw tightening. “Yeah. I’m fine. This is fine.”

You give a small, dry laugh. “It’s totally fine.”

“They’re gonna be happy. Why wouldn’t they be?” she says, fast and low, like she’s rehearsed it.

“They will be,” you say, a little softer, giving her hand another squeeze. “They already know we’ve been trying. This isn’t a bombshell.”

She nods again, breath catching. “Right. Yeah. It’s not a bombshell.”

You both stand there in silence for another moment, shoulders touching, matching your breathing with hers without even thinking about it.

Inside, the hostess gives you a warm smile, guiding you to your table, a private corner booth with a good view of the room. Cozy. Soft candle on the table flickering gently. You sit first, sliding into the booth, Billie following beside you. She adjusts her jacket, then takes it off altogether, setting it behind her. You do the same.

There’s a quiet tension between you. Not the bad kind. Just the electric, hovering energy of waiting.

Billie taps her fingers on her thigh. Her leg’s jiggling. You rest your hand on it to still her, and she sighs, leans a little closer into your side.

“They’re gonna be so annoying,” she mutters.

You smirk. “Yeah, but in the good way. Maggie’s gonna cry, huh?”

“Probably.” Billie chuckles, “And my dad’s gonna be all like, ‘I’m gonna build a crib with my bare hands’.”

You laugh. “Sounds like him.”

She chews on her bottom lip. “Finneas is gonna gloat. He’s been waiting to be an uncle since, like, 2016.”

“Well, he doesn’t get full bragging rights until the baby actually comes.”

“Yeah, but he’s gonna start anyway.”

You smile, watching the way she keeps fidgeting with the edge of her napkin, biting back a grin, like it’s all finally settling into place inside her. She’s scared, but she’s also already picturing it: everyone’s reactions, the chaos, the love.

You brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’re good,” you say softly.

She leans in, kisses the corner of your mouth. “We’re good.”

A few minutes later, they start arriving, one by one and all at once. Finneas and Claudia first, Finneas in some long corduroys and a sweater, Claudia in a soft dark brown off the shoulder sweater with a long black skirt that just brushes her shoes. He spots you both and waves immediately, grinning like he knows something.

Then Maggie, warm and glowing as ever, hugging you both right away, fussing over your jackets like she’s trying to mother you from the second she walks in. Patrick’s right behind her, smiling softly before saying something irrelevant to Finneas. The booth fills quickly with coats and warmth and the smell of fresh bread from nearby tables. Everyone scoots in close. Billie’s thigh presses against yours again, this time a little more settled.

General chit chat begins. How was traffic. How’s tour prep. How’s the studio. Claudia’s been working on a new short film. Maggie just came back from Oregon. Patrick’s got a new woodworking project. Nothing serious. Easy laughter. Light tension in your chest, but it’s not bad. Just waiting.

Finneas hasn’t stopped smiling. You can feel it. He’s already halfway there.

And then, just as the waitress appears with a tray of waters and asks if you all want to order drinks, Billie suddenly straightens, like she can’t wait anymore.

“We have news,” she blurts.

Everything halts.

The waitress blinks. “Oh um should I…?”

“No, you’re good,” Billie says, waving awkwardly. “Just give us a minute. Sorry.”

The waitress nods politely and vanishes. Everyone turns to you. Five eyes, wide and waiting.

Finneas’ smile stretches wider. Claudia’s eyebrows go up. Maggie’s leaning in already.

Your hand instinctively finds Billie’s under the table. She grabs on tight.

You both say it at the same time, somewhere between a stammer and a nervous chorus.

“We’re pregnant, she’s pregnant, I’m pregnant. We’re having a kid.”

It comes out tangled and overlapping and chaotic. Billie’s voice high with nerves, yours catching on the word pregnant like you still can’t believe it belongs to you. You both dissolve into laughter immediately, covering your faces for a second.

“Wait” Billie says, laughing, “let me say it like a normal person.”

She clears her throat. “She’s pregnant. We’re having a kid.”

You nod, wide eyed and still giddy. “I’m pregnant. We’re having a kid.”

The booth erupts.

“Oh my god!” Maggie claps her hands together, then reaches across the table to grab both your hands.

“You’re kidding!” Claudia says, eyes wide, a grin breaking across her face.

“I knew it,” Finneas says smugly. “I knew it.”

Patrick just lets out a long, satisfied exhale. “Hell yes.”

Billie’s eyes flick to yours, relieved and glowing. You lean into her side and she kisses your temple, fast and soft.

Then the questions start flying.

“How far along?”

“When did you find out?”

“Have you told anyone else?”

“Are you showing?”

“Can I knit something?” Maggie asks.

Finneas is already trying to decide what uncle name he wants. “I’m not doing Uncle Finneas. That’s a mouthful. I’m going with Unkie Fin.”

“Please don’t,” Billie groans.

Claudia asks if you’re craving anything. Billie starts talking about how weird your appetite’s been. Patrick starts asking about your vitamin intake and what you want for the nursery. Maggie’s eyes keep going misty every time she looks at you.

The drinks arrive somewhere in the middle of it, wine for them, sparkling water for you and Billie. Glasses clink. Laughter bubbles up. You sit back, one hand still tucked under the table, resting on your belly.

You’re not showing. Not yet. But it’s real.

It’s so real.

Billie leans over, whispering in your ear, voice soft and full of wonder, “We really did it.”

You nod, not even trying to hide your grin. “We did it.”

Your hand slides into hers again under the table. You squeeze once.

And for the first time in days, maybe weeks, Billie fully relaxes into you.

30th April, French Quarter, New Orleans, 12:33pm.

The day starts slow. New Orleans feels like it’s breathing around you, heavy and humid, rich with texture and smell and sound. The streets are a mosaic of uneven brick and old stone, with iron balconies curled above your heads like quiet lace. Spanish moss sways in the trees overhead. Somewhere distant, brass carries faintly through the air.

Billie’s hand is warm in yours, her fingers hooked lazily between yours as she walks half a step ahead, swinging your arms. She’s wearing loose drawstring pants and one of your t-shirts under a baggy, open flannel, sunglasses pushed up into her messy blonde bun. No makeup, no entourage. Pretending to be someone else, hoping to not be noticed, praying today can just be you and her. A day off in the middle of the North American leg of the tour.

Your body feels good today. Or as good as it can. You’ve been lucky so far, slight nausea, just the heavy-tired afternoons and a weird relationship to food. You’re early enough that your jeans still fit, but there’s a new tenderness to your body, a low, constant buzz in your skin and a surprising softness in your belly. Every few hours, you remember again. It’s happening. This is real.

Billie has been purely magnetic. Glued to you in every moment you’re allowed to be alone. Watchful, slightly obsessed, even when she tries to play it chill. Her touch has changed, gentler sometimes, reverent in a way you feel in your chest. But other times, she’s manic with excitement. Today she’s that version of herself: bright-eyed and fidgety, leading you down quiet streets like she’s looking for something without knowing what.

A bead of sweat rolls down the side of your face. It’s hot, muggy, and your thighs are sticking a little under your skirt, but you don’t care. You keep looking at her. She keeps glancing back like she can’t believe you’re really there.

“I still can’t believe I get to have you and a baby,” she says, like she can hear your thoughts.

You smile, heart rising warm and slow. “I know”

Billie lets out a puff of air, like it still hasn’t settled for her either. She bumps her shoulder into yours, then grabs your arm and swings it a little.

“Okay, so,” she says, glancing around the street. “We have four hours. What do you wanna do? French Market? Eat ten beignets and throw up in the street?”

“Tempting,” you say. “But no vomiting today.”

Billie laughs and tugs your hand, pulling you along past another wrought-iron fence. Her rings clink against your fingers, loose and familiar. You pass a bookstore with dusty windows, a record shop blaring something bluesy out of old speakers, a guy painting on the sidewalk. People wander past in loose cotton clothes and sunglasses, no one in a rush, nobody noticing. It’s a slow city, and today it feels like time is stretching open for you.

You’re halfway across the next block when Billie freezes.

She stops so abruptly your arm jolts.

“Baby,” she says, breathless. Her hand tightens in yours. “Baby. Look.”

You follow her gaze, and smile instantly.

It’s a tiny corner store, almost tucked away between a jazz bar and a tarot shop. Wooden shutters painted a fading green. The words Petite Bébé hand-painted in delicate gold script on the window. Inside, it’s all soft pastels, tiny onesies hanging like garlands, miniature shoes no bigger than two fingers, and plush animals lined up like an audience.

Your grin spreads, unstoppable.

Billie’s already pulling your hand toward the door.

She practically runs inside.

The little bell overhead jingles, and the air changes instantly, cooler, quieter, smelling like cedar and baby powder and something soft you can’t name.

“Oh my god,” Billie breathes.

The woman behind the counter glances up and smiles, then looks politely away, giving you your moment.

You just stand there, watching Billie turn in a slow circle in the middle of the store, her mouth slightly open, eyes sparkling like she’s thirteen again and just got her first real guitar.

“Look at this!” she gasps, grabbing the tiniest little beanie from a basket. It’s oatmeal-colored, ribbed, softer than air. She holds it up between two fingers, then presses it against your chest. “Feel this.”

You do. It’s impossibly soft.

“Billie,” you say gently, “we’re only like nine weeks.”

“I don’t care,” she whispers, eyes wide. “This is so small. How do babies fit in this? Is this real?”

You’re laughing now, giddy and warm and overwhelmed by how her she is. The store is quiet except for Billie’s delighted commentary.

She moves through the space like she’s floating.

“Oh my god,” she groans, picking up a onesie with tiny embroidered bananas on it. “Look at this. This is so stupid. Our baby needs this. Needs.”

“Bananas?” you ask.

“You like bananas,” she says, matter-of-fact.

You smile. “So by that logic, our baby’s gonna come out wearing your baggy t-shirts and a cap”

“Obviously.”

She picks up a soft sage romper, then a cloud-patterned swaddle, then a pair of tiny socks that make her physically clutch her heart.

“Oh fuck off,” she says, holding one up to her cheek. “This is criminal.”

You walk up behind her, arms sliding around her waist. She leans back into you immediately, holding a pair of tiny white shoes up, already pretending.

“Can we get them?” she asks quietly. “Just one thing? For the baby box.”

You nod against her shoulder. “We can get a few things.”

She turns in your arms, her face inches from yours now, serious suddenly.

“I want to remember this,” she says. “This day. The first thing we ever bought for our kid.”

You kiss her once, soft and slow. “I will.”

She kisses you back, her hands cradling your jaw. When she pulls away, she’s flushed and glowing and full of love in a way that breaks you open a little. You end up with a small pile at the register: the banana onesie, the oatmeal beanie, a grey swaddle, and a soft plush duck Billie named Quackford on the spot. She insists on carrying the little brown paper bag herself, clutching it to her chest like a sacred artifact.

Outside again, the sun’s a little lower, and Billie’s pace has slowed. Her other hand finds yours again, still swinging your arms gently.

“I can’t believe that’s ours,” she says, nodding to the bag.

“Me either.”

You glance at her. She’s looking ahead, her expression calm now, full. The light hits her face just right, gold on her cheekbones, warmth pooling at her collarbone, and you think you’ve never seen her look more at home in the world.

“I keep thinking,” she says softly, “how lucky they’re gonna be. Like whoever they are. However they come out. They’re already so fucking loved.”

You swallow against the sudden lump in your throat.

“Yeah,” you whisper. “They are.”

You walk like that for a long time, hand in hand, Billie with the little bag tucked to her chest, the French Quarter humming gently around you. It feels like the start of something holy.

20th May, I-57 Highway, somewhere near Chicago, 2:10am.

The air in the bunk is too warm, too close, thick with your breath and Billie’s. The blanket’s kicked off and crumpled around your ankles. You’re curled on your side in a tank top and underwear, Billie’s hoodie bunched up under your cheek, damp with sweat now. Your knees are drawn up, hands low on your stomach.

You groan again, softly, twisting against the mattress, and it wakes her again.

She stirs behind you, her thigh slipping between yours automatically, hand finding your hip. Her voice is rough with sleep, low and hoarse against your neck.

“Mm… again?”

You nod silently, jaw clenched. The dull ache is there again, low and deep. It’s not stabbing, but it’s insistent. Not enough to scream about. But enough to make your heart pound. Enough to make your palms slick. Enough that you can’t stop imagining worst-case scenarios in looping flashes behind your eyes. You hate how scared you are. Hate that you’re even thinking it. Hate the slow, creeping panic you can’t seem to turn off.

Billie shifts up onto one elbow, brushing hair off your face gently. She blinks hard, still mostly asleep, but you can feel her clocking the tension in your body. Her hand slips to your stomach, slow and careful.

“Same as before?”

“Yeah,” you whisper. “Kind of crampy. But lower this time.”

She runs her fingers in slow, grounding circles across your belly, not pushing down, just warming the skin. “Baby… I really think it’s okay.”

You exhale shakily, pressing your forehead to her collarbone. You can smell her, warm skin, faint traces of her shampoo, the deodorant she put on twelve hours ago. Her arms come around you tighter, protective.

“I don’t know. It feels weird. It keeps coming back.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re literally growing a fucking human,” she murmurs, trying to soothe you. “That’s gonna feel weird.”

You don’t say anything. Your heart’s thudding. You can feel the heat of it in your cheeks, your chest.

Billie tightens her arms around you, and you feel her exhale into your hair. “Okay. Talk to me. What does it feel like?”

You hesitate. “Like… low. Like pressure. Like period cramps, but more… sharp. Sometimes.”

Billie hums, nodding slowly, lips brushing your temple. “No blood though, right?”

You shake your head. “No.”

“No fever?”

“No.”

“Okay.” She strokes your side again. “Then I think… I think it’s just normal. Your body’s adjusting.”

“But how do we know what normal is?” you ask, voice smaller than you want it to be. “We’ve never done this before.”

You feel her body tense just slightly behind you. She kisses your shoulder, soft and lingering.

“I know, babe. I know.” Her voice is softer now, threadbare around the edges. “I hate not knowing too.”

You close your eyes, breathing through your nose. Another wave of tightness. It’s not sharp, but it’s enough to clench your jaw. Billie feels it happen.

She presses her forehead to the back of your neck. “Fuck, okay. I’m calling my mom.”

“You don’t have to”

“I want to.”

Her voice is decisive now. She shifts out from under the blankets and swings her legs down, reaching for her phone in the little mesh pouch above the bunk. The light from the screen glows pale blue across her face as she types.

You roll onto your back slowly, hands still splayed across your belly. Billie leans close and kisses your temple, then dials. She puts it on speaker without waiting.

The line rings once. Twice. Then clicks.

“Hey, honey,” Maggie’s voice answers, soft and a little gravelly with sleep. “Everything okay?”

Billie doesn’t speak right away. She looks at you. You nod at her, just a little.

“Um,” she starts, already stumbling. “Sorry to wake you, Mom. We just uh. She’s been having, like… stomach cramps. But lower. Like uterus-y. No blood. No fever. It’s been coming and going all night. She’s freaking out, and now I’m freaking out, and I don’t know if it’s normal or if we should go in or if I’m being dramatic”

“You’re not,” you murmur, reaching for her hand.

She grabs it instantly, squeezing tight.

Maggie exhales gently on the other end, that motherly mix of reassurance and tiny laugh. “Okay, girls. Breathe. Both of you. Deep breaths.”

Billie does, shoulders rising and falling visibly in the faint light.

“Now,” Maggie continues, “I’m gonna say this calmly, but clearly: this is completely normal. Totally. Especially early on. The uterus is already shifting, stretching, getting ready. Ligaments are moving. Hormones are surging. It’s supposed to feel weird.”

“But the cramps?” Billie interrupts, tight with worry.

“Common. Really common. Not fun, but expected.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. Your fingers curl around Billie’s.

Maggie keeps going, her voice warm and unhurried. “As long as there’s no bleeding, no severe pain that doesn’t let up, no fever you’re both okay. I promise.”

Billie closes her eyes. “Thank you,” she says, voice rough.

You whisper it too.

“I know it’s scary,” Maggie adds, gentler now. “And new. You’re in this weird twilight zone where things are happening, but it doesn’t feel real yet. But I promise it is real. And this part? The weird aches, the not sure what’s normal and what’s happening part? That’s normal.”

Billie leans forward, her free hand resting on your stomach beside yours.

“You should’ve seen her,” Billie murmurs, voice soft now. “She was curled up like a little shrimp. Scared me.”

“I still am,” you admit quietly.

Maggie’s smile comes through the phone. “That just means you care. But listen, if it gets worse, or if you really feel uneasy, go to a doctor. Always trust your gut. But right now? You’re just… early-pregnancy tired and stressed. It’ll pass.”

There’s a long silence. Not awkward. Just… letting the words settle.

“Okay,” Billie finally says.

“Okay,” you echo, quieter.

“Alright. Now both of you go get some water,” Maggie says gently. “Snuggle. Sleep. And call me whenever. Even if it’s two a.m.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Billie says.

“Love you both,” Maggie replies. “Goodnight, girls.”

“Love you. Night.”

Billie ends the call. The bus hums softly beneath you again.

She sets the phone on the ledge beside the bunk and climbs back in beside you, wrapping herself around you in one fluid motion. You fit yourself into her arms like you’ve done a hundred times before, like your body remembers the shape of her.

She tucks her nose behind your ear and murmurs into your skin, “You okay now?”

You nod, just barely.

She kisses your shoulder.

“I love you,” she whispers. “So much.”

“I love you too.”

She rubs slow circles on your belly again, grounding you, and you finally let yourself close your eyes, body relaxing into hers, the tension in your chest loosening just enough to let you drift.

6th June, You and Billie’s house, Los Angeles, 4:10pm.

It’s nearly dusk. The last of the sunlight slants warm and soft across the hardwood, filtering through the pale linen curtains like spilled honey. Outside, cicadas drone faintly, just under the hum of Billie’s voice as she zips and unzips another suitcase by the bed. You’re lying half on your side, propped by a pillow wedged beneath your belly, Billie’s hoodie pulled over your body like a second skin. Her side of the bed is a mess, half her closet pulled out, little piles of clothes sorted but not yet packed. There’s a toothbrush still in a cup on the nightstand. Her boots by the door. Everything says she’s still here, but the growing weight in your chest knows better.

You shift with a faint sigh, hand smoothing over your belly. It’s not massive yet, but it’s unmistakable now, firm and round, visible even beneath the hoodie stretched across your skin. You feel the tightness across your lower back as you roll slightly. Not painful. Just there. Just always there now.

“Babe, have you seen my charger?” Billie’s voice floats out from the walk-in closet.

You hum faintly and tap the nightstand beside you.

She appears a second later, barefoot and frowning, her oversized tour tee sliding off one shoulder. She sees it instantly, grabs it, and tosses it into her bag like it’s somehow betrayed her.

You watch her silently from the pillows, cheek pressed to your fist.

She’s been buzzing all afternoon, packing, repacking, checking cables, mumbling to herself about show days and festival dates. But in between the movement, in between each dart of energy, she keeps glancing at you like she’s memorizing something. Like she’s trying to drink you in with her eyes, hold you still in her brain.

“You’ve got everything,” you murmur. “Just about.”

She glances over her shoulder. “I haven’t packed socks.”

“You packed six chargers but not socks.”

“Shit. Right.”

She disappears again. You hear drawers sliding open, then a quiet groan.

You smile softly and rest your hand on your stomach again. The skin is warm. A little tight. Billie hasn’t said it out loud, but she keeps looking at your belly like it’s evolving in real time. And it kind of is. Some mornings you swear it’s bigger than the night before. Some days you can almost feel your skin stretch.

You hear her walking back in, holding a ball of socks triumphantly. But the second she sees you watching her, the expression on her face changes melts into something warmer. Gentler. A little heartbroken.

She kneels on the mattress beside you, eyes flicking to your belly, then to your face. Her hands come down automatically, smoothing over the curve of you beneath the hoodie.

“You look more pregnant every day,” she says quietly, half in awe, half in disbelief. “I’m gonna miss so much.”

You reach up and catch her wrist. “It’s six weeks, Billie. Not six months.”

She doesn’t answer, just slides her hand under the hoodie, fingers spreading carefully across your skin like she’s taking your temperature with her palm.

“I’ll be back before you’re in the third trimester,” she murmurs. “And then I’m not leaving again. Not for anything.”

You nod slowly, eyes falling shut under the gentle press of her hand. “I know.”

“I’m gonna call you every morning,” she says, soft but fast, like she needs to get it out. “And every night. Call whenever you want. If you don’t pick up, I’m texting you until you do.”

You open one eye. “So… same as now?”

She huffs a laugh. “Worse. I’m gonna be insufferable.”

You let her hand rest there, warm and grounding. You can feel her thumb moving slowly in circles. The skin of your belly is so much more sensitive now. That thin, stretching kind of tender. You melt into the mattress with a quiet groan, not from pain, just overwhelmed softness.

Billie watches you for a moment. “If anything’s off. If you feel anything weird. Or even not weird, just… different. You call me. Immediately. Or Maggie. Or Fin. Or anyone. I don’t care who. I’ll come home if I have to. The whole tour can go to hell, I swear to god.”

You look up at her gently. Her eyes are glassy. Not wet, not yet, but you can tell she’s carrying it in her throat.

“Bill. Stop.”

“I’m serious,” she says. “Like, if you get scared even once, I’m on a plane. I don’t care where we are.”

“I know.”

“I told Maggie to come check on you every day. She said she will. Every single day. Even if she’s working, she’ll just come in the morning or at night. She said she’ll cook and do laundry and bring you stuff if you’re tired.”

You smile again, smaller this time. “She’s gonna be so sick of me.”

“Never,” Billie says immediately. “And Fin’ll drop by too. He said he’d take you to your checkups if I can’t get back in time. But I’ll try to be there for all of them. I really will. I already blocked a day around the second-trimester scan.”

You squeeze her hand gently. “I know.”

She leans down and kisses your forehead, lingering there. Her voice is muffled against your skin. “I just hate leaving you.”

“I know.”

“And I hate missing even a second of this.”

“I know,” you say again, softer.

She kisses your cheek, then shifts, carefully easing herself into the bed beside you. Her bag sits half-zipped on the floor. She clearly doesn’t care anymore. You sigh as she pulls the blanket over both of you, her arm sliding under your head. Your belly presses into her side.

“You need to stop stressing,” you say quietly.

She blinks. “I’m not stressing.”

You raise an eyebrow.

She puffs a small breath of laughter, pressing her nose into your hair. “Okay. Fine. I’m kind of stressing.”

“I’ll be okay. I promise.”

“You’re growing our kid in there,” she says, eyes falling to your belly again. “Every time I think about not being here while that’s happening, it makes me want to throw up.”

“Do you want to throw up?” you ask lightly, teasing.

She makes a face. “No. You’re the only one allowed to throw up in this house.”

You groan. “Don’t jinx it.”

She kisses your hair again, arm tightening around your back.

“I’m gonna write you little notes before every show,” she says suddenly.

You blink. “What?”

“Yeah. Like, like one for every night. Just a little folded-up thing. I’ll hide them in your drawer or something.”

You look over at her, already grinning. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I know,” she says. “I love you.”

Your smile fades into something warmer, deeper. You reach up and cup her face. Her cheek presses into your palm like it belongs there.

“I love you too.”

She leans in and kisses you, slow and steady, her fingers still splayed protectively over your belly like she’s trying to memorize the shape of it. It’s quiet for a long time after that. Just breath and skin. Just the weight of being close.

Eventually, she pulls back and whispers, “You’ll call me if you miss me?”

You nod. “Even if it’s just to complain.”

“I’ll always pick up.”

“I know.”

22nd June, You and Billie’s house, Los Angeles, 3pm.

The house is unusually quiet, the kind of stillness that makes your skin crawl a little, like the walls themselves are holding their breath. You’re wandering from room to room, the soft padding of your feet muffled by thick rugs, your hands tracing the edges of furniture like you’re anchoring yourself somewhere solid.

Your body feels off, heavy in places, lightheaded in others. The nausea is there, a low tide swelling and retreating unpredictably, settling in your throat and making your stomach churn. You press your palm to your belly, tracing the smooth curve beneath your shirt, your fingertips almost reverent.

It’s still early enough that the symptoms fluctuate like a shadow, sometimes strong enough to make you sit down, other times barely a whisper beneath the hum of the house.

You stop in the kitchen, the sunlight through the window warm on your face despite the unsettled feeling in your gut. Maggie had dropped off a bag of food earlier, a small, thoughtful bounty of homemade soups, fresh fruit, and little sandwiches wrapped neatly in parchment paper.

You open the fridge, take out a container of bright carrot and ginger soup, the steam rising in thin tendrils as you spoon it into a bowl.

As you eat, your phone buzzes, a message from Billie.

“How are you feeling, baby?”

You pause, your thumb hovering over the keyboard. You want to be honest but don’t want to worry her too much. After a breath, you start typing.

“Still a bit sick. The nausea won’t quit. Sometimes it’s just this constant pressure in my chest, like it’s not just my stomach but everything beneath it.”

“The headaches are coming back too, all the time.”

“I’m trying to eat but it feels like I’m forcing it down.”

Almost immediately, the reply pops up.

“I’m sorry, love. I hate that you’re feeling like this. But it’s okay, it’s all normal, you’re doing so well.”

“Make sure you’re drinking water, even if it’s just tiny sips. I wish I could be there to rub your back and hold you.”

You smile faintly, eyes closing for a moment before typing again.

“Maggie brought soup. The carrot and ginger one is actually really good. I’m trying to rest but the nausea is shit”

“Ik its normal but like just feels funny”

The phone buzzes with her next message, quicker this time.

“You’re stronger than anyone I know. And if anything gets worse, you call me. Or Maggie. Or the doctor. We’re all here.”

You pause, the phone slipping from your fingers for a moment. The house feels colder, lonelier.

But then the screen lights up again.

“I love you so much.”

“I’m counting down the days until I’m back with you. Miss you sm.”

Hours later, the sky outside dims to a deep indigo, and your body feels like it’s made of lead. You lie back on the couch, knees drawn up, a blanket over your legs. Your eyelids are heavy, the nausea settling into a dull ache that threads through your bones.

Your phone lights up with an incoming call. The name on the screen is “Bills🩷”

You answer almost immediately, your voice a groggy whisper.

“Hey.”

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Billie murmurs, voice soft but steady. “How’re you feeling?”

You let out a tired sigh, sinking deeper into the cushions. “Like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

She laughs quietly, the sound like a balm. “I wish I was there to make it better.”

“Mmm,” you mumble, your voice thick with sleep. “Me too.”

There’s a pause. You can hear the faint hum of a hotel room somewhere far away, the faint muffled crowd noise from a distant stage down the phone.

“I’m calling because I want to hear your voice before you sleep,” she says. “Even if it’s not night where I am.”

You smile softly, eyes fluttering shut. “I’m glad.”

“Me too. I’m gonna stay on the line until you fall asleep.”

You mumble something unintelligible, but it sounds like a promise.

7th July, You and Billie’s house, Los Angeles, 11:50am.

The door crashes open like a burst of sunlight, jolting the quiet calm of the apartment. Billie is back, her energy raw, electric, spilling out in a breathless rush as she steps inside, cheeks flushed from travel and excitement. She barely stops to set her bags down before she’s across the room, hands immediately searching for you.

“Hey, hey, how are you? How’re you feeling?” she asks, voice quick and soft but urgent, like she’s afraid to miss a single detail of how you’re really doing.

You’re lying on the couch, bundled in one of those thick blankets Maggie brought last week, the one with the softest fleece that smells faintly of lavender. The afternoon light, golden and gentle, spills through the large windows, casting long shadows that stretch toward the quiet city outside.

“I’m okay,” you say softly, voice just above a whisper. Your body is heavy, weighted with exhaustion that no nap or sleep seems to fully shake off anymore. “Just tired.”

Her hands find your belly without hesitation, rubbing slow, soothing circles. “You’re doing amazing,” she murmurs, voice thick with something like awe. “Look at you… look at us.”

You smile faintly, fingers curling around hers, taking a deep breath to steady yourself against the wave of relief and excitement that’s bubbling up inside you. It’s sweet, the way she’s so animated, but it also feels like too much sometimes. So much energy when you’re this tired.

Billie scrambles over to the corner, where several bags and small boxes are piled high, a chaotic mountain of surprises she’s been carrying across continents for weeks. She kneels down, eager to show you every single thing.

“Look at this,” she says, holding up a tiny cream-colored sweater, so soft it almost dissolves beneath your fingers. “A fan knitted it and handed it to security in Munich. Isn’t it the cutest?”

You run your fingers lightly over the wool, the delicate stitchwork, feeling the quiet care woven into every loop. “It’s beautiful,” you say, voice thick but steady. “So cute.”

She grins, then pulls out a smooth wooden rattle from a small German boutique. “This one’s from a shop in Berlin. Thought it’d be nice for when the baby’s a little older. Handmade.”

The wood is warm in your palm, the paint faded but still charming. You turn it over slowly. “Perfect.”

Next, she lifts a mobile from London, tiny felt stars and moons dangling from a pale wooden hoop. “For the nursery. Thought it’d be soothing.”

You blink slowly, tired but loving the thought behind it. “I like it.”

She’s on a roll now, pulling out a pair of tiny, leather shoes from a Parisian store. “Super fancy” Billie giggles out.

You reach out to touch them, the smooth material cool and new. “So fancy. Little Parisian.”

Billie laughs. “Fancy baby.”

She moves back beside you, sliding her hand over your belly again, warm and grounding.

You want to talk more, ask about her trip, the crowds, the shows, but the heaviness pulls you down again. Your eyelids flutter, slow and weighted.

Billie’s voice trails off, sensing the drift. “Oh baby. Oh baby, I’m sorry. C’mere, c’mere, c’mere.”

Her arms wrap around you with tender insistence, pulling you close. Your head falls lightly on her shoulder, and the exhaustion finally claims you, slow and gentle.

Her fingers brush over your hair as your breathing deepens, the soft warmth of her body pressing against yours.

5th August, California Medical Centre, Los Angeles, 1pm.

The midwife’s room is quiet except for the soft rustle of paper under you and Billie’s steady breathing beside the exam table. She’s perched on a low stool, knees spread, one hand resting warm over your thigh, the other gripping yours tightly.

You’re lying back, dress pulled up, belly bare and slightly shiny with the cold gel the midwife just smoothed over your skin. You feel heavy in a way that’s hard to describe, full and low and stretched thin, but calm. Billie helped you get dressed this morning, kissed your shoulder while you brushed your teeth.

The midwife, Kelly kind, calm, slightly frizzy braid, moves the doppler wand slowly, her eyes soft behind thin-framed glasses. A quiet burst of static, then. A sound. Fast, steady. Like a tiny train. Galloping.

“There it is,” Kelly says, smiling. “That’s her heartbeat.”

Billie goes still.

“Oh my God,” she breathes, blinking hard. Her hand tightens around yours. “That’s her?”

You nod, jaw working. “That’s her.” You pause, then laugh, “Already decided it’s a girl Bills?”

She shrugs, “Got a feeling.”

The sound keeps going, rhythmic, strong, impossibly close. Billie leans in, kisses your cheek, then your temple, gentle and trembling.

“She’s really in there,” she whispers. “She’s okay.”

You nod again, barely able to speak. Kelly lets the heartbeat play a few seconds longer before clicking off the device.

“She’s doing great,” she says. “Textbook perfect.”

You breathe out slowly, like you’d been holding it without knowing. Billie touches your stomach lightly with both hands, still staring.

“Can we. Could we have a copy of that sound?” Billie asks.

“Of course,” Kelly smiles, already printing it out. “A little souvenir.”

You tug your dress back down. Billie helps you sit up. Her hand stays on your back.

“You okay?” she murmurs.

You nod. “Yeah. That was just… a lot.”

“A good lot,” she whispers, forehead pressing to yours.

You rest there for a second, quiet, the folded-up heartbeat printout crinkling between your hands. It’s real. She’s real.

“C’mon,” Billie says softly. “Let’s get you something to eat. I think she deserves a snack.”

You smile, tired. “She always does.”

7th November, You and Billie’s house, Los Angeles, 1pm.

The house feels too big tonight. Too still.

You’re seven months pregnant now, and you feel every second of it. Your skin itches in weird places. Your back is a battlefield. Your belly stretches taut under the soft cotton of the tank top you put on this morning and never changed out of. It’s late. Billie’s been gone all day, and your body aches without her. You’re on the sofa, curled sideways with your knees drawn up as much as your stomach will allow, wrapped in one of Billie’s hoodies that smells faintly like her shampoo and her sweat. The cushions are sunken in the middle from how long you’ve been lying there. The living room is dim, lit only by a single lamp in the corner and the dull blue light from the muted TV, which you haven’t really been watching. It’s just there so it doesn’t feel so silent.

You’ve been texting Billie for over an hour.

First a casual “hey when you think you’ll be home?”

Then a slightly more pressing “babe I feel really shitty, pls come home soon.”

And finally, blunt: “Please come home.”

No response. You know she’s at Finneas’s studio. You know her phone is probably on do not disturb, like always when she’s working. That’s not new. That’s not even a bad thing, usually. But tonight, you’re hormonal. And tired. And sick of feeling so alone in your body.

You’re still curled there, grumbling internally, when the front door finally creaks open.

Footsteps. Billie’s voice,soft, half-whispering even though there’s no one here to disturb. “Baby?”

You don’t answer.

She rounds the corner from the hallway and stops dead in her tracks when she sees you on the couch. “Oh shit, baby…”

You blink up at her, bleary and stubborn. You’d do anything to not cry right now.

Billie’s already kneeling beside the couch, hands on your shoulder, your hip. “Why are you sleeping down here? God, baby, why didn’t you wait, wait” Her phone’s out in an instant. She checks it, flinches. “Oh my god. Fuck. I didn’t see these. I’m sorry.”

“I know,” you mutter. Your voice sounds cracked.

She bites her lip, guilt flooding her expression. “Baby… fuck. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I just…”

“It’s fine,” you cut her off, shifting your weight awkwardly. You’re not even sure what you want right now. To fight? To cry? For her to fix it?

Billie looks at you for a long second. Then, without saying anything, she slides one arm under your knees and the other behind your back.

“What are you doing,” you mutter as she hoists you up with a soft grunt, cradling you close against her chest. You’re not exactly light these days.

“Carrying you to bed. You shouldn’t be sleeping down here like this. C’mon.”

You don’t resist. You could argue. Could huff and say you’re fine. But you’re not. And Billie is warm and steady beneath you, her cheek brushing yours as she adjusts her grip and starts toward the stairs.

The house is quiet again except for her footsteps and the rustling of your clothes. Her heart thuds steady where your hand is tucked under her collarbone. You listen to it like a metronome, willing yourself not to start crying just yet.

In the bedroom, she sets you down carefully, easing you back against the pillows. She kneels beside you on the mattress, brushing hair from your face, eyes searching yours like she’s trying to see how bad this really is.

“You mad at me?” she asks softly.

You don’t answer right away. Your chest is tight.

“I didn’t mean to be gone so long,” Billie continues. “I lost track of time. I didn’t know you were feeling this bad today. I would’ve come home.”

You sit up, your tone sharper than you intend. “No. You wouldn’t have. You didn’t. Because I texted you and you didn’t look.”

Billie swallows. “I know.”

You’re already halfway to tears, your voice wobbling. “I was feeling fucking awful. My back’s killing me, I’m nauseous, my hips hurt, and I couldn’t get comfortable and you weren’t here.”

Billie nods, quiet. “I’m sorry.”

“And I just needed you,” you mumble.

That’s when it cracks. Not a sob, not at first, just your throat squeezing shut. You sniff, shake your head, blink hard.

“Oh baby…” Billie’s leaning in instantly, arms wrapping around you. “I’m here now, okay? I’m here. Tell me what’s wrong.”

You melt into her without meaning to, curling against her chest, breath hitching as your tears start to fall. You don’t even know what part hurts most. It’s everything. Your body. Your hormones. Her being gone. Her walking in all gentle and loving like nothing’s wrong when you’ve been quietly losing it for hours.

And then you laugh.

Just a little. Just this weird little burst of a giggle between sobs, because it’s so much and you’re so tired and your nose is running and Billie smells really fucking good.

She pulls back slightly. “What’s funny?”

You don’t look at her. Just shake your head against her collarbone.

“Baby,” Billie murmurs. “Talk to me.”

You groan. “It’s just. I’ve been ranting at you for twenty minutes, and now you’re asking what’s wrong?”

She smiles, arms still snug around you. “I know, baby. I just…” she stammers slightly “Just wanted to hear for sure, like. I dont know.”

You sigh. “God, you’re annoying.”

“I know.”

You go quiet. The tears ease. Your breathing slows. Billie’s fingers drift up and down your spine.

Then you speak, so softly it almost doesn’t come out.

“We haven’t had sex in so long.”

You feel Billie stiffen, just for a beat. You keep going before she can say anything.

“And I just. I don’t know. I feel gross. I feel tired and huge and sweaty and not sexy at all. And I miss it. I miss feeling like… you want me”

There’s silence.

Then Billie’s hand moves, slow and tender, cupping your jaw. You let her tilt your face up to meet her eyes. Her thumb strokes just under your cheekbone.

“Baby,” she says, quietly, earnestly, “I think you’re the sexiest person I’ve ever seen in my life.”

You snort, wiping your cheek with the sleeve of your hoodie. “You’re just saying that because I’m crying.”

“I’m saying it because it’s true. You’re glowing. You’re carrying our baby. Your body is literally a miracle and also…” She leans in, kisses the corner of your mouth, then your jaw, your throat. “…your tits look incredible.”

You laugh, a real one this time. A sharp little huff that bubbles out of your chest.

“And I haven’t jumped you because you’ve been exhausted. And I didn’t want to pressure you. And I’ve been gone. But not because I didn’t want to.”

You nod, tucking your face against her. “Okay.”

Her hand strokes over your belly. It’s round and warm and solid against her palm. She kisses your temple.

“I just miss it,” you whisper again, barely audible.

She kisses you once more, soft and slow. “I know, baby. Me too.”

She pulls you closer, pulling the blankets up around both of you. You feel your muscles finally begin to unclench, little by little, as her hand drifts over your back, her breath steady against your neck.

You’re still mad. Still hormonal. Still overwhelmed. But you’re not alone.

You’re not crying anymore. You’re just tired, warm, curled into her. Billie’s breath keeps catching in that way it does when she’s thinking hard about something and trying not to overstep. Her hand stills for a second, then moves again, slower this time, fingers spreading out wide over the rise of your ass beneath the blankets.

Then, her voice, soft, testing. “Would it feel good right now? If we… did something? Only if you’re not too tired.”

You shift slightly, the fabric of your tank top pulling tight across your chest. Your breath comes in a little deeper.

“I’m not too tired,” you say. And you’re not. Your body aches in a dull, constant way, but that ache’s always there now. What you are is needy. And Billie knows it. She always does.

She nods, the motion brushing her chin against your forehead. “Okay,” she murmurs, so soft it’s almost a breath. “Okay, baby.”

Her hand glides up under your shirt slowly, reverently, fingers warm and dry against your skin. She helps you sit up just long enough to peel your tank top over your head, dropping it to the side, then eases you back against the pillows. She takes a long moment just looking at you. Her eyes roam your body in a way that makes your chest tighten, not hungry, not urgent. Just in awe.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” she whispers, brushing a stray hair from your temple. “You have no idea how gorgeous you look right now.”

You make a sound, something between a breath and a scoff, and glance down at yourself. Your belly’s huge, heavy and full. Your thighs feel thick and soft and swollen. Your breasts are bigger than ever, straining against gravity, veins faintly visible under your skin.

“You’re literally glowing,” Billie says, and her voice is real, steady, not performative. “Like, actually glowing. You’re… fuck, you’re stunning.”

She kisses your collarbone, then lower, down the slope of your breast, her mouth gentle and slow. Her hand slides beneath the weight of it, supporting you as her lips close around your nipple, and the heat of her mouth makes your hips twitch instinctively. She groans softly like the taste of you is something she’s missed for too long.

“Your body’s doing something fucking incredible,” she murmurs, kissing across to your other breast, lips wet and reverent. “I’m so in love with you. Every inch.”

You sigh, your legs shifting beneath the blankets. Her voice settles into you like heat. Like balm.

Her hand slides down now, fingertips tracing over the swell of your belly, then lower, over the waistband of your sleep shorts. She glances up at you, waiting. You nod. She eases them down, slowly, carefully. Her fingers graze the inside of your thighs, thumbs stroking outward to guide you open. The sheets shift around your knees as you let them fall apart, hips rolling faintly into the mattress.

“You’re so soft,” she murmurs. “So fucking soft.”

She kisses the curve of your stomach, just above your belly button, then lower, onto the inside of your thigh. Her breath is warm against your skin. Her fingers brush lightly between your legs, gentle, exploratory, and you jolt, the sensation sharper than you expected. You’re wet already, sensitive and aching, your whole body humming with that tender, hormonal heat.

She doesn’t rush. Her fingers move slowly, slicking through you, parting you with quiet reverence. You gasp as she slides one fingertip inside, just to the first knuckle, her thumb brushing the softest little stroke over your clit.

Your hand finds hers immediately, fingers lacing tightly, grounding yourself.

Her voice breaks the silence again, whispery, close. “Can I kiss you while I do this?”

Billie would never usually ask you questions when shes fucking you, usually she would know always what’s a yes and what’s a no, could tell by the twitches in your thighs or the slight curve of your lip what you wanted. But this feels different. This feels tentative and testing. New.

You’re not exactly sure what you want but you nod, too fast. “Please.”

She leans in, capturing your mouth with hers as her finger moves deeper, curling slowly, gently. The kiss is soft, tongue sliding against yours with almost unbearable tenderness. Her hand rocks a little firmer between your legs, her palm warm against your clit. The combination makes you moan quietly into her mouth.

Every time her tongue brushes yours, she presses a little deeper inside you. Every stroke is matched with the rhythm of her thumb, lazy, circular, unhurried. Worshipful. Your hips start to move without thought, your hand tightening in hers.

She breaks the kiss, resting her forehead against yours, breath warm against your lips. “Tell me how it feels, baby.”

Again, Billie usually could tell, sense, how it felt. She would always ask just so she could hear you say it. But this feels different, and she isn’t asking for her own pleasure, shes asking because shes unsure. This is a whole new territory, for you both.

You breathe, barely coherent. “Good. Really fucking good. I missed this. Missed you.”

Her lips are back on your neck now, down to your chest, her tongue flicking over your nipple again while her fingers fuck you slow and steady. Her thumb never stops moving. Every kiss feels like devotion. Every breath she takes is through her nose, slow and focused, like she doesn’t want to waste a second of this.

“You’re so tight,” she murmurs, kissing your sternum, then your belly again. “So perfect. You feel perfect.”

You whimper, thighs starting to shake. “I’m close.”

“I know,” she breathes. “I’ve got you. Let go whenever you need to.”

She slips another finger in, slowly, carefully. You gasp, your hips stuttering. The stretch is deeper now, and she keeps kissing over your chest, your throat, your lips. Her tongue meets yours again, wet and slow, and Billie’s other hand cradles your cheek, her thumb brushing beneath your eye like she’s catching tears that haven’t even fallen.

The way she’s touching you, it’s not just sex. It’s everything. It’s love. It’s apology. It’s worship.

You moan louder now, mouth slack against hers. “Oh my god, Billie…”

“That’s it,” she whispers, her fingers curling just right, just there. “Cum for me, baby. Let me feel you.”

Your whole body clenches, deep and tight, and then it breaks. The orgasm rolls through you like something thick and warm, like honey in your bloodstream. You shake, gasping, and Billie kisses you through it, slow and messy, holding your cheek in her palm as your hips roll and stutter against her hand.

“God, yes,” she murmurs, still moving inside you, slower now. “That’s it. That’s it. Fuck, you’re gorgeous.”

Your chest is heaving. You’re panting into her mouth. She doesn’t stop kissing you, your lips, your cheek, the side of your neck. She keeps whispering things against your skin as your body comes down.

“So proud of you. So fucking proud of you.”

“Love watching you fall apart.”

“You’re perfect. You’re glowing. You’re mine.”

You melt into her, trembling, boneless. She keeps her fingers inside you for a moment longer, just holding you from the inside, thumb stroking gentle little shapes over your clit until it’s too much and you whimper.

“Okay,” you breathe. “Okay stop. I’m… I’m good. Jesus.”

Billie kisses your jaw. “You sure?”

You nod, hand still locked in hers. “I’m sure.”

She pulls her fingers out gently, carefully, and you flinch a little at the sudden emptiness. She brings her hand up and kisses the backs of her fingers like it’s sacred. Like you gave her something she wants to remember.

Then she lies down beside you again, pulling you close, her arms strong around your middle, one leg thrown gently over yours.

You bury your face in her shoulder, still panting, flushed and dazed.

“I love you so fucking much,” you whisper into her skin.

Billie kisses the top of your head. “I love you too, baby.”

She cups your jaw again, pressing your forehead to hers.

And in the silence that follows, you feel it again, that steady, grounding heartbeat in her chest.

15th November, You and Billie’s house, Los Angeles, 12:17pm.

You’re curled against Billie on the couch, her arm draped lazily over your hip, fingers tracing slow circles just above the waistband of your soft leggings. The room smells faintly of fresh paint and sawdust, mingled with the faint tang of lemon cleaner from the hardwood floor. The nursery is a swirl of creamy off-white and soft grey, the walls freshly painted, the floor scattered with paintbrushes and cloths. Finneas and Patrick are at it, crouched low near the baseboards, rolling on the second coat with practiced efficiency. The steady scraping and brushing sound feels soothing and rhythmic.

Billie’s head rests lightly on your shoulder, her dark hair soft against your neck. Your fingers absently play with the hem of her oversized shirt, feeling the worn cotton under your palm.

A creak from the doorway draws your attention.

Finneas appears, stepping in carefully, his jeans and T-shirt splattered with flecks of white paint, tiny dots and streaks that cover his arms, a patch on his cheek, and a splotch on his hair. He grins sheepishly, brushing a hand through his hair.

“Guess I’m officially part of the decoration now,” he jokes, eyes twinkling.

Patrick chuckles from where he’s sanding the crib rails. “That’s some serious commitment, Fin.”

You smile, watching the easy banter. Then the kitchen door opens softly.

Maggie steps in, carrying a tray balanced with steaming mugs and a bowl of homemade soup. Her presence feels warm, grounding, like the roots of this whole messy, beautiful family.

“Thought you’d need some fuel,” she says, setting the tray on the low table beside you. Her eyes warm as they meet yours. “How’re you feeling, sweetheart?”

You shift, the baby kicking faintly inside you, pressing a steady, insistent rhythm against your ribs.

“Tired,” you admit, voice soft, fingers tightening around Billie’s. “But good. It’s nice… this.”

Maggie smiles, sitting down gently in the armchair across from you, folding her hands in her lap. “It’s a big job, all of this. But it’s going to be worth it.”

Billie shifts, turning to look at you with a soft smile, then reaches over to squeeze your hand.

Finneas joins the circle, wiping his hands on a rag, settling onto the floor beside Maggie.

Patrick comes over too, carrying a paint tray and brush, setting them aside before sitting on the edge of the doorway. His smile is quiet but steady, like he’s soaking in the scene.

You watch them all for a moment, the laughter that bubbles up as Finneas recounts a funny mishap painting the ceiling, the way Maggie gently quizzes Billie about her diet and how she’s feeling, the easy flow of conversation about baby names and decorating choices.

Billie’s head falls back against your shoulder again, eyes closing briefly. You lean into her, feeling the weight of her warmth, the steady rise and fall of her breath.

“Thank you for doing this,” you whisper.

Billie’s eyes flutter open, smiling. “For us? Always.”

The afternoon light softens through the windows, pooling golden across the floorboards, dust motes drifting lazily in the sunbeams.

The light is softer now, afternoon fading toward early evening, the warm gold of late spring casting long shadows through the living room window. Outside, the gentle hum of distant city sounds drifts in through the slightly cracked window, muffled cars, a bird’s occasional chirp. Inside, the apartment is quiet, calm.

20th November, You and Billie’s house, Los Angeles, 10am.

You sit on the worn but comforting couch, Billie beside you, her hand resting lightly on your swollen belly. Your fingers brush over hers automatically, the rhythm of the baby moving beneath your skin like a slow, steady pulse. You shift, careful not to jostle the bump too much, feeling a familiar ache radiate low in your back and a heaviness in your hips that’s become harder to ignore these days. Eight and a half months now. The exhaustion that wraps around you like a thick blanket, the nights growing restless, the simple act of standing or bending becoming more complicated.

Billie’s watching you closely, that soft expression she has when she’s worried but trying not to show it. Her thumb strokes gentle circles on your skin, a constant, soothing presence.

“So,” you say, voice low and a little breathless, “we probably should talk about the birth plan thing.”

Billie snorts quietly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Birth plan,” she repeats like it’s a foreign language. “God, that sounds so official and… kind of cringe, doesn’t it?”

You laugh, the sound a little shaky. “Yeah, I feel like we’d just end up stressing over it and then totally ignoring everything we wrote down once the contractions start.”

She shrugs, her hand tightening a bit around your belly. “I mean, I get it. We want to be prepared, but also, I don’t want to feel like I’m ticking boxes on some form while your body’s doing all the work.”

You nod, blinking away a wave of tiredness. “Exactly. I just want to be comfortable, you there with me. No drama, no pressure.”

Billie leans in, her forehead resting against yours, eyes soft and serious. “We can do that. We’ll make it simple. No stupid rules. Just us, whatever feels right.”

The baby shifts, a sudden sharp kick that makes you gasp, and Billie’s lips brush against your temple. She smiles, then stands slowly, stretching her arms overhead and arching her back with a little sigh.

“We should probably start thinking about packing the hospital bag soon.”

You groan lightly, already overwhelmed by the thought of everything that still needs to happen. “Yeah… but maybe tomorrow. Or the day after.”

Billie laughs, the sound like a warm caress in the quiet room. “Deal.”

You lean back into the cushions, Billie settling next to you again. Her fingers find yours, lacing tightly.

7th December, Billie’s family home, Los Angeles, 10am.

It’s a Saturday afternoon and the house smells like rosemary and garlic. Maggie’s standing at the stove, stirring something with slow, practiced motions, talking with Finneas about some movie he’s obsessed with. Billie’s beside you at the old dining table, her hand on your thigh, thumb moving in tiny distracted circles, barely listening as she scrolls through a photo someone sent her of new tour merch. She’s in soft grey sweats and a tank top, her bare feet curled around the crossbar of the chair, rings catching the low kitchen light every time she glances up at you. Billie’s family home feels warm, familiar. The kind of warm that sticks to your skin, makes you sleepy and irritable in equal measure. Your back aches. Your belly feels impossibly tight. There’s a kind of tension in your body you can’t name, like you’re holding your breath without realizing it.

You shift slightly in your chair, trying to relieve the dull pull in your lower back. Billie looks up and leans closer, mouth by your ear. “You good?”

You nod slowly. “Just… hot.”

She kisses your temple. “Want me to grab a cold towel?”

You shake your head. “No, just, don’t move.”

She grins and presses her cheek to your shoulder.

Maggie calls over from the stove, “You okay, honey?”

“I’m fine,” you lie, smiling with your mouth but not your eyes. There’s a prickle behind your sternum. The beginnings of something. You don’t know what.

Patrick walks in from the back door with Finneas’s dog Peaches following behind, trailing grass on the hardwood. The room’s full. Everyone’s talking over each other. You try to keep up. Try to smile. But there’s a kind of fuzziness creeping in behind your eyes. The edges of the room feel floaty and undefined.

And then a deeper ache rolls through your lower abdomen. It’s not a kick. Not pressure. Something else.

You breathe through it. Billie’s still laughing at something Finneas just said. Claudia is showing Maggie something on her phone. You place a hand on the table to steady yourself and push slowly to your feet.

You’re halfway up when you freeze.

There’s a wet warmth.

You blink.

A small gasp escapes your throat. Everyone’s still talking. You look down.

Your sweats are soaked from the inside out. A slow spreading patch of fluid darkens down the insides of your thighs and begins to puddle quietly onto the hardwood floor.

You whisper, “Oh.” And then louder, “Oh my God.”

It happens all at once. Finneas is the first to stop talking. Maggie drops her spoon. Billie’s head snaps up, her eyes flicking to the floor. The silence that falls is immediate, heavy.

“Oh my God,” Billie says again, this time a whisper, barely audible. She stands so fast her chair scrapes the floor.

There’s a beat of stillness before Finneas says, “Holy shit.”

Patrick exhales like someone just punched him. But the only sound in your head is the rushing of your blood. You grip the edge of the table with both hands.

Everyone’s moving now, gathering towels, grabbing phones, saying things like “It’s happening!” and “Do we have her bag?” and “How far apart are the contractions?”

But you’re frozen.

You don’t feel excitement.

You feel cold. Shaky. Untethered.

Your vision swims for a moment and you realize, your heart’s beating too fast. You’re holding your breath again.

Billie’s in front of you now. “Baby. Babe.” Her hands on your arms. “You okay?”

You can’t speak. You feel like if you open your mouth, you’ll cry or throw up or scream. Maybe all three.

Billie cups your face, smiling so wide. “This is it. Oh my God. We’re gonna meet them.”

You stare at her, hollow-eyed.

She doesn’t see it. She’s beaming. Excited. Jittery. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, beaming, glancing at Finneas, then Patrick, then Claudia, to each one she repeats with a giggly squeal “Oh my god.”

And then Maggie steps forward. “Billie.”

Billie doesn’t hear her.

“Billie,” Maggie says more firmly, placing a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

Billie turns, eyebrows lifted.

Maggie dips her head toward you. “She’s scared, honey.”

Billie blinks. The grin slips off her face like a veil being pulled back.

She looks at you again, really looks. The color drains a little from her cheeks. “Oh… baby…”

You exhale shakily and whisper, “I don’t want to do this.”

She steps in close, wrapping both arms around your waist. “Hey. Hey, it’s okay. I’m sorry, I was so caught up.”

You press your forehead to her collarbone and groan, “Where’s that fucking cringe, stupid birth plan?”

She lets out a nervous laugh. “Um… we never finished it.”

You groan again, more desperate.

Maggie’s already walking toward the front door, keys in one hand, phone in the other. “Alright. We’re leaving now. You two go get in the car. I’ll bring the hospital bag and your water and snacks. Let’s go. Time to move.”

Billie cups your face again, looking you straight in the eyes. “You’re gonna be okay. We’re okay. I’ve got you. You’re doing amazing already.”

“I’m not doing anything yet,” you whisper hoarsely.

She smiles. “You stood up. You told us. You’re here. That counts.”

She helps you waddle carefully toward the door, arm tight around your waist. Her sweatshirt sleeves are pushed up, and you can feel the tremor in her fingers as they grip your hip.

As you reach the front door, you turn to see the dark patch of water still glistening on the hardwood floor.

“Shit,” you mutter.

Billie presses a kiss to your temple. “Leave it. Let Finneas clean it.”

You snort and almost start crying again. The porch lights feel too bright. The world too loud. You grip Billie’s hand like a lifeline. Everyone else is still buzzing. Still thrilled. But Billie stays with you, calm and close.

The car ride to the hospital is a blur of flashing lights, sharp turns, and the low murmur of worried voices. You clutch Billie’s hand like a lifeline, your fingers digging into hers so hard it almost hurts, but you don’t care. Your heart pounds so loudly you can’t hear anything else, only the rush of blood, the uneven rhythm of your breath, the dull, spreading ache in your belly. Every contraction crashes over you like a wave, relentless and merciless.

Billie’s voice is calm but urgent, sliding between reassurance and stress. “You’re doing so fucking good. I’m right here, okay? Look at me. You’re incredible.” Her thumb circles your knuckles, slow and steady, a tether pulling you back from the edge of panic.

You try to nod but the next wave hits, sharp and deep, and you groan, pressing your forehead against the car window, teeth clenched. Your body trembles, slick with sweat. The nausea rises again, and you close your eyes tight, focusing on Billie’s voice: low, warm, anchoring.

“She’s perfect,” Billie breathes, more to herself than anyone else, but loud enough that you catch it, the raw love threading through her words.

The hospital smells sterile and too bright when they wheel you inside, antiseptic, faint traces of floral disinfectant, the low hum of fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Nurses rush past, efficient and calm. Billie’s grip tightens again, her palm hot against yours.

A nurse takes your vitals, murmuring questions between contractions. Your body arches involuntarily, breath hitching. The pain slices through your abdomen, a deep pressure radiating from your pelvis like a slow-burning fire. You feel exposed, raw. Billie leans close, whispers, “I’m not going anywhere.”

You squeeze her hand harder, eyes glassy but fixed on hers. “I’m scared,” you admit, voice small and brittle.

She shakes her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “I know. But you’re the strongest person I know.”

Doctors arrive, a flurry of faces and voices. The world shrinks to the narrow bed, the harsh hospital sheets scratching at your skin, and the constant pounding inside you.

Pain pulls you down into its depths, relentless and all-consuming. Your legs tremble, the muscles spasming uncontrollably. Billie leans over, kissing your temple, murmuring praise into your hair. “You’re amazing. Every second. I love you.”

You dig your nails into her palm, trying to find control in the chaos. The contractions blur, pulse to pulse, each one a storm you survive only by holding onto her.

Then, suddenly, a nurse’s voice rises sharply, “We need to monitor baby’s heart rate more closely.”

Panic spikes. Billie’s eyes flick to the monitors, narrowing. “What’s going on?” she asks, voice taut.

The doctor’s voice is calm but serious. “Baby’s heart rate is dipping with contractions. We’re going to keep a closer eye. It might mean some stress, but we’ll know more soon.”

Your breath catches. Fear twists your gut tighter than the contractions. Billie presses her forehead against yours, whispering, “Hey, we’ve got this. Together.”

The tension pulses through the room, thick and heavy. You feel yourself trembling again, not just from pain, but fear. Billie strokes your damp hair, her fingers firm, grounding. “You’re okay. I’m here.”

The medical team adjusts monitors, checks your progress. The stress eases just enough. The baby’s heart rate steadies. You gasp through another contraction, Billie’s lips chasing yours in a fierce, grounding kiss, her hand never leaving yours.

The pain shifts, changes shape, until it’s a sharp, burning release, and then a gasp. Your body clenches, convulses, and finally lets go.

You hear Billie’s voice, sharp and breathless, just beyond the haze. “You’re doing it. You’re so fucking amazing.”

Your hands tremble, gripping the hospital bed rails, muscles shaking from the surge of adrenaline and exhaustion. And then, suddenly, a small, wet weight is laid onto your chest.

Skin to skin.

Your breath catches.

The baby is warm and slick, their tiny face scrunching, eyes closed tight. You feel the rapid, uneven beat of that tiny heart pressed against yours, so fragile and fierce all at once. Billie leans over, tears pooling in her eyes. Her hand cups the back of the baby’s head gently, as if afraid to disturb this perfect, raw moment. Your fingers find Billie’s, and you squeeze, so weak, so tired, but completely overwhelmed. Minutes stretch. The room is quiet except for the baby’s faint cries and the soft murmurs of doctors packing up, their voices distant but warm.

Billie lifts the baby from your chest, holding them close, cradling that small life with an awe you’ve never seen before. She presses a kiss to their forehead, then to your cheek, skin damp from tears and sweat.

You close your eyes for a moment, breath slow, heart pounding in a new rhythm, one of love, relief, and disbelief.

Then the door opens, and Billie’s family floods in. Maggie’s eyes shine, her smile wide as she approaches with a small bouquet.

“Oh, you did it,” she says softly, voice thick with emotion. “You both did.”

The room fills with warmth, chatter, and laughter, soft, overwhelmed joy spilling out in waves. You lean back against the pillows, utterly spent, eyelids heavy as exhaustion settles deep in your bones.

Billie wipes your forehead with a cool cloth, her touch gentle, reverent. “You’re incredible.”

You smile weakly. “We… have no name yet.”

Billie laughs, breathless and raw. “We forgot the stupid birth plan,” she jokes, but her eyes are bright, teasing.

You chuckle, voice hoarse, so tired it’s nearly a whisper. “Too tired to laugh, but I’m trying.”

She leans in, pressing her forehead to yours. “Well, we should probably pick something. Before the whole family decides for us.”

You nod, heart swelling in that small, exhausted way.

“I like… something simple. Strong,” you say after a long pause, tracing the curve of the baby’s cheek.

Billie’s grin spreads. “Yeah. Like her.”

You smile, finally steady. “Claire. You mentioned it, months and months and months ago.”

Billie squeezes your hand. “Claire it is.”

666 notes · View notes

withlovemark · 2 months ago

Text

“STUPID CUPID”

pairing: na jaemin x art major! reader | genre: rom-com | words: 24k

synopsis -> mr. cupid — anonymous radio host. running the #1 most popular radio show on campus. famous for his thoughtful advice and classified as a true hopeless romantic. na jaemin — photography major, the sweet fuck-boy. described to be affectionate and gentle…but don’t fall for his tactics! once he’s done with you, he’s gone with the wind. your best friend unfortunately happened to be on the receiving end of this. what happens when you find out that the anonymous radio host is none other than na jaemin himself? sweet revenge.

warnings -> tooth rotting cheesiness you’ll roll your eyes, a hundred different synonyms for a gentle smile, pet name unlocked: angel, lots of stolen kisses, there’s only one bed, reader and jaemin are stupid and selfish sometimes, a tiny bit of angst, a hole in the wall, +18, crude language, fuck-boys, mentions of drugs, alcohol, make outs, one night stands, more than one boner, smut! oral-m/f receiving, fingering, slight nipple play, blowjob, handjob, sex, a brief conversation with his cock, jaemin is whiny and vocal and big, masturbation, public sex if u squint.

an -> the first installment of the loverboy series is finally yours. i hope you love (and hate) it as much as i do. i had so many moments in the three months i’ve had with this work where i almost scrapped this as i couldn’t figure out how to progress the story without it being so cheesy. i wanted something grand, something never been done before! but (fortunately) with rom-com, and the amount of lovely fiction out there, everything has been done before. so i succumbed to the inevitable cheesiness and made something i was happy with. hope you enjoy! with love, c.

dear, mr. cupid,

my best friend slept with her crush! problem is, he’s a total fuckboy and doesn’t even remember her. he walks around pretending he doesn’t know her. what can i do to get back at him?

love,

heart

mr. cupid reads the anonymous confession of the day, ready to give his think piece.

“hi heart, hmm,” he pauses, seeming to be in deep thought, “first of all, i think you should be there for your friend. let her know that no man, especially a fuckboy, is worth any of her precious time. as for the guy, let him have a taste of his own medicine, he deserves it. no man should ever treat a woman like that,” he sweetly advises through the radio, making you scoff in disgust.

his fake persona was sickening considering you couldn't even count the number of girls he has been with in both of your hands in just a span of one year.

taste of his own medicine, huh?

two days later, you got all dolled up, looking exactly like the girls you know are his type – all pretty in pink, a cute skirt around your waist, pretty bow adorned on your hair, paired with heels that made your legs look longer.

you couldn’t even recognize yourself when you looked in the mirror. gone were the oversized t-shirts and sweats that usually hugged your body. you were going to make him notice you, one way or another.

it was all part of the plan – it’s simple, really! the entirety fitting in a page in your notebook, titled the downfall of na jaemin:

step one - introduce yourself.

step two - make him fall in love with you.

step three/four - break his heart and reveal to the whole world (university) that their beloved mr. cupid is a phony.

see, easy!

hence, we begin.

you’ve mapped out the trail he took after his first period. and like the mastermind you are, you were right where you needed to be at the right time. walking hurriedly past him and “accidentally” bumping into him, the books and papers in your hand flying out of your grasp, an exaggerated gasp slipping past your lips.

jaemin, quick to his feet, was already on the ground, picking up your fallen items, “sorry about that,” he apologizes.

“no it's okay, i wasn’t looking where i was going, sorry,” your sweet voice captures his attention as he finally gets a good look at you. a devilishly sweet smile growing on his features, eyebrows ever so slightly raising in a way that if you weren’t so observant, you wouldn’t have noticed.

“just be careful next time, beautiful,” he flirts, handing you back your things, the smile on his face never leaving. you fight back the urge to roll your eyes.

“thanks handsome, i’ll see you around?,” matching his energy, voice going softer, eyes flirtatiously but calculatively drooping, as you grab your books out of his hands, making sure your fingertips touch, just a little bit, before turning away and quickly walking the opposite direction.

the boy quickly called out to you, “hey!, what's your name?!”

leaning over your shoulder, plastering on the sweetest smile you can give him, you waved away like you were some kind of princess – classic romantic first meetings.

he watches your retreating figure, a small smile visible on his features. he has half the mind to follow you until the sound of his phone buzzing snaps him out of his daze.

mark: where are u? need help setting up

jaemin: omw

𓏲𝄢

“did we get new students?,” was the first thing that jaemin asked when he entered the room, his friends quickly glancing at his direction before continuing their tasks – setting the house up for the fraternity’s highly anticipated valentines day party that was two days away. it was really the only party (besides halloween, christmas and new year) that they prepared for. all the other ones, didn’t require this much work.

“not that i know of?,” mark — leader of the dream fraternity, music major, the favorite fuckboy. unlike jaemin, he doesn’t hide under sweet pretenses. he tells you what he wants from the beginning, never leaving you doubting his actions. whether or not you continue, is up to you. so you can’t exactly blame him when he breaks your heart in the end.

“huh..,” he ponders.

“why?,” his leader ask, curiosity piqued.

“saw the prettiest girl today, never seen her before,” he says nonchalantly.

“maybe she was just passing by?,” haechan — member of the dream fraternity, theatre major, the most popular fuckboy. girls love him. boys love him. he’s funny and charming but also very straightforward. you won’t catch him in a single lie because he doesn’t tell any, even if that means ruthlessly hurting people’s feelings.

“can’t be, her books were from our library,” jaemin reasons, remembering the ‘step by step: how to art?’ book that he picked up from the ground stamped with the university’s seal. maybe you were an art major?

“what does she look like?, i can ask around,” jeno — member of the dream fraternity, architect major, the chill fuckboy. doesn’t really like the whole hopping from one girl to another so he ends up in a bunch of meaningless situationships. his current one has been going on strong – a good new record of four days.

“exactly my type, long hair, soft skin, pretty smile, dressed in the cutest outfit,” jaemin sighs hopelessly, like he was just shot with the lust arrow.

“uh oh there you go again, falling for nameless girls,” chenle smirks, throwing him the streamers he was assigned to put up.

chenle — member of the dream fraternity, business major, the lowkey fuckboy. doesn’t get around as much as the rest but also doesn’t do relationships either and he makes that very clear. no use of pet names, or flowers, or chocolates or anything romantic.

“actually, she was holding an art book. renjun, have you seen anyone today wearing a pink top with a white skirt, a pretty white bow on her pretty head?”

renjun — member of the dream fraternity, art major, the fuckboy by association. only got labeled a player due to his friends. doesn’t actually care too much for romantic relationships, but he will have one night stands here and there, he still has a working dick after all. #1 person to call out the boys if they over step a line but will also fight a girl for his friends.

“didn’t go to class today, too busy setting up,” he shrugs, “leave the poor girl alone jaemin, we don’t need a repeat of last time,” he adds sternly.

“hey!, that one was not my fault, that girl was crazy,” jaemin reasons out earning a snort from jisung.

“yeah, hyung, crazy because she told you she loved you and you said it back then proceeded to avoid her,” jisung — member of the dream fraternity. dance major, the fuckboy in the making. he was in a relationship, once. the girl cheated on him so now he’s decided that love’s not real and is taking fuckboy 101 classes from mark and haechan.

“who tells you they love you while your balls deep in!?,” jaemin practically shouts, “my dick was my brain, okay!, besides who even says i love you to a guy you’ve only been talking to for a week, not to mention we barely talked!,” jaemin quickly defends himself for the umpteenth time.

“yeah, yeah we’ve heard it all before and well…that’s what you get for being sooo sweet,” haechan points out, laughing at his friend.

“that’s why next time you don’t put so much effort in,” chenle adds, joining in on the laughter.

“yeah dude, or maybe next time just tell them you just want sex? it works for me all the time i never have anyone crazy coming in like that,” mark teases, the entire group laughing as they recall the situation.

“well damn! god forbid i actually throw in a little bit of romance before i fuck their brains out,” jaemin sighs.

he can’t help it, he was a romantic at heart.

“fuck your brain out you mean?,” jeno snorts, causing jaemin to chase him around the house, fist ready for a punch.

“be careful! if you break any of the decorations i am not helping!,” renjun yells after them, the rest of the group breaking out into a chaos of laughter.

𓏲𝄢

dear mr. cupid,

i accidentally ran into someone today…my books flew everywhere! i swear some even landed on his feet but he was so kind about it, picking it up for me and calling me beautiful and now i can’t stop thinking about his sweet smile. problem is i don’t even know his name, what should i do?

love,

angel

jaemin’s jaw drops, this has to be his mystery girl…right? how many people go bumping around others and dropping their books?

he found himself liking the fact that his identity was unknown. to you he was just the kind boy who helped you out and not one of the school’s residential fuckboy. he thinks this is somehow a work of fate and was sure he had to thank divine interventions for landing you straight into his lap.

clearing his throat, he starts with his advice, “interesting, what should you do, angel?,” he clicks his tongue, “i think you should go to the place you saw him at, maybe he’ll be there again? who knows, he could have felt the same thing…i guarantee you if he did, he’ll walk up to you and say hi…men are simple creatures, after all. if they like you they’ll do something if not, well, you deserve a better man, angel…”

angel — a pretty name for a pretty girl, jaemin thought.

“and of course to all you lovely ladies out there, advice of the day from your favorite cupid is: never accept anything less than the best…goodnight lovelies,” ending the session for the night.

“angel, angel, angel,” the name glides off his tongue. did he just use mr. cupid to get to you? of course he did, but you didn’t have to know that.

just like how he didn’t have to know that everything was falling into place, exactly the way you planned it.

like clockwork, you end up meeting him at the exact same place at the exact same time, your books safely secured in your bag — it was time to put things in motion.

jaemin spots you first, walking up to you this time, “hi angel,” you turn towards the sound of his voice, taking in his appearance, noticing the camera that hung around his neck.

“y-you listen to mr. cupid?,” you ask, playing dumb, of course he listens to mr. cupid. he is mr. cupid. you just didn’t expect him to bring the persona up at all.

“who doesn’t? it’s the number one radio show on campus,” he smirks, “and thank god i do or else i would’ve never known you were looking for me,” he shoots you a wink and it makes sense to you now how he’s never gotten caught. it’s because he doesn’t hide the fact that he “listens” to mr. cupid. he talks about mr. cupid like he was just a casual listener.

too bad for him, you saw him sneak out of the studio late that one evening, catching sight of the mr. cupid neon sign before the door shut.

you let out a playful laugh, “of course, i guess we have mr. cupid to thank…so what’s your name, handsome?,”

“you truly don’t know?,” it takes every ounce of you not to scoff.

“should i?,” you ask innocently, completely opposite from the rage you were feeling inside.

“of course not,” he shakes his head, “jaemin,” he introduces himself, hand reaching out for a handshake. you give him a soft smile before slipping your hand in his, “nice to meet you jaemin, i’m y/n.”

“not angel?”

“you didn’t think i’d actually tell mr. cupid my real name did you? it would be so embarrassing for me,” you explain and jaemin just shakes his head lovingly.

“do you want to get coffee?,” you ask, making jaemin’s smile grow wider.

𓏲𝄢

dear mr. cupid,

how do I get a fuckboy to fall in love with me?

love,

heart

“it doesn’t matter if he’s a fuckboy or not, to get anyone to fall in love with you, you have to dig deep, find out what they like and get to know them beyond surface level.” - mr. cupid.

the air in the coffee shop was buzzing with the faint hum of quiet conversations and light tunes playing from the cafe’s speakers. you sat across from him, sun rays from the window illuminating his sharp features. na jaemin, the playboy who had stolen hearts without a second thought, was now sitting before you, completely unaware of your secret identity.

“tell me about yourself,” you say as soon as the two of you got comfortable.

“well, i'm a photography major, part of the dream fraternity,” he gives the basic answer, not giving you anything else.

“girlfriend?,” you ask, eyebrows raising up as you took a sip of your drink.

“wouldn’t be sitting here with you if i had one, angel,” he responds smoothly, the use of the nickname he has insisted on continuing to call you rolls off his tongue, making you want to gag every time you hear it. perhaps you should have just given your real name.

instead you force yourself to blush, breaking eye contact like it was all too much, smiling down at your hands.

he finds it adorable of course. from his perspective, he had you right in the palm of his hands, all he had to do was catch you.

“you said you were a photography major…can i see your photos?,” you point to his camera, an innocent look displayed on your face, catching jaemin slightly off guard.

no girl has ever asked to see his work, always only curious about his reputation and seeing him as a challenge – maybe this was your ploy, pretending to care about him just so he would sleep with you.

he almost wants to tell you that you didn’t have to go through all that effort. just say the word and he’ll be in between your legs in a second but this is amusing and he’ll let it drag on for as long as you want.

“hmm, maybe later angel, how about you tell me about yourself first?,” his shit-eating grin appeared as fast as it disappeared and you knew that you wouldn’t be able to crack him so easily. you were prepared for that. in the three years you’ve heard about this boy, you have never heard of him being in love. you knew this would be hard. you had to break down your walls first if you ever wanted to see through his.

“okay, i'm an art major with a focus on painting, my favorite color is pink and i love iced americanos,” you point down to your matching drinks, letting out a soft giggle.

“hey, we’re pretty similar,” you hear the smile in his voice. of course, you calculatively said things you knew he also liked, things he’s mentioned in his show, you were an avid listener after all…before you knew it was him.

“what is it about painting that draws you in?,” he continues.

then it clicks for you — this was his own test wasn’t it?

he was using his own advice against you. he was digging deeper. his own personal trick to get you to fall for him. you give him exactly what he’s looking for.

“i guess i just love watching simple colors and lines all come together to create something beautiful…the way it can be interpreted in so many ways by different people, you know?,” you take a quick pause, making sure he was still listening to you. he nods encouraging you to go on, “the way it can carry emotions, i can look at it one day and feel happiness and then another day i could look at the same painting and feel sadness,” you continue, letting your heart talk for you. the passion you had for art clearly on display.

“tell me more, angel,” jaemin looks at you with a soft glow in his eyes like he's really taking in everything you’re saying and storing it somewhere safe. maybe it was because of how the sun rays hit his eyes? maybe it was genuine curiosity? or maybe he’s just mastered the act of pretending to care? you wouldn’t know. but you do know that it was easy to get lost in his gaze and it makes sense how he has succeeded in making everyone fall for him.

“hmm, i like how you can find a story within each painting if you look deep enough and i love the way that story changes depending on who’s looking,” you finish.

he smiles, a gentle smile — this one different from the grins that you were used to seeing and you knew you hit the spot.

“you know something, y/n? i think you and i are a lot alike,” he starts, “except for me, my photos are my painting,” he reveals a little but not too much, hushed voice, leaning towards you as it it was a secret. maybe it was? maybe it was something he’s never shared to anyone but you? again, you wouldn’t know.

you watch him reach for the camera sitting quietly on his side of the table, and before you could process what was happening the shutter of the flash has blinded you.

“w-why did you take a picture of me?,” you asked in quiet shock.

“i like this story, i think i want to keep it forever,” he casually admits, making your heart skip a beat. he was good and you realize now how tough this could be as you sat there thinking, was it this easy to fall for someone’s words before?

“what do you say angel, you want to go to a party with me tomorrow night?," and just like that, the grin was back on his face, snapping you out of your trance.

the NCTU valentines party – you’ve always heard about it being one of the best parties on campus, whether you’re single and ready to mingle or taken and want to party with your significant other, everyone goes to have a great time: sex, free alcohol, drugs and good music. how could anyone pass it up?

“i would love to,” you reply sweetly.

you needed to get into his room.

after all, you had no physical proof that he was mr. cupid.

𓏲𝄢

“i need to borrow a dress,” you rummage through your best friend’s wardrobe, looking for something pretty and pink.

“for what?,” giselle’s attention snaps toward you, her curiosity at its peak. she doesn’t even remember the last time you wore a dress.

“umm for a party,” you mumble, “excuse me?,” she walks over to you, not entirely sure if she heard correctly, “did you say party? you’re going to a party?!” she practically shouts, excitement bubbling through her.

“calm down, it’s not that big of a deal,” you sigh, still looking through her closet.

“uhm, yes it is! i’ve been trying to get you to a party since freshman year and you always turn me down,” she pouts, “in your own words, ‘parties are sooo lame, i have much better things to do,’” she playfully mocks, earning an eye roll from you.

“i don't sound like that,” you snarked, eyes narrowing at her.

“yes…you do,” she says, pushing you out of her closet and pulling out a pretty pink dress you’ve never seen before, exactly in your size. it was the perfect dress for the perfect girl you were currently playing.

giselle hands it to you with a smile on her face, “here, i bought it for you just in case this day ever happened,” making you chuckle, “i can’t believe you, thank you,” taking the dress out of her hands.

“whose party are you going to anyway?,” she asks.

“uhmm,” you take a second to think about whether or not you should lie but giselle knows you more than anyone else, she’ll see right through your words, so you decide to come clean, “theNCTUvalentinesparty,” you mumble and giselle’s jaw drops in shock, “the wildest party of the year for a party virgin…are you sure about that?,” she asks, voice laced with concern.

“don’t worry, i’m not gonna drink or anything,” you shrug and you see the way her mind works, piecing it all together.

“who are you going with?,” she inquired, afraid that she already knew the answer to the question.

“doesn’t matter,” you gulped, looking everywhere but your best friend.

“oh my god!,” she gasped, “don’t tell me you’re going with na jaemin?!”

“ok, i won't tell you i'm going with na jaemin,” you joked, trying to keep the energy light but you see the way her smile has disappeared into a thin line, eyebrows slightly furrowing.

“y/n-, i told you…you don’t have to do anything,” she breathes out, almost angry.

“giselle, you lost your virginity to him! and then he pretends you don’t exist?!,” you point out, reminding her of his faulty actions and how much he deserves what’s coming to him.

“so what!?, i probably would have lost my virginity to another jerk if not him, at least he gave me a good time,” you actually can’t believe she’s defending him right now, a frustrated expression appearing on your face.

“are you kidding me?! you cried over him for a week!,” you cursed, remembering the time you had to pick up the mess jaemin made.

“yes because i lost my virginity to a fuckboy!…not because that fuckboy was him, it could've been any one of them and i still would have cried,” she explains, “...but i'm over it!, i’ve been over it!,” she yells, arms flinging around, “besides virginity is a social construct anyways i feel much better without that word hanging over my head and since he’s slept with me i’ve had soooo many guys in my dms—,” she reasons out, rambling, almost losing focus until she caught herself.

“—so please y/n,” she snaps her attention back to you, holding your hands “—don’t waste your time on na jaemin and just…enjoy a good fucking party,” she practically begged.

“no,” you reply sternly, letting go of her hands “he needs to know how it feels like to get his heart broken. if not for you then i'm doing this for all the other girls who have cried over him,”

giselle sighs, your stubbornness was always a problem and she knew well enough that once you’ve set your mind on something, nothing can change it, “whatever y/n, don’t come crying to me when this blows up in your face, he isn’t as dumb as you think,” she walks out, leaving you to wallow in your thoughts alone.

𓏲𝄢

dear mr. cupid,

i’m going to my first party ever! how can i make sure i catch the attention of the person i like?

love,

heart

“be safe. don’t let anyone take advantage of you. and for the person you like? confidence is key. wear your head high, flash on your beautiful smile and always be one step ahead.” - mr. cupid.

loud music, red solo cups, couples sticking their tongue down each other's throat, a guy wearing a diaper holding a toy bow and arrow drunk in the front lawn and it’s only 9pm.

this is the infamous valentines day party?

you wanted nothing more than to turn around and go back to the safety of your dorm room, hide under the blankets and binge watch cheesy rom-com movies until the sun comes up.

before you can psych yourself out, an unknown voice makes its way to your ears, “you must be, angel?,” the figure walks up to you, a smirk etched onto his face.

“and you are?,” you ask, already feeling a bit uncomfortable.

“haechan,” he introduces, hand going up for a handshake. he waits for yours but you never give it, only glancing at his hand with a slight look of disgust. quickly retracting it, the boy runs a hand through his long dark hair, laughing it off.

“he was right,” he comments, looking you up and down, “sorry?,” this is by far the most confusing conversation you’ve ever had. you’ve decided you hated parties.

“...long hair, soft skin, pretty smile and dressed in the cutest outfit, you are exactly his type,” he mumbles, sipping from his cup and taking a step towards you.

ahhh so he’s talked about you.

haechan’s figure towers over you and you’re now very aware that he’s an intoxicated man and you’re in nothing but a tight pink dress who forgot to bring some sort of self defense weapon. you hold onto your purse a little tighter, ready to swing if it comes down to it.

“back off, haechan,” jaemin’s deep voice echoes from behind you. his familiar presence brings you a sense of comfort. you’d take him over this random guy in front of you any day. though you’re not entirely sure it’s better.

“just introducing myself,” haechan smirks, raising his hands in mock surrender as the taller boy steps up beside you, “see you later, angel,” haechan bids his goodbye, walking back into the loud frat house.

“sorry about that, he gets a little too confident when he’s drunk but he’s never physically hurt anyone…just a whole lot of talk really,” jaemin snaps your attention back to him.

“physically?,” you question, head tilted.

“well, i can’t say the same for emotionally, he’s a heartbreaker you know?,” jaemin chuckles, taking a step closer to you.

“and you’re not?,” you look at him quizzically, smirk on your lips, challenging him.

“you look really beautiful, angel,” he ignores your question, choosing to lean in and compliment you instead, playful smile on his lips, “stick close to me tonight okay, you don’t want another heartbreaker getting near you,” he whispers, sending goosebumps throughout your skin.

jaemin watches you intently, “now, c’mon…let’s go inside,” he leads the way to the entrance with you following right behind him, head held high.

if you thought the outside was bad, the inside of the house was a whole different nightmare. the music booming filling up every corner of your mind, sweaty bodies bumping and grinding against each other, more lip locking, not entirely sure who’s paired up with who, everyone just kissing everyone, one side of the room chanting “shot, shot, shot,” the other side carrying someone on the keg stand. the air was thick with the stench of alcohol and a mix of different flavors of vape smoke, hitting you all at once. you were definitely out of your element, panic settling in the pit of your stomach.

jaemin quickly senses your discomfort, your feet frozen to the ground, wincing as you look around the room, taking it all in. he walks towards you, gently lacing his fingers around yours, “just stay close to me, okay, y/n?,” gone was the smirk that you swore was glued on to his face, eyes full of concern. you nod, tightening your grip around his hand before he led you deeper into the room and into the kitchen where there were less people.

“ahh, there they are, took you guys long enough, i thought you may have just led her right to your bedroo-oW,” haechan fumbles over after the guy next to him punched him in the stomach, “what the fuck, mark?,” he groans in pain, mark ignoring him.

“please ignore hyuck, he’s had too much to drink…i’m mark,” mark smiles at you, he seems normal enough. this time you accept the handshake, “im y/n,” you reply, shooting him a quick smile, “i thought his name was haechan?,” your eyes darted between the three boys, pointing at haechan who was still soothing his pained stomach.

“haechan when he’s flirting, donghyuck to his friends,” mark says, clearing it up for you.

“you don’t have to tell her that, we’re not friends,” the boy chimes in and you agree, “he’s right,” making him perk up, “on a second thought, maybe we can be friends,” he says cheerfully, “sorry about my behavior, y/n,” he drunkenly apologizes, pout on his lips and you’re confused at the sudden change in his behavior.

“praise him once and he’ll do anything for you,” jaemin explains, chuckling at his friend’s antics and handing you a cup, “drink?,” he asks.

you eye the red cup suspiciously, “it’s just coke and henny,” jaemin says, taking a sip out of the cup to let you know that it’s safe to drink. you appreciate the action, “thanks,” you say, taking the cup from his hold and taking a sip. the taste was absolutely repugnant and you try your best to not let it show on your face.

“oooh that’s basically a kiss,” renjun from your art class walks in, teasing, and your eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. there’s no way he’s here right now? renjun was so polite and proper, what the hell was he doing here?

you realized now that you actually had no idea what happens in your university. too absorbed in your own bubble to know who’s friends with who, “ooooh jaemin and angel sitting on a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” haechan sings making the boy’s chuckle as you tried to hide your face behind the red solo cup.

jaemin shoots you a smile before getting dragged away by mark to the other side of the room, creating more mixed drinks for the party, leaving you with haechan and your fellow art classmate.

“hey, i’m renjun,” he walks up to you casually earning a slight nod from you, “you must be angel?,” he questions and all you do is nod, downing your drink, trying to ignore the burning in your throat, “okayy?,” he eyes you suspiciously and you’re afraid your cover has been blown until haechan grabs his hand, “don’t stare at my friend, it makes her uncomfortable,” he steps in and suddenly you’ve decided that haechan is your favorite.

“let’s go look for jisung, i still gotta teach him how to do that tongue thing,” haechan says, grabbing renjun and mark out of the room. you don’t even want to know what tongue thing they’re talking about, just grateful for the fact that renjun was finally gone.

“woahh, slow down angel,” jaemin makes his way back to you, taking the cup out of your hands, “what?,” you didn’t even realize you were still drinking it, too caught up in trying to not get caught.

“you finished it,” he says, almost proud, chuckling at your actions.

“oh…,” you sigh, looking at the empty cup. well, that’s not good. you’re not exactly a pro when it comes to alcohol and you can feel it catching up to you now, the heat in your face growing as a carefree laugh slipped from your lips, “i guess i did.”

jaemin finds you absolutely adorable, “let’s go dance, angel,” grabbing both of your hands and dragging you out of the kitchen, into the crowded living room, a strong hold around your waist, making sure you don’t trip amongst the crowd of people.

the music sounds so much better with the alcohol in your system. for a moment you let yourself enjoy it as you swayed to the beat, singing at the top of your lungs, jaemin right behind you, hands on your waist as your bodies were pushed closer and closer until there was no longer any space in between you.

maybe you understand parties now? you have never felt more free than you did now, all the worries and anxiety that came from school completely leaving your body. the only thing on your mind is the alcohol and jaemin’s warm hands electrifying your waist.

he turns you around in his embrace, coming face to face with his huge smile, “are you having fun!?,” he yells over the loud music.

the red heart shaped lights flashes around the room, illuminating his features, making him glow.

mr. cupid’s words ringing in your ear — be confident.

and so with the help of liquid courage, you wrap your hand around his neck, the smile on your lips never leaving as you made the first move, pulling him towards you, and catching him by surprise, “yes,” you whisper against his lips before finally connecting like they were magnets.

his lips were so soft against yours, jaemin quick to lead like this was a rehearsal he’s rehearsed a million times.

if you were to ask him, he knew you wouldn’t last long — this whole act of pretending to care about his photography. he’ll give you credit for being clever, for letting the romantic in him live for a couple of hours but at the end of night he is who he is. you want one thing from him and he wants one thing from you. he knows how this goes.

his hold on your waist tightened pulling you even closer, the growing bulge in his jeans felt hot against your thigh. one of his hands made its way to your cheeks, thumb softly grazing your cheekbone as he deepened the kiss, tongue swiping at your bottom lip for entrance. the taste of alcohol and spearmint lingers as your tongue meets – he was a good fucking kisser and so dangerously intoxicating. he lightly bites your bottom lip, slowly pulling away and making his way down your neck.

“what do you say, we take this up to my room, angel?,” he whispers, sucking the sensitive spot right below your ear, earning a light moan from you. the mention of his room reminds you of why you were here in the first place. that’s the location you needed to get to. you nod, giving him the go signal, the smirk back on his face as he led you up the stairs. you hear the hollers of the people around you. to them, you were going to be another name under his belt and you’ve never felt more sick to your stomach than now. to think, for a brief moment, you were actually having fun with him.

as soon as you entered the quiet of his room, the only sound that filled the air was the faint hum of music drifting from downstairs, helping you think a lot more clearer. jaemin’s lips were littering kisses down your neck, body trapped between his large figure and his bedroom door. this was enough.

“jaemin-,” you sigh, “yes, angel?,” he murmurs against your skin. you lightly push him away, “i-i don’t want to do this,” you mutter out, looking down at the floor, making sure you look embarrassed from your actions.

jaemin immediately stops, taking a step back and giving you space, “that’s okay, we don’t have to do anything,” you look up at him, expecting to see an annoyed expression at you wasting his time but all that greets you is a quiet shock on his face, a momentary confusion before his eyes turned upwards, kind and gentle. the same genuine smile you briefly saw at the cafe making an appearance and it surprises you.

“sorry,” you whispered softly.

“no need for apologies, y/n, you didn’t do anything wrong,” he says gently, grabbing your hand and leading you to sit on his bed. you take note of the way he calls you by your actual name when it matters.

“uhm can i get you anything?,” he asks you sweetly, a little awkward.

this entire situation has got you wondering if he was more like his fake persona in real life…but you can’t be blinded by his sweet actions. this is his tactic.

ladies and gentlemen — the sweet fuckboy.

“could you get me a glass of water?,” you ask and he quickly complied “of course, i’ll be right back, make yourself comfortable,” he smiles at you, still that same genuine smile and you almost believe it.

the sound of the door shutting has you on your feet in no time, ignoring the dizziness and blurred vision that came with the alcohol.

you quickly look around his room for any signs of mr. cupid, taking note of his bare walls — absolutely nothing that leads to him being the anonymous radio host.

making your way over to his dresser, you rummage through his drawers, shutting the first drawer as soon as you opened it, the space filled with packets and boxes of condoms and a bottle of lube. the next drawer you opened, to your luck, was his underwear drawer, you shut that one tight as well. you quickly look through each one, not finding a single thing, eyes quickly scanning the room, heart beating quicker as you feel yourself running out of time and then you see it…a box hidden at the bottom of his desk tucked all the way in the back…jackpot.

you open the box to pictures of him at the studio, the mr. cupid neon sign logo right behind him as he sits prettily behind the microphone. you find yourself laughing like a maniac, here it is! proof!

you can finally take him down.

quickly taking one of the pictures, you neatly tuck it in your purse before placing the box back where it belonged, running back to his bed to compose yourself, feeling like you just ran a half marathon.

𓏲𝄢

“that was quick,” jeno snickers as jaemin enters the kitchen, grabbing you a cold glass of water.

jaemin shakes his head at his friend’s comment, “we didn’t do anything, she actually told me to stop,” he explains leaving both of them dumbfounded.

“really?,” chenle inquired, a puzzled look on all of their faces.

“really,” jaemin confirmed, “i told you, she might be different,” he smiled a lovesick smile and they knew their friend was in trouble – he was letting his hopeless romantic side win once again.

“you’ve only known her two days, jaemin,” jeno reminds him, “how can you be so sure?,” he challenged.

“well, if she was like the rest, i would be inside her right now,” jaemin points out, earning a playful punch from the two boys.

jaemin was used to girls wanting him for one thing and one thing only – bragging rights.

it’s not a secret that he was known for only sleeping with the hottest, prettiest girls on campus. in turn, he has been a personal target for them, feeling justified and confident when jaemin gives them the time of the day and well, how could he pass up the offer?

they used him for reputation and he wasn’t a saint. he used them for easy sex. everyone wins. after a while he stopped trying to remember their names but the hopeless romantic in him lives on through his persona. he tries his best to add in a bit of romance but no girl could even fathom the idea of one of the fuck boys falling in love. no girl could even trust him to do so. only one girl told him she loved him but how could she? when all she knew about him was that he was incredibly good in bed.

so this, right now, the rejection he just received from you – it feels sweet on his tongue.

jaemin notices your disheveled appearance as he walks back in his room. you’re still sitting where he left you, sweat trickling down your forehead. he glances around his room, concern creeping into his voice, “you okay?”

were you okay? hell yeah, you felt fucking great you could hardly control the giddiness seeping out of you.

“i-uhm, don’t think the alcohol is settling in my stomach properly,” you lie. well, it was a half truth. the alcohol coursing through your system doesn't feel as great anymore and now that the adrenaline has worn off, an overwhelming wave of nausea hits, leaving you feeling sick to your stomach.

“c’mon, drink this,” he makes his way over to you. the cool water is refreshing, but it does little to ease the churning in your stomach.

jaemin grabs something on his desk before making his way behind you, gently brushing your hair out of your face, carefully tying it up into a ponytail. he was surprisingly really good at it and you can’t help but wonder how much practice he’s had.

he kneels before you, gentle eyes matching his kind smile, “not much of a party goer are you?,” earning a soft nod from you, “it’s my first party” you confess, earning a shocked expression from him, “i shouldn’t have given you that cup,” he sighs, grabbing one of his jackets and softly placing it around your shoulders.

“let’s get you home, angel,” he says sweetly, placing a soft kiss on your forehead before helping you up and leading you out of the fraternity.

𓏲𝄢

“you really don’t have to walk me all the way to my dorm,” you say again for the third time.

“i told you y/n, i’m not letting you walk home alone, you’re drunk—”

“i'm pretty sober now! i really am okay!,”

“—and it’s late, i don’t feel good about leaving any woman out here at this hour,” he insists, tightening the hold he had on your hand. with his caring nature, he reminds you more and more of mr. cupid.

it’s confusing. or maybe it was still the alcohol?

“well, here we are,” you point to the building of your dorm room, “thank you for walking me home, i'm sorry i crashed your party so early,” you apologize, taking note of the time, it was almost midnight.

“there will always be another party,” he shrugs, not at all caring about missing out on the fun, “thank you for showing up by the way, for letting me walk you home and–,” his hands finding that same spot around your waist, “happy valentine’s day, y/n,” eyes gazing into yours, voice barely a whisper, “can i kiss you goodnight, angel?”

instead of the usual teasing tone that accompanied the nickname, this time it was soft, calm, almost hypnotic.

he was so close, invading all your senses, and you couldn’t help but close your eyes, fingers clenching his shirt as you waited, heart racing…you’re definitely blaming this on the alcohol.

jaemin takes this sign as a yes and soon enough his lips were on yours in a slow, intimate kiss — different from the rush kisses you’ve shared earlier that night.

before it could get deeper, jaemin pulls away, leaving a soft kiss on your forehead, eyes fluttering open, “goodnight y/n,” he says, soft smile on his lips and your breath catches in your throat, unable to speak, “g-goodnight, jaemin,” you whisper.

he finally lets you go, but doesn’t leave until he’s sure you’re safely inside.

his lips still seem to linger on yours as you stood there, body pressed against the door, replaying everything that just happened.

𓏲𝄢

“STOP!-,” you point at the mirror, “what are you doing!…stop it now!,” you tell your reflection, who was looking back at you with a giddy smile.

“you’re still thinking about the kiss, i know you are!,” you talk to yourself and you swear maybe you’ve finally lost it.

“you can’t do this! this is part of his game plan and you have your own!,” you continue, arms flinging around like a crazy person.

“stick to the plan!,” you huff out, grabbing your laptop and shooting an email to mr. cupid.

dear mr. cupid,

i found that sweet guy i told you about. we spent valentine’s day together and i know this is cheesy but there were butterflies and all. i wanted to thank you for the helpful advice. please don’t read this out loud because i know he listens to this show and this is a bit embarrassing to say.

love,

angel

the next morning was a saturday and lucky for you, you had no saturday classes which meant you could go run to the safety of the art studio and paint to your heart’s content.

a way to debrief and just be yourself, shut your mind out from the rest of the world, even if it is just for a couple of hours. ditching the cute pink outfits, you settled for your go to paint splattered oversized t-shirts, matching your oversized sweatpants, hair in a messy bun, ready for the day.

as soon as you stepped outside, the sunlight blinding your eyes, a familiar voice hit you, halting you in your tracks, “good morning, angel!,” na jaemin stood before you, radiant as ever, eyes sparkling, smile beaming.

oh…why the hell did you bring him here last night?

now he knew exactly where you lived. now he knew exactly what you looked like. the real you, anyways. the alcohol truly was a horrible idea because him showing up here unannounced was something you didn’t plan for.

“what are you doing here?,” you say, almost harshly.

“i thought you would be hungover, so i brought you tea,” he says, walking over to you, finally taking note of the cup in his hand, “i promise you this is the only remedy you need to get rid of any headaches, proven and tested,” he smiles proudly.

you wait for him to say something about your appearance – a snide remark, a look of disgust, anything that shows his feeling of indifference but all you were met with were his eyes that for some stupid reason, can’t stop shining as he looks at you.

“thanks,” you say, grabbing the cup, “i’m busy right now though, so i’ll just take this and be on my way,” you finally shoot him a quick smile before turning around and briskly walking away.

“hold on, angel!,” jaemin yells out, quickly jogging up to you, making you curse under your breath. there’s no way you’re going to the art studio now.

“jaemin, i would really like to just have a me day,” you force out a smile before he could say anything else.

“of course,” he nods, completely understanding, “i-just, i-,” for the first time since you’ve met him, his confidence falters a bit, words getting lost in stutters.

“-is everything okay?,” worry laced in your voice. you can’t help it. this was abnormal behavior coming from him and you had a tendency to care too much.

he gives you a shy smile, “everything’s okay and i promise to leave you alone, i just need to ask for your help,” he finally says, you look at him quizzically, urging him to explain, “i have a project due at the end of the month, the theme is ‘recreating romantic cliche scenes,’ it’s exactly how it sounds…i was hoping you could be my partner,” he finishes, expectantly waiting for your answer.

“why me?,”

“there’s no one else i want to do this with but you, y/n,” he quietly confesses, cheeks turning pink, slightly embarrassed – different from he's usual flirting.

truth is, jaemin saw your confession in mr. cupid’s mailbox this morning. it was his final confirmation. you truly were different from the rest and he can’t help but feel those butterflies you were talking about.

you ignore the way your heart skipped a beat. it would be weird to say no, besides you have yet to accomplish step 2 - make him fall in love with you. so you answer with one word that captures jaemins attention, a smile of gratitude on his lips, “ok.”

as promised, jaemin left you alone for the rest of the day after asking for your phone number and an agreement to meet on monday which is when you would start. you agreed on one scene per day, a total of three scenes for his project.

you can’t expose him just yet and this project is the perfect way to stop finding excuses to meet up with him. it’s easier this way. the more time you spend with him, the more you can play the perfect girl.

the faster you can get na jaemin to fall in love with you.

𓏲𝄢

jaemin: hi angel, i'll meet you tomorrow at 7pm at the cafe at 127th street, wear something cute

the text message pops up on your phone on sunday night. you ignore the slight tingle in your stomach seeing his name on your phone.

the cafe at 127th street was a vintage coffee/bar, popular for its retro style and smoothies. you already know the kind of cliche scene he has prepared – sharing a smoothie.

y/n: can’t wait! see you there, jaemin <3

dear mr. cupid,

how can i tell if the guy i like, likes me back?

love,

heart

“if a guy likes you…you’ll know it, not a single doubt will cross your mind. you’ll see it through his actions, hear it in his words. he’ll share with you things he’s never shared with anyone else,” - mr. cupid.

the sound of 80’s love songs hit your ears as you entered the cafe. seeing as it’s a monday night, the space wasn’t filled and as loud as it usually is on weekends – most of it being taken up by retired senior citizens coming for a good time, away from the crowd of college students this place usually brought.

jaemin waves at you from the red booths, his angelic smile on his lips, the one you’ve grown accustomed to seeing. the smile that annoys you because of the feelings that were starting to appear every time you saw it.

you notice the camera has been set up to face the booth you will be sitting on, proper lighting placed around it to really illuminate the space, “hey, quick question,” you ask, greeting him. he gives you a quick side hug, before letting you ask your question, “since this is for your photography class, shouldn’t you be behind the camera?,” you wonder.

“well, photography is also all about the proper lighting and the editing which is the main focus for this project,” he answers your questions while clicking buttons on his fancy camera, eyes focused on the task at hand, “—and besides, if i have to take pictures of you acting these scenes out with someone else, i might crash out,” he winks at your direction, earning a playful eye roll from you.

“okay so what am i supposed to do,” you await his instructions, standing awkwardly.

“just wait a while, i’m still waiting on that chocolate smoothie,”

“ahhh so we are doing the ‘sharing a smoothie’ scene?,” you ask, eyes full of curiosity. he sends you a smile of confirmation, finishing his set up as you continue to watch him work. his eyes flickering around his camera, making sure everything is perfect. in a quick second, the flash of the camera blinds you.

“sorry angel, practice shot,” he smiles apologetically as you got up to see the photo he took. he moves to the side a bit, giving you room to see behind the lens. “oh my god, i look ridiculous,” you giggle at the expression you were making, a light shock on your face as you were staring not right at the camera but the figure behind it, “you look beautiful…as always,” jaemin whispers by your ear, a small smile starting to form on your face as you take note of all the colors and shadows the camera has picked up, “it looks really pretty,” you comment and jaemin observes the way you're taking every detail in.

you turn your face towards him, finally realizing how close he was to you. so close to the point you could remember the lingering feeling of his lips on yours. you could feel yourself leaning in when the waiter’s voice snaps you back to reality, the chocolate smoothie being served.

jaemin instructs you on what to do. sitting right across from him, the chocolate milkshake placed right in the middle of the table in between you, one straw for him, one straw for you.

“ready, angel?,” he asks you from across the booth, starting his countdown “…3, 2, 1…” as soon as he reached 1, you both leaned in, taking a sip out of your separate straws, eyes locked together, FLASH, you held your breath, making sure not to move, only focused on the warm brown eyes that seemed to look right into you.

after making sure the camera captured the moment perfectly, you finally break away, giggles erupting from both of you as you reach over to wipe the whipped cream that painted the corner of his lips, before getting up to check the picture.

“looks good to me,” you say, opposite to jaemin sighing next to you, “there’s a glare on the corner,” he comments, his attention to detail spot on as you looked a little closer and noticed exactly what he was referring to.

“let’s take it again,” he instructs, ordering another chocolate milkshake.

“jaemin, can’t we just drink from the same one?,”

“no, the whipped cream is already a mess,” he pouts and you respect it.

as an artist yourself, his attention to detail was admirable and you find yourself liking this serious side of him. how much time and effort he puts into it — completely opposite from the way he treated his relationships. this was a side of him you’ve never heard of, a side of him that you wished to know.

the waiter comes back again, serving a new set of chocolate milkshake, snapping you out of your thoughts as you make your way back into the booth, ready to pose for the camera.

this time the picture turned out perfectly. you can tell by the way jaemin's eyes lit up like a child on christmas day, the way his smile grew on his face before turning to you and nodding his head in approval.

you find yourself getting lost in him. he was so beautiful like this — indulged in his work, an innocent glow radiating off of him, “come, take a look,” he invites.

immediately, you could see the difference. you’re not sure what he did, which buttons he pressed to make this picture turn out like this but it looked straight out of a movie scene and he hasn’t even edited it.

the two of you spent the rest of the night finishing the two chocolate milkshakes, listening to whatever song people chose to play on the coin jukebox. at one point, jaemin even got you dancing with him, joining the crowd of elderly’s on the dance floor. he shows off his silly dance moves, like he was one of the grandpa’s in the cafe.

“you’ve got a charming young man, my husband was exactly like that when we first met,” a lady whispered in your ear, a blush appearing on your cheeks at her comment.

“he’s not really my man,” you confess to her, smiling sheepishly.

“oh but he will be sweetheart, no one will act that foolish if they weren’t interested,” she points out, directing your attention back to jaemin, who was already looking right at you before joining the grandpa’s dance battle, making sure you were watching every move he made — making you laugh like you’ve never laughed before.

the night ended with him walking you to your dorms, a soft kiss placed on your lips before the two of you bid your goodnights. you swore your cheeks hurt from smiling too much.

and what’s worse? you couldn’t blame this on the alcohol. you walked up to your room with a heavy heart. the weight on your shoulders getting heavier as you remembered this was all part of the plan and there was no way you were going to lose to his charms.

𓏲𝄢

dear mr. cupid,

i like his serious side. i hope he’s serious with me too.

love,

angel

the next day, jaemin tells you to meet them at their frat house for the next scene. you hoped to god, renjun wasn’t there. you’re not entirely sure how you were going to hide from him this time around. but just to make sure he doesn’t recognize you, you amp up the makeup a tiny bit more, completely opposite from the minimal to none makeup you usually go for during classes.

you rang the doorbell once before coming face to face with none other than renjun himself – of fucking course, just your luck.

“hey, it’s you,” he greets you and suddenly you’re frozen in place, does he know?

“you’re not much of a talker are you?,” he asks, eyeing you up and down, “uhmm-,” you try to find your words but not a single sentence escapes your lips, your heart beating rapidly in your chest.

renjun sighs, definitely weirded out, “he’s upstairs,” he says before stepping aside and letting you in, it takes you a second or two to find your steps, walking into the house. it was much bigger now that no one was around and surprisingly, it was clean, like it wasn’t filled with boys 24/7.

“-it’s so clean,” you weren’t aware you said it out loud until renjun’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts.

“ahhh and she does talk,” renjun grins,” jaemin’s a clean freak so we have to keep this space clean or he starts nagging,” he explains and you nod in response. that was definitely a fun fact.

“anyways, just go up the stairs, i think you already know where his room is,” he smirks, before walking away and leaving you to it.

as soon as he was gone, you felt like you could finally breathe. he didn’t know it’s you. shaking your worries away, you make your way up the stairs, knocking against the door you remembered.

“come in,” you hear jaemin’s voice from the other side before turning the knob and entering his room. it looked exactly like the night of the party.

he immediately lights up as soon as you enter, attention focused on you, as he greeted you with a kiss. it was starting to get ridiculous how much your heart skips a beat every time his lips touched yours.

you weren’t really expecting to be kissing him this much to begin with but that doesn’t stop you from kissing back, your lipstick staining his lips, “sorry,” you giggled as you gently wiped it off of him.

“that’s okay, pink is my color anyways,” he says before stealing another quick peck. at this rate, you’re not entirely sure who was making who fall in love anymore.

“okayyy,” you push him back playfully, chuckling, “what scene are we doing today?,” making jaemin wiggle his eyebrows as he made his way to his closet, pulling out a vintage boombox.

“where the hell did you get that?,” you ask, inspecting the old device.

“i have my ways,” he winks, “so…you ready to win me back?,” he smirks and your jaw drops, “i have to be the one holding it?,” you ask, flabbergasted. boomboxes aren’t exactly the lightest objects in the world and you barely had any arm strength. for god’s sake you were a painter, your hands were as gentle as a feather.

“you’re my muse angel, you gotta be in the picture,” he flashes you an apologetic smile in a way that he wasn’t really sorry, instead finding that pout on your lips amusing.

so now you’re here standing a little outside the porch of his steps, boombox over your head, as jaemin angles the camera from the balcony, capturing you perfectly…well, not quite, “wait, the sun is in your eyes!, move to the left a little bit!,” he shouts from the second floor, as you quickly follow his instructions, “is this good?!,” you yell back, earning a nod of approval from the boy.

he takes another snap and another and another – this time around, you curse his attention to detail, your arms starting to burn, back starting to ache, legs getting tired from standing for so long with the heavy boombox over your head, “jaemin, are we almost done!,” you yell out, annoyance seeping through you.

“just one more shot angel, i promise!,” he shouts back. and so you do one more shot for him, posing in the way he wanted and just like he promised, it was finally over.

jaemin hurries down the steps of the fraternity house as you head back inside, “sorry, that took longer than i expected,” he says, gently taking the boombox from your hold, swapping it instead with a cool glass of water he had readily prepared for you.

taking a napkin, he carefully dabs away the sweat that has formed around your temples, “it’s okay, did the pictures turn out okay?,” you ask, offering him a warm smile.

“come see for yourself,” his hand envelops yours, tugging you up the stairs and onto the balcony where he had been standing. and just like the diner photo, this one also looked exactly out of a rom-com movie.

“wow, guess it only takes an amazing photographer for me to look like a lead in a movie,” you compliment and jaemin can’t help but grin from ear to ear, your praise going straight to his heart.

“well, a photographer also needs a beautiful muse, so thank you,” he smiles warmly, “and since you went through all that trouble for me, i want to show you something,” he says shyly before taking your hand in his once again and leading you back to his bedroom.

you make yourself comfortable, sitting on his computer chair as he rummages through his shelves, looking for something. after a minute or two, he takes out a large book and slowly, hesitantly, makes his way over to you, carefully landing the book on your lap.

“what’s this?,” you ask, curiously inspecting the outside of the book.

“that day in the cafe, you asked to see my photos,” you realize now that what you were holding was a photo album.

“i’ve never really shown them to anyone before so please be kind to me,” he says, rambling nervously, “of course constructive criticism is always welcome and you don’t have to like it,” he chuckles softly, trying to play it cool, hoping you won’t notice how loudly his heart was pounding in his chest.

“jaemin, you don’t have to show me this,” you say, your breath catching in your throat, heart aching.

for the first time since all of this began, you realize that jaemin is being entirely sincere with you. and here you are, sitting on his bed, taking up space, with a knife hidden behind your back.

“y/n, i want to show you,” he admits, “you’ve been entirely honest with me and i’m ready to do the same,” he says, nudging the album in your hand, wanting you to finally open it.

if only he knew.

you couldn’t take looking into his warm brown eyes any longer, focusing instead on the photo album.

finally turning a page. the first picture that greets you is of a woman that resembles the man in front of you, a shining smile on her face as she sat on a picnic blanket, the green scenery behind her making it look like she was straight out of a fairytale.

“that’s my mom, most important person in my life, she loves going on picnics,” he quietly comments, snapping your attention back to him, you give him a smile, “she’s beautiful jaemin, you captured her perfectly,” your voice faltering, before turning to the next page.

you recognize the next picture was of the boy you met during the party - mark, his name was. holding a guitar, and just like his mother in the previous page, he had a happy smile on his face, clutter of music sheets surrounding him.

the next couple of pages were all the boys you recognize from his fraternity, each one sporting a look of contentment in a place where they seemed to belong.

jaemin watches you flip from page to page, taking in the way your eyes would widen, the small smile that would appear in your lips as you looked over every photograph. his heart pounding in his chest. he wanted to impress you.

you turn and turn, getting to the photos where he was in, with his family and his friends. the sweet smile that he would share with you all marked in these pages. you realized those were your favorite. you wanted to paint it. wanted to capture every detail and keep it to yourself.

then, at the very last page was the picture of you – sitting in the cafe, on that very first date the two of you had.

you felt like you lost the ability to speak, just staring at the photo, guilt creeping in your heart. you didn’t deserve a place in these pages yet here you were… and he has managed to make you look as beautiful as the rest, like you were a part of everything good and true in his life.

“why am i on here?,” you shakily whisper, trying to push back the lump forming in your throat.

“these are all stories i want to keep forever,” jaemin softly whispers, “and i told you y/n, i like this story,” you turn to look at him, reading him. looking into his eyes, you see nothing but honesty.

the boy in front of you has finally let his walls down but you don’t feel an ounce of accomplishment. none of the feelings of gratification that you were supposed to be feeling came. the thoughts of revenge so far back in your mind.

instead you sat there, the butterflies in your stomach coming to life as you inched closer, closing the space in between you and capturing his lips in yours. jaemin quickly responds, kissing you back just as sweetly. the gravity of the moment hanging in the air.

“i'm guessing you like it?,” he asks.

"i love it," you confess, just before he pulls you in for another kiss, feeling his smile against your lips.

𓏲𝄢

jaemin walks back into the fraternity just right after dropping you off. head all up in the clouds, a love arrow happily pierced right into his heart as he hums a tune. he’s loving the constant goodnight kisses, loving the thought of being able to kiss you forever.

“jaemin–,” a voice strictly calls out to him, bringing him back to reality.

“yes, my lovely friend, renjun,” he sighs happily, sitting across from him on the living room couch.

“how long have you known, angel?,” renjun inquired.

“a week now, why?,” jaemin asks, nonchalantly. if he was here to tell him that he was being a hopeless romantic again then he doesn’t really want to hear it. this time he knows it’s different.

if the butterflies in his stomach weren't proof enough, the messages you leave for mr. cupid sure was.

“there’s something off about her,” renjun comments, making jaemin roll his eyes, “oh c’mon, you say this about every girl im with,” he points out. renjun has always been picky with the company his friends kept so this wasn’t really new to him.

“i’m serious jaemin, she seems familiar but i just can’t place my finger on it,” renjun ponders, earning a scoff from the younger boy, “there’s no placing your finger on anything, she goes to our university, you’ve probably seen her walking around campus,” he reasons out.

“whatever jaemin, just be careful,” renjun advised before walking out of the living room and up the stairs.

jaemin shakes his head, thinking back to the memory of you looking through his photo album and once again, find himself humming, smiling at the ceiling. there was absolutely nothing anyone could say to ruin this for him.

dear mr. cupid,

i think i'm falling for him.

love,

angel

you hated yourself that night.

𓏲𝄢

jaemin leads you to the parking lot, hand in hand. you inspect the location, wondering what romantic scene he had planned out for the last scenario. you’ve been dreading this moment, realizing that it’s soon coming to an end. every tick of the clock leads you to step three: breaking his heart.

you stop in front of a silver car, your brain not connecting the pieces together. turning to the boy right next to you with a set of curious eyes.

“we're going to a new location for this one,” he explains, opening the car door up for you. you don’t question it, somehow you trust him enough to hop into the passenger seat.

jaemin ensures you're securely buckled in before stealing a quick kiss, leaving a surprised flush on your face. with a smile, he jogs around and settles into the driver’s seat, putting the car in drive and hitting the gas.

you sat in silence, gazing out the window as the scenery shifted, the soft hum of the radio barely audible, allowing your mind to wander.

as you reflected on the past few days, each quiet moment seemed to lead you back to this – the heavy weight of dread and guilt slowly taking over.

the once alluring idea of revenge now tastes bitter on your tongue. you expected it to be difficult, but you never anticipated that the true challenge would be the way he’d quietly capture pieces of your heart and how you didn’t mind it at all.

in fact, you liked it. you liked being around him, liked his stolen kisses, his stories, his gentleness, the warmth that he left on your skin with every touch, his laugh and most of all, that stupid sweet smile he always seems to be sporting around you.

you’ve replayed it in your mind a thousand times, torn between the devil and the angel on your shoulders, unsure if this plan is worth risking the bond you've built with him. but every time, the same side wins — the side of pride, the side that tells you this is all still a lie. and if it’s not, then the truth remains. this relationship was born from anger and hate.

jaemin interlaces his fingers around yours, grabbing your hand, bringing you back in the car with him, “what are you thinking about?,” he asks softly. even without looking at him, you can see the smile on his face, the gentleness in his tone.

“just thinking about where we're going,” you lie, staring at your interlocked fingers that somehow seemed to fit like two perfect puzzle pieces.

“hmm, we’re going down south, to busan,” he answers and your eyes almost bulge out of your head, “what?!,” he chuckles at your expressive reaction, “jaemin that’s like a 4 hour drive,” you sulk in your seat, hand still in his, “why do we need to go that far?”

“for rain,” he shrugs, bringing your hand up to his lips as he placed a soft kiss upon your knuckles. you fight the urge to smile.

“what exactly do you have planned, loverboy?,” you tease him, pushing all your previous thoughts to the side and focusing on this moment.

“oh you know, pretty rain, pretty girl,” he tosses you a look, confirming your thoughts. he was planning to do the ever so famous rain kiss.

“if you wanted to kiss me, you don’t even need to ask,” you teased, earning a playful laugh from him, “-will keep that in mind, angel,” he winks.

the rest of the car ride was spent singing to whatever was on the radio, learning each other’s favorite things, sharing fun stories and a few more stolen kisses, some of them coming from you.

it all felt comfortable, almost like you were always meant to be here with him by your side. eventually, sleep crept up on you, leaving jaemin in the warm silence, eyes occasionally drifting to your figure, finding peace in the calm as he drove.

the next time you open your eyes is when you finally get to the location jaemin had in mind. it was cloudier here, the sky already casting a soft gray hue. jaemin sets up his equipment, preparing for the rain, while you rush to assist, quickly placing everything into the makeshift set. the lush green landscape stretches around you, the open field decorated with blooms of pinks, whites and yellows, while the river in the distance adds a cool touch of blue. you’re not entirely sure if the camera could capture the beauty of nature but you trust jaemin will find a way to make it come to life.

the rain came at the perfect moment.

jaemin decided to hit record on his camera instead, explaining how it’d be easier for the two of you, since he didn't have to run back and forth to take the picture.

he led you to the right spot, flashing you a smile before his hands wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer and without wasting another second his lips were on yours. heart immediately racing in your chest as you move in complete synchronization, lips chasing his as he took the lead.

the rain continuously pouring over you.

when you could no longer breathe, you pull away, giggles erupting from both of your chests.

the rain pours harder and harder. jaemin feels like he’s been struck by lightning, your giggles melodically ringing in his ear.

he pulls you back in again, kissing you gently, so intimately, like he forgot there was a camera a couple feet away. every kiss, he loses himself in you, melting under your fingertips and for the first time in forever he says words he’s never said to any girl.

“i really like you, y/n,” he confesses, the words floating in the air, replacing the sound of the rain thumping on the ground, filling every corner of your mind. he rests his forehead against yours, warm brown eyes filled with sincerity, making you unable to breathe.

and just like that, the other side won — the side that has fallen for him. the one that believes this is real. the side that likes hearing your name slip from his lips, the stolen kisses, the warmth of his hand in yours, the laughter and of course that sweet smile forever etched in your mind.

you don’t want to let go of any it.

instead, you decide to throw your four step plan out the window, casting away all thoughts of revenge that once burdened your heart.

in that moment, you felt light, free.

the rain fell in an endless rhythm, drumming against your skin, soaking every inch of you, but you barely noticed it as you kissed him again. this time with a passion that made it feel like your life depended on it.

he’s a dream you couldn’t bear to lose, a fleeting moment you feared would vanish the moment you opened your eyes. but then you feel him smile against your lips, warm hands tightening around your waist as he pulls you even closer and you’re reminded that this is real and exactly where you want to be.

you stayed like that, wrapped in each other’s embrace until the cold slowly crept in, seeping through your clothes.

the rain never letting up.

𓏲𝄢

jaemin did not plan this well at all. besides the fact that he didn’t think to bring extra clothes, the light showers the weather app had predicted had turned into a brutal rainstorm and it was getting harder for him to drive, the droplets continuing to pour heavily on the car window.

“angel, we’re gonna need to stop and stay overnight somewhere,” he suggested in which you quickly agreed to, prioritizing safety. which is how you ended up sitting on the bed with nothing but the bathrobe that came with the hotel, your clothes drying in the bathroom that was currently occupied by none other than jaemin, himself.

the hotel only had one room available and of course, like this was all a part of your doom, that available room happened to have only one bed.

you’ve already taken your shower, washing off the remnants of the cold rain sticking to your body. now that you're in the safety of the warm room, waiting for the boy to finish, your mind can’t help but wander at the possibilities the night held. you’re not entirely sure you could stop yourself if he decides to advance. in fact, you’re not entirely sure you could control yourself around him.

shaking the thoughts away, you finish drying your hair before getting under the bedsheets and tucking yourself in, making sure your robe hugged tightly around your body.

grabbing the remote from the bedside table, you switch the t.v. on, hoping the noise could drown out the nerves. you settled on the channel playing harry potter and the goblet of fire, forcing yourself to focus on the movie instead of the boy that was as naked as you just on the other side of the bathroom door.

jaemin steps out of the bathroom a couple minutes later, his robe hanging loosely around his body, a bit of his toned chest exposed to the cool air. you try not to stare for too long as he walks around the room, eyes on the t.v. he quickly shuts off the lights before finally settling on the chair, farthest away from your side of the bed, “i love this movie,” he comments, your heart pounding in your chest at the sound of his voice, somehow raspier in the night.

the effect he had on you was absolutely insane. you’ve had sex before, had a couple tricks up your sleeve but nothing like what you’ve heard about jaemin. the fact that he was amazing at sex was a known fact throughout the entire university, girls always giggling about how they had the best night of their lives and how they couldn’t walk the next morning.

turning your head towards him, you’ve realized how engrossed he actually is in the movie that’s playing and it makes you feel silly. jaemin has never made you do anything you didn’t want to do and not once has he ever crossed a line. you really needed to get your head out of the gutter.

“why are you sitting all the way over there? this bed is big enough for both of us you know,” you say, capturing his attention, reminding him of the fact that this bed is a queen sized bed.

he sends you a soft smile, “i’m a gentleman, angel”

“oh please,” you scoff playfully, “we’re both adults, we can control ourselves,” you point out, completely contradicting your thoughts and burying yourself in a bigger hole. it’s not that you were trying to provoke him, it’s just that he was the one who paid for the room and you would feel absolutely awful if he had to squeeze himself in the chair, that was obviously too small and uncomfortable, the whole night.

you pat the empty space beside you, “c’mon, i won’t bite,” you playfully tease.

unbeknownst to you, jaemin was in a way tougher spot.

he accidentally caught a glimpse of your pink lacy underwear, the one you left behind in the shower, tucked in between the rest of your clothes, and couldn’t get the image of you in a matching set out of his head. then his mind started to get a little out of control, if your underwear were here then that must only mean you were completely naked underneath that white robe.

he had to relieve himself in the shower, hand wrapped tightly around his hard cock, biting back his moans as his mind brought him to images of you. he thought jerking himself off in the bathroom would help push away all his desire for the rest of the night but as soon as he stepped into your room and saw how small you looked, tucked into the queen sized bed, he felt his cock twitch under his robe again. which is why he had to resort to turning off all the lights in the room, afraid you would see his boner poking out. then he sat there, focused on harry potter, as he tried to drown out your presence.

but now, you’re inviting him to take up the space next to you and god, you have absolutely no clue what you’re doing to him, it’s unfair. he feels disgusted at the fact that all he could think about is how much he wants to fuck you.

he really needed to get his mind out of the gutter.

slowly, he got up. surely this would not help his case but he didn’t want you to think he was a horndog that couldn’t control himself. he usually was better at this. it was just the fact that it was you and he wants you so bad. needs you. all those lingering touches and kisses finally catching up to him.

he focuses again on the screen ahead, the t.v. illuminating the dark room, light bouncing off of your faces as you sat in silence, just watching the movie play out. though if you asked him what just happened in the scene, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. his mind racing with anything that could help soften his dick.

at one point it got way too hot beneath the sheets and you made the mistake of releasing your arm out from the under and onto the bed, right next to where jaemin’s arm was lying. you try to ignore the heat radiating off of his body, try to ignore the rapid rhythm of your heart. pulling away would be suspicious so you kept it there.

jaemin’s eyes flicker from the t.v. to your hand. you were so close, all he had to do was move his pinky and his hand would be in yours.

his self-control was becoming thinner with every second that passed and before he even realized what he was doing, his pinky moved — bumping into yours and in the next second he had your hands locked together.

he turns his head towards you only to see you were already looking up at him, starry eyes locked on his for a second before you quickly turned away, blush creeping up your cheeks at being caught.

he can’t help himself anymore, moving away from the headboard and lowering himself down to the pillows as he turned his body in your direction. this time, when he turned to look at you, you were only a couple of inches away from him.

“angel,” he whispers. you cautiously turned your head towards his, knowing that there was absolutely no going back from this. the tension in the room has got you clenching at nothing and you were getting sick of it. you wanted him and you’re not entirely sure why you were holding back, considering the confessions you shared earlier.

jaemin takes a second to study your face, memorizing every freckle before he let his eyes finally dart down to your parted lips, “i really want to kiss you,” he confesses into the night air, like it was a secret no one else was allowed to hear.

“i thought i told you if you wanted to kiss me you don’t even need to ask,” you quietly tease and that was all jaemin needed to hear before giving in to the cravings of the night, harry potter long forgotten as he finally pressed his lips on yours.

he kisses you once, twice, three times before his tongue darts in begging for permission. your mouth immediately parting as you gave him access, tongues moving in melody.

the make out session grew heavier and heavier, fingers finding their way through his hair, lightly tugging, eliciting a messy whine from him, his moans sending tingles throughout your body. “fuck, y/n, i need you,” he groans against your lips and you couldn’t agree more.

you wanted his hands all over you, regretting how tightly you tucked yourself into the blankets. swiftly, and with jaemin’s help, you pushed the blanket off of you, never once breaking the kiss, leaving both of you in your robes. the lack of the heavy covers made it easier for your hands to roam, wandering down to his chests as jaemins hand settled on your back, a little bit above your ass, pulling you so close you could feel his bulge against your clothed core.

“take this off,” he demands, untying your robe and pushing it off of your shoulders, jaemin quickly tossing it somewhere across the room before hovering over you.

he takes a moment, taking you all in for the first time, practically drooling at the sight of you, you’re so beautiful to him. it’s as if an actual angel was right in front of him and the thought of him ruining you makes his cock twitch. he didn’t even know he could get this hard.

“jaemin, please do something,” you say, starting to feel insecure under his gaze. your small voice snaps him out of his daydream. “you’re so fucking beautiful,” he praises before his lips latched onto your nipple, sucking, licking, making your back arch towards him, moans slipping past your lips, other hand playing with the other bud, twisting, pinching and you feel like you could cum just from that.

“f-fuck jaemin, want you please,” you sigh in pleasure, hips bucking up in response to his actions.

“what do you want, angel?,” he asks, teasing you and it takes every ounce in you not to pounce on him.

“i want you to touch me, p-please,” you don’t even care how desperate you sounded right now.

“i am touching you, angel,” he was loving this way too much. the way you were unraveling underneath him and he hasn’t even touched the neediest part of your body.

“lower,” you plead, earning a smirk from him, “hmm, right here?,” he asks, his hand, wandering down to outline the curve of your waist and landing on your hip, rubbing soft circles around your love handles. you don’t know how much more teasing you could take, your pussy dripping with arousal, “lower, please,” you cry out, “tell me where, angel, want to hear it from you,” he grunts against your ear, leaving marks all over your neck, “i want your fingers inside of me, please,” you plead for the third time.

“anything my angel wants, she gets,” jaemin playfully whispers before his fingers found its way to your folds, rubbing up and down, “so wet already, all this for me huh,” he praises, your head nodding vigorously in response, “only for you, jaemin.”

happy with your response, his finger slides into you, finally giving you what you wanted. even with your pooling arousal, you were still so tight around his digit, making him curse. he curls his finger, immediately hitting that spot that made you see stars, eliciting a high pitched moan from you, pussy clenching even tighter.

“fuuck angel, im gonna need you to open up for me,” he slides another finger in, curling and scissoring againsts your walls, pleasure coursing through your veins, he was so so good.

“i need to taste you,” he warns before he was diving into your pussy, mouth sucking and blowing against your clit, lapping up your juices, catching your breath, “holy fuck, jaemin,” your stomach clenches, heat traveling all throughout your body as you feel your orgasm coming to a close embarrassingly soon.

“i-m gonna come, baby,” the new pet name drives jaemin absolutely crazy, fingers practically moving at a speed of light inside your walls as he continued to suck on your clit, “go ahead angel, come for me,” he moans against your pussy, the added vibrations rolling your eyes back as you lost the ability to moan, head falling backwards, mouth wide open as you came.

jaemin coaxes you through it, savoring every drop before his lips were back on yours, pulling you back down to reality as you taste yourself in his tongue.

“you okay?,” you hum in approval, a smile taking over your features as you kiss him back, hands quickly untying his robe. jaemin quickly responds, pushing the last piece of clothing away, cock springing free.

in one swift motion, you push him back down to the pillows, taking the lead as you straddled him, “your turn,” you whisper, a light shock appearing on the boy’s face before he settled into the bed, getting comfortable. one of his hands coming up to support the back of his head as he watched you, the other roaming all over your skin, a smirk displayed on his lips.

you were fucking nervous, you’ve never been this upfront in the bedroom but due to how much experience he had, you wanted to show him that you could keep up.

“want to make you feel good,” you whisper in his ear, making him shiver, he swears you were going to be the death of him. your lips found its way to his neck, decorating him with the same pinks and purples you’re sure he has left all over your body.

jaemin was very vocal, already whining under your touch, helping you completely push away any of the remaining worries you had. your fingers found it’s way around his nipples, lightly squeezing and you realized how sensitive he was as he squirmed below you, hips immediately thrusting up, “fuck, angel you’re gonna kill me,” he whines and you can’t help but let out a soft giggle as you travelled lower and lower, hand softly wrapping around his hard length, earning a breathily groan from him. you understood now why your body really needed to open up. he’s huge and you were definitely intimidated.

you start by kitten licking his tip making jaemin hold his breath as you stare up at him, his eyes completely blown out. you can tell how much restraint he’s trying to hold on to to not shove his cock down your throat. you don’t tease him for too long before finally taking his length in your mouth, sucking on his tip, jaemin’s groans immediately increasing as his hand found its way to your hair, gripping tightly, orgasm already creeping up.

you bobbed your head up and down, tears brimming in your eyes at his size. he has no idea what you’re doing to him, how you managed to have him coming undone in seconds, body shaking under your touch. no girl has made him cum this fast before, “fuck angel, i can’t last,” he manages to mumble in between heavy pants. the words encouraging you as your hand finds its way around his balls, gently cupping.

you barely touched him before he was toppling over, cum shooting down your throat with no warning, making you choke.

your hand continued to work him through his orgasm as you cleared your throat. jaemin had to practically push you away, “angel, please stop, i need to feel you,” he groans, pulling you back up to his lips and kissing you passionately.

carefully, he switches the position, having you under him once again. he reaches out for his wallet placed on the nightstand, taking the pack of condom and ripping it open with his teeth before placing it on his already semi hard cock, “god, look what you do to me,” he grunts.

your hand rubs up and down his thighs as you watch him swipe his length between your wet folds, the tension in your stomach building up once again.

he wraps your legs around him, kissing you slowly, so intimately, “i really fucking like you, y/n,” he admits for the second time that day, sending you what has now became your favorite smile.

“i really like you too, jaemin,” you reply, pulling him closer as he aligns his cock against your entrance.

jaemin wasn’t a fan of missionary but god, you’re so fucking beautiful, he wanted nothing more but to look at you when he entered, watching your face contort as you adjust to the size of his large cock, harmonized moans mixing in the air.

for the first time, he finally understood all the sentiments his friends in relationships would say — this feeling was so different from the regular hook ups. the passion, the intimacy of it all. you were so dangerous to him and yet he was obsessed with the way you have him wrapped around your finger.

he loves the way your eyebrows furrowed in between pleasure and pain as he bottomed in, your walls finally hugging the size of his cock, sucking him in deeper and deeper. the way your lips fell into moans once he started thrusting in and out of you. your eyes shutting as he increased the pace, faster and deeper and always hitting that spot that got your head rolling back, toes curling. the way you gripped his back as he rubbed harsh circles around your clit, sending you to overdrive. the way your body went completely limp against the pillows, face in complete bliss as your walls tightened around him, sucking him in. his abs clenching in response, a guttural moan from his throat escaping, reaching a high he’s never felt before as he burrowed his face into your neck to control his shaking body.

you enjoyed the feeling of his skin against yours, reveling in your shared orgasms. staying that way for a minute or two, his body heavy against yours before he snuck in a gentle kiss to your lips.

you hiss as he pulled out, already feeling empty without him. he fucked you so good that all you wanted to do was slip into the peaceful darkness, sleep begging to take over.

the distant hum from the t.v. continues, playing the credits, as the rain pounded on the windows filling your ears. you feel the bed dip beside you as he moved around, feel the soft cloth against your pussy, wiping away your arousal, feel him take the spot next to you once again, shutting off the t.v and pulling you close to his chest.

“goodnight, angel,” he whispers, gently draping the blanket over your bodies, before placing a soft kiss on your temple and finally letting sleep consume you.

jaemin wakes up the next morning, your figure right next to him. it was strange, waking up to a person but he liked it — liked that it was you.

the sunrise peeks through the curtains as the memory from last night vividly replays in his head. he softly pushes away the layers of hair that have covered your face, taking in your angelic appearance as your chest rises and fall to a steady rhythm, sleep still hugging you.

he starts tracing the outline of your cheekbones, fingers softly grazing the curve of your nose, down to your lips. he takes in every detail, taking a mental screenshot.

your eyes flutter open at his light touches, “take a picture, it’ll last longer,” you tease which you figured was the wrong thing to say to a photographer as soon as the words lef your mouth, jaemin wasting no time to reach for his phone and snapping a shot.

“oh my god! i was kidding, i look like a mess,” you scream playfully, bringing the blanket over your head and covering your face in embarrassment, earning a laugh from the boy beside you.

he tugs the blanket off of your face, “you look even more beautiful in the morning, angel,” he compliments, making you blush.

the rest of the morning was spent well — shared selfies, slow kisses, lazy sex, touches lingering all over your skin, an innocent shower with millions of stolen kisses, laughter and more stories.

everything truly felt like a dream, like you were sitting on a cloud occupied by only two. hands never leaving the other’s as jaemin drove back to seoul, the car ride filled with sweet nothings.

𓏲𝄢

jaemin was worried sick. it’s been two days and you haven’t reached out to him. his texts being left on delivered. fear was starting to creep up on him in the form of doubts and mistrust. he thought maybe you were exactly like the rest and you did only want him for sex and now that it’s done, you were also gone and he was nothing but a fool being hit by his own karma.

he realizes now that he’s too deep into this, that it’s too late now to take it all back. too late now to make sure you can’t hurt him. he’s never given anyone this much control over him and he was absolutely losing it.

his phone dings and he scrambles to pick it up, hoping that this time it was you on the other end. his prayers being answered when your name pops up, letting out a sigh of relief.

my angel: jaemin i’m sorry…

his heart races in his chest, not entirely sure what you were apologizing about. he watches as the three dots appear on the screen, an indication that you were still typing.

my angel: i’m sick :(

my angel: i think the rain finally caught up with me

he reads the message, feeling absolutely awful and guilty that his mind could even taint your image like that. that he could even let doubts fill his head.

all he wanted to do now was take care of you.

on the other side, you were really regretting staying out in the rain for so long as you sat in your bed rotting, body burning up, head hurting, nose red, throat dry. it’s been two days since you last saw jaemin and you missed him…a lot. but you didn’t want him to catch your virus so now you’re here, hanging on by a thread as he spammed your inbox with messages filled with tips on how to get over a cold quickly.

the next morning, after asking around, jaemin finds himself knocking on your dorm room’s door, a bag containing hot soup and medicine in hand.

he couldn’t stand the thought of doing nothing so here he is, ready to be your nurse for the day and cure you back to health.

the door swings wide open only to reveal a familiar face, “jaemin?,” the girl with long black hair asks, head turned like a curious puppy.

“uhmm,” he mutters, quickly racking his brain for information, searching for a name he definitely knew. he remembers her face, remembers the fact that they shared a night together but he can’t quite pinpoint who she is exactly.

for a second, he thinks he’s in the wrong room, until her voice breaks him out of his thoughts, “are you looking for y/n?,” she asks.

he nods in response as she gestured to the door across the room, “she’s in there,” she said before stepping aside, letting him in and quietly shutting the door behind him as she hurries into her own room.

jaemin stands there, bewildered, if she was your roommate, who he’s sure he definitely knew, then surely you must have known who he was when the two of you first met. surely, you’d heard about his reputation. so why did you say you didn’t know him?

the sound of a cough coming from behind your door snaps him back into place. when doubt clouded his mind yesterday, he turned out to be terribly wrong. pushing the confusion aside, he steadies himself and gently knocks on your door.

“giselle, don’t come in, i’ll get you sick,” you respond, the raspiness of your voice evident.

your roommates name echoes in his ear as he finally unlocked the memory of who she was – the girl who told him she loved him. the girl he said the words back to…on accident.

he quickly pushes the memory away, turning the door knob as he finally makes his way inside your room, eyes scanning the space. he notices the various trinkets scattered on shelves, paintings and posters adorning the walls, books stacked in neat chaos, brushes cluttered on your desk.

“jaemin?,” you manage to croak out, eye squinting at the bright light coming from the living room. you’ve been pent up in the dark for too long, the only light coming from the small lamp on your desk. your hair sticks up in every direction and you had absolutely no color on your face. you look like a total mess. but somehow, seeing you like that only makes his heart skip a beat.

god, he was down bad.

“hey angel, i brought you some chicken noodle soup, it’ll help you feel better,” he says softly, completely forgetting the thought of giselle as he sat on the edge of your bed, taking out the bowl he had prepared.

“jaemin, i’m gonna get you sick,” you pout, hiding under the covers to try and contain your virus, earning a soft chuckle from the boy, “angel, i’m pretty sure you’ve already contaminated the air in this room,” he points out, playfully poking your side until you came out from underneath.

“you don’t even have a humidifier,” he teases, reaching over to smooth down your messy hair before bringing the spoon filled with the hot soup to your lips. you let out a resigned sigh, rolling your eyes, but a smile tugs at the corners of your mouth as you give in.

he spends the rest of the evening taking care of you, checking your temperature, making sure you take the proper medicine. his quiet care speaking louder than any words could.

carefully, he tucks you both in, ignoring your sleepy protests about him catching your cold as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you close, your head resting against his chest. it's warm, safe, and comfortable. so comforting that the next minute, sleep takes you, carried off by the side effects of the medicine and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

𓏲𝄢

the sound of clutter jolts you back to reality, waking you up from your slumber. blinking slowly, you spot jaemin’s figure hunched over, quietly gathering the things he must have knocked over, “you okay?,” you groggily question, rubbing the sleep away.

“sorry angel, i accidentally bumped into your desk, i’ll clean it up, don’t worry,” he says softly, already rearranging your things back into place.

but then you see it – a little too late. your stomach drops, everything inside you stills. instantly you knew your world was about to crumble down, “wait, jaemin–” you call out, urgency creeping into your voice, but he was focused on the task at hand.

jaemin picks up the fallen journal, a photo slipping out from between the pages.

it takes him a second to process that the person in the photo was his own reflection but once he did, everything shifts – there he is, staring back at himself, the mr. cupid sign right behind him.

a wave of realization crashes over him, bringing all his doubts to the surface, “why do you have this?,” he demands, turning around to face you, the photo gripped tightly in his hand.

the guilty expression on your face was enough to shatter any remaining illusions – he knows he’s been playing the fool. he should’ve known that this was too good to be true.

in a flash, jaemin flips through your journal, looking for answers, “jaemin, don’t!,” you get up, ignoring the way your vision momentarily blurs, threatening to pull you under. but you were too late. jaemin has stumbled across your four step plan.

“the downfall of na jaemin. step one - introduce yourself. step two - make him fall in love with you. step three and four - break his heart and reveal to the whole world that their beloved mr. cupid is a phony,” jaemin reads out loud, his entire figure rigid as he connects all of the clues, his mind replaying every memory like it was some sort of cruel punishment crafted just for him.

“you didn’t think i’d actually tell mr. cupid my real name did you? it would be so embarrassing for me,”

dear mr. cupid, i'm going to my first party ever! how can i make sure i catch the attention of the person i like? love, heart / “not much of a party goer are you?,” earning a soft nod from you, “it’s my first party” you confess.

the way you walked out that saturday morning he brought you his hangover cure, ditching the pink outfits because you knew he wasn’t going to be around.

renjun voicing out his suspicious concerns and telling him to be careful.

the door opening to giselle, a girl he had sex with at a random party. the same girl that was standing just outside your bedroom door – your roommate.

every single moment, every confession, every word that he believed to be true led to this – your four step plan, cold and calculated, had no other intention but to hurt him.

every ounce of trust he’d placed in you, every bit of affection, it was all nothing but a step forward.

every time he was being honest, you only showed him what he wanted to see.

he didn’t know the person in front of him. all he knows now is that this is all a lie.

“jaemin, please let me explain,” you plead, voice shaking as you fight back the tears that were daring to escape, taking a cautious step towards him, unsure if he’ll let you get any closer.

he meets your gaze, pain and betrayal flashing all over his features – raw, gutting, all-consuming and gone in a second.

his face goes stone cold, “there’s nothing to explain,” he says, each word cutting clean, final.

“have fun with step four, y/n,” he mutters, voice deep with frustration before tossing your journal and the now crumpled photo to the ground. without another word, he storms out of your room, angrily slamming the door behind him, your heart dropping.

you rush after him, voice breaking as you cry out, “jaemin, please,” you grab his hand, desperation flooding your every movement, holding on tight, trying to make him stay, “it’s not what it looks like, please,” at this point you don’t stop the tears from flowing. you don’t care anymore. you just can’t let him walk out the door.

the loud ruckus catches your best friend’s attention. giselle quick to join you in the living room, eyes wide with concern, “what happened? is everyone okay?,” she asks, frantically looking between your broken expression and jaemin’s seething anger.

her presence was enough to pull your focus away, jaemin taking the opportunity to yank his hand out of your grip and finally making his way out.

you tried to follow him out but before you could take another step, your body finally gave up on you and you came crashing down the living room floor.

jaemin hears the sickening thud of your fall and giselle’s frantic shout of your name. for a brief moment, he hesitates, just long enough to almost turn back and check if you’re okay…but he doesn't.

blinded by rage, jaemin stormed into the fraternity house and without a second thought, his fist crashed through the living room wall, no longer able to contain his anger. he was seeing red.

“dude! what the fuck?!,” chenle yells, everyone turning their heads in surprise. but what shocked them the most was the next scene — watching their friend drop to the floor, quiet sobs escaping his lips as he burrowed his face into his hands.

jeno was up in no time, making his way over, “what happened?,” he asks, checking his friend for any injuries.

“you were right, renjun,” jaemin choked out between his broken sobs, feeling absolutely defeated.

the room fell silent as everyone turned to face renjun, wanting for an explanation, “y/n, isn’t who she says she is,” jaemin muttered, wiping tears that refused to stop. he felt pathetic — so this is what heartbreak felt like.

he wouldn’t wish it on anyone, not even on his worst enemies.

“who’s y/n?,” renjun looks around, confused, earning a light punch from donghyuck, “angel, dude,” he whispers under his breath like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

renjun pieced it all together in an instant. he knew you looked familiar, he just didn’t know you were that familiar, that you were the same girl who sat behind him in art class — you disguised yourself so well, you fooled even him.

he watched his broken friend on the ground, jaemin’s figure slumped against the wall he’d struck moments earlier, lips trembling, tear-streaked face buried in his hands.

𓏲𝄢

“renjun, please just let me talk to him,” you ask for the umpteenth time. it’s been three days since your fight with jaemin and in those three days, his friends have done everything in their power to keep you away, rightfully so.

when you showed up to the fraternity house, ready to explain your side and apologize, haechan immediately shut you down, slamming the door in your face.

when you saw him in the university’s cafeteria the next day, jeno was right next to him in an instant, pulling him away before he could even see you.

every single message you sent him was left on delivered, every call going straight to voicemail. you were desperate to reach him and renjun was your only access. he couldn’t exactly ditch class to avoid you.

renjun rolls his eyes, scoffing, “again, the answer is no, angel,” he says sarcastically, the nickname dripping with venom, his tone laced with disgust.

you wince, desperation creeping into your voice, “i just need to explain and i promise i won’t ever show my face again.” your eyes are full of conviction, pleading for a chance to right your wrongs.

he sighs. truth is, him and the boys have no idea why jaemin was so upset, only telling them that you lied to him about who you truly were but what does that even mean?

after mulling it over he finally says, “his showcase is on friday at the university’s gallery, 3 p.m., he has to be there for his project which i’m sure you know all about,” he pauses, “you can talk to him there if he wants to but all the boys are gonna be there too,” he warns.

renjun and the boys practically hated your guts but they also know how important you’ve become to their friend, otherwise he wouldn’t be sat at home, moping around, watching rom-coms as a form of self destruction, muttering “love is a lie,” every time the two characters get together in the end.

“thank you,” you nod in understanding, your gratitude mixed with a quiet tension.

“let’s get something straight y/n,” he says, his tone hardening as he starts to walk away, “i’m not doing this for you.”

with that, he leaves you standing at your station, the weight of his words sinking in.

𓏲𝄢

the university's art gallery buzzed with life, lined wall-to-wall with projects from various photography majors. you hadn’t expected such a crowd, the room filled with chatter and laughter as the bright lights illuminated the spacious room.

you take your time, making your way around, palms clammy and heart pounding as you move through the room, quietly practicing the speech you've prepared for days. gone were the sparkly pink outfits and the persona that came with it. replaced by just jeans and a plain t-shirt. you continued weaving through the art gallery, the panels shifting from artist to artist, until you finally reached his.

jaemin’s name stood boldly against the wall, his project titled, “stupid cupid.”

your breath caught as your eyes dropped to the description beneath it:

“love in the movies feels effortless and looks beautiful but all those picture-perfect moments turn out to be nothing more than echoes of a love that was never real to begin with.”

the word’s, achingly beautiful in their bitterness, struck like an arrow piercing your heart. you scanned the pictures on the wall, trying to contain your emotions.

each image held a memory, fragile and glowing – the moment in the cafe, the boombox in your hand, the kiss in the rain, now looping endlessly in video, truly playing like a haunting echo of what once was.

you stood frozen, emotions tightening in your throat, eyes brimming with tears as you wanted nothing more than to step into that scene and live in the moment just a little longer.

you wipe the tears from your cheeks, steadying yourself. you had an apology due, you couldn’t let another day pass without telling him everything you wanted to say. this was possibly your only moment and you weren’t going to let it slip away.

your eyes searched the crowded room, until they landed on him.

jaemin stands a little further back, deep in conversation. you recognize mark and jeno right next to him along with some girls from campus who were obviously flirting with him, one of the girls laughing a little too loudly and you almost scoff.

taking a deep breath, you force your feet to move, making your way through the crowd, heart pounding.

mark notices you first, eyes widening for a split second as he immediately grabs jaemin’s wrist, steering him further away from you, “hey winter! have you met my friend, jaemin?,” mark calls out, his voice ringing loud and clear, every word sharp and intentional.

jaemin looks at him suspiciously before greeting the new girl in front of him. you catch the subtle glance of the previous girls lingering behind, clearly disappointed that he walked away.

you cursed under your breath, frustration mounting, they really won’t make this easy for you.

“what are you doing here?,” a voice to your right captures your attention.

“donghyuck!,” you quietly exclaim in surprise, a hand to your heart.

“haechan,” he corrects immediately, “so what’s the angel in disguise doing here?” he laughs like he just said the funniest joke, “god that’s a good one, gotta tell the boys about that,” he snickers to himself, completely lost in his own amusement.

every conversation with him felt like some weird episode you didn’t sign up for. you still couldn't figure out how he managed to charm everyone. his mocking tone was grating, but deep down, you knew you’d earned it.

“i’m just here to apologize,” you sigh, too tired for an argument.

“huh, you’d think you’d get the hint after all the text messages and calls jaemin ignored,” he says, voice dripping with malicious amusement, “don’t flatter yourself too much, y/n, you’re not special, this is just what he does, you were just another girl who fell for it,” he taunts, his words sharp like a dagger before he walked away, leaving you in your thoughts.

they’ve been trying to stop you from reaching him and you’ve had enough. all you wanted was to have a chance to fix things. so you abandoned the careful apology you’d been rehearsing and did the one thing you hadn’t planned.

you called out his name.

your voice rang out, echoing through the large room as the chatter slowly diminished. one by one, every head turned in your direction, but you only saw him.

jaemin's eyes locked with yours and for a split second, something softened in his eyes. then, just as quickly, the wall was back up and that cold, unreadable mask slipped right back into place.

you ignore the hush whispers around you, even the one that cut through clear as day, “wait…she’s the girl from his photos..,” as you slowly walk towards him.

jaemin doesn’t utter a single sound, doesn’t make an effort to move away, he just watches as you approach, silent and unmoving, until you were standing just a few feet away.

“hi”, you begin, your voice barely above a whisper. you ignore haechan’s mocking chuckle, as he now stood next to jaemin.

“im sorry!,” you blurted out, not wasting another second. jaemin doesn’t flinch, doesn’t react, only looking at you like you’re a stranger.

“alright, you said it, you can go now, we’re a bit busy,” jeno cuts in, sharp and dismissive, a devilish smirk on his face as he spoke for his friend. the audience snickers in the background…but you weren’t finished.

“i’m sorry i lied to you,” you say a little more composed this time, standing your ground.

a shaky breath escapes you as the words you’ve been dying to tell him tumble out.

“i hate iced americanos, i hate the color pink and i definitely hated you…at first,” your voice cracks slightly, but you push through it, eyes locked on his.

you don’t care about the stares or the whispers or the way you knew this moment will be dissected by everyone watching – none of it matters, only him.

“and i know, i know everything must feel like a lie now. i wouldn’t blame you if you never believed another word i said,” you laugh bitterly, pushing away the ache in your chest.

“i only did it because i thought it was the right thing to do, i thought you deserved it for leading so many girls on…it’s stupid, i know,” your gaze softens, slightly shaking your head as your voice drops to a fragile murmur, regret and embarrassment written all over your face.

you look up at him once again, his expression still as hard as stone but it doesn’t stop you from saying your next words.

“—but i also know that i’m in love with you,” you quietly confess, the words rolling off your lips for the first time, hanging in the air – honest, bare, terrifying but all so right.

you notice the flicker of something behind his eyes that betrays the coldness in his expression. something almost soft. but it’s gone as soon as it came.

“i’m in love with you,” you repeat, hoping.

“and i'm sorry that we started out this way but this is me, the real me,” you continue, voice shaking as you ignore the lump forming in your throat.

“i prefer iced matcha over iced americanos, my favorite color is white and i have completely, stupidly fallen for you,” you finish your speech, letting the last words hang there, raw and unguarded. there’s nothing left to hide behind, no more reason to pretend.

this is your truth.

the room is silent – so silent that it felt suffocating. not a single person dared to speak, no one even moved, everyone holding their breaths with you, waiting for something…anything.

finally, jaemin takes a step forward, each step he took was slow, deliberate. his expression unreadable, eyes still cold, and you can’t tell if he’s angry, hurt or just tired of it all.

he stops in front of you, close enough that you can see the way his jaw clenches.

“well, angel,” he say, voice low and quiet but cutting all the same, the nickname sounds nothing like it used to – no warmth, no teasing. just ice.

“this was fun,” he snickers, a cruel smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, one that doesn’t reach his eyes.

it wasn’t the smile in his photos – it wasn’t the smile you fell in love with.

“-but that was all it ever was,” he continues and you feel like someone has just punched you in the gut.

“thank you for letting me use you for my project,” he adds, his tone light, casual, like it’s just another throwaway line in a script he’s already performed before.

“but you, of all people, should know–,” he leans in just a little, voice dropping, and for a second his warmth consumes you until his words turn everything cold, “-i never fall in love.”

his friends start chuckling at the back, the crowd joining in. other’s looked at you with pity having fallen for the boy in front of you but you didn't pay attention to them. you don’t even look at them. you’re still staring at him and you don’t buy a single word.

not with the way his hands are clenched at his sides. not with how his voice trembled, just barely, when he said never.

he’s lying. protecting himself the only way he knows how – by pretending not to care. trying to convince himself more than you but even knowing that doesn’t dull the sting. tears prick at the corners of your eyes, blurring the sharp lines of his face as you blink them back, forcing yourself to stay composed.

you nod once. small. almost imperceptible. a silent acknowledgment. not of belief but of acceptance.

then, carefully, you pull out the white envelope tucked in your back pocket, “this belongs to you,” you say, voice soft, barely hanging on. you hold it out to him and then you turn.

you don’t look back, running out of the gallery – out of the stares, out of the suffocating stillness that had begun to close in on you.

your vision blurs completely now, hot tears streaming freely down your face. you can’t breathe. you’re not sure if you even want to.

jaemin watches you retreat. he doesn’t call out, doesn't make an effort to stop you. he just watches.

only when you were finally out of his sight, he felt it – that sharp swell in his lungs, the ache in his chest unraveling into something hollow and brutal.

he thought it would feel satisfying to hurt you the way you hurt him. he thought having the last word would fix the damages of his broken ego and piece back the heart you shattered. but as you left he realized that parts of it were still in your hands.

the crowd begins to break apart, quiet murmurs replacing the earlier hush. now that the show’s over, their entertainment has ended and one by one, they leave, continuing on with their day, until he’s standing there alone, the envelope in his hands.

he opens it slowly, like he’s afraid of what’s inside, even though some part of him already knows.

and there it is. the photo. the one you stole from his room. the one in your four step plan. his secret.

for a split second, all he can feel is the surge of anger and betrayal, remembering everything that has happened in the past two weeks. his heart pounds in his chest, a sharp sting of violation threatening to overwhelm him.

but then, something shifts.

he looks at the photo again and it hits him – you’re giving it back to him. you’re not using it. you’re not following through with your plan to expose him. you had returned the evidence with no strings attached. you were telling him the truth.

the confessions you made, your voice trembling with sincerity, resonating in his mind.

renjun snaps him back to reality, the rest of the boys next to him, “hey, you okay?” he asks his friend, tone sharp with concern.

he forces a half-hearted laugh, voice laced with self-deprecation. “i feel like absolute shit,” he quickly tucks the envelope in his pocket, hiding it away from prying eyes, mind still reeling.

“well, i know just the cure for that,” haechan teases, slinging an arm around his neck. “a pretty girl and some drinks,” he continues, his voice is playful, trying to pull jaemin back to the surface and he’s grateful for the distraction.

“yeah, come on,” mark chimes in, grinning. “we gotta celebrate your gallery’s success!...party at the dream fraternity tonight!” he calls out, his enthusiasm infectious as cheers erupt from the crowd, a wave of excitement sweeping through the room.

jaemin feels disconnected from it all, but he can’t ignore the energy around him. he shakes his head, finally allowing himself to breathe. maybe they’re right. maybe a party is exactly what he needs. maybe he can continue to pretend that this doesn’t hurt him until it finally doesn’t.

𓏲𝄢

jaemin can’t get it up.

“i thought you were supposed to be good at this?,” the pretty girl from the gallery comments, making him sigh in frustration.

“just give me a second,” he grunts, furiously pumping his cock up and down, hoping a miracle would happen. this has never happened to him before and he’s beginning to get really worried.

“you said that five seconds ago,” she cuts in, looking at him with those judgmental eyes, like he doesn’t fucking know he said that five seconds ago. the urge to run to the doctor’s getting stronger with every second.

“you know what? just get out,” jaemin says annoyed, tossing her clothes back to her as he made his way to his bathroom, not caring at all about the girl sitting on his bed. he hears the girl scoff, followed by shuffling and a, “thanks for absolutely nothing!,” before his door slammed shut.

jaemin rolls his eyes, hopping in the shower, the lingering touches she left behind felt sticky and gross on his skin. he knew she wasn’t going to tell anyone, knowing her reputation was also on the line and he didn’t even feel bad. the girl should’ve known he wasn’t in the right mind for some ego boosting. or maybe she should’ve tried harder for him.

yikes. maybe he did deserve the heartbreak you served him with.

as he stood there, under the hot shower, his intoxicated mind can’t help but wander back to you and the time you’ve spent together.

he can’t help but remember that morning of your first night together, the innocent shower you took together as he admired your body – thoughts of your scent consuming him, the way your lips left trails of kisses, soft skin against his.

then he feels it, his cock hardening.

all it took was the memory of you, “you’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he scolds his dick.

“really?, a pretty girl on your bed and absolutely nothing from you and just one thought of her and you’re up,” he talks to his member, feeling absolutely crazy before his hand got to work – mind flashing with scenes of you and only you.

hopping out of the shower, jaemin feels a little more refreshed, his mind clearer than it was a few shots of alcohol ago. the party outside his bedroom door has now died down.

he picks his clothes up from the ground, ready to toss it into his hamper, when the envelope peaks out, reminding him of the picture.

he takes it out again, staring into his own image, the slight crumple on the top left marks the photograph, evidence of his anger. he sighs as sadness takes over once again.

flipping the image, he sees your handwriting, words that you have left behind just for him. words that has signified the mark you left on his life.

dear jaemin,

thank you for showing me this side of you. im sorry.

love,

y/n, angel, heart

it was your last confession and right away he knew what he had to do.

𓏲𝄢

“hi my lovely listeners, it’s mr. cupid here on a surprise live session, i couldn’t prolong this any longer,” jaemin’s voice filters through the mic, softer than usual.

he pauses, a shaky breath pulled in as he braces himself for the inevitable, “i haven’t been completely honest with you.”

there’s a beat of silence and then, “i have been keeping a secret and lately i’ve realized how much secret’s hurt.”

“so today, im finally telling you who i am,” jaemin continues, fingers tightening slightly around the mic stand as he braced himself.

“i am mr. cupid, your #1 go to for all things love and heartbreak but i am also third year, photography major, member of the dream fraternity,” he takes a quick pause, finding his courage, “my name is na jaemin,” he finally confesses into the microphone.

the words land like a stone thrown into still water, rippling through the space between him and the hundreds of people listening.

his inbox immediately lights up, emails flooding in. he could already see the previews. lots of surprised listeners, lots of angry listeners.

his phone quietly flickers by his side, messages from the boys swarming his screen as the group chat blows up — all of them shocked and confused.

he would have to deal with all of that later.

“i want to take this moment and apologize,” he continued, voice soft but firm, “to every girl i’ve hurt, every person i made feel disposable…i’m sorry. i wish i could remember all your names but the truth is, part of me was that player, part of me liked being that player,” he sighs in embarrassment, the weight of it all sinking in.

“—and i’m sorry for hiding behind this persona, for pretending i had it all figured out while calling out the very things i also did,” he continues, a bittersweet feeling rising in his chest.

he took care of this radio show, he wouldn’t have climbed the #1 spot if he didn’t. but every truth must be revealed someday.

“—i need you to know, i meant every word i’ve ever said on here. the advice, the stories, the moments where i told you to believe in love even when it hurts…that was all real. i was just too much of a coward in real life to admit that i wanted that too,” he continues, feeling lighter with every word.

“there’s a girl i met recently,” a nervous chuckle slips from his lips as he runs a hand through his hair, gaze unfocused, lost somewhere far beyond the studio walls.

“she knew who i was, from the very beginning” he rambles, “she had this four step plan to make me fall in love with her…the last step of her plan was to expose me but she never followed through with it,” a quiet moment passes.

“somewhere along the way, she fell for me anyway…the player, the romantic, the scared, complicated mess,” he shakes his head, a halfhearted smile tugging at his lips.

“i always thought that i had to be one or the other, turns out i was just waiting for her to freely be who i truly am,” a heavy sigh leaves him, full of everything he’s carried alone until now. his thoughts catching up to him.

“—and i really need to follow my own advice and get her back,” the words left him in a rush as he finally reached his own conclusion.

love was a strong word and unfortunately it took him a while to accept that this is what it was and it was all he wanted.

without another word, he abruptly ends the session. running out of the studio, finally seeing things clearly.

he runs, lungs burning, heart pounding. he ignores the students who were still outside this late hour, calling out his name, calling out mr. cupid, until he finally reaches your building, sweat forming around his forehead, as he tries to catch his breath.

he knocks on your door, practically pounding on it, adrenaline rushing through his veins, nerves and excitement coursing through him at the thought of seeing you again only to be met with none other than your roommate.

“oh, if it isn’t mr. cupid,” giselle greets him, voice laced with mockery, her expression twisted with subtle disdain.

“you know i was wondering why y/n was so adamant on getting revenge, i thought it was just because of what you did to me, turns out you’re not just a huge player you’re also a pro liar,” giselle continues, a pointed look on her faced, eyebrows furrows, lips pointed.

“pretending to be mr. sweet angelic guy just to be a fuckboy behind the scenes, man, how did you fool everyone?” she chuckles, almost disbelievingly.

jaemin shifts uncomfortably, his confidence briefly faltering, “giselle, im sorry,” he says, catching the girl off guard, “i do remember our night together and i’m sorry…i shouldn’t have said those words so lightly, i wasn’t thinking, just putting my needs first,” he confesses, completely owning up to his actions.

she blinks, then lets out a small, surprised laugh, “it’s fine, i just wanted to give you a tough time for what you did to y/n at the gallery,” she says, “besides, i used you that night too, we both win,” she shrugs, really not caring, “i would actually prefer it if we never talk about it again.”

jaemin nods, a quiet gratitude in his eyes for her unexpected grace, “is y/n here?,” he asks.

giselle ponders for a second or two, studying him, eyes narrowing slightly, reading him like a book until she nods, “second floor of the art building,” she says.

“thank you,” he breathes, already turning, “wait jaemin!,” giselle stops him in his tracks, “you hurt her again and i will kill you, okay pretty boy?,” she says with a sugar-sweet smile, almost like she didn’t just threaten him. it wasn’t a question, not really.

he chuckles, not entirely sure if she’s joking or not, either way, he would not like to find it.

“wouldn’t dream of it,” he replies, flashing her a smile before sprinting off.

𓏲𝄢

jaemin stepped quietly into the art room, spotting your back to him as your fingers worked like magic, brushing smoothly against the canvas seated on your easel, completely immersed in your work. he notices the iced matcha sitting on the table to your right, your paint-stained jeans and oversized t-shirt on display, hair in a messy ponytail.

even with your back turned to him, you looked so at ease, like the world had melted away and left only you and your art behind. he stood still, taking it in, wishing he had his camera with him.

content hums slip past your lips as your hand glided from your palette and the canvas. then he notices what you’re painting and he can’t look away, transfixed by the way you captured the scenery of the luscious green landscape blurred by the gentle rain, the pink and whites of the blooming cherry blossoms, opposite to the gray hues of the clouds floating on top.

it was like he had stepped into that day once again. almost like he could feel your lips on his again.

he clears his throat before finally finding his voice, “that’s beautiful.”

your head turns quickly, jumping slightly at the sound of your intruder’s voice, eyes wide with surprise. you weren’t exactly expecting anyone else to be here this late.

“jaemin?,” you question, voice uncertain, wondering what he was doing here at this hour.

“hi,” he smiles sheepishly, hands awkwardly tucked in his pockets, almost shy, as he walks closer to you, your breath stuck in your throat.

“you uhm…you have paint right here,” he points at his own cheek, mirroring the spot on yours as you quickly tried to wipe it away, missing completely.

“not quite, here let me-,” before you could protest, he closed the gap, licking his thumb and wiping the smudge away from the apple of your cheek. the moment was so intimate, his light touch igniting that spark all over again.

“thanks,” you whisper before taking a step back and trying to ground yourself.

“what are you doing here?,” you asked, voice soft.

“i was looking for you,” he responds like it was the simplest truth in the world.

“i-i thought you didn’t want to see me again?,” you say, brows furrowed in confusion.

“i thought that too,” he admits, “but as soon as you left, all i wanted to do was see you again,” he continues, looking for any signs of rejection on your face.

“how did you know i was here?,” you ask, puzzled, you never brought him here before so you wouldn’t expect him to even know it.

“i asked giselle,” he replies simply, leaving you confused, your brows knitting, “you talked to giselle?”

he chuckles slightly before saying, “i actually stopped by your place first and you weren’t there and then i got an earful from giselle about being mr. cupid and now i'm here,” giving you a quick rundown of what happened.

“wait, what? i never told her your secret,” you say, wide eyed. that’s when he realizes then that you had no idea what happened in the last hour.

“i uh…i actually finished your four step plan,” he explains and you’re left speechless, “you didn’t have to do that,” you murmur, voice soft.

“no, i did,” he quickly retorts, “it was time,” a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips.

“he wasn’t all a fake persona, you know?,” he exhales, voice laced with honesty.

“i know,” you say quickly, eyes meeting his. “i saw him,” voice filled with sincerity, “fell in love with him,” you whisper into the night air, making him look up, hope flickering behind his eyes.

“i thought i had to hide that side of me,” he admits, “i’ve been very aware of the whole fuckboy label and yeah…i got caught up in the ‘cool’ image of it all. it was easier to be who everyone expected me to be, it’s stupid, i know,” he smiles softly, his words reflecting your confession.

“but that’s not why i came here tonight,” his eyes find yours, unwavering.

“i'm sorry about what i said earlier at the gallery,” he adds softly and you shake your head before he can go on, “it’s okay jaemin, i get it, i know why said it, it’s not like i didn’t deserve it,” you reassure him.

��no,” he says, a little firmer this time, “it’s not okay because it wasn’t true and i'm tired of all the lies between us so…here it goes,” he takes a breath, almost like he’s steadying himself.

“you’re not the only one who fell,” he says, a quiet smile forming, tender and nervous,“i did too.”

“—and i’m pretty sure i hit the ground way before you did,” he pauses.

you looked at him like he had somehow brought the stars to you and that was all the courage he needed to continue.

“i think white looks perfect with pink, i’m not a big fan of matcha iced tea but i’d still love to see my glass of americano sitting next to yours, and i am completely, stupidly, undeniably in love with you,” he confesses, voice steady and full of conviction, “that’s what i should’ve said earlier.”

you blink, heart pounding, the corners of your lips lifting into a smile you can’t fight, every emotion rushing to the surface.

“better late than never, right?,” you softly tease, making him chuckle before finally taking a step closer. this time, you don’t move away.

“you told me i didn’t have to ask,” he whispers and then he kisses you, soft and certain, and full of emotion.

for the first time since he walked out of your bedroom, angry and overwhelmed, jaemin feels like he could finally breathe again.

his hands gently make their way to your cheeks, deepening the kiss as yours clasped around his neck, pulling him in closer.

“god, i love you,” jaemin whispers against your lips as he moves down to litter kisses on that spot below your ear, eliciting a breathy whine from you.

“i love you too,” you whisper in his ear, large hands making their way behind your thighs as jaemin picks you up, sitting you on the long wooden table, now eye to eye level, his lips were back on yours in an instant, as he stood in the place between your legs.

you could feel his growing bulge against your thigh, making you dizzy, “jaemin, i need you,” you whine desperately. he gives in to your request quickly, no longer wanting to deny the pleasure coursing in between your bodies.

unzipping your pants, he slides it down, before pushing your panties to the side and shoving two fingers in, “so fucking tight, angel,” he groans as his fingers curl drawing out breathy moans from your lips as you tried to be as quiet as possible, afraid someone would walk in. usually no one was here during this time but you could never be too sure, you were still in a public place after all.

you could feel the tension in your stomach rise, heat starting to travel down to your toes, but you needed more, “please, n-need you now,” you plead, “you sure angel? it might hurt,” he grunts, his fingers brushing your walls repetitively, trying to prepare you as much as he can.

no longer able to wait, your hand reached for the wallet in his back pocket as you took out the condom you knew he always carried.

jaemin’s pants falls to the ground, pooling around his ankles, his boxers soon to follow as you wrapped the condom around his throbbing cock, the warmth of your hands making him groan into your shoulder as he tried to control the urge to bust right then and there, “have i told you how much effect you have on me?,” he grunts.

“show me,” you whisper, kissing that soft spot below his ear.

“you make me so fucking crazy,” he says, looking you in the eyes as he pushed his tip in your entrance. you bite back your moans, the expression on your face between pleasure and pain as you looked up at him, trying your best not to shut your eyes at the way he was slowly expanding your walls, pussy molding to the shape of his large cock.

“fucckk, you feel so fucking good,” he compliments as he bottoms in, tip kissing your cervix, your shared moans mixing in the air as you burrowed your head in his shoulder, leaving trails of wet, sloppy kisses, trying to distract yourself from the pain of the stretch.

“missed your pussy so much,” he whines. carefully, he pulls the hair tie out of your ponytail, letting your hair fall freely down your shoulders as he starts thrusting, setting a slow pace. you were so incredibly tight around him, he knew he had to be gentle, “so fucking pretty,” he whispers, watching your every reaction.

“d-don’t stop,” you sigh, getting used to his size, as he continues to thrust in and out, the slow pace becoming more addicting with every push. jaemin’s warm hands gripping your hips, massaging slow circles around your thighs, the added pressure adding on to the coil tightening in your stomach as your body arched up, hips starting to move in rhythm with his.

“faster, jaemin,” you moan. his name spilling from your lips immediately increases his speed as your hands rest on the table, trying to stabilize yourself. moans heighten as the sound of skin slapping echoes throughout the room. you don’t even care about wandering ears anymore, or what would happen if a professor happened to catch the two of you in this position.

all you cared about was this high — the way his cock seemed to be made for you, hitting that spot that makes you feel like you’re sitting on a cloud as angels sang all around you. jaemin feels the same way, absolutely lost in the feeling only you could give him.

it was getting harder to keep it together as he starts losing his rhythm, “i’m c-close, angel,” he grunts, finger finding your sensitive bud, rubbing slow but harsh circles, “cum with me, please,” he groans and it was enough to snap the coil in your stomach, eyes rolling back, pussy gripping his cock as you gave into the pleasure that is na jaemin.

𓏲𝄢

it’s been a week since that night that brought you back together. a week filled with “i love you’s,” and everything sickeningly sweet.

the boys have all apologized to you, spilling repetitive sorry’s about their behavior. forgiveness came easy. especially since you knew they were only like that because of how much they loved him and you were happy jaemin had people like them on his side.

mr. cupid became “love, na jaemin” — jaemin decided to continue it after emails upon emails of request from his viewers to come back. this time, he promised complete honesty, no longer hiding behind the fake persona. the show was back to #1 spot within a day, everyone loving this side of him even more.

there were still parties, almost every night, but instead of sneaking around with random women, jaemin had you by his side every single time — hand wrapped in yours, playful stolen kisses all over your skin, dancing and laughter. and in the days where you couldn’t go to a party, he’d simply have fun with the boys before retiring into his room alone, preferring to facetime you on the phone.

today, jaemin surprised you with a picnic. the sky was painted with soft blues and golden sun, a warm breeze curling through your hair as you sat on the picnic blanket in the park. he pulls out a bag filled with two mini canvases and a small set of watercolor.

“what’s all this?,” you giggle, as he hands you your canvas.

“i saw it on tiktok, we have to paint each other and then show each other the results,” he explains excitedly, a sparkle dancing in his eyes, like a kid getting a new toy.

“winner gets whatever they want!,” he continues, explaining the rules as you laughed, “you know i’m gonna win, right?,” you tease, raising a brow.

“hey! you’ve never seen me paint, you don’t know that,” he cutely defends himself, a pout on his lips.

“okay baby, you’re right, sorry,” you giggle, kissing his pout away, frown instantly melting into a bright smile.

“quit distracting me, angel” he said softly, grinning as he picked up his brush.

the two of you fall into a comfortable silence as you start, eyes flicking between your painting and each other. the air was filled with quiet focus and unspoken affection. you could feel it in the way his gaze lingered on you, the way your fingers moved slowly, like trying to capture every piece of him with love.

but while you were focused on painting him, jaemin had a different mission entirely.

he knew you were going to win, of course you were. this was just his little ploy to finally make you his girlfriend. a week has been long enough and he was starting to go crazy every time he wanted to call you his girlfriend but couldn’t. he’s never wanted to the boyfriend title so badly in his life.

he kicked himself over and over, wondering why he didn’t just ask you during his confession but that night was powered through by overwhelming emotions of love, hope and desire that the words had slipped his mind.

since then, nothing had felt romantic enough and you deserve to be asked properly…in the most special way. and he has finally figured out how.

after a couple more minutes of painting you break the silence, “i think im done,” you announce, setting your brush down with a satisfied smile.

he glances up at you, pretending to be busy as he continues to paint the background of his artwork, “hmm, give me one more second,” he chimes before adding his final touch.

“okay, you ready?,” he wiggles his eyebrows as you nod, your heart fluttering.

3…2…1…

you both flip your canvases, showing each other your board. your eyes immediately widen as you process the words written on his board in bold, messy paint: will you be my girlfriend? — decorated by a ton of pink and red hearts.

a happy squeal escapes your lips as you launch yourself at him, sending him back onto the picnic blanket. you pepper his face with soft kisses, laughter bubbling from both of you.

“yes, yes, yes, of course i’ll be your girlfriend!” you say happily, dreamily. he was laughing too, arms wrapped around you, holding you close like he never wanted to let go.

“by the way, i want to go to busan again,” you smile up at him, letting him know that you still win. he breaks into a soft laughter, “whatever my angel wants, my angel gets,” he says, kissing you softly, sweetly and full of promise.

jaemin swears he’s in heaven — laying under the open sky with the girl of his dreams, the girl who he loves and loves him, and the word finally echoing in his heart.

𓏲 the end.

—

an: ahhh! if you’ve made it this far thank you so so much for reading <3 i wish you all find yourself a na jaemin (the real na jaemin of course, he’s better than the one written here lol >.<) while i have you! please please please help me decide who’s story to write next by voting here -> click!

likes, reblogs and comments are not required but is very appreciated ⏦ﾟ♡︎

#na jaemin #na jaemin x reader #na jaemin x you #na jaemin fluff #na jaemin smut #na jaemin angst #nct dream x reader #nct dreamer x you #nct dreamer x y/n #nct dream smut #nct dream angst #nct dream fluff #withloverboyseries

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damneddamsy · 2 months ago

Text

falling | joel miller x fem!oc (part xi)

ZERO CROSSING—The moment everything inverts, and the axis breaks.

summary: Joel is too far from home, travelling and surviving once again, for a purpose.

a/n: buckle up, this is a looooong one. I wanted to share all the journey and the loss in a single chapter, initially, I wanted to break it into two, but it only made sense here to have it done with. Please take this with a grain of salt, and understand the world of TLOU is difficult and irredeemable. bad shit happens, you can't stop it. okay, let's do this!

word count: 19,000 + [ I had an ask from a sweet anon who wanted this included. hello! I hope you can estimate your reading time now, thanks for letting me know :) ]

DAY 1: EN ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES - APPROX. FOURTEEN HOURS SOUTH OF JACKSON, SOMEWHERE PAST SALT LAKE CITY.

Regrets and worries. Joel knew now—they weren’t the same. Not even close. Two different beasts, pulling in opposite directions. One stalked behind you, the other ahead. He had both nipping at his heels.

Regret caught up fast enough. It had already happened, and there was no undoing it. Hated that shit to the core. And worry? Well, he was so used to seeing its back before him now, just waiting for it fuck up. Together, they twisted in his gut. Frayed wires, snarled and buzzing, so tangled he couldn’t tell which was which anymore.

Not here, not now—lying on the splintered floorboards of some half-collapsed home, walls paper-thin against the hiss of falling snow outside, air cold enough it bit the inside of his nose when he breathed too deep.

The cabin was barely standing. Roof half gone, one wall caved in, and wind came through the boards like breath through teeth. It was shelter in the loosest sense—four walls and a place to keep his back to. That’d have to be enough.

The stew sat like lead in his stomach. Came out of a battered can, label long gone. Might’ve been beef. Might’ve been dog food. Probably expired a decade ago. He didn’t care. Shoved it down like punishment. Energy was energy. Didn’t matter how it tasted going in—only that it stayed down. Now, though, his gut churned like it disagreed. Violently.

With the rifle close at hand, Joel sat with his legs stretched out, boots frozen stiff with slush, snow melting slowly off his jacket shoulders. He hadn’t bothered stripping out of his gear. No point. Cold like this, alone out here, you didn’t sleep long anyway.

He’d been riding for fourteen hours. Maybe more. He’d stopped keeping track somewhere past hour ten. Through rough terrain, past the last of the patrol lines, past roads that weren’t really roads anymore, just veins through snow-covered land that didn’t feel real. The map crumpled in his jacket wasn’t worth shit now. Just paper soaked with sweat and hope.

And fuck this snow. It wasn’t just cold—it was fucking brutal. It soaked through seams, dulled the edges of his vision, and turned the horse into a slipping mess of nerves and bone. He couldn’t wait to hit the open heat again—past Vegas, past the mountains, back where the sky turned gold and didn’t bite.

Vegas. Jesus, he’d be riding past it soon. What a weird thought. He’d never liked that place. Clinking noise and vice and strobe lights that didn’t mean anything. Still, the thought of it almost felt like an assurance now—like anything would be better than this stretch of cold emptiness.

The sun had set and risen without his permission, and the horse was starting to limp. He’d have to rest it come morning. If there was a morning. This part of the country didn’t feel like it had days anymore—just gray stretches of silence between dusk and deeper dusk.

And still, sleep wouldn’t come.

He rolled something between his fingers—small, brass, worn, warm from the heat of his palm. A button. Not from anything he’d owned. Probably from a coat someone lost before the world went to hell. Maya had picked it up off the road during the summer, on their way back home from dinner at Tommy's. He remembered her squealing when she spotted it, stubby fingers plucking it out of the dirt like gold, and handing it to him later, bestowing him a treasure, her tiny gummy smile vast as anything.

He’d kept it ever since. Didn’t matter what it came from. The button was hers, then his. It hadn’t left his pocket since.

He squeezed it between his fingers, thumb brushing the grooves, meeting his lip just once, and tucked it away again.

He hadn’t said much when he left. Tommy met him in the barn before sunrise, lit only by a lantern swinging from a nail. The horses had been restless. Cold was coming in through the slats, and Joel had cinched the saddle like it was the only thing keeping him upright.

Tommy had offered to go—thrice. Said it didn’t sit right, Joel riding out alone. But Joel had shaken his head.

“You stay here. For my girls.”

He didn’t trust anyone else to watch over them. Not the way Tommy would. “Just make sure they eat and sleep. That they know I'm doin' fine. You hear me?”

Tommy didn’t argue after that. Just handed him the reins and clapped his shoulder once. It was enough, maybe more than enough.

He’d ridden out before the light touched the mountains, the sound of the gate swinging shut behind him like a period at the end of a sentence.

Just yesterday—just yesterday—he’d been home. His home. The big white house, on the edge of Jackson with the bramble bushes out back and Leela’s cursive handwriting on the walls in pencil, tiny indelible equations scrawled between coat hooks and door frames.

Maya had held onto his finger compliantly, in her too-thick coat, dragging her plastic basket across the frost-hardened ground, and crouched beside him in the garden beds as they picked out what her mama had wanted for dinner. Carrots, lumpy and sweet. A head of cauliflower. All collected in her basket, while Joel wondered out loud to her, that maybe Leela was making that spicy stew of hers, with sumac and saffron.

And that night—he’d had Leela’s breath in his ear, her hand latched around his. They’d curled up together under that white duvet, head resting close, her thumb drawing soft, slow circles into his palm until he drifted off.

Now here he was.

Cold. Dirty. Bone-tired. Alone. Chasing ghosts toward a city he hadn’t seen in decades.

He leaned back until his head tapped the wood behind him, and let out a breath. It fogged up in front of him and vanished.

“Screw it,” he muttered.

The backpack was by his side, half-buried in snow-dust. He pulled it closer, unzipped it with numb fingers. Inside, wrapped tight in old linen, was Leela’s notebook—the one with her proofs, her ideas, the kind of math that gave him a migraine. The one he was risking everything to deliver.

Tucked beneath it were two small tape recorders. But—there were two of them, same make, scratched from use. He’d grabbed both in a rush. One of them had her logs, her working thoughts on the Riemann Hypothesis. The other… who knew.

It didn’t matter. He needed her. Her voice. Even if it was just numbers and theorems he didn’t understand. Even if it was her being brilliant in a way that left him in the dust. Something to make the world feel less far.

Joel held one to his chest a moment. Closed his eyes. Thumb hovering over the play button for a moment before he pressed it.

The machine clicked. The static cleared. A brief hiss.

And then, for a second, all Joel could hear was the wind scratching at the seams of the broken-down cabin. Then came her voice—soft, unsure.

He smiled, exhaled, and let the recorder rest on his chest. Ready for sleep.

L.REED MAYA INFANCY DEVELOPMENT LOG – AUDIO FILE #9

(Click. The soft static of the recorder kicks in. There's a rustling sound, like someone adjusting a blanket or shifting in bed. Then, Leela's voice—gentle, low, a little breathless, like she’s just settled in beside someone small and wriggly. Maya.)

“You wanna say 'hi'? Hi?”

(Maya hums. Coos softly before saying—) “Hah.”

(Leela laughs.) “Close enough. Okay, so. It is August the seventeenth. Time is… very late.” (A soft snort.) “Um, two-twelve a.m. Bedroom. Maya, age eight months.”

(A soft, gurgling coo interrupts. Then a thump-thump—like a baby kicking her feet against the mattress. Leela exhales a smile into the mic.)

“Baby girl is vocalizing consistently. Her consonant-vowel chains are stronger. Lots of ‘ba-ba’, ‘ga-ga’, ‘ta-ta’, occasionally ‘da’. This morning, I caught her mimicking Joel yawning and singing. She’s watching his lips more, listening to intonation. Repeating the pitch, if not the structure.”

(More babbling now. Higher-pitched. Happier. Leela’s voice quiets slightly, as if leaning in.)

“But just now…” (a pause, soft disbelief flickering in her voice) “…she said ‘Mama.’”

(There’s a quiet moment. A little sniff from Leela, then a huff of a laugh.)

“I was holding her, rocking her. She had her hand on my lips, just as I taught her to express ‘I love you’. Looked me dead in the eye. And said it.”

(Maya giggles, wet and delighted, then says it again—muffled but distinct) “Mamamamama.”

“That. Right there. Did you hear that?” (Leela’s voice wavers, thickens with emotion she’s trying not to name.) “Omigosh, baby.”

(We can hear Maya closer now, her soft breaths, her curious coos.)

“You wanna say that for me, please? Can you say 'Mama' one more time?”

(Soft, adorable, Maya speaks.) “Mama.”

(Leela giggles.) “Yeah?”

(She's excited, seeing her mother smile.) “Maaaa!”

“Maya's first word. Not just a sound. Not just noise. She meant me.”

(Another pause, the rustling of blankets. Leela’s voice softens even more, almost like she’s speaking to herself now.)

“My baby is growing so fast, learning, laughing daily, and it's all Joel. He speaks to her so much, it's no wonder she wants to talk right back at him. But I don’t know what I expected. I mean, I’ve studied this a little from that old baby book Mom had lying around in storage. I know the milestones. The phoneme acquisition timeline. But hearing it…”

(She stops. A breath. Then, quieter—) “It made me feel real. Like I didn’t just survive her. Like maybe I was meant to be her mother after all.”

(Maya babbles in the background, then lets out a little sigh and flops back against the mattress. Leela chuckles softly, tired.)

“She does this cute thing with her hands when she’s trying to form new sounds. Presses her fingers to her mouth like she’s shaping the word. Like she’s building it.”

(A beat. Then Leela's voice dips into playfulness—dry, teasing, a rare glint of humor.)

“She’s smarter than me, I know it. It’s totally fine. I’ll just be the one who cuts up her fruit and explains Hilbert spaces until she’s old enough to tell me to stop.”

(The door creaks open. Joel’s voice enters the room, low and gravelly, but softened with affection.)

“You still up, darlin'? Jesus, go to bed already.” (His boots thud quietly against the floor as he steps in. A pause. Then the sound of a kiss—quiet, slow. A press of lips to Leela’s temple.) “Doin’ experiments with the poor kid again? Hi, baby girl.”

(Leela hums, leaning into him whilst Maya squeals in excitement at Joel's arrival.) “Infancy development log for future purposes. Joel, come sit. Listen, listen. Maya said her first word.”

(There’s a beat. Joel exhales like he’s trying to hide a smile. He shifts closer—more rustling, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight as he sits beside them. Maya lets out a soft coo.)

“Yeah?” (His voice is quieter now, touched with awe.) “What’d she say?”

(Leela pauses. Her voice is a little breathless when she finally answers.) “She said 'Mama.'”

(Joel is quiet. Then—he laughs under his breath, low, warm and a little stunned. A laugh that carries years in it.)

“Course she did. Trouble and a traitor.” (A kiss, this time to his baby’s head.) “Smartass, just like you.”

(Maya babbles off-screen—happy nonsense, punctuated with a triumphant little—) “Mama!”

(Leela half-laughs, disbelieving) “Hear that? Again and again. No prompting, Joel. Just—‘Mama.’ Like she knew.”

(Another tiny voice from the baby.) “Maaaaaama.”

(Joel sighs like a man personally betrayed.) “Wow. She’s on a roll.”

“You seem jealous.”

(Joel, in mock offence) “Psh. Jealous, schmealous.” (Then addresses Maya directly, lowly.) “You know how many nappies I’ve changed for you, trouble? How many times I’ve walked you around this house at two in the damn morning?”

(He leans closer, pitching his voice hopeful and coaxing.) “Say Da-da. Come on, baby girl. Just once. Da-da.”

(Maya hushes. Then lets out another cheerful—) “Mama.”

“She’s doin’ it on fuckin' purpose.”

“She’s a baby.”

“She’s my baby. Which means she’s bein’ a pain in my ass on purpose.”

(The static is filled with the sound of Joel scooping her up, lifting her overhead with ease—Maya giggles, squeals, kicks her feet.)

(Joel playfully threatens.) “That it? You say 'Mama' one more time and I swear to God, I’m throwin’ you in the trash.”

(Maya hiccups out another: “Mama!” then laughs like she knows exactly what she’s doing. Leela bursts out laughing behind the recorder.)

“Right, you're with the raccoons now. C’mere, you lil’ menace.” (He smothers a chuckle with a deep kiss against Maya's cheek.)

(Leela's teasing does not cease.) “Go ahead. She’ll climb back out.”

“She’s got your damn mouth. And your attitude.”

(Leela’s voice, still recording, drops into a whisper—proud and fragile.) “Cannot believe she picked me.”

(Joel snickers.) “Yeah, baby. But we’re all hers now.”

(Click.)

DAY 2: EN ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES - APPROX. TWENTY-SIX HOURS SOUTH OF JACKSON.

You know how when you're completely alone, and there’s nothing left to look at but the walls, nothing to hear but the ticking of your own breath? When there’s no noise, no job, no person, no purpose to pull you away from the one thing that's been haunting the edges of your mind?

That’s where Joel was. No goddamn purpose except forward.

The road stretched ahead like a savage scar across the earth—silent, broken, endless. The only sound was the dull rhythm of hooves on packed dirt and the occasional creak of the saddle under Joel’s weight. His ribs throbbed with every breath.

No talking. No laughter. No baby cries. Just him, the horse, and the wind. It was in that kind of silence—complete, bone-deep—that the memory found him. The quiet made space for things he didn’t want.

It wasn’t even something big. Not some major milestone, holiday, or sweet, cinematic moment he could cling to like a lifeline.

Just a soft thing. A quiet day. It had been raining since morning, their first wave of summer storms.

It was not hard, not a downpour, just that steady mountain drizzle that turned everything gray and soft, that blurred the windows and hushed the world, made the house smaller and cozier. Inside this cushy room he'd made for his little girl, the air was scented of old cotton, wood, and whatever Maya had wiped on his shirt earlier.

Joel had stood in the nursery, one arm braced on the crib’s rail, the other setting down a freshly folded onesie on a small, lopsided pile. The window had been cracked, just an inch, enough to let in petrichor and the patter of water on the roof. The rhythm of it folded itself into the room like background music—so familiar he barely noticed it anymore, like a breath or heartbeats.

The laundry was warm from the dryer, and the little pink crib had become a makeshift laundry basket—tiny socks, soft bloomers, onesies with Leela's sweet embroideries of bears, owls, stars, and moons, all heaped together like a colourful cloud.

Maya, just a hair past eight months, sat squarely in the middle of the pile, the clean laundry heaped around her like a nest. She had one sock in each hand, neither matching, and looked at them like she was weighing philosophical truths. Her dark curls were sticking up in fuzzy snares. Her legs were crossed, her posture oddly regal—like she’d appointed herself queen of the sock mountain.

Joel glanced at her, then down at the onesie in his hand. It had a bear on the front, kind of wonky, with one eye stitched lower than the other.

He let out a soft huff through his nose. “I keep meanin’ to ask your mama to patch that bear’s eye. Looks like he’s been through some shit, right?”

Maya blinked at him, then looked back at her socks, utterly unbothered.

Joel folded the onesie and stacked it. “Yeah. Damn garden’s gonna be drowned if this rain keeps up,” he muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck. “See, I told Mama not to put that basil down near the low spot, but she won’t listen. You’ll see when you’re older—ain’t no one listening to the man with the shovel.”

Maya scrunched one of the socks in her hand, held it up, and gave him a look like, Is this even a sock or is it something greater?

Joel chuckled. “Yeah, I know. Socks. Don’t make no sense, huh?”

He reached over and gently tugged one of the matching pairs out of the pile. “This your big contribution?” he asked. “You fold this one? Looks like it got run over by a possum.”

Maya made a quiet noise—something between a hum and a grunt—and waved both socks in the air like streamers. Joel looked up again, and this time, he softened.

“I see you, baby girl,” he murmured. “Workin’ real hard.”

She blinked at him, pleased with herself, and stuck one sock on her foot over the other one she was already wearing.

“That’s it,” Joel hummed. “Yeah, two socks on one foot. Tyra Banks, you are. You’re gonna revolutionize the whole town.”

And suddenly she was a firecracker of excitement in her double-layered socks. She was up on her feet, squealing, “Da-da-da-da!”

Her little bare feet thudded softly on the crib mattress as she twirled, arms stretched out like wings. The flannel dress—a new one, made by her Mama, cut from one of Joel’s old shirts—fanned out around her like a pinwheel. The plaid knots at her shoulders bounced with every turn, and the fabric spun around her legs with a gentle swish, like the hush of wind through leaves.

Maya made a breathy sound with each spin—a little “hah!” like surprise was bubbling out of her chest. Her curls, puffed up from the static, lifted with each whirl, a halo of chaos above her head. She looked like joy personified: loose, unselfconscious, free.

Joel, sock still half-folded in his hands, couldn’t help but watch. Something about her face in that moment—the pure glee, the trust in the world—grew a warm ache. The kind you didn’t know how to carry, because it was too good. Too fleeting.

“Look at you,” he said, quiet. “You like that dress, huh? That’s Daddy’s old shirt, you know.”

Maya squealed but didn’t answer, too caught up in her spinning. Until her balance gave out. She toppled sideways into the cloth hill with a wild, delighted shriek, caught herself on her hands, and let out a giggle.

He opened his mouth to warn her to slow down—when the thunder cracked.

It came like the snap of a tree limb overhead—sharp, sudden, alive with force. The windows rattled in their frames.

The sound wiped the joy clean off her face. Her arms dropped. Her breath caught in her throat. She pivoted toward the window, her expression one of stunned betrayal—like the world had just raised its voice at her for the first time.

Then she moved.

Ran straight at Joel, flung herself against the crib rails, fingers latching onto his jeans like she could climb up into his skin. She didn’t cry, not yet. But her whole body was taut and trembling. Her face was still turned toward the glass, mouth parted, trying to understand the sky.

He saw the tiny tremble in her lower lip, the way two fingers picked at them nervously, the way her eyebrows drew tight, a wrinkle forming between them like a shadow.

Another thunder roll followed. This one longer, deeper. It crawled over the house like a prowling animal, ploughing into the roof.

Maya let out a whimper—not loud, but helpless. She looked up at him, big eyes wide, uneasy, and in a voice cracked with fear, she whispered, “Da-da, mhmm. Up, pease.”

Joel didn’t answer. He moved first.

In two strides, he was at the open window. He reached up and slammed it shut with the heel of his palm. The muffled silence afterward was almost a relief, just the soft percussion of rain on the roof.

“There we go. Nothin', it's gone now.”

Then he came back to her, crouched down, arms open before she even reached him. She crashed into his chest with a panicked little cry, climbing up him like he was a tree, tiny fingers clawing for purchase in his shirt, breaths shallow.

“I got you, honey,” he murmured to her as he stood, lifting her up against him. “You’re alright. I got you, baby girl.”

Another boom rolled over the mountains—long, low, rumbling—and she whimpered, her face pressed into his neck, her whole body trembling against his.

He gathered her up and lowered himself slowly to the rug. Sat cross-legged, grunting, settling herself in the crook of his chest. He curled himself around her like a shelter, drawing her in until she was tucked fully against his chest. Her bare toes nudged under his arm, one arm trapped between their chests, the other clutching his collar in a death grip.

“It’s just the sky talkin' to you,” he said, soft against the crown of her head. “Ain’t nothin’ but the sky being all big and loud for its favourite little girl.”

Another crack of thunder, and she jumped.

“Ahh, no, no, no da-da!”

“Okay, okay. Ssh.”

That’s when Joel gently brought his hands up to her ears—those big, calloused palms, rough from years of labour but soft now, careful as he cupped her tiny head. He didn’t press, didn’t smother—just curved them over her ears like a living shield. Just enough to hush the worst of the world.

“There,” he whispered, voice tucked low in his throat, like a secret just for her. “That better, baby?”

She only sagged into him, her whole weight melting down like her bones had gone soft. Her breath came fast, shallow little gasps against his neck, her cheeks hot and wet where her tears were soaking straight through his shirt.

Joel’s chest clenched.

“Shh, hey now,” he murmured, rocking her gently, like he’d done when she was still small enough to fit in one forearm. “Ain’t no storm gonna touch you. Not while you’re right here with me.”

He pushed a kiss to her temple—warm, lingering—then rested his cheek against her curls, letting himself sink into her warmth too. Her curls were soft against his stubbled jaw, but still quivering like a frightened baby bird. Every flinch of hers felt like a blow to his own ribs.

The next clap of thunder rolled in, less sharp now but still loud, echoing through the valley.

She flinched again—hard—and bowed into herself even tighter, like she was trying to disappear inside his chest. Her lip quivered, her little shoulders jumping beneath his hands.

Joel tucked her closer, wrapped himself around her, every muscle taut with the instinct to protect. To cover.

“It’s okay,” he soothed, peppering kisses wherever he could. “Almost over, sweetheart.”

His hands moved—slow, pacifying—one cradling the back of her head, the other rubbing small circles between her shoulder blades. He could feel her heart racing under his palm, tiny and frantic. Like a hummingbird. But with each pass of his hand, it began to slow, just a little.

Outside, the thunder rumbled again. Softer now. Farther away. Tired, fading.

Joel didn’t move his hands. Just kept holding her, kept being the still point in the storm, the rock she could anchor to.

“You hear that?” he said, reaching down to brush his thumb against her eyes and wipe the tears away. “Storm’s gettin’ tired. Runnin’ outta gas.”

And as the rain gentled on the roof, Maya’s breath began to slow. Her tiny fists, once knotted in his shirt, loosened, fingers going slack. Her lashes fluttered against his collarbone like moth wings. Not asleep—but safe. Settled.

After a minute, she shifted. Pulled back just enough to sit upright in his lap, still nestled between his knees. Her legs folded beneath her, toes peeking out under the hem of her dress. She didn’t say anything—just found one of the buttons on his shirt and started turning it slowly with her fingers, brow furrowed.

Then she looked up. Big, brown, still-wet eyes. A pout like a petal turned down, cheeks sticky with the last of her tears. Her curls were a damp halo, and her bottom lip wobbled, just a little.

Joel leaned in, forehead leaning gently against hers. Let their warmth meet in the middle.

“Hey. Doesn’t stand a goddamn chance against you and me, right?” he asked in a whisper.

Maya blinked up at him. Then touched her fingers to her lips—soft and sweet—and pressed them to his. That little 'I love you' trick again. She gave it off so freely sometimes, to Ellie all the time, to Maria, even Tommy, who bugged the hell out of her.

He gave a breath of a laugh, quiet and rough-edged. His eyes closed as he felt her tiny hand against his mouth.

“I love you too,” he murmured, catching her little hand between two cautious fingers, rubbing the bare lines there. His fingertips barely spanned her palm, this tiny little thing that trusted him to hold her through her first storm.

Let it thunder, he had thought then. Let it break the whole damn sky. It wouldn’t get to her. Not here. Not while he was breathing.

That memory bloomed behind Joel’s eyes like a flame in the cold.

He blinked, slow, pulled back to reality by the enduring rhythm of the horse’s hooves. Wind whipped around his straight collar. His ribs ached with every breath.

Forever was a grandiose fucking myth. That soft, rainy day might as well’ve been a dream. A world made of cotton and woodsmoke and spinning plaid dresses. Twenty hours behind him. Maybe a thousand miles. Maybe gone forever.

And if she was scared now? If the thunder came again and she reached for him, he wouldn’t be there.

All he had now was the ghost of her breath on his neck. The echo of her trust. The weight of his baby girl he could still feel in his arms, though she wasn’t there.

Joel hunched deeper into his coat, reins pulled taut, leather digging into his palm.

Because the storm hadn’t left him. It had just moved inside.

DAY 2: EN ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES - APPROX. TWENTY-SEVEN HOURS SOUTH OF JACKSON, JUST PAST GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO

The first thing that hit him was the same goddamn cold.

Not the kind he was used to, that stung his fingers or turned his breath white—but the kind that stole. That lung-squeezing, bone-hollowing cold that came with being slammed headfirst into a river in the middle of no-fucking-where.

It engulfed him whole.

Joel’s skull cracked against stone. He barely had time to curse before the water closed over him. It was an aggressive silence, all muffled roars and bubbles, blood rushing in his ears. His body spasmed on instinct, legs booting, hands clawing for something—anything.

His face broke the surface with a sharp gasp, just before a boot came down, hard, and shoved him under again.

He went back under with a strangled snarl, teeth bared in the dark, throat filling with river. He thrashed—unseeing, feral, like a dog tangled in barbed wire, hands scraping across riverbed rock. Something thick and ugly filled his chest—not just water, but rage. Blind, instinctual, living within his very marrow.

It wasn’t supposed to go like this.

He didn’t even know where the trap had sprung from—just that one second he was crossing that busted-out bridge, cold wind at his back, and the next he was flying sideways, skull and ribs screaming as they hit the bank. A flash of movement, then mud, then water.

Now his gear was scattered, his rifle somewhere downstream to the Gulf of California, and the weight on his back was not budging.

Had to give it to him, the guy was strong. Not smart. Sloppy, wild. But strong as fuck.

Joel twisted, spine screaming, hips torquing. A crack of pain lit up his ribs—he didn’t have time to wonder if they were broken. He got one knee up in the current and drove it backwards—boot connected with something soft. The man grunted. Joel surged, body arching, hands fumbling. His fingers closed around something slick. A stone, maybe. Maybe a piece of his own gear. He didn’t look. Just swung it upward.

There was a crack of bone. The weight lifted.

Joel broke the surface like a corpse pulled from the deep. He choked, spat, and coughed, the sound raw and ragged. His whole body was trembling, muscles stuttering from the cold.

He had half a breath in him before the guy was on him again.

“Sonuva—” he bit out through chattering teeth.

Big, ugly, one of those loner types. Eyes wide and bloodshot. Beard crusted with something black. Stinking of rot, blood, sweat and boots that’d walked through worse places than this.

Joel didn’t waste time—got a hand on the man’s face, fingers clawing for the eyes, gouging. The other hand dropped to his belt—the knife was still there. Thank God. He drew it, fast, but his wrist was shaking and his grip was off.

He wasn’t thinking. He was moving. This wasn’t the first time someone tried to kill him. And it wouldn’t be the last.

The blade found flesh—but not where it needed to. It glanced off the bastard’s side, shallow, not enough. The guy roared and drove a fist into Joel’s temple. Stars burst behind his eyes.

His boots skidded on slick river stones. He went down hard.

The weight came again. Pinning him. Crushing.

The man’s knee jammed into Joel’s chest, ribs shrieking under the press, full body leaning in. Joel felt something crack. Pain ripped through him like lightning. The knife slipped from his hand.

Shit—

“You're fuckin' dead, asshole.”

Alright. Bring it the fuck on.

The guy was growling in his ear, teeth gnashing, breath hot and putrid. Hands clawing at his throat. Joel struggled, arms scrabbling. His body was giving out. Water dragged on his clothes. His lungs were still half-full of the river. His legs were kicking, but they felt far away.

Too tired. Too fucking slow. Too fucking old.

A knee jammed into his chest. His own vision flickering. The sky above him was a fair smudge between barren tree branches.

Not like this.

He saw her face. Maya’s. Then Leela’s. Ellie’s. Faces he’d left behind to protect. Faces he wasn’t ready to forget. Just a little more time. One more chance. Go back home, forget this whole damn thing. Just live.

Not like this, not like this, not like—

BANG.

The body on top of him jolted. A spurt of red bloomed across his shoulder, steam rising from the impact.

BANG.

Closer this time. Blood misted across Joel’s face. The man slumped. Collapsed. Dead weight, sudden and slack.

Joel lay there for a second, breath snagged in his throat. The silence came back—but it wasn’t tranquil. It was sharp. Expectant.

He eventually gasped furiously, chest heaving, struggling to pull air through raw lungs. Hands numb, shaking. His ears rang. Blinked the blood out of his eyes.

Then slowly, painfully, he shoved the corpse off and rolled onto his side. Coughing. Wheezing. The river soaked into his bones like poison. His fingers dug into the pebbles just to remember what solid ground felt like.

A third gunshot wasn't coming.

He turned his head, half-expecting a hallucination, knife still in hand—every nerve sparking. His body was coiled, heart pounding in his throat, soaked through, freezing, half out of his mind—

And standing there, staring at him with wide, shit-scared eyes—

Ellie.

Still holding the pistol two-handed, her arms locked, face pale and furious and terrified. Her breath ghosted in the cold, breathing hard, like she’d run all the way here. Snow dusted her hair, melting into her collar. Hair messy, sleeves pushed up, a smear of blood on her cheek—he didn’t even know if it was hers.

She looked like a goddamn kid again, that shock in her.

Joel stared at her for a moment that felt like the world had paused—like time itself needed a second to understand what the hell just happened.

She took a step toward him, lowering the gun.

“Joel—” Her voice broke halfway through his name.

And then, behind her, out of the trees—Leela.

Moving quick but steady, wrapped in that old worn coat of hers, fur-lined, hair tied up into a big, tight bun, eyes locked onto Joel like she’d been hunting him through a warzone. Her hand was clenched around something that looked cobbled together from broken bottles, tubing, and copper wire, rigged with metal scraps and cloth. A bomb, crude and half-melted, glass fogged with something dark and hissing inside. Acid, maybe. Of her own damn making.

A fucking acid bomb.

He stared at them both, still on his knees in the water, stunned, soaked, heart clawing its way back into his throat.

For a split second, he thought he was dreaming. Thought maybe he’d finally cracked. That maybe he died in that river, and this was what his mind made up on the way out.

But unfortunately, no.

Ellie was still holding that pistol, shoulders tense. Leela was here, real as anything, her breath catching when she saw the blood on his face.

“Jesus Christ,” Joel rasped. He staggered upright to his feet, knees buckling, one hand pressed to his broken ribs. His voice was hoarse with cold and panic. “What the hell are you doin’ here?”

Ellie didn’t answer. She was staring at him like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to hug him or shoot him for leaving her like that.

Joel was still dripping, clothes ungainly, cuts stinging on his hands and face. His fingers flexed around the knife hilt, but he let it drop, slowly. His voice, when it came again, cracked with cold and fury and fear.

“Have you lost your goddamn minds?!”

He didn’t care how raw he sounded. Didn’t care that his legs were shaking. Because what the hell were they thinking?

Jackson was safe. He left them there for a reason.

Joel turned his gaze to Leela, eyes wild. Still couldn't believe this shit. No, he was definitely imagining this.

“You—you brought her out here?” he rasped to Ellie, the words stumbling out, shredded at the edges.

His voice cracked with wrath, but beneath it was something else. Something jagged and terrified. He wasn’t yelling at her—he was yelling because if he didn’t, he might fucking break.

But Leela didn’t move. Just stood there. Still as a statue, wet snow clinging to her sleeves, her mouth parted like she couldn’t speak. And her eyes—no.

She looked at him like she didn’t recognize what she’d found. Like she’d expected someone else. A stronger man. One who wasn’t half-drowned, bloody, and shaking from the cold. A man who didn’t have someone else’s blood running down his neck.

She’d come all this way, and this was what she got.

He wasn’t even sure he was breathing anymore. This was the whole reason he’d left. So she wouldn’t have to see this version of him. The one he tried to keep locked up in the dark.

The bleeding one. The broken one. The furious one. The one who failed and lost—over and over again.

Joel’s lungs seized. His ribs ached like something inside had torn loose. Not broken, just bitterly bruised. He didn’t know if it was the pain, the grief, or just too many nights without sleep.

“I told you to stay the fuck back,” he growled, staggering forward, fury spilling out of him just to cover the terror underneath. He took a step forward, wet boots dragging in the muck. “Do you even know what the hell I’m walkin’ into? You think this is a joke? You've just killed yourselves!”

He wasn’t shouting at her anymore. He was shouting at the world. At himself.

But Ellie’s voice cut through the fog like a blade. “He would’ve fucking killed you. How about a 'thank you'?”

“Coulda blown my goddamn head off,” he grunted.

“You scared the shit out of me, Joel! You just—” she rubbed her wrist against her nose, to quiet a sniffle, “When she came to my door with the kid, crying her head off, I thought you were... God, you're such a fucking asshole!”

Joel stopped.

Her hands were shaking. The gun still hung in her grip, barrel down, smoke curling from the muzzle. Her eyes were glassy, but she wasn’t crying. Ellie never cried, not where he could see it.

He wanted to argue. Tell her she shouldn’t have been here, that she was reckless, that she’d risked everything—

But he couldn’t. Because she was right.

So instead, he looked away. His jaw clenched. Hands flexed uselessly at his sides, fingers twitching with adrenaline that had nowhere to go. The cold came creeping back in.

He didn’t know what the fuck this was anymore. Didn’t understand how they’d followed him this far. Didn’t even understand why. All he knew was that the two people he’d tried to protect by walking away were now here—wet, cold, bleeding. Standing in the wreckage of his silence.

And for a second, it felt like the whole damn universe had flipped inside out.

Then he muttered, hoarse and quiet, almost to himself, “I ain’t sure what’s what anymore. Stupid kids.”

He barely had time to let the words settle before Leela moved. Past Ellie. Past the smoking pistol still loose in her hands. Past all the invisible lines she obeyed—the ones built of silence, of distance, of dignity too scarred to name.

She moved like he had finally broken open inside her. And all he wanted was to just bring her close, sink her into his chest, all her warmth and strength, be grateful she had come all this way, and she was still alive. His good arm opened to do just that.

Until she hit him. Hard.

Joel didn’t even register the motion. Just the crack—a sharp, ringing pop against his cheekbone, like someone had fired a shot next to his ear. His head snapped to the side, mouth open in dumbfounded silence. The cold air lit up against the raw skin like fire on ice.

He barely managed to turn his head, blinking, confused, lips parting to speak—the fuck—to find her eyes, to demand something, anything—

When the second slap landed. Harder.

Across the opposite cheek, this one sent him a half-step back. His balance rocked. His knees gave a warning lurch. His vision blurred at the edges.

Ellie, though, came through with a hollow, “Jesus.”

The ringing in his ears drowned out everything. Even the birds had gone still. The only sound was that awful, hollow rush of blood in his head. His jaw ached. His mouth tasted of copper.

He didn’t know whether to be infuriated or stupidly impressed.

Leela was small. Smaller than him by a long shot. But she had those arms—those long, welder’s arms. He’d seen her rip stubborn rusted bolts loose like paper tabs, carry piping half her weight over her shoulder, hold Maya in one arm and stir sauce on a pot without breaking for a full hour. All that strength—he felt it now, blistering across his jaw. Twice.

She stood before him, chest rising and falling too fast, few loose curls clinging wet to her cheeks, lips parted like maybe she was about to say more—but didn’t.

And Joel just stood there, wordless.

The cold didn’t exist anymore. The bruising in his ribs didn’t matter. His back could be broken for all he knew, and he still wouldn’t have felt it.

Because all that existed now was her.

Leela. Storm-eyed. Livid. Trembling. Hot, if he might brainlessly add. And something else—something behind all that rage. A breaking point.

He had never seen her like this. Not once. Not even in the worst moments. Not even when Maya was screaming from frequent colic at two in the morning and Leela hadn’t slept in days. Not when the generator blew and she spent a week hauling scrap in snow up to her knees to get the lights back on. Not even when he'd practically roared at her for taking up that supply run with Tommy all that time back.

She always held the line. Quiet, astute, controlled. Too benumbed, sometimes. Too in her head to react. Never like this.

Then—her hand was on him again.

But this time, not to strike, but he did flinch though. Her slaps hurt like a bitch.

Her fingers curled into his scruff—rough and fast, like a wrench clamping down on rusted metal—and she yanked his face back toward hers.

He tried to look away. Tried to drop his gaze, tried to vanish into the pain, the shame, the damn noise in his skull—oh, she didn’t let him.

Her grip was iron. Her eyes locked with his, and what he saw wasn’t just rage. It was worse than rage.

It was finality.

“Listen good, Joel. I left my one-year-old daughter behind to travel for two days through stinking shit, trying to find your dumbass. And when we get back to Jackson after this,” she said, her voice low and flat, steel cooled just before it cracked. “I’ll make sure you never touch a goddamn hair on Maya's head again.”

She let go, just like that.

Her fingers unhooked from his chin like she was cutting a rope, severing the last thing tethering them together.

And he—well, he didn’t fall, not exactly. But his spine bent, his head dipped, and his shoulders slumped like something inside had gone slack. Like the immaterial weight he carried every day had finally doubled, and he’d just let it.

She stepped back, stiff, her breath catching now, arms trembling—whether from rage or the cold or the crash after adrenaline, he couldn’t tell. The acid bomb still dangled from one hand like a fucked-up metaphor—glass, cloth, something sharp—as if she didn’t even realize she was still holding it.

Joel didn’t move. Couldn't force another word out.

He stood there in the destruction of it—soaked to the bone, shaking, cheeks stinging red, the blood of a stranger drying on his collar. His pack and rifle, drenched. His bearings were lost. Everything that had once made him sure of the next step.

And now—that one sentence—rattling around his skull like a bullet in a spent chamber, louder than the gunshots, louder than the river, louder than the slaps.

Leela meant what she said. And there was no fire, no flood, no click of a rifle or scream of infected that disturbed him more than those words.

He’d lost her for good. Not in some hypothetical, not in a nightmare. He lost her, in truth. In the cold light of consequence.

And he was losing Maya too. Not to death or sickness.

To himself. To the choices he made, trying to keep them safe.

He swallowed hard. It felt like glass going down. His eyes, dull and sunken, drifted sideways—to Ellie.

She hadn’t said a word through all of it. Just stood there, in the dying light, watching. Her eyes were too sharp, too old for her age. Her mouth set in a line like she was biting down on something jagged to keep it from spilling out.

She didn’t say I told you so. Really didn't have to.

Joel straightened up, rolling his shoulders. Slowly. Felt every snap and creak in his spine. His breath shuddered through cracked ribs. His jaw clenched once. Twice.

Then he did what Joel always did. He put it all in a box—every shattered piece—and shoved it deep, where the other shit festered, where it couldn’t get in the way. Where it couldn’t slow his hand if the trigger needed pulling. Where it wouldn’t matter.

Because they were still alive. And that meant the work wasn’t done.

So he cleared his throat. Almost a cough. And nodded once at Ellie. Then, he spoke in a voice low, steady, already shifting back into the man he had to be.

“We gotta get movin’.”

Ellie blinked at him. Leela didn’t turn.

The stinging wind picked up around. Joel looked toward the trees—branches swaying. The river was still coursing around him, still loud in his ears, but fading now.

He adjusted the straps of his pack on his shoulder and shook out the water from the rifle. Pocketed the revolver and a knife he couldn’t remember drawing.

He didn’t ask if they were ready or reach out. He just started walking ahead.

Because there were still threats out here. Still ground to cover. Still two people behind him who might not want him anymore—but they needed to make it back home.

And if that was the last thing Joel could give them, then by god, he’d give it. Even if it broke him for good.

Now, Leela knew everything.

It wasn’t about how much she knew—it was how deep it cut. And worse, how much she must hate him for it. There was no middle ground left. No soft place to land. Whatever warmth she’d once kept lit for him—whatever delicate belonging he’d built with her and Maya—it was probably gone. Extinguished.

They made camp off a deer trail, tucked under a collapsed ridge where the wind didn’t bite quite as hard. The sun was long gone, dragged under by the tree line, and the cold had come thieving in.

A fire snapped to life with Ellie’s careful work, dry bark and pine needles catching under flint sparks. It cast a low amber glow, flickering over ash-stained hands, over their little circle of silence. They were three bodies, orbiting the same silence. One fight too many.

Joel sat against a stone, one knee bent, the other leg stiff with bruises. He pressed the heel of his hand into his ribs—each breath was a blade. A cracked rib, maybe two. It'd heal in some time. His cheek throbbed where Leela’s palm had landed square beneath the eye. There was still the taste of blood in his mouth from the split inside his cheek, and he didn’t spit it out. He kept it there. Felt like something he owed.

But the rest—the real pain—had nothing to do with flesh.

His knuckles were broken open again. Skin peeled back, raw and crusted with blood. They hadn’t been torn like that in months. Not since Maya. Not since he swore to himself that those days—those versions of him—were done.

He found a patch of old snow, tucked in the roots of a fallen tree, and jammed his hand in it without thinking. The sting cleared his head for a second. Not long. But long enough. Better that than thinking about what he'd lost in the last twenty-four hours.

Across from him, just past the fire’s reach, Leela sat hunched against the bark of a maple, her knees to her chest, arms wrapped tight. Her silhouette was tense. A wire pulled too far. Her face was turned away, but he could still feel the gravity of her silence.

She hadn’t said a word since the fight. Since the slap. Since she told him he’d never touch Maya again.

Joel didn’t blame her.

He couldn’t look at her too long. It felt like staring at something holy that you’d already shattered with your own hands. Like the moment before a deer bolts—only this time, the deer had every reason to tear you apart instead.

Ellie passed around rations—some real food for once, not the dog-food shit Joel had been choking down since he left Jackson. Canned venison. A half-stale biscuit. Dried apples.

Leela barely took a bite. Just lifted the fork, stared at it, waited for the appetite that wasn't coming, and handed it back to Ellie with a quiet shake of her head.

“C'mon, Leela,” Ellie tried. “You can't just—”

“It's okay. You need more energy than I do,” she reasoned. “I'm really fine, honey. Thanks.”

Of course, she wouldn’t eat it. She wasn’t built for this kind of hunger. She could stomach a hundred theorems, burn through chalk and paper and sleepless nights like they were fuel, but this—this fire pit, this blood-caked survival shit—he never wanted her to have to endure it. He��d promised her safety. Comfort within their big, white house with walls thick enough to keep the world out.

But he’d dragged her right into it.

Joel watched her movements like they were coordinates. Markers of the damage. Not one bruise on her skin, but she looked like she’d been through hell. Not the kind he was inured to. The parent alone kind. The watching every shadow in case it takes your child kind. And he’d left her in it.

He cleared his throat. The words scraped coming up. “You two ate somethin’ on the way?”

Leela didn’t respond. Didn’t even twitch.

Ellie glanced between them. Her voice filled the space like a thread trying to stitch up a wound that wouldn’t close. “She foraged,” she said. “I had rations. We got by.”

Joel nodded, though it didn’t ease a damn thing. Getting by wasn’t the point. One day was enough. One day without Maya, not knowing where she was—what she needed. Whether she’d cried herself to sleep. Whether she’d asked for her dad.

His hand throbbed inside the patch of snow he’d buried it in, and he left it there. A self-inflicted punishment that didn’t go deep enough.

He glanced across the fire again.

Leela hadn’t moved. She looked fossilized—ancient and delicate, trapped in amber. Beautiful, brittle. Ready to break under the wrong kind of breath. He wanted to go to her. Kiss her palms. Her feet. Kneel, grovel even. Say anything.

I’m sorry. I did this for you. I didn’t know what else to do. I’m here now. I’m here. Take me back.

But he didn’t move. Didn’t trust his legs. Didn’t trust her to want him near. Didn’t trust himself not to ruin something worse.

“Who’s got Maya now? She okay?” he asked instead, softer this time. Barely a whisper.

Ellie shrugged. “Tommy has her.”

Yet, something in Leela shifted.

She turned her head toward him slowly, like a hinge rusted from disuse. Her eyes gleamed amber glass in the firelight—not soft, not tearful. Eyes that used to flinch from cruelty now dared it.

“Oh, you care so much all of a sudden?”

Joel shrank back. Not from the words—he could handle words. It was the disgust behind them, the truth he could hear in the marrow of her voice.

“Of course I fuckin’ do—”

He stopped himself. The old Joel—the one with fists and fury and pride—wanted to bark something back. But the man in front of her now? All of that had caved inward.

“It’s all I care about,” he said instead, quieter, shriveled on the way out. “She’s all I care about.”

Ellie glanced between them again, saw the scene for what it was, and without a word, she got to her feet with a grunt.

“I’m gonna go scout the area,” she sighed, a quiet, nonsense excuse. Her voice didn’t carry judgment—just tired understanding. And wise enough to leave broken things alone until they stopped bleeding.

Joel barely heard her leave. His eyes were on Leela. On the streak of dried dirt down her neck. The way her free hand curled into a fist at her side.

Leela’s glare didn’t soften. If anything, it sharpened. Her mouth twisted, barely restrained.

“If you did care,” she continued slowly, “you wouldn’t have left her, you lying coward.”

Joel stared into the fire. His ribs ached with every breath. His hand stung. But none of it compared to that.

Coward. That one fit. And still, all he could think was—you deserve it. Every word. Every second of this.

“You nearly cost my daughter her father,” she went on. “The one you promised you’d be. All for your self-righteous, noble bullshit that I never even knew about.”

Our daughter, he wanted to say, but it caught in his throat. It rose halfway up his throat before dying there, stuck in that place where pride and sorrow went to rot. Because maybe it wasn’t true anymore. Maybe that word—our—was already gone.

Joel stared into the fire. His ribs throbbed. His knuckles ached. But none of it hurt like her voice.

“I left to protect what is mine,” he muttered. “I left because—”

“Because what?” Leela cut in. “Because you didn’t think I could handle it? Because you thought sneaking off in the middle of the night was kinder than just letting me choose with you?”

Joel blinked, and it hit him in the gut: she wasn’t exclaiming because she didn’t need to anymore. Because maybe she was done needing anything from him at all. It was worse this way—each word a clean and precise incision, a scalpel gliding through flesh. Pain wearing the skin of rage.

Grief had taken root behind her eyes, and it had teeth.

“I don’t care that you didn’t tell me about LA sooner,” she said. “I don’t even care that you thought you were loving me by keeping it all to yourself—because you’re a dense, selfish, sad, angry bastard, Joel, and I knew that from day one. I chose you anyway.”

His mouth opened. Closed. Hollow. Stupid. Like a man reaching for an apology after the fire’s already burned down the house.

“I hate your goddamn nerve,” she spat. “I hate that you thought you were sparing me. I hate knowing that if you died out here, I wouldn't even know where to bury you.”

Her voice didn’t rise. It didn’t need to. That calm—that cutting calm—was worse than rage.

Joel tried to speak again, defend himself, make her understand. Nothing came. Just breaths. Just fire.

“I hate that you thought you were protecting me,” she said. “You always think that you know what’s best. That you can carry it all on your own. That if you just bleed enough, it counts as love.”

Joel leaned forward. His cracked rib barked in protest, but he barely registered the pain. “I wasn’t tryin’ to—”

“Yes, you were,” she snapped.

She turned her face back to the fire, as if looking at him hurt worse than the memories. “You don’t get to decide what I can survive, Joel.”

His hands shook now. Tremors he couldn’t hide anymore.

“I do,” he rasped. “I fuckin’ do. I’m the only one who does.”

Leela laughed. Not from amusement—but something bitter and jagged that barely passed for a laugh at all. “You think that makes it better?”

Joel looked down at his hands. At the crusted blood, the swollen joints. The man they belonged to.

“You haven't seen what I've seen. Fought, bled, and starved with this shit. Leela, there are slavers out here,” he said, eyes dropping to the fire. His voice was unraveling. “And if you get away from that, there are people who try to eat you. Hunters. Raiders. Rap—”

He stopped. The word stuck like a bone in his throat. A single syllable, too heavy to lift up. Don’t say it. Don’t fucking say it.

But they both heard it anyway.

Leela flinched like she’d been struck. In half a moment, her shoulders straightened, eyes steel again.

“You think I don’t know that?” she said, sharp as shrapnel. “I have been living with it in every breath I take.”

Joel wanted to disappear. Not walk away—vanish. Just cease. Be unmade.

“I left because I thought I could do something for you,” he said, voice low, cracking open at the seams. “Find someone. Anyone. Get them your proof. Make it count. That way, maybe everything wouldn’t just sit there in the dirt and rot, like you said. That is what you wanted.”

The fire popped. A spark shot upward, fizzled, and died in the cold air.

Leela stared at him. And in that look was every sleepless night. Every muffled sob she’d buried in Maya’s curls. Every second of silence and solitude he’d forced her to carry alone.

“You think I needed you to go fix it for me, Joel? What are you, my partner or some god?” she asked. Her voice was raw now. Stripped to the bone. “You don’t get to disappear and say it’s for our own good. No. You don’t get to wrap your guilt up in goddamn sacrifice and act like it’s some kind of gift.”

His lips parted, then closed again. His throat constricted like it was physically rejecting words.

Because what was he going to say? That he did it for them? That he didn’t tell her because it would’ve broken her heart that he kept from her this long?

That he thought maybe—just maybe—if he made it out to LA, if he delivered her precious legacy, if he gave the Fireflies her working theory, maybe then he wouldn’t have to carry the guilt anymore?

He was supposed to carry it. That was the deal. That was the role he’d carved out for himself after all the blood, after every goddamn life he'd taken and every one he'd failed to save.

But Leela didn’t see it that way.

All she saw was the door closing. The boots gone from the threshold. A child wailing at night with no arms strong enough to lift her.

And all Joel could whisper—quiet, hollow, useless—was: “I needed to do the right thing for you.”

She stood. Slow. Heavy. Like her joints were made of stone. The firelight curved around her, throwing shadows under her eyes, painting her tired skin gold and gray.

“I needed you to stay. To talk to me, to trust me.”

And that was the kill shot. It landed clean.

Presence over preemption. That was all it was to her, only he realized too late.

“I didn’t need some far-off maybe or prove yourself to someone who knows you,” she said. “I needed you. Here. I needed to step outside the house without worrying if she’d choke or fall or cry herself raw. I needed her dad to hold her so I didn’t have to do it all alone. I needed someone to watch her grow with me. Because that is what is real, Joel.”

Joel closed his eyes.

And he saw her—Maya—small and warm in his arms. Her tiny fist tangled in his shirt collar. Her big, bright, brown eyes blinking up at him. The way she said Dada like it meant safety.

He’d traded all of that for an empty road. A mission. A maybe.

And now here he was—blood dried on his collar, ribs cracked, knuckles split, and heart hollowed out like the carcass of some roadkill he hadn’t even seen in time.

He’d gone looking for hope. Thinking he could trade blood and sweat and scars for redemption. For Ellie. For Tess. For Sarah. That if he walked far enough, bled hard enough, proved his love with enough miles and silence and pain—he’d earn something back.

But Leela was right. He’d dressed his guilt in duty. And called it love.

And now all he had to show for it was this—The wind in the trees. The crackle of dying fire. A man lost.

He wanted to go to her. To hold her back, take her hand, press his forehead to hers, say the words he couldn’t ever seem to find.

But he didn’t move.

He just sat there, broken and burning, his only fallback left to survival. The fire crackled on, spitting cinders into the dark.

And Joel—protector, survivor, fool—just watched it, and hated the man he’d reverted to.

DAY 3-5: EN ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES - APPROX. SIXTY HOURS SOUTH OF JACKSON

“We're seeing this through. So I'm not leaving, and neither is Ellie,” Leela had finalized for him outright.

“Look, I can't—”

“I don't need you to. I said I'm not leaving, Joel.”

Stubborn fucking mama.

And Joel didn’t fight them on it anymore.

He should’ve. He told himself that. Told himself it the morning since they saddled up and rode out together—that if he were the man he used to be, he’d have grabbed both of them by the arm, dragged them back into Jackson, forced them to stay where it was safe.

But Leela had made her choice. And the truth was, he didn’t have it in him to push her away again.

So now, they rode.

The world around them unspooled like a reel of forgotten film. Dry plains gave way to rocky scrub, sagebrush rustling under the winter wind. They passed old highways cracked wide with weeds, a rust-eaten railroad bridge swallowed half by floodwater, a small burned-out town swallowed whole by silence. The road south stretched endlessly ahead, its shoulders littered with bones of the old world—billboards sun-bleached to blankness, gas stations gutted, houses like open, parched mouths.

The cold had let up somewhere past Idaho. By the fourth day, they’d started peeling off their outer layers, stripping down to threadbare flannel and undershirts. The sun was sharp now, almost springlike in the way it bore down around noon. Nights were still bitter, but the frost no longer clung to their boots come morning.

Ellie named every strange cactus they passed, tried to make him laugh by pointing out skeletons shaped like they died mid-dance. One, half-buried in the sand, was hunched like it was tying its shoe; another leaned back, arms splayed, the skull twisted toward the sun.

He gave her a few hums in response, nothing more. His attention kept drifting behind her—to the woman riding pillion, quiet as a shadow.

Leela didn’t speak much. Not to him. Just to Ellie. She wasn’t angry anymore. That was the worst of it.

Anger had a shape, volume—one he could understand, parry, push back against. This silence was weightless and permanent. Like the ash after a burn.

At night, she curled in close to the fire, wrapped in her own coat. She didn’t sleep easily, just like old times. Joel noticed the way her body stayed curled too tightly, like she was bracing for something. And sometimes, when it was his turn to take watch, he’d hear her stir behind him, restless, breath catching in her throat.

She’d wake with a sharp noise, legs thrashing, hand flying to her side like she expected something there.

Joel would glance over, pretend he hadn’t noticed. But he always did.

One night, she jerked upright so fast her hood fell back. Her breath came fast, shallow, and she folded forward with her arms around her knees, head ducked low like she was trying to disappear inside herself.

“Darlin’, you alright?” he had tried to call to her once.

“I—I wasn’t sleeping, just...” she drawled off, voice dry with exhaustion.

He nodded. “Okay. I'm right here.”

Joel turned his gaze back to the dark horizon, giving her that thin veil of privacy she always clung to. But when he heard the rustle of her coat, the soft scrape of her boots in the dirt, he realized she hadn’t lain back down.

Instead, she stayed awake beside him. Didn’t say a word. Just sat there with her arms folded, eyes watching the fire.

This happened more than once. Sometimes she’d wake from those dreams and never return to sleep. Other times, she didn’t even bother lying down—just sat with whoever was on watch, a silent shadow, her eyes rimmed red and distant come morning.

Joel didn’t ask. He wouldn’t push her, not about that.

He knew the ghosts that came back louder in the quiet. Knew how the wilderness could turn remembering into something sharper, hungrier. How it could whisper the worst things back to you in your own voice. And even if she didn’t say it, he knew exactly what kept her awake. What she was afraid of.

Sometimes he wondered if she thought Maya would be safer if she’d stayed behind. If she questioned the math, the risk. If she blamed herself, the way people like them always did.

But even like this, she was still… same old Leela. Which meant she was still incredible.

She knew how to move through this land, the way a bird knows when to migrate. He caught her one afternoon scaling the knotted side of a tree that had grown wild across the ruins of a collapsed overpass. She gripped the bark like she was born to it, legs coiled beneath her, moving with deft efficiency. She tossed down a fistful of small, yellow apricots, slightly underripe, and a few wild pears with bruised skins that thudded onto Joel's waiting jacket. Later, he watched her dig up something near the riverbed—root veg, maybe burdock or wild carrot—and clean it carefully, rubbing the dirt off with her sleeves, pressing them to her nose, testing if they were sweet or poisonous.

Joel lowered himself beside her with a grunt, his knees stiff. He held open her pack as she added more roots, careful not to crush the fruit she’d wrapped in a handkerchief. Woodsmoke wafted through the air from the fire that Ellie had just started uphill.

“You always know what to look for,” he said, keeping his voice low. “The stuff that won’t kill us, I mean.”

Leela didn’t look up. “You get good at it when you’re tired of throwing up pine bark.”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Pine bark?”

She picked up another root, brushed the dirt from its ridges. “Good for the heart.”

Joel nodded, chewing the inside of his cheek. “I'll take some of that when we get back home.”

She doesn't say anything more. His sentence hung in the air, almost shaping into a misreality.

He kept looking at her hands—fast, continued, precise. She wasn’t being cold. Just simple. Honest. It was a fact of the earth, same as everything else she pulled from it.

Evidently, she hated canned food. Always had. Joel remembered how she used to nudge the tins aside, which he'd brought her from patrol, grimacing at mushy peaches and synthetic meat stew like they were poison. So now, she gathered what she could. Built fires. Let the fruit and roots roast slowly over the open flame.

That night, he found three apricots—peeled, pitted, still warm from where they’d sat on a flat rock near his sleeping bag.

Didn’t let him go hungry.

And in the morning, when he stirred against the half-deflated camping mat, shivering from the cold ground, ribs smarting, there it was—her jacket draped across his shoulders, fur tickling his nose. That puffy green one she always wore, the one patched at the elbows. Smelled faintly of smoke and lavender soap. She must’ve covered him sometime before dawn, when the fire died low and the frost crept back in. His fingers curled over it without thinking, bringing it to his nose. He didn’t want to let it go.

Didn’t let him freeze either.

“Take care of your own damn self out here,” he muttered to her that afternoon, when Ellie had wandered off to check a sound in the brush. “I’ll be fine.”

Leela didn’t answer. Maybe she’d heard it too many times before.

Soon enough, they were moving through the shell of a city—some old Vegas township gutted by time and flame. Dust coated everything like it had fallen just yesterday and never stopped. Storefronts with sun-bleached awnings sagged in silence, windows cracked or blasted clean through, their displays long since picked over—or left to rot. An old jewellery store stood crooked between a payday loans kiosk and a shuttered vape lounge, its signage hanging by one rusted chain.

Joel didn’t like it. Too many angles. Too much open space.

Ellie pushed open the busted glass door.

“Gimme a sec,” she called over her shoulder. “Might be something useful in here.”

Joel stayed out on the sidewalk, scanning the street, back set against the tilt of the wind. Leela had wandered across the way, squinting up at a streetlamp that had snapped clean in half and was tangled in telephone wires like a dead limb. Her coat tugged in the breeze, hair pulled back tight today.

Joel kept half an eye on her, the other on Ellie.

From the inside, Ellie’s voice floated out through the cracked window. “Ooh, now this is romantic. Joel, check it.”

Joel let out a harshened sigh. “Don’t, kiddo.”

“C’mon,” she said, grinning, holding up an old velvet ring box missing its jewel. “Little shiny thing like this? She’d probably cry.”

“She doesn’t want all that,” he muttered, eyes tracking the rooftops. “Doesn’t want anything from me. The way she's goin' about this, I might have to move out again when we get back.”

Ellie snorted, still rummaging. “Sure, that’s what she says. But I dunno, man—if I survived the apocalypse and the kind of shit you two been through? I’d want some credit. Maybe a bouquet of barbed wire. Something symbolic.”

Joel gave her a flat look through the broken window. “You done yet?”

Ellie wiggled the ring box again, then tossed it onto a dusty counter. “You’re no fun. What happened to carving rings from bone for her?” She held up the sign of the horns. “Disgusting, but metal as hell.”

Joel huffed through his nose, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

Leela turned back then, catching his eye from across the street. She didn’t wave. Just nodded—barely—and returned her attention to the crumpled lamppost, fingers brushing the wiring like she was piecing something together.

And then came the gunfire.

No warning. Just the sudden crack-crack-crack of it, echoing off old brick, and Joel flinched sideways as the sharp hiss of a bullet splintered stone inches from his ear.

“Down, down, move!” he roared, rifle up in a second.

Ellie hit the floor, crawling fast toward the back exit, already firing through the jagged window glass. “Joel!”

Joel ducked behind a rusted truck frame, adrenaline flattening his breath. The street flared with gunfire, loud and close. Somewhere to his left, Leela had disappeared from the sidewalk. Goddamnit, where was she? Where was she?

“Ellie,” he growled, crouching low as he swung around the corner of the car, “head down, c'mon!”

“Yeah, I got it!” she shot back, sharp with focus. “You see Leela anywhere?”

“I dunno,” he muttered. His heart punched harder. Maybe she found cover nearby. Dammit, that stupid ring joke didn’t feel so funny now.

Ellie ducked and returned fire without hesitation, pushing herself into the side of a rusted-out car. Joel followed suit, rifle up, stock tight against his shoulder.

“Fuckin' ambush,” he grunted. “You see that? Two o’clock—rooftop. Gotta be fast, kiddo.”

Ellie scoffed. “I know, I ain't blind, old man.”

They’d walked right into it. Fucking scavenger crew—hunter types, the kind that circled ruined cities like vultures. Not Fireflies. Not FEDRA. Just the kind who didn’t blink at killing for shoes or rations.

Shots tore through the air like thunder cracks. Joel’s head snapped to the sound—figures ducking behind a flipped bus, another peeling off to circle left. Four, five, six—too many.

His gut tightened.

“Ellie, no. Stay down!”

“I got it, Joel!”

She broke cover, darting low. But she didn’t get far.

One of them—tall, fast—slipped out from the wreckage like a fucking shadow, got behind her, arm around her throat, dragging her back behind a wall.

Joel stopped breathing.

Everything else—gunfire, shouts, the pounding of his own heart—fell away. The world narrowed to that one point: Ellie being taken.

He saw red. And he pushed forward.

Not tactical. Not planned. Just rage and instinct.

He exploded from cover with a snarl caught in his throat, moving like he had a purpose and a goddamn clock ticking down. His revolver barked—once, twice. The first man went down with a bullet in his chest. The second—gutshot—dropped screaming. Joel didn’t blink.

He was already on the third.

The one with his arm wrapped around Ellie’s throat.

Joel hit him from behind, slamming him into the wall with bone-cracking force. The man grunted, tried to turn, but Joel hooked his elbow and wrenched—shoulder dislocated with a wet pop—and drove a knee into his spine, once, twice, until he dropped Ellie with a choked gasp.

She hit the ground, coughing.

Joel didn’t stop.

He fell on the bastard like a dog on a carcass, knife already in his hand. It wasn’t quick. He didn’t want quick.

First strike—base of the neck, just above the collarbone, angled down to sever the artery. Second strike—lower, ribcage, a twisting motion that made the man buck and scream.

Blood sprayed warm across Joel’s chest, his hands, soaking into his shirt. His knuckles were already skinned raw from impact. He drove his boot into the man’s hip when he tried to crawl. Then the knife again, this time straight into the chest.

Between the ribs. In and out. Faultless. Practiced.

Joel didn’t stop, grunting, letting the man bleed, until the man went still.

And even then, for a moment, he just crouched there—knife dripping, chest heaving, the silence crushing.

Then he heard it. Not Ellie. Not gunfire.

A gasp.

Joel’s head whipped up.

Leela.

Ten feet away, half-shadowed by the remains of a splintered awning. Her boots frozen mid-step in a puddle slick with oil and blood. She wasn’t crouched, wasn’t armed, wasn’t anything but exposed. Frozen. Not moving. Not blinking. Her hands had lifted halfway—toward her mouth, toward her wide eyes, he couldn’t tell.

Not just the scene. Not the blood. Not the body crumpled beneath him, throat torn wide, chest leaking into the cracked pavement.

Him.

Joel. The man who traced the outline of her ribs under cotton sheets. The man who kissed her slowly as breakfast sizzled on the stove, called her ‘darlin’’ until she broke out a grin, danced slow with her in the living room to the record player, Maya on his hip, all honey and drawl. The man she let in, trusted, after all she’d been through.

But he wasn’t that man now.

Only this was left. This feral thing she’d never seen before.

Blood up til his elbows. Wild-eyed. Panting like a fucking animal. Knife still tight in his broken fists. He didn’t know how long he’d been on top of the guy. Didn’t remember the last stab. Couldn’t even tell where the screaming had stopped and his breathing had started.

And she saw it. All of it.

Her expression—it gutted him more than the fighting ever could.

She didn’t look angry.

No, she looked like she’d just walked through a door into another life, and one she hadn’t agreed to. There was fear there—not loud, not flailing—but silent. Contained. Like someone who’d learned a long time ago that panic didn’t save you.

“Leela—” His voice was gravel, torn and rasped and nothing soft.

She flinched when he stood. Not away—just a jerk of her shoulders, like she’d been struck once and braced for the second.

And that—was the fucking worst of it.

Because Joel had seen her scared before. Seen her tense up in the dark, eyes scanning for shadows that didn’t exist. Seen her sit up from a nightmare with her hands clenched into fists, her breath short and strangled.

But she’d never looked like that at him.

He didn't get to go to her. Get to explain. He wanted to wipe the blood off his hands, off his chest, off the whole goddamn world. But it was too late. Because right then—

“C'mon, we have to go!” Ellie’s voice splintered through the space between them. She was already pulling on Leela’s wrist. “Now, now, go, go, go!”

Joel heard the shot before it echoed. Close.

He saw Leela’s fingers twitch—like she might reach for him, or maybe just steady herself. For one splinter of a second, he felt everything—her horror, her disbelief, the silent question in her eyes: Is this the man I love? The one Maya sweetly calls da-da?

And then that old, festering and terrible being in him took the reins. The hunter. The killer. The man who always fucking survives.

“MOVE!” he barked, voice cracked open by fury and urgency. A dire command.

Leela jolted. Her head ducked. Her feet moved.

And they ran.

They didn’t stop running until the city was a smear behind them—just smoke and ruin on the horizon, softened by distance and dust.

They found cover in a half-collapsed service station half-sunk into the dirt, the roof bowed like a snapped spine, windows blown out, desert wind whistling through the hollow bones of what used to be civilization.

Joel sat slumped against a concrete pillar, elbows braced on his knees, hands stained and stiff. Dried blood mapped across his knuckles, under his fingernails, along the creases of his palms like some fucked-up tattoo he hadn’t earned but couldn’t wash off. His shirt clung to him, crusted dark across the chest.

He hadn’t changed. Couldn’t. Didn’t deserve the comfort of clean clothes just yet. No river around to wash off in any way, and even if there had been, it wouldn’t scrub out what was under his skin.

He hadn’t looked at her. Not once.

She sat maybe too far away. Back to a wall. Her pack in her lap, unzipped. She wasn’t cleaning a weapon like methodical Ellie—not Leela. She didn’t carry guns. Joel would never let her.

Instead, she was threading a needle.

Or trying to.

He watched her from the corner of his eye, head bowed like he wasn’t. Her hands—usually so steady, precise—were quivering. The needle slipped from her fingers twice. She picked it up again, quietly, without swearing or sighing, and tried again. Her knees were drawn up. The strap she was stitching had only a small tear, maybe half an inch—but she worked it like it held her together.

He’d seen her sew before. Months back, she once fixed the lining in his jacket in less than three minutes with the same damned needle. She’d repaired most of Joel’s clothes back home, stitched her own strappy little tops, embroidered tiny designs into Maya's clothes, humming while she did it, threading them with ease, her fingers confident and graceful.

Every stitch is a solution, she'd say to him when he watched her, and the design is just the equation. A measure, a numeral. Now she looked like she didn’t even remember how to hold the damn thing.

Because every so often her eyes slid to him.

No, not to him. At him.

The difference. His hands. His shirt. His boots, still stained from when that last bastard had coughed blood all over the ground and it had splashed up onto Joel’s shins.

And she’d seen it all.

The way he’d moved. Not just fast. Not just angry. But precise. Like he knew the exact spots to hit to ruin a man. Like it wasn’t new. Like he’d done it before. Because he had. More times than he could count.

And she knew that now.

She’d seen what was under the soft Texan drawl, the morning coffee, the warm, calloused hands that tucked Maya’s curls behind her ears when she ate. She’d seen what that tenderness was built over.

Violence. Unapologetic, unflinching, survivalist violence.

And Joel couldn’t scrub it off. Couldn’t fold it up and stash it away before she got too close. He almost wished she had screamed and told him he was a monster. Asked how the hell he could do what he did. At least then he’d know where to place her in all of this.

Joel swallowed, jaw tight. A vein throbbed at his temple. His heart had slowed, but it still kicked, irregular, like a motor trying to start after a crash.

What the hell was he supposed to say? Sorry you saw me gut a man alive? Sorry I turned into the thing you’ve spent a year convincing yourself I wasn’t?

He’d been brutal before. She just hadn’t seen it.

Only now she’d seen what he truly was. The old world didn’t raise kind men—it bred survivors. And Joel had survived every way a man could. Through pain. Through blood. Through choices that never stopped echoing even now.

The only thing he managed to say, finally, low and gruff and barely louder than the wind scraping across the station floor, “We’re still a full day out. We’ll keep movin’ at first light, so get some rest.”

And look, Joel was trying to rest. Trying and failing, but still.

His head was a goddamn mess. Static. Replay. A loop he couldn’t break. Blood. Breath. The sound that bastard made when the knife went in—wet and sudden, a choke of surprise right before the silence.

Joel exhaled hard through his nose. Closed his eyes. Let his head fall back against the cracked concrete wall, cool against the sweat on his neck.

And then he heard it. Soft at first. Half-whispers. Barely there.

“I’m Leela.” A pause. A breath. A shift of cloth behind the shattered doorway of what used to be a bathroom. “Leela... no. Leela. I want to tell you—no. I have solved—my parents and I have solved—no.” A frustrated exhale. Then, quieter, “I am Leela… dammit. C’mon.”

Joel opened one eye. Turned his head.

The light in the bathroom was dim—barely a glow from some scavenged flashlight she’d propped up near the mirror. He couldn’t see her, but the words carried, echoing off tile and porcelain. She must’ve thought she was whispering. Must’ve thought no one could hear.

Across the room, Ellie was propped up on her elbow, her face lit faintly by that same flicker. She was grinning, eyes alight with mischief.

“Been goin’ on for ten minutes,” she snickered, voice hushed, like sharing a secret. “It’s adorable. I think she's nervous to meet these Firefly folks.”

Joel didn’t smile. Just raised an eyebrow. Looked back up at the ceiling.

Adorable. Maybe. Or maybe it was a bad sign. A red flag waving itself stupid in the middle of the dark.

Practicing your own goddamn name. Stumbling over words like they were bricks in your mouth. That wasn’t adorable. That was pressure. That was fear, chewing at the edges. That was a person so wound up she didn’t trust herself to say hello without screwing it up.

His jaw tightened.

There was a part of him—a stupid, reckless part—that wanted to get up. Walk over there, nice and quiet. Knock on the doorframe just once. Let her know she wasn’t alone. That she didn’t have to rehearse anything. That if she needed to talk, he’d sit there and listen, no matter how long it took.

But the other part—the bigger, meaner part—kept him pinned down.

Because he still hadn’t earned the right. Not after what she saw. And the last thing she needed was him looming over her, making it worse.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. Exhaled slowly. He was a complete fucking idiot.

“You’re an idiot, Joel.”

For a moment, he thought he had been the one to say it out loud.

He blinked and turned his head again. Ellie. Still watching him. Smirking now, like she’d been waiting for him to figure it out.

He grunted. “Not in the mood, kid.”

“You’re never in the mood,” she shot back, flopping onto her bedroll. She rolled her eyes, but there was no real bite behind it—just the kind of tired, familiar sass that came from too many nights like this. “Doesn’t stop you from being a total dickhead.”

He gave her a look. One of those long, dead-eyed stares that usually shut her up. The kind that said, Don’t push me.

Not tonight.

She just grinned, hands behind her head. “You really think she came all this way—through all those cities, with people trying to kill us every ten miles—just to tell you to fuck off?”

He didn’t answer. Not right away.

“She cares about your hardass, just as much as I do,” Ellie muttered.

So, maybe Ellie saw all the things Joel didn’t let himself see. Or maybe she was just better at hope.

Because he had thought it.

More than once, he’d pictured it—that she’d reach the Fireflies, hand off whatever math magic was burning a hole through her skull, nod her thanks, and go. Cut the thread. Return to Jackson. Return to their—her daughter. Back to her life before he bulldozed into it like he always did with anything good. Maybe she’d have the decency to leave a note at the door when kicking him out.

Joel, please just leave us alone. I don't want a psychopath raising my daughter.

Maybe he deserved that.

He sat there a moment longer, thumb working absently along a notch in the stock of his rifle, tracing the smooth edge over and over. The kid was right. She had come all this way. Across states, through wasteland, through gunfire and ash, and sickness and silence. She’d fought beside them. Saved his life once. Slept with one eye open, traded warmth for distance, wore her grief like it was stitched into her coat. All of that. And not just for some cause.

She left Maya behind.

The thought hit like a hammer to the sternum.

Maya. His baby girl. His sweetheart, who barely fit in his arms anymore, yet so small she could tuck her frightened face under his chin when it thundered. He’d seen it. Seen the way Leela held her now, so different from all those months back—no fear, just pure maternal instinct. Even when she was dead on her feet, her touch was protective. Fierce.

You don’t leave that kind of love behind unless you got no goddamn choice. Unless whatever’s out there—the person, the reason—is worth the risk of not coming back.

He ran a hand down his face. Felt the rough scrape of beard under his fingers. Closed his eyes for a second. “Jesus,” he muttered. “Goddamn.”

Because no matter how many times he tried to tell himself she’d come for the Fireflies, for the math, for the cause—every time he looked at that bathroom door and heard her voice cracking around his name—he knew better.

She’d come for him.

A tangle of shame and wonder and raw, stupid hope in his chest made him feel like a little boy again. A dumb, dangerous feeling.

But his eyes slid back to the thin light under the bathroom door. The edge of her pack catching a sliver of glow. The sound of her voice still faint, repeating those words, again and again, as if she was willing herself into belief.

I am Leela.

Joel sat up.

His joints popped in protest, old aches coming to life as he rose slowly to his feet. The room tilted for a second—blood loss and no real sleep—but he steadied himself with a hand on the wall.

“Wipe that smile off your face, you little shit,” he hissed to Ellie.

“Whatta marshmallow,” Ellie mumbled, just watching him go, her smirk softening.

The door wasn’t fully closed. He nudged it open with two fingers.

The bathroom was dim and damp, smelling faintly of rust, infection and old mildew. A cracked mirror stretched above the sink, fractured down one side like a spiderweb frozen mid-snap.

Leela, hunched over the filthy porcelain basin, arms braced, hair falling around her face and body like a curtain. Her bare shoulders, under that black tanktop, rose and fell with shallow, controlled breaths. She hadn’t heard him yet. Or maybe she had and didn’t move, too far gone in whatever loop she was caught in.

Joel stepped in.

Quiet, like muscle memory. Like coming up behind her at the kitchen counter, when she was at the chopping board or scribbling on paper. In that quiet way he used to do, just to let her know he was there, he wanted her near, that he didn’t need her to talk.

He slid his hands around her waist.

Her body tensed.

Not a flinch exactly—but enough. A subtle stiffening beneath his palms that made his chest cave in a little. His heart fractured in that single instinctive reaction.

He didn’t pull away. Because as it had been established, he was selfish fucker. He stayed and didn’t say anything.

Just rested his forehead against the back of her head, where her hair smelled faintly of soap and smoke and salt. His eyes shut. He couldn’t bear the mirror. Couldn’t look up and see the condition of them—this makeshift version of a life that should’ve been warm, and home, and full of sweet nothings.

He’d had a picture in his head.

Them, side-by-side at a clean sink, still damp from the shower. Brushing their teeth together while Maya babbled from their bed outside, waiting to be put to sleep. Arguing about whether to fry the rice or save the eggs for pancakes. Leela nudging him with her elbow because he always hogged the mirror.

That was the image. The one he clung to.

Not this. Not her hands shaking just barely, gripping the sides of a stained sink as she tried to convince herself she still belonged to something greater than this broken world.

He didn’t speak at first. Just breathed her in—like maybe that alone could calm the blood in his veins. His hands were splayed over her powerful middle now, warm through the thin fabric of her shirt. She was too still. Not pulling away. Not leaning in.

So he moved slowly.

Pushed her all her thick, long hair gently over one shoulder, careful not to tug. It slipped between his fingers like threadbare silk. Then he bent forward, kissed the shell of her ear. Just once. Just enough.

“There’s a part of me that—I never wanted you to see that, darlin',” he whispered, the words nearly breaking in his throat.

She didn’t move.

Joel’s forehead pressed to the side of her head again. He closed his eyes. “That… thing. That man with the knife. That’s what’s left when I run outta reasons. When I think I gotta protect somethin’ I already lost.”

Silence buzzed in the air.

He wanted to tell her exactly that he’d do it all again to keep Ellie safe. That sometimes you didn’t get the choice to be gentle. That the world didn’t work in softness and she should wake the fuck up. But all of it sounded like a goddamn excuse, and worse—it sounded like the truth.

His voice faltered off. “If you hate me… I get it. I ain’t askin’ you to forget what I did. I just—”

God, what was he thinking? He wouldn't want her apologies anyway.

His chin lifted a little. “But I’m still me, Leela. Still Maya’s. Still yours, if there’s any part of you that wants that.”

There was no dramatic pause. No breath held in hope. He said it like a man naming his failures in the dark. Mum. Certain. Not because he thought it would change anything—but because it was true. And because she deserved to hear it out loud.

Maybe she was remembering what it meant to let something dangerous that close. Maybe this was the moment she realized she couldn’t love him. Maybe this was the moment he proved he didn’t deserve it.

He didn’t blame her.

Then he felt her shift. Just barely.

Her hand came up and back, platting into his hair. Her fingers scraped lightly at his scalp, a slow, grounding motion—not tender, not affectionate, not forgiving. Just there. Present. Real.

She didn’t say it’s okay. She’d never needed to wrap things in softness. Sadly, she knew what it meant to be ruined.

To be taken apart and put back together with pieces missing. She’d lived in the wreckage of her own skin, patched herself up with logic and reason, with equations and notebooks, trying to make sense of something that defied sense.

And still—he loved her. Not in spite of it. Not around it. Just through it. All the way through. So what if he’d split a man open like kindling? What if she’d been split first—by someone who’d never deserved to touch her in the first place?

She was here. She’d come. With her voice cracking in the dark and her hands braced on a sink like it was the only thing keeping her upright. She was still herself. Still trying.

Joel let out a breath against her neck.

And then, quiet—low and splintering—she said, “I’ve been dead before, Joel. This is not what kills me.”

The words lodged in his chest like a nail. No dramatics. No trembling voice. The truth. Her fingers kept moving, dragging slow circles in his hair.

And when she turned her head—just scarcely—he saw her in the mirror. Saw the red-rimmed eyes, the taut mouth, the exhaustion etched so deep into her face it looked like it might never fade.

She met his gaze in the cracked glass. A long moment passed.

There was a change, not in her body, not in the set of her jaw or the tremble of her breath, but in the way she looked at him. Like seeing a wound that hadn’t stopped bleeding and finally understanding why the bandages never worked. A clarity there he was familiar with.

Joel just watched her eyes, the way they softened and steeled in the same breath. The way grief and love could live in the same goddamn face.

He saw her swallow. Her throat worked once, twice, like the words weren’t forming—they were fighting their way up.

And then, without turning fully, she said, “It’s horrible. How grateful I am that you can become... that.”

He blinked. His heart gave a slow, brutal thud against his ribs.

“Because it means no one will ever touch her. Not Maya. Not while you’re breathing.”

And just like that, he had to bite the inside of his cheek. Hard. To keep from falling into whatever that was curling up inside him. All that shame and pride and an ache so old it had turned quiet.

Her head stayed dipped, his mouth just a breath away from her skin.

The silence between them wasn’t hollow anymore. It had mass. Weight. Like a room full of smoke that they’d both learned to breathe in.

Joel didn’t move, didn’t dare. His hand remained at her waist, palm flat, fingers barely curled. He could feel the heaves of her breathing—still tight, still not stable. But alive. Still with him.

He should’ve said something. He knew it. Should’ve said I’m sorry, even if it wasn’t enough. Should’ve said you can hate me, I’ll still kill for you. Should’ve said you can take Maya away, and I’ll still be at your back the rest of my life.

But every sentence that came to mind sounded like another wound. Another wrong turn.

So he stayed quiet. And waited. Let her have this moment to leave—if that’s what she needed. But then—

She turned. Just a little. Enough that her shoulder brushed against his chest. Enough that he saw her face not in the mirror, but right there—real and close. Red-rimmed eyes. Lips chapped from the cold, pale, parted just a bit.

There was no invitation. No demand. Just presence. And that—God help him—was what crushed him.

Joel raised his hand, slowly. Let his knuckles ghost across her jaw like he was scared to touch her too hard, like she might shatter.

She didn’t lean in. She didn’t lean away. She just stood there. Breathing still.

That was all the backing he needed.

The kiss he prompted was not soft. Not romantic like the hundred before. It was dry, cracked and laced with grief. His mouth moved over hers like he was memorizing the shape of her pain, and hers opened to him with something like surrender—not of will, anything but.

They didn’t move or deepen. Didn’t gasp or moan or pull or want or seek anything more.

They just connected. Two broken things, sealed at the seam for a single breath of repose in the storm.

Joel’s hand stayed on her cheek, rough thumb grazing the edge of her temple. His other hand, the one still resting at her waist, gripped just a little tighter, like he couldn’t bear the thought of letting go now. Not after everything. Not after seeing the worst of each other and still not walking away.

He didn’t know if this meant anything, if it was the beginning of the end. Or just a flicker of what used to be.

But when they pulled apart—slow, wistful, just inches—her eyes opened again.

Clear. Tired. Still full of all the rage and grief and brilliance that made her who she was.

“You’re still in there, Joel,” she whispered. Not accusing. Not forgiving. Just observing. Like she was taking stock of a fire that wouldn’t quite die, even after the smoke had choked the sky.

Joel held her gaze for a moment, and then dropped it—couldn’t take the weight of it. He exhaled, slow and heavy, eyes closing. His voice came low and coarse, barely brushing the air between them.

“Don’t know if that’s a good thing.”

He leaned in, pressed a kiss just below her ear. A whisper of a thing. A thank you. An imprecise I’m sorry. A Jesus, what the hell are we now?

Outside, the wind pushed against the walls of the small bathroom like it wanted in. The fire crackled somewhere in the next room, Ellie’s shadow moving quietly near the doorway, always vigilant, giving them space.

Inside, Leela didn’t speak. But her fingers—still trembling—moved to cover his on her abdomen. Held them there. No tighter. No looser.

Just there.

Joel let the moment breathe, let the silence settle. His throat worked once before he spoke again, voice barely a rasp.

“When we get to California, whatever happens… I just…” He paused, brow furrowing. “You don’t gotta decide anything yet. I just need to know I’ll still get to see my little girl.”

A flicker passed through Leela’s eyes. She didn’t flinch or draw back, but she didn’t soften either.

She looked at him like she was trying to hold him in focus through a haze of old pain and newer fractures. Behind her gaze, where he lived, there it was—subtle, distant.

Her fingers didn’t move from his. But her voice, when it came, was quiet. Neutral. Like she was choosing every word as if it could tilt the precarious balance in this world.

“Let’s see what happens first.”

That was all. Not yes. Not no. Not never. But not enough either.

Joel’s jaw worked. He almost nodded—but didn’t. Almost pulled away—but couldn’t.

Instead, he kept his hand where it was, over her belly, where Maya used to sleep once, safe and tiny. Where Leela had once felt the flutter of her little feet and hands through her skin, long before she had her pretty name.

“You don’t gotta do it for me,” he said at last. “But she’s mine too. I need both of you.”

Leela didn’t argue. Her silence said she knew. Said she’d always known. But knowing didn’t always mean trusting.

Still, she kept his hand where it was.

DAY 7: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES - APPROX. EIGHT-FOUR HOURS SOUTH OF JACKSON

The sun stretched long over the broken streets of Pasadena in the Golden State, just as much, casting amber behind a veil of smog. The quiet clip of hooves on cracked asphalt echoed like a heartbeat in a place long hollowed out. Joel rode just a pace ahead, his rifle slung low, boots scuffed from days on the road. Ellie was beside him, reins loose in her hands, a sliver of calm in her eyes. Behind her, Leela fidgeted with her hair again—first the braid, then a ponytail, then nothing, then the braid again.

She’d done it twice in the last hour.

Not out of vanity. Joel knew that. It was nerves. Restlessness. That same rhythm she used to have with a pencil—tap, scribble, flip a page, start again. Always thinking. Always fighting something unseen.

She hadn’t said much since sunrise. None of them had. The weight of what might be waiting ahead pulled the air taut between them.

“Do you think we could stay for some time when we get there?” Leela asked, not looking at either of them.

“Sure thing. I wanna see the beach, too,” Ellie replied without pause, smiling and all loyal, already craning her neck for the first sign of the Caltech buildings.

Joel said nothing. But his hands tightened just a little on the reins.

Stay. Stay for what?

See, if there were scientists there—real ones, still working on things like cures and vaccines—then it wasn’t just Leela they were walking into that place for.

It was Ellie. It was the blood in her veins. That cursed miracle pulsing just beneath her skin.

His mind was running ahead of him, tearing through what-if after what-if. What if they were here? What if they had the equipment, the knowledge? What if they looked at Ellie like she was the key again? What if they asked—no, expected—the same sacrifice?

And Joel—he knew himself too well by now. Knew the panic that twisted up in his gut and tried to claw its way out. He didn’t let it show. Not in his face or voice. But it made him nudge his horse forward just slightly, pace picking up, eyes scanning rooftops and blown-out cars and anything that might look like trouble or, God forbid, hope.

They crested a slight hill, and Caltech unfurled below.

Golden light skimmed the cracked concrete and broken signage like it was trying to remember what wonder looked like. Ivy crawled up the old physics building, curling over shattered windows, draping across the once-grand entrance like a shroud. Palm trees stood like sentinels over long-dry fountains.

Joel pulled his horse to a stop beside Ellie’s, her body swaying forward slightly with momentum before sitting back straight.

For a moment, no one spoke.

They were here.

This was it.

“This is where they're supposed to be,” Joel murmured, more to himself than to either of them.

Or what was left of it.

Buildings, sure. A few were still standing proud. Brick and steel and glass, scabbed over with vines and scorch marks and time. But no movement. No guards. No posted signs or perimeter watch. No sound beyond the dry creak of trees and the hum of wind through broken fencing.

Joel felt it like a gut punch before anyone said a word.

The front of the building looked like it had been blown out from the inside—glass scattered across the steps like a trail of brittle petals, black scorch marks clawing up the stone walls. Half the Caltech signage still hung above the arched entryway, its metal frame twisted, under layers of ash and grime.

Joel dismounted first. His boots crunched over the broken glass, rifle already in hand. Ellie hopped off behind him, lighter on her feet, but just as alert. Leela stayed on the horse a beat longer, her eyes locked on the faded lettering above the entry. ‘California Institute of Technology for Advanced Research.’

She whispered it aloud like it was something sacred. “Wow. We're here.”

Joel motioned for her to stay close. Light slanted in through fractured skylights above, catching on overturned desks and moldy file boxes. Drawers like mouths wide open. A bunk with a Firefly logo stamped on the wall above it—old, faded, forgotten. Emergency cots folded and stacked like they'd been waiting for orders that never came. A faded banner still hung across the far end of the lobby, reading proudly:

‘INNOVATION FOR THE NEXT CENTURY.’

Oh, what a big fucking joke.

You try to innovate, you end up like this. You pick up a gun, you get to live. The world they lived in now.

Now, what they hadn’t expected was the smell.

The moment they stepped inside the physics building, it hit them—thick, wet, and metallic. Like mold and meat. Old rot. The kind that stuck to your tongue. He knew what it was already. Joel raised a hand, signalled Ellie behind him. Leela paused just inside the threshold, her face blanching.

“Get back outside,” Joel said to her. “Don’t need you in here.”

But Leela didn’t move.

She stared down the hall like she could still pretend it was just dust and old desks and the smell of something dead not walking.

Until the first one came.

It staggered out from a lab at the far end, skin sloughing off in ribbons, yellowing mouth open in a wet click-click-click. Ellie didn’t hesitate—she dropped to one knee and put a bullet through its eye. But the goddamn Clicker wasn’t alone. From the shadows, they came dragging, stumbling, clicking—two, three, five of them—some already burst open with fungal bloom, their faces split by time and Cordyceps.

“Shit,” Joel muttered, rifle already up. “Leela—go, get out of here!”

She bolted off. He didn’t watch where.

The gunfire echoed in the narrow halls. Joel moved with brutal efficiency—tight shots, clean execution. Ellie flanked him, nimble and fast, clearing corners. They moved like they'd done this a hundred times. Well, because they had.

But Leela was new to it. She waited outside, pacing, clutching the straps of her bag so tightly her knuckles nearly bled. Her eyes flicked to the windows, to the flashes of movement inside.

She hadn’t come for this. To watch them both die at the end.

When the last echo faded, Joel emerged from the stairwell, blood on his sleeve and a tight grimace on his face. “All clear.”

Leela didn’t answer. She pushed past him, boots scraping on tile as she made her way deeper into the building. Joel wanted to hold her hand back, tuck him into his side.

“Maybe they were Fireflies?” Ellie muttered, nudging one corpse with the toe of her boot.

Joel didn’t respond. He didn’t want to think about it, even if he knew the signs.

This wasn’t an outpost.

It was an exodus.

He pushed the doors open into the next wing—a long hallway flanked by glass-walled rooms, some still scrawled with chemical equations and 3D renderings of gene splicing. Dust hung thick in the air, swirling in lazy spirals, disturbed only by their presence. The deeper they moved in, the clearer it became: this had been a research hub. State of the art. Once.

Now it was just dust and silence.

Ellie was the first to call out. “Helloooo? It's Dr Leela here with your math magic miracle! Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

Her voice echoed down the empty walkway. And no answer.

“Shy buncha nerds,” she harrumphed.

“Ellie,” Joel sighed.

Leela drifted toward one of the labs as they moved up to the second floor, climbing over debris, her hand brushing against the edge of a metal table. There were still beakers here, clipboards thick with faded paper, broken monitors, glass casings. Her fingers hovered over them like she didn’t know whether to read or weep.

Joel had gotten used to failing so much, this didn't hurt anymore.. He’d brought her all this way. Let her believe.

Now, he stood in the doorway of the ruined lab like a man caught between two times—one where hope had still been breathing, and the one he was in now, where it lay stiff and cold on the floor.

Joel’s eyes were drawn, inevitably, to the skeleton, slumped against a bank of monitors, mold climbing up one arm like ivy.

It wasn’t the first dead body he’d seen. Not even the hundredth. But this one was different. There was something almost edifying in the way the figure was wilted—propped against the monitors like they’d died mid-thought, clinging to some last hope that didn’t pan out. What had they been hoping to see? A breakthrough? A miracle? A sign someone else had made it?

The bones were dressed in a lab coat, name badge still clipped to the collar. YAMADA. What was left of the face was caved in, probably from the gun still lying on the floor beside them. A personal choice, Joel figured. Easier than turning, for sure.

But it was the recorder nearby that made his stomach knot.

He watched Leela reach for it like she was reaching for her own fate. Slow, careful, fingers trembling despite all her control. She glanced back at him—asking for what? Permission? Support? For him to tell her this wasn’t what it looked like?

He gave her the nod because it was all he had.

And because he couldn’t lie to her anymore. Whatever that device held, bad or worse, he had her always. What were another hundred miles? Perhaps another boat, a storm in the ocean, another open city, another ten years on the road? He'd do it with her if she wanted to.

Leela pressed play.

As the recorder whirred to life and that ragged, weary voice filled the silence, Joel’s heart dropped to somewhere cold inside him. Every word was another nail in the coffin.

“This is Dr. Kichiro Yamada. March twenty-third, the time is four-twenty-four in the evening. If you’re hearing this, then you’re too late. Or maybe you’re lucky. Jury’s out.”

Joel stared at the monitors. The screens were dead, cracked, and flecked with grime. Whatever brilliance had once flickered there had gone out long ago. There were notes on the desk, too, curling with rainwater. He couldn’t read half of them, and didn’t understand the other half. But he recognized the desperation in the handwriting. Bold strokes turned frantic. Numbers blurring. Whole pages scratched out. A slow unraveling.

“We gave it everything. Years. Two whole decades. All of us. There were twenty-four of us here once. Distinguished faculty of professors, scholars and dedicated students—from aeronautics, biochemistry, theoretical physics to fucking art history—working toward a common purpose. Persevering in the face of extinction. Then we dwindled. Nine of us, then four. Then Dr. Connelly, now it's... just me. See, the world didn’t wait for us. Supplies dried up. People got scared. We had raiders come in once or twice, and butcher some of our best. Most of them left. Some went east, to survivor settlements. I stayed until the end. I made it this far.

Joel looked over at Ellie. She was still. Watching Leela. Watching him.

“To whoever finds this... you’re standing in the last Firefly outpost in California. Maybe the whole goddamn continent. Shit, I don't know anymore. We had data. We had hope. And then we had death. I’ve just managed to upload everything we had and researched to the central terminal. If you’ve got the brains to use it, maybe it won’t be for nothing. Help yourselves. Save yourselves.”

A long silence. He thought of how long they must’ve laboured in here, chasing answers. How much belief it took to type that much down.

“This place was supposed to save the world. We were supposed to make a difference. What a fucking waste.”

Click.

Joel let out a long-suffering sigh. Ellie hovered near the door, her jaw set, eyes wide, trying to take it all in, trying not to crumble.

Leela stood motionless, eyes fixed on the blank recorder. Her shoulders started to tremble, slow at first, then all at once—tight, pulled inward, trying to keep from flying apart.

She didn’t cry.

She just knelt down beside the desk, knees hitting the floor in a slow, mechanical motion, folding over her own legs like her body had given up on standing. Her hair—braided, unbraided, ponytailed, undone—hung limp down her back, as if it too had finally settled into stillness. No tears, no words. Just the quiet shape of someone who’d hoped too hard for too long.

Joel stood there, unsure if he’d made her kneel or if the world had.

He swallowed hard.

He’d brought Leela here. Not just her—her hope, her faith, her genius, all bundled into that same quiet determination she wore like armor. She had believed in this place. Believed in the people who’d once lived here. She’d believed him, maybe worst of all.

And now? Now it was just another tomb. Another place the world had forgotten how to care about.

Joel clenched his jaw. “Wasn't supposed to end like this,” he said softly. But the words felt hollow the moment they left his mouth.

And yet, somehow it always did.

The world didn’t care about minds like hers. It didn’t give a damn about brilliance or sacrifice or the people who tried to fix what was broken. It just… moved on. Swallowed the light whole. Buried the good with the bad and let it rot in the dark.

Behind him, Ellie spoke, her voice quieter than usual. “Hey, we should check out that terminal.”

Joel nodded once, not looking back. “Yeah.”

He moved slowly, boots scuffing against the floor. That terminal—an old monitor, half-sunken into the desk, still humming faintly—blinked as they approached. He expected nothing. Expected it to flicker out, dead and useless, like everything else.

But somehow, when he moved the mouse, it lit up.

“C'mere, baby,” he called out, trying to will what he had left into her. “Let's see what this is.”

Leela had already started typing. Her hands trembled, but she typed anyway—quick, practiced keystrokes, as if her muscles still remembered how to do this even when her heart didn’t.

Lines of data filled the screen. Pages and pages of it. He didn't know what the fuck it was. Research logs. Complex equations. Genetic markers, timestamps, decay models. Scans of buildings and servers. Plant growth charts. Vectors and resistance patterns, and computational models he didn’t understand, but recognized by the sheer significance of them.

She stared at the formulas like they were the names of the dead.

Joel knelt beside her, slow, as if any sudden movement might shatter her.

He didn’t reach for her. Not yet. Didn’t deserve to. Just stayed near, let his voice reach across the inches between them.

“You did what they couldn’t,” he said, hoarse. “You're a goddamn saviour, Leela. You did it all.”

Her eyes didn’t move from the screen. “They were supposed to be here.”

Joel glanced toward the body by the monitor, the fingers still curled like they’d meant to hit save and didn’t make it. “They left it behind for you,” he said. “They wanted it found. You found it.”

Leela turned to him, finally. Her eyes were dry—but there was nothing behind them. No fire. No fight. Just a dull, hollow ache where everything else had been scorched out.

“It’s not enough, Joel.”

“No,” he whispered. “It ain’t. But it’s all we got.”

And he couldn’t stay away any longer.

He reached out. Gently. Palms callused, hands unhurried.

This time, she let him pull her into his arms. She didn’t fall apart. Didn’t cry, or shudder, or whisper anything dramatic. She just leaned—slow, silent—against him, her face resting into his shoulder like the grief was too dense to lift her head anymore.

It wasn’t forgiveness she gave him. It wasn’t peace. It wasn’t even warmth. And for the first time in days, Joel didn’t feel guilt, or fear, or even that thick, choking regret.

Just the excruciating, quiet ache of being alive.

He turned his head, pressing his cheek to the top of her hair. She smelled like the road. Like leather and firewood. Like survival. Like the kind of person you meet once in a lifetime and never again.

He almost didn’t hear the footsteps—soft and measured.

Ellie, framed by the last of the sun bleeding in through the broken glass. She crossed the room slowly, past ruined dreams, past rusted lab equipment and flickering terminals, past the slumped skeleton and the shattered hope. She didn’t speak. Just knelt beside them, her shoulder bumping gently against Leela’s other side.

Joel looked at her just in time to see her hand reach out—hesitant, hovering for a second—then settle across Leela’s back.

Not in comfort or even empathy.

Recognition. Kinship. Guilt.

Leela was everything Ellie wasn’t—older, brilliant, composed—but in this moment? They were the same. Two people who gave their hearts to something that’s gone.

Ellie's fingers splayed across the jacket, tentative at first, then firmer. She didn’t look at either of them. Her face stayed turned, eyes down, jaw clenched. Simply being there.

Joel could see it in her—the way she held her breath, the way her lips were pressed into a thin, white line. That familiar cyclone behind her eyes. The echo of so many other losses.

He didn’t say a word.

Because in that lab, surrounded by failure and rot, the three of them formed something that had no name. Not victory, hope or even survival. Just austere, tangible proof that they were still here.

He looked at the recorder lying in Leela's palms like a gravestone, and as she hit rewind, that last line rang in his ears like a verdict:

“...What a fucking waste.”

Joel closed his eyes. He didn’t know if the voice was talking about the science, the building, the people, or the whole damn world.

But whatever it meant—however it was intended—it felt right now. And maybe all the brilliance in Leela’s head, all the years she’d clawed her way through loss and theory and impossibility—maybe even that had nowhere left to go.

He knew this one all too well. The one that told him some endings weren’t explosive or tragic or heroic.

No last stand. No meaning. Just a hush. A breath. A door that closed without ceremony.

Some endings just... stopped.

The storm comes, you crawl into shelter. Find something—someone—to hold onto. And when it's over, you are left to breathe in the quiet afterward.

Waiting for the next storm. The next door.

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