#Everyone is always welcome to ask about my fics >:3c

[midnightfangz]

Hello and welcome everyone to my newest project called Pluto reviews where I gush about the amazing fanfics my dear friends wrote <3

I've always (kind of?) wanted to do this for a pretty long time, but was too shy to actually write and post something, so I wanted to thank my very cool friend Nova (aka @min1nova) for asking me to review their fic called To the bone.

Without further ado, let's get to it :3c

Contents:

Introduction ✦ Story summary ✦ My thoughts ✦ Excerpts ✦

‧₊˚✩彡 Introduction

⤷ To the bone is a dark industrial fantasy fanfic based on the Hades video game from 2018. What is dark industrial fantasy, you ask? Imagine Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher without the high fantasy elements-- heavily inspired by industrial towns in eastern Europe. The main pairing is Thanaots/Zagreus, but there's a smidge of Charon/Hermes in the background, if you're into that too. It is rated as mature, mostly because of its serious and grim nature. It currently has over 4k words, but I'm sure that's gonna change soon, since Nova has a few more chapters planned.

⤷ TW for the first chapter (as described by Nova): blood, mediocre surgery description, Thanatos with the usual amount of stick up his ass(!)

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‧₊˚✩彡 Story summary

⤷ Author's summary:

A small town enshrouded in the march of industrial abuse of the land is the home of many curious figures. Darkness is afoot, sons harbour secret enterprises and death is only a comforting constant here. The gloomy barista of a quiet cafeteria begins to unravel a mystery as an uneventful night turns into a rather harried operation.

⤷ My summary:

The story focuses on a young man named Thanatos, who is trying to make a living as a coffee shop owner in a small mining town called Grobniki. One evening, a heavily wounded man passes out on the doorstep of his establishment and Thanatos decides to take him in and patch him up.

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‧₊˚✩彡 My thoughts

⤷ I might be slightly biased since I got this was a very, very cool story gifted to me by Nova, however! Nova's writing style is so fucking good I simply must promote it whenever I can :3c

⤷ I absolutely love how Nova manages to nail the characterisation no matter the tone she sets for her story. Not only that, the characterisation makes sense within her story. Take Thanatos, for example. He's deadly serious (pun intended) and takes his job very seriously in the game, so it makes sense he would be the same in To the bone. Nova, however takes it to a next level-- we get Thanatos who's kinda scary and is absolutely terrible at social interactions, despite a coffee shop owner. Never would I have thought that Than would choose to talk to people as a job, but holy shit Nova pulls it off so well. And Zagreus-- my god Zagreus!! He's still the talkative, flighty himbo we see in the game, but you can feel he's hiding something behind that smug smile of his. Not gonna lie, when I first read his lines, I could hear his voice saying them.

⤷ Also the general vibe of the story is?? so good?? Nova's fics tend to gravitate towards grittier, more serious aesthetics and I'm all here for it.

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‧₊˚✩彡 Excerpts

And lastly, here are my favourite parts from the first chapter, It begins in the darkness:

The doctor’s son had indeed ventured to open a business of his own. His greyish, darker skin would gleam in the lamplight and contrasted sharply with his ashy platinum hair, hands working deftly and his stride quick as he prepared the orders. Amongst those could be a strange liquid, dark as the night, imported from the imposing, large city so far beyond their reach. The bitter end, a name that caused many a chuckle, was not well visited in the evening, but more and more of the workforce would make their way to the shop in the morning, nursing a cup of the death that served them, even if the only deadly thing about it was the amounts of precious sugar deposited in each and every cup quickly drained before a long day of hard labour and shallow breaths.

⤷ hrrghrgrgh you have. no idea. how much I love Nova's worldbuilding and scene descriptions i mean are you seeing this??? I swear to god they're hogging all that talent it's not fair

“Dear bartender, I would like a small cup of your darkest, with two spoons of sugar please!” The postman all but draped himself over the counter every morning, quite dramatically so. It would be the same every morning, before he ran all the way to the larger town down the river to pick up the post, and in the afternoon he would distribute it among the townsfolk, in their little letterboxes. 

⤷ HERMES IS MY FAVOURITE LITTLE FELLA AND NOVA WRITES HIM SO WELL

“–and then I nearly fell down the bridge, and I saw them all! The fish you were speaking of, I knew it was bad, but not nearly as I saw it, oh the stench!” The postman had seated himself across the fisherman–if one could call the draping that he always tended to do just that–and spoke animatedly. A strange companionship the two nursed over drinks, but Thanatos found himself just a tiny bit envious between the laughter that bounced off the floorboards and the easy way in which they seemed to understand each other, even if they didn’t quite speak each other’s language.

⤷ woe! background charon/hermes be upon ye! (foaming at the mouth they make me so ill in the best way possible)

Thanatos would like to claim that he was not so different from these townsfolk, but that was not entirely true. It took him some time, when he’d been younger, to learn to discern. The vacant eyes were not so different from the vacancy that could dwell in the mind sometimes, after all. Pale skin could glitter so sickly, when one happened to be a patient of his loving mother. 

⤷ i need to print this out and shove it in my mouth this is so fucking good oh my god

After thorough inspection, Thanatos did not find any more grave injuries that needed immediate attention, other than a clean rag over the numerous scrapes that mapped a concerning picture for the observer. The bruises that would certainly grow darker soon, the pale, sweaty skin stretched over a body that would fail the host soon if the wound wasn’t closed soon. When he checked for a pulse, despite the assurance that the body was still breathing, rapidly, there seemed to be next to none. He frowned. 

⤷ another banger paragraph that makes me want to jump up and down while screaming like an ape because i can't handle how beautiful Nova's writing style is

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Anyways, that's all I have for today!

What did you think? Would you like me to continue doing reviews like this? Or better, would you like me to read YOUR fic and do a review of it?

(youtuber voice) let me know what you think in the comments! Until next time!

Yours truly,

Pluto aka midnightfangz <3

[lammaspoika]

how did u come up with the initial ideas for ur fics ?? :3

I'll reply with my current multichapter fics bc my oneshots are mostly... Sudden ideas I get, such as Keeping Promises being a fic I wrote in one sitting after finishing Unleashed bc I was inspired. XD (Or I wrote the first draft in one sitting but you know-)

DNA Collision: I absolutely adore when people draw Shadow with more alien-like features, such as giving him yellow scleras, tiny scales, or a third eye! But the fanart made me think... What if there was a reason Shadow looked like that/more alien, especially considering that he didn't originally even know he's half alien. My original idea was that Eggman would do something that would make him mutate, but then I thought it might be a bit of a lazy choice, plus then fixing it would be a lot easier because they'd already know the cause. My bestie came up with the idea that it would happen suddenly while Shadow was racing/using Chaos Control, and I liked that idea. (I can't tell how/why it happens since that's a spoiler, but you'll find out eventually ehehe). I like aliens, sci-fi, and body horror (although I don't wanna make the body horror parts too graphic in the fic but still. It's a part of it), but there's also metaphors etc. in it. I'll probably talk more about those once I finish the fic, because for now I want readers to make their own interpretations and speculations >:3

Prophecy of Chaos: The ship I was super obsessed with before Sonadow was Catradora, and since I tend to like certain types of dynamics, I kinda noticed lots of similarities between them XDD (I mean, they're a snarky hero with a heart of gold and their former enemy with a traumatic backstory) I think I also saw a tumblr post where someone pointed out that the way Boom!Shadow acts is like a bitter ex/former childhood best friend, and that made me think... What would Sonic and Shadow be like if they had been childhood best friends who had a falling out? I think I jokingly told my friends like "what if I made an AU that's kinda like the premise of She-Ra but with Sonadow" but then I actually got invested in it. It just works so well with Sonic characters and Sonic lore, with the whole chosen one thing and friendship being a big theme in both series. My bestie @tillytilli had lots of suggestions for the AU, and then I asked if they'd like to be a co-creator. Plus with two people working on it made it possible for us to make several illustrations for each chapter; usually three art pieces for each chapter, one by me, one by Tilli and one being a collab between us. So yeah, the premise and some elements are inspired by She-Ra, but the plot will differ a lot since we didn't want it to just be a retelling of that story, we wanted to also make it our own story. Plus we haven't really assigned the characters certain roles (except the obvious ones, like Sonic having Adora's role, Shadow Catra's, Infinite Shadow Weaver's, and Eggman Hordak's. But even some of those are a bit mixed, especially between Sonic and Shadow) because we felt like it would limit the characters too much, and we wanted them to be themselves first and foremost if that makes sense? (So like. You don't need any knowledge of She-Ra to read the fic. Sonic knowledge is more important since there's lore and references XD)

Impactful Skip: I came up with the idea around the time the sneak peek of Sonic and Nine in Sonic Prime came out. Since Nine was a traumatized child because he never met Sonic, it made me think... How would Tails turn out if he had had Sonic, and then lost him? Because he would know what he was missing. Sonic and Tails are so close that I feel like neither of them would be the same if they lost each other. I think I was also subconsciously inspired by that one episode of Futurama where Fry has to test the time machine with Bender and the Professor so he's late from his date with Leela, but the time travel goes wrong and Leela thinks he's dead. (This scene especially always BREAKS me) I didn't like... Actively think about that episode while thinking about the premise, but then I remembered it after a while and was like OH. Another inspiration for it was that one tumblr post I can't find sadly but it was like... "Why would you tell a post-apocalyptic story if not to show the kindness of humanity?" And it's a big part of Impactful Skip, because while Tails has turned against all his friends, his friends still stick together and try to find hope and kindness towards one another even in a world with barely any hope left.

Thank you for asking! I'm really enthusiactic about these stories so I'm always happy to explain about them! ✨✨

[sweetalnazar]

New fic drop ayyy

FIC: LIKE FLOWERS BLOOMING

CHAPTER 1: RIBBON BRAIDS AND SLEEPOVERS

Summary: In which Asra recalls how his opinion of a certain red-haired handmaiden was changed, for the better. Much better :3c

1.8k. Asra/Portia. Eventual Romance, Slow Burn. (Reluctant) Friends to Lovers. Slice of Life, Fluff.

 Ft my fan apprentice, Mine~

Other relationships mainly shown as platonic but can be interpreted as romantic too!

Read on AO3 || Tip Jar 🌟 

It was uncertain when she had become so precious.

There was a time, Asra could have sworn, when he could only view Portia with suspicion.

–––––––––––––––

She had been friends with Mine first, which was not that surprising; then Muriel, which had been extremely surprising; and logically speaking, when you stopped to think about it, it was obvious Asra would be her next target.

Of course someone both Mine and Muriel trusted couldn’t be all that bad. Surely not.

It was just… Asra did not like strangers poking into his affairs, he did not want to share parts of himself out of obligation. And there seemed to be a building pressure to bridge the gap between him and Portia, in regards to his inner circle.

The time Asra had found Muriel at her cottage, the two of them cooing over peeping chicks; the frequent afternoons Portia came by the shop to gossip with Mine; the one day Muriel had asked––softly, his forehead creased with worry–– if they could have her over for tea at their forest hideaway.

Muriel hadn’t even wanted Mine to know about the hut at first. And now he wanted to invite someone he’d barely known for a couple of months?!

If it wasn’t for the fact she was a novice at magic, Asra would have started searching for charm spells or love potions. A part of him wondered if he still should.

Portia herself wasn’t all bad. She was like Mine in some aspects, bright and sunny and always able to make everyone around her smile.

But Mine had their quiet moments, when they were absorbed in their magical studies, when they withdrew away from the world to take a breath.

Portia did not seem to have anything like that built into her personality. Maybe Devoraks couldn’t help but thrive off chaos and crowds all the time. She always seemed to be hurrying around the city on some errand or another, at least five different people stopping to say hello. And somehow, she never faltered when it came to remembering their names.

They were incompatible, Asra had concluded at last. He and Portia had little in common, aside from their friend group, which wasn’t that hard considering she knew the names of almost everyone in Vesuvia.

And so Asra maintained a cool distance between them, indulging in the barest of courtesies when they met and nothing more.

He said hello when they passed each other by. He made small talk if she was with any of his friends and he happened to be around. He waved back when she waved to him. He made sure to always smile, never showing any irritation or frustration around her.

For a time, it seemed to be enough.

Then one evening, Nadia had suggested a sleepover together, just him and Julian as her guests, like old times. Asra had excitedly hurried over, only to find Julian in bed with a summer cold and Portia in his place, braiding Nadia’s hair.

Asra’s favorite activity of choice.

Was she doing this on purpose? Hadn’t she gotten the hints that he didn’t want a close friendship? That she wasn’t welcome beyond his inner walls?

But Nadia was happy to see him, and Portia’s peppy mood permeated the room, and it felt a shame to ruin such a nice atmosphere. So Asra put his things down and took off his coat, and sat behind Portia to do her hair.  

The conversation ran around in all kinds of circles. Portia seemed to know most of what was going on in Vesuvia, but the volume of her knowledge was a little overwhelming when Asra didn’t have a clue half the time who she was talking about.

“––Hanan decided to finally be a ship carpenter like they wanted! Their parents aren’t too happy though, old blacksmithing business and what not––”

“––Can you believe the utter nerve of Beatrice, trying to rip off Selasi’s pumpkin bread? Trying to sell it to the nobles as her own high class taste, she’s lucky he’s so nice––”

“––And Thaqif had his baby, which wasn’t easy since he’s a single parent and no family here. But I went around to see him, milady, and his neighbours are sooo friendly, I think he’ll be alright––”

Even magic might not be able to compete with Portia’s extensive memory.

Nadia went “I see” and gave little sounds of acknowledgement, while Asra stayed silent, using his busy hands as an excuse, as he attempted to arrange Portia’s hair into a ribbon-like braid pinned to the back of her head.

When Asra had finished fixing her hair in place, she turned, the ribbon shape on the back of her head bobbing along, grinning up at him.

“Your turn!”

“My?”

“Seems a shame to leave you out of the braid line.”

“How thoughtful, Portia,” Nadia nodded. “If you don’t mind, Asra?”

“Of course, Nadi.”

He scooted forward, knees pressed against Nadia’s back, while Portia darted behind him.

Lucky for him, despite the season, his hair wasn’t cropped off like usual.

A few days ago, he had been helping Mine refine one of their hair spells, and his hair had been shoulder-length ever since. He had been meaning to cut it short, but it wasn’t hot enough yet that it bothered him, and it was nice on occasion to have pretty swaying curls.

Until they became sticky with sweat, plastered to his neck.

“Has anyone told you how gorgeous you look with long hair?” Portia said, bringing him back to the present.

“P-pardon?”

“Quite right, Portia. You’re certainly a vision with that lovely hairstyle, Asra.”

Asra’s cheeks flushed, and he shrank, to Portia’s protest as she had begun braiding his hair. Nadia chuckled.

Under her breath, only loud enough for Asra’s ears, she whispered, “I do apologize for the abrupt change in plans.”

Nadi being Nadi, it should really come as no surprise that she noticed his discomfort. “Not at all. I’m sure Ilya can join us some other day.”

“...That is one thing,” she said, voice still low. “I know you and Portia aren’t the closest pair, but she didn’t just come tonight on her brother’s behalf. She was truly looking forward to spending this evening with you.”

Asra blinked, barely stopping himself from ducking his head, his cheeks hotter now. “I––I see,” he managed to stutter.

He glanced at Nadia’s beautiful amethyst locks. The braid was nothing extraordinary, not like his work with Portia, but upon closer inspection, each part was woven carefully, not a hair out of place.

At his back, he could hear soft humming. Portia’s hands running through his hair were neither too rough or too abrupt, her movements a welcome, almost comfortable, sensation, he had to admit.

“I see,” he repeated. Closing his eyes, for the first time that evening, Asra allowed himself to relax a little.

It wasn’t long before Portia piped up, “Done, milady!”

“Marvelous work, Portia.”

Asra could only glimpse the ends of his braids, the curly tips tied off with lavender ribbons. Did it suit him? He hadn’t worn anything like this in years, he didn’t look too silly now, did he?

“Is there a mirror I could borrow, Nadi?”

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Portia clapped her hands together. “Let’s all have a look in the mirror together.”

“Splendid thought, Asra. Portia, if you please.”

The last sentence was barely uttered, and already, Portia was on her feet, rushing to pull a large floor length mirror closer to Nadia and Asra. She lifted it up, neither swaying nor faltering as she carried it over.

“Can’t have this scratch your floors,” she explained, setting the mirror down to Asra’s side.

“Thank you, dear. Now, how does the saying go… On three, was it? Alright then, one, two, three.”

All of them turned to look at their new makeovers.

Nadia angled her head, one side to the other, taking in Portia’s handiwork. Her eyes followed the sway of the braid spilling down her back, before she took it in her hand and twirled it, like a child twirling a jump rope in slow circles. Somehow, even that movement appeared nothing short of refined and dignified.

“Absolutely lovely,” she nodded approvingly.

Meanwhile Portia gasped, mouth agape as she took in her own reflection. “Whoaa, you didn’t tell me you were a hairstylist too!”

Nadia glanced at him, smiling. “Asra is a witch of many talents.”

She bobbed her head to and fro, watching the bow shape bob along, and exclaimed, “It’s like I have a fancy dress sash pinned to my head!”

He couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“Of course it is. Like wow! I didn’t think my hair could be so...magical.” In a quieter voice, he thought he heard her say, “...I look like a princess.”

Which was odd, considering they were both in the presence of a princess, and Nadi wasn’t exactly one for such an extravagant and borderline whimsical sort of fashion, no matter how well she could pull it off.

The hairstyle did suit Portia though, that he would admit.

As for Asra himself, he now had a clearer view of Portia’s handiwork of his own hair. Two braids, simple yet careful and neat in detail, finished off with a flourish, in the form of fluttery ribbons that matched his eyes.

He turned his head, from right to left, and he smiled at the way they bounced.

“Is it alright?” In the mirror, Portia’s forehead was creased with worry, her upturned mouth usually wide with laughter now small and drooping. It was the first time he had seen her confident bravado falter.

He turned to her, amethyst meeting aquamarine. “It’s perfect.”

Portia exhaled, and it was only then he realized that she had been nervous, even more so than Asra himself tended to be with unfamiliar people.

It couldn’t be because of Nadi, considering how close the two of them were, which meant, she was nervous because of….him.

“She was looking forward to spending time with you.”

Had she been holding her breath in, her fears in, this whole time?

Not just while he braided her hair, or while she braided his, but from the moment he had stepped through the door?

It sounded likely, especially considering how obvious it must be that he wasn’t fond of her presence, that his attitude bordered on dislike at times.

Who wouldn’t be nervous?

But it was difficult to dislike someone who was sincere, and seeing how bright her smile was, from that one little compliment––barely three syllables long––he couldn’t help but find something within him shifting.

Asra didn’t like people barging into his walls, digging at his depths and excavating his inner world for his thoughts, his secrets, his emotions. But if a person were to knock, well, maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to open a door for them.

[biting-you]

I just love your writing. The Todoroki fic is so good 💯👌Can you write something for Mirio too?? I feel like he would be the delusional type~

Ohoho he is, anon! Just a bit ;3c

A Firm Hand

pairing: Yandere Mirio Togata x reader (both character are 18+ and attend U.A University/ college AU)

Description: Mirio helps a new hero at school gain a bit of confidence...but maybe he gets a bit too attached.

Included: GN reader (at least I hope so apologies if anything slipped past!), yandere, Mirio being all touchy, some slut shaming (Mirio is a traditional boi), obsession, mention of reader having hookups. Overall SFW

Apologies for the rough ending, it’s been a while since I wrote something of this length! Enjoy!

To say that Mirio Togata was nice was an understatement and frankly insulating to say about the top hero at U.A University. He was helpful and considerate and never talked down to people who could be seen as ‘lesser’ on the hero scale than him. He’s got a real drive to help people and not  just be the best. A true hero. All Mights probable successor. The ray of sunshine that everybody loves.

Well...except for you.

You liked him at first, of course! You transferred to U.A during the second semester of you sophomore year and even though you were in college the transition and trying to make new friends was...tough. But in stepped welcome wagon Mirio who was all smiles and friendly small talk, introducing you to new people and helping you pull yourself out of your shy little shell that you fought so hard to get out of for years. After that, it was easy for you to make friends, people apparently responding to the new found confidence and natural charm (as Mirio put it) that you suddenly exuded. 

 It was all nice and normal!

Until it wasn’t.

Mirio was always a touchy feely kind of guy. Always going in for a hug or wrapping his arm around a buddies shoulder and it was no different with you. That was until his touching started to get a little too...intimate. His hugs would would suddenly become much longer with you, tucking your body under his chin so he could bury his face in the crook of your neck while his large hands ran up and down your spine. Or maybe he would come up beside you and just...place his hand on your lower back, like it was no big deal! And he would always do this when you were in front of others, friends and professors a like. It made you feel like...you couldn’t push him away without making some scene or turning you into the bad guy for hurting the feelings of the most loved person at the school. So you just stood there and let it happen, trying to convince yourself that you where just overreacting and you shouldn’t be so scared of one of your dearest friends trying to show you some affection.

__________

“Wowie! That was one hell of a workout, sweet heart! Say, want me to get out some of those knots? You looked a little stiff out there...”

 You where so busy trying to catch your breath and wipe the sweat out of your eyes that for a few moments you could barely tell who or what had spoken to you. Finally looking over your shoulder (after your dear friends pointed him out) you jumped as you looked into the soft blue eyes of Mirio. Jeez! How could such a big guy be so quiet? 

“Wha-huh?” You said dumbly but it only served to make him laugh.

“The knots in your legs, silly! I know how bad you are at stretching properly.” He waggled his finger at you playfully. “I can’t have my favorite budding hero be out of commission because of a pulled ham string!” Plopping down on the turf, he pat the spot beside him with a signature grin. “Don’t worry! I’ve been doing some extra studying with Recovery Girl on how to take care of my fellow heroes, you’re in great hands!” Exuberant as always and with all your friends around you had no choice but to sit down beside him lest you make a fool of yourself by denying a personal massage from one of the schools top three. 

As soon as your butt his the synthetic grass, Mirio was pulling your leg into his lap, leaving you to rest back on your hands awkwardly with your knee bent over his thigh. Ignoring the chatter around him, he got to work pressing his fingers into you calf muscle making you wince as he immediately found a knot. You tried to keep yourself from flinching as his hands roamed around your leg by talking to your friends about anything other than the blond touching your bare legs.

“So what are your plans for tonight?” Mina asked, squirting water into her mouth.

“Uh...I dunno actually. Maybe just relax a bit? Hit up a few hook up sites...” You muttered quietly under your breath, face and ears turning a bit red. She laughed at you.

“Jeez! What happened to ‘no man but my viberator can treat me right?” You gave her a good smack on the shoulder as you blushed furiously. 

“God, Mina! Shut it!” Fuck you swore to good if anyone else started making fun of you-

“You shouldn’t go on those types of sites.”

You paused in your assault and turned toward the blond boy still massaging your leg and looking at you with a thoughtful but somehow stern expression. 

“It’s not good to sleep around like that... you shouldn’t do that to yourself. It’s not exactly a good look, either. You should try looking for something real and not just a quick roll in the hay.” He said this all so matter-a-factly that you were struck practically dumb. 

“Excuse me?” Was he trying to fucking lecture you? He just gave you a sweet smile.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt is all. You deserve someone that will treat you right!” He was looking at you so...expectantly, like he was waiting for you to whole-heartedly agree with his ‘wholesome’ advice. Like you were going to take that laying down.

“I don’t think I asked for your fucking opinion on my sex life, Togata.” Your friends shut up immediately, already staring at the foreign scene before them. Now it was Mirio’s turn to look dumbfounded. 

“H-hey, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about it. I just want to warn you-”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m some child!” Fuck? What was wrong with this guy? Just because he had to help you in the past didn’t mean that he had to try and lead you through the bumpy roads of one -night stands and relationships. 

You stood up, pulling your leg out of his grasp roughly as you did so. You didn’t care if you made a scene anymore! That was way too far for your liking and you certainly weren’t going to sit around and let some guy tell you what to do in your bed! Huffing you stormed off back to the dorms, knowing full well the social repercussions of what you just did. Maybe you should be fearing other types as well.

______________

It was a few hours after the ‘incident’ and you had already been inundated with texts from your friends who had witness the confrontation. At first, you were too nervous to even read the notifications but after steeling yourself you found that most of them...agreed with you. The ones that didn’t were mostly chiding you for snapping at Mirio but at least agreed that what he said was out of bounds. It made you feel a bit better in a way, the fear of rejection fading in your mind. Maybe you should talk to them all about the other things that went on with Mirio...

A knock sounded at your door this then making you sigh as you slid out of bed. It was probably Mina who had sent you a long apologetic text immediately after you arrived back at the dorms. After assuring her that it wasn’t her fault and that you just needed some time to cool off you agreed that she could come check on you later. So you opened the door, making sure you planted your feet squarely as to not get bowled over by the violent hug that was about to take place.

“Hey Min-oh.” Instead of being greeted by your short pink friend you instead were greeted by the chest of a familiar hero-to-be and the last person you wanted to see. Mirio stood there awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he actively avoided looking at your face.

“Hey-hey um... can I come in? I just wanted to apologize for earlier...”

“Why can’t you apologize in the hallway?” You cut him off, already very ready and willing to slam the door in his face. But he took out the big guns, flashing big blue sad puppy eyes at you and despite your anger you felt yourself caving in.

“Ugh, fine. Just make it quick...” You pinched the bridge of your nose to try and quell the brewing headache as you opened the door wider for him. He stepped in carefully, stopping in the middle of your room as you closed the door behind him. Mirio had his hands on his hips he looked around. 

“Gee, you really got an eye for interior design, sugar plum! It’s very ‘you’ in here!” 

“Mirio.”

“Right, sorry.” 

He looked at you sheepishly as you sat down at your desk, crossing your arms in front of your chest as you waited for his apology. It better be good.

“I shouldn’t have said that stuff to you in front of everyone-”

“You shouldn’t say that kind of stuff at all.”

“I know you think I was shaming you but I wasn’t!” He continued, all of the sudden looking agitated, brows starting to knit with frustration. “I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to do stuff like that with strangers and you shouldn’t want to do stuff like that with strangers! Not when you have...”

Your eyes narrowed at him, jaw set squarely as you were quickly losing patience with him. “Not when I have what, Mirio?”

“...me.” The two of you sat there for a moment, staring at each other. Mirio with needy, teary eyes and you with a blank expression. This was too much.

“Get out,”

“Listen-” 

“I said OUT!” You hurled yourself to your feet, eyes wild with fury as you jammed your finger towards the door. Mirio looked uncharacteristically panicked, eyes wide with fear and sweating bullets as he trembled under your gaze.

“N-no you can’t throw me out!” He gripped you hard by the shoulders and you swore you could feel your bones creak under the pressure of his grip. “You just gotta calm down, honey! You just gotta understand just how much my little heart cares for ya!” Mirio had you backing up into the wall now, no matter how much you clawed at his wrists or kicked at his shins. It was like he was numb to everything that stood in the way of talking some sense into you. 

“I know you think you’re strong, sweet heart. That you’re invincible with all that hero training but I know how delicate and scared you really are! You’re still that shy little mousey thing that you were when you first showed up here! And you doing stuff like...that, well what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t put a stop to it?”

“B-boyfriend? Mirio you’re not my-” A hand slammed into your mouth to silence you as he shook his head desperately.

“I mean I wasn’t before, but I am now! How else am I supposed to keep other peoples nasty paws off of you?” 

[orwocolor]

Love Thy Neighbour - Chapter Two

Pairing: Gwilym Lee x Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: Nothing.

Summary: Party time! Gwilym hosts a housewarming party and you’re one of the guests.

Author’s Note: Feedback is always appreciated :) Check my masterlist to find the preceding parts. As always, this fic is dedicated to @justgwilym.

“So, I thought that we should surprise Charlotte and throw her a birthday party,” Jane announces as soon as you pick up your phone.

“Yeah, that sounds great! Is it gonna be just an ordinary birthday party or something themed?” You hitch your bag up your shoulder and take three grocery bags into a hand while pressing the phone to your ear so that you can hear Jane. The traffic around you is crazy today. Honking of horns and a swear word here and there from nervous drivers create a cacophony of sounds in which those you wish to hear die down.

“I beg your pardon, my dear, but no celebration I hold is ordinary,” Jane scoffs and you roll your eyes.

“Ok, but is it going to be themed or not? If you want to force me into a disco-themed outfit like the last time, I wanna know beforehand, so I can pretend illness.”

“Hush, you loved it.”

You chuckle into your phone while you wait for the green light.

“But no, I plan on–” Jane’s words on the other end are drowned by the roar of a passing motorcycle.  

“Sorry, what?” you shout. Your bag keeps sliding down your shoulder and you huff as you fail to hoist it up, with one hand grasping your phone and the other full as well, as the handles of the plastic bags dig into your skin.

“I said,” Jane raises her voice to the maximum and you jerk your head away from the phone. You pity everyone who’s standing right next to her when the volume is enough for your ear to start ringing, “I plan on throwing a themed party, however, there are no costumes required.”  

“Oh, thank God!” You push your way through a group of teenagers and reach your home. “Hang on, I just…” You’re trying to figure out how to unlock and open the main door with all the stuff that you’re carrying and the phone in your hands. Jane continues in her monologue as if you didn’t say anything, but you pay her little attention. You squeeze the mobile in between your ear and shoulder, twisting your neck in a most uncomfortable angle. While the grocery bags form deep dark red lines on your right hand, you unzip the bag on your shoulder with the left, but as you dig down to fish your keys, the bag skids down the smooth material of your jacket and you barely catch it before it drops down.

You see a movement on the other side of the door through a long glass windowpane, but your own reflection blocks out the view. Suddenly, the door opens as if on its own accord.

“Hello,” Gwil greets you with a wide smile on his face and holds the door for you to come in.

“Thanks,” you mouth as Jane continues to list all perks of the last birthday party you organised for Charlotte.

“And what was so bad about your outfit? It was perfect!” she argues, quite poorly, in your opinion.

“Let’s just say that the days of me wearing spandex bell-bottoms are long gone.”

Gwilym snorts and gives you an amused look, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

“What? Why?”

“Look, I gotta go, I’ll call you later and we’ll plan everything, okay?”

Placing the bags on the floor, you say your goodbye and hang up the phone.

“Hi,” you greet Gwil properly, tossing your phone into your bag and finally digging out the keys.

“I’ll help you,” he says as you move to lift the plastic bags, but Gwil beats you to it and grasps the handles easily in his large hand.

“Thanks! And thanks for the door, too, you’re a lifesaver.” Your eyes skim over your mailbox, but there are no mails poking out of it. Good.

“You’re welcome,” he says as you begin to climb the stairs, side by side, and his lips curve in a smile matching your own. “I would just like to clarify that I was just collecting my mail when I saw you struggling out there,” he shows you the envelopes in his grasp, “I wasn’t lurking in the shadows, waiting for your arrival or anything.”

“Well, but now it sounds like you did exactly that,” you dead-pan and enjoy the way his eyebrows raise in shock.

“I really didn’t, I swear,” he protests with vigour and you can’t resist a grin.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” you laugh as you reach the second floor. “I’m only teasing you,” you smirk, and he breathes a sigh of relief, a light shade of pink gracing his cheeks.

“So,” you start, “is tomorrow still on?”

“Yes, absolutely! There’ll be a few of my friends and colleagues, but nothing too big.”

“Should I bring something? A housewarming gift? What do you even like?” Damn it, you probably should, right? It would be rude to attend a party and give nothing to the host.

“Just bring your lovely self and I’ll be happy,” he flashes you a smile.

“Pff, please! That’s so cheesy! But okay, if you don’t wanna tell, I’ll figure it out myself.”

Reaching your floor, he hands you the bags and pulls out his keys.

“See you tomorrow, then.”

“At seven?”

“At seven,” he confirms.

“Bye,” you smile and turn the key in the door.

“Just one question,” Gwilym says in a suddenly very serious tone, which makes you expect the worst, “spandex bell-bottoms?”

You laugh out loud. “Don’t ask!”

~

It’s a quarter to eight when you finally get out of your apartment and ring the doorbell at Gwil’s. You didn’t want to arrive among the first guests; you wanted to be fashionably late. Okay, okay, forty-five minutes is hardly fashionable, but who could blame you? You did not dare to come when there were only a few of his friends. The only person, except for Gwil, that you know is Ben and you had to make sure that he would be there by the time you appeared. But you didn’t wish to watch the party guests heading to the flat 3C through a peephole like some kind of a pervert. So, while you were waiting, you busied yourself around your apartment, tidied up the kitchen, organised the one shelf in the hall which had been driving you up the wall every time you saw the mess inside, and watered your plants.

“You’re late,” are the first words that leave Gwil’s mouth the moment he opens the door and music reaches your ears.

You squint your eyes and nod your head. “I know, I’m sorry. There’s been a traffic jam.”

“A traffic jam. Between your flat and mine.” A small smile is playing on his lips and you catch yourself staring at his mouth. Blinking, you snap out of your daydreaming and focus on the conversation at hand.

“Uh-huh. It was awful! You should have seen it.”

“Right,” he chuckles and makes a motion for you to come in.

“Y/N!”

“Ben! Good to see you!” The blonde man wraps you in a bear hug and sways with you from side to side. It’s a bit unexpected, but once he lets go of you, you notice the bottle of beer and you guess it’s probably not his first this evening.

(What you miss, however, is the silent conversation Ben and Gwil have over your shoulder. Gwil’s eyes widen as Ben throws himself at you, and he gives him a confused, what-are-you-doing look. But all Ben does in response is raise his eyebrows in a manner that could only be translated as and-what-are-you-gonna-do-about-it.)

“I think we haven’t been introduced yet,” an unknown voice says, and you turn after the sound. You’re met with a sweet smile, kind eyes, a pointy nose, and a tuft of auburn hair. “I’m Joe, pleasure to meet you.” He squeezes your offered hand and his thumb gently strokes your inner wrist.

“Hi, I’m Y/N, Gwil’s neighbour.”

“Now, you seem like a really nice girl,” he begins and you’re listening intently, curious where this is going, “I’ve known you for only a few seconds but I can tell that you’re a good person and I don’t want you to come to harm. So, please, please, do not eat the salmon canapés. Instead, try the bruschetta, which is, in my humble opinion, far more superior. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.” He puts a hand on your shoulder, nodding solemnly.

“Nah, someone’s just a sore loser and can’t accept that people prefer my delicious canapés,” Ben explains, “because the bruschetta he talks about? It’s inedible and guess who made it.”

“How dare you, inedible?” Joe puts his hand on his chest in faking a heart attack, “you’re gonna pay for that, Hardy!”

“I forgot to order some food that the guests could nibble on, so I asked these two idiots to bring something. Should have known that this was going to change into a pissing contest,” Gwilym whispers into your ear, leaning down to you while Ben and Joe keep bickering.

“Well, I’m having fun,” you admit, and he gives you an appreciative smile. “By the way, here’s something for you.”

You pull two gift bags from behind your back and pass them to him.

“I told you not to,” he says but quickly opens them to see what’s inside.

“I wasn’t sure whether you preferred red or white, so I’ve brought both,” you tell him, all of a sudden unsure and nervous.

“I love red, but I’ve never turned down any wine. Thank you. And what’s in this?”

He takes out a neatly wrapped parcel with a dark green ribbon tied around. Delicately unsticking the tapes that hold the cardboard-brown paper together, he unwraps it without tearing it and inspects the front cover of a book. You bite your lower lip and hold your breath, waiting for his reaction.

“The Invoice by Jonas Karlsson. Wait, isn’t he the one who wrote The Room?”

“Yes! You know him?” Your heart is pounding and you can’t believe your ears. What are the odds that Gwil would know one of your most favourite authors?

“Of course, he’s excellent! Thank you so much, I’ve been meaning to buy it for ages now!” He leafs through it briefly and almost starts bouncing on the balls of his feet. “It would probably be rude to just disappear and go read it, huh? Don’t answer,” he chuckles and turns around to put the book into his bookshelf. “Come, I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

He walks you around his living room, always stopping by small groups of people. Their names are forgotten the moment they utter them as it usually is in gatherings like these when you’re met with a lot of people in a short span of time. One of the few who catches your attention is Gwil’s brother Geraint, who, according to Gwil, wasn’t invited and decided to stop by anyway.

“Can you believe that my little brother did not send me an invite to his housewarming party? Me, who actually helped him to move in? The audacity.” He shakes his head at Gwil and gives him a playful shove. What you can’t believe is someone describing Gwilym as ‘little’, since he’s anything but that. Truth be told, Geraint is probably an inch taller than his brother, but still.

“I thought you were gonna be home with the kids?”

“Shannon’s with them. I wouldn’t have missed this,” he winks.

Eventually, you end up with Ben and Joe while Gwilym tends his other guests. With a glass of wine in your hand, you look around his flat. It’s identical to yours in terms of the room arrangement, the only exception the wall that separates the living room space from the kitchen. It’s not exactly what you imagined, though. You don’t know why, but you expected a lot of grayscale tones and minimalism. Probably because Gwil looks like he’s a model who just stopped posing for a photoshoot, even whilst wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans. No, his living room is decorated in brown, gold and green hues with a lot of knick-knacks on every flat surface. Postcards that his friends have sent from all over the world, playbills from plays he’s been in, small clay figures and drawings that his nephews and nieces have made for him, and all sorts of keepsakes.

Even though he’s been living in this flat for only a fortnight, it is apparent that he’s taken great care to make the place his home. Yes, there are still some unopened boxes hidden from prying eyes of his guests, but the flat is already homely. (Look, it was an accident that you caught a glimpse of them when you were passing his bedroom and he had forgotten to close the door.)

“So, you’re leaving in two days?”

“Yeah, need to head back home,” Joe replies, “but first, these two are going to do a pub crawl with me!” He slings his arm around Ben’s shoulder and kisses him on a cheek, “wanna join us?” His words are slightly slurred and he shifts his weight so that he basically leans against Ben.

“Sorry, I can’t. I’ve got a movie night with my friends.”

“Really? What are you guys going to watch?” Ben asks as he pushes Joe to a nearby chair.

“Don’t know yet. We’re coming over to Charlotte’s place so she’s the one who has the right to pick something.”

“Okay guys, screw you, I’m gonna watch something with Charlotte,” Joe howls from the chair.

“Nobody’s invited you, mate,” Ben chuckles and notices Gwil watching you three intently from the other side of the room. Now or never. “Erm, Y/N?” he asks and leans closer to you, “can I ask you something?” he whispers and you involuntarily shorten the distance between you, so that you can hear him.

“Yeah, sure, what is it?” you frown, finding the shift in the mood weird.

He puts his warm palm on your bare arm and starts stroking it slowly.

“I need you to do something for me.”

“Y/N! I think you haven’t tasted the cake, yet!” You and Ben jump away from each other as Gwilym suddenly materialises right next to you.

“There’s a cake?”

“Yes, there is, come on,” he insists and leads you far away from Ben.

“What are you doing?” Joe asks, confused.

“Trust me,” Ben answers, mischief sparkling in his eyes and a delighted smile on his face.

“Wow, Gwil, it looks amazing!” you say when you enter the kitchen and spot the cake on the counter, ready to be cut. It’s a naked chocolate cake with mascarpone, blueberries and raspberries. Gwilym has also put several edible flowers to create a delicate look.

“Thanks,” he blushes and rubs the back of his neck.

“And you made it?” He says yes and you’re astonished. “You need to give me the recipe. It’s incredible! My friend’s gonna have a birthday soon and I would love to make something like that for her.”

“Sure,” he smiles and after a few minutes of contemplation he adds, “or I could help you make it if you want.”

“Yes! You’re the best. Thank you.”

He pulls out a sharp knife out of the knife holder. “Would you do the honours?”

“See, it’s clear you don’t know me that much otherwise you wouldn’t trust me with sharp objects,” you laugh, taking the knife from his hand.

“I’ll take my chances,” he chuckles and lays out a bunch of dessert plates.

Working side by side, you cut the cake and place each piece on one of the plates. Every time a blueberry falls of and rolls on the counter, you play a game of catching it and promptly eating it. The first time your fingers brush Gwil’s, you’re quick to draw your hand away and let him win that round. There are no electric shocks or sparks, but the mere touch of his skin makes your breath hitch and your hands slightly tremble. But then it happens again, and again, and soon you’re grinning and nudging each other’s shoulders.

“Here, have a bite.” Gwil pushes a fork of cake towards your face and you willingly open your mouth.

The soft texture of the sponge perfectly combines with the mascarpone and the fruit provides a tang of sourness, complementing the sweetness of the chocolate cake. You catch yourself moaning involuntarily around the fork, which makes you absolutely thunderstruck, your eyes snapped wide and a shock written in your face.

“You have a bit of mascarpone…” Gwilym says and brings his thumb to a corner of your lips. However, he stops immediately, only a few millimetres away from your skin.

The door swings open out of nowhere and the bubble you have created around yourselves pops.

“Hey guys, how are you?” Joe’s smiling face pokes out of the living room, his cheeks flushed.

Gwilym clears his throat and withdraws his hand, passing you a stack of napkins. “We’re good, just about to serve the cake.” Gwilym points to the plates in front of him and Joe immediately pushes a chair to the counter, takes one plate and starts shovelling down the piece of cake.

Wiping your mouth clean, you look at the clock. “Actually, I have to go. I work weekends and I’ve got an early shift tomorrow.”

“What? I thought…” Gwilym begins to say when Ben bursts into the kitchen.

“Joe, what the hell? What were you thinking?”

“Look, Ben, I’m going home. Hopefully, we’ll see each other again soon, okay?” You give him a hug. “And Joe, don’t get too drunk tomorrow. Travelling by plane when hungover is no walk in the park.” You turn to Gwilym and clasp your hands, tugging at your fingers in a jittery manner. “I guess we’ll run into each other soon again. See you, guys!”

And with that, you leave the kitchen and head towards the door, waving at Geraint, who reciprocates the gesture with a smile.

“Y/N, wait!” Gwil rushes after you and catches up with you right at the moment you open the door. “I just wanted to thank you, for everything. It was really nice to have you here.” He takes you by surprise when he gives you a quick hug and presses a light kiss on your cheek.

“Yeah, I had the time of my life, really,” you smile when he lets go of you, hoping that the butterflies you feel in your stomach are invisible to everyone else, “love what you’ve done with the place.”

“Thanks,” he says sheepishly. “I would love to be a gentleman and walk you home, but…” he points to the few feet between your flats.

“Yeah, I think I’ll manage,” you chuckle and move to your door, “goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Shutting the door behind you, your fingers touch your cheek as the ghost of the kiss makes your skin tingle with excitement.

[b1a4seeyou]

Hacked Your Heart

Summary: They say that fate brings people together no matter how far apart they may be, but what if that fate separates these two people quicker than it should be. As Haneul tries to bear with her everyday lives herself, how will she embrace this tragic ending she’ll face?

Genre: A N G S T with a pinch of fluff.

Rating: None but do embrace with its wonderful “ending“ :3c

Note: I hope you dont mind me ruining the mood with this long angsty fic huihui.This is for @saeyoungweek‘s day 3 prompt, identity. Idk if it is related to it but I’m just winging it lol. Anyways, I had this in my draft for SO LONG like idk when I’ll post this, and when I saw the Saeyoung week thing is coming, I just HAD to shove this in here, hehehehe. The character names are originally from my previous fics so I just reused the names to make my life more easier. Enjoy ;3c

“I have never thought that my life will change after this.” Time passes by as the memories of her late beloved dances in her little mind which made her felt empty. Ever since that incident, she had never gone out of her apartment nor go socializing with her neighbors who are worried of her absences and health. All she ever done was crying, mourning and whining for that one person she wanted in her life. This had all started when she met him back in a few months.

Song Haneul, a normal everyday woman, would always leaned by the doorway frame and wondered who is this person that lives right in front of her, everyday, every night. A door room numbered ‘707’, never been opened but the lights from underneath the door were never went off. She suspected whether this room was possessed or there’s no owner who lives here, but from the other neighbors she had heard, there’s a suspicious man inside the room who locked himself in there and never came out ever since he moved in. A man, she thought. What if he’s a shut in? What if he works late at times when people had gone to bed? What if he is just too shy to talk with people? Questions that never been answered kept piling in her mind until a little girl interrupted her thoughts. “Omma, I’m ready for school. Can we go now?” “Oh! It’s time already? Sure, let’s go.”

Ji Hye, the name of the girl, was her so-called adopted child who she found her near a dark alley at the back of her apartment. She was only 4 years old back then. No one was there and she kept crying out the word ‘mother’ several times. Haneul sent the child to the police but it’s been several days, no one even came to pick her up. Haneul can’t bear to leave her be so she took care of the little girl as her own.

 Haneul took her coat and keys then headed outside. Ji Hye had went ahead, waiting her from the stairs. As she tried locking the front door, she sensed that someone was watching her. She looked around but there’s no sign of any human presences. Weird, she whispered. But she shrugged it off and ran off to meet up the little girl.

Few hours had passed, the sun has go down and lights had illuminated the streets. Haneul just arrived home with Ji Hye, who’s jumping around and talking about her school days. Haneul didn’t mind with how enthusiastic the child was, so she just listened through, even though she’s very tired with her work. She turned on the television to the news channel and preparing for dinner. Just she was about to start working on the coffee machine, she heard the female news reporter reading about today’s news. “On today’s report from the police investigators, the on-going case about the missing stolen confidential documents stating that the suspect is a hacker among us. The detective of this case added the suspect would strike again if they can estimate the right time and date.-“ Oh gosh, this is getting more worse. Hopefully they catch the suspect sooner or things would get disastrous, Haneul said in her thoughts as she focused her eyes to the news.

While she was waiting for her coffee, the child pulled the hem of her skirt with a curious expression. She crouched down and asked, “Yes, Jihye?“ “Omma, why don’t I have a father?” Haneul was surprised with Ji Hye’s question but instead she giggled, “Why are you saying that? Not all families has a father. Some had passed away, some had been divorced….” “But you said you’re my adoptive mom. Why don’t I have an adoptive dad?” Haneul went speechless. She actually was expecting this kind of discussion might come to her, knowing she adopt Jihye out of pity. She averted her gaze from the child, trying to think of something that won’t cause any trouble. She then looked to face the child and stroke her head, “I’ll try to think about it.“

Once Jihye went to bed, Haneul tried to finish up her work that night but she was too distracted with the previous conversation. A father huh? She sighed again and ruffled her hair. “I better go get some fresh air,” while walking towards the coat stand, took her coat and left the house to the rooftop. At that moment, a cricking sound of a door opening was heard by Haneul but as she turned around, no sign of a door opened. Just flat closed doors sticking to the wall. “Ooookay, that’s scary. Probably the wind or something.,” she said and continued walking upstairs. As she disappeared, again, the cricking door sound was heard and appeared a red-coloured hair, popping out of the opening.

At the rooftop, Haneul was leaning on the railings and stared at the night scenery of the city around her apartment. Even though she felt calm out there, but the thought of finding a father for Ji Hye’s sake still bothers her mind. ‘Did she really mean that or maybe she was joking around?’ she thought. ‘Aaah!! This is really trying to mess my head. I knew this might come to me but never knew it could this soon. Finding a father for her is one job, getting into a relationship is WORSE.’ But then, she suddenly thought of that door with the number ‘707’ The door that was never been opened, never a person behind that door was outside NOR she ever talk with the owner. ‘Huh, strange. Why am I suddenly thinking about that?’ As she focused on the night scenery,...

“Song Haneul. 23 years old. Born in Gwanju and moved here for work purposes. Status: Single. Appearance: Pure, baby face, long hazel-coloured hair, tall as a bird flies to the air but lands on a tree because it’s too tired. Haha~.” “HUH?!” She turned around and there he was. Red messy hair, golden-like eyes behind those tiger-striped glasses, unique designed hoodie with a pair of headphones around his neck. She was speechless and still blinking at the guy’s figure. Just a few second stare, he walked over to her, She too tried to step back from him, and offered his hand. “Saeyoung. Choi Saeyoung. Never seen a pretty girl in this area, until I laid my eyes on you.”, and winks. She hesitated for a moment, not feeling like she could trust this guy but seeing Saeyoung with that enthusiastic smile, she shook his hand. “Guess I don’t need to tell mine. Haha.” Saeyoung released his hand and walked over to the railings, enjoying the night scenery. “Man, never expect the city to look so big.” She’d been staring at him, wondering who is this unknown person in front of her. Never seen him among the neighbors she met, until she recalled the man’s name. ‘Choi Saeyoung......Hold on-!‘ She remembered her landlord stating someone moved here with that name, and there’s only one apartment that everyone knows which was occupied with a newcomer. “Wait, are you-“, Saeyoung turned to lean on the railings with crossed arms and interrupted Haneul. “If you’re wondering where I came from, then your guess is right. I’m the person from number 707.“

Haneul’s eyes widen. So it is him! She finally get to see his figure for the first time. She looked at him from top to bottom and gave out a sigh of relief. A curious expression was on Saeyoung’s face so he waited until Haneul spoke, “I firstly thought you might be an old man, sitting in his home for decades. Guess my expectation was wrong.“ Saeyoung laughed at her joke. Both of them stare to the outside world in silence, until Haneul decided to ask him, “But wait, how do you know much about me? We never met and I never told you anything about me.“ Saeyoung stroked his chin and answered, “Well, you probably slipped some private information about you somewhere and I found it.“ “Wait what?!“ and she hurriedly checked her pockets, making Saeyoung laughed in amusement. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! I’m actually an investigator so I looked through your personal information from the files.“ Haneul sighed in relief. So much for a serious joke like that. They then started making introductions and conversations about random stuff until they realized its a little late. “Ah. I should head back now. I don’t want to leave her alone.“ “Her?“ “Oh, you might not know but I have a daughter. Not my actual daughter though, I adopted her out of pity and as a mother, it’s my job to look out for her.“ She brushed off her coat and faced Saeyoung, “Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr Choi. This probably is our first time seeing each other so welcome to the neighborhood.“ Saeyoung scratched the back of his neck with embarrassment, “Please, just call me Saeyoung. Our age is pretty much close.“ She nodded and turned to head home.

Few days had passed since the sudden meeting. Haneul was preparing for lunch until a sudden door bell was heard. “I’ll get it!“, Jihye shouted enthusiastically. Jihye took the stool beside the door and peeped through the peep hole. “Umm, Omma.....Is this your friend?“ Curious, Haneul wiped her hands with a cloth and peeped through the hole. ‘Oh!’ She then opened the door to reveal the red-haired man. “Saeyoung! Didn’t expect you’re gonna come by.“ “Well, we’re only just a few steps apart haha. Plus, I was gonna ask if I could ask for food.“ He scratched his hair in embarrassment. Haneul was a little confused when Saeyoung’s stomach rumbled in cue. Jihye laughed quietly while Haneul’s lips formed a small smile. “Well, we were just preparing for lunch. You’re welcome to join us.“ She said and gestured him to come inside. Saeyoung looked around the place while Haneul went back to cooking. Once Saeyoung sat on the couch, Jihye jumped on his lap and convinced him to play with him. He looked at Haneul and she just gave a nod of approval.

The food was served and everyone started digging in. Saeyoung was impressed with the food and gave all the compliments to Haneul, which made her feel embarrassed. “Wish I could eat these everyday. Though, I can’t really cook much at home and I only ate chips hehe.“ Jihye then spoke up, “Why not come by if you feel hungry? Omma made the best foods in the world! Right, Omma?“ Haneul was a little hesitated but since Saeyoung is her neighbor, she wouldn’t mind at all. After all, neighbors gotta help each other. “Sure. Just swing by if you want.“ She gave him an approval nod which made Saeyoung cried with joy.

(Pst~ I recommend you to listen to this for this part~)

From then on, Saeyoung would occasionally came by to her place twice a week. Sometimes, he would hang out to play around with Jihye because of Haneul’s busy work schedule. As time pass, he had been coming pretty often like this is his second home. One day while Saeyoung was playing with Jihye, the little girl suddenly asked him, “Mr Saeyoung, you came here a lot lately. Do you by chance liked Omma?“ Haneul almost choked on her coffee and Saeyoung was kinda shocked but ruffled the girl’s hair, “Aww, you little cute princess. You’re really too young to ask that haha.“ But both the adults took a quick glance while smiling to each other. The more Saeyoung came by, the more Haneul’s heart started to feel warm and fuzzy. She’ll sometimes feel like her heart started to call out for him, her mind started to think of him everyday, her hands would sometimes tried to touch him. At some time, Jihye and Saeyoung slept on the couch, tired from all the playing. Haneul covered them with a blanket but paused to look at Saeyoung’s peaceful sleeping face. She wanted to confess her true feelings to him but sometimes the timing isn’t right. Without thinking, she leaned onto his face and gave a peck on the cheek. She felt a sudden touch on the back of her head, realizing she woke him up. She was about to apologize but Saeyoung shaked his head and whispered, “You kissed the wrong spot.“ And his lips were on hers.

But after what happened, Saeyoung suddenly stopped coming to her place. She thought maybe because of that day but she received a call from him, saying something major at the station so he had to stay there and help out. She would be lying if she said she won’t miss him but everyone has their own work to focus on so she had to understand it. Days to months, she hasn’t seen him ever since. She tried to visit him but every time she knocks the door, no sounds or reply was heard from the other side, not even the light underneath the door. ‘Maybe he did stayed at the station. I’ll try to check on him soon.’

One day, she decided to go grocery shopping. As she walked along the street, televisions from an electronic store was showing the recent news reports. “Here reporting, the police are now tracking the hacker who is behind the stolen documents. The chief leading this gave a few words that the suspect is now hiding in the abandoned government building. The police are now surrounding the building and ready to encounter the suspect. We’re now witnessing the activities of the capture.“ The droid then showed the building being surrounded with police cars with their sirens. ‘Ohmygod.’ Haneul covered her mouth in shock. Suddenly, her phone started ringing and without looking at the number, she answered. “Hello?“ “It’s me.“ Haneul almost felt like dropping to her knees once she heard the person she missed so much but she steadied herself by leaning on the wall. “Saeyoung! Are you okay?! I heard the news that the police are catching the suspect.“ “Yeah, I’m fine...........Well, for just awhile.“ His sudden change of tone from the phone made Haneul anxious and nervous. “S-Saeyoung?“ “Listen here, Haneul. We......I.......don’t think I’ll be seeing you again.“ “W-Wait, what are you saying? I’m sure everything’s al-“ “It’s not, Haneul.“ He sighed, “I just wanna ask you a favor. Please, forget about me. Forget about me being in your existence. It’s for the best for the both of us.“ “No! I don’t understand why you would say that. I know you can come back in one piece. You’re an investigator-“ “I’m sorry.“ Haneul can hear the sounds of his sulking from the other side of the phone, “I’m sorry, Haneul. I.....lied. I’m not an investigator. I’m not even with the police.“ “Wait.......Then-“ “I’m sorry but........I’m the person they wanted. I’m the hacker they’re looking for. I had to fake my identity and stay hidden so no one would find out about me. And I’ll be honest, from the day I first stepped into my new place, I’ve seen you looking at my direction so often. I firstly thought you’re maybe one of them so I installed a small CCTV but the more I see you look at me, the more my mind told me you’re someone to be trusted. So I digged through all your personal information, trying to get to know you better and made my first step on finally talking to you. I was really happy to get close to you. You’re the first person who made me feel like a normal person.“ As Haneul listened, she dropped herself to the ground, holding on her tears from flowing. “So I beg of you, forget about me. So you don’t have to suffer from the pain.“ “NO, SAEYOUNG! If I forget about you, what about our memories together? You’re the first person who I ever love and you’ll always be, no matter who you are. Please......Live......For me.“ “I’m sorry, Haneul. I did terrible things in my previous lives. It’s better if I end this myself once and for all. It was a pleasant feeling to finally meet you-“ “No.“ “- and finally loved you.“ “Saeyoung no!“ “We’ll meet again someday.” “SAEYOUNG NO!“ “Goodbye........Nae sarang.“ “SAEYOUNG!“ But it didn’t reach him as he ended the call. Just a few seconds later, she heard an explosion from the televisions. She quickly got up from the ground and watched as the building crumbled to the ground. ‘Saeyoung...........Saeyoung......No......‘ As she witnessed this, she dropped to her knees and let the tears flow from her eyes, not caring the people looking at her direction. She can feel her heart crushed to pieces and her breathing went rapidly fast. She bend herself to the ground and shouted the name of the man she’s desperate to see again.

[misssophiachase]

Learning to Fly

Ho Ho Ho! Happy Holidays! Writing holiday fics is the only thing that gets me in the Christmas mood to be honest, so here goes! And it's only 43 days until the big, jolly guy arrives (but not counting at all). I hope you enjoy the premise, I did start this earlier in the year (in part) but decided it could be a festive season fic! If anyone has any cover art ideas let me know.

It's only three days until Christmas and flight attendant Caroline Forbes thought her day was going to be all candy canes, Santa Claus and carols until she meets an unusual passenger on a flight and soon realises there's more to him and the situation than she first thought.

I'm learning to fly but I ain't got wings, coming down is the hardest thing…

Chapter 1: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

For the most part Caroline liked her job. Although being a flight attendant certainly had its pitfalls including; unpleasant air sickness mishaps, overbearing passengers with sometimes impossible demands and sleazy (not to mention married) pilots.

There were some advantages though including; heavily discounted travel, first class accommodation and a way to ease her itchy feet. Yes, she'd travelled extensively across the globe after completing high school but Caroline knew that wouldn't pay the bills. The next best thing? Flying around the country for work. At least that way she'd get to see some new places and hopefully experience new things.

"I'd like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and welcome you to Delta Airlines flight DL7693, non stop service to Memphis, Tennessee," Caroline recited through the cabin intercom. Sometimes it was difficult to keep up with all the places she was at times so she had to be extra vigilant to remember her destination.

She knew this spiel from memory given she'd said it enough times. "Please make sure all your cabin luggage is stowed away, the larger item in the compartment above and the smaller under the seat in front of you."

It was at that point she noticed a blonde peeking curiously at her from first class. There was no denying he was gorgeous but it wasn't like Caroline hadn't come across guys just like him on numerous flights. She had to admit that none had lips in such a deep shade of crimson though. It was at that point she faltered, realising she'd lost her place. Bonnie grabbed her attention from outside the cockpit door and gestured to her waist hurriedly. Caroline had to remember to thank her best friend for that little prompt later on when they were in cruising mode.

"Please make sure your seat belts are fastened low and tight, the attendants will now be coming around the cabin before take-off," she finished, noting a somewhat amused expression from her cute but distracting first class passenger as he clicked his seat belt into place as instructed.

"2A?" Katherine asked, nodding discreetly towards the cabin. "Trust me, I would have forgotten too if I got lost in those molten, brown eyes."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh please," she groaned. "If it weren't for Bonnie, who knows what would have happened to our passengers in an emergency without their seat belts?"

"Hilarious," Caroline growled in the brunette's direction before looking towards her saviour. "Thanks, Bon."

"My pleasure," she smiled. "Although my guess is on 3C." Caroline wouldn't admit it aloud, but the cute blonde was seated in row one, seat A to be exact.

"Did you ever think that maybe I just forgot…"

"Hell no," Katherine teased. "You're Caroline Forbes after all. So come on fess up, who was the gorgeous guy that distracted you? Twenty bucks it was the gorgeous but brooding brunette in 2A."

"I'll raise you $50 for the cheeky brunette in 3C," Bonnie offered.

"Are you ladies going to be doing any work today or should I consider this it?" Enzo barked, looking between them curiously. He was their Cabin Manager and attempted to take his job seriously most of the time, even if it didn't always pan out that way. He told them it was their fault for being distracting and entirely too much fun all the time.

"Of course not, Enzo," Katherine purred. "You know more than anyone just how well we can multitask."

"$100 on the blonde in 4B," he offered obviously overhearing their previous discussion, before making his way down the aisle to begin the obligatory safety presentation. Caroline just shook her head noticing the attractive, blonde girl seated there, most definitely his type but not hers.

The airplane took off smoothly and they were now at cruising altitude. Caroline was out of her seat immediately, offering refreshments to first class. She was trying to ignore the penetrating gaze of Mister 1A but it was difficult. Sure, she'd had guys flirt with her on flights but this one merely sat back not offering any lame conversation at all, in fact he'd been relatively quiet so far.

"Would you like a drink?" She enquired, finally gathering the nerve to speak to her passenger.

"Uh sure, thanks," he murmured in an unmistakable English accent. "Whiskey, neat." He didn't look at her when he spoke, just tapped both feet on the floor, his fingers on the arm rest drumming in the exact same time.

"Here you go," she said offering it to him. "Would you like a snack"

"No, I'm fine," he smiled, albeit uneasily. "But thank you."

When he'd distracted her on the ground, Caroline had assumed he'd be trouble but his current demeanour wasn't expected at all. She walked away, tending to the other passengers. Not that it stopped her sending sneaky glances at him during the flight. The one thing she knew for sure was that he could fidget and for some reason she felt sorry for him.

"Don't worry about my brother, it's just normal," the blonde in 4B said almost reading her thoughts. "Can't sit still to save himself."

"And you're perfect, princess?" The cheeky brunette from 3C Bonnie seemed to like chimed into the conversation.

"The same accusation could be directed at you, Kol," the brooder from 2A added to this already strange conversation.

Caroline was starting to feel like she was in the twilight zone. It was unusual to find travelling companions flying in different rows but these people seemed to know each other. In fact they fought like something resembling siblings. She busied herself, ignoring the curious glances of her colleagues as she did so. The one thing she tried to avoid was getting involved in personal arguments. The captain announced their descent soon after thankfully and Caroline tidied up quickly, not before sending a small smile in the blonde's direction.

The wheels connected with the runway, something Caroline was familiar with but she couldn't miss his steady glance on her as they taxied their way toward the airport. In fact he'd been staring at her ever since they descended through the clouds and headed towards their destination. Most people would think it was extremely weird (and it was) but Caroline could tell he wasn't the best flyer and for some reason she wanted to help, even with the surrounding peanut gallery commenting on everything for whatever reason.

The Madison Hotel, Memphis - four hours later

Caroline had followed through with her usual post flight rituals, spending a good forty-five minutes soaking in the bubble bath and then unpacking her clothes, even if it was only for one night. When she'd begun in this profession, it had been new, exciting and fun but Caroline had to admit it had become a somewhat repetitive and tiring. All she wanted to do was stay in one place she loved with someone who liked it as much as her.

"Caroline, Katherine!" Bonnie yelled out from the living area. She secured the white robe tightly around her waist and came into the room as instructed.

"What's going on? Don't tell me Katherine wants us to leave so she can have another all night orgy." Caroline joked thinking about her friend's unabashed sexual appetite. As the words came out, she was faced at the front door of their suite with two familiar brunettes and an opinionated blonde regarding her curiously.

"Nothing like embarrassing a girl, roomie," Katherine chided, her olive cheeks decidedly rosy, a clear sign she'd been caught out by the serious and somewhat judgmental brunette to the left.

"We need your help, Ms Forbes," the broody one implored, now moving into the room. Caroline couldn't miss just how embarrassed her usually unembarrassed friend now looked by his looming presence.

"Suddenly, I feel like I should be more formally attired," she mumbled. "Or possibly in a superhero costume given I'm being asked for help?"

"How about Wonder Woman?" The younger, cheeky one she now knew as Kol joked.

"In your wet dreams," the blonde girl growled. "My brother has an extreme fear of flying and I've never seen him more relaxed than on your flight this afternoon."

"Well, that's good, I suppose," Caroline bit out, still trying to come to terms with all these people in her suite while she was half dressed. "What does that have to do with me exactly?"

"It's you," the serious one offered. "You calmed him down today, unlike anyone else."

"And?"

"We need to make that the norm," the half distracted, cheeky one offered between his curious glances towards Bonnie.

"But why?" She huffed, feeling like she was part of a weird TV reality show or something. "Surely he can make his own choices?"

"Not when it comes to flying."

"But yet you do this without his consent?" Caroline didn't know the guy past their brief interactions today, but for some reason she hated the fact that his family were interfering without him knowing about it.

"He's going to be the CEO of British Airways in six months," the cheeky one offered, strangely in a now serious tone. Caroline hadn't expected that comment and was instantly dubious. "It's his legacy but he doesn't fly well. As you can imagine we are trying to help him as best as we can."

Caroline was stuck for words momentarily, wondering if their comments were actually authentic. She took a deep breath before replying. "So, what exactly do you want from me?"

"Any chance he could ride along with you for a little while longer?"

"I'm sorry?" She gasped, feeling somewhat dizzy as she regarded the bossy blonde.

"Well, it is the festive season, after all," the serious one added.

"Funny, I never took you for the Christmas type," Katherine drawled, looking at him curiously with her hands on hips. "If that's all you've got.."

"Don't mind him," Kol offered, hurriedly. "We can offer you monetary compensation."

"Oh really?" Bonnie asked, eyeing him curiously. "Funnily enough, it's not always about the money."

"Maybe so, but consider this our opening offer," the blonde said dryly, handing a cheque over. It was obvious she'd expected this response given it was already written and signed in neat, blue cursive. 

Caroline couldn't believe their approach in the first place let alone that many zeros on a cheque. Santa Claus had apparently come to town but Caroline wasn't sure she was ready for his arrival.

On FF HERE Next chapter title is up for grabs...