#‘How could our farewell mean as much as our time? Honey‚ I’ll be gone. It’s better if I’m something that you leave behind.’

[celestial-toys]

been laying here listening to Lucky by Dermot Kennedy on loop for half an hour while thinking about Everything Stays and crying

[spencerreidsconverse]

When Evil Doesn't Sleep

summary: Spencer has been gone far too long on a case and when he finally returns home, reader shows him just how much she missed him.

word count: 3.4k

warnings: smut, implied dom/sub undertones, pet names

Pairing: Spencer Reid/Female Reader

A/N: My first fic!!! I hope you all enjoy! <3

“Y/n I’m really sorry but it looks like the case is going to take a lot longer than we thought. We had a recent development and the profile is now pointing to a partnership so now we’re hunting down two unsubs”. You sighed as Spencer rattled off his apologies through the phone before putting him out of his misery “Spencer honey, you don’t have to apologize. Quit worrying about me and focus on catching the bad guys.”

To say you missed Spencer would be the understatement of the century. He had been in Utah for six days already and now with a pair of psychos your odds of finding him in your bed by the end of the week were growing increasingly slim. It didn’t help that you had been swamped prepping for an extra class you’d agreed to take on at Georgetown where you worked as a Criminal Psychology professor. Between both of your hectic work schedules you hadn’t had a real weekend to yourselves in a few months, and while you knew when you first started dating Spencer that it was an inevitable of his job, it had never been this crazy before. They say evil never sleeps but lately it hasn't even taken a catnap.

“I love you Y/N. I promise I’ll come home to you soon and take you out on a real date. I’m sorry darling, I have to go. I’ll text you when I get to the hotel tonight and if you’re still up we can talk for a bit okay?”. “Alright Spence, I love you too. Stay safe okay?”. “I promise, goodbye love.”

Your farewell barely made it past your lips when the dial tone cut you off and once again your boyfriend of three years vanished from your side of the country. You let out an exasperated sigh before reminding yourself that there were other people who needed his help and that you could wait for his attention - at least until that night. Continuing the trek up the stairs of your and spencer’s shared apartment, you managed to haphazardly balance your grocery bags in one hand while unlocking the door and disabling the security alarm, internally cringing at the high shriek that rattled through your brain.

Walking through the living room, you sat the bags on your kitchen counter and began reorganizing the small fridge space to fit all the perishables you had brought home, absentmindedly hoping they wouldn't spoil now that it would be just you for several more days. Moving to the cupboard you replaced the few grab and go snack boxes you had made up to try and encourage Spencer to eat more throughout the day and refilled the paper plate stash that quickly became a requirement after you realized neither one of you could tolerate doing dishes every night. You ripped open the cardboard packaging of yet another microwave dinner and set the timer before leaving to change into more comfortable attire.

Opening the door of your shared bedroom, the smell of vanilla wax melts and dryer sheets hit you like a brick and immediately sent a pang of loneliness through your chest. Spencer was usually around by the time the chores needed done, and you rarely had to do them yourself. Unfortunately, the laundry was piling up and you needed something to distract you so you spent the day running errands and cleaning the apartment more thoroughly than necessary. You walked over to the stack of black dresser drawers and pulled out the first pair of pajama pants you touched, Spencer’s old caltech sweats that now fit you far better than him considering he had received them when he was 14. They looked more like capris on him now and it was embarrassingly difficult to convince him to buy a new pair that fit him properly. You slipped on a tank top and pulled your hair back before making your way lazily to the bathroom to take off the remnants of your simple makeup.

After scrubbing your face clean and pulling your dinner out, you moved to ready the couch for yet another night of binge watching cheesy 90s movies. You selected Clueless and watched the vibrant colors pop across the screen while you dived into your meal, making a poor attempt to ignore the slight freezer burnt taste that lingered after every bite. You finished your dinner and set the bowl aside before covering yourself with a blanket and allowing yourself to sink into the cushions, desperately awaiting Spencer's text.

You were jolted out of your doze by the loud buzzing of your phone against the wooden coffee table. Clumsily you reached for it and managed to swipe the answer pad before it sent your genius to voicemail. “Hello?” you managed before a yawn ripped its way through you suddenly. “Hey Y/N, I’m sorry it’s so late. I didn't mean to wake you, I figured you’d still be up. You should go back to bed love.” For the first time, you noticed the neon green numbers on the microwave. 12:30. You stifled another yawn and shook your head in an effort to wake yourself further “No way, I just dozed off while watching a movie. I was waiting to talk to you. Besides, I’m up now anyways so you might as well stay on with me for a bit. Did you get any further today?” “Well, JJ had the idea that the partners were originally a typical dominant/submissive partnership but that something in the dynamic must have changed because the MO began to deteriorate. We think the partners must have split up now, because we’re finding similar pieces of the previous MO at separate crime scenes.”.

You processed the information he fed you slowly due to your semiconscious state but eventually you put your words in order well enough to respond. “That should be helpful though yeah? I mean, they’re used to working in a partnership so being suddenly separated from your other half so to speak would throw you off track quite a bit right?”. You could practically hear him smiling through the phone as you drew the conclusions the team had come to only a few hours prior. “Yes. We’re hoping to be able to draw them out and trap them. Play them against each other.”.”Does that mean I can stop sleeping on the couch soon?”. You heard him let out a dejected sigh - you knew he hated that you would force yourself onto the cramped couch when you had a king sized bed a few hundred feet away but he understood.

When he had come home in the early hours of the morning after an abrupt end to a case a few weeks after you had moved into his place, he had caught you curled up on the sofa with a throw pillow stuffed under your head. When he questioned you about it the next morning, you simply answered that the bed felt too big without him and that you couldn’t stand the empty feeling. “Sooner than later I hope my love. Y/N I really wish you wouldn’t do that to yourself. It’s horrible for your body. It can put you at a much higher risk for chronic back and neck pain as well as-”. “Spence. I’m not a giant like you are. I fit on the couch much better than you do, and I barely notice the difference.”. You both cringed, hearing the lie clear in your voice. Still, Spencer must have felt bad because he humored you. “If you're sure. What did you do today my love?”. You smiled sadly hearing in his voice just how desperate he was to escape from his reality and come home to you.

”Well, I straightened the house. In fact, it’s so clean i think we could use it as a sterilization room.”. He let out a soft chuckle and you could hear him begin to relax as you recounted the rest of your day, excluding the part about the microwave dinner. Spencer loved to tell you how many of the ingredients were one step away from processed garbage and you decided to opt out of the lecture for the evening. He had more than enough to worry about without having to focus on your diet while he was away. After a half hour of light conversation, a loud yawn betrayed you as you were excitedly discussing the cute puppy you had met on the way to the market. Spencer immediately requested that you hang up and get some more sleep but you refused. After a few minutes of bickering, you relented on the condition that he would read to you until you had fallen asleep. You curled up under the fluffy blanket as Spencer’s even voice recited the collection of Grimm’s fairy tales quickly lured you to sleep.

You woke up the next morning as sunlight peered through the curtains, stretching your body out to ease the aches from the previous night. You smiled softly as your screen lit up with a text from Spencer wishing you a good morning and an update that they had a solid plan for boxing in the two unsubs that afternoon. “If all goes to plan I should be carrying you to our bed before midnight tonight.”. Your smile widened and you sent back “Can’t wait to truly see you - and love you- tonight. I’ll be waiting.” You plugged your phone into the charger and straightened up from the night before when your phone went off again. The one word message glared at you from the screen and you let out an involuntary giggle. “Tease.”. You hoped it gave him something to look forward to until he was back in your arms. You sent back a simple “XO” before deciding to reread one of your favorite books for a few hours to kill some time. You made yourself a sandwich for lunch and had a few glasses of water as the clock slowly ticked by. You were over halfway through the lengthy novel when you received another message.

“We apprehended both unsubs. Hotch is postponing the paperwork until Monday so we can go straight home. I’ll see you in a few hours baby.”.  You jumped slightly in celebration before finishing your current chapter, marking your place, and all but skipping to the shower to shave and exfoliate your skin. You knew Spencer would still be heavily worked up once he arrived home and luckily, his favorite release included intertwining your bodies as close as possible and loving you sweetly and slowly.

You took your time in the shower careful not to nick yourself with your razor. You scrubbed your scalp with your nails, letting your stress and soreness melt away under the steam. You waited until the water ran cold before turning the knob and stepping out, wrapping yourself in a fluffy towel and blow drying your hair until it layed perfectly even. You applied lotion all over your skin and stepped out of the bathroom to slip on your black silk robe, knowing it wouldn’t be worth it to dress up further. Spencer would be desperate to feel your skin against his and any fabric in his way didn't stand much of a chance.

You made an actual meal for dinner, a pasta dish with chicken that could be easily reheated for Spencer when he grew hungry later in the night. You helped yourself to a serving and after quickly cleaning up the kitchen and storing the leftovers, you retreated to the bedroom to wait for his return.

You were half paying attention to the feed you opted to scroll through on your phone when you heard the door creak open and bags drop to the floor. You set your phone on the bedside table and ran towards the foyer, all but throwing yourself at the exhausted man in front of you. He took a step back from the impact but still enveloped you in his arms and pulled you impossibly tight into his chest. “Hi baby.” you whispered against the scruffy skin of his jawline, peppering kisses up towards his earlobe. He let out a long sigh of relief and picked you up off the hardwood floor, wrapping your thighs around his waist resulting in a high pitched giggle to erupt from your throat. He kissed you then, slowly at first but quickly building more passionate. Your lungs were burning when he finally allowed you to pull away, opting to kiss down your neck to your collarbones and the skin of your chest that was newly exposed as your robe slipped open.

He carefully made his way back to your room, continuing his kisses back up to your shoulder, stopping only to leave marks you knew would only grow darker as time passed. At the very least he was sure to only mark you in places you could cover with little difficulty. “I missed you so much Y/N. The entire ride home all I could think about was you waiting for me in our bed. My gorgeous girl.”. You felt your chest heat up at his words of admiration, wrapping your fingers into his curls and pulling his lips towards your own once more.

You felt him groan against you and moved to quickly unbutton his shirt, slipping it down his arms and tossing it in the general direction of the hamper. He pulled you up with him then, so you were both on your knees, chest to chest as he pulled your robe fully down your back to the swell of your ass where he grasped at you through the slick fabric. You let out a whine and you pulled his belt off, undoing his jeans desperate to continue. He grinned against your neck and pushed you down so you laid flat on your back, completely exposed to him. He kissed at your stomach, making his way down to your inner thighs. He licked a slow wet trail from your pelvic bone to the top of your clit as you whimpered desperately. “Spence, please… I need more”. He humored you, creating slow small circles with his tongue moaning at the taste. You cried out as he created the perfect amount of pressure on your clit, legs threatening to close around his head when he moved to slip one of his fingers easily inside you as the mix of your own wetness and his saliva aided him. He smirked as he felt your thighs flex before using his left hand to throw one of your legs over his shoulders at a time. He pushed a second finger in, curling them up to perfectly reach your g-spot with every thrust. Soon though, you grew impatient with just his fingers. You needed more and you knew just how to get it.

“I want you so bad Spence. I’ve waited for so long and I just can’t anymore. I need to feel you deep inside of me.”. You were positive those words would leave him just as needy as you were and he proved you right when he kicked his pants the rest of the way off and went to line himself up against you. “Wait.”. He stopped immediately, examining your face for any indication of what was wrong. “What’s the matter baby? Are you okay?”. You shook your head and smiled at his concern before switching your positions so his back was resting against the pillows as you straddle his thighs. He smirked at you as he caught on, trailing his hands up the front of your legs to rest at your hips. “You gonna ride me angel?”. You responded with an eager nod and he squeezed your hips, pulling you up further so you were hovering above him. “Sit pretty like my good girl then.”. You whined softly at his words before slowly sinking yourself down around his length, sucking in a harsh breath at the stretch. Even with how wet you were, the adjustment took longer than usual due to the dry spell you were both suffering from as of late.

When you finally felt stretched out enough to move, you slowly ground your hips forward flush against his. He groaned out, lifting you back up so you were almost completely off of him before pulling you back down. You moaned both at the sensation and the idea of being manhandled by the genius below you. You realized what he was asking though, and began bouncing yourself up and down his cock, stopping every few thrusts to grind your clit down on him. You let out soft moans, and after a few more minutes you felt his fingers dig deeper into your hips and his breaths quicken. You knew he was close and as if on cue you started rubbing fast circles against your clit as he spoke again.

“Baby girl I’m getting close. You gonna cum with me angel?” You nodded furiously in response and you felt him start thrusting up to meet you. You panted as you hurried towards the edge of your orgasm, holding on until his thrusts grew sloppier. “You ready to cum with me baby? You gonna cum on my cock?” “Yeah.. gonna cum all over your cock Doc.” You fought to keep the grin off your face when he moaned at the title. He thrusted deep into you twice, before he ordered your release. “I want you to cum now baby. Cum all over my cock.” You felt your orgasm rip through you, electricity shooting through your limbs. Spencer groaned loudly as you tightened around him before pulling you down deep and releasing inside you.

You both fought to catch your breath as you rode out your highs before you found yourself slumping against his chest, suddenly drained from your activities. You felt him chuckle at your drastic change in energy as he wrapped his arms around you again. “I know you just washed the bed sheets and we’re both sweaty but do you think a washcloth will suffice for tonight?”. You nodded against his chest before slowly lifting yourself up and off of him, rolling onto your back on the other side of the bed. Spencer swiftly made his way across the hall, returning to wipe you down gently with the warm fabric. You shivered as the cool air dried your skin, watching him move throughout your room.

He slipped on a fresh pair of boxers before tossing the washcloth in the hamper along with his previously discarded clothes. He hung your robe on the back of your bedroom door then flipped the light switch off before rejoining you in bed to slip under the blankets with you. You immediately curled up into his chest, sighing contently as the sound of his heartbeat filled your ears. You kissed his chest and whispered goodnight, drifting into your first real sleep since before he left.

The next morning you and Spencer went shopping after you successfully convinced him to upgrade to a smart phone with video call abilities. He had begun to shut down the idea as he always had before but after the mere suggestion of what it could do to better your late night hotel room chats he was the one pulling you towards the nearest phone shop. You smiled politely while Spencer took his sweet time weighing the pros and cons of each model, letting your mind drift to the first time it would come in handy. As you finally neared the checkout counter, you took Spencer's hand in your own and gave it a gentle squeeze. After running his card through the machine, the salesgirl gave him the small plastic bag and wished you both a good afternoon.

As you exited the shop, you looked up at him, nudging him to get his attention “What do you think of an app controlled vibrator?”. He stared at you incredulously for a few moments, almost stopping dead in his tracks. After recovering from the initial shock at the vulgarity of your suggestion, he shook his head with a soft smirk and nudged back against you. “Tease.” he called you once more. “That’s the reason you love me right?”. He pulled you into his side, kissing you softly. “One of many Y/N. One of many.”

[jaskierisbi]

lines and verses from every amazing devil song that hit

King

But our voices collide with each howl of the tide || Singing all hell and its fire waits for us

All that matters || Is that you’re here

Pruning Shears

My entire life it's running away too fast || Watching everyone I've ever loved walk past || Never really quite getting the knack of || Knowing no one will not || Ever come back for you

Shower Day

Would have stayed if you'd had asked || But instead you just walk past

You're the one who told me my hair looked better black || You're the one who told me to never look back || You're the one who asked me if I'm feeling ok || I said I'm fine || It's just a sitting down in the shower day

Leave the room but you get caught in the rain || Know you should love him but it's such a pain || Would have stayed if you'd had asked || But instead you just walk away

Elsa’s Song

I can hear the cannons calling || As though across a dream || And I can smell the smoke of hell || In every stitch and seam || And like flowers, the bodies tumble || Around this muddied lot || I cannot hear them scream || ‘Forget me not.’

Pray

Pray for me, I'll run until I begin to understand || What holy men really mean || When they speak of sin

God made all man in his image || Honey I'm I'm I'm no man || I'm what’s left when children go to war

Run from you, I'll run until I begin to understand || What holy men really mean when they speak of sand and sons and seams and symphonies and sweat and sex and sin

Why you cannot sleep for sighing || Why womanhood is more than crying || I'm stronger now than you have ever known

The cracks you made I fill with mortar || A broken pot can still hold water || Symphonies and sweat and sex mean nothing when you are obsessed || With sin and soil and strength and song and all the words that came out wrong and him

Little Miss Why So

Did you tell them about the time we met little miss || You'll love the way I tell it || And I'll yell it from the rooftops for you || He says

He says || You're going too fast || You'll burn up soon

I don't know how to reach you when you get like this || I've been waiting for you to come home || I don't know how to reach you when you get like this || I've been waiting for you to come home

Why won't you just tell them all to fuck off love and be mine

He says || Why so sad || I'm here and I'm alive || Stop making up death wishes and take my lifeline

Why won't you believe I love you if I'm not hurting you, he says || Can't you see that I'm enough for you but you don't want me to be || 'Cause that means you'll actually have to be content

Why so why so sad || Stop asking why I'm sad just know it's enough to know I'm sad

New York Torch Song

But your blood does not bleed red no more || It's whiter than the sun burns, bright with every hum || From within this gaping wound of ours || A new us has begun. A new us has begun. A new us has begun

Tear me up and burn me up and rip me up and leave your || Hand on the wall as you go

Are you god or devil, ghost dishevelled || Childhood friend or drunken revel

I cannot find the words to keep you || I cannot find the words to keep you

Two Minutes

It's like all the wallpaper inside my heart || Is slowly slowly peeling off || And I'm showing || All the stains and things || They wrote on the wall before

These hands are growing cold ||They're running out of things to hold || Give me two damn minutes and I'll be fine

If I'm good will you come back || If I'm good will you come back || If I'm good will you come back || To us

Not Yet/Love Run

Sing me awake with a song about pirates || And I will try to harmonise || And sip the sunlight from your eyes || Oh sing me awake || With all the things we’ll do today || But instead we’ll build a den || Out of pillows and get drunk again

If my old mum could see me now || Oh how she’d howl she’d howl

Love run, love run || For all the things you’ve done || Run for all the things that drum || Run for all those pages thumbed

Love run, love run || For all the things we wished we’d done || Run from all you know that’s coming || Run to show that love’s worth running to

All that matters || Is that you're here ||All that matters

- - - - - - - - - -

The Rockrose and the Thistle

n/a sorry y’all

The Horror and the Wild

You are that space that’s in between every page, every chord and every screen || You are the driftwood and the rift, you’re the words that I promise I don’t mean

We’re drunk but drinking (sunk but sinking) || They thought us blind (we were just blinking)

Remember me I ask, remember me I sing || Give me back my heart you wingless thing

Think of all the horrors that I || Promised you I’d bring || I promise you, they’ll sing of every || Time you passed your fingers through my hair and called me child || Witness me, old man, I am the Wild

Wild Blue Yonder

So one last time, love, come and rip my clothes || Get a grip, we're grownups

Come and rip off my socks like you’re blasting the locks off of a bank vault. Halt! || This time we’re done for

Let’s hide under the covers || We don’t know what’s out there || Could be wolves || So hold me, lover, like you used to || So tight I’d bruise you || I’d bruise you, I’d bruise you too

Every stone you threw, I stood on to better see the view

Don't you ever wonder, what could have been? || All those wonders sit in wait for us, we tried

Every brick you hurled, I’ll use to build this world || This world, this world, this world

Welly Boots

And I love you, don’t you know || That I’ll be with you all along, as long as you are kind

And when you scream that it’s not fair || It’s like I’ve gone off to the coast || Left you behind just standing there || Pretending not to see your ghost || If only you could hear my voice || But you are screaming far too loud to hear me swear || Just because I left doesn’t mean that I’m not still there

'Cause you were always strong || When you were young, you’d kick things just to see if they would fall || They said ‘That girl, she’s wrong’ || But I’ll stick up for you, even though you haven’t got a clue, you haven't got a fucking clue

Farewell Wanderlust

He said ‘Hey darling hey, hey darling hey’ || I’m the hardest goodbye that you’ll ever have to say

I promise you I’ll be better || I promise you I’ll try || But like rubbing wine stains into rugs it’s my curse || To try and make it right, but by trying make it worse

I promise you I’m not broken || I promise you there’s more || More to come, more to reach for, more to hurl at the door

Goodbye to all my darkness, there’s nothing here but light || Adieu to all the faceless things that sleep with me at night || This here is not make up, it’s a porcelain tomb || And this here is not singing, I’m just screaming in tune

Fair

It’s what my heart just yearns to say || In ways that can’t be said || It’s what my rotting bones will sing || When the rest of me is dead || It’s what’s engraved upon my heart || In letters deeply worn || Today I somehow understand the reason I was born

She laughs as though she’s not heard the joke ten thousand times before || And he adores her, he watches her get dressed as though she’s hurtling through time

And she brushes her hand through his hair, he’s got so much fucking hair

And he holds her close just to keep the world at bay

"It’s not fair, it’s not fair how much I love you || It’s not fair, 'cause you make me laugh when I’m actually really fucking cross at you for something," || And he’ll say || "Oh how, oh how unreasonable || How unreasonably in love I am with everything you do || I spend my days so close to you 'cause if I’m standing here, maybe everyone will think I’m alright,"

'Cause darling I was born to press my head between your shoulder blades

And calm throughout his melodrama, she will turn and say || "Dear heart, it’s me, it's me || You don’t need to pretend to be someone you’re not || 'Cause it’s not like I’ve never heard you fart and snore || And for some godforsaken reason || I’m still here, love, like I’ve always been before,"

Burying her head into his chest and clinging to the moment || "Where have you been?" she’ll whisper || "I’ve waited oh so long for you to come" || And as the stars above them hum and hear them || He’ll turn to her and say, "That’s what she said"

That Unwanted Animal

You try so loud to love me || I cannot seem to hear || ‘Be good to me,’ I whisper || And you say ‘What?’ || And I say ‘Nothing dear’

I’m the paper cut that kills you || I’m the priest that you ignored || I’m the touch you crave, I’m the plans that you made, but fuck all your plans I’m bored

And you rip my ribcage open || And devour what’s truly yours

'Cause if we join our hands in prayer enough || To God I imagine it all starts to sound like applause

Marbles

And I chipped my teeth on every joke you cracked

You stole the best years of my life || I’ll give them back

'Cause I will wait and hope || Your eyes aren’t rivers there to weep || But a place for crows to rest their feet || And I will wait and hope || And rest my head at night content || Knowing where my marbles went

She sang, ‘Do you think I’m sexy?’ and oh god I really did

Oh, if one more guy calls me darling then I || Swear to you and to god I will murder them all

All the bastards applaud when I show that I’m flawed || You’re not flawed darling, you’re just a little under-rehearsed

I’ve loved you, for a hundred years || Certainly fucking feels like it

The minute I met you, the colours of my life began to pour

And now, even though you’re mad and these memories won’t stay || That's okay || 'Cause then I get to meet you for the first time every single day

Battle Cries

Tell the truth to me, love, does my hair look as nice || As it did when you once tangled up in your eyes? || Look at me as you say this, don’t look at your phone

‘Cause these plates they smash like waves || And the wine stains hide the tears || But that breathing you hear, don't mistake it for sighs || Don’t you realise? They’re just battle cries, dear

And these lines aren’t wrinkles, dear heart || They’re just dollops of paint on a new work of art

And as I walk away, I know I’ve been through the wars || But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it’s applause

This isn’t a break up, dear heart, it’s a season finale

[reidsconverse]

bookstore • spencer reid

Spencer x Reader

Warnings: None

Based off of this request: reid,, falling in love w the reader bcos he sees them constantly in a bookstore reading his favourite fiction author (perhaps,,, stephen king,,,?) but he’s too shy to talk to them

It all started when his usual used bookstore closed for renovations, which was slightly more than an inconvenience seeing as the second closest used book store was a 30 minute drive away. He’d finished work early one day and decided it was time to stock up on some books to last him a week.

He got to the store about an hour before closing, just enough time to browse the shelves and see what this place had to offer, on the outside it looked bigger than his usual store which he thought could be a good thing considering his ability to fly through books at such a fast pace.

A small bell rang as he entered the store, the door that was slightly stiff with age closing behind him, there was one person at the desk who he assumed was the owner, they shared a quick smile as an acknowledgment of the presence of each other before returning back their original tasks. Spencer set out to find a copy of IT by Stephen King, Garcia had made them watch the movie at their last BAU movie night and it had sparked his intrigue to reread the novel.

The store wasn’t difficult to navigate and he easily found his way to where the book should have been, except it wasn’t there. He had called ahead earlier to confirm they had it to avoid a wasted trip. He quickly turned the corner to go and ask the person at the desk what had happened to the copy when he saw her.

Now truthfully, Spencer didn’t think he believed in love at first sight... until he saw her. Tucked away in the corner, wearing a beautiful yellow dress paired with a pair of yellow converse, she looked ethereal and Spencer almost forgot where he was and what he was doing. But then he saw it, no literally IT...the book he needed sitting in her lap and currently the owner of her attention.

Just as he was about to approach her to question her about the book, he saw her check her phone and sigh before getting up to put the book away. Spencer couldn’t help but watch her as she collected her things and prepared to leave, he wanted so desperately to stop her, ask her her name or even about the book. He just stood there frozen, pretending to look at the shelf of books.

“Are you lost?” He heard a small voice pipe up shaking him out of his trance, quickly turning around to see you looking up at him with wide eyes. “I know this store pretty well, I could help you find what you’re looking for.”

He stared at you for a few seconds before clearing his throat, “Uh no I’m ok thank you.” He regretted it the minute he said it, here you were offering to help him, to spend time with him and he had said no.

“Oh, ok, I hope you find what you’re looking for then!” The girl said, giving Spencer a wide grin. “This store has an amazing collection of works, I’ve been coming here for years although I never buy anything, I prefer to sit here and…,” She paused when she saw Spencer staring at her, she grinned sheepishly and pushed a strand of hair out of her face, "and I’m rambling I’m so sorry.”

“I-its fine, it's nice to see I’m not the only one who appreciates the vibe of bookstores, and I’m the worst when it comes to rambling I could talk for hours, my friends hate it when I start to go off on a tangent…” Now it was his turn to grin sheepishly, “as I’m doing right now.” He finished.

The girl giggled and looked up at him before saying, “You’re cute,” Her face quickly matching his in flushing red when she realised what she had said, “oh my god I’m so sorry I didn't mean to say that out loud.”

Spencer thought he’d died and gone to heaven. "No it's fine, thank you." He hated how awkward he was, why couldn't he be more like Derek with his smooth pick up lines and charms, maybe if he was less him he might've had the courage to continue the conversation and get her number, but no all he did was smile at her .

"I'm Y/N." She said, holding her hand out for him to shake.

He quickly looked down at her hand and before he could stop himself he blurted out, "The number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering. It's actually safer to kiss." He saw her purse her lips in confusion before retracting her hand and he immediately felt awful, "I'm sorry I don't know why I said that, I'm Spencer."

She smiled at him gently and nodded, "It's ok...It was nice to meet you, Spencer... I uh, I have to go but I hope I see you around here again." She gave him a quick wave before walking over to the front desk, smiling brightly.

“I’m almost done with the book Laurel, it's incredible. Stephen King is so talented.” He heard her say.

“Oh y/n, I didn’t tell you, someone called ahead and placed a hold on the book.” Laurel, who Spencer presumed was the guy at the desk, told the girl with a sad smile.

Spencer felt his heart physically hurt at the smile dropping from the girl's face, a small adorable pout forming on her face and she let out a small, “Oh…that's a shame, hopefully, you get another copy soon. I'll see you next week!”

He heard her bid goodbye to Laurel followed by the bell ringing out through the store, indicating she had left. He quickly walked over to pick out the book he had come for, however, his intentions had changed in the short period of time he'd been in the store. He took out his pen and began to write on the title page, something he would never normally do but he had to see her again and this seemed to be the only way.

He took the book to the front desk informing Laurel he had been the one to call ahead and put it on hold, before paying for it. He looked up at Laurel and said "Actually, could you keep that safe and give it to the girl that was in here before...her name was Y/N. I overheard her saying that she was almost done and I've read it more than enough times."

Laurel smiled at the awkward man standing in front of him and nodded, "Of course, she'll be so pleased, she's been coming in once a week to read it and it would've been such a shame if she couldn't finish. You're so kind for doing this, I know she'll appreciate it."

Spencer smiled before glancing down at his watch, taking in the time and knowing he had to leave now in order to avoid the traffic back, he quickly bid farewell to Laurel and made his way back to his car before beginning his journey back.

- one week later -

Y/N made her way back to the bookstore a small spring in her step despite her disappoitment that she was to be unable to finish the book she had been reading for the past few weeks, she was excited to select a new book.

The bell rang as she walked into the store and she smiled brightly when she saw Laurel at the desk, "Hey L, how are you?" She said, walking over to him.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm great and I have a gift for you." He said grinning at the young girl.  

Her ears perked up at the mention of a gift. "A gift? Laurel you shouldnt have."

He chuckled before handing her a copy of the book she had been intently reading for the past few weeks, "Oh honey, this was nothing to with me... I think you should take a look inside." He said with a small smirk before going to the backroom to do whatever it was he needed to do.

She slowly walked over to her usual seat in the store and sat down before opening up the book,  she let out a small gasp as she saw the note Spencer had written the week before.

Dear Y/N,

I hope you don't find this strange or too forthcoming but after our brief meeting last week I knew that couldnt be the last time I spoke to you. I overheard you (I promise I wasn't purposely eavesdropping, its just a small store) mention how you love this book and how you hadn't yet finished it, I also heard how disappointed you were when Laurel told you someone had reserved it. That person was me but I realised that I'd much rather allow you to finish the incredible book than reread it for the 5th time. I hope you enjoy the ending of this book, if you would like to discuss it with me and share other book recommendations please feel free to text me. I'm not the best at technology but I am good at talking about books.

Here's my number: xxx-xxx-xxx

Kind Regards,

Spencer

She closed the book quickly, pulling out her phone and typing in the number.

Y/N: Hey Spencer, this is Y/N from the bookstore, I got your note. Would you like to meet up for coffee soon and we could discuss the book?

He replied back almost instantaneously which took Y/N by surprise.

Spencer: Hello, I'm so glad you weren't weirded out by the note I left, my friend told me it was a little creepy and I was worried. Coffee sounds great, shall we meet at the coffee shop opposite the book store tomorrow at 5?

Y/N: Sounds great! Its a date! :)

[hotpinkrathian]

Double Date

(Kyalin) (Korrasami)

“I still don't understand why you agreed to this." Lin grumbled while Kya buttoned up the neck part on Lin's dress.

"Because, Korra and Asami have been nothing but nice to us since we... made the announcement. And it's good for us, and them."

"I can't possibly comprehend how this much stress is good for me."

"Oh Lin, stop being dramatic and get the keys. We don't want to be late," Kya said, rubbing the back of Lin's shoulders briefly before grabbing a purse and making way to the door. Lin bent the keys to her palm and followed, still grumbling under her breath.

"Hey, look there they are," Asami whispered to Korra, who had enticed herself by making a tune from hitting knives on the glasses.

"Hmm? Oh look, is Lin in a dress?"

"I think so."

"Bolin would love this." Asami nodded in agreement and the two of them played it cool while the older couple took their seats.

"Good evening Korra, Asami," Kya smiled, placing her jacket in the back of the chair.

"Good evening," Asami replied with an equally gentle smile.

"Lin nice dress," Korra blurted, getting an elbow to the stomach from her girlfriend. Lin just stared at her, her arms crossed and the same unamused look on her face.

"So, do you two come to this place often?" Kya asked.

"It's our favourite, it's central too so that helps. Some days we are together from 9 till 5 and others we hardly see each other. We always seem to end up here." Asami explained, taking a sip of her water when she was done.

"Oh I get it, I can't tell you how many times I've had to go to the station to bring Lin home from work."

"It's not that often," Lin protested, weakly. Kya rolled her eyes and Asami stifled a smile.

"Kya have you been to the air temple recently?" Korra asked.

"I was there the other day, why?"

"I was just wondering how everyone was doing. They're not around as much anymore, I hate to admit but I kind of miss Tenzin breathing down my back." Kya laughed and flipped the page of her menu.

"Tenzin has the effect on people. While he's around you hate him, when he's gone you miss him. Everyone's doing good, Jinora has really stepped into her role as a master, and Tenzin thinks that there's another arrow ceremony in the near future."

"That's amazing! I'm so happy for all of them."

"And how about little Rohan?" Asami asked.

"Well, he was crawling like crazy when I saw him, so he's mobile."

"Any sign of bending?"

"Not yet, but they didn't know the others were benders until they were a little older. There's still time." A waitress came, an empty platter in hand and a pencil and paper ready to go.

"My name Karina, I'll be your server today, can I start you girls off with some drinks?"

"I'll just get a virgin Margarita, Cherry please," Asami said.

"Yeah and I'll get one of those, with the alcohol in Lime," Korra added.

"I'll get a red wine, whatever's cheapest is fine," Kya grinned.

"I'll go for a soft drink, anything's fine," Lin said.

"Alright I'll be back soon enough" Karina smiled before taking off for the kitchen.

"Virgin Margarita, ill never understand, Asami," Korra joked.

"Well someone's gotta take you home."

"I know, I appreciate it. Even though I tease you." Asami blushed, and tried to hide her face from Kya who watched them with a sloppy grin.

Lin observed her surroundings, she tried to do the small talk like Kya had asked, but it was hard, and awkward. Instead she avoided eye contact, happy watching the workers move about.

"Well anyway, I show up at the precinct, and Mako is standing outside, this look on his face and I knew things were bad. I ran inside and I kid you not I busted down the doors to her office, Lin had a knife wound up her side, it was bleeding all over. And you know what she says to me? 'Kya it's not a big deal'" The younger girls laugh and Lin looked over to them.

"Okay honey, you're exaggerating just a bit. It wasn't a "knife wound" it was a scratch that just so happened to be caused by a knife shaped piece of metal." Lin added. Korra and Asami laughed, and Lin smiled, just a bit. She fiddled with the straw of her drink, halfhearted you listening to Asami tell then about one of their adventures on their vacation.

"Hey Lin, you okay?" Kya asked.

"Hmm? Yeah fine. I'm just going to the bathroom, excuse me." She replied, ignoring the worried glances from the rest of the group. She made her way to the bathroom, her brow sweating as more and more people set their eyes on her. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier today. She was out, and an aggressive older man had targeted her, because of her relationship with Kya. And now the four of them, being out together, it didn't feel safe..She hadn't told Kya, she knew how the water bender would worry, but she couldn't help but keep her eyes peeled on their surroundings, just in case another jackass tried to approach her with bad intentions.  The bathroom was empty, thankfully, and she let herself relax by the sink for a moment. Taking in the silence and solitude of the room. It wasn't long before the door swung open, and the Avatar stepped in, desperate not to disturb the peace.

"Lin. You uh... good in here?"

"I'm fine Korra, go back to the table."

"See you say that, but something tells me I should stay."

"You're confused."

"Hmmm, try I'm confused. Well not me. You. You say: I'm confused."  Lin sighed and faced away from the younger girl, putting a hand to her forehead on a crossed elbow. "Did someone say something? Was it Asami she can get pretty talkative sometimes. I don't get it you know? She says I have a habit of unnecessary rambling but I rarely speak-"

"-Korra. Oh my god."

"Something is wrong." Lin sighed again, this time Korra can you to her, stepping into her eye sight. "Lin you can tell me anything. I'll even keep it a secret if you want." Korra grinned, not a happy grin, but one that instilled confidence in Lin.

"I was attacked today."

"Ok not where I thought this was going, but continue."

"Some old bigot, guess he caught wind of my current relationship status, and that was too much for him."

"Wait, he attacked you because of..."

"Yeah."

"Does Kya know?"

"No! She'd get all angry, wouldn't let it down."

"Oh. Well honestly Lin, I have to hand it to you, you have the tolerance of Avatar Aang. If it were me... I would've been really destructive."

"Well its not like I didn't do nothing, I just didn't do enough."

"Ever since people found out about me and Asami, it hasn't been as happy go lucky as it used to be. So many people are happy for us, but there's still a lot of people who make enemies of themselves. I'm the Avatar and usually that's enough to send them running but you, you're a person."

"I'm the chief of Police,"

"That makes it worse. Some people have a problem with woman in power, a gay woman in power is just unheard of." Lin felt the corners of her mouth curve into a smile.

"Thanks Korra."

"Are you ready to go back to the table?"

"Yes, I am."

"Thank the Lion Turtles, I'm starving."

"Here they come, it looks like Korra got through to her," Asami whispered.

"Well I'll be darned," Kya replied as Lin and Korra sat at the table. "You good babe?" Kya asked.

"Great," Lin replied with a smile, kissing Kya in the cheek. Kya felt herself blush, and she spun the noodles on her fork in hopes of it fading. She caught Korra winking at her from the other side of the table and she smiled, releasing a discreet laugh.

"Where's the waitress?" She asked after a moment, "I'm ready for another glass of wine."

"Hell yeah!" Korra cheered, beckoning the waitress and getting herself a beer and Kya another glass of wine.

"Just bring the bottle," Kya told the waitress before she could leave. "So," Kya started, "What are we drinking to tonight Korra?"

"We, are drinking to Lin Beifong. For being the best bad ass in the city!"

"I can get behind that!" Kya smiled.

"Same here. To Lin Beifong then!" Asami added, raising her glass to theirs. Lin smiled, and with the motivation from her peers she raised her glass too, getting much more enthusiasm then she deserved. They took a sip at the same time, Korra and Kya's lasted significantly longer, nearly downing their newly refilled drinks in one go.

"Lin," Kya attempted at a whisper, "I love you," Lin smiled, and not without a small shake of her head she looked at her girlfriend.

"I love you too."

"Okay Korra, you and Kya can hang out tomorrow. Sure, Lin can drink with you next time. No we aren't stopping at Mako's stop teasing him it's not nice." Lin laughed as Asami put a four drink Korra into the car.

"Come on," she offered her own arm to Kya who stumbled a bit out of the restaurant, catching herself on Lin's arm.

"Lin I have been meaning to tell you all night, that dress really works for you."

"Tell me at home."

"Oh I will," Kya replied, rubbing her hand down Lin's cheek.

"You got that handled?" Lin shouted to Asami, who nodded, putting both thumbs up.

"Do you?" Asami asked.

"It's my job," Lin replied, boding farewell to the inventor and her girlfriend. Lin got in her own Sato Mobile, Kya leaned against the window, gazing out at the city lazily. They drove insolence for a few blocks, before Kya sat up, looking at Lin with a surprisingly straight face.

"Lin I know you pretty well," she said, "I know you well enough to know something bothered you today. You don't have to tell me, I'm just glad you're okay." Lin smiled, and let Kya rest her head on Lin's lap while she drove, using one hand to stroke her hair. The rest of the drive was silent, except the sound of their breathing, at one point Kya's became so steady Lin thought she had dozed off, but then she felt the waterbender adjust her head so she was looking straight up at Lin. From the look on her eyes Lin felt as though she was reading Kya's mind, your so beautiful. Kya had never let her forget it, and although the words made Lin feel awkward, she couldn't deny the small spark of joy each time it was said.

[maree-ff]

Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

CAMILA

Opening the blinds to let in the slightest amount of light I glanced over my shoulder. Andre’s been out for four days since the surgery and I’m growing impatient. I’ve prayed every morning and night since the shooting with hopes that he will wake up soon. The kids have been rotating their stays here with me but I always send them home before their bedtime rolls around. I can’t fathom staying home right now so Divya is taking my place.

A soft knock on the door reverted my attention from Andre to the entrance of his room. Elaine, the night shift nurse, walked in the room with a fresh set of towels, linen, flowers and medication.

Smiling gently at her I met her halfway to take some of the items off of her hands. “Good morning and thank you for bringing these in.” I began.

“Good morning to you. Don’t mention it honey, any updates for me?” She inquired.

Inhaling soundly I shook my head and parted ways with her to put the towels aside. “I’m doing all that I can to stay positive but I’m starting to worry.” The uneasiness in my tone earned me some encouraging words from Elaine. After I adjusted the temperature in the room I took a seat, watching in silence as she finished out her shift. She prepped Andre with a new morphine bag, took his vitals and tidied up the room. As Elaine began to wrap up her work a thought came to me.

“Elaine..” I called out to her. Rising from my chair I set my journal and planner aside, walking to her side of the room. “I know your shift is pretty much over but I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind praying with me? It would mean the world to me.” I twiddled my fingers awaiting her response.

Elaine’s prayer over Andre’s health, recovery and my willpower brought me to tears. I said my temporary farewell to her and did my part in Andre’s upkeep. Once I was all done I sat down beside his bed studying the monitor watching his heart beat steadily. My mind must’ve gone blank for quite some time. I found myself listening to my cell phone vibrate within my bag and the rain began to downpour.

“I remember when you came down with the flu and Zoe stayed up all night trying to take care of you. She was yawning every two minutes..” I chuckled lightly at the memory. “She kept trying to convince herself that she wasn’t tired and you were too weak to argue with her. That’s when Kenja stepped in to drag her out of our bed and into their room. I listened to them bicker for a solid twenty minutes or so about how best to care for you when they got home from school the next day.” Using my thumbs to dab underneath my eyes I made the slightest turn of my head surprised at what I’m seeing.

Andre’s eyes fluttered open and closed before settling on remaining half open.

“Andre..” I said gently. Turning around I minimized the distance between us to get a closer look at him. His gaze met mine and a very shy smile set itself up on his face. I’m bubbling over with inquisition but I can’t overwhelm him at a time like this. “Andre? Honey, if you can feel this..nod your head for me please.” Tucking my hair behind my ear I exposed one of his feet to run my fingernail along his sole.

He nodded reluctantly prompting me to keep testing his senses. We went five rounds of this, easing my nerves about serious loss of sensation. “Can you hear me okay? Am I being too loud?” I asked.

“Yes and no.” He mumbled with ease. “How long have....I been here?” He shifted around, rotating a tad on his side. A tear rolled over his right cheek as he took a deep breath in and out.

“Four days.” I sighed. “Tell me what you remember.” I pulled my chair up to his bedside, leaning forward to clutch his hands. He struggled but successfully managed to intertwine our fingers. “I’m not rushing you. Take your time, sweetie.”

“Where’s Jo? Is he hurt? Are the girls okay?” I can see the deep concern for our children in his eyes and I can feel it passing through me.

“Jo is doing just fine baby, not a hair missing or a scratch on him. The girls are alright too. You can’t get your heart rate up or you’ll go into shock. Deep breaths okay? Can you tell me what you remember?” I asked again.

“Jo and I were outside getting the mail. Next thing I know, I heard the shot. I didn’t let him go.” Caressing the back of my hand, Andre fidgeted from underneath the blankets. “He was asking for you.”

I lowered my head as my brain flooded itself with the scene I was faced with when I walked out of our front door four days ago. To see my son shielded by his unconscious father who was bleeding out on the concrete scared me nearly to death. My mother’s voice flooded my brain to advise me against killing April point blank. My lawyer told me that if I had aimed just centimeters off of where I did shoot April, she’d be dead and I would be behind bars. That’s a mighty uncanny coincidence being that if the bullet from April’s gun had ended up just centimeters from where Andre was shot, he’d be dead. I owe God my never ending faith and obedience for sparing the lives of my boys.

“Hey..” he called out to me. Andre found some strength to squeeze the fists my hands turned into. I raised my head to see him kissing my hands. He bore into my eyes to say, “my hero yet again. When do I get the chance to save you?” He smirked.

I blinked rapidly to rid my eyes of tears. “I was so scared. My mind froze and my heart was racing but my body was doing all of the work. I didn’t think to pay attention to my surroundings because I was so focused on you and Jo.” I took a moment to reign in my feelings before continuing to share my point of view. “I didn’t even blink when I fired. I shoved the gun in the back of my pants, ran over to you guys and balled my eyes out trying to get Jorden from underneath you. The look on his face is burned into memory. The girls were screaming on the phone with 911, Jorden was foaming at the mouth with questions and your mom...she was hysterical.” I explained. The last thing I want to do is freak him out or upset him but I’m confident that he wants to hear my perspective.

“Come here, lay with me..” Andre created as much space for me on the bed as he could allowing me to stretch out beside him.

“I thought you died. For eight hours my mind had convinced me that I lost you. That we lost you.” I confessed. More tears sprang forward admitting the truth. “After Jo was finished being monitored he kept asking for you. Not one answer that I gave him was good enough.” I told him.

“Camila,” Andre ushered me to look him in the eye. “Thank you for saving our son’s life and mine.  I don’t take the sacrifice you took regarding your freedom lightly.”

I nodded graciously. “How do you feel?” I quizzed.

“I’m worried about you more than myself right now. I can hold a long conversation. I’m not that weak.” Andre’s familiar snicker put a smile on my face. “Talk to me.” His hands on my face brought more tears to my eyes. “Baby, I’m okay and I’ll heal just fine. Our family is safe thanks to you. Where is my little boy?”

“He’s at home with your mom. You want me to call her and have her bring him here? It’s his day. He and the girls have been taking turns staying here with me. He needs to see you. He’s been very distant, curious and angry about what happened. He doesn’t understand why April did what she did.” I sniffled.

“Call her.” He uttered sharply. I urgently called his mom and she answered on the first round of rings.

“Camila? Is everything alright?” She panicked.

“That mommy? I wanna talk!!!” Jorden exclaimed.

“Hey mama, he’s awake.” I smiled. Divya began to cry and repeat her vocalized gratitude for Andre coming out of his four day coma. We agreed to talk later as she handed the phone to Jorden who’s still babbling with anticipation. “Jorden, baby, take a breath for mama please. Talk slow.” I advised him.

“Mommy, where’s papa? I wanna talk to him.” Jorden said boldly. Not arguing I handed Andre my phone.

“Jo?” Andre began.

Jorden went quiet on his end. “Are you okay?” He spoke up after a brief pause.

“Yeah, I’m alright. How are you feeling buddy?” Andre looked down at me, lowering his eyebrows to minimize the tension in his face.

“Sad. I want to see you papa, can I come back? Please. It’s my turn.” Jorden begged.

“Of course you can. Mama and I are waiting for you.” Andre spoke briefly to his mother agreeing that she would bring Jorden back to the hospital. In the meantime we shared our last moments alone before I had to bring the nurse and doctor in to examine Andre. They tested him to the fullest extent, talked in grave detail about the surgery and the blood transfusion. By the time they were done, I heard Jorden rambling from outside the door. I invited Jo and Divya inside, shutting the door behind them.

Jorden clung to me once he saw his father. It saddened me because I know Jorden is just confused by his dad’s current health status. He doesn’t quite understand the complexity of this matter. While I emphasize with him, I also want to comfort my little boy.

“Mommy..” Jorden pulled at my sweater, asking to be held. I hooked him on my hip holding him close. He and Andre stared at one another in silence. “Is daddy okay?” He whispered.

“Daddy’s okay. He’s been waiting to see you.” Looking down at my son I searched his eyes, confident he would settle down.  Cautiously I walked over to the bed, sat down and waited for Jorden to let go of me.

“Hey man, you’re not scared of me are you?” Andre went to stretch out his bad arm, wincing in pain.

Jorden’s face twisted up in agony watching his dad reorient himself back to comfort. “Where does it hurt, dad?” That was Jorden’s cue to play doctor and tend to his father as best he can. Stepping away to allow Andre and Jorden their long awaited reunion, Divya and I stepped into the hallway. The minute I shut the door I threw my arms around her needing a moment to be selfish. She consoled me with the utmost love and empathy. She didn’t speak either. My mother-in-law simply allowed me time to cry, count my blessings and openly praise God for saving Andre’s life.

I used another couple of minutes to finish releasing these emotions before backing up to stand on my own two feet.

“I bet you feel so much better now.” She smiled warmly. A tissue appeared and she used it to dry my teary eyes.

Nodding with a growing smile on my face I fixed my sweater. “Much. I still have more left in me but I’ll be okay for now. Has Jo been terrorizing you or the house?”

“He’s been hostile but I know it’s only because he was confused about what happened. I’m sure that not seeing Andre for days after what went down has scarred Jorden to some capacity. It has scarred the girls and I, too. How are you feeling now?” Divya was quick to stop me from going back into the room. I know why and I’m grateful that she wants to check on me. I’m grateful that she cares for how I’m feeling mentally and emotionally.

“I just feel relieved. I hope that I never again have to answer the question of “where’s daddy” or “any updates on dad” or anything close to it. I’ve been telling Andre for quite some time now that I want the drama to be over. The girls have been through enough, Andre has been through more than enough and now Jorden…” shaking my head in disbelief at the trauma this family has faced I straightened out my top. “This has to be the end of it. I can’t take any more police reports and hospital visits. I may even talk to Andre about relocating. I think it would do all of us good.”

“Moving? Where to?!” Divya’s shock ruffled my feathers. I found her concern humorous.

“Not too far away mama I promise. Besides, it’s just an idea for now. Just to a better city where no one knows us. I just want the kids to be safe. I want for all of us to feel safe and at ease.” Divya and I went back into the room to find Jorden and Andre chest to chest. They look like they're asleep but I know this is how they are all the time at home.

Andre opened his eyes to smile at us.

“How are you feeling, honey?” Divya asked. She set her purse down to go over and greet her son.

“A little out of touch with reality but having you guys here is helping a l-lot.” He stumbled over his words freaking me out to the max. With Jorden front and center I have to remain calm. Jorden picks up on the slightest adjustment in attitudes and tones.

“Dre..” I hesitated to ask because I also don’t want to freak his mother out. Andre must have caught my drift because when he met my stare he smiled again.

“I’m okay. I just got tongue tied. I promise.” His sentence was crystal clear this time around so I had no choice but to take a deep breath and enjoy this time. God has yet again shown this family never ending mercy. Now is not the time to be ungrateful for God’s effort to bring the love of my life back to me. Back to earth and this family.

[lucas-koh]

Stitches - Bryce Lahela x MC

Hi everyone! This is my first Choices fic, and I’m pretty happy with it! I’ve posted it over on Ao3, the link is on my blog, user is margotmuses, but apparently links don’t show up in tags :( if you like this it would be super cool if you could go give it some Kudos or a Comment💜💙 feedback means the world to me!

Doesn’t follow canon, but elements of canon. FWB.

Song: I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses

Rating: M

Word Count: 3600

Chapter One: The First Time...?

It was no good having nerves on day one. Day one of thousands. But she couldn’t help it. This was the real test, the real tell of whether or not she would make a good doctor, and it was all she’d ever wanted. It didn’t help that she was running late, either. On day fucking one.

She walked with a sort of half run as she neared the doors to Edenbrook, trying to quell her nerves by counting her steps. It was modern and intimidating, glass windows piling on top of each-other, intercepted by the occasional wooden plank. She had aced college and med school, but actually practising medicine was a little different. She swept through the doors and up to the front desk, where a kind looking woman was waiting with a clipboard.

“Ah! An intern?” She asked. “I’m Dr Ines Delarosa. I’m your resident for the year.” Ines was instantly calming, and suddenly all worries about the upcoming year and about being late were dispelled from the intern’s head.

“What’s your name?”

“Suki. Suki Moore,” she smiled confidently and pulled out a hand to shake Ines’. Ines shook her hand with a warm smile and made a few notes on her clipboard before rounding the desk to enter into the computer. Seconds later she brandished a freshly laminated name tag.

Dr. Suki Moore, it read. Dr. Suki Moore.

Her confidence came rushing back as she clipped the badge to her clothes, even though she’d have to transfer it to her scrubs shortly anyway. Ines then directed her to the staff changing rooms and Suki rushed over with a new spring in her step. Time to ace this internship.

She cradled her cornflour blue scrubs in her arms as she entered the staff changing rooms. They appeared to be empty at first, before Suki rounded the corner and crashed right into a chiseled, honeyed chest.

“Oof!”

“Well hello there,” the voice audibly smirked.

She could smell body lotion and cologne, it was lovely. She unburied her face from the chest and stepped back to look at the man. He was tall, and very, very attractive. His smooth golden skin highlighted the tight abs on his stomach, and muscular chest; his shoulders and arms were broad and strong looking. His hands crossed over his chest as he leaned against the locker next to him. This man definitely took care of himself. Suki scoped her eyes up to his face. And oh. My. God. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen a prettier man in her life, and that was no exaggeration. His jaw was defined below an absolutely encapsulating smile, even if it was slightly mocking, white teeth shining against plump peach-golden lips. His deep brown hooded eyes were warm and inviting, humour sparkling in them, and his eyebrows were thick and defined. His hair was brown with natural looking blonde highlights, swooped back and to the side floppily. And he had a strong, straight nose. But there was a rugged edge to his good looks. Something familiar about the wolfish grin he bore struck something in Suki. Probably because he’ll be just like every other asshole who came here from an Ivy League.

She quickly averted her gaze, she may have been looking a little too long. There was an absolutely furious blush on her cheeks.

“You know, you’re going to have to get used to seeing naked people if you’re going to be a doctor.”

She tried to conjure up a good comeback, without having to look at him, but she could only stutter out a scoff. Suki was confident, but easily flustered. Finally, she came out with something.

“I’ve seen plenty of naked people, thank you. That doesn’t mean I want to bowl face first into your…chest.” She had to stop herself from focusing on how his chest had felt, the smooth warmth and the enveloping scent. Now is not the time for you to be thirsty, she told herself.

He chuckled, seeming pleased that he’d rattled her. Yeah. Typical Ivy League medical intern jerk.

“I think you’re an odd one out,” he smirked, clearly used to the attention.

Suki tried to avert her gaze from him as she began to change out of her own clothes into her scrubs. It was clear the guy was struggling to not look too, as he slipped his scrub top over his chiseled chest. She’d just have to get on with it. Now was not the time to be shy. She was late already, and she would be changing in front of these people for years to come anyway. With a clearing of her throat, Suki quickly pulled up her Henley and replaced it with her scrub top. Just as the guy was looking like he was about to leave, face trained on anything but Suki, the door fluttered open. A pretty but serious looking woman stood at the threshold.

“Scalpel jockey, you’re late!” She called into the changing room. “Hi,” she gave a quick smile to Suki before trying to usher them out of the room.

“Coming, Jackie,” the guy shot Suki a wink as he left the room.

“Come on!” Jackie encouraged Suki, with motherly strictness, as the guy strode past her and out of the room. Suki rushed her joggers off and her scrub trousers on, clipped her name tag to the pocket and hurried after Jackie out the door.

“We’re lucky,” Jackie muttered as they neared the lump of interns standing in the main foyer of the hospital. She obviously wasn’t copping for introductions just yet, so Suki kept her mouth shut as they joined the group on the right side. Next to them, was the guy from the changing room. He smiled at Suki once more, confident and flirty. She nodded in return.

Ines was stood at the head of the group, and started her speech to welcome everyone to Edenbrook.

After a few lines from Ines, a glamorous, attractive woman strode up to the spot in front of everyone. Ines nodded to her.

“Everyone, this is Chief Harper Emery.”

The group quivered with quiet mutters and some awkward shuffling. She must be a big deal. Chief Harper Emery went through a gruelling speech about the upcoming year as an intern, challenges they’d need to face, instincts they’d need to follow, and standards they would have to meet.

After the long (and kind of terrifying) talk from Chief Emery, she left for Ines to partner off interns to work on their first case together. There was a little reprieve where Ines shuffled through the papers, a harsh looking man glancing over her shoulder.

Suki turned her attention to the interns around her. God. She’d known how many there would be, but seeing them all in a group like this was so intimidating. She wondered if she’d even get the chance to befriend anyone. Maybe Jackie would be a good friend when there wasn’t a time limit. She looked to her right at Jackie, who was chatting to a guy in a wheelchair in front of her. She wasn’t the type to butt in halfway through a conversation.

Reluctantly, Suki turned to look to her left. Her delicate features scrunched up in uncertainty as her eyes raked over the sculpted man. There was definitely something about him that was giving her déjà vu. She tried to get a glimpse at his name tag, but it was just at the angle where sun was reflecting off it, and moving her head too much might be cause for suspicion.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” She breached the air around them.

“You mean, aside from like five minutes ago?” He turned to her and gave a megawatt smile, one she was sure charmed all the ladies and gents and everyone else he came across. “I don’t know, do you?” He shot her another wink, before Ines was calling for everyone to quiet down so she could assign partnerships. Sigh.

The surgical residents were beckoned over to one side, and the familiar man left her side with a farewell grin.

“Don’t go bumping into too many chests, I might get jealous,” he muttered in a deep voice before leaving. She wished she could have come up with a witty response, but alas, he was gone.

Ines started to read down her list, before;

“Moore and Emery.”

Emery?? As in, Chief Harper Emery??

“Uhh,” Jackie hesitated beside Suki, looking a little worried for her. There were mutters throughout the group of interns as Suki gave Jackie what she thought was a reassuring smile, and made her way to Ines. Then, a stunning, organised woman stepped up. She looked a little angry.

“Aurora Emery,” she introduced herself. Suki breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hi!” She smiled, and introduced herself to Aurora.

—-

The day went by, Suki and Aurora talking to patients and treating them. Aurora turned out to be Harper’s niece, but she seemed like she didn’t like to talk about it. She was pretty focused and serious, but Suki could tell that was her mask of professionalism, and that underneath she was just a normal girl, frustratingly overshadowed by her successful aunt. Her work ethic was fantastic, and she was smart, and Suki tried extremely hard not to feel intimidated. Luckily, they were able to work together well to come to conclusions and treat their patients. At one point Aurora was called to her Aunt’s office for a little while, but it wasn’t too long and soon enough she was back to working smoothly with Suki.

Then, Suki caught Jackie in the corridor at one point.

“Hey, Suki Moore,” Jackie grinned down at her name tag.

“Hi, sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier but…timing and all.” She laughed comfortably. Jackie smiled.

“I got it. Hey, some of us are heading down to a bar called Donahue’s after our shifts, celebrate day one kind of thing, want in?”

“Yes! I’ll definitely need a drink.”

“Tell me about it. Meet us in the lobby and we can all head down together.”

—-

The end of Suki’s shift came soon enough and she was heading to the changing room to slip out of her scrubs. She’d packed a nicer outfit in her bag in case of something like this, so she changed into the skirt and bodysuit. They might be interns now, but they were still med students at heart, after all. The changing room was empty, and Suki thought back to her awkward encounter that morning. She was going to spend the next however many years seeing bare chests, so why had this one flustered her so? She supposed she had bowled right into it, which was, quite embarrassing. Especially when she’d never met the man before. She sighed and left for the lobby.

There was a group of tired looking interns gathered around the seats in the lobby. Jackie was there, along with the boy in the wheelchair she’d been chatting to that morning, Aurora, a sweet girl with a plait, and a thin, blonde boy. She was grateful at the absence of chest-boy, but she remembered he’d gone with the surgical interns, so he probably wasn’t known to this group. Aside from Jackie somehow, that was. Still, she was grateful not to be further embarrassed.

“Hey! Everyone, this is Suki,” Jackie smiled as Suki walked towards the group. They all greeted her and introduced themselves, the boy in the wheelchair was Elijah, the sweet girl Sienna, and the blonde boy Landry. They all chatted as they made their way to the bar, which wasn’t far at all. They talked about their first days, and bonded over patients. Sienna had been partnered with Elijah, and Jackie with Landry, which she hadn’t seemed to happy about. He was probably too weaselly for her.

Once they’d reached Donahue’s, Landry grabbed them all a table, a booth in the centre, and Jackie went to get rounds.

“Tequila!” Jackie sang as she came back to the table.

“Oh, no…” Sienna said.

“Give me that.” Suki grabbed a shot. She clinked it with Jackie’s and they downed their shots. Suki’s face scrunched up at the strong taste, meanwhile Jackie was deadpan. They continued chatting for a while, each of them taking turns to get each round, some opting for safer options than others, such as beers. Only a short amount of time in, Suki already felt comfortable, like she knew these guys were going to be her closest friends through her time at Edenbrook, and even after that. She also basked in the warm glow of the alcohol coursing through her, forgetting all her worries.

She felt her throat jump as she saw him waltz in. Oh god, time to be further embarrassed. The boy didn’t even have to acknowledge her at all for her to feel utterly mortified, but something told her he would anyway. He walked in confidently, laughing attractively with a group of friends. Other surgical interns, probably. He looked good in more casual clothes, wearing a patterned button-up and black jeans. Not as good as he’d looked un-clothed, though. She watched for as long as she could, before he was too close and she had to avert her gaze for fear of being caught.

Much to Suki’s chagrin, about five minutes later he was swaggering up to their table.

“Ah! It’s the odd one out!” He grinned as he placed down the tray of shots. “Thought you guys might need these.”

“Thanks,” Suki stuttered and threw a shot back immediately.

“Woah, girl. Take it easy,” Elijah chuckled. The boy eyed her up with an impressed look on his face.

“You two know each other?” Sienna asked.

Suki could feel her face growing red, and she was praying the nameless boy would explain, even if he did say something embarrassing.

“Yeah, she was admiring my bare chest this morning,” he winked.

“What!?” Landry spat out his drink, the insinuation a little much for him.

“Not like that!” Suki scrambled. “It was just in the changing room… I didn’t see him…”

“Ahaha!” Jackie cackled, “That’s what was going on when I saw you two this morning! I thought you looked a little flustered.”

Suki looked at the boy, taking in his features once more. Who are you? She couldn’t outright ask his name, that was far too clunky, but she had to find out somehow. She highly doubted ‘Scalpel Jockey’ was his actual name. Thankfully, Jackie jumped to her rescue.

“This is Elijah, Aurora, Sienna, and Landry. And you’ve already met Suki,” she snorted, turning to the group at the table, “Me and Bryce met this morning on our walk into Edenbrook.”

Bryce. Bryce. Hmm. Not an uncommon name, but it wasn’t Chris or Alex or anything. She’d definitely known some Bryce’s in her time. Bryce smiled at the mention of Suki’s name.

“Yes, I know Suki,” he smirked. But the way he said it seemed to hold more than just their meeting that morning. Did he know? Had they met before, and he wasn’t telling her? Her name flowed off his tongue like it was familiar. Ugh. Suki had spent so much of the last ten or so years studying hard and meeting so, so many people, that placing his face was just, difficult.

“Well, anyway, I should get back to the other surgical interns, you guys enjoy your shots. And your night.”

“Yeah, see you man!” Elijah grinned, as Bryce stepped back to his former group.

“So uh, what’s the deal with him?” Suki asked Jackie in her best attempt at sly.

“Bryce? No clue, like I said, I only met him this morning. He’s quite full of himself, nothing unexpected from a surgical intern.”

“Hm, okay.”

—-

After a couple of hours filled with drinks and shots, Suki was laughing and dancing with all her new friends without a care in the world.

“I’m gonna pick a song on the jukebox!” Suki grinned to her friends, before making her way over to the old jukebox in the corner of the bar.

She scanned down the list of songs, coins at the ready.

“Pick something good,” the voice came from behind her neck, hot and making the hairs stand on end. Suki turned to look at the culprit, already knowing who it was.

“‘Good’ is very subjective.” There was an odd twinge to her voice which only came out when she was drunk. He laughed, his own honey skin showing a sheen of sweat over his forehead.

“This,” he pointed at a Beatles song, “overrated. But this,” his finger slipped down to a Stone Roses song, “much better.”

“Noted.” She bit her lip as she weighed up her options. He watched fondly at her focus. Eventually she picked the same song Bryce had pointed out.

“Do you?” He asked as she turned to him.

“Do I what?”

“‘Wanna Be Adored’?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

He flashed that wolfish grin again. “You don’t need to want it if you’ve already got it.”

He was cocky as shit, sure, but it was utterly captivating. He was ever so slightly blurred by her alcohol intake, but his deep eyes bore into hers as they had briefly that morning. Something about starting her internship reminded Suki of being a freshman at college, inhibitions low and desire high.

If he’d been a standard guy, him but without all the mystery and mortification, in all his beauty and flirtatiousness, she would have no doubt taken him home. They would’ve been out of there faster than ever; but there was hesitancy, stemming from the niggling at the back of her mind over who this guy was.

“I think you’re confusing adoration with something else.”

“Admiration?”

She chuckled. “You certainly have the whole cocky jockey thing, huh?”

“It’s Scalpel Jockey, actually.”

“Duh, so you’re a surgeon?”

“I’m going to be the best surgeon Edenbrook has even seen.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it. Bryce, right?”

“That’s me. And you’re Suki.”

She squinted at him and bit her lip again. “Do you have siblings or something? Or, have you ever been to Santa Fe?”

“That where you’re from?” He asked, raising his eyebrows and very definitely avoiding her questions. She let it slide: after all, if he was going to play that way, so was she. She was too buzzed anyway to push.

“Yeah, lived there for a bit before college. Where are you from?” Okay, maybe not to push a little.

“Your dreams,” he winked. Damn this boy was full on. She found it amusing, though, and she wasn’t exactly avoiding his flirtations. “You wanna dance?”

“Alright, then.”

She noticed as they walked the short distance to the space where people were dancing, (it wasn’t exactly a dance floor) her friends were watching her and Bryce and whispering amongst themselves. Sienna shot her a wink.

Bryce grabbed Suki’s hand from behind and spun her round to face him, his face more serious but still with a playful air. She tried to suppress the gasp which unconsciously came at the sudden movement, but Bryce noticed the surprise in her eyes anyway.

Her stomach fluttered as he pulled her body to press flush against his, in much of an echo of their position that morning. This time, however, his hand held hers down to the side while his other warmed the small of her back, and she leaned up to rest her free arm against his shoulder. Intimacy with a practical stranger wasn’t unknown to her, but it still sent jolts of scandal through her, especially with the way he was looking at her in that moment. And something about it being him in particular.

“You getting déjà vu right now or is it just me?” He joked.

Man, I’ve been getting déjà vu all day.

“Yeah, thanks for reminding me.” Her cheeks were hot from the memory of her embarrassing morning.

“You made my morning, the look on your face…” he trailed off into a laugh.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting the first intern I met to be a shirtless guy walking into me.”

“Hey! You walked into me,” he laughed, and rubbed his thumb up and down a little on her back. The movement sent electricity up Suki’s spine, so subtle, yet so intimate. They bobbed side to side in time with the song, very close to grinding on one another. Since it wasn’t exactly a slow song, but it wasn’t hugely upbeat either, their dance was chilled, with occasional comic moves.

Bryce’s hand was warm, and large, and the palm slightly rough. Suki thought about how he was going to be using this very hand in surgery, its precision and stillness aiding his art. Hell, it was art. She moved her own hand so that her fingers slowly threaded in-between his, watching as he gently reciprocated. The sensation crackled like an open wire exposed to a puddle, pulsating all the way through her arm. Sneaking a look at his face, Suki watched as Bryce’s smile widened, and his eyes sparkled.

Dancing with Bryce felt right, and freeing, and exciting. But all too soon it was over. The bar was closing, and Suki’s first day as an intern at Edenbrook was reaching its end.

“That’s our cue,” she cleared her throat as she reluctantly stepped away from Bryce.

“I guess it is. You uh, alright getting home?”

Suki looked behind her, where her friends were collecting their belongings from the table.

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll see you ‘round.”

His eyes scrunched up in the corners as he smiled.

“Yeah, see you Santa Fe.”

[sxfterhearts]

healed

31. [12:19 pm]

➳ pairing: yugyeom x reader

➳ genre/warnings: slow burn, fluff, slight bad boy!yugyeom, triggers; mentions of past violence, injuries, physical abuse

➳ word count: 2,725 words

➳ summary: 31. “Don’t worry about me,”

➳ author's note: this is it, the final part of this series! i hope it doesn’t let you down 😭😭 i’d love to hear your thoughts on this series, what you liked/didn’t like, and whether you’d like future drabbles in this universe!! (i’m tempted, tbh) that’s all from me, please please enjoy, lovely readers 🥰 (credits to @jinyoungot7​ for this wonderful gif that kills me everytime)

wounded // scarred // healed

A deep inhale made you giddy with joy. The familiar, sweet scent of this morning’s light drizzle lingered in the air. Although the weather was a bit too humid for your liking, you gratefully savoured the smell that filled your lungs. For some reason, being outside in the aftermath of a downpour always brought you back to that wooden counter of your parents’ restaurant. You used to watch the rain blanket the outside world from the inside as you soaked and drowned yourself in your daydreams. You were a foolish teenager back then, uncertain of the paths you would take and anxious of the future. Getting your heart broken by the one and only Kim Yugyeom was just the icing on the cake.

It was fair to say that a lot had changed since then. In the span of three years, you graduated high school, moved out of that tiny neighbourhood in Namyangju, rented a small studio apartment in Seoul and became a proud Veterinary Science student of Seoul National University.

Yet, you couldn’t help but to admit that while you had progressed into the next chapter of your life, some things will always remain the same. Like how your best friend, Yeeun, never missed out on an opportunity to lecture you over the phone from the comforts of her Busan home. You lifted the device away from your ears to save them from further damage, just as the leash of the cream Pomeranian in your care, Daisy, tugged you forwards, towards a passing bicycle. You urged the dog away from the edge of the sidewalk with a solid ‘No’, which she thankfully obeyed.

“I can’t believe that you’re not doing anything special the week before uni reopens! I mean, hello, we’re going to be spending the next twelve weeks slaving away at our desks, don’t you want to do something fun?” Yeeun shrieked in disbelief. You could imagine her shaking her head at you with that resigned look on her face, the one that signalled she had already given up trying to change your mind.

“Here, girl.” You whispered as softly as you could, trying to grab Daisy’s attention and guide her back to the adoption centre-cum-café, her temporary home. “This is fun and special, Eun. You of all people should know just how special it is to help out these cute furry little babies!”

“More like furry little rascals.” She muttered under her breath. “Come on, Y/N. I get that you’re really passionate about animals and all but just think about it – you’ll be facing these creatures for the rest of your life. You should really try something new once in a while. You know, go drinking or clubbing like a normal uni student. Besides, didn’t you just visit the centre last month for your birthday?”

She was right. You did make the one-hour trip to the adoption café on the morning of your birthday. Ever since that birthday three years ago, you always made it a point to celebrate by being in the presence of a furry companion. Taking care of another living creature, going on walks with them and picking up after them helped you to take your mind off that painful sixteenth birthday when you found out he was leaving. It became your annual ritual.

You cleared your throat, trying to get rid of the small lump triggered by those memories. “Yeah, yeah I did. I… Did I tell you about the dog that I took care of that day?”

Yeeun took a large bite of her favourite takeaway noodles before letting out a muffled “No, what about it?”

“He was… Well, he was a tiny black Pomeranian puppy, not more than four months old. He was cheerful and energetic, couldn’t wait to go on his walk.” You smiled sadly at the thought.

“Yeah…? And?”

“He reminded me so much of Charcoal. You know, the black puppy from your mum’s shelter? I walked Charcoal with him three years ago.”

“Oh, him.” Yeeun grumbled at the mention of Yugyeom.

You ignored the obvious disapproval in her tone. “Yeah, the thing is I really, really, really liked this puppy, and I was even thinking about adopting him for good. I got everything set up in my place, got the pee mats, the dog food, everything, but I came in this morning and he was gone.”

Yeeun hummed over the phone. “I’m sorry, honey. Maybe you and the puppy just weren’t meant to be.” She said, trying her best to comfort you about the adoption that fell through. “Do you still think of him? Kim Yugyeom?” Yeeun asked gently.

You sighed, catching a brief glimpse of your reflection on the windows of a cold noodle restaurant a few doors down from the adoption centre. To this day, you couldn’t enjoy a bowl of naengmyeon without your mind wandering to the boy. “Not often. Honestly, Eun, every time I think I’ve forgotten him, I’ll see something that reminds me of him and he’ll just creep back into my head.”

“You know what they always say, darling. You never really forget your first love.”

You mulled over her words as you rounded the corner towards the adoption centre, Daisy trotting a few paces in front of you. “I wouldn’t call it love, per se, it’s just-”

“Wait, hold that thought,” She interrupted. “I’m sorry honey, the boyfriend is at the door. Do you mind if we continue this later?”

“Yeah, sure, I need to go too.” You stood at the entrance of the centre, reluctant to go in and part ways with Daisy. The dog came to a rest by your feet, huddling close. “Thanks for calling and reminding me of my poor life choices!” You said, full of sarcasm.

“Hey, that’s my duty as your best friend, don’t mention it.” She chuckled. “Oh, and Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember what I said. Go live a little, okay? You’ve already wasted too much time on Kim Yugyeom.”

“Yeah, I will.” You mumbled, agreeing with her words. “Go enjoy yourself with the boyfriend. Not too much though, and spare me the details. Talk next time!”

The two of you bid each other farewell and ended the call. Miraculously, talking to Yeeun made your chest a little lighter. Amongst countless other things, she had been there for you during Yugyeom’s abrupt departure and the initial stages of denial. She helped you draft, edit, and re-edit the numerous emails you sent to the boy, the only form of communication between you two for the first six months. She hugged you close and let you sulk on her shoulder when the emails suddenly stopped seven months after he left for Incheon. You were beyond grateful to have her as a voice of reason amongst your irrational thoughts; someone to walk with you hand in hand through the storms of life.

You made a mental note to ask your mother to send Yeeun a parcel of her prized kimchi as part of next month’s delivery. The girl never failed to mention how much she missed your parent’s cooking whenever the two of you talked on the phone.

All of a sudden, a high-pitched bark travelled across the street. You instinctively tightened your hold on Daisy’s leash, wary of the arrival of another canine. Cautiously, you watched as a four-legged, black ball of fur whizzed past the empty street, arriving before you and Daisy in a matter of seconds. As the dog grew closer and closer, recognition flashed across your mind as you noticed the dog’s distinctive white collar, a stark contrast to his coal black fur. The dog you intended to adopt this morning was wagging his tail and panting by your feet, letting out occasional playful barks at Daisy, his former neighbour. You bent down, arm reaching out to get a feel for his oh-so-soft fur–

“Dal!” A male voice, bright and awfully familiar, exclaimed between heavy breaths. “Dal, slow down, big boy! Daddy can’t…” The voice died down a notch, reducing to a whisper as its owner’s feet entered your line of sight. His entire body shaded your crouched figure from the afternoon sunshine that peeked through the clouds. “Catch up.”

A moment of silence ensued as your eyes panned upwards, scanning a pair of long legs covered in ripped jeans, then a yellow plaid shirt that was haphazardly tucked in, right up to the owner’s face. You couldn’t help the sharp gasp leaving your lips. 

Standing before you was none other than Kim Yugyeom himself. His features were more defined than ever, his wavy hair a silvery shade of platinum blonde and his ears adorned with a pair of silver hoop earrings. A single stainless-steel drop earring dangled from his earlobe, its bottom decorated with a half-crescent moon and a star. You stood there and stared at the boy you once knew, now a fine young man, just taking him in. You noticed the lack of cuts and scars on his unblemished, fully healed face. You spotted the beauty mark right under his right eye, standing out against his fair skin. You watched, mesmerised, as his lips twitched to form a slightly sheepish grin, while the tips of his ears burned and glowed into a striking shade of cherry red. Yugyeom’s eyes widened in mild surprise, his gaze lingering on your face for a few stretched out seconds before wandering away, then returning back.          

Him… It’s him… He’s here, in Seoul? But I thought he was supposed to be in Incheon, with Mark. What is he doing here? And how did he…? Your never-ending stream of thoughts swirled inside your head at an alarming rate, and you felt the onset of a splitting headache crawl up your temples.

“There you are, Y/N.” Yugyeom said finally, releasing a satisfied sigh and an airy laugh. He didn’t seem nearly half as surprised as you felt under these unlikely circumstances. In fact, you thought that the expression he wore on his face morphed into one of relief instead. “After so long, I finally found you.” He bent down to scoop the black puppy into his arms, leaving you utterly stunned. Before your mind could process the meaning behind his words, however, he suggested, “Let’s talk inside,”, gesturing towards the entrance of the adoption café. 

You gave him a meek nod, not daring to let out a sound on the off chance that you would stumble over your words and make a fool out of yourself. With the manners of a gentleman, Yugyeom held the door open for you and waited patiently as you ushered an excited Daisy into the café filled with her furry friends. He took confident, quick strides towards the barista standing behind the counter, much like the first time he had walked into your parents’ restaurant. The way he carried himself, with an air of calm coolness, had not changed at all. You followed closely behind, struggling to keep up with his bigger steps.

“Hello, noona.” He greeted the lady, friendly and warm. “Can I please get an Iced Choco and…?” Yugyeom turned to you expectantly.

“Uh…” You started, soft and uncertain. “A peach iced tea, please.”

“No longer a coffee addict, huh?” He teased, unable to contain his toothy smile. Yugyeom retrieved his wallet from his back pocket and held out his card to pay. It was then that you noticed, quite belatedly, the yellow Rilakuma plaster wrapped tightly around his left index finger.

Your mind began to race. You were unbelievably happy that even after three years, he still stuck to the same brand of bandages, but at the same time, fear and anxiety gnawed and scratched against your chest. All this time, was it still happening? You wondered silently. Surely… “What’s… What’s with your,” You gestured vaguely towards his appendages. “Your finger?” You squeaked.

“Ah,” Yugyeom glanced briefly towards the yellow plaster, paying it little to no mind. “Come, sit down first, okay?”

“No,” You replied with a firm tone that you rarely used. You were a little taken aback yourself. “I’ve spent the past three years worried sick about you. Don’t you at least owe me an explanation about your most recent injury?”

Yugyeom sensed your insistence and determination, knowing that there really was no use trying to convince you otherwise. “It’s nothing to worry about, Y/N, trust me, I’ll show-”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Let me see.”

“Look, it’s just a small cut, okay?” You raised an eyebrow at his description. From memory, his definition of a small cut was miles apart from yours. He took a step closer, hoping to persuade you. “Here,” Yugyeom peeled away the sticky fabric with little difficulty, revealing a thin slit that already closed up. “See? It’s tiny. I was cooking the other day and the knife just sort of slipped and nicked my finger. I told you, don’t worry about me.”

Still, you were unwilling to let him off the hook so easily. “Kim Yugyeom? Cooking? Are you sure that’s safe?”

“Perhaps not the safest…” He admitted with an embarrassed rub of his neck, leading you towards an empty table by the windows. “I just really, really missed your mother’s food. Her naengmyeon especially. I’ve tasted every single naengmyeon in Incheon and Seoul and honestly, nothing comes close. I even tried to cook it myself but, well… You can guess how that turned out.”

“What made you think that your naengmyeon could be better than a restaurant’s?” You questioned jokingly, earning yourself a faked wince of pain from Yugyeom as he clutched the right side of his chest, the wrong side.

After that, it was like the words couldn’t stop flowing out of your mouths. He told you about how he caught a glimpse of your adoption papers during his interview for Dalkyum, the black puppy, and recognised your photo. He confessed that he was initially drawn to Dalkyum due to his sheer resemblance to Charcoal, to which you agreed wholeheartedly. He moved to Seoul late last year to study Fine Arts at the Korea National University of Arts, and you revealed that you were studying to become a vet. He explained how half a year after moving to Incheon, Mark had accidentally downloaded a virus onto their shared laptop while gaming, rendering it broken beyond repair. He didn’t write down your email address and thanks to his goldfish memory, he forgot the entire string of letters once Mark found a replacement.

It seemed like the more you talked to Yugyeom, the more you felt the icy shards of pain and sorrow around your heart melt away. Although, that could probably be because he was looking at you with the brightest of expressions, his mouth permanently fixed into a wide, million-watt smile.

“What do you think? Shall we start over?” You asked after a lull in the conversation, taking a sip of the soothing, saccharine liquid.

“No, I’d rather we pick up where we left off, but with a proper introduction.” He extended his arm for you to shake, which you did with a light scoff and an upturn of your lips. “Hello, my name is Kim, Yu, Gyeom. Kim for gold, Yu, which means to have, and Gyeom, as in humble or modest. It’s nice to meet you again, Y/N. You look beautiful today, as always. Did you know that? I can’t stop myself from being drawn to you, but I guess some things never change.”

“I… What…?” You sputtered hopelessly, reigniting the butterflies in your stomach. “Yugyeom, I’m literally in an old t-shirt and baggy shorts.”

“Doesn’t matter to me, Y/N.”

//

“There’s another thing that never changed, which unfortunately was also out of my control.”

“Oh no, what else, Kim?”

“I’m sorry to tell you this so late, Y/N, but sadly, you were and are my first love. And you see, the thing about first loves is that no matter how hard you try, you simply can’t-”

“Forget them.”

“Exactly. Trust me, I tried.”

“Yeah, I tried too, so hard. I guess you weren’t meant to be forgotten. Or I guess we weren’t meant to forget each other.”

“First loves stick with you like a scar that can never be fully healed.”

“Wow, look at you, Kim! I’m impressed, you’ve become so poetic.”

“From now on, I’ll only write poems for you.”

[probably-writing-x]

Not like the rest

Chuck Bass x Reader

Request from anon: hi! could you write a oneshot for chuck bass? the reader feels insecure about their relationship with chuck bc they didnt grow up on the upper east side and chuck reassures them? thank you :)

Gif is not my own

Requests are open❤️

“Chuck are you sure? Honestly, you don’t have to!” This was generally the way that conversations went between the two of you before any kind of event.

Chuck, having been your boyfriend for the past sox months, always wanted to spoil you. He’d constantly buy you gifts, surprise you, do everything he could do. None of it at your request. Just because he wanted to. And it was adorable. You saw the way his face lit up when you told him you loved whatever he’d done but it didn’t stop you from feeling constantly guilty at the thought. You didn’t ever want him to feel like he had to do any of that, and you definitely didn’t want him thinking that it was why he was with you.

“You say this every time, love,” He shakes his head, “But it doesn’t change anything.”

You brush your hands over the dress that he’d bought, one that felt like it was made just for you - perfectly in time for the event he was hosting tonight.

“It just feels like too much, you shouldn’t keep-“

“(Y/n),” He stops you, coming up behind you so you could see his reflection in the mirror as he wraps his arms around and settles his chin on your shoulder, “It’s not too much. I want to, honestly.”

“That’s not how other people see it.”

It was true. Being the girl from Brooklyn, you’d never grown up having what the rest of them did. You grew up with Dan, the two of you living in the same apartment block. You worked as soon as you could get a job, and did everything you could to help your parents and piece together the life that they wanted you to have. When you ended up in a school with the richest kids from the upper east side, you’d never felt more out of your depth. But the king of them all had been a pleasant surprise. He was caring beyond his harsh exterior and honest beyond his manipulative business ways. He saw someone in you that status and wealth made no difference to. And he found it admirable, every piece of you feeling like something he wanted to be in himself. He found in you an ambition to be better, and that’s how you’d won his heart above what anyone else could’ve done. Without even trying, Chuck Bass had grown weak for you.

“I don’t care what anybody else thinks,” He mumbles, pressing a soft kiss just under your ear, “You look beautiful, darling.”

And with words like that coming from him, you find it impossible to dispute.

- - - - - -

“Thank you, I hope you have a good evening,” Chuck bids farewell to another few businesspeople who’d been interested in speaking to the founder.

You wait patiently a step away until he turns to find you again, a smile lighting up his seriousness.

“You always sound so professional,” You smirk as he settles an arm around your waist.

“I can only do it for so long,” He mumbles, pressing a kiss to your exposed shoulder.

“You’ve got a few people wanting to meet you I think,” You glance over to some corporate bosses glancing in your direction.

Chuck lets out a little groan, “Will you be okay?”

“Yeah, honestly,” You encourage him, “I’ll get another drink.”

He hands over his empty glass, “I think I’ll need one too.”

You laugh gently and make your way towards the bar, smiling politely at people as you walked past - anything to keep up Chuck’s reputation.

It’s as you’re about to order the drinks when you’re stopped.

“(Y/n),” It’s Blair’s voice, too sweet for the words that were likely to follow, “Manage to leave Chuck alone for a moment, hm?”

You take in a deep breath and turn to face her, “It’s nice to see you too, Blair.”

She lets out a scoff, “What’s this? Another one of Chuck’s gifts?”

You glance down at the dress hugging your figure, unable to find any comment suitable enough to respond to her with.

“When’s he going to realise you’re only in it for his money?” She shakes her head, looking so much more effortless in a setting like this.

You swallow the lump in your throat and pull yourself together, “You know that’s not true.”

“Then allow me to revise,” She steps forward and eyes you up and down closely, “When are you going to realise that he’s only doing all of this because he can’t stand the thought of dating a Brooklyn girl? Honey, he’s trying to make you one of us.”

It hits like the heaviest weight on your chest, making you feel sick with instant response. Was that really what was happening? How could you be sure of anything else?

Blair smiles like she knows the effect of her words, proud of it actually.

You try your best to keep composure, “Excuse me.”

It’s as you’re hurrying off that you see Chuck walking with a direct line toward where he thought you might be.

“Hey, hey,” He stops you when he sees your panicked state, “What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” You shake your head quickly, pulling away from him as you try to get out of the hall with as little attention as possible.

Chuck just has to look to the bar to see the cause of it all, striding over to Blair with an icy glare in those eyes.

“What did you say to her?” He questions bitterly, the anger coursing through his veins agonisingly.

“Just what we were all thinking, Charles.”

He looks her up and down once like he’s trying to find any part of her that didn’t have an evil intention, brows furrowing as all he can think of is going to find you. His hands swipe a bottle of champagne and two glasses as he rushes off in the direction of your path to find you before your thoughts did.

- - - - - -

It’s far too crisp to be outside when he walks out onto the rooftop. There’s a harsh wind that he knows you’d hate but it’s the only possible place he can think of finding you.

“You forgot our drinks,” He calls, closing the door behind him as he walks across the empty roof.

He sees as you turn your head slightly to the sound of his voice, but knows you don’t have any words to respond to him. You’d been crying.

Chuck walks over and sets down the bottle, standing beside you and following your line of sight out into the city.

“I’m not like them, Chuck,” You say quietly, sniffing to try to keep in your emotion as much as possible.

“I know,” He states simply, “I knew that from the day I first asked you out for a date.”

“Do you wish that I was?” You question far too abruptly, “Is that what all of this is? Are you trying to make me more like those other girls?”

“What?” He half-laughs, “(Y/n), if I wanted one of those other girls, I’d have them.”

You know it’s not the best way of him wording it but the good intention is there.

“You know what I mean,” He sighs, “I’m with you because you’re not one of them, because you showed me how much I was missing by even thinking of being with another carbon copy from the upper east side.”

You let him speak now, needing to hear all of those words to set off some sort of reassurance for you.

“I met you and you weren’t the type of person that I’d spent my whole life around. You were different, and you weren’t fuelled by caviar or a desire to prove yourself above the rest. You trusted in the fact that you didn’t need any of that to be a good person. And it was fascinating to me,” He says, so certain of every word, “Because I realised that I’d been one of those people up until when I met you. I’d been constantly thinking of proving myself, of being better than everyone and never thinking of who I hurt in the process.”

“Don’t say that Chuck.”

“No, (Y/n), you made me a better person and you still do. You’re everything I love and everything I want to be. And where you were born, your status, how many houses your parents own - it makes no difference to knowing that your heart is pure gold,” He grabs your hands and turns you to him, “So, if you don’t want the gifts or the big gestures, then they’re all gone. I just need you to know that I love you and those other girls would never, ever hold anything compared to you.”

“God you’re good with words,” You laugh a little.

He chuckles and moves to wrap his arms tightly around you, burying his head into your neck as he presses a soft kiss to the skin there.

“Now, how does that drink sound?”

You pull away from him and cup his face in your hands, “God, I love you Chuck Bass.”

[rentalboos]

Not sure if you do requests but idea for a fic: a friend at the Doctor and the Master's wedding (13+Dh) proposes to their partner and steals the spotlight from the couple getting married. In an act of revenge, the Doctor and the Master furiously try to conceive so they can announce their pregnancy at the friend's wedding.

You asked, you shall receive! Because I really liked the pettiness of this whole concept lmao

It had started off as a joke.

“Let's invite Jack,” she had said, “he'll make every party entertaining, even if it's a one man show.”

It was a necessary thought, at the time, considering they really didn't have a lot of common friends left to invite to their wedding. Even less who would come to show their approval of it. The few people she would've possibly had considered safe to invite were all dead and gone along with Gallifrey... again.

“Let's invite Jack,” the Master had replied with a nod and a nasty grin, “he'll absolutely hate every second of having to watch you getting married to me.”

The Doctor had, fairly quickly, bid farewell to that particular idea.

He had a point.

The Master, however, morally carefree just like she knew (and apparently loved) him, had sent him an invite regardless.

And it had come back to bite him in the arse.

“I'll kill him,” he called out, indignation in his voice, so loud a few heads turned towards them – which, the Doctor thought with a gnawing of her teeth, would actually be appropriate.

But people returned to ignoring them soon enough, squeaking and applauding to the loud, outgoing dork that had entertained them throughout the whole ceremony, currently on his knees in front of the shy Wales boy, who was blushing furiously.

Jo Grant, currently on her fifth glass of Gallifreyan Champagne, was giggling uncontrolled.

“So I thought I'd ask, you know,” Jack laughed almost nervously and the sound thundered through the little crowd gathered around them. “We've been together – as in together together for so long now, it's... it's something I want to give a shot.”

“You can't kill him,” the Doctor remarked dryly. “You know that. You tried often enough.”

“It's our wedding! How... how... he planned this! He planned to ruin this for me!”

Ianto had sunken to his knees in tears now, kissing Jack hard, the engagement ring in their hands completely forgotten for a moment.

“Well, you just had to invite him, didn't you?” the Doctor snapped back, in a way that made it perfectly clear she was just as pissed as he was. Here they stood, in their shiny suits, her beautiful, TARDIS blue suit, flowers braided into her hair and guests showing up more or less willingly – And Jack had taken all their attention away with his own stupid, healthy relationship with that Ianto boy.

The Master shot her a wide grin, the annoyance in her mind sweeping over to him and opening quite a lot of doors to new possibilities.

“How about we plot some revenge, dearest?”

She gave him a little side glare.

“We're not torturing Jack, if that's what you mean.”

The Master simply kissed her forehead.

“You know me so well. But no, when it comes to revenge, I pride myself to be a bit more imaginative than that. I thought more of... Well. Let's just congratulate him, shall we?”

“For real?” the Doctor asked, stunned. “That's the last thing on my mind right now.”

The Master smirked.

“Gotta make sure we're being invited to his wedding, love.”

“So, the best times would be...” the Doctor scrolled through three different, chaotic pages in her hands, trying to find what she was looking for in an ocean of notes and scribbles. “Uhm... “

Well, the truth was, even if she could find the best time in her notes again, Gallifreyan biology made conceiving in any way that didn't involve looms.... a little bit of a lottery. Either that or the Doctor simply had no idea because she couldn't remember the last time she had been a woman, let alone wanted to get pregnant. Really, old school pregnancy? Hell no. There was no way to save the universe with a belly as big as a planet.

Currently, however, she was drowning in revenge thoughts and fantasies of out-staging Jack on his own wedding, the Master's own petty cravings raging in her mind, mixing with her own hurt feelings, and it had become impossible to separate them anymore.

Plus, the universe's biggest danger was currently by her side, hands under her shirt and a wide grin plastered onto his face.

“I don't care about the best times,” he muttered smugly into the crook of her neck, his hot breath on the sensitive skin making her shiver. “We'll just do it until it works.”

“I'm just not sure this is a good idea, really.”

“You agreed it was necessary,” the Master hummed, clearly tired of the subject being brought up yet again.

“I agreed it would've been... appropriate to return the favour,” the Doctor replied begrudgingly. “But lying to them and saying I'm pregnant when I'm not?”

“Aw, who cares, they don't need to know,” the Master waved dismissively. “It's not like they'll see you a lot.”

“They'll see me sometimes,” she noted. “And they'll kiiiinda notice the absence of a child, I think.”

The Master frowned. “Are you sure? I mean... have you seen the man's ego? I doubt he'll think about anyone but himself for even a minute.”

“Pot meets kettle,” the Doctor muttered, under her breath, but the Master merely raised an eyebrow, indicating he had understood her perfectly.

“It's charming when I do it,” he sulked.

“It is, it is,” she hastily reassured them. “I just... don't like lying to friends, okay?”

“They're not friends! Friends don't ruin other friends' weddings!”

It was the Doctor's turn to raise her eyebrow at him and he let his shoulders sink slightly in turn.

“Well, my point exactly,” the Master added sullenly. “See? We're not friends!”

“One last try,” the Master pleaded, begged almost, as they sat on the table, looking at food from seven different planets and trying to block out the constant welsh chatting from their right. “We could get pregnant here and now, and wouldn't that be a blow for the stunning couple, hm?”

The Doctor shook her head barely noticeable, her eyes still fixed to Jack and Ianto, who were currently dancing happily unaware of her scorn. They didn't only have everyone's eyes on them and were admired and talked about by the whole crowd, more people had showed up to their wedding, too.

It simply wasn't fair. Just because Jack hadn't married a homicidal mad man and his friends still were alive because his partner hadn't destroyed his whole home planet.

The Master's hand under the table slipped between her legs and the Doctor sighed. They had had sex..... a lot in the last few months. A lot a lot. She wasn't exactly complaining. Her body still reacted to his touch like it had  the very first day, so much in fact, that the heat of her rage mingled with the heat of his proximity and the heat of the honey mead they'd been drinking excessively and suddenly the Doctor's head swam and she couldn't find a single reason to not get pregnant here and now.

The Master grabbed her arm and pulled her to the toilet, neither of them feeling Martha Jones' alerted eyes on them.

“I'm telling you!” she called out. “He just grabbed her and dragged her somewhere, he's doing something to her.”

Jack shook his head gently.

“Martha, they're married, he's not...”

She gave him a very dark look and Jack sighed.

“Okay, yes, he's still... you know... him. And I hate him. And I wouldn't put it past him that this whole “I'm domestic” act is just a plot to painfully murder her. But...”

Martha's gaze became more intense and flatly, Jack asked, “Which direction did they go?”

Sitting on the Master's lap, naked, several body parts disappearing inside the other person, his hand gripping her hair, her head thrown back against the door of the very tight toilet cabin, that wasn't exactly how she had pictured this revenge.

But when Jack, Martha, Ianto and a crowd of their friends had set out to start a desperate search party to find and rescue her, they probably hadn't pictured this, either. Worried, they had ran down the door to the cabin after having heard sounds of pain and moaning from behind.

Yeah. Well. She liked it a bit rough, so what?

The Doctor was still giggling at the thought, actually, that Jack with his one track mind, had, for once, not considered sex to be a possibility.

Jo Jones, meanwhile, was standing in the back, leaning against a wall, shaking with silent laughter and it was clear to everyone that she had come along not out of worry, but simply to enjoy the show.

“Sorry, Jack,” the Doctor said sweetly, as she climbed off the Master's lap and pulled up her trousers again. “Really didn't mean to crash your wedding.”

Jack simply snorted.

“Yeah right. I guess I deserved that.”

“Double, in fact,” the Master gave back, glaring at him darkly, as he stepped out of the toilet cabin behind his wife, fully dressed. “Because now you ruined this for me, too.”

It had done the trick, however, as they both couldn't help but notice with not a small amount of satisfaction. The whole room was suddenly talking about them, the news spreading like a wildfire, while the Doctor and the Master subtly slipped out and made their way back home, whistling.

“You know,” the Master noted after a little while of companionable silence, when they had almost reached their TARDIS. “In a way, I'm glad our original plan didn't work.”

“Yeah?” the Doctor asked, unlocking the door and pushing it open for him to enter. “Why?”

“I don't know,” the Master shrugged, in a way that perfectly signalled to the Doctor that he was merely pretending to be casual. “I think if we ever... you know, had a child.... I wouldn't want Captain Jack Harkness to be the reason.”

The Doctor froze mid-movement and the door snapped shut behind her.

Then she smiled.

“Yeah.”

[yoddream]

The Price to Pay | n.jm

pairing: jaemin x fem!reader

summary: when you’re given your dream job, what will happen to you and Jaemin?

warnings: ANGST, bad writing lmao, depression (not specifically mentioned but it’s obviously there), a shit ton of crying, jaemin being kind of an asshole ngl, mentions of hockey (only because there might be some things that don’t make sense idk maybe they do to somebody who doesn’t watch it), VERY INACCURATE INFO ON BECOMING A TRANSLATOR

notes: here’s part 2 to New Beginnings! idk how to link it lmao im sorry im really bad at this also im iffy on how this came out but at this point whatever i wrote a lot. I’m gonna try to do the bold for korean again (cuz new beginnings on the app is fucking jacked af but on the full website it looks how it’s supposed to) but like just assume that everything the OCs are saying are in Korean and whatever the Dreamies say that aren’t to English speaking people are in Korean

“Please put on your seatbelts as we will begin our descent to Los Angeles, California.”

You did as the flight attendant asked and looked out the window. The ground slowly got closer and closer, and your heart raced with excitement. Despite how you’d felt a year ago, you couldn’t wait to land and start the next chapter in your life. You could still feel the exhaustion from it being in the middle of the night in Seoul, but that was so little compared to all the emotions running through your body.

Once you were out of security, you pulled up FaceTime on your phone and called Jisung. It rang and rang, and you almost gave up when he finally answered the call. He was out of breath, as if he’d just run to get his phone. His face lit up when he saw yours.

“Y/N! You landed safely!” he said. Your parents appeared in the frame, which made you smile.

“I did! I’m heading towards pick-up now, so hopefully I’ll be on my way to the rink,” you told them.

You’d decided you wanted to be an English-Korean translator, so you had been hired as a translator for a new NHL prospect. He was born and raised in Korea, and he knew very little English, so you were going to help him during prospect camp, translating and teaching him English. You expected to be in America until September, but if he made it past both prospect and training camp, who knew what your future held?

“Oh honey, I’m so proud of you,” your mom said.

“We both are. You’re gonna do great, we know it,” your dad added.

You looked around and spotted your name on a sign that was held by a man with a driver’s cap. You told your family you had to go and hung up before walking over. He greeted you with a smile and grabbed one of your bags, heading to the parking lot. You shot a text to the boys, letting them know you’d landed. The drive to the rink didn’t take long, and you were escorted by a security guard through the hallways to an office.

“Ms. Park is here,” the security guard announced before heading back to his area.

“Y/N, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m Rob Blake, the general manager,” a very tall man in a suit said. He held his hand out to you, which you shook. “We’re very happy to have you here. Chi-won Han’s translator from last year has a new job, so we’re glad you can stay for longer.”

“Thank you, Mr. Blake. I’m very excited for this opportunity,” you stated with a wide smile. “So, where should we start?”

Mr. Blake’s assistant gave you multiple papers to sign before bringing you to get your ID made. You proudly hung it around your neck, even though your picture looked absolutely horrible (you just got off an eleven-hour flight). Then, Mr. Blake himself brought you to a conference room where the prospect, his agent, and the coaches were.

“Everyone, this is Y/N Park. She will be Chi-won’s translator.”

You bowed and said, “Han Chi-won, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Park Y/N.”

The boy bowed as well. “Thank you for flying here, Y/N. You have to idea how appreciative I am.”

You then introduced yourself to the agent and the coaches, dropping your bags to bow and shake hands. You told them about your exact role and how to contact you in case you were needed last minute. You’d been given a phone for work with everyone’s contacts in it, along with a rental car since you still had a valid driver’s license. You were then handed the keys to your apartment, which you would be sharing with Chi-won and one of the Kings’ players, Tyler Toffoli.

“Y/N, do you own any skates?” Marco Sturm, one of the assistant coaches, asked.

You shook your head. “I’m not very good at skating, but I’ll definitely do my best.”

“Have Tyler and Chi-won take you shopping for a pair. We really need you on the ice for drills.”

You translated for the hockey player when his head perked up at his name. He nodded shyly, his eyes darting to the floor. You couldn’t help but feel bad for him; he had no idea what anyone was saying, so for all he knew you could’ve been talking poorly about him. None of you would do that, but he didn’t know any better.

“Camp doesn’t officially start until tomorrow. We just wanted you to meet before then so that you can get situated. before the madness,” Mr. Blake explained.

“I appreciate that. It’s past midnight in Korea, so I’m pretty exhausted,” you replied.

“You guys are all set for today. We’ll see you bright and early tomorrow for day one.”

You turned to Chi-won and asked, “You wanna get food?”

He nodded vigorously, saying, “Tyler and his wife were making breakfast when I was called down here.”

Grabbing your bags, you said your farewells to the men before heading out, Chi-won hot on your feels. When you clicked the key fob for the rental car, a new SUV lit up. You let out a low whistle and popped the hatch, tossing your suitcases and duffel in. You and Chi-won then climbed in and decided on a local diner. The car ride was mostly silent, the radio playing softly in the background. When you walked into the restaurant, his eyes widened in fear as the waitress spoke to him. You ordered juice for the both of you and then started translating the menu with ease, watching his shoulders relax at the sound of a language he knew.

The two of you ate in silence for a couple minutes, simply enjoying your food. You checked your personal phone for any messages, but there was nothing. You weren’t surprised, though. The boys were supposed to be asleep, so you expected there to be nothing, but it still hurt to see that you hadn’t even heard from Jaemin. Then again, you probably should’ve expected as much.

“What?” Jaemin asked quietly.

You’d shown up at the dorms, wearing one of your boyfriend’s sweatshirts and a pair of shorts. Your hair was a mess from stressing out, so you had the hood up. He had to know what was going on, and you were out of time.

“I’m going back to America,” you repeated. “A major sports team contacted me last month to help one of their prospects. He doesn’t know much English, so I’ll be translating for him during camp.”

“When you do leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!” You flinched at the sudden rise of his volume, the sound bouncing off the walls. There was no way the other Dreamies hadn’t heard him. There was no way the other Dreames hadn’t heard him, and you started to panic. This was definitely not how you expected this to go. “You’ve known for a month, and you’re just telling me now?!”

“I was going to tell you sooner, but since you’re working on your comeback, you’ve had to cancel dates! I didn’t have a choice but to tell you now!” you argued.

“Oh, so now it’s my fault?”

“I didn’t say that, Jaemin. I’m just explaining that there wasn’t a good time, so that’s why you aren’t finding out until the day before my flight. I’m sorry it wasn’t sooner.” Your hands were wringing in the kangaroo pocket, but it was hidden by the island in the kitchen.

“How long will you be gone?” When you didn’t answer right away, his jaw clenched. “How long, Y/N?”

Scared by his tone, you said, “I have no idea. Prospect camp is for a few days, but they’re expecting him to continue on to training camp in September.”

“Are you even coming back? What does that mean for us?”

“I don’t know, Jae!” you snapped. Your voice reverberated off the walls, and you could hear shuffling down the hall. “I don’t know.”

There was a heavy pause. He then asked, “You don’t know if you’re coming back? Or you don’t know what will happen with our relationship?”

“Both.”

“You’re very young to be a translator,” Chi-won stated, snapping you out of your thoughts.

You wiped your mouth with a napkin, giving you time to think of your answer without revealing too much. “My step-dad is from Korea. He and my mom got married when I was nine, but he and my step-brother had to stay there while my mom and I live here. We would visit whenever there was a vacation for school, so I learned it over the years.”

“Do you live in Korea now?”

“Right in Seoul. I moved after I graduated high school last year.”

Chi-won was silent after that. After you paid the bill, you plugged in the address for the apartment building and made the quick drive over. Parking along the street, Chi-won grabbed your bags for you and led you to the apartment. You used the key to unlock the door and walked inside. A man and a woman looked over at the same time from the kitchen and smiled.

“You must be the translator. I’m Tyler, and this is my wife, Cat,” the man introduced.

You shook their hands and said, “It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Y/N Park.”

“Come right in. I’ll show you where your room is,” Cat offered.

You followed her down the hallway to a room that had grey walls, dark wooden floors, and a matching wooden dresser. There was a queen-sized bed with fresh sheets on it and a cream armchair in the corner. Identical nightstands stood on either side of the bed, and there was a bathroom attached to the bedroom.

“Make yourself at home. You look like you’re about to fall asleep standing up,” she joked.

“Yeah, I’m gonna take a quick nap, if that’s okay?” you asked.

“Go ahead.”

Cat closed the door behind her, leaving you alone. You collapsed onto the bed and checked to see if any messages had come in before you’d left the diner’s WiFi, but still nothing. Sighing, you put your phone on the nightstand and let your eyes close, the heaviness becoming too much to fight against.

When you woke up, the sun was high in the sky. You groaned as your arms stretched above your head. According to your phone, it was a little past noon, so you rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Luckily, the password to the WiFi was on the refrigerator. As soon as your phone was connected, it started blowing up with messages and snapchats. The sudden sound made you jump, definitely waking you up. You took some time to respond to the boys and your parents, and it took you a few minutes to notice that none of the notifications were from Jaemin. Sighing, you shoved your phone into your pocket and went looking for Chi-won. You found him in his room, looking at an English book with furrowed brows.

“I’m not starting lessons until after prospect camp,” you said.

The boy jumped, clearly unaware of your presence until you announced it. He closed the book and placed it on the nightstand before looking around the room, avoiding your eyes. Sighing, you sat at the desk that was by the window.

“What’s on your mind?” you asked.

“What if I don’t make it past this camp?” he questioned.

You let out a deep breath and said, “Then you go back to your team in Korea, continue to train and practice, and then next year, you’ll come back. The exact same thing as what you went through last year.”

“What will happen to you?”

“I’ll go back home as well. I’m currently under contract with the team, so if you’re not here, I’m not needed. They’ll let me know when I am. You’re stuck with me.”

///

You and Chi-won walked into the practice rink the next morning, a fresh pair of skates in the duffel bag on your shoulder. You’d gone out with Tyler and Chi-won after dinner to buy them, just like Coach Sturm had told you to. The thought of being on the ice with a bunch of hockey players and falling on your ass was terrifying, but you didn’t have much of a choice.

You headed to the weight room and sat on a bench. Skating wouldn’t come until after they were done for the day, so your bag was simply dropped to the floor. You then pulled out your phone and looked at the last message you’d sent to Jaemin.

You: I know you’re upset, but I would love for you to be at the airport tomorrow.

He never showed up. Everyone else had, but he’d stayed at the dorms. The way the conversation had ended left the status of your relationship up in the air, and you were too scared to ask. Your anniversary was supposed to be in a little over a month, but you didn’t even know if that was something to be celebrated anymore.

The sound of the door opening behind you caught your attention. The players started filtering into the room, shooting odd looks your way. You stood up when Chi-won walked in, moving to his side for when the head strength and conditioning coach started talking.

After a speech, the coach came over and introduced himself, apologizing for missing the meeting the day before. When you assured him it was fine, he transitioned the conversation to the first test he wanted Chi-won to run through. You translated everything as you followed them to the bikes, not missing a single beat. You watched as he pedaled and pedaled, sweat dripping down his face as his leg muscles rippled from the rapid movement. You could hear the cheers of encouragement from the other prospects as they watched the others that were running through the tests.

When there was time for a break, Chi-won took the water bottle you handed him, draining it fairly quickly. He then grabbed the towel from your shoulder and wiped his face and neck, tossing it in the hamper in the corner. He looked around at the other prospects, watching them talk and laugh with each other. You felt bad knowing he wouldn’t take that first step. It was understandable, though. You’d gone through the same thing when you started making trips to Korea; you’d been surrounded by people who understood you as much as you understood them, which was not a lot.

After a few minutes, it was time for more testing. You followed the group around the weight room, mostly watching but translating when needed. Everyone’s eyes were on you whenever either of you spoke, but all your attention was on him and whoever was talking to him.

At the end of the day, Chi-won looked like he was about to drop at any moment. You decided to skip the skating and brought him back to the apartment, using the work phone since it could connect to data. He dozed in the car, his face finally relaxed. You’d never noticed how much tension was there until now. Between the stress of getting past this camp and not knowing what anyone was saying, his head was probably spinning.

When you entered the apartment, Chi-won immediately headed to his room to nap. There was a note from Tyler and Cat that they’d gone to run errands, leaving you alone. You tried to FaceTime your parents, but neither of them answered. You knew the others were rehearsing, so you called Mark, but he didn’t answer either. Feeling dejected, you headed to your room and sat in the armchair. You looked out the window and watched the world below, a sudden flashback to the day you and Jaemin were sitting in the mall’s food court. Your heart ached at the thought of one of the happiest days of your life, knowing there was a chance it was all over.

///

It was the last day of the four-day camp for prospects. You wobbled onto the ice as you tried to skate closer to Chi-won. He looked over and rolled his eyes before skating over, grabbing your arm, and dragging you to the group. A few of the players laughed, but you didn’t care. You would be laughing too if you’d seen it.

Yesterday, they’d run drills, so you got to see Chi-won on the ice for the first time, and you could see why he was their first-round pick the year before. However, the true test was the scrimmage scheduled for today. Drills could be run over and over until you got it right, but in a game if you made a mistake there was no going back.

Once the teams were split, Chi-won helped you to the bench. You could hear your personal phone ring with a FaceTime call, but you ignored it. It was most likely Jeno, calling to talk to you before he finally went to bed. He loved to call you before he went to bed, which annoyed Jaemin whenever you were on a call with your boyfriend. You wished you could answer, since you hadn’t had much interaction with anyone. You mostly translated back at the apartment, leaving you craving to talk to someone, but you felt too awkward talking to Tyler and Cat.

The scrimmage was exhilarating to even just watch. Chi-won was fast, despite how large he was. He wove through players, making fantastic plays. His stick work was quick, and he seemed to know where his teammates were, making passes without looking. There was no doubt in your mind that they were keeping him, but seeing the looks on the coaches faces made it that much better. Chi-won played fairly, probably too much; he always passed the puck for a goal instead of taking a chance himself.

During a break, Coach Sturm was going over a couple plays to Chi-won’s team. You translated as fast as you could, trying your best to make it sound clear and right. Hockey pretty much had its own language, so you assumed it was working when he nodded along. As he was about to head back onto the ice, you grabbed his attention.

“Shoot the fucking puck, man. You’ve made plenty of great passes. They want to see what you’re capable of.”

His eyes widened, but he nodded and bumped your held-out fist before skating back to the face-off. You watched the puck drop, and the game was on. Your eyes never left the player you were there for, his form zipping across the ice with a breakaway. He was denied, but you could tell there was a fire lit under his ass. There were still amazing passes, but he was taking shots on goal more. The goalie was just unbelievably good at his job,

There wasn’t much time left in the scrimmage when Chi-won was skating towards the goal, him against two defensemen. His feet moved in a way you couldn’t explain, and he slipped past the opposing players, taking a shot on goal. You nearly jumped with joy as it flew past the goalie’s shoulder, and you didn’t miss the smile on his face as he celebrated with his teammates.

At the end of the day, Chi-won was asked to dinner with some of the other prospects. He nodded his head with a grin, so they told you the restaurant. Your phone connected to the Bluetooth as you were typing it into the map, and “My First and Last” immediately started playing through the speakers. Chi-won sent a look your way but said nothing.

The other players made sure you and Chi-won had seats next to each other so you could easily translate for him. They asked him questions about his life in Korea and his teammates. He talked about his family, his girlfriend Eun-ji, and his friends. You were learning more about him by doing your job rather than conversing with him yourself. You could feel something heavy settle in your chest as they all talked to each other, only looking to you when you translated.

When you were back at the apartment, Chi-won collapsed onto the couch. You sat in an armchair and stared at the ceiling, thoughts of Jaemin running through your head. It’d been five days since you last heard from him, and you were still hesitant to reach out. He was probably in the same boat, but what if he didn’t want to hear from you? What if your relationship was over and you didn’t know it? You hadn’t talked to the other boys about it, not wanting to drag them into your drama.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Chi-won complained.

“Sorry,” you said quietly. “How do you think camp went?”

“I think I did well. My whole body hurts, though. I wish Eun-ji was here. She gives amazing back massages. I would be in constant pain if it wasn’t for her. I’m definitely the luckiest guy in the world.”

That’s what Jaemin tells me. “Is she gonna be starting college this fall?”

He nodded. “She wants to study sports medicine, so she’ll be studying at Seoul University. I’m so proud of her.”

You looked at the time on your phone before realizing that it was your work one. Your personal phone was still in your duffel, which was in the car. Cursing under your breath, you rushed downstairs and grabbed your phone from the bag.

Jaemin💕: 3 missed FaceTime video calls

Shit. Just in case your relationship wasn’t fragile enough, you’d missed three calls from him. It was the first time either one of you had tried reaching out since you stormed out of the dorms in tears. Worried, you headed inside and returned to the apartment as fast as possible. You tried calling Jaemin back, but he wasn’t picking up. It was about ten in the morning where he was, and he never slept in too much no matter what time he’d gone to bed, so you knew he was ignoring you. Trying again, you cursed and swallowed around the lump in your throat. He finally picked up, and he was not happy.

“Hey,” you said as you moved to your room.

“Hey. Where were you?” he asked.

“We were at camp, and then we went to dinner after,” you explained.

His eyebrows raised. “You went to dinner?”

“Yeah.”

“Was it a date?”

Your eyes widened in shock. “What the fuck, Jaemin? Of course it wasn’t a date! Why the hell would you ask that?”

“I mean, you did say you didn’t know how this would affect our relationship,” he snapped.

“That doesn’t mean I would cheat on you. God, do you really think that low of me?” You could feel the sting behind your eyes of tears forming, but you tried to hold them back.

“I don’t know what to think anymore, Y/N. You waited until the day before you were leaving to tell me about it—”

“I didn’t have a choice, and you know it!” you exclaimed. “You know what? I’m done. I can’t do this right now.”

You hung up and threw your phone across the room, muffling sobs into your hands. Being here, having the job you’ve worked towards the past year, it was supposed to be exciting, yet you were dealing with possibly the worst heartbreak yet, and you didn’t even know if there was a relationship to salvage anymore.

Your phone was ringing with a FaceTime call from Jisung, but you ignored it. He couldn’t see you like this; even though you were partially in the wrong in the fight, he would completely lose it and attack Jaemin. You didn’t want to be the cause of something happening to NCT Dream. It would have to stay to yourself, just like everything else about your life.

///

You’d been in America for two weeks, and you were absolutely miserable. You didn’t talk to the boys as much, ignoring some of their calls so that when you did answer, there was too much to talk about for you to think about Jaemin during the calls. You hadn’t talked to him since your last argument, and you didn’t know what to do. Jisung didn’t now, but it was clear he was suspicious of something. You just wanted to go home, but Chi-won had to stay in California for more training and practice. He’d been invited to training camp in September, so it was easier for him to just stay here until he knew his future with the team post-camp.

Chi-won’s English was improving a little, but it was clear he wasn’t confident in himself. Learning a language was hard, and English was one of the most difficult. From conjunctions to words sounding the same but being spelled different to even the sentence structure, you didn’t blame him for feeling self-conscious and frustrated. You had talked to Jisung, and he’d agreed to speak with Chi-won.

“Chi-won, can you come here for a minute?” you called out.

He walked into the living room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked at your phone, jaw dropping when he saw Jisung on the screen. You held it out and said, “My brother wants to talk to you.”

He took the phone, sending a glance your way before looking back at Jisung. You moved to the kitchen to make breakfast, giving the boys some privacy. You could hear Jisung’s laugh through the tiny speaker, and it made your heart ache. Not seeing him every day felt like torture. You were so used to talk to him every day, but the both of you were too busy with your jobs, not to mention that you were still unsure of what the others knew about you and Jaemin.

As you were making some fried eggs, Chi-won joined you, holding your phone out with Jisung still on the screen. The hockey player sent a look that told you there would be a conversation later, and then he disappeared to his room. You looked at Jisung and smiled, asking him how it went. He said it went well, that Chi-won seemed to really listen to what he’d had to say. A door had opened behind him, and Chenle walked into the room. His face lit up when he saw you, and he ran over and jumped on Jisung’s back.

“Y/N! I haven’t talked to you in so long,” he said, suddenly pouting.

“I know, I’m sorry. Prospect camp was crazy, and I’ve been busy with teaching Chi-won English,” you replied. “I wish you guys were here. You’d love it.”

“We’ll have to visit sometime. Jisung, we gotta head to bed. We have practice tomorrow morning,” he said.

“Sleep well, you two,” you said with a smile.

“Love you!” they shouted, and then the call ended.

You finished breakfast and called for Chi-won. He joined you in the kitchen, taking his plate from you without a word. The two of you sat at the breakfast bar, eating in silence. Tyler and Cat were in Canada for a wedding, so you were alone with him. You waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn’t. Instead, he washed the dishes and went back to his room. He returned a few minutes later in workout clothes, so you changed into your own outfit and silently followed him to the gym downstairs. He started out on the bike while you went to the treadmill, starting a light jog.

After a few minutes, Chi-won said, “So, your brother is Park Jisung.”

“Yup. Has been for ten years,” you panted.

“I didn’t even know he had a sister.”

“No one does. It’s too dangerous.”

“That must suck. I can’t imagine keeping my sister a secret,” he said.

“Seeing him live his dream makes it all worth it. Besides, once I’m living here permanently, we’ll be able to tell everyone who I am.”

///

Getting out of bed was harder and harder as each day passed. You could feel yourself settle into a deep and heavy depression. and it seemed like the people you were living with were concerned. You never felt hungry, you were having trouble finding the motivation to shower, and you were ignoring every call that popped up on your phone.

There was a knock on your door before Cat poked her head in. You glanced at her before turning your attention back to the window. She sat in the armchair and leaned on her elbows, sending a smile your way.

“So, Chi-won and Tyler talked to the team, and they decided that if you want, you can go back to Korea until it’s time for training camp,” she told you.

You sat up slowly and asked, “What?”

“We can all tell how homesick you are, and Chi-won said that you had an argument with someone that sounded like your boyfriend. They have a back-up translator, so you can go home for a little bit,” she explained.

“He told you all that?”

“Well, he used an app to translate, but yes.”

Leaping out of bed, you hugged her tightly, mentally thanking yourself for having showered that morning. She laughed and hugged you back before telling you to start packing. You started throwing your things into suitcases and your duffel bag as she left, and tears started streaming down your face in happiness.

You hugged Tyler and Chi-won in thanks before rushing to the airport, not wanting to stay in America any more than you had to. You called your parents and Jisung once you had a ticket purchased, and they promised to keep it a secret. Jisung was practically vibrating in his seat once he heard the news, and you couldn’t wait to hug your family again.

Somehow, you managed to sleep on the flight. When you landed, it was about three in the afternoon. You raced towards your family as soon as you spotted them, leaping into Jisung’s arms. He lifted you up and squeezed tight, as if you would disappear if he let go. You then hugged your parents, not afraid to let the tears fall down your cheeks.

“I missed you guys so much,” you sobbed.

“We missed you too, sweetheart,” you dad said.

When you were home, you took a couple hours to settle in before taking Jisung with you to the dorms. Not only did you have some boys to surprise, but there was a certain boy with blue bangs you needed to speak to. Jisung seemed to be excited to be on the other end of the surprise.

As you walked into the building, your stomach twisted into a giant knot. You didn’t know how Jaemin was going to react. Before you could dwell on it too much, Jisung opened the door to the Dream dorm. Jeno and Haechan were playing video games in the living area, but they stopped immediately when they looked at you.

“Sunshine!” Jeno shouted. He threw the controller on the couch and ran over, scooping you into a bear hug.

“What are you doing here?” Haechan asked as you managed to pry away from Jeno to hug him.

“They let me come back home until training camp starts,” you explained. “Where are the others?”

“They’re in their rooms. Jaemin’s napping, but Renjun and Chenle are playing PUBG,” Jeno explained. “It’s good to have you back. Jaemin’s been moping every since you left.”

So they didn’t know. “I’ll go see Renjun and Chenle first. Jaemin must be really tired if he’s napping.”

You walked down the hallway and quietly stepped into Renjun and Chenle’s room. They were too busy looking at their phones to notice, so you sat by Renjun and asked how he was doing. He glanced at you and then did a double take before tackling you to the bed. Chenle complained, but when he looked up a screech left his mouth instead as he piled on top. They started asking you a bunch of questions at once, but you shushed them and explained why you were home. Chenle didn’t want to let go, but you explained that Jaemin didn’t know yet.

Jaemin looked so peaceful as he slept. You could just stand there and watch until he woke up, but the conversation needed to be had sooner than later. Quietly closing the door, you walked over and sat on the bed as gentle as possible. Your fingers carded through his hair, pushing it away from his forehead. He sighed in his sleep, melting under your touch. You called out his name lightly, but he didn’t stir. You tried a couple more times, and his eyes finally opened. He stared at you for about ten seconds before grabbing you. You were suddenly thrown on the bed, and he pinned your arms down before kissing you.

Kissing Jaemin felt like a dream, especially after what you two’d been going through the past few weeks. He pressed kiss after kiss to your lips, finally pulling away with a frown.

"I’m really sorry for how I acted the past couple times we talked. I trust you, and I support your career,” he said.

“I forgive you. God, I forgive you. I’ve been so miserable the past few weeks. I should’ve tried harder to tell you sooner than when I had.”

“Let’s just forget this, okay?”

“Deal.”

He leaned down to press your lips together again, not leaving any space between your bodies. He trailed kisses down your neck, sucking a mark into your skin at the base of your throat. When he moved back to your face, he whispered, “I love you.”

That was the first time either of you had ever said those words. Whenever the two of you were together, there was a good chance another Dreamie was with you, so actual dates were rare, which meant that neither of you felt like it was the right time to say them. However, the past three weeks, had proven that it didn’t matter how much time was spent alone.

“I love you too.”

It was about half an hour before you two emerged from the room. The others made fun of the hickeys that were all over your necks, but in that moment you didn’t care. You and Jaemin were more than okay, and that was all that mattered to you.

[caramelslate]

Day 3 of Moms Made Fullmetal Week!

Prompt: Disappointment or Apologies or Grounded 

AO3 link is here.

Enjoy reading!

“Ed?”

Trisha Elric hated scolding the kids. It is fortunate for her to be given two sons that are mostly well behaved. Although her older one is a bit short-tempered and would throw some tantrums every now and then. But that’s common with kids and it’s nothing she couldn’t handle. Most of the townsfolk often admire her sons for being so mild-mannered compared to other more rambunctious kids.

However, this is clearly a different scenario.

He punched another kid and broke his nose?  Trisha stared at the piece of note asking her to come to school tomorrow and explaining the reason why.

Ed couldn’t do that. Well, he easily gets angry, especially when teased but she has never seen him get at least a bit violent. But now, she really needs to know the truth straight from her son. Trisha crouched, brought her eye level to Ed and stared at her eldest in the eyes, and asked, “Did you really punch him?”

Ed looked down at his shoes then to the side, literally looking anywhere else other than back at her and her heart sank. He always does when he does something wrong. She got her confirmation a few seconds later with a small “Yes.” She sighed in disappointment. What is happening?

Ed spoke up, “But Mom, they were taking Al’s lunch yesterday, I saw it happen.” Trisha’s eyes went wide and her head went flying towards her younger son, Al, who was silently sitting by the kitchen. “Al, honey, come here.” With slow steps, Al shuffled to her side. He is chewing on his bottom lip and burning a hole on the floor. She asked it if it was true and for the second time, her heart sits in the pits of her stomach as Al quietly nods his head.

“For how long?” Trisha quietly asked Al. She knew between the two boys, Al was the more soft-hearted one. He gives tiny pieces of bread to pigeons in the backyard and sneaks little kittens into his room. She was afraid that this personality of his might make him a target at school.

She reached out and smoothed his head to comfort the boy. Trisha sighed and sank down the chair and faced her two boys. “Al, the next time that happens, I want you to go talk to your teachers. If not, you talk to me okay? I don’t want you to be taken advantage of in school or anywhere. It is never wrong to tell someone if you’re not comfortable in a situation. Understood?”

Al nodded and several strands of blond hair fell down his forehead, as his eyes filled up with unshed tears. He needs a haircut soon, Trisha thought.

Now, turning to her oldest, “Edward,” she began and Ed slightly flinched. “You know it’s not good for you or anyone for that matter to hit other people. Even if they hurt someone you love. If someone tries to hurt the people you protect, find another way to protect them. Violence is never the answer. Remember that.”

Ed sullenly nodded his head. “I know you love your brother. But sometimes you’ve got to take the high road and forgive. Find a way to get out of that situation without hurting anyone. You’re smart. You’re the smartest kid I know. You’ll find a way.”

Ed suddenly rushes into her arms and whispers “Sorry, Mom.” in a broken voice, almost crying.

Trisha is taken aback. Ed never cries, he’s usually not comfortable showing emotions, unlike Al who wears his heart on his sleeves. She reaches out to Al, inviting him in their little circle and Al runs and throws his little limbs around them both.

They’re going to be okay.

Trisha pulls away, “Now, I want you both to know that things like these have consequences. No alchemy for a week. You boys go outside and play with other kids or go to the Rockbells. Starting today.” Both boys’ jaws dropped open. It’s hilarious how some parents have to take away toys or make them stay inside during punishments like this. But with two aspiring alchemists under her roof, both boys kind of forget how much time passes when they’re inside their father’s library. She had to sometimes fetch them because they forget to come down during lunch. It’s amazing how much they are similar to Van when it comes to these little things.

Van, look at our boys, they’re getting bigger every day. I just hope you were here to see it.

“If I see anyone sneaking around and doing alchemy, it will be extended for a day for both of you. Understood?” They both nod, shoulders dropped, and their faces dejected.

Trisha stands up, “Now you two, come help me set the table for dinner. Just because you’re grounded, doesn’t mean you don’t get pie for dessert.” Suddenly the twin faces of dejection turn to two bright smiles and arguing over who gets to set the table better. Trisha looks at the brothers and permits her lips for a soft smile.

The next day, Trisha sorted out Ed’s situation at school. Obviously, the other boy’s mother displayed annoyance as she apologized for Ed’s behavior. She told the headmistress about Ed's reason and agreed that it did not (and never will be) justify Ed's actions. With this new information, the other parent’s eyes went wide and directed a glare to her own son, who suddenly became interested in the fraying hem of his coat. At the end of the meeting, the other was alternating between apologizing profusely to Trisha and shooting looks at her son. Trisha assured her that it would be okay and that Ed swears it won’t happen again.

When Trisha was on her way home, she passed by Pinako with little Winry in tow.

“Trisha! How was the school meeting?” Pinako asked as a way of greeting. She was wearing a traveling coat and had a small briefcase with her.

Trisha smiled. “Nothing new. I’m just glad Ed’s not getting suspended or something. He just had to do extra work at school for the teacher along with the boy he punched.” She quickly explained the situation to which Pinako hummed her agreement.

“I am sorry, dear. But I had to leave for Rush Valley immediately.” Pinako explained when Trisha asked where she was going. Apparently, one of her local clients had called for her to fix his automail while he’s in Rush Valley as he’s in no condition to travel to Resembool to get it fixed.

Pinako clasped her hands together, “Would it be too much of a bother to leave Winry with you for at least two days? I can’t bring her with me right now as she just got better from having the flu.”

Trisha didn’t even hesitate to say yes. “It’ll be refreshing having another girl in the house. It’ll be better since both boys are grounded. They have to find something else to do.” Trisha smiled at the little girl, who she just noticed was silently crying. She turned to look at Pinako and the older woman explained, “She wanted to come along but I really couldn’t take her. It’ll be more difficult for both of us if she gets sick again.”

Trisha nodded and then turned to the little girl and said, “You know, I have some extra apples at home. Would you like to help me make a pie? I’d like a little helper with me because Ed just likes to eat and Al makes too much of a mess because he’s still a little boy. You’re a big girl now, right?”  Almost immediately, Winry stopped crying and stared at her with watery eyes. “I am a big girl now.” she hiccupped in the most adorable way and smiled. “I’ll help you!” The girl took off to the direction of her house yelling out that she’s going to have pie for dinner.

Pinako looked after her with a small smile on her face. “She is so full of energy, I can barely keep up. Her parents sent her a letter this morning. She ran around the house almost tearing the letter up.” Pinako’s son and his wife are doctors shipped to the military and left Winry in the care of her grandmother who owns an automail shop. The couple barely had the chance to bid them farewell before both were shipped to the war front.

“Don’t worry, Pinako. I’ll look after her while you’re gone.” Trisha said, resting her hand on Pinako’s shoulder to reassure the older woman.

Pinako smiled, a small weight lifted off her chest. She put her wrinkled hand on top of her hand. “I sent you a batch of stew I made this morning because I didn’t know I would leave. So you won’t have to cook dinner. It’s the least I could do for you. Tell Winry I’ll see her in a couple of days.” With that, Pinako set off to walk towards the train station towards Rush Valley.

When Trisha reached the house, she found the boys had already washed up for dinner. Winry was standing on top of the stool in front of the sink and washing the freshly picked apples. A pot was sitting on top of the table, the stew Pinako was talking about. Together, the four of them tried to make a pie, in this case Winry helped measure the ingredients while the two boys kept getting flour everywhere and settled with wiping the counters instead.

While enjoying Pinako’s beef stew, Trisha listened to the antics the small children got into during dinner. It feels carefree to live as a child again. She was subjected to the stories of who hides the best during hide and seek, which kid scraped their knee at lunch, how the teacher asked them what pet they would have if they don’t have one.

“I’d want a kitty.” Al turned to her with pleading golden eyes. Trisha returned that look while saying “I haven’t forgotten the mess of the last time we had a cat in this house.” Al sheepishly shot her a smile as he proceeded to devour his plate of stew.

Eventually, Trisha went to prepare the spare bedroom for Winry while the kids played downstairs. Just as she was changing the sheets, she heard the door creak open

“Mom?” Ed said by the door. He was pushed further into the room by Al. Both boys had their hands behind their backs. When they got in front of her, they looked at each other first then held out their hands.

In Ed’s hands is a tiny flower, almost as big as her thumb and obviously made with alchemy, the curves of the flowers are too smooth to be handcrafted. “For me?” When Ed nodded, she took the flower from his hands, her heart warm. “We made it last week, so we didn’t do alchemy after you grounded us. I wanted to do a rose or tulip but it was too complicated so I went with a simple wildflower like the ones growing on the street.”

Trisha smiled but before she can even speak, Al holds out his hands. This time, it was a tiny kitten curled in a ball, no bigger than the flower his brother made. “Brother helped me out since it was too hard so I guess we both made it but I wanted the kitty.” Al proudly declared, his smile wide across his face. “Sorry, Mom. I never should’ve done that. I won’t do that again.” Ed threw his hands around her waist and Al followed suit. Looking down at both of their blond heads, she set down the two gifts and smoothed both of their hair back.

See, Van? I told you. We’re going to be fine. The three of us. Don’t worry.

[zi-i-think]

5 | Crankiness runs in the Family

Pairing: Zuko x Ama (oc)

Word Count: 7000+

.☽☼☾.

          The sky was clear, the oceans as blue as can be, and the day couldn't be more perfect. The group was going back to the Fire Nation from Hira'a. Returning with Zuko's mom and her family.

         Kiyi and Aang were riding on one flying dolphin-fish beside the boat while Ama rode on another. All of them had the biggest smiles on their faces. Ama never rode on a flying dolphin-fish before. And she never saw any harm in trying new things.

         She saw Katara wave at them from the boat, so she waved back, before setting both her hands on the dolphin-fish's back again to steady herself. She loved the feeling of the water spraying on her skin and smell of the sea.

         "Kiyi! Come back!" A voice shouted. Ama looked over, seeing Ursa by the railing, shouting for her daughter. Zuko stood close by in his Fire Lord robes and crown.

         "Don't worry, Ursa. She's perfectly safe with Aang." Ama heard Katara tell Ursa. Aang immediately flew off the dolphin-fish with Kiyi. Ama followed suit, water bending to get back onto the boat.

         "I promise, Kiyi wasn't ever in danger." Aang assured Ursa while Kiyi clung onto Aang.

         "Kiyi!" Ursa grabbed a hold of her daughter and held her in a close hug as she sat on the ground. "I can't lose you! I can't!"

         "Let go! Let go!" Kiyi fought against Ursa. And when her mom did let go, Kiyi went straight to her dad and hid behind his legs. "Daddy, I wanna go downstairs!"

         Ikem stared at his wife with concern. He picked up Kiyi and the little girl buried her head in his shoulder, facing away from her mother. "All right, honey. Whatever you want." Ikem carried Kiyi inside the ship.

         Zuko sat next to his mom and put his hand on her shoulder. "Give her time." He assured her.

         "I know. Not every little girl has to deal with her mother changing faces." Ursa rationalized.

         "Ursa, I'm so sorry I worried you!" Aang jumped in. "But believe me, flying dolphin-fishes are among the gentlest creatures in the world."

         "No, Avatar. I'm the one who should be sorry." Ursa held up her hand, refusing Aang's apology. "I'm embarrassed that I overreacted like that. Now, if you'll excuse me." The former Fire Lady stepped away from her son and Aang and stood by the railing to look out at sea.

         "You shouldn't worry." Ama stepped next to her boyfriend, noticing his slightly furrowed eyebrow and frown. "Things are going to be fine."

         "I know." He muttered, putting an arm around his girlfriend. "It's just been years since she's been back. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable or unsafe."

         "She might at first. After everything your dad put her through. But she'll feel safer as time goes by." Ama told him honestly. Zuko nodded. There wasn't much he could do after all.

.☽☼☾.

         The day went by and night time fell upon them. Sokka, Katara, Ama and Aang packed their things and loaded them on Appa.

         "You guys are leaving already?" Zuko asked as he walked towards them.

         "Yep." Aang answered.

         "Going back to Capital City is going to bring up all sorts of stuff for your mom, for Kiyi, for all of you." Katara started to explain.

         "You need to figure it out as a family." Aang told Zuko.

         "We'd just be in the way. Especially dolphin-fish riders over here." Sokka quipped, putting his arms around Aang and Ama and bringing them close to him.

         "You guys haven't really had any bonding time yet, dragonfly." Ama said, getting out of Sokka's grip to step closer to Zuko. "This will be your chance."

         "I guess that makes sense." Zuko sighed, saddened to see his friends leave so soon.

         "What, you can't part with me for a week?" Ama teased, making the Fire Lord blush.

         Zuko pulled his girlfriend in for a hug. "Just a week right?" He whispered in her hair so the others wouldn't hear how clingy he sounded.

         "I promise. It won't be more than a week till we see each other again." Ama chuckled. When they pulled away from the hug, Ama leaned up to place a soft kiss on Zuko's lips.

         "Oogies!" Sokka complained just for the fun of teasing them, while Katara and Aang just giggled.

         Zuko pulled away as soon as Sokka spoke with an annoyed expression while Ama gave her brother the middle finger. Zuko turned his attention to the rest of the group, giving them all individual hugs.

         "Thank you guys. For everything." Zuko genuinely meant it. He truly didn't know where he'd be without his friends.

         "Happy to be there for you, buddy!" Sokka pat Zuko's back.

         Once they were done with their goodbyes, the group got into Appa's saddle and took off. "We'll see each other again before you know it!" Aang shouted, everyone was leaning on the edge of the saddle waving down. "Yu Dao's inaugural celebration is in a week."

.☽☼☾.

         A month had passed and not only had Ama not seen Zuko, but she hadn't even gotten a letter. She stayed with Aang and the others as they solved troubles from town to town. And if she were being honest, she missed it. Traveling to different and new places. She loved to meet the different people and learn their cultures.

         But she didn't forget that she hadn't seen her boyfriend for a month. It wouldn't have bothered her as much if she knew why he didn't try to communicate.

         At Ba Sing Se, Aang was leading a meditation with his Air Acolytes. The rest of the original members of Team Avatar finished their shopping and packed it all on Appa.

         "Hey, sweetie! You guys done?" Katara asked as they poked their heads into Iroh's tea shop. All of the acolytes had left, so they assumed their session was over.

         "Just finished!" Aang exclaimed.

         "Perfect timing! We just got everything packed on Appa!" Sokka pointed his thumb at Appa. They went further into the shop to bid their farewells to Iroh.

         "Where are you headed?" Iroh asked them.

         "To the South Pole!" Sokka said excitedly. "It'll be our first time back since the end of the war."

         "We've been planning this trip ever since running into a couple of Katara's old friends at the Earthen Fire Refinery!" Aang added.

         "They were right. We should've gone back sooner to help rebuild." Katara spoke.

         "Plus, we'll finally get to see dad." Ama smiled, excited to see her dad after so long.

         "And go penguin sledding!" Aang was excited to do the usual child-like activities he doesn't usually do as the Avatar.

         "And eat some of auntie Ashuna's seal jerky!" Sokka's mouth was practically watering at the thought.

         "What? You hate auntie Ashuna's seal jerky!" Ama chuckled at her brother.

         "You mean I hated auntie Ashuna's seal Jerky!" Sokka corrected her. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

         "Ama, I didn't know you were going to the South Pole." Iroh stated, tilting his head in confusion.

         "No, I was supposed to go with them from the beginning. Zuko was supposed to come with, but." Ama just shrugged instead of completing her sentence. She didn't want to look like it bothered her that Zuko sent no attempts to communicate.

         But Iroh could still tell it made her upset. He pulled her into a comforting hug. "You know Zuko. He doesn't want to worry people. I've heard that there was some trouble in the Fire Nation." Ama just nodded as she pulled away from the hug.

         "Thank you, Iroh." Ama gave him a fond smile. "I'll be sure to come back soon."

         "Let's get moving!" Aang announced, already walking out. "Weather's perfect right now. If we hurry we can probably get to-" Before he could finish what he was saying, a red messenger hawk with the Fire Nation insignia flew down and perched onto Aang's shoulder. Taking out the message, Aang read over it.

         "Aang, what is it?" Katara asked.

         "It's from Zuko." Aang told them. "He needs me." Ama's heart clenched a little. Oh, so he can send Aang a message but not me?

         "So," Katara had a disappointed tone. "You're going to the Fire Nation, then?"

         "I think I have to." Aang replied. "Hey, why don't you guys come with me? I'm sure it won't take long!"

         "It's spirit world stuff." Sokka pointed out. "When was the last time spirit world stuff didn't take long."

         "And dad's expecting us." Katara added.

         "I'll go." Ama stepped forward to stand next to Aang. "I don't like being kept in the dark."

         Katara placed a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "You go help Zuko, Aang. Take Appa so you can meet us at the South Pole after things are settled."

         "I'm sorry, Katara." Aang hugged the waterbender.

         "Nothing to be sorry about. It just comes with dating the Avatar." Katara said sadly.

         Once saying their goodbyes, Aang and Ama mounted the flying bison and headed to the Fire Nation. Ama kept her arms crossed as she looked at the passing clouds.

         "Are you okay?" Aang looked over at her from Appa's head.

         "He promised he wouldn't shut me out." The water bender said sadly. Aang frowned at her hurt expression.

         "I'm sure Zuko has an explanation." Aang did his best to cheer her up. Ama just muttered a 'maybe' and moved to lay down on the saddle. She stared up at the sky, letting her eyes grow heavy to get some rest.

.☽☼☾.

         The moment Ama and Aang walked into the meeting room, Ama felt like a huge boulder was flung at her. And she actually knew what that was like after the countless times of sparring with Toph. Actually, no. It felt worse than that.

         Standing by the rectangular table was an older gentleman, looking like he was giving a presentation. And sitting at the table was a boy Ama had never met, Zuko, and Mai.

         It wasn't like Mai and Ama had bad blood. But they weren't necessarily friends. When Ama met the Fire Nation girl after Zuko's coronation, she really tried to have a conversation, but Mai didn't seem all that interested in anything. Plus there was the jealousy that Ama did her best to ignore. And seeing Mai there after Zuko and she hadn't had any connection for a month definitely wasn't helping her green monster.

         "Zuko!" Aang greeted happily when he and Ama entered the meeting room.

         "Avatar Aang! Ama!" Zuko stood from his seat to greet the two. "Thank you for being her buddy."

         "No problem." Aang assured him. Even through he would much rather be at the South Pole with his girl friend.

         "Hey, waterlily." Zuko turned to her with a nervous tone.

         "Oh, you know you fucked up." Ama pointed at his chest with a glare. Zuko's eyes were wide and his mouth agape. "I expect an explanation later."

         Zuko nodded and them moved aside, revealing Mai. "You remember-"

         "Mai!" Aang greeted happily.

         "Hello, Aang." Mai smiled at him. The airbender, unlike Ama, was able to make anyone like him with his cheerful attitude and grin.

         "And this is Kei Lo." Zuko introduces the last man in the room. "Mai's boyfriend." Ama hated that her body instantly relaxed a little when Zuko mentioned that Mai had a boyfriend. "And finally, please meet Constable Sung. He's leading the investigation into the kidnapping." The last man in the room was introduced.

         "I'm honored, Avatar." Constable Sung bowed.

         "Nice to meet you, Constable-" Aang bowed back, but his mind back-tracked at what Zuko said. "Wait, kidnapping?!"

         "Last night, my little brother Tom-Tom was taken by a band of dark spirits." Mai had a tone of worry and concern. And who could blame her. Even she shows enough emotion when it comes to family.

         "You saw them?" Aang asked.

         "I fought them." Mai told him. "They were kemurikage."

         "Who?" Ama wondered.

         "Dark spirits who supposedly haunt the mountains just outside my home village, I recognized them from stories my parents used to tell me." Mai explained. Ama had a frown. Usually fables told by parents were only meant to scare their kids. Not actually true. It wasn't making sense why these spirits would appear now.

         "Several reports of dark spirit sighting came in from all over Capital City, though Tom-Tom was the only abductee." Constable Sung pointed at multiple areas on a map behind him.

         "Constable, were these reports from-?" But Aang didn't get the chance to finish his question due to some ruckus in the hallway by the door.

         "Get off me!" The voice of an older man grumbled at the guards and pushed aside the red curtain to enter the room. "My son's missing, and you're worried about Palace Protocol?"

         "Apologies, Fire Lord!" One of the guards had a horrified expression as he poked his head into the room. "We asked him to wait, but-"

         "It's all right, he's the victim's father. He ought to be informed." Zuko held up an arm to assure the guard that everything was fine.

         "Mai! I should've known you'd be here!" The middle aged man, named Ukano, stomped to the raven-haired girl.

         "Father." Mai sounded surprised, like she didn't know he'd be here nor that she wanted him here. Ama looked between the two. So this grumpy old man is Mai's dad? No wonder she's so dismal. The guy's a blowhard.

         "This is all your fault, daughter." He pointed an accusing finger at her. "If Tom-Tom were still with me in our home, he would've been safe! I would've made sure of it." Mai was silent as she looked down at the ground in guilt. "You may hate me, but you know I'm right."

         "Oh, come on!" Kei Lo interrupted the family dispute. "No house it safe from dark spirits!"

         "You stay out of this, boy!" Ukano looked at the boy with hate, but also a tingle of betrayal.

         "Please, everybody! Calm down!" Aang stepped between the two men with his arms on each side of him. "All this arguing isn't helping us find Tom-Tom! We need to put our heads together and figure out what to do next!"

         "I'll tell you what needs to happen next!" He then turned his attention to Zuko, pointing a finger at him. "Our 'Fire Lord' needs to grow a spine! Everyone knows the spirit world begins acting up when the human world is weak!"

         Zuko's gold eye's raised in surprise at the accusation. He had his own doubts about his own leadership and it was no secret that many of the citizens didn't like him on the throne either.

         "No! That isn't how the spirit world works!" Aang disagreed. And his word should be more trustworthy as the Avatar, especially over some bimbo. "The balance between the human and the spirits has nothing to do with strength!"

         "Show that you're worthy, Zuko." The man stepped even closer to Zuko. "Declare a curfew to keep your citizens safe! Then send out an elite task force to fight the dark spirits!" Zuko, put his hand to his chin, giving the plan some thought. "Take down just one of them and we'll show the spirits that humans aren't to be trifled with!"

         "If that is your wish, Fire Lord, I'll begin gathering a Task Force. It may take some time, though." Constable Sung said.

         "Don't do it, Zuko." Aang urged. "A curfew would just make some folks more fearful!"

         "I have to agree with Aang." Ama crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on one leg. "Plus, how's a task force supposed to fight spirits? You can't use normal bending."

         "Let's first figure out exactly what happened to Tom-Tom. Then we'll know what to do next." Aang suggested strongly.

         "What the Avatar says makes sense." Mai agreed.

         Zuko shut his eyes to think. He was conflicted. Here he was given two completely different pieces of advice, and he had it was his job to make the better decision. Mai's father came from a more offensive perspective, one that many of the Fire Nation citizens still had. Then he had his closest friends telling him that there was a different way of going about the problem.

         As soon as his eyes opened again, Zuko sent Aang a thankful smile. "Wise advice, Avatar."

         "This is ludicrous." Ukano raised his voice in anger. "You'd rather listen to some fool who knows nothing about the Fire Nation than one of your own citizens. As he talked he kept stepping closer to Zuko with a threatening look.

         Ama had it with the angry old man and protectively stepped in front of Zuko. "I'm going to need you to step out." Ama's tone was authoritative and she gave Ukano a hard glare.

         He glared back at her. "I refuse to listen to some snow savage whore." Everyone in the room gasped at his words. He'd been incredibly bold the entire time, but this was most definitely out of line.

         "You have no right to speak to her that way." Zuko's said lowly and angrily. He stepped around Ama, getting dangerously close to Ukano. He would've liked to kill him on the spot. "Constable, please escort Ukano out."

         Constable Sung nodded and started to lead Mai's father out of the room. "I knew it!" Ukano shouted. "You're unworthy of the throne, Zuko. You're an impostor!" Zuko's glare turned into a surprised look. Like the words coming out of Ukano's mouth clicked something in his mind. "Impostor! Impostor!"

         Zuko turned around at Mai, who looked incredibly embarrassed of her dad. "Mai, when the New Ozai Society attacked me and my family weeks ago, was your father part of that?"

         Mai was quiet for a moment, like she was thinking something over. "Not that I know of." When she said that Kie Lo looked confused, like they both knew something the others didn't.

         Zuko hummed. "I thought I recognized his voice."

         Aang butt in, already prioritizing Tom-Tom. "Mai, I need to know everything you know about the Kemurikage."

         "I've already told you." Mai grumbled. "They're just an old legend."

      ��  "An old legend, huh?" Zuko thought. "Then I have an idea about where to find out more." He started to walk out of the room with a destination in mind. "Follow me." Ama and Aang were close behind, but Kei Lo an Mai stayed in the room to discuss something quickly.

         "Are you alright?" Zuko looked over at Ama with concern while they waited outside the room.

         "About what? The fact that my boyfriend didn't even send me a messenger hawk for a month or that I was just called a 'snow savage whore'?" Ama grumbled, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Zuko.

         "Whichever is bothering you the most." Zuko whispered. He didn't want to see her mad or upset, even though he knew he probably deserved it.

         "A month." Ama spat out. "One minute you act like you can't even part with me for a week then the next you won't even speak with me? I understood you sending Iroh to the Yu Dao inaugural celebration, but then I heard nothing from you."

         "Things have been busy." He justified with a shrug.

         "That's not it, it takes 5 minutes to send a messenger hawk." The Water Tribe girl didn't get mad often. But when she did, you didn't want to be the one she was mad at. And Ama hated the feeling like she was overreacting, even if she weren't. This was why she tried to solve her problems before they escalated.

         Zuko sighed. "When we first arrived, my family and I were almost assassinated by the New Ozai Society." He explained. "The last thing I want is for you to be a target. Especially, since you're-"

         "From the Water Tribe." Ama interrupted.

         "Yeah." Zuko looked defeated.

         "Oh for crying out loud." Ama scoffed. "We already talked about this when we went to find you mom. You promised not to do exactly what you're doing right now. You don't want me to worry about things, but Zuko, the thing that worries me the most is you shutting me out."

         "Plus, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Ama pokes his chest roughly. "Who was the one who took out Azula? Me. I can fucking blood bend."

         "I know." Zuko sighed. He was so in the wrong. And he knew it. He opened his mouth to apologize but Mai and Kei Lo finally stepped out of the room. And as room as they did. Ama started walking to the entrance of the palace to leave, and she could feel everyone's eyes on the angry girl.

         "Ama, you're going the wrong way." Aang's voice said, and it sounded like he was a little scared to say it, given the awkward atmosphere.

         The waterbender did a sharp 180 turn and passed the other four again. "I knew that." She grumbled with her index finger pointed in the air.

.☽☼☾.

         Appa landed at the front of the Fire Sages Capital Temple. In the dark, the temple looked majestic with the fire-lit torches decorating the dark walls. Zuko led the way up the stairs, walking with purpose.

         "Whoa. What is this place?" Kei Lo marveled at the structure.

         "The Fire Sages Capital Temple." Mai answered his question.

         "You've been here before Mai?" Kei Lo wondered how she knew that.

         "Once." Mai recalled. "An ex thought it'd be romantic to share a meal over the burial site of his ancestors."

         "And he was right. It was romantic." Zuko looked back at them. He meant it to be more a quip than to be serious. Still Ama couldn't help but let her jaw drop in jealousy. She and Kei Lo looked at each other with the same face. The two knew nothing about each other, yet here they were. Sharing the same look.

         Aang looked back at the two awkwardly, Mai and Zuko already stepping into the temple. "So! You guys! How about we, y'know-" He had no idea what to say. "Get goin on the, uh- Whatever it is we came here to do?!" With a quick breath in and out. Ama walked in, Kei Lo following.

         "Great Sage Shyu!" Zuko greeted the sage close by the entrance. The old man was sweeping the floor, a chore no one finds exciting, so he grinned when he saw the Fire Lord approaching with the Avatar close behind.

         "Fire Lord! Avatar! What a pleasant surprise!" Sage Shyu greeted.

         Aang and Zuko both bowed before him. "So good to see you again, Shyu!" Aang said respectfully.

         "I'm sorry it's been so long since my last visit." Zuko apologized. "Things have been busy."

         "You know what Fire Sage Kaja used to say: the busier we are, the more attention we must pay to our interior life." Fire Sage Shyu pointed out.

         "True, but-" Zuko tried to explain.

         "My brother Sages and I recently revived a couple of old practices that may be of interest to you! In fact, I'm teaching a new meditation class that-"

         "I'd love to hear more, Shyu - I swear - but right now, my friends and I need to get into the catacombs." Zuko hated to interrupt, but hey, they were all in a rush.

         The Fire Sage sighed. "Of course." The old man walked to the middle of the temple, where a circular design with locks only a fire bender could open stood.

         "Does the Fire Lord visit often?" Aang wondered. Everyone was standing off to the side to allow the Sage to do his thing.

         "Sure. Sometimes for the view, sometimes for the dusty old scrolls in the catacombs." Fire Sage Shyu answered a bit bitterly. "Never for my meditation classes." He then lit 6 small fires around him onto the designed locks before punching to the ground. The center, where he stood, stayed still, but the designs split apart and moved to the side, revealing the downward spiral stairwell.

        Aang and Zuko lit fires into their hands for light. Zuko led the group as they walked single file and Aang was in the back. As soon as they hit the bottom, the hallway was wider. The roof was curved and it looked like there was a very large creature's ribs decorating it. Based on the large dragon skulls that decorated the walls, Ama could only assume the ribs once belonged to a dragon.

        "So this is where the Fire Lords are buried?" Kei Lo asked curiously.

         "Yes." Zuko said in a serious tone. The catacombs reminded him of the last few generations of his family. Something he took no pride in.

         "Reserve a place for yourself yet?" Ama asked. She knew she shouldn't, but the petty thought was there and the words came out without her consent.

         "What's that supposed to mean?" Zuko turned around with a confused look but an angry tone.

         "Oh calm down, Fire Lord Zuko. It was just a question." Ama spoke calmly, just to annoy him.

         Luckily, Kei Lo interrupted the couple bickering. "Is that supposed to be Fire Lord Sozin?" He pointed at the large image of the old Fire Lord that was on the wall.

         "My great grandfather, yes." Zuko answered. They all stared at it for a moment.

         "Looks like a crank." Kei Lo said.

         "Crankiness runs in the family." Ama sent a taunting smirk at Zuko. He sent her a glare and Ama quickly glared back. Quips like this were the usual little taunts that Ama and Zuko had, but given their current relationship situation, Ama meant it more harshly.

         "So, how's this visit gonna help us, Zuko?" Aang grabbed his attention.

         "Just follow me." Zuko grumbled, continuing to lead then down the passage. The left was a black and white mural with people fire bending, dragons, a sun, and other pictures. "Look at this." Zuko admired. "This mural illustrates the history of the Fire nation, including it's myths and legends."

        "Oh, yeah." Aang observed it.

         Then, at the end of that hallway was the entrance Zuko was looking for. The fire emblem was on it and four metal dragon head fire locks at arms height. "But it all stops here?" Aang asked, talking about the brief murals of Fire Nation history.

         "When Sozin came to power, he ordered the rest of this corridor sealed off, as if Fire Nation history began with him." Zuko explained.

         "Why does it all stop here?" Aang wondered.

         "He wanted access, just in case. You can still learn from the past, even if you officially deny its existence." Zuko answered. "I'm guessing we'll find a clue about the kemurikage behind that wall." Zuko pointed at the entrance to the next corridor..

         Aang observed the tall doors for a moment before turning back to the Fire Lord. "You know, there's something just like this in the Sage's temple on Crescent Island! Zuko, if you and I send fire blasts into each of the dragon's mouths, the whole thing will open right up!"

         "Worth a try." Zuko shrugged. The two stepped back and got into position to blast flames into two dragon mouths at the same time.

         "Ready when you are." Aang said.

         "You might want to stand back." Zuko told the other three.

         "We're fine, thanks." Ama said dryly with her arms crossed and putting her weight on her right leg.

         Zuko clenched his jaw. He knew what he did was wrong, but he really didn't know where all of Ama's rude behavior towards him came from. He didn't have time to talk to her about it, though. There were other things to worry over. So he focused his attention on the wall they had to get through.

         At the same time, Zuko and Aang shot their flames into the dragon's mouths. But it didn't budge. "Let's go again." Aang suggested. And they did try again. And again. And again. And then a couple other times.

         "Nothing." Zuko grumbled. The frustration in his voice was obvious.

         "Huh. Maybe if we give it one more try-" Aang suggested again.

         Kie Lo ran to one of the dragon heads and observed it with both his hands and eyes. "You've given it twenty tries already! My turn."

         "I didn't know you could fire bend, Kei Lo." Aang commented, scared that he had offended Kei Lo in some way.

         "I can't." Kei Lo said matter-of-factly then he turned to Mai with his hand out. "Mai, can I borrow four of your throwing knives?" Mai looked very curious at what he was doing, but handed him her knives. Kei Lo stuck the knives into the dragon's nose, fumbling around like he was looking for something. "If you had taken the time to study the dragons - instead of just blasting away - you would've noticed that the locking mechanisms aren't located in the dragons mouths."

         "Wait, you gonna pick the dragon's noses?" Aang looked disgusted, despite the dragons being fake. "That seems awfully disrespectful. Not to mention gross."

         "Babe, can you help me out." Kei Lo asked Mai, holding up two of her knives.

         "Sure." Mai agreed and took the knives from his hand.

         "'Babe'?" Aang whispered to Zuko.

         "You're not really one to talk, Aang." Zuko dryly said, referring to the 'sweetie' nickname Aang and Katara have.

         Kei Lo held his arms around Mai, from the back, his hands holding her wrists in a guiding way. Her hands were in two separate nostrils of two different dragons. Ama would have laughed if her mind weren't elsewhere.

         Am I over reacting? Ye- No! Zuko refused to talk to you. You're constantly worried about him and in return he just keeps you in the dark! I'm not some damsel in distress! And now with Mai here- wait. Is he jealous?

         Ama's eyes traveled from looking at Zuko to his line of sight. He was looking at Mai and Kei Lo. But not in a jealous way like Ama thought. He was actually happy that Mai found something that could bring a smile to her face, something he could rarely do. Ama's tried to reason that he wasn't giving them a jealous look. But the things Azula said before were getting to her and her own jealousy wasn't letting her see things clearly.

         "Give each a counter-clockwise twist-" Kei Lo instructed, he had his hands in two of the dragon's nostrils just like Mai. "- Now!" The two twisted teh knives at the same time and the giant door moved to the side to open.

         "Well, look at that!" Aang ran ahead. "You were right, Zuko! The mural keep's going!" Aang stared at the walls.

         "I'm impressed." Mai locked arms with Lei Lo and a smile on her face. "Any other criminal talents I don't know about?"

         "Stick around. Maybe you'll find out." Even though they were already dating, Kei Lo flirted with Mai, sending her a sly wink.

         Zuko walked faster to keep up with Ama's pace. "Ama, we need to talk."

         "Why does that sound so familiar." Ama put her pointer finger on her chin like she was in thought. "Oh yeah, cause we always seem to 'need to talk' nowadays."

         "Why are you being so cold?" He hissed. He didn't want to get angry at her, but she was pushing his limits. Her demeanor made him feel like he couldn't even hold her hand. He thought if he did, she would twist his hand and break it.

         "I don't know, how about I ignore your existence for a month and then you can tell me how you feel." Ama had a fake excited tone. But she rolled her eyes once she was done talking.

         "Well if you were mad at me then why even come?" Zuko questioned. "And why defend me when Ukano was being threatening?" Ama huffed and crossed her arms.

         Because I miss you. Because I care about you. Because I love you.

         "Because I needed an explanation. And all I got was a lousy excuse." Ama told him. What she said wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth.

         "Come on, waterlily. I apologized." Zuko begged. He just wanted to hold her hand. To feel her soft, cool skin against his rough, hot skin. He loved every part of her. Each emotion and each expression. But not when she was hurting.

         Ama stopped at the intersection for the next corridor and looked at him. Her mouth was agape and her eyebrows pinched together. "No, Zuko. You didn't apologize." Zuko's eyes widened and thought back. Trying to remember if he did. But he didn't and he just realized. Ama left him standing there and followed the group ahead. "Oh, look, more of Zuko's cranky ancestors." She said loudly for him and the others to hear.

         "They don't all look cranky." Aang defended Zuko, holding his fire up to one of the murals. "This guy's more... stoic." Aang looked over at Zuko who made his way to the front of the group. "How many Fire Lords were there?"

         "I'm not sure. The history books I studied as a kid all began with Sozin." Zuko replied, looking at the first man painted on the wall. "But I bet this is the first one who united the Fire Islands.

         "Guys, I think I found what we're looking for." Kei Lo called them over, and everyone crowded around him and the mural behind him. "The spirits who kidnapped Tom-Tom – that's exactly what they looked like!" The mural behind them had dark ghost-like figures and terrified looking people painted on.

         "The kemurikage." Mai muttered.

         "Creepy." Aang commented.

         Ama figured that the mural wasn't enough and moved away from the group. There was a little compartment that looked kinda like a house and inside was a scroll. "And this must be their story. Can I get a light Aang?" She asked, pulling the red scroll out.

         "I got it." Zuko said immediately. He stood by her closely. Ama looked over at him. The fire illuminating his face and the reflection was in his golden eyes. Ama could stare into his eyes forever. It was her favorite feature of him. Because when he got excited or happy, they sparkled. But in the moment, it hurt her. Because her unusually stubbornness made her feel dirty to admire him.

         Snapping back to the task at hand, Ama looked over at the scroll while Aang, Mai, and Kei Lo crowded around them to see the scroll. "Long ago, long before the Fire Nation came into existence, warlords ruled the Fire Islands." She read. "They fought one another for territory and often the common people were caught in the middle. All the warlords were cruel and ruthless.

         "But worst of them was a brute named Toz. Feast or famine, Toz demanded annual tributes from all the villages in his territory. One year, a village dared to refuse Toz his tribute. And so, to teach them a lesson, Toz had all the village's children kidnapped. The children were never seen again, and the village's mother's died in sadness."

         "How horrible!" Aang exclaimed. "Where was my past life in all this?!"

         "Maybe this was before the first Avatar." Zuko suggested.

         "Shut up. I'm not done." Ama grumbled and started to read the scroll again. "Soon after the mothers' deaths, dark spirits began to haunt Toz and his men. Every so often, they would drift into the warlord's encampment in the middle of the night. The next morning, a child would be gone. Out of fear, Toz's men abandoned him. His regime collapsed. However, the dark spirits - the Kemurikage- continue to appear, even to this day, their sadness insatiable."

         "Eesh." Kei Lo spoke. "Maybe Sozin kept ancient Fire Nation history locked away because it's so depressing."

         "Tell me about it." Mai commented.

         "Ama, I think you summoned something by reading that scroll!" Aang said in worry. He saw a smoke-like glow come from one of the murals. "Look!" He held out his hand as the light went around his wrist. "Whoa." He awed. "Neat." Aang ran down the hallway, following the light.

         "Aang! Where are you going?" Zuko called after him. "It could be dangerous down there."

         "But I think it wants me to follow it!" Aang called back. Ama set the scroll back where she found it and ran after him, everyone else at her side

         "This kind of thing happen a lot?" Kei Lo wondered.

         "With the Avatar? All the time." Zuko replied.

         "Interesting friends you got there, Zuko." Mai grumbled.

         "Where are you leading us, little wisp of smoke?" Aang asked out loud.

         "Probably somewhere dark and dank." Mai quipped to Kei Lo.

         "Kind of like where we are now?" He joked back.

         "Oh, it'll be worse." Mai grumbled. She was never one to look on the bright side of things.

         "You know, you're pretty cute when you're pessimistic." Kei Lo flirted with a smirk.

         "Yeah, I know." Mai said back.

         Aang was giving the side conversations no attention. His focus was on the smoke. "Hey, smoke! Can you wait-" he talked to it like it was a living benign, which it may have been. The glowing blue smoke went to the mouth of a dragon statue on the wall. "No, don't go-" And the smoke disappeared inside. "Oh, monkey feathers! I bet this is another lock. Kei Lo, you think maybe you could-" Aang pointed.

         "No problem, Avatar Aang." The enthusiastic young man was already approaching the statue with two of Mai's knives. Sticking them in the dragon nostrils, he twisted them and the wall rumbled as it spun open slowly.

         "Looks like a crypt!" Aang observed stepping through the new door and down the steps.

         "Cool." Ama stepped in after him and had a look around. There wasn't much to see, just some more dragon statues and blank walls.

         "I'm not going in there." Mai instisted, standing her ground.

         "Kei Lo, maybe you could come along, in case there's something else to unlock." Aang hated to ask. It wasn't that he didn't trust Zuko alone with Mai, he knew Zuko wouldn't try anything. It had more to do with Ama's obvious jealousy and angry behavior.

         Kei Lo hesitantly looked back at the two. He on the other hand didn't really know much about Zuko and Mai's relationship. Still, he followed Aang and Ama down into the crypt. "Sure."

         Zuko and Mai didn't really have much to say at the moment. But it wasn't like the silence was uncomfortable. "This enough light? Because if the flame isn't big enough, I could-"

         "It's fine, Zuko. The less we see of this place the better." Mai responded dryly.

         "Oh, okay. You're right." Zuko agreed. "Kei Lo seems nice."

         "Yeah, he is." Mai agreed, smiling lightly at the thought of her boyfriend.

         "It's good to see you happy. You smile a lot when you're with him." Zuko smirked at how she smiled.

         "Yeah, he's good at doing that." Mai said. She didn't always like showing her emotions, but when it came to Kei Lo, she didn't seem to mind. "You and Ama don't seem to be on good terms." She spoke the obvious.

         "Tell me about it." Zuko grumbled, looking down at the floor in regret. "I know I messed up, and usually she lets things go, but not this time."

         "I'm not a therapist." Mai said dryly.

         "Right, sorry." Zuko rubbed the back of his neck.

         "But, you're my friend. Plus you're helping find my brother, so I guess I'll help you out." Mai sighed with a small teasing smirk. "You're really bad at letting people in Zuko. And Ama is starting to get really tired of it. I know what heartbreak looks like. And she has that look."

         "I've hurt her too often." Zuko sighed.

         "Yep." Mai unapologetically said and then poked his chest roughly. "And you better fix it before you lose her permanently."

         Zuko gulped at both the Mai's threatening tone and at the thought of losing Ama. Spirits, that's the last thing he wanted.

         Meanwhile, Ama, Aang and Kei Lo were following the bright smoke. It led them to a room with four columns at the corners of a coffin. Ama and Aang entered curiously while Kei Lo peeked in. He wanted to get out of there in both fear of the thoughts of spirits and because the thought of Mai and Zuko being together alone was eating him up. "Doesn't look like you need my help! Maybe I should-"

         "Kei Lo, something's happening!" Aang gasped.

         The glowing smoke spiraled in front of the coffin and turned into the spirit on the murals. The kemurikage. "Greeting, Avatar." A feminine and breathy voice spoke.

         "You.. You're one of the kemurikage - the original ones from long ago." Aang spoke respectfully while Kei Lo hid behind him.

         "I am." The spirit replied. "For centuries my sisters and I haunted the warlords of the Fire Islands, for their crimes we haunted them. We haunted them until the Islands were united into a single nation. The first Fire Lord, the one who rests in this crypt brought the warlords to justice and ushered in an era of prolonged peace. Our sadness receded. We never again set food in the human world."

         "But then why return now?" Aang wondered. "Why are you haunting people again?"

         "I repeat, Avatar." The spirit spoke more firmly. "From the time of the first Fire Lord until this moment, we have not entered your world."

         Aang's eyes widened. He didn't know who or what took Tom-Tom, but he did know that they weren't the kemurikage. Once respectfully bidding farewell to the spirit, Aang and the others were quick to get back on Appa head back to the city.

.☽☼☾.

And there's that! Things are going to get so much better the further you read. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

Hang loose, amigos 🤙🏼

[sharinluna]

Love and Producer(MLCQ) Kiro Kiss Date Translation

Copy pasting my translation from Reddit.

Kiro's Kiss Date is a future karma but the timeline of the date is assumed to be during chapter 12 before Kiro announces his retirement. So I'm posting my translation based on KR text. I translated about 80% and tried to keep to the original Korean text as possible, but took liberty to paraphrase some sentences to make it sound more natural in English.

Also, MC’s name is Yōurán because that is the unofficial default CN name.

Star Cluster Date

I underestimated Savin’s work as Kiro’s agent. It was just as, no, harder than my job as a producer. I went over the schedule again, checking each item with my finger one by one.

Yōurán: 9:30 is rehearsal, then we have to try on the stage costumes, then to the concert… oh no! I screwed up!

Kiro: Screwed up what?

Just then Kiro slided next to me and glanced at my notepad, then he sighed in an exaggerated manner.

Kiro: How cruel, Yōurán! You didn’t even give me time to eat!

Yōurán: That’s why I yelled “I screwed up…” But we still have time to order some takeout…

Kiro: But I was looking forward to a lunch you cooked out of love!

He pursed his lips and began to torture my conscience with puppy eyes. In the yellow light, his eyes looked even more pitiful. He must have practiced making that face!

Yōurán: All right, all right… Today is late, but how about tomorrow?

Kiro: That’s a promise. I knew you would care for me! I hope you become my one and only agent from now on.

Yōurán: Savin will be upset when he hears that…

Although I said that, my heart was fluttering. If I could continue being Kiro’s agent… My thoughts went back to the day Kiro barged into my house in the middle of the night to ask me about this.

Kiro: For real! Just for a week!

I wanted to help him of course, but I couldn’t readily accept this kind of offer right away!

Yōurán: But… I have never worked as an agent before, do you really want me to? You must know other people who are more experienced in this job.

Kiro: But there’s no point if it’s not you.

I couldn’t say no to his insisting. Truth was, I was also eager to accept this offer.

Yōurán: Okay, I’ll do it.

As soon as I answered I heard a yell through the receiver. I began to feel excited as well.

Kiro: Great! Get ready because I’m going to your house in 30 minutes!

Yōurán: What, now?! What’s all the hurry?

Kiro: There was a change of plan, my friend wants to start practicing tomorrow. Why else would I bother you like this in the middle of the night?

Yōurán: But like you said, your schedule is tomorrow… why do I have to start tonight?

Kiro: To get to know each other more intimately, of course. For an entire week we have to be the best of partners sharing our daily schedule from meals to transportations.

Wait, was this also part of an agent’s job? So, I have to stick to Kiro every moment of the week?

And he really took me along everywhere he went for the following week. But I did little to manage his schedules as a celebrity. It felt more like I was getting to see his world that I have never seen before.

Even without my clumsy help he was already the perfectly radiant sun. Whether it was rehearsals or social relations, he managed his affairs meticulously. I doubted whether he needed me as his agent in the first place.

Yōurán: You can manage yourself just fine without my help, right?

Kiro: Don’t lower your worth like that.

His answer was serious. I could faintly smell his sweat that still remained from his rehearsal as he came closer. His voice lower than usual surrounded me. I could feel heat emanating between us.

Kiro: I wouldn’t know what to do without you.

Yōurán: But I didn’t do anything…

Kiro: You’re next to me, that’s all I need.

Kiro: Do you think it’s childish, wanting to show only your best side to someone you like?

He looked softly at me. Underneath the light his eyes were like honey, sweet and profound.

My head was filled with his words “someone you love”. I couldn’t find my voice, so I shook my head to tell him that no, I did not think it was childish. Which he must have found funny because he laughed out loud. His hair tickled my neck as he shook with laughter but I couldn’t push him away.

Kiro: Haha, look at you all worked up.

Yōurán: It’s because you’re suddenly being all mushy…

Kiro: Then, get used to it from now on…

He pulled me into his arms and his continued confessions conquered my ear, defeating all coherent thoughts left.

Kiro: I love you… I love you, Yōurán… I love you the most in the world…

(like 好きだ in Japanese, 좋아하다 in Korean means “like”, but it can also mean “love”. So Kiro and MC are repeating the same word but the meaning slowly changes from “like” to “love”.)

His hand was supporting the back of my neck, preventing me from escaping the sweet whirlpool that I was slowly drowning in. My hands landed on his shirt after not knowing where to go, and his palm covered them warmly.

Kiro: If I ever leave…

He was whispering next to my ear, but I felt like I could hear him from a thousand miles away. I hugged this sensitive, lonely soul without knowing what would happen in the future.

I knew that his “leaving” meant something serious, but I felt like I should inquire like everything was normal.

Yōurán: Are you leaving the country again? How long are you going to be gone this time?

A short pause passed, then he resumed his playful way of talking.

Kiro: Yes. I’m going somewhere very, very far, and will be gone for a very, very long time. You’d better not sob your heart out for me because you miss me. (He is saying “sob/sniffle” but in the sense of “crying like a little kid.” I don’t know which is the most appropriate, sob? wail? bawl? sniffle? whine?)

Yōurán: I’m not going to! I’m not a child!

Kiro: But I’m going to.

Kiro: So, will you promise me? That you won’t forget me if I’m gone.

I had so many things I wanted to say to him, but I had to accept that there must be a reason he was like this. So I nodded firmly, then he laughed lightly and our foreheads touched. It somehow felt like a farewell.

Since that day, he never once brought up anything about “leaving.” It felt like I was worrying for no good reason. I didn’t know where the “somewhere very far” was, nor did I know how long was “a very long time”.

Two days later, I heard him talking to someone on the phone in the dressing room. The voice was him, but I’ve never heard him sounding so cold like that.

Kiro: …………more time……... ………after I leave…………

The way he spoke reminded me of what he said earlier, and I couldn’t ignore it. My head told me to walk past, to not concern myself with this. Everyone has a side they don’t want others to know, and Kiro was no exception. But concern that was growing bigger in the silence made me go toward the door.

While I was hesitating, the door – which turned out to be unlocked – pushed open by itself. Kiro hurriedly ended his call when he heard me. His face was calm just as always.

Kiro: What’s up? Are they looking for me?

Yōurán: Umm… no, I was just…

My eyes landed on his phone before I could come up with an excuse. His eyes followed suit and glanced at his phone, then he gave a sigh full of meaning and approached me. The sharp way he held himself made me take a few steps back, but I couldn’t escape the flick on the forehead.

Yōurán: Oww!!

Kiro: It’s bad habit to eavesdrop on people.

Yōurán: I wasn’t… I was just passing by and happened to…

Kiro: That’s not good either. I can tell by your face. You heard everything right?

Yōurán: But I really didn’t….

Kiro: That was classified information. What should I do with you now?

Yōurán: I will never tell anyone!

Kiro: You’d better, or else…

His always bright and cheerful eyes narrowed to emit a threatening atmosphere. I was suddenly reminded of the “You know too much, I’ll have to kill you.” scenes in movies. I felt a shiver in my back.

What was he hiding? What did this have to do with his “leaving”? Was he in this willingly? Or did he get caught into this without a choice? If the latter was the case, he must be facing a really difficult predicament. What should I do to help him then?

Having reached this thought, my desire to help him get over this drove away my fear. Making my decision, I spoke from my heart.

Yōurán: Your phone call… does that have to do with your “leaving”? If you could let me help…

…then could you stay? Instead of going someplace far away from here?

But my words were interrupted by his sudden burst of laughter.

Kiro: Hahaha! You got it very wrong!

Yōurán: But you said something about leaving on the phone…

He laughed even more harder when he heard my words. He laughed so hard that tears were hanging on his long lashes.

Kiro: That was my line from the new movie I’m going to shoot. I was acting as an emotionless killer. I was practicing on my own, but I had no idea that you were listening.

Yōurán: And the classified information thing…?

He motioned exaggeratedly to be quiet. The icy atmosphere was long since gone, everything was warm and bubbly again.

Kiro: Shh… Of course it’s classified. It’s not even announced to the public yet! Savin won’t let me hear the end of it if he knows. So you have to keep it a secret!

So everything was concluded as his impromptu prank.

Yōurán: You should have told me earlier.

Kiro: Sorry, sorry! But you should have seen your face! I just had to tease you a bit.

Yōurán: Thanks to you, I’ll probably get “The Best Reaction Award”.

Kiro: Then I, Kiro, will award Miss Chips “The Best Reaction of the Year”!

He went along with my bad joke in a witty way.

Before I could say anything further, he removed the pendant from his neck. One could immediately tell how much it meant to him. His lips held the silver pendent, giving it a kiss, then he continued his speech.

Kiro: Will Miss Chips kindly come up to the stage to receive her award?

Then he placed his pendant on my neck like it was a medal. His fingers brushed the sensitive skin on my neck and I held my breath. I thought he would take the necklace back after he was done joking, but he clasped the chain and stepped back.

Kiro: Keep it safe for me while I’m not around.

Yōurán: Wait! This necklace means so much to you! I can’t have something like this!

Kiro: That’s why I’m putting it in your care.

He stroked the pendant with utmost care, a forlorn look appeared on his face for the shortest moment.

Kiro: I’ll have you again when I come back.

I didn’t know whether he was talking to the pendant, or to me whose hand was still caught by his.

And did my heart feel like it was being teared apart because I knew he was leaving? Or was it something else?

My one-week experience as Kiro’s agent was about to end. And the show was about to start. Kiro did his best to ensure that this show was perfect. The show started at night, but he'd begun preparations since morning. He was always ready to help the staff with a welcoming smile.

Under the spotlight, with the stage and music, he will always be a star. But seeing him like this only made me fear more about his leaving.

If Kiro the sun leaves, what should they do – the crowds cheering for him under the stage?

What should I do?

My thoughts were thrashing and turning as I listened to his music. I clutched the bouquet for him tighter.

What stance should I take when I give this bouquet to him? As his one-week agent? As his ardent fan? Or….. as Yōurán, who doesn’t wish to see him go.

Before I could find the right answer, the show ended with thunder-like applause. The audience kept shouting for an encore.

Kiro: Do you have anything to give me?

I held the bouquet out to him, my hands still shaking from all the excitement. He was smiling tenderly like always, but his eyes held so intense an emotion.

Kiro: The flowers are really cute. But that’s not what I want.

Yōurán: Oh, don’t you like them…?

Kiro: I like them. But what I want right now is…. you.

He reached his hand out and pulled backed the clothes hanging above me, and trapped me inside the narrow space.

His bangs brushed my nose as the abrupt kiss landed on my lips. His tongue pushed inside roughly and hastily. I put my hands against his chest but couldn’t find it in me to push him away.

I could hear the fans shouting for an encore not far away, but their din faded out in my ears. All I could hear were us breathing heavily. Our breaths entangled drinking in each other, and I was out of oxygen. I felt dizziness and couldn’t think anything. I could only open my mouth wider and thirst for more like a fish out of water. He held himself while checking my response, then moved in deeper to meet my craving. It felt like my every cell was getting infected by him. I couldn’t keep myself from getting closer to his body, wanting, asking for more.

We forgot that we were at the backstage with the crowds waiting behind, until we heard his friend looking out for him.

Friend: What about Kiro? Where is he? He was right next to me just a moment ago.

Yōurán: They’re looking for you!

He released me reluctantly, then he leaned down to kiss the pendant on my neck.

Kiro: Next time, it might be you who have to find me. No matter how far and long I’m gone, it’s up to you to find me.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Yōurán(MC) already knows that something's going on, but she chooses to go along with Kiro and pretends that nothing wrong is happening. But they both know that their time together is about to end soon. 

[thevoilinauttheory]

Behind Smiles

[ For this week’s MAHI prompt! Words used: Meal, Sweater

Content Warnings: Familial abuse, physical abuse. Under cut, because of both the sensitive topic and how long it is. ]

“Honorie.” “Yes, Father.” Her attention was anywhere but near her father’s eyes, instead turned out the window at the blizzard which raged outside. She didn’t mind the snow, she had gotten used to it, but blizzards meant that there was no escape from the scrutiny of her father. “Pay attention when I speak to you.” “I am, go on.” Adrien let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You need to find a tutor for Tatienne, she needs to learn *properly*.” “Is learning from her cousin not proper enough, Father? Or do you mean to say that your grudge against your father would keep you from understanding the importance of the school she’s attending? You would pay more for someone who cannot keep her attention?” A scowl came to his face, the narrowing of his eyes missed by her. “If she is to live in this house, then she is to get a noble’s education - not whatever poorly bundled together “school” your cousin runs.” “Then you will agree to allowing her to learn swordfighting. Find her a tutor, and I will find her a noble’s educator.” Her own glare was returned to him. The front door slammed shut. “Mom! I’m back!” Honorie’s face relaxed enough for her to greet her daughter at the door. “Welcome back, honey - what did you learn about today?” She conversed with Tatienne, a refreshing breath compared to her father. “I hope it was another good day!” “It was! We learned about history today! Kinda boring, but Lothaire makes it fun.” “Does he now? Let’s talk about it over dinner, yeah?” “Okay!” Tatienne kicked off her boots, socks soaked with snow, shuffled off her coat, and padded herself to her room to change. “Honorie.” At the sound of her name, she let out an annoyed sigh. “What.” “Another suitor has offered to join us for d--” “Send him back. I am not interested.” “If you are to live in a proper home such as ours, you are going to marry into a proper family. You cannot expect to live here forever.” “Oh, like hells I’m expecting that. I’m only here to take care of Mother while she’s on her death bed - maybe you should be more worried about *her* and not *me*. Once she’s gone, I’ll get out of your hair. Maybe go back to adventuring.” “And end up like that fool of a “husband” you had? If he had never--” “You’ve no right to talk about him like that, and don’t you *dare* utter another word about him in bad light. He was a good man, and just because he was no noble nor rich man you would degrade him and turn your eyes away from all the good he’s put into this world. Ungrateful is what you are.” She turned away from him, striding confidently back to her own room to get cleaned up for their meal. And when mealtime came, much to her dismay, another man was waiting beside her father. Another suitor. Another dreary dinner. Her pleasant expression dropped for a split second to reveal her disdain. Though she cleared her throat and smiled a bit more for the stranger.

“A pleasure to meet you, ser. I apologize for my father’s… intrusion upon your schedule.” She offered a short curtsy. She was polite, and just about every aspect one could want from a noble woman… on the outside. Even her laugh was hidden behind her fingertips. “Not at all, my lady. Full glad am I to be here, and to meet you.” He offered a bow in return, though by the time he had lifted to greet her eyes… she was already walking away towards the dining room. “Mom! Moooom!” Tatienne rushed down the stairs, not heeding the man in front of her, where the slip-slide of her socks on the floorboards crashed her into his chest. She looked up at him and tilted her head, before it occurred to her to bow. “Sorry!” But that was it, she ran off to the dining room. “Mom, I can’t find my sweater… have you seen it?” “Oh, honey.. I thought that it was in your closet.” “I did too.” Tatienne frowned heavily, her mood severely ruined by the loss of her favorite piece of clothing. She threw herself into her chair, laying her head down on the table. “Tatienne. Arms off of the table.” Adrien sat himself down across from them, with the stranger beside him. She slid her arms slowly off the table until it was just her chin on the edge of it. Honorie rubbed her daughter’s back, scooting her chair closer to her. “Come on, sweetling, remember your manners.” She patted her head, then leaned over to whisper to her. “If you can be good tonight, just until this man leaves, I’ll sneak some extra dessert for us~.” She smiled and sat back up to address the man.

She paid absolutely no attention to his words, nor conversation, nor even his name. She didn’t care. This man did not speak out to her as someone she would even consider courting. She asked a few questions of her own, but it was her daughter that carried it on. Her questions made the man palpably uncomfortable.

“Do you know how to use a sword?” “Ah, no… I use a lance.” “Oh…” The tone in Tatienne’s voice said that was boring to her. “Do you go on adventures a lot? Mom likes to go out to the Forelands or the Sea if we get time to! Then I get to learn about all the cool stuff there!” “Is that… not dangerous for a young child to do?” He turned his eyes to Honorie, concerned. “Her father was an adventurer, and we’ve seen far more danger than what lives around us.” She smiled softly, a slight annoyance hidden behind it. “If you were to successfully court me, you would have to provide enough energy, time, and enrichment for Tatienne as well. If you don’t think you're capable of doing so, then it would probably be best that you don’t push on.” “I see. W-Well, I’m certain that it wouldn’t be too hard to provide those--” “Then you do not know my daughter very well. She’s chased off not one, nor two, nor even three - but the last five suitors before you. Do not think yourself any different. You are predictable, and by your stance, I’d say that my father neglected to let you know that I had a child to begin with.” “Honorie, that is enough.” Adrien’s scowl was met by his daughter’s own. “Perhaps you shouldn’t omit truths, *Father*. Perhaps you’d find the right man ere long, though if you retrieved that stick from your arse, maybe you would realize that I would find the right one *myself*.” All her politeness had been thrown out the window, before their meals had even arrived; and the awkwardness of the poor man across from her became unbearable for him. “I, ah… apologize for the intrusion, then. I had not known you were adamant on this topic.” “Do not worry of it, ser. I apologize that you had to witness such a thing, and that you were brought here on false promises. I have no doubts that you are a kind man, it is simply that you are not what I am looking for.” “I admire your sense, my lady. Perhaps it is best for me to take my leave, then. May we meet again in the future under better terms.” He stood from his chair and bid them a farewell with a bow, then helped himself out of their manor.

“At least this man was far kinder than the last, hm? Still haven’t learned your lesson?” Honorie turned back to her father. “And you wouldn’t have anything to do with Tatienne’s missing sweater, would you?” “That ratty trash deserved to be burned.” The comment had his granddaughter’s expression drop instantly, tears welling up in her eyes. “...It was the only thing I had left of Dad’s…” “I know, honey, I know.. let’s.. head back upstairs for now, okay? I’ll bring your dinner up.” Tatienne was bawling and screaming by the time she made it up the stairs to her room, and Honorie’s gaze towards her father was one filled with hatred. “You are well on your way to being treated like your father. In fact, I’d say the man you condemned as heartless is far, *far* kinder than you are. That you would do such a thing to her. Why do I stay here, the sooner Mother dies, the sooner you will feel the cold hands of loneliness - a revenge well worth seeing.” “Do not speak to your fath--” “I will do as I please! You are the one who asked for *my* help - if you don’t need me that badly, then take care of your wife on your own time!” She stood and slammed her hands on the table, an action which was immediately followed by Adrien’s own standing and a hard slap across her face. She had been used to it by now, her words bought violence in return. “Maybe if your father was given the chance to raise you, you wouldn’t have turned out to be the shite person you are today.” She turned on her heels and stormed upstairs, her own tears being held back for her daughter’s sake. 

[charlieswan-squad]

Twilight Rewrite 1. First Sight (i)

My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down. It was warm in Phoenix, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. I was wearing my favourite shirt — sleeveless, white lace; I was wearing it as a farewell gesture. My carry-on item was a raincoat.

In the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State, a small town named Forks exists under a near-constant cover of clouds. It rains on this inconsequential town more than any other place in the United States of America. It was from this town and its gloomy, omnipresent shade that my mother escaped with me when I was only three months old. It was in this town that I'd been compelled to spend a month every summer until I was fourteen. That was the year I finally put my foot down; these past three summers, my dad, Charlie, vacationed with me in California for two weeks instead.

It was to Forks that I now exiled myself— an action that I took with great horror. I detested Forks.

 I loved Phoenix. I loved the sun and the blistering heat. I loved the vigorous, sprawling city. It was the anonymity of Phoenix that i would miss, second only to the heat; now that my mother would no longer be there. I loved that you could be anyone in Phoenix and rarely stand out; participate just as much as you wanted then retreat; never be in the spotlight.

 "Bella," my mom said to me — the last of a thousand times — before I got on the plane. "You don't have to do this."

 My mom looks like me, except with short hair and laugh lines. I felt a spasm of panic as I stared at her wide, childlike eyes. How could I leave my loving, erratic, harebrained mother to fend for herself? Of course she had Phil now, so the bills would probably get paid, there would be food in the refrigerator, gas in her car, and someone to call when she got lost, but still…

 "I want to go," I lied. I'd always been an awful liar, but I'd been saying this specific lie so frequently lately that it sounded somewhat convincing now.

"Tell Charlie I said hi."

"I will.”

"I'll see you soon," she insisted. "You can come home whenever you want — I'll come right back as soon as you need me."

But I could see the sacrifice in her eyes behind the promise. 

"Don't worry about me," I urged. "It'll be great. I love you, Mom."

She hugged me tightly for a minute, and then I got on the plane, and she was gone.

It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to Forks. Flying doesn't bother me; the hour in the car with Charlie, though, I was a little worried about.

 Charlie had really been really nice about the whole thing. He seemed genuinely pleased that I was coming to live with him for the first time with any degree of permanence. He'd already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me get a car.

But it was sure to be awkward with Charlie. Neither of us was what anyone would call chatty, and I didn't know what there was to say regardless. I knew he was more than a little confused by my decision — like my mother before me, I hadn't made a secret of my distaste for Forks.

 When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen just unavoidable. I'd already said my goodbyes to the sun.

Charlie was waiting for me with the cruiser. This I was expecting, too. Charlie is Police Chief Swan to the good people of Forks. My primary motivation behind buying a car, despite the scarcity of my funds, was that I refused to be driven around town in a car with red and blue lights on top. Nothing slows down traffic like a cop.

 Charlie gave me an awkward, one-armed hug when I stumbled my way off the plane.

"It's good to see you, Bells," he said, smiling as he automatically caught and steadied me. "You haven't changed much. How's Renée?"

"Mom's fine. It's good to see you, too, Dad." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face. 

“And you’re really okay about leaving her, Bella?”

We both understood that this particular question wasn’t really about my happiness or any desire to be back in Forks. This question was Charlie’s way of asking if it was a good idea to leave Renee, who I had responsible for throughout the majority of my life. Mom could be summarised by the phrase: good intentions, poor execution. This was the main reason Charlie had never fought Mom for custody; he knew she needed me.

 “Yeah, of course Dad. I wouldn’t have come if I wasn’t sure.”

“Fair enough.”

I had only a few bags. Most of my Arizona clothes were too permeable for Washington. My mom and I had pooled our resources to supplement my winter wardrobe, but it was still scanty. It all fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser.

"I found a good car for you, really cheap," Charlie announced when we were strapped into the cruiser and en route to Forks. 

"What kind of car?" I was suspicious of the way he said "good car for you" as opposed to just "good car."

"Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy."

"Where did you find it?"

"Do you remember Billy Black down at El Cheldez?" El Cheldez is the small Native American reservation on the nearby coastline.

"No."

"He used to go fishing with us during the summer," Charlie prompted.

 That would explain why I didn't remember him. I had gotten extremely proficient at blocking out painful, unpleasant and unnecessary things from my memory.

 "He's in a wheelchair now," Charlie continued when I didn't respond, "so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap."

"What year is it?" I could see from his change of expression that this was the question he was hoping I wouldn't ask.

"Well, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine — it's only a few years old, really."

I hoped he didn't think so little of me as to believe I would give up that easily. 

"When did he buy it?"

"He bought it in 1984, I think."

"Did he buy it new?"

"Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties — or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted sheepishly.

"Ch — Dad, I don't really know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic…"

"Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."

The thing, I thought to myself… it had possibilities — as a nickname, at the very least.

"How cheap is cheap?" After all, that was the deal breaker.

"Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." Charlie peeked sideways at me with a hopeful expression.

Wow. Free.

"You didn't need to do that, Dad. I was going to buy myself a car."

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." He was looking ahead at the road when he said this. Charlie wasn't comfortable with expressing his emotions out loud. I inherited that from him. So I was looking straight ahead as I responded.

"That's awesome, Dad. Thanks. I really appreciate it." No need to add that my being happy in Forks is an impossibility. He didn't need to suffer along with me. And I never looked a free truck in the mouth, or rather, engine.

"Well, now, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks.

 We exchanged a few more comments on the weather, which was wet, and that was pretty much it for conversation. We stared out the windows in silence.

 It was beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that. Everything was green: the trees were covered in moss, their branches hanging as a canopy above it, the ground blanketed with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves. 

 It was too green here — an alien planet.

 Eventually we made it to Charlie's. He still lived in the small, two-bedroom house that he'd bought with my mother in the early days of their marriage. Those were the only kind of days their marriage had — the early ones. 

There, parked on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new — well, new to me — truck. It was a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense surprise, I loved it. I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged — the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed. I reckoned I would be able to plough down a marble statue and not even have to worry about any dents.

 "Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" Now my horrific day tomorrow would be just that much less dreadful.

I wouldn't be faced with the choice of either walking two miles in the rain to school or accepting a ride in the Chief's cruiser; which was of course, the worst-case scenario.

"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again.

 It took only one trip to get all my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had been belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellowed lace curtains around the window — these were all a part of my childhood. The only changes Charlie had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. The desk now held a second-hand computer, alongside a crappy landline phone. This was a requirement of my mother, so that we could stay in touch easily. An odd arrangement, as she knew (albeit did not actually understand) the overwhelming anxiety I faced any time I had to make a phonecall. The rocking chair from my baby days was still in the corner by the window.

 There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Charlie. This was a fact I was trying not to dwell on too much. A small comfort to this, was that it would inevitably be better than sharing a bathroom with Renee, who was a self-confessed sucker for impulse buying any time she saw an add for a skin or hair product; meaning the bathroom cupboards were in a constant state of overflow. Charlie’s skin-care routine is definitely less rigorous than Mom’s. 

 One of the best things about Charlie is he doesn't hover. He left me alone to unpack and get settled, a feat that would have been altogether impossible for my mother. It was nice to be alone, not to have to smile and look pleased; a relief to stare dejectedly out the window at the sheeting rain and let just a few tears escape. I wasn't in the mood to go on a real crying jag. I would save that for bedtime, when I would have to think about the coming morning.

 Forks High School had a frightening total of only three hundred and fifty-seven — now fifty-eight — students; there were more than seven hundred people in my junior class alone back home. All of the kids here had grown up together — their grandparents had been toddlers together. I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity, a freak.

 Maybe, if I looked like a girl from Phoenix should, I could work this to my advantage. But physically, I'd never fit in anywhere. I ought to be athletic; tall and skinny yet petite and muscular - a volleyball player, or a cheerleader, perhaps — all the things that go with living in the valley of the sun.

Instead, I was pasty, without even the excuse of blue eyes or red hair, despite the constant sunshine, which always made me look slightly ill. I had always been slender, but soft somehow, obviously not an athlete; I didn't have the necessary hand-eye coordination to play sports without humiliating myself — and harming both myself and anyone else who stood too close. No, physically, I don’t fit in anywhere I go.

 When I finished putting my clothes in the old pine dresser, I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the bathroom to clean myself up after the day of travel. I always hated the feel of “aeroplane” on myself after traveling. I looked at my face in the mirror as I brushed through my tangled, damp hair. Maybe it was the light, but already I looked sallower, unhealthy. My skin did have the potential to be nice - it was usually smooth and not too oily nor too dry - but it all depended on colour. I had no colour here.

Facing my pallid reflection in the mirror, I was forced to admit that I was lying to myself. It wasn't just physically that I'd never fit in. And if I couldn't find a niche in a school with three thousand people, what were my chances here?

I didn't relate well to people my age. Maybe the truth was that I didn't relate well to people, period. Even my mother, who I was closer to than anyone else on the planet, was never in harmony with me, never on exactly the same page. Sometimes I wondered if I was seeing the same things through my eyes that the rest of the world was seeing through theirs. Like, when I saw green, everyone else saw red. Where I saw beauty, everyone else saw something terrible that must be avoided. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain. But the cause didn't matter. All that mattered was the effect. And tomorrow would be just the beginning.

I didn't sleep well that night, even after I was done crying. The constant whooshing of the rain and wind across the roof wouldn't fade into the background. I pulled the faded old quilt over my head, and later added a pillow too. But I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, when the rain finally settled into a quieter drizzle.