#Honest to god this has happened 5 times in the past week

[vad-hander]

YOU KNOW WE'RE NOT COMPATIBLE, RIGHT?

pairing: Haechan x reader

others: Mark, Jaemin, Jeno as Haechan's friends.

genre: smut | angst | fluff | college AU | fuck buddies AU to lovers | series

warnings: reader is mean and degrading towards Haechan throughout the fic (but nothing serious), mentions of drugs and alcohol, mentions of stealing, Haechan gets injured (breaks his leg, no graphic descriptions), explicit description of sexual interactions between Haechan and reader, unrequited love, reader has issues with showing her feelings, scared of other people's opinion, slowburn, romance

words: 13,7k

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3

“Hey.”

“Hey.” your head lifted at the sound of your roommate. 

“He's left already?” you felt your lips form a smile unconsciously. 

“Yeah, I literally cannot look into my computer a minute longer.” you sighed dramatically, shutting down the laptop on your knees after you got notified all the work was finally saved and dropped against the back rest. 

It was your 8th working session in the past two weeks with Haechan. You’ve never seen Lee Haechan so often, never had to sit right next to him in pure quietness for hours and try to have some sort of thinking process. 

It was difficult any way you looked at it and you were glad he was finally gone. At least, for the evening. 

Apparently, Jeno needed his help immediately and Haechan could never say no to a friend in need, which is a quote. 

Talking of needs, you wondered what happened to this man’s needs since having him as a working partner seemed to somehow kill his hormones. Even when you very much intentionally set a couple of your meetings in his house the boy didn’t lay a single finger on you. 

Figuratively speaking, because in fact the only thing he laid on you in those past 2 weeks were his palms. On your shoulder, or leg but it didn’t go past a teasing touch and you were confused beyond and above. 

“I can imagine studying with Lee Haechan be tiring.” she cackled, placing her body on the armrest next to you. Her hand going under her head for support, making the girl take a half laying position on an armrest close to you, almost pressing her body to yours. 

You probably reeked Haechan since the boy was practically attached to you at your hip for the past 5 hours, you were afraid she’d be able to pinpoint the scent of him, or more honestly you didn’t want her to ruin that scent with her fresh meadow scented deodorant. 

“He’s actually doing a good job.” you smiled awkwardly, noticing the eyes of your friend. A cunning fox type of stare wasn’t a good thing coming from Eunsoo, you could not wonder immediately if she saw how handsy Haechan was before he left and was testing the waters before jumping onto you with questions? Did she hear him asking if you’re free tomorrow night? Or worse, did she see him rub his face against your neck, saying he needed a break to distract his thoughts for a later on better thinking process? 

In all honesty, Haechan rubbed his face against you too many times during your sessions to go unnoticed by people around and the amount of times you were in fact ready to help him distract his brain and he never proceeded with the action made you tired, upset and even slightly annoyed. 

“What, what is this smile?” you laughed it off awkwardly, very awkwardly,  to be completely honest. You looked away to hide your eye twitch. 

“Surprised you’re not ripping hair off your head after every working session with him.” she laughed, and… it felt lie she maybe testet the water...? Did she try to tap on the fact you didn’t really hate spending time next to him?

“I-, he-, it’s funny to say, he’s good with academic studies, apparently, and if he’s not just typing gibberish into the laptop I think we might even be one of the top students.” you chuckled. “Oh, by the way, we left some food in the fridge, if you’re hungry.”

“We?” she teased with a smirk.

“My God, Eunsoo.” your eyes rolled backwards.

“No, it’s a good thing, I guess.”

“What is a good thing?”

“We’re not hating on Haechan anymore, right?” 

“I don’t think anybody actually really hated him in our friend group... except for Sua?" your thoughts trailed off before you got back "Why are you asking, anyway?”

“Ugh-agh.” she swallowed and fixed the hair on her head. 

“You’ve got something you wanted to say, don't you?” 

“Me? No? I was just testing the waters.“ your heart missed a beat because you were totally right. You cleared your throat in an attempt to unnoticeably calm your heart down.   

“Testing the waters, huh?“ still, you couldn’t keep yourself from shuffling, having to stand up and actually move around the room to not seem suspicious to your friend that acted way too suspicious herself. 

“Since you two are seem to be more friendly than before, not to jump far too ahead, but we all can be… friends… now?” she questioned, shaking her head a little as if the thought alone was still a little bewildering to her. It did seem bewildering to you too, every one of you being close to each other, being friends. “I thought I could ask you once again if you’d like to go on the boat trip that happens to be next weekend?“

“I don’t know.“ You shook your head with no answer. 

Maybe you should come, for your friends, for Eunsoo, not mind Haechan, his presence and presence of all his friends. At the end of the day, you don’t even have to look at each other, but on the other hand avoiding him could give him the wrong idea, the idea that your feelings for him have changed?

“Ya, look.” Eunsoo clapped, as her voice went a little louder, making you come back to reality “’I don’t know is much more of a better answer than a straight up no. Haechan must’ve shaken your ground, huh?“ her brows went up and down playfully. 

“Yeah, sure. He’s such a charming, lovely and smart guy I suddenly couldn’t imagine us part ways for the weekend, now that we’re all BFFs.“ Eunsoo laughed.

“Oh please don’t go in detail about your newly found passion in Haechan, I still have food to digest.“ She gagged jokingly. “Anyway, I’ma bout to shake your ground even more.“

“I’m all ears.“ You wiggled your brows playfully.

“The boat trip is free.“ you gasped, squinting your eyes in confusion.

“How come? How’d you make Jeno agree to that? What did you promise him?“ You jumped up to your friend, hand on your heart in concern.

“Nothing, I didn’t need to-“

“Jeno himself suggested I’m coming for free?“ you stared at her wide-eyed, trying to get a secret out of her that she obviously wasn’t keeping too well. 

“Ugh, not really-“ Eunsoo tried to get an answer out of her mouth but her brain was definitely not cooperating and you didn’t want to stop asking questions at the kinda exciting news. You took a moment in your brain to question yourself. Why exactly did the thought excite you so much? Jeno was practically a stranger to you. “So did you ask him to? Soo-yah, I’m starting to think he might have a crush… on me…? Of all people?!“ you couldn’t hold back a giggle. 

“I don’t-“ The girl paused calmly.

“He wants me to come no matter what? If he’s saying it’s free suddenly? I’m sure Sua and Aeri transferred him money last week.“ 

“Ugh… you sorta got it right.“ She sighed.

“Wh-“ you started confused “No, what?“ You spoke louder. “What did he say? What did he say?“ You pulled onto Eunsoo’s hand for more info, like an excited puppy.

“He just asked if you decided on coming… I said no, you’re not going to be there so he just said I can take you with me…” she paused and then suddenly continued “Said you have to be there no matter what so I’m here asking you if you’d come if it was free?“

“Should I?“ You chuckled.

“If you want to?“ She spoke awkwardly, you had to take a step back and recollect yourself. 

“Hey, I… actually, I thought Jeno had a thing for you and you two were slowly drifting in that direction? What happened with that? Thats very out of the blue…? Him wanting to see me there. When we’re there I should tell him I’m not interested, you d-.“

“No, no!“ Eunsoo jumped up. “Don’t tell him anything.“

“Why?“

“I-ugh, he’s going to be pissed I told you, just don’t mention anything, it’s better you act the usual.“

“Are you sure?“

“Yeah, yeah, don’t go out of your way just to refuse him.“

“I-oh, okay. But are you okay with that?“ 

“Yeah, yeah. So you’re going then, right?“

“Guess I’m going, then.“ you chuckled.

“Fantastic.“ Eunsoo clapped her hands relieved, the conversation seemed too awkward for her, it could not not gut you. “I’ll go eat leftovers of your fancy lunch with your new best friend.“ 

-

From: Haechan

Great news, cupcake.

To: Haechan

What news?

From: Haechan 

You’re coming to Jeno’s little party

To: Haechan

So it’s great news now

Didn’t you say that I’ll shit your party?

From: Haechan

Aw, baby, you’re keeping everything I say close to your heart, I’m honoured

Don’t worry tho, I changed my opinion and I’m going to make the best of your presence

To: Haechan

Awww poor baby, You must’ve gotten a little too comfortable and forgot we’re not friends

it’s fine though, I’ll say hi back to you once I see you on that boat

From: Haechan

I hope you’re not getting sea sick and stuff

I’ve never done you on water, won’t forgive you for ruining my chance

And then sure, lets not talk

To: Haechan

NO

and, I’m sure you’re overestimating Jeno’s abilities, isn’t it going to be more of a catamaran type boat? lol

From: Haechan

why the caps lock you want to make sure I know you’re not getting sea sick?

To: Haechan

F u 

Go finish the project on your own 

From:Haechan

You’re not much of a help anyway

To: Haechan

And finish yourself off on your own too <3

Excuse me, I’m not much of a help?!?

Your life’s about to end

From: Haechan

If you’re considering staring at me while I actually work on our paper help, I’ve got bad news for you cupcake

You gasped scandalised and threw your phone away. Annoying Haechan and his annoyingly good eyesight, you thought, he deserves to be left on read.

From: Haechan

whoopsie, was I supposed to keep my mouth closed?

You never were supposed to text me in the first place, you mumbled under your breath, suddenly being too worked up by him. His senseless messages made your heart wake up and burn, not with love and passion, with embarrassment and that long forgotten, almost dead feeling of wishing to end his cocky smile and witty brain. 

From: Haechan

come on, don’t act like you’re surprised 

I thought you were this obvious on purpose

weren’t you?

You stared at the phone blankly, considering your options. 

from: Haechan

hey

hey!!

you 

to: Haechan

I’ll block you if you won’t stop

from: Haechan 

why?

to: Haechan 

hey

Hey

You 

You 

Hey

You

Fuck 

You

like it?

from: Haechan

okay baby go back to what you were doing, bye 

to: Haechan 

thanks

-

You reached out for the bedside table in pure darkness, blindly finding your phone. When the gadget was finally in your hands you lit up the screen. 

“Fuck”, you mumbled under your breath as the screen burned your eyes. 2 AM, the clock marking an hour and 30 minutes of tossing and turning in bed because everything turned out to be more than you were able to handle. All your thoughts and feelings suddenly were much more than what you could process and you were sincerely dreading the new day that would bring more concerns and more importantly more Haechan. 

You needed more random things to flood your mind so they’d be able to overlap the Haechan ones you had because thinking of Haechan in the middle of the night was giving you a headache. Did he think of you too…? Sometimes, maybe, at least at all, ever? How did you end up getting here? You’d chuckle if someone else asked you that question. 

Middle of the night, palms sweaty from overthinking too much, heart trembling a little because the boy you used to just have sex with smashed the lock on the door to your feelings with no mercy. 

Was he intentionally invading your inner peace? Did he want to stir your feelings as part of his stupid ego stroking, did you imagine things, come up with all that in your head? You needed Lee Haechan to take responsibility for his actions, he overstepped the boundary way too many times, now he flirts with you as an addition to everything else. Baby? Seriously, baby, cupcake was much of a better nickname, at least you knew it was meaningless and not personal. It felt like he wasn’t bothered too much to remember what your actual name was and stuck to something that made your relationship feel like a transaction. Baby is definitely giving a feeling to you, a little too intimate for your liking, it’s like he was claiming he liked you, like he claimed you his something and you were in some sort of relationship. 

What if his silly brain already spilled things to his group of friends about you and him? Your heartbeat fastened even more. Oh how you hated yourself for laying in that bed and still thinking of Haechan’s message when it’s been an ungodly amount of hours since he sent it. 

Maybe, it’s just you going crazy since that day he took you out. 

What if…? You had to toss onto the other side of the bed at the thought. What if he does all of this to play with you? Since the day you told him to not kiss you Haechan seemed to change his game, he just plays to try make you brake the rule of no kissing first. He’s that type of person to do things only to satisfy his own needs and satisfy his ego. Oh god, you had to sigh again. 

Were you going through all stages of grief or something like that? Now you’re on the demonising the person of your concerns stage? Sigh, sigh, sigh. 

You couldn’t  sigh any louder or you'll literally wake up Eunsoo. 

Maybe, at this point, you’d really let him do anything to fulfil whatever plan he had. You’d  gladly accept defeat if only he’d let you smash your lips against his right this moment, it doesn’t even have to be literally right this moment. If you’d get reassurance you’d be able to do it in the morning you’ll do anything in your power to conquer your feelings and finally fall asleep to hold on till the new day. 

-

“Just to clarify, I was staring at you because I couldn’t stop wondering, if you had brain in that head of yours all along, why did you act like you didn’t, not because of whatever you thought.” you slapped your palm against Haechan’s chest for no particular reason, it seemed to you it’ll give more effect, persuade him more you were telling the truth. A very puzzled expression on the boys face turned into even more confused one as your palm stayed on him for a few seconds. 

“Okay?”

“Good.” you nodded, and took a step back. 

“I didn’t ask. What are you even on about?” your eyes suddenly glued to his. He still was confused, that’s for sure. Well, who wouldn’t, in all honesty. You popped out of the blue on his way to the campus, first thing in the morning like a psychopath. You weren’t even sure you didn’t look like one. 

“Ugh… huh?” your brain processed his question. “What do you mean what I’m on about?”

“When were you staring? I just got here.” 

“Your message on Friday.”

“Oh, that.” he smirked immediately. “I was just shitting you, but it seems like I hit the spot right?”

“You- fuck you.” 

“Come on, don’t act like you’re not enjoying me texting you.”

“I don’t. You’re always interrupting.”

“Yeah? What exactly did I interrupt on Friday?”

“I-, I was doing something. It’s none of your business.” 

“Okay, I’ll stay out of it then.” the slight nod and completely lost interest in his eyes kind of pinched you. 

You maybe wanted him to pick on you, push and tease so he’d get straight to whatever he was interrupting but he just didn’t. Did he lose all his interest in you? Or was this just a tiresome Monday morning and he wasn’t in for the game?

You weren’t that much of a talkative friend when it came to him. You weren’t about to giggle and ask him why he's so stiff this morning. You were about to start sweating that’s for sure, your palms were feeling too warm because you maybe wanted to tell him something but maybe talking to him suddenly felt like imposing. Were you about to go insane over Lee Haechan? Over him and the fact he didn’t have a thing to say to you. Since when? 

“Okay.” you nodded too and wanted to walk straight past him, but it felt like you made it hard for yourself to breathe. “The presentation of the project is this Wednesday. I’m almost done with the slides but we need to go through the text, who’s saying what, who’s presenting which part and all that stuff.” you didn’t want to look at him anymore while talking. Why did you not want to look at him? You couldn’t understand yourself at all. Your wishful thinking brought you here in front of him early in the morning after almost a sleepless night. Somehow you thought he’d tease you and smile at you and set another date for seeing each other wether it’d be for sex or food or school. At this point you caught yourself not caring at all as long as it’s something to do with him. You could understand the change in your demeanour, but what was up with him? You really wanted to clap in front of his eyes and ask him what’s up. 

The change in you obviously scared you. It made you sincerely concerned for your self. You probably needed to talk this out with someone but the more you went through with that first sentence you’d start the conversation with the more you felt self-conscious to bring it up even as a thought that might’ve popped up in your head once or twice. 

The more you thought of it the more you brought up heaviness on your shoulders. Were you imagining or did Haechan change? His behaviour seemed colder than before? Did he change his demeanour because he felt you actually fall for his flirting and the pure intentions of his flirting were not to make you fall for him… it was to watch you be uncomfortable? 

Were you actually beating around the bush and not admitting to yourself truthfully the four letter word you were feeling towards him. No, not the big four letter word, the smaller one, but very much dear to your heart, very fragile as it still felt like early stages of processing the feeling. And even though your body might’ve not been new to it, since your brain was only able to work it out recently, your body was sent signals to act like the feeling was very new to it too, and it obeyed perfectly. 

You actually had to stop yourself, because you were starting to feel even more hot, getting the fact you might’ve looked insane by now, even. You took a quick glance at Haechan’s face, crossing with his stare only to go blank and look away quickly. Was he sensing the inner battle you had and was disgusted? Didn’t want to be part of it? If the two of you stood there a little longer you were sure you’d make yourself cry right there. Overthinking was definitely your specialty. 

“We’re super short on time, if you don’t mind splitting the presentation on your own and sending to me my parts-.”

“Yes, I can very much do that.” 

“Great, see you around, then.” 

“Yes.” you gave him a nod, you’re sure tho it wasn’t seen. Great, now Haechan didn’t even want to prepare the presentation with you in person. 

-

The clock on the wall was barely audible now that the classroom was practically packed with students. Still, the only thing your hearing was focused on were the seconds that turned into minutes. Your eyes were trained on the door and your fingers would stop fidgeting the pen every time someone walked past the entrance but would get back to work every time because every person that walked through the door wasn’t Lee Haechan. Where the hell was he? You closed your eyes for a 5 second breather. 

Finally, the clock reached 10 AM, one minute later the professor walked into the auditorium and closed the door right behind him. 

“Glad to see you all so cheerful. Bet each and every one of you is thrilled to present your work and get the passing grades?” the young man smiled and cleared his throat, making the whole room quiet. 

Again, the quiet room brought the ticking sound upon you. Tic-tac-tic-tac. 

to: Haechan

Where are you? We’re 5th to present. Professor's about to start the class. 

Your eyes raised at the door once again as one of the students ran in apologising for being late. 

“I think I’ll just go sit in the back and let the first group prepare for the presentation?”  professors eyes moved over the classroom to see the first ones to stand up. “Oh, Ms. Moon and Ms. Ong, great.” he gave Sua and her partner a nod and non-verbally invited them to the front to set up their presentation. 

to: Haechan

Why the hell are you not reading my message?

Your only excuse is you’re running your legs off to get here in time for our turn. 

Please?

You had to add when the message was still unread. Did he die by any chance? Overslept because he was memorising his parts till very late at night? You dialled the number - pure silence was what you were met with besides the monotonous rings on the other side of the line. 

You had to breathe because not only were you starting to feel overwhelmed by the end of the third groups presentation, you were realising you had almost no time left to run through the parts Haechan was meant to present and prepare yourself at least a little. 

“Hey, pst!“ your head snapped in direction of the whisper. “Where’s that little freak?“ Sua leaned over the students in front of her to hear your answer properly, but you had no words for her, you shrugged and turned away to not start bawling your eyes out in panic. 

“Mr. Lee and -“ professor announced running his eyes to scan the faces of present students. “I don’t think I see Mr. Lee in here.“ His eyes landed on you, as he called out your surname. “What happened to Mr. Lee? Is he running late? Will you be okay to present on your own?” 

”I think- I guess he’s running here so he’s not responding. Could we please listen to the next presentation and return to us later? Please?” The man looked at you for a good minute, probably debating if he should give you time or force you to do it now by yourself. Your teary eyes must have swayed him towards the first option and he gave you a nod, reading off the paper the next project couple. 

”Okay, you’re the last one to present tonight.”

”Thank you. Thank you so much.” you trained your eyes on the papers in front of you to memorise whatever Haechan was meant to talk about on those slides. You were agonising, if only you actually put in work to put everything together instead of letting Haechan take care of everything. It felt like you gave in to the devil and now had to pay the price for giving in. Your eyes ran through words but all your brain processed was either ‘fuck you Haechan’ and ‘you better show up before the end of that class’. Actually if he showed up after all the stress you went through right now, you’d choke him right at the entrance. 

Currently you were in the state where you barely remembered your own part and what was the topic of the paper at all. 

He didn't come. Not when it was 20 minutes before the end of the class, not even when you had 10 minutes left and got up in front of everyone to present. 

This very moment you were in the cafeteria with your head hanging low while Aeris hand soothed your back and Sua sat right next to you blabbering non-stop. 

"No, I literally knew being paired up with that annoying leech would end up terrible for you. Like I had a gut feeling he's going to find a way to fuck this all up."

"Haechan literally worked his butt off for that paper, I don't think he'd just fleet like that. Must be something serious." Eunsoo pointed and you almost did agree with her, it didn't seem like Haechan wanted to dodge this class on purpose but at the same time you could never know what actually happened in that little shits head and predict his thinking was like punching air - useless. 

"Yes, serious, like he has to be literally dead now for it to be serious enough excuse to dodge a presentation class like that. Did he read your texts?" Aeri patted your back for attention. You pulled out your phone to still unread messages and shook your head a no. You were slowly calming down and wished he'd pop up before you as soon as possible so you'd still have fume in you to fight.  

"Hey, it wasn't that bad. You literally got an A- and presented perfectly."

"I stuttered like an idiot every 2 words." you spoke for the first time in 15 minutes making everyone relieved. 

"If it was actually as bad as it seems to you you would've never gotten an A-"

"I still don't understand why you told that freak took great part in that paper with you. You had a perfect chance to pay him back but instead he gets an A while probably sleeping in his bed comfortably or some shit." Sua shook her head dissaprovingly. 

"Should've made him pay for real." Aeri agreed. 

"I want to dodge the next class, honestly, I wasn't prepared for that much stress in one morning."

"I can cover for you." Eunsoo suggested. 

"And I can dodge the class with you." Sua cackled and Aeri suggested the same. 

"I, ugh, I think I'm just gonna go home and stare at the wall and meditate." you excused yourself from the girls company and stood up. 

"If you want to you can have the piece of cake in the fridge." 

"That's a real sacrifice, Eunsoo, God." you chuckled and pulled yourself together. "Okay, I guess, see ya tomorrow."

"Bye, bye!"

"Don't think about that loser too much!"

- 

As soon as your feet walked up to the disagnated floor you didnt just walk, you stormed to the needed door. Even before your feet stopped at their place, your finger was already pressing into the doorbell. 

Of course, you weren't about to go back home, stare at the wall and not think that the stupid boy that stirred your insides for the past couple of weeks suddenly faded like he was never there. He was very much there and he was very much invested in getting a good grade. You heard some shuffling behind the door and as it opened you stared at the boy that never stopped you wondering how can you hate someone even more than you hated them the day before. 

"Jesus fucking christ." He exclaimed and pulled your hand off the door bell. "Why the hell you're ringing the bell like that. I'm no Sonic." he let go of your wrist to walk back in, expecting you to do the same. 

"So you're not dead, after all." you snorted to yourself and walked in. 

"Were there any signs?"

"Are you going to pretend like you didn't miss 100s of my calls and messages and didn't skip the very important class we had to present at?"

"Oh? That was scheduled for today?" he opened his mouth in shock, closing it with his palm afterwards. He was obviously sarcastic. 

"You're a psycho." You crossed arms on your chest, not planning to walk in any further into his place. 

"Why?"

"You skipped our presentation without a notice."

"Maybe I just really wanted you to realise how much you need me." Haechan pressed his shoulder against the wall and smiled at you with that sweet-sweet smile he could only muster when he wanted to be out of this world annoying. 

"You're fucking vicious."

"Why?" he batted his eyelashes. 

"I-." you swallowed. You really wanted to scream at him, get into a fight or maybe just be mean and rude and then leave but on your way here that bubbling rage inside of you cooled down a little and you just wanted to know what the fuck was wrong with him to act this way. "Why did I even think for a split second that I can rely on you or that we finally are understanding each other a little bit? You're just out of this world psychotic and I will never ever again agree on doing anything with you. Like even that thing we had going on - it's over. I don't want you lay a single finger on me after that stress you put me through." You wanted to say more but he was quiete and almost dead with the face expression so you decided on turning around and walking away. "oh, by the way, I got you an A so don't you worry bout your grades baby boy." you let him know before walking out and smashing the door after. 

- 

When you smashed that door you hoped whole heartedly he'd pull you back in by the wrist and explain himself like all those male leads in romcoms do. And you would fotgive him and he'd pull you into a hug and give you that very much wanted kiss you've been thinking of for the past few weeks. You were in fact ready to forgive him when you walked up to his place if only he put in effort to explain, you were to be honest already partially relieved when you saw him alive and well. 

But he didn't make a single sound from behind that door and before you walked back down those stairs you decided you'd act out on your pathetic thoughts and slow down with those steps. What if he was putting on some clothes before chasing you down? Or tying his shoe laces before he could walk out. You waited a little bit longer, before it turned way beyond the limits of pathetic behaviour you set. You had to leave and actually get back home. 

Act like you weren't  affected by his behavior, change of his mood and the mixed signals that were coming from him. You had to act in front of Eunsoo like Haechan didn't affect you deeply and all your thoughts were centered around him. 

You couldn't possibly stop yourself thinking if he took your words seriously or he'd figure you were angry and didn't actually mean you didn't want a single finger of his on you, because if he'd reach out first you knew you would not ignore him. 

"You're actually lucky you dipped." Eunsoo walked into your room, arms pulling off the hoodie she wore outside. "Can I sit?" the girl asked pointing at your bed. 

You nodded, scooping your books to one side of the bed. You decided that studying would be helpful for your brain to stop pacing from one thing to the other but you were proven wrong about an hour ago but still stared into those books like they were about to give in. 

"Haechan didn't show up for the rest of the day. Were you successful in finding out what the hell happened with him?"

"No." you shrugged nonchalantly. "I couldn't care less for his reasons. It's for sure the very last time we're working on something together. I mean, worked."

"It's just weird, maybe I'm overthinking." Eunsoo sighed and rested her head on her palm. 

"It is indeed weird." you were trying to understand the girl that was sitting on your bed. Was she just talking to you, did she want you to talk out all the shit you had on your mind about Haechan or she knew something and wanted to dig in further out of pure curiosity. "I'm maybe glad I didn't see him at my peak rage cause I'm sure he would've walked away injured." Eunsoo giggled with her mouth hidden behind her other palm. 

"I hope you'll completely let go of this ridiculous situation by Friday and will enjoy the party like the queen of unbotherness that you are." 

"What party?" you furrowed your eyebrows for a second before your heart dropped down to your feet. "That catamaran thing Jeno's arranging?" That Haechan is totally attending and totally is not going to reach out to you at as he promised before he would. 

"He actually sent me the pics. It's a little better than a catamaran." Eunsoo commented after a chuckle, reaching out for her phone to show you the pics. "Jeno said there's a big outside area."

"Very suitable for the season." You smirked. 

"Well, it's still pretty warm, I think a lot of padding will save us. And a big enough inside area for dancing, food and other fun things."

"Fun things like what?" 

"Games, I don't know, quiz, whatever comes into his mind. Jeno actually isn't that good with stuff like that so I'm wondering a little what all of this going to look like." she showed you a picture of a massive looking tourist boat, yacht, ship? You couldn't really work out what was the right name for that. "Okay, it's not really a catamaran like. I'll take my words back." You smiled honestly impressed. "Wait, how many people are coming? This feels like an expensive thing to rent."

"Jeno's dad is a best friend to the owner of the company that owns those boats. He's paying almost nothing, so we're lucky for a friend like Jeno." she beamed. 

"We-, sure." You couldn't hold back a laugh. You weren't sure you ever had even a simple conversation with Jeno before. 

"What?" Eunsoo chewed on her cheek probably finally realising she was smiling all the time she was tlaking about Jeno. Not sus at all, you swallowed. 

"You do realise I most likely know none of those people invited except for you and Sua and Aeri."

"You know Haechan."

"I'm definitely far from knowing him." you rolled both your eyes at her words. Even if you thought before you did, it's all gone now. 

"Well, you two were off to a good start, before... today, you know." She scratched her brow, suddenly getting off your bed. "Ugh, I'm gonna heat up some rice and fry an egg. You want some?"

"Yes please, thank you." You smiled, watching Eunsoo fade behind the door. 

Off to a good start, you thought to yourself and almost pulled the hair from your head. 

-

You had a feeling you should not go. You could name a whole damn list of reasons you should just not attend the party stay at home and watch a movie, read a book, listen to a podcast - the list literally goes on, but there were 2 reasons that were strong enough to influence you to come:

1. You would not allow Haechan to think you skipped the party because you were mad at him;

2. It turned out you were pretty weak when it came to resisting Haechan, you couldn't allow yourself to be in bed for the evening, thinking and wondering if Haechan was there, what was he wearing, what did he smell like today and if he would see you would he let the two of you fall back to complete strangers or make a move? 

That's why currently you were standing next to Eunsoo in an elevator that was taking you downstairs. A maxi dress with fitted silhouette in mesh with long sleeves, gathered waist, mock neck and all over pattern in dark dusty blue color hugged your body. You didn't really want to dress all out but the dress was giving warm and secured so you just put it on, getting approving nods from the girl next to you. 

"I am not letting you come back home without securing Jeno, like I'm being completely serious right now. I don't understand why he's acting like he's blind. If he's not going to drool over you tonight I'm going to punch some sence into him." you giggled "I'm so tired of watching you two beating around the bush." 

"We're not!" Eunsoo protested on her way out of the elevator. 

"I'm sure he wanted me there so I'd be your wingman." 

"Shut up, for real." Eunsoo rolled her eyes at you. 

You quickly got into the taxi that awaited the two of you in front of the building. Soon enough you were on the little ladder that connected pier and the boat. A man helped everyone get safely inside of the boat, you guessed it was the captain. As soon as you entered, violet neon light cut your eyes a little as the blackness of the outside contrasted with lighting much. Jeno stood right at the entrance beaming a smile at everyone that entered. 

"Welcome to the Jeno boat, we're about to take you on the best ride in your life." Jeno's eyes immediately glued to Eunsoo, not giving a single glance to you.

"I hope the best boat ride in my life will not end up the way your last party ended." You had to swallow to prevent yourself from laughing. Spotting a bar and Sua right next to it, you didn't even need to excuse yourself, you walked away unnoticed by the two, booing Sua as she reached for the drink placed in front of her by the bartender. 

"Boo!" you exclaimed, placing your palm on the girls waist.

"Damn!" She exclaimed first annoyed as her drink almost spilled, turning around to probably swear at you, before she processed it was you, her friend. Sua's eyes ran all over your outfit, her tone completely changing. "Damn girl!" She giggled, placing the drink back at the bar table, reaching out for your palm to twirl you in front of her. You twirled like she wanted you to and made a cute pose as a killing point. "What a pretty dress and what a pretty girl. Want to hook up?" Sua shouted to be louder than the music playing with her brows as she leaned into you, with a voice that she probably considered flirtatious but was just giving away it wasn't her first drink of the night. 

"What you're having?" you peeked at the drink behind the girl.

"A Pina colada. This one's actually one of the best ones on the menu. I've tried a few other cocktails."

"Off to a great start." You giggled, ordering the same drink. 

"Oh." Sua made a sound staring at the entrance and you almost asked her what was up but you heard the loudest scream and giggles after and by all those noises it was impossible for you to not acknowledge Haechan's presence. You considered turning around and checking out his appearance but you weren't still done proseccing his total black outfit from weeks ago and seeing whatever he was wearing now would probably make you weak in the knees. 

The bartender handed you your Pina colada, you taking a sip of the drink immediately. 

"It does taste good." You gasped at Sua that was finishing off her glass by now. 

"See, I told you it's good. Like, really good, I'm impressed." She giggled and took a look at the bartender "Two more, please." The girl probably caught your shocked stare "for you and me." She added. 

"Thank you. Want to take a walk outside?" You smiled, you didn't want to turn around and find Haechan somewhere behind you. You wanted to exit the same area he was in and prepare yourself to actually face him. In addition, you did come there to hang out with your friends and specifically give the boy zero attention. You were trying to keep things as they were planned. You had a little bit of an anxious break down because you had a gut feeling once you turn around you'll get caught by him and he'll tease you till your very last day on earth.  

"Yeah, sure. More people coming in. I think, everyone by now must be here." Sua stated, making you turn around quickly, seeing no one in a span of a second. Still you spotted there was indeed more people than before. "Oh, I spotted Aeri." She jumped in place excited, waving at the girl that most definitely couldn't see her yet. "Wait here and get our drinks. I'm going to bring Aeri here." You gave Sua a nod as she took off. 

The bartender placed both full glasses in front of you in a minute and as more people were gathering around the bar it was harder to stay there and keep your drinks safe. You could feel the boat start moving in a bit and  to confirm your assumption you heard a wild noise coming from Jeno. A very loud 'let's go' that was perfectly heard by you even through the music. You had to turn around because it was too much of a temptation to see what mess he was up to. Well, for now, the mess weren't really there, he scooped his closest friends around him, taking all of them at once to the bar. You had to be blind to not see Haechan under Jeno's right arm. He had to bent his back a little to fit in. As he was smiling widely, showing off his perfectly white teeth, eyes disappearing in pure joy. His hair seemed a little messy, like he didn't style it at all, got out of the shower and let them dry naturally. You had a feeling if you'd touch his hair you'd be able to tell if he blow dried them or not. Haechan wore a graphic t-shirt with a zip up black hoodie and a leather jacket. Skinny black jeans that he wore showed off his skinny built, finishing off the look with his casual white trainers. You had to force yourself to blink to not look crazy. 

The boys were chatting and as the tone of their voices got seemingly lower you couldn't even guess what they were saying. Haechan freed himself of Jeno's hold, reaching for the menu on the other side of the bar. You turned away, watching Sua and Aeri approach you. 

"Hey." Aeri reached out to hug you. "I see that freaky company is already starting their madness." she rolled her eyes. 

"If Jeno's here, where's Eunsoo?" you asked, sincerely curios. You weren't able to see Eunsoo from where you were standing. 

"She's at the entrance with a girl that took economics with her. Apparently they've got some serious business discussion." Aeri pointed with her hands where you guessed she last saw your mutual friend. 

"Okay." you gave her a nod, trying really hard to not stare to the side all the noise was coming from. The whole place was pretty chill, Jeno's friends or most likely acquaintances filled up the improvised dance floor. There was maybe 50 people, probably even more. You couldn't imagine Jeno knowing all of them. You never saw like 90% of these people before, you wondered if every friend brought a friend and a long chain of people showed up here without knowing who people surrounding them were. 

You wondered if Haechan brought anyone too to fill up the cost of the trip or what if he really did bring someone because they were his friend, because they were close and he wanted to see them here? You were jealous because you obviously weren't one of the people he wanted to see here. 

When Aeri finally got her drink from the bartender that was finally freed from Jeno's besties order, Sua, Aeri and you walked outside, greeted by the breezy wind. Thankfully, lots of blankets were piled up on one of the stools, the three of you immediately covering yourself in multiple layers of those. 

"There's even comfortable outside seating." You exclaimed, quickly moving your limbs over to the leather couch with multiple pillows. "I wonder if those pillows were ever at risk of being thrown away into the sea." you chuckled, making yourself comfortable and making room for your friends. 

"I bet these are sewed onto this." Sua dropped herself next to you, pulling onto the pillow. 

"Wow they are indeed sewed into this couch." You giggled like it was insanely funny to you. It really wasn't, just the 2nd Pina colada on an empty stomach was making your head spin a little. 

"It's making me sick a little." Aeri stared into the water that foamed from under the motor. "If you look for too long its kinda starting to make you sick."  

"Don't look." Sua laughed, pulling onto Aeris hand. 

"Fine." the girl turned to look at the two of you hidden under the blankets, fingers peeking from under them to hold onto Pina coladas. "Were you able to take a glance at all the guests? Any interesting faces?"

"I couldn't see anyone besides Jeno that greeted Eunsoo and I. More like he greeted her and then he got tunnel vision and I ran away to Sua. That's it. I know nobody here except for Jeno's circle. "

"I heard Jeno's bestie Jaemin brought his girlfriend for the first time to meet his boys." Sua cleared her throat before speaking. 

"Sweet." Aeri cooed in unison with you. 

"People are saying Jeno threw the party so his friend could confess feelings to someone."

"Who? Jaemin to that girl?" 

"I guess." Aeri shrugged. 

"Look! The moon!" Sua pointed at the sky, making you jump in your sit with the unexpected loudness. 

"It looks like a full moon." Aeri commented. 

"It's not. It's waning moon, full moon was yesterday."

"Hi Mr.Moon." you giggled, stretching out a hand from the blanket to wave at the sky. 

"Hi." Both Aeri and Sua sang. 

"Are you three talking to the moon?" Eunsoo forced the three of you turn around to the entrance door. "How many drinks each of you had?" She laughed, walking up to you. 

"Not that many." Aeri protested, more on her behalf than yours and definitely not Sua's. 

"You three should come back inside, it's warmer there and they're about to play your favorite song, Aeri."

"What?" Aeri exclaimed like she was cut deeply. "And I'm here staring at the water bubbles battling my wish to throw up?" The girl laughed and stood up immediately. "Sua?" the girl suggested. 

"I'm kinda having fun right here." Sua smiled like a Cheshire cat. 

"Come on, I thought you two would be right in the center of that dancing pit setting the whole party up." Eunsoo pulled onto Sua's hand making the girl stand up too. Sua placed her half empty glass on something plasticy that seemed like a great storing surface at first. Aeri linked her arm with Sua's, taking the girl back inside in pure silence

"I'm kinda offended." You giggled, looking at Eunsoo that took Sua's place. "Did you not expect me to pump up the party?" 

"I did!" Your friend protested weakly. "I actually wanted to tell you something."

"Does this have to do anything with Jeno?" You perked up your ears, gossip was one of the things that made you dead excited. You sipped onto the Pina colada that you tried really hard to not finish off. 

"Yeah, kinda." Eunsoo smiled shyly. "Wait, I didn't even have a single drink yet, I'll go get myself one before we talk." 

"Sure." you giggled " i'll be right here." Eunsoo nodded with a giggle. "get me one too, please." you shouted as the girl was reaching the door, making sure she did actually hear you. 

You closed your eyes for a second, focusing your hearing on the loud music blasting inside. It was really loud and tempting, you did want to come back there and have fun with your friends as soon as Eunsoo spills her secrets. It took her a little longer than you expected to return to you and by the time it felt like it was maybe 10 minutes since she left you started to doubt if she'd even return to you at all. It kinda felt nice, the more you drank the less you were worried about Haechan, so you downed the drink in your hand to take the one Sua left behind.

Finally, you heard the door open once again and the lonely steps signalled that it must be Eunsoo. You opened your eyes only when by your calculations she was about to stand right next to you, ready to reach out your hand for the drink when your smile faded completely as your vision worked out the person in front of you. 

Haechan was still smiling at you despite your face dropping completely. There wasn't a chance he couldn't read the room, not  understand that you didn't want him here or you dreaded breathing the same air as him. That's the main reason you were spending your time here, outside. 

"Can I sit?"

"No." you replied firmly, looking away. Your eyes focused on the inside of your glass as you took a sip. 

"Please?" 

"No." you stated once again, challenging him with a stare. 

"I-ugh, I'm sorry, I'm going to disobey." Haechan scrunched his nose, taking a little glance around and sitting down. 

"I'm waiting for my friends!" you protested, moving your body into the farthest corner from where Harchan seated himself. 

"Okay, I'm just going to sit here wait for your friends with you."

"I don't want your company." 

"I know." Haechan reached out his hand to you palm up. You didn't understand if he expected you to hold it or what was the intention of the gesture, but you ignored it. "You look very pretty tonight, if you don't mind me saying. I wish you didn't have to hide here because of me." your head snapped in his direction. You were so exasperated it took you a good second to start talking. 

"I'm not hiding here. Not from you or because of you, of all people." you tried really hard to sound scandalised, to not sound like you were exposed and hurt and very much curios why did he come here and where he wanted to take this. 

 "Good, because it kinda felt like it-"

"It's not." You didn't let him finish his nonsense. 

"Okay. I know you're mad at me, it's obvious. I did screw you up skipping our presentation day." Your eyes glued to Haechan's side while his attention was glued to his own fingers. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry." Haechan moved his eyes to your face, catching you off guard. 

"Okay." you gulped before replying. 

"I'm really thankful you got me an A even though I made you all stressed out like that." Haechan lowered his voice, teasing his lower lip between his teeth. 

"Okay." you nodded quietly not being able to tell him how careless he was and all the things you were practicing because you most definitely was one step away from voicing to him your desires and smashing your lips against his, with the way his teeth were teasing that lower lip. 

"Come on, talk to me." The hand that reached out for you before now was gripping carefully onto your knee for attention "If I'm not seeing things that aren't there..." he paused probably picking out words to say, your heart went on pause too. "I probably made you hella confused, I'm so sorry. Whatever I made you think is right." you couldn't find words to talk back so Hyuck continued after a pause "See? I'm trying hard to get over my pride and say I'm sorry. Can't you do the same for me?" Haechan's fingers flexed on your knee. 

"I don't have to be sorry for anything." you pressed "If you wanted to say that I was right when I felt like you couldn't care less about me and I wasn't one bit someone worth at least noticing of your plans in advance then thank you for confirmation, I guessed that by now without your help." You tried to shake away his hand off your body. You were feeling a little too warm under his touch. 

"I didnt mean that you need to say sorry to me, only the pride part. You really don't want to make it easier for me, aren't you?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about." You moved your body more against the back rest, crossing your arms over your chest, your drink close to your mouth. The pineapple smell made you thirsty, you took a sip. If Eunsoo ever planned on coming back it's better she returned with a whole damn tray of drinks with the time it took her, you thought. 

Haechans finger still rested over your knee like they were meant to be there. It made you mad a little, that you didn't force him to put it away immediately and now the Haechan fever was spreading over your body. 

You reached out a hand, peeling each of his fingers off your knee. Haechan's fingers were freezing, if you weren't mad you would've suggested him a blanket. As soon as he gave in and allowed you to take his hand in yours you reached to take it back to his lap. You wanted to let go as soon as you reached his lap and hide behind the blanket but instead you were caught in claws formed by Hyucks fingers. He forced your palm to rest against his lower stomach, not letting you to win the battle the two of you suddenly had. 

"Let go." You tried to sound threatening. 

"Not until you're forgiving me."

"Then you'll have to freeze to death and I'll watch you drown in the ocean, Jack." you smarted.

"It's a river, Rose." he cackled, always being ready for a comeback. 

"Shut up, I know." You tried to pull your hand out of his hold as it felt like he loosened his grip, but as soon as he could feel you move his hand pressed yours back against his stomach. 

Your other hand still held onto the glass and you downed whatever was in there to free your hand. 

"I know you know." Haechan smiled warmly at you. You looked at him a little confused, was it the Pina colada or the way his fingers were gripping onto yours? "Are you done with your drink?" the boys finger pointed at the empty glass in your hand. "I'll take it, okay?" Reaching out the next moment to take the glass from you. 

You watched Haechan place the glass back to where Sua stored it before. He moved slowly, like he had all the time in the world. You wondered if anyone will eventually walk out that door to have a smoke break or if Jeno will look for Haechan to set you free. Or Sua, or Aeri, or literally anyone. You still had a little hope Eunsoo will remember she wanted to share her news with you and return. 

You were buzzing a little inside if you were honest to yourself. Haechan did find you himself, he did say he's sorry, he did hold your hand like he wanted for you two to be closer. Still, he didn't really say anything besides he was sorry. It wasn't enough for you to get your guard down, to let him play you like he wanted to. 

"You can let go of my hand, it's not like I'm going to run away from here anyway." you said calmly. You had that warm aura under the blanket, it was pitch black outside but the lights from the inside were making the dim light come through to where the two of you were sitted. Same for the music, you could still hear pretty clearly the muffled sound coming from the inside. It made you reminisce a little about that time Haechan took you out. You moved your eyes onto his face features. Haechan's face softened too as he saw you relax more. You wondered if he thought of that time too, how he rested his head on your lap and made you run your fingers through his hair. If he'd ask you to do that now, you wouldn't mind agreeing. 

"Promise?" You gave him a slight nod. "I want us to go back what we had." 

"I-" your face dropped a little as the words left his mouth, he clearly felt that as his face expression mirrored yours. He was putting effort for you to allow him the sex he talked about. "I'm not going to sleep with you." you pulled your hand out of his grip, finally. 

"I mean to what we had for the last couple of weeks. When we were partners in the project and friends." Your head snapped back in Haechan's direction. "I mean it. I want to be your friend." you blinked at him wordlessly. You felt a little too warm under all those blankets while Haechans ears were seemingly turning pink from the cold outside. You reached out to him with no sound at all, lifting up his palm the moment he realised you were reaching out to him. You ignored the gesture once again, moving up to feel the temperature of his nose and ears with the back of your hand. 

"You're freezing. You'll get sick." you half whispered, taking all those blankets off your body. As you sat straight and gathered all the blankets left behind by girls you had to get on your knees on the couch as the dress you were wearing was way too narrow on the legs and didn't allow you to move however you wanted to. "I can share a blanket with a friend." you added quitly, bitting onto your lips afterwards as you busied yourself with covering Haechan who you could tell with your side vision bit into his cheek, staring at you intently. 

"Honestly..." Haechan brought your attention to his lips, while your hands reached to his chest with a blanket "You look very pretty tonight..." You pressed your palms against Haechan's chest when you felt his palm very up your thigh, you could feel his fingers tight on your bum. Your heart hitched,  you needed immediate medical help but all you got is Haechan’s tightened grip as he felt your body lose balance and give in to him a little "Like, saying this as a friend, very pretty." he added, moving his hand up onto your waist to prove to you it was a friendly gesture indeed. Like he was just trying to help you keep your balance.

"Thank you." you gulped, reaching out to put one more blanket over the boys body, when you felt a little like giving in. It didn't really have to be all the way him, you felt like you had to give him something too. You couldn't really process your own thoughts let alone processing whatever was happening between you two. You sat back down onto your knees next to Haechan, smoothing out the blanket like a caring person over a sick someone. Haechan watched you intently, it almost felt like he could see the thought process inside you, not moving and giving you all the time you needed. You leaned in to him slowly, Haechan's hand sliding up your back the closer you got to him. Your eyes ran over his features, he was as attractive as you could remember him being that day you felt for the first time that he can be attractive. You thought back for a second and wondered if that day even was the first time you thought about him in that way. 

You moved one of the hands that supported you from Haechan's chest onto his cheek. You really wanted to caress his cheek like that since that time he rested his head on your lap. You ran the fingers up the skin and it felt even softer than what you imagined. Haechan smiled under your touch, sincerely, you could feel that because you just witnessed him being sincerely happy with his friends. You were feeling overwhelmed with the fact he was right under you, open to anything you would suggest and do. He never felt more real and sincere than now even though he wasn't saying anything at all. You could feel your ears burn with everything you felt for Lee Haechan. His hand that now rested at the back of your neck didn't give you any pressure at all. It felt like it was there just in case you were about to dissappear and he'd catch you. 

You pecked the corner of his lips quicker than he would be able to process it, quicker than you were able to process it yourself. Haechan's head moved in your direction as you were pulling away, he tried to catch your lips with his but you paced away and he let you move as far as you wanted to. 

"I want more." He whined, moving his other hand onto your waist.

"As a friend?" you mused, feeling his hand crawl from the back of your neck to grip onto your face. 

"Yeah, as a friend." he smiled even more, his palm now pulling you closer to him. You gave in kissing the other corner of Haechan's mouth. His eyes closed, letting you know he liked it. You smiled to yourself, you've seen Haechan at the peak of pleasure numerous times but somehow the face expression he made now made you the happiest. You pecked his jaw, peppering more confident kisses all the way down his neck, Haechan's fingers still holding onto your face in the process. 

"Straddle me." he groaned, as you raised your head to wet your lips.

"My dress's too tight, I can't." your pointing finger touched his neck softly where the lipstick stain was visible, Haechan's skin reacted to the touch, sending chills to the back of his neck.  

"Why'd you wear something like that..." Haechan looked you in the eyes. "Always trying to make things harder for me, even with the clothes you wear. Right, baby?" you held back a gasp the very last moment before it escaped your throat. It must've looked terrifying from Haechan's perspective, your face expression, like you were about to pass out just at the sudden pet name once again. You froze a little because it was hard for you to process the next steps. Haechan on the other hand moved under you, freeing his body of all those blankets you carefully placed on his body not that long ago. His legs spread more and you sat back on your heels to not get in his way and watched what he was up to. He pulled himself more against the backrest, trying to pull the pillow behind him to the side and making you giggle. 

"These are sewed on this."

"Shit." Haechan swallowed a laugh, suddenly grabbing onto your thighs to guide you next to him on the other side of his body. His hand guarded your neck from the uncomfortable pillow-less side of the couch, comfortably wrapping around your body. His other hand guided your legs over his thigh and covered the both of you with the blankets. You kept your body a little distanced from Haechan, at least it's upper part. It only felt comfortable to rest your head on his chest, so you did that, making the both of you closer than before. Haechan slid his hand down to hug your waist and both your hands locked round his neck. It felt a bit surreal if you were to think about it, you were volunteerely snuggling with Lee Haechan of all people, at a party. 

Haechan was finally done with piling back onto you all those blankets, creeping up a hand onto your cheek. It quite literally felt like a fever dream. Feeling Haechan's fingers on your freezing skin, while staring into your eyes so sweetly and deeply. Your heart skipped a bit when he licked his lips suddenly, making it feel like he'd lean in and kiss you now. He didn't, though, and it really felt like a teasing contest and despite both contestants very clearly dying to touch each other's lips and get lost in each other, they held back with the very last strings of sanity and didn't want to lose that competition. Haechan's fingers ran through your cheek consistently, you would've purred if he'd kiss you in reward. 

"I feel dizzy." Haechan commented, breaking the silence between you two. Dear lord, if only the boy knew how dizzy you felt from keeping yourself composed. 

"Are you sea sick? Did you have too many drinks?" you blabbered. It was a little too clear he didn't feel actually sick. 

"No I'm dizzy because of you." He voiced out what you were feeling, you were so overwhelmed with his presence and his warmth and the fact he smelled so good and so... dear to your heart, your fingers pulled his neck more against your face. Haechan moved more, getting his lips against your cheek. 

"I need you to know, I like you so much." his lips pressed against your cheek as he said it, making his nose press against you aswell. You felt like he entirely pushed you more against his body. You needed medical help, immediately. Your heart wasn't used to this sort of emotions. 

"Shut up." you shot back immediately to hide the gasp that exceeded you, instead of a thought thrugh answer. You didn't expect him to be so blatant after all the pining you've put yourself through, you would've never guessed he'd say something like that. But then again, you were constantly proven you can never know what will be Haechan's next move. 

"I'm serious." he pressed and forced your eyes to find his. 

"How much did you have to drink?" you tried to back out. It was so terribly difficult for you to jump over the metaphorical wall so suddenly, let him know verbally that everything he felt was mutual. Surprisingly you turned out to be more stubborn in that sence than Haechan himself. 

"I didn't have a single drink, which I know is not in any way relatable to you. Still, I'm not able to get your guard completely down and have your heart open for me." Your eyes ran down his neck and chest. 

"It is, open." you mumbled. "I... you can clearly tell everything is the same for me? Don't make me struggle." Your fingers played with the fabric of his shirt on the shoulder, while your brain fought back and didn't let you say you liked Haechan even more than he could've imagined. 

"Look me in the eyes, at least." He whispered and your eyes moved back to his face but were unable to focus on them. Haechan moved his head towards you at the same time and the second you caught up with his actions you felt his lips on yours. 

Something between a moan and a cry exceeded your mouth. Your hands gripped immediately onto his neck with force, even if Haechan intended on keeping the kiss sweet and slow he quickly scratched those intentions when he could feel how badly you needed him. 

He felt just like that last kiss that lingered on your lips for weeks. You loved his lips like that, warm, plump and all yours. He clearly was more than ready to speed up the pace and once it was clear the two of you were on the same page, Haechan deepend the kiss. He sucked on your lower lip, slowly turning you onto your back. He clearly forgot about your dress situation, trying to place himself between your legs. 

Haechan's hand carefully held the back of your head to not hurt you from the solid armrests of the couch. Your tongues started a battle that was impossible to win. Haechan's other hand firmly gripped onto your waist, while his leg finally was able to get between yours. You almost found it in you to worry about the dress getting ruined and stretched out but you felt Haechan's mouth leave yours and the sudden breath of fresh air made yourself even more dizzy than before. You lost all the thoughts in your brain. 

Your fingers ran through the boys hair, brushing the strands back and making a whole mess in place of his hairstyle. Haechan leaned back to peck your lips, then lowering his lips to your neck. You tightened your fingers in his locks, forcing a purr from his throat, that happend to land on your neck. Your hips moved against his thigh unconsciously, making yourself heated in a whole different way. 

"Haechan." you half moaned. His tongue played with the skin of your neck, drawing tiny lines and sucking it in with his lips. As his chin moved the fabric of the dress lower down your skin, Haechan's licks and sucks became more aggressive, in addition with little bites you could feel him suck in a hickey at the base of your neck.

Your center rubbed against his thigh unconsciously, while you were shivering under his touch, creating friction for Haechan as well.

"This is just a little reminder in case you're black out drunk and won't remember what boundaries we overstepped." he pecked the skin that must've been red and moved his face back in front of yours.

"I am not." you smiled at him and let go of his hair to hold his cheeks between your hands. They felt so soft, so velvety, and the way you squeezed them between your palms made him look like the softest person ever. 

"Then it's for me to know it wasn't just a fever dream." You smiled at him even wider, pulling his head closer and pecking his lips. Haechan kissed you back slowly, rubbing his body against yours in a very lazy manner. His mouth left yours, hiding his face against your neck, closer to your ear and nibbling on the skin there. It felt so good to have his body weight pressing you down that outside couch. You couldn't care less if someone was about to come outside, even if they did you wouldn't be able to move yourself an inch away from Haechan's body. Your only regret was that neither of you had magical powers so you'd be able to move to your bedroom this very moment and be able to have each other for the rest of the night. 

"Kiss me more." you whispered needy. Even you were dreading the clothing choice by now, you needed his touch, you needed the feeling of his skin on yours, anything that would make you a little more closer to him would do.

You were starting to get greedy, only recently you thought you'd die just from the kissing and now you needed more and more.  

Haechan raised his head and smashed his lips against yours, smirking for a slight second beforehand. 

"So needy for my kisses and just a week ago you acted like you never wanted to kiss me." he mumbled into your mouth. 

Haechan's body grinded against yours with full force now and you couldn't possibly ignore him getting hard on top of you. You definitely weren't about to have sex on the outside terrace of the boat and you hoped  he didn't think of that either. You had to find power in you to stop before it got painful for him. 

"Haechan-ah." you moved your head back only to be followed and caught with his lips once again. "Baby?" you placed your palms on his chest, pushing the boy away. You tried the pet name to get his attention and it clearly worked. Your own heart did a flip, you couldn't imagine what he felt, you definitely smashed a few layers of bricks on your metaphorical wall with a cannonball "Don't you think we need to slow down?" you asked softly, directing your eyes between your bodies. You felt like Haechan's cock twitched in his pants. 

"Right." he cleared his throat and pushed his weight off your body, extending his arms to keep the distance. He stared at you for a good second, leaning back to peck you quickly. "I do need to cool down a little." you gave him a nod and watched him get up with a smile. You sat back on the couch, Haechan making himself comfortable right next to you. His pants did look terribly uncomfortable on him now, you noticed and you were hoping the cool wind would help him calm down quickly because it wasn't like you wanted to give him a blowjob in the middle of a party. Or more like maybe you did, but not right here in a public setting and besides that you wouldn't let him know even that you had the thought, he'd get even more excited than before. 

"I'm sorry, I should've pulled you off me the moment I felt you." You moved closer and rested your chin on his shoulder. "Do you need a blanket?" you asked, Haechan's head turning in response and getting too close to you to resist to kiss him. Before he could answer you closed that centimetre between you and pecked his lips quickly. 

"No, I need the calm down, don't kiss me." he grunted in a cute way. 

"It's just a peck." you tried to hold back a smile. 

"It's your needy stare and your lips on mine and everything else and I don't think I'm going to calm down while you're here."

"So you're excited just by presence?" you teased. 

"Very much." He replied coolly. 

"I'm never eating sugar again."

"Why?" he furrowed his eyebrows confused. 

"Sugar combined with the new side of your personality will probably give me diabetes." you smiled at him expectantly, Haechan giggled, hiding his face in his palms. 

"You're so stupid." he shook his head in his hands. "You're very lucky I'm blinded by love otherwise I would've booed you."

"It was a good joke." you mumbled, trying really hard to act nonchalantly at his words. Blinded by love, was he about to say he loved you right on that couch too? You were feeling sick to your stomach. 

It got quiet between you two once again, you wondered what he thought of to calm himself down. You were just enjoying the comfortable silence right next to the boy you liked. 

You sneaked your hand in the space between his arm and his thigh, facing it upward and extending your arm further, for Haechan to properly see it in his lap and be able to interact with it. You rested your cheek against his shoulder once again. 

You were very much thankful for the cool breeze outside because your palm was currently sweating and the nerversness was crawling up your throat. You hoped the gesture was clear enough for him to act on it, but you closed your eyes in case of failure. Haechan shuffled under you and you opened your eyes to see what he was doing, and he was looking at you, bending his neck given your current position. 

Once he saw you look back at him his head turned back to look down his lap, where your hand was. You couldn't feel how you started to bite your lip in nervousness but you could very clearly feel Haechan's freezing cold palm land on yours. You opened your fingers and as he did the same, you interwind your palms. His grip was tight around your fingers and you did the same, letting him know you were serious about it. Haechan forced your hands up and to his lips, kissing the back of your palm. You wrinkled your face in relieve, even though it seemed more like you were in pain, and kissed his shoulder. 

He then proceeded to fall back against the backrest and you did the same, hands still in each other's hold. You sat hand in hand for a little while, feeling so good next to him without any excessive intimacy. You couldn't remember when or how both of you started kissing again. The kiss wasn't as passionate as before, the both of you filled that longing and now both your brains knew it ain't going to be the same as before, you won't have to hold back your feelings. You kissed steadily, Haechan's thumb slowly caressing your palm in his hold. 

"We should go back." you mumbled through the kiss. "Your friends and my friends must be looking for us."

"They clearly aren't." he giggled. You smiled and couldn't agree more. You probably spent outside at least two hours, in which there was no signs of Eunsoo, the girl that promised to get you a drink. 

"What if someone walks in on us being too explicit?" 

"No one will, besides, i don't think we're in any way explicit by now."

"How'd you know? The doors are open. You're just lying to me, right?" 

"No, Jeno keeps everyone occupied."

"You're lying?"

"I'm being serious, I'm not going to lie to you anymore."

"So you'll tell me why you skipped our presentation?" you voiced out the question you wanted to ask him for a while now. 

"I-" he sighed like he was suddenly tired "Can I not?" he asked softly. 

"No, you really hurt me. If we want to go further, I want to know why." 

"It was the trial day for that stupid case. I totally forgot about it because I was with you all the time but Jeno texted me if I'm going to be on time the next day and I was so confused." Haechan trailed off, looking into the water, like he didn't want to tell you the bad news and you blinked multiple times to not get yourself worked up. 

"What were you sentenced to?" You asked concerned but moreover scared. You were so scared it'd be something bad it'll break your heart.

"My case was closed for lack of evidence." You sighed loudly, not even trying to hide from him you were relieved. "I didn’t steal anything and I was clean because I was with you when they were doing shit..." Haechan looked you in the eyes again, squeezing your palm. "Its thanks to you I am here today with no probation period or some other shit. They made me come as a witness, but I don't really know anything and even if I did I would've never said a thing." 

"I'm so glad you're fine." you let him know. 

"I know. I should really stay next to you to stay out of trouble." you smirked and then giggled and hid your face in the crook of his neck next. Haechan stared at you teasingly and you couldn't resist running away from those eyes. 

"Okay, maybe we should come back inside." you gave him a nod against his skin. "Can we stay close to each other for the rest of the night?" 

"I have to see my friends too tho." you rose your head up to see him.

"And tell them all about me?" he smirked and you couldn't stop thinking how attractive he looked that very moment. 

"No, Sua doesn't really like you. I have to prepare her before saying anything" You came up with the mildest version you could at the spot. You didn't want to make him upset and tell him neither of them seemed to like the idea of Haechan right next to you and you weren't in the mental state yet to explain to them everything. Or explain anything to him, it felt perfectly enough for you to just have this little secret between you two. 

"But you do?" Haechan let go of your hand to enjoy your reply. 

"Shut up." you teased, forcing yourself to unglue from the boy and stend up. It's needless to say it was a difficult task to finish. 

Now that you could feel how breezy it was outside you wanted to just fall back into the warmth Haechan shared with you. You turned around checking out the boy that still sat on the couch, giving you a blank stare. 

"You're staying here?" 

"I'll follow behind." he smiled and watched you take a step away. 

"Okay." you gave him a nod and walked away further, turning away to properly walk inside. You were getting cold with how long it was taking you to walk back in. As your feet almost brought you inside you turned around with the door half opened. Watching Haechan get up and walk around the couch towards you. His eyes were set on his phone and he probably thought you were already inside, when you ran back to him, catching him off guard mid-way. 

"I need you to know too, that I like you a lot." you said in one breath, holding on to his waist. Haechan beamed a smile and you couldn't resist smiling back. His fingers quickly found your cheeks to hold you in place for a quick kiss before you finally turned around and walked back in, scanning the room for Sua, Eunsoo and Aeri. 

[oiveyzmir]

Living with Eddie is… well, it’s an experience.

It’s not a bad thing, not in the slightest. There’s nothing Steve loves more than the fact he gets to fall asleep next to the love of his life, wake up to his soft little snores, and go about their lives together. There’s a soft kind of domesticity to it Steve wouldn’t give for the world.

He loves their routine so much he’s even willing to move past the little things Eddie does that make him lose his mind, like the way he never washes the sink properly after doing the dishes or how he constantly leaves the cabinet doors open. He can even move past how Eddie will come home from a late night shift at the bar when it’s raining and forget to take his shoes off, leaving a muddy trail of footsteps anywhere he goes. Hell, Steve’s even willing to excuse Eddie’s phases.

Wayne had warned him about those when they first moved in together three years ago. “It’s just that he gets easily excited about things,” he reasoned then. “Which doesn’t make it any less annoying.”

Steve didn’t get what it meant then.

He surely gets what it means now.

He found something- a bout of inspiration- and hyperfixated on it until moving on to the next. There was this one time Eddie got really into gardening and bought 11 different herb seedlings, only for them to wilt and die three weeks later when he got into water coloring, then moved on to filmography, then to operas.

He had that month once where he’d developed a sudden interest in learning to play the violin (It’s for a song, Stevie, did you ever listen to Skyclad?), so he stayed up until 5 AM to play something that resembled music (but was closer to being nothing but) with the instrument he burrowed from Robin’s then girlfriend. That month was so close to being a breaking point for Steve, but he loves Eddie too much to do anything about it. He honestly believes that if he managed to live through Eddie’s Violin Month he can live through anything.

He lived through Eddie’s sewing phase, his novel-writing phase and his (honest-to-god awful) baking phase, and survived to tell the tale.

Nothing had prepared him for Eddie’s current phase, though.

It seemed harmless at first. It was even kind of adorable, really; the way Eddie’s eyes glinted with excitement when he sat Steve down to watch him do a cute little card trick, the way he laughed triumphantly when it was, in fact, Steve’s card.

It got less cute when Eddie got himself cuffed to their bedpost for hours in the most unsexy way Steve could imagine, refused Steve’s offer to let him out and making him feed him since his hands were, well, preoccupied.

It also wasn’t cute when Eddie stabbed himself with a pencil in attempt to make it disappear.

But it’s plain rude now, when Steve’s trying to get a little nap after a terrible day at the school where he’s started teaching. Eddie knows he’s sleeping, Steve made sure to call him on his way home and let him know he had a bad day and that he’ll be spending as much of it as he can sleeping it off. He trusted Eddie enough to keep it down that he didn’t bother to close their bedroom door properly, and he had also kinda hoped Eddie would see it as the invitation it was for him to cuddle up to Steve and make his awful day just a bit better.

Yet here Eddie is, an hour or so after he got back home, seemingly running into every single piece of furniture they own.

“Shit, shit, shit,” he mumbles, and Steve has to give him credit for at least trying to be quiet. “Come back here.”

Steve sleepily opens one eye at that. There shouldn’t be anyone out there but Eddie, right? He listens intently to hear someone else speaking, but he can’t hear anything but the quiet thump of someone hitting their kitchen table and Eddie’s frustrated grunting.

“Please, babydoll. Come back to me.”

And now Steve’s interest is really piqued.

Steve opens his other eye and sits up. He debates heading out there and seeing whatever happens out there himself, but decides to let it all play out just a little bit longer. It’s not like he believes Eddie is capable of cheating on him; he knows Eddie loves him too much to make him go through something like that, and he also isn’t dumb enough to do so when he knows Steve is sleeping in the other room.

He listens as Eddie makes some quiet tsk noises with the tip of his tongue. “C’mon, princess,” he whispers, not loud enough to wake Steve up, but definitely loud enough that Steve hears now that he’s really listening. “No, no, don’t go there, Steve’s sleeping, fuck.”

Steve lies back down quickly when he hears the door creak a bit wider to pretend being asleep, covering himself up to his eyes with their blanket. He can hear something’s small feet tapping on their bedroom tiles before hearing Eddie’s steps, and is he tiptoeing?

Even when he’s almost panicked about whatever it is Eddie had brought home, Steve can’t help but have a fond smile spread across his face. There is love in this, so immense and great, and Steve can be nothing but grateful and madly in love as well.

The tiny feet keep running around and Steve can vaguely imagine what it is- a kitten, or maybe a puppy, but relatively tiny ones at that. The tapping sound comes to a short stop then starts off again.

Eddie sighs, relieved, and it sounds like he crouches down. “Come on, come on,” he whispers. “There you go, good girl.”

The sound of tapping feet stops and Eddie gives the thing a kiss. “Don’t ever make me go through this again, babylove.” He mutters accusingly. “How can I trust you in battle if you pull this kind of shit on me?”

Eddie turns to go. Steve can imagine the kitten cuddling itself in Eddie’s arms. Knowing Eddie, the kitten’s probably black, maybe missing an eye or an ear, whichever makes it harder to adopt for regular people. Eddie’s not a regular person, though. The mental image he created is so endearing to him that he can’t help but loudly yawn. “Baby?” He says, trying to make his voice sound as sleepy as he can, even though he’s been wide awake for a while now. Eddie stops and turns around.

The room is dark, but even in the darkness Steve can see that whatever it is Eddie’s holding is both white and obviously not a cat.

“Hey, Stevie, did I wake you up?” He whispers, his tone apologetic, like a kid found out with his hand in the near-empty cookie jar.

“What’s that?” Steve asks back instead of answering.

Steve turns his bedside light on, and after the initial shock of light momentarily blinding him he can clearly see it; a white bunny being cradled in Eddie’s arms.

“She’s my assistant,” Eddie explains, as if it explains anything, “her name is Jessica. Get it? Jessica Rabbit?”

“Your assistant.”

“Yeah,” he says sheepishly.

“For the…”

“Magic tricks?”

“Oh.”

“I’ll take care of her, though,” Eddie sits down on the edge of the bed, Jessica sitting in his lap, “take her out on walks and feed her and everything. You wouldn’t even notice she’s here.”

Steve sits up and motions for Eddie to hand him the bunny, which he dutifully does. Her fur is so soft, probably the softest thing Steve had ever felt. “That’s not how you take care of a bunny,” Steve says as he rubs his hands gently through her fur, “she isn’t a dog.”

“How do you take care of a bunny then? ‘Cause I bought, like, a bunch of carrots.”

Steve laughs. “Oh god, I love you.”

“That means we’re keeping her, right?” Eddie takes his shoes off- Steve pointedly does not think about how their living room might look like- and cuddles up in bed next to Steve. He looks up at him so hopefully Steve is flooded with warmth and love, so flooded he can’t even remember what annoyed him so much at work today.

Steve kisses his forehead, then his nose, then softly his lips. “Sure. One condition, though.”

“What is it?”

“Can you teach me the pulling her out of a hat trick?”

Eddie grins wide. “Of-fucking-course.”

[hanihazeljade]

Three Weeks

As the snow fell into the streets of Gotham, covering her land with white sheet, he stepped out of the plane. He shivers. He missed the deadly coldness of his hometown. The pollution never seemed to change back when he left 7 years ago. He sighed, white mist blowing out of his mouth. He will only need to stay here for three weeks. Three weeks and he will go back to Japan.

After many years of being away to his adopted family, Tim comes back to Gotham for Cassandra and Stephanie's wedding.

(CW: flashbacks, negligence, swear words, a badass Timothy)

Next Part - Three Idiots

Part Three - Three Hopes

Tim looks outside of the bus. His eyes watch the streets of Gotham. Christmas lights are on as it was 5 days away from Christmas. He watched and watched, like he always did, as classical music blasted to his airpods until the bus hit the stop to Bristol.

In all honesty, he could ask Alfred to fetch him but the man is now too fragile to his liking to be doing him favours. He rather takes the 40 minute walk from the station to Wayne Manor. He doesn’t mind the cold, he actually prefers to be freezing every single moment of his life. He doesn’t want to be reminded of the burning desert in Iraq.

With his suitcase on his tow, he started walking to the peaceful street of Bristol. The snow gently falls into his face and quickly melts but some falls into his lashes and brows and he couldn’t bring himself to wipe it off. He likes the small blur on his sight, it shows that he doesn’t have to stay vigilant in this city. Twenty minutes into the walk, he saw the Drake Manor, still in its pristine shape, hopefully. He walked as he tried to look past the gates of the once house of his, snow is piling up but he will be visiting it once he gets his stuff unpacked.

As he starts to get closer and closer to the Wayne Manor, nostalgia hits him. The good memories flood his mind. Bruce giving them a small pat or rarely hugs, Dick trying to spoil all of his siblings, Cass putting glitter bombs to the most unique places together with Stephanie, Jason joking his death again and again, Damian giving them Alfred the Cat as a stress reliever, and Alfred giving them hot cocoa on the worst days and cookies on the best.

But obviously, if it's all just good memories, he will not leave Gotham. The bad to the worst memories starts to resurface. The threat of Arkham, the throat-slitting episode, the pushing to his death story, the I choose to follow Batman rather than to be honest with you thing, the hellish training with Lady Shiva and many more that he couldn’t remember. He shook his head to remove those memories. It’s been more than a decade since that happened and he has healed already. No need to reopen old wounds.

His time in Japan definitely made him more aware that he doesn’t need other people to love him. He can just do it himself. He starts to sleep for more than 6 hours a night. He eats three times a day, sometimes with a balanced diet, sometimes just pure sodium for ramen or just straight up scooping Nutella out of the jar. He now prioritises himself over others. He works for himself and not to get approval from anyone. He is now him, just Tim. A simple Tim that loves to photograph and now be the object of his photographs. 

Many things change over the course of time. He forgives the Waynes but he will never call himself one. Waynes never treats him like family, except for Cass, bless her pure heart, and he is now giving it back, the treatment of an acquaintance. Not family. Not friends. But acquaintances. That’s all the Waynes are to him now. Because god forbid that his teenage self is simply obsessed with them. He rolled his eyes on the thought.

As he was letting his thoughts wander, he finally arrived at the prestigious Wayne Manor. The gates are open so he let himself into the other five minute walk of the driveway. As he stared at the old oak wood door, he sighed, trying to compose himself as he will be in their presence for the next three weeks. After trying to console himself, he knocks hoping that it will be Alfred who will open the door for him. After a few minutes of waiting on the porch, the door opened, revealing the foyer of the Manor and Alfred standing in front of him.

“Hi, Alfred.” Tim smiled at the old man.

Alfred, still in shock but smiled back to him, “Welcome back, Master Tim.”

And then suddenly there is a commotion behind Alfred, making the two gentlemen on the doorway look. It shows Damian and Jason. Seems like the two are trying to race to see which one will get to the door first. Childish competitions, like what brothers do. Jason and Damian look at them, first to Alfred and next to Tim. And he looked back at them, giving them a gentle smile.

“Hi, Timmerly. You look different.” Jason spoke out of the blue.

“Thank you, Jason.” He said, “You look different, too.” he added. Jason has indeed changed. The white stripe of hair due to the dip is still there but the face and the body itself evolved. Jason looked taller than he last saw him, The tight wool sweater emphasises the bulk body of Jason. And that face of his, is always exceptional but more relaxed.

There he heard a cough and gave his attention to the person. “Timothy, you look alright.” Damian said, standing in his glorious 6 foot 3. His tanned skin is honeyed perfection and his build is more similar to Bruce and Jason. Green eyes looked at him like it was captivating his soul. The Demon Brat is gone and was replaced by a hulking man.

He was shocked for a fleeting second before replying, “Thank you, Damian.”

“Young Masters, as much as I like that the three of you are conversing like normal human beings, Master Timothy needs to go inside first. It is freezing out there.” Alfred interrupts them and tells Jason and Damian that he is still indeed on the porch. Jason without waiting a moment, went and grabbed his suitcase and he proceeded to go inside the manor. 

Tim asked Alfred, “Where will Jason put my suitcase?”

“In your room, Master Tim. I mean, your old room.”

“Oh.” He just said as he took off his scarf and coat and gave it to Alfred, as he left the three on the foyer.

He starts walking into the Manor and walks past the library with the rest that didn’t meet him on the door. Steph and Cass are cuddling each other on the couch while Bruce is on the loveseat fiddling something in the tablet, probably about Wayne Enterprise, and Dick is on one of the bean bags that is scattered in the library. The first one to notice him is Cass, of course.

“Little brother, welcome.” She said as she reached out one of her arms to him. Her acknowledgement of his presence makes everyone in the room aware of his existence.

“Timmy!” Dick shouted as went to him and hugged him. It kinda still startled him a little bit, but he awkwardly hugged Dick back. 

Bruce gave him a smile, “Welcome back, Tim.”

Steph hit his back, “When Cass actually told us that you will come for our wedding, we didn’t believe her.“

Tim touched the spot Steph hit, “I would not miss it for the world.” Then he walked to Cass, “Hey, sis.” Cass smiled back at him. “Winter wedding, really?” 

“Hey, winter weddings are beautiful. And Cass will look like an angel.”

“And you are the demon that made Cassandra fall down from heaven.” A voice joined them, it’s Damian.

“Hey! That’s mean!”

The chaos and noises are relatively relaxing but when he yawns, he excuses himself. “Going to sleep, Timmy?” He nodded and replied with, “Jetlagged.”

Tim tried to remember where his room was. And thank god, he found it with no anomalies. He entered the room and saw the room that he left. The room is completely gone with cans of energy drinks or packaging of junk foods. The bed is comforting as he remembers, he saw his suitcase next to the nightstand. He opens it and gets a fitted cashmere turtleneck and fleece sweatpants. He took a quick shower and changed. He laid down on the bed and let sleep take him.

 He woke up the sun already down and darkness already took the city. He grabbed his phone and looked at what time it was. 8:05 am. Huh?? Oh, his phone is still in the Japanese Time Zone. He quickly changes it and freshens up. He looked at the wide mirror in his bathroom, and assessed himself. He knows he changed when he moved to Japan. His toned body was dissolved into a more lean one. His hair was maintained into a shoulder length, but his hair is shining with a red undertone in the right light. He has an ear piercing. His face was more round and yet still sharp. He got taller but still the smallest to Wayne, even Cass is taller than him. No, he is not salty about it.

He scooped up a handful of water and splashed his face and hair. Once he could feel his rationality and sanity came back to him, he dried his face and went down to the kitchen. He needs something to ingest in his body, anything. He saw Alfred was making something in the kitchen.

“Master Tim, you are finally awake. Will you please call the others for dinner?”

“Sure, Alfred.”

He found everyone in the largest living room. Damian and Dick playing chess, Damian is winning. Stephanie is doing something together with Duke. Bruce is with Cass flipping in the catalogue of whatever they still need to add to the wedding.

“Hey, Alfred told me to get you all. Dinner is ready.”

Dinner is rather peaceful, but rather uncomfortable. Whenever his eyes linger for a little second longer on a dish, Dick is already putting it on his plate. Damian kept on giving him a piece of whatever Damian thought he liked. Jason is spoon feeding him on dishes on what Jason thinks he will like. If this continues, he will be fat and as a model he would rather not have that. The Japanese Modelling World is so strict when it comes to thinness of their own.

But after that dinner, he sighed as walked to his room, he grabbed a velvet box and went to what he thinks is Cass' room.

He knocked, then he opened the door. Waynes are known for just busting your door open before coming in, because apparently, privacy is a social construct. Tim is not a Wayne anymore and also he is one of the decent people who actually knocks before coming inside of someone’s personal space.

“Hey Cass. I got you something.” he said as he looked at his sister.

“What is it?”

Instead of answering, he pulled a velvet box and gave it to Cass. Cass accepts it and opens the blue velvet box, revealing a silver hair comb pin. Cass looked at him with huge eyes. He smiled at his sister, “My mother wore that at her wedding. She says my grandmother and my great grandmother also wear that to their wedding, and I feel like I am not the rightful owner of such a piece.”

Cass hugged him. He missed how tight Cass hugs him. The comfortable warmth that brings pleasant memories only, none of those scorching heat of Iraq. Maybe, maybe he can stay here for three weeks for Cass. For Cass.

[truffyfest]

✨ Truffy Fest 2023 Masterlist & Creator Reveals ✨

At long last, the fest has come to an end with 37 works total! Thank you to all the readers, supporters, cheerleaders, fans, and of course creators for bring this fest and our favorite two captains to life!

If you haven't already, check out the Truffy Fest zine compiling many of these amazing works! 🤍✨

This list will reveal the lovely creators in order of weekly roundups.

Week 1:

✨𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬✨

by @chenziee (Oneshot, 3.8k, rated G)

Onigiri wasn't sure what was worse--Law taking months to realise he was crushing hard on a classmate, his complete inability to do anything about said crush, or his dumb conviction said classmate did not feel the same way about him. Only one thing was for certain. He was not getting paid enough for this.

✨𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐰✨

by @von-leg (3 Page Comic, rated G)

Law agrees to finally tell Luffy's brothers about their relationship. (Ace and Sabo don't react quite like he had expected)

✨𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐞✨

by @chenziee (3 Chapter Fic, 2.2k, rated T)

After finding out their sweet, innocent little brother is dating the creepy, dark, and mean Surgeon of Death, pure, honest dread descended upon Sabo and Ace. Someone was going to suffer in this relationship. And it sure as hell wasn't going to be Luffy.

✨𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞✨

by @katia-anyway (Oneshot, 1.6k, lawlu, rated E)

Taking care of Luffy in bed isn't an easy task, he is demanding and always wants more. But it's so rewarding sometimes... Like when he decides that he doesn't care if his top is too tired, he will push him on his back and do the work himself!

✨𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐝✨

by @chenziee (Oneshot, 1.8k, rated M)

It was a day like any other. A quiet little port town on a small spring island, beautiful and peaceful, almost picturesque. The Thousand Sunny and the Polar Tang were bathed in sunlight, the water around them sparkling like a sea of jewels. A perfect day, a perfect setting for the two allied crews to take a much needed break after travelling for weeks. At least... That was how it was supposed to be. Manga spoilers for chapter 1044 onwards

Week 2:

✨𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 - 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧✨

by @chenziee (6 Chapter Fic, 3.9k, rated T)

Straw Hat Luffy and Trafalgar Law: more than an alliance?! (Read full article on page 56.)

✨𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦✨

by @katia-anyway (Oneshot, 5.4k, lulaw, rated E)

Law had never really noticed Luffy as anything more than as Sabo’s younger brother. Until he sees him without his heels for the first time and realize that, damn, this boy sure is cute… Maybe Law could ask him out… or 5 times Law thought he was completely messing up wooing Luffy and 1 time he realized Luffy had been seduced all along!

✨𝐒𝐮𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐚✨

by Krudy7kk (Artwork, rated G)

Prompt 73: Law meets Nika!Luffy. Every single "classic cartoon character in love" reaction ensues as it takes A While for Law's emotional stunted self to understand what's going on and Nika!Luffy is determined to woo him.

✨𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 (𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞)✨

by @chenziee (Oneshot, 2.2k, rated T)

A long time ago, Hades, the God of the Underworld fell in love with Persephone--the Goddess of Vegetation. He dragged her down to his land against her will, forcing her to marry him so they could rule afterlife together, side by side. That is what the humans say happened, at least. The truth just might have been a little bit different.

✨𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬✨

by Vixent (Oneshot, 9.4k, rated T)

After an accident occurs, leaving Law with blurry memories of his past, he's forced to move away and cope by drawing and painting. One rainy night, Law soon manages to finally draw the man from his faintest memories, and it comes to life.

Week 3:

✨ 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐏𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞) ✨

by riverofnara (Oneshot, 4.1k, rated T)

"The Heart Pirates have learned to keep their expectations of anything happening between Captain and Straw Hat…extremely low. Almost nil. Okay, nonexistent. But then this morning happened." The Heart Pirates believe they need to give Luffy a shovel talk. It goes about as well as one would expect.

✨ 𝐓𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 ✨

by @purplehairedwonder (3 Chapter Fic, 13.2k, rated T)

Betrothal Chase: A longstanding courting tradition between pirates in which a pirate who wants to marry another must catch the object of their desire. Now Pirate King, Luffy declares that his next order of business is getting Law to marry him. Law drunkenly snaps that Luffy will need to catch him first, thus unwittingly setting a Betrothal Chase in motion. While Luffy is all-in, Law is, unsurprisingly, a bit of an idiot.

✨ 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝: 𝐀𝐊𝐀 𝐋𝐚𝐰'𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲 ✨

by Straw_Heart3 (Oneshot, 4.9k, rated T)

The scientific method. He could just use that to figure things out. The first thing is to make an observation: Law noticed that he has been getting certain feelings for one Monkey D. Luffy. The second is to ask a question: What kind of feelings did Law have? The third; form a hypothesis or a testable explanation. The fourth: make a prediction based on his hypothesis. Law knows that as soon as he spends more than a minute actually with Luffy, he’ll squash whatever these feelings are. That leaves the fifth: test the prediction. That’s easy enough.

✨ 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐞 𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 ✨

by @betsib (Oneshot, 6.4k, lulaw vibe, rated M)

Law is the lead vocalist and songwriter for the Heart Pirates, but he have been having trouble coming up with new songs. On a whim, he does a cover of the Straw Hats' new single to clear his mind. He doesn't realise Shachi is filming him. The video goes viral on social media, and the fans are demanding a collaboration between the bands. Law isn't interested, until he meets Luffy.

✨ 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐀𝐔 ✨

by @majoranokamen (Artwork, rated G)

Prompt 122: Hungry Days AU

✨ 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ✨

by @livwritesfics (Oneshot, 1.6k, rated G)

Law is a student. Luffy regularly sneaks into the university to watch him study in the library. He loves it when Law explains complicated facts to his fellow students. He doesn't understand a word of it, but the way Law talks totally turns him on. Until one day Law catches him hanging around the library after closing without permission. This will be written in Luffy's point of view.

Weeks 4 & 5:

✨ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐌𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 ✨

by @tunatunatunas (7 Chapter Fic, 42.2k, rated M)

Law yanked the kid out from the back of the truck and thought about killing him right there. He was the boss of a notorious mafia family, he didn't have time for random weirdos to mess up his heists. Especially not when the little maniac kept asking to hold his gun. It only took some time before Law was falling in love with his smile. "Lu" was sweet and loving-nothing like Law had known his entire life. But most of all, he was kind. And now he was missing, all because Law got him involved.

✨ 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭 ✨

by riverofnara (5 Chapter Fic, 28.5k, rated T)

“See? I’m perfectly fine. Now can I ask my question?” Law doesn’t even spare Luffy a glance. “You had a question?” “Do you want to be my co-pilot?” Golden eyes flicker up to Luffy’s face in shock. “Excuse me?” --- Luffy knows he’s found his Jaeger co-pilot in Law. If only Law would stop saying no and just agree. A One Piece/Pacific Rim fusion.

Week 6:

✨ 𝐀 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 ✨

by @katia-anyway (Oneshot, 2.6k, rated G)

Law is the village witch. She lives alone in the forest, only visited by sick people looking for cures after the village doctors have given up on them. Until a young boy wearing a straw hat comes visit him, having lost his memories to a curse. Why would Nika, the Sun God curse a young boy from nowhere? Law needs to figure it out.

✨ 𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲 ✨

by @nairi-0 (Artwork, rated G)

Prompt 191: Law falling asleep on Luffy.

✨ 𝐊𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐤𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 ✨

by @nimudae (Artwork, rated G — 1st part of 2 fic 2 art collab)

Prompt 204: Kikoku has had a VIP seat to Law's (quiet outside, nonstop inside) pining over Luffy and it's Tired so it whispers (unwanted) unhinged encouragements and scenarios to Law to make his feelings known whenever Luffy is anywhere close. Unbeknownst to them, Luffy's ability to hear the voice of all things means he too gets Kikoku's (hilarious to him) running commentary of their interactions.

✨ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲? ✨

by @katia-anyway (Oneshot, 3.6k, rated M — 2nd part of 2 fic 2 art collab)

Luffy is in love with Torao. And he knows Torao loves him back. So why won't Torao kiss him already!?

✨ 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✨

by @nimudae (Artwork — 3rd part of 2 fic 2 art collab)

"Being curled around Torao was just so comfy, he was quickly becoming Luffy’s new favorite napping spot."

✨ 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 ✨

by @goldenandhappy (Oneshot, 4k, rated T — 4th part of 2 fic 2 art collab)

Prompt 204: Kikoku has had a vip seat to Law's (quiet outside, nonstop inside) pining over Luffy and it's Tired so it whispers (unwanted) unhinged encouragements and scenarios to Law to make his feelings known whenever Luffy is anywhere close. Unbeknownst to them, Luffy's ability to hear the voice of all things means he too gets Kikoku's (hilarious to him) running commentary of their interactions

Week 7:

✨ 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 ✨

by @leeislazy (Artwork, rated G)

Prompt 13: Angel Luffy x Devil Law!!

✨ 𝐁𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝! ✨

by Ja-san (Oneshot, 2.1k, lulaw, rated E)

A party turns into a spicy night when Luffy falls into the pool and Law offers some spare clothes.

✨ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐃. 𝐋𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲 ✨

by Lamp (Oneshot, rated T)

Monkey D. Luffy was cute. This much was known—this was an undeniable, immutable fact. It was also largely suspected to be a ruse of some sort. The squishy-cheeked, beaming face on the wanted posters was largely considered by the more discerning members of Law’s profession to be incapable of the infamous, impossible deeds that Straw Hat Luffy has committed. --- Or: Luffy is cute, Law has incorrect assumptions, and then a crisis.

✨ 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 ✨

by @nimudae, @moonelnone (Artwork Collab, rated G)

Prompt 119: Seraphim!Luffy and Seraphim!Law

Week 8:

✨ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✨

by @moustawott (Artwork, rated G)

Prompt 3: DND monk Luffy and cleric Law

✨ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 ✨

by RitsukoRyoku (Oneshot & Artwork, 3.2k, rated G)

Torticia Addams must find the perfect flower for the Charity Auction. Only her husband Lumez can help her traverse the wildly fantastical world within their Green house for the perfect one.

✨ 𝐀 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 ✨

by Ja-san (Oneshot, 3.9k lawlu, rated E)

Omega Luffy works as a sexworker to survive. And then the sexiest Alpha voice he ever heard calls him to book him not for sex. But for a leather photo shooting during his next heat.

✨ 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✨

by @betsib (Oneshot, 17k, rated T)

Law is reading a romance novel on this way to work when the bus gets into an accident and he loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he finds himself in the world of the novel, in the role of a doctor, with a talking bear as his assistant and the protagonist bleeding out on his doorstep.

✨ 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐬 ✨

by @skartlie (Oneshot, rated E)

Prompt 15: Law is a serial killer psychopath and Luffy’s a sweet car mechanic that lives next door. Although complete opposites, they’re drawn to one another like two opposing magnets.

✨ 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲 ✨

by Lamp (Oneshot, 4.6k, rated T)

Luffy was the God of the Sun, and the sun was bright. Blindingly so. Luffy could hear the world around him, and he loved his people, but they could not hear him, and they could not see him any more than he could make out the details of their faces through the eternal, blinding sunlight. Luffy could get so close to his people, but he couldn’t interact with them, no matter how much he longed to. Luffy was lonely. Then the Dark Day came, and he wasn't anymore. --- Or: Luffy is the Sun, Law is the Moon, and an eclipse brings them together.

✨ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐚 ✨

by @khepiari (Oneshot, 22.1k, lulaw, rated M)

A.U. DILF Luffy x DILF Law. Emperor x Healer. Slow-burn. Miscommunication. Happy ending. Trafalgar D Water Law was heartbroken. The man he loved, his one true love, his soulmate, was married. Married not once or twice, but married six times. But Law has his reasons, which are nothing but excuses born of his overthinking and fears. So now the task to convince Law into becoming Emperor Nika's seventh wife falls on his six wives? How will they do it? Most probably by telling the truth about their marriage, right?

Last but not least, bonus works:

✨ 𝐈𝐧𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 ✨

by @sydneyxface (7 Chapter Fic, 81k, lulaw, rated E)

Dr. Trafalgar Law has seen many wild and surprising things come across his table as a pathologist, but nothing compares to one of his decedents waking from the dead - and thirsty for his blood. And so Law befriends (and beds) a vampire named Luffy and is pulled into the chaos that surrounds him - which involves cracking a case of missing people supposedly being used as slave labor for the elites of the world... the Celestial Dragons.

✨ 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐭, 𝐃𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐬, & 𝐂𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬 ✨

by @quackquackcey (3 Chapter Fic, 8.1k, lawlu, rated E)

‘Strawhat’ Luffy, infamous throughout the school as chaos personified, had a crush. In other words, it should be to no one’s surprise that it’d result in broken windows, whirlwinds of fists, and untamed romance, right?

I hope you all enjoyed this year's fest & zine - if you did, please scream about it and shower the creators with love! 🤍✨

[Reblogs & 💞 appreciated so more people can enjoy these fantastic Truffy Fest works! Thank you!]

---

(@opfandomnews Thank you! 🤍)

[evelili]

okay I’ve been reading your magnum opus fic and I’m at the chapter with fluttershy and the manticore and GOOD GOD this fic is amazing. Your writing of twilight is stunning. Her steadfast belief in science at the start seemed odd but now that her past bullying has been revealed it feels like she was just clutching to the one thing that couldn’t hurt her. God sunset getting possessed is so cool and I am TERRIFIED of when twilights going to be forced to see her like that. Your characterization of Celestia blows me away, she’s this perfect mix of a loving mentor and a woman who would do ANYTHING to keep her demons locked away. I really like how you write that there’s this shift between her when she is talking to twilight normally vs when she’s talking about magic. She goes from loving to almost cold, it’s brilliant! I’m halfway through fluttershy’s chapter and good god. Applejack’s speech about it not being Twilights fault she got bullied and having to trust her in spite of all that has happened nearly brought me to tears but GOD. Twilight being a bit possessed by the manticore is such a cool shift from the original episode it makes it all so much more intense. Fluttershy and twilight talking about how twilight didn’t deserve to be bullied and it’s alright that she didn’t get over it!!

“Something’s wrong with me,” she whispered back, her mouth dry with guilt. Fluttershy nodded carefully, the stinger still inches away from her throat. Twilight didn’t trust herself to move, and instead added, “I don’t mean just right now. There’s still—” She choked on her words. “I didn’t get over it,” she said instead. “I couldn’t. Not like you.”

Like!!! This bit right here fucked me UP. Your descriptions of the emotions she’s feeling and how she’s expressing it physically between her mouth and her voice and how the wings and scorpion tail are reacting are BRILLIANT!!

Twilight didn’t try to move away. “But I’m not better,” she admitted. Fluttershy’s hand brushed against her cheek, gently tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. “And I don’t know why.”

This line is the one that broke me and made me write this. GOD. I don’t have words besides just. oh my god. Fluttershys gentleness is so good and so heartbreaking and I love it

I’ll be honest I’m not yet sure how to write long comments on fimfiction, but when I finish this fic you’re eithering getting a long ass ask in your inbox or a comment on there if I figure it out. Love this fic so far!!! Ah!!!!

AHHHHHH tysm for taking the time to write such a lovely comment!!! like holy shit you have just given me enough serotonin for WEEKS omg, it makes me so happy to know that you're enjoying the story!!

celestia is a rlly interesting chara to me, and im super happy w how the version of her in the fic turned out! actually, most of the reason for the 30k epilogue jumpscare is that i really needed to properly resolve her "arc" with twilight, so if you are a fan of this version of her please look forward to that! and, sunset as a "villain" was something we only saw briefly in eqg1 (and for my tastes, i wasnt a huge fan of how it was done) but there's so much POTENTIAL there i couldnt help myself in exploring it :)

chapter 5->act 2 is the real "turning point" i guess of the fic in terms of tone, and even tho it was a struggle to write shy's chapter i think over time i've rlly come around to liking how it turned out :D in the fic i ended up writing fluttershy as more of a later season version of herself (less cowardly maybe?), but the essence of her chara to me is someone who can be kind even in situations when she is receiving unkindness in return. and sometimes, this "fighting fire with kindness" is actually the only solution, and one that only shy can find.

wahhh i never know how to properly express how much i love and appreciate these sort of detailed responses, so please also accept a little doodle of the scene you mentioned liking as part of my thanks!

[violetsdaisy]

Kinky Puzzle/Mobium Masterlist

by violetsdaisy

Puzzleshipping

Mind Your Manners Series

Series. Rated E. Puzzleshipping. AU

1. Before We Knew It

Yugi’s intention was just to help a friend in need with a dueling tournament. He never expected to gain the undivided attention of the King of Games himself.

2. As We Knew It

After a long shift at the game shop, amidst the strenuous hours of studying for finals, Yugi is struggling. Atem is there to remind him that he is just as important.

3. When We Knew It

Settling into their relationship, Yugi is realizing what love means. Meanwhile, things are tested when Katsuya convinces Yugi to allow him to join him and Atem on the senior’s camping trip.

4. Because We Knew It

“You can use your colors baby,” Atem reminded him gently. “We’ve done enough.”

“No. I want you to take me. Take me and love me.”

“I’ll love you no matter what we do,” Atem murmured. “I just want you to be honest with me.”

“I am being honest,” Yugi spoke against his lips. “I want you to use me. To consume me. To do whatever you want so I’m unable to think about anything else except for you.”

5. Afterglow

Yugi gets tangled in the Christmas lights. It’s a good thing Atem is there to take care of him.

-Mind Your Manners Christmas Special-

Maliki Series

Series. Rated E. Puzzleshipping. AU

1. Opal Eyes

After being left unsatisfied by past relationships, Yugi accepts the offer from his closest friend to join a dinner with some of the kink community. While there, he meets someone that sets him on the path of love and self discovery, while also saving him from his worst enemy: himself.

2. Angel Baby

Two scenes that didn’t make it into the final product of Opal Eyes and one that happened after the story ended.

Dapper Daddy

Oneshot. Rated E. Puzzleshipping. AU

Yugi finds out that there’s more to BDSM than finding the biggest, baddest dominant there is and asking them to hurt you.

Yours to Keep

3 chapters. Rated E. Puzzleshipping. AU

“You crave this, don’t you?” Yugi asked him in a low murmur, a heat coiling low in his stomach. “You need my praise. My instructions. Me.”

Atem’s breath whooshed out of him and he spoke in a heavy, desperate whisper. “Yes.”

Fire and Ice

Oneshot. Rated E. Puzzleshipping. Canon

Atem comes home to a dark apartment. Yugi has a surprise. It’s hotter and colder than he expected.

Lantern (WIP)

Three chapters. Rated E. Puzzleshipping. Canon

When Atem had been offered a second chance of life by the gods and sent to earth to remain by his partner’s side for the rest of his days, he had not expected to find Yugi nearing twenty-six and shoulder deep in adult life.

He especially didn’t expect their connection to be severed.

Upon finding a book in Yugi’s closet, he conducts a plan to spark it back to life.

Mobiumshipping

Two Hands

Oneshot. Rated E. Mobiumshipping. AU

Yugi explores a side of himself for the first time with his lovers’ support.

ménage a trois

Oneshot. Rated E. Mobiumshipping. AU

Yugi’s watched them from afar. They were like two, fluid transient beings that swayed their play partner back and forth like a boat on the ocean.

He’d always wondered what it would feel like to be the one between them.

One night, he is offered to find out.

Behind Closed Doors

Oneshot. Rated E. Mobiumshipping. AU

Yami was under the impression he was attending a business meeting over dinner with one of the highest clientele in the city of Domino, while hoping to see the charming boy he’s been crushing over for the past few weeks.

What he finds in Sennen Manor is far more than he could have ever expected.

[acopenhagenarmy]

PIRATES - CHAPTER 5

Pairing: BTS x reader but mostly hyung-line x reader  Side pairings: Jimin x Taehyung, Jimin x Ateez!Wooyoung, reader x Ateez!Seonghwa

Mafia!au - gang!au - assassins!au 

Word count: no idea

Warnings: Mentions of death, nudity and sex apart from that some strong language. And I think that’s it for now.. 

Summary: Growing up in one of the biggest and most feared mafias has it’s perks, but what happens when you and you’re friends are suddenly shipped off to the other end of the world? Will you stay together or will the world you live in tear you all apart? 

NOTE: I feel like this is both somewhat long but also short? Idk, please send me feedback, and if you have theories and so on, I love to hear from you guys!

-> NEXT CHAPTER

The days went quickly, and in two weeks time you had gotten used to the new routine. You started the days by working out with Jimin, sometimes Jungkook joined the two of you. To fight and defend on two fronts took a toll on your body. The good kind that was. 

Jungkook quickly got special privileges in the gym classes, teaching those who dared go up against him. No one really did, except you, Jimin and of course Taehyung. Tae and Jungkook's version of fighting looked more like small kids than assassins, but it made the hall laugh and lifted moods. Especially whenever you and Namjoon had to separate the two. 

In the following weeks you and Jin grew closer. He had been right, he was so much more than a pretty face who understood plants and chemicals. He was much more introverted than you’d first expected. He was funny with a laugh more contagious than the poisons he learned you to brew. You liked his company, but you still couldn’t decide if it was as friends or something more. 

Jimin had been used to people falling over themselves to get your attention, so adding two of the three Kim brothers to the mix, didn’t really have an effect on him. And if he were being honest with himself he too had to keep his heart on a tight leash whenever he was around Taehyung. The man with the boxy grin had fought his way into his heart, and whenever he looked at him it was with big eyes of admiration. 

Namjoon luckily helped him a lot. The two of them trained almost everyday, it was everything from lifting weights, sparring and dancing. 

“Is this really necessary?” Namjoon asked as Jimin got comfortable on the older man's back while Namjoons legs were stretched out to each side. 

“Sure it is! You need to be stretched out properly! And this is most definitely the quickest way of doing it” Jimin stated. A smile painted his lips, his eyes almost disappearing 

“I feel like my muscles might snap” It sounded more like a groan than actual spoken words, but this wasn’t Jimin's first rodeo. Jungkook was as big and stiff as Namjoon, but it also meant that Jimin knew just how to work his body. 

“Stop being such a drama queen!” His statement made Namjoon laugh which quickly ended with the younger of the two splayed out on the floor. 

“Oh god I’m so sorry, are you okay?” Namjoon said almost panicked. 

Jimin layed on the floor, looking like a starfish at the bottom of the ocean. 

“Namjoon, I’ve been used to much worse in the past. I’m perfectly fine” He smiled, but even though his smile made his eyes disappear, Namjoon swore he could see the hurt in them anyways. 

“Hurt how?” He asked and Jimin sighed as he shrugged. 

“You know… Growing up with a sister like mine you kind of get used to abuse you know?” 

Namjoon couldn’t help the puzzled look that painted his features, but instead of assuming anything he waited for Jimin to finish his story. 

“When you’re born two minutes after your sister, and your dad, despite almost everyone's objections, chooses to make her the heir instead of his son… Well let’s just say it causes a lot of bullying by your peers, and talking behind your back from the adults. Because what kind of man could you be if your sister was the first choice and you the second. Not a good one, that’s for sure” 

Namjoon watched as Jimin fiddled with his fingers and bit his lips to hold back the tears threatening to flood his eyes. 

“I’m so sorry Chim” He said almost silently, but he picked up on it anyways. 

“Don’t be, she had my back every step of the way. She beat up everyone she overheard talking badly about me, even the grown ups. She was the right choice for this position, I know that, and she proved it to everyone in the end. But… When I came out, it was kind of like people suddenly ‘understood’ my fathers decision. They praised him for seeing it from the beginning and for making the right choice. Because a woman were better than a sissy little boy like me” 

“I assume he handled them?” 

“Yeah, people disappeared left and right in about a month afterwards. And in the end the gossip about me stopped. But I see how people look at me, being like me is not really acceptable in our line of work” 

Namjoon laid back on the cold floor and looked up into the ceiling. “No… it’s not, I had my fair share of fights with people in my younger days because of their comments about Tae. He was always different, you know? His brain works differently than most, he’s special, he’s loving and kind and goofy. But people called him weird, first because of that, later because of who he preferred to share his bed with” 

“So he’s?” It was an open question but Jimin didn’t want to say it out loud for some reason. It somehow seemed too private. 

Namjoon chuckled. “Yeah, he is. You know, I see the way the two of you look at eachother” 

He said it as a statement not a question, so Jimin decided not to deny it. Instead he just smiled. 

“It’s okay Jimin, sometimes you find love in the weirdest of places” Namjoon sent him a dimpled smile and it calmed him a little. 

“Promise you won't tell him?” 

“I promise” 

Namjoon held up his pinky for Jimin to take. 

“Damn you aren’t joking are you Kim?” Jimin said in response to the pinky promise. His eyes big and dramatic. 

“Of course not, a pinky promise is not something I wanna mess with. I’ve heard it gives bad karma” 

Jimin locked his pinky with Namjoons as they both laughed. Afterwards he laid down on the cool floor of the gym. 

“I can't believe we’ve already been here for two weeks,” he said quietly. 

Namjoon laid beside him. 

“Me neither, times moving too fast” 

“Hey, now that I’ve shared my secret’s it’s your turn!” Jimin turned towards Namjoon on the floor, and saw the dimpled smile he sent out into the world. 

“What do you wanna know, Park?” 

“How come you’re the one taking over the dynasty, and not Jin?” 

“Ah…” Namjoon said and suddenly seemed like he was lost in thought. 

“If it’s too private you don’t have to tell me, you know?” 

Namjoon laughed. “I know, but we’re friends and allies now, so I guess you deserve to know just what’s up” He sat up and Jimin did the same. 

“Jin is talented and does have very good qualities for a leader. But he just never wanted it, he doesn’t mind being in the background, being able to do what he loves without any disturbance. According to my mom I showed early signs of being a true leader, so when we got older they asked Jin what he wanted the most, and being a leader just wasn’t it, so instead it fell on me” 

Namjoon shrugged. He almost looked a little embarrassed. 

“And do you enjoy it?” Jimin asked, which earned a sigh from Namjoon. 

“I do, I mean of course some days are better than others. And I can't wait until the day I find someone who can partake in the burden that is leading all of these people” 

Jimin couldn’t help but smile. He would’ve never expected Namjoon to be as humble as he was. It was refreshing. 

“Well from what I can tell people respect you a lot, plus you seem to have an incredibly kind heart, which is always a good quality, even in our profession” 

As per usual Namjoon partnered up with Hoseok and Jungkook for poisons class. And if he was being honest, he didn’t really mind. Him and Jungkook had gotten friendly rather quickly. The two of them didn’t really have that much in common, but there was an underlying understanding between them. And if Jungkook were being completely honest, Namjoon was everything he had always wanted in an older brother.

He was funny, kind, and smart. He was serious, and much like Hoseok it was only when he had to be. But the difference between them was that Hoseok was his superior, Namjoon wasn’t. So it was easier being silly with him, especially after he had seen how Taehyung treated his brother. 

In front of the three men were you and Jin. Sitting close to one another, smiling, laughing at each other's jokes. And the way Jin leaned close to you was enough to make Hoseok’s blood boil. It had been years since he’d seen a man get that close to you, and he didn’t like one bit. 

“Excuse me” he said, as he suddenly rushed out of the class. 

Your eyes followed your right hand man as he left. But you didn’t think of it as anything more than him needing the restroom. 

Jungkook sighed and Namjoon laughed at his reaction. 

“Is he getting jealous?” He asked curiously. 

Jungkook shrugged. “Oh come on Kook, you’d have to be blind to not see that he’s completely in love with her.” 

He couldn’t help the laughter that escaped him. “I guess… And what about you? You don’t get jealous of the two of them?” 

Namjoon couldn’t help but smile. “No, not really. My brother is a beautiful man, and if I’m being honest his beauty was the cause of a lot of my insecurities when I was younger.” 

“How? I mean you’re pretty hot yourself” Jungkook didn’t plan to say what he was thinking, and a blush quickly painted his cheeks red from embarrassment. 

Namjoon laughed loudly, and the sound captivated you instantly. You were suddenly made aware of the somewhat gentle giant who was sitting behind you. It made it almost impossible to concentrate on the man who sat beside you. 

“Thank you Kook! That has to be one of the nicest things anyone has said to me since we got here!” 

Jungkook couldn’t help but return the dimpled smile the leader sent him. 

“Jin is beautiful, but annoying and honestly he is a lot. So I think I’m just waiting for her to get tired of him” He whispered to the younger man, to prevent his brother from hearing. 

“You really think that’ll happen?” 

“Honestly I have no idea. But I won't intervene in other people's relationships. If she’s meant to be his, she will be. True love, well love in general is to pure, to perfect and to rare in our profession for any of us to meddle with” 

Jungkook couldn’t help but admire his point of view. It was refreshing to hear a man other than just him and Jimin speak about love like that. 

The eight of you sat together once again at lunch. People around you were quickly getting used to the fact that the Kim’s and the Park’s were allies, and most people therefore chose to avoid you all. It was easier that way. 

Even though the cafeteria was loud, it wasn’t loud enough to shut out the loud screams and laughs that suddenly rang through the corridors, on the other side of the doors of the loud room. 

It quickly forced people to look towards the doors in anticipation for whoever was able to make that much noise. 

“Isn’t that…?” Jimin asked as he learned towards you, voice not louder than a whisper. 

“I think it might be,” you said as a giant smile painted your lips. 

The Kim brothers and their trusted Min looked at you and your men. Wondering just why Hoseok looked pissed, why Jungkook looked happy, why Jimin was blushing and why your eyes suddenly sparkled. 

The doors were then abruptly opened, and a rather small man appeared, but he radiated power and his aura was almost suffocating. 

Behind him followed seven men, one taller and wider than the other, all with a smirk painted on their perfectly sculpted lips. 

The small man found Namjoons eyes almost instantly, and he waved in response. The rest of his men looked in your general direction and it didn’t take long for all of them to notice the close proximity between you and the Kims. 

A second later one of them sprinted towards you. Jimin quickly grabbed Tae’s gun as he tried to pull it on the mountain of a man who ran towards them. 

But before they had the chance to ask you just what was going on you were being pulled from your seat and twirled around like a child. 

“My favorite Park!” he yelled as you laughed. 

“My favorite Choi!” You answered. 

It didn’t take long before a man as alluring as Jimin was sitting beside him, whispering in his ear. The blush that painted his cheeks almost enraged Taehyung, and if it wasn’t for Namjoon he would’ve most likely not have been able to control himself. 

“It’s been forever, San!” You said as the man sat you down. 

He was wearing black cargo pants and a bulletproof vest, but with nothing underneath, so it was very easy to spot the giant ‘A’ he had tattooed on his abs. 

The rest of the men quickly gathered around you and the boys, some hugging each other, others meeting for the first time. 

“Hongjoong” Namjoon said as the smaller man had catched up to the rest. Behind him stood one of the most beautiful men any of the Kims had seen. 

“Hello cousin” He answered before they hugged each other. 

“Meet my right hand man; Park Seonghwa,” he said, and the two quickly shook hands. 

Seonghwa’s eyes kept darting towards you whenever you laughed, and Namjoon quickly catched on. 

“Just go Hwa, you’ll be insufferable if you don’t get a chance to say hello” Hongjoong said. And the beauty quickly left the two cousins alone. 

“You guys are a little late, aren’t you?” Namjoon asked. 

Hongjoong shrugged. “A little, we were stuck in a hurricane for a little while, and then we ran into a few ships that were just laying there with a lot of precious cargo, what would you have us do? Leave them without robbing them?” He laughed. 

“Of course not,” Namjoon said. 

“So you’re in an alliance with the Parks huh?” 

Namjoon nodded. 

“What does your father say to that? And don’t say he’s happy about it, cause I know better”

“Haven't really told him yet” 

Hongjoong laughed. “Of course you haven't” 

You didn’t really notice Namjoon and Hongjoong talking, hell you didn’t really notice anything after you’d locked eyes with Hwa. 

“Y/….” He almost said your name, luckily for you it was no more than a whisper. 

He pulled you towards him. Burying his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling your perfume. As the two of you separated you could feel everyone's eyes staring at the pair of you. But you didn’t really care. 

You wanted to push him away, you wanted to be cold towards him, but the truth was that you had missed being in his arms. 

He kissed the top of your head, lips lingering a little too long for it to be in a friendly kind of way. 

Namjoon saw how Hoseok rolled his eyes at the gesture. So this must be an ex…

“I’ve missed you Blade, it’s been a while,” Seonghwa said. 

“That’s kind of your own doing isn’t it?” Your voice was more teasing than mean. He shrugged, but smiled nonetheless. 

Hongjoong stepped towards you, but Seonghwa never let go of you despite it. 

“I see you’ve exchanged one Kim for the other Blade, and here I thought I was your favorite” Hongjoong said teasingly. 

Namjoon and you both laughed. 

“Sorry, Tae kind of stole that place when he defended me two weeks ago despite not knowing me” 

Namjoons smile widened at your words. Gosh, I adore her.

Hongjoong couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course he did, good job cousin!” He gave Tae a high five in response. “So I guess this makes us all allies then” 

“I guess so” You answered as you looked up at Seonghwa, and his eyes instantly found yours while his one hand tried to sneak around your waist. 

You knew exactly what he was trying to do, but you had closed your heart off to him long ago, and therefore took two long strides away from him, leaving you in near proximity to Namjoon. 

You needed some sort of reassurance, and he knew it instantly. You held your hands behind your back, shielding them off for everyone except him, turning the ring on your pinky. 

It was a thing you did whenever you felt nervous or uncomfortable in any type of situation, and he had picked up on it rather quickly. 

He slowly reached out, intertwining his hand with yours. He heard how your breath hitched by the sudden contact, but it didn’t take you long before you relaxed, leaving him painting circles on your skin in pure excitement. She didn’t let go!

Namjoon couldn’t help the smile he flashed. His brothers saw the change in him instantly. He suddenly stood a little taller, a little more confident. 

“This is gonna be fun!” one of Hongjoongs men said. The man had finally left Jimin alone, which made it easier for Taehyung to breathe. “I’m Wooyoung by the way” he said as he waved. 

The men then proceeded to introduce themselves. Namjoon was convinced he wouldn’t remember any of their names, his focus was on you and you alone. His skin, touching yours. 

“Well we were almost done with lunch, so you’ll get to join us for the next class” Jimin said. 

Jimin wasn’t stupid, he had always been the only one who could read you like an open book. And the red tint on your ears and cheeks were so easy to spot, that he for a second thought that the two of you might want to get caught with whatever you were up to. 

“Sounds like a plan” Seonghwa said, as he once again smiled at you. But Namjoon didn’t care, you were his for these seconds he held your hand, and no man, no matter how beautiful, could take that away from him. 

“Lead the way” Hongjoong said, and Taehyung quickly showed his cousin which way to go by basically dragging him along. 

You and Namjoon stayed behind for as long as you could. And once the rest of the men were out of earshot you turned around to look up at him, with sparkling eyes. 

“Thank you” it was no more than a whisper, but it was easy to hear the sincerity in your voice. 

“Aways” 

The smile he sent you could’ve stopped your heart if you’d let it. 

Are you the one who’ll give meaning to my memories?

[mozillavulpix]

a bunch of hugtto plotlines that had absolutely no reason to go that hard

aka “the parts that emotionally devastated me”

apparently it’s 5 years old now

Homare having like honest-to-god PTSD after an ice-skating injury, and not being able to become a Precure in the first episode because she was terrified to jump to reach the thing she needed to transform

just, fucking, absolutely everything about Henri. An androgynous ice-skater who likes wearing women’s clothes, has a whole arc about being tempted by the villains because he’s terrified of the onset of male puberty, snapping out of the villain’s control, and then getting to be a Precure himself

also Emiru’s brother is the conservative guy who rejects Henri’s behaviour but then they say actually he was just like that because he’s super-closeted gay and they end up having a relationship

One day Hana is feeling inadequate compared to her friends and those feelings prevent her from transforming. which then makes her self-loathing even worse

That night she starts bawling her eyes out to her mom, realising for the first time that it’s totally possible to dislike yourself and how you turned out as a person

so the mascot characters don’t come from a magical world, they come from the future. the future is also a dystopia and they came back in time to prevent that from happening to the present too

there’s one episode where two girls arguing with each other fuels the bad guy to turn them into a monster of the week, but then they manage to make up from within that state which stops the monster from fighting

they have a robot girl who slowly starts to develop emotions and help the precure and so the villains just shoot her. she lives, they can just reboot her, but

they have a whole song Emiru makes about how much she loves her new friend that she sings to her with her guitar and it’s super wholesome

there’s an episode where they go to a night pool, while Hana is shaken up by the revelations of who the new bad guys are and tries to hide her anxiety from her friends. They never catch on.

homare’s parents are divorced. It’s briefly mentioned a few times and no one treats her differently because of it.

the silly hamster mascot who can turn into a bishonen was also cruelly experimented on by the bad guys and can turn into a monster

they have an episode about a woman going into labor

they also have an episode about a woman having a caesarian section and telling people how that’s totally normal and nothing to be ashamed of

in that episode, a toddler runs away from her parents crying about the new baby, worried that it means her mother will stop loving her

there’s an episode where they meet Hana’s grandmother. she injures her back and has to go to the hospital. she’s okay, but

They have a romance plot where Homare learns and accepts that her love is unrequited. Including The Little Mermaid metaphors

We find out the robot girl was built partially because the doctor that made her had a dead daughter

the mascot’s backstory is that his fucking home burns down, and that’s what makes him realise he needs to join the evil team because he has nowhere else to go

there was a precure team in the future. they got defeated, and the last member got turned into the magical baby from travelling to the past

they spend like the last few episodes before the final battle just accepting that their friends from the future are going to leave forever once the final battle is over. They have a whole group cry about it so they (hopefully) won’t cry when it actually happens. (They still do)

Saya’s mother has an emotional breakdown realising her daughter doesn’t want to follow in her footsteps. Saya goes into her mind and embraces her, thanking her for giving her life

actually the apocalypse in the future was caused by people’s collective fear of moving forward causing time itself to stop. There’s no evidence that it won’t happen again and that won’t be their future

also in the future timeline hana dies and the bad guy is actually her husband from the future who doesn’t want to see that happen again. He never tells her this, but seeing her younger self so ready to face the future, even if it leads to her suffering, makes him realise he shouldn’t try to stop her

they have a future epilogue that shows that the events of the future aren’t going to repeat themselves. Probably. I think they must have created a new timeline or something. time travel is complicated

Emiru and Ruru do meet again in the future. But only because Emiru helps the scientist who created her in the future make her in this time. They finally meet again after like 20 years but this time Emiru is the older one and Ruru is the little one.

like any one of these makes you go “I’m surprised they got away with this”, but there’s so many.

[gretavangroupie]

Muse (Part 2)

Word count: 7.5k+

Pairing: Danny x Female Reader

Summary: After a blow out at the bar one fateful night, Danny is left questioning the nature of his relationship with his enemy the bartender.

Warnings: 18+ as always, language, drinking, sexual references.

Part One

Muse Playlist

Danny POV

“Oh my god!” She screams, falling back shocked to see you standing in the door way. She cuts her eyes in disgust at you “What the fuck kind of comment was that? On my knees? Be serious….”

“You look pretty comfortable down there…. Now, what the fuck are you doing in my house?” You ask, staring at her. 

“My job, you dick!” She replies quickly standing and crossing her arms.

Her job? She has been house sitting for you? Fuck.

“What, is the bar not paying the bills princess?” You scoff, leaning on the door frame. "Shocker."

“Well, not when my douchebag customers decide they aren’t tipping!” She yells.

“Well, maybe you just have shitty service?” You quip.

“Oh fuck you Daniel!” She screams.

“Pfft, You wish, now be quiet. You’ll wake my neighbors.” You reply smugly.

She huffs a frustrated huff and pushes past you walking out the bedroom door, her shoulder rubs across your chest. She begins to gather her things, walking from one end of the room to the other.

She can’t leave yet, you were just starting to have fun. And there’s no one here to save her this time…

“I guess I should make sure you did everything to my satisfaction, right? Since you’re here? Wouldn’t want to have to leave you a bad review…” You say as arrogantly as you can. 

“Daniel, don’t be an ass. This is my JOB!” She says.

“Haven’t been back for 5 minutes and I’ve already got you begging…” you reply.

Why is it so easy to be a dick to her…

“I’m not begging you for shit! But this is my job.  Just be a decent human being for once in your life and be honest! I was more than accommodating!” She says.

She isn’t wrong, she did stay pretty late to help you out…

“Oh would you relax, god you’re annoying.” You reply.

“Why are you like this?” She seethes.

“Like what?” You ask dismissively.

“A dick,  just to be a dick, just to make my life miserable. I was justified that night and you know it!” She yells.

Thinking back to that night, you really don’t have much of a recollection. You only know pieces of what happened based on what Josh and Sam told you after the fact. All you really remember is that she kicked you out of the bar because you had too much to drink. You were being an ass to her and tried to pick a fight with another guy. For days you were too embarrassed to even show your face. 

You had been dumped by your girlfriend of five years that very morning, and drank yourself into a stupor by late afternoon, before you ever set foot into the bar that night. She was your first real love and you thought she was your end game. You thought you would have it all with her. You had known her since you were a kid, it eventually blossoming into something more. Everything was perfect until the band started to take off. She had a hard time adjusting to your new life on the road and resented you for being gone all the time. You did everything you could to try and make it work when you were away, but had a sneaking suspicion something else was going on when she stopped calling you and texting you suddenly. When you came back to your apartment after a few months away, and found her with someone else she blamed you being gone so much. You forgave her, understanding that you weren’t around as much as you used to be. Not faulting her, blaming yourself for it all. You loved her and you still wanted to make it work. You would do anything, and you tried. A week later she dumped you and she took a piece of you with her. Maybe it was the loving part of your heart. She always said you could be cold and hateful when you wanted to be, but you never believed it. Not until now... Maybe she was right. 

God only knows how many drinks you had at the bar that night. Trying to try and fill the gaping hole in your chest. Your feelings were bleeding out of your chest on full display. Your emotions were already running high before she decided that you had had enough to drink. Her telling you to leave was the last straw. The last thing you needed was for another woman to cut you off. You snapped and you haven’t looked back since. 

To be honest you kind of enjoyed this little game with her. It was fun to get her worked up. Her cheeks flushing red when you put her in her place, her eyes sparkling with victory when she had you beat. The way she would purse her lips when she would listen to you. It reignited a fire inside of you that you thought your ex put out when she left. To feel anything at all was a change, and so you decided that if this was the only way, you were going to make it count, no feelings spared. 

“That night? That night was the worst night of my life, you don’t know shit. You just added to it.” You reply coldly.

“Oh no, did your little groupie girlfriend dump you? Probably deserved it... Were you an asshole to her too?” She says mocking you, throwing her purse over her shoulder.

“God you’re such a bitch. How does anyone stand to be around you longer than 2 minutes? She wasn’t a groupie. At all. We were together for five fucking years. She hated me being in the band. She cheated on me while I was gone, I forgave her and she still dumped me. That morning in fact! So excuse me if I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself for once. I spend every fucking day of my life taking care of the guys. Taking care of everyone around me. Every day! Just one time I slip up and I am crucified for it. I’m the fucking bad guy. Fuck me…” You reply throwing your hands in the air, knowing that maybe you have said too much.

“You know what Daniel, or can I call you Danny now? You have been such a dick to me for so long that it’s practically all I know about you. The fact that it took her five years to see what I saw in five minutes is shocking in itself. You’re lucky you had her as long as you did, in my opinion. I see right through you Danny, I always have. All you are is cold, and cruel and hateful. I’m glad she dumped you, you didn’t deserve her, or anyone for that matter.” She yells, cheeks flushed red, slightly shaking from the rush of adrenaline.

“Get the fuck out!” You scream pointing at the door. “Get out!”

“Oh trust me, I am!” She yells back slamming the door shut behind her.

Bitch.

What the fuck did she mean I don’t deserve anyone else. She doesn’t know me….

Or maybe she does. Fuck her for calling you cold and hateful. You know you’re not. 

Right?

You lock the door behind her and turn off your lights. It’s nearly 3 in the morning. You’re glad to be back home in your own bed tonight. Although, this is not how you saw your night going. You crawl into your bed and turn off the lights, sighing in relief at the homey comfort. 

How did you not catch on that it was her taking care of your house? 

You quickly pull up the profile and look at the name attached. 

Hmmm… a fake name. That answers that question. You can’t believe that you sent her a coffee. Pfft... 

Dammit, you have to stop being nice to your house sitters. 

Thinking back on the text conversation you had with her the other night, you can’t even fathom that it was the same person, she was nice and funny and easy to talk to. The girl you were just with was the opposite of all of those things. She was mean, cunning, and blunt. You wonder what it would be like if none of this had ever happened to begin with. You scroll through her profile, and leave her a review, and exit the app. You put your phone on your night stand and you close your eyes, sleep over takes you.

You spent the day just relaxing. No one asking you for anything. No one telling you where to be or when to be there. Just you, hanging out doing whatever you want. Well until Sam texted you.

Samuel K: Sixtys? 10ish?

Fuck...

You: Can we please go literally anywhere else?

Samuel K: I’ll think about it.

Samuel K: No.

You: Dude, I can’t go there tonight. Your little bartender girl friend was my house sitter. We had a huge blow up when I found out. I’m dipping out.

Samuel K: No shit!! No, now you’re coming. I want the full story.

You: I don’t know man...

Samuel K: I’ll buy, you can get as trashed as you want…I won’t even intervene on your quarrels this evening....

You: Alright, fine. Fuck you’re annoying. I hate you and I’ll see you there.

Samuel K: :)

You pull on your jacket and grab your keys and wallet. You can’t believe you are actually going. You thought about ghosting the guys tonight just so that you didn’t have to deal with her, but then you realized that if you didn’t go, she would think she had the upper hand. Starting your car you sit for a minute to let the engine warm up, and you pull up the playlist you have spent all day building. You select a song and back out of the space before heading to your nightly dive.

You aren’t sure how you all decided on 'The Sixty'. It’s not really close to any of you, maybe in the middle, sort of. It’s a total dive, that Jake prides himself on finding when he did his self lead 'Bar Tour of Nashville' when you all moved down here. It’s never really crowded and fans never ‘happen to be there’. It’s nice that you can all sort of let loose, but for you, it’s just another performance. You hype yourself up every time you walk through the doors, seeing what sort of hateful things you can muster for the evening. It’s exhausting and you wish that you could both just let it go, but you are both too stubborn for that. Just one night at a different bar, thats all you ask.

You pull into the empty parking spot and see the rest of the guys cars. They are already here, meaning you would be walking in without the buffer of their chaos. You pull the door open, the bell ringing over your head, as your eyes scan the dimly lit bar looking for your crew. You spot them in their usual corner spot, Sam waving you down. You look over to the bar and see her standing there talking to a customer as she pours his drink, a small smile on her face. Rolling your eyes you walk over the the guys and find a seat. 

“Told you I could convince him.” Sam says to the guys smugly.

“Daniel, my brother, here for another night of debauchery?” Josh says patting your back.

“Ahh, something like that.” You reply taking off your jacket, opting for short sleeves this evening.

“Get this, he said that she was his house sitter while he was gone, he didn’t even know!” Sam laughs.

“What? How did you not know?” Jake asks.

“She had her profile set under a fake name! She had good reviews, I don’t know?!” You reply.

“So if she had a fake name how did you find out?” Sam asks.

“Well, we got home early right? Well, when I walked into the house there was a light on… so I looked around and didn’t see anything, then when I was walking to my bedroom she was there watering my plants! I scared the shit out of her.” You reply. 

“At 2 in the morning?” Josh asks.

“Yeah, dude, she must have gone after work.” You reply shrugging your shoulders. “I didn’t even know she had a second job...So, anyways we get into this huge blow out fight, I say more than I should have and she uses it against me... classic woman. I told her to get out and yeah, now you fuckers have dragged me here.” 

“Haha! Thats rich, Danny boy.” Jake says.

You nod your head annoyed, standing up to approach the bar to get a drink. Gathering up all of the asshole you have in you.

As you walk over, the door opens and someone walks in. You haven’t seen this guy before, and since you’re here most nights, you pretty much recognize everyone. You both arrive at opposite sides of the bar at the same time. She looks up and sees you walking towards her, a sigh leaving her lips. She walks over to him first.

Ugh, what happened to loyalty?

You stand at the other end of the bar, and watch as this guy orders his drink, taking his sweet time to flirt with her. You roll your eyes and scroll through your phone as you wait. After a few minutes you look up and she’s walking towards you. 

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Heartbroken Lover Boy?” She says. “Couldn’t stay away from me, huh?”

“Trust me, I didn’t come here for you.” You quip.

“What do you want Danny?” She asks biting her lips.

“Same as usual.” You reply “Do I have to tell you every time?”

“Probably, but only if it annoys you...” She says smugly, grabbing a glass and pouring your drink.

Ahh, so she does know what you drink…

“Who’s that guy?” You ask nodding your head down to the guy waiting at the end of the bar.

“Don’t know, just walked in. Seems nice though. Why do you care?” She asks.

“Well, just wondering if he escaped the mental hospital if he is flirting with you...” You reply.

“You’re such an ass, go away.” She replies, with a defeated look on her face.

Her hair falls in her face as she bends over to pick up a box of beer bottles. She tucks the strand behind her ear and exposes her neck. Her collarbone peeking out the top of her shirt. You tear your eyes away, kicking yourself for even looking at her in that way.

You stand up and head back to the table with your drink in hand. Turning and looking back to see her talking to that guy again. You get back to the table and sit down, all the guys staring at you.

“What?” You ask annoyed.

“Nothing… usually you’re fuming when you come back from the bar.” Josh says with a smirk.

“Eh, she didn’t want to fight, blondie over there caught her attention.” You say dismissively scoffing.

Sam and Josh look at each other with knowing smiles.

“Daniel, why do you care? Are you a little bit…jealous?” Sam says questioningly. 

“Fuck no. Not in a million years dude, be serious.” You reply harshly.

Pushing back the thought from your mind you change the subject quickly.

As you all continue to talk, you have a few more drinks. When it's your turn to go up to the bar and order, you spin in your chair before standing up. 

Its been like 2 hours, is she still talking to that dude? Damn...

Why do you care. She’s a bitch. 

As you stand at the bar, you look over and see her listening intently to everything this guy is saying. Doting on his every word. Surely he cannot be that interesting. She throws her head back laughing, and her cheeks are pink. Her smile has worked its way into her eyes and it’s almost contagious. Her body language is suggesting she's into him.

Fuck, what are you doing, don't think about her like that? 

You shake your head to rid the thought. She notices you standing there and tells the guy she will be right back.

“What do you need?” She says quickly grabbing a glass.

“What’s the rush? Didn’t we just talk about your poor service?” You say smugly.

“Daniel, just stop. What do you want?” She asks looking over to him.

“Oh, you like him don’t you? Maybe I should go… talk to him?” You tease, shrugging your shoulders.

“Danny, please…please.” she begs. Your cock twitches. 

What the fuck? You’ve lost control.

Crossing your legs to readjust, you up the ante. You raise your eyebrows at her and walk over to him. You are used to talking to strangers, so this is no sweat off your back.

“What’s up man, I’m Danny. Haven’t seen you in here before.” You say. 

You see her approaching out of the corner of your eye.

“Hey man, I’m… John. I’m new to the area, just checking out the local spots.” He replies.

“Ah, well this is a good one, we are here most nights, if you ever want to shoot some pool.” You reply nodding to the guys in the corner.

“Okay, here’s your drink. Thanks..…” she says trying to usher you away.

“So I see you’ve met our favorite bartender?” You say to him.

“Daniel…” she says pleading quietly.

“Yeah, she knows how to pour em’ up pretty good…” he laughs raising his eyebrows insinuating that she is hot. 

“Yeah, sometimes she does. But be careful she’s a real spitfire, trust me.” you say with a wink.

He takes a defensive stance, “I’m sorry, what?”

“Yeah, she can be kinda hot and cold, gotta catch her on a good night if you really want her. One night she’s kicking you out of the bar, the next night she’s on her knees for you…really could go either way.” you say arrogantly.

The blood drains from her face and you see her eyes well with tears as she rushes into the back room. 

He gives you a strange look shaking his head. 

“Anyways man, have a good night.” You reply walking away.

Damn, you didn’t think she would cry. Maybe you took it too far…

No, she’s fine you’ve said worse.

You hear the bell ring, and turn to see the him walking out of the bar. 

Takes care of that…

You take your seat back at the table.

“Uh… what was that about….” Sam questions. They are all staring at you.

“Ahh nothing, just a little chit chat amongst friends.” You reply.

“Nothing about that looked friendly.” Josh says looking over your shoulder.

You turn around and see her standing at the bar with red eyes, and she is now wearing a hoodie. Guilt washes over you. 

Dammit, okay that was definitely too far. Fuck. 

“I need another drink” you say as you throw back the rest of the one in your hand. 

“I’ll go, you stay here, I think you’ve done enough.” Josh says pushing away from the table.

He walks over to the bar and starts talking to her and you see her rub the sleeve of her hoodie across her eyes. Josh looks back at you with a scowl. She makes a few drinks and he pats the tops of her hands before returning to the table.

“You’re a fucking dick, dude.” He says sliding you your drink.

“I might have taken it too far that time, I will agree.” You say.

“Mmmhmm….” He says before changing the subject.

Another hour passes and you all decide you’re ready to go. Sam walks up to the bar to pay the tab. You pull him to the side. “Hey, make sure you leave her a good tip.” You say. 

Never thought those words would leave your mouth.

He looks at you strangely, “I will…”

You all say your goodbyes. She won’t even look at you. Usually she will at least give you a dirty look before you leave. 

You can’t believe you’re feeling guilty. She’s kind of pretty when she’s sad, her lips a little swollen from crying.

Shit, no. No she’s not. Did you already forget the shit she said last night?

No.

You all begin to walk out of the bar, checking one last time over your shoulder as you hold the door for the guys to walk out. You lock eyes. Hers are sad, quickly looking down at the floor. 

You bite your lips together and walk out.

Damn, you’re a dick. 

The entire drive home all you think about is the way she looked as you were leaving. The guilt taking over your mind. As hard as you try to push her out you just keep seeing those sad eyes, and the replay of her wiping her eyes on her hoodie. You wish you had never said that. When you get home, you pour your self a drink to try and get your mind off of it. You sit on your couch and turn on the TV…you scroll through your phone and see a post from the bar, with their specials of the night. 

Fuck, she’s everywhere.

You lock your phone and throw it on the table. You pour yourself another drink. The effects of the first finally washing over you.

You grab your drink and head to the bathroom, maybe a shower will help. You turn the water on as hot as it will go and quickly shed your clothes. You throw the rest of your drink back and step into the spray. 

‘She can be kinda hot and cold, gotta catch her on a good night if you really want her.’

Your brain replays the conversation, your own words haunting you.

‘One night she’s kicking you out of the bar, the next night she’s on her knees for you’

You really painted her in a bad light. You know you two argue, but you're positive that she wouldn’t have done that to you.

As you rinse the soap off of your body, you step out grabbing your towel off of the rack, quickly drying yourself before wrapping it around your waist. 

Maybe just one more drink before bed.

Pouring the rest of the little bit of whiskey you have left into your glass, you make mental note to buy more if you two are going to keep this up.

You lean against your kitchen cabinets and take a small sip when your doorbell rings.

What in the world?

You make your way to the front door, absolutely confused on who would be at your door at 2 in the morning. Twisting the lock, you open the door.

It’s her.

HER POV

You ring the doorbell nervously, your hands are tucked into the sleeves of your hoodie, as your fingers pick at the hangnails on your thumb. 

Oh god what are you doing here…

You hear the lock spin and you suck in a deep breath as the door opens. He looks shocked to see you. You can’t help but notice his wet curls hanging around his face, tinted red from a shower. He is wrapped in a towel and his chiseled body is on full display. 

Jesus…hes kinda…

No. Focus.

“If you’re done staring, you could tell me what you’re doing on my doorstep at 2 in the morning.” He says, shifting his weight to stand on his right leg. You can tell he has been drinking more. His words are slurring together slightly and he is feeling a little brave.

“I have your key. I forgot to give it to you last night. I’m taking a few days off from the bar and won’t see you there to give it back.” You reply.

“You’re taking a few days off?” He asks cocking his head to the side.

“Yeah, I need to figure some stuff out.” You reply blankly.

“Well, what makes you think you aren’t gonna be taking care of my house next time I leave?” He asks.

Shocked at his statement you reply, “What? I don’t understand...”

“You did a good job, and at least I know you. I’d rather have you do it than a total stranger.” He says letting you walk inside. 

“Daniel, we are strangers. We don’t know a thing about each other.” You reply harshly. He shuts the door behind you. 

“That’t not true, I know that you're into blondes. Well, were...” He says sarcastically, laughing.

“You’re such an asshole, I can’t believe you did that.” You say. “Actually no, you know what, I can believe you did that. Brings us right back to where we left off... Your shitty personality.” You say with your hands on your hips.

Suddenly he steps forward forcefully slamming his hands around your head, boxing you in and leaning into your ear as he says,  “You didn’t seem to have a problem with my personality when you were texting me for hours the other night... Now did you?” 

His face is inches from yours, you can smell the whiskey on his breath. 

You cut your eyes at him, “No, I didn’t, and for a second, a tiny little second, I almost convinced my self that you weren’t half bad. Which I know now is so wrong.” You reply coldly.

“Not half bad…?" he scoffs. 

“Do you think that I don’t notice you staring at me every night from across the bar? Do you think I don’t see your cheeks flush red when we argue, your pulse pounding in your neck? The way you bite your lips when you are waiting for me to say something back to you? Are you under the impression that I didn’t feel your eyes boring into my skin when my shirt lifted up at the bar the other night? Hmmm?” He says, his lips moving, resting gently on your ear,  “The way your breathing has gone shallow, right this very second?” He pulls back a bit and stares into your eyes.  “I see you, I always see you. Stop lying to yourself.”

You turn your head quickly to the side to show your disgust. “You’re an ass.”

He steps back smugly, releasing his arms from around your head, shifting his weight to his other leg.

“Maybe, but you like it, don’t you.” He replies.

“No, I liked the guy at the bar though. But you had to go and ruin it didn’t you? That shit wasn’t even true Danny.” You yell.

“Was it not? Huh. I must remember it differently.” He says sarcastically.

You dig in your purse and find his key. You place it on the table by the door.

“Here is your key. I’m leaving now.” You say.

“Keep it, you’re gonna need it for next time.” He says smugly.

“There is no way in hell i’m doing this again.” You reply.

“We’ll see about that….” He says.

What?

You turn on your heels, grabbing the key and cutting your eyes at him.

“I hate you.” You reply opening the door.

“I hate you more...” He says smiling, closing the door behind you.

What an ass...get real Danny.

You think about your conversation the entire way home. God he is such an arrogant prick. How could any woman ever even consider giving him the time of day. You think about him answering the door in nothing but a towel. Your brain betraying you. The way his skin was still slightly damp and warm as his toned arms caged you in. The heat radiating onto your face. His wet hair brushing your cheek. His abs flexed as he leaned over you, showcasing his sculpted obliques. The towel hanging off his hips revealing more of the dark hair of his happy trail, slightly curling into his navel.

Why are you thinking these things….why is your heart beating so fast?

You pull into your usual parking space and hurry inside of your apartment. You quickly shower the day away before slipping into bed. Your phone buzzes with a notification and you decide to ignore it until morning closing your eyes to the blackness.

The light coming through your curtains far too early for a Saturday wakes you prematurely. You groan and roll to your side to grab your phone and check your notifications. 

You have a new request from Side Jobs which you flick to the side for later, and a text from Josh.

Furrowing your brow you click on it. 

He never texts you. He only has your number from the night he lost his phone in the bar and made you call it until he found it. 

Josh: Working tonight? Having a party at my house for the new single release. You should come, it will be fun.

You: I’m off actually. Maybe I will, don’t want to ruffle any feathers though.

Josh: Ah, don’t worry about him, there will be plenty of people and alcohol. Promise.

You: Fine, text me your address and what time.

How did you get roped into this? You have a problem saying no to Josh. His sunny disposition and sweet nature make it hard to refuse anything he says. You can count on him to have your back, him always being the first to come up to you after your spats with Danny each night. You decide to go, simply because he asked.

You decide to really make this party worth your while. You are going to meet and talk to every single guy there and you’re going to ignore every single comment from Danny.

Fuck him for ruining your chance with John. Asshole.

You grab your favorite maroon colored dress out of your closet, that accentuates your body perfectly and slide it over your head. The fabric is tight around your boobs, showing tasteful cleavage. You slide on your favorite vintage leather biker jacket to look more casual. You have done a smokey eye and your hair is in loose waves falling around your shoulders. You spray a light dusting of perfume across your collarbone and wrists. You throw a few things from your purse into a small wristlet and head to your car. You’re only running about 30 minutes late. 

As you pull up to Josh’s house you are surprised at the number of cars lining the street. You find a spot and park, gathering your purse and making your way to the door. There are a few people standing at the entrance as you walk in. You scan the room to see if you recognize any familiar faces. You see Josh chatting with someone and Sam standing next to him.

The music is loud but not overwhelmingly so, everyone has a drink in their hand and seem to be deep into conversations. You make your way to the kitchen to find yourself a drink and are happily met with a full countertop of liquor and mixers. You pour yourself a vodka soda and squeeze a lime in dropping it to the bottom of the plastic cup before adding a plastic straw, gently stirring. You see a girl standing next to you reading the bottle labels trying to figure out what she wants. 

“Do you like fruity, sweet, the hard stuff?” You ask.

She looks at you confused.

 “Im a bartender, I can help you pick. It seems a lot of this is in different languages. Damn world traveler...” You say.

“Oh, thank god! I have no idea what any of this says!” She laughs. “What do you have? I’ll just have that?” 

“This is a vodka tonic with a lime.” You reply.

“Perfect, sounds good.” She says smiling. 

You pour her an identical drink and she thanks you walking away.

Somehow you’re still working on your night off…

You make your way into the living room and are immediately stopped by Josh.

“Oh my gosh you came! I didn’t think you would!” He says hugging you tightly.

“What? Why not? You invited me!” You reply.

“Well yeah, but I know things are less than enjoyable around Daniel.” He says.

“Ahhh, forget him he’s an ass.” You reply dismissively.

“Yeah he can be. I would know.” He laughs.

As you continue to chat with Josh, you see Danny walk out of the kitchen making eye contact with you, a huff leaving his mouth as he looks you up and down.

Yeah, thats right get a good look.

Running his tongue over his teeth he turns and walks away to the other side of the room and starts talking to someone you don’t recognize.

Sam is over at the stereo system and changes the music to something more upbeat and turns the lighting down a bit. 

Okay Sam…

Sam locks eyes with you and does a little shimmy with his shoulders before walking away to talk to some girl. 

As you look around the room you can feel eyes staring at you and you notice Danny leaning against the wall, arms crossed drink in hand, just watching you. You glare at him and turn your back to him. 

You talk to a group of people for a bit before deciding you need another drink. People have started to dance a little bit so you excuse yourself to the kitchen. As you are pouring yourself a drink you can feel his presence before you can see him. He appears in front of you resting both hands on the counter top leaning to match your eye level. 

“What are you doing here?” He asks confrontationally. 

“Josh invited me…. Why do you care?” You ask snippily. 

“Well, I just thought I would actually get to have a good night for once, and here you are to ruin it.” He says cocking his head to the side.

“You could have very easily ignored me the entire night. Thats what I’m doing…yet, here you are going out of your way to come talk to me… makes you wonder…” you reply looking away from him smugly. 

“Wonder what?” He asks rudely.

“Why you can’t seem to stay away from me?” You reply in an obvious tone.

“Don’t flatter yourself, just because you look hot for once…” he replies.

You raise your eyebrows, and smirk at him, as he knows he slipped up, rolling his eyes.

So he thinks I look hot, huh? Maybe your little plan is working. Time to turn up the heat.

“Well if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to go dance.”  You say walking away leaving him standing there.

He’s wearing a vintage black and green sweater with a white diamond pattern, black corduroys and his hair is hanging long and loose on his chest. Tiny, barely there, hoop earrings hang delicately from his ears. If it were any other guy you would think he looked good, but its Danny, so you can’t. Won’t.

You make your way into the living room, the center now crowded with people dancing to the music DJ Sammy has selected. A guy approaches you and you begin to chat with him. He is hot, and has a very movie star-esque quality about him. He asks if you want to dance and you immediately say yes. Why not? He turns you around to face away from him, his hands falling at your lower waist, resting on your front as you begin to move to the music in unison, drink in hand. 

You see Danny walk out of the kitchen with a drink in one hand and his other in his pocket. He sees you with someone and does a small but noticeable double take, his jaw hardening when he sees you. You smirk at him and throw your head back whispering something into your guys ear. He laughs and you accept your victory as Danny mutters something under his breath walking away. 

As you continue to watch him every so often, you notice him approach a girl and whisper something into her ear, her nodding and him guiding her by her lower back to a different section of the room as they begin to dance. You turn to face your guy throwing your free arm around his neck as his hands wander down to rest on your ass.

DANNY POV 

She’s doing this on purpose, she wants a fight. Practically begging.  But why would I care if she is dancing like a slut with some guy she doesn’t know. She thinks she has you all figured out… let’s see how she it.

You walk over to your friend Alexis, and ask her if she wants to dance. She has been after you for months since your breakup, you know she won’t turn down a chance to dance with you. You lead her to a good spot and lower your free hand to her waist. The thing about Alexis, is that she is about as far from your type as it gets. You feel bad for using her for your own personal vendetta but, you gotta do what you gotta do. You say something in her ear about the music, and look up to see your enemy staring at you from across the room. She turns around to face her guy and he puts his hands on her ass. You feel your jaw harden at his actions. You blow out a small breath and try to look away, but you can’t. Your eyes are glued to her. He spins them both around so that he can talk to one of his friends, now you are making eye contact with her once again. She opens her mouth placing the straw from her drink between her lips, slowly taking a drink from her cup, you watching the liquid travel slowly down her throat. 

You swallow hard and feel your body go rigid.

Why is she effecting you like this, she is not a nice girl…

She looks up slowly from under her lashes and swirls the straw around with her tongue, darting it around in small circles taunting you.

Jesus Christ that was hot… Your heart begins to race. You almost forget you’re dancing with Alexis.

You dance for a few more minutes and trail your hands all over Alexis’ body, hoping that she is watching you. 

The guy she is dancing with is clearly turned on by her and her behavior, as you watch him stick his finger in her drink swirling it around before she grabs his wrist, and lifts his liquor soaked finger to her mouth and sucks it clean.

Mother fucker….

She pulls him into her, his head leaning down so that she can whisper into his ear. You can’t quite make out what she’s said but you can see his eye brows rasie and his mouth forming something along the lines of ‘holy fuck, that was hot.’

You snap.

You thanks Alexis, and let her go, storming into the kitchen careful to not let anyone see your massive erection. You are furious that she was able to even do this. 

You hate her…

You make yourself a stiff drink, and drink half of it, cooling off before you return back to the living room. You decide to ignore her, and go find Sam. You walk into the living room to find him with a group of people discussing god knows what, but anything is better than watching that bitch egg you on from across the room.

Out of the corner of your eye you see them sitting on the couch together, her on his lap with his hand resting on her thigh. 

She’s sitting on his lap now…?

You breathe a deep breath and look away, turning your attention back to Sam, listening to him ramble on. Subconsciously you find your head turning back to them as you sip your drink and try to be inconspicuous. 

She’s still there and his hand has moved higher on her thigh. He says something funny and she throws her head back laughing and leaning back, you catching a small glimpse of the barely there black lace fabric between her legs. 

Your heart beats rapidly in your chest as all the blood begins to rush to your dick for the second time tonight. She locks eyes with you and bites her lip, quickly releasing it before looking back her her guy.

That’s it, you gotta get out of here.

You push through the crowd in the living room and make your way to the back yard where you find Josh telling some elaborate story. You stand in the back just listening until he is finished, smirking because you know how it ends. He walks over to you.

“Hey dude, haven’t seen you much tonight? Where ya been?” He asks.

“Inside, being absolutely tortured, but I’m sure you know that already, because you invited her.” You say matter of factly. 

“Why Daniel, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Josh says acting innocent. 

“Cut the shit. How did you know?” You ask him.

“Intuition, my brother. Don’t wait too long, she seems awfully comfortable in there.” He says.

“Fuck no dude, she can come to me. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna be the one to cave.” You reply. 

“You’re gonna fuck it up if you’re not careful.” He says with a smirk. 

“I know what I’m doing…” you reply walking back inside. There is commotion in the kitchen and people yelling ‘shots!’

You were wholly unprepared for what you were about to walk in on. 

There on the kitchen table, she was laid out with a shot glass between her tits. You push through the crowd a bit to move closer, but still out of sight. She had a line of salt at the base of her neck and a lime between her teeth. You swallow forcefully and clear you throat at the thought of you being the one to do it. Her guy walks up and everyone begins to cheer. You throw the rest of your drink back and set it on the counter. You cross your arms bearing all your weight on your left side. 

You watch on as he lowers his hands grasping the sides of each of her tits, holding her still as his head lowers down and his lips wrap around the full shot glass. He picks up the shot glass with his lips, throwing his head back and swallowing, before licking the salt off her neck and lowering his mouth to hers, grabbing the lime between his teeth. Everyone cheers as he presses a wet kiss to her neck before helping her up off the table as they walk into the next room. 

Son of a bitch... 

You walk to the the hallway bathroom and are met with a small line of guys. Of course Josh has designated a men’s bathroom and a women’s bathroom…

You pull out your phone and scroll through your Instagram notifications for a few minutes before you feel someone trying get past you. A hand brushes gently across your groin and a sexy, low whisper enters your ear. 

“Enjoying the show, Daniel?” She says in a sultry voice. Her eyes dark as she gets past you and continues to the women bathroom line looking over her shoulder. 

Goddamn, has she always been this fucking hot?

A few minutes pass and a few guys come and go. It’s almost your turn when you see her re-approaching you in the hallway. 

She turns to get past you side ways, her face close to yours, your hands grazing her hips as she passes. You feel her tuck something into the front pocket of your pants, her other hand coming up to cup the side of your face as she whispers into your ear as she pulls you close, “Since you liked them so much…” 

Her hand sliding away down your neck and stopping once she reaches your belt buckle before sliding completely past you and disappearing into the living room.

The door opens to the bathroom signaling your turn. You rush in shutting the door and locking it behind you, then reaching into your front pocket and pulling out a pair of black lace panties. 

What a tease. If your dick was any harder it might burst.

You shove them back into your pocket and finish up in the bathroom. 

You have had it with her mixed signals… it’s time to end this shit.

You come out of the bathroom and walk back into the living room scanning for her face. You see her with the guy and scoff at her brazenness. 

You meet eyes with Sam who gestures for you to join him but you keep walking. You walk right up to her, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her behind you as you walk out the front door. 

“What are you doing?” She says, acting worried, but following behind you.

“What am I doing? What are you doing?” You say as you reach the side of the house, spinning her around and pushing her against the brick wall. 

She turns her head looking away from you, not meeting your eyes.

“What now you won’t look at me? After eye fucking me all night? Teasing me to no end? Too late baby, the damage is done.” You say harshly.

She looks you in the eyes, hers filled with lust. Her tongue peeks out gently brushing over her lips. You bring your thumb up to her damp limps pressing your thumb into her mouth being met with the bite of her teeth before quickly pulling your hand away and reaching into your pocket.

“This?” You say holding up the black thong, dangling on your index finger.

“I saw you staring Danny. You wanted it. You wanted…me.” She says, aloofly. “Admit it.” Her tongue resting on her top teeth waiting for your response.

Shoving the panties back in your pocket you bring your hand to her throat, gripping with light pressure as a smile begins to turn her lips upward. 

“Fine.” You say through your teeth. 

You release her throat and pull her body flush with yours, her breath hitching as she feels your erection pressed firmly against her stomach. Her hands resting on your chest, you see her eyes roll and she plays coy. But you know. 

“Tell me to stop! Tell me you don’t want me! Say it!” You yell, demanding an answer, as her hands move up to your neck and weave into the curls at the nape of your neck. She pauses for a second, looks up at you through her lashes, eyes dark and piercing and whispers, “No.”

.

.

.

.

[wanderingpages]

Noooo chapter 5😪😪😪😪 we’re coming to a close, fellas. I cannot… and yet. I can. We move forward my sisters in god

Oh…not him spending winter break with her…in the same house… as their parents…with all this…tension…. (Ive seen this [adult] movie before)

Aww he holds the door open for her… helps her take off her socks…walks her to class/.., it really is the little things. His actions… Peach said show dont tell 😮‍💨❤️

Not Cardan being fluent enough in french to have La Chute in its original publishing bye thats so hot of him and dare i say,..timothee chalamet core…. @iknowitwontwork wya (This is rockstar anon btw i am on medication (dont worry abt it peach this a little inside comradery bby)) anyways have i mentioned you write and its like a movie?

““Is it your favorite?” I ask. I wiggle my brows, “Do you think you, too, have fallen from grace?”” – first, not babygirl being versed in Camus 😛 secondly, ohhohoo i love all the biblical references 

“His smile is Cheshire in response, “Since the day I met you, little sister.”” - u know what…. At least he honest, like its really now hitting me that hes soooooooo honest about it. Playing  a little game as jude said when he was leaving her dorm after the party… like its a game but an honest one. Like am i crazy or is he just trying to see how far he can provoke her w their situation and honesty? 

Omg wait not him CLOCKING HER the very next paragraph  (By the way i feel like u should know, i have the chapter open on one half of my split screen and the other half is your ask box lol i am literally typing as i go like this is the wattpad comments section fr)

i feel so smart and validated that cardan literally says all of that ^^^ like wow i should have held my tongue (fingers) and read the next paragraph lmao

ALSO BAD THING SBY CULT DIDNT I LITERALLY SAY SHE KNOWS DOT MP3 BEFORE???? 

I like that his jewelry comes up frequently because its part of him, just like her knuckles come up cus its part of her fr like both of them are so natural abt it too like her playing w his chain and him rubbing her fingers like ugjhhfh SHOW DONT TELL IS SO IMPORTANT

Whoaaa not him clocking ASHA now!! Not jude saying her mamma dead or alive she dont really care, RESPECT 

Wait not him pulling up to the gas station to get a first aid kit….like he really doesnt say a word about it at allllllll

And jude said oh, more time alone with him? In a diner? Count me in ❤️

Oh shit cardan has moneeeyyyyyy – “I guess, there really is a lot about him I had no idea of. “I'm an honorary member,” he shrugs, “It’s kind of hard not to be when Daddy funds their lifestyle.”” purrrrr

Oop!!! “ “Ghost is my best friend. It would have been a fight had it been Locke or anyone else,” he divulges, and though I shouldn't be startled by his honesty, it still makes me feel a little too warm. Then he admits, maybe selfishly considering his track record for the past few weeks, “If he had gone further, I would have buried him.”” HELLO

Lol jude got some balls to say ““That's a visceral reaction,” I come to terms with. “Your best friend?” I blush when I remind him quietly, “you’re the one who told me to open my mouth.”” cus like she right tho

Ahhh! I squeaked ! ““Plus, I think you look cute with a dick in your mouth.””

When hes a feminist 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 – ““What makes you think you have any right over my body?” / “I know I don't.””

Hold on hold on hold on wait a minut wait a minute hold on, when did cardan transition from little sister/dear sister to baby? It happened so naturally how am i this far in and catching it???? I love him

Lol jude said fuck condoms we fucking raw or not fucking at allll 😤😤😤😤 

“After a while, I notice him staring. “Do you want some of my pie,” I offer. / “Is that a euphemism?” / [..]“Do you want it to be?”” – yes, i do, i wsnt it.

““What's the pipeline between mommy issues and wanting to bend your sister over the bathroom sink?” “ - HELP ME?! – ““Stepsister,” I tell him.” – emphasis on step fr okayyyyyyyyyyy 

““It makes no difference to me, Jude. Sister or not, I’d want you the same way I wanted you then, the same way I want you now.” ” - wait why is there butterflies in my tummy 🫣🥺

““I want you to copy me,” he says, huskily, startling me, my eyes growing wide. “I want you to stick your fingers in your panties and do what I do.” ” - PEACH…the gasp i gasped ….  !!!! PEACH

IN THE DINER!?

IN FRONT - ACTUALLY !! ACTUALLY IN FRONT OF MY SALA D IN THE DINER?! .. do continue 

““I think…I want to do to you what Spring does to cherry trees,” he murmurs. “Open you up…watch you bloom.” ” – DO NOT BE QUOTING PROFOUND POETRY RIGHT NOW IM GONNA FALL IN LOVE. 

His fingers in her mouth jus - 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶PUT MY FINGER IN UR MOUTH CUS U LOVE THE TASTE 

“He pulls out of my mouth, a trail of spit losing connection when he finds his way under the jacket, following my hand, and adding his finger to my two. I whimper at his intrusion, and think, disoriented, three. Three fingers.” – no fuc me for real PEACH PEACHERLY ANNE POSSIBLE i dont care that its dirty as hell this shit is poetic

NO NOT THE WAITRESS !!! NOT HIMS STILL GOING TOOO AHH PEACH

My heart racing rn 

Oh god.. The soft forehead kiss…like he didnt just rock her world in a booth in the diner… im literally and figuratively unwell

“He kisses me sweetly when we get to his car, and I kiss him back, because we can, for right now. ” – why did this hurt?!

AND ALL THIS TIME HE DIDNT EVEN LIKE CHERRIES

Not is it out of your system!!!! Twk ate w that fade to black fr tho

““Cherries?” / “Me,”” - STOP hes so fucking cute 

Okay this might be the longest ask yet 💀 my sisters in god is sending me💀

I think in any fic I’ve ever written, cardan is always holding doors for her lol

Not timothee chalamet core 😭😭😭 @iknowitwontwork ur friend is here, come get her ❤️

lol that is a nice piece of info to be made aware of 💀 I was lowkey wondering if you were switching through tabs lmao meanwhile I’m scrolling up and down trying to respond 💀 lol it would be soooo much h easier if this was the Wattpad comments section. Like they ate w that…that one little thing. They ate.

You did mention the song!

I really do try so hard to show not tell cus I hatttteee reading tell not show in books😭 like don’t tell me he loves her, show me!!! Where’s the build up?? The tension??

lol if cardan is blunt, Jude is ballsy (I hope it comes across this way lol)

Actually don’t know when that transition happened I just be typing stuff 💀

Always emphasis on STEP lmao he’s not the step brother he’s the brother that STEPPED up lmao lemme stop that was uncalled for anyways yes the diner, yes infront of your salad, ues the waitress, yes that song lmao

Also you should know the first time you called me peacherly anne possible, something in me changed like the stars alined and now peacherly is my go to user name for websites and stuff cus slayyyy who tf else being called peacherly ????!!!

Two really did eat w that lmaooo

[sleepy-bunbun-ace]

twst headcanons

+facts for my yuus and ocs at the end

grim takes catnaps throughout the day. you'll find him sprawled out in the sun, sleeping. cuddles with whoever is closest and then denies it when he wakes up. to be honest, he just acts like a cat and then denies it.

ace is transfem and has always known since she was little. she only kept playing the role of a guy since her brother was the only guy from 5 kids. she feels out of place in the first year friend group but doesn't admit it. if she actually put in effort, she could fistfight god.

deuce was actually told multiple times the eggs he eats aren't fertilized ones. he never seemed to listen. he's one of the best at making makeshift bandages with whatever he can find thanks to his delinquent past. melts into a puddle at any affection (especially from ace).

riddle is also transfem but she didn't figure it out until ace came out to her. she's still trying to figure things out about her personality as she tries to unlearn the toxic habits her mother built into her. a really big bundle of nerves when she doesn't know what to do.

trey seems like just a regular guy until you look deeper. there's nothing dark, he's just weird. he's watched all of the barbie movies multiple times thanks to his siblings. he's the one who wakes up first in the entire dorm.

cater will sometimes go into this state of constant confusion which is strange for someone who needs to be in the know at all times. really only plays up his crush on vil for the bit. he's actually aromatic.

jack has a cactus named after each of the first years plus whichever prefect is present. he can be a good liar for when the time calls but he usually sucks. constantly mistaken for being older than first year age.

ruggie almost lost his arm when leona used his unique magic on it. he just has this cool scar that runs up his entire arm now. pretty well informed about what's happening around nrc. multitasking king.

leona cares about his dorm and the spelldrive team so much, he's just embarrassed to admit it. actually does care about cheka a lot but he's just really bad at showing it so it just comes off as indifference (which messes cheka up in my artist!cheka au). rivals silver in how heavy sleepers they are.

floyd won't squeeze you if you tell him you're uncomfortable with it. he'll be sad for a few days but will ultimately just find another way to bother you in a way that you're okay with. can make a lot of weird sounds.

jade's mushroom thing has been going on since he first learned about them. it was going to be geodes if mushrooms hadn't caught his eyes. forgets to blink sometimes.

azul has actually terrible balance but refuses to admit it. he also forgets to breath sometimes at the most random moments. once he was read all the OSHA violations the lounge violated. it took four hours to get through them all.

jamil has a really complicated relationship with all the skills he's learned being kalim's servant. on one hand he hates that he had to learn these skills at all, on the other he's grateful he knows them. he tries to stay out for as long as possible by keeping himself busy with something. almost developed a caffeine addiction.

kalim has accepted that one day he will die. he knows he will die far before the age he wishes to live to so he decided to live life to the fullest. the amounts of kidnappings and attempted murders he's been through would've been far higher if he wasn't so alert to them. loves to give gifts out to others.

epel had a wrestling career in harveston. he was the most feared fighter in his age group. very much fears his mother and grandmother (southern moms are scary). sneaks out when things get too much (it happens a lot).

rook is pretty good at keeping unwanted people away. this man's aura is on another level, nobody wants to go near him. cried for weeks on end after vil wouldn't let him touch him after the vdc betrayal. do you guys think he panicked when he realized he let two freshman, especially one from his dorm, follow him to rescue the others?

vil sometimes struggles getting a work-life balance in order with all of his responsibilities. how do celebrities do it? is constantly working to perfect some aspect of his life. sometimes epel will drag him away from whatever he's doing to take a break.

ortho does get annoyed with how overprotective idia is. especially now that he's becoming his own person, it's hard to develop a personality with your brother hovering over you. loves to spend time with all of the first years and has a folder dedicated to each of them. he loves discovering things about himself.

idia does not have rhythm at all. do not let those scores on rhythm games confuse you at all. somehow he attracts women as seen in the ghost marriage event. at some point the rest of the housewardens made a book to translate what he says.

sebek does have a secret soft spot for the other first years. he'll do little things for them that he wouldn't do for other students. is so insecure about his position in the whole diasomnia family thing but he never brings it up. can actually curse others but keeps it a secret so he can surprise his enemies.

silver can probably understand animals. that hasn't been tested yet but all evidence points to yes. he competes with leona for heaviest sleeper in nrc. would collect plushies and sleep in a pile of them.

lillia will often go into each of the main diasomnia boys' dorms to see if they're alright. it's an old habit that's come to use many times before. do not let his actions fool you, he is a dumbass. photobombed so many students, always intentionally.

malleus fell in love with gargoyles at first sight. he saw them and decided that he must know everything about them. hoards things that belong to the rest of the diasomnia boys that he knows they don't use anymore. photobombed so many student, always unintentionally.

yuu absolutely loves to make clothes for people. it can be so relaxing at times. resident kaiju expert thanks to an old family friend. only yuu who still has their og phone from before the isekai.

yume asta keeps up idol work even after being sent to another world. her work can't stop just because they're in another world. constantly feels the need to prove they belong at nrc until they can go home. unknowingly adopted by crewel.

alexander goldenheart's personality is "based off" of akechi goro. third semester specifically. is weirdly knowledgeable in stuff that teenagers shouldn't know. you didn't hear it from me, but there's rumors going around he's actually 18 and from-

sue times is the white rabbit of heartslabyul. surprisingly, his um is completely unrelated to the white rabbit. used to act before something happened. close friends with alex and looks up to him a lot.

yume rosalia is sooooo eepy. the eepiest ever. knows idia well due to how many times their body has been damaged and needed repairs. really sneaky and has accidentally surprised rook by being sneaky.

silvester hatter is based on both book and movie sophie. her looks are post-movie sophie based while her personality is leans more towards book sophie. is the only yuu/isekai'd person to currently be in a romantic relationship. doesn't necessarily keep her magic a secret, but doesn't tell anyone about it either.

harper pendragon is somehow cringeboyfail and girlboss at the same time. it's something pendragons just do. has snuck into the school to be with his darling beloved. is rumored to be a top magician.

yuki (riddle got fucking isekai'd au) can change into an axe. soul eater style. quite the flirt if they have permission from the one they're flirting with. got sorted into pomefiore but sneaks into heartslabyul to be with riddle.

(yuu siblings au)

yukari would be a fourth year the three had been born in twisted wonderland. she had actually just graduated high school when they got isekai'd. she's semi based off of yukari takeba from persona 3. skilled archer since she was in the archery club.

yuuki is the most tech savvy of the three. he may or may not have hacked into his school's database to change his and yukari's grades at some point. loves to let his sisters choose what color to dye his hair. was president of the esports club at his high school.

yume can probably see yokai. she just ignores them and goes about her day. is a skilled photographer and was vice president of the photography club. she's a middle schooler, please stop asking her about high school math.

youko (apocalypse au) is from the little witch academia world. next gen type thing except she's not related to the main cast. randomly finds things in the woods near ramshackle that are super convenient and helpful. waits every day for grim to wake up.

yasu (dystopia au) is the opposite of their name. they are loud and chaotic and unashamed of it. loves putting up the theatrics to 1000%. found ace and decided to stick by her side until they found a way back to their world.

fragaria shortcake is technically a fae by biology standards. how would you even classify tiny fruit people? her pastries rival those of trey so they have a friendly rivalry going on. she's really short by regular people standards (she was actually sized up a lot but not to the point it would change her biologically) so she's usually carried around by the other first years.

xìngyùn xiǎo huì is my xiè lián based yuu. this is because i'm currently reading the novels and watching the donghua. is really just dragged along into the shenanigans. has little nicknames for everyone.

jane doe!yuu was snatched from the warehouse before they could figure out their identity. the mirror was concerned over their lack of soul and identity. can take off their head to scare people. first years are constantly making sure they can make good memories and live a life they deserve to live.

madeline popheart is based off of both mary poppins and mrs frizzle. she's a very eccentric woman. the new general science teacher because i refuse to believe the teachers we see in game are the only ones. actually used to be riddle's babysitter before she got caught giving her some freedom to express herself.

goose is a sky child. as in, sky kid. they and grim literally just snuck back into the school after being kicked out and haven't found out yet. gives candles to their friends.

yurei (small runaways au) cannot remember their actual name. as in, they died with no memory. follows ace around as she's the only one who can fully see it. practically adopted the child runaways as their own.

[certifiedbitch777]

The Concept of Intention

Entry Date: 2/12/2024 2:52pm

Today is Monday, and I'm supposed to be working right now, but everything in my body was fighting me from doing so. I did what I thought was best and called out, and god, am I glad.

I hate my job. I hate corporate culture, but I'm stuck here since this is the only thing that allows me to pay my bills. I would love to just write for a living. I don't care if it's to be an author, creative writer for a magazine, songwriter, or poet - I want any and all of it. It brings me peace.

These past days of trying to break bad habits and being consistent have made me deeply introspect. All I've been pondering is my purpose and what I want my life to look like, and I just end up back in the same spot. 

I want the freedom to express myself. I want the ability to carve out my own daily schedule and to follow the beat of my own drum. I want to be authentic. I want to be happy.

I just want to be happy.

In the world that we currently live in, it almost seems as if those in power are doing their best to prevent this from happening, but it's all I crave. I do my best to find joy in the little things, but it's just not in my nature to settle for crumbs when I know I can and deserve much more.

Over the past 5 years, what I wanted to do and be in life has changed dramatically. I honestly feel like I choose and hyper-focus on a vocation every 2 to 3 months. If I'm being honest, in each sprint, whichever career path I chose was never due to my genuine interest in them. It was all due to social, family, and financial expectations and pressure. 

My interest in all things linked to healthcare and technology was due to my family saying that it would be a reliable source of income. 'There will always be jobs for nurses or cybersecurity.' 'It would be a steady flow of income.' Obviously, my studying in those things lasted only a short time. My reason for indulging in it wasn't sustainable.

I also majored in Psychology for about 2 semesters in college. I actually really love the concept of psychology. The complexity of the human psyche completely fascinates. As much as I loved taking classes on it, I eventually dropped out of college due to my school requiring my broke ass to pay out of pocket because I failed 1 class :|. I was devastated, but a part of me always knew I wouldn't stick with it for long since school was never for me despite my academic success in my younger years. For background, I dropped out in 10th grade and got my GED shortly after my 18th birthday without studying :).

Between all of this exploring, I worked in various retail and warehouse jobs. Honestly, I quit those jobs at the drop of a hat because the pay would never match the stress. One thing I did enjoy was the amount of free time I had. The schedule was flexible, and I could get a lot done in a day or week since I sometimes did double shifts to have more days off. As much as the scheduling for the job was compatible with my dream life, the pay and terrible benefits nowhere near offset the latter.

Last but not least, I currently work at a top corporate company. I got in due to an apprenticeship, and they offered me a full-time offer. I will forever be grateful for that, as I was sure I would be fucked as both a high school and college dropout. They've provided me with stability I could only dream of, along with excellent benefits. However, what makes me not willing to settle for this is the lack of work-life balance I have. I work at least 6 days a week and over 12 hours most days. I have no life, happiness, or drive for anything anymore. It's as if I had to sell and exchange my soul for this life. And now I live the life of a corporate zombie with my world being filled with black and white instead of vibrant colors.

Why am I giving all this context of all my different career changes? Because I was never genuinely intentional with each path I explored. As a result, nothing worked out the way I thought it would. 

I've been applying to random jobs with mid to high salaries for over 2 years now, and I've gotten a rejection for every single one. Although that could be a result of how terrible the job market is, the way I view it, it didn't work out for a reason. It wasn't meant for me, and I only applied to them for superficial reasons, not because I was genuinely interested in them.

I want to be more intentional in everything I do in this life. Whether it's the food I eat, how I present myself, my morals and values, or even the line of work I want to pursue. I want to be the best version of me and only me. 

This is why I want to write for a living. It's been a common denominator in my life since I was as young as 5. I've always loved writing. Whether it was storytelling, music, or even something as simple as journaling, I felt aligned with what I was supposed to be doing. Even when I am blogging to absolutely nobody, I feel happy. I feel fulfilled spreading my truth no matter how ugly or beautiful.

The concept of intentional living was spoken about long before my mother was born. I thought I was doing so, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I challenge and hope that anyone who comes across this post begins the journey of self that will lead to a life of fulfillment.

[aria-ashryver]

🌟...aaaaand it's over, no more chemo!🌟

(at least I very much hope so 🤞)

And Caesar, well...

How are you feeling, Aria? When are you getting new scans? Should the side effects go away soon? If they schedule a surgery, when will it happen?

(Also, this is how I picture you getting ready to hear the results of said scans)

♥️🎉🫂🥂

HELLO sweet lovely!!

Thoughts under the cut bc I'm getting a little bleak and edgy for a sec here lmao, but out here, lemme just say:

FUCK YEEEEEEEEEEAHHHHH I DID THAT!!!! 🙌✨🎉💪

I meet with my oncologist next week, so I won't know much more until then (he'll hopefully be telling me I can make an appointment with the surgery team to talk surgery plans!!), but whatever the news is, bring it on. I've got this.

y'know, these last 3 months have really felt like...

but you know what? I'm still here. Still standing. Still got my foot on Caesar's throat.

These past couple days I've been... ugh. I want to keep matching the celebratory energy, I really do. But I am standing on a bloodied battlefield, gasping for air, my darling.

Shortly before noon, May 30th, 2023, I was told my cancer was metastatic.

Advanced.

Secondary.

Stage 4.

Incurable.

I've been carrying that knowledge for a few months now. About 114,000 minutes, actually. And I've been cutting down the intrusive thoughts that whole time. The terror. The doubt. The sheer, stark loneliness that is existing in a body with something insidious that's trying to kill you. I cannot tell you how truly claustrophobic cancer is.

I've won this battle, yes. I made it through my chemotherapy. But I'm going to be sword in hand for the rest of my life. I don't get to rest. And you know what? That's okay. In a lot of ways, I've been fighting for years.

The irony isn't lost on me that I fought tooth and nail to claw my way through depression and suicidal ideation, and now that I finally, wholeheartedly want to live, I get handed a death sentence. One I can beat back, yes (see: bloodied battlefield, foot on Caesar's throat, et cetera), but one that I'll have to continue fighting forever.

I'll be honest, I have more flavours of trauma than a goddamn ice cream parlour, I was wholeheartedly fucked up even before the cancer diagnosis lmao. But NOTHING has broken me yet.

The world has been trying to kill me for decades and I haven't let it.

Caesar is just one more enemy to laugh at.

This battlefield may be bloodied and barren, but it is mine.

I may be standing on a field of broken bones and corpses, but I am standing.

So, here's to the next fight. I'm ready 🖤

also, just as a random parting thought, I was having a massive cry yesterday (again 114,000 minutes!! of being forced to confront my own mortality, and this was only Breakdown #5 (yes, I'm counting), so like... I think I'm doing real good haha). Anyway, I stumbled on a YT short that was so bleakly hilarious to me in the context of having cancer that I laughed so hard it snapped me right the fuck out of it and i stopped being sad and resumed being awesome

the tl;dr is hell yeah chemo is over (hopefully), and I am literally unkillable and feeling very cool and rad about it 💅

also now I want a sword.

oh my god i totally need to buy myself a sword when they declare my body cancer free don't i?

...oh my god im gonna do it

kitty you genius

[beansnpeets]

I'm increasingly frustrated with Jon as time goes on. I was so angry yesterday over shit that I had to get stoned to try to calm down, but all that did was make me less anxious about it. I was still super angry.

He took the last roll of TP out of the package. Then he left the empty plastic packaging on the floor in the bathroom. We are 5 rolls into the new package of TP and he still hasn't thrown the plastic away. The garbage can is literally right there. It's RIGHT THERE. I'm not touching it on principal. It's not my job to constantly pick up after him.

Among many other things, too. Like I'm so fucking sick of this. And if I bring it up to him he gets pouty and plays victim and goes "I can't do anything right" and immediately goes on the defensive, even if I bring it to him calmly and gently. But god forbid I do anything, then he gets angry right away and tries to guilt me and scold me.

I don't think I'll ever be able to save up for the downpayment for the housetrailer I wanna buy. I keep having to spend money on other shit. Plus, the municipality that the house trailer is in, the RM office staff all quit and walked out because the SAO and counsel were treating them all like shit so even if I could buy the house I can't get title information or anything else because there's nobody at the office! Which is why I never heard back when I emailed them asking about buying an empty lot a couple weeks ago.

I'm trapped. There is no way out of this unless prices crash. I'm hemorrhaging money left and right because groceries are insane. I don't know what to do.

Oh, and last night a friend of Jon's who I used to be friends with until she got really flakey on me and stopped talking to me, was messaging him last night saying she was sad and wanted someone to hang out with so at almost 11pm he went to town to go hang out with her, which I wasn't keen on because they'd had a thing in the past and I don't entirely trust him if I'm being honest (some shit has happened in the past), but I wasn't gonna tell him not to go because like maybe it's fine and I'm being crazy (but also last time I trusted my partner too much (my ex before Jon) he cheated on me with the girl so). But yeah so he went. Got home at like 1am or so. I asked him how was going to town. Turns out she bailed on him and didn't reply to his messages after he told her he was on his way so he ended up having a nap in a parking lot, waiting for her to message him back, and then came home when she didn't. So whatever. I do get the feeling I'm being a little bit lied to, he's easy to read, but honestly I don't fucking care anymore. It's just more fuel for our inevitable breakup so whatever.

I'm just so sick and tired of everything. I'm so done. I wish there was a way out of this. Unfortunately I just have to endure it for now until I have an opportunity to leave. I'm hoping I can make some okay money with photography this summer to hopefully save because my regular paycheque isn't cutting it. Which is insane considering I'm an entire fucking legal assistant.

[television-bodies]

fic writer tag game

thank you for the tag @palmviolet ! love things like this. blessings upon you and all your sheep

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

five! my ao3 account is but a baby

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

63k. in approximately ten days this is going to jump by ~15k so perhaps i should have waited to do this tag but alas. impatience

3. What fandoms do you write for?

currently only les mis. so many themes to explore... so many characters to sink my teeth into... so many dynamics to look at and so many situations into which i can drop people...

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

i mean. this is going to be all of my fics but here's the ranking

suckerpunch

visiting hours

restoring the balance

tech week

the two sides of monsieur valentine (the perils of rarepairs)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes!!! i love comments. fuel. life blood

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

well. there's a major character death marinating in my drafts, yet to be unleashed

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

currently all of them have pretty happy endings, which is something i'm sort of trying to change because i'm starting to get a little bored of writing that all the time. sorry. scared of getting myself into a funk! all things considered though, it's probably tech week. those final lines were in my head from the very start of the fic, and with the whole christmas vibe... yeah. that one, i think

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not so far! hoping that will not change!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

not as of yet and i can't see myself doing so if i'm honest but i'm also a big believer in never saying never because i don't know who i am (or more importantly, who i will be). so. not at the moment. but in ten years maybe i'll look back at this and laugh. you know

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

again, not as of yet! not a full crossover, with characters from each thing intersecting, anyway. i've got some AUs for les mis that are specific to other interests, but nothing closer than that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don't think so.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

i don't see many fics in the les mis fandom getting translated at all anymore! the fandom is so lovely but it's definitely quieter than it has been in the past, so it doesn't surprise me. i'd love for it to happen, but no, not yet.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

nooo. i like the idea of it, if there was someone i think i worked well enough with -- but i don't know anybody over here well enough for that yet, i don't think. i am currently bad at messaging people/interacting on any level deeper than reblogging posts or commenting on their fics, which is really something i should work on. open to the possibility though!

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

enjolras and grantaire, oh my god. living in my brain for goddamn YEARS now. years upon years. with that said, i do have certain Feelings about them -- maybe i'll go more into detail with this someday on some other post but really i think that the way they're done in canon is kind of perfect, which is why i don't write canon era fic for them. there's nothing i can do to that that would make it worthwhile, to me. but putting them in different time periods or situations? ohhh yeah

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i've got bits and pieces of a les mis AU for the BBC series race across the world which i am still sort of attached to but can't see myself doing anymore, purely because writing the logistical parts of how the race etc functions in that show was boring me, and i don't want to be bored by something that i'm doing for my enjoyment. but maybe i'll do a post at some point laying out the main plot points if anybody's interested because i do still like the concept

16. What are your writing strengths?

probably still nailing this down, if i'm honest. i like descriptions.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i always think i'm not great at dialogue, but i've been told the opposite, so who knows! i think my issue with it comes more from wondering where the conversation should go/what should go in the middle of two points i want the characters to make, rather than making it sound realistic. i think i'm fairly good on the realism front.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

occasionally i'll make characters say the odd phrase in another language, but nothing more than that. i'm not fluent in any language other than english, so unless it's something i'm sure of in spanish i think i'd just be worrying if the translation is correct, which isn't worth it to me (and there isn't much use for spanish in what i'm currently writing lmao)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

fanfiction dot net days are ones we do not talk about... a haze in my mind... banished to the darkness... but i actually do know the answer to this -- it was dracula, for some fucking reason. (i know the reason. but i'm not sharing)

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

i'm quite fond of suckerpunch, just because i think it's sort of speedrunning my personal exr manifesto, but i don't know! seriously no answer to this! taking that as a good sign: maybe my favourite is yet to come.

no pressure tags go to @pumpkinspice-prouvaire @sereendy @shamedumpster and anybody else who wishes to do it!

[ask-marios-apprentice]

Stars and Knockouts

Space, the final frontier.

That's what people used to think.

On panko. You can get a destination wedding on the moon, a go-kart track on a space station, and a shooting gallery with some Lumas.

After landing on the comet observatory.

Rosalina was surprised on seeing a young lad she has never met before face plant on to the ground.

She was currently trying to figure out why there's been so much chaos in the Stars as of late.

Turns out she was interested in what I had to say when I dropped my clutch.

Oh I don't think I've mentioned this before. But some software was put into my clutch that allowed me to stabilize warps and transport back to Warp org head quarters.

I gave her the rundown on the situation happening.

Let's just say she wasn't thrilled.

She reluctantly decided to help me by giving me access to a piece of equipment and the steering wheel.

The starbit band and a supplementary drone (not pictured)

@lethalhedgehogs drew this.

This weapon was made from broken Wii remotes and joy-cons to create an AR sensor / motion control wristband.

It then connects to a supplementary drone that shoots out star bits and allows me to perform a spin attack.

I then set off to do some platforming challenges. Surprisingly some of the ones Mario actually did in the past.

1.Throwback Galaxy/ Thwomps fortress and bed and breakfast

2. Sweet sweet Galaxy.

3. Marriage counseling crater on the moon.

4. The starship Mario in disrepair.

5. Dry world.

These were basically just small obstacle courses.

After I completed enough warps.

Rosalina actually had a gift for me before I left.

A Power Star ⭐

Though just as soon as I touched it.

I passed out.

...

I saw Ic again.

Garth: Seriously. This is the third time this has happened.

Ic: Garth. I wasn't supposed to see you this early in the week. What are you doing here.

Garth: I could ask you the same thing. All I did was touch a power star and I think I passed out.

IC: Okay I didn't have everything ready yet but I do have this to say. Don't waste that Power Star. You're going to need it soon. something special is going to happen to you and the person you give it to afterwards.

Garth : Wait. what's that supposed to mean?

All of a sudden I woke up.

Garth: Oh my head.

Rosalina: Young one. are you all right?

Garth: Uh. I guess I always feel a bit groggy after I see that tanuki with the white and gold fur.

Rosalina: Wait. What did you say.

Garth: what. I just said I saw a tanuki with a white and gold fur. The guy named Ic.

Rosalina: Be honest. Are you telling me you saw saw the dimensional being of invincibility.

Garth: I think so. Is he a white and gold tanooki in a weird cosmic realm.

So it turns out that Ic is a god-like entity known as a dimensional being. People like Father time, mother nature, Grambi, are in the same league as Ic.

So I've been basically getting Divine visions.

But aside from that shocker.

I had to get back home.

My mom and Mario were getting into an argument with each other.

I'm not sure why. But I had to get going.

Garth signing off.