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weelittleweasley · 4 years

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Amortentia | Draco x Reader

Prompt: After having a large crush on Draco for two years, you decide to move on for your own sake. But what happens when you are in potions class and what you smell is not that of your current boyfriend, but of an old flame?

Warnings: angst, a lil fluff at the end

Requests status: Open and ready for some requests

A/N: New fandom, same old writer hehe. I thought I’d come back after a long hiatus and write a little something. Quarantine/the pandemic has me back in my teenage self. In this, we go through year 4 to year 6, so GoF to HBP :)

The bellows of the professor at the front of the classroom fall into muffled murmurs as you go in and out of daydreams, fiddling with the quill in your writing hand. As you draw nonsense pictures in the margins in your notebook, you fantasize scenarios in your head of the boy you’ve had your eye on since the beginning of year four at Hogwarts. In your head, it all made sense. The two of you were pure blood Slytherins, competitive and ballsy, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. That’s what you adored so much about the blonde boy. He may have his moments, but he always seemed to be ready for whatever.

The corners of your mouth twirl upwards into a smile as you think about being able to wear his jumper, smelling his cologne on the collar. You think about his hands on your hip bones, squeezing them lightly as he peppers small, soft kisses on your neck and collarbones. Yearning to lace your fingers with his as he dips down his head to place a tender kiss to your l-

“Miss (Y/L/N), do you have anything to add?” Professor Moody snaps you from your daydream as you sit straight up, feet planted on the foot, picking your quill up back in writing position. You clear your throat and shake your head back and forth. “If you have nothing to add, I’d recommend you quit daydreaming and focus on what is going on at the front of the classroom.”

You breathe out a small, “Yessir,” before returning your attention back to your work. Small giggles are let out across the classroom, relishing in your embarrassment. Heat rises to your cheeks and you try to make yourself smaller by sinking into your chair a little and ducking your head downward. Peering up through your eyelashes, you try to sneak a look a Draco who is seated only two tables ahead and to the left of you. As you do so, you see that he was looking at you the whole time, him chuckling with Blaise Zabini before returning their focus to the blackboard. Embarrassment washes over you yet again, caught in the act of looking at the boy you fancied.

Within the hour, Moody dismisses class and you gather your things swiftly, trying to leave class without Moody stopping you to ask why your mind was elsewhere today. As you fling your satchel across your body and tuck your notebook under your arm, you scurry out the door only to be stopped by Blaise.

“Would you move it, Zabini? I have to get to astronomy,” you push Blaises large chest with your hand, before booking it in the opposite direction. You can’t escape him, or so it seems, because he walks beside you now down the corridor to your next class. “Are you obsessed with me or something? What’s your deal?”

Blaise laughs, “I didn’t know that you get so distracted during class, doodling and dreaming, (Y/N). What’s more interesting than a class with Moody?” He nudges his shoulder into you, making you stumble a little bit as you walk.

Now getting really annoyed since he brought up what happened in class, you stop in your tracks and hit him with your notebook. “Leave. Me. Alone. You. Arse,” you speak in between slaps and Blaise just laughs as you swat him. Before you can walk away from him, he quickly snatches your notebook from your hands and your eyes grow wide. If he flipped through the pages just right, he could see all of your Draco doodles. “Hey, give that back! That’s private!”

You jump for your notebook, but with no avail since Blaise was significantly taller than you. He carelessly flips through pages, “Now what does Miss (Y/L/N) write about in class? Taking diligent notes?” With one final shove, your notebook falls onto the ground, wide open to the page where you have written Draco Malfoy in script in the margins of your notebook, so much so that it creates a border around your note in the center of the page. Blaise lets out a deep chuckle, “Ho-ho! That’s where little Miss (Y/L/N)’s thoughts have been! The Slytherin Prince!”

Before Blaise can torment you anymore, you grab your notebook off the floor and slam it shut. Your heart is racing, Blaise is in Draco’s inner circle and if Blaise knew about your crush, that meant Draco was bound to find out. Your anxiety swells and your chest tightens. Your grip becomes iron on your notebook now, unwilling to surrender it if someone dares to snatch it away from you again. You look up at Blaise and if you look up any longer at the shit-eating grin he has on his face, you’ll start crying. As if this day could not get any worse. Blaise immediately recognizes your facial expression as a girl who has just been hurt and he instantly retaliates, regretting what he just did. “I told you that was private,” you manage to speak out before walking away briskly.

The sound of quickened footsteps follow you and Blaise voice says, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just thought we were having fun, that’s all!” he attempts to rationalize. You ignore his feeble attempt at an apology. “I won’t tell Malfoy. It’ll just inflate his ego,” he attempts to humor you.

“I would hope not. That would be the most human thing to do,” you spit at him. “Just leave me alone, okay? I think you’ve done enough damage for today.”

“(Y/N)!” Blaise calls out before you turn around to enter your next class. “Please. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it.”

You look at him and by the look on his face, you can tell he means it, which is surprising. You sigh, “I believe you. Just...don’t do it again. And please, don’t tell...” you don’t want to say his name in fear if you say it, he’ll come right around the corner. “...him.”

Blaise offers you a warm smile. “Your secret is safe with me.” You let go of your held breath, some tension releasing from your shoulders. “Can I just ask? What is the fascination of him? Is it his hair?” he asks, making you laugh lightly. There were many reasons you liked Draco; his personality, his smile, his drive, the cool blue gray color of his eyes, the way his nose scrunched up when he laughed. There was so much to like. Blaise notices your pregnant pause and smiles, “Never mind me asking. I have a feeling it will take too long to get your response.”

“Goodbye, Zabini,” you trail off, trying to slip into your class before he stops you yet again.

“Wait! Um,” Blaise stutters. “So, the Yule Ball is coming up soon. And I know maybe you were hoping to get asked by a certain...someone else,” he winks as you roll your eyes, “but I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?” he delivers the last part confidently, like he was giving you a sales pitch.

You quickly thought about it. Although the chances of Draco asking you were slim to none, you still were holding out that maybe he noticed you and wanted to take you to the Yule Ball. But the proposition with Blaise sounded like fun. Blaise knew how to have a good time and you rather go with another Slytherin than with some half-blood from another house. And as selfish as it was to say, you would probably be invited to get ready with the other Slytherin girls like Pansy which meant more time to see Draco. Offering him a sweet smile you reply, “I’d like that. Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to go to class, Zabini.”

Blaise smiles and lightly blushes, but turns away, hoping you would not catch it. But you did before you slipped into your astronomy class before the professor started.

Soon enough, the Yule Ball rolled around and like you had previously thought, you found yourself in Pansy’s room, getting ready for the ball. You lightly tugged the rollers out of Pansy’s hair, helping her finish getting ready as she rambles on and on to Daphne Greengrass about their magical creatures class. A small smile tugs on your lips as you remain bystander to the conversation, enjoying the ridiculousness of the conversation. Your thoughts are disturbed when Pansy says, “Oh, wow, (Y/N). When you said you could do hair, you meant it!” She shakes her head side to side, causing her loose curls to shimmy across her shoulders. You had to admit she looked beautiful.

You shrug, “Don’t mention it. Could you zip up the back of my dress?” You turn around, feeling the zipper close, the dress fitting around your figure tighter. When you turn around, you take a look at yourself in the mirror. Iridescent green fabric clung to your body fabulously, a deep v plunging down to your chest, your dècolletage shimmering in the light. It was a stunning dress; your mom had sent it over from London. It was her dress when she went to the Yule Ball at your age.

“You look radiant,” Daphne tells you, placing her hands on your shoulders. “Blaise is going to be drooling.” Pansy and Daphne giggle, hoping you would join in. But you just offer them a small smile in return, secretly wishing there was another boy who would be gawking over how radiant you looked. “Something wrong?” Daphne asks.

Pansy looks at your face, “Do you not wanna go to the ball anymore?”

“No!” you exclaim. “I do! I do want to go!” You calm down both the girls as they dramatically sigh. “I just did not picture myself going to the ball with Blaise,” you confess.

The girls exchange confused expressions before looking back at you. “What do you mean? Do you not fancy Blaise?” Pansy asks.

“No! I like Blaise! He’s a charming boy, don’t get me wrong. And he’s very handsome.”

“So, what’s the problem?” Pansy asks.

He’s not Draco, you think to yourself. But instead of that you say, “I just fancy someone else.” That was probably too much information to give to the girls, you know they would take and spread some sort of rumor, but you give them the benefit of the doubt. “This does not leave this room,” you say sternly. You extend both of your pinky fingers to Daphne and Pansy, making them pinky promise and kiss their thumbs: your ritual for making promises.

“So...” Daphne starts. “Can we know who you do fancy then?”

Your anxiety peaks again. If you even murmured that you liked Draco, Pansy would probably loose her mind. Pansy basically called dibs on Draco when you stepped foot at Hogwarts. In all seriousness, Pansy has fancied Draco longer than you, so it just seemed inconsiderate and rude to tell her that you had feelings for the same platinum haired boy. “You’ll find out later. Besides, we should get going now,” you change the subject.

You make your way down the stairs and the winding halls of Hogwarts before arriving at a tall staircase leading to the Ball’s entrance. Your arms are linked with both Daphne and Pansy’s as you descend the staircase. Your eyes roam the floor, looking for a certain blonde haired Slytherin and you almost immediately find him. And to your surprise, his eyes have found you. Your pair of eyes burns into his, creating a tunnel vision. The orchestra that plays in the other room becomes white noise and everyone else seems to disappear. It is just you and him now. He look absolutely dashing. His suit fits him excellently and his hair is perfectly swept back. His eyes are open in wonder as he watches you descent the staircase, looking absolutely regal. This moment feels like forever and you never wanted it to end. But it sadly does when you both realize you haven’t looked at either of your actual dates to the ball. Your eyes drift away from his blue ones and they meet Blaise’s brown ones instead. He is smiling big at you which makes you laugh. When you make it down the stairs, he meets you at the bottom and grabs your hand like an absolute gentleman. “You are unearthly, (Y/L/N),” he whispers before kissing the back of your hand.

Smiling at the compliment, you thank him. “You are not too bad yourself, Zabini.” He did look great. His suit was tailored perfectly to his tall, muscular figure and his shoes were shined so bright that you could practically see your reflection in them.

“Shall we head in there?” he asks, offering his arm to you to hold. You smile and take his arm. But not before taking one look at Draco. He kisses Pansy’s hand gently, but as he does this, his gaze is on you the whole time and only breaks when he comes back up to look at Pansy and give her a smile.

This was going to be a long night.

Since that night, your relationship with Blaise grew. You went from friends, to something more than friends, to boyfriend and girlfriend. You didn’t expect to end up dating Zabini after the Yule Ball, but you decided that maybe pursing something with him was more realistic than chasing after Draco. He obviously had a thing for Pansy and Pansy for him and who were you to ruin that? So you let yourself use Blaise as a distraction or someone else to focus on rather than pining over Draco. However, it did drive you mad when you would all be in Slytherin common room and you sat on the floor next to Blaise and Pansy would sit on Draco’s lap when there was plenty of room on the couch. You also did not feel bad when Blaise would make fun on Pansy having an obvious crush on him. You would hide your laugh as Blaise pulled you closer to him.

That being said, as you got closer with Blaise, you got closer with his friends. Which meant having to face Draco and swallow your feelings. You always felt like such a poser when you were with Blaise. You knew it was wrong to date someone who genuinely liked you and you liked someone else. But you just crossed your fingers and hoped that your feelings for Malfoy would melt away and your feelings for Blaise would grow. Of course, with your luck, nothing happened. Your feelings for Draco were just solidified if anything. He was cheeky and smart mouthed, which you just loved. He kept you on your toes. Blaise wasn’t like that; he was predictable. Draco would make jokes that only you two would hear and you would laugh until your ribs shook. Blaise has never done that. But it wasn’t right to compare Blaise to Draco; it was an unfair competition.

Regardless, you stayed with Blaise. Too afraid to break up with him and too afraid to tell Draco how you felt, you stayed in a relationship where you lied not only to yourself but to another person every day. A good person at that. Blaise was a great guy and every day you held his hand, shared a kiss, cuddled up together, you felt guilty. You were hurting him more and more with everyday. And you were hurting yourself by being in this relationship for so long. But you stayed.

Back in a classroom, this time Slughorn’s potions class, you stood next to Pansy waiting for the class to begin. You looked across the room to see your boyfriend toss you a wink as you lightly smiled. “I love you,” he mouthed as you sighed.

You did love Blaise. So much. But not in the way he wanted. And yet, here you were, mouthing an “I love you too” back to him, causing him to smile wide. You turn to Pansy, “So what are we supposed to be doing today? If it’s boring, I’m going to use the washroom.” Using the washroom was always code for going back to your room.

Pansy giggled, “Today’s class should be good. I heard Slughorn has Amortentia today.” Your heart sank. Amortentia: the most powerful love potion in the world. People say that it smells different for everyone according to what they are most attracted to. “Your should be easy. Smells just like Zabini I bet,” she nudges your side as you offer a convincing smile and girlish giggle. “I’m sure I know what mine smells of...” she trails off before looking over to Draco who was too involved talking to Zabini to notice her gaze.

Slughorn starts class, reciting off lists of potions to which Granger completes his every question without fail. You roll your eyes, “Some people are just such show offs,” you whisper to Pansy, making her laugh. You join her, causing Draco to look your way, more interested in what you were laughing at rather than the lesson Slughorn was giving. You look away from Draco and focus back on the lesson, hoping it would distract you from those familiar gray eyes.

Hermoine talks more about Amortentia before prompting Slughorn to ask your classmates to come up at random and speak what they smell. Granger goes first and describes a horrific combination of mowed grass and spearmint toothpaste. Others go after and then Blaise volunteers to go next. “Mr. Zabini, please, go head,” Slughorn says before Blaise steps up to the small caldron and take a whiff.

“I smell...morning rain...vanilla...and jasmine,” he smiles as he finishes his sentence, looking right at you. Your heart sinks. Blaise had smelt your perfume and everyone in the class knew it. Those who were friends with him laughed as Pansy let out an ooooh. You told her to shut up with a jab to the side as she continued to tease you.

“Miss (Y/L/N), you’ve been awfully quiet this class. How about you come up and smell?” Slughorn proposes.

You freeze. Absolutely not. There was no way you were going to get up there and smell the Amortentia. You knew exactly what you were going to smell and you were not prepared to tell the class and your boyfriend that what you were smelling was Draco Malfoy.

“I’m fine, actually.”

“That was less of a question and more of a demand, Miss (Y/L/N),” Slughorn rephrases, earning a few laughs from Gryffindors to which you shoot them a dirty look, causing them to stop. “Well?”

You look at Slughorn and gulp. He offers you a gentle smile and you can’t deny the man any further. You sigh and slowly walk up to the caldron. You are a foot away and already the scent slaps you in the face. It almost makes you cough from how strong it is. Right next to the pot, you look down at the bubbling liquid with pink fumes evaporating from it. Closing your eyes and iInhaling deeply, you get chills. The scent makes you forget where you are. What time it is. Who is watching. It’s euphoric. It’s perfect. It’s him. The smell of musky cologne, leather polish, and green apples dance around your nose and your stomach erupts with butterflies.

“What do you smell?” Slughorn asks, snapping you out of your daydream.

“I’m sorry?” you ask.

“What do you smell?” he repeats.

Suddenly, you remember that you have to tell the class what you are smelling. Or who you are smelling. Once you said what you smelled, everyone would know who you were talking about. Pansy would know. Blaise would know. Draco would know. You try to think. What in the world does Blaise smell like? Can you lie about this stuff? For Merlin’s sake, what does Blaise smell like?! “Um...” you try to concoct your way out of this situation. You try to think of what your boyfriend smells like, but the scent of Malfoy is clogging every single sense.

“Say it then,” Slughorn urges you.

“Cologne, leather polish, and green apples,” you blurt, confessing what you were most afraid of to the class. You slowly open your eyes and see the smile that was once on Blaise face quickly fall. His eyes pang with hurt and pain and your heart drops into your stomach. You wanna run over to him and tell him how sorry you were and how much you loved him, but this thing with the Slytherin prince was unshakeable. Too hurt to look at Blaise anymore, you glance at Pansy, who is just enraged. Her ears are bright red, eye locked onto you, unwavering. Her eyes dig into your soul and you can hear her saying in your head, “You’re bloody joking, right?” You don’t dare look at Draco, but in the periphery you see him just staring at you, lips parted, breathing softly, eyes burning into the back of your head.

Slughorn notices the tension and attempts to diffuse the situation. “Alright, everyone take your seats,” he dismisses. You walk quickly to Pansy who swiftly moves away to you and toward Blaise who sits with Draco, taking up a whole table with no room for you like usual. Instead, you find yourself sitting with random Ravenclaws for the rest of class, unable to think straight about what just happened. The look on Blaise’s face was enough to have you in tears and the look of betrayal on Pansy’s face drove you mad. You spent the whole class thinking, what have I done?

As soon as class is dismissed, you watch Blaise’s movements, wanting to catch him or Pansy after class. Pansy leaps off her chair and to the door and you quickly follow suit. “Pansy!” you call after her. “Pans, please! Please can we talk about this? Please do not shut me out!”

“Why not?” she yells back. “You lied to me! You could have told me how you felt! You knew how i felt and yet you still lied to me!”

“I know, but I thought what you didn’t know wouldn’t hurt you. But I just ended up hurting you anyway and I am sorry, Pansy. I am so sorry,” you attempt to reconcile with your best friend as she fumes.

Pansy shakes her head. “I just need space. Away from you. Can you at least respect that?” she sarcastically says. “There’s someone else you owe a bigger apology to,” she tells you before trotting away down the hall back to the Slytherin common room.

You turn around and there stands Blaise, stoic and tall. His eyes are soft and full of so much pain. You could cry. You start to cry. “Blaise,” you croak out. “I didn't mean to hurt you. Please know that is the last thing I wanted to do. When you asked me to the Yule Ball, I thought that it would be a good way to get over Draco, but I-I don’t know what happened? Nothing happened, I guess. I value you and your friendship so much. Blaise, I love you, I’m so sorry. I thought not tell you how I really, truly felt would protect you.”

Blaise sighs, “(Y/N), I know you didn’t mean to. For Merlin’s sake, I’m not a git. I knew you still liked Malfoy.” Your eyes widen. Huh? Before you could ask every single question that flurried into your brain, Blaise stops you and says, “From that moment in the hallway during year four until now, I knew. I thought that the longer I stayed with you, I could convince you that I could love you more than he could. But I don’t think that’s true...(Y/N), I love you. What either of us did was not right and I think we just need space from each other right now.”

You shake your head. You couldn’t lose Pansy and Blaise. That would be too much. “No, I can’t lose you, Blaise. I need you,” you beg, holding onto his forearms.

“It isn’t for forever, darling. Just for a little. I think we both a need a little space from each other right now,” he holds your face in one of his hands and you lean into his touch, soothing you almost instantly like it has done so many times before. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” You nod, him wiping away your tears before replacing it with a gentle kiss on the apple of your cheek. “Besides, I think you have to talk to someone else,” he whispers in your ear, before walking away, revealing Draco standing behind him.

Your breath hitches in your throat. His eyes burn into yours just like that night at the Yule Ball. A small smile on his lips dances as a last tear strolls down your cheek. He takes a few steps towards you and you instinctively take a few steps back. Draco looks a little hurt that you moved away from him so quickly. You gulp, not knowing what to say, what to do. Who would in a situation like this? Lightly sniffling, you wipe away your tears with the sleeve of your robe, not breaking eye contact with him. Draco opens up his mouth to say something, but then chooses not to. He closes his mouth, pressing his lips into a line, thinking of what to say. You watch him think, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he finds the right words to say.

“Uh,” he starts. “How lo-”

“Year four,” you answer, knowing exactly what he was going to say.

He lightly laughs at how prepared you were to answer him. He nods. “I thought,” he lightly speaks, looking at you with a small smile. He is trying so hard to get you to open up to him. Or even crack a small smile at him. But that seemed really impossible right now. The two people who you cared about more than anything just told you they needed time away from you. You felt like an awful person. Although you should be in Draco’s arm right now, stroking his hair, kissing his lips, telling him how happy you were, you were standing four feet away from him, a shaking mess, tears still flowing from your eyes. “Here,” he reaches into his pocket and offers you a handkerchief.

“Thanks,” you mumble, accepting his token, blotting your eyes with the green silky cloth. You blow your nose into it, loudly. You look at him, watching his reaction, wondering if you should return a snotty handkerchief. “I...I can wash it for you.”

He chuckles, “Don’t worry about it. Keep it if you need it.” You smile and tug it away in your bag. Silence falls over you two again. “Can I stand next to you?” he asks permission, knowing how fragile you are right now. You nod and he slowly makes his way towards you, stopping about three inches away from you. Your breath hitches in your throat when you look up and see the proximity of your faces from each other. “May I hold you hand?” he asks, you shaking your head yes slowly. With that, he grabs your left hand in his large hand, pressing yours flat against his before intertwining the fingers. It makes you smile softly which makes his heart flutter at your excitement. Draco so desperately wants to hug you, squeeze you, kiss you. But he knows he needs tread lightly. “I wanted to take you to the Yule Ball,” he confesses as he looks at your hands intertwined.

Your head shoots up and your eyebrows furrow. “You did?” you ask, not believing him. He shakes his head yes. You pause. This made no sense. “Then why didn’t you ask me?” you ask.

Draco sighs. “I didn’t know you well. Zabini said he wanted to ask you. I stepped back.” So much has happened today you cannot wrap your brain around what has just been said. “But now...I know you better. And now that you and Zabini are no longer...” he trails off, looking up at you with those chilling blue eyes that make your knees weak and heart putty.

You want to scream yes. Wrap your arms around him. Kiss him. Hard. Breath in his scent that has haunted you for nights on end. Finally, he was yours. You were his. But that would not be right. It wouldn’t be fair to Blaise. Or Pansy. Or you. Or Draco. You needed time. “Draco...” you say, breathily.

“Yes?” he asks, eyes so bright and shimmering with so much hope and longing. Merlin’s beard, he wanted to kiss your tear stained cheeks and hold you close, bodies becoming one. “Is something wrong?” he asks, worry creeping into his words, his free hand that isn’t holding your hand, cups your cheek. “Please tell me. I don’t want to wait any longer. I can’t wait any longer.”

His words make your heart break, knowing that you needed to wait longer. Just a little bit longer. “Draco...” you repeat, the tears welling back up in your eyes, slowly dripping own your cheek, but Draco is quick to wipe them away. “I...” you start, but your voice fails you.

“Take your time,” he breathes. Oh, how he was so right.

“I need time,” you repeat after him.

“Yes, take your time. Breathe,” he says, thinking that what you are saying is applying to just now.

“No, Draco,” you tell him, reaching up to his wrist, pushing his hand away from your face. “I need time. To process this. Blaise, Pansy...us...I need time.”

His eyes fall and the once happy expression on his face is fading fast. But he knows that you were right. It would be too fast. Too much for the both of you. You both needed time to think, recover, and come back to each other.

“And I will wait for you,” he reassures you, both of his hands cupping your small ones. “If I waited this long already, I can wait a little while longer.”

It’s like he knew exactly what to say. His words make you smile softly and you feel just a little bit better. Your smile makes me him smile. So you just stand there, your hand in his two large ones, smiling at each other. He places a tender kiss on your knuckles and then another to your forehead. His actions make your heart flutter, knowing that if this is what a relationship with Draco was like right now, you were in for a treat. You whisper a weak thank you and he shakes his head, laughing that you would thank him for something like this.

“Now go get some rest, darling,” he presses his forehead against yours and you flutter your eyes closed, loving the feeling of him being so close to you. It felt so good to finally have him next to you. You pull away, give him a gentle smile, and start to walk back to the Slytherin common room.

Draco watches you walk away, down the hall. In his head, he thought to himself, I can wait a little longer. Because you are worth waiting for.

426 notes · View notes

ofendlesswonder · 4 years

Note

ah so exciting! would love number 25

25. “I need a place to stay.”

A shadow falls over Kara’s desk, and she pauses her proofread of her latest article to glance up at the person hovering by her shoulder, jaw dropping open when she gets a glimpse of messy blond curls.

“Carter?” It’s been months since she’d thought of him, longer still since she’d seen him, but the face is unmistakable, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. “What are you doing here? Is your Mom here?”

She hasn’t seen Cat in months, either, not since she left to ‘dive’ into pastures new. No one has seen her recently, in fact—she’s effectively disappeared off the face of the earth, is only mentioned in gossip columns when they’re speculating her whereabouts.

Not that Kara has a Google alert set up for her name, or anything.

“No, she’s in Washington.”

“D.C.?” What on earth is she doing there? And what on earth is Carter doing here, backpack slung over his shoulder, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks blotchy like he’d been crying.

“Yeah. She took a new job there.”

Kara feels like he’s reading from a script she isn’t privy too, has no idea how any of this has led him to be here, standing by her new desk and scuffing his converse along the floor. “Okay…”

“But I don’t want to live there. I didn’t want to leave here, but she said it would be temporary. That we’d come back. Only now she wants to work in the stupid White House and she’s looking at apartments and a new school and I—I don’t want it. We had a fight.” He sniffs, rubs the back of his sleeve across his cheek like he’s scrubbing away the remnant of his tears. “And I said I wanted to come back. Live with Dad, if that’s what it took.”

Kara can only imagine how Cat would have taken that.

Not well, by any means.

“She sent me back, only I don’t want to live with my Dad, I want to live with her, but here in our old apartment. He wouldn’t even meet me at the airport. He said I was old enough to get a cab.”

Kara’s jaw tightens—she knows Chris is an asshole, but this seems like a new low, even for him.

“So, I got a cab, but not to him.”

“You came here, instead.” Here, to some semblance of stability, of familiarity. The apartment is gone—Kara had helped Cat list it for sale, and it had been snapped up in no time, and she wonders if Cat had ever really considered a move back to National City. The apartment is gone, but CatCo. is not, and Kara remembers countless afternoons where Carter had come by after school, curling up in Cat’s office with his homework. Sometimes, Kara had helped him with a particularly stubborn math problem, or talked to him about his favorite anime, keeping him entertained until his mother was off the clock.

“I need a place to stay,” he says, voice small, eyes glued to his shoes. “Can I come home with you?”

Yes, she wants to say, without hesitation, recognizing the small, scared child he so desperately tried to hide, the one who felt like he had nowhere else to go. Yes, of course you can—but it’s never that simple, is it?

She has a secret identity to protect, and he’s supposed to be with his father, and Cat might kill her, and—

Wait.

Does Cat know where he is?

“No,” he says, when she asks. “I didn’t tell her. And I turned off my phone, so she wouldn’t track me.”

“Carter.” She can’t help the admonishment, because she knows how much Cat cares about him—she’d do anything for him, and she imagines her pacing up and down a hotel room in the capital, already on the phone to the police. “You should call her.”

He makes a noise of discontent.

“At least let her know you’re safe. She’ll be worrying.”

“Can you call her?”

“I…I don’t know about that. I think it would be better coming from you.”

“Please?” He peers down at her with eyes so like his mother’s that Kara aches.

“All right,” she sighs, and makes the mistake of glancing across the bullpen. Snapper is glaring at her, his face red. Great. Someone else who wants to kill me. Could this day get any better?

“Kara?” Cat answers the phone sounding harried, and Kara recognizes the faint note of panic in her voice. She lets herself bask in the familiarity of it for one long moment—months, since she’d heard Cat’s voice, months, since she’d last felt the comfort of it. Months of missing her, in a way she knows she isn’t allowed to. “This isn’t a great time.”

“Uh, I know.” She looks at Carter, who avoids her gaze. “Something about a missing fourteen year old?”

“How…how do you know that?”

“Because he’s standing right in front of me.”

“Carter’s with you?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Why?”

“Good question. Should I let him explain it for himself?”

Carter shoots her a sharp look, but Kara forces the phone into his hand anyway, pointedly turning away like she’s not listening as he lifts it to his ear. She stares at the blinking cursor on her computer screen as he talks, trying to summon the will to finish her work.

No such luck.

“Could you…could you keep an eye on him for me?” Cat asks, when Carter gives her back her phone. “I’m going to fly out as soon as I can, but it’ll be a few hours before I can get there. I know it’s an imposition, and he’s supposed to be with Chris, but he said he’d be more comfortable with you.”

Her gaze flickers to Carter, to the hopeful expression on his face, to the pleading note in Cat’s voice, thinks of the opportunity to see her again, even if for just one more day.

“Okay,” she says, and knows it’s the right decision when Carter lurches forward to wrap his arms around her neck. “I’ll watch him.”

“No runaway trains this time,” Cat says into her ear, and Kara laughs, remembering her last ill-fated babysitting attempt, a lifetime ago.

“I’ll try my best.”

***

The knock on her door comes at nine thirty, not quite loud enough to wake the sleeping teenager stretched out on her couch.

She pulls open the door, comes face-to-face with the woman she’s been trying so hard not to think about for the past few months, and Kara thinks, as their eyes meet, her heart thudding painfully in her chest, that she’s been fooling herself, because it all comes rushing back the second their eyes meet.

There was only ever one reason why things would have never worked with James, one reason why Kara hasn’t been able to so much as think about dating since they’d ended things, one reason why her life has felt so empty these past few months.

Only one person who could make her heart pound, set butterflies free in her stomach, make her palms—physically impossible though it may be—feel damp.

And that person is the woman standing in front of her now, her eyes as wild as her hair, mussed from the wind, a faint flush on her cheeks and Kara wonders if she’d raced up the stairs in those three inch heels, desperate to set eyes on her beloved son, to see for herself he was safe and well.

“Come on in,” Kara says, standing aside to let her past. It’s the first time Cat has been inside her home, and the gravity of the moment isn’t lost on her.

She’s glad she had the foresight to tidy up a little, while Carter had been in the shower.

If he’d noticed that the amount of cleaning she’d done shouldn’t have been possibly in such a sort frame of time by human hands, he’d had the grace not to mention it.

“I, uh, didn’t want to wake him up,” Kara says, pitching her voice low, when Cat gravitates toward the couch, gazing down at Carter with such open affection she feels like she has to look away. “Seeing as he’s had a hard day.”

She’d tried to distract him as much as possible, enlisting his help with the fun of filing while she’d been at work, and then with food and games once she’d taken him home. He looked like he’d needed it, lost in his head, spiralling over the choices that had been made for him, bits and pieces of his life over the last few months spilling out over the course of the afternoon.

“Thank you for looking after him.”

Kara shrugs. “It wasn’t any trouble.”

“Still. You don’t owe me anything. Not anymore.”

“On the contrary, Ms. Grant. I owe you a lot.” She’d forgotten how hard it was to think, with Cat’s eyes weighing heavy on her face. “My job, for example. I wouldn’t be a junior reporter without you.”

“Nonsense. You got that job on your own merit. Otherwise you wouldn’t be doing so well.”

“You read my articles?”

“Of course.” Cat looks offended she thought otherwise. “Is Snapper still giving you hell?”

“I think he likes to torture me.” Her nose wrinkles, and Cat laughs, some of her worry ebbing away now Carter is within her sights.

He’s still sound asleep, and Cat doesn’t look like she wants to wake him. Bathed in the glow of the lamp on Kara’s coffee table, she’s breath-taking, and Kara looks away before she’s caught staring.

“Do you, um, want a drink or anything?”

“I wouldn’t want to impose any more than we already have.”

Panic seizes her heart at the thought of Cat leaving so soon, because when would she see her again? Would she leave right away, ushering Carter back to the CatCo. jet and across the country before night truly fell? Or would she linger, perhaps let herself remember all the things she loved about this place?

Not that that would include you, you idiot.

“Please,” she says, trying not to listen to the voice in her head. “I…It would be nice to hear what you’ve been up to these last few months.”

For a moment, she doesn’t think it’s enough. Thinks Cat is going to leave anyway, slip away even though Kara only just got her back.

But then she blinks, and her lips curve into the smallest of smiles, and she says: “Very well. What have you got?”

Good question, Kara thinks, because probably not a lot. Whatever Alex and Maggie had left over last game’s night, which turns out to be a bottle of cheap whiskey Cat turns her nose up at. Kara doesn’t blame her—apparently it left a killer hangover.

“I’m trying to cut down on drinking,” Cat says, and her gaze flickers over to the back of the couch. “I’ve been told it’s not very healthy. Apparently it’s bad for my liver.”

A sentiment she’d never once shared before, but Kara bites her tongue. It’s none of her business, the ways in which Cat has changed. None of her business, to wonder if Cat’s been throwing down scotches to try and chase away the memories of the city she’d left behind.

“How about a tea?” Cat suggests, and Kara blinks at her.

There’s a request she’s never made before.

“Regular, peppermint or camomile?”

“Regular is fine.” Kara brews a pot, wonders why she feels so jittery, but she knows the answer. It’s because Cat is here, in her space, after so many months away. Here, in a place thus far untouched by her, and Kara knows when she’s gone she’ll feel the imprint of her, remember the way she’d stood, leaning against her kitchen counter, looking out of place and like she was exactly where she belonged at the same time.

“So,” she says, once she’s handed Cat a steaming mug. “Washington, huh?”

“Carter told you.”

“Only a little. He didn’t say what you were there for.”

“I was offered a job. White House Press Secretary.”

Kara nearly chokes on a sip of her own tea in shock. But then, she thinks, it makes sense. She could see it—Cat, at the front of a room full of reporters, tearing them apart if they dared ask her the wrong thing. She could certainly think of no better person to have fighting your corner than Cat Grant.

“Is that what you want to do? Get into politics?”

“It’s something I’ve considered.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“My, my,” Cat says, clutching her mug between long fingers and throwing Kara a lazy smile. “Look at you. Am I being interviewed, Ms. Danvers?”

Kara ducks her head, feeling her cheeks warm. “Sorry. Force of habit.”

“It’s all right.” Cat’s voice is gentle, her eyes unguarded when Kara dares to look her way. “To be honest, I don’t know what I want. I thought getting away from here would bring me clarity, inspiration for my next big thing, but…instead I found myself wandering without purpose. Less a shark stuck in a tank and more a tiny goldfish, lost at sea.”

“Then why not come back? It...it’s not the same without you.” Too much, probably. Too close to spilling the truth, maybe, but it’s too late to take the words back now.

“Because my reasons for leaving haven’t changed.”

What reasons, Kara wants to ask, because the ones she’d been given had never made any sense. Cat handing over the reins to her beloved company just didn’t seem like something she’d do, especially without so much as a glance back. What reasons, Kara wants to know, but the line they tread is so thin—she thinks of Cat’s razor-sharp voice saying strictly professional and never wants to feel an ache like that again.

“And what about Carter?”

Cat glances toward the couch again and sighs. “I hadn’t realised he was so reticent until today. I know he struggles with change, but…I thought this would be a good one. He could go to a better school, have more opportunities. I didn’t know he was so attached to this place.”

“Of course he’s attached. It’s his home. It’s all he’s ever known, and you—no offence—are yanking it away from him.”

“I suppose you have a point.” Cat’s lips purse. “When did you get so wise?”

“Learned it from the best,” she says, and Cat’s smile is tight. “Are you…are you going back there tonight?”

“No, I don’t think so. I think Carter and I need to have a discussion, first. One where I listen to him instead of making the decision for him. I just…I thought I was doing the best thing for him. For both of us.”

“So you might stay?” She can’t quash the hopeful note in her voice, watches a shadow pass across Cat’s face and wonders what it means.

“I don’t know. I don’t know if I can.” Her fingers tremble, the tiniest amount, as she sets down her empty mug, runs them through her hair.

“Why?” Just do it, she thinks, because when she wakes up tomorrow, Cat might be gone, and there are too many unanswered questions for her to be left with. “What’s so bad about being here? What are you so desperate to get away from?”

“Oh, Kara.” Cat’s eyes close, a sigh rattling through her chest. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Then help me to.” She knows she’s being obstinate. That there’s a reason Cat doesn’t want to tell her, that she has no right to know.

But she remembers Cat saying goodbye, Cat’s arms wrapped around her, heart beating so loud it was impossible for Kara not to notice, the shimmer of tears in her eyes before she’d blinked them away. Remembers the countless times Kara had reached out, over the past few months, only to be ignored, like she meant nothing when she knew she’d meant at least something.

“Please, Cat. I just want—”

She’s cut off when Cat surges forward, settling one hand on the counter beside Kara’s hip and wrapping the other around the back of Kara’s neck, drawing her down into a kiss. Kara freezes, brain short-circuiting as Cat’s lip brush against her own, soft and warm, but when she feels Cat begin to pull away, her bravado failing, she snaps into action, discarding her mug on the counter and splaying a hand at the small of Cat’s back to keep her close.

It’s been building for years, she thinks, as Cat parts her lips for Kara’s searching tongue, nails digging into the base of her skull. Years of working closely together, a spark igniting but neither of them willing to give it space to grow, too terrified of what might happen, if it grew into a fire they could no longer control.

“That’s why,” Cat breathes, when she pulls away, heart hammering almost as fast as Kara’s.

“Seems like a pretty good reason to stay to me,” Kara says, leaning in to kiss her again, but Cat stops her with a shake of her head.

“It’s not. Kara, you shouldn’t want this. Shouldn’t want me.”

“I know,” she says, and when Cat flinches, she doesn’t let her pull away. “I know there are a dozen reasons why I shouldn’t, why we shouldn’t be together, but I also…don’t really care. I’ve spent the past few months missing you like crazy, and it hasn’t diminished the way I feel about you. Doesn’t that mean something? Doesn’t that mean it’s worth trying?”

“I…” Cat trails off, meets her gaze and traces the pads of her fingers across Kara’s cheek, looks at her like she barely believes she’s real. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to.”

“You start by letting me in. By not running away when—” She hears movement on the couch, hopes to Rao Carter hasn’t heard any of their hushed conversation. “Carter’s waking up.”

Cat is quick to slip from her arms, and Kara feels the loss of her like a physical ache, chilled to the bone in the places she’d just been burning with warmth. “I don’t want this to be the end of it,” she says, knowing Carter’s not yet fully conscious, knowing they have a few more stolen moments. “I don’t want you to go to your hotel room and talk yourself out of it.”

“Kara Danvers, are you asking me to spend the night?”

“No, because I know you’d turn me down.” She can sense it, in the nervous energy radiating from her. Cat isn’t a person who lays her heart on the line, is someone guarded and careful, isn’t reckless the way she had been tonight. She needed time to process, time to think it through, and Kara would give her that—as long as she wasn’t going to slip away without saying goodbye. “But we should talk. Tomorrow.”

“Before five.”

Kara frowns. “Why five?”

“Because that’s how long the Press Secretary job is on the table for.”

“You haven’t accepted it?”

“Not yet,” she says, and Kara feels hope bloom in her chest. “I told them I had some things I need to consider first.”

“And now?”

“Now I have even more things to think about.” She reaches out, catches Kara’s fingers with her own and squeezes, and Kara’s heart thuds in her chest. She wants to lean down, wants to kiss her again, already misses the heat of her mouth, but a head pops over the back of the couch, Carter rubbing at his eyes.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Don’t you ‘Hi Mom’ me,” Cat says, eyes narrowing until Carter gulps. “Do you have any idea how worried I was, young man?"

“I’m sorry,” he says, his head hanging. “But I wanted to stop you doing something stupid, and this was the only way I know how.”

And thank Rao he had. Her day would have shaken out very differently had Carter not arrived in the bullpen, she knows. She’d have finished her article and gone to hang out with Alex and Maggie, probably, tried to ignore the ache seeing the two of them so happy seems to incite, lately, craving something similar for herself.

“Hm. Well, we’ll talk about it later. For now, I think we’ve taken up enough of Kara’s time, don’t you?”

Not enough of it, Kara thinks, but she bites her tongue. Space. Time to process. Not snuggling up together on the couch with a movie.

“Thanks for today, Kara.” Carter looks only a little sheepish as he gathers his things, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

“Any time, buddy,” she says, meaning it more than he’ll probably ever know. The urge to kiss Cat goodbye is so strong she can barely stand it, and she balls her hands into fists at her sides so she doesn’t reach for her. “I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow?” She asks, before Cat slips through the door, dizzy with the feeling of being on the cusp of something she’s wanted for so long.

“Tomorrow,” Cat agrees, looking like it pains her to say it, looking like she doesn’t know how she’s possibly going to muster the will to leave, green eyes so heavy on Kara’s face it feels like a caress, feels like the ghost of her kiss, makes her feel like she’s burning from the inside out. “Goodnight, Kara.”

Goodnight, and not goodbye, and Kara hovers in the doorway, watches them go down the hall.

“You are in big trouble,” she hears Cat say as they turn the corner, slipping out of sight. “What were you thinking?”

And she shouldn’t listen, she knows, but she catches her name, as they start down the stairs, and can’t help but tune in to a snippet of conversation.

“I was thinking I missed home, and that I was sick of you moping after Kara for the past eight months, and it was time someone did something about it,” Carter says, then: “Ow!” as Cat must smack him over the head.

“Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again.”

“But did it work?”

“None of your business.”

“It totally worked.”

Kara shakes her head, unable to bite back a smile as she steps back inside and lets the door shut behind her.

#supercat #supercat:fanfic #this was supposed to be short... 🤷‍♀️

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lettersinscarlet · 4 years

Text

Notes (Obey Me! Lucifer Imagine)

What’s up guys? It’s me again! See, I promise, I’m slowly resuscitating my blog. Apparently, it just takes me forever to write, so that’s fun. But anyway, I am here to deliver an imagineto you! My requests are open, and I have a whole list of different fandoms and characters I write for, so feel free to drop a request in and I will get to it! It’s just I’m a little slower now when it comes to writing. Hope you enjoy this one!

———————————————————————

You were walking down the halls of the House of Lamentation, just heading back to your room after classes. Your teachers had given you a ton of work to do, and you figured that if you started now, you might be able to finish it all before you passed out from exhaustion. But if you’re being honest, you might do a few assignments and then procrastinate and turn the rest of them in late or make an excuse as to why you couldn’t do them. Maybe Diavolo would take pity on you and give you a pass or something.

As you walked by, you passed the door to Lucifer’s office. You stopped outside, wondering if he was in there. You didn’t want to disturb him if he was working, but you just wanted to check up on him. You heard some soft music playing, which was just a little sign to you that he was in there. You sighed, hesitating outside the door, before you just shook your head and walked away from the place.

Honestly, you really felt bad for Lucifer. He was always in his office, almost like he was trapped in there because of the paperwork. You knew he never left, because when you would sneak down for a midnight snack from the kitchen or to get some water, you could hear that soft music playing from behind the door. He just had to be exhausted, working that late into the night without a lot of sleep, rarely taking breaks often. You could appreciate his work ethic, but you knew that was also one of his flaws, that he really would just work too hard.

With Lucifer always in his office, that also meant that you didn’t get to spend as much time with him as you wanted. You’d actually gone to hang out in his office, and those times were great. It was easier to talk to him than it normally was, and it gave you an excuse to make sure he was taking breaks and eating and all the good things. But even in those precious times, someone would come in with more work for him to do, or more forms he had to review and sign. It always seemed to kill the mood, and that smile of his that would show up would quickly disappear.

The hall seemed to stretch on forever, but you finally arrived in front of the door to your room. With a heavy sigh, you pushed the door open, heading straight for your desk, dropping your bag down beside the chair. You knew this was going to be a long night, and not even a single ounce of your being was looking forward to doing all this work. As you settled into your chair, you pulled out your various notebooks and textbooks, diving in and getting started.

Hours later, you decided it was time for a break. You were about halfway through with everything you had to do that night, but you knew you needed some sort of sustenance and water if you were going to keep going. Hopefully Beel hadn’t already cleaned out the kitchen, and maybe there would be a snack or two left for you. You stretched out your arms and legs, a few satisfying pops and cracks following the motions.

Quietly, you slipped out of your room and headed back down the long hallway, on your way to the kitchen. Before you headed to your destination, you wanted to check on Lucifer. You’d been working for awhile, and you really hoped that he’d decided to take a break, or maybe he’d stopped for the night. It was late anyway, and most of the other brother’s were asleep, with the exception of Levi. He’d told you he was waiting for a new sale that was starting tonight, and there was no way he would be sleeping until it was open.

When you stopped at the eldest brother’s office, you noticed that the door was cracked, but the music was still playing. A sign that he would be in soon, and you assumed he must’ve went to get something quickly, or maybe a bathroom break. A realization came to you that now was a chance to get him some water, because you were certain he hadn’t been properly hydrating.

You ran to the kitchen, making sure you were light on your feet so no one would hear your thundering steps. Snagging two bottles of water, you checked the cabinet, and it seemed you were in luck. There was a few snack options, and you grabbed your favorite of the options, then grabbed something you knew Lucifer would like. You hurried back to his office, feeling a bit like a spy on mission.

He still wasn’t back, and you walked into the room, heading straight for his desk. Papers were a bit scattered, his pen left on top of a small stack of documents. From the looks of it, he probably wouldn’t be stopping until the early morning with this amount of work. A sigh escaped your lips, and you went to set the water and snack on top of the papers, making sure he would see it. You noticed a stack of sticky notes nearby, and you grabbed one, placing it in front of the little refreshments you’d brought. Grabbing his pen, you wrote a little note.

“Don’t forget to have some water and food to keep you going. If you get a chance, please take a break, because you’re health is more important than the work.”

You signed your name at the bottom, adding a little heart. But, as you looked at it, you realized the heart was a bit forward. He could be coming back to his office at any moment, and you knew you didn’t have much time left. Somehow, you managed to turn the heart into a strange looking flower. Satisfied with your work, you put the pen back how you found it and ran out of his office, making sure you grabbed your own snack and water.

You made it back to your room unseen, and you took your snack break. It was more needed than you thought it was, because you seemed to be starving. The snack would be enough to hold you over, but you’d probably eat a little more at breakfast the next morning. Once you finished the snack, you walked back to your desk, setting the water down and getting back to work.

At some point during the night, you’d passed out on your desk. Notebooks sprawled out, papers scattered, pens on the floor but luckily your pencil stayed safe, just a few inches away from your hand. You woke with a start, an alarm you hadn’t realized you’d set blaring some annoying tune that you just had to turn off. When you finally succeeded in that task, you looked at the mess of things on your desk. Turns out you’d gotten more than you thought you had, and there were only a couple of assignments you would need to turn in late. Lucky.

You stretched out your hands, your back arching as you yawned, your body trying to wake up. It hadn’t been the most comfortable sleep, but at least it was something. As you were stretching out, you glanced down and you noticed a bright pink square. Next to the pink square, there was a water bottle, and what looked like some sort of food. Breakfast food. Wiping at your face, you blinked a couple times, waiting for your vision to clear up some. Then, you grabbed the note, bringing it to your face so you could read it.

“Thank you for the food and drink, and don’t worry, I took a break eventually. Looks like you could use some of the same. Don’t be late for class.”

The words were written in a fancy script, almost cursive, and it was very easy to tell that Lucifer had left it. There was even a small little flower drawn on the corner of the note. It made you smile, and you moved to eat your food and to get ready for school.

Neither of you ever really mentioned the notes to each other, it was just an unspoken thing between you. Each of you appreciated what the other had done, and it was almost like it was your little secret.

It started off as just that. Every now and then, you would leave a little note for Lucifer in his office. Most of the time, there was a bottle of water and a snack with it. Sometimes just the water, or sometimes it was just a little note for a check in. Usually, some sort of drawing accompanied it, of course, nothing with too much detail. Just a little something to maybe make him laugh or smile.

For whatever you’d left, he always gave you a note back. Even if it was just to say thank you. He’d leave them around your room, and sometimes, if he felt daring, even on your door.

This little passing of notes between you, it was almost like a game of tag, waiting to see if the other would leave something, waiting with anticipation to see how they would respond to whatever had been left. It was a wonderful little thing. So wonderful, that eventually, it became and everyday thing. You’d leave a little sticky note on his door, in his office, or just places around the House of Lamentation that you knew he would see. Most of the time, if you weren’t feeling super creative, you would just write hello in different languages, or maybe leave him random facts about yourself. The facts were his favorites, and you didn’t know, but he always saved the notes in one of his drawers.

Lucifer was walking to his office, and when he reached the door, he noticed a little blue square, just right above the door handle. He smiled, going to pull it off of the door to look at it closer.

“Out of all the stars, my favorite has to be the morning star”

The little compliment made him flush, and he quickly went to his office, going to put the note in the little drawer. He sighed, sitting down in his chair, leaning back as he spun a little bit as he thought.

He would never admit just how much your little notes meant to him, but he absolutely loved to read them. It made his heart swell with pride, and a little something else, too. The messages you left them, no matter how strange or weird, he found them wonderful and adorable. Even if it was just some random fact that taco cat is the same spelled backwards or forwards.

With each little note, he could feel himself slipping more and more into these little feelings for you. It had started off as a simple little crush, and then you actually took the time to check up on him, make sure he was pacing himself while he worked, also making sure that he was caring for his health. Just showing that sort of care towards him, it made him feel something a little stronger for you than just his little crush.

He sighed, rubbing his temple as he sat in thought. He hated not being able to do anything about these feelings for you, just keeping them trapped in his head and in his heart. It frustrated him, the fact that his thoughts kept wandering to you, knowing that he couldn’t act on them.

Wait a second... why couldn’t he act on them? He is Lucifer, the Avatar of Pride. He’s the oldest, he’s well respected, hardworking... so couldn’t he act on these feelings? Let you know that he wanted to hang out, more than just leaving these little notes between you? Of course he could.

He went to stand up, his brain determining that he should just talk to you, but then he stopped. Something about it didn’t feel right, and what would he even say? Slowly, he sat back down in his chair, now lost in his own thoughts. How was he supposed to do this? Lucifer’s eyes began to wander, and he settled on a sticky note pad.

It was almost as if a lightbulb had went off over his head, moving to grab the pad so he could begin writing. The perfect way to do this would be through your own little communication system, wouldn’t it be? This definitely felt like it was the right way. He took his time, elegantly writing out his little message. He looked it over, shook his head, and threw it out. Starting over, he wrote it out again, workin the phrase just a bit differently. Turns out, he didn’t like it any better. Writing this note for the third time, he made another few adjustments. This continued for about half an hour, until he finally crafted the perfect note.

Lucifer waited and then left, going to your room. He knew you weren’t back just yet, probably out with one of his brothers. He quickly slipped in, going to leave the note on your desk. There was no need to spend too much extra time in here, so he left relatively quickly, going to find something to do so that he wouldn’t think about the time. Now, he played the waiting game, feeling the anticipation of when you would see his note, wondering how you would answer it.

You came home a little while later, laughing as you walked back in with Mammon. He’d needed you to come along with him today to some sort of important event, but it turned out that the event was rescheduled or something, so the two of you just ended up hanging out together for a little while.

Once you could escape to your room, you flopped down on the bed, sighing as you relaxed into the soft material. It had been a bit of a long day, and you closed your eyes, just resting for a moment.

You woke up from your accidental nap, sighing as you sat up, just waiting for your body to truly wake up. When you finally did, you stood up and walked over to your desk, intending to start working on your other assignments or at least map out what you needed to do. That’s when a small pink square caught your eye, and you picked it up to read it.

“If your free, what would you think about dinner tomorrow? Just the two of us, at 7:00?”

The little question made you smile, and you held the note close to your chest. So he’d finally asked. You were bursting with excitement as you went to write on your own sticky note, your handwriting sloppy but still legible. You underlined what you’d said, and this time, you’d added the little heart. But it was under an exclamation point, so you could just play it off.

Nearly sprinting down the hall, you almost knocked over Mammon in your rush. But that didn’t matter, you could apologize later. You were just wanting to make it to Lucifer’s office as quickly as you could. Finally, you reached your destination, grinning to yourself as you realized he wasn’t in his office. You placed the note right in the middle of his desk, so that there was no doubt he would miss it, and then you dashed back out of the room. Now, you were headed to Asmo’s room, hoping he could piece together some outfit for you to wear.

Lucifer was riddled with nerves when he made it back to his office, sighing as he closed the door. He hadn’t really been able to focus since he’d left the last note, and it certainly didn’t help that you hadn’t answered yet. He knew you were back from RAD, because he’s heard you and Satan talk as you came in. Hours had passed, and still nothing. Was that your way of saying no? Surely, you’d tell him if you weren’t interested.

He sat down in his chair, reaching to grab a pen so that he could attempt to start on some paperwork, hopefully get through a few stacks, when something caught his eye. It was bright yellow, no mistaking that it was a sticky note. Lucifer’s heart pounded in his chest as he peeled it up, going to take a closer look at what it said. When he read it, a smile came to his face, followed by a quick breath of laughter. Just with a few simple words, you eased all his anxiety from the past few hours, almost making him forget them completely. He tucked the note away in his drawer, just smiling and overall pleased. He couldn’t wait.

“It’s a date!”

Three simple words, and it was enough to keep him smiling for the rest of the night.

224 notes · View notes

etherealcheol-mp3 · 4 years

Text

Gotcha || knj

pairing: kim namjoon x reader

genre: fluff, slight angst, coffee shop/ bakery!au, e2l, neighbors!au, non-idol!au

warnings: none really, slow burn, enemies to lovers, mentions of death/ fire, mentions of panic attacks, hints towards sexual themes, pranks played against one another constantly, b a n t e r

words: 20.3K (it’s a monster, i’m so sorry)

summary: rival shops aren’t the worst things in life, but maybe their owners are. after a less than ideal first meeting, y/n swears kim namjoon off as their mortal enemy. this is tolerable, bearable even. nobody said they had to step foot in each other's shops, but what happens when the vacant apartment in their building gets filled with a noisy neighbor with constant….guests. and what happens when said neighbor is revealed to be none other than kim namjoon? prank wars and lots of meddling from best friends.

A/N: this story was originally posted on my instagram @/constellationkookie and my wattpad @/hoodftarreaga. this was also originally written for Calum Hood but I’m bts trash now and have no regrets:) -toro

I’ve never had a constant variable in my life. Moving around as a kid and changing schools happens to have that effect on a person. You learn not to expect too much from a friendship that you try to make work over texts and slowly dwindling phone calls and you begin to search for things in life that can become constants in some way or another. My form of constant was as simple as flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. The basic, core ingredients to any baked good. No matter where I moved or who I did or didn’t talk to, I had baking. All I needed was flour, sugar, eggs, and butter and I was whisked away to the safety of my kitchen where I didn’t have to deal with the chaos surrounding me in the outside world.

I didn’t need a boyfriend, best friend, or school club like everyone else. I didn’t need anything that would ground me into my surroundings since it would only make leaving that much harder. However, sometimes certain people try their hardest to latch onto you and gain your trust. They make you feel comfortable and allow you to open up and be vulnerable around them. I was twenty years old and living in Seoul with this certain person who just so happened to be my first and only best friend, Mal. She stood by my side through thick and thin and supported me to follow my dreams and do what I never thought was possible: open up my own bakery. It was hard at first and very stressful, but the end result was well worth the sleepless nights and crying fits.

Sunrise Bakery was my pride and joy and very successful. The name was Mal’s idea as she saw ‘the sun was rising on the start of my new life’. Seven months in, everything was going great, but then slowly my regulars began to not be so regular. ‘Friends’ turned into strangers and it seemed like everyone in the city forgot. I tried just about everything in the books from sales to new recipes but nothing kept them back for long. It wasn’t until I heard about a new coffee shop in town that I started to get worried. The Hideout Cafe was new in town and conveniently just down the street from my bakery.

“Are you still plotting,'' Mal called from behind me. I turned my attention to her and furrowed my brow. “I’m not plotting anything,” I stated defensively and started rolling out the previously abandoned dough on the counter.

Mal snorts and rolls her eyes playfully before taking a sip out of her coffee cup, I hadn’t noticed it before. “Sure because staring out your window to try and see what's going on in there isn’t creepy at all.” I ignore her comment and look at the sleeve on her coffee cup before realizing which logo was on it.

“You went there? And actually ordered something?” I say incredulously. Her eyes widen slightly before sighing and slumping her shoulders.

“I’m sorry but their latte is amazing! I seriously don’t know how they do it like it’s insane. I know you have some personal vendetta against them but just check it out one time and you’ll see how stupid it is. Customers aren’t going to stop coming permanently to a bakery because of a coffee shop.” I tried to ignore her and go to the back of the shop but she gently grabbed my wrist and stopped me in my tracks.

“Come on, Y/N, you’ve been working since you opened and it’s time for a break. Please? For me?” I huffed before finally looking over at her and giving in. She silently cheered as I untied my apron and turned the open sign before locking up. We headed down the street and stopped in front of the shiny, new Hideout Cafe. Walking inside felt wrong but also relieving as the shop took over my senses. The warm air inside tickled my face, cold from the winter breeze outside. The clatter of cutlery accompanying the scent of coffee beans and light chatter of patrons soothed my senses in an instant.

I followed Mal to the register and looked up at the seemingly endless menu posted on the wall. It was written in varying colors of chalk along with the seamless flow of script font that spelled out “Today’s Specials”. Mal pushed me forward and my eyes met the face of a boy around my age. He looked slightly amused and had a brow ever so lightly quirked up as he looked at my most likely flustered state. I opened my mouth but no sounds came out.

“First time?” The barista let out in his low voice. I shakily nodded my head before averting my gaze elsewhere. “Can I have a name for the order?” The barista started tapping on the screen in front of him. “Uh, Y/N. Just checking out the competition” I suddenly spoke, effectively shocking myself and him. He furrowed his brow before smiling almost smugly. I thought I saw a hint of a dimple but my attention was drawn elsewhere as he spoke again.

“Oh, you must work at that dumb little bakery down the road. What is it? Moonlight or something?” I scoffed at his words and felt anger rush through my veins. “I happen to own that very successful bakery. And it’s Sunrise.” I spoke confidently.

“It’s irrelevant. It’ll probably be shut down in three months max at the rate of our shop. But hey it’s nice of you to add to the steady demise of your own bakery by buying something from us. What would you like? Pumpkin spice latte?” He spoke with such ease it infuriated me to no end.

I turned away from the register to find Mal and leave as soon as possible. I knew coming here was a horrible idea and the sooner I left the better. I found Mal standing by the area to pick up drinks ‘talking’ to another male barista. I walked up next to her and waited for her to look at me but it seemed the only things on her mind were the warm eyes and cocky smirk adorned by plush lips on the other side of the counter. I cleared my throat and stepped closer to her and gained her attention only to lose it two seconds later as she turned back to the boy and introduced me to him.

“This is Y/N, it’s her first time here.” She spoke sweetly and I tried not to gag but the instinct was harder to resist as the barista from before walked up with a drink in hand with a smirk on his face. “Pumpkin spice latte for Y/N. Don’t worry, it’s on the house.” He winked at me before walking away and I scowled at his retreating figure. The barista with warm eyes laughed lightly before speaking, “Well it seems you made friends with our owner, Namjoon.”

Namjoon. Namjoon...blank. I don’t know much about him but I know the important things. He’s the owner of the Hideout Cafe. The self-righteous asshole who took it upon himself to spite me by not only making a basic drink that I will never admit to drinking half of, but also by misspelling my name. As soon as I noticed the lazy scrawl on the side of the cup with a lopsided smiley face next to it, I texted the photographic evidence to Mal and promptly trashed the drink.

I felt a heavy weight on my chest for the rest of the day and couldn’t seem to keep the scowl off my face as I suspiciously looked down the street. I tried to ignore the cocky smirk and the harsh words from earlier by rolling out dough and frosting cupcakes but something about the situation just didn’t sit right with me. Before I could overanalyze or create more conspiracy theories to add to my growing list (42 currently reside on this list and they all seem somewhat plausible) closing time for the bakery came and I started to clean up before walking home.

My eyes felt droopy as I leaned against the elevator wall. The steady motion was quickly luring me to sleep but I forced my head to face forward as the doors opened and my bed became that much closer. I fumbled with my keys a bit before dropping them on the floor in front of my apartment. I grumbled out a curse before successfully entering and falling into bed after changing my flour ridden clothes. I fell asleep almost instantly and waited to be awoken by the sun through my blinds.

Except that’s not what happened. I awoke at 3:04 am to a loud blaring and lights flashing in my room. I groggily sat up before realizing what was happening. The fire alarm. My eyes widened and I jumped from my bed, grabbing my phone and the first pair of shoes I saw before bolting to my front door. I turned to my left to run to the stairway when I collided with a firm blur and stumbled backward. My vision was still slightly spinning before I heard the voice start to apologize.

“Ah, shit. Sorry I didn’t see where I was going. I just moved in here and don’t know where to go.” That voice. The voice I had on repeat all afternoon after I left his shop. The voice of Namjoon. Namjoon Last-name.

I opened my eyes and saw him sleepily staring back at me before his ever-present smirk took over his face again. I groaned and threw my head back, begging the universe to tell me this was a joke but the semi hoarse laughter in front of me proved otherwise.

“Nice slippers, Moonlight” I looked down and saw my fuzzy mermaid slippers on my feet. I let out a huff as I looked at him again before seeing it. His body was completely bare except for the black boxers and single sock on his right foot. My throat dried up and my eyes widened at the sight. I shook my head as the current situation sunk back in. Fire alarm, fire, danger, get to the stairs, get to safety. I ran past him to the stairway and didn’t look back. I couldn’t get stuck up there, I can’t. Visions of thick, black smoke and watery eyes flashed in my mind and my breathing picked up speed. Don’t think, just run.

I found my way to the ground floor and was greeted by a hoard of grumpy, tired people in pajamas crowding the entrance. I tried to squeeze my way through to the exit but as soon as I reached it a hand grabbed my wrist and I yelped before trying to pull my hand free. The hand let go almost instantly and I fearfully looked up only to see Namjoon again looking at me confused. I turned my head away from him and held my wrist close to my chest.

“Woah, no need to freak out. It was a false alarm but I saw you running for the exit and wanted to stop you.” I dropped my arms and looked at him before seeing the hint of concern lacing his features. I chose to ignore it and said what I had first thought when I saw him in my hallway.

“Why are you here and why are you naked?” The monotone delivery caught him off guard as his eyebrows raised and he chuckled at me. Those damn dimples proudly being displayed. “You must not have heard me earlier. I just moved in and it’s three in the morning so I was sleeping. This is how I sleep, well except for the boxers anyways.” He smirked again and I tried my hardest to not slap it off his face. I chose to roll my eyes instead and questioned him further.

“What apartment are you?” He had a devious glint in his eyes and I knew what he was thinking. “I’m not asking for that. You were in my hall so I want to know which door to avoid.” He squinted his eyes at me but the boyish grin on his face stayed. He looked me up and down and I crossed my arms over my chest, blushing at the intensity of his gaze. “5B.” He finally stated and I groaned in defeat at his answer. Of course, he lived there. 5B had been vacant for as long as I had lived in this building and I always hoped it would stay that way. “Well what about you,” he started,”which apartment is yours?” I brushed past him and walked to the elevator. The lobby had significantly cleared out since I got there and I decided I would rather sleep than talk to Namjoon Insert-Name-Here.

The doors opened and I pressed the button for the fifth floor as Namjoon walked on and stared at me. I ignored him and his piercing gaze the entire ride up but he seemed to think this through as he motioned for me to exit first when we reached our floor. “Ladies first,” he said smugly and I grumbled to myself as I walked to my apartment. The number and letter on my door seemed to be mocking me as I stopped in front of them. I heard Namjoon trying to hold back his laughter to my right as he spoke. “Oh, Moonlight, this is gonna be fun.” He opened his door and walked in, leaving me to sulk in the hallway by myself. I banged my head against the door of 5C and felt the urge to scream. Namjoon...whatever his last name was, is going to be the death of me.

I didn’t sleep much after the fire alarms blaring that night. My thoughts were racing much too fast to grant me any type of peace. In fact, I hardly slept at all the few days after that night due to Namjoon constantly having friends over and yelling or blaring music at alarming volumes all night long. I walked groggily down the street to my bakery and fumbled for the keys in my bag. I let out a stream of curses under my breath as they fell to the ground, a seemingly new trait I had developed due to no sleep, and sighed as I leaned to pick them up. I could already tell this day would not be fun.

Customers filed through the shop door and the smell of sugar filled my senses until Mal walked in for her shift clutching two coffee cups. I narrowed my eyes at her cheery smile and the two cups in her hands. “You seriously stopped by that shop again? And you bought me a drink?” I questioned incredulously. Mal playfully rolled her eyes as she walked behind the counter without a care in the world.

“I just so happened to walk in to talk to Jimin and get my regular when a certain someone handed me another on the house.” Mal wiggled her eyebrows as she slid one of the cups towards me. I furrowed my brow, “Jimin? I’ve never heard you talk about them before. And if you’re trying to be subtle and make me guess how you managed to flirt with one guy while charming another so much that he bought you a free drink, it’s not working.” Mal chuckled lightly before shaking her head and explaining.

“You do know Jimin, you two met that day we went to check out the Hideout. He asked me out when I stopped by today and after I agreed your neighbor stopped by to ask me to give you this. Have anything to share, Y/N?” She tapped the lid of the cup and based on the tone she used and the faux innocence in her wide eyes, I knew she was trying to not scream at me for not instantly telling her Namjoon was my neighbor. Or she was trying not to laugh. Laughing seemed to be all the universe was doing to me recently.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply “Unfortunately yes. I found out last week that we live next door to each other.” I could only grumble the words that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Namjoon always seemed to have that effect on me. The fact that he even had an effect on me made it worse. I opened my eyes to see Mal smirking at me while she continuously shifted her gaze to the cup that seemingly shifted closer to my hand resting on the counter.

I picked up the cup slowly, scared it would explode or an animal would come out and attack me at any sudden movement. I saw the messy handwriting on the side that was slowly becoming familiar and felt my blood boil at what it read. My name wasn’t too complicated but once again he had seemed to misspell it so bad that it almost had to be done on purpose. Mal was struggling to hold back her giggles and I glared at her. “You can’t seriously be that mad at him, it’s funny!” She spoke defensively. I threw my head back in defeat and groaned before starting to walk towards the kitchen.

“But I can be because he’s a self righteous jerk who only cares about himself and doesn’t even try to be a decent human being and spell a name right. I swear, every single thing he does makes me want to scream.” I finally vented as Mal followed me. “I bet he wants to make you scream,” Mal states smugly, making me glare at her over my shoulder before she changed the subject, “So what are you gonna do about it?” She questioned me and I turned to face her with confusion etched across my face. “You keep complaining about the guy and you just let him keep getting to you. You need to annoy him back or at least let him know you’re not going down without a fight. And I’m only saying this since apparently hate sex is off the table.”

I thought for a minute and it didn’t seem like a bad idea. Better than the latter one at least. “I don’t even know what I would do. I can hardly face him without wanting to run away and yell into my pillow.” I was whining and I knew it but in my defense it was true. If I had to look at Namjoon whatever his last name was smirking at me with those dimples one more time I was going to lose it. Mal’s eyes slightly widened and her grin started to grow as I felt fear rise in me. She had an idea and it would most likely end up with injury or prison.

“You live next door to the guy. And his shop is down the road. There’s nothing wrong with a little prank to tell him to back off.” I crossed my arms and opened my mouth to protest only to close it as her words really hit me. It really wasn’t the worst idea ever. I would have to think everything through and leave no room for mistake but he had to know it was me. I had to give him the sign to back off but I couldn’t anger him too much. Luckily though Mal was already listing ideas before I could think of any on my own.

I cut her off after hearing the words ‘peanut butter’, ‘toilet paper’ and ‘hedge clipper’ by putting my hand out and laughing. “Let’s start off tame first. I can barely think straight after getting no slee-'' I suddenly stopped speaking and smiled largely. I knew what I wanted to do but I had to make sure it was perfect.

I checked the clock on the microwave one more time as I started to get nervous. It was 4:03AM and Namjoon’s front door had closed roughly thirty minutes ago. I hadn’t heard any noise from his apartment aside from the shower and shuffling around. Suddenly I had found benefits to paper thin walls. Everything was perfect and now it was time to set my plan into motion. I loudly swung open my cabinets and turned on my bluetooth speaker as music started to fill the spaces around me. I dropped some metal pans on the floor and slammed a cookie sheet onto my counter for good measure before grabbing my ingredients. I would’ve worried about other neighbors complaining but I thankfully had an apartment on the corner of the hall. Only Namjoon would be able to hear the noise I made.

I worked loudly and sang along to the music coming from my speakers. Soon enough the electric mixer was loudly whirring and the oven was beeping to alert me of the temperature being reached. I had just aggressively closed the oven door when I heard a harsh banging at my door. I smiled and ignored it. I had riskily left the front door unlocked and just as I had assumed, Namjoon Last Name raced into my apartment after knocking and being ignored once again.

He walked to my kitchen and found my speaker, quickly turning it off. I didn’t even glance up at him once as he breathed heavily through his nose and stared at me. “Do you have any idea what fucking time it is?” He spoke angrily and I tried not to laugh. “Yep” I replied coolly. “What are you do- are you baking a cake? It’s 4am. Why are you baking a cake? And what’s with the party decorations?” He spoke confusedly as he looked around at the streamers and balloons decorating my apartment. “I’m celebrating the death of my sleep schedule and sanity. Want a cookie?”

I finally looked at him and kept a straight face as his jaw hung open and his eyes narrowed. “A cookie? No I don’t want a fucking cookie. What the fuck is wrong with you?” He threw his hands up and looked at me like I was crazy. I think I probably was after almost a week of no sleep, but I kept up the act. “You sound tense. The cupcakes should be done soon, maybe they’ll help you loosen up.” Namjoon huffed and talked to me like I was a child. “I’m pissed. You can’t just fucking make all the noise in the world at 4AM and expect everyone to sleep through it and be okay with it-”

I pointed my rubber spatula at him and glared, effectively cutting him off. “Why not? It’s all you seem to do every night when you have friends over and scream at a television for four hours straight.” I stuck a finger into the frosting I was in the process of creating and put it in my mouth to suck the frosting off. “Needs more vanilla” I mumbled to myself. I still had some left on my finger and stuck out my tongue to effectively lick the rest of it off and went back to mixing. Namjoon was silent. After a minute of ignoring him I looked up, almost expecting him to be gone but there he was. His jaw was tense and his eyes slightly wide while his eyebrows almost raised to the top of his head.

He looked away as I met his eye and grunted out a “Just keep it down okay?” Before bolting out the door and leaving me confused in my kitchen. I put some plastic wrap over my frosting and put the cupcakes onto a cooling rack before retiring to my bed for a few hours of sleep. Namjoon was on my mind though. He seemed to leave pretty quickly and I wondered if I had gone too far. Did I get him too angry? Did I cross a line with what I said? I pushed away those thoughts since I was only doing and saying what he had to me. It couldn’t be that bad.

Could it?

I slept surprisingly well after Namjoon left. My alarm greeted me only a few, short hours later, however, I felt like I had slept for years. I took a quick shower and started to get ready for the day when I heard movement through the thin walls of my bedroom. Namjoon was awake. Namjoon. My eyes widened at the thought of him and his probable reaction to my little prank last night. My heart beat started to accelerate ever so slightly as I hurriedly finished getting ready.

I slowly opened my bedroom door and peeked my head out slowly. I turned to thoroughly inspect every hidden corner for anything Namjoon could have planted while I was sleeping but found nothing. Nevertheless I was still paranoid. I walked to my kitchen quickly and grabbed a granola bar before slipping on my shoes and heading to the door. I was ready to get to my shop and away from the close proximity of him.

I felt my phone vibrate rapidly in my pocket and groaned as I barely had enough energy and concentration to focus on getting my shoes on the right feet. I saw Mal’s name on the screen and answered quickly. I couldn’t even get a word in as she instantly greeted me with a warm “Where the hell are you?!” and I winced as I pulled the phone away from my poor ear.

“I’m leaving the apartment? Same time as usual.” I stated tiredly. Mal wasted no time as she once again responded too loudly for this hour. “You forgot what day it is, didn’t you?” I froze at her words and pulled my phone away to see the date on the screen. A bold ‘February 4th’ stared back at me and my eyes widened once again that morning. Shit.

Ever since we became friends, Mal and I had created a tradition. On the same day every year we would meet up and spend the day together doing whatever we needed at the time. Some years we went shopping for dates we had or prom dresses, others we stayed at home doing face masks and watching Queer Eye and some harder years we ate ice cream and vented about how much life sucked and how glad we were to have each other. The most important year though was when we moved out to Seoul together after graduating college and saving up money for plane tickets and moving expenses. This day was our day and it always had been, it was more important than some official holidays to us and it was today. February 4th.

��I love you?” I tried pathetically and Mal laughed at my response, already knowing I had forgotten. Thankfully she wasn’t angry with me as she playfully replied, “You move out of our place for three months and suddenly you forget the most important day of the year.” I laughed but couldn’t help the guilt I felt weighing me down. Mal was my best friend, my rock and I wouldn’t be doing half of the things I had accomplished without her by my side.

Seemingly reading my mind Mal spoke softly, “Don’t feel bad Y/N/N, I’ve easily forgotten at least four times in the past. I’m coming by yours in a bit and we can decide what the plan is from there.” I smiled even though she couldn’t see it and we said our goodbyes before hanging up. I walked to the front door to be ready to meet her in the lobby as she wasn’t too far from me. I went to lock my door but decided against it as we probably would just end up there for the day and walked to the elevator.

“Junk food and netflix?” Mal spoke as I opened her car door and got in. I eagerly agreed and we headed to our first stop: the closest convenience store. It easily was the most cost effective option and yet another monument of our friendship. Whenever we were bored or wanted to hang out we always ended up at the closest convenience store and always bought too many things (mainly snacks) we didn’t need. It was always worth it.

After spending too much time and money we headed back to Mal’s apartment and got ready to spend the day together. We pulled up ‘After’ on Netflix because we knew how bad it would be and wanted to laugh at ourselves and each other for reading the original Harry Styles fanfic the movie was based on. After pausing the movie a million times to laugh and talk about what chapter this would be, Mal turned to me and spoke genuinely, “How are you today?” I sighed and looked her in the eye. I smiled as big as I could and told her the truth. “Could be better. It’s always going to be hard though and my neighbor really isn’t helping things.”

February 4th wasn’t a randomly chosen date. It was a date chosen to help me be prepared for another significant date just around the corner. Mal smiled and nodded in understanding before speaking again, “What would be best for us to do the rest of today?” This is why I loved Mal. She knew the real reason why this day was created and she still never tried to do what she thought I needed to have fun or be okay with it or even ignore it. She always wanted to make sure I was doing what I needed for myself.

I smiled again, larger this time and told her gratefully, “Honestly watching ‘This Is Us’ and crying over One Direction sounds great right now.” We laughed before we pulled the movie and cuddled up together under the blankets. I was so lucky.

I got back to my apartment around 9pm that night with a smile on my face. Today was great and I knew it would help me be prepared for the next important day. I went to unlock my door but it was already unlocked. I froze as I remembered not locking it this morning in case we ended up here and felt my heart drop as I heard the TV on inside. I knew I didn’t leave it on this morning as I hardly used it in general and I braced myself as I slowly opened the door, ready to face whatever burglar or serial killer was inside. Only it was worse.

Namjoon was relaxed and sprawled out on my couch with his feet on the coffee table in front of him. He had a mug with tea in it next to his feet and I gaped at him. He turned to me as he heard the door open and smiled smugly at my expression. “Oh, hey you’re back.” He turned back to the TV and I was too shocked to move from my place in the doorway. He spoke casually like he had every right to be in there. “You know, you should probably stop leaving your door unlocked. You never know what creep or weirdo could walk in.” He took a sip of his tea and raised his brows at me.

I started to mutter out a response but he stood from the couch and cut me off from my stuttering. “I just want to apologize for keeping you up last week. It’s not cool and I learned my lesson completely. It won’t happen again.” He spoke sincerely and it was honestly scary to hear him talk without sounding sarcastic or cruel. I narrowed my eyes at him and spoke in disbelief, “Really? So...we’re cool?” Namjoon laughed genuinely with his award winning dimples in view as I arched my brow in confusion. He patted my shoulder as he replied. “Yeah, we’re cool.”

With that he walked past me and out the door, closing it behind him and calling for me to “Make sure you lock it”. I looked around my apartment for anything that seemed broken or tampered with to ignore the pounding of my heart and the heat that lingered where his hand was. After coming up empty handed I was confused. Surely he would’ve tried to get me back. Maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone so far like I did and just talked to him. I sighed and groaned as I felt guilt start to swallow me up again that day.

It wasn’t until I moved to get ready for bed that I saw I had no need to feel guilty at all. I was right about him. I should’ve gone further than what I did because he did get me back. He had replaced something of mine I hadn’t thought of before and it was way worse than I could’ve imagined. Sitting innocently on top of my dresser was a little note with his messy scrawl reading ‘Gotcha ;)’ and I panicked. I looked through all my shirts, pants, socks but found nothing until I looked in the last drawer. I gasped as I saw his handiwork and couldn’t believe it. He had replaced my entire underwear collection with brand new, lacy thongs.

To say I was fuming would be an understatement. Not only had he completely invaded my privacy but he had touched and stolen things that were for my eyes only. I had to use every ounce of strength in my body to not feel embarrassed that he had seen my lackluster collection since that was not the issue here. I couldn’t just ask him to give them back and at the moment putting on my dirty pair I discarded after the quick shower I had taken was also not an option. I swallowed my pride and slipped a lacy red thong with floral details up my legs and dove into bed hoping to forget my day and have sleep take over me.

Shockingly, I seemed to once again be the only one who found my situation infuriating. Mal was practically suffering the next morning as she tried to hold in her laughter at my explanation of the night before. My glare did nothing to ease her laughter that had finally bubbled out of her loudly and I brushed past her into the kitchen in my shop. I ignored her wheezing as I pulled out the bowls and ingredients for the day. Today called for a new creation and ultimate focus since all I could think of was the fact that I could feel the soft material of my sundress against just about every part of me.

Tying my apron around my waist, I got to work. I started with cupcakes as I was constantly out of stock of my new flavor “Maliblue”. It was a spring themed cupcake with lemon flavored cake and a blueberry frosting. The hoards of college students on spring break back at home posting pictures at beaches inspired the name and surprisingly it sold well for a small bakery in Korea. As I placed my first batch in the oven I got to thinking on what to do next. I wanted something new and good.

Before I could clearly think out any ideas I started grabbing ingredients and let my body work for me. Mal walked back, seemingly calmed down and ready to let me vent. “Alright I’m sorry but you can not tell me you don't see any humor in this!”

I rolled my eyes and pushed a stubborn strand of hair back behind my ear as I worked on the mystery item in front of me. “Honestly I don’t see any humor in him discovering my granny panty collection.” I murmured under my breath. My eyes widened as I spoke and I hoped she hadn’t heard me, but as her smile widened and she crossed her arms over her chest smugly I knew the damage was done. “So that’s why you’re upset. You’re embarrassed cause the guy you like saw your underwear and now he probably doesn't think you’re sexy. I mean it’s understandable.”

I fought the urge to wipe her smug grin off her face and instead spoke in a tone way too defensive “I do not like him and couldn’t give two shits if he thought I was sexy.” This only made her grin widen even further and my growing blush worsen. I groaned at the sight and went back to mixing the batter in front of me. I apparently was in a cupcake mood as that’s what I decided to make with it.

“What are you making?” Mal questioned as I moved to grab some cream cheese and raspberries from the fridge and I shrugged in response because I truly didn’t know. I had finished the chocolate cake batter and now started on a filling. I heard Mal’s phone buzz and she grabbed it at lightning speed while smiling at her screen. I raised my eyebrows in reaction to her sudden movement and she gave me an apologetic glance before hurriedly typing out a response. It was now my turn to question her and she seemed to realize this as she innocently looked at me before trying to dip her finger in the chocolate batter.

I swatted her hand away and put my hands on my hips while tilting my head at her accusingly. She sighed and started to blush before I even asked the question she knew was on my mind. “So who is he?” I suddenly spoke and Mal flushed even further before smiling and quietly muttering “Jimin” in response. I kind of expected his name even though I constantly teased her for ‘liking the enemy’. Before I could question her further though, the oven dinged and the front door swung open against the bells above it, signalling a new customer. “Literally saved by the bell.” I spoke as I went to the oven.

She darted to the front of the store leaving me confused as she never was excited to greet customers. I shook it off and pulled the cupcakes from the oven, continuing to mix the filling for my new batch as they cooled. After placing the chocolate batter in a greased tin and placing them in the oven, I walked out of the kitchen, wiping my hands on my apron, and froze. Of course it wasn’t just a customer that had come in. It was Jimin and behind him stood an amused looking Namjoon. I rolled my eyes at the sight and overheard Mal and Jimin talking about their plans for the evening. I smiled slightly hearing them so excited and watching them act like love sick puppies.

“Wow you sure know how to greet your customers huh?” Spoke a familiar voice and my smile vanished. I still hadn’t come up with my plan to get him back and I honestly didn’t have the patience to face him while wearing lace. That he had bought.

“I wouldn’t consider you a customer, more like a nuisance.” I spoke boldly and his signature wicked grin appeared. Before he could speak up again Mal put her hand on my shoulder. “I’ve just had a great idea.” She spoke loudly, gaining everyone's attention. “Oh no.” I mumbled at the glint in her eyes. “Why don’t you and Namjoon join me and Jimin tonight? I’m sure staying here all night can’t possibly be better than mini golf and ice cream.” She spoke sweetly but I knew better.

Jimin instantly agreed and I saw a similar look of dread on Namjoon’s face as I turned to face him. It quickly vanished though as he replaced it with a cocky smirk and made eye contact with me as she spoke “That is a great idea. It’s a date.” I almost choked on my spit at his words but before I could retort, he glanced at his watch and got Jimin’s attention as they had to head back to their shop. “See you at closing, Moonlight.” He winked after his words and was out the door. I saw Mal turn to me with eyebrows raised and knew she was going to question the nickname but the oven dinged once again and I sheepishly told her, “Saved by the bell?”

I had finished my new cupcakes and placed them out to be sold when shockingly they sold out. I had to remake them twice throughout the day but had yet to come up with a name for them. Before I could though, it was closing time and Jimin and Namjoon had come back to the shop, ready to go mini golfing. I cursed myself for wearing a short sundress and jean jacket as Seoul decided wind was a great idea tonight. I locked the door to the shop and we headed off. Before we got too far, however, Namjoon pulled me back to walk with him and leaned into my ear as he spoke “Hope you’re wearing one of my presents tonight under that dress, Moonlight.” I felt my jaw drop as he let go of my arm and innocently smiled before walking off to join Jimin and Mal.

This was going to be a long night.

Walking to mini golf felt like an eternity with Namjoon standing next to me, towering over my frame, and with Mal and Jimin giggling and holding hands in front of us. I didn’t realize I was staring at them until a chuckle sounded from next to me. “What?” I asked him questioningly. He smiled softly at me and I felt my heart clench at the sight. This was the first time he had looked at me with anything other than cockiness or venom in his eyes. I brushed off the feeling as shock and waited for him to reply.

“You just had a funny face is all. You looked bored, angry and like you were plotting some evil plan all at once.” He spoke jokingly and I sighed at his answer. “Why does everyone say that?” I groaned and Namjoon looked at me confused but intrigued. I answered the question I knew he was about to ask, “Everyone says I look like I’m plotting something and I never am. I don’t plot anything. Ever.” Namjoon just laughed lightly at that and looked up at the setting sun.

“If it means anything, you look cute when you plot how to escape third-wheeling. You furrow your eyebrows and squint your eyes and get all focused.” He looked sheepish as he finished his statement and scratched at his neck before he shoved his hands in his pockets. I felt heat rise to my cheeks and cleared my throat before retorting. “Don’t think you can just try to smooth talk me and make me forgive you for your little prank last night.” I sounded much more confident than I felt and I praised whatever higher power for giving me that strength.

Namjoon smirked but it wasn’t cocky like it usually was. He hung his head down and shook his head while smiling, dimples proudly on display. We were quiet for a while after that but soon we were at the mini golf place and practically pulled inside by Mal and Jimin. The interior was dark and covered in blacklights and neon paints lit up the otherwise hidden walls and courses. Jimin paid for Mal and I went to grab my wallet when Namjoon stopped me with his question of “What color ball do you want, Moonlight?”. I quirked a brow at him in slight protest before he tilted his head at me in response and sighed out a ‘green’ in indignation.

He grinned in triumph as he received our balls and the score card from the teenage cashier. He tossed me my green ball which I easily caught and rolled my eyes as he led me to the first hole. My worn, white shoes lit up under the lights as well as Namjoon’s shirt under his flannel and warm looking jacket. He boyishly smiled at the sight and his eyes widened as he did so. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him acting like a little kid and he looked like a deer in headlights as he realized he was caught.

I placed my ball down after Mal hugged a blushing Jimin for getting a hole in one and was ready to give a half assed attempt at hitting the ball before Namjoon asked in shock “What are you doing?” like I was committing a crime. I stood up straight in confusion and lazily gestured to my ball before responding plainly “Playing mini golf. It’s not like I’m trying to win or anything.” I leaned back over before he moved towards me. I stood up again and held out my hand for him to stop before speaking again.

“No. Absolutely not. You’re not about to pull some cheesy rom com bullshit on me where the guy goes behind the girl to ‘help with her technique’. Go stand by that neon pink dick on the wall and look pretty while I take five attempts at getting this ball in the hole.” I pointed my finger at the wall as I spoke and he laughed loudly at my speech before raising his hands in surrender and stepping close to the wall with said spray painted neon pink dick. He crossed his arms and challenged me with his eyes to do as I said I would.

“Thank you.” I curtsied in my sundress and he laughed in response. It took me four tries before I finished while Namjoon got it in two and we walked to the next hole before realizing Mal and Jimin were far ahead of us. I sighed at the sight of the next 17 holes and Namjoon nudged me with his elbow. “You know, the tickets for mini golf also came with unlimited arcade credits.” he pointed his head in the direction of the arcade on the other side of the courses. I smiled and started walking towards the bright lights and sounds of the games being played before speaking over my shoulder “I’ll kick your ass in skeeball.”

“You’re a cheater.” Namjoon spoke grumpily as I won another game and beat him. We played a few rounds of skeeball then moved on to air hockey where he destroyed me and I sulked until we played mario kart where I came in second to him again. I pouted until he led me to the basketball game where I beat his ass twice.

I laughed at his words as we walked to the counter for prizes. “I never cheat. You just chose to get your ass handed to you by a girl. It’s okay, Joon. Happens to the best of us.” He stopped moving and smiled and I grabbed his wrist to drag him to the counter before dropping all our tickets onto it. “Stop smiling like a doofus and get me that angry minion.” I put my hands on my hips as I spoke and he looked at the worker before saying “You heard the lady.” and pushing our tickets to them.

He kept smiling and looking at his shoes as if they were incredibly interesting before I flicked his shoulder and asked him “What are you smiling at?” He shook his head and grabbed the minion from the employee’s hand and mine in his other hand. I blushed lightly at the sudden contact and moved to keep up with him. “You called me Joon. It’s cute. I usually reserve that nickname for family and close friends so the fact I’m not throwing your ass outside and blocking off all contact with you is a shock to us all.”

I laughed at his statement and we soon ran into Mal and Jimin who looked equally smug and love sick as ever. Mal looked down to our still interlocked hands and I quickly withdrew mine from Namjoon’s grasp before speaking. “So. Ice cream anyone?”

The walk to the parlor was quiet and Namjoon looked deep in thought as his hands were shoved in his pockets and his brows were furrowed. The ice cream shop we were going to wasn’t even a real shop as it was a cart with outdoor seating under strung lights and wooden beams. The wind had only gotten worse as the night went on so the cold was brutal against my exposed skin. I pulled my surprisingly thin jean jacket tight around my frame and moved my hands quickly up and down my arms in an attempt to gain some warmth. Suddenly a hand stopped my quick movements and I was pulled into a firm body. I looked up in shock as Namjoon hugged me tightly against him and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I tried to push away from him but he was so warm I was finding it hard to resist. “Stop pushing, Moonlight. Put your arms inside my jacket, it’ll warm you up.” I eyed him suspiciously and he sighed before rolling his eyes and starting to pull away. I practically shouted in protest as I felt the sudden frigid wind hit me again. I hesitantly listened to him and leaned fully against him with my arms inside of his incredibly warm jacket.

“Who’s bullshit idea was it to get ice cream outside.” I grumbled against his chest. I felt the vibrations of him laughing at my words and felt soothed at the sensation. I closed my eyes and released a breath I hadn’t known I was holding in. His arms rubbed up and down my back and I felt tension leave my body as we started to sway side to side. “I’m still pissed at you.” I spoke again and I felt him look down at me. I met his amused eyes and put my chin on his chest as I looked up at him. “Damn, you mean my plan to woo you and make you fall for me so you’ll forget how mad you are hasn’t worked yet?”

I smiled at him and breathily laughed before speaking with new found confidence. “Barely. It might’ve worked if I wasn’t wearing red lace all day with no one to admire. It’s frustrating really. If only I were wooed.”

Nobody could have prepared me for the absolute chaos that came from joining Jimin and Mal on their date. It was only the next morning and my phone hadn’t stopped buzzing due to texts and calls from Mal. I only briefly glanced at them before I went to sleep the night before and knew she was begging for “details” of the night she imagined happened. Namjoon had walked me back to our building after we finished up our ice cream. We walked in silence with our hands brushing slightly with every sudden movement. After a few blocks I crossed my arms over my chest, too high off the feeling of his skin against mine, no matter how miniscule and told myself it was due to how cold I was.

I was utterly dumbfounded. Yes, Namjoon was undeniably attractive and we had gotten along well throughout our night together but he was still Namjoon. The guy stealing my business, my noisy neighbor who replaced all my underwear, the jerk who couldn’t even attempt to spell my name right, Namjoon. He made my blood boil and my heart race but it was beginning to get confusing as I couldn’t distinguish the anger for something else. We parted ways as he stopped in front of his door and I kept walking to mine. I thought he was about to speak but I had already opened my door and rushed in before he could utter a single syllable.

Sleep didn’t come easy, and before I knew it I had tossed and turned until 5am. I sighed and pushed myself up to get ready. I clearly wasn’t going to rest and the only form of relaxation I knew was a few blocks down the road. I shrugged on my clothes after a quick shower and grabbed my keys before heading out. I froze as I heard the door next to mine open as I was locking my own and willed myself to not look at him as I heard the footsteps suddenly stop just like mine had.

I finished locking my door and turned in the direction of the elevator without making any effort to actually walk towards it. Namjoon quickly closed and locked his door and suddenly we were in a silent battle of who would speak first. Shy glances and nervous movements could only do so much and he seemed to grow tired of it as he spoke up first. “Early morning?” He asked as he reached up to scratch at the back of his neck awkwardly. It seemed to be a nervous habit of his but before I could think about what that made me feel I responded. “Couldn’t sleep.” I spoke sheepishly and played with my hands in front of me.

I took in a breath and looked up with a smile as I walked to the elevator behind him. He joined me and soon the doors were closing behind us. “Was I too loud or anything? I was kinda up all night too. Just...thinking.” He grew quiet as he finished and I assured him it had nothing to do with him. At least I think so. We once again started walking down the road to our respective shops by each other's side. Our hands brushed again and I praised the yawn that left my body as it gave me an excuse to move my hand away from his. He looked over at me and once again looked like he wanted to say something. This time, however, I let him say what was on his mind.

“Do you maybe want a coffee? I mean that’s at least why I left my place.” I looked up at him and blinked away the tears that had formed due to my yawning and saw something flash in his eyes and a small smile grow on his face. I was hesitant to spend more time alone with him but before I could deny him another yawn left me and he chuckled. “Come on, Moonlight, I think I know a good place.”

We made our way to the Hideout Cafe and he grabbed the keys from his back pocket before holding the door open for me. I smiled at him in thanks and took in the coffee shop once again. It was different at this time of day. The chairs were stacked up and pushed against the walls along with the wooden tables, the dim lights were calming as the sun had yet to rise and fill up the shop with its bright rays. Namjoon moved easily behind the counter and turned on some machines I didn’t recognize. I stood next to the door taking in all the artwork and posters lining the walls before I noticed a section at the corner of the shop. There was a wooden ledge lining the corner covered in pillows and soft looking blankets. The lights hanging above it made it look inviting and I slowly walked towards the bookcases on the wall next to the makeshift reading nook.

I looked at the familiar and unknown titles until I heard Namjoon call for me. I turned to answer him only to see him walking towards me. “I didn’t see this here the first time I came.” I spoke softly and he smiled at me before pulling a book off the ledge and placing it on the shelf where it belonged. “When I bought this place the corner seat was already here so it just felt right to add everything else.” He shrugged as he spoke but the almost longing look he wore towards the books told me there was something more to his story.

He turned to me again as he spoke “What would you like?” and his right arm stretched out to the chalkboard menu above the counter. I walked with him to stand in front of it to get a better look but couldn’t decide. I bit down on my lip in concentration as I tried to figure out something right to order. I didn’t want to get something embarrassing and ‘basic’ but I wanted something that tasted good. Namjoon stood next to me and looked at the side of my face before I decided to say what I thought was a good answer. “Surprise me.”

And surprise me, he definitely did. I moved to lean against the counter as I watched him work. We talked about random facts and our favorite things and every few minutes I would ask what he was making before he would continue to avoid my question. After a seemingly never ending wait he handed me my to go cup with steam and an addicting aroma wafting up to my nose. He already looked smug before I even took a sip and I knew it was going to be good. I took the lid off to let it cool off and smell it clearly. Fed up with my stalling, Namjoon rolled his eyes and ordered me to drink it. I huffed out a sigh and did as he said. I was right. It was good. Before I could stroke his ego with my full review of the magical drink in my hands I had to open up my own shop.

That didn’t cause the image of him smirking and calling out to me “Bye, Moonlight.” to leave my mind for the rest of the day. If anything it only made me long to see him even sooner. Mal had burst into the shop on schedule and I prepared myself for her interrogation. “Well you two were certainly cozy last night. It’s truly amazing how well you can get along with others when you aren’t trying to rip their head off.” I rolled my eyes before changing the subject. “I was only trying to get close to him and make him think I don’t have my next prank planned and ready to go.”

Mal laughed at my words before looking me in the eye and speaking confidently, “If you wanted my help coming up with a prank you could’ve just asked instead of lying.” I laughed before looking at her with pleading eyes. “My God you’re hopeless.” She sighed and I silently cheered as I knew she was going to help.

A few google searches, texts to Jimin, and a visit to a public library copy machine later we were ready. It was still only noon and I sent Mal out to put up all the flyers we had made before taking a lunch break together. I was nervous to see how this went. I wouldn’t be around him all day and I was relying on updates from Jimin to see how everything was going. All I could gather from the last text Mal had received and read out to me was that Namjoon was pissed. Mission accomplished.

Walking to my building on my own felt lonely after having someone with me the night before and this morning. I brushed that thought aside as I knew Namjoon would be home soon as I saw Jimin turning the ‘Open’ sign on the door to the Hideout Cafe to ‘Closed’ before giving me a wink.

I had made it to the elevator in the lobby before the door to the building opened behind me. I felt a shiver go down my spine in anticipation and excitement. Sure enough a tired and annoyed looking Namjoon stood next to me while glaring down at his phone. I bit back my laugh and pressed the button for our floor in silence. He leaned his head back onto the elevator wall and let out a deep breath. I started to feel guilty but he didn’t know I was to blame for the likely endless calls he had received today so I swallowed my fear and walked to my door as the elevator came to a stop at our floor.

I was putting my key into the lock when I heard a deep groan and ringtone start to play loudly. I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I heard Namjoon angrily speak into the phone “No this is not the number for Chewbaca roaring contest, please don’t call again.” before hanging up. I laughed before clamping a hand over my mouth quickly, but it was too late. Namjoon looked over at me and realization flashed across his face followed my anger and...hurt? He opened his door before slamming it behind him and I continued to laugh until I made my way inside my own apartment. That’s when the confusion hit. Why did the hurt look on his face make me feel guilty all over again?

I woke up not being able to breathe. My eyes were open wide and I continued to cough and wheeze, trying to desperately fill my burning lungs with the air they craved. I threw my duvet off my body and fell to the floor of my bedroom coughing with tears streaming down my face.

“Y/N run!”

No. This isn’t real. It’s all a dream. My head was tormenting me with memories from that night. My chest started to rise and fall frantically due to the lack of oxygen and the flashing images behind my eyelids.

“Help! Please someone help me!” I was running around the hoards of people filling my street and in front of my house. There were red and blue lights flashing and blurring my vision until all I saw was a kaleidoscope of the two colors.

I clamped my hands over my ears and let out a violent sob. I couldn’t see clearly in front of me. There was a thin fog covering the room and burning my eyes.

I fell to my knees and sobbed until I was mobbed by a herd of paramedics and police officers. I was hysterical. “Please, just help me please! They're still inside please, they were on the second floor please!” I pushed away hands full of gauze and bandages, trying to get them to just understand. “My mom and sister are still inside please! Go get them” All of my senses were overpowered by fiery embers and heat, yet I could see more clearly than ever as a firefighter walked quickly to a police officer helping to try and calm me down. I was zeroed in on the interaction and would never forget the feeling of my heart dropping and shattering when they pulled away and looked back on me with that undeniable look of pity on their faces.

I screamed and felt all of the life leave my body as I fell to the asphalt below me. There was silence. I couldn’t hear my screams of agony, feel the hands pulling me up and into an ambulance, taste the smoke that I had been choking on earlier, smell the burnt remnants of my home that had gone up in flames, or see anything aside from the flashing images of my mother and sister in my mind.

I was rocking back and forth, mumbling incoherently, and sobbing as I curled into myself at the foot of my bed. I felt my body being shaken and shot my eyes open to see the concerned face of Mal above me. Her hands were on my shoulders and she was calling out my name. I launched into her arms and continued sobbing into her shoulder. She brushed her hands through my hair and held me until I was only hiccuping every few seconds.

“I came to check up on you because I know 5 years is a big anniversary. What happened? I could smell that air freshener from the elevator.” She spoke softly as she looked into my eyes with concern. I furrowed my brows in confusion before looking around the room. “What? It’s not the 14th yet, Mal. Right?” She pulled my phone off the nightstand and showed me the screen with the date I’ve despised for the past 5 years on the screen. I felt my heart drop and tears well up all over again. I blinked them back before continuing to answer her second question.

“I don’t know what happened. I woke up and I couldn’t breathe or see clearly. What do you mean you could smell the air freshener? I didn’t spray anything.” As I calmed down more I could smell the overpowering scent of fruit and hibiscus. I scrunched up my face and gagged at the suffocating aromas. Mal furrowed her brows and grabbed an almost empty aerosol can of air freshener from beside her. “I mean I assumed you didn’t do this since I had to cut a zip tie off of it. Babe, I think you were pranked.” It made sense. The surprise and shock of it, the zip tie, all of it.

I shook my head and moved to stand up. “What are you doing?” Mal questioned. I moved to my closet and grabbed some jeans and an old t-shirt. “Getting ready for work. I was pranked, it’s not the end of the world or a reason for me to stop living life as per usual.” I couldn’t meet her eyes as I spoke. I didn’t want to talk about what had happened. Especially today. Mal sighed before standing as well. “I know it still hurts. Anyone in your place would feel the exact same way. But it’s been 5 years since that fire and I know the anniversaries always hit you harder as the years go by. When you choose to talk to me, I’ll be here.”

I nodded my head as I held onto my clothes for the day. 5 years. 5 years. They died exactly 5 years ago today and I still missed them like it was day one. I let out a sigh before starting to get dressed.

I spent all day in the bakery trying to avoid all my emotions I had kept bottled up. It was getting harder to ignore everything but being in my safe place usually made it bearable. However, today I was confused. Customers kept asking for refunds repeatedly throughout the day and I didn’t understand why. I baked everything fresh this morning, the same as I always have. Even my regulars were complaining and throwing perfectly fine food into the trash. It seemed like the cherry on top of everything that had happened already. Mal and I struggled to find the answer for hours. We retraced and rebaked until our heads were spinning.

I was dealing with a new customer who was demanding a refund when the answer became clear. “It’s just pure salt! Honestly how can you run a bakery and mix up your salt and sugar!” I froze. The customer continued to rant but I felt like I was underwater. I know for a fact I had used the sugar. I hadn’t mixed up like that since I was a child experimenting at home. I quickly apologised and handed the customer their money before rushing back to the kitchen. Mal had watched the encounter and followed quickly behind me. I practically threw the sugar container onto my work table before ripping off the plastic lid. I put my finger inside and tasted the white contents. Salt. I was dumbfounded. How could this have happened.

The bell above the shop sounded and I walked out to greet the customer while trying to hide the confusion on my face. I walked in view of my “customer” and felt like a brick wall had collapsed onto me. I felt the pricking of tears behind my eyes and my mouth grew dry at the sight. Namjoon was standing in front of the register looking smug as ever and I felt utterly stupid.

“What’s wrong, Moonlight? Shop’s empty, looks like you’ve been having some trouble with customer satisfaction today. Wonder why.” I untied my apron and tossed it off quickly before going to the back to grab my things. Mal looked up at my sudden appearance and I spoke before she could. “You know what, you were right. Today is a big deal. I’m closing up for the rest of the day. It’s too much.” I was trembling as I grabbed my purse and walked out to avoid her concerned gaze. Namjoon was still standing at the register as I walked to the front door. He looked confused and worried but I bit my lip hard to avoid crying in front of him.

“Hey, what’s wrong. It was just a prank I didn’t think-” I turned around to face him and pointed my finger at him. “You’re a fucking asshole you know? This is my livelihood and my everything. I could’ve maybe handled you fucking with my business any other day of the year but today it’s way too much. Whatever prank war or competition we were doing to spite each other is done. Congrats! You won. Now never touch me or my things or come into my apartment or store ever again.” The tears were freely flowing down my face but I didn’t care.

“Wait, Moonli-” Namjoon reached out for me but I turned and opened the door before he could finish. “And don’t call me that. You don’t know me. I don’t know you. What’s the point of stupid nicknames for people you don’t really know or want to talk to ever again.” I walked out before he could stop me again, not halting until I was at my apartment. I locked the door behind me and fell onto the couch with sobs and memories of laughter and people I’ll never get back lulling me to sleep.

Coping has always been difficult for me. I never really understood that I could let out my emotions and talk about them with people without being judged or told it’s not important. It only got harder for me when my mom and sister died five years ago. I never talked about it. I avoided the emotions and my guilt and pain from that day for five years and I was only hurting more as a result. I was curled up on my couch under a fuzzy blanket with tears streaming down my face, but I didn’t feel anything besides numbness. I wasn’t struggling to catch my breath or having sobs shake my body, I was numb. I was on my couch for what felt like infinity but realistically was probably a few hours. It was dark outside and no matter how exhausted I was, I knew sleep would never come.

I heard a soft knock at my door and made no move to answer it. My phone was abandoned on the coffee table and hadn’t been touched since I first came home. I knew Mal had been trying to reach me as the vibrations hadn’t stopped all day. The knocking came again, louder this time. I took as deep of a breath that I could manage before moving to sit up. I pulled my blanket tight around my body as I walked to the door. I didn’t check the peep hole because nothing mattered to me anymore. I didn’t care.

I unlocked the door and opened it to see a worried Namjoon….I still didn't know his last name. Further proof of why he shouldn’t be here and why I shouldn’t feel warm inside that he is. He looked up to meet my eyes and his expression fell into a sorrowful one laced with confusion. I turned back around and walked towards my couch, not in the mood for formalities.

“I’m sorry.” He spoke softly yet confident as I sat down. I huffed out a laugh and shook my head. “Why are you here?” I croaked out. He took a step closer and I felt my body tense slightly. He stopped moving before answering, “Why would I be anywhere else? I hurt you and I need you to know it wasn’t my plan for that to happen.” He started to scratch the back of his neck and I sighed.

“It’s not your fault.” My voice was shaky and my eyes filled with tears. I cleared my throat and looked up at him. He looked sad and curious and I knew I couldn’t keep it all in anymore. I scooted over on my couch and motioned my hand for him to join me. He hesitantly obeyed but never took his gaze off of me. “I need to be honest.” I spoke softly. He moved his hand above my shoulder to comfort me, before moving it back to his lap. I took in a breath before speaking about something I thought would be internalized forever.

“Five years ago I lived in a small town in Colorado. I had lived there my whole life and was happy. It was just my mom, sister, and I in a small house with a gorgeous view of the mountains. Mal lived in the neighborhood with us and we’ve basically been joint at the hip since birth.” I stopped as the night came back to me. I closed my eyes tightly and Namjoon turned towards me. I don’t know why, but I reached out and grasped his hand. He squeezed my smaller one tightly before rubbing circles into the back of my palm with his thumb.

“One night, we were having a sleepover. We were 18 but acted like children so we made a blanket fort in the living room. We watched movies all night and eventually we decided to go to my room so we could sleep. We thought we unplugged everything but we were tired and there was a stupid fucking candle. My room was on the first floor but my mom and sister’s were on the second.” I felt Namjoon squeeze my hand tighter and I let out a choked sob. He pulled me into his arms and rocked me slowly.

I cried into his chest as his hands rubbed my back soothingly. After I started to calm down a bit, I pulled back a bit to look at him. “We made it out. The neighbors had already called but there was no way they could’ve made it down the stairs without being trapped by the fire. I did it. I killed them. It’s been five years today and I’ve never talked about it. So it’s not your fault, Joon. It’s all mine because I’m too much of a coward to accept what I did five years ago.”

Namjoon gently placed his hand on my face and turned it to look into his eyes. “It never has been, and never will be your fault. It was an accident. Don’t carry that guilt because it’s not true. Okay?” I felt more tears flow and he wiped them away. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you, it’s just that baking is how I try to cope. I mean I still bottled up everything so I guess it didn’t work too well but-” Namjoon cut me off with his next words. I was shocked after he did. He looked into my eyes with nothing but kindness and genuity.

“Teach me how to bake.”

“What?” I started to wonder if confiding in him was the right choice since it seemed that he didn’t even know how to listen to me.

“You said it helps you cope, and it clearly makes you happy. I want you to start learning that it's okay to not get over something as big as that in one conversation. And that it’s not your fault. It’ll take time. So we’re going to bake something and talk about whatever you want to until you accept that it’s not your fault. We may bake a lot of things since this is gonna take a while, but I’ll be here until that day comes. I also really want to see you be happy right now. So teach me how to bake and I’ll teach you whatever you want in return.”

I was in awe. I didn’t know why he cared so much but I knew he was right. It was going to take some time and he clearly wanted to start now. I stood up and started walking to my kitchen. He followed behind me and stood awkwardly in the doorway, looking around the array of ingredients I pulled out. It was only flour, sugar, eggs, and butter but he already looked stressed. He let out a breath and pulled off his jacket as I reached to grab some mixing bowls and measuring cups. “So what do you want to bake?” I asked him so I could narrow down the necessary tools and ingredients.

“A cake?” He shrugged his shoulders and I smiled at his seemingly nervous behavior. “Ask me. It makes it seem more official and I like hearing you ask to be taught something you don’t know.” He smiled before rolling his shoulders back and dramatically clearing his throat. And so he asked, “Y/N, will you please teach me how to bake a cake?” and I did.

The week following our first “lesson” was only filled with constant interaction and more lessons. At first we only baked random sweets while dancing around to whatever song came on shuffle through my bluetooth speaker. We talked about our loves and passions and sometimes we touched on my mom and sister but Namjoon would never push me too far. I knew the feelings I was starting to harbor for him were more than platonic. It wasn’t just his looks or stupid jokes or smile at my even worse jokes. I was the little things.

It was his caring heart. ‘Teach me to bake in a bakery.’ “So why do you add that if it’s not in the recipe?” he questioned me with a slight tilt of his head. “Because it’s the secret ingredient, Joon. And if I find out you tell anyone what it is I’ll burn down your coffee shop. Okay?” His eyebrows raised and his eyes widened before a boyish grin spread across his face. “Jeez, what’s with you and fire?” I tensed slightly but before I could feel any negative emotion, Namjoon lightly touched my arm and turned me to meet his pleading gaze. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it like-” I cut him off with a flurry of giggles and my hunched over frame. “Why are you apologizing? I am really shit when it comes to fire safety.” I winked at him and saw him relax. With him around, it was okay. He cared.

It was his patience. ‘Teach me to make a beat’ “Ughhhh. Joon, I’m never going to get this right.” The throbbing in my fingertips and crease in my brow due to my frustration were evident. “Moonlight, it takes practice. And a good teacher always helps, hence why I’m here. You’re gonna get it, just try again.” He was seated next to me at his impressive studio desk trying to correctly position my randomly placed snare drum and bass sounds on the program in front of us. If it wasn’t his equipment I would have thrown it all at the wall ages ago. I sighed and sat up straighter in his desk chair before moving around some of the beats and trying again to make something that didnt sound like a middle school band warming up, or just a total cluster fuck of noises. Namjoon hummed along to the beat of the song I was “creating” and while it was incredibly off beat and by no means perfect, it was an incredible improvement. “See! I knew you could do it.” I smiled widely, matching his own. “How are you so optimistic and patient? You literally just sat through an hour of me butchering your presets with a smile the whole time.” He laughed before grabbing the instrument from my arms. “Because it’s you.”

It was determination. ‘Teach me to appreciate Shakespeare’ “Wait so Juliet is actually dead now? How did Romeo not even check to see if she was breathing?” Namjoon spoke confused. “She was in a tomb and looked pretty dead. All he knew is that his true love was dead and they were supposed to run away together.” I closed my copy of Romeo and Juliet and continued playing with his hair in my lap. “Huh. But why kill himself? And why would she do the same? Why couldn’t she just tell him her plan so that this wouldn’t have happened?” His hand gestured wildly in front of him and I looked down at his head that he had moved to my lap during the final act of the play with a smile. “That’s the tragedy of it all. They were so close to being together and running off on their own with no judgement.” Namjoon sat up at my answer and looked me in the eye as he spoke once more, “I guess you taught me how to appreciate Romeo and Juliet so congrats. But you still didn’t answer my other questions. Why would they see that the only option was death?” I looked away before answering. “I guess we all just want somebody to die for.”

It was his knowledge. ‘Teach me the best movies’ “Well we obviously have to watch The Godfather if you want to review the best movies of all time.” Namjoon had just come back to his living room with a bowl of popcorn as I settled into his couch with a fluffy blanket. “Well I’ve never seen it so I guess it wouldn’t be a review for me.” I spoke casually as Namjoon sat next to me under the blanket. He turned to me so fast I thought he might snap his neck. “You’ve never seen my favorite movie of all time? Okay we definitely need to start there.” I laughed as he pressed play. “I never watch movies. I just feel like I have more important things in life to spend my time on.” He looks offended as he processes my words. “I’m just going to pretend I didn’t just hear that.”

It was all these things about him and more. I was falling for Kim Namjoon more than I thought possible. I also finally learned his surname during a slightly embarrassing lesson of ‘Teach me your last name’. Currently we were still in our lesson about movies. Namjoon was insistent I was “educated” and no matter how hard I tried to watch the movie, I couldn’t concentrate. When I looked around all I saw was Namjoon. Namjoon’s apartment,Namjoon’s couch, Namjoon’s arm around my shoulders, Namjoon’s favorite movie playing, Namjoon’s blanket covering my body, Namjoon’s incredibly soft and cozy hoodie he let me wear, Namjoon. Thankfully my lack of concentration and stream of thoughts were broken by the man himself.

About 10 minutes into the film, Namjoon asks a question I wasn’t expecting. “Wait so since you don’t watch movies, what did you have in the background during makeout sessions growing up?” He threw some popcorn in his mouth as I froze. He turned back to me at my lack of response. “Um, nothing?” I spoke timidly. “Wow, straight to the point, huh?” I shook my head and spoke the embarassing truth, “No I just, I’ve never been kissed. So there really wasn’t ever the chance to put something on.” I turned away from him, scared of him laughing in my face. Instead he just spoke “Bullshit. There’s no way nobody’s kissed you before.” I looked at his stupidly charming grin and said, “Well it’s not bullshit. And why are you so shocked?” He looked at me like I was stupid before stating “Because you’re beautiful.” He spoke the words like it was obvious.

After a moment of silence, I turned my attention back to the movie playing but I couldn’t focus. I played with my fingers until Namjoon spoke softly “I can teach you, if you want” and I stopped moving completely. “But only if you’re okay with that” he blushes and hurriedly adds. I stopped his rambling though as I nodded my head with a quiet “okay”. I watched as his eyes widened. He fumbled for words a little before he moved impossibly closer and leaned in. He hesitated though and pulled away to my confusion. “You have to ask me. It’s our rule.” He says it almost playfully but the look in his eyes contradicts his playful smirk. I knew he wanted my full consent before doing anything.

I let out a nervous laugh before uttering the words, “Teach me how to kiss.” And he does.

I dreamed of Namjoon and soft yet heated kisses that night. Waking up, I was confused to see the surroundings of his apartment lit by the soft glow of sunlight peeking through the curtains. I froze as I felt movement under my head. I was fully resting on top of Namjoon with my ear pressed to his chest and I smiled as I heard the beating of his heart. He suddenly took in a deep breath and moved around a bit and I quickly shut my eyes, hoping to stay in this moment for as long as possible. I didn’t know how he felt about last night. Was he only teaching me as a friend? Did he feel even half of what I felt for him?

His lips were soft as they pressed against mine and I hesitantly returned the kiss. His right hand came to cup my face softly as his head tilted slightly. I felt my heart pounding and the blood coursing through my body like electricity. I pulled away from him slowly, anxious for his next words. “Was that okay?” I spoke quietly and after a moment of silence I looked up to meet his eyes. He didn’t speak, instead he kissed me again with more emotions present than before. I placed my hands onto his chest before moving them to the nape of his neck. I played with the small curls there and felt him shiver in response. He was the one to pull away this time and he moved his hands to my hips before pulling me onto his lap. I was now straddling him and dazed at the sight of his flushed face and red lips. “You’re a natural, Y/N, and as much as I’m enjoying this I think I asked you what you played in the background when you made out with someone.”

My racing thoughts and fluttering heart came to an abrupt halt as I felt Namjoon lean down awkwardly to press his lips against the top of my head. I couldn’t help the wide grin that appeared as a result of his action. I opened one eye and turned to look up at him. He chuckled as he realized he had been caught. “Mornin’, Moonlight” He spoke in his gravely morning voice. I felt my cheeks start to ache slightly due to the size of my smile. “Good morning, Joon” I could only manage a whisper, too scared to shatter the blissful sight and moments of this morning.

We stared at each other for a bit until the buzzing of Namjoon’s phone caught our attention. Jimin was calling him, however, he made no move to answer it until I pinched his side gently with a glare. “Not answering your best friend’s call is rude you know.” He rolled his eyes playfully before declining the call completely. “Yeah, well calling your best friend while he’s cuddling with a gorgeous girl this early is even worse.” He smirked at me and I sat up slowly while he groaned at the loss of warmth. I moved to straddle his lap and played with his soft hair while he looked up at me with a soft smile on his face. “Hey, what are you staring at, loser?” He shook his head softly and leaned into my hands in his hair.

“You.” He spoke softly with his eyes closed in bliss and a smile on his face and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning down and pressing my lips against his even if I had tried to. He smiled into the kiss before placing his hands onto my thighs and kissing me back. We moved together like a perfect symphony. A rolling wave on the ocean. Ink flowing against the page of a classic novel. I pulled away for air but stayed close to him as he moved his lips to my cheek and slowly kissed down to my neck and the sweet spot he had found the night before.

“Namjoon” I sighed out as his lips worked against my neck sensually. I moved my hands to his hair and lightly tugged against the strands. He moaned against my neck and his teeth grazed a spot that had me shuddering and letting out a small whimper. He moved his head back up to face me. “Found it.” He stated cockily and I rolled my eyes before pressing my lips against his again, effectively wiping the smug smirk from his face. I felt his tongue brush against my lips and I decided to tease him before granting entrance. He grunted and bit my bottom lip lightly in frustration. I gasped at the sensation and he took the opportunity of my lips parting to explore the new territory.

“Joon, eventually we’re gonna have to go to work and open up for the day.” I spoke to rid my head of the memories of the night before. The groan he let out in response made the butterflies in my stomach appear. “Five more minutes” He muttered and I laughed before grabbing his phone on the coffee table to see how long we had before needing to leave before I gasped and my eyes widened. “Joon, get up. We’re so late, shit.” It was 10 AM and the shop should’ve been open two hours ago. He sat up slowly while squinting his eyes adorably. I shoved his phone into his hand and rushed off of him to head to my apartment for clean clothes. I heard a soft “Shit” as I closed the door behind me.

I bolted into my room and grabbed the first items I saw, which unknowingly included a baby pink, lace thong from Namjoon’s prank. I shoved my legs through my jean shorts and found some comfortable shoes before grabbing my keys and running out the door. Namjoon was already waiting by the elevator doors, tapping his foot impatiently. I let out a breathy laugh as I ran to meet him. He smiled at my presence before looking me up and down. He squinted slightly at the top of my head and laughed as the elevator doors opened. I patted my hair before feeling the slight knots left from not brushing it. As we moved down to the lobby I reached up to fix it as much as I could with my fingers before giving up and reaching for the hair tie around my wrist.

I lifted my arms up to gather all my hair into a messy ponytail and unbeknownst to me, my flowy top lifted up and revealed the baby pink lace above the hem of my shorts. I heard Namjoon cough and clear his throat suddenly as my hands fell to my sides and the doors opened. “You okay, Joon?” I looked up to him and noticed a slight blush and flustered expression. He tightly smiled and nodded his head before grabbing my hand in his and guiding us out of our building. It was now my turn to blush at his sudden action and the feel of his hand in mine.

We walked quickly so as to not be even more late to our own businesses. We approached the Hideout Cafe first and Namjoon reached into his back pocket for the keys to the shop. He kept his hand securely in mine as he tried to find the right key. He dropped the key ring onto the concrete before grumbling out some curses. I chuckled and leaned down in front of him to pick them up. I heard him choke out a gasp before I leaned back up to face him with a smile. He quickly took the keys from my hand and before I could think, he leaned down to kiss me before resting his forehead against mine and huskily whispering “I thought you threw out those fucking panties, babygirl.” He pulled back after kissing my cheek and he unlocked the shop before entering, leaving me hot and flustered on the sidewalk outside.

The walk to my bakery after that was a blur. All I could sense was Namjoon. His whispers in my ear. His hand in mine. His shy smile full of dimples and crinkled eyes. His cologne surrounding me as I was in his arms. The taste of his kiss. The sight of his wink and smile as he walked into his shop. I barely realized I was inside the bakery until Mal called out for me.

“You okay, babe? You look pale.” I took in a deep breath before pushing her hands away from my face. “We need to talk. In the back. Now.” Her eyes widened and turned serious at my words. As I moved to the kitchen and started pacing, Mal moved to turn the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’ before bolting to the back. She stood with her hands on her hips and eyed me pacing frantically before stopping me with a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Y/N, all you need to tell me is his first initial and I’ll find him within the week and beat his as-” I cut her off by blurting out “Namjoon and I kissed.” Her eyes widened once again and her jaw dropped before she started smugly smiling. She squealed and pulled me into a tight hug as she rambled about venues and summer versus spring weddings and I looked down at my shoes at her words. “So how did it happen? How long have you two been a thing and why didn’t I know sooner?” I sighed and looked at the excitement covering her face. “We’re not a ‘thing’ and we probably never will be. We’ve been hanging out a lot more recently and teaching each other our favorite things and last night we kissed a lot and I was on his lap and then I woke up with him on his couch and fuck, Mal I’m so scared.”

“Woah, hey what’s wrong? Did you not want him to kiss you?” I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. I really wanted him to kiss me. I really wanted to do it again. But I was really scared to admit it. I felt tears well up in my eyes and Mal pulled me into her arms and shushed my quiet sobs. “I really like him, Mal.” I whispered. She pulled back and brushed some hair out of my face before gently holding my face in her hands. “Then what’s so wrong about kissing the guy you like? He wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t at least slightly interested in you too.”

I closed my eyes and saw his sleepy smile and bright eyes. I opened them again and voiced my fears, “Because I’m not good enough. He deserves so much more than some broken girl who’s too scared to kiss him in public or even admit to him how she feels. I’m fucked up, Mal. He doesn’t deserve someone like me.” Mal squinted her eyes as I finished.

“Are you done? Good. Number one, you might need to brush your teeth after spewing that much bullshit. Number two, you’re completely right. He doesn’t deserve someone like you. A beautiful, strong, kind, funny, talented, amazing woman who I’m lucky enough to call my best friend. So what if you’re scared about PDA, you said it yourself that you guys aren't anything official so that’s completely understandable. And number three, you never have been and never will be broken. You’ve gone through so much and no one expects you to be one hundred percent healed or back to normal after that. You are worth so much. Okay?” We were both crying as I nodded. I was lucky to have her.

“You’ve been so happy recently and I honestly feel dumb that I didn’t realize why sooner. If he makes you happy then talk to him about this. Let yourself have something good because you deserve it.” I thanked her and held her tightly. “Oh and don’t think you’re off the hook. We are definitely going to talk in full detail about last night and all those times you’ve ‘hung out’ alone together.” I laughed and rolled my eyes before wiping under my eyes.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

I was cleaning up the shop after closing for the day when the bell above the door sounded. I groaned as I realized I hadn’t locked it yet and now had to deal with late night customers. “We’re closed.” I called from the back, too tired to go up front. “Aw damn. Even for your favorite customer?” A familiar voice spoke in faux disappointment and I felt the butterflies burst to life in my stomach. I smiled and walked up to the register, suddenly full of energy.

“Bold of you to assume you’re my favorite.” I tilted my head and watched him smile as I appeared. “And to think, I was going to surprise you with a date and everything.” Namjoon shook his head and shrugged his shoulders before turning to leave. I laughed before running to grab his arm. “Well I guess I can make an exception for my favorite customer. But just for tonight.” He turned to me with a bright smile and leaned in to kiss me. I pulled away from him before he could though. He looked confused but brushed it off.

“I need an order of your best creation.” I bit my lip and thought about what I would make before remembering the cupcakes I had made a few weeks ago. I had thankfully scribbled down the recipe and knew they would be relatively easy. “Only if I have some company while I make it.” I turned to walk into the kitchen and felt his presence behind me. I grabbed all the ingredients listed in my binder of recipes and got to work. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Namjoon picking up the binder and inspecting the page with my messy scrawl.

“I asked for company so I had someone to talk to, not someone to snoop around and be nosy.” I smiled but never shifted my attention to him. He breathed out a laugh and moved to stand behind me. I felt his arms wrap loosely around my waist and his head rested on my shoulder. He sighed against my back and I leaned into him slightly. “Why doesn’t this one have a name? All the other pages have names at the top but this one just had question marks.”

“I just came up with this on a whim. Didn’t really have any names in mind. I guess I just forgot to come back to it.” I spoke truthfully as I stirred the ingredients together to form a smooth batter. Namjoon hummed in response and I continued working with his arms around me. When I had to place the cupcakes into the oven I nudged his arm with my elbow and he groaned. “‘M comfy.” He mumbled and I laughed as I struggled to unravel his frame from mine.

“Weren’t you the one who promised a surprise date?” I reminded him and saw his eyes instantly light back up as a blush slowly appeared on his cheeks. “Do you want that?” He questioned silently and scratched at the back of his neck. I closed the oven and turned to face him with furrowed brows. “Want what? A surprise? Cause that’s kinda why I’m baking these-” “I meant the date. Did you want it to be a date? Because if you don’t then that’s fine too.” He cut me off with nerves lacing his words.

“Yeah. I would love that. Why did you think I would say no?” I questioned with a matching blush on my face. “Well you just, you kinda rejected me up front when I tried to kiss you so.” I looked down in embarrassment before taking Mal’s advice from earlier. “I was just scared.” I paused and looked up to meet his eyes before continuing, “I really like you, Joon. I just didn’t want to get my hopes up by kissing you if you didn’t feel the same.” I played with my fingers anxiously as I waited for his response. He smiled largely before finally breaking the silence. “You don’t have to be scared, Moonlight. Cause I really like you too.”

When I finished up the cupcakes we packed them up and walked hand in hand to our date. I was giddy as we swung our hands between our bodies. When we stopped in front of the Hideout I was confused. “Is this your surprise? Making me another coffee at 10 PM?” I questioned him but he didn’t respond. He unlocked the door and held it open for me. I narrowed my eyes at his smug smile and walked into the dark shop. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the shop and looked around in confusion.

“Joon, I appreciate the effort but I-” I stopped speaking as the shop was suddenly lit up by the few strands of fairy lights in the corner by the reading area. I gasped at the sight. Instead of shelves of books and pillows, there were large, comfy blankets covering the entire section with Namjoon standing at the entrance holding a laptop. “I know it’s not much but I just thought it would be cute or that you would like it cause I remembered how much you liked it over here last time.” I walked up to meet him at the entrance with a large smile on my face. He looked nervous again and I couldn’t understand why.

“It’s perfect, Joon. Thank you.” I leaned in to punctuate my statement with a short kiss before pulling back the blanket behind him to crawl into the makeshift fort. He entered a few seconds after me and settled on my right side before opening his laptop. While the shelves of books were covered on the outside of the fort, the interior was filled with the sight of them. The soft glow of the string lights and comfort of the pillows and blankets set the perfect environment for reading and I darted my eyes across the different titles in awe.

“You there, Moonlight?” Namjoon called out and I shifted my gaze onto him easily. I raised my eyebrows and turned to face him, not realizing he had been calling for me. “I asked what movie you wanted to watch.” I felt my face flush for the millionth time that night and bit my lip as I debated on what I should answer. “Could we maybe read something instead?” I spoke hesitantly but the grin on his face as he shut his laptop eased my fears. “Whatever you want.” I smiled and grabbed the familiar title on my left.

“Have you read this before?” I asked softly. He shook his head but never lost the small grin on his lips or diverted his eyes from mine. “Well it’s a personal favorite of mine, so get ready to experience literary genius.” I moved to get more comfortable and ended up laying on Namjoon’s chest while his hands played with my hair.

“Chapter one.”

“Are you even listening to the story?” I questioned accusingly. Namjoon smiled innocently despite being caught staring at the side of my face for the third time in the past ten minutes. Meeting up after closing had become a routine for the two of us. He would meet me at the bakery and ‘help’ me bake something for the night ahead. Usually we get to the Hideout and read after eating a bit and get through at least a chapter or two before he distracts me with kisses or tickles. Tonight, however, Namjoon was dead set on staring into the side of my face laying on his chest. “Of course I’m listening, Moonlight. Why’d you stop?” He smirked and I rolled my eyes with a sigh before continuing.

“As he looked into her eyes he saw nothing but pain and sorrow. The guilt he felt consumed him but he had no choice. He turned away as he heard her choke out a heart wrenching sob-” I was cut off by Namjoon kissing me for the fifth time that night. I giggled lightly against his lips but made sure to keep my spot in our book. “Joon, it’s been four days and we’re still only on chapter 10 of 45. As much as I love your kisses, we need to actually read the book in order to finish it.” He moved his lips to my left cheek and down my jawline as I spoke.

I lightly pushed his head away and playfully glared at him while he pouted. “But it’s so sad. Honestly, I don’t know why she keeps going back to him and shit when he only hurts her. Guilty or not, he’s still fucked for cheating on her like that.” He reached for a leftover cupcake in the box next to him while I grinned. He let out a low moan as he took a bite and I felt my body ignite with heat. “Fuck, these are always so amazing. I can’t believe you don’t sell them anymore.” He spoke with his mouth partially full and I rolled my eyes at his boyish behavior.

“I’ve told you a million times, I can’t sell something without a name.” He threw his head back with a groan and I laughed at his frustration. “Well let’s come up with something then. It’s better than reading about heartbreak.” I sat up from my spot on his chest and faced him fully. “It needs a catchy name, that’s for sure. It also needs to hint at the surprise inside.” He licked the stray frosting around his mouth as he spoke animatedly. I took in the appearance of the man in front of me. He was in some basic sweatpants and a hoodie since after night two we had decided it was best to change into more comfortable clothes to read after closing.

“The surprise inside?” I laughed, “What, do you mean the filling?” He rolled his eyes and waved his hand in dismissal. “You know what I mean. You’re just not expecting it but it's a good surprise for sure.” His explanation brought a memory to mind.

Sitting innocently on top of my dresser was a little note with his messy scrawl reading ‘Gotcha ;)’

“Gotcha.” I spoke quietly with a smile, remembering the first prank he had pulled on me so long ago. “What?” He questioned innocently, taking another bite of the cupcake in his hand while his free one came to rest on my thigh. “Gotcha. That’s what I’m naming it.” He furrowed his brow in confusion and tilted his head slightly to the side. He was silent for a bit before looking at me with hope and excitement. “Why?” He asked with fake confusion, but the giddy smile forming on his face revealed his true intentions. I smiled and sighed loudly before looking away dramatically. “I guess because it reminds me of the time a loser stole all my underwear and left me a note saying that on top of my dresser.” He laughed loudly and I turned to look at the sight of his bright eyes crinkled at the sides and his prominent dimples.

“Fuck, you’re perfect.” He spoke softly with a look of fondness on his face. I flushed and looked down at the hand on my thigh that was rubbing soft circles. “Be my girlfriend.” I moved my head up so quickly I thought my neck would snap. “What?” I spoke in shock. “I don’t want someone else to be with you. And I really don’t want to be with anyone other than you. I know we’ve never really put an official label on anything but fuck it. So, will you?” He looked nervous but his eyes showed nothing but honesty.

“About damn time.” I spoke after releasing a breath I didn’t realize I was holding in. I grabbed his face and kissed him passionately. I was smiling widely but he didn’t mind as he moved his hand from my thigh to my waist. Our kisses turned heated as his tongue brushed across the seam of my lips urgently. I pulled back and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “I think you were right about movies. They make great background noise for making out.” His breath hitched and I watched as he fumbled for his laptop. I giggled and straddled his lap as he furiously typed in his password for Netflix.

I lightly feathered kisses onto his jaw and down his neck. I felt the vibrations as he groaned at my actions. “Fuck, how have you only been kissed for the first time last week?” I let out a breathy laugh as I sat up from my slightly hunched form. “I think I got the basics down pretty quickly thanks to my teacher. But I think I’m ready to learn something else from them.” His eyes darkened and before I knew it I was being rolled onto my back as the opening sounds from Avengers: Infinity War played in the background.

“Babygirl, I’ll teach you anything you want to know.” He smirked as he started moving down my body.

I was sure the smile on my face would become permanent after how long it had been painted on. We didn’t go all the way but we definitely made some progress on my lessons. I was laying on the blanketed floor with Namjoon resting on my chest. I was wearing his hoodie and my sleep shorts from earlier while he was left in his sweatpants and a bare chest. I was looking at the soft lights around me while my hand was playing with the messy curls tickling my chin. The sounds of the Avengers battling Thanos in Wakanda paired with Namjoon’s soft snores was lulling me to sleep slowly but surely.

I knew we would both regret sleeping on the hard floor of the Hideout in the morning, but

at the moment I couldn’t find it in myself to care. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath, ready to fall asleep when a notification sounded from the laptop. I turned slightly to see what it was but suddenly felt all possibility of sleep and tiredness drain from my body. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions but I had to try and make sense of what I saw.

GM<3: i miss you:(

I tried to calm myself before overreacting. It could be a relative or someone close to him. He just told me earlier how wrong cheating was. He wouldn’t do thi- Another notification sounded and effectively cut off my racing thoughts. I felt more confident in the situation as I looked at the incoming text but it’s contents only made me feel sick.

GM<3: when are you coming over again?

GM<3: please say soon:( you left pretty quick the other night

GM<3: i love you, talk soon <3

I felt tears threatening to spill and was confused. I thought of every possible explanation but none of them were innocent or made any sense. I was hurt. I was angry. But mostly, I was numb. The thought I was dreading the most kept circling my mind. I didn’t want to believe it but it made too much sense.

You fell for the greatest prank of all. You believed he actually felt anything for you.

I felt hot tears fall down my face while one word played on a loop in my head. A heartbreaking lullaby played like a broken record.

Gotcha.

I was frozen. I didn’t move or sleep at all that night. My body ached from the hard floor and lack of movement but all I focused on was the heartache and racing thoughts that hadn’t seized through the night. The sun started to rise and I took it as my cue to leave and head to my shop. I carefully moved and tried to remove myself from Namjoon’s tight grip on my hips. I freed myself eventually and felt hot tears welling up in my eyes. I grabbed my clothes from the day before along with my other belongings and headed to the front door.

I placed my hand on the door handle and hesitated. Talk to him. “Let yourself have something good”. I turned to look at his frame under the dim glow of the rising sun and felt the lump in my throat grow. I forced myself to look away and walk out the door before I could change my mind. I made it to the front door of my shop before breaking down and crying. I told you so.

I wiped my tears and stood up straight before unlocking the door and walking in, determined to bottle it up and not talk about it. The faster I avoided Kim Namjoon and everything involving him, the better. I silently worked throughout the day with a tight smile and locked my phone up in the storage area so I wouldn’t see any missed calls or texts. Mal could sense something was up but didn’t push me.

As the clock moved closer to closing time I panicked. He was surely going to come by to walk us back to his shop. “Hey, Mal? I just remembered I have to head back to my place early tonight. Do you mind closing up for me?” I spoke with a shaky voice and Mal’s questioning glance almost broke my act. “Of course. Just take care of yourself.” She spoke sincerely and I let out a breath of relief at her words. I threw off my apron and grabbed my belongings again before heading home. Namjoon would probably try to get me to read the book with him but I couldn’t face him. I walked quickly past the Hideout and his apartment before collapsing into my bed. I made sure to lock my front door and bedroom door for extra precaution.

I screamed into my pillow as I sobbed.

This routine went on for the next three days. I started leaving my phone at my apartment after it died. I didn’t have the energy to look at it or charge it to see the messages I had waiting for me. I opened my door at 5 AM to start my new routine of avoiding Namjoon. I was fearful that he might try to come into my shop during the day but so far he hadn’t. That fear came back like a crashing wave, however, as I heard a body fall onto the floor of my apartment when I opened the front door to leave.

A tired looking Namjoon stood quickly and sighed in relief as he saw me. He reached out to hold my face as he spoke, “Fuck, Moonlight, I’m so glad you’re okay. You haven’t responded to my texts or been at the shop when I stopped by and I was so fucking worried.” He leaned in to kiss me and I pushed his hands off me. He looked confused at my actions but I looked away as anger and hurt filled me.

“Maybe that was for a reason.” I mumbled out as I crossed my shaking hands around my frame. “What? Moon, what’s wrong?” He reached for my hand again and I turned around to walk into my apartment. I heard the door close softly and his quiet footsteps following me. “Baby, you need to let me know-” I spun around at the pet name and pointed shakily at him. “No. You don’t get to call me that. You don’t get to hear about my life or what’s bothering me because it’s you. You’re the problem for me. You need to just stop. Stop kissing me and holding my hand and looking at me like I’m the only girl in your eyes and just making me feel like I’m actually worth something to you. Stop.” I was angry. The tears flowed freely down my face and my hand fell to my side as I finished my words.

Namjoon looked down and shook his head before looking back at me. “Moon, I don’t know what I did but all of that is never going to stop. I never want to stop kissing you or holding your hand or showing you how I really feel about you. You are the only girl in my eyes-” I cut him off with a scoff “Bullshit! How can you just lie like that. I saw the texts that night Namjoon. You fell asleep and when you did you got some texts from another girl. Congratulations, you win. Once again you’ve utterly broken me.”

“What texts? There is no other girl, I promise you. Please, I never meant to hurt you, especially like this.” He was starting to tear up and his voice broke as he finished but I stood my ground. “And I would’ve believed you if I hadn’t seen the texts for myself. I hope you and ‘GM’ are happy together because it seems like you two made it longer than a few hours since you’re already in love.” He scrunched his face up at my words. “Wait. Hold on. GM?” He breathed out a laugh as he spoke. His words cut me like a knife.

“So you used me and cheated on me and can’t even try to act serious about it? Fuck you, Namjoon.” I moved to walk past him and into my bedroom but he grabbed my arm before I could. “Wait, Moon, no. My sister’s name is Geong Min. That’s who you saw text me that night. I’m telling you the truth, you’re the only girl for me.” He turned my body to face him as he spoke with a small smile.

I furrowed my eyebrows at his confession. “You have a sister? Wait, why did she ask you to come over and say that you left quick the last time?” He smiled largely as he spoke. “I went to her place the night I set up the Hideout for us because I had to borrow her blankets and lights. And I also needed her advice on if the date was even a good idea.” I sighed and hugged him close to me. “I’m a fucking idiot, I’m so sorry, Joon.”

He held me against him tightly and moved us side to side. “You’ve always been more than enough for me. You are worth so much to me and to everyone you come into contact with. I know it’s scary to have these feelings, because, Moon, I’m fucking terrified too. But I promise you that you’re all I want. I never want to hurt you and I never want to see us like that again. You’re more than worth it, Moon.” He pulled us slightly apart as he looked into my eyes for his final words and I felt tears welling up again as I smiled.

“You deserve better than someone who can’t love you back the way you need to be. I’ve never felt like this and I know it’s too soon to say I’m in love with you but I know for a fact that I’m falling.” I spoke softly. He smiled and leaned down to press his forehead against mine while I closed my eyes. “Ask me, Moonlight.” He whispered. “Ask me to teach you how to be loved.” He pressed his lips to my forehead then moved down to press a kiss to each cheek and the tip of my nose before pulling back to look in my eyes and wait for my answer.

He returned the smile that grew on my face and laughed as he leaned down to kiss me properly after I spoke softly,“Teach me how to be loved, Joon.”

And he did.

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justthehiddleswrites · 4 years

Text

To The Victor... | Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Summary: You made the mistake of betting against Tom on tennis. And now he is ready to collect his reward. All week.

Warnings: Smut, Blow Jobs, Face-Fucking, Deepthroating, Light Dom/sub, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Rough Oral Sex, Aftercare, Cock Slut, Teasing

“You cheated!” you screamed as Andy Murray won the match.

“You should know better than to bet against me.” Tom pumped his fist in the air. “And how dare you question me!”

“You had insider information!” You slammed your fist against the couch.

“You are just mad you lost, darling.” Tom gloated as he headed off out of the room.

You pouted before jumping to your feet to follow him. “Can we re-negotiate the terms?”

Tom spun on his heels. “I thought you were so confident you would win that the terms.”

Your eyes glanced down at the floor. “That’s before I lost. You aren’t going to make me do it all week, are you?” Your eyes grew hopeful as you stared into Tom’s face.

Tom’s face softened as he took your hand to pull you against him. His arms wrapped around your waist. He pulled your chin high, so you looked deep into his impossibly blue eyes.

“Darling…” he kissed your lips soft, his fingers tucked under your chin. “… we start tomorrow.” He kissed your cheek as your jaw dropped. “Rest up!”

You stood rooted as you watched your smug boyfriend wander up the stairs.

You rolled over the next morning to find Tom snoring; the sheets settled around his waist. You drew lazy circles along Tom’s bare back, and he sighed in contentment.

“Morning.” Tom muttered as his eyes fluttered open.

“Morning.” you smiled.

Tom smiled back, and you caught a glint in his eye. “Now about my prize.”

“You were serious about that?”

“To the victor goes the spoils.” His hands cup your face. “And I am the victor, so…” he flung the sheets off to reveal his naked form. “… spoil me.”

“But blowjobs for an entire week?” you whined. “Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

Tom’s eyes darkened. “You agreed. We always repay our debts.” His voice stern. “If you weren’t willing to follow through, then you shouldn’t have played.”

With a huff, you lowered yourself down Tom’s body. His fingers laced through your hair. “Don’t be shy, darling.” he urged.

You took his shaft into your hand as you licked the tip. Tom moaned.

“Yes, dear.” he whispered as he tugged on your hair.

You took him into your mouth. Tom’s breath hitched. You smiled as you hollowed your cheeks to suction against him. Tom pushed you down further before you gagged. Tom loosened his grip, and you swirled your tongue along his shaft. You bobbed your head up and down.

“Your mouth feels amazing.” Tom panted. “Don’t stop.”

His breath came into short, and shallow pants as you continued to suck upon him. You hummed against his cock as Tom bucked his hips into you.

“I’m close. I’m close.” Tom moaned as his balls tightened.

You swirled your tongue around the head and Tom spilled into your mouth with a moan. “Yes!” You continued to suck until Tom lifted you off.

“That… was… amazing.” he breathed as he pulled you to lie on his chest. He kissed your forehead. His chest vibrated as he laughed. “But we need to work on your gag reflex.”

You punched him in the arm as he continued to laugh.

You worked late the next day and Tom needed to attend an event. When you returned home, the house was still, and you assumed Tom was still out.

“You’re late.” Tom’s voice called out as you stepped into the bedroom.

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” you asked as you squinted to make out his form in the oversized armchair in the corner.

“I waited for you. No call. No text.” His voice rising in anger. “I was worried.”

“I thought you would be late because of your event. I didn’t realize. I’m sorry.”

“I left earlier to come home and spend time with my girlfriend.” Tom stood and took your hands, pulling you back to the chair. “Only to find the house dark and cold.”

“I’m sorry.” You looked away, not trusting yourself to cry. “Next time I will call.”

Tom smiled as he sat back down. “I know just the thing you can do to make up for this transgression.” He undid his belt and unzip his pants, pulling free his cock. “Kneel.”

You lowered to your knees in front of Tom. He combed his fingers through your hair. “Now show me how sorry you are.”

You took him into your mouth and greedily began sucking. Tom’s head fell back against the chair. You lifted on your knees and balanced upon Tom’s thighs.

“That’s right, darling. Put that mouth to good use.” Tom bucked into you. You breathed through your nose and took him deeper than before.

“God, you are magic! Fuck!” Tom groaned as he resisted the urge speed up.

Tom’s groans ignited your own arousal, and you removed one of your hands to slide it between your legs. When Tom opened his eyes and glanced down at you pleasuring yourself.

“What are you doing?” Tom asked as he pulled you off your knees. He jerked you onto his lap. He wiped the saliva and smeared lipstick from your face. “Does sucking on my cock give you pleasure?”

Your cheeks heated as Tom’s hands pushed your skirt up to around your hips. “Answer me.” He snapped your head to face him.

You nodded, not trusting your voice.

“I need to hear you say it, pet.” His eyes sparked with a look you saw only peering from a TV screen framed with long, dark locks.

“Yes.” you whispered.

“Do not feel ashamed of your pleasure.” Tom slid your panties to the side. “For I am not.” Without another word, he slid inside you.

You gasped at the intrusion. Tom chuckled, the vibrations causing you to moan.

“Fuck, Tom!” He thrusted into you.

You gripped his shoulders for dear life as he relentlessly fucked into you. His fingertips held a bruising grip on your hips. “You feel amazing around my cock. You are such slut for my cock, aren’t you?”

You whimpered in response. Tom smacked your right ass cheek as he stopped. “Say it!”

You whined, and Tom bucked once into you before stilling again. He smacked the left cheek. “I said ‘say it’. You know it’s true, why deny it?”

“I am slut for your cock.” you moaned. “Please.” you begged as you rocked in Tom’s lap.

Tom laughed at your desperate attempts to orgasm. “You are truly desperate. Allow me to assist.”

Tom rutted into you with abandon. The two of you moaned as Tom hit your g-spot and you ground your hips against him.

“Cum for me. I want you to clench around me.” Tom circled your clit, bringing you closer which each stroke.

“Tom!” you screamed as your walls spasmed around him.

“Yes!” Tom echoed as he came, spilling into you.

You slumped against Tom’s damp button-down shirt. Tom smoothed your hair. “You are exquisite. How about a nice bath?” Tom kissed your forehead.

“Sounds nice.”

Tom lifted in his arms as if you weighed little more than a feather and placed you on the bed.

“Wait here while I run the water.”

“Thanks honey.”

“Anything for you.” Tom walked away, stripping off the rest of his clothes. Your eyes fluttered open and closed as you the sounds of running water float through the air.

Tom took immense pleasure in teasing you over the next several days. You thought the man would tire but his sex drive was insatiable.

“I am never betting against you again!” you cursed as you had once again woken Tom up with your mouth.

“That is a shame because I am getting used to this VIP treatment.” Tom leaned back on his pillow.

“Enjoy this Sparkles, because today is the last day and if you think for one second, we are continuing with this arrangement, you have another thing coming.”

Tom curled your hair around his finger. “But it is so much fun…” you shot him a withering glance. Tom cleared his throat. “… for me.”

“Exactly… for you.” you grumbled.

Tom kissed you. “Now how about I make us some breakfast?”

Tom kissed you. “Now how about I make us some breakfast.”

“Sounds divine.” you hummed. “I am going to take a shower.”

Tom kissed you again before getting up and tugging on a pair of boxers. “I will meet you downstairs.”

Tom jogged towards the kitchen while you relished the few moments of silence. You snuggled back into the pillows.

“I don’t hear water running, darling. Are you okay? I could join you for round two!” You heard the laugh in Tom’s voice.

“No need, I’m up.” You yelled back.

Tom’s laugh flitted through the air as you dragged yourself to the bathroom.

You ate breakfast and slipped your shoes on and gathered your bag.

“Where are you going?” Tom asked as he placed his plate in the sink.

“Out.”

“Out where?”

You smirked as you rose on your toes to kiss his nose. “A girl must have her secrets.”

You walked away, but Tom grabbed your hand and whipped you back into your arms. “Fine, but I expect to be rewarded for my self-restraint.”

You stifled a laugh. “Well, your middle name is self-restraint.” Your arms wrapped around his neck.

“I know you are astounded from all the times I have held back.” Tom nipped behind your ear. “All the times I have held my tongue.” he whispered as he kissed along your jawline.

“You are truly a pillar of strength.” Your fingers twirled in the hair along the nape of his neck. “Now if you excuse me…” You gave him a quick peck on the lips. “… I have shopping to do!”

You hurried out the front door before Tom could protest and headed off towards the stores.

Tom busied himself in the study reading scripts for future projects while you shopped. His thoughts returned to the more intimate activities of the past week and his jeans grew tight. He had taken full advantage of his victory, and he knew he had pushed the boundaries with you. It excited him to no end.

“Delightful.” he hummed to himself as he remembered your submissiveness, your compliance.

Your opening of your door startled Tom from his daydream. He met you in the living room and found you setting a pile of bags onto the couch.

“Wow, am I going to regret the credit card bill next month?” Tom gestured at the multitude of bags.

“No, there were sales and some of this is for you.” You plucked the smallest bag among the bunch. “Like this.” You waggled it in front of him.

“The last I checked they did not sell my brand of boxers at… Agent Provocateur?!” Tom’s eyes widened and once again his jeans tightened.

“Give me 10 minutes and then join me upstairs.” You swayed your hips as you walked up the stairs. Tom stared down at the clock on the wall, his foot shaking and tapping with anticipation.

After about six minutes passed, Tom headed up the stairs. You were nowhere to be found.

“Darling?” he called out to the closed bathroom door.

“You’re early.” you scolded through the door.

“You didn’t expect me to wait like a petulant child, did you?” Tom chuckled as he tugged on his shirt collar.

“No.” You opened the door. “That’s why I prepared.”

Tom’s mouth dropped at the sight of you. You wore a coordinating black lingerie set. If lingerie was the right word for it. To Tom it appeared as scraps of fabric covering only the most intimate parts of your body while accentuating your soft curves.

“Hmhnmh.” Tom gurgled. You giggled. You sauntered towards him in your stockings and high heels. “Is it hot in here?” Tom croaked as he again tugged at his shirt.

“I’m rather chilly.” you cooed as you pulled Tom to standing and took his place at the edge of the bed. “Now, you have a few more hours before the terms of the bet are over. What would you like to do?”

Tom ran his hands through his short curls. “Huh? What?” Tom flushed, and you pulled him close, palming him through his jeans.

“If I knew this was all it took to keep you quiet, I would have gone shopping ages ago.”

You tugged at jeans pulling them and his boxers down, letting them pool at his ankles. You spun on the bed with your head hanging off the edge. Your breasts threatening to pop out of your flimsy bra at any moment. “Now tell me what you want?”

Tom cleared his throat as he used his feet to remove his jeans and boxers completely. “Stay just like that.” Tom croaked, regaining his ability to speak. He walked towards you, his erection in front of your face. “Open.” he said with authority.

You smiled as you complied, open wide.

“Good girl.” he praised as he teased the tip along your lips, smearing drops of pre-cum. You licked as he pulled back.

“You taste delicious.” You hummed.

Tom groaned as he thrusted into your mouth. You draped your head over the edge of your bed relaxing your throat and breathing through your nose, and Tom pushed all the way down your throat. His hair tickled your face.

“Yes, take all of me.”

Tom reached down and squeezed your breast. You moaned around his cock. Tom pawed at your breasts as his eyes fluttered open and close.

“Fuck, darling.” he exclaimed as he fucked your face in earnest.

You lay on the bed, moaning as Tom took what he wanted from you. You were at his mercy, which only spurred your arousal, soaking through your panties.

Tom’s breath grew erratic as he continued to thrust as saliva dripped from the corners of your mouth. You gripped the sheets for leverage.

“Fuck darling. I want to cum inside you.” Tom pulled out of your mouth. “Turn around.”

You scrambled onto all fours, and the mattress moved as Tom climbed behind you.

“So wet for me.” You gasped as Tom’s long fingers teased along your slit.

Your head dropped to the bed. You thrusted your hips back. Tom gave a playful smack to your ass. “Not until I say so. Who is in charge?”

“You.”

Tom smacked your ass again. “Who is in charge?”

“You are, sir.”

“That’s right. And what are you?” Tom teased your cock along your folds and moaned again.

“I am just a slut for your cock.”

Tom plunged into you and grabbed your hips. “That’s right. You are my cockslut. You are mine.” He rutted into you, and you bucked to meet his thrusts.

“Yes, sir! I am your cockslut.” The words fell from your lips with no thought. You were desperate, needy.

“Do you want to cum?” Tom leaned over, his lean torso pressed against your back. “Have you earned it? Do you deserve it?”

“Yes sir, please let me cum. I have been a good girl.”

Tom smacked your ass. You yelped. “Wearing clothes like this?” Tom growled.

“Please. Please.” you begged.

Tom pressed upon your clit as he continued fuck you from behind, chasing his own release. “Cum for me, darling. I want to feel every inch of you.”

You saw stars as you orgasmed, your walls clenching Tom’s cock.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Tom moaned, he came along with you, thrusting through your orgasm.

The two of you collapsed on the bed, a mess of tangled limbs and sweaty torsos. Your chests heaving and energy spent. Tom snuggled you in the curve of his body, pulling you tight against him.

“Too much?” he questioned as he kissed your shoulder.

“Hmm? No, not at all.” you hummed, enjoying his embrace.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” His fingers ghosted along your arm.

“Yes. You?” your voice was soft and sleepy.

“Very much so. Thank you for the surprise.”

“My pleasure.”

“The pleasure was all mine. Want a bath?”

You shook your head. “Can we stay like this for a while?”

Tom kissed your temple. “As you wish, darling.” He tucked you under his chin in a tight embrace.

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfiction #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston smut

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angelicichor · 4 years

Note

I don’t know if request are open, but if they are, can I request the slasher with an actress s/o? For musical theater and the big screen(movies/shows)?

I don’t really take requests anymore, because I’ve mostly lost my passion for writing after the last few months, but honestly, sure, I’ll try. Sorry if those are not the boys you were hoping for 💔

Slashers (Brahms, Billy Lenz, Jason) with an actress s/o.

Brahms (Big Screen - Horror):

It was a bizarre thing, the way you met, most of all. After what happened with Greta his house was set for sale and Brahms was getting ready for the worst - rotting in this mansion alone after starving to death. He had no way to reclaim the property - after all, Brahms Heelshire was considered dead for ages now and with his parents’ suicide, the family’s fortune was gone as well. There was really no hope for him, it was a matter of days, weeks, months at best. You can only survive on rotting leftovers and attic rats for so long, but luckily a week was all that he needed for a young woman to come visit his old house, alongside a home agent.

The moment she stepped in his eyes were glued to her, following the best that he could inside the old mansion’s walls. He saw her smile at the old furniture, smiled himself when she started adoring the library and when she sat down on the bed upstairs, looking around hopefully, he could barely contain his breath of relief, knowing that she was in love with the place. And so, with the papers signed the very next day, he had a new hope enter his life. A beautiful woman named [Y/N] [L/N].

This time - he told himself - he would take things slower, he’d be more careful. No stealing clothes, no misplacing things, no heavy walking in the attic at night. The news about the “murder” in the house were still fresh and he knew that it would make any new resident suspicious, even if the body was never found.

Brahms wanted to be careful, but unfortunately hunger didn’t make things easy. Climbing the walls was harder with his muscles fading, he’d stumble ever so often, getting dizzy and his breathing became louder as his usual activities would become more and more straining with what little food he was getting. The girl started getting wary and called the police more than once, but they couldn’t find anything, he still had enough knowledge of the house to disappear when he needed to.

He put the doll out for a while, hoping she would fall for it, like Greta did, believing that it was haunted, but she only picked it up once, letting a small smile grow on her face, then put it down, never to touch it again. Something seemed off ever since then. She’d walk around a bit more relaxed, take longer making breakfast and left more on the plate, as if she was leaving it for him, but who knew, really. It wasn’t that hard to get the food, since most of the days she’d be gone, usually right after a call on her personal phone from someone she addressed extremely politely. An Employer, from what Brahms could tell. He didn’t like it when she was gone, but in his current state there was nothing he could do about it. She was the only reason he was still alive, after all.

And he was grateful for it. To the point where he’d seek out precious item in the house, leaving it in places he knew she’d look. Pearls and diamonds from his mother’s jewelry box. Old porcelain figurines, anything to show her that the “spirit” inside the house was not wishing her any harm and she seemed to be more than pleased with them.

Then one day she seemed very upset, almost out of nowhere, just came back to the house like that, then quickly broke down in tears and through the crack in one of the walls he could see a tear in her shirt, almost as if somebody tried to tear it open. He didn’t like that. Not one bit. And soon enough he managed to connect the dots, with her phone calls concerning a “man that attacked her” and the weird hooded character that was stalking outside the mansion. Well, he didn’t stalk there for too long. The Stalker was much smaller than him, it was so easy to pin him to the ground and choke the lights out of him, in a grip that bruised and left very little for the man in the struggling department. It was over, quickly and almost completely without any noise. A good job, if Brahms were the type to praise himself.

He was about to dispose of the corpse, but a click and a swish stopped him, as the back door opened rather quickly and his beautiful, terrified [y/n] stepped out of the house, looking around scared, with a kitchen knife in one hand and her phone in the other, flashing a light... right at Brahms and his new victim.

For a moment time stopped as they both looked at eachother, her eyes wide in shock - face losing all color from fear, and him in his porcelain mask, with bloody scratches on his forearms from the stalker’s futile struggles. He was the first to move, rising slowly, carefully, putting his hands up, trying to shrink his arms in a failed attempt to make himself seem smaller, but from the way her body trembled he could tell that it wasn’t working, so with a gulp and an ache in his throat he spoke to her: “P-please, don’t panic. Please.” His voice was cracking between his childish illusion and his real voice, terrified, but assertive. “Who-- Who the hell--?” she tried to speak, backing off slowly as he stepped forward, trying to get closer. “He was-- That man was watching you, he-- you were attacked and he--” he tried explaining, not knowing how to form his words without admitting that he’s been stalking her as well, just... with much less violent intent. “You’re that think, right? You’re the one who’s been leaving me things, right? WHO ARE YOU?” she yelled, coming back into the house and almost closing the back door, but Brahms’ hand caught it fast enough to pull it back, coming in after her, making the girl yelp at the sheer force he possesed, even being as malnourished as he was. “Brahms... my name’s Brahms, please, don’t run. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

And with that you two connected, learning about eachother, about what happened to Brahms and why he hid from you, a tale tragic enough for you to trust him and give him a proper home, even if feeding him was an absolute nightmare in the beginning, as he was starving, literally.

He quickly learned that you’re a horror actress, a real-life “scream queen”, but you and your manager were fighting for a bigger role - as a killer, not the one constantly having to run from the killer. It was going to be amazing, something to finally turn your career around and the filming was going WONDERFUL so far, but the stress WAS getting to you, so when he first started leaving you gifts, you were kind of happy that some weird spirit in this house was trying to cheer you up. Little did you know that in reality it was just a very smelly wall man, with a huge crush on you. Life is surprising like that.

♥ Brahms will be extremely supportive of your career, as he saw that all this time when you’d leave, you’d always come back, so he wasn’t as anxious about you running away as he’d usually be.

♥ Being a horror actress helps not freak out with him always sneaking up on you (unintentional as it might be). It’s a real life saver.

♥ Once your movie comes out, he might be excited enough to go out to the theater and watch it with you. You assure him that his mask won’t be a problem, since a lot of horror nerds dress up for new movie screenings.

♥ If you ask him, he’ll be more than happy to rehearse with you and act some scenes out, but if there’s any romance in the script, expect to have to sit down with him for a very, VERY long talk about how screen romance is just a job and there are no real emotions involved.

♥ He’ll beg you to watch EVERY single thing you’ve ever been in. Yes, even the commercials.

Billy (Big Screen):

There are not a lot of consistent thoughts that pop into Billy’s head, but the moment he saw you, there was one and a very clear one at that - “I know her.”

And yes, he did, even if the memory was hazy. He remembered a little girl on his mother’s TV screen, during Christmas, sitting on the floor with the dumbest, cutest smile, unpacking her presents as her mom and dad watched. He remembered how beautiful that girl seemed to him and how jealous he felt seeing her this happy. The boy pouted then, something he didn’t do often, as well as huffing in anger, but not loud enough for him mom to hear him, no, he was supposed to be a good boy and stay upstairs, but the music from the TV and that beautiful voice of this girl lead him downstairs, to peek at the snowy screen, adoring that creature.

But this girl was a bit different. Sure, he would still recognize her beautiful eyes and that hair that he loved so much, but she was bigger. Not a girl anymore, no, a woman, a stunning, gorgeous woman that his whole body burned for from the moment he saw her. A bold, burning emotion running through his body - “Mine. Mine, MINE!” and that was something you couldn’t really run from, he wouldn’t let you.

One night, one murder, then two, a man and a girl and then you were faced with a man who was willing to do ANYTHING to keep you. Thankfully, you were smart enough to make compromise with him, knowing that if you even tried to call the police (again, that is, and the first time made him very, VERY angry), he’d make sure that you’re his forever.

Part of it could’ve been Stockholm Syndrome, but Billy quickly grew on you. Bold, loud, perverted, but also passionate and caring, as long as you wouldn’t overstep your boundaries with him. Every day he’d appear out of nowhere and just linger close to you, wanting to touch you, but not doing that, clearly afraid you would run. You weren’t something he wanted to play with, no, you were his person, the only person he didn’t want to hurt and when the impulses came, he’d run off to contain them. The wailing let you know how hard was he trying, just so he wouldn’t lose your beauty, his precious Christmas Angel. His gorgeous [y/n].

He was a mess, but a beautiful one to you, adoring every part of your body, every part of you, listening, learning, absorbing all of you as well as he could and the gifts he would leave at your bedroom door ever so often proved just how good of a listener he really was. The new book that you wanted, a dress almost the same as you had described to him, baskets of your favorite fruit... anything you’d ask for and he wished you’d ask for more, but you were too concerned about where his gifts are coming from to give him more ideas. Especially since that one sunhat you wanted came with a splatter of blood on the blue ribbon...

Either way, you were happy with your new “housemate” and you gladly stayed.

♥ Billy will get anxious whenever you have to leave to film anything. Expect messy calls from him every half an hour or so, probably less and if you don’t answer even one of them, the next one will be even more frantic than the other ones. He’ll cling to you like hell every time you come back home.

♥ He found a dress that looked a bit like the one you’ve worn as a child to that one Christmas movie. He asked you to wear it for him and sit down, then smile at him. You never saw a man pop a boner as fast as he did when you did that.

♥ This man will literally worship you and you know that when he swears he’d kill for you, he means it. When you mention that you’ve starred in other movies, his eyes pretty much started sparkling with joy. Congratulations, your movies are his new hyperfixiation.

♥ NEVER show him any kissing or sex scenes in your movies. Just don’t. He won’t be able to comprehend that they were done in the past or that they mean nothing. Seeing them would break his heart.

♥ Once he realizes you have your own camera he asks if you could star in your own movie... Located wholly in your bedroom, on your bed, with him pounding your pretty litte cu--

♥ Biggest fan ever, but don’t take him outside for any meet & greets, because it WILL turn into a bloodbath.

Jason (Theater):

It was a very faint memory for him, one of the very few ones from his childhood that stood up a bit more, even now, years later. A memory of a young woman, singing on the theater scene in her songbird voice. It was mesmerizing and a once-in-a-lifetime thing for a poor kid like him. His mother just found the tickets at random and used them, even though she knew how dangerous that could’ve been.

Those times were long past him and that girl was definitely either an old woman now or dead, but on this particular night something brought this memory forward, a songbird-like voice, singing a peaceful song, surrounded by other voices. A girl at a campfire with her friends, singing for them as another person played the guitar. An angel sent just for him to soothe his ragefull soul.

That one night nobody got killed, but a soul was lost either way.

All you remembered was a loud noise in front of your noise, then silence that let you fall asleep. What seemed like hours later you woke up in an old cabin, cuddled up to someone’s chest and when you looked up a hockey mask stared right back at you, making you shriek and faint. When you came to you were resting on a moldy bed, dizzy, nauseous and with a hulking figure waiting for you to wake up in the corner of the room, guarding you like a sentinel. Congratulations, you’ve been kidnapped by The Crystal Lake legend himself - Jason Voorhees, because for once he looked at someone and got convinced that you were in fact an Angel, sent to him by his mother to protect.

♥ I’m sorry to say, but being under Jason’s protection means that you’re most likely never leaving the forest again or not for a very long time. He’s not a man that trust others easily and while he knows an angel wouldn’t betray him, he’s not convinced that the others won’t hurt you instead.

♥ He’ll take care of you - fixing up the cabin, hunting for you, even cooking. He’ll make sure you’re never unhappy because you’re lacking something, even if it’s technology, he’ll manage to get it for you over time. You’re still forbidden from coming anywhere close to the campers that come ever so often. They’re dangerous.

♥ When you tell him that you work in musical theater, he will communicate to you that he wants to hear you sing. He’ll gladly watch you perform the whole play by yourself if you’ll be in the mood for that.

♥ Once he realizes you live not that far away, he might let you go on the promise that you’ll come back. If not he will hunt you back and you don’t want that to happen... After all - an angel wouldn’t break a promise and if you’re not an angel... you’re as good as dead.

♥ He’ll love you whole, as long as you don’t betray him.

♥ If you find him a huge hooded jacket and cologne strong enough to mask his smell, you may be able to convince him to come down from the forest to watch you in a play. It’ll be a hard sell, though.

#virgo writes #slasher x reader #slashers x reader #brahms heelshire x reader #jason voorhees x reader #billy lenz x reader #slasher community #I'm sorry these are not the best but I haven't written anything in M O N T H S #hope it's okay tho TTvTT

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centrally-unplanned · 4 years

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Medium & Marketing for 90′s Anime Dubs

Today is Hayao Miyazaki’s 80th birthday, which made sure my dash was filled with Ghibli tidbits. A discussion of my personal favourite, Kiki’s Delivery Service, brought up its ill-fated original dub by Disney in 1998. Ghibli still didn’t have the courage yet to put their foot down on changes for international releases, and so there are a lot of alterations - the theme songs are changed to be anglicized, almost any “dead space” or quiet moments in the film have someone (normally animal sidekick Jiji the cat) improv lines over the scenes to liven them up, and in particular the ending is changed to be less bittersweet as Jiji, who in the original Kiki permanently loses the ability to talk to as a sign of growing up, regains his voice.

These changes slot neatly into the zeitgeist of all 90′s anime changes - a disregard for the property’s core appeal as they were bowdlerized for a western audience. Sailor Moon is an infamous victim of a similar process - at least Kiki took place in fantasy Europe, the Sailor Moon dub’s attempts to pretend that the show doesn’t take place in Japan were simply insane as they cut out or blurred every appearance of Japanese writing in the show, leaving reams of animation frames on the floor in the process.

(Tangent time: the greatest scene ever is one where, upon reading a note by Usagi, to prove it was her Minako/Sailor Venus comments “it must be from her, its written entirely in hiragana”, the simpler form of written Japanese compared to kanji, which Usagi as a running gag cannot write. So in the dub they just...blur out the text of the note, and have Minako comment “I had to read it with my imagination. It's all written in funny symbols!". I distinctly remember watching the episode live when I was 12 years old and going “wait what the fuck does that even mean?” and suddenly realizing that the show was changing its own script, it was a trip of a moment)

Like most people I do malign these changes, but I am actually here to partially defend them via contextualization. The idea that American audiences would have cared that the show was Japanese is pretty dumb, but what you often hear are statements like “kids in Japan appreciated Sailor Moon/Kiki’s Delivery Service just fine, they didn’t need to change it”. That is possible, but it mistakes why changes are being made to begin with - its not the “culture of children in the US vs Japan”, its intended market via the medium of distribution.

Kiki’s Delivery Service was released in Japanese theatres in 1989, and it was the highest grossing film of the year in Japan (about ~US$18 million, man do things change). Kiki’s Delivery Service the Disney dub, was....released on VHS in 1998. VHS releases and movie theatre releases aren’t really intended accomplish the same thing. Remember all those direct-to-video Disney sequels? Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride? Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time? Remember how they were all just garbage? Anyone looking back at them today cringes, with a few exceptions. But none of us cringed when we were 8! My partner is a huge Disney fangirl, and when she was young she didn’t even distinguish between the theatre release and the VHS sequels - it was all Disney, you just lined them up and played them in a row as the complete canon. Yes, these movies sucked partially because they were low budget, but they weren’t actually *that* low budget - and not the throwaways your memory probably tells you they were. Lion King 2? Made ~$300 million in net sales, almost as much as the original Lion King’s theatrical run.

What those Disney VHS sequels and Kiki share is the fact that their intended market was *only* children. That is the point of VHS - you put it on for your kids and then go make dinner. Its the virtual babysitter, the kids can loop it while reenacting every scene with their stuffed animals. Movies released in theatres don’t serve that role at all - the parents are paying $15 a head and they are trapped in their seats for the whole runtime. It has to entertain everyone, or you aren’t going to go, or at least not as often. VHS releases sucked because kids don’t care, they actually do enjoy the constant quippy lines and dumb jokes. That is equally true for Japanese kids - its just that Kiki’s intended audience wasn’t Japanese kids, it was “all ages” - a very different category.

The same is true for Sailor Moon, by the way. The idea that kids in Japan could “handle more mature themes like death” unlike American audiences doesn’t hold up quite as much when you look at Disney theatrical releases like the Lion King - Mufasa’s death pulls no punches, but kids didn’t mind. And Japan does have shows like Doraemon that are just as childish as the 90′s western cartoons you remember. Its that Sailor Moon’s audience wasn’t just kids.

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon aired in March of 1992 on TV Asahi. Asahi was not a kids network, and Sailor Moon did not air in a kid’s block - instead in its “Anime Block”. It aired on Saturdays, at 7:00 PM. For most of its runtime, the 7:30 slot after was held by Slam Dunk, a hyper-serious basketball anime adapted from a manga in Weekly Shonen Jump. You think director Kunihiko Ikuhara was throwing in queer relationships and even trans characters, and every other villian was a half-naked seductress, because it was gonna really resonate with 8 year olds? Sailor Moon was for 8 year olds, yes...and for otaku. So, 15 year olds, lets not exaggerate here. But still, its hype, its success, came just as much from its teen and adult fans as much as its young devotees. Which was intentional - it was *marketed* that way. That's why it aired at 7:00 PM on a Saturday.

Sailor Moon’s original dub, on the other hand, aired on UPN at, yeesh, 6:30 AM?? Then on USA’s Cartoon Express at the much more reasonable 8:30 AM, and later on Toonami at 4:00 PM. All of these are kids slots, to watch over cereal or snacks before/after school while the parents are busy. You do not expect the adult in the room to be watching alongside the kid, or for teens to really be paying attention.

And to cut off the logical objection, a show like Sailor Moon was just not going to get a 7:00 PM Saturday slot in the US in the 90′s. Nor was Kiki going to get a movie theatre release in 1998 of any scale. Movie releases are expensive, Saturday slots are precious, the funding just wasn’t there for something so untested as Japanese anime. There was no demand in the west for it - that demand would only be created later, by a generation who grew up on, well, shitty Sailor Moon dubs and Kiki VHS releases. And what success in the media slots these shows and movies did have are shaped by those market niches.

I don’t want to be over-deterministic on this - at some point Cartoon Network rolled the dice on Cowboy Bebop and Full Metal Alchemist and it worked - maybe they could have done that in 1995 with like Neon Genesis Evangelion, who knows! And of course US children’s cartoons are, beyond market forces, burdened with regulatory moralizing that Japanese media does not have. But I do think these 90′s dub efforts should get the proper context for the constraints they were operating under, and why they existed at all, as they are criticized.

#kiki's delivery service #sailor moon #90's dub discourse never dies

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artificialqueens · 3 years

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Tree House Kisses, Chapter 41 (Adorney) - Scorpio and Veronica

A/N: Hi everyone! Okay so, in this chapter, they begin working on a new musical, and I URGE you to check it out if you haven’t: The Scarlet Pimpernel. Also! I made a playlist with every song we’ve used as chapter titles, including the upcoming ones pretty much through the end of the story. Click here for previous chapters or here if you’d rather read on AO3. And thank you SO MUCH to wonderful betas: @saiphl, @sillylittlecandycane!!! XOXOXO

Chapter Summary: New semester, new school musical: and Courtney’s star is finally on the rise.

Chapter 41: You Are My Home

It was weird having Roy back home for the holidays, Adore thought, watching him tell a story to Bob, Jamin, and Thorgy, commanding all the attention as usual, sipping from a solo cup and gesturing wildly. It was even weirder to see him getting sloppy-drunk as the night wore on--Adore supposed that college was a bigger challenge than he’d planned for, and maybe he needed to blow off some steam. Still, seeing him grope Courtney as he bent her over Thorgy’s pool table was certainly...something different.

It was over a month since the night of her break-up with Tati, that near miss where she’d come so scarily close to a confession. Once in a while, late at night, she’d have a brief twinge of regret for not being honest. Most of the time though, she felt like she’d absolutely made the right call--their friendship was stronger than it had ever been. So Roy’s dumbass horndog behavior tonight was actually making her laugh.

Maybe it was Courtney’s eye rolls as he rubbed against her, but Adore didn’t find Roy nearly as annoying as she used to. He was no longer a looming, oppressive reminder of her hopeless crush. He was just a guy who came back from college to awkwardly hang out with his high school friends over winter break. A guy who was currently grinding pathetically against his girlfriend, trying (and failing) to get some affection.

“I thought you were gonna teach me Vanessa’s tricks,” Courtney said, pushing him away gently as she lined up her cue.

“I’m trying, but I need to get close,” Roy said, pulling her ass back against him. He leaned forward and murmured something into her hair, something which made her burst out laughing.

“Ummm...no offense, babe, but I don’t really feel like you’d be on your A game tonight,” Courtney said, still giggling.

“Rude,” he pouted.

Courtney looked up, catching Adore’s eye and sending her another exaggerated eye roll. Adore smiled back at her, shaking her head.

“Do you want to sleep over tonight?” Courtney asked.

“Yes,” Roy said, moving her hair aside to kiss her neck.

“Not you!” Courtney said, swatting him on the shoulder before giving Adore an exasperated look. “I meant Dory.”

Adore knew that it was petty, but she couldn’t help the slight thrill that Courtney was choosing her over Roy. It didn’t mean anything--they’d gotten back into their old habit of Adore staying with her every time Bonnie worked a night shift, and she knew that’s all it was. And anyway, it probably wasn’t going to happen, given the way Roy was now pouting and whining.

“Why her? She gets to see you all the time!” Roy argued, indignant. When Courtney didn’t immediately cave, he tried a softer tactic. “Please, baby, I miss you so much…”

“Fine. You can have the floor,” Courtney said, taking Adore by such surprise that she didn’t have time to cover her mouth before a loud cackle of laughter escaped.

“You are the meanest girlfriend in the entire world,” Roy said.

“I know.” Courtney leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek.

PEARL: How was your sleepover?

ADORE: So weird

PEARL: Did all three of you pile into Courtney’s bed?

ADORE: Ew, not that weird. No, Roy slept on the floor in a sleeping bag and Courtney and I slept in her bed. So like...just awkward as fuck.

PEARL: What’s wrong, you don’t like spooning her while her boyfriend is 2 feet away?

ADORE: Ugh

PEARL: Wanna come over today? Trin’s gonna be here in like an hour

ADORE: I can’t. I told Court I’d go ice skating with her and Roy.

PEARL: Well well well, how cosy

ADORE: Shut up

PEARL: The three musketeers

ADORE: SHUT UP

Adore sighed. She supposed it was probably strange that she’d been spending her whole break hanging out with Courtney and Roy, but it wasn’t her fault. Courtney invited her everywhere and Roy was just...always there. Besides, when it really came down to it, she liked Roy. And she liked how happy Courtney was when all three of them were together. And to her relief, they’d chilled out a lot on the PDA, now more like an old married couple who teased each other constantly and bickered playfully, using Adore to settle every disagreement.

So, if they had to be the Three Musketeers for another week, Adore was actually fine with that.

The musical for their senior year was The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Courtney was absolutely beside herself with glee when she landed the lead. All weekend, she listened to the soundtrack on repeat, falling in love with the music and story and her character, a French actress named Marguerite who was embroiled in a complicated love triangle with her British aristocrat husband and her French revolutionary ex-lover. She sang the songs over and over until she knew them by heart, and drove everyone in the household bonkers with her attempt at a French accent.

They had their first cast reading on a Monday evening in mid-January, and as usual, Mrs. Maguire had them sing through their songs as best they could. Courtney was especially excited when it came time to sing her duet with Adore, who was cast as her brother. It was a gorgeous, sappy ballad and one of her favorites in the show, always making her tear up.

Adore began a bit tentatively, since she hadn’t spent nearly as much time listening to the soundtrack as Courtney, but after a few bars, she got into it too, the drama of clinging to her “sister” as they waited in jail, facing the guillotine together.

“You are my home You make me strong And in this world of strangers, I belong to someone You are all I have You’re all I have; I need you so…”

Courtney, of course, had already memorized every word, and she sang directly into Adore’s eyes, arms wrapped around her neck.

Later, in her office, Mrs. Maguire was sitting pensively, brow furrowed in concern when Thorgy came in to let her know that the crew was finished cleaning up.

“Thor...let me ask you a question. I need a...second opinion.”

“Sure.”

“Do you think it was a mistake casting Courtney and Adore as siblings?”

“How so?” he asked carefully.

She cleared her throat. “Well...do you think they have too much of a...how should I put this...romantic vibe?”

Thorgy burst out laughing.

“Mrs. Maguire...girl…you don’t know the half of it.”

“So, I didn’t imagine that?”

“No. They’ve always been like that,” he told her.

“I mean, I knew they were close friends, but...isn’t Courtney still dating Roy?”

“Yeah...yeah. But…well, you saw it.” Thorgy chuckled again.

“Oy.” Mrs. Maguire picked up a cast list. “I may need to change some things around.”

The next day, a solution fell into her lap when Willam came to see her during the fourth period, looking more distraught than she’d ever seen him. Apparently, he was committed to the show choir for the Spring, and there were a bunch of scheduling conflicts with rehearsals, making it damn near impossible for him to play the title role he’d gotten. It was unsettling to see a kid who was normally as cool as a cucumber so upset.

“I don’t want to quit, I love doing the plays so much,” he said tearfully, and she jumped up to give him a hug.

“Of course you don’t want to quit. Listen, honey, it’s your senior year. We can definitely figure out a way for you to do both, okay? I might have to shuffle some casting, but it’ll all work out. I promise.” She hugged him again, patting him on the back.

“If you tell anyone I cried, I’ll key your car,” came his muffled voice, and she laughed, promising to keep his shameful secret.

Once he left, she sat back down, a relieved sigh leaving her. This could work out perfectly.

She spoke to all the kids individually about their new casting. Bob was over the moon when he found out he’d be taking over Willam’s title role: the wealthy aristocratic Percy, Courtney’s new husband, who uses his foppish clothing obsession as a cover in order to go into France and rescue his friends from the guillotine. And Willam was thrilled that not only did he still have a part, but a good one--taking over Adore’s role as Courtney’s brother, Armand. Adore was also delighted--she now had Bob’s role, a radical and sexy French revolutionary and compelling villain. After reading the script closely a few times, she asked Mrs. Maguire if it was necessary to play her new character, Chauvelin, as a man.

“Can’t I be a radical leftist woman instead?” she asked, during that first week of rehearsals.

“I don’t see why not,” Mrs. Maguire answered, tossing out a casual, “Courtney, Chauvelin is now your ex-girlfriend, not your ex-boyfriend.”

Courtney looked up with wide eyes before smiling and nodding, giving Adore a sassy wink. This show was certainly going to be interesting.

As a gentle knock sounded, Courtney rolled over slightly, whimpering. She was achy and feverish and felt absolutely awful. And to make matters worse, she’d missed two whole days of rehearsal with no telling when she’d feel better. At this rate, Mrs. Maguire would probably be giving her part away to her understudy, a freshman who’d never even been in a play before.

“Come in,” she said weakly, tears collecting in her eyes as she thought about how unfair it all was. She’d worked so hard, taken ensemble roles and been an understudy herself and helped with ticket sales and sold ads for every program and never complained, and now she was probably going to lose her one chance to be the lead in a musical.

Adore pushed the door open, offering a sympathetic, “Hey, babe, how ya doin’?”

Courtney tried to lift her head, even that small movement making her wince in pain, hot tears trickling down her cheeks.

“Don’t get up!” Adore rushed to her side, placing a few books on her nightstand. “I just came by to bring your homework.”

“Thanks,” Courtney said, sniffling.

“What’s the matter?” Adore pressed a cool hand to her cheek, lips turned down in a frown as a tear slipped down Courtney’s face.

“I’m just worried that Mrs. Maguire’s gonna give my part away,” Courtney admitted.

“Don’t worry about that. It took all of today’s rehearsal to get through half of ‘The Creation of Man.’ We have plenty of shit to work on without you. Besides, no one but you could do that part justice, anyway.”

Courtney blinked back her tears, gazing up at Adore with a grateful expression.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I promise!” Adore laughed, climbing into her bed to sit beside her. “Stop worrying, okay?”

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll get sick too?” Courtney said, pulling her blankets tighter around her shoulders.

“Nahh. You know Bonnie makes me do that dumb FluMist vaccine every year. I’m invincible.”

“I don’t think that’s actually true,” Courtney said, covering her mouth with her elbow to cough.

“Well, whatever. It’s worth it to hang out with my best friend.” Adore smiled down at her, and Courtney felt like she might cry all over again.

“Thanks, baby,” she murmured softly.

“Omigod, also...the craziest shit happened today at lunch, I have to tell you about it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, okay so first of all...did you know that Violet applied to Columbia early-decision and got in?”

“Wow.”

“Wow is right!” Adore exclaimed. “I mean, I know she’s smart, but she doesn’t give a shit about school. But apparently she got like, practically a perfect score on her SATs. And then everyone else started talking about what school they want to go to and they have all these plans and backup plans and I just...I had no idea our friends were like...so school motivated. It’s fucking weird.”

It surprised Courtney too...maybe not as much as Adore, because she’d figured that Trinity would have ambitious school plans, and Fame as well. And Pearl, well Pearl wasn’t very scholarly, but she assumed that she’d want to go to an art school or something.

“And I guess you’re probably planning to go to UCLA and move in with Roy or something,” Adore mumbled.

Courtney let out a rueful laugh, shaking her head. “I don’t have the grades for that.”

“What?” Adore looked confused. “Your grades are fine.”

“They’re okay. I could probably get into a Cal State. But Ms. Patterson told me in the fall that any UC is a pipe dream. So I’m probably gonna just do two years at a community college and then transfer.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah,” Courtney said, a deep sigh leaving her. “It’s for the best. We’ll save a bunch of money. My dad said he’d pay for my room and board, so I can still move out, thank god.”

“Move out where? Are you staying in the area?”

“No...but I dunno exactly. People say that Santa Barbara City College is good. Or Santa Monica college. It would be so great to be by the beach.”

“Ugh, I’d love to live near the beach. What I really want is to just move to LA, get some shitty retail job or whatever, and work on my music. I’m like, so close to convincing Bonnie what a good idea it is.”

“Adore! Omigod!” Suddenly, the aching in Courtney’s exhausted body didn’t matter, as she hoisted herself into a seated position to look directly into Adore’s hazel eyes. “We should be roommates!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! It would be perfect! Don’t you think?!” A smile lit up Courtney’s eyes, so big she thought it might split her face in two.

“Well...yeah, maybe...that could be cool.”

“I know, right?! Omigod, we’d have so much fun, and we could totally save money!” Courtney exclaimed, reaching forward to pull Adore in for a hug, her ecstatic joy pushing aside any thoughts of giving the flu to her friend.

Adore hugged her back, a light giggle slipping from her lips as she said, “I guess now we have a plan, too.”

Courtney was bone-tired. By the time she got over the flu, she’d missed a full week. Between catching up on her classes, the extra rehearsals, and struggling to memorize her lines, not to mention playing referee to Karen and Muriel’s latest argument over whether it was appropriate for Karen to have overnight guests, she felt like she could sleep for a week.

But she’d already agreed to this Saturday rehearsal, and she knew she needed it anyway, so she dragged herself out of bed and showed up at the theatre with an extra-large frappuccino that didn’t seem to help her exhaustion, but did make her jittery and off-balance.

That’s probably why she missed her cue, while working on her scene with Adore. At least, that’s what she would claim if anyone asked.

It was the scene in Act One where Adore’s character, Chauvelin, was trying to convince her to leave England and come back with her to Paris. She’d been zoning out a bit while Mrs. Maguire talked to Adore about the scene, explaining that her character needed to be angrier. Courtney really wasn’t paying attention like she should, but it was something about how Adore was supposed to be extra angry because not only did Marguerite abandon the French Revolution to marry a British aristocrat, but she’d also abandoned her.

Anyway, she wasn’t prepared when they started up the scene again, for the intensity with which Adore spoke her next line: “You do not belong in this cold land, with no one to understand you...to touch you.”

Adore let her fingers graze Courtney’s cheek before grabbing her waist and pulling her in roughly. A small gasp left Courtney’s lips, staring into Adore’s burning hazel eyes.

“The girl I knew could not bear this another moment,” Adore said, in a hoarse stage whisper.

As Adore inched closer, mouth softly parted, Courtney’s heart raced, fingers digging into Adore’s shoulders, eyes wide...

“Uh, Courtney?”

Courtney’s head snapped up, towards Mrs. Maguire’s voice. “Yes?”

“You’re supposed to push her away.”

“I know,” Courtney said, cheeks burning. “I was just trying to, um...act conflicted about it.”

“Wow, good work. We really believed you,” Mrs. Maguire said, and Courtney shoved Adore backwards, making her stumble slightly, nearly tripping over her feet.

“Oh god, are you okay?” Courtney reached for her hand to steady her.

“Yeah, sorry, I, uh…”

“Why don’t we take this section again, from Marguerite’s line ‘What do you know of it?’” Mrs. Maguire said, disguising her amused chuckle as a cough.

“Yeah, sure, okay.” Courtney brushed off her hands, hoping that the burning in her cheeks wasn’t obvious to everyone watching.

“So, Karen’s into Palm Reading now, huh?”

“Uh huh,” Courtney laughed. They were sitting around the tree in their usual lunch spot, Courtney sharing her mother’s latest passion by attempting to read Adore’s palm.

“So is that shitty broken one my lifeline?”

“No, this one is your lifeline…” Courtney said, finger trailing across Adore’s palm, making her giggle.

“And? What do you think?”

“You’re gonna live a long time.” Courtney grinned at her, eyes shining.

“Fuck,” Adore pouted. “You sure? Can I change that?”

Willam let out a braying laugh.

“Yeah, I know what you mean, lesbian. Personally I want to die young and beautiful.”

“One out of two isn’t bad,” Violet shrugged, earning a punch on the shoulder. “Ow!”

“Good one,” Trinity giggled.

“Watch it, cuz. I could punch you, too,” warned Willam.

“You just fucking try it. I dare you.”

“Guys, please calm down,” Fame interjected. As always, the voice of reason.

Still holding Adore’s hand, Courtney touched her palm again, shivers traveling up her arm.

“Stop it,” Adore said, biting her lip, but making no move to pull her hand away.

“A long, long life…” Courtney continued, flashing her winning smile.

Adore smiled back, but then off Violet’s intentionally loud scoff, she cleared her throat and finally snatched her hand back, just as Bob approached the group.

“Hey, uh...I need to speak to my wife,” Bob said, and Courtney laughed, getting up and following him a little ways away from the group.

“Is everything okay? Do you need-”

“What’s going on with you and Adore?” he asked quickly, head tilted down at her, brow slightly furrowed.

“What do you mean?” Courtney’s thoughts started racing, her heart beating quickly.

“Don’t play dumb with me, I’ve known you since we were 4.”

“I’m not playing!” Courtney said. “Maybe I’m just dumb?”

Bob put his hands on his hips, glaring at her. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and said, “He really loves you--”

Courtney sighed. “I know, Bob. Okay? You don’t think I know that? And I love him-”

“--More than you deserve.”

Courtney looked at him for a long moment, a sarcastic comeback on the tip of her tongue, which she swallowed down, defeated, shifting her gaze to the ground.

“I know.” Her voice broke on the last word, a lump rising in her throat.

Bob’s voice seemed to soften a little, saying, “Look...I’m just trying to-”

“I know, you’re looking out for your friend,” Courtney said tiredly, still avoiding his knowing brown eyes. Tears stung in her own eyes. “I get it.”

“No. I’m looking out for my friends.”

At that, Courtney looked up at him, surprised.

“You’re my friend too,” he continued. “And Adore’s my friend. And I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Courtney bit her lip, nodding. “Me neither,” she managed to whisper, before a single tear began to burn its way down her cheek. Bob pulled her in for a hug.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“I know.” Courtney sniffled against his shoulder. “You’re a good husband.”

“Oh yeah? Then why aren’t you in the kitchen making me some pie?”

Courtney laughed, parting from him with a good-natured shove.

“You okay?”

She nodded. “I really do love him, you know.”

“Yeah. Okay.” He smiled ruefully. “Things can’t ever be easy, huh?”

“No, I guess not.”

He pressed one last fatherly kiss to her forehead before leaving to join his own lunch group. Courtney took a moment more to collect herself, then walked back to the tree.

“What was that all about?” Pearl asked. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just some stuff about the play.”

“I’m so excited to see this play, it’s all you guys talk about,” Tati said.

“Yeah, better live up to the hype,” Trinity warned.

“Oh, it will,” Adore promised her with a charming grin. “We’re fucking amazing.”

“Damn right it will. Although, let’s be honest, I would have been a much better Percy than Bob,” said Willam.

“Ehhh…” Courtney grimaced.

“Fuck you, cheerleader!” Willam exclaimed, chucking an orange slice at her face.

“No I mean, you’d have been great in the campy parts, but the sincere romantic stuff? Not so much.”

“Yeah, remember last year? You two were the least believable teen romance ever,” Adore laughed, and Courtney joined in, nodding.

“Exactly.”

“Are you saying I can’t play it straight?” Willam looked deeply offended.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what we’re saying,” Adore told him.

“Oh yeah? Well, watch this…Come here, Virginia.” He grabbed Tati, who immediately squirmed away.

“Don’t touch me,” she said, pushing him onto the grass.

“Sorry.”

“See? A straight guy wouldn’t have listened,” Violet commented drily, making all of them crack up.

#rpdr fanfiction #tree house kisses #scorpio #veronica #adorney #adore delano #courtney act #bianca del rio #bitney #pearl liaison #willam belli #bob the drag queen #lesbian au #high school au #m/f au #angst #fluff

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regicidal-defenestration · 4 years

Text

So I did write a whole Thing about “hey what if David Iamineskew Ward met the Lost Cat narrator” because a) self control? never heard of her and b) I just think the contrast and similarities between the two are really cool

[DAVID]

In less than 6 minutes, a stranger will enter my home and, just like that, it will no longer be home anymore.

What little safety I found within these walls will be gone. The flat I had thought of as home will be invaded, defiled by this stranger - by his feet upon the threshold and his words spoken into the air.

The clock ticks.

My name is David Ward, and in less than 5 minutes my home will no longer be my own.

[ESKEW SCENE CHANGE SOUND]

[DAVID]

I know with near certainty when the stranger will come because I've been watching him make his slow way down my corridor, stopping at every flat. The pattern is the same each time: the stranger knocks on the flat's door, knocking again if he's not answered, knocking and knocking until the sound is all I can hear, then he knocks louder still. And then at last the door is opened and the inhabitant, without fail, invites him inside. He never stays long, no more than half an hour before he leaves to knock on the next door down.

He has been in my next door neighbour's for a little over 25 minutes now.

I don't like how every one of my neighbours has let this stranger in, even the ones who held out longest against his knocking. I'm not even sure if I like the fact I have neighbours, living in flats that have been empty since I started living here and have never once gone up for sale.

And then I must have lost track of the time, because I didn't see the stranger leave next door, but all of a sudden his knocking echoes through my flat.

Briefly, I consider not answering. But my feet walk to the door of their own accord and then I open it and his shadow falls over the threshold to what used to be my home.

[LOST CAT NARRATOR]

"Hello," I say. "I'm looking for my cat. Can I come in?"

[LCN]

The man steps aside silently and I take that as my cue to enter. He doesn't say anything, just staring at me with distrustful eyes.

His flat is bare and uninviting, something about it seeming off. There are no cheap trinkets left out on the side, no family photos hung on the wall - the only sign that someone lives here is the pair of shoes by the door and a coat hanging over the banister.

It's like he arrived here a few years back, not planning to stay long, and every so often he remakes that promise to himself - putting on a good show of it without ever really changing.

The silence feels much bigger than the space should allow.

"Nice home you've got here," I say. It's a complete lie, but I felt better for saying something.

The man stares at me.

"It's not home anymore," he tells me simply, like this should be obvious.

"Why? What happened to it?"

"You did."

And then that silence again, the awful heavy silence that your brain invents sound to fill to make it feel less alone.

He won't stop staring at me - like he's waiting for me to make a mistake, and he knows I will slip up, sooner or later, and when that happens he can point and say "Look. Look what happens when you try. You can't trick me. I don't trust you."

"I'm uh… I'm looking for my cat." I say again, getting the distinct feeling that there's a script I should be following and nobody thought to tell me about it.

[DAVID]

That's all he says.

I'm looking for my cat.

Over and over, like saying it will bring the cat back.

I'm looking for my cat.

How dare he. How dare he. How dare he stand in the ruins of my home - ruins that he created - and repeat these inane words. What does he hope to achieve? What could Eskew possibly hope to achieve?

If I took him apart, peeled open his face in ribbons and let those ribbons unfurl flower-like on the floor, I don't think there'd be anything inside. He's an empty man, only capable of searching and searching.

I find myself hating him.

There again:

I am looking for my cat.

Your cat is lost, I tell him.

I know, he says. That's why I'm looking for it.

And I tell him that he misunderstands me. That, if his cat is truly lost - if it ever existed to begin with - then it is for the best that it remains lost. Because Eskew has a way of taking lost things and twisting them, and the thing that comes back is not what you first lost.

I'm looking for my cat, he says.

And I say-

[LCN]

"I hope you don't find it. I hope it stays lost."

And I laugh, not because he said anything funny, but because I don't know how else to respond.

"I'm serious."

He's serious.

And I stop laughing.

"Can I come in?" I try again. He stares at me still or, more accurately, he glares at me.

I push past him, looking for some kind of barrier I can put between the two of us, something to deflect his gaze.

And that's when I realise what's off about this place. The flat is the same as every other flat in this building, down to the exact position of the cup left carelessly on the sideboard as I enter the dining room. Or not left carelessly, as it were. Left by someone, or something, that deliberately put it there to create the impression of carelessness.

On impulse, I take it, setting it down in front of me as I sit at the table. It makes me feel better, slightly. I think I was almost expecting it to be stuck down, an immovable part of the set.

The man sits opposite me silently. He's an extra in his own life, following the action but with no real lines of his own. No way to make a difference.

I find myself pitying him.

It's at this point I realise I never asked his name. And then I feel bad, because here I am, crashing his home, never once asking about him, or his city - only talking about my cat.

"I’m David," says David, and I smile welcomingly at him.

[DAVID]

He smiles at me, a fake smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, only serving to show how empty he is inside.

[LCN]

"Well, David, would you like to share a glass of wine?"

[DAVID]

I'm not sure where the stranger produces an entire bottle of wine from, nor the two glasses. He acts like this is a perfectly regular occurrence, so I don't challenge him. He offers me a glass, and I take it and, all things considered, it's a perfectly ordinary glass of wine.

He starts singing quietly to himself. At first, I don't listen. Eskew cannot make music, you see, not in the way a person would understand it. Simple harmonies come out distorted, scales are discordant, the sharps are too flat, and the flats are too sharp. Sometimes I like to think it's because music is the one thing too human for it to replicate.

More likely it just never bothered to try.

But then I do pay attention.

The man's singing. Properly singing - a folk song, about the devil, by the sounds of it, although I can't fully hear the lyrics.

It's the first music I've heard since coming to Eskew, and it's beautiful.

Perhaps my hating him was too hasty.

You're not from Eskew, I tell him, not quite phrasing it as a question.

I see him consider this. He takes a few false starts, before at last he asks

What is Eskew? I thought it was just a city, he says, but the way you talk…

He trails off, waving a hand at the room in general.

Eskew is a city, I say. Eskew is what happens when you watch the cracks in the world spread and swallow everything you convinced yourself you cared for, leaving you behind and so achingly alone.

Eskew is twisting streets and looming office blocks, I think - but do not say. Eskew is a thousand places of false safety and Eskew is the fear that nobody is looking for me like this man is looking for his cat.

There's a pause.

It sounds lonely, he says. Why don't you leave?

[LCN]

David looks at me like I'm an idiot, which seems rude, but is a step up from the glares. You win some, you lose some.

"The city doesn't let people leave. There's no-one out there for me anyway."

For a moment, I wish David would stop being so defeatist about everything. Then I feel slightly guilty about having thought that - living in a place like Eskew must mess up your outlook on life something awful.

"I'm going to leave soon though," I say, because one of us has to be the optimist. "I still need to find my cat."

[DAVID]

I cannot make a difference here. No matter what I say, the man will just keep going.

[LCN]

I slap my knees in the stereotypical "right, must be off" gesture. You know the one I mean.

"Right," I say. "I really must be off."

David shakes his head.

"Did you not hear me? Eskew won't let you leave."

I - some stranger who showed up at his house one day - cannot change his thinking. It does not matter what I say; he will just keep going.

"Eskew can try to stop me." I say this as threateningly as I can, in case the city can hear us, "Will I see you again? We could have another glass of wine."

[DAVID]

I hope I never see the man again. Not in a malicious way - but he seems so confident that he'll leave, and if I never see him then I can pretend he made it.

I don't tell this to the man, but I think he understands what I'm trying to convey - some of it, at least.

He slaps his knee again and stands up.

Nice seeing you, he says, making his way out of my home, the door clicking shut behind him.

And then I wonder at what point I stopped thinking of him as just the stranger, and at what point I started thinking of this place as my home again.

[LCN]

And on impulse, I take a scrap of paper out my pocket and write my phone number on it, sliding it under David's door.

Maybe he'll just ignore it. It can't hurt though.

[ESKEW SCENE CHANGE SOUND]

[RIYO]

There is a cat in my office. It purrs at me as I scratch behind its ears.

I think it might be lost.

#i am in eskew #the lost cat podcast #eskew #writing

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someone-somewheresomehow · 4 years

Text

I’ve Got Your Picture (Chapter 1)

Characters: Roman, Virgil, Patton, Logan, Janus, Remus, Thomas (briefly mentioned once)

Ships: Prinxiety, Intruloceit

Content: Enemies to Friends to Lovers trope (kinda?)

Word count: 4434

Summary: Roman sees who he knows is the love of his life at the library - but when they get off to a hostile start, he not only has to make it up to them but find them again.

AO3

“But Logan, libraries are boring!” Roman whined as Logan pulled him up the steps. “All they’ve got are old books and the only good ones are in the fantasy section, and I’ve already read all of the ones in this library!”

“You read? I’m impressed,” Logan grumbled back. “Look, you have to come with me. I’ll let you go into the fantasy section or look at the scripts for musicals or whatever you want as long as you wait for me to get what I want. Got it?”

“What’s in it for me?”

“You get to read for once, something I’ve seen you do maybe twice. Maybe.”

Logan sighed and rubbed his face in an annoyed gesture as Roman shot him a glare. “Fine. We’ll go to that cafe that you wanted to show me. Fair?”

“Okay!” Roman perked up. Logan had been avoiding it for days, but Roman just knew that he would love the cafe. It was perfect for a nerdy bookworm like him!

They entered the huge doors and walked into the library itself. Roman immediately rushed off to grab the nearest fantasy book and sit on one of the couches as Logan wandered off to god-knows-where. Probably the science section.

As he settled down, Roman took a moment to take in the surroundings. There weren’t many people in the library today. A couple of kids with their parents, a young teen wandering around on their own, the librarian - what was their name? Oh, right, Thomas - who Roman could now see was one of the reasons - or maybe the only reason - why Logan wanted to come here. Logan had started a conversation with them, and it appeared that they wouldn’t stop talking for a while.

Roman pulled open his book to finally start reading, but then something caught his eye. From between the shelves emerged someone he’d never seen before. They had purple hair and was wearing a black hoodie around their waist. A dark purple shirt covered their thin frame. As they turned towards Roman, he saw that dark eyeshadow was put underneath their eyes.

They waved at Roman, a smirk on their face, and he realised that he was staring. He sunk down more into his chair and reopened his book.

As soon as the person started moving again, Roman peeked around his book to watch them. They walked over and checked out the book they were holding - what was it? Roman couldn’t quite see - before heading towards the door. They glanced over their shoulder right at him, the smirk still on their face, before exiting the library, leaving Roman to stare at the place they had been.

“What are you looking at?” Logan’s voice startled him back to reality.

“Uh, nothing!” Roman said hurriedly. Logan’s frown deepened.

“Well, I suppose we have to go to the cafe now. A deal’s a deal.”

Roman perked up. “Oh yeah! Trust me, you’re gonna love it!”

Logan chuckled. “If you say so. But it’s unlikely.”

“That’s what you said last time!”

“And you said I would like it at the waterpark, but I didn’t.”

“Stop fibbing! You totally loved it.”

“I did not!”

After a few more minutes of bickering, they arrived outside of the cafe. Logan tried to look inside through the window, but Roman quickly pulled him back and covered his eyes underneath his glasses. “You can’t look yet!” He chided. “It’s a surprise!”

They walked in the door, the bell chiming, and Roman took his hands off of Logan’s eyes, revealing the cafe in front of them.

The ceiling was covered in a beautiful painting of stars, whole galaxies of purples and blues. The soft glows of the lanterns on the pale cream walls provided a dim lighting that shone over the rest of the cafe. At the back were bookshelves, with labels on each shelf that told you the genre of the books and various signs saying that they were free to borrow for those at the cafe. The wooden floors creaked gently under each footstep, and the customers sat around small wooden tables, speaking in soft murmurs. Behind the counter a couple of baristas bustled around, making orders and fixing drinks. Occasionally they would call out a name and someone would stand up and receive it before quickly returning to their seat.

Logan stood frozen in the doorway, so still that Roman grew worried. “Hey, Lo?” He asked quietly. “Are you okay?”

He looked over the room once more. “Do you like it?”

Logan gave a start as Roman spoke, almost as if he had forgotten he was there. “Like it?” He whispered. “It- it’s beautiful.”

Roman smiled. “I told you you’d love it.” He led Logan over to the nearest free table, Logan apparently too awestruck to do anything himself. “You can go look at the books and stuff while I go order! They’ve got all sorts of books for nerds like you!”

“N-nerds? Roman!”

Roman grinned and went up to the counter. “One medium black coffee with one sugar, and one large cappuccino.”

After ordering he went back to the table and sat down, watching as Logan browsed the shelves.

The bell chimed, drawing Roman’s attention to who had just entered the shop. And lo and behold, it was the person that he had seen at the library, their book tucked under their arm and their long, side swept bangs covering one eye. They looked around the room, and looked startled when they spotted Roman, but quickly schooled their features and gave him a small smirk. They waved, before heading towards the back of the cafe and sitting at a free table.

“Who are they?” Logan’s voice startled him back to reality for the second time that day.

“No one!” Roman answered hurriedly. “I mean, I don’t know.”

Logan frowned. “What do you mean you don’t know?” He sighed and gestured with one hand, the other holding a book. “Go talk to them.”

“What?”

“I’m presuming they were who you were staring at at the library, so-” he made the gesture again. “- go talk to them.”

Roman gaped at him. “I- um, okay.” He stood up and started walking over, trying to look as casual as possible, ignoring the fact that now both Logan and the new person were watching him.

“Hey.” He greeted the person, all casual-like.

“Hi. You’re the person from the library.”

“I am.” Roman looked at the person, and oh god it was so unfair how their eyes were the most perfect shade of brown. “My name’s Roman.”

“Virgil. They/them pronouns.”

“Oh, I use he/him pronouns. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” They shook hands.

“So why were you staring at me?”

“Oh, um. Yes. Sorry about that.”

Virgil smirked but didn’t press him.

“So do you live here?” Virgil asked.

“In this town, yes. Why?”

“I don’t. I’m just here for a concert.”

“Oh. Are you alone?”

“No, I’m with a friend.”

“How long are you here for?”

“Why are you asking so many questions?”

Roman blinked. “Um. I wanted… to be friends with you?”

Virgil’s eyes narrowed. “Sure. I’m gonna buy a coffee and leave, and you better not follow me or I’m calling the cops.”

“No, wait! I-”

“Please. Go away.”

Virgil stood up and went to the counter. Roman watched him go, not bothering to follow them - he knew that he would only get pushed away again.

Sighing, he went back to Logan who sat buried in his book, now with his coffee sitting in front of him, Roman’s sitting opposite. Logan looked up as he approached and closed the book, holding one finger on the inside to keep his page.

“It didn’t go well?”

Roman sighed again and slumped into the chair opposite Logan. “Nope.”

“You’ll find love someday.” Logan reopened his book and continued reading.

“But when, Logan, when?!” Roman folded his arms and slumped on the table dramatically. “Tell me why?”

“Ain’t nothing but a heartbreak.” Logan said in a monotone voice, closing his book again. “If I found love, so can you.”

“Uhhhhhhhhhhhh.” Roman groaned and sat up, this time leaning back in his chair. “I still don’t understand how you got the attention of an extremely handsome man and-” he fake retched “- my brother.”

“Your brother is also an extremely handsome man, Roman.”

“Sure he is.”

Now it was Logan’s turn to sigh. “Just tell me what happened.”

Roman dropped his chair forward. “I went up to them and it started out fine but then it all went downhill.” He made a downward motion with his hand.

They stared at each other in silence before Logan made a gesture with his hand. “Continue?”

“That’s it.”

Logan stared at him. “What did you do?”

“Nothing!”

“Falsehood. What did you do?”

“According to them, I asked too many questions.”

“You can be annoying sometimes.”

“I- hey!”

Logan sat back in his chair. “Did you get any information out of them?”

“Um… they’re here for a concert.”

“Do you know which one?”

“Nope. They didn’t say.”

“We’re going to a concert tomorrow. Panic! At The Disco, right?”

“Oh, yeah! They look like an emo, maybe they’ll be there.”

“Perhaps. You need to remember to be on time - we meet at your place at 11.”

“Don’t you trust me?” Roman placed one hand on his chest and gasped in mock offence.

“Logan, I’m always reliable. Especially with times.”

Logan peered over his glasses at Roman. “Look me in the eyes and say that again, because it is most certainly not true.”

“I’ll be ready, Logan. And I’ll make sure that Remus is too. You have to remember that we are all going together, and you and Remus aren’t to sneak off to snog in some dark corner. Got it?”

“We won’t be doing that. And even if we are, it will be because he initiated it, so you should tell him to behave before we go.”

“He’s your boyfriend.”

“And he’s your brother. Don’t worry, I’ll be warning him as well.”

“Mhm.” Roman looked over at the door, as if he expected Virgil to come back in and say sorry.

The next day Logan knocked on the door of Roman’s house, perfectly on time as he always was. Well, except for that one time where he got distracted by a sale on Crofters and bought 12 jars. Roman would never dare to let him live it down.

Remus greeted him with a kiss and brought him inside.

“Hey, babe.” His usual stern expression softened for a moment before returning to normal. “Where’s Roman?”

Remus gasped in mock offence, a perfect copy of Roman the day before. “Logan Anthony Berry! Are you more interested in my brother than you are in me?”

“Never, love.” They shared another kiss. “But I don’t want to be late.”

“He’s getting changed.”

“Still? What’s his excuse this time?”

“He woke up late and for some reason decided to sing the entire soundtrack of Hamilton in the shower. He’s probably going to tell you that he was late because of ‘artistic difficulties’ or something.”

Roman ran out of the bedroom, pulling on his jacket. “Sorry I’m late! It’s because of artistic difficulties.”

Remus turned to Logan with a look on his face that said What did I tell you?

“Remus told me the actual reason. You’re lucky that Dee is even later than you are, otherwise you would be in enormous trouble right now.”

“I know, I kn-” A knock interrupted him and they all rushed to the door.

Logan opened it to find Janus smirking at him and greeted him with a kiss. “Are you ready to go?” Logan asked while Janus pecked Remus on the cheek.

“If I wasn’t I wouldn’t be here, would I?”

“Then let’s go!” Logan practically pushed them out the door and into his car.

“We aren’t late, Logan! It’s just a concert!” Roman exclaimed as Logan started up the car.

“You and I both know that that isn’t true, Roman. You and Remus have been figuratively talking my ear off about this concert for months.”

“It’s true.” Janus confirmed.

There was an awkward silence before Roman rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Maybe… but still, Lo, it’ll be fine!”

Logan pulled into the parking lot of the theatre. “We’re here.”

There was a moment where everyone unbuckled their seatbelts and got out of the car. Roman and Remus were practically vibrating from excitement as they walked in.

“Remember, all of you need to behave.” Logan warned them.

“I’m always on my best behaviour, Logan! You can trust me!” Remus told Logan, eyes wide with innocence.

“Sure you are.” They shared another quick kiss before Logan turned to Janus. “You need to help me keep him under control.”

“Sure thing, captain.” Janus saluted, a huge grin on his face. “Do I get a kiss as well?”

“Of course.”

Roman interrupted their kiss halfway through. “While I love seeing you lovebirds make out, we do need to elbow our way to the front as soon as we can.”

“Yes. Let’s go.” They headed off into the crowd, more than ready for the concert to start.

Roman and Remus screamed out the words to the songs at the top of their lungs, jumping as high as they could to get a look at the stage. Janus and Logan watched them in happy silence, enjoying every moment.

“Let’s kill tonight, kill tonight! Show them all you’re not the ordinary type! Let’s kill tonight!” They

hollered along with the crowd and, of course, Brendon Urie, the glorious god of singing himself.

The song ended, and the crowd cheered. Roman and Remus panted, matching grins stretching across their faces as they cheered together.

Logan tapped on their shoulders and they spun around.

“I’m going to go get some water!” He yelled over the crowd.

“I’ll come with you!” Remus shouted back.

“I’ll stay here and keep our spots!”

“Me too!”

Remus and Logan held thumbs up to indicate that they heard them and held off, holding hands totally just so that they didn’t get separated.

They soon returned, carrying two bottles of water each. They handed one to Janus and Roman kept one for themselves each.

“Roman! Guess who we saw!” Logan yelled.

It took a beat before it sunk in. “You saw them?!” He yelled back.

Logan nodded vigorously. “They’re about 10 metres directly behind us!”

Roman immediately stood up on his tiptoes and tried to see over the crowd, even though he was too short to see far.

“I’m gonna go find them!” He yelled at Logan. Logan flashed him a thumbs up and Roman moved off.

After a few seconds he found them, chatting with someone else.

“Hey!” He called, having his arms as he got closer. Virgil turned and saw him, a look of disgust quickly crossing their face before disappearing just as quickly.

Roman reached them quickly and greeted the new person. “Hi! I’m Roman! He/him pronouns!”

“I’m Patton! Also he/him pronouns! It’s nice to meet you!”

They shook hands with each other before Roman turned back to Virgil. “I’m sorry about yesterday! I seemed to have freaked you out!”

“Of course you freaked me out! You were acting like a creep!”

“Again, I’m really sorry about that! Could I make it up to you?”

There was a short pause while Virgil thought it over.

“Come on, Virge! He seems like a good guy!” Patton nudged them. “Give him a chance!”

“And how would you make it up to me?” Virgil asked Roman.

“I could buy you a coffee or something sometime?”

“You’d have to do it tomorrow because I’m leaving the day after that!”

“Alright! May I have your number?”

Virgil frowned. “Can’t we just meet up at the coffee shop we were at yesterday?”

“I mean, I guess, but it would be easier to organize it if I had your number!”

“Sure it would, but it’s just coffee. How about I meet you there at 3?”

“That’s fine by me!”

“Cool, I’ll see you then!”

This was obviously Roman’s cue to leave, and, like a fool, he took it, returning to the others.

Remus leapt on him the moment he saw him. “How did it go, lover boy?”

Roman shot Logan a dirty look before turning back to Remus. “It went fantastically well.”

“Did it now? Did you get their number?”

“I did not. However, I am going out with them to a cafe tomorrow at 3.”

“Ooh, fancy!”

“It’s not actually. It’s just fancy compared to the places that you usually lurk.”

Remus shrugged. “Same difference.”

With that, he turned back and started singing with the crowd, and after a moment, Roman joined him.

The next day Roman arrived at the coffee shop at 5 to 3 and sat down in the spot that he had seen Virgil sitting at a couple of days before.

Virgil arrived at exactly 3, though Roman watched them hover around at the door for a couple of minutes before walking in. They walked over to Roman and sat down at the table.

“You said you were going to buy me a coffee?”

“Hello to you too. Yeah, if you tell me your order I’ll go get it.”

“One small black coffee, nothing added.”

“Ew.” Roman stood up and went to the counter before Virgil could reply. He ordered, “One small black coffee and one large caramel frappuccino.”, collected their drinks, and sat back down, handing Virgil their cup.

“So,” He said. “If you’re not from around here, where are you from?”

“What?” Virgil asked, confused.

“When we first met, you said that you were just in town for a concert. Where are you from?”

“Why do you need to know?”

Roman was surprised at the sudden hostility. “...To get to know you better and see if we can hang out more?”

“Mm. We’ll see.” Virgil took a slow sip of their coffee. “If you’re so interested in us getting to know each other, then you won’t mind if I ask you a few questions.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“First of all, why are you so interested in me?”

“Because you’re hot.” Roman blurted out before he could stop himself. Now it was Virgil’s turn to be shocked. “And because you seem cool.” He added as if to cover it up. “And I was wondering if we could be friends?”

“Wait, hold up.” Virgil closed their eyes, confused. “You think I’m hot?”

“Um… yes.”

There was a moment of awkward silence.

“Um, okay. Moving on!”

“Fine by me!”

“Do you live in this town?”

“I do, yes. I have for the vast majority of my life. I live with my brother.”

“Is that the person that you came in with the other day?”

“No, that was Logan. Who, coincidentally, is dating my brother. And a friend of mine.”

“Okay.”

There was another awkward silence while they figured out what to say to each other.

“Do you want to go to the park? It’s kind of hot in here.” Roman said.

“Sure.”

With a scraping of chairs they stood up and walked out of the shop and down the street, still in silence. Talking to Virgil was harder than Roman had thought, but he was determined to get

something out of them by the time they parted.

They walked together into the park and sat on a bench, watching as kids flew kites and played

together on the playground.

“How long are you here for?” Roman asked.

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning.”

“Oh. That’s a pity. Your friend, Patton? Does he live here?”

“Yeah, he does. I’ve been staying with him.”

“Cool, cool.”

There was yet another silence, though this one wasn’t as awkward as the others.

Suddenly, Roman spotted a little shop by the edge of the grass. “Hey, look! They’re renting

kites!”

He jumped up and walked over to the stand, throwing his cup away in the bin as he did so. Virgil followed him, close behind.

Roman paid for two kites and handed one to Virgil before running onto the grass. He unrolled it and ran, lifting it high into the air. He stood and watched it flapping in the breeze before looking back at Virgil.

“Come on! Lift it into the air!”

Virgil hesitated and looked down at the kite in their hands before letting it go and lifting it into the air. It lifted high and flapped next to Roman’s. The kites both dipped and twirled together, contrasting against the bright blue sky in their red and gold (Roman’s kite) and purple (Virgil’s).

“See! It’s fun, isn’t it?”

Roman looked over at Virgil, who looked back at him. Tentatively they let themself smile, and Roman grinned back at them before looking back up at the kites. He let his go out a bit more so that it floated higher above Virgil’s. He glanced over at Virgil who frowned back at him. He looked back up at the kites and scowled when he saw that Virgil’s was now above his.

He let his out even more and frowned harder as Virgil’s floated higher.

They continued like this, trying to best each other and get theirs higher than the other, until they ran out of string and their kites were high in the air, dots high in the sky.

Then, suddenly, the wind disappeared, and their kites plummeted to the ground. They both ran forward to catch them as they came closer and closer.

Virgil managed to just catch theirs, holding it close in their arms, but Roman was too close and it landed right on his head before falling onto the grass.

“Ow!” He complained. “That hurt!”

He heard Virgil snort and whipped around. “Hey!” He cried, rubbing his head. “Don’t laugh at me!”

“It couldn’t have hurt that much!” Virgil stifled a giggle. “You were only hit with the cloth part!”

“No! I was hit with the wooden bit! It hurt loads!”

“Sure you did.”

“Oh shut up emo nightmare. How did you even catch it from that high?” He picked up the kite and they headed back to the stand.

“I’ve had practice catching large things. Patton’s always falling out of trees. He falls out of basically every tree he climbs, and I don’t know why he doesn’t tell me before he does it. Someday I’m not going to be there and he’ll get seriously hurt.”

They gave the kites back and headed back through the park towards the exit.

“Hey!” Roman said, pulling out his phone. “You wanna take a selfie?”

“God, of course you would be one of those people.” Virgil sighed. “Sure, I guess.”

Roman and Virgil stood next to each other and smiled as Roman took the picture.

“I’ve always looked bad in photos. I don’t want it.” Virgil told Roman.

“You sure?”

“Definitely.”

“Alright then. I guess that concludes our date.”

“It wasn’t a date!” Roman couldn’t quite see, but he was sure that Virgil had flushed red under all of the white foundation that they had on. Their ears were certainly red.

He grinned. “If you say so. I had fun anyway!” He held out his hand and after a moment, Virgil shook it. “Are you getting picked up by someone?”

“Yeah, I am. Patton.” Virgil pulled out their own phone. “He should be coming soon. I told him to meet me at the park earlier.”

“Great! I’ll wait with you.”

“You really don’t-”

“I insist!”

“Um, okay.”

They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes until a light blue car pulled up to them.

“Again, it was great seeing you!” Roman called out as Virgil got in.

“Yeah, it was okay.”

“Maybe we can meet up some other time?”

“I’m leaving town tomorrow, so that probably won’t happen.”

“Oh. Well in that case, bye!”

“Bye.” Virgil shut the door and the car drove off, leaving Roman standing there on his own.

A few moments later, Remus’ car pulled up to him and the window closest to Roman lowered, revealing Remus behind the wheel, a gigantic grin on his face.

“How did it go?” He asked.

“It went absolutely wonderful!” Roman answered, sitting in shotgun. “I really softened them up!”

“Ooh! What did you do? Tell me all of the juicy details!”

“Remus!”

“What?” Remus said, an innocent look on his face. Roman scrutinised it before moving on.

“So, we sat in the coffeeshop for a bit, and we each had coffee. They had a small black coffee

with nothing in it! Absolutely disgusting!”

“It is not!”

“Says the man who takes a bit out of the hotel’s soap everytime we go on holidays! Then we went to the park and finished our coffees.”

“That’s boring! Why didn’t you guys do some fun stuff?”

“I know exactly what your definition of fun is, Remus! Just let me finish!”

“Alright, alright! Jeez!”

“Thank you! And then we rented kites - well, I paid for them - and we flew them! We got into a

competition of whose could fly higher but they ended up being the same height by the time that we ran out of string. But then… tragedy struck! The wind fell and with it, our kites!” Roman gasped dramatically, placing one hand delicately on his forehead. “They fell straight down and mine landed right on my head, injuring me terribly!”

Remus, who had been silent for the most part during this description, burst out laughing.

“It fell on your head!” He managed to say through the laughter. “I wish I had seen that! It would have been hilarious!”

“Oh shut up!” Roman whacked him gently on the arm. “Keep your eyes on the road!” Remus slowly stopped laughing and Roman continued. “Somehow, they managed to catch theirs perfectly. Said they had experience from catching one of their friends, who apparently can’t climb.

“Then we returned the kites and waited at the gates while Patton came and picked them up. They’re leaving tomorrow, so they have to pack their stuff I reckon.”

“But you have their number, right?”

Roman froze, realizing his idiocy.

“Oh my god, you didn’t get their number?” Remus grinned. “You know what this means!”

“That I’m never going to see the one who is clearly the love of my life again?”

“It means that we’re going to have to combine - me, Logan, Janus and you-”

“Janus, Logan, you and I.”

“Whatever! We’re going to have to find them! And if we can’t…” His grin spread, a touch of insanity reaching his eyes. “We’re going on a road trip!”

#roman sanders #virgil sanders #prinxiety #logan sanders #remus sanders #janus sanders #intruloceit #platonic logince #creativitwins #thomas sanders #my writing

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audiblesmirking · 3 years

Text

erratic heartbeats ~chapter 4: coffee jelly~

⚠Minor Swearing⚠

Legend: "English unless stated otherwise" --- 'Thoughts' --- "Telepathically speaking" --- [Authors' Note]

==========

'Kusuo-san's relationship with Kaidou-san and Nendou-san is quite a peculiar one.' Azumi thought, watching through the gates of the school. She stopped her walk when she heard the voices of Kaidou and Nendou from the commotion they were creating. The duo was like a hurricane of noise, with the unfortunate Saiki caught in their gusts. The amount of uninterest on Saiki made Azumi question how he became close with the two.

His expressions almost brought her to be sympathetic of him–if it weren't for the fact his distress was caused by two of the people who offered to be her friend. She just met them a few days ago, so she wasn't in the position to fully judge the males' characteristics. Azumi isn't one to jump into conclusions about one's personality.

Saiki looked up and met Azumi's gaze, prompting the latter to send a polite wave, not wishing to come off as rude. She opt to turn and leave as soon as she was caught staring, but Saiki speedwalked to catch up to the psychic girl, leaving behind Kaidou and Nendou to question his urgent leave. He decided to use Azumi as an excuse for his getaway.

The abandoned two dismissed their friend's leave, an act which they rarely do because of how persistent they are, and resumed their light banter.

Once Saiki was pacing in line with Azumi, an awkward silence hanged in their air. 'Not this again.' Azumi internally groaned and complained while her companion was unfazed by the dull ambience. The girl took a peek at Saiki's usual stoic expression, stuffing her hands in the sewn-in hidden pockets she altered. Strangely, she found some comfort in his ease–or atleast, in the ease she think he's radiating. The way he doesn't mind Azumi's staring, or the barking of a dog nearby, or the wind brought about by the car that just drove by... now that she thinks of it... 'How nice.' Azumi felt warm. She was touched by the little act Saiki was making, walking next to her in a position nearer to the road.

Azumi smiled, but as she over analyzed her reaction, it gradually dropped. 'Oh dear, I didn't think I'd be this starved of affection.' She let out a petty laugh, accidentally. Saiki looked over at the mildly flustered female, who had a hand over her mouth, curious of the reason behind her sudden laughter. He stared at her, as if asking 'what she found funny'.

Azumi shook her head to show her companion the matter was trivial, and thought to change the subject. She racked her brain as they continue to walk towards their neighbourhood for any ideas. Coincidentally, the modest building of a convenience store came in view. 'It sure lives up to its name.' Azumi hid her smile, turning to the boy beside her. "I, uh, guess I'll see you tomorrow." 'Elaborate, Azumi.' "I'll just... go and buy something... in that store over there." She pointed and inched away towards the convenience store.

Saiki stopped when Azumi did, and watched as she stuttered on her words. He looked at where she was shyly gesturing. It was nothing out of the ordinary, a moderate-looking 7/11, until he read a sign put up on the glass. 'New arrival... 50% off on coffee jelly?!' His eyes subtly lit up and he walked past a cofused Azumi.

"Um.... okay, I guess... Atleast we changed the subject" She mumbled to herself, shrugging before following Saiki in.

'Coffee jelly, huh?' She heard her companion's thoughts, and she was intrigued. 'I've never tried that before. Kusuo-san seems to like it so much' Azumi tailed behind Saiki, until she froze and redirected her route. She walked through the aisles until she saw the coolers for beverages and ice cream. After grabbing her item, she searched for Saiki and found him in front of a shelf that was almost empty, save for a handful number of what Azumi assumes is coffee jelly.

'Ah, there are only two left.' Saiki thought, grabbing both. Just as he withdrew his hands, Azumi stopped beside him. She watched curiously as he looked over the label, making sure it is, indeed, coffee jelly. Saiki took note of her expressions. 'Either she doesn't have a preference over coffee jelly, or she's never tried it. It's more likely she hasn't had a taste of this because of how naïve she is to most of what Kaidou is bringing, but I'm only assuming.' He let out a silent sigh, before offering the second coffee jelly cup to Azumi.

The ends of her lips stretched upward, taking the cup from his bent hand. 'How considerate of you. Despite how much you love your coffee jelly and how scarce the stock is right now, you'd give me one, thinking spot on that this might be my first time trying coffee jelly.' Azumi looked at Saiki, her smile evident on her face. "Thanks."

•°●•°●•°●

'Chin, up... posture, straight... walk, dainty... and smile, pretty.' Teruhashi thinks, giving occasional waves to a few people she walks past. 'Perfect, Kokomi. You're the most perfect pretty girl in Japan–no, in the whole world!' The thought made her smile wider. She saw the 7/11 store she heard from one of her classmates, well, partially heard, she was too distracted with her own thoughts. Teruhashi heard about a sale, and decided to stop by on the way home.

She saw the sign for coffee jelly, but her eyes refocused on the scene behind the glass. 'Saiki Kunio?!' She didn't expect to see the only boy who hasn't reacted to her beauty–yet–in the same store she was heading to. 'This is great! I can finally make him say 'Oh'!–wait... who is...?' Teruhashi rejoiced, before lightly squinted her eyes, making sure to verify the identity of the person next to Saiki before jumping into conclusions.

'K-Kanasawa-san?!' Her eyes widened at the sight of Azumi beside Saiki, smiling at him while taking the last cup of coffee jelly from his hand. 'What–What are they doing together?! Are they on a date?!' So much for not jumping into conclusions.

Teruhashi felt a foreign emotion within her, locating vaguely in her stomach–or was it in her heart...? 'What is this? Am I hungry? Jealous? Or am I having a heart attack?' She was confused, wanting to put a label on this feeling so she can go home and search for ways to relieve it. It feels... weird... weird in a way she doesn't like. It makes her feel insecure, something that she's heard of but never experienced before–or atleast, not from her prior knowledge. Insecurity, to her, feels heavy around her chest, hinting the source to be at the heart. 'I'm jealous.' Teruhashi concluded, looking up and eyes following Saiki and Azumi as they walk towards the cashier.

'I'm jealous of Azumi... I can't believe it... ' Teruhashi snapped out, she was beginning to drown from the negative emotion. She hurriedly entered the store and went to grab a random item from the shelves in the room.

•°●•°●•°●

"Good afternoon, ma'am. Is this everything today?" Azumi filled her lungs with an inhale, ready to say out the words she recited over and over in her mind. "Are you using any coupons for today?"

...

'That... wasn't in the script' The panic lagged longer than usual, dread taking its place within Azumi as it waits to catch up. 'What am I supposed to respond to that again?'

"hah hah, what coupons?" She whispered idiotically, her mouth running faster than her mind.

The cashier looked at the girl in front of them as if they were witnessing a proposal in a public bathroom, eyebrow quirking at an angle. "I'll take that as a 'yes' to the first and a 'no' to the second, ma'am." Despite that, the cashier seemed friendly–or maybe they were just composed because they were still on the job–to continue to put up their smile. 'Ah, another one of those shy teenagers. Makes me wonder about that group of introverts early this afternoon.'

Azumi is ashamed at herself, wanting to be gobbled up by the very floor she is stepping on. She felt the eyes of both the cashier and her companion, and possibly another customer. 'Oh dear, just get this over with. I wanna go home.' From the corner of her eye, she saw Saiki slowly inching away. Azumi felt her chest drop before hearing another set of thoughts near her. 'Oh, so it was Teruhashi-san.' She thought Saiki was avoiding her because she just embarrassed herself a moment ago.

"Oh wow, what a coincidence!" Azumi was too distracted with her thoughts to have heard Teruhashi's, so it came as a slight surprise to see the attention-attracting girl in the same store as her. "What are you doing here, Saiki-kun?" Teruhashi tilted her head a bit to the side, wanting to add pretty points to her interaction with the boy.

The cashier bagged everything and Azumi gave the exact amount of money needed to pay. She turned to her companion, who was looking at her instead of the person who was currently talking to him. 'Come on, I know you don't like her presence, but atleast just say something.' Azumi walked over to Saiki, who was now next to the exit by how much he was subtly walking to get away from any more interactions.

Teruhashi felt Azumi approaching, but was too disheartened at Saiki's reaction to care much–however, she masked her expressions well. Instead, she faced Azumi, giving her a forced smile. "You're here too, Kanasawa-san?" 'No 'Oh'?! I can't believe it! Am I losing my charm?! No, no, that's not possible. But just in case, I should try it on the cashier. Yes... it's because of Saiki-kun, not me.'

"It's a surprise to see you as well, Kokomi-san." Azumi mentally reprimanded Saiki for making her groupmate doubt herself. Teruhashi realized Azumi was talking, snapping out from her thoughts only to catch the words '–well, Kokomi-san'. In response, Teruhashi simply forced out a small laugh. "Anyway, we'll be going now. See you tomorrow." Azumi waved and left together with Saiki.

Teruhashi internally panicked and hurriedly went to the cashier.

...

"What was that about Kusuo-san?" Azumi waited until they were in quite a distance from the store. "You completely ignored her. That was rude, in case you didn't know."

Surprised at her sudden switch of casualty from before entering the store, Saiki took a second to respond. "It's nothing." Simple as that. Azumi shrugged, understanding that he doesn't want to talk about it, and decided to switch the topic, although being a bit skeptical at his relationship with the popular girl.

"You don't really like talking much, do you?" The girl added, having only remembered enough times she heard him talk to count with one hand. "A shame, you have a nice voice." Azumi paid no mind to her sudden compliment, having accidentally said out loud her thoughts.

"Saiki-kun, wait for me!" They heard the exclaim of Teruhashi from a few meters behind them, leaving no room for Saiki to comment on his companion's words. The two stopped walking, but only Azumi turned to see Teruhashi jogging towards them. "It was a real coincidence to have seen you back there" She attempted to initiate conversation, deciding to temporarily ignore Azumi in hopes of getting a response from Saiki.

He ignored her, again, and turned to continue walking. Azumi deadpanned at the male's response. She trailed behind him, encouraging Teruhashi to follow suit. "Yeah, we were just on our way home, when we decided to stop by that convenience store" Azumi said once the pretty girl caught up beside her.

Her words pierced through Teruhashi's mind. "You two live near each other?" She wanted a confirmation to the new information, to which she received a nod. Teruhashi gave a contemplating and slow nod in return.

Saiki glanced behind him to subtly observe Azumi while she talks to Teruhashi. 'If she has powers similar to mine like telepathy, that explains why I've never seen her get startled even once, because she can hear other people's thoughts... including mine...' He returned his gaze to the path in front of him, partially ignoring the conversation happening behind him. 'But if she could hear my thoughts this whole time, why doesn't she respond whenever I try to telepathically talk to her. She isn't someone to ignore people she knows–atleast, from my perspective. There's also the case of her parents, the whole reason why I got intrigued in the first place.'

'Maybe she doesn't want other people to know.'

'Ah, getting suspicious now, Kusuo-san? I guess it's fine, we are both psychics after all.' Azumi smiled when Teruhashi reacted gleefully at her joke, giggling with a hand over her mouth. 'I'd probably tell him in time... when I don't forget, that is'

==========

It's the first week of summer break, and usually people would go out on a vacation or enjoy the sun outside. However, contrary to what is accustomed by ordinary people, Azumi is seen inside her room. Her fingers are skillfully maneuvering the buttons and joysticks of her controller, playing one of the many games she brought with her from London. Driven by adrenaline, she slowly stands up, eyes glued on the screen.

'Come on...' She was alone in her home, a common situation she has grown used to. Her father was attending to an important patient of his, and her mother was holding an interview for new employees under their new branch here in Japan. Azumi's brother missed her call when she tried a while ago, most likely completing his thesis, as he was on his last year of completing his masterals. 'And... done.'

She sighed, placing her controller down next to the monitor, and raising her fingers to comb her hair. The screen displayed the words, 'Level Complete' in big and bold letters, with confetti sprinkled across the screen to congratulate the player.

Azumi was stretching her arms and back when a bang erupted from within the neighborhood, specifically in direction of the Saiki household. She hadn't expected the noise, having turned on her power-limiter, so she jolted. "what the fuck" She said under her breath, drawing the curtains and looking down on the house next door. Azumi fiddled with her ear cuff, the interior of Saiki's house coming in view, just as she witnessed Kusuo threaten to flick his finger at his father in a sort of joking way–atleast, she hopes it is. 'There's no way Kusuo-san would lead to such murderous ways.'

She continued to watch Kuniharu demand and complain, and Kusuo work to please. Azumi stayed quiet, leaning in her hand as it was propped on her windowsill, letting them solve the problem on their own, until Kurumi found out they were working with the wrong room. 'I stand corrected, Kusuo-san may have already lead to murder when he was at his lowest.' Azumi commented when Kusuo gave such a scary expression, the first she's seen of it coming from him.

'He should take a break.' Kusuo fixed the wall and left the two to deal with the same situation before he was ordered around. Azumi turned around after fiddling with her earring, the sight of her television and controller giving her an idea. 'That's it...'

•°●•°●•°●

"This is my room. There's the shelf for my books and there's the shelf for my video games." Azumi gestured around her room, letting Saiki familiarize himself. She didn't bother showing him around the house except for the bathroom, becasue she thought he wasn't interested in a tour, after all, she invited him for a couple rounds of 2v2 games. 'Hold on... does Kusuo-san even like playing video games?' She faltered on her walk to her monitor, turning to her guest.

"Do you play?" Azumi motioned her head to her console. "I was hoping to refresh my multiplaying skills." She didn't wait for his response before moving to plug in a second controller, having already read his thoughts.

Saiki approached the shelf for games and pulled one from one of the rows. This grabbed Azumi's attention, as she turned to read the title of the game he picked. "You want us to play that?" She asked for confirmation, turning on the screen and consoles. Saiki nodded and handed the case to Azumi. "It's been a while since I last played this, so you just might have a chance to have a win on our first game." She smirked at her words, excited to play with her neighbor.

Her reactions brought a small smile to Saiki's face, he liked the aura she gives off, a change from the two chaotic ones that hang around him. "I guess we'll see" He sat next to Azumi and the opening screen shone from the television.

==========

'If I can get closer to Azumi-san, I can hang out more with Saiki-kun! Then, I can finally hear him say 'Oh' to me.' Teruhashi schemed, walking towards the Kanasawa estate. She held an umbrella, the same one she was using when she first approached Saiki on the sidewalk, to shield her fair skin from the sun.

'Okay, just ring the intercom, Kokomi...' She hesitated, and she wondered why. 'We've been through the plan, just push that button' Teruhashi huffed when her body won't move. She looked around her to see if anyone's watching, and jabbed the handle of her umbrella on the intercom as quickly as she could to avoid any more postponing.

"what the fuck, Teruhashi" Azumi saw everything from the hallway in front of her room, having been from the kitchen to grab one of the coffee jellies she prepared last night.

She loved her first taste of the dessert, so much so that she bought the recipe from the restaurant who used to sell the most delicious of them, having also hired the same chef who created it to tutor her in the making of the decadent dessert. It was one of the times she decided to revel in her parent's riches.

Azumi placed down her cup in her room, before teleporting behind the double doors leading outside. She creaked open one of them, before walking to the gates where she could see Teruhashi smiling through and at her.

Teruhashi waited until she opened the gate to talk. "Good afternoon, Azumi-san! Since I happened to pass by, I was thinking we could hang out today." She beamed, closing her eyes and already expecting what the answer to be.

'By that I guess you mean worrying outside the gate to the point of slamming your umbrella on the intercom'

"H-Huh, um-umbrella? What do you mean, Azumi-san?" Teruhashi nervously asked, a finger scratching her cheek as if it suddenly became itchy.

'Oops, I guess I said it out loud' Azumi resisted the urge to sigh, and to slam the gate and go back to her awaiting coffee jelly, but that's not the issue here. "I guess I kind of saw you in front of my house while I was walking to my room." She pointed at the right side of the highest floor of her house, where her room was generally located. "But it's okay to be nervous, it's natural–"

"I wasn't nervous!" Teruhashi accidentally cut Azumi's sentence, her hand raised to join the other in holding the handle of her umbrella. "I mean—! Azumi-san, you seem more snarky than usual, are you doing okay today?" It was quick of her to change the subject.

The psychic shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry if I seem that way, Kokomi-san. I'm not really in the mood right now." Azumi furrowed her brows, feeling a little apologetic at Teruhashi's efforts, but she doesn't like her intentions at all. "Maybe next time I could accompany you somewhere." She waits for Teruhashi's response before she can close the gate.

"What if we were to go to a café in town?" Teruhashi knew she liked sweets, so she hoped the idea of cake would convince Azumi out of her home. "I know a nice place."

Azumi almost sighed out loud. 'Knowing Teruhashi-san, she won't stop until I hang out with her.'

...

She wishes to be alone in her room, wearing loose and baggy clothes while playing her video games. Instead, she was sitting in a booth, looking out the window while Teruhashi states their order to the waitress. 'It would have been fine if you invited me because you actually like my presence, and not because I'm standing in your way of wooing Kusuo-san.' Azumi knew it would be suspicious to voice out her complaints, so she made sure to keep her thoughts to herself this time.

Once the waitress left to go get their food, Teruhashi faced Azumi. "You look great today, Azumi-san!" She suddenly beamed, trying to start their conversation. When Azumi was about to thank her, Teruhashi continued. "Say, when did you move into your neighbourhood? You haven't talked about that to me yet."

'Might as well just go with it.' Azumi exhaled through her nose. "A few days before our first day of school, our new house renovation finished and we flew here from London after hearing the news." Teruhashi nodded, wanting to indicate that she was listening. "My parents hit it off with Kusuo-san's parents on the same day we moved in. I didn't know he'd be my classmate when school started. It was such a coincidence."

'She's already on first name basis...' Kokomi noted, and just as Azumi finished her talk, the waitress came in with their cake. 'I cant believe they're already this close.' The two of them thanked their server, before continuing. "I see... So, how's your summer break going? Have you gone to somewhere for vacation?"

At the sight of the cake, Azumi seemed to have blurred everything except for the sweet in front of her. She ate her first bite, then her second immediately after. For someone who has a sweet tooth, this is Azumi's first time to have a taste of strawberry shortcake. She was so indulged in her cake, that she hadn't heard of her companion's words.

'She looks kind of cute when she eats sweets...' Teruhashi mentally commented, before realizing her thoughts. 'What–What am I talking about?! She does not–' Azumi saw Kokomi's unmoving form, and grew conscious if her staring.

'Is there something on my face?' She subtly wiped the surroundings of her mouth, nervously smiling at her. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"A-Ah, it's nothing important." Teruhashi waved her hands to add emphasis, before grabbing her own fork. "I was just curious on how Kanasawa Azumi's life goes." She smiled down on her cake, poking a little before slicing.

Azumi looked at Teruhashi, mixed emotions bubbling within her at what to think of the pretty girl. 'She just needs someone to truly call a friend. She needs someone to help her discover new feelings and reactions, which is why she found it hard to cope with Kusuo-san's reaction.'

Azumi returned Kokomi's smile. 'And I guess that's where we are alike; our ignorance, specifically towards unfamiliar emotions and interactions.'

'And I hope we can help each other fix that.'

==========

"Haaah... not again."

Atsuhiro sighed, grabbing the attention of his friend. "Hmm? What's got you down so suddenly?" Kusuke shifted his gaze from one document to another, not bothering to turn and look at his companion.

The two young geniuses sat in swivel chairs in front of their respective desks that enables them to sit back to back. They had their own laboratory that serves as their office as well. Rich enough to afford their own spacious rooms, they decided to share one that is as wide as a whole floor of their building, because as they reason, 'to maximize intellectual cooperation and to minimize little mistakes'.

They may be friends, but their pursuit of technology and intelligence always goes first for them, which is why Kusuke asked 'what was wrong' in light of caution more than concern.

"I missed another one of Azumi's calls." The mention of the girl's name grabbed the attention of Kusuke, who placed down the papers in his hands and turned to watch his friend's reactions. "I guess she called while I was in the Botany department." Atsuhiro had his brows furrowed, guilty of having let down his sister again.

"I mean, she knows we're normally this busy. She's grown used to it by now." Kusuke is never one for sentiment, he lacks empathy for it, but he tried to to comfort his friend, nevertheless. "Azumi knows you're occupied with your research and thesis."

"I appreciate your efforts at consoling me, but this is more than a missed call for me." Atsuhiro placed his phone down, turning but not fully to face Kusuke. "I'm afraid she's gotten used to being alone." He was about to talk more, but stopped. The thought of oversharing plaguing his mind.

"Well, how about you hack into her monitor and talk to her there? You know she's likely to be playing."

Atsuhiro faced Kusuke, looking at him as if he has mutated to grow another head. "Are you crazy?!" Kusuke was about to open his mouth to speak when his friend shut him up. "Don't answer that." He glared. "She might kill me. You know how engrossed she becomes when playing video games."

Atsuhiro turned his back at Kusuke, attempting to get back to work. "You should worry about your own little psychic." He changed the topic. "Your design for his power limiter is horrible. Change it."

Kusuke laughed at this. "What, you don't like his antennas?"

"They were so hideous, he went as far as mind-controlling people to think it's normal."

"Oh well"

==========

"Ah, Kuu-chan. Azumi-chan stopped by a while ago and wanted me to give you this."

Kusuo walked towards his mother as she holds up a colorful paper bag. He furrowed his eyebrows lightly, taking it from his mother's hands. For some reason, he couldn't see through the material of the paper, but soon remembered it was from Azumi. "Thanks." He opened the bag after untying the ribbon.

'Hmm?' Kusuo's eyes widened, he raised the clear container than encased the most lavish-looking coffee jelly he has ever seen to make sure he wasn't imagining anything. The plastic had lightly fogged, most likely because the dessert was straight from a refrigerator. There were two more of the coffee jelly in the paper bag, together with a note. Kusuo placed the dessert he was holding down to read the letter.

'to make up for the coffee jelly you gave me last time...

not to brag or anything, but I made these myself B-)'

He appreciated her efforts greatly, smiling to himself as he scooped a spoonful of his coffee jelly, and Kusuo was in bliss.

'Delicious.'

----------

|A/N|

a long chapter after a long wait. however, if you want updates a day early, I draft my work at ao3, then follow-up with the rest of the platforms I post this story.

my humor cannot match up to the anime's because it's filled with angst and sadness, but I'll do my best :)))

discuss plot holes of "erratic heartbeats" with me! @ the link in my bio.

#fluff...?#original character #reverse harem #saiki kusuo no psi nan #saiki kusuo no psi nan cast

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