#I did everything I could but I fear it's very academic

[writeriguess]

Katsuki x fem reader fic where he hates you and you dont know why but then you get badly injured and almost die and suddenly hes worked up about that and when you wake up he finally tells you hes actually in love with you. Please????

The hallways of U.A. High School were a familiar battleground for you, but not for the reasons one might expect. It wasn't the intense training sessions or the rigorous academics that tested your resolve; it was the relentless animosity from none other than Katsuki Bakugo.

Every time you crossed paths with him, you could feel the weight of his glare. It was as if your very presence irritated him to his core. He was harsh, abrasive, and, at times, downright cruel, and you had no idea why.

“Out of my way, (Y/N),” he would snap, shoving past you with an unyielding scowl. It was always like this. You wondered what you had done to earn such hatred from him, but despite everything, you never asked. You figured he was just being Bakugo, and maybe you weren’t worth his time.

But the truth was, it hurt. You admired him—his strength, his determination, his relentless drive to be the best. You could never understand why he treated you so coldly.

Then came that fateful day. The day everything changed.

The training exercise had gone horribly wrong. What was supposed to be a simple mission turned into a nightmare when the villains ambushed your team. In the chaos, you were separated from the others, cornered by one particularly ruthless foe. Despite your best efforts, the fight was too much. The villain's Quirk was deadly, and before you knew it, you were on the ground, bleeding out and slipping into unconsciousness.

In the darkness, you heard a familiar voice shouting your name. It was Bakugo, but there was something in his tone that you had never heard before. Fear.

"(Y/N), stay with me!" His voice was frantic, panicked even. The last thing you saw before everything went black was his face, twisted with an emotion you couldn't quite place.

When you woke up, the sterile smell of the hospital filled your senses. You blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights, disoriented. As your vision cleared, you saw a figure slumped in the chair beside your bed. It was Bakugo, asleep, his head resting on his folded arms. His normally spiky hair was disheveled, and dark circles lined his eyes.

You tried to move, but the pain in your body made you wince. The small noise was enough to wake him. His eyes snapped open, and when he saw you awake, relief flooded his expression, followed quickly by a scowl.

"You're finally awake, idiot," he muttered, his voice rough.

You blinked at him, confused. "Bakugo? What are you…?"

"You almost died, dumbass," he cut you off, his voice trembling slightly. "You were reckless, and you almost—" He stopped, gritting his teeth as if the words were physically painful to say.

You had never seen him like this. Vulnerable. It was jarring.

"I'm sorry," you whispered, not knowing what else to say.

Bakugo stared at you for a long moment before he finally spoke, his voice low and serious. "Do you have any idea what that did to me? Seeing you like that?"

Your heart skipped a beat at the raw emotion in his tone. "Why do you care?" you asked quietly. "You've always acted like you hated me."

He looked away, fists clenching at his sides. "Because I'm an idiot," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought if I pushed you away, it would make it easier… but it didn't."

"Easier?" you echoed, not understanding.

Bakugo met your gaze, his eyes burning with intensity. "I don't hate you, (Y/N). I… I love you, damn it."

The confession hung in the air between you, heavy with the weight of unspoken feelings. Your breath caught in your throat, your mind reeling.

"You… what?" you managed to choke out.

"I love you," he repeated, the words rough but sincere. "And seeing you almost die… it scared the hell out of me. I couldn’t… I can’t lose you."

For a moment, you could only stare at him, stunned by the revelation. Then, despite the pain in your body, you reached out, taking his hand in yours. His grip was strong, almost desperate, as if he was afraid you would slip away if he let go.

"I'm not going anywhere," you promised softly.

Bakugo swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving yours. "You better not, or I'll kill you myself," he muttered, though there was no heat behind his words.

A small smile tugged at your lips, and for the first time, you saw Bakugo's expression soften. He leaned closer, pressing his forehead against yours, his breath warm against your skin.

"You're mine, (Y/N)," he whispered, his voice fierce and possessive. "I’m not letting you go. Ever."

From that moment on, everything changed. Bakugo was still Bakugo—rough around the edges, fiercely protective, and sometimes a little too intense. But now, you understood the depth of his feelings, and you knew that, despite everything, he cared about you more than he was ever willing to admit.

And as you lay there, his hand still holding yours, you realized that maybe, just maybe, you had fallen for him too.

Requests are open.

[ckret2]

@marsupials-of-mars submitted:

I was planning to do maybe a fic and more doodles of this but now I'm busy with school so I might as well show what I did do!

Based on how the goldilocks fic seems to posit that Bill at his best is a silly professor who loves to teach his own way

Introducing Professor Locke!

Things about this idea:

-post redemption, however that will go. I'm calling it an AU because I imagine it is not your plan for what happens after lol, but currently canon-compliant.

-Bill is at first not very on board with the idea of working in the higher education system. It's a scam and it's dumb that they tell adult people how to think.

-He's eventually convinced to bless Backupsmore with his tutelage, on the grounds that they're less stuck up there, they seem to care about giving their students opportunities despite their backgrounds, and the kids there care about learning rather than going to college just because their parents said they should.

-Ford uses his academic connections to vouch for Bill even though he is very mysterious and has no academic records. This is another reason why they picked Backupsmore: i's a little more lax when presented with a shockingly smart mystery professor. Bill gets an interview and charms the pants off the university president.

-He teaches "astrophysics" in theory (that's the job description) but he ends up teaching a little bit of everything.

-He's one of those professors you either adore or despise. He's very loud, often outright mean, and if you're too shy to speak up in class he does not give a SHIT about you. You gotta want it!

-However, his class is notoriously easy. He thinks homework and tests are facist, but he's required to have a curriculum, so his "quizzes" are like a few true or false questions and then a short answer where he asks something he thinks would be funny or wants to hear about, like "what's the dumbest thing another student has said in class since the last test and why was it dumb" or "fashion advice: what's the coolest thing I wore this last week? Extra credit: draw something cooler I SHOULD wear."

-as a result, students who have completely unrelated majors will take his class. If they end up being interested, he deems them worthy. If they're just there to be lazy, he will bully them into dropping out.

-Mabel buys him stickers to put on people's tests when they pass, or to just hand out when they something he likes. He gets along most with the college kids who know how to appreciate a classic gold star.

-He really wanted a big pretty lecture hall, where his voice would echo and he could point at a big chalkboard. But all Backupsmore could provide was a cinderblock and linoleum basement classroom. The lights buzz very loudly and it smells musty. They have stools and folding tables. Bill finds he enjoys the more intimate environment where he can walk between the tables and also sneak up on people.

-He's broken multiple folding tables by trying to do the cool professor thing where you hop up onto your desk and cross your legs and talk all casual. He is able to do this on his own desk thankfully. It's aluminum.

-Ford gets a bit nervous if he did the right thing when bill tells his school stories at the dinner table, so he finds an excuse to accompany Bill to a campus event where he can meet some of his students.

-His fears are quickly assuaged when he sees how beloved Bill is and how well he gets along with the kids. When he eventually joins in on one of these conversations, one of the students asks if he's Sixer. The students are excited by this. Bill tries to shut them up, to partial success.

OK I guess I just ended up writing the fic more or less so enjoy I guess lol.

Aww, this is adorable! Thank you! (And the fact that you're imagining a future for Bill makes me so happy.) He's absolutely be the weirdest professor in the school and he'd ADORE having a crowd full of trusting impressional minds whose parents are paying him to change the way they think. Talk about playing to his strengths.

Your idea is so wholesome, meanwhile the moment I saw "Professor Bill" I went,

[soldat-buck]

i had a vision while making coffee this morning

bg3 culinary headcanons: Companion Edition

- Shadowheart: absolute zero regard for contamination while cooking. kitchen habits of a permanent bachelor. licks the tasting spoon clean and keeps using it to cook. eats hot cocoa straight out of the container with a spoon. thinks pouring ranch over an entire head of lettuce and eating it like feral animal while holding it over the kitchen sink counts as "salad". if you can get past the contamination thing, the food she makes actually tastes pretty good, even if it's sometimes odd (she cooks like a stoner, despite being perfectly sober. she is just Like That).

- Astarion: perfectly capable of cooking, and actually can cook quite well. food may not taste the same after becoming a vampire, but his enhanced sense of smell tells him nearly everything he needs to know about how to season and cook food properly. he doesn't cook because he doesn't like to (washing dishes? by hand? no fucking thank you, being undead is harsh enough on the nails and skin. finding a good lotion for normal undead dryness is already impossible)

- Lae'zel: in the modern world, if her life took her in a chef direction, she'd be in a Michelin star restaurant as the world's best and most terrifying sous chef. she absolutely would throw a knife at you for fucking up her plating (she'd intentionally miss. the first time). no nonsense is ever tolerated in her kitchen, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's got temper issues (her coldness and lack of tantrums is what makes her terrifying). she'd put Gordon Ramsay in his place for his rage theatrics and then make him weep with joy after serving him the most competent omelet he's ever had in his life. if she likes you, you may address her as "Yes, Chef!" outside of the kitchen.

- Karlach: uses 4 pots to make ramen. not because she's doing anything fancy or elaborate with it, the first pot was too small and started boiling over (whoops). the second one was, oh hold on, that's a cast iron pan, maybe you're not supposed to use that for boiling liquids, huh? wait shit, can't use this one either, i'm not supposed to use metal spoons on nonstick, don't want to scratch it. There we go! this one is the right size! and if i scratch this one, it's fine! wait, where the fuck did the flavor packet go (you should definitely be concerned about leaving her alone for the weekend)

- Wyll: very resourceful cook due to his Blade of the Frontier days. can improvise a meal out of damn near anything. can identify every edible plant and mushroom and tell you how to use it in a dish. would carry an herb garden in his adventure pack if he could. would absolutely thrive on the show Chopped (he's actually banned from auditioning again because it's not fair to the other competitors to have him on). he could make you a dessert featuring rattlesnake and fresh picked clover, and you don't know how or why, but you actually like it

- Gale: approaches the kitchen the same way he approaches most things in his life - academically. knows the proper safe temperature to cook meats/etc to, knows how to brown an onion, knows what seasonings are typically used together for certain flavor profiles and how to match seasonings to proteins. knife work sucks because he uses mage hand for mise en place and his mage hand has shitty DEX, but he's scared of his chef knife from the one time he sliced his thumb open (he was cutting an onion with improper hand placement and the knife slipped)

- Minsc: would exclusively eat by dumpster diving if it weren't for Boo's disapproval. eats like a human garbage disposal. he will eat a n y t h i n g that fits in his mouth, he is the least picky eater you will ever meet. does not understand how food challenges in the show Fear Factor are supposed to be challenges

- Halsin: world class forager. very competent hunter. prefers to eat everything as raw as possible. understands but doesn't believe in strict food safety because obviously stomach acid kills germs (and anyway, a little dirt here and there never killed anyone; exposure to germs is good for your immune system). open-mouthed kissing him is gambling with your health. makes the best vegetarian salads but do not trust any chicken he has "cooked". people with weak CON might want to consider avoiding his food

- Jaheira: uses Talk to Animals to Cinderella/Ratatouille rodents in the kitchen. she commands them like she's in perilous battle and the entire world is at stake (also rodents are worse to direct than cats, they do not know the difference between left and right. there's a lot of "No! Not that cupboard, the other one! NO, the OTHER other one! Flank him, he's off balance!"). making a cup of tea is a convoluted, stressful process that takes 10 times longer than just boiling the damn water yourself

if you want more bg3 culinary headcanons, there's also: the Absolute Edition

[vxnuslogy]

— love is (ir)rational. ft. veritas ratio

— warnings: angst and breakups

— author's note: incredibly self-indulgent and heavily influenced by tiktoks and mitski songs. the last statement is from this article so please give it a read since its very interesting !!

to say that your relationship with veritas ratio was hanging by a thread was an understatement.

you tried your hardest to sweep every argument at night when you enter his office under the rug and prayed to the aeons that he'd forget it when morning came; you never learned how to deal with confrontation, so you did what you do best: avoid the situation entirely at all cost.

playing as the fool who couldn't see the cracks in your already fragile situation with ratio but still clinged onto the tiniest of hopes that everything will be fixed. that no argument between you two would actually leave you to split paths. you always found a way to one another, a middle ground you had unspokenly created. you always made it work. you had to make it work.

“this is not going to work, [name]!” he shouts as you fight back tears.

“you don't know that! we always make it work don't we, veritas? you can't just decide stuff like this on your own!” you argue with him the best you could, but veritas ratio was a genius. 

you will never win an argument against him.

“this is hurting us. you.” he sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose. “we can't continue like this, and you know it.”

“then continue to hurt me.” you desperately try to claw into your lover's mind. trying to keep any piece of him because it was better to not have anything at all. “i don't care if it hurts, veritas! if it's you then it's fine, i can look past it.”

you look like a scared animal, desperate for love and the need to feel something, even if it was pain.

“we'll be fine, veritas.” you clutch onto your shirt as tears pricked your eyes. “we have to! you promised me!”

ratio was a logical man. he was a genius. someone who should've been acknowledged by nous themselves. but at this very moment, he realizes that no amount of academic knowledge will compare to the flurry of the unknown emotional wreckage that is you. someone who thinks too much of love. bewitched with the prospect of love instead of their actual partner - him.

“veritas, please… we can still make this work.”

the diplomas of his achievements were a farce; a big hoax to hide the hollowness that resides within where his heart should be.

“you and i both know that we were both too far gone to save.”

ratio closes his eyes. trying his best to rid the hurt and shrinking image of you from his mind. 

“you don't know how to love yourself.” you avoided the truth to protect yourself, he traversed the universe to make the truth known. “how can you expect me to give you the love you want when you don't even know what it is?”

what an ugly pair you two make.

“that's bullshit!” you were gasping for air. scavenging your mind to try and find a way to refute him like you always do. “i want you, veritas! do you not understand that?”

“no.” he answered with a shake of his head. “no, i do not, [name].”

you feel your already broken heart crack a little more.

“that stuff is all bullshit.” your whisper now was just above whisper. “so what if what you said is true? you loved me at least didn't you?”

veritas didn't like the way you looked at him. so full of loneliness and fear. that look didn't suit you, not in the slightest.

“that's all i needed, veritas. you loved me so much i forgot what it felt like to hate myself.”

to love means to surrender intellectual control; veritas ratio cannot rationalize love even if you told him otherwise. but there was one thing you didn't tell him - one thing you refused to tell veritas ratio.

‘if your partner has inherently good qualities, but your love for them is based on a projection of your fantasy onto them, your love does not fit the qualities of the beloved that fueled your love. your love fails to be epistemically justified.’

— [name], ????. the emotion that is love.

© vxnuslogy 2024. please do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works.

[hana-no-seiiki]

Hello! I hope you are doing well, I have an idea, feel free to ignore but I hope you like it.

Yandere Male Deliquent x GN Ex Bully

Like he tried to make them explode and being their “true self”, because in the past, when they were younger, they defend him and he became a delinquent just to see them again.

Sorry if my English is bad.

Bye!

YAN! DELINQUENT OC x GN! EX BULLY! READER

Also your English great anon! Dw about it.

AAAAAAA I’ve meaning to do more Yan! Delinquent recently anon!! You read my mind. For those new to my account. I already have a Yan! Delinquent OC named Mori Ban (see tag: hns.moriban) who was the first to really blow up from my yan! ocs. I always loved this trope with yan stories hhh

tw/cw: DDNE, mention extreme bullying, assault, and harassment. (brought out my trauma for this one). i imagine reader to be amab/masc for this one but there are no explicits allusions to that.

Uttering the name [L/N] [Y/N] was enough to strike fear in the hearts of men. Literally and figuratively speaking, your voice was enough to make even the highest of authorities piss their pants. Not only were you capable of destroying a person’s physical body with your very own hands, you were able to dismantle everything from their relationships and reputation to their financial situations in life.

People predicted you to grow up and become an even more menacing, ruthless person. You had the potential, and with the way you were it was simply the natural trajectory.

But like you always did, you broke everyone’s expectations.

You were like the delinquent version Serena Van Der Woodsen. Mindlessly strutting in as if you hadn’t put several companies to bankruptcy because the owner’s kid looked at you the wrong way. Nonchalantly eating your lunch in the same vicinity of your old victims as if you hadn’t shoved their face into the toilet as a way to pass time. Cheerfully waving at the student council president as if you hadn’t constantly blackmailed and assaulted them for several years just so they’d do your homework and projects. No one was safe from you. You had no code. As long as you felt like it, any life could be destroyed.

Standing opposite to your current path was Mori.

He used to be the punching bag of your lesser goons. Known for being weak and poor, only good for his academic excellence.

He grew up to be almost as fearsome than you. Where-areas you were coldblooded, revelling in the pain you brought upon others. He was a lot more morally guided. Sure, his enemies often suffered worse fates physically, but he wasn’t like you in the way he picked his battles. He only brought hell to those that deserved it. Those that hurt other people first.

And then there was the way he treated you.

You technically belonged to the category he dealt with. You ruined dozens, maybe even hundreds or thousands of lives in a whim. You were the devil in a pretty suit of skin. Despite your lack of hostility nowadays, you never apologised or took accountability, never attempted to atone for your mistakes. The only reason why others haven’t confronted you about it was because of fear. They didn’t want to potentially anger you and set off a bomb.

But Mori? Mori could handle you.

After all, he dedicated his whole life to being your equal; serving you, aiding you.

In fact, he was just so disappointed to see you this way. All disgustingly docile and horridly disciplined. What kind of monster tamed you to be like this? Mori chuckled at the thought. No one but him can match you. You must have started behaving yourself for the sake of appearance. All of this was just a façade. If you had truly changed you would have begged for forgiveness to those you’ve wronged. If you had become a better person then you wouldn’t be discreetly glaring at him when you thought he wasn’t looking.

If someone had truly taught you to be a goody-two-shoes he would have killed them ages ago.

“Hey, [N/N]. Sweetheart. How ya doin?” Mori leaned forward. He grew to be quite a ways taller than you and had to lean over to meet you face to face. Much to your chagrin.

“Fine. It’s so nice of you to ask Ban. If you’ll excuse me.” You adeptly moved to the side. You had dealt with this man-child several times throughout the semester already and knew to just avoid him at all costs lest you lose braincells and precious energy talking to him.

However, you could only take two steps before his hands grappled unto your wrist.

“Woah woah woah there. We’re not done yet.”

You don’t look back, and firmly yet calmly stated, “Yes, we are.”

“It’s a little late but we have yet to give you a homecoming party. That wouldn’t be fair for the great [Y/N].”

You turned back. Eyes wide, not of surprise or anger, but from sheer awe of this man’s audacity.

“I know what you want, and you’re not getting it from me right now.” You scowled at his beautiful pink eyes and effortlessly yanked your arm away from him. You didn’t know it yet back then,

but you had already lit the match.

©️ hana.no.seiiki - yun | 2023

[theaskywalker]

hi! I had a small idea with Seth, reader (if you could do fem that would be amazing!) was in Russia for 4 years for her studies, for her coming back. she wanted to Suprise Seth by coming over in his jacket he gave her before she left:) I was thinking in that moment he looked at her (her eyes to be exact) he imprinted on her. (I would love for reader to have really sharp canines, not a vampire but almost like it! that's how my teeth have been and wanted to see someone include it in a fic:)

Seth Clearwater x Fem! Reader

Thank you for the request ghosty-boo-shh! It was an interesting idea and very fun to write. Hope you enjoy it! 😊

❥ You had always been close with Seth Clearwater.

❥ Having grown up in the same neighborhood and with your mothers being best friends it was no surprise that the two of you became practically inseparable.

❥ Sitting together during classes.

❥ Passing notes to each other when the teachers seperated you.

❥ Having lunch at the cafeteria.

❥ Studying together after school.

❥ Spending the weekends chilling at the beach or indoors watching movies and playing video games.

❥ Leah always joked that you acted like a married couple.

❥ Which turned the both of you into blushing fools.

❥ Seth liked to call you his little Dracula due to your extremely sharp canines.

❥ He loved that characteristic about you.

❥ And constantly reminded you of how cool it was.

❥ You in turn called him all sorts of silly nicknames referencing his favourite pop culture elements.

❥ By the time high school rolled up, you had fallen hopelessly in love with your best friend.

❥ You wanted to confess your feelings but the fear of him not returning them kept you silent.

❥ That's when everything changed.

❥ Your impressive academic record had won you a scholarship to attend one of the most prestigious colleges in Russia.

❥ It was your dream to study there and you were ecstatic.

❥ The day before you left, Seth came at your house to say goodbye.

❥ He surprised you by giving you his leather jacket that you had been admiring since the day he bought it.

"Something to remember me while you're at Moscow" he said.

❥ Without thinking you kissed him hard on the lips.

❥ A kiss that he reciprocated after a moment's hesitation.

❥ You confessed your feelings afterwards and Seth did the same.

❥ A long distance relationship wouldn't be easy.

❥ You promised to call him everyday and send emails in-between.

❥ And he promised to wait for you as long as it was needed.

❥ At first the communication between the two of you was daily.

❥ But after several months Seth's responses became less and less frequent.

❥ You didn't understand what caused this change in behaviour.

❥ Phone calls became non existent.

❥ And emails would be replied once a week at most.

❥ You patiently went along with it hoping that everything would go back as normal when you returned to Forks.

❥ After 4 years of studying abroad you finally graduated and made the long journey back home.

❥ The first thing you did after arriving in Forks was to go at Seth's house to surprise him.

❥ You had planned this little surprise beforehand by telling your parents to keep your return a secret.

❥ You even wore the jacket Seth gave you before leaving, thinking it would be nice to show him how much his present meant to you.

❥ Sue Clearwater greeted you warmly and explained that Seth and Leah were at the beach with friends.

❥ You went straight to La Push and saw the Clearwater siblings sitting across a fire roasting marshmallows together with Jacob Black, Quil Ateara and another boy.

❥ Leah was the first of the group to spot you and happily called you over.

❥ You gave Leah a hug and greeted Jacob and Quil, who introduced you to the third boy, Embry Call.

❥ Shyly, you turned to Seth and greeted him with a nervous "hello".

❥ The moment Seth locked eyes with you time freezed and gravity no longer held him in place.

❥ You were equally awestruck and unable to utter a word.

❥ Seth had loved you for years but nothing had prepared him for this extraordinary feeling that took over him.

❥ It was like your soul had touched his in an intimate way and nothing would ever be the same.

❥ Jacob Black broke the silence by asking you and Seth to collect more firewood.

❥ The two of you agreed.

❥ As you silently collected twigs along the beach, Seth noticed the jacket that you wore and grinned.

"You still have it after all those years"

❥ You smiled at Seth and told him that the jacket was a reminder of all the beautiful memories you had together.

"And I hope that it will be the start of many more to come" you added.

❥ Seth looked at you with adoration and claimed your lips in a gentle kiss that gradually grew more passionate.

❥ By the time the two of you made it back to the group with the firewood you were tasked to collect, one thing was certain.

"This is the beginning of something good"

Masterlist

[little-diable]

The Game is Won - Professor Aaron Hotchner (Profiling 101 Series, Part 9/9)

I decided to end this story here, because I want to focus on a few other ideas I can't let go of. Thank you so much for your love on this fic! Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated. Enjoy my loves. xxx

Summary: The reader enrolls in professor Hotchner's class "Profiling 101", a man she has always looked up to, a man who treats her like an asshole from day one. Will her need for academic validation manage to push the two closer together? Will her bright mind push her into the world of Aaron Hotchner and the BAU team? Will he manage to keep his distance before the world he tries to protect her from can get its grasp on her?

Warnings: 18+, smut, piv, some angst due to the kidnapping, regular CM stuff, a happy end

Pairing: Professor!Aaron Hotchner x fem!reader (2.5k words)

Profiling 101 Series Masterlist

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight

Her heart was racing, pounding in her chest. Every step she took felt like a risk, with the room closing in on her. Her fingertips were bleeding, her head pulsing in pain. She was driven by her determination, driven by the need to escape. And she was close, so very close.

Deep down she had feared the man, deep down she had wondered how far he’d take it. But as she had noticed that he hadn’t locked the door to the room she was held hostage in, everything had begun to clear up. He was stuck up, did believe too much in himself, not even thinking about the possibility of (y/n) trying to leave. This was her chance, probably her only chance. 

With a shaky breath, (y/n) let her eyes wander. She was now in what appeared to be his office, eyes focused on the window to try and figure out where she was. It took her a moment to read the street name, but the second she managed to focus on it, she reached for the corded phone. 

Her hands trembled as she dialled Aaron’s number, no longer sure who she could trust – especially after her kidnapper had dropped Penelope’s name. (Y/n) counted the seconds passing by, eyes squeezed shut to try and keep calm. Aaron would get her out, he would come to her rescue. 

“Hello?” The sob that left her at the sound of Aaron’s voice was almost violent, shaking through her whole body. (Y/n)’s hand shot out to stabilise herself, clinging to the nearest chair to try and stay on her feet. 

“Aaron, it’s me, (y/n).” She inhaled a shaky breath, and had to wipe her face to try and get rid of her tears. (Y/n) heard him shuffle around, heard the deep breaths leaving him. “Listen to me, Aaron, he’s working for the FBI, and somehow Penelope is involved in this.”

“What? What’s his name? Where are you, sweetheart?” A groan left her as she sank down on the chair, limbs no longer able to support her weak frame. The room was spinning, she was close to being swallowed by darkness, but now wasn’t the time to give up, not when she was so close to disappearing from this hellhole. 

“I,” another sigh left (y/n), eyes squeezed shut. “I don’t know his name, but he’s about the same height as me, brown hair, dark eyes, he’s wearing round glasses. He told me Penelope helped him, I don’t know how, but she has something going on with him. The street’s called Jerwick Road, but I- uhm I don’t know which house I’m in.” 

“I’ll get you out. He’s working on the case, I’ll have him arrested in a minute. Hold tight, sweetheart, I’ll come get you. I always will.” 

……

“Morgan,” Aaron had his fingers tightly wrapped around the handle of his office door, trying to keep his composure as he let his gaze wander. (Y/n)’s words kept ringing in his ears, repeating them over and over again. How could he have been so oblivious? He should have trusted his gut, and should have picked up on the uncomfortable feeling the guy had emanated.

“You alright, Hotch?” Derek stood close to Aaron, concerned eyes wandering over his hard features. 

“Where’s Garcia and Kayce?” He quietly murmured his words, eyes still not meeting Derek’s. Aaron kept trying to figure out if Kayce was close, knowing they had to work fast. He needed to get to his woman, needed to hold her close as soon as possible. 

“Hotch, what’s going on?” Only as Derek didn’t answer his questions did Aaron dare to look at him. Could Penelope be involved in this? The woman Aaron loved like a sister? The woman who loved (y/n) with all her heart?

“(Y/n) called, it’s him. He told her that Garcia helped him get to her.” Derek took a step away from Aaron as if he had been pushed, eyes growing darker. For a second neither of them spoke, but then they both began to move, quick steps carrying them down the stairs. Aaron called out to the others as he followed Derek to Garcia’s office, hand wrapped around his gun. 

None of them spoke, guided by the tense atmosphere, knowing that something was going on, something that left their boss shaking with what appeared to be anger. Derek came to a halt in front of the door, he let his eyes wander back to Aaron, waiting for the nod that would give him the go. And within seconds, they burst into Penelope’s office, forcing a gasp out of her as her wide eyes found her team, guns drawn. 

“Where is he, Penelope?” She flinched at the sound of her first name rolling off Derek’s tongue, eyes instantly turning glassy.

“Who? What is going on?” Aaron could instantly tell that she was just as confused, not understanding why her family was standing close to her with their guns drawn. But he had no time to lose, especially when Kayce was no longer with Penelope.

“Kayce, where is he?” Her eyes flickered to Aaron’s, not used to him speaking with that harsh tone he only used on unsubs. A sight that left his heart clenching. Tears ran down her cheeks, seemingly spurred on by her confusion and her shock. 

“He left almost ten minutes ago. What did he do?” 

……

She must have passed out, swallowed by darkness after Aaron had ended the call. Perhaps it had simply been the fault of the safety she had felt for the first time in hours, knowing that Aaron would come and save her. Whatever it was, it had instantly forced her out of this reality.

But now she woke with a groan, eyes struggling to focus on her surroundings. She was still in the office, no longer sitting on the chair, but lying on the ground. It took (y/n) almost a minute to set into motion, knowing that she needed to get out of the house while she was still alone. With a sigh leaving her, (y/n) shifted on the floor, eyes squeezed shut because her surroundings were still blurred. 

“I have to say, I’m impressed.” Her eyes shot towards the door, her heart coming to a stop as her eyes met the ones of her kidnapper. He was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed in front of his chest, lips pulled into a smirk. “I didn’t think you had it in you, (y/n). It’s a shame it has to end like this, I wanted to keep you around for a while longer.”

“They’ll be here any moment now, you lost the game, because you got sloppy, because you underestimated me.” Her words seemed to swallow him wholly, drowning in waves of anger now flushing through his system. (Y/n)’s gaze was forced down to the gun he had cocked, pointing it at her with a sinister smile glued to his lips. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, (y/n). You’re in no position to defend yourself.” He took a step into the room and didn’t take his eyes off her features as he closed the door. A shudder ran down her spine, goosebumps covered her limbs in fear of dying in a room with a man she hated more than any words could ever describe. She needed to drag this out and give the team a few more minutes to find her. 

“You won’t kill me, it was never the plan to kill me.” She murmured her words while slowly rising to her feet with aching limbs. (Y/n) carefully watched his every expression, trying to stay calm as she reminded herself that this was the situation she had been training for. And now, as she watched him with tired eyes, she knew that he wouldn’t kill her, not when he still hadn’t shot her, even after moving around. 

“You messed it all up! You were supposed to stay in the room, wait for me like a good girlfriend would do. But I misjudged you, you’re no longer worthy, I have to get rid of you to free myself from your spell.” Confusion swapped through her, words she couldn’t pay any further attention to as the loud sounds of somebody calling out her name echoed through the house. 

She was safe, she was safe, she was safe. 

……

“Here, let me.” Aaron stood behind her, arm wrapped around (y/n)’s waist. Their eyes met in the bathroom mirror as he carefully watched her wipe her face clean, struggling to get rid of the blood covering her skin. 

It hadn’t taken the team long to find her, within minutes she had been freed, ripped from the man’s grasp who had been shot by Aaron the second he had moved closer towards (y/n). The sobs that had wrecked through her as Aaron had pulled her into her chest had been violent, shaking up the whole team as they engulfed her, all but Penelope and Derek. 

“Can I ask you something?” By now she had turned around in Aaron’s hold, staring up at him as he cleaned her face and neck. The hum that left him vibrated through her, once again reminding (y/n) that she was safe, that she was right where she belonged. 

“Did you figure out why he had ties to Penelope?” She watched a frown tug on Aaron’s features, taking his time to answer her question. It seemed as if he was still as shaken up as she was, reminded of the past trauma he had been forced to endure. 

“He befriended her and got access to her system, and from then on he managed to get into her system to watch you. She’s shaken up, Derek’s currently with her.” (Y/n) shifted her weight onto her toes to meet Aaron’s lips for a slow kiss, needing to feel him close, desperate to feel him pressed against her body. 

“I’ll visit her tomorrow, I can only imagine how awful she’s feeling.” Aaron pulled her in for another kiss, placing the wet towel down to wrap both his arms around (y/n). The moan that left her allowed a grin to widen on his lips, enjoying the feeling of having her back here with him, the only one who’d ever be able to make her feel like this.  

“Take me to bed, Aaron.” Her whispered words rang in his ears, forcing them to part as Aaron pulled her into his bedroom. Carefully he pushed her down on the mattress, pulling her shirt over her head, and her jeans down her legs moments later. 

“God, how I missed you, how I missed having you in my arms, I won’t ever let you out of my sight again.” His words left her chuckling, forcing (y/n) to pull him down, unable to reply with words. Aaron kissed his way down her throat as his hands did quick work on her bra, letting it fall down to the ground. “My pretty girl, how I feared that I wouldn’t ever get to see you like this again. I would have burned earth to its ground for you, everything to have you back with me.”

“Aaron,” she choked on his name, eyes finding his as she parted her lips once again. (Y/n) was overcome by her emotions, unable to stop herself from speaking what she had wanted to say for years. “I love you, so goddamn much.”

“I love you too, and I always will.” Aaron kept holding eye contact as he sucked on her hardening nipples, forcing groans from (y/n) that made his cock twitch. Both wouldn’t waste any time tonight, it had been too long, too many hours had passed without feeling one another close – hours they wouldn’t get back.

“Love me, Aaron. Fuck me, please.” His hum vibrated on her skin, shooting shudders down her spine. (Y/n) watched his every move, how he rose to his feet to undress, how he reached for the nightstand to pull a condom free. Only as his cold hand found her heat, panties ripped from her, did her eyes fall close. He brushed his fingers through her slit, collecting drops of her arousal to spread on her folds. It felt as if she was reborn, finally freed from the grasp darkness had on her.

“I got you, pretty girl, let me take care of you.” He aligned himself with her heat, slowly pushing into her to leave them both breathless. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke, needing to adjust, allowing her to let go of a heavy moan. With a small nod thrown his way, (y/n) allowed Aaron to move, clinging to him as he began to build a fast rhythm. 

Her nails scratched at his skin, begging for more without finding the strength to speak up. But Aaron seemed to understand everything her body was telling him, fucking her even deeper. Their eyes met as she reached for his hand, wanting to feel every part of him on her, guiding his fingers to her pulsing bundle. 

“I will always love you if you let me. You’re forever mine.” Tears welled up in her eyes, her throat was too choked up to reply, (y/n) could only hope that he could read the emotions swimming in her pupils. God, how she wanted to be his till the end of their time. How she wanted to cling to Aaron till their last breaths would leave their frail bodies. 

Aaron dipped his head down for a slow kiss, tongues moving together as he fucked her into the mattress, set on burning his touch into her skin. He could almost hear the racing beat of her heart, he could almost feel her passing out beneath him due to the intensity of their touches. All for the man she loved, all for the woman he adored more than words would ever be able to describe. 

(Y/n)’s walls fluttered around him, already close to the edge, begging Aaron to give her the last needed push. With his fingers adding more speed to their movements, he watched her fall apart, pleasure-drunken features staring up at him. It was a sight so raw, a sight so beautiful, Aaron followed her down moments later, letting go with a groan. 

Slowly he pulled out of her, getting rid of the condom before he pulled (y/n) into his chest. Neither of them spoke for a while, hung up on their thoughts, wondering how they had ended up right here. Brought together by their shared interest, forced to meet as student and professor, guided by their emotions for one another. But yet it had always felt awfully right as if they had been made for one another.

“I love you, Aaron Hotchner.” (Y/n) shifted in his grasp, staring up at him with a smile. 

“I love you too, (y/n).”

[andraxicated]

Intimacy in all its forms

Pairings: ayato, heizou, albedo, kaeya, childe, scaramouche x f! reader

tags: fluff | highschool au! (currently reading seasons of blossom and i'm not okay)

a/n: this will probably be one of my last writings here before i'm once again swept up in school. this will be 3 parts with other characs!

taken from prompts here

pt. 2

Ayato | The intimacy of someone falling asleep next to you. On your shoulder. In your company.

—he was oh so capable. everyone admired and trusted him, he was all smiles to them and they'd worship the ground he walked on. he was good at everything; academics and athletics, student government positions, and work that seemed too much for one person. he handled it all like some kind of superman and you hated it so much. you hated how ayato promised he'd change his attitude when you're dating and he broke it—seeing him still handling paperwork when the sun was starting to set and the school was about to be empty.

"are you done?" you ask, leaning against the door to be met with his sorry eyes and words. "sorry (y/n), i'm about to be finished soon, you can go now if you want." what kind of question was that? of course, you'd stay with him.

you pull out a nearby chair and sat next to him, leaning closer and resting your head on his shoulder. "I can't have my afternoon nap because of you" you mutter before closing your eyes, hearing his hushed apologies that you inwardly groan to. and when you wake up, both of you go together in the darkened hallways hand-in-hand, passing by empty classrooms that you refuse to look at and ayato chuckles while glancing at you.

he doesn't call for a car ride when he's staying late, in fear of inconveniencing the family drivers but you tell him he's the only one who'd be inconvenienced commuting at a rush hour.

"how could I be inconvenienced when you're with me?" he says before yawning, a sign that he was about to succumb to exhaustion, and soon you feel a weight on your shoulder to see his blue hair nuzzling your face. ayato fell asleep on your shoulder as you held his hand, smoothing his knuckles over.

it was far from an uncomfortable silence. to have him resting on your shoulder, in your company, laying his guard down, and being vulnerable around you is enough to make your heart melt. you remember feeling something press against your head earlier when you were asleep on his shoulder, it felt like a kiss. and you know you'd always return the favor so you lean down a bit and kiss the top of his head, careful not to disturb him in this short slumber.

"take it easy sometimes, will you?" you whisper.

Heizou | The intimacy of “How did you know that?” “Because I know you.”

—you learned from the very start that heizou was a deductive person. it's like he knew everything as he was very quick to pick up on things. he even notices random stuff that you don't even know about. and all these little things he points out pile up and makes your heart flutter. you seriously think you're catching feelings and you hope this was one thing heizou won't know.

"you have something on your mind? you've been zoning out since earlier like your soul had flown out." he asks and you brush it off by saying you're just stressed from doing schoolwork. heizou won't pry if you don't want to tell him so instead...he's going to be the one to tell you something that's been weighing heavily on his mind.

it was just a peaceful day hanging out with him until he blurts out a confession out of the blue. "I like you (y/n)" he says and you're staring at him unbelievably with your eyes wide and mouth parted. he continues, "and I know that you like me too...at least from what I observed. turn me down if I'm wrong-"

"wait. how did you know that?" you cut him off. and you weren't even obvious with your crush from what you think. does he really know you that well to let you face your feelings for him?

"because i know you"

it had been bold of him to take that leap of faith to you. because there was that slight chance that he was just assuming and you only saw him as a friend. but his risk paid off knowing you all these years, staying by your side, and watching you fall for other people. for the first time, he chose to trust his guts rather than his mind. and it was rewarding to see you smile and hear your answer to his confession.

"once again you're right. i like you too, heizou"

Albedo | The intimacy of seeing someone’s unfocused eyes when they first wake up

—your eyes flutter open and the first thing you see is long lashes and striking tufts of blonde hair. you're curled up against the bed, a safe distance from this warm body and you haven't processed the information yet that your "classmate" is still here and you slept in the same bed together.

your parents are coming home today by the way.

you mutter a curse, soon realizing that the wet streets have dried and albedo is still here. oh my god. albedo! you wanted to scream but he looked so peaceful sleeping, you thought it would be a crime to wake him. but from your stirring and panic, you stop for a bit just to see his eyes flutter open, staring at the ceiling for a moment, revealing a lovely color of teal that soon moved to stare at you.

"good morning" he groggily greets and you say it back meekly. oh you've been a bad bad girl. when your parents are away from vacation, you invited your boyfriend to your house for a movie and cuddles since it was rainy season. turns out, you lead him to the bed for a continued cuddle session until you fell asleep.

you both sit up at the same time and you carefully watch what he does next. albedo looks at you as you flinch in surprise. "I should go now, you said your parents are coming back today, right?" you nod and he moves to kiss your forehead, feeling the warmth of his soft lips that closed your eyes. "I should've said no but unfortunately, I realized I couldn't resist you. I'm dating a bad influence." albedo says, playing with your fingers as you shake your head while giggling.

"let's have breakfast together first. then you can go after that, we have plenty of time." you whisper, kissing his cheek before going out of your room, feeling flushed and giddy from this intimate secret.

Kaeya | The intimacy of someone saying "Text me when you're home safe."

—"you don't have to do this", you shake your head looking up at him yet he gives you an easy smile in return. "this is the least I could do as your suitor." he insisted to wait with you at the stop until your transportation arrives. kaeya always made you feel safe and assured, he was constantly looking out for you. and before you go, he held your arm and said "Text me when you're home safe." so when you arrive, you let down your bag and pull out your phone to text kaeya.

"I'm home now! how about you?" you waited for a few minutes, growing worried until you see him typing a message that read, "home too. it's raining these days and it's going to be hard to commute. do you want me to give you a ride home starting tomorrow?"

you type in, feeling embarrassed yet he beat you to it saying "it's only for the rainy days. i hate seeing you squeezing against other commuters too."

yet he didn't say you'd see his brother too in the front seat with kaeya enthusiastically tapping the passenger seat at the back for you to sit in. it was very awkward in the car, proceeding to kaeya's smooth words that his brother lets out a groan every few minutes or so. you know it was his way of letting his brother know that he actually has a girl with him.

"hi can you please drop me off just around the corner? it will be fine thank you." you spoke to the driver with a smile and kaeya was confused as to why you wanted to be dropped off there.

"are you hiding something from me? a secret boyfriend coming over?" he teases yet he was quite nervous for the reason. you laugh it off, pushing him playfully before easing his worries.

"my parents still don't know about you, right? let's avoid any confrontations for now, I just don't want to be teased by my family that's all." you held his hand, giving it a little squeeze to see him break out in a small smile. "i'm not hiding something i swear! i'm serious about you. i like you kaeya!" if someone, even your neighbors saw this sleek black car parking in front and you coming out of it, it will certainly be the topic of gossip. you just wanted to avoid that.

"i know. i like you too. but was that your answer—" "ehem, (y/n) here we are. stay safe." diluc cuts him off with a cough, announcing your location and you pull away much to kaeya's dismay. you give him your brightest smile before shyly waving, thanking the brothers and the driver then got out of the car, walking to your house, knowing they're still there parked and watching you go in.

kaeya's phone beeps, a notification of your message saying, "I'm home! Thank you for the ride♡"

Childe | The intimacy of instantly recognising someone’s handwriting

—a piece of paper had found itself bouncing on your desk, all crumpled and white. you open it, not taking a glance at whoever behind you had thrown that but as soon as you open it you already know who it came from.

it was very evident from the handwriting, nice and clean but in terms of penmanship against other people you know, this person was on the middle tier. it was not something that gets someone to say "wow, your handwriting's good!" yet you loved seeing it anyway.

and you know he could see the corner of your lips rise from his view, it made him mirror the grin you so subtly hide in fear of being called out. you take a glance at the teacher before writing on the piece of paper.

replying to the message written, "Let's have lunch together :(( I miss you"

you write in, "Okay! And I missed you too even though we literally talked 10 minutes ago", you crumpled it back and threw the paper without looking, hoping ajax could somehow catch it.

have some faith in your boyfriend, would you? he's not part of the athletes if he's not that agile at catching. he secretly opens it and fails to hold back his chuckle that drew question marks above everybody's heads.

Scaramouche | The intimacy of answering the phone "Hey you."

—the phone rang, the door locked, and his heart fast as he was nervous about talking to you. pacing around, running a scenario of what would happen once you answered the phone.

scaramouche doesn't wait yet he finds himself wishing you'd pick up. but ultimately the tone ended without being answered and he was left with his screen showing a failed call.

he sighed, wanting to retire for the night until his phone rang once again with your name on it. he dives onto the bed to get ahold of the device and picks it up, speaking first as he always gets the first word.

"hey you"

"What's up?" he hated your dry reply. "What took you so long to pick up?" he wanted to know what kept you busy, didn't he tell you to always answer your phone when he calls?

"I took a shower and cleaned myself up. I'm literally in a towel. Why did you call?"

he didn't mean to do it but he immediately created a mental image of you freshly out of the shower with your hair wet and wearing a towel. the tip of his ears turned hot and he struggled to speak until you laughed over the phone and reminded him of what he was to you.

"hey boyfriend. you shouldn't be thinking of anything funny—"

"I wasn't!" he acted like a provoked cat as his shout tore that his mom shouted back asking who he was fighting. he was certainly fighting you and your schemes to get him all flustered, it worked though. and scara never changed, even after everything he always had the first word in calls. a "hey you" laced with unconcealed affection and a cheeky grin that follows.

[taurusdaylight]

our rendezvous

summary. being lost in the horizon sounds scary, but not when you're hand in hand with your lover.

pairing. boyfriend! jaehyun x implied fem! reader

genre. established relationship! au, fluff

word count. 4,021

warnings/tags. as far as i know, nothing :) it's only a little angsty because of uncertainty about the future, but nothing too intense! very very fluffy,,,, maybe a lil pda (oh?)

a/n. ur resident valentine is back! i'm so sorry for going off the grid, my life has been a blur over the past few months… i did nothing and everything. anyway, this is inspired by none other than horizon (soty!) and i was very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit florence, where the horizon mv was filmed, so i knew i had to write this! after finishing it, i realised it's rather similar to my first fic but what can i say, i love jaehyun travel! aus, plus, jaehyun and forever just go together. <3 hope the new year is treating everyone kindly, and as always, have fun reading~

–

Navigating life after graduation was akin to walking through a maze, struggling to find a way out. Growing up, you always thought that everyone’s life had already been nicely written out since there were only two things that truly mattered: school and work. The adults always preached about how good academic records would land you a great job. All your life, you never failed to achieve and maintain stellar grades so you never doubted that you would get a job. Yet, as the day of your graduation approached, you started to worry that you might not end up finding a job. Or at least, one that was to your liking.

The thought of working for the rest of your life sounded… boring. Perhaps an oversimplification, but you always made sure to put a hundred percent into your studies, so you felt like you never really had the chance to live your life the way you wanted to. You weren’t a party animal per se, but you wouldn’t hesitate to skip a night out with your friends if you had an important deadline to meet. It was always academics over everything else. Apart from meeting expectations that others had on you, the fear of failure haunted you too. More often than not, the urge of wanting to disappear creeped into your mind. It didn’t seem like a bad idea, running away to some random part of the world where no one knew you. Once you’ve spent enough time there, you could easily travel to another city and explore till your heart’s content. That was the dream. Unfortunately, this particular dream of yours never came true.

That was, until now.

Treading the path of adulthood was admittedly scary, you could slip and fall at any given moment and not know how to pick yourself up. But, you weren’t on your own. 

Jeong Jaehyun, your boyfriend of two years, shared the same sentiment. Sure, he was ambitious and had his goals set out. Like you, however, working himself to death wasn’t one of the things on his list. Jaehyun believed that it was important to strike a balance, to not throw yourself into something so deep that you would get lost in it. Working may be important but it would never hurt to have a little fun whenever time called for it. 

You first met Jaehyun in Introduction to Film Studies. Both second-year students, you and Jaehyun clicked extremely well with each other as you bonded over your shared love for films. What started as study sessions to help each other with assignments eventually progressed to warm, cosy movie date nights that also involved cuddling under a fluffy blanket on Jaehyun’s couch. 

While there have been minor arguments over those two years, you and Jaehyun always made sure to communicate. After all, a couple is supposed to fight the problem, not each other. The both of you understood that. These disagreements never bothered you that much because you believed that they were part and parcel of every relationship. Instead, you wondered more about how lucky you are to have found someone like Jaehyun. As you liked to put it, Jaehyun was your twin flame. He spoke to your soul in a way that no one else could.

Instead of taking the conventional route of starting a full-time job after graduating, you and Jaehyun booked one-way tickets to Rome the week after your final exams. How long the both of you were going to stay there for, that was a question for another time. The plan was to have no plan, going wherever your feet took you. Both of your parents weren’t exactly agreeable about this idea, nagging about how irresponsible and irrational it was. But what could they do? It’s not as if they could physically stop two grown adults from going. Eventually, they were able to come to terms with it and simply asked the both of you to stay safe. 

It’s been about three weeks or so since you two arrived in Rome. Tranquil mornings without a blaring alarm was something that you could really get used to. The icing on the cake would be waking up to the sight of Jaehyun sleeping peacefully next to you, an arm securely draped around your waist. His lips would slightly jut out, you would sometimes sneak a kiss or two because he simply looked too adorable to resist. 

A day out together would look something like sitting by an artwork in a museum, coming up with various interpretations or hopping from café to café to try out different desserts (which were often, gelato), you couldn’t count with your fingers the number of times the staff had to chase the both of you out because they were closing. Time is said to fly past when you’re having fun, but even more so when you’re spending it with the love of your life. At least, that’s what you think. 

The both of you woke up earlier than usual today because you’d turned in early the previous night, probably exhausted from all the walking. The sun wasn’t up yet, which meant that there were limited stores that were operating during this time too. It felt like a waste to sleep in and laze around in the apartment, so came the impulse decision of buying last-minute train tickets to Florence. 

“C’mon baby,” Jaehyun half-shouted, his gaze flickering between you and the platform located at the other end of the station.

Hands intertwined, you and Jaehyun were sprinting as fast as your legs could carry you in order to catch your train that leaves in approximately two minutes. Or rather, you were doing everything in your power to match Jaehyun’s speed because why was he running like he was competing in the Olympics? So much for wanting an athletic boyfriend. 

You were almost out of breath from running, you didn’t even have the energy to give Jaehyun a verbal answer. Instead, you tried to speed up like he told you to. After what felt like a hundred miles, the both of you finally reached the platform, boarded the train, and settled down into your allocated seats. 

“Oh my goodness. We are never doing that again,” you said, panting. 

Jaehyun shot you a wide grin. “Now that’s what I call an intense leg day.” 

You were rendered speechless. Here you were, thinking that he was going to agree with you. But you also remembered that Jaehyun was a gym rat first, your boyfriend second. Jaehyun goes a little over the top with exercising, you could tell that much just by looking at his physique. Though, you wouldn’t say that it was exactly a bad thing. In fact, what a sight for sore eyes he was… 

Before you had a chance to respond, Jaehyun used his other hand to push your head towards his shoulder. “Go to sleep, doll. Don’t want you feeling cranky in the middle of the day because you didn’t get to take your daily nap. I’ll wake you up when we’re reaching.”

Despite not being able to see him, you could hear the smile in Jaehyun’s voice, which caused you to grin too. Perhaps it was Jaehyun’s shoulder that made you comfy, but you could feel the sleepiness slowly start to envelop you, so you snuggled even closer to him.

“Good night, Jay,” you said before falling into slumber.

–

The train ride took faster than expected, probably because you were asleep throughout the journey. Upon alighting, you and Jaehyun walked aimlessly along Via Faenza. You stopped in your tracks when you caught the pleasant aroma of coffee beans coming from a café, it was so inviting that the both of you had no choice but to enter.

Save for the long line of people in office-wear queuing to get their morning coffee fix, there was no one else occupying the seats in the café. Wanting to be away from the crowd, you and Jaehyun made your way to the corner booth seat situated all the way inside after getting your order. You sat next to each other, with Jaehyun's arm wrapped around your waist. Your torso was slightly exposed because of the cropped top that you wore, and Jaehyun’s fingertips easily found purchase on your skin. Soft traces all over, which oddly enough, made you feel tingly and warm simultaneously. 

“Jaehyun,” you called out.

He turned to look at you. “Hmm?” 

“Do you regret being here with me? Don’t you feel like you’re wasting your life away?”

Jaehyun halted his movements, but he did not loosen his grip on your waist. His answer was written all over his face, from his creased eyebrows to his frowning lips. 

“Of course not, baby. Did I do or say something to make you think that way? I’m sorry if I did,” he said sincerely. 

“No, you didn’t do or say anything of that sort!” you quickly clarified. “I think I’m just worried about the future, you know? Once all of this is over…”

A small smile played on Jaehyun’s lips as he removed his arm from your waist. He cupped your face in his hand, sighing. “I wish you could see yourself the way I saw you, because then you’d have nothing to worry about at all. You’re going to do great things, ____. I’m sure of that. But for now, just let loose and enjoy yourself, okay? You deserve to have a break.” 

Jaehyun’s words could bring you to tears. He radiated so much positivity that it naturally rubbed off onto you, especially with the amount of time that you spend with each other. However, there were still moments of weakness, like now, where you’d inevitably think about how things could possibly go wrong. Before you could spiral into a whirlpool of negative thoughts, however, Jaehyun would pull you right out of it by telling you exactly what you need to hear in order to help get you through these times.

“Thank you,” you whispered, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Jaehyun’s cheek.

Jaehyun made a sound, as if to signal that he was pondering. He pointed at his cheek and tapped on it with his index finger several times. “One more?”

You couldn’t help but giggle at his request, but who were you to deny him? Since you were feeling generous and grateful to your boyfriend, you quickly moved closer to give him two more kisses. One on his cheek, and the other on his lips. The best part was seeing the Cheshire cat smile appear on his face after he’d received his well-deserved kisses.

For the rest of the time at the café, you and Jaehyun were people-watching through the glass window while sipping on coffee and feeding each other small spoonfuls of pastries. At some point, random passer-bys became a part of a guessing game that started out of nowhere. Dating or siblings? What would their coffee order be if they came in here? The both of you had a lot of fun making up stories to back up your answer, boisterous laughter sounding through the place. 

Afterwards, you and Jaehyun continued wandering through the streets now that more stores have opened. An apparel store selling headwear caught Jaehyun’s eye, and he spent about twenty minutes or so looking through the bucket hats. Taking one in his hand, he tried it on and started making silly faces at you while dancing. 

“Stop it, you’re embarrassing me.” You reached a hand out in an attempt to remove the hat from Jaehyun’s head, but he swiftly avoided you.

He held on tightly to the hat. “I think this was made for me. I’m definitely getting it.”

The hat didn’t look bad on him, but it was still… questionable. A helpless sigh escaped your lips when you knew that nothing you say would change his mind. “Okay… as long as you’re happy.” 

Fortunately, Jaehyun didn’t have thoughts of wearing the hat there and then. Because if not, you would think twice about walking next to him.

The next few stores mostly sold vintage items and souvenirs. You and Jaehyun ended up getting matching gnomes that had the initials of your first names carved into it. While checking out at the counter, the cashier made a comment about how cute the two of you look together and that the gnomes were such fitting choices, so much so that they looked like mini versions of you two. With shy smiles, the both of you thanked her before exiting the store. You also noticed the tinge of red on Jaehyun’s ears, but kept quiet about it since you were most likely a blushing mess yourself. 

Then, it was time for lunch. 

You and Jaehyun had previously crafted a mini bucket list, and one of the things on the list was to try the various types of pasta while you were in Italy, so that’s what the both of you had for lunch. It appeared that all the shopping must have taken up a great deal of your energy because the both of you still had an appetite for dessert afterwards, or, rather, gelato was considered a staple so there was no way that dessert could be skipped. 

Although it was sunny, the summer heat wasn’t unbearable so you two were at the outdoor seating area of the gelato café. Within the vicinity of the café, there was a group of children playing catch with one another. After finishing the gelato, Jaehyun dragged you along to them. 

“Ciao! I’m Jay,” he introduced with a friendly smile. 

You introduced yourself to them too and stood behind Jaehyun, hiding slightly. You didn’t have anything against children, but you still considered them to be strangers, and you always had a hard time talking to strangers due to your reserved nature. You barely had any experience with children too so this was still foreign to you.

On the flipside, Jaehyun adores children. You could see it in the way his eyes would light up whenever he interacted with him. Not to mention, he was great with children (an understatement, if you had to be truthful). Seeing Jaehyun with children always made your heart swell, in a good or bad way, you weren’t sure… The only thing you were certain of was that you definitely wanted to have his children.

While you were spacing out, Jaehyun was quick to ask and memorise the names of the children. He played around with them for a bit and made sure to include you as well, the game of catch was never so fun before. However, it wasn’t long before you got tired, so you opted to sit at one corner to watch them. You whipped out your phone to capture this moment, giggling at how precious Jaehyun looked. Happiness looked great on Jaehyun, and you hoped that it would stay on him for a long, long time.

All of them grew tired after a few rounds too, putting an end to the game. While they were busy running around, you discreetly returned back to the café and told the cashier that you would be paying for the children to get gelato. You also grabbed a bottle of water and gave it to Jaehyun, who was perspiring profusely; indeed, an intense leg day it was for him. 

Through body language and very poorly spoken Italian, you tried to tell the children that they could go pick out the flavours that they wanted at the café. You were far too preoccupied with communicating that to them, the endearing look that Jaehyun had on his face went unnoticed by you. Thankfully, the cashier was there to bridge the language barrier and they managed to get their gelato without any hiccups. Before leaving, each of the children gave you and Jaehyun a hi-five, a word of thanks echoing after one another.

Having spent almost the entire day in that area, you and Jaehyun decided to explore another part of the city before catching your train back to Rome. Long before this trip, you happened to stumble upon a website about the top spots that offered a picturesque view of the city. One of which was a twenty minute bus ride away from where you and Jaehyun were currently at. 

When the bus arrived, you and Jaehyun entered by the back door and sat down. You were busy admiring the old architecture of the buildings outside until you felt Jaehyun’s hand touching the side of your face. You realised that he was trying to put one side of his wired earpiece in your ear, which caused you to turn and face him, and you saw that he already had the other side of the earpiece in. Jaehyun was smiling so widely that his dimples were showing. You brought a hand up to poke it, feeling a sense of victory because you were one of the very few people in the world whom he allowed to touch his dimples.

Shyly, you took Jaehyun’s hand and interlocked your fingers together. No words were exchanged between the both of you, but there was a mutual feeling that this exact moment perfectly encapsulated the love you and Jaehyun have for each other. Tender, somewhat otherworldly in a way where everything, like the chatter of the other passengers on the bus, seemed to fade out in the background. 

As Can’t Take My Eyes Off You started playing through the earphones, you took it as an opportunity to mouth to Jaehyun, “I love you.”

Jaehyun’s dimples became more prominent at your sudden declaration. He made sure not to break eye contact with you before he mouthed back, “I love you.”

–

“Look!” you exclaimed, pointing toward the replica statue of David. It was the first thing that you saw after alighting from the bus.

Jaehyun turned his head to look at what you were pointing at. “Wow, it’s stunning."

The both of you hurriedly walked over to take some photos, which ended up in you and Jaehyun bursting into fits of laughter because he was imitating the statue and posing in the same way. It definitely earned you a few stares from the other visitors, but you and Jaehyun were too busy laughing to even notice that you two were getting judged. 

After snapping a few more photos, you and Jaehyun went to the other side of the square where you could see an overview of the city. It was breathtaking, to say the least, the both of you concurrently marvelled in awe at how it looked like a scene straight out of a movie. You could even spot the street that you two were at earlier in the day, as well as many other famous landmarks. Not to forget, the surrounding trees and mountains made it feel more complete, it was a perfect getaway from the bustling city for some peace and quiet. 

The both of you were standing at the top of the stairs, and you saw that there was a walking trail below. Due to time constraints, however, it seemed more logical to sit and admire the view, since neither of you knew how long the walking trail was and where it led to. Besides, it was a perfect spot to catch the sunset before you had to leave for the train station, so you two sat on one of the steps near the top where you had an unobstructed view of the city.

Like before, you and Jaehyun were listening to music together while holding hands. Other than humming along to the song, Jaehyun would also sing some of the lyrics to you, especially if it was a sweet or cheesy line. 

“Can’t believe I get to be here with you.” Even after some time had passed, you were still greatly impressed by the scenic view, in disbelief about how you could share this moment with your lover. The bright orange hues of the sun added more colour to the backdrop, it felt surreal watching it slowly go down.

“Me too,” Jaehyun replied almost immediately. “It feels like a dream…” 

“If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up from it,” you said while shifting closer to Jaehyun’s side. “Like, ever.”

“I want to stay here with you forever.” Your voice came out as a whisper, because deep down, a part of you was afraid that this happiness would be taken away from you abruptly. 

Yet again, Jaehyun made one of those sounds to indicate that he was thinking, which made you gasp in response.

“You don’t want to be with me?” you questioned, a look of betrayal on your face.

“No, silly,” Jaehyun chuckled. “Of course I want to be with you.”

Jaehyun let out a deep breath, as though he had to brace himself for what he was going to say next. “The thought of eternity feels scary. But if I know that you’ll be there with me, then… there’s nothing to be scared of. I think, for me… forever is where you are, wherever that may be.”

Silence ensued, music playing through the shared earphones being the only source of sound. Jaehyun gulped awkwardly when he noticed that your gaze was fixed on him, but you weren’t saying anything. “Did that come out wrong? I don’t even know what I’m saying sometimes. But I guess I was trying to say that–”

You cut Jaehyun off with a kiss. He smiled against your lips, causing you to do the same. Jaehyun’s hand travelled to the small of your back to pull you in before he tilted his head to the side for better access, going straight for your upper lip to return the kiss. It was slow, delicate, and everything you could ever ask for. You sighed when you felt Jaehyun’s hand running over your skin; he knew exactly what he was doing. Every kiss that you shared with Jaehyun never fell short of being exhilarating, which was one of the great things about love… or Jaehyun. Perhaps, both. 

He was the first to pull away, staring intently at you with a cheeky smile on his face. Jaehyun leaned in closer until he could bury his head into the crook of your neck, leaving another kiss on your collarbone. You wrapped your arms around his frame, hugging him as tightly as possible. You and Jaehyun stayed like this for a while until you heard a lady yelp from a distance away, her loud voice grabbing your attention.

As you looked up to find out what the commotion was about, tears immediately filled your eyes and you had to do everything that you could to hold them back. 

The said lady was standing by the railing, both hands covering her mouth. In front of her was a man, down on one knee, holding out a box with a diamond ring. You tapped Jaehyun’s shoulder so that he’d sit back up, and he turned to see what you were looking at. All of the other visitors were also invested, as everyone patiently for the lady's answer. 

Everything happened so quickly. The lady nodding and getting pulled into a hug by her fiancé, the crowd erupting in cheers and applause–a truly sweet moment to witness. Without thinking much, you blurted out, “that’s going to be us.” 

Jaehyun diverted his attention back to you, shaking his head. Seemingly biting back a smile as his lips formed a thin line, Jaehyun jerked his head to motion at something behind you. “That’s us.”

You were about to protest, pop another question that was something along the lines of whether or not he was planning to marry you. However, you remained quiet and decided to take a look at what he was referring to first. 

Well, it looks like the urge to complain has completely disappeared. How could it not? Rather than dissatisfaction, your heart leapt with joy when your eyes landed on a couple standing hand in hand at the other end of the steps from where you and Jaehyun sat; they were having their pre-wedding photoshoot.

[hopefulatrocity]

Snow And Embers

Notes: Uh so I've fallen into my Hunger Games hyperfixation again. This is just something that came to my mind while watching the movie. I needed a refresher from my TWD fic(I have not abandoned that I swear). This leans more heavily to the movie than the books, except for Lucy's eye color, I stuck to the book with that. So spoilers. NOT PROOFREAD. Also, I'm highly of the notion that Coryo did love Lucy but not all love is healthy. His bordered on obsession. And with a tendency for paranoia, it didn't end well.

Pairing: Lucy Gray Baird x Coriolanus Snow (SnowBaird)

Part 2

CW/TW: Spoilers for BOSAS, darkish thoughts, ideas of claiming/possession, Smut!(18+ breeding kink, creampie, fingering, slight somnophilia, very slight inexperienced Coryo).

The first time Coriolanus and Lucy Gray  became one, it was slow and euphoric. There had been hesitation for him. As ashamed as he was to admit it, he had never been with anyone, romantically or sexually. He'd spent his life worrying about status, money, and academics. With the fragile state of his academic career due to Dean Highbottom's hatred for him, and the ever looming threat of eviction and starvation, even after the Dark Days, he hadn't had the time nor emotional ability to even attempt either. The beautiful rainbow that was Lucy Gray Baird, was the catalyst that changed everything. 

He'd been enchanted by her singing during the Reaping, and initially he thought his interest was simply hope that maybe she could be the key to his family's troubles. That she could be the one to turn his fortune around. Those thoughts turned the moment he watched Lucy Gray pluck a petal from his proffered white rose, and place it on her delicate pink tongue, the two colors contrasting and trapping his gaze. When her lips sealed around the soft sepal, his blue eyes traced the plump flesh, wondering what the skin there tasted like. Would they taste like roses? Or would it be something wholly Lucy Gray? 

He'd had to snap himself out of his trance, scolding himself for falling victim to his brain's carnal desires. He was there to be a mentor. He was there to fix his family's status and finally land on top, just like snow was supposed to. For a while this train of thought had worked. Every time his mind wandered to tanned skin and silky hair colored like the rich dark chocolate from his starvation-induced childhood dreams, he would think back to his interaction with Dean Highbottom, the threats, and the reasoning for why he was interacting with the tribute in the first place. 

It didn't help matters when Lucy Gray had threaded her fingers into his own when they went to view the arena with the other tributes and mentors. Her palm was sweaty, so was his, but the way their fingers fit together perfectly had his heart beating faster than ever before. He'd looked into her eyes and the fear there had him tightening his grip, a measure of reassurance. His inner Capitolite had reared it's head then, warning him about getting too close to her, a district girl. A tribute at that. One likely to die within the next few days. He'd dropped her hand, almost like the soft creases of her palm were instead the fangs of the snakes she so easily mastered. 

Within minutes everything had gone to ruin, the bomb had gone off, flaming rebar fell on top of him, and suddenly he knew he was going to die. He'd called for her, the dust and rubble making his throat and eyes burn. In the haze, he had seen her look towards the exit, she had a chance to escape. Surely this meant she would leave him to be engulfed by the flames on his back. But she hadn't. She had pushed away another tribute who told her to run and had gone to help him. A district girl saving the life of a Capitol boy. It was the kind of propaganda that would have made his grandma'am's heart stop. 

Lucy Gray had saved his life. He had to save hers. So he snuck his mother's poison filled compact to her in dead of night. Through the bars he had poured his heart out, not in words of love or passion but of strategy and advice for winning the games. It was all he could do. When she had leaned forward, her lips seeking his through the bars, he had pulled back in shock. As much as he wanted to kiss her, he couldn't. If he did and she died the next day, he wasn't sure he would survive it. Internally, he promised himself that if Lucy Gray won, he would do everything he could to finally find out what she tasted like. 

And she had won, his tampering with the snakes and the compact being her lifelines. Despite the fallout from his treason, Coriolanus kept his promise to himself. He'd bribed his way to District 12, unsure if he would even be able to find his rainbow songbird. For all he knew, Gaul could have killed her. 

But then he saw her in that bar. Singing so beautifully. When her eyes met his, his heart lept and so did his cock. 

The first time they kissed, it was like the world turned on its axis and nothing else mattered but Lucy Gray. She did taste like roses, fresh and floral. And the softness of her lips balanced the slight roughness of his own. He had to leave her, return to base, but he knew that kiss was just the start of something more. Something powerful. 

Over the next few weeks, anytime he was able to sneak away from his peacekeeper duties, he was with her. Soft touches, handholding, and hugs turned to bruising grips, roving hands, and passionate kisses. Despite his inexperience, Coriolanus felt like a connoisseur of intimacy when he was with Lucy Gray. She had a bit more experience than him, the idea of another man touching his songbird made his stomach turn but he knew it wasn't something that could be changed. She guided him whenever his feelings of inadequacy crept up. She would push his hesitant hands under her skirt, letting his recently calloused fingers graze over the smooth skin of her thighs. Or press her tongue past his lips and tangle it with his own. Each step a domino collapsing and pushing him to move further with her. 

They didn't have sex until the second time they visited the cabin by the lake, that time without the Covey. By some miracle, his unit had been given a weekend of rest and he took advantage of it. As soon as they had stepped into the cabin, their lips had collided and clothes fell to the floor in a trail, leading directly to the one bed in the corner. 

Night had fallen, and the only light was a small oil lantern on the bedside table that he had briefly gotten up to light. The flickering flames danced along the contours of Lucy Gray's naked body and he stared at her sleeping form for hours. He was laying on his side, the thin blanket covering his waist, with one hand propping up his head. The short spikes of his hair tickled his palm and he thought about how Lucy Gray had tried so hard to grasp it. He wished it was longer, he could easily imagine how good it would feel to have her tugging at his long curls. 

Coriolanus’ blue eyes traveled over Lucy Gray's face. Her dark locks where sprawled over the one threadbare pillow, coiled like snakes from the arena. Occasionally her eyelashes would flutter against her cheek and she would sigh. His heart would stop for a moment, both with happiness and fear. Happiness that he would be able to see her warm gray eyes gazing up at him lovingly, but also fear to be losing that moment of retrospection. His eyes moved from her face, down her neck, and to the top of her breasts. The perfect handfuls were covered by the blanket they both shared, as was the rest of her body. She had one hand laying across her stomach, while the other was tucked under her head. 

With a mind of their own, his fingers moved out to lightly stroke the soft skin of her hand. The same ones that had stroked his cock expertly, and had teased their way across his thighs. Needing to see the rest of her, Coriolanus slowly pulled down the blanket until it was laying over her knees. Heat began to pool in his stomach as he saw goosebumps bead on her skin. Her dark nipples peaked in the chilled air and he had to stop himself from running his fingers over the pointed tips. Blue eyes caressed her stomach and moved  over the slight curve of her abdomen that led to the thick patch of curls between her legs. She had one leg bent and the other splayed out, giving him a glimpse of the heat that lay hidden by the soft hair that guarded it. Her dusky folds still glistened, even though it had been hours since he'd been inside her. But his full focus was drawn to the pearl of white that sat at her entrance. A small amount of his cum was still there and it made the animalistic part of him purr. He had cleaned between her legs with his shirt shortly after their coupling, but she was still dripping with him.  A dark part of his mind wondered if it had taken. If he had claimed her fully. 

At the time, they hadn't spoken of contraception. Not that there was much of that available anyways. The Capitol had just barely begun manufacturing any type of birth control again after the war. It was expensive and no one in the districts could afford condoms or anything like that. Even their base commander had told them to be careful during leaves. The last thing they needed was news of Peacekeepers knocking up the district women. It would only bring more rebels to their doors. 

He knew the Covey was adept with herbal remedies but he hoped that they didn't have one for this type of thing. It was shocking to him, as he hadn't spent much time thinking about the possibility of having children. His priorities had revolved mostly around the intertwining of his family's status and his education. But now here he lay, his girl by his side, wondering what it would be like to make her his own. To have his seed plant itself deep inside her. She'd be marked by him, her pregnant belly a sign that she belonged only to him. That coal rat Billy Taupe would finally understand that Lucy Gray Baird was his. No one else would dare look at her. And if they did he had no problems with killing them. 

Coriolanus painted along her skin with the tips of his fingers, gently rasping them over her puckered nipples. He stared at her breasts and wondered how big they would they get. He imagined them swollen with milk, the tips dripping and the flesh overflowing his hands. 

Lucy Gray's stomach was smooth and her hips weren't very wide, but he knew they would adjust to hold his child. The supple skin would become taut and her hips would expand to accommodate their child. Would she get stretch marks? He hoped she did. That way she'd be marked even after giving birth. A beautiful scar to remind her and anyone else who had fully claimed her body. 

Drawn again to the small bead of cum at her entrance, Coriolanus ran his fingers through her lower curls and pressed his seed back inside her warm channel with his pointer finger. A low moan escaped Lucy Gray's lips and she clenched around the thin digit. As if her body was trying to pull his seed back inside her. His chest tightened and he looked up to see if she had woken up. But her eyes were still closed. Good. He wanted a few more minutes to indulge in this fantasy. No.. not fantasy. Plan. The animal inside him refused to forget about this. It had made up its mind. Lucy Gray was his. And her body was destined to carry his child. 

Gently he removed his finger from inside her, the tip brushing against her clit and causing another moan to leave her parted pink lips. If her singing voice was perfection, her moans were solace for him.

Coriolanus lifted his small corner of the blanket and moved his body over hers, his stiff cock brushing her thighs and settling over her public hair. The slight pricking of the coarse hairs across the tip of him was shocking. He had to stop himself from thrusting against her, seeking more friction. His body was still inexperienced, still desperate for any touch. 

His nose brushed hers and his fists caged either side of her face. 

“Lucy Gray….”

The rasp of  his voice saying her name vibrated across her lips. She woke slowly, the look of sleep and pleasure keeping her lids drooping. As soon as she realized what had woken her up, a small smile crossed her face. 

“Coryo.”, she brushed her lips against his. His name sounded like a possession. He didn't want anyone else to say his name. Just like her body belonged to him, his name was hers alone. The twitching of his cock against her slit had her pressing her hips up to tease him. He pushed forward a bit, notching himself at her entrance, her still dripping cunt practically begging him to thrust into her. Lifting one of his hands, he cupped her cheek, and stroked his tumb over the apple tenderly. Her gray eyes latched onto his own, both searching for something unknown in his gaze. 

“Mine,” he whispered it, almost lovingly, but with a note of passion and mastery. A declaration of his possession, daring her to contradict him. 

Lucy Gray nodded her head minutely, and  placed a ghost of a kiss on his chin. Those lips that had bewitched him from the moment he saw them wrapping around that rose petal were soft as silk. Since then he had found that she truly did taste of roses and something smokey, like embers. 

Drunk on his floral scent and the need to be filled, she whispered, “Yours, Coryo.”

Darkness clouded Coriolanus’ light blue eyes and she gasped as he thrust to the hilt inside her. The tip of his cock brushed the entrance to her womb and her channel began to pulse around him. Begging him to fill her. Lucy Gray's body instinctively knew what it needed from him. 

She wasn't fully his. Not yet. But she would be by the end of the night. 

[ser3nityst4r]

Jamil’s Backstory

Jamil Viper prided himself on his control. For as long as he could remember, he had mastered the art of swallowing the bitterness in his throat, the sting of resentment behind his eyes. His life was a carefully crafted performance, a constant dance of deference and feigned incompetence. 

It all started with a sun-kissed boy named Kalim Al-Asim. The very first memories Jamil could conjure were not of his own home, but of the ostentatious halls of the Asim estate. There, amidst the lavish gardens and echoing corridors, a young Kalim, full of boundless energy and unadulterated joy, declared, "Let's play, Jamil~! I'm gonna win against you this time for sure!"

And Jamil, already educated in the unspoken rules of their world, would sigh inwardly and reply, "Again? I always win, you know? I wanna play something else, too…"

The reprimand was always swift, always predictable. His parents, faces contorted with a mixture of fear and servility, would chastise him for his "disrespect." And Kalim's parents, their smiles never quite reaching their eyes, would praise their "kind-hearted master" for indulging him.

Over the years, the pattern cemented itself into his very being. His father, his voice laced with a desperation Jamil understood all too well, would whisper instructions before every sparring match or competition. "Let Master Kalim win the third time, understand? Don't outshine him."

His mother, her eyes filled with a weary acceptance, would add, "You're a smart child, Jamil. You know how important this is."

And Jamil, his small hands clenching into fists, would whisper back, "I know."

He knew that the Al-Asims were everything his family was not - wealthy, influential, untouchable. He knew that his very existence revolved around serving them, around ensuring Kalim's happiness, even if it meant suffocating his own.

So, he played the role of the loyal friend, the perpetual runner-up, the slightly less capable companion. He let Kalim win at games, even when it meant deliberately fumbling the ball or miscalculating a move. He feigned confusion during lessons, allowing Kalim to bask in the fleeting glow of academic achievement.

He became a shadow, always present, always supportive, yet always a step behind. The bitterness, however, simmered beneath the surface, threatening to boil over with every forced smile, every insincere compliment.

Even when they came to Night Raven College, nothing changed. The whispers followed them, the expectations remained. And when Kalim, with his usual carefree demeanor, was chosen as Prefect, a decision clearly influenced by his family's generous donations, Jamil felt a surge of rage so potent it nearly broke through his carefully constructed walls.

"He doesn't have exceptional talent!" he'd argued with Headmaster Crowley, his voice tight with suppressed fury. "We're the ones who constantly cover for him!"

Crowley, ever the cryptic mentor, simply chuckled and replied, "Sometimes, Viper-kun, there are things that mere grades can't achieve. Asim-kun's family…well, they do have a way of making their generosity known."

Jamil knew. They all made sure he knew. His parents, Kalim's parents, even the Headmaster – they all expected him to understand, to accept his predetermined role. But understanding did little to quell the burning resentment within him. 

Who was there to understand him? Who saw the sacrifices he made, the talents he suppressed, the dreams he buried deep within himself? The weight of their expectations, the burden of his own resentment, threatened to crush him. 

He was trapped in a gilded cage of his own making, bound to Kalim by invisible chains forged from societal expectations and his family's ambition. As he watched Kalim celebrate yet another victory, oblivious to the true cost, Jamil couldn't help but wonder if the day would ever come when he could finally break free from his shackles.

[broodwolf221]

forever thinking abt solas and sera as extraordinary foils of each other

elven history v. elven modernity is a big thing but just as major imo:

rebellion

solas is the dread wolf, the trickster god of rebellion and deception. we know now that it's more nuanced than all that, but he did lead a rebellion - and with good cause!

sera is a modern rebel, and what does solas do? he tries to share his experience with her. he talks about the tactics of rebellion, the choices to be made, the difficult things that lay ahead. sera listens and then rejects it and he's so confused. she's a rebel, she obviously cares about people, why won't she take it all the way?

but her reasoning is about avoiding his consequence and he doesn't even see it. she doesn't want to kill or ruin all nobles bc to do so would plunge everyone into chaos and she recognizes that. solas plunged all of arlathan into a chaos so profound it destroyed it

in a lot of ways, sera is wiser than solas, wiser about people, about reaction, about cause and effect. he went to extremes in order to free slaves and to punish the evanuris. she knows that nobles are awful and that servants and workers and all the people who provide for them are abused and misused, but she doesn't think wholesale destruction is the answer and she isn't wrong

and what's the difference? imo, community and experience. solas is such an academic, distanced from those he seeks to protect, and can be very paternalistic. sera has lived these things. she talks about how some of the red jennies make enough coin to retire and how the ones who do good are fine but others end up being the target of the jennies. she knows how people can change

also: the red jennies scare the nobles. there's power in that. it's far from perfect, but that doesn't mitigate the very real power in it. what if instead of destroying everything, solas had led a rebellion that put fear in the hearts of the evanuris? what if he forced them to confront that they, too, could face the consequences of their actions? it wouldn't have been easy but it would have prevented the absolute destruction that followed

and he! doesn't! fucking! see it! he doesn't see that sera's reasoning is about avoiding his mistake! he doesn't see that sera's wisdom grounded in experience counters his naivete grounded in an academic pursuit of justice!

which imo is all the more reason to believe he's a spirit. he had, and perhaps still has, a very simplistic view of things like this. if there is an injustice you fix it. you don't live with it and change it by degrees, you don't try to alter it at the root, you just Fix It, whatever form that takes. the evanuris are bad? imprison them. simplistic punitive justice. to sera, the nobles are bad? make them, THESE nobles, fear reprisal. give power and anonymity to the people being hurt. but don't get rid of all the nobles only to have to start the process over again

and we don't know the full form of solas' rebellion, granted. he may have tried many things for a long time. and arlathan appears to have been much worse than thedas is now - even tevinter doesn't seem as bad as arlathan is vaguely implied to have been. but he still destroyed... everything. he killed so many innocents. and yes, again, his situation was different - he talks about the evanuris destroying the world if he didn't stop them. perhaps he's right. it's not a 1:1 comparison, I get that. but they are still very profound foils of each other, and I find his insistence that sera should follow his path to be a fascinating bit of insight into his character, continuing to opt for extreme measures

[merakiui]

Riddle getting a summer romance warms my heart ❤️ I love Riddle so much and just want to see him happy and getting all the love he deserves ❤️

I could see Riddle and his summer love meeting again years later and falling in love all over again 💕 or all the steamy stuff they do behind closed doors to rebel against their parents, them running away together ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Or combine this with the Riddle pregnancy story and make it real heart wrenching when Riddle finds out a year later that he has a baby out there that his mother his keeping from him 💔

Oh the possibilities!! Thank you for providing brain fuel!!

- Riddle lover anon

Riddle being happy and in love is my favorite thing (giving him consistent Ls is also fun,, but right now it's only wholesome Riddle love!!! (♡ˊ͈ ꒳ ˋ͈) no sadness for the beloved!!) There are so many possibilities!!!! Imagining him meeting you again after so much time apart omg,,,,,

Steamy summer romance in which you and Riddle fall for one another so fast and suddenly. Immediate attraction! How did you go from chatting about academics and school to waking up side by side in bed????? orz this is probably Riddle's first ever intimate relationship and he's just so inexperienced, but what he lacks in experience he makes up for in determination and passion and an overwhelming amount of loyalty. He has to learn to loosen up and allow himself to have fun with you, and he's constantly pushing away all of the looming expectations and the harsh voice of reason that is his mother, who would most certainly disapprove of such a flimsy relationship. But to Riddle this is everything.

He talks about you to Cater because Cater is so well-versed in the art of people, the social butterfly that he is. And Cater can just feel the love oozing from Riddle's texts as he goes on and on about you without even realizing just how in love that sounds. He's got it bad.

I love everything about Riddle in a summer situationship!!! Going on outings together that feel so much like dates because Riddle was raised very traditionally and so he over-dresses for every meeting with you, and he's always insisting on doing very romantic and sweet gestures for you even though this is just friendly stuff. "It's what a gentleman ought to do," he'll say with a flushed face and a huff. He's so in love,,,, so down bad..... you pull him into a sex shop so he can pick out something for the next time the two of you fuck and you see a completely new side to Riddle as he deliberates over riding crops and handcuffs and blindfolds and ball gags.

Omg and the way it only builds as the months fly by... summer is such a fleeting season. Soon, you and Riddle will go your separate ways for school and those sweet, sun-kissed days will be behind you.

Or maybe they won't if Riddle decides to confess and make your shaky relationship more stable, finally overcoming all of his worries, fears, and doubts. <3

[slytherinshua]

TWS AS LOVE TROPES

genre. fluff. warnings. jealousy in shinyu's. implied extrovert reader in dohoon's. academic slay and competitive reader in youngjae's. extremely introverted/socially awkward reader in hanjin's lol. brief mention of makeup in jihoon's. not proofread. pairing. tws x fem!reader. wc. 2k. (around 300 per member but hanjin's and kyungmin's are a bit longer cause i was rambling sry). request. requested by anon. a/n. skdjsk this was so fun to write like maybe my fav tws request to write... like SO FUN UGH I LOVE THEM I LOVE TWS SO MUCH!!! i hope these are accurate as well!

SHIN JUNGHWAN ﾐ MUTUAL PINING

mutual pining screams junghwan to me. you aren’t friends, but you both have some mutual friends and you always end up being around one another. and you both develop the most massive crushes on the other. literally whenever you see junghwan your heart races it’s that bad. and junghwan is trying to act like he can focus on anyone but you when you’re in the room, but it’s impossible. he doesn’t even know more than your name and where you went to school, he’s pretty sure he’s lost his mind. it hurts even more watching you be in a relationship with someone else.

maybe he’s reading too into it, but he swears you look so much happier when you’re without your boyfriend. junghwan can’t help but imagine how it would look if he was in the other guy’s place. he should be the one hugging you, kissing you, taking you out on dates. except if it was him, it would be so much better. he tries his hardest to forget about his feelings for you but he just can’t. this continues, and eventually, after you break up with your ex, you realize that no one makes you feel the same way that junghwan does. you’re pretty sure he likes you as well, but there’s always a lingering fear that maybe your brain is just being dumb and convincing you that he likes you. it could turn into a friends to lovers situation too, but the friends part would always be teetering on something more. lingering touches that last much longer than they should. always going to the other for comfort or advice, the other always being on your mind. the only way that you actually get together would be when all the built up feelings and emotions finally explode into a very unplanned confession.

KIM DOHOON ﾐ OPPOSITES ATTRACT

dohoon has always been intrigued by someone who was the complete opposite of him. he loves exploring new things and getting outside of his comfort zone, but he needs someone else to convince him to do it. if he’s just by himself, he’ll stay at home where he’s comfortable. enter you. the complete opposite of him. at first he’s just interested in becoming your friend. he doesn’t expect any feelings to grow from it. he knew you would get along but he didn’t expect how well you did. you never got tired of talking to him. your conversations would go on for hours because you were both curious about the other. dohoon fell in love with your voice before anything else. he was in love with the way you explained stuff, the way you never left out a single detail. he wanted to know everything about you— he wanted you to tell him everything. he wanted to discover new things about you that no one else knew about. you brought out new sides of him that he didn’t know he had, and unknowingly, he was doing the same to you. and that’s where romantic feelings started to creep in. he started to get affected by not just your voice, but physical touch or even your outfits. you were good friends by now, and one time when he saw you in his hoodie, his entire brain stopped working. he knows at that point that you’re much more than a friend to him. you’re all he can think about during the day. you keep him up at night. he even dreams of you. so, he works up the courage to confess. if you’ve taught him anything while you’ve been friends, it’s that you only live once and regret lasts much longer than disappointment. 

CHOI YOUNGJAE ﾐ RIVALS TO LOVERS

youngjae is competitive and he’s also smart. the only problem is you are also competitive and possibly smarter than youngjae is. he doesn’t want to lose to you, he’s barely lost to anyone… hence the rivalry starts. he really doesn’t see anything special about you at first. you are just the first person to ever match him in terms of intellect and popularity. there’s nothing he’s interested in about you besides seeing you always a rank below him. but from how focused he becomes on beating you, that means you’re always on his mind. sooner or later he’s thinking about you not from a competitive aspect. after months of always being around you, trying to study you to see what your weaknesses were, how he could get the upper hand, he picked up on your habits and mannerisms. he knew faster than anyone when something was wrong, and for some reason, it bothered him. when he saw you not performing your best, it shouldn’t have irked him. he should’ve been happy, if anything. it meant he was finally on top. but it didn’t bring him the satisfaction he had wanted from the beginning. that’s when he realized that after months of rivalry he had grown fond of you. the switch in his behaviour quite puzzled you at first, but you couldn’t lie that you had always liked youngjae. you liked a challenge, and he was the first guy to ever give you that. youngjae did as much as he could to help you back to where you had been, just so that the competition could continue. when you were finally back to beating his scores and returning his snarky remarks, he simply couldn’t help himself. he stopped you from talking with his lips on yours, knowing you would reciprocate his feelings. 

HAN ZHEN ﾐ POPULAR X LOSER

just from hanjin’s predebut photos alone, i bet he was so popular in school. he’s always been so gorgeous and i feel like even though he’s introverted, he would’ve caught the attention of a lot of girls. so it simply made no sense why he would ever pay attention to you. you always stayed at the back of the class, barely talking to anyone and just focusing quietly on the work you were given. but the fact that you weren’t social was exactly what intrigued hanjin. though he enjoyed the attention and praise to some extent, it was also exhausting. he couldn’t imagine romantically pursuing any of the girls who drooled over him, which is exactly why he wanted to get closer to you instead. you were pretty, smart, and weren’t an attention snob. so, he makes the first move to talk to you. you had your assumptions about hanjin before just watching him as the unbelievably pretty popular boy. the fact that he was actually trying to talk to you was insane… and also not good for your heart which you could feel racing in your chest. hanjin thinks you’re so cute the more he talks to you. he likes being able to make you flustered— it feels like you actually care about him and what he has to say and aren’t just trying to be friends with him for his looks. pretty soon, everyone in the school catches on. hanjin only wants to hang out with you, the loser girl who nobody has seen talk to another student except for group projects in 3 years of being at the school. the news spreads like wildfire and pretty soon the question of when he’ll ask you to be his girlfriend arises. you think it’s preposterous. you don’t want to get your hopes up just because the entire school is convinced of it. obviously… you would say yes immediately. without even a second of doubt. hanjin is the first person to ever try to get to know you, and he means more to you than anyone else. you can’t imagine how nice it would be to be able to call yourself his girlfriend. but, luckily, you don’t have to wait very long to find out. despite your loser status in the school, the student body is surprisingly fond of the match between you and hanjin.

HAN JIHOON ﾐ LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

jihoon first saw you at a convenience store at like 11 pm in the night slurping down ramen. and it definitely wasn’t the most flattering sight, but apparently that doesn’t matter at all to him. cause he’s not even looking at the sauce on the side of your lips, your messy hair, the hoodie that's pulled over your head, or your smeared makeup. he’s looking at your eyes and how they keep seeming to draw him in. you also notice jihoon as he’s checking out at the counter. his cute hair falling over his forehead and his lips that curve into a smile as soon as he looks your way. before you know it, he’s sitting next to you and introducing himself to you. it was like destiny, you both share so many interests and have so much to talk about. thankfully, the convenience store was a 24 hour one, otherwise you definitely would’ve been kicked out by the employee. you talk and talk… and talk. and eat; jihoon pays for your ice cream and extra snacks. numbers are exchanged and before you know it he’s asking to hang out again. you can barely keep track of how fast you catch feelings for him. he’s the cutest boy you’ve ever seen with the most adorable personality in the world. you’d never fallen in love at first sight before, and you certainly didn’t expect an encounter like that to land you a boyfriend. but everything progresses so naturally. you’re talking and then he’s asking you out on dates and then you’re kissing him outside of your apartment and not wanting it to end because you’re so obsessed with him. and, like you were made for one another, he shares your exact feelings. soon enough, you’re in an official relationship and more in love than ever with the boy you met at the convenience store.

LEE KYUNGMIN ﾐ CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS

kyungmin and you were inseparable as children. you were attached at the hip, always in the same classes, sitting next to you, playing together at recess, having play dates at each other’s houses. your parents were good friends with his, so it was easy to keep the friendship strong all throughout your childhood. there’s barely a moment in your life that you can remember that doesn’t have kyungmin involved. by the time you’re 16, you’ve probably spent more time with him than your own parents. everything always feels so comfortable and safe with him. he knows you inside and out after years of being friends. you share all the same interests and have more inside jokes than you can even count. it’s during a sunny afternoon in your bedroom, clutching your stomach from laughing so hard with kyungmin, that it really clicks in your head. you like spending time with him so much. more than just best friends. you can’t imagine your life without him. years from now when you’re well into adulthood, you want him to be right beside you then as well. dating was always a thought on your mind, being at the age where all your other girl friends were getting into relationships. and as you thought a bit harder about it— dating, love, relationships… only one person comes to your mind: kyungmin. your best friend who was sprawled on the bed right next to you, giggling along with you about some inside joke that had lived on too long to even remember how it started. you’ve always been able to tell kyungmin anything without feeling nervous or embarrassed, so you just go for it. at first he’s a bit wide-eyed and shocked. of course he likes you— you’re the only girl he’s ever liked since he was little. he had always planned to tell you how he felt after high school, when the thought of university came around and the fear that you wouldn’t be attending the same school arose. but confessing to each other in the comfort of your childhood bedroom, where hundreds of memories had been made together since before you were even in school; it felt perfect.

↳ tws taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @seunghancore,, @sobun1est,, @talkingsaxy,, @talking-saxy,,

@50-husbands,, @hursheys

[atinystraynstay]

Sincerity Is Scary - Kim Mingyu

Synopsis: Everyone on campus knew Mingyu. He was the guy who all the girls wanted to get one night with, the guy all the guys wanted to be, and everything you wanted. Mingyu and you became friends after a class assignment. It's safe to say though, you have fallen for him when he seems to be interested in other girls. Or at least you think that. "What about you? What are you afraid of?" "Loving you."

Pairing: Frat boy! Kim Mingyu x fem reader

Genre: Angst! A little bit of fluff at the end. Non-idol, friends to lovers. College crush! Mingyu for sure

Warnings: PG-13 - Slight swearing, alcohol consumption, sexual activity mentioned

Word Count: 6.1k

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It was a crisp late November evening. Campus was alive again after students had traveled home for the holidays. Now, it was crunch time on final assignments, final exams, and trying to keep sane at the end of the term.

You were patiently waiting for your study partner to arrive. You had gotten an iced Americano, gearing up to deep dive into your psychology assignment. It was a final project analyzing fear - how it affects people, what exactly it is, and how it could be conquered. Your pink backpack was resting on the chair across from you. A signal to everyone that you were expecting someone, and that the chair was taken. Campus always got overcrowded when people realized they needed to get their shit together.

You tapped on your phone screen to look at the time. 2:33pm. Where was he?

You glanced at the door to find any signal of your partner. Somehow, you guys have worked together at least on one project every term since sophomore year. While he wasn't always the most motivated academically, working with him was a joy on your end. But that might be because of the view of the guy - Kim Mingyu.

Mingyu was the guy that all the girls desired. It helped that he was well-known on campus as his fraternity always threw the best parties. He was someone who was also willing to help out those around you. For instance, he always made sure all the girls at his parties got home safely by either having a pledge walk them or ordering an Uber for them personally. He also cleaned up any mess he spotted or even just offered a gentle smile to someone who crossed his path. They see an attractive guy and then get to know the guy with a heart of gold who wants the best for himself and his friends. They got to know my friend.

Now, I wouldn't say Mingyu and I were best friends. We did have our own separate social circles with very drastically different ideas of a fun Friday night. However, he was someone I could trust. Not just when it comes to making sure an assignment gets done, but he is someone I can turn to when I need a place to vent. He was a safe space from judgment or ridicule.

The doorbell rang, indicating someone was making their presence known in the coffee shop. You peeked up to see Mingyu. His eyes were scanning the cafe, looking for you. He was wearing a grey hoodie, black sweatpants, and a navy blue beanie on his head. It wasn't too cold in November when you didn't want to be outside, but it was cold enough that you could feel the air nipping at any exposed skin. One strap of his black backpack hung over his shoulder. He looked like a model for Abercrombie & Fitch.

His eyes soon found yours and you watch his smile grow. Did I mention that this man has the personality of a golden retriever?

Eyes from other patrons followed as he maneuvered through the sea of tables and chairs. His eyes never leaving yours though. He was determined to get to you one way or another.

"Y/n!" "Mingyu! How was Thanksgiving dinner with Hansol and Joshua?"

He plopped himself in the seat across from you. He let out a puff of air, probably now feeling the contrast of the heat from inside the cafe compared to the crisp air outside. His backpack made a soft thud, landing assumedly by his feet. His right hand reached up to take down the beanie, shoving it into the front pouch of his hoodie.

"It was actually pretty good. Wonwoo made sure Hansol stayed out of the kitchen, so Joshua and I could cook." He let out an infectious laughter that made me weak in the knees. Fuck, I'm down bad for him. "Wish you could have made it though!"

And try not to drool over you in front of all your friends? Pretend I don't have feelings for you? Yeah, no thanks.

"I'm sorry! My folks said I needed to come home, trying to savor every family get-together before applying for jobs and being big scary adults." "Yeah, I get what you mean. The guys have become like family to me. Who really knows where all 13 of us are going to end up once we all graduate." "No plans to keep the fraternity life going after graduation?" I teased. He laughed at my joke, quickly shaking his head. "No, I plan to step back completely after I graduate. Think it would be too sad if I was one of the graduated guys who just stuck around the fraternity house. Or the one that has to keep drinking and constantly talking about 'the good old days.' No, I think I'm ready to be taken a bit more seriously." I couldn't help but smile wider at the thought of the man Mingyu was going to be. Of course, he was already a stellar guy. He was the guy I wanted so desperately to take home to my parents, to present him as my one and only. College was just the beginning for him. Kim Mingyu was destined for amazing things, to do amazing things for this world. I just hoped I could become a part of it.

"So, you ready to get started on this project?" I asked. "Why can't we just sit here and chat? Why is it that we have to get started on the project? It's not due for another three weeks." "Because, I know how you are, Mingyu. You'll throw ragers the next couple of weeks as a final hooray before everyone leaves for a month and then you'll forget about the project until the very last minute which makes us both stressed! If we at least brainstorm and decide what we are going to do, it means less work in the long-run." "And more time for you to come by one of my parties?" I sighed in defeat. Mingyu knew I wasn't the type of person who liked to go out to parties. I liked going to the dive bars with my friends. There was nothing appealing to me about sweaty bodies pushed up against one another in a basement. You couldn't even hear people with how loud the bass was! However, Mingyu has been trying to get me to go to a party since we met. And he's been using that this being our senior year as a perfect way to guilt trip me into going. "And I'll come by one of your parties," I promised. "What about the one tonight?" "Already having one tonight?" "What! It's a great way to welcome everyone back," he laughed. "Seriously. If we are able to decide how we are going to do the project, then you have to come by tonight." "Ok, ok. I'll come by tonight if we both do the work." "Deal!"

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After an hour of intensive research, you and Mingyu decided on an approach for your project. You were going to interview people on campus to see if there was a common fear among college students. You had some guesses, but you were hoping to find a way to bust those fears that plague most college students.

"I think this might be our best project yet, y/n! I don't know what you think of these types of things. You're so creative."

Don't blush, y/n. Don't give yourself away.

I smiled politely in return, a laugh bubbling out of my throat. "I just like creating work for you to do. You know I'm the type to take allllll the credit for every assignment," I teased.

"Oh right. Because you know the moment I do things a certain way then you'll just jump in and try to do the project all by yourself." "Hey! That was sophomore year y/n! I think I've gotten a lot better since then when it comes to group projects," I pouted. "You have. Trust me, darling. There's a reason why I always come back to you," he winked.

Oh, there he goes again. Mingyu the Flirt. I was going to slip one of these days, let him and all of campus probably know my secret if he keeps it up. And the worst part was that it wasn't just an act. His was just naturally flirty.

Both of us were beginning to pack up our backpacks. Our laptops had slid into our backpacks before they zipped up in unison. It was getting close to 5pm, and if I was expected to be at Mingyu's tonight, I had to get home and get ready. Not that I was banking one tonight being the night things finally work out for us, but I didn't want to seem like a slob.

"So, you coming tonight, Ms. Anti-Fraternity?"

I sighed and nodded. "Yes, Mr. President, I will be there."

He smiled wide before swinging an arm around me. Oh god dammit. The universe was testing me. "That's the spirit, angel!" He began leading the two of us out of the cafe, side by side and pulled into his side. I was trying my best not to look like a deer caught in headlights by his gesture. I'm surprised my legs haven't given out at all from the series of events that are unfolding right now. Sure, Mingyu and I were close, but he's never been this bold with me. What is he up to?

I could feel eyes on us as we made our way out of the coffee shop. Some girls were whispering to one another, glancing towards us. Other guys looked at Mingyu with shock. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole to prevent me from embarrassing not only me, but also him. Keeping his arm around me, he used his free hand to push the glass door open.

"You're too kind," I said playfully. I offered a gentle smile as I detached myself from Mingyu so I could step over the threshold. I glanced behind me to see if Mingyu was following but froze when I saw he didn't. He was still standing by the door, leaving it open. Instead of just holding it open from someone coming in, I caught him at the start of a conversation. He was talking to Jennie.

Now, Jennie and I didn't have any beef. She was in our psychology class, so we ran into her often. She never joined our study sessions, thank goodness, because she often preferred to study with her sorority sisters. However, she knew Mingyu outside of class as she was always trying to set up mixers and pre-games for football season with his fraternity. Jennie had sensed that Mingyu and I were close, so oftentimes, she would approach me asking if he was still single. She was trying to gather her intel before making a move.

"Excited for the party tonight, Mingyu! Want me to come over early to help set up?" She took a step closer to him. Her hip brushed against his which caused his eyes to widen. His grip slipped from the door as he was holding the edge, closing the door on me. "Oh, I didn't really think of that. I was just going to get Seungkwan and Dino to help me, maybe some of the pledges." That was the last thing I heard before the door fully closed. I was now on the outside looking in. Time froze as I watched her take another step forward. She blocked his view of me. Her hand gently reached up to rest on his bicep, squeezing it. She wore a playful smile while Mingyu smiled, or at least tried to. I would like to think that I knew him well enough to tell his genuine smile apart from his fake one. All I could see was him nodding before she began leaning in.

Okay, that's my cue. I quickly spun on my heels to walk in the direction of my apartment.

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"Are you sure the dress isn't too short?" I mumbled.

I was walking to the frat with my roommate. She insisted that I shouldn't go alone. Not sure if it was because of my retelling of the events that transpired outside of the coffee shop or the fact she wanted a good laugh at me attending my first frat party.

After seeing Jennie with Mingyu, I ranted to my roommate about everything. I was frustrated with the circumstances where the two of us would never work out. We are two separate people who make awesome friends. I didn't want to jeopardize that. It was also partially due to the fact I could not bring myself forward to confess to Mingyu how I was feeling.

Her solution was simple - dress to kill. "If you can't say how you feel about him, make him realize what he's missing out on. You gotta go out there and steal his attention."

The look that could kill was a rather short red dress. It was a sparkly red which would be able to be noticed even in the dimmest of spots in the hell I was about to enter. A frat basement was somewhere I thought I'd never end up, but here we are. It hugged my curves perfectly and had sleeves that were cuffed at the elbow by an elastic band. I wore a pair of beat-up sneakers, so I could be comfortable for the evening. This wasn't a formal event. This was about making Mingyu notice me.

"To be honest, I think it could be shorter. But you're not trying to sleep with him, just get him to notice you, right? It's enough to let his imagination run wild," she smirked.

I rolled my eyes at her antics yet kept a light smile on my lips. It was a good idea. I just felt so out of my element, so I was trying my hardest to warm up to the idea before stepping foot into the party. I wanted to come across as confident as ever, to catch his attention, and to make him realize that maybe I have a chance compared to the other girls he's been with or at least seen around campus with.

After 10 minutes walking, we arrived at the frat house. There were a few people loitering around outside. Most girls were wearing ripped jeans or very short black skirts. There were a few fraternity brothers gathered up at the front, a few I recognized - Joshua, Wonwoo, and Seungcheol. They were looking across the groups gathered outside of their residence, probably trying to see how they could minimize the appearance to avoid cops showing up. Yet, Wonwoo was looking directly at me with a smug girl. He was probably the closest with Mingyu so I knew him the best.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" He called out to us. Some people on the sidewalk and the two guys beside him looked our way. I groaned internally at Wonwoo's commotion before approaching the entrance of the party.

"How the hell did Mingyu convince you to come, doll?" "I lost a bet to the devil." "Well, you can go ahead inside. I'm sure Mingyu is keeping an eye out for you." "Oh come on, he probably sensed her already out here. He was basically buzzing off the walls when he was telling me we would be graced with y/n's presence tonight," Seungcheol laughed. "Be careful, y/n. I heard he likes to bite," Joshua teased.

I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from blushing hard. It's not like I haven't fantasized about him like that before.

The three guys grinned at me, stepping out of the way to let me and my roommate through. Instantly, we were greeted by groups of people all drinking, mingling, and dancing. You could hear the bass from downstairs through the floor, as we were on the main floor.

My roommate pushed me through towards the kitchen. I looked at her puzzled, thinking the initial plan was to find Mingyu. "You need a drink to loosen up first, babes. Trust me. You look terrified right now, not sexy." I just nodded as we were found ourself in a somewhat crowded kitchen. Yet, there was a pathway to the collection of alcohol on display - tequila, gin, vodka, rum with a plethora of mixers. Definitely Mingyu's idea to have more mixers than alcohol, so everyone could drink to their comfort level.

We were by the kitchen island, almost in our own little world. The groups around us were quickly grabbing their refills before either moving away to a different part of the house or to the main event in the basement. Before I could even process anything, a shot glass was placed in front of me, seeing my roommate looked at me with a wicked grin. "Choose your poison, y/n."

My eyes scanned the liquor before reaching towards the tequila. My hands were about to grasp the handle but I took a quick surveillance. Where could it be? "Looking for these, princess?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see the man of the hour, Mingyu. In one hand, he was holding a container or salt, and in his other hand was a lime. Speak of the devil. He was wearing a black shirt and black pants. A gold chain was around his neck. I would love to just grab that chain and tug his lips close to mine. Okay, I do need a drink. ASAP.

"How did you know?" "Feel like I know you pretty well, but still wasn't sure if you were going to show up tonight. I figured I would still prep just in case. Welcome to my kingdom," he teased.

He crossed the room to be where were. For a moment, I could have sworn his eyes traveled my body. First at the dress before looking up and down my torso and legs. I had spun to face him more directly. It was then I could have sworn his eyes were on my chest before he made eye contact with me. He set the salt and lime to my right, in between my roommate and I. His other hand rested on the countertop to my other side, somewhat caging me.

"You're just full of surprises. First, disappearing on me at the coffee shop, but now actually showing up to my party? And now wanting to do tequila shots?" "Just scratching the surface," I smirked.

My roommate shared glances between Mingyu and I. But before I could introduce her to him, she stepped back completely. My eyes widened slightly but she wore that same smirk from before. "I think I'm gonna let you two catch up. I'm going to go talk to that one guy outside," she announced. I couldn't even argue with her to stay before she headed out of the kitchen.

"And then there were two," Mingyu announced. Seeing as my roommate had wondered off for her own adventure, Mingyu placed his hand fully beside the salt and tequila. I was fully in the lion's den now.

I mustered up the courage to look him in the eyes. It was then I noticed that the entire kitchen had cleared out. When did that happen? Did people just leave seeing Mingyu walk in? The thought of him having that type of authority made me weak in the knees.

"Wonwoo wasn't lying when he said you looked absolutely breathtaking tonight, baby," he murmured.

His hand to my right moved to rest on my side. His fingers slowly trailing up and down my side, teasing the waters. His touch was light, almost not there. It was enough though for electricity to shoot through my body, making me hyperaware this was reality and not some fantasy.

"You talking about me to others now?"

He leaned forward, enough so he just had to bow his head down to be at my ear. "You're all I talk about. You don't even know," he whispered. His lips brushed against the shell of my ear, enough to cause goosebumps to form and shivers to run down my spin. If it wasn't for the countertop pressing into my back gently, my knees would have given out.

"Come on, I have something better than just doing shots all night," Mingyu said. He reached down to grab onto my head, lacing his fingers with mine. His touch was warm and soft, sending shockwaves through my nervous system. I didn't get a chance to question him where we were going before he led me out of the kitchen. He just turned back towards me and gave me a wink. Oh god.

We made our journey through the frat house towards the split staircase. One that went down to the basement and another that went upstairs, assumedly where the guys slept. People who saw Mingyu turned to try to strike up a conversation but stopped when they saw me by his side. Some girls were throwing daggers in my directions with their harsh gaze. Jennie being one of them before she turned her back to talk to her sorority sisters. How the tables have turned. I expected that Mingyu was going to take me to the basement, but was met with surprise when we started ascending up the staircase. A few of Mingyu's brothers started whistling and howling at the sight of Mingyu with someone.

From in front of me, I heard Mingyu sigh and watched as he shook his head. "I'm sorry about them. Just ignore them. They wished they were getting some action tonight, but I think we both know the only date they'll have is with the toilet when they drink too much."

I laughed at Mingyu's joke. "No worries about it. I guess they are just showing support for their friend?" "Yeah, I guess so. I just don't want you to lump me in with them."

What was that supposed to mean? I never viewed Mingyu at the typical frat guy. I didn't hear stories about him just sleeping after a party and dumping a girl the next day. Sure, he has been linked with a few people, but he didn't seem like the type to do one-night stands. He wasn't the guy who made jungle juice with unknown liquors that could get you fucked up fast. He was meticulous in what was distributed to his party, often hoping people bring their own alcohol so they know what they re consuming. Or at least that's what he told me.

Mingyu soon led me to his bedroom. He walked in through the doorway, but I found myself froze. Was my perception of Mingyu wrong this whole time? Were we just going to fuck? Did I mean that little to him that he was willing to throw our friendship away.

He must've felt the slight tug of his hand due to me stopping my movement. He turned his head back, trying to assess what was wrong. I stood by the doorway, trying to pull my head gently out of his grip.

"Gyu, I don't think this is a good idea. We're friends. Us sleeping together-" "You think I brought you up here to just have sex? Doll, I'm hurt," he gasped. I watched as he playfully placed his hand over his heart. "You think I'm that much of a horny bastard?"

I quickly shook my head before rushing into his room, stopping short of where he stood. "Gyu, please. That's not what I meant at all. I just didn't know why else you'd bring me up here when the party is downstairs? Isn't that why frat guys bring girls upstairs? To fuck?"

He smirked seeing how flustered I got. My cover was slowly unraveling, my motive of having him chase after me being flipped where I was starting to chase after him. "Y/n, you've seen too many movies," he laughed. "Besides, I'd never do anything to jeopardize losing you."

I could feel my cheeks becoming hotter. I hoped at least that was being concealed under the darkness of his bedroom. He stepped back and headed towards his bedroom window. "Do you trust me?" He asked. I nodded my head slowly, trying not to come across as too eager. Any sort of dignity that I could preserve at the moment is of upmost importance.

"Good." Mingyu flipped the lock at the top of his window. He pushed it open all the way until there was a soft thud of the window hitting the top of the window sill. He stepped out onto the roof with ease. He then turned back towards me, a hand reached out to me.

"The things I do for you, Gyu, I swear," I huffed. I took his hand, my other hand trying the best to keep my dress from flying up.

"Watch your head, gorgeous," he called out. This time, his tone was gentle and soft. It was a stark contrast being outside where you could barely hear the music from inside the house. I stepped over the window sill carefully, one foot down before the other following. I was somewhat hunched over to avoid hitting my head. Mingyu took it upon himself to use his free hand to hover over my head in case I did end up standing up too soon.

Once I was over the window and onto the roof, I stood up straight. My eyes widened from the view. "Oh wow," I breathed out. You could see all of campus from up here! You could see the tall oak trees that lined up around campus. You could see the various academic buildings and the college town beside us.

What really took my attention was noticing that there was a blanket sprawled out on the rooftop. Luckily, the rooftop was leveled and next to the fire escape, so there was no worry of slipping or anything. The blanket was added for comfort. I also noticed that there was a bottle of my favorite white wine Moscato chilling in a bucket. There were also string lights that decorated the ledge of the rooftop. It was it's on oasis.

"Come on, angel." He squeezed my hand gently before guiding me towards the blanket. I followed him gently to the blanket where I took my seat, my legs tucking underneath me. Mingyu joined me on the right side, sitting rather close. "Wait, hold on."

He popped up from the spot on the rooftop before heading towards inside. I frowned a bit when he left me alone, but turned my attention to the scenery outside. The warmth from inside the house still radiated throughout my body, so the crisp air of the November evening didn't bother me as much. My eyes ran along with the stars, trying to see what constellations I could make out. It was peaceful out here.

I jumped a bit when I felt something brush against my legs. I looked down to see a leather jacket, but relaxed when I noticed it was Mingyu dropping his jacket over me. I tilted my head back to see him looking down at me, a fond smile on my lips. Yet, there was something in his eyes. Maybe it was the glow of the lights outside making them sparkle more than usual or something on his mind? Either way, he was breathtaking. "Quite the gentleman, Gyu," I teased. "Thank you though." "You know I'd do anything for you. That's also why I set this up for you, for us, really. I know large crowds like the one happening inside aren't your thing, so I wanted to make sure you were comfortable being here." "So you don't do this for every girl?"

Mingyu snorted a bit, chuckling lightly under his breath. He pulled out two red solo cups, handing one to me while keeping the other by him. "No, y/n. Only the best reserved for you."

Carefully, Mingyu twisted off the cap of the wine bottle. He first poured the wine into my red solo cup. I couldn't help but giggle at the notion of drinking wine out of a red solo cup, something that typically holds cheap beer or mixed drinks.

"So that's why I'm getting a red solo cup? To really get the experience of being at a frat party?" "Hey, it's the best I could do," I laughed. "You really trust me with anything breakable?" "No, you're right. If it was a wine glass, you would've dropped it by now," I laughed, taking a sip of the wine. "I told you I'd do anything for you."

I kept my wide smile hidden once from Mingyu when I took a sip of the wine. He was quite the charmer. I placed the Moscato down behind me, by the corner of the blanket to avoid spilling. Mingyu did the same as we both seemed to gaze out at the world around us. It's crazy to think that in a short few months, we'll be saying goodbye to this place. This place has become my favorite place filled with my favorite people.

"So, y/n. What happened early? Why did you just leave the coffee shop?" Mingyu asked suddenly.

My eyes widened at the question. "Oh, you noticed?" I asked softly. My head dropped to look at my lap. "I thought you were busy talking to Jennie. I didn't want to interrupt."

"If anything, she interrupted us," he sighed. He then reached for his cup and took another sip. "Is that what you're afraid of? Being rude?"

I shook my head, picking my head up slightly. No, if only you knew what I was afraid of.

"I'll tell you what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of being alone. I love my life as it is right now, but I'm afraid of the uncertainty that comes with the next chapter," he confessed. He was leaning back on his hands now. His gaze shifting from the view of campus below to me. "I'm comfortable knowing I get to see my friends, get to see you. What am I supposed to do next?"

I frowned hearing his concern. "Gyu, whatever you do next, you're going to do great. I know it's scary about moving away from what you are familiar with. What I can say though is that knowing you, seeing you grow over the past two years, has been remarkable." My hand reached over to rest on his knee comfortingly, giving it a light squeeze. I looked at him directly in the eyes, hoping he could sense my sincerity in my words. "You're a great guy, Gyu. Don't doubt your capabilities. You can do anything you put your mind to."

His gazed looked down towards where my hand was on his. I followed suit. Oh no, did I make him uncomfortable? I was about to retreat my hand from him, but he quickly grasped it gently. "Thank you," he whispered. He lifted my hand to kiss the back of it before letting it rest in his lap. His grip on my hand was loose, in case I wanted to slip my hand away. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"What about you? What are you afraid of?"

I took a deep breath. Mingyu just poured his heart out to me. I would be a hypocrite if I didn't say something, especially when I told him to put his brave face on and be determined to get what he wants. I deserve to at least try, right? Or I could end up regretting it for the rest of my life? That's at least what people warn about.

His gaze on me was soft. He was patient as he waited for me to muster up my truth.

"Loving you," I confessed. "Loving me? You're afraid of that? Why?" "Gyu, let's look at what you did for me tonight alone. You went through the trouble of setting up basically a separate event just for me. This is the shit they write about in romance novels. It just doesn't happen to girls like me!" "Wait, let's back up first. Do you like me, y/n?"

Oh god, oh god. Why did I open my mouth and say something? Maybe I could spin it off that I'm afraid of commitment in general? What if I spun it that I was trying to get over an ex and I was shocked by Mingyu's kind gesture? That he already treats me better than any ex? I mean, there is some truth to that. Mingyu was better than any ex I've had.

"Y/n?"

My mind was trying to wrap around some sort of lie I could tell to save myself. Before I could finalize my lie, I felt a hand on my face. Very slowly and gently, I realized Mingyu put his hand on my face. He was turning it towards me. I also noticed that he had moved closer to me now. He was sitting up tall, his face hovering over mine. He tilted my head up so I had to look at him in the eyes.

"Y/n, do you like me?" "I might have the smallest, tiniest crush on you," I whispered. "How do you think that we could conquer that fear?"

I raised an eyebrow, about to pull back from here. He was really thinking about our final assignment right now? "Because you took the first step in confessing your feelings for me. And you said you were afraid of loving me. It seems seeing if I have the same feelings for you is the best way to conquer that fear." "Well? Do you?" "Baby girl, I've had feelings since our first group project together."

His forehead gently rested against mine. He could probably hear my rapid heartbeat at this point. "Why do you think I've always picked you as my group partner?" "Because I'm smart and can get stuff done?" I laughed, trying to ease my nerves. He chuckled at that joke. "Well, yes, because you are smart. You're also very kind, insightful, determined, and gorgeous. You are the girl that I've been trying to get to come to my party so I could finally make a move in the element I feel most comfortable in. If anything, I'm afraid of you." "Afraid of me? Mingyu, you're 6'2." How can you be afraid of someone who is barely 5'5"?" "Because you are too perfect to me. I know what people think of me. They see the frat president who sleeps with people. When they see you, they see the girl who is going to move mountains when she graduates. They will wonder why you settled for a guy like me?"

That's it. I was not going to allow him to slander himself. Feeling bold enough, I moved Mingyu's jacket off of my legs. I set it beside me before gently climbing into his lap. One hand rested on his shoulder to stabilize me as I got comfortable. My other hand moved to rest on his cheek, now being the one turning his attention towards me.

Mingyu wrapped his arms around me. He pulled me in close, tightening his arms so I wouldn't fall backwards by mistake. My heart picked up as I felt my breathing become a bit shaky. Was this actually happening? "If you saw what I see, you would see that you are everything that I want. That's why I'm afraid of loving you because you seem too good to be real," I confessed. "Well let me help you overcome your fear by proving to you this is reality."

Mingyu leaned in slightly. He stopped himself short, where his lips were brushing against mine. He looked up into my eyes to see if I felt comfortable. My heart melted at the simple act of checking for consent. See. He was one in a million.

Taking it upon myself, my lips pressed against his fully. I could feel his smile against my lips as he tilted his head ever so slightly. Just enough for our lips to be pressed together perfectly, causing the kiss to move smoothly as our lips were catching one another's. His lips were just as smooth. He tasted like wine mixed with a bit of mint chapstick. Butterflies erupted in my stomach. This was actually happening. My one hand slid from his shoulder to rest on the back of his head.

He was the one who slowly broke the kiss. I pouted playfully, as it ended far too soon for my liking. He chuckled lightly before pecking my lips.

"Don't worry, darling. There will be more kisses." "That wasn't so scary after all," I confessed. "I'll help you conquer any fear of yours if you let me."

[gg-neptune]

Three

So uh this is kinda rushed at the end but it was just hard for me to write honestly. And yes this is based off my AP tests score and how I reacted. And yes I am still upset. Yes I know I should be grateful but like. :( I hope you like it. <33

Warnings: academic over achiever, crying, age gap? (possibly I mean he's like a year older than them but he's also her teacher and no I do not care that this is not canons shut up leave me alone)

Waiting eagerly, you refreshed the page once more and it appeared. You could only see the top of it, your hands shook in fear at what you might see. This dumb test meant everything to you and now months after taking it you could finally see your score. It was finally time. You had studied for hours every night for 2 months leading up to it. You had an A in the class the entire year as well and had made a 4 on the mock exam. Countless tears and hours had gone into this and now you could finally see your score.

Some might say you were a bit of an academic overachiever. You had gone from making straight failing grades to A's in the matter of a year. You took your grades rather seriously, always being terrified they would drop back down to failing. Your hard work had landed yourself in an Advanced Placement class at Hogwarts. Now you were finally getting your score and you were terrified. 

With trembling hands you scrolled down a bit, looking at your score with great fear. What if you had failed? All your work for absolutely no profit. You wanted a 5. Now you knew this was asking a lot. However you thought you deserved it in a way. This year had been awful and you had gotten a high A in the class so why could you not at least get a 4? You were confident in your answers as well so why not stretch for a 5 as well?

3

You stare blankly at the screen for a moment. Your score is sinking in. A 3. You passed at least. At least there was that. However you were still thoroughly disappointed. You expected more of yourself.

How would you tell everyone? You knew everyone expected you to get at least a 4 or a 5. To get a 3 was almost humiliating. How would you face Severus? 

You and Severus had been dating for a few years. You were still in school as a seventh year while this was his first year as a professor. He had only graduated the year prior being only one year older than you. You two got some strange looks from the younger years but majority of the older kids knew him and you from when he was at Hogwarts as a student so it was not a big issue. 

He expected a lot from you. He taught you privately on his own time along with his lectures in class. He had also been expecting you to pass with a higher grade and you had only gotten a 3. Most of the universities you had been looking at did not even accept 3’s for credit. Most of them honestly only accepted 5’s. And you had pulled off a 3.

A knock sounded at your door. Somehow you knew automatically who it was. A sense of dread built up inside of you immediately. It seemed like a brick had been placed in your throat burning you from the inside out.

“Hey, can I come in,” his deep voice rang out from outside. You felt frozen in place feeling a panic overtake you. The thought of him knowing your score sends you further into your state of distress. It felt like your chest was collapsing in on you. Like your own body was capsizing and you were trapped inside.

The door opened anyway despite you not giving permission quickly after him looking around for a moment his eyes landed on you.

“What’s wrong?” His voice seemed blunt as he just stared at you confused. Not being very good at comforting others he simply stood there staring at you for a moment before thinking that might not be a good idea and taking a seat on your bed.

You attempt to choke out an answer but your throat does not allow you. The feeling of the brick being there still haunts you as you attempt to communicate with the man in front of you. You hadn’t realized before but tears had begun to roll down your cheeks as you stare at him scared out of your mind of what he will say to you.

“It’s… it’s alright whatever it is. Nothing is unfixable I mean like we can even bring dead people back it can’t be that bad just tell me what’s wrong. I can fix it.” Severus tried his best at comforting you he really does but this does nothing to soothe your distress. You can tell by the worried expression and tone of his voice he is concerned but you can not manage to spit out any words. This in fact can not be fixed. Your score is already set in stone. There is nothing you can do about it at all.

A sob suddenly breaks from your mouth as you break. Loud wailing breaks from you as you crumple in front of him. Your body slouched forward onto your knees, sobs wracking your body taking you down. Quickly Severus is leaning forward and gathering you into his arms. Cradling you like a little baby. Pressing your face into his chest allowing you to sob into him he attempts to soothe you again, “Shhh, I mean really it can’t be worth crying over hun what is it? Hmmm?” Putting on his comforting voice instead of his cold monotonous one. 

You reach over to your computer keeping your face still pressed into him, you drag it over to the both of you showing him your score wailing out, “I’m such a failure,” brokenly.

You can’t see his face as he looks but you can only imagine the rage and anger crossing it right now. All of the hard work he had out into you and passing you had failed him.

“I don’t get it? You did great, what's wrong?”

“I got a 3! How is that great,” your voice breaks multiple times as you cry this out. Still sobbing into his shirt you feel both of his arms wrap around you after he closes your computer putting it aside. One hand runs up and down your back soothingly while the other simply stays firmly wrapped around you keeping you close to him.

“Love, a 3 is passing that’s still good don’t be upset,” he whispers out rocking you back and forth trying to calm.

You don’t respond, instead just opting to cry into his shirt as your misery overtakes you. Now logically you knew that a 3 was not in fact terrible but it was not what you wanted. Or what you felt like was expected. However you weren’t quite thinking logically right now, so instead you let Severus just hold you. Letting him take your tears and soak them up.

Eventually your tears subside, having worn yourself out from sobbing so much. Severus slowly shifts you both into a lying position against your pillows, haphazardly pulling a blanket over you both. He keeps you close to him, not letting you get even an inch away from him as he continues his rubbing on your back.

“I am incredibly proud of you,” he whispered into your ear, “I want nothing more than for you to see yourself the same way I see you.”

He continues to wipe stray tears away as they fall. Neither of you say a word to another, you being too scared to speak and him not being sure what would be right to say.

Instead of breaking the silence you snuggle yourself closer to him seeking his comfort. Sniffling every now and again you use his arm as a pillow to try and make it easier to breathe. He presses gentle kisses to your face still whispering his sweet nothings of how proud he is of you and how good you did as you slip off into sleep.