#sharing the remote and playing alternate chapters

[sasha-whos-askin-racket]

Just sent my little brother a youtube video depicting the new Until Dawn ending and now we are theorising like crazy and this is genuinely the most conversation we have had with each other in over a year.

When the original game came out, I was 12 and he was 8, and he's turning 18 next month and I haven't lived with him in over three years, and we've only spoken a handful of times since our dad died, but I so much as mention Until Dawn and now we're yapping away endlessly and this is SO IMPORTANT TO ME.

[zarameraki]

♡₊˚🎀・₊✧ 𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆 . . . 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗵𝗲? ♡₊˚🎀・₊✧

: ̗̀➛ read part one first

: ̗̀➛ tropes: fem! reader 𖥔 nanami forgot your birthday but he's got something special planned 𖥔 ceo x baker 𖥔 grumpy x sunshine 𖥔 she talks a lot x he listens a lot 𖥔 cold shoulder treatment 𖥔 mention of parental death 𖥔 major fluff 𖥔 sfw 𖥔 alternate universe 𖥔 super soft nanami 𖥔 close proximity

: ̗̀➛ words: 4.1 k

: ̗̀➛ notes: we're back again with fluffy nanami. honestly i shed a tear writing this one because it's just so adjfskdf. if you haven't read part one, go DO IT. RIGHT NOW. if you enjoy my work, please leave a comment, like, and reblog! thank you & ily. enjoy!

It's been a year since you took that leap, moving in with Nanami. Every day spent in each other's company feels like a fresh chapter, and the magic of your relationship persists as if it were the very first night.

Nanami, with his gentle smile and warm eyes, never tires of recounting the story from his perspective. Each time you ask, he patiently agrees to retell it, even though you've long since memorized every detail. The familiarity of his narrative only adds to the charm, as if reliving those moments helps both of you cherish the journey that brought you together.

“You invited a couple of my colleagues to your bakery's opening, and they brought back leftover cookies and pastries to the office. I grabbed some, and with the first bite, I knew your bakery was going to be my favorite. So, I asked Gojo to drive me to your city, not knowing it was going to rain that night. With no parking nearby, I ended up walking. Halfway through, it started pouring. Luckily, I made it just in time, and there you were, smiling like the sun that was supposed to be in the sky. You offered me free food and shelter, and right then, darling, I fell in love with you. It was the most incredible feeling in the world.”

Each time he finishes his heartwarming story, you can't help but be overwhelmed with emotion. Without hesitation, you jump on him with a flurry of kisses, showering him with all the love you harbor for your sweet, stoic boyfriend.

You've shared every conscious moment together since then. With Nanami now working remotely, he'd set up at one of the dining tables in your bakery, delving into meetings and paperwork. You'd plant kisses on his cheek or embrace him from behind, providing a boost of energy. Delivering his special casse-croûte and milk coffee, you occasionally found yourself feeding him as his busy hands typed away. Breaks led to stolen moments in the back room, where you'd make out like teenagers.

Once at home, you'd strip out of your clothes, shower or bathe together, and engage in domestic activities like watching television or attempting to nap, but those often evolved into extended sessions of sex.

Today, silence lingered between you two following a heated argument the previous night.

Unbeknownst to Nanami, your birthday was just around the corner, yet he had scheduled a business trip on that very day. Despite the depth of his knowledge about your past, from childhood playground scars to the dresses you wore for school dances, he seemed oblivious to the significance of the impending date.

In a seemingly nonchalant manner, Nanami had mentioned, “Darling, I'll be away on a business trip from the sixth and will return on the eighth. We can plan a picnic or head to the beach—whatever you prefer.”

“The sixth?” You had to set your utensils down, turning to face him. Your meals were typically enjoyed on the carpet, with plates on the coffee table and your favorite movies playing on the television. “You have a business trip? On the sixth?”

“Yes, that's correct.”

“Kento, what the hell? Why?”

He arched an eyebrow. “It's my job, darling. That's why. It's been on my agenda for a month. Missing it would mean losing out on a lucrative deal."

“But—” You caught yourself mid-sentence.

At that moment, you wished you could shout that it was your first-ever birthday celebration since your parents’ passing.

His birthday had been just two days prior, and you had gone all out—decorating the apartment, baking a cake, preparing a feast of his favorite dishes, buying him new cufflinks, and giving him the blowjob of the century as the cherry on top. It had become one of your cherished days together, an occasion you had been planning for weeks.

“But?” Nanami prodded.

You clenched your jaw. “But it's... you know. It's.”

“What's going on?” he asked, genuinely befuddled. “Did I miss something?”

Your lips quivered, and in an attempt to silence them, you stuffed a dumpling into your mouth, shaking your head. “Never mind.”

“Please, talk to me.”

Ignoring his plea, you continued shaking your head as he gently pulled at your shoulder to make you face him. Tears welled up in your eyes, streaming down your flushed cheeks. Even swallowing the dumpling felt like a struggle amid the surge of complaints in your throat.

“Darling—”

“Just forget it, Nanami.” You wiped your cheeks, your open hair concealing one side of your face. “You already have,” you whispered to yourself.

“Fine,” Nanami replied, casually returning to his food. It wouldn't have been a big deal if you had just mentioned your birthday, but it stung. He should know. After all, he's Nanami—meticulous with schedules, mindful of important dates, and impeccable with time management. Why doesn't he know?

“Are you joking?” you exclaimed, grabbing the remote from his grasp and turning off the movie. “That's all you have to say? ‘Fine’?”

“You told me to forget about it.”

“Yeah, I did. But that doesn't mean you actually forget.”

“I don't get it.”

“Of course you don't.”

He sighed, and you berated yourself for being so obstinate. You resented that sigh, as it made you feel like a nuisance. Yet, it was a warranted sigh, so you let it slide. “Are you upset?”

“What?”

“You are. I can't believe you're upset.” Running your fingers through your hair, you picked up your plate. “I'm going to bed before I say something stupid. Goodnight. Enjoy your trip.”

“Y/N—”

“Goodnight.”

“My love, what’s bothering you?” he asked from the living room while you dumped your dish in the sink. “Would you please just talk to me? Have I said something to offend you?” 

You walked off toward your bedroom, into your bathroom, and locked the door. Turning on the shower, you sat down on the floor, holding your knees and crying in the gap between. 

You've been ignoring Nanami ever since you woke up nestled against his chest—your body was naturally attuned to his. But since then, you've been withdrawn and moody, casting a shadow over your usual sunny demeanor. Even some of your regular customers have noticed and asked if you were unwell, but you brushed it off with a forced smile and a minor headache excuse. As you were wiping down tables, Nanami entered during lunchtime. You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, then retreated behind the counter, placing his coffee cup and sandwich a bit too forcefully.

“Thank you, darling,” he said, accepting it. “Would you like to join—” 

“That'll be ten-fifty,” you interrupted, fingers already inputting the amount without meeting his gaze. You’ve never once charged him since you started dating; everything he desired was on the house because he was your favorite regular and person. You loved him so much that you even experimented in baking his beloved pastries and added them to the menu. Yet, he forgot your birthday.

Nanami retrieved the exact change from his wallet and extended it to you. Your hand snatched it, guilt gnawing at you instantly. Pretending to open the cash register, you discreetly slipped the money into your apron instead.

“Would you like to join me?” he asked once more.

You slammed the cash drawer shut and swiftly turned, heading to the inventory room to immerse yourself in organizing as a distraction.

As Nanami waited outside, thumbs dancing over his phone’s keyboard, you couldn't help but notice his sudden shift in demeanor when you approached. Your mind raced with suspicions of infidelity, but rationality reminded you of his busy schedule now that he wasn't in the office regularly. He was too devoted to you to entertain such thoughts.

Nanami reached out his hand, but you brushed past him, burying your hands in your cardigan. Determined to celebrate your birthday, albeit alone, you headed to the nearest supermarket for groceries. You planned to indulge in your favorite pasta dish, bake fudge brownies, and allow yourself to feel whatever emotions came, whether tears of joy or sadness. Today, you'd celebrate yourself. Happy birthday to you.

Nanami followed you into the supermarket, walking beside you as he added both your and his favorite snacks to the cart. You were determined to make him pay for it all, although you knew he would insist on covering the expenses regardless. Throughout the year you had been together, Nanami never once allowed you to spend your own money. Even during online shopping, he always managed to intercept, distracting you with neck kisses until you surrendered to using his card.

You couldn't help but pout and shoot him a sidelong glance as he meticulously examined the ingredients on a bag of chips. Your gaze then shifted to the cake mix and icing packets, giving you an idea. Bingo. 

If you weren't going to outright mention your upcoming birthday, you could at least drop a hint.

Clearing your throat, you grabbed a chocolate-vanilla mix with caramel icing and deposited it into the cart. Nanami observed the entire exchange, briefly meeting your gaze with a neutral expression before returning to scrutinizing the ingredients as though they were sacred text.

Damn him! 

“Excuse me, sir?” you called, drawing an innocent elderly employee into your scheme. “It's my friend's birthday tomorrow, and I'm torn between which cake mix to choose. Could you help me out?”

As Nanami switched to a different chip bag, your frustration simmered, but the employee weighed his options, eventually settling on chocolate-vanilla. Grateful, you thanked him and strode away, the cart trailing behind.

Nanami handled the grocery payment and bagging while you observed with arms crossed.

Back at home, you kicked off your shoes, discarded your cardigan on the floor, and trudged wearily to your bedroom. The sounds of the fridge and cabinets being stocked echoed as you sprawled out like a starfish.

“Is he pretending?” you mumbled to yourself. “He must be, right? He couldn't have forgotten my birthday. No way.”

Quickly, you took your phone, dialing Satoru, his assistant. The call forwarded instantly, but his response, received a minute later, left you irritated beyond measure.

Satoru: Sorry, Y/N. Can’t take your call. Packing for a business trip tomorrow. We’re going to Thailand. Will get you a souvenir! 

Feeling frustrated, you left him on read and flopped onto your stomach, letting out a scream into the pillow. 

Skipping dinner with Nanami, you stayed curled up in bed instead. Despite his attempts to comfort you, kissing your cheeks and tucking you in, you couldn't shake the ache in your heart as you heard him packing in the closet, trying to hide your tears. 

It was well past midnight when you finally stirred awake. 

Glancing over your shoulder, you found Nanami meters away from you. The realization hit you hard: he had genuinely forgotten your birthday. A mountain settled on your chest as you watched him sleep peacefully, unaware of his oversight. He didn't reach out to hold you close or pull you into his embrace; instead, he slept facing away from you.

You wiped away the tears from your tired eyes, then got up and took your pillows to the living room, hoping to find some sleep on the couch. Instead, you found yourself captivated by the sight of the sunrise.

Meanwhile, Nanami seemed unusually relaxed as he prepared for his business trip, taking his time with his morning routine. He took his time showering, shaving, and ironing his clothes—tasks that you usually handled. He adorned himself with the cuff links you gave him for his birthday and wore the cologne from your six-month anniversary. It stung a bit, realizing how diligent you were in remembering special dates while he seemed to forget them so easily.

But you shrugged it off. 

Today was your birthday, and you were determined to make it special, even if you had to celebrate alone. Your customers were already aware that you'd be closed for the day, giving you the entire day and night, plus tomorrow, to yourself. Previous birthdays had been spent in isolation since your parents passed away. This one was supposed to be different because you had Nanami, yet he seemed to overlook its significance.

As you washed your breakfast dishes, disappointment bubbled up inside you, causing you to grip the sponge tightly. Deciding to put off the chore, you washed your hands and turned your attention to baking a cake for yourself.

Nanami sauntered into the kitchen, nonchalantly lugging three hefty suitcases. Why the hell did he need three massive suitcases? Your boyfriend had become a complete mystery to you. You scowled as he tapped away on his phone, the urge to grab it and fling it off the balcony almost irresistible. What luxury could those three suitcases possibly hold? Perhaps new dresses, shoes, or jewelry for whoever was receiving his relentless texts. With his poker-face, it was impossible to tell if it was a woman on the other end.

“Kento.” 

Nanami's head jerked up. “Yes, dar—”

“It's my birthday today,” you finally admitted. Enough was enough. You needed him to know and feel miserable for forgetting it while he was on this supposed business trip. You knew it wasn't merely business. He always took you along on such trips. Business trip, my ass. It was clear he was having an affair. “It's my birthday today, Kento.”

His mouth opened to respond, but the ringing phone interrupted him. 

You scoffed at the timing of it all, abandoning the cake mixture in the pan. “Have a safe trip.” You walked past him, slamming the bedroom door shut, and collapsed under the covers, sobbing.

Something chimed persistently in the background, prodding at your temples like a sharp stick, urging you to wake up. 

You fumbled around on the mattress, locating your vibrating phone and swiping right, still half-asleep. 

“Hello?” you croaked out.

“Oh, thank God!” panted Gojo's voice. “There's an emergency with Nanami, Y/N!”

“What?” You shot up in bed, immediately springing into action.

“We were headed to the airport when he suddenly fell ill and started vomiting!” You listened intently as you hurriedly searched through your closet for your cardigan. “I brought him to your bakery since it was closer.” Nanami did have a spare key to your bakery for emergencies. “He's really not doing well, Y/N. Please come as quickly as you can.”

“I'm on my way, Satoru! Thanks for letting me know. I'll be there in a flash. Keep comforting him and try making him some green tea if possible. I can't find anything—Where did all my clothes go?” You shuffled his suits aside and rummaged through your drawers, finding only a few undergarments but nothing else. “Damn it. Alright, I'll be there soon.”

“Of course. See you soon!”

You pushed aside all distractions and focused solely on Nanami, hastily grabbing your bathrobe to cover your shorts and tank top. Rushing to the elevator, you repeatedly pressed the lobby button, feeling your body tremble with anxiety. Your chin quivered as you bit down on your bottom lip, overwhelmed by guilt. Nanami wasn’t prone to sickness as much as you were, but your cold shoulder must’ve given him a cold. The thought made you despise yourself even more, tears streaming down your face as you hurried along the sidewalk, navigating past cyclists and ignoring the curious stares of passersby.

You entered your bakery, the door pushing open with a jingle. “Kento! Ken—”

Your words halted.

The space was decorated with a multitude of lit candles, casting a warm glow over every surface - the counter, tables, chairs, and bare shelves. A three-tiered vanilla chocolate cake adorned with “Happy Birthday Y/N” in elegant script stood proudly on a table. A trail of fresh rose petals led to a solitary chair facing a makeshift projector screen fashioned from a white bed sheet. On the screen, a paused video titled “Life In Her Eyes” awaited.

With cautious steps, you approached the lone chair, scanning the bakery for any signs of activity but finding none. Nervously, you moistened your lips and reached for the small remote with a note reading “Play me,” before settling into the seat.

With a trembling hand, you pressed play on the three-minute video.

“This is my beautiful girlfriend, Y/N,”  Nanami's voice narrated in the video, overlaying a scene where you filmed your boyfriend tossing pebbles into the ocean. “She loves to record every single moment we spent together.” The scene shifted to you capturing Nanami's reaction to Alice Vision in Breaking Dawn Part Two. “She loves feeding me if I’m busy working.” A moment captured where you sat on his lap, sharing a pastry and planting a kiss on his cheek. “She loves sunrises and sunsets.” Your camera focused on Nanami's back against the colorful sky. “She insists I hold every stray cat because apparently, an attractive man with a pet drives her wild." Nanami's expression remained composed as he gently stroked the purring white Siamese. 

“It’s the truth,” you muttered, using your arm to wipe away the tears and mucus from your runny nose. 

“Y/N loves collecting miniature figurines, plush toys, and vintage trinkets.” In a solo vlog, you showcased your latest shopping haul for Nanami, who was in Shibuya for a board meeting. “All. The. Time.” Vlog after vlog, Nanami gathered them all and edited them into snappy clips. “She has a passion for photographing meals and desserts, whether we dine out, order takeout, or cook at home.” The footage captured you filming your dinner plates and soliciting Nanami's ratings as he munched, nodded, and gave you a thumbs up. When he requested the clips, you didn't think much of it. “I haven't met anyone who cherishes life's little joys quite like Y/N.”

The fast-paced snippets capture moments of you brushing dirt off flowers, generously offering cookies to teens studying in your bakery, crafting a necklace from seashells collected at the beach, attempting an ASMR mukbang with Nanami but ending up laughing too much, sharing your collection of hair ribbons, exploring the streets of Malaysia hand-in-hand on your first abroad trip, playfully filming him exercising and flipping the camera to fan yourself and bite your lip, sharing kisses while painting on the living room floor, and him peacefully asleep with his head resting on your chest—

Suddenly, the screen goes black, displaying the title “Life In My Eyes.”

Wiping away tears, you lean forward eagerly, curious about what other scenes he has in store.

Then, your own face fills the screen, bathed in the warm glow of the golden hour, with fluffy summer clouds behind you. Instantly, you recognize the setting: the cliff in Malaysia where you once spent hours talking. But in this clip, your eyes are closed, and you're facing ahead while Nanami captures your profile.

It switched to a different scene of you peacefully asleep against his chest, wrapped in one of his soft cashmere sweaters.

Then, it transitioned to you busy in the kitchen, a smudge of flour on your cheek and strands of hair escaping from your bun.

Next, it showed you tackling household chores, applying makeup, hurrying around declaring, “We're going to be late for the airport,” or shedding tears during the finale of “Happy Feet 2,” or enjoying a quiet moment reading and jotting notes on your balcony.

“Are you recording me?” Suddenly, a clip appeared of you playing with Sumo, a cat you had instantly fallen in love with at the pet adoption center.

“Yes,” Nanami confirmed.

“Pfft. That's my job,” you replied, returning to playing with Sumo. Nanami awkwardly turned the camera around, unable to find the right function to flip screens, and winked.

Then, it shifted to a dimly lit room illuminated solely by flickering candle lights. 

It was your bakery. 

You appeared on the screen, seated with your back to the camera. You waved an arm, only to realize it was a live feed.

What the . . . ?

Confused, you turned around to locate the camera, but instead found Nanami. On one knee. Holding a red-suede box containing a diamond ring. 

You almost tumbled off your chair in disbelief.

Nanami . . . Nanami was proposing to you.

Your boyfriend . . . soon to be your fiancé. 

And you couldn't breathe.

Panic threatened to overwhelm you. 

But first, you needed to slip that ring onto your finger and shower him with kisses.

Approaching him, you dropped to your knees, gently holding his face in your hands as you kissed him. Tears mingled with your synchronized lips, memories of his touching video playing in your mind. Life, in your eyes, was simply the joys of it. But in his eyes, life was you. You were his reason for living. And he was your heart, keeping you alive.

You pulled back, nodding silently as he slid the ring onto your finger. You noticed his initials on the inner rim, and a sob choked out of you, quickly sealing the moment with a kiss. His arm encircled your waist as he lifted you up, kissing you passionately. It felt like a soldier returning from battle, your body bending back as his smile widened against your lips. Soon, you would be Mrs. Nanami. Holy cow. 

“Happy birthday, darling,” Nanami murmured softly as you tried to catch your breath. He gestured with a finger and walked over to the back of the counter. “Close your eyes for me, my love.”

You shut them tightly, wiping away the tears, and sniffled, taking a deep breath.

“Hold out your hands,” Nanami whispered.

You complied.

Something small, soft, and incredibly fuzzy settled onto your palms. 

“Mew.”

Your eyes flew open, and there he was. Sumo. It was Sumo, the kitten who had both you and your boyfriend—fiancé—enchanted with his charm. You whined about adopting him once you left the shelter, but Nanami had been practical and kept the idea aside.

“Is he . . . Is he ours?” you asked, gazing into the feline’s sky-blue eyes.

“He's ours,” Nanami replied with a smile.

“He's—Oh my goodness, I'm going to start crying again.” And indeed, you did cry, holding Sumo tightly against your heart, gazing at the radiant diamond ring on your finger, and observing Nanami wipe away a tear from his eye's inner corner. “Kento, we're getting married!”

“I know, my love.” He planted kisses on your forehead, damp cheeks, and lips. “I can’t breathe,” he whispered, stealing another kiss. “You'll soon be my wife.”

“And you'll be my husband.”

“Such a privilege.”

You chuckled, giving him a quick kiss and wrapping your arm around his waist. Resting your head on his chest, you both admired Sumo staring wide-eyed at his parents. “I don't think I've cried this much since . . . ” You sealed the mention of your parents’ passing with a sigh. 

“I broke your heart with my plan,” he rasped out. “And I apologize sincerely for it. Satoru assured me it was foolproof, and regrettably, I trusted his judgment.”

It was no surprise it was his assistant.

“Where is he, by the way?”

“Parked down the block,” Nanami replied, lifting Sumo with his large hands to place him in his carrier. “I've already packed our bags for a trip. I'm taking you to Italy.”

“Huh?”

Nanami was nonchalant as he tidied up around the bakery, extinguishing the candles. “It's just for the weekend. I've spent the past week crafting an itinerary with all your favorite spots and restaurants to visit. You'll love the hotel we're staying at.”

You were about to bombard him with a barrage of questions, but instead, you couldn't help but smile.This was Nanami, after all. He had a knack for surprising you. One minute he'd be showering you with affection, the next he'd be whisking you away to Dubai for a vacation. One minute he'd forget your birthday, and the next he'd be proposing on one knee, presenting you with the cat you'd always wanted and whisking you off to your dream destination.

“—and there's this café that sells the most delicious macaroons—”

You interrupted him by pulling him close, planting a kiss on his lips, and wrapping your arms around him. Nanami eagerly responded, one hand resting on the small of your back and the other cradling the back of your head. When you finally broke apart, breathless, you looked into his hazel eyes and said, “Let's take our time, play with Sumo, and enjoy the cake you baked.”

“How did you know I baked it?”

You shrugged. “Baker's intuition.”

Nanami embraced you, resting his chin on your head. He took a deep breath as if replenishing his oxygen supply. His fingers gently ran through your hair, soothingly rubbing your back. “I love you, Y/N,” he whispered as though it were a fleeting thought. 

You nuzzled closer to his chest. “I love you too, Kento.”

[httpknjoon]

(re)starting over again | kth; 14

plot | Your four-year relationship with Taehyung was going well and strong. Until he was involved in a car accident, resulting to him losing some memories. By some, it means everything that happened five years ago. Things he remember? His friends, his bakeshop, and his ex girlfriend from the past. With that, you tried to keep up, restarting over again.

words | 4.9K+

genres | fluff, angst, amnesia au

pairing | taehyung x reader, hoseok x reader

note | *cue that tiktok sound* okay, guys. we're back. did you miss us? hi! I'm back with my monthly update 💀 I already outlined everything. there are six chapters left in this series (not including the drabbles). thank you so much for patiently staying around. i appreciate y'all a lot. let me know your thoughts, enjoy reading!

main masterlist | series masterlist

When did texting someone become so hard?

It has been exactly three days since Taehyung got to talk to you again. He offered to drive you home after your date failed to show up. You said yes. You two had a friendly conversation in his car. Like you were old friends, which you were. But were you? It’s complicated. For the first time in years, he heard your laugh and saw you smile just like in the photos he saw when cleaning up at your shared house. He remembered you waving at him with a soft smile on your lips before getting into your apartment building.

You also said you never changed your number and you would reach out. But he wants to update you about the small celebration the bakery will have later next week. He tried typing something but later erased it before he could even finish the first word. He doesn’t know what to type or how to begin a conversation. So he just typed a single character and hit the send button.

It was past six in the evening. You were already in your PJs after a long day at work. Treating yourself with dumplings and beef fried rice from the nearest Chinese restaurant in your area, you let yourself indulge while your favorite sitcom plays on your TV screen.

“You’re not easy-going, but you’re passionate, and that’s good. And when you get upset about the little things, I think that I’m pretty good about making you feel better about that. And that’s good too. So, they can say that you’re high maintenance, but it’s okay because I like…maintaining you.”

You found yourself pursing your lips when your favorite character said that line. It was one of the quotes that stays in the back of your head almost every time. You were about to reach for the remote control to play it back again. But your phone, which you set into silent mode an hour ago, vibrated. Your eyebrows shoot up as you read who sent you a message.

From Jung Hoseok

Hi, YN. I really regret missing our date last time. Would you be willing to give me another chance with a cup of coffee this Friday? I know a great cafe around the city 🙂

The day after he failed to show up at the restaurant, you woke up to a text message from Hoseok apologizing again. You reassured him that you understood and he promised to make it up to you. You didn’t really expect anything from that and thought that he would just pass by like your past dates that Martha set up. So seeing him reaching out again was unexpected.

You smiled as you typed a reply.

To Jung Hoseok

Will there be tea? I don’t drink coffee.

You see those three dots immediately popping in, indicating that he’s typing. So you quickly typed in a follow-up message.

To Jung Hoseok

Just kidding! I’m okay with Friday. Around 5 PM?

He was quick to reply,

From Jung Hoseok

Okay. Should I pick you up?

You thought you would just feel pressured if he picked you up at your home. So you just offered an alternative.

To Jung Hoseok

We can just meet there :) Just send me the cafe’s location.

From Jung Hoseok

[location pin] 

To Jung Hoseok

Thank you! See you this Friday then.

From Jung Hoseok

See you, YN!

That’s a date for Friday, which is a few days from now. Even though he reached out again, you thought of keeping your expectations low. Because it helps avoid disappointment. You probably learned after your last dates with those guys you met before.

You continued playing the episode you were watching. Not even five minutes later, your phone vibrated again. You thought Hoseok forgot something. But immediately after reading the contact name, you froze staring at your screen.

From Aaa Love

👋

Of course, you quickly recognized who it was. Suddenly, you felt a sense of nostalgia in your head after seeing that name for a long time. Years after keeping this contact hidden on your list, you totally forgot that you never changed his contact name even after the accident. You cannot even remember when you hid his name in your list. Maybe it was one of those nights you were drunk with friends and made some decisions.

Before replying, you renamed the contact.

To Kim Taehyung

Hi, Tae 🙂

While waiting for his reply, you recalled that night. You remembered feeling good entering your apartment even though your date didn’t show up. When Jisoo asked you how it went through a video chat, you said that the date didn’t happen.

“Then, why do you look happy?” she asked that time.

That’s when you snapped out of your daze, “D-Do I?”

“Yeah, you’ve been smiling ever since we got on this call.”

“Oh…” your lips formed a thin line before speaking again. “I… I saw an old friend in the same restaurant.”

The last time you and Jisoo really talked about Taehyung was still the time she showed up unexpectedly after her wedding. You cried, she cried.

“Really? Who?”

“Taehyung.”

You wait for her reaction and you gradually see her eyes widen.

“What? What is he doing there? Did you talk?” she asked with surprise in her tone.

“Apparently, he’s doing some business here. And yes, we talked. He offered to drive me home.” you shared.

“And?”

“It was nice.”

Your simple and short answer had Jisoo simply staring at you through the screen. It was like she was studying you. You knew she had a lot to say in her head based on her quiet reaction. But then, she just said,

“Okay.”

From Kim Taehyung

Hello, YN. Just making sure I have the right number here haha

Taehyung finally replied. You let the episode play in the background as you tap on your screen,

To Kim Taehyung

I told you I didn’t change it!

From Kim Taehyung

I know, I’m sorry hehe

Just by the text, you can imagine him awkwardly laughing as he says that. Before you can reply, another text popped in.

From Kim Taehyung

Btw the celebration will be in the bakeshop. Next Saturday, 2 PM.

From Kim Taehyung

It’s a late lunch event with friends and family. We’re hoping you can come 😊

Reading that, a smile formed on your lips. With you working at school, you are usually free on weekends. 

To Kim Taehyung

Will do!

“Can you put dinosaurs in it?”

“Of course, bud. Anything you like.”

Taehyung softly ruffled Jihoon’s hair, who remained focused on coloring his activity book. The little kid’s birthday is coming up soon and the preparations for it had begun. Since Jimin would be the one making the multi-layered birthday Jurassic-themed cake, Taehyung offered to make the cupcakes. 

A couple of toys, specifically, dinosaurs, are all over the table that Jihoon and Taehyung occupy. And ever since he arrived at the shop this morning, the kid kept talking about his favorite animal. Being the best uncle that he is, Taehyung listens while being quietly amazed by how much Jihoon knows about dinosaurs. 

“Ashley just sent a copy of the contract in our e-mail earlier. She wants us to review it first before finalizing.” Jimin spoke while placing an apple juice box on the table.

Jihoon scoots a little to accommodate his father sitting next to him. He stayed busy with his crayons. 

“Have you read it?” Jimin asked.

Taehyung shakes his head, “I haven’t. I think I left my phone on silent while doing those lemon tarts.”

“Well, I think you should read it. They put something they probably forgot to mention before.” his friend noted.

His eyebrows draw together before reaching for his phone. Taehyung immediately clicked on the file sent to him from Ashley. He carefully read word by word written in the document. He thought everything was already mentioned in their online meeting days after he went to Incheon. Until he read one of the sections of the contract.

Staffing Arrangements

The bakery agrees to temporarily assign one of its capable bakers to work at the restaurant in Incheon for four weeks, beginning on the first day of offering the pastries on the menu of the restaurant. During this time, the assigned baker will head pastry production, equip training for restaurant staff, and guarantee regular quality control. The restaurant agrees to cover the entrusted baker's salary, expenses, and even housing if demanded.

After pausing for a few seconds, Taehyung scanned his eyes all over that part again. Just to make sure he understood it right. He looked back up to Jimin, who had his arms crossed over his chest while waiting for a reaction from him.

“So?”

“This means one of us had to stay here while the other had to manage around in Incheon.”

September is usually dry and warmer in Incheon.

After living in this part of the country for around two years now, you already got better at predicting the weather and climate. But today, your predictions were proven wrong when you had to stay under a waiting shed while the harsh raindrops poured continuously. You were too confident that you left your umbrella at home.

4:12 PM

You looked down at your phone. It has been almost thirty minutes since you stood in this shed, waiting for your usual bus to arrive. But you don’t know why there have only been two buses that passed by. You were unable to get on any of those since both were packed, considering the unexpected rainfall. You tried booking a cab but there’s nothing around your area at the moment. Your friend, Aileen already left earlier with her husband while Martha offered to drive you home but you live almost twenty minutes away from her. So, you kindly rejected her offer. Again, you were too confident that you would be able to ride the bus quickly.

Puffing your cheeks, you began dialing someone’s number. He answered after the second ring.

“Hey, Hoseok…” you greeted.

He was quick to reply, “Hi, are you on your way? I’m driving to the cafe.”

“Yeah, uhm, I’m kinda running late for our date tonight.” you chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of your head. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay. Everything alright?” 

“Haha, yeah. Just waiting for a bus to stop by here the school. It’s raining like crazy today.” you mentioned.

“Yeah, it is… you know, I can pick you up if you want to.” he offered.

Your eyebrows lifted, “Really?”

“Of course, YN.”

“Okay, thank you so much!” you smiled, finally.

“No worries. I’m on my way.”

“Okay, take care,” you said before ending the call.

With your plans of getting ready pre-date at your home canceled, you sat on one of the benches in the shed and touched up yourself quickly. You reapplied your lipstick with your front camera as your mirror. You ran your hand through the stubborn flyaways of your hair before tying it into the easiest half-up, half-down hairstyle you know. You’re still in your usual work clothes, a statement T-shirt (with a friendly and maybe corny quote written on it and jeans. Originally, you would wear something cuter. But this one will do. Even though the cool breeze makes you wish you wore something warmer too.

And less than five minutes later, a black Audi stops right in front of the stop. Your legs bounced restlessly. The windows were tinted dark so you cannot really see who’s inside. But the door on the other side of the car opened and there, you recognized the man from the pictures on Martha’s phone. Almost like sunshine, his smile as he made his way to you made you smile too. Your fidgeting legs had already calmed down as he stopped in front of you.

“YN?” He asked since this was the first time you two really saw each other.

You nodded, “Hi. You’re Hoseok, right?”

Although you were at ease with his arrival, there was still an awkward tension between you two. But it tones down when you two chuckled.

“Yes, nice to meet you.” he smiled again. He quickly noticed you hugging yourself. “It’s cold. How about let’s get you inside?”

“Sounds good.” you agreed.

Joining him under his transparent umbrella, your shoulders brushed against each other, and you could feel his warmth beside you. He opened the car door for you while ensuring no raindrop would touch your skin. You mumbled a small ‘thank you’ when you finally got to sit inside. You watched as he made his way back to the driver’s side of the car.

“Are you okay? Everything’s fine?” he asked immediately.

“Yeah, thank you again for picking me up,” you replied. 

“You’re welcome,” he replied before reaching for something from the backseat. 

Your eyes widened when you saw what it was. It was like your eyes sparkled as he handed you the small bouquet of yellow tulips, tied with a matching gold ribbon. 

“I’m really sorry for missing our date last time.” he apologized, watching you appreciate the flowers.

It has been so long since you received flowers. You cannot even remember when was the last time. So you cannot help but feel this funny feeling in your stomach while you look at the flowers. Especially since yellow tulips are your favorite.

“You didn’t have to. I understand why,” you spoke, tilting your head in his direction. Your voice was small and soft.

“Still, you waited for me alone in that restaurant. I cancelled last minute… Do you love it?”

“Of course, I love yellow tulips!” you exclaimed before taking in its subtle scent.

“I’m glad. I may or may not have asked Martha for help with those.” he chuckled.

Hoseok began driving while you find it more comfortable being around him. He has this infectious smile that brings more warmth in this rainy weather. It probably helps when he’s with patients.

“How long have you been waiting there?” he asked, starting up a conversation.

“Oh, you know, like half an hour.” you sneered at yourself. You hear him gasp. You chuckled, “To be fair, it is a rainy day. I can usually find a ride easily. I just didn’t expect that it would rain today.”

“It’s usually sunny at this time of the year,” he noted.

“It is. I was already waiting for the bus when the rain poured,” you told him. 

“I thought you and Martha usually go home together?” he asked, looking from the road to you for a quick second.

“Sometimes. But I feel bad for making her drive past her house for like twenty minutes,” you revealed. 

You tried offering to pay for her gas but she declined. Although she constantly assured you that it’s fine, you feel like an inconvenience, especially after a busy day at work. You are very aware it’s a you problem. But it’s just the way it is.

You shifted in your seat, “How about you? Did you have work today?”

He nods, “Ah, yes. I got off my shift earlier this day. Then went home to see my dog before dropping her off at my sister’s.”

“Oh, you have a dog?”

“Yeah, a senior dog but Mickey’s still the family’s baby.” he chuckled. “We take turns with her. Some days, she’s with me. Or my sister’s or my parents’.”

“So, you’re originally from here in Incheon?” you asked, curious when he mentioned his family.

He shakes his head, “No, we moved here when I was in high school. I left during college. Then, came back when I began working. I like staying close to my family. And you?”

“No, I moved here from Seoul two years ago.” you shared.

“And what about your family? They stayed there?” he asked.

“Nope, I’m an only child. My parents died years ago– Please, don’t say you’re sorry. It’s fine, it’s been so long.” you chuckled when you saw how his expression changed. “But I do have my Aunty Belle. She’s around the city too. She looked after me until I left to study in SNU.”

“You went to SNU too?” Hoseok exclaimed.

You beamed, “Yes– Wait, we’re here?”

He laughed, “Yeah.”

Distracted, you didn’t notice the car arriving in front of the cafe Hoseok talked about. He told you to wait for him, leaving the car with the umbrella. He opened the car door for you and helped you with the umbrella. He does the same thing when opening the cafe’s front door for you. And when a bell clangs when the door opens, you get reminded of your favorite bakeshop back in Seoul.

“I’ll be having iced americano and a slice of carrot cake. How ‘bout you?” Hoseok turned to you as you two stood in front of the staff.

“I’ll have green tea and banana muffins,” you answered.

After ordering, you two sat on one of the empty pearly white tables and chairs near the glass window while waiting. It was a well-lit place. It has a minimalist and clean aesthetic. Hoseok sat across you, tapping his fingers along to the music playing in the background.

“So, what made you agree to do this blind date?” you asked him.

“Well, I’ve been single for the last three months and I never really tried blind dating before so I said yes when Martha told me about you,” he answered.

“Well, I hope she said nice things.” you two chuckled.

“Don't worry, she did.” He assured you. “How about you?”

“Martha had been setting me up for blind dates these past few months because I’ve been single ever since I came here in Incheon. The last dates I went to were unsuccessful so she promised that this one was gonna be great. So I agreed for the last time.” you told him.

“And so far, how is this one going?” he asked cheekily.

You pretended to think for a second, humming as you rubbed your chin. He laughed.

“It’s going great. You get plus points for my favorite flowers.” you smiled.

“Even though I didn't show up last time?”

He seemed really apologetic about that. He brought it up again for the nth time even though you already told him countless times that it’s okay.

You puffed, “Hoseok, it's fine. I really do understand. I used to work at a hospital, things can get a little spontaneous. No worries about it.”

A staff member came with your orders. She carefully placed your drinks and food on your table. You can feel your shoulders relaxing as you feel the warmth of the tea on your tongue when you take a sip from the cup.

“How was it?”

You smiled, “Nice. Perfect for a rainy day. How did you find this place? I don't think I ever reached this part of the city.”

“This is the only open cafe I see whenever I get off from my shift very late at night. I love their coffee here.” 

You nodded while taking a bite from the banana muffin you ordered. And you quickly recognized its difference from your usual banana muffin. You look at Hoseok who's enjoying his cake.

“How was it?” he asked, pointing his fork at your muffins.

“This feels a little dry and the texture’s a bit rough,” you whispered, not really wanting the nice lady at the cashier to hear you.

You don't want to be critical. But you just got used to having a soft and fluffy banana muffin or even bread with the right amount of sweetness in it.

He leaned a bit forward, mirroring you, “Really?” 

“Yeah, seems like it had a lot of flour,” you added before offering him one of the muffins.

You watched him take a bite and chew on it. After gulping it down, you wait for his opinion.

“It is dry.” he nods before putting the muffin down. “You seem to know a lot about bread. Do you bake?”

No, but I know someone who put his heart out and is a perfectionist in baking.

Instead of saying that, you shake your head.

“Oh, no. But I do love a lot of bread and pastries. I just know friends who bake back in Seoul.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. We probably didn't get to discuss that in the meeting we had.” 

Taehyung, along with Jimin, sat at the same table since that morning. Jihoon’s mom already picked him up earlier and the shop was already sold out by 5 PM so they closed early. Now, they are just having a call with Ashley about the contract.

“So, it means that based here on the contract, you want one of us to stay there in Incheon to oversee the pastries.” Jimin clarified.

“Yes, we just want to make sure that the quality of the products will be the same as what you have there in Seoul. Also, we thought that it might be better for our crew members to personally learn about it from the baker himself.” Ashley explained through the call set in loudspeaker mode.

Jimin looked at Taehyung who nods with that. This time, Taehyung has a question.

“You said that there would be a salary?” 

“Yes. There would be a separate salary for the baker who will be staying here with us for four weeks. And since traveling from Seoul to Incheon can be a hassle, if you want to, we can also provide temporary accommodation with complete furniture. My husband runs a condominium business here so the accommodation would be on one of his buildings.”

Both of the men’s jaws dropped with that information. Their eyes were wide as they met each other's gaze. They definitely didn't expect that information from her. They were unaware of how rich she was. They just know that she runs a great restaurant in Incheon.

Jimin cleared his dry throat, “Okay, thank you for clarifying it. But we hope you can still wait before we sign the contract since me and my friend still have to talk about it.” 

“Sure, of course. Just reach out to us whatever your decision is.”

“Thank you. Have a great night.”

As soon as Jimin ended the call, the two exchanged looks.

“So?” Taehyung began.

Jimin shakes his head, “I can't. Jihoon just began going to school. You know what my co-parenting arrangements with his mom are.” 

Taehyung nods. After learning about Jihoon’s existence, Jimin wanted to make up for those years he missed. He was hands-on in everything that his son takes part in. He is also helping Jihoon’s mom in looking after him since she is currently working in a nine-to-five job.

“It's fine with me. I went on vacation there once. It's nice there. Plus, we can split the salary.” He commented. 

And he didn't really have any obligations here in Seoul. Unlike his best friend. It would be easier and better if he went. Jimin can manage the shop while taking care of Jihoon. Taehyung is flexible in working everywhere. 

“It would also be nice to stay in a new place.”

“No, but the living finances in Seoul are really more expensive than here.”

You don't sure how long has it been since you and Hoseok arrived here in the cafe. You already finished your tea while the ice on his drink has already melted. The only muffin left was half-eaten. The plate of his carrot cake was already on your after he let you finish it when he noticed that you liked it after giving you a taste.

“It is. That's also another reason why I came back here.” Hoseok exclaimed. “I can't stand living with another careless roommate again.”

You laughed when he referenced his bad roommate experience he told you earlier. Hoseok has been funny and nice ever since he picked you up today. He talked about Mickey, his life back in Seoul, and a little bit about his family.

“But you said you stayed in Seoul after graduating, right?” he recalled.

“Yes, I did.”

“How? Did you live alone?”

“At first, I became roommates with my best friend there, who’s also a nurse. That lasted for a couple of years... Then, I moved in with the guy I was dating at the time.” You told him.

“Like in his apartment?”

You shake your head, “We bought a house.”

His jaw dropped, “You bought a house? In Seoul?!”

“Yeah, we did some research and saved up for it starting from our first anniversary. Apparently, foreclosed properties are cheap there.” You shared it like a fact.

Taehyung was the first one to bring up the idea of living together a few weeks before your anniversary. After talking about it, you two did some research and went to a lot of open houses. Then, you found out about foreclosed properties. Taehyung and you looked in about four foreclosed houses before landing on the one you called home. 

“What happened to the house after you broke up?” He asked.

You purse your lips, “He's living in it. But we agreed to talk about it soon.”

How soon is soon though?

“So it was a good breakup?”

“Yeah. I guess so.” 

The last sentence was almost a whisper by the end. You cleared your throat as if something was stuck in it. It was your turn to ask.

“How about you? How was your last relationship?”

Hoseok leaned back on his chair, crossing his arm over his chest, “It was great for the most part. We’ve been together for only one year. I actually proposed to her.”

Your eyebrows scrunched together, “Really? What happened?”

“We had a lot of misunderstandings in the last months of our relationship. It can be about everything. But mostly, she gets mad whenever I have an emergency in the hospital and I understand that. So one day, we harshly broke up during a fight before I left for work.”

“So it's a bad breakup?” 

“Yeah, a bit bitter.” He sneered. “But at least I don't share any property with her.”

It was a teasing remark to lighten up the mood. You grimaced and rolled your eyes. He laughed.

“The lady was too kind to ask us to go,” you said as Hoseok drove.

The moment you and Hoseok realized that the rain had stopped and the sky was already dark, you two got up and left. Hoseok insisted on paying, even playfully threatening to throw your wallet away if you ever pulled it out of your pocket.

“I’m sure she doesn't mind. She gave us free cupcakes.” He replied, pointing to the box resting on your lap.

“Are you sure you don't want to take this?” you asked because he handed you the box as soon as the lady gave it.

“Yeah, just update me with your review about it. I'm interested to hear more about your thoughts.”

You bit your lip from hearing that, “Okay.”

After a few minutes of listening (and singing along) to songs that played in his stereo, you arrived in front of your building. Of course, Hoseok opened your door for you. He helped you with the bag you brought to school so you could carry the flowers and cupcakes.

“Should I help you to your apartment?” He asked while you slid your bag into your arm, struggling. 

You gave up, letting him take your bag and the cupcakes, “Okay. Come in.”

You opened the door to your building and led the way to the stairs. He assured you that he was okay as you kept on looking back at him. And when you unlocked your apartment, you turned around.

"Do you want to go inside? Water, juice, or anything to drink?” You offered before putting the things on the counter near your door.

He smiled, “It's fine, I can't stay for too long. My next shift is at nine. I just want to make sure you'll make it to your door without dropping any of those.”

You looked down at your watch, “Oh my god. It’s already past eight. You should go! I should've taken a cab.”

“YN, it's okay! It's still early.” he chuckled. “Plus, I had a really great time talking with you.”

Your stomach flutters, looking at him. You noticed the same smile you saw earlier.

“I hope this isn't the last time we'll go out.”

You nodded, “Of course. Martha did it right this time.”

“How about next weekend? Sunday?” he asked.

“Sure, I’ll be back from Seoul by then.” 

His eyebrows raised, “Really? I’m going to be in Seoul for a conference on Saturday. When are you coming there?”

“The same day! I’m going to visit some friends.”  

“Maybe we can go there in Seoul together? So you don't have to commute.” He offered.

“That sounds good!” You agreed before looking down at your watch again. “But I think you should go now. I know you still have to do stuff before going to work.”

“Okay. Let's just talk about it later.” 

“Okay. Thank you for the flowers and everything, Hoseok,” you state before leaning in to give a quick kiss on his cheek.

He smiles, “You're welcome, YN. Tonight was great.”

“Text me when you make it to the hospital. Drive safely! Good night.”  You said as he walked back.

“Good night, YN.” He waved before walking down the stairs.

You closed the door to your apartment before leaning your back on it, looking at the yellow tulips on the counter.

What a lovely night.

taglist rules

RESTARTING OVER AGAIN TAGLIST [CLOSED]

@iamkookiesforyou @aianloveseven @hoodalmighty @taebangtanbabe @nooojaaam @hiimnothing @annenakamura @taebangtanbabe @shin-ie @prlan @starlight-night0 @teddybeartaetae @http-fayeradise​ @tannies-luv @betysotelo18 @honsoolgloss @aurorathi @paulaaa97 @satisfied18 @telepathytae @talkyoongitome @sofilsword @rengoku1missu

PERMANENT TAGLIST

@dunixxd @cixrosie @jksjx @embrace-themagic @buttvi @starbtslove @missseoulite @vanntaesworld @kenqki @imajinthis @stopeatread @seolaquotes @greyrain23 @chimchimmarie @petalsofink @jayhope88 @moonchild1 @laylasbunbunny @nikkiordonez12 @ficluvr613 @misshale21

[zeebee3]

Directory of my fics / MASTER LIST

(🌶️ indicates spice level, 📓 indicates amount of plot)

please note that with the exception of this one and this one, all of my works contain explicit sexual content. 18+ only please.

Not sure where to start? Check out my reading guide

LONG FICS

Balance & Oppose 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 📓📓📓📓📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, WIP, 230k, 46/? chapters, POV alternating

Tags: coworkers, forced proximity, romantic friendship, hurt/comfort, magical theory, mystery, sexually inexperienced Draco (not a virgin but basically), sexually experienced Hermione, falling in love

Summary: Hermione and Draco are co-workers in the Department of Magical Artifacts, friendly but not "friends". When they are assigned a case on a remote Scottish island, they find themselves sharing more than just a tiny cottage.

You Do It For Me 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 📓📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, WIP, 170k, 40/? chapters, POV alternating

Tags: 8th year, virgin Hermione, good Draco Malfoy, all the tropes, a rose-colored glasses unapologetic all-around good time

Summary: Hermione has never had an orgasm and Draco cannot abide. (This has turned into a full-on sexploration with burgeoning romance, and is my ode to sex, good communication, and all my favorite tropes)

The Noble and Most Ancient 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 📓📓📓📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione/Theo, E, WIP, 17k, 4/23 chapters, POV alternating

Tags: enemies to lovers, blood curse, mystery, toxic Draco, everyone needs therapy, angst, forced proximity, hate sex, fighting as foreplay, hurt/comfort, falling in love, polyamory, best friend and all around great guy Harry Potter, hea

Summary: Hermione has a blood curse from Bellatrix's knife and needs Theo, Draco, and Harry to help find a cure.

Baby, Any Time You're Ready, I'm Waiting 🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 📓📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 27k, 11 ch, POV alternating

Tags: rom-com vibes, idiots in love, pining Draco, oblivious Hermione, sharing a bed, weekend friends trip, drinking games

Summary: Hermione thinks she and Draco are “just good friends” but he’s secretly in love.

ONE-SHOTS / SHORT FICS

A Good Landing 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 14k, 2 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: pining Hermione, Draco has a crush, 5+1 things, flirting, piercings

Summary: The five times Hermione unintentionally sat on Draco’s lap and the one time she meant to.

Would You Rather 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 14k, 4 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: masturbation as a teaching experience, edging, dominant Hermione, barely-compliant Draco, teensy breeding kink

Summary: Draco doesn't think women masturbate and Hermione cannot abide ignorance.

A Little Glint of Gold 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 9k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: pierced Draco (belly button), Auror Draco, Healer Hermione, nipple play

Summary: Hermione learns that Draco has a navel piercing and cannot handle it. (This is part 1 of my Pierced Draco series)

Lie to Me 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 7k, 1 ch, POV Draco

Tags: pierced Draco (nipples), Auror Draco, Healer Hermione, inappropriate use of magic, Draco has a big cock (because he's a liar)

Summary: Auror Draco gets hit with a mystery jinx and Healer Hermione helps him (This is part 2 of my Pierced Draco series)

Sympathetic Attraction 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 15.5k, 2 chs, POV Hermione

Tags: pierced Draco (cock), pierced Hermione (clit), Auror Draco, Healer Hermione, roommates, meddling friends, magical connection

Summary: Hermione and Draco are roommates with unrequited crushes and meddling friends, featuring magical jewelry (This is part 3 of my Pierced Draco series)

Say Please 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 35.6k, 6 ch, POV alternating

Tags: Muggle AU, tattoo artist Draco, tattooed (and pierced) Draco, banter, flirting, Ginny and Theo are chaotic best friends, rom-com vibes, dirty talk.

Summary: Hermione is dared to get a tattoo. (This is part 4 of my Pierced Draco series).

It Was A Sunny Day 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 7k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: Aurors, BAMF Hermione, legilimency, coworkers, rivals to lovers, sexual tension, dirty talk, dry humping, cock warming, "try not to come"

Summary: Hermione can't remember an important piece of intel and so Draco is assigned to help find it. (This is part 2 of my Try Not To Come series.)

Inhabit 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 8.5k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: coworkers, stubborn Hermione, accommodating Draco, improper use of polyjuice potion, body swap, titty fucking, banter

Summary: Hermione refuses to take Draco at his word. (This is part 3 of my Try Not To Come series.)

Lemme Smash 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 6k, 1 ch, POV Ron, POV Hermione

Tags: coworkers, crack treated seriously, an attempt at humor, very light dom/sub undertones

Summary: This is a total crack fic based on a bird meme which I somehow managed to turn into smut 🫡

The Five Love Languages 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 12k, 2 ch, POV Draco

Tags: pining Draco, coworkers, fluff and smut, Theo is a little shit (but a good friend)

Summary: Draco gets a book recommendation from Theo and puts it into action.

Ancient Animal Awareness 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione/Daphne & Pansy, E, complete, 5k, 1 ch, POV Draco

Tags: a/b/o dynamics, Omega!Draco, Alpha!Hermione, reverse harem, multiple orgasms, dub-con bc biological imperative, soulmates

Summary: Draco starts his heat during an all-hands meeting at work. Pansy and her pack take care of him.

Self-Control 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 2.5k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: Post-Hogwarts, established relationship, lessons in patience, (pussy) spanking, orgasm delay/control

Summary: Hermione just can't help herself so Draco teaches her a lesson in self-control.

It's So Hard To Be Good 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 6.4k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: post-hogwarts, co-workers, situationship, D/s, domme Hermione, sub Draco, orgasm control, rimming, soft degradation, breeding and daddy kinks used against him, aftercare

Summary: Draco and Hermione are argumentative co-workers in a D/s situationship which finally becomes more.

Well-Mannered and Good-Looking 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, ~9k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: Post-Hogwarts, blind date, pining Hermione, good Draco, flirting/banter, multiple orgasms, confessions

Summary: Hermione lets Theo set her up on a blind date.

Left Hand Green 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 7.5k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: post-hogwarts, Healer Draco, roommates, mutual pining, friends to lovers, strip Twister, Draco in scrubs (and all that entails 😉)

Summary: Draco returns home to find his roommate playing Twister and gets an idea.

Kindling 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 4.3k, 1 ch, POV Draco

Tags: marriage of convenience, pining for your spouse (and mother of your child), RST, idiots in love, horny DILF Draco Malfoy, love confessions, couch sex

Summary: Draco and Hermione marry under a Marriage Law, have a child, and secretly pine desperately for each other.

Disturbingly Capable 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 8k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: wartime, Death Eater Draco, Order Member Hermione, virgin Draco, dub-con, fuck or betray the Order, loss of virginity

Summary: Draco barters with his virginity and Hermione is happy to unburden him of it for the promise of being released from Malfoy Manor. Written for the Deflower Draco Fest 2024.

An Indecent Proposal 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Neville/Pansy, E, complete, 6.5k, 1 ch, POV Neville

Tags: soft dom Neville, established relationship, flirting/banter, outdoor sex, romance

Summary: Neville takes Pansy on a picnic she will never forget. (Written in response to a prompt for the Spice It Fluff fest)

The Right Fit 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Neville/Pansy, E, complete, 6k, 1 ch, POV Pansy

Tags: 8th year, inappropriate use of signet rings, soft!dom Neville, flirting, enthusiastic consent, partly-clothed sex

Summary: It's 8th year and Purebloods have a fun tradition with their signet rings.

Just the Lightest Touch 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Harry/Ginny, M, complete, 4.3k, 1 ch, POV Harry

Tags: marriage proposal, flying as foreplay, power dynamics, outdoor sex

Summary: Harry proposes to Ginny and gets some sort of way about it.

Mind-Killer 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Pansy/Ginny, E, complete, 9.6k, 1 ch, POV Pansy

Tags: post-Hogwarts, oblivious best friends, accidental kiss, coming out, friends to lovers, girls can have Quidditch thighs too!!

Summary: Pansy and Ginny are just close friends, until they kiss. Written for the 2024 HP Sapphics Fest.

An Understanding Between Gentlemen 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione/Theo, E, complete (for now), 18k, 2 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: triad first times, oral, banter, flirting, semi-public foreplay, squirting, anal, falling in love

Summary: Hermione has two boyfriends, and she wants them to become boyfriends, too. A prequel to Honey (below).

Honey 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione/Theo, E, complete, 6k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: threesome, switching, praise kink, Draco Malfoy sandwich, orgasm delay/control, dom/sub undertones

Summary: Theo, Draco, and Hermione enjoy a warm summer evening together.

Miserably Turned On 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione plus Charlie, E, complete, 3.6k, 1 ch, POV Draco

Tags: post-hogwarts, established relationship, inviting a third in, possessive/jealous Draco, autoerotic asphyxiation, squirting, cuckolding

Summary: Draco asks Hermione to cuckold him.

He Wanted To Play 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione & Pansy/Neville, E, complete, 11.5k, 4 ch, POV multiple

Tags: post-hogwarts, established relationships, shifting power dynamics, sex-adjacent lessons, good (bad) influences Hermione and Pansy, boys kissing as a learning exercise

Summary: Draco wants to help Hermione turn her brain off, so goes to Neville for lessons in soft domination (and then puts it into action).

Reckless and Deeply Morose 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓📓

Overview: Draco/Theo, E, complete, 13.8k, 1 ch, POV Theo

Tags: post-hogwarts, pining, friends to lovers, excess drinking, angst with a HEA, requited unrequited love, oral sex

Summary: The five times Theo almost kisses Draco, and the one time he succeeds. Written for the Sad Dreo Fest 2024.

There's Nobody Like You 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Blaise/Ron, E, complete, 12k, 2 ch, POV Blaise

Tags: boys falling in love, demisexual Blaise, character study, frottage, blowjobs, Hot Ron Agenda complaint

Summary: Blaise doesn't know much, but what he does know is that he wants to kiss Ron. (Set in my Baby, Anytime universe).

Everything is Fine 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Percy/Hermione, E, complete, 17k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: coworkers, rivals to lovers, Portkey travel improvements, forced proximity, only one bed, hot Weasley agenda compliant

Summary: Hermione is determined to improve Portkey travel, which means she and Percy have to go to Indonesia.

Cupido gemmas 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Neville/Hannah/Susan, E, complete, 5k, 1 ch, POV Neville

Tags: sex pollen, fuck or suffer, enthusiastic consent, overstimulation, big dick Neville, sex in the Forbidden Forest

Summary: Neville, Hannah, and Susan go into the Forbidden Forest in search of a rare plant and…find it. (Set in my You Do It For Me universe).

True Wild Spirit 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Theo/Luna, E, complete, 5k, 1 ch, POV Luna

Tags: post-hogwarts, lust potion, banter, dub-con to enthusiastic consent, fate and sex

Summary: Luna works for the DRCMC and gets a summons to Malfoy Manor.

Darling 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Lucius/Narcissa, E, complete, 4k, 1 ch, POV Narcissa

Tags: set in Second Year, restrained romance, daddy kink, darling kink, secrets, character study

Summary: Something is happening and Narcissa will use her wiles to get the information from Lucius. (Set in my You Do It For Me universe).

Just Be Cool zero/📓📓📓

Overview: Scorpius & Draco, Draco/Hermione, M, complete, 7k, 1 ch, POV Scorpius

Tags: Time travel, banter, wingmanning for your father, pining Draco, jealous Draco, fluff and humor

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Scorpius Granger-Malfoy steals a Time Turner and accidentally goes back twenty years.

A Gentle Haunting zero/📓📓📓

Overview: Ginny & Diary Tom Riddle, T, complete, 9k, 1 ch, POV Ginny

Tags: Hogwarts Second Year, lonely Ginny, manipulative Tom, psychological trauma, character study

Summary: A retelling of Ginny’s possession by Tom Riddle’s diary

AU - Muggle Universe

An Exception 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 11k, 4 ch, POV Draco

Tags: age gap (20s-40s), DILF / single parent Draco, babysitter Hermione, caught masturbating, daddy kink

Summary: Draco accidentally sees his daughter’s babysitter on his baby monitor app

Take Him Down A Peg 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 4k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: step-siblings, sharing a room, degradation, Draco in satin knickers, pegging

Summary: After hours stuck in the car with her infuriating, cocky step-brother, the last thing Hermione wants is to be stuck in a hotel room with him. But in the end, she finds a way to take him down a peg.

Golden Hour 🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 9.5k, 3 ch, alternating POV

Tags: Post-uni in Paris, nude modeling, sexual tension, lust, flirting, coffee date, smut

Summary: Draco shows up to nude model for a figure drawing class to find that his co-model is Hermione.

Work It Out 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 11k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: Gym Bro Draco, semi-public sex, sauna sex, "try not to come"

Summary: Hermione finds a very compelling reason to join a gym. (This is part 1 of my Try Not To Come series.)

A Fair Trade 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Tom Riddle, E, complete, 5.5k, 1 ch, POV Draco

Tags: manipulative Tom, lawyer Draco, age gap, dub-con, horny Draco

Summary: Draco is determined to do whatever to do whatever it takes to sign Tom Riddle as a client to his family's law firm.

Tell Me What I Am 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 6.2k, 1 ch, POV Hermione

Tags: Royalty AU, virgin Hermione, experienced Draco, strangers to spouses, loss of virginity, gain of a husband, semi-public consummation, private fucking

Summary: Princess Hermione marries a foreign Prince, then has to semi-publicly consummate the marriage (and lose her virginity).

Carefully, with Intention 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

Overview: Draco/Hermione, E, complete, 19k, 3 ch, POV Draco

Tags: Formula One AU, pro driver Draco, engineer Hermione, irritation to lovers, male masturbation, banter, fast slow burn, falling in love

Summary: Draco is a Formula One Driver, and Hermione is his Performance Engineer.

Drabbles

Drabbles 🌶️/📓 to 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/📓

This is my ongoing work that collects any drabbles, fragments, or one-shots too short to warrant a dedicated work. Constant wip.

Pairing are listed in the chapter titles with tags, ratings, and overview within each chapter or in the index.

(last edited July 24 2024)

[thesulkycroissant]

🌈!!

Hiiii friend thanks for the ask <3

🌈 Share something soft/fluffy from your WIP.

Here's some bittersweet fluff from the final chapter of my Bloodborne-inspired fic that I will finish writing someday

->

They relocated upstairs the second day. Dick stayed in his old room or in the den in the family wing during the day. Tim was often nearby, alternating between bringing Dick meals and other items he requested and playing keep away with the remote, insisting that younger brother privilege outranked took a highly experimental vaccine and then did an extremely ill-advised partial blood transfusion in the middle of nowhere privilege when it came to who got to pick what was playing on the television. Bruce wasn’t sure if Tim saw - although he suspected Tim did, because Tim had always been perceptive - the way Dick’s face softened whenever Tim said those words. Younger brother. It was what he had always wanted for Dick and Jason, even though he hadn’t known how to facilitate it then. As usual, the answer had probably been to step back and stay out of Dick’s way.

[takingbacksarah]

Coworking Los Angeles: Igniting Creativity and Collaboration

From Silicon Beach to Downtown LA, we uncover the power of these shared environments in breaking down barriers and inspiring professionals to think outside the box. Through real-life success stories and insightful case studies, readers will gain a deep understanding of how coworking spaces ignite creativity, cultivate a culture of collaboration and empower individuals and teams to reach new heights in their professional endeavors. Whether you're a freelancer, entrepreneur, or remote worker, this blog will inspire you to embrace the spirit of innovation and experience the transformative power of coworking in Los Angeles.

The Rise of Coworking in Los Angeles: A New Era of Workspaces

In this section, we explore the emergence and growth of coworking Los Angeles. From the inception of the coworking movement to its current status as a dominant force in the city's work culture, we highlight the factors that have contributed to the popularity of shared workspaces. Readers will gain insights into how coworking has transformed the traditional office landscape, offering a flexible and innovative alternative for professionals seeking a dynamic work environment.

Vibrant Locations: The Coworking Hotspots in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a vast city, and coworking spaces are scattered throughout its diverse neighborhoods. In this chapter, we showcase the vibrant locations of coworking hubs, from the tech-driven Silicon Beach to the creative heart of Arts District. Each area offers a unique blend of amenities, industries, and networking opportunities, catering to a wide range of professionals. Readers will discover the distinct flavors of each location, helping them find a coworking space that aligns with their professional goals and preferences.

Fueling Innovation: The Collaborative Culture of Coworking Spaces

Collaboration is at the core of coworking spaces in Los Angeles. This section delves into the collaborative culture that permeates these shared workspaces. Through open-plan layouts, networking events, and communal areas, we explore how coworking spaces facilitate connections and idea-sharing among individuals from diverse industries. By showcasing real-life examples of successful collaborations and partnerships, readers will gain a deeper understanding of how working together fosters innovation and drives projects to new heights.

A Hub for Creativity: Inspiring the Artistic Spirit

Los Angeles is known for its thriving arts and creative community. In this chapter, we uncover how coworking spaces serve as a hub for creativity, attracting artists, writers, designers, and other creative professionals. Readers will learn how these shared workspaces provide an inspiring environment that fuels artistic expression, fosters cross-disciplinary collaborations, and nurtures the creative spirit of members.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Empowering Startups and Innovators

Coworking spaces in Los Angeles play a vital role in nurturing startups and entrepreneurs. Through dedicated support programs, mentorship opportunities, and access to resources, we explore how these shared workspaces create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that enables startup founders and innovators to thrive. Readers will gain valuable insights into how coworking spaces act as launchpads for ambitious ventures, propelling them towards success.

Tech-Ready and Future-Focused: Innovations within Coworking

Technology is an integral part of the coworking experience in Los Angeles. This section showcases the cutting-edge tech amenities and features that enhance productivity, collaboration, and communication within shared workspaces. From high-speed internet and smart conference rooms to advanced collaboration tools, readers will discover how technology elevates the coworking experience and prepares professionals for the future of work.

Cultivating a Supportive Community: Embracing Inclusivity and Diversity

Coworking spaces in Los Angeles pride themselves on fostering inclusive and diverse communities. In this chapter, we delve into how these shared workspaces promote a sense of belonging, support, and mutual respect among their members. Through events, workshops, and networking opportunities, readers will learn how coworking spaces create an environment where everyone's unique perspectives and backgrounds are celebrated and embraced.

The Future of Work: Adapting and Thriving in Los Angeles Coworking

As we conclude our exploration, we discuss the future of coworking in Los Angeles. This section delves into how these shared workspaces continue to evolve, adapt, and cater to the changing needs of professionals and businesses. Readers will gain insights into the ongoing innovations, trends, and developments that shape the future of work in the dynamic and fast-paced city of Los Angeles.

Conclusion

We have uncovered the rise of coworking as a new era of workspaces, revolutionizing the traditional office setting. The vibrant locations of coworking hubs cater to a diverse range of professionals, offering an array of amenities and networking opportunities. The collaborative culture fosters connections and partnerships that fuel innovation, while coworking spaces act as hubs for creativity, nurturing the artistic spirit within the city's creative community. Moreover, these shared workspaces play a pivotal role in empowering startups and entrepreneurs, creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem that propels ambitious ventures forward. With cutting-edge technology and a focus on inclusivity, coworking spaces in Los Angeles embrace the future of work, adapting and thriving to meet the dynamic needs of professionals and businesses. Ultimately, this guide highlights the immense potential of coworking in Los Angeles to ignite creativity, cultivate collaboration, and shape the future of work in this bustling metropolis.

[hattywatch]

J. Vesey - July for the Whole Year Ch5.

A/N: I had such a hard time getting these two to do what I wanted them to do. I wanted more pining, more misunderstandings, more ANGST. Alas, they had other ideas. Enjoy ;) ((All reblog tags are thoroughly read and fangirl-ed over))

<< Chapter 4:

September 2021

"It sucks. I should have trained harder," this the closest you've seen Jimmy to tears and it's bringing you to the edge yourself. The frustration slips off his skin and rankles your shoulders, itching to take some of the pressure off of his.

Shaking your head you answer, "No, you give 110% all the time, Jimmy. It's going to happen, you're going to show them your worth and how talented you are and it'll work out. I know it." 

It's a Sunday afternoon and Jersey is interested. They have him on a professional try out and he should know by the end of preseason if he's got a spot or not. Since he's staying in Jersey, it's a short train ride for him to get breakfast with you in the city, and it's so much better than him being on the other coast. You're getting a little spoiled by it- having him close again. A call away after you get out of work to grab a coffee. Just a shout to have him meeting you for brunch on his day off. You barely whisper an idea before he’s getting on a train and he’s at your door.

Maybe you talk a big game of confidence to him- because you have all the confidence in the world in the man sitting in front of you- but you're still nervous. Permanence in Jersey would be amazing. Less than an hour away, you'd get your best friend back and maybe one day you'll flex your confidence in yourself, get your head out of your ass, and tell him some of these feelings you've been squashing. 

"Maybe I should just hang 'em up. Go play in Europe," he shoves a piece of bacon in his mouth. 

You steal a piece off his plate, "That's too far. I just got you back here," you frown and nibble at his bacon. 

He doesn't quite meet your eyes when he answers, "You could come, too." 

Your heart kicks up an erratic rhythm as you search his face for any hint of a joke, but you don't find one, and that's more unsettling than the alternative. 

He grabs the check and heads to the front to pay, swagger in his step, like he didn’t just rock your world on its axis. 

______

"I don't think he was serious," Gracia scoffs and sips her beer, rolling her eyes so far back you can only see the whites. You hear the door slam behind her and Brady walks into frame. He bends down and gives her a kiss on the top of her head and waves to you through the camera.

"Girls’ night?" The perpetual smile stretched across his face is comforting.

You confirm, nodding. "I'm having a crisis."

Brady nods sagely, "A Jimmy-sized crisis?"

"How'd you know?" He shrugs but smirks and tells Gracia he'll talk to her later. 

"Before I was interrupted- he was absolutely serious," she gets a little closer to the screen and drops her voice, and you appreciate the effort to be discreet, even though you know telling her is the same as sending the story certified-mail to Brady himself. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know. I'm working through it. If he ever offers again, maybe I'll take him up on it. I work mostly remote now and my parents retired during the pandemic, so they're not nearby anymore. Nothing is holding me here."

Gracia interjects, "Now's the time, girl." 

Sipping your drink thoughtfully you know she's right, but far be it from you to pump the rumor mill. "Okay, enough about me. Tell me about your honeymoon, please."

Gracias smiles, "I have pictures. Let me share my screen." 

______

October 2021

Jimmy's staying in a hotel in Jersey while he attends camp. He said the bed sucks so he's been crashing on your couch damn near every weekend; he’s a fixture in your place, just as much as your ottoman. 

The coffee maker is dripping a new pot as you help him fold the blankets when he gets the call. 

He nervously answers, you see his agent's name light up the screen. Left hand holding his phone to his ear, the right one clenched hard in his pocket, you wait on pins and needles, biting your lip in an effort to keep a neutral face, ready to support him either way. 

It’s not long before Jimmy’s face splits into a grin and you can let go of your lip, swollen and red. He grabs your hand and squeezes.

"Amazing. Yeah send it over I'd be happy to sign it," you squeeze his hand back and your cheeks hurt from how wide your smile is. "Yeah, thank you. Talk to you soon. Bye."

You're jumping up and down before he can get his phone back in his pocket. “You’re staying?!” It didn’t seem possible, but his smile widens as he nods, and you laugh jumping up and down before he opens his arms and you jump up into them. Entangled, he spins you around and you lean back laughing and winsome, hands interlocked behind his neck to see his smile giving way to dimples in his cheeks. 

When your eyes meet for a scant second, the high drains rapidly, spiraling down the sink like the plug was pulled, too aware of your ankles locked behind his back and his hands under your ass. 

He drops you immediately and you find your footing as he tucks his hands back into his pockets, stumbling over excuses to high-tail it out of your place, “I have to go- call my parents, a realtor, start getting my stuff shipped. See you later?” 

It would be weird to let a little accidental butt grab get in the way of everything you built, so you’re genuine when you muster a smile, “Obviously. Go get your ducks in a row. I’ll start sending you apartment listings.” Locking the door behind him, you feel more hopeful and fanciful than you have in years. 

______

November 2021

Before you know it, you slip into the easy habit of being with Jimmy. It’s like no time at all has passed and you’re greedy with it. Like a dry sponge soaking up as much water as possible, you fill all your free time with Jimmy. 

Trying to make up for the distance that tore you apart with miles and time-zones, you patched yourselves together with phone calls and video chats when they were just a sad facsimile of the real thing. But now… now you have time to sew your friendship carefully back together, reinforcing the stitches; making it stronger, more durable, hardier than before and you both are too willing to put in the work.

It’s implied that each weekend off is spent together. There’s a drawer in your dresser dedicated to sweats he’s left behind, and you’re sure you’re using at least half of his new bathroom's medicine cabinet with your skincare routine. 

It feels good. It feels natural. It feels easy.

______

Finally, you make it to Jersey for a game versus Philly. Kevin's in and you'll get to see them both tonight, dinner plans set no matter how the game turns out. You have a jersey, Jimmy’s name across your shoulder blades and a 16 on your sleeve. Watching the boys live has electricity in your veins and a megawatt smile on your face. It's an icy Sunday night, but you took off from work Monday so you can stay the night at Jimmy’s, and say bye before he leaves for a string of west coast games. 

The Devils win handily, a 7 goal game that ends 5 to 2. Neither Jimmy nor Kevin played great, but when you see them walking out of the tunnel, shoulder to shoulder, it’s just like old times back at the Garden. Kevin looks up and sees you first, Jimmy still looking down at his feet, mouth moving a mile a minute as he speaks under his breath to Kevin. 

Kevin plasters a shit-eating grin on his face and winks. His voice is loud and echoes in the hall, “Speak of the devil, there’s your girl now!” In the past your face would have gone hot and red, maybe you would have stammered out a lame retort at Kevin’s antics, but you just roll your eyes and hold out your arms.

“Yes, here I am,” Jimmy rolls his eyes too, slugging Kevin on the shoulder as they approach. 

“Take me to eat, I’m starving,” Kevin’s suit jacket is already off and slung over his shoulder and you know Jimmy’s itching to get out of his, hating the way a suit constricts his movement. 

You nod, “I made reservations.”  

______ Nothing has changed, despite the two boys cycling through various sweaters for the last few seasons. Kevin proves himself still supremely inconvenient to your love life throughout dinner. 

"Kevin I swear to God," you mumble around a mouthful of sushi. 

He dips his roll in soy sauce, "I'm just curious! I wanna meet whoever is giving it to you on the regular these days."

Piling ginger onto your salmon roll you reply without lifting your eyes, "No one is giving me anything on the regular. I assure you, I'd know."

He shrugs, "You just seem happy. I thought maybe you were getting laid. Must be another reason." He's quiet for a second, munching thoughtfully on a shrimp moneybag. 

You're sure you've made it out unscathed, but he turns to face Jimmy and you're ready to stab your own eardrums with your chopsticks to evade hearing whatever is surely coming next out of Kevin's mouth. 

"What about you Jimbo, you giving it to anyone of importance these days?" 

Jimmy handles Kevin the way only a lifelong friend knows how. Before Kevin can get the question out of his mouth, Jimmy raises his brows, "You that hard up, buddy? Sorry to say I only see you as a friend."

You choke on your laughter, feeling the tingle of wasabi in your nose, but Kevin takes it in stride. "Nah, if I wanted to bang a friend I'd have made a move by now." He stands up to suss out the bathroom and leaves a thick silence coating you and Jimmy. 

"I swear I thought I missed him," Jimmy shoves a California roll into his mouth and you nod. 

"Ah yes, the remedy for missing Kev, is actually seeing Kev, unfortunately." You meet his eyes briefly and they're warm and assessing while he lets a small laugh pass his lips. 

Kevin peeks over your shoulder, "I just felt you talking shit. Felt it in my soul," he shakes your shoulder with a large hand as he sits next to you.

"I mean… you're right, so please also tell me the lotto numbers, Miss Cleo?" 

Kevin laughs and pulls out his wallet signaling to the waiter. "You need a ride back to the train or anything? I'm going to grab a cab that way." 

Picking up your napkin you wipe your mouth and drop it onto your empty plate, "Nah, I'm staying by Jim's tonight. I'm off tomorrow."

Kevin props his elbows on the table and rests his face in his hands. You chance a glance to Jimmy, bewildered, before patting Kevin on the back, "Are- are you okay?"

He's muffled, but manages, "Why do you guys keep leaving this open for me to dunk on? I don't have the restraint!" Your pat turns into a chiding slap. 

"Oh my God, shut up Hayes." He continues throwing you suggestive looks any time Jimmy looks away until his Uber pulls up to the curb. 

When he hugs you goodbye, you hope Jimmy has been afflicted with momentary deafness and misses the muttered innuendo of, "Hope you get dicked down tonight," before Kevin steps back and shouts "love you!" tumbling into his cab.

______

Your Uber pulls up a few minutes after Kev's. The ride back to Jimmy's is only about 15 minutes, but the single glass of wine you had at dinner is taking its toll. Jimmy's gracious when your head falls onto his shoulder, stacking his on top of yours. 

"Tired?" he mumbles into your hair. You nod in reply, knowing he can feel it under his cheek.  

The car pulls up to his building and he helps you out before looping his arm around your waist as you trudge up the stairs in your heeled boots. "Did your TV come today? I think I have one more glass of wine in me." 

He shakes his head, "Shipping delay. They said next week. I finally hung the bedroom one, though."

You step back and let Jimmy unlock his door. "That works," you perk up, kicking off your boots by the door and slinging your winter coat over a stool at the kitchen island, before grabbing a glass from the cupboard to the right of the sink. "Want one?"

Jimmy looks up at you while working on the knot of his tie and toe-ing off his dress shoes, "Yeah just one, though." You grab another glass from the cabinet and fill it with the sweet white that Jimmy keeps in the house for you, since you know he prefers beer over all else. 

When you sit side-by-side on his bed, socked feet dangling over the edge, it seems like a great idea. He clicks on the TV to House-Hunters and you spend the first glass of wine poking fun at the couples who always seem to be a partnership of the most annoying individuals the producers can find.

It still seems like a great idea when Jimmy gets up and leaves the room and comes back in sweats and a t-shirt with two more glasses of wine and hands you your share before plopping down, sitting with his back against the headboard and his own wine glass propped on his thigh. 

You deem it a good idea to take the next commercial break to wash your face and change into a pair of leggings and one of Jimmy’s sweatshirts, since his apartment is always just this side of cold- and join him against the headboard. 

It doesn’t seem like a particularly good idea or bad idea- so you remain neutral as you pick up your side of the comforter and slide your cold feet under the thick blanket. Jimmy mirrors you on his side, and changes the channel during a commercial. 

______

Hindsight is 20/20, so it’s very easy now, with the first rays of sunrise peeking through the bedroom curtains, to realize that pulling the covers up to your chin and plugging in your phone on Jimmy’s nightstand were bad ideas. They seemed innocuous at the time, but in the sobering morning light, you feel the heavy weight of them. 

Speaking of heavy feelings, you grasp at your ribcage only to find a lanky arm wound around it, fist clutching the sheets in front of your body.

The clock on the nightstand reads 5:03, so you sleepily make you worst decision of the past 12 hours and choose to close your eyes and press back into the warm heat of Jimmy’s body and let it lull you back to sleep.

The next time you wake the sun is brighter and the arm around you squeezes slightly. It  stops abruptly, paralyzed for a second before you hear a sharp inhale of breath behind you. Jimmy’s so close you feel him slowly let the breath out against the nape of your neck. 

“Shit,” it’s soft but you hear it anyway. 

You're left cold when he gently removes his arm from around you and rolls out of the bed.

______

The speed that Jimmy accesses running around his apartment packing is actually pretty impressive. You’d be more impressed if you weren’t worried he was doing this to avoid looking at you directly. Still in pjs, you’re slowly sipping your coffee, feet tucked up underneath you on his couch trying your very best to be relaxed about this whole situation. 

“I could help you pack, you know,” you yell towards his open bedroom door. The thump you hear sounds suspiciously like Jimmy knocking his head against his bathroom cabinet. The hasty curse that follows confirms your hypothesis. 

He replies with a croaked, “I got it. Almost done,” and you accept your fate on the couch. 

“You going to be good here if I leave? I don't think I have time to drop you at the train.” Jimmy walks back into the living room, luggage in hand. “ We overslept a little," Jimmy walks back into the living room, luggage in hand and speaks mostly to the floor.

Smiling up at him, you nod. "I am fully capable, yes. I'll lock up behind me," you promise. His face relaxes a touch and you can see a red mark on his forehead where you confirm that, yes, he did whack his head against the cabinet. 

Standing, you walk around Jimmy to drop your mug in the sink knowing you'll wash it before you go. You stand in front of him (blocking his escape route to the front door) to confirm, "See you in a week?" Trying to inject some hopefulness into your voice, you silently pray whatever awkwardness is still clinging to Jimmy after your impromptu bed-sharing will be scrubbed clean after this away stretch. 

At the same time, you hope you can shove him back into that box in your heart and stop making things weird with your best friend. Surely, no man who's interested in you would be reacting in the way Jimmy is, frenetic and downright dodgy. 

You can't remember the last time Jimmy was anything but calm, quiet sureness around you –  maybe when you first met and he came to your door with bagels, if you really had to put a date on it.

He nods like you’ve seen him do in intermission interviews, brows drawn together and mouth in a hard line. You’re sure he’s going to give you some platitude about playing a full 60, but he just promises back, "Of course." After checking his watch he tacks on, "But I do have to go now." He leans down to hug you and you wrap your arms tight around his middle. 

When your phone rings shrilly, still on the couch, you turn your head to glimpse at the caller id. That's your plan anyway, but you're surprised when your lips catch Jimmy's, clearly in their path to your cheek before you jerked your head to the right and intercepted them.

It's shy and perfect for only a second, both of you tentatively leaning in and tilting your heads, before Jimmy breaks the kiss and looks down at you, confusion pinching his brows together. "I'm sorry. I-"

Before he can finish, you cut him off. Shaking your head with your eyes closed, you spill your secret.

"I'm not." 

Your voice is breathier than you want it to be, but you realize that you want this more than anything you've ever wanted before, so you power through your embarrassment, heart thrumming harshly in your chest and palms sweating where they’re clutched behind Jimmy’s back. 

You've made some questionable decisions in the past few hours, but you'd hate yourself forever if you didn't make your intentions explicitly clear.

And Jimmy- Jimmy has never once let you down since you've known him and he keeps that impeccable streak going as he croaks out a soft, "Finally," and brings his perfect mouth to yours with purpose this time. 

The arm that was hugging you to him is joined by the other, and you hear the clatter of his luggage falling to the hardwood.  He doubles down, dragging his hand up and into your messy bed head. When he thumbs at the pulse point behind your ear, it's visceral when you bite at his lip in retaliation and you feel him smile before his mouth leaves yours and his lips and tongue follow the path his thumb found over the thin skin just below your right ear. It makes you breathe in sharply, his name slipping softly out of your mouth before he brings his lips back to yours and swallows your moan.  

His mouth feels holy against you, intimate and reverent, promising he’ll be back for more.

After a messy moment of teeth and tongues, a meeting you've both been silently, secretly awaiting, he pulls back and holds your face as gently as glass. Eyes closed and lashes against his cheek he's smirky when he delivers the bad news, gently shaking his head. "As much as I don't want to. I have to leave. I don't want to miss the flight." 

"See you in a week?" You remind him, now so sure he’ll give you the exact answer that you want, genuinely and doubtlessly. 

He leans back in and gives you one more languid kiss before he picks up the forgotten luggage and heads towards the door. 

“6 days. I’ll be counting the seconds.”

The door closes behind him and you know you’ll be doing the same.

[msclaritea]

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2019/08/16/the-christian-right-is-radicalizing-white-people-i-love/?s=09

The Religious Right and Fox News are Brainwashing People I Love

AUGUST 16, 2019 / JOHN PAVLOVITZ

A year ago I walked into an older relative’s house unannounced. They’d been expecting us that day for lunch, but we’d arrived thirty minutes earlier than we’d planned—so we knocked and walked in.

The small TV on the kitchen counter was playing FoxNews.

When she came down the stairs, almost in the middle of greeting us, my relative walked hurriedly over to the sink, grabbed the remote and turned off the TV—looking like a teenager caught by her parents watching porn.

Suddenly everything made sense. All the dots connected.

During the last couple of years, I noticed this couple changing, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. They’d become more and more outspoken on things like immigration and women’s reproductive rights and police shootings—surprising me with the intolerance and cruelty of off-the-cuff comments that seemed out of character for them. I questioned whether or not I was just being overly sensitive or projecting my fears unto them.

But after the surprise peek into their viewing habits it was was clear: they were just following the script.

I could rewind over the previous months and see all the alarmist Fox News talking points in their words at family gatherings and on Facebook: open borders letting in floods of rapists, baby-killing Democrats coming to take their guns, terrorist Muslims lurking everywhere, violent black men threatening police at traffic stops.

And looking back I could see that as they found Fox News, they began to lose their religion.

They no longer had much to say about Jesus; about his Matthew Chapter 25 promise that he would be found in “the least of these”—and that we would be defined by the way we treat the poor and the vulnerable and the imprisoned.

They weren’t interested in talking about the way he fed a hillside multitude of thousands, not because they earned or deserved it—but because he was compassionate and because they were hungry. They now just expressed disdain for lazy people wanting handouts.

They never referenced the fact that Jesus’ family fled to Egypt in desperation while he was a newborn, to escape politically-ordered genocide. Instead they preached about law breaking families not “doing it the right way.”

They abandoned any reference to Jesus’ words about kindness or generosity or welcoming strangers or sharing what you had with those who had not—instead, they slowly but quite clearly adopted a bastardized, angry, America First, gun-loving, immigrant-hating, racist white religion that has become the Republican God.

So whether it’s anti-Muslim legislation or LGBTQ hate crimes or migrant kids taken from their parents or children orphaned by mass shooting or President’s fat-shaming protestors—there is always an excuse, always a justification, always a Fox News alternative reality or Franklin Graham tweet to bunker down in.

The same thing has happened in the white people I’ve served in churches here in the South over the last decade. Their social media feeds are increasingly littered with Brietbart fictional pieces about Hillary eating children and wild conspiracy theories about LGBTQ people converting their children.

The change in them has been as stunning in its velocity and stomach-turning in its depths—and the worst part is that I can’t reach them anymore. Before FoxNews, Franklin Graham, and MAGA propaganda, I could meet them in the common ground of our shared faith in Jesus and in the clarity of objective truth. They no longer have use nor tolerance for such things.

The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ counter-cultural, counterintuitive manifesto of humility and gentleness and love—has been replaced by venomous, incendiary Sean Hannity propaganda.

The barrier-breaking, table-expanding hospitality of Christ has morphed into sneering Trump rally rant rhetoric about violent illegals and foreign predators and “build that wall” refrains.

These people used to know better. They were good-hearted, generous people who wanted to emulate Jesus. They used to flatly reject bigotry and defended vulnerable communities—and they were people I could count on for rational, level-headed decency.

They once instantly recognized men like Donald Trump as the antithesis of Jesus.

But this is what happens when decent, intelligent people become radicalized: they get polluted by the things they watch and the sermons they sit through and the nonsense they read, and they surround themselves with an echo chamber made of equally-deluded, equally frightened people—until one day they are the religious extremists that they always used to warn you about.

I love my relatives, my former church members, my high school friends and my neighbors—but I grieve what has happened to them. I lament the poisoning of their once soft hearts, the way Jesus has been all but squeezed out of their religion, and I fear that they’ll never fully recover from the alternative narrative that these past three years have written into their brains about the world and about disparate people and about the expansive, lavish, audacious love Jesus calls us to extend.

I only hope these moms and ministers and nurses and schoolteachers and football coaches and favorite relatives get a truer story or meet someone who wakes them up or rediscover Jesus enough that they change the channel, turn off the TV—and find the truth that sets them free:

God is love.

We are our brother’s keeper.

Kindness is the better path.

May it be so.

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Serenade (Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader) Pt. 1

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Pairing: Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader Rating: T for teen for mild language. Later entries in the series will be more mature though, just a heads up Warnings: None this chapter. There will probably be canon typical violence/blood mentioned or referenced in future chapters though, cuz, ya know, vampire ladies? Notes: No beta reader, we die like Ethan Winters’ hands (repeatedly, and with odd frequency)

Chapter 1: Nocturne

     Of all the tasks assigned to you, none were as bittersweet as that of dusting Lady Dimitrescu’s piano. Years ago, before you had been shuffled off to a remote European village, before you had been roughly snatched from your home, before… this, you had been taught to play music. From a young age it brought you comfort, entertained you on quiet days, and even made you your fair share of friends. Though you had experimented with a handful of instruments, none felt more natural than piano. Leaving your family’s heirloom piano behind was one of the hardest things you had ever had to do. 

     Until you arrived at Castle Dimitrescu, at least. Sweat often dropped off your brow as you spent endless hours scrubbing floors, carrying baskets of clothes or mysterious parcels of meat up and down flights of stairs, rushing to and fro rooms across the estate. Physical labor was no stranger to you, but no employer had ever been as demanding as those you now served. Hence part of why you always breathed a sigh of relief when you were chosen to dust the piano. It was hardly a demanding task, even when you had to take care not to accidentally let the keys make any noise. No one was allowed to play it without permission (and that was never given).

     Which brought you an aching sensation at the core of your chest, balled up alongside past regrets, a hundred million thoughts of alternative realities where you didn’t hurt so much. There was no point in imagining what choices might have saved you from your fate… and yet you did so anyway. Sometimes you thought about barricading yourself in the room, just so you could play a couple songs, even if it would guarantee you a painful death. But you could never bring yourself to willingly disobey Lady Dimitrescu; not when you had heard the wails and screams of Maidens a few floors below.

     Yes, you would never willingly, knowingly do such. That wasn’t to say you were incapable of mistakes. No, you weren’t that fortunate. It was such a simple error, really, just a misjudgment of the cloth held between your fingers. Your hand slipped. That was all. But that slip led to an accidental press of a key- f#, if you heard right- that sounded throughout the room with damning clarity. Just like that, you felt the pitiful thing you called life shatter to pieces on the floor. Inside your chest your heart started to pound, a metronome speeding this performance along to its end.

     Had you not been paralyzed with dread, you might have accepted your fate with enough grace to sit down, play those last few tunes like you had daydreamed about so many times. But you didn’t, couldn’t. All you felt you could do was strain your ears and listen for the impending sounds of angry footsteps.

     Instead your concentration was interrupted by a door flying open, hitting the wall with a slam you knew would leave a dent, as a swarm of insects burst in. Nearly jumping out of your skin you put a hand to your chest, half expecting not to feel a heartbeat anymore. The rhythm was off, for sure, and it skipped a beat when the swarm surged together to form a somewhat familiar figure: Daniela Dimitrescu. Leaning against the piano, one hand bracing against it, the woman pretended to examine her sickle, idly twisting it back and forth in her hand. When she spoke, she didn’t even bother to glance in your direction.

     “I never understood why mother dedicated a whole room to this,” she muses, casually inclining her head towards the piano. “It’s not like any of our instructors lasted very long. Why not let this gather dust with the rest of the useless junk somewhere upstairs?” There’s a pause, and for a moment you mentally debate whether or not you’re supposed to respond. Apparently not, as Daniela soon turns to you and speaks more directly, which is grand, really, as your tongue felt as if it was glued to the roof of your mouth. “Maybe she knew someday someone would come along to serenade us. And you clearly know how to play, otherwise you wouldn’t have dared to make a sound.”

     Stepping forward, she extends a gloved hand, cupping your chin so gently that you almost couldn’t feel her touch. Her gaze, however, was dangerously intense, unblinking, and filled with far less joy than her grin would suggest. The touch lasts only a few seconds. Just long enough to leave you shaking with anticipation. Daniela’s toothy smile only widens as she backs up, keeping her eyes on you even as she reclines into a chair in the corner of the room. You almost wished she would just get it over with and kill you. Whatever she had in mind would be worse in the end, yes? 

     “Well? Aren’t you going to play for me? Show me how much you love me? I don’t have all night,” Daniela says expectantly. She’s relaxed fully, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, spine pressed up against the back of the chair, but she hasn’t set her sickle down. There’s a clear threat in the way she holds it, grip tight enough to let you know that she’s still ready (and itching) to use it.

     You couldn’t help but wonder if she’d be acting differently if she knew that you did, in fact, know how to play. Was this just a teasing start to your punishment? Or was there a part of her genuinely interested in hearing music? Obviously you hoped for the latter. Hell, you practically prayed for it as you slowly pulled out the piano bench, awkwardly sat down, and urged your body to remember a song. What genre would a vampire from the 1950’s even enjoy? All you knew were bits and pieces of a few classics, a couple chord progressions from early 2000’s hits, and a handful of songs you had written yourself.

     There wasn’t much time to ponder, not with Daniela’s gaze burning a whole in the side of your head. So you simply pressed your fingers to the keys, took a deep breath, and let muscle memory take over. Your eyes became half lidded as you started to play, hardly paying attention to what you were doing. It felt like a single glance at your captor would result in the worst case of stage fright known to mankind. Instead you focused on the piano’s wooden frame, and the many grain marks twisting within.

     All the while your fingers glided over the keys, delicately pressing here and there, starting with something simple. Little more than a chord on your left hand, followed with a few short notes on your right, repeating in different places up and down the scale. It was almost a test, a gentle showing to see what Daniela would do. You still refused to look at her, even when you heard what sounded like a bored sigh. A knot tied itself in your stomach, and you gulped, before you shifted mental gears. Evidently “soft and simple” wasn’t going to cut it. Hopefully you could please one Lady without earning the ire of any of the others.

     So you paused, letting the notes suspend in the air for a moment, and came back swinging. The kiddy gloves were off, abandoned on the floor with your sense of caution. Grander things came back to mind as your fingers danced atop the keys, stretching chords and melodies alongside each other, the best of what you recalled pouring out of you without a sign of stopping. Out of the corner of your eyes you saw Daniela sit up, paying more attention then she had at the start. Confidence found itself growing at the center of your chest, and it managed to turn your lips up into a smile. How long had it been since you had been able to perform like this? Years? A decade, even? You didn’t know. It didn’t matter.

     Minutes passed by like this, with your hands moving constantly, even as your gaze never shifted. It was heaven channeled on Earth. Whatever was to come after, death or dismemberment, you couldn’t care less. Let them take your blood, your life. They could never take this music from your mind, from your memories, or the joy it inspired in you. If you were to die soon, at least you had been given one last soliloquy.

     Eventually the song had to end. It was a bitter moment, one you dreaded for its followup, but otherwise would have found pride in. After all, you were evidently the first maiden to give a performance (at least of this variety) to one of the Dimitrescu sisters! Certainly that was an accomplishment? Maybe your brain would let you celebrate later… assuming you survived. Daniela had stayed quiet since her earlier sigh, letting you play on without interruption thus far. Now that the song was over you didn’t know what to expect. Knowing Daniela, or at least knowing the rumors surrounding you, it was hard to imagine that anything you could expect would be accurate.

     “How long have you been hiding this little talent of yours?” She coos, clapping her hands together with a short giggle. So far so good, you thought, clinging desperately to hope. Once more she rose to her feet, moving so smoothly she might as well have been gliding, and ended up by your side. This time her hand rested on your shoulder, putting enough pressure to keep you from moving. “Don’t tell me you’re shy, that would simply be too… precious.” With that said her hand trails along your shoulder, across your collarbone, up your neck, then rests for a moment on your cheek. The touch sends a shiver down your spine, which only encourages Daniela, and she tucks a strand of your hair behind her ear.

     Before she can say more, or you could even attempt to form words, there’s the faint sound of someone yelling in the distance. A name, you think, although it’s not loud enough for you to make out who’s being called. The answer becomes evident soon enough, however, as Daniela pulls back from you suddenly, smile trading out for a scowl. Some part of you instantly misses her touch, leaving the rest of you confused more than anything.

     “Get back to your work, then,” Daniela says, roughly, the playfulness in her voice now entirely absent. It was such a sudden change in demeanor that you didn’t know how to react. Thankfully her eyes were no longer on you, and she was already moving towards the door. Had you really managed to play your way out of a punishment? You knew for a fact that at least one other maiden had lost her life for making the same mistake you did, yet now Daniela looks ready to leave without so much as a slap on the wrist. But she does pause in the doorway, as if reading your thoughts, and throws you a look over her shoulder. Her eyes narrow for a split second before she gives you one last wicked grin. “Don’t worry, sweet thing, I won’t forget you anytime soon.”

     Just like that she was gone, into a cloud of insects, out the door and into the corridor beyond. The tension in the room had left, you could finally breathe easy… and yet still your mind was racing. Those words she had left you with- were they a threat? Or a promise of something softer? Only time would tell.

[fanficshiddles]

Triple Threat, Chapter 3

Darcy and Loki were startled awake in the morning by incessant banging on the door.

Loki sent an illusion to answer, he couldn’t be bothered getting out of bed. Darcy didn’t want to move either, sporting a killer of a hangover. It felt like someone was playing the drums inside her head.

It was Thor, who they had expected because of the noise.

‘What do you want?’ Loki’s illusion drawled, not letting him into the room.

‘Mother and Father have sent me to fetch you both, we need to get to the observatory on the Bifrost. Right now.’ Thor said seriously, glancing over the illusions shoulder to look at Darcy and the real Loki.

Loki frowned, he knew that didn’t sound good.

‘We will be right along.’ Loki said and his illusion shut the door on Thor.

‘Come on, Darcy. Get up.’ He slipped out of bed and his armour shimmered onto him.

Darcy just rolled over in bed and groaned, pulling the blanket up over her head. ‘No. Sore head.’ She grumped at him.

Loki grabbed the blanket and whipped it off her, then used his Seidr to have her dressed within seconds. That’s when Darcy realised whatever was going on must be serious. Loki very rarely used his Seidr on her in that way, always making her get dressed the boring way.

She sat up and groaned, her head was pounding and the room was starting to spin. Loki walked over and crouched down on front of her. He put his palm on her forehead and closed his eyes. She could feel a warm tingling sensation spread through her head, the pain started to fade almost instantly.

‘Why have you never done that for me before?’ She asked, voice slightly high as Loki stood and pulled her up to her feet, leading her towards the door.

He smirked. ‘Because I only use it on special occasions.’

‘Every time I’m in pain is a special occasion!’ She punched his arm playfully as they headed out of his chambers.

Birger was waiting just outside the palace with their horses, he gave Darcy a leg up and Loki swiftly mounted his, then they galloped off to the Bifrost with a quick nod to the guard.

‘What do you think is going on?’ Darcy shouted across to Loki as the horse’s hooves pounded across the rainbow bridge.

‘I have no idea.’ Loki said, slightly concerned about what was going on. Likely Heimdall had seen something, since they had been summoned to the observatory.  

When they arrived outside, Loki jumped off his horse and he helped Darcy down quickly. He took her elbow and they rushed inside. Frigga, Odin, Heimdall, Thor, Sif, Bruce, Natasha and Tony were all there. The Avengers looking rather rough. Like Darcy had felt before Loki healed her.

Tony was wearing dark sunglasses, Natasha looked really pale and Bruce just looked like he hadn’t slept in years.

‘What’s going on?’ Loki asked as he and Darcy joined the group.

‘I don’t know. We were waiting for you.’ Thor said.

They all looked at Frigga, Odin and Heimdall. Who looked rather concerned.

‘There’s been a disturbance in the Universe’s timeline. A tear. I can see it… But I can’t see who or what has caused it.’ Heimdall said, his eyes were a funny colour, black with what looked like tiny stars in them. Darcy had never seen them like that before. But he was still searching, trying to see what had happened.

‘What do you mean, a tear?’ Bruce asked, frowning.

‘Someone from another timeline is here, when they shouldn’t be. Causing a fracture in the balance.’ Heimdall said.

‘But if it was something big, or bad, wouldn’t things have changed by now?’ Tony asked. ‘The timeline is delicate, isn’t it?’

‘It is. There doesn’t seem to be any changes to our Universe… Is there?’ Frigga asked and looked to Heimdall.

‘Not that I can see.’ He hummed. ‘Whoever has broken through to our time, is able to shield from me.’

‘So, someone that knows about Asgard… Who has powers strong enough to hide themselves?’ Darcy pondered and then looked up at Loki. ‘Sounds like you, maybe a long-lost twin brother.’ She laughed.

Loki chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. ‘Do you think you could handle two of me?’

‘No way. One of you is enough.’ She smirked and patted his arm.

‘Maybe Strange might know more of this.’ Tony suggested.

‘Who’s Strange?’ Darcy asked.

‘You are.’ Loki drawled.

‘Oi!’ She bumped him with her hip.

‘Doctor Stephen Strange, he’s a sorcerer. An ally.’ Bruce started. ‘He is a protector of Earth, knows a lot about timelines and other realities. I’ve heard him mention about alternative realities before.’

‘Alternative realities?’ Darcy asked, looking between them all in surprise.

‘Yep. Can be completely different. For all we know, you could be dating Thor in another reality.’ Natasha smirked.

Darcy just scoffed and laughed.

Loki tensed and chuckled slightly. ‘No, she would not.’ He put his arm around her waist, unknowingly getting slightly possessive at the mere thought of it. ‘Perhaps there’s an alternative reality where Thor isn’t such a buffoon and can keep a girlfriend.’

Thor glared at him and stepped forward. ‘Maybe there’s a reality where you are a better brother and aren’t so obnoxious.’

‘Boys. Stop. This is not the time nor the place.’ Frigga said in warning.

Odin just rolled his eye at them. He knew they’d never change.

‘We should get back to Earth, just in-case there’s anything going down. We need to be there to protect it.’ Tony said, then he looked at Loki. ‘Can you just magic our belongings here?’

Loki sighed dramatically, but he clicked his fingers and all their bags were suddenly at their feet. On top of Tony’s bag was a set of red frilly lingerie. Tony’s eyes widened as Natasha, Sif, Thor, Bruce, Loki and Darcy laughed. Frigga smirked and Odin just shook his head.

‘Why, Tony. I had no idea you enjoyed wearing women’s lingerie.’ Loki teased.

‘That is not mine!’ Tony said angrily, tossing the lingerie at Loki, who waved his hand to have it vanish with a smirk.

After saying their goodbyes to Odin, Frigga and Sif, Heimdall sent the team back to Midgard. They were relieved that there was no panic around base, so nothing had kicked off… Yet, anyway.

‘Whoever has caused the rift, might not even be on Earth. There are many realms, it could be anyone and they could be anywhere. I don’t think we can act until something happens, we don’t even know where to start.’ Thor said as they went inside.

‘I’ll give Strange a ring, check if he’s heard anything. He might have contacts, too. We should be on alert, just in-case.’ Tony said as he headed off from the team, he needed coffee. Desperately.

‘I’m away for a nap.’ Natasha said as she headed off too.

Loki and Darcy diverted away from Bruce and Tony, heading to Darcy’s room so she could get unpacked. They didn’t share a room, still had their own. But they always slept together in either one. Usually Loki’s.

‘Are you worried?’ Darcy asked Loki while she unpacked her bag. Loki was lounging on her bed.

‘No. Why would I be worried?’ Loki asked.

Darcy shrugged. ‘I dunno. I don’t know if this sort of thing is supposed to be a worry or not.’

‘Whatever it is, they haven’t attacked yet. Or we would’ve known about it. Or if they have attacked since we left Heimdall, it’s not on Midgard. So I guess we don’t need to be too worried.’ He said flippantly, picking up her remote and turning on the TV.

Darcy finished un-packing and then she jumped onto the bed and snuggled into him. He put his arm around her and rested his chin on top of her head.

‘Sorry we had to cut our Asgard trip short. I know you enjoy visiting.’ He hummed as he rubbed her arm softly.

‘It’s alright. Tony and that seemed antsy to get back here just in-case. I guess it makes sense, the protectors of Earth should be here. Especially if there’s a chance there might be a threat.’

‘True.’ Loki chuckled. ‘Maybe sometime I’ll take you to another realm, just the two of us.’

‘Like a holiday?’ Darcy grinned and looked up at him.

‘Yeah, why not?’ He grinned back at her.

‘Sounds good to me! As long as it’s somewhere warm and sunny.’

‘You’ve got yourself a deal.’ Loki said.

[jamestrmtx]

Fairytale Complex - [Undertale | Sans x Reader]

[Gender Neutral, Frisk's Parent Reader | Slow Burn]

Chapter Fourteen | Run!

[First] | [Previous] | [Next]

Alternate Chapter Title: Darmstadtium, Protactinium, Chlorine, Thorium, Oxygen

• • •

Sun pours through windows with half-open curtains, waking you up.

The emptiness of a bed too large for one person hits you and prompts you to feel around with half-lidded eyes, still too groggy to assess the state of your surroundings. You search for your glasses by the nightstand, pick them up, and slip them on, clearer vision helping you with your tired gaze. Then, you stand up and stretch, allowing yourself some time before you adjust to the changes. Faint snores from a corner of the room make your head snap towards the noise. There, you see Sans draped over a couch, with a beach towel taken as a makeshift blanket. Even with the uncomfortable posture he seems to hold and the general hardness of the couch, he's out like a light, chest rising and falling in a consistent, slow motion.

If you remembered correctly, you'd made space for him in bed, too used to sharing your bed with Frisk, Aunt Brenda, other family members, and close friends for you to feel even remotely awkward about sleeping with someone in the same space. Sharing it with family was a common thing whenever large, holiday gatherings took place, whereas Frisk climbed in whenever they had a bad dream, and friends stayed when they had nowhere else to go. Having someone beside you wasn't uncommon; if they needed somewhere to stay, you would provide them with it, yet you'd forgotten to ask Sans last night if he felt the same way about that. Him sleeping on the couch reveals he doesn't.

You approach his side as quietly as you can manage and bring your arms around his waist, lifting him up. He proves to be lighter than expected as you carry him off to bed, set him there, and drag the sheets over him. As inopportune as it is, you're soon reminded of yesterday and the whole dating situation you'd both discussed when you stare at his face for a little too long.

'What happened to you yesterday?', 'Were you drunk?', and 'Why did you kiss him more than once?' are just a few of the many questions you could (judgingly) ask yourself in front of the bathroom mirror.

Sure, you'd only ever dated one other person before you settled down with Jerry, only to end up as a single parent and then have little to no interaction with him or anybody else for the next seven years, but that couldn't've been enough to have brought the impulse for you to date a stranger… Right?

You weren't desperate!

As you continue chastising your reflection in the bathroom mirror, you hear a knock on the door, halting your judgement. 

"You there?"

You want to disappear, and maybe time travel to change things up a bit.

"Uhhh," you say, words about as flowing as a carefully recited poem. "...Yeah."

"...You doing okay?"

"I think so."

Such a blissful moment had to have its consequences. Maybe then you were too happy to care, but now that you consider the fact you'd kissed him more than once -- even if it wasn't on the lips -- and stayed a night all alone with him at a shady hotel makes this an experience you would rather forget. "Did you think I left without you?" you ask, stepping into the shower. You don't undress yet, anticipating an answer.

"I might've," he replies, chuckling. "Yesterday was really somethin' else."

"That's an understatement."

You take off your clothes, turn on the shower, and stand under it for a while. Your attention goes to the lowermost part of your abdomen, where you can see a bit of pudginess at the sides -- or 'love handles', as the skeleton called it. The steam makes your glasses fog up before you can stare and think about that for much longer. "...Did I really wear a swimsuit yesterday?" you ask, in denial. You slip them off and place them nearby.

Sans's voice turns faint with the sound of the water running, yet you can still hear when he replies with, "A one-piece, yeah. It, uh, looked good on you, though."

The conversation ends as you huff and continue showering. While you do, distant sounds of someone else present in the room bring back memories from when you used to live with more than one other person aside from Frisk. It's strange to hear noises outside your own and theirs.

You finish up with that thought still on your mind, lingering until you turn the water off; you then proceed by taking a towel and covering yourself with it. Approaching a basket with yesterday's clothes now clean and dry is the next thing to play with your memories and customs, again used to being a family of two after seven whole years carrying on with the same routine. Still, you dismiss those thoughts and remind yourself it's no time to be daydreaming.

You barely knew the person you're sharing a room with, and the history behind him and all the other monsters you knew was still something you couldn't let go. Even if you'd been the one to end up Underground, you couldn't imagine yourself sacrificing your own life -- not because you didn't want to save them, but mainly for those you had to look after. If you'd chosen to give up your soul for the sake of an entire race, then what would've become of Frisk's future? And if you'd fallen in place of Frisk, who was to say you would've been capable of finding an alternative like they had? The reminder they managed to come out alive while also fulfilling that goal makes you wonder if life's even possible to do without hurting others in the process. Then again, emotions can be messy; the mind itself is a whole complicated thing on its own.

If one gains, someone else loses. You can't live life without affecting someone else's, and aiming to please everyone is like trying to make water less wet. To be happy and choose a better path, sacrifices have to be made, and being wholly good and giving isn't as easy as it seems when you have difficulties to face day after day.

"Did you enjoy your stay?"

Your existential crisis ends at the sound of Mettaton's voice coming from outside the bathroom. You grab your clothes, slip them on, and take a step away from the door, still able to listen in on the conversation with how thin the walls are. You wear everything except your old shirt, this one still stained even after having thrown it to wash in the hotel's laundromat. To replace it, there's a plain and baggy, white t-shirt at your disposal -- not quite matching with the rest of your outfit, but sufficient to make do while you made it back home.

"It was nice," Sans replies, words cut short. His tone reveals he's far from wanting to have a talk with the robot, but the latter persists. 

""I'm surprised you hit it off so quick," Mettaton says, chuckling. "It hasn't been a year since we left the Underground, and yet you already have a date! You're honestly the person I least expected this from." 

The conversation's muffled out as Sans talks quieter. Mettaton, on the other hand, doesn't catch on. "What do you mean you two aren't dating? I saw you kiss!"

The skeleton continues to keep his tone at a low level, yet -- once more -- the robot fails to follow up with him. "But that's boring!" You can almost hear him pout. His voice sounds more annoyed than you could possibly imagine anyone to feel about a topic like this one. "And here I thought I'd caught something worth teasing you for! Talk about disappointing."

You wait until the two stop talking to exit the bathroom, Mettaton already gone by the time you step out. Sans sits by the edge of the bed and stands up when he sees you arrive. Awkward silence stays as you both look at each other for a moment, broken when you ask, "So, you told him?"

Sans nods and picks up his towel when you signal for him to use the bathroom. "I did," he says, walking off. He then waits beside the door, continuing with, "He's not too good at keeping stuff secret, but he promised not to talk about it in front of Frisk." The door opens and the leftover steam contrasts with the cold of the bedroom. The latter wins instantly, air conditioner on. You observe him as he steps in, looking about as tense as you feel right now. "Your phone was ringin' while you were showerin', by the way." With that, he closes the door, leaving you to check in on what he'd said. 

With steam no longer an obstacle, you slip your glasses back on, approach the dresser, and pick up your phone; your house number is the only missed call.

The person on the other line responds lightning fast, hardly giving it a chance to ring more than once.

"Are you okay, (mom/dad)?" Frisk's voice asks, words rushed. The phone wavers in your hold. They sound too frightened for someone who'd adventured alone at the Underground, yet what they say next brings you back into calm, "There was a bad storm yesterday, so I got worried." They stop and sniffle before they continue on. "Undyne said you were okay, a- and that you stayed at Sans's place, but… But I still missed you." You can hear them breathe in and then out, huffing after. "And then Jerry came around as soon as the storm calmed down, but when we said you weren't home, he talked about how you were being irresponsible again. But then he left a gift for you, and now I'm confused. Does that mean he still likes you?"

"One thing at a time, honey," you intervene, laughing when you notice Frisk plans to keep on rambling. "I'm fine, and I'm still at his place." You let out a sigh and bring a hand to your forehead, rubbing your temples before keeping up with their rant. "And I'm not sure what Jerry's thinking, but this isn't really the time for us to be talking about that right now." Your eyes wander over to the alarm clock set by the nightstand, eight thirty in the morning flashing on the screen. "More importantly, did you have breakfast? I should be back home in an hour."

"I did! Undyne watched over me while I made something."

"That scared of her cooking?"

"She burned her house last time!"

You sit down on the couch once setting the pillows aside. Your cheeks hurt from smiling and the awkwardness of your situation feels less daunting the more you talk with Frisk. "What did you make?" you ask, propping a leg over the other. You lay back and close your eyes, achieving comfort.

"I made pancakes! I'll cook some for you when you get here."

At the sound of the bathroom door opening, you open your eyes, look there, and carry on with your conversation when you see the monster hasn't made it out yet. "Thank you, dear. Did you teach her while she looked over you, by any chance?" Your posture on the couch straightens as soon as Sans step out, tension returning.

"I did," they reply, giggling. "She said she's gonna make some for Alphys next time they have a sleepover together."

With a few more questions and answers, the conversation reaches an end.

You say your farewells and hang the call, standing up when you realize Sans has disappeared. You then look around from corner to corner and reach the bathroom when you notice he's nowhere to be seen. The door's left open, though right as you're about to delve any further inside, you see someone emerge from behind the shower curtains. Your eyes close on instinct, and you turn around -- ready to apologize -- up until you hear him chuckle. "You can look. I'm just washing somethin'," he says. When you look at him, he hands you your shirt, now a bit dampened. The stain's fainter than when you took it to the wash, revealing the monster's whereabouts. "I tried cleanin' it off with some soap n' shampoo, but it didn't really work."

When you take it back, only one question rests in your mind, and that's, "Was this unintentional, or are you trying to gain another date?" You bite back a smile, in wait for his reaction.

You fail in an instant, allowing him to grin and reply with, "Whatever you want it to be." He winks. "Either way, I think I still owe ya dinner at my place."  

You walk with him out of the bathroom and step into the cold. The reminder you have to be back in an hour falls on you, urging you to check the time and search through your pockets for your wallet. From there, you pull out an envelope and hand it to him. "I have to go now, but here's this." Again, you shuffle through your wallet's contents, retrieving a note with your home's phone number scribbled on it. "And here's my house number." Quickly, you lean down and kiss his cheekbone. "Thank you for the date, Sans. I had fun." When you move back, he's a little less tense, though you can still catch onto a subtle mark of embarrassment on his face. "I'll take the bus. But call me if anything happens, alright? Cars can get damaged with the weather."

Slowly, he nods, saying, "Alright. See you later, (Y/N)."

"See you later, Serif."

[First] | [Previous] | [Next]

• • •

Tag List (Comment or message me if you want to be added to [or removed from] it!)

@the-simp-express

@nektotersh

@disastrous-l0vebug

@therealchickenjoe

@mintyflakes025

@pandaquick

@timelock97

@candle-creeps

@paperb9gs

[remythologise]

Hi!!!!! I've been following you for a while and all your posts about Destiel are pulling me straight back to the fandom. I stopped watching around season 9/10 but your enthusiasm is so awesome and I love seeing all your posts on my dash!!!! I've only watched each episode once, but do you have any favorite episodes to rewatch? And do you have any fic recs? I'm so excited that you're excited, it's so contagious. Thank you for being you and for being so lovely! 😆

HELLO thank you so much I’m so glad to share this happiness with you... the absolute hysteria of the implications of this thing

Favourite episodes to rewatch:

As I’ve linked before, this is a great list of Destiel moments to 14. In terms of my personal favourites that aren’t necessarily Destiel oriented (except that as soon as we get to s7 who am I kidding):

Faith

In My Time of Dying

Tall Tales

What Is and What Should Never Be

Mystery Spot

Lazarus Rising*

On The Head of a Pin

The Rapture

Lucifer Rising

Free To Be You And Me (!)

The End (!!)

Changing Channels

Point of No Return

Swan Song

The French Mistake

The Man Who Would Be King (!!!)

A Little Slice of Kevin

Sacrifice

Heaven Can’t Wait

Meta Fiction

Fan Fiction

First Blood

Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets

The Future

All Along The Watchtower

Lost and Found

The Trap

Despair

*literally any episode with Castiel from here on out and now even MORE SO given the recent Implication of 15.18. Just go to his wiki page lol. Also Season 4-5 really does fuck when it’s plot related wow.

Fic recs:

Ok these are just the fics I’ve read recently, I know there’s a bunch of stuff that was written pre-s7 that isn’t here but I haven’t gone back through my rec lists and evaluated what’s stood up to the test of time. So these are the ones I’ve evaluated on my recent binge over the past year:

Down To Agincourt

I haven’t remotely finished this, I’m reading it right now. Get past the first chapter being purple prosey (this is what kept me back from reading it before this month and MISTAKE) and you’ll be like. What. the. fuck. Incroyable. Over a million words of End-Verse angst and pining but also has humour and some absolutely outstanding writing. Ben Edlund come collect your legacy. The premise is that Dean from s7 post-Cas death gets sent back to the 5.04 world at the moment he left it, and takes over from End-Verse Dean - and starts to fight for a hopeful future. My one caveat is so far there’s been very little mention/concern over Sam but it’s FINE because this is SO GOOD. Technically a WIP but being updated.

Ninety One Whiskey and anything by komodobits (warning A Complete Kingdom is very good but has an unhappy ending).

Don’t know if you’re getting the feeling that I like extremely long fanfic but uh.... frankly if it’s not 300,000 words of pining it’s not a slow burn. After I finished this I literally had one of those moments where I had to lie down and stare into space and by ‘moments’ I mean like a full 24 hours. Life changing. World War II AU that is so artfully rendered and researched that it makes literally anyone who thinks they could be a writer cry.

You Can Keep Holding On and anything by NorthernSparrow

If we hadn’t had SPN go past S5 I’m not sure NorthernSparrow would have gotten into Destiel and that alone is why post s5 SPN deserves rights. Relative to komodobits, always happy endings and fluffy and so on. One of the rare authors who also writes AUs with rights. NorthernSparrow is a... nature academic? Of some kind, and that plays into their fics - lots of references to Castiel’s wings and bird anatomy.

Redemption Road

I’ve literally also not finished this even though I’ve got halfway through it three times now over the past decade slkdfjlskdjflkds SORRY my attention span cuts out when they get together don’t @ me. Variable quality sometimes because they have a team of different writers that came together to write an alternate Season 7, but overall really really good and some of the writers are incredible. Also like love it bc they just flexed on the writing team at SPN so hard with this. Has an alternate epilogue which happened because the writing team disagreed on the ending and had a whole drama (we love group projects) which I believe is better than the original(?), although having not read it to the end I can’t testify to that. 

Ok I simply can’t continue to fill your dash with long descriptions so here’s some more recs in shorter forms, (canon-verse because what’s an AU? I don’t know her) and favourite authors: All Things Shining, The Law of Equivalent Exchange, Dean and Cas’ Top 13 Zepp Traxx, Where the Weeds Take Root, and just for a palate cleanser, the very funny crack fic Broadway Musical. Also some authors who have written a lot of rec-worthy canon-verse fics: aeli_kindara (some SERIOUSLY good and happy fics here), xylodemon, pantheon_of_discord.

My bookmarks folder is currently an unorganised MESS, usually I have things bookmarked on my Diigo but since a) most of these aren’t on there and b) I can’t verify the quality of fics I read before my destiel hiatus, this is the best I got! I’ll update and organise all my destiel bookmarks one day sorry...

[mochismilesbrighterthansun]

Fragmented Glass

Chapter 6

Pairing: Kim Namjoon x reader

Warnings: This story deals with a miscarriage. Mentions of death. Dubious consent. SMUT.

Word Count: 6,395

Genre: Angst, Smut, Enemies to Lovers.

Summary: You had the choice of an arranged marriage, upon meeting Namjoon he acted as if he actually cared for you but as time passed you realize that this would not be a fairy tale.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading, if any of the topics above make you uncomfortable please don’t read.

The trip was long. The prior events kept replaying in your mind, wondering what Namjoon could have possibly told Nari. It was weird seeing him so angry at her, he always managed to keep composure whenever she was regarded. You glanced at him to see him looking at some papers on his small table. He felt your gaze and turned to see you.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Uhm yeah, I was just…. I am hungry I guess.” you could not say how surprised you were at his actions, how different he was acting.

“Let me ask for something -” you shook your head.

“We are almost there, I can wait really. I’ll just get dizzy if I do.” you said.

He smiled. “Okay, whatever you want.”

When you arrived there was a driver waiting for the two of you. He drove you to a tall building that looked much like a hotel. Namjoon led you to the elevator and pressed the last button, once the elevator dinged he retrieved a key and opened the double set of doors.

“It’s a penthouse, it has two bedrooms. I know you don’t want to share a bedroom with me.” he explained.

You ignored his statement and went directly to the far wall that was only a glass door, the curtains were open and you could see most of the city. The door led to a balcony but you admired it from inside.

“We can share a room if you don’t mind.” you mumbled staring off.

He looked up surprised at your statement.

“We don’t have to, if you don’t want to. You are not obligated.”

You turned to face him to find him in the middle of the living room.

“I know, but I really do not mind.” you went to sit on one of the beige couches and laid your head against the soft cushions. Your eyes fluttered, you felt so tired.

“The driver is getting us food, I know you said you were hungry but I assumed you wanted to stay in today. We can go out tomorrow.” you felt the spot next to you move, you assumed he had sat down.

“Thank you, what time are you leaving tomorrow?”

“I don’t have a meeting until next week.” he admitted without shame.

Your eyes opened to that. “Oh, so tomorrow?”

“We can do anything you might want.” his voice was soft, he was careful not to rub you the wrong way.

He had never treated you how he was treating you right now.

“You decide, I’ve never been here. I am not sure…” you trailed off, “Whatever you want to do.”

He smiled, “Okay we can go around the city, we can go have breakfast at a small cafe and decide from there okay?” he suggested.

You both agreed to decide in the morning. The first night was awkward. Both of you got ready for bed and Namjoon was adamant about not making you uncomfortable but you insisted on him staying in the same room as you.

And it was awkward, he didn’t seem to want to be too close to you and you weren’t sure what to attribute this to. You both stayed on your side away from each other, too afraid to move or brush against each other. It was hard to fall asleep but finally the tiredness from the trip took over.

When you woke up the next day you turned to find him still asleep next to you. You got up and went to the bathroom and started getting ready, you weren’t sure what to expect, usually kindness from him led to more hurt and pain.

He did exactly what he had said you both went to have breakfast to that little cafe, afterwards he led you through historical places walking hand in hand with you. The first touch of his palm was almost nervous and loose as if testing if you would shake his touch away but you didn’t, you allowed him to interlace his fingers with yours and soon too soon for comfort it became a habit. By the end of the week your hand was searching for his

His smiles became more frequent and small gestures became a usual thing. He would always make sure to find a place to rest if you were tired, or a place he knew food you would like whenever you were hungry. At night it was getting harder and harder not to reach for him or ask for physical contact.

It was the middle of the second week together, he was out on the balcony talking on the phone. During this whole time he had barely touched his phone and you couldn’t deny the dread at seeing him talking and seeming so frustrated. One of his hands was in his pants pocket while the other held tightly the device against his ear.

You slid the glass door slowly alerting him of your presence. He lifted only two fingers to signify two minutes. You smiled and went back inside leaving the glass door slightly open. You weren’t trying to eavesdrop but you wanted to know at least who he was talking to.

“I see... no I understand I mean the construction has to be halted it’s not your fault.” there was a pause and a loud sigh. “There is nothing else to do until they can reevaluate the ground or get us a new lot Maximilian.” you sighed at the name. “You can go ahead and give me a call if you find a new lot, or Seokjin.” he didn’t mention Nari and it was a surprise to you she was his secretary. “Take care, say hello to your parents from me.” he was looking at the ground as he laughed. “I don’t know we’ll let you know okay?” he stared at his screen for a long time before starting to walk back inside. “You ready?”  

From what you could understand the business he had come to oversee had fallen apart. You were fearful he would arrange for you guys going back. It had only been two weeks and it had been the best weeks of your marriage. He was calm and loving, the sarcastic comments that had come to hurt you before no longer made an appearance and instead he would try to be funny.  

“Namjoon?” you tried to attract his attention as you both sat on the couch in the living room watching a movie.

“Yeah?” he threw some popcorn in his mouth, when you didn’t respond he turned to look at you. “Y/N?”

“Are we going back now?” your voice came out timid as you played with your hands, and tried to look anywhere but him.

“Do you want to?”  

“Not really?” you didn’t want to go, if it wasn’t for your dad or brother you’d ask him to stay a year how ever long he could spare.

“We can stay longer,” he turned back to the TV, “I like it here.” he mumbled, grabbing a handful of popcorn. He had the remote in his hand and tried changing the channel.

“We are never going to finish watching any movie ever if you keep changing the channel midway through the movie ya know?” you retorded grabbing popcorn from the white container on his lap.

“This is not actually entertaining, midway is when we know if the movie has captured the attention of the viewer.”

“Uhm no excuse me but midway is when they start answering questions.” you retorded.

“But what good are the answers if I don’t want them.”

“You’re an ass!, you need answers.”

“I’m still going to change the channel.” he moved the remote and you reached for it to knock it out of his grasp but he lifted it up in the air.

“You are being a child!” you knocked the popcorn off his lap and began reaching for the remote more forcefully.

He laughed, the rich sound resonating. “Me?! This is a cartoon!”

Unknowingly you climbed on his lap to fight for the control, when you finally reached it you laughed but the sound died in your throat as you gazed at Namjoon to find him staring at you with dark eyes and an intensity you had rarely seen him display towards you. You always wondered what it would be like to have met him under different circumstances. If you had come to be together as a normal couple but this last few weeks had given you a taste of it.

His hands settled on your hips, and he stared not making a move. You let go of the remote on the side of the couch and leaned into him. He wasn’t moving; he was giving you an out. You wrapped your hands around his jaw and pulled him slightly to meet your lips and he allowed you.

He allowed you to keep your pace as his fingers dug into your hips. Your hips began moving on their own accord searching for friction. You moaned into his mouth as your fingers searched for his hair.

“Namjoon.” You moaned into his lips.

“Yeah Y/N?” His breathy moan was enough to show how affected he was.

You weren’t sure how to ask. Rarely you searched for that physical contact but you were craving it with such an intensity it was too much.

“I….. I want you Namjoon.” you whispered afraid of his reaction at your blunt words.

“Yeah?”

You nodded.

He squeezed your hips. “Need words babygirl.”

“Yes, I do pleaseee.” You begged, burying your face into his neck and inhaling his scent.

“I’m all yours.” It was more a mumble than a full sentence but it had you snapping out of your thoughts.

You raised your face to see into his eyes to find a lie but he seemed to be saying the truth. He reached for you this time and kissed you more aggressively. He kissed your lips slightly biting them, and then began a trail to your jaw, neck finally settling on sucking bruises on the tender skin. You moaned at the feel and he sucked harder, you continued to move your hips against him and that seemed to drive him crazier.

He took your sweater off and reached for your bra unclasping it in one go. At the sight he latched on your nipple, you moaned loudly as he alternated between nipples.

“Joon.” You moaned threading your fingers through his hair.

He grabbed you and laid you on the couch. He stayed on top of you and began kissing you more aggressively. His clothed bulge rubbed against your core causing you to moan into the kiss.

You reached for his jeans and began unbuckling the belt. He allowed you to unzip his jeans and push them past his hips you reached for his sweater and began pulling it off of him.

“I need you.” You groaned pulling him towards you.

“Yeah baby?” You nodded not letting him move from the kiss. “How much?” He asked looking down at you with lust filled eyes.

“So much fuck please.” You begged.

He slipped his hand past your skirt and began touching you through your underwear.

“So wet.” He groaned moving your panties to the side. “Wanted to take my time but I fucking need you so bad.” He groaned not taking your clothes off completely and just pushing inside you.

He grabbed onto your hips and began pulling you to meet his thrusts. You reached for his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, his hips kept brutally snapping against you and you wrapped your legs around his waist to pull him as deep as you could.

“Don’t stop please!” You screamed at his brutal pounding. “Fuck I’m gonna cum Joon.”

“Not yet baby, not till I let you.” His pace was relentless, his lips latched onto your neck and you let out a loud moan. “Fuck that’s it squeeze me babe. Come on Y/N squeeze me.”

“Need to cum Joonie please.” You whined, he reached for your clit and began rubbing it.

“Cum baby, squeeze me come on.” He egged as he kept slamming inside. “Cum baby just for me come on.” With another slam your whole body convulsed as you came. At the feel Namjoon spilled inside of you, he kept thrusting until he stopped cumming.

He stayed on top of you but you felt his dick slip out. You were both breathing hard. You needed him so bad, it had been a long time since the last time you both had sex. You didn’t want him to move away from you.

But eventually he did.

“Did I hurt you?” He asked softly.

“No.” You pulled him and kissed him. “You didn’t hurt me.” You said between kisses.

He didn’t pull away as you kept kissing him and biting his lips.

“Don’t do that or ….. I might not control what I do next.” He groaned in between kisses.

“Who said I wanted you to?” You asked, wrapping your arms around his neck.  

He growled and pulled you with him and took you to the bedroom where you spent the rest of the night all over each other.

The next day you woke up sore but happy. You felt the sun through the curtains as you opened your eyes. You squinted at the sight and rubbed your eyes.

You felt Namjoon against your back mouthing at your back.

“I’m tired Joonie.” The nickname slipped past your lips but Namjoon seemed to not mind it.

“I know baby I’m sorry.” He never called you that outside of sex so the nickname had you turning to face him.

“I’m not.” You said with a smile.

He rewarded you with a smile and a small kiss.

“Can we have breakfast, I’m hungry.” You complained.

“You mean lunch? It’s noon.” He said still kissing you.

You laughed and pushed him off you slightly.

“Yeah lunch I guess.” you agreed.

The days after that were even better, you guys didn’t miss the opportunity to be together or show displays of affection. At some point you had to wonder if really being away from Nari opened something in feelings from Namjoon towards you.

It was so different than all that time that you had been together while being in the states. Three weeks in and you had forgotten Namjoon ever being anything other than amazing with you. Namjoon had said this trip would be a month. And as the month approached you were terrified of going back and bursting your bubble.

And that’s how Namjoon found you, with trembling hands sorting through your clothes. He tried to approach you but you moved away.

“Y/N?” he called. But when you didn’t turn he searched for your face. “Y/N.” he called now more firmly.

Finally with tear stricken eyes you looked up at him.

He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I just….. We are about to go back… I don’t want things to change between us and I don’t know I…” you stopped afraid of him laughing to your face.

His shoulders seemed to sag in relief, “Y/N, nothing has to change okay? I promise I’ll do my best for things to continue as they have been.” he lifted your chin and kissed you slowly.  

You looked up at him, “Promise?”

He smiled, “Promise.”

The flight back had been long and your limbs were tired as you made your way into the bedroom. Namjoon was following closely and you pulled him towards the bed with you.

“We gotta take this clothes off.”

You opened one eye and sat down to take your clothes off leaving you only in your underwear. You wiggled your eyebrows, pulling the covers and getting underneath them. Namjoon took his clothes off and went to lay right behind you pulling you close to his body.

You fell asleep almost instantly. You woke up to find Namjoon getting dressed.

“Did I wake you?” he asked, tightening his tie.

“No, You’re fine.” You sat up and pulled the covers. “Where are you going?”

You knew he was going back to the office. But you had to ask.

“I have to go to the office, haven’t been there in a while and I know it’s only a matter of time before Seokjin bursts through this door.” He motioned to the closed door.

Insecurity gripped you and you just nodded. He approached you and sat next to you.

“You can always come, whatever time you want.” He said, just then his phone went off. “That’s Seokjin, I need to go.” He leaned in to kiss you softly. And it felt like heaven.

“I ….” you stopped yourself. “Have a good day.” He smiled and pecked you before grabbing his jacket and leaving.

This was the first time he had been away in the past couple of weeks. After thinking about it you made up your mind to go meet him for lunch or something. But you needed to see him.

“Well someone looks different.” Seokjin commented looking at Namjoon over.

“I don’t know what you mean.” He answered, grabbing one of the small stacks of papers.

“Kim Namjoon is that a hickey?” Seokjin mocked just as Nari came inside the office.

Namjoon’s hand flew to his neck as Seokjin burst in laughter.

“Oh God, this is too good. I am taking credit for this.”

“For my-”

“For this trip it was my idea you know.”

“You have an appointment in twenty minutes.” Nari interrupted.

“I’ll let you get settled and then we are having a conversation.” Seokjin walked away leaving Namjoon with Nari.

He went to the elevator to find you coming out of it.

“Y/N!” He hugged you tightly, “so good to see you,” his gaze focused on your neck “And to see matching hickies.” Your hand flew to your neck and he laughed. “It’s okay I’m really happy this trip which I totally suggested worked.”

“Thank you Seokjin, I just …. he didn’t have breakfast and I wanted to have lunch with him.” You said.

“I’m sure he is going to love it.” He said motioning for you to keep walking. “See you later.”

You kept walking to find Nari walking out of his office. She seemed startled to see you.

“He is busy.” Was all she said standing in your way.

“I don’t care.” You said sweetly walking around her and pushing the door open.

When you walked in you saw him immersed in something on his computer. You walked further inside, alerting him of someone inside. When he saw you your heart almost leaped out of your chest at the smile that overtook his features at the sight of you.

He got up immediately and went to meet you halfway.

“Y/N,” he leaned in to kiss you softly.

“You didn’t have breakfast so I came to steal you for lunch.” You commented with a smile.

“That sounds great, I just need to go through that first stack if you don’t mind waiting.”

“I have a book, I don’t mind waiting in here.”

He began going through the pile, Nari coming in randomly. You tried to stay focused on your book but you kept glancing at Namjoon, he looked so hot just working. You were always attracted and in love with him but you had never seen him so focused before.

“You keep looking at me like that and it won't be my fault what happens next.” His voice interrupted your thoughts.

Your gaze flew back to your book. “Don’t know what you are talking about.” You mumbled staring at your book.

You got tired of trying to focus and went to stand behind Namjoon to look out the window. It was so high up the people below looked like ants.

You felt Namjoon’s hands wrap around you and lean his jaw against your shoulder.

“Are you hungry yet?” He asked.

“A little.” You responded still looking out.

He turned you in his arms and leaned in to kiss you. Soon the kiss turned heated and you were pulling on his tie, he moved his chair aside and pushed papers aside to have you seated on top of it. You laughed when you saw his papers flying to the floor.

He continued to kiss you more desperately, he lifted your dress and undid his pants in a hurry.

“Fuck I’m sorry, I need you so bad.” He groaned against your lips.

“Take me, I’m yours.” You looked at him directly.

That seemed to snap something in him because within seconds he had pushed all the way inside eliciting a loud moan from you.

“Fuck please.” You wrapped your legs around his waist as he pounded into you.

“Please what babe? Huh what do you need?”

“You fuck it’s so good Namjoon don’t stop please.” You moaned, your arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. “Need to cum please.” You whined.

Without hesitation he reached for your clit.

“Tell me who you belong to, baby.” He grunted as he pounded into you.

“You Namjoon! I’m yours pleaseee.” You moaned.

“Cum all over my cock baby come on” he was rubbing your clit as he slammed into you, finally you came and he followed closely behind but he kept thrusting until he was completely finished.

He buried his face in your neck breathing hard.

“I always feel like I get carried away.” He placed a small kiss on your neck.

“I love it.”

He reached for some tissues and cleaned the both of you as best as he could.

“We should go eat something, I had a meeting but it was cancelled so I should take advantage.” As he was fixing his tie there was a soft knock on the door.

Nari walked in not waiting for an affirmative, and you rushed to cover up.

“Nari I didn’t say you could come inside.” He berated.

“I just….. your meeting.”

“It was cancelled.” He said.

“Oh but you-”

“I am going to step out of the office to have lunch with my wife. If there is anything urgent can you alert Seokjin?” He asked but there was no question to his request.

                    ⊱ ━━━━.⋅ εïз ⋅.━━━━ ⊰

It became a daily thing for you to see each other at least once to eat together. Your life began a steady rhythm and you were so happy about the way things were going. Namjoon seemed genuinely happy about being with you.

You had told Yoongi about everything how things were going and at first he seemed suspicious about it but he began to feel happy for the turn your life had taken.

It was a regular day for you, you were waiting for Namjoon in the conference room when a soft knock attracted your attention. You opened the door to find Nari standing on the other side.

“I was wondering if we could talk?” she said meekly, different to every single time she had spoken to you before.

“Yes of course.” you moved away from the door.

But she didn’t move, she glanced behind her and shook her head.

“Not here, at the deli down the street.” she whispered. “I’ll meet you there during my lunch at three?”

“Okay.” you agreed suspiciously.

She had never tried to be so civil with you. After saying your goodbyes to Namjoon and Seokjin you asked the driver to drive you to the deli. Once you arrived she was already there on a table. For the first time you didn’t care about anything, your relationship with Namjoon had improved and though it had not been a perfect beginning the trip had brought hope to you.

As you sat down a waiter approached you asking you for something to drink but you only ordered a glass of water; you didn’t plan to be there for long.

She didn’t speak after the waiter left, she just stared at her cup.

“Nari, I am not sure why you asked me to -”

“I think I’ve always hated you.” she interrupted, still not looking at you. “You ruined everything, it should have been me who married Namjoon and we would have had a shot if it hadn’t been for your useless brother and your company being in ruins.”

You stood up and she finally looked at you. “I am not going to sit here while you insult my family.” you turned to leave.

“I’m pregnant.” the two words had you stopping in your tracks.

You turned back to her with wide eyes.

“What did you say?” you asked.

She sighed. “I’m pregnant. Namjoon will never leave you. The scandal of a divorce would be too much and being with you will mean my child would not have a last name let alone a father.”

Finally you sat down, “You want me to leave him.” you mumbled, there was no question to it you knew exactly what she was asking for.

“My child deserves a father.” you saw her caress her abdomen with adoration and tears sprung to your eyes. “Seokjin convinced Namjoon to take you to Paris so he could convince me to have an abortion and I talked to Olivia and she did an ultrasound but she recommended I keep it quiet. I need someone on our side.”

This was cruel to no end. You felt in shock, you didn’t move. You didn’t even know what to say.

“They are a family of class, this would be a scandal. None of them want that.” you didn’t have a reaction. “I will leave you to think about it. But think about this child, it’s not his fault.” She stood up and left.

Your phone rang and Namjoon’s name was on display. Your jaw trembled at the sight. You got up and left, you hauled a cab and went to the only place that had never been tainted by anything. A place where you only went to have fun. Or forget about everything.

You ordered shot after shot losing essence of time until the bartender pushed a glass of water your way. “Silvester, if I wanted water I wouldn’t be here.” you slurred. “Give me another shot.” you dangled your cup and he filled it up.

You lay your head against the counter and felt the cold against your forehead. That’s how Yoongi found you.

“Vest make a coffee please.” he called over your body.

“You got it kid.”

You felt Yoongi sitting beside you and moved your body.

“I got worried, I have been trying to get a hold of you.” he commented in a low tone of voice. “Hey, talk to me.”

Finally you lifted your head and leaned against your palm.

“Oh no I must have left it at the Deli.” you whined. “It’s just been a terrible day!, I lost my phone, I didn’t eat and Nari is pregnant..” you held your head and Yoongi had to do a double take.

“What did you say?”

“I lost my phone!, can you believe this?, I am so careful with things and everything and I just left it there alone..” you started crying. “By itself and I didn’t care for it that’s why I lose everything because I don’t take care of it..” your body began shaking violently but he held you close to his body.

“Vest, let me get her tab.” you saw him slide a credit card and then you both left.

There were no words exchanged as he led you to his penthouse. You didn’t resist until you were at the entrance.

“Hoseok he-”

“He is not here, he is out on a presentation in LA. Come on.” He pulled you inside and led you to the guest room. “I’ll bring you some clothes.”

You sat down at the edge of the bed as you began to cry silently. Yoongi walked in with a Black shirt in his hands, he went to take a seat next to you. You buried your face in your palms.

“What am I going to do if I can’t find my cell phone?” You cried.

“Maybe you need to leave it and take time to find a new one.” He commented. “I can’t tell you I know what this feels because I don’t but Na-”

“No!” You yelled interrupting him. “Not her, my phone I don’t know what I am going to do now. I love my phone so much and it’s been so good to have it and last month in Paris and ……” you started crying again. “Why can’t I just be happy, why does shit just keep happening and I have nothing now.” Yoongi held you as you cried.

He held you until you fell asleep.

——                ⊱ ━━━━.⋅ εïз ⋅.━━━━ ⊰

“You guys did good huh?” Seokjin asked as he sat across from Namjoon.

Namjoon rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I heard you guys christened this office and some bathrooms in the last couple of days.”

He groaned, “can you mind your own business? Or is that impossible for you?”

Seokjin laughed, “I’m just saying I was the one with the idea of this trip and it all seems to have worked out.”

Namjoon couldn’t help the smile that adorned his lips at the comment. Things had never been better, you both could hardly keep each others hands to yourselves. He couldn’t complain this was everything to him, you actively looked for him and this was something that you never did before.

Seokjin got up to leave and he instantly called you to meet for lunch. But you didn’t respond, he frowned but put his phone aside and began working.

An hour later he began getting worried, you hadn’t returned his call nor messages. He called you again and you didn’t respond. Fear gripped him and he called Olivia.

“Hello” she singsonged.

“Hey quick question, is my wife there?” He asked. This felt like it had happened before.

“Uhm no Namjoon sorry, haven’t heard from her today at least.”

“Okay thanks.” He ended the call and went to look for Seokjin who was in the middle of a call. Namjoon made a scissors motion with his fingers so he could end the call and Seokjin lifted one finger.

“Okay, I understand and will have the documents ready.” He hung up the phone and looked up. “What’s wrong?”

“Y/N is not answering the phone and she is not with Olivia. I don’t know where to look for her.” He sounded desperate.

“Calm down, we can check with police and the rest of the hospitals.” He got up. “Can you think of someone else we can call?”

Namjoon thought for a moment until something in his mind clicked.

“Yoongi, he might know something.”

After two hours he finally got a hold of Yoongi’s personal number. He was hesitant in dialing but he did regardless. He was quick to answer.

“Hello.” His tone was gruff as if he had just woken up from a nap.

“This is Namjoon, sorry to bother but I haven’t been able to get in touch with Y/N. Have you talked to her?” His voice didn’t waver once.

That seemed to wake him up. “No, I haven’t seen her.”

“Look I wouldn’t bother you but I’m really worried about her.”

He scoffed. “That’s a first.”

Namjoon groaned. “I didn’t call for your sarcasm. I just want to know she is fine.”

“I’ll let you know if I hear from her.” Yoongi ended the call and stared at his screen.

There was a bar he and you had frequented when you were younger. In college, when you guys wanted to celebrate or just drink and have a good time. You guys grew close to the owner, which is why he sighed when he saw he had a text message from almost an hour ago.

Silvester: Aye Y/N is here taking shots like water, kinda worried. Can you come get her?

Yoongi sighed and got off the bed. Replying as fast as he could.

Yoongi: On my way.

His heart broke at the sight. You lay limply against the counter, and as he approached you he could tell you had been crying. His heart broke even more as you centered your tragedy on your lost phone instead of what really had you dying inside: Nari’s pregnancy.

As you finally fell asleep he left the bedroom and dialed Namjoon’s number. He answered after the first ring.

“She is safe.” Was all Yoongi uttered.

“I’m on my w-”

“This was a courtesy call, you come here I will bash your face against a wall the very least. Do not come near here because I swear I am not afraid of the repercussions.” He hung up the phone and sighed heavily. He looked back at the closed door and a tear slipped in pain for you.

You heard voices, your eyes opened to find Yoongi watching TV in your room. You groaned in pain and squinted at the sight of him seated cross legged on the spot next to you.

“You really had to watch TV here?”

“Yup, thought you’d need these.” He showed you a cup of coffee and two small aspirins.

“You are an angel.” You went to the restroom and washed your face and brushed your teeth. You went to take the pills and coffee from Yoongi and sat next to him.

“I don’t want to ask how you feel.”

“Then don’t I don’t even think I know how I feel.”

Yoongi was silent.

“I know what I have to do.” Your voice was weak once again. “I think this is karma. I had taken what was supposed to be hers and fate just pretty much spat on my face to show me I can never have it.”

“You’re wrong. There is no way in hell you deserve what’s going on right now. I’ll support whatever you decide to do except blame yourself for this crap.”

You took a sip from the warm liquid. “Thanks.” You mumbled unconvinced.

“What are you going to do?”

“I am going to leave him.” and finally you broke down.

The first thing you wanted to do was to confront them all. You knew from Nari that everyone was aware of her pregnancy. The first stop you made was to the hospital. You knew you looked like crap, your hair pulled into a messy bun and no makeup, you were positive your eyes were swollen from all the crying.

It was easy to locate her, you knew which floor she worked on. You went directly to her floor. She was by the nurses station talking to another doctor, when he spotted you he alerted her of your presence and when she turned her face morphed into shock almost immediately.

“Y/N what ha-”

She didn’t finish because your palm made a loud violent contact with her cheek. Her hand went immediately to her face where it felt like it was burning already.

“I thought all this time that you were on my side… not even side maybe you didn’t like me but you had some sort of solidarity because you knew how I felt about him.”

“Y/N I don’t-”

“Were you going to do the abortion on her? Or were you recommending someone?”

She looked even more confused.

“For once stop pretending.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“You’re telling me you don’t know Nari’s pregnant?”

Her eyes grew wide at your words.

“You are all trash. Don’t you ever look for me ever again.” You walked away then not giving her a chance to talk again.

You made your way to your last stop, you entered Seokjin’s office without knocking. When you entered you could see the surprise in his face.

“Y/N we were so worried about you.” He went to say hello but you pushed him away.

“I thought you were different, you sent me away to convince Nari to have an abortion? You are a monster.” You accused.

“Woah what the fuck are you talking about?”

“I don’t believe a word that comes out of your mouths, is this why you see escorts? Because you are too heartless to have an actual relationship?” You were on the brink of tears.

“Listen to me Y/N I don’t know what that …. woman told you but she is lying.” He tried to defend.

“So she is not pregnant?”

“I uhm….  I don’t….” he didn’t finish he seemed confused.

“If at any point you felt any type of love or care for me you’ll draft the divorce papers and make him sign them.” You turned to leave but he reached for your arm.

“Please there has to be an explanation to all of this.” He tried to reason.

“Damn the day I said yes to him. Damn the fucking day that I fell in love with him.” You jerked your arm violently and left his office.

You went back to Yoongi’s penthouse and you went inside the bedroom. You laid down as silent tears streamed down. You were sobbing curled in a ball when Yoongi found you.

“Hey,” he lifted you to hug you tightly. “We are gonna figure this out.”

“I feel like I can’t breathe.” You sobbed. “I don’t know if I’ll survive this”

“You will, I know you will.” He soothed. “And I know just the person to help.”

The next day while you were drinking a cup of coffee there was a knock on the door.

“Yoongi there is someone at the door!” You yelled. But he didn’t come out.

You sighed and went to open the door to find Jimin standing there.

“Jimin!” He hugged you and went inside. “What are you doing here?” You frowned in confusion.

“I’m here to pick you up, Yoongi said you needed to get away for a little bit.”

“Jimin I can’t..” he lifted his hands.

“He didn’t say what happened, just that you needed to get away from everything. I know that you don’t see me romantically but I can provide an out. Somewhere safe and calm for you to heal. For however time you need.” He said.

“You have to Y/N.” Yoongi said coming out of his room. “Just for a little, go I’ll keep you updated on everything here okay?”

You looked in between the both of them.

“Okay.” You agreed.

[xpedropascal]

To Be So Lonely [Maxwell Lord x Reader] Part Two

Summary: After being struck by a family tragedy, Maxwell Lord finds his legacy in taking over his father’s business, Black Gold Cooperative. Cold and shut-off from the world around him, he decides he does not have time for anything other than his work and cares only about pushing his company to success – but how difficult does that become for him when you enter his life as a ghost from the past?

Pairing: Maxwell Lord x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.6k

WARNINGS: stalker-ish behaviour, mild sex reference

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR [coming soon!]

MASTERLIST

KO-FI

AUTHOR’S NOTE: yay! chapter two! :) flashbacks can be identified through use of italics. To Be So Lonely will have themes of hurt/comfort, angst, fluff etc. i plan on it being a whole exciting ride. there will be connections to the DCEU and certain characters will making an appearance... however, for story-telling purposes, this will be in an alternate universe to Wonder Woman 1984 just because the movie has yet to be released. the main bulk of the story will be set in the 80s, with the occasional childhood flashbacks. please let me know if you want to be added onto a tag list!

♡♡♡ TWO ♡♡♡

Gotham was a bustling city, and practically lead by none other than Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises and on-going rival to Maxwell Lord. Wayne Enterprises, as an international conglomerate, was taking the world by storm under Bruce’s reign. He had shares in railway, aerospace, technology, food, and more recently; oil. Much like any other successful CEO, Bruce Wayne would do anything to see his business thrive, but at the moment, he had his eye on something very particular. He was a man with a plan. Bruce Wayne was fearless, but he knew when to be concerned, as across the country, Maxwell Lord led the biggest oil extraction company, Black Gold Cooperative.

“Mr Wayne,” his assistant, Gemma, dropped a file on his desk. A file with your name on. “Everything is here, as requested.”

Bruce Wayne flicked through your file momentarily, taking in the glossy images of you that he’d had someone take on your route to work. The file contained everything about you. From your date of birth and address, to your national security number. “Excellent,” Bruce smiled. “I will have Jeeves drive me to…” he pulled out a map that highlighted the route you took from home to work. “…Cocoa Coffee.”

“I believe she finishes at eighteen hundred hours, sir.” Gemma piped in. Bruce checked the time on his wrist watch and cursed under his breath before standing up and grabbing his coat.

“I best be on my way then.”

A lot had happened since the days you spent living in the Lord family guest house. You were now, a lot older – a young adult with ambition, but stuck working as a part-time barista in one of Gotham’s favourite coffee shops, Cocoa Coffee. You and your mother had returned to Gotham four years after moving to DC; and looking back, your time spent with the Lord family had been tainted by the day you were forced to leave.

♡

Every day was the same. You would come home from school and throw your bag on the sofa before changing into your play shoes and heading out to the gardens to see Maxwell. For him, it was similar. At 4PM sharp, he would drop whatever he was doing to come see you. His mother hated you, that much was obvious. Naomi Lord constantly scolded her son for playing with you. “The Lord family do not associate with people like that,” she would tell Maxwell. But he didn’t care. He was your best friend and you were his only friend. He went from wanting to be a successful businessman like his father, to wanting to be as free-spirited and happy as you. You inspired him and made him feel like a better person.

On the evening of Maxwell’s sixteenth birthday, you had something special planned. You wanted to lay with him in the gardens and show him the beauty of star gazing while you stuffed your faces with cake and told each other the craziest imaginative stories. At 4PM sharp, no different to usual, you slung your bag down on the sofa and slid your feet into your play shoes, and just as you were about to leave the guest house, your mother extended her arm across the front door, stopping you in your tracks.

“Sweetheart,” your mother said sadly. “Maxwell can’t play with you today.” You looked up at your mother, doe-eyed and confused. Your mother had never stopped you from playing with Maxwell. Before you could question her, she opened her mouth again. “I’ve lost my job.”

Your jaw dropped. “You- what- mom… what happened?”

Your mom shook her head, avoiding eye contact. “I’ve packed all your things. We need to leave right now.”

If you’re mother wasn’t prepared to tell you why she had been fired, the least she could do was allow you to see your best friend once more on his sixteenth birthday. “At least let me say goodbye to Max-“

“No you can’t.” Your mother’s voice grew stern. You knew, in that moment, something serious happened. “We are leaving, now.”

“But Max-“

Your mother raised her voice, barking your name angrily, and making you flinch. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. “Something awful has happened, and Maxwell… I just know the poor boy will have a lot on his plate right now. More than anyone could ever imagine. You and I… we might not have much, but we’re lucky.” Your mother’s tone of voice softened. She was clearly sad. But you became increasingly frustrated at her secrecy and not allowing you to say a final farewell to your best friend.

The sky fell dark fast, and as you left the guest house with your bags and walked down the drive way, Lord Manor was busier than you had ever seen before. An ambulance, police cars, vans from not only local news stations, but national news stations too. Flashing lights blinding you from the paparazzi cameras. Your mother dragged you into the shadows, ensuring the press didn’t see you both leave. You couldn’t help but stare, and walked on your tip-toes, trying to look over the heads and see what was going on.

There, standing outside the front door of Lord Manor was Naomi Lord and her sixteen year old son, Maxwell. Naomi was sobbing into a silk handkerchief, her hair no longer in perfect curls and her makeup smudged with tears. Standing forward slightly, all suited up, was Maxwell Lord IV. On his sixteenth birthday.

You knew this would be the last time you saw your best friend; but you wished you hadn’t seen him at all. All colour was drained out of his skin and he stood there, frozen. You whispered his name to yourself as your mother dragged you to the gates, and you felt tears brim your eyes. You didn’t want to leave him. Not without a goodbye. Maxwell looked sick. Despite dressed in one of his best designer suits, hair perfectly styled – he looked ghostly. The closer you got to the gate, the more you heard paparazzi endeavour him with questions. But it was so loud and overwhelming you could barely make out what they were saying. Gone, was the happy smiley boy you played with in the gardens. It may have been Maxwell’s sixteenth birthday, but that day marked the end of his youth. No more time for games.

♡

“Life is good, but it can be better… I’m Maxwell Lord and for a low monthly fee…” Hearing his name snapped you out of your daydreams. You looked over at the small television in the corner of the staff room, your co-worker, Theresa, smacking it with her hands in frustration.

“Remote not working again?” You sighed, putting a hand on your hip and watching her struggle to change the channel. You couldn’t help but smile as she let out an exasperated groan.

“Welcome to Black Gold Cooperative! The world’s first oil company run for the people, by the people. You can own a piece of the most lucrative industry in the world. And every time we strike gold, you strike gold.” You felt your lips twist in disgust at how artificial your childhood friend was sounding. You couldn’t even bare to look at him. His face was everywhere.

“Every time we strike gold, you strike gold,” you badly mimicked his iconic line. It was the company slogan. Rolling your eyes, you walked out of the staff room and to the front-of-house. You heard Theresa throw the remote in frustration and suddenly, Maxwell Lord shut up. You smiled as Theresa followed you behind the bar. At least she had managed to turn the television off.

“You really don’t like him, do you?” Theresa asked almost rhetorically. It was true, you didn’t like Maxwell Lord. Simply because he wasn’t the little boy you played with in the gardens of Lord Manor. You knew you shouldn’t have held resentment. Everyone changes as they get older – but Maxwell Lord was just so easy to hate. Max’s carefree spirit died the day you left, and the smarmy salesman Maxwell Lord IV was not someone you cared for. For months after you moved back to Gotham, you waited for some kind of communication from Max. But nothing. And it became clear that Maxwell was happy enough to throw away the four year friendship you had shared together. Your silence prompted Theresa to continue. “He’s handsome though, in a way.” You spluttered at her sudden confession and Theresa just laughed. “Rich…powerful…” she went on.

“He’s an asshole.” You stated, as blunt as ever.

“You know him?” Theresa quizzed. “Hmm?”

“No but-“ You stopped yourself. “I know enough about him.”

“His fiancée is a lucky gal,” Theresa sighed, and you found yourself completely taken aback.

“Wait. Fiancée?” There was no way.

“Do you even read People Magazine?” Theresa scoffed, shaking her head as if this was common knowledge. You spent every living day trying to avoid Maxwell Lord after the way he and his family had hurt you and your mother. But of course, his presence followed you everywhere. Whether it be his enormous head hanging over the highway on bulletin boards or his infomercials that were broadcasted on every channel, at the same time, every evening.

“You got this information from a tabloid?” You rolled your eyes.

“Why do you find it so hard to believe that Maxwell Lord has a fiancée?” Theresa made a point. Sure, Maxwell Lord was charming… but in a cold, sick and twisted kind of way.

You took a deep breath. “I don’t it’s just-“

“Oh shoot, look at the time! I gotta pick the kids up from school. They’re at an arts club, you see. Would you mind tidying and closing the shop tonight?” Theresa gasped, although it wasn’t as much a question as it was a statement. She thrusted a sweeping brush into your arms and in a frenzy, was out of the coffee shop within a minute.

It was the hottest summer you could ever remember. Golden rays of sunlight beamed through the large windows, the heat making your hair stick to your forehead as you puffed your cheeks out. Tiredly, you loosened the ribbon that was holding together your apron and continued to sweep the floor and wipe down the tables. It had been a long day, but the end of the month meant you were getting your pay check. Just as you were about to close-up Cocoa Coffee, you heard the bell jingle as the front door opened.

“Oh I’m sorry we’re clo-“ you said before stopping and taking in the sight that was Bruce Wayne. If Theresa was still here, she would’ve lost her mind. Not quite Maxwell Lord, but another rich businessman; seemingly, just her type. The CEO of Wayne Enterprises. He was a black silhouette, standing in front of the setting sun, but despite being hidden by a casted shadow, you could recognise him anywhere. During your time at Lord Manor, you had grown up hearing a lot about the Wayne family. You froze, staring at him with anti-bacterial spray in one hand and a cloth in the other. Bruce took a step forward, grinning at you. “Mr- Mr Wayne…” you found yourself stumbling over your words. “How may I help you?”

“I’ve been watching you for some time now,” Bruce said darkly, breaking any distance between you both. You looked up at the businessman feeling somewhat intimidated. “You’re the girl who has been making my lattes every day for two years.” Like the flick of a light switch, his tone of voice changed to be more cheery, but you were still taken off-guard.

“I- I have? I’ve never seen you before.” You replied, bewilderment dripping from your tongue. Sure, you had seen Bruce Wayne make headlines but you had never seen him in real life before. “I mean. I’ve seen you. On uh, Forbes right? Front page?”

“Not this year,” Bruce sighed, and removed his sunglasses. “Some other scam artist took my place.” Immediately you felt a sense of dread, and you hoped you hadn’t done anything to piss him off. Bruce turned around and pointed to a black car with tinted windows, parked outside of the coffee shop.

“I’m sorry.” You bit your lip awkwardly. Bruce just shook his head, a light chuckle escaping his lips as he went to continue on his opening statement.

“I sit in the front seat while my assistant grabs my coffee,” Bruce explained, still pointing at the car outside, and you breathed out a little ‘ah’ whilst nodding somewhat understandably. You did not want to get on Bruce Wayne’s bad side, that’s for sure. “And I must admit, not a day has gone by where I haven’t been mesmerised by your beauty.” You felt your cheeks flush with heat at his compliment. You couldn’t help but remain silent, thus prompting Bruce to continue. “See, I’m actually a shy guy,” Bruce said, but his charm and fluency made you feel as though he wasn’t entirely being truthful. There was no way you could question the multi-billionaire. “And after a lot of persuasion from my assistant… well, I’m here to ask you out.”

You blinked, completely taken aback. You were just about to end your shift playing barista for the day when the Bruce Wayne had come into Cocoa Coffee saying all these nice things. No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t make sense of it all. Had he gotten the right person? He recognised you, so he really must be wanting you. So many thoughts raced through your head. Something felt off immediately, but you knew you could never deny Bruce Wayne a date. “I- uhm-“ you stumbled on your words and found Bruce looking nervous, awaiting your response. “Okay.” you accepted his proposal, and his worried frown turned into a beaming smile.

“Great!” He cheered. “I will have someone pick you up on Sunday afternoon. Don’t worry, I know where you live.”

Brushing past his comment about knowing your address, you raised a finger. “Uhm, where will we be going?”

“DC.” Those two letters made your heart sink into your chest. It had been years since you had last step foot in DC and you didn’t exactly associate the capital city with the fondest of memories. “I have business there. That’s not an issue, is it?”

Was it?

“No, of course not Mr Way- I mean Bruce.”

“Great, I will see you Sunday. Dress formal. I know the most amazing restaurant we can go to. They do the best martinis.”

♡

Maxwell Lord IV zipped up his pants and sunk into his office chair, regaining his breath. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and fixed his hair the best he could, before looking down at his secretary who was still on her hands and knees under his desk, looking up at him, waiting for his next instruction. Maxwell simply opened his desk drawer and threw her a silk cloth to wipe away the mess he had painted her face with. “Same time tomorrow.” He said, not even bothering to make eye contact with her. “Wear that same lipstick too.”

“Yes sir.” She replied, shakily standing up.

“You are free to leave now,” Maxwell told his secretary. “What do you say?”

“Th-thank you sir.”

His secretary scurried out of his office and once more, Maxwell was alone. He spun around in his chair and looked at the framed magazine cover, hanging on the wall behind him. There he was. He had made it to the front page of Forbes. Richest man in the world. He was loved. He was feared. He was Maxwell Lord IV.

♡♡♡ TAGLIST ♡♡♡

@mrschiltoncat​

[charmedseoull]

Greta Garbo and Uemura Naomi in Imprints (For the Boys in the Back) by Anna(arctic_grey)

I am entirely in love with the writing of this fanfic. This could be called a commentary or an analysis or an essay, but I don’t entirely give a damn about the specifications. Fuck it, this is a love letter, an appreciation, and understanding of Imprints (For the Boys in the Back) by Anna (arctic_grey). I wanted to leave a comment on their works, but a comment would not do justice to the absolute love and adoration I have for their writing. Thus, I chose to do this instead. Enjoy.

This analysis is a part of Charmedseoul’s Slice of Namjin side project, which documents Namjin (Kim Namjoon x Kim Seokjin) fanfiction with unique writing styles and complex themes. You can find Imprints and Magnitude’s Fanlore page here.

Disclaimer: This is a 18+ work with adult content such as sexual activity. You are responsible for the content you consume, please be aware of that. This analysis contains spoilers for the work as well.

Here are the trigger warnings the author provides: depression and mental health issues, few brief references to suicidal thoughts, discussions of infidelity, self-destructive behavior, consensual sex under influence.

Imprints (For the Boys in the Back) begins with struggling actor Kim Seokjin and his self-destructive behaviors after a messy breakup. He ends up with a one night stand that grows into something more with Kim Namjoon, a successful producer in South Korea. The story follows Jin’s personal growth and their budding fuck-buddies turned boyfriends relationship. 

Now presenting the analysis of the use of historical figures Greta Garbo and Uemura Naomi in Anna(arctic_grey)’s work Imprints (For the Boys in the Back): 

In the first chapter of “Imprints (For the Boys in the Back)”, Anna introduces the two historical figures Greta Garbo and Uemura Naomi to reflect the main characters of Kim Seokjin and Kim Namjoon. They each represent the two main characters’ initial desires and hopes for the future, but as the story progresses these things change. Greta Garbo and Uemura Naomi are Kim Seokjin and Kim Namjoon’s beginnings. Through their relationship, these two characters change each other and alter the course of their lives. They reject the comfort of Garbo and Naomi for the comfort of each other, definitively defying what they believed in the beginning of the series. The Imprints and Magnitude series offers alternatives to their lives and gives a realistic resolution that is able to resonate with any reader who has felt broken or lost. Imprints and Magnitude hears them.

Greta Garbo: Lavish, glamorous, compelling, and renowned. She was one of the greatest motion picture actors of the 1920s and ‘30s with her subtlety and restraint. Garbo carried an air of sophistication and richness that was insatiably desired by the public. 

Greta Garbo is everything Jin wants to be at the beginning: sophisticated, surrounded by wealth, and explicitly independent. However, Jin craves affection and partnership. For him to live a life without a partner after the pain of his past relationship would doom him to misery. Jin is in pain. He is broken, a shattered glass mirror with an empty reflection that needs its pieces picked back up and glued together. He rejects his needs because they’re complicated. He was hurt deeply by someone he trusted. To fix all of that takes so much more than a comforting word or reassuring hug, it takes consistent gentle and attentive attention which many do not care enough to give. Even though he’s told his other friends about his pain, he’s still closed off. He puts up barriers and only Namjoon attempts to break those down with that consistent, gentle and attentive attention. He is the only one whose patience does not run thin. Jin tries so desperately to be like Greta Garbo, completely unbothered by the world and his wants. He isn’t Greta Garbo though. He’s Kim Seokjin. He needs to heal and at the beginning of the story, readers themselves aren’t acutely aware of that. 

Uemura Naomi: Ambitious, independent, driven, and well-loved. He was one of the greatest Japanese adventurers as he became the first man to reach some of the Earth’s most remote places alone. Naomi scaled mountains and traveled relentlessly. When he was not adventuring, he was giving public lectures and sharing his warm personality with the world.

In the beginning of Imprints, readers aren’t too aware of who Namjoon is. The story is told from Jin’s point of view where he promptly calls Namjoon an asshole after their first rendezvous. Readers do get to know Namjoon better throughout the story though, catching on small quirks about him that they grow to love. Namjoon is like Uemura Naomi with the goal to do work, in his chosen field, by himself. Namjoon is already successful from the song “Hey Cutie” and grows more successful as he produces more music. He’s content with his success, focusing on it. Jin changes that. Jin enters Namjoon’s life suddenly, broken and confused about love. Namjoon is no savior. He had no intention to change Jin, only adding his own experiences and healing to the conversation. Unlike Jin, who grew resentful and emotionally unstable due to his breakup, Namjoon grew from it as a person. He came to accept what happened and let go of his past relationship. He’s then able to provide Jin a push to grow, diverting from his own path of solo adventures like Uemura Naomi. Namjoon departs from the role he was playing in his life as a mountain man and begins a path with Jin. 

Each of these historical figures were known for being alone. Garbo closed herself off from the public and lived her life lavishly without ever marrying. Naomi scaled entire mountains and landscapes by himself, capable of accomplishing solo ventures deemed impossible. Both Namjoon and Seokjin were alone in the beginning of Imprints (For the Boys in the Back), but then they found each other and departed from their associations with these historical figures. They’re not alone anymore. They’re together and meant to be together. They’re healing.

Seokjin and Namjoon are no longer Greta and Uemura. They aren’t these lonely figures who found great success by themselves then died alone. (There is nothing wrong with dying alone by the way.) They’re human and need other people. It’s a startling refreshing take on love and relationships using a set up with historical figures. The message hits all the more with the context behind who these two were. 

And that’s why I love it.

Author’s Note:

The Imprints and Magnitude fanfiction series, written by an author who had no intention to ever be documented, analyzed, or a part of this side project is one of my favorite works in both professional and casual literature. It’s an automatic recommendation to any who ask. Its writing style flows easily off the paper, detailed and emotional and incredibly personal. In literature stuffed with attempts to mean something, Imprints and Magnitude attempts no grand pompous message. It’s simple. It excels in its meaning whether intentional or not. I love works like that. I love works that feel intimate with the author’s closest thoughts. I love works where an author bleeds into the words and pages. It absorbs emotions in a raw way that can not be replicated in professional published works often. That is because published works have limitations. They have deadlines and people to make happy with the proper words and formats. Fanfiction doesn’t do that. Fanfiction is free to do what it wants. There are no restraints. It satisfies my intense craving for a work unleashed and unedited by publishers and institutions. It satisfies my intense longing for literature that’s different. I just want one person’s closest and deepest thoughts stitched together with words and phrases and sentences and paragraphs and laid bare for the world. Imprints and Magnitude gives me all of that and a cute love story with a message that sticks to me like gum. This series retaught love, relationships, and letting go to me. I needed that, especially as I continue to grow older. Thank you to the most wonderful Anna for being the one thing I’ve wanted for so long. 

Twitter

Tumblr

Reddit

Charmedseoul

[fallen420]

Rebel Spy - Chapter 8: It’s Just Us Now

Description: Auroras life becomes lonely after the war ends but when a familiar Mandalorain needs her help who is she to refuse.

prologue chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5 

chapter 6 chapter 7

We walk into the restaurant to watch Cara beat some guys ass. I hold the kid close to me as he giggles at the fight.

"Pay up mudsuckers!" She turns around and spots us.

"Picked up a new friend Mando?"

"Cara this is Aurora."

I smile, "Hi."

"Wait like commander Aurora? Like the rebel spy?"

I laugh a little, "That's the one."

"I've heard a lot of stories about you. You're badass."

"Thanks," I say as we sit down at the table.

Din catches her up on everything Greef said.

"It seems like a straightforward operation. They're providing the plan and firepower. We're the snare."

"With the kid?" She asks.

"That's why we're coming to you," I say as I shake my leg to keep the kid entertained.

"I don't know. I've been advised to lay low. If they run my chain code I'll be stuck in a cell for the rest of my life."

"I thought you were a veteran," Mando says.

"I've been a lot of things since. Most of them carry a life sentence. If I so much book passage on a ship registered to the New Republic, I'm-"

"We have a ship. I can bring you there and back with a handsome reward. You can live free of worry."

"I'm already free of worry, and I'm not in the mood to play soldier anymore. Especially fighting some local warlord."

"He's not a warlord," I say, "He's imperial." Cara is a rebel we both fought a war to get rid of these people I know she'll be willing to do it again.

"I'm in."

-

Mando and Cara come down from the cockpit. He lets her go through his weapon collection choosing which ones she likes best. I'm refilling our med kit because who knows whats gonna happen. They talk about why are we going back.

"And you're okay with bringing the kid?" She asks.

"No," I say my head still buried in the kit.

"That's why we're bringing you," Din says. The ship starts to shake and I look around for the kid and he's not here. The med kit rolls off the table as we get thrown around the ship.

"You left him up there?!"

I somehow make my way up the ladder only falling once.

The kid has a hold of the joystick.I grab the kid handing him to Din. I sit in the pilots chair pressing a few buttons and then ship goes back to normal.

I look back at Din, "You know the kid has a thing for buttons why leave him up here."

"We need someone to watch that thing," Cara says.

"Aurora's supposed too." There's a hint of playfulness in Din's voice.

"Okay tin can was I or was I not filling your med kit? She's right though we're gonna need some help."

"I think I know somebody."

-

"It hasn't grown much," the Ugnaught says about the kid. We landed on his farm not to long ago. Wish Din would of told me it was an Ugnaught. Ugnaught's worked for the empire.

"I think it might be a strand-cast," Din says.

"No, it's a Jedi," I say, "Like I told you before."

"Aurora-"

"I've seen it before. Have you?"

"I don't think it was engineered," Kuiil says, "I've seen the gene farms. This one is to evolved. Too ugly. This one, on the other hand," he looks at Cara, "Looks like she was farmed in the Cytocaves of Nora."

"This is Cara Dune," Din says, "She was a shock tropper."

"You were a dropper?"

"Did you serve?"

"On the other side, I'm afraid." He sits down along with the rest of us, "But I'm proud to say that I paid out my clan's debt, and now I serve no one but myself."

An IG-11 walks through the door. All three of us stand up taking out our blasters pointing it at him.

He's holding a tray, "Would anyone care for some tea?"

"Huh?" I look at Din confused.

"Please lower your blasters. He will not harm you," Kuiil says.

"That thing is programmed to kill the baby," Mando reminds him.

"Not anymore."

"You reprogrammed it?" I ask.

"I did." The IG unit places the hot tea on the table.

Kuiil tells us the story of how he found the unit and reconstructed it. How he taught it everything from scratch. About how it developed a personality. By the end of the story we put our blasters away trusting Kuiil.

"Is it still a hunter?" Din asks.

"No. But it will protect."

"Tea?" The IG unit asks and I grab it out of its hands taking a drink feeling the warm tea calm my nerves.

-

Din and Kuiil are outside talking leaving Cara, the kid, and it inside Kuiil's hut.

"So," Cara says, "Are you and Mando...?

"What?" I feel my face flush I mean yeah we've shared some moments but we're not together or anything...right? "No. No. We're just partners."

"Sure."

"What do you mean sure?"

"Look I know we can't actually see his face but the way he looks at you its not a friendly look."

"Look even if he was looking at me like that. I'm-I'm sure it's against the code."

"And it's not?"

Before I can respond Din walks back in, "You guys ready to go?"

"Uh yeah."

-

Back on the ship Cara and Din are locked into an intense battle of arm wrestling. The kid and I watch intently.

"My credits are on Cara who you got?" I say to the kid.

"Shut," grunt, "Up," Din says and I can't help but laugh.

"Sounds like you're losing there target practice."

Then Cara stops what she's doing. It looks like he can't breathe. Immediately I turn to see the kid with his hand up and eyes closed. I grab him to stop him from killing her.

"That is not okay!" Cara yells

"He forced chocked her," my mind floods back to the imperial ships. It floods to all the people I watched die due to it.

"Have you seen it before?" Din asks.

I nod my head.

"Where?"

I close my eyes trying to calm the panic that flows through me as I remember, "Imperial ships." my voice comes out quieter than expected, "When I was spying."

"The kid's... evil?"

"No no. I think the kid- he just thought he was protecting you."

-

The kid and I lay in the cot fast asleep. Well, I was asleep until Din wakes me up.

"Hey," he says in a whisper.

I barely open my eyes, "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You looked panicked earlier."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah."

"It's just I saw a lot on those ships and it brings up bad stuff. But I'm fine though Din really."

"Okay," he gets up. I was going to ask him to stay again but then I remember about Cara and Kuiil are here and we won't want too, "Good night cyar'ika."

"Night Din."

-

We land where Greef told us to meet him. He's outside with three other men.

All four of us walk out of the ship on the Mythosaur that Kuiil brought. We are now facing each other with the kid floating in between me and Mando in its new Pod

"Sorry for the remote rendezvous, Mando," Greef says, "But things have gotten complicated since you were last here. It appears that introductions are in order. It seems we've both provided security detail." he points at Cara, "I recommend the shock trooper guards the ship. These lava fields are lousy with Jawas."

"She's coming with me," Din says.

"But the town is now run my ex-Empire. If a Rebel Dropper and a Rebel Commander is with us they'll get their hackles up.

"They're coming."

"Fine. At least cover your tattoo. No need to flaunt it." Greef refers to the tattoo on Caras's arm. "Now, where is the little one?" Din looks at me before touching his vambrace pushing the kid's pod forward. He walks closer to the pod and my hand hovers over my blaster, "So, this little bogwing is what all the fuss was about." He picks up the kid, "What a precious little creature."

"Mando.." I whisper.

"I know."

"I can see why you didn't want to harm a hair on it wrinkled little head." He puts the kid back and Din and I both relax. "Well, I'm glad this matter will be put to rest once and for all." Din closes the pod and brings the kid back to us, "The sun drops fast on Nevarro. We can walk for a spell, camp out at the riverbank, then make our way into town at first light."

-

At camp, its dark except for the flames except for the orange flames. I sit next to Din with the kid on my lap as I feed him the meat they caught earlier. The kid coos and babbles as I feed him.

"I guess the little bugger's a carnivore," Greef says "Never seen anything like it. They were ready to pay a king's ransom for that thing. Must be for some kind of highfalutin menagerie." He chuckles.

"Let's go over the plan again," Din says.

"We both enter the common house. We show the client the bait. We join him at the table. And you kill him."

"Tell me about his reinforcements."

"They're all ex-empire. As soon as they lose their paycheck, poof, they'll all scatter."

"What if they don't?" I ask.

"They will."

"That's not good enough," Din says.

"If, for argument's sake, a few of them don't realize that I'm their best past to alternative employment and they elect to react impulsively, then these three fine Guild Hunters," Greef points to his men, "along with the battle-hardened commander and shock trooper, will cut down anyone who bucks."

"How many will there be?"

"No more then four," Greef stands up now, "He travels with, at most, a Fire Team. Trust me nothing can go wrong." Greef goes to grab a piece of meat but a vulture of some kind grabs it out of his hand with its claw. It seems to scratch him as he cries out in pain. Everyone stands up and starts shooting at it. I make sure to close the kid's pod.

They fly around us. I take my blaster out to help with the shooting. It's chaotic. There's blast everywhere these things are flying like crazy. One of them takes one of Greef's guild members.

One tries to grab Din making him drop to the floor. I start shooting at it trying to get it to let go of him. After a few shots, it does. With his arms free he points the fire from his vambrace at it. It flies away with its tail on fire. The other one follows it.

"You good?" I ask Din.

"Yeah," he says out of breath, "Thanks." We run back to the kid's pod to check on him. When I open it he just coos.

We hear Greef grunting in pain. I go over and kneel by his side.

"They got you good," I say. He has scratch marks on his arm. His arm is red as the poison spreads through his veins, I open the medkit taking out the bacta shot. Bacta shot are powerful Din and I have yet to use them because we haven't had too bad of injuries yet. "Hold still," I give him the shot without hesitation.

"How bad?" Din asks.

"Bad. The poison is spreading. Fast."

"So this-this is how it happens," Greef says as I begin to wrap his arm with the bandage to try and stop the spreading.

"Don't be so dramatic. Uh, I need another med-pack. Do we have anymore?" I look around and nothing.

"I'm guessing that's a no."

"It's still spreading. It's not working."

I look down and notice the kid next to me putting a hand out to touch Greef, "Get this thing outta here," Cara says.

"Wait." I say, "Let him."

He touches Greefs wound and closes his big little eyes.

"He's trying to eat me."

"Shut up." I watch as the wound mostly closes and the poison leaves his body. The kid sits on the ground probably tired then the wound closes all the way.

-

After walking for some time Greef stops, "I guess this is it." Greef turns around and shoots. The three of us pull out our blasters waiting to get hit but instead, the two bounty hunters behind us are dead. "There's something you should now." He walks over to the now-dead bounty hunters kicking the bodies to make sure they're dead, "The plane was to kill you and take the kid."

I knew it.

"But after what happened last night, I couldn't go through with it. Go on. You can gun me down here and now and it wouldn't violate the code. But if you do, this child will never be safe."

"We'll take our chances," Cara says.

"The Imperial client is obsessed with obtaining this asset. You tried to run, but where did it get you? Listen, we both need the client to be eliminated. Let me take the child to him and then you three..."

"No," I say, "You don't go near my kid."

"Let's just kill him and get outta here," Cara says.

Din lowers his blaster, "He's right." I lower mine too.

"What are you doing?"

"If the imp lives he'll send hunter after the child," Din says.

"It's a trap."

"Bring me."

"Bring you?" Greef says.

"Tell him you captured me. Get me close to him and I'll kill him."

"No," I say

"That's a good idea give me your blaster," Greef says and Din hands him his blaster.

"Mando what if he kills you?" I ask with fear in my voice.

"He won't."

"But what if."

"Its the only way."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, no-no. That would make them suspicious," Greef says.

"I don't care. I'm coming."

"Tell them she caught me," Din suggests.

"No, they know you have a girlfriend they know she's the Rebel Commander."

Din doesn't correct him when he says girlfriend so neither do I.

"Fine. Then Cara caught us. We all go in there together," I say,

"Okay," Greef says, "Cara can bring the child."

"No," I say, "Kid goes back to the ship."

"But without the child, none of this works!"

"I have a plan. I'm a commander I always have a plan. Kuiil, ride back to the Razor Crest with the kid and no don't come out no matter what. Once you're inside engage in all ground security protocols. Nothing on this planet will breach those doors."

He hands me the comlink, "I will keep the child safe."

"Let's go." Din hands Greef the cuffs and he cuffs the both of us.

-

We walk up to the entrance of the city. The place if flooded with stormtroopers.

"Chain code?" One asks.

"I have a gift for the boss," Greef says.

"Chain code?" The stormtrooper asks again. Greef hands it to him and he scans it, "I'll give you twenty credits for the helmet."

Greef fakes a laugh, "Not a chance. That's going on my wall."

"Go ahead."

-

"Here we are." Greef opens the door and Din and I go first. Inside there are four stormtroopers and the Imp sits at the table. He stands up when he sees me and Mando, "Look what I brought you. As promised."

"And the commander too. I'm impressed," the imp says. He looks at Din's armor, "What exquisite craftsmanship. It is amazing how beautiful beskar can be forged be its ancestral artisans." He looks at Greef, "Can I offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?"

"I would be obliged."

Greef pushes me and Din to sit down at a booth. Greef sits next to us and the imp sits across. The tension in the air rises as two more stormtroopers walk in.

"It is a shame that your people suffered so. Just as in this situation, it was all avoidable. Why did Manalore resist our expansion? The empire improves every system it touches." the anger that goes through me is insane. My jaw clenches and I bite my tongue to stop myself from saying something. Din places his cuffed hands over mine has an attempt to calm me down, "Judge by a metric. Safety, prosperity, trade, opportunity, peace. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now. Look outside. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution?"

Oh yeah, the world is worse off without the sadistic ruler.

"I see nothing but death and chaos."

That the empire caused.

"I would like to see the baby."

"Uh, Its asleep," Greef says putting his hand out.

"We all will be quiet. Open the pram," but before he can a stormtrooper whispers something into the imps ear. He stands up, "Don't think me to be rude. I must take this call." He stands up and walks over to the bar. Din carefully takes off his and mine and his cuffs slowly. Greef carefully hands us our blasters.

We look over to see what the imp is going. There's a blast. The imp gets shot and I don't really see anymore before Din is pushing me to the ground to take cover.

Once the shooting stops, we get up quietly running taking cover behind the walls as we peak out the now shot in window.

Outside are six shadow troopers.

An imperial ship pulls up and even more, stormtroopers come out of it.

"Kuiil are you back to the ship yet?" I ask into the comlink.

"Not yet."

"Get back to the ship and bail. Get the kid out of here. We're pinned down."

Out of nowhere a tie fighter lands behind the troopers. The hatch on top opens and out walks Moff Gideon.

"You have something I want," he says. I lean back against the wall not being able to look at him the memories of those imperial ships too strong.

"Who's this guy?" Cara asks.

I know the answer but I can't say his name.

"You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of, but you do not."

"Kuiil are you back to the ship yet? They're onto us," I say into the comlink but there's no answer.

"In a few moments, it will be mine."

"Kuiil come in. Do you copy!"

"It means more to me than you will ever know."

"Kuiil are you there!?"

Din takes the comlink out of my hands and keeps asking the same questions. But its no use. It's just us now.

-