#some type of enemies to lovers with messed up stuff in between

[deeversuswords]

Writing a scene where Katsuki is about to blow up the door of a hotel room and all I'm thinking of is "But what about the shockwave? How's that gonna feel for y/n hiding behind him?" I hate my brain sometimes.

Here's a short sneak peek (straight from the unedited draft):

Your hurried steps and his rang through the lobby, stopping only when you entered the elevator. He jabbed the button with the floor number the woman specified and shoved his hands into his pockets, looking past you. Tension tightened his features in the same way it stressed your body. You had no time to think about the current situation, about how screwed you likely were, about whether Bakugou had some spy camera on him recording your wrongdoings. So many questions, but no time to ask and fight him for answers.

You dashed out of the elevator before the doors slid open completely. After locating the sign indicating the range of room numbers, you sprinted down the lengthy corridor. The thick carpeted flooring muffled the drumming of your shoes. Stale air whooshed past your ears and filled your lungs. High on adrenaline, you skidded to a stop in front of the door. Your chest rose and fell with heavy breaths you struggled to catch.

Gesturing to Bakugou to stay silent, you leaned in to listen. The sounds past the wooden panel were so faint you could barely hear them. So you pressed your ear to it and focused on the sound pattern. It had a rhythm to it, one that settled like a brick in the pit of your stomach. “Break the door,” you told Bakugou, taking a step back. “Get behind me and cover your ears” came his order, which you followed without hesitation, not realizing at that moment none of you questioned the other. It soon reeked of heated metal. Unconsciously, you moved closer to him, squeezed your eyes shut, and clasped your hands tightly over your ears.

[bueckersleftbraid]

”—The Weight of Staying

WC: 5.9k

singer/songwriter!azzi x nylibertyplayer!paige

warnings: none? this is pretty much just fluff

Some people are bad at letting go. Others are even worse at walking away for good. Paige and Azzi have always been a little bit of both.

authors note —> hi loves, I’m finally uploading again. I am absolutely in love with this storyline, so I hope that all of you love it too! I’m not sure if I will be adding to this, but let me know if you would like that.

A cool breeze blew through the open window in Azzi’s apartment, which was 5 floors up but the noice of the city was still evident from below. She sat at her desk, the blank page of her song writing book glaring at her. She had tried everything. Rhyming— which Azzi always thought sounded a bit childish anyway—, listening to other artists, just writing out her thoughts. But nothing seemed to work. Everything just felt like it was missing something. And honestly, Azzi felt like a part of her was missing too. She hadn’t spoken to Paige in weeks. Despite Paige having a strand of home games, so she would be in the city for a while, Azzi hadn’t gotten up the courage to text her. It had always been a cycle with them. Almost lovers, almost enemies, always something. 

Their last fight had been, well, stupid to say the least. It always ended in Azzi wanting more and Paige not being able to give her that. Paige had to travel all the time for games or brand deals or whatever event she had going on that week, which left Azzi alone in a city that was supposed to be for them. Despite this, Azzi always found herself being dragged back to the blonde. And tonight was just the same. Azzi felt alone and the only one who could make her feel better was Paige. The only one she wanted to even try. Finally, Azzi decided to pull out her phone, clicking on Paige’s contact.

Are you home?

She hit send, before locking her phone and exhaling. She looked around. God, her apartment was a mess. Cluttered with clothes and suitcases from her recent trip to Los Angeles for a pop-up concert. The only shelf that looked perfect— as it always did— was her vinyl collection. One that held so many memories. Late nights in summer when she would curl up with Paige and listen to music together. 

Suddenly, a buzz. That was quick. 

Home now. Need something?

Azzi smiled at the message. Despite the lack of contact between the two in recent times, Paige still offered to help. Because it was Azzi. How could she not?

A hug maybe. Trying to write and nothings working.

Azzi exhaled as she typed the message. She never felt like she had to hide with Paige, like she needed to feel shame for her emotions.

Want me to come pick you up?

A small smile immediately blossomed on Azzi’s face. They were back. It had always been a routine that Azzi wouldn’t call an Uber. Paige thought they were sketchy. She always said, “You never know who’s driving. Could be a creep,” which Azzi would always agree. The blonde would insist on driving Azzi herself to anywhere she needed.

Yes please, see you in 10?

Text you when I’m outside 

Once she got the message, Azzi packed a small bag. Only intending on one night at most— she had most of her stuff already at Paige’s place anyway. She slipped makeup wipes, a pair of pajamas and some clothes for her meeting in the morning, a small bag of makeup— only the necessities; blush, mascara, and a light coverage concealer— a comb so she could at least part her curls in the morning. Everything else Paige had.  

Soon enough her phone buzzed.

Outside the lobby to the left, my normal spot

Azzi smiled softly at her phone before slinging her bag over her shoulder and slipping on a pair of uggs—her black tasmans that she had matching with Paige. They were a random gift one day. The blonde had said, “I thought they suited us,” which of course made Azzi’s heart flutter— and grabbing her keys. She slipped out of her and walked down the empty hallway of her floor, relishing in the comforting silence of the moment as she waited for the elevator. 

As she exited the lobby, the chill of the midnight air hitting her and sending shivers through her body. Maybe a T-shirt wasn’t the best choice of clothing. The brunette wrapped her arms around herself as she made her way down the block to the black Jeep Grand Cherokee, a large car considering that Paige barely ever drove people around. 

“Hi Az,” Paige spoke, voice smooth as ever, as Azzi slipped into the passenger seat, the brunettes ears immediately being filled with the faint sound of Daniel Caesar.

Azzi leaned back into the seat, letting the city blur past them in streaks of gold and blue. The heat in the car was just starting to kick in, making the windows slightly fogged around the edges. The warmth felt good—comfortable, familiar. But Paige wasn’t acting like herself.

Her left hand gripped the steering wheel tighter than usual, and Azzi noticed the subtle way she leaned her body away from the driver’s side door, favoring her right. It was something only someone who knew her—really knew her—would’ve picked up on.

“You okay?” Azzi asked, glancing over, her voice light but tinged with concern.

“Mhm,” Paige responded quickly, too quickly. She didn’t meet Azzi’s eyes. “Just… sore. Took a fall during the game the other night.”

Azzi turned slightly, folding one leg beneath her in the seat. “Your shoulder?”

Paige sighed, her jaw tightening. “Yeah. Landed weird on it. It’s fine. Just bruised or something.”

There was a pause, the silence settling between them like fog. Azzi could feel it. The thing they always did—this dance of pretending nothing hurt until it did.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, not accusing, just tired in that way that only comes from missing someone who’s still technically there.

Paige shrugged with her good shoulder. “Didn’t want to bother you.”

Azzi didn’t respond at first. The music in the background shifted to something low and piano-heavy—Daniel Caesar bleeding into H.E.R.—and the ache in her chest bloomed a little bigger.

“You’re not a bother,” she said softly. “Not to me.”

Paige didn’t say anything. But she reached across the console, her fingers brushing against Azzi’s until the brunette laced them together.

The rest of the drive passed quietly, just the warmth of Paige’s hand and the soft hum of music holding them together.

They pull up to Paige’s apartment.

The elevator ride up was quiet. Not awkward—just sleepy. Azzi leaned slightly against the wall, her head tilted to the side as Paige fished her keys out of her jacket pocket. The blonde was clearly favoring her right arm now, movements slow and calculated.

“You need help?” Azzi asked, watching her struggle with the key in the door.

Paige gave a dry chuckle. “Don’t insult me.”

Azzi smirked but didn’t respond. She just stepped inside when the door opened, greeted by the soft scent of vanilla and clean linen. Paige always kept the place minimalist, a reflection of how she liked to keep her life—orderly, neat, controlled. Azzi’s own chaotic energy was always a bit of a contrast, but it had blended into the space over time. A pair of her shoes still by the door. Her favorite mug on the drying rack. A sweatshirt draped over the back of the couch.

“I was gonna clean up,” Paige said as she dropped her bag by the door. “But, you know, bruised ego. Sore arm.”

“You think I care if your throw pillows are fluffed?” Azzi replied, dropping her own bag gently onto the couch.

Paige gave her a small smile, something fond flickering across her face. But then she winced again, subtle but noticeable, as she moved to take off her jacket.

“Okay, nope,” Azzi said, stepping forward. “Let me.”

She helped Paige out of the coat gently, the fabric sliding off her shoulders with effort. The blonde hissed a little as her injured shoulder twisted, and Azzi’s hands immediately stilled.

“You’re sure it’s just bruised?”

“I didn’t go to the trainer.”

Azzi gave her a look. “Of course you didn’t.”

Paige shrugged with her good shoulder. “Didn’t want them to bench me.”

Azzi rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. Instead, she reached for the hoodie Paige had been wearing beneath the coat.

“You’re gonna have to take this off too,” she said quietly. “Let me see.”

Paige hesitated, and for a second, Azzi wondered if she’d resist. But then the blonde raised her arms—slowly, painfully—and let Azzi peel the hoodie off like a second skin. Beneath it, she wore a loose tank top, and Azzi’s eyes immediately caught the faint purpling bruise blooming across her shoulder and collarbone.

“Jesus, Paige,” she breathed. “This isn’t nothing.”

“I’ve had worse.”

“That’s not the point.”

Azzi carefully guided her to sit on the couch, then disappeared into the bathroom, returning moments later with a heating pad and a bottle of ibuprofen she knew was always tucked in the medicine cabinet. She handed Paige the pills and plugged in the heating pad, sitting beside her as it warmed up.

They sat in silence for a while, the glow of the living room lamps casting soft shadows against the walls. The pad began to hum gently, heat spreading over Paige’s shoulder. Azzi pressed a blanket into her lap, then curled her knees up on the couch, her head resting lightly against Paige’s good shoulder.

“I missed you,” Azzi said eventually, voice quiet.

Paige looked down at her, eyes soft. “I missed you too.”

They stayed like that for a while. No words. Just warmth. Paige with the heating pad pressed gently against her shoulder and Azzi tucked beside her, legs curled up beneath her, body angled just slightly toward the blonde like she couldn’t help it. The kind of silence that wasn’t empty but full. Of unspoken things. Of things they hadn’t let themselves say for months.

Azzi’s thumb moved idly against the soft material of the blanket, mind tracing memories she wasn’t sure she had permission to keep anymore. She could feel Paige breathing—slow, steady—and she closed her eyes for a second, willing herself not to get swept back into whatever this always was between them. Almost something. Always something.

“You can stay, you know,” Paige murmured, voice low, rough around the edges.

Azzi’s eyes fluttered open. “I planned to.”

“No, I mean…” Paige turned slightly, wincing again. “Stay tonight. But like—not just sleep and go. Just… stay. For a while.”

Azzi tilted her head up, surprised. Paige never asked. Not for time. Not for company. She gave it when she had it, and then she was gone again—training, flying, media, whatever. But not this. Not her asking Azzi to stay.

“What’s that mean?” Azzi asked, soft but not tentative.

Paige looked away, lips pressing into a thin line before she answered.

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “Just… the apartment’s been quiet lately. And everything feels louder when it’s just me. But when you’re here, it’s… I don’t know. Easier.”

Azzi’s chest tightened. She wanted to be angry—because hadn’t she always been the one who stayed, while Paige let her? But then Paige shifted again, just slightly, and her fingers found Azzi’s beneath the blanket. Their hands slid together like puzzle pieces worn soft with time.

“I’ll stay,” Azzi said. “But I’m taking the good pillow.”

Paige let out a quiet laugh—more air than sound. “Deal.”

They ended up on the bed—not in the way they used to be, not tangled in each other or chasing heat in the dark—but side by side, Azzi having changed into her sleep shirt, Paige in a new hoodie that didn’t pull at her shoulder. The lamp on the nightstand cast a dull amber glow across the room, and somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed, low and lazy against the late-night streets.

Azzi lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. Paige mirrored her, though her eyes were on Azzi.

“Do you ever think we’re just… bad at timing?” Paige asked quietly.

Azzi blinked, surprised. “All the time.”

“And do you ever think…” She trailed off, her voice catching. “That maybe we’re only like this—when it’s broken. When we’re hurting.”

Azzi turned her head, their eyes meeting in the low light.

“No,” she said, firm but quiet. “I think that’s when we remember we need each other. That’s not the same thing.”

Paige didn’t respond right away, but her gaze didn’t drop. Eventually, she nodded, more to herself than anything else.

“Good,” she whispered. “’Cause I don’t want to forget.”

Azzi reached over and turned off the lamp. The room darkened, and the silence wrapped around them again.

This time, Paige was the one to move first—her good arm draping gently across Azzi’s waist, tentative, like she wasn’t sure she still had the right. Azzi didn’t say anything. She just scooted a little closer and laid her palm over Paige’s hand, grounding them there.

And for the first time in weeks, maybe months, they both fell asleep easily.

Together.

____

Azzi woke to sunlight.

It poured through the gaps in the curtains, soft and golden, casting faint lines across the white sheets and the wall beyond. For a second, she didn’t remember where she was. Then she shifted slightly, felt the gentle weight of an arm draped across her waist, and everything came rushing back.

Paige. The night. The way they’d just been—no performance, no boundaries, just bodies breathing in sync for the first time in too long.

Azzi blinked against the light, turning slightly to look at her.

Paige was still asleep. Her hair was mussed, falling softly over her forehead, one arm tucked beneath the pillow, the other looped around Azzi like it belonged there. Her expression was unguarded in sleep—lips parted slightly, brows soft, lashes casting little shadows against her cheeks.

Azzi didn’t move.

She didn’t want to.

Instead, she let herself study the woman she had loved in a thousand almosts. Paige always looked so invincible—on the court, in press photos, even just walking down the street in oversized sunglasses and a hoodie like she owned the sidewalk. But like this? With her body curled in the quiet of morning, shoulder still bruised beneath the fabric of her sweatshirt, hand twitching slightly in sleep—she looked real. And Azzi felt something twist in her chest because God, she was still so far gone.

Eventually, Paige stirred. Her fingers flexed gently against Azzi’s waist before her eyes blinked open, hazy and slow.

“Hey,” she whispered, voice rough with sleep.

Azzi smiled. “Hey.”

For a moment, neither of them moved. The world hadn’t cracked open yet. No game plans. No studio deadlines. No red-eyes or sponsorship deals. Just the bed. The blankets. The echo of the night before lingering between them.

But then Paige’s phone buzzed.

Once. Twice. Then a third time—longer, insistent. Paige let out a groan, reaching out with her good arm to grab it from the nightstand.

Azzi rolled onto her back, letting her eyes fall to the ceiling as Paige squinted at the screen. There was a pause, and then—

“Hey,” Paige said, already sliding off the bed. “Gimme a sec. I just have to take this. It's my agent.”

Azzi’s stomach dropped, just a little.

She listened as Paige padded out of the bedroom, her socked feet quiet against the hardwood floor. The door stayed open—just enough that Azzi could hear her voice from the living room.

“Yeah, I know… No, I’m fine, just a small thing with the shoulder. I’ll be good by next week... Yeah, I can make it to LA for the shoot... That soon?”

Azzi closed her eyes.

Of course.

The bubble had to pop eventually. It always did.

She sat up slowly, running a hand through her curls, already matted from sleep. Her chest felt tight—not because Paige had done anything wrong, not really. But because it had been so easy, for just a moment, to believe they were building something new. Something that wouldn’t crack under distance or time zones or priorities that never seemed to align.

Paige's voice carried again, muffled but clear.

“I’ll talk to Azzi, yeah. I think we’re... figuring stuff out.”

Azzi froze.

That phrase—figuring stuff out—hit her in the gut more than it should’ve. She knew Paige meant well. She always did. But that was the problem. Paige always hovered in that middle ground. Never let herself name it. Never jumped in all the way.

Azzi wasn’t sure how many more almosts she could take.

She pulled her legs up onto the bed, hugging her knees to her chest, trying to quiet the storm that had started brewing again. It was always like this—sweetness followed by the inevitable sting. Paige was a safe place until she wasn’t.

A few minutes later, Paige walked back in. Her face looked slightly flushed, like she knew the spell had broken too.

“Hey,” she said again, softer this time. “Sorry. It was about the Nike thing. They want to reshoot in LA next week.”

Azzi nodded but didn’t look at her.

“Cool,” she said, voice carefully neutral.

Paige hesitated by the doorway. “I didn’t know they’d move it up. I didn’t say yes yet.”

Azzi gave a tight smile. “You will.”

Another pause. Another silence that said more than either of them were ready to.

“I don’t want to leave things like they were before,” Paige said finally. “I want to figure this out. For real.”

Azzi looked up at her. Her eyes were tired, but steady.

“I need you to stop figuring,” she said gently. “And start choosing.”

Azzi left Paige’s apartment just after nine.

She didn’t say much when she slipped on her coat and gathered her things—just pressed a kiss to Paige’s cheek, lingering for a second longer than necessary. Paige had offered to drive her, but Azzi had gently declined. She said she needed air. What she didn’t say was that she needed space to think. To feel whatever it was she had been pushing down since the second Paige picked her up last night.

The morning was crisp, cool enough that the wind stung slightly when it hit her face. She clutched her small bag to her chest as she walked, head tucked low, letting the hum of the city wrap around her. Car horns. Distant sirens. A bike bell. A dog barking from somewhere nearby. All of it layered over itself like some gritty, living song.

She arrived at the small downtown office space she sometimes used with her creative team—a shared suite lined with plants and windows and half-finished lyrics taped to the walls. Azzi was the only one there this early, which she preferred. It was easier to be honest when no one was watching.

She dropped her bag onto the couch and made herself a coffee from the old French press someone had left behind months ago. The smell filled the room—warm, earthy, grounding.

Her laptop was already on the desk. Her notebook beside it. Pages dog-eared and ink-stained, full of scraps of songs that never quite found their endings.

She stared at the blank page in front of her.

For weeks, the words hadn’t come. Everything had felt too forced, too shallow. Every verse had read like she was trying to trick herself into caring. But this morning, something felt different. Not lighter, exactly—but sharper. Like everything was suddenly in focus. The way Paige had held her. The bruise across her shoulder. The way she had said “I think we’re figuring stuff out” like that was enough.

Azzi reached for her pen before she even realized what she was doing.

She didn’t start with a melody. Not even a verse. Just a single line, scrawled in her messy, looping handwriting:

“You only hold me when you’re aching.”

She paused, staring at it.

Then she kept writing.

“You only call when the silence hurts. I only answer when I’m breaking— we don’t love, we just revert.”

The words came like a slow tide, not a flood—but enough. Enough to feel like something inside her had loosened. Like maybe she didn’t have to wait around for Paige to choose her to start choosing herself.

The door creaked open softly about twenty minutes later, and her manager, Cam, poked his head in. “Hey. Didn’t expect you this early.”

Azzi didn’t look up. “Had a weird night.”

“Productive at least?” he asked, nodding at the notebook.

Azzi finally glanced up at him, a quiet fire in her eyes. “Starting to be.”

Cam gave a small, knowing smile. “That’s all we need.”

____ 

The hours blurred.

Azzi stayed hunched over her notebook, the coffee long gone cold on the desk beside her. She filled two pages before she even noticed her hand cramping slightly from how tightly she was gripping the pen. The words weren't perfect. Hell, some of the lines didn’t even rhyme. But they meant something. For the first time in weeks, it didn’t feel like she was trying to squeeze a feeling out of herself that wasn’t there.

It was already early afternoon by the time she leaned back in her chair, rubbing her wrist absently. She stared at the mess of her handwriting and felt… heavy, but clear. Like she was finally starting to tell the truth. Even if it hurt.

Her phone buzzed on the desk. She glanced at it, expecting some promo email or a spam call, but her stomach dropped when she saw the name:

Paige.

She hesitated.

Last night had been easy. Easier than it should’ve been. But this morning—watching Paige slip back into the life that had always pulled her away—it was like a cold hand wrapping around her chest again.

Still, Azzi picked up.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual.

“Hey, Az,” Paige's voice came through, a little breathless, a little uncertain. “Uh... what are you doing right now?”

Azzi glanced around the empty studio space—the sunlight slanting in through the high windows, the echoes of her own restless heart.

"Working," she said simply.

A beat of silence.

“Can I come by?”

Azzi closed her eyes for a second, pressing her fingers to her temple. Paige didn’t usually ask. She just showed up. Like she belonged in every version of Azzi’s life, no matter what.

“Yeah,” Azzi said after a long moment. “I’m downtown, same spot.”

Another pause.

“Okay. Be there in twenty.”

The call ended before Azzi could change her mind.

Twenty minutes later, the studio door creaked open again, and Paige stood there, looking strangely out of place in her sweats and scuffed sneakers, a black baseball cap tugged low over her brow. She had one of those giant iced coffees in hand, the condensation dripping down her fingers.

Azzi didn’t get up. She just raised an eyebrow.

Paige lingered in the doorway, like she wasn’t sure she was invited in after all.

“I brought you one too,” she said lamely, holding out a second drink.

Azzi took it but set it down on the table without tasting it.

Paige shuffled in a few steps, balancing against the table across the small room from Azzi. She looked hesitant, like she was ready to bolt at any second.

"I didn’t mean to make this morning weird," Paige said quietly.

Azzi just looked at her, the silence stretching thick between them.

"I just... I get scared," Paige continued, voice low. “Every time it feels good between us, I get scared. That I’m gonna mess it up. That I’ll choose wrong again. And then I do mess it up, because I’m thinking about it too much instead of just—" she broke off, dragging a hand through her hair. "Instead of just holding onto you."

Azzi swallowed hard, her throat thick.

"You always think you have time," she said, voice barely above a whisper.

Paige blinked at her.

"You think you can figure it out later. After the season. After the shoot. After the next flight. But every time you leave, it’s harder for me to believe you’ll come back different."

Paige’s jaw tensed. Her hand twitched like she wanted to reach out, but she didn’t.

“I don’t know how to be good at this,” she said finally, brokenly. “But I don’t want to be good at it with anyone else.”

The rawness of it hit Azzi square in the chest.

She stood up, pushing her chair back with a small scrape of wood on concrete. Paige flinched, but Azzi didn’t move toward the door. She walked over to her guitar case instead, pulling it out of the corner of the room where it leaned, forgotten.

“I wrote something this morning,” Azzi said, adjusting the strap over her shoulder.

Paige straightened a little, hopeful, nervous.

Azzi sat on the edge of the couch and let her fingers fall naturally into the opening chords she’d started sketching out hours ago. The music was simple. Honest. A little rough. She hadn’t planned on sharing it with anyone yet.

But this? This was the only way she knew how to explain.

Her voice cracked slightly on the first line, but she kept going:

“You only hold me when you’re aching, you only call when the silence hurts… I only answer when I’m breaking, we don’t love, we just revert…”

When she finished, the room was so quiet she could hear the faint buzz of the old overhead lights.

Paige’s eyes were shining, but she didn’t say anything right away. She just crossed the space between them, slow and careful, and sat on the floor in front of Azzi, knees brushing hers.

“I don’t want to just revert anymore,” Paige said finally, voice raw. “I want to choose you.”

Azzi stared at her for a long moment, guitar still cradled against her ribs like armor. She wanted so badly to believe her. To fall into her the way she always had.

But this time, she needed Paige to prove it.

Not just say it.

Azzi set the guitar down carefully on the couch beside her.

For a second, she didn’t speak. She just let the silence settle between them, heavy but not unbearable. She studied Paige—really studied her. The way her cap was slightly crooked. The way she sat with her hands open on her knees, like she was offering something invisible, something fragile.

"I don't want to be the thing you run to when you're lonely," Azzi said finally, her voice soft but unflinching. "I want to be the thing you stay for."

Paige's lips parted slightly, like she was going to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she just nodded—small, almost imperceptible, but real.

"I can't..." Azzi exhaled, pressing the heels of her palms against her thighs. "I can't keep doing this half-way. The almosts. The almost home, almost love, almost enough." Her voice shook, just a little, but she kept going. "If you want me... reallywant me... you have to show up. Not when it's easy. Not when you miss me. Every day. Even when it's hard."

Paige’s throat worked as she swallowed.

"I can," she said, so quietly Azzi almost missed it. "I will."

Azzi stared at her, searching her face for any flicker of doubt. She found none. Just that raw, terrified honesty that Paige always tried to cover up with jokes and casual shrugs.

It hit Azzi then—how hard it must have been for her. To admit she didn’t know how to stay. To admit she was scared. Not of Azzi—never of her—but of what it meant to need someone so much.

Paige shifted closer on her knees, so their legs touched fully now.

"I’m scared," she whispered, eyes never leaving Azzi's. "But I’m more scared of losing you."

Azzi felt something crack wide open inside her.

Slowly, she reached out, letting her fingers brush along the edge of Paige’s jaw. Paige leaned into the touch immediately, her breath hitching.

"You’re not gonna lose me," Azzi murmured. "You just have to meet me here."

Paige closed her eyes like the words physically hurt. When she opened them again, they were glassy, full of something deep and endless.

"I love you," she said, voice trembling. "I love you, Az. I think I always have."

The world seemed to tilt around them. The studio, the city outside, the entire universe, all shrinking down to this—this tiny, infinite space between them.

Azzi’s breath caught. She didn’t say anything at first. She just leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Paige’s, their noses brushing.

And then, when she was sure her heart wouldn’t explode from how full it was, she whispered it back.

"I love you too."

It wasn’t a grand declaration. It wasn’t shouted from rooftops or stitched into a song yet. It was a promise made in the quiet, in the space between heartbreak and hope.

And maybe, just maybe, it would be enough.

Paige let out a shaky breath, her hands finding Azzi’s and gripping tight.

“Okay,” she whispered. “Okay. No more half-way.”

Azzi smiled, small but real.

“No more half-way.”

They stayed like that for a long moment—knees pressed together, hands locked, breathing the same air—before Azzi pulled Paige up onto the couch beside her. They sat tangled up in each other, the half-finished song still humming in the background of the day, like a promise they could finally start believing in.

____

For the first time in what felt like months, there was no rush between them. No ticking clock, no unspoken countdown to goodbye.

Paige stayed.

Not just physically, but really stayed.

After the weight of their confessions, Azzi expected a kind of awkwardness to set in—the kind that usually came after they said too much, after vulnerability cracked them open. But it didn’t. Instead, there was a lightness. A kind of tentative peace.

Azzi leaned back against the worn arm of the couch, legs stretched out over Paige’s lap. Paige didn’t seem to mind; she just absently traced small, lazy patterns along Azzi’s calf with her fingertips, like her hands needed to be touching her at all times now, just to make sure she was still there.

Azzi picked up her notebook again, thumbing through the pages. She wasn’t writing anymore, not really. Just letting herself exist in the space she and Paige had built here—messy, bruised, but somehow still standing.

Paige glanced around after a while, taking in the studio with fresh eyes. "You live here or something?" she teased gently, bumping Azzi’s leg with her knee.

Azzi smiled without looking up. "Feels like it sometimes."

"You should eat," Paige said after a beat, voice soft but a little firm in that way she got when she was pretending not to be worried. "You get weird when you don't eat."

Azzi rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide her amusement. "I’m fine."

"Nope. Not buying it. Come on."

Before Azzi could protest, Paige was shifting her legs carefully off her lap and standing. She stretched—arms overhead, shirt riding up slightly to reveal a flash of tan skin—and then offered Azzi her hand.

Azzi hesitated for just a second before taking it.

They walked a few blocks to a tiny corner deli Azzi liked, one that Paige always pretended was “too sketchy” but secretly loved because they made the best egg sandwiches in the city.

Inside, it smelled like bacon grease and fresh bagels. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead. Azzi ordered a sandwich with avocado and turkey bacon; Paige got a greasy, overstuffed BLT and a bag of salt and vinegar chips.

They sat by the window, the city sprawling out in front of them, afternoon sun glinting off car roofs and apartment windows.

Paige unwrapped her sandwich sloppily and took a huge bite. Azzi laughed under her breath as the blonde tried—and failed—to keep tomato from sliding out the side.

"You’re a mess," Azzi said, shaking her head.

Paige just grinned, mouth full. "You love it."

Azzi ducked her head, blushing. "Unfortunately."

They ate in easy silence for a while, trading bites, stealing sips from each other’s iced coffees without asking. Paige doodled on a napkin with a blue pen she pulled from her pocket—terrible little stick figures of the two of them, complete with what she claimed were guitars and basketballs.

Azzi snorted when she saw the final product. "You’re artistically challenged."

"Hey," Paige protested, mock-offended. "That’s our album cover right there."

Azzi smiled so hard her cheeks hurt.

She couldn’t remember the last time it had been this easy. The last time she hadn’t been waiting for Paige to look at her phone or check the time or make some excuse to leave.

Paige was just... here. With her.

Choosing her.

When they finished eating, Paige reached across the table, her thumb brushing a crumb from the corner of Azzi’s mouth. It was such a small thing, such a nothing thing—and yet it made Azzi’s heart stutter painfully in her chest.

Paige’s hand lingered, fingers sliding lightly along Azzi’s jaw, like she couldn’t help herself.

"I meant it," she said, voice low, almost shy. "What I said before."

Azzi caught her hand, holding it there against her cheek.

"I know," she whispered.

And for the first time in a long, long while—Azzi let herself believe it.

____

By the time they made it to Azzi’s apartment, choosing the brunettes place tonight for a change of scenery, the sky had deepened into a soft purple, city lights starting to flicker awake.

Paige kicked off her sneakers by the door without thinking, like it was second nature, and Azzi trailed behind her, dropping her bag with a muted thud.

The apartment still smelled faintly of vanilla candles and Azzi’s floral shampoo—the comforts of home—but the energy was different now. Calmer. More theirs somehow, not just Azzi’s.

Paige wandered into the living room, picking up one of Azzi’s records from the perfectly neat vinyl shelf. She turned it over in her hands, then shot Azzi a soft smile over her shoulder.

"Want me to put something on?"

Azzi nodded, already toeing off her Uggs and tugging her oversized sweatshirt over her head, leaving her in a simple ribbed tank top underneath. She plopped down onto the couch, curling her legs underneath her, watching as Paige carefully slid a record onto the player.

Soft, crackling acoustic guitar filled the room—the kind of music that made everything slow down, even time.

Paige dropped down onto the couch beside her, not bothering with any distance this time. Their thighs pressed together naturally, warmly. Paige let out a quiet sigh, her body relaxing into the cushions.

They sat there for a few minutes, just breathing, the music wrapping around them like a blanket. Azzi leaned her head against Paige’s shoulder without thinking about it, and Paige turned slightly, pressing a lingering kiss to the crown of her head.

It wasn’t rushed or desperate or tinged with fear like it used to be. It was steady. Sure.

Azzi closed her eyes, letting herself melt into the feeling.

"I miss this," she murmured into Paige’s sweatshirt. "I miss us."

Paige's hand found hers, fingers intertwining with a kind of quiet reverence.

"We’re right here," Paige whispered back.

After a while, Azzi shifted so she was tucked completely against Paige's side, her hand splayed over Paige’s heart. She could feel the steady thud beneath her palm, grounding her.

"You know," Paige said after a long stretch of silence, her voice low and a little sheepish, "I still have that stupid necklace you gave me before my rookie season."

Azzi pulled back just enough to look up at her. "The one with the little A on it?"

Paige flushed a little, nodding. "Yeah. I keep it in my bag. Even when I'm traveling. Even when... when we weren't really talking. It just—felt wrong to leave it behind."

Azzi's heart clenched so painfully she thought she might cry.

"You're such a sap," she whispered, blinking quickly.

Paige smiled, slow and crooked and full of everything she never used to say out loud.

"For you? Always."

Azzi ducked her head again, letting her forehead rest against Paige’s collarbone. They stayed like that, breathing each other in, the record turning lazily in the background.

At some point, Azzi must have drifted off because when she blinked her eyes open again, the room was darker, the only light coming from the window where the city glittered beyond the glass.

Paige had adjusted them at some point, laying them down properly along the couch. Azzi was half on top of her, one arm thrown across Paige’s middle, their legs tangled together. Paige’s hand was still rubbing slow, lazy circles against Azzi’s back, her breathing even and steady.

Azzi shifted a little, burying her face deeper into Paige’s sweatshirt.

“Stay,” she mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

Paige pressed another soft kiss to her hair, whispering against her curls, "Always."

Azzi smiled into Paige’s chest, her whole body sinking into the kind of peace she hadn’t felt in what felt like a lifetime.

And for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[slowbison]

Heyy!! I love your writing and was wondering if I could request a Resident Evil 4, Leon S. Kennedy x male reader. Reader and Leon always had that little competition between them, always trying to be better than the other which lead to them not liking each other. They got sent to various missions together but always ended up fighting with each other on how to do things instead of focusing on the mission. It just didn’t work between them. Additionally, Reader is sarcastic and acts a bit like an a-hole sometimes, flirts with Leon in a joking way and Leon just can't stand that.

After Leon was sent to save Ashley Reader is sent to back up Leon (and Leon didn’t know that so he is kinda mad that they thought it would be a good idea to choose Reader for it) on his mission and after a long and annoying search, he ends up finding Leon in the village. At first, he thought Leon was some sort of villager and attacks him. He pins him to the ground but then realized who he is and reluctantly apologizes which just makes the situation worse between them.

When they find Ashley and then lose her later Leon gets injured badly because he just rushed in without thinking to save Ashley. But he couldn’t and they ended up fighting when the coast cleared. In reality, the reader isn’t mad about the fact that they lost Ashley again. He is mad that Leon got hurt in the process and Leon noticed that the reader was worried about him. That could lead to an angry make-out session. Enemies to lovers type thing

a/n: you plot stuff down like me (T-T)7 except yours makes more sense and less sporadic. for inspo on reader i used baptise/cassidy from overwatch (if ya know the game, i personally am a rein main, love the big guy)

Bottom! Leon S. Kennedy x Top! Male Reader

words: 3.7k

warnings: hand jobs, praising, nsfw, leon is going through it with reader

The air was moist when the car dropped you into the woods. You were assigned as a back up to an agent in ensuring the rescue of the president's daughter as the villagers proved to be much more troublesome than they thought. At first you weren’t interested in the mission, citing it as not challenging enough for your skills. But when they mentioned the agent already deployed was no other than Condor One, you agreed without any hesitation.

Condor One, or better known as Leon Kennedy, was your greatest rival yet amazing partner; if only you two could get along that is. The higher ups had always placed you and Leon as teammates due to the impressive career history. Both were top of the police academy, senses far sharper than the average agents and able to complete missions despite the numerous unknown factors. Which is why you were both often paired up. But what they didn’t know was how much fuel they fed the flames of competition between you two and how long time was spent arguing rather than maintaining focus on the task.

Leon for one, couldn’t stand your arrogance citing the times you would dismiss his suggestions with your own better option or making decisions on your own, leaving him to “pick up your mess”. Much less the many times you were more focused on teasing him or flirting in the middle of an intense situation.

On the other, you found it entertaining to annoy the blonde, enjoying the banter following after.

Worse was when you both started fighting over who gets to open the door first for the other, Chris lost brain cells hearing this story. Least to say that you both always miraculously managed to complete the mission, receiving high praise while the field agents tasked with providing information through both of the men's earpiece quietly cringed inside.

A smile grew on your lips as you made your way into the woods. “Now, where could you be, little puppy.”

The woods weren’t much of an issue to navigate as you walked up to a muddy path that led to what appears to be a desolated home. Cracks formed on the outer shell while flies circled around a heap of trash, possibly dead carcasses. You had been warned that these people didn’t treat strangers from the outside world kindly and kept your guard on as you moved closer.

With a gun in your hand, you entered the home and scanned around the dimly lit room. Blood splattered the wall, trailing to two dead bodies of what appears to be the cultists villagers mentioned from field operators' information. One appeared to be an old man whose throat was slit and the other riddled with bullet holes in the head. Picking up one of the empty shells on the ground, you found that it to be the same as your own ammo — meaning only one thing.

“Heheh, you’re still around here somewhere, huh?” You murmured, a slight grin on your face.

From the countless times you’ve spent working and being with Leon, you were rather knowledgeable with how the man shoots. Partially because you wanted to beat him at weapon handling in the academy, but from the many times your eyes lingered on every move he made.

The way his arms flexed as he held his gun, steadying it against the recoil or when he slightly pouted his lips to focus more on the target while your mind kept wondering how they’d feel if their attention was directed elsewhere…

Needless to say, you consider yourself an expert when it comes to the man and the knowledge proved useful today.

The grin dropped as soon as loud banging followed by heavy footsteps could be heard down the hall. Three rather angry looking villagers came crashing through a door, jabbing their axes and pitchforks at you before charging. You sighed, already having to deal with nuisances and shot at two of their kneecaps causing them to fall on the floor, quickly moving to punching the one still running square in the face — switching to your own combat knife, slitting the man’s throat.

The two villagers staggered their way to you, but you threw the now-dead third villager into them, crashing them both back onto the floor. You watched for a moment as they squirmed on the ground, reloading your gun before popping a bullet in between their heads, sending them to the next life. Sighing as it proved right that this mission wasn’t a match for your skills, but the thought of working with Leon lifted your spirits and made your way out of the home through the back door — marching into the forest.

Passing through the woods once more, going over a shoddy built bridge, you arrived at the main entrance of the village hidden behind a large door. Along the way you found more and more bodies, leading you closer to the man’s possible location. Hiding behind a pile of rocks, you watched as the villagers mindlessly yelled and prayed around a burning cross with a burn man tied.

Not wanting to watch for much longer, you moved further in, crouching as you rolled to hide behind a wall. Taking a moment to collect yourself, you sensed that there was a possible threat around the corner — most likely a villager.

Pausing for a moment to hear any movement made, an opportunity showed itself as the villager peeked at your corner only to be quickly pushed against the wall, gun clicking to the back of their head ready to shoot. You faltered as you realized who was at the end of the barrel, your grip on the gun easing, but a devious smile crawled on your face.

“Guess who, doll.”

The man tensed and immediately broke free from your hold, attempting to kick you at the side, one which you caught in your arm effortlessly.

“C’mon this ain’t no way to greet your partner Leon, dont’cha miss me?” You quipped, the man releasing his foot from your grasp. Leon huffed, moving back to peeking behind the wall, eyeing the villager’s for any reaction to the sudden noise.

“Just my luck I had to be paired up with you, was everyone out on break or what.” He spat, turning to finally address you.

Out of everyone they could have possibly sent out as assistance, he didn’t understand why they would send someone barely qualified to rescue the president's daughter. It just had to be a joke. You softly laughed, shaking your head at the man.

“Ouch, that hurts to hear Lee. I think we make quite the team, yeah? So long as you follow my lead, of course.”

Leon felt himself slowly losing his sanity the more he listened to you talk and moved to hide behind another home, you trailing after him. The first meeting didn’t seem to be going very well as the man decided to ignore your existence as he ran past homes, only turning to glare at you to ensure you were still real, smiling and waving as he turned.

So your brilliant mind decided that it was time to hit him with the old Y/n charm as you adjusted your clothing, wiping at the imaginary dirt. Clearing your throat and moving closer, whispering softly, “If it’s anything worth, you look great. Even if you got a little dirt on ya cheek.”

“Would you shut up for one second while I concentrate?” Leon hissed. You grinned, enjoying his reaction.

“If you’re having trouble, why don’t you leave this to me, doll? I’ll get us outta this shithole quick.”

“I don’t need your help, just shut up and stay-“

You quickly wrapped an arm around the man’s shoulder, pulling him close to your chest and fired your gun at the villager that had silently crept onto him — body falling lifelessly to the floor.

Leon snapped his head at the body before turning to meet your gaze on him, a sly smirk slowly spreading. “This is the part where you say thank you, sugar.”

The man grumbled before pushing you down, firing at the man on the floor who began convulsing, sprouting tentacles from his head. Ensuring the man was dead, Leon turned to face you with a smirk on his face.

“Guess we’re even now, huh darling?”

Your eyes slightly widened as the man referred to you with a pet name, something he never does and by the look on his face, he must’ve realized what he said. Though you could barely see it, a hit of red dusted his cheeks as he hid himself from you. You were about to tease the man some more when you heard the sound of many villagers walking in your direction, probably from the sounds of your arguing and guns.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to continue our little chat later, love. Maybe we could go out to dinner after all this.”

“I’d rather play bingo with these people than having to go on a date with you.”

“Oh?, never said it’d be a date, but if you insist.”

Leon let out an annoyed huff as he began firing at the villagers appearing, alternating between his combat knife to reserve ammunition. Overwhelmed by the sheer amount, you began busting through homes and fired at ones that broke in. The real challenge being a chainsaw wielding maniac that absorbed bullets like a sponge, barely reacting except for some staggering here and there.

Soon, the battle was over as many of the villagers lay dead at your feet as the last one standing was the chainsaw man who collapsed to the floor, blood painting the ground.

You and Leon shared a long stare as you both caught your breath from the long fight. Gaze landing on his lips while he scanned over your body before landing on your own mouth. You felt yourself pull closer to him and licked your lips while the other stayed still, eyes still focused on you. Only for the moment to be ruined, just as you were so close to him that his field operator Hunnigan, called asking for a progress report on the mission. You groaned as the blonde pulled away, speaking to the woman before turning to face you.

“Let’s go, they’ve got Ashley trapped in some big building up ahead.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s get this over with. I’ve got a date to attend after this.”

Leon let out a defeated sigh and walked off, following the dirt path as you joined him at his side, chatting as you both dealt with more villagers. Though the talking stopped as you both ran into a tied up Spaniard who you later learned his name was Luis after being thrown into a wall and awakening tied up in a room.

A bit of jealousy flared within you as the man, eyes lingered far too long for your liking on Leon. Feeling dissipating once the man ran off, throwing the key which you caught and removed the chains from your hands as well as Leon’s. You couldn’t tell if you wanted to befriend that man or eliminate him as a possible contender for Leon.

Either way, it didn’t matter as you and Leon continued the search for Ashley after traversing the village, buying items from a strange hooded man, fighting an overweight mutant pet fish and finally arriving at a church where it’s believed to imprison the woman.

The first encounter, much like your own with Leon, was a short fight that ended with her screaming before calming down and thanking you both for rescuing her.

“I’m so sorry for attacking you. I-I thought you were one of them.” She said softly, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Yeah we look like decrepit old men and got the whole cultist gear going for us,” You scoffed, the woman meekly apologizing once more. Leon punched your shoulder and moved to place a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about him, he’s just an asshole. We’ll get you home, promise.”

Ashley gave a faint smile and nodded, seemingly feeling a little bit better at his words. You huffed, turning to walk out the church doors only to shut them at the sight of a large mob of villagers outside.

“If you two are done gossiping about me, we’ve got company.”

Leon rolled his eyes, warning Ashley to carefully follow them and equipped his gun. You pushed open the doors, alerting the mob that began shouting — a fight ensued.

The mob proved to be overwhelming as your group slowly backed into a corner after making it outside, forcing you all to run for cover. Ashley desperately tried to keep between you and Leon, but was caught by a few villagers that dragged her back to the crowd. A shrill scream was all you heard as they ran off with Ashley, most likely to another building to imprison her in.

“Ashley!” Leon yelled, aiming for one of the villagers that held her arms. You quickly turned to look at the man, alternating between hand-to-hand combat and firing your gun at villagers surrounding you. Your eyes widening as one of the knife wielding villagers rushed to impale the unsuspecting man.

“Fuck, Leon! Watch out!”

Leon turned to dodge and hissed as the blade struck the side of his torso, blood gushing from the wound. Swiftly roundhouse kicking the villagers around you, you went to pick up the man and ran as he fired shots at the mob chasing.

You both managed to lose the horde after hiding in a dense thicket, holding your breaths as the villagers ran over your head. Your arm wrapped around the injured man’s shoulder while the other held out a gun. Once the sounds of the horde began to die down, you directed your attention back to the man who let out soft groans of pain. A mixture of worry and anger swept over you as you helped him to his feet.

“What the hell was that Leon!” You spat at him, putting an arm around his waist, helping ease his balance. “You could’ve gotten stabbed! Use that damn head of yours smartass.”

Leon grit his teeth in anger before letting out a painful hiss. “Our mission is to save Ashley no matter the cost, you should’ve chased after them instead of being here, asshole.”

“Fat chance we’ll save her if we both get hurt and I’m not going to leave you here bleeding out.”

“Since when did you care about me?”

“I’ve always cared, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Goddamnit, you’re always so hard to tell. I can never figure-“

You crashed your mouths together, teeth clacking. Leon let out a surprised noise but he didn't let it deter him from returning the kiss — threading his fingers into your hair, licking into your mouth. The kiss turned increasingly desperate as you pulled him close, not wanting to separate from each other’s lips for even a moment. Though eventually, the lack of much needed air forced you apart, bumping your head against his as you stared into his eyes.

“Can you figure that out, puppy?” You quipped, trialing your hands over his ass, kneading the mound in your hands.

Leon pressed himself against your chest and hovered his lips over yours.

“Just shut up and kiss me.”

Not wanting to waste anymore time talking, you decided that your body could do it for you. Attacking his lips once more, tongues dancing together as you pressed him against a tree. Slotting your leg between his, feeling the blonde’s own hardness grind down on you. Leon’s soft muffled moans slipped past the gaps in the kiss, locking his arms behind your head to steady himself as he humped your leg.

The sound of the forest drowned in the background as the kiss got more heated, lips swollen, breathing heavy against each other — mind swimming in fog lustful daze. Trailing from his lips to his neck, you marked the man, leaving dark marks littered on his pale skin.

Leon clasped a hand on his mouth, hoping to suppress the drawled out moans and whining as he continued grinding on your leg.

“Shit, ah- not enough, need more please,” He whined, digging a hand into your shoulder before hissing at the pain from his side, blood still seeping into his clothes.

“Take it easy there doll. I've got you, I’ll make it quick alright?”

Leon groaned and nodded, pushing himself onto the tree — shoots of pain and pleasure coursing through him. Not wanting to prolong his suffering, you worked off his belt along with your own and brought the hard shafts together after freeing them of their confinement. Both letting out a soft groan as you started off with gentle stroking that got increasingly faster and tighter. Thumbing over the slits, letting the precum act as lube, making it

Leon threw his head back and arched his back, feeling the pleasure overwhelm the pain from the wound festering at his side.

“Yes, fuck yes, I’m close k-keep going please.. ah!”

Denying the man felt unacceptable, especially when he was begging so nice just for you. A satisfied grin emerged from your face as you continued working on bringing you both to climax.

“You look so damn pretty right now doll. Can’t wait to see what you’d look like when I fuck that tight ass of yours.” You panted into his ear, tugging at your cocks in your hand, leaving the blonde a sobbing mess in his hand.

“You’ll be good for me won’t you? I’ll make sure you can’t walk right for a week.”

A shudder traveled up Leon’s spine at the thought of returning back to the country only to be fucked into oblivion, feeling the ache of your thrusts all week. The fact it would be from his own rival no less, one that he swore up and down to never get involved with unless forced to. He didn’t know what was worse, the idea that he wanted nothing more than to submit to the same man that frustrated him to no-end or that is exactly what he felt missing in all the interactions shared with you.

Leon’s moan became louder as he started realizing the feelings he refused to acknowledge and buried his head into your neck, blush spreading across his face.

“I know you want it darling and I’ll make it a dream come true, now come for me.” You whispered into his ear, tightening your hand even more that proved to be enough for the man to spill.

The blonde concealed his broken cries into your neck as he came, coating your hand before dripping to the ground. You soon followed after and gently jerked the last few spurts of cum, stopping to wipe your hand on the tree, tucking you and him back into its restraints.

Leon panted heavily against your neck, heart rate dropping as he caught his breath. You placed soft kisses along his neck, moving your head over his.

“I’m serious when I say this Leon, let’s get that dinner and make it a date. I want us to be more than just.. rivals.”

Leon bit his lip in thought, conviction flicking between his eyes as he stared into yours. Gaze softening before speaking, “Alright then, but I’ve had enough seafood right now. I can still smell that thing’s breath.”

You laughed, bringing up a hand to rub a gentle thumb over his cheek. “I know this killer place downtown with a nice view, no seafood menu too.” You murmured, removing a strand of hair from his lips.

Leon softly smiled and leaned into your touch. “I’ll hold it to you then.”

A laugh escaped from both of you, only stopping when Leon hissed in pain, eyebrows furrowed as he bit back a groan. For a small moment, you both forgot that the man was still injured from a knife earlier and you quickly worked on fishing out some miraculous herbs. You weren’t too sure how they always helped heal such wounds, but it was the least of your concerns so long it worked. Digging out a large bandage to wrap around his torso, Leon stifled any pained noises.

You were slightly worried as the wound wasn’t anything deep, but it was a contender for possible stitches or better treatment than you could provide. Just how did the man ignore such pain during the heated moment shared between you two was beyond you. Unless..?

“Say you got a thing for pain or something?” You mused, a grin forming on your face as the man’s face flushed.

“What? No! I’m just used to getting hurt sometimes, this is nothing.” He huffed, pushing himself off the tree and adjusted his clothes, avoiding your pointed look.

“Is it also why you like it when I throw you on the ground back at the academy?”

Leon grit his teeth and shook his head, refusing to speak anymore unless he was to give away how he truly felt about being manhandled.

“Quit speculating and let’s get back to saving Ashley, again.”

You quietly laughed and made your way out of the thicket, returning back to focus on the operation. Though your mind couldn’t help wandering back to the man at times as you ran up to the new location they hid the girl in. Wanting nothing more but to end it quickly so you could spend more time with Leon than slaughtering villagers and cultists, even if you were good at it. A determined look set across your face as you watched from the door Leon helped free Ashley from her chains.

I’ll make sure we get out of here. No matter the cost.

a/n: yeah the reader is slightly psychotic when it comes to Leon at the end. i had thoughts of making a part two of this, but not all that sure. regardless of that, hope y’all liked this :]

if anyone’s interested, here’s a rough cut dialogue that i didn’t use.

“Think that merchant guy sells lube? Rather not hurt ya while we fuck doll, I can get pretty rough.” You grinned, watching the man’s cheeks burn.

“We are not fucking during a mission!”

“Damn, that was on my bucket list.”

Leon gave you a questionable stare.

“What? Why do you- forget it, I don’t want to know anymore.”

“C’mon, it’s a pretty good list and I just thought up a few more of what I could add.”

up next: reader request! Rocket x Male Reader. rocket isn’t fond of new people, more importantly a stranger that he’s to fight alongside with, but eventually comes around to you.

[sageandred]

OLD MUSINGS *issa joke but i feel it

~ A sadistic character outline...and a shameless rafebarry post ~

I don't know if anyone in the obx fandom knows what everyone in the obx fandom knows, but Rafe is absolutely 💫❤️psycho✨️ ● The Pates can try to sell me their he's a changed man narrative with the nice lil poor girl and this is no hate to Sofia, but Rafe isn't the type of character to turn a new leaf because she saw the good in him (i'm lowkey convinced there is no good and i prefer it) and he definitely isn't gonna find love and light with Kiara, who deserves better. The thing is Rafe is interesting...Rafe is a good character. He's a mess and he's convinced his choices make sense as he's a PROACTIVE TYPE OF PERSON...and his dad just died. Ward failed him and he should probably be in therapy for years now, but he won't as history has indicated (and he shouldn't).

This lil 'b is damaged as f-

...and there should be no hope for him.

The only "love" story that makes sense for him (and it still won't fix him) is this mfer—

Rafe is a character that needs chaos. He needs Barry. I don't care that it's toxic; I don't care that Barry double-crossed him and they've got a lot to work out between them now. This is the gold ship of Outer Banks.

They have c h e m i s t r y —in a way that you question the history in the time we didn't see on screen-that teeters between platonic hatred towards each other or 'they might kiss in a minute'.

They have the real stuff of enemies to lovers that could lead to them wanting to kill each other.

Rafe is a spoiled rich brat; Barry probably grew up poor and has his business hustle for survival (so, they both love money) < see! common interests!

Barry has the nicknames down that sound like they would only make appearances on AO3: "Country Club." I have a special appreciation for "J Crew lookin ass."

like I said, Rafe is a mess! He goes to Barry pretty much any time he needs someone to rely on. He breaks down at his place in the middle of the night and sleeps on the couch (that's an actual scene)!

Barry is just messy enough for Rafe with a neutral at best, skewed at least moral compass. Rafe makes him look like an angel in comparison, but he's been shady nonetheless.

They both fit the potential character-build of 'doing shit for fun'- Barry would 100% do some heinous acts for the sole purposes of bringing himself amusement. He already went along with numerous of Rafe's plans, and Rafe doesn't care..he would do things, and has gone much further than Barry in their situations.

They would be so funny to watch in a fight. They would team up. Rafe isn't that good in fights with Pogues outside of blindsiding them, and that one time Barry lost to the Pogues was because they blindsided him (after he blindsided them).

And the actors ship them! What more could you want?

In season 4, Rafe should be gone off the deep-end following Ward's death. He should be distressed and messed up from losing who he looked up to, while also having that complicated relationship he has no idea has severe flaws. We should get Rafe breaks down on Barry's doorstep 2.0, Rafe loses control in a seemingly well-thought out scheme of instability attempt #3000, and Barry follows him on this quest like they always do.

[winifred-stormborne]

Genshin OC Headcanons

I continue to be very autistic for my own OC, so here's some headcanons and silly stuff regarding Winifred's feelings and relationships with other Genshin characters :3

Tartaglia

COME ON YOU ALREADY KNOW I HAD TO START WITH MY LITERAL FAVORITE CHARACTER AND MAKE HIM INTEGRAL TO WINIFRED'S STORY

Oh their relationship is very complicated indeed, enemies to lovers type deal

Actually more like friends to crushes to betrayal to Winifred being scared shitless of him for awhile while he tries to charm his way back into her heart type deal

Okay but before all of that, they were joined at the hip for the majority of Winifred's stay in Liyue during the whole Morax murder situation

Winifred definitely didn't trust him at first, but his strange personality absolutely won her over very quickly

Low-key she was too blinded by her crush to realize how sketchy he actually was

But that's okay because he ended up really liking her back on accident

This man spoiled her while they were in Liyue. Where do you think she got the silk flower from?

HE JUST KEPT BUYING HER SNACKS CAN YOU BLAME HER FOR FALLING FOR HIM????

His nickname for her is "Stormy" and while she hates that nickname now, she'd low-key give anything to hear it in an endearing way again

Tartaglia being Tartaglia, he absolutely used that nickname against her when they fought in the Golden House

But Tartaglia being Tartaglia, battle is a weirdly intimate thing for him and though betraying Winifred hurt a little bit for him, he's trying so hard to understand the pain it caused her so he can make things right again

He keeps writing her letters and addressing her as "Stormy" in them, and sending her snacks from Snezhnaya HE'S TRYING OKAY??

She'd never admit it, but she misses his scarf. She'd always try to steal it to wear it when they were in Liyue

She has a habit of wagging her tail when she's happy or blushing, and because she wears a fricking bell on the end of her tail, her crush on him was far from subtle

But that's okay because he finds the tail wagging to be cute

GOD THE ANGST BETWEEN THEM IS SO PALPABLE PLEASE-

Don't worry, after shit happens in Fontaine, they're okay <3

Kaeya

KAEYA AND WINIFRED ARE BESTIES OKAY

She doesn't make the best drinking partner thanks to her low tolerance, but that does not stop her from trying to one up Kaeya every time

She just keeps falling over after like 2 drinks and Kaeya finds it absolutely hilarious

Kaeya is Winifred's mentor, but seriously, you would never be able to guess with how much they just hang out and drink together like besties

She actually used to have a big ass crush on Kaeya before she met Tartaglia because UGH

UNREQUITED LOVE Y'ALL

He loves her in his own way, just not romantically

But that's okay, she got over her crush and is just thankful to have him in her life

No but seriously, these two would die for one another

He's actually extremely protective of her, especially after the Liyue shenanigans

Sort of a "Anything you do to her, I'll do to you" type thing

Meanwhile Winifred is just adorable trying to be a little mini Kaeya

Even though she uses a polearm, she tries to mimic Kaeya's movements with a sword in combat

It's adorable because she also tries to mimic his posture and poses to look intimidating

BUT SHE'S TINY AND HE KEEPS USING HER AS AN ARMREST HELP

One of her favorite things is stargazing with Bennett, Razor, and Fischl, and Kaeya will do his best to join them if his knightly duties allow him the time to do so

And of course, these two are a dynamic duo when it comes to messing with Diluc

Kaeya taught her well >:3

He also has a nickname for her, "Winnie," and she hates it

Seriously, she tries to jump him every time he calls her that

It's a love kind of hate tho

Bennett, Razor, and Fischl

Oh no, these guys are fun

Winifred would kill everyone in Teyvat for these three, she loves them to pieces

She was brought into the Guild at a young age, a few years older than Bennett, so they bonded HARD

She does not care for whatever unluckiness Bennett is cursed with, she will join him on any adventure at any time

THAT IS BASICALLY HER ADOPTIVE BROTHER SHE ADORES HIM AND WANTS TO PROTECT HIM

SHE LITERALLY WEARS A YELLOW BANDANA AROUND HER TAIL LIKE THE ONE BENNETT HAS ON HIS ARM

Doesn't matter that Fischl has a family to go home to, these guys grew up together and Winifred sees her like a baby sister

She is more than happy to indulge in Fischl's fantasy roleplays, often playing the role of big scary dragon villain for her cuz omg

Winifred is low-key bros with Oz too, they babysit Fischl together

And Razor oh my God, Winifred took him in with open arms so fast

The poor kid needs attention 24/7 and fits in just right with the rest of the crew

They're all just a bunch of misfits who have each others' backs okay?!?!

IT DOESN'T MATTER THEY DON'T SHARE BLOOD WINIFRED CALLS THEM HER LITTLE SIBLINGS AND THEY LOVE HER LIKE A BIG SISTER

They are the only ones who are allowed to call her by a nickname, and that name is "Freddy"

Seriously if anyone else calls her that, she'll jump them

Oh lord did they get into shenanigans all the time as kids

Pranking the knights, trespassing on Dawn Winery to pick grapes, adventuring further than they'd be allowed to because Winifred felt that confident in her ability to keep them safe being a dragon and whatnot

Oh and you know damn well they meet up at the Cat's Tail to hang out with Diona and play Genius Invocation

Literally none of them are good at the game but who cares they're having fun

They're Winifred's closest sense of family in Mondstadt so seriously if any harm happens to these kids, someone is going missing

[mayasdeluca]

Doing a rewatch and I am currently on S2 and I just got to the Maya/Jack situation- And ugh! I don’t understand who thought that was a good idea. Maya and Jack give off sibling vibes. They’re such a terrible pairing- and it seemed to come out of nowhere. If they really needed a man to drive the wench between Maya and Andy - then it should have been Ryan- the first person Maya had ever shown a vulnerable side to when she told him about Mason. In the S2 finale- when he brags about how they are the new IT couple- I will silently chuckle knowing that Maya is going to dump his ass soon. I kind of wish he had some hard feelings about Maya (who doesn’t do relationships) falling in love with another woman and marrying her (what I’m sure he thought was going to happen between them) but instead he was pissed for like 5 minutes and it was never brought up again.

It was such a stupid decision. They had that sibling type banter from the start with them always trying to one up each other and getting on each other's nerves and then we were supposed to believe that it turned into them liking each other??? Like what kind of failed enemies to not lovers nonsense was that?? Even more stupid if they did it just to drive a wedge in between Maya and Andy when their friendship was such a staple in the show especially during the early seasons so why are you letting a white bread of a man like Jack get in the way of that for some temporary useless drama? I don't get it. I forgot he called them the IT couple lmao what a joke. The way he took them so seriously and Maya didn't was 😂

I kinda wish he was more bitter about Maya and Carina's relationship because it was everything he wanted...but also the way he just fell for Maya so fast and acted like they were so serious annoyed me because why? All they showed them doing was having sex, it's not like we ever saw any emotional attachment or vulnerable feelings being shared so for Jack to have that kind of attachment was weird to me anyway. Whatever, I'm just glad they're long over and Maya is way better off.

They could've been such a good friendship that were each other's hype man and just went to each other to vent about life and stuff kinda like they did in 6x17 but now after everything that's happened between them and the mess they've done with putting him in Marina's stuff I don't want any part of it.

[vaylinas]

Meet the Roleplayer

Hello!!

I thought it might be prudent to make a wee introductory post for any potential roleplay partners to get a better sense of who I am, and what roleplaying with me is likely to be 💕

I'm Willow, I'm 26, and I use they/them pronouns. I have been writing for a hobby ever since I was a kid (here are some writing samples). I have been roleplaying for about 10 years (I'm counting my Club Penguin days, fight me 😤), so I have plenty of experience in creating a shared story (and love to do so!)

In terms of the kind of roleplays I like, I cannot lie: I love cheesy romance and history/historically-based settings 🙈 Fantasy is another great love of mine, however I do like to nail down the particulars re: magic and other fantastical elements beforehand, as I do prefer more grounded roleplays (dont confuse that for low magic, however! I am content to do such roleplays, naturally, but high magic makes for a great many wonderful opportunities, so I love to do those, too!) Admittedly, though, I can get a bit microscopic, so if you ever find me worrying about minor details, do feel free to encourage me to step back and look at the broader picture lol 😅

I very much prefer to be as historically-accurate as I can, ie I like to do research. I'm not promising its doctorate-level of accuracy, but I really try hard to be as truthful to where I take my inspirations as I can. Currently, my greatest strength is Western Europe during the Medieval era and Muscovite/Tsarist Russia, but I am more than willing to look into different eras and/or areas of the world. I cannot promise flawless execution, but I can promise my best--and improvement as my knowledge & understanding progress with the rp!

I also prefer more adult-focused rps, meaning I enjoy exploring the complicated mess that is life. Given the types of rps I like to do, that also means plenty of political machinations 😈 I love planning that stuff, it's so exciting to fantasize about what challenges our characters will face and how they will overcome them--esp if done together 🤭 I am not averse to exploring darker topics, such as sexual assault, infanticide, torture, etc. Who doesn't enjoy putting their beloved ocs into a blender? While I am open to enemies-to-lovers, I confess I'm not super great at them. I am, alas, a hopeless romantic and just want them to kiss already, damnit! However, I can be persuaded into it lol So long as I have your word they will, eventually, fall madly in love with each other and would move the heavens and the earth for the other, I'm flexible uwu

My preferred style is third-person, past tense, literate/novella (usually ~3 paragraphs, but often more). I enjoy creating fleshed-out worlds, so I'm big into both of us playing multiple characters (ie our Mains™️ and a cast of supporting characters, that we either both fully control or split who controls whom; this can, naturally, be worked out between us bc it also matters what you enjoy, too!) and worldbuilding. It's challenging, and sometimes overwhelming, but I love it. If you love it, as well, then perfect! We'll have a lot of fun working on it together. If not, so long as you are okay with it, I'm more than happy to build the world myself! So no worries if you're not big on doing all that work lol

I will be completely candid: I am slow to reply. I like to take my time to think of my replies, as I want to give my partners the best I can, and oft come face-to-face with writer's block (like.....a LOT. its annoying ugh). Plus, girlie has a full-time job. As such, I cannot promise a reply every day. The weekends are when I have the most time on my hands, so I should be able to reply on those days, but life is a chaotic thing and I'm an adult with responsibilities and chores to do, even on my days off, so you may still only get the one or two. Roleplay is something I want to do for fun in my free time, whenever that pops up, so I am looking for someone who is okay with waiting for replies. Sometimes you will get a lot in one day, sometimes it'll be once a week, I cannot say for sure. I understand this lack of consistency is a turn off for many, so no hard feelings for this being a dealbreaker! Like I said, I just want to be upfront and honest. If you are cool with all that, I would love to chat and see if we vibe with each other.

Given the aforementioned, I can only commit to one rp at a time, otherwise wait-time between replies increases and I experience burn-out much faster. I apologize for the inconvenience 😓

I also want to say: if you ever get bored or uninspired by the rp, please feel free to tell me. I understand it's scary to tell people ur not enjoying something, esp if you feel they are having a good time, but I promise I will not be mad at you. I appreciate the honesty and courage it takes to admit that. If you want to change some things around, or try a different plot, I am happy to work with you to find something that excites us both. And if you end up not wanting to roleplay with me anymore, that's okay, too. Sometimes people don't work well together, and thats okay! So long as you dont make it personal, I won't take it that way lol

I am more than happy to engage in OOC chats, but that is by no means a requirement. If you prefer to just do the rp and we only talk about the rp, thats okay by me 🫶

If you read this all the way through, I just want to say thank you! And I hope we can work together to create a shared story that makes us excited to get and send replies 💕

[lonelywhalien22]

pretty lies - part one

pairing: vernon x reader

rating/genre: enemies to lovers, slow burn, ANGSTY fluff, band au

summary: supporting your friend mingyu becomes way more than you ever could have bargained for when you become involved with one of his bandmates

warnings: cussing, vernon has issues in this story but please remember this is a work of fiction, mingyu stans don’t hate me but mingyu and reader are just friends

word count: 3.4k

series masterlist | next chapt.

Music blasted out your eardrums as you maneuvered in between dancing bodies, attempting to juggle two cups of a mystery mixture back to your friend. It was late on a Friday night, and Mingyu had convinced you to go to yet another party against your better judgement. You’d agreed as long as you could leave after two hours, but as soon as you’d arrived he’d dragged you around for drinks, dancing, and chatting with a bunch of people. Before you knew it, it had been over three hours, but you weren’t necessarily complaining - the party was more fun than you were expecting, and you didn’t mind staying around for a little longer. You knew that had been Mingyu’s plan all along anyways. As you finally found him again in a spot you two had carved out in a corner, you noticed him sweet-talking a brunette that hadn’t been there when you’d first left just minutes ago.

“I’m actually a drummer in a band -” you heard him say with the sultry voice he reserved for parties.

Ever the charmer as usual, you thought to yourself as you finally arrived, handing over the cup to Mingyu as he gave you a quick thanks and went back to chatting up the person, his flirty smile back on as soon as he turned away from you. You gave a quick greeting to the girl so you didn’t seem rude.

“So how do you two know each other,” she asked nervously, trying to seem as if she was having friendly conversation but clearly wondering if the two of you were dating.

“Y/n’s a family friend, almost like a little sibling,” Mingyu waived off casually. “We’ve known each other since we were kids.” 

Much to your annoyance, he ruffled the top of your hair to further the point. Giving him a piercing glare, you took the hint and excused yourself, saying you had to check in with another friend before Mingyu could do any more damage to your scalp.

You snagged a rare empty chair at the small kitchen island, deciding to do some people watching as you sipped on your drink and waited for Mingyu to finish. The party was being hosted by another member of the band Mingyu was in so there were lots of music types there. Whenever you had asked him, Mingyu described their music as, “deep in the trenches of darkness,” whatever that meant. If the abundance of black clothing at this party and the loudness of the music was any indication, you figured it just meant punk rock or something. Having set your drink on the counter, you reached back for it blindly but miscalculated where it was, your hand bumping it over as you felt a sticky liquid begin to soak your fingers.

“Shit,” you said under you breath, turning around to see the mess of red liquid. 

Your eyes searched the counter for paper towels, pulling several from a nearby roll and quickly dabbing away at the mess as some of the spill made its way down the counter to where a few other people were sitting, completely unaware in the loudness of the crowd. The liquid had even begun to bleed into a notebook that was sitting on the counter surface. You quickly picked it up and wiped it dry, panicking as you saw that some of the pages were now stained. As you continued to do your best to dry it off, the person seated next to you finally seemed to notice the commotion and turned around.

“What the fuck?”

“Sorry, I spilled my drink but I’m cleaning it u -”

“Get your hands off my stuff.”

“Huh?”

You took your eyes off the mess you made, looking up towards the terse voice. A guy was scowling at you, his eyes a dark hazel under a mess of short wavy brown hair. You were so startled by the anger that emanated from him that you froze in place for a moment.

“Did you hear me? I said drop it,” he spat again before snatching the book out of your hands and grabbing more paper towels, quickly opening the book and dabbing the inside pages.

“What’s your problem?” You replied, now pissed off. You’d said sorry and had cleaned up the spill immediately and yet this guy was acting as if you’d just purposely set fire to his stuff.

“Just leave me alone,” he said in a tone of finality. He didn’t even bother looking back over at you again, eyes focused completely on the pages of the notebook.

“Fucking asshole,” you muttered under your breath as you abandoned your seat at the island, scanning the crowd for Mingyu. It took you a few minutes, but you spotted him on a couch, the brunette now practically sitting on his lap as he spoke to her with hooded eyes. Huffing, you waited a few moments to catch his gaze, nodding off towards the front door when he finally saw you, a look of concern on his face as he noticed your expression. Mingyu nodded quickly and turned back to the girl, leaning in and whispering something to her before pulling out his phone. You decided you’d wait outside for him to finish, the cool air helping to calm you down a little.

The door opened again a minute later, and you heard Mingyu walk out to stand in front of you, a sheepish smile on his lips.

“I’m sorry y/nnnnn, please forgive me.”

He probably thought you were still upset about his little lie earlier. You rolled your eyes in a playful annoyance.

“Little sibling? You do know I’m older than you by six months, right?”

“Of course, I know! I just didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Let’s just get out of here please?”

You reached up and ruffled the hair on his head in retaliation, although it didn’t have nearly the same effect considering the twelve inches he had over you in height. Mingyu laughed as he pulled out his phone again, calling for a ride share pick up.

You were quiet on the way back, letting Mingyu recount his success story from tonight as he giddily waved his phone, the brunette’s contact info now saved. You didn’t even bother telling him to spare you the details like you normally would. Your encounter with that one guy had soured your mood and you really just wanted to decompress in the quiet of your apartment.

“Y/n? Did something else happen tonight?” Mingyu questioned, finally realizing towards the end of the ride that you were a bit out of it.

“No, just tired” you decided to lie, not wanting to concern him. You knew he’d feel excessively guilty for bringing you if he found out what happened.

The car slowed in front of your apartment and you eagerly climbed out.

“Goodnight, I’ll call you sometime this week!” Mingyu waved cheerfully, still clearly a little tipsy. 

“See you Mingyu.”

—————

Mingyu’s call came much sooner than expected. Just three days later, in fact. It was Tuesday morning, and your phone’s vibration had jerked you awake about a half hour before your alarm. Grumbling, you reached for it to see a silly selfie of Mingyu light up your cell screen.

“Hello? Mingyu?” you said sleepily.

“Y/n, I need a huge favor.”

“What is it?” you said with a concerned tone.

“My wreck of a car isn’t starting. I can take the bus to work no problem, but I also have practice with the band tonight and the location is too far from any stop - plus I’ve gotta bring all this equipment. Could you give me a ride? Practice is at six,” he said pleadingly.

“Ok, I’ll pick you up when you get off and take you over, just text me then,” you said simply. The line stayed silent.

“Mingyu?” you asked uneasily. “What are you not telling me?”

“Well, I called to have someone take a look yesterday and apparently the part they need to replace in my car is kind of hard to find since it’s such an old model…”

“Ok. So...?”

“They said it’ll probably take a month at the very least to get it and make the repair.”

You let out a sigh.

“Y/n??? Say something please.” The man was practically crying on the other end of the line.

“Just promise me you won’t make me drive you to and from your hookups.”

“Thank you y/n I love you so much-”

You hung up the phone exasperatedly and curled back into bed, trying to savor the last twenty minutes of sleep before you had to get up for work. Hopefully you didn’t regret agreeing to this, although you’d never actually decline a friend in need.

Your phone vibrated with one last message from Mingyu:

Mingyu: thanks again. really. <3

You: of course. now let me go back to sleep please.

—————

That evening you pulled up to Mingyu’s apartment, about a half hour before six. You shot him a text and waited patiently. Two minutes later the door to the apartment opened, your friend’s back facing you as he carried out some equipment and kicked the door shut again with his foot. You hopped out of the car.

“Here,” you said as you opened the trunk. “Is there any more stuff inside you need help carrying?”

“Yeah, just the stuff in the black carrier bags. It’s all piled up right by the door, thanks,” Mingyu said with a huff as he gently placed the first load inside your car.

As you entered Mingyu’s apartment, you saw a bunch of boxes scattered all over his tiny living room. Some of them were open, an assortment of items peaking out. Clothing, some books - one was filled entirely with old dvd’s. Mingyu reappeared to grab the last bit of stuff and lock up.

“What’s with all the boxes? Are you moving out?” you asked.

“Kinda the opposite actually. We just got a new guitarist and singer for the band and I’m letting him stay with me for the time being.” 

“I should’ve known that stuff wasn’t yours when I saw the books.”

“Haha, very funny.”

Once you made sure everything was secure, the two of you got back in your car and made your way to the band’s practice location. 

“I’ll show you the way, it’s actually the same place where the party was last night,” Mingyu explained.

Like he’d mentioned earlier, the house where the band practiced was in a secluded area away from the city. You didn’t even recognize the route as you drove it. After several miles of quiet forest and trees he finally motioned for you to pull into an upcoming driveway. As you turned off the car, Mingyu quickly hopped out and opened your trunk, beginning to carry stuff inside the small house. He didn’t even knock on the door, simply letting himself inside. You grabbed some of the lighter things from the trunk, one handle in each hand, and followed after him. Upon entering the house, your nose twisted a little at the stench. The walls were a yellowish-tan color, and you saw some half-eaten food laying out on the stained kitchen counter. Beer bottles and red cups littered the space, clearly remnants from the party that had yet to be cleaned up. What a difference sober eyes made.

“You can bring that over here, y/n,” Mingyu motioned you over to where he was already pulling out items and setting them up. As you set the stuff down, a guy in a red flannel and jeans appeared out of a hallway near a back corner.

“You’re here! What’s up man?”

“Hey Jay, good to see you. Smells like shit in here though,” Mingyu said in a joking manner.

“I know, I know, I still gotta clean up some. Last time I’m hosting a party,” Jay responded, picking up the half eaten sandwich and taking a bite before noticing you standing next to Mingyu.

“Hello there,” he said amusedly with a friendly smile. You gave a little wave in return and introduced yourself.

“Sorry for the mess. I promise it’s normally cleaner in here.” Jay began shoving stuff off of a couch in the corner, assuming you’d be hanging around.

“It’s no big deal! I’m just here helping Mingyu unpack and then I’ll be on my way.”

“Yeah, so you can stop pretending,” Mingyu finished, coming back inside with the last bit of stuff from your car. “Where’s Vernon anyways?”

“Man, your guess is as good as mine. Didn’t you see him earlier today?”

“Only for a second this morning before he went who knows where,” Mingyu responded regrettably. “Dude doesn’t tell me anything.”

You checked the time on your phone. It was five minutes after six. You weren’t sure if you should wait around until the other guy showed up or if you should just leave. Mingyu had told you that practice would last until eight tonight, and you hoped this Vernon guy didn’t make it last even longer by showing up late.

“Mingyu? Do you need anything else before I head out?”

“No, thanks again for driving me here. We should still be done at eight if you can come get me then?”

“Of course. You guys have a good practice!”

“See you y/n!” Jay gave a small wave.

You finally exited the house and walked back to your car. Just as you had shut the driver door and put your seatbelt on, you heard the roar of a loud engine, a motorcyclist approaching the house and speeding into the driveway. As the rider pushed the kickstand down and hopped off, you noticed a guitar bag strapped to their back.

That must be Vernon, you thought to yourself. 

You continued watching as Vernon took off his helmet, a large hand raking through a familiar head of brown waves. He looked up slightly and you realized where you recognized him from. It was the same guy who had went psycho on you during the party last night. Making his way to the house entrance, he glanced at your car instinctively, the two of you making eye contact. Your heart raced a little, expecting him to confront you in the driveway, but he just kept walking, staring at you for a few more seconds with a slight frown on his face before shifting his attention back to the house and heading inside.

I can’t believe this shit.

You started your car and immediately pulled out of the driveway.

series masterlist | next chapt.

[amakumos]

all clear! － twenty three ; doodoo behaviour

synopsis: for as long as you’ve been on jyp university’s badminton team, your team’s main rivals have been hybe university. the rivalry goes way back, and as the team captain, you’re well aware of your team’s disdain towards the hybe team - but it just so happens that you’re secretly dating hybe’s team captain, yang jungwon. and since tournament season is coming up soon, the rivalry between hybe and jyp is stronger than ever, and you and jungwon both know that if the secret got out, conflicts would arise. you’ve heard of enemies pretending to be lovers, but have you heard of lovers pretending to be enemies? genre: smau, fluff, crack, angst but only a teeny bit i Think, secret relationship pairing: badminton team captain! jungwon x badminton team captain! fem reader warnings: swearing, some players on the hybe / jyp team arent actually under those companies irl its just for Plot, some badminton terms might be wrong since im coached in cantonese please bear w me i used google to translate some stuff he says to me, ages are adjusted slightly bc . theyre in university, ignore timestamps taglist (CLOSED!): @c9tnoos​ @ja4hyvn @shinsou-rii @sqnwo @isaluv @primorange @ryuflix @bearseulgs @baekhyunstruly @jalnandanz @yanqsfairy @yizhoutv @acciomylove @w3bqrl @yenart @missmadwoman @floverful @xtra-cheese @wonyofanclub @soobnny @minhyunct @hakuyeo @hobistigma @ncityy04 @hyuckslytherin @kyutiepeachy @son9oi @rikibae @oureris @chillfilms @yeonjunsleftboob @jungwonniecore @yjwfav @youreverydayzebra @liliansun @ily-cuz-i @clarakyunisageek @kuro-kuromi @enhacolor @nyfwyeonjun @mitsukifilms @yunatic0 @venusmir @luvarots @jungwoniics @tomorrowbymoa-together @mygnolia @leenthepanda @ilvaussie @sugastapes @odetoyeonjun

Heeseung is fuming.

He picks up a shuttle from the floor, and he aims it at Jungwon’s head.

He misses.

Maybe it’s the rage, shock and anger that makes him miss - he’s never missed a shot before (well, at least that’s what he tells everyone.) 

Heeseung is baffled. He never would’ve seen this coming - you, team captain of the JYP badminton team, dating… Jungwon, team captain of the Hybe team? He would say that it’s a recipe for disaster, considering how that the JYP team is supposed to despise the Hybe team with their entire beings. 

So he picks up another shuttle, and this time he doesn’t miss. Jungwon turns around, and when he sees the furious look on Heeseung’s face, he quickly glances at his phone, looking at the text that Sunoo just sent. 

He quickly types out a message to the groupchat, and puts his phone back into his pocket. “So... what’s up?” Jungwon says, plastering a smile on his face as Heeseung glares at him. “You know exactly what’s up.” 

“I actually don’t,” Jungwon lies.

“You’re dating (Name).” Heeseung says. Jay lets out a gasp, and his eyes flash with shock. “You’re dating (Name)?” 

“Uh...”

“Yeah, Jisung said so.” Yuna chimes in. The door to the courts slams open, and you come rushing in, your hair a mess from how fast you’ve been running. “Nice, (Name)’s here now!” Yoon says sarcastically, and you sigh. 

“So... Jisung said you two are dating.” Yeji’s arms are crossed, and there’s a frown on her face. 

"He’s lying.” you say, and Jeongin rolls his eyes. “Come on, there’s no point in denying it anymore - Seolhee literally said that it’s true, and isn’t she one of your best friends?” 

“Well, not anymore.” 

“Just stop denying it, (Name).” Heeseung sighs. 

Your team looks absolutely furious, which is exactly what you and Jungwon have been afraid of, but you two really, really can’t hide it anymore. 

“Fine - yes, we’re dating. Oh, and Jisung - that was a shitty move, telling everyone.” you sigh, and you glare at Jisung. Somehow, you telling the truth makes your team more furious. Yoon rolls her eyes, Yeji sends Jungwon a death glare and Jeongin places his hands on Heeseung’s shoulders in fear that he’ll faint again. 

“Yeah, but at least he didn’t lie to their team about hating someone who’s supposed to be their rival,” Heeseung says, and you let out an exasperated sigh. “Heeseung, why the hell are you so mad about this?” 

“We’re supposed to hate Hybe.” 

“It’s just badminton.”

“We’ve hated them since we joined the team - we can’t be best friends with them just because you two are dating.” Jeongin sighs. “You don’t need to be best friends - can’t you guys just get along?” you say, and Yuna shakes her head. 

“We’ll never get along with them,” she says, shooting Isa a glare, who sends her one back. “See?” Yuna shrugs, making sure that you saw her interaction with Isa.

“Is it really that big of a deal?” Riki chimes in, looking up from his phone. “I mean... they’ve just been dating.” 

At least Riki’s being understanding, you think. 

“She’s basically betraying us.” Heeseung says. 

“You’re being fucking ridiculous, Heeseung,” you scoff. “It’s not like we didn’t win any matches against Jungwon while we were dating.” 

“So you’re telling me this has been going on for a while.”

You’re furious. You expected this to happen, but now that it’s happening, you find that you’re unprepared. 

“You know why we didn’t tell you guys? It’s because we knew that you’d get mad. For fuck’s sake, it’s just badminton and a stupid rivalry that literally nobody but our two teams care about.” you seethe.

“I didn’t know this stupid rivalry was more important to you guys than me actually being happy. But now I know, I guess.” you say, and you slip your hand into Jungwon’s.

“Let’s go, yeah?” Even in the midst of an argument with your team, you shoot Jungwon a smile. He squeezes your hand lightly. “Yeah. Wanna go see Maeumi?” he whispers, and you nod.

Before you and Jungwon leave, you shoot your team a dirty look. “Since you guys are acting like children, maybe I should tell you this in elementary school terms. You guys are exhibiting some real doodoo behaviour.”

Yuna shoots you a weird look, and you regret saying that - that just made you sound dumb.

“(Name), that was not it.” Sunoo says, and you purse your lips. “Yeah, I figured after those words left my lips. Anyways, you guys all fucking suck! Except for Sunoo and Riki - I’ll buy you guys lunch tomorrow.” 

Jungwon stifles a chuckle as you two leave the courts. Riki gives Yeji an awkward thumbs up, to which she rolls his eyes, and Sunoo flips off Jisung.

“Finals are gonna be a disaster, aren’t they?” you murmur to Jungwon.

“Absolutely.”

previous. ♡ next. ☆ masterlist. 🏸

authors note: so that went welll also posted the first profiles for scammed ^_^ click here to check it out oh Em jay

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

4/5. Releases 4/18/2023.

For when you're vibing with... Modern marriage of convenience shenanigans, shy girl/bombshell, rich family drama, bi lady/bi lady rep, and bookstore romcom loveliness a la "You've Got Mail" but not... troubling.

Introverted bookshop owner Tansy made up a girlfriend to get her friends off her back--and took inspiration from Gemma West, the cover model for her favorite romance novels. But what happens when Gemma West turns out to be Gemma Van Dalen, the wealthy heiress to a publishing empire--who needs to marry in order to meet the terms of her grandfather's will. Tansy needs cash to save her store--and for confident, forward Gemma, money is no object. But Gemma's family isn't going to let her take her rightful place as head of the company without a fight, and they're not afraid to take Tansy down with her.

The author said she took some inspo from The Last Great American Dynasty with this one, and you totally get that sense as you read. Lighthearted romance meets family politicking for a sapphic romance that's both sweet and compelling.

Quick Takes:

--Tansy and Gemma are very much opposites attract, but never enemies to lovers, if you're looking for some "differences without anger" clashes. Tansy is shy and a bit traumatized by several different life events (understandably), while Gemma is bold and brash and reckless. What this gives way to is a really flirty, fun dynamic; I loved how Gemma came on to Tansy so confidently without ever pushing her limits. So often, you get this adoring "how could she be into me" vibe from this type of dynamic, but here I completely believed that Gemma was as into Tansy as Tansy was into Gemma.

--There is some "sorta ex" drama, which makes sense because Gemma is a bit of a messy in terms of her relationships. It didn't feel like there was meddling for the sake of plot contrivances, though; it felt like something that a person like Gemma would get into, to be honest. And I kind of enjoyed that. I liked that Gemma in particular wasn't just this mess-less wondergirl. It made her feel more real.

--The Van Dalen family, speaking of a mess, has a LOT going on. And personally, I enjoyed it. They were giving early 2000s romcom rich people drama, and I for one support that completely. If anything, I kind of feel like we could've used more drama? There was some last minute intensity, but the one critique I'd have of the book is that Bellefleur could've ratcheted up the tension between Gemma and Tansy a bit more. Have them be messier! Have them make bigger mistakes with each other! I loved the loveliness of their romance, I just could've used more angst.

--One thing I do appreciate about the book is that you do have a supporting cast that gets involved in a fleshed-out way. The good people take action, the bad people get called on their shit. They're not just there to be there.

The Sex Stuff:

There are two sex scenes, both of which are fairly explicit, one of which is DELIGHTFUL but interrupted before orgasm. The second one is really good. I wish that there'd been at least one more. Gemma talks a lot about wanting to get on her knees for Tansy, but we don't see quite enough of it. They have great chemistry and Bellefleur writes awesome sex scenes, I just want mooooore.

If you're in the mood for a light-but-not-quite-fluffy sapphic opposites-attract romance, look no further! I was super charmed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[shoutaaizawas]

↳ touya todoroki x reader → ❝safe in your arms❞

summary: your bleeding shivering and scared you stumble to the last place you thought you’d go for safety inspired by @one-lonely-whumperfly post word count: 1.9k+ tags/warnings: injury mention, blood mention, mention of being drugged, angst, fluff, light enemies to lovers a/n: ive been super unmotivated to write but this was a lot of fun so shoutout to this prompt. also it’s super cold here. hope everyone is doing well.

Dabi was enjoying a quiet night at his apartment. It wasn’t a nice place and it wasn’t in a nice neighborhood but it was the place he called home. Being around the league could be too much at times so it was nice to get away and have time alone.

He was laying across his dingy couch with a plastic cup of cheap whiskey in hand as he watched whatever was on TV when he heard banging at his door.

Dabi let out a huff as he stood up, if Toga was here to bother him again he was going to have to move and hide his new address. Opening up his front door ready to scold Toga the words disappeared from his mouth at the sight in front of him.

There you stood, slouched against the wall. Blood smeared across your face, a foggy look in your eyes, and fear and exhaustion rolling off you in waves.

There was a lot to wonder in such a small amount of time. What happened? Why did you come here? How did you even know where he lived? Granted he didn’t have time to consider these things as you were currently falling to the ground.

Dabi reached out to grab you, his arms wrapping around your waist just in time. He pulled you up letting you rest your weight on him so that you could stand.

“I didn’t take you as the type to show up at my place and fall for me.” He teased. Was it the right time for a joke, no, but he was a villain he wasn’t supposed to care about those things. Not to mention the anxious wave rolling through him was unbearable and cracking a poorly timed joke was an easy way to cope. The smirk on your bloodied lips reassured the worry of offending you that he pretended wasn’t there. Despite your acceptance of his joke, your reply was serious.

  “Didn’t know where else to go.” You rasped out. There was a rawness to your answer. There was none of that hero bravado. Just fear. It stirred something in him that he had been trying to pretend wasn’t there for a long time. It was easy to brush off when you were standing tall throwing his snarky banter back at him with the same level of wit he had thrown it at you with. There was something terrifying in your vulnerability that he couldn’t exactly place. Or at least he pretended like he couldn’t place it.

“Not sure if this would even be my first choice.” He said as he readjusted getting a better grasp on you. It was tempting to pick you up and carry you over the threshold of his apartment like a princess but he resisted. With your arm over his shoulder, he helped you to his uncomfortable couch, placing you down on it. Turning on the light he tried to get a better look at you.

Squinting from the brightness of the light only made things look worse. The blood on your face was still fresh, dripping down onto your clothes. Casual clothes. He wasn’t sure if he had ever seen you in anything other than your hero costume.

He took your chin between his fingers with a softness he didn’t even know he was capable of anymore, even more, surprising was how you didn’t flinch away from his touch. He wasn’t sure if that was some form of trust from you or just a sign of how out of it you were. There had to be some explainable reason you were here and not at a hero’s house or the hospital.

Looking at the cuts on your face he felt an anger rise in him that he didn’t expect. He wasn’t an innocent man, he had done this to people, he had probably done this to you at some point. Why was this upsetting him?

“Stay here, let me grab some stuff.” He said before going to the bathroom and grabbing his first aid kit from underneath the sink along with some wash clothes covered in warm water. Returning he knelt on the ground in front of you. Your eyes were closed and you were swaying back and forth even seated on the couch. He didn’t know anything about what happened but he had a bad feeling that someone had slipped you something.

“Tell me what happened.” A part of him was dying to know but he also knew you would need something to distract you from the pain of your wounds being cleaned up. Your eyes opened up and you stared at him blankly for a moment.

“Um, I- It-” You took a moment to get started. “I was at a bar. I was supposed to meet my friend. It was supposed to be a girl’s night, I got all ready, I even put on my favorite shirt.” You said looking down sadly at the black blouse you were wearing that was now covered in blood. Dabi carefully wiped away the blood on your face with the warm cloth looking for the wounds. “They couldn’t make it, hero emergency. I thought I’d at least stay for another drink since I was already there and dressed up.”

“Typical heroes, always running off.” Dabi scoffed.

“There was this guy, I didn’t think anything of it. I- I just wanted to finish my drink and go home but he started talking to me.” You said closing your eyes for a moment like you were trying to remember it all. “I thought he was maybe a fan. He wouldn’t stop talking to me, he got me a drink. I didn’t really want it but I didn’t want to be rude.”

“I would think a hero like you would be more careful.” Dabi scolded as finished cleaning up the cuts on your face. The thought of some guy bothering you made him sick which was unexpected. He moved on to cleaning the wounds on your face.

“I- I didn’t think he was dangerous.” You said in a small voice. Dabi paused, his hand resting on your chin tilting your gaze to his. For a moment he was pulled into your eyes, the warmth there even under the fear that still lingered. “I got up to leave, I was outside but my head was spinning. I didn’t drink that much, I knew something was wrong but I could barely stand up. Someone grabbed me, there was no one around, they pulled me into the alleyway there and I couldn’t do anything. My quirk wouldn’t work right, I couldn’t do anything to protect myself.”

The thought of you defenseless was far more upsetting than he could fathom. You hesitated to say what happened next, not that you really needed to, it was clear on the wounds that he was cleaning what they had done.

“Do you know who it was?” He asked trying to keep his voice even. The anger rising in him was hard to control, not that he was used to controlling himself.

“A local crime boss, or at least his guys.” You said. “I’ve been trying to stop him. He’s been using people, using their fear to get money and control from them. I’m going to stop him but he tried to stop me first I guess.”

Dabi made a note, it wouldn’t be hard for him to find him. Especially if he framed it as a business proposition from the league. That could wait, right now he just wanted to help you. How odd that was for him.

“Can’t let your guard down when you mess with underhanded criminals like that.” He said.

“What about criminals like you?” You asked. Your tone was teasing but he could hear the edge of honest interest in your voice.

“I’m a lot more straightforward. No fun beating your heroic rival when they’re already roughed up.” He said as he placed a bandage on your cheek. You had a few scratches on your face light bruises were already forming on your skin. “Let me get you some pain killers.”

Dabi returned with a glass of water and some pills before he went back to his room to find clothes you could wear. He grabbed a black shirt and some shorts.

“You can stay the night here.” He said. “Change into something more comfortable.”

You looked down at the clothes for a moment, possibly reconsidering the situation that you had put yourself in. To his surprise, you took the clothes and shakily stood up. He pointed you in the direction of his bathroom.

Dabi went into his room trying to tidy it up. Making the bed, grabbing the trash off the nightstand. He couldn’t recall the last time he had cleaned up for someone. He never cared what people thought of him or his place and it wasn’t like he had very many guests.

He turned at the sight of you in the doorway. You looked good in his shirt. You looked better in general, you had cleaned off the blood and grime that had been leftover and you looked a little more coherent now. He was still waiting for you to realize you were crazy for being here but you were still here.

You moved to lay down on the bed, pulling the thin covers over yourself.

“I’m cold.” You said.

“I don’t have any more blankets.” He replied. It wasn’t like he even needed blankets, he never got cold.

Before he could do or say anything else you grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into bed. For a moment he laid there in shock as you scooted closer to him.

The silence wasn’t awkward or tense but he found himself wondering if he should say something to break it. Social anxiety wasn’t something that Dabi faced often, you seemed to be putting him through a lot of unfamiliar moments tonight.

“Why did you come here?” He asked finally. The question had been on his mind all night. The pause of silence made him wonder if you had fallen asleep.

“I was scared and felt alone, I could barely think straight I knew I needed to go to someone but for some reason, your face was the only one in my mind.”

Dabi glanced over to you, you were looking up at him with a soft look in your eyes that made his heart flutter. Having you here tonight made him realize that his fascination with you was past that of a villain has for their rival. His interest in you was resembling a crush more than anything else at this point.

The fact that in a vulnerable state you thought to go to him, no you weren’t even thinking it was an instinct that brought you here.

“You’re safe here.” He said quietly, his arm wrapping around your shoulders and pulling you in. Your head rested against his chest and the way you nuzzled against him made his cheeks warm. Your eyes closed and your breathing evened and he knew you had fallen asleep.

One night had changed so much for him. He wasn’t sure if you would wake up tomorrow and regret coming here or if just maybe you felt similar to him. The thought was scary but for now, there was nothing he could do except enjoy the weight of you in his arms and think about how good it would feel to incinerate the person who had hurt you.

taglist:  @sugarmaplewings-fics @lilkiwisfinest @ewwis-but-more-otaku @kandy1410 @moonlightaangel @winnies-headcannons @bkghatesyou @paintedr0ses1 @toobsessedsstuff @spellboundxizi @ourladyofseijoh  @x0doodlebug0x @katsushimaa @mooncademia @moon-write @todominica @why-so-red @kvichisaki @curiouslilbeast @izukukozume @maat-the-prescriptive

[bbugyu]

for you + yoon jeonghan

everyone in his life described you as his weakness, and he couldn’t even argue.

part one | part two

wc.10234 (LMAO) | fluff, smut, humor, etl/uni!au, ~new relationship stuff~, gender neutral pronouns for reader (but they have a pussy sorry), vague softdom/brattysub dynamics (guess who’s who!), there are - count em - 4 different sex scenes, more bff!gyu, filth, language, you know the drill, reader gets a lil tender, so does han, *sniffles* they just suit each other so well, please use condoms

this is where i admit that i wrote 20k of enemies to lovers garbage all based off a single line in falling for u, where they say they meant to drink a coffee with you but they accidentally chugged it bc theyre nervous. yup! all this mess for that one line! this is incredibly self indulgent and i apologize but also i don't because i needed this

~

visual culture was your new favorite class.

while there was absolutely no trouble making time to spend with jeonghan, your previous meditation time served as an allocated two hours every week where you could just sit and mess around with the boy you had growing affections for. the two of you would chat in hushed tones as the professor lectured, jeonghan’s fingertips tracing invisible patterns on your thigh as you diligently untangled his headphone cord for him, his thumb nails having been chewed too short to do it himself. he would bring you coffee on thursdays, when it was his only class of the day but your third and last. the caffeine was a well accepted afternoon pickmeup, and he never let you go after class without taking you out for lunch somewhere, claiming to be celebrating the end of your school day. then you might as well just come over to his apartment, he’d tell you. his place was closer than yours, he’d explain, swinging your hand in his. you didn’t wanna say goodbye yet, did you? afterall, the night’s still young, he’d tease, luring you with the promise of kisses between droopy eyed smiles.

jeonghan had become the complete opposite of your initial impression. he was sweet to you, genuinely, and if you liked him any less, you would say he was obsessed. you do say that, occasionally, when you’re hanging out with your friends and he texts you some purposefully cheesy line knowing it would make you roll your eyes, forcing you to mention him to your questioning friends, but you never truly meant it. you’d be a liar if you said every eye roll wasn’t just to cover up the faint feeling of butterflies in your gut. he always knew exactly how to make you want to see him, and you never hesitated to tell him when you did.

on one such day, when you had told him that if you went home you would need him to drive you into the woods and help you dig your roommate a clandestine grave, he stopped by your friend’s apartment after a shift, waiting dutifully by the door with his shoes still on and his hands shoved into his jean pockets as you searched the kitchen counter for your keys.

“serious, mingyu, what did you do with them? i know i left them next to the toaster.”

“i used your bottle opener, but i swear i put them on the coffee table,” he said, pushing back his hair as he looked around the small living room.

jeonghan watched you and mingyu tear apart the couch, trying to ignore the roommate that was leaning against the wall, eyeing him.

“where do you live?”

jeonghan blinked and looked at him. “uh, my apartment’s a couple streets over and a few-”

“roommates?” minghao watched as the older straightened his spine involuntarily, arms folded across his chest as he appraised his friend’s new chew toy.

“yeah, three,” he responded. minghao kept eyeing him. he fidgeted under the gaze, then coughed to clear his throat. for some reason unknown to even him, he said “they’re good people,” as though he was seeking some kind of approval.

minghao nodded slowly. “they act tough but they’re not. if you break their heart, i’ll break you.”

“what?”

“y/n,” he said, causing you to perk your head up from across the room while simultaneously clarifying. he lifted his hand and jangled your keys, holding them by the novelty hulk fist bottle opener. “found ‘em.”

“jesus christ, myungho, you had them the whole time?” you exhaled sharply, shoving a couch cushion back where it was meant to be. “don’t be a prick.”

you snagged the keys from him and shoved your feet into your shoes, taking the bag that jeonghan was holding for you.

“wo ai ni.”

you batted at minghao’s arm. “yeah, whatever. love you, too. see you guys later?”

mingyu threw up a peace sign from the couch, where he had promptly laid himself out after the search for keys had ceased, and minghao smiled as he waved you off and closed the door behind you.

you asked how work was, and jeonghan sighed, describing it shortly as work, but said he was glad it was over so that he could spend some time with you.

you giggled, knocking shoulders and slyly lacing your fingers between his. “cheesy.”

he gave you your favorite sideways smile, though he didn’t know it was your favorite, and you, again, ignored the flitting in your stomach that he always seemed to cause. “so, uh… myungho…”

you exhaled. “what did he say to you?”

“nothing, really,” he said quickly, knowing you would get mad at your friend if he told you the full truth. “i was just kind of curious if you two had ever, y'know…”

you looked at jeonghan. “you’re not jealous, are you?”

he looked back. “i don’t have reason to be, do i?”

“of course not,” you said, pulling your bag up on your shoulder. “i’ve kissed hao once, on a drunk dare, and we both agreed to never try it again. he’s like a brother.”

jeonghan nodded, thinking about the protective stance the tall lean man had taken when he tried (and maybe succeeded, though jeonghan would never admit it) to intimidate him. no matter the vibe he got, he trusted you, and he understood the intent - however, you made him want to do everything in his power to keep you happy, so he didn’t think this myungho character had much to worry about.

“oh my god, hannie,” you gripped his hand tighter, your other hand clutching his elbow. “look at that dog.”

he laughed and followed your gaze across the street to the pom that was nose up, walking beside its owner. “cute.”

“isn’t it?” you sighed. “god, i want a dog. i hate living in a dorm. i hate my roommate.”

“move out, then.”

“and go where? back to my parents’ place?”

he rolled his eyes. “into the apartment you practically live at anyways.”

“dumb, dumber, and dumbest?” you scoffed. “i would kill all three of them in under a week.”

jeonghan wondered which was which, then pushed the temptation to mention his idea of you living with him out of his brain. “sounds like you’re shit outta luck.”

you sighed, craning your neck to steal a look at the dog again. “i guess you’ll just have to get a dog for me.”

he smiled back, eyes lingering on your face even after your gaze went back to the scenery. “i have a question.”

you blinked at him. “yes?”

he watched a cloud for a second. “what do you call me?”

“hannie.”

he laughed. “i mean to your friends.”

you eyed him sideways. “are you trying to trick me into calling you my boyfriend?”

he eyed you back, a smile teasing his lips. “are you admitting that you call me your boyfriend?”

“what do you call me to your friends, then?”

“y/n.”

you rolled your eyes. “you’re the most annoying person i’ve ever met.”

“woooow,” he went, sighing and pulling his hand from yours to shove it in his pocket. “here i was thinking we were in a healthy, mutually respectful relationship.”

you giggled, tugging on his arm. “oh, shut up. we are. you call me by my name, and i call you by yours. that’s as mutually respectful as we can get.”

jeonghan rolled his eyes, but allowed you to pull his hand out of his pocket and put your fingers between his again. he had never been the type to hold hands in public, but with you it felt right. “whatever. it’s only been a month. i’ll break you eventually.”

you exhaled. “if you want me to tell people you’re my boyfriend, you just have to ask.”

“why would i want that?”

you pouted. “i dunno, i thought maybe you liked me or something.”

he squeezed your hand. “don’t flatter yourself.”

you laughed, forcing a smile onto jeonghan’s face, and he didn’t stop you when you changed the subject to the fact that mingyu had informed you that a dissected sheep brain looks a little too close to ssamgyeopsal for comfort.

one day, he told you that he thought you’d be different, back before you started dating. you were gentler than he imagined, despite your continued quick wit and sharp tongue. sweeter.

“i dunno,” he said, leaning back against the couch with your head in his lap. “in my head you would just be mean all the time.”

you didn’t take it as an insult. “the version of me you created in your head is no responsibility of mine.”

jeonghan thought you were beyond incredible. while his original judgement of you being rude, pretentious, and, well, mean hadn’t necessarily been wrong, he had found you to also be incredibly caring, thoughtful, and maybe the funniest person he had ever met. you would sigh about how broke you were that week, how you were sick of eating cup noodles, but you wouldn’t hesitate to spend the last of your budget on soju and kimbap for your friends on your walk to their apartment. you always picked up on his subtle mood changes - when he would press his hands to his temples as he tried to process his literature homework, your hand would sneak onto his thigh and squeeze his knee to remind him to let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, despite your eyes never leaving your own textbook. he swore he never saw jihoon laugh as hard as he did when you and mingyu went off on one of your stupid arguments that only best friends could have, especially after you called mingyu a “grey’s anatomy-worthy harassment claim waiting to happen.”

“seriously, why am i friends with you?” mingyu grabbed his drink from your hand and glared at you when he noticed how much lighter it was (you had said you didn’t want one but definitely stole more than one sip). “can anyone else stand this bitch?”

“i like them,” jeonghan said matter of factly, his chin in his hand and elbow on the table as he stared at you fondly. 

mingyu rolled his eyes. “you don’t count, evil twin.”

jihoon had his back on the floor, hands on his face, still trying to recover from your grey’s anatomy joke, and mingyu’s twin comment only set him off again. you giggled as you watch him roll onto his side, and briefly looked around this new grouping you found yourself in, sat around the low table covered in takeout in jeonghan’s living room. “how come you call me every day, then, dr. hate-my-guts?”

“free therapy,” he said, not missing a beat as he shoved a massive spoonful of rice and meat into his mouth. jihoon coughed, and mingyu narrowly avoided laughing as he chewed.

“i don’t buy it,” jeonghan said, running a hand through his hair and leaning back on the other. he watched you steal from his plate. “i think you like y/n the same reason i do. they’re the first person that didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear just because you’re good looking.”

mingyu kept chewing as he stared at jeonghan, his almost tired gaze going to you before he spoke. “you guys are really made for each other, huh?”

you didn’t think it before, but everyone kept telling you two that, and it definitely served as a pretty good ego boost for the existing confidence in your newfound relationship. you, of course, enjoyed jeonghan’s company even more without the validating eye rolls and gagging noises from friends whenever one of you made some praising comment about the other. you thought he was funny when he was making scathing jokes at his friends’ expense, but you thought he was absolutely hilarious when he was muttering every stupid thought that popped into his head with the specific intention of making you laugh too loud as you laid with him in your bed, his hand rubbing your back, overly aware of the fact that your roommate was trying to study at their desk as you planted your hand over your mouth to stifle your laughter.

as more time passed, jeonghan found it increasingly annoying that you both shared bedrooms with other people, considering how easily you could tease him into a bothered red-eared state with just your words. times that the two of you had gotten yelled at by whoever had to witness to get a damn room, or whispers between drinks that turned into standing too closely at parties, catching each others lips teasingly. disappearing into a bedroom only to be interrupted before anything can happen by some combination of party-goers and friends that somehow always managed to ruin the mood for one or both of you in an extremely targeted way. you had managed to help each other get off, of course, and he loved the look of you sinking to your knees in a bathroom stall, gaze catching his while you unbuckled his belt, or the way you squirmed against him, stuck between a closet door and his hard place, your breath hitching as he dug his fingers deeper into you. both activities were satisfying in their own right, but it would never be enough for him.

then there was that frustrating time jihoon had walked in, catching you with your hand down jeonghan’s pants, and he would never forgive you for the way you hesitated to loosen your grip on him despite the interruption. those few seconds of sheer terror he had felt, making direct eye contact with his roommate with his dick hard and in a hand that wasn’t his, the only thing stopping you from continuing being his annoyed “can you let go, now?" 

he had decided to get back at you, and he got the opportunity a week later, when he had woken up behind you in your bed with your laptop asking if you were still watching and your roommate sleeping only a meter or so away. his lips ghosting across your neck, rousing you from your shallow sleep just to find his hand gently squeezing your hip, running over your mound until you were begging him to slip it under your pajama shorts. he had to put his free hand over your mouth to keep you quiet as you melted under his touch, your toes curling against his shins as the string in you snapped, and you punched his chest when you finally rolled over and caught your breath for getting you so needy when you weren’t alone. he just giggled and looked at you, half lidded, then kissed you like he hadn’t just been muttering voyeuristic filth in your ear.

jihoon was going home for the weekend, and the second jeonghan had found out, he told you you weren’t allowed to make any plans and swapped his saturday shift with a coworker. you had laughed in his face when he told you he intended to keep you in bed the entire weekend, but part of you had been waiting just as much as he had.

on friday night, when the two of you were sitting on the couch watching some documentary that you could barely pay attention to, seungcheol asked again if you guys wanted to go to the bar with him and soonyoung.

"cheol, i swear to god,” jeonghan said, the arm over your shoulder stiffening as he pointed at his roommate. “if you ask one more time, we’re gonna fuck in your bed, and it will be messy.”

seungcheol groaned in disgust as you laughed. “fuck you, jeonghan. i was giving them an out.”

“sorry,” you said, your head leaning back against the arm. “i’ll try to get him to wash the sheets, but no promises.”

“you guys are so fucking gross,” seungcheol said, snatching his wallet off the counter and shoving it in his pocket as soonyoung came out from the bathroom. “we’re leaving before they jump each other. do you have everything? if you forgot something, we’re not coming back,” he said, pointing. “i’m not risking it.”

soonyoung patted all his pockets, nodded, then smiled and waved at you. “see you guys! use protection!”

“don’t take the sixth shot,” you warned, smiling and waving back. soonyoung laughed as he got shoved out the door by his roommate, and when it shut behind him, you felt a chill run up your spine for no good reason.

“we should probably wait a minute,” you said, turning back to jeonghan, who was already leaning into you and letting his gaze flicker unapologetically between your eyes and lips.

“or, and this is just a suggestion, we can decide that we’ve waited long enough and that if they come back after all of that they deserve to see whatever they see,” he pitched, his fingers already brushing against your jaw.

you blinked at him from only a breath away, his honeyed eyes putting a sweet taste in your mouth. you swallowed, your stomach feeling light suddenly. “or that.”

his lips were on yours as soon as the words left them, and your hand rose to grip the front of his shirt - one of the many plain shirts that seemed to rotate around the household. you fidgeted for a second, before deciding you were impatient and pulling away from him only to swing a leg over his and straddle his lap. he grinned at you, hands landing on your thighs, lips excitedly welcoming back yours.

you really enjoyed kissing jeonghan. he always started soft, gentle, with light caresses and reassurances of how beautiful he thought you were. though you never catch him applying any, you know he has a peach flavored lip balm hiding somewhere in his daily routine, and you tasted it on him as you dove a little deeper into him, his hands squeezing at your waist as your tongue dipped past his lips. 

jeonghan also really enjoyed kissing you, which was both good and bad for him. good, of course, because you could happily trap him in liplock for hours, and he never got bored of your soft sighs and adoring touches and wanton noises. bad, though, because his enjoyment becomes incredibly obvious embarrassingly fast, and he wished he could wipe the smirk off your face as soon as you noticed, but he always found himself completely powerless against you when you decided there was something you wanted.

and so, jeonghan’s eyes flicked over your chest as you pulled off your shirt, tossing it to the side as you stood and spun around, planting your hands on his knees and spreading his thighs as you sat back directly on his already straining bulge.

“holy fuck,” he managed, fingers running over the soft fabric of your gray sweatpants before kneading at your ass. you wiggled against his grip before grinding down against him, satisfied by the reaction, loving how clearly you could feel him and the way he sucked in a breath. you made no effort to stifle the noise caused by feeling him against your already dampening core, even through far too many layers. he whipped of his shirt quickly, his hands running up your back, twisting over your waist and pulling your back against his chest. you felt his lips start at your shoulder, then a hand on your chest, then the other snaking down your stomach.

you chuckled lightly. “can’t take a lapdance?”

“from you?” his lips landed behind your ear. “absolutely not. you’ll make me cum, and i have other things i’d like to try first.”

you sighed, rolling your hips as deliberate fingers moved from your stomach to inner thigh. “ever the poet.”

he smirked against your neck. “try it again later. right now, you’re making me insane.”

“mm,” you agreed. “i’ll keep that bookmarked, then.”

“god, how are you this hot?” jeonghan almost laughed. “you’re so annoying, why are you so good at teasing me like this?”

you smirked as his hand ghosted over your core. “yoon jeonghan, you make it incredibly fun to tease you.”

“i refuse to believe that it’s my fault you’re this sexy,” he said, drinking in the way your head dropped to his shoulder and a moan fell from your lips as he ran a finger up your slit. even through fabric, he felt the arousal gathering at your core, making his cock jump against your ass. you smiled, a hand snaking against his scalp, tugging gently at the hair at the base of his skull as he bumped over your clit, his reactionary groan matching yours.

“baby,” you whispered, your breath hot against jeonghan’s lips. “please.”

he licked his lips, tongue almost brushing yours in the process, using his hand on your waist to grind himself against you. “please what, darling?”

“fingers, jeonghan,” you whimpered, arching your back against his chest slightly in hopes to get friction against him, but he stopped his grinding as you did. you huffed. “please, i need you.”

he nudged at your jaw, making you roll your head as he planted his lips on your neck. his fingers undid the drawstring of your sweats to comfortably push under the fabric, and he let out a sigh as he didn’t find another layer.

“you’re evil.”

you giggled, gasping as his fingers quickly ran through your wetness. “and it turns you on.”

you let out a prolonged moan as he pushed his middle finger into you easily, sucking the base of your neck between his teeth. you gripped him, nails surely leaving crescents against his neck as he groaned about how absurdly wet you were, and you said something about how he was in no position to tease when you could feel every time his dick throbbed against you. he asked if you were dirty enough to admit how long you hadn’t been wearing underwear, and he watched you lick your lips before you told him all day. he smirked when you brought your lips to his, moaning against him as he pushed a second finger into you.

his fingers curled deliciously against pressure points, making you gasp as you tightened around them. jeonghan watched your heavy eyelids as you tried to focus on him, he watched your chest rise and fall as it flushed. he brought his free hand up to pinch your already puckered nipple, your temple landing on his cheek in an attempt to hold yourself together.

“i can tell you’re close,” he teased, and you only whined in response, eyes squeezing shut as his palm rubbed at your clit with the gentle movement of his fingers curling in you. “are you gonna cum on my hand, darling?”

you nodded hurriedly, your fingers curling in his hair, then opened your eyes to find his. he smiled at you, which only made you feel as though your world was crumbling. your back arched against his chest again as you came, and he held you by your core as you squeezed at his fingers, lips leaving repeated kisses across your cheek and neck.

despite the orgasm, you couldn’t help but continue to grind down against jeonghan’s hand, and he indulged your neediness by pumping them into you again before slipping his fingers out of you and pushing you forwards. “wallet.”

you groaned, pushing your ass back against him, smiling at the way his hand tensed on your side. “no please?”

he stared at where you were rubbing against his length. “i’m either cumming in a condom or your ass. your choice.”

he gave you a smug look when you turned your head to giggle at him, but his face almost completely dropped when he realized you were considering it.

“okay,” you said. “condom. this time.”

jeonghan’s cock flinched against you again, to which you responded with a wiggle before pushing off him and walking to the kitchen to retrieve a foil packet from his wallet, leaving him staring after you dumbly. when you turned around to walk back towards him, he had shoved his pants over his knees, leaning back heavily as he stroked himself using the hand you had so graciously wet for him. you gulped involuntarily, suddenly aware of how much saliva was gathering around your tongue as you tore open the condom.

he watched you kneel between his knees, his hand stilling at the base of his cock as you lapped a wet line up the underside of it, tongue swirling over his head. he tasted like you, and you had to swallow again before you rolled the condom onto him. you stood, turning your back to him as you hooked your thumbs under the waistband of your sweats and leaned over slightly as you pushed the fabric over your ass. jeonghan’s hand tightened around himself involuntarily, his other going to feel you. squeeze your hip, pinch at the soft flesh. guide you down onto him as you braced yourself on his knee. you pulled at the underside of your thigh, spreading yourself wider as you sat back onto him, sighing as he stretched you out.

“fuck,” he choked out, both hands gripping at your waist to stop you from sinking more. “shit, you feel really good.”

you whined, rolling your hips back in need. “i’ll feel even better if you let me sit.”

he chuckled. “why do you think i stopped you?”

you looked over your shoulder. “two pump chump?”

jeonghan pulled you down onto him harshly, forcing a squeal out of you as you curled over yourself. it had been a long time since anything had been this deep, and you could already feel your release building with one touch of his head to your spot. “shut up.”

“shutting up,” you muttered, voice almost cracking when he held you still and rutted up into you. 

“god, i can’t believe it took us this long,” he said, steadying you with his grip so you could roll your hips on his lap. “to get me in you.”

“m-maybe if your roommate ever went to cl-lass,” you stuttered, beyond pleased that you could finally relieve this frustration as you slowly bounced on his lap. “f-fuck, you feel better than i imagined.”

you could hear the grin on his face when he spoke again, running his fingers up your side. “have i been fucking you in your dreams, baby?”

“well, you sure - mf! - haven’t been fuh-hucking me in real li-” your sentence getting cut off by a whiney moan when his hips bumped up to meet yours. “god, fuck, jeonghan!”

he pulled himself off the couch, pressing his chest against your back. he pushed up into you, almost desperately, his teeth running across your shoulder as much as his lips did. you gasped, leaning back into him, spreading your legs until your knees hooked on the outside of his, his unrelenting fingers finding your clit, just to make you beg as he pumped in and out of you.

“please what, baby?” he asked sweetly, despite the hair sticking to his sweaty forehead and the way his eyebrows knit together.

“p-please, can i cum again?”

jeonghan groaned, almost taken aback by your complete switch in attitude. while he knew you liked it when he tried to take control, he had never seen you go down without a fight. “who knew all you needed to stop being such a brat was my cock?”

“p-please, h-hannie…” you whimpered, and he could feel your walls constricting around him. “please, i wanna cum.”

desperation became obvious in his own hips, just by taking in your face. he had gone into this with every intention of milking you of everything you had, but he was man enough to admit that your begging made him too close to cumming to stop. “get my dick wet, darling.”

your mouth gaped in a silent cry as you crumpled into his chest, your legs twitching inwards as he moved his hands to your hips and continued thrusting up into you, your walls squeezing him tight until he let out a low groan, slowing his movement until he eventually stilled completely.

the two of you stayed there, a sweaty, entangled mess on the couch, both just trying to catch your breath.

“fuck,” you said finally, and jeonghan thought he couldn’t have said it better himself.

after two packets of slightly overcooked ramen, a conversation about how leaving a used condom on cheol’s bed would not be a funny prank, and a generous spray of febreze fabric refresher, jeonghan watched proudly as you walked with a slight unintentional wobble towards his bedroom, assuring you he’d be right there as he rinsed out your bowls in the sink.

when he did finally join you, you were laying on his bed with your phone to your ear, and he crawled up over you as you giggled into the phone, knees spreading to accommodate. “hannie’s. i told you, i’m staying here for the weekend.”

jeonghan could hear mingyu’s voice on the other end, saying something about how he thought it was next weekend for some reason and that getting laid would be good for you, but he just smiled as he kissed at your neck, your free arm settling around him comfortably.

“why are you calling this late?” you asked, looking over at jeonghan’s bedside to confirm the time. “are you guys going out?”

“yeah, of course. rockbox in an hour. you guys in?”

you tipped your head to the side as jeonghan continued his gentle kisses up your neck, hands running up under your shirt, making you sigh softly. “nah, we have plans. cheol and soonyoung are there, though.”

“okay, no worries,” mingyu said, then paused. jeonghan took the opportunity to bite just below your jaw, gently rolling his hips between your thighs to make you aware of what he was thinking. “are you busy right now, or can you talk?”

a pang of guilt ran through you as you held your breath, trying to not audibly react to the movement against you. you hadn’t been able to sit and chat with your best friend in way too long. “i’m, uh, a little busy? maybe we could get lunch tomorrow?”

jeonghan pulled back and glared at you, a stark reminder that he had asked you to not make plans, but you just put a finger to his pouting lips.

“as long as it’s after noon, i’m down.”

“okay,” you said, brushing your fingers across jeonghan’s cheek and pushing his hair behind an ear. “one? two? stew?”

“one’s good,” mingyu said, his voice sing songy. “okay, i’m gonna get ready. have fun! use protection.”

you rolled your eyes. “everyone keeps saying that.”

“yeah, because you guys are crazy and no one wants to risk it.”

after your byes, you hung up and looked at jeonghan, who was still staring at you with disdain. you sighed. “it’s just lunch.”

“i said no plans,” he reminded you, pouting. “now we have to go get lunch with mingyu when i could be fucking you stupid in my roommateless bedroom.”

“no we don’t,” you said, running your hands through his hair. “i have to get lunch with mingyu. you can do whatever you want.”

“oh, so i’m not even invited?” his eyebrows raised at you. “you do realize i switched a shift so i could spend all day with you, right?”

you giggled. “hannie, i would love to spend all day with you, but i haven’t sat and gotten lunch with mingyu in a month. i miss my best friend.”

he groaned, burying his face in your neck. “stop making sense, i’m trying to be mad at you.”

“you can still be mad,” you said, your fingers softly massaging against the back of his neck. “i like it when you think you’re punishing me.”

he groaned again, hating how you could so easily say the perfect thing to make him forget about anything else. “you’re evil.”

you giggled. “and it turns you on.”

he adjusted against you, trying to ignore his increasing arousal despite his original intentions. “sometimes, you seem like my own personal demon.”

“oh, fun,” you vocalised, brushing your fingers knowingly through the hair behind his ear, triggering a huff as you hit your favorite soft spot of his. “two demons trying to torture each other.”

he laughed as he raised his head, propping it up with a hand. “would you consider this torture?”

“maybe for normal people,” you said, sneaking a kiss onto his lips. “but we’re demons, remember? this is fun for us.”

his lips pouted, less to make a point and more because it was their comfortable, natural state after your lips leave. “i think i like you a lot.”

your face burned. it wasn’t the first time he had said something to that effect, but it made your chest feel funny nonetheless. “that’s reassuring.”

“i’m serious,” he said. “i really like you. and i don’t like people.”

you smiled softly. “i like you, too, yoon jeonghan.”

he adjusted his elbows on either side of you. “i want to be your boyfriend.”

you stared at him. “nah.”

“aye,” he cocked his head, making you laugh. “you said all i had to do was ask!”

“i’m kidding,” you said, putting your hands on either side of his face, pushing his cheeks in. “do you want to meet my parents, too?”

he looked at the wall behind his bed. “maybe that can wait.”

giggling, you pulled him into a kiss. “okay, boyfriend.”

the smile on his lips lingered as you kissed him, and he decided it was time to make sure everyone knew you were officially taken.

“you could have worn a scarf.”

you rolled your eyes, pulling the hood of the sweatshirt you stole from jeonghan’s in an attempt to hide the purple marks on your neck over your head. “it’s not my fault he tried to kill me,” you said, tugging on the drawstrings. “how was rockbox?”

“good,” mingyu said, leaning back. “weird. vernon ended up on stage.”

you almost choked on your water. “and i missed it?”

he laughed, then pulled out his phone to show you a video. “seungkwan made him do the features on a beyoncé song. he killed it, though.”

you watched the shaky vertical video of vernon on stage with a boy you knew but never really spoke to, watching in disbelief and laughing at mingyu’s hollering in the background. “wow. bey seungkwan and jay-v. that’s pretty legendary. i can’t believe i wasn’t there.”

mingyu laughed, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “how was your night? productive, obviously,” he said, gesturing to your neck.

“good,” you said reflexively, then exhaled as you looked at your best friend. “like, really good.”

“okay, spare the details, but like,” mingyu tipped his head and looked at you through his lashes. “good good?”

“mingyu, you know i would never say this lightly,” you put your hands on the table. “the best. seriously. man has a surprising amount of stamina for how much he naps.”

“damn,” he sighed and looked away from you. “y'know, that makes sense. i’ve always heard he was good in bed, and you two have some insane chemistry.”

you spotted the waiter coming, and before they were in earshot, you hurriedly said “plus his dick is huge.”

“oh, my god,” mingyu reeled back, then realized what you had done as the waiter put side dishes on your table. as soon as they left, he glared at you. “why are you like this.”

you grinned. “you were curious, though, right?”

he squinted at you. “doesn’t mean you should just offer up the info.”

“when’s the last time i slept with someone?” you asked. “like, really. it’s been, like, almost a year since i hooked up with rubin.”

his brows ruffled as he thought. “damn, is that true? has it really been that long?”

“let me brag,” you pleaded. “please? he’s so hot, i’m gonna lose my mind if you don’t let me talk about it.”

“i don’t know if i can be friends with you anymore.”

“dude, he spit in my mouth this morning.”

“oh-kay, so you’re buying lunch,” mingyu said, sitting up suddenly. “damn, this morning? have you guys just been going at it like rabbits?”

“i don’t wanna hear it,” you said, pointing at him. “you had to tell me about every guy you hooked up with during your 'hoe-liday’ last winter, you can listen to me talk about a guy i’ve been seeing for almost two months.”

“fair enough,” he laughed. “i don’t think i’ve ever seen you like this.”

you groaned, sinking your head to the table. “it sucks.”

he stared at you. “oh my god, his dick made you fall in love.”

“shut up,” you said, lifting your head to land your chin on the table, curling a paper napkin over your spoon. you pouted as you tried to come up with an argument, but failed. “he’s sweet.”

“he’s mean,” mingyu corrected. “but he’s sweet to you.

"and dogs,” you defended. “and kids.”

“oh, so he’s husband material all of a sudden?”

you shrugged. “i’ve dated people much less likeable than yoon jeonghan.”

mingyu sighed, eating some kimchi. “that’s true. we both have.”

“yeah, so stop making fun of me, asshole,” your eyebrows creased as you leaned back and crossed your arms. “try being happy for me for a change. didn’t you want this all along? trying to get me to ask him out?”

“i am happy for you,” mingyu said, showing some genuinity as he laughed, also leaning back as your food arrived. “you just make it really hard sometimes.”

mingyu had the courtesy of dropping you off back at jeonghan’s so he didn’t have to borrow seungcheol’s car to come get you, and as he pulled up to the familiar apartment building, he gave you his usual “say hi to your boyfriend for me,” as he put it in park, quickly checking his phone.

instead of your normal “not my boyfriend,” you looked over at your best friend and bit your cheek. “sure.”

mingyu’s neck nearly snapped to look at you. “wait, what?”

you giggled. “sure, i’ll say hi for you.”

“did you-” he started, then stuttered, trying to figure out what he was asking. “are you guys, like-”

“he asked,” you said shrugging. “i said yes.”

a grin spread across his face. “really?”

“well, actually, i said no. then i said okay.”

mingyu laughed. “yeah that sounds right. wow, y/n got a boyfriend.”

you rolled your eyes, pulling the hood further over your head to hide your involuntarily hot ears as you adjusted to open the car door. “bye, goo.”

“this is my best friend,” he said loudly, making you stare at him with wide eyes as some innocent bystander walked past the car, all while you tried to pull yourself out of the door. “beautiful, right? sorry though, they’re taken, i’m dropping them off to see their brand new boyfriend.”

“you’re embarrassing,” you said, pointing an annoyed finger, grateful the person only looked back once before continuing. “go home.”

“you have done ten times worse to me,” mingyu said, grinning from ear to ear. “have fun with the pretentious asshole that can’t make an americano right, yoon jeonghan!”

that made you laugh despite yourself, and you shot him several expletives before slamming his door shut and running up the stairs.

after punching in the door code that no one had told you but you had seen enough times to know, you announced that you had returned. seeing jihoon’s chair empty on a saturday was strange, but at least seungcheol and soonyoung were up to their usual antics of playing some game extremely poorly.

you stood and watched the screen for a moment. “you know you can catch the arrows, right?”

soonyoung looked at you. “you can catch the arrows?”

seungcheol groaned. “why would you tell him that? i’m actually winning for once!”

you giggled. “if you dodge when the arrows are coming, you catch them.”

“you can dodge?”

from the other room, you heard a muted “hurry up,” and you saluted to the boys as they argued, following your cue to exit the situation.

jeonghan was on his bed when you shut the door behind you. “what are they yelling about?”

you sighed as you walked over to him. “apparently soonyoung didn’t know you could dodge in towerfall.”

he watched you pull off the sweatshirt - the same one he had worn on your first kinda date - to admire the marks he had left on you, then blinked when he realized what you had said. “we play that game all the time, how did he not know?”

you shrugged, then crawled into his waiting arms. “he’s not very observant.”

you sighed as you settled against jeonghan, and he kissed the top of your head. “how was lunch?”

“good,” you said, smiling. “gyu is good. it was nice to catch up.”

jeonghan clicked his tongue. “you guys talk every day.”

“okay, yeah, but,” you adjusted to look at him. “talking on the phone and hanging out with other people is different. we can’t talk about the same stuff.”

“well, what’d you talk about?”

you smiled. “wouldn’t you like to know?”

he squinted at you. “aren’t we supposed to be a team now? no secrets?”

“okay,” you said, fixing his bangs. “what were you and seungcheol talking about in his room yesterday before i got here?”

jeonghan couldn’t help the tiny smile that worked its way into his face. “did soonyoung tell you?”

“i would never reveal my source,” you said triumphantly, knowing it couldn’t have been anyone else, considering jihoon had already left. “also, he was pissed that you kicked him out while he was still sleeping.”

“if i could have just dragged cheol into my room, i would have,” he sighed. “trust me. i can pull soonyoung out of bed, but seungcheol is dense.”

you inspected his lips a moment. “were you talking about me?”

“uh,” jeonghan adjusted under you, putting a hand behind his head. “no, not really. soonyoung got a job, and me and cheol are both working more now. i wanted to talk about getting a bigger place, since our lease ends in the summer.”

you vocalised excitedly. “does this mean you’d get your own room?”

“that’s the idea, yeah,” he said, grinning. “you could stay over more.” and while he hadn’t lied - they had discussed larger apartment options, and decided to start looking by the end of the month - he failed to mention that the main purpose of him isolating seungcheol was to confirm he was crazy for wanting you to join them if they did move.

“i mean,” cheol had said, barely propping himself up in bed. “it might be a bit too early to tell, but you guys seem like the real deal.”

jeonghan spun in soonyoung’s desk chair, arms crossed. “but i’m insane, right? like, we haven’t even slept together.”

“they’re coming over for the weekend, yeah?”

“yeah.”

“so let’s talk about it again on monday?”

jeonghan kneaded at his jaw, exhaling. “yeah, okay.”

now, you had slept together. not only that, but you slept together, all night, in the same bed, and jeonghan woke up with jumbled poetry in his head when he found you curled up by his side. despite living in this apartment for nearly a year, it felt most like home with you in it. 

and he had told seungcheol, when he got home from dropping you off for lunch, that he was pretty damn sure he wanted to wake up like that every morning.

he wondered how you would react, if you would want to take the leap and move in with him. part of him felt as though he was taking advantage of your situation for his own selfish want to have you around all the time - you would do literally anything to avoid being in a dorm next year, but your housing budget wouldn’t accommodate for anything more than a goshiwon. while that wasn’t the worst option, you always talked about how much you missed living in a normal space, with a stove. a full sized fridge. a real bathroom, instead of a cramped wetroom. if he were to ask you to live with him, you would likely say yes, but would that put too much strain on your relationship too early? or would you think he was moving too fast and say no? his mind whirred silently as you buried your face in his neck.

“what’s on your mind?”

jeonghan blinked. “nothing.”

“liar.”

he sighed. “you.”

you lifted your head. “am i what’s making your heart beat so fast?”

he hadn’t even realized his pulse had quickened. he swallowed, briefly wondering if he would ever be able to truly hide anything from you. “maybe. what did you and mingyu talk about?”

you laughed. “i was hoping you would forget.”

“i never forget.”

“we talked about a lot,” you said, fiddling with the collar of jeonghan’s tee. “classes, summer plans, boys…”

he raised his brow at the last subject. “boys, huh?”

you smirked at him playfully. “yeah, our waiter was cute.”

he scoffed in your face and you giggled, then flattened his shirt against his chest.

“we talked about you. i told him we were official.”

“how’d that go?”

“he made fun of me, but it’s fine because i told him you have a big dick.”

jeonghan’s hand went from behind his head to cover his eyes, letting out a half-groan and half-“really?”, but the smile on his lips told you he wasn’t mad. “why? why would you tell him that?”

“he’s my best friend!” you laughed.

“okay, why did you tell me that?”

“i’d thought you’d like to know,” you said, pouting slightly. “he might respect you now.”

he uncovered his face just so you could see him rolling his eyes before he tried to sit up. “okay, no more cuddling.”

you whined, trying to keep him in place, but failing. “but i just got here!”

“maybe you shouldn’t have left in the first place,” he teased, getting out of bed to turn off the air purifier he usually only ran at night, but had been too preoccupied to turn off that morning. “i told you i intended to keep you in bed all weekend, but you didn’t care.”

“i’m here now,” you pouted. “in your bed.”

“take a nap, then,” jeonghan said. “i’m gonna eat.”

you groaned. “you didn’t eat while i was gone?”

“too busy pouting in bed. your turn.”

you floundered and whined childishly for a moment as he laughed at you, leaving the room without another word. sometimes you hated how similar you two were, but only because it made you completely aware of just how annoying you were.

when jeonghan returned, you had completely passed out, holding his pillow under your head as you laid on your stomach. he smirked in the direction of the sleeping body and fiddled with a few things - closing the closet door, throwing a rogue shirt into his hamper, etc. - before making his way to the bed to join you.

his touch was gentle. enough to rouse but not frighten. you squirmed slightly, recognizing the way his hand dipped into even the most subtle curves of your body as you laid out comfortably. you gave a noise of approval when it ran over your ass, squeezing slightly. jeonghan smirked again, and you turned under his arm to face him, a soft smile on your lips.

“g'morning.”

“it’s four in the afternoon,” he corrected.

you sighed. “and it’s a good morning.”

“sure is, babe,” he drawled, smiling as you planted a smooch. his hand ran unhurriedly up your back, under your shirt.

you hummed. “are you really horny again?”

“listen,” he mumbled, almost laughing. “i just want to get of much of you as i can, while i can.”

you supposed that was as good a reason as any as you kissed him again, only for him to pull away and straddle the backs of your thighs. he pushed the balls of his palms into your lower back on either side of your spine, and you let out a low moan. jeonghan did this on occasion, treat you to a back rub. he claimed it was because you had the worst posture he had ever seen, but you knew it was an excuse to get his hands all over you, and you couldn’t hide how much you enjoyed it. you adjusted to lay straighter, burying your face in the pillow when he hit a particularly evil knot and had to dig it out with a thumb. you groaned as his hands travelled up your back, sliding the shirt up as he massaged into your shoulders. you sighed as you got up on your elbows and ripped off the shirt, tossing it somewhere on the floor, exposing your full back to him, your shoulders and neck littered in his marks. he admired them, even planted small kisses atop a few, then worked his way down your back, curving his hands over your ass.

you muttered a quiet thank you, and he smiled, giving you a succinct “of course” in response. he moved down to your legs, thumbs sneaking in your inner thighs and subtly spreading you out despite your pants. you hummed, pushing your hips to meet his touch, encouraging him to knead at your cheeks.

“have i ever told you you have a great ass?”

you giggled. “it’s average at best.”

“uh, no,” he said, voice pitched upwards in a teasing manner. “i think i’m a really great judge in asses and yours is fantastic.”

“yeah?” you peeked over your shoulder. “what’s so fantastic about it?”

jeonghan’s fingers dug into it, eyes shooting up to meet yours. “well, for starters, it’s connected to you.”

he ran a thumb over your crease, making you let out a small noise in response, and you buried your face in the pillow again. “shut up.”

he smirked against your shoulder, hands running up your back again and one landing on the mattress beside you as he pushed his hips against your ass. “yes, boss.”

you sighed, arching your back to get as much friction as you could while he ground his hard member against you. he sucked at your neck, and your hands dug helplessly into his hair as you whined.

“are we teenagers?” you asked, huffing. “do we have to dry hump or can we fuck like adults?”

jeonghan laughed as he lifted his mouth to ghost over yours. “impatient. if you were better, you would have asked for my cock nicely.”

“better,” you repeated, hating the way a hard wave of arousal washed over you, suddenly wakening your senses like it was from the pacific. “for you?”

the tip of his tongue barely swiped at your lips, your jaw twitching slightly in reaction. “you gonna be good?”

you tried to focus on him, your blown out eyes flickering hopelessly to his lips. “i-i can try.”

and with that, jeonghan yanked your pants over your hips and down your thighs, scooting them down as you hiked your ass up slightly, hoping to tempt him as efficiently as possible. his hands found your ass again, spreading you out as you groaned. “look at you, soaking.”

you bit your lip, making a pathetic noise into the pillow to avoid talking back. “please, jeonghan.”

two fingers ran over you, and you tried to muffle your moan as best you could as your hips moved involuntarily, pushing into his fingers. he smirked down at you, wondering how far he could take you as he messily spread your arousal. “bet you could take two right now.”

“yes,” you said, gasping slightly. “please, hannie, please, i can take it.”

he pushed two fingers into you, barely even scissoring them before pushing in a third, making you bury your face in his pillow as you groaned. “i’ve been fucking you good, huh?”

you nodded frantically, pushing against his hand as steadily as you could. he noted your neediness, and indulged you by thrusting his fingers into you until you were whining rhythmically to his pace. he pulled a finger out, then another, and you instinctively threw a hand back to catch him before he pulled away completely. he laughed lightly, his hand easily overpowering yours and pressing a kiss against your shoulder blade.

“sorry, were you close?”

you exhaled sharply. “that was so mean.”

“i’ll make it up to you,” he said, pulling your hips further off the bed and pushing you further apart. he licked a wide stripe up your core, and you moaned deeply into the pillow, gripping it with all your power as his tongue expertly ran over your clit. “you taste incredible.”

you panted as you turned your head. “i thought you just ate.”

“i have a separate dessert stomach.”

your thighs buzzed and gut fluttered, and you wondered how he always managed to make you weak in the knees, even when his tongue was buried in you. it wasn’t long before you were gripping at his wrist, knuckles white, quaking as his lips guided you through your orgasm, and he lapped at your release, licking wet stripes up your inner thighs as well.

when he backed away, you exhaled again. “jeonghan-”

“what?” he asked, pushing his own pants down his thighs. he stood to drop them to the floor before straddling you again, pulling your hips back against him. “is this what you want?”

your hand found his thigh, urging him towards you. he rubbed the head of his cock, already shiny and scarlet, against your core, and you practically begged on the spot. suddenly, he pushed you into the mattress, pushing his hips against yours but fucking into your thighs. you whimpered, his cock rubbing against you absolutely deliciously, but not at all what you were expecting. he groaned into your neck, snaking a hand up under you.

“god, you’re so wet, i almost don’t even need to fuck your pussy.”

you yelped when his fingers found a nipple and pinched. “h-hannie, please-”

“please, what?”

you squirmed. “please fuck me.”

he looked at you. “you get one more try.”

for a moment, you looked back at him and your mind went blank. “please, hannie, i need your cock.”

he smiled. “was that so hard?” his tone and kisses were sweet, but completely mismatched the frustration bubbling in you as he pulled back, making you moan again as the head bumped over your clit. “do you trust me?”

“yes, baby, please just fuck me before i scream.”

with one hand on his cock, he guided himself into you, a moan tumbling from his lips as he felt you completely unsheathed for the first time. you gripped the pillow in a tighter fist as he filled you out, and it took all your concentration to not squeal in a way that absolutely would have been heard by the entire apartment. his hands gripped your waist, pulling you back onto him as he fucked into you. as you adjusted to him, you began to curse the fact that this was only temporary - you would have to go back to unreliably private quickies in a few short days - and you suddenly got the urge to really savor the way jeonghan’s cock felt in you.

he leaned over you, changing the angle ever so slightly and just enough to make you cry out, and he put a palm at the base of your neck, wrapping his fingers around it slightly as he pushed you into his pillow. “i could fuck you raw forever.”

you tried to catch your breath to respond. “i would let you.”

you internally celebrated the low groan that escaped him, and the way his hips pushed impossibly further into you. externally, you rewarded the movement with a matching moan, though you slapped a hand over your mouth when you heard the game pause in the other room.

“don’t want them to hear you, baby?”

you whimpered into your hand as jeonghan kissed a line up the side of your neck, steadily rolling into you.

“can’t even talk?”

you shakily pulled your hand away from your mouth, trying to stifle your noises with just your will. “cheol already hates me.”

“he doesn’t hate you,” he said, his voice getting slightly more labored as he continued his pace. “i bet he’d love to hear your pretty moans.”

you clamped your hand over your mouth again, resisting jeonghan’s luring the best you could. he smiled against the hollow of your ear, nipping at it slightly.

“i know you want to, baby. just let it out.”

as he spoke, he shifted his hips, making you let out a high toned moan that was barely muted by your palm, and you buried your face in the pillow to avoid jeonghan’s shiteating grin.

“i love the way you sound when i’m fucking you,” he said, his voice never raising above his lowest register. his ability to keep his cool as you were utterly falling apart was perhaps simultaneously the most aggravating and sexiest part of the whole affair. “and you always back up against me like a bitch in heat.”

you reached back for a hand, but he swiftly grabbed your wrist to push it against your lower back. your chest heaved, and you hurriedly added your other wrist to his grip. with one hand restricting your arms and the other pulling your hip back against his, he licked his lips at the sight.

“i’m going to wreck you,” he panted. “i’m going to make you forget anyone you ever fucked before me.”

you let out harsh breaths as your chest pushed into the mattress. “already have,” you managed, peeking best you could over yout shoulder to the glorious view behind you. you enjoyed the way his tongue shot out between his lips, the way he watched his cock fill you tightly. you even liked the way his hair flopped over his eyes, even if you thought he was in need of a haircut. but you especially liked that he looked like he got lost in you. like he would never want anything but you.

you came fast and hard, squeezing him temptingly as you whined into the pillow. with that, he pulled out and rolled you over, fingers hooking at your pants to pull them off completely. you bicycle kicked to help him, then practically pulled him into you as his lips crashed into yours, hands pulling you as close as he could while you both repositioned your bodies. your hand went down to position him at your entrance again, and you gasped into his mouth when he slid into you again. his teeth tugged at your bottom lip, one hand gently massaging the back of your neck as you whimpered against him.

“you’re being so good for me,” he muttered, purposefully brushing his lips against yours with every syllable. “have i finally tamed you?”

your legs wrapped around his waist. “no chance in hell.”

he grinned, letting you pull him into more sloppy kisses as he steadily pulled another orgasm from you, and you couldn’t help but want him to cum with you. his eyebrows knit as your hands dug into the hair at the base of his head, eyes barely focusing on your lips as you begged for him to cum in you.

“you’re evil.”

you could barely smile. “and you love it.”

you choked slightly, body edging into overstimulation as you came again, and jeonghan pushed up off of you to better chase his own high. he pumped into you, hard and rough, for a few more seconds before you felt suddenly empty and he was shooting hot ribbons of cum up stomach and chest.

you bit back a moan, arching your back slightly as he stared down at your chest, leaning down to lick his cum off your nipple. you gripped his hair again, squirming as he sucked lightly, lapping more cum towards the peak. you tugged at his roots slightly, pulling him up to kiss you before he got you hot and bothered again when you weren’t sure you could handle more. 

“i can’t believe you pulled out.”

jeonghan laughed in your face. “i asked if you trusted me.”

you pouted. “i thought that meant you were going to choke me out.”

he kissed you again after a short chuckle, then sat up to grab tissues. “maybe next time.”

he didn’t say it like it was a promise, but he kept it like it was one.

and when your weekend of nonstop bedroom antics was over, you admittedly had fulfilled yourselves enough that the following privacy draught was almost bearable. sure, jeonghan asked you a couple times to come sit on his lap while he worked on lab reflections, and yes, it was much less innocent than one would think, but the two of you managed to keep unfortunate walkins to a minimum, which was only made possible by finally getting it out of your system.

also because you decided your thursday 7:30 was barely worth it most weeks, and jeonghan was always happy to run over to your dorm to fool around for a few hours while your roommate was in class.

[pyroclastic727]

Luz is kinda right to be oblivious

I know you all are relentlessly teasing Luz for being completely oblivious to Amity’s clear romantic advances. And while you definitely have a point, Luz isn’t entirely wrong to do this. Luz’s assumption that her and Amity are just friends is her way of protecting herself and Amity.

Let’s start by laying out the scenario from Luz’s POV. You’re a human from another realm who visits a magic realm. There you meet a bunch of amazing people, but one lettuce-headed blushy mess sticks out to you. You start doing all these favors for her, things you would only do for Eda and King in the past. She returns a few of them. Then she starts getting comfortable around you, where she feels good enough to hug you and stuff. Well, then there’s this dance, and she doesn’t ask you out, and she feels bad because she’s afraid of being rejected by the person she does want to ask out. 

Well, duh, of course Amity likes her! But Luz has quite a few things to disprove that.

First off, we’ll start with the psychology that makes this possible. (This is what happens when the analysis blog takes a psych class). There’s this thing called confirmation bias, which I’d say a good proportion of you are familiar with. For those that aren’t: if you have a preconceived opinion, you’re more likely to look for things that support that, rather than those that disprove it. Everyone uses this all the time. Usually it’s fairly harmless, but when in the wrong hands, it is a powerful tool that can be used to influence elections and such.

In Luz’s case, her confirmation bias comes from good evidence. Any wlw who has actually lived on Earth knows that it’s dangerous to assume your friend likes you. First off, there’s the selfish aspect of it (you know, the “who am I to assume that I’m cool enough for someone to have a crush on me? You can’t control those things!”). Second, there’s the fact that straight girls on Earth can be very affectionate. One of my straight friends kissed me twice until I asked her to stop because I did not want to fall for her. In Luz’s mind, Amity could easily be one of those touchy straight girls. So of course she’s looking for evidence to stockpile and convince herself that Amity doesn’t like her like that.

And there sure is a lot of evidence to stockpile.

To start with, Luz doesn’t think she knows Amity that well. I mean, the girl has been to Luz’s house twice. They haven’t had a lot of time to spend together. And even their dates have been sporadic: Luz took her top student badge so Amity watched her get dissected, Luz and Amity fought to what should have been their death, Luz almost got Amity killed at the library, Luz almost got Amity’s friends killed at the Knee, Amity almost got Luz’s friend killed, and then they danced. That’s it. As for the rest of Amity’s life...that’s largely a mystery. Luz didn’t figure out that Amity’s parents are abusive until last episode! Amity was actively avoiding her on the first day (hiding out in the halls and such), so who knows what she was doing then? And she spends a lot of time with rich kids: what if one of them was her crush? There’s a lot of Amity’s life that Luz can leave up to her imagination.

Secondly, Amity has shown Luz explicit proof of liking non-girls. Particularly, Malingale the Soothsayer. While their gender was never confirmed, Malingale seems to be male or nonbinary. With Luz, this could be some extra proof of not liking girls.

Okay, well how has she not even noticed all of Amity’s blushing? She has. But here’s the thing about white people: we blush a lot. As a blush-prone white person myself, I will blush when I’m angry, when I’m humiliated, when it’s too hot, when I exercise, when I’m uncomfortable, when I’m insecure...the list goes on. From Luz’s point of view, Amity really has permanent redness. I mean, she’ll hold her breath when she’s angry and her face will go red. She could be always angry to be around Luz. And especially in the past two episodes, whenever she so much as looks at Luz, she blushes. With how red her face is, Luz could even think it’s how her face always is. Or, that it’s a skin condition she got recently. Yeah, a lot of that evidence is grasping for straws, but remember that Luz has confirmation bias working against her.

How about all those times that Amity did heroic things? Luz’s love language is literally acts of service, and Amity has done those several times. Like when she caged Luz because “you’ll only get hurt.” Or when she burst from the trees as the leaves formed a heart around her and T-posed in front of Luz. The truth behind that is that Amity is starting to pick up on how Luz shows affection and is reciprocating it in her attempts to be the type of person Luz can love. But there’s another interpretation, which Luz could easily be using. 

Luz was the one who started the acts of service. She was the one who decided to befriend the Amity, to burst in as Luzura and save her, to say she’s not actually a witch, to save her siblings, to learn an extra spell and be in Amity’s class, to go fix Willow’s memories...the list goes on. So for Amity to reciprocate that? Maybe she’s just making it up to Luz. Amity probably feels bad about all the times she has let Luz be the hero, and wants to make her feel better about it.

Amity has also shown Luz proof of liking another girl. Right before Grom was Understanding Willow, which was an episode about Amity reminiscing over her childhood crush and fixing the damage between them. Sounds like friends to enemies to lovers, the trope that She Ra showed us to be an emotional and rewarding trope. Since Luz is a fanfic type, she could totally be looking for that trope.

And besides, you saw Luz in Willow’s mind. She literally watched Amity and Willow hold hands, gaze into each other’s eyes, apologize, make up, and look like they were going to get married. Sure, Luz wanted to go in there and claim Amity, which is part of why she put her hand on Amity’s shoulder there. But she is big enough to know that when her crush likes someone else, she should back off and support it. She would rather see Amity happy than see Amity with her, if those happen to be mutually exclusive. Which she thinks they are.

Going off that, Amity’s last words before her fear was revealed were a bit suspicious. She said “I’m sorry.” Who the hell would apologize as she was saving her friend?

As audience members, Amity’s reasoning for this is clear to us. She did this because she thought Grom was going to out her in front of everyone. She thought Luz would see her crush and hate her for it. Which makes sense if you assume the point of view of Amity’s repressed self, where her only crush was literally removed by her parents, and proceeded to hate her for years afterwards. If Luz knew that a monster like Amity liked her, she would remember what happened to Willow and cut Amity off like she was a long hairstyle.

From Luz’s point of view, it’s much worse. Deep down, Luz knows that she likes Amity and wants Amity to like her back (although she might not have the words for it). And think about it: if Amity’s fear is romance-related and she’s apologizing to Luz for something, wouldn’t it be for not liking her? From Luz’s point of view, she has been pretty obvious about her crush. She literally risked her life countless times for her. She even faced her worst fear for Amity, even though Eda strongly cautioned her against it. And besides, it wouldn’t even occur to Luz to hate Amity for liking her. So Luz thinks Amity is apologizing because Amity knows that Luz likes her, and she knows that her crush will hurt Luz. That also explains why Luz didn’t recognize her own mudsona: she was looking for someone else’s face to be reflected in it, so she could maybe help Amity by being her wingman.

Also, Luz can’t even stay in the Boiling Isles. Let’s say that everything goes perfectly. Luz falls for Amity, Amity falls for Luz, they date, they kiss, they face the Emperor’s Coven together, they face whoever’s writing notes to Luz’s mom together, they call each other girlfriends...all that won’t last, because Luz has to go home. 

Luz knows this. She already knows that making attachments is bad. That’s why her mom is her worst fear: it means she loses her real mother figure Eda, her best friend King, her love interest Amity, and her friends Willow and Gus. So of course she wouldn’t want to fall in love! She’ll only end up breaking Amity’s heart, and breaking her own. She saw how Amity reacted to having to leave Willow. Do you really think she would do that to Amity?

So can you blame her for the pain in her voice when she said “that’s what friends do?” She knows that’s not what friends do. But she has to put up that wall or risk hurting everyone.

[snlhostharry]

romeo and juliet thing

harry styles x reader

“rivals” to lovers au 

~3k words

warnings: cursing, mentions of sex 

my piece for @meetmeinfleetwood ‘s to lovers challenge, congrats on your milestone! 

a/n: amazing thing I realized while writing this: if you don’t put it off you can actually get it done in a reasonable amount of time... I will not be applying this to any other aspects of my life 

You’ve come to enjoy album release parties. The first one you’d ever been to was the one for your first album, something someone from your publicity team has put together, which they did a decent job on but you did not have a good time. You were so nervous about the album coming out at all that you tried to use alcohol to calm your nerves, so you can’t really remember anything about it besides briefly throwing up in the bathroom. After that incident, you resolved not to drink before the party ever again and the next few you’d been too for other artists were actually fun in their own special ways. 

By the time your second album is on the cusp on release, you’ve decided that you deserved it after the mess of writer's block you’d gotten in the middle of trying to write the thing, which had gotten so bad that you’d been called into a “special meeting” by management where they talked for what felt like hours about deadlines and marketing and basically tried to intimidate you into finishing faster. Something happened that allowed you to finish, it was an odd timing but it did help. 

But that was ages ago, and you’re trying to focus on the party. 

Which is easy enough, winding through the room talking to friends and investors, small talk is easy when you're trying to avoid something else. You’re talking to someone who’s name you are definitely not going to remember when this is over, when out of the corner of your eye you think you see someone who should definitely not be here. When you're finally released from said conversation you walk around the room, trying to find the intruder. You make your way all the way back to the bathroom, when suddenly the person you’ve been looking for slams right into you. 

You’re far enough in a corner that you think no one can see you, which is good because if anyone got photos of the two of you together you would never hear the end of it. Harry Styles looks at you like he’s been caught in the act, the guilty expression not leaving his face even as he says, “Funny seeing you here.” 

“At my own party?” You ask. 

He licks his lips, trying to buy time to think of something to say. “Before you say anything,” He says, treading cautiously, “I was told to come here.” 

You narrow your eyes, “By who?” 

“Someone who works for me,” He replies, “Which means that someone who works for you gave them the information.” 

You groan, “Of course they did, well at least make sure they get your good side when someone comes around to take photos.” 

He smiles at that, “That’s every side, love.” 

You shake your head, typing a message on your phone and quickly sending it, “It’s not but it’s cute that you think so.” 

“Ignoring that little comment,” He says, seeing that your attention is divided between him and the person you seem to be very angrily texting. “It’s a good song you wrote, I’m excited to hear the rest of the album.”

“Oh,” You say, eyes widening, “Thank you..?” He tilts his head to the side gently, clearly his way of asking a question without actually asking a question. “Sorry, I just didn’t realize we were doing the thing where we pretend this is normal, and you are normally at my party.”

He laughs, “Didn’t know there was pretending involved.” 

“I’m just so used to pretending to loathe you all day everyday that it's just so natural,” You say, and wait to see if he’ll get the joke. 

He shrugs, “Really? I don’t think of you all that much.” 

Your phone buzzes in your hand before you can respond, one message sits unread underneath the ten you’d sent a few minutes earlier in rapid succession. Honestly? I invited him because I thought it would be fun. Of course that would be her rationale for not telling you about this very obvious stunt. Inviting your “rival” to your album release party is the perfect way to get your name in some headlines conveniently before the whole thing goes live, not like you need them but then again you do pay people to manage this kind of thing so they figure they should be doing something. 

Oh yeah, Harry is supposed to be your “rival.” Think of some of the most infamous musical feuds of all time, and then knock it down a few pegs, and that’s where you would put yours and harrys. No one knows how it really started, something between a couple of twitter stans you’ve been told, but it suddenly gave each of your respective “people” the genius idea to milk that kind of exposure for all that it’s worth. The two of you have been pit against each other ever since the release of your debut albums, both self titled and both released within two weeks of each other. It hasn’t harmed either of you, being compared to the other, since you’re both pretty evenly matched in terms of talent. 

It seems to only exist to make the occasional headline when the media remember that it “exists.” There have been headlines wondering if you’ve mentioned him in tik toks (you didn’t) in instagram posts (you were shading someone but not him) and if this whole thing started due to a one night stand that went the wrong way (definitely not). 

You pull yourself back into the conversation, realizing you're being rude trying to think of something to respond to the text message. “I’m sorry, you were saying?”

“Who are you rage tweeting over there?”

“Rage texting actually,” You say as another one comes through, “Fucking Melanie.” 

“Unfortunate that her parents gave her that as a first name.”

You look up at him right away, “Not funny.” He laughs at his own joke anyway, “Melanie-” You say, holding up your phone for dramatic effect, “Is the head of the PR team, which is three people but anyway she is the one who seems to have coordinated this whole thing as a prank on me apparently.” 

“It’s kind of funny,” He says. 

You narrow your eyes at him, “I’m sure from your point of view it is.” Suddenly, someone comes rounding the corner near where the two of you are standing, and you freeze on instinct until they pass right in front of you without even looking in your direction. You realize that in a panic, you’d grabbed onto Harry’s hand and you decide that the two of you are going to have to finish this conversation somewhere else. “Come with me,” You sigh, leading him through the back of the room all the way to a small door that leads to an outside area at the back of the venue. You look at him again, his eyes glinting in the lights hanging above your heads. “What were we talking about?”

“Are you ever listening to me?” He asks, half joking. 

“Don’t take it personally I’m only half listening to everyone,” You answer, “It’s called multitasking.” 

“Seems tiring.” 

“Better than being bored,” You say.

He looks at you for a second without saying and then shoves his hands in his pockets, “Why are we out here again?” 

“I’m trying to figure out what’s the game plan here, if you’re supposed to be seen here alone, seen with me, if I’m supposed to throw some kind of tantrum about it.” 

“Besides the one your already throwing?” 

You stop looking at your phone, “Ouch.” 

“Punishment for continuing to ignore me.”

You turn off your phone and hold it in your hand gently, giving him your full attention. “I’m listening, but only if you’re going to say something that it’s some kind of thinly veiled insult,” You click your tongue, “You’re one of those guys who flirts by making fun of girls aren’t you?” 

He thinks about it, “That’s a type?” 

“Yeah, for people who are still mentally in high school.” 

“So you wouldn't be interested then?” 

You smile, thinking about it. Here’s the thing, despite the fact you very much have been pretending to loathe Harry Styles for two years just so you don’t slip it if someone asks, you recognise now that he is objectively attractive. The curls, and the eyes and the borderline too busy suit jacket he’s wearing (that both of you know costs an exorbitant amount) is all contributing to a look that is working for you at the moment. Also working in his favor? The semi enemies to lovers arc that you have going on in your head. “Despite the fact that I think that kind of flirting is beneath you, at this moment, it’s currently working for me.” 

You take a step forward, closer to him, and suddenly your phone starts going off again. You check it briefly, trying very much not to ruin the moment but very cognizant of the fact that this is your party and people are going to start noticing if you're gone. You look down, see it’s not a life or death emergency and look right back at Harry. “Let me guess,” He says, “She wants you to kiss me for the cameras?”

You laugh, “No, but I’m going to do it anyway.” You kiss him, he leans in and you think that you might just seal the deal with harry styles out on this very nice patio when your phone rings again. You pull away when it’s clear that whoever it is needs you desperately, you look at the message, and groan, “Fucking Melaine.” You look towards the door and back at Harry, “Okay this is not over, but I have to go take care of stuff, so just meet me here after the whole thing is over and we will finish this thing.” 

“Really?”

“Oh yeah,” You smile, “We could be an epic novel of forbidden lovers, like Romeo and Juliet without the ending.” You pause, “Well maybe with the end if Melanie kills me with her bare hands for not talking to this producer she wants me to meet.” 

“Later, then.” 

You take him back to your apartment that night. And you invite him back the next day, and then the week and then a few more times after that. As much as you had meant it a joke at the time, the kind of forbidden lovers aspect of trying to keep this whole thing under wraps is sexy in a way that you would never admit outloud. 

You’ve both become shockingly adept at sneaking in and out of apartments, neighborhoods (Harry has multiple priorities; why that is you're not exactly sure) and sometimes clubs if you're in a group and it’s dark enough that you think no one will see you. 

“Should I climb up through the window?” You ask Harry as you stand in the backyard of his house in London,  swimsuit clad even though you’ve gone nowhere near the pool. 

Harry looks at you from his place on the ground next to you. He’d refused to get a chirhair to sit on, so he just sits on the ground, looking out over the pool and the fence. “Why would you do that?” 

“Romeo and Juliet thing, didn’t he climb through the window to see her?”

He shrugs, wrapping his arms around your bare legs in some attempt to keep your attention on him, “I don’t know, never read it.” He laughs a little, “But I think if you did that some pap would catch you with your ass hanging out of my window.” 

You laugh too, “And you would never fucking stop laughing at that.” 

“No, I would not.” 

You kick your leg out so that you almost hit him right in the face, “Fucker, I thought you were over being mean to me as a tactic. You have successfully romanced me.” 

“Really? Because you’re staring at the house like you’re going to kill me for my money.” 

“You’d put me in your will? That’s sweet,” You turn to him, pulling your sunglasses onto the top of your head. 

“You are so hot right now.”

“It is hot,” You say, looking out at the clear sky, “What an observation.” 

“You’re screwing with me.” 

“Because I’m too tired to screw you at the moment,” You say, “Can’t we just enjoy one day in one of your two properties out in the sun before you start making me exercise?” 

“I wouldn’t call it that.” 

“It is work,” You say, rolling your eyes. “I’ve been thinking about that song you played yesterday, I think it needs to be less.. Ethereal.” 

“What does that mean?” 

You sit down next to him, laying your head in the grass. “Harry Styles is a rockstar, if you’re going to do a sad song, which seems to be your specialty, it needs to at least have a beat.” 

“People don’t want to dance to sad songs.” 

“Dude,” You say matter of factly, “Of course they do, I do and I think I speak for a very large section of the United States population.You need a sad song you can at the very least scream too, if not full out dance.” 

“So what’s your suggestion?” He asks. 

“Add more guitar,” You tell him, “Like a lot more. Take all the lyrics you have and put them on a track that sounds like it should be about your new puppy or something.” 

“Who writes songs about puppies?” 

“It was an example, H.” You sigh, “but you get the point.” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

“Don’t be like that.” He doesn’t say anything for a while, and you let it go as one of his moods for a while. But it goes on for longer than you thought it would be, and eventually you sit up. He’s staring down at his phone, frozen, and then he starts typing without saying anything to you. “What are you looking at?” You ask him, and he doesn’t say anything. “What is it H?” You ask again. 

“Fuck it all,” He says, dropping his phone to the ground, and covering his face with his hands as he laid down with his head in the grass. 

You pick his phone up off the ground and see that he’s opened twitter. Staring right back at you is a picture of the two of you kissing outside a small restaurant from the night before, you rack your brain trying to think if you saw anywhere when you were there and you swore you didn’t. Like it or not, everyone is going to know about the two of you now, including Melanie who had told you not to interact with Harry after the party expressly. “Shit,” You say, and your phone begins to ring the sound of Temporary Fix filling the small backyard. 

“Fucking Melanie,” Harry says, still lying on the ground, “She’s going to ream me.” 

“Well at least she’ll do it to both of us,” You groan, not even bothering to go and get your phone. You stand up, as a tension headache begins to form in your temples, “Well I’m going to get into the pool.” 

“Now?” He asks you. “Seems like the perfect way to avoid this problem, doesn’t it?” 

He also gets to his feet, and takes your hand, “Yeah it does.” 

And together the two of you jump into the pool. 

It’s an hour before you finally call Melanie back, even though you meant to avoid it for at least another hour. You sit at the kitchen counter while Harry takes a call in another room, dreading this call because you do not want to hear her yell at you for nothing, mostly because you're a grown woman and are above being lectured. 

“Were you just not going to tell me about this?” 

“Yes, that was the plan.” 

“I told you not to-”

“Yeah but I had already made plans by then that I couldn’t cancel.” 

“There was one man in the entire world, who you couldn’t fuck-”

“I know, what are the odds?” 

“Could you please stop fucking with me for one second?” She says, “This is serious.” 

“It’s not that bad, for you I mean.” You shrug, “I mean for me my personal business is all out on the internet now and I’ll be permanently known as one of Harry Styles’ girlfriends but for you what’s better press wise than a good ol enemies to lovers arc? I won’t tell anyone the enemies part wasn’t real if you won’t.” 

You hear her sigh from the other end of the phone, and then tap her nails against the desk. “You might be onto something there.” 

“I’m always onto something Melanie, I’m the artist here aren’t I?” And you hang up, before you say something that you’ll regret. You’d meant what you said, you were mostly just uncomfortable with everyone knowing who you're dating, especially the harry twitter stans who are known for being very excitable to say the least, you could see why they liked him so much but you would be lying if you said they didn’t scare you. You think of all the interviews you’ll do in the future where people will ask about him, about your relationship and maybe about how it ended. 

Harry comes back into the kitchen and grabs two beers from the fridge. He opens both and sets one out in front of you. “How did it go?” 

“Fine,” You say. You look at him, “Is this the part where we break up because you can’t be seen with me?” You put your face into the counter and let out another groan. 

“Never,” He says, taking a drink, “No one else I would rather weather this shit-storm with.” 

You smile, “Same here.” 

[dustofthedailylife]

Hi! I'd like to take part on the event! Congratulations on 1k by the way!

I'll just get started with the main thing if that's okay!

Name: Nova

Hobbies : writing, drawing and cooking

Personality : This might be a hard one for me here I go!

• I've been told that I'm so soft spoken that I should loosen up sometimes,

• I procrastinate a lot

•  I'm actually a good listener if someone wants to talk. Late night talks are my thing

• I've been told that I'm very awkward in public and doing adult things by myself.

• I am passionate about writing even though I'm not good at it

• I'm actually funny! My friends love it when I start to joke around

• I'm really clumsy and often hurt myself

while doing the simplest stuff which is very infuriating ( Cause I have to clean up the mess later!)

• I love windy days and the smell of rain, citrus,old and new books, shampooed hair, clean laundry

What I look for in a partner:

• I think he needs to have at least something similar with me. Otherwise that would get boring.

• He has to listen to me when I open up about something because it takes me a lot to do that

• Supportive

• Sudden back hugs!

• Kind, considerate and caring

• If he's flirty once in a while, that would be hot

Personality traits of others I dislike:

When they aren’t even listening when you are trying to say something. You almost feel invisible. That's annoying

Saying things like "lol I've been through worse than you"  when you open up about your struggles in life

Leaving your messages on seen

anger issues

Things I like :

(I've already said that on the partner part so I'll add something new here ^^)

When someone cooks something for me, I love it. It's the purest form of love on a plate

Hand written letters or tiny notes! I love writing and receiving them.

Every little kind gesture that makes you feel loved

MBTI PERSONALITY TYPE: INFP

[ I figured this would help you with my personality traits so I added this]

ZODIAC SIGN: aquarius

Favourite romance trope:

Soulmates

Enemies to lovers / Rivals to lovers

Fake dating

Ideal date

Beach dates!

A date at home! Baking together, cuddling on the bed and watching it rain from the window

A campfire date where the two talks deep stuff and stargaze

Hii! Thank you for participating my evaluation tells me that...

Your Perfect Match is...

Zhongli

You two first met at the Third Round Knockout. You often came here to listen to the storyteller to get inspirations for your writing and to improve on it while drinking some tea. Today was especially crowded for some reason.

Eventually a quite handsome gentleman name Zhongli asked if he could sit down at your table, seeing as all the others were occupied and only yours had a seat still. You agreed and first sat there together in silence, each minding their own business.

You'd notice that a slight smile plays around his lips every time the storyteller begins reciting some history about history that you eventually ask what is so amusing about it.

He begins telling you tales that are quite different and seem definitely more historically accurate than the ones the storytellers have been telling. Certainly would prove useful for your writing.

You sat together at the Restaurant until late at night and something had just clicked between you two.

Afterwards you'd begin to meet up more and more often, at first for more of his stories but later on because there was that sort of spark between you two.

When dating you just love to listen to his stories, that thing never changed from your first meeting on. He could talk to you all day and you would listen to his soothing voice.

Zhongli is someone who likes to keep his home in order and definitely strikes me as someone who would use air refreshener. Maybe gift him one with a citrus smell. Makes his house smell like books and citrus. Perfection!

Even though he likes to talk a lot he is also a very good listener and is very happy when you open up about things to him.

Zhongli loves going on walks with you or simply just hanging out with you at home, lying in bed with you together cuddling or hugging you from behind, leaving a kiss on the back of your head.

He is not so much into PDA but prepare to be smothered with love and pampered when you two are at home.

He is definitely a bit old fashioned so expect to get handwritten letters and notes from him all over the place. As well as other small gestures like brewing you a cup of tea or offering to cook dinner.

"Love? Would you like me to make dinner today? What should I make? Your favorite... alright."

[staycult]

highschool!minho as your boyfriend

pairing — fem!reader x minho

genre — fluffish angst-ish ? bullet scenario but mostly not, enemies to lovers

word count — 2k

happy birthday to our precious cat boy! 🐈

happy birthday lino!

you’re one of the best dancers in your school

competitions arent complete without you

i guess the popularity with dancing got over your head a little bit

to you, you were just proud

but others took it the wrong way, as per usual

“alright we’re going to have a new member in our crew, please give him a warm welcome!” your dance instructor clapped

you wiped off your sweat and sat down on the floor to listen further

“come in, lino!” she urged

the young man came in wearing gray sweats and a plain black shirt with a poker face on

you didnt really care nor felt a bond forming between you two

“hi, lee minho, nice to meet you” he smiled half heartedly

you heard the other girls in the room swoon at the sight of him

you were about to nudge your friend who was obviously squealing when the instructor interrupted

“[y/n]! stand over here, please” she pointed beside minho

so you complied

his scent was manly with a hint of softness

he was taller than you and had a lean body structure

your instructor was eyeing the both of you from head to toe and proceeded to call over another instructor

“see, they would be perfect for it!” she whisper shouted at her fellow instructor, still eyeing the both of us

“i do agree with you but dont you think minho is still new? he just came in” the other replied

“minho if you don’t mind? can i show him your audition video?” she asked

minho gave her a nod while he looked around the place with his arms crossed, while you looked like an idiot just standing there like 🧍🏻‍♀️

“wow! his body is flexible, you made the right choice with these two" the male instructor commended

“right?"

"alright, you two would be assigned to create a new choreography for the up coming dance competition. it should be hip hop styled, music of choice is yours." she instructed

your fellow dancers already went home since it was getting late, so you did too after the discussion

you didnt really talk to minho

you felt like you didnt need to, yet

unless it was about the dance

practices were always held after classes. you and the crew decided to brainstorm possible songs that you guys could dance to. all of the songs they were suggesting was boring and at this point you were frustrated and threw a fit. "god, think!" you sighed at your fellow dancers as you ruffled your hair in anger. "do you have any better ideas?" minho asked, nonchalant. "i evaluate whether or not the songs can be used. do you have any ideas?" you rolled your eyes, copying his tone.

he shook head and let out a light smirk, a rather amused one. he suggested songs and remixes that were actually good, but you can never say that. for the first time, someone actually had the courage to speak back to you during your angry state. it did hurt your ego a bit.

"no, i dont want that, it's ear-bleeding" you lied, just for the sake of your reputation in front of your fellow members. "im not asking for your permission, im showing this to noona," he said getting up from the floor with the computer and walked out to find our older instructor.

whispers and held back laughter was heard in the room while their eyes are focused to either you, or minho's back who just disappeared

being a little brat, you stomped over to minho ( who you found in the hallway, just outside your instructor's office ) "you!" you stormed over until youre close enough. without looking, he let out a sigh, "what?"

"what the hell was that about!" you half-shouted, eyebrows furrowed. "what? did i hurt your ego?" he raised an eyebrow, giving you a smirk. you were taken aback by his choice of words. no body has ever came this close to you. all he did was say the truth, because he really did hurt your ego. you hate being told what to do and you hate getting embarrassed in front of people.

your face turned red, "you know what? fuck you" you turned around and left. leaving him with this annoying smug look on his pretty face.

it became a routine

to argue with him during practice

you guys were partners in the said dance

being close with his body gives you the chance to take revenge

by making yourself heavy every time he has to carry you

but you learned that he's not the one to hold back

by letting go of you, causing you to fall off ass first

after a month straight of practice, it went like that

safe to say you hated each other's guts

he hated your bratty and egotistic attitude, and you hated him for pointing it out in front of every one

there's 3 more days until the performance

and somehow, nervousness was getting ahead of you.

"one last practice for today! let me see what you guys got." your instructor said as you guys were positioning yourselves in place. during the dance, you knew you made so many mistakes but you were still hoping it would go unnoticed. making the ending pose, every one clapped as well as the instructor.

"over all, it's a winning dance for me!" every one cheered for the mentor's compliment while you were feeling unsteady. "[y/n], work on the dance a little more okay? you seem a bit on edge" she gave you a small smile. embarrassment was written all over your face. improve? me? christ! it's much worse when minho, who is right beside you, heard that.

the instructor left and every one proceeded to pack their things. as you were about to close yours, "work on the dance a little more okay?" little shit minho repeated your instructors words, with a smug look on his face that you badly want to wipe off with a punch

"okay" you replied dryly, not wanting to engage with crap because of your rising nervousness. "looks like im about to take your place, brat" he added. you knew he was just messing around since both of you had been fighting like this almost every day. you gave him a nod because you just wanted to escape at this point. you placed your bag over your shoulder and opened the door, "don't you think maybe it's because you're not that good-"

"can we not do this right now? alright? i get it. if you really are so fucking great, congrats! now leave me alone." you spat, walking past him and left the studio. the sun was setting when you got out and it was a rather chill weather. it was fine, we're in the middle of october any way.

you sighed as you hugged yourself for comfort due to the strong wind. walking home, you decided to stop by a vending machine.

great! your money just had to be stuck in the vent. just when you thought your day could get worse, this happens. you placed your head on the glass of the machine in front of you while mindlessly playing with the buttons.

you regret losing your cool in front of minho like that, because you know he was just messing around. at some point during practice, you were slowly learning that being a brat is horrible and not everything will go my way.

you noticed that you were starting to change too.

you let out another sigh and kicked a foreign rock to express your frustration. you eyes went back to the stuck money and tried to get it out again. a random finger from behind pressed a red button on top of the machine, which immediately retrieved your money.

you turned back around to thank the person, "thank you-" your smile faded when you realized who it was. he had a small cat eye smile on, "hi" he said in a low tone, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"hi" you said rather awkwardly. "what drink do you want?" he said as he brought out his wallet, positioning himself in front of the machine. "no you don't have to" you protested. "please, let me do this, it's the least i can do for pissing you off"

"banana milk, and im sorry too" you replied, playing with your fingers. he gave you this 'why are you saying sorry' look. "im sorry for all the mean stuff i said back there, i dont know what has gotten into me, im just so nervous about the performance"

he nodded, implying that he's listening while typing and inserting the money on the machine. "im just sorry for being a brat in general," you smiled apologetically as you accepted the banana milk from him. both of you sat down beside the vending machine.

"you dont have to apologize you know? im the one who took it too far" he said, guilt plastered all over his face. "it's fine, i deserve it. besides if it wasnt for you, i wouldnt have notice how much of a bitch i am." you admitted with a light chuckle.

"i didnt mean what i said earlier by the way," he spoke, finishing up his own banana milk. "which one?" you asked. "when i said you were not that good, i didnt mean it. in fact, youre one of the best." he admitted, placing his empty banana milk beside him.

"you think so?" you asked with a smile. "i know so" he smiled back, removing his hairband and placing it back again. "maybe that's why im falling for you." he mumbled.

competition day came

you were feeling energetic today

bratiness level lowered down by 70%

the performance went really great

every one at your school was rooting for your team

which made you even more giddy

"and the grand champion for this year is..."

you heard your school's name and immediately hugged minho unintentionally out of joy

your legs were wrapped up in his waist and he was swinging you around, happy to win as well.

he let go of you gently, trying not to make things awkward

youve already touched his body due to the dance steps but it felt awkward after he confessed

after the celebration, your crew was in the back stage, preparing for the surprise

today is october 25, meaning it's his special day

you got out the cake you personally baked for him and motioned everyone to gather around before minho comes in

"surprise!" every one cheered and threw random pieces of paper towards him when he came in the back stage

"happy birthday to you! happy birthday to you! happy birthday dear minho, happy birthday to you" you sang along with the crew and faced him his cake

"make a wish, lino" you said as you waited for him to blow.

"i wish to be with you" he said out loud, not even minding the people around us and blew the candle out. a lot of ooos and cheers were heard, making you blush. you gathered frosting all over your finger and proceeded to wipe it on his face

he let out a fake shocked face as he did the same to you. by now, every one around you has frosting in your faces. musting up all the courage left in you. you made your way to minho once more and placed a frosting on his lips. he smirked at your sudden action as he lifted you up.

you pressed your lips against his, licking the frosting clean off of him. he gladly accepted the kiss, ignoring everyone around the both of you. pulling away, "maybe i am falling for you too, lino" you confessed. making him kiss you once more.

bf minho is very tsundere

as usual, dance practices together

vending machine dates after practice

lots and lots of i love yous while dancing

SLOW DANCING IN YOUR ROOM!!!!!!

would let you meet his cats bcs "you are now worthy"

helping each other out with missed assignments

your best friend

kisses are wild but soft

dance covers together

will literally break the vending machine to give you your banana milk

would buy you breakfast

holds your hand during break

cuddling with his cats!!!!!!

forehead kisses with reassurance

people dont get your inside jokes

a tease !!!!!

"baby, there is no one else like you"

author's note —

i tried to make this gender neutral but i dont know much about mxm dancing together! sorry about that, i tried to lessen the female details though.

im open for constructive criticism! i made this a birthday special for our lee know <3