#I know im late to this announcement been busy with school

[brodieland]

.˚ 𓈒 ࣪.𝝑𝝔 Spidey Valdez !! ´ˎ˗

Spidey!Leo Valdez x Fem!Poseidon!Reader Synopsis: Your boyfriend, Spiderman/Leo Valdez, takes you to skip school Warning(s): profanity💔💔💔 Word Count: 1592 A/N: a part 2 no one asked for. I hope it doesn't show I still haven't watched Spiderman but im halfway through hero of Olympus now !! PART 1

Finally. Your 10 day suspension was over. Honestly, you could've done worse. Snakes weren't even that bad, school just was dramatic. Percy had already left earlier (not even bothering to wake you up), so he could go with Annabeth. He even had the audacity to send you a text saying-

'forgot ur not suspended anymore. had to pick up the misses anyways. hope ur not late !!😛'

'kys'

You were in fact late. Your mom and step-dad Paul had left for work earlier, and you forgot to turn back on your alarm. You ran as fast as you could to the subway just to miss it, and had to run to school. You missied your entire first period and the first 10 minutes of your next period. Sucks those girls you locked in a room with the snakes, two girls whose names you never even bothered learning, were in your class, sitting right in front of your seat.

"Sorry for being late-" your teacher wasn't in the room. You stood at the doorway and saw thing 1 and thing 2 snickering amongst each other. You stared straight at them. "Something funny?"

"Surprised you're not in juvie." 'Thing 1' said.

"Yeah, you could've-" you cut her friend off.

"Could've what? They weren't poisonous you'd be fine." You started walking toward your seat, stopping to bend over next to one of the girls by her ear. "Check your bag."

You sat back in your seat behind her and watched the girl scrummage through her bag quickly. While she was distracted you tickled the back of her neck, causing her to stand up and scream, making the whole class laugh. You were also laughing till you noticed something to your left. Your classroom had a wall of windows, which was to your left if you couldn't tell. On the outside of the window, there was a.. white stain?? Interesting, you leaned over toward the window and some curly hair under the window, why wasn't he wearing his mask??? You leaned further and saw he was also wearing his school uniform???? He quickly whipped his head up at you and smiled, causing you to smile back.

Then you heard the classroom door open, causing you to quickly turn your attention toward the front of the class. "What is the commotion in here?" Your teacher announced.

"It was her!!" Thing 2 shouted and pointed at you.

"Yeah! She put something in her bag!!" Thing 1 added.

"There's nothing in her bag?? I just got here???" You stood up, "guys did I put something in her bag?" Everyone in the classroom said no, since you know, you didn't. The teacher just calmed everyone down and started to teach. While he was turned, you secretly pulled your phone and saw a text from Leo.

'is ur class important? im bored.' 'I know u saw me at ur window girl, don't ignore me??'

'lets bring it down a notch, I was busy getting myself out of trouble.'

'already ???'

'im such a baddie sorry'

"Ms. Y/N, what is the answer to my question?" Shoot. You weren't listening to the lesson.

"I know the answer Mr." Okay thing 1.

"I asked Y/N."

"Sorry, I didn't hear the question." You apologized.

"No duh, that's what happens when you're on your phone." She snickered, her friend did as well.

"Your such a dickrider-"

"Y/N, that language is unacceptable. Office, now." You rolled your eyes and groaned, grabbing your stuff and leaving without a complaint. The second you stepped out the classroom, you pulled out your phone to text Leo.

'nvm im in trouble again wya'

'have I been a bad influence on you'

'this is mild. now WYAAAA'

You felt a tap on your shoulder. You turned and saw your lovely boyfriend Leo, grinning at you from ear to ear. You threw yourself at him, engulfing him in a hug.

"Hey, no kiss?"

"This is school??-" He kissed you anyways. Why even bother with the attitude anyways. After he pulled away he threw his arm around you and started walking.

"So, what happened this time?"

"Made a joke that I slipped a snake in this girls bag, obviously I didn't though. I even tickled her neck for the full effect. Then she called me out for my phone and I called her a dickrider."

"Wow, the mouth of a lady. My lady of course."

"What a romantic." You both continued walking then you realized, "where are you taking me Valdez??"

"Now she notices," he joked, you glared at him. "The roof of course, I'm sure you can miss one more day."

"Hmmmm..." you stroked your fake beard.

"Stop acting like you're thinking of not coming with me. Lets go." You laughed as his boldness as he started to pick up the pace. Finally you both made it to the roof. Technically you're not allowed up here, but if that was really the case they shouldn't leave the staircase that leads straight to it unlocked. That's just your opinion though.

"Alright Leo, why'd you bing me up here?"

"Come here." Leo stood there with his arms open waiting for you. You didn't need to be told twice before jumping into his arms. "Hop on my back alright?" Confused, you did it anyways. His hands rubbed your thighs getting you comfortable, before telling you to cross them around his waist as tight you could.

"What are we doing?"

"Something fun, don't let go alright?" Oh no.

"Leo, don't tell me," he brought his arm out, and shot a long string out at the building in front of the two of you.

"Then I'll shut up, now hold on tight." Before you could retaliate, you both were off. Leo was swinging the two of you from building to building as fast as he could. The wind in your hair felt amazing, this is what Leo got to experience? You might've been a little jealous now. Eh, your powers were pretty dope too.

"Leo," you said in his ear. "You were right."

"I was what !!" He yelled. "Sorry the air is just SOOOO LOUDDD!!!"

You couldn't help but roll your eyes, how annoying he was. Though you wouldn't have him any other way. "I SAID YOU WERE RIGHTTT!!!!"

"THATS WHAT I THOUGHTTTT." You both laughed as he continued to swing around the city. After a little under an hour, he stopped in an alley way.

"I know you didn't have breakfast." Leo said as he put you down.

"Are you gonna feed me out a dumpster?"

"Well I can't just land in front of a bunch of people without my suit now can I?"

"Fair point." Leo led you out the alleyway, both of you received weird looks from the locals, what did they think was going on back there?

"Ta-da" Leo waved jazz hands in front of the chick-fil-a. You let out an overdramatic gasp, putting your hands in from of your face. "Okay no need for your attitude."

"Attitude? I'm just so overjoyed, now let's go." You dragged him into the place. You both ordered and were now waiting for your food. "How come whenever we hangout we end up eating?"

"Because your always hungry."

"Is this the thank you for paying for your food?"

"You know I always love when you sugar mama me." Leo winked and you just sighed, not without smiling of course. Then you remembered you should probably send a text to Percy.

'Percy, I kinda skipped school with Leo. can I buy ur silence with a chick-fil-a milkshake?? ;)'

'I love u my dearest sister.'

"So that's why you got the milkshake." Leo commented.

"Well of course, can't get in trouble with mother dearest already." Your food was ready and you both were now fine dinning together. Talking, laughing, Leo throwing a fry at your face, you know, the usual !!!

"Leo, it's almost lunch time at school, we gotta start heading back."

"Why, you already missed most the day why bother?"

"Erm," you held up the milkshake, and started shaking it more. "I need to get this to Percy before it melts???"

"I think he'll survive."

"I think you'll make me back to school and let me give this to Percy." You thought correctly because that's exactly what he did. You guys got there just as lunch started and landed back on the roof, rushing quickly and quietly down the stairs to Percy's classroom.

"Hello, my favoriteeee brotherrr."

"Where's my bribe?" He asked.

"No hello?" You questioned while handing him the cookies and cream drink. "Not even after forgetting to wake me up."

He grabbed the drink straight out of your hands with no thank you, "Told you, had to pick up the misses," he gestured to the amazing Annabeth Chase standing next to him.

"You know I picked you up right, like in my car, that I drive, that you can't?" You, Annabeth and Leo laughed at Percy's expense, which he didn't find too funny.

"Whatever, and where were you two." He asked, pointing between you and your boyfriend.

"Flying around the city while you sister was all over me." Leo bragged. What a mistake that was. Percy started chasing him around trying to use his water without making it obvious, while Leo also tried using his fire while also trying not to make it obvious.

You and Annabeth just stood back, leaning against opposite sides of the same doorway, watching the show. She turned to you, "Our boyfriends are special aren't they."

You nodded, "In many ways."

[suyacho]

hi lovelies, i know ive been in and out of here and im really sorry for that🫶🥹 just wanted to make a little post addressing some things going on, not on tumblr bc idk wtf is going on (if theres something going on) ive barely been on dash or didn’t scroll past more than 5 posts before closing it again because im busy. let me put it under readmore bc i’ll probably ramble🥹

anyways hi!! as i stated before i think, i started a new school and i started working, busy life!! now work has me exhausted, both mentally & physically, so i haven’t been on here much not have time nor motivation to write too much which i’m really sorry for, especially considering i promised. i love writing, i really do but i feel like the spark is gone, maybe it’s because i’ve been non stop writing smut (with occasionally fluff here n there) over the past few months? or scrap that maybe even since last kinktober because i didnt finish that on time either🥹 (this is probably why the sparks gone) don’t get me wrong, i love writing smut but when it’s so much it just makes me feel like eh not another smut fic and especially after work i can’t find the energy to write porn, like i’d love me itto all oiled up in bed but writing it?? (LMAO SORYRRHHR) it’s just idk🥹 i guess i feel guilty for posting a kinktober but never even finishing it or giving you guys shitty fics when i owe you guys nothing and this is just supposed to be a fun little thingie, but i wanna give back to you guys with the handful of people who have supported me all the way, from the start or even over a year, i appreciate it sm and want to give back to you guys🫶 i hope you all know i greatly appreciate it so thank you and i’m sorry.

on that note thank god i put a readmore bc i knew id ramble and this post isnt even about writing mainly LAMSOAOSOS

but anyways work yes!! i work 4 days a week which might not seem like much bc i know there are people who work way more but hey, im exhausted and that is valid regardless. i dont like my job which is ok, i picked it myself and know the consequences but the environment also drains me mentally, won’t get into that though!!

and onto school <3 i fucking love my school, my class, everything, i wish it was more than one day a week. but with school and the holidays coming around, it also means something. it means that i slowly gotta make a big choice that will impact my student life after this and will decide if ill be let into the bachelors im going for or not. which means that i really gotta start taking it seriously and work more on my portfolio, which now obviously will be my main focus, leading back to the writing but ill say that in the end!!

mentally i’m not ok, which is ok. we all have our ups and downs but lately it’s been feeling like a lots of downs, a lot of things play a role in that but i won’t be going into detail about that. i’ll be okay one day, i’m still alive and have a roof above my head Alhamdulillah.

all those things together mean one thing, i’ll be uploading less!! (which i’ve barely been doing anyways LMAO) to the two people that expected stuff, sorry </3, to the others i disappointed, i’m sorry </3

i’ll also be less active, or maybe just not at all for a bit but just know that i’ll definitely come back when things have settled down, hopefully with more motivation and more fics <3 life’s moving forward and so am i bit by bit.

i guess this is quite the dramatic way to announce a hiatus but hey it’s 6am and i barely slept and just rambled to my little space <3 but once again, thank you guys for the support and understanding. i just wanted to make a post so you guys know what to expect and all :)

thank you and have a good day/night!

[kekeyw]

current status

hi everyone!

i know it's been ages since i've posted new content and im so sorry for not being able to! i've been desperately wanting to play but i haven't had the time lately. i was essentially on an unannounced hiatus due to my creative blocks and being busy with school but here i am to announce that my hiatus will be over soon!!!

as you may or may not know, i am a high school student who has just started her final year... VERY SCARY. anyways, i've had so much homework thrown at me for only the first two days of year 12 and im trying to push through it all so that once im on holidays during dec-jan.

the oasis springs home (currently in video editing), chateau mansion (to be finalising build + cc list) and (possible cas video on the goths - unsure to post) are ready to be shipped off to you all soon!

i will continue to be on a hiatus for the next two weeks and a bit (since the new expansion pack will be out - hoping to make content for that) so i hope that you are all understanding!

i will see you all very soon!

love, kekeyw

[plangentia]

was the family you baby sat last summer that bad? (lmao im curious and new)

this is actually an oddly long story lol

yeahhhhh, like they weren't like the worst people in the world but uh. so i met them at a pub quiz in like late august and we overheard them discussing that they didn't have a babysitter for two days time. so i offered to help out since i've babysat large families before and i've been a girl guide leader and a football referees, so i can generally handle rowdy kids.

they tell me they have a seven year old and two five year old twins, and then the mum is currently pregnant whilst the dad works at home. so usually one of the parents would be in the house with me, but busy or unable to help out. and i'd be paid £10 an hour. a pretty good deal for just babysitting. he also asked if i wanted to bring my own dinner or eat what would be cooked for the kids. i agreed to have the meal there just bc it made things easier for me.

so i arrive at 4pm on the friday and meet the dad and the cleaner, who it turns out used to nanny for them, but now refuses to. she literally hands me a note as she leaves that says "don't let them manipulate you" and it's hard to tell if the them she's referring to is the parents or the kids.

the seven year old and the mum are currently out and about, so it's just me and the twins. the twins are in the garden and my first introduction to them is me getting sprayed with the hose whilst the dad watches. the dad scolds them, but they pay him no mind and then he gets back to work.

they then throw a tantrum spray me with water again and the next hour or so is a cycle of me trying to distract them and failing. the mum and the seven year old arrive back during this time as well.

the dad then calls them in for dinner and i'm like oh cool dinner time for me. and then he starts cooking and turns to me and goes, the kids are having tomato pasta for dinner.

okay, so i'm cooking for the kids. that's fine, it's pasta, i've done cooking for kids i've babysat before. i probably would have charged a little more per hour if it's 3 kids and cooking, but oh well. then he doesn't tell me where the pasta and stuff are, whilst he proceeds to cook spaghetti for him and his wife. idk if it's just bc i'm an only child, but i find it such a red flag when parents refuse to contemplate eating with their kids. but yeah whatever, i cook for the kids and myself and it's Fine. they take a little convincing to eat, but whatever.

he then goes oh it's bath time for the twins. and i'm like yeah cool, i assume you're doing that, bc you know you met me two days ago in a pub and you don't know if my child safeguarding qualifications are real. but he doesn't move and he says, oh you're bathing the kids.

huh?

that seems a little extreme, but whatever it's just the twins. i try to get them to wash, they throw a tantrum, whatever. i was not vibing with the fact that i was looking at two naked five year old boys up close, but whatever. surely the seven year old will be able to wash himself? i certainly was at that age.

no.

i then have to put them all to bed bc that's another battle, despite the fact that their parents are literally in the house.

but it's fine.

they then ask if i can do it again next week. i don't really want to, but i don't have anymore jobs nailed down. plus they'd be back at school so maybe they'd be worn out and easier to manage.

it's the same again, but it's Fine.

then i do it a third time. i really don't want to. the queen has been dying all day and i figure ig she dies before i leave to go, then babysitting will be cancelled. it's the worst time yet. i'm swearing that i'll never do it again. and then the queen is announced to have died whilst i'm bathing the kids naked in the bath.

everyone talks about where they were when the queen died. i was fighting two five year olds who were spraying me with a broken shower and trying to climb out the bathroom window.

plus i won't even mention the fact that they asked me to babysit on christmas eve. nor the fact that they also asked me to babysit in june, six months in advance in the same call. like no because a) they'd just had a newborn and i have no experience with kids under the age of 4 b) no because i wasn't back from uni c) no because it was mum's birthday d) no because your kids are the literal worst

so yeah.

[bigearsbunbun]

New Year !! 1/30/2024

its been ages since I last posted in this account er.. well things had been busy with school and I completely forgot this website existedT.T

So um a lot has changed for sure!! though I dont really know where to start....

well school um...I became an achiever in the first quarter can u believe it:O well obviously my math is still terrible but um Im trying my best still!! we're still waiting on the second quarter card (grades) which I think the card giving will take place next month? they havent really announced the date so we're just waiting for them to...

okay social life.. have I made some friends this school year...well yes a lot actually they're very friendly I guess some people I just happen to have the same interests with and some are just sociable T.T though I still prefer my grade 9 friends...but Im sure ill get close with some of these people in 3rd quarter cause thats how it all started in grade 9 anywayTT

my grade 9 friend group is still alive so Im pretty happy we hanged out like after exams and got some milk tea:D some of our friends weren't able to come though but its okay...

lately Ive been helping my aunt clean her store and she offered me to work there part time.... well I think its a realy good opportunity since Im really saving up for some stuff Im planning to buy:D example a new phone because the one Im currently using isnt really good anymore and Ive had it for ages already...

In regards of my new years resolution I guess I do have a few that I wanna start doing...like reading more books...sleeping some more and avoid staying up till 2 am everydayTT....continue learning languages...and journal some more...Im actually itching to go to the store and buy a sketchbook to use it as a journal because its just way cleaner to use a blank paper than some paper with lines since I can just adjust the size of my hand writing however I like

Okay now...my arts...I was literally stuck in art block for 3 weeks..... couldnt draw at all I was so out of it....but now Ive been drawing some doodles so I guess thats a good thing at leastxD my aunt gave me her coloring pencils since she said she doesnt even use them anymore..I was so grateful since I dont really have a proper set of coloring pencils...and now I have like so many coloring materials..I have 2 sets of crayons the other one having like 96 colors pretty crazy ik....i hate 2 sets of coloring pencils...coloring markers...I have some paints and a watercolor...IK so manyTT AND I HAVENT EVEN MASTERED USING COLORS YET gosh goodluck to me>.<

well I think thats about all...I really do feel like Im missing some stuff but er I'll write those in the upcoming posts in the future:D if I ever dont forget about this website again that isx3!! WELL BABAIII<33!!

[yeonjunszn]

hey um ik ur rlly busy with life and i totally get that (cuz same lol) but uhm i ws js wondering will there be an update to the 'twenty-two' smau ?? ITS SO GOOD and if not its rlly ok asw <3

HELLO I AM SO SORRY RHIS IS SO LATE i’ve been sooooo busy with school lately and also work and life has just been so Crazy with a capital c 😭 so i’ve just made a whole announcement post about a couple of my works but i wanted to answer ur ask specifically bc it’s been sitting here unanswered for a while 💔 im not discontinuing twenty two bc i love that smau wholeheartedly and she deserves to be finished at some point, but i am putting it on hold for a bit bc i’ve been kinda burnt out lately. i don’t know when i’ll start updating again, but my spring semester ends in a couple weeks so maybe it’ll be sooner rather than later!

[medusas--cascade]

Life tends to be the same. Life is very unmotivating lately. I realized I only ever write when I’m in periods of my life that are incredibly slow and alone. The only time I ever wrote before was when I was younger. Back when we didn’t have so many gadgets, when social media wasn’t such a big thing yet. When streaming services didn’t even exist. I mostly had books, the DVDs we had copies of, and hung out with friends. The “real” things. And of course that meant I had a lot of time to write for myself. I also wrote like, fan fiction and things like that. And tumblr back when blogging was a thing and curating your feed was important. Aside from that, I think high school onwards, I never really kept a journal of anything. I’d always have a notebook though of whoever I loved. and I always wrote to them. But i guess I now have an online version of that so that tim can see what I write when I upload it. It feels more real that way, and at least it’s never too late. but also, I don’t think I ever had this severe of a communication problem with anyone. Rafa and I lived so far away from each other but we managed to always see each other, like once a week minimum. Or frequently enough because we were both always willing to find a way and to make an effort. 

I haven’t written to tim in a while. there’s nothing i want to say and i dont think there’s gonna be anything good i can say. i think most people who know me know that im not here for the long run, and i think that fact would hurt him. he’s always worried over something that’ll happen in the future. it reminds me of me when i was a bit younger. more naive. i think we all hope that the one we love will be the one we love forever, but most of us don’t realize how incredibly rare that is. I think the moment I have something better going on in my life, this will end. and i wouldn’t want to be weighed down by him or anything. 

I do still kind of miss my ex and everything we got to do together. i was trying to plan a day out for me tomorrow because im on leave tomorrow. so i was thinking of going to commerce to see a movie. and i’ve been craving for a flat white the past few days. so i thought maybe i’d stay at a cafe and read for a while. but i think the last time i stayed in westgate to wait for the movie screening i was heading to was when i was still with gcarl. and i just didn’t like the thought of that. we really did so many things together and we were really part of each others lives. i think that’s how it supposed to work when you’re in a relationship. your schedules are always tied up with one another. but that’s just not how it is with tim, and i guess that adds to the reason why i dont feel and don’t hink that we’re like a real relationship. it still hurt him when i said that. because this is real for him but i don’t think this’ll ever be real for me, it still doesn’t feel real to me. 

im having trouble even writing here, on my own page. i think i’ve just been stuck the past few days. i’ve been watchnig and binging new shows, old shows, and getting into new books. it’s nice, revivng an old habit. and i do enjoy watching  these shows and reading. tim is going to be in mindanao until the results of the elections are announced. and it’s a bit of a stressful and busy time for him he’s not used to being this busy os we  really can’t set any time to do anything specifically. liek we can’t watch a bunch of stuff or play because the internet there is so slow anyway. so when we do get to call it’s usually just to briefly tlak to each other. messenger has something called watch together wherein two people ion a call get to watch the same video. and sometimes we just do that, tok ill time before going to bed. it’s as if we got to the boring part of the relationship without ever getting to the fun part. and that’s sad. i don’t know what to do. although i think the fact that i’ve been thinking of ending things for this long speaks volumes. although i don’t really want to, it’,ll just create an even bigger mess. i think he wouldn’t even notice if i acted distant or stopped loving him, and started to act that way. again-- because it’s like this wasn’t even real to begin with. 

[lilac-cat-draws]

LET'S GOOOO!!!!!

[hyunnows]

SUGAR SUGAR | LF

Teamed up for the annual Bake-Offs, your ex-boyfriend Felix and you have to work together to win while rediscovering your past love for each other.

PAIRING: Felix x Reader, slight Chan x reader (do i even know how to not add some sort of love triangle for skz lmao)

CONTENT/WARNING(S): angst, fluff, slowburn, baker!exboyfriend!manager!Felix, baker!reader, lowkey mean felix, conest!au, bakery!au (cameos of baker!Minho, baker!Han, baker!Jeongin, baker!Changbin, announcers!Hyunjin, announcer!Chan, announcer!Yeji, storage-manager!Seungmin)

WORD COUNT: 23.7k+

RATING: pg13

 A/N: here it is! my longest fic ever 😩 thank you to my betas @heejojo​, @masterninjacow​ and @dreamwrld(@xgrhee​) for helping me out with this so much, im literally so thankful to you guys 🥺💜 anywho, i hope you all enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing it! please leave rbs/comments of your thoughts, they make my day! i hope you have a great day, night, month, year, and life! stay safe, happy, and healthy <3

DAMN IT I POSTED IT 1 HR AND 30 MIN LATE--

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“We should break up, he said, no hard feelings, he said,” you mumble, sweeping under yet another table. “We'll still get along great…! That lying son of a gun.”

You dust off your hands, propping the broom in its corner and quickly vacuuming the collected dust and trash. Cracking your back, you groan and straighten up. Maybe now you could catch a break…

“Oh, you're done. I need you to mix three medium-sized bowls of batter for red velvet cake,” the freckled boy instructs, catching you off guard. He doesn't look at you and turns away when you give him a tired look. “Hurry up, you have to whip some cream for Mina after.”

With a roll of your eyes, you silently trudge past him, purposely bumping against his shoulder.

You loved baking, it was your favorite hobby, and lucky for you, your job too. Much to your dismay, your ex-boyfriend was also your boss, which wouldn't have been a problem had he not been on a power trip—you as his target.

You two had a great three years, the two of you sharing countless memories, the good ones outweighed the bad. Some would even say your relationship was too good to be true, two bakers who fell in love during school, worked together, and had a pleasantly smooth ride.

But during the last couple of months, the two of you had been drifting apart. There wasn't a particular reason you could pinpoint, besides simply being too busy for each other and too tired once there was time. Not to mention the rumors floating around the bakery, some about Felix and the recruit, others about you two breaking things off. It was all too stressful.

It was the first day off the two of you had in weeks, you cuddled up to his side as you drifted off slowly to the quiet humming of your TV in front of the couch in your shared apartment. You were filled with peace and comfort.

Until he said it, “[Y/N], I think we should break up.”

It'd been shocking, and you couldn't count on your fingers and toes how many times you'd cried after coming to a (not so) mutual decision that it wasn't working out anymore. You'd wanted him to stay and hold you, say it was all a joke; instead, he began packing immediately, giving you a final kiss on your forehead before disappearing out your door.

Cursing yourself for having ever fallen for and crying over Felix, you growl at the memory. Since that day seven months ago, he'd denied your overtime pay, made you work double shifts, and given you the crappiest jobs in the bakery a chef could do. You couldn't even understand why, considering he'd been the one to break up with you.

Feeling dampness sprinkle your face, you realize you were mixing much too aggressively, moving to the last bowl of ingredients and trying your best not to glare at his honey brown hair. How could he treat you like this after loving you for so long? Unless it hadn't been love at all, and you'd been utterly blinded by your feelings—

You cut off your thoughts, huffing. Placing the stirred bowls on the counter for Felix, you shuffle to Mina. She was the recruit that had been involved with the early rumors surrounding Felix, his supposed “secret girlfriend” on the side. The rumors hadn't been true—you knew that much—but he still had you run errands for her, just to mess with you.

“How much do you want me to make?” You glare, gesturing to the whipping cream beside the pretty (pretty annoying) barista. If she had a nicer personality, she'd be a great catch.

She rolls her eyes. “Enough for me to make two dozen cups with freshly whipped cream… Like usual.” She scoffs quietly at your growl. The worst part was that she didn’t even like Felix, the two of them just enjoyed taunting you.

Biting your lip, you resist the urge to growl, and begin the whipping, muttering to yourself angrily. You couldn't care less who Felix favored or dated, however, hand-whipping cream was just embarrassing. You take a deep breath, deciding your health was more important than being angry at an annoying coworker and your ex.

After all, it wasn't like this behavior was going to stop anytime soon.

Felix hurriedly steals the cream from you, handing them over to Mina, then pointing you in the direction of the overflowing sink. You wish you could rip his hair out, because you already washed the dishes today, and you were not up for the second round of eggshells and flour stuck to plates.

Glaring at the baker, you shake your head. “No.”

Surprised at your sudden defiance, Felix raises his eyebrows at you. He knew he was being unfair, and you didn't want to do any of these jobs, except he was your boss, and you weren't one to disobey authority, “No?”

“I'm not doing the dishes a second time today. Get someone else to do it. Mina’s been on her phone for the past forty minutes, why can't she?” You barely stop yourself from sticking your tongue out at her when she smirks at you, continuing to click away on her new phone, which she bought with overtime pay you deserved.

“You are doing the dishes, because it's your job, and you don't want to lose it, right?” He crosses his arms as if to challenge you.

Your eyes widen in shock. Did he just threaten to fire you? He'd never done that before, and that was because you were a valuable baker and barista, but the look in his eyes let you know he wasn't joking. He was dead serious.

Slumping your shoulders, you bite back tears. This wasn't fair. You didn't deserve this kind of treatment because you two broke up. Everyone knew it wasn't your idea, and you clearly remembered Felix suggesting it in the first place. What happened?

You sniffle quietly, turning on the faucet and grabbing the sponge, scrubbing down the first dish.

——

Propping his feet up on his desk, Felix sighs. He knew deep down that he was being unreasonable to you, and he knew he couldn't continue this kind of behavior for much longer, or someone would end up turning in a complaint or two.

Still, he was the highest-ranking person at the bakery, and he doubted anyone other than yourself paid any attention to how much work he gave you. He peeks through his blinds, watching you scrub the dishes angrily, leaning against the counter in anger. Rolling his eyes, he knocks on his window, your confused eyes meeting his tired, annoyed ones and quickly hardening.

It isn’t until he hears a crash from the kitchen that he leaves his quarters, strutting out to find you and Mina face to face and a broken mug between the two of you. He takes in your appearance, shirt slightly damp with what he assumes is coffee from the strong smell and sepia color staining your clothes and the floor. Then he looks at Mina, her shirt drenched in the liquid and a deadly look in her eyes as she glared at you.

He feels his stress rise, crossing his arms tightly, his deep voice rumbling out angrily, “What…” he steps closer, “Did…” his voice dropping an octave, “You…” his face hovering over yours intimidatingly, “Do?”

Eyes wide, your jaw drops. He just got here, and he thought this was your fault? Just when you thought Lee Felix couldn’t get any more unreasonable, you’re proven wrong. “You think I did this? She ran into me with her cup—”

“Y’know what? I don’t care for an explanation. Get Mina another shirt and clean the floor now, okay?” sighing tiredly, ready to walk away from the situation when he hears you growl.

Clenching your fists, you glower at him. “No, she made the mess, she should get me a change of clothes and clean the floor,” your voice stern and face hard. You were not going to keep putting up with his crap.

The entire room goes silent, the surrounding employees drooping their heads and staying so incredibly still and quiet you can hear everyone's breath. Your hands are sweating and you can feel your knees struggling to stay straight against his steely gaze.

“Y’know what? Don't clean it.” He smiles menacingly, leaning down to your eye level. “From now on, we're no longer on the same team. You're not a baker or barista anymore, no, now you'll be under Seungmin’s managing.”

Seungmin was the strict but kind head of ordering for the bakery, and while the two of you got along, ordering the baking supplies was not what you wanted to be doing. You wanted to be a baker, even a barista, but not a supply worker. You needed to be in the kitchen—it was the reason you had started this job in the first place. “You’re not serious.”

He pulls a stern expression, “Yes, I am.” His once bright and playful eyes now dark and intimidating. He lifts his head, a stressed sigh leaving his lips before he continues, “Shows over, back to work.” and clapping everyone back into their positions. He points to you. “Give me your apron and go see Seungmin.”

Your eyes tear up a bit, untying your black apron and shoving it aggressively in his awaiting hand. Gritting your teeth, you scowl at him through your blurry vision, and stomp off. Seungmin was confused to see you in his department, crying and all, but he gave you enough simple work to keep your thoughts busy for the time being.

Felix was so sweet and kind when you were dating, what had happened?

——

“What were you thinking, Felix?” Seungmin scolds the chestnut-head, pinching his nose. “[Y/N] is one of our best bakers, you can’t transfer her. We’ve literally had people specifically ask for her to bake for them. I’m sorry, but she has to compete in the Bake-Offs, and she has to work in this department.”

Felix rolls his eyes, “We can manage without her. We have Minho, I’m still the best baker in the establishment, and the others do well enough,” a growl in his deep voice at the thought of Seungmin picking your side over his. “And she’s been incompetent lately anyway.”

Seungmin shakes his head. “Firstly, we can’t train anyone else to her level by tomorrow. And secondly, you’ve been unreasonable ever since the two of you broke up. Which, if I recall correctly, was your idea,” he stops for a second, “Why did you two break up anyway? You were the perfect couple.”

Felix shuts his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose. “It might’ve seemed that way, but things weren’t as smooth as they used to be,” his voice growing thick in his throat.

“So things got hard and you ran away?” the younger presses on, arms crossed and lips pursed.

The baker glares. “Shut up Seungmin, you don’t get to judge my decisions.” He grits his teeth. When put like that, Felix feels like the bad guy—but Seungmin knows nothing of your relationship outside of work. He didn’t know how you functioned alone. “I’ll let her compete with us, but she’s not transferring back here.”

“Fine.”

“[Y/N]!” a voice booms the moment you enter the Cafékery, Jeongin racing to you happily, “Thank goodness you’re here! Mina’s sick and Sungjoon’s running late!” You stare quizzically at him, confused as to what that had to do with you. Jeongin’s head tilts. “Don’t you know what today is?”

You scratch your head, puckering your lips and shaking your head. “No…?”

The young baker sighs, “It’s the first day of the Bake-Offs. Y’know, like it is every year?”

Your eyes widen in realization, because you had been planning for this a week prior, and somehow you managed to completely forget about it. Smacking your head, you snap your gaze to Jeongin. “Wait, what does that have to do with me? I’m not even a baker anymore…” you trail off, your eyes saddening at the reminder.

Jeongin cocks his head to the side, “What do you mean? Your name’s on the list and they've been waiting for you for thirty minutes. Even Felix is waiting for you.”

Your ears perk at that, confusion and excitement flooding your veins at the same time. You were going to participate in the Bake-Offs, your favorite event of the year—not counting holidays—and you may have kept your position as a baker. The thought brings a small smile to your lips, and you quickly make your way over to the small crowd of bakers.

Minho greets you, “You made it! Thank goodness, please tell Cookie Crumbs over there to chill out,” jabbing his thumb in the direction of Felix.

You chuckle at the nickname, pulling Felix’s attention from Seungmin and directing it to you, a scowl on his lips that almost makes you want to shrink. You see Seungmin whisper something to him, making him roll his eyes as he approaches you. “So, we need you to fill in for some bakers today. Are you in?”

His words are casual and had they been said by someone who wasn't currently out to get you, they would've come across as calm. But since this is Felix, he growls them at you, a slight mumble in his words from his grit teeth. Put off by his still negative attitude—seriously, what could you have possibly done—you decide to irk him. “I don't know, you don't seem to want me up here…”

He glares at you, putting on his sickly fake calm expression, “[Y/N], would you forgive me for yesterday's events and help us with the Bake-offs?” His tone drips with passive aggression, and you're almost surprised how fake it sounds.

You agree, sighing because he didn't look in the mood for your antics, and you weren't up for his anger or outbursts. “Yeah, fine.”

He smiles dangerously at you. “Thank you.” The words somehow manage to sound mean, sarcastic, and even a bit genuine all at the same time. It’s startling to know that this stranger was once your “one and only”. You wish you could smack young you and convince her to never allow Lee Felix and his perfect freckled cheeks, beautiful smile, and round, big eyes into her heart.

You all hop into the Cafékery’s food macaroon yellow truck—or as the side read, “Yellow Wood on Wheels!”—and your delivery Priuses, packed in with baking supplies (not including ingredients), attire, and whatever else you might need, driving off to the park that held the annual event. The perfectly trimmed bushes surround the park in a maze fashion. The tables get set up in a uniform fashion, all facing the stage, with an outdoor oven, sink, fridge and freezer about six feet behind it. The sun’s not too hot, but you’d be lying if you said it was enjoyably hot.

Seeing the lineup, your favorite competitors smiling from their booths, you felt the nostalgia of when you and Felix were together. Quickly, you shake it off, not wanting to feed into the feeling and give it power. You couldn’t fall back in love with Felix—not that you ever really fell out.

And within ten more minutes of preparation, the competition was on.

“Nice to see you all here today! We’ve got some fresh meat—or, batter, I guess—including Knead to Know Bread, Flour Bakery & Café, and Hole in One Doughnuts, along with some past champions! I’m looking at you Yellow Wood and Sweet Revenge!” From the stage, the announcer, Hyunjin, smiles at you with a friendly glint, his voice animated perfectly for his job, just the right amount of theatrics and humor, “To kick off the event, we’re starting today with “Signature Dishes”! In other words, you may bake anything from your bakery’s “Signature” or Specialty” menu to wow the judges, one of which will be me!”

“You all have an hour and a half to bake something that’ll knock our socks off! Begin with the buzzer in three… two… one! Go!” The buzzer sounds and everyone is running towards the shelves stocked with the most popular baking necessities and the rarest finds in this field.

You try to avoid bumping into anyone—especially Felix—as you dart between your baking table and the ingredients racks, taking generous amounts of whatever you can get your hands on. A pound of flour, a half-pound of sugar, a bag of baking powder, a small bowl of baking salt, unsalted and softened butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, brown sugar, a dozen eggs, a cup of chocolate chips, and tartar. Your eyes light up at the sight, the perfect three dishes popping into your mind as you get to planning. One Minho-original sponge cake, a tray of Felix’s signature brownies, and your famous chocolate chip cookies. Oh, you had this round in the bag!

Notepad in hand, you rush over to Felix, hurriedly trying to cut into his conversation, “Hey Captain! I’ve got a plan,” the words draw his attention immediately, and he has no argument against your brilliant baking skills. All the ingredients were there, and you had just enough time to get everything done, make it look gorgeous, and maybe even throw in a little extra if you wanted. “Perfect, right? If I could just get Jeongin’s assistance, I’ll be good to go!”

Felix hums in agreement, the competition bringing out his more reasonable side as he sends the boy over to you, trying to fight the happiness that bubbles in his heart when you gleam at his positive reaction. He calls Minho over quickly, his lips moving miles per second, nodding with the older when they come to an understanding, “Han, I need you to assist Minho. Changbin, you’re with me.”

They all give him some variation of a salute, following his orders confidently without question. Felix may have been a pain since your breakup, but if there was one thing he didn’t allow his emotions to affect, it was winning this competition… or baking. One of the two.

Making your cookies was one of the things you loved most. Something about mixing your original dough, baking it to perfection, and being able to call it yours made you feel beyond important. You could practically feel the dopamine dripping, your hands whisking the eggs violently, only to realize you forgot the mixing technique Felix had taught you back when you first started working at Yellow Wood. Letting out a stressed breath, you decide it’s best to get it over with and head over to ask him.

He’s sweaty, honey skin glistening under the sun as he awaits his melting butter patiently. You assume it’s all the whisking he’s done, both he and Changbin shiny while they hover around the outdoor oven and stove.

Heart beating rapidly, you almost feel nervous to approach him, your cheeks flushing lightly when his head turns to you. “Hey, I forgot that mixing technique you showed me, mind giving me a refresher?” your voice strained and somewhere between giddy and irritated.

He rolls his eyes, coming behind you to re-teach you the technique you’d mastered after seeing it done twice originally. His lean arms encase your own, his chest to your back, while he takes your hands and guides one to mix aggressively, and holds the other in place sturdily. It’s nostalgic, the way he holds you, firm yet gentle, just like he used to. Your heart jumps into your throat, and you try your best to ignore his breathing against your cheek, reminding you of mornings when the two of you would bake gourmet breakfasts together just for the fun of it.

“Okay, I think I’ve got it…” your voice fades away, catching in your throat the moment you turn, coming face to face with Felix, your noses almost touching. His hands stop guiding yours, and you can feel his breath hitch, eyes trained between your eyes and too-close-for-comfort lips. You seal your ajar lips, breaking eye contact and clearing your dry throat, “Um...”

He steps back abruptly, keeping his semi-aggressive stare beside you, careful not to look at you. Quietly, he apologizes, stepping away and continuing his own baking project. He has to calm his own heart as he turns his back to you, an uncomfortable flit settling in his stomach.

Ninety minutes later, you’ve all managed to complete your deserts, plating them to perfection and ready to present. “So, what do you have for us, Mr. Lee Felix of Yellow Wood Cafékery?” Hyunjin interrogates, a wide, handsome smile on his features as he observes the three platters in front of him.

Happy to present three of the Bakery’s best-selling items, Felix grins, his smile genuine and warm. “Today we’ve baked three signature dishes, one from each of our top three bakers. I present you with my signature brownies, Minho’s locally famous sponge cake, and [Y/N]’s delightful chocolate chip cookies!” Finishing with an expectant smile when Hyunjin takes a cut of his brownies, a slice of Minho’s cake, and sticks one of your chewy chocolate chip cookies into his mouth. “We hope you enjoy every bite.”

“Mph!” Another judge, Chan, exclaims as he takes another bite from Minho’s cake. “This is a winner!”

You nudge Minho in congratulations, him flashing you a sheepish grin in return.

Hyunjin agrees, humming in delight at your cookie, “First place, hands down!” Moving onto the third bakery’s dishes, downing yours happily.

You watch the other judges taste your work and their reactions, high-fiving each other when another judge leans over to whisper to you three that you “had her vote”. All three of you turn to each other with content looks, confident with this round’s results.

“Success is assured,” you all laugh at Minho’s robotic impression.

It’s only when Felix’s happy stare finds your own that your mood drops, both of your smiles faltering as you high-five, your palms lingering a little longer than necessary. You chuckle awkwardly as you pull your hand back, his warmth engraved into your hand where it had touched. He coughs awkwardly, bringing his fist to his restless heart, willing it to relax whilst glaring at you. It was just a memory of the love he’d once held for you.

“First place, Yellow Wood!” You all cheer, Jisung “whooping” and Jeongin doing his famous “dolphin scream” loudly.

“Second place, Hole in One Doughnuts!”

“In third, Sweet Revenge!”

“In fourth, we have Knead to Know Bread!”

“And in fifth, Flour Bakery & Café!” The judges announce one by one, Hyunjin keeping his mic at his mouth while the other four drop theirs to their sides, “Our last two places will participate in a face-off elimination match, where they will each chose a signature dish from the other bakery’s specialty menu to the best of their abilities and hope they either pleasantly surprise our judges, or that the other bakery underperforms!”

You’re even more grateful for being in the top spot when you hear the elimination challenge. Yeah, you may have been an outstanding baker, but you were no Gordon Ramsey and you took time to learn other’s recipes.

“Those who managed to place in the top three may pack it up for the day and return tomorrow!” Chan grins, his Aussie accent peeking through his Korean pronunciation. The slight slip up makes you bite your lip, eyes downcast, when you remember how Felix would do the same when you two had dated. These days, you were almost sure he never messed up—though you didn’t have much to go on due to your lack of communication.

Clearing his throat, Felix’s deep voice cutting through the air, “All right, great job everyone! Let’s pack it up and do it all over tomorrow,” He said, hiding his chuckle when the staff groans.

Assuming the bakers were off the hook for their hard work, Minho invites you to relax with Han and himself. You’re about to accept when a small hand grasps your shoulder, and you’re met with an icy glare you’re sure you don’t deserve. “Yes, Felix?”

“Where do you think you’re going?” He lifts his right brow, eyes dark and stern as they bore into yours. “You have to clean up with the rest of the crew,” his tone dripping with that malice reserved for you. Seriously, you wondered how he managed to stay so angry at you for absolutely nothing.

Your jaw drops and you search his face for any sign that he’s joking. Sadly, he’s entirely serious. You frown. “But I was a baker today… I even came up with a plan—a plan that made us win first place!” you argue, unwilling to give up without a fight.

“You did, but I’m still pissed at you for yesterday. Get out of your apron and get to cleaning,” he orders, leaving no room for debate. Something in him is pissed about how you’d made him revisit those old, mushy feelings he’d shoved down when he broke up with you.

As he turns away, you growl, mumbling a curse at him, and untie your apron. No matter how unfair Felix was, he was your superior, meaning you didn’t have a say—at least not one as important as his—and you were obligated to obey his orders as long as you were on the clock. “Damn you, Felix.”

You finish packing away the last of the supplies, thankful for Changbin and his strong arms, who’d decided to hang back and help you out. All that’s left is for you to load it into the truck, which would’ve been easy, had Felix not chased your muscle away after he’d caught him helping you. You groan, straining your free arm and leg muscles to carry the heavy box into the truck’s trunk, almost collapsing before you’ve even made it halfway there, spilling the plates and whisks over the park’s brick-patterned pavement. “Damn Felix, always giving me more work than I should have. He doesn’t even have a reason to be mad! He broke up with me!” Scowling as you recollect the supplies grumpily.

Your loud complaining draws a chortle or two from beside you, Chan holding his fist to his mouth to cover his amused smile.

Flustered, you drop your box—the same box—accidentally in embarrassment. “Can I help you?” Your voice unconfident and your face aflame. You’d just argued about your ex, out loud and imaginary, unaware of the judge who’d heard it all. “Chan, right?”

The ginger nods, his prominent dimples showing in his big smile, “Yep! And you’re [Y/N], right?” his smile widens impossibly when you nod, “I was wondering if you’d like me to help you finish up around here?” Of course, you tell him yes, thanking him over and over and complimenting his strength repeatedly.

“Thank you so much! I don’t know what I would’ve done without you and all your buff-ness.” You were partly joking but mostly serious because everyone knew you did not wield that type of strength in either your upper or lower body. “Seriously, you’re a lifesaver!”

He laughs, loading the last box into the truck and rolling down the door. “So, what’re you doing packing all this up on your own? I mean, the elimination round is already over and almost all of your team has left already, and you’re a baker. I would’ve thought you’d be home by now,” he finishes, curiosity in his slight accent.

You sigh, visibly deflating. “So you know Felix, right?” You wait for him to nod, urging you to continue. “He’s my annoying, jerk boss… and my ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh…” Chan cringes, understanding immediately.

“You know what the worst part is? I didn’t even break up with him! He broke up with me!” your hands flailing in the air to add to your dramatics. Chan’s eyes show confusion, and you nod as to say, “I know right?” making him laugh, “Don’t laugh at my misery! He never lets me relax. He never even told me why he wanted to break up.” An angry pout forms on your plush lips.

“Yikes,” the ginger winces, trying to hide his smile. You get it, if the roles were reversed you’d probably find it oddly amusing too. You shove him lightly anyway, shaking your head when he breaks into a fit of laughter, “Hey, sorry! It’s just weirdly funny. I mean, he’s a complete jerk for doing all that, but it’s still kind of ridiculous.”

You nod, agreeing. You two sit like that, leaned against the truck for a solid ten minutes, playfully arguing about trivial matters and laughing at Chan’s enormous collection of pick-up lines until it’s disturbed by no one other than the bane of your existence. Felix strolls up to the two of you, putting on that same smile he gave to customers just after he’d ordered you to clean the bathroom floors—despite the fact that the café had its own designated janitor.

“Hi, Chan! [Y/N].” He gives you a curt nod that makes you roll your eyes. How fake could he be? “I was coming to check if you were done yet, since the last of us are going back to the bakery, and I was wondering if you could work the afternoon shift today?”

Your jaw drops, already imagining the pile of dishes you had used to bake today, and those the bakers who’d stayed behind had probably sullied. You hang your head, agreeing because you know that he’d get you to do it somehow, be it through a cut paycheck or a job transfer. “Yeah, sure.”

Chan frowns. “But she’s been working all day? Don’t you have other staff that can cover for her?” Felix’s fairy-like eyes darken imperceptibly, and you urge Chan to let it go. Seeing the look of tiredness in your orbs, he sighs, “I guess if she’s up for it, I can’t stop her.” A feigned smile appears on his lips.

“Yep, that’s [Y/N]! I can always rely on her to be ready to work,” flashing a much too forced smile your way, the crinkles beside his eye phony and almost seeming sarcastic. Of course, Felix didn’t want anyone outside the bakery to know how cruel he was. He had no power over anyone who didn’t work for him, and you were sure he didn’t want to get reported and fired. “Nice seeing you, Chan! Maybe we can get something to eat sometime!”

Chan smiles at you, “Bye [Y/N], see you tomorrow, I hope!” ignoring Felix’s offer entirely and giving your hand a chaste peck, a flirty yet friendly grin on his thick lips when you flush.

“Haha… Bye Chan! I hope to see you too,” You giggle slightly as you pull your hand from his, only to groan as Felix tugs you towards the truck door.

Surprisingly, the freckled boy manages to have some gentlemanly qualities left in him, opening your door for you and helping you climb in before shutting it. It almost gives you whiplash how quickly his attitude has changed from overly happy to completely done once he closes his door, “I need you to wash the dishes and mop the floors when we get back. Any arguments and I’ll cut you from the rest of the event.”

You give him a dirty look, leaning over to rest your head on your palm to stare out the window for the rest of the ride.

Tomorrow comes faster than you’d expected, and before you know it, you’re already unpacked at the park, preheating the outdoor ovens. Mina’s returned, and even so she’s not a very good baker (dare you to say, a bad barista too), and Sungjoon’s absent over some familial matters, so you’re still on the roster.

“Alright, everyone! Welcome back yesterday’s winners, Yellow Wood Cafékery, and the remaining contestants, Hole in One Doughnuts, Sweet Revenge, and Flour Bakery and Café!” Chan cheers, starting the day off strong. He sends a wink at you after calling your team’s name, inducing a red hue to take over your cheeks that evokes an annoyed groan from Felix. “Today we will be judging your best pastries! You have half an hour to make something that’ll blow our minds!”

“So I was thinking we could do some nice strawberry roll cakes, and then something new,” Minho suggests, earning a nod of approval from Felix. “I was looking up some new stuff for the bakery and I found this thing called a Franzbrötchen. It's German, so it’ll most likely be something new for the judges, and the others shouldn’t see it coming.”

You tap your chin. “Alright, I’ll take the two roll cakes, and since you know the recipe, you can take the Frankenstein or whatever you said.”

“I’ll help [Y/N] with the roll cakes. We all know she can’t roll one for the life of her,” Felix provokes, his face neutral as the gears in his head turn.

“Alright, go!”

The three of you rush to the ingredients tables, bumping into a minimal yet still significant number of bakers from other teams. It seems that after yesterday, nobody cares about chivalry or manners, roughly shoving each other out of the way to get to their desired ingredient.

You’re reaching for the strawberries when someone thrusts you out of the way, throwing you into an unsuspecting brown you just can’t seem to avoid getting in trouble with, “Hey! Watch it!” he growls, catching you. You scoff, freeing yourself from his hold on your waist, ready to retort when you notice he isn’t glaring at you, but the older girl who’d so rudely thrown you. She ignores his warning, rushing off to find whatever she was looking for, leaving Felix holding you salsa-dip style. “Are you okay?”

The sincerity of his concern almost scares you, but you don’t say anything about it and assure him you're fine with an awkward smile. Felix hadn’t shown that kind of emotion to you in a while, something other than hostility and feigned positivity, since your still confusing fallout. “Yeah…”

You turn and grab the last box of strawberries, running off to look for whipping cream and steady your frantic heartbeat. When was the last time Felix had you feeling like this? Well, yesterday, but before that, you couldn’t even recall it had been so long.

The three of you regroup, Minho summoning Changbin and Jisung to be his helpers and Jeongin volunteering to whip your cream for you. You and Felix dance around each other the entire time, a thick awkwardness filling the air around you two and your baking. Within a good twenty-eight minutes, you were the first team done, stacking your cakes and German sugar buns creatively on a cupcake stand.

The female judge from yesterday, Yeji, is the first to try your Franzbrötchen, staring at it quizzically before taking a bite. “It’s so good! Hyunjin get over here and try this…”

“Franzbrötchen,” Minho interjects, smiling politely at the younger brown.

“Franzbrötchen! Thank you,” she smiles back, eagerly beckoning the other brown-haired judge over to have a taste of the lesser-known pastry, “I’ve never had this before! Points for creativity!”

Hyunjin agrees with her, as does Chan, who makes sure to take an extra-large piece of the roll cake you’d made. Felix hates to admit that the scene of you two eye-flirting makes him feel things he’d lost the right to experience when he… Well, you know, silently hoping another team finishes up soon and cuts the interaction as short as possible. Geez, maybe it was a bit more than a mere “memory of the love he’d once held for you” as he assumed before.

Soon enough, this year’s top rookie finishes, giving your long-time rivals Sweet Revenge a run for their money by taking one of their famous classics and revamping it, creating the best version of their crème brûlées and macaroons ever tasted before. Then, Sweet Revenge follows two simple and unimpressive rice cakes, and Flour Bakery and Café not far behind with a much more notable parfait and a pastry.

“Tied for first, for taking an unforeseen approach, Hole in One Doughnuts!” You all cheer, impressed with the inexperienced team of fresh-faced bakers who jump in excitement, “And yesterday’s number one, Yellow Wood, for their pleasant surprise!” Chan finishes.

Yeji picks up her mic next, confidently smiling at the medium-sized crowd, “And our two who will be participating in a face-off elimination, Flour Bakery and Café, and Sweet Revenge! Stay tuned to see who will be moving on to the next round and who will be going home!”

You hear Hyunjin’s voice begin to explain the elimination round, although you can’t focus on the details as you march over to your tables and begin packing everything away like yesterday, guessing Felix was going to tell you to do it soon anyway. Once all the boxes are ready, you notice almost all the teams have gone home, and the results are out, Sweet Revenge moving onto the next round—though you’re sure they only made it due to experience with working the time in their favor.

Lifting the heaviest box first, you groan and wobble towards the open truck, only to have the weight removed by none other than Bang Chan. “Whoa there, you’ll throw out your back if you keep trying to carry things you don’t have the muscle for.”

“Are you trying to say I’m scrawny?” you gasp in mock offense, a dramatic hand on your heart to add to the scene. “I’ll have you know these biceps are toned to perfection!”

“I’m sure mixing all that batter has certainly built quite a bit of muscle, but allow me to do the really heavy lifting for your sake,” he smiles, the warm apples of his cheeks squishing his eyes.

“Fine, but only because I’m already tired.”

“Of course.”

The same as yesterday, you two sit on the truck’s back, laughing hysterically at a bad baking experience Chan was telling you about, “And the cookies, oh my gosh, they were absolutely horrible!”

“Y-you mean to tell me that you—one of my esteemed judges—can’t bake?” A hand grasps your ribs so that they don’t burst, “That’s gold!”

“Anyway,” he chuckles one last time, still infected with laughter. “Why’re you here again? Isn’t there someone else to pick up the slack?”

You suspire, shaking your head. “There probably is, Felix just likes to pick on me these days. He’s always overworking me, trying to get rid of me. Honestly, I’m not even sure he ever loved me.” You frown, and then cuss quietly when your eyes start to water. “It’s like he’s my bully, and I’ve gotta do his, and whoever he wants homework all the time.”

Chan nods, patting your back gently, “I’m sorry, you don’t deserve that.”

“And what’s worse is that after all this time, all the bad blood and everything… I still love him,” you say, squishing your brows as you try your best not to cry. You recover soon enough though, wiping the wetness of your eyes and putting on your best smile. “Wow, it feels good to get that off my chest,” laughing to lighten the mood.

“I see you’re here… again.” A few minutes later, a familiar, rich voice interrupts, Felix’s unamused face appearing before you and Chan. “I’m not feeling up for any conversation, so if you two could quickly wrap this up, please? I’ll be waiting in the car,” a poorly faked smile on his perfect pink lips as he gives a brief hand motion and enters the large automobile.

Chan smiles nervously at you, “He doesn’t look too happy to see us together…”

“It’s not like that, he’s just unhappy to see me.” You don’t catch how Chan shakes his head at your explanation. “Welp, I’ve gotta go. See you tomorrow, Chan!” You hop off the back of the truck and wave goodbye. Immediately as you enter the truck, you sense the downcast mood, wiping your smile off your face and sighing, “To the bakery?”

He’s thinking about your parting words to Chan, “You read my mind.”

“Great,” you scowl, crossing your arms and sinking lower into the stiff seat material. Felix seemed to have a way of killing your mood, always bringing you down from cloud nine to misery.

The two of you sit in silence for a good ten minutes, before Felix speaks up. “I don’t want you alone with Chan anymore,” his tone is stern, though he’s saying it quieter than usual, almost as if he’s unsure of what he’s saying. “He’s being too… friendly.”

The comment that follows the already absurd order makes you furrow your brows, confusion painting your face. “So? We’re both single, and I like hanging out with him. What makes you think you get to dictate who I get to be friendly with, hm? ‘Cus I’m pretty sure you relinquished that sort of say when we broke up.” You’re angrier than you want to be.

He stays silent, eyes trained on the road, mixed emotions swirling in his stomach. He resorts to glaring, his knuckles turning white as he grips the wheel, “Whatever.”

“Yesterday, one of our rookies came out on top, let’s give a big hand to Hole in One Doughnuts!” Yeji cheers, standing confidently. Maybe confidence was the key to looking great…

“In second place, Yellow Wood!” Hyunjin smiles, “And our elimination round winner was Sweet Revenge!”

“Today, we will be holding a technical challenge. Those of you familiar with our Bake Offs should know that means we will have three dishes for the contestants to choose from. Whoever succeeds in not only baking the dish, as well as plating it and making it presentable within the time limit will move onto the next round unscathed. The other two teams will face off in an elimination round,” Chan explains, discreetly reading the cards between his hands. He sends a wink your way, and grins when you flush, just like yesterday. It’s repetitive, you admit, but it felt nice to be getting positive attention from a guy.

Felix crosses his arms, clicking his tongue at the noticeable exchange. Chan’s far too flirtatious for his taste, and he hates how your blush has him feeling butterflies.

“Alright, the choices are Angel Slices, Fig Rolls, and Miniature Pineapple Upside Down Cakes. Since Hole in One Doughnuts won first place yesterday, they get to pick first, then Yellow Wood, and lastly Sweet Revenge.”

The rookies pick Fig Rolls, leaving you with the choice between Angel Slices and the Upside Down Cakes, and you choose the latter. Your team pretends not to notice the death glares from Sweet Revenge, knowing they didn’t know the first thing about making Angel Slices and Felix happened to be one of the best Upside Down Cake bakers in town.

The three of you decide to make three separate cakes, opting for three different styles and three chances for the top spot.

“Alright, now that we’ve gotten the recipes sorted, you may start your dishes! Go!”

There’s somehow even more pushing and shoving than yesterday, even with the dwindling number of bakers present. You crash into someone, and you can’t believe your luck when it’s Felix you crash into again, except this time he holds you to his chest. “Are you okay?”

You can feel his voice reverberate through his chest, and it’s something you didn’t think you’d hear from him ever again. Worry. “Yeah, I’m good…” you say, dizzy with confusion.

He nods, still holding you to his chest. “Be careful,” his tone softer than what you were used to hearing him use with you. His eyes are soft and averted, and they hold something tender in them. With one more deep inhale, he releases you, almost hesitantly.

When you walk off to find your ingredients, heeding his words and avoiding any more contestants, he misses your warmth. He misses holding you, and keeping you safe. Then he gets distracted, remembering the conversation you’d had with Bang Chan, oblivious that he was listening.

“He’s always overworking me… I’m not even sure he ever loved me…”

“And what’s worse is that after all this time, all the bad blood and everything… I still love him.”

Felix may not have been the type to eavesdrop, but when he’d heard you and Chan’s voices, he couldn’t help himself. He’d heard the whole thing, but something about these phrases had stuck. He didn’t make you do that much, just a little extra here and there when he felt like it. And of course, he loved you! You two had dated for years, how could you think that he never loved you? Heck, he still—

And that last sentence, even after he admittedly acted like a complete jerk to you—and a lot of others post-dating your breakup—you still had all the same feelings for him. He doesn’t like how the thought brings him happiness, or how it has him questioning his feelings about you. He was over you, right? Done with your relationship—that was one of the reasons he’d ended it.

So then, why did one quick glance from you make his heart stutter as though he was the same eighteen-year-old you’d caught the attention of three years ago?

“… lix? Felix, hey! Are you with me?” Minho snaps his fingers in front of his face, concern in the older man’s eyes. “You zoned out for a bit. Don’t worry, we got all the ingredients, and we didn’t lose much time.”

The competition. Right, he was competing, not debating his thoughts of (read: love for) you! “Yeah, I’m here. Sorry, I got distracted.” Minho nods, dragging him back to your station to start.

You’re used to Felix criticizing your baking techniques, but what you aren’t used to is him trying to help you. He’s got his hands over yours again—this time of his own accord—and he’s guiding you in placing your pineapple slices. You know perfectly well how to do this on your own, but he insists on showing you. “Alright, I’ve got it now.”

Hearing the tone of your voice, he sighs, releasing your arms, so you can continue to place your slices in your pan. You space them less than you had in Felix’s, and stack them a bit to give a bit of variety. Once you’re done, you call for Minho, “Hey, can you get me some pineapple juice-water mix?”

Before the oldest has time to respond to your request, Felix pushes a small pitcher towards you. “Here, use some of mine,” a bright pink on his cheeks that you luckily miss, taking the mixture and pouring it onto your pan.

“… Thanks.”

You almost swear he’s smiling, quickly beginning the next step of the process, “No problem.” For once, his tone lacks all hostility. The table goes quiet for the majority of the round, an awkward and fairly uncomfortable silence between you two, which Felix decides he’s not too fond of. Trying to ease the tension as your cakes bake, he leans towards you. “Want a brownie?”

You quirk your brow at him, utterly confused, “What?”

He looks at you this time, gesturing towards a box under his table, “A brownie, do you want one?”

“Um, sure.” As long as they aren’t poisoned. He hands you a larger one, and somehow it’s still warm. Getting a whiff of it, you sigh, biting into the delicious treat. You almost don’t care why you’ve been gifted this delicious piece of unhealthiness, but your curiosity gets the best of you. “Why are you being so nice to me today?”

He stiffens slightly, unsure of how to answer. “I can stop if you want—” he says, reaching over to take your brownie.

You snatch your hand away, hugging the delicacy to your chest protectively. “No, no… It’s just odd…” you reply hastily, quickly becoming attached to your brownie. You won’t acknowledge how you like the sweeter behavior, because if you do, you won’t just be swimming in love for Felix, you’ll be drowning. “Thanks, these are just like I remember them.”

“Yeah…” he murmurs, smiling gently as you reach for another brownie. He had made them in the morning before leaving the bakery after mulling over your interactions the day before. “I actually made them for you—to say sorry for being a jerk, of course!” He adds that last bit a little too quickly to sound natural.

You nod awkwardly, finishing your brownie just as the oven timer goes off. Checking your work—like the fantastic baker you are—you poke a toothpick through the middle, a satisfied hum when it comes out perfectly clean. When you unstick the sides, you’re surprised to see Felix has already unstuck one and is working on unsticking yours.

Minho stares at the younger just as confused, before shrugging. As long as the work’s getting done, you suppose, standing to the side with nothing to do. You decide to make yourself useful, grabbing three decorated plates and placing them neatly in front of the three of you, ready to flip the cakes. Felix rushes to hand you oven mitts in an out-of-character way, but you think it’s sweet nonetheless.

“Three, two, one!” All three of you flip your cakes, watching as they slide out perfectly, and you’re sure you’ll win again this year. They didn’t call Yellow Wood the “Best Baker in Town” for nothing. “Alright, great job guys! Let’s call the judges over.”

Each cake had a slightly different tint, yours is more orange and bright than the others due to the higher concentration of oranges, while Minho’s is closer to a caramel color--you assume he added brown sugar to the mix. The caramel has faded, the bubbles that once resided inside now pooped, leaving the cakes with a transparent olive look. All in all, they’re absolutely gorgeous.

Yeji bounces over first, ready to taste the amazingness you’ve baked up for her. She squeals in delight, beckoning Hyunjin over before shoving a bite in his mouth. He doesn’t care to get upset, too enamored by the sweet and tangy flavors dancing harmoniously in his mouth. “Oh man, unless the other teams are cheating, you’ve got our votes,” he mumbles out, muffled by his stuffed cheeks as he continues to try the other cakes. He marvels at how you all managed to bake the same dish in such different ways and end up with three amazing and unique tastes. “Seriously, like, I might have to swing by the bakery later!”

You all laugh at his commentary, bowing thankfully as Chan approaches, eyes bright and trained on you. “Ah, what have I done to deserve a job where I get to see you and eat your fantastic baking for a week in a row?” His grin stretches ear to ear, and it only widens after he takes a spoonful to his mouth and savors the taste, “[Y/N], I love your baking too much to live without, I just might have to marry you.”

The joke makes Felix freeze for a moment, thinking of a time when you two were seriously thinking of getting married and spending your lives together. How you used to cuddle into his side talking about your future as husband and wife, both of you so sure nothing would ever break you two up.

He used to always imagine buying your first house with you, picking your ring out. It was always the biggest predicament whether he wanted to help you choose a dress or if he wanted to see it for the first time at the wedding.

“Hm, do we want a big, extravagant wedding or a small one?” You hummed, twirling his sweater drawstring in your fingers, eyes staring at Felix’s with nothing but love.

He looks up, scrunching his face up in deep thought, before leaning down to peck your nose, “We’ll do whatever you want. How does that sound?” his cheeks squishing up to his eyes in happiness when you lightly push him, then hug his arms to his sides.

“Are you sure about that? What if I want dancing worms to perform?”

He bursts out in laughter. “Then so be it.”

He comes back to his senses in time to see you flush. He laughs unnaturally, “Get in line, mate,” an almost intimidating drip in his voice as he urges Chan to try the others. Get it line? What line was there for Chan to get in? You give Felix a suspicious look, not too happy with how he seemed to be unpredictable today. Chan shoots Felix a look when you’re not looking, then heads off to judge Sweet Revenge, who’d just finished. The younger boy rolls his eyes, turning to you with a glint in his eye. “That Chan seems friendlier than friendly…”

You stare at him, baffled. “What’s wrong with that? You might find this hard to believe, Felix, but some people still like me.” And with that, you turn away from him, leaving the surprised baker kicking himself.

About twenty minutes later, this year’s newbies finally finish up, and a few more after that, the results are in. Chan stands with Yeji to announce them, both of them sending bright smiles your way, “Once again, Yellow Wood has won first place for their outstanding work! Three unique and dazzling cakes of the same type, congratulations on moving onto the finals!”

Yeji pipes in, “And in second, we’d like to congratulate this year’s fresh-dough, Hole in One Doughnuts!”

The small crowd cheers, along with your teams, as Sweet Revenge bows, and thanks everyone for another great competition. Felix doesn’t get as excited as the rest of you, still focused on your earlier words that were stinging him more than he’d like. You thought he didn’t like you? How absurd—

There he was again, forgetting that all these new opinions you had of him were with very good reason. He hadn’t been particularly nice or caring after breaking your heart, and now he was getting upset that someone was showing you some interest, how rude of him.

He remembers when he was sweet, always bringing you flowers, gifts, and reassurances of love, all the sweetness. Not only that, but he remembers the day all the sugar dissolved into the bitter coffee, and he was no longer staring at you with dark, deep admiration and love. He remembers taking your heart in his hand and crushing it between his fingers, watching your love ooze out like batter to an unfinished, half-raw cake.

And, like a bad chef, he never cleaned up the mess he made. He watched you come into work, heartbroken and tear-stained, every day and did nothing. No comfort, nor space.

Sniffing, you waddled into the bakery, catching the eyes of your coworkers and friends. Minho was the first to check on you, confused and slowly becoming more pissed as he realized those were breakup tears. “Did he do this?”

You'd waved him off, barely holding in your tears. “It's not his fault. It just wasn't working out for him anymore,” biting your lips, they tried to console your tears.

Felix had walked in a few moments later, confused as to why everyone seemed to be crowded together—except him and Mina who'd happened to walk in at the same time. “What's going on?”

Then he'd caught a glimpse of your crying figure, feeling the guilt start to eat at him until Changbin spoke up. “How could you break [Y/N]’s heart? You jerk!” Angry with the brunet the moment he sees him.

Felix’s face hardens, and suddenly he doesn't feel so bad. “I did what was best for me. We agreed on it, she's just making a scene,” venom drips from his voice, and that was the first time anyone had witnessed the new, cold-hearted Felix.

He saw how you shrank at his words, pushing everyone away to run to the bathroom. When you came out, you didn't look at him. When he called you, you didn't make eye contact, but you tried to talk to him, and all he did was send you off to clean angrily. What had happened to him?

He sees you talking to Chan, and notices you haven't started cleaning yet. In other words, he sees an opening, a chance, to be nice to you again. Even if you two weren't together and madly in love like you once were, he at least wanted to be on good terms with you again.

He speedily begins putting away all the supplies, pretending to ignore your shocked expression, when in reality that was exactly what he was hoping for. If he wanted you to know he was genuine, he couldn't be openly looking for your validation. When he's done, he packs the boxes neatly into the truck and waits patiently for you to finish your conversation and enter, all the while wearing a small smile.

“Sorry for not picking up, I got distracted. It won't happen again though,” you apologize robotically, allowing Felix to realize how practiced your apologies to him must be.

He waves it off, giving you an understanding look as he starts the ignition. “Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I've been making you take care of all that alone.” he frowns to himself, guilty. “I'm going to drop you off at the café, okay? Don't worry about the evening shift today, just go home.”

What's he up to? You wonder, subtly eyeing him with a nod, confused by his extremely understanding and—dare you say, nice—behavior today. Hadn't he hated your guts just yesterday?

Not enjoying the awkward silence, Felix turns up the radio, an all too familiar song filling the truck's low-quality speakers. It's your song, the one you two had first kissed to, back when you won your first Bake-Offs together.

He's about to switch the station when he hears you humming the melody, and a small smile takes over his freckled cheeks. He begins the chorus, voice low and smooth, the deepness reverberating through your ears down your spine in nostalgia and comfort. You try to contain the way your face flushes and contorts into a happy expression, but something about how he sounds just like he used tickles your heart. It feels like when times were simpler, your boyfriend and you singing your hearts out to your “song”—

Your smile slowly falls, and you stop your quiet singing, feeling tears well up.

Felix doesn't notice at first until he realizes his voice and the singer's are the only ones he hears. His chest stutters in the worst ways when he sees you, downcast and frowning at your lap, and he remembers that your current relationship is not okay. He switches the station, and mumbles out a quiet apology.

“Alright, today's the big day! To spice things up a bit, we'll be having pair competitions! That's right, two bakers from each establishment will be chosen to represent their team against the other team's pair,” Hyunjin announces brightly, and you wonder if he was born with the ability to have all eyes on him the moment he entered an area. “They will be creating a pastry of their choice that represents our theme, which in today's case, is love! Each team will have two hours to perfect their creation.”

Chan steps forward. “The time starts in three… Two… One!”

“Okay, we're all fantastic bakers, but we have to pick our best,” Minho reasons, huddled around a table with the rest of you. “I think [Y/N] and Felix are our best bets. I know you two aren't on the best terms or anything, but I've seen you two recently, and I think you guys can pull it together long enough to win.”

You wave your hands in front of your face. You were almost sure that if you and Felix were alone in a high-pressure situation, one of you would end up in the hospital and you'd lose the competition. “I don't think that's a good idea—”

“I agree with Minho. Mina got back yesterday, and she might get along better with Lix, but we all know she can't bake to save her life. Plus, you two have worked together and won before,” Changbin cuts you off, which is surprising because Changbin isn't one to agree with Minho easily.

Felix turns to you, “If you're okay with it, so am I.” Curse his starry eyes and freckles akin to the constellations.

You sigh, giving in. “Fine, but if he starts acting like a jerk and we lose, don't blame me.”

You both run to the ingredients, and you can't help but notice that Felix is hovering around you, blocking other contestants from bumping into you. Chivalrous, really, but you still haven't forgiven him for his behavior for the last seven months.

You bite your cheek, eyeing the shelves as you think of a plan. “I think we should go with a Persian Love Cake. Nothing says romance like a cake with love in the name, right?”

Felix nods. “But I don't know how to make that—I've only had one that one time when—,” we were together, he stops himself from saying it, but with the way your face contorts, he knows you already knew what he was going to say. “You're going to have to teach me as we go.”

“That's fine, it's not too difficult. Preheat the oven for me, one-sixty degrees Celsius fan-forced, I'm gonna start greasing a cake pan,” you direct, not noticing the glint of happiness in Felix’s eyes. He thought you were cute when you took the lead, one of the reasons he had asked you out all those years ago.

After you've prepared that, you push him towards the electric mixer. “Now, I need you to beat butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and rosewater until it's pale and creamy, okay? I have to mix some almond meal and flour.”

He does as he's told, though he does waste a bit of time looking over at you with soft eyes when he sees you've covered most of your apron and your face with the powders. He wasn't going to lie to himself, he really missed baking with you, side by side, just the two of you. It was one of the things he missed most after the breakup—but he couldn't admit that. Not after what he'd done.

As he finishes up, he sees you already ready to take the bowl from him, cracking eggs and beating them into the mixture one at a time before slowly folding it into the powder cocktail, then spooning it into a bowl. Felix wonders when you got so efficient at working alone in silence, recalling how you used to waste so much time cooing at him and chit-chatting when you two had dated. Then he remembers everything had changed since then.

It was a truly odd sensation, the way his heart shrivels as he realizes he had broken you and left you to pick up the pieces, except now it seemed all the little ones were missing from the puzzle of you. You used to socialize all the time, until he started having you take shifts with people you didn't know, and you got used to being alone. You'd stopped talking as much when he'd told you to stop being so loud. He hadn't heard you laugh freely around him since he decided to be a complete jerk.

Man, he really messed up.

Now that he thinks about it, he didn't even have a good reason to have broken up with you. The bakery was having you both work overtime and more than usual, but you two were still in love. You were trying, he should’ve been trying; you two would have made it work.

But just like Seungmin said, things started getting difficult and Felix ran away.

There were rumors, you two were both tired, and things were becoming a bit distant between you two, and Felix thought that meant your time was up. That your relationship had run its course, and this was the end of the line before it got rougher. Now he wishes he could punch his slightly younger self, tell him to man up and just work through it all with you instead of being a pissy jerk who lost the best thing he ever had.

You quickly begin preparing more cakes, figuring that it would look better if you had more than the other team done in the allotted time. Besides, more cakes meant cuter plating possibilities.

You fail to notice how Felix stares at you, until his warm, slightly calloused palms come to wipe your cheeks gently. He keeps his eyes focused on yours as he performs the affectionate act, successfully making your heart skip a beat (or two).

With a shy lump in your throat, you find yourself unconsciously leaning into his touch as he brushes the flour off your cheeks benevolently. Your eyes glance from his chocolate ones to his heart-shaped lips, and you wonder what could possibly be holding you back from kissing those perfect lips like you had so many times before?

And with a jolt, you remember where you are, who you were, and who he is. You’re in a serious, high-stakes baking competition as a finalist, with your mean, unfair, ridiculous ex-boyfriend, who is also your boss. Pull it together, [Y/N]! You needed to keep your head in the game.

You push Felix away, muttering a quiet and sharp “Excuse me,” and continue kneading your batter into the powdery concoction. If you had been any less determined, you would’ve noticed how the hearts in the brunet’s irises shatter. Oh, to go back to the time when things were easy…

Felix’s arms brush over yours as he kneads another ball of batter beside you, his gaze directed on your pursed lips whilst his hands do the work. He’d been so close to your face—how could he possibly forget how damn gorgeous you were? Now, all he wanted was to kiss your lips like he once did, soft, gentle, sweet. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” You raise your brow, turning to face him—maybe your vision darts down to his plush lips for a second before refocusing on his face. Was he apologizing for a moment ago? That would mean the odd tension wasn’t just in your head, and he felt it too. Still, you didn’t want to let your heart lead the way—it’s what had made you date Sir Angel Dust in the first place—and would rather forget about the encounter. “Don’t dwell on it, just keep kneading.”

He sighs, his nerves building up slightly as he has to explain himself. Gosh, he felt eighteen again, nervous to ask you out and get rejected. “I meant for breaking up with you, then acting like your enemy. I told you we’d stay friends, and I never explained myself. I’m sorry for all of that.”

Even if hearing the genuine apology from his deep voice made your stomach do flips, you weren’t ready for this or the feelings that came with it. Right now, you need to focus. “Whatever, it’s in the past now. C’mon, spoon it into this pan then put it to bake,” you direct, voice wavering slightly with every syllable that leaves your throat.

He does as he’s told—making sure to help you as well, so he can score points and speed up the process—and then he resumes his earlier speech. “Seriously, I’ve been horrible to you, and I’m sorry. Can we please talk about this?”

You clench your fist, breathing deeply as you move to step away from him, except you can’t. He has a careful and firm grip on your wrist, almost as if he was holding a fragile glass he was afraid to drop, and he holds you in front of him, gaze boring into your own. “What’s there to talk about, Felix? You’ve said it all.”

He shakes his head. “No, I don’t want us to be left like this, as enemies. I want to make it right, please don’t walk away.” You shouldn’t still fall for the pleads in his voice, but it’s always been your weakness. You sigh, nodding and leaning against the fold-out table beside him. He nods, thankful. “Thank you.”

“Just say what you need to say, so I can go.”

He frowns. “Did I really ruin everything to this extent?” You nod. “Then why are you still here—at the bakery, I mean?”

“Because I loved my job—which I’m not even sure I still have anymore. I know you’ve been nicer, more reasonable these past couple of days, but that doesn’t change the fact that you hurt me, really badly.” You feel the tears begin to well up. “You even started making me do stuff for Mina, knowing about the rumors and how they made me feel. It was as if you never loved me…”

Don't say that. His throat tightens at both your tears and your words, I've always loved you. “I'm sorry, [Y/N].”

Padding your face with your fingertips and fanning yourself, you shake your head. “Sorry doesn't fix everything that you did, Felix.” You stand straight, breathing in and out deeply, “I can't do this right now with you.”

Keep your head in the game, you tell yourself, ignoring the emotions stirring in the pit of your stomach. Felix didn't deserve your tears—and he definitely didn't deserve your time and thoughts. Screw being hung up on Lee Felix, and screw him.

“Alright, we know everyone was expecting this to be the big finale,” Chan starts off, looking less enthusiastic than usual, somewhere between tired, annoyed, and even amused. “But we've decided to mix it up a little. The two pairs that were picked today will be competing tomorrow in a series of challenges, and a winner will be declared overmorrow. Courtesy of the anonymous suggestions last year who thought our event was too predictable.”

You freeze, unsure if you can bear being alone with Felix in a competition any longer. You didn’t care if he was “different”—technically back to normal—he’d hurt you too much.

“This round along with the next two will add up to points, which will determine the final elimination!” Yeji booms, explaining the competition's new twist, “Whoever has the most out of three points wins this year’s Bake-Offs! Now, without further ado, let’s judge this round! These cakes look amazing!”

You and Felix present your cakes, plated to perfection, with every crumb, petal, and nuts placed with precision to make it as appealing as possible. You, to be quite honest, outdid yourself. Your cakes were absolutely ethereal with their white milky white glaze, glittered with crushed pistachios, rose petals, and candied ginger that let the cake be anything but boring. You almost wanted to keep one framed—especially the silver edible glitter, absolutely breathtaking.

Chan comes over first, taking a bite into his mouth to get the judging portion over with to talk to you, since Hole in One Doughnuts was still busy baking their mystery romance cake. “As always, I don’t think I’ll be able to live without your baking after this,” he flirts, his words implying something a little more than platonic. “Maybe you can bake for me outside this competition sometime?”

Your cheeks pinken, and you reply with the same coquettish tone, “Maybe. If we get first place,” you joke, laughing softly at his faux disapproving handshake.

“Speaking of your “we” situation, how are you doing?” he nods in Felix’s direction, eyeing the baker as he talks with Minho about something on the other side freshly pruned hedge that separates you. “I’m sure it hasn’t been the smoothest between you two.”

You scrunch your brows, a weird and confused look. “Oddly enough, he’s been really… pleasant these past two days. I think he’s either realized he’s been a jerk, or someone threatened him,” you say that last part as a joke, and thankfully Chan shares your lighthearted humor.

“Or he’s realized he should’ve never broken up with you,” he shrugs, and you have the feeling that he’s not joking—not for the most part. He waves his hands, “Just speculation, of course. Although, if I were him, that’s what I’d feel like right now.”

“You are such a flirt,” you snort, pushing his chest—maybe you feel how toned his chest is, but that’s not important. “Anyway, how long until the next round?”

He senses you want to change the subject, so he allows it, and answers you honestly, “About thirty minutes after this round. The same goes for the last round. Oh, and we won't be announcing winners today, but tomorrow after we sit with the other judges and come to an agreement.”

You nod, feeling anxious. How long could you two actually last in this situation? What if Felix suddenly decides he hates you again and you rip each other's throats out? Why that's what you thought of, you didn't know, but it was unpleasant at the least.

You and Chan chat for a bit longer, before the other team finishes and Felix is back at your side wearing a look that almost seems nervous. “… So you and Chan?”

You shrug. “I don't think it's like that. I think we're definitely flirting, but I don't think it's going further than that. I wouldn't want to be the ex of not only my boss, but also my competition judge.” You laugh at your own joke, Felix giving an awkward chuckle at the joke.

He never wanted to be in the same category as Chan in your eyes.

“So, since we have some time… can we talk now?” He asks, his voice deep and quiet, like if he was mumbling, except he pronounced every syllable clearly. You sigh, nodding, and he proceeds. “I never meant for things to get like… this. I just saw you crying the day after, and I panicked. I didn't want everyone knowing we had broken up, but they did know, and I snapped—at you. I shouldn't have ever done that.”

“Damn right,” you mutter. “The thing I never got was… why did you break up with me? Was it something I did? Or did you get tired of me?” Pain, both new and old, seeps into your voice in the form of tone cracks and soft speaking. “I think I deserve an explanation.”

He sweats. Even with his earlier conclusion, he didn't feel confident in telling you he was “just scared your relationship would only go downhill”. He knits his brows, the shadow they cast over his eyes making the light brown reflections of light even more prominent. “I thought… I just thought it was time to end it…” His sentences drag out oddly, as if he has more to say.

You nod, deciding that maybe that was a good enough reason for you. You light up with another question soon after, tapping the table absentmindedly as you continue your interrogation. “What made you want to make amends?”

His heart aches because he doesn’t know. It wasn’t like he had just started missing you out of nowhere, right? He didn’t even realize he was being a jerk until you pointed it out. His eyes trail over to the other team, and he sees Chan, which makes him feel sick. Maybe Chan wasn’t the entire reason he wanted to get you back, but he was certainly part of it. If you started liking, maybe even dating him, Felix couldn’t pretend like he was okay without you. He’d have to let you go completely.

But hadn’t he already done that?

Felix’s mind darts back to the first day, when he’d been reteaching you his mixing technique—how he’d held you and how close you two had been, how it made him feel. It was just like when you two would bake together as a couple.

No, he’d been holding onto you by a thread this entire time.

He needed to win you back before you were done with him for good—if you weren’t already. He needed to fix all his mistakes and, maybe, he’d get the chance to love you again.

He tries not to smile at the resolution, and it becomes easier after a second when he remembers you still thought he hated you, and you hated him. He had dug himself a six-foot deep hole, and now he had to climb out of it. Fantastic.

He notices your confused staring, which baffles him for a moment. Oh, right, you asked him a question. “I… I just realized how much of a jerk I’ve been, and I felt bad…” He lies through his teeth, scratching his neck nervously as he hopes you’ll believe him. “Again, I’m so sorry about all that.”

“Yeah… okay,” you mutter the last word, looking down as if you were thinking. Was he being genuine? Or was this so that you wouldn’t bail on him for the competition? If that was the case, he could stop, because you loved baking too much to throw in the towel this early in your life.

He frowns. You didn’t believe him, did you?

Your conversation is put on hold when Chan steps on stage, holding a small card in his hands to read off of. “I just want to say, you’ve both impressed me with your outstanding baking. But, we can’t choose a winner based on the one round, so we’ll be starting round two in fifteen minutes. To give you time to prepare, we’ve decided to tell you the next challenge.”

“The next round will be… different,” Yeji starts, a slight difference in her voice when she utters the last word. “You will be tied to your partner with one hand and will have to bake a summer theme pastry of your choice. Exciting, right?”

Hyunjin nods beside her. “You will be able to choose what side you’re tied on, but you will have to be tied at the wrists, no higher. Anyone caught slipping out of the binds will be disqualified immediately.”

You all nod, and you turn to Felix, less than excited to be attached at the wrists with him. “So, what side do you want?”

He almost does a double-take at your tone, upset at how it had gone from the slightly personal and almost casual timbre to the harsh and distant one you used now. He deserved it, he supposed, but it was still disappointing. “I want to be on your right, I’m awful with my left hand,” he chuckles, trying to lighten the mood.

You nod, “I know,” and the words make his heart flutter. At least you still remembered some little things about him, he muses. “So, I was thinking of making a strawberry tart, with toffee strawberries.”

Felix’s eyes launch to yours in recollection, “Like the one you made for our anniversary?” He says before he can stop himself, the words spilling from his lips naturally. He feels his stomach twist when your face drops, and curses himself for blurting that out. Why was he so awkward now? This wasn’t what he meant when he wanted to be a teenager again.

“Yeah, one of those. I think Mina attempted one with you last week, right?” you furrow your brows, irritated. You were contemplating forgiving him, and he just had to hit a sensitive spot, didn’t he?

You note how his face contorts into something you can’t quite put your finger on. Felix still baffled you, as he had for the past several months. This competition has only confused you further. What baffled you more was the prospect that perhaps, he had wanted you back, and maybe you wanted him too.

No, Felix can’t happen again, you reason with yourself, biting your cheek. As much as your heart yearned for him, it could never beat with him again. He’d hurt you too much, and even if you did decide to forgive him, you could never fall back into his hold. The risk of getting hurt again was too high. Never again…

Fifteen minutes fly by before you know it. Chan stands at the head of the park grounds again, broad-shouldered and beautiful, and you won’t lie, you may have stared a little longer than you should’ve. “The round starts now! Someone from your team will come to tie your hands together with a silk rope—so no excuses to get out of it.”

Minho comes over, smiling mischievously, “Ah, the lovebirds tied together by the red string of faith once more,” he jokes, waving the red silk rope before tying your wrists together. You shoot him a half-hearted glare and he brings his hands up in surrender. “I'm kidding, I'm kidding.”

And from then on it's just the two of you again.

The past three days had their fair shares of strange encounters with Felix, but today was taking the cake. Within the first five minutes, you and Felix had accidentally gotten into the famous “kabedon” pose, him gently hovering over you with his hands on either side of your face because you'd pulled him too hard towards the flour shelf. Now, five minutes later, you were half leaning on Felix, chin just above his forearm, as he cut the strawberries into slightly thick slices.

It wasn't a very compromising or affectionate position, but it had been a while since you were practically hanging off of Felix like that. You thought it was a good idea, so he'd have more room to move his arm, but after feeling the effects of being in such proximity with Felix, you decided it was a dumb thought in general. Damn him for being so beautiful up close.

Soon enough, he starts the next step, and you begin your own work, which proves much more difficult than you originally anticipated. The both of you are tugging in different directions, yanking each other away from their task as you both try to complete your own.

You decide to pull a little harder than either of you had before, pulling his wrist to your side of the table, happy with the result. Felix's face hardens, and no matter how many adorable freckles he has, he still manages to look threatening. Not that you can tell, though, because you're too busy working with flour to receive that dandy texture you're going for.

You’re so preoccupied, you don't notice that he's about to tug his arm and yours back to his side until he's done it. The movement startles you and causes you to drop your ball of dough into a bowl of sugar, and you glare at him. He shrugs and continues molding his own, hiding his playful smirk.

You remove the sugar–which wasn’t too hard since the dough was relatively dry and not sticky—and continue kneading your ball into the shape you want, then just as you finish, you bump your hip into him. He drops his, and you shrug, trying to suppress your giggles. “Hey, I’m just getting you back since you dropped mine.”

He pokes his cheek with his tongue, unable to help his smile as his eyes turn to crescents happily. He hasn’t seen you genuinely smile at him in what feels like years, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss it, or that it didn’t make his heart palpitate three times faster. “Fair enough,” he watches you for an extra second, taking in the moment. His ball is finally in the shape of a disk too now, and you help each other wrap them in saran wrap and plop them into the fridge.

You start on the filling, and Felix takes to sitting beside you, doing absolutely nothing, so you can pretend your wrists aren’t currently conjoined. He decides now is a good time to observe you, leaning on his free hand to watch your features adoringly. If anyone were to look at you two, they’d probably think you two were the sweetest couple ever–except you’re not a couple anymore, and nobody was watching you two for anything other than keeping an eye out for cheaters.

Felix gazes at you so lovingly, he can’t even believe there was a time when he looked at you with spite—even if it was only a few days ago. He starts softly, nervously, “You look good, y’know… I’m sorry I wasn’t a good boyfriend towards the end of it. You were amazing to me, and I just… wasn’t.”

You try to stay focused, only nodding at him and quickly muttering something along the lines of, “The past is the past,” trying to convince both yourself and him of the line. You two happened, and now it was over—that was just the way it was. Now, you just needed to get to a place where you didn’t wish it wasn’t over.

“Yeah…” but what if I don’t want it to be? The words linger on his tongue, but he doesn’t say them. No, what does come out of his mouth is, “but I feel bad. I shouldn’t have treated you like that, or been a complete a-hole after breaking your heart, it wasn’t fair to you.”

You sigh, dropping your whisk and staring straight into his sparkly, rich brown eyes–a mistake on your part. With a deep breath, you say, “Felix, it happened, and I’m over it. Let’s just be friends, and forget about it, yeah?” Not that you’d be forgetting any of it, really—you just didn’t want to keep talking about this with him. “Please stop bringing it up, so we can move on from it.”

He nods hesitantly, frowning a bit. He wanted you to forgive him, and to forgive him, you needed closure, right?

You start to boil the custard filling and forget Felix’s hand is stuck to yours, despite the weight, and fail to warn him when you turn on the flame. Luckily, Felix’s skin is semi-sensitive, and he jumps away from the heat before it can do any real damage–besides the ghostly-burning feeling that hangs around his knuckles.

Unluckily for you—Felix could argue this was pretty good luck for himself—he accidentally yanks you back to, your weight tumbling back into a bag of flour and towards the ground. Just before you can fall to the floor, your body freezes midair, and you dare to peek out of your screwed shut eyes.

Felix hovers over you, lips just above yours and eyes boring into your [E/C] ones, and you’re breathless. He glances from your eyes to your lips, and thinks about what it would be like to kiss them again, to kiss you again. He searches your features for something—you don’t know what, but you know his face when he’s looking for something—and blinks, breaking the long, far too romantic stare for ex-lovers. “Are you okay?” His voice is low, and despite the words, he doesn’t sound extra worried. He sounds like he’s got a heavy heart, or he’s contemplating something.

His gaze makes you feel a way you never thought you’d feel because of Felix ever again, and you find yourself breathless. “… I-I’m fine,” you barely get out, your eyes still stuck on his, and you hate that you have the urge to kiss him. To be held by him, loved by him, to be his again. You almost want to curse with how hard your heart is beating.

You stay like that until you accidentally inhale some flour and burst into a coughing fit. Felix stands you up, wiping the flour you accidentally dropped on him off his face. His heart beats hard and fast, and he’s sure that if you quieted down enough, you’d hear how it thumped in his chest, for you.

Neither of you realize you’ve locked hands until you finally regain your composure, going back to boil the custard when you make sure he’s not close to the flame or the pot. It’s quiet until the mixture is finally ready five minutes later, and you ask Felix to whip some egg yolk for you as you carefully spoon one cup of the filling into the yolk-filled bowl with one hand, mixing them thoroughly before moving them to a saucepan.

It simmers for a bit while Felix whisks it constantly to thicken it up a bit more. Then, like the true baker he is, he wipes a bit off the whisk and tries it, marveling at the flavor. “Damn, this is pretty good!” He grins at you, gesturing for you to try the mixture as well.

You nod, picking up a bit from the whisk and trying it, humming proudly in response. He smiles at you, and adds the butter and vanilla, and stir until the butter melts entirely. He pours it into a perfectly sized bowl, covers it in plastic wrap—to stop a skin from forming—and places it in the refrigerator.

“And now we wait,” you sigh, leaning against the sink with Felix at your side.

He takes his chance to admire you once again, “You have flour all over you,” he laughs. Wetting a rag, he brings it to your face, wiping your cheeks and forehead, before quickly running it down your face. He bursts out into chuckles at your faux angry pout, “There you go, all clean!”

“You’re a menace, Lee Felix,” you mutter, wiping your face off gently and throwing the towel onto his face. He catches it, laughing heartily, and throws it beside him, enjoying this moment with you.

You catch yourself grinning, your heart racing in the most enjoyable way possible until you will it to calm down. Felix didn’t feel that way anyway, and you couldn’t break your resolve. Still, you can’t help but enjoy the feeling of being at peace with Felix, smiling and laughing.

“So… I was wondering–” A loud ding interrupts him, which he decides is for the better, considering the idiotic question he almost asks. Do you think we could get coffee together, sometime? Yeah. That hadn't been a good idea.

You two pull out the cake trays, allowing them to cool in the cooling rack for a few minutes before placing them on your table. With a smile, you roll off the cling wrap and hand Felix the custard. “Time for the fun part. Here, take this and spread it over the crusts, while I cut some fresh strawberries.”

“I cut some earlier, though, why are you cutting more?” He quirks his brow, wondering if you had just forgotten.

You give him a look, one that’s almost mischievous, and he knows you have some sort of baker-trick up your sleeve. “You did, and by the time the judges get to them, they’ll be super sweet. But, we want to blow their minds, so I’m also going to have some fresh ones mixed in. It’ll give it variety in both taste and texture!” You cheer, slicing through the strawberries.

Felix smiles, his eyes unable to look away from your grinning lips and determined eyes as he glosses the crusts with the filling. It had been so long—too long—since he’d been able to bake with you peacefully. How could he ever think to break up with you?

You both carefully line the strawberries up in a spiral motion on each tart, being sure to mix between the room temperature and fresh berries throughout the process. Then, you pull out a small jar, filled with an almost clear yet foggy liquid with a slight brown tint.

At first, your ex-boyfriend is beyond confused, and not just because it looked like piss. Then, a lightbulb goes off in his head and he understands the mystery liquid. Sugar-water syrup, made of both ordinary white sugar and brown sugar that had been mixed with water to form a syrup of the sort. “You baking genius,” he remarks, wide-eyed. He never would’ve thought of that.

You drizzle it artistically over your tart, then hand it to Felix. “I really am, huh?” you laugh, sprinkling the tiniest bit of salt to counter the natural bitterness in the crust while amplifying the best flavors. Then, like the professional you are, you dip your finger into the now useless bowl of custard, humming in delight as you sprinkle crushed pistachios over the delicacy. “And we’re done!”

You call over Hyunjin, urging him to try your tart, and he groans at the flavor. “You are quite possibly the most wife-material person I’ve ever met. I might have to slide you my number after this,” he jokes lightheartedly, and you laugh because no part of your little friendship was romantic at all.

“With that face and that attitude, I might have to slip you mine,” you laugh back, and he gives you an eye smile before happily trying Felix’s. Then Chan comes along, dimples and all, as he beams at you. “If it isn’t my favorite judge.”

Hyunjin throws an offended “Hey!” over his shoulder, which makes Chan shake softly in laughter. “And my favorite baker. Tell me, what do we have here?”

“Strawberry tarts, perfect for summer because of its cool temperature, and sweet flavor. Plus, I gave it a bit of a kick,” you boast your baking, proud of the response you’ve given and the one you received from Hyunjin earlier. “Tell me how you like it.”

Chan takes a large slice and bites nearly half of the slice off in one go. “Wow, this somehow tastes exactly like summer. Chan wants more.”

You cut another slice, and giggle at him, “So Chan speaks in the third person when he’s hungry, hm? Cute.”

He nods, taking another monstrous bite as he hops over to Felix, taking note of the slight glare the younger boy gives him. Yeji comes to your stand next, loving your food as she whispers that she’ll definitely vote for your victory. Oh, you have this competition in the bag.

Your competitors finish quickly after with a blueberry pie, which you’re sure is less than refreshing for a summer recipe.

Yeji gets up on stage, reading from a card as she gives that bright, show-biz beam. “Both teams have impressed us greatly, and it’s going to be a tough decision. Thankfully, we have one more round to decide the two bakery’s fates.”

“Like one of the first rounds, you will be making a signature dish,” Hyunjin stands beside her, tall and confident, “but, you will be recreating the signature dish your opponent made that round instead of picking your own.”

Chan is the last to step up. “Since you will be recreating these dishes, we are giving you the same amount of time the original bakers had in the first round. In other words, you have an hour and a half. Your teammates will bring you a card with the dish, plus the standard recipe, in a few minutes. When the buzzer goes off, the round begins.”

A few minutes was an overstatement, because Jisung and Jeongin rush over to you in what feels like seconds, shoving the recipe cards into your hands and running off. You glance at them, a carrot cake and a tuxedo cream dessert. Simple enough, you hope.

The buzzer rings loudly, and the final round begins.

“Okay, you take the tuxedo thing, and I’ll handle the carrot cake. Got it?” Felix orders, already pulling you towards the ingredients, sounding both stern and pumped. You don’t mean to, but your mind thinks about how attractive Felix is, covered in flour and all concentrated–probably because this was how you usually saw him while you were dating, and it was just messing with your heart again. He waves his hand in front of your eyes, waking you up to confirm the plan. “Are you cool with that plan?”

“Uh—yeah, totally!” You reply stiffly, rushing to hastily grab the ingredients, and you don’t notice how nobody dares to get too close to you. Felix was a great bodyguard, it seems.

You rush back to the table, your mini hand-held cart stocked with your ingredients, Felix trailing not far behind. You both unpack the carts and don’t dare to waste your baking time—mostly because you’re not too great at carrot cakes, and Felix had barely even heard of a tuxedo cream dessert.

Before you know it (aka fifteen minutes later), you've finished the cake part, and you slide the pan into the oven to bake for the next 40 minutes. As you start on the icing, you mix cream, butter, and cream cheese into a blender, then drop in the perfect amount of powdered sugar and blend it.

It would be delicious, sure, but would it win you the competition? After all, you were just making a simple carrot cake at this point–nothing special to guarantee that top spot. Naturally, you turn to the nearest person for their opinion, except that person is usually Minho or Changbin, and right now it’s Felix.

You tap him nervously, and blurt your question before you have the chance to back out of it, “How do you think I can make the cake special? I don’t want to be the reason we lose,” flushing red when you finish because you’ve become so vulnerable you actually care for Felix’s opinion.

He taps his cheek, then smiles. “I ate at their bakery once, and I remember they had some brown sugar in everything. So try that,” he thinks for a moment more, before raising his finger, “Drained pineapple and cinnamon are part of some recipes too!”

You bow slightly in gratitude, thanking him and moving to turn around when his hand comes to your hair. “Besides, there’s no way we’d ever lose because of you. You’re the best baker around, right?”

You flush, because Felix hasn’t complimented you like that since you started dating, and the sparkle in his eye makes your heart stop most amazingly. You nod, saying something like, “Duh!” in response, before you focus on your project.

Felix has never made a tuxedo cream dessert, and right now he wishes he were at home in his bed, clean and in fresh pajamas instead of sweating flour in a sticky apron. Still, even with his discomfort, being with you in a happy environment is enough to keep him persevering–he wanted first prize too, of course.

His boring wait is finally over after twenty minutes of allowing his gelatin creation to refrigerate. In a small saucepan, he brings one cup of cream and sugar to a simmer in the gelatin mixture, stirring it to help it dissolve nicely. When it does, he adds vanilla and some cream he prepared earlier in the round, mixing them beautifully before spooning in a chocolate layer.

Then it’s back to the refrigerator for the majority of the round as he works on blending purée strawberries with sugar and brown sugar, using the tip he gave you to spice up his work a bit. He’ll also be adding whip cream later, so he’s confident in your team.

With the spare time, he thinks about how he wants to change your current relationship. It was cool that you two were friends again, but he’s rapidly learning that he doesn’t want to be just friends with you again. He had already gone down this road back in his shy days of avoiding asking you out, and he wasn’t getting stuck in the friendzone because of his cowardice.

But, is he ready to move forward with you again?

And more importantly, are you?

What if you didn’t really love him anymore, and you just said that to Chan because of the moment? What if you just rejected him for the jerk he’d been? What if–

He stops his thoughts, because this was exactly how he used to coax himself out of confessing. He’d give all the (bad) outcomes, and decide he had no chance, and your love was once again postponed. If he asked for another chance, and you said no, he didn’t have much to lose other than his pride and dignity—though, after his behavior, he didn’t have much of either left.

It’s almost jarring how quickly the last round seems to go by because you recall the first had felt at least a good thirty minutes longer, but a perfect hour and a half after the first blaring, the buzzer goes off once more.

You and Felix manage to finish just in time, but you two aren’t nervous because Hole in One Doughnuts seems to have barely finished your three recipes.

They judge the rookies first, building up your anticipation and nerves when you see the team smile. Then, the judges come your way, asking about the recipe, and how you both managed to get such a killer flavor when cooking the other team’s dishes and adding your own flair.

Chan leans towards your face, rubbing your cheek. “Seriously, I think I’ll have to marry you if it means I get to eat this good,” he flirts, then backs off, hands raised in surrender at Felix’s glare. “Don’t worry, Sprinkles, I’m not trying to steal your partner.”

You snicker at the nickname to hide your flusteredness, but you can’t help but feel a sense of pride wash over you at the thought of Felix still caring for you as you did him. It didn’t matter if he did—obviously… right? You were just… curious. Note the uncertainty in your inner statements. Please.

“As we announced earlier, we will be giving the final verdicts tomorrow. For now, please feel free to pack up and head home for the day! Thank you all for coming, and remember, you may interact with the bakers, but you are not allowed to crowd them, or you’ll be escorted off the premises. Have a great day,” Chan states sternly, before switching to English and using his thick Australian accent to translate for himself.

He hops off the stage not long after, heading to you with his buff arms and charming smiles. You grin too, cleaning hurriedly. “Hey Chan, how’s the best judge ever doing?” You say, using a tone that lets him know what you’re getting at.

“It almost hurts that you’re buttering me up, just to win,” he chuckles, lifting one of the heavy boxes as you two fall into conversation as if Felix isn’t even there. This must’ve been what it was like to be stuck in a room with him and Mina. “Anyway, we don’t know yet either. We have to discuss it, so you’ll just have to wait like everyone else.”

You pout at him, handing him another heavy box to put in the truck. “Eh, it was worth a shot.”

Before you can put another box into Chan’s beautifully toned arms, Felix appears in front of you, taking the heavy container and putting it into the truck with faux ease. He wanted to appear as if he could do what Chan could effortlessly, even if it took a lot of effort in reality. “I’m sure we’ll win, [Y/N].”

You shudder at how rich and smooth his voice is, and you’re reminded of how it was so easy to fall in love with. Recovering quickly, you nod, stuffing another box closed and placing it in Felix’s arms—he practically lifted it off the table—and smiles. “Yeah, I mean, the bakery had a great run this year.”

The younger boy tries to hide his disappointment—he meant that you two would win because you were a great pair, not because the bakery just had talented bakers—and thankfully, he succeeds. With a nod, his eyes become sideways moons. “Yep, so it doesn’t matter how much you bribe Mr. Bang over here.”

Chan rolls his eyes and gives you a look that says, “Is he serious right now?” as you two watch Felix use all his mighty strength to just barely get the last box into the truck. You nod, barely concealing your giggles when he turns around. Chan stares at you for a moment, before he finally decides, “Hey, can I talk to you privately for a moment?”

You nod, opening your mouth to say yes, when Felix suddenly revs the truck, “Hey, we really have to get going.”

You sigh, hugging Chan and giving him an apologetic smile as to say, “Next time”, though he knows that was his shot and he failed to shoot it. “See you tomorrow, Chan!” you throw over your shoulder as you jog to the passenger side, climbing in.

Felix sits there awkwardly, chewing his cheek as he contemplates his words. With a deep, scared breath, he starts, “He was going to ask you out.”

You stare at him, “No he wasn’t, Chan and I are just friends,” you argue, eyebrows furrowed. Chan wasn’t into you that way, right? Besides, why was Felix so concerned?

Felix nods his head, “He was. I know when a guy’s going to ask a girl out. It was obvious with how he looked at you,” like I used to, he finishes his sentence in his head, sighing audibly. “He likes you.”

You shake your head. “No, he doesn’t.”

Felix shrugs, then turns to meet your eyes. “If he did ask you out, would you have said yes?”

The mood you two had going on earlier, light and fluffy–like a cloud–had disappeared, instead replaced with this fog of seriousness that made both of you feel unsettled.

You search Felix’s face, as he does yours, and you wonder how you forgot how his freckles looked like stars on his cheeks with imaginary constellations. Looking from one of his eyes to the other, you shake your head. “No.”

Felix can’t help the smile that ghosts over his face, and his eyes are so much brighter and filled with that emotion you hadn’t felt from him in so long.

“Why?” Now it’s your turn to ask the questions, except the air around you isn’t as suffocating anymore. “Why don’t you want me to go out with Chan?”

He holds in his breath, eyes slowly dropping from yours to your nose, chin, then his lap–his head falling a bit as well. He obviously knows why, it’s so blatant that he’s almost completely sure you know why too, the innocent and curious look in your optics the only thing telling him otherwise. “Because I-I…” He doesn’t get the words out and changes his answer. Maybe he wasn’t as ready as he thought. “I just don’t think he’s a good fit for you.”

You scoff. “You don’t get to have an opinion on that, Felix,” you remind him. What was up with him thinking he had any sort of authority over your relationship?

He starts the car, turning up the radio to a low pop song. He wants to ease the mood, make you laugh, or smile. He wants to say he still loves you. So he cracks a joke, “What does the baking soda say when he gets sad?” He waits for your confused shrug. “I'm sodapressed.”

You can’t help the snort you let out from suppressing your laughter. Felix feels thankful for the cheesy joke website he stumbled across a few days ago, because it allowed him to make you glow. “Jeez, that was so corny.”

“I’m just trying my best to make you loaf,” he says so smoothly that you don’t realize he’s made yet another pun until you think about his words, covering your mouth to hide your giggling fit. You weren’t one for cheesy jokes, but they were funny sometimes. “Hey, don’t cover your mouth, you’re pretty when you smile.”

He doesn’t realize what he said, focused too much on driving, but you do. It’s not the first time he’d told you those words, and you get the same fluttery feeling in your heart.

“Hey, don’t cover your mouth, you’re pretty when you smile.” He moved your palm down from your face. You were in your senior year of high school, and he had yet to ask you out.

You had flushed, giggling girlishly at his action. You had gotten used to covering your mouth because you were self-conscious about your smile, but Felix made that all melt away.

“There’s that beautiful smile!”

He asked you out later that day.

You had arrived at the bakery earlier than usual, taking the orders of the regulars. It had been a while since you’d worked an early shift–you weren’t even completely sure you were allowed to, but you’d missed it.

Minho arrives a quarter of an hour after you, pleased to see you, you assume from how he grins at you. “Nice to see you here early. Unless you’re working extra because of that polka-dotted ex of yours.” You can tell he’s still joking, so you laugh.

“Nope, I’m here of my own free will!” You grin, before thinking, “Actually, I don’t think he’s here yet.”

Minho nods as if that explains the bakery’s peace.

Not long after, Felix arrives, confused at the sight of you in your apron. You immediately freeze—forgetting about your mended relationship, your fight, or flight response activating because of the environment. It's almost as if you thought he'd just snap the moment he was in the bakery with you—but then again, that was the only way you'd seen him at the bakery for months now.

Felix notices your stiff behavior and drooping head, trying to make your hair cover your face as you continue working. So he does the most logical thing in his opinion—walking up to you to say hi.

“Hey [Y/N], good morning!” He smiles, hand on your head, gently petting your hair. He senses your uncertainty, and frowns, “I'm not mad, and you're not in trouble… I'm not like that anymore.” Read: I'm not a jerk who tries to deny his love for you anymore.

Your shoulders relax a bit, and you girl your head up to meet his eyes, your nerves disappearing when he smiles genuinely at you. “Yeah… right,” you chuckle, letting out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

Usually, Felix would just head to his office, work on some paperwork or bake in the back, but today he decides to mix it up. Today, he decides to change into his apron, and join you at the front, placing out cupcakes and muffins in the displays. He stays beside you, helping you take orders and giving you those shy, blushing smiles you hadn’t seen since before he asked you out.

Calm down, heart!

Of course, it doesn’t listen to you, continuing to palpitate double-time every time Felix looks at you.

You two keep that positive attitude, up until there are less than ten minutes before you all have to leave for the park, and Jeongin’s nowhere to be seen. Still, you know he’ll be there on time, so you don’t worry too much, at least not about that. Instead, you worry about after this competition. Would Felix go back to being a jerk once it was over? Would he hate you if you lost?

You’re stressing, hanging around, waiting for Jeongin to hurry up and arrive. Of course, you’re calmer than Felix, who’s yelling into his phone, enraged. His freckles are almost red with how furious he is.

“You have five minutes, or I swear, I don’t care how much our friendship means, I’m firing you!” He growls, and if it wasn’t so threatening and downright terrifying, it would be so damn attractive. “Don’t you dare disappoint me, Jeongin.”

He roughly clicks off the phone, slamming it down onto the truck hood. He runs his hand through his soft locks, tugging at them in hopes to relieve some stress—to no avail. When his eyes droop closed, only then do you realize how the circles under his eyes are darker than usual, and the color in his cheeks isn’t as golden as it usually is. Was he sick? Sleep-deprived?

You can’t help it when you shuffle over to him, “Hey, he’ll be here, don’t worry,” your soft, quiet voice trying to give him the reassurance you knew he needed.

He stares down at you in awe, and he hopes you can’t hear his heart pummeling in his chest. His eyebrows relax, their harsh arch disappearing under your gaze, and his scowl fades, instead replaced with wide eyes and barely parted lips. You’re so close to him, looking at him with those big, sparkly eyes of yours, and he thinks maybe Jeongin running late and getting pissed to the point his ears had turned red, might’ve been good luck in disguise.

He releases the breath he didn’t know he was holding, he nods, holding back his smile at the way you look concerned for him. How was he ever able to let you go? “Yeah, I know… Thanks.” He grins softly, flushing under your gaze.

You pat his shoulder gently, nodding. “Relax then,” you laugh, sensing his stiffness. He chuckles, and releases his tense shoulders, “There we go.”

He thinks, maybe now is a good time to pop the question. You’re both in good moods, and you seem to be giving him positive attention, those were good signs, right? He goes for it, taking a deep, shy breath before starting, “Hey, [Y/N]—” but starting is all he’s able to do, before he’s interrupted.

“I’m here! I’m on time!” The fox-like boy yells, out of breath and sweaty as he arrives. Ironically, the freckled baker thinks his timing is horrible, despite being there in two minutes out of the allotted five.

The shorter brunet nods disappointedly, “Fantastic. Everyone on board, we have less than twenty minutes to arrive on time. Otherwise, we lose by default.”

At that, everyone gets into their respective vehicles (trucks, cars, Han’s bike), and heads to the park. The ride is faster, Felix driving as fast as possible within legal limits, and you can’t help but think about how adorable he looks, concentrated seriously and dressed in a soft off-white apron with “Yellow Wood Cafékery” printed on it in yellow-brown vinyl. You’d never seen someone look both intimidating and sweet at the same time.

You two come to a red light, and Felix builds up his courage once more, pink cheeks and shaky voice in all, “So I was wonde—”

You slap his shoulder rapidly, “Hey, green light! Drive!” unaware of what he was about to ask you. Maybe that bit of luck he had earlier with you was the last of his supply. He sighs, stepping on the pedal and refocusing on the road, deciding his confession could wait.

It’s not more than five minutes when you two arrive, the others trailing behind you. There’s no time to waste as you rush up to the crickety, old stage, standing side by side with Felix, Han, Changbin, Jeongin, and Minho, the other bakery across from you. This was it, you’d finally know who won this year’s competition.

Hands interlocked, you all stand side-by-side, and you try not to think about how Felix’s fingers are almost interlocked with yours. Instead, you focus your attention on Chan and his beautiful bare face that you’re seeing for the first time. How could someone look so stunning without makeup on?

Chan feels your gaze and turns back to wink at you—a gesture that you’re accustomed to by now with how often he does it—-and smiles. He waits for you to give him one back, and once you do, he faces the front of the stage once more, taking his microphone simultaneously as the other two judges.

“Welcome back Bakers and our esteemed audience! Our annual competition has finally come to the end of this year’s season. We started with five bakeries, and cut it down to our two finalists. Give it up for Hole in One Doughnuts—this year’s extra-talented rookies—and Yellow Wood—our always surprising returning competitors,” Yeji announces animatedly, her smile radiating off the stage so brightly the front row can barely see.

Chan lifts his mic to his lips next, “After hours of comparison, contemplation, and decision-making, we’ve finally come to an agreement. But,” he pauses, “Before we get to that, we’d like to give a few observations we made throughout this past week.”

He turns to the other team first, greeting them quickly before starting his evaluation, “I don’t think any of us were expecting rookies in the top two, but you all surprised us. We’re glad to see how far you’ve come, and wish you the best of luck after this competition, with the hopes that we helped get your names out there a little more.”

They all nod, and you honestly hope they win for a few seconds. Then they all bow to Chan, thanking him for his kind words, and it’s Yellow Wood’s turn.

You feel a slight pressure on your hand, and you realize Felix is trying to reassure you, and that you had started to fidget with his fingers subconsciously out of nervousness. You squeeze him back, signaling something between “I’m fine” and “thank you”.

Chan steps in front of you, giving you his perfect eye smile that makes you wish you could fall in love with him. Unfortunately, he’s just too good to be true, and your heart seems to know that, as you don’t feel anything more than a slight crush for him. “Yellow Wood Cafékery has always been regarded as unique for its food and concepts, and it’s proved itself worthy of the good words once again. We hope we get to see you for a long time, inside and out of the competition.”

You all bow in thanks, and watch as Yeji passes Hyunjin the “Letter of Truth”. He opens it gracefully, staring happily at the words, “We are happy to announce that Yellow Wood has won once again, and will be receiving this year’s check of twenty-thousand dollars, as well as complimentary kitchenware, and an article about their win in the newspaper. As our second-place winners, Hole in One Doughnuts…”

You don’t hear the rest over the cheering crowd and your overjoyed teammates as you all jump around, hugging each other in glee. Say goodbye to the creaky bathroom floorboards and hello to the check bonus you always get after a win. You’re so caught up in the moment that it's only after he spins you around twice and hugs you to his chest that you realize Felix has separated from your group slightly.

His chest heaves from the exertion of spinning you in the air, and he’s too happy to care. “We won! If it weren’t for you, we couldn’t have done this. I’m so happy I could kiss you!” He beams, unable to hold in his pure feelings of love and happiness.

You freeze up in his arms, suddenly noticing how close you two truly are and how Felix seems to be leaning in. Closer and closer…

… Until he’s stopped for what feels like the millionth time today by your coworkers, who run to tackle you two in a tight bear-hug.

You can’t get how his lips were practically centimeters from each other out of your head, though. You had promised yourself that you wouldn’t go back down this road with Felix, but you wanted to, so, so badly. You wanted to push Han’s shoulders out of your way and pull those freckled cheeks to yours and just love Felix again.

But you don’t. You just watch him laugh and smile in accomplishment with expressions you know you’re making as well. You’d all worked so hard, and what better reward than it all paying off in the end?

Changbin whoops chaotically, barely catching his breath as he struggles to get his words out, “Do… D’you guys… wanna… eat out tonight…? I’m paying…!” all of you laughing at his lack of air in unison. Of course, none of you are about to turn down free food, especially because you all knew that Changbin was practically loaded.

——

Two hours later, you’ve all changed into more comfortable and presentable clothes. You all decide to carpool into two cars, Changbin with Minho and Jeongin, and Han driving you and Felix.

Felix feels his heart leap out his chest when he pulls up to your apartment complex, the familiar setting giving him butterflies. It gets even worse for him as you descend the stairs, jogging to the curb, dressed in your almost skinny jeans and a cropped t-shirt that fit you perfectly.

“Hi…” He flushes, breathless. You're not in anything fancy, but it had been so long since he'd seen you dressed casually with your hair and makeup done that he's completely enamored at the sight of you.

Jisung snickers in the back at Felix's pink cheeks, “Wow Felix, I haven't seen you look so flustered in a long time!” The boy's faux innocent tone eliciting a hearty giggle from you and a glare from Felix. “Hi [Y/N]!”

“Hey guys,” you smile, sliding into the passenger seat comfortably. You mentally thank Jeongin for giving it up, so you could sit in it. You may or may not check Felix out as well, wondering when he decided to get so toned that you could almost see his abs through his t-shirt.

Felix smiles as he notices you looking him up and down, deciding that if nothing else, you at least had some appreciation for his looks. “You ready to go?” and with a nod from you, Han revs the engine, taking off toward the restaurant,

Although everything is so different right now, he can’t help but remember your first date—before he had a car and his mom drove you both around. Your first date had been nothing extravagant; just a simple diner and worn-out jeans, but as two broke high school students, you thought it was the best. He remembers how you were too shy to hold his hand during the free screening of “Grease” at the park. If he could only turn back time…

Clearing the thoughts from his mind, he shakes his head. He can’t turn back time, so there’s no use in thinking like that. What he can do, however, is ask you for a second chance. He just hopes you’ll say yes.

You never really realized how loaded Changbin must be until you pull up to a Michelin-star rated restaurant and the men at the front are valet drivers. Why was he working at a bakery when he could afford this without breaking a sweat? “Wow, this place is… flashy. But, like, in all the right ways. I feel like I’m in a palace or something,” you gush, eyes sparkling at the intricately designed white walls and live classical orchestra.

Felix nods beside you, “Yeah, I think I’m underdressed,” he jokes, running a hand through his hair. A receptionist approaches you shortly, and he gives her the name of the hour, “Seo Changbin, party of six,” his voice smooth and deep, but you can hear the slight discomfort you associate with feeling almost out of place in this luxurious place. The lady nods, checking her list and guiding you all to an empty table by the windows, but not before sending Felix a more than friendly wink.

You shake your head at her not-so-subtle flirting, but seat yourself anyway. You were not going to get worked up over Felix, and you were not going to let the waitress’s flirting ruin your night.

The table has a gold chain chandelier you’re sure costs no less than four-thousand dollars on its own. The table itself is decorated from the legs up with intricate wood carvings and subtle marks of a metallic sheen, giving it a unique look of both metal and dark sepia wood. While the table-top is glazed in resin, an enhanced wooden pattern showing through the clear substance.

You look through one of the menus, gulping at the prices, before remembering that this won’t even dent Changbin’s wallet and ordering what your heart desires. You’d baked so much, it felt way too good for someone else to be cooking for you for a change. It’s only when you hear a familiar “Hey, [Y/N]!” that you tear your eyes from the pricey and absolutely gorgeous gourmet food.

“Chan? Hey! What’re you doing here?” Missing the way Felix’s expression drops at the other Australian’s arrival, you jump out of your seat. Of course, Chan just had to be here too, he thinks. You’re rather excited to see him, though, tugging him to sit with you.

The male chuckles and takes a seat beside you, waving at both Felix and Jeongin before answering, “The other judges and I always eat here after the competition. They’re just taking a while to get out of the car. Something about needing a better hair part or something,” and that makes you snort in utter amusement. “I didn’t expect to see you guys here, though. I mean, this place is super expensive.”

You nod, “We know. Luckily, we have a pretty rich friend treating us all to dinner tonight.”

Chan nods in understanding, about to leave when you stop him, “Do you guys want to join us? We have a few extra seats with your names on them.”

Please say no, please say no, please say no… The younger man’s thoughts yell. He had a foolproof plan, and now that Chan was here, he might as well toss it down the drain. Now Chan had the chance to ask you out, and Felix couldn’t stop him.

Despite his desperate pleas, the judge shrugs, and nods while muttering something along the lines of, “Sure, why not?”

Because I don’t want you flirting with the love of my life right beside me, Felix growls mentally. He backtracks for a second and scowls at the slightly shorter Australian when he realizes just how much he still loved you. If only he had better timing and had never left you, you’d be kissing him lovingly or holding his hand right in front of Chan’s annoyingly handsome face.

Regardless of his mental begging, Chan stays seated beside you, falling into conversation with you so easily that Felix is almost jealous. But, he wants to show you only his positive sides and tries to ignore it, playing a game on his phone instead to distract him. He doesn’t even notice Changbin’s arrival until they’re sitting in front of him and ordering. “Oh, I didn’t see you guys come in. Are you sure this is where we want to eat?”

They nod, your less than rich friends sending him silent death stares—they didn’t want to miss out on the chance to eat food they were otherwise unable to afford. “Yeah, I’m sure. Why? Do you not like it here?”

It’s only when Felix realizes that Yeji and Hyunjin are there too that he knows he’s not getting out of this situation—the situation being you stuck in a conversation with Chan that would likely last the entire night. He sighs, “No, this place looks great. I was just making sure.”

A Michelin-star restaurant was quite the experience, to say the least. Your drinks were constantly filled, and your plates were made to perfection in both taste and presentation. You were almost positive they had robot chefs at this point. “Wow, this is amazing!” You cheer, mouth stuffed full of naengmyeon, humming at the taste.

Felix beams at your happy expression, and for once, he doesn’t feel threatened or insecure around you, or anyone else for that matter. He doesn’t care that Chan stares at you the same way he does, or that you’re laughing with the others. All he feels is complete euphoria with just being around you—and he looks down at his lap, still grinning to himself.

And the dinner continues like that, light-hearted and friendly… until Hyunjin gets the bright idea to play truth or dare.

Now, you’d originally said no because who wants to play that childish game, right? Unfortunately, your entire table was curious about everyone’s darkest secrets and how far each other would go to complete a dumb dare. Who knew all your friends were fifth graders?

“… I dare Changbin to throw this dinner roll into that woman’s purse,” Jeongin snickers, pointing to a random, unsuspecting old woman’s fancy purse.

Changbin shrugs his shoulders, picking up a roll, aiming, and tossing it into her bag perfectly. With a proud smirk, he turns to you, “[Y/N], truth or dare?”

You freeze up, not only surprised he chose you, but startled because you were hoping to stay out of the game for longer than three rounds. preferring not to get kicked out of the restaurant, you settle with truth. “Truth.”

His eyes dart to Minho’s for a split second, but you catch it and quirk your brow, about to interrogate him when he stops you. “Are you in love with anyone?” The table erupts in a chorus of oohs, and you flush. So that’s why he looked at Minho—that punk. You shake your head no, but nobody believes your low-effort lie. “Ah ah ah, you chose truth, don’t lie to us.”

You glare at the second eldests, and sigh, nodding, “I am.”

Jisung pipes up, and you’re almost sure that your coworkers were born solely to be the banes of your existence, “With who?”

Your eyes instinctively glance at Felix, and you curse them for that when you hear Han and Changbin make sounds of realization, while the rest of your table stares at you expectantly. You shift uncomfortably, stammering, not ready to reveal your feelings, “Uh… um…”

“C’mon [Y/N], it’s not like we’ll make fun of you,” Minho pushes, his sly smirk making you wish you were anywhere else because you just know he knows. “Is it—”

“You already asked her a question,” Felix blurts, but his deep voice masks the awkward tone it carries. He clears his throat, “Changbin already asked her a question, she answered. It’s her turn to ask now.”

You secretly thank him, because you didn’t know what you would do had Minho finished. You could practically hear him taunting you with Felix’s name. Even if now was a good time to get revenge on one of your annoying, pain-in-the-behind friends, you’re tired of their childish antics and you’d be damned if you weren’t beginning to miss your bed. “Actually guys, I think I’m gonna head out. I’ll see you all at the baker tomorrow.”

They all frown, hugging you goodbye—save for Chan, Felix, Hyunjin, and Jeongin—and wishing you a safe trip. Felix can’t help but think it’s his fault you're leaving as his eyes trail after your figure. He doesn’t even notice Han’s curious voice talking to him until they wave a hand in front of his face, “Truth or dare?”

He barely mumbles truth, his vision still trained on your slowly fading shadow around the corner, and doesn’t hear the question as he grabs his jacket, throws down a few bills, and heads out after you. He does, however, hear the table’s wolf whistles that make him flush.

He jogs after you, sighing in relief when he sees that you’re okay, and offers his jacket to you. You jump, startled, a hand on your chest and the other in a fist, ready to square up with whoever wanted to try you. “Felix! You scared the crap out of me!”

His resonant laugh fills the cool air around you, and he motions the jacket towards you once more. “Aren’t you cold? Your sleeves are pretty short,” he urges, unfolding the article and placing it gently over your shoulders.

You pick at your nails, nodding, hoping your cheeks aren’t as red as they are warm, “Thanks, but what are you doing out here? Why aren’t you in the restaurant?” confusion overtaking your tone as you stroll beside him. You almost forgot how tall Felix looked beside you.

He shrugs his shoulders, lacing his arms behind his head in a carefree way, unintentionally flexing his gorgeous arms you had yet the pleasure of staring at. “I wanted to walk you home,” he says honestly, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “It’s fine if I do, right?”

Arms crossing to hold his jacket tighter on your shoulders as you enjoy the warmth and shyly bask in his scent, you nod a bit too quickly. It was almost like you two were together again. You let out a gusty bit of air, loosening your hold a bit, your gentle smile waning at the recollection that you two aren’t close friends, lovers, or anything besides exes who came to a recent truce, and you remind yourself of your “No More Felix” resolution—meaning no more Felix romantically, of course.

You stare at the concrete under your shoes, kicking rocks as you walk atop it. “Hey Felix, what did you pick in there?”

“Hm?”

“I heard Han ask you truth or dare, what did you pick?” you clarify, biting the inside of your cheek as you peer up at him, scanning his face for something.

He thinks for a moment and snaps his fingers when he remembers his half-conscious response, “Truth. Why?”

“What did they ask you?”

“I don’t know,” he studies your expression, puzzled by your sudden interest in the game he recalled you saying was “immature and dramatic” once while you two were dating in college. “Do you want to ask me something?”

You nod. “Why did we break up? I know you answered this before but… that was a lie, right?” Is that genuine hope in your voice, in your eyes? What are you hoping for? He wonders if his answer will let him know.

He sighs, smacking his throat with his palm whilst clearing it. “I…” he trails off, eyes directed at the sky as his mind turns up empty because, in truth, he had no idea. He’d never thoroughly thought about why before, always giving half-baked answers and chalking it up to the most common reasons, but none of them were true.

Despite the bumps and difficulties, everything was still just as good as it was when you two started dating. So then, why had he done it?

He sucks in a breath, searching every inch of his brain until the rumors come back up. He never paid them too much attention because he knew they weren’t true, but something about them tugged at his chest in an extremely uncomfortable way.

Most of them had surrounded him and Mina, some bakers suggesting that he had either left you for her, or that he was going behind your back. And while they were untrue, they always made him question your relationship—or more accurately, question whether you were still confident in him. He always had the nagging feeling that you believed part of the rumors, that you had less trust in him than when they first arose, and one day he snapped when he heard a new one.

Someone had been whispering about you and one of the baristas being into each other, and that you were only holding back because you were loyal to Felix, and he couldn’t take it anymore.

No matter how hard he tried to forget, not to think about it and told himself it was just gossip, he couldn’t get any of it out of his mind. This… insecurity of his was deeply rooted in him from the start, and he concluded that ending your relationship would be better than being surrounded by tidbits and scandals.

You sigh loudly, kicking a stone into the storm drain beside you, “You don’t have to answer. I mean, you saved me from answering back there, so you have no obligations to.”

He pulls himself out of his thoughts, watching the ground with shiny eyes—the guilt and anxiety from his assessment bringing up bottled and buried emotions. He swallows deeply, “Let’s make a deal. If I answer your question, I get to ask you something. Deal?”

You stop walking, still in your spot a few steps ahead of where his feet were grounded firmly on the sidewalk, hands tucked in his pockets and eyes fixed on you. You nod slowly, your curiosity outweighing whatever he may ask, “Deal.”

“I broke up with you because of the rumors,” he starts, fingers pulling at the loose threads inside his jeans. “I thought that maybe you didn’t trust me anymore because of them—or that you wouldn’t eventually. And there was one about you and some guy, and I just broke. I knew none of them were true, but I thought that maybe it would be easier to end it all by ending us… Long story short, I was insecure about where we stood with each other.” He finally finishes, sounding almost mournful. He wipes his eyes, drying them before a tear has a chance to slip out, and breathes in a calming way.

You nod, knowing that it was no longer a mystery to you why your first love broke your heart. You take a small step towards him, rubbing your hands over your arms from the chilly breeze that gushes over you. “You know I never doubted you or us for a second, right? The rumors bugged me too, but I knew they were just lies someone made up.”

He nods, smiling bitter-sweetly because he’s both enthralled by the way you stare at him and humiliated to admit why he ruined the best thing he ever had. With a sniffle, he starts again, “I know, thanks.”

“So, what did you want to ask me?” you wonder out loud, restarting your relaxed trek to your not too far apartment.

He prepares himself and opens his mouth to ask when a car skirts by, honking loudly as to warn you that he may accidentally steer off the road—and considering his pace, you both jump back, Felix shielding your body beneath his without a second thought. When the engine’s loud roaring finally fades out, you two separate, chests thumping from exhilaration.

You hold your hands to your chest, right above your heart, and let out a loud breath, laughing, “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat your question?” adrenaline still pumping through your veins as you grin and huff, all but excited from your close encounter. Call yourself crazy, but hearing someone speed by you with their music blasting was one way to get your heart pumping.

Felix shakes his head, “I’ll ask you later. For now, let’s get away from this street,” chuckling and running down the street with you next to him, real smiles on both your faces.

You two throw short stories and odd memories with each other the entire way to your building, not even batting an eye as you trod up the stairwell to your apartment in the corner of the hall until you see the large, bold numbers above your door.

“So…” you sway back and forth on the balls of your feet, “I guess this is the end of our little walk, huh?”

Felix nods, his cheeks in pain from smiling so much in the fifteen minutes you two took to walk you home, “Yeah… I guess it is.”

“Well, I had a lot of fun hanging out with you. I’m really happy we’re on good terms with each other now,” you muse, unlocking your door and standing in the doorway. “Oh, we almost forgot. You still have your question.”

He gives you a soft look, and steps closer to you, hands retracting from their denim confines and twiddling each other’s thumbs as his lips part in an awkward laugh. “This is kind of a weird question… but do you think we’d work out if we gave it another shot?”

Your eyes widen more than Felix believed humanly possible, and he’s about to take back his question when you respond, “I don’t know… but I’d like to think we would,” cheeks rosy as you look into his dark, cocoa-colored irises. To heck with your “No More Felix” resolution. Your heart didn’t want to listen to you anyway.

He closes the gap between you two, looming over you like he had so many times while angry—except this time he’s nervous and giddy like a teenager. Licking his lips and releasing one more nervous giggle, he finally pushes out, “Would you go out on a date with me? I promise I won’t mess it up again, if you give me one more chance.” His eyes are big and begging.

You nod, and he hesitantly places his hands on your biceps, checking your face for any looks of disapproval. When he doesn’t find any, he leans in, finally taking your lips in his for the first kiss he’d had since you broke up.

It’s sweet, innocent even, yet slow and full of emotions—mostly positive ones that give Felix the confidence to wrap his arms around your back and hold you close, smiling into the kiss. Eventually, you two pull apart—courtesy of Felix’s uncontrollable giggles and grins.

Instinctively, your finger comes up to graze your bottom lip, and you pinch yourself to make sure this isn’t a dream you’d wake up from in the morning. The tiny sensation of pain tells you it’s real, and you silently squeal in happiness. Maybe you didn’t mind being hung up on Felix anymore.

His hands are still on yours, where they’d found warmth sometime within your kiss, and he gradually releases them, sighing in content. “Well, I’ll pick you up at five tomorrow… See you then!” he kisses your forehead one last time before he turns to leave, covering that spot that used to remind you of painful memories, ready to replace them with new ones.

You wave to him girlishly, the same feelings from your high school years of crushing on him taking over your personality as you nod cheerily, “Okay! Goodnight!” waiting for his jovial response of “Goodnight [Y/N]!” before shutting your door and sliding down the back like in all those rom-coms.

At the sound of your shut door, he allows himself to jump and punch the air in victory, his eyes squishing into sideways parentheses in bliss.

He’d have to thank Seungmin for knocking some sense into him.

Positive note | Navigation | Taglist

[wincore]

field day | jung sungchan

pairing: sungchan x fem!reader

synopsis: when you, as cheer captain, are best friends with the pride and joy of the soccer team, rumors are bound to fly around.

genre: high school au, soccer au, bff2l, fluff

words: 7.5k

warnings: language, jung “the risk i took was calculated but man am i bad at math” sungchan

request: sungchan + ball + “ everyone is looking at us. is that a good or a bad thing? ” (from the first option) ^__^

song recs: after school - weeekly / pleaser - wallows / some - bol4 / sweet talk - saint motel / love so sweet - cherry bullet

a/n: i tried recalling some hs memories for this and im hoping i wasnt the only one that went through the “shipped with a random dude” ordeal LOL. i haven’t written shorter fics in a while so i’m glad i got to. tq for requesting, lovepie <33

In high school, peer pressure tends to come in different forms. For you, it’s taken the shape of this.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” 

You look around your classmates, scanning each and every face chanting with glee like you’re a star player scoring the winning point. The tall figure shifts beside you, glancing at you like a blinking idiot. You’re not even on the losing team but it feels just as frustrating.

You glare at the boy beside you. The trouble is Jung Sungchan. The trouble has always been Jung Sungchan. 

“Come on!” Chenle calls with a teasing grin from the buzzing crowd. The little shit. It’s getting hotter with each minute you spend by the green soccer field and its dusty chalked lines, just at the tip of the bleachers. You didn’t even get enough time to breathe before you were surrounded, the soccer team pushing a stumbling Sungchan onto you. It’s too sunny for this today.

“The star soccer player gets a kiss from the lead cheerleader after a winning game! That’s the rule.” Chenle announces.

Sungchan looks at you and you turn to him, the both of you looking at each other like fish out of water. Even though you’ve clarified at least a hundred times that you’re just friends, your peers don’t seem to be satisfied. (“Famous last words,” they say.)

“No,” you say, firmly. 

“No,” Sungchan agrees, nodding his head wisely.

“Don’t copy me,” you say, smacking his chest, and a quiet ‘oof’ escapes his mouth.

The fact that you’ve been best friends since Sungchan offered you a light green crayon in elementary school just fuels the idea that you have to date. There’s this difference between elementary school kids teasing and high school kids teasing—it was so much easier back when boys were afraid of cooties from girls. It was innocent too. Now, it’s more of nudges and sly grins, teasing with unnecessary innuendo. (What else do you expect from teenagers experiencing puberty?) It doesn’t stop you from being best friends though. Sungchan still visits on Fridays to get on your mom’s nerves and help you with homework (or try to). You still have all the little trinkets he’s gifted you over the years and the lock to his phone is still your birthday. You’re best friends and strictly that. 

When you got into the same middle school though is when it started going downhill. Holding his hand was awkward, touching him in any way was awkward and god forbid you compliment him on something. The kids around you would run across the halls saying “(name) likes Sungchan!” or the other way around sometimes. Heathens, the lot of them. But at the very least, he wasn’t too fazed and you wonder how he could be that even-tempered. If it was just you feeling that way, then maybe you did like him more than he did you. 

You shake it off. 

Sungchan’s much more grown now and at least a foot taller since his awkward adolescent years; he looks handsomer too but you wouldn’t be caught dead saying it out loud. After all, it’s only going to spark another debate on the anonymous school forum. (“(name) finds Jung Sungchan attractive, they’re totally dating.” “I knew it. A boy and a girl can’t be friends, especially if they’re both good looking.”) If you’re being honest, you hate the rumours so much—it’s one of the reasons, apart from puberty, stopping you from being as close as before. However, you do understand that this is how the passage of time works. You’re not going to be spending all of your time with each other, yes, but you still regard him as important. Your life is too busy now, with exams and practice—and you’d think a busy bee would get some honey as reward.

Sungchan’s curls stick to his forehead, unruly after he wiped at them with a towel. The sunlight plays with his eyes when he looks at you intently and you shrug. The smell of sweat is starting to make you nauseous. You remember that you too need to take a shower.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” you mumble.

“Not today?” He asks.

You shake your head. “The girls have a plan.”

It’s not just the sweat. Or the crowds. You don’t like being here at all. There’s one more problem with this place.

You hate soccer. 

And by hate, you mean you despise it. Like you’ll throw up at the sight of it. What’s so riveting about a bunch of smelly, sweaty guys excited about chasing a patterned ball? You’ve tried to understand it but every time your dad explains the rules, you find yourself zoning out of whatever alien language he speaks. 

Sungchan has been the closest to getting you to understand the game and even then, you refused to learn. It’s not like you’re society’s definition of girly—but you’re not a tomboy either. The school has granted you the “ice queen with a warm interior” stereotype so you’ll just go with that. To be honest, you’re just a little more awkward at open affection than your friends. (And Sungchan has the “friendly beagle” stereotype which you’ll agree is partly true. He’s more of a retriever though, with that size.) It’s just funny how you can never seem to know who you are but other people see so clearly.

You hurry up to the locker rooms and hope for a better evening than this afternoon.

-

The sky burns blue and you wipe the sweat off your brow once you step out of the changing room. Cooling off from your shower has gone to waste. Adjusting your school skirt, you take your usual strides to the school gates. 

Ryujin seems to be showing Yuna a very flamboyant dance move while the latter hypes her up. Ryujin is in her gym uniform because she has no care for her reputation apparently, but she makes it work. Yuna’s about to show her own move when she notices you and waves at you vigorously enough to make you jog towards her and stop embarrassing herself in front of the after school crowd. But then again, she’s too cute for that.

“We got bored waiting for you,” Yuna explains, voice hoarse from her cold. Poor thing wasn’t let into performing because of it. “Do you wanna see our cool new move? Ryujin came up with it!”

Ryujin rolls her eyes. “You’re trying to advertise me to (name) so she can recruit me into cheerleading, aren’t you?”

You smile and cross your arms, facing Yuna who’s been caught mid-act. She smiles sheepishly and pats your shoulder like she just said a funny joke.

“Actually…” You begin and Ryujin holds up her arms in a cross.

“No. Never. I’m already part of the hip-hop dance club.”

“I was going to say that I’ll join you instead.”

Yuna gasps in betrayal, big eyes widening, and Ryujin grins before sticking her tongue out and potentially ruining her image with that expression. She doesn’t care, however.

“Anyway, I can’t wait to get to college and join a dance club.” Ryujin looks at the two of you excitedly. “I keep getting snaps from Yeji and feel so jealous.”

Yuna pouts. “Don’t be so happy about leaving me.”

“Aw, is the baby afraid of not getting any more sisterly doting?” Ryujin teases and you laugh at the disgruntled expression on Yuna’s face. 

“Don’t worry,” Ryujin continues with a sly grin. “Taehyun’s here to keep you company for another year.”

Yuna turns red in the face, a high pitched complaint emitting from her throat. “I told you to keep quiet about that!”

“Oh, what’s this?” You wiggle your eyebrows. “We’re starting boy talk early today.”

Yuna huffs. “At least, mine’s just a crush. I don’t know what relationship status: complicated you have going on with Mr. Soccer Captain.”

You flush hotly. “There’s no relationship status to be complicated about! Seriously, why does everyone think we’re a thing?”

“You’re cheer captain and he’s soccer captain,” Ryujin answers logically. “Plus, you’re best friends.”

“You have a lot of sexual tension,” Yuna answers honestly.

You make a face, slipping your arms into theirs and pulling them along the sidewalk. You better get something to drink before the sky starts to turn purple from pink tinged blue. 

“Ooh, another desperate attempt from (name) to not get teased,” Ryujin leans back to whisper to Yuna.

You stop walking. “Wait. Where are we going?”

Yuna shakes her head. “I’ll lead the way.”

Skipping over the concrete sidewalk, you laugh at your friends and their stories (read: Ryujin gushing over Yeji’s college dance club and Yuna’s newfound crush on Taehyun). The blue sky has tinged orange by now but it’s the sort of colour that sits in between more significant timeframes, like night and evening. Passing by a city square, you eye the people with wonder. A girl in a pink skirt skateboards smoothly over the concrete, her boyfriend filming her with a loving smile. 

“We’re here!” Yuna announces.

You look around the large open plaza, with people of all ages and in different attires trying out skateboarding and rollerblading over the grey concrete. It’s been getting popular lately, with idol pop stars taking to it too but you never knew there was this big a community. There seems to be a few stalls renting out skateboards too. The wind caresses your hair, evening cool settling in nicely on your skin. The sky is purple but it’s lit up with the city buildings and street lamps flickering on. It’s not a bad day at all.

Someone catches your attention. A boy that sticks out like a sore thumb everywhere he goes. 

“Sungchan?!” 

Your eyes somehow always settle on his figure, tall and standing out in the crowd of teenagers. He clutches his blue bag, the one he’s had since third grade, close to his chest and looks more like a tourist in this place than a frequent visitor. He’s not the only one in school uniform now that you’re here.

“(name)!” 

You hate how you love the way his face lights up when he sees you. You’re not actually into him. It’s your friends brainwashing you.

“I was going to invite you,” Sungchan says, a sorry smile on his face. 

Ryujin and Yuna frown at each other but you can’t exactly ask the reason for it.

“Isn’t it great we had the same plans?” he beams at the three of you.

Yuna suppresses a smile and you wonder why. It’s not like your friends would know he’d be here—you’d know first as best friend.

"How did you guys come across this place?" He asks, eyes round with curiosity. 

"Somi's Tiktok," Yuna answers, smiling. "We thought she works here but if she really was, guys would be swarming this place."

Ryujin raises her eyebrows. "Speaking of which, I can clearly see why there are so many girls here."

Sungchan beams, turning to you for affirmation and when you don't give him any, he drops his grin to a more polite smile.

“I don’t work at the stalls though,” he answers. “I’ve just been here a few times.”

“You’re trying to learn, aren’t you?” Ryujin asks, raising an eyebrow.

He nods. However, you furrow your eyebrows at her. How does she know? Eyes widening, you realize it must be the school forum. You remember reading a post about a student wanting to learn skateboarding and the wording felt familiar but you didn’t think much. How they figured it out, you will never know.

“Oh! Oh, I think my nose is bleeding. Oh god.” Yuna sniffs vehemently, her finger at her nose. “I think I’m going to need Ryujin to get me to a clinic.” 

Linking her arm through Ryujin’s, Yuna makes an apologetic expression and runs off into a particularly crowded area.

You blink. The realization dawns. 

"They just left me," you tell him, exasperated. "How could they just leave me?"

He shrugs. "My team left me at a rival school's field once."

Great. Your last outing before midterms and your friends have abandoned you. If this is the case, you wonder why they complain about you spending so much time with Sungchan and allegedly ignoring them.

You regain a sense of your surroundings and turn to him. "Wait. They really left you?"

He nods diligently, eyes trained upwards as he tries to recall the memory. "I told you, didn’t I? On the plus side though, I made friends with the opposite team."

"That's so… cute."

Your cheeks heat up at saying it out loud. If Sungchan is affected by it in any way, he doesn't show it. Instead, he has his usual smile on. 

“Do you wanna try?” he asks. “Skateboarding. Or rollerblading but I personally don’t recommend that.”

He curls his lips, shaking his head slightly. You laugh. Of course this beanpole has trouble balancing on skates.

"I- I figured you'd be good at skateboarding. Since, you know, you're so balanced and all."

You raise an eyebrow. "You wanna add skateboarding to your resume or something?"

"Yeah, that and the ability to imitate dog sounds. Wanna see?"

"No, thanks. I’ll pray this weekend to cure your furry behaviour."

Before he can respond, you’re interrupted by a whirlwind of colours and excited calls. A few girls run up to the two of you, younger and probably in middle school, flocking to Sungchan like bees to honey. Never in your life have you felt so ignored as in this singular moment.

You blink, turning to Sungchan who looks like a rather helpless, flustered eye of the hurricane. The winds don't seem to be stopping any time soon.

You clear your throat trying to get their attention. 

"Wow, you brought your girlfriend?" One of the girls exclaims, sounding disappointed.

The other girls make similar whines of disappointment and you have half the heart to whack them over the head and tell them to focus on their academics instead of boys. 

"You're so lucky to have him as your boyfriend," a girl comments, round eyes brimming with jealousy. 

“He’s not my boyfriend,” you declare sharply.

Sungchan looks at you with his doe eyes, blinking cartoonishly. You nudge him with your elbow.

“Yeah!” He agrees, with far too much gusto to be believable. “I’m not (name)’s boyfriend. I have no idea why everyone keeps saying that.”

“Let’s go, babe,” you say, resisting the urge to stick your tongue out at the girls. They’re younger than you and you have high school dignity, you remind yourself.

Slipping your hand into his, you take a few long strides away from them before you realize what you said.

“I- I did- I didn’t mean to call you babe,” you sputter, pulling your hand from his to look at him with wide eyes. 

“It’s okay though?”

Sungchan raises an eyebrow and slips his hand back into yours, smiling. 

“I don’t mind the rumours, you know?” He says honestly but his smile feels all too teasing. “Maybe we should go out for real.”

You huff, separating yourself from him again. “Maybe you just love attention. Disgusting.”

You point an accusatory finger at him and he bites at it playfully.

“While you're here, wanna see a cool trick I learned?" He straightens only having to tilt his head to look at you.

"If it's you falling on your face, then yes."

"I mean, hey, I could totally do that. Done that several times actually."

You smile despite trying your hardest not to. You like this about him—that he’s easygoing enough to make you look at life less seriously. If it’s with him, you could quit everything that makes you unhappy and start everything you love. 

“So where is your skateboard?” you ask, walking side by side with him, who has finally learned to match your pace.

“It’s with one of my friends,” he answers, and points to a tall girl with long brown hair, wearing a pair of tomboyish shorts and T-shirt. Another girl with short hair and a bucket hat accompanies her, wearing a long hoodie and shorts, but she leaves before you reach them. They must be from a different school because you’ve never seen them before. The first thing that pops into your head is that they’d be good replacements for your cheerleading position if you were ever to leave. You shake your head. Now is not the time.

“That’s Jimin!” he introduces, and you wonder how he’s this way—how he makes friends so easily.

Jimin waves at Sungchan and then proceeds to ask if you’re his girlfriend with a big smile, like a script being followed everywhere you go.

She seems a little disappointed at the answer. “Well, I was going to suggest one of the couples skateboards.”

You flash her an awkward smile. 

“But those are pretty difficult! I’ve been here for a month and my idea of skateboarding is still sitting on it while Soeun pushes me around. That’s my friend, by the way.”

“Ah.” You nod. “This is my first time skateboarding, actually. The only ‘sport’ I’ve ever done is cheerleading.”

Jimin furrows her eyebrows before her eyes widen. “Wait a minute. You’re the cheerleader best friend that Sungchan wouldn’t shut up about!”

Sungchan flusters, in the subtle way he usually does, and waves his hands robotically trying to explain. “I was just saying- that- that you’d be good at skateboarding. Because of the cheerleading.”

A boxy grin accompanies his explanation. 

“Right.” Jimin covers her face and sends an obvious wink your way. “Anyway, you can have my skateboard for the day.”

She hands over a smooth black skateboard with white wheels, but on closer inspection you find that they’re light-up wheels instead. It’s oddly fitting for someone like Jimin even if you’ve known her the entirety of ten minutes. Sungchan is good at finding friends, rather. Soon enough, she runs off after making Sungchan promise he’ll deliver the skateboard home.

The trick Sungchan wanted to show you was a failed kickflip. At the very least, it made you laugh so hard you almost spit out the strawberry milk he’d bought you. Sipping his own banana milk, he sulked for a moment or two, telling you to try it out and see how difficult it is.

On the contrary, Sungchan was right. You are good at balancing on skateboards. But that’s where it ends. You don’t think you’ll be naturally good at kickflips, though being able to glide through the plaza while Sungchan runs after you with the drinks puts a big smile on your face. It’s the most fun you’ve had in a while.  

Accompanied by Sungchan’s panicked “oh no”s and “oh we messed up”s, the two of you try the couple skateboarding move too; no one’s watching you here. It’s fun to see him stress over a skateboard because frankly, you’ve never met anyone as easy-going as Sungchan. (“I’ll figure it out along the way,” he says when you ask if he’s studying for finals, and proceeds to get a decent enough score). Suddenly the wandering gap is closed again. You’re not going to worry about stupid rumours from now on. 

But for some reason, ‘you like him as a friend’ doesn’t sound right either. Despite having said it so many times, you might not believe in it. You shake off the thought. This evening, at least, you’re going to enjoy with Sungchan without thinking of teenage drama and hormones. 

"You still don't think you and Sungchan make the perfect pair?" Yuna pouts. 

You narrow your eyes. "I don't take opinions from traitors."

Chaeryoung leans back on her chair, and whispers to you asking if you’re okay. At least someone is concerned about you.

“It hurts to be left by my own friends but—”

“No, I meant, are you okay? Why aren’t you dating Sungchan already? You’re so cute together! And you’re best friends—Netflix writers literally daydream of this.”

You groan, throwing up your hands in defeat.

“And,” Yuna adds, knocking her chair closer. “Who’s really the traitor here? Us who ditched you with the love of your life—or you, who runs off every time she gets a call from her boyfriend?”

“Sungchan is not my boyfriend.” You cross your arms.

“She even shares her lunch with him more,” Ryujin complains from the side. “And they’re not even in the same class. Unlike me, by the way. Class 1 Shin Ryujin. Same class as you, (name).”

You slump, resting your forehead against the desk. At this point, you wish the teacher would walk in and start the class already. Unfortunately, lunch break isn’t over for another ten minutes and lady luck clearly isn’t smiling upon you. 

“Speak of the devil!” Ryujin announces monotonously, leaning against her desk.

Sungchan and a few of his friends from the soccer team wave at you and the girls from the classroom door. Noticing Taehyun, Yuna quickly fixes her hair and you would tease her if Sungchan hadn’t casually strolled up to your desk and sat down on the chair in front of you. Long legs barely contained in the space, he adjusts himself by resting his arm on the headrest and his chin upon it. It’s all normal. However, when he leans down to match your eye level, you hear the sudden pit-a-pat of your pulse in your ear. At this proximity, you can even see the mole on his lip that he’s pointed out before. The sunlight from the open windows is pulling golden strings over his eyelashes and his lips aren’t dry as a desert like you expected. You know he uses the watermelon flavoured lip balm. 

“Too close,” you croak. Embarrassed at your own voice, you rise sharply and glare at him.

“Is your heart fluttering?” Sungchan asks, smiling as he looks up at you.

You roll your eyes. 

You can hear Yuna’s giggling and before you can shoot her a glare, Sungchan calls. 

"Do you have any bandaids?" 

He points to a rough scratch at the base of his palm, fingers slender and less calloused than what you'd pictured. Then again, soccer players don't use their hands much, do they?

You blink. "You came all the way here for bandaids?"

"Well… I remembered you keep band-aids in your phone case. And the nurse hates me."

You giggle.

Yujin mouths from behind Sungchan, “He just wanted to see her.” 

You would feel flattered if you didn't know these people and their shenanigans. They'd do anything for some drama (and to get two innocent people into the dating trap).

“Why would I waste my cute band aids on you?” you mutter under your breath. “They’re limited edition, you know?”

No way are you sticking Ice Bear on your urban hazard of a best friend. A tall, cute, surprisingly polite hazard but he still annoys you nonetheless.

However, Sungchan's pleading smile has grown on you.

You reluctantly take the band-aid out of your clear phone case, the pink panda doll attached to it swaying with the movement. Proceeding, you take Sungchan's hand and lay it on your desk. With careful focus, you place the band-aid, admiring the size difference of your hands before snapping to reality.

Enough with the pink cloud of thoughts, you scold yourself.

When you look up, the proximity makes your heart skip a beat despite the logical part of you saying you shouldn't. Your faces are too close and this time, you don't even have the energy to croak it out.

"Thanks, (name)," Sungchan smiles at you. 

Right then, the sound of a chair sliding harshly against the floor makes the two of you jolt away from each other. All of your friends and his friends seem to be sporting Cheshire cat grins and you don't like it one bit. You don't like not being in on the gag.

"Anybody up for gaming after this? My treat." Chenle looks around. “Sungchan is banned from the arcade soccer game though.”

"'Ey," Sungchan complains.

"Hey, Jisung and Ryujin are banned from DDR too but that's because they almost broke the handles off last time."

The memory makes you smile. Sungchan was there too, and you don’t know why you’re only just recalling all the memories with him in it, carefully and in detail. Every one of them seems to have been amplified, the little interactions suddenly coming to mind. 

“(name)? You’re coming?”

You take one look at Sungchan and give up. Even if this is another childish ploy by your peers, you don't mind spending some more time at the arcade with infuriatingly addictive games. A tiny part of you is even willing to go along with them and see if it turns out the way they want it to.

“I’ll go,” you mumble, and the rest of the group cheers. 

“But I have cleaning duty today.”

The group groans. 

“Just get someone else to do it. Like a junior.”

“Isn’t that bullying?” You ask, frowning.

“Ask nicely. Anyone would be willing to do your bidding, (name).”

“Chenle, will you do it?” You give him a sickly sweet smile. “You’re class president after all.”

Chenle wrinkles his nose. “You’re getting stupider every day, (name).”

You sigh. “Fine. I’ll ask one of Yuna’s classmates then.”

“By the way,” Chenle announces. “Only twelfth graders are invited—”

A bunch of groans interrupt him. 

“Quit whining.” He crosses his arms, glaring at them. “What do you even have to worry about? We’re preparing for the exam of our lives. Oh, and Jisung is an exception.”

“We’re only two years apart,” Yuna mutters under her breath.

“Oh, and from class 5, only Sungchan is invited.”

Another round of complaints pass and Chenle breaks into laughter. “Just kidding.”

Your friends are and will always be an odd bunch. Sungchan has previously proved to be the weirdest (several times) and it makes him the most lovable too. But then again, you don’t have free space in your timetable to put in teenage crushes, much less falling for your best friend. What you do have time for this afternoon, however, is relaxing at the arcade. 

-

“Let’s go! I am so good at this. Think I’d impress your Steve Curry?” Ryujun gloats, after having scored three hoops in a row at the arcade basketball game.

“It’s Stephen Curry,” Chenle corrects. “And no, let’s focus here. Our goals are—”

He points to the two figures by the DDR machine, looking like a real couple. He’s been acting as damage control for the rumours and making sure you don’t drift apart because of it. They really don’t make guys like him anymore, Chenle sighs. He should get a friendship award or something.

“—those two.”

Really, Sungchan better be thanking him by the end of this. He’s never met anyone quite like Jung Sungchan, especially because Chenle cannot picture himself liking the same person since elementary school.

“Man, now I wish I had a girlfriend,” Chenle mutters.

Ryujin snorts. “Who’s going to date you?”

“You don’t have a boyfriend either,” Chenle reminds and gets a basketball to the shoulder.

“Why are you playing that when you don’t even know how to use it?” Your voice rings through to them.

“I said I’ll figure it out!” Sungchan reasons.

Chenle and Ryujin stare at the two of you blankly, as you bicker over a claw machine game and they share a look.

“Do they need our help?” Ryujin whispers.

Chenle shakes his head. “I think they’ll figure it out from here.”

Soon enough, you were laughing at Sungchan’s failed attempts and trying to outplay him. Your friends have already given you the shove. Chenle and Ryujin share a high five and that’s where the new story begins.

You finally know the thrill of a teenage crush. It makes you so damn infuriated that it had to be Jung Sungchan. 

Now every time he waves at you from the field or hands you a bottle of strawberry milk or explains the calc notes you missed or does the bare minimum, you need to deal with the quickening of your pulse and a few butterflies loose from their cage in your stomach. It doesn’t help that you’re almost always together.

The two of you currently sit by the school field, Sungchan tying his shoelaces while you cool off with the water bottle he offered you. Practice ended a while ago for you and the girls have receded into the air conditioned indoor gym. The indoor gym is apparently occupied by the gymnast club and you couldn’t be more disappointed that you didn’t join them instead. 

If anything, however, you’d rather leave this whole thing and focus on your academics. Hobbies shouldn’t be draining you—they should feel like skateboarding on a lilac evening with the wind in your hair.

With a friend you like very, very much.

“Sungchan,” you call quietly. 

“Hm?” 

When he looks up, you can’t hold in the urge to fix the hair out of his eyes. You’ve never been very physically affectionate so it might have come off strange. Sungchan looks at you quietly, stars in his eyes and you clear your throat.

“How long have you been playing soccer? It was before we met, right?”

He hums, eyes traveling up and then back to you when he remembers. “Since I was six. You were there at my first soccer match actually.”

“I was? Oh my god, was it the one you lost horribly and the whole team started crying?”

“Yes. Yes, it was.”

You giggle. “Six year old you would be so in awe now.”

Sungchan beams at that. 

“Who knows?” he smiles, looking into your eyes with firm determination. “Maybe I’ll be the next Son Heungmin.”

“Even I know who that is so… no.”

Sungchan pouts and you make a face in disgust. “Don’t act cute, it gives me hives.”

“Okay, maybe not Son Heungmin. I could definitely be the next Park Jisung—and I don’t mean him.”

Sungchan points to a boy passed out on the benches, his exhaustion typical of any high schooler while another boy sits beside him, fanning him with a bunch of assignment papers. Jisung and Chenle really are more entertaining than any game on this field. 

You turn to look at Sungchan, who’s moving his head around trying to catch their attention. When he finally does, he waves at them and gets big grins in response. He’s not all that bad, you think. In fact, he’s quite possibly the most amiable boy in senior year.

“Just be Jung Sungchan,” you mutter. “Not Son Heungmin or Park Jisung.”

Sungchan turns to you, smiling wide. “Advice taken.”

You scoff. “Whatever.”

Maybe it’s just you but Sungchan has been glancing at your lips very frequently today and mentally thank Chaeryoung for letting you borrow her lip tint. You didn’t know something so subtle could get you this giddy.

“Are you… going to give the CSAT?” You ask, glancing at him nervously. Part of you is sad you only developed your first high school crush in the very last semester. Or if it’s comforting, you could believe you’ve liked him all this time.

“Nah. Sports scholarship,” he says nonchalantly. “I was going to tell you but… I’ve been scouted already.”

You gasp. “That’s… great. Your future’s all settled.”

Sungchan seems to dislike the idea, lips pursing. “I don’t think anything’s settled except for the next step.”

You nod, somewhat understanding. 

“What about you?” He asks. “Any university in mind? SKY? I’ve seen you study extra hours at the library.”

You look away, not feeling ready for the conversation.

“I don’t know,” you say quietly. “I don’t know what I like and what I want. I don’t even like cheer anymore.”

Sungchan gazes at you wordlessly but it’s the most comfortable you’ve felt talking about this.

“Maybe I should quit,” you mumble.

You don’t want to commit to something you no longer have passion for. But then again, you’ve spent so much time on it that it’s hard to leave. 

“You should,” he responds, honest. 

You scoff, shaking yourself from that moment of vulnerability. “But why would I quit something I’m good at?”

“If you don’t like it. If it hurts to leave but isn’t any better when you stay, you should leave.”

You roll your eyes. “You’re quite the philosopher.”

“I’m smart, right?”

You smile. 

“Oy, you two!” Chenle calls, making his way to you two with Jisung trailing behind. “I don’t mean to interrupt your flirting but you got a spare water bottle?”

“Are you two going out now?” Jisung asks as a follow-up, and you feel a hot flush for some reason, unlike the previous times you’ve been asked this question.

“No,” you answer. You don’t mind the idea though now.

“Don’t lie,” Chenle complains. “I saw that picture of Sungchan teaching you how to kick a ball. You? And soccer? Something’s up.”

You throw up your hands in exasperation. “Seriously, who keeps up posting to the school page? And where do they get the time?”

"Two people with this much compatibility will always be a hot topic."

"We're not compatible," you retort quickly.

"Wait," Jisung says. "I know how to resolve this."

You raise an eyebrow.

"How do you have your cereal?" He asks, looking from you to Sungchan.

"Cereal first, obviously," you answer.

Sungchan looks up, finger below his chin as he thinks. "I drink the milk first, then eat the cereal and then breakdance to mix it all together."

You pinch your nose. "I swear I question your sanity all the time."

"Hah! That means you're thinking about me all the time."

You look away, rolling your eyes. He responds with an open-mouthed smile and finger guns.

"See?" Jisung grins. "Compatible."

The gruff voice of Coach Lee startles the four of you and Sungchan leaves with a sigh and a promise of meeting after practice. Jisung leaves with Sungchan and Chenle gives you one last teasing smirk before sitting down and going through the assignment papers he was using as a fan previously. You will never understand his miraculous ways of performing his presidential duties.

You don’t have a good feeling about the next match. The only reason you’re even sticking around anymore—as embarrassing as it—is to spend more time with Sungchan. Being with him puts you at ease, even if the school tries to wrap the two of you in a rope of uneasiness. This is your very last practice, for the next match is the final one of this year and then you’ll be back to spending even longer hours at the library with a stack of textbooks. It’s supposed to be a carefree age. At least, adults say that. Your high school life seems to be riddled with worries, and with that thought, you head into the air conditioned room to take a breather off your anxieties. 

Only one more match, you remind yourself. 

The pre-match buzz is driving you to the edge.

Your form is off, you can feel it already and Coach Kim isn’t as sunshine-as-rainbows as she usually is, courtesy to it being the last match of your life. She’ll never know though, how much you don’t want to do this. 

Sungchan waves at you as he usually does before a match, disappointing a third of his fangirls, but it helps you ease. One last time, (name).

Watching the crowd of people, parents and siblings and friends, all excited and talking makes you take a deep breath. You practiced but it wasn’t good enough. You can never do well at something you don’t like anymore. This time, you feel guilty for committing to things half-heartedly. You want to start that fresh new college chapter already, with all of this behind.

There’s ten minutes left. You go back to the empty hall outside the lockers only to pace. This isn’t helping.

“(name)!”

You turn around abruptly to find Sungchan’s tall figure, and you must be looking miserable because his smile falls.

He doesn’t even ask what’s wrong, only takes careful steps towards you. “Do you need water? Medicine?”

His hands hover over your shoulder but he doesn’t burden you with them. You put your face in your palms and sigh, sinking down to the floor in a crouch.

“I want to quit,” you whisper. Your voice comes off more brittle than you’d like, and you realize that Sungchan hasn’t seen you cry since seventh grade when you failed a math test. You didn’t tell him then but you appreciated him studying extra hours for math just to teach you.

“You don’t have to go out there if you don’t want to,” he says quietly, dropping to the floor beside you. “I’ll stay with you.”

You stare at him dumbfounded. “Don’t be ridiculous! They’ll lose without you—you’re the ace, Sungchan!”

“There will always be an ace,” he retorts. “Maybe Jisung will finally get to shine. Or anyone else. I don’t mind spending an hour with you alone.”

You feel a hot flush spread over your cheeks. Looking away to the side, you mumble an ‘alright’ and only glance from the corner of your eye to see him smiling. Jung Sungchan is the most unreasonable boy you’ve ever met. Perhaps it makes him somewhat loveable too.

“It’s your last match,” you whisper helplessly.

“I’ll join the college soccer club and get to play more matches.”

You sigh, giving in. If he’s so adamant, you think that perhaps there is something in you worth sacrificing his game over. It makes an oddly warm feeling bloom in your chest. Sungchan is so damn convincing with his words. You wonder if it’s really okay.

With shoulders touching, an awkward silence takes over in the next second. You turn to him and open your mouth, watch him do the same and close it at the same time he does.

“You know,” he begins, “I was kind of lying about not worrying because I get the feeling coach will evaporate me tomorrow but—I can handle it. Mostly.”

You stare at him with wide, worried eyes. “You don’t have to do this, Sungchan. I’m the one running away.”

You slouch, pulling your knees closer to your chest and burying your face in them. The urge to scream is boiling within you but you can’t get caught. Not now.

“Sometimes to run is the brave thing,” he responds, insightful. “If you’re not up for it, it’s better to quit early than to regret it in the long run.”

You don’t know if it’s the fact that he just quoted Taylor Swift or spoke like your old school counselor—but you find yourself laughing. He makes sense. Sungchan, in his weird, oddball ways, always makes sense. And in that same way, he feels like home.

“You’re so good to me,” you say, looking up at him and at a proximity you’ve never been before.

It’s his turn to fluster, though he doesn’t do so as visibly as you do. He clears his throat, shifting his eyes around before meeting yours. “I- This is bad timing but… I like you. I really do. Since third grade when you drew that birthday card for me. I have it in my bedside drawer, by the way.”

He looks away and makes a face, probably wondering why he said that out loud.

You press your lips tight to prevent the smile that tugs at them. He looks at you with a wobbly smile, trying his hardest to resume his usual dignity—but he’s just a boy, after all. 

“My type is dumb and pretty, though?” You tease, the smile escaping. “You said it yourself.”

He blinks. “Well, I am pretty but if you want me to be stu—”

You shake your head. “I like you too. You don’t have to act cute.”

He pauses, thinking. “I have never acted cute in my life ever. I was born cu—”

You hold his face between your thumb and forefinger. “You do that again and you die.”

He breaks into a smile. 

“I’ve never met someone quite like you,” you whisper, embarrassed of your own feelings bubbling up from the bottle you had kept them in.

He laughs, open-mouthed and pretty. 

“Actually, hey, I didn’t like you all this time from fifth. I liked you and then I didn’t like you and then I liked you again—”

“Okay, I get it.”

His shoulders relax and he smiles at you. You look up at the clock on the wall by the entrance to the field and bite your lip. You don’t love performing anymore but you know all the girls do, even the stand-bys. Jisung might not have to take over Sungchan’s position but you bet one of those tenth graders would love to take yours, the same way you did back then. They’ve practiced harder than you too and it’s only a matter of deserving.

You take a deep breath and get up, pulling up Sungchan by the hand. He raises an eyebrow, inquisitive eyes scanning over your face and you smile at him, strengthening your resolve. You should have done this way sooner.

-

Sungchan plays. You don’t let him sit it out with you. 

Halfway through, you cheer the hardest you ever have, plastic decorative gemstones stuck by your eyes borrowed from the other girls cheering. It’s much more fun, you think. You’ve never experienced soccer like this. You’d love to sit at stadiums and join in victory chants. There’s enough weight off your chest to yell your lungs out.

Sungchan scores a goal almost immediately after and sends a thumbs up over to you. You laugh. This is the best break you’ve ever taken from cheerleading. 

“Ooh, is this perhaps the (name) effect?” Chenle’s voice rings through the speakers and you feel yourself shrink slightly under the eyes. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see your homeroom teacher signal very angrily to the commentator box. You shake yourself off it. So what if everyone’s looking?

Sungchan places his hands on his hips, chest heaving and sends another signal to you before beelining for a straight goal. You whoop and the girl with a notebook beside you is visibly annoyed at this point but you don’t care. 

Without doubt, your school wins and you watch as Sungchan runs to his team, a big smile on his face. The second he’s done getting pet by the team, however, he rushes to the bleachers, skipping over the steps to you, panting when he stops. The risk he took was definitely not calculated. He holds up one finger while he heaves.

“My cheering worked best this time, it seems,” you say to him, laughing.

His face is flushed from the exertion but he laughs heartily. “You could be yelling profanity at me and it’d still encourage me.”

You shake your head at the cheesy line. He takes a step forward, well inside your space but you don’t mind. He leans in.

“Everyone is looking at us,” he says under his breath. “Is that a good or a bad thing?”

You look behind him to find the whole team, along with your girls sharing furtive glances and giggling at the sight of the two of you. A few of the junior girls slap each other’s arms, bouncing on the balls of their feet in excitement. You’re not a celebrity. But everyone wants to cheer things on once in a while, don’t they?

“Good,” you answer, before pulling him by the shirt into a chaste kiss. When you pull apart, Sungchan’s face is so struck with awe that you want to look away but instead you bite back an obvious smile. It’s about damn time, someone from the soccer team yells.

“Woah. I think I scored a goal either way,” he says, an offbeat smile on his face.

“Oh come on, we didn’t even get to chant ‘Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!’ yet—oh shit, the mic’s on.”

Chenle is definitely getting an earful from your teacher after this. The two of you wave at him at the box and end up laughing at him trying to hide behind the desk. 

As expected, the whole crowd surrounds the two of you in less than a minute’s worth of time, with several congratulations and “good score” offered to the two of you. The boys mess up Sungchan’s hair while the girls compliment you on how cute a couple you are. There’s also the question of when you started dating that pauses the buzz and makes everyone look to the two of you for an answer. Sungchan turns to you and you turn to him, and there’s no way you’ll tell half the school that your confession came in a private hallway outside the field—teenage imaginations run wild. 

Instead, you slip your hand into Sungchan’s and run down the bleachers and towards the exit, laughter spilling from your lips. There’s only one place you can think of going to spend a cool blue late afternoon with.

“Skate plaza?” He asks.

“Skate plaza,” you answer.

[asmossimp]

Ruri chan in the house of lametation??

pt 1 the elder bros (leading up to the dinner)

Levi being completely a Ruri-Chan obsessed shut in (handsome) otaku would completely freak out if he found out you were Ruri Chan he would never be able to face you directly, which would make you (his Henry) his friend sad so you decided to keep it a secret until a new season was going to be made they had to have Ruri Chan's most popular voice actor act in it but how would you juggle with keeping it a secret from the rest while meeting up to record the series? Unfortunately for you Lucifer was always one step ahead from you..

pronouns : gender neutral

summmary : you voice act ruri chan and are making levi suffer for drAmAAA 👌

warnings : ( bit of swearing ), simp levi- beware you will simp aswell 😶💅 also no spell checks cause im lazy- 🙄✋

music listened too : uptown funk, circus, criminal rasputin and need to know

( i know ruri chan was probably before mc was alive but lets pretend ok😔🤌)

Lucifer

he had a few suspicions when you started coming home late from RAD

did you have a secret partner-?

no clearly that was impossible he would've noticed at school..

when you started getting phone calls he had decided to check your DDD it was purely for his curiosity your safety

then he found the name of- was that the company Levi always talked about

but how would you have contact with them-

it was a very private company so no spoilers ever got out levi had been talking about the new series coming out this week..

clearly you would've said something to Levi if you had contact right?

no Lucifer id want Levi to suffer dumb ass 😤✋

well he wasn't one to let his master get into trouble you killed me bitc-

anyways.. peeping tom Lucifer decided to follow you after school

his suspicions raised when he found you at a secret abandoned building

you apparently gave them a code letting you in

using some magic he made the lower demons fall asleep lucky bastard 😒💅

deciding to follow your scent bloodhound's am i right-?

you were found in a - recording room- then it him you were a voice actor- finally dumb ass

oh my diavolo you were so in deep trouble when you got home

he flew back to the house of lamentation to get ready for dinner deciding to spoil the surprise there

you didn't think this bastard would keep a secret did you 😒

as you came home deciding to take a shower exhausted from using your voice all day when Lucifer came up to you with a smile..

strange👁

he asked you to come sit down at the table as he was going to make an announcement

well dam mc you got a special seat waiting for you..-

you nodded too exhausted after using your voice all day

sitting at the table noise was only to be expected ..

he then dropped the bomb

of you voice acting at ruri chans company

you spit that water out faster than mammon could run-

Levi nearly died from choking on his food-

mammon was in shock

asmo was also in shock since he heard levi rant about how ruri chans company took so long to make new episodes while doing his nails-

what a great brother haaa 🥺🤧🤌

Levi was the replica of the board smashing meme irl

well dam mc how are you gonna get out of this..

Mammon

what were you so busy with lately like-???

not like the great mammon would miss a human- HAH- anyway

whYYY?

WHHY mc how could you???

do you not want to walk with him home anymore or???

no well ofcourse not mc ,say that i dare you 😠💅

but like fr how could you stop walking home with this finneee man

like you have this handsome beautiful man pratically begging you to walk home with him-

how could your reject this pretty kkind- amazing soul-

you get the point right-?

he did try following you but..

solomon.

that god dam flirty suspicious sorcerer-

poor solomon

anyway you get the point

solomon kept on using magic spell's to disarray the brothers attempts to find where you were going

dam solomon you making moves

smooth like butter like a criminal under coverrr

any way after a few days of trying he gave up and asked you where you were going--

NOT because he couldn't find out dont get things messed up dumb (cool) human...

you told him that you had a job you were working at mc.. they beleived you cause-

solomons the wizard of the century👏👏👏

well a another week went by Levi's been boring them with talk about the ruri- chen, -chin or whatever series all week

then lucifer suddenly called a meeting at dinner -

HE DIDNT DO It-

oh so its not him-

oh hey mc your here sit here-

after every one was sitting down

Lucifer told them about Mc's voice acting-

Mc you spit some of that water on me-

HEY WAIT WAIT WHAT-

Mc having a high end job that even the Lucifer couldn't find out about the company

Mc what species are you???

Leviathan

well god dam he almost didn't notice

emphasis on the ALMOST

he had wanted to watch the series with you so bad-

like SO BAD

but mc your work had to choose the wrong weeks didn't they-

do you want them to go out of business-?

he could summon Lotan -

oh nvm Lucifer said no 😒

boomer

but like Levi was sad but he was still very busy he barely goes out of his room unless needed

or for survival

y know not "normie" stuff

anyway he did ask you to watch it during dinner he kept on talking about ruri chan-

he shut up when Lucifer said that he was this close 🤏 to banning him from watching ruri chan-

he shut up

anyway he was worried when you started coming home late but

when you assured him he was in tippity top shape again

time to rewatch the 3 episodes for the 347th time!

he invited you to watch the episodes yet..

you seem not so surprised by them-

or know bored-

maybe you watched it 😶

oh levi darling 🤭

you are in for a roller coaSter

anyway when he got invited to dinner he wanted to skip buttt

lucifer said it was not optional-

dam Lucifer why you torturing our poor Levi???

well after 5 minutes of eating lucifer dropped the bomb

" Mc youv'e been voice acting at Ruri chan's company correct?"

he nearly choked on that carrot peice-

WHAT-

OBYYHNE*E)WBGSH<ONsgew8ejeow-'

Levi.exe malfonctioning try again

To be continued younger brothers next...

[1101001]

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE _

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

‘ when high school ended, your relationship with oikawa did too. years later, something you didn’t want to call fate led you to each other on the sandy shores of a beach in brazil ’

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

character .. oikawa tooru 

word count .. 1.3k

tags .. exes (but not rlly 'to lovers’) , no pronouns used , possible timeskip spoilers? but nothing explicitly stated , uhh fluff-ish , written for @itskoushi​ <3

You choked on your drink, turning your head to the side in futile hopes that it would hide your face. Why of all places and all times was he here, at a beach in Rio de Janeiro? Maybe it wasn’t him though, maybe it was just your eyes playing tricks on you.

You peered carefully over your friend’s head for another look. It definitely was him.

“Y/n, are you okay?” 

You nodded hastily, ignoring the suspicious look your friend was giving you. 

“Right, do you wanna come down to the beach with me?” she asked, pointing to the mob of people in bikinis and trunks walking around under the bright hot Brazilian sun. “Seems someone caught your eye too.”

There was a glint in her eye and before she could drag you with her, you shook your head, “No, I think I’ll stay here…”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

She got up and muttered a ‘boring’ before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

Not two seconds after she left, the very person you were hoping to avoid appeared right behind you.

“Look who we have here.” His voice was sweet like honey, and you had to steel yourself against it before turning around and facing him.

“Hello to you too Oikawa.”

Oikawa Tooru, a boy (now man) who caused you massive amounts of internal conflict. Did you miss him and his chocolate brown eyes and perfectly tousled hair and seemingly carefree exterior? 

Maybe you did, but before you could fall into the trap that is Oikawa’s charm, you reminded yourself that you've already been down that path.

“Thought it was you,” he said, lips curving into a slight smirk. He leaned one arm against the bar table and you suddenly noticed how much muscle he’s built since you last saw him. “So what brings you to this lovely beach?”

You took a long sip from your drink, trying to look everywhere but him for fear of accidentally staring too long. “It was a business trip but now I’m just relaxing.”

From the background, a couple of people were starting to shout for Oikawa. He turned towards them and yelled, “GIMME A SEC,” before turning back to you and asking, “Hey uh are you up for some beach volleyball?”

You raised an eyebrow.

“There’s this small tournament and I’m the only one without a partner.”

It was a very sudden offer and you were hesitant to accept. Volleyball? At the beach? With your ex no less.

It didn’t seem like the best idea.

“Cmon I know you’re good,” Oikawa pleaded.

You were still hesitant, but the thought of playing volleyball again made your hands and arms itch. It seems you missed it more than you thought. 

“Fine,” you said taking one last sip of your drink before grabbing your things and hopping out of your seat. The two of you made your way over to the nets set up on the sand and Oikawa led you to a table to register.

“Have you ever played beach volleyball?” Oikawa asked as he grabbed a ball and tossed it to you.

You lightly set it back to him. “No, and I haven’t played normal volleyball for quite a while either.”

“That’s fine,” Oikawa replied, once again tossing the ball back to you. “It’s a just-for-fun competition anyway.”

And that just-for-fun competition was a lot more intense than you expected. Beach volleyball, you quickly learned, is very different from normal volleyball. Running around on the sand wasn’t exactly easy and being on the same side of the net as Oikawa, although you tried to ignore it, was giving you weird and very annoying butterflies. 

Instead of it being a terrible experience like it should’ve been though, you found yourself relishing the adrenaline that came with the feel of the ball on your hands. 

You and Oikawa made for a great team too. The two of you barely exchanges words but knew what the other meant every time. That combined with each of your own individual talent and skill made you a deadly combo and easily a favorite for the win.

And you might’ve won too, had you been able to continue playing.

You gritted your teeth as you struggled to stand up after an unsuccessful dive. Suddenly, Oikawa was there by your side, extending a hand and helping you up. 

“You ok there?” 

Honestly, no. Your ankle hurt like hell from how you dived into the sand just moments ago. The unevenness of the ground really wasn’t something to underestimate. 

“Uh my ankle hurts a bit,” you muttered. 

“By a bit you mean it hurts enough you can’t play anymore right?”

You looked away and nodded lamely. You’d like to think you changed since high school but it seems he still knew you too well.

“Ok, let's get you to a clinic then.”

By then, the referee and a few other people had gathered around. Oikawa quickly announced your withdrawal from the tournament and led you off the court.

“Can you walk?” he asked, extending a hand to steady you as you got up. 

“I think so,” you replied before taking one step and immediately realizing this was going to be a slow and painful walk to the clinic. 

But you gritted your teeth through the pain and, with Oikawa next to you, hobbled off. You eventually found a way to angle your feet against the sand to minimize pain so it wasn’t too bad.

Although this way was much more bearable pain-wise, it was slow, so slow that Oikawa suggested he just carry you to the clinic.

“No thanks,” you said, gritting your teeth as you forced your legs to move faster.

“Y/n please. You’re slower than a snail.”

You stopped and sighed, a sign he took as you agreeing apparently because he immediately grabbed your legs and lifted you bridal style almost effortlessly.

You were about to protest but the words died away as he looked down at you with a smile.

That smile.

Suddenly, you were a teenager at Aoba Johsai again, walking through its crowded hallways, passing Oikawa and a few of his fangirls trailing behind him. He flashed that same smile at you he had now and your heart skipped a beat. 

“Let’s just hope your ankle isn’t messed up too badly yeah?” His voice snapped you out of your thoughts and you responded with a simple ‘yeah’.

Your mind, at the moment, was focusing on other things. Not the way he carried you without a hint of tiredness on his face. Not the way your arms were intertwined around his neck. Not the way his hair bounced with every step he took, or the way his eyes glittered in the sunlight, or the way you could feel his heartbeat against you.

No, your mind was racing because even though this was hardly your most intimate moment, you felt ‘the feeling’.

Maybe you were caught up in it all. That was a very plausible and realistic explanation for why you were feeling what you were feeling right now. But as you two approached the clinic and he urged the nurses to care for you, your mind wandered.

Maybe he was just being a decent human being. Yes, of course, that was what he’s doing - being nice. The way he held your hand through it all made it seem like he was being more than just nice.

Maybe there was something more. When he looked at you, sheepish grin and concerned eyes, you couldn’t help but feel it.

You were getting carried away. It definitely seemed like you were. But you couldn’t think of anything wrong with the flutters in your chest. Sure the breakup wasn’t the smoothest but that was when you were young and going separate paths.

He might not even be feeling all that you were right now, but you gave yourself a sliver of hope because maybe he was.

And maybe, just maybe, a second try would be worth the while.

. . .

note .. NINI HI IM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE BUT HAPPY FVKING belated BIRTHDAY !!! i know how much you love this trope and how much you love oiks soooo *holds this out to you like cake on a platter* ... not much slowburn tho sorry (i would but by the time i finish it’ll be ur next birthday sdkjghs) right anyway,,, hope you like it and again,, happy belated birthday <33

[bbugyu]

can i kiss you yet? + hong joshua

a mutual friend always made a great excuse to see you, but he definitely wanted more.

wc.2.4k | joshua x gn!reader, fluff, first snow au, foreigners in korea squad up, josh is a tutor u are an ambiguous worker everything is vague shhh, there are really no warning this is just fluff, oh drinking, but only the once, miss park chaeyoung please text me back

haha..... i am....... im not........... im in my joshie feels ok do not talk to me about it im embarrassed. thanks @babiemingoo for ruining my life by saying joshua would fall in love with me, and i quote, "no cap."

~

you spent a lot of time with joshua. by proxy, mostly, but you enjoyed his company nonetheless. your best friend called him her brother - they weren't related by blood, but by circumstance, having separately moved to korea at an old enough age to take care of themselves but young enough to still need the support of someone going through something similar. they were neighbors, and rosie had no way of stopping him from barging through her front door at all hours of the day. she always yelled at him to let her have some privacy. he insisted that if she was doing something that required privacy, then she should tell him beforehand. you always just laughed from your spot on the couch.

joshua would smile and put up a hand when he pretended to notice you for the first time, as though you weren't the express reason he had made an excuse to show up. "hi, y/n."

you would smile back and wiggle your fingers at him. "hi, josh."

this happened almost every time you came over to rosie's apartment, and while you never intended to see him, you would be lying if you said it wasn't a lovely benefit.

she rolled her eyes. "don't you have a job?"

"that's the great thing about being an online tutor," joshua said, making himself comfortable on the opposite end of the couch from you. "flexible scheduling."

you realized you had never asked him about his work. "what do you tutor?"

he looked at you, and you thought you saw a flash of nervousness in his eyes before he grinned. "english. and korean. and algebra. and calculus, sometimes."

"that's, like," you paused, your head knocking to one side. "impressive?"

"is it?" he laughed. "i just voice chat with high school students in sweats."

you shrugged. "i'm bad at math and i'm pretty sure i'd be bad at teaching, so anything like that is impressive to me."

he nodded, the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. it was hard for him to believe that you could be bad at anything, but he figured math was an okay thing to be lacking in. "noted."

rosie coughed loudly, making you both direct your attention to where she was leaning against the kitchen counter. "if you guys are done, i would love someone's help deciding what kind of pizza to get."

when you left hours later, rosie asked joshua why he even came over, trying to imply that he was taking too long to admit he liked you.

he pouted out his lips and shook his head. "no reason. i just heard you talking to someone and wanted to make sure you're not inviting over weirdos."

she gave him a sideways glare, knowing that if that were the truth, he would have come over when mingyu showed up the day before. or wonwoo last week. or any of her other friends that frequented her studio apartment. but conveniently, he only ever barged in when it was you, and she had a suspicion that it was because he had learned to recognize your laugh through the thin walls.

the first time you ever met joshua, it was at a bar. you and some work friends had agreed to get drinks together, and when your coworker-turned-bestie got a call from her neighbor saying she got a package, you nudged her.

"is he your oppa, like, just a guy, or like a boyfriend?"

she squinted at you, registering your language switch "ew! oh my god, he's just a guy. he's like a brother."

you heard an indignant noise over the line at her exclamation, and you giggled as you guided the straw in your cocktail to your lips.

"am i lying, joshua?" rosie said, rolling her eyes. "are you not like my brother?"

"joshua?" your eyebrows quirked up, realizing he had an english name, and only processing after the fact that he also understood her. "is he like us?"

"foreign?" rosie asked, looking at you. "yeah, he's from la."

you looked at her expectantly. "well, is joshua free tonight?"

she laughed at you, but redirected the question over the phone anyways, then promptly invited him out to join you at the bar, and he said he could be there in 45 minutes. he arrived with 6 minutes to spare (not that you were watching the clock, but you totally were), and rosie waved him down to join your table, quickly introducing him to the coworkers you had deemed fun enough to hang out with.

"and this is y/n," she said, grabbing your arm. she leaned over to joshua, pretending to whisper. "the other foreigner."

you laughed and shook his hand, saying it was nice to meet him. he smiled back, warmly, and returned the sentiment. he was korean, you realized, despite being from america, and he was incredibly handsome. like, absurdly so, in a way that felt impossible in reality, yet here he was, gaze flickering over your face as you brought your (new) drink to your lips, and the liquid almost caught in your throat when you saw an entire galaxy twinkling in his eyes. you blinked when he went to get a drink, thinking you must be drunker than you thought to have mistaken the reflection of the fairy lights that littered the bar as galaxies, but for some reason, your initial impression seemed to suit him more.

months later, you went to rosie's apartment just to drop off some food - you were teaching yourself how to make korean side dishes, and she volunteered to be your auxiliary food tester if you made too much, which, big surprise, you absolutely did. she made fun of your cooler bag and your big puffy jacket, saying you reminded her of the grandma down the hall, and you laughed heartily as you made your way to her kitchen.

she had an essay to write, so you didn't stick around. shortly after you announced your leave and exited to the hall, the next door opened.

"oh," joshua said, hand still gripping the handle of his front door as he made surprised eye contact with you. "you're leaving already?"

you pursed your lips to hide a smile, wrapping your scarf around your neck. "already?"

"you usually, um," he paused, his hand going to the back of his neck, the other pushing into the pocket of his jeans. "you're usually around for a few hours."

you giggled. "i was just dropping off some food, rosie has an essay to write."

he puffed out a cheek and nodded slowly as he let it deflate. "i guess i shouldn't bother her, then."

you watched him avoid your gaze, then peeked slyly past him into his apartment. you had never been, but it looked neat. neutral. comforting. it seemed like him.

the jig was up, joshua thought, studying your eyes briefly. you clearly knew he only ever barged into his neighbor's apartment because you were there. he had obviously just given it away, but maybe you had always known, and you had just let him think he was convincing when he said he had no idea you were over. but maybe he was okay with that, because you never complained. and maybe that meant you liked seeing him, too.

"are you busy?" he asked suddenly. "i don't mean to keep you, but-"

you shook your head quickly. "i don't have plans."

"uh," he turned to his apartment before looking back at you briefly. "let me grab a jacket, i'll walk you home."

you couldn't help but smile. "okay."

joshua made sure he was quick to get his winter coat and a scarf, but instinctively adjusted his bangs in a mirror and checked his breath. he silently scolded himself for making this out to be something that it wasn't - he was walking you home, not taking you out. but he hoped he would work up the nerve to ask before the end of the walk.

"ready?" you asked, pushing off the wall you were leaning against as you waited.

he smiled at you, silently hoping he was. "yeah, let's go. it's gonna start getting dark soon."

when the two of you exited the apartment building, hands shoved into pockets, joshua commented that it felt like it was gonna snow.

"i think the forecast said tomorrow," you mused, looking up at the overcast sky.

he stared at you as you walked beside him, your lips curved upward in a vague smile as you thought about how much you liked the snow, and when you looked over and caught his gaze, he redirected his eyes just a little too late, then laughed at his own behavior. "sorry, you looked really cute just then."

you couldn't help but smile, nuzzling down into your scarf to hide it. "as opposed to normally, when i don't."

"not what i said," he defended immediately. "i think you always look cute."

you giggled into your scarf, hoping he couldn't see how flustered you felt. "thank you. i think you always look cute, too."

you caught a small smile sneak onto his face as he looked down at his shoes. "thanks."

joshua had never once seemed shy to you. a little hesitant, maybe, when you had first met him, but he exuded confidence. you got the impression that he knew himself better than anyone, and he was happy to express himself genuinely around people that accepted him. he was a bit of a smooth talker, you thought. he had a way of saying exactly what people wanted to hear, whether it was true or not. but today, now, he seemed genuinely reserved. quieter. like he wasn't quite sure what to say to you as you walked side by side on the sidewalk, headed to your apartment.

"what kind of food did you bring to roseanne?" he asked, trying to fill the quiet.

"standard fare," you said, smiling at how he used her full name. "kimchi, seasoned beansprouts, sweet potatoes, fishcakes."

"oh, korean?" he asked, looking at you. "i didn't know you cooked like that."

your lip quirked into a smile at the reaction. "i'm practicing. gotta please a korean husband if i wanna get a permanent visa, y'know."

"right," he said, nodding at your joking tone. "a korean husband."

you blinked, eyes focusing on something in the air, then looked up. "oh my god, is it snowing?"

joshua tore his gaze from you, looking around at the flakes that were gently falling from the sky. "i told you it was gonna snow."

"but the forecast said tomorrow!" you laughed, pulling a hand out of your pocket to try to catch some flakes. "has it snowed yet since new year?"

his heart fluttered lightly as he watched you shove your hand back into your pocket. "no, not yet."

you looked over at him and giggled at how much snow had gathered on his dark hair. "oh, jeez, it's starting to come down." you reached out to him, brushing some flakes off his bangs, and he hoped you thought his ears were just red from the cold. "if we don't hurry, you're not gonna be able to walk home."

that wouldn't be the end of the world, joshua thought. maybe if the snow fell heavy enough, you would tell him to sleep on your couch instead of trekking home. maybe the two of you could chat, alone, just enjoying company until too late in the night. and maybe your heating would go out again, like you often complained about, and maybe the two of you could wind up under the same blanket as you got sleepier.

"do you know that belief?" he asked, glancing at you as you walked. "what koreans say about first snow?"

you looked over to him. "no," you said shortly, switching to korean. "what is it?"

he laughed, but continued in english. "they say that if you're with someone during the first snow of the year, you'll stay together for a long time."

you stopped in your tracks, and he only made it two steps in front of you before he turned, looking at you questioningly. "together?"

he gave a short affirmation, blinking and looking away as he shifted his stance. "yeah, like-" he paused. "supposedly, if you confess during the first snow, it's good luck. or something like that."

you stared at him, studying his eyes as he avoided your gaze, a tiny smile creeping across your face. "josh."

he looked at you, eyebrows quirked. "w'sup?"

you giggled. "are you talking about us right now?"

"oh, are you confessing to me?" he asked, eyes wide and making you laugh as he slowly closed the short distance between you. "confessing during the first snow, wow. you must really like me. y'know, i always kind of thought you had a crush on me."

you rolled your eyes. "yet it took you four months to mention it?"

his nose scrunched up as he grimaced apologetically. "i'm sorry for making you wait," he said, quietly and in korean, close enough that you felt his breath on your skin. you just shook your head at him.

"i made you wait, too."

he looked between your eyes, and you couldn't help but feel like the snow was melting around you from his warm you felt. "can i kiss you yet?"

you let out a breathy giggle, enjoying the way his eyes creased as he smiled at you. "of course you can."

this moment, joshua realized, was one that he had imagined a million times in his head. in a million different scenarios throughout the last four months, he had imagined how incredible it would be to feel your lips against his. and when he finally found himself there, his fingers brushing against your cheek as he pulled you into him, the first snow of the year falling around you, he realized he had imagined it all wrong. because despite thinking that you definitely had the most beautiful lips that he could ever press his to, he had not accounted for the fact that you were smiling, and he was too, and that made them the sweetest. the most fun. the most exciting.

and he hoped you would let him keep kissing you for a long time.

[heyitsyn]

Keeping Up With Seijoh Ep. 6

a/n: DKFJSLDKFSJ OMG YOU GUYS IVE LTR BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FOR SO LONG AACCKKK!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also, omg im screeching bc BAHAHAHA THERE IS GOING TO BE A SLIGHT PLOT TWIST YOU GUYS!!!!!

for more seijoh content, check this masterlist out!

anon:

- Ever since yn got lost during a trip to another school, the team made the rule that she has to hold one of their hands. Its probably so small compared against the boys. She got lost cause babie saw a cat

SKDLFJLSDKFJ EWWWWWWWW IM SCREECHING IN DISGUST RIGHT NOW LIKE THATS SO DIS COS TANG OIKAWA TOORU LIKE LEAVE MY GUY ALONE!!!!!!! #LETMAKKILIVE

lmao yep this is really happening

okay so anyways

you guys know how seijoh is like known around the prefecture right?

and we all know that nekomata and old ukai are like besties so they were talking over the phone right

and nekomata was complaining that his players were already fed up with playing against the same people and they wanted to be challenged and wanted new exposure to other players and all that jazz

old ukai was cackling at the other side bc haha youre actually begging me to find you new teams now?

but anyways

theyre like besties forever so ofc old ukai would help

and by help, he turned to poor zaddy keishin and told him to look for teams that could be sent up to tokyo and play against nekoma

‘what?! im already busy and i dont have time to scout-’

‘YOU WATCH YOUR TONGUE BOY! I CREATED YOUR FATHER AND WITHOUT HIM, YOU WOULDNT BE HERE TODAY!’

‘BOLD OF YOU TO ASSUME I WANTED TO BE ALIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE!’

family goals 😍😍😍

but keishin still listened to his grandfather and recommended seijoh as being the one to go as they are one of the hardest to beat opponents in the preferecture

but its more like he wants to hear about nekoma being destroyed by oikawa’s service aces and grovel at their feet since naoi always made fun of them saying country boys arent as good as city boys

LIKE PLEASE

anyways!!!!!!

nekomata got word of it and immediately phoned aoba johsai and talked to the coach 

‘yes, i heard from an old friend of mine that you are quite strong’

nekomata praised, wanting and desperate to have them come up

‘and do you think your team is good enough to beat us?’

LMAO YESSSS GRANDPA IRIHATA!!! DRAG THEM KITTIES!!!!

WAIT NO THAT SOUNDS WRONG

but they settled on their disagreements and decided yep they were going to go up there and have a practice match

however

irihata and nekomata wanted their boys to be kept in the dark about who this team is as knowing them, they have sources to find them tapes of old plays

they wanted it to be a fair match

even the managers were being kept from it as they could easily be influenced by the players for that information

irihata walked into the gym and announced a team meeting to which they stopped

you sat down next to kyotani, who pulled you beside him and wrapped a protective arm around your waist

‘we have a practice match against a prominent team up in tokyo in 3 days. make sure you have your plays right and pat down as they are known to be quite an opponent’

the boys shouted a determined cheer and they all hussled back to practice

you were running around, tending to everyone with towels or medical tape

once you finally sat back down on the bench, you noticed your phone screen light up, indicating someone sent you a message

it was natsu

you swiped open and smiled softly at his picture

it a selfie of him in front of his school as you told him to send you a picture that he arrived safely

‘got here in one piece since im not ready to meet daddy satan yet’

i hate him you guys

after receiving news of his mother gaining custody of him, he cheered and was able to go back to tokyo without his father in the picture

lets just say,,, hes not nice

anyways

you were sad to let him go but you understood he missed his friends and his almost-boyfriend so you were able to say goodbye easily at the station

‘gross but im pretty sure katsuki would blow satan to smithereens’

‘hehe ;) he would’

‘N A S T Y’

you cringed but giggled and the team noticed so they tried hard to gain your attention back on them

‘aaa!!!!! y/n-chan!!! my leg!!!!’

‘i think i chopped off my finger!!!!’

‘my head snapped off my body!!!!!’

you rolled your eyes and placed your phone down before walking over to mattsun to help him snap his head back on his neck

finally, it was the day of the match

you were arranged to stay the night at tokyo to have a few practice matches with this unknown team

the team was arranged to meet at the train station at 9:45 since the train leaves at 10 

you arrived the earliest to keep track of everyone and just because you were actually kinda excited

theres this weird feeling in your stomach that isn’t exactly bad but its,,, giddy

you sat on the bench, waiting for the team 

they all started arriving one by one and you were doing a headcount for everyone but you were missing one

you checked your phone and you noticed he was getting late

it was already 9:54

you hate it when people are late to meeting time so you were slightly irritated

you dialed up your captain’s number and you stood up, pacing around

‘hello~~~~ y/n-cha-’

‘oikawa-san! do you know what time it is?! you were arranged to come here at specifically 9:45 but its 14 minutes passed that so where the hell are you? you better have a good excuse you piece of-’

‘aww y/n-chan oikawa-san is sorry’

someone whispered in your ear from behind and you flinched, surprised at the sudden person

oikawa wrapped an arm around your waist while his other hung up the call and you turned around, arms crossed while pouting at him

‘sorrysorrysorry!’

he apologized and you rolled your eyes

‘i swear, oikawa-san. if i find out it was because of your hair again-’

‘oi shittykawa! your sister just called me and you left the curling iron on, you stupid bastard!’

iwaizumi’s shout made oikawa sweat and pale 

your eyes glinted dangerously 

‘this is the last straw, oikawa-san’

you growled and he shot down to his knees and was about to start praying to you when the coach decided he had enough entertainment for the day and called everyone to gather around

‘heres your tickets. this train will get us there around lunch time so dont worry about getting hungry’

the shinkansen train had 2-person seating so everyone fought secretly amongst each other to sit next to you

literally, their private group chat was blowing up until early this morning at the shouts and yells of everyone caps locking their arguments as to why they deserve to sit next to you

the only one who didnt was mattsukawa issei

bc quite frankly, he didnt care who he sat next to and although it sounds nice to be next to you, he isnt exactly the comfiest to sleep on due to the obvious size difference

lmao like your head probably wouldnt reach his shoulders bruh

now youre not oblivious

or blind

so you noticed the glares of everyone as you all stood for the train to come

and you also noticed mattsun just standing there, bored, so you sneaked over to him, wrapping your arms around him

‘arent you excited, mattsun-san?’

he gasped quietly at your sudden appearance but he smirked

‘its nothing special. just another team that we’re going to beat’

you giggled at his confidence and you walked in front of him so you could properly be held by him

it was practically second nature now by the way he just opened his arms and you crashed into them, his own wrapping around your shoulders to hold you tight

‘i love your confidence so much mattsun-san’

he flushed red and furrowed his eyebrows, head turning to the side to hide the obvious effect you had on him

‘whats the point of playing when you cant be confident’

‘aaaa why are you looking away mattsun-san!!!’

lmao when the team saw you sitting next to mattsun, they all felt so betrayed like bruh

ltr kyo and iwa were about to go feral

oikawa was like ready to screech his ass off but one look from you made him shut up

‘i sincerely, really, truly hope youre just complaining about the seat hurting your flat ass, oikawa-san’

KDFJLSDKFJSDL Y/N NO STOP IT

it was kinda funny actually bc everyone was all pouting and sulky while you just have mattsun who’s smirking like ‘beat that’

SDKFJLSDKF I LOVE MATTSUN’S SMIRK LIKE PLEASE OMG

ofc he let you sit at the window bc you love window seats

like iwa, he also pulls up the arm barrier thingy and you shuffle closer to him and mattsun practically combusts

the ride isnt expected to be very long but you still found yourself sleeping during it

mattsun has his arm around your shoulder while your head is leaning against his peck man boobie 

omg its so cute like he actually slides lower on the seat to help you reach his shoulder and hes slouching and back is hurting just for you

;’)

he was awake the whole time bc he couldnt sleep with his heart beating so hard it might rip out of his chest

ew thats kinda gorey

your hand was gripping his own and to pass time, he found himself fiddling with your fingers 

an unknown smile appeared on his face at the obvious size difference between yours and his

a finger traced different and foreign shapes just to feel the softness of your hand and he combusts again when you unconsciously squeeze his hand

mattsun couldnt help but bring your linked hands up and kiss the back of yours

it was soft, gentle, and his lips lingered there for more than a second

then a sudden feeling of fatigue washed over him and he leaned his cheek against the top of your head 

the last thing he remembers is the smell of your f/s (favorite smell) shampoo

then you guys arrived in tokyo

irihata had to personally wake you all up because even naoi fell asleep and everyone fell asleep

irihata gently shook mattsun awake and when the boy opened his eyes, the older man nodded over to your form

‘gently wake her up’

as if mattsun didnt already know

thats why he softly ran the pad of his thumb on your cheek that was exposed to the air

‘y/n~~’

he coos and your nose twitches, in between the border of dreams and reality

‘darling, wake up, baby bear’

FSDKLFJSDLKSDJKFJDSKLFJSDLFKSJDLF YOU GUYS I CANNNNTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also im listening to kataomoi by aimer  so that kinda influences the ‘darling

his deep voice that surprisingly reaches a level of quietness made your eyes flutter

your whole face scrunched at suddenly being woken up but the sight of mattsun’s genuine smile made you mirror it and cuddle closer for an extra dose of warmth

‘hmm, is my baby tired?’

he teasingly whispers and you nodded, snuggling even further and he gently cups your face

his hold had made your cheeks squeeze slightly together and your pout increased the cute factor 

‘nwoooo dont skweeze demmm’

you slurred and he chuckled

‘hai hai’

‘kwiss it better’

you demanded and he full on laughed before moving his hands to your jaws so he could plant many kisses on your cheeks

the repeated kisses tickled so you giggled and squirmed

‘aaaaaa mattsun-san it tickles!!!’

your playful protests forced him to stop and allow you to actually sit up

as usual, your hair was a bird’s nest and mattsun attempted to settle it out

‘hah, y/n-chan your hair is like another being itself’

he choked out and you pouted at him

‘so mean! mattsun-san is so mean! baba-san! rescue me!!’

yahaba was known in the team to be the one who fixed your hair and you trusted him the most with it

hearing his name being called, the pretty boy dashed towards you and mattsun’s seats

‘is senpai giving you trouble again? come, honey, come to baba-san’

mattsun gave him a look for the younger’s passive agressive tone

oikawa immediately dashed over right next to yahaba

‘oh? y/n-chan! oikawa-san is here!!’

iwa and kyo growled

‘SHUT UP SHITTYKAWA!’

meanwhile irihata and naoi were just done

they just wanted to get off the train like is that such a big favor?

finally!!!!

seijoh was able to actually make it to the city and ngl, despite living in sendai, you were actually overwhelmed by the bustling city of tokyo

there were people all over the place and many cars and you were being pushed around

it didnt help that it was ltr lunch hour and a flurry of business people just flooded out of their buildings

you unconsciously gripped your bag and focused on just not tripping over people so your eyes were trained on your feet 

then in the corner of your eye, you saw a tiny animal that was in danger of being stepped on so you ofc had to go chase after it

you shouted at some people to watch out and to not step on it

but then it disappeared

the moment you looked up, everyone was gone

you panicked and your head was turning from side to side

‘MATTSUN-SAN?! IWA-SAN?! KYO-SAN?!’

you shouted but it seems your voice wasnt loud enough

GIRL YOU GOTTA MANIFEST THAT BULLHORN VOICE

worry and dread bubbled inside of you but you stopped, just trying to calm down and think

then you saw the flash of white again so you hurriedly ran after it, not knowing that you were straying away from the city and towards the suburbs

you noticed you were now lost at the less amount of feet walking and this wasnt the city and you were now away from the team

taking yoru eyes off of the cat, you looked around to confirm your fear and that gave the cat an opportunity to disappear again

yoo crookshanks

huffing a curse, you pulled your phone out of your bag and dialed each 

your phone wasnt reaching the boys and no one was picking up

what the heck

you ended up at some quieter and less crowded spot 

like a neighborhood

you contemplated calling natsu as he lived in tokyo but tokyo was a big city and you were at some neighborhood so its highly unlikely he would know where you are

so you just walked around, looking for a place to sit and think like a park

then you heard a distressed meow

you were just walking and hearing that loud cry of help made you stop and immediately follow the sound

‘kitty? kitty?’

you called out even though you knew fully well they didnt understand you

but the cat cried even louder and you heard another cat

it was less higher pitched and honestly, you just felt like there was another cat

as you looked around, you saw the same cat you followed after and it bobbed its head at you as if asking you to follow him

‘you want me to go with you?’

the cat blinked then turned around and started walking

‘okay then’

you took the time to inspect the actual color of the cat

it was dominantly white furred but it had multiple colored spots, mainly yellow and brown

you eventually ended up at a large tree with a cat shivering on the biggest branch

it was black and had some fur sticking out at the top of its head and it looked young so its probably a kitten

you tutted and reached out your hand but it recoiled, hissing at you

BOI SHE TRYING TO HELP YOU WHAT

‘hey, i want to help you’

you softly said and maybe youre just doctor dolittle? 

bc it stopped hissing and started whining instead

‘kenma-san! i swear i saw it just now-’

a sudden foreign voice made the black haired cat hiss again and this time, even you were counted as a threat

the appearance by the corner of two boys made you glare at them

one was freakishly tall with grey hair and scary green eyes while the other was shorter and had bleached hair that grew out

they both wore running shorts and black shirts and they looked like they were on a run or something

then you had a thought

this guy was tall

he could help

‘hey! you!’

you waved and the boys stopped, eyes wide

they pointed to themselves and you nodded

‘yes, silly! especially the tall one!’

the other had a flash of a glare that disappeared almost immediately but the ‘tall one’ happily skipped over

‘oho, hello chibi-chan’

KDFJSLDFKSDJLFDKSJ YES IM CONDENSCENDING

you puffed your cheeks out in anger at the nickname but this was not the time

‘that kitty up there is stuck. and i cant help it because its scared. and its all the way up there’

you pointed and he nodded

‘i followed that cat here too but i needed someone else. thats why i brought kenma-san’

your eyes shifted to ‘kenma-san’ who was focused on the other cat who also stared back at his spot by the tree

hmmm, they look kinda similar

‘well! we need to help it,,,,,, grandpa-san!’

taken aback by the nickname, the tall guy gasped while the blonde boy choked out a sudden laugh and you giggled

‘GRANDPA?!’

‘yea. you know cus you have gray hair’

you reasoned and he was about to retort when he stopped himself

‘no. we have more important matters in hand. kenma-san, come stand on my shoulders. chibi, use my jacket to catch it if it falls’

you scrambled to do your task but you heard kenma-san mumble

‘you cant tell me what to do’

‘oh hey! whats your name?’

you asked and the tall guy waved

‘im lev. haiba lev. first year’

‘kozume,,, kenma. im a second year’

‘oh! then nice to meet you! im l/n y/n!’

introductions had to be cut short as you all assembled

kenma wobbled while lev cringed at the obvious pain but they gritted their teeth and kenma lunged to grab the cat 

but the cat jumped away, falling to the ground where it was caught safely by you

thankfully the jacket saved you from scratching but after a few soft whispers of reassurance, the kitty calmed down and it resulted in just shaking

‘its okay. we’re okay. i got you’

you were completely oblivious to the fact that kenma and lev were on the ground, bleeding after falling, or the shout at the distance

‘kenma! lev!’

‘Y/N-CHAN!’

you three turned to see two groups of boys coming from two directions

on the right had a guy with black hair similar looking to the cat on your arms 

while the left had your familiar looking captain

‘oikawa-san!’

you shouted and he ran up, eyes wide with worry

‘where were you?! why did you run off?! you shouldn’t-’

he rambled but your eyes stopped at the appearance of your familiar pink-haired cousin

‘natsu?!’

you shrieked and he had an equally surprised expression

‘y/n?!’

he shouted 

‘what-!’

he started but you beat him to it

‘why are you here?!’

you pointed to the people behind him

‘im,,, a manager. im a manager for my volleyball team’

‘volleyball,,,’

you trailed off

‘VOLLEYBALL?! NEKOMA?!’

you knew of your cousin’s school but you didnt think you guys would meet here

‘shes your cousin?’

someone piped up from the back and natsu nodded, still looking at you

‘oya? the apple doesnt fall far from the tree, then. hello gorgeous, the names kuroo tetsurou’

KSLDFJDSK I HATE THIS LIKE PLEASE HES JUST A NERD YET I WRITE HIM LIKE THIS I HATE MYSELF

‘HAH?! YOU BACK OFF!’

kyotani started but you caught him in time, holding him in your arms

‘nooo,, calm down, kyo-san’

natsu’s nose crinkled and his mouth curled

‘ugh, nice to see you too, brat’

‘BRAT?! YOU BASTARD!’

‘IM A THIRD YEAR, YOU BASTARD!’

kyotani was held back by oikawa and iwa while your cousin was with that kuroo guy and lev

you hurried back to the rest of the team and they each glared at you but they had an obvious expression of relief

‘do that again y/n-’

‘i know, makki-san. youll use a leash backpack’

lets just say its not,,, the first time youve been lost

‘new team rule. youre holding someone’s hand at all times. no matter what, always hold us’

yahaba scolded and watari nodded

meanwhile, mattsun grabbed your hand and gripped it tight

‘youre never leaving my sight again’

his tone was different from his usual playful and teasing voice 

you knew he was very worried and that made you feel really guilty

‘im sorry’

you whispered and he pulled you to him, hugging you tightly

‘its okay. youre here right now and thats all that matters’

you nodded and you turned your head, leaning on his chest to watch oikawa yelling and shouting at this kuroo guy while your cousin and kyo were arguing and you chuckled

this was,,, chaos

‘dear god, you shouldve let me be lost for a few more hours’

you mumbled, smiling lightly when mattsun’s chest vibrated as he laughed

‘take me with you next time’

‘i will’

you hummed

‘Y/N-CHAN! YOU ARE NOT GOING NEAR THIS-THIS MONGREL!’

oikawa screeched, stomping his way over to you

you smirked

‘oi kuroo-san! lets hang out after the match!’

oikawa screamed

a/n: now that my nekoma manager is out, i can finally have a manager x manager interaction and uwuwuwuwu just wait until i finish the others and ill do that req anon sent in ;) if you sent it in, you know what im talking about ;)

[peach-pops]

Kuroo’s Secret Relationship

Request: hello👉🏻👈🏻 i had a vision and i cant tell if this is dumb or cute but IMAGINE kuroo and his karasuno manager gf at training camp but nobody knows theyre datin so they just keep it a secret so during the camp they try to find time to meet but if one of them is free the other one is busy. so during sleepy time she gets up to like poo or sumn and kuroo suprises her but she didnt know it was him so she punches him but then she feels bad and the next day everyone thinks he got in a fight I LOV U❤️

Author’s Note: Thank you for requesting!!! I am a total simp for Kuroo idk if you guys can tell. This is just a cute little scenario and honestly, I’d let Kuroo punch ME but that’s none of my business. ALSO requests are still open, I’ll close them once I reach a certain amount. 

Kuroo watched from afar as you talked amongst some of his teammates that were practically drooling at the pools of your feet. He knew he wasn’t being subtle at all as his eyes raked up your figure but he didn’t know how much more of this he could take. 

You two had been dating for a while but you both thought it would be important to keep your relationship a secret for the time being. Kuroo didn’t want to make it seem like he would be putting volleyball as a second priority to his team and you didn’t want it to look like you were fooling around with one of Karasuno’s “enemies”. 

It was fun sneaking off behind corners for private makeout sessions and sharing secret glances towards each other but as Kuroo watched you get blatantly hit on in front of him, he felt like he was losing his cool. 

The worst part was that since the training camp started, the two of you had no alone time and it was eating away at the both of you. You felt like you couldn’t even smile at Kuroo when he did really well against your own Karasuno without exposing your relationship and frankly, the two of you were both at your wits end. 

“ You’re making it obvious,” Kuroo turned around and looked down at Kenma, who’s attention was on his gaming console,” just go over there.”

Okay, Kuroo wasn’t supposed to tell anyone but Kenma was an exception. The two had been friends for so long and Kuroo trusted him with his life, plus Kenma was never the type to gossip. 

“ Are you seeing this? They’re practically undressing her with their eyes! I can tell from here that Lev is into her just from the way he’s standing,” Kuroo kept his gaze on you as you let out a laugh and even though Kuroo didn’t hear the joke, he knew your laugh wasn’t even genuine,” I might actually kill them, would you help me bury the body?”

Kenma sighed as he continued to keep his attention to his game,” You’re hopeless.”

“ We would need to dig a bigger hole, Lev has a pretty big head,” Kuroo mumbled as you excused yourself to step away. 

As soon as you turned away from the boys, your smile dropped and Kuroo could visibly see how annoyed you were with the conversation. 

It made Kuroo feel better that you didn’t like getting hit on but it wasn’t like you could stop them, they all thought you were single. If they would’ve known you were dating the captain of Nekoma, their advances would stop but that wasn’t an option at the moment. 

You looked over at Kuroo and your whole demeanor shifted. You gave him a big smile before you looked away and pulled out your phone to text him. 

Y/N: pls tell me you saw that- i couldn’t wait for that conversation to be over, lev and yamamoto are going to be the death of me 

Tetsuro: trust me, they’ll wish they were dead once im done with them

Tetsuro: r u free rn? I checked this morning and the janitors closet is unlocked maybe we can sneak off to have some alone time ;)

You looked up from your phone and up towards Kuroo who had the biggest smirk on his face. Before you could text back, Nekoma’s manager announced that Nekoma was next up to play for court two. 

Kuroo groaned out loud, of course the universe was against him. 

Tetsuro: im sorry baby, maybe later tonight then? 

Y/N: that’s fine - good luck!

You watched as Kuroo put his phone away and sent you a quick wink before heading over to the empty court. 

For the rest of the day, you two hardly even had the chance to share a glance between each other. Whenever he was playing on a court, Karasuno had their own match and whenever he was free, you had manager duties with the other girls. 

Even during dinner, you were so busy running around doing last-minute tasks before bed that Kuroo never got to say goodnight to you. By the time you finished, Kuroo was already in bed snoring away with his teammates. 

In the middle of the night, you woke up to Tanaka kicking you in his sleep and in retaliation, you grabbed your pillow and swung it over his face. 

Tanaka only grumbled and flipped to face the other way, still in deep sleep whereas you were now wide awake. You rubbed your tired eyes but as you tried to fall back asleep, all you could think about was how dry your mouth was. 

You contemplated on getting water before you sat up from your sleeping bag and walked out of the room silently, trying your best not to step on any of the sleeping boys. Once you shut the door behind you, you made your way down the hallway to the water fountain in a tired manner. 

You weren’t terrified of the dark but the thought of going down a dark hallway at a school you weren’t familiar with was unsettling to say the least and you wish you brought your phone for some light. 

When you reach the water fountain, you bent down and as you started to drink the water, you felt like something was off. Before you could turn around, you felt something touch your waist and every hair on the back of your neck stood up. 

You whipped around and when you saw a tall and dark figure, your first instinct was to scream and swing your arm out to defend yourself. You made contact with the figure and once you heard the groan, you knew exactly who it was. 

“ Tetsuro! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, you scared me! Are you okay!” You said as Kuroo held his cheek in pain. 

He couldn’t believe you had actually punched him but he was even more surprised you landed a good punch in the dark,” See baby, I told you taking those boxing lessons would pay off but damn, you punch hard.”

“ You know you can’t sneak up on me like that, I’m jumpy!” You sighed as you squinted to see Kuroo’s face in the dark,” what are you doing up this late?”

Kuroo kept one hand on his throbbing cheek as the other reached down to pull out his phone,” I texted you to meet me in front of the janitors closet cause I wanted to have some quality time with my beautiful, sweet, girlfriend who I thought would never hurt me but instead of kisses, I got socked in the face!” 

You knew Kuroo was only teasing you but you felt so guilty. You wrapped your arms around his large frame and pressed your face into his chest and apologized in a muffled tone,” I’m the worst girlfriend ever.” 

Kuroo let out a laugh as he weaved his fingers through your bedhead and planted a kiss on the top of your head,” Don’t say that. If it makes you feel any better, you could always just knock out guys who try to hit on you now.”

You smiled up at your boyfriend as he took the chance to lean down and kiss you softly, his hands wrapped around your waist to pull you closer to him. 

Kuroo smirked against your lips as you moved your hands up to lightly tug on his hair,” You know, the janitors closet locks from the inside.”

“ Are you suggesting we have sex in a dirty closet? What if someone walks by and hears us?”

“ Get your head out of the gutter, I never said anything about sex,” Kuroo acted shocked as he tucked a strand of hair before leaning down to whisper in your ear,” unless you think you can be quiet for me.” 

You rolled your eyes as you grabbed Kuroo’s hand and led him into the janitors closet right beside the restrooms,” Whatever, we both know you’re the loud one.” 

“ We’ll see about that kitten.” 

The next morning, Kuroo went to practice normally but not without weird murmurs from his teammates. At first, he thought his secret was out and maybe you had left hickeys across his neck but it was an entirely different mark that he had forgotten about. 

“ Woah, buddy, did you get into a fight? I’m pretty blind but I’m pretty sure you didn’t have that bruise at dinner yesterday,” Bokuto said in awe as he tried to touch the large bruise that was on Kuroo’s cheek,” that is a bruise! Akaashi, come look at this!”

Kuroo swatted his hand away and used his phone camera to get a better look at his face. Turns out, you had punched him way harder than he had initially thought. 

Kuroo couldn’t even think of a lie in time so he tried to reveal as little as possible,” Who am I going to fight around here?” 

“ I don’t know...has anyone seen Lev?” Akaashi asked right as Karasuno entered through the gym doors. 

“Kuroo! Did you kill Lev? You can be honest with me I wouldn’t tell a soul!” Bokuto shouted loudly as a few heads turned in their direction. 

Your ears perked up once you heard Kuroo’s name and as you turned to look over at the boys, your heart immediately dropped when you saw the bruise you had left Kuroo. 

Without thinking, you dug into one of the coolers and pulled out an icepack, even though it was a little too late to ice it down. 

You rushed over to Kuroo, not caring that some people had their attention on you as you pressed it against his face,” That looks really bad, I’m so- um what happened?” 

“ Kuroo killed Lev!” Bokuto teased as Akaashi gave him a stern look that quickly shut him up. 

You sighed as you looked up at Kuroo and bit the inside of your cheek before whispering  softly,” I think we should tell everyone before you get in trouble. You know Nekoma has a no-tolerance policy for fighting and I don’t want it to be a rumor that you got into a fight with someone.” 

“ I know, you’re right but can we wait until the rest of my teammates get here?” Kuroo asked as you gave him a confused look,” I want them to be jealous just for a bit.”

You shook your head with a smile as Kuroo placed his hand over yours that was holding up the icepack,” Okay, just for a bit.”

[kurooisdbest]

nickname: carri

men: iwaizumi, tsukishima, konoha

number: 11

TSYM!!!

heyyy Carri! PLS DONT HATE ME IM SORRY IF ITS SUUUPER LATE BUT Thank you for participating hihi🥺

here are your results !

Tsukishima (Friends)

Iwaizumi (Acquaintances)

Konoha (Engaged)

TSUKISHIMA

Your friendship with Tsukishima started when you became a manager for the Karasuno VBC together and withYachi

You were already close with the other 1st years but Tsukishima was a tougher nut to crack

he was always cocky and standoffish, and that ticked you off but you being you, you got used to it and began learning how to bark back at him.

Thus, your battle of insults would turn into a tackling sessions (he was surprised how fast and strong you were, being able to attack him like a predator pouncing on its prey. Little did he know you grew up in a house with three older brothers making you a professional in wrestling matches *for the sake of the story let’s just say u have brothers hehe*), and of course would result to the both of you being lectured by Daichi and Suga

With Daichi getting impatient with the two of you, he always punished the both of you with penalty laps. A day never went by without the both of you running around the gym. Daichi was pleased with the result but he would never admit that. He saw how you and Tsukishima became closer, what began in endless bickering evolved into small chit chats, and he was a proud dad

Your friendship with Tsukishima became one of the most valued relationships you have until present;

It was the end of the MSBY vs Adlers match, and you, together with your batchmates decided to drink after to catch up with one another.

“Tsukiiiiiiiiiii come on pls I’m strong now!” you pouted at your best friend, begging him to allow you to drink.

He knew you were a lightweight, you all discovered that during one of Kuroo and Bokuto’s afterparty, when he had to carry you home after finding you passed out in the corner. Thus, he made you swear to drink only when he or the other boys were around.

His nose scrunched at your incessant begging and groaned, knowing he could never win over you. “Fine since your so ‘strong’” he made sure to make air quotes before continuing. “bring your ass back home on your own.” he deadpanned. You smiled at him brightly before linking your arms with him, dragging him to the bar.

It’s been so long since you guys got together like this. So much untold stories from Hinata’s trip to Brazil, Making fun of Kageyama’s awkward commercials, and of course the story of how Yamaguchi and Yachi got together.

As much as Tsukishima protested, he couldn’t deny that he missed hanging out like this. So much has changed in a small amount of time… except for one.

You were drinking to your heart’s content, naive of the consequences you were about to face the next day. He laughed at the drooling mess beside him and sighed. He brushed the stray hair on your face and smiled.

“I forgot to ask!” Hinata shouted from the other side of the table. “Have you ever confessed t-“ he was cut by Kageyama’s hand covering his mouth. Tsukishima glared at the ginger headed male before standing up. “We’ll be going first.” He dragged your body to stand, before carrying you on his back.

Your head rested on his shoulder as he carried you to his car. The smell of his cologne made your lips curl into a smile before nuzzling your head on his neck. “Thank you, Tsukki. i wuv yyyuuuuuu!!! youuur the bestttt” your words slurred before fully passing out. He clicked his tongue and chuckled lightly. “You’re a pain in the ass you know that?” he looked back at you, seeing how peaceful you were, letting out soft snores, before letting a smile adorn on his face.

IWAIZUMI

You recently moved from Tokyo after your father was reassigned to work in Miyagi

Being an alumnus of Aoba Johsai, he enrolled you there for your third year

Everything was going smooth. Your movers arrived on time, you easily unpacked your furniture, and you had everything you needed to face the new environment you were about to enter

However, what your father forgot to mention was that Aoba Johsai was HUGE

Hence, what would a new transferee like yourself have to go through? of course, Get lost i the vicinity

You applauded yourself mentally for thinking ahead and left for school early or else you would be late on your first day

After dozens of twists and turns you finally reached your classroom

Your homeroom teacher entered and instructed you to introduce yourself in front of the class “Hi, My name is l/n y/n. I transferred here from Nekoma. I hope we could get along.” you ended your introduction with a bow before returning to your seat.

“Thank you. L/n and Iwaizumi, I would like to speak to you both after class.” He stated before continuing with his announcements.

You didn’t know anyone in your school and you couldn’t help but wonder what your teacher wanted to talk to you about with Iwaizumi.

After class, you turn your head to where Iwaizumi was seated to see him asleep on his desk.

“Iwaizumi-san?” you poked his shoulder, trying to wake him up. Take note of the word: “Trying” because it seemed like you wouldn’t succeed with just a mere poke.

He must’ve been tired for him to fall asleep like this. Having no choice, you grabbed both of his shoulders and started shaking him. His body jolted and raised his head from the desk and gave you a confused look. You simply smiled at his reaction and told him how both of you were instructed to meet with your professor after class.

His cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment for forgetting and for making you wake him up.

In the office, your teacher told Iwaizumi to show you around campus so that you wouldn’t have to get lost next time.

You tried to decline, feeling guilty for making Iwaizumi show you around but despite your attempts to politely decline, Iwaizumi faced you and gave you a gentle smile. “It’s alright. I don’t have practice today anyway. Come on.” He turned his back and walked toward the exit.

However, you were glued there and couldn’t utter a word. You suddenly feel a hand grab yours and pulled you along.

When the both of you exited the office, Iwaizumi let go of your hand and walked ahead, glancing back at you every once in a while to make sure you were following him.

He walked by your side and toured you around the school, telling you facts and what he called “survival” tips. (Tip#1: Never fall for Oikawa. Who was that? you didn’t know. What does it have to do with you? again, you didn’t know fjsjbfjd)

sometimes your hands brush against each other and sometimes he would put an arm around your shoulder bringing you closer when you pass through places with huge crowds.

He explained to you that he didn’t want you to get lost and you let him continue because somehow… even if it’s just your first day, you might just have made your first (crush) friend

KONOHA

You had been together with Konoha for almost 6 years now. A relationship which bloomed and nurtured from middle school until high school

Despite being a year younger than him, his childish antics proved that maybe, just maybe, you were older than him in terms of maturity

He begged you to become a manager right after you became a 1st year in Fukurodani and not missing a chance to spend time with your boyfriend, you agreed.

Both of you were busy with Finals and the volleyball competitions ahead but that didn’t stop you from spending time with your boyfriend. You’re relationship was past the point of fussing over the small issues. You both were in sync with one another and the both of you learned how to handle problems that would occasionally arise.

Everything became a routine. You would spend your breaks with Konoha and the volleyball team, study after classes before training starts, and walk home together after trainings.

Although lately, you’ve been spending time with each other less. Sure, you and Konoha would study in the library together but that was it. You wondered why he would suddenly bail on you without a word, you wondered why he insisted on letting you go home first, and why he would reply late to your texts.

You understood that maybe he was just busy but the stress you were feeling about school was starting to take its toll on you

Your emotions began to heighten. You were feeling lonely and sad, realizing that maybe the spark between you and your boyfriend was slowly fading. That maybe he found someone better. You began feeling insecure, letting your mind wander over every possible scenario about what would happen next. Is this really how your love will end?

You began to shut out everyone. You barely replied to Konoha, you spoke only in a few sentences, and at times, you couldn’t even spare him a glance.

You didn’t want anyone to think you were petty so you opted to keep everything to yourself. It didn’t bother you anymore that you were spending less and less time with Konoha. Instead of feeling hurt, you felt numb.

Little did you know everything was about to change

“l/n-san.” Fukorodani’s setter and your best friend, Akaashi tapped your shoulder. “Hm?” you answered while continuing your homework on the bench without looking at him. “l/n-san.” he repeated. You dropped your pencil to look at him. “Yes?”

“Konoha-san…” he trailed off. “Huh? What happened to Akinori?” you deadpanned. “He fainted. He’s in the infirma-” you rushed to the infirmary, cutting Akaashi off mid-sentence. A surge of concern suddenly filled you and your heart began beating rapidly.

Upon reaching the infirmary door, you slid it open only to notice the lights turned off. You flicked it on and saw no one at the desk. You entered slowly and walked further into the room, scanning the beds, looking for Konoha. At the end of the room, there you saw him. Sitting down, staring at the wall in front of him.

He didn’t seem to notice you enter as you sat yourself down beside him. “Hey Akaashi told me you fainted. Are you okay?” you hesitantly placed your hand on his. “Are you mad at me?” he whispered, eyes still on the wall. “I wouldn’t say I was mad… maybe a little hurt and I felt that you were shutting me out…I didn’t even know what you were up to… What’s up with you lately?” you answered.

“I’m sorry. I just…” he faced you and placed his free hand on your cheek, caressing it. “I didn’t know you felt that way. I was just busy, that’s all.” you leaned into his touch, unaware that you really did miss him. “It’s okay, I understand. What were you busy with? Maybe I could help…” you stared back at him. “I’m not sure if you could” he answered awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck. “I understand, excuse me” you stood up and feeling your eyes starting to tear up.

Suddenly, you felt upset. What could he be doing that even you couldn’t help with? You were about to turn the doorknob when you felt a familiar warmth grasp your wrist. “Babe…” you muttered, tears slowly streaming down your face. You faced him with your tear-stained face and smiled.

He felt guilty for having to tell you this way. He didn’t want to do it this way but he didn’t have any other choice. “Listen to me, okay?” He grabbed both of your cheeks in his hands, making you look at him. You stared at him and nodded.

“I’m so sorry for hurting you the for the past weeks… I wanted to surprise you that was all.” he cooed before releasing your cheeks. He rummaged something in his blazer and took out a small box. “This isn’t anything fancy but I’m graduating soon, and I have to wait a year before being in the same campus as you again. Y/n, I don’t know what I would do without you in my life. I loved you in the past, I love you in the present, and I will always love you in the future. Will you marry me?”

You couldn’t help but nod as the room filled with the sound of your sobs and your sniffles. Konoha hugged you tenderly and kissed you. “I love you” you replied.

a/n: hope u guys aren’t mad at me nfkshfk ily all thank you for always being patient AAAAAA posting updates for Ace of Cups soon :”>

*I have like other requests piled up in my ask box but i’ll try to get to you soon im sorry 😭