#I have forgotten things and could chat for hours maybe

[g1rld1ary]

overheard that she was nineteen - james potter x reader

wc: 1058

cw: nothing, one swear, reader is sad on their birthday, implied fem!reader but i don't think any pronouns

chat how many aura points do i lose for crying in the literal first 20 minutes of my nineteenth birthday :/ don't think about this fic too hard or you'll see it's more of a diary entry than work of fiction oopsie :')

You weren't feeling very special. To be quite honest, your day had been totally shit. It was your birthday, your nineteenth birthday and everyone had forgotten. Well, that wasn't true exactly, but nobody cared. Your parents had barely said 'happy birthday' when you called them, and only one of your friends had texted you. A sweet message, but still kind of depressing.

You knew it shouldn't have been a big deal, no one cared about nineteen, right? Eighteen was the big birthday and you'd had a good enough day last year, so you weren't really sure why this year had brought you down so much.

Maybe it was just because your love of birthdays was never reciprocated. A person's birthday could be the most exciting day of the year, and you were of the opinion that it should be, if possible. You were the one who showed up with a hand-baked cake on your friend's doorstep, without fail. It was something you enjoyed doing undoubtedly, you spent ages picking out which colour the icing should be and what edible decorations should go on top.

On top of that, you considered your defining talent to be writing cards. It was something you took pride in, penning almost-essays that encapsulated the breadth and depth of your love for your nearest and dearest. Proclamations of never-ending adoration, gratitude for years of friendship, the insides of your heart and soul sitting amongst fresh ink and scribbled hearts. You signed your name with a heart and a flower every time. Plus, you made particular efforts to come up with a creative pun or doodle for the front, just to keep things interesting.

So birthdays were things you held in high regard, and having yours seemingly mean nothing to anyone else was a bit of a mood killer if you were being totally honest. Still, what could you do? You picked yourself up, ate an uninspiring breakfast and went to uni.

You felt more anonymous than usual in class. With the semester having started only a week prior, you were in a sea of new people, none of them having any way of knowing it was your birthday, and you weren't quite at the point where you were begging for well-wishes from people you didn't particularly care about. And so you took notes, put your hand up for the participation grade and dreamed of your own cake and candles.

By the end of the day you were exhausted. The classes were long anyway, but carrying around your own personal grey cloud was taking a toll on your body and mind. It was at the car park when your phone dinged; James.

are you coming over tonight?

please

You smiled a little despite your sour mood. Even if James didn't seem like he was fully aware of your outlook on birthdays, being with him always made you feel better.

It'd already been dark for an hour or so by the time you reached the flat he shared with the boys, the winter weather making the sun disappear at four o'clock. You knocked on his door softly, unable to pluck up the strength to even make your presence easily known. James must've been waiting for you though, since you heard the heavy pad of his feet almost instantaneously.

The sight of him nearly took your breath away, though nothing was out of the ordinary. He was still the same old James, his glasses slightly askew on his nose, but he was looking at you with such softness that you felt the tears spike behind your eyes. You tried to push them down.

"I thought we'd have a bit of an early dinner. I know you won't have eaten at uni." He took your bag, setting it by the entry table softly. You managed to nod, hopefully not giving away all your awful feelings. You tried not to be cut up that he hadn't wished you a happy birthday yet.

All of your melancholy had been for nothing, you realised, when James led you to the dining table. He'd gone the full mile, with a cheesy red tablecloth and single candle as the centrepiece.

"Happy birthday, my love," He whispered, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. You couldn't help it, the tears rolling down your cheeks before you even realised. Once they started you had no chance, sobs wracking through your body as James stood beside you, bewildered.

"Is this not okay? Do you not like it?" He fretted as you cried, and you rushed to reassure him.

"I love it, Jamie, promise. It's just," You managed a half laugh through your bout of tears, "I thought no one cared. I can't believe you've done this for me." James' brow furrowed deeper than you'd ever seen it before as he pulled you into a tight hug.

"I would do anything for you, love. I mean it."

Once your tears had subsided you had a lovely dinner, James making you double over with laughter as all thoughts of your previous shit day dissolved under the weight of the homemade pasta sitting in your stomach.

Just before the night died down, James presented you with a small box, wrapped in the most beautiful silky ribbon. You glanced up at him curiously, untying it slowly. Inside was the most beautiful bracelet you'd ever seen. Connected with a heart-shaped clasp and decorated with a single charm, a love letter. You were embarrassed by the tears working their way back up to your lash line, but James looked delighted by the reaction, he lived to make you happy.

"Thank you," You whispered, "I love you."

James didn't have to say it back for you to know, but he did anyway because it made him happy.

Maybe your birthday wasn't the flashy event you might've wanted, however deep down, but you were strangely okay with it. Despite the fact that no one showed up to your door with a hand-baked cake or essay-length card, you had James, and James would've pulled the stars down from the sky if he thought it would boost your mood. That was enough.

[beenbaanbuun]

Can we please have more interactions between darling and yeosang 😭 they’re so cute wtf I love the whole addams matz universe so muuuuch! Like when they hang out while mommy and daddy are busy or when she’s cuddling him and he’s annoyed but not annoyed lol or even them eating snacks together

you can tell yeosang is fed up by the way he keeps sighing. the ears atop his head twitch every so often, and his tail keeps flicking in agitation. you can’t lie, you actually find it rather amusing, watching him so desperately try to keep his annoyance to a minimum as you play with the hem of his sweater. you wonder how far you can push him before the switch in his brain flips.

“cant you go and bother someone else?” he grumbles after you ‘accidentally’ scrape your nails against the bare skin of his side. it doesn’t tickle him like you hoped it would, but the irritated grumble you get from him is satisfying enough. you’re about to do it again when he slams his own hand down onto yours and shoots you a glare. “i’m serious! find someone else to annoy before you push me too far.”

you scoff as you let yourself relax fully on top of him. such a boring little mutt, you think as you snuggle the side of your face into his fuzzy jumper. at least he’s good to cuddle with, even if it doesn’t help you release all that mischievous energy that’s been building up inside of you since hongjoong and seonghwa left you to your devices first thing this morning. you could’ve really done with a little help from mommy and daddy to release it all, but since they’re both busy…

you groan into yeosang’s stomach, “who else am i supposed to annoy, hm? daddy is out and mommy told me not to disturb him for another—” you spare a glance at the clock, “—3 fucking hours? please, sangie! i’m going to die of boredom if you expect me to just lie here and do nothing…”

“at least i’ll get a little peace and quiet,” he jests, earning a glare from you. the look on your face only makes him grin, sharp canines glinting under the flames of the candlelit chandelier. it’s such a pretty smile for such a rude creature; you almost wish you could wipe it off of his equally pretty face. you hope the harsh slap to his shoulder with your free hand will do the trick.

“you’re mean, yeosang,” you grumble as you pull your other hand free from his grasp. it’s harder than it looks—damned werewolf and his weirdly muscular body—but you’re more determined than yeosang gives you credit for. sure, it hurts a little as you finally tug your fingers loose, but you still give a cheer of celebration, wiggling them in his face to antagonise him. “i’m sure seonghwa won’t appreciate it when i tell him just how mean you’ve been to me.”

the threat is empty and the both of you know that. seonghwa would turn you away if you rushed to him now. it’s hardly like it’s an emergency, and your lover is far too busy to deal with such trivial matters as yeosang teasing you a little. you wouldn’t get much more than a side-eye and a slap on the thigh before being sent on your way. of course you could wait until seonghwa is finished, but by then you’ll have probably forgotten the whole ‘i’m going to tell on you,’ schtick you have going on right now.

“be my guest, little lady,” yeosang smirks, hands lifting up in a gesture of surrender, “go have a chat with your precious mommy and see where that gets you. but don’t come crying to me when you get saddled with a punishment later, yeah?”

honestly, a punishment sounds nice right about now. something to get all this annoying energy out of you. it would tire you out, make you all floppy and docile like yeosang clearly wants you to be. you’re almost tempted to do as he says; to go and bother seonghwa until he gives you that familiar look that means you’re in deep trouble. maybe he’ll take care of you right there on his workbench…

although probably not. the greenhouse is a sacred space for seonghwa, not to be desecrated by any sort of sexual deviancy. sure, you might be slapped with a punishment, but you’d almost certainly be forced to wait for it. those three hours would be painful for both you and yeosang, and you’re not sure the wolf would put up with your anxious fidgeting for too long. he’d probably abandon you in the living room, taking himself up to his room to do whatever the fuck he does in there. you’d be left and anxious mess, waiting for a punishment that would take entirely too long to come.

you give a dejected sigh before relaxing against the werewolf once more. the low chuckle he gives you rumbles deep within his chest and you can’t help but press your ear against his rib cage in the hopes of hearing more of the pretty sound. a hand finds it way to your head, petting and stoking you as if you’re the pet in this situation. if you weren’t enjoying the feeling of his claws scraping against your scalp, you would’ve scoffed at him and moved away. it really does suck that he’s managed to learn all of your soft spots from all the hours spent watching you with seonghwa and hongjoong. he really does know how to make you submit.

“that’s it, pup,” he chuffs, “just relax for now. you can get all that energy fucked out of you later, hm?”

“yeosang!”

[ikeuverse]

ICED CARAMEL — p.jongseong

PAIRING: jay x fem!reader  GENRES: fluff, slight angst  WC: 3.7k+

WARNINGS: light swearing, a bit of a stalker and inconvenient guy with jay (y/n put that guy in his place). and that's it, let me know if i've forgotten anything.

SYNOPSIS: it wasn't a problem for jay to memorize your order and the days of the week you drank each thing in the café he managed. the problem was creating feelings for a customer he didn't even know if she felt the same way.

NOTES: i've had this plot in mind for a while, but i didn't know which member of enhypen it could fit in with. thinking that it's been a while since i last wrote for jay, i decided to do this story, his. so enjoy, i hope you like it!

masterlist

An iced caramel almost every day of the week, except Friday, when it was an iced vanilla latte accompanied by a slice of cranberry cake.

Jay didn't know why he had decorated your order so meticulously. Maybe he knew, he just didn't want to admit it to himself. Even more so when his cousin – and also a cafeteria employee – was a pain in the ass every time you came in to spend the afternoon working.

"Your girlfriend's here" Sunghoon whispered as he closed the cash register, turning his body towards Jay and smiling broadly when he noticed his cousin's cheeks starting to take on a reddish tinge.

"She's not my girlfriend, asshole" Jay growled lowly and almost picked up the dishcloth to hit Sunghoon if it hadn't been for your presence near the counter.

"Hi."

Jay froze for a few seconds. The angelic voice and contagious smile you gave every afternoon you came in made the boy sigh just by existing in front of him.

"Hi, y/n" Sunghoon greeted you first, while the other still stared at you without saying anything "Same as always?"

"Yes, please" you said.

"Jay will take you to your desk in a moment" Sunghoon smiled back and let you walk away to your usual desk to sit down, picking up your work materials and focusing on your notebook.

Those few minutes of interaction felt like hours, because Jay only realized it when he felt Sunghoon's push against his body, bringing him out of the little trance he had entered without even realizing it.

"Stop acting like an idiot or she'll notice" he whispered.

"Realize what?" Jay whispered back.

It was then that Sunghoon let out a soft sigh, not wanting to attract the attention of the few customers in the café.

"That you're into her, Jongseong" he then rolled his eyes, preparing the iced caramel you always ordered since it was Wednesday.

You're into her. Sunghoon's words have echoed fervently in Jay's head countless times since he caught himself thinking about you.

It's not like it was your fault or his fault in the first place. Ever since Jay and Sunghoon decided to take over their grandfather's coffee shop, they've gotten to know the place's loyal customers. You arrived a few months after they took over, asking for Mr. Park, the nice little man who always served you the best-iced caramel in the area.

You had also recently moved into the building at the end of the street. The huge commercial building that Jay had seen you enter a few times after you left the coffee shop. You also chatted with him a lot of the time, since Sunghoon took care of the cashier and often cleaned up his cousin's mess in the kitchen. This gave Jay time to check out the customers – there were rarely more than three people there at the end of the day – so it was just you and one other woman there until closing time.

It was a rather pleasant routine, and it made Jay start fantasizing about your beauty and how your friendliness made him feel. Even Sunghoon wanted to admit that one day he heard his cousin whining because you'd gone to get coffee and hadn't stayed to talk.

"Maybe she's busy with work" Sunghoon tried to calm him down since he'd gotten the amount of sugar in the brownie wrong for the third time. Jay didn't want to lose another pastry because of a silly distraction.

Or not so silly when he started to notice how the conversations were getting longer. Sometimes both he and you forgot that you were working. You wouldn't respond properly to emails, while Jay would let Sunghoon take over the running of the establishment just to sit in front of you and talk for a long time.

You shouldn't treat a customer so intimately, Jongseong. He could hear his grandfather's voice very well if you were there. Surely Grandpa Park would take him out of the coffee shop and leave only Sunghoon there, as a form of punishment for making his cousin deal with everything while he sighed unconsciously at the figure of the wonderful woman in front of him.

"Take it to her and, please, act naturally" Sunghoon finished his coffee and closed the cup, handing it to Jay "Unless you're brave enough to propose…"

"That's not going to happen" Jay was quick to say.

"Then watch the coffee, or I'll take it out of your paycheck."

He wanted so badly to curse his cousin right then but settled for a small grimace as he watched Sunghoon serve two other customers.

Jay slowly walked up to the second floor of the café. It was more secluded and quieter than the entrance hall, which many people liked because of the view. You, in particular, preferred to stay in the corner of the small months of that place because it was more private and quiet. That way your work could be completed and, as a bonus, you'd get to spend a few minutes chatting with Jay.

That wasn't in your plans. Smiling like an idiot at one of the owners of the coffee shop you went to every day. It was unethical with his work and, above all, you could have been taking advantage of him as a customer since Jay was only being nice to you.

He could be like that with all his clients, you thought. You really wanted to sabotage yourself so you tried not to think about the guy so much. Big mistake. Because every time he came to deliver your coffee, staying for a chat, you found yourself deeper and deeper in the pit of desire. The wish that you could ask him out or simply tell him how beautiful he was.

Would that be so bad?

"Your iced caramel right here" Jay's voice made your thoughts fly away. A quick smile adorned his lips as he approached and, as soon as he placed the glass on the table, he pulled out a chair in front of you to sit down.

You took the drink quickly to feel the cold, caramelized taste go down your throat. It was as addictive as looking at Jay and that smile he was wearing.

"Busy day?" the boy asked after a few seconds in silence, just watching you sip your drink.

"And tiring" you put the glass down again "Not to mention it's stressing me out a bit."

"Do you want to share?"

You wanted so much to tell Jay what was bothering you. To tell him how you felt and why you were so stressed about everything that was happening, but fate had something else in store for you.

"Y/n" that voice gave you the creeps, that's for sure. You closed your eyes for a few seconds as you heard footsteps approaching.

"Terry" you tried to smile at the man as soon as you opened your eyes and saw his figure standing right behind Jay.

Terry looked at the boy sitting in front of him with apparent disgust as he looked back at you.

"Am I in the way of something?" Terry asked.

"Yes" you whispered.

"No" Jay said loudly, getting up from his chair and straightening his cafeteria apron "I was already leaving anyway."

"No, Jay…" your weak voice didn't give him a chance to hear you as you packed up your chair to leave.

"Bye y/n, enjoy your coffee."

He left so quickly that you didn't even manage to call him by his surname, let alone shout any syllables to make him understand that he could stay. So, now looking at Terry right in front of you, the man had a serious countenance that made you nauseous.

"Are you seeing that barista?" he sounded disgusted as he spoke.

"What if I am?" you retorted.

"Then it would be very decadent of you to deny me dinner, instead of agreeing to go out with this…"

"Look, Terry" you cut him off gently, even though he didn't deserve anything coming from you "If you've come here to say something about it, please, it's the place I like to work. I don't like being interrupted."

The man just nodded in agreement, waving a briefcase in his hands that you hadn't realized he was carrying until just then.

"I've come to give you this, the boss asked for it" Terry left it on the table where you were sitting "And maybe you and I…"

"Terry, please" you sighed loudly this time "No."

He shook his head once more, turning his lips into a thin line as he took a few steps back. Slowly walking away before saying goodbye to you and walking down the stairs of the café.

Terry stared angrily across the room at Jay as if he had done the most horrible thing in the world, before opening the door and leaving almost immediately.

Sunghoon, on the other hand, realized this and looked at his cousin, who had a serious look on his face. His eyebrows were knitted together in a scowl that he had seen only a few times on Jay.

"May I ask what happened upstairs?" he asked.

Jay just sighed, trying to ignore the fact that his heart was still racing and he had no idea what had happened upstairs since he had left. But something inside him was bothering him, Jay wanted not to feel that kind of thing.

"Just… Please…" he finished arranging the sweets in the display case, closing the glass and raising his body after he'd finished his work "From today onwards, it's up to you to bring the coffee to y/n's table, okay?"

Torturous weeks in which Jay didn't show up to deliver your coffee in person. You knew very well that it was because of Terry's appearance that day and how extremely unnecessary he was with Jay.

You wanted to ask if the man had said anything after he left, but he never even came to your table. Always ordered Sunghoon to hand over his things with the excuse that the movement was driving him crazy. Or that there were some sweets left to prepare, so he couldn't leave at the moment. Your mind was screaming at you to ask what was going on or if it was all in your head because it was affecting you much more than you wanted it to.

Friday, the day you ordered a slice of cranberry cake and Jay always made a joke that it was the cake that came out the least. That he, in particular, had never eaten a necessary and worthy piece except for tastings when he made the pastry. With Sunghoon's help, because he did like it, Jay wasn't a big fan of that cake.

And you were beginning not to want to ask if the result was that he didn't bring it. Not that you hated Sunghoon… Not at all! He was nice, and funny. It ran in the family, that's for sure. But there was something about Jay that you couldn't explain. Something that had ripped every fiber out of your body simply because you couldn't stop thinking about him, and that was only making it harder as he became more and more distant.

"I'll kill you, Terry" you said to yourself when, once again, you saw Sunghoon approaching with your request.

He seemed to guess that some question was meant for him, so the boy always answered something different than the last time. It was as if Sunghoon wrote down every answer he gave you so as not to repeat any and try to convince you that Jay was too busy.

"The macarons are a lot of work today" he smiled, taking the plate of cake from the tray along with his iced coffee of the day "Jay is very busy and…"

"Sunghoon, can I ask you something?" if it wasn't now, it wouldn't be ever again. You had to have the courage to ask, after all, what harm would it do? He could run away from your question or simply lie and walk away as if nothing had happened.

"Of course" he continued, smiling at you after your order had been placed on the table.

"Is Jay avoiding me because that man was here the other day?"

Yes.

"Not that I know of" Sunghoon wanted to abandon the intrusive voice in his mind to answer the obvious, but decided to stick to what he had promised his cousin "He's not avoiding you, it's just that—"

"Terry is absolutely nothing to me, Sunghoon" maybe they both thought that idiot was his boyfriend because he thought he could be something other than a work colleague. And an idiot who didn't know how to take an attack.

"No?" Sunghoon seemed surprised by that confession, making you laugh.

"He's just a jerk who thinks he's something to me" you took a piece of your pie to eat "Terry asked me out a few times, but I politely declined. Now he won't stop bothering me."

"He's an idiot" Sunghoon shrugged, making you laugh again.

So things were falling into place now and he could understand why the man had left with a frown the day he entered the coffee shop. Maybe he'd met Jay upstairs, thought of something and you'd blown him off after Jay came down.

"You know what, y/n?" Sunghoon pulled out the chair in front of you, sitting down just as Jay used to do when he took your order to the table. You paid close attention to everything the boy in front of you said, afraid of missing some important part of what he had to say "Both you and Jay are wasting your time."

"Hello? What… What do you mean?" luckily you took your time drinking your iced coffee, otherwise, you would have choked on Sunghoon's sincerity.

It was the boy's turn to laugh and relax as he leaned back in his chair.

"You know very well what I'm talking about" he tried to suppress a smile as he stared at his slice of porpoise being cut by the fork and you playing with the topping "That was a misunderstanding on account of that idiot… What's his name again?"

"Terry" you said.

"Yes, Terry" Sunghoon continued "And I think both you and Jay need to talk about this."

"And how am I supposed to do that if he's avoiding me?" you sighed, eating the cake you loved so much while looking at the other Park in front of you.

"Well, I can fix that next week" Sunghoon smiled, making you smile too as you finished chewing your cake to answer him.

"How will you do that?"

"I need to think about it because Jay is very difficult when he wants to be" he prepared to get up, greeting you before leaving "But I promise to help you both. I can't stand seeing my cousin and that scowl all day."

Waving to you, Sunghoon left to continue serving the other customers. Leaving you pensive and, strangely, looking forward to next week.

Jay felt like an idiot for having that kind of resentment towards you. He hardly knew what had happened, in fact, but seeing you walk into the cafeteria only made his chest tighten.

Why feel that way about someone he barely knew? Come on, Jongseong. You were just talking! He wanted to faithfully believe that it was just that, that he couldn't be fooled by someone who was a loyal – and incredibly beautiful – customer of his workplace.

It didn't help when Sunghoon made a point of calling you to the counter, taking longer than usual to take the weekly order that everyone already knew by heart. This could only be a huge joke on his cousin's part.

"Can you prepare y/n's coffee?" Sunghoon asked in a low voice. Jay shook his head and looked ahead, noticing that you were sitting at a table further away, but now downstairs and not upstairs as you usually did.

"Why? I'm busy and—"

"I need to attend to the tables upstairs, everything's full" that part wasn't a lie. But Sunghoon didn't have to tell him that he had already waited at half the tables and only had to take a bottle of water to a girl who had ordered without any hurry.

Jay didn't have much to deny you, after all, you were a customer and he couldn't afford to miss an order like that. So, preparing your iced caramel as he always did, he felt his fingers almost crack the plastic when the door opened, revealing Terry.

That man at whom Jay felt a sudden rage just from the exchange of glances between them.

Terry didn't even bother to say hello, walking over to the table where you were and sitting down without saying a word. Now, more than quickly, Jay had to finish your order and run to the table to give it to you. At least to find out what was going on and what Terry was doing there.

The iced caramel was prepared with care, even though the boy's nerves were on edge just to run to the table. As soon as he arrived, Jay hissed softly to get his and Terry's attention.

"Your iced caramel" Jay placed the glass on the table "Sunghoon is busy with the tables upstairs…"

"Thanks, Jay" you took a long sip of the drink, the familiar taste making your whole body relax as you looked at the boy and then at Terry "Aren't you leaving?"

Jay almost froze, thinking the question had been directed at him, but no. His eyes didn't leave Terry as the question was asked.

"We need to talk, y/n."

Your gaze soon met Jay's, he looked as lost as you because this wasn't part of Sunghoon's plans. You, in fact, had no idea what the other Park had prepared. And speaking of him, the boy's orbs were almost popping out when he saw Jay standing near your desk and Terry sitting right in front of you.

Sunghoon didn't think much of it and quickly went over to all of you to see what was going on.

"Hey, is everything all right with your order around here?" he asked.

"Yes," you smiled, "Terry was just leaving."

There was a short silence before he got ready to leave. He didn't wave or look back as he left the café in heavy, hurried steps, leaving you with the two Park baristas standing next to your table.

"Y/n… Are you okay?" Sunghoon asked.

"I have to go" for the first time all week, you left without finishing your coffee. Without saying goodbye to either of you and, what's more, without smiling as you always did when you walked through the door and waved to the guys at the counter.

"Go after her" Sunghoon turned quickly to his cousin.

"What? I—"

"Jay, go after her. Now!" he ordered so desperately that it was as if Sunghoon depended on it. And, of course, he did. Because his cousin's performance had gone downhill after that weather. You also didn't seem as cheerful as you always did, even on the most troubled days at work.

So he felt he had to do something, and he knew he'd made the right request as soon as Jay quickly untied his apron and ran out of the café. Almost tripping over his own feet as he tried to catch up.

Sunghoon could handle things on his own for a few minutes, he thought. Because if his cousin had asked him to run, Jay wasn't going to disobey. He wouldn't miss his chance even if he didn't think he had one.

"Y/n!" he shouted so loudly when he saw you cross the street to enter the huge corporate building on the other side.

To Jay's surprise, you turned around so quickly that you were only able to process the boy's presence when he had already crossed and stopped right in front of you.

He was panting, his hair tousled by the wind and the light jog. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to normalize his breathing and looked at you so closely that you wondered if you had ever been in such proximity before.

"Jay? Why are you here? Why… did you come running?"

You also tried to fight the urge to scream at the sight of him standing right in front of you. The smell of cologne invading your nostrils and realizing that you were completely right when, one night, you fantasized that he was annoyingly smelly.

And even more beautiful once he was bent over far enough, leaning his forehead against yours.

"I don't know what I'm doing here, to tell you the truth" he whispered so close that you couldn't tell if that slight breath of air was Jay's breathing or the wind off the street "I just felt like I needed to come."

"I guess you did the right thing, then."

If Jay didn't know why you'd run over there – or he did – you were going to pretend you didn't either because your hands went to his face to pull him closer, before you felt Jay's lips against yours.

That had been the perfect kiss for as long as you could remember. The way he managed to hold you, tangle his tongue in yours, and press his lips to yours… It was as if Jay's mouth had been made to kiss you. As if that moment had to happen that way.

After breathing became necessary for both of you, Jay made a point of still staying close to you after the kiss stopped, just feeling your breathing normalize against his mouth before laughing softly.

"What?" you asked, laughing along with him as Jay's hand slid slowly down your cheek.

"I never thought I'd like iced caramel like that…"

For a few seconds, you didn't understand what he meant, but as soon as Jay kissed you again, holding your face firmly between his hands, you knew.

The coffee he had prepared minutes before was on your lips, now being transferred to Jay. He knew it was your favorite, he knew iced caramel was famous for a reason. He just didn't know he'd get hooked on tasting it any other way.

© ikeuverse, 2023. do not copy, translate or steal my stories.

[curlycow01]

Sunflowers and Starry Nights

Pairing: 1940s Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: You and Bucky meet at a bar and form an unexpected bond

Warnings: Fluff? A lot of it

A/n: It's been three months since I've posted and I got this random idea and itched to write it. Hope you enjoy!

Tags: @lanabuckybarnes

Slow jazz and the strong smell of alcohol surrounded the bar Bucky sat in. He was alone in the booth while Steve chatted away with Peggy. His eyes scanned the bar, searching for someone who might need company. Then his gaze fell on you.

You nervously shuffled through the drab of olive and khaki as you were approached by Bucky. "Hey" he greeted and flashed a charming smile. "What's a lady like you doing in a dump like this?"

"Oh" you were a bit intimidated suddenly being approached by a handsome soldier. "I'm here to meet a friend" you answered. "What's your name?' he asked as he extended his hand. "Y/n" you replied, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you Sergeant" "Just Bucky" he corrected "you said you were here to meet a friend, right? Maybe I could help you find them"

"They must've forgotten I'm here, with the alcohol and everything" you politely declined, glancing around the dimly lit bar. Bucky took a seat in the booth beside you and gestured you to sit. Since your friend forgot about you, you didn't mind the company.

"So, tell me about yourself, what brings you to Brooklyn in the middle of the war?" He asks curiously. "I came here to attend the Art College" you said with a hint of excitement. "My professor said that my art could lift people's spirits, especially soldiers, so I came here."

"Art, huh?" Bucky says leaning back "That's pretty neat. It's great that you have your own way of contributing in the war" You nod "I'm just trying to help in any way I can." He gets an idea. His blue eyes glint with excitement as he speaks "What do you say to me taking you to explore the city tomorrow? I've got a couple hours before I'm needed back at Base"

"I'd love to" you agree. "It's a date then" he smiles.

The next day, Bucky arrives at your college, wearing a blue jacket and black jeans instead of his usual uniform. You join him outside. "Ready to go?" He offers his arm, with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

His smile widens as you nod and take his arm, leading you through the bustling streets. The buildings were old, seeing wars come and go. He points out landmarks, and tells you stories of the past, even managing to coax a few smiles from you. Bucky learns that you paint sceneries, and you learn about his best friend Steve.

Cool evening air blew as you both headed over to the park. The moon hung high above the both of you, a beacon in the night sky. Bucky took a deep breath, his chest expanding underneath the jacket "You know, I used to love looking up at the moon like this" he said, his voice wistful "Back when things were much simpler" He squeezed your hand gently.

"The moon is something special, isn't it? your voice barely a whisper as you looked at the moon. "Back home I'd sit outside and sketch it for hours." You turned to him "Thank you for today Bucky. It's been a long time since I felt so...at ease."

"Your welcome doll" he smiled "It's not every day I get to play tour guide for a pretty lady with a penchant for the stars." You both took a seat on a nearby bench, his grip on your hand still firm, yet comforting.

"You're a good person Y/n" Bucky states quietly with a mix of affection and respect "Coming all this way to do your part. Your art will mean a lot to us out there" His thumb brushes against your knuckles. "Thanks Bucky" there's a rustle of leaves and a distant murmur of the city as you continued "You're pretty special yourself. And you're fighting for all of us, I can't imagine how hard that must be." you squeezed his hand back, as a silent acknowledgement of his bravery.

He leaned back against the bench, his arm brushing against yours "I'm just doing what I have to" He looks at you with affection and something else you can't figure out "But spending time with you, that's something I'm doing 'cause I want to.

~~~

As the weeks passed by, you and Bucky got closer, and you found yourself sitting in the art classroom. You weren't really paying attention to the instructor as your thoughts drifted to Bucky. His charm and kindness leaving a mark on your heart.

Bucky too, found himself lost in thought. His mind wandering to the quiet moments he shared with you during the chaos of the war. He'd catch himself smiling at the memory of your laugh, the way you tilted your head while concentrating on a painting. His feelings for you had grown each passing day and he knew that he had to say something before he had to leave to fight. Bucky knew he wouldn't let this war take you away from him.

So, one night he managed to sneak out of the Base for a couple hours, the stars twinkling in the sky as he made his way to the College. His heart raced as he entered the building and neared your classroom. "Y/n?"

Your heart fluttered as you heard Bucky's voice. You looked up from the easel, joy flooding through you as you saw his silhouette in the doorway. "Bucky" your voice was a mixture of surprise and delight as you walked over to him. "Come in. Its good to see you"

The room was dimly lit with the faint scent of oil paints lingering in the air. "Doll" he said, his voice filled with emotion "I've been thinking about you a lot" he takes a step closer, his hand reaching out to rest on your cheek "I know this isn't the right place or time, but I had to tell you this" He took a deep beath before continuing "You mean a lot to me, and made me feel things I haven't felt in years. And it just feels right with you." His other hand finds yours. "I'm falling for you doll"

You felt a warmth spread through your body as you take in Bucky's confession. You stepped closer to him, placing your free hand on his chest. "Bucky" you whisper "You don't know how much that means to me" you were close enough to take in the scent of the cologne "The war has taken so much from people, but you've given me a reason to keep fighting." your voice trembled slightly "And I've fallen for you too"

Bucky cupped your face in both hands "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that" he leaned in and his lips met yours in a soft and gentle kiss. His hands stayed on your cheeks as you both pulled away. "I won't leave before seeing you, that's a promise doll." He murmured.

"Do you want to take a walk?" you whispered, desperately wanting to spend as much time as possible before he had to go. "That's all I want to do doll" his voice has a tinge of reluctance as he continues "But I have to get back to Base." He took your hand and kissed the back of it. "I will come back to you."

~~~

A few days later a knock on your dorm door interrupted you from your painting. You opened the door and your stomach flipped as you saw Bucky on the other side. Before you could say anything, he stepped closer and kissed you, his soft lips moving against yours before pulling away.

"Sorry" he smirked "Couldn't resist" He handed you flowers which were hidden behind his back. "Thank you Bucky" you smiled "How did you know sunflowers were my favorite? "I noticed how you added little sunflowers in the corners of your paintings" he replied as he entered the dorm. "Figured they're your favorite"

"They are" you said as you put them in a makeshift vase. "So what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be preparing to head out? you asked him as you turned around. "I promised to see you before I go didn't I?" "And I managed to take a day off, so I'm all yours"

"Fantastic" you said happily as you pulled him further into the dorm and closer to you. He wrapped his arms around you in a warm embrace. "Let's just...be" you mumbled into his chest "No war, no leaving. just us" He hums in agreement as he buries his face into your hair, taking in the scent of paints.

"What do you want to do?" he asks, his arms still wrapped around you. "I don't know" you thought for a moment. "Any ideas?"

"Doll" he paused as he glanced at the canvas. "Do you want to paint together?" you look up at him "You want to paint with me?" "Yeah" he confirms.

You lead him to an empty canvas. "But remember, I'm no Van Gogh or anything" His smile tinged with mischief. "My talents are better suited for other things"

"Don't worry, I'll teach you the basics" you reassured, feeling flustered. "What do you want to paint?" He glances around for a moment and sees the vase "Sunflowers?" you huffed a laugh "Very original. But it'll do"

You open the paints and hand him a paint brush. "How about you paint the sunflowers and I do the background?" He nods "You're in charge doll, I'll do my best." He dips the brush into the paint, his hand trembling slightly.

"Just relax Bucky" you say soothingly "Imagine sunflowers, growing wild and free, let that feeling guide your strokes" "Wild and free, huh?" he teases as he begins to paint.

The brush moves clumsily at first, but under your guidance, the petals start to take shape. "You're doing great" you encourage, hand hovering over his, ready to help if needed.

"You know" Bucky's voice is low and thoughtful as he adds a little brown to the brush "I think I know what I want to do after the war's over" "What is it?"

"I want to settle down, maybe find a little place with a garden" he says, painting the sunflower's center carefully. "You can teach me more about art, and I'll grow those sunflowers for you, just like in your paintings."

"Really?" you choke out. "Yeah doll, somewhere quiet, just you and me." his voice is filled with hope and the brush strokes becoming more and more confident with each word.

Bucky's hand brushes against yours as you join him and work side by side, your eyes meeting every now and then. "I never thought I'd have something like this in the middle of the war" you murmur as you work on the night sky.

"Me neither doll, but you're the best surprise I've ever had" He adds the final details on the sunflowers. "That looks really good Bucky" you praise, impressed at the shades he'd tried to capture.

"Thanks doll, couldn't have done it without you" He leans over, kissing your cheek softly. He shifts and sits behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder as you completed the starry night.

You swallow a lump in your throat. "Thanks Bucky" "Don't thank me doll, it's just the truth" His eyes take in the completed painting as you put down the paintbrush. "It's beautiful" He whispers, full of admiration and awe.

"You've got a real knack for this doll" his voice is a rumble, his breath warm against your ear. "It's like watching you dance, but with paint" "At least I'm good at one thing"

he laughs "At one thing? You're more than just good at painting, you're the most amazing person I've ever met" His arms tighten around you and his cheek presses against yours. "Don't ever forget that"

Bucky's bright yellow sunflowers standing tall in the black and blue night of yours provided a nice contrast. It's more than just a painting, it was an expression of love.

"I'm so happy I met you" you admit to Bucky in a low voice. "You're more than happy doll" he nuzzled into the side of your neck "you're my whole world" he presses a gentle kiss "And that's something no war can take away from me.

~~~~~~

It's been 2 months since Bucky left to fight in the war. There's been radio silence, with little to no updates about what's going on. But you think about Bucky every day, missing him and the quiet moments you had shared in the limited time together.

You painted him often, trying to capture his charming smile and his uniform as accurately as you could. You missed his touch, kisses and wanted to hear him call you doll again. You believed with all your heart that he will come back. If there's one thing you've learned from Bucky, it's to never lose hope.

You woke up next morning, hearing loud noises and lots of laughter. You opened the window to see kids running down the cobblestone path yelling "WE WON!" "THE WAR'S OVER" Newspapers said the same thing.

It doesn't take long for you to grab your bag and coat and practically sprint to the station. A crowd of people had already gathered, waiting anxiously for their loved ones to come home to them. After what seems like ages the train finally arrives.

A lot of soldiers file out, but none of them were him. Where is he? Why isn't he here? what happened to-

"Y/N!" your head snaps up to the direction of the voice and relief floods through you as you and Bucky make eye contact. He strides towards you, his steps swift as he dodges through the throngs of people.

His eyes never leave yours as he scoops you up into his arms, spinning you around "You're here" his voice is gruff but filled with joy "I missed you so much doll"

You laugh with tears in your eyes "I've missed you too Bucky, so so much" "Let's get outta here" he says, setting you down gently. "I've got something to show you"

He leads you out of the crowded station and into the nearby woods, following a yellow dirt path until you both reach an opening. It's a small field with sunflowers and a cozy looking cottage in the middle of it.

"Bucky" you gasp "How did you find this?" He grins "I wanted to take a walk before leaving and found it on complete accident. But the moment I saw it, I knew it was perfect for us. So, I convinced the owner to sell it to me.

You glanced at the turquoise roof and white bricks of the cottage before looking back at Bucky.

"So, what do you say doll? Do you want to- " You pulled his face closer and crashed your lips to his.

"Doll I didn't even finish" he laughed as you both pulled away. "Yes I would love to live here with you" you breathed out. Bucky pulled you flush against his chest. "To new beginnings?" You nodded as you got lost in the depths of his sea blue eyes.

"To new beginnings"

[whatsk-poppinhomies]

Pairing : boyfriend!Hwang Hyunjin x F!Reader TW : jealousy ; possessiveness ; trust issues ; angsty ; Word Count : 2.2k Request : Anonny : Can you write a fic in which a chan/ a member picks you up after a long day at work and gets upset or jealous when he sees you talking and giggling with a male coworker? He becomes even more angry when he realizes that despite how much you talk about your job & everyone at work, you have never mentioned a male coworker. A/N : I feel like Hyunjin suits the jealousy trope so well (might just be me though) He just seems like the type that would be so dramatic and blow things way out of proportion. Also! I love writing jealousy tropes and fics, I think it's so fun, so thank you for this request!! The gif I used is from this blog post!

Exhausted couldn’t begin to describe how Hyunjin felt as he climbed into his car, giving himself a moment to rest his legs, his back, his everything before making the drive to your work. You both got off at the same time, which was very convenient today considering all he wanted to do was go home and cuddle with you and maybe take a hot bath with you between his legs. 

Whenever work was particularly tiring, you were all he thought about, going home with you and just being with you, it gave him enough strength to get through the rest of the day, knowing that you’d be there with him to give him back the strength and energy that he poured into his work. He honestly just loves being with you, everything about you and your presence is so soothing to him, he could listen to you talk for hours, and usually he would. His head would be laying on your lap as you played with his hair and told him all about your day and all the things that happened at work. You’d talk about the people that you work with, fellow employees that were once just people that you had to work alongside, but now they were like your closest friends. He just loved hearing about your life, knowing what you were up to when you were away from him, everything about you was precious to him. 

Now, he’d never verbally claim that he was the jealous type, although deep down he knew that he had the tendency to be a bit jealous, but it was all for a good reason. You were his, and he just felt like everyone in the world should respect that, and for the most part, they did. The one person that he felt respected it the most though was you. You never talked to a guy for longer than a minute without Hyunjin being around, even if it was another member, you respected him enough to keep conversations with any guy as short as possible. 

That’s why he wasn’t particularly happy to see you standing outside your work, chatting it up with some dude, and not just chatting, but you were smiling and giggling. He had heard so much about your work, but this guy… any guy for that matter, had never been brought up, not even once. It was clear by the way you were with the guy that you had known him for a pretty long time too. He was getting impatient, and it was clear from both of your casual demeanors that you had been talking long enough, so he honked his horn, grabbing your attention and the attention of the guy beside you. 

You waved excitedly to him, and he would have let it slide, he would have completely forgotten about all of it if not for what happened next. The guy's arms were held out, and you had every opportunity to refuse the hug, to let the guy know that you needed to go, but you hugged the guy back. It wasn’t exactly an awkward hug either, no, it was the hug of two people that weren’t just coworkers. 

A sea of green washed over him, and it wasn’t just jealousy that he felt now… He was angry, he was humiliated. How could you do something like that when he was right there… And what were you doing when he wasn’t there? He was pissed… and he wasn’t going to let this slide. He’d get to the bottom of it immediately. 

“Hey baby!” You exclaimed as you climbed into the car, leaning over the center console to press a kiss to his cheek before sitting properly and clicking your seatbelt. You were in a wonderful mood, far too happy at the moment to pick up on the drastically different mood that he was harboring. “How was work today? You were probably really busy, you barely answered any of my texts.” Is that why you were doing this… Because he hadn’t responded to your texts like he usually did? 

“Yeah… I was super busy…” He said almost robotically, not wanting to get too worked up in the car. It was no place to have an argument, and even though he was pissed off, he didn’t want to get into an accident, he didn’t want anything to happen to you. ��Just wanna go home and soak in the tub, ya know…” 

His eyes were laser focused on the road in front of him, his hands gripping tightly on the wheel to keep his emotions in check. Even still, you didn’t seem to notice that he wasn’t his usual self when he was with you. Did that guy back there have your mind clouded? Were you still thinking of him? “Oh? Maybe I can join you? I know you love when I take-” 

“No…” He cut you off as he quickly turned onto your street. “I just want to be able to stretch out and relax.” He said, taking a deep breath as he pulled into the driveway, thankful that the car ride was so short from your work to the house. You were silent as you both simultaneously climbed out of the car, and you continued that silence as you followed him into the house, only speaking once you shut the door behind you. 

“Okay… What the hell is wrong? I know that you had a busy day at work, but why are you being so short with me?” You asked rather sternly, placing your bag down on the little bench beside the door and then toeing off your shoes to follow him deeper into the house. 

“So now you notice?” Hyunjin sassed, going straight to the fridge and pulling out a can of beer, something that he rarely did, if ever. “Took you long enough.” He mumbled, the popping of the tab permeating through the otherwise silent house. 

“The fuck are you talking about?” You retorted, your head shaking as you leaned over the kitchen island to grab the drink from his hand. “I noticed in the car, I just didn’t bring it up because I didn’t want you to get worked up while driving. Clearly something is bothering you, so tell me.” 

Hyunjins eyes rolled as he sinply grabbed another can from the fridge, giving you his famous side eye as he popped the tab once more and started swigging it. “Clearly you wouldn’t give a damn about what’s bothering me since you don’t respect our relationship.” He leaned back against the counter opposite from you. “How could you not know?” 

“What in the actual fuck are you on about right now?!” You shouted, and while you hadn’t meant to get so loud, you couldn’t help but be both insulted and confused by his statement. “You know what… I don’t want to know what you’re talking about because it’ll only piss me off more.” 

You took a swig from the beer can that you had taken from him, your nose crinkling at the taste of it before setting the can down to turn and walk away, but clearly he wasn’t done yet. “Oh, that’s right. Walk away! All I ask is that you respect me, love me the same way I love you, I guess that’s too much to ask for though!” He called after you and you paused in the middle of the room, your hands moving to your hair to run your fingers through it in agitation before whipping around to face him. 

“I’m walking away because you’re confusing the hell out of me! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” You shouted back to him, your chest rising and falling heavily, his words, although they didn’t make an ounce of sense to you, they were hurtful nonetheless. “Just take your bath, maybe you’ll actually be able to have an adult conversation when you’re calmed down.” 

“Oh I’m calm!” He retorted, slamming his hands down on the counter, his palms slapping against the granite top sounded painful but he didn’t seem to care right now. “As calm as someone can be when they see their girlfriend flirting with another guy! Giggling and talking up a storm with whoever the hell he is! Giving him a hug! I know those hugs! Those are my hugs!” His nostrils flared with irritation, but his words were allowing you to see where his mind was, what he thought was going on, and while you understood where he was coming from, he hadn’t even given you an opportunity to explain. “Is that why you never talk about him? Hmm? Because you don’t want me to know about your secret lover?! Well I found out!” He seemed so proud of himself, his arms crossed over his chest as he backed up to lean against the counter, his smile quite snide as he looked at you. 

You clapped your hands, nodding your head slowly and you unamusedly chuckled. “Good job, Hyunjin. You found out that my best friend's little brother got hired. I trained him, it was his first day and he did a really good job. He’s like a little brother to me…” Hyunjins jaw fell slack as he looked at you, and you could only scoff at his sudden realization that he had fucked up. “You know, it’s one thing to worry and ask, but to just jump to conclusions and accuse me of shit… I see what kind of person you think I am… And it’s really fucking upsetting actually.” 

He moved around the counter quickly, grabbing onto you as his head shook, his mouth moving but no words came out, only nonsensical sounds that sounded a great deal like begging. “I… Well… When… I… Baby…” He rambled, but you pushed against his shoulders, creating the distance between the two of you that you felt you needed now. “Please… I just got scared… You’re my love, and I… You looked so happy… I didn’t know… You never told me…” 

“And you looked like you were having a great time MCing for Music Core, but I never doubted you and I never accused you of cheating.” You shot back, furthering the distance with every step he took towards you. “Clearly I loved you, respected you, and trusted you more than you do me…” He took one more step towards you, his long legs filling the space faster than you could create it, and before you knew it, you were backed against the front door. “Hyunjin stop…” You mumbled, keeping him at arm's length, your hands against his chest. “I’m upset… And I think maybe I should just spend the night somewhere else.”

“No… I don’t want that… I want you here with me…” He pleaded, and while you could see in his demeanor that he wanted to be close to you, he stopped trying, letting you keep him as far away as you possibly could. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to upset you… I had a bad day and… And all I wanted was to be with you and I saw that… I was upset too.” 

You rolled your eyes at his reasoning, sighing with exasperation. “So you’re going to accuse me of cheating whenever you have a bad day and I’m talking to one of my coworkers? That’s not fair…” Your eyes closed as your head fell back against the door. “I… Look…” You slowly opened your eyes to look at him once more, quickly glancing away when you saw his pout and the way his eyes watered. “I understand bad days… I’ve had them too… But that doesn’t mean that you can just hurt me because you think you saw something. You were willing to throw away a perfectly good relationship because you assumed something… And that’s a deeper issue than just a bad day at work.” 

He shakily gasped as he stared at you, and even though you weren’t looking directly at him, the sound of his sniffles let you know that he was crying. “We can work on my issues together… I’m… I don’t want to ruin the relationship… I love you, baby… I don’t want you to leave…” His hands moved to grab yours, moving them off his chest so he could step closer to you. “Just stay here with me and we can talk about it…” 

Your head shook as you pulled your hands away, side stepping away from him with a heavy sigh. “I need to take some time to think. I think you do too… I’ll be back after work tomorrow and we can talk about it.” You quickly kissed his cheek before turning to the front door, hesitating for just a moment when you heard his almost silent sobs from behind you. “I love you, Hyunjin…” You whispered before slipping out the front door. 

You weren’t leaving him, but some things were better handled by oneself, and this was something he needed to think about on his own. You knew that staying there would only have him coming up with excuse after excuse for what he did and apologies that were only said to make you stay. You needed him to realize that you loved him, that he could trust you, and that was something that he needed to be alone to realize for himself. 

[chiliger]

*stands with hands on hips, staring at the floor* Look, I know we love to have the Command Batch be close brothers in art and fics. I am a staunch lover of the trope myself.

But what about, like in real life, where the people we grew up with or went to school with, they just fall out of contact. The friends made in high school don't always remain lifelong friends.

Yeah, they can say "we'll call each other and message everyday," or "we should hang out when our leaves overlap." But the war gets in the way of everything, like it tends to do. Slowly but surely the messages in the group chat peter out. There are too many things to do, and duty takes first priority over keeping contact with the people they knew as kids.

It's not for wont of trying, the commanders would still send little messages to each other, but it could be hours, days or weeks before there's a reply because of conflicting zones, lack of signal, or other messages pushing the chat further down the list.

There's also just the fact that the commanders find their people. Meaning, through time and shared experiences with their battalions, other clones click right into place, possibly even deeper than their batchmates. The camaraderie in surviving a massacre with only two of your men surviving is different than the experience of constant dehumanization on Coruscant.

It comes to a point where the Command Batch become, for lack of thinking of a better word, almost strangers to each other. They still keeps tabs on one another, just to make sure they're still alive, but that's pretty much as far as it goes now. Maybe they'll chitchat when their battalions work together, but the mission has to come first, so most of the talking is planning and strategizing. Even when their leaves do overlap, the thought of messaging for a meet-up might feel like a nuisance, because surely your batchmates are exhausted and don't want to be bothered.

So it goes, the commanders may have been close once, but that connection has been stretched and warped by war and time. They still have love for each other and it won't ever be forgotten, because how can anyone forget the people you grew up with. They were the right people they needed back then, but they're no longer the right people now.

[delphi-shield]

classified intel // jill valentine

Jill x GN!Reader Fluff wc: 1,543 read on ao3 suggestive themes bc reader sends jill a tasteful nude, reader implied to be civilian, post-di!Jill.

this almost turned into angst, but i excised the sad parts and it turned into another wip. tbh i should be prepping for my tabletop tomorrow but i miss my wife.

Jill's on a work trip, but that's never stopped you from texting her before and it sure as hell's not going to stop you now.

also known as:

i am ruminating on a relationship with jill once more. 😔

Technically speaking, your relationship isn’t long distance.

Just because Jill spent a large portion of her time overseas, god-knows-where, doing god-knows-what, did not mean that you were long distance. Yeah, maybe you do have to schedule calls, fighting timezones and your responsibilities to carve out a measly half hour with each other. That doesn’t qualify, technically, as long distance. You tell this to your friends over and over again. Still, they roll their eyes, hum their doubt, and insist that you may as well be long distance.

Their point remains. You and Jill are apart far more than either of you would like. She’s a busy woman by her own design. Her drive had been something that you had admired about her, even if it was the very same thing that kept her from you. You hadn’t entered this relationship blind to the fact that she would be gone sometimes. You had learned to be okay with it, learned to handle the distance that was often double-edged. 

Texting was usually infrequent when she was away. Her personal cell phone was usually left behind when she went out for assignments - and if she did have it, it was turned off and shoved to the bottom of her pack. You texted her throughout the day, leaving behind a collection of your thoughts for her to come back to. She had taken to responding in one text, a bullet-point list to catch up on everything that she had missed.

 Once, you had gotten anxious about bothering her, about the egregious amount of notifications she would be flooded with when she finally turned her phone back on. You had sent her just one text, telling her to be safe, that you loved her. She had called you the moment she had service, demanding to know what was wrong. Thought something happened to you, I don’t know, she had grumbled, dismissing her paranoia easily over the phone. You had let it go unchallenged, quietly returning to your text spam. The next time she had a chance to talk to you, she had saved her bullet-points for a phone call.

The last time you had heard from her, her plane had landed safely. Her day was going to be packed with intelligence meetings - not really the kind of thing she could be on her phone during. You’ve just gotten home from work when your phone chimes. You take your time checking it, not expecting your girlfriend to be able to chat. She was at least three hours behind you, still in the middle of her work day.

It's a pleasant surprise to see a text from her. Instead of her usual bullet-point reply, she had sent an unflattering picture of a pitbull. Jill’s arm came in from the side of the frame, her hand blurred in the motion of a head pat. The text accompanying it simply read:

5:12 PM: PB&J.

Before you could even ask what that was supposed to mean, Jill sent a second text.

5:29 PM: His name is PB&J.

You grin at your phone, sending her an array of emojis to show how cute that is. You flop back onto your bed, your phone held over your face.

5:31 PM: can you call? just got home lol

5:35 PM: Sorry. Waiting for my next meeting to start.

Shit. You push down your disappointment and look for the silver-lining. At least you could text her for a little bit before she got wrapped up in work again. The dishes in the sink were forgotten in favor of the back and forth between you and Jill. It was hardly the most thrilling conversation. You exchanged the daily monotonies with each other - what sort of coffee she had that morning, how terrible traffic had been for you on your way home, your coat forgotten over the back of your chair at work and Jill’s pen borrowed from an embassy, blue ink, ballpoint and scratchy. It’s easier to superimpose the memory of her alongside you when you have the little details to work with, when you can fill in the gaps in your imagination with the particulars.

Naturally, this devolved into teasing.

5:47 PM: what are you wearing?

5:47 PM: That’s classified.

5:48 PM: tank top and jeans again, huh was kind of hoping for a pantsuit 👀 i know u packed that navy one send pics

You scrolled through your photos, searching for a set of pictures you had taken a few nights ago. If you were going to ask for pics, it was only fair that you send one in return. You had taken them early in the week, consumed by a swell of confidence that had been flushed away the moment you had to scroll through them. You had scrutinized every angle, pinpointed every flaw, every way the light played off of your skin. Your motivation to send them had dwindled quickly. They were filed away into a password protected album, a break in case of emergency stash of photos that may never see the light of day.

Rip the band-aid off, you tell yourself. Send it before you can second guess yourself. You pick your favorite photo, your thumb hesitating over the send button for a fraction of a second before you decide fuck it. She’ll like it. Hopefully.

You drop your phone facedown onto your chest so you don’t stare anxiously at the conversation. It takes all of ten seconds for it to chime again.

5:55 PM: You know the BSAA monitors my texts, right?

Your heart lurches. No way. No fucking way. She’s got to be bluffing. The idea of Jill’s colleague scrolling through your messages with her was mortifying. It wasn’t like this was the first time you had sent her pictures like that. Even if you hadn’t sent those, there were still plenty of texts that you didn’t need anyone else seeing.

She’s bluffing. Has to be.

5:57 PM: bullshit lol 5:57 PM: very funny 6:13 PM: youre not serious right 6:14 PM: ?? 6:14 PM: jill pls 6:24 PM: omg ur not joking are you

Logically, you knew that Jill’s meeting had started. That was why she wasn’t responding. You knew there was no way the BSAA monitored her personal communication 24/7, and you knew that if they did she would have told you about it the first time you had sent her a picture like that, not the hundredth. However, you also knew that she loved keeping you in suspense. No matter what she said to the contrary, you knew that Jill loved to watch you squirm. She found it cute, or so she had confided in you one night, half-asleep and tangled in your sheets.

It took a full hour later for Jill to get back to you. During the course of that hour, you damn near paced a track around your bedroom and filled your google search history with plenty of things to ruin your targeted advertising. Choice examples include ‘employee handbook bsaa north america’ and ‘bsaa employee phone policy’. 

Your phone doesn’t even finish the first ring. You see Jill’s name flash on screen, and you’ve already got your phone up to your ear.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” you blurt out, your thumb wedged between your teeth.

Jill blurts out a confused what, her voice wobbling with a laugh. It clicks for her a moment later.

“Oh - the ‘monitoring my texts’ thing?” She says, voice lighting with amusement. “Yeah, no. They don’t do that. You look good, though. Did I buy that?”

You let out a relieved groan. “You are such an asshole,” you huff. “I was worried the entire United Nations had just seen my ass.”

“Oh, c’mon. I would have told you not to send stuff like that if they were pulling my texts.” You can’t argue with that. She may have liked to see you squirm, but she was well aware of your boundaries.

“Got any other angles? I remember that outfit having more straps.”

You snort. “Maybe. Gonna need some reciprocation first, though.”

You hear Jill hum over the phone. A door opens in the background, a deep voice drifting over the phone, indecipherable. Jill pauses, listening.

“I’ll see what I can do. Gotta go.”

You hurry to say goodbye, squeezing a quick love you in before the call cut off.

The quiet creeps back into your apartment. You’re left staring at Jill’s contact photo. You tap it to view it in full. Jill’s arm wrapped around your shoulders, your head thrown back in a laugh. You were cuddled up on the porch swing of a bed & breakfast, an impromptu weekend trip Jill had taken you on a month ago. You had cropped the photo, centering it on Jill - on the way she looked at you and smiled, her eyes soft in a way that you had never seen before.

Your phone buzzed, and you nearly swiped the notification away out of habit. You caught yourself just in time, catching Jill’s name.

8:53 PM: 1 attachment

Your eyes scoured the picture, grin crinkling the corners of your eyes. Goddamn - you knew she had packed that pantsuit. You’re typing a reply when she sends another text.

8:54 PM: Do not say awooga.

You delete your draft and think of a different way to express your appreciation.

[s0ft-d3cay]

Tongue Tied by Your Presence

Omega!Shigaraki x Alpha!Male Reader | The one most of you have been wait for is here!!!! -ega shigaraki, omega shigaraki, omega shigaraki, omega shigaraki, OMEGA SHIGA-

Warnings: Alpha and Omega characters/slight topics(barley mentioned, but it is heavily implied), mentions of societies lack of responsibility, mentions of wanting to destroy society, feelings of longing for a better world, Feelings of longing for Shigaraki(All of us tbh), use of Y/N, not beta read

WC:1,176

"Didn’t take you as an early riser..." Shigaraki stated walking through the door. "I’m anything but a morning person, unfortunately I have stuff that needs my attention today," glancing towards the blue headed omegan leader, analyzing him. Curiosity waves around his exhausted slumped form, trouble sleeping the alpha thought.

An unknown gaze stares through his blue hair and hand, that small hint of surprise he had earlier now sour as his arms cross. Was it irritation or just exhaustion, maybe both, for all you know the man probably has a million things to do and think about daily.

"Sleep well?” The man asked half expecting the omega to not respond or even acknowledge what he'd said. Shifting around to facing him, the low tone light melting over the leader’s pale face. He glows like a dark cloud before a storm, catching rays of high yellow intertwining over his cotton black clothing.

In a regular occurrence, the alpha could smell how most other omegan’s and alpha’s alike felt. But…not for Shigaraki, Y/N had figured with his incessant scratching the other man might of destroyed his scent receptors.

The omega shrugged, "Can’t remember the last I’ve slept a full six hours." His body deflates while he scratches at neck, the nervous habit made the alpha irritated to watch. An urge to stop the man was at his mere fingertips, perhaps it was self punishment for comfort, he thought up again clenching his fists closed.

Willing the instinct to dwindle. "Mhm, I hear that. Well, I’ll leave you to your over slept thoughts or there lack of," slow getting up from his seat, half-way leaning against the bar. His brain aching and yelling at him to stay, to keep talking to the Shigaraki. Y/N’s attempts to shake his thoughts out.

"There’s no need for you to go just yet. Why don’t you stay and chat, Alpha..” There…those dangerous words with underlying meaning. The Alpha’s own want to conversant spirals around him towards the omega. His inner chest sparking with happiness at the leaders words. Warm and welcoming, was more haunting to the Alpha than any pure rage and desire combined.

As most villains and non hero’s alike, both of the Alpha and Omega species were taught that any type of comfort was weakness; common knowledge in a survival sort of way. Even then, this warmth was unlike any the alpha felt, warmer than the sun on a beach, more welcoming like the small coffee shop you frequent on Saturday mornings.

Y/N shouldn’t allow it to be apart of his life, that primal void of want. The worst part of it all, the alpha caved it. In the most basic carnal way possible, he caved that want to indulge in the warmth and perhaps…the omega before him.

Being neglected from feeling safe enough to do so hindered his strategic planning and leadership along side Shigaraki. Still Y/N wanted-no, he needed to be near the omega. No matter how faraway or close, he needed to stay.

"I’ll stay as long as you want me too." In-captured by his own greed, the Alpha sits back down. The two of them talk back and forth for a while, about anything and everything that came to mind. Poring over the omegan's animated reactions and comments when talking of his favorite topics and such.

The alpha’s heart pounds when he leans in to emphasize his words and jesters his hands. Even with the hand covering his face and lack of scent, his gravelly voice enthusiastically made up for it.

So taken in by the man’s alluring speech, you’d almost forgotten your own question, "I have a person question to ask, if you’re up for answering one that is?” With the world against them and people like Shigaraki, it was genuine curiosity.

Resting a hand over his cheek half-way hiding his mouth, the alpha waits. "Ask away,” the leader replies, offering an open palm to the man in playfulness. His voice scratchy, yet soft, a tinge of interest snake around a kindness only few can interpret.

"What’s your true motive in destroying the society?" Shigaraki stiffens, his being frozen in place. A responds the alpha did not expecting at all. The omega turns to facing bar, placing both arms around himself, head slightly falling down. Regret and guilt runs through the alpha at the sudden change, why couldn’t he have kept that question. Moments of silence passes until the man moves again.

He’s probably leaving, the man thought, hanging his head in shame wishing for more time with the leader. Taking a quick glance in the omega's direction to see a gray hand now on laying the bar.

The alpha’s eyes widen, the hand from the omega's face, he took it off. "With the way heroes…the way society is so demanding of their fame and fortune for attention. Having to leave and dismantle their families, not helping those in fucking need and just-This world is a hopeless, motionless, blind, and-"

“-Useless..."

The alpha joins in, the both saying it at the same time, their eyes finally meeting for the first time. His face...a pretty one at that. A connection beginning to form right in front of his eyes, warmth spreading through the alpha's chest as a small voice appears in his mind. A moment of crystal clarity...

‘Mate.’

That single word rocked the man’s entire world, heart beating as he does his best to not over scent the omega, let alone scent him with intention. "What do you want out of ending all of this, Alpha?" Shigaraki asked, thinking over the omega’s words and his own feelings. The man’s eyes stared blankly at the wooden bar below his crossed arms. A pleasant chill runs through his spine at the simple call of his nature, he releases a breath to center himself.

"I want to live in a world where everyone gets a chance to live how they want, regardless of their circumstances. To be able to just…exist without needed to look over my should 24/7. For the world to realize how badly society treats us…treats everyone and what needs to be done for that change.” The alpha answered, honestly falling freely from his chest like a water fall in a deep forest.

There’s a pause before Shigaraki hums, allowing the man to continue. "But most of all I want this society to be completely shattered and shown it’s broken pieces. To show how truly broken everything is and will continue to be if things don’t change.”

The omega then begins to chuckle lightly, a smile spreading across his face like wild fire. Feelings of contentment and peace, reach out to wrapping around you at the sound.

"You know Alpha...I like you. It’s almost like we’re on the same wavelength." An air of lightness passes through his voice as he speaks.

His eyes glowing in understanding towards the other man. That one word begins to encapsulate his mind once more before the alpha adds his honest though out loud.

"I’m glad I wasn’t the only one thinking that.”

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights of any of the characters I write about, all the rights go to their respective creators

[midnightfantasiez]

Twisted Love | 둘 (chp. 2)

SUMMARY: you were certain that you would never find love nor ever lose your virginity throughout university, that is until a man named Lee Sangyeon came into the picture and offered to become your tutor; in exchange for keeping your grades up, and most importantly, teaching you everything you needed to know about sex. it was all just for fun & games, that is until one of you started to develop feelings for the other.

PAIRING: tutor!Sangyeon x afab!reader

GENRE: smut (18+ MDNI!!)

WARNINGS: dirty talk, petnames (princess, sweetheart, baby), public sex, p in v sex, kissing, swearing, blowjob, breast play, praise, so they made a pact 😃, and Sangyeon is insane 😮‍💨

WORD COUNT: 2,250

A/N: jayden lee sangyeon. that's all you have to know.

send me an ask/comment to join the series taglist! those in my permanent taglist will automatically be added!

This has got to be the worst day of your life. 

Not only were you late, and you were pretty much unpresentable (in your eyes, that is), but you also just had to cross paths with the guy who literally took your virginity hours ago. 

To make things worse, it was pretty obvious that Sangyeon had been glancing right in your direction every few minutes whenever he could while trying his best to stay focused on what your professor was teaching in class. You could’ve sworn that there were a couple of times he had actually raised an eyebrow whenever he would catch you looking right at him, not focusing on your actual lecture of the day.

This is why you avoid attending parties, and it is also why you avoid drinking alcoholic beverages outside of the comforts of your apartment because the next thing that happens, you actually end up doing things that you’re going to regret for the rest of your life. 

Wait, rewind that. Maybe it wasn’t all too bad. You weren’t going to deny that Sangyeon made you feel so good, and you wouldn’t mind doing it all over with him again—

Wait, what? 

In the blink of an eye, two hours have passed quickly, all while you have been daydreaming or thinking about what happened last night.

Or rather, him.

As you tried shaking off the unnecessary thoughts, you quickly packed all your belongings away messily into your bag, not bothering to organise them as your main priority was leaving the room. When you followed the footsteps of your classmates, you tried your best to fill your mind with simple things to help distract you—what to eat for brunch, if you should head up to the library to do a little bit of work, or if you would instead go for a little walk outside of campus near the local park. 

Before you could even decide on an activity to keep you busy for the next couple of hours before your following lecture, you felt someone grabbing your wrist, stopping you in your tracks as you watched each classmate leave the auditorium individually. 

As you turn your head to see who it is, you are met by the same lustful grin he portrayed the night before, knowing that this will not look good for you.

“Let’s have a little chat, shall we?” 

Oh, hell no. 

Just as you thought, he would not let you off like that, especially when you both exchanged glances throughout the lecture. As the final student left, he reached his other free hand towards his back to close and lock the door, leaving you trapped in the hall. 

“It seems like you have not forgotten about me, huh? Was I really that good, darling?” he teased, leaning closer to you. 

If you thought yesterday was bad enough, today might be much worse. He was styled neatly yet seductive in your eyes. How could someone be so effortlessly good-looking? It shouldn’t have affected you much; plenty of guys dress like this on campus. Was it because you had sex with him last night that changed everything? Probably, but also, there’s something about him that makes you crave for him, for his touch. 

“I-I umm…look…what happened last night…was all a mistake, I swear,” you said, trying to save yourself from embarrassment, trying your best not to bring it up again because you might genuinely throw up thinking about what you did. 

But clearly, it seemed as if Sangyeon had business with you. “That wasn’t nothing, sweetheart. It’s more than that, don’t you think? Especially since you were the one who made the first move against me.”

God, Y/N. What exactly have you done while you were drunk? 

“N-No! It must be the alcohol, and I’m so sorry for what I did. I promise it was an accident!” 

Unfortunately, he wasn’t convinced in the slightest bit. “There are no such things as accidents.” 

Suddenly, he wrapped his fingers again under your chin and lifted your head slightly to ensure you had all eyes on him. You swore the tension in the air swiftly, making breathing harder each second. Something in your gut just tells you that whatever he was going to bring up next will probably not be good. 

And you were absolutely right. 

“Say, princess. I heard that you needed to pass this semester with at least a GPA of 3.5 and above to be able to move on to the next. Why not I’ll help tutor you to ensure you keep up the grades?” 

“But…aren’t you just supposed to help the professor prepare class materials for each lecture?” 

“Oh, honey. Teacher’s assistants do more than just that.” 

Sangyeon began taking a few steps forward, all while his hands were still under your chin. His other free hand slowly wrapped around your waist, pushing you backwards. 

“You see, we do more than just helping the professors prepare the class materials. We also keep an eye on all students to ensure that nobody is falling behind or failing classes. It just so happens that you will definitely need some assistance, especially after your performance from last semester, as I have seen.” 

Both of you were still moving backwards slowly, and all this time you kept your gaze on him. As much as you felt slightly terrified of the whole situation and also of Sangyeon, another part of you was entranced by him.

“Besides that, I think you owe me a little something, don’t you think?” 

“W-What are you talking about?” you questioned before you felt your back bump against the podium located right at the centre of the stage. Immediately, Sangyeon moved both of his hands to both sides, cornering you to ensure that there was not even the slightest chance of escape for you. 

“Who did you think actually carried you all the way back to the comforts of your apartment last night?” 

Oh, him. 

Looking at how you immediately connected the dots, a somewhat devilish grin was plastered on his face. Now, you weren’t sure if you would want to hear his proposal. 

“What are you suggesting, Sangyeon?” You tried your best not to shiver, but it seemed that your tensed body movements gave it all away, making the grin on his face grow wider each second. 

“I’m giving you a special package, sweetheart. I tutor you, and you repay me by making me feel good.” 

Wow, that was direct as hell.

You tried your best to straighten up and retaliate. “W-What makes you think I would have sex with you again? Don’t you know the phrase ‘whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’?” 

“Let’s be real. It was your first time last night, and you clearly have no experience in all of this. You’re eager to find out and learn more about it anyway.” 

“H-How did you know it was my first?” 

He chuckled. “Baby, it was pretty obvious with the way you cummed.” 

Right, the first time was always different. Your roommate told you so when you talked about it the previous semester. 

With that, you shut your eyes tight, not wanting to face reality at the moment. You just wished you could fly yourself out to space, not wanting to return again. 

“I’m helping you out in both ways, princess. It’s basically killing two birds with a stone. I’d say it’s a pretty good deal. So, what do you say?”

You had no idea how whatever happened thirty minutes ago led you into the situation you are in right now. 

Everything happened so quickly, and you both were having a pretty heated make-out session at the podium. Sangyeon immediately crashed his lips onto yours, savouring you like he did the day before. Obviously, there were no traces of alcohol left on your lips, but there was just something about them that lured him in, licking and kissing them as if it was his first time. 

There was no way you could back off, especially when his lips tasted so good, causing you to whimper slightly throughout the kisses. Naturally, you wrapped your arms around his neck and tilted your head, wanting him to deepen the kiss. 

One thing led to another; you both then proceeded to the back room, where it was pitched black and quiet. Next thing you knew, Sangyeon pulled his pants down vigorously and made you bend on your knees, positioning your mouth right at his cock before placing his thumb right at your mouth, opening it before making you take in his whole length. 

You could tell that he was already hard as fuck, especially when his bulge was pretty much evident through his pants as you both were making out as you felt it hit against your thigh. But now you were finally tasting all the goodness; this was the monster cock that he inserted into your core last night, making you feel as if you were on cloud nine. 

You sucked on it for a while before you naturally decided to move upwards a bit and circle your tongue around his tip. That was when you heard Sangyeon’s groan, and you opened your eyes to see that he arched his back and his head tilted backwards, indicating that he was enjoying this whole situation that was going on. 

“Fuck,” he hissed, “You’re doing so good for me, princess.” 

“Am I…doing a great job?” You asked in between the kisses. 

“More than ever, baby. God, you’re taking my cock so well,” he groaned before he grabbed hold of your hair and decided to push you in deeper, to the point that his tip reached the back of your throat, making you whimper slightly. 

“That’s it, baby. Keep it coming,” he growled, pushing you at a faster pace now, his cock getting deeper down your throat. In return, you could only shut your eyes tight, keeping up the pace until you finally felt his body twitch.

“Fuck, I’m going to cum inside you, princess,” that was his final warning because seconds later, he released all of his liquid into your mouth, the excess dripping down from the corners of your mouth. Sangyeon made sure that you didn’t waste a drop, making you swallow them all in front of him.

“Tell me, how does it taste?” 

“I-It tastes so good…” 

As soon as he heard that, he quickly pulled you up and slammed you down on one of the tables nearby, quickly pulling down the cargo pants that you were wearing before he had a little moment of admiring your ass, his hands moving in circular motions around them. 

“You’re so pretty, princess. And this is all for me,” Sangyeon praised before he grabbed hold of your underwear, pulling them down before positioning his cock at your entrance and pushing it all the way in, earning a yelp from you in return. 

He didn’t even give you time to adjust this time, it was as if he had gone ballistic, and all he wanted to do was to fuck you deep and hard. 

“Did you miss my cock, baby?”

“Hhngh…v-very much, Sangyeon…”

“How does it feel for me to be in you again?” 

“It feels…so good…” you whispered as you tried to catch your breath in between each thrust. 

“Take it all, baby. Take all of my cock,” he picks up his pace, thrusting in you harder and harder each second. He was basically just tearing your walls apart at this point, and he just continued to push in deeper with each moan and whimper you let out. 

“S-Sangyeon…I’m not going to last…” you cried. 

“Then cum with me then, do it together with me, baby.”

Leaning down to grab hold of your neck as he diverted your direction towards him, he crashed his lips onto yours again, all while he was fucking you like there’s no tomorrow. The kisses continued, and you were certain he was out of his mind now, not letting you breathe properly through it all. 

Eventually, you screamed into the kiss as you both finally released both of your liquids together, now slowing down the pace as you both broke apart for a breath of fresh air. Throughout the heavy panting, Sangyeon was slowly massaging your breasts, resting his head with yours. 

“So, Y/N. What do you say about our proposal?” 

It was the first time you heard him say your name, and it definitely sounded so good coming out of his mouth. 

So many red flags went through your mind. You knew very well how this was all a bad idea. There’s no way you could accept a trade like this; it was absolutely insane and out of the question. He was just a one-night stand, and now, your teacher’s assistant. Whatever happened between you two should’ve just stopped right there and then. It was far too risky and dangerous to keep this going. 

Saying no is the only probable answer at this point. There was no way you were going to agree with all of this.

No, you couldn’t. 

Ever. 

“You know…you’re umm…actually pretty good…with all of this…” you stammered, mentally wanting to slap yourself for even blurting out all of that. 

That comment only made Sangyeon grin much wider than he already did before, causing him to pull you up as he kissed you deeper and continued fondling your breast roughly. 

“I knew you’d say yes, sweetheart.”

Oh, god. Whatever have you got yourself into? 

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[didishawn]

Love at First Massage (Jude Bellingham x reader)

Warnings: feet I guess (?)

Masterlist

It was Vinicius who recommended him the place, a nice, unknown, little massage parlour somewhere along the forgotten streets leading up to Plaza Mayor.

The first thing that caught his attention was how empty the place was, a bored looking lady in the reception table checking out her nails as the typical hallway music played on the background.

The sound of his steps got her attention, her eyes didn't widden -probably used to Vini and other players visiting the place-, but he could see recognition on her face as she nodded her head on greeting as he introduces himself, she stood up and leaded him up to the farthest away chair from the windows and told him to wait.

A small chair was next to his chair topped by some magazines, his face visible in one of them, he still couldn't understand spanish, but he guessed they were throwing praises at him for scoring in all La Liga matches since his debut.

"Hi, I am y/n, I am in charge of your massage today"

A voice, your voice, caught his attention, and he was hypnotised from the very first moment, truly believing that he had died and went to heaven.

He tried to greet you back, he truly did, but not a noise came out of his mouth and he missed his opportunity when you arched an eyebrow and got down to work, he was already barefoot, you put some cream in your hands and started.

It were not only, your face and your voice which were angel made, also your hands as Jude could quickly feel the sourness and tiredness slip away and his feet to feel like new.

You were not talkative, or maybe not just with him after he didn't even greet you back.

Jude cleared his throat, yet you didn't look up to him as he scratched his neck and searched for any reason to speak with you.

"Do you watch football?" he wanted to hit himself, why couldn't he think about anything else? You laughed.

"Is that an indirect way of asking whether I know you or don't?" you inquired, looking up to him, a teasing look on your eye "I do know who you are and I do watch football, but maybe my team of choice won't be of your liking, or maybe yes as everyone knows of those tweets of you recognising the real goat"

"I suppose that means you have also seen that school project in which I wrote what my dream team was"

"I did, my brother went crazy calling you an hypocrite for then going to Real Madrid in what he deems a money operation and nothing more"

"He sounds like a real fan"

"Ask Vinicius what happened the last time he came over and my brother just happened to be here. Also tell him he still owes me that money"

"So, you work in this massage parlour and as a side job you do bets with football players for the extra money?"

"Not everyone is offered like a hundred million euros, you do what you have to do, Bellingham"

So, you were beautiful, you were smart, you liked football and you were funny as well as great at massages.

Jude was already down hard, he even thought about purposely injuring himself to come back sooner.

The massage was entirely too short for his liking -it went on for over an hour, you didn't tell him how you were purposely slow to keep on chatting with him.

Turns out, Jude Bellingham wasn't just great at football, but also at mantianimg long conversations and making sure to keep eye contact even while you worked on his feet.

When you finished, Jude almost asked you to keep going, but he didn't want to seem desperate, but he did leave a special note with his phone number written down alongside a generous tip.

He couldn't help but laugh before asking you out on a date, when you sent him a photo of what you had spent your tip on.

You did look good in red and blue, but he bet you would look even better with his last name on your back.

[youlikefanficdontyousquidward]

Recom!Lopez x Human!Reader

Summary: Lopez doesn't get jealous...

One thing about Lopez was that he never got jealous. He was secure in his relationship with you. Trusting that as long as you were together with him you'd never stray.

He was right to trust you. God knows you weren't looking at anyone with him to come home to. No it wasn't you that he was worried about, it was everyone else.

You were just so sweet. Everyone who spoke to you got your undivided attention. You were always the one pulling folk into conversation. Leaning in and listening to someone folk had talked over. It wasn't your fault that all your colleagues were charmed.

You were just too trusting. Never assuming the worst in others like Lopez did. Not noticing when your colleagues leered down your shirt or brushed just a little too close in passing. Lopez could smell their touch coming off you when you came to him. He'd spend extra time replacing it with his own. Priding himself of the quivering mess you became under his touch. Angry that no one else could smell his scent on you, claiming you as his.

Lopez stewed in his chair now. His friends had gone quiet, ears twitching to listen to your conversation. He wasn't eavesdropping, he kept telling himself. He was just listening out for you, in case you needed him.

The creep was one of your colleagues working in the lab. Lopez recognized him, he hovered about your desk often when he came to grab you. His stench always clung the hardest to your skin. Little weasel was your superior, head lab coat or something.

So that's why you were being polite. Entertaining a little chat with your boss in the lunch queue. You didn't like him, of course not. Still Lopez didn't like the way he stared at your smile. The way his eyes flicked to your plump lips. Lopez's tail flicked behind him watching the mans hand usher your forward, just barely touching the small of your back.

Lopez stood up, chair squealing and almost toppling as he barrelled away from the table. Ja and Lyle watched eagerly as he stormed his way towards you. Lopez could feel the growl vibrating at the back of his throat. He had tunnel vision trained on you, other bodies practically leapt out of his path.

Still he slowed his approach, plastering a big smile as your head swiveled to his.

"Lopez!" you beamed. He could never get over how delighted you were to see him. Whether he'd been gone a day or an hour your bright smile always greeted him.

He wrapped an arm around your shoulder shifting you into his side. Lopez preened at the way your colleague bristled, clearly he'd interrupted him and he loved that. Your hand shifted up to hold a couple of his fingers, enemy briefly forgotten he turned his head down to you.

"I thought you were gone till tomorrow?" You pouted before gasping turning fully to him now. "Does this mean your free tonight!?" You exclaimed, tapping from one foot to another.

Lopez caught the other mans flinch at your remark, shrinking in on himself. Lopez smirked leaning down to kiss your hairline.

"Of course sweetcheeks." He chuckled. He moved you ahead of him, shooting a glare back at your boss. The man had went pale and didn't meet his gaze, staring at the floor and sweating. The queue kept moving, Lopez carrying your tray for you as you gushed about a lizard you'd been studying.

All the while Lopez listened but kept his gaze fixed around the room. One by one he noted all the broken dreams and shattered hearts. Men and women alike sizing themselves up against their competition and not liking the odds. He preened, chest jutting out a little as he lead you over to his table.

He was sure he'd have to fend off more humans again but his little show today would buy him time. Maybe they'd remember their fanged 9ft rival next time they thought to put their hands on you.

"Ah so this is Y/n?" Lyle smirked. Lopez felt his stomach sink. Lyle grinning took your hand, kissing your knuckles. "So nice for Lopez to finally introduce us all."

Lopez peered down the line of Cheshire grins feeling a cold sweat run down his spine. Sets of golden eyes locked onto your pretty smile as you introduced yourself sweetly.

Oh shit.

[realhumanithink]

Headcanon about how peter pettigrew's betrayal went down because it hurts more this way (i find comfort in sadness)

During the war, pete wasn't very involved in the fighting, whereas all (or most of) his friends were, so he did ministry work and was mostly free outside of his 9 to 5 work hours

The marauders had a designated bar night every week (every Friday maybe? Idk), and he made it to every one. Even when he worked over time or had extra work to do, he always went, because the other guys always couldn't, and he didn't want to miss out if even one of them could, for once

When the war really started hitting, the other guys just kinda stopped going cuz of ootp missions/work. "Sorry wormy, I had this" "can't make it this week worms, I need to that"

And he was lonely

Really lonely

And when voldemort came by, he promised peter that the purebloods could have everything, that if he joined they would be one step closer to peace

All he heard was 'peace'

So he joined him, and starting getting wayyyy too deep in, but he kept convincing himself that all of this was for the greater good, and once it was over, he could finally have his friends back, like he did in hogwarts. He could finally see them laugh and yell and gossip again. He could finally go to bar nights with them, and they could watch muggle football on the little telly in the corner and scream and cheer when the team they were cheering for scored a goal

Then he was ordered to help with the murder of the mckinnons, and that was when he realised he was gone. At first he refused, but he was threatened. His life was threatened. And at this point, he really didn't know what he was living for anymore. But he was alive, and all he did every day was just survive. He'd forgotten why he was doing what he was doing, but he was just obsessed with surviving at this point, because what else was there to do?

When he was entrusted with the location of the potter family, he went back home and cried, because he had finally been able to talk to his friends, and the first thing they told him was a secret he couldn't keep. They trusted him so, and they didn't know what he'd gotten himself into.

They didn't even stop and chat. That secret was the only thing they said, and then they had to go. None of them (not sirius or james or lily or anyone) spared him a second glance before they apparated to their next mission, or their now hiding spot.

That was all talking to their now-distant friend was, really. A mission.

And when sirius and remus found him, they looked at him with so much hate, and he just kept begging and begging for his life, because that was the only thing he could even hope to keep, because his friendships were certainly dead and gone.

When he was being choked to death by the prosthetic hand, all he could think about were delusions of meeting his friends again.

Yes, in the afterlife, they would welcome him. They would forgive him and understand why he did it.

James would put his hands on his shoulders and smile and tell him that everything was fine

Marlene would smack his back and grin and tell him to keep his chin up

Dorcas would glare at him but sigh and smile and forgive him because marls did

Lily would yell at him for giving so much grief to her child, and scold him for getting into so much trouble, but take his hand and tell him that he was brave

Sirius would fume and kick, but recognise he did what he had to do

Remus would pat his head and offer a cigarette with a smirk

And he would cry, and apologise a hundred million times over, and his friends would forgive him the first or third time

Yes, he did so much wrong. But he was young and he felt unloved and he just wanted to LIVE again, he just wanted to smile with his friends again, he just wanted to be FREE again

[starsenha]

[7] ABOUT THE BOY - finally

For about a week, Sunghoon had been doing everything in his power to avoid you. He’d changed his routes to and from classes, started eating lunch in corners of the library, and even switched up his gym schedule to late-night workouts. It was exhausting, but so far, it had worked. He hadn’t run into you once, and he was starting to feel like he might actually pull this off.

That was until he walked into his extra-curricular class—a course on media and communications he’d nearly forgotten he’d signed up for. It was supposed to be a small, lowkey class, the kind of place where he could relax and let his guard down.

But the moment he stepped into the classroom, his heart sank. There you were, sitting in the middle of the room, looking as effortlessly stunning as always. You were leaning back in her chair, chatting with another student, and when you spotted him, your eyes lit up with that familiar, mischievous glint.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Sunghoon muttered to himself. He quickly considered his options, bit before he could make a move, you had already waved at him, a wide smile on your face.

"Hey Hoon, over here," you called out.

He froze for a split second, then forced a smile as he walked over to you. There was no way he could bail now without making it obvious and being rude. The last thing he wanted was for you to think he was running away.

"Hey, yn. Didn't know you were in this class," he said, trying to sound casual.

You grinned "Surprise!" you patted the seta next to you with a smile. "Come on, sit with me."

He hesitated for a moment but ended up sitting down next to you, mentally bracing himself. This was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid, but here he was, trapped in a classroom with her for the next hour.

"I haven't seen you much since the party. You've been avoiding me, haven't you?" you leaned in, your voice teasing.

He felt his pulse quicken. You were straight-up calling him out, and there was no way he could deny it without looking like a complete fool or a jerk.

"Avoiding? No, just… been busy, you know. Classes, gym, all that.” he was trying so hard to keep his cool it was almost endearing.

You smirked, softly nodding your head. "Uh-huh, sure. That must be it.”

Sunghoon swallowed hard, trying to ignore how you leaned just a little too close, your perfume subtly intoxicating. He could feel the heat radiating from you, and it was taking everything he had not to let his resolve crumble.

“I’ve just been keeping a low profile. Didn’t realize I was so hard to find.” he forced a laugh, but you saw right through him. You could see how nervous he was, just by being beside you.

“Well, you are. And I have to say, I don’t like being ignored, Sunghoon. Especially not after that night…” your voice dropped as you said the last bit.

He felt his face heat up at the mention of your kiss, his mind immediately replaying the memory. You were really making this hard—literally.

He struggled to keep his composure. “I wasn’t ignoring you. Just… giving you some space.”

You raised an eyebrow, your smile wicked, “Space? Or were you afraid you couldn’t resist me?”

Sunghoon’s breath caught in his throat. He could barely keep his voice steady now. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

You brushed your hand lightly against his arm. You were good at this. “Maybe a little. But can you blame me? I thought we had fun together, and then you just disappeared.”

Sunghoon clenched his jaw, trying to focus on anything other than the way your fingers were casually trailing up his arm. He needed to get a grip, but you were literally making it impossible. But then, he remembered the lingering ache in his heart—the one that still had Chaeyoung’s name etched into it. As much as he wanted to lose himself in you, to forget about everything else, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t fair to either of you.

The professor arrived just in time. He forced himself to focus on the lecture, but it was a losing battle. You were right there, your presence intoxicating, your words replaying in his mind like a broken record.

As the class went on, you continued to tease him subtly—your leg brushing against his under the table, your fingers grazing his arm whenever you reached for your notebook. Sunghoon’s frustration grew with every passing minute. He was supposed to be avoiding you, but instead, he was trapped in a situation where you had all the power, and you knew it.

By the time the class ended, Sunghoon was practically sweating from keeping himself in check. He needed to get out of there before he did something he’d regret, but you caught him quickly. He could feel our presence before he even turned around. You called for him to wait for you, your voice teasing, he knew he had to face the issue head on.

Sunghoon turned to face you, forcing a calm expression even though his mind was racing. The hallway was relatively empty, the class having just let out, so it was just the two of you for the moment.

"Alright, yn, let’s cut to the chase," he began, sighing. "You said you could help me get over Chaeyoung… but what’s in it for you?"

You tilted your head, a playful smile on your lips as you raised an eyebrow. You mustered the most innocent voice you could possibly make. "What do you mean?"

Sunghoon leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest as he looked at you directly. He wasn’t going to you her dance around this. "I mean, if you’re going to help me forget about Chaeyoung, what do you get out of it? Why are you so interested?"

Your smile widened as you realized he was actually going to make you spell it out. You stepped closer, closing the already minimal space between them, your eyes never leaving his. "Well, for one, I need an arm candy." you said with a smirk.

"Arm candy?"

"You heard me, handsome. I’ve got a reputation to maintain. Walking around with one of the hottest guys in school certainly doesn’t hurt that," your tone was playful and Sunghoon couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth, despite the confusion and caution still gnawing at him.

"So, this is all about status, huh?"

You shrugged casually. "Partly, yeah. But," you leaned in slightly, your voice dropping as you looked up at him. "every girl in this school is into you. I need to remind everyone that I can have anyone I want, whenever I want. Plus, you publicly rejected me, and that doesn't sit well with me."

He felt a flicker of something—was it pride? Desire? He wasn’t sure. But he knew one thing: you were undeniably attractive, and your confidence was almost as intoxicating as your presence. "So, I’m just a tool in your game, then?"

You smirked, your fingers brushing once again against his arm. "Maybe… but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with it, hmm?"

Sunghoon swallowed, feeling his resolve weakening again. Your flirting was relentless, and the way you were looking at him made it hard to think straight. But he couldn’t deny that there was something about you that drew him in, something that made him want to throw caution to the wind and just see where this could go. "You make it sound so easy."

Your hand rested on his chest. "It is. Wat's so wrong about letting go for a bit?" you said softly.

He could feel the warmth of your hand through his shirt, and the steady rhythm of your breathing was almost hypnotic. It was like none of this flustered you, like it was completely normal. He wanted to resist, he really did, but the pull of your charm was too strong.

You leaned in even closer, until your lips were besides his ear as you stood on your tippy toes, your voice just above a whisper. "Why not let me help you? We could both get what we want."

Sunghoon closed his eyes for a brief moment, taking in the scent of your perfume, the feel of you so close to him. He knew he was teetering on the edge of a decision he couldn’t take back, and the worst part was, he wasn’t sure he even cared.

He opened his eyes, his voice low. "You’re really not giving me much of a choice, are you?"

You leaned back a bit, grinning, as your hand slide up to his neck. "I prefer to think of it as giving you a better option."

You moved closer, your body almost pressed against his as you looked up at him, your eyes gleaming.

Sunghoon could feel his resolve crumbling. He let out a deep breath, his hands resting on your waist instinctively, and he hated that it was so natural. You were so close now, your lips just a breath away from his. You were right; he had been holding on to the past for too long, and maybe letting go wouldn't be the worst idea. What was wrong with a little bit of fun?

"You're gonna be the death of me," he said through gritted teeth. His voice was so weak, it was almost like he was murmuring it to himself.

You smiled, "Good." Your voice was so soft that he swore it went directly between his legs once again.

That was all it took for him. He closed the remaining distance between you, his lips capturing yours in a desperate kiss full of frustration. You responded almost immediately, your arms wrapping around his neck as you pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

For a moment, it was like nothing else but the two of you, and he hated himself for getting sucked in so easily. You were just so easy to get lost in. He knew he was addicted to the taste of your lips.

previous / m.list / next

taglist: @arimiu @eleanorheartschishiya @i03jae @beomsitez @hoonatic @rep-hoon

[sonufabitchhhhh]

Metal Family - Dee x Reader

Your Secret’s Out and the Best Part is it isn’t Even a Good One

-

Summary (Request 1): HEY UH CAN U WRITE A DEE FANFIC WITH A S/O THAT CAN DRAW REALLT GOOD AND ONE DAY SHE LEAVES HER SKETCHBOOK AT DEES HOUSE AND HE SEES THAT THERES PICTURES OF HIM IN IT? - @ilovesillycats

(Request 2): maybe dee takes y/n somewhere, like maybe to a park and asks her on a date! >:3 - @katdragon1915

Masterlist

-

Y/n and Dee were practically inseparable. Everyone knew this; it was hard not to know this when they're always by each other's side.

They had plenty in common, and y/n's sweet nature naturally balanced out Dee's sarcasm.

However, while Dee was more the brains, y/n was more the artist. Dee would help y/n with homework and assignments when they'd study together, but though she always had it with her, he was never allowed to see her sketchbook.

Dee had seen some of y/n's art, when she'd been sketching random pieces in the art rooms at school for example. But she was very protective over most of her work. If ever he saw she was sketching, Dee would always try to sneak a peek. If she didn't move, or gave him more space to look, that was his permission, but if she held her work closer, Dee knew to back off.

The only thing Dee couldn't understand was why she wouldn't let him see most of her work. He'd seen some of her pieces, why couldn't he see the others. He knew her art was brilliant, he always made sure to compliment her on her skills. So why?

-

"What are you drawing?" Dee asked mindlessly, as y/n drew in her sketchbook next to him while they hung out at his place.

They're time together would often go like this: the two listening to music on Dee's bed, while they chatted about anything and everything, and y/n would draw her secretive artwork.

"That's for me to know, and you to inconclusively wonder about." Y/n replied with a smile, knowing it was killing him to find out.

"Uggghhh! C'mon y/n! You know I love your work, there's nothing you could show me that I wouldn't like."

"Who said you liking it is the problem?" Y/n paused her movements to stare at him, cocking an eyebrow.

"Then why can't I see?" Dee propped himself up a bit more, thinking he was closing in on an answer.

"Well... that's for me to know, and you-"

"Alright! I get it!" Dee huffed while y/n laughed musically.

The two went back to their mindless conversation until y/n had to leave.

-

It was late in the evening, long after y/n had left, when Dee saw it. Y/n's sketchbook. She had taken her case of pencils, but she must've forgotten to take the sketchbook along with it.

Dee had spent the better part of an hour after this discovery, trying to decide whether to look through it or not.

He was desperate to know what was in there, but was it worth violating her privacy? Then again, she would never have to know. But he wants her to show him her work, willingly. He wants to watch her explain each line, and feature to him like she has with so many other works. But if she never knows about him looking through it, there's still time for that...

With that final thought, he cracked the book open slightly, the worn cover, and untethering spine holding together so many pages. With just the smallest amount open, he could see smudges of pencil around the edges of the pages from where she'd shaded drawings and gotten pencil on her hands, later to rub off on the outer edges of the page.

With a deep breath, he fully opened the book to a random page. He had no idea what to say to what he was met with.

A beautifully drawn picture of himself was sitting on the page. He had no idea when it was from, but he was looking off somewhere, smiling sincerely. He must've been with her at the time to be smiling so pleasantly.

The way she'd drawn him, each line, each gradient, perfectly brought out his best features. He liked the way he looked in this drawing better than he'd ever liked the look of himself in any mirror or photo.

He somewhat reluctantly turned the page, but was pleasantly surprised when he saw another drawing of himself, somehow even better than the last.

Dee flipped through pages for a long time, taking the care to admire the ever present skill in each sketch.

After a while, he came to a drawing and realised that it was of him today, as he had sat on his bed next to y/n, like so many other of the drawings, yet still different. Sure enough, there was no drawing on the next page. So this is what she had been drawing this whole time. Why she wouldn't let him see. Was she embarrassed? Did this make him her muse? Either way, all he wanted to do was tell her he loved each and every piece, for they truly reflected her skill, and brought out a beauty in him that he thought he wouldn't ever be able to see in anything other than her art. He doesn't understand how she's able to see it and capture it.

But he knows he can't tell her what he saw. It would only prove that he betrayed her trust and looked through the art she was so protective of. But would it be worth it to assure her it's ok?

-

The next day y/n and Dee went to the local park, which was pretty dead, as per usual. Dee had insisted on going somewhere different for a change.

The two had been sitting at the swings, talking for a while. It was peaceful. But Dee seemed... skittish.

"Hey Dee?" Y/n asked sweetly. With an indicating hum as response, she continued. "Are you alright? You seem a little on edge today."

A momentary look of inner turmoil crossed his face, but was gone before y/n could process, leaving her wondering if she'd truly seen it. "I'm fine. I almost forgot, you, uh.. left this at my place yesterday." Dee stated plainly while handing over her sketchbook from his bag.

"Oh my god, I didn't even notice it was gone!" Y/n had a look of horror on her face, as if she'd abandoned a dear friend and they were scowling at her for it. "I wasn't going to bring it with me today 'cause I didn't think there'd be much space to draw in the park."

Y/n cradled the sketchbook close to her chest and smiled at Dee gratefully. Dee loved that smile. Maybe she should forget her belongings more often.

"Anyway, there was something I wanted to-" Dee began speaking, with an air of nervousness around him, but was abruptly interrupted by y/n.

"Wait!" Y/n spoke with dread in her tone. "Did you... did you look in my sketchbook?"

Dee saw the look of pure fear on her face, and his heart melted at the thought of her being so afraid of him seeing her art. It was so beautiful, how could she be so scared of him seeing it?

He debated lying for a moment, to preserve her feelings and give her the chance to show him her work in her own time. But then he thought enough is enough. She was going to hear acceptance from him whether she liked it or not.

With a deep breath and an attempt at a calm demeanour, Dee addressed her concerns. "I did look in your sketchbook," he began, and hurriedly continued at the flash of concern on her face, "but I thought your drawings were incredible!"

Y/n took a moment to reply. Was he lying to make her feel better? Was he secretly creeped out at all the drawings of him?

"But what about all of the drawings of... we'll, of you?" Y/n asked fearfully. "Aren't you.. freaked out that I drew so many?"

"Of course not!" Dee reassured.

Dee wasn't really the type to say sweet affirmations, or even to just be generally nice, but y/n was always an exception. He would say all the nice things in the world about y/n.

"I loved every drawing in that book. You're so, so talented, and the only thing that surprised me was the fact that you wanted to draw me!" Dee blushed slightly at that, wondering (hoping) that maybe she liked staring at his features. Maybe she liked drawing him because she thought he was worthy of being her art. Maybe she liked him too.

"Well of course I want to draw you, Dee." Y/n blushed a cute shade of pink, and smiled sweetly. "You're so pretty Dee, and honestly, I could simply never get sick of drawing you. Especially when you smile." Dee blushed scarlet at her words, at a loss for what to say to such a genuine compliment.

A moment of silence passed between them, neither knowing what to say.

"Y/n?"

Y/n hummed slightly in reply, anticipation rising for what he would say.

"Would you, maybe, I dunno, want to... go out some time? With me?" Dee asked, a nervous wreck.

With her wits slightly returning at the confirmation that Dee actually liked her back, y/n officially decided to be a smartass. "Isn't that kind of what we're doing?"

"Oh you know what I mean!" Dee huffed with a dramatic groan, blushing endlessly at her decision to tease him.

Y/n smiled like an idiot. "I'd love to, Dee."

-

A/N: omg I'm so ridiculously sorry for how long it's been! Especially since it's been literally forever since I received those requests! I've had serious writers block recently, especially for Dee cos I've been thinking about other fandoms, but I'm back! And I'm hoping I can try and get more fics out, or at the very least start a few. Again, super sorry! Hope you all enjoyed, please let me know any feedback or requests!

Hope you have a great day/night,

~ SonofaBeach

[stardustedknuckles]

There was a woman sat on the curb with a typewriter when I left taco bell, with a sign taped to her folding table advertising personal poems written for you on the spot. And you know... Sometimes you have to let people surprise you. I stopped, in my Dyke shirt with my caduceus clay book in one hand, and I told her I've never seen a poem about asexuality that wasn't sad.

We chatted for a good fifteen minutes, in which she - self describing as hypersexual - asked me more about my experience. She had friends who were on the ace spectrum, which was a relief on my part to not start from zero, and I just told her what I could. About growing up with friends who would stop talking to me once they got partners and tell me I would understand one day, about how it feels a little like being in a musical but never having heard the words everyone else knows or learned the steps to the dance they're all doing in unison. We laughed together at the way I'm mystified by story plots that revolve around bad decisions made due to being just that horny, a situation she was intimately familiar with and having a 43-year life full of those stories.

At the end she asked if I happened to have a title in mind and at first there was nothing. I hate titles. I tend to default to song lyrics for ao3. But as soon as she asked, I remembered standing in the cafeteria in eighth grade and being annoyed that all the Greek gods of love were of that kind of love. I remember wondering if there was a god/dess of friendship, and I remember the closest I found was Philotes: goddess of friendship, affection, and sex. In eighth grade I took the last one with a kind of "that's close enough I guess" attitude, but at 30 I think it's perfect actually. Lack of attraction has nothing to do with what feels good. There's nothing out of place about it to me these days.

I hadn't thought about that in years, no idea why it came to mind except I was also thinking of eighth grade me when I talked about my friends fucking off one by one to be with their partners. She wrote down the spelling, thanked me warmly for the talk, and returned to her typewriter.

I spent the next half an hour with a delightful Dyke who gave me a business card, on which her title was printed - no joke - "Lesbian Mayor of (neighborhood)." She was my parents' age and when she remarked with the utmost sincerity and approval that "you're kind of a weird big bang theory" I choked down the feeling of being directly assaulted and said hey, my dad watches that.

At some point Lisa finished her work on her typewriter. When I arrived it was fully light out, but by then it was getting dark. She stood in front of the bench where I was, fumbled on the phone light, and read to me what she had typed. And damn if the first two sentences didn't take me right the fuck out immediately. "I thought in middle school that if I was ever going to write a poem it would be an ode to Philotes," I had told her, a memory that comes with the affectionate sort of cringe reserved for your twelve year old self, earnest as they still were. And the same feeling came over me as she read the poem out to me - but it wasn't cringe I felt. It was the feeling that I had started something in 2005 that was only taking real shape nearly 20 years later.

I don't know if it's a "good" poem. That was never my strength. But it was written for me and for me, and the opening line "build me an effigy that transcends flesh" knocked the breath out of me immediately. I have the paper here beside me on the couch, and it feels like the kind of thing that goes in a treasure box, or maybe a frame.

I also had to remind her to give me her zelle so I could pay her - clearly also affected, she had turned to start on the next poem (a raunchy sex limerick as requested by a guy in a backward ball cap and boat shoes) and had forgotten entirely.

It's gonna overdraw my account when an auto payment hits next Wednesday, but honestly... Worth it. I just wish the fee would've gone to her instead of the bank.

Let people surprise you.

[differenteagletragedy]

Drunk dial from Cove and Derek

What if you were in college and your two best boys called you up while wasted? Wouldn't that be a nice little surprise?

Different colored text to simulate multiple choices, just for funzies. Brief she/her pronouns, just because Derek has to say "hey gal" or what's the point. Ok bye!

You sighed deeply, looking over the mess of papers and books strewn all over your tiny twin bed. You had your textbook, quizzes and exams from earlier in the semester and the notes you'd taken in class.

You had a history midterm in the morning, and either you were going to take it or it was going to take you.

You were worried. You were kind of a slacker and hadn't been doing too well, but this class was part of your general education requirement so failing wasn't really an option.

You were worried. You'd been diligent about note-taking and felt like you had a solid grasp on the material, but it was a big test.

You weren't exactly worried -- you're kind of a nerd for this stuff, and felt confident that you were prepared and would do well, but was there really such a thing as being too prepared?

As you read over what your professor had said would be covered on the test, you glanced at the clock. It was nearing 1:00 AM, but your class wasn't until 9:00, and you'd definitely gotten less sleep since you started college a few years ago. You settled in a little bit, pulling your knees up to your chest and getting cozy so you could delve back into the finer points of the Revolutionary War.

Then your phone started to ring.

Curious about who could be calling so late, you reached over to snatch your phone up out of the mess of papers. You smiled when you saw your best friend's name pop up on the screen, waiting for you to accept the video call.

You answered the call, preparing a joke about how your early bird bestie would not be getting the worm in the morning after calling at this hour, but Cove had other plans.

"Heeeeey, y/n," he said, smiling sloppily. His voice was a little too loud, his tongue was a little too loose, and he let out a little giggle even though nothing was, as far as you could tell, particularly funny.

Cove was drunk. Like, really drunk.

"How are you doing there, bud?" you asked, smirking. Cove didn't drink much, but when he did it was always a sight to see.

"Good, good. I -- no, listen. Y/n. Are you -- hey. I've got a surprise."

Proud that he managed to get out a coherent thought, you raised your eyebrows, feeling a bit like you were indulging a small child and wordless inviting him to go on.

"Are you ready? I want ... no, be quiet," he said, looking off to his side. For the first time, you heard a deep chuckle. Someone else was with him, and you didn't have to put too much work into finding out who.

"Derek's back!" you said cheerfully, laughing as Cove clumsily turned his phone so you could see another old friend sitting right beside him.

"Hey, gal," he said, grinning easily. "Do you have anything you'd maybe like to say to me today that you couldn't say on another day because it wouldn't be true on another day, a well wisher, or ... wait, that's not ..." he trailed off, turning to Cove. "What am I saying?"

So Derek was drunk too.

You knew what he was trying to get at though -- it was his birthday! His 21st birthday, to be exact. You'd called him earlier in the day to chat, but it wouldn't hurt to give the birthday boy more special attention.

You realized at once what he meant -- you'd totally forgotten, but of course it was his birthday.

"Happy birthday," you told him, and he closed his eyes blissfully.

"Here's what I did, I'll tell you," Cove said, bringing the phone closer to his face but holding it far enough that you could see Derek swaying happily. "I did -- I knew it was his birthday. And I don't have to work tomorrow because I'm off ... I'm off work tomorrow."

Cove was never exactly an eloquent man, but Drunk Cove was an absolute disaster.

"So I said -- do you know what I said, y/n? I said, 'It's Derek's birthday and he's turning 21 and that means ... y'n, that means he can legally drink,"

"Does it?" you asked, content to watch your buddies be silly.

"Yeah, it's the law," he answered, and you thought you caught an eye roll. "So I said, 'I'm gonna go see Derek and take him out for his first drink.' And I did -- I did do that."

"Y/n," Derek said, grabbing Cove's wrist to twist the phone back in his direction. "Did you know people are so nice to you on your birthday? People gave me so many drinks and most of them were gross but I drank them anyway because --

"It's a rite of passage," Cove cut him off. "That's what my dad said. He said -- Derek, he said that you take your friends out on their special birthdays."

"Your dad condoned this?" you asked,

"Well, kind of, but it got -- listen, it's -- ok, so ..."

You listened as Cove started and stopped a weird string of sentences about how he'd hopped in his car and drove up to Derek's college to surprise him on his 21st birthday. Derek, ever the good boy, hadn't had any plans for debauchery, but it seems like Mr. Holden had told Cove about the tradition of getting your pals wasted when they turn 21, and your two childhood best friends found themselves at a bar near Derek's school.

They took turns telling you stories about their night out, but when Cove started going on a disjointed tangent about Long Island iced teas -- which, he complained, did not taste like iced tea but instead fire accelerant -- you saw Derek starting to look a bit sleepy, even with a smile still plastered to his face.

"You doing all right, Derek?" you asked him.

"You're so pretty," he answered happily. "You look like an angel. You don't have a wings or a halo or ... you know what i mean. Pretty."

Before you could react, Cove looked over at him and said, "I think y/n is pretty like a mermaid."

"She doesn't have a tail," he argued.

"No, I know -- obviously she doesn't -- but you know, like sea creatures, like the ocean," Cove argued, not very successfully.

"Maybe she's pretty like a goddess," Derek supplied. "Like a Greek goddess and she sits on Mount Olympus and people fight wars and build fake horses over her and she can have babies from her forehead and there are statues in museums and everyone's like, 'Wow, that sculptor forgot an arm but look how pretty.'"

"Pretty like -- like a siren," Cove said, sticking with sea creatures. "And she like sits on a rock and all these sailors want -- everyone wants to talk to her because pretty. But there's not ... is that the one with the bird stuff?"

"I don't want y/n to have bird stuff," Derek pouted.

You laughed. Your friends were too sweet (and kind of dumb right now).

You laughed, but you felt a light blush pop up on your cheeks as well. Did Cove really think you were that pretty?

You smiled. You'd always had a bit of a crush on Derek, and it made you feel good that he thought you looked nice.

You wished you were in the same room as them more than anything. Cove and Derek had both grown up pretty darn attractive themselves, and it sure would be nice to be in the middle of that sandwich.

As fun as the phone call was, you really did need to get back to studying. You also weren't sure if your friends would even remember this phone call in the morning.

After getting Derek to stop rambling and Cove to put together enough words to work for a an acceptable goodbye, you went to hang up.

"Y/n, wait," Cove said, and you paused.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?"