#/alright...time for a revamp

[mangotelevision]

my favorite lesbian coworkers

[maskyartist]

alright fine you guys can have a low-tier father figure who's complicated in his wrongness and is only doing his best with what he knows but ONLY ONE

this au has enough drama as is >3>

[panhelleniios]

likely going to swap all of herc's info onto carrd while I work on redoing everything on here .... im usually frustrated by carrd's limits so if anyone has good free templates to suggest .....

[cryptidwrestling]

*stares into the camera like I'm on The Office*

[itsactuallylina]

FLUORESCENT ADOLESCENT ☆ YJW

SYNOPSIS: falling for your best friend's cousin was never the plan, but as you and jungwon grow closer, keeping secrets gets harder. Especially when minju starts to notice!

PAIRING: best friend’s cousin!jungwon x f!reader

GENRE: fluff, angst(most of it), flirty jungwon, high school au, love at first sight kinda, mention of panic attacks , A LOT of angst, pov switching, intended lowercase, possible mistakes

FEATURING: enhypen sunoo, illit minju, zb1 gyuvin, kiof belle , bnd taesan

WORD COUNT: 12.8k (ik it’s crazy)

A/N:lol 😝 this is a revamp (?) of my old ass smau which has like 2 chapters LMAO. i was thinking about writing it as a long fic for like a year and finally did it! first long fic too bruh. pls lmk if u like it 🥹 also english is not my first NOR my second language 😭 so sorry if there are any mistakes ; tagging @miumura

check out the masterlist —> here !

“minju, where are we going now?” — you whine, not wanting to walk again, you were pretty sure that you already had over 15 thousand steps today, and yet, minju has another place she suddenly wants to go. “i am tired”

“you’re always tired” she claims, staring into your eyes. “you’ll like it, I promise”

you groan, tilting your head back. “every time you said this, I end up regretting it later”

“excuse me?” minju says baffled, “did you regret the arcade? the rooftop picnic? the train to nowhere?”

“…okay, those were fun,” you admit, narrowing your eyes. “but i’m still tired”

she grins, already tugging your wrist. “it will be quick, just a few pictures. i’ll even let you pick the filters!”you sigh, following her. “fine fine, but if I look half-asleep in them, thats your fault”

“deal!”

you knew that you would give in, you love minju. she is your best friend after all.

the photobooth minju suggested to go to was located in the popular arcade, the one you went to that one time. as you walk in, the neon glow of the arcade flickers above you, minju is already almost at the booth area, you quickly catch up with her, escaping the air filled with buttered popcorn and soda scents. you’re mid laugh, looking at the ridiculous stickers displayed at the entrance when—

thud.

you barely register the warmth of another person before you stumble back, almost falling off your feet.

and then you look up.

wow.

you almost forgot how to breathe.

he is gorgeous. the guy standing in front of you is tall, hands stuffed in pockets.

for a second, his gaze locks onto yours—in this mere moment you notice his boba eyes, lightly curled hair and his catlike features.

you realized you probably looked like a creep, so you break off the eye contact.

“y/n, are you alright? you almost fell down” minju took a hold of your hand, worry visible on her face, before it disappeared as she looks in the way of the person you bumped into.

your best friend scoffs. “ugh, seriously? again?”

again? your brows knit together as you glance between them.

that guy chuckled, his gaze locked on you again. “I’m happy to see you too. didn’t know you had such a pretty friend.” he says with utmost confidence. you can feel the warmth appearing on your cheeks at his compliment, trying to avert your eyes somewhere else.

“oh my god, can you not?” minju sighs dramatically, you never knew she could be so annoyed at sight of someone. huh, guess there is a side of her you don’t know of.

“what? you won’t even introduce us?” he smirks, not looking away from you.

“fine, jungwon this is y/n, y/n this is jungwon, my cousin.” a nth dramatic sigh escaped from her.

so he is minjus cousin…

“nice to meet you, y/n” he says, extending his hand for you to shake, your name rolling off his tongue the way you never thought you would hear.

“uh, yea, nice to meet you too” you stutter, mentally slapping yourself for it. that’s what you say? seriously ?

“you’re really cute, you know?” jungwon suddenly said, you still didn’t calm down from the previous compliment and he throws another one at you?

the blush on your face only deepens, making you look like a tomato. gosh, so embarrassing…

“sorry, but she’s off limits to you, don’t try.” minju remarks before you could even respond.

“off limits, huh. that’s a shame” her cousin replies. “oh well, we can still be friends, right y/n?”

mention of your name makes you jolt, and before you could even think, you agree. “Of course! Yea, we can be friends, no problem”

“y/n?! whatever, just don’t cross any boundaries” ou, maybe you shouldnt have said that.

minju grabs your wrist, pulling you towards the booth. “you can ignore him if you want to”

you let yourself be dragged away, but as you step in the photo booth you make a mistake of looking back.

jungwon is watching you, a smug grin on his face, like his cousins words don’t mean a thing to him.

If only you knew that it was just a beginning.

since it was a little holiday break before the school starts, you decided to visit your favorite record shop to finally buy a vinyl from your favorite group, arctic monkeys.

walking in, you feel the warmth of the cozy atmosphere. the record shop is filled with a quiet melody, which you recognize but can’t put a name on. the air is thick with the scent of old vinyls, worn leather, and a faint trace of coffee coming from the counter. your fingers skim over the albums on display, the rough texture of cardboard meeting your skin. the lighting is dim and golden. it was a place where time slows down. you loved it.

when you find the needed section, you scan the variety, thinking which vinyl you should get. your eyes stop at the familiar black cover with a white sound wave—AM, one of your favorite albums of all time. weird how you never got it, since your first choice song, fluorescent adolescent, is on it.

your hand extends towards the album, and as you almost take it, it disappears from your sight. you firmly turn, hand still in mid-air, eyes locked onto the thief who dared to snatch your treasured almost-purchase. and then—you freeze.

yang jungwon.

the same guy who shamelessly flirted with you back at the arcade, minju’s cousin. but now, the smirk he had the first time you met is nowhere to be found, replaced by an expression that you can’t quite read.

“jungwon?” your own voice comes out before you can even think. maybe you should get that checked out.

he blinks, then lets out a small laugh that gives away his disbelief. “huh, didn’t think that i’d run into you again.”

your gaze flickers to the album he still holds in his hands. “didn’t think you’d steal my vinyl either, but here we are.”

“steal? didn’t see your name on it.” the smugness you remember makes its way back onto his face.

“i literally was about to grab it,” you huff, crossing your arms.

jungwon tilts his head, examining the record while considering something, at least from the looks of it. “you have good taste, but i’m not sure if i should be impressed or offended that your first arctic monkeys vinyl wasn’t this one.”

“i didn’t really ask for your judgment,” you say, rolling your eyes.

he grins, offering the album back to you, but as you were about to take it, he pulls it back. “how about this?” he muses, eyes shining. “i’ll let you have this if you… beat me in a game at the arcade. let’s keep it fair and simple.”

your brows shoot up. “you can’t be serious.”

he shrugs his shoulders. “oh, but i am. you win—you get your precious AM album. and if i win?” he slightly leans in, just enough to make your heart do something stupid. “you take me out for coffee.”

you can sense heat creeping up your neck as he goes back to his original position. “that sounds more like a win-win for you, though.”

“exactly.”

you narrow your eyes at him, pretending to think about your options. jungwon watches you with amusement, twirling the vinyl between his fingers. finally, you sigh. “alright, lead the way.”

his smirk widens as he gestures towards the door with an exaggerated bow. “after you, my lady.”

you roll your eyes but can’t hide the flutter the silly nickname gave you. feeling his presence behind you, you go through the aisles of the store. the dim light fades into the neon gleam of the arcade across the street. the distant sound of buttons and clicking fills the air, instantly reminding you of the last time you were here.

but before you can dwell on it any longer, jungwon steps beside you. “hope you’re ready, because i won’t go easy.”

you glance up at him. “never expected you to.”

maybe you should have been a little bit less of a nerd and agreed to gyuvin’s and taesan’s offer to go to the arcade.

you’re losing horribly. you did not expect jungwon to be this good at the games.

it all started with the air hockey—you were in the lead for the first few minutes before jungwon suddenly interrupted your scoring streak and literally humbled you. was it karma for being too confident?

then came the basketball shootout. jungwon scored three points out of five effortlessly. “i’m not going easy this time,” he teased.

“you said that six times already,” you muttered, focusing on the game before you, remembering the basketball lessons you attended in middle school.

your first shot bounced off the rim, making jungwon’s smile wider. “what’s wrong? scared?”

you ignored him, concentrated again, and—swish. the next shot was clean. then the next one. and the next one. and also the last one.

jungwon’s confidence wavered as you scored four points. you won.

he huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. “you got lucky.”

you grinned. “sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.” it was finally your turn to tease him.

now, the dance dance revolution is happening. the glow of the DDR machine flickered as the game loaded. the platform beneath you slightly vibrated, metal panels cool under your shoes.

as soon as the game started, the arrows flooded the screen. the music played through the speakers, matching your moves. jungwon was beside you, moving effortlessly, barely missing a step.

you, on the other hand, weren’t so careful. your movements were a little frantic, messy, but fun. laughter bubbled up between breaths as you nearly tripped on a tricky move.

“is that all you got?” jungwon teased.

“just wait,” you huffed, eyes locking onto the screen.

the song sped up, so did both of you.

your movements became more precise, matching the beat. the combo is unbelievably high right now, and everything seemed good.

until it didn’t.

you can feel yourself slipping because of the slick material of your shoes. already prepared for the impact, you’re expecting the pain, squeezing your eyes shut—

but instead, you feel warmth engulfing your hand and bringing you back up.

“careful now, it’s still not the end,” jungwon says while holding your hand and continuing to dance.

you, having no choice, but to carry on with your movements, but now, with intertwined fingers with the guy beside you.

laughter filled the air as the music started to fade away before it completely stopped and the game started to count your scores.

you, still breathless, still holding hands with jungwon, look at the screen.

87.

you feel proud, but you quickly glance at the screen next to yours, and it says the exact same thing.

you look at each other’s eyes before bursting into chuckles again.

“so it’s a tie?” he asks, turning to you.

“i guess so,” you reply, chuckling a little bit.

“alright then,” jungwon says while tilting his head towards the exit. “we both get what we want.”

you nod, still catching your breath. “right. first things first—my album.”

“lead the way.”

as you both made your way back to the record shop, the warm scent of vinyls and coffee filled the air again. scanning the shelves, you grab the desired AM album before jungwon could.

he just laughed. “happy now?”

“very.” you grinned, already going to check out.

when you paid for the vinyl, you find a phone right before you.

“put your number in. you promised me a coffee, remember?” he reminded you.

for a second, you hesitated, remembering minju’s words.

“come on, we had a deal.” a little pout appeared on his face, making you chuckle.

“alright, alright.” you take the phone from him and enter your number before giving it back. you feel your own phone vibrate in your back pocket.

“just making sure it’s real.”

“do i look like someone who gives fake numbers?” you scoffed.

“not really. more like someone who’d block me instead.” jungwon hummed.

you opened your mouth to protest, but before you could, he was already heading toward the exit. “i’ll text you. be ready.”

and with that, you were left alone near the checkout station of your favorite record shop, with the number of a really handsome guy who was off-limits.

the break ended, and you were back at school. the bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. you packed your bag and headed toward the cafeteria to meet up with your friends. when you arrived, you could see your friend group sitting at your usual table.

“hey, everyone.” you greet them, sitting near belle. you unpack your lunch, listening to the conversation flowing around you. belle was excitedly talking about some new drama she started, while minju scrolled through her phone, occasionally nodding. across from you, gyuvin and taesan were locked in some silly debate about whether mint chocolate was a real ice cream flavor or not. the usual chaos filled the cafeteria—laughter, the clatter of trays, and distant complaints about break ending too soon.

just as you were about to take a bite of your food, minju nudged your arm. “so,” she started, “did you end up getting your album?”

you put your chopsticks down. “yeah, why?”

belle perked up. “wait, didn’t you say jungwon was there too?”

at the mention of the guy’s name, minju sighed dramatically. “ugh, don’t remind me. of course he was. he is everywhere. seeing him at school and family gatherings is enough for me, but no, of course not.” she complained further, making belle laugh.

taesan, who was half-listening, raised an eyebrow. “jungwon, as in your cousin yang jungwon?”

minju sighed again. “yes.”

gyuvin smirked, leaning toward your side with curiosity. “this kinda sounds like a wattpad story. you and jungwon at the record shop? what happened?”

you shrugged, not wanting to give details. “nothing much, we just ran into each other,” you say, leaving out the arcade and the bet. technically, you didn’t lie—you did run into each other.

minju scoffed. “yeah, and he used his annoying charm, didn’t he?”

belle grinned. “that explains why y/n looked a little flustered.”

you decided to ignore her comment, but the way minju stared at you made you shift uncomfortably.

before she could interrogate you further, a new presence approached the table.

jungwon.

your breath hitched as he casually walked past, chatting with some of his friends, some of whom you recognized. jungwon didn’t stop, but as he passed, his gaze found a way to you—just for a second. a glance and a knowing smirk.

your stomach did a weird flip.

taesan must have noticed because he nudged you with his elbow. “uh-oh. what was that?”

you quickly shake your head. “nothing.”

minju, however, caught on immediately. “y/n.”

you ignore her, suddenly finding your lunch very interesting.

but your phone buzzed in your pocket, and you had a guess who that was.

jungwon: hope you’re not backing out of our deal, pretty girl :)

you locked your phone, hoping no one saw that message.

yeah… this was going to be a problem.

if before you never noticed jungwon at school, now it’s a different story.

minju was right—he is everywhere. you go to the vending machine? he is there. go to your locker to grab a textbook? jungwon is across from you, near his own locker. even in the cafeteria, he always seems to find a way to sneak a glance at you. what’s worse? he makes it obvious. always smirking at you, showing off his dimples. at times, texting you compliments, reminding you of your promise to get coffee with him.

now, as you come out of the teachers’ lounge after discussing your projects with the physics teacher, you really hope not to bump into jungwon.

but luck is not on your side.

as you step out of the teachers’ lounge, you barely take a few steps before a familiar figure casually leans against the wall beside you.

“took you long enough.”

you blink at jungwon, who’s watching you with his signature smirk. “were you waiting for me?”

he shrugs. “let’s say i had a feeling you’d pass by here.”

you cross your arms, raising a brow. “and why exactly would you wait for me?”

“well, i think someone still owes me coffee.” he tilts his head, pretending to be in deep thought.

you can’t help the small smile tugging at your lips. “i didn’t forget.”

“good, because i was starting to think you were trying to escape from our little deal.”

you scoff. “please, if i wanted to, you wouldn’t even see me.”

jungwon chuckled, clearly amused. “is that right? guess i’ll have to keep an eye on you.”

he steps back, shuffling his hands into his pockets as he starts to walk down the hall. “meet me at the front gate after school, yeah?”

“yeah, yeah. don’t be late.”

he grins. “i should be the one saying that, pretty.”

and with that, he disappears into the crowd, leaving you standing there, trying to ignore the warmth creeping up your neck.

but someone noticed the blush on your ears, and they weren’t overjoyed with it.

minju and you had been friends since middle school. she truly cared about you, thought of you as her best friend. but as she watched your interaction with her cousin, she couldn’t help but feel the disappointment creeping in.

she wasn’t sure why it bothered her so much—maybe it was the way jungwon looked at you, like he already had you all figured out. or maybe it was the way you looked back at him, the kind of gaze she had never seen you give anyone.

minju had always been protective of you—it was a responsibility she felt. she had been by your side for years. through every bad grade, every family argument, every late-night conversation about life. you were her person, and she assumed she was yours too.

but now, watching her cousin tease you with his shameless smirk, watching you try to stop the smile from appearing on your face, she felt like someone had stabbed her with the sharpest knife.

it wasn’t jealousy, as she thought. she didn’t really care about jungwon chatting with her friends, but the thought of him stepping into the space she always thought was only hers, the thought of you abandoning her for her cousin—made her stomach twist in pain.

she knew how jungwon could effortlessly pull people in with his natural confidence, and she knew you too, how easily you could be swayed with kindness.

was she overreacting? maybe, but as she caught the faintest blush on the tips of your ears, she couldn’t shake the feeling that made her feel horrible.

and she wasn’t sure she was ready for it.

the afternoon sun hung low as you stepped out of the school grounds, only to be met with a familiar smirk. jungwon was already waiting, leaning against the fence, looking too pleased with himself.

“thought you’d run off and break our promise,” he teased.

you rolled your eyes, but the corner of your lips twitched. “you wish. i take my debts very seriously.”

“so buying me a coffee is a debt now?” he raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended.

“you practically scammed me into doing this.”

jungwon let out a laugh, his dimples showing. “and yet here you are, willingly taking me to the café. interesting, isn’t it?”

you didn’t have a comeback for that, so you stayed silent, making him chuckle as he opened the café door for you.

you both walked to the counter to make your orders.

“i’ll have a peach iced tea, please,” you ordered your usual.

jungwon hummed, looking at you with an amused expression. “peach iced tea, huh? didn’t think you’d be the sweet type.”

you almost looked offended. “what’s that supposed to mean?”

he grinned, turning to the barista. “i’ll have an iced americano. card, please.”

you blinked. “wait, what?”

jungwon shrugged, handing over his card before you could protest. “consider it a treat. since, you know, you’re already so sweet.” his tone was playful, but the smile told you he knew exactly what he was doing.

you groaned, hiding the warmth creeping up your face. “you’re impossible.”

he simply laughed, nudging your arm lightly as you both stepped aside to wait for your drinks.

you didn’t think jungwon would be an interesting person to talk to.

yeah, he made you feel something, but you just brushed it off as pointless flirting.

but as the conversation between the two of you kept going, you realized there was more to him than just smooth lines and smug grins. he was funny—witty in a way that kept you on your toes. he listened, asked questions, and actually seemed interested in your rants about movies, books, music—whatever else slipped past your lips.

at some point, you caught yourself not hiding the smiles anymore, leaning in a little closer. it was easy—too easy—to get comfortable around him.

still, you reminded yourself: it was just playful banter. nothing more, nothing less.

at least, that’s what you kept telling yourself.

as the evening settled in, you and jungwon stepped out of the café. the cool air was a stark contrast to the warmth of your conversation. the streets were quieter, bathed in the golden light of street lamps.

“you didn’t have to walk me back, you know,” you said, glancing at him.

“i wanted to.”

you didn’t protest, secretly enjoying the way his presence made the walk feel shorter, lighter—better. the conversation continued, usual teasing remarks mixed with moments of quiet comfort. by the time you reached your doorstep, an unfamiliar hesitation lingered between you two.

“well,” you started, gripping the strap of your bag. “thanks. i had fun today.”

jungwon grinned, but this time, there was no smugness behind it. his smile felt softer. “me too. see you tomorrow?”

you nodded, stepping inside, giving him a little wave he reciprocated. when the door clicked shut, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

as jungwon walked away from your house, the usual confidence in his steps faltered. the night air felt heavier, and for the first time in a while, he found himself deep in thought.

at first, it was fun—teasing you, watching you get flustered, sneaking in compliments just to see your reaction. it was easy, something he never took seriously.

but now?

now there was this unknown feeling in his chest, one he didn’t understand. the way you laughed, the way your eyes lit up as you ranted about your favorite songs, the way you looked at him when you thought he didn’t notice—it all replayed in his mind, like an arctic monkeys album on repeat.

he liked you.

the realization hit him. it was both exciting and terrifying because it wasn’t harmless flirting anymore. it wasn’t a game anymore.

and suddenly, fear crept in—the fear of messing up, of ruining the dynamic you already had, of what minju would think, of what you would think if you found out how he was starting to care.

with a sigh, he pulled out his phone, hesitating before typing a message. but in the end, he deleted it, shoving his phone back into his pocket as he continued walking.

for now, he’d play it safe.

but he knew these feelings weren’t going to disappear anytime soon.

minju has been acting weird. not in a way that it’s obvious to everyone—she still laughed at gyuvin’s dumb jokes and rolled her eyes when taesan ranted about some rock band he had a hyper fixation on. but with you, something shifted.

she didn’t text as often, and when she did, her replies seemed distant and dry. at lunch, she still sat beside you, but the stiffness in her posture gave out how she was forcing herself to act normal.

you had a guess it was about jungwon, but there was no direct proof. she hadn’t said anything, nor confronted you. she hadn’t even mentioned his name. when you caught her looking at you, you could see an unreadable emotion—something about it pained you so much, no words would be able to explain it.

the worst part about it all—she pretended everything was normal, when it was clear as hell it was not.

did she think you wouldn’t notice?

you had enough.

after a week of minju’s distant behavior—short replies, the forced smiles, all the excuses—you could not take it anymore.

so when the last class of the day ended, before she could storm off as she did the past week, you gathered up all the courage you had and reached for her wrist.

“minju, wait.”

she froze for a second, carefully turning to you, her expression blank. “what?”

you exhaled, steadying yourself. “can we talk?”

you could recognize slight hesitation in her eyes. but then she sighed, pulling her wrist from your hold. “okay.”

you didn’t miss the way her shoulders tensed, she already knew what you were about to say.

as the teacher stepped out of the classroom, leaving you two completely alone, you opened your mouth to say something—but nothing comes out. the guarded look on minju’s face made you hesitate.

still, you pressed further. “minju… have i done something wrong?”

her brows furrowed, like she did not expect that. “what do you mean?”

“you have been avoiding me—barely talking, no daily update texts, you don’t even look at me!” you said it all in one breath. “please, tell me if i have done something wrong.”

she scoffed, shaking her head. “you didn’t do anything.”

“that doesn’t sound really convincing.”

she exhaled heavily, gripping the strap of her backpack. “i just—” she stopped herself, biting her bottom lip, before muttering, “nevermind, it’s nothing.”

you frowned. “it is if it’s making you act like this.”

she looked conflicted, her fingers twitched, like she wanted to grab something, maybe steady herself. then, she let out a humorless chuckle.

“you really don’t get it, do you?”

you raised your eyebrow, signaling her to elaborate.

minju sighed. it wasn’t her usual frustrated huff, it was heavier, emotionally deeper.

“it’s jungwon.”

you blinked. “jungwon?”

she nodded, letting out a breath she was holding. “you and him. i see the way you two are.”

you looked at her confused, not exactly understanding what she meant.

she looked at you, her eyes did not hold any frustration behind them, they were hurt.

“i hate it.” her hands clenched at her sides. “i hate seeing you with him. i hate that your smile is brighter with him rather than me.”

your breath hitched at her sudden confession. “minju…”

“i know i shouldn’t feel this way, i know it’s selfish,” she continued, her voice wavering. “but i can’t help it. you were my best friend. and now—” she swallowed hard.

“now, i feel like i’m losing you.”

you could feel your heart ache. minju had always been at your side, and you’re making her feel like this.

you took a step closer, taking her hand. “ju…”

she shook her head, wiping a few stray tears with her free hand. “i just don’t want you to leave me behind.”

you hesitated, guilt twisting inside you. fidgeting with your fingers, you remembered all the times minju had been distant lately, the way she avoided you, the way warmth in her was replaced by something unfamiliar, colder. it wasn’t about jungwon. it was about you. about her. about the space growing between you.

you couldn’t stand the thought of hurting her more than you already did.

your arms flung around her, hugging her tightly. you whispered, “i won’t see him anymore.”

minju’s eyes widened. “what?”

“if it brings you that much pain… i’ll stop.”

for a moment, she stared at you, as if she didn’t believe you. then her lips parted slightly, letting out a shaky breath.

“…thank you,” she whispered, hugging you back.

you gave her a small smile, as you continued to hold her. but deep down, you felt something twist painfully.

you ignored the feeling, because if staying away from jungwon would fix things, then that’s what you will do.

you will keep your distance. you will ignore the way your heart pulled you in the opposite direction.

making things right with minju was what mattered the most.

but as you held her, a storm of emotions burst inside you, and you couldn’t ignore the feeling that this decision would leave a crack in your heart that might never heal.

that night, as you lied in bed, the weight of your promise crashed on you like a big pile of stones. every time you closed your eyes, you saw jungwon’s smile — the way his dimples would appear when he teased you, the way his eyes softened when you reacted to it. you tried to push these thoughts away, telling yourself it was for minju, but to no avail. the harder you tried to fight it, the more his face lingered in your brain. was this really the right thing to do?

you decided to scroll through your chat with him — for the last time, before everything comes to an end. going back to older texts, you stared at your phone, that one message glowing on the screen: “hope you’re not backing out of our deal, pretty girl”. a smile tugged at your lips, before quickly wiping it away, remembering minju’s tear-strained face. she was—is your best friend—your person. you had to fulfill what you promised. but then why did it hurt so much, even from a mere thought of letting jungwon go?

you decided to go wash up, maybe a cold shower will freshen you up.

that’s what you thought.

the cold water hit your skin, sharp and biting, but it did little to wash away the mess in your mind. you stood there, letting the water hit you, hoping that it would drown out the thoughts about jungwon. but instead, it only made them louder. overwhelming thoughts clouded your mind. what if this was all a mistake? your—whatever it is—with jungwon. maybe he really didn’t care about you, maybe he was just bored and decided to play with you. but then you remembered the way he looked at you — like you were the only one in the whole world. undoubtedly, jungwon made you feel like it. you remember the way his hand held yours back in the arcade — warm and steady, like the tickling of a clock. even now, you swore you could still feel it, under the icy stream, the ghost of his touch hugged your fingers.

was it possible to miss someone that much?

after what you thought would be a refreshing shower, your mind never cleared up. changing into pjs and trying to sleep—uncountable attempts at emptying your head and tossing and turning in your bed.

concluding that trying to fall asleep was pointless, you went to your small balcony, the cramped comfortable place with a small couch. you always liked it, the way the city noise faded into distant hums, the way the sofa would cradle you when everything was too heavy.

you hugged you knees to your chest, looking up at the star-filled night sky, the cool air brushing against your skin. the familiar comfort of the balcony couldn’t help with the ache in your heart. why did it have to be like this? why did you have to choose between the person who was always there for you and the person who made your heart race in a way that you’d never felt before?

life is so unfair.

you knew that the next day would be challenging. you woke up earlier than usual, just so you wouldn’t bump into jungwon at your locker, just so you didn’t have to regret the decision.

one thing you were grateful for—jungwon wasn’t in your class. belle and gyuvin were—they helped you to empty your mind, they made things so much easier for you. at that moment you silently thanked them for being there.

during lunch, you sat at your usual table, forcing a smile as belle and gyuvin had a heated debate over something silly again. minju was next to you, her laugh ringing out as she teased gyuvin for his unluckiness. she was looking better, happier.

she gave you hope that everything might be okay. when she noticed you looking down, which she always did, she took a hold of your hand, squeezing it lightly. you looked at her, smiling and squeezing her hand back, signaling that everything was okay.

it was a lie.

you noticed jungwon coming closer to your location with your peripheral vision and you couldn’t stop yourself from looking, but you had to. you could since the way his gaze lingered on you for a second too long. you couldn’t reciprocate it, you shouldn’t. so you didn’t, you simply ignored him, rather engaging in a chat with your friends about who knows what.

this choices pained you, but you didn’t pay attention to it. thinking everything will be alright as long as you don’t acknowledge it. just to make sure, you squeezed the hand in your again, hoping the gesture would help to relax, but all it did was remind you of the promise that could be broken with a single glance.

it will be fine.

that’s the phrase you kept telling yourself, over and over, like a mantra. but as you sat there, surrounded by your friends, their laughter and chatting filling the air, you couldn’t shake off the feeling that you were lying to yourself and everyone else. you didn’t wanna believe it, refusing to accept your own thoughts. everything will become easier.

right?

the rest of the day passed in a blur. everything was as usual—you answered some questions in class, nodding along your conversations, even laughing at the right moments. you tried to delude yourself into thinking that everything was fine, and you almost succeeded. in the back of your mind, thoughts about jungwon still lingered.

when the last bell rang, you let out the sigh of relief you didn’t know you were holding. you hurried back to your locker, you had to go home as quicker as possible, you didn’t want to encounter with anyone. but to your luck, fate had other plans for you.

“hey”

the familiar tone of his voice made you freeze. slowly closing the door to your locker, you stepped back, to make the distance a little bit longer between you two, as it didn’t feel as an enormous canyon already.

as your gaze met his, for the first time today, you were stunned. there he was in all his glory — jungwon. he was casually leaning against the lockers, hands holding his backpack.

“you’ve been avoiding me” the way he said this was light, but it carried something heavy, his eyes tell everything.

you open your mouth to deny, but you can’t. because its true. you have been avoiding him. you did everything just to not interact with him. suddenly, you can’t look him at the eyes, unable to focus on anything, your eyes run across the hall, just to find something. anything.

“is everything alright?” his soft, somewhat scared tone made your eyes flicker to him again. this time, he wasn’t looking at you, instead, he stared at the floor beneath him.

if the smirk that had a place on his face at the start of the conversation, now it disappeared. his face carried so many emotions, but one stood out the most.

fear.

this is the first time you see him like this, the confident, cocky jungwon, was now too scared to look at your eyes, asking such a simple, but at the same time difficult question. you didn’t know what to do.

one part of your mind whispered—to apologize for ignoring him, to hug and to comfort him. you want to say that you didn’t want to make him feel like this. but on the other hand, someone screams at you to go away, to stop seeing him, to tell him to block your number. and the one thing that pulls you to do so, is the promise between you and minju.

you never have broken your promises, never. even in the third grade when you got one C, you promised your parents to get 100 in all the classes next semester. that you did, even when you were sure that they wouldn’t mind if you got less. even in the 7th grade, when you promised to bake cookies for all your friends, with zero knowledge of baking. you still did it, even if the taste wasn’t that amazing. you still did it.

you can’t break the promise you made yesterday, the promise to your beloved best friend.

what you were about to do will hurt you, and you will definitely regret it, but it just had to be done.

“lets stop this” you say sternly, trying to hide away all the pain that your own decision brought you, hoping that it will ease the impact on jungwon, fully knowing that it wont.

“what?” his head shot up, a surprised look evident on his face. for a moment, he just stared at you, as if waiting for you to laugh and say it was a joke. but that moment didn’t come, his expression shifted, confusion and hurt played on his face, along with something you couldn’t quite pinpoint.his eyebrows furrowed, “are you serious?”, his voice cracking slightly.

you just nod your head, despite the storm and explosions inside your brain. fixing the bag strap on your shoulder, you just walk away, like it didn’t bother you, like you didn’t care about the record shop, arcade, cafe, like every his message didn’t bring you joy, like you didn’t care about him.

each step was heavier than the last one, you could feel the way he stared at you from behind, even when you wanted to, you wouldn’t dare to meet his eyes. if you did, you were sure you’d break.

tears welled up in your eyes. you want to apologize, want to say that it was just a stupid prank. but you couldn’t. not even for him.

as you walked away from the school grounds, you let tears spill, not able hold them back anymore. you wiped them away, but they kept coming, they were serving a reminder of what you just did, what you just lost.

as you walked home, the weight of your decision settled with unexplainable pain in your chest, a constant sickness that didn’t fade.

when jungwon arrived home after that night, he started thinking immediately.

should he confess or should he wait? if the first, then how? where? with flowers? with a plushie? with a vinyl?

as he thought about these, the moments of your talk flickered in his memory. not wanting to forget a single detail, jungwon grabs his notepad and writes down everything he remembers.

even after scribbling down his thoughts, his heart didn’t calm down—it still raced, he couldn’t understand, it was the first time he felt this way, he didn’t think that someone would be able to make his stomach flip with every emotion known to the world. he leaned back in his chair, spinning mindlessly around his room as different outcomes played in his mind. he was fed up with all this overthinking.

he should rest.

that’s the conclusion he came to. jungwon rushed to the shower, turned up the coldest temperature and screamed in terror.

that’s not what you do, idiot

after adjusting the temperature, he basked in the comfortable rain, calming down his mind and heart. that night he slept almost worry-free.

the week went smoothly, usual eye contact with you at lunches became something more, little waves joining the routine. jungwon tried to talk with you during breaks more too, finding you at your locker or vending machine in the backyard of the school campus.

sometimes you would share short jokes with each other, laughing quietly. the other, you would get to know each other more, playing 21 questions, this way jungwon was able to show you the picture of maeumi and find out that you adore dogs, especially the small ones. that small fact brought a smile on his face, he started to imagine the walks that you two would go on, he’d bring maeumi along, and you would have a nice picnic date, maybe.

he was quickly snapped back into reality with your next question, pretending that he didn’t just imagine how you would intertwine hands.

one time, you were quiet with each other. it could’ve been awkward, but it wasn’t, it was comforting actually. the wind gently blowing on you, carrying faint noise from other classes along. you two would just laugh at that while making eye contact.

everything seemed to go smoothly, jungwon was already brainstorming ideas for his confession—already sure with his choice. there was just one question left to ask: what is your favorite arctic monkeys song.

and he was sure that today he would ask it.

the morning went as usual, he got up, brushed his teeth, got dressed and went to school. his first period was math, but even that couldn’t ruin his mindset, which wasn’t unnoticed by his friend, sunoo.

“what’s up with you today? you’re never this hyped for mr. lee’s class”, he asked, looking at jungwon like he grew 2 heads.

“it’s nothing, just have big plans” and that he did, jungwon planned to take you to the vinyl shop where you met during the break. listen to some albums and ask you the question he badly needed an answer to.

“something related to y/n?” sunoo asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

instead of a response, jungwon just smiled, the red cheeks answered for him. and when he heard the giggle his classmate made, the blush only deepened.

up until lunch, jungwon couldn’t contain the happiness he had, smiling through all his classes, even through chemistry. his classmates looked at him like a maniac, i mean, who smiles during organic chemistry explanation?

he didn’t care about all that tho, all he wanted is to see you at lunch, look at your eyes and smile.

when he met up with jay near the cafeteria, he knew that they would pass your usual table, he mentally prepared himself for that moment.

he walked in your direction, that way, you would face each other perfectly, and when he almost waved, you refused to meet his gaze, preferring to engage in a conversation with your friends.

the smile on jungwons face immediately faltered. he felt an instant drop in his chest, confusion overtook his expression, if the cafeteria wasn’t so crowded, he would definitely stand like a deer.

jays arm was placed on his back so he would continue walking, and jungwon couldn’t help but submit. a wave of emotions struck him. what was that just now?

he could only keep walking, but the only thing replaying on his mind was how you turned away from him. over and over.

did i imagine that? maybe y/n just didn’t see me, yea that has to be it.

he tried to reason with his own brain, but the more he thinks about the interaction, the more doubt he has. you looked at everyone else, hell, jungwon swore, you looked at his direction for a millisecond. you saw him, you just—chose not to.

the weird feeling appeared in his stomach, not the one from before, no. it didn’t make him giggly and happy, instead, it made him sorrowful, doubtful.

jays words don’t even make sense now, jungwon can’t hear them, all he can think about is: what did i do wrong?

when he met up with his other friends, his mind was somewhere else, he didn’t answer their questions, he couldn’t even hear them, he was deeply immersed in his own thoughts. every single possibility crossing his mind. he had to ask you what was that.

after lunch, he could not focus. if in the morning it was because of the happiness that distracted him, now it was the misery casting upon him. he had to get out of this class immediately. jungwon counted seconds until the bell. and when finally it rang—he ran to the backyard with all his strength. he doesn’t mind his friends who look at him confused, he has to go to your spot. and when he arrives—

nothing.

jungwon is met with emptiness of the backyard, if you wanted to come here, then you would, your classroom was literally a minute away, unlike his. but you didn’t.

you’re not near the vending machine, not sitting on the bench, and you’re not even crouched down in the corner where you two would usually sit.

then it hits him. it’s not a coincidence.

you’re avoiding him.

jungwon just stands there, not knowing what to do. he takes in the silence—the emptiness. the place that was associated with warmth was colder than any winter.

now he must talk to you. he checks his watch, it was 2 minutes before the bell on the last lesson. he had no choice but to come back. when his friends tried to question him, jungwon just shrugged, signaling that he didn’t want to answer anything.

he just has to wait for another hour. damn it.

when that painfully long 60 minutes passed, jungwon stuffed all his things into his backpack, not caring if it was messy, which was unlike him, he always made sure that his notebooks are all organized. the mess in his head made his actions look chaotic.

when he arrived at the lockers, he saw you. rushing to put all your textbooks in a tiny blue locker. why were you in such a hurry? is it because you didn’t want to see him?

jungwon shakes his head, there was no time to overthink, he just had to ask, you were right here, in front of him.

as he tried to calm his mind down, you were almost done. he leaned against the lockers, almost whispering:

“hey”

jungwon could see you stop in your movements, this little detail made his heart sink, his hands gripping the backpack strap so tightly, his knuckles turned white.

as you carefully close your locker and take a step back, which breaks his heart, you finally look at him, at that moment, jungwon felt mute, he couldn’t get any words out of his mouth, and he had plenty. he wanted to curse at you, question you, adore you, but all that he is able to muster out is — “you’ve been avoiding me”

you look stunned, like you didn’t expect that question, but quickly that expression transformed into one of regret? that only made jungwon more curious at what you had to say. he felt despair, he was dying to know what prompted such behavior from you.

after noticing how your orbs scanned through the school hall, he couldn’t continue looking at you, instead, shifting his gaze to the floor, wishing that it would swallow him as a whole. “is everything alright?”, he manages to whisper.

few seconds later, which felt like an eternity, you look at him, with a stare so harsh, that it felt like a hit by a metal bat.

“let’s stop this” you say, and jungwon can’t believe his ears. his breath got caught in his throat. you didn’t have to specify what you meant by ‘this’. it was obvious, you both acknowledged the growing tension between the two of you.

he felt like a deer in headlights. “are you serious?” he asks, because he feels like you’re joking. he is waiting for you to laugh at him, to point his expression, just say something, anything.

but you don’t, you just nod, rubbing salt into the wound. and when it couldn’t get worse, it did. you turned away and walked away. just walked away. the ache in his chest spread all over.

jungwon felt devastated. after everything — you just turn away from him? he wants to cry, to break down, but doesn’t find any strength in himself to do so.

he just watches your figure slowly disappear when you walk towards the direction of your home.

you cried the whole evening.

when you just got home, you broke down, disturbing everyone present. your mom looked so heartbroken at the sight of her daughter in such misery. and she couldn’t do anything but give you a comforting hug and offer your favorite tea, which was enough.

your dad decided to give you space, which you were grateful for. you didn’t know what to do and what to think. you just…had no idea.

even your older brother gave you some space by not teasing you for your tears, feeling that it was something serious.

when you went up to your room, you dropped your bag, which resulted in a loud noise, but you paid no mind to it, you just wanted to cry.

not bothering to change out of your school uniform, you collapsed onto your bed. the dampness of your pillowcase only reminded you the reason why you were crying.

jungwon.

the way he looked so hopeful, but so doubtful at the same time. visions of him only strengthened the flow of your emotions.

you want to apologize, to call him, to confess in everything you felt, how he made your heart race, or how you couldn’t think straight way back when you two met at the photobooth.

and then you remember minju. how happy she looked, like she was released from the heaviest load. or how she looked when she admitted her feelings, how much stress she buried within herself.

all these overwhelming feelings made you tremble. your fingers curled into the fabric of your jacket, gripping it so it could somehow steady you, like it could calm down the storm in your mind. you tried to take a deep breath, but it only made everything worse—you could smell the scent of cinnamon of your shampoo, the one that jungwon teased you for all the time.

you exhaled. shaky and unsteady.

why did it feel like this?

every time you though of him—his eyes searching yours in the sea of others, his smile with unforgettable dimples, that made you giggle too—it felt like a weight pressuring down on you. you squeezed your eyes shut in attempt to forget those memories, but they clung to you, like lyrics of the song you loved.

you had done the right thing.

then why was the pain so sharp?

monday was a dread. the start of the work week, the sudden change in the sleeping schedule and an overwhelming amount of tasks and responsibilities weighing over you.

but this week, it’s even worse. because this week, you had to face him again.

you still weren’t over the emotions that consumed you over the weekends, still feeling regret, melancholy and sorrow. and that showed in your academics. you had no energy to even talk, there’s no need to mention solving an equation at the board.

thanks to your good reputation, teachers decided to let you rest, that you needed. honestly, you wouldn’t have come to school, if not for the physics quiz, but there is one.

your friends—belle and gyuvin—seemed really worried, asking you numerous questions about your well being. you didn’t wanna explain, so you just said that you didn’t sleep well. an excuse that works all the time.

you felt bad for lying, but you felt that the moment his name will leave your lips, you would break down in tears, not wanting to embarrass yourself further, you saved yourself the trouble.

your look hasn’t changed at all when it was lunchtime. barely making your way to the cafeteria, dragging your legs across the floor. when you did arrive there, you felt overwhelmed, your mind clouded with scrabbled thoughts, and suddenly, it was getting harder to breathe.

trying to compose yourself, you get to your usual lunch table where everyone else were waiting. plumping yourself on the seat and greeting others, you pick on your food, having no appetite, even though you haven’t had breakfast in the morning.

all the words don’t make sense, whatever minju is telling you, it goes into one ear and leaves through the other, you can’t focus on anything.

the struggle to breathe came back. dropping your utensils, you grab your head, not being able to deal with all these noises. you could feel tears forming in your eyes, daring to roll down. the heartbeat went far away from normal.

this is not you, focus y/n

you try to tell yourself, but to no avail. you could feel like the control of your body slipped away from your grasp.

suddenly, there was a sharp sensation, someone is trying to wake you up, shaking you. its minju.

“y/n? y/n! Y/N?”

it is definitely her. her voice stands out from the crowd. you could finally see what’s happening around you, blurry, but good enough.

“follow me. inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale” minju repeated worryingly, imitating what she meant.

you did as she asked, inhale and exhale, and repeat.

feeling the warmth of the real world, you gasp, your hands quickly taking ahold of whatever first came into contact, which happened to be your best friend’s arms.

“y/n! are you alright? what happened?” all the eyes were on you, staring into your soul.

“i…don’t know, i juts lost myself for a second, i guess…”

“come with me, ill walk you to the nurses office” minju says and immediately brings you up, giving you no room to refuse.

having no choice, you follow her, hoping to get a little bit of silent time.

jungwon watched this unfold from few meters away.

the moment he saw you, tirelessly dragging yourself to your friends, he couldn’t tear away his gaze from you, not even the pain you brought stopped him. he just knew that something was wrong.

when the faint sound of chopsticks falling onto the table could be heart, he became tense, stopped eating himself.

the tears that formed at your eyes made his eyes widen, and his posture weird, like he wanted to stand up and come to you.

jungwon’s fingers twitched against the table, he couldn’t, he shouldn’t, but he wanted to.

while he was in the internal conflict, his body moved up on its own, but not making more moves, like testing his limits, if he can hold himself back.

but his mind was too slow. his own cousin was already helping you, trying to snap you back into reality. he could feel his chest tighten at the sight.

was it jealousy? was it sorrow? maybe both? jungwon didn’t know, only you were on his mind.

how he hates to see you in pain and how you pained him. the contrast was overwhelming, but before he could even decide what to do, you were walking away, in the arms of minju.

what was he supposed to do? was he supposed to do anything? questions filled his mind.

he didn’t even notice how he sat back, his mind being too clouded.

jungwon hopes he will have a chance to know if you’re well.

the moment you lied down on the bed in the nurses office —you fell into a deep slumber, having no worry in the world, it might have seemed like that, but it was actually the opposite. the overwhelming amount of things that clouded your mind made you pass out.

to be frank, the sleep was nice. but the sound of someone calling your name disturbed it.

and just like that, you were woken up and met with the face of your own mom.

she sweetly said: “sweetie, i’m here to pick you up. your homeroom teacher told me what happened. are you okay?”

“im fine now. what time is it?” you answer her, scratching your head, ignoring the mess that formed there.

she looked at her watch and looked back at you. “2:30, you won’t miss much, don’t worry”

“alright, should we go now?” you stand up on your feet, holding her hand.

your mother just nodded at you, saying goodbye to the nurse.

when she finished filling out the form, she took ahold of your shoulders, as to steady you.

“im alright mom, i wont fall”

“better be safe than sorry” she said softly, but worry was evident in her voice.

“if that makes you feel better”

as you both sat down in the car, the feeling of drowsiness appeared again. the drive to your house was not short, so you decided to sleep for a bit. your mind was clear as day, like it was washed, which is so unusual for you, especially in the past few days.

when you arrive at the house, you decided to check your phone, several messages appeared, some from social media, some from other stuff, and a lot from the specific group chat.

it was your friend group chat — and multiple messages made it clear that you made them worry a lot.

minju: y/n pls text when you’re feeling better :(

belle: yes! and don’t forget to drink lots of water and rest a bunch TT

taesan: belle is right, you should rest. don’t come to school tmrw

gyuvin: you made us worried bro 😭 don’t scare us like that the next time

smiling at their care, you quickly type a response.

you: sorry everyone! thank you for all the support, and i don’t think ill come tmrw either TT

you: im alright now tho, just gonna rest a lot lol

a few bubbles appear immediately, wishing you a good rest, and saying that you should take better care of yourself.

you reacted to their messages, silently promising that you will do as they said.

putting your phone on the charger, you change into more comfortable clothes and go back to your bed, ready to make up for missing sleep the past week.

tuesday, you, as promised, didn't show up. minju was glad that you let yourself rest, even if it’s just for a day. she was worried about you after all, it wasn't like you to have a panic attack in the middle of lunch.

it was boring though. usually, you’re the one who agrees with minju, the one who would listen to her. it’s not like the others won’t, but it just wasn’t the same.

“whatever,” minju thought. “at least i leave early today”

today was some kind of a family event at her house, her mom loved inviting guests over. jungwon will be there too. minju didn't feel anger as she usually does, talking with you helped a lot more than she thought.

after the fourth period, right before lunch, minju was already packing her bag. as she walked to the gates, she noticed a familiar figure waiting there.

“jungwon?” minju asked, when she was close enough.

the said boy turned around to face her, he didn't seem surprised though, like he was waiting for her.

“oh, hey. my mom will be here soon”

“huh? auntie is picking me up?” minju was surprised to hear that, as she wasn’t notified of this.

jungwon looked at her weirdly, raising one of his brows. “yea? pretty sure, your mom texted you about this.”

minju immediately checked her phone—taking it from her pocket—and jungwon was right. there was a message from her mother that minju will be picked up from school.

“oh.”

awkwardness filled the air; it was weird, the two of them got along just well, playfully bantering, but supporting each other when needed.

“are you alright? you seem pretty out of it” minju broke the silence, genuinely worried for his well-being.

“huh? oh yeah, just fine” he replied, his words trailing off into something barely audible.. “um,” jungwon hesitated.

“is y/n good…?” the question was asked impulsively, jungwon was surprised himself.

minju looked at him weirdly. “yes, she is. why do you care?” the previous awkwardness shifted into something more sharp and stern. friendliness slowly disappearing.

“i guess, i was worried. looked like she was having a hard time yesterday.” he didn't mind minju’s tone, like it was normal for her, which it kinda was.

their one-sided tension was interrupted by the sound of a car honk. it was jungwon’s mom.

“hey, you two! get in! we’re already late!”

the two teenagers looked in her direction and sprinted off to the vehicle. both of them got into the backseat, on the opposite sides. while minju was talking with her auntie, jungwon decided to wear his headphones and tune into his world of music.

when they arrived to park household, minju and miss yang went to the kitchen to help minju’s mom, while jungwon went upstairs to minju’s room.

“you can go to my room” he recalls her saying.

as he walks in, jungwon is met with a splash of sky blue. her bed is made, with different jellycats on top of it, near it, minju’s desk stands, different makeup tools and school stuff lay on it. but jungwon’s attention goes to the board above her desk. different polaroids and photobooth photos are there, but his gaze is fixed on only one.

three photos with you and minju. you look exactly the same as the day when he first met you. the same sweater, hairstyle and lipgloss.

jungwon’s eyes widened. he doesn't know why. he is aware that you’re best friends with his cousin, so why did his chest tighten?

he still likes you.

that’s right. he still does. even after you said that you gave to stop seeing each other, his feelings still lingered.

“hey jungwon, you should go downst-”

minju stopped in her tracks when she sees her cousin staring at her board with pictures. her eyes immediately landed on what he's staring at—those pictures.

“oh, yeah, lets g-” he didn’t have time to finish his sentence as the sudden door slam scared him.

“what’s up with you? first you ask about y/n, and now you’re staring at her photos? didn't i tell you to stop whatever you're planning?” annoyance was evident in minju’s voice. she hated the fact that jungwon looked like he cared about you, minju knew he didn’t, she hoped he didn’t.

jungwon's chest tightened, his hands formed fists as a habit whenever anyone raised their voice at him.

"what are you talking about?" his voice was quite, but sharp.

minju scoffed at his ignorance. “don't play dumb, jungwon. you know exactly what im talking about. its y/n”

his jaw clenched. the sound of her name felt like a hit in the ribs. “what? i can't ask if she’s okay now?” he tried to play it cool, he didn't want to show his vulnerability.

minju let out a dry laugh. “you don’t get to pretend like you care.”

jungwon couldn’t believe what was he hearing now, he can’t back down now, that’s for sure. “you think i was, am pretending this whole time?”

minju was stubborn, her knuckles turned white. “then explain, why did she stop talking to you, huh? if you truly cared for her, then she wouldn’t walk away, right?”

jungwon flinched. his heart rate picked up and his fingers curled tighter into his palms.

he has been asking himself the exact same thing.

he sharply exhaled, forcing his voice to stay steady. “how about you tell me?”

minju froze, her eyes widened, her hands relaxed.

her reaction wasn’t unnoticed by jungwon. that’s when the realization hit him.

“so it was you? you told her to do it” his gaze locked on hers—piercing, demanding to confess.

“yea, so? it was the best choice for her” minju snapped, but quickly quieted down, as she started to pick ner nails. nervousness took a hold of her.

jungwon let out another exhale. “you cannot be serious now” he took a step closer. “who are you to decide what’s best for her?”

minju was triggered, she was everything he wasn’t to you. “i am her best friend, who are you to decide that you’re the one who she needs?”

“are you calling yourself her best friend when you can’t even see and value her feelings?”

“I-” minju had no words. he was right, she made you stop talking with him out of her selfishness. she wanted to keep you for herself. she didn’t want jungwon to take you from her. she didn’t want that to happen again.

“yeah, exactly.” he looked at her for one last time before rushing to the front door. he needed some fresh air.

“jungwon? where are you going?” “to the shop, i'll be quick!”

minju could hear voices downstairs, she was completely frozen. she was slapped with realization that she had no right to decide what’s best for you. even if she just wanted you to be happy.

tears formed in her eyes, silently running down her cheeks. minju leaned against her door and plumped on the ground, sobbing inaudibly.

she can’t just do nothing now. she was proven wrong. she hurt two of her closest people. the guilt was eating her alive.

minju stood up and sprinted to the front door, shouting “i’ll be right back!” ignoring the yell from her mom, she had no time, she had to apologize to you.

it’s a 15 minute walk from her house to yours, but she made it in 7. she started ringing your doorbell, even when she was still catching her breath.

“minju? what’s up- what happened?” you opened the door just to be met with your best friend breathing profusely, her face slightly puffy. from the looks of it, she looks like she cried. “did you cry? are you alright?”

when minju calmed down and was able to breath properly, she looked at you straight into the eyes.

“y/n, i-i am sorry. i’m so sorry.” she started apologizing, for what? you had no idea.

your brows furrowed. “huh? minju, why are you apologizing?”

her hands clenched at her sides. she looked like she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out.

you had never seen her like this before—so frustrated with herself, so shaken.

she swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak. “i’m so sorry y/n, it was me”

you were still dumbfounded. “what?”

minju’s voice cracked, but she kept going. “i was the one who made you stop talking with jungwon” she exhaled sharply. “i thought it would be for the best, but it wasn’t. i acted on impulse and because i was selfish. i thought if you and jungwon got close, you wouldn’t need me anymore. i didn’t want you to talk to him because of that, but i never asked you how you felt, and i guess you really like him, maybe i knew it the whole time, but didn’t want to indulge into the thought that i was in the wrong, but it doesn’t matter” she rambled before making a quick pause.

minju’s eyes were glistening again, her voice barely above whisper. “i hurt you both with my actions, and i want to apologize.” she wiped her eyes harshly.

minju took a deep breath and stepped closer, bowing almost 90 degrees. “i know i don’t deserve it-” her voice was raw with emotions. “can you forgive me?”

you listened to all her ramblings, trying to catch everything. and when you did, your mind went blank.

you had tried to justify what you did—tried to convince yourself it was for the best. but now, hearing minju say it out loud, admitting her mistakes, the truth weighed heavier than you had imagined. a moment of silence has passed before you broke it off.

“minju, i forgive you” you replied to her apology. “i understand how you felt, and i guess it was wrong to just randomly start talking with your relative.”

minju stood straight and grabbed your shoulders. “no! it was entirely my fault! i have no right of controlling who you decide to talk to.”

you placed your hands on her own. “i never knew you felt that way. i’m sorry for not noticing.” you bitterly smiled, feeling guilty.

minju hugged you, shuffling her head into your neck. you instinctively hugger her back, her tears dampening your shirt.

“come on, i’ll make you some tea”

you had spent an hour or two calming minju down.

she kept apologizing even after you told her you forgive her.

you listened to her worried and reasons behind her actions, and you never knew that she felt like this.

“you should confess to him, you know?” minju suddenly said, making you almost spit out your tea.

“huh? who said i liked him?” you looked around, like searching for the guilty one.

“it is pretty obvious. you never get flustered around anyone. the only time i remember was back in 8th grade.” she put her head into her head. “was his name jongseob, or something? you liked him a lot” minju reminded you of an old crush, which made you more embarrassed.

“ugh, stop, it’s embarrassing.” you lightly hit her. “i don’t think jungwon even wants to see me now. not after i said all that stuff to him.” tearing your gaze away from her, you looked around.

“you’re kidding. he literally asked me only about you today. ‘is y/n okay?’ ‘is she doing alright’ blah blah blah” she exaggerated even more by showing talking signs with her hands.

you quietly laughed at her antics. “i don’t know. i think he doesn’t want to see me”

“if there’s anyone he doesn’t want to see, it’s me, i promise you” she breathed out. “we got into a fight which resulted in me coming here.”

you looked at her with pity. “sorry, i guess, i am the reason behind it”

“stop. don’t blame yourself. it was all me.” minju looked at you sternly.

“sorry-“ you couldn’t hold yourself.

“stop apologizing! you should fix that habit of yours, it starts to get annoying”

you laughed lightly at her, almost apologizing again.

when minju came back home, everyone was gone. her place was filled with silence.

“oh, minju, where were you? you missed everything” her mothers voice filled the air.

“sorry, i had to do something urgent. has everyone left already?” she quickly made her way to the living room, where her dad was napping and her mom was watching the TV.

“yes, about half an hour ago. did you and jungwon had a fight? he looked pretty sad.”

“uh, yeah, it was my fault. i’ll apologize to him soon, don’t worry” minju felt guilty at the mention of her cousins name.

“i hope so, he looked miserable. you two always got along well too” her mom sighed, “go to sleep, you have school tomorrow”

“alright, good night” minju said as she went upstairs.

“good night!”

the next day, you didn’t have any trouble with breathing nor steadying yourself. you were just nervous. in the morning, minju pulled you aside, telling you that you need to confess to jungwon today.

after that, your focus was shifted to something else. how will he react after seeing you? to you confessing? will he reciprocate? will he reject you? all kinds of thoughts filled your mind up until lunch.

you wanted to look for him, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. when you felt his presence near, you quietly turned your head to look at him, just to find him already looking at you.

kathump.

the feeling in your chest was back. your heart rate sped up again.

a light hit made you snap back, it was minju, she wore a teasing smile that literally said “i told you so”

your mind went back to that interaction the rest of the day. you couldn’t stop thinking about it. but when it was the time to talk to him, you were ready to go straight home.

you were scared. when minju noticed your hesitance, she slightly pushed you.

“your prince charming is waiting, look” she pointed at the direction where jungwon stood.

when you turned to look at your best friend, she was already leaving, mouthing you a good luck.

oh you needed it.

as minju disappeared from your view, you looked back at jungwon.

there he was. hands in pockets, standing tall.

you decided to take one step. and you already felt dizzy.

it’s okay. you can do it.

you quietly said to yourself. you swallowed hard. every step towards him felt heavier, like your legs didn’t want to move.

but you that you had to, that you wanted to.

as you were almost there, he looked at you. jungwon just stood there and watched your approach him. even though his hands were barely visible, you swear his fingers twitched—like he was holding himself back from walking to you.

you stoped in front of him.

silence.

the weight of everything crashed down at once .

“I-“ you started, but didn’t know how to finish. you just stared at him.

and he stared at you back. he blinked at you—his expression unreadable, but his eyes, they were curious, like they were searching for the reason you came up to him.

you turned your gaze to the ground below you, unable to stand under the pressure of his eyes. fingers finding the straps of your jacket.

“jungwon, i-“ you took a shaky breath, forcing yourself to look at him again. “i’m sorry.”

his face flickered with surprise. “for what?”

“for-“ your throat tightened like your grip on your jacket. “for pushing you away. for saying things i didn’t mean. for not asking how you feel. for-“

you exhaled.

“i miss you”

the words made their way out before you could stop them. your feelings summarized in three words. you just missed him.

jungwon froze.

he fixed his posture, continued to look at you, waited for you to continue.

your hands let go of your jacket and balled into fists. “i like you, jungwon” you made a slight pause. “i truly do, i don’t know how and when it started, but-“ you let out a shaky laugh, shaking your head.

“i just know because when i’m not around you, everything feels wrong”

jungwon was still staring, like a deer in headlights, but then, in a second—

his hands weren’t in his pockets anymore, they were on your face.

your breath hitched. you could feel the warmth, both from his hands and your fluster.

his fingertips, warm and gentle, carefully traced over your cheeks-like you weren’t real, like you could disappear in a millisecond.

his voice was barely audible. “are you serious?”

you nodded. “i am”

a small, breathless laugh escapes him.

and then-

he kissed you.

the warmth of his lips connected with yours.

your eyes widened, but you quickly adjusted, closing them, your hands made their way to his shoulders.

when his lips started moving, you couldn’t help but reciprocate. it just felt right.

you kissed each other just right. it felt wonderful.

the lack of air made you pull away first, but jungwon quickly kissed you again.

and when he did pull away, he smiled.

you saw the smile that you adored, the cutest dimples made their way back on his face.

jungwon hugged you, pulling you close by your waist. “i like you too,” he whispered into your ear. “i always wanted to say that.”

you hugged him back and lightly laughed. “so, can i be your girlfriend?” you asked him.

“i’d love that” jungwon replied, stuffing his head deeper into your hair.

you and your boyfriend lied in your room, enjoying each other’s company.

arctic monkeys’ ‘AM’ album playing in the background. and it’s all you could ever ask for.

“still can’t believe minju was the one who promoted you confess” jungwon suddenly said as he played with your hair.

“if it wasn’t for her, i’d never look at your direction again, honestly. you should thank her” looking back at him, you enlightened him.

“nah, we’re even.” he joked. “i’m glad she apologized tho, unexpected from her.”

“stop making her sound like a villain!” you hit him, but you couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “she’s the one who made me go to that photobooth.”

jungwon held you tighter, kissing your cheek. “whatever, i have you now. the others don’t matter.”

at that you could only hum, closing your eyes.

as fluorescent adolescent—your favorite song—started playing, you drifted into slumber in your boyfriends arms.

[reverie-verse]

Azriel x Reader: The Bond of a Century

An old request that I decided to revamp

Request prompt: Can I request an Azriel x reader where the mating bond snaps for Azriel but not the reader? Kind of like how Feyra didn’t know Rhys was her mate till she was told.

My prompt: A bond forgotten for over a century and a half makes its way back to the forefront. All of it starts with Rhys asking for a favor.

This is a fluffy, steamy, angst-ish fic

I hope you enjoy!!!! My requests are open!!!

____________________________

This was the last thing you thought you would be doing for Rhys. Out of all the things, this-this is what he chose for you to do. Rhys had a sick twisted mind that put you in a situation you had no desire of being in or a part of. You mentally cursed at the high lord, hating him in the moment even though he was your dearest friend. Elain scoured the city for certain pots for her plants, and certain seeds for her garden. Azriel right by her side and you trailing behind them. All you wanted to do was to go back to your home near the docks. It was the first home you had when you first moved from Dawn to Velaris less than a century ago, but with some convincing Rhys and Feyre were able to get you to stay at the town house. It was only then did her sisters arrive, and at some point you were put to the task of keeping an eye on Elain with the occasional visit of Az. Honestly you wished you could train with Nesta, but Cassian was chosen for that task. You wouldn’t have minded living in the house of wind-“ I think I need to go to Day Court or maybe Spring, Oh perhaps we can go to Dawn instead. They must have better pots.” Elain speaks more to Azriel than she does you. You were eyeing the various shops, and the people delighted to be around you, each grinning and waving at you. Another beautiful thing about Velaris you’d come to love. People were kind here.

Azriel smiled softly at her “ Of course, if that’s what you want” his voice was tender and sweet. You fought the urge to roll your eyes, turning your attention elsewhere. You hated being there dealing with this shit, but Rhys insisted you tag along, “It’s good for the soul. Get some fresh air” with that insane cat-like smirk. Ooo you shoot daggers into your mind, a deep chuckle echoing in the background.

“ Yes that’s what I want, thank you Az” Elain returned the gesture.

“ Alright then I’ll let Rhys and Feyre know-“ You say as you pinched a flower petal between your thumb and index finger. You looked away from it then back at them. The two watched you with curiosity, you let go of the petal. It was no simple task, an easy reminder of what you needed to do and a simple approval came from Rhys. A gentle poke in your mind causes you to shake your head.“-Let's get this over with” You take steps towards them placing your hands on their arms you effortlessly winnow the three of you to Dawn. The landing was gentle and less sickening, the three of you placed in a Market, one that you were familiar with.. Elain squealed with excitement as she rushed over to an area where she had seen fresh flowers, a few shops down could be seen a pottery shop, the two of you already trailing her.

“ Look at this beautiful bouquet! Y/N? Should we get this for the town house?” She gestures to the bouquet filled with many vibrant colors, various shapes and sizes. You were stumped, she normally doesn’t ask you these questions most of the time they were directed at Az.

“They look lovely Elain, I’m sure they’ll fit anywhere you put them..” You replied not really sure how to respond. Honestly you’ve never really thought about what flowers you liked or didn’t . It wasn’t something that was ever given to you, nor something you found and immediately fell in love with. You didn’t have anything against anyone who knew what they liked, you just-never had the experience of looking forward to your own set of plants. Even when you first attempted gardening most of your plants and flowers died, you simply didn’t have the skill or the eye for it..but that was okay, though on rare occasions it was something you wished you had..

Elain smiles awkwardly “ Well, maybe we can get it, it might brighten up the home. Make it seem more natural..comfortable” She pulls out her coins, handing it to the shopkeeper. The three of you move further heading over to the pottery shop that she explained earlier how she wanted to visit. Your eyes searched the area, checking for predators, anyone who might cause harm to the high lady’s sister, before entering the shop. You had other plans that you needed to attend to while the two looked around, it was in the midst of Elains discussion, mostly to Azriel about the various styles of pottery, that you planned to sneak off. It was only then did a voice capture your attention from behind you.

“ Y/N, I must admit I never pegged as you someone who might be interested in pottery” Thesan, high lord of Dawn, speaks out, the entire shop haunting their work to bow at his presence. He waved his hand dismissing them easily back to work. Azriel positions himself so that he stands near you with Elain behind him, she peers her head out, trying to see who it was that spoke so elegantly. A small smile graces your features at that familiar voice you knew so well as you shifted to face Thesan, who was already grinning. Azriel didn’t miss it, taking note of it.

“What if I was?” You retorted,

“ Then that would be a surprise”

“I hate to burst your bubble High Lord but I’m here on business not for pleasure” You replied, the two of you sharing a small laugh together. Azriel forced his expression into neutrality, Elains eyes sparkled with curiosity and intrigue. Thesan looks behind you for a moment, taking in the Shadowsinger and the woman next to him.

“ Ouch, that one hurt Y/N, I see you brought friends, Shadowsinger” Thesan greets civilly no hate present.

“ Thesan,” Azriel gives a simple head nod in his direction, there was no need for malice, Thesan had always been a great friend of Rhys’s and now apparently yours. Though a feeling crept inside his chest, this odd feeling takes root, Azriel does his best to shove it away, especially with Elain right next to him..

“ And you must be Elain, one of the sisters of High Lady Night.”

“ Yes I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you” Elain smiles with a blush that creeps along her cheeks. She wasn’t sure how to respond being that a high lord, whom she never met knew she existed. The surrealness of the situation becomes a reality, the more she realizes how well known her sister is, how well known both of her sisters are including herself. A delighted yet astonishing experience for her, something she wasn’t used to yet.

“ Same to you, i hope you don’t mind if I borrow Y/N for a moment or two, there’s somethings I’d like to discuss” Thesan offered but secretly it was a meeting that needed to take place. You were in fact here on business, something that Rhys specifically shared with you and no one else. Dawn used to be your home, but when you were moved to Velaris, you became the seg way for Dawn and Night. Your job was to be the emissary for both sides, keeping the courts relationship in even better shape. You missed your home dearly at times, and you missed Thesan whom you were extremely close too, and who you cared about, even with this being only for business there was some pleasure that came out of it.

“ No of course not, I’m sure she could use a break from us, right Azriel?” Elain looks up to him but his eyes were trained on you and Thesan. You were ready to join him without so much as another word, it struck a nerve in him, why? What could possibly be the topic of conversation between you two? Why do you only need to speak with him? Surely Rhys would’ve told him what this meeting was about? Why hadn’t you come to him for advice or as a second set of ears? Why was the meeting a secret?-“Azriel?”Elain calls out to him, you were looking at him suspiciously, your eyebrows furrowed, your eyes flickering across every part of his face and bodily language. Azriel adjusts himself, shielding off whatever thoughts or feelings he harbored in the moment. He blinks, his eyes drift back to Elain then back to you and Thesan “ Go ahead, we’ll be here in the shop if you need us, we leave in about two hours”

“ Alright then I will have my men escort the two of you back to my palace.” Thesan replied, You eased the questioning look off your face, you shift back towards Thesan, the two of you walking out of the shop, the conversation immediately flowed. He could see the smile on your face, and yet again the melodic sound of laughter that left your lips. The high lords' guards remained in place while Azriel and Elain both continued their shopping. However, that didn’t stop him from taking one last look out the door.

When the two hours were up, Azriel and Elain were guided securely to the Palace where he’d find you and Thesan walking along the hall. Thesan stopped in his tracks grabbing your arm, it forces you to halt in place, your body halfway facing him. His mouth moves but Azriel can’t hear what he’s saying, he lifts a hand to your face gently swiping at your cheek. He removes his hand, pulling you gently into a tight embrace. Azriel could see the way you held onto him tightly, as if you dared to let go. The two of you stayed in that position for a few moments until you both eventually pulled away. Why were you crying? Were you hurting? Were they happy tears? Did he say something to you? What was it? There were too many emotions to pinpoint, Azriel’s chest continued to tighten at the emotions he felt. You left Thesans' side offering him one last smile, but that smile fades, when you approach them.

“It’s time, are you ready?” You ask softly, your demeanor changed, a bit relaxed but a heavy weight stays on your shoulders. You roll them back, adjusting yourself. Azriel watches you with such careful eyes, you paid no mind, your thoughts elsewhere.

“ Yes-“ Elain starts but her gaze flickers back and forth between you both. For Elain it was rather odd to see the two of you interact, when she had met you, your relationship with Azriel was already thin, you were distant with him compared to everyone else. Elain assumed that your relationship had always been like that, but now she wasn’t so sure..

“ Are you alright?” Azriel asks you, his hand twitches slightly, part of him restrains himself, the other yearned to reach out for you. But you were quick to recover, offering him a reassuring smile.

“ Yeah I’m fine, let’s go.” You placed your hands on both of them, winnowing them back to the town house. There Nuala and Cerridwen greeted the three of you. Nuala took the pots out of Elains hands, Cerridwen took the flowers and placed them in another vase. Elain begins gushing about the journey to Dawn, how gorgeous it was..You sighed exhausted leaving the space quietly to head to your own room. Azriel was about to follow you when Elain called for his help in the kitchen. Azriel hesitated staring up at the staircase. Why couldn’t he just talk to you? He’s a Shadowsinger, a spymaster, and he can pry details out of anyone but you. All he can feel is your emotions-your emotions... Elain had pulled Azriel from his thoughts as she hugged a pot to herself.

“Az? Are you coming?” She says as she waits for him to follow her to the garden. Again he hesitates but he feels a stirring in his chest. Azriel lifts up a hand instinctively touching it, a sharp sensation could be felt beneath his chest. It couldn’t be? Could it? Azriel’s eyes widen, Elain takes a breath “ I’ll be outside Az when you’re ready-“ Azriel moves his feet faster than his mind could process, he was out of the town house door, his wings pushing him off the ground shooting him into the sky, he needing some time to think..

___

The moons at its highest peak, your curtains flowing with gentle breeze that filtered through your bedroom. The candles and lights burnt out signaling that you were asleep, that was until you heard a creak in the floorboard, and the atmosphere changed, a darker presence filled the space. You were lying on your stomach, your hands slipping beneath the pillow as you grip the handle of the blade you’ve hidden beneath it. You felt the figure stop just before your bed frame, you could hear them bend down towards your face. As they reached for you, you swiftly reached out a free hand grabbing them, you flipped them onto the bed, rolling over pinning them down with your blade tucked against their neck in the most vulnerable area.

“ It’s only me” He whispers, the lights in the room reaching a dim hue, illuminating the area.

“ Jeez Az, I could’ve killed you” You replied tiredly, you pulled back the blade placing it on the end table. Azriel’s eyes followed your movement above him, your hips and legs straddling him, your hair in an unruly nature, from slumber. The candles hue amidst the room, caresses your face, your bare legs, your skin making it appear warm to the touch. You had worn a tunic that wasn’t yours, it hugged loosely around your body frame. The tunic looked oddly familiar to Azriel but then again he wasn’t so sure. All he wanted to do was rip whoevers tunic that belonged to, off of your body and replace it with his.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you-” He apologizes,”-I have one question I’d like to ask you” Azriel whispers, as he watches your facial expression twitch into a sleepy confusion.

“This couldn’t wait till morning?” You sighed as your hand moved to rub the sleep from your face. You remove yourself from him, you slip off the bed but not before Azriel caught your wrist. He shifts himself so that he sits up lifting himself off the bed. He towers over you, the candle's glowing light touches his features in a way that it could come off intimidating, but there was a more intimate, soft, texture that made him appear more angelic.

“ No I’m afraid not.” He admits.

You nod your head” What’s your question?”

“ How long have you known about the bond?”Azriel’s voice low, as if to test the waters but enough to plunge himself. He needed answers and after speaking with Rhys, it was his right.

“ What?” Your face dropped, your skin becoming clammy as nervousness passes through you, sleepiness evades you.

“ You heard me, answer the question” his eyes switch between both of yours, searching and evaluating. He tried to pinpoint every emotion you felt, he tried to feel you through, the only thing stopping him was- you.

“ It's not that simple-” You shook your head, pulling your wrist out of his hold. You weren’t prepared for this, you weren’t ready to unravel all that you worked so hard to ignore.

“ It is that simple” Azriel continued to pry, he didn’t need the bond to notice how uncomfortable and painful this topic was for you-it was news to him, he wanted the truth..no lies no games only the truth

“ No, it’s not. It’s complicated-“ You looked away from him moving to the other side of the room. You couldn't find the words to explain this situation, your reasoning. What if what you told him set him off? What if this ruins everything between your friendships? The alliance that has been created? So many thoughts and questions, never enough answers…but for Azriel you did have an answer to his question..

“ Complicated enough for you to leave.” It was then that feeling in your chest, it builds a thick pressure. A heavyweight on your shoulders, the air almost sucked out your lungs. “ Is that what you told Rhys when you were packing your bags?” You couldn’t breathe, Azriel’s footsteps followed you till he was right behind you. You faintly feel the pulse of his surprise and his anger, as if it was your own, but it had been so long since you’d tapped into the bond. You had spent a century ignoring it, shielding it, and now, it was muscle memory..

“ Don’t make me do this..” You whispered out, a silent plea to move on, to let this go.

“ You knew, and yet you decided not to tell me” His voice held a deep frustration, a deep want and need. He wasn’t going to give up, he had a way with finding out the truth..

“ That’s-not what happened..” You were again stumped with words, torn between giving in or lying, torn between running away or staying..

“ No? Then what happened?” He continues to look down at you, you refuse to meet his gaze. Azriel doesn’t take no for an answer moving towards the front. He stands in front of you. His smell, his faint emotions from the bond slowly consuming you. It surrounds you, his shadows dance along the edges of the room, waiting, watching, whispering.

“ Az-” You warned him, it was another weak attempt to fight him off. But he continued to poke, to pull, to pry, to grasp at anything you’d give him. You were tired, exhausted, hiding your emotions, your thoughts, your protected heart and mind bound to collapse, all secrets were meant to escape..

“ I want the truth, Y/N-”. You took a deep breath, your nerves running a mile a minute. His own anxiousness was replaced with a demanding thirst for the truth. A truth that belonged to him too. You’ve kept this wonderful secret to yourself, he watched as his own family found mates that paired well with them. Watching as their life finds the pieces to the puzzle it was missing. Deep down he wanted that very same thing. He felt as though he may not deserve it but he craved it, to be loved unconditionally… “-You owe me that much”

You sighed, your heart shattering, you gave in, you really hadn’t planned too but the look in his eyes-, “..Before Amarantha began her reign, Rhys made an offer to Thesan to let me stay in Velaris, as an emissary between the courts. It was then that I found out that we were mates… It was then that the deal was made.“

“All these years and you kept this to yourself, why?” His eyebrows furrowed.

“ Because I knew you were in love with Mor. I wasn’t going to take that from you. But I did wait for you, I waited a long time. But when it became an achingly slow desperation, I gave up. I practiced silencing the bond, so I couldn’t feel the emotions you felt when you were around other-women..romantically and lustily I mean. Then Elain came around and it was the same process. I’m exhausted, Azriel. I can’t keep doing this”

“ You didn’t bother to try! You’re running back home because you never thought to ask how I might’ve felt!” His jaw tenses, his head slightly tilted to the side, his frustration grows, at this notion of forcing the information out of you, when you should’ve let it happen, when you should’ve told him..

“ I didn’t because I wanted you to come to your own conclusion. I wanted it to be as natural as possible but you were so invested in Mor and Elain and I’m not one to take you away from that. But I also miss the people I care about, I miss my old home-It’s time for me to go-” You protested.

“ What does Rhys think of this?” Azriel jaw twitches.

“ He was the one who encouraged me to speak with Thesan-“

“ Is that what the discussion was between the two of you?” He presses.

“ Yes but-“ You attempt to defend yourself.

“ Y/N, what exactly did you say to him?” Azriel wanted every detail, every version of this story, of his story, of his mates-his mate.

“ I didn’t- I didn’t say anything. I asked if I could return home, and he told me that I should stay here, that if I truly wanted to come home then he’d considered it.” Your heart leaps into your throat, you swallow it back, the feeling collecting.

“ His answer wasn’t even a Yes” Azriel’s scoffs shaking his head, his hands on his hips as he looks at the floor and then away at the window.

“ Yes- but it’s my decision-“ You looked up at him, watching his movements carefully.

“ No it’s not, you’re not going back there.” He challenged, his eyes find their way back to yours.

“ You can’t decide that.” You tell him, the two of you hurting by the weight of your decision. Azriel’s own heart squeezes painfully, at how easy it was for you to say those words to him. You were his, he wasn’t going to let you just walk away, not without fighting for you.

“ Why not? You’d already decided to keep this to yourself regardless of how I felt” He takes a step forward his arms falling back down to his side.

“ Azriel please listen to me-“ You tried to reason, you tried to find a way to break through, he wasn’t thinking straight, you weren’t thinking straight, neither one of you.

“ No you listen, all those years, all those centuries, you were my friend, and you were someone who loved me. Loved me enough to sacrifice what you felt so I could find happiness. In the depths of my mind I have fought and searched for you without realizing that you were here in front of me..I was too blind to see it. ” His hands flew to your face, your jaw, cupping it, his thumbs grazing your cheekbones. Your hands follow suit as your fingers grip his wrists. His shadows remove themselves from the dark corners of your room, shooting out to tangle around your wrists, not to pull your hands away but to hold you there in place. “ Please don’t run from me” He whispers, his forehead dipping down to rest on yours. His hands slide from your cheeks to the sides of your neck.

“ Az-I can’t stay” You replied quietly, your hands pulling at his wrists weakly at his. You both knew that you could take him down easily, but at this moment in time the two of you were struggling. The tension grew thick in the air. A sort of sharp feeling intensifies, the faded familiarity that was the bond, solidifies. You thought that you had successfully mastered the art of blocking the bond but no. Azriel must’ve truly accepted it, a different feeling takes over, Azriel hums at the feeling. You sucked in a breath.

“ You can’t leave without knowing I’ve accepted the bond” His nose brushes against yours. You shook your head once more, completely pushed Azriel away. Your hands fly to your head, your fingers tangling in your hairs. You wanted nothing more than to curl into yourself, this was too surreal, too overwhelming. You’d spent so long, alone, and working, on occasions waiting. Now you were uncertain, even more than you had been hours ago. Azriel could feel your indecisiveness, he just needed to bring you back to him.

Azriel followed you, he pulled your hands from your hair, one of them he placed on his chest, his heart beating beneath it, you couldn’t look at him. But you could feel the gentleness, the love that flowed through him into you. “ My heart, my soul belongs to you” he tries again. You could feel your body sag at the feeling of comfort. It was so intense and welcoming. You wanted to wrap yourself in it-but you fought it, you were so used to the fighting, the restraint, the self control. “Let go” His voice reaches into the depths of your mind, into your soul, calling out to you.

You placed your forehead on his chest, your hand leaving the area above his heart. Azriel’s wings moved to surround you, his shadows moved to get to you, tangling themselves in your hair, caressing your face and hands. They speak to you wishing you nothing but love and happiness. They bring you comfort, your eyes fluttering shut.

“ Y/N” Azriel calls out. You could feel his hands cupping your face once more tilting it upwards, his breath light. You could feel how close he was, Azriel was right there, all he needed to do-Az’s lips crashed down onto yours, so soft, and yet his kiss held all his desperation, his passion. He couldn’t hold back, not with you, not when he loved you so. You weren’t surprised, in fact you hadn’t realized how much you yearned for his touch, his kiss. Azriel turns his head to the side deepening the kiss, a quiet moan slips out. By the cauldron Azriel loved to hear that sound, he wanted to hear it again, and again, and again. For as long as he lived and breathed.

You were putty in his hands, the feeling of his touch, his thoughts, his emotions was putting you in overdrive. Your mind couldn’t comprehend nor catch up to the pace in which things were happening. Azriel lets go of your lips for a brief moment, allowing you a chance to breathe, a whimper and the need for air also escapes your lips. Azriel had to fight the urge to keep himself from taking you right then and there. You had the urge to let him do it, you placed your hands on his chest pushing him back a step. You couldn’t think with him in your space, Azriel wasn’t going to budge, but with the way you were so caught up and caught off guard, he let you take a second.

“Okay-“ You breathed out. Azriel’s eyes light up, a smile threatens to break out. “ I-um-“ You cleared your throat,”Uh-I-I accept the bond..” you whispered the last part. Azriel’s heart gave a squeeze of joy, his chest filled with lightness, with happiness and relief. All he had ever hoped for had finally come to fruition. A twinkle of mischief sparks in his eyes, a smirk finds its way onto his beautiful features.

“ What was that?” He asks, yet you squint your eyes at him, you know he heard, he knows he heard you, but he wanted you to say it again. “-I didn’t quite hear you” You bit the inside of your cheek still squinting at him. You sighed, your body began to relax, your facial expressions changing to that of a sheepishness. You were struggling to admit it, Azriel waited for you patiently.

“ I-“

“ Yes?”

“ Az” You raised your eyebrows at him, as if to say I’m trying here.

“ I’m sorry, please go on.” He encourages you.

You sighed as you tried again this time “ I accept the bond-” You are much more confident and certain. “I’ve loved you since I’ve known you. You were right, my heart and soul belongs to you-“Azriel couldn’t contain himself much longer as took you into his arms and spun you around. A victorious grin graced both of your features, and for once the weight of the world didn’t feel so heavy in your chests. You gave a light hearted giggle, your heart swooning. Azriel places you back on the ground. You smiled brightly, the twinkle reaching your eyes. “This is happening?” You asked out loud, you searched for clarification.

“ Yeah it is” Azriel let go grabbing your hand pulling you towards the window. You tilted your head to the side, a sweet smile on your lips, a playful yet teasing expression stretches onto Azriel’s face. “Do you trust me?” his hand extends outward.

“ Yes.” You lift your hand to place it into his, this time a new height sense fills both your bodies. The touch feels like a loving hum on your skin. Your minds, your souls, finally resting after all the searching that it had done. You place your hand in his, he guides you out of the window onto the terrace of the town house. You followed him blindly, willingly. Azriel stood taller in the moonlight, and the stars above shining, his shadows nowhere to be found, it was just him. “ Az wait- Elain-“

“She knows, and I’m sure she will be upset with me, but she has Lucien..She doesn’t need me.” He nods. You watch him closely, as you slowly lift a hand to caress his cheek, the touch sweet and warming. Azriel instinctively leans into your touch, turning his head slightly to kiss the palm of your hand.

“ I’m sorry” You whispered, you realized that you may have ruined a friendship for him, a little bit more than a friendship..

“ No I’m sorry” he replies as he takes you back into his arms, the sounds of the city's music playing amongst the trees, the flowers, the plants, the night sky seeming more inviting, more alive. All Azriel knew was in this moment in time he finally understood the accept of the bond, the waiting, the calling, you had always been there waiting for him, you gave him time, space, anything he needed to figure himself out..All those times he spent with other women- then it dawned on him, had you done the same? You chuckled upon feeling that jealous emotion. “ Who’s tunic are you wearing?”

“ Az, it’s yours”

“ What-“ You peel yourself out of his arms.

“ This tunic you let me borrow on a mission we had, remember? Court of nightmares? I was stuck in a brothel, I ended up fighting my way out, my clothes were completely shredded?” You offered bits and pieces of the memory, Azriel’s takes a moment to recollect and it hits him.

“ Yes I remember, you ate a bowl of soup that night at one of the hostels. You hated it,” He chuckled as he remembered the disgusted look on your face. You laughed alongside him. You moved to head back towards your room but Azriel was quick to catch your hand.

”Where are you going?”

“Um-to make you something, we still have to seal the bond.”

“ Not here”

“ Then where?” Azriel grins as he throws one of your arms around his neck, one catches your back the other catches your knees.

“ Somewhere private, where I can have you all to myself, no distractions, just you and me” He whispers to you, his face dipping closer to yours, you sucked in a small breath, the blood beneath your skin singing, practically humming. His arms tightened their hold on you pressing you as flush to him as possible. Azriel looks away and upwards towards the night sky, his wings strong as they help push the two of you off the ground. Excitement filled the air, the night, seemed sweeter, less stuffy, inviting. You guessed that Thesan was right for making you stay here, to reconsider, you were thankful that he pointed you back in the direction of your mate. Azriel was happy that his brother fought for his love, fought for him to find happiness. It was more than just two courts keeping a civil peace, it was about two souls that needed to find each other, even if it takes a century.

[elodieunderglass]

Submission by @Zorilleerrant How to Write a Novel

When I make bullet point lists, each bullet point tends to be a couple hundred words, so that’s what I optimize for. But! I find writers usually have a consistent average for that, so everyone should tailor their bullet points to their own experiences. Modify all the numbers as necessary. (And be prepared to revamp them as you go. The outline never survives contact with the writing.) Now how do we turn bullet point ideas into a full novel outline?

Alright. Let’s get down to it.

Step 1: A novel is 50k words.

Let’s break this into smaller sections. 50k is a nice even number, so I like to make 5 parts. A 10k section sounds much more manageable; that’s a normal (long) short story! If you have 5 (or ten) short stories that naturally link up into a novel, this is the final part of the outline. Usually I think that doesn’t happen, though. Anyway, write the 5 high level Events, Inciting Incidents, or Arc Developments. (It could be themes or structural points, if that’s what drives your writing forward, it just has to be The Important Things.)

Step 2: What’s the shape of this section?

So we’ve got our major plot point or what have you. Now it’s important to figure out how to set it up and how to knock it down. I generally block this into a timeline of 10 points (because that’s 1k) to begin with, and then add or collapse bullet points as necessary. The first bullet point should be the opening scene or setup, and the last should be the end of the section or the transition to the next part, but in between is just how to get from A to B. The what is important, but I tend to find why is more helpful to answer so I can figure out how to get characters to do things. If you tend to bang out 1k at a time this is the end of the outline!

Step 3: The Devil in the Details

This is where the bullet point granularity really varies. You can break it up into 10 again (100 words each: a drabble!) or even more if you need to. This can be really helpful because at a certain point you just end up translating the Ideas List into Writer Voice, and once you get the narrative tone down it becomes more consistent. But in general you only need a couple bullet points here: the ones absolutely integral to the scene. Maybe there’s part of the setting you need to describe, or an internal monologue, or a reveal. Put them in order.

Step 4: To write it you have to write it, unfortunately.

Each bullet point should be a fairly short writing section, now. Which means getting all the way through one should be doable in a single writing session. If you know how you want to say it, great! If you don’t, imagine describing it to friends, whether that’s in the silliest way possible, or to try to make it intriguing, or anything else. The beauty of the bullet point lists is you can switch between styles, and you’ll remember during editing why there’s inconsistency every few paragraphs. You can sand that off later; just get the words down.

Step 5: Editing

Throw out the outline. I mean, don’t actually throw it out, in case you need to figure out what you were talking about here or there. But try not to the various sections/segments/bullets as hard and fast rules; some of them will need to be broken up, and others smushed together more. Here’s where you look for the natural chapter breaks. You should also look for any missing scenes, or maybe places where a scene needs to be moved earlier or later. You’ll also, unfortunately, find things that just don’t need to be in the final draft. Save them in a different document, in case people want to see the outtakes later.

Congrats! If you get your novel all the way to this point, it’s ready to be sent to other people to look it over and help you polish it up!

Anyway, for people who like outlining, put all your planning in this part. For people who like figuring it out as they go along, only do the top level breakdown for any section you’re not currently writing; leave most of it blank until you get there.

I hope this helps you or someone write a novel!

-- submission by @zorilleerrant

Thank you so much for writing this!

[delusionalwritingsofagay]

Gideon's plan to getting Spencer a date

Pairing : Spencer Reid x Male reader Tags : Fluff, Social awkward Reid, Getting a date Word count: 1041

The roar of the jet engines was a dull hum compared to the internal cacophony in Spencer Reid’s mind. The San Diego case, the horror of “The Tommy Killer,” was thankfully behind them. But the aftermath always lingered, a shadow that clung to the edges of his thoughts. He was also a year older, his birthday a mere blip in the chaos of their work– until now.

Gideon cleared his throat, drawing Reid’s attention. "Happy belated, spencer." He held out a small, rectangular envelope. 

Curiosity piqued despite the weight of the case, Reid carefully opened the envelope. Inside were two tickets. Two tickets to see the Washington Redskins play. Reid blinked. Football? He knew the basics, of course, had absorbed the statistics and strategies over the years through sheer proximity to Morgan and, surprisingly, Y/N..

Y/N, who was currently locked in a spirited debate with Morgan a few seats away. Y/N, whose enthusiasm for the Redskins was legendary within the BAU. Y/N, who made Reid’s palms sweat and his vocabulary shrink to a fraction of its normal size.

“I’m just saying, Morgan, their defence is going to be a huge problem for the Cowboys this season,” Y/N argued, gesturing emphatically. “Their linebacker core is completely revamped! You’re underestimating them!”

“Underestimating? Y/N, come on, you know I respect the Redskins," Morgan retorted, a playful glint in his eye. “But the Cowboys offense is going to tear them apart. Romo’s got a cannon, and Witten's always open.”

Y/N scoffed, a playful smile tugging at their lips. "Cannon? Romo chokes under pressure, Morgan, you know this. Witten’s good, I’ll give you that, but our safety’s got him covered this time."

The back-and-forth continued, a familiar and comforting sound amidst the tension of the case. Reid found himself watching Y/N, captivated as always. Y/N’s mind was a whirlwind of ideas, opinions, and observations, a constant storm of intellectual energy that both intimidated and fascinated him. He loved the way Y/N’s eyes sparkled when He were truly engaged in a discussion, the way his hands moved as he spoke, the sheer force of his personality.

Morgan, feigning exhaustion, leaned back in his seat. "Alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I concede. For now. But I'm taking a nap. Wake me up when we land." He yawned dramatically, closing his eyes.

A triumphant grin spread across Y/N’s face. “Victory is mine!”

As Morgan settled into a nap, Gideon gave Reid a subtle nod, a silent encouragement. Reid swallowed hard, the tickets suddenly feeling like lead weights in his hand. He knew what Gideon was implying. He just didn’t know if he could actually do it. He knew very well that Y/N probably didn't see him in a romantic light at all..

Taking a deep breath, Reid rose from his seat and walked towards the now-empty seat beside Y/N. The closer he got, the faster his heart pounded. He could feel the heat rising in his face, a sure sign of his rising anxiety.

"Hey, Y/N," he managed, his voice a little higher than usual.

Y/N looked up, His expression softening from playful competitiveness to genuine warmth. "Hey Spence! What's up?"

Reid felt his throat constrict. This was it. Time to put himself out there. He opened his mouth, but the words seemed to catch in his throat. He cleared his throat, tried again. “So,” he began, fiddling with the tickets in his hand, “Gideon, uh, he gave me… these.” He held out the tickets, almost as if they were fragile artifacts.

Y/N’s eyes widened as He focused on the tickets. "Redskins? No way! Are those…?"

Reid nodded, feeling a surge of relief that Y/N seemed genuinely excited. "Yeah. He got them for me. For my birthday."

"That's awesome! You're a Redskins fan?" Y/N asked, their enthusiasm infectious.

Reid hesitated. "Well, not exactly. I mean, I know about them. I know their players, their… their strategies. I just… I haven't really been to a game before."

Y/N’s smile widened. "Seriously? You've never been to a Redskins game? You're missing out! It's an experience." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Wait a minute… Gideon got you Redskins tickets? That seems oddly specific."

Reid felt his cheeks flush again. He was terrible at lying. "He, uh… Wants  me to… experience new things?" It sounded weak, even to his own ears.

Y/N chuckled, clearly seeing through his flimsy excuse. "Right. 'Experiencing new things.' Sure. Well, either way, those are awesome tickets. You gonna go?"

This was his chance. The opening he needed. He took another deep breath, trying to ignore the frantic beating of his heart. “I was wondering,” he stammered, “if maybe… if you’d want to go with me?”

The words hung in the air, thick with unspoken meaning. Reid braced himself for rejection, for the polite excuse, for the uncomfortable silence.

Y/N’s expression softened, a thoughtful look crossing his face. He hesitated for a moment, his gaze meeting Reid's. He tried to read his expression, but it was impossible.

Finally, He smiled. A genuine, warm smile that made Reid’s heart skip a beat. “I would love to, Spence. Are you kidding? I’d love to go.”

Relief washed over Spencer in a tidal wave. He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. “Really? That’s… that’s great.”

“Yeah, it is! It’ll be fun. We can grab some stadium food, yell at the refs, and I can finally explain to you why the zone blitz is the single greatest defensive strategy in the history of football.”

Reid chuckled, the tension finally easing from his shoulders. “I look forward to it.” He paused, then added, “And maybe… after the game, we could grab some dinner? Or something?”

Y/N’s smile widened. “Sounds like a plan, spence.”

The rest of the flight passed in a blur. As the jet began its descent, Gideon turned to Reid, a knowing smile on his face. "So," he said quietly, "did you ask him?"

Reid nodded, unable to suppress the grin that spread across his face. "He said yes."

Gideon chuckled. "Good. Sometimes, Kid, all you need is a little push."

[cherrykpawp]

Heat // Ch 6

Rating: Explicit, Mature (M)

Pairings: Mingi x reader, San x reader

This chapter includes: hybrids, Afab!reader, reader-centric, smut, fluff, Calico hybrid!reader, Black cat hybrid!San, Husky hybrid!Mingi, small interaction with Yeosang and Wooyoung, switch!reader, switch!San, Top leaning!San, switch!Mingi, cunnilingus, nipple play, unprotected sex (WRAP IT!), creampies, blowjob, overstimulation, heats, begging, pet names (darling, angel, sweetheart, princess, kitten), praise kinks, wall sex, some dirty talk, hair pulling, fingering, voyeurism, squirt, swearing, biting, love bites, eye contact, scent kink, slight size kink

Song rec: All The Things (Your Man Won't Do) - Joe

Taglist: @m-flowerjunnie-oa, @mrsminseochoi, @strawwff, @sunlight120902, @awkward-fucking-thing, @menialmoonchild, @jjongsho, @chanscase143, @lililiarina, @babyquokkasworld

WC: 10k

MDNI!!

Yunho glanced at the time on his phone: 10:22 AM. It was the second day of your heat, and so far, you hadn’t woken up due to the pain. It had been about six to seven hours since the last episode, and both of you had managed to get a decent amount of sleep. However, he had woken up just a bit earlier to prepare for the day ahead. After your last wave, Yunho switched out the sheets following the shower you had together. He had massaged you as you basked in the warm water, washing your hair and back while you did the same for him. While he changed into new clothes, you decided it would be better to sleep clothless in case of a sudden wave. Yunho had no objections.

But today was different. You wouldn’t be spending your heat with him; it was San and Mingi’s turn to take care of you. Not only was it on the list that Hongjoong had given him, but you had consented to them aiding you during your heat. Yunho thought it would be better for you, notably since scenting helped. He had noticed that it relaxed you, particularly on the day of your preheat. 

Since you were still asleep, Yunho seized the opportunity to exit the room and retreat downstairs. Neither San nor Mingi were in the dining room or living room, so he knocked on San’s door. The black cat hybrid gently opened it, realizing it was just Yunho. His ears were more relaxed, and his tail stood tall behind him.

“Good morning, hyung. Is y/n alright?” San asked, worried sick about you and not knowing how your first day had gone. Of course, he smelled your scent on Yunho the day before, but he hadn’t been there to see your experience. 

Yunho gave him a small smile. “She’s alright, just resting,” he reassured him. “Today’s your and Mingi’s day to take care of her. Do you have everything ready to make her comfortable?”

San nodded, gesturing to his bed, which was scattered with a few pieces of clothing. Yunho tilted his head to the side, a bit perplexed. “In case she wants to scent the clothes or wear them. Mingi should be here soon with more.” His usual congeniality was evident in the way he casually explained.

Yunho hummed, comprehending the situation. “I’ll still be in the house; please let me know if you need anything to assist you guys.” he was startled when he heard Mingi’s baritone voice behind him. 

“We will, hyung. Good morning, by the way.” Mingi excused himself past Yunho, carrying various sweaters and shirts, and placed them on San’s bed. Even though it would be better for you to fix it yourself, Mingi decided to revamp it to make it a bit presentable. Yunho greeted the husky hybrid in return.

Not wanting you to wake up without him there, Yunho thought it was a good time to head back upstairs. Before entering his room, he stopped by yours and rummaged through your dresser for clothes. He selected a matching underwear set, a navy blue camisole top, and gray sweatpants. After gathering the folded items, he headed to his room. When he entered, he noticed you were still asleep. Although he would still let you rest a little longer, he thought it would be ideal for you to wake up soon.

Yunho rested the clothes on the bed, caressing your hair. “Y/n, darling,” he sweetly sang, trying to wake you up. You shifted slightly in your sleep, pursing your lips. Yunho thought you looked so cute asleep like this. He placed a tender kiss on your cheek. “Y/n, my love, I need you to wake up.” he lightly tapped your shoulder. 

Eventually, you awoke, eyes hazy as you made out the silhouette of the man above you. You smiled at him, stretching as you woke up. “Hello, handsome,” you gave him a saucy wink.

Yunho scrunched his nose at you. “Good morning. I’m sorry to wake you up so early,” he apologized first. “But I need to prepare you for today. I didn’t want a wave to hit suddenly without proper care.”

You attested to what he meant, agreeing with his words. You looked forward to spending your heat with San and Mingi, but Yunho’s absence lingered over you a bit. “Will you take care of me on the last day?”

Yunho pecked your other cheek, causing you to lean into it. “Whatever you want.” He held his hand out to you, “Let me help you. Do you have the ability to sit up and walk?”.

You proved you could by holding his hand and sitting upright on the bed. The blanket dropped to your lap, exposing your nude body. The deep, opaque purple and bluish love bites that adorned your skin were scattered across almost every inch of your body, with most of them concentrated around your chest and neck, while a few were on your shoulders. Those were added last night by him. Yunho was used to seeing your birthday suit by now, so he wasn’t particularly abashed. Instead, he showed you what he had picked out for you to wear today. You liked what he chose. “I don’t need those,” you verified, pointing to your bra and panties.

Yunho chuckled, leaving the undergarments on his bed. “Let me dress you.” You were more than satisfied with that request. You raised your arms for him to pull the top over you; it hugged your torso nicely, and the material felt incredibly soft against your skin. He knelt on the floor to help you with your pant legs, pulling them up to your knees before you stood up, allowing him to dress you fully. When you were finally clothed, you gave a final stretch, your ears fluttering rapidly and your tail elongating before it relaxed into its resting position. 

Content with how you looked, Yunho led you to your shared bathroom so you could brush your teeth. He combed your hair for you, killing two birds with one stone. “I’ll still be here in case you wonder about me. I have the rest of the week off to watch over you during your heat.” Yunho pressed a kiss to the back of your head, making you purr. “So, don’t worry about me.”

After you finished, Yunho led you out of the bathroom, down the hallway, and downstairs. Serenely, you followed him as he took you to San’s room. You tenaciously wrapped your arms around his waist, face pressed into his back as you gently rocked together. You felt like cuddling right now.

Yunho knocked on the door again, waiting about five seconds before it opened. San answered once more, and although you couldn’t see him, the waft of his caramel and sandalwood scent was palpable, hitting your nose intensely. You missed it more than you thought. 

“Our lovely y/n is ready,” Yunho cooed at you, rubbing your forearms around his waist. You nuzzled your head into his back briefly, eventually pulling away. Coyly, you peeked from behind his tall frame, immediately locking eyes with San. He wore a black T-shirt and baggy sweatpants the same color as his shirt, he looked very cozy.

Yunho moved out of the way to allow you to enter the room, which was your first time there. “Again, I’m a text and call away. Inform me if you need anything.”

San nodded, sensing that Yunho was slightly nervous but wasn’t showing it. “We will. I promise.” San extended his hand for you to enter the room graciously.

Saying your last ‘goodbye’ for the time being, you stood on your tippy toes and gave Yunho another chaste kiss on the lips. It shocked both San and Mingi, who you haven’t noticed yet. Yunho beat them to it. “I’ll see you soon.”

Yunho bowed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. You were finally encased in a mixture of scents—mainly San’s caramel and sandalwood, but you could smell Mingi’s Egyptian musk and cocoa butter from somewhere in the room. He silently stood in the corner of San’s room with his hands in his pockets, wearing a white button-down shirt and dark gray sweatpants, a shade or two darker than yours. You hadn’t been able to scent them in a while, so being wrapped in their familiar scents eased you tenfold.

“We prepared the bed for you,” San said with great vanity, giving you space to walk toward it. You noticed they had basically made you a little nest of their clothes—how thoughtful. “Take your time, get comfortable.”

You gratefully walked to his bed. The bedding was a light purple set, with an array of different colored garments scattered atop. You situated yourself in the middle of the bed, taking in the clothing items they had chosen. You planned to steal some later to wear for your own comfort. The aromas were robust as if they had just taken them off. You could tell which clothing belonged to whom based on scent and style alone. You’d wear one of their sweaters right now, but that would be more clothes to take off later. 

Lost in your world, you didn’t notice that the two hybrids were still standing a few feet away, careful not to inundate you, waiting for you to adjust to the new setting. “I’m not contagious. Come.” You patted the two spots beside you. They took their respective places on San’s bed—Mingi on your left and San on your right. 

“How’ve you been? I missed you,” Mingi confessed, his tone jaunty, making a blush creep on your cheeks. You held onto San’s sweater, playing with the strings of the hoodie. “Great, I missed both of you as well. Especially your scents.”

“Just our scents?” San raised an eyebrow. 

“Course not. I missed all of you—both you and Mingi,” you clarified. San didn’t need reassurance, though, because he already knew. 

Mingi leaned against the headboard, getting more comfortable. “Well, now you’ll be able to scent us freely whenever you want,” he said, his ears flicking. He loved the idea that he’d get to cuddle you soon. 

You wanted to nudge your nose in his scent gland right now, but you fought the temptation. “I can’t wait.”

“You haven’t eaten yet, right?” San inquired, getting your attention.

You shook your head. “I’m not all that hungry.” 

San pursed his lips. “Is it okay if you eat something? For your health?” If he phrased it that way, it would convince you to eat more than if he told you outright, because then you’d resist. He’d learned that during his times in heat hotels—some hybrids were so stubborn about satisfying their heats that they’d risk their health for days on end. He found asking in this particular way was more beneficial. How could you deny that? “Yes. Can I get cuddles afterward?” 

Mingi abruptly answered, “That’s a guarantee.” You and San bore your eyes into him—yours filled with endearment, and San’s with confused amusement. Mingi cleared his throat. “What would you like?”

You pondered. “I don’t know what was prepared, so I’ll take anything. But I would like some fruit as well.” Mingi nodded, then looked at San. “The usual, Mingi-ah.” You wondered what his ‘usual’ was as Mingi left the room to gather the food.  

You rested your head on San’s shoulder, wrapping your tail around his arm. “I feel like I barely got any sleep.”

San softly chuckled. “You’re telling me? You and Yunho were at it for hours.” You nuzzled your face in his upper arm, shy. “At some point, I did fall asleep, but man, I could hibernate right now.”

“Were we that loud?” You asked curiously. 

“You could say that., San sighed, reminiscing about the effect you and Yunho had on them. 

San’s hands fidgeted like he wanted to place them on your leg or somewhere on you. Taking the initiative, you locked your hands together, causing him to look down at you. You didn’t comment or anything, enjoying how he reciprocated the tightness of your grip.

“You know, I really did miss your strawberry chocolate musk. It’s comforting and sweet,” San spoke softly. You tilted your head back to meet his eyes finally. Your faces were only a few centimeters apart—you could close the gap if desired.

“Then I hope I can truly leave my mark here, to bring you comfort even in my absence,” your voice came off more sultry than you expected. You pulled your face away from his. San bit his bottom lip, restraining himself. Seeing you kiss Yunho earlier had made him jealous. He was the first to receive your gift aside from Wooyoung. 

Mingi returned with a tray with an array of things: a container of mixed nuts, electrolyte drinks, energy bars, cubed fruits, and a yogurt cup. He handed San the energy bar and electrolyte drink, and the black cat hybrid thanked him before snacking on them. Mingi then passed you your fruit. “I brought you yogurt in case you wanted to make a ‘DIY’ parfait. The nuts are for me, but feel free to add some.” Mingi placed the tray with your drinks on the nightstand next to him, seeing as you didn’t want them right now.

“That’s very thoughtful of you, thank you.” Mingi smiled at your compliment. The container of fruit had a mix of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and grapes. You decorated the yogurt cup with some fruit, adding a few nuts, careful not to eat all of Mingi’s snacks. 

The three of you sat in silence, enveloped in a comforting ambiance. Your legs rested on top of Mingi’s, his back pressed into the headboard, while your back was pressed against the left side of San’s chest. He balanced himself on his palm as he continued to eat, feeling his stable heartbeat against your back. You just wanted to feel your body against theirs. The whole time you rested on them. You listened to them talk amongst themselves, occasionally bringing their sweaters up to your nose to inhale their pheromones, rubbing your face against the fabric. Even though you had the main sources near you, you could capture both scents this way. You didn’t exactly know what the conversation was about, but seeing Mingi’s eye smile at whatever San was saying, hearing San guffaw, and feeling his body shake with laughter made you smile too. Maybe sleep was creeping up on you because you weren’t feeling any of your usual heat symptoms yet, except for the rise of your body temperature, heightened senses, and sensitivity in your tail and ears. 

Since you were technically facing Mingi, he noticed how drowsy you appeared. “Y/n, do you want to sleep?” 

You yawned, as if his words had triggered it. “Yes”.

He extended his arms, beckoning you to rest on his chest. You held on to the two sweaters, bringing them with you as you plopped down onto Mingi’s chest, draping a leg over his. He embraced you tightly, rubbing your shoulder with his thumb. You nuzzled your face into his chest, sighing in contentment as you closed your eyes. Even with your eyes shut, you reached a hand out for San. You felt him grip your hand in return, tugging him closer. He complied, the bed shifting as he adjusted himself closer to you. San was seated upright, but you felt his knee against your back, and that was enough for you. You intertwined your fingers with his and drifted off to sleep.

San and Mingi patiently waited a few minutes until you fell asleep to talk, choosing to speak in a whisper. “How long do you think until her next wave?”, Mingi questioned, never stilling the patterns he traced on your shoulder. 

“An hour or two. Her scent is very potent right now, and she’s burning up. I know they were up pretty late last night, so she should’ve been satiated for a while.” San looked down at your sleeping face, the sweaters right underneath it. “But I’m positive it’ll break soon.”

Mingi saw your chest rise and fall gently, signaling you were deeply asleep. “Sorry in advance...”

“For what?” San cocked his head to the side.

“You know…” 

San’s sharp wit quickly helped him understand what Mingi meant. “You and Yeosang and your possessiveness.” San shook his head, chuckling, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to snap you out of it. Don’t let it define you.”

“Thanks, hyung.”

~~~

For what felt like the first time in San’s life, he couldn’t nap. He was too on edge about your capricious heat, not wanting to miss when you entered your first wave. You and Mingi were asleep, except you had moved off Mingi’s chest and inched closer to San, resting your head on his knee. San had placed a pillow in Mingi’s arms because he knew the husky’s habits by now; Mingi would wake up sulking due to the lack of contact.

It’s only been an hour and a half since Yunho brought you downstairs, and San has been alert ever since. He’s noticed that your chocolate musk has become more prominent, overshadowing your usual sweet strawberry scent, and that you’ve been fidgeting more frequently. He pressed the back of his hand against your forehead—you were sweating—and you sighed at his touch. San noted that your tail changed positions, moving from around Mingi’s arm to around your thigh, which made his heartbeat quicken. He didn’t know why he was so nervous, probably because it was your first proper heat, and he didn’t want to do anything to fuck it up. His ears were stationary in ‘airplane’ mode as he surveyed your actions carefully.

San saw your hand grip the end of his pant leg, your face rubbing against his upper thigh. He didn’t react but instead waited to see if you’d wake up. His tail was tightly wrapped around his waist, reassuring himself that he’d take good care of you. And then his breath hitched as you woke up, panting softly. Your scent quickly intoxicated the atmosphere.

You weakly pushed yourself up using his leg as leverage, pressing your forehead into his shoulder. San placed his hand on your lower back, delicately rubbing it to comfort you. When you looked up toward him, like earlier, your face was a few centimeters away from his. You admired the close-up of his beauty marks, pining with exhaustion, but still wanting to kiss every single one.

“Does it hurt?” San didn’t need to ask if you were experiencing your first wave of the day; he could smell it. You trailed your eyes from his to his lips, and then back to his eyes. 

“It does,” you whimpered, biting your bottom lip.

“Should I wake Mingi?” San whispered, his hand rubbing slower circles on your lower back, barely attempting to touch your tail. 

You shook your head. “Let him rest. Need you right now.” San swore his face reddened at how desperate you sounded, trying to play it off. “Can I kiss you, San?” 

San took a free hand and placed a finger under your chin, scanning your face before closing his eyes and pressing a soft kiss on your lips. His lips were just as delicate as Yunho's, except his kisses seemed more dominant as he took the lead. He didn’t take long to explore your mouth, his greed apparent from remembering your osculation with Yunho earlier. You didn’t expect him to rile you up so skillfully, your tail tightened around your thigh as you hooked your left knee over his to scoot closer, almost sitting on him as you deepened the kiss. 

As you kissed, your hand subconsciously rubbed San’s lower abdomen, descending to cup the front of his tent through his sweatpants. San paused the kiss you two shared. “It’s not about me, angel.” He puffed, only centimeters away from you.

“I know, but I like it,” you admitted, bringing yourself to his ear. “I want to hear you, how you sound, and how shameful you can get while Mingi is asleep.”

San shuddered, completely taken aback by the sharpness of your silver tongue. Your guise was entirely different than before. He relaxed back on both palms, letting you continue exploring him. He found your lips again, beguiled by them, craving you even more. You palmed him over his sweatpants, making him rock into your hand. He didn’t react outwardly as much as he did inwardly, distracting himself with your tongue. Your movements were persistent until you felt him harden under the material, acknowledging that you were turning him on. San was just as agog as you, but he showed more forbearance.

Your hand dipped past the brim of his sweats and underwear, holding his entire length. He sighed against your lips when you touched him—your warm, elegant fingers wrapped around him beautifully as you ran your thumb along his vein. Curious to see how it looked, you broke the kiss after you pulled him out of his restraints. It was delightful. It was maybe an inch smaller than Yunho’s but had just a tad bit more girth, feeling heavy in your hand. The silky head poked out of its foreskin, you pulled it back to reveal its beautifully blushed tip. You wanted to take him in your mouth right there, settling for stroking it first. Before continuing, San eclipsed his hand over yours, turning your palm toward him. He licked your palm to lubricate it, tasting its slight saltiness from your sweat, god that turned you on more than you thought.

Ignoring the copious slick that left your core, you began stroking him, watching the way the head would shyly disappear every stroke up, only to peek back out as you stroked back down. It mesmerized you, not like you haven’t seen a cock with foreskin before but it was San’s and you were curious about San and what he liked. You were oblivious to how you affected San, his chest heaving as he breathed softly against your skin, watching your hand intently. He bucked his hips occasionally, searching for just a bit more friction, but not wanting to take you away from your moment. Until your palm shadowed over his tip, making quick circles on it, stimulating his head only. To fight back his moans, San licked and sucked your neck, accessing the available skin. 

Neither of you noticed Mingi waking up behind you. He stirred awake not only when he heard you two kissing, but also when your scent filled his nostrils. He watched the scene unfold in front of him with lustful eyes, his cheek resting on his palm as he lay on his side. He couldn’t see what you were doing to San, but he had an idea, especially from your hand movements and how San’s body reacted. 

You continued to tease his head, San could only distract himself so much. He removed his lips from your neck and rested his forehead against your temple, letting out hushed moans, still thinking Mingi was asleep. You cooed at his euphoric moans and how he tried his best to stay silent, you stilled your hand for a second, switching to stroke his length again. San brought the hand from your lower back to rub against your curled tail, eliciting a moan from you. Arousal shot to both of their cocks—your submissive tone only fueled their desire for you.

“D—don’t you want it inside, angel?” San tried to coax you to halt your handjob, even though he didn’t want you to. 

You allowed him to catch his breath. “I do…” Using his thighs for balance, you lowered yourself to your knees in front of him. This wasn’t what San referred to or expected. 

When you knelt in front of San, you made eye contact with Mingi, who placed a finger over his lips, silently wanting to watch along. San was entirely oblivious to the matter, his doe-like eyes locked on you. You tugged the rest of his sweats and boxers down to his ankles, positioning yourself right in between his legs. Planting kisses on his knees and hip bones, you ghosted over his cock, letting out a soft breath of air. San shivered once more, biting back a whimper. He’s not the submissive type at all, but considering it was your heat, he couldn’t do anything to dominate you as he’d like. San was utterly at your disposal, and it wrecked him, engrossed in what you planned to do to him.

You held the base of his shaft, licking from the bottom while you swiped your tongue side to side on your journey up. You kitten licked the sides of his length and reddened tip, trailing kisses along it. San maintained eye contact with you; there was no sign of innocence behind your gaze, purely provocative. You had hypnotized him. After placing sweet kisses around the entirety of his shaft, you took him in your mouth, reaching about halfway down before you bobbed back up. San’s mouth went ajar, loving how silky your mouth felt around him. You bobbed your head slowly, getting used to the weight on your tongue and how much you could take in. 

San hissed shakily with every drag of your tongue and lips, the way you hollowed your cheeks around him became more unbearable. He didn’t think he could hold back his moans much longer. Little did he know, Mingi's eyes burned into both of you, silently encouraging you in his mind to take more of him in your mouth. When you felt more comfortable, you took him out your mouth, gasping slightly as you circled your tongue around his head, licking at the slit. His subtle caramel-tasting precum spilled out, and his cock seemed so angry and red. It only left you more ravenous, suckling the tip briefly before you took him farther in your mouth, hitting the back of your throat. It wasn’t in your mouth fully, but damn, did you feel amazing. Watching him shift in his seat because of you, on top of the internal struggle to keep quiet, made your stomach churn. Your pussy ached to engulf that desperation.

San let out a deep, guttural groan, enjoying your mouth on him. He plopped down on his back as you bobbed like your life depended on it. San opened his eyes to see if Mingi had woken up, only to find the husky hybrid staring down at him with a lustful smile, mixed with amusement. He no longer cared if he was loud anymore, full-on moaning. His right hand went to your head, gripping your hair loosely, mainly to ground himself. Whatever you couldn’t fit in your mouth, you stroked with your hand, needing his cum and wanting to taste his caramel sweetness.

“My god, angel. I’m about to cum.” San warned you, arm wearily draped over his eyes as he bucked his hips into your mouth. Not once did you gag on him, proudly displaying your dexterity. You were so engrossed by the feeling of him in your throat and how he gradually got louder. You helped him in reaching his orgasm, feeling his cock twitch in your mouth before spilling straight down your throat.

The moan dragged on for about ten seconds, your throat constricting around him as you swallowed all of him. There was a subtle taste of a sweet, salty caramel that had you addicted; you craved more. You lowered back on his length, gripping the sides of his thighs as your nose made contact with his happy trail, hearing Mingi let out an overwhelmed ‘Fuck y/n’. You deep-throated San, wrapped up in immense fervor. You were about to suck him again until the hold in your hair tightened.

San forced himself up, pulling you off his cock by your hair. His eyebrows were knitted and glistened with sweat, his chest heaving. You were gasping for air, a slight string of spit connecting from your lip to his tip, watching you lick it away with blown-out eyes. He wanted you to continue, but then you jerked slightly on your knees, letting out a whined mewl.

“You need to breathe,” San reminded you. You didn’t even notice you were holding your breath, but you did what he instructed. “Stand up, my love”. San helped bring you to your legs, wobbling in the process. Something was different about your sweatpants; a wet, slightly darker gray patch had formed between your legs. “Did you—”

Mingi’s jaw dropped; he had never witnessed a hybrid enjoy head so much. “Did you cum, princess?” It wasn’t meant to degrade you; instead, they were words of endearment. It’s probably one of your proudest moments. “I don’t know how I’m gonna survive, hyung,” Mingi exaggerated, rubbing his face. 

You saw a very obvious tent in Mingi’s pants as he lay on his side. It was a huge tent, actually. Your mouth watered at the sight, but a hard pang twisted in your stomach, making you collapse onto the bed with your hands. “It hurts…”

“Of course it does, come here.” Mingi helped bring you to the bed, delicately resting you on your back. “Hyung, her pants,” he ordered San to remove them as he removed your top. 

You were completely nude before them, eyes watering from the pain you had neglected after enjoying yourself a little too much. Mingi still had the most clothes on, which, for some reason, aggravated you. He went to shift some of their clothes out of the way, but you tugged him by his collar, gaining his attention.

“Yes, kitten?” Mingi looked down at you, hovering over your torso while San parted your legs, massaging your tail. You mewled, loving the pet name he gave you. You were taciturn, saying little as you started unbuttoning his white blouse. He allowed you to, planting a small kiss on your forehead. 

Once you reached the last button, you pulled him down by the plackets of his shirt and kissed him. You felt his necklace tickle your chest as he bent down. Mingi rested his elbows on either side of your head, his hands in your hair, deepening the kiss. His lips might’ve been your favorite so far, with their pillowy plushness and incredible softness. Mingi wasn’t shy when it came to kissing you, pressing your lips together, and tilting his head from side to side. He would bite your lips, lick them, slotting your tongues together, and sometimes let you take the lead, wanting you to do whatever you wished with him. 

San kissed from your belly to the top of your pubic area, ghosting over your vulva, and peppered kisses and licks on your inner thigh. You rutted your hips up, wanting his mouth on you. San smiled into your leg, inching closer to where you needed him. Your slick and pheromones hypnotized him. He sought to take his time, ravishing your heat, but he knew it would be better for another time. As he admired you and Mingi making out in front of him, San licked your slick-coated, wet pussy, groaning at the taste of you. Although he knew already, Yunho was correct—you tasted just like you smelled; that entrancing strawberry-chocolate musk drew him in.

“Mingi… you have to come here,” San insisted, unable to have all this to himself. Mingi pulled away from you with one last playful lip bite, drawing a soft moan from you. He kissed his way down to where San knelt between your legs. “Taste her...”

Mingi obediently obliged, lapping at your heat, you whined at how his whole tongue covered your dripping cunt. Mingi tore himself away from you, some restraint in his voice. “It’s going to get harder from here, hyung.”

You had no idea what he was talking about, but you saw San whisper something in his ear as if reassuring the husky hybrid. Then, Mingi locked eyes with yours, his gaze almost predatory, yet consumed with sex. San went back to eating you out, throwing you off completely. He threw your right leg over his shoulder so that he had more access to you, tonguing your slick. Your breath hitched in your throat, fighting between gentle moans and desperate mewls. 

“Share…” Mingi said quietly, he pushed your leg back against your stomach by your inner knee. His tongue lapped at your labia provocatively.

The feeling of both of their tongues fighting for your slick had you moaning shamelessly. The way they exposed your heat made you cover your face with your hands, trying to quiet yourself by an octave or two. You felt their wet muscles everywhere—entering you, focusing on your clit and folds. You even felt their tongues clash together messily. Mingi’s nose would occasionally bump into your bundle of nerves, tastefully adding more sensations. The way they behaved was so virile, exuding confidence in their actions, almost like they’d had a threesome before. When you removed your hands from your face, you saw the position they had you in—folded in half, pliant, and entirely at their disposal. San’s cheeks were a cute pink, his eyes closed as he ate you professionally and precisely. Mingi’s eyes were half-lidded and dark, he pulled back away to spread your folds, attaching his lips around your clit right after. 

Your legs trembled against them, preparing you for a second orgasm. When they noticed how close you were, their tongues became more sloppy, itching to drink your essence. You reached for a sweater to muffle yourself as you came all over their faces, your cunt trembled on their lips and noses. You could only register their tongues and mouths on you, cleaning you up with lip smacks and graphic noises. 

You felt someone pull away from you as the other stayed against your core, lapping your residual essence. The right side of the bed shifted, a hand gently pulling the sweater away from your face. San’s handsome face is covered in your juices. He licked his lips, or whatever he could, to be a bit more ‘presentable’. But what’s the point of that? It didn’t even feel like Mingi was eating you out anymore, more like making out with pussy—kissing it, licking it, teasing it with his tongue, and entering his wet muscle into your heat, mirroring what he did earlier when you kissed. 

“I told you to breathe, and you decide to suffocate yourself?” San playfully joked, cupping the side of your face. He leaned down to kiss you, tasting yourself on his lips. You should pat yourself on the back—you were indeed delicious. You licked around his lips and chin, gathering your fluids before letting him reclaim control. San thought you were much raunchier than he expected, “Do you like how you taste?” He questioned, barely pulling away.

You nodded, bringing him closer by the nape of his neck. Mingi pushed both of your legs back to your stomach, swiping his tongue against your clit, wanting to smear your pussy all over him. The overstimulation became too much. You incessantly mewled into San’s lips, the black cat hybrid broke the kiss first.

“Mingi. Relax.” San said assertively. Mingi couldn’t part without one more kiss on your core.

Mingi stood from the bed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and licking it afterward. “Princess, I’m sorry. You taste incredibly decadent.” You noticed a bit of his collar and chest was wet from you, turning you on even more. His ears were relaxed and swayed steadily behind him.

San shook his head, facing you again, “Who do you want first?” Your eyes darted between them both, not even knowing yourself. You haven’t even seen Mingi’s cock. 

“You might want to choose San first. I’m pretty um… big.” Mingi didn’t mean to brag, but he was definitely warning you first. 

You were suddenly intrigued. The tent in his pants already proved that statement, but you had to see for yourself. “Show me,” Mingi smirked, discarding his sweatpants and kicking them away. Based on the outline of his briefs, he was bigger than Yunho and San. When he pulled his briefs to release his cock from his constraints, you closed your legs subconsciously. The girth and length were drastic by a long shot. The tip leaked precum, and all you wanted to do was lick it before it dripped on the floor. Mingi chuckled at your reaction, finding it amusing. “Yeah… you’re gonna have to wait.”

“That’s fine, I’m pretty used to it,” Mingi snapped his briefs back over his length, kneeling in front of your core with your legs over his. He massaged your thighs for comfort and to restrain himself from eating you out again.

San placed a small kiss on your cheek, “Then it’s me first.” You pulled the sweater away from your face, exposing your nude body once more. He pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the other side of the bed, leaving it for you later.

You finally saw his body adequately. The gods sculpted him; his trapezius muscles were strong and defined, his abs chiseled into a perfect six-pack, his pecs outstanding, and his waist was narrowed. He must have worked out at least five times a day, six at most. You couldn’t help but pepper kisses on his stomach and pecs, biting his nipple in the process. San hissed, goosebumps forming across his skin.

“Prep her for me, will you?” San turned to the younger male, and Mingi happily obliged, his tail wagging hysterically behind him.

Mingi’s right hand teased your silky folds with two fingers, using the thumb on his other hand to gently rub circles on your clit. Your legs tightened around his to tug him closer, but he was immovable. Your body was weak anyway. Mingi inserted his middle finger into you first; it felt different from your experience with Yunho. Mingi’s fingers were thicker in comparison, though just as long.

He curled it upward, finding your G-spot directly. You propped yourself on your elbows, watching his fingers toy with you. The pad of his left thumb flicked your bundle of nerves, switching from flicking to tracing different shapes. He bore his eyes into yours as he inserted another finger into you, mirroring how you opened your mouth as he did. Mingi slowly fingered you, his thick appendages stretched you with every gesture of his fingers, producing more slick out of you.

“Mmm, my god Mingi~.” You whined, grinding yourself onto his fingers. Mingi hummed back in response, chewing on his bottom lip as he focused. His ears pointed proudly on his head, tuning into your beautiful moans, in love with the way he made your face contort with pleasure.

San nipped at your neck, and you gave him full access, never tearing your eyes from Mingi or his hands. His hand held your waist, moving further toward your chest; even though it was already decorated with love bites, he thought you needed more. New ones made by him, to be exact. He licked at your breasts, every swipe raising it slightly, watching it plop back down onto your torso. San tongued at your nipple, tugging at it with his teeth, and gently releasing it. He noticed how it budded, basking in hot kisses on them. You encouraged him to bite down harder with pleading eyes.

“You like that?” San raised his eyebrow. Oh, he has no idea.

A small ‘please’ escaped your lips, bringing your chest closer to his mouth for him to continue. San pecks were scalding, lingering on the top of your breast, nipping at your bud with teeth, and soothing the spot with suckles and laps. You didn’t know where to focus, feeling like you could black out right now from both sources of pleasure. You held a tight grip on San’s hair, allowing him to switch from both breasts. He made sure to leave dark love bites as he went, adding new ones to your neck, the valley of your breasts, as well as around it, and on your stomach. Mingi twisted his fingers inside you with every thrust inwards, ensuring you were prepped for San. 

“Hyung, I think she’s ready for you,” Mingi pulled his fingers out of you, keeping his thumb circling your clit in the meantime, licking at the sticky glaze that coated his fingers. 

Mingi moved aside so San could take his place between your legs. He removed his boxers, scooting you up on the bed so that there was enough space for him. Mingi discarded his shirt finally, letting it fall to the floor before settling behind you, adjusting for more cushion and leverage. You rested your head on his abdomen, fingers clinging to his arm, longing for the warmth of skin-to-skin contact. 

San lined himself up with your cunt, easing himself into your wet heat. He bit down hard on his lip, not expecting you to be as tight as you are, even with the prep. His tail wrapped tightly around your other leg, nudging you closer to him. You exhaled shakily at the stretch, hugging onto Mingi’s arm. The husky hybrid brought his other arm around to hold you, praising you. 

“You’re doing so well. Relax a little bit more, princess.” Mingi hushed you gently, wiping away your tears. “Does it hurt? Did I not prep you well enough, kitten?”

You softly keened, voice trembling as San thrust out of you for a split second, entering back into you further. You answered to the best of your abilities. “S-sannie feels amazing. Doesn’t hurt.” You babbled, rolling your hips down onto him. Mingi hummed, hands wandering over your body, kneading at your soft skin. 

Once San was inside you, he exhaled sharply, unaware that he had been holding his breath. He pressed your knees to your chest and set his pace, thrusting in and out of your slick pussy at a steady rhythm. With every drive, he moved you and Mingi against the headboard. The angle had him immediately pounding your G-spot, releasing gradual moans and whines from your throat. You squirmed against Mingi out of pleasure, grazing your teeth along the vein of his forearm. Mingi watched where you two were connected, noticing how your legs jiggled with every ram of San’s thrusts, his cock gleaming from how wet you were. He didn’t know who to be jealous of, you or San.

The sounds echoing through the room should’ve embarrassed you, but ecstasy dominated the atmosphere. With the amount of slick you were producing, San slipped in and out of you fluidly while creating the most obscene noises you’ve heard yet. San didn’t seem like the moaning type you thought, often opting for panting and knitting his brows, creating an ‘o’ shape with his mouth. Mingi bent down to your ear, whispering something only audible to you.

“He likes pain, you should dig your nails into his legs”. Mingi guided you, brushing his fluffy ear against your face before reclining against the headboard.

Though enveloped in bliss, you still processed what was said. With a free hand, you kneaded San’s thigh first, digging your nails into his skin soon after. San responded by delivering a notably deep thrust into your G-spot, and both of you groaned in unison. Mingi felt a sense of pride, captivated by the sight of you both unraveling. You’d then claw at his legs, intending to leave marks on his skin, a reminder for him tomorrow. San peppered open-mouth kisses on your calf and thighs, losing himself as your heat constantly sucked him back in. 

Mingi caressed your face, tucking your hair behind your ear, absorbing every fleeting detail of the pleasure you expressed while taking San so well. He didn’t say it, but he couldn’t wait to be inside you. The scent of you overwhelmed him, and your lustful moans, combined with the proximity between you, drove him mad. It’s difficult to resist his possessiveness, but for once, he managed. He longed to snatch you away from San, to care for you through the remainder of your heat, to claim your lips for himself, mark you from head to toe, and eat you out for as long as you allowed. But he’d share just this once. Again, it’s not about him. If you wanted both of them, he understands. It’s just a primal instinct embedded in him, like Yeosang’s. They don’t mean to, but when it comes to something intimate, like sex or kissing someone they love, they can’t help but get defensive.

You kissed his hand as it lightly stroked your face, gently nibbling his palm. Mingi realized you liked to bite a lot, something you two have in common. When you made eye contact with him, he smiled down at you. You tugged him by his necklace to kiss you—it was an awkward position, but you made it work, darting your tongues in each other's mouths. As San dropped one of your legs, he draped the other one over his shoulder, pounding deeper into you at this angle and groaning in the process. Your moans were captured between Mingi’s lips as you tried your best to keep the momentum, but he helped bring you right back to where you were. He snaked a hand down to your clit and started massaging it, lightly tapping the sensitive bud with four digits causing your body to quiver. You broke the kiss, leaning your head back to suck love bites onto his chest and Adam’s apple. It lasted only about a minute before you felt yourself pulled away from Mingi, throwing you both off. 

San planted his feet on the ground, gripping your waist tightly as he drove quickly into you, beginning to get more audible. You hooked your legs around his waist, biting the back of your hand, inching closer and closer to your orgasm. San glistened in sweat, his hair sticking to his forehead, and you craved licking the saltiness off him. Mingi played with your sensitive ears, tracing the outer shell and rubbing the colorful fur on it, which was enough to set you off. You dug your nails into San’s forearms, writhing against both of them as you let out a sobbed mewl. San gave a light slap on your thigh, squeezing at the flesh as he came inside of you. He panted hysterically, riding out both of your orgasms.

Mingi honored you by calling you the “prettiest princess”, granting him the gift of hearing your beautiful song and their harmonious moans in person. San almost fell on top of you, catching himself with balled fists against the bed. He still had too much stamina left to finish his time with you. Too caught up in the moment, San wrapped your arms around his neck, hooking your legs under his arms, and carried you off the bed, still inside you. You were too busy recovering to realize you had been moved until you felt a cold, hard surface behind you. San had you pressed against the wall.

Mingi watched from his spot on the bed, eyes roaming across San’s muscular back as he fucked deeply into you against the wall. He watched you claw at San’s back, softly crying in his ear with a faint lilt, causing them to flick in response. God, he tried hard not to palm himself, but he had to. His hand went across the wet patch that seeped through his briefs, hissing at the friction between the material and sensitive skin. Your scent wrapped around him since it was fragrant around the whole room, forgetting what San smelled like. You unraveling at San’s precise thrusts almost made him cum on the spot, but he had to feel you first.

Seeing as you were distracted, Mingi took the opportunity to exit the room and grab a few necessities. He didn’t care how he looked right now; Yunho could catch him bare, and Mingi would go about his day. He went up the stairs to your room to gather anything that could come in handy. He grabbed a towel, a new outfit in case you wanted to shower and wear clothes, and reached under the bed for a toy or two. Opening the black storage box, he pulled out your vibrating wand; he didn’t think you’d need any dildos with two people at your disposal. Satisfied with his choice, he closed the box, placed it back under your bed, and walked out with all the items. 

As he passed Yunho’s door, he heard a bellowed groan that stopped him in his tracks. Mingi was usually nosy, so he pressed his ear to the door, making sure that’s what he heard. Sure enough, he heard slick sounds and two more groans, confirming that Yunho was getting off to you in his room. You and San were pretty loud from here.

“God, everyone’s so damn horny around here,” Mingi laughed sarcastically, and then Yunho’s noises came to an abrupt halt. He made his escape then. 

He veered into the kitchen to grab an extra protein bar, mixed nuts, and an electrolyte drink with a straw for you. He wanted to heat a meal for you, but didn’t know when your heat would subside. As soon as it did, he’d text Yunho. Managing everything in one hand, he walked back to the room to find you and San still at it. He could tell both of you were close, so he set everything down where it needed to be. He placed the towel at the bottom of the bed where he planned to have you next, set your clothes and toy on the chair in the corner of the room, and filled the tray with the new snacks. He planned on sharing his mixed nuts with you since you’d liked them earlier. Mingi reclaimed his spot on the bed, noting that San’s thrusts were getting sloppy again. You were putty in his arms, head on his shoulder, as you spoke incoherently. 

Two minutes passed, and both of you came together; your essence trickled onto the floor from your position against the wall. Mingi made a mental note to clean that later. San’s thrusts slowed, riding out your orgasms languidly as you made out. You felt physically detached from reality as if having an out-of-body experience. Your lips moved in sync, but it was almost like you weren’t in control of them, mostly just muscle memory as your mind was rendered useless. Your core throbbed around San’s cock, he was experiencing oversensitivity while still in you. 

When he pulled away from you, he saw how naturally flushed your face was—almost as red as his. You seemed distant from reality; of course, during heats, hybrids experience brain fog, but you looked utterly enchanted. Your eyes were utterly dilated, full of love. 

“You alright, angel?” San asked breathlessly, pressing his lips to your cheek. You followed the path of his mouth, trying to kiss him again. “I’ll give you what you want, but I need you to answer.”

You pouted, panting softly. “Mm okay,” you mumbled, immediately pressing your lips back onto his. He smiled into the kiss, carrying you back to the bed, and laying you on your back as he pulled out of you. You whined, feeling some cum drip out of you, attempting to scoop it back in. 

San pulled back to see what was wrong, noticing how frantic you were to keep it in. You were gonna bring your cum coated fingers to your mouth until he stopped your hand, “I swear if you do that, I might fuck you again”. San has a lot of restraint, but seeing how naughty you were truly tested it. You didn’t listen, however, cleaning your fingers while maintaining eye contact with him. He watched as you licked every last drop before dropping your hand to your chest. “You might’ve actually been sent from heaven, angel”.

You smiled at the praise, patting yourself on the back for doing a great job, but man, did you feel tired. Your wave was temporarily satisfied, unaware of when the next one would come. San kissed your cheeks again, “Listen, my love, I’m going to step out for a few minutes to grab a washcloth to wipe you down.” You voiced your displeasure at the thought of him leaving and cleaning his cum from you, “I’ll leave it in, but I’ll be right back, I promise. The restroom isn’t that far.” San glanced up at Mingi, who tuned in on the wholesome interaction. “Have her scent you while I’m gone.”

As soon as San backed away, you were met by familiar black and white hair. Mingi’s handsome face hovered above yours, “Hello, gorgeous.” You smiled up at the husky hybrid who held you in his arms, cradling you bridal style. He brought you against the headboard, ensuring you were comfortable near his scent gland and that San’s essence stayed snug inside you. “Are you hungry?”

You shook your head, “Thirsty,” you said, your throat dry. He leaned over to grab your electrolyte drink, opened it, and inserted a straw inside. Holding it for you, he let you scent him as you drank. 

“I’m proud of you for doing an amazing job today. I loved how you sounded,” Mingi praised, his voice filled with admiration. He could praise you for all eternity. “And sorry for getting ahead of myself, but you tasted ravishing. I can’t get enough of you”, he added lustfully. 

“You can’t say such things right now,” you almost pulled his briefs down and sank on him. He laughed, placing your half-empty drink on the tray. 

“Have you tasted yourself?” you nodded, referring to earlier when you kissed San after he ate you out. “Then you have to understand where I’m coming from.”

San returned with a washcloth and his hair brushed out of his face. Mingi opened you up so that San had better access to wipe you down. You relaxed to the warmth of the cloth, nose deep into Mingi’s Egyptian musk and cocoa butter pheromones. San was sure to wipe your bottom and the surrounding area, ensuring you weren’t sticky before cleaning himself off. You noticed he was still hard even after cumming twice, he just didn’t say anything because it’s your heat. Not only does he have a lot of restraint, but he isn’t selfish, especially when it comes to sex. 

A phone ringing caught you all off guard—it was San’s phone. The caller ID read ‘🖤Woonyang🖤’. “It’s Wooyoung, why is he calling now?”. Mingi shrugged, leaving it up to San to decide whether he should answer.

San picked up the call, “Hel—“

“Omg, is our y/n okay? Yunho told Seonghwa, who told Yeosang and me she was in heat. Is she with Yunho right now?” Wooyoung sounded frantic, speaking faster than he naturally did. “My dearest y/n, I can’t imagine the pain she’s in.”

“Hello to you, too, Wooyoung.” San shook his head at his silly friend. “She’s okay for now. And she isn’t with Yunho.” San eyed you and Mingi carefully. “She’s actually with Mingi and me right now.”

“Can I speak to her? Is she asleep? I want to hear her voice. Oh my y/n,” Wooyoung’s heart broke for you. San heard Yeosang in the background of the call, saying ‘Wooyoung, relax before you hyperventilate’. Wooyoung told him to be quiet.

San put himself on mute. “Wooyoung wants to speak with you. Should I tell him to call you later?”

You shook your head, extending your hand for the phone. “I can talk for a bit.”

San unmuted himself. “I’m passing the phone now. Gather yourself before you scare her off.”

He gave the phone to you, and you leaned into Mingi’s chest, phone to your ear. “Hi, Woo—“

“Y/N! My sweetheart, are you okay?!”. Wooyoung’s relief was evident, though barely so, as he was overwhelmed with emotions.

“He sure listens well to directions,” Mingi commented sarcastically, hearing Wooyoung’s outburst. San shook his head, never expecting any less. He went to grab some boxers to cover himself instead of standing around nude.

“Never been better,” you replied hoarsely. “Scenting Mingi right now.”

Wooyoung cooed when he heard how raspy your voice was. “Does it hurt more than usual?”

“Absolutely, but I have Yunho, San, and Mingi to take care of me.” Mingi squeezed you in response, and San hummed in delight. “Thank you for checking up on me, Wooyoungie.”

Wooyoung scoffed. “It’s the least I can do. I know I shouldn’t have you on the call for too long since I don’t know when your next wave will come, but I needed to hear your voice. Yeosang wants to say hi too.”

“That’s fine, I missed him as well.”

 Wooyoung handed the phone to the Dobermann hybrid, “Hello Y/n.” 

Yeosang’s deep voice always caught you off guard. “Good afternoon, Yeosangie.”

“I know you’re busy, so I won’t keep you for too long,” Yeosang started. “But I miss you too. I’m glad to hear you’re doing okay. I’m sure you didn’t expect your heat to arrive so quickly either, especially after what you told us.”

You remembered the conversation you shared between Yeosang and Wooyoung at the sleepover. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t even notice my own preheat symptoms.”

“Oh, y/n,” Yeosang said, his voice laced with concern. You could see him frowning, even though he wasn’t in front of you. “Wooyoung and I will treat you to a nice massage after this is all done. We know San and Mingi could do it, but who are they to have you all to themselves?”. Wooyoung agreed in the background.

Yeosang made you laugh, but Mingi scoffed. He hadn’t meant to listen to the whole conversation, but how could he not when the phone was right beneath him? “I’d appreciate that.”

“Please make sure to eat, even if you don’t feel like it. Remember, it’s always for your health so you don’t faint, darling.” Yeosang reminded you gently.

“Yes, Yeosangie”, you yawned into the phone. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m going to let you go now, okay?”. Yeosang’s voice was soft and tranquil; you didn’t want him to end the call, but you could slowly feel another wave approaching. 

You softly whined into the phone, “O-okay, bye Yeosangie and Wooyoungie”. Soon after they said their goodbyes, you hung up and gave the phone back to San. You turned your face and body closer to Mingi, whining into his neck, “It’s coming…” San sat on the chair in the corner of the room, scooting your clothes and toy to the side as he ate his energy bar.

Mingi rubbed your lower back, asking. “Should we start now?” You paused for a moment before responding, “In a few minutes. Eat up a bit.”

Mingi didn’t argue. He took a handful of his mixed nuts, offering some to you. “You first, then I’ll be okay.”

You opened your mouth, letting him feed you the honey-roasted peanuts and almonds. A satisfied noise escaped your lips as you chewed, craving a little more. Mingi obliged. You never know how hungry you are until you actually start eating, but like you promised, you only had a little. While you distracted yourself from the impending wave, you continued to scent Mingi. His free palm ran across your back as he snacked. He didn’t eat much, though, as your pheromones grew stronger again. He brushed off his hands, wrapping his arms around you, listening carefully to the change of your subtle whines and mewls.

It wasn’t until your innocent scenting turned into licking at his scent gland, kissing his neck, that Mingi let you continue. He closed his eyes, docile to the sensation as you kissed and nipped at his skin, offering more of his neck to you. Your teeth grazed his gland, his breath hitched in the back of his throat. 

“You gotta be careful, princess. That’s my sweet spot”. Mingi lightly moaned, planting a kiss on the top of your head.

You were tempted to tease him more until the excruciating pang hit you. Your nails dug into Mingi’s chest, causing the husky hybrid to hiss, his ears perking high on his head. “It aches, Mingi.”

“I got you.” He gently lifted your face towards him with his index finger, preparing to kiss you. 

But before he could, San's voice cut through. “Mingi…” his voice breaking through Mingi’s hypnotic state, his gaze locking with Mingi’s from the chair in the corner of the room. “Remember what we talked about earlier.” 

Mingi nodded, eyes softening. “I will.” 

[gremlingottoosilly]

Cabin in the woods (yan!slasher!Konig x fem!Reader x yan!slasher!Horangi) part 3

Little birdie got caught. Konig is simply too excited to let you go. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 AO3

TW for the chapter: Light blood and gore, dead bodies, mentions of drugs, spanking, kidnapping

— Those fucking bastards killed Karen! Don’t you care?! 

Shouting at your friends was never your forte, but you expected that it would come out at some point in your unwilling journey, You never knew it would because of the psycho killers on the loose, wanting nothing more but to make a nice set of decorations from your bones and eat your liver. 

You try to scream some senses into Chad’s tough skull but, just like his name suggests, this is a useless endeavor and you would be far better off running for your life, abandoning your friends, and hoping that killers would be satisfied without your sacrifice. But, you’re too nice. But, you have a bleeding heart and a death wish – and you feel guilty over not feeling guilty that Karen is dead. This is a new, overwhelming feeling for you, the one that almost revamps your whole essence. There are changes occurring, and you would rather die than acknowledge those changes. 

— Listen to me, goddamnit! We’re all going to die! 

You must be looking horrible – mouth covered in blood like you just ate a bunch of raw meat, smelling of dirt and fresh guts, hands shaking and your face resembling the horror mixed with anger – even Marty is surprised to see the resident mouse behave like this. God, even you are surprised to see just how horrified you look, screaming at them in the hope of saving at least someone. 

Marty drops a hand over your shoulders, pulling you to the side. You try to resist, but his clanky figure is surprisingly grippy and strong – you are being pulled to the nearest tree branches, just out of the range of the group. You spend the previous few hours trying to find them and yell some senses into their heads – and the only thing that they advised is that you should stop drinking for today and that stealing pills from Marty’s stash isn’t very nice even if he kinda doesn’t care where his junk goes. Still, you are fucking trembling. 

Marty pushes you to the tree, whispering in your ear – you feel his hot, deranged breath on the side of your face, making you wince. Even compared to the killer’s smell of sweat and blood, they still were nicer to be around than Stale-Beer-And-Cheap-Weed-Breath Marty. 

— Hey. Heeeeey, doll, what was happening back there? 

— Karen is…

— Nah-nah-nah, this is where you should shut up, yeah? Karen isn’t dead. I mean, I’m glad you think she is, it means my prank is fucking awesome. 

Prank? Her fucking head was chopped off and then tossed over to the nearest creek when the shorter killer decided that he wants you to perform a blowjob on his knife, making sure that you are licking all the blood away. You don’t think that there are ways to fake this – and if there are, then your friends and their hired goons are no better than actual killer psychos anyway and you’d still want out. 

— I saw her! 

— Sure you did, hon. Listen, I’m really glad you were the first to notice and everything, but keep it down for now, yeah? I have this sick mask and I was actually planning to prank the group later at night, but if you found it first…

— Prank?! There are two actual killers on the loose, this is the worst time to do pranks! — God, you’re annoying. This is why I fucking asked Jenny not to invite you. There are no killers, alright? Karen agreed to partake in the prank, so she is hiding somewhere in the forest until I’d pull out that sick knife and fucking scare everyone shitless. You were probably hallucinating from booze. 

— I saw her severed head!

— Sure you did. Listen – you can help me, yeah? Just rile everyone up a little, then you will come back and say that…hmmmm…that Marty was taken! Everyone panicking, screaming, crying, and then I show up with this big-ass knife and…

You never heard the last of his amazing, perfect, simply brilliant idea – because before he could finish it, his head was impaled with…oh, no. No-no-no, you can’t do this anymore, not so soon after Karen is dead, not when you are still shaking and can barely think straight not when you are far away from others because Marty fucking led you to another secured place just to get his stupid head impaled with a fucking crossbow bolt – something that you only saw in video games or historical dramas. 

This was completely silent – the quiet music of the bolt flying through the air, a small grunt that escaped Marty’s lips before he fell to the ground beneath your feet. You didn’t even manage to see from what direction this thing came from, too disoriented to observe the world around you properly. You feel the adrenaline running up again, probably breaking the record for you in the whole year – you jump from the body on the ground, tears dwelling in your eyes. You can’t do it, you can’t do it, you won’t do it, you were never a fighter, the freeze-fight-flight instinct always coming up to curling down in a small ball and sucking on your thumb. 

Some people are simply not built for survival – this is a natural order, something that Darwin was talking about. Soft, weak humans are meant to die, meant to be the food for stronger predators, for monsters dwelling in the shadows. Some creatures are never meant to exist – fleshy cute creatures, the ones that melt at the slightest touch, someone like you – when your first answer to a threat is to roll on your back and show your belly to a mountain lion, you just knew that evolution never meant for you to live past the crib. And yet, civilisation allowed you to survive. To thrive even, before you were put in this fucking forest. 

You run before everything else can kick in – at least some of your instincts are working properly, adrenaline running through your veins as you are leaving Marty behind, not even bothering to check if he is still breathing or not. The man was never thinking with his head – not the upper one anyway – but you doubt that he would survive a bolt shot perfectly between his eyes, separating his brain in two perfect halves. Like a fucking apple. 

You ran 

 ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎   ‎‎      ‎    and you ran ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎  ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎  ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎  ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎      and you ran some more

And you ran right into his chest. 

Wall of muscles, no less – you aren’t even sure if this is a human’s body, too sturdy and hard and perfect to belong to something less of a Roman statue. You feel tears running down your face, panic not even bothering to settle in – you know you would be dead in the next few moments, brain tragically easy saying goodbye to being intact. A pathetic sob escapes your throat as you are caught for the second time in this night – lady luck might be smiling upon you the first time, but you doubt you can be her favorite for long. 

— I thought the rule of escaping was to run away from danger. 

This is the tall killer – low voice, secured by the mask, making it almost unrecognizable. You shake as a big, glowed hand goes on your back, laying there heavily. Even more pathetic sounds are produced from your lips, and you are almost ready to beg him for a quick, painless death – his hand is big enough to cover your head and you don’t want to think of the implications that he might crush your skull with just his fingers. 

König listens to your sobs, doing nothing but keeping a firm hand on your back, securing you in place. You sob and whine and tremble in his hold – and he was never more hard in his life. What an adorable, pathetic little creature you are. Helpless in his hold – even squirrels can fight, scratching and biting. You were sobbing in his hold like the perfect kleine prey you are, and he could almost pretend this was a hug. 

— Tshhh, Hase, don’t cry. I won’t be able to let you go if you’d proceed with those sweet noises, ja? 

His revelation only makes you squirm more. You finally try to get out of his bear-like hug – only to realize that all of your little movements and struggles fit perfectly with the enormous, pulsating bulge in his pants that can probably be considered a murder weapon on its own and shouldn’t be concealed since this is an obvious threat to…ah, on second thought, running around from a serial killer who has his monstrous dick hanging out would be worse. Much, much worse. 

— Let me go! 

You squirm one of your hands, punching his chest. Feels like punching a marble statue – the only thing you are hurting is your own hands. You try to resolve to a different form, jerking up your knee to land a blow on his crotch. 

He fucking moans. 

— Never knew you were such a fighter, Schatz. But I warned you, aren’t I? 

You don’t understand what he is talking about before he suddenly lifts you in his hands, dropping you on his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. You are crying, trying to get away, [unching him with your legs and your hands, all the adrenaline in your veins working solely for the purpose of inflicting as much pain on this enormous figure as possible. 

You tug on this weird hood he is wearing – if you are going to die, at least you would die exhausting all possible options, not feeling like you gave up without a fight. This is still a journey of self-respect and deep insight searches for the mysteriously hidden backbone of your body – maybe, yoga classes would be more effective and less dangerous but, unfortunately, you’re not a rich white housewife in her thirties, so not like you have money for a guru who would spend hours trying to convince your ovaries to stop dying on the inside. 

— Let! 

You punch him on the back, a multitude of well-served punches right into his back. He laughs, spreading his shoulders, cocking his chest forward like you were giving him a massage. With a groan, you made a very deliberate punch right in the middle of his back – and he moans from satisfaction, probably releasing some pent-up tension that he got from killing grandmas and destroying hotels. 

— Me! 

You tried to kick him in the chest, your legs working overtime as you cosplayed a rabid rabbit – only for him to laugh even more, his arm securing you holstered across his shoulder like your punches meant nothing. They probably didn’t – he is literally still holding a fucking crossbow in his other hand, managing to secure it on his side while moving towards…you only assume it to be a murder cabin because of course those freaks would have a murder cabin, why the hell not – probably with some cool classy furniture made out of bones. 

— Go! You finally manage to secure hold on the edge of his hood, yanking it upwards in hopes of actually revealing who the fuck is he – a dirty businessman who doesn’t like those damn kids and their dog to ruin his plans for burning down the forest to create a shopping mall? A nice old man who showed you the road when you were lost, but he is actually on a spree to get revenge on all young people for killing his pet chicken in 1997? One of those creepy guys at the corner store who was weirdly obsessive over you, talked like a serial killer, and was constantly and also came in pair with the guy whose height and manner perfectly resembled a pair of killers that are after you now? 

Probably the grandpa. 

You yank the mask up and…

Ah. 

Of course, he is wearing a freaking balaclava. The only thing that you managed to see were his eyes – blue, icy, pretty, filled with anger as he pulled the hood down, concealing his features again, without you even managing to take a closer look. You gulp loudly, preparing to die. 

He smacks your ass with a power that would be enough to break a bone – your only saving grace is that the flesh of your butt provided some cushion, instead leaving a nasty bruise and inability to sit for at least a few days. That is if you would even survive long enough to have problems sitting on your backside. You won’t have such problems if you’re dead, right? 

— Quiet, Schatz. I already breaking the rule for taking you too early. 

— Br…breaking a rule? Do you have a freaking hunting pact? 

— I promised Tiger that we’d let you roam around a little. Make things interesting. 

Ah, yes, because letting you go the first time was such a brilliant idea on their behalf. The only reasons you didn’t go straight to the police is because A) You don’t speak rural Austrian German, B) Your phone can’t connect to anything, and C) You don’t even know in what part of the forest you are. Also because you’re scared that the police are going to turn out treacherous people, just like in horror movies, and that it would fucking destroy your trust. 

— I can roam around. I can roam around just fucking perfect, ass…

Another loud smack on your ass makes you feel like a misbehaving kitten. He grips your ass through your jeans and you whimper a little bit, starting to cry again as his hand goes straight for the bottom, gripping your cunt through the tough layer of denim. You thank every god you know for making you wear ugly, but protective and thick jeans. Every time his hand goes to cup your most intimate parts, the fabric of your jeans protects it – you don’t even feel too violated when he pushes his fingers even more, desperately trying to get a reaction out of you. 

— Language, Hase. Don’t make me discipline you, ja? — Fuck you! — Very gut then. That’s what you will do very soon.

Oh, but the rough material grinding over your delicate, thin panties and the sensitivity of your cunt really makes you feel…something. You won’t want to admit it, he smells like blood and sweat(still better than Marty, but you shut down that thought before it was born because fuck the new abortion laws), and he spanks your ass only to grope your pussy right after – and he also has masterful fingers that are working at the hem of your jeans, making the fabric press even more against the sensitive skin and…

You try to think of something – anything. 

Dead bodies, dead bodies, a lot of dead bodies, and there are some dead puppies too and everything is gross and smelly and…ah, it’s not working. 

König touches your lower parts with a wide grin under his hood – you’re fucking perfect, a nice addition to their house. You bite when he needs a little fight and you shut up when he touches you – perfect birdie, adorable birdie, Horangi will probably be bitching about spoiling the fun since you’d be stuck with them without a proper chase like he wanted, but the tiger would come around once he’d emptied himself on your warm body just once. 

You squirm under his touch, moan and cry and tremble and he can’t stop imagining you in millions of different positions. Stuck in the basement of their house, on your knees like a good girl you are, maybe with some branding or a collar – it’s more of a Horangi’s thing, even though König hopes he won’t have to break you too much until you’d call him daddy – pushing you to their shared bed, making sure that you’re nice and stuck in some open positions, allowing them to take you without much repercussions. 

— Let me go. 

— Nein. 

— Please? 

— I like your begging, Spatz. 

— It means you’d let me go? 

— Nein. You will tell your little friends, and then you will run to the police, ruining our fun. You are not going anywhere. 

— But, um…your culprit will be mad, no? 

As cunning as you can, you’re trying to seal the seeds of destruction among them. You’re trying your damn best not to act too charming or too fake, just so he won’t fall in love with you for real and would try murder-suicide you, but also with enough charisma checks so you’d actually convince him. 

But, it’s not really working – maybe, you aren’t as good at spreading havoc as you thought you were. 

— He’d live. We would get to hold you in your house, little one. It’s enough to make him understand my reasons. 

It’s definitely enough to make you want to puke. He is fast, not even bothering to check on the body of your friend as he goes past it – he just marks it with something that resembles a piece of torn fabric and pushes some leaves and sticks on the body, probably signalling to his friend to come and get rid of the body – and then he changed your position a little bit, securing a hand on your ass he goes deeper into the forest. 

You’re trying to remember the location, maybe counting the trees and every bush that seems like a good mark – but you, a city girl raised on a cocktail of Google Maps and a constant internet connection, have already grown tired of trying to remember everything. Every tree is the fucking same, every turn feels like the one before and, at some point, you were sure that he is actually going in circles to make you understand the location even less. Your blurry vision obstructs the goal even more – you cried so much, it feels like your very eyes gave out. With a sigh of defeat, you metaphorically roll over to your back and present your belly to the predators. 

After a hike that felt like hours, but was probably like 10 minutes long – this guy has long legs and the determination of a dog dragging a really cool stick home and, before you know it, you’re standing in front of a…house. Nice house. Expensive house, a big house, something less of a mansion, but more of a shed that you thought he was going to live in because he is literally a serial killer. 

Even serial killers made good property investments in the respective years – and you were too busy with useless stuff, like learning how to walk or trying not to choke yourself on a piece of carrot. 

— Welcome home, Schatz. 

He gently lets you down from his shoulder, allowing you to take a closer look at your surroundings. Normal living room – literally nothing weird. Maybe a bit too much hunting trophies, maybe a lot of guns lying around, some overly manly decorations, and very questionable art pieces but if you’d see that house advertised on the property website, you wouldn’t even consider it too weird. You were expecting…something. Blood on the walls, furniture made out of human flesh and skin, a devilish feast for imps and every like them…

You saw nothing as König punched the back of your head, putting you to sleep. 

You fucking hate forest trips. 

[sunflowerrosewood]

S/O Gets Period and They Take Care ~ Stray Kids (all)

Author's Note: Since my other account @cheekyredwillow got deleted. I am adding some of my favorite fanfictions to this account and revamping this one with new ones. I hope to make an actual list of fandoms I am still a fan of! NO requests for the time being.

I'm writing this one as the whole group finds out and takes care of you. I'm on mine right now and this idea hit me. Also trying out texting parts of the story 👀.

~~~~

You got up as if it was a normal day for you. You got ready for work/school and went. You were working on a project when you felt a cramp hit you. Your stomach clenched. You knew what that meant. Your period was either here or was about to be in the next couple of days.

You had some extra pads on you so as a safety precaution, you grabbed one and ran to the bathroom. No blood stain on your undergarment but as you went to the bathroom, you were bleeding. Phew you made it just in time....

Though now that you put your pad on and it officially started. Your cramps also began. You had to go back to your project slightly bent over due to them. Why did they have to hit at work/school? Why couldn't they hit at home then you could've have "worked from home" today?

A couple hours went past and your cramps were hitting you hard. Your friend Yuko came by to check on you.

"Y/n are you okay? You don't look too good?" She asked softly.

"I'm not. My period started at work." You told her.

"Why don't you go home? You have been caught up for weeks now. A day off doesn't hurt?" She told you and you nodded your head.

Yuko did have a point. You haven't taken many days off and you still had 5 more hours to go. So you listened to her and decided to go back home. Before you left, a group chat went off. Your group chat with Stray Kids.

You were added in this chat by your best friend Jeongin. He wanted you to meet the group and you clicked right in. Now the whole crew adores you and loves when you hang out with them. Though today, you feel bad. It was the weekly movie night and you'll have to cancel.

You hoped that would ease their worries. They didn't need to fret over you. You grabbed your things from work and headed home.

~~■■ Stray Kids' POV ■■~~

The group got your latest message and began to wonder what was going on? Chris being the main questioner.

"Is Y/n alright? She rarely cancels." Chris stated

"When she says she'll be okay. I worry something else is going on." Changbin said as the others nodded their heads.

"Whenever she's like this, it's either because she's sick or her period started." Jeongin stated which made some of them perk up.

"Would her period be now?" Hyunjin asked.

"I'm not sure but probably." Jeongin guessed.

"I could bring the snacks I was making to her?" Felix suggested.

"I think that's a good idea. Why don't we grab things for her?" Chris said.

Felix grabbed his baked goods he made the previous day. Chris grabbed the sweatshirt you liked to wear when you hung out with them. Changbin grabbed the large blanket. Lee Know grabbed a heating pad they had at their place. Seugmin grabbed some pain medicine they had at the dorm. Han and Hyunjin grabbed more of your favorite things around the place. Jeongin messaged the group.

~~■■ Your POV ■■~~

You got home and immediately went to the bathroom to take a shower. Something about freshening up seemed like a good thing to do now. When you finished your shower, you got into some comfy clothes you could lounge around in.

"Finally comfort. Now some medicine and food." You said and walked to the kitchen area.

Knock knock knock

"Who could be visiting?" You asked and went to your door. You looked out the peephole and saw the boys. You immediately opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" You asked very surprised.

"Surprise! We thought you'd like some comfort." Jisung exclaimed.

"We thought you weren't feeling good or perhaps on your period so we brought stuff." Minho said and held up a heating pad.

You felt yourself beginning to tear up and stepped aside for them to come in. Each one you hugged tightly. Jeongin was the last to come in and you hugged him tighter.

"Thank you." You whispered.

"Of course. We'll always be there for you." Jeongin said.

You turned in and Seugmin held out some medicine.

"We had some pain meds around the house. I hope this helps." He said softly and you smiled warmly.

"I was actually looking for some pain medication so you are right on time." You said and took some of the medicine.

"Have you ate?" Hyunjin asked.

"Not since I went to work." You told them.

"We'll get you some food. Go lay down." Felix told you.

Jisung and Changbin pulled you to your room so the others could bring things. Seugmin and Jeongin followed behind.

"I didn't realize you had a large bed?" Jisung stated and you chuckled.

"It helps to relax. But I guess it's perfect for all of you to stay too." You said.

You climbed into bed and Changbin started to set up the TV. Minho came in with the heating pad and what looked like tea. You placed the heating pad on where your cramps were hurting you. Changbin climbed beside one side of you and Jeongin on the other. Chris came in with a sweater.

"If you get cold, I brought your favorite one from our dorm." He said and placed it to the side.

A few minutes later, Hyunjin and Felix had some plates of food. The two of them brought it on a tray for all of you to munch on. You turned on your TV and started a movie all of you wanted to see.

An hour into the movie and the snacks dwindling, you started to feel sleepy. Between the medicine, the heating pad, and the comfort of the boys you could crash right there. You slid deeper into the blankets and fell asleep.

The boys were watching the movie and Hyunjin turned to check on you.

"Psst guys she fell asleep." He whispered.

"Oh the medicine may have kicked in." Seugmin said.

"Let's let her rest. She's probably not in pain as much." Chris said as the others nodded their heads.

Each one had a hand just rubbing either your arm or leg softly. Partially to soothe you and partially to know where you were. Another hour went by and each of the boys were starting to get sleepy.

Changbin was first and fell asleep near your shoulder. Jeongin was next and fell asleep near your other shoulder. Hyunjin and Jisung were next and fell asleep with a hand near the heating pad. Felix fell asleep with a hand on your leg. Lastly was Chris and Minho who also fell asleep with a hand on your legs.

All of you fell asleep and took a nap together. In the end, your period was more tolerable due to these boys helping you out and being a big comfort for you.

[the-writing-pigeon]

Singing In the Shower

Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Warnings: Fluff, showering, nudity, Bucky sneaking into the shower, physical touch, pet names (doll), suggestive/slightly dirty talk (if there is anything else let me know!)

A/N: This is something that I came up with, and since I am revamping some of my old stories, there will be some changes. It’s short but sweet, so I hope you like it:) Again, If you recognize some of these stories, I ask that you please do not interact as if I am the same person. I am trying to stay anonymous.

Ever since you were a little girl, you have always loved to sing. You would make a tune or rhythm out of anything. Whistle, drum, hum and most prominently, singing. Your family loved the concerts you would put on, your little plastic microphone in hand. All of those memories come flooding in when you start to hum your favorite childhood song: A teenager in love. 

“One day I feel so happy, The next I feel so sad.” 

You continued the song and smiled when you sang the lyrics that followed. 

“Why must I be a teenager in love?” 

You tried to be as quiet as possible with knowledge that Bucky was sleeping in the room right across the hall. He had a very long mission today, and waking up to a grumpy Bucky was not on your to-do list today. 

Your lips pulled up into a smile once again as you sang the chorus. You couldn’t help being a hopeless romantic, and you were so lucky to have found Bucky. The time you met, was a silly incident on a trip to Romania. 

You thought about the first time the two of you met. It was a silly incident while you were on a trip to Romania; 

You had tripped over your own feet and spilled coffee all over the ground. When you went to get napkins, you turned around and a man had come to help you with the mess. 

You smiled brightly and said, “Oh you don’t have to help me. It’s my own clumsy self coming out.” 

The man shook his head and replied, “It’s alright miss. It’s just some coffee.” 

Let’s just say that you haven’t ordered coffee in public since then. You shook off the funny memory as you rinsed your (length, color, and texture) hair. While humming to yourself, you didn’t hear the bathroom door creak open, your boyfriend entering the steam-filled room. 

The shower curtain barely shuffled open, and you could feel the warm presence of your loving, hunky boyfriend behind you. He had taken his metal arm off before hopping in, making sure the technology didn’t get ruined. His lips pressed soft kisses along your shoulder and up your neck, his right hand resting on your soft tummy. With his skin pressed against yours, everything felt right.

“I didn’t know you could sing doll.” His voice is low and groggy, most likely just from waking up. 

The butterflies in your belly fluttered, and a smile grew on your face. “Only in the shower.” You say, leaning back in his warm embrace. He gives your forehead a gentle kiss, and the two of you sway as you continue to hum your favorite song. 

“You know, I bought this album on vinyl when it first came out, it was my mothers favorite.” Your brows raised, almost forgetting that the man you love was born much earlier than you were. 

“Wow… it must’ve been a hit if it is still popular today, hm?” You turn, looking up at Bucky, his blue eyes crinkling with joy as he smiles. 

“It was,” He pauses and cups your cheek, his thumb grazing over the soft and textured skin of your face. “But I think it sounds better when you sing it.” The burly man leans down, peppering your face with kisses until he finally presses a soft kiss to your lips. Even though you have known him for a while, and you live with him, you still get nervous around Bucky. And every kiss feels like the first; Magical. 

His gentle hand helps you scrub your body, and he helps you condition your hair, turning off the faucet once he finished. He reaches out of the shower and grabs your soft towel, wrapping it around your body with his arm just like a big hug. 

“Do you promise to sing more often, doll?” He asks, smirking as adds, “Maybe on my cock next time?” 

With a gasp and a light slap to his chest, you giggle and press a sloppy kiss to his lips. 

“In your dreams!” You say, laughing with Bucky as you both exit the shower, feeling clean and happy. 

[honeyed-blossom]

hehehe I’m so excited to present Valeria for this season’s Yule Ball!! HUGE SHOUTOUT TO @leaping-toadstool-caps FOR PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER 🫶🫶💕 I had so much with this, thank you!!

apologies for the long post!!

—————————

One could not put into words Valeria’s excitement at the approaching Winter Ball. She loved dressing up, she loved dancing, and most of all, she loved dancing with Sebastian.

Her heart had nearly leapt out of her chest when he asked her to be his date to the ball a few weeks ago…

———

Right after one of their Thursday Arithmancy classes, Sebastian had dragged her to the Undercroft. “Come on, I have something to show you,” Sebastian had insisted, sporting his signature grin.

He had revamped the Undercroft into a cozy, romantic hideaway. In the center of the room, a patch of cushions and blankets lay surrounded by all her favorite flowers. Softly flickering candles replaced the usual torches, filling the room with a warm, comforting glow. That’s when he asked her, with a bouquet in hand. “Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?”

—

She sighed happily at the memory before returning her focus to the task at hand. She had to get ready, and quickly! The dance was to start in 45 minutes and Val still had her make up and jewelry left.

Valeria spent the last 10 minutes staring at herself in the mirror. Did she look alright? Was the dress too much? Her brain raced with sabotaging thoughts. Would Sebastian like it? With a soft groan, she twirled around once last time before rushing out of her room.

She took careful, but hurried steps towards their meeting point. Her muscles tensed as she made her way down the staircase, praying she wouldn’t slip and tumble down. As she got to the final set of stairs, she finally spotted him.

“Sebastian!”

some at-the-ball doodles :>

[cheriecelestial]

Melody of a Muse

disclaimer *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ mild angst. crude humor. strong language. typos. grammatical errors.

pairing *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ DCKZ x fem!reader

synopsis *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ In which, worlds of an influencer and a popular boy band collide, and sparks fly.

a/n *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Revamping an old fic. Comment, Reblog and Like ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

Comment to be added to the taglist.

Pt.II Pt.III

Going live in… 3 2 1

“It’s your girl, Irris! How’s everyone feeling today?” the blonde greeted cheerfully, flashing a bright smile at the camera as she absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The moment she logged on, her chat exploded with comments, flooding the screen with excitement and greetings. Her eyes darted to the neon-lit display, and a satisfied grin spread across her face as she took in the steadily climbing viewership numbers. She kicked off her stream with her usual casual banter and warm greetings, her tone light and engaging as she addressed her audience.

Her hand reached out to adjust the ring light, ensuring it was positioned perfectly to illuminate her features. Y/N, known online as Irris, couldn’t help but notice the way her highlighter caught the pastel purple glow of the lighting setup. She might have gone a little overboard with it today, but her fans didn’t seem to mind—if anything, they probably thought she looked radiant, almost otherworldly, like a fairy bathed in moonlight. Though the constant attention could feel overwhelming at times, Y/N had grown accustomed to it over the years. In fact, she thrived on it, finding joy in the connection she shared with her audience.

“Today’s a very special day,” she announced, her voice brimming with excitement. “Like, seriously, it’s worth celebrating!” Her words immediately sparked a frenzy in the chat, with comments pouring in faster than she could read them. Her fans were buzzing with curiosity, their guesses growing wilder and more creative by the second. Some speculated it was a relationship update, while others joked about her announcing a career change or even a pregnancy. Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of some of the suggestions, her eyes scanning the chat with amusement as she shook her head playfully.

“You guys are way off,” she teased, her laughter ringing out clear and bright. “But I love how creative you’re getting! Keep the guesses coming—I’ll reveal the big news soon, I promise.” Her tone was warm and inviting, drawing her audience even deeper into the moment as they eagerly awaited her announcement. The chat kept chiming with more and more guesses. 

“No, no, it’s none of that,” she began, her voice laced with playful mystery as her hand momentarily disappeared from the camera’s view. Y/N took her sweet time retrieving the items she had carefully prepared for this moment, savoring the anticipation building in her audience. The chat was a whirlwind of impatience and curiosity, with comments flying by at lightning speed. She couldn’t help but smile to herself, always fascinated by how her fans reacted to even the smallest hints of something exciting. Their energy was infectious, and it made these moments all the more special.

Finally, she reappeared, holding up her treasures with a flourish. “Ta-da!” she announced, her smile widening as she revealed a bottle of strawberry champagne and a single wine glass. The sight immediately sparked a fresh wave of questions in the chat. A wine glass? What was she planning? The audience’s curiosity was palpable, and Y/N couldn’t help but revel in their reactions.

“Alright, so here’s the deal,” she said, her tone teasing yet warm. “I have some good news and some awesome news. Which one do you want to hear first?” She winked playfully at the camera, her eyes sparkling with mischief. The chat exploded with responses, some demanding the good news first, others begging for the awesome news right away. She could practically feel the excitement radiating from her fans, their energy fueling her own.

“Okay, okay, good news first,” she relented, holding up a hand to quiet the imaginary chaos. “So, my contract with Abssosque Entertainment is officially up, which means… I’m a free agent now!” She paused, letting the announcement sink in as the chat erupted with cheers, questions, and congratulations.

“But wait, that’s not all,” she continued, her voice rising with excitement. “The awesome news is…” She trailed off dramatically, as if waiting for an imaginary drumroll to build the suspense. “I’ve received an offer from Teyvat Entertainment, and I’ll be joining the Teyvat Family soon!”

The moment the words left her lips, the chat went absolutely wild. Fans were spamming congratulations, heart emojis, and celebratory messages, their excitement overflowing. Y/N couldn’t help but laugh, her heart swelling with gratitude and joy. This was a huge milestone, and sharing it with her fans made it all the more meaningful. “I’m so excited for this new chapter, and I can’t wait to take you all along with me!” she added, her smile radiant as she raised the wine glass in a mock toast to her audience.

Irrisisluv : YASSSSKEHAKD QUEEN PURR💅💅✨

Nyako7 : The queen finally getting the treatment she deserves (๑>◡<๑)

Kai00 : SLAYYYYY

Irrissimp : Now that our goddess is out. Time to burn that shit down. Get the gasoline boys.

Gangstagurl23 : CONGRATSSSSS BAE

Icantstoptwinkling : * insert Dobby voice* Mother is free.

Irrissteponme : Irris lookin fine as fuck like Excuse me? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry.

Princessmurderkill : Ahakdhabskalja I can finally die in peace.

Mikosslut : Yaemiko x Irris when?

Kaeyaismyreligion : OMGGGGHAJHSKA YASS YAEMIKO X IRRIS IS A NEED. MOMMYx2

Childessluttywaist : Those Teyvat bitches better treat our goddess the way she deserves or else imma commit a felony.

“Yes, yes, I know! I’m just as excited as you all are,” Y/N replied, her voice brimming with enthusiasm as she addressed the chat. Her fingers scrolled through the flood of comments, her heart swelling with gratitude for the outpouring of support. “I can’t wait to see what Teyvat Entertainment has in store for me. It’s such a huge opportunity, and I’m so ready for this new chapter. But one thing’s for sure—I’m going to absolutely love my time there. It’s going to be amazing, and I’m so grateful to have all of you by my side through it all!” Her eyes sparkled with genuine excitement, her smile wide and infectious as she continued to interact with her fans.

After a moment, she reached for the bottle of strawberry champagne, the golden liquid glinting under the soft pastel lighting. She poured herself a glass, the bubbles fizzing gently as she raised it toward the camera. “Cheers to new beginnings!” she exclaimed, her voice warm and celebratory. She clinked the glass against the screen in a playful toast before taking a small, careful sip. Drinking on stream was usually against her rules—she preferred to keep things professional—but tonight felt different. This was a milestone, a moment worth celebrating, and she figured it could be excused just this once.

Just as she set the glass down, the sound of her door creaking open interrupted the moment. “Hey, Y/N, have you seen my—” Her brother, Dainsleif, poked his head into the room, his voice trailing off as he noticed the camera and the bright lights. His eyes widened slightly in realization. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were streaming. I’ll come back later,” he said quickly, his tone apologetic as he turned to leave.

“No, no, Dain, wait!” she called out, her voice warm and inviting. She didn’t want him to feel like he was intruding—this was her family, after all, and she loved sharing these little moments with her fans. “We’re just celebrating. Come sit!” She patted the spot on the couch next to her, giving him an encouraging smile. Dainsleif hesitated for a moment, clearly unsure about stepping into the spotlight, but he eventually relented, walking into the frame and taking a seat beside her.

“Uh, hello, everyone,” he greeted awkwardly, his voice low and slightly hesitant. He wasn’t used to being on camera, and it showed in the way he shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting toward the chat. Y/N couldn’t help but chuckle at his awkwardness, finding it endearing.

But her smile faltered as her eyes flicked back to the chat. The once joyful and celebratory atmosphere had shifted dramatically. The comments, which had been filled with excitement and congratulations just moments ago, were now a flood of ruthless, hateful messages directed at her brother. Her heart sank as she read through them, each word like a dagger to her chest. She bit the inside of her cheek so hard she could taste blood, forcing herself to keep her composure even as her stomach churned with anger and frustration.

Dainsleif, ever perceptive, noticed the change immediately. The warmth in his sister’s demeanor had vanished, replaced by a quiet tension that hung heavy in the air. He glanced at her, then at the chat, his expression softening as he realized what was happening. “I should go,” he said softly, offering her a melancholic smile. “I have work anyway.”

Y/N looked up at him and nodded wordlessly, her throat tight with unspoken words. She wanted to defend him, to tell the world how wrong they were about her brother, how he wasn’t the person they painted him to be. She wanted to scream that none of this was his fault, that he didn’t deserve the hate and judgment being thrown his way. But she couldn’t. Celebrities weren’t allowed to be angry, sad, or frustrated. They were expected to be perpetually happy, their emotions carefully curated and polished for public consumption. Any deviation from that perfect image risked backlash, and she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

As much as it pained her, she knew there was nothing she could do to change the way people thought. So, with a heavy heart, she did what she always did—she switched off her emotions, plastered on her practiced, flawless smile, and went with the flow. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, a hollow feeling in her chest, but this was the reality of her world. People liked the version of her they saw on screen, not the messy, complicated person she truly was. And who was she to complain? This was the life she had chosen, after all.

“Anyway, let’s not dampen the mood,” she said, clapping her hands together with forced enthusiasm, her voice ringing with a practiced cheerfulness. She carried on as if nothing had happened, seamlessly transitioning back into her usual stream content. As she continued talking, the chat gradually regained its joyful energy, the negativity fading into the background as her fans focused on her updates and playful banter. After about an hour of streaming, she finally wrapped things up, flashing her signature smile as she said her goodbyes and ended the stream.

The moment the camera turned off, Y/N let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping as the tension she’d been holding onto finally released. “Fucking finally,” she muttered under her breath, standing up and stretching her stiff limbs. The bright lights dimmed, and the room felt quieter, more intimate, as she stepped away from the setup.

“You done?” Her brother’s voice drifted in from the living room, calm and familiar. She walked in to find him lounging on the couch, casually watching some cheesy Hallmark romance film, the kind he’d never admit to enjoying if anyone asked.

“What gave it away?” she asked, plopping down beside him and burrowing into the fluffy blanket draped over the couch. She kicked off her slippers and curled up, the warmth of the blanket a comforting contrast to the cold, performative energy of her stream.

“You never cuss on camera,” he replied matter-of-factly, not even glancing away from the TV. His tone was casual, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

She scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she relaxed into the couch. “Yeah, ‘cause I got manners and shit.” Her voice was lower, more relaxed—a stark contrast to the higher-pitched, bubbly tone she used on stream. It was a small but significant difference, one that only those closest to her ever got to hear.

Her brother chuckled at the obvious difference between Irris, the online persona, and Y/N, the real person. The sound was warm and familiar, but it earned him a playful smack from her. “Don’t laugh at me,” she grumbled, though there was no real annoyance in her voice.

Y/N leaned her head against his shoulder, her expression softening as she spoke in a quieter, more melancholic tone. “I’m going to miss this.”

“Me too,” he replied simply, his eyes still fixed on the screen. There was a weight to his words, a quiet acknowledgment of the changes coming their way.

She sat up suddenly, turning to look at him with pleading eyes. “Can’t you come with me?” she asked, her voice tinged with hope and desperation.

Her brother groaned wearily, running a hand through his hair as he finally looked away from the TV. “You know I can’t. I made a promise.”

A promise. Right. A promise to the person who had inadvertently dragged him into the mess he was in. Y/N couldn’t help but feel bitter that her brother cared enough about that person to essentially ruin his own career. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t really about the person—it was about his own unwavering sense of morality. Sometimes, she really hated how righteous he could be. It was one of the things she admired most about him, but also one of the things that frustrated her to no end.

Her gaze drifted around the room, landing on the cardboard boxes stacked in the corner, all labeled with her belongings. The sight was a reminder of the new chapter she was about to embark on, one that felt bittersweet without her brother by her side. He could have left that god-awful company and come with her if it weren’t for that promise holding him back. The thought made her chest ache with frustration and sadness.

“Whatever,” she muttered, leaning back into the couch and pulling the blanket tighter around herself. The word hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions, as the two of them sat in silence, the faint sounds of the movie playing in the background.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the weight of the future pressing down on them. But then her brother reached over, ruffling her hair affectionately, and she couldn’t help but smile despite herself. They might be heading down different paths, but for now, in this quiet moment, they were still just Y/N and Dainsleif—siblings navigating a complicated world together.

As the final, searing riff of Diluc’s guitar sliced through the air, the arena seemed to hold its breath for a split second before the thunderous crash of the drums brought the song to its explosive conclusion. Kaeya, the group’s charismatic lead singer, belted out the last note with a flourish, his voice ringing clear and powerful as it echoed through the massive space. The crowd erupted into a deafening roar, their cheers and applause crashing over the stage like a tidal wave. Kaeya and Childe, the group’s energetic main rapper, whooped and pumped their fists in the air, their faces lit up with exhilaration as they fed off the audience’s electric energy.

The members of DCKZ—Diluc, Childe, Kaeya, and Zhongli—stood together at the center of the stage, their silhouettes illuminated by the dazzling lights. They waved enthusiastically at their fans, their smiles wide and genuine as they soaked in the love and admiration radiating from the crowd. Zhongli, their stoic and dignified leader known to the world as Morax, stepped forward to deliver the closing thank-you message. His deep, resonant voice carried through the arena, calm and commanding as he expressed their gratitude to the fans who had made the night possible.

The crowd responded with even louder cheers, their chants of “DCKZ! DCKZ!” reverberating through the venue like a heartbeat. Kaeya, ever the showman, tapped his mic and grinned mischievously, his icy blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “And as promised,” he announced, his voice teasing as he turned to look at Diluc, who stood nearby with his guitar. Diluc, though visibly exasperated by his brother’s antics, played along. He plucked the guitar pick from his instrument, kissed it dramatically for the crowd’s benefit, and then tossed it into the sea of outstretched hands below. Fans surged forward, their arms waving frantically as they vied to catch the coveted souvenir.

With one final wave, the members of DCKZ gathered at the edge of the stage, their voices united as they shouted, “Everyone, thank you for coming! We are DCKZ!”

The arena erupted into one last deafening cheer, the sound almost overwhelming as the stage lights dimmed, plunging the space into darkness. The members hurried offstage, their adrenaline still pumping as they made their way back to the dressing room. The moment they stepped backstage, they were swarmed by staff offering water bottles, towels, and words of praise. Childe, the group’s ever-enthusiastic main rapper, slumped onto a nearby chair, letting out an exaggerated sigh as he wiped sweat from his forehead. “Man, I’m beat,” he huffed, his voice tinged with exhaustion but still laced with his trademark playful energy.

“Me too,” Kaeya agreed, though his tone was lighter, his usual mischievous demeanor still intact despite the fatigue. He leaned against a wall, sipping from a water bottle as he glanced around at the bustling backstage area.

Albedo, their calm and composed manager, stepped forward, clapping his hands together to get their attention. “Today’s show was stunning. Good work, everyone,” he said, his voice steady and reassuring as he offered them a small but genuine smile.

“Beeeeeedoooooo—” Childe whined, dragging out the name in a playful, singsong tone as he attempted to engulf the shorter blonde man in a bear hug. Before he could succeed, Diluc grabbed the back of Childe’s collar, yanking him back with a look of mild disgust. “Go shower first, you sweaty piece of shit,” Diluc muttered, his tone dry but not unkind.

“Right back atcha, Luc,” Childe shot back, scowling as he shook off Diluc’s grip. He shot a mock glare at the guitarist before breaking into a grin, clearly enjoying the banter. Albedo let out a small sigh that sounded almost like a tired laugh, used to the constant bickering and antics of the group. It was all part of the job, and he had long since accepted it.

Once everyone had freshened up with showers and a change of clothes, they regrouped in the van parked backstage. The drive back began as it always did—Zhongli, ever the composed and serene figure, leaned his head back against the seat, his eyes closed as he tried to catch a few moments of rest. Kaeya and Childe, on the other hand, were already deep into some nonsensical argument, their voices rising and falling as they bickered over something trivial. Diluc, seated nearby, snapped at them to keep it down, his patience clearly wearing thin as he rubbed his temples.

Albedo, seated at the front of the van, glanced back at the chaos with a faint smile. It was just another day in the life of DCKZ, and while the constant noise and drama could be exhausting, he wouldn’t have it any other way. The bond between the members, though often expressed through teasing and bickering, was undeniable, and it was that very dynamic that made them so special—both on and off the stage.

Childe’s phone suddenly chimed with a loud notification, cutting through the usual hum of the van. His eyes widened as he glanced at the screen, and without hesitation, he shouted, “Everybody hush!” His voice was so commanding that it even startled Zhongli, who had been dozing off in his seat.

“Wha—?” Zhongli mumbled, blinking groggily as he tried to orient himself. Kaeya, ever the curious one, leaned over Childe’s shoulder to see what had captured the ginger’s attention so completely. “Simp,” Kaeya said with a smirk, his tone dripping with playful mockery.

Diluc, who had been quietly observing the scene from his seat, raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He liked to act as though he was above the drama, but deep down, he secretly enjoyed it. After all, his deepest, darkest secret was that he often rented a hotel room just to binge-watch every episode of Keeping Up with the Shogun in peace, ensuring no one would ever find out and tease him about it.

“It’s some YouTuber he follows. Irris, is it?” Zhongli guessed, his voice calm and measured despite the chaos unfolding around him. Childe nodded wordlessly, his eyes glued to the screen as if he were watching something of monumental importance.

“What’s so special about her?” Diluc scoffed, his tone laced with disdain. In his mind, all YouTubers and influencers were the same—pretty faces with zero substance and a bad case of celebrity complex. To be fair, he had never encountered anyone who challenged this belief, so he had no reason to think Irris would be any different. To him, influencers were pretentious, vain, overpaid salespeople. The word itself conjured images of reality TV stars, artificiality, undeserved wealth, wastefulness, and textbook narcissism. And the fact that Childe was so enamored with her only made her seem more repulsive in Diluc’s eyes.

“Don’t you dare disrespect my wife!” Childe barked defensively, his voice rising as he shot Diluc a glare. Diluc merely rolled his eyes and turned away, clearly uninterested in engaging further.

Kaeya, ever the mediator, turned to Childe and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him gently. “Hey, buddy, we’ve talked about this. You can’t just ‘wife’ random women you’ve never met, hmm?” he said, his tone dripping with exaggerated patience, as if he were explaining something to a five-year-old. And honestly, given Childe’s behavior, he might as well have been.

“She’s not random! She’s Irris!” Childe protested, his voice rising in indignation. He cradled his phone closer to his chest, almost as if he were protecting Irris herself from the judgment of his bandmates. “And for your information, I’ve met her once—at a YouTube seminar!”

“Everyone, please just calm down,” Zhongli interjected, his voice firm but weary. The leader had visibly grown tired of their bickering, and his words carried a quiet authority that momentarily silenced the group.

“Whatever. I bet she’s just as fake as the others,” Diluc muttered under his breath, sinking further back into his seat. He had no desire to debate the topic any further, but his comment was just loud enough for Childe to hear.

“What did you just say, you emo, fatherless, edgelord motherf—?” Childe fumed, his face turning red as he looked like he was ready to pounce on Diluc at any second. The tension in the van was palpable, and it was clear that things were about to escalate if someone didn’t step in soon.

Kaeya, sensing the impending explosion, quickly intervened, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “Alright, alright, let’s all take a deep breath. No one needs to get hurt over a YouTuber, okay?” he said, his tone light but firm.

Zhongli, meanwhile, pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a long-suffering sigh. “Can we please just have one car ride without this kind of nonsense?” he asked, though it was clear he already knew the answer.

Childe, still glaring at Diluc, reluctantly settled back into his seat, though he continued to mutter under his breath about “disrespect” and “uncultured heathens.” Diluc, for his part, simply crossed his arms and stared out the window, his expression one of smug satisfaction.

“I believe—” Albedo’s calm, measured voice cut through the chaos from the driver’s seat, instantly silencing the four band members. It was rare for their manager to interject in their conversations—he usually preferred to listen quietly, observing their dynamics without getting involved. So naturally, everyone was caught off guard by his sudden input.

“—it’s unfair to build a prejudiced perception of her based solely on your previous understanding of influencers or Tartaglia’s… enthusiasm,” Albedo continued, his tone even and thoughtful. He spoke with the kind of quiet authority that made everyone pause and listen, even in the middle of their usual bickering. “Additionally, her career encompasses multiple facets, such as modeling, streaming, hosting variety shows, and more. She’s not just an influencer; she’s also a proficient dancer. So, I think it’s best you research a bit more and form a more educated opinion before passing judgment.”

The van fell silent for a moment as the band members processed Albedo’s words. It wasn’t often that their manager shared his personal thoughts so openly, and the weight of his statement hung in the air.

He’s totally a hardcore stan. The thought echoed in their minds simultaneously, though none of them dared to say it out loud. The idea of Albedo, their ever-professional and composed manager, being a dedicated fan of a YouTuber was both amusing and slightly unsettling.

They silently agreed to drop the topic, not wanting to risk offending their manager. Despite being younger than all of them, Albedo commanded immense respect from the group. He was a skilled and dedicated professional who had navigated them through countless potential scandals and shielded them from the pitfalls of cancel culture. His work ethic was so impeccable that Childe often joked (half-seriously) about whether Albedo even had a social life. But Kaeya and Diluc knew better—Albedo was secretly dating a sales manager from their company and even regularly babysat his colleague’s daughter. How he managed to juggle all of that on top of his demanding job was a mystery to everyone.

The silence in the van was broken when Childe suddenly looked up from his phone, his face lighting up with sheer surprise and glee. “Diluc—” he began, his voice unusually earnest.

“What?” Diluc replied, his tone laced with annoyance as he braced himself for whatever nonsense was about to come out of Childe’s mouth.

“Can you please tell Jean that I love her?” Childe asked, his expression completely serious.

“What the fuck—” Diluc started, his confusion evident, but before he could finish, Childe dropped the bombshell.

“Irris is coming to Teyvat!”

“HUH?!” The entire van erupted in unison, their voices overlapping in a mix of shock, disbelief, and excitement. Even Zhongli, who had been quietly observing the chaos, raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Childe’s announcement had completely derailed the conversation, and for a moment, all anyone could do was stare at him in stunned silence. The energy in the van shifted instantly, the earlier tension forgotten as the band members processed the news.

“Wait, wait, wait—hold on,” Kaeya said, holding up a hand as if to physically stop the conversation from moving forward. “Irris? As in the Irris? The one you’ve been simping over for months? She’s coming here? To Teyvat?”

“Yes!” Childe exclaimed, his excitement palpable. He waved his phone in the air as if it were proof. “It’s all over social media. She just announced it on her stream. She’s joining Teyvat Entertainment!”

Diluc, who had been trying to maintain his usual stoic demeanor, couldn’t hide his surprise. “Teyvat Entertainment? That’s… unexpected. I didn't think Jean would sign her,” he admitted, though his tone still carried a hint of skepticism.

Zhongli, ever the voice of reason, leaned forward slightly. “This could be an interesting development,” he said thoughtfully. “Teyvat has been expanding its roster lately. If she’s as talented as Albedo claims, this could be a significant move for both her and the company.”

Albedo, who had been quietly listening from the driver’s seat, glanced at them through the rearview mirror. “I told you she was more than just an influencer,” he said, his tone calm but with a hint of satisfaction.

Childe, meanwhile, was practically vibrating with excitement. “This is huge! Do you know what this means? I might actually get to meet her! Like, in person! Not just at some random seminar where I barely got to say two words to her!”

Kaeya smirked, leaning back in his seat. “Careful, Childe. If you keep fangirling this hard, people might start thinking you’re obsessed.”

“I’m not obsessed!” Childe protested, though the way he was clutching his phone and grinning like a kid on Christmas morning suggested otherwise.

Diluc rolled his eyes, though even he couldn’t completely suppress a small smile. “Whatever. Just don’t embarrass us when you inevitably make a fool of yourself in front of her.”

“Hey!” Childe shot back.

Albedo, ever the composed one, simply shook his head and focused on the road, though there was a faint smile on his face. “Let’s focus on the road, shall we?” he said, his tone light but firm. “We’ll have plenty of time to discuss this later.”

Childe, unable to contain his excitement, leaned forward, his arms resting on the back of Albedo’s seat. “But Albedo, you don’t understand! This is huge! Irris is coming to Teyvat! Do you know what this means? I might actually get to meet her properly this time!”

Kaeya smirked, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. “Oh, we know what it means. It means you’re going to embarrass yourself—and by extension, all of us—the moment you’re within ten feet of her.”

“I will not!” Childe shot back, his face turning red. “I’ll be cool, calm, and collected. You’ll see!”

Diluc, who had been quietly observing the exchange, couldn’t resist chiming in. “Cool, calm, and collected? You? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.”

Childe turned to glare at him. “Oh, shut it, Diluc. Just because you’re allergic to fun doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be.”

Zhongli, ever the mediator, raised a hand to stop the bickering before it could escalate. “Enough, both of you. Let’s not turn this into another argument. If Irris is indeed joining Teyvat Entertainment, we’ll likely cross paths with her sooner or later. Let’s focus on being professional, shall we?”

Childe crossed his arms, pouting slightly. “Fine. But just so you know, I’m not the one who’s going to make things awkward.”

Kaeya snorted. “Famous last words.”

Albedo, sensing the conversation was about to spiral again, cleared his throat. “Let’s save the rest of this discussion for later. We’re almost back, and I’d rather not have to break up another fight before we even get out of the van.”

The group fell into a comfortable silence, the kind that came with the unspoken understanding that they were all in this together—chaos, bickering, and all. As the van pulled into the parking lot, Childe couldn’t help but grin to himself, his mind already racing with plans for the day he’d finally get to meet Irris properly.

Kaeya noticed the look on his face and leaned over, his voice low and teasing. “Just promise me one thing, Childe.”

“What?” Childe asked, raising an eyebrow.

“When you inevitably make a fool of yourself in front of her, make sure someone’s recording it. I want to savor the moment.”

Childe groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “You’re all the worst.”

Diluc, who had been quietly gathering his things, mumbled as he opened the van door. “Welcome to DCKZ.”

[profoundbondfanfic]

do you have any fic recs for stories that incorporate Dean in the Winchesters universe and Winchesters canon?

Yes, here are a few we liked:

Angel in the Shortwave by thylaself (Explicit, 5k words)

Castiel escapes the empty into a parallel universe. There he meets a young Dean turning tricks. Post-The Winchester's Dean searches for Cas. Inspired by the song Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene for Hoziernatural Bang.

doors unlocked and open by sidewinder (Teen and up, 12k words)

While Jack is now God, revamping Heaven for the human souls under his care, Cas has become the new ruler and embodiment of the Empty. He is content with this fate until Jack brings upsetting news: Dean has passed away unexpectedly. And Dean is not finding peace, not even in Jack’s improved afterlife. Instead, Dean has discovered a way to traverse the Axis Mundi to visit other universes, alternative Earths, and has been meddling in their fates. Dean tells Jack that it’s because he’s looking for his “family,” but Jack feels he’s really just looking for one individual: Castiel. Castiel must confront Dean and the consequences of his confession, or else Jack may need to take corrective actions. But will their reunion be enough to bring Dean peace? Or is there still some greater destiny the hunter must fulfill, even in death… Or perhaps, through death itself.

Losing Time by FriendofCarlotta (Mature, 7k words)

Harvey Dent is struggling with memory gaps. There are places he can’t remember going, and calls he can’t remember making. One night, a man calling himself Dean Winchester pays him a visit. Dean claims to have an explanation for Harvey’s missing memories — a strange tale of angelic possession, alternate universes and life after death. Worse, Dean’s face is as familiar to Harvey as his own. It’s the face of a friend he believed was dead and gone: Bruce Wayne.

Sea Change by bodyandsoul (Teen and up, 6k words)

Dean knew he wasn't supposed to interfere in other universes but he'd been desperate to find one where things worked out alright for his family, and you could barely call what he'd done interfering anyways, no matter what Jack said. It had been just a little nudge, really, hardly anything at all. Now, back in Heaven, he just needed to sit tight and see how things played out. Except when had Dean ever been any good at waiting? Or, Dean heads back to The Winchesters' universe to check on his parents and things turned out better than he ever could have hoped.

Supernatural: The Road Goes On by canningroxy22 (Mature, 236k words) -- WIP

Set post-The Winchesters, Dean Winchester carries out heavenly orders to protect the unstable multiverse. There is a new big bad out there as The Shadow plans to consume everything in existence - heaven, hell and the universe itself and drag it all to The Empty. The entity is becoming impatient with the many souls that awaken from their dormant struggle and wants to make them suffer. It is unhappy with how imbalanced the universe has become and wants to drag everything that predates creation itself into the abyss until there is nothingness. The Empty has taken Dean as its prisoner. Before Dean is taken, he sends out a desperate prayer for anyone to save him. Castiel hears his plea and finally steps away from his job in a restored heaven to save him. Castiel travels back in time to 1973 to recruit John and Mary Winchester and the Monster Club to help rescue Dean from the Shadow's clutches. They are whisked away on a perlious quest to restore balance as what they find on the other side is a fabled family reunion and discover a dark threat that threatens to destroy everything that exists...

The Window Burns To Light The Way Back Home by AmberXBoone, AstroLass (Mature, 4k words)

While waiting for Dean to return from saving the universe from the Akrida, Castiel reflects on their reunion in Heaven, their relationship, and Dean's restlessness. Will Dean find what he needs to adjust to Heaven? What will it mean for Dean's relationship with Castiel?

This Impossible Happiness by FriendofCarlotta (Explicit, 50k words)

In one universe, Dean Winchester is pushing thirty. He’s just danced at his little brother’s wedding, he likes his job at the garage, and he goes on the occasional hunt with friends and family. He’s also desperately lonely for someone to share his life with. One day, he finds a mysterious package outside his door. It contains a news clipping about an urban legend that just might be real, and a book by Professor Castiel Novak, who happens to specialize in that same urban legend. In another universe, Castiel Novak’s roadside motel is slowly dying, its business hollowed out by the interstate system. Dean Winchester, the man who asked him to run away together years ago, is only a painful regret these days. Until the day a mysterious letter Castiel doesn’t remember writing brings Dean back to his doorstep. Out there in the multiverse, a man and an angel look for each other in all the wrong places. In the meantime, they might as well help a few other versions of themselves figure things out.

[radioactivereads]

Pity (GLaDOS x Reader* Fluff)

summary: Reader is in pain and glados takes pity on them (*not super heavy on the lovey stuff, but she is implied to have a soft spot for you <3)

a/n: there is a shockingly low amount of glados x reader so. heres my gift ! this is actually just an old revamped thing i wrote like months ago so sorry if it isnt the best..

also the pain is leg pain because . i wrote this when my leg hurted . lol

------------------------------------------------------------

You sighed, limping your way across the test, lugging a cube behind you. 

Every step was a challenge, each challenge succeeded was rewarded not with triumph, but with the same sickening pain over and over - flipping between a dull ache and a sharp stabbing pain, but not fully leaving.

“Congratulations. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t ever solve that one. Maybe I should make the next one easier.”

A pause.

“I’m kidding. In fact, I think you can handle the challenge of a more difficult test.”

You didn’t respond. Though you did enjoy the challenge the puzzles gave you, your focus was elsewhere. The sharp, stabbing pain almost drowned out her witty remarks. Almost.

You sat quietly in the elevator, debating just resting there for a while, but you knew she objected to not having an eye on you at all times. 

While she obviously preferred you do the tests and listen to her, through some subtle testing of your own you’d learned you could get away with not being entirely rule-abiding, so long as you stay within her sights.

Maybe she viewed your disobedience as part of the testing process, but regardless, it worked out for you.

You stumbled into the next test, realizing now she hadn’t been kidding. 

“I wasn’t kidding” , she echoed, and you wondered if she could read his mind or if your thoughts were just that predictable.

“You’ve solved the last ones a bit too easily, minus that last one. I figured you needed a more stimulating test. Good luck.”

You let out another heaving sigh.

You couldn’t begin to guess how much time had passed. Your head hurt too much for this. Your legs hurt. 

After what felt like hours of trying to solve it, you just gave up, sliding against a wall and sitting. You idly fidgeted with the hem of the tank top she had provided, wondering when she’d notice the test wasn’t getting solved.

Even with the braces, which definitely alleviated some of the tension on your legs, it was too much. Even sitting down was painful, but it was better than standing. 

“Alright. What are you doing in there? You’ve solved worse. I don’t know where this strange infatuation with this particular test could come from.”

“I’m sorry GLaDos… I want to solve it, but I- I can’t. Not right now. I’ll solve it soon I just… I need a minute. Please”

The nearby camera turned, focusing onto you. You were used to it, and knew she was trying to figure things out for herself without being told. You wonder if she viewed you as a test for her to solve. You imagined she wouldn’t want the solution to just be given to her.

“You look fine to me.” She concluded. “...However, this sentiment; a coming from you, one of the few who appreciates testing like I do… Is concerning.”

Maybe that was an underhanded way of asking for a hint.

“I’m… tired”

“You slept the appropriate amount of time.” She countered simply. You didn’t have a response

“...Are you getting ill, perhaps? …That would put an unfortunate damper on testing.”

“No, I’m not sick”

“Then why aren’t you completing the test?”

Deciding she wouldn’t solve this test on her own, you sigh. “I’m in pain… I’m sorry”

“Did you get injured during the last test?”

“No, it’s an old ache. It comes and goes. It’ll go away in a bit, I just have to wait it out.”

A long pause. You concluded she wasn’t sure how to deal with this.

“...I don’t think we’re going to complete any more testing today. Please return to your sleeping accommodation facility.”

Weird. She was usually very punctual, always wanting to start and stop testing at specific times, hating when her schedule was thrown off- except maybe slightly later if the result was particularly interesting to her- but never wanting to stop early.

“You’re getting soft” You lightly teased, but limp your way over the wall plates that had opened up, granting you access back into the facility.

 When you had first begun testing here, one of Glados’ robots, either the short blue one or the lanky orange one, was always at his side. You suspected it was to protect the facility from you, rather than protect you from the facility.

But as time had gone on, you and the two robots had gotten more comfortable in one another’s presence, and the two now followed you with no orders being given. 

They squawked softly, gesturing at your leg, but he waved them off. “ ‘m fine. I’ll feel better tomorrow”

You eventually made it back to your room, an old living facility that GLaDoS had cleaned up, just enough to where it was liveable. You removed your boots and changed into a more comfortable outfit, some older, softer clothes you’d managed to find.

Usually, he spent time in his room making art or attempting to decipher the many books left behind in the labs. But he was too tired. All he wanted was to lie down on his old mattress and cover himself in the pile of thin blankets he’d managed to scrounge up.

Adjusting yourself in your nest of old scratchy covers, with a few soft blankets you’d scrounged up, you yawned, curling up.

“Goodnight GLaDoS” You said aloud.

There was a long pause.

“Goodnight. We’ll make up lost time tomorrow.”

You shivered softly, curling up tighter. As you felt yourself drifting off to sleep and your eyelids began to close, you felt like the room had gotten comfortably warm, and you smiled softly.

For all her insistence that you were just a means of solving tests, she still made sure you were comfortable.

Despite the harsh and blank appearance of the labs, you couldn’t help but feel at ease. You were warm, and with GLaDoS watching you, you felt safe. This was where you were meant to be. This was home.