#- asking for feedback and suggestions when people tell him he’s doing something wrong

[darkfire359]

What’s the difference between Izzy (who yells at people) and Stede (who abandons his family without a word), Ed (who makes someone murder his own dog and then basically forgets about it), Jim (who tries to lock someone in a storage trunk and drown them at sea), and Buttons (who tries to eat a guy’s finger, giving him an amputation-worthy infection in the process, for no reason)?

…Sometimes Izzy acknowledges and apologizes for his bad behavior.

[monzabee]

like real people do – cl16 (+18)

masterlist

Summary: The one where you are having sex with your boyfriend, Charles, for the first time but he wants everything to be perfect for you. 

Pairing: charles leclerc x fem!reader

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: smut (i can’t believe this day has arrived), absolute filth towards the end i'm so sorry mom, charles being a romantic dork, insecurities, obsessively planning something for it to only go wrong, cursing, fluff towards the end, google translate French, minors dni!!

Request: “Hi!!! Maybe you could do a first time with Charles Leclerc? Where he is upset because he wants everything to be perfect. And he whispers to her how much he loves her and her body. And maybe a sweet aftercare at the end?Just a suggestion <3 Have a nice day!”

Author’s Note: hi, hey, hello!! thank you so much for the feedback and love you’ve left on my last fic! this one was fun to write but please beware that this is my first-time writing smut in my life. thank you anon for the request, i hope you guys enjoy! good morning, noon or night wherever you are, xoxobee

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

Dating Charles is easy, you think. Not in a bad way, no. But in a way that makes it very easy for you to lost yourself in him and your love for him, which doesn’t make you feel scared whether you guys are moving too fast or too slow. Charles always tells you that you should live your life on your own pace, without any comparison to other people’s –  although he doesn’t seem to practice what he preaches, both figuratively  and literally on the track. 

You love the story of how you two met, and you know he does, too. He brings it up often when the two of you are on a date, sharing the last course of the night, dessert, even though the two of you are probably full and can’t possibly eat anymore. The two of you met almost a year ago, in France actually, after the disaster of a race. Charles was forced by his friends, mainly Pierre, to go out for the night to hopefully have some drinks and let off some steam. You, on the other hand, were on possibly the worst date you could ever remember being on in your entire life. Therefore, being the only two people who are having the worst time in the small bar, you two met on the back patio where you thought you’d be able to get some alone time. Although the two of you don’t hit it off immediately, the only thing you could think about by the end of the night is when you might see the Monegasque with the dimples again. You guys don’t start dating immediately either, no, because Charles insists that it is important for you two to get to know each other as friends first. You agree, mostly because he is right, and also because you are impressed by the fact that he is showing emotional maturity in a way you did not experience in your past relationships before. But it is easy with Charles, even if he has an inhumane work schedule most of the year and your guys’ schedules don’t match up most of the time, you make time for each other. He knows how much your career means to you and you know the same goes for him so the two of you are very careful not to cross any lines. That doesn’t mean that Charles doesn’t spend all of his free time with you, of course.  

Another interesting thing about your relationship is the fact that you two haven’t had sex yet, although you’ve been together for a while. Some people are genuinely shocked to find this little fact out, for example when you told Lily she almost dropped the coffee mug she was carrying, or sometimes Charles’ friends like to make fun of the situation, mostly Pierre (in reality, only Pierre), though it’s all in good fun. You don’t feel weird about the fact that you two haven’t slept together yet, but you ask him whether there’s a certain reason why and Charles’ answer turns you into a sobbing mess in his arms. He explains that while he would love to fuck your brains out – in the most respectful way possible – but he want is to be perfect for your first time. In his mind, he is trying to show you how serious he is about your relationship by slowing down the pace and taking his time, and when he’s finally able to put it in words, they make you tear up in the best way possible. That’s not to say that the two of you didn’t partake in other forms of sexual intimacy per se. For example, there’s that one time where he came into his driver’s room after a particularly adrenaline filled race and dropped to his knees for you – you can still recall the devilish smile on his face and the fact that he never took his eyes off of you, not once. There was the time after the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony, of course, where the two of you managed to sneak out of the ceremony into one of the bathroom stalls and this time you were the one on your knees for him. In conclusion, neither of you feel you’re missing out on anything just because you haven’t had sex yet. 

It’s a couple of months after the last time you brought up the topic of having sex when the two of you stumble onto the topic again. It’s by an accident, really – and not much of a discussion, only a couple of words exchanged between the two of you. The two of you are watching a new movie which finally made its way onto Netflix, and you’re very happy with your place on the couch – squeezed between the cushions with the side of Charles’ body, which is very warm and making you a little sleepy to be honest. However, your sleepy mood is quickly wiped away when you realise the soft moans coming from the TV. You let your eyes take in the scene before you, the actors on the screen not slowing down for a second when you realise Charles’ breathing has gone deeper. He involuntarily tightens his arm around your shoulders, pressing you more into his sides. 

“Charles,” you mumble, bringing your gaze up to him and swallowing a deep breath once his green eyes meet yours. 

“Yes, chérie?” Although the focus on his eyes are on you, you can tell that he is also very much aware of the developing scene on the TV. His eyes widen when he realises what your silent request is and he exhales sharply. “Chérie…” 

You hide your face in his neck at the gentle rejection he offers, leaving soft kisses across the skin left open from the neckline of his hoodie. “Please, mon coeur.” You think your choice of words does it for a second. It usually does it, when you speak French because you don’t do it very often, but one look in his eyes tells you tonight won’t be the night. “But why?” you whine, almost childishly, burying your face deeper in his neck. 

“Because you need perfection, mon amour.” He replies, but there is a strain in his voice due to the tightness in his sweatpants. 

“I don’t need perfection.” You grumble, your sexual tension feeling overwhelming for the moment. 

“Maybe not,” Charles replies, taking a deep breath. “But you deserve it.” 

You inhale deeply at his words too, occupying your hands with the strings of his hoodie. “Soon?” you ask in a hopeful voice. 

He leaves a soft kiss on your hairline with an affirmative hum. “Soon,” he promises. 

It’s a couple of weeks later that incident when you find yourself back in his apartment in Monaco. Due to the flexibility your work provides now that you’re taking on more freelance roles. Charles was worried you took the step because of his own schedule, but you quickly assured him that you were feeling burnt-out because of the 9-to-5 hustle. So when you step in his apartment that evening, you take in the sight with a small smile on your face. 

“Honey, I’m home!” You announce your arrival, presenting the flowers in your hand with a proud expression as you enter the kitchen.

“Chérie!” He welcomes you, walking towards you from behind the counter and engulfing you in one of his bear hugs – which are your favourite, of course. “Welcome home, I’ve missed you.” 

“Well, then maybe you shouldn’t sent me out to get my nails, you silly goose.” You giggle, getting out of his arms and leaving a kiss on his cheek to go find a vase for the bouquet in your hands. 

“I needed time, and you know why.” He crosses his arms in his chest and a small smirk finds a place on his face as he raises his eyebrows. “You bought me flowers?” 

“Well, yes,” You shrug, “everyone deserves flowers, no?” 

“Hm,” he lets out a small hum, and gets behind you while you’re filling up a vase with water. He places his chin on your shoulder as he speaks in a low voice. “I got you flowers as well; you know.” 

“Oh, I know, I saw them on the dining room table.” You smile as you look at the flowers placing them on an empty place on the counter and turning your head back to look at Charles. “I love them, thank you, darling.” 

He kisses your lips softly, “I’m glad you like them.” He perks up when the oven timer indicates that the dinner is ready. So he takes your hand and walks you towards the door, “You go wait in the dining room, I’ll be right over.” 

He comes into the dining room a little while later carrying a pizza presented on a large plate with what you think to be artistically placed basil leaves. You smile widely at him while he puts the plate on the table and serves the two of you. “You cooked me pizza?” You ask, pressing your lips together to prevent you from smiling like a maniac. 

“I know it’s your favourite.” He smiles wildly right back at you, motioning your plate. “You first, I wanna see your reaction.” 

“Okay!” You answer him, picking up the slice and taking a bite out of it. As you start to chew the piece, you widen your eyes and let out a hum to disguise your reaction. Although it takes you a minute or two to swallow the piece in your mouth, his excited eyes never leave yours for a moment. “It’s great! Which recipe did you use, honey?” 

“I’m glad you asked,” he answers you, picking up his own piece, “it’s a recipe I found online.” He bites a mouthful out of the pizza and as he begins to chew, his eyes widen and suddenly he is spitting the food into a napkin as politely as he can. “Jesus, what’s wrong with this thing?” His eyes move towards your face and widens even more. “Chérie, you can’t possibly like this.” 

“What, no!” You say, dragging out the last letter. “It’s great, Charles, really.” You start to take another bite, but he stops you with an incredulous look on his face. 

“Chérie, non! You’re going to give yourself food poisoning!” He shakes his head, and takes out his phone to check the recipe after you ask him once again which recipe he used. “It’s the one from ‘Food Network’. It’s supposed be edible, no?”

“Oh, Charles.” You sigh, softly, looking over the American measurements instead of the European ones. 

His confused eyes find yours. “What?” he asks with a genuine concern. 

“They are in the American form, not the European ones.” You answer, a hand stroking his forearm in attempts to bring him sympathy. 

“Oh my god, I– I’m sorry, chérie.” He sighs, leaning his head back towards the back of the chair and letting out a frustrated groan. “I am stupid.” 

“You are not stupid, Charles.” You assure him, you hand is still on his arm to hopefully convince him that he is not, in fact, stupid. “It’s a common mistake.” 

“But non, it was supposed to be edible!” He points to the dough on your plate frustratedly and adds, “I even got you the wine you liked so we could share it.” 

“You got me wine to share?” You ask him softly. “But you don’t even like wine.” 

His answer is simple. “But you do.” He takes a moment to reflect and then brings his hands up to cover his face. “Oh my god, I forgot to take the wine out of the freezer.” 

“Charles, please,” You try to move his hands from his face, but he stubbornly keeps them there, letting out a groan in the process. “Okay, nope, enough.” You announce, getting up from your chair and try to forcefully pull him out of his chair. 

“No, mon amour, stop.” He argues, but you keep pulling him towards the bedroom with still chanting the words; no and nope.

When you finally get to the bedroom and open the door, you’re quite surprised to find another surprise there. You let your eyes wander through the rose petals and candles in the room – though, yes, it is a bit cheesy, you know the reason he went to this far is only to make you feel special and appreciated. “Charles,” you say his name with softness, and emotion, and (maybe) with tears but your hand in his tightens the moment you lay your eyes on him. “I love you, God, I love you.” 

“I love–” He can’t finish the rest of his sentence because suddenly you pull his face against yours, and press your lips onto his. His hands are quick to find your waist, and pull you against him. His movements are slow as he leads you towards the bed, but he lets you have control over the kiss and tries to match your rhythm as you deepen the kiss. As you get closer to the bed, one of his hands find your ass and when he squeezes the flesh under his hands, he is also quick to swallow your moans in his kiss. 

You let out a protesting hum when he tries to put you on top of the bed, so he slowly pulls away from the kiss and raises his eyebrows questioningly. “No.” You murmur, quickly switching your positions and gently pushing him to sit on the bed. “My turn.” You quickly place yourself to sit on his lap with a playful smile on your face. You let your hands wander across his shirt-clad chest, quickly starting to unbutton it while keeping your eyes on his. He assists you when you try to pull his shirt off of him and sigh dreamily at the sight, and softly pushing him on his shoulder to lie down on the bed. You proceed to drop your head and press kisses to anywhere and everywhere on his skin. You start with his lips, which he tries to deepen but quickly gives up because he understands what you’re trying to do, then his jaw and neck, his chest and eventually through the happy trail which leads your mouth to the destination you were hoping to achieve. Your start to unbutton his pants and try to undo his belt buckle, but he stops your shaky hands to bring you back up despite your protests. 

“No, chérie, not tonight.” Although his tone is firm, you try to get back to your previous position in hopes that we will let you. However, he tightens his hands on your hips to keep you in place as he pulls you close and whispers, “I said no, mauvaise fille.” bad girl. A smirk threatens to etch itself on his face when he hears your soft whine at his attempt to chastise you. He brings one of his hands to rest on the juncture of where your jaw meets your neck and allows his thumb to caress your bottom lip. “You’re going to let me worship you, n'est-ce pas? wont you? Before I fuck you, I mean.” 

Your breath nearly gets stuck in your throat, but you manage to let out a soft, “Charles.” 

“Tell me, mon amour, or I won’t touch you tonight at all.” There is a mischievous look on his face which is laced with months of built-up sexual tension – rather a dangerous combination, you reckon.

“Y-yes.” You breath out. “I will let you.” 

“You will let me do what, my love? Say it in French.” He moves his hand to cover your neck and applies the smallest bit of pressure he knows you like, enough to keep you on your toes but not enough to cut the air completely or leave any bruises. “You know I love it when you speak in French.”

“Je– Charles.” You quickly give up as you try to string the correct words together but his persistent gaze has you trying again and again to find the right ones. “Je te laisserai me toucher.” I will let you touch me. 

The smirk on his face turns wicked as he clicks his tongue. “Ne touche pas, dis-moi le mot juste, chérie.” Not touch, tell me the correct word, darling. “I won’t touch you tonight if you don’t tell me,” he reminds you. 

You let out a whine as you try to move your hips to gain some friction for relief, but his hand, which is still on your hip, stops you from doing so. Moving your hands to slowly hold his wrist, which belongs to the hand currently wrapped around your neck, you look him straight in the eyes with a panic. “Adorer! Je te laisserai m'adorer!” Worship, I will let you worship me!

“Bonne fille,” Good girl, he mumbles getting you out of your dress in no time. But he takes time with your underwear, allowing his fingers to explore as he teases you – no doubt. He slowly lays your body on top of the bed, and moves his body to sit between your parted legs. “Beautiful,” he whispers as he lets his eyes wander through the curves of your body, your chest, and eventually the wet spot between your legs. “Are you wet for me, my love?”

You nod timidly, partly due to the fact that you’re completely naked while he only has his shift off. It’s not that you two haven’t been naked together before, but it feels much more different this time compared to before. “Charles, please.” Your whine is much high in pitch this time, feeling needier as the minutes go by. “Please, do something.” 

“I will, mon chérie, don’t worry.” He moves down on the bed and lowers himself on his knees and pulls your legs over his shoulders. “Just don’t forget to tell me if it gets to much, okay?” 

“Okay– my God, Charles!” You throw your head back as Charles begins his mission – which must be, when looking back, eating you out like a mad man because the second he places his tongue on your slit, he begins to devour you as if he’s been starving for years. As he licks and nips and sucks at you skin, you have no control over the reactions your body supplies him with, which is mostly chanting his name over and over again. And you are pretty sure that he becomes more motivated to make cum every time your voice gets higher both in voice and pitch. You don’t know how long it has been and how many orgasms he’s given you just with his mouth and fingers. Three? Four? Five? You’re not sure – but the one thing you know is that when you’re just about to come again, you weave your hands through his hair and pull hard. In retrospect, it seemed like a good idea, but you come to regret that decision when Charles takes your clit between his lips and sucks just as hard, guiding through a mind-blowing orgasm which leaves you shaking and arching your back against the Monegasque. Just as you thought that would be it, he begins to restart his fingers’ movements, which has you pushing his head off of your pussy in an attempt to stop him. “Charles, I can’t anymore!” 

That seems to do it, because with a feverish look on his face, Charles lifts his head up and holds on to your thighs which are still on the either side of his head. “What’s wrong, mon amour?”

“I can’t – I’m sorry,” you babble through the involuntary tears, mostly due to the force of your orgasm – which does leave him worried but he lets you finish your thoughts before he takes any action. “Please just fuck me.” 

“Shh,” he soothes you, leaving small kisses to your upper thighs and moves himself to hover over your body. “You did so well, bonne fille.” He strokes your hair as he whispers sweet nothings to your ear, helping you to calm down and regulate your breathing before the two of you continue. “Breath, bonne fille, ma bonne fille.”

You listen to him as he gives you instructions, breathing deeper breaths and trying to keep your focus on his eyes while you do so. Your hands grip his biceps tightly when he makes a move to get up, the look in your eyes becoming panicky once again. “Where are you going?” 

His hand continue its movements in your hair as he smiles at you softly. “I’m going to grab a condom, and be right back, okay?” 

“Don’t.” You croak, your throat becoming dry as you keep talking and start blushing akin to a lobster. “I’m on birth control.” 

“Chérie,” Charles starts, “Y/N, we can’t–”

“Please, I just wanna feel you.” The softness of your voice tugs at his heartstrings as you add, “Only if you want to.” 

“Of course, I want to, you silly girl.” Charles assures you quickly and gets out of his trousers and boxers, and positions himself between your legs with the head of his cock pressed to your opening. He moves his eyes from you pussy to your face, locking his gaze with yours as he speaks again, “I’m going to go slow, okay?” He waits for your reaction before starting to move his hips, his cock moving inside you in a slow pace. As he continues the movement of his hips your lips part and a moan resembling his name come out. He stops at a certain point and gives you a moment to adjust, then moves his hips backwards enough that he gets out of you, but he is quick to slip back in and continue his movements up to the point he let you get adjusted to. 

You let out a whine, which prompts him to raise his eyebrows in question, which you reply with a nod of your own. You wrap your legs around his hips, the skin-to-skin contact feeling nice, and push him deeper inside you which results in you actually screaming his name. If you thought feeling him before that moment was pleasurable, felling all of him inside you all at once feels as if you’ve achieved some sort of nirvana. “Deeper, please, plus profonde.”

“I’ve got you, darling.” He manages to get out, moving his hips faster and deeper at the same time and hitting the spot which causes your eyes to roll back to your head every time. “You have no idea how beautiful you look like this, right now. Mon chef-d'œuvre, tout à moi.” My masterpiece, all mine.

With your entire body shaking with the movement of Charles’ hips, you still manage to nod your head. “All yours, Charles.” Your hands squeezing his biceps for support, “I love you, je t'aime tellement.” I love you so much. 

“God, I love you so much.” He lets out a groan, and drops his head to your neck to press kisses and suck your skin between his lips in an urgent need to leave his mark on your body. “Je promets que je t'aimerai pour toujours.” I promise I'll love you forever.

Your hands move to weave through his messy hair, pulling him closer in an attempt to keep him closer to your body – which proves a challenge because the two of you are already wrapped around each other. “I’m close, mon coeur.” 

“I know, sweetheart.” He breathes on your neck, his warm breath making you shiver under the weight of his body. He puts his weight on one of his arms and moves the other one towards your body, this fingers quick to find your clit as he begins to circle it. “Come for me so I can fill you up, hm? You want that, don’t you?” 

You nod your head and let him take you there for the last time that night, your orgasm coming in stronger than the previous ones due to the overstimulation Charles thankfully provided. “I do, I do, I really, really do.” Your legs tighten around his hips and your hands slip down his back as you claw at the skin there while your hips lift off the bed, causing you to arch your body to mold his. 

He only lets himself come when he’s guided you through yours, his fingers slowing down without stopping when he’s emptying himself into you. The moan he gets out, muffled because his head is still buried in your neck, quickly becomes one of your favourite sounds in the world. He holds you close as he slips out of you, the small wince on your face not going unnoticed by him, and he pulls you towards him when he drops next to you on the bed. Charles listens to your breathing for a while, only to find you looking at him with sleep evident in your eyes and a pleased smile on your lips. “Comme c'est joli.” How pretty. He says, “And all mine.” 

“All yours,” you sigh, but your voice coming off sleepy. “I’ve always been all yours.” 

His fingers draw random shapes on the bare skin on your back as he raises an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Hm, tu sais que c'est vrai.” You know it’s true. You mumble, snuggling closer to the driver wrapped around you. “I love you, mon amour.”

“I love you too, chérie.” He kisses the side of your head. “The next time we do this, I’m making you edible pizza, though.” 

“I don’t need pizza.” You laugh softly, “only you.” 

“Still,” Charles shrugs, “now go to sleep so I can take you out to breakfast tomorrow.” 

[vminizzle]

Warm hands

pairing : college boyfriend!jungkook x f.reader

genre : suggestive !!

warnings : swearing, hand kink, teasing in public, touching (with consent obv) , orgasm denial

words count : 0.8k

A/N : hello lovely people, here a little something for you my jungkook’s hands lovers ahah. don’t mind the mistakes, I’ll correct them later :) my english is not the best ugh - AND I wanna say thank you so much for loving my last fic!! It means a lot. It encourages me to write more and do better. Thank you guys!

you can read "warm hands pt.2” (soon)

FEEDBACKS ARE VERY WELCOMED ♡

M RATED ?

Jungkook’s hands were one of the many things you liked the most about him. They’re so attractive, so delicate in their ways…

You were sat in front of him, at this cute little café you went after every courses to either study, spend time with your friends or most of the time with your lovely boyfriend.

For some unknown reasons, you couldn’t take your eyes off his beautiful tattooed hands. You thought about the way his veins were prominent sometimes when his fingers are tapping swiftly over the keyboard of his laptop or the way his hands looked when he cooks, writes or the way he mindlessly plays with the pen between his long fingers when he’s daydreaming. It made you feel some type of ways..

It made you think about how it feels when he places them on your hips when he’s standing behind you, or when he caresses your sides when you’re cuddling, or the way his fingers move insid-

“Y/n?”

Your eyes were glued on Jungkook’s hands as he grabbed his warm drink “y/n?” he called out softly again.

You were too into your, perhaps weird thoughts, that you slightly jumped when he grabbed your hand gently “oh” he chuckled, his pretty smile making your heart melt. “Where are you?” he asked still smiling, “huh?” your confused face making him laugh. “ well, I was talking but you weren’t listening”.

You’ve probably been staring at him weirdly..

He squeezed your hand softly making you gulp, your gaze dropping to his veiny hands again making you sigh deeply. “you ok?”. He asked concerned this time.

“y-yea yea don’t worry. So what were you talking about?” You smiled softly.

“so I was saying that while I was working on my essay I’ve-…”

and again, your eyes dropped down his large hands, fingers tapping softly on the table as he explained whatever he was saying. Jungkook stopped talking, looking at you suspiciously “so that’s why I choked Jimin. I shoved a living fish into his throat. What do you think about it” he waited for you ”oh yea ..yea I agree! Of course“ you cleared your throat looking back up at him.

Jungkook sighed before dragging his chair closer to yours ”baby tell me what’s wrong?“ he pushed some strands of hair behind your ear. He laid his warm hand gently on top of your thigh making goosebumps raised under his touch.

Your boyfriend didn’t miss the way you shivered. You heart started beating faster as you watched him realize why you were acting that way.

Jungkook chuckled at you as you turned your face away from him. ”so you’re horny, is that it?“

”Shut up! you’re talking so loud” you hid your embarrassed face behind your hands.

Jungkook decided to tease you a bit “so.. my hands huh?” he whispered his fingertips slowly dancing on your thigh. ”are you always turn on everytime you look at them? Huh?“ He murmured into your ear, his hot breath hitting your skin.

He leaned his body into your side, his large hand grabbing the flesh softly. “Or when I do this” his touches getting closer teasingly to where you needed him now. He smirked when you suddenly grab his hand stopping him from going higher.

“Jungkook” you warned him quietly “we’re in public”.

He sighed releasing his hand from your grip before placing it again on the top of your thigh. He looked deep into your eyes drawing random little patterns on the smooth skin “tell me if you want me to stop” he whispered before kissing your cheek.

His fingers danced their way up to your panties slowly looking at you for any sign of disapproval. You gasped loudly when the tip of his finger came in contact with your light covered clit. You put your hand in front of your mouth, cheeks burning up. The excitement of getting caught in a public place doing such “daring” stuff made you feel lightheaded.

You lowered your head watching as his hand disappeared under your skirt. You spread your legs a little making room for his hand between your thighs.

Jungkook lightly pressed on the throbbing pearl, the pressure making a soft moan pass by your lips. Your surroundings long forgotten now.

He started moving his fingers in circle onto the little bud making you bit your bottom lip to stay silent. Your panties now damp at how turned on you were.

“f-fuck” you breathed out.

You started feeling this familiar knot in the pit of your stomach as he started rubbing faster. “J-Jungkook” you whimpered softly. ”I-I’m close”.

Jungkook retracted his hand as he grab his drink to sip on it. “A-are you serious?” you whined disappointed, you climax vanishing.

“Sorry I was thirsty” he smirked before getting up, grabbing his bag and yours. You looked up at him confused.

He held his hand out for you to take it “let’s get out of here. We’re going to my dorm. I’ll take care of you properly there” he bit his lip teasingly making you laugh.

—

A/N : I want to write a part 2 so bad, a smutty one 😩 should I? you guys can’t imagine how much I love his hands!!

no because I really thought I was strong enough to handle this 😭 I can’t do this anymore Jeon Jungkook

[sleepingpillscosmos]

OUR SEMISEMI ; eita semi

pairing: eita semi x fem!reader

warnings: suggestive (?) at some point

wc: 1.2k

requested: no

a/n: hello! this is the first time I write for haikyu, I hope I did a great job. feedbacks are always welcome, and requests are open!

if it's written like this it's a flashback, except for the last line of the fic.

Semi made his way in the boys' locker room to get ready for the evening practice. Most of his teammates were already there, some of them were already changed but waited for the others near the door, after all the coach wasn't there because he was on holiday so there would be only you, their manager, to help, so they could take today's practice easier.

"Hello" semi greeted, walking up to his locker to put his things away. He started to change his pants, putting on some volleyball shorts instead, then he took off his shirt to put on the t-shirt he wore to train. And just as he was about to slide his t-shirt on, Tendō, his fellow teammate, made his way over him.

"Semisemi" Tendō sang, taunting his friend, who just groaned and repeated, for the millionth time, to not call him that.

"I see someone had fun today..." Semi looked at Tendō in confusion, not understanding what he was trying to say. Tendō's words caught the attention of the other people in the looker room, who looked at the two.

Reon was the first to understand what Tendō was talking about and refrained from laughing. Semi glanced at Reon, asking with his eyes for at least a hint on the whole situation. His friend didn't say anything but pointed over his chest. Semi followed his gaze and finally realised. Part of his collarbone and chest was covered in hickeys. The boy felt the blush creeping on his cheeks and slid on his t-shirt to cover up what you did to him earlier.

Semi entered his dorm after taking a shower. His hair was still a little wet, and he was wearing only his sweatpants. He immediately went to his desk and opened his computer to at least try to finish the essay he had due tomorrow. He was so focused that he almost jumped when someone knocked at his door. He got up to open the door, only to find you.

"Hi love." you said in a sweet tone.

"Hi, something's wrong?" he asked, worried that something had happened. He was happy to see you, truly, but you didn't agree to see each other today. Both of you had work to do, you had some homework and he had his essay.

"No, nothing's wrong. I finished my homework and I just wanted to see you. I know you need to work on your essay, but can I stay anyway?" you smiled at Eita, he was always concerned about you, and you really appreciated that. He nodded, moving from the door to let you in his dorm. You visited his dorm quite a few times, you two preferred to pass your time together in a quiet place, where you could stay cuddled all day in bed. He returned to his desk while you made your way to his bed, making yourself comfortable.

After thirty minutes of staying on your phone you were bored, you looked over at Semi and saw that he was still working on his essay. You wanted to feel him, so an idea popped in your head. You quietly got up from his bed and walked up to him. He glanced at you in confusion, turning with his chair. You didn't say anything and sat on his lap, putting your arms around him so that you didn't disturb him. Semi smiled returning to his work, with you on his lap, leaving kisses on his neck, collarbone and naked chest.

He didn't notice that you leaved all this marks on him, and he didn't really care. The problem was that now he had to explain this to his teammates. They didn't know about your relationship, not because you didn't want to tell them, but you both liked the fact that it was something private, so you didn't tell anybody.

"None of your business." Semi simply replied, putting his things away and locking his locker.

"None of my business? I have to know who made all of this to our Semisemi" Tendō responded dropping his arm on his friend's shoulders, trying to tease him. Semi was about to answer back, but the team captain called everyone to start their training.

You were already in the gym when all the boys made their way into it to start their practice, you already filled their bottles and took the balls. After their usual laps and warm up, they started to train the aim of their serves.

Tendō approached you and you handled him his water. While he was drinking you scratched your collarbone, revealing your bruised skin under you t-shirt

"What's there?" Tendō smirked at you.

"What?" you asked, you didn't realise you just showed a hickey from about two days ago. But when Tendō pointed just below your neck, you understood and immediately blushed.

"I missed you" Semi whispered in between kisses. You two were in his dorm on his bed, his back leaning against the wall and you were sat on his lap, with your arms wrapped around his neck.

"We saw each other this morning at practice" you smirked.

"Yes, but it's all week that I see you only at practice or in the halls" he kept kissing you.

"Well, then we should make up for the lost time" you said grinning, feeling Semi mirroring your expression on your lips. You kept kissing, the kiss deepening as the seconds passed, only parting to let each of you take off your shirts. His kisses moved down your jaw and neck, only to get back to you lips. You were about to get free of your last pieces of clothing when Semi's phone rang.

"Sorry" he mumbled, receiving an reassuring smile from you.

"What do you want Tendō?" Semi answered the call moving his free hand up and down your thigh and you scoffed, obviously it was him. You couldn't hear what he was saying, so you waited for the call to end to ask your boyfriend.

"So?"

"He wants to know if we want to go to the convenience store with him, he said that he already asked the others and they all said no" he explained, you both agreed to go with him, even if he was annoying and interrupted you, he was still your friend.

You put your shirts back, share another kiss and leave Semi's dorm.

"Nothing" you quickly responded.

"Mhmh, how curious, Semi too was full of hickeys" you eyes widened and you felt your cheeks burning.

Suddenly, realisation hit Tendō.

"OUR SEMISEMI... WITH OUR Y/N?!" the redhead screamed at the top of his lungs, catching everyone's attention. All the team was shocked, and Semi covered his face with his hands from embarrassment.

Why did Tendō have to be so loud?

[yesimwriting]

Final Girl (Part 5)

A/n she’s here and she’s big enough to probably have been two parts lol, so feel free to carve out some you time to absorb all of this, also there are scene breaks in this one like in chapter 4, but no smut warnings!!

also feedback is always super appreciated :))

Final Girl Series Masterlist  (updated parts 1 - 9 and extras)

Series Summary:  Y/n can’t believe that she has to leave the only home she’s ever known just because her mom’s latest boyfriend has a house in some town in California. Just as she’s starting to think that Woodsboro might not be that bad, something life altering happens after she agrees to sleep over at  Becker’s house. Now her name is practically synonymous with Ghostface’s. 

Chapter Summary: Billy and Stu are throwing a party that's basically couple's only. Good thing a guy in Y/n's english class is always trying to ask her out...and a good thing that Gloria isn't around to stop Y/n from raiding her closet.

----

What. The. Fuck.

Like actually.

The first thing I registered when I woke up was the sunlight that slipped in past my curtains. The second thing I registered was how comfortable I was. I don't think I've been this comfortable sleeping since what happened to Casey. The third thing I registered was the hand on my back and arm.

I'm half curled into Billy, and Stu's asleep on his back, my arm pulled to his chest. Okay--this isn't the most shocking thing ever. There was alcohol yesterday, and drunk me is touchy. The fact that we all passed out in bed isn't shocking. What’s shocking is the fact that it’s...weirdly nice. 

This is the first time since Casey’s that I slept through the night without a nightmare. Was that because of the presence of other people or alcohol, I’m not sure, but either way the feeling of a full night of rest is refreshing.

I start to sit up slowly, doing my best not to shift enough to disturb either of them. Before my spine can straighten, a firm touch on my back has me moving back down. I slump against Billy, throwing a more confused than truly annoyed glare in his direction. “Billy.” 

“What?” The question is mumbled, Billy doesn’t even bother looking at me. “I’m comfortable.”

Rolling my eyes, I briefly consider pushing away from him, but he does have a point. It is comfortable, and he’s warm. “That makes one of us.” 

At that, he opens his eyes just enough to squint. I take a deep breath, a little too aware of the way he’s looking at me. Even jokingly lying to Billy feels exposing. I always feel like he can instantly tell.

He doesn’t call me out on it. At least, not directly, “You seemed comfortable last night.” The comment is just a tiny bit more suggestive than it needs to be. I sit up just enough to softly smack his chest. “You’re the one that fell asleep on me,” he defends, “So asleep that you snored.” 

My jaw drops in offense. “I do not snore.” 

The indignation in my whisper makes him grin. “Why are you whispering?” I tilt my head in Stu’s direction. As far as I can tell, he’s dead asleep and not loosening his hold on my arm any time soon.  Billy’s gaze briefly flits over to Stu’s sleeping form. “He sleeps through everything.” When I don’t ease, Billy continues, “He slept through all that snoring.” 

If looks could kill, I’d be a murderer. “You’re getting kicked out.” 

“You’re mean in the mornings.”

“It’s not the morning, it’s...” I sit up a little more, looking at the digital alarm clock on my nightstand. “It’s 12:09. Wow, I really passed out.” 

My mind begins to work in overdrive as I try to remember as many details about last night as possible. The gist of it is pretty clear, but what if I’m missing something? 

“Don’t worry,” Billy says, reading my face easily, “You were fine. A little touchy, but you fell asleep right after The Shining.” 

If I’m remembering correctly, I wasn’t the only one being a little too touchy. “Right.” 

“What’s wrong?” 

Eyes focusing on nothing in particular, I mull over my options. It’s not like there’s anything particular for me to complain about. I don’t remember being beyond uncomfortable or anything, just a little bit unsure. And I really don’t want to ruin everything by overreacting when I’m not even sure what my problem is. 

“Nothing.” My fingers move, nervously tracing the floral pattern of my sheets. “The morning after drinking feels weird.” 

“I thought it wasn’t the morning.” He barely pays any attention to the way I roll my eyes. “What are you thinking about?” 

“Nothing, really.” I sit up, tugging my arm away from Stu as gently as I can. The space makes it easier to organize my thoughts. “Just thinking about yesterday feels a little weird. I don’t think I was the touchiest person last night.” My eyes awkwardly flit towards the one person that’s still asleep.

Billy shifts, watching me carefully. “He had been drinking since before I got to his place. He was moody, something about his sister and his parents.”

At that, I freeze, my breath catching itself in my throat. Mentions of their families, of what their dynamics are like beneath public perception, are rare...and always a little heartbreaking. “Oh.” 

“I wouldn’t bring it up.” His warning isn’t needed. Early on, I learned that this is the one topic I can’t get away with talking about. Still, I nod. “And you know how he is, a ‘knock it off’ is a joke until he’s beyond sure you’re serious. Especially with you.” 

My eyes snap away from the even rise and fall of Stu’s chest. “Especially with me?” 

Billy’s hesitant, thinking over his words. “Your attention means a lot to him.” 

I can’t bring myself to look at Billy. I can’t bring myself to do anything but stare at Stu. “Still,” I mumble after a second, “Boundaries.” 

“I’ll bring it up to him when he’s more receptive.” Probably a good idea. The last thing I want is to push Stu when he’s going through something that he’s sensitive about. Maybe my silence comes off as hesitance because Billy continues, “You know he’d never do anything to hurt you on purpose.” 

“Yeah.” I do know that, but I’m starting to feel like that doesn’t excuse everything. There are things that matter more than intentions. It’s hard to be mad at Stu when he’s asleep. When he’s this relaxed, he looks smaller, almost more vulnerable. 

From what I’ve pieced together through bits and pieces, Stu’s parents are rarely around physically, and when they do come home, they don’t exactly express a lot of interest in their son. I’ve heard even less about Stu’s sister. I only know she exists because of the one time I went to Stu’s house. There was a framed photo of a girl, and when Stu mumbled something about a sister, my surprise was clear. 

Growing up, I had always wanted a sibling, so I got a little excited. Stu’s reaction let me know that my enthusiasm wasn’t taken the right way. I didn’t get it until Billy mentioned that Leslie isn’t Stu’s favorite topic. He told me enough to let me know that it has to do with parental approval and attention.

Even though the way Stu acted yesterday was confusing and out of bounds, knowing where his head was at makes it harder to be upset at him.

Deciding that I don’t want to think about this anymore, I fold my hands on my lap.“How long do you think it’ll take him to wake up?”

“There’s no telling with Stu.” Billy moves so that he’s sitting up fully.

Frowning, I let out a too dramatic sigh. “I wanted pancakes.” 

The corner of Billy’s lips turn upwards. “You wanted pancakes the last time you were hung over.”

I lean back, my arm supporting my weight. “Not hungover,” I defend, “Just want pancakes. They’re the perfect after-drinking food.” 

“We can wake him up.” 

“Don’t.” Billy’s arm is already half extended, I grab his wrist, my words a whispered hiss, “He said he hasn’t been sleeping great. Let him get some rest.” 

Billy’s regarding me in a way that leaves me still. I think he might have found something about that amusing. “Protective.” 

I roll my eyes. “He needs his sleep.” Stu isn’t the best at taking care of himself. What teenage boy is? And it’s not like his parents are checking in on him.

Okay, staring at Stu while he sleeps is weird of me. I turn my head to look at Billy. The bags under his eyes are made more prominent by the light coming in through my window. And is it just me looking for an excuse to worry or does he seem thin? Now that I’m thinking about it, I can’t think of anyone that’d be really looking out for Billy either. 

The few things he’s mentioned about his dad don’t make him seem like a caretaker, especially considering that up until kinda recently, Billy’s mom was around. “Are you getting enough sleep?” 

Oh my god, did I just ask that out loud? Billy turns his head, eyes softening just a little. “Worried about me?” Ugh, this is what I get for being nice. I cross my legs, eyeing him cautiously. “I sleep okay.” Before I can respond, Billy tacts on, “You?” 

“Fine,” I reply too quickly, “Better before the whole thing with Casey.” Scratching the inside of my wrist, I try to force away the images that come to mind. It’s strange, how quiet the killer and the case as a whole have been. “But I guess that’s normal.”

Billy reaches forward, long fingers wrapping around my wrist before I can pick at the skin too much. “If you can’t sleep and you need something to do, you can call me.” 

The offer is comforting. “Thanks, you’re a good friend.” His touch is warm, anchoring. “You both are. Not to make things weird, but you guys have been really helpful through all of this.”

“That doesn’t make things weird.” His response is delayed. 

I look up, hoping to get a little more out of his expression, but his head is angled downwards. He’s staring at my sheets. “Let’s go make pancakes.” 

Billy sits up even more before standing. I follow him, careful to not bother Stu as I move off of the bed. “You’re going to leave him here unsupervised?” 

It’s clearly a joke, but I still shrug as I consider my response. “If he wakes up and decides to be nosy and look through my drawers, all he’ll find is proof of my sticky note addiction.” 

----

This is nothing like what happened that night. I repeat that in my head again and again as I watch the stove. This isn’t like Casey’s and there are too many differences for me to feel like this. 

It’s daytime. What happened at Casey’s was late at night. And I-I wasn’t really using a pan, it was just Jiffy Pop. There have been no weird phone calls. There’s been nothing. I’m fine. 

I repeat the differences between now and then in my head like a mantra as I pour the pancake batter. It sizzles as it expands into the form of a lopsided circle. Forcing my focus to remain on what’s in front of me, I grab the spatula, lifting the pancake’s side to check how cooked the bottom side is. 

“Almost done?” 

“Patience is a virtue.”

Billy lets out a breath, supporting his weight with his arms as he leans against the kitchen counter. “You okay?”

I nod, tilting the pan slightly. “When it happened,” my knuckles lighten as I tighten my grip on the pan’s handle, “When Casey got that first call, I was standing in front of her stove.” Shaking my head to dismiss the potential downward spiral, I lift the edge of the pancake. “I can’t freak out every time I’m behind a stove for the rest of my life.” 

“It hasn’t been that long,” Billy says patiently.

I flip the pancake. The loud hiss that follows leads me down a different road of memories. “I have good stove memories, too.” A weird thing to say, but it’s better than what I was thinking of. “When I was little, my mom didn’t have anyone to watch me and I was a terror unless I had something to do. So she used to sit me down on the counter next to the hot stove and had me mix the batter. It became such a thing she’d even put me on the counter when she was just baking. My mom went through a real baking phase from the time she was pregnant until around the time I started school.” 

Lifting the pancake from the pan and onto the plate, I look up at Billy before pouring some more batter onto the pan. There’s a pensive quality to his expression that’s vaguely familiar. It reminds me of that brief second in the hospital after my mom came in. What had I called that look then? Wistful. “I used to trail my mom around the kitchen. She’d pretend to let me help her.” Focusing on the spatula in my hand, I try to keep my expression casual. “That was awhile ago.” 

I abandon the utensil on the counter. Not being able to help myself, I turn and let myself look at him. What happened to his mother? She always comes up fleetingly, in ways that make it clear it’s a sensitive topic. I don’t think she’s passed away, the energy he reserves for her is too touchy. Maybe a messy divorce? I still remember that one summer my dad petitioned the court for custody and how much that sucked.

He’s closer than I realized. My hand reaches for his. He lets me intertwine our fingers. “Billy...” Thee’s something I should say. Something comforting and not pushy. Nothing good comes to mind. My thoughts are clouded by Billy’s eyes. My lips part, because he’s waiting for me to say something. 

The smell of burning snaps me out of it. Snapping my head towards the stove, I release Billy’s hand. I yank the pan off of the stove and quickly drop it into the sink. Turning on the water, I begin fanning out the smoke. “Great, the one thing my mom told me not to do was trigger the fire alarm again.” 

“Again?” 

Turning away from the sink, I halfheartedly glare at Billy. “Long story and I’m not as responsible for it as that made me sound.” 

He eyes me skeptically, taking a step forward. “Really?” 

Before I can think of a response or get too lost in thought, an unexpected, tired voice interrupts us. “What are you guys up to?” 

“Stu!” I grin, leaning against the counter. “We’re making pancakes.” 

At that, Stu blinks, glancing at Billy, then at the still smoking pan, and finally, at me. “Really?” 

“Trying to, at least,” I correct, “I’m way better at making them than it looks right now.”

Stu walks towards us with lazy steps. “I’m sure.” He ignores my pointed look, walking further into the room until he’s practically within reach. Stu extends an arm, vaguely reaching for me. I give in, closing the distance between us. He’s quick to wrap his arms around me gently. “Morning, angel.” 

“Morning? It’s like 12:30.” 

He runs his hand up and down my back for a second before I slip out of his grasp gently. “You’re the one making pancakes.” 

I return to the sink, scraping the burnt pancake batter off of the pan. “Fair.” I turn off the sink after everything’s clean enough for me to start working again.

----

Reaching forward, I grab a few pieces of popcorn from the bowl that Stu stole from me. He turns his head, jokingly narrowing his eyes. “Hey, I made that.”

I pop a piece into my mouth. “Because I asked you to.”

“First, you make us watch this movie and now you’re stealing my popcorn.”

“First off, I didn’t make you watch this. You made a hospital bed promise to watch Clueless with me. You can��t back out of hospital bed promises, that’s like, karmic bad luck.” I pull my legs beneath me, sitting up a little more. “Second, it’s my popcorn, all you did was pop it. And I made you pancakes earlier!” 

He shifts, pulling the plastic bowl towards him a little more. “Popping is the popcorn, without that it’s just kernels.” He ignores my glare. “Sorry, babe, but it’s mine.”

My last two pieces of popcorn go into my mouth. “Fine--if I say its yours, will you share?”

Stu sinks further into my couch, weighing his options. After a second, he shifts the bowl, leaning it in my direction. “Only for you.”

“We’re watching a movie.” Billy’s whisper is a little bit sharper than usual, irritated.

Billy being the kind of person to shush people for the smallest things during a movie makes sense. Even last night when I was basically wasted, he gave me a dirty look for mumbling something a little too loudly during The Shining. But that was the kind of movie he cares about.

I watch him as he stares at the TV. “Did you just shush me during Clueless?” He doesn’t react, just continues watching. I dramatically gasp, eyes widening. “Oh my god,” I don’t bother hiding the grin in my voice, “Are you, Billy Loomis, liking Clueless?”

“If you’re going to make me watch something, you should at least let me pay attention.” I press my hand against my mouth in an attempt to suppress a laugh. He is so busted. “If you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’m leaving.”

Holding my hands up in defense, I force myself to turn. “There’s nothing wrong with--”

“I’m leaving.”

“No!” My hand stretches forward, grabbing Billy’s arm. “It was a joke. I’ll stop. Promise.”

Billy looks at me skeptically for a long second. Cher says something to Dionne, and his eyes flit towards the screen, betraying him. “Fine,” he mumbles dismissively, attention already leaving me. 

The second this movie is over, he’s never hearing the end of it. Oh, maybe if I play my cards right I’ll be able to get him to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Unlikely, but I can dream. 

I don’t know how the late morning turned into us watching a movie, but the company’s nice. I’m not used to an empty house and Billy and Stu are the kind of people that are hard to get tired of. Stu’s sense of humor becomes a little much after awhile, but telling him off is half the fun. 

Billy relaxes against the couch, his arm eases as he turns over his palm. He intertwines our fingers before I can pull my arm back. 

With the exception of a few comments Stu mumbled under his breath, the rest of the movie is watched with no interruptions. By the end of it, Stu’s head is on my shoulder and Billy’s still loosely holding my hand. 

“I really promised you I’d watch that.” Rolling my eyes, I softly elbow Stu’s side. “Mean.” Before I can scold him for starting it, he moves on, “When is your mom getting back?” 

Weird question, but I guess not too weird for Stu. “Um, Tuesday after school, right after the long weekend.” A part of me wishes we had school on Monday, at least it’d be something to do while I wait for my mom to come home. The more time I spend with people, the safer I feel. “Why? Do you have plans that’d get me in trouble or something?” 

He moves away enough to look at me before throwing an arm around my shoulders. “I’ll get you in trouble whenever, angel.” Stu squeezes my arm, looking me over with a suggestive glint behind his eyes. “Except for tonight. Billy boy and I have places we need to be. Big, empty house plans.” 

Oh. It’s not like I expected them to spend all weekend with me, but the vagueness of the statement makes me feel a little awkward. “‘Big empty house plans’ sounds like a code for an orgy.” 

“Someone’s jealous.” 

I half-scoff-half-laugh, “Of your orgy?” 

Stu’s fingers press into the skin of my arm again. This time, the touch is a little firmer and less easy going. He raises his eyebrows up and down teasingly.

“Not an orgy,” Billy corrects, throwing a look at Stu that comes and goes so quickly, I can’t even start to interpret it, “Just a hangout with some guys and their girlfriends.” 

I might not have the most experience with having friends that are (semi-)popular, and being left out of secret plans is a sore spot for me, but that sounds a little too much like: ‘Stu’s throwing a party that we don’t want to tell you about.’ But that’s a lot to assume from one sentence. “Still sounds like an orgy.” 

“I’d invite you to my orgy,” Stu hums almost sweetly, his hand moving up and down my arm. 

I shrug out of his grasp. “Really?” 

“Eh.” Stu tries holding onto me as I continue to scoot away from him. “But only because an orgy’s a rough way to lose your virginity.” 

Wow. Heat rushes to my face and the only thing that I’m thinking about is that I can’t just sit here silently. “What makes you think I’m a virgin?” Bad idea. Bad idea. Bad, bad idea. I shouldn’t humor him because now I’m going to have to have a conversation about virginity. “I was hot shit in Texas.” 

There’s some odd quality to Stu’s grin. If I didn’t know better, I’d feel like he was baring his teeth. “You’re still hot shit, babe, that has nothing to do with it.” He answers my unspoken question before I can think to change the subject, “With the way your mom is about guys and how you listen to h--” 

“I don’t always listen to my mom.” God, I’ve never felt like more of a little kid. “I-I drink and I don’t tell her about it.” 

“But you’re mom’s okay with drinking.” My head turns towards Billy. “The first time I came over she was trying to convince you to get wine drunk with her so that you could watch some movies together.” 

Do my mom and I enjoy the occasional tipsy movie night? Yes. Did Billy come over to work on a project with me while my mom was in the middle of trying to convince me to do just that? Yes. Did I need that thrown into my face right now? 

Absolutely not. “What’s your point?” 

“You always listen to your mom, it’s just not a problem because she basically lets you do whatever.”

Damn. Billy’s completely right, and so is Stu. I’ve never had sex or a boyfriend. I’ve never even had a first kiss because the one time I almost did at Chloe Woods’s 13th birthday party I freaked out and didn’t. They can never know that. 

“Okay, I’m done talking to you guys about whether I have or haven’t had sex.” Scratching the back of my wrist, I try to keep my face just slightly annoyed. “And it’s weird that you’re connecting it so much to my mom.” I need a change of topic, and I need one fast. I think through all of the potential topics and how to throw this back at them. “Is that thing you’re doing at your house tonight the couples only thing a bunch of football players are going to?” 

Stu’s smug grin turns, taking on an undertone that feels mean. “Pieced that together. You gonna put amateur detective on your journalism school application?”

I shrug, not loving this energy. “A few guys in my English class were talking about it on Tuesday.” The more time I spend with Stu and Billy, the more I notice their pension for staring when they want you to say more. “I forgot about it until Noel Thompson brought it up.” 

“When did you talk to Noel Thompson?” Billy’s question comes out in a way that almost seems like an accusation. 

“Uh, Friday, I’m pretty sure.” I scratch softly at my knee. “He came by to give me the homework I missed, which was nice because Mrs. Tegan assigned us another essay.” After a second, I meet Billy’s gaze, “He asked me if I wanted to go, I said I wasn’t really up for anything big, but he left his number in case I changed my mind.” 

Oh! I have his number, maybe I could still go. Noel’s nice, and it’s not like I’ve ever been asked out before. Plus, he’s like the only guy in my English class that doesn’t have super sexist takes on our readings. “Oh, now that I know it’s at your place, maybe I should call him. That could be fun since you guys and Sid and Tate are gonna be there.”

“Noel Thompson yells a lot,” Billy says, voice weirdly low, “You’re too sensitive to go out with him.” 

He doesn’t seem like the yelling type, but Billy’s demeanor keeps me from correcting him. “I wouldn’t be dating him, it’s just one party.” 

“We never said it was a party.”

“Noel did.” I bite my tongue a second too late. The reaction came out too quickly. It makes me look defensive. 

Stu’s touch on my forearm nearly makes me jump. “So you want to believe Noel because he came over to your house to flirt with you?” Not what happened, and before I can even open my mouth to defend myself, Stu continues, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you’re being naive, I feel like I have to tell you. Noel broke up with his last three girlfriends like a week after fucking them for the first time.”

Nails digging into the skin of my palm, I find it nearly impossible to meet Stu’s stare. “If you don’t want me there or don’t want me going with you, that’s fine, but don’t lie to me like I’m stupid.” What’s with them? One minute, they’re the sweetest, and then the next, they’re trying to parent me. “I get that it’s probably not fun to know that your friend’s a disaster when she drinks because then you feel like you need to babysit her, but I won’t be your problem tonight.”

“You’re always our problem.” 

I try pulling my arm away from Stu, but he’s holding on too tight. “Excuse me?” 

“Like you’re not going to come crying to us the second he tries something you don’t like.” 

Didn’t realize my friendship was so annoying considering that they literally snuck into my house last night. “If you don’t want me telling you about things anymore, congratulations, because I won’t.” I try yanking my arm away again, this time being more firm about it. Stu’s grip is too much, and for the first time ever, that sends a pinprick of nerves through me. “Stu, let go.” 

Billy places a hand over Stu’s. At that, Stu loosens his hold on me. “Stu’s just saying we don’t like seeing you upset.” There’s something about Billy’s calmness that bugs me. It’s feels as forced as the voice I used when I worked at the mall and a woman I couldn’t yell at kept snapping at me. “Noel’s an asshole, ask Sid if you want. He creeps her out.” 

That’s likely true. Sid gave me a bit of a ‘be careful’ look when she saw me talking to him after class once. “I appreciate the concern, but it’s not a big deal. It’s not even an actual date.” 

“It’s not a good idea,” Billy continues, “He’s going to hurt you.”

“I get that you’re worried, and that’s nice of you, but I can handle myself.” 

Stu releases my arm completely, sinking into himself, “We just want a night where it’s just us and our girlfriends. You’re around all the time.”

My lips part, but no words come out. Nothing angry or considerate, just silence. I’m 14 again and finding out that while I called all my friend’s houses asking if they wanted to hang out, they were out together. I’m 12 again and fighting with my mom, defending my dad for standing me up on my birthday just to find out that she lied for him. He wasn’t working. He was at my stepsister’s cello recital. 

Every moment in which I’ve been too much. Too attached, too needy, too dependent on others hits me at full force. And it hurts. And it’s unfair...it’s not like I ask them to be around all the time. I didn’t ask them to come over last night. 

But I do involve myself in a lot of the things they do with Sid and Tatum. Mall trips, coffee runs, movie nights. Sometimes Randy’s there as well, but there have been times where I just kinda involved myself. 

I thought we were all friends and that no one minded. This wouldn’t be the first time I made that mistake. Is this just a Stu and Billy thing or do Tatum and Sidney feel the same way? 

“We can do something tomorrow.” Billy’s voice is still patient, but it doesn’t feel fake anymore. I can’t tell if that makes me feel better or worse. “I’ll drive you to the big bookstore on the other side of town.” 

That’s something I’d normally jump at. It’s one of the worst parts of having no license. No one ever wants to take me to the big bookstore because it’s far and I take forever. There’s nothing more time consuming than me in a bookstore with a cafe inside of it. 

I nod. “Yeah, that’d be nice.” Billy’s eyes are heavy on me. I don’t like it. “Maybe--I um, I have a lot of homework I want to get done before my mom gets back. She takes up a lot of time after trips, no matter how small. She has a thing about taking pictures.” 

“Don’t be mad at me, Stu’s the one that said it.” 

“Like you’ve never said it.” 

Great, now I have to think of them talking about how annoying and clingy I am. “I’m not mad.” 

“Stu’s an idiot, he only said that so that you’d be mad at both of us.” Billy’s words are too carefully picked. He didn’t deny thinking that. “You can do your school stuff tonight, that way we can go tomorrow.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” I need to act more okay about all of this before they accuse me of making a big deal about this. It’s bad enough that they already think I’m clingy. “You know I should probably start soon and I’m feeling kinda tired.” 

Billy turns to face forward. “You’re kicking us out.” 

His voice sounds so small I’d backtrack if it wasn’t for my thoughts. “I’m feeling weird, I’m not sure you’re supposed to drink with a concussion, which could explain why I got drunk so fast yesterday. I think I need a nap before I start working on anything.” I stare at my lap. “That way I’ll have time to finish it all before tomorrow. Besides, you guys have that thing to get ready for.”

At that, Billy seems to unfreeze. He nods. “Yeah, you’re right.” He moves to stand. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Stu gets up without looking at me. Whatever his problem is. Who is he to call me clingy when he literally got drunk and demanded to stay at my house last night? I say one last goodbye and the two of them leave. 

Never have I wanted to talk to my mom and dissect an interaction more, but I can’t without getting into the whole thing. I could edit out the details so that she doesn’t kill me, but I don’t want to get into all of that. Lying and keeping things from her isn’t my strong suit, and I don’t have the energy. 

Maybe I should just do homework. 

----

“Oh my god, you know what you have to do, right?” Hallie’s voice rings so loudly throughout the phone’s receiver that I have to push it away. “And if you say homework, I’m hanging up and never talking to you again. Please tell me you’re not doing homework.” 

I frown at the essay in front of me. “You’ve been friends with me long enough to know that that’s my go to panic move.” 

Hallie and I have been each other’s go to’s since we met in the first grade. I had been having a terrible day, and then when Samantha Colts made fun of me for reading during recess, Hallie pushed her off the swings. The teacher asked me if I saw what happened and I said I didn’t see anything. It was my first lie to an authority figure and Hallie’s first time hurting someone for me. 

“Okay, but this is different. You can’t let guys walk all over you like that. if you let them get away with it once, they will do it a thousand times.” Not only did I call Hallie because of how close we are, I also called her because she’s always so opinionated when it comes to guys. Not that this is really a ‘guy’ situation, because it’s not like I’m dating them. But still, they’re boys, and I’ve never cared about a guy’s opinion so much before. “You need to hang up on me, call that football player, and show up, looking super hot. Don’t acknowledge Billy or Stu unless they walk up to you and then be like ‘oh, haven’t noticed you, I’ve been busy.’” 

Do I want to do that? I mean, it’d be fun to get in a jab about that whole clingy thing, but it’s conflictive, and arguing with them is exhausting. “I don’t know.” 

“Well, I do,” she continues, “Go to that party in the outfit Gloria wore to chaperon our middle school dance. The one that almost got her called into the principal’s office.” 

Ugh...my mom was about to turn 30 when I was in middle school, and the crisis of leaving her 20s showed. “It’s late, Noel probably already has a date.” 

“So? Tell him that your schedule just cleared up and that you’re a better time than whoever he’s replaced you with.” I love Hallie, but she’s not like me. When she wants someone, she has them wrapped around her finger in an instant. “You’re just using that as an excuse. Go out, have fun, make them eat their hearts out.” 

I roll my eyes. “They’re not going to care that much. They have girlfriends, remember? It’s not like that.” 

“Guys are weird about seeing you with other guys, even if you’re just friends. It’s like a psychological thing, like they want you around as an option or think that you’re gonna get stollen or something. I don’t know. People have studied it.” 

While I doubt that, she’s never given me bad boy advice before. “I just don’t want this one thing to ruin our friendship. Maybe I should give them the space they want.” I groan, going from sad to angry. “You know what, screw them. If they don’t want to be friends with me anymore than who needs them?”

“No, those are your daddy issues talking. Just because you’re mad at a guy doesn’t mean you’re never going to talk again.” After a second of silence, Hallie asks, “Are Billy and Stu hot? I’m imagining them really hot.” 

This is the exact kind of question Hallie would ask, but I can’t help feeling embarrassed. “Hallie, they have girlfriends, remember?” 

“Doesn’t answer my question.”

Sighing dramatically, I cautiously eye my room as I pull the receiver even closer to my face. “Yes, they’re hot.” 

She squeals. “I knew it. I cannot wait until I visit.”

The thought of Hallie meeting either Billy or Stu makes my stomach feel unsettled. She earned the nickname Hurricane Hallie when we were kids for a reason. She likes to flit in, let others get wrapped up in the storm when they should be bunkering down, and then she disappears, leaving you alone with the aftermath. I love her, but I don’t want her interfering with my life here just yet. 

“Yeah, hot guys with girlfriends, your speciality.” 

I can practically feel her eye roll. “Yep, that’s me,” she plays along sarcastically, “Now quit stalling and call him. I’m hanging up before you can change your mind. And wear something hot for me, okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll dress up all pretty just for you.” 

She giggles, “Alright, love ya. Call me tomorrow with the details.” 

“Okay, wi--” Before I can finish my good byes, Hallie hangs up. She’s smart, she knew I was like two seconds away from talking myself out of this. 

With a sigh, I flip over the English packet Noel dropped off on Friday. He scribbled his number on the back. I dial it before I can panic. After two rings, he answers. “Hello?” 

“Uh, hi, Noel, it’s me, Y/n, from English.” Ugh--I can feel Hallie facepalming from states away. “I know it’s kinda last minute, but I was wondering if you still wanted to go to that thing?” 

----

Those freaking liars. 

This is a damn party, and honestly, I’m offended that they thought they could get away with lying to me about this. It’s not like I’m social classes below them. At least, not all the time. At the very least, they should have considered that Sidney and Tatum could have brought it up to me. 

Honestly, this whole thing is starting to feel weird. Who throws a party that’s couples only? It feels like the kind of thing old married couples would say to get a group of swingers over to their house. Now I’m starting to feel weird. 

“You look really pretty, by the way.” Noel’s voice snaps me out of my train of thought. “I don’t think I told you that earlier.” 

I smile warmly, feeling the slightest bit easier. I went full in with Hallie’s advice and dug through my mom’s closet until I found her go to chaperoning outfit. Pink, low cut halter top paired with a pink mini skirt. Nothing flashy, just mildly suggestive. “Thank you.” 

He gestures towards Stu’s house with a nod of his head. “You wanna go in?” 

Bracing myself for what I hope won’t be a too drastically eventful night, I nod and let him lead me into the house. The second we step inside, the fact that this is most definitely, undeniably a party hits me at full force. From Noel’s truck, I could hear music coming from the house, but this is something else all together. The energy is absolutely magnetic. So magnetic that when Noel comes back from the kitchen and hands me a beer, I don’t think twice before drinking some.

I’m about halfway done with my third (maybe?) drink when a high pitched, “Y/n!” steals my attention.

I turn, searching for the source of the sound. Oh, it’s Tatum. Am I mad at her? What Stu said kind of made it seem like everyone was getting tired of me. I guess the only thing I can do is act normal until I figure it out. “Tate!” 

She runs up to me in a tipsy-enthusiastic way. I let her pull me into a hug. “I was starting to miss you. I even wanted to call you to come over but Stu hasn’t given me a minute.”  

The mention of Stu’s name leaves me feeling awkward. I almost didn’t notice him lingering around Tatum until she mentioned it. He places an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her even tighter as she giggles and pretends to push him away. “I’ve missed you, Tay.”

She rolls her eyes, pulling on Stu’s shirt slightly. “Boys are overrated. We should have a girls day soon.” 

That sounds nice, especially since I don’t think I’ll be spending as much time around Billy and Stu. “Yeah, we should go get our nails done or something soon.” 

“Yes,” she grins, “Oh my god, are you here with Noel Thompson? We saw you walk in with him earlier, I wanted to say ‘hi’ then, but I lost you.” 

Okay, maybe Tatum’s a little more than just tipsy. “That’s okay,” I giggle, “And yeah, I’m here with Noel, he’s just grabbing another drink. He came to my place to bring me some homework from English and then asked me if I wanted to come with him.” 

“Oh, that’s cute,” she hums, “Just be careful, though. I’ve heard enough girls crying over him in the school bathroom.” 

Stu’s lack of attention is starting to feel pointed as he continues to be all over Tate. I guess that’s what he wants tonight, but he could come up for air long enough to say hi. Whatever, if he doesn’t want to talk to me, I don’t want to talk to him. 

“I know, I know. It’s casual.” 

“Good,” she agrees, “I’m gonna go get another drink, but you should find Sidney when you get the chance, she missed you, too.” 

Oh. Both Sid and Tate wanted me here. So Stu and Billy are the ones that have problems with me. Tate circles her way out of Stu’s grasp, laughing and throwing a look over her shoulder once she finally escapes. After she disappears into the crowd, I’m left alone with Stu. 

Just when I’m about to break and say something to him, Noel returns, swinging an arm over my shoulder and pulling me towards him. “Hey, you wandered off.” 

“Hi,” I grin, “Sorry, I saw someone I knew.”

“Oh, you’re friends with Macher?” Noel turns to look at Stu, who seems to snap out of a level of aloofness. “How you doing, man? I meant to check in after the whole Casey thing. I know you guys broke up awhile ago, but still, it’s gotta hurt.” 

Wait--did Noel just say Stu used to date Casey? 

How has that not come up? He was literally in the hospital with me after--? I guess that explains why he wasn’t thrilled when he saw me talking to her after homeroom. No one likes it when their friends talk to their exes, but not mentioning it at all? That’s weird.

“Hey, you okay?” Noel squeezes my arm. “You look a little uneasy.” 

“She’s the girl that was at Casey’s the night it happened.” Stu explains, his tone a lot softer than anything he’s used around me since our argument. “She’s still sensitive about it. Aren’t you, angel?” 

I blink twice, taking a long sip of room temperature beer. “I um--” 

“Shit, that was you?” Noel takes an awkward semi-step away from me. “I must’ve forgot it was you. I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.”

“It’s fine.” I internally cringe at how fast the answer comes out. “I’m gonna, I need to use the bathroom.” 

Waiting for nothing else, I turn on my heels. The sound of my name is faint in my ears as I rush away from the crowds. I just need a second away from this noise so that I can think. 

“Hey, Y/n.” I nearly jump out of my skin as a hand grabs my arm. I turn too quickly, nearly stumbling into the wall behind me. Noel’s watching me with eyes that ooze sympathy. “I am so sorry about bringing up Casey. I didn’t know you knew her, let alone--” 

“It’s fine,” I breathe through gritted teeth, “I just-I need a second.” Why am I melting down? Because he mentioned her name so casually? Because of the fact that Stu dated her? 

“I didn’t um-I didn’t expect to hear her name. The things that have been making me spaz lately have been so random.” 

Noel nods once, “That makes sense, I can’t even imagine it.” When I don’t ease, Noel drops his arm. “Wanna go into the kitchen? It’s quiet there and I can get you some water. You just-you kinda look like you want to throw up.” 

I nod gently, letting Noel lead me out of the hallway and towards the kitchen. My stomach is in literal tangles, Noel nailed the ‘wanting to throw up’ thing. 

He’s right. Stu’s kitchen is empty and well lit, making it a lot easier to breathe as Noel pulls a water bottle out of a cooler. “Are you feeling okay? You look really freaked out.”  

I twist the lid off of the water bottle before bringing it to my mouth. I take small sips until nearly half the water’s gone. “Do you think it’s weird that Stu never mentioned they used to date?” The second the question is out, I regret it. Noel doesn’t know the situation. I don’t even really know the situation. I can’t start rumors like that based on a bad feeling after an emotional day. Especially not when talking to a guy I barely know. Maybe I could get away with bringing this up to Randy, but not Noel. “Oh my god, I’m a terrible person for asking that.” 

“I don’t think you’re terrible,” Noel starts gently, “It’s natural to question everything after something like this happens.” I nod, fingers twisting the plastic cap between my fingers. “And I honestly don’t think it’s that weird that he didn’t bring it up.” 

My eyebrows draw together at that. I press the cap into the counter with my thumb. “What?” 

“It makes him look super suspicious. I don’t think I’d want to take that kind of heat over a girl I dated sophomore year of high school.” That’s a decent point, I guess. If most people have forgotten you dated someone, why bring it up when it could potentially ruin your life? “Plus, if we’re going to make everyone Casey Becker dated a murder suspect, the police will have their fair share of guys to look through.” 

My thumb digs so deeply into the plastic that I can feel the ridges of the cap dig into my skin. “Are you seriously slut shaming her right now?” God, what is it with men? “My friend’s--she’s gone and you feel the need to make a joke about her dating life?” 

“No!” He blurts out, moving like the implication scalded him. “No, I’m not saying that at all, I’m just saying that I know Stu. He’s a lot and he makes jokes, but he’s not a killer.” Noel shifts when he realizes that I’m not easing, “He’s not like his friend.” 

What? “His friend?” 

Noel leans against the counter. “Him and Billy are pretty close, and Billy seems impulsive and too attached to how people see him. I’ve known them since we were kids, but Billy’s the only one that gives me that vibe, y’know?” When I don’t say anything, he continues, “I’m not saying Billy did it, there’s no proof as far as I know. I’m just saying that’d surprise me less.” Noel’s gaze moves towards the cap I’m still fiddling with. “He’s just a little too...I don’t know--protective?”

The choice of wording cuts through me. While Stu’s up front about everything, Billy’s the one that’s quiet, hard to read, and cares so much about the people he’s close with in an invisible way. The way he reacted to me saying I might come here with Noel tonight demonstrates the distinction between them clearly. Stu was openly bothered, but Billy...he was nice. Maybe too nice? 

Okay, that’s ridiculous. I can’t suspect Billy, the same Billy that was making pancakes with me this morning and grabbed the syrup off of the top shelf when I couldn’t, of murder. Especially not because he seems like less of a wild card than Stu. 

But then again, most killers aren’t the larger than life personalities. The charismatic white guy is the bad guy so often I’m surprised they’re still never the first suspect. 

Ugh. I hate thinking about this. I’ve had too much too drink and my head’s starting to hurt. 

“I don’t think it’s Billy, for the record,” Noel says after I refuse to end our long stretch of silence, “I was just using him as a reference point.” 

It can’t be Billy. It can’t be. I’m drunk and creating conspiracy theories out of panic. I’ve done it before. Two seconds ago I thought it could be Stu just because he didn’t feel like advertising the fact that he used to go out with a murder victim. I can’t just switch up based on whoever’s name I hear while I’m freaking out. 

“Yeah.” My voice sounds hollow, unsure. “Sorry, this is a party, and that was bleak.” 

“You’re fine,” Noel seems genuine, “You’ve been through so much I don’t even know how you’re out of the house. I’d be too scared to ever do anything again.”

I smile at his effort. “Guess I’m tougher than I look.” Letting go of my water bottle, I reach for the beer I abandoned. “No more talk about all of that, let’s just have fun.” 

Noel picks up his own beer bottle, tapping the neck of it against mine. “I’ll drink to that.” 

----

The alcohol, small talk, and forcing myself back into the party was supposed to help my anxiety. It hasn’t. No matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking through every interaction I’ve ever had with Billy. Even the nice things feel weird now. I couldn’t even bring myself to meet his gaze when he nodded in acknowledgement towards me earlier. And when Sid called me over, I pretended not to notice. 

Ugh, I hate myself for letting these ideas get into my head. 

There’s no proof. There’s nothing. And because of that, even if I could form an opinion, no one would believe me. Whenever I mention anything about that night, people look at me like a child that needs to be coddled. Their eyes get all sympathetic as they dismiss me with kind phrases like, anything’s possible and yeah, I think the police should look into that. 

if I put this in the perspective of something I know well, all mysteries have evidence. They all go back to the crime scene. If Randy gets to pretend that this is a scary movie, I can pretend it’s a mystery novel. 

And following that logic, I need to go back to Casey’s house. 

After I pee. God, I don’t feel drunk, but it’s possible considering how many times I’ve abandoned Noel in the last hour to use the bathroom. I don’t hate the excuse to leave, everyone’s getting couple-y and making out and maybe Stu did have a tiny bit of a good reason for telling me not to come tonight. 

Whoever’s in there is taking way too long. I lift my hand to knock again, but before I do, the door opens. The lack of physical object in the way throws me off. My fist flatly lands against a chest. 

“Oh my god, I’m sorry!” I immediately take my hand back, looking up at the person who I accidentally hit. “I am--” The rest of my apology is lost as I realize that it’s Billy. I take two steps back as my heart thrums in my chest. 

“Oh, Billy, it’s you.” Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. A nervous giggle leaves me. “I um-I didn’t see you there.” Shaking my head dramatically, I start over, “I saw you, I just-I didn’t see--before, you know?” 

He regards me cautiously. “How much have you had to drink?”

“Not much,” I mumble, digging my nails into my palms to avoid bouncing on the balls of my feel, “I um--I’m not your problem, anyways, remember?” It’s supposed to be a joke, or maybe an excuse for my aloofness, but it comes out too bitter. “Sorry, um, we can talk more tomorrow. Bookstore, right?” When Billy doesn’t move or say anything, I tilt my chin up, “Bathroom. I need to use the bathroom.” 

Billy tilts his head, his expression unreadable as he takes a step forward. “You jumped when you saw me.” 

My eyes widen. “No.” The denial is too quick, too offended. “I jumped because I didn’t expect to see you, or anyone.” I cross my arms in front of my chest, tying to seem steady. “I’ve been drinking.” I whisper the last word like it’s some kind of secret. 

“I noticed,” Billy says flatly. His hands almost leave his sides like he’s considering trying to help stabilize me. Or do something more cynical. “Maybe you should get your boyfriend to take you home.” 

Swallowing back my dread, I watch him for a long second, “Boyfriend? Oh, Noel, he’s not--I mean he’s nice.” He thinks you could be a murderer. “I don’t think he’s in the going home mood, and I need some air. I’m walking home after this.” 

Billy presses his lips into a thin line. “Let me take you home, make sure you get to bed okay.” 

“No.” The word is basically a pout, and the way I sway slightly doesn’t make things any better. “Not your problem anymore, remember?” 

He pushes himself away from the doorway of the bathroom. Billy stalks towards me slowly. I hold my ground until Billy’s basically leaning over me. At that, I step back, but Billy keeps going until I’m backed into the wall. 

The hallway is empty, but the party is still alive and well around the corner. It feels like a world away with Billy standing this close. “I never said you were a problem and I never said you weren’t mine.” 

His words only half make sense, but the intensity of his tone edges me towards panic. “Billy,” I begin slowly, “I just want to go to the bathroom, splash some water on my face, and then go home.” 

He places a hand next to my head and I feel air claw its way back down my throat at the implication. He’s trapping me. “You’ve been avoiding me all night. Didn’t even say anything to Sid when she tried waving you over.” 

I shake my head the little bit I can in this position, silently praying that I don’t look like a deer caught in headlights. “No...I was just giving you guys the space you asked for.”

Billy leans impossibly closer, his hand sliding off the wall. I hold my breath until his thumb brushes against my cheek. Despite the tension in the air that I’d need a knife to cut through and my own nerves, my body relaxes instantly at the contact. “Do you remember when we first met?” 

It was during lunch. Tatum was the one that first pulled me towards their group and Stu was the one that kept calling me over. It was my first day and I was super nervous about lunch. Stu called me over before I could freak out and then a few seconds later began a joke that turned some kid into a punchline. I remember not being super comfortable, but not wanting to say anything because I couldn’t risk it. Billy had jumped in and saved me from needing to make a comment about it. 

“Yeah,” my voice is too soft, too flighty, “During lunch on my first day.” 

He nods once, eyes taking on a kinder hue. “You know what the first thing I noticed about you was?” Billy doesn’t wait for me to respond, “That you can’t keep a single thought or opinion off of your face.”

Every drop of blood rushes down my body. The corner of Billy’s mouth turns upwards at my expression. “That’s how I know that you’re lying. You don’t want to go home. Where were you going?” 

Staring at him is becoming too difficult. “The bathroom,” I mumble, “And then...Casey’s.” 

And just like that, any cracks in Billy’s demeanor disappear. “Stu’s right when he says you’re one impulse away from playing Nancy Drew.” I don’t say anything, but Billy doesn’t seem to mind my silence. “You’re drunk, you should go home.” 

“I’ll get there.” I try to sound serious as I say, “Go spend some time with your girlfriend, I’m fine.”

Billy looks at me for a long second, the fingers cupping my face pressing slightly into the skin of my neck. Something I don’t recognize flashes across his expression. All at once, it disappears and Billy steps away from me. “Sid would kill me if I let you wander the streets this drunk.” 

“Don’t do me any favors, I’m not trying to be anyone’s responsibility.” 

With a sigh, Billy looks me over again, “I’d worry too.” He studies my reaction, “Friends worry about their friends.” When I don’t protest, Billy continues, “Go to the bathroom, I’ll walk you home after.” 

---- 

I’m being ridiculous. If I don’t start acting normal, Billy’s going to realize that I’m freaking out. If he hasn’t already. 

Shaking the thought out of my system, I keep my eyes on the ground. People saw us leave together. Sid gave me a quick hug and told Billy to take his time keeping an eye on me, considering the fact that no one’s waiting for me at home and I’ve been kinda jumpy. Two girls from two of my different classes waved goodbye to me. I wanted to say goodbye to Noel, but I couldn’t find him. 

The October air bites against my skin. My mom could get away with wearing this in Texas no matter the time of year because it’s actually hot there. I keep my arms tucked into myself for warmth. 

“Here.” Billy’s stopped walking, and now he’s holding his arm out to me. 

I blink, realizing after a second too long that he’s offering me his jacket. He’s looking just past me like he can’t bring himself to meet my eyes. It’s weirdly cute in an awkward way. The endearment that I feel quickly melts into guilt.

I take the jacket, shrugging it on. “Thanks.”

“Are you okay?” Billy takes a step towards me, nearly making me trip off the sidewalk. “Be honest.” When I still can’t bring myself to say anything, Billy’s expression seems to cloud, “We’re not at a party, we’re not at school. It’s just you and me.” 

It’s ironic that the only anchor I feel is the warmth of Billy’s jacket. The patience that he’s looking at me makes the dam break. “I--I feel like I’m going crazy, all the time.” My answer is so honest, my throat feels raw. “And I feel like that because I lived I’m like indebted to the universe or something. Like--like I’m supposed to do something for Casey, but I can’t do anything because I don’t even feel like I can trust my own thoughts.” A small scoff leaves me. I’ve never been this pathetic. “What if I’m never normal again? I-I tried watching the movie that we were gonna watch before it happened the other day and I couldn’t even get through the first five minutes. And I--I loved that movie.” 

By the time I’m done with my rant, Billy is close enough to me to pull me into a hug. I let him, slowly moving my arms back around him. “It’s been a week,” he whispers, “You just need time.” I nod into his chest. “And in the mean time, we can find a better movie than A Nightmare on Elm Street.” 

I move away far enough to wipe at my face with the back of my hands. “Yeah,” I smile stiffly through a sniffle, “I just want to go home and not drink again for a really long time.”

Billy lets go of me. I turn slowly, already starting to walk again. Billy stays behind me. Shit, he picked up on it. I break out into a run, ignoring the confusion in my body. Billy’s footsteps are deceptively quiet behind me. 

We’re only blocks away from my house. I can--I can get there. 

He grabs my forearm, forcing me to face him. “Wh-what’s gotte--” 

“How’d you know what movie was playing?!” Billy pauses, his grip on my arm tightening. “I didn’t tell you. I only told one person, and it-it was the guy on the phone.” His lips part, but before he can speak I stomp on his foot with all of my strength. It doesn’t affect him until I throw all of my weight back, forcing him to loosen his hold just enough for me to squirm away from him. 

I start running again, taking off my wedged heels and throwing them blindly behind me, hoping that they somehow slow him down. Those shoes are more of a hazard than running barefoot. 

Now it’s just me and a race against Billy as I try to think of every horror movie mistake I could possibly make. My instinct is to run through the woods in order to potentially lose him, but that’s literally the opening scene mistake. So I just run fast and straight, staying on the illuminated sidewalk path and never looking behind me to see if he’s still following.

The house is only steps away from me. “Y/n!” Shit. I pick up the pace, ignoring the ache in my side and chest. “Let me explain!” I scramble to unlock the door. Billy’s close. 

Just as I throw open the door, Billy’s fingers brush against my shoulder. A scream that I can’t even recognize as my own bleeds from me as I slam the door behind me. Billy pushes against the wood, but I was expecting him to do that. I use all of my force to shove against the door. After slamming it hard a few times, the door shuts just enough for me to be able to twist the lock into place. 

This isn’t my first time trying to keep an angry man locked out of the house so I know better than to move away from the door while he’s still pounding on it. “You can’t believe that I’d do that.” 

My eyes squeeze shut, tears blurring my vision. “Just go away! Please.” 

“Not if you think I killed them.” He continues to knock and try the door handle. “You think I’d hurt you?”

I’m still struggling to breathe and the adrenaline is starting to wear off. My head is starting to pound. 

A familiar ringing cuts through my emotional haze. The phone. The living room extension is only a few steps away from me. It could be my mom calling because she can’t sleep, or my dad, or maybe even Hallie. All I know is that it’s a lifeline, and Billy’s no longer shaking the front door. 

I keep one hand on the door for as long as I can before picking up the receiver. “Mom?” 

A dark laugh that’s played almost every night in my head since I first heard it absorbs all the hope from my body. “I’ll give you one more guess, doll face, just cause I like you so much.” 

My bones are glass, the phone slips from my grasp. It clatters onto the ground, not loud enough to be heard over my heartbeat. The last time I ignored him, he didn’t take it well. That’s the only reason I find the strength to sit down and pick up the phone. I push myself back so that my back is pressed into the front door.

“You back yet? You’re cute, but I don’t like being ignored.” My breath comes out just shaky enough for it to be audible. “Oh, I hear you. What’s wrong, doll face? Not happy to hear from me?” My lips part, but my voice has completely left me. “Aw, keep the silent treatment up and you’ll hurt my feelings. And I play a lot less nice when my feelings are hurt. Might even have to take it on your buddy Billy Loomis, since you left him locked out like that.” 

Billy? “I-I’m still not sure that this isn’t Billy, but if it’s not leave him alone.” 

“Maybe you’ll believe it’s not him when he turns up gutted like your little friend.” 

The reference to Casey forces my stomach to lurch. I swallow back bile. “Why’d you do that?” I force my hand over my mouth as I almost let out a cry. Did I just kill Billy? “Why-why do that to Casey and just let me live?” Wiping my face with my palm harshly, I try to keep my voice steady, “Why call me now?” 

There’s the slightest bit of motion audible over the receiver. “What can I say, baby doll? I missed your voice.” If I felt any strength left in my body, I would have rolled my eyes at that. “You should already know why I let you live. You said it yourself the first time I called you.” 

“What?” 

He lets out a cruel laugh at such blatant confusion. “I’m not doing all of this to make a bad scary movie. And all the greats have a final girl, you said it yourself.” As his words sink in, a sob threatens to escape the confines of my chest. If he means what he’s saying, then a lot more people are going to die. “And, sweet cheeks, you’re mine.”

The possessive sort of growl that makes up the last word sends a chill straight through me. This game of cat and mouse is starting to make me sick. A floorboard from upstairs creeks and instinct takes over. “But you have to earn it, doll face, no fun if it’s guaranteed.” 

I force myself to stand on shaky legs. He could be in the house. Billy and Stu had no trouble getting in last night, but Billy already knew about my window. My breaths are too shallow as I reach the kitchen, stealing a knife from the block on the counter. 

“You know,” I start, trying to sound braver than I feel, “A lot of times final girls kill the slasher.” 

Another sharp chuckle. “I’m glad I picked you.” 

Footsteps are coming from the stairwell. I grip the knife’s handle, trying to force myself to walk towards the stairs. “You won’t feel that way forever.” 

“Feisty,” the voice either growls or groans, I can’t tell. 

My skin crawls as the steps from the stairs sound closer than ever. I hold the knife out in front of me with shaking hands.

“Y/n, I--” Billy stops in front of me, holding his hands out in front of him. “I just wanted to tell you that I knew the movie because they printed it in the newspaper. It was in the VCR when the police found you and they listed it in that article where they listed everything that was in Casey’s living room.” 

There was that one article that over analyzed everything about what was in Casey’s house. They even listed the lipglosses Casey was showing me and a bottle of opened nail polish we left out. The explanation paired with the fact that the person on the other line is still there leave my head spiraling. 

“Billy?” He’s probably so mad at me and I-I just--how did we end up here? I drop the knife, letting it hit the ground.

“I leave your friend alone and you thank me by ignoring me?” The voice on the other end of the line snaps me out of it. 

After stuttering for a moment, I finally blurt out, “Leave him alone.” 

“Protective,” the voice muses, “Careful, baby doll, I might get jealous.” Before I can get myself to speak again, the line goes dead. 

Billy’s the one that knocks me out if my panicked trance. He delicately places a hand on my shoulder. I can’t breathe. I don’t think I’m crying until my vision turns blurry. He tugs me towards him, placing a hand on my back. He rubs my back soothingly. “You’re okay.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, my voice hoarse, “I’m so sorry, I--” 

“It’s okay,” he whispers, letting me hug him tightly, “It’s okay.” Billy pulls me away just enough so that I can look him in the eye. “We’ll call the police and figure it out, okay?” I nod, but make no move to let go of him. 

----

Taglist: @cole22ann @womenarecannibals @fand0mskullfa1ry @princessleah129 @i-amnotokaywiththis @fvcking-gxddess @suckmyass-things

----

A/n things were getting a little too nice and i had to remind y’all hehe

[soshiharin]

pause

summary: in which dongwook makes a suggestion

set: early june 2017

word count: 1.4k

warnings: swearing and angst

an: it’s not a silly goofy time if im beinf honest. feedback and reblogs are much appreciated 💐

harin’s masterlist

Harin tied her hair, not noticing how Dongwook’s eyes nervously followed her every movement. When she was done, she flicked her ponytail over her shoulder.

“So, when are you leaving?” He asked, watching as she took a sip of the coffee he made for her.

Harin put her mug down. “Um, I think in October. They’re planning for Mean Girls to premiere in Autumn.”

“Wow, that’s… Wow.” He sat back against the couch as his dog, Cucumber, crawled into his lap.

“I know!” She smiled. “I didn’t even think I’d get the role, but… I did.”

He rubbed his chin as he thought. “Are you going to take it? The role, that is?”

“Of course, I am,” she said, rubbing Cucumber’s tummy. “It’s a Mean Girls musical written by Tina Fey. I’m going to play Gretchen fricken Wieners and I’m going to do a damn good job at it.”

“That’s… That’s great,” he weakly cheered. “I’m so happy for you.”

Harin looked up at him, quirking her eyebrow. “Are you sure? Because you don’t really sound sure.”

He shook his head. “No, no, no. I am. I am,” he reiterated, seeing the look Harin was giving him. He sighed. “Uh, when I invited you over, it’s because I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Okay. Should I be nervous?” She asked, taking note of how he kept rubbing his hands along the length of his jeans.

He took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb along her palm. “I was thinking and… We should… It’s not easy to say this,” he said, breaking off with a sigh.

Harin watched as he did his best not to look at her, feeling her heart beat faster with how nervous she was. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what he wanted to tell her. “Wha– What is it? You’re not gonna tell me you’re breaking up with me, are you?” She joked, her smile falling off of her face when he didn’t deny it, instead stopping the movement of his thumb. “Are you breaking up with me?” She asked softly. When he didn’t answer, she pulled her hand away from him. “Why?”

“It’s not your fault,” he assured her, still failing to meet her eyes. “It’s not you, i–”

“Don’t pull that bullshit on me,” she interrupted. “Why are you breaking up with me? I deserve to know what’s wrong, don’t you think?”

Dongwook hesitated to speak. “These past few months… We haven’t seen each other in three months. I… I don’t know about you, but I like to spend time with the person I’m da–”

“You don’t know about me?” She asked, grasping onto anything she could understand. She furrowed her eyebrows. “You don’t know about me?” She repeated. “We’ve been dating for almost two years, but we don’t see each other for three months and you don’t know who I am anymore.”

He began to shake his head. “That’s not what I said.”

“Yes, it is. You know I like spending time with people, whether I’m dating them or not. Us not seeing each other for a short while isn’t because I hate you or some stupid shit like that. It’s because I’ve been busy with Maybe Happy Ending. We haven’t finished our latest shows. I’m sorry I haven’t made time to see you recently, but it’s because I haven’t had any. But I will soon because we’re doing the com–”

“You won’t have time, though. You’re going to America.”

“Yeah, in October.”

“For how long? How long will you be there?”

Harin hesitated. “It should be about a month or two.”

“And if you’re asked to stay longer because the fans want to see it again? I mean, look at Maybe Happy Ending. You’re already thinking of planning a special concert because so many people love the musical. What if Mean Girls does so well that you have to stay longer?”

“Then I’ll do my job.”

“And when will we see each other?”

The air in the room had changed from relaxed to tense. Cucumber picked up on it and began to whine for belly rubs from her owner, who obliged.

Harin chuckled darkly, looking away from him. “So what you’re saying is you are incapable of hopping on a plane to see me? I mean you must be if you couldn’t even attend one of the show dates.”

Dongwook sighed, rubbing his face. “I’m not saying I want to break up forever, I’m just suggesting a short break. Just until you get back from America so we have time to actually be together. You’re preparing for this musical and Girls Generations’ comeback, I have a radio show that I’m hosting. So I’m just saying that we should press pause.”

Harin was quiet for some time as she thought. “Why do we have to take a break?” She hated how vulnerable she sounded. “We can just coordinate our schedules more.”

“I don’t want to either, but that’s all I’ve got.” Dongwook shrugged. “I’m sorry, babe–” he pretended not to notice how she flinched slightly– “but I think it’s what’s best for us. I tried to make it work, bu–”

“You didn’t try make it work,” she whispered. “I’m the one with a schedule almost everyday, you’re the one with a schedule on the twelfth of every month. It makes sense that I didn’t have time to see you, but the other way around? I just don’t understand it.” She felt herself get angrier the more she spoke. “For you to even insinuate that I am the only reason we haven’t seen each other is… It’s horrible of you.”

She looked at him, finding him looking at her. “Are you sure you don’t just want to break up with me? There’s no real reason, you just don’t want to be with me?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then why is your reasoning so bullshit? Why is there an easy solution? Why aren’t you willing to do anything to solve it?” She inhaled deeply, willing the tears in her eyes to disappear. She would not cry.

“I am willing to solve it,” Dongwook argued. “This is all I can think to do, jagiya.”

“Don’t call me that. Not while you sit there and come up with excuse after excuse.”

“They’re not excuses. I just… Things are going to get busy and I don’t want either one of us to feel like we’re being neglected. We’ll get back together when we have the time to be together.”

“Why should we?” She asked, an icy edge to her tone. “Hm? Why should we get back together? I mean, you already said I might have to do Mean Girls longer than expected. I could be in America for a year and that would be too long, wouldn’t it? Let’s just break up. For good.”

“You don’t mean that,” he whispered.

“You don’t know what I mean,” she said, shaking her head.

“Yes, I do. Because I know you and y–”

“You don’t know me. I’m a completely different person from the one I was three months ago. For all you know, I want nothing to do with you. In fact–” she stood up, getting her bag– “I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“Rin-ah, please–”

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say, Dongwook-ssi,” she told him, her voice thick with emotion. “I gave you ways to make this work and you basically refused. If you are unwilling to compromise then I am unwilling to be in any sort of relationship with you.”

He followed her as she went to put her shoes on, reaching for her arm. “At least let me drive you back.”

“No, I don’t– I don’t want you around me anymore. So just leave me alone, please. You owe me this much.”

They stared at each other, both looking into eyes filled with pain. Eventually, Dongwook nodded. “Okay,” he said softly, clearing his throat to repeat himself. “I’m sorry, Harin.”

She turned around wordlessly, leaving his apartment. She found herself on the sidewalk a few minutes later, watching all of the cars driving past in the city, probably parents picking up their kids from hagwon. She walked to a cafe nearby, calling her manager to pick her up. A car pulled up to the curb within ten minutes. When she opened the door, she saw Yoona and Sunny. Ignoring their greetings, she went to the backseat, not bothering to close the door behind her.

“Unnie, you okay?” Yoona asked, noticing how Harin kept tapping her foot.

“Yeah, I’m… I’m fine. Sorry.”

She could tell they didn’t quite believe her, but they accepted her answer nonetheless. She looked at her phone for a few seconds before switching it on. Holding her breath, she blocked Dongwook’s number.

Later, she would cry in her bed about it, but for now, she had a dance practice she had to go to.

tagging: @moongrlz

©️ jang harin

[7shadow7wolf7]

A HARD WAY

Synopsis - Few years ago you helped Winchester's brothers with a chase and ended up very close to them. Your relationship with Dean was 'will they or won't they' from beginning. You, in contrast with Dean, never were the person to go with the flow. So, when Dean sees an opportunity he takes it and maybe you will just let him.

Pairing - DeanWinchester x Female Reader

Age Rating - 18+

Word Count - 1k

Warnings - cursing, nudity, extortion, smut in next chapter(s).

Author's Note - This is my first post,so don't expect much. Also English isn't my first language and I'm apologize for mistakes. (I probably will mix British and American expressions).

Any feedback is immensely appreciated !! I am excited to share this with you.

I don't own picture or characters.

When Sam called me about hunt, I was glade. There is no way that I will ever say that at loud, but sometimes I miss things as they were. Helping people and well, Sam and Dean. But that case quickly remembered me why I took a break. Even though we ended up sawing little girl and boy, one life was lost. And I felt the weight of that on my shoulders, so when Sam suggested that I spend some time with them I immediately accepted.

That was three weeks ago. Everything was like before, except it wasn't. While I was at the break I made a whole new life, which I put on hold. My plan was to get back to it. I made that clear three weeks ago, but here I was...

It was my turn to get groceries and after I put them into theirs place I went in my room. The moment I stepped into room I knew somebody was in there. Everything was at the place, just not quite right. And there was only one person who would go through my stuff.

"DEAN!" I screamed as I went to the room next to mine. I opened door without knocking and Dean glanced at me from his bed for a second and then went back to his laptop. "Why the hell did you went through my stuff?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Well, how else am I supposed to find out what you are up to? You are refusing to talk about last year" he said while concentrating on his laptop.

"There's nothing to tell. I was living boring non-supernatural life" I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms as I lined at the door frame.

"Non-supernatural maybe, but boring - no. It looks to me like you had good time" he said still not looking at me.

"What are you talking about?" I said and then I realized. "What did you found?" I took a few steps towards him.

"Oh, you know just pictures" Dean said as he turned laptop so I can see screen.

Moment I looked at the screen I felt like air was knocked out of my chest. One of the boudoir pictures I took a few months ago was on Deans laptop. I couldn't seem to find the words as I looked at picture of me sitting naked on bed with a sheet cowering my private parts. I looked at Dean who had the biggest shit eating grin on his face, that seemed to remind me how to talk. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you looked at this" I said as I tried to took his laptop away "I'm almost naked there!"

"I think you answered your own question" he said as he turn laptop away from me. "Beside that one is were vanilla, only thing I saw there is a little bit of sideboob" he said while doing something on laptop. "You see, this one is really doing it for me" he said showing me the photo of me standing Infront of window with my back turned to the camera, while sheet falled so the shade of my butt was clearly visible.

"Dean you are so dis-"

"This one is in my top three, I mean look at your face here" he interrupted me showing me another picture. "And this one because-"

"What's wrong with you?" I said as I got on the bed with my knees and took his laptop. "Why would you do something like that Dean?" I said as I started to deleted pictures.

"So, who was a lucky guy? I didn't take for a girl who sends nudes" Dean asked as he was leaning on headboard with his arms and leg crossed looking at me.

"I didn't do them for a guy I did them for myself" I said as I deleted last picture.

"I can respect that. I like the tough of being able to look at them 10 years from now" he said.

"Yeah, well you will never see them again" I stud up from bed when I catched that stupid smirk on his face. "You have copys?"

"Of course, I have copys" he waved a USB on a Scooby Doo pendat that I got for him.

"Dean!"

"Oh, c'mon I saw all of that before" he said uncrosing his arms "And well, my-"

"Give me that" I launched at him trying to take USB from him but he sat up, grabed my arms and pushed me onto the bed. "Dean, I need them back! I won't be able to sleep knowing that somebody has them" I said trying to move but he still holded me down.

He looked at my eyes for a few seconds as playfulness in them was replaced by disappointed. "What, you think I would show them to someone?" he asked looking away from me and letting go of my arms.

"Well, no... Actually I don't know you did took them from my laptop-"

"That's diferent, we had a thing for years. I wouldn't betrayed you like that" he said as he got up from bed. "Or maybe I'm wrong and this was onesided" now he was pacing around.

"You aren't wrong" I sat up. "You know that I don't trust, well anybody" that made him stop pacing as he looked at me.

His eyes darkened. "Let's make a deal" he said watching me as I putted my legs down. "You flash me and I will give you USB"

I looked at him for few second thinking that I heard wrong. "What?"

"You heard me. I had enough of you ignoring me. You flash me - and I don't mean 2 seconds but you know, really flash me - and I will give you USB" he took a few steps towards me.

"Don't be a idiot Dean" I said still in shock.

"C’mon, sweetheart. It's time to play by my rules" he said as he got even closer.

We hold eye contact for few seconds. Well, I did daydream about Dean for years, so why the hell not?

"Okay. Tits, right?" his eyes widened.

"Yeah..." he said in shock.

"No touching and you give me pictures back first. Deal?" I said giving him a hand.

He looked at me for a few seconds, still in shock, before he took my hand "Deal".

Part 1

[cutedevil34]

So Gods Do Exist… (Mortal Kombat x OC) ((Kinda))

Part 2

It’s been months since they started training and everybody has progressed significantly. Raiden was currently sparring with multiple other monks, all of them challenging him at once. He was able to easily take them down and give them feedback on things they needed to get better at.

Lemon, a couple of feet away, was fixing her roller blades.

"What are you doing?" Raiden asked, walking towards the teenager.

"Did I ever tell you that one of the monks here is an inventor?" Lemon asked, putting her rollerblades on and standing up. "He redesigned my rollerblades so I could use them in kombat, look!"

She dashed away from Raiden and towards one of the training dummies they had. She then jumps up and goes to kick the dummies waist. The wheels underneath the rollerblades start moving at lighting speed and cut the top of the dummies body off.

Lemon then lands on her feet and turns to smile at Raiden who looked dumbfounded. "Isn't it so cool!?" She gushed, rolling back over to her friend. "Now I can kill people!"

"That's not exactly something to be excited about…" Raiden muttered, chuckling a bit. "But I'm happy you found something for you."

"I am too!" Lemon replied before noticed Johnny in the distance and running towards him. "Oooh, Johnny, Johnny! Record me!"

Raiden sighs and raises a brow in confusion when Kung Lao walks up to him with his hat in his hands. Raiden noticed the blades on the hat and became even more confused. “I don’t see how that’s a smart idea.”

“It’s genius, Raiden! And it actually works.” Kung Lao said, running his hand on the rim of the hat and accidentally cutting his hand. “Ow!”

“Still don’t think it’s smart.”

Kung Lao smirks at his friend and throws his hat to a nearby training dummy. The hat neatly cuts the head off and returns back to its owner who was still smirking at Raiden.

“Okay, I was wrong.” Raiden says with a small smile. Kung Lao smiles back and goes to put the hat back on his head but Lemon skates up to him and snatches the hat out of his hands and twirls it in her own.

“Lemon, stop doing that!” Kung Lao shouted, glaring at the teenager who was inspecting the hat.

“Pretty cool hat, did you make it yourself?” Lemon asked, ignoring the man’s glare.

“Yeah? So what?”

“Nothing, just wanted to recommend to you a guy that I know that can possibly make your hat even better. Just to…you know…give it an upgrade!” Lemon suggested, rolling over to the two and handing Kung Lao his hat back. “And maybe make it even more useful for the tournament we’re going to have!”

“Speaking of that.” Johnny interrupted, walking up to the trio. “When is it going to start!? I can’t base a cinematic universe on Outworld’s monsters and magic if I don’t ever see them.”

Kenshi, who was actually just going to walk past them, paused after hearing that and turned to Johnny in confusion. “That’s why you’re here?”

“Liu Kang said that this gig would change the arc of my life. That’s how it gets done. My ex’ll rue the day she gave up on me!”

Kenshi scoffs. “So selfless.”

“Don’t act like you’re any different, Tattoo. You’re only here for your sword.”

“We all have our reasons for being here.” Raiden chimed in. “Some better than others. But we are not here to fight amongst ourselves. We are here to fight for earthrealm.”

A gong goes off in the distance signaling the return of Lord Liu Kang.

“Finally.” Johnny comments as the five of them walk over to the God of Fire.

“And today, one of you will be chosen to fight for it at the tournament.” Liu Kang states.

“Only one of us?” Raiden repeats. “But isn’t outworld fielding multiple champions?”

“The tournament’s rules give the host realm that advantage. And it is Outworld’s turn as host.”

“You know, I don’t know why I never asked this, but what’s our record at this tournament?” Johnny asked.

“Earthrealm and Outworld have long been evenly matched. But Outworld is gaining strength. Should it win, its more militant factions will be emboldened.”

“But I thought you admired Outworld?” Raiden questioned.

“It is a place of great knowledge, wealth, and beauty.” Liu Kang explained, walking past the champions, motioning them to follow. “We coexist peacefully because Outworld respects our strength. Should we show weakness…our rival will become our enemy.”

“I will not lose, Lord Liu Kang.” King Lao stated, looking proud.

“First you must win the right to represent us. Whichever one of you outlasts the others will be chosen.”

“Okay, then I have a question.” Lemon spoke up. “The champion gets to fight in the tournament, which is cool, but what do the rest of us do? Do we just go home?”

“No, Lemon, you do not. Being Earthrealm’s champion doesn’t just mean you're only here for the tournament, you’re also here to protect earthrealm as a whole. So you will come with us to Outworld as both guests and guards.”

“Hm.”

Liu Kang sits on his chair while the rest of the monks around him hit on their knees.

“Lemon, step forward.” He demands. Lemon does as said and politely bows to the man.

Johnny laughs. “Good call! Send the weak one first.”

“Excuse me?” Lemon questioned, turning to glare at Johnny but then turns back to Liu Kang with a huge smile. “Let me beat his ass, please let me beat his ass.”

“He was going to be your opponent anyway.” Liu Kang responded. “Step forward, Johnny Cage.”

“Let’s gooo!!!” Lemon cheered as she and Johnny went to separate parts of the battlefield.

“Alright, fine.” Johnny smirked, getting into a fighting stance. “But don’t be upset when you're on the floor in pain.”

“Are we forgetting which one of us actually fought in matches before? Have you ever actually punched a guy on set?” Lemon questioned.

The fight took at least 2 minutes. Johnny was more on the offense but Lemon was easily dodging and at some point apprehended Johnny by forcing his arms behind his back and forcing him to the ground.

“Alright, alright! I give up!” Johnny called, wincing at the feeling of Lemon pulling his arms. “Don’t break my arms, you maniac!”

“Oh, crap, sorry.” Lemon apologized, getting off Johnny and putting her hands behind her back. “Force of habit.”

Johnny stood and rubbed his arm while looking at the teenager in shock. “Breaking people’s arms is a habit of yours!?”

“...Yeah, I worded that wrong…”

“Lemon has won this fight!” Liu Kang announced, motioning for the two to step off the battlefield. “Kung Lao, Kenshi Takahasi, you two are next.”

Lemon, at this point, has stopped paying attention to the actual fight (except that one time Kung Lao almost sliced Kenshi’s neck off and started spewing apologies, which was something she thought he couldn’t do.) Anyways, Kung Lao won the fight so now they’re taking a small break before the last two fights.

“You want me to try and fight the man who’s ALWAYS won against me?” Lemon questioned, looking at Liu Kang in shock.

“It sounds like you’re already prepared to lose.” Liu Kang noticed.

“Yes…yes I am. Doesn’t mean I’m not still trying, but I’m like 80% sure I'm going to get my ass kicked.”

“I’m going to take all of that as a compliment.” Raiden chuckled. “But Lemon, you have been getting better and better. Don’t just assume you are going to lose”

“Eh, we’ll see how good I got with this fight.”

Lemon got her ass kicked. 

It was genuinely a pretty close fight, but Raiden has continued to prove that he was the better fighter.

“See?” Lemon sighs, letting Raiden help her up. “You’re just the better fighter, man.”

“Even so, it was an honor fighting you again.” Raiden replied.

“It was fun.”

“Our final battle will be Kung Lao and Raiden!” Liu Kang announces as Lemon walks off the battlefield to where Kenshi and Johnny are.

“Man…I was so close to winning…” Lemon complained, leaning on Kenshi’s arm. “I didn’t even want to fight in the tournament, I just wanted to kick Kung Lao’s ass…”

“Just ask him to spar later, it’s not that complicated.” Kenshi said, simply, making Lemon glare at him.

“It wouldn’t feel the same, I needed to crush his hopes and dreams like I did with him.” Lemon points to Johnny who looked flabbergasted.

“My dream wasn’t to fight in the tournament! It was to make a badass movie about it!” Johnny argued.

“Yeah, but you thought you were going to win against me and I immediately proved you wrong!”

“Shhh!” Kenshi interrupted. “They’re about to fight.” He then lightly bumped Lemon off of him. “And stop leaning on me.”

“Wha!? Loser…” Lemon muttered, crossing her arms and turning to face Kung Lao and Raiden’s fight.

“Fifty bucks says Kung Lao wins.” Johnny bets.

“Make it interesting.” Kenshi suggests. “Bet me Sento.”

“Ha! Not on your life.”

Liu Kang gets up from his seat and walks over to Kung Lao and Raiden saying, “The winner of this match will represent Earthrealm against Outworld. It is a grave duty, not to be taken lightly. You may step back now and suffer no dishonor.”

“I choose to fight, Lord Liu Kang.” Raiden states.

“As do I.” Kung Lao adds.

“Then may the best person win.” Liu Kang says, bowing to the two and sitting back down.

Raiden and Kung Lao face each other, backing away to their own part of the battlefield.

“Concede, Raiden. You have never beaten me, that won’t change today.” Kung Lao gloated.

“No. If the monks have taught us one thing, it’s that the only constant in the universe is change.” Raiden disagreed as they both got into a fighting stance.

Raiden, in the end, proved right as he ended up as the one standing in victory. “There is a first time for everything, Kung Lao.” He said, helping his best friend to his feet.

Liu Kang stands up from his seat and walks back over to the two with something in his hand. “Although you have all trained well, Raiden has excelled. This outcome does not surprise me.” He announces.

“How could I…” Kung Lao mumbled before politely bowing to Raiden. “Congratulations.”

“For the tournament…” Liu Kang started, presenting a small box and opening it. Inside was a blue amulet. “You will need this. Forged by the Elder Gods, it gives the wearer power over lightning and thunder. Go ahead. Try it.”

Raiden took the amulet out and examined how electricity came out of it and into his hand. He then turned to the statue behind him, tightened his grip on the amulet and aimed it at the statue. A powerful blast of electricity came out of the amulet and hit the statue, shocking everybody.

“Holy Arc of the Covenant!” Johnny gasped, recording the entire thing.

“That’s so loud…” Lemon muttered, covering her ears.

“It is incredible.” Raiden breathes, pulling his hand back. “But is it necessary?”

“In addition to possessing great might, the Outworlders you will face also wield great might.” Liu Kang explains. “The amulet levels the playing field.”

“You must be careful, Raiden.” Kung Lao worries, putting his hand on Raiden’s shoulder. “You could get hurt. Even killed!”

“Nobody has ever been grievously injured or killed in the tournament, there’s no need to worry.” Liu Kang reassures. “I would never send my champions unwittingly into mortal kombat.”

Raiden nods in response as Liu Kang announces to the others, “We leave in seven days for Outworld’s capital, Sun Do. The tournament will be held at the palace of Empress Sindel.”

7 days later the group (and a few other people) were standing in front of some sort of gate or teleportation system (whatever it was, nobody really knew). Liu Kang started opening the portal and while doing that explained to the others to stay focused and not feel overwhelmed by all the new changes that he described as intoxicating.

Johnny was, of course, recording everything and even tried to record Kenshi’s reaction. Kenshi slapped his phone away from his face as they all walked through the portal.

Outworld was exactly as the God of Fire described. Intoxicating, a bit overwhelming and colorful. It honestly looked like a true palace and that made Lemon so excited. In front of them were guards and two women. One dressed in pink and one dressed in blue.

“Oh my…” Johnny breathed as the women started to walk down the stairs. “Are those…”

“Empress Sindel’s daughters, yes.” Liu Kang answered.

“They do not disappoint.”

“We are Earthrealm’s ambassadors, Johnny. We’ll show them respect. Not unwanted attention.” Raiden scolded.

“Sure…”

Kung Lao noticed Lemon rapidly looking around at their environment and put a hand on her head to calm her down. “Stay focused.” He reminded her.

“Right. Sorry.” Lemon apologized.

“Lord Liu Kang, welcome.” The pink woman greeted as the Earthrealmers bowed.

“Thank you, Princess Mileena.” Liu Kang replied.

“You remember my sister?”

“Of course, Princess Kitana.” Liu Kang then motions to the people behind him. “May I introduce Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Cheri Carr, who prefers to go by Lemon, Kenshi Takahasi and Earthrealm’s champion…Raiden.”

“I hope you’re prepared, Raiden.” Kitana warned. “Our champions are determined to win.”

“None more so than me.” Mileena added. “It’s been too long since we’ve known victory.”

“Princess Mileena…” One of the guards called, walking over to the princess. “We should be on our way. Empress Sindel awaits.”

“Thank you, Tanya.” Mileena then turns to their guests. “Follow me, please.”

They led them to two carts and asked them to climb on. Both were able to hold four people at a time so Kung Lao, Kenshi, Johnny and Kitana sat in one cart while Raiden, Liu Kang, Lemon and Mileena went in the other cart. They rolled through the village where a festival was taking  place. There was music and people dancing, it was so vibrant and colorful that it had drawn both Lemon AND Raiden’s attention.

“Those are Centaurians…” Raiden noticed, looking at the people in the crowd. “And Shokan!”

“The six-armed beings are Naknadans.” Mileena informed.

“The monks described them, but seeing them in person…” 

“It’s so cool!” Lemon gushed, slightly leaning over Raiden to see outside the cart as well. “I wonder what it’d be like to have six arms, that must be fun!”

“But wouldn’t it be a bit crowded?” Raider questions.

“Yeah, probably.”

“I see that Her Majesty one again spares no expense on the festival.” Liu Kang noticed.

“Should she not?” Mileena inquired. “It commemorates my late father.”

“I admire, Princess. I do not judge. As did all of Outworld, I valued greatly Jerrod’s fellowship.”

“And I thought the academy would be the best thing I’ve ever seen…” Lemon muttered, quietly grabbing Kung Lao’s hand and putting it on her head so she could force herself to focus.

“No offense, Liu Kang, but why bring a child here?” Kenshi asked Liu Kang, eyeing Lemon.

“She’s a warrior, just like the rest of you. She just became one in a shorter amount of time.” Liu Kang answered. “You saw that when she fought Johnny and Raiden.”

“I suppose you're right.” Kenshi agreed.

"Don't let her childish nature fool you."

Raiden was standing next to the two, slightly fidgeting with his fingers and deep in thought. He was worried and not exactly sure if he’d truly win this tournament.

Liu Kang noticed. “Worry expends energy for no purpose, Raiden.” He said.

“But the tournament, if i lose–”

“Focus on your actions, not the outcome. It is all you can control.”

A buff creature with horns walks through the town people, bumping into them without a care in the world.

“Red alert.” Johnny commented. “Incoming stock villain.”

"General Shao." Liu Kang informed. "Do not let him goad you."

The general notices the group and stomps towards them, standing in front of Raiden. "Is it me or is Earthrealm's champion scrawnier than usual?" He asked.

"Would you care to test his strength?" Kung Lao challenged. "Raiden will-"

"Will prove himself eventually." Liu Kang interrupted, pushing Kung Lao behind him.

"Have you still not told most Earthrealmers that Outworld exists?" General Shao asks. 

"It is safer that way, General."

"I suppose so. Your people's frail minds couldn't handle the truth."

"You presume them frail, General? Should you? Given how frequently they win this tournament?"

"We will destroy your champion, Liu Kang. He will taste no victory."

The General then storms off as the Empress walks into the palace along with her daughters, Mileena and Kitana. They showed how powerful they were just by walking to their seats.

"Welcome, members of the royal house. Welcome, our esteemed Earthrealm guests." The empress greeted. "We gather once again to honor my late husband's legacy. To continue the tournament that he founded with Lord Liu Kang in hopes that it would foster peace among the realms. May Jerrod's soul watch over us with pride from its resting place in the Living Forest. Lord Liu Kang.”

“Empress Sindel.” Liu Kang responds. “It pleases me to once again be your guest.”

“Here, you are always welcome. Now. Let us meet your champion.”

“Earthrealm’s champion is Raiden, Your Majesty.” Liu Kang steps to the side to show off his champion. “He has earned his place by embodying the very best qualities of Earthrealm’s people.”

“You seem nervous, young man.” Sindel notices.

“I’m a stranger in an unfamiliar land, here to compete against its greatest fighter. Yes, I am nervous.” Raiden says.

“As you should be. You have a difficult path ahead.” Sindel then stands up and announces, “It has begun!” A woman walks into the palace as Sindel continues to speak. “As tradition requires, Outworld’s initial competitor will be Sun Do’s First Constable…Li Mei. May she defend out realm’s glory as well as she preserves our capital’s order.”

Li Mei walks up to the empress and bows. “Your Majesty, I will honor both the royal house, and all of Outworld with my kombat.”

Sindel puts a hand on her shoulder. “If so, you will vastly exceed my expectations.” She says before whispering, “Remember, were it not for Jerrod’s tradition, you would not be here.”

“All you need do is your best.” Liu Kang says to Raiden. “The rest will take care of itself.”

“Yes, Lord Liu Kang.” Raiden replies. Liu Kang then walks away as Raiden and Li Mei face each other.

“Shall we see what you can do?” Li Mei asks.

“Hopefully, this will be the first of many victories.”

“I will prevail, Earthrealmer. This fight is more important to me than you can ever know.”

The fight ended with Raiden’s first win. Li Mei ended up on the floor in embarrassment.

“Guess Raiden’s really got this.” Kenshi mutters, watching Li Mei walk out of the palace.

“Of course he does. He’s bested all of us in kombat, why wouldn’t he best Outworld as well?” Kung Lao questions.

“My compliments, Raiden, on a well fought match.” Sindel congratulates. “We’ll see how you fare in the next. General Shao, Whom have you chosen as our next competitor?”

“Your Majesty, I have chosen Reiko, my second-in-command.” The General answers. Reiko then walks into the palace. “As a bot, Reiko was orphaned during the Kafallah War. Though Captured, his spirit remained unbroken. He scratched, clawed and survived.”

“He reminds me of Grumpy Cat.” Lemon chuckled.

“After the war, I took him in, molded him into the perfect soldier. Few others are as well versed in the ways of war.”

Reiko stood in front of Raiden and started punching and kicking the air either to show off, or intimidate Raiden (Which doesn’t even work.) He then asks, “In whose army have you served? In what war have you fought?”

“I have done neither.” Raiden admits.

“Then you are woefully unprepared, Earthrealmer. This will be your last battlefield.”

They always have some dramatic speech before Raiden beats them up. At this point it was a bit amusing to see Reiko get beat. Lemon had to cover her mouth to stop any laughs from coming out.

“Felled by a simple farmer.” Raiden brags, leaving Reiko to lay on the ground as he turns to Sindel. “I am ready for my next opponent, Your Majesty. Whom shall I face?”

“Patience, young man.” Sindel says, standing from her throne. “We are adjourned until first light. I hope to see you all at this evening’s banquet.”

“May I ask a question, Your Majesty?” Lemon asked, standing in front of the Empress. Liu Kang was watching from afar to make sure the woman didn’t say anything stupid or offensive.

“Yes, you may.” Sindel replies.

“Why do we say “Your Majesty” instead of “My Majesty”? I’ve always had questions about that.”

Sindel’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. Out of all the questions, she wasn’t expecting that. “You truly are young, aren’t you?” she chuckles. “Majesty means honor. So it’d be a bit abnormal for people to say “My Majesty” because that would mean they have honor, which they do not.”

“Ooohhh. Okay.” Lemon nods, bowing to the empress. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Of course.”

“I could’ve answered that question for you.” Liu Kang says as Lemon walks back to her seat, next to Raiden.

“Really? I just thought it’d make sense to ask the Empress herself.” Lemon shrugs. “Wait, did she just call me young? I’m 17…”

“I’m pretty sure everybody here is older than 20.” Kung Lao comments. “You just have to admit you are the youngest one here.” He shrugs, smirking at Lemon who glared at him.

“Don’t talk to me with your mouth full.” Lemon scoffs, leaning back on her chair and crossing her arms.

“So, what sort of name is Lemon?” Kitana asks from across the table. “Is it referencing the fruit or something else?”

“The fruit.” Lemon answers, her smile coming back to her face. “It’s just a nickname that stuck with me.”

“I still don’t understand how it’s supposed to match with your name.” Johnny chimed in, leaning his head on his hand.

“You’ll figure it out at some point, it’s extremely basic, I promise you.”

Kitana perked up. “Oh! Che–”

“Don’t give him the answer! Keep it to yourself!” Lemon interrupts, holding her hand up.

“What!?” Johnny exclaimed.

“I just wanna see how long it takes you to figure it out.”

Mileena, a few feet away, started to quietly groan in pain as she held her stomach. Tanya walks over to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. “Are you unwell, Princess?” She whispers.

“I am fine, Tanya.” Mileena answers.

“I know I’m to fight Mileena…” Raiden started. “But will I also face Tanya?”

“By tradition, you will not.” Liu Kang responds. “But if you did, you would be challenged.”

“How so?”

“Umgadi, like Tanya, are warrior priestesses. Selected from the first born daughters of Outworld. From infancy, they are trained to defend the royal family.”

“Outworld must see much conflict if the Empress needs such protection.”

“Its past has been difficult. Though the last thousand years of Empress Sindel’s reign have been a true golden age, the memories of the strife still linger.”

Sindel stands up from her seat with a drink in hand. “My husband Jerrod believed that the future of our realms lay together. Let us move forward in open dialogue, letting no secrets tear our bonds asunder.”

Everybody stands up with their drinks as Raiden continues the speech. “Your Majesty, It’s an honor to be here and to meet your people. I can already see there’s more that joins us than divides us.”

Shao lets out a sarcastic laugh and stands up from his seat. “Our people could not be more different, champion.” He disagrees.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Earthrealmers are devoid of all–”

“That’s enough, General.” Sindel interrupts, glaring at him.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. Perhaps I’ve enjoyed too much of this excellent wine. With your permission…”

“You may go.”

The General walks off, knocking his glass off the table. Reiko follows after. The silence was loud after that, with no one daring to say a word.

“I am sorry about that.” The empress apologizes. “I’ll deal with him later. Liu Kang, you can show your warriors to the room you’ll all be staying in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Liu Kang responds.

The “room” in question was more like a mansion than anything. It was made mostly out of wood but it was able to hold the six of them and the rest of the monks from Earthrealm.

“This just feels like a better orphanage.” Lemon comments, going up the stairs to one of the rooms and looking inside it. There were two pairs of bunk beds inside. “Yep.”

“Oh god, bunk beds!?” Johnny exclaims, looking inside the room as well. “Why would I wanna sleep with these people!?”

The rest of the group ignored them and just decided who would sleep in what room. Raiden, Kung Lao, Kenshi and Johnny were all going to sleep in one room while Lemon slept with, Bi-Han, Kuai Liang and Tomas (She still kept calling him “gray guy”)

Was Lemon happy she had to sleep with a bunch of grown men that she barely talked to? No. But it’s better than sleeping alone in her own room. That terrifies her.

“So, how does it feel to be famous?” Lemon asked Johnny. The two were in the living room with a bunch of other monks who were talking amongst themselves. Kung Lao and Kenshi were also there while Raiden went to sleep early to be prepared for the continuation of the tournament.

“Why are you asking me? Aren’t you famous as well?” Johnny inquired, holding a glass of wine in his hand.

“Well yeah, but I’m assuming that being a famous actor is different from being a famous kickboxer.”

“Sure, I might be famous because of how handsome I am while you’re famous for kicking a person, but I’m sure there’s some things that are similar. Like…can you just freely walk around your neighborhood without someone running up to you for an autograph?”

“No.”

“Do you feel like you need to be perfect?”

“Yes.”

“Do you need to always question who your actual friends are because one of those people could be a jealous asshole?”

“Yeah–Oh.”

“See? We have some similarities.” Johnny says, taking a sip of his wine. “When did you start to become famous?”

“When I was eleven.” Lemon answered, moving to cross her legs on the couch they both were sitting on. “I was already good at fighting but Justice showed me how much people would pay to see “professional” fighting. So…yeah.”

“Do you have any sort of goal?”

“Get out of the orphanage I live in. Take my girlfriend with me. My other two friends already left while we were training with the monks. Then after that…who knows! I just can’t wait until February! Being famous kinda sucks but you get money out of it.”

“True that!” Johnny laughed.

“So, do you have a goal Johnny?” Lemon inquired.

“I’m losing my fame a bit so I’m just trying to get that back. Main reason why I joined you all. I’m gonna make it big once again by making a movie out of this!”

“A movie? About Raiden fighting in the tournament?” Lemon questioned. “Sure, the people here look cool as hell but just making a movie about a tournament is kinda…eh.”

“Well, of course it’s not going to be just the tournament. Something interesting is going to happen at some point. we just have to patiently wait for the drama to start.”

“Patiently? Dude, ever since I’ve met you, you’ve been complaining about how long something was taking.”

“I’m a changed man now!” Johnny insisted.

“Ha! Sure.” Lemon laughs, looking at the table in front of them.

The continuation of the tournament was held outside the palace on the side of it. The seats where the Empress and her daughters were was in front of the area where the audience was supposed to be, so the fights would be right in front of them.

Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kenshi, and Johnny were with the rest of the audience also feeling proud for their champion. Lemon was on top of Kung Lao’s shoulders due to a bet they made (she won), trying her hardest not to accidentally fall backwards and hurt them both. Raiden, as of right now, was standing proudly where he was, having already beaten three other people.

“Only two fighters remain. Are you ready, Earthrealmer?” Sindel asked Raiden.

“I am, Your Majesty.” Raiden assures.

“Then next you face my daughter. Kitana”

The two final fights went like this: Raiden beats Kitana (Mileena was absent for some reason) and Raiden beats General Shao (does this man have an actual name?).

“It’s over…” Raider realizes as a smile slowly creeps up on his face. “I have done it!”

Sindel stands up along with her daughter. “Congratulations, Raiden. Earthrealm wins.” The two walk away as Raiden walks towards General Shao who was on the ground in pain.

“May I assist you?” He asks, lending the general his hand.

“Stay away, Earthrealmer!” The general scoffs, whacking the man’s hand away. Raider backs away, getting his message.

“Well done.” Liu Kang congrats. “You have exceeded my greatest expectations.”

“Thank you, Lord Liu Kang.” Raiden replies.

“Because of you, the Outworlders who would disturb the peace will once again be held at bay.” Liu Kang then puts a hand on Raiden’s shoulder and guides him to the others. “Come. Let us bid our hosts farewell and return to Earthrealm.”

“You did great, Raiden!” Johnny complimented as they all walked off the field.

“Well done!” Kenshi added.

“Thank you, but uh…” Raiden turns to Kung Lao and Lemon in slight confusion. “Kung Lao, why is Lemon on top of you?”

“Lost a bet…” Kung Lao sighs.

“They’ve been making bets since last night.” Kenshi informs.

“You should’ve been awake to see it!” Johnny laughs. “Kung Lao lost every. Single. Bet.”

“He keeps trying though. To prove he can beat me, but he never will.” Lemon smirks, leaning her arms on Kung Lao’s head. “Isn’t that right, Kung Lao?”

“I will win a bet eventually, just wait and see!” Kung Lao announces.

“No. Kung Lao, just stop before she takes all your money along with your pride.” Raiden warned.

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Picrew link: TOON ME!

[sparkymalone]

So I have an idea for a Kuzuhina longfic, but I'm not sure if I want to write it, because I don't know how I would end it in a happy way, and I generally don't like leaving stories on a bad note. But it's an idea that keeps bouncing around my head, and it would be hella smutty, so maybe?

Okay, tell me what you think of this:

A fantasy setting where there are two warring kingdoms, one ruled by Queen Enoshima and one ruled by King Kamukura. One day the queen gets usurped by her own people, and Makoto gets put in charge. He begins talks with King Kamukura to end the war. The king is receptive, but he wants something in return.

Makoto's advisors suggest handing over the Remnants as prisoners. Kamukura is like "sure, whatever."

The Remnants get sent to Kamukura's kingdom and the king has to decide what to do with them. All of the Remnants with practical skills get put to work. He's not sure what to do with the leftovers.

One of his advisors suggests making a harem. Kamukura is like "sure, whatever."

So he makes a harem. He puts them in a nice room, gets them little slutty outfits, and breaks them in, one at a time. After that he doesn't visit them that often (Kamukura isn't a particularly sexual person), usually to take out aggression or as a form of punishment for the Remnants. (Is this too dark? I don't want it to be overly... rape-y...)

Hajime, who is the king's brother (lol), thinks the harem is a gross idea. He generally objects to it, but he sees the consorts sometimes, since the harem shares a courtyard with the royal quarters.

One day he runs into Fuyuhiko in the courtyard and they start talking. Over time, they become good friends, but that's all.

Kamukura notices, and Hajime isn't technically doing anything wrong, so he doesn't say anything. But he decides that he needs to "mark his territory," so to speak. He starts sleeping with Fuyuhiko more often.

And Hajime realizes that it's making him jealous, and that makes him realize that he's developed feelings for Fuyuhiko. One night, he confesses, and they kiss.

They start sneaking around together, but it's mostly the same as before, just with kissing sometimes. Until one night, when Fuyuhiko is particularly pissed off at Kamukura, and really emotional, and he asks Hajime to sleep with him.

Obviously, Hajime wants to, but he knows that if they get caught, the king will kill them both. He's also worried that Fuyuhiko has to have sex all the time, what if he's sick of it, or Hajime can't measure up, or something similar?

Fuyuhiko says something along the lines of, "Just once, I want to fuck because it's what I want to do."

So they have very romantic sex, and they both love it. They agree that it has to be a one-time thing, because it's too dangerous.

But obviously it doesn't end up being a one-time thing. They get caught up in their feelings and wind up sleeping together several more times.

And if course it's too good to be true, and they get caught. The king doesn't kill them, but he does cut out Fuyuhiko's eye (something about a "wandering eye," I'm still working on it) and makes Hajime watch. Then he tosses Hajime in the dungeon.

That's as much as I have, but there would be lots of smutty scenes, because of the harem. Not just with our boys, but with all the Remnants.

I don't really know how it would end. The only way it could end happily is Kamukura getting overthrown, right? I don't know, I'm open to ideas.

Does this sound like something you would want to read? Do you have any ideas to help out? Feedback is appreciated, as always!

[ghastlybin]

HI I’M BACK I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE ON REAPER! SEONGHWA PLEASE I LOVED HIS INTEGRATION IN THE YEOSANG FIC YOU DID AS PER MY REQUEST YOU CAN DO AN X READER OR JUST A LORE TYPE FIC ABOUT HIM AS A REAPER BUT EITHER I NEED IT THANK YOUUUUU ~ overexcited atiny anon 🙈

Hahahahaha yooooooo back again ay? Anywho, thank you for your request and patience, I uhhh combined your suggestions? Lore + an X reader LOL. Trying out a new format also so I hope it doesn't look too weird. Anyways, ILY PLEASE ENJOY and lmk of any feedback.

-> DON'T FORGET TO LOOK AT THE WARNINGS GDI.

Yeosang fic mentioned in the ask

W.C▾5.1K

Seonghwa X GN Reader

▾Reaper! Seonghwa ▾ Reaper! Reader ▾ FT. Souls keeper! Hongjoong, Angels! Yeosang, Wooyoung, and Jongho, Demon! San, Yunho and Mingi are humans, still. ▾ Angst ▾ Fluff ▾ Blasphemous language ▾ Strong language ▾ Pet loss mentions? not descriptive dw ▾ Familial loss mentions? ▾ major character death ig?▾ Hiding your relationship, yk how that goes ▾ Takes place before/ during Yeosang being outcast from the angelic realm ▾ San is innocent btw ▾ Shit goes down lol ▾ I lowkey cried but that’s because I’m a lil bitch▾ Oh, Dreamcatcher’s Siyeon is mentioned as a reaper▾ She has plot armor despite being in one line & she's innocent too▾ the reader / Y/N is better than me fr, I’d translate these hands into fists so fast- ▾

The realm that separated the angels and the demons.

Purgatory.

The in-between, as some called it. Some argued that it was on par with the demonic realm while others- Namely the demons, disagreed.

None of it bothered Seonghwa. He ran the place, after all, being the lead reaper. None of the gossip fazed him. He knew the place better than anyone.

The ins and the outs, the plant life that grew exclusively around the realm, every form of matter, he could even tell you where something was without a doubt in mind.

Seonghwa met everyone that entered the realm and was there to bid farewell to anyone leaving.

It was his home and if someone didn’t like it, well, good thing it was his home and not theirs.

He’s had a fair share of run-ins with new and old souls that pass through his mist-blanketed realm.

He met babies and children up to the age of fourteen, some who didn’t make it to their first year, some who were almost teenagers but were cut short, and some who were placed in the hands of the wrong people. He met teenagers and adults, of varying ages.

Every cause of death, what they were doing before their last moments, he knew as if it were an instant message to his brain.

Then he met animals of all kinds. They would love him instantly, having a sense that he wasn’t bad and in turn would ease their fears. Seonghwa took care of them all. Escorting them to where they needed to go.

The animals went across the rainbow bridge, where Hongjoong waited on the other side, happily greeting each and every one.

Seonghwa wasn’t the ‘bad’ version of Hongjoong, nor was he a demon. He was a reaper. He didn’t kill or order anyone to be killed because of his title.

No one feared him in purgatory. Not with the warm welcome or the kindness he showed to newcomers regardless of their lives spent on earth.

“Is my mom here?“

“Have you seen my pet?”

“Is my dad here?”

“My sibling passed away before me. Will I see them again?”

Seonghwa knew the answers to every question. Most of the time it would be a simple,

“Yes. They have been waiting for you.” But when the answer was, “No.”, he could never seem to find the right answer no matter how simple.

Sometimes the people they were looking for were still alive on the land of the living. Sometimes, they were in a different realm, inaccessible to the person asking. And still, Seonghwa tried his best to help ease these souls’ anguish.

“Welcome, my name is Seonghwa.” Everyone got that greeting except for animals. They received pats and treats Seonghwa kept on him at all times.

“Don’t be afraid. This is just temporary. You are safe.” No one feared him. But some did occasionally fear where they entered, thinking they were in the demonic realm.

▸

If Seonghwa hadn’t been at this for far longer than you, you’d be the leader of the reapers. There was no denying that you were the second best. Even Seonghwa, the actual leader of the reapers, would appoint you as the leader if he could.

The Purgatory Realm was an open space for any reaper residing there or just passing through, no area was off limits, though you— As well as every other reaper had claimed their areas of the realm.

Whenever someone or an animal ended up on your respective area of the realm, you were always kind and offered any form of comfort to them, knowing they were just as confused as you were when you died centuries ago.

And among the reapers, you were voted the best at escorting those who recently passed on. To Seonghwa, that didn’t come as a surprise. Because out of the other reapers, you had the worst death.

Yet you were still unbroken.

“Hey there buddy! Lived a long life, didn’t we?” You cheerfully called towards the fully grown dog, who happily wagged his tail on his way toward you. Upon placing your hand on top of his head, you were able to see his full life, starting from the moment he was born, to the moment he died.

What felt like yet another lifetime, was only a few seconds and you were back in your corner of the realm, still petting the dog, who didn’t live a life as happy as he was in front of you.

“Oh no… You’re safe here. No one can hurt you here.” You kissed the top of his head before checking the name on the collar.

“Luck? Lucky? What does that say?” You murmured, trying to read the name that had faded with time.

“What is his name?” Seonghwa startled you, causing you to drop the nametag. You looked at the lead reaper, who kneeled beside you to pet the dog.

“Lucky, I assume.”

“It’s Luke.”

You raised your eyebrows in realization, seeing the faded letters matching up with Seonghwa’s observation.

“I’m calling an audit. His name is now Lucky.”

Seonghwa smiled, petting Lucky— Or Luke, as he happily wagged his tail.

“Lucky or Luke, we should get him to the rainbow bridge soon.”

“Can I keep him?” You asked, rising to your feet, looking at Seonghwa with persuading eyes.

“You ask that for every animal you meet.”

“And everyone always tells me no.”

Seonghwa stood up, patting the side of his leg for Lucky to follow. You followed as well, feeling gloomy about having to part with Lucky soon.

“I would let you keep every animal if they didn’t risk losing the ability to reincarnate.” Seonghwa rang the bell for Hongjoong, causing the rainbow bridge to appear as the fog parted ways for the three of you.

Lucky barked, picking up speed towards the bridge. You smiled bittersweetly.

“Does he have to reincarnate? Humans suck.”

“I agree with you on that,” Seonghwa sighed, stopping both of you from getting too close to the bridge. “But this time, Luke— Lucky, is guaranteed a nice life.”

“Ah, so a peace offering for the shit he lived through previously.” You stuffed your hands in your pockets as Hongjoong was taken by surprise when Lucky jumped up, wagging his tail and licking Hongjoong all over his face. He laughed, wiping his face when Lucky raced towards the other animals excitedly.

“Next animal that comes through with a horrible life, I’m going to the land of the living and showing them why I used to be a demon.” You mumbled, being completely serious.

With that, Seonghwa laughed, a rare sound to hear from the leader of the reapers. Hongjoong waved towards you two from the other side of the bridge before it faded back into the fog.

“For now, try not to get your title relinquished, alright? I still need you.” He looked around as he said that but then his eyes stopped on you, who smirked.

“For a scary reaper, you sure are sentimental.”

▸

Those inhabiting the purgatory realm didn’t have to follow any angelic or demonic rules. They were free to do and say whatever as long as it didn’t interfere with the angels or demons.

However, reapers only had one unspoken rule.

No two reapers can be in a relationship.

Same for a reaper and an angel or a reaper and a demon.

Unspoken, yet every reaper knew not to pursue a relationship with anyone. Their purpose was to focus on their jobs as reapers and they would have complete control over their soul.

Even the soul's keepers have this rule implemented.

The risk of losing your soul didn’t stop you or Seonghwa from being with each other, sneaking around just to see each other by unprofessional means and hiding your feelings for each other from the other prying reapers.

You were sure some of the other reapers suspected something. Even Seonghwa had heard rumors about you dating someone, whether it was an angel or a demon— And although only half true, he would still deny them on your behalf.

If anyone paid any more attention, your relationship would be obvious.

Seonghwa knew only one other person— Other than you, knew how much he loved you.

Hongjoong.

He is the soul's keeper, after all. Someone with that much access to someone’s soul? Of course he’d know.

And having that kind of knowledge would be kept strictly confidential.

You two have gotten used to hiding from everyone, albeit exhausting. It didn’t feel fair, how demons could freely fall for each other, or how angels had access to full blown celebrations but only when a relationship was deemed serious enough.

There was a loneliness that came with loving Seonghwa, that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with whoever created the rule of reapers living their eternities alone.

It was hardly living. And because you were a reaper, you weren’t living at all.

What a cruel way to live, not being able to love someone out loud.

Seonghwa found you sitting by the dark pond with a small fog that blanketed the body of water, parting more when Seonghwa got closer.

“Any newly deceased around here?” Seonghwa asked, sitting against the grey grass beside you.

“I escorted fifteen people two hours ago. Siyeon said she’d take over for me.” You stared out at the pond where the fog wasn’t covering the water.

“Good. You could use a break,” Seonghwa smiled, leaning back with his elbows propping him up. “Is this your favorite place?”

You looked at him, a smile instantly forming on your face seeing the man that has made you feel more alive in death.

“No.” You tossed a pebble into the water, causing a small ripple. “My favorite place is in front of gate P-043.”

“Which gate is that?” Seonghwa looked at you with furrowed eyebrows. You smiled a little wider.

“The gate I met you at… Some of the reapers and I have named every known gate into the realm.” You explained, easing his expression. He sat up, tossing a pebble into the water, copying your previous action.

“I have an idea.” Seonghwa turned to face you and in turn, you did the same.

“You always wished we could show affection freely, yeah?” he continued.

You nodded slowly. Seonghwa grinned, taking your hand and flattened it against his, proceeding to put both your middle finger and ringer finger down against your palm.

“Devil horns?” You questioned, leaving your hand in the form he put it in.

Seonghwa chuckled, shaking his head, “No, no. Look.”

He put down your index finger and thumb, only leaving your pinky.

“I.”

Then he put your pinky down, creating a fist momentarily before bringing up your index finger and thumb.

“L.”

Seonghwa paused to examine your focused expression. He smiled, leaving your thumb up but putting your index down and bringing your pinky back up.

“Y.”

Getting the meaning, you brought up every finger except your middle and ring fingers, keeping those pressed against your palm.

“Oh.” You felt that feeling again. The fluttering in your chest. The comforting warmth that came with the knowing that someone loved you.

“This is how we can remind each other freely. Just do this with your hand.” Seonghwa mimicked what you just called ‘devil horns’.

“Secret code?”

Seonghwa placed a hand against your face, running his thumb gently across your cheek, “yes. It’s innocent, discreet, friendly— You just referred to it as devil horns, so I doubt anyone else will catch on.”

You laughed, “not to mention that most of the angels already consider us demons for associating with death.”

“Please, it’s not like we kill people ourselves.” Seonghwa softly scoffed, watching you replicate the sign he put your hand in.

I.L.Y.

“I love you.” He whispered, gazing at you in complete and utter admiration.

And you stared at him in a stunned silence, raising your hand up a little higher.

I.L.Y.

▸

“Did you two hear about what Yeosang did?” Jongho asked, standing before you and Seonghwa. The angel had entered the realm to accept those recently deceased who were accepted into the angelic realm. Of course, he waited for the new angels to walk through the gate to the angelic realm before asking that.

“The guardian angel?” Seonghwa replied. Jongho nodded as if it were obvious.

“I don’t know the full story, but he’s been cast out to the demons.” Jongho looked back at the gate, seeing the angelic realm awaiting his return. “I’m sure he’ll visit… I gotta go before the gods and goddesses get suspicious. Everyone is on edge.”

You waited for the gates to close behind Jongho, waving at him as they did. Then you turned toward Seonghwa.

“The gods and goddesses are fucking confusing,” You mumbled, walking away with Seonghwa, yet catching him off-guard. “They love everyone— Or so they say, but can’t pardon their number one guardian angel for one goddamn sin? It’s a bunch of bullshit if you ask me.”

“You have a point, but maybe don’t say that near their gates…” Seonghwa let out a laugh. You made a motion of zipping your lips, followed by a wink.

“As I’ve said, they already think we’re demons that kill people and animals, so really, what’s the worst I can say?”

Seonghwa stopped walking, halting your movements as well by grabbing your arm and spinning you around to face him.

“Before we part ways for the day,” Seonghwa whispered. You had just enough time to process what he was doing just before feeling his lips pressed against yours.

There it was again, the warmth comfort of someone loving you. The type of feeling that can only be replicated by one person and no one else. You couldn’t help but dream of a day where you and Seonghwa could openly love each other the way demons, angels, and humans could as his lips were synced with yours for a prolonged amount of time.

“Am I interrupting?”

You and Seonghwa instantly pulled apart, mortified, having been caught. San raised his eyebrows slightly, a nonchalant expression adorned on his face.

“Before I ask what I intended, I will say now that I don’t give a shit about turning anyone in. The gods and goddesses can-”

“San,” You interrupted, shaking from the fear of losing everything in a single moment. “Please don’t say a word to anyone.”

San raised both hands, “as I said, I am not a snitch. An arsonist, yes. But never a snitch, Have more faith in me, will you?”

Seonghwa closed his eyes with a bowed head, deep in thought. San looked at you, a small smile forming on his face. You noticed it was a sincere smile rather than mischievous.

“For the record, giving the reapers a rule against dating is fucking stupid.” San dropped his arms to his side. “But what the hell do I know?”

You still couldn’t shake the feeling of being close to losing everything you’ve lived for— Despite not being alive. You could lose your title as a reaper, or you could lose your soul.

Or you could lose Seonghwa.

And he could lose you before he could really have you.

“I, San, will not say a word or even mention it,” San sighed, “Now, I need help finding a specific herb located in limbo… Please?”

Seonghwa accepted, motioning you to continue on with your daily obligations.

You began to walk away, your heart thumping in your chest. You turned to look at Seonghwa one last time, seeing he was speaking to San but being too far to hear their conversation.

You looked down at his side, seeing his hand and how his middle and ring fingers were pressed against his palm and his pinky, index finger, and thumb were the only visible fingers.

I.L.Y.

He wasn’t looking at you, but you did the same, mimicking the placement of his fingers.

▸

It quickly became a reflex of yours to hold up your hand in that formation when you would see Seonghwa looking your way.

And he would, on instinct, replicate your ‘devil horns’.

Other reapers noticed, but they too thought you were both in on some inside joke that made fun of demons. As time went by, they got used to it, ignoring you and Seonghwa when you’d hold up the sign that read, I.L.Y.

If anyone bothered to pay closer attention, they’d know.

But they didn’t.

Most of your time spent with Seonghwa was spent at the pond, where I love you wasn’t just an unspoken sign on your hands.

“Someday we will be free.” Seonghwa had a small smile across his lips, both gloomy and hopeful. “I bet your hands cramp up when you do your ‘devil horns’.”

You let out a laugh, gently shoving Seonghwa, “nope. It’s like a workout for my hands.”

Seonghwa chuckled, a look of adoration on his face as he looked at your smiling face, hoping this moment would never end and that you’d always be smiling like this.

The only person he dared to love in a title that forbade it.

Still, he wouldn’t turn back the clock to avoid you. He would turn back the time just to meet you again. And again. And once more.

“I love you.”

The three words, despite being just that, every syllable meant everything to you. It was rare, and not by choice. And it hurt almost as much as it filled you with euphoria.

You leaned forward, placing your lips against his, both of you cherishing every moment of the kiss you shared.

Unbeknownst to the two of you, someone had taken a picture of you two in the middle of the kiss, before the retreated, taking the evidence to the gods and goddesses.

▸

You ran as fast as you could to gate K-117, fear and adrenaline fueling you as you rang for Hongjoong, who appeared almost instantaneously at the gate. You ran through the gate and into his respective realm, pulling the gate closed.

“Hongjoong—!” You panted, tears brimming your eyes from the fear. Hongjoong already knew what happened before you could tell him the run-down of the situation.

“Where is Seonghwa?” Hongjoong asked, concern laced in his voice.

“He’s been detained. He willingly went with the angelic guards!” You panicked, unsure what they would do to him. Someone caught the two of you at the pond.

The only bright side was that Seonghwa still had a chance to be freed. The picture was obscured when being developed that his face or any distinguishing features weren’t visible.

You thanked the gods and goddesses for that.

But it was clear that you were the only other person in the picture.

“Why would he let them take him?! How the hell did they know it was him?”

Hongjoong knew you were upset, scared, and worried for Seonghwa. You knew you two broke the only rule a reaper had, but you couldn’t help but think about how innocent you both were.

“If he fought back, then he would really be suspicious… Y/N, what is your plan? You know what will happen…” Hongjoong frowned, a look of despair following.

“I… I don’t know.” You crossed your arms across your chest to calm yourself down. “Fuck! Why can’t they just ‘Yeosang’ me and send me to hell? Why do I have to fucking die?!”

You broke down into tears, knowing what they will do to you and probably Seonghwa if he confessed to being in a relationship with you. And everything inside of you hoped he wouldn’t.

“Did San—”

“No. He’s innocent. He wouldn’t do something like this to you or Seonghwa.” Hongjoong gently placed his hands on your shoulders to calm your shaking.

But nothing could calm you down after this.

“Hongjoong, you’re the only one that has archival proof of our memories. Please deny Seonghwa’s involvement with me. No one knows it was him in the picture, the gods and goddesses must’ve assumed— Please, this is the last thing I ask.” You pleaded, pressing your hands together as Hongjoong gave you an apprehensive look, deciding whether to accept or not.

“I can die, but please, not Seonghwa.” You added. Hongjoong tilted his head, a look of genuine remorse toward you as you begged.

“I can’t just lie… That’s a sin.”

“Is loving someone a sin too?” You remarked, your heart dropping to your stomach.

Before Hongjoong could respond, they found you, entering Hongjoong’s realm as the guards detained you, your hands chained behind your back as you were transported to the angelic realm beside Seonghwa, who was physically fine, but the second he saw you, you could see the glint of fear in his eyes knowing they caught you.

Hongjoong soon joined, his presence mandatory in finding out who the obscured figure was in the picture.

The God of Judgment stood before the two of you, examining your frightened expression.

“What is your relationship to each other? Bear in mind lying is a sin.”

You and Seonghwa glanced at each other briefly, afraid if you turned your head any further, they would see right through you.

“Friends.” Seonghwa spoke. “We are just friends to each other.”

In a different situation, those words would’ve hurt you.

But now? In the face of death? You were comforted, knowing Seonghwa wasn’t going to confess to the entire relationship that easily. Especially knowing he still had a chance at going free.

You nodded in agreement, “Yes. Only friends!”

There was a screen in the angelic courtroom that had the picture of you kissing someone— Seonghwa. Everyone knew it was you.

No one knew it was Seonghwa except Hongjoong and San, if he were allowed into the angelic realm to corroborate.

You looked at him with pleading eyes, then you noticed Jongho and Wooyoung, who you had only seen a few times before when escorting newly deceased.

They both seemed shocked by the whole thing.

“Is the other person beside you?” The God of Judgment’s voice boomed through the room. You quickly shook your head, hoping Seonghwa wouldn’t try to interfere or confess.

“No! Why does it matter? Falling in love with someone isn’t the end of the world!” You yelled, figuring if you were going to attempt to change anyone’s mind, it would be now and in the face of death.

“Love and death can never mix. Death can’t love anything without destroying itself.”

You struggled at the chains binding your hands behind your back, shaking your head.

“You’re wrong.” You cried, “You’re fucking wrong!”

“Bring them forward.”

Two guards pulled you before the God of Judgment, his intimidating demeanor making your skin crawl.

“Hongjoong, was the other person Seonghwa or not?”

And your mind raced, looking at him in an attempt to telepathically beg him to lie for you. Selfish, yes. But for Seonghwa, you would gladly be selfish if it meant he got to keep his soul.

“No.” Hongjoong spoke. For a moment, your ears rang. The deafening silence in the courtroom as you felt the time freeze.

“It was not Seonghwa… I don’t have access to who the other person was.” Hongjoong looked at you, trying so hard not to break down.

You were considered to be one of his friends. And his next words would tear him up more than you could ever know.

“Y/N destroyed that information… When they came into my realm.”

Seonghwa widened his eyes, the bottom of his eyelids brimming with tears. But he couldn’t say anything. Not without foiling everything and the three of you go down for breaking the one rule, but Hongjoong would be punished for lying.

It was ironic, how afraid of death you were in that moment. You dealt with death every day. Hell, you were death.

Every reaper was.

You didn’t kill anyone, but it was just the nature of your title.

It scared you.

“He’s telling the truth.” You spoke. Hongjoong forced himself to look away, afraid he would break down in despair and give everything away.

You felt the chains being detached, freeing your hands. You didn’t fight back, there was no use against the gods or goddesses.

“I will never tell you who it was.” You forced a smile directed at the God of Judgment. He shook his head, silently ordering two of his followers, who stood at both sides of you.

“That doesn’t matter anymore.”

It happened way less painfully than you expected. It was like you were floating, with tears streaming down your face. Everyone unsaid word, action that will never be done, and the life you’ll never see with Seonghwa.

You weren’t living, but with Seonghwa, you felt very much alive. His face was the first one you saw upon death, and it was the last you saw as memories of him flashed through your mind.

Seonghwa stared, helpless and in shock, watching as you fell limp as the God of Judgment encased your soul into a jar to be sent away where it would forever become inaccessible.

Seonghwa couldn’t breathe, forcing himself to contain his grief. And he looked at your hand.

Your middle and ring fingers pressed against your palm while your pinky, index finger, and thumb remained straightened out.

I.L.Y.

Seonghwa held it together until he was alone, the pain of losing you tore him up, an immense pain he couldn’t even begin to describe.

When he was alone, he ran to the pond where he shared your last kiss, gasping sobs as he collapsed to his knees in front of the pond.

Seonghwa gripped the grey grass as he shoved his face underwater, muffling the scream that came out next.

Seonghwa remerged, allowing himself to break down.

You were everything to him.

Somehow, that wasn’t enough.

Death can’t love anything without destroying itself.

You were right, he was wrong.

It felt like an injustice to you that Seonghwa began to agree with what he said.

Seonghwa was basically death, just as you were.

And he loved you.

And that destroyed him.

▸

San hesitated, a long expression as he waited at gate P-043. He held a canteen of a special tea he concocted, for the sole purpose of giving to Seonghwa as a form of consolation.

Seonghwa was there to greet him, a friendly smile adorned on his face when he saw San.

San felt waves of guilt, despite doing anything wrong. He held out the canteen, his arms shaking, thinking Seonghwa blamed him for your death.

“I’m sorry.” San watched Seonghwa smile drop, a look of sorrow taking over. Seonghwa accepted the canteen, the warm exterior being the only warmth he’s felt since before losing you.

“I know,” Seonghwa’s voice was quiet, the lump in his throat preventing him from speaking up. “You don’t need to be.”

San was torn between offering him a hug or just leaving him be. Guilt still clouded his mind.

“Hongjoong… He found the person who caused this.”

San didn’t feel any better. You were still gone and despite San’s loyalty, he regretted not being able to somehow prevent what happened to you.

▸

Seonghwa watched over your side of the realm for any newly deceased, even five centuries later, he never forgot about you. How could he?

He never got used to you being gone either. He still presses his middle and ring fingers to his palm, recreating what you once mistook for ‘devil horns’, but was actually a sign for I.L.Y., every time he enters your area of the realm.

‘I love you’.

The three words that never left his lips again.

Seonghwa entered your space, seeing something moving in the fog.

Then Seonghwa noticed the small dog, no older than one year old, trotting towards him. It’s tail wagged happily, tongue sticking out.

“Oh! Hey cutie! Are you lost?” Seonghwa kneeled, checking the name on the collar with one hand and feeding the dog a treat with the other. “Lucky?” Seonghwa felt a strange wave mixed with relief and despair when he read the tag.

“Nice to meet you, Lucky.” Seonghwa fondly smiled at the small dog, scratching it behind its ears as he fought back the lingering and unresolved pain he held in his chest.

The dog barked happily, circling Seonghwa. Seonghwa stood up, patting his leg for the dog to follow him in the distance to the rainbow bridge that opened up, sensing Lucky’s arrival.

The mist parted ways for him and the dog, as excited as it was.

“You’re a good dog.” Seonghwa grinned, petting Lucky one last time and offering another treat.

“Go. Hongjoong will take good care of you.” Seonghwa watched the dog happily bound across the bridge towards Hongjoong, who was kneeling and ready for Lucky to pounce into the Souls Keeper’s arms.

With a smile, Seonghwa stepped back, seeing Lucky run off to play with the other animals across the rainbow bridge.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa exchanged a wave towards each other before the bridge faded away and waited for another animal to enter Seonghwa’s realm.

In a moment of panic, Seonghwa rang the bell and summoned Hongjoong back. This time, the bridge didn’t appear and instead it was just Hongjoong.

“Why did you ring?”

“Let me keep Lucky.”

Hongjoong was taken aback but hesitantly shook his head, “what about—”

“Let me keep Lucky, please. It’s… All I ask.” Seonghwa repeated. Hongjoong pinched the bridge of his nose, a deep sigh as he gave in.

“Alright. You know it’s unethical for a reaper to stop a reincarnation, and I know it is.” Hongjoong looked off into the purgatory realm, seeing nothing but mist and fog for miles. “If we both agree that we recognize how unethical it is, then, fine. I will bring Lucky back.”

Seonghwa felt a sense of relief, watching Hongjoong open the gate to his realm.

“Wait!”

Hongjoong stopped and faced Seonghwa with his hand still on the gate.

“Luke?”

Hongjoong shook his head, “He’s been reincarnated.”

Seonghwa tried not to let his disappointment show, still grateful that Hongjoong agreed to let the other Lucky come back. But Hongjoong still saw right through his expression.

“Don’t worry. He lives with an elderly couple on a farm… He grew up with them.”

Seonghwa teared up, a smile formed on his lips, knowing Luke— Original ‘Lucky’, was living a good life.

And he heard your voice, having held onto that sound for centuries.

‘For a scary reaper, you sure are sentimental.’

[rmd-writes]

22, 39, and 51 for the writing asks!

29. What’s your revision or editing process like?

I tend to edit as I write - most often, when I open a doc I edit what is already there before I start writing again which means that the beginnings of my fics have been edited several times compared to the endings.

About half the time, I send my fics to a trusted friend to beta for me. I always intend to do this more often, because my writing is always better for having that feedback but sometimes I get impatient, or I don't want to bug my friends (which I know is silly because when I get asked to beta things my answer is almost always *grabby hands* unless I really don't have time).

If I've had a fic beta'd then I go through the suggested edits, review the entire doc again myself and then post it. And then, because I tend to post fics right before I go to sleep, I open the fic in the morning and find a bunch of things I've missed after it's been up on ao3 for a whole night 😅

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

I'm sharing something from a wip that I'm writing with @welcometololaland that is currently on pause while we fight with our current wips! I am fairly certain that I'm the one that wrote this section, Lola pls tell me if I'm wrong, but we've gotten to the point where we can't remember who wrote what in some parts of this!

“What are you even doing here, Mom? You never come to these things.”

“I had a meeting upstairs, thought I’d come and see if you actually turned up,” Gwyn explains. 

TK glares at her. He hopes no one else can hear this conversation, because it’s embarrassing. The fact that he works for his mother isn’t exactly a secret, but he usually tries to maintain some level of professionalism when they interact in public. Sometimes it’s impossible. 

“You know the whole point of these events is that you talk to new people, develop new relationships, not hide in the corner with your best friend and gossip.”

TK glances at Nancy who is studiously ignoring him. “Of course, Gwyn. We were just discussing our plan of attack when you came over,” Nancy fibs. 

Gwyn looks at them both sceptically. “Mmhmm. See that he actually talks to someone new tonight, will you Nancy? TK, Nancy’s in charge tonight, she’s your superior after all.”

Nancy grins at that and TK rolls his eyes. “Fine.”

“And TK, honey, do up another button, this is a networking event, not a bar.” This time Gwyn does reach out and to brush some imaginary lint off his shoulder. 

“Didn’t you meet Enzo at one of these things?” TK retorts, even as he follows his mother’s instructions and does up one of his buttons. He can see Nancy trying to hold in her laughter next to him as she mutters, “this is the best thing that’s happened today,” under her breath. 

“I did. Doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want my son representing my firm at an event looking like he’s trying to pick up.” Gwyn takes a sip of her wine and makes a face. “I can’t drink this. Don’t forget we have brunch plans on Sunday, TK. Nancy, you’re welcome to join us if you’re free,” Gwyn says as she spins on one Louboutin-clad foot and strides away. 

51. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Officially, 434,572 but that includes a bunch of collaborations so I think the actual number is somewhere closer to 340-360kk

PS. I have snippet sunday tags from @iboatedhere @strandnreyes @liminalmemories21 @reyesstrand pls consider this my snippet sunday post too!

[thelazyhermits]

I completed Book 5, so I’m now all caught up with the ENG storyline. Now, I can cover Book 5 events with my Yuu which will all be underneath the cut.

Edit: I’ve decided to go back and edit this since I’ve changed my mind on a few things since I started writing Twst fics, and thanks to those fics, there are things I don’t really need to include here on what would already be a long post just with the book’s events lol

For the most part, the beginning of Book 5 proceeds like it does in the game, that is up until the scene at the wishing well.

By this point, Yuu has gotten pretty good at reeling her boys in, so before they can do anything to piss Vil off, she intervenes and promptly gives the Ace/Deuce/Grim trio some smacks to keep them from doing anything stupid.

While they’re complaining about the rough treatment, she apologizes for the rudeness of her sons and tells Vil that she’s still working on their manners.

While Epel is marveling over how well she subdued the idiot trio, Vil comments that he’s glad at least one person in her group has some manners/common sense and knows when not to stick their nose into other people’s business.

Yuu proceeds to tell him that, despite her actions just now, her feelings aren’t that much different than her friends’ feelings. However, unlike them, she doesn’t think she currently needs to get involved in Epel’s situation since she knows he’s a strong guy.

Epel isn’t some damsel in distress that needs saving, so she won’t do him the disservice of treating him as such. However, that said, if Epel were to tell her that he needed her help, she wouldn’t hesitate to agree, even if that meant facing and having to take down the dorm leader of Pomefiore himself, because she considers Epel a friend.

While Epel is moved by her words, Vil is amused by her gall. It takes some guts to say something like that without any hesitation straight to his face.

In the end, he realizes that she’s just like her kids, just slightly more tactful lol

Soon after that, Vil takes Epel away like in the game, with Epel making sure to thank Yuu as they’re leaving since he really did appreciate what she said earlier.

After the Pomefiore students leave, Ace/Grim complain about Yuu’s rough treatment and how she’s really no better than them since she essentially picked a fight with Vil too lol 

Meanwhile, Deuce is feeling conflicted since he wants to help Epel, but at the same time, he realizes that Yuu made a good point earlier so he doesn’t know what he should do about Epel’s situation.

When he confides in her about this, Yuu tells him that she doesn’t see anything wrong with Deuce trying to help Epel. She really admires the fact that he’s genuinely bothered by Epel’s situation and can’t just leave Epel be.

(It reminds her of Midoriya/All Might whom she’s sure would’ve reacted similarly.)

That’s why she suggests finding a way to support Epel without forcing their help on him. That way, he’ll know they’re there for him, but they’ll also be respecting his feelings.

Which leads to Deuce making the decision to try out for the SDC with Ace/Grim since he knows that Epel will be a part of it but doesn’t actually want to be, so either Deuce can take his spot or at least be around to keep an eye on Epel.

Yuu had a feeling he would go this route, and she gives him her full support.

So, from there, Ace/Deuce/Grim begin practicing for the SDC audition. Yuu remains on the sidelines and takes care of playing the music and providing feedback.

She had been asked if she would try to audition, but she was quick to say she isn’t particularly good at singing/dancing. That’s why she thinks it’s best for her not to audition.

(What Yuu doesn’t realize is that, while it’s true that she’s not really good at dancing, she actually is a good singer. She just doesn’t think she is because Mumei had caught her singing to herself in the past and insulted her to the point where she came to truly believe she is bad at singing. 

Plus, there were times when Mumei would get violent when he insulted her singing, so as a result, she developed a fear of singing in front of others since she would unconsciously just expect that outcome every time despite rationally knowing that not everyone would be like Mumei.

That’s why she never sings around people and has basically developed stage fright to the point that if she were asked to sing she’d freeze up in fear and start remembering Mumei’s cruelty.)

Like in canon, Kalim & Jamil end up joining Ace/Deuce/Grim with their practicing and provide advice to help them improve. So things are mostly like in the game for this portion of the book.

One slight difference is that, in the scene with Azul, Yuu admits that she knew the live broadcast claim was just a lie to corner Jamil. She hadn’t been told as much, but she could tell that Jade was lying since she’s good at noticing when someone is lying.

However, that isn’t always the case with people as skilled at lying as Jade. He just wasn’t putting in all his effort in that lie as he would with other lies, so she was able to see through him that time, which Azul finds impressive since most people can’t see through Jade even when he’s not putting all his effort into a lie since he’s just that good at it.

Another difference is that Kalim tries to get Yuu more involved in the practice sessions since it’d be more fun that way, so she ends up getting more dance lessons from him.

During one session, Kalim tries to get Yuu to sing, telling her to do it for fun and not to worry about what anyone says about how she sounds. While he only has the best intentions, he basically backs Yuu into a corner, causing her stage fright to start to kick into gear.

Thankfully, before it can get bad enough to be noticeable by anyone other than him, Jamil intervenes and asks Yuu if the idiot trio has registered for the audition since that’s required.

Upon finding out that hasn’t been done, Jamil suggests that she go find Rook to register her friends while they continue with their practice session.

Yuu leaps at the chance to escape and gives Jamil a grateful look for his timely intervention which she doesn’t think was purely by chance. 

So, rather than go to Rook’s classroom with her friends like what happens in the game, Yuu heads there on her own to get the job done while her friends are practicing.

While, unlike her game counterpart, Yuu knows who Rook is by this point in the timeline, she doesn’t see him in the classroom when she walks in. That’s why she approaches Leona in hopes that he might know where Rook is. When she explains why she’s looking for Rook, Rook promptly appears right behind her, scaring the living hell out of her lol

Although she’s used to Rook jump-scaring her, Yuu still gets scared every time he jump-scares her since she’s just that bad with jump-scares lol

As a result, Yuu yelps and promptly starts clinging onto Leona since her instinctual response is to latch onto whoever is closest to her when she gets scared like that. 

A noticeably irritated Leona complains about her screaming in his ears, and she apologizes and tells him that she’s bad with jump-scares.

What she doesn’t realize, because she can’t see his face in her current position, is that Leona’s irritation is mostly directed at Rook whom he’s currently glaring at lol 

Rook is completely unaffected by the glare and instead just marvels at the beautiful sight of protective Leona. He just loves seeing Leona & Yuu interact since he finds their friendship to be quite beautiful and fascinating. 

When Yuu pulls away from Leona to face Rook, Rook apologizes for scaring her, just as he always does whenever this happens. At this point, Yuu thinks he does it on purpose like Lilia cause this just happens way too often lol 😂

From there, the conversation transpires like it does in canon, with the only difference happening at the end when Rook offers to act as Yuu’s escort to class cause he’s a gentleman and he wants to make up for startling her earlier.

Of course, it goes without saying that Rook is always happy to have another opportunity to hang out with Yuu so he can observe her haha

Knowing what Rook’s trying to do, Leona immediately shoots that idea down and says she doesn’t need an escort from the likes of him lol

While she doesn’t mind Rook’s company, he can get overwhelming at times, and she doesn’t want to worry Leona. That’s why Yuu politely declines Rook’s offer and says she’ll be fine on her own, so after exchanging partings with Leona and Rook, she promptly leaves the classroom.

Up until audition day, things proceed like in canon, and audition day itself is much like it is in the game as well. 

The only real difference is that Yuu is friends with Ortho, so she approaches him upon seeing him at the audition which leads to her finding out why he’s doing the audition, and since she knows Ortho/Idia by this point, she’s able to clear up any misunderstandings that Cater and the others have related to the Shroud brothers like what happens in the game.

(Here a joke would be made about how Yuu seems to know everyone at NRC which isn’t too far from the truth lol)

The next divergence from canon happens after the audition results are revealed and her group along with Jamil & Kalim head for the Pomefiore dorm.

When the Pomefiore students start challenging them, Jamil orders Yuu to stay out of the fights, but she tells him even if she wanted to she couldn’t because almost the entire dorm dislikes her. 

She has no doubt that the Pomefiore students will take any chance to aim attacks her way, with the claim that it was “accidental” or that it was her fault for getting in the way or cause she picked a fight with them first, etc. 

Based on what she knows about Vil, Yuu has a feeling this is all just to get the guys on the SDC team warmed up, and she’s sure Vil would’ve ordered his dorm members not to harm her. However, they could easily get around that order by using the previously mentioned excuses.

For her, walking into this dorm is like entering the metaphorical lion’s den, even more so than the Savanaclaw dorm lol

Upon hearing this, Kalim and Jamil are noticeably displeased since this is their first time hearing about how bad things are between her and Pomefiore. Meanwhile, Grim and ADeuce are irritated and ready and willing to beat up anyone who tries to harass Yuu. 

In the end, Yuu’s sons don’t have to do anything, however, because Kalim surprises everyone when he moves to the front of their group and announces his name and the name of his family, much to the confusion of the Pomefiore students.

Kalim declares that Yuu is his friend, which means she’s also a friend of his family’s, so if something were to happen to her, he and his family will hold the perpetrators responsible.

Once he gets over his surprise about Kalim coming up with such a clever strategy and actually purposely using his family’s influence to his advantage, Jamil immediately backs him up and starts talking about how wealthy and influential the Asim family is and how he’d pity anyone who ever made an enemy out of them.

Just as the Scarabia duo had hoped, the Pomefiore students start growing nervous at the prospect of doing something to incur the wrath of Kalim and his family. They’re quick to lie and say that they had no intention to do anything to Yuu since Vil only told them to target the members of the SDC team.

While Kalim happily expresses his relief over their words, Jamil guides Yuu and Grim off to the side and says that as long as the Pomefiore students focus on the rest of them then there will be nothing to worry about. 

As a result, none of the Pomefiore students ever dare to do anything to Yuu, so she and Grim are just able to sit back and relax while the others are fighting. 

Yuu was very surprised by what Kalim did earlier since he’s normally not one to use his influence like that, but it really means a lot to her how the Scarabia duo quickly took action to keep her safe and that they were looking out for her like that. 

After the boys clear their challenges, they meet up with the Pomefiore trio in the ballroom, and things proceed like in canon.

When Crowley later shows up and makes the suggestion of hosting a training camp at Ramshackle, Yuu is exasperated with him coming up with new responsibilities to put her on her shoulders, but she can’t say she completely hates the idea since having everyone stay at Ramshackle with her and Grim sounds like fun.

Of course, that doesn’t stop her from questioning Crowley about why he’s okay with this since, whenever the topic of Yuu joining one of the main seven dorms comes up, Crowley is always saying that Yuu can’t go living in a den of wolves. It’s much too dangerous.

Yet now he’s saying he wants all these guys to live in her dorm for the next month. He’s really giving her mixed messages here.

Crowley quickly says that this situation is fine cause it’s only a temporary thing, and with someone like Vil there, he has no worries about Yuu’s well-being since Vil’s responsible unlike most of the NRC students lol

(He’s not fooling Yuu, though. She knows that he’s just doing this all for the sake of getting publicity for NRC since it’ll look good for their school if their group wins at the SDC. 

A part of her also thinks he wants to keep her at Ramshackle cause he’ll have easier access to her to make her do all his annoying tasks since he can’t really do as he pleases as much as he’d like in the other dorms cause there’d be plenty of witnesses lol)

In the end, Yuu agrees to the idea of Ramshackle being the host of the training camp since it means getting more funding for Grim’s tuna addiction, and she can get more funds for the sake of further renovating Ramshackle.

(Plus, this will allow her to keep an eye on Vil without making herself look suspicious. Because she had a dream about Snow White like in canon, she can’t help but feel paranoid, even though she hasn’t started seeing Vil’s childhood memories yet and she hasn’t been having Snow White dreams every night, so for her peace of mind, she wants to keep tabs on Vil.)

However, that’s not all Yuu asks for since she realizes this is an ideal opportunity to make a deal with Vil. 

Before agreeing to lend her dorm for the training camp and to help out the SDC team, Yuu requests that Vil give some consideration to giving her his blessing to adopt Epel, which catches both Pomefiore boys off guard.

Since becoming friends with Epel, Yuu has had her eye on him being a potential son candidate, but she hasn’t said anything up until now since she didn’t think she’d get Vil’s blessing since almost everyone in that dorm hates her.

However, since becoming properly acquainted with Vil right before winter break, Yuu has started to think there’s a chance that he could give her his blessing, but of course, she still had some doubts since she’s basically the antithesis of his dorm’s aesthetic and she doesn’t consider herself someone a person like Vil would approve of.

That’s why she wants to make use of this opportunity to prove herself to Vil since she can, through her efforts to support the SDC team, show him that she’s someone he can entrust Epel to.

Fortunately, Vil is willing to accept her offer since it’s not like he’s promising anything. He’s simply agreeing to let her prove herself to him, and he would honestly like to see what she does.

(Rook is all excited over Yuu wanting to include one of Pomefiore’s precious first years in her beautiful family since he personally considers it an honor to be a part of such a fasinating group. He’s a big fan of Yuu’s family and likes to watch them as if they’re his favorite soap opera lol 😂

Meanwhile, Epel has no idea what to make of this surprising turn of events. The poor boy is so confused cause why are they talking about his adoption all of a sudden and why the hell would she need Vil’s blessing???

However, much to Yuu’s sons’ surprise, once Epel’s confusion abates, he’s honestly quite chill about the whole adoption thing. Like yeah it’s strange but he likes Yuu and thinks she’s cool. She’s someone both Leona and Ruggie respect, which speaks volumes to Epel, and Epel just likes how it’s easy to relax around her.

So, in the end, like Ortho, Epel accepts getting adopted without any fuss, which really boggles the minds of Yuu’s other sons lol)

Once that’s all settled, Yuu grabs Grim so they can hurry back and begin cleaning up Ramshackle since she refuses to allow her new temporary dormmates to see Ramshackle in anything other than pristine condition.

Of course, it’s not like the dorm is a total mess since Yuu routinely cleans it and makes Grim help her out. She just wants to ensure it’s in as high quality condition as possible for the sake of her pride.

Thankfully, Yuu’s able to get some more cleaning supplies from Sam who charges it to Crowley cause it’s the least Crowley can do to help out with this new training camp which Sam, of course, has already heard about.

When they get back to Ramshackle, Yuu has Grim and the ghosts all working to get the dorm into tip top shape, with Grim moaning and groaning about it the whole time lol

By the time the SDC team arrives at Ramshackle, the dorm is looking great, and Grim’s totally exhausted. Meanwhile, Yuu’s just proudly smiling about how nice the dorm looks haha

That smile fades, however, when she gets a vision that shows what will happen if Ace/Deuce/Grim try to sneak a midnight snack against Vil’s orders. Yuu isn’t present in the vision since Grim knew that if she was awake she would’ve tried to stop them lol

(Thankfully, the vision happens when the Pomefiore guys aren’t around to see her have it, so she doesn’t draw any attention to herself.)

Since she doesn’t want her friends to have to suffer the effects of Vil’s UM, even though they’ll just be reaping what they sowed, Yuu talks with Vil later on about all the junk food and sweets that he’ll be confiscating and asks if she can just bring it to someone else to eat since she thinks the temptation will too great for her friends if the food’s just left at the dorm.

Naturally, Grim/Ace are very much against this idea, and Deuce/Kalim aren’t too fond of it either. 

Vil goes along with her idea since it really doesn’t matter to him what happens to the food as long as no one in the dorm eats it.

So, after gathering up all the food that Vil has prohibited, Yuu takes it to Savanaclaw to give to Ruggie cause she knows he’ll make good use of it and won’t let anything go to waste.

Ruggie is naturally over the moon about this turn of events, and he’s feeling better about not passing the audition after hearing about Vil’s strict rules lol

However, upon hearing that all those guys will be living under the same roof as Yuu, Ruggie’s good mood does a quick 180. He immediately tells her to call him if anybody tries to pull anything despite her assuring him that none of the guys staying at her dorm are the type to do that kind of thing.

Ruggie’s not too convinced, but he lets it go, all the while thinking he should pay her dorm regular visits just in case. (Leona probably encourages him once he finds out that Rook is one of the guys staying at Ramshackle lol)

Later on, after rehearsals are over and when the Pomefiore trio aren’t around, Yuu explains to the rest of the guys why she got rid of the food since Ace/Grim were giving her the cold shoulder for her betrayal and Deuce/Kalim looked like kicked puppies. 

Upon hearing about Vil’s UM, the idiot trio quickly change their tune and are grateful to Yuu for saving them, although Grim’s still bitter that he didn’t get to eat the desserts that Trey made.

The next day, Yuu is given the title of manager since Vil’s technically paying her, and this is how she can prove herself to him. Yuu accepts the position, determined to prove what an awesome mom she is lol

Aside from helping out with rehearsals, Vil gives Yuu the task of making the meals based off the training menu he gives her. It’s her first time preparing food based off a menu like this, and she’s a little excited about delving more into a type of cooking she doesn’t necessarily do a lot of.

Fortunately, her cooking is good enough to meet Vil’s standards, and everyone else enjoys it too. However, regardless of how much everyone likes the taste of a “mother’s home cooking”, the first years still find themselves wanting more like in the game.

For their sake, Yuu does her best to find ways to make snacks that will help satiate their appetites but not go against Vil’s strictly enforced diet. 

The only other change I would add is, during the scene when they watch the commercial that has Neige in it, Yuu internally freaks out over how he looks like a male version of Snow White. Like she’s used to guys in this world resembling Disney characters, but this guy seriously takes the cake lol 😂

Yuu also notices how the air around Vil seems to subtly change when Neige’s face appears on screen. This naturally puts her slightly on edge since she can’t help but worry if there’s something going on between Vil and Neige.

Because Yuu has been studying the commercial so closely due to his resemblance to Snow White and his unknown relationship with Vil, Ace gets a little jealous and asks her if Neige is her type - someone she feels drawn to like how all the girls online feel.

His words catch Yuu completely off guard since she had been so lost in her thoughts, but since she’s good at reading Ace, she quickly realizes what the problem is and gets amused.

For Ace’s and Vil’s sake, Yuu says that, while it’s true Neige is attractive, she’s not interested in him in that way, just merely curious since Rook had revealed he was their rival, which technically isn’t a lie.

She also adds that, to her, Neige really has more of a “cute” charm, so if she were to meet him, she’d wanna look out for him like you’d do for someone younger than you, even though he looks like he may be older than her.

Knowing how “beautiful” was a key word in the Snow White movie, Yuu continues by saying that that’s why she’d be more inclined to use words like “cute” or “adorable” for Neige rather than “beautiful” or “gorgeous”. 

Fortunately, Ace settles down upon hearing that and snickers over Yuu comparing Neige to a kid she’d wanna look after. Meanwhile, Rook expresses his delight over hearing Yuu’s thoughts on Neige and getting to learn more about how she views others since everyone has their own concept of beauty, and he enjoys seeing things from new perspectives. 

And just as she had hoped, things seem to calm down around Vil as well, although there’s no visible changes with his expression to indicate her words had any effect on him.

For the rest of the day, things proceed like in canon. After dinner and the scene with Epel’s juice delivery, Vil brings up the topic of everyone’s hair/skin care routine like he does in canon.

Yuu is the only one outside of his dorm that Vil doesn’t question since he’s been working on her hair/skin care routine since A Much Needed Makeover. He uses her as an example of how much better one can look if they actually properly take care of themselves since her appearance has noticeably improved in the last month thanks to him.

That night, after everyone has turned in, Yuu hears Kalim singing outside and goes to investigate. Grim remains behind in the room unlike in canon cause Yuu told him she can go check on Kalim on her own since she could tell Grim was exhausted after the long day he had.

This leads to Yuu hearing how Kalim is frustrated over not getting one of the main vocals and how that made him realize that he always got things as a result of Jamil holding back.

Yuu reassures him that there’s nothing wrong with him feeling this way since, if she was in his shoes, she’d feel similarly. If she gets something, she wants to earn it, not just be given it because of her status/title/position.

In a sense, it’s like Kalim has been lied to his whole life since he had no idea what Jamil had been doing for his sake, which has to be a miserable feeling.

However, she thinks it must be even more miserable to have to force yourself to hold back all the time like Jamil has been doing all these years, which she’s sure Kalim agrees with, which is why he’s reluctant to vent about his frustrations.

Yuu brings up what she told him in Book 4, how he can always come to her if he needs someone to vent to, and says that the offer still stands. She’ll always be willing to be a listening ear to him since he’s her friend, and she wants him to get things off his chest rather than keep them all to himself and deal with that burden alone.

No matter how minor his issues may seem to him, Yuu thinks Kalim has every right to want to complain. His feelings are just as valid as everyone else’s, so despite how well off he is, she doesn’t want him to think he has no right to ever complain about anything. 

After Kalim thanks her, Yuu tells him that, regardless of the group role assignments, she still thinks he’s plenty talented/skilled, so if he really wants to be a main singer, she has complete confidence in him being able to make it happen.

Kalim proceeds to give her a big hug as he thanks her since her words made him really happy. Despite her being taller, he pats her head just like he would do for his little sisters haha

Yuu doesn’t mind the affection since her past left her touch starved, and it makes her happy whenever Kalim does this kind of thing and praises her for being a good girl/kid. 

Eventually, the PDA moment gets brought to an abrupt end by Jamil who comes out of hiding so he can scold Kalim for the excessive PDA, which Jamil is always getting onto him about since it could result in a scandal if the heir of the Asim family is seen being so affectionate with a girl lol

Kalim just laughs off the complaints and says it’s amazing how Jamil always seems to know whenever he’s being affectionate with Yuu, which only increases Jamil’s ire 😂

(Jamil’s half-tempted to scold Yuu too for encouraging Kalim’s inappropriate behavior, but he refrains since he knows how unused to affection she is and she can’t really help that she likes all the positive attention she gets from Kalim.)

Soon after that, they all head to bed since they don’t want to risk getting in trouble with Vil for breaking his self-imposed curfew.

(In regards to how Yuu feels about Vil’s strict rules, she’s not necessarily a huge fan of them, but at the same time, she understands the reasoning behind his actions which is why she goes along with them since she can tell that he really does want what’s best for everyone.)

From there, things proceed like in canon except there’s no midnight snack run cause Yuu got rid of all the unhealthy food.

(As far as Yuu’s dreams are concerned, because there’s a month worth of time leading up to the SDC, she doesn’t have dreams related to Vil/Evil Queen every night, just every so often. 

At the start, she just has dreams about the Evil Queen, but during the week leading up to SDC, she starts to see Vil’s memories in her dreams.

In regards to the whole Mickey Mouse scenario, Yuu has been seeing him, but she doesn’t tell anyone about him since she figures it’s better to keep this to herself. 

Since she came from a world where Mickey is a fictional character, Yuu finds this whole situation very surreal and half wonders if she’s lost her mind cause of all the craziness at NRC lol)

(Regarding Yuu keeping an eye on Vil, she’s doing this constantly, because she’s so paranoid, and as a result, she’s able to pick up Vil’s worrisome behavior during the time leading up to the SDC, such as him asking his phone who the fairest of all is, which is sending all kinds of warning signs to Yuu.

Because she hasn’t had a vision about Vil’s OB yet, Yuu does her best to support him in hopes that she can reduce his stress levels, so that horrible outcome can be avoided.

She’s not too confident, though...)

The next canon divergence happens after Epel and Deuce run out in the middle of rehearsals. 

(Yuu was afraid this would eventually happen since, up until this point, she had been keeping an eye on Epel since she could tell he was stressed. She had taken every opportunity to talk to him and get him to vent to her, but sadly, that still wasn’t enough to stop Epel from giving into his frustration like he does in canon.)

Immediately, after Deuce leaves, Yuu elbows Ace in the gut and pulls him into a headlock, so she can grind her knuckles against his head.

When Ace complains that he didn’t do anything wrong, Yuu retorts that she’s not doing anything wrong either. If Ace gets to say whatever he wants, then she’s gonna do whatever she wants too. If he has a problem with that, he can try to stop her.

Naturally, he does try, but Ace’s physical strength isn’t a match for hers, especially when she’s irritated, and he just makes things worse for himself when he compares her strength to that of a gorilla’s lol

To finish off his punishment, Yuu brings her face close to his and gives him one of those wet/sloppy mom/grandma cheek kisses right in front of their upperclassmen, much to his disgust and great mortification 😂

While Ace screams, Grim starts laughing hysterically at his expense, which leads to Ace chasing him around the room. Satisfied with a job well done, Yuu leaves the two to their own devices, so she can go after Deuce, figuring that Vill will call for a break considering two members of their group are now gone.

(Kalim & Rook got a big kick out of Yuu’s handling of her children. Kalim thought it was hilarious while Rook’s waxing poetry about how beautiful a mother/son’s bond is lol

Jamil’s a mixture of amused and exasperated. Vil would probably be amused if he wasn’t exasperated over the matter with Epel and Deuce.)

As she heads off to go look for Deuce, Yuu’s Quirk activates, showing her a vision of Deuce & Epel together on the beach. She doesn’t see everything that happens between the two, but she does see the part where Epel explains why he has to obey Vil and she sees some of what Deuce does to help Epel out.

(By this point, Yuu had actually already heard about Epel’s situation from Epel during one of the vent sessions they had since he felt comfortable confiding in her cause she was genuinely concerned about him, and she’s easy to talk to.)

What really catches her attention is when, after one of the scene skips, she witnesses the use of what she later learns is Deuce’s UM during some kind of brawl with regular civilians.

After the vision ends, Yuu ponders the matter as she continues her search for Deuce. In the end, she decides not to interfere with the events of her vision since she doesn’t see her interference as necessary.

While she would like to avoid Deuce getting into that fight, she’s not sure how to make that work since she doesn’t have the whole story of what happened on the beach. She only saw the end of the fight.

Since she doesn’t want to burden Deuce with a lot of details when he’s already got enough on his plate, Yuu just keeps everything to herself since she knows Deuce & Epel will turn out alright in the end.

She also decides to ponder the matter of that attack Deuce used for later since she’s very curious about it but doesn’t think this is the time to be focused on figuring out what happened.

When she later finds Deuce and gives him the water bottle she brought along for him, he apologizes for storming off, and she tells him that, while she personally didn’t mind what he did cause she can understand why he did it, he’ll need to apologize to their upperclassmen later.

Yuu then tells him that she’ll hear him out if he wants to talk about what’s on his mind, so Deuce decides to confide in her and get everything off his chest.

After he finishes, Yuu remarks that the two of them are alike, which surprises him. She explains that they’re both the type who gets caught up in their own heads and will suffer as a result.

Deuce does it because he wants to become better at using his head and assumes that he needs to use his brain to solve all his problems.

Meanwhile, Yuu does it because she just overthinks too much and dwells on things unnecessarily. While she is good at thinking several steps ahead, there are times when that’s to her detriment cause she gets caught up in the what-ifs and all the countless possibilities for whatever she’s caught up in at the time.

That’s why she admires Deuce who doesn’t let himself get too bogged down by thoughts like her. Once he sets his mind on something, he doesn’t second guess himself; he doesn’t let his worries get the better of him.

Before she can completely share her thoughts from that last paragraph, their conversation gets interrupted by the arrival of Rook & Kalim who come by to check on Deuce, and their conversation is much like what happens in the game. 

When the subject of Epel gets brought up, Deuce mentions how he thinks Epel is like him, which is why he couldn’t leave Epel alone.

Yuu encourages Deuce to do what he feels is best in regards to the Epel situation since she thinks that, if anyone can help Epel right now, it would be him.

This leads to Deuce making the request to get the blastcycle so he can take Epel to the beach.

As this is happening, Yuu makes a call to Crowley to get the two permission to leave campus, saying it’s all for the sake of improving the team’s bond, so Crowley can’t say no lol

After Deuce leaves to go find Epel, Yuu returns to the ballroom with Kalim and Rook and explains the situation to Vil, who’s obviously not pleased with this turn of events.

Yuu tells him that she got permission from Crowley and that, while this is an inconvenience for everyone present, she thinks everyone will benefit in the end if Deuce & Epel have a moment to talk.

She’s fully confident that Deuce will be able to help Epel to the point that she’s willing to say that she’ll take any kind of punishment Vil can dole out if he’s not satisfied with the two boys’ state when they get back.

Vil holds her to her word, and in the end, he sees that she was right since both Epel and Deuce come back in a better headspace after that beach trip, although he is irritated about the fight that happened.

However, he refrains from punishing Yuu and instead just makes Deuce and Epel run laps like what he does in the game.

Later on, Yuu talks with Deuce about what happened on the beach, and since he has no idea what that strange magic was either, she offers to help him try to figure it out, so whenever they have some free time, they try to experiment to see if they can replicate what happened on the beach. Unfortunately, they’re not successful in their efforts.

Another event that happens outside of canon is that, at one point, Yuu finds herself alone with Kalim, who’s doing some independent practicing.

Because it’s more fun to sing/dance with others, Kalim drags her into his dance practice since Jamil had said that teaching others is a great way of revision. Plus, this way he’s even more motivated in his dancing since he’s having even more fun now.

Yuu is far from being a good dancer, but she has fun learning with Kalim. However, things become less fun when he tries to convince her to sing with him.

Thankfully, this time around Kalim notices her obvious discomfort, so he’s more gentle/considerate as he talks with her about her singing.

When she eventually admits that she gets stage fright cause of insults she received over her singing in the past, Kalim promises that he’d never say anything bad about her singing. 

It isn’t like they’re singing for others’ entertainment. Kalim just wants to sing with her cause he loves singing and thinks it’ll be even more fun if they do it together.

Kalim really wants to help her feel more comfortable about singing and regain that love she once had for it since he thinks there’s nothing sadder than her refusing to do something she once enjoyed just because she’s afraid of how others will treat her.

However, that said, Kalim has no intention to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do, because she’s his friend and he wants to respect her wishes.

After that, they return to practicing the dance moves for the SDC performance. All the while, Yuu thinks about her earlier discussion with Kalim and how she would like to be able to sing with him and to be able to overcome her fear, so Mumei has even less of an influence on her. 

Yuu trusts Kalim. She knows he’d never say/do anything cruel to her unlike Mumei. If she’d be safe to sing around anyone, it would be him. 

That’s why, eventually, after she gathers up her courage, Yuu tries to sing along with Kalim who’s been singing as he dances with her.

(Since she has been listening to the guys practice Absolutely Beautiful for a while now, Yuu knows all the lyrics by heart, so she has no trouble following along.)

Her voice comes out as really quiet at first because of her nervousness, but Kalim still manages to hear her and proudly beams at her as he grows noticeably more excited.

Gradually, thanks to Kalim’s encouraging smile, Yuu’s able to increase the volume of her voice, but it’s still nowhere near as loud as his because he has let his excitement take over lol

Even though it was incredibly nerve-wracking and embarrassing, Yuu has no regrets about singing since it really is fun just like Kalim said it would be.

When the song ends, Kalim pulls her into a hug and starts twirling her around as he praises her for overcoming her stage fright and for having such a pretty voice. He tells her it’s a shame she didn’t audition since Vil would’ve surely wanted to have her on the team.

While she thinks he’s just being really nice, Yuu thanks him for his kind words and for giving her the encouragement she needed to try to overcome her fear.

Around that time, Jamil, who had been secretly watching the two since Yuu had started singing with Kalim, makes his presence known, so he can scold Kalim for the PDA lol

Kalim just laughs off the scolding before eagerly telling Jamil what a good singer Yuu is, much to her embarrassment. Her embarrassment only grows when Jamil says he knows because he overheard her singing.

While she was okay with singing in front of Kalim, the idea of anyone else listening to her is extremely embarrassing for Yuu who hasn’t completely overcome her stage fright.

That’s why when Kalim starts talking about how Yuu should sing more often for others to hear she quickly shoots down that idea since she doesn’t think she can handle singing for more people in her current state.

Fortunately, Jamil seems to understand her feelings, so he explains to Kalim that conquering fears isn’t all that simple. That’s why Kalim shouldn’t be expecting so much out of Yuu so soon after she started making steps to overcome her fear.

After getting chastised by Jamil, Kalim apologizes to Yuu, and she assures him that she’s not upset since she knows he only had good intentions.

Kalim quickly cheers up when he asks if she’ll still be willing to sing with him and Jamil. It can be their little secret!

Yuu agrees just as long as this isn’t a regular thing cause she doesn’t think she can handle doing as much singing/dancing as Kalim likes to do lol

The rest of time leading up to the week before SDC proceeds like it does in the game. 

After getting SDC tickets from Crowley, Yuu decides to give them to Malleus since she has figured out at this point that he’s not used to receiving invitations/getting involved in these kinds of festivities, which leads to Malleus reacting much like he does in the game.

(In regards to the greeting card Lilia delivered to her, Yuu figured it was from Malleus since she had given him a Christmas present before he left for winter break and he seemed like the type to send cards like this. Upon seeing the initials, she realized that he was Malleus Draconia since that’s what all the signs she had observed up until that point had been pointing to, and there’s no way there’s another person as strong as him with the initials M.D. lol

Also, aside from sending her a greeting card, Malleus also had a present delivered as thanks for the Christmas present she had given him.

The present was a ring he created with his magic that acts as a shield, so if she’s ever under attack, a magic barrier will appear to protect her and reflect the attacks, which comes in handy whenever she gets involved in OB battles.

After receiving the greeting card and present, Yuu immediately wanted to send a card back to express her thanks, but since she didn’t know his address, she contacted Lilia since she figured he’d be able to help her out. 

Lilia promptly teleports back to Ramshackle and says he can deliver it himself, scaring the hell out of her in the process lol

So, since Yuu sent a card to Malleus, she doesn’t give him the SDC tickets to make up for not sending one like in the game. She just does it because he’s her friend and she wants him to have fun at the fair.)

That night, Yuu has another dream about Snow White/Evil Queen, and from then on, those dreams happen every night, which puts her on edge since, up until this point, she only had these dreams every so often, which makes her worried that this means an Overblot is on the horizon.

Fortunately, Yuu still hasn’t started seeing any of Vil’s childhood memories, so she’s clinging to that futile hope that an OB won’t happen - that she won’t have a vision, like she did the last four times. 

Regrettably, her hopes were futile, because, a few days before the SDC, Yuu has her first dream about Vil’s childhood memories. Even worse, after she sees several scenes from Vil’s past after seeing another scene about the Evil Queen, she has a vision of Vil’s OB.

Yuu wakes up with a jolt after the vision ends and tries to fight off her mounting panic once the reality of what she just saw sinks in.

Once again, someone is going to Overblot and not just any person. It’s a dorm leader that she has come into contact with. It’s a person she knows. Again.

Four times was bad enough but five? There’s no way this is just a coincidence. Of course, she started thinking that a while ago, so this has been weighing heavily on her heart. 

Not wanting to wake Grim, Yuu hurries out of their shared bed and heads for the living room, all the while hoping that Vil won’t catch her awake past curfew.

In hopes of going unnoticed, Yuu finds a corner that she can curl up into and will put her out of the immediate line of sight of anyone entering the living room.

Her thoughts are racing like crazy, and unfortunately, she only continues to spiral the more time passes. 

All she can think is how it can’t be a coincidence that all these OB incidents are happening while she’s around. Even though she doesn’t understand how, she must factor into all this somehow.

Which causes her to feel immense guilt since she doesn’t want to be the cause of anyone’s suffering. However, what she feels especially guilty about is the fact that, despite possibly being the source of NRC’s problems, she still wants to remain at NRC and doesn’t want to go home, which she thinks is very selfish of her.

When she thinks of going “home”, Yuu’s traitorous mind reminds her of what’s waiting for her there despite her best efforts to not think about Mumei, and she works herself even further into a panic which often happens when she dwells on her memories of Mumei’s past abuse.

As a result, Yuu eventually finds herself crying and in the midst of a panic attack, because it’s all just gotten too much for her, so it gets increasingly harder for her to breathe.

All her worries and fears that have been steadily building up have finally reached their boiling point. She has been successful in keeping them contained until now, but it’s just gotten too much for her so it all comes pouring out.

Thankfully, Jamil arrives on the scene before she can pass out. Upon seeing the state she’s in, he quickly uses his UM on her and orders her to match his breathing and take slow/easy breaths. 

Once he has gotten her breathing to even out, Jamil stops using his UM and tells her to wait as he gets her something to clean her face with.

When he returns with a wet towel he got from the kitchen, Jamil comments that he had sensed someone was in the living room, so he thought it might have been an intruder, so he was very surprised to find her instead.

After taking a seat beside her on the floor, Jamil asks why she’s hiding in the corner, and she explains that she didn’t want to be seen breaking curfew.

In a situation like this, Jamil thinks the smart thing to do would be to find someone rather than try to handle all this by herself, but he goes quiet when she asks him if he really would’ve asked for help if he was in her shoes.

Because Yuu knows he wouldn’t have. Just as she’s used to solving her problems on her own, so is Jamil. Neither of them are accustomed to being prioritized/helped since they’re the ones who are always having to put others’ needs above their own.

Knowing he can’t really argue this point with her, Jamil instead asks what brought this on, all of a sudden. This is his first time seeing her in such a state, so obviously, whatever happened must be serious.

This leads to her explaining that she had a vision while she was sleeping and how that got her to thinking about how often the OB incidents have been happening and how she’s always at the center of each incident.

When she confides in him about how she doesn’t want to be sent back to her world, how she wants to stay even though it’d be in everyone’s best interest for her to leave, Jamil tells her that he doesn’t think she’s as much to blame as she believes.

Yes, this is all very suspicious, and it’s highly unlikely that it’s all just a coincidence. However, he finds it hard to believe that she’s the sole cause for these incidents.

Even if she is, Jamil has no intention to allow her to return to her world. When she gives him a surprised look after hearing that, he asks if she has already forgotten the promise she made to him to help him obtain his freedom. 

Jamil has every intention to hold her to that promise since he considers her a useful ally, considering the great influence she has at NRC and her power of foresight. He plans on making good use of her, so until she completes her end of the deal, he won’t allow her to go back to her world.

(Of course, he won’t admit that he has no intention to allow her to return to a world that will take away her freedom and force her back into a life of constant abuse. He wants them both to have the freedom they deserve and will make sure it happens.)

He tells her not to underestimate him since he can easily come up with several plans to ensure she doesn’t get forcibly sent back home. If necessary, he can just take her back to Scalding Sands since the Asim family will protect her because she’s a friend of Kalim’s. No way would Crowley dare to go against the Asmi family if he wants to continue receiving funding from them.

Rather than be put off by Jami’s choice of wording like she knows she should be, Yuu gets really happy when he calls her useful, because she spent the majority of her life being called useless by Mumei. 

(That’s exactly why Jamil purposely used such words.)

Even though she had been trying to rein in her emotions ever since Jamil helped calm her down, Yuu starts crying again when Jamil says he’ll ensure she doesn’t have to go back to her world and throws her arms around him because she’s so happy/relieved.

Even though he’s smirking, acting like a villain by claiming he wants to use her, Yuu sees through his act and knows that he genuinely wants to help her, which means the world to her. 

While the hug catches him off guard, Jamil allows it cause she clearly needs it since her emotions are a huge mess right now. 

Once she eventually calms down, Jamil has them move to one of the couches rather than remain on the floor and gets her some water, so she won’t get dehydrated thanks to all the crying she did.

Now that she’s calmer, Jamil asks if the vision she had was related to Vil since that would fit the pattern since he’s the only vice dorm leader who has Overblotted and he can’t really imagine Rook Overblotting, not that he can really see it happening to Vil either.

After giving him a nod because of her drawback which limits how much she can talk about her vision, Yuu explains that because the vision happened while she was dreaming she’s not sure when the OB will happen because she can never tell when a vision is supposed to happen when they occur while she’s dreaming.

For all she knows, Vil’s OB could be a year from now, but considering recent events, she highly doubts it.

More than likely, it’ll happen in relation to the SDC since this is such an important event to Vil, so the day of competition is when they should be on their guard.

They’re in a predicament here since Yuu has no undeniable proof that Vil will OB during the SDC, and she’s sure that if she brought up her vision to Crowley he’d just write it off as a dream despite her drawback preventing her from going into detail about her vision since it’s just so unlikely for Vil, of all people, to OB. 

Plus, they can’t just up and cancel the SDC, nor can they forbid Vil from entering since that would just make him more likely to OB and disappoint all his fans. 

The ideal situation would be to prevent Vil from reaching the mental state that would result in him Overblotting, but Yuu thinks it’s unlikely because OB incidents appear to be events that can’t be changed. No matter what they do, she’s sure that Vil’s OB will happen.

Which means the only option they have is to formulate a plan for how to act once the OB happens. Ergo they need to have multiple evacuation plan options and supplies that will be useful during that period of time like Kalim’s magic carpet and antidotes for poison since poison is Vil’s specialty. 

Of course, another option for Jamil would be to ensure he and Kalim are nowhere near Vil on that day since his top priority is Kalim’s safety. However, because it’s so close to SDC, he knows that they can’t afford to drop out, especially since that in itself could lead to Vil Overblotting.

Plus, he knows that Kalim would never go along with it. If Kalim were to find out about Vil’s OB, then he’d want to do whatever he could to help Vil out, even if it meant putting himself in the line of danger.

And Jamil still wants to participate in the competition since it’s a part of his plan to improve his reputation, and him dropping out at the last minute would do the exact opposite. 

As a result, Jamil thinks the best thing he can do in this situation is do everything possible to isolate OB Vil in order to ensure the SDC doesn’t get ruined and that no one gets caught up in the crossfire.

Because they don’t want to burden the others’ with extra worries or risk them mentioning Yuu’s vision to the Pomefiore trio, Yuu & Jamil keep all this information to themselves and spend the days leading up to the SDC planning in secret for how to deal with Vil’s OB.

Aside from that, things proceed like in canon, and the next canon divergence happens while Yuu/Grim are walking around the fair with Riddle/Trey.

During the scene when they come across some Savanaclaw students trying to pick a fight with the RSA dwarfs, Yuu immediately inserts herself in between the two parties and scolds the Savanaclaw students for causing trouble this early into the event.

After pointing out how they’ll make Leona look bad if their dorm is the only one to cause trouble during such an important event, Yuu tells them that if they wanna fight so bad she’ll take them on.

Thankfully, rather than take her up on her offer, the Savanaclaw students back down since they’re under Leona’s orders not to mess with Yuu. Plus, they also don’t wanna risk making Leona look bad.

After the Savanaclaw students leave, Riddle praises Yuu for how well she handled the situation, although Trey thinks she didn’t really need to challenge them to a fight lol 

When Yuu turns to properly look at the dwarfs and greets them, she’s surprised when Snick suddenly says, “Ah, it’s Koneko-chan!”

Grum: Huh, so that’s Koneko.

Dominic: Snick, Grum, that’s rude! You both know that’s not her actual name! That’s the nickname Che’nya-senpai refers to her as! We don’t have her permission to address her as such like he does!

Rather than point out that Che’nya never technically got her permission to use that nickname, Yuu just assures them that it’s fine since the nickname doesn’t bother her, and it’s cute since it’s a cat-related nickname.

(Koneko means “kitten/little cat”.)

Riddle is exasperated that Che’nya is having this kind of influence on others, and Trey just shakes his head, not really all that surprised lol

Dominic reveals that they’ve heard a lot about Yuu from Che’nya, so it’s nice to finally meet her in person.

(Since Book 1, Che’nya took an interest in Yuu cause she was an obvious cat lover, and he just finds her intriguing. He’s also grateful for how she helped Riddle/Trey out in Book 1.

As a result, he occasionally mentions her to Neige, whom then told the dwarfs about her, usually after he’s paid NRC a visit and gone to check out Ramshackle/eat Yuu’s sweets lol)

Around that time, Che’nya arrives on the scene, appearing right behind Yuu like he often likes to do. He also likes to cover her eyes and make her guess who he is, which he does here.

After she correctly guesses his identity like she always does, the rest of this scene goes mostly like it does in canon, although Che’nya takes the time to talk with Yuu some unlike in the game. 

Che’nya also asks Yuu for some of her homemade sweets, which Riddle and Trey scold him for lol

The next divergence from canon happens after rehearsals when Vil heads out on his own following Neige’s performance.

Like in the game, while the other first years walk off to get some food, Yuu briefly sees part of the Evil Queen dream play out before her eyes, which catches her off guard since that clearly wasn’t a vision. She had already thought the dreams were weird enough as is, but now, she’s even more confused by them since they’re now happening when she’s awake.

Right after that happens, Yuu’s Quirk activates, showing her a brief vision of Vil offering some apple juice to Neige. 

Yuu had already had a bad feeling because of that dream scene she just saw, but now, that feeling has only gotten worse since this is basically a reenactment of Snow White. 

Even though all she sees is Vil handing the apple juice over to Neige, she knows that nothing good will come from Neige drinking that juice because of the expression Vil is wearing and how his voice sounds totally unlike himself. 

After her vision ends, she finds herself alone with Jamil since Rook and Kalim had gone after Vil while, unlike in the game, Grim leaves with Ace and the others to get food.

Jamil chose to remain behind with her since he was the only one who noticed her having a vision, and he wanted to know what she saw.

Yuu quickly tells him that they need to go after Vil before he hurts Neige, but Jamil disagrees, saying that their top priority should be getting the stadium cleared out.

From what he can tell, Kalim and Rook went after Vil cause they were worried about him, so they’ll likely stop Vil before anything can happen to Neige. So rather than unnecessarily join them, Jamil thinks they’re better off taking care of everything else that needs to be done.

Since he makes a good point, Yuu reluctantly agrees and proceeds to help Jamil get everyone out of the stadium along with the other first years whom he contacts like in canon.

She also collects a bag from the dressing room Jamil and the others had been using, which he had packed with everything he thought they would need, and also the magic carpet which he had secretly brought along to the stadium.

Eventually, Jamil takes the magic carpet to go check on Kalim and the others. Yuu had wanted to go with him, but he told her to remain by the stage since the carpet will move faster with less weight on it and he’ll likely have to carry Kalim and Rook out. 

From there, things proceed like in canon with Jamil helping Kalim and Rook escape and meeting back up with Yuu. While Jamil is giving antidote potions to Kalim and Rook who were affected by Vil’s poison, Ace and the other first years show up, having finished Jamil’s assigned tasks.

Vil shows up shortly thereafter, and the OB battle begins, with Yuu using her Quirk to predict Vil’s movements and guide everyone in battle, catching Epel and Rook, who still don’t know about her Quirk, by surprise.

In addition to using her Quirk, Yuu also makes use of the ring Malleus gave her to reflect Vil’s magic attacks back at him, which catches everyone off guard because she hadn’t gotten around to telling anyone about the powers of the ring.

It’s as Yuu describes the powers of the ring and declares that she’ll send everything Vil throws at her right back at him that the cogs start turning in Deuce’s head. 

That’s why, while he doesn’t completely understand it yet, Deuce is quick to join Yuu on the frontlines to distract Vil/take his attacks while the others attack the blot monster.

Regrettably, even with everyone working together and all the strategies Yuu and Jamil had come up with to prepare for this battle, things still end up getting drawn out, making this the longest OB battle Yuu has dealt with.

Once she notices how much time has passed, Yuu tries to knock Vil out with a gut punch with Deuce’s help, like what happened during Azul’s OB battle, but even that’s not enough to knock Vil out, so Yuu gets sent flying back. Thankfully, Deuce and Jamil are able to catch her before she hits the ground. 

(Yuu didn’t try to punch Vil in the face like the other OB guys cause she was afraid that his face is insured for lots of money and that damaging it would put her in debt for the rest of her life lol 😂)

It’s at that moment Deuce asks everyone to clear the area and leave the rest to him. When he gives Yuu a knowing grin, she quickly realizes what he’s going to do, so she and Epel quickly get everyone to get out of the way before Deuce uses his UM.

So, like in the game, Deuce uses his UM to defeat Vil who promptly loses consciousness, thankfully doing so before his magic ran out.

After Vil has been stopped, Jamil forces Yuu to lie down on the magic carpet, because she used her Quirk for such an extended period of time, which is dangerous for her health, and is now suffering from the drawbacks of her Quirk.

Because of the cloud of poison surrounding the stadium, Yuu can’t be immediately taken to the infirmary, but Jamil made sure to pack plenty of potions and anything else he thought he’d need if they somehow ended up in a situation where they wouldn’t have easy access to the infirmary.

Knowing better than to argue with Jamil, Yuu obediently does whatever he tells her and drinks one of the potions he had packed. 

While the potion will help with her currently high fever, Jami’s not confident that it’ll prevent seizures, so he really wants to get her to the infirmary as soon as possible.

During this time, Vil regains consciousness, and the dialogue following him waking up is like what happens in canon.

The only thing slightly different is the discussion about Yuu and her Quirk once Vil takes notice of her state.

Unsurprisingly, the Pomefiore trio are very surprised to hear she is from a different world and has the power to see the future. If it wasn’t for the fact they witnessed that power in action, they’d have a hard time believing her, but they can’t deny what they saw with their own two eyes.

(Jamil & Yuu refrained from mentioning how they knew about Vil’s OB ahead of time and all the planning they did for it since they wanted to avoid any complaints about not saying something sooner.)

As they’re all wondering what to do about the stadium and Yuu’s need for the infirmary, Malleus arrives on the scene, and things happen like they do in the game, with everyone being very surprised that Yuu is acting so friendly with him to the point she gave him a funny nickname.

Upon noticing her weakened state, Malleus asks for details, which leads to everyone explaining everything that happened, and Yuu tells him about her Quirk and its drawbacks since she trusts him with this information.

(At this point, she had already told him about coming from another world since she trusts him, but she decided to keep her Quirk a secret since it seemed only fair that she had some secrets, like him lol)

Once he hears the whole story, Malleus uses his magic to repair the stadium, so the SDC can still happen like he does in canon.

Yuu is very happy about this, but she’s also disappointed that she won’t get to watch the competition because of her current state since now she can be taken to the infirmary thanks to Malleus dealing with the poison gas that had previously surrounded the stadium.

When she expresses her disappointment, the guys performing are also disappointed for her sake, and Vil apologizes since he knows he’s the reason she’s in her current state and he feels he should take responsibility. 

Before Jamil can take Yuu to the infirmary via magic carpet, Malleus surprises everyone when he casts a blessing on Yuu that temporarily relieves her of all the ailments plaguing her and tells her that it’ll last for the next few hours so she should be able to see her friends perform. She’ll just have to leave after their performance.

Once she gets over her surprise, Yuu happily hugs Malleus as she profusely thanks him and tells him that he’s the best, catching everyone else by surprise and giving some of them a near heart attack lol

Malleus is initially surprised, but he then gets amused by how brave she is since she’s willingly hugging him despite knowing his true identity. What a strange human she is.

From there, things proceed like in canon, and Yuu has a great time watching her friends perform on stage and thinks they did an amazing job and put on a performance that all the other competitors would be hard pressed to beat.

Like Rook, Yuu does notice how much different this performance is from rehearsals, but she still thinks it’s their best performance yet because Vil is performing, not for the sake of beating Neige and becoming the fairest of all but for the sake of his teammates and fans whom he doesn’t want to let down. 

In her eyes, Vil has never looked more beautiful than in this moment. 

After their performance, Lilia teleports to where she is, catching her by surprise, and explains that Malleus asked him to bring her to the infirmary since the blessing he bestowed upon her should be wearing off right around this time.

Even though she would much rather stay at the competition, Yuu knows she needs to prioritize her health, so she leaves her cell phone with Grim, asking him to make sure their vote for their team gets made while she’s gone. She told him that he could stay and enjoy the festivities since she didn’t want him to be stuck at the infirmary, and someone needs to make sure their vote gets put in when it comes time for the voting.

After that, Lilia takes her to the infirmary, but rather than just leave her there, he starts rummaging around the cabinets and begins putting a potion together.

When he later presents the potion to her, Yuu grows nervous because of its ominous color and because of what she has heard about Lilia’s cooking from Malleus and Silver.

Lilia insists that with this potion she’ll make a full recovery in no time. He’s an expert when it comes to this matter, so she has no need to worry.

Of course, Yuu is still plenty worried, but she unfortunately has no way out of this situation since he just up and pushes the potion bottle to her lips lol

The potion tastes as bad as it looks, but she doesn’t have to suffer through the taste for long since she passes out almost immediately after she takes it, which Lilia says is a sign of a very effective healing potion 😂

On the bright side, when she finally regains consciousness, Yuu is freed from all her ailments just as Lilia promised. 

However, on the not so bright side, Yuu wakes up with an absolutely awful taste in her mouth that sets off her gag reflex.That’s why she quickly pulls herself out of bed and hurries over to the nearby sink.

After turning on the faucet, Yuu just holds her head underneath the running water, taking turns between drinking the water in hopes of getting rid of the awful taste in her mouth that’s practically caked to the inside of her mouth and gagging.

Fortunately, things don’t get any worse than her feeling nauseous, so she doesn’t actually get sick.

Much to her surprise, Yuu eventually feels a gentle hand on her back, making her realize that she’s not alone in the infirmary like she had first assumed because it appears to be nighttime now.

When she turns her head to see who’s with her, her surprise grows upon seeing Vil looking at her with noticeable concern.

After explaining that he was under orders to remain in the infirmary over night, Vil asks Yuu if she’s currently experiencing side effects from overusing her Quirk.

Weakly, Yuu shakes her head before explaining what happened with Lilia, and Vil becomes visibly annoyed since he knows how Lilia can get when it comes to potions.

Once he knows the problem, Vil heads for the cabinet Lilia used earlier and grabs a potion that he thinks will help Yuu feel better, and thankfully, he’s right since she’s finally able to get rid of the awful taste in her mouth and settle her stomach after she drinks it.

Meanwhile, Vil grabs a towel and takes care of drying Yuu’s hair that got wet while she was sticking her head under the faucet since he can’t just leave that wet mess as it is lol

After Yuu thanks Vil for helping her, he has her return to her bed, and that’s when she finally notices Grim is on the bed, fast asleep. 

According to an exasperated Vil, not too long ago, Grim had finished eating all of the food Yuu’s friends had brought for her to eat after she woke up and has been out cold ever since. That’s why he didn’t wake up.

Under normal circumstances, Yuu would be exasperated too, but this time, she doesn’t mind Grim eating all the food since, after what just happened, she’s not too interested in eating.

Once they’ve both made themselves comfortable on the infirmary beds they’ll be using for the night, Yuu asks Vil how things turned out with the SDC.

Upon hearing that Neige’s team won, Yuu feels just as frustrated as Vil and the rest of her team since she had really wanted them to win.

(What she doesn’t say is that, after having seen Vil’s memories, she really wanted him to win and finally get that victory he has been so desperately pursuing all this time.)

However, Yuu doesn’t think Vil completely lost, and she tells him as much because, no matter what anyone else says, there’s no way anyone could’ve ever been more beautiful than the Vil she saw during that final performance, not even Neige.

The Vil who was performing for his fans and teammates despite his battered body was exceptionally beautiful. That’s why she’ll never forget that performance for the rest of her life.

Upon hearing that, Vil stares at her in surprise since he can tell she’s not just trying to butter him up. She truly meant every word she said.

He’ll never admit it, but those words made Vil genuinely happy. They’re words that he really needed to hear after everything that happened that day.

Rather than say as much, of course, Vil plays it cool but still thanks Yuu since he’s the type to shows appreciation when he feels it’s deserved.

After that exchange, Yuu eventually shares that she had been having dreams that appeared to be memories of his past. She has no idea why she had those dreams, but because of them, she can understand what led to him getting into the kind of headspace that led to him Overblotting.

Yuu also expresses her confusion about his situation since she can’t understand why any competent movie producer would want to kill off someone as beautiful and talented as Vil. Aren’t those the kinds of actors that people want on stage for as long as possible? Or is she just missing something cause she’s not an expert on the whole filming process?

While she can understand how people find Neige more relatable than someone as perfect as Vil, it’s still weird to her that producers aren’t capitalizing on Vil’s talents and making character roles that would fully allow him to shine.

Personally, she thinks Vil could make a great hero as long as they put in the time to design a suitable character role for him.

However, if they’re so dead set on making Vil a villain all the time, then why not make movies where villains are the lead roles? It was done in her world, so she doesn’t understand why it couldn’t be done in TW.

Those movies are especially interesting in her opinion since they provide depth to villains and actually make viewers want to root for them in some cases. 

Yuu thinks that a really good story has a hero and villain that are so multi-dimensional and interesting that people can’t decide who they should root for because both sides are so compelling and have understandable reasons for why they do what they do.

She thinks Vil would be perfect for that kind of role. If anyone could make the viewers fall for/root for a villain, it would be him.

As she’s talking, Vil is both pleased and amused when she expresses her confusion about why he doesn’t get better roles, and upon hearing her talk about the movies from her world, he becomes very interested since TW doesn’t have those types of movies and she’s right that he would be perfect for them.

(What he won’t admit is that he’s very happy about all her praise and how confident she is about him being able to pull off any role he’s given.)

Vil is quick to ask her about the movies from her world, so up until they turn in for the night, Yuu recounts all the movies she has watched that involved a villain having a starring role.

(Even though she came from a world of heroes, I think villain focused movies would still exist, especially since there was a time when Quirks didn’t exist, so they could’ve been made prior to that. Regardless, movies are all about exploring different ideas outside of what’s normal in the real world, so I think the movies in her world cover a broad spectrum of ideas.)

Little did she know that Vil was absorbing all this info like a sponge, fully intending to try to make use of it in the future in hopes that he could get the ball rolling so movies like that could become normal in TW.

That’s why Yuu is surprised by what a good mood Vil is in the next morning, but she just chalks it up to him being glad to leave the infirmary. 

However, what really surprises Yuu is when Vil randomly declares that he’ll give her his blessing to adopt Epel since he has decided that she has earned that right after everything.

Catching her off guard, Vil reveals one of the main things that convinced him to make that decision was all the times last month Yuu sought Epel out to talk to him when he needed to vent since she hadn’t realized Vil knew about that.

Of course, Vil says that he may change his mind if he deems Yuu a bad influence on Epel, so he expects her to act accordingly, to which she promises that she’ll be a good role model/mother.

After that exchange, right before they part ways after being released from the infirmary, Vil gives her a smile and gently pats her cheek as thanks for the very enlightening conversation they had last night, surprising her one last time lol 

Meanwhile, Rook, who had come to check on the two first thing in the morning, starts waxing poetry about how radiant a happy Vil looks and how beautiful it is to see a friendship grow right before his very eyes haha

Around when Vil and Rook leave together, Ace/Deuce, Epel, & Jamil/Kalim come to check on Vil and Yuu, so they all end up checking out the fair together.

(It wasn’t until I looked at translations for Book 6 that I realized Book 5′s ending happened the night following Vil’s OB, ergo before the second day of the fair.

I’ve decided to change that since that night Yuu & Grim were in the infirmary, and Grim ate so much that he didn’t wake up again to look for Vil’s blotstone

Plus, I want to put some available time in between Books 5 & 6, so some events can be squeezed into there, like Camp Vargas.)

The second day of the fair passes with Yuu having fun with everyone, and it’s during that time that Yuu meets Neige who had come looking for her.

While he saw her right before rehearsals, he didn’t realize until after the fact who she was cause he was more focused on greeting Vil at the time.

Neige sought her out cause he wanted to thank her for helping Dominic and the others yesterday, and after hearing about her and her delicious sweets from Che’nya, he’s been wanting to meet her.

They don’t get to hang out for very long since Neige has to run off to meet back up with his friends, but they exchange contact info so they can remain in contact. 

Neige also asks to take a picture with her to celebrate their new friendship, and all Yuu’s fans on Magicam go crazy when Neige later posts it. It blows up super fast.

Meanwhile, Cater is freaking out cause he can’t believe Yuu got lucky enough to take a selfie with Neige. He immediately tries to go looking for her in hopes that he can take a picture with Neige too, but sadly, by the time he finally finds Yuu, Neige has already left lol

When Vil sees the selfie which gets shown to him by an enthusiastic Rook, he’s unsurprisingly nowhere near as thrilled as Rook 😂

The rest of the day passes with Yuu having fun with her friends and enjoying the festivities. 

As far as the rest of Book 5′s events are concerned, the encounter with Mickey happens later that month after other game events, like Camp Vargas, have happened, because Grim briefly forgot about Vil’s blot stone and it took a while for him to get an opportunity to slip past Yuu who usually goes to bed after him.

When that night finally comes, Yuu has her next encounter with Mickey and gets the idea of taking a picture of him with her ghost camera to confirm if she really is seeing him or hallucinating the whole thing.

While she doesn’t really have an interest in showing anyone else Mickey cause she still has no idea what to make of this crazy situation, she does consider at least showing Grim to see how he reacts, which leads to her noticing that he’s not around, so things proceed like in canon.

I’ll end things here since this post really doesn’t need to be any longer than it already is lol 😂

[yeppeudau]

Chapter eighteen: cat & mouse

banner by: @/seungstarss

⎙ synopsis: In which you and Soobin have a crush on the others bff, who which coincidentally, are dating. So you do what any other people with a common goal would, and try to break them up. Except it doesn't go exactly as planned...

playlist

⎙word count: 1.7k

⎙warnings: cursing (the usual), yn is pretty pushy, (don't do this!! respect ppls boundaries and when they say no)

♡a/n: this one was sm to write and I'm not completely happy with it tbh but thats okay! special thanks to my bsf @bbymochiiiiii for helping me/giving me feedback with this one<3

"Y/N GET BACK HERE!"

"IF YOU WANT IT COME AND GET IT SOOBIN!"

Yes, that is you and Soobin screaming through the halls, as you currently mad dash through your school.

Now normally, of course neither you nor Soobin would even be seen within 3 feet of each other without at least one of your friends around. But this isn't normal, you started a chase around the school like something out of Tom and Jerry.

It all happened after your little "suggestion" of blackmailing Soobin got a no go from the gang. So you decided to take Yeonjun's idea and trap Soobin in with you somewhere instead.

You decided on none other than the boys bathroom. Not that you were trying to be a prev or anything, but you knew he would never chase you into the girl's one. So you deliberately chose the bathroom on the first floor because its the farthest from all student and teacher activity, less possibly to get interrupted.

You obviously couldn't do this completely alone, so you told Kai and Yeonjun to specifically not let anyone in while the two of you were in there.

Taehyun was also an accomplice in this, he distracted the other while you stole his notes you found out he was planning to give Areum. And it worked, he noticed and you ran so he started chasing you.

He surprisingly wasn't very fast for someone with stilts for legs. So technically weren't you ldoing him a favor by getting him on the move?

Running down the stairs and past all the idle students crowding the halls, you almost trip and bump into people multiple times. Muttering a quick 'sorry' whenever you feel you've grazed someone.

You can still make out Soobins steps behind you so you take that as a sign you won't be loosing him as you turn the corner.

You see Yeonjun and Hueningkai waiting outside the bath room, shooting you a thumbs up telling you its all clear. You give them a nod and signal that they should go now so Soobin doesn't see them, before you dart into the bathroom.

You don't have much time to catch your breath as the door swings open only seconds later, revealing a very disheveled Soobin standing at the door way. He looks kinda pissed if you're being honest, and for a moment you some what regret your decision to go through with this but you remind yourself there is no turning back now.

"Umm isn't this the girls bathroom?" you say feigning ignorance as your eyes look everywhere but at Soobin. You end up peeping a glance at the urinals, confirming what you already knew, it was in fact not the girls bathroom.

Soobin takes a deep breath before stepping closer towards you and in turn you just back up more and more until you feel your back has hit the wall.

Your mouth opens to say something but not a word gets out as Soobin speaks first "I'm not even going to ask, just give me my notes back." he holds his and out expectantly for you to give them back, but you just blink in response.

Soobin rolls his eyes at you and reaches to snatch them from you but you're just a little faster as you hide them behind you instead. You chuckle a little at his poor attempt as he lets out a long groan.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Me? nothing. Whats wrong with you?"

"You always make things 10 times harder than necessary! I said I wouldn't ask why you made me chase you around the fucking school like we're playing cat and mouse! And yet you still choose the annoying way you're unbelievable!" now he's raising his voice a little and this is probably the most worked up you've seen him. You're not surprised at his reaction much but you still feel the need to spit back.

So you raise your voice as well "Well if you would have just said yes to me in the first place,

instead of being an unreasonable prick then I wouldn't need to go to this extreme!" you exclaim with your free hand, still keeping the other behind you.

He scoffs at your reply "So that's what this is about? I already told you I'm not helping! You're acting like a crazy obsessive bitch and I want nothing to do with it!"

Its your turn to scoff now, 'crazy obsessive bitch' you? You can amuse the idea of it seeming that way but you stand by the fact you are none of those things, you're just tired of pretending to be okay with your best friendand crush dating.

You step forward pointing a finger to his chest "Stop acting like you're any better than me!"

"I am better than you!" Soobin goes to snatch the papers from your hand again noticing he has a chance, but you quickly tighten your grip. A game of tug of war begins and before you know it the papers rip in half.

Both of you stumble back slightly but freeze when you see only half of his notes in each of  your hands. Now you didn't mean for that to happen..

"Did you seriously just-" Soobin stares at the papers, then you and back again. And for a split second you really do consider abandoning the mission for another day, but what guarentee is there that you would have a chance like this again?

"ha.." you start but quickly stop to mentally berate yourself 'seriously? you dumbass!'

You watch as Soobin's face gets red and the look in his eyes change from annoyed to looking like he wants to throw you in the garbage can. Instead though, he takes a very deep breath in and the redness he once had slowly recedes till he's back to his natural color.

"I'm so over this" Is what you think you hear him mumble just as he turns on his heel to leave.

"N- No wait don't leave!" you run up to the door trying to block it but he just shoves past you.

You then grab his arm to try and hold him back "Just hear me out! please!!"

"No let go of me!" he prys your hands off relatively easily and then reaches for the doorknob shaking it repeatedly but not leaving.

"Why isn't-" Soobin pushes on the door "-why isn't the door budging? " he turns to glare at you and you put your hands up in defense.

"I don't know!" you walk over to the door as well shaking the handle, but again it doesn't budge.

"I think we're... locked in.." you send him your best apologetic look but its mostly for yourself.

"God no shit sherlock!" Soobin begins pacing around angrily mumbling to himself "Who puts handles on bathroom doors nowadays?!"

"Woah dude calm down-"

"This is all your fault! Do not tell me to calm down!"

You let out a sigh, you don't to be stuckin here with him either but maybe you could use this to your advantage. You turn to look at soobin clearing you throat as obnoxiously loud as you can to get his attention.

He side eyes you "what."

You slowly make your way down to kneel in front of him checking for the cleanest spot on the floor as he looks back at you with wide eyes "What are you-"

You've always been told you're good at being dramatic, time to put it to use

"Choi Soobin, dear vice president, please I'm begging you" - you clasp your hands together in front of him- "Hear me out!"

"What the- No just get up the floor is probably disgusting.."

"I- I won't get up till you listen to what I have to say!" you definitely regret that statement because you think you can feel the germs of the bathroom floor on you.

He doesn't say anything in response, so you decided to keep going as you take a deep breath "I know you absolutely hate me, and the feeling is mutual I assure you-" pausing you take a peak to see if he's showing any signs of wanting to kick you in the face just in case, and when you don't explicitly see any, you continue

"-but Its kinda my fault they're dating in the first place! I literally lied to her because I thought I was being a good friend. I thought I would be fine seeing them together but clearly I'm not! and I know how fucking selfish and risky this is for me to ask of you  but I know how it hurts to see them together just like you... so why not just kill two birds with one stone and help each other out?"

You realize after you blurt everything out that maybe, just maybe,  you should of written what you were going to say first because even hearing yourself you think you sound a bit ridiculous.

While Soobin doesn't say anything the two of you just sit in avery tense silence. Maybe the door is unlocked by now?

"How would we do it?"

You gape at him "Huh-"

"What's your plan dumbass"

Jumping up excitedly you quickly dust off your skirt pretending you didn't just look desperate as hell "Does this mean you're in??"

"No, I asked what the plan was"

"okay okay so.."

You tell him that to be honest you don't exactly have a "plan" but a couple ideas instead, and boy does he look absolutely done with you but he thankfully continues to listen on.

"Sooo..?"

He lets out what you can only think is finally a sigh of defeat "Fine.."

You nearly scream "REALLY!?"

"Yes! Now lower your voice!"

You cover you mouth with your hands grinning triumphantly. 'Well that wasn't that hard' but it was all too soon as soobin speaks again.

"But only on two conditions-" you turn to look at him with annoyance "- do anything to cross the line or fuck this up its all on you. And any plan I say no to means no."

"But you're just gonna say no to everything!" you argue

"I won't, I won't, just make sure they're not... crazy"

You let out a groan "Yea okay nothing "crazy" whatever. Anything else?"

Soobin ponders for a moment and eventually shakes his head "Not at the moment I guess"

Letting out a sigh of relief now things are said and done you make your way towards the door

"aren't we locked in here?" you stop in your tracks realization hitting you

"I'll call jun."

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taglist(open): @maitenight @kori-roe @rich-man-v @gyuville @darrensos @etherealcherrie @jjunis @i-yeseo @igotkpoops @ashxxkook @ilvaussie @soobin-chois @cha0thicpisces

[zenaidamacrouras1]

2, 8, 19

HI! Sure, let's goooooo!

Asks from this prompt!

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

Yeah, in Tension and Tonic, I was going to have them get together at Thanksgiving and then Steve was like, Oh hell no, I am wayyyy to fucked for this - if we tried to get serious now, I would burn us both down in flames, you need to give me some more space to grow. Yes sir.

Then in Backhoe, I was just going to have them kiss or whatever and Steve (geez STEVE!!!!) was like "Um, I'm not comfortable with that please follow this through till our relationship is in a more stable place because there are so many ways this could go wrong" and also in Backhoe, the sisters were VERY NOISY and changed my ideas for the story quite a lot. I mean, there's five of them, I guess it makes sense they made a lot of noise?

Lastly in Monoclonius Steve (WHAT IS IT WITH STEVE) was so rude I had to write two flipping endings because he was like, "Oh hey, Imma do this dumbass thing because I have damage," and I was like, "No, please be nice to Bucky," and he was like "NOPE, can't. I have to be self sacrificing in a dumbass way that actually makes everyone sad" and fucked everything up. So I wrote that part for Steve per his instructions, and then went and re-wrote a version with a happier ending and less drama. So that fic has two actual endings.

In conclusion - I never realized till now what a troublemaker STEVE ROGERS is. I mean, I KNEW but WOW. I guess I'm writing him in character at least if he's bossing my shit around this much.

8. what’s your relationship with constructive criticism and feedback like? do you seek it out? how well do you take it?

So I have two personalities about this. First I REALLY value feedback and it is the greatest gift for someone to read your work or look at something you made and tell you thoughtful things about it and point out parts that drag or are less compelling. Like with my long fics, I like hearing where people started skimming because their mind wandered. What a gift. I studied creative writing (poetry) and really valued feedback is a key part of developing any craft. In some ways I have a very thick skin and a solid sense of what I am going for usually, so criticism is easy for me to process and take what I like and ignore what's not in alignment.

That being said, I also have RSD (rejection sensitivity dysphoria) which is a common trait with ADHD which means sometimes I take feedback irrationally hard and go into full flight or fight panic mode by someone finding a typo. For me, being perfectly honest, upping my antidepressant dose actually really helped me with this and with ruminations because I can at least tell the difference between what deserves a fight or flight response (it's not someone adding a comma) even if I can't always control when my brain decides to go into fight or flight over a suggestion to add a comma.

I also enjoy giving feedback if folks want me to give constructive criticism to their work.

19. what are some books or authors that influenced your style the most?

Re: Stucky - one of my first intros into Stucky was Owlet's The Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail which I think shaped my head canons of Bucky and Steve and the rest of the Avenger more than I can even process.

Lots of other fic writers. But to be honest the first answer that came into my head was Jude Deveraux, oh my god, my friend's older sister had like 9,000 books by her and I read sooo many in Junior High and High School. Also via this magical book collecting sister came dozens of Star Trek and Star Wars books, and I think seeing those books tease out big epic stories and character development from the snippets we get in movies/tv was part of why I sought out MCU fanfiction.

I do read real books. I really like Barbara Kingsolver, she was one of the first authors I found that addressed modern rural communities in a way that I found so amazing to see written. I like Wendell Berry's poetry. I like Stephen Dobyn's poetry, and how grim but also full of hope it can be. I like folks songs, and thinking about the stories that cultures share and preserve and how the meanings change over time.

That is a random and not well thought out list that I would likely answer completely different if asked tomorrow.

[tooearlyforthis]

Help Me Help You

Pairing: Steve Harrington x reader

Synopsis: (12.6k wc) Steve can't always admit when he needs help - which is why Robin is there to tell him. Weeks of therapy and he feels like he's gotten nowhere. So what happens when his therapist recommends a group session? What if he recognizes someone there?

Warnings: fluff, angst, mental health - anxiety, depression, panic attacks, mentions of loss, therapy, mentions of SA

masterlist || steve harrington taglist

This is a little different than what I usually post but I started writing this when I wasn't in the best place and I found it helped a lot. A lot of this stuff I've been through but if there is any feedback you guys have to portray the things discussed better please reach out!

“And how has that shaped you?”

The words echoed in Steve’s ears. He had heard it, comprehended the question; but his mind drifted far away. The grey carpet floor beneath him held no value, but he couldn’t look away. Why did he think therapy was a good idea?

Dr. Ackerman shifted in her seat, her pencil tapping against a notebook in her lap. “Steve,” she said sternly. He only mumbled a response, picking his head up. “How did not getting into college shape you?”

It sounded more like an interview question than anything else. Something a mid-level employee would ask him as he sat in the front of the store, nerves taking over his whole body. 

He propped his foot up on one knee, trying to think of an answer quickly. “Uh more resilience, I guess?”

Nodding, Dr. Ackerman wrote on her notepad. “Care to elaborate?”

“I don’t know, that kind of life wasn’t meant for me. It made me move on to better things.” He tried not to tap his fingers against his thigh - a nervous tick he had developed over the years.

“And why do you think that life, going to college, wasn’t for you?”

He tried to think of a way to justify his answer. Telling the truth wasn’t an option, despite it being the reason he sought out counseling. 

She leaned forward, letting her hands drift over her knees. “This won’t work if you’re not open, Steve.”

Shit how did she know?

Leaning back Dr. Ackerman continued, “I want you to come this weekend to sit in on a group session with my other patients. See how talking about what’s wrong may help you.”

“I don’t know –“ he began, already hesitant on her suggestion.

Putting up a hand, she silenced him. “No fighting. You need to commit, Stephen.”

The mention of his full name stung, a friendly reminder that she was older, wiser – a person who knew what was best for him.

“Trust me. This will help.”

Something smelled good. Way too good. 

It floated through his house, filling every crevice despite the absence of bodies. It made him feel safe, an unfamiliar sensation to him from the last few years. Following the smell, he walked into the kitchen. Robin was standing over the stove, a paper towel gripped over her arm.

“What did you do?” He asked, announcing his presence. 

He wasn’t surprised to see her. More and more the past few weeks she had been spending time at his house, even taking up a semi permanent room upstairs. 

She turned around, her face softening from a scowl. “Just burned my arm with oil. I think I put too much in the pan.” Steve chuckled. “How did it go?”

Shedding his jacket, he sat down at the counter. “It was fine. She wants me to do group therapy this weekend.” 

“Do you think it will help?”

He shrugged, not knowing his true answer. Out of all the people in their little party of monster fighters, Steve experienced some of the worst. From getting beat up more times that he could count, to getting tortured by Russians, he was in desperate need of help. 

But part of him still thought he didn’t when there were always others that would need him. His brain would spiral. To thoughts of the kids, hoping another gate hadn’t opened up; to Joyce and Hopper, wondering if someone would come back looking for them. But as the PTSD of his past caught up to him, it felt like the only viable option.

“What are you cooking?” he asked, diverting the conversation.

“Chicken,” Robin replied. “I mean, it’ll probably taste like shit. But it’s been a while since we had a proper meal, ya know?”

He nodded. “Yeah it has been…don’t worry though it actually smells really good. I think I’m going to take a nap before we eat if that’s okay? Just tired from this –”

“ – you don’t have to explain. I understand.”

He smiled at her – a genuine smile. Nowadays it felt like every emotion he felt was being forced, a sign to tell the others he was okay. But Robin had a way of bringing out his true self. She understood him in ways no one else in his life did. From the moment they went crashing down in that Russian elevator, they were linked at the hip - a single mind working cohesively.

Entering his bedroom, he felt immediate relief. It was a sense of safety, like a big blanket wrapping him in a warm hug. Sinking into the mattress he let sleep take him, hoping to not wake up from the horror of his dreams.

The weekend came sooner than Steve would have liked. He didn’t feel ready to walk into group therapy, no matter how much he tried to prepare himself. The unknown scared him, even when it came to just talking about his feelings. 

Robin offered to drive him. He was reluctant at first since she had only had her license for a year. But the session was a couple of towns over and she knew how his mind would run if he was alone in his car.

Pulling up to the building, she let the car roll to a stop. The engine continued to rumble in Steve’s ears, his heart matching the irregular pattern. It was like he was riding up a roller coaster, the top never coming into sight. He shut his eyes, trying to wish the feeling away.

Robin placed a hand gently on his shoulder, grounding him back to reality. “Hey,” she began. “Everything’s gonna be alright.”

Nodding, he unbuckled his seat belt and grabbed the water bottle he had brought. “Thanks for driving, Rob.”

“Of course. I’ll be here when you get out.”

With one last breath, he said to himself, “All right, let’s do this.”

He opened the car door, letting the cold air hit his face as he climbed out. It felt nice, like a wake-up call he so desperately needed. 

“You got this!” Robin exclaimed from the rolled-down window. 

He smiled, watching as she drove off before turning back to the big brick building in front of him. It was a different place from his usual sessions with Dr. Ackerman. But as he entered the building, he found it felt eerily similar. Was every therapist's office decorated the same? From the off-grey carpet to the leather sofa, it felt like a place he had been before. It helped calm his emotions just a smidge. 

“Can I help you, sweetie?” He turned to the lady behind the front counter.

“Uh, yeah I’m here for Dr. Ackerman’s group session?”

“Follow me,” she said with a warm smile.

The lady moved from her place behind the counter to open the door at the other end of the room. Closely, he followed her down the narrow hallway. His heart began to race, wondering how he could talk about his traumas without revealing the supernatural. It was hard to do with one person but a whole group? He might as well sew his mouth shut. 

“Here you are sweetie,” the lady said, swinging open a door. 

He barely had time to thank her before the door was shut behind him, leaving him alone in a room of strangers. Well, strangers plus one person he never thought he’d see again; Y/N L/N. She was sitting in a chair, arms crossed in an oversized sweatshirt and leggings. It was very different from how he remembered her in high school. 

From the few classes they shared and the occasional hellos in the hallway, he knew she was a pretty friendly, put-together person. She was always kind to people, despite the unfriendly rumors about how many notches were on her bedpost. Last he heard, she was heading off to some Ivy League school after graduation. So what was she doing sitting in on this therapy group?

He wanted to talk to her, to reconnect even though they were never close to begin with. Her eyes were glued to the hem of her sweatshirt, pinching at it in boredom. Then she looked up, scanning the room before her eyes landed on him. Her breath hitched for a moment as Steve saw her realize who he was. 

Wanting to talk to her, he stepped forward. Before he could even make it an inch, Dr. Ackerman’s voice pulled him away. 

“Mr. Harrington,” she greeted him. “Glad to see you could join us. Please, take a seat.”

Giving a polite smile, he stole a glance at Y/N one more time. She was already looking down at the floor, back to pulling on the strings of her pullover. 

As the therapy season began and people began to speak, Steve found himself barely paying attention. He went into this session hoping to get the most out of it, to really take in and listen to what people had to say. But that was before he saw Y/N. Shy and still undeniably cute, Y/N. 

He wanted to hear her story, not the strangers they were surrounded by. He wanted to know why she was here, not in New Jersey, and what could have happened in her life that made her need therapy in the first place. Steve knew his past was fucked up but from an outsider’s perspective, it never seemed like hers was. 

Unlucky for him, she barely spoke the entire session. There was the occasional nod or spoken agreement, but she never elaborated on any subject brought up. The minute Dr. Ackerman announced their time was over, and before he could even talk to her, she was gone. Out the door and out of his life. 

Steve slumped back into his chair, feeling defeated. He didn’t know why he felt so down. She was never a close friend to him, even at the height of them interacting in school. He got up to leave, hoping to catch her outside when he heard Dr. Ackerman called his name. Begrudgingly, he turned around to face her.

“So, what did you think?” she asked.

“I uh, don’t really know,” he responded truthfully.

“Then I want you to come back next weekend. And try to talk more, okay? You get out of it what you put in.”

Nodding, he gave her a goodbye. He rushed out the door, hoping to catch Y/N before she left. But alas, he was too late. Everyone had gone for the day. The only person left was Robin, patiently waiting in the car next to the curb. 

“How’d it go?” She asked, as he stepped into the car. 

“Fine,” he replied, as he played with the hem of his shirt. “I uh… saw Y/N L/N. Remember her?”

“I think so. Pretty sure we had chem together. Wait, wasn’t she some big shot? Going off to Princeton or something?”

Steve shrugged. “I guess not anymore.”

Robin gave an inquisitive hum in lieu of a reply. He stared out the window as she drove, partly thinking of how much Robin’s driving had improved. But mostly, his mind was filled with thoughts of Y/N and how he couldn’t wait to see her again. 

Steve made sure to arrive extra early for the group session the following week. He walked into the office complex, moving his way through the halls to the familiar door with Dr. Ackerman’s plaque across the front. With one last deep breath, he went in. 

The receptionist recognized him, letting him go into the therapy room with no problem. “Dr. Ackerman isn’t here yet but make yourself comfortable,” she told him. 

“Thanks,” he replied softly, watching her close the door behind him. 

When he turned around again, he was greeted with semi-familiar faces staring back at him. He scanned the room; no Y/N in sight. Giving a weak smile, he sat down in the same seat from last week. 

He could tell the others' eyes were on him, trying to get a read on the newbie. There weren’t many people there but it sure felt like a lot. A boy, probably around his age, a slightly older woman dressed very professionally, and an older lady that he had to guess was a few years away from a retirement home. 

“Hey,” the younger boy said, causing Steve to look up. “I’m Matt.” Steve replied with only his name, not knowing what else to say. Matt motioned to the woman in her late 20s wearing almost a business suit. “That’s Sam, and grandma over there is Louise. She could drop dead any minute so be on the lookout.”

“Matt!” Sam exclaimed, hitting his arm. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s alright, sweetie,” Louise calmed her. “He can say anything he wants as long as he remembers that I know where he lives, and I own a gun.”

Steve’s eyes went wide, his shoulders stiffening. Did that old woman just threaten him? Matt bursted out laughing. It was clear the group was comfortable with that sort of joking around. He turned back to a very tense Steve. “What are you here for?”

“You don’t have to answer that.” Sam told him.. 

“It’s complicated,” Steve said honestly. “I-I’m not really sure how I would explain it anyways.”

“Oooh,” Matt cooed. “Are you in a love triangle?”

“No I –”

“Family abandon you?”

“Well –”

“Oh I got it!” He interrupted again, sitting up straighter in his chair. “You got bit by a rabies infected bat and turned into a vampire.”

Steve tensed. How did he– it was obviously a joke. Not anything to take seriously so Steve decided to play along. “Actually, you’re not that far off.”

Matt chuckled, looking over at Sam who let out a small laugh as well. “I like you. You’re gonna fit in just fine.”

“Okay…” Steve said hesitantly, not knowing quite what he meant. 

The door softly clicked open, everyone turning to look who it was. Steve sucked in a breath when he realized it was Y/N. She was wearing something similar to last week, a pair of jeans and a sweater two sizes too big. The room was small enough that as she scanned the environment, her eyes locked with his.

Steve heard the others greeting her as she stepped further into the room, but his gaze was still fixed on her. Quickly, Y/N looked down, her hair falling gently over her face. He couldn’t help but feel a little hurt. Maybe she realized that they would be seeing more of each other; maybe she didn’t want to see him at all. He watched as she walked to an open seat, setting her bag down at her feet.

Steve wanted to speak, to say something to Y/N even though he didn’t know what. Cursed again, Dr. Ackerman bursted into the room. “Sorry I’m late,” she announced. “Let’s get started.”

Even though his mind was filled with thoughts of Y/N, he did manage to listen in more to the problems of his fellow group members. Matt was from a couple towns over attending the state college. His anxiety got the best of him and he had a falling out with his best friend. Sam was an elementary school teacher who suffered from PTSD from her younger years traveling as a military brat. And Louise was grieving the loss of her son - a car accident from a few months prior. He listened in more, taking in the symptoms and coping mechanisms they used. Some of the things they said sounded familiar, things that he could learn from his own terrifying experiences.

Once Louise, recounted her past week, how it felt in the wake of her son’s death, Dr. Ackerman turned to him. 

“Steve,” she said suddenly, taking him off guard from sneaking a look at Y/N. “You've experienced some loss in your life as well?” He nodded, not knowing where this was going. “Would you like to share a recent experience you had? Maybe the group has some coping skills to help you. 

Suddenly all the eyes were on him. He felt violated, talking in front of people he barely knew for two days. But in the words of Dr. Ackerman, it wasn’t going to help if he didn’t contribute. 

He began to speak, choosing his words very carefully. “Um yeah I guess I’ve been surrounded by loss, more so in the past couple of years.”

 He felt Y/N look up at him, sympathy in her stare. It gave him the courage to continue. 

“First it was my ex’s best friend. I didn’t know her well but she was last seen at my house so, I guess I blame myself for that? My friend, his mom’s boyfriend passed away, as well as another friend’s older brother…but more recently, a-a new friend. We had only just met… he uh, played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons.”

He looked over at Y/N again who was still staring at him, her sympathy replaced with something else - something he couldn’t quiet. Fright? No, recognition.

“I think of him sometimes– the new friend,” Steve clarified, glancing down at his fingers tapping against his thigh. “We only knew each other for a short while but he was a good dude…I see stuff around town sometimes that reminds me of him and I feel like I’m back- “ 

In the Upside Down.

“In a dark place,” he opted to say instead. 

When he looked up at the group, he felt relieved. They all looked at him with a sense of understanding, like they knew what he was going through. Hell, after what he heard today they probably were.

“I see,” Dr. Ackerman began. “So group, what can Steve do?”

“Well, I find the 54321 method helpful,” Sam said. 

Matt pointed at her. “I was about to say the same thing.”

“The 54321 method?” Steve asked, hoping they would explain further. 

“Y/N,” Dr. Ackerman said. She looked up at her. “Would you mind explaining to Steve what this coping skill is?”

Steve looked over at her hesitantly. “Uh sure,” she said, sitting up straighter. She was trying to look at him but her eyes fell back to her lap. “You count five things you can see around you, four things you can feel… uh three things you can hear. Two you can smell and one you can taste.”

“Very good Y/N.”

She looked up at him one last time, her gaze holding longer than usual and Steve felt like she could take his breath away. 

“And have you been using those methods yourself?” Dr. Ackerman asked. 

She tore her gaze away from Steve, looking back at their therapist. “I-I’ve been trying.”

“Well that’s a step forward right? Effort is all I can ask for. Now Steve,” she directed her attention back to her. “Those were great examples, but not the one I was looking for.”

“It wasn’t?” 

“What about your parents?”

He shook his head. “My parents aren’t dead.”

“But are they around often?” Steve froze. She knew they weren’t. Where was she going with this? Shaking his head, she continued. “Couldn’t that count as a form of loss? The loss of parental figures?”

He remained silent. Could it?

“Loss is not just death, Steve. It can take on many forms.”

Shit, he hadn’t thought of it that way. How much in his life had he truly lost? His parents, his friends, his reputation… Before he could even begin to process what that meant, Dr. Ackerman moved on to Matt who talked about his recent split from his best friend. But Steve was still in his own mind. His own thoughts drowning out the voices of the people around him. 

Maybe he needed therapy more than he cared to admit.

Before Steve knew it, the session was over and he was making his way out of the room, the thought of loss still very much present in his mind. He didn’t realize how much therapy would actually help him. Though mental health was something more and more people were beginning to talk about, it still had a lot of negative stereotypes. One wrong step and you could end up in a psychiatric ward without really needing it.

Trying to give his brain a break, Steve shifted his focus to Y/N and how he desperately wanted to try and talk to her. But yet again, Dr. Ackerman stopped him. “So, how are you liking the group?”

“A lot better than last week,” he replied, watching a small smile form on her face.

“Good. That’s really good, Steve.”

“Can I…keep coming to this group? On top of our sessions?”

She nodded. “That was the plan all along. See you later this week.”

“See you, Dr. Ackerman.”

Despite the heavy topic of the session, the moment Steve stepped outside, it was like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. The air felt nice, so crisp on his skin it was like a fresh glass of water. He was reluctant to admit that Dr. Ackerman was right, but the lady knew her stuff.

Looking around, he noticed Robin hadn’t arrived yet. Everybody else was gone, or so he thought.

“I didn’t know that about your parents.”

Steve turned around to find Y/N leaning against a wall, a cigarette between her fingers. There was no need for introductions, they both had remembered each other – it was just a matter of who would speak first.

“Uh, yeah,” Steve began to respond, shoving his hands in his pockets. He spent so long building up the moment they would speak again that when the time came, he felt frozen. Like a deep in headlights. Making his way over to her, he continued, “Most people don’t.”

She nodded, taking a puff of the cigarette. As she breathed out, a cloud of smoke followed, slowly floating above them. Steve tried not to wince at the smell. “Want one?” she offered.

“No thanks, I quit last year.”

Her eyebrows raised, surprised. Slowly she shrugged. “That makes one of us.”

Not knowing what to do, Steve looked around, trying his best to find something for them to talk about besides the obvious. Unfortunately, he came up with nothing. “I thought you went off to college.”

“I did,” she said before mumbling, “Until Gary entered the picture.”

“Who’s Gary?”

Not responding, she puffed out more smoke. It was clearly a touchy subject and Steve knew all too well about those. 

“I-I’m happy you’re here though.”

She scoffed. “Really?”

He nodded. “I wished we stayed in touch when school was over.”

“Hate to break it to you, Harrington, but I didn’t consider us friends.”

“I mean, me neither. But I remember you being one of the few people that called me on my bullshit – could see through my lies…I need more people like that in my life.”

She stared at him, her cigarette still loosely hanging between fingers. He didn’t know what she was thinking, what she was searching for in his comment. Maybe the truth? To see if he was lying? Before either of them could say anymore a honk echoed across the parking lot. Steve turned to see Robin pulling up to the curb. She rolled down the window as she parked. 

“That’s my ride,” Steve said, slowly backing away. “You remember Buckley? Another Hawkins High survivor.”

“Yeah, hey,” Y/N said, giving a small wave.

Robin waved back and said, “Oh hey, yeah we had chem together right?” Y/N nodded. 

“I’ll uh, see you next week?” Steve said, turning back to her one more time.

“Uh, yeah. Yes.” She took another puff. “See you next week.”

With one last wave, he climbed into the car, watching Y/N become a speck in the side-view mirror as they drove away.

“So,” Robin began, “You finally talked to her?”

“More like she talked to me but, yeah,” he responded.

“She’s different from what I remember. Tougher, less open to people. I didn’t know you were close.”

“We weren’t.”

Watching as his house turned into view, all he could think about was seeing her the following week.

“Why are we going to the other side of town again? Why can’t we just go to the burger place down the street?” Dustin asked, leaning forward from the backseat of Steve’s car. 

“It’ll be fun!” Robin said, arching her head to look back at him. 

“What’s the place called again?” Lucas asked. 

“Gordy’s,” Mike responded. “Stupid if you ask me.”

Usually in these types of scenarios, Steve would be the one to call them on their bullshit. To be the babysitter that steps up to make things right. However, because of more recent events, instead of stepping up, he was slipping away.

Robin noticed almost instantly, jumping in to control the situation when her friend couldn’t. 

“Hey!” She shouted, cutting off the chatter from the back. “Yes, the diner is called Gordy’s. Yes it’s on the other side of town. And we are going because Max likes it and she used to go with her family. Right Max?”

“Y-yeah,” Max spoke up from the back. “It’s pretty good, I think you guys would like it.”

“I’m excited,” El said, getting an agreement from Will. 

Little chatter soon broke into more chaos, the kids talking over each other without a care in the world. Steve wanted to say something, his grip on the steering wheel tightening in an effort to stop feeling the anxiety running through his chest. But still, it was too much. He needed to focus on the road. 

“See? El’s excited,” Robin chimed in again. “Quit your yapping, we're almost there.”

Almost on cue, they turned into the Gordy's parking lot. Steve took a deep breath as the chatter in the back started to die down. He could almost hear his thoughts again, though he didn’t know if that would be a good thing. 

As the kids began to pile out of the car, he felt Robin’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey,” she said. “Deep breaths, remember? If it gets too bad, do that thing you learned okay? The 123 method.”

“54321 method,” he corrected. 

“Yeah, the 54321 method.” She watched as he nodded, taking another deep breath. “Hey,” she willed him to look at her. “You’re doing great. You ready to go in or do you need a minute?”

“No, I’m good…” It wasn’t until they were standing right outside the doors, the kids already packed into a booth that he spoke again. “Sorry about that, I can’t control it sometimes-”

“You never have to explain yourself,” she interrupted him, grabbing one of his hands. “Never.”

Steve felt this warm haze travel through him, his chest expanding with what felt like a clean breath of air. Sometimes hearing that there was someone there for him was enough to keep him going. Squeezing her hand back, he motioned that he was ready.

It was easy to navigate to where the kids had decided to sit – noise only coming from one side of the diner. Of course, they were arguing. It was about some movie that had just come out though both of the older teens couldn’t quite place which one. 

“Zip it!” Steve shouted over them, standing at the edge of the diner booth. They all abruptly stopped to look at him. It was the first real words he had muttered all night. “Pick what you want to eat. We’re not spending an hour deciding like last time.”

Dustin smiled at his words. Sure, they were kinda mean, but when Steve got bitchy that meant he was alert. 

Sliding into the booth across from Robin, Steve picked up a menu. The options were like any other establishment, and the kids were quick to decide what they wanted. When it came down to it, their orders didn’t really change much from diner to diner. It was the talking that made their visits longer. But Steve liked to mix it up from time to time, especially when eating with Robin - they often split meals. 

So when the waiter came over to take their orders, he was happy they didn’t have to send the guy away. With El eager to get her waffles, she went first, Mike going straight after her. Steve guessed that meant he would be last. He took the moment he had to look around the diner Max had selected. 

It was nice, much nicer than the other places they had tried but that wasn’t saying much. Midwest towns with small populations meant slow repairs. The floors looked a little wet but that was probably from the amount of people walking through with the recent storm. The coffee machine was out of order and by the looks of it, it had been that way for at least a month.

Besides that, not much was out of place. There was an elderly couple sitting at the counter top across the place. Slowly they traced their fingers along a spread out newspaper Steve had to guess was an attempt at the crossword puzzle. But his eyes slowly drifted away from the puzzle and onto the waitress putting down their food. 

It was Y/N. Blue apron, hair pulled back to not obscure her face. 

His breath hitched when he saw her. It was so unexpected, seeing her in a place like this. She looked so calm, almost happy. He hadn’t seen her like that since their senior year. It made him wonder what had gone so wrong, what this “Gary” did to make her dropout of college. And even though he wouldn’t find that answer tonight, he couldn’t stop himself from staring at her.

As she smiled at her customers, her eyes scanned the diner.  Looking for more people to help, her eyes landed on him. There was some shock, the unexpectedness of seeing him, but she forced a smile on her face. 

“Steve!” 

He was pulled out of his daze by Robin, motioning to the waiter standing before them.

“W-what would you like to drink?” the waiter asked again, though Steve swore he never heard him the first time.

“Uh, just water, thanks,” he said sheepishly, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment.

The waiter, however, just nodded, walking over to where Y/N stood. Steve let his eyes follow him, watching the coworkers engage in conversation before Robin spoke again.

“That’s her, right?” she whispered, not wanting the kids to hear. He nodded. “You should go talk to her.”

He whipped his head around to look at her. “What? No.”

“Why not?”

Because my anxiety will make me fuck up my sentences.

“Because she’s working,” he said instead. “I don’t wanna interrupt her.”

“Please, it’s so dead in here she would probably thank you.”

“Who are you talking about?” said Dustin, trying to worm his way into the conversation.

“No one,” Steve said quickly. “Do your maze.”

He looked down at the kids menu in front of him. “I’m not a child!” he exclaimed.

“Maybe, but you love those mazes.”

He took one look at Steve before back down at his menu. Sighing in defeat he said, “Okay yeah I do…”

It was a new record. Almost an entire day without a panic attack. The food had arrived, the kids eating like it was their last meal on earth. Meanwhile Robin took the time to neatly split her and Steve’s food in half, handing him one of the plates.

He smiled at her before diving in. Well, more like inching in. He didn’t feel too hungry, despite not eating at all that day. That was the main reason for this little outing - to get him to eat food. But as the night went on and his food was still barely touched, he knew that something deeper was happening. 

Ever since he started therapy, he had been getting better at spotting anxiety and panic attacks, even preventing a few which he was proud of. But some would start for no reason, even if he was feeling better than he had all day. Something began to rise in his chest and he knew one was coming. Apparently, Robin did too.

Over the noise of the kids debating over some new comic book, Robin asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Steve dismissed out of instinct. “Just gonna go to the bathroom.”

He quickly stood up, not waiting for a response. The bathroom was unlocked thankfully and looked a little disgusting. Still, he had been in worst places. Staring at the faucet he cupped his hands, splashing water on his face.

Sometimes that helped, giving his body a wake up call it didn’t know it needed. But unfortunately, it wasn't working. He felt his breaths become shorter, more labored. His heart felt like someone was squeezing it in their hands. 

He needed fresh air. Yeah, fresh air would help.

Exiting the bathroom, he was thankful to see there was a back door just a few feet away. Pushing through he was met with the cold crisp air of the back of the diner. There was some air conditioner blowing so loud he could barely hear his own thoughts. 

Picking what looked to be a clean wall, he sat down, trying to take deep breaths. His hands still shook, not slowing down despite his efforts. Nothing was working and he didn’t know why. What had even caused this panic attack? There was nothing he was scared or really anxious about to warrant this level of panic. 

He tried to remember what Dr. Ackerman told him in one of their private sessions. Sometimes panic attacks don’t need a reason for happening. 

“Harrington?”

He willed himself to look up at who was calling his name. It was Y/N, a cigarette in her hand. Perfect, just great. This is exactly how he wanted her to see him.

“Oh, hey,” he tried to say casually, trying to mask his attack. They could both tell it wasn’t working.

“Are you doing okay?”

He could tell it was more of a rhetorical question and he was too tired to lie. “I- not really. I don’t know what happened I just-”

“Hey it’s okay,” she interrupted him, crouching down to be at eye level with him. “We all get them okay?”

He nodded though his heart still felt like it was beating out of his chest. “I-I can’t stop it.”

“Have you done the method yet?” He shook his head. “Okay,” she continued, throwing her cigarette to the side before fully sitting down in front of him cross legged. “Let’s go through it, yeah?”

“Aren’t you working?”

“I’m on my break. Don’t worry about that, let’s help you okay? Name five things you can see.”

“O-okay…” he said, taking a deep breath. “Um, my shoes, those plants ... .uh the-the ground. I can see the wall and- your eyes. Shit- sorry that was weird,” he said, curling back into the wall.

“No, don’t apologize,” she told him, reaching out her hand to cover his. “Describe them to me. What do my eyes look like?”

He looked up at her - there was no hint of mockery in her face. “Well, they're vibrant, they’re a couple of different shades…they're beautiful.”

She smiled at him, not disgusted or annoyed, but genuine happiness. She chuckled, dropping her head for a moment, thanks… Now, let’s continue…”

They listed more things, following the method. With each concentration, the hold on his heart loosened more and more. He couldn’t tell if the method was working or he just liked to be in her company. Whatever it was, it worked. 

As he listed off the taste of his meal, he felt like he could finally breathe. Sighing, he let his back hit the wall. 

“Thanks for that,” he said, closing his eyes. He could still feel the pads of her fingers gently rubbing his hand.

She responded, not letting go. “Of course, we have to look out for each other.” In the distance, someone called her name. “Shit, my break is over. You think you’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Slowly she stood back up. “I uh, guess I’ll see you this weekend.” She gave a small wave, not waiting for a response as she scurried back inside for the remainder of her shift. 

As he watched her walk away, he felt the urge to call her back. Her presence, the way she calmed him down - it wasn’t something he wanted to let go of. Begrudgingly, he stood up, knowing that his friends would be wondering where he was soon. He walked through the same back door, passing the bathroom before finding his friends still in the diner booth.

Robin spotted him first as he made his way over - it seemed like the others barely even noticed his absence. “Are you okay? You look pale,” she asked. 

Usually he would lie, say he was fine and tough through his emotions. But as Dr. Ackerman and later Robin told him, he needed to be more honest with his well being.

“I don’t think so. Could we skip the ice cream run tonight?”

“Of course, yeah. Let’s get going, I already paid for the food.” She turned to the kids. “Alright, let’s get you guys home.”

“What about ice cream?” Dustin asked, followed by overlapping replies from the rest of the kids.

“Not tonight. Maybe next week.”

With solemn looks on their faces, the kids slowly climbed out of the diner booth, ready to pile back into the car. Steve watched as Robin unlocked the door, letting them all climb in. While doing so, he turned back, hoping to catch Y/N one more time.

She emerged from the back with two plates of food, locking eyes with him. She gave him a smile and he already felt a million times better. Nodding at her with a grin, she knew he meant it as a thank you.

Turning around, he made his way to the car, hoping that another attack wouldn’t happen when she wasn’t there.

For the first time since starting therapy, Steve Harrington could say he was satisfied with his progress. He had another panic attack later that week and was able to not only realize the source of it, but calm himself down in record time. Well, record time for him, at least. 

Leaving Dr. Ackerman’s office, he waved goodbye to the other patients before making a b-line to the bathrooms. His bladder was not happy about the wait.  After relieving himself, he opened the door to leave. 

“Do you usually hang out with that many kids?”

“Gah!” Steve jumped, not knowing that Y/N was standing outside smoking a cigarette like she was usually seen. “Jeez, you scared me.”

He began to walk to the building exit, her joining at his side. “Sorry, but you gotta answer the question, Harrington. It’s been bugging me since I saw you.”

Pushing open the exit doors, he said, “Uh they’re my friends so, yeah I usually hang out with them.” 

“But children?”

“They aren’t random children, okay? But yeah, they're who I’m close with,” he shrugged. “Probably my only friends if I’m being honest.”

“Huh…” Y/N replied, taking a long drag of her cig. “That’s fucking weird, Harrington. Did you and your girlfriend adopt them or something?”

He cocked his head. “Girlfriend?”

“Yeah, Buckley... Sorry, I just assumed-”

“Oh,” he replied with realization. “Buckley, no we’re just friends. She’s practically my sister.” 

“Oh okay, cool.” She took another puff.

“Do you ever think about quitting? It’s a nasty habit.”

“Yeah well, what else do I have to do?”

“Go out with me?” She turned sharply to glare at him, her eyes going wide. “Not like go out with me. Shit, I said that wrong- Hangout. I meant hangout with me. As friends!”

She still looked frozen, giving him a look he couldn’t quite read. Was that happiness? Distast? Maybe she didn’t want to try being friends with him.

“I wanna see you outside of therapy and your work ya know?” he explained, trying not to dig himself into a deeper hole. “To not listen to Matt re-explain every class he has. I mean like, we’re not the ones in school.”

She laughed at that, probably understanding what he meant. Next to them, a car pulled up to the curb. It wasn’t Robin. 

“That’s my dad,” she responded softly, walking over to the car. She turned to open the passenger door but paused and looked back at him. “Meet me at the Hideout at 7? Saturday?”

Steve couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “I’ll be there.”

She gave him one last look before climbing into the car, driving away. The smile was still plastered on Steve’s face and he couldn’t help but think that this friendship was the beginning of his new life. One where the Upside Down didn’t haunt his dreams, or where he didn’t fight any demogorgons. One where he could leave that all behind. 

The Hideout. It sounded familiar but Steve couldn’t place why he knew it. Even as he walked into the place, he knew he had never been there before. 

It was very grungy. The floors looked like they needed a deep cleaning and the walls were covered head to toe in band posters. A bar sat on the left side of the room, perfectly out of the way of the stage on the back wall. 

Walking in, Steve opted to stand next to a high table, no chairs in sight. He figured it was just a place for people to set down their drinks. Alcohol, however, did not feel the right call. He wanted to stay alert for his first hangout with Y/N. 

As his eyes drifted across the stage, he watched a band set up their equipment. There were only four of them. A drummer, bassist, guitarist, and a rhythm guitarist. It was probably some local band he had never heard of - he didn’t really keep up with current music.

But as he looked closer, he realized that they were familiar. The guy on rhythm guitar, he had seen him before. A math class? Was that it? Slowly, it started to come to him.

This was Eddie’s band.

The room felt like it became a million times hotter as Steve began to sweat. His heart thumping faster than normal. He needed to stay calm, he needed to control his panic. 

Since Eddie died, he tried to stay away from all things related to the guy. Instead of sitting in on the last few minutes of Dustin’s dnd games, he’d wait in the car. Instead of surfing any radio channel, he made sure to skip the metal station. But there was no skipping tonight.

He recognized three of the members but there was one that was new. He had shorter hair, a lanky build and a tattoo peeking out from under the arm of his t-shirt. He didn’t look familiar - not someone he went to school with. But then it dawned on him.

He was Eddie’s replacement. Before he even had time to process that information, he felt a small hand on his back, a presence next to him. 

“Hey, you made it,” Y/N said with a smile on her face. He hadn’t seen her smile like that in a long time.

“W-whata- what…” It was like he couldn’t speak, the image of Eddie’s band moving on without him still in his mind. “W-why did you bring me here?” he finally got out.

Y/N furrowed her brows. “To see Corroded Coffin?” she responded, not really understanding what he meant. “I thought it would be fun, my brother said they’re playing a new song tonight.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Brother?”

“Yeah… Gareth? On the drums? I thought you remembered.” 

No, he didn’t remember. He turned back to the band setting up. Gareth was putting down the hi-hat to complete his drum set. 

Trying to stay calm, he said, “Oh cool…did uh, did you know Eddie too?”

Her face dropped slightly at the mention of his name. “Yeah, I did. He was a good guy.” All he could do was nod, taking a deep breath in. He felt her arm wrap around his. “Everything’s gonna be fine. I’m sorry I should’ve told you why we were here.”

“No it’s okay. It’s like exposure therapy.”

She chuckled, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Sure.”

It didn’t take long for them to start, the music blaring out of speakers that were too loud for the room they were in. The new guy, in place of Eddie, was singing and Steve had to admit it wasn’t bad. His heart still ached at the thought of the band having to replace their star singer. They all looked like really close friends back in school. 

They played a couple songs, and Y/N pointed out the new one that her brother had mentioned. It was good, or better than he would have thought. Steve didn’t know how much he actually liked metal music but if he had to listen to any it would be this. 

But he wasn’t really focused on the music, more of the person standing next to him. He tried not to stare but she was so memorizing. Singing along to the songs she knew, bobbing her head to the ones she didn’t. It was nice seeing her outside the context of therapy. He also wasn’t complaining that her arm was still wrapped around his for a majority of the night.

As the new lead singer thanked the small crowd, leaving as they cheered, Steve felt Y/N tug his arm.

“Come on, let’s go say hello,” she said, pulling him through the crowd.

“S-say hello?” he asked. “Like to the band?”

“Duh,” she replied, waving at a bouncer guarding the backstage door. “We aren’t gonna see my brother perform and then leave.”

The corridor backstage was busier than he thought it would be. The bar was small but it sure didn’t feel like that. People were walking up and down, some running like it was Madison Square Garden. He couldn’t tell who worked there, performed, or were just groupies stopping by. 

Turning right, they were met face to face with the green room, a written sign saying Corroded Coffin taped to the door. Y/N smiled at him before she reached for the handle, turning it to reveal a very hectic room.

The band members were just chatting but it sounded like shouting. It all halted when they walked in. 

“Y/N!” Garrett exclaimed, running over to hug her.

“You did great tonight, honestly all of you did,” she told him.

“And the new song?”

“Better than I could’ve imagined.”

Garret turned to look at Steve, his expression changing to something of confusion. “What is he doing here?”

“You brought Steve Harrington?” Jeff, the rhythm guitarist, chimed in.

Y/N turned to look at Steve confused. “I thought you said you knew Eddie?” 

“I-I did,” he told her, suddenly aware of how many eyes were staring at him. He looked around the room quickly before back at her. “I- just not with his usual crowd…”

The band continued to give him a blank stare.

“I know Dustin, Lucas, and Mike? I know you used to play dnd together,” he added.

Grant, the bassist, crossed his arms. “You know Henderson?” he asked. 

Steve nodded. “He’s like a little brother to me.”

They stared in silence at him and what was probably five seconds felt like eternity. It wasn’t until Jeff shrugged and spoke up that Steve realized his heart rate was quickening. 

“I guess you're okay then,” Jeff said, “As long as you don’t try to shove us into lockers.”

If Jeff didn’t chuckled he would have if he was serious. His laugh rippled throughout the room, breaking the tension and it was like life started again. Joints were lit, drinks were poured, and Steve’s past was left forgotten.

“Can I ask you something?” Steve asked. He walked next to Y/N in the cold, night air, the only sound audible coming from the shuffling of their shoes. 

“Sure,” she said, reaching into her pocket to grab a cigarette.

“That first time we talked, like at Dr Ackerman’s…you mentioned someone named Gary.” He felt her stiffen next to him, a slight stutter in her step. “Who was he?”

Dropping her head to the unlit cigarette, she decided to shove it back into her pocket. He instantly regretted asking. 

Apologizing, he said, “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s okay…” she waved off. “Exposure therapy, right?” she said, repeating his words from earlier in the night, letting him know it was okay. “Gary was my neighbor in my freshman year dorms. We hit it off really quick and started to date.”

She looked at the ground as she talked, hands shoved into her pockets. Steve however, couldn’t take his gaze off her. 

“He was fine, uh, a good boyfriend. Well, at first…” she took a pause, almost long enough that he was thinking he should say something.

Luckily, she continued. “He stumbled into my room really drunk one night…tried to take advantage of me.” She shrugged, actually shrugged, like what she just told him was nothing. “I pushed him off me and he went blabbing to everyone that I was an attention seeking whore. All my friends stopped talking to me, even my roommate…and the administration wouldn’t do anything about it even though he, you know…”

She trailed off as she kicked a rock with her shoe and Steve could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces. How could someone, anyone, do that sort of thing? Not even when he was considered King Steve would he force himself onto a girl. 

Y/N sighed. “It was like high school was repeating itself, you know? I didn’t get to have my fresh start.”

He nodded, trying to understand what she went through. They never ran in the same circles in high school, but it was hard not to hear the rumors going around about who she was sleeping with. He assumed Billy was the one to start them and let it be. Looking back, he wished he had stood up for her. 

“It sucks,” he began warily, not knowing if it was okay to speak. When she looked up at him, it gave him the courage to continue. “When other people decide who they think you are. I-I mean, I didn’t go through that but I do have problems with the way people perceive me, my reputation.”

“I-I mean that’s when all my panic attacks started I just- I couldn’t stay there. It’s so stupid…”

“It’s not!” Steve reassured her. “Not stupid in the slightest. I would have left too if it were me. I mean, I didn’t even get into college. There was nowhere for me to run.” The more he began to speak of his own problems, the more anxious he became. “Not that what I went through was worse than you, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to turn the conversation on to me-”

“-No, Steve, it’s okay. I get it, you’re just trying to relate to me.” He nodded - it was like she took the words right out of his mouth. “Could we go back to yours? If I remember those high school parties correctly, you have a pool.”

“Sure. Y-yeah cool,” he blubbered. He couldn’t remember the last time talking to a girl made him anxious like this. Trying to catch his cool, they headed toward Loch Nora. 

“The back door should be unlocked,” Steve informed Y/N as they approached his house. 

It wasn’t a far walk from the bus stop they got off on and he could still see his car parked in the driveway - but only his car. Robin had told him ahead of time that she was going to sleep at her own home for once that week - her parents wanting to see more of her.

“Wow, it’s exactly how I remembered it,” Y/N commented as he opened the back gate.

He looked back at her. “You remember what my house looks like?”

Shrugging, she said, “Like I said, I went to a couple of your parties.” The pool’s lights illuminated the otherwise dark backyard, steam rising from its surface. “Now this is what I’m talking about.”

Without warning, Y/N pulled her shirt off, moving to pull down her pants. Steve’s eyes went wide, turning around to give her privacy. “What are you doing?”

“Getting in your pool? I don’t know about you, Harrington, but I don’t carry a bathing suit with me.”

“I guess…” Steve said, suddenly unsure of their plan. 

It was just like a bikini right? Only it felt so much more intimate. He heard a splash from behind him, a gasp as she rose to the surface for air. 

“You coming in?”

Slowly he turned around facing her as she grazed her hands over the surface of the water. She looked so majestic with her hair slicked back. He felt like deer in headlights as he looked at her. He could go inside, grab one of the many swimming trunks he had in his closet. But instead, he opted to strip down to his boxers, leveling the playing field. 

He could tell she was surprised, not thinking he would do the same thing as her. But nonetheless he jumped right in. The splash completely covered her but she didn’t seem to mind, already dunking her head moments before. When he rose to the surface, he inhaled deeply. 

“Hey!” She exclaimed, wiping water from her eyes. 

“You were already wet!” He retorted.

Without warning, she lunged herself at him. Steve felt as she collided with his chest, sending him falling back into the water, taking her with him. He barely had enough time to breathe before he felt himself submerged back under the surface. On instinct, an arm wrapped around her midsection, balancing her against him as he used his legs to push them back up for air.

Breaking the surface tension, he felt Y/N cling to him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she tried to balance against his bent knee. They were both gasping for air, taking a moment to recover. But the moment she looked up at him, those beautiful eyes he stared into at the diner, it was like a damn broke. 

She smiled, letting out a giggle and he too couldn’t keep a straight face. As her face buried in his neck he asked, “What was that for?”

“I don’t know, it looked like you needed to have fun,” she responded. 

“So you pushed me.”

Y/N lifted her head from his neck, her hands still around his neck. “You’re a very pushable person.”

“Oh am I?”

“Definitely.” She giggled, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. “I could stay like this forever.”

Steve smiled, his cheeks getting warmer. “Me too. It’s like a little pocket out of time. We don’t have to think about the future.”

“Or the past…” She was silent for a second, her fingers still moving and Steve tried his best to stay still. A beautiful girl was practically sitting on his lap and he was trying to hard to not fuck it up. 

“That first session, you talked about all the loss you’ve been around. Is there a reason for that?”

“Interdimensional monsters,” he blurted out. It felt good to say the truth even if it was met with a laugh. Who would believe in another dimension anyway?

“Fine don’t tell me,” she said, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. 

The cool touch of her fingers spread across him, down through his chest. It was hard to stop thinking about how little fabric separated them, especially with the way her fingers grazed his skin.

For a moment he almost swore she looked down at his lips. “I bet…” she began, tilting her head back to show her thinking. “That you have daddy issues.”

“Who doesn’t?”

She giggled, her forehead tipping forward, almost touching his. A piece of hair fell across her face and without thinking he reached up to brush it away. Y/N looked up at him, their eyes meeting as he softly pushed the strand behind her ear. 

This time, he knew for certain, she had looked at his lips, right after he did the same.

The little space left between them closed as Y/N leaned forward, capturing his mouth. It was softer than he would had thought. Her rough exterior not matching her tender touch. He felt her arms wrap back around him, fingers gripping his hair. He let out a moan, tightening the grip he had on her waist.

She pulled back for a moment, only to tilt her head to the other side, her lips crashing back down on his. A small whimper let out from her mouth and Steve felt like he died and went to heaven. He wanted to hear it again, to be the only one that made her sound that way. It was intoxicating, like a vampire thirsting for blood. 

He let his kisses trail down her cheek, reattaching himself to her throat. She moaned even louder and he never wanted to let go. 

“That feels nice,” she said, breathlessly. The grip on his hair grew tighter but he didn’t mind. She could poke, pull, or prod, any part of him and he would let her.

“You feel nice.”

Without meaning too, she pressed down on his lap. And even through their underwear and the water of the pool, Steve felt ecstatic. He detached himself from her neck gasping at the pressure. 

“Jesus Christ,” he murmured to himself but it might have been louder than he expected. 

Y/N looked up at him with a smile. But as her eyes found his, Steve was confused as to why it started to vanish. Detaching herself from him, he watched as she floated away until her back hit the pool wall. 

Something was wrong, he just knew it. Was it something he did or said? Was it the kiss?

“I should probably go,” she told him, pulling herself out of the pool. 

“Oh,” he said in surprise. Why the rush to leave so quickly? “Okay…”

As he joined her by the lounging chairs, he watched as she tried to put a leg through her pants. 

“Wait,” he stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him before straightening her back. “Don’t put your clothes over your wet ones.”

“How else would I-“

He interrupted her, knowing if he didn’t say what was in his mind he’d lose the courage to say it. 

“-you can stay. Like, stay over?”

Why was he this nervous? He had plenty of girls over before. But with her, things felt different. Y/N raised her eyebrows at his comment. 

“If you want to,” he rushed out to say. “You could take a shower, I could dry your clothes and-“

“Okay,” she spoke over him. 

It felt like all the air left his body. “Yeah?” He asked again for reassurance. Slowly she nodded, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Okay yeah. Cool, um…this way.”

Steve’s hands twitched nervously as he sat on his bed. Y/N was in the shower, due to come out any minute. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had a girl over before. Just that the last person to sleep in his bed broke his heart. They had shared a space, gotten warm together under his blankets, baked in the morning sun. It held more meaning to him than he realized before.

As he clutched his hands, trying to calm himself down, the door creaked open. He looked up, watching as Y/N hesitantly peered in. As soon as he saw her face, it was like there was a calm that washed over him. The idea of having someone sleep in his bed filled him with anxiety, but when he saw Y/N it all faded away. He wanted her next to him, he wanted to share his space with her. 

Closing the door behind her, Y/N stood awkwardly across the room. But Steve couldn’t help but smile. She looked so cute in his clothes, the fabric clinging to her skin in ways that left little to the imagination. 

“I left the towel in the laundry room,” she said. “I hope that was okay.” 

“Yeah,” he said quickly, being pulled from his thoughts. “Yup that’s okay. I already started the load on drying your clothes.” 

“Cool,” she said, intertwining her fingers in front of her. 

Steve motioned to his bed. “Do you prefer a side or-”

She shook her head. “Nope. I-I’m fine with either.”

Steve hummed an agreement, moving to take the ride side of the bed. He watched her join on the other side as he pushed the covers back. They both had romantic experiences; both sleeping with someone else in their bed. But in the moment, it felt like they were little kids again.

Steve carefully covered both of them, sinking back down into his mattress. He tried not to touch her, to give her space after what happened in the pool. And with her past, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Starting at the ceiling he heard Y/N sigh. Turning his head he could see her covering her face.

“Are you okay?” He asked, turning to face her. “D-do you want to sleep in my parents room? They’re not home-”

“No, this is perfectly fine just,” she dropped her hands onto her chest as she stared up, not meeting his gaze. He could see her eyes getting watery, a tear on the verge of falling. “I-I don’t wanna do anything with you like- sexually. And I’m sorry if that’s blunt but after everything with Gary-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” he reassured her to try and show her this was a safe space. “I wasn’t expecting to, honestly.”

She turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Really?” she asked, not convinced. 

“Really,” he replied. “I haven’t really been the same since Nance and I broke up and- nevermind it’s not important. I could leave if this is too much.”

“No I want you here I really do I’m just…confused. I don’t know.” 

She buried her head in her hands again, probably to stop him from seeing her start to cry. Steve ached for her. To see her like this, to know that this was the fault of another person. That a person could do that to someone else. 

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he told her, moving the comforter aside. “That way we won’t be alone but we can have our space.”

She looked back at him, her cheeks wet with tears. “No, I don't wanna make you sleep on the floor in your own room.”

“It’s nothing really,” he dismissed, grabbing his pillow and a spare blanket that was thrown across his desk chair. “Trust me, I’ve slept in worse places than on a rugged floor.”

“If I wasn’t a mess right now I’d ask you to elaborate.”

He fluffed his pillow, pulling the blanket up over his shoulders. Y/N peered over the bed, still unsure of the sleeping arrangement though he could tell it was putting her more at ease. 

“A conversation for another time,” he said and he swore he could see a smile on his face.

“Okay,” she said softly, her head disappearing as she laid back down on the bed. 

There was silence for a moment and Steve thought that she had fallen asleep. But her soft voice glided through the air. 

“Steve?” she asked.

“Yeah?”

There was another beat. Another moment of silence before he heard her whisper, “Thank you.”

Even on the floor of his room, the sun found a way to shine on his face. The warm light slowly woke him up, making him rub his eyes in an attempt to not blind himself. He almost forgot he was on the floor of his room until he rolled over to open his nightside drawer, feeling his hand brush against the floor instead. 

As his eyes came into focus, he willed himself to sit up. Why was he on the floor again? Right, Y/N. Beautiful Y/N who should be asleep on his bed. But as he leaned his head up to see over the edge of the mattress, he was met with an empty bed. The covers were made neatly, all pillows back in place, as if no one had even slept there the night before. 

Steve rubbed his eyes, like if he cleared himself from his sleepy haze she would materialize in his room. But as his eyes began to focus again, he found he was still alone. Grunting, he stood up, pulling the pillow and blanket he had used with him. He looked around the room and it seemed that nothing was out of place.

Did he imagine last night? Did he feel so alone that he willed himself to believe that Y/N actually slept over? His eyes continued to scan for anything out of place, a breath of relief when they landed on his dresser.

The clothes he had lent her were neatly stacked on his desk and if he had to guess, her drying clothes in the laundry room would be gone. So he hadn’t imagined it. What happened? Why was she in such a rush to leave?

Maybe she regretted the night before, thinking he hadn’t changed since his days at King Steve. Perhaps the kiss was too much and she regretted it. Steve’s mind spiraled down a dark hole he knew too well. If he didn’t stop now, he would trigger another panic attack.

Taking a moment before getting ready for the day, he sat down on his bed, closing his eyes. He just needed to breathe. In and out, in and out. Over and over again he focused on his breath, letting all his energy go into calming himself down.

He needed to talk to Y/N. To clarify everything from last night before it ate away at him. 

Steve drove himself to therapy the following week. Partly because Robin was still back at her parents, and partly because he needed more time to think. As the time of the group session approached, he felt his heart rate begin to rise. His thoughts raced faster than they did when he woke up to find her gone.

He just needed to get there. Seeing her would calm him, reassure him that he didn’t fuck up. But as he parked his car and raced inside, he was saddened to find that she wasn’t there. Maybe she was just late. She had been late in the past, it was logical to assume she could be late today. 

Matt and Sam had tried to talk to him but he only politely nodded as they spoke. His tongue felt too heavy in his mouth. Like lifting it to speak would only result in incoherent babbling. Thankfully, Dr. Ackerman’s presence let him stay silent. 

The session began and Steve found himself staring at the door. He nodded, giving short answers when required but his attention was still trained on the closed door. She had to walk through the door. To join their weekly sessions. But as the topic drifted from one person to another, Y/N never arrived. 

Steve was quick to leave, rushing to the parking lot to see if she had missed the session and was just arriving. To his disappointment, she wasn’t there. Not even a lingering smell of cigarettes in the air from her usual smoking spot. 

He arrived early for the next session, and the next, and soon a whole month went by without her attending. Every session his eyes stayed on the door, willing her to walk through. Maybe if he was like Eleven, telepathically gifted, he could find out where she was. No, he thought. Even with those powers, it would be an invasion of privacy. And he didn’t want to be where he wasn’t welcomed. 

Robin had been spending more and more time with her parents to figure out packing for the fall semester so Steve had been driving himself more often in Y/N’s absence.

Another missed therapy session had him driving home in silence, not even the radio playing to fill the void. His fingers tapped against the steering wheel in an irregular pattern as he turned onto his street. Slowly, his house came into view and he could see the vague outline of someone sitting on the front steps. 

That’s weird, he thought to himself. Robin had a key, most people in the party did for emergencies. So why was she waiting outside?

As he pulled closer, almost fully into the driveway, his eyes adjusted. It wasn’t Robin, or anyone he had fought monsters with. It was Y/N. 

Y/N, smoking a cigarette as she patiently waited for him to come home. He felt himself falter, his foot almost slamming on the brakes. She was here, more beautiful than the last time he saw her – though it was pretty hard for her to look anything but perfect. 

The engine revved as he pulled into the driveway, pulling Y/N’s attention to him. Quickly, she stood up, putting her cigarette out with the heel of her shoe. Steve felt glued to the inside of the car. Their eyes had met, not separating as he put in the car in park. All he wanted was to get out and speak to her. But something in his chest tightened. If she had been avoiding him for the past week, she had her reasons. And part of him didn’t want to know for certain he was the problem.

He tried to move, he truly did. But his anxiety was ruling over his brain and he didn’t know how to stop it. Thankfully, Y/N seemed to notice. Moving forward, she opened his passenger door and climbed in. He never took his eyes off her, even when she turned her back to close the door. 

Turning back to him, she weakly said, “Hey.”

“H-hi,” he managed to blurt out. Silence hung in the air, as he figured out what to say. Y/N continued to speak. “Sorry to show up at your house, I didn’t mean to be a bother.”

“You’re not a bother,” he blurted out. “Y-you’re never a bother.”

He was looking directly into her eyes, his gaze never wavering. It didn’t break until Y/N looked down at her lap and he could have sworn he saw a small smile form on her lips. A moment passed, then two, and neither of them talked. 

Despite being uncomfortable with long silences, Steve didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t feel like his social battery drained when he was around her. If anything, she made him feel more alive. She knew what he was going through, one of the best kept secrets in his life and she knew. 

“I missed you,” she said softly, still looking down at her lap.

“I’ve missed you too…Louise keeps talking about her one night stands and I don’t think I can take any more of it,” he said, gaining back some composure from earlier.

Y/N laughed, her shoulders hunching forward. She looked back up at him, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of his. As the smile slowly faded from her face, her eyes remained on his. It was clear she wanted to talk about what happened. Maybe she just needed a push.

“Do you…wanna talk about it?” Steve asked. 

She shook her head slightly. “I don’t know it’s just – when I woke up in your room, my mind immediately went back to Gary.” She paused for a moment and he let her gather her thoughts. “I just went into a spiral like I did with him. Like did I force you to kiss me? Did you really want me sleeping in your bed or did I coerce you to? What would people think if they see the town whore sleeping with the former king of Hawkins High just – it’s stupid, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not stupid,” he said immediately, reaching his hands out on the center console. He didn’t want to touch her without asking, but wanted to let her know he was there if she needed to. He sighed. 

“I didn’t expect to kiss you that night,” he continued. She looked up at him, biting the inside of her cheek. “But that didn’t mean I didn’t want you to. You in no way forced me to kiss you…and I was the one who wanted you to stay. I-I should’ve been more vocal so you didn’t feel forced to.”

Y/N nodded, leaning forward with her hands on the center console, not quite touching his. 

“If you want to keep seeing me, friend or something more, I promise I will walk you through everything thought in my head so we’re on the same page.”

She raised an eyebrow, some color coming back to her face. “Every thought?”

He nodded. “Oh for sure. Like how I’ve been craving a ham and cheese sandwich since I woke up this morning.” She giggled again at his obvious attempt to make her feel better. “And like how I’d really like to hold your hand right now.”

He stared at her in his car, the sun slowly setting outside, and felt the touch of her fingers against his. It felt like an immediate release, a tightness he didn’t know was there unfolding in his chest. 

“I would like to keep seeing you too,” she told him, and it was like his heart was doing a million leaps of joy. “I don’t know if I can handle anything more right now,”

“-and that is completely fine with me,” he reassured her quickly, feeling a tight squeeze of reassurance in his hand.

“Thank you for understanding. In the future, if I’m ready…I’d like to explore that possibility with you.”

Steve gave her a big grin, not trying to hide what he was feeling. “Good, uh, that’s good to know.”

They sat in his car, hands intertwined like the rest of the world didn’t matter. Like their pasts and reputations didn’t haunt them like a shadow. For now, they had each other and that was all they could ask for. 

Steve didn’t need some fancy school or big corporate job. Just someone who understood him, who knew what it was like to feel the things he felt and not be judged. 

He was happy he finally found someone who did just that.

Taglist: @afraidofshrimp @halflifejess @nix-rose @palmtreesx3 @cilliansnostolgia @sweetdazequeen

[hongcherry]

Seeing Double, Prepare for Trouble || jjk (m)

"It was no surprise to see multiple people dressed up as Spider-Man at the party. You were no exception. The difference was your costume was only meant for Jungkook's eyes."

🍭 Pairing: spiderman!Jungkook x girlfriendxReader(f)

🍭 Rating/Genres: M(18+); Smut, light crack/humor lol, light fluff, college au, established relationship, SBaFL au, marvel au

🍭 Word Count: 8.9k

🍭 Warnings: soft dom!Jungkook, sub!reader, jk likes being complimented, multiple orgasms, strength kink, fingering, oral (f. receiving, hint of m. receiving), mentions of bruises/marks/alcohol (no mentions of intoxication), unprotected sex (reader's on the pill; stay safe!), dirty talk, big dick!jk, spanking (jungkook likes ass a lot), rough sex, multiple sex positions, breast play, reader has a pain kink?maybe, manhandling, hair pulling, creampie, bound by webs (light), one dark humor joke at the end (can be related to prostitution), they share some candy 😌, jk and reader being their teasing selfs, Yoongi gets the boot

🍭 Betas: @hoebii (My go-to for all my Spidey JK stories! Thank you for always being there for me - the dedication! I know I can always count on you. Thank you for all the "hammy" suggestions hehe) / @hobeemin (Ahh! Thank you for giving my story a shot and giving me great feedback! I'm glad you liked it.) = Thank you both for fitting me into your busy schedules and giving me great feedback. Both your comments made me laugh. I feel much better about this piece after all the help. I'm grateful to you both ^-^

🍭 Author’s Note: Happy Spoopy Day, y'all. Please enjoy my contribution to kinktober. I've had the first scene in mind for over a year lmao, so I wanted to write it before I had to wait another year. I've missed writing the SBaFL couple ^-^ Also, there is a pun in my title relating to something 😉 if you get it, you get it lol

🍭 Storyline: First year in college; After Warning Signs; Can be read as a standalone but has (unimportant) references to And if I did?. You can still understand what's happening without knowing/understanding the reference... There's like one lol.

SBaFL collection | main masterlist

There was a moment of silence as you stood with your door open, baffled by what was before you. Jungkook had been raving about the annual Halloween party at one of the frat houses ever since he overheard Taehyung talking about it to Jimin three weeks ago. It was unusual to see him so giddy about a party since Jungkook was never thrilled for large gatherings, yet for some reason, he was excited for this one. Despite never telling you what he decided to dress up as this was least expected. You had asked if he wanted to do a couple’s outfit, but he had declined the offer.

Jungkook shook his upended Spider-Man mask as if he was waiting for you to toss in some candy in his makeshift basket. His lips were pulled back in a grin, standing confidently in his suit in the well-lit hallway. It had your heart racing at the thought of someone catching him without his mask.

You hastily grabbed his forearm and yanked him inside your room. Your roommate was hanging out with her friends, so you didn’t worry about her seeing Jungkook. You gawked at him a moment more, wondering if he really just walked to your dorm in his suit—out in the open for the entire campus to see.

“You’re not going dressed like that, are you?” You questioned your boyfriend in disbelief. Jungkook tilted his head at your question, eyebrows knitted together as he wondered if you were serious.

“What’s wrong with my suit?” He huffed, a small pout forming on his soft lips.

“It’s your suit,” you replied with what you figured was the most obvious answer. “It’s your real suit.”

Jungkook shrugged and tossed his mask on your bed before taking a seat next to it. His eyes scanned your outfit and frowned when he realized you weren’t ready. You were in your pajamas, yet had makeup on—your eyes and lips coated in purple. Part of your hair was pulled into a ponytail by a green hair tie. He wasn’t sure what you had decided to dress up as, but purple-pajama lover was not in his list of guesses.

“I’m sure I won’t be the only person dressed as Spider-Man. It’s the one day of the year I can dress in my suit and not have to worry about my identity. Isn’t that neat?” He reasoned, eyes wide with excitement. While Jungkook probably wasn’t wrong about not being the only Spider-Man, you worried he would still stick out with the material of his suit. It wasn’t like the ones in the stores.

“You don’t think people will be suspicious that yours is… Better in quality?” You reached out and glided your fingertips across his shoulder and down his arm to feel his suit. It wasn’t your first time touching it, but you couldn’t stop feeling it again. It was bumpy unlike the ones being sold, yet the ridges weren’t rough. Jungkook stared up at you.

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “But I doubt anyone will make the connection. Don’t worry, baby. No one’s going to know the truth.” He smiled at you reassuringly. You hummed as you thought about his words. You were still skeptical but he looked so happy to wear his suit confidently without his mask that you decided to let it go. He could always say he got it customized for Halloween, which isn’t entirely a lie. It was customized for him. As long as he didn’t get nervous and accidentally reveal the truth, he should be fine.

“Hurry and get dressed,” Jungkook interrupted your thoughts with a light pat to your butt. “I’m still wondering about your costume.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” you replied and walked to your closest to grab your clothes. Your back was turned as you started to change into your costume. It was plain and simple, yet it would do to convey who you were trying to imitate.

Jungkook was quiet when you slid off your top and replaced it with a black one. It was normal to change in front of each other now, but he could still feel his skin heat as he watched you peel off your clothes. He was so used to having you change in front of him without much care that it felt odd to have you go somewhere else to change.

His eyes followed the curve of your back down to your ass as you bent down to pull up the purple stockings. His fingers twitched at the thought of helping you, his fingers grazing your exposed skin as he tugged the fabric higher until he reached-

“Stop looking at me like that,” you chuckled. Jungkook’s eyes snapped to your face. His cheeks reddened, having been caught ogling. You had already finished putting on your stockings and were sliding on your skirt.

“Sorry,” he mumbled but couldn’t stop his eyes from roaming down your body. “You look great.” He grinned when he recognized the childhood character you used to love. He remembered seeing you watch it in high school, claiming that it was still good despite having already seen all the episodes. He doesn’t recall the show well… Something about a boy who could turn into a ghost?

Once your combat boots were snug on your feet, you walked to stand in front of Jungkook. His hands were quick to rest on your hips.

“Do you like it?” You pondered, hand brushing away his hair. Although he had finally gotten a haircut, the length was longer than he typically wore in high school. He must’ve liked the way he looked after growing it out. Turns out his laziness was helpful for once.

Jungkook slid his hands lower until they rested on the back of your thighs. He squeezed your legs gently, hands just beneath your ass, and pulled you closer.

“Yes,” Jungkook said and leaned in to press a light kiss to your exposed skin above your skirt. Your heart began to hammer in your chest at his affectionate actions.

“You know who I am?” You quizzed and twirled a strand of his hair around your finger mindlessly.

“Pam something,” he replied, not entirely interested in the answer anymore. His hands glided up your legs and slipped beneath your skirt to rest on your butt.

You frowned at his answer. “Sam,” you corrected. “Sam Manson.”

Jungkook hummed but you knew he didn’t care about your response. You called his name to get his attention. He slowly peered at you again, eyes darkening as thoughts of what he wanted to do to you floated in his mind. You noticed the stare and felt your body get giddy; however, there wasn’t time to do anything since the party had already started thirty minutes ago.

“We need to go,” you announced softly and slowly retreated from his grasp.

Jungkook stopped you from moving too far. “Let’s stay here a little longer.”

You placed your hands on his shoulders when he attempted to pull you onto his lap, shaking your head with a teasing smile.

“You were really excited about this party; let’s go.” You argued and reached down to grab his mask from your bed.

“Yeah, but there’s always next year,” he murmured, eyes glued to your uncovered skin. You lifted his chin to look at you, bending down to meet him halfway.

“Don’t be so upset,” you whispered, a hint of a smirk on your face. Your hand slid from his chin to his chest, the feel of his suit sending chills down your spine. There was always something about his suit that had your skin heating up. “I have a surprise for you when we get back.”

Jungkook quirked an eyebrow, ears perked up in interest at what you had up your sleeves. “Care to give me a hint, baby?”

You giggled and pressed your lips against him briefly.

“Nope. Now, take your mask, and let’s get going.”

Jungkook sulked, bottom lip sticking out at your disappointing reply. He reluctantly grabbed his mask from your grasp and stood up. One of his hands was still on you as he did so, making sure you couldn’t walk away. He leaned down, eyes locking with yours as he neared your face.

“We’re not staying long.”

With that, he pecked your lips and adjusted your skirt before ushering you out the door—barely giving you enough time to grab your bag.

Jungkook had an arm wrapped around your shoulder as you walked up to the house. It wasn’t as crowded as you had expected. Sure, there were over a handful of people roaming around, but it wasn’t sardine-packed as you had pictured.

The lawn was cluttered with Halloween-related decorations. It was as if the house vomited its Halloween storage room all over the yard. There weren’t many people entering and exiting the house. They either stayed indoors or out. You glanced at the faces in the yard as you walked by, realizing that many of them you couldn’t recognize. There were a few familiar faces you’d seen in classes, but you’d never spoken to them before.

As you continued your stroll to the door, you noticed many heads turn towards you. No, not you. Jungkook.

You glanced at Jungkook and wondered if he felt the eyes on him. He held onto his mask in his other hand, hair dancing in the light breeze. From the way Jungkook straightened his posture, you knew he was aware of the attention. He peered down at you, flashed you his bunny smile, and continued onwards.

“Woah!” Someone called out when you both entered the house. Music was blaring from a stereo in the other room and there were buckets of candy scattered around along with alcoholic beverages. There was some finger food on the counters, but most of it was gone. “Where did you get the suit? That looks way better than this one.”

You turned your head to the newcomer. The man wore a Spider-Man suit, but it was obvious his wasn’t as nice as Jungkook’s. The stranger's costume was loose and had a tie knotted behind their neck to keep the one piece up. His hands weren’t covered by the suit, which meant the costume either didn’t come with gloves or the guy decided to take them off. The outfit also stopped at the man’s ankles.

Jungkook smiled at the man. “I got it customized.” He replied proudly.

“Seriously? How much did you have to pay?” The guy questioned and leaned in closer, examining the intricate patterns on the material. Before Jungkook could answer, two girls and another so-called Spider-Man appeared. This Spider-Man had a better outfit. The man’s outfit clung to his body and was made out of stretchy fabric, similar to Jungkook’s, but still not the same material.

Your eyes roamed the area as you let Jungkook’s conversation fade with the booming music. You noticed some others dressed as Spider-Man; a few were women with the same tight-fitted outfit. It’s not until your roommate’s face came into view that you slithered from your boyfriend's hold. He didn’t seem to mind as he glanced at you briefly before going back to his new friends.

“Hey Yn!” Jihyun exclaimed. You quickly took in her costume—a red skirt, orange long-sleeve, glasses, and orange knee-high socks. She engulfed you in a quick hug before she looked down at your costume. Her confused expression told you she didn’t recognize who you were dressed as.

“It’s a character from a show I used to watch,” you explained, not feeling the need to go into too many details as she wouldn’t understand.

“Ah,” she said with a nod. “Where’s Jungkook?”

You leaned over to give her a clearer view of your boyfriend behind you. You both glanced to see Jungkook with an arm stretched out, clothed fingers clenching and unclenching. He had his mask on now. He must’ve been asked to put it on for show. Even though you couldn’t see his expression, you imagined he was beaming with pride. It wasn’t every day he was able to be showered with compliments about how well made his suit was. You weren’t there to witness his trial and errors in him making it, but you knew he put a lot of thought into the design and creation. You were on the edge of your imaginary seat seeing him surrounded by people who knew who he was beneath the mask. You hoped none of them connect two and two together.

“I bet your suit is better than the real Spider-Man’s,” the first guy stated.

“You’ve never met him, hyung, so you don’t know that. Spider-Man’s suit has to be better than this guy’s costume. He has to run up walls and stuff,” another guy replied, one who must’ve joined the conversation after you left. The first man rebutted the argument, but you didn’t hear it because one of the girls interrupted.

“Can I touch it?” She asked and held out her hand. As soon as Jungkook nodded his head, she placed her palm against his forearm. Her eyes widened at the soft feel and began to rub up and down his arm.

You bit the inside of your cheek as you watched the stranger touch Jungkook. It was just his arm she was touching. You ignored the jab from the green goblin on your shoulder as you watched the interaction. Envy didn’t consume you, but you were still wary. Jungkook had this aura when he wore his suit—one that made him more confident. Jungkook didn’t care if he was the center of attention until he was dressed in his suit.

“That’s Jungkook?” Jihyun gasped next to you. You hummed in confirmation.

“That’s an impressive Spider-Man costume he found. I’m sure his is the best one out here,” she complimented. “Hey, you know there’s a costume contest? He should enter!”

“What’s the prize?” You questioned and glanced at your roommate before looking back at Jungkook. The second girl was now rubbing his other arm. You felt your breath halt when the first girl ran her hand higher to his shoulder and near his collar. Jungkook took a small step back and hovered a hand near hers as if ready to grab it if she persisted. The girl’s cheeks grew red and apologized quickly. You couldn’t stop the corner of your lips from tilting upwards at the exchange. You felt a little guilty at that.

“I heard it’s a gift card to a ramen place,” she chuckled. “But hey, free food is free food.”

“True,” you agreed and turned to your friend. There was a sudden presence to your right that had you glancing over. The first thing you saw was Namjoon’s dimples. They were on display as he greeted you with a hug. Jihyun dismissed herself to find the friends she came with, offering Namjoon a small hello before she left.

“Funneth sheeing you hereth,” Namjoon said, though it sounded a little distorted. You tilted your head in confusion and he sighed. He pulled out a plastic set of vampire’s teeth and licked across his top row of teeth. You laughed at the reason behind his distorted words and finally noticed his outfit. It wasn’t much of a costume, just an added black cape to his jeans and short-sleeve outfit with fake blood at the corner of his lip.

“Jungkook wanted to come,” you explained, knowing you were indifferent about attending.

“It’s nice to see you out of your dorm. You know you don’t have to live there, right?” He chuckled. “I can still give you a tour if you want? I know it’s a few months in the semester, but,” he trailed off.

Your smile grew as he spoke. “That’ll be great. I’m sure you can guess, but I haven’t explored campus yet, so a tour would be helpful.”

Namjoon nodded. “Text me later and we can figure out a date and time.”

“Date and time for what?”

You jumped at the new voice behind you; a set of hands rested on your waist. You glanced up to see the famous red and blue mask—the real one.

“Hi Spidey,” you smiled before explaining, “For a campus tour.”

“Jungkook?” Namjoon asked with wide eyes, astonished with his so-called costume. Jungkook pulled off his mask and shook his head to get his hair into place. He smiled at Namjoon.

“Hi,” he greeted.

“I thought you were the real one for a second,” Namjoon laughed. “Great costume.”

Jungkook thanked him and then averted his attention to you; however, you were already looking at Namjoon. You fell back into conversation with your friend. As the minutes passed, you found Jimin, Taehyung, and Yoongi. You learned there was another party happening and that they planned to visit that one for a moment before going trick or treating. While Yoongi seemed out of his element, he seemed content hanging around the others.

Thirty minutes passed with you hanging out with your friends, talking aimlessly about anything and everything. You could’ve stayed longer, but Jungkook was poking your sides, whining in your ear, and playing with his mask so much you knew he was getting bored.

“Baby,” he murmured to you, “What happened about leaving early?”

You glanced at him and saw he was slumped against the couch cushions. You rolled your eyes at his exaggerated position. Placing a hand on his thigh, you leaned in so he could hear you over the music.

“We’ve only been here for a little over an hour, and you want to go? But you were so excited the past few weeks.”

He shrugged and covered your hand with one of his own. “That was before you teased me earlier,” he pouted and glanced at your lips. You giggled and squeezed his leg.

“I didn’t tease you that much,” you argued. He shook his head in disagreement.

“Let’s go,” he urged, though it was more of a suggestion than a demand.

“And what if I want to stay longer?” You challenged. His lips tipped downwards, and he groaned quietly.

“Five more minutes,” he offered. You smiled at his reply and nodded, averting your attention back to your friends. Jungkook removed your hand from his thigh and started tracing patterns on it mindlessly. Truth be told, you were fine leaving when he asked, but you wanted him to wait a little longer just for the fun of annoying him.

Precisely five minutes later you were hastily telling everyone goodbye as Jungkook tugged on your arm impatiently. He guided you to the door, thanking those who gave him last-minute compliments as he made his way to the exit. The only time he had paused was to grab a handful of candy. He dumped the treats in his mask before walking you to the car you arrived in. Needless to say, he didn’t get the chance to win the costume contest.

He was quick to guide you to his dorm. He shut the door with a shoot of a web.

“We’re back. What’s the surprise?” He asked immediately and plopped down on his bed.

“You’re too antsy,” you laughed, crossing your arms over your chest to stare at him. Jungkook’s gaze flickered to the way your breasts were pushed together at the action.

“I had to wait for two hours. I think it’s time you tell me what it is,” he huffed and opened his mask to distract himself, digging around the candy he had dumped in it before you left the party. He couldn’t stop glancing at your chest and your short skirt earlier. He was slowly going crazy watching you adjust your skirt or top at the party. While you didn’t notice the gazes of the other party attendees, he did. He didn’t like the way some people’s eyes lingered on you. He came close to webbing their eyes shut at one point.

“Hm, you’re right,” you said, a smile on your lips as Jungkook pulled out a small lollipop.

“Where are you going?” Jungkook asked when he caught you moving to his bathroom.

You paused at the restroom door. “I’m going to go to the bathroom really quick then I’ll tell you the surprise.”

Jungkook was unwrapping his candy as you spoke but nodded to show he had heard you. He seemed gloomy at having to wait longer. Without another word, you slipped inside with your bag.

While searching for this year’s Halloween costume idea, you stumbled across multiple Spider-Man costumes. Each was styled a little differently depending on the context—goofy, sexy, realistic—but they all were centered around Seoul’s masked hero. You felt a little foolish when you put one of the silly costumes in your cart, but you were also excited to see Jungkook’s reaction. It was originally meant as a joke for the party, though, your eyes had snagged on another costume before you checked out. It was more revealing, something meant to be provocative. You had contemplated your decision for a few minutes. In the end, you went for the latter and decided it would be a costume only Jungkook would see.

You slid the ponytail from your hair and removed the purple eyeshadow, leaving your eyes with eyeliner and mascara only, before replacing your purple lipstick with red. Your heart hammered in your chest as you stared at your reflection. The costume was a one-piece with black-webbed patterns on it to mimic his original suit. The front was red while the sides were blue. The top stopped low, revealing the soft curves of your breasts that were slightly covered by black elastic strands in another web-like pattern. The same pattern was on the back, showing off more skin. Etched on the middle of your chest was the Spider-Man logo. The bottom did nothing to cover your skin and almost felt uncomfortable from the way the cut sat high on your hips. You supposed it was just the fact you weren’t used to wearing this style. You finished the outfit with black heels that laced up your legs.

You had tried it on when it first arrived, only this time felt different. You felt more conscious of how much you were, or weren’t, wearing. The outfit didn’t leave much to the imagination. Although it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve worn something so racy in front of Jungkook, this was based on his suit. You were nervous he wouldn’t like it; you didn’t want him to feel offended. However, you spent the money and might as well commit.

Taking a deep breath, you quietly opened the door.

Jungkook’s focus was away from you, kneeling down and trying to retrieve something under his bed. He was still in his spider suit, mask abandoned on his bed, and a lollipop hanging from his mouth. Your hands ran down your costume to smooth it out, giving your hands something to do in an attempt to call your nerves.

“Baby,” you murmured.

Jungkook turned his head to you and was mid “yeah” when he got a glimpse of your outfit. His doe eyes grew, blinking rapidly in case his eyes were deceiving him. He quickly staggered up, arms dangling by his sides as he took in what you were wearing.

“Wh- Wha-” he stuttered. He removed the candy from his mouth. His eyes remained wide as they trailed down your body languidly. You noticed the way his chest rose and fell faster. His jaw clenched, making his features more prominent, and his eyes narrowed as they became clouded with a familiar look. His silence had you shifting your weight from one foot to another.

“Is it too much?” You asked and rubbed one of your arms, needing to do something to get your jitters out of your system. Jungkook approached you slowly, eyes still lingering on every detail of your outfit.

“No, you look amazing,” he said promptly and tilted your chin up to meet your eyes. “But if you wanted to be webbed up, you could’ve just asked, baby girl.”

Your cheeks heated at his comment and you tried to turn your head, but he kept it in place. His lips raised in a reassuring smile when he noticed how tense you were. “Don’t be shy,” he continued. “Is this the surprise?”

You nodded. His grin grew, and he leaned down to steal a kiss.

“Hm, I’m glad you didn’t wear this to the party. You would’ve stolen the spotlight,” he joked, trying to ease your nerves. From the small smile forming on your lips, he knew it worked. He slotted his lips on yours once more, pulling you close to his body with one hand. His tongue found yours easily, kiss progressively getting fervent. Your hands wandered down his chest, feeling his muscles tense from your ghosting fingertips.

Jungkook hummed when he felt how much the outfit failed to cover your butt. He pulled back and moved your body to the side so he could peer at the back of your suit.

“God, you’re so sexy,” he groaned in appreciation, hand coming down on one of your ass cheeks. His lips were faintly red from your lipstick and you were sure it was smeared now. One of your hands held onto his forearm for support while the other trailed up the side of his neck. It tangled in his hair and you tugged him closer—needing to feel his lips again. He leaned into your touch, only looking away from your backside at the last minute.

Jungkook pulled away from the kiss after a few seconds, placing the lollipop back in his mouth. He bent down slightly and grabbed your thighs. He lifted you up easily, and you instantly wrapped your legs around his waist. You leaned forward and kissed his neck, sucking gently to leave scattered marks. Even though watching the other girls trying to get cozy with Jungkook earlier didn't bother you in the least, you couldn't help the spark of possessiveness that blossomed through you.

Jungkook softly moaned at the feel of your lips upon his skin. He adjusted his hands to rest on your ass and kneaded it occasionally. One of his hands moved lower, fingers grazing your folds through your costume. You pulled away with a gasp; your chest brushed against his as you tried to calm your breathing. You shivered at his subtle touches, hands clutching his body for a second.

“Everyone liked your suit,” you said and glanced at it as you recalled everyone gawking over it. He smiled, keeping his face close to yours, fingers feather-light against your clit.

“They did,” he hummed. “But I like yours better.”

Jungkook paused his movements against your clothed core and secured his arm around your back. He removed the lollipop and held it out to you. You kitten licked the candy, tasting to see if you liked the flavor. When you realized you did, you wrapped your lips around it and sucked. Jungkook twirled the candy in your mouth for a moment before letting it go. It stayed between your lips.

Jungkook kissed just beneath your jaw near your ear. You felt secure in his hold, carefully moving his hair from his eyes and not worrying about him dropping you abruptly.

“I don’t know; I’ve always found you sexy in yours,” you replied, suppressing a moan as Jungkook pressed your body closer. Your eyes closed for a moment as you focused on the mixture of his hands and the way his mouth pressed kisses along your jawline then to your chest, over the straps.

“Is that so?” He chuckled, grabbing one of the straps between his teeth. He pulled back slightly before releasing the material, watching as it snapped against your skin. He hadn’t moved far enough for it to hurt, but there was a hint of a sting to it. You nodded at his question. The corner of his lip quirked in a small smirk. You pulled the lollipop from your mouth and brought it to his lips. He licked the candy a few times before nudging it back to you. Your eyes were fixated on the way his tongue swirled around it. He chuckled at your expression.

“Eat the rest of it,” he murmured. You did as you were told and chewed off the candy from the stick since there wasn’t much left. You hummed happily and tossed the remnants in his trash bin near you. He smiled fondly at you and continued to tease your pussy. His fingers prodded your entrance, which caused your hips to buck against him.

“You want me to fuck you in my suit, baby?” He asked lowly when he recalled your earlier comment, eyes watching your face carefully. Your heart leaped in your chest. You couldn’t stop your legs from squeezing his waist, moving you closer to his taut figure. He got his answer from the way your body reacted.

“‘M not wearing the right suit, but I’ll make do,” he mumbled and walked you to his bed. He gently laid you down and slid his hands from your breasts, massaging them briefly, all the way down to your legs. He felt himself harden at the dark patch between your legs. Usually, he would tease you, but having been forced to leave your dorm before anything could happen earlier, he was too worked up.

One of his fingers hooked underneath your one-piece to move it to the side. He almost moaned when he saw your arousal sticking to the underside of your outfit. He brought his other hand to touch your folds, smirking to himself when his fingers were coated with your wetness within seconds.

“Do you like me in the suit this much?” He smirked playfully and circled your clit. You whined at his touch. Something about him in his suit had a fire light inside you. The way the material hugged his firm body had you wanting to run your hand across every inch of him. At least, this urge was mainly prominent when he wasn’t in grave danger. In those times, you worried about him being in his suit.

Jungkook’s mouth on your clit tore you from your thoughts. He sucked on the bud, finger still rubbing between your folds. His other hand came up to play with your breasts through the costume, pinching your nipple to elicit a wanton gasp from your lips. Your legs quivered every once in a while, threatening to close in on his head at every harsh suck or flick of his tongue. One of your hands flew to his hair when he slid in a finger. He pumped it slowly at first, quickly increasing his speed along with the number of fingers in your hole.

“Jungkook,” you panted, grip tightening on his locks when he spread his fingers. The stretch felt good, but you knew it was nothing compared to when he stretched you with his dick.

“You sound so pretty, jagi,” he cooed, his breath hitting your soaking cunt. He flattened his tongue and licked one long stripe against your slicken folds. You clutched the sheets under you when you felt his tongue rapidly flick against you; you shuddered in pleasure while you tried to muffle your sinful noises against your arm. You leaned up to get a glimpse of him. His eyes were closed, eyebrows furrowed slightly as he savored the taste of you. Your grip on his hair tightened as you pushed your hips up. You slowly moved your hips against his tongue.

Jungkook’s tongue circled your entrance, teasing it before dipping his tongue in briefly. You panted his name again, which caused his grip on your breasts to get stronger. Your body jerked when you felt his fingers on your clit. They circled it quickly. It wasn’t long until your legs trembled with your approaching high.

“Jung-” You gasped, feeling every movement of his quicken.

“Go on, baby.” He encouraged, though his words were muffled as he kept his face close to your pussy.

“B-but I wanted to come with you,” you complained and tried to pull your hips away. Jungkook stopped you quickly, holding you still.

“Who said this was going to be the only time you were coming tonight?” Jungkook laughed, not stopping his movements as he spoke. You barely registered his words as you tipped over the edge, coming with a loud moan that filled Jungkook’s ego.

Jungkook moaned as you came, mouth and hands relentless as he helped you ride out your orgasm. He lapped up your juices as your knees grew weak. Your body melted into the mattress, mouth agape as Jungkook licked you clean. Before you came back to reality, Jungkook was grabbing your hips and flipping you onto your stomach. He moved off the bed and pulled you to him; your feet were on the floor, and your body was bent over the edge of his bed. A surprised yelp escaped your lips at the sudden change and you peered behind you to look at him.

Jungkook was palming himself through his suit as his eyes scanned over your body. His nose and chin glistened, making you feel aroused at the sight. You started to stand up, but Jungkook pressed a hand down on your lower back.

“Stay like that,” he rasped, voice gruff as he continued to touch himself. You whined as you were forced to watch him pleasure himself. The snug fabric did nothing to hide his bulge—making the shape more prominent. He smirked down at you when he heard your desperate whimpers.

“Want something?” He chuckled, hand gripping your ass. You nodded, and you tried to get up again, but like before, he stopped you.

“Use your words. You know I love to hear your voice, pretty girl,” he murmured, tongue-swiping his lower lip. He groaned when he tasted you again.

“Want you,” you huffed and reached out to touch him. He watched as your hand fell out of reach of his crotch. “Want to touch you. Please.”

He glanced down at your pouty lips and was tempted to tug on your bottom lip. “Well, since you used your manners,” he trailed off. He shuffled closer and removed his hand from his crotch. Your hand quickly rested on his bulge; you felt yourself getting wet again at the feel of his cock. It was firm and thick, making you squeeze your legs together to get some friction.

Jungkook released a strangled breath, fist-clenching at his sides as you rubbed him roughly. He gently pushed your hand from him and began discarding his suit. You watched with hungry eyes as it peeled off his body, exposing his rippled torso. He moved it just enough to free his cock, but since this version of his suit—he had multiple—was a one-piece, his upper half was completely bare.

“I’ll keep your earlier statement in mind for the future,” he said, remembering the way you became needier at the thought of him fucking you in his suit.

One of his hands rubbed your ass while the other pumped his shaft slowly. You angled yourself so you could get a better look at him. His hair was messy, and his breathing was uneven. When he caught you staring, he smiled. It was small, one where his teeth weren’t on display, but it was beautiful nonetheless. His eyes softened, and he quickly leaned over you, chest against your back as he pressed a tender kiss to your lips. You smiled into it and propped yourself on your hands to get closer. One of his hands wrapped around your chest as he pulled you back until you were standing against his body. His other hand came to rest on your cheek, caressing it adoringly as he rubbed his thumb across your skin.

“I love you,” he whispered after he pulled away and tucked some of your hair behind your ear. The butterflies escaped their cage in your chest, beating rapidly at the three words.

“I love you more,” you replied, lips spread in a wide smile.

“Not possible,” he retorted. Before you could argue, he continued in a whisper, “Gonna’ fuck you until you’re sore, baby.”

Jungkook’s hand found its way between your legs again, causing you to gasp when you felt his fingers glide between your folds before sliding a finger inside you. He grinned when he heard your breath hitch. He removed his fingers from your pussy, making you whine at the loss of contact. He pressed one last kiss to your lips before he pressed you back onto the bed.

He didn’t make you wait long and gathered your arousal with his tip before slowly pushing the head in. A small moan bubbled from your throat, and your hands briefly clutched his sheets. Jungkook pulled out, rubbed his shaft against your pussy a few times, then pushed in again. This time, he didn’t stop until he bottomed out. You mewled when you felt his hips meet yours, dick stretching your walls pleasantly.

His movements were leisurely the first couple of thrusts, enjoying the way his dick disappeared inside you. You felt so warm and tight around him. He loved watching the way your pussy stretched around his thick cock. The sound of your pretty moans spurred him to move faster. His grip on your hips tightened as his thrusts quickened in pace. He bit his lip as he watched where your bodies connected. His moans were being mixed with yours. Your eyes closed as you focused on the feel of his dick sliding in and out. Jungkook watched your face, taking note of the way your lips parted and eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“So good to me,” he praised. “I love how tight you are for me.”

You cried out his name when he slammed into you, pressing himself against you as much as he could. He reached forward, grabbed a fist full of your hair, and tugged you up.

“You enjoying yourself, jagi?” He questioned. He began to grind himself against your ass, moaning lowly in your ear.

“Yes,” you breathlessly replied.

“Wanna tell me who’s making you feel so good?” He asked. You knew what he was searching for. Jungkook had always loved when he received compliments. It stroked his ego and made him feel appreciated. Even in high school, he wanted people to recognize him for who he was, not the image being placed upon him by his peers.

“You,” you shivered. “You fucking me.”

He hummed in approval. “You like the way I fuck you, baby?”

Jungkook began to move his hips again, slowly sliding out until only the tip remained before shoving back inside you in a single thrust. The force caused your body to jerk forward, but Jungkook’s grip on your hair kept you from moving too far. A broken whimper slipped past your parted lips at the action—pleasure and pain intermingling.

“Yes,” you repeated. “Love when you’re rough—when you fuck me hard.”

He chuckled, except the sound wasn’t as sweet as it usually was. It was darker, a little sinister.

“I’m not even using all my strength,” he said and stilled his movements. “You want it harder? Hm? Want me to show you how strong I am?”

You nodded eagerly, not thinking of the possible bruises he may inflict by gripping you so firmly.

Jungkook released your hair suddenly, though before you fully fell onto the bed, you were yanked back again. Your hands were touching the mattress, but most of your weight was being held by Jungkook. He had grabbed onto the straps that formed a spider web on your back.

“You know I haven’t webbed you this time,” he thought out loud as he eyed the pattern of your costume. “Kinda wanna change that.”

“N-no,” you protested.

“No?” He asked, partly worried if he had hurt you last time because of them.

“You said they dissolve in two hours,” you huffed. “I don’t want them on me for that long.” You started to circle your hips. You were keen to feel him move. He hid his smile at your eagerness but didn’t stop you—holding back a groan.

“I took them off last time, so they weren’t on you for that long,” he frowned.

“It still took you some time to remove them.”

“It’ll be different now,” he pouted, mind turning fuzzy from the pleasure you were giving him. “These are less durable.”

“You can take them off quicker?” There was disbelief laced in your question.

Jungkook slowed your hips with one of his hands. He was finding it hard to concentrate on what you were saying.

“Yes.”

“Fine,” you sighed. “But please just move, Jungkook.” You pleaded, half whining from the wait. You couldn’t see his facial expression at your answer, but you were sure he was smiling.

You felt him lean against you, and within seconds there was a soothing kiss on your shoulder. The gentleness didn’t last long, though. He had a firm grip on your costume, and he started to snap his hips against yours again. His speed increased swiftly, muttering praises as he pounded into your tight core. It didn’t matter how many times he had fucked you; the euphoric mixture of love and lust overwhelmed him every time.

The telltale signs of your second orgasm were approaching quickly. Your legs were feeling weaker as they shook beneath your weight. Jungkook groaned when you clenched around him. He let go of you abruptly, which had you falling onto the mattress. He slid out of you and you fussed at the empty feeling, pussy clenching around nothing.

“On the bed,” he said and brought a hand down on your ass. You moved a leg up, ready to untie the straps of your heels to take them off, but Jungkook grabbed your hand. “Leave them on.”

You glanced back at him in confusion. He was staring down at you with hazy eyes, palm stroking his dick as he waited for you to comply. From the look in his eyes, you knew you had made the right decision to wear them. The heels accentuated the curve of your ass and made your body look sexier to him. He took a mental note to have you wear them again.

You climbed onto the bed, getting ready to lie down on your back when Jungkook spoke.

“Flip over, on your stomach.” He waited until you did so before he climbed behind you. His hands traveled from your ankles to just under your ass, pushing it up and causing it to become fuller. He shook his hands and bit his lip at the way your ass moved. He mumbled something about how pretty you looked, but his voice was too low to hear well. With one last squeeze, he pulled away.

“Up,” he commanded and nudged your hips. You compiled automatically, hips lifting in the air. He grabbed your arms and pulled them behind your back. Your cheek was pressed into his sheets. From your peripheral, you saw his hand flip to where his palm was up. His middle and ring finger pressed down; your wrists were tied with webs within seconds.

“I think you’re enjoying your powers too much,” you teased as you tried to separate your arms. As expected, nothing happened. Jungkook trailed a hand down one of your arms calmly.

“You just look so pretty bound with my webs,” he said and grabbed onto your tied wrists. With one hand, he moved the bottom of your costume away again as it had fallen back into place, then aligned his cock at your entrance. He shoved in at once, picking up where he left off at a fast pace. Each movement nudged you closer to your release which he had disrupted earlier. You were a moaning mess. His cock was slamming into you forcefully, yet his pace wasn’t quick. He had traded speed with strength. It had your toes curl and your fists clench.

“Close,” you whined. Although Jungkook didn’t verbally respond, his thrusts became rougher. You could feel yourself move up the sheets with each snap of his hips. Jungkook kept his hands on your hips and lifted them anytime they fell or you slid too far forward, forcing you to keep your knees underneath you. You felt deliciously full. You could feel every inch of his thick cock penetrating your walls. Your pussy was fluttering around him as you were edging closer to your orgasm. Jungkook snaked a hand around you, circling your clit fast and hard. His swift ministrations were your undoing and you came with a cry of his name, broken moans and whimpers following closely after.

He thrust a few more times before he stopped. Jungkook sat back and unexpectedly pulled you back so his thighs were under yours. Your legs squeezed his body when he trailed a hand from your wrists to shoulder, gently massaging it and keeping your torso on the mattress.

“Want your cum, baby,” you mewled when you realized he hadn’t come yet. Your haze was fading, and although he was still buried in your pussy, you felt empty.

“Go on then,” he encouraged and slapped your ass with his other hand. “Make me fill this sweet pussy.”

Your hips jerked when he smacked your ass harder, whining at the sting and the way his cock felt in you. However, you didn’t stay stunned long. You raised your hips up and slid them down again. Jungkook moaned behind you, watching the way your pussy swallowed him. Your movements were quick and sloppy.

“That’s it, pretty girl,” he praised. His mouth parted, hair stuck to his forehead from his sweat. There was a sheen of perspiration covering his chest. His eyes were glued to your lower half—to the way your ass bounced as you slammed down on his dick. He loved watching your pussy suck him back in. His breathing was harsh; his thighs were tensing at the tight feeling in his stomach.

You whimpered when you started to feel overstimulated, movements choppy and slowed as you fought through the feeling. Jungkook rubbed your back momentarily before shoving you toward and pushing your ass in the air once more when he regained some energy. He shifted to where he forced your body into the mattress as he got a deeper angle.

He pounded into you as he chased his high. The sound of skin slapping was prominent in his room, and you wondered how thick these walls were. Jungkook didn’t seem to care, though. He rammed into you and held onto you securely. Although you wanted it harder, he still refrained some of his strength not to hurt you.

“Jungkook,” you cried, voice muffled by the mattress. Jungkook became more vocal as he shoved inside you the last few thrusts. He did one final thrust and stilled his hips against yours as far as he could go. He shot his load inside you, eyes closed and eyebrows knitted as he washed in waves of ecstasy. Your hips and shoulders were beginning to ache, but the pleasure between your legs was worth it.

Jungkook pulled from you and rubbed his hands on the back of your legs momentarily. He trailed his hands upwards to spread your ass when he started to see his seed leak from your pussy. His eyes followed the way it slid down your folds. He could’ve sworn he felt his dick twitch at the sight. Before it could drop onto his bed, he adjusted the bottom of your outfit.

He patted your ass and climbed off his bed. You let your hips fall, sighing internally at the comfortable position. You heard some rustling before the bed dipped again with his weight. Before a complaint about still being tied left your lips, Jungkook had freed you. You rolled onto your side and saw him placing a pocket knife on his dresser.

“You okay?” He asked softly, glancing at your wrists and hips. Although your wrists didn’t hurt, you lifted your hands towards him with a feigned pout. He chuckled and peppered delicate kisses onto your wrists. He peered down at your hips. He tenderly rubbed at the skin he had gripped, guilt flooding his chest at having been a little too hard.

“It’s okay,” you reassured. You had both come up with a safe word, and since you didn’t use it, you didn’t want him to feel bad. It wasn’t as painful as he was imagining.

“Stop pouting,” you added when you saw his lips continue to dip down. “You weren’t that rough.”

He eyed you suspiciously but eventually seemed to relent. He removed the rest of his suit and shoved it in a box he kept under his bed—taking a mental note to wash it later. He crawled in bed with you, tugging the covers from under your body to cover you both.

“What are you going to do with that costume?” He asked and traced the straps across your chest.

“Thought about wearing it to next year’s Halloween party. It’ll save me money since I wore something else this year,” you coyly replied and poked his side.

“Not gonna happen,” he snorted.

“Why is that?”

“It’s going to be ruined by the time you try to leave,” he said. “You got lucky I didn’t rip it off your body this time.”

You rolled your eyes playfully and pushed him onto his back. You straddled his lap and placed your hands flat against his solid chest. “You shred this; you owe me money.”

He laughed, rubbing the top of your thighs lazily as he stared up at you. You traced some of the scars marred on his chest from various fights. They were mostly from his earlier years, but it didn’t help remind you of what could happen to him. While he was more experienced now, there were still many possibilities for injuries.

“I’ll give you good dick instead,” he argued confidently.

“Trading in money for sex, Jungkook?” You teased and raised your eyebrows.

“More like forgiveness for sex,” he scoffed. “Can’t have my baby being mad at me, now can I?”

“I’ll also take some gummies for forgiveness, too,” you said and tapped the mole under his lower lip.

“Noted,” he said. You smiled, climbing off his lap and standing next to his bed.

“What happened to cuddle time?” He complained and sat up. He reached out for you, but you moved from his hands quickly.

“I want to change,” you replied. “May I borrow one of your shirts?”

“You know borrow doesn’t fit in your vocabulary; you never return them,” he mumbled but walked to his closest to fetch you a random shirt of his.

You shrugged and held out your hand for it. Instead of throwing it, Jungkook walked to you.

“Yet you always give them to me regardless.”

He let out a small huff at your counter, knowing it was true. “Yeah, yeah. Get changed, little brat.”

You glared at him but it didn’t seem to faze him. He simply handed you the shirt and waited for you to change. He reached out when you started to walk away again.

“I need to clean up your mess, too,” you explained as you stood at the entry of his bathroom. He smirked at that, remembering how he watched his load spill from you.

“I can help with that,” he said, eyes drifting down to your crotch.

“With your tongue?” You bantered and walked farther into the bathroom. You moved your hair before starting to unzip the outfit.

“Are you offering?” He followed you inside and quickly helped you slide down the zipper.

“You just want a round two,” you said and pulled your arms out of the outfit. Once your arms were free, Jungkook carefully peeled the costume from your body. You grabbed his shoulders as you stepped out of it. While you quickly undid the ties of your heels, Jungkook tossed the costume on the floor. Before you could slip his shirt on, he stilled your arms.

“What do you say?” He asked, voice dropping an octave. He backed you against the bathroom’s small counter, hands coming up to rub your bare sides. “Wanna come for the third time tonight?”

You giggled and set his shirt on the counter. “You’re lucky you’re irresistible.”

“Right back at ya’ babe,” he chuckled and pecked your lips. Before he could slot his mouth against yours, there was a rustling at the main door. He quickly extended an arm, shooting a web that shut the bathroom door at the same time the other door opened.

“Code purple!” Jungkook called out and the footsteps halted. There was grumbling on the other side and you faintly heard Yoongi’s voice.

“Hey Namjoon, can I stay the night at your place?” There was a second muffled voice before Yoongi spoke again. “My room is occupied.”

The other door shut and Jungkook slowly lowered his arm.

“You have code colors?” You giggled.

“Shut up,” he mumbled. “I got rid of him. Now kiss me.”

“I could’ve left. I don’t want to intru-“

“Too late; kiss me,” he hurried and puckered his lips as he leaned forward. You shook your head at his antics but complied.

“Good girl,” he muttered and glided one hand up your chest while the other traveled between your legs. You moaned into the kiss at his touch. Despite the pleasure he was providing, you pushed his hands away. He opened his mouth to protest, but you quickly lowered yourself. He grabbed his shirt from the counter, rolled it up, then dropped it on the floor in front of you. You whispered a ‘thank you’ as you moved it under your knees. It was small actions like that that had you feeling like the luckiest person on the planet.

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