#I just think more drama leads should get to sleep around a lil before the hero gets his shit together!

[micamicster]

I am literally always rooting for the heroine to fuck the second lead like I could think she and the lead are made for each other madly in love and I’ll still be like yessss girl get some

[jincherie]

fox rain | five

• ☽ — pairing: bts x reader • ☽ — genre: crack, fluff, angst, college/uni au • ☽ — words: 9.9k+ • ☽ — rating: sfw • ☽ — warnings: stop two on the angst train express!!! not as blatant, more reading between the lines here...... have fun! • ☽ — notes: bros... it’s only downhill from here. cowa-fucking-BUNGA amirite cowboys???????!?!?

— posted; 18.09.2020

When the love letter you wrote and submitted as an assignment is leaked to the entirety of your university, it becomes a race against time to dispel rumours and convince the seven suspected muses of the poem that they aren’t the subject before anyone realises that you are the author. Easy, right? Well… maybe not as easy as you think.

— • masterpost | prev. | five | next • —

You lay in a sort of placid, bewildered shock, the kind that is sourced from confusion as opposed to an unpleasant surprise. After waking to blearily turn off your alarm before it blasted through the entirety of Dancing Lasha Tumbai, you’d unlocked your phone to find this curious set of messages from a number you haven’t saved. You’ve been lying in place for several minutes as your tired, wired brain slowly kicks into gear and attempts to debunk the mystery. After another unsuccessful few minutes of staring blankly at the screen, you’re saved from impending cranial combustion when your phone lets out a delightful little tinkle and another message hastily joins the others.  

Ah, that makes so much sense now! Except it doesn’t. Actually, it kind of adds to your bewilderment. Taehyung… is texting you? You don’t think you’ve ever in your life had any correspondence with him that didn’t either take place in the presence of Jimin or under the influence of alcohol… also in the presence of Jimin, now that you think of it. You haven’t really interacted with Taehyung outside of Jimin. So it is particularly odd to wake up to a series of messages that are from him, and pertaining to such an odd topic. You’re still so tired you can’t even fathom what would warrant a text from him. Maybe you dropped something at one of your tutoring sessions and Jimin asked him to give it back to you? It would make sense, since after the rollercoaster of a ride the last week has been for him (in particular, the questionable events that took place at the hands of one Kim Seokjin but somehow ended up with Jimin and Hoseok making up? You don’t really understand it but you’re not even going to bother to try to at this point) he has ended up a little preoccupied.

Tapping the screen when your inactivity leads it to go dark, you take a moment to scrounge a response from the empty barrel bottom that is your brain. Once satisfied, you drop your phone onto your bed and flop yourself back to the position you’d been in before your own alarm woke you so rudely. Technically, you don’t have to be up and about for another hour…

With faith that your additional hour of sleep will revive your ability to think, you allow yourself to slip somewhat self-indulgently back into sleep and pass the fuck out like a woman who has spent the night trying to forget.

(Which you are, and did do, except with maybe a little less alcohol than what that sentence implied.)

X     X     X     X

 It has been almost a week since the unfortunate end to that tutoring session on Monday, and while you’ve managed to stay off social media enough that you haven’t triggered yourself by accident in the entirety of that duration, every time you come on campus it’s like for however many steps forward you took, you take double the amount backwards. University students are such gossips! Well, the jobless ones are, anyway. The students that work and study are too busy dragging themselves around campus in a stunning rendition of the undead from various media to be bothered with the latest plot twist in the resident school drama. Which is to say, there has been no twist. The population is still shamelessly up Sera’s ass in the belief that she is the author of the poem, and as has become the norm you find yourself resisting the urge to hunt the bitch down and go in for round two on her face. Surely, your self-control has earnt you the title of a saint by now.

You’re blasting some angsty shit on the way to your music history class and pretending you’re in a music video for some indie band (it’s cathartic, and you will argue that fact to your grave), when you make it a few steps past the entrance to the food court and have the absolute living daylights scared out of you. Thudding footsteps reach you through your earphones and two hands clamp on your shoulders to halt you in place and spin you around like Barbie Ballerina.

“You’re a disgrace!” It’s Seokjin who has halted you in the middle of the hallway, every bit as dramatic as you’d come to expect. “You skipped drama class? And you call yourself an acting major, PSH!”

Yanking your earphones out, you nail the tall, pink-haired idiot with a glare. Very bold of him to be approaching you after you nearly chopped off Lil’ Jinnie barely a few days ago for his bastardous antics. Perhaps he’s getting a bit big for his glittery pink rainboots.

“First of all, will you please listen to me when I tell you I’m not an acting major?” Unfortunately, when you speak your voice comes out more exasperated and less threatening than you intended. “Second of all—very bold of you to be approaching me right now. You’re lucky you escaped with your life, you meddling bastard. You want me to bite the rest of your dick off?”

“You should know by now that I take that as a compliment,” Seokjin sniffs, haughtily, ignoring the latter part of your threat. “And do you know how boring it is for me to crash your class when you’re not even there? No one threatens me like you! It’s getting harder and harder to get it up these days, you know. I need a hit of the good stuff.”

For a moment you’re simply stunned into silence, staring at him and wondering just how and why he seems to have been sent here with the sole mission of making you want to kill him and then yourself. Nothing you could think to say really is enough, so you settle on simply turning and walking away.

Of course, you forgot that no one turns their back on Kim Seokjin and gets away with it.

“YAH!”

You wince—you think he actually just broke a sound barrier, or maybe your eardrums— or both. Seokjin quickly scrambles to place himself in front of you, arms out. His eyes are wide in something you suspect he thinks is a puppy-eyed look, but actually comes across more like he’s trying not to shit himself.

“Promise me you won’t skip drama again!” Seokjin says, pointing a finger at you in borderline accusation. When he doesn’t see your expression budge, he quickly changes tactics. “If not for me, the most charming prince in the story of your life, then at least for Jungkook, that poor virgin—”

You blink, distracted for a moment by what he said. “Wait, Jungkook is in my drama class?”

“’Wait, Jungkook is in my drama class?’” Seokjin repeats in a voice a few octaves higher than your own. “Listen to you, not even knowing who is in your own class. For shame! But have no fear, since you clearly skip so much I will happily extend my generosity and take you under my wing. Tutelage fee starts at $55 with an extra $5 for every question you ask that I don’t know—”

“Do you ever actually hear yourself talk?” you ask, feeling your will to live draining out your ears. “Like, the shit that comes out of your mouth? Do you hear it? Because—wait, are you saying you would charge me for questions that you don’t know the answer to?!”

Seokjin shrugs, “It’s a little unorthodox, I know. But—”

“I would literally be bankrupt! Thousands—no, millions of dollars in debt!” You exclaim, grabbing him by his stupid big shoulders and shaking him about. “Do I look crazy to you?!”

“Oh, what, you think you can do better?!” Seokjin demands, voice wobbling from your shaking. “What’s 2x2?”

“Fucking four!” you wail, releasing him in your despair. You can’t do this, your day only just started and you are not exhausted enough to micronap while he talks like usual. “I’m leaving, don’t follow me. DELETE MY NUMBER.”

“Haha jokes on you!” you hear Seokjin holler from behind you, voice rapidly growing quieter from the speed that you’re powerwalking away. “You never gave me your number!”

You make it to class barely on time due to Seokjin acting as one of the biggest inconveniences in your life, and while you manage to push him from your brain for the duration of it, you wish you could say that is the last time you see him,

It’s probably the fact that you busted his ass being a weirdo with Jimin and Hoseok last week that has him so…. attached this week, you suspect. You’re at your third Seokjin encounter for the day and you’re honestly considering whether you should trip to the campus pharmacy and look for some pepper spray, or maybe an umbrella. Pepper spray would be more effective, but the umbrella…. You can’t argue against the satisfaction it would provide.

You’re trying to sneak your way into a library on the Arts side of campus, one you don’t usually go to, so you can study without worrying about going absolutely batshit insane in the presence of Seokjin. It was hard, but you think that you’ve finally managed to shake him. What on earth had him so determined to tail you today? Was it seriously because you skipped your own class? Nutcase.

You peek your head around the corner looking not only for Seokjin, but for another thing you had happened to notice every time you were ambushed. You have yet to determine whether the glimpse of phenomenally bright floral print right before Seokjin pounces you is causation or correlation, and it makes you a bit nervous. Cautiously, like timid forest animal, you creep around the corner and begin to make your way into the building, eyes flicking from the library door right at the end to the rest of your surroundings. The café coming up on your right tempts you greatly, but you know it is too great of a risk. Out in the open, you’d definitely be seen.

This area is almost like a courtyard, an undercover area between three separate buildings. With a looming cement and glass ceiling, though, it feels like a building of its own. The library sits nestled in the corner of the largest building, and although it isn’t very wide, it spans several floors. You plan on going to the highest one and hiding in a corner near a window.

You’re close, so close to reaching the library in fact that you’ve fallen into a false sense of security. By the time you register the sound of pounding footsteps approaching behind you, for the second time today, it’s too late.

“Ah, y/n! Wait!”

Instinctively you prepare to burst into a sprint to get away, but at the last second stop yourself. That doesn’t sound like Seokjin… that sounds like—

“Taehyung?” you ask, turning in surprise as the boy comes to a screeching halt in front of you, bending with his hands on his knees as he attempts to catch his breath.

“I’ve… been trying….” he huffs, “To talk to you…. all day….. hah…Why are you so….. good at running away?”

He looks absolutely wiped out, cheeks red and sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. You’re just beginning to feel guilty when you notice his shirt, the bright floral print that you literally don’t know anyone else bold enough to wear, and you realise he’s really not lying. Poor Taehyung, just like you he has fallen victim to—

“That Seokjin bastard,” you say, completing a quick scan of the area to make sure the mention of his name didn’t somehow summon him. “He’s been harassing me all day. I’ve had to really up my game. By the way… are you okay? Please breathe… also what did you want to talk to me about?”

Taehyung straightens, eyes closed as he attempts to control his breathing. One of his hands comes to sweep the ashy hair from his face, the ends slightly damp with sweat.

“I’m fine,” he says, sounding slightly like he’s about to pass out. You prepare to take a step forward and catch him if he does, but he opens his eyes in the next second and shoots you a dopey smile. “I’m fine! Apparently just… whoo… really out of shape.”

“Your sacrifice is not in vain,” you say, smiling when he lets out a sudden laugh. Another shaky breath rakes past his lips before he straightens, eyes blinking a little wider. “Ah, right. I was looking for you because, um… you didn’t respond to my text… and I needed to ask you something that’s a little time-sensitive…”

“Your text…” you wrack your brain, sure that you remembered responding to it this morning in bed. Your mouth shifts into a wince, though, when you can recall writing a response, but not actually sending it. “Oh. I am so sorry, I’m an idiot. I was kind of half asleep when you texted, and I swear to god I typed a response but I think I fell asleep again before sending it…”

There is not a shred of accusation on Taehyung’s pleasant features, lips instead slightly curled in a smile. “That’s fine,” he chirps, rocking on the balls of his feet for a moment. “I do it all the time too. I’m just glad I caught you.”

You return his smile, before a thought that had been nagging you earlier returned and you acted on the urge to voice it. “By the way…. How did you get my number?”

Your question seems to be unexpected and, for some reason, flusters him slightly. He reaches to scratch the back of his neck, averting his gaze for a moment. “Uh, Jimin gave it to me. It was for something stupid a while ago but I never needed to use it.”

You raise your brows at what he said, but get the feeling he’s not going to elaborate. Instead, you remain quiet and wait for him to continue his thought from earlier. He shuffles on his feet, returning his gaze to your own. “Anyway, the reason I was trying to catch you all day was because I wanted to ask you something…”

“I know it’s not really any of my business, but I kind of noticed, and Jimin mentioned lightly that things haven’t been, uh…. great for you lately.” He doesn’t even give you time for that statement to sink in amongst your shock, continuing without pause despite the way his cheeks begin to flush, “And, uh, my exhibition is this Friday, and I was gonna go with Jimin but he double-booked himself with Hobi, so now I have no plus-one and I was wondering… if you wanted to go?”

When you simply stand there, dumbfounded, he clears his throat awkwardly, fiddling with the cuffs of his button-down. “To um, you know, take your mind off things… maybe… you don’t have to, of course, but I just thought I would—”

Snapping out of your stupor before he can take back the invitation, you hastily step forward and outstretch your hands. “Oh, no I would love to go! This is really—” you clear your throat, trying to ignore the light sting of your eyes “—sweet of you. I’d like to go, if it’s ok. You’re sure Jimin doesn’t mind…?”

Taehyung seems shocked, and you suspect he might have thought you would turn down the invitation from the way his eyes seem to light up. Have you really been walking around campus looking like that much of a gloomy bitch? You need to check your facial expressions when you get home this afternoon.

“He won’t mind,” he says, waving his hand excitedly. “Great, perfect—um, here is the little info sheet. I’d stay to tell you more but my class actually started a few minutes ago, so…”

“Oh!” you exclaim, taking the sheet from his hand before waving him away. “Go! Go to class! I’m sorry I made you late! Thank you for this, by the way!”

He seems slightly dazed at your enthusiastic thanks and farewell, but he shakes himself out of it and before he goes he sends you a smile that you can’t think of any other way to describe except dazzling. “It’s no problem, y/n. See you then.”

And then he’s off and you’re left standing alone in the pseudo-courtyard, clutching the exhibition pamphlet in your grip. Your eyes sting ever so slightly, and you can’t help but think how kind of sad it is that one person goes out of their way to think of you in the midst of everything you’re dealing with and you’re so touched you’re nearly driven to tears.

Hormones suck and you want a refund.

 X     X     X     X

 Taehyung was right when he said that what he had to ask you was time-sensitive. 

You hadn’t realised it at the time, but Friday was only a few days away— and in the midst of classes, schoolwork, and everything else, those days went fast.  Before you know it, it’s Friday morning and a panicked glance at the pamphlet Taehyung had given you reveals that the exhibition opens officially around 4:30PM. That works out surprisingly well for you, considering your last class ends at three o’clock and you can easily reschedule your session with Hoseok and Jimin. 

There’s a lot about the invitation you haven’t gotten to really dwell on, and that continues to be the case as the day flies before your very eyes. By the time your music theory class comes to an end and you finish scribbling down the last few lines of note from your teacher, the event is even closer than you anticipated. From your recent examination of the pamphlet, you’d found earlier that Taehyung’s exhibition is being held at a small university-sponsored gallery downtown. It shouldn’t take you too long to get there from your house, and on the way home after packing your things, you plot out the route you’re going to take. It’s about a twenty minute trip, as you discover, since there is by some stroke of luck a bus that goes straight there from a street just around the corner from your own. Taking that into account, you should have around forty minutes or so to get ready. 

Considering you’re one of many poor university students populating the area, it’s not often you actually put the effort in to get dressed up. Around these parts, there is a distinct culture of sweat pants and comfortable tops and more often than not a socks-and-slides combo, something you take part in more often than you’d like to admit. Still, you feel that considering the nature of the event you’ve been invited to and what you know of Taehyung’s works, you should probably be putting in much more effort than usual. 

While you might act like a slob sometimes, this isn’t actually a problem— even goblins like you can have a stash of decent clothes somewhere in their cave. Yours happen to be pushed to the back of your closet on hangers that haven’t seen the light of day in months. What can you say? University takes its toll in mysterious ways. 

Standing before your closet, eyes boring into the portion that’s been held in its depths for longer than you can remember, you wonder which way you should go with your outfit. Exhibitions are fancy right? Should you dress it up? Logic says you should, but on the other hand what if you are the only one dressed up? That would be humiliating. You pause for a moment to think about the type of garb you usually see Taehyung in— you have a feeling that he will probably dress the same way tonight. Recalling his bold, avante-garde taste in fashion is about as helpful as one might imagine, but it does comfort you to know that no matter what you choose, most eyes will likely be on him anyway. 

Comforted by that fact, you make up your mind and pull out a set that isn’t too over the top, and won’t make you look like a rat. Once you’ve slipped into those, you freshen up and wash your face, trying to make yourself seem a little bit more alive afterwards and not like you had an 8AM class today. You’re successful, to a degree, but you’re a little tight on time so you can’t really dwell on it. Feeling your stomach rumble as you grab your bag and key, you can only hope that this exhibition has free food.

x — x — x

“Ah, y/n! You’re here! You… you look nice.”

You were so busy staring at the large, shiny building before you that when Taehyung’s voice rings out in greeting, it startles the hell out of you. You don’t even register what he says before you’re pointing with eyes and mouth wide open, “Your exhibition is in there?!”

His expression of surprise melts into one of amusement, a laugh tumbling from deep in his throat. You don’t even notice the way his cheeks are flushed ever so slightly as he meets your gaze.

“Fancy, right?” he says, wagging his brows. “Some loaded alumnus who actually enjoyed his university experience practically donated it to them. So now they use it for, uh… for most exhibitions.”

“For the best ones, you mean,” you say, your grin widening when he scratches the back of his neck, bashful and blushing. “But yeah, damn. I was expecting it to be nice but I wasn’t expecting it to be this nice.”

Taehyung laughed again, clearing his throat. As he takes a moment to collect himself, you let your eyes scan over his form. The second you do so, you feel a foreign flutter in your stomach, heat flushing to your face. There is truly no other way to describe his choice of outfit for today except for painfully boyfriend. Perhaps on anyone else it would look a little less than presentable, but on Taehyung’s model-esque form the loose chestnut pants and an oversized leather jacket over a boldly patterned shirt work wonders. How does he look so effortless yet so…?

If you’d attempted to wear something like that you’d end up looking like the local court jester. Perhaps you should just make peace with the fact that God has favourites and Kim Taehyung is clearly one of them. 

“It, um. It started a few minutes ago, shall we head in?”

Taehyung offers you his arm, a gentlemanly move that completely contrasts the boyish grin on his face. Ignoring the sudden sensations in your abdomen, you make a show of curtsey-ing before you take it, eliciting a laugh from your company as the two of you head to the entrance and the full exhibition experience begins. 

As soon as you enter there is someone by the door, who seems to be at the very least taking note of how many people enter, a table with flyers and booklets beside him. Taehyung parts from you only to move over and grab a few, brandishing them as he returns with a bright grin.

“Here is all the information about the event, madame,” he says, with an extremely exaggerated air of grandeur, presenting one of the flyers with a flourish. You take it, unable to help your soft snort.

“I would have thought I had something better, what with the very artist behind the event accompanying me,” you say, grinning when you see his cheeks turn an endearing pink as he flashes a bright, boxy smile. 

“True,” he returns, folding the other flyer and slipping it into the pocket of his jacket. “You can’t ask a flyer questions in real time. Anything that crosses your mind, you can ask straight to the source.”

“Oh? Then, may I enquire as to what the theme of this exhibition is?” You’re enjoying the playful air that drifts between you now, unable to rid your face of the smile currently displayed on it even if you wanted to.

Taehyung’s eyes flick to you, a lopsided smile tugging his lips to accompany the sly accent to his gaze. “Ah, a tough one right off the bat. I think telling you straight-up would be too easy. Let’s see if you can try to guess it as we walk through.”

You turn to him with an affronted look, having expected him to easily supply you with the answer. Taehyung is a little cheekier than you remember. You snap your mouth shut, cheeks heating when you notice he has offered his arm to you once more. Taking note of the other people in the room walking around in a similar manner, you slip your arm through his and try to ignore the way you feel your ears light on fire.

“Okay, you’re on,” you respond, if a few moments too late. He doesn’t comment on the delay, simply sending you a smile that you can’t quite decipher the emotion behind. You don’t get to dwell before the two of you are off, beginning on your journey through the building and starting on your tour of the exhibition. 

You’d kind of always known that Taehyung was talented, considering he managed to make such a name for himself on campus in such little time with such ease. Hell, he’s well-known enough to have made it onto the list of suspects for the muse of your poem. Still, this knowledge is only compounded the further into the building you go and the more of the exhibition you see. Taehyung is truly talented, the images blown up and displayed on the wall each capturing a certain emotion that you don’t have a name for, yet is so familiar that each time you see a new one it gives you pause. Viewing his works, seeing into this part of him and witnessing this bit of his soul he has bared, you can’t help but feel a slight sense of kinship. 

It’s something that rests in the space between your lungs and diaphragm, something that tickles but also something that aches. You do know this feeling, so familiar yet so out of touch and far from the tip of your mind’s tongue. You do try to guess the theme of the exhibition as you go, throwing out the occasional dumb guess to elicit a laugh— he always laughs, and it always makes you smile— but you don’t quite manage to pin it. 

“The five senses,” you shoot into the dark, standing before an image that has made you stop and stare for a good five minutes now. It’s not quite black and white, and it’s not a particularly unique image— but something about the composition, something about the movement in the two hands that are so close yet so far from actually touching, speaks to that hidden part of you. The way one of the hands simply hangs, unbothered and neutral, but the other, the one slightly closer to the foreground, has fingers ever so slightly outstretched, reaching but never quite committing to the movement and the unspoken consequence of the hinted action. 

Of course, you know the answer even before Taehyung says it. He laughs, hands in his pockets, “Nope, ddaeng.”

“This is hard,” you whine, without much heart behind it. The smile stays on Taehyung’s face.

“Whatever. You’re smart, I know you can guess it. It should be easy, for you.”

The compliment catches you off guard, and you have to turn away so that he doesn’t see your cheeks warm. The two of you had parted when you caught sight of the snacks table; you’d been prepared to abandon him and make a beeline over, but Taehyung had surprised you by marching over himself and coming back with a loaded plate. He’d confessed with a sheepish smile that he hadn’t had lunch, and really you were in no place to judge since you hadn’t either. By this point in your journey, though, the plate is almost empty. There’s only two tiny cupcakes left and you’re letting the rest of the things you scarfed down settle before you go in for more. 

Perhaps it was a little dangerous, coming here with Taehyung. He looks so fine, even while shoving sweets in his mouth, that you spend about the same amount of time looking at him as you do at his artworks. It takes all of your willpower to tear your eyes away every time you catch yourself looking at him and admiring the truly boyfriend fit he has donned for this occasion. Every so often he will simply stand before one of his works, scrutinising it with a fresh perspective and ever-criticising eyes, and the sight of it will make something nameless and foreign well within you. You don’t quite know what to do with it, so you ignore it. Or at least, you try to. 

It feels a little too similar to what you know of yearning. It leaves you confused.

You stop not long after in front of another piece, this time a combination of three images that act as separate snapshots of smaller parts of a larger image. You admire the way he has set it out, revealing not too much but just enough that the viewer gets a sense, a feeling, but isn’t confronted with the message. It allows everyone to take their own sensation from it. You like that a lot about his works— he doesn’t tell people what to feel as they view his images, but merely hints, prompts and nudges. He sets the stage and allows people to take what they need, see whichever bits draw their eye most and spell meaning from elements of their choosing. He’s talented, you find yourself marveling again, so incredibly talented.

But still, you can’t put a finger on what the theme is.

By the time you make your way completely though the exhibition, having doubled back at a few points to look again at a select few of the pictures, you’re still no closer to guessing. It has you deep in your thoughts as you stand outside, waiting for Taehyung to return from thanking one of the guests who had recognised him for coming. 

“Guessed it, yet?”

You turn, pinning him with a look that you hoped didn’t look as dumb as it felt. “Leave it with me,” you say. “I’ll figure it out eventually.”

At your words, Taehyung laughs— it’s one of the full-bodied ones you’ve come to enjoy, where he throws his head back a little and shakes his hair back into place after. You have to snap yourself out of it before he catches you staring. 

“I’m sure,” he says, unable to keep the cheeky grin off his face. It does slip ever so slightly though, just for a moment, as you watch a thought cross his features. “By the way…”

You tilt your head, waiting for him to continue. You feel an odd combination of at-peace, and unsettled. Holistically, this is the most at-peace and relaxed you’ve been in weeks. However, when you take a moment to tune into the inner machinations that make up your being… something in this exhibition has reached into your insides and fiddled around, moving things where they shouldn’t be and touching things that aren’t meant to be touched. It’s odd, and you acknowledge that it gives you quite a bit of cognitive dissonance. Even so, you’re calm enough that you have no trouble being patient while you wait for Taehyung to continue and say what he seems so nervous to say. 

“Um, I know I initially only asked you about coming here, to the exhibition…” he begins, reaching to rub the back of his neck in what you recognise to be one of his nervous ticks. “But, I actually have these vouchers I won in a competition a while ago for a paint-and-sip session that are about to expire, and I was wondering… would you like to go? Now, I mean. Since they actually kind of expire tomorrow. Unless you’re busy, because if you are that’s—”

You decide to put him out of his flustered misery, reaching to nudge his arm. “Of course, that sounds fun! Plus, you were right the other day; I could really do with the chance to relax. Thank you, for all this. I really appreciate it.”

It takes a second for your words to register, but when they do the most blindingly bright smile spreads across his face; he’s practically beaming at you. 

“Of course,” he says, with barely a moment’s hesitation. “I’m really happy you agreed to come— I’m glad you said yes to the paint-and-sip, too, because it’s one of my favourite places. Come on, let’s get going. If we get there at just the right time, we can get a really good seat, hopefully by the window.”

The journey continues, Taehyung leading you through the city while chatting easily all the while, a stunning twilight cityscape backdrop and the gentle glimmering surface of the river meandering through buildings providing the perfect scenery. If you had a little more faith in your artistic ability, you might try and paint the image you see now; Taehyung in the colours of dusk, soft and natural against the bright lights and harsh lines of the metropolitan landscape. But alas, you aren’t as talented as the man besides you, and you don’t even want to think of how it would turn out if you attempted to paint such a thing. You quickly throw the thought from your mind before it can linger and get up to more trouble than it’s worth. 

“Here we are!” Taehyung’s cheer breaks you out of your stupor, bright smile directed your way once more as he stops in front of a large establishment with long strips of window and a colourfully sewn awning. 

‘Brush & Bar’, the cursive, neon sign reads above the door, flickering between soft pink and peach orange. It’s an interesting aesthetic the place has going on, but when you look over and catch sight of Taehyung once more it suddenly makes sense why he likes it so much. The style of this place is very similar to some of the more outlandish things he tends to model around campus. Before your reverie lets you remain abandoned outside, you hurry to follow after the ashy-haired boy, grabbing the back of his jacket when you almost trip over the door frame. He spares a look over his shoulder to make sure you’re okay before he continues, moving towards the counter and smiling with more charm than you can personally handle at the staff member there. 

It’s a woman, who you suspect is in her mid-thirties, and she is pretty enough that it takes you by surprise when she rolls her eyes heavily at Taehyung’s approach. 

“You again, boy?” she asks, though it sounds more rhetorical than anything and you catch the slightest tinge of humour accenting her words and it soothes your hackles. “Don’t you ever get sick of hanging around here?”

“Nope!” 

She cracks a smile, lines appearing at the edges of her eyes. “Well, I suppose that’s a good thing. We’d miss you an awful lot if you ever stopped showing up here.” Her eyes flick ever so slyly to you, and then back. “Say, is today the day you’re finally gonna make good on those vouchers you won? I know you said you were waiting for the right chance to ask that g—”

“Yes!” Taehyung cuts in loudly, eyes wide and cheeks flushing darkly. “Yes, yep! I brought the vouchers! They do expire tomorrow after all!”

The woman, Bora as you now see from her nametag, simply smiles, something sly about the action intriguing you. Taehyung clears his throat, reaching to scratch the back of his neck sheepishly. “So, um… I will use them now. Is the window seat free…?”

Bora nods, a fond curve to her lips now as she rummages around behind the counter and takes the offered vouchers from Taehyung to punch holes in them. “Your favourite spot? Of course. I had a feeling you were coming, too, so I’ve already gone and set it up with some canvases and acrylics.”

She hands the vouchers back, and Taehyung slips them into the pocket of his jacket.  “Paintbrushes and jars are in their usual place, and I know you don’t normally drink while you’re here but if you’d like some tonight just take your order up to Kyungsoo. Oh! And tonight’s special for snacks is tea cakes, so definitely make the most of that. There are some good ones in the display.”

At the mention of food and alcohol, your gaze had already started to wander on its own— you catch sight of the display of cakes and other sweets and feel your mouth water. Ridiculous, since you were kind of full before, but what can you say, you’re a complicated woman. Lots of layers, not unlike an onion. The thought almost makes you snort.

With a gentle nudge to your arm, Taehyung is bringing you back to the present moment and leading you over to the window, where a medium-sized table has been set up with two square canvases and a basket of paint bottles, palettes leaning to the side. Taehyung instructs you to take a seat, informing you with a smile that he’ll grab some paintbrushes and water for the two of you to use. At his suggestion, while he is gone you open up your phone and search for something to paint. Something that’s not too hard and not too easy. Because your skills are… well, they’re not nonexistent but you’re not about to go around tooting your horn in front of someone with actual art skills and talent. Apparently there is usually an image supplied for each night, but Taehyung says it’s not strict and that tonight is one of the nights where all the patrons just have free reign. 

You sort of get distracted part way through the activity, eyes subconsciously seeking Taehyung’s leather jacket amongst the decently filled establishment. It’s really quite nice inside, actually; the walls and general decor are soft and neutral, with pops of colour everywhere that bring each corner and table to life. A lot of the furniture is wooden, natural and polished underneath specks of paint that decorate in layers that tell of time spent well. The lighting is soft with the exception of the bulbs stationed above each table, which are brighter and angled towards where the canvas would be. On one of the walls, the one near the bar, it is completely covered by greenery— vines that, as far as you can tell, aren’t actually fake. A soft, almost jazzy tune filters lightly through the room, complemented by the low hum of chatter and paintbrushes hitting glass. You’re incredibly impressed and, admittedly, you like this place a lot. It has the kind of vibe that just… makes you content. 

“Here we go!” 

You startle at the sound of Taehyung’s low register, looking over to see him placing a bundle of paintbrushes in between the two of you and a jar beside each of your canvases. He takes his seat across from you, smiling brightly. “Did you decide what you want to paint?”

You hum, turning your gaze out the window for a moment to see if it grants you any inspiration— it’s a gorgeous sight, the twilight sky broken by the outline of buildings with glimmering insides, but it doesn’t help much. You don’t know what you want to paint. Of course, there is this big, expanding feeling inside you, the urge to express it somehow filling you to your fingertips, but what do you do with it? You don’t even know its name.

“No,” you answer, reaching for one of the palettes propped up to the side. “But I’ll be okay. Maybe I’ll just see where the vibe takes me.”

The smile Taehyung gives you at that is softer than most, and he eagerly follows suit in grabbing a palette and beginning to set it up; he squirts a big dollop of white, blinking at it for a moment as though he hadn’t intended to put that much. “There are some pencils and erasers to the side there, too. I prefer the moldable one.”

You thank him for his advice, before realising as he puts his own pencil ever so lightly to canvas that he hadn’t told you the subject of his painting. “What are you going to paint?”

“A secret,” he says, leaning around the canvas to grin at you. “Since I don’t know what you’re painting. Let’s swap paintings after, though. I do want to see eventually.”

That makes you laugh, but you don’t bother pushing further. A surprise is nice every now and then, you know. So long as it’s not the kind that ruins your life as you know it indefinitely.

But you’re here to have fun and relax, so you’re not going to get into that. You’re not even going to think about it. 

Taehyung clears his throat, catching your attention immediately. “Right, before we start we should probably order. Did you—”

“No need, my boy!”

Two new figures appear at the side of the table, one a youthful man on the shorter side, the other older and plumper with grey beginning to speckle through his hair. The shorter one places two drinks onto the table, colourful cocktails in a generous glass, and the older laughs before placing down two plates, each with a different kind of cake slice situated neatly in the middle.

“On the house,” the man continues, chuckling at the shocked and somewhat flustered look on Taehyung’s face. “You’ve given us a lot of business so don’t even worry about it. Plus, we heard you were finally making the most of those vouchers so… here’s a little something to start the night off well!”

“...Thanks, Mr Kang,” Taehyung finally manages, shooting them a smile that could honestly give Hoseok’s own a run for its money. “You too, Kyungsoo. Do…. do I wanna know what’s in this?”

He’s gesturing to the drinks, a somewhat fearful look on his face. The shorter man shakes his head, thick brows curved in mirth as his lips twitch into a lopsided smile. “Nope. Tastes good though, so you got nothing to worry about.”

You can’t tell whether Taehyung is relieved or concerned, and so step in to save him a moment of reprieve. “Thank you so much— this all looks amazing!”

Happily, the two men soak in your praise. “I assure you,” Mr Kang says, patting his chest proudly. “It tastes as good as it looks.”

Kyungsoo snorts, but doesn’t disagree. He gives the two of you a small smile. “Right, we should be on our way. You two enjoy yourselves, and if you want refills just come let me know.”

Taehyung nods, thanking them again, and then it’s just the two of you once more.

“Well,” he says, licking his lips and reminding you of a puppy as he stares intently at the slice of strawberry crepe cake, decorated with a generous drizzle of syrup and two fresh, sliced strawberries in a dollop of cream beside it. The other one, a coffee-caramel blend you presume from the heavenly aroma reaching your nose, looks just as good but is nowhere near as successful at capturing his attention. “I guess… let’s begin!”

Whether he meant painting or devouring the food, you end up doing a bit of both. Each mouthful of cake that enters your mouth is announced with an explosion of flavour so rich it lingers long after you’ve swallowed the mouthful down. The drinks, too, are delicious. Fruity but not too syrupy or sugary, you suspect Kyungsoo had used spirits and tempered the fruity flavour with a bit of lemon or lime.

You still aren’t really sold on what to paint, but in the meantime you end up sketching out the flowers that sit on the windowsill a little behind Taehyung. They don’t seem too complicated, and if they end up looking terrible you can just smear the canvas with paint and call it abstract. Of course, part of Taehyung’s shoulder cuts the vase off from view so he’s probably going to end up making an unwitting appearance in whatever mess turns up on your canvas. 

Even though neither of you have any idea what Kyungsoo put into those drinks, you’re sure its something strong. Before long the two of you are already giggly, conversation flowing easily as you put paint to canvas and attempt to make something decent. It’s around the time the two of you are almost finishing your drinks that the conversation takes a delightful turn, which consists of Taehyung telling you about his little fluffball, Yeontan.

“Oh my god,” you say, fingers gripping the paintbrush tight as you try to pet the urge to pet a dog that isn’t even here. “He’s so cute! Look at his grumpy little eyebrows!”

Taehyung laughs, having taken a break from painting to show you his dog like a proud parent. He takes his phone back and slips it into his pocket, paint-flecked hand returning to the brush he’d abandoned. “He’s such a smart dog, but he’s also super dumb. Runs into shit all the time. And there was one time that a friend came over and brought a new camera that he hadn’t seen before—”

Taehyung has to pause recounting the story, he starts giggling so hard. It makes you erupt into laughter as well simply because of how contagious the sound is. “He got so mad, he ran in front of me with his little legs and started barking at it like he was trying to protect me. I love that little dog.”

“I love him too and I haven’t even met him,” you giggle, using your pinky (the only finger you’re sure you haven’t gotten paint on yet) to wipe under your eyes. You don’t think you let a tear slip but you’ve been laughing so much you can’t be sure. 

Taehyung beams at you from around his canvas, brush held midair.  “That’s exactly what Jiminie says.”

That gives you pause. “Wait— Jimin hasn’t seen your dog? But you’ve been friends for ages!”

You catch the photographer smiling as he delivers a few soft strokes to his painting, affection hidden in his tone as he responds, “Yeah, a few years. Since… the last? Second last year of high school? Maybe? It was a wild start to the friendship.”

“Wild?” you echo, intrigued. 

“Yeah. What really kick-started our friendship was this one time I came over while Jimin was really upset about something. I can’t remember exactly how it happened but we ended up at some wack university event nearby. It was boring as hell, and somehow we figured the best way to be entertained would be to commit a mild crime and get away with it.”

Once more, the ashy-haired male has to pause his story to get the giggles out of his system, taking the opportunity to sip a little more of his cocktail. You do the same, not one to pass up much of any drink these days. 

“Long story short, he ended up streaking across the field and earning himself a title at the university as ‘mooncheeks’ or something equally dumb and funny, earnt himself a bit of a nude legacy.”

You pause, the alcohol beginning to slow your mind just enough that it takes a little longer for you to connect the dot between his story and something you’d shoved so deep in the back of your mind years ago that you’d almost forgotten it.

“Wait—” you smack your paintbrush down, eyes wide as an accusing finger is thrown his way. “That was— he ran into me on the way back! Oh my god I almost forgot, that was you two?!”

Taehyung erupts into laughter that is an octave or two shy of being too loud, having to place a hand over his chest to brace himself. He’s nodding wordlessly, eyes pinched shut, and it’s probably the alcohol making your eyes blur but for a moment you could almost swear he’s glowing.

“Yeah,” he finally manages to articulate, wiping a stray tear or two from his eyes, sniffling. “It cheered him up, though, so I think it’s worth the potential trauma.”

That makes you laugh, another sip of your drink going down. A lot of the spirits must have settled at the bottom, because this one had a little warmth as it went down. 

The night goes so easily it’s like a dream, the atmosphere and alcohol in combination with Taehyung’s company making you feel much like you did before this whole shitshow, back when it wasn’t so hard to release the tension in your shoulders or to muster a genuine smile. Taehyung happily gets you a few refills, refusing to let you pull out your card— which is probably for the best because you’re not sure where your wallet is and you’re not coordinated enough to look right now.

You’re on the further side of tipsy, teetering on the edge of pleasantly drunk where nothing makes sense but you’re still somewhat coherent, and everything is funny. Taehyung has almost dipped his paintbrushes in his drink instead of the jar a few times, resulting in a long round of laughter and sore stomachs each time. Eventually, you’d moved his drink to the other side of the canvas and he’d offered you a sheepish smile. 

Surprisingly, your painting doesn’t look too bad, either. Currently it has a bit of a blurry, undefined quality to it, but in your current opinion it kind of works for it. Taehyung’s shoulder did end up making a feature and as the two of you talk you find yourself distractedly painting patterns in the ‘leather’, swirls and hearts and hell, even a few triangles. Eventually, you reach the point where you think that you really can’t do anything more to make the painting better in the time you have, so with a contented sigh you place your brush down and instead turn your attention to Taehyung.

Even as he talks to you and wobbles a little in place, he’s still so incredibly focused in his work, in every detail that meets canvas at the direction of his nimple finngertips, that you don’t think you even see his hand shaking while he paints. Which, your hand was— a lot. It’s the main factor responsible for this one squiggly flower stem in particular you can see in your painting.

As you sit there, happily listening and laughing at each anecdote Taehyung offers you about his life, you find your mind wandering a little bit. Back to the exhibition, and the works and even the way you caught him regarding them. You recognise the critical lens that he viewed them through, because it’s one you adopt yourself for your own creations. Something wells in you, an urge to reassure him in case he ever had any doubts about his own talent; you’re far too many drinks in to be in a place where you can stop yourself.

“Taehyung,” you begin softly but seriously, with minimal slur. He doesn’t stop his motions, but you see him pause for the briefest moment before humming in acknowledgement. “Taehyung, I have to tell you…”

You’re figuring out how to best word your impression of his works and his talent, but you must take longer than you thought because Taehyung lets out a soft huff, giving you a smile that you can’t quite decipher.

“Don’t worry,” he says, flicking the paintbrush back to rest the wooden stem on his knuckles. “I already know I’m not the muse. You don’t have to worry about convincing me.”

For a second, all you’re able to do is blink. Taehyung simply goes back to his painting, expression neutral and his soft hum brushing your ears beneath the soft melody floating from the speakers. You realise quickly that you don’t know what to say to that, and that the full implications of his words haven’t really sunk in yet. He must have noticed that you’d been trying to go around and convince all the suspected subjects that they aren’t the muse of the poem… you feel oddly ashamed, for some reason. Your cheeks feel hot, and not just from the alcohol flush.

“Done!”

Taehyung’s voice breaks you from your reverie, his cheery smile greeting you once more. “All finished?”

You nod, offering a smile of your own and taking the opportunity to say what you wanted to earlier. “Yep. I’m excited to see yours, you’re so incredibly talented, Tae.”

His smile turns shy at that, a bashful laugh tumbling from his lips as he does his best to clean up his area. You do the same, standing up for the first time in a while and having to reach out and stabilise yourself on the table so you don’t fall. The drinks hit you a little harder than you first thought!

“Thank you,” he finally mumbles a few moments later, collecting the brushes. “I’m excited to see yours, too.”

You let out a short laugh at that, knowing that whatever you threw onto that canvas isn’t going to be able to hold a candle to what he made.

Quicker than you can keep track of, the two of you finish tidying and then before you know it you’re saying your goodbyes to the staff and stepping outside. You shiver at the unexpected breeze that greets you, people along the other side of the street huddling together. It’s a windy night and the breeze carries a bit of a bite.

“Oh, right,” Taehyung starts in place, offering his canvas to you. “Careful, it might still be a bit wet…”

Somewhat mindlessly, you swap paintings with him, smiling brightly before your gaze is drawn to the side. By nothing but absolute chance, it passes over the line in front of a bar popular with students at your university, and you almost blink and move on before your eyes halt in familiarity. At the hands of nothing but stupid luck, there is someone you recognise over there. Yoongi stands, face indicating a loud complaint before it even leaves his mouth, and there are a few others around him that he seems to be with who are laughing as they wait in line.

Your head feels so messy, like the wind has managed to get inside your skull and fling everything about like leaves on the autumn breeze. You’re so distracted in the moment that you don’t see it as Taehyung follows the direction of your gaze, and his expression drops. When you jerk out of your reverie, it’s just in time to see his eyes flicking from your painting, to his, and then back to you.

You’re about to peek at his painting and fill the silence with a compliment, but he beats you to it. Something is different about his expression, and not just because he’s no longer under the warm light of the paint bar. The glow you’d noticed so easily earlier seems to have dimmed a bit.

“Did you figure out the theme of the exhibition?”

At his question you startle, gaze flicking to the side as you try and figure it out on instinct on the spot. You’d completely forgotten to think about it, and considering you spent about as much time looking at him as you did his works while at the exhibition, you can safely determine you’re still nowhere closer to the answer. “Ah… no.”

As though drawn like a magnet, your gaze ends up over in the direction of Yoongi for the briefest second. You struggle to tear it away.

“It’s anaxiphilia.”

Even through the inebriation slowing your thoughts, his words reach you immediately. It’s as though your heart has turned to stone and dropped straight through your chest. That unspeakable, unknown emotion wells and bubbles within you, swelling to twice, thrice its size and blocking words before they can even reach your throat. Your eyes are on Taehyung again, but his are still centred where yours had been— had he also noticed Yoongi? You didn’t know they knew each other...

“Oh,” you finally manage, swallowing down that nameless sensation. Taehyung’s gaze slowly slides back to you, dark eyes full of so much… something, you think it would take you years to unpack and familiarise yourself with it all. 

For a second, the two of you stand with your gazes locked, both of you too deep in your own thoughts to do anything about it. Taehyung is the one that breaks the spell. 

“Well, it’s getting late, I shouldn’t keep you out any longer… There is a bus stop here, and tons of ubers in the area…” His eyes flick away as he talks but return as he murmurs this last bit, “Thank you for coming today. I hope you had fun.”

“Of course I did,” you rush, finally finding your voice amongst the shambles in your head. “Thank you for inviting me, Tae. I really… I really needed this. Thank you.”

He nods, smiling at you, but you notice it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“Please get home safe,” he says, and you nod immediately, making his gaze soften. “See you later.”

“Bye! Thank you again!” you wave, Taehyung turning quick and already a decent way down the street after his farewell. He offers a wave over his shoulder and you catch it just in time before you turn back, gaze unconsciously seeking out the familiar figure across the road. Distantly, you observe that Yoongi is no longer in line for the bar and has switched to the bubble tea place a few stores down.

Taehyung’s exhibition and it’s theme swim through your mind, a sudden impulse welling within you in response that spurs your legs into a motion. You’re about to go across the road in a sudden spurt of something like bravery, but for some indecipherable reason, you stop before you can get more than a few feet. You turn your head, gaze thrown over your shoulder, eyes seeking without an explicit goal in mind.

You catch sight of him just before he rounds the corner and disappears from view— even from the back Taehyung presents a handsome figure, but in the split-second you manage to view him, the most notable things about his retreating form is the slumped curve of his shoulders and the lowered angle of his head. He’s gone before you can blink leaving you for good this time with nothing but your messy head and the one thought that swims to the surface that says after seeing him glow in happiness for the better part of the evening, sadness doesn’t suit him much at all. 

Clutching the painting, your turn back to the front and try and focus on the present for just a minute or two, like whether you’re going to catch a bus or uber it home, but each time you start a new thought it always brings you back to the odd mix of guilt swirling deep in your gut. There’s something else there, the familiar hollow pit of yearning, but for once… you can’t quite tell who it’s for. 

a/n: thank u so much for reading! i really hope it was worth the wait and that you look forward the future parts as fox rain begins to slowly draw to a close!! pls let us know u liked it w a like and rb and screaming in our inboxes is always ALWAYS welcome!! thank u !! love u !! <3

[spiltscribbles]

The One With The Princess Leia Bikini

~Notes: This gets sorta smutty.... :S

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Send Me A Friends Episode/Storyline?  |  Rebogs Ar Love, Reblog Are Life!

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Sirius tosses a glare at an indignant James sitting across the counter from him, affronted on everything he has ever stood for.

“Brooklyn Nine Nine is way better than some stupid, ruddy drama about doctors.”

“Take that back you prick!”

“’S true!”

”Gray’s Anatomy paints the manic  highs and lows of their jobs with dignity and realism.” James argues with an imperious tilt of his head. “The storylines don’t even compare!”

“There was a bomb at their wedding!”

“There was a bomb lodged in someone’s arsehole!”

Sirius opens his mouth to retort, but stutters on his words when one of their ducks steps out of his room, spitting up something green before he  begins to peck at the sofa cushion.

“Good morning Pronsie,” James crows, walking over to cradle him into his arms and kisses the top of his head.

“Mate, you have to stop feeding him the peanut butter, ’s making them crazed,” Sirius tells him sagely  before taking a spoonful out of the jar for himself.

“They’re just demanding,” James sniffs, perking up once Lily walks into their apartment. “You agree, love, don’t you?”

“What?” She asks, single brow kinked as she grabs a bottle of water  from the fridge, still dressed in her athletic wear from her run. “That your ducks are demonic.”

“See!” Sirius shouts.

“They’re just a wee bit ill, poor things,” James says with a cluck of his tongue, gingerly petting Prongs’s feathers and wandering over to Lily for a quick peck to her sweaty forehead.

“Ill in the heads,” Sirius retorts lowly, grabbing for his discarded Guinness.

James casts him a heated glower, never halting his gentle caresses to Prongs’s feathered back. “Maybe I should call Mum, she’d know how to help.”

“Oi, right, because your veterinarian mother has nothing better to do.”

“She likes the marauders wanker!”

“Okay, did not come here to interrupt one of your lover’s quarrels,” Lily sighs, forever suffering, as she loosens and regathers  her  hair anxiously, tying the red main   into a messy topknot.

“Rude,” Sirius and James chorus with the same peeved inflection.

“I’m exhausted you berks! Dorcas has been staying at our place ever since Marlene went on that tour around the continent to find new athletes for the firm to sign.”

“Oof, is it nasty?” James asks, gently placing Prongs the duck to the ground and straightening back up.

“She’s in a real strop over it, yeah. Re’s with her now.”

“Lils, you underestimate Cas,,” Sirius snorts, bending down and giving into Prongs’s silent plea for a snack, holding out a chunk of peanut butter for him to nibble at. “She’s not gonna let something so temporary fuck her up. They’ve been going out for over a year now.” Sirius studiously ignores the little nagging voice in his own head— one that frighteningly sounds like Mrs Potter of all people— Tooting at him that he’d certainly not be this nonchalant if Remus had to go on some research sabbatical in Rome or Athens for half as long as Marlene’s three month stint.

“You are so full of it Black,” Lily sneers, and he really wouldn’t be surprised if she’s somehow secretly found out how to read minds on her downtime from the restaurant.

“Dorcas is a diamond,” James says cheerfully. “I’m sure she’ll be right as rain soon enough.” As if right on queue they hear a booming crash coming from across the hall in Lily and Remus’s apartment. “Or erm— Maybe she won’t?”

"Prats,” Lily mutters lowly before pivoting on her heels leading the way for the three sum to frantically  scramble and follow suit.

Sirius is all levels of confused once they walk in  only to findDorcas starfished flat on the ground with her curls still soaked from what must’ve been a shower and grasping tight to a pink hairbrush. Remus’s standing over her with his hands on his hips, and lips pinched ever so slightly, the face he gets when he’s trying to figure out how to solve a particularly difficult dilemma. And it might be smarmy of him, but Sirius can’t help feeling a little parched when he sees the way Remus’s drenched T-shirt clings to his perfect form— near see-through.

“Is everything okay?” Lily asks as she steps closer, frowning bewilderedly.

“We just had a bit of an incident when Dorcas saw a clunk of blonde hair in the brush  that Marlene shares with her.”Remus explains, excepting the kiss Sirius offers him in hello. “And well, ahem then she found a garment that Marlene had left behind…  And well things escalated.”

“I’m going to be alone for forever,” Dorcas moans, making his point for him.

“I love it when you’re the dramatic one, Cas,” Sirius crows, narrowly dodging the aforementioned brush that Dorcas launches at his head. “Nice aim!”

“Leave me so I can whither away!”

“Nonsense, love, you two will be fine.” James interjects good naturedly.

“Let’s get some frozen yogurt, yeah?  Get your mind off of everything,” Lily suggests lightly, helping pull her up by the hands with Remus, Sirius’s own never leaving Remus’s back pocket.

“Can we go to the place with the jellybean  toppings,” Dorcas asks with a pout, head resting on Lily’s shoulder— dark tresses falling into strawberry blonde.

“Course, sweetheart,” she assures with a glowing smile.

Breathing in deep, Dorcas nods slowly, stretching her neck just slightly so to kiss Remus’s cheek in thanks  before she lets Lily cart her off into her room to get changed.

“I better put the marauders into their crate if we’re going to be out long,” James announces, effectively leaving Remus and Sirius finally, blissfully, alone.

“Is this the part where I tell you that I thought you only get wet when I’m around?” Sirius asks cheekily, rounding on his boyfriend with a smirk already painted over his face.

“You can,” Remus relents with a one armed shrug. “But only if you want to not speak with me for the rest of the day.”

Sirius lets out an endeared huff, head shaking slightly before he dips down to greet him properly. “Morning gorgeous,” he beams,  cupping his hands around Remus’s face before kissing him nice and thorough.

“I missed you last  night,” Remus says, foreheads pressed up against each other as his hands wander up and down Sirius’s back muscles appreciatively, landing on his forearms with a small squeeze.

“I had to concentrate on that proposal for the new  tube stop that Moody wanted by today.” Sirius tips back his head, toes curling ever so slightly at the way Remus is mouthing along the column of his neck, nipping at the hinge of Sirius’s jaw with particular focus.  “And believe it or not Messr Lupin, but you prove a formidable distraction."

“Is that right?” Remus smiles against his skin, pressing him even closer.  “And did you finish all that paperwork, architect Black?”

“Hmm, you’re getting off on this shit, aren’t you?” Sirius can’t help but laugh, especially when Remus pulls back,  blinking up  owlishly at him. “Oh don’t give me the innocent act, gorgeous. I’ve been able to see through that since the first night we met.”

Remus’s face turns a fetching pink, snickering slightly as he presses back up against him. “Can’t. Help. It.” Remus says between another round of peppered kisses on the lobe of Sirius’s ear, the hallow of his cheek and corner of his mouth too. “You’re brilliant.”

“You’re touched in the head, just a ball of hornyness.” Sirius accuses, tugs him close once more and slants their lips together while one hand slings around Remus’s narrow waste and the other begins to knead into his ass muscle. “Shall we take this back to your room? Do this properly without any clothing?”

Remus flushes, fingers toying with the collar of Sirius’s shirt as he swallows down, hard.”Could you— Erm, could you maybe wear those glasses you use sometimes for when you’re reading those long contracts?”

Absolutely preening,, Sirius cards a hand through Remus’s caramel curls, scraping his nails gently against his scalp. “And the professorial kink makes another appearance in the bed ladies and gents.” He announces to the empty room, as if he’s  a twentieth century gameshow host.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a kink, per se.” Remus argues haughtily, cheeks infused red, and teeth sunk into his bottom lip.

“‘S okay gorgeous, I think your swottyness is rather cute.” Sirius goads, pecks Remus’s mouth lightly before dragging him off to his room to finally get at some bare skin. 

“It’s not because I’m a swot that I like seeing you like that,” Remus harrumphs, watching as Sirius sheds off his top before sitting leisurely on the bed, feeling bloody incandescent when Remus mounts his lap, nuzzling his nose against Sirius’s neck with his arms resting against his broad shoulders.

“I’d wager you have dirty librarian fantasies too,” Sirius laughs through the kisses, thrusting upwards so that Remus’s bum bounces slightly against his hardness, fucking miraculous.

“Hah— Hmm,” Remus breathes a bit more laboredly as he settles back down. “And what if I do,” he asks primly, unwittingly making it so a thrill runs down Sirius’s spine with the thought of his boyfriend— the bloke who is most certainly  the love of his god forsaken life— picturing the different ways he wants Sirius— above him and under him, all around him and deep inside of him. And Christ, what a beautiful thought.

“’S not a problem with me goldilocks,” Sirius tells him with a slight catch to his voice, not having expected that the idea would effect him so thoroughly. “Tell me do you like me stern? Maybe you turned in some late books and I had to teach you a lesson.”

“If I’m being honest, love, you don’t talk much in the fantasy,” Remus laughs when Sirius bolts upwards, flipping him so that he’s beneath Sirius and his hair is fanned on the pillow like a gilded halo.

“Fucking lies,” Sirius slips a hand through the hem of Remus’s sweats, unsurprised to find that he’s not wearing any boxer briefs, knowing full and well how Remus prefers to sleep in the nude.” “You love it when I’m waxing poetic about you, and when I’m harsh at you. When I tell you about how your mouth is meant to suck my cock, how I want to put you over my lap and spank that perfect little arse of yours.” Sirius wraps his hand around Remus’s length, twisting it slightly before  starting to pump, absolutely beaming at how he’s already begun to get Remus to get that oh so beautiful glazed look over his eyes, turning him undone with a few strategic touches and perfectly crafted, perfectly illicit mutterings. “When I call you gorgeous and a filthy little slag and when I fuck into you even after you’re already spent.”

Remus’s hips rock up, eyes squint shut when Sirius uses his free hand to thumb at one of his delightfully pink nipples and pinches it for good measure while he quickens the pace of his hand sliding up and down Remus’s shaft. “Tell me how much you crave that, love. How much you love being good for me, how much you love it when I show you how.”

“Sirius— Hold on,” Remus begs, voice coming out in an almost whine— haggard and breathy and high pitched— while both his hands knot into  Sirius’s dark hair, quaking so hard that Sirius knows he’s got him on the edge. 

Tenderly, he dips down his head, lips pressed against Remus’s ear and hot tendrils of breath skirting against his skin. Shh, ‘s fine, baby,” he promises him, stroking him through the climax. “’S okay, just let me take care of you, yeah?”

“Oh God! Fuck! Fuck— Sirius!” Remus chokes out, hips thrusting rapidly as he chases that relief and slumping back once his orgasm quite literally pulses out, coating Sirius’s hand and abs and some on Remus’s jumper too.

“You really are gorgeous,” Sirius tells him with a smile, gingerly kissing the lids of his still shut eyes before grappling for the little baggie of wet wipes they’ve begun keeping in Remus’s night stand drawer for moments like these.

“I hate how you could do that to me,” Remus tells him with heavy breaths as Sirius cleans up, taps his side lightly so Remus rises up his hips and Sirius tosses his pants to the corner, followed by Remus’s now spoiled jumper. He really couldn’t wait to get his hands off of him after a day apart.

“Oi! ‘S not my fault that the thought of me as some stodgy  librarian is what   gets you going, Moonbeam.” Sirius rebukes, pulls up the comforter so that it pools around their hips, while he lies back leisurely with Remus’s head propped up on his chest.

“We’re breaking up,” Remus tells him flatly, tracing small circles against Sirius’s tanned skin, interrupted by intermittent pecks.

“Cruel,” Sirius pouts, still carding a hair through Remus’s mussed curls, can’t imagine ever living without this, not after so many years of never ending yearning and countless almosts and taking one step forwards before being pushed two back so many times that it made them bloody barmy.

But they’re here now. Sirius has Remus in ways he never thought he’d ever want to claim a person— and lets himself be claimed in the same ways right back. Sirius knows Remus and all of Remus’s little quirks—  loves him all the more for it. He knows the way Remus likes his tea when he wakes up at three in the morning and can’t go back to bed, how it’s different from the tea he prefers to drink in the afternoons. Knows the way Remus licks the lip of the mug before every sip. Sirius knows Remus’s favorite book for each of his various moods, and knows that on those quiet days— the ones when Remus doesn’t like talking much at all— that Remus only needs time, needs to know that Sirius’ll be there when he wakes up the next morning with sunlit smiles and kisses that taste like violet skies and cinnamon scones and promises meant to be kept.

And of course Sirius will be there, of course he’d have Remus in any and all ways that he’d let him— He knows it in his bones that Remus feels that same crippling sort of devotion for him right back, knows that it’s a once in a life time sort of ordeal. He knows that he’s grateful for every breath they share with one another.

“”A man could take only so much smugness from his boyfriend,” Remus tells Sirius petulantly, the words belied by how he tenderly kisses his chest.

“No but Remus, darling, tel me. Who makes more of an appearance in the sexy thought time? Librarian me or the image of me in the rugby kit.” 

Remus moves to flip him the bird while he nips at the patch of skin he was just lapping at with quiet reverence.

“Ouch!”

“I hate that I told you that.” Remus fumes, actually embarrassed looking as he pulls away from him.

Sirius is frantic when he circles his arms around Remus’s torso and brings his body  back to lie over his own. “Nah, no, gorgeous,  I like it. Gets me going. The idea that you’re so lost on me that you picture me in those different outfits.” Sirius tells him, pressing a kiss of apology to the temple of his head.

“’S not weird Sirius!”

“Course it’s not baby,” Sirius soothes, hand caressing his side meaningfully.

“You’re bloody fit— you know that! ’s totally normal that I’d wanna wank off to my beautiful damn boyfriend.”

“Completely, no one’s arguing against you, baby.”

“Hmm,” Remus huffs before springing up suddenly, pinning Sirius with a suspicious glower. “So what, you don’t ever picture me like that? In your favorite sorts of fantasies.”

Sirius throws back his head, laughing at how distressed he looks. God he’s in love with such a bellend. “Cor! Remus, me calling you Prince Ponce all those years before we finally just shagged wasn’t simply  because you had a royal scepter  up your arse that I wanted to replace with my  prii—“ Remus shoves Sirius hard enough so he won’t finish that line, and honestly? Valid.

“So what? That’s all?” Remus fumes, settling away from him once more.  “You’ve only ever imagined me as some sorta golden boy you wanted to get your grubby hands on?”

“Course not, love, there’s like hundreds I think of.”

“Like what?” Remus needles, and Sirius feels his cheeks burn scarlet as he has to avert his gaze, knowing precisely what his top fantasy is and too nervous to actually say it out loud.

“Oh c’mon Sirius,” Remus sighs, obviously having read the doubt blotched all over his face. “I’ve seen you piss while eating an ice cream cone in a public beach, and that was before we began even dating.”

“’S not my fault that Marlene got stung by that bloody jellyfish!”

“We’ve crossed the possibility of being embarrassed in front of the other long ago,” Remus continues as if Sirius hadn’t interrupted. 

“Ugh fine,” Sirius grouses, tossing himself back on the mattress. “But you swear not to poke fun?”

“You have my word,” Remus says evenly, and gestures at him to continue.

“Okay— Well you don’t know this because we met so much later. But when Jem and I were younger— back in secondary school, maybe.” He coughs only slightly, gaze razor focussed on where he’s tugging on a stray strand of string hanging off the comforter, feeling suddenly very hot under Remus’s appraising gaze. “We, erm. Ahem. We were really bloody bored this one weekend so we watched the Star Wards prequels, you know. Just because everyone’s seen them and all.”

“Mmm, right. I don’t know where you’re going with this though.”

“I’m getting there tosser,” Sirius harrumphs, still doesn’t meet his hazel eyes, even if he’s a bit brassed off.

“All right, well don’t let me stop you.”

“Right, well— Hah.  You know the Empire Strikes Back,” Sirius asks tentatively.

“Course I do,” Remus nods, faltering just slightly once he pieces it together. “Oh.”

“’S just a thing I’ve thought about since I was like thirteen—“ Sirius explains lamely. 

“And you’d— You’d like to see me in that get up?” Remus asks, voice betraying his inhibition.

Sirius has a mild heart attack thinking of Remus— his Remus— in that golden bikini and doing it just  for Sirius and Jesus fuck he can’t even breathe. “Yeah— Yes, ahem, I would really like that.”

“All right,” Remus says with a nod and Sirius’s not really sure what he means by that. Whether it’s a thank you for sharing or a you have my permission to think of it or what, but he doesn’t get the opportunity to ask when there’s the sound of something else crashing in the background followed by  the muffled curse of a voice that is so painfully Peter that it hurts.

“Right, well let’s see if he’s broken anything, shall we?”

.-

A week goes by.

Sirius never really thinks of the conversation they had, supposes it was merely a passing fancy for Remus to be validated that Sirius has those same heated thoughts about him. (Which of fucking course he does. Remus’s the epitome of what it means to be beautiful. A God damn angel— Of bloody course Sirius is completely lost on him. But hey, it might’ve been just one of those insecurities of his, a hurtle  that needed to be past over for them to proceed in their relationship. So yeah,  whatever.) Sirius doesn’t think of it again.

Though the refrain from that is thrown out the God forsaken window on a typical Wednesday morning in the office, when Sirius gets the Snapchat notification that quite literally turns his brain into a stew of slush.

There’s a meeting with Benedict Carro who’s asked the firm to build his newest golf club in Devon, and Sirius is just collecting some of the charts and preliminary sketches from his desk for the impending meeting with the old git.  So he really doesn’t think much of it when he sees his phone light up with a message from Remus, is expecting it to be a picture of his adorably  scrunched up face or of a new addition to his ridiculous collection of candles, or maybe even of the ducks wandering across the hall like they’re occasionally want to do.

What Sirius most certainly does not expect to see is a fucking photograph of two distinct costumes lying on his bed, and the line “Look what came today,” written on the black bar.

“Mother of God,” Sirius thinks that he might be in the midst of an actual fucking seizure, feels his heart palpitating irregularly and his breaths catching and his insides fucking imploding all at once.

He can’t believe that this is a thing that is happening. That Remus went out and bought them just to surprise Sirius with and now he’s teasing him mercilessly because Sirius’s in love with a wicked fucking mastermind. And just, holy fuck.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

“Mr Black, Mr Carro and his associates are here,” Sirius’s newest assistant— Benjy Fenwick, says in a tone that makes it obvious that he’s been trying to get Sirius’s attention for quite a while now and is about fed up. Sirius is really tempted to flip his phone around and show him a photograph of how insanely sexy Remus is, then he’ll surely understand the reason why Sirius’s been dissolved into a puddle of pure longing for the day to be over. But he ultimately reasons that wouldn’t be exactly appropriate, technically being Benjy’s boss and all, even though they’re nearly the same age.

But yeah— not a good look.

So he hurriedly texts back that Remus is the absolute devil incarnate before shutting off his phone and following Benjy into one of the meeting rooms in the back— trying to muster an air of nonchalance even if the image of Remus in that God damn Princess Leia bikini, is permanently  scorched into his every thought.

.-

“Sirius spent the rest of that afternoon sending admittedly explicit texts to Remus about all the things he wants to do to him that night, and practically sores back to their building when he leaves work.

Thankfully Remus had taken care of getting the place to their selves that night, so all Sirius has to do now is jump around from foot to foot in his room, beyond jittery in anticipation of Remus finally coming out the closet dressed in Sirius’s greatest fantasy of all time.

“Is the music absolutely necessary?” Remus calls out through the closed door.

“Yes,” Sirius says in a tone that’s about two octaves higher than his usual speaking voice, so beyond flustered. “’S for the ambiance Lupin!”

“Oy, if I had known this was such a thing for you, I would’ve done it earlier,” Remus snorts, walking out in a white bathrobe that gives nothing away as he eyes Sirius in the Han Solo outfit he got— complete with a fake blaster pistol and its holster. “You look so cute.”

“You’re a God,” Sirius tells him in aw, reaching a gentle hand over to run through  his dark, tawny curls. 

Remus rolls his eyes, but Sirius catches the smirk he’s wrestling down on his lips. “I love you.”

“I know,” Sirius breathes, padding up closer to him and kissing Remus slow and thorough, a tender hand caressing his cheek.

“God save the queen, that reference  actually did something for me,” Remus chuckles, but Sirius can’t respond, has permanently lost all ability to function or piece together words once he spots how Remus loosens the knot on his robe and slinks it off to reveal miles and miles of bare skin, only slightly concealed by the golden bikini of his fantasies, even complete with purple little frills that dangle off the hips.

Sirius realizes that he must’ve been gaping by the way Remus waves a hand in front of his face, “Earth to Sirius? Is this not how you pictured it? Did I get the wrong model or—“ Sirius shuts him up with a heated and desperate kiss that leaves them both breathless by the time they separate.

“Remus, please, for the love of God, get on that bed and wait for me to decide what I want to do with you."

With a  small grin turning up the corner of his lips, Remus nods eagerly, perching up on the edge of Sirius’s bed and blinking up at him— practically imploring  for Sirius to finally just have his wicked way with him already.

Sirius mildly thinks that he doesn’t deserve such a gift, but gets distracted when Remus separates his legs a little further and he can spot the way his dick is poking out the metallic colored panties, throbbing with anticipation.

“Budge up, I want your back against the headboard,” Sirius demands lowly, and Remus is quick to comply.

On his knees, Sirius shuffles up close enough to clamp his hands on Remus’s inner thighs, pulls them further apart as he smacks a hard kiss to Remus’s mouth, slowly moving to  nose at the edge of his cheek and ear as he tells him in a very quiet, very deliberate tone to keep his hands above his head. “You’re a good boy, baby, so I won’t tie them, but you’re gonna keep them up there and you’re not gonna move them, okay?”

Remus, already completely flushed, nods vigorously. He prefers staying quiet when they get like this— Sirius would ordinarily prod at him a little to get some words out, but he’s far too distracted right now.

He kisses across Remus’s protruding collarbone, thinks of how swan like and gentle his features are. How Remus’s a work of art and how he wants Sirius more than breathing, how that’s splayed all over his face, especially now.  And God, how heady of a thrill.

Sirius kisses down the line of his chest and stomach muscles with slow precision, nuzzles against the material of the bikini before he nearly breaks the left strap trying to get at Remus’s left nipple, teeth grinding and playing with the ball— biting a little harder when Remus whimpers, trying to cant his hips upwards.

Sirius pulls back, pinching his side lightly. “Stay still,” he reproves, excepts it wen Remus quietly apologizes, ducking his head down to the other nipple now, his hands tenderly petting against Remus’s sides as he sucks on it with the same ferocity.

“Sir—Sirius, please,” Remus begs from above him, head tossed back to show off the long trail of his beautiful neck.

“You’ve been teasing me all day, baby,” Sirius tells him in a voice that’s barely above a whisper, beginning to mouth against the light feathering of pale hair that runs down Remus’s torso, leading to his dick.

“I’m sorry,” Remus tells him, bottom lip worried between his teeth.

“Shh, it’s ok, I got you,” Sirius kisses the point right beneath his naval, and he ducks down to what he was trying to get at in the first place 

“Turn around,” he tells him, words clipped. “ON all fours.”

Remus looks relieved to finally be able and do something as he tells him “Yes,” and flips over,  already rigid with anticipation.

“You’re so good for me, baby,” Sirius tells him, places a hand on the small of Remus’s back for leverage as he kisses the smattering of freckles that dance over  Remus’s thighs. God he has such amazing thighs, strong and elegant and Sirius’s favorite thing is when he gets to kiss them like this, to nip at them and hear the little, abrupt inhale that Remus sucks in at the touch. “Stay good for me, okay,” Sirius tells him as he takes his hands and he spreads open Remus’s asscheeks, revealing the little, dark hole Sirius has spent many a night moaning exaltations towards.

Softly, and with hot breaths Sirius pulls to the side the weak material of the thong, peppers kisses all around Remus’s ass before dipping down deeper and lapping a tongue against the tiny, fluttering ring of wrinkled skin.

“Sirius, please,” Remus moans pushing closer to the hot sensation.

“I got you, sweetheart,” Sirius tells him, lips pressed against him as Sirius kisses the entrance adoringly—tongue plunging  inside deeper, harder, slower. And he loves this, the sensation of it, of Remus coming undone in his very hands.

Sirius is about to wrap a hand around the length of him, to stroke in tandem with his worshiping with his mouth, but suddenly there little moment of bliss is cut by the sound of insistent and boisterous knocking.

“Ignore it,”

“It could be important,” Remus argues weakly, obviously all levels of regretful as he peers over his shoulder.

“Fuck it, who cares, ’s my flat and they can sod off!”

Remus presses his lips together, looking like he might agree, but then comes a new round of rapping, and Sirius sees the resolve in his face.

“Oh bloody hell! Fine!” Sirius fumes, scrambling up. “But if it’s someone trying to sell me shit, I’ve got the legal obligation to punch them in the face!”

“Of course darling,” Remus smiles at him, and it’s the only thing that gives Sirius enough strength to swagger towards the front and open the door without already being in mid shout. Though, what he doesn’t expect to happen is to find his adoptive mother of all fucking people on the other side.

“Mum?”

“Sirius? Love?” Dr Potter greets, eyeing him worriedly with a tsk, bringing a small, brown hand to his forehead as if to take his temperature and making it so Sirius flinches back. “Why do you look all red, and honey it’s not October yet, what’s with the outfit?”

“Mum!, why are you here!” Sirius asks instead, avoiding the question all together, voice completely strangled.

“Oh, well James called me to check up on the ducks this Friday, but I was in town with an old girlfriend, so I reckoned I’d just pop over, see if you guys needed anything for me to bring you.” She explains blithely, still looking up at him with concern. “Your taking care of yourself, aren’t you dearest? You’re not working too hard?”

Sirius panics, tries to think of a perfectly plausible excuse besides the obvious— So but of course that’s right when Remus decides to shout from the bed. “Sirius who’s at the door?” And no! Jesus no!

“Remus? Lovey?” his mum calls back.

“Oh— Erm. Dr Potter.” Remus has stepped out of his room now, mercifully already back in his robe. “I didn’t know we were expecting you,” he says  with a pale color tinting his pillar, like he’s about to be sick.

Okay, yup, Sirius’s erection has died forever now after hearing Remus speaking to Sirius’s bloody mother dressed like that.

Fuck his life.

“Are you boys okay? Did I— Did I interrupt something?”

“Mum! James is just out to dinner with Lily! We’re fine, honest! And erm, we can’t wait to see you Friday night!”

“Oh dearest, I’m sorry I didn’t realize you  guys— ah dressed up—“ Dr Potter flushes, but there is definite amusement glittering in her eyes, and that’s right when Sirius slams his hand against his face and retreats back to the bedroom, barely hearing it when she bids farewell to Remus and tells Sirius to call her tomorrow.

“I reckon we won’t be continuing?” Remus asks, a total giggle to his words. Holy fucking shite! Everyone in his life are such pricks!

“I’m jumping off the balcony!” Sirius screams back in response, plunging his head into the pillows and contemplating everything that’s brought him to this point.

~My Wolfstar FIC Masterlist~

[ye4gerismarchives]

the bachelorette chp 4, part 3: visiting jean’s mom

an: so, i decided i'd write the elimination in a separate chapter, one, just to mess with y'all and two, to give you time. i honestly think picking one of these three guys is really hard. obviously, i know who i want to win, but i look at the two other guys and i'm like 'oh, they would be good too!'. i like pulling at your heartstrings ;). i'll probably put together another q&a (depending on the numbers of questions i get) and once i do that, i'll wait for a day and then close the poll to start writing! anyways, let me stop sharing my thought process with yall and start your date with jean. link at the bottom!

tags: black, fem reader

tag list: @taybird

Bertholdt drove you back to the mansion and you texted Connie asking him to prepare something for you, Bertholdt. Jean and Connie to eat. And maybe a lil something for that brat Levi. Connie responded with an 'ok' and a smiley face.

The car ride home was silent. You felt awful for Bertholdt. You wondered how many silent post-hospital drives he's been through.

Once you got home, Bertholdt told you he wasn't very hungry and just wanted to lay down. You wanted to argue with him but Bertholdt needed space. You wish him good night before making your way to the kitchen.

Connie and Jean were chatting it up in the kitchen once you walked in. Connie was the one to announce your entrance. "Hey, y/n," he greets. Jean then turns around. "Hey, y/n. How is Bert holding up? I understand that visit was really hard."

"Thank you for asking, Jean. Bertie...well...he's just being human. His dad...it's really bad," you reply. You take a seat by Jean at the kitchen island. "The fact that he's been holding in for a while...it's crazy. I would have never thought he was in that situation. No wonder he was so stressed after that Porco got angry with him," Jean says. You raise an eyebrow at Jean. "Oh...after Porco got angry with him about you, Bert seemed sadder and more introverted than usual. He only really confided in Reiner, though," Jean explained.

"Ah, that makes sense. Poor Bertie."

Connie had made some garlic bread with ava ado toast and egg. You didn't expect that out of him but you all enjoyed it. You felt tired, so you told the guys you were ready to lay down. They wished you good night before diving into a conversation about...y'all i don't even know what men talk about 😐

The next morning, you woke up at the same time as you did for Connie's visit. Your final visit would be Jean's mom. She also lived far away from the mansion but Jean insisted that you could take your time. She would still be at her home. No nurses to rush you out or kids bugging their parents. You hoped this visit would be as peaceful as it sounded.

You were very hungry though. You didn't realize it last night about the whole Bertholdt thing and you only had those little stupid avocado things that Connie made. It was good but didn't feel you up. You decided you would take a bath and get ready for your visit later.

You crept downstairs, hoping not to wake anyone up. You didn't want Levi questioning you and you didn't want to stop and talk to the boys because you would probably have a day-long conversation and if that conversation was with Jean, you probably wouldn't see his mom.

You made a few turns and found yourself in the kitchen. And you weren't alone. Jean was leaning on the kitchen counter, sipping on some coffee that he had made. His eyebrows widened at your presence.

"Good morning," he greeted, "I didn't expect you to be up right now."

"Oh, I'm just hungry right now. Didn't eat much yesterday," you say. Jean places his coffee down on the table. "Would you like me to make you something?"

You were about to say yes but a greater idea came into mind. "Why don't we make something together? It would be fun and give you bonus points..." You wiggle your eyebrows when you say that last part. Jean let out a laugh. "Well, you're hungry and I can't let you starve. Us working together will make things faster...and those 'bonus points' would help a lot."

You walk towards Jean and his eyes remain on you. You find yourself wrapping his arms around his waist. It was just on-demand. Jean pulls you close and kisses your forehead. "What do you wanna make?"You think for a minute. "You know how to make (meal of your choice)?"

Whether Jean says yes or no is up to you. However, Jean is really good at following directions. If you need something, he'll get it. If you needed him to watch something, he watches it with intensity.

After a few minutes, the meal was ready and you both sat by the kitchen island and dug in. "I hope Connie doesn't wake up and butt into our breakfast," you joke. Jean let out a small laugh. "Connie's really nice. He hasn't shown me or anyone else any hostility during our time here."

"If you could say...who did you think was the worst person here?" you ask. Jean doesn't even have to wait to answer. "I'd have to Floch. Confidence is key but Floch just got disrespectful about it. Talking about how we should all go home and let him have you. And he was only here one night and everyone already had a bad vibe about him."

Your heart panged at that answer. "Thank you for telling me. I know everyone likes drama but Floch sounds...dangerous. I don't know what would have happened if he stayed." "Yeah, of course. Sorry if that made you uncomfortable," Jean said sheepishly. The discomfort must have been visible on your face. "No, don't apologize. I asked."

You continued to eat your breakfast and chat and hear about Jean's experience in the mansion so far.

After breakfast, you and Jean got ready for the day and finally decided to head out. Jean was starting his car when you decided to ask another question.

"I've never heard you talk about your dad. I've heard bits about your mom and you've mentioned her to the other guys but I never hear about your father. He isn't dead right? Is he sick? Like Bertholdt's?"

Jean is silent for a minute. "Oh...I don't really like talking about my dad, but you would have to know at some point."

"Oh, Jean...you don't have to. Don't worry about it."

He shakes his head. "It's fine. We were going to have this conversation pretty soon, so it doesn't matter."

Jean starts moving the car and when he's out on the road, he begins to talk.

"My dad has never been in my life. At this point, I don't know if he's dead or not. Sometimes I feel like he isn't my father. We did talk like once or twice when I was a kid and I was actually desperate to see him. But once I reached high school and started preparing for my adult life, I realized he wasn't worth it anymore. If my dad really wanted to be there for me, he would have reached out more often and let me know that things were hard on his end. I know everything I'm saying is being recorded and broadcasted, so if he ever sees me on TV, he can always hit me up. I just won't be naïve and stupid like I was the last time."

You immediately jump in after that last line. "Hey. You weren't naïve or stupid. He was stupid. You were a kid waiting on his dad. You had every right to wait for him, so don't insult yourself over him."

Deep down inside, you weren't sure if you wanted to meet Jean's dad...if he was alive. Jean didn't seem comfortable talking about him at all, so you shouldn't expect any visits or calls from that man. If you were to have kids and he popped up, that'd be hard to deal with. It would probably break Jean's heart to learn that his father would want to see his grandkids before even meeting the guy who helped make them.

Jean doesn't respond to what you said. Again, this was hard for him and he didn't even want to bring his father up in the first place, so you weren't upset.

You end up falling asleep in the car. Hours later, you wake up and Jean is parked in front of a bakery. He's on the phone. "Yeah, ma, we're here. Right in front of it, she's sleeping but we'll head inside....I miss you too...alright then, bye."

Jean hangs up and places the phone down. He jumps slightly when he realizes you're awake. "H-hey. I thought you were sleeping."

"Well, I was. Your mom is ready to see us?" You ask. "Yeah. She owns this bakery and decided to close completely today to meet you. I asked her if we could meet at home but she insisted that her bakery would be best. She's really proud of it," Jean explains. "Are we going to bake something?"

Jean laughs and shakes his head no. "Oh, no. My mom won't let you do any work in there, since you're a special guest. She put some things together if you want to eat something."

You imagined Jean's mother as someone who prioritized her future-in-law over her own son sometimes. It sounds overbearing but you thought this was a good thing. You wouldn't want an evil mother or father-in-law. If Jean were to cheat on you or hurt you, you knew she'd probably be on your side or hear both sides instead of immediately siding with her son.

You also wanted to assume that she was tough on Jean. Considering that she raised him herself, she had to do other things like work. To give herself some peace, she probably had a no-nonsense household- maybe why Jean was more like a puppy and wasn't as scandalous as the eliminated.

Jean got out of the car and helped you out. He didn't take your hand when directing you to the bakery but opened the door for you. Inside was a short, older woman, standing there with her hands clasped. The minute you stepped in, her excitement exploded. "Hi! Welcome! It's finally nice to meet you," she says. The older woman squeezes and you can't help but let out a chuckle...or a wheeze. "H-hey, mom. Maybe you should let her go," Jean steps in nervously. Jean's mom slowly lets go. "I'm sorry! I just got excited. Are you hungry?"

You shake your head. "No, Mrs. Kirstein. Jean actually helped me put together breakfast."

"Good, good. I'm glad he's being useful! And call me June. Come, sit, sit."

Jean's mom takes your hand and leads you to a small table and pulls open a chair for you. Jean quietly pulls a chair up by you. You start to worry about him because all the attention is on you, rather than the both of you.

"Can I get you something to drink?" June asks. "Some water would be nice," you answer. Your eye catches Jean's hand. You place your own on his and you feel him jump slightly. "Jean, would you like something too?"

"I-I'll take water too," Jean croaks. "Well, Jean, I'm sure you can serve yourself. I'm getting old, you know. Make sure you get a glass for y/n too."

Jean looks ready to argue back but he keeps his lips zipped. He carefully removes your hand from

his, gets up, and heads over to the back of the bakery.

You watch Jean do all of this and then finally turn away so that you can give June all your attention. "Please tell me he's been good to you," she starts. You weren't expecting this question but considers why she's asking. "Yes, Jean is...amazing. He's always coming to my defense. Which I shouldn't be surprised by, he is a lawyer."

June sighs in relief. "I hope he stays that way. He told you...about our situation right?" You nod. "It's unfortunate that his father did that to the both of you. If Jean does get married to me, I hope he doesn't pop out of anywhere. Jean's a good guy but I'm not too sure how he'll react to something like that." June let's our a small hum.

"Have you been watching the show?" you ask. "A little. I work, so it's hard to catch up on what's going on. Sometimes I'll read articles and Jean will text me to let me know if he didn't get eliminated. I was a little concerned about him doing the show because nothing is guaranteed."

"Hm...is he cocky about this whole thing? Does he really think he can get me?"

June thinks for a moment. "I can't say cocky but there's nothing wrong with a little confidence. Jean is handsome, he has a good job, he's smart- and he knows that. He believed those would be good reasons for you to like him. But...he does get bashful sometimes. He doesn't want all the attention on him and for people to view him in the wrong way. The fact that he had a mirror in his pocket on the first night was interesting to me. He's never done anything like that before."

You open your mouth but Jean enters once more. He places three water bottles on the table. "Sorry for taking too long. Ma, I'll replace the waters. Don't worry about it," he says. June shakes her head. "Don't worry about it, Jean. We have plenty of water."

"So, have you two discussed wedding plans? Anything for the future?" June suddenly asks. You look at Jean, who looks like his stomach was doing the chacha slide or sum. "M-mom-!"

"Well, we haven't reached that point because we don't know if he's staying or not but I'd like a really elegant wedding. I know we'll have a live-streamed wedding but I'd like to have a private wedding too. That would be nice right?" you cut in. Jean nods in agreement.

"What about kids? I read somewhere that you wanted a family," you tease. Jean's face reddened. "W-well...um...yeah...two would be nice. A girl and b-boy maybe?"

"See? We have a plan," you say with a wide smile. You could imagine Jean as a cautious dad but he still knew how to have fun with his kids. After long days at work, he'd cuddle with them and put them to sleep for you. When the kids are asleep, he'll check on you and make sure you had something to eat. He'd probably make sure to schedule regular date nights and family vacations. He'll have photos of you and the kids and maybe a few bandages in a wallet. Obviously, you would both be in the public eye once in a while but he would make things feel normal.

"I think you two would have beautiful kids. I do hope Jean gets picked. But your two other guys are good too. Bertholdt is absolutely adorable and Connie seems like he knows what he's doing. I don't know how you're ever going to choose. I can't imagine being your situation," June says.

"Wow, thanks for having my back mom," Jean says jokingly. "But if not me, pick Connie. He's a good person."

"Oh, Jean, don't do that to yourself. You're lovely." You cup his cheek and his reddened face returns.

Jean's mom starts talking about Jean when he was a kid- how he was such a big softie and a great helper,  how he was popular in high school but still to himself, and all the girlfriends and boyfriends that she didn't like.

It was getting late. Jean's mom offered you her home but Jean stopped her before she could ask. You didn't question why he didn't want to stay at her home but still wondered why. You said your goodbyes, watched her lock the bakery, and drive off. Jean helps you into his car and gets into the drivers' seat.

"You know why she wanted to you go home with her?" he asks.

You shake your head no. "There's only one bed. A twin size bed," Jean says as he starts the car. You let out a chuckle. "Connie's parents tried that with us except Connie had a bigger bed."

Jean looks over at you. "Oh...I should have probably taken her offer."

"Connie and I didn't do anything that night...maybe you could give me a sample of what you can do. It'll help me decide."

Jean didn't hesitate to lean over and cup your cheek. He went in first. Jean was gentle and careful with your lips. You soon gave in and wrapped a hand on his wrist. When things started to get hot, you pulled away. "Didn't expect you to be that gentle...You really want me, huh?"

"Yeah," Jean says scratching his neck. "You're pretty rough... you have experience?"

Whether you say yes or no is up to you.

Jean smiles at your answer and starts driving. You try to fall asleep but it's so hard. All you can see is Bertholdt, Connie, and Jean at the next elimination. You wished Eren or Onyankopon did stupid stuff later on and were a part of the final three so that this could be easier.

Hours later, Jean reaches the mansion. He thinks you're still asleep. He doesn't want to wake you up. So what does he do? Jean opens the passenger door and scoops you up in his arms. Your heart jumps. You hope it's dark enough outside so that he can't see the small smile you're trying not to crack.

It doesn't Jean long to get to the door and ring the doorbell. He must be really strong. The door opens and he's greeted by Connie.

"You need help with that man?"

"Um...no...I think I'll get her up there. But you could get her purse from my car though. She'll probably wonder where that is."

Connie probably gave him a non-verbal response since there was just silence after that. Jean got you up the stairs and struggled with your bedroom door but he got in within ten minutes. Jean turns on your lights, places you on the bed, and removes your shoes. He steps away but you hear ripping sounds proceeding by scribbling. You can hear Jean turning off your lights and closing the door behind him as he leaves. Your eyes flick open and you wait a few moments. You turn on the light on your bed stand to see the note Jean wrote you.

'Wasn't sure what to do with your clothes. It's not my place to decide that- at least not yet. But I hope you slept comfortably.'

You smile softly at the note. It was definitely something he would say.

i use YOUR opinions to not only put together dates but to put together personalities. if y’all say you hate bertholdt, i’ll work my magic to mess with y’all :) anyways here’s the link! ask good questions. this is the last time you’ll see bertholdt, jean, OR connie. vote and ask wisely

[etoileholland]

lead me to your door

@mayberosey​ asked: The Tom and reader are neighbors (apartment setting) and every time he passes by her apartment, she plays different types of genres. She would play classical to jazz to rock to indie and so on. Tom finds it endearing that she has such wide range of music taste, but one day it just stops. And it lasts for maybe a week or two. So he’s worried but doesn’t do anything. When he finally hears music playing, the sounds are more mellow and it doesn’t change for a few days. That’s when Tom decided to knock on her door...

Pairing: Tom x female reader

Word count: 1.9k

Warnings: none 

A/N: so I've been on a lil hiatus from writing but I finally finished this so I wanted to share it. Requests are open and I’m personally out of ideas, so please don’t hesitate to send something in. Although please don’t send in any requests about drama revolving around Tom’s girlfriend, I’ve already received a few and I won’t write those xx also the gif isn’t mine, all credit goes to its respective owner

“L, is for the way you look at me. ‘O’ is for the only one I see, ‘V’ is very very, extraordinary…”

Tom smiled to himself when he heard the faint music from the other side of the wall. It was 8am and his neighbour was already playing music. It was something that he had to grow accustomed to when he moved in about a month ago. At first it was a bit annoying to always hear some form of music from the apartment right next to his, but now, he welcomed it.

He was eating breakfast in the kitchen, and the music accompaniment was a nice way to start the day. He mouthed along to the familiar words, a smile erupted on his face as he enjoyed his scone.

Tom had grown to find there was a schedule with the music that he heard from next door. Since today was Monday, it was usually old jazz tunes, like Sinatra, Benny Goodman or Louis Armstrong. Tuesday’s were a mix of contemporary pop music, Wednesday’s were nothing but music from The Beatles, Thursday and Friday were dedicated to Harry Styles, Saturday’s was an array of songs and genres from the ‘60s to about the 80’s, and Sunday's were nothing but sad songs, the theme usually revolving around unrequited love.

He often wondered why there was such a distinct schedule, and why you only listened to sad songs on Sunday’s. It had become a bit of a game for him to try to figure out why, but so far he’s settled on the idea that maybe you had your heart broken on a Sunday, and therefore, dedicated sad songs to that day only.

On the weekdays, the music would stop around 10am, and would pick back up again around 6pm, and would cease around 9pm. It was rare to hear music past that point, which made him think that you went to bed extremely early. And on the weekends, the music would go from noon to midnight, which suggested you stayed up later.

He loved building a fantasy around the person he deduced based on your patterns and music choice, but the truth is that he had never met you. He had no idea who his neighbour was, and he didn’t want to knock on your door in case you were a creep or something.

He figured his neighbour was a female, since he often heard a light airy laugh from the other side of the wall, but it could be a man with a really high pitched laugh. Or you could be married, or old, but he had no idea, and frankly he had no intention of finding out.

Until one day, the music stopped.

It happened abruptly, he awoke one day on a Tuesday morning and realised that there wasn’t any music coming from your apartment. But he didn’t worry since he figured you were either sleeping in, or you had left early for work or something. He was gone the whole day at a rehearsal for the show he was in, so he didn’t think twice about the silence.

The next day, Wednesday around noon, he was hoping to hear the melodic voices of Lennon and McCartney from the other side of the wall, but once again it was silent. Usually at this point in the day, you had already finished the first two Beatles albums, and were quick to put on ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. He began to wonder if maybe you were out of town, but the nagging thought in the back of his head wondered if something bad had happened.

I’ll give it a few more days, and then if I still hear silence, I’ll check up on them, he thought to himself.

—

A week had gone past, and still radio silence. It was beginning to worry Tom, and he knew that he would have to go check on you, but every time he tried, he couldn’t.

He would head out to go to the gym, and would walk past your door, hesitating to see if he should knock. His hand would hover over the doorbell, but always stopped a centimetre away from pushing it.

Maybe they moved, or maybe something really bad happened, he thought, or maybe they’re out of town?

The thoughts swirled around his head, making him anxious and flustered until he decided that he shouldn’t bother you. And besides, how would he even start the conversation?

He backed away from your door, but then swiftly took a step forward and nearly knocked on the dark wood grained door.

What am I thinking? He thought, before beginning to pace the hallway while he thought of the best way to handle this. Don’t be dumb, there’s no good way to start a conversation with them. Would I really be stupid enough to say, “‘Hey, not to sound like a creep but I noticed I don’t hear you playing music anymore?’ or ‘hey, so I’ve never once spoken to you before but I can always hear you from my apartment and I find pleasure in knowing you’re alive but now I hear nothing and I’m assuming the worst?’” They’ll call the cops on me for sure.

He paced around in front of your door for about a minute, until walking back in the direction of his apartment, surrendering to his ever-so-increasingly intrusive thoughts.

—

Today had marked two weeks without hearing music from your apartment, and Tom had grown increasingly worried. If it’s still silent by this time tomorrow, I’ll confront my fear and knock on the door.

Miraculously, he didn’t need to knock on your door at all. When he awoke at 9am on a Tuesday, he almost didn’t hear the faint music playing from the room on the other side of his bedroom wall.

He pressed his ear to the wall and could hear a somber song playing. His eyes nearly welled up with tears when he realised that you were okay. But as the day went on, he grew worried. Tuesday’s were your ‘pop music’ days, but he only heard sad Taylor Swift songs.

Well that’s odd, they only play those on Sunday, he pondered.

The next four days were filled with heart wrenching ballads, somber piano music floating through the air. The nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach never went away, and he knew that he would have no choice but to knock on your door.

He figured the best way to go about it was to inquire about the music, and say that as a caring neighbour, he wanted to make sure all was well.

Standing in front of the mirror, wearing his favourite pair of jeans and t-shirt, he left his apartment and walked over to your front door.

You can do it Tom, just say you’re concerned about their health and well-being.

As he lifted his arm to knock on your door, you had just opened your door and were startled to see someone standing in front of your door.

“Holy shit!” You exclaimed as you closed your door, but Tom put his hand out to keep your door open.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t trying to startle you.” He exhaled, stepping back into the hallway.

“I figured, I’m sorry for that, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be standing on the other side of my door.”

“Me either.” He breathed, holding an arm out and propping himself up against the wall. “Were you about to head out?”

“I was just going to go down to pick up a package from the front desk, but it can definitely wait.”

He nodded his head and unsuccessfully pushed a stray curl away from his face, it falling right back near his eye in a matter of seconds. You stood there admiring the man in front of you, making a mental note of the loose curl in front of his face, and his slightly awkward demeanour. He was handsome, and you found it cute how he was speechless.

“Well, do you mind telling me why you were just about to knock on my door?” You inquired while Tom let out a small laugh.

“Right.” He placed his hand on the back of his neck and took a deep breath in. “I don’t want to overstep, but I was wondering if everything was alright with you?”

He saw a distinct shift in your facial expressions, but he continued to ramble on. “It’s just that I can always hear you playing music from my apartment right next door, and I love hearing it, but I noticed that it stopped for about two weeks. And then when it started again, it was only sad songs and you only usually play those on Sunday’s. Oh gosh, now I sound like a creep for observing that and I promise I’m not, I just thought it was odd and I wanted to make sure you were alright.” He took a deep breath out and paused before saying, “I hope that wasn’t too weird.”

You laughed lightly, before saying, “I’ve experienced weirder. But thank you for checking up on me…” you trailed off, realising that you don’t actually know your neighbours name.

“I-I’m Tom.” He stated, and you told him your name as well.

“It’s nice to meet you Tom, and once again thank you. I just went through a hard patch in my life, and listening to sad music made me feel better, in a way. But it’s nice to know you care, so thank you again.” You smiled, and Tom smiled back.

“Right, well I probably should get going since I know I’ve already made the weirdest first impression,” you both laughed, “but I’m glad to know you’re alright. But if you’re not, my apartment is 2B so you’re more than welcome to come over.” He blushed, gaze fixed on the carpeted floor.

“It was a perfectly fine first impression, but if you don’t mind me asking, do you like my music choice?” You laughed, and Tom’s face broke out into a smile, brown eyes piercing through yours.

“I wasn’t expecting that question, but yes, absolutely. I’ve found a lot of good songs and artists because of you. I’ve been loving FINNEAS’ album, and ELO, so I can thank you for that.” He grinned, the crinkles by his eyes becoming prominent.

“You’re welcome.” You had your door open all the way now, and you could smell that your pizza in the oven was nearly ready.

“Mm, that smells good.” Tom commented, and you looked into your apartment to make sure the oven wasn’t on fire.

“It does, I made some pizza and I think it’s nearly done.”

“I think so as well.” He added, the both of you sharing a comfortable silence. “I’ll let you eat though, but I’m glad to know you’re alright.” He smiled and began to take a step back when you lightly grabbed his arm, surprising you both.

“Wait, would you want to come inside? I made enough pizza for at least two people, and I also have a bottle of wine if you’d want some.” You asked, hoping that your very attractive neighbour would say…

“Yes, I’d love that. Only if it’s okay with you, of course.”

“It is okay, I asked you.” You smiled, and Tom laughed nervously.

“Right.” He half smiled.

“Well, come on in.” You motioned for him to step in, “let’s eat and listen to some music, yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

————

mes anges (taglist): @scarletxwidow @sunflowerhollands @fangirlwithasweettooth​ @taciturnspidey​ @musicalkeys​ @harrysleftchelseaboot​ @quaksonhehe​ @halfblood-princess-505​

[closer-stars]

Good Thing - Mingi (3)

Member: Mingi with some appearances of the other members Genre: Fluff, overall good stuff, maybe a lil drama mmm Requested: Yes Word Count: 9k Content: Y/N shy. Mingi babie. Wooyoung doesn’t know how to keep secrets. They’re finally lovers.  Note: HELLO THIS IS THE FINAL PART TO GOOD THING. First time writing this much. What was supposed to be a one shot became a 3 part series THE HECK. Also I should try making a divider soon. Pls give this as much love as you did with the previous parts. 

Part 1 ,Part 2 here

Since your competition was finished, your days have gotten a lot quieter. You had to admit, you looked a little better as compared to the weeks that lead up to your competition. Though, instead of heading home early, you spend your time by the stands in your school’s basketball court. It’s time to repay his kindness you thought so as you wait for his training to finish, you continue to review your notes for the upcoming exams and requirements. There were times where you’d stop poring over your laptop screen to watch his team practice various drills and sets. Most of those times were spent watching Mingi in particular be in his zone. You had to admit, it’s interesting to see Mingi be in this state. In the years of your rivalry with him, his eyes would always narrow at the sight of you, jaw clenched as he would try to keep himself from making a scene (spoiler: it usually fails), the cocky lopsided grin he dons when he sees his friends with you. 

You see the similarities of it on the court. Even if this is just practice, he already has his game mode on. He’s not fazed by his other teammates trying to get the ball from him or break his focus. The amount of times he fails to make it to the net could be counted on one hand. He really is the standard for the future members of the team. Despite the coach only talking of what to improve on and what to focus on, he didn’t seem fazed by it. You could see that while he was more physical on cheering for the other members, Yunho was more verbal. Their differences shine on and off court: Yunho on the defense, Mingi on the offense. Put both of them in court and it looks like a force to be reckoned with. No wonder your university has been the champions for the past four years. You weren’t that familiar with all the faces in the team, you did keep to yourself for the most part but you were familiar with how they had an impressive fan base outside the university. They were athletic with nice faces, God really played favorites. 

You look at the time and it wouldn’t be long until their training finishes. You’ve gotten used to eating dinner with him and occasionally with Yunho as well. Did you mind how late it would go? Not really. Late night trainings has eventually made you a nocturnal. The same could be said for them, except those two are a little better at dealing with the morning. You pack your things up once you see their coach call it a day for them. Some of the boys were walking slowly around the court to cool down while others immediately made their way to their training bags. 

Yunho manages to see you waiting by the stands and waves at you, how he has energy still after such a grueling time is beyond you. He nudges at Mingi and you can only assume that he’s telling him that you’re here based on how he looks around wildly until he catches sight of you. A timid wave is thrown to them as you make your way down the steps. Mingi picks up his back and he looks up at you while you look down at him from the elevated platform. “What are you doing here?” He asks you with a smile that tries its best to stay hidden. 

“Waiting for you to walk me home, d’uh. Are you ready to grab dinner?” You tease with a roll of your eyes. The sharp gaze from earlier has shifted into something softer as you tease him. Thanks to your quick reflexes you manage to avoid his fingers tapping your chin. 

“C’mon then. I’m hungry as hell.” He states while patting his stomach. Mingi calls for Yunho if he wants to join for burgers and burritos. Knowing that human sized golden retriever, he wouldn’t say no to burritos. If your package deal is you with Wooyoung and San, the same could be said for Yunho and Mingi. It was rare for you to see one without the other, save for when Mingi picks you up from training. His best friend practically sprints over at the mention of burritos. 

“Let’s go!” He hollers as he continues to sprint out the court, leaving the two of you in the dust. 

Dinner wasn’t as stressful as it was in the past, if you were eating with the two of them, you opt to just listen to the two of them banter about anything and discuss their classes and training. 

“I can’t believe you're about to leave me alone in this team.” Yunho says with a sulk, cheeks puffed from his burrito. Mingi rolls his eyes again and makes a face at the male. 

“I’m still going to visit your practices while I still don’t have a job yet, dumbass.” Mingi returns. “Besides,” he continues before taking a bite out of his burger. “Have you already considered who you want to take over your position once you become the captain?” This is a conversation you knew too well so you opt to just watch as each guy speaks. 

“What do you think of Jongho? He’s got a lot of potential. Incoming Junior too so once I leave, he’s got a year of experience leading the team with me.” 

All Mingi could do while his mouth was full was to nod and give a thumbs up. “Someone to balance your hyperactiveness too.” This makes you snicker into your food, causing two pairs of eyes to look at you. “What?”

You shake your head. “Nothing, it’s just a conversation I’ve had also with my team.” You let them continue as you finish your meal. It takes a while before they finish their meal, stalled by their constant back and forths about what’s due the following day and what isn’t. It only ended because you suggested to look at the calendar for that class. Yunho’s right: Nothing’s due the next day much to Mingi’s relief. Eventually, Mingi and you split ways from Yunho, not that he minds. He also knew how coffee runs in your veins. 

Once you and Mingi are left alone, he lets out a sigh. One that was mixed with exhaustion and relief. “Are you okay?” You ask with a light laugh as you notice his shoulders drop while rolling his neck around. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just really tired from all the training. Kind of excited to end this basketball stunt I’ve been doing since day 1.” He admits with a laugh. You don’t know how it happened, but your conversations with Mingi have been happening more often now. The two of you don’t seem to run out of things to talk about, should there be a lull in the conversation, it wasn’t a big deal. Everything just felt comfortable and peaceful. As peaceful and comfortable it can be for graduating students that is. 

He opens the door to the coffee shop for you before following you inside. Your table was also free: perks of being a regular you suppose. The staff catches sight of you and already prepares the usual for the two of you. “The usual yeah?” The woman behind the cashier asks you approach the counter. Mingi had already drifted to your table, relieved to have his legs rest once more. When you arrive at your table, you already have all your orders on your tray. 

“Hey careful.” Mingi chides gently as he helps you settle everything down onto the table. You hum a soft thanks for his help. Usually, when the two of you were in this coffee shop, Mingi had his earphones in as he worked on his laptop. This time’s a little different. He’s still on his laptop but he had no earphones in. 

“Did something happen to your earphones?” You ask, not used to the sight in front of you. Some people would have their gazes linger at the two of you, and you already know it’s because of Mingi. You keep quiet about it, already certain that Mingi knows of it. He doesn’t seem to mind it as much anymore though. It takes a while before he tears his gaze away from his screen and you couldn’t help but want to squish his cheeks at how adorable he looks when he looks at you; pursed lips that make his cheeks puff out and wide eyes. You know better than to do so in public like this though. 

The two of you were just friends after all. 

“Ah, yeah. One side doesn’t work anymore, so I just don’t bother to bring it.” He explains as his pursed lips turn into a faint pout. He really didn’t show his softer side in public but having you around him makes it come out more often. You reach through your bag’s pocket for your earphones then hand it to him. 

“Here.” You say simply. “I don’t need it right now anyways.” You reassure him when he looks at you with the same wide eye look. He gingerly takes the earphones from you and plugs it into his laptop. You were about to continue looking through social media when you noticed his expressions. He pulls out one bud and looks at you as if you grew two heads. 

“Why is your earphones’ sound quality so good? I can hear everything in my music.” He explains, as he tries to look for the brand name on the wire. 

Your mouth was open to reply but you stopped yourself quickly. Why did ‘Babe’ flash in your head instead of his name? It takes you a few moments to regain your composure. “Mingi, the brand’s kind of not that important. The specifications are what you should be looking at. I can show you after your game this weekend.” You explain. 

His jaw falls slightly ajar at the explanation. Why didn’t he think of looking at that? “It’s a deal then.” At least he has something to look forward to after his game, something to wake up to the following day. 

After an hour or two so in the coffee shop, you were ready to head home, Mingi much more. He takes a few minutes to stretch his aching muscles before practically deflating on his seat again. “Mingi, come on.” You laugh, amused by his antics. “The sooner we get home, the sooner you can sleep.” 

Witha whine, he caves and pushes himself up, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. “Let’s gooo” He mumbles through a stifled yawn. 

The walk up to your dorm was quiet, mostly from how his exhaustion was setting in his bones. “Get some sleep okay?” You say before you step into your living room. He nods almost like a child, rubbing his eyes with the back of his knuckles. You gaze at him for a moment, and before you knew it you had your hand cupping his cheek. “Just a few more days, Mingi. You’ll be free from this after.” You reassure him. 

He stops his movements when he feels your hand gently rub against his cheek. Your voice takes a softer tone. His heart does something funny at how you talk to him and he doesn’t realize how he leans into your touch. A deep breath. “I know. I’ll get going now, yeah.” He says, as he wraps up your earphones neatly before handing it back to you. “Thank you for this, by the way. Good night.” With that, he makes his way to his place. While his body aches for rest, his head and heart need to go through some reflection. 

What are these feelings? 

You close the door gently and shake your head, unsure of how to describe your feelings. You glance at your earphones for a moment, a small frown on your features as confusion sets in. “Whatever.” You mumble as you drop off all your stuff by the couch as you wash yourself up. You need sleep. 

You wake up, vague images of your dreams slowly melting away from your consciousness. Even if these images were hard to decipher as you become more awake, it’s hard not to miss the messy mop of hair that Mingi has. What was he doing in your dreams? You look at the time. 7AM. Already a message from Mingi greeting you a good morning, at… 6AM? How much sleep did he have? 

From chats post training until arriving at your dorm, to being the first one you talk to in the morning. 

[ You ] How much sleep did you get, mister? 

You push yourself up, to ready yourself for the new day. 

[ Mingi ] Five? Four hours 30 minimum. 

You can’t even get yourself to be mad at that. You’ve done the same just to prepare for your competition. So instead, you sigh. 

[ You ] Make sure you catch up on sleep soon.

[ Mingi ] :p

You wonder how you’re able to put up with his stubborn antics. 

On the times where the two of you have the same breaks, he would be with you with San and Wooyoung. Same for you with Yunho. Sometimes the three of them with the two of you, on those occasions though, your cheeks hurt from trying to keep your laughter in. When Mingi and Yunho had to leave for their class, leaving the three of you alone. Once the two were out of earshot, San and Wooyoung started to bombard you with questions. 

“Really?” San starts, arms crossed as a privy smile creeps onto his features.

“What?” You ask, unsure of where he was going with this. A small part of you knew where it was going though.

“Dude, it’s obvious.” Wooyoung adds, his grin a lot more overt than his best friend’s. “Don’t think we’ve seen how you look at Mingi.” He continues, flailing his loose fists at you, clearly enjoying your flustered state. 

A blink. Two blinks. “What do you mean?” You ask, trying to play dumb. San leans forward, as he rests his chin on the palm of his hand. He looks at you like a cat about to pounce. All that was missing was a tail that would swoosh side to side behind him. 

“My dear,” he starts as he raises a finger up to your forehead. “You.” poke. “Are.” poke. “Crushing.” poke. “On-” poke. 

You repeatedly try to swat his hand away but opt to just lean away from his reach and try to bite his finger. “Ow! Okay I get it!” You groan out in mild annoyance at his childish action. Maybe that’s what you’ve been feeling lately. In love? You weren’t sure yet. Crushing? Maybe. It seems to make sense considering how you’ve been lately. “Is it that obvious?” You ask after a moment, voice a little soft as you wanted to avoid any eavesdropper. 

Two pairs of eye rolls. You’ll take that as a yes as your cheeks heat up. 

“Only to us cause we know you better than you know yourself sometimes.” San explains. 

Wooyoung straightens up in his seat, making both San and you look at him. “You do know that this means our lovely sweetheart here actually has a heart-- ow!” He whines as you kick his shin under the table. This makes San squeak in laughter. 

“Excuse me! I’ve always had a heart!” You shoot back with an insulted whine. San pats your head lightly to calm you down. It works, sort of. 

San then continues, “Besides us knowing you’re whipped, how do you feel about him?” It makes you pause for a moment as you try to think of how to properly articulate how you feel around Mingi. “The closest way I can describe it is how when you get to dance to a piece that just feels so right for you.” Why did your words fail you now? Just last week, you were able to talk to Mingi in a way that even impressed you. You take a deep breath, finding your heart race the more you think about it. 

“Right now, my heart’s racing a little the longer I think about him.” You start, your words stumbling over each other. “I feel more relaxed around him, someone I can lean on also when things just get so tough…” you trail off, eyes jumping from various points of the table. “I don’t want to say that he made my days have a reason since it always had one way or another, but he makes my days feel a little more bearable.” Your fingers brush through your hair restlessly. Finding it a little odd that you’re here bearing a bit of your soul to your best friends in broad daylight, but too late to go back on it. Your eyes drift from the greenery that hang over the terrace to the two boys who have been your partners in crime since Day 1. They don’t say anything to you for the past few moments and it starts to get on your nerves. “Don’t act like the two of you are mute. Both of you are the sole source of noise in the team.” 

A flash of something like amusement passes by San’s features. “To be honest, we just hoped that you and Mingi would fix things up before you guys leave but seeing you so whipped for that guy is something Wooyoung and I didn’t expect.” 

“What this guy is trying to say is,” Wooyoung quickly interjects, knowing how San’s words can get easily mixed up especially in your ears. “We had an idea to make the both of you make up after the competition season because you have your moments during the season but having that other team constantly steal our usual spot, we kind of just hoped for the best at that point. We’ve noticed it too, stupid. You look happier even during training.” 

That kind of stumps you. You’ve had your fair share of relationships-- if they can be considered as such, in the past. To have your thing with Mingi affect you that much that it shows in your performance was a first. You lean back in your seat as you digest everything that has happened. You wonder if Mingi shares the same feelings as you but you’d rather not ask that for now. If anything, you’re fine being just friends with him. You’ll make the most with what you got with him. 

“So when are you going to tell him?” Wooyoung asks, before taking a sip of his milk tea. 

“What?” You stare at him blankly at his odd question.

“When are you telling him that you like him?” 

You didn’t stay in your usual seat on the stands when you watched Mingi practice. The coach didn’t seem to mind your presence since you didn’t cause much of a disturbance. You put your earphones in as you would read through your readings for your final requirements. If the words didn’t register into your head, you’d watch him. If your attention on him drifts back to theories, you would read. You had to admit, you didn’t understand the flow of basketball besides the point system, some no-brainer rules but the technicalities? The diagrams the coach shows them in order to execute a certain game plan? That’s another language. A mental note to ask him about how basketball was made in the back of your head. Eyes drift back to your colorful annotated readings as you spin your pen in your hands. How exactly were you going to connect Aristotle’s beliefs to Capitalism? 

You don’t really realize how deep you were into your readings until Mingi crashed onto the seat next to you. His sudden appearance causes you to jump in your seat. “You idiot!” You pull out your earphones as you whine at his antics. He does nothing but laugh at your reaction. It takes a while for you to tear your gaze away from him, even if he’s still sweating heavily, you still found him pleasing to your eyes. From him still wiping down his sweat, you turn your gaze to his team that were taking a breather. The coach had already left the premises by now, it seems. “Where do you want to go for dinner?” You ask, keeping your eyes trained either at the team or at your screen. Why? Because the flash of a shirt came up to the corner of your eye and you already knew from being best friends with Wooyoung and San that he’s changing his shirt right next to you. So much for a heads up. 

“Can we get some Japanese food? I’m kind of craving for ramen right now.” He notices your perseverance to avoid looking at his exposed skin, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. To save you from your misery, he quickly puts on another shirt. He lets his towel rest over his shoulder, his hair still drenched from sweat. 

You wait for another flash of color, a few moments before facing him. “Sure thing.” You close your laptop and put it back into its sleeve with your readings and pen. He catches sight of the title of your readings and raises an eyebrow at you. 

“Philosophy?” 

You sigh and shake your head. “I love you and all but I’d rather keep anything philosophical away from my everyday chats with anyone, you included.” 

He laughs, denying the skip of his heart at those three words. A hand is extended towards you to hold onto to pull you out of your seat. “Come on then, nerd.” 

You don’t know how he has the appetite to finish the bowl of ramen with ease, then again he was tired from his practice. His body was most likely still using the left over energy from his previous meals. While here you are, taking your time with your ramen. “Mingi, there’s no rush. Your stomach might hurt..” You chide him gently. He reaches for a piece of sushi from the plate both of you agreed on. 

“Sorry, I’m just really hungry.” A soft smile was shot at his direction. 6AM to 11PM. You wonder how he’s still able to stand on his own two feet after such a long day. 

“Just a few more days then you’re free.” You say in return. As you take your time with your meal, you look out the window. You watch the cars come and go, while students either head home, study somewhere or go for a drink. Mingi takes the chance to get a good look at your features, unburdened by responsibilities and competitions, you look content and maybe even hopeful. 

“How about a penny for your thoughts?” Mingi says, quoting you, as he leans back on his seat. His ramen was nearly finished, and it’s only now that he decides to take a breather. When you whip your head back to him, the privy smile that makes your lips look a little prettier in his mind results in a mild dazed look on his face. 

You chuckle then shake your head. “Nothing important in my head,” you start. “Which is a first.” You say, beating him to it. “I just like being able to quiet down with you is all.” You admit before eating again. “I mean, I know you’re just as stressed with this competition.. I just like the fact there’s no pressure for either of us at this moment.” You quickly add, realizing that he might misunderstand your words. 

It’s his turn to laugh. Somehow he feels touched that you always make sure that he doesn’t misunderstand you. By now though, he’s got the hang of it. It’s still ot perfect but it’s progress. He leans his head against the palm of his hand as he watches you flounder around your words. It was a nice switch up, he supposed. From you being so composed and strong, you were now being flustered and bashful. “I know what you mean and don’t worry too much about me. Our team’s gotten a lot stronger as compared to last year, ask Yunho if you want.” He returns, while trying to push back his hair that blocks his view of you. Maybe he should get a haircut soon. “Just come to watch us this Saturday, and you’ll see just how good we are.” 

You’d be an idiot to say no to that.

It’s already Saturday and you’re in the arena with your best friends and Yeosang, the latest addition to your circle. It made sense to have him along too to bond with Wooyoung and San for the sake of your team’s dynamic. Thanks to Wooyoung’s tip, you could easily see why you had to wear something that was near your school’s color. It was easier to see who was there to support your school and who was for the opponent. It was interesting to people who looked like they’re the alumni of their respective schools come to watch this game. Various ages and walks of life seemed to come to watch. Did you expect to see your Philosophy professor here too? Not really. 

“I think I just saw my Philosophy professor.” You mumble, as you try to hide from her gaze.

“Professor Yang? He’s an avid fan of our games. Remember when I failed that one quiz I kept whining about?” San asks you as he becomes your shield. 

“Yeah?”

“That was the one time our team lost a game. He’s a terror professor for a reason but also he’s really good at his thing so I can’t really… get mad at that.” He explains. You remember that day clearly, you’ve never seen San whine and complain to you and Wooyoung so much that day. It took a big helping of fries, milk tea and a new plush toy for him to cheer up. “You’re lucky you took him during the off season.” 

The four of you found your seats, good enough to see the entire game and see some familiar faces from your point of view. Your school’s color is the obvious opposite of your rival school. You didn’t really expect the rivalry to be intense but did you expect the roaring cheers from respective schools? You weren’t sure. Considering it’s your first time to attend one of the games in your entire university life, you were walking entertainment for the three boys. 

“How are you?” Yeosang asks, trying his best to not show his entertainment to your wide eyes as you watch the crowds bounce to the cheers. 

“This is such an interesting experience..” You yell over the cheering, sandwiched by him and Wooyoung as they guide you through the cheers that hype the crowd for the game. Eventually you found your groove into the whole thing and found yourself bouncing with your friends, cheering wholeheartedly. 

In the quieter moments, Wooyoung raises the topic of you and Mingi to Yeosang. “What do you think?” Bless Yeosang’s quick wit to understand Wooyoung’s vague retelling. You had to beg Wooyoung to keep it vague considering where the three of you are right now. 

Yeosang just looks at Wooyoung, as if you weren’t there when he replies. “No brainer after they hugged him? The flowers were a nice touch too.” 

Your ears heat up and before you could hide it, Wooyoung’s laugh has you caught red-handed. “Oh my god shut up!” You whine as you try to cover his mouth. A disgusted yelp bursts through your mouth when you feel him lick your palm. “Ew!” Before he could move away from you, you quickly wipe your hand on his arm. Yeosang exchanges a glance with San and almost immediately, they move a few inches away from the two of you. 

[ You ] I’m here with San, Wooyoung and Yeosang! 

[ You ] selfie.jpg

“You ready?” Yunho asks Mingi as he lets his best friend look through his messages one last time before gathering with his team. He says nothing but tosses his phone into his training bag again. The fire in his eyes burns a little brighter this time. He’s doing this for his team, his school and you. One more school cheer among the team before they head out to the court to the roaring cheers from each school. He knows where you’re seated but for now, his focus was limited to what’s inside the four corners of the court. 

The game then begins and the stands roar with life again and you stand up from your seat again to watch the basketball teams fight it out for the gold. You immediately spot Mingi running through the other team, managing to score several points for your school before a timeout was requested by the opponent’s coach. Even with the arms of your friends on you, you found yourself mumbling through the cheers as you keep your focus on him and his team. Whenever one team manages to shoot the ball through the net, you look at the scores, hoping that your school eventually takes the gold. Until now, you don’t understand the technicalities but you trust his team. It’s not like you spent several hours last night searching up videos of his past games. 

After the time out, the game continues, a tight match as the scores decrease and increase in difference. You don’t realize how long you’ve been holding your breathe as the game continues. You might be at a far distance from the court but you could feel Mingi’s fire to win this game. This is the Song Mingi who is the basketball’s captain for a reason, and for once you can understand why he’s the face of your university. 

Half time comes and the cheer teams of each school takes over the court for the time being. Mingi heads to the seats as he listens to the coach discuss the next plan for the second half of the game. He drapes his towel over his shoulders as he downs his water. He was already drenched in sweat, constantly wiping away the sweat that gets close to his eyes. Once half time finishes, his coach gestures to the players to get back out on court. As he tosses his towel to his bag, he catches sight of what looks like you with your friends. After seeing you perform, he could already tell how you looked like from a distance. His lips grow into a confident grin (a money shot for the press), before he jogs back to the court. Soon enough, the cheers fall on deaf ears as he focuses on the game. A fake out here, passing the ball there, avoiding blocks here and there, and the usual two point or three point shot. He doesn’t focus on the points he’s earning for the team. He’s focused on making sure the team moves within one wavelength for the gold. 

Another time out and he takes a deep breath to calm himself down. He looks up at the scoreboard with the time left. ‘Just a few more minutes.’ He thinks. Yunho pats his back as reassurance before he heads to the free throw area. It takes a while, buying enough time for his team to catch their breath before doing their best to win this by a landslide. Yunho gets the point and the game soon resumes. 

By the last quarter, the cheers have gotten louder but it does nothing to Mingi. His lithe limbs manage to avoid falling into the tricks of the opponent. He spares a glance at the timer.

Five seconds left. 

He’s already in the middle of the court. 

Four seconds.

He’s still running. ‘Fuck it’. He throws the ball from where he stands. 

Three. 

Two. 

One.

The ball goes through the net in the nick of time, the buzzer goes off and your university snags the gold. Confetti bursts through and fills the air with the color of your university. Press photographers and school photographers flock to the court, hoping to get a money shot of the team celebrating the fourth Gold. The members on the court surround themselves with their teammates and coach, cheering at the top of their lungs with their schoolmates. After the quick celebration, everyone cheers for the rival university as respect and thanks for an intense game. Hands were shaken, hugs exchanged and congratulatory messages were sent to each side. Media have swarmed some of the members, his coach and him. Questions thrown at his direction too fast but he manages to catch the gist in the midst of his euphoria. 

“How do I feel? I feel grateful, if it weren’t for my teammates and my coach here, I wouldn’t be here.” Mingi answers through heavy breathing after the intense adrenaline rush. After a few minutes of celebratory cheers, the coach asks the press for their chance to leave the court. 

Once out of the court and back where their other valuables were kept, Yunho takes the chance to jump onto Mingi’s back, laughing gleefully at their win. “Who told you to throw the ball from there?! Jesus that was an amazing buzzer beater shot.” He praises, ruffling Mingi’s sweat drenched hair. Mingi stumbles slightly at the sudden weight on his back, thankfully Jongho manages to steady the two boys' rough housing in the room. 

“Practice, I guess.” Mingi admits, rubbing the back of his neck. Why else had he been waking up so early the past few days? Even if he didn’t see himself doing this in the long run, basketball is still one of his favored activities. “Hey, Jongho. If you need help with those types of shots, just hit me up.” He jokes. 

Jongho takes the chance to snort at his cheeky offer. “You got it, Hyung. Might beat you at it soon.” He teases. 

Mingi has a feeling he’ll take over the team with ease and he’s happy with that. Even if he’s on lazer focus on court, he notices how his teammates perform on court and Jongho’s growth has been one of the best. He pats Jongho’s chest firmly. “I look forward to that, Jong. Keep Yunho in line for me too.” He shoots, causing his dear friend to sulk as he becomes the butt of the teasing. 

Their coach asks for a final huddle, here he thanks the team for an amazing season and an even greater ending. With that, they do one last cheer before they stream out to where their friends and families wait for them to celebrate the night. 

A small part of Mingi starts to hope that you were there waiting for him too. 

The moment your school won, you were jumping on your spot excitedly with your friends. You crouch down eventually, sighing in relief once it sets in that Mingi was bringing home the gold. Just like he promised. It took you a few moments to gather your strength and stand up again, greeted by the sight of colorful confetti that bore the colors of your school, the basketball team jumping and celebrating over the court while photographers scramble to get a good shot of them celebrating for their respective media articles. Your best friends were jumping around, and with the rest of the people who cheered for your school, all of you cheered one last time. 

You can’t see how Mingi looks but from his repeated bouncing and arms around his teammates, you can already see how ecstatic he was. Heck, you can picture his grin spreading across his features until his eyes turn into small crescents, until his laughter booms from his chest. Perhaps you were whipped for the basketball team’s captain. 

People start to stream out of the stadium, so you wait for your friends to follow suit. You find your throat feeling a little scratchy from the yelling and cheering you’ve done. It was worth it, you thought. Seeing someone succeed and be with their loved ones until the end, while it’s a good thing to experience, seeing it from an outsider’s point of view was just as good. Especially if it was someone you loved. 

“So how did you find your first and last game, hm?” San practically purrs as he uses your back as his next armrest. 

You stumble a bit at the sudden weight on your back, so you pinch his side lightly. His yelp being music to your ears. “One for the books, San. Especially with the three of you.” You state as you find yourself laughing with delight. The endorphins and adrenaline are still running wildly in you. 

“Can’t believe you even got something for Mingi.” 

At Wooyoung’s teasing, you try to hide the gift from his view, quickly followed by you attempting to bite his prodding finger. Yeosang couldn’t help but find delight in Wooyoung’s expression as he manages to avoid your teeth by a mere centimeter. 

“Let’s go before our little captain here starts to shake in nervousness just to meet Mingi.” Yeosang added. 

If you had to be in the same car with them on the way home, you weren’t really sure if you could deal with their teasings. 

The four of you find yourselves, waiting for the rest of the basketball team to come out to bond with their friends and families. While you were already in good terms with Mingi, you let him bask in his parents’s love and pride for having done so well out there. You guess that the other guy, who shared some resemblance to him, is his older brother. He ruffles Mingi’s hair much to the younger’s demise, not that he minded though. They got the gold. It takes him a few minutes to spot you over the bustling crowd. You were with your friends and he couldn’t help but smile even brighter at the sight of you. 

He introduces the four of you to his family. A situation that you found all too familiar from a week ago. His family takes this cue to let him be with his friends and team, saying that they’ll meet him with the rest of the team in the restaurant that has been reserved already-- win or lose, all of them were to eat heartily for such an impressive journey. You catch the knowing glint in his mother’s eyes and you already could tell what that look means. Whether it was for the better or for the worse, you don’t dare look at how Mingi reacts to such a look. 

“What do you have there?” Mingi asks, gesturing at the paper bag you had in your hand. 

Not now. 

“Oh, I went on an errand earlier.” You lie, as you raise your shoulders. Somehow he buys this and informs where everyone’s eating tonight. 

“Barbeque?!” 

“Yeah, but if you guys order alcohol that’s not on us.” Mingi says quickly before San could say anything. 

“None of you are getting drunk and riding my car.” Wooyoung interjects quickly. As much as he would like to see San and Yeosang make a fool out of themselves, he’d rather not have to clean after them in his car. 

“We’ll be there. See you there.” The way you phrase it must’ve been funny to him as he chuckles softly. 

“Why are you asking? I’ll definitely be there.” Mingi returns. He’s now the one squishing your cheeks together, much to your insistent complaints. 

Neither of you realize that Yeosang has managed to take a photo of the both of you. 

Fast forward to all of you meeting in a rather impressive barbeque restaurant. Wooyoung was running his mouth, amazed and curious to how they managed to snag an entire restaurant for the team, friends and family. The most your team could do was reserve a few tables, a huge difference from theirs. 

“We need to know how they got the entire restaurant for themselves. Next year’s competition: we’re taking this place.” Wooyoung says before snatching a small piece of dried fish with the seasoned spinach. 

You watch as Yeosang and San try to calm him down, too excited over the idea of food. Your gift for him was trapped in between your legs. Though you doubt he’d eat on the same table as you, you couldn’t help but hope still. The three of you agreed to let Wooyoung choose which meat cuts to order as he had the best knowledge when it came to food. None of you expected Yunho, Jongho and Mingi to crash themselves onto your table. It had even made Wooyoung jump in surprise, coughing on a small bean sprout. 

“I thought you guys were going to eat as a team!?” San exclaims over the sudden boom of the music over the speakers, staff yelling at each other for the orders, and the chattering of friends and families. 

“Nah, everyone just agreed to let everyone eat in one place then have everyone eat with whoever.” Jongho explains.

“So we decided to eat with the captains who are leaving their respective teams.” Yunho adds, with a small whine. No wonder he got the nickname Golden Yun-triever. 

As the two continue to be mischievous, Mingi manages to take the chance to sit next to you. “So nice of you to join us, golden boy.” You say, soft enough to make sure no one hears your conversation, but loud enough that only he can hear. 

“Don’t tell me you thought I was going to skip this opportunity to eat with you and our friends.” Mingi shoots back with a lopsided grin before taking a long sip of his water. 

You wonder if there was an underlying meaning in his words. Your questions are covered up by a snicker. These wonderings were pushed to the back of your mind when Wooyoung tells everyone to make space for the trays of meat that your table has received. It eventually becomes him and Jongho taking turns cooking for everyone on the table for the first round. 

As the night goes, laughter and stories were shared. An occassional yelp of pain when the grease from the grill and meat jump onto someone’s skin. You notice that it’s only now that your two cooks had started eating. You snatch the tongs from Wooyoung’s grasp. As he’s about to ask for them back, you shake your head. “Nuh-uh, mister. You are going to continue eating as I cook for you and everyone here.” Mingi quickly follows you, getting the tongs away from Jongho’s plate. 

“Since we’re leaving soon, we should probably make this our parting gift to the next captains of our teams.” adds Mingi to your reasoning. 

“This is your gift to us? Yet you got something fo--” Before San could say anymore, you shoot a piece of cooked pork belly into his mouth. 

“San, you better not talk with your mouth full.” He pouts but does as he’s told. Who would say no to being fed? 

Not now. 

Once everyone was sated, Wooyoung asks where should they get dessert. All of you leaning back a little for some air, and for the food to digest. The water was some sort of relief but with the grease from the meat and side dishes, it could only do so much. Yunho suggests to have slushies, a good break from the heaviness of the meat and the humidity from the cooking meat. 

“We’re not paying for the desserts, by the way.” Yunho adds before Wooyoung tries to take the more expensive option, much to the younger’s dismay. 

Your group decides to leave the premises to get something sweet, some of you bidding goodbye and a good evening to some familiar faces. Mingi takes the longest in the restaurant, you and your friends are already by the door. Yunho fakes a sigh, dropping his shoulders as he does so. “Price of fame, I guess…” He mumbles much to the laughter of everyone. By the time Mingi catches up to everyone, he notices everyone trying to stifle their laughter. 

“What’s so funny?” He asks, almost pouting for missing out on something humorous. Jongho shakes his head, as he eyes the others who had a harder time keeping their laughter. 

“Just Yunho hyung being Yunho hyung.” The youngest says simply, hoping it would keep Mingi from being too curious. Mingi somehow finds himself looking at you instead of Yunho for reassurance as to what had just transpired. One way or another, you manage to keep your composure, the only thing giving away your entertainment is the glint in your eyes. He keeps a mental note to ask you later and decides to drop the topic. 

“So where do we get dessert?” Mingi asks which Yunho takes as his cue to lead the group to the slushie spot. As everyone starts to walk ahead of you, you slow down to walk next to Mingi. 

“How does freedom feel now, Champion?” You tease, and you swear seeing him so flustered by such attention was adorable. His red ears, his feeble attempt to keep himself from smiling widely, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck shyly, it sometimes makes you wonder why it so long for both of you to try again. It didn’t matter, you and Mingi had a good thing going on now and that’s more important than the past. 

He whines softly at your adoration for him. “It feels good, I just have to deal with the contracts within the month so that Yunho and Jongho would be the prospects for these brands instead of me.” He admits with a shrug. “But that’s nothing too important as compared to now.” Laughter shakes from his chest, he didn’t mind any eyes that would land on him anymore. He doesn’t notice how you gaze at him softly and maybe that’s for the better, for now. 

“Should we pay for these kids later?”

“Like a parting gift? Are you sure about it? I clearly remember you having money issues a few weeks back.”

“That’s one way to put it. I got an offer by a company to make a choreography for their idol group, considering how established they are, they already gave me a down payment after they saw my first draft.” You state and it nearly makes Mingi stop on his tracks. 

“You already got work!?” Mingi exclaims and you scramble to make sure he doesn’t break your no disclosure agreement. 

“Sh!! It’s a start. But what do you think? Should we pay for these children?” You ask, shifting the conversation to your group being the loud bunch that they are. 

“Sounds like a plan. You owe me the complete story later though.”

Your friends peek into the place Yunho suggested. It was a hole in the wall, cozy, comfortable design. It’s perfect for everyone. Before everyone orders, you let them know that you and Mingi would be paying instead. 

“Just don’t expect any physical gift from us after this.” 

Yeosang bounces in happiness at the offer of free food. Wooyoung and San dancing in the corner. Yunho and Jongho, who could already pass off as brothers by how similar the looks of surprise are on their faces, stare at both of you. “Not like we’d turn that down. Free food is always yummier.” Yeosang hums. 

So they order before the two of you. You and Mingi choose a few tables that’s good for sevent people. Time to move fast before any of them steal the chance. You hand the bag to Mingi, unable to look at him in the eye. “It’s actually for you.” Is your only explanation. Thanks to his curiosity and confusion by the sudden gift giving, he opens the package in front of you. Brand new earphones.

“H-how..?” He asks, dumbfounded as he opens the box to look at the inclusions. He knows a few things or two when it comes to earphones and this definitely isn’t cheap, this isn’t that expensive either. It didn’t take much to know that this model takes a dent to the wallet though. 

“I’ll explain who I work for one of these days, but yeah because of the money my past clients have finally paid me for as well plus my current contract, and some of my savings, I got you a little something to congratulate you.” You explain, your fingers find themselves dancing with each other, too shy to look at him. “I figured si--” San calls the both of you to the cashier so that you could take your orders while paying for everyone else. You glance at Mingi for a quick second and stand up immediately. The male follows you closely as the earphones are still wound up around his fingers. Countless questions and thoughts run in his mind at your actions. Did you like him too? 

Once everyone’s accounted for, the two of you slide back into your seat. Everyone had their slushies accounted for, and while you hoped they wouldn’t ask about the package on Mingi’s lap, it wouldn’t go the way you wish it would. “So you already know Mingi’s feelings for you?” Wooyoung asks before taking a long sip. 

The two of you freeze in your seats as you look at the raven haired male. “What?” Both of you wait for him to recover from his brain freeze to explain what he had just said. While one’s cheeks burn from being exposed, the other’s felt hot from the surprise. 

“I thought Mingi already told you he likes you?” Wooyoung manages to groan out as the brain freeze gradually dissipates. The two of you exchange a quick glance, Mingi clearly at a loss for words. 

“And what about it?” You ask. Everyone’s eyes are on the two of you. Yeosang and Jongho just had to look away from the secondhand embarrassment they were receiving from Wooyoung. 

“Did you already tell him your answer?” Your best friend looks a lot better compared to his earlier demise with the slushie. 

“Is it your business?” A smirk flashes on your features and everyone whines. The man who sits across you carefully takes a sip of his slushie. Fearful that you would later reject his feelings, though a bit thankful that you didn’t outright reject him in front of everyone. The earphones in his pocket suddenly feels heavy. 

You worry if what you did was a good idea.

The rest of the night goes by miraculously without a hitch. Mingi manages to keep up a facade, joining in the jokes and antics. You, relaxed and laughing at the things your friends do and talk about. Yunho talking about pranks the team has pulled on Mingi throughout the years, along with a warning to Jongho since this was a tradition. 

Wooyoung looks at his phone for the time as he notices some shops have started closing up. “Oh crap, it’s already late. We should probably go.” Some of you look around and note the shops that have closed, staff saying good bye to each other as they head home. Your group stands up with Wooyoung, he was your group’s designated driver after all. “Do you guys have a ride home?” he asks as he throws his cup away, his question directed at the remaining three. 

“Nah, we were planning to just take a taxi.” Jongho explains with a shrug. 

You could see the gears in Wooyoung’s mind spin. “Just ride with us. I can give you guys a ride home. I have enough space.” At this hour, no one could say no to that. 

Wooyoung on the wheel, Yeosang taking shotgun, San, Jongho and Yunho behind them while you and Mingi were at the back with their training bags. “You really putting your captains at the back?!” You complain. 

“Technically, San, Yunho and I are the captains now so…” Wooyoung cackles behind the wheel as he drives out of the parking lot. You stick your tongue out at your best friend and sink back into your seat. You take out your phone, fixing up a quick message to Mingi. 

[ You ] Was what they said earlier true? 

You hope his phone was on silent or at least vibrate. You wait for him to receive the message and he does, reading your message immediately. It’s tricky to make things look discreet with how both of you wanted to deal with this. 

[ Mingki ] Yeah. I do like you. It’s okay though if you don’t reciprocate though, I already appreciate what we have. 

He notices his nickname on your phone just before you turn it off and it just makes his heart sink a little knowing that his feelings weren’t reciprocated. The ride home was quiet, everyone clearly tired from today’s events but Wooyoung, you and Mingi were still clearly awake. 

You rest your hand over his, and you could feel him stiffen under your touch. Your fingers gently trace a few words over the back of his hand, over and over until he understands what you’re telling him. “I like you too.” 

It takes so much strength for Mingi to not smile like the utter lovestruck fool that he was in the car right now. Instead of smiling or yelling, he takes your hand in his, lacing his fingers with yours. His thumb runs across the side of your hand, as much as he wants to press kisses to the back of your hand, this will have to do for now. 

Wooyoung slows his car down outside your dorm, putting it on park as he wakes everyone up to give you, Mingi and Yunho way to get out of the car. “Have a good night!” He says as the three of you wave at those left in the car. The three of you tell them to stay safe. None of them catch how the two of you are now holding hands, except for Yunho. As the three of you watch the car drive off, Yunho quickly takes a photo of the two of you from the back. 

“Mingi, I’ll go ahead. You take forever in the shower.” Yunho says, immediately leaving the two of you alone. Somehow, Yunho was a better wingman as compared to Wooyoung and San. 

Now that the two of you were alone, you take the chance to verbalize what had transpired in the car. “I’m really sorry I didn’t say it outright, I didn’t want to go through our friends teasing us in public and I know how you like to stay low profile too so like--” You didn’t expect to have his lips on yours but you welcome them. Were they always that soft and sweet?

“You talk a lot you know?” Mingi mumbles when he pulls away from you. “It’s okay. I understand what you had to do but I do have to admit, you scared me back in the mall.” He admits as he straightens up. 

“Get some sleep, I’ll wait for your stories about your work tomorrow.” He says before taking a few steps back, on the way to his place. 

“Wait tomorrow?” That breaks you out of your thoughts. 

“Yeah, tomorrow, 11AM. I’m taking you on our first date.” He leaves you with no room for complaints as he quickly jogs home. You touch your lips as you make your way to your dorm. It was your turn to feel flustered now, you could still feel his lips against yours and taste his slushie on your lips: blueberries and strawberries. 

Looks like you had a new favorite flavor. 

END

A/N: Do any of you guys want an epilogue? Just how y/n and mingi are years down the line, work and stuff like that lol. it won’t be long like this though lol.

[alwaysvivid]

I’m going to throw you a curveball because I feel like it... hurt #3, soft #12, and misc #2 for Heeyoung and Jisung. Feel free to get creative with this random bunch 😂

[01:05 ; 10 january 2018]

predebut+predating heesung coming at ya nonie. i some how managed to link them and now this fluffy ass shit has me soft. 

“ji, this is gonna look suspicious to people walking past us,” heeyoung mumbled as she let jisung lead her blindly in the cold winter night. her free hand continuously fumbled with the blindfold he’d put on her while the other remained clasped withinin his own.

“first no one will care and second; why would anyone be at the park at 1 am?” jisung had a point the park was usually empty at this time which was the reason they’d always meet up this late at night. sure they were just trainees and they were technically just friends but you could never be too safe.

“this is itchy,” she whined making jisung laugh, the sound of it warming her up and making her heart flutter the way it always did. jisung made her heart flip, dip and shake in ways that she’d never tell him.

he blatantly ignored her whines and continued his journey. he’d squeeze her hand to the rhythm of whatever song he was humming. she guessed it was one of the unreleased tracks he’d been working on lately. they’d both been so busy with both of their debuts coming up that they’d hardly had the time to be the chaotic duo that they were known to be. she missed him, a lot more than she’d let him know. she missed him more than a best friend should but she’d keep that to herself till the day she died.

it was kind of an unspoken rule that they’d always just be friends. he’d never directly said that he didn’t see her in that light but one time he said that she was “like a brother to him”. heeyoung may be the most inexperienced person when it came to feelings but she knew that there was no way out of the brother zone so she just accepted it. she kept her delusional fantasies of dates in the back of her mind as he platonically held her hand.

jisung suddenly stopped and heeyoung collided with his back with a loud thud. she groaned as jisung just rubbed at the her forehead lightly as he undid the blindfold. “we’re here,” he said excitedly.

heeyoung tried her hardest not to squeal as she stared at the cute picnic lay out set up on the grass right beside the pond she was obsessed with.

“what the-“

“i know you’ve been stressed with everything and i’ve definitely been stressed, and we always said this spot was really soothing for both of us. so a picnic just made sense,” heeyoung could’ve made it up in her mind but she swore he looked nervous. jisung was never nervous around heeyoung, they were far too close and far too comfortable with each other for either of them to be nervous. why would he be nervous?

she shook her head as she smiled sweetly at jisung. usually she’d say some type of backhanded compliment and tease him but she couldn’t think of anything. it was just too sweet to make fun of.

not knowing what to do with a frozen, soft looking heeyoung jisung abruptly sat down dragging her along with him.

“you made all of this?” she asked softly. her hands brushed against all the lids of the multiple tupperware’s set up on the blanket. jisung nodded with a proud look on his face.

“i had to ask minho and chan to help me. it’s not much but i almost set the dorm on fire trying to cook all of this so you so you better like it,” he teased only making heeyoung smile wider. she just couldn’t stop smiling. it was all so sweet.

jisung pulled out two camping lamps from his backpack. she wondered why he had it and it definitely all made sense now. as he turned the lights on there was a soft glow that covered his face. heeyoung just about swooned but she kept it in.

“well shit, you really pulled out all the stops didn’t you,” she chuckled looking away from him to not only still her heart but look around for something to snack on. she was always hungry.

“i know.if only the ducklings weren’t all sleeping right now it would be perfect,” he said smugly, all reminisce of his previous slightly nervous attitude was gone. as he opened the tupperware with the cookies heeyoung just about moaned at the smell of them. when did he have time to do all of this? she made a mental note to ask him that but in that moment all she wanted was to stuff her face with the delicious smelling cookies.

“you know if we just went a long with my plan in the first place we wouldn’t be worrying about not having ducklings,” he pointed out. with her mouth stuffed full with the cookie she shoved in it she rolled her eyes.

“for the last time ji , we can not fucking kidnap a duckling.” her words were slightly muffled and crumbs fell out as she spoke but jisung somehow found it endearing.

“but think about it hee! we could raise it and it can grow up to have little ducklings and they have duckling and the cycle never ends. we’d have an endless supply of ducklings it makes so much sense!” his words morphed into a laugh the longer he spoke only make her laugh too. she tried to cover her mouth to appear some what more attractive but it was too late.

“jisung we can barely look after ourselves let alone an army of ducklings,” she said between giggles only making the boy laugh harder, folding over as his stomach began to ache.

jisung brought his hand to his chest, clutching his heart playfully, “that, my friend, is how you bruise my poor soul.” he said between battered breath.

“drama queen.” she chuckled finally calming down. she gently shoved his hand away from his chest so that could gently rub the area where his heart rests, it was beating kinda fast but she just despised to not think too much about it he’d just been training and the walk to the park is kinda strenuous he was probably just tired.

“all better?” she asked with an unintentionally cute expression in her face.

jisung laughed again, clasping his hand over hers in the smoothest manner possible. his touch was surprisingly so gentle. it threw her head in a spin for a second; heeyoung was used to jisung being hyper and energetic around her. but his mannerisms that day were much more gentle and borderline smooth, it caused her heart to erratically jump around in her chest.

his thumb brushed feather-light touches against the back of her hand, he smiled happily back at her, “much better, youngie thank you.”

heeyoungs face scrunched up at the nickname, he gave it to her when they first became friends. he’d only ever use it to tease her just because he knew she hated it.

just as she was about to say something jisung’s face lit up, he excitedly rummaged through his backpack looking for something. heeyoung obviously had no idea what but his enchantingly sparkly eyes had her waiting in battered breath.

“look i made you a lil flower crown too,”his smile never left his face as he pulled out the reef of roses. it wasn’t perfect looking like in all of the photos she’d seen online but it was cute nonetheless plus jisung made it for her how could she not be obsessed with it.

“now your perfect anti-stress picnic is complete,” he said softly as he leaned over and placed the flowers on her head. heeyoung flinched  as soon as it made contact with her head a sharp pain going to her forehead. jisung removed the flower crown immediately as his smile was whipped away immediately.

“y-you’re bleeding.” he stuttered as he frantically looked around for the napkins he swore he brought along.

“cause you didn’t remove the thorns from the roses idiot,” she grumbled although her smile never wavering. jisung finally found the napkin placing it against her forehead to stop the bleeding, it wasn’t much but with the way jisung looked panicked you’d swear she was stabbed.

“sorry i didn’t realise,” he said softly still focused on her minor injury as she felt her heart go into full cardiac arrest. heeyoung knew he didn’t mean to be so close to her face but she couldn’t help but think that that was the moment she was supposed to kiss him.

it was like every drama she’d ever seen, the picnic, the food, the unintentional proximity: it was her moment. he was right there, all she had to do was lean that much more into him. but her body refused and before she knew it jisung pulled away with a sigh continuing on like he hadn’t just given her a full blown heart attack.

“thanks ji, for everything. you didn’t have to do this,” she said in the most sincere way possible no trace of her staple sarcasm to be found.

jisung brushed it off with a smile that made her heart flutter for the hundredth time that night, “it’s no big deal. what are friends for?”

friends. the word usually sparked joy in her but in that moment it hurt more than any insult she’d ever received.

friends.

[rainandhotchocolate]

Hi. Just want to say that I love your writing. It's great. I wanted to ask if you could please do a Sirius Black x Reader fic, where y/n is the younger sister of Lucius Malfoy, and she and Sirius have this love-hate relationship with each other, but soon realize that they both really have romantic feelings for each other, and having to deal with that and the drama that follows. If you could I would really appreciate it

A/N oh hi! This has been in my inbox for a while lelel here is your fic! This will be a lil mini-series, so this is just the start I promise

Tension

“Sirius!” Y/N had spotted the short, curly hair of an 11-year old boy walking in front of him, wearing a slightly ridiculous looking suit. If he had heard, heobviously didn’t want to turn around, keeping his head rigidly to the front. Y/Nignored this fact and followed him down the station and into the train.

“Sirius! It’s Y/N!” Y/N continued to call out loudly,getting more and more frustrated with Sirius’ now clear attempts to ignore her.Finally, he huffed and turned around to face her.

“Can you please just stop,” he hissed at her,still not stepping close enough to have a normal conversation. Y/N wastaken aback. She had never seen this side of him, loud and feisty, his eyesboring into hers. Y/N was used to him being quiet and polite, eyes down and avoiding hers at all costs.

“I just thought you might want to sit wit-” Y/N mumbled, feeling increasingly stupid for thinking he’d want tosit with her. She was just the person dragged along to all his familiesparties, he probably was told he had to be nice to her, or else.

“Go sit with your brother.” He turned aroundbefore he couldn’t even see her reaction, going to find a compartment. 

Y/Nstood, stunned for a minute, her face a bright red and arm hurting from luggingher backpack awkwardly on one arm. Suddenly the train jolted into life,bringing Y/N back to her senses. With a deep sigh, she continued down thehallway, looking in each compartment to see if there was room.

She passed Sirius, sitting with a boy with jet-blackhair who was chatting loudly, Sirius hanging onto his every word. Y/N quickly looked away and continued down towardsthe last compartments at the back of the train. There was only one left that was almostempty, with a sullen-looking boy sitting inside. Y/N carefully pulled back thecompartment door, trying to smile in a way that would hopefully make this boy immediatelywant her to sit next to him.

“Uh, hi! I’m Y/N, there aren’t any other emptycompartments, would you mind if I sat here?”

“Oh… um, I guess so” The boy said slowly,clearly not actually wanting any company but also not wanting to be rude. Hegestured to the seat across from him, still gripping tightly to the book he washolding. Y/N sat down, putting away her backpack and looked up at himexpectantly. He had already returned to his book, looking like he wasconcentrating incredibly deeply on the one sentence.

“Are you going to maybe tell me your name?” Y/Nsaid after a prolonged pause, tapping her fingers anxiously on the chair as sheforced herself to be friendly.

“Oh, right, sorry” He looked surprisinglydistressed for such a simple question but closed the book nonetheless and lookedup at her, “It’s Remus, Remus Lupin.”

“Lovely to meet you” Y/N beamed at him. Remus finallysmiled back in return, revealing light scratch marks across his cheek. Y/N bither lip to avoid asking about it, hearing her mothers voice in her head doNOT ask personal questions about people, it’s rude and insolent. You don’t wantto embarrass us, do you?

They continued to chat across the train ride,Y/N buying them both food to try from the trolley once lunchtime had rolled in.

“Have you ever tried any of these?” Y/N asked,looking at the mini feast she had purchased now covering the seats beside her.

“Yes of course! I’m always a sucker for the chocolatecauldrons.” Remus nodded his head, his eyes lighting up for the first time sincethey’d met, “What’s your favourite?”

“I’ve never had any of them.”

“What!?” Remus stared at her and Y/N laughedat his sudden burst of enthusiasm, “I thought you were a pureblood?”

“I am, we just aren’t allowed sweets in thehouse” Y/N shrugged, having never thought twice about it.

“Oh, you are in for a treat, try these onesfirst” He handed her a chocolate cauldron, getting started on a packed of BertieBott’s every flavour bean. Y/N opened the packed, watching the cauldron steamas the pulled it out and took a large bite out of it.

“Merlin’s beard, this is the best thing I’veever eaten!” Y/N eyes were wide as she felt herself salivating for more. Remusgave out a deep laugh and shook his head as Y/N grinned widely at him.

“I am very glad to have met you,” Y/N said,digging into more sweets sitting beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, shesaw Remus beam at her.

The train pulled slowly into Hogsmeade station,and Y/N and Remus rushed to pull on their robes and get ready to head up toHogwarts for the first time.

“You ready?” Y/N looked over at Remus, grinningwidely. He instead looked like he was about to puke.

“Uh, I guess” He gave a not very convincinggrimace and walked ahead of her out of the station. Y/N narrowed her eyes but followedhim out into the platform.

“Firs’ years! Firs’ years this way!” a gruff, extremely large man called out from the right corner where the smallest and mostnervous-looking students were walking up to him, “alright I’m Hagrid, thegamekeeper ‘ere, I’m takin’ you up to the castle so follow me.”

His face broke out into a large grin softeninghis very rough features as he ushered the kids towards the castle. They reachedthe edge of a huge lake, a small pier leading off the edge where there was over100 boats sitting clustered around it.

“Everyone in a boat, max 3 to each one! Don’want any of you getting drenched before you even get to school.”

Y/N eagerly grabbed Remus’ arm and pulled him intoa boat at the front.

“Come on, come on, I don’t want to miss our firstview of it! My brother said it was amazing, I reckon he probably cried but don’ttell him I told you that cause he could hex you into next week”

“Your brother already goes here?” Remus didn’tlook at her, clearly trying to calm himself down by talking to her.

“Yeah he’s a sixth year, but I doubt I’ll see himmuch around here, his friends are not the nicest people” Y/N laughed, elbowingRemus awkwardly, cringing hard at her obvious attempts to cheer him up. He saidnothing but kept his eyes on the water watching intently for his first view ofthe castle.

And suddenly there were lights, seeminglyeverywhere. The castle came into full view, towering over them. There was agasp that came across all the boats as the first years took in the grandeur thatwas Hogwarts. Y/N could feel her heart beating wildly as she saw it up closefor the first time, her new home. Hopefully, it’s better than the one I justleft.

The boats pulled into a dock on the other sideof the lake, and Hagrid brought them all up to the entrance of the castle, bringingthem up to the huge, ornate Grand Hall doors where a stern-looking witch with emeraldgreen robes stood in the middle of them.

“Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall and the start-of-term banquet will begin shortly.”

Minerva’s gaze swept across the first years as she began herspeech. It was her time to try and take the measure of the new students. Seewhich of them might join her house.

“The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while youare here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. Youwill have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitoryand spend free time in your house common room.” She narrowed her eyes as theboy Sirius had been sitting with nudged him and grinned.

“The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff,Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each hasproduced outstanding wizards and witches. While you are at Hogwarts, yourtriumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose housepoints.”

“At the end of theyear, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour.I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. TheSorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of theschool. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while youare waiting.”

She paused momentarily, piercing her eyes into the worried group in front of her.

“I shall return for you when we are ready for you. Pleasewait quietly.”

There was silence amongst the students for a moment, andthen an outbreak of whispers broke out across the hallway. The loudest wasSirius and his friends, and Y/N couldn’t help but roll her eyes, feelingresentful for how he had treated her earlier.

“I bet I can pick which house everyone is going to be in”the black-haired boy said cockily, eyeing the crowd.

“Well James, I can tell you an easy one – that’s a Malfoyover there, easy Slytherin” Sirius was obviously pointing at Y/N, and Y/N felther face flush as everyone around her stared intently at her.

“You’re a Malfoy?” Remus had turned to her, stared at her inthe exact way she hoped she wouldn’t be looked at.

“Yes, I hope you won’t judge me on that though,” She lookedat him, a little pleadingly. He frowned at her but said nothing. James andSirius were still talking behind them.

“You’re definitely a Gryffindor” James was pointing at agirl with bright red hair who gave a huge sigh to a boy standing next to her.

James was about to continue but the doors had reopened andProfessor McGonagall had stepped through.

“Follow me please” She opened the door behind her andindicated that the students should follow her. Y/N wanted to gasp again themoment she entered the Great Hall. There were more than 1,000 candles floatingabove the four tables where hundreds of students were watching the nervousgroup incredibly closely. The night sky was above them as if the entire roofwas open and Y/N couldn’t help but grab Remus’ arm.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing magic” Remus finally gave her asmile.

Sitting on a stool at the front of the hall was an old and raggedlooking pointed wizards’ hat. Professor McGonagall held out a long scroll of parchmentnext to it.

“When I call your name, you will come up and sit on thestool, and place the Sorting Hat on your head. ABBOT, SUSAN.”

Susan walked shakily up towards the stool, lookingincreasingly green. The hat fell a little down across her eyes. Y/N could seeher legs still shaking.

“HUFFLEPUFF” The Sorting Hat yelled out to the crowd, resultingin an uproar on what Y/N presumed was the Hufflepuff table.

“BLACK, SIRIUS” Some of the Slytherin’s gave out a cheer as he stepped up the steps towards the stool, avoiding their gaze. It tooka while to get out an answer, with Sirius seemingly mumbling at it every fewseconds.

“Well then, GRYFFINDOR!”

The Gryffindor table roared out a cheer, along with James.Y/N glanced over at the Slytherin table, specifically at another curly-hairedboy glaring over at the Gryffindor table. Ten bucks that Sirius gets ahowler tomorrow morning.

The group of people got smaller and smaller with theblack-haired boy, James getting into Gryffindor, House of the arrogant, Y/Nhad whispered to Remus, along with the red-headed girl, Lily Evans, who seemeda little disappointed.

“MALFOY, Y/N” Y/N felt like she could puke. She walked up ontothe stool and placed the Sorting Hat onto her head, careful not to have itcover her eyes.

“Mmmmm, another Malfoy, well this is an easy one” And beforeY/N could say another word the Sorting Hat yelled out, “SLYTHERIN!”

The table screamed out cheers, with Lucius’ friends bangingloudly on the table, as she walked over towards the other first years sittingthere.

Finally, Professor McGonagall called out Remus’name, looking down at them all under her glasses, waiting for him to shakilytake the seat and placed the sorting hat on him. It took almost the longest thananyone else, clearly undecided on where to place him. After over 5 minutes and softwhispering beginning to erupt throughout the Great Hall.

Finally, the Sorting Hat grinned and looked outat the crowd.

“Slytherin!”

Taglist: @averytruerayofsunshine @siriuslyjanhvi @blushingskywalker @blackpinkdolan @thebabblingbookworm   @cherrie511 @imlukesnirvana @avengersassemblee @maraudersandco @sly-vixen-up2nogood @katbernoulli @sirius-lysad @evyiione @minerva26love  @aikeia@gollyderek @greatwombatblaze

[thinger-strang]

no one dies and everyone's gay au

Nancy finds Barb when she gets stuck in the Upside Down when she's in the forest with Jonathan (don't ask me about the logistics) and so Steve ends up finding Jonathan and Barb in Nancy's room? And he's confused because at first he'd just seen Jon and thought Nancy was cheating but then he saw Barb walk into the room? (traumatic sleepover time! except Jon stays on the ground and Barb and Nance cuddle on the bed bc they're best friends and BARB WAS MISSING FOR LIKE TWO DAYS I THINK? she deserves snugs)

But Tommy and Carol started talking about how Nancy was probably sleeping with both, everyone knew Barb was the biggest d*ke in Hawkins, Nancy probably got curious about the other side!

He doesn't necessarily agree but still doesn't stop Tommy from spray painting the theater (because Nancy still lied to him? Lying generally meant there was something? going on? idk Steve's just confused and a little hurt rn)

The rest of the season goes pretty much the same, Barb's just there trying to not die and trying to help the Gang™ find Will and fight this bitch ass demogorgon (I don't think she's really be part of the Nancy and Jonathan luring it to the house and fighting it, she'd help with set up and the plan but I think she'd fuck right off when it comes down to facing it, she's had enough monsters for one life time thx)

But she'd so wanna help get Will out so she's there with Joyce and everyone talking to El while she's in the bath finding Will and talking Hop and Joyce about the Upside Down

(and she's been to the hospital, she didn't get a face sucking monster thing so she recovered quicker? idk don't ask logistics again lmao)

But she and Will end up getting along and sometimes when she's hanging out with Nancy and the party comes over she'll say hi to Will and like ruffle his hair

(also I want a little scene after the big monster hunting trip scene where a) Nancy and Jonathan explain everything to Steve and b) where Steve sees Barb again and pulls her into the biggest hug and starts like apologizing for not paying attention that night and for letting her get taken and even though she assured him it wasn't his fault he still feels guilty about it, it was his house, he should have helped her bandage her hand or something? idk but this right here is the beginning of the Barb/Steve friendship and the start of the "fall of King Steve")

cue s2

and so the four get really close, Jonathan and Steve are actually friends (idk what s2 was pulling but they're friends) and Barb talks to Nancy about Steve and Jonathan and Nancy ends up breaking up with Steve way earlier (bc you know none of that drama would have happened if Barb was there so)

But they're all still good friends, Steve's cool about the break up, and Nancy and Jonathan get together but it's not like right after? so it's all chill and they all went through a dramatic experience together so they remain close knit yeah

and Barb eventually comes out to them (everyone's supportive obviously) and Steve's is ready to throw down with anyone for her

cue Billy

the four of them are sizing up the new guy, Nancy doesn't really care, Jonathan thinks his hair is a little ridiculous (which I mean, that first day? when he steps out of the Camaro? yeah it was a lil rough), Barb can see right through his macho bullshit, and Steve? has a little bi meltdown. bc this kid has definitely had boy crushes before and knows he likes both (kid listens to queen of course he knew he was bi lmao)

blah blah blah s2 happens, Barb, Steve, and Billy have the same English class and Billys generally quiet during school, kinda stand-off-ish, only really bugs people during gym/basketball, but he literally sits in the back and does absolutely nothing during class and still somehow has the highest grade

(FUCK him and Barb get paired for a project and she fucking calls him out? like she's just like you're gay I'm lesbian you can cut the crap around me and they become...not friends? but they have solidarity, they're cool)

and I'm a slut for this trope but BILLY FIGHTS DEMODOGS WITH THEM lmao he hears Max sneak out and follows her and finds her in the junkyard armouring up a bus with fucking Harrington and a couple of nerds? and like the sun is setting and he needs to get Max home so he's like "Maxine! I don't know what the fuck this is and I don't fucking care, we gotta go!" and the four are like yelling at him to either leave or get in the bus! and he's so confused, I'm not here to play games Max! and Steve's running out of the bus with a FUCKING NAIL BAT WHAT THE FUCK HARRINGTON? And Steve's like behind you! and swings at a demodog. Billy has a borderline panic attack before he finds like a fender or exhaust pipe or whatever and starts swinging too

the dogs run away and Billy rounds onto Steve like what the living shit was that? and Steve has to explain everything with Dustin and Lucas interrupting and Max shrugging and trying to understand too? it's a mess

s2 continues with Billy and with HOPPER NOT BEING ABLE TO STAND HIM bc he's caught him speeding and underage drinking and shit and Billy's nervous as hell around cops which makes him mouthy and ITS A MESS

they're all at Joyce's (Barb's there too bc Will's possessed and they need to check up on her too? and she's concerned for Will anyway yeah she's in this too) and El shows up and Steve and Billy are just like what? another one? who the fuck? like Steve heard about her but this isn't a tiny child without hair??? idk it's funny

BILLY WITH AN AXE IN THE TUNNELS

(obviously Steve isn't passed out and the kids don't drive the car, it's Billy's awful impulse control that leads to them going into the tunnels)

okay I couldn't decide where to put Barb here? so I left her with Steve and Billy to babysit and she ends up in the tunnels too? and she's def handling it better than the boys are fuck yeah

Steve has his bat and is in front and Billy found an axe in the pile of shit from the Byers' shed and he pulls up the end

it's awesome

yada yada Steve and Billy end up becoming weirdly good friends by the end and he's good with him and Barb, idk about Nance and Jon but eh

s3 now

Billy ends up getting two jobs; lifeguard and cook at Benny's (bc he's alive too, fight me bitches this is the ultimate fix it) and Barb ends up working as a waitress there too (and working together builds the weirdest bonds so they are besties now)

everything in s3 is pretty much the same but with diner scenes too? and like all the Hawkins moms swarm Benny's too and leave lipstick stains on their kitchen tips and "send my compliments to the chef *wink*"

Billy eats it up but Barb can tell he also kinda hates it bc he's barely 18 and not even remotely into women and it makes him super uncomfortable but publicly he "loves" it (he starts wearing tank tops to the pool and tries to hide out in the kitchen but it really doesn't work)

he still gets caught up with the mind flayer but it's not bc he's about to sleep with Karen bc ew, idk why he's driving out by the warehouse idk maybe he's out on a drive bc he can't sleep yeah

anyway he gets caught up but like he knows, or kind of knows, what this is and calls in sick to both jobs and talks to Hopper bc WHAT THE FUCK isn't the gate closed? I got face fucked my an interdimensional monster so unless you know where the fuck that came from?? and they deal with it earlier (most of the shit still happens but it's less...messy? like Hop and Joyce are more involved in the Billy shit and Steve knows about it?)

Steve still gets caught up with the Russians (I don't think he'd have a chance to tell anyone (specifically Hopper) bc he finds out about Billy then the elevator stuff happens like right after and yada yada)

so for most of the season it's them trying to actually help Billy! and they end up saving a lot of people? (specifically Heather bc she was really nice to Billy and I want he to live fight me it's my au)

but enough people get melted and shit that starcourt still get destroyed blah blah blah!

but Billy makes it and so does Hop and Alexie (no one dies au) and they all end up doing the thing in the mall like they did in the shed with Will? like breaking Billy out? Barb talks about working at the diner and their secret and Steve talks about them hanging out and playing basketball and the tunnels and Max talks about Billy buying her a new board and them scream-singing along to ACDC in the Camaro and the kids mention him giving them rides and shit and yeah! El talks about his mom and that's it! Joyce and Hop close the gate while Billy's holding the one arm (he doesn't get stabbed in the chest, as cool as that scar would be, no...but he gets some on his hands and upper arms and his sides?)

(also Billy's drinking like bleach rn so they try and reverse that as much as possible while he's possessed so that he has a better recovery later bc no! chlorine is not good for you! and Billy tries so hard to not drink it but sometimes he can't fucking stop? idk but he has a support system now!)

and Robin came out to Steve and Steve comes out to her too? like kinda? he alludes to it vaguely bc he's so not ready to be out to anyone FUCK

And Billy comes out to Steve (he was planning on doing it earlier that summer but shit happened)

and Robin becomes friends with everyone (ITS ROBIN X BARB HOURS BITCHES)

(OKAY small like side shit? Benny and Hopper have known each other for years and Benny's like one of the only registered foster parents on Hawkins so he ends up fostering a lot of wayward kids while Hop figures out legal stuff (he hasn't adopted anyone yet but him and his husband (yeah Benny's gay deal with it) really want to? they just haven't yet, all the kids they take care of end up in their care temporarily) BUT Hop finds out about Billy and Max's home life (I know a lot of people write that Neil wouldn't hit Max but...nah son not how that works? idk but he needs to get them out? and Neil's bad to Susan too (he's the worst to Billy but still bad to Max and Susan) anyway Hop helps Susan leave Neil (it takes a while and Billy and Max end up with Benny for a little bit while the divorce is going down and all the legal shit yeah it's safer out of the house rn) long story short Billy ends up staying with Benny after everything and ends up getting adopted (they're like we know you're 18 and you don't need a guardian but if you want we can be your dads? and Billys like yeah sure that'd be nice and yeah) Hop ends up being a weird like uncle figure? idk like I said him and Benny are close and they both adopted kids so yeah? and Billy ends up considering El his little sister and he still visits Max and Susan and yeah?)

ANYWAY everything kind of calms down, Hop and Joyce get together (I just realized I forgot about Bob so...idk I guess this isn't an everyone survives au? no no that's weird um idk him and Joyce end up breaking up idk why) but yeah Hop and Joyce get together and like it's kind of fast but they've been in love for a long time so it's kind of fine? like idk but yeah

Barb and Robin get together (ITS FUCKING CUTE they go to aquariums and have paint dates where they sit on some old sheets and paint while listening to Robin's records ITS CUTE!)

STEVE COMES OUT TO EVERYONE! he definitely cries bc fuck he was scared! bc he likes both and he wasn't sure if that was a thing or whatever for a while and Billy's like oh yeah, like David Bowie or Freddie Mercury? and that's when Steve's cries bc oh thank God you guys get it and you're cool with it oh fuck and YEAH

UM Max is bi too, Will comes out as gay (listen I know none of this is like 80's realistic but everyone's gay and alive and happy, fuck off)

Um it takes forever for Billy and Steve to get together, it's awful. like Barb and Robin have to deal with their pining and shit? and like Robin hears about it from Steve at work and Barb hears about it from Billy at the diner and they put their knowledge together and make a Plan ™

it's like elaborate and dramatic (shut up they're all like 18-19) and shit? BUT LMAO okay one day they're all hanging out at Steve's (bc I've also hopped aboard the neglectful parents train sorry) and idk Steve and Billy are there before Robin and Barb are so the girls walk in on them arguing over whatever and like Billy's talking really fast and Steve's talking with his hands and idk what it's about but Billy ends up yelling that he loves him BUT THEY KEEP ARGUING FOR LIKE A SOLID MINUTE AFTER THAT BEFORE IT HITS THEM and Steve gets all quiet and is just like you love me? and Billy doesn't fucking know what to do?? he's like bright red and frozen and Robin and Barb are by the door trying to not like break the spell (bc it's been months guys) and Billy's like of course I do asshole and Robin thinks Steve's about to have a panic attack but he like rushes forward and cups Billy's face and kisses him senseless and it's like the best thing Robin and Barb have ever seen

and they're resting their foreheads together, Steve's still holding Billy's face and Billy has his hands on Steve's chest it's really tender but Robin's like yeah congrats and shit but you guys ruined our Plan™! and she gives them a long ass rundown of their elaborate scheme and Steve and Billy are like still touching and bumping into each other as they listen and Barb interrupts and says that this was better and Robin rolls her eyes but agrees

and they're watching a movie or whatever, cuddling in their respective couples and Steve fucking jumps up randomly and rounds on Billy like hey woah fuck I love you too, I didn't say that earlier! and Billy's looking up at him like yeah I know that asshole and yeah

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

Aaand now it’s time for episode 6 of The Witcher! Rare Species is the title and it’s intriguing, are we going to learn more about witchers?

Anyway, let’s do this. F.lux off, luminosity on, earbuds, clean glasses, and we’re ready. Nobody cares about that but whatever.

We start directly with Jaskier which is always welcome.

Geralt’s employers for the case think he’s dead by now and take Geralt’s stuff... but some strangers just show up and help out. Stranger dude introduces himself and I immediately forget his name and don’t try to learn it. Now he’s Suspiciously Helpful Guy, for short Beard Guy. The ladies with him are gorgeous.

This is about a dragon!!! That’s super exciting. Hope the dragon looks cool.

Jaskier also thinks the ladies are gorgeous. He probably thinks everyone is gorgeous but still, mood.

The reward for killing the dragon is huge, because it’s about the reputation of a king. Makes sense. Suspiciously Helpful Guy isn’t suspicious after all, he just wants the lord title and whatnot and wants Geralt on his team because Geralt is like the Cristiano Ronaldo of monster hunters, and that makes sense.

Beard Guy doesn’t want the reward for itself, but wants a last adventure before he gets too old to do anything exciting, apparently. He tries to appeal to Geralt emotionally, but Geralt is still unconvinced. Aaaand now we get what convinces him to join. The world is small :)

So welcome to Deadly Gishwhes.

Yennefer is there as a fancy escort to Pompous Knight. I think they haven’t started yet and she is already Done with him.

Meanwhile-not-meanwhile Ciri is walking right into Fake Mousesack’s trap...

Deadly Gishwhes for now is a camping trip. Isn’t this fun! Geralt is convinced that the most dangerous thing on the mountain isn’t the dragon, but Yennefer... we’ll see. I mean, definitely.

Dinner is an awkward affair until it gets a more intimate affair, then it’s cute. I’m afraid these nice people won’t survive this.

Dara suspects Fake Mousesack, but Ciri doesn’t...

Meanwhile Yennefer has been sleeping and has lost her escort. Oops.

Oh, he’s been found. Double oops.

The dwarves suggest a shortcut, our team accepts, but we’re gonna have some Yennefer-Geralt drama first.

And of course Yennefer is meaning to use the dragon to get her uterus back.

Geralt says she’d definitely made a bad mother and, well, is he wrong. Apparently it’s customary to make witches and witchers sterile, and he acknowledges that their lifestyle isn’t suited for children. Which I can’t really disagree with... if you really want a child, you can adopt one after deliberation, and not risk to produce a child accidentally that will be thrown into a very unstable environment. I get where Yennefer is coming from, though--it’s not really about a child, it’s about reclaiming the possibility of a choice that was taken from her. I think it’s more about having a part of herself taken away, and maybe she’s been rationalizing her feelings as wanting to be able to have a child, but I think it’s about the integrity and wholeness of her body, of getting back something of herself she got robbed of (even if she chose it at the moment--but it was a choice dictated by the desperation of fixing what had caused her a lifetime of abuse, suffering and self-loathing).

I love how this thing is all leading to Geralt becoming a mama duck.

(Yeah, I don’t know how this story will progress exactly, but I am assuming the plot is going to be about Geralt becoming a mama duck until proven otherwise. I mean, this episode is yelling at us that Ciri is going to become his adopted daughter, we just got hammered with a reminder that she’s tied to him by destiny and Geralt is now babbling about the fact that it’s not a good idea for him to have a child. But for some reason I expect Geralt to go through the story being imprinted on by every orphan or lost soul he meets, like baby ducklings with mama duck.)

(I can’t really think of Geralt as a father but I can only think of him as a mother, does that make sense? I’ve watched too much Supernatural.)

AAAAAAH he’s “thought about this--often”. He’s thought about children and parenthood. Excuse me, I needed that heart, who gave you the right.

Oh my god, he’s been avoiding the surprise because he knows he’s supposed to parent the child, and does not want to subject the child to the life he leads!! I am having feelings!! He does not want a child to go through what he goes through!! He’s literally been tormented by the idea that destiny wants to give him a child but he doesn’t want the child to suffer through the horror and pain of his life!! Wasn’t one (1) show with these themes enough, did I have to add another??

Well, now Yennefer is going to be bitter that she’s been trying to get a child for decades and this dude stumbled into magical adoption just like that.

Also love how Geralt is like “why do I start babbling like an idiot when I’m near you”. It’s called being neurodivergent Geralt. I know this isn’t the take I was supposed to get from the scene but I’ll go with it. It makes sense okay?

Ciri catches Fake Mousesack, and They(TM) get fed up with the whole thing... Ciri is savage af.

The shortcut is terrifying and Jaskier is being perfectly reasonable thank you very much.

Nooo Beard Guy!!! Goergous Ladies!!!! I mean, I expected it, but still. :’(

Oh bby he’s trying to console Geralt and also working out his own pain.

The directors have a favorite angle to shoot Geralt, uh.

Yennefer has made a Tardis Tent. And they have an emotional (emotionally mature, at least for they standards?) moments. They suffer a bit from a-man-and-a-woman-share-a-pencil-syndrome, but that’s just how the show has been working so far, it’s a lot about negative space, so I’m giving them a pass.

Me the other day, as a joke: the horse is the fantasyland equivalent of the Impala. This episode: if he wasn’t a hunter witcher he’d work with cars horses. *deep inhale* Okay.

Ah. Her dream is to be important to someone, yes. A child of her own would be a sure way of achieving that.

Alright, this scene was sweet. They lil stupid faces when they wake up together. They’re dumbasses but cute.

And Ciri is caught. This guy is either feeding her some fat lies or not, let’s see. He speaks destiny stuff so he probably believes what he’s saying. The camping party was talking about the religious zealotry of Nifgaard peeps. He’s probably the religious righteous type, which is the most dangerous type.

OH! Now this is intriguing! It’s Them(TM). And yes, he believes the prophecy stuff, and the shapeshifter thinks he’s insane. Yep.

Yennefer cheats at track and field.

I have a theory about the dragon, let’s see.

Ho ho ho! This is great, the ladies are alive, Suspicious Guy was not what he appeared uh.

I was right, the dragon was a she and had a baby. That was my theory. Yennefer was after it for motherhood reasons... but the real motherhood was the dragon she was after all along.

Suspicious Guy was indeed a gold dragon, the rarest, the ones with the very peculiar mutation... of course. I should have expected it. He hired the only person who’d empathize with dragons and could protect the baby dragon. 

Mama Duck Geralt Foreshadowing Abounds!!

Sorry guys, Team Protect Baby Dragon are the most badass people around.

Dracarys.

Ah, I’m so happy about how this episode went. Sorry for poor dragon mama, but the rest was 👌🏼

Dara is done with white people bullshit, which we can’t blame him for.

And now it’s time for draa~ama! They break up. I mean, I knew I’d happen because they’re dumbasses and just at the beginning of their character development arc. I want them to be each other’s weird ex that somehow is always involved accidentally in everything the other does.

Dragon Dude is like, forget heterosexuality, embrace your true nature as a Mama Duck.

Well, dumping your frustrations on Jaskier doesn’t seem fair. Aw, that’s so sad. Yennefer and Geralt speak the same emotional language, but Jaskier is a lil dumpling.

Fringilla boosts Creepy Religious Dude’s self-esteem. They have a Mission!

And we’ll see how it goes in the next installment...

This episode was really good. Yep.

[fantroll-purgatory]

@boisonbapple

Hey its me again with another fantroll, and here we have a wonderful heiress

Alternia or Beforus or some type of AU?

Alternia, during the time of after Trizza and before Feferi

Name (preferably include how you came up with it and why):

Peptoe Bizmal, she was named as a joke, her name came before her design, me and a friend were joking on how Peptoe Bizmal was a valid troll name so we used it, also Peptoe is fuchsia and pepto is pink.

OKAY, this name is very funny, naturally, but it’s also like… kinda random. So we have a few options here. 

1) We can either change her name to something themeatic like… Evnesc Turnen (a reference to Evanescence and the former lead singer of Nightwish, Tarja Turunen). Or like… Jkilla Ebonee (a reference to Jay Killa from Vampires Everywhere! and, of course, Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way). 

2) We can KEEP Peptoe Bizmal, but we have to make it fit her theme somehow. Sooo… Pepto-Bismol, otherwise known as Bismuth subsalicylate, is a medicine that is used to help people obvs, but that is also Kinda Toxic. As with all medicines, repeated use is bad. So maybe we can throw it into her themeing personality…wise? Like maybe she’s a great person to be around occasionally (teaberry-flavored personality and all) but if you spend too long with her she can turn toxic on ya real fast. Scene kid DRAMA, y’know. I think if the name Peptoe Bizmal is kept, you’ve GOTTA pull in more Bubblegum Pink, though. When you go Bismol you go full Bismol. 

Age:

8 sweeps, or 16 years old.

Strife Specibus:

2x3dentkind, like all fuchsias

Fetch Modus:

Hoodie pocket, item goes into a Hoodie pocket (and it will never fall out) and the user has to wear a sweatshirt with the items in the pocket

See now that’s not a Fetch Modus, that’s just wearing a magic jacket. We need a LITTLE more inconvenience than that. 

So you know how like… Scene kid buttons were(/are) a big thing? 

Maybe her items get stored as Pins With Edgy Phrases. She has to reach into a Pin Bag and try to sus out which one relates to the item she’s LOOKING for. 

Blood color:

Fuchsia.

Symbol and meaning:

Pilo (Prospit + Heart).

Sign of the Spirited.

I like me some hidden signs, they’re on her shoes

Trolltag + Grype:

Kinda lost on this one

Well my first and most obvious joke is sleepingSiren, as a reference to sleeping with sirens LOL. bumblegumBass could be another fun one. bactericidalRomance? panickedFischo? eatedCookie? Okay now I’m having too much fun, but any of those should work.  

Quirk:

Lik hOw a sCeNe girl tAlks??? o.O

oh teh noes O_o

Well obviously you gotta be sure to ALWAYS turn “the” to “teh”, use as many x’s and z’s as possible, and use *asterisks for action*. such as when Peptoe *epically glomps her bffzzz >XD* 

Special Abilities (if any):

She’s a seadweller and that’s it

Lusus:

Big ol glubglub

Personality:

She’s the highest up so she’s a bit snobby, but is just genuinely friendly most of the time, but she can get snippy and rude if something gets her to be offensive, she kinda sees herself as the best due to being a fuchsia, but she tries to ignore the fact that when she reaches adulthood, she’ll lose the battle against condy, she also tries to act “random” and “quirky” matching that persona she gave herself.

Oh super convincing for a Scene Themed Character. Like I said above maybe she could be a liiil on the toxic side. Like, scene-kid era impulsive lying to be more impressive. Myspace Drama Causing Fool. If you hang out with her for a little while she can be great if kinda… awkward, but her deeper internal feelings of superiority and also general natural can just kinda make you either nauseous or just frustrated after too long 2gether. Best taken in small doses. 

I also like the idea that she’s nervous about the Condy thing. Is that why she built this persona? Is she just trying to live it up while she still can? Is it REBELLION against the system but she’s fuchsia so she doesn’t Actually know how to rebel against the system so she does it with eccentric fashion? That’s a great idea. You can expand a lot on that conceit. A character who feels trapped in a situation w/ no way to fight against it can often try to exert control in odd ways.

Interests:

She likes what is considered weird, creepy, and unusual, as well as horrifying cute items too, she likes east alternian animation since not everyone likes it and it’s considered quirky for her to like it as well as she likes emo bands like troll mcr, p!atd, and fob, she finds it fun to go find abandoned places and just hang out there, she likes collecting plushies of not cute things.

This is fun. I wonder if she might be interested in lowblood culture in general then? Or at least interested in co-opting its image a little bit. I mean, if she’s into creepy things and acting Super Quirky and Edgy, she might actually be really into the like, rustblood scene of Ghost Seein’. A lot of younger scene kids during the Scene Boom were really into that habit of pretending they had psychic powers and were really into ghosts. That’s something you could play around with, the idea of her Pretending she TOTALLY has psychic powers like a rust, for sure!!! Yeah she can SUPER talk to the dead. If she likes breaking into abandoned places, she could like hunting for ghosts, too.

Title:

Thief Of Heart

Honestly I miiight chalk her down as a Knight of Heart? She’s got a Whole lotta soul, a whole lotta identity, a whole lotta personhood and doesn’t really know what to do with it or how to utilize her Own self. Instead she relies on redistributing facades and putting up masks. Gotta learn to tune into her REAL feelings instead of hiding them. 

Land:

Land of Reflection and Overgrowth.

Overgrowth definitely feels a lil too Lifey for my liking. If I had to pick kind of just aesthetically/themeatically, I might say the Land of Bismuth and Parades. Bismuth is another callback to Pepto-Bismol, and Parades is, OF COURSE, a reference to Welcome to the Black Parade. 

Dream Planet:

Prospit

Design time!:

I obvs can’t replicate your really great style in sprite form, but here I go. From the top down: 

Hair: The bleached blonde aesthetic just doesn’t work on trolls, so I went with what I kind of assume is similar to a bleached strip in troll culture? Blood Colored Fluff at the back of her hair. I kept the red stripes, but I added the classic Scene Kid Raccoon Pattern. 

Face: Since she already had so much color going on, I brought the eye makeup back to that classic Scene Kid Dark Smokey Eye With The Heavy Shadow Under. She also got a Duck Face style lip and both gold snakebites and a gold nose bridge piercing. I added a plug earring on her right fin, because plugs are def associated w/ the scene look that this era Draws From. 

Outfit: I brought the shirt down to dark grey just to keep that color balance you were going for. Her belt got gold studs instead of silver and you may notice that she has a raccoon tail pinned to her belt, as was (and maybe still is) common for Scene Kids. Except hers is like. An actual lusus tail. Like she actually took it from another person’s lusus. Don’t worry about it. I brought her skirt to a Rustblood Red to emulate that idea I was talking about, of her ripping off and exploiting lowblood aesthetics. 

Shoes/socks: I wanted to keep the sock colors neutral here esp because there’s so little space to work with, so she gets mismatched stripes and checkers in black and white. And her converse have become Pepto-Bismol Pink. 

Tiktok Badapp is up next

But she’s my latest fantroll who I’m really happy about

She’s real great! Thank you for sharing!

-CD

[inoahthingor2]

No Place Like Home

When: November 17th

Time: 10 PM

Noah wasn’t sure why he hadn’t resented his sisters, even though he had grown up behind all four of them. There were four different ideas about who a Nakamura was before Noah stepped into place, and sometimes, it was annoying. No, he wasn’t as good at maths as Lily, and no, he wasn’t interested in joining the drama club like Hannah had, and if one more person asked him if he had inherited any of Ryleigh’s affinity for public speaking, he just might tear his hair out.

But, he was still so proud of his sisters. Yeah, he had no clue what the hell an integral was, but Lily had gotten a full-ride to go study Statistics. And Noah was good at singing and dancing, but Hannah’s performance as the lead in The Sound of Music made him tear up. And you bet your ass Noah was the loudest one screaming after Ryleigh’s valedictorian speech.

And then Kelly.

Since Noah could remember, Kelly had been dancing. Uncoordinated and clumsy when she eight as she led him in circles with Ryleigh, her pointe shoes messily laced up. Noah, who was five at the time, was delighted by the clumsy pirouettes. Lily and Hannah watched with a mixture of caution and amusement from the side lines, only stepping in when he and Ryleigh knocked heads.

Noah watched as Kelly ditched her pointe shoes in favor of a leotard and chalk, and at age nine, he watched her land her first pike, and that was the exact moment he knew he wanted to be out there with her.

His other sisters seemed to share his sentiment, but not nearly to his degree. Lily like it because she thought it made her look elegant, Hannah liked it for the drama, and Ryleigh liked it because Noah liked it. But he and Kelly actually loved all of it.

They loved the rush as they bounded across the mat, making sure not to get lost in the feeling of flipping through the air so they had a clear enough mind to land each move. Loved the burn that came with holding their balance on a beam, forcing their shaking muscles to cooperate and keep them upright. Loved the way their pulse beat in their ears as the flung themselves off of the bars, that .2 seconds in the air before they were latching back onto the metal and throwing themselves around it once more.

Perhaps their coach had taken a shine to him, but in Noah’s eyes, Kelly was who really encouraged him to practice his heart out.

“I mean, I'm good Noah, don't get me wrong. But you… you could really go somewhere with this,” she had said as she gently bandaged their hands after a particularly rigorous practice. And with Kelly gripping his hands with her own dusty ones, he knew then that he was gonna go somewhere for the both of them.

Lily, Hannah, and Ryleigh all dropped it after a couple of years, but they never stopped loving the sport. They were there when Noah dominated State Championships, sitting in the front row with their parents, waving obscenely large signs and screaming his name. Kelly was standing with the rest of their gym on the floor, beaming up at him, and in that moment, behind the joy and adrenaline, he hated being up on that podium, because his victory was nothing without them.

So when he moved on to win Nationals, he yanked Kelly up on the podium with him and grabbed her hand with his own, pressing his metal into her open palm. She stared at him for a moment, before she burst into tears, quickly followed by Lily, Hannah and Ryleigh, who jumped from the stands to rush the stage almost as soon as Noah had reached for Kelly. Yeah, pandemonium was one word for the mess that broke out after that, but if that wasn’t the Nakamura’s, Noah wasn’t sure what was.

They stuck together. If you had one of them, you had all of them.

Which was why he should’ve driven back with them after that meet. He should’ve skipped the review session with his coach. He should’ve just left with his win. Left and eaten with his family, throwing ice at Ryleigh whenever their parents weren’t looking and stealing broccoli off of Hannah’s plate when she forgot to guard her greens.

But instead, while his family was sleeping, full and happy and still buzzing with Noah’s victory, Noah was being thrown about in a crushed car that wouldn’t stop rolling, the feeling of flipping familiar and horrifying.

And then he was… broken. Broken, and all he could think about was how much he was hurting, how angry he was, how heartbroken he was. He couldn't think of anything else for those four years. But, he had forgotten that Nakamura’s shared everything.

He didn’t get to see Lily ripping his coach a new one with Hannah holding her back by her coat, begging her not to get arrested on top of everything. He didn’t see Ryleigh straightening out his hospital sheets, crying and crying but trying not to be loud in case her grief was strong enough to wake him from a medically induced coma. Nor Kelly, gripping his Nationals medal that he had given to her tightly in her hand, holding it to her forehead before throwing it in a fit of rage at the wall. The dent was still there.

No, Noah hadn’t seen any of that. Instead, he saw his future in ruins, his family disgraced, his uselessness. Every time he looked one of them in the eyes, that’s all he saw. Pity or disappointment. He couldn’t see the fondness in Lily’s eyes when he playfully tripped her with his walker on one of his better days. He didn’t see the adoration in Hannah’s when she presented him with a knot blanket for his legs, nor the relief in Ryleigh’s when he opened his eyes for the first time since the accident as she stood in the corner in order to allow the doctors to work. And he certainly hadn’t seen the pride Kelly felt when Noah took his first wobbly steps by himself before he collapsed into her arms.

He couldn’t.

Which was why when his phone buzzed, he didn’t answer it. He watched Kelly’s face flash on screen until it dimmed and the vibrating faded. There was the missed call notification, then a voicemail notification, and finally a text message. He clicked on the text, already knowing he was going to delete the voicemail. He couldn't handle her voice yet.

Kelpy: Answer one of us, you asshole. We miss you

Noah shut his eyes and sighed through his nose, before finally taking a look at all of the other texts from his various sisters that he had muted.

From Lily;

Lil: how’s college, college boy? Meet any hotties yet?

Lil: let me know if u need help with ur math

Lil: r u seriously ghosting your whole family u dork?

Lil: R u coming home for thxgiving?

Lil: I’ll give u 5 bucks and some graduate school gossip if u do

Lil: hey, give mom a call soon, will ya? You know how she worries

From Hannah;

Bananah: hey, let me know how ur first day was when u get a chance!

Bananah: are your midterms soon? Call me if you get too stressed!

Bananah: stay warm, okay? I know it’s warmer there, but still. If you tell me ur dorm room number, I’ll send you a scarf!

Bananah: audio.mp3

Bananah: “this is my audition for a Christmas musical! Let me know how it is!”

From Ryleigh:

Rye: I can’t believe you went to college so far away fucker. I was looking forward to dipping ur hand in cold water when ur passed out drunk

Rye: bro, wtf r u gonna be for Halloween? If u don’t send me a pic, you’re disowned

Rye: image.png

Rye: I went as Columbia from rocky horror

Rye: woooow silent treatment?

Rye: if u don’t come home for thanksgiving, I’m gonna convince Hannah to help me kick ur ass

From Kelly:

Kelpy: dominate this school year noah! We’re all rooting for you!

Kelpy: image.png

Kelpy: I got a dog. Help me name him?

Kelpy: I named him pudge.

Kelpy: hey, call me? We should catch up! I wanna know how school is!

Kelpy: Hey noah, we’re all kinda worried about you. We’re trying to give you space, but we’d really like to hear if you’re okay

Kelpy: mom and dad almost drove up to surprise you, but I convinced them not to. Just answer us noah. We miss you

And then the text from today

Noah pressed his phone to his forehead, his brows furrowed. He should go back. He knew he should. He missed his family, as much as he tried not to think about it. But it was going to be so hard going back to a place where everyone knew how much better he used to be. They were gonna ask him what he was doing, and he couldn’t just not talk about the Vixens. But he wasn’t ready to share. He just… couldn’t. He wanted to stay in this space where he was just Noah, the energetic Vixen. He was scared if he looked away, the illusion would break.

But they deserved to hear him say he wasn't coming home.

So naturally, he texted it.

N: srry for the radio silence Kelly! I’ve been sups busy! I can’t make it back for Thanksgiving; I’ve got something I need to do here. Give everyone my best!

Kelly answered almost immediately, but he was already tossing his phone in his gym bag and getting ready to head to the Court. The sooner he improved, the sooner he could feel comfortable going home.

[the-mf-bread-babies]

29/5/20

– REBUILD III –

= RUNAWAY RENEGADES =

· COLLECTION I ·

“backstories”

– VOLUME ONE–

“Dennis, Aaron, Damon, Sawblade”

· PART TWO ·

———————————————————

“Hm? Yeah. Look at Twitter, dude, it's trending,” Damon replied casually as the two quickly pulled out their phones. “What? It's not– oh, it changed,” Aaron stated, “It was normal, then it refreshed, and now I have over twenty notifications and DMs. Sorry, Denny,” Dennis narrowed his eyes at his husband. “I literally gave you that raccoon video last night. I know you didn't look at it,” he pointed out, petty. “How was I supposed to kn–” he argued, before Damon cut it off.

“So are you guys having the apocalypse Twitter now or what?” he asked, interrupted their quarrel. “Oh, I never update mine so I can still have the square icons and stuff,” “I'm just getting normal stuff right now; cat videos, ads, recipe videos, the occasional out of context fandom drama and discourse. The usual,” Dennis confessed. “Like, ever? Never updated it? You don't have lights out mode?” Damon asked, trying to understand this man's level of dedication for square icons. “Yup. Minecraft's square, which is nice,” he replied, smiling honestly. “Okay…” Damon processed.

“Oh, like, she really stabbed him. Like, with a knife. Like, to death,” Aaron said, bringing them back to the current conversation about apocalypse Twitter. “Hm? Oh, yeah, that. The dude, like, died, and stuff; F,” Damon said respectfully. “Chrissy Teigen bought rights to a nuke…” Aaron added. “And Hatsune Miku is leading a protest. Good for her,” He scrolled through his timeline. Dennis made a sad face. “Why's my feed so boring…” “I'm getting hockey spoilers. HOCKEY,”

“Maybe if you had circle icons…” Damon suggested quietly. “SQUARE ICONS ARE GOOD, DUDE, AND I–” Dennis's passionate and tenacious yelling was suddenly interrupted by an inhuman growl. “Oh, stupid cannibal rats. This isn't New York, goddamn it,” Aaron grumbled as he grabbed a broom and walked angrily towards the noise. “This is why stray cats are important, you dumbass mayor,” “Just friggin’, spay and neuter ‘em if you hate them so much, clip their ears and shit…”

“So, about Borderlands. Which one’re you playing?” Dennis said as they both waited for Aaron to investigate. “TWO!! I'M PLAYING BORDERLANDS 2, ON MY THIRD ULTIMATE VAULT HUNTER MODE PLAYTHROUGH, AND ALSO THE PRE-SEQUEL, AND I'M PLANNING TO BUY BORDERLANDS 3 WHEN THERE'S A GOOD SALE LATER!!!! I LOVE BORDERLANDS!!!” Damon explained excitedly.

“I wanted to buy the legendary collection on my Switch, but I… panicked and bought Animal Crossing instead. I have Raymond on my island, by the way,” Dennis said sadly. “I built a cage around his house the other day,” Damon stared sadly at this man, understanding his complicated dilemma. “That's very nice,” he said, “how does your island look like?” Damon leaned against the wall, holding Sawblade, who was now sleeping. “Bad,” the man replied, looking down in shame.

Aaron, on the other hand, was whacking the living hell out of the ground, determined to find the creature. “Wait, I probably shouldn't scare it off or something,” He realized, calmly holding the broom. “C'mere, lil guy,” he repeated as he whistled. Another odd growl echoed in the alleyway, sounding much closer than the previous one. “Hm,” Aaron thought as he stopped walking for a bit, unsure whether to call the two over or to keep going alone. “DENNIS! DAMON!” he yelled, extremely scared of whatever monster was luring him over. “Yeah, I have Graham, he's just ok–” Dennis conversed. “Aaron?! Did you find it?” He shouted.

* CHAPTER TWO *

The Mystery

“COME OVER HERE!!” Aaron yelled back. “What about Sawblade?” Damon worriedly asked. “SAW– Uh, just– just put her in the back, there's some food, water, litter boxes, toys, treats, ghosts, cable,” Dennis listed down as he carefully took her from the boy and carried her to the back room. “Well, basically, it's for cats,” He said as he closed the door. “Alright, let's go,”

As Aaron was waiting patiently for the two to follow, he took out his phone and browsed through a shopping app. Unsurprisingly, this had also changed. The feed was filled with knives, jackets, concrete powder, more knives, advertisements for people looking for commissions, and… snacks. “Oh, apocalypse stuff, huh?” he mumbled as he eyed the “Food” tab, tapping it, eager to know what apocalypse snacks are like. Hopefully not like, chips made out of gasoline or something.

Wow.

WOW .

“Tubby custard, Cookie Monster cookies, Why Does Anime Food Look So Tasty, Hottie's Microwaved Chicken, Salad Fingers’ Salad Fingers, ACTUAL rice fried by chickens, Lembas bread, and–”

“Zeruel meat, $20”

Aaron hastily pressed the “Add to Cart” button, uncaring if it's a scam or not. He continued browsing all the snacks sold in this new world, forgetting what he was doing before until Dennis and Damon came running into the alley. “YOU OKAY?!” Dennis yelled, the surprise of it giving his husband a flinch. “Yeah, honey, do you want to drink the blue milk from Star Wars?” Aaron said calmly. “Is Aunt Beru there?” Dennis asked, casually placing his head on his husband's shoulder to look at the phone screen, his arms wrapped around his neck, but like, in a loving and non-strangling way, you know how, placing a kiss onto his cheek.

“Hey guys, I have bread at my house. It expires tomorrow, so I'd recommend eating it if you want :)” Damon suggested. However, his voice was too quiet for them to hear it and they continued doing gross couple stuff like holding hands and premarital eye contact. Ew. “Now about that cannibal rat…” Dennis retracted his arms from around Aaron's neck, his hand still lightly wrapped around the other’s shoulder. He placed himself in front of the shorter man, close enough for Aaron to smell his stinky-ass breath that reeked of ranch dressing. Dennis smiled softly, waiting for an answer. “cannibal what now” Damon asked to himself.

“That can wait,” Aaron replied, his arms slowly wrapping around Dennis. “I dunno, guys, what if you're kissing and stuff, and then we all die or something,” Damon interrupted the couple's flirting. “When the hell did you– Uh, yeah, okay, let's, um, take care of that first,” Aaron said, only now noticing the boy's presence. “Hell yeah! Let's kill some rats!” Dennis yelled exuberantly. “Capture, Denny, don't kill anything,” Aaron corrected. “That's literally the first thing I taught you about the pet shop thing, honey,” Dennis looked down in shame and disappointment.

The trio went further into the alleyway, staying close to each other in case anything happened. “Wouldn't it be funny as hell if, like, it turned out to be a fridge or something?” Damon asked. “And the fridge was full of killer snails,” Dennis added sarcastically. “Killer snails are scary, you guys don't understand,” Aaron said angrily, “Just imagine sitting at the beach and some bitch-ass cone snail runs straight at you and you die right there on the spot. That's scary as hell,” he explained. “Run. A snail. That would take five months,” Dennis questioned his co-worker, “Babe, for a vet, you have really weird and specific and unrealistic fears,”

“It's because–” Aaron argued back, his sentence cut off with another growl, this time coming from the wall on his left. “A fridge, guys, a fridge,” Damon assured. “Nah, it's a zombie bear,” Dennis said, smirking. Aaron looked around for a door, or a window, so he could investigate. “Aliens, guys, aliens,” he mumbled, finding a foggy window. “Aha!” Aaron yelled as he turned on the flashlight on his phone. “So, Damon says it's a fridge, Denny says it's killer snails and zombie bears, and I said it's an alien, right?” Aaron said smugly, knowing his vague theory is way more likely than their guesses.

He directed the light through the window, its light revealing the inside of the building. It was dusty and empty, probably built as a store room. Or a weird cult place. “Well, that's that,” Dennis said, disappointed in the truth. “Cobwebs, huh? We're all wrong, then,” Damon said sadly. “ALIEN cobwebs!! I'm right, suckers!” Aaron yelled enthusiastically.

“You sure about that? Could be normal ones. Only way to find out is to go in… ;)” Dennis said, taunting the others. “Really? We wanna know that? They're clearly aliens. Not fridges…” Damon asked, looking down. “Suuuure, man. But y’know, it could be zombie bear fridges in those cobwebs… We could be right, and Aaron's wrong…” Dennis suggested. “So, honey, if you wanna make sure you're right…” Aaron scrunched up his face in offence. “I am. Do zombie bear fridges not sound alien to you.”

“Yeah, but… Florida probably has that, yeah?” Dennis said, angering Aaron more. “You think I'm gonna rush in there to prove that I'm right? You think I'm that dumb. Den, babe, I won't go in there,” Aaron asserted. While the two was arguing, Damon, bored, just walked around them in circles. As he was dragging his feet blindly, he accidentally stepped on something hidden under dried leaves, sinking it down. “SECRET DOOR!” he yelled out excitedly.

Damon kicked apart the leaves from each other, uncovering the part of the ground. “Who the hell puts a button here?” he questioned. “Oh, what the–” the ground shook, a piece of it falling down, revealing a staircase. It was carved from stone and it looked straight out of a history book. “Uh… should we go back, or?” Dennis said, weirded out by it. “Homestuck says we shouldn't trust stairs, so,” he added. “Karkalicious, definition: Makes Terezi loco,” Damon sung. “She wants to taste something something photo, dyin’ just to know the flavour, I ain't doin’ HER NO FAVOURS, no reason just season fresh and comes and goes like seizures, I'm Karkalicious,” he mumbled. “What the fuck?” Aaron whispered.

The three stood in front of the staircase, unsure what to do. Aaron was gripping a broom, while Dennis and Damon considered making a quick pit stop at the pet shop.

* CHAPTER THREE *

The Pit Stop at the Pet Shop

Dennis had made the decision to go back to get some tools to help them, and Aaron and Damon waited in the alley.

“So, you wanna look at the stuff they're selling here?” Aaron asked, passing the time. “Sure, why not?” Damon agreed as he peeked at his new friend's phone. “Alright, what're we gonna browse? There's video games, food, clothes, weapons…” “VIDEO GAMES!!” he shouted happily. “Okay…” Aaron said as he clicked a tab.

“Doom Crossing: Eternal Horizon Solid III Dawn”

“Borderlands: The Pre-Threequel – Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Apology Video ft. Tiny Tina: The DLC”

“Overwatch 2: Please Buy This Game – $3 Super Duper Legendary Deluxe Origins Edition”

“Gun Shooting War Tanks Rockets Missiles VR Simulator 46”

“Low-Poly Art Game with Hidden Metaphors”

“Gritty Old White Men Who Are Detailed And Angry 3: This Time There's More Pores”

“Not-Subtle-At-All Metaphor for Society and Politics, As Told By A Cishet White Man, Ultra 4K HD”

“Racing But Very High Quality and Immersive and Also Like $80”

“Ah. This is basically the same.” Damon stated sadly. “Wait, what about this?” Aaron pointed to a familiar video game. “Angry Birds Seasons,” it read. They both began to cry out of nostalgia. “Maybe this world isn't so bad after all…” Damon said gratefully as Aaron downloaded the game.

Meanwhile, Dennis struggled to carry an assembled cat cage, a carrier, a bottle of water, a ball, dog toys, flea shampoo, gloves, cat and dog treats, cat and dog food, and a partridge in a pear tree at the same time. Somehow, he did, and he wobbled over to his husband and the kid, his vision completely blinded by everything he carried. “Man… Aaron's gonna be so… impressed when he sees this. I'm so friggin’… strong…” He whispered to himself as he panted.

“Holy shit, it's Angry Birds, dude,” Damon said happily. “Rock, paper, scissors, whoever wins plays,” Aaron suggested. “Nah, you go first. I'm not really sure if this is the Angry Birds Seasons normally in our world or if it's some weird clone of it.” Damon said, scratching his head. “Wonder what's Sawblade doing,”

As the sound of dry food rattling and a cat cage being dragged across the street grew louder, Aaron excitedly went to help his husband, who immediately fell on his back in tiredness at the sight of him. “Carry,” Dennis panted, closing his eyes and probably about to take a nap. “Why'd you bring toys and treats?” Aaron asked honestly. “Just in case the little guy's angry,” Dennis explained badly. “It could be a zombie or whatever, you know… I'm pretty sure that growl didn't come from an ‘angry little guy,’ dude,” Damon argued.

“Well, okay. Who's going down first?” Aaron asked, making a face that was a combination of scared and taunting. “Uh, I'm like, a minor, and could die, so it's kind of illegal if I go first. Like, I'm all endangered and stuff. Yeah,” Damon stated. “I have scoliosis,” Dennis blurted out, giving Aaron puppy dog eyes. “I could trip and fall and die,” he added, nodding slowly while still maintaining eye contact. “I ate a doughnut for breakfast today, so I'm pretty full; if I go first, I'll just slow you guys down,” Aaron said. “Wolves do that. The slowest and oldest ones go in front so they don't get left behind,” Dennis replied with a smile. “Uh, my leg hurts a lot, I can't go downstairs,” Aaron added. “How about you roll down? It's a much more fun solution :)” Damon replied back, really not wanting to be the first one.

“Fine, we'll do rock paper scissors, then,” Dennis suggested impatiently. “There's three of us, it'll probably take a long time,” Aaron said, tilting his head and looking away from his husband's demanding glare. “Oh, lat tali lat,” Damon said casually, confusing the two. “Huh?” “Shooooot. Um, well basically, where I'm from, there's this game where it's like rock paper scissors, but it's for more than two people,” Damon explained in a very complicated manner, clearly wanting the situation to drag on longer.

After explaining how the game works, the trio finally came to a conclusion on the sequence they enter in– first, Dennis, then Damon, and Aaron behind them. “Oh. So who's carrying the luggage?” Dennis asked to Damon and Aaron. “Do we really need to bring that big ass cage?” Aaron asked. “Like, how the hell are we supposed to bring it down there? Just kick it downstairs and run?” Dennis thought for a bit. “Um, yeah.” “Oh, good idea, you can check for traps and stuff,” Damon agreed.

“A: What about the food? What if this alien–”

“D: No one said it was an alien except for you.”

“A: Fine, this zombie bear–”

“d: – Killer snails in fridges,”

“A: THIS THING, THIS ALIEN THING,”

“D: Ok”

“A: You think it eats kibbles? Little seafood delight kibbles?”

“D: Uh…”

“A: Maybe some of those chicken flavored ones?”

“D: I guess…”

“A: Huh?”

“d: Yeah, why'd you bring dry food?”

“D: Because if I brought wet food, I'd have to bring a plate and stuff.”

“A: Or, you know, just serve it in the can it was in,”

“D: What if it hates the texture or whatever?”

“Aliens probably like crunchy food better.”

“I like crunchy food better than… like, mashed-up meat drenched in some weird liquid. Aliens are like that too.”

“d: Good point, dude,”

“A: Hm. Yeah, can't disagree with that, man.”

“D: See? This is because I was kin with Megamind back in middle school,”

“A: That– okay.”

“D: Yeah. Take that, bitch.”

“Hell yeah.”

“d: So Megamind likes catnip too? We're bringing catnip downstairs?”

“D: That's to make him all chill and stuff.”

“A: Chew toys? Bouncy balls?”

“D: That's if there's guard dogs.”

“d: Oh, and the crab treats are for Jessica, only child, Illinois, Chicago?”

“D: Yeah…”

“A: You really brought everything from the shop, huh?”

“D: Yup! Except cat beds, leashes, collars, custom collars, microchip trackers, heat lamps, cat litter, litter boxes…”

“A: Okay, well just enough for this, then,”

“D: Yeah!”

“d: What if they're lizards, and they're too cold?”

“D: … Shiiiit.”

“A: Aliens aren't– Oh damn, you're right,”

“d: Well, let's just hope I'm not,”

“I don't want them to shit everywhere or whatever, man.”

“D: What.”

“d: This one time in kindergarten, my teacher brought in her iguana and it was shitting all over my desk. My poor, poor, desk.”

“A: Um? How?”

“d: I dunno. Just did. Like, splat, bitch, fuck you,”

“Wait, oops, sorry,”

“D: That's very sad.”

“d: Yeah. Thanks,”

“…”

“d: So are we going in or what?”

“D: No”

“A: dennis.”

“D: do i still have to be first”

“d: DUH”

“D: FIIIIINE OKKKAAAAAY”

“D: this is like that one anime with the big guys”

“the one thats pretty racist”

The three finally went downstairs in the order they agreed upon, and their discovery will be told…

In the next part.

—

still reading this? loser

—

??????? go do smth else

—

...

—

helloooo get outtttt

—

hey? you're reading this?

hisoillu is fucking canon

and Fuck parigings. if future me is reading this i really hope ur not pouring your heart out for the rat and the pig men. Really , Dude , Really .

nah jk if they g/y , they ok

unless its weird.

n e ways next part coming soon ,

uhhhh written by rocco wulfram cyaaaa

[closer-stars]

Destress - Jongho

Member: Jongho  Genre: Fluff Requested: Yes @barsformars​  Word Count: a lot??? Content: Hang out with Jongho.  Note: Kind of just wanted to write something a lil random as per the prompts and this came into mind. aaaa mild creative blocks are sucky. y/n and jongho are friends (but are feelings there? hmmmm big think)

The cycle of sleep, train, sing, dance, eat, shower, repeat gradually wore him out that it was Seonghwa’s suggestion to have you bring him out and about for the day. “Just stroll around the city or a park... Jongho needs a change of scenery and possibly a different face and voice.” He joked lightly to you over the phone. 

So now, here you are doing your best to persuade him to walk with you around the city. “C’mon! Accompany me to my errands.” You plead, hands clasp together, as your bottom lip juts out for added effect. It’s a white lie. You actually had a different plan in your head and you just needed him to give in. 

“Don’t give me that look.” Jongho says softly as he leaned against the wall. When his members pull the same look, it did nothing. With you, it’s a little tricky to keep a straight face. He wants to break into a smile, amused and endeared by your antics to get him to do your wishes. For now, he wants to see just how much you wanted him to go out with you. 

With his words, you huff, cheeks puffed out in mild annoyance at his unwillingness to break. Other ideas breeze through your mind, wondering which one will make him cave. You catch his eyes widen a little and it’s already obvius that he knows what’s running in your mind. “Jongho~ Please come with me~” Your voice taking on a sickly sweet tone, smiling so brightly at the male. His resolve shakes a little but not enough for him to move. You sigh and for once Jongho’s a little alarmed. Was he too hard on you?

“I’ll buy you coffee.”

“Iced americano?” Now you’re talking his language.

“Yes.”

“Deal.” So he hops off his bed and as he gets his valuables, you look at Mingi in exasperation. This guy really had the guts. Once he’s ready, the two of you are now out, dragging his ass around the city. 

The first stop being his usual coffee. He was lucky you also liked coffee, though not as strong as his. For someone who likes branded fashion, he was a sucker for free food. More so if it was your money. “How do you even handle Iced Americano?! That’s just water, ice and espresso shots.” You complain to him as you watch the staff make your orders.

“I could say the same for you. How do you like yours so sweet?” There’s a teasing tone in his words and it makes you shoot him a look. 

“Excuse me! Just because it has vanilla sweet cream doesn’t mean it’s that sweet!” You whine. Your defense makes him laugh lightheartedly. He’s thankful though. Besides him, you were the only one who likes their coffee strong and not as sweet as the frappucinos his hyungs usually get. Once your orders have been served, as tradition holds, the two of you exchange drinks to take a sip. Both of you make a face at each other’s order. 

“Anyways, where to next?” He asks, pulling the door open for you. Oh right, you said you had errands that you wanted him to accompany you. So you think fast again as you gnaw on your coffee lid before taking a sip. Eyes dart around, looking for a passable excuse. 

You gesture to the shop across the street. You forgot that they had a jacket you’ve been eyeing lately but never got yourself to check out. That is, until today. He hums, acknowledging the store and lets you lead the way. You go through the items on the racks, looking for that one jacket. Once successful, you raise it near your frame. “Hey Jongho, what do you think?” You ask, as you eye yourself on the mirror. A thoughtful pout on your features as you bounce between buying it or not. 

“You’re cute, but you’re not that cute” He say softly, once he takes a good look at how the jacket looks against you. It was a good jacket, he had to admit that. Maybe not something he’d see in his closet but it was definitely a piece he could see in yours. 

You look at him through the mirror, unsure if you heard what you heard. “What?” 

He doesn’t seem to hear your question though. With his free hand, he looks through the other colors on display. “Try this one.” He hands you another version, taking the one from your hand as he lets you look at yourself with his choice. Your eyes never leave his content features, as you try to find a way to ask him again. But you’ll have to ask him that later, for now you need to see what he sees when it comes to your fashion taste.

In his mind, he finds this jacket a lot cuter on you now. 

It’s times like this that remind you why you often go to him for fashion advice. This color actually looks better on you as compared to the initial one. “Jongho, your mind. I like it.” You praise him as you fold the jacket over your arm as you make your way to the cashier. 

“I can pay for it.” He offers as he follows you. His free hand already reaching for his wallet. 

You give him a look that dares him to go against you. It seemed to work as he instead pouts at you before taking another sip of his coffee. After paying for your new jacket, you flash him a toothy grin, resulting into him chuckling at your delight. He’d like to think he’s part of the reason for that happiness. “So where to next?” 

Right. You were never good with lies anyways so you decide just come clean with it. “I kind of just wanted to get you out of your dorm and studio for a day.” You start, guilt clear in your voice. “I know you like what you’re doing, you just looked so burned out the past few days...” you trail off, eyes anywhere but on the male next to you. “Even your members were already concerned for you.” You’re not sure of how to end your statement, much less where to take it so instead of saying anything else, you just taking a long sip of your coffee. 

Your words do make him think for a moment. He thinks back to the past few days, weeks even; the burden of catching up with everything he had to put on pause, the full speed of their promotion preparations, everything. He could see why you and his members were starting to worry. Could he get mad at that? Not really. He’s actually grateful that all of you look after him even if he wants to be viewed as dependable. His hand reaches up to ruffle your hair, not something you like but you understand it as his way to express affection. 

“Well, persuading me with coffee was a good move. Still, where do you want to go next?” The male asks and your eyes snap to his direction. To be honest, you were expecting him to be disappointed at the very least but he seems alright with it. 

“You’re not mad? or even disappointed?” 

“I can understand why you guys did what you had to do so no, I’m not.” 

A few seconds of silence pass over the two of you. “Can we go to the stream nearby? It’s pretty at night.” He notes the color of the sky: vivid purples and deep hues of red. It won’t be too long until he sees what you meant by how pretty it would be at night, so he lets you lead the way again. 

On your way to the stream, you raise the question of what he had said earlier. “What did you say to me earlier while looking at the other jacket?” You press, wanting to know if what you heard was right. 

Jongho seems adamant in giving into your insistent question. “What? I didn’t say anything.” He says with ease, though the tip of his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip says otherwise. 

“Yes you did! You said something earlier while I was trying on the jacket.” 

“What do you think I said then?” He asks, finding entertainment in your insistence. You pout at his question, unsure of how to word it. 

“Something about being cute.” You give in, you’re starting to doubt if your ears were right. 

He pokes your puffed cheek. “Mhm, the jacket you chose earlier didn’t look that cute on you but the one you have in the bag will look cuter on you.” It was your turn to be speechless, a few steps behind the male who didn’t seem to find any big deal in his words. 

You weren’t wrong when you said it would be pretty at night. It’s beyond pretty for his standards, it’s something he thinks that’s only possible with editing. Yet, even with that kind of editing, it can’t fully encompass the beauty. Lights lit up underneath the small waterfall, making the water look as if it were shining brightly against the night sky. The water that passed under a small bridge was lit in various colorful lightings: it looks as if it was straight out of a Korean drama, especially with the various greenery on both sides. Though couples were sprinkled everywhere on both sides, none of you seem to mind it. Instead, the two of you caught up on life, all while eating street food being sold nearby. The two of you take photos of each other against the lightings and scenery, giggling to each other when someone takes a blurry, candid photo of the other. 

“At least I have a new photo to use for my social media.” 

“Please don’t forget to pay for my services.” He jokes. “It’s around 500,000 won.” 

“Hey!” He laughs at your complaint, raising his arms in defense before you land a flurry of whacks on him. You notice the way his body seems lighter, away from all the stressors and you couldn’t help but smile a little to yourself. 

“On a serious note, I had fun today, even if it wasn’t much, I liked it.” He says, watching a couple take a selfie, their features lit by the multicolored lightings. 

You, on the other hand, look at the water that passes by near your feet. “Always welcome, Haribo. I’m always just a message away if you need to get away from stress.” 

The nickname makes him laugh again, his shoulders raising in the process. “Still Haribo in your eyes huh?” Jongho has told you recently that people have been calling him jelly bear lately but it seems to you that it’s always going to be Haribo. A quick glance at the time results in a soft sigh. Good things do have to come to an end sometimes. “We should head back soon.” 

You look at your phone. “Ah, you have a full schedule tomorrow.” You mumble, a small part of you wishes that you could prolong this moment but it rarely works in your favor. You knew what his job entailed and while you understand, you couldn’t help but think that it sucks sometimes. His hand appears in your line of sight and you look up at him, smiling down at you. With a playful roll of your eyes, you take his hand, pretending to tug him into the stream. You pull yourself up with his help after seeing the flash of surprise in his eyes. 

“Got you there. Also since each shot you took is 500,000... each shot I took of you is 750,000.

“Why are you so expensive?” 

“Someone has to match your standards and taste, right?”

[agentredfort]

ruby redfort fic masterlist

What is this- geek central?

welcome to the Ruby Redfort fic masterlist, where I do my very best to collect every single bit of fic that’s out there on the internet for your convenience!

I’m not listing these based on quality (and besides, there’s not exactly a lot out there so i can’t pick and choose) so there’s going to be a wide range of fics in this list. any fics that I especially like will be marked as [PERSONAL FAVORITE]. any fics that I’ve added in recently will be marked as [*NEW*]. ships will be tagged!

if there’s any fics that you’ve noticed I’ve missed- or if you’ve written something yourself!- either shoot me an ask or a message via Tumblr and I’ll add it straight away. 

Onwards!

A Guide To Love For A Bozo [wattpad] by TeamSpectrum [multichapter, ongoing] Ruby/Clancy

This is a cluby fan-fic written by Agent Baker. Take a look to find out what happens.

despite the sparse description, this is actually pretty good.

Always [ff.net] by mockingjay341 [Oneshot, complete!]

Ruby is suffering from nightmares, but Clancy will always be there to make her feel better.

hella sweet. ruby needs a hug

Aren’t We All a Bit of a Bozo? [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [oneshot, complete!] Hitch/OC 

Heather looked across at Lydia as they ate their morning toast. “LB reckons there is going to be a new coding agent today, some kid. You know, the one Hitch is looking after.”

interesting concept!! 

Bozo [wattpad] by Kaya_Tano [multichapter, ongoing] Clancy/Ruby

Ruby Redfort, a thirteen year old Spectrum Agent, is facing more than just trouble at work. Her hormones are raging and her best friend Clancy Crew has fallen for her, hard. But Ruby doesn't notice because she is too busy trying to solve her latest case at Spectrum, and how will she cope when one of her closest friends is killed by the notorious murderer The Count, who is supposed to be in a high security prison? And who is the mole at Spectrum who is leaking information to him?

 not bad. i’m not a big fan of the ‘spectrum pairs ruby up with a cute boy her age’ plot, but this seems to be decently-written.

Changed at Birth [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Twoshot, now complete!] Background Hitch/Blacker 

“They said mum should have killed me with iron,” whispers Ruby.

the folk tale au i never knew i wanted tbh. only halfway done at the moment but it’s such a cool concept and it fits really well??

Convincing LB [wattpad] by Jasmine3103 [Oneshot, complete!]

I really wanted to know what Hitch said in CYD to convince LB to give Ruby another chance. So here is my version.

this was a really good missing scene sorta fic! give it some love if you’ve got a chance, the author seems really lonely to me

Family Ain't Just Blood [ao3] [tumblr] by celestialskies [Oneshot, complete!] [*NEW*]

Ruby looked up, aware that she probably looked like someone had tried to rock her to sleep by dragging her through a hedge backwards several times. Six hours of sleep over three days can do that to a person.

"Couldn't sleep," she muttered. In her tired state, she barely noticed Hitch's expression shift from one of surprise surprise and mild amusement to one of concern.

Ruby can't sleep, and Hitch steps in.

goddamn, i’m always a sucker for unconventional family stories. i actually squealed when I saw this one, which should give you  a pretty good idea of how much i enjoyed it

Five times Clancy Crew chained his bikes to Ruby Redfort’s and one time he didn’t [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!]  [PERSONAL FAVORITE] 

The first time it was a mistake- honestly the chain accidentally went through the frame and well, it only held Ruby up temporarily.

this is really hecking cute and is just generally really great. it made me smile a lot. please check it out

Grains of Sand and Love [tumblr] by  blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!] Ruby/Clancy

Being sixteen suddenly brought the barbecues on the beach, adolescent drinking and all the drama that it comes with.

it’s no secret by now that I love this author, this is soft and lovely and good and you should really read it

High School Sweethearts [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!] [PERSONAL FAVORITE] Ruby/Del, Hitch/Blacker

There was no way you could look between Blacker and Hitch and think ‘brothers’.

short and oh so very sweet. i think i’m crying. this one is so good, my gay little heart is appeased

hold on tight [wattpad] by w0nderland-writing [multichapter, ongoing]

Ruby Redfort never gets a break, and in this story Ruby goes on an epic adventure in the Grand Canyon.

pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. a bit scattered but mostly coherent.

In which Ruby was right to worry [ao3] by Wolfiethepretzel [oneshot, Complete!] [*NEW*] [PERSONAL FAVORITE]

Froghorn was a constant nuisance in Ruby's life. But as soon as he disappeared she realized she'd rather him be about.

perfect Ruby characterization and some really hecking good bonding/character development. if you read nothing else on this list, at least check this one out.

Look Into His Eyes And Take Your Last Breath [wattpad] by WARNINGwhovian [very long, complete!] Clancy/Ruby, background LB/Baker [PERSONAL FAVORITE]

Meet Ruby Redfort, a super cool teenage wannabe spy. She's been through thick and thin and survived things from a giant sand timer to a legendary sea monster to invisible thieves to mythical wolves. She's already one of the most experienced agents in her agency, Spectrum, without even being an official one yet. She thinks she seen it all. But Ruby's entering a dangerous stage of life where she is vulnerable to many things, lots of things she knows nothing about. But Ruby is unduly worried about the years to come. She's a dauntless girl. But when things start to go wrong in her social life, her agent training in Spectrum and the return of an old foe start kicking off and suddenly, everything happens at once. And Ruby is faced with a choice. A dream job at a top secret spy agency with an astronomical pay, or a scrawny boy who doesn't believe in a dangerous life. Ruby Redfort, the choice is yours.

to my knowledge, the only completed longfic in the fandom so far. although it could do with a bit of editing, the quality is overall excellent and there’s some twists in there that even i wasn’t expecting. I especially loved the Ruby-Hitch dynamic and interactions in this one. If you’ve got a spare hour or two, I definitely recommend that you check it out!

Riding the Rails [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!] Crossover with Railhead 

“The Guardians want you, Ms Redfort,” says a station worker as Ruby stops her game of Rock paper scissors with Zen.

I can honestly say I’ve never heard of Railhead before, but was super cool nonetheless. it feels super surreal and the details were a+++- go check it out

Rosetta Redfort: Freefall [wattpad] by TeamSpectrum [multichapter, ongoing] background Clancy/Ruby

Ruby's daughter, Rosetta, discovers her secret-Spectrum.  A conspiracy to steal a gem that will lead to a collapsing mountain and a giant flood.  Will Rosetta crack like a diamond under pressure or will she stand strong?

an interesting take on a future-fic. might not be everyone’s cup of tea but i kind of liked it.

Love is blind, well Ruby is. [ao3]  [tumblr] by Neondragon54 [Oneshot, complete!] Blacker/Hitch

It's well known to the entirety of Spectrum not to go into the coding room after Hitch had returned from a mission. Everyone (Blacker) is distracted and more than once has an important agent (LB) walked in on two agents kissing.

Ruby doesn't know this rule.

Goddamnit, now I’m invested in this ship. this is also super good, read it.

Movie Night [tumblr] by goldstarsforall [Oneshot, complete!] [*NEW*] Blacker/Hitch

They got to the cinema a lot earlier than either of the men expected. It was a clear night, the air felt crisp and clean and if they hadn’t booked Hitch would have just wanted to sit in the park and talk.

heckin’ cute lil’ oneshot. a Good Ship. a Good Fic.

Ruby Redfort: Don't Look Around [wattpad] by maybeitsdella [multichapter, ongoing]

Welcome back Ruby Redfort: every smart kid's smart kid. 

After making Larva, Ruby Redfort's career in espionage is sending her off the ground running. There's no time to sit at home, with Clancy (who might just have a crush on her), sipping on banana milk, watching Crazy Cops. Not when the Count is still out there, and not when the Silent G is just sitting there waiting for her to fail (or die).

A promising start, this fic looks quite interesting. It’s only got a few chapters so far but I’m definitely going to be following it closely

Ruby's Rule 6 [ff.net] by mockingjay341 [Multi-chapter, ongoing!] [PERSONAL FAVORITE]

Ruby and Clancy have each other's backs - no matter what. So what will they do when they realise that sometimes our greatest strengths can also be our biggest weaknesses?

hell yeah, multi-chapter!! i really love how Ruby and Clancy bounce off each other so far, it feels super real. I’m honestly looking forward to reading more from this author. i haven’t felt this excited for a fic in a while

Silence Is Golden [tumblr] by blackers-donuts  [Oneshot, complete!] [PERSONAL FAVORITE]

There was a sharp knock at the door. Ruby was finally going to bury the hatchet with Froghorn by asking him for help. 

this is possibly the softest thing i’ve read in my entire hecking life. basically just the code team chilling around and bonding and honestly it’s just so sweet and good

Some kinda death wish [ff.net] by Bubbly Washing Machine [Oneshot, complete!]  [PERSONAL FAVORITE] 

They stood at the bottom of the stairs, in the dark, and argued. "Rube, don't go up there," said Clancy desperately, "just wait for the rest of the team." "Look bozo, someone's gotta take her out before she catches on and splits the scene." Clancy looked her in the eye, pleading. "Please. Wait for backup."

Beautiful little character study- cute and poignant.

Sweating Is Totally (not) Necessary [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!] [*NEW*] [PERSONAL FAVORITE] Blacker/Hitch, Ruby/Del

The phone finally picked up, Ruby knew it was still Clancy’s first few weeks at the desk of Buzz and he was getting a grip with the phone system but it really should be quicker.

This wonderful person wrote this for my birthday, so of course I freaking love it. it’s a great character study and just generally all-round a Good Thing- there was a coding segment midway through that I particularly enjoyed!!

Other Things

The TeamSpectrum Collection on Wattpad- an assortment of short fics, competitions and discussions that’s been put together by a whole lot of users, including me! Definitely worth checking out. 

My own wide very small assortment of fanfiction, located over on this page! it’s not included here on the masterlist because- well, posting my own stuff is a tiny bit awkward- but i hope you read and enjoy my work all the same

My ongoing Social Media AU can be found here. 

LAST UPDATED: 14/08/2017

[theangry-ace]

short reviews of R18 drama cd

I just started drama cd a few weeks ago and I just think it’s a neat type of p0rn for someone like me. plus it’s a fun way to practice listening. if you’re interested to try drama cd as well, or just wanted a short spoiler to avoid certain red flags like rape or incest, I think I covered them.

I gave rate on story and the sex. me being myself, that’s the two main part that’s important to categorize them. I personally prefer story driven stories. I am aro but I do appreciate romance once a while.

I will mention the voice actors’ name if I like them. and I always call them by their alias, just so to be familiarize with them (so I can easily pick them out).

you can sampled almost everything from airavalky.

part 1

Ai Yume story: 4/5 icha icha; a bit too intense for me / 5 review: i can't really say what i feel for this series. there's a lot of red flags like stepsiblings(?) relationship and possessive/abusive relationship. the story itself is interesting but it gets kinda too, uhh, dark. not for a faint of heart i think.

Aka no Hanayome [finished] story: 5/5 icha icha: 4/5 review: the theme is there would be a bride bearing a mark on her person that matched the guy she's destined to marry but this time around, one girl has four marks that matched four different guys. supposedly the guys needs to, uh, get close to the girl, so the flower marks can 'bloom' and would bear the proof of the guy to inherit the family fortune or something like that. unfortunately for the girl, she suffered sudden seizures due to the 'hanayome' curse that can be calmed by... you guessed it, sex. it's silly but i think this might be the best series that i've come across so far. vol.1 (Peroperonchino) = guy is the cold prince type but gets warmer in the end. he cute once he’s not acting like a snob. vol.2 = the first son of the main family. he's a kind older brother type. he'll explained a bit about the curse thing. vol.3 (Margarine) = my favorite bc he's such a nice dude. he's a classmate of the girl and came from the branch family so he will kept on saying he want nothing with the whole 'head-of-family transfer' thingy. vol.4 = my least fav bc he's a bit of an asshole, not giving the girl the chance to say no to his advances and just do what he wanted. 

Arashi no ichiya tabi no otoko [finished] story; 2/5 icha icha; 3/5 review: two strangers taking shelter from the rain. idk i kinda expect more for some reason (since i like chasuke). the sex is pretty sudden and like there's no connection except two people sharing one space decided to sex one another.

Bed made nyan nyan wo matte kurenai [finished] story: 2/5 icha icha: 3/5 review: it's Cider being an adorable boyfriend. that's all you need to know. there's not so much of him being a cat though, just a mention of his character has a cat shirt. they missed the opportunity to make me die.

Bodyguard wa kare no iinari [finished] story: 4/5 icha icha; 3/5 review; this one surprised me since i expected the guy is the bodyguard but instead it's the girl. storywise is kinda good; a singer songwriter who can’t sleep without a girl to hug who is also threatened by a obsessed fan, so his company employ a bodyguard and so the girl character came into the picture. i’d say the story is good, the sex is unnecessary kinda.

Cafe romaana [finished, maybe] story: 3/5 icha icha: 3/5 review: it's a sweet story actually but not that special. it revolves around a coffee shop that was owned by three brothers. vol.1 - i think this is the best of the three for no reason except i like it best. girl is already in relationship with the youngest brother. his issue is being overshadowed by his two brothers but he still tries his best to follow their lead. vol.2 (Tetrapot) - girl is a waitress of the cafe. second eldest dude is trying to better his barista skill and wish to enter a... competition? vol.3 - the eldest brother who tried to date a girl who supplies the flowers to the cafe.

Calling bloom [finished, maybe] story: 4/5 icha icha: 3/5 review: the idea is like a host club but they do delivery and would fingerbang or sex with you if you ask. just the catch is not to fall in love with them. i think storywise is good. prepare to have feelings though. Hikaru (Sawa Manaka) = spoiler alert, he fell in love with the girl when he first met in a konbini before, but since hosting is his job, he can't say that so his story ends one sidedly and bittersweetly. Syu = he's the number one host of anemone. haven't really heard his side yet aside from the first track. Kaname = girl actually chose him because he looks like a anime idol character she liked, not because he was an ex idol. i kinda felt bad for him. didn’t finish his side yet. Hazime = haven’t got to this one yet.

Circle catalogue [finished, maybe] story: 4/5 icha icha: 3/5 review: about a relationship between a girl and a band member. pretty sweet but nothing special. if you just need a good story about a good relationship, this is kinda one of it. Basist (Asagi Yuu) - if asagi using his toshishita kare voice is one of your weakness, you will not survive this volume. i died three times before i even get to the icha icha scene. girl is the... manager? or at least one of the staff of the band. she wanted to quit (for a reason i dont quite catch) and dude is not okay with that. thankfully it ended quite sweetly. Leader (Kawamura) - girl is a fan of the band and is dating the leader. the couple has been troubled with physical distances between them ever since they first met and now they started to worry if their happiness won't last that long. Drummer - I’ll get to this one later.

Cream pie story; 5/5 icha icha; 3/5 review: the one thing that separates this from the other is that there is a solo masturbation scene from the dude and it kinda make me laugh even though i don't think i should. hehe. story is very close to realistic couple's problem i guess. try this if you need story. Ninomiya (domon atsushi) - this one i don't quite understand why they fight. guy wanted to find a place with elevator near his wife's work so if she got pregnant it wont be too hard on her. but she felt like he just assumed that's what she wanted???? maybe i'm too aro to understand this is reason enough to fight but i could see it happening irl. Yuuki (tetrapot) - the problem with this couple is that the girl/wife? had to work outstation for three weeks and guy was so lonely i kinda felt bad for him. poor guy he did it with her pajamaaaaa. 

Dakarete kara hajimaru koi story; 3/5 icha icha: 3/5 review: i think they're pretty sweet but not much of a story bc they’re pretty short. the one with kawamura is my favorite bc there's a cat<3 actual cat! i have a likings for a guy who gets weak around cats.

Danna-sama series story: haven't heard all of them but those i did 4/5 icha icha; 3/5 of those i've cleared review: there's a lot of volumes so kinda need a separate review for each of them but the basis is similar. sweet story. my favorite might be the one with tetrapot. he made it into my list of favorite drama cd VA because of this.

Date biyori story: 4/5 icha icha; 4/5 review: just sweet dating stories. i especially love the one with murano bc it's just so damn funny and sweet. too bad he didnt do too many titles.

Dousei kareshi story; 4/5 icha icha: 4/5 review: sweet lil story about two ppl living together. nothing really stands out but the story is good.

Enemy coupling [finished, maybe] story: 5 /5 (minus 3rd vol) icha icha: 4/5 (minus 3rd vol) review: in an AU where there's a animal/human hybrid. vol.1 (sawa manaka) = sawa as a cat can fucking end me. he's a younger boyfriend type that dates a scaredy mouse hybrid. he cute and story is actually very sweet. why cant sawa just do this type of character and nothing else??? vol.2 (murano) = dude is same age type of rabbit hybrid who dated a fox hybrid. the sex in this kinda intense... and noisy. but story is good and dude is very cute. he’s dating his fox hybrid classmate. vol.3 = a wolf teacher with his sheep students. i don't do teacherxstudent so i never got beyond the first track. sorry.

Enter the mirror [finished] story; 5/5 icha icha: get so much icha in the end esp the tokutens /5 review; in a alternate universe(?) a kingdom was destined to ruin. there's only three person who can save it and they need to find a rose fairy from a world inside the mirror to do it. story is very good but the sex gets exponentially intense in the end. there's a rapey scene in the beginning though. vol.1 (sawa manaka) = i think this is the first time i heard sawa doing fantasy and it's a good change. he's the righteous knight type. vol.2 = the magician side. he's kinda like the gentle older brother type i think. he would do anything to save his kingdom that he puts something in your food to paralyze you (to rape/unlock your rose fairy power?) but he changed his mind halfway vol.3 (peroperonchino) = the prince. storywise i like his side better since you can feel how desperate he is to save his kingdom. the tokutens sex is very very intense bc he gets jealous very easily.