#I tried to put kitty milk on it didn't work

[takeiteasyjoan]

Dewormer pills successfully administered to both cats!

[charmercharm3r]

In Phases, imagine that Reader gets fucked so good and so well by both that she falls into sub-space, pretty much like Minho does sometimes. No thoughts, mind blank, half-unconscious and she loses awareness of her surroundings for seconds, body only searching for the high. You know what I mean.

How would that happen and how would the bbies react after bringing her to that point??👀

I'm desesperatly in love with your blog btw❤❤

this, I simply couldn't ignore and had to turn it into a whole drabble

Masterlist, Phases Masterlist

☆ﾟ

Sweaty, tired, numb yet somehow on fire, "moaning like a pornstar," was how Jisung put it.

Except porn is fake. This, this feeling, the way they made you feel is entirely real.

Jisung had his back against the headboard, hands behind his head with his mouth agape while he watched you work yourself into a frenzy in his lap. He could hear the wooden headboard banging agains the wall, could feel your skin rubbing uncomfortably against one another because you'd been going at it for so long, but he didn't care, as long as you didn't either. And you clearly didn't.

Because now you were calling Minho over, who was still trying to catch his breath at the foot of the bed from when you milked him just a few minutes ago. "C'mon now kitty, don't keep our cock hungry princess waiting."

You couldn't stop moving, swiveling forward and back to feel Jisung's tip nudge the soft spot within you, mindlessly beckoning your other boyfriend over because you missed his presence. As if he wasn't in you less than five minutes ago, Minho took your hand like a champ and stood by your side, only to be pulled down into a sloppy kiss by the back of the neck, all the while you didn't slow down.

Your hand glided down his wet chest to find his dick raising again, somehow hardening under your touch. You liked the feeling of his tongue in your mouth, but craved something bigger, heavier.

Minho winced against your lips as you tugged at his cock, "can't- hurts-"

"You can, and you will," Jisung instructed before the other could protest.

All three of you knew Minho could take it, if he truly didn't want to, he would've tried hard to fight it or used the safe word. Instead, Minho kissed you deeper and slightly rutted into your hand before pulling away. He moved to stand on the bed, beside where you and Jisung stayed connected. As soon as he was close enough, you reached to take his cock in your mouth, barely trying to suck.

Jisung had the biggest shit-eating smirk on his face, enthralled by the sight before him. Minho held onto the headboard for balance, the feeling of your warm mouth already making him want to crumble from overstimulation. He was already amazed by how much you were still able to take, thinking in the back of his mind that he needed to do more cardio to catch up to you.

The weight of one dick on your tongue, the other filling you so nicely, you didn't think it could get any better-

Correction; you didn't think. You couldn't think.

Every thought in your head drifted away the second your first orgasm passed, you didn't even know what number you were on now. Maybe Jisung knew- you'll find out eventually.

But his hand was wrapping around your throat now, squeezing softly and feeling the air supply slowly dwindling little by little. Slack jawed, Minho took advantage and threaded his fingers in your hair to rut in quick jabs, the drool dripping down your chin and onto Jisung's hand.

Your thighs burned, trying so hard to maintain a rhythm and failing. Jisung could tell, to Minho it was obvious, they were both just proud you were still going. In an attempt to get him to squeeze harder, you placed your hand around Jisung's. Instead of constricting, he lifted you up by the neck to get you to sit high on your knees.

Even with a mouth full of cock, you couldn't contain your moans. The vibrations of your whining made Minho squirm and rut faster, sloppier. Elevated in more ways than just in his lap, Jisung pulled out to the tip only to slam back into you, thrusting from below at a more than leisure pace. His thumb found its way to your clit, rubbing harshly back and forth perfectly to make you grab at Minho's thigh and harder at Jisung's hand around your neck.

Your eyes rolled back, taking Minho in his full stride and the pummeling you were receiving from below. All senses flushed stupid, feeling nothing and everything all at once and in fact, moaning like a pornstar.

It was so good to the point you didn't realize you'd stopped breathing even when Jisung loosened his grip on your windpipe. You were suddenly being lowered into someone's arms and placed with your head against their chest. It felt as though you had just woken up from a deep slumber, but was sweaty and smelled like bodies on bodies.

"Baby, hey hey, come back to us," Jisung cooed sweetly, brushing away the matted hair on your forehead.

Another set of hands was caressing your back, cooled off by a damp towel being wiped up and down the exposed skin.

Your eyes fluttered open, seeing Minho's big browns glossy with concern, "there she is."

"Hm..?" The dryness of your throat hurt a little, as did the joints in your jaw.

Jisung carefully laid you on your back with your head at the foot of the bed. You could hear him distantly chuckle about the pillows being too icky to lay on.

Towering over you, Minho used the same hand cloth to wipe your face, down your neck and body. He gently kissed your belly as he continued to traverse your lower half and legs. Drowsily looking around the room, you almost rolled your eyes behind your head to find Jisung, who popped in upside down into your field of vision.

"You okay, sweetheart? You blacked out on us," before you could answer, he Spiderman kissed you chastely.

"Dicks too good, apparently." Minho and Jisung high fived each other over your limp body.

"Thirsty," you groaned, trying to regain moisture back into your mouth.

"Yeah, you were. I swear my dick was about to fall off." The older chuckled as he sauntered off to the bathroom for a moment once you were clean. Jisung took his place and sat you up to bring a water bottle to your lips.

"Don't complain. Just means we gotta step up our game, right? Hit the gym more often. You got us both beat, pretty princess." Soft and sweet, the blonde leaned forward to kiss your forehead and tip you back again. "But seriously," he said with your cheeks in his hands, "don't ever scare us like that again. It's okay to stop."

You couldn't help the slightly embarrassed giggle, "I would've if I could."

"Look!" Minho came running back into the room, still completely naked. "Lipstick!" Your lipstick. Printed in a ring around the base of his flaccid cock.

Jisung's mouth dropped, "that's so hot. I want one, too."

"You just told me I should sto-"

"Next time, next time. Can't have you breaking in two." Jisung grabbed the blanket from the side chair and draped it over your body.

As Minho tossed the soiled pillows to the ground and got into bed beside you, he murmured, "yet."

-

tags: @sensitiveandhungry @babebatter @changbinluvr @epiphanynaffit @fawnpeaks @linovely @dumplinbokkieracha @finnydraws @naturules @djeniryuu @skzhomiehopper @yesv01 @hyunjinsamdl @dazzlingligth @lvrhyuka @alexis-reads-fics @linaliskz @0002linoskitten @chillichillicrabcrab23 @zerefdragn33l @straycrescent @binnies-donuts @soldierstangirl-blog @bakedlilgoonie @levanterlily @shelbyyy44 @yeetmehome @in2heartz @astroodledream @the-sweetest-rose @goblinracha @lilbugs-things @viviennenstan @staurdvst @alex--awesome--22 @imzenning @jeyelleohe @kaitchan @iadorethemskz @skyvastbunny @mamabymychem @katsukis1wife @woozarts @noellllslut

[novankenn]

Cherry Pie - Nine -

(Master Chapter List)

As Pyrrha and Cardin were having their very public fight. Yang was just leaving the bathroom after having a shower, and Jaune was hunched over a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Crunch. Jaune grunted a greeting to Yang between spoonfuls, and the blond brawler entered the kitchenette and grabbed a mug of coffee.

Yang: (Taking a seat across from Jaune) Are you good?

Jaune: I'm fine.

Yang: Jaune don't bullshit me. This twice now that asshat has taken a shot at you.

Jaune: I think he was aiming for his ex.

Yang: You know what I mean. So, are you okay?

Jaune: I'm fine, Yang. You're worse than my sisters.

Yang: Hey, I have strict orders from them to watch your ass, or it's my ass... and my bountiful booty is only for Kitty-Kat, so suck it up.

Jaune: I should never have agreed for you to come, the last time I went home for a visit.

Yang: Why? Is it because I'm basically been adopted by your family, and that means you are still living with family?

Jaune: No, it's because four of them think me and you should have babies, and the other three are blaming me for the fact you won't ever be a true sister.

Before Yang could react or spout a comeback, Jaune flicked his spoon in her direction, splattering her recently showered face with milk.

Yang: (Noticing Jaune smiling) Oh, you son of a bitch!

Jaune: Oh, oh, oh! Mom's not going to like what you just insinuated about her.

Yang: You wouldn't?

Jaune: I will if you and Blake don't stop trying to set me up with people.

Yang: What are you talking about?

Jaune: Pyrrha. She seems like a great person, but...

Yang: (Laughing) That was not a setup! P-Money had a cheating ex and Blake was trying to cheer her up! You egotistical prick! Thinking that was about you and your wasteland of a love life!

Jaune: Okay, so I miss read the situation. It's not like you guys HAVEN'T tried doing that before.

Yang: And we apologized and swore we wouldn't do it again, after what's her name?

Jaune: Her name was Scarlet David, and she was a guy.

Yang: Well, you did have a fun date with Scarlet, so it didn't end that badly for you.

Jaune: He's a good guy. Last time we talked, he was dating someone new, and it sounded serious.

Yang: Good for him.

Jaune got up and put his dishes into the sink, before grabbing his own mug of coffee and returning to his seat. He took a sip from his mug and was enjoying the silence, until he saw the Cheshire grin on Yang's face.

Jaune: What are you planning?

Yang: Me? Moi? Plan something, pshaw, I would never...

Jaune: Yang we've been roommates for over a year, I know your tells just as well as you know mine. We work together every few nights, so please don't insult me like that.

Yang: Spoil sport.

Jaune: Thank you.

Yang: So... what did you think of P-Money?

Jaune: You said it wasn't...

Yang: It wasn't. I just was wondering what you thought of her.

[shebeafancyflapjack]

A Strange God (Part 7)

Time passes. Everything changes.

Most of the time, her dreams focused on the past. Happier moments from her life, reunited with her dog, getting along with her siblings instead of constant fights, camping with her dad, movie nights with her mum. Other times, she'd explore the fantasy worlds that before she could only escape to when reading or playing her games.

This time, her mind had been buzzing with thoughts on the future.

When Alison had given her the news of the baby, she'd squealed like a school cheerleader. She'd even forgot about the whole physical contact thing as she'd tried to wrap her arms around the woman before falling through her and making herself retch. It was just so exciting, taking her back to when her sister in law had announced she was pregnant.

And so her dreams had been fueled by the excitement of what was to come. A cute little Cooper baby growing up in the house. Getting to be seen when they were young, smiling whenever their Auntie Silver came to visit each month. The rare but wonderful possibility of the baby inheriting Alison's sight. She and Kitty stayed up all night discussing possible names and what they would teach him or her, as well as promising there would be no competition over favourite aunt.

When she opened her eyes, red and green festive lights had been strung around her tree behind her bed. She wasn't surprised that Alison wasn't there when she awoke. She must be passed her due date now.

Robin, of course, is waiting at the foot of her bed.

"Did she have the baby yet?" Silver asked, bolting upright.

"Yes. Little girl. Name Mia." The caveman grinned; "She small and bootiful."

Of course she is. Silver jumped up, giddy as a school girl. She couldn't wait to see her.

"Uhh, wait one sec-" Robin called.

"I know it's late! I'll just have a quick peek." She didn't look back as she raced towards the house.

The sound of crying had reached her ears before she walked through the door. Alison's bedroom light was on. Silver sprinted upstairs and found the new mum rocking Mia in her arms as the newborn wailed loud enough to wake the dead. Hell, she might have woken Silver had the moon not already.

"Hi..." Silver whispered, entering cautiously.

Alison paused her singing and turned to look at her.

"Sorry! I just wanted a quick peek if that's okay."

It was easy to see that Alison was already exhausted from enough sleepless nights. But she smiled and nodded.

Silver moved closer; "Oh, Alison. She's gorgeous! Mia is such a good name. You didn't consider Destiny or Luna or any of Kitty's suggestions?"

Alison just hummed. An odd response.

"...Is everything okay? Why are you-?"

"Here we are! Grandma to the rescue." An older woman who Silver faintly recognised as Mike's mum from photographs walked straight through her.

Silver stumbled back as the woman handed Alison a bottle of expressed milk.

She watched as Alison threw her an apologetic look before discussing difficulties getting Mia to latch, followed by the older woman giving some light criticisms on how Alison needed to try holding her differently and relaxing more. The most interaction Silver got was a look that said "please save me."

She wished she could. But she knew when she was in the way.

The rest of her cycle passed in the same vein. Mike's mum was clearly staying put for who knows how long and Silver was far from alone in feeling shut out. It wasn't because of the baby, but the woman being there meant Alison had to pretend they didn't exist, and so they were cut off from the living world more than usual.

Except for Kitty, who one hundred per cent did blame the baby.

"Bumpy was a far cuter name. Not that she pays attention to me anymore." The Georgian woman sneered as they lay in her room one night; "Could you please let me have a dream of how it was before she arrived? Back when everything was perfect? Pretty please!"

"I can try but it's not guaranteed to work like that." Silver explained; "Anyway, you can't hate an actual baby."

"I don't hate her! I just...wish she hadn't been born. What's wrong with that?"

Silver wasn't going to dignify that with a response.

"She is your niece-"

"No she isn't. She's not related to me at all." Kitty was being spiteful in a way that Silver never thought possible.

"Then I guess Alison isn't your sister either?"

"Oh what do you know about it! You're not even here most of the time! Why don't you go back to your wood if you're not going to take my side like a real friend!"

"I am your friend but I'm Alison's as well. And I do love Mia."

"You don't even know her! That annoying woman keeps getting in the way."

"Exactly. It will be different once Betty is gone, you'll see." She shifted closer to Kitty, reaching to rub her arm, "Alison wants her out as much as we do. I bet when I next wake up she'll be gone and we can be a real family."

The pampered woman looked at her, sheepishly.

"You promise?"

"Well...I can't do that, but. It's what I believe will happen. And the Goddess rarely let's me down." Except for dying during a ritual for her but she'll ignore that.

It pained her a little to think she would miss Christmas. She usually did, it seemed to rarely fall on a full moon, but this would be Mia's first and one of the few she'd be able to see all the ghosts around her.

"Maybe we can have Christmas or Yule point two when you wake up." Alison reassured her in the early hours of her final night, after Mia had fallen asleep at last.

"That would be awesome." She said, smiling at the cute but super loud infant snuggled against her mum.

Alison sighed; "I feel so bad about ignoring you guys. If I'd known it would be this hard, I..."

"What? Wouldn't have had the baby? Not accepted help from Mike's mum? C’mon, we know those aren't things you can regret."

Her friend nodded, bags heavy beneath her eyes.

"I've told Kitty to be patient and things will be different once Betty is gone. Everything can go back to normal...except with this little bubba now."

At that, Mia began to stir and whine.

"Oh, shi...Was that me?" She asked guilty.

"No, no....Might be best just give us some space, if that's all right." Alison began bouncing her again.

Silver didn't dare to argue, knowing Alison could have hinted at her to leave in a much, much less tactful manner.

"Sorry, again. I'll see you next month." She smiled.

"Yeah...And Silv? Thanks. Things will be better next time."

She nodded, wishing that her powers worked on the living. Alison looked more in need than anyone of a good night's rest with the sweetest of dreams. She blew a kiss to her niece and left.

Robin stood outside the door, waiting to walk her back.

"You pushing it." He said, pointing to the first rays of light tinting the sky.

Silver knew that, having been desperate to have some time with Alison, having not had much of a chance to talk to her the last three nights. She rubbed at her eyes, a yawn her main response to his greeting.

The caveman grunted as she nearly tripped over her feet. He moved forward and picked her up, one arm under her knees, the other supporting her back. She put her arms around his neck and leaned against his fur.

"No Kya?" She mumbled.

"Pat babysit. He try get Cap to practice babytalk on her before use on Mia." He explained.

Poor mite.

"Ey. What make you feel Christmassy?" He asked as he carried her across the field.

"Dunno. Yelling at Christians about how they stole the pagan Winter Solstice?" She quipped, making the caveman laugh; "But...I guess just spending time with family...Being forced to try to be nice to each other..."

"Hmm. Maybe that why me no feel it this year. Alison make me love Christmas but she not able to be with us, not really."

"You're as bad as Kitty. S'just Betty getting in the way." She let out another yawn; "It'll be better once she's gone....We'll be fi..."

She nuzzled her cheek into Robin's fur and fell asleep, her dreams giving her another preview of the life to come. Watching Mia grow up. Seeing Alison and Mike become one of those sweet old couples. Them both winning the lottery so they didn't have to worry about money. Kitty learning to love Mia rather than see her as a rival.

Everything working out, thank the gods. Happily ever af...

Silver opened her eyes.

All the ghosts were there for her tonight. They'd even remembered to bring Humphrey who was lodged under Thomas' arm.

"Hey, guys. You all didn't have to be..."

She then took in the looks on their faces. Sombre. Quiet. Downcast.

Silver scoffed; "I know this is a dumb question but - who died?"

Not even Robin laughed with her at that. He was rubbing his thumb over Kya's head as he held her.

"...Guys? What happened?"

"It's Alison." Said Kitty, sat at the end of her bed; "She left us."

[puppygirlsounding]

I was debating if I had the gumption to be stoned on main today, as if there's any more appropriate day?

Pictured:

The breakfast of the girl creature

I had a whole edible, with a little of the granola I usually have for breakfast. To make sure it didn't hit me before I was done cooking.

Made just some regular toast, but with really nice butter that was on sale when I went out last night.

The eggs were beaten together with some leftover rice. I wanted scrambled eggs and chorizo with a little cheese, but I had to clean the pan from rice I made. So the extra I didn't have room for in my tupperware, went into the eggs. It worked out really well. The texture is nice, and the cumin and onion I seasoned the rice with fit great.

If I wasn't already feeling the edible by the time I had put egg to pan, I would have tried to make it into some kind of omelette, but it's still great as scrambled eggs.

Not pictured, but you can see the cup in the background. I had an espresso mixed with horchata flavored milk. Delicious, and more fun because kitty mug ^w^

[pbandjesse]

It was way too humid out and I got way too overheated at times but had a good day.

James's phone being broken meant that they couldn't turn their alarm off so they have to restart their phone but I don't remember it going off so I was able to sleep. And when I did wake up I felt pretty good.

At times today my neck would hurt really bad but overall it seems to be doing better. And when I got up I decided that I needed to accomplish a few things but mostly today would be pretty chill. So I got dressed and I did a little cleaning around the apartment. I cleaned the kitty litter. Swiffered and vacuumed the floors. I also decided that I wanted to bake today.

To do that though I had to leave the apartment. I walked out side and went over to the shopping center. There was a lot of old women sitting on the corner today. It's usually old men so I don't know where these ladies came from but it was nice to see them. They were all very nice to me. People get tell me how pretty I was today too which was very nice and I got to the save a lot and started looking for the items that I needed.

I got the milk I needed and I went to go get the brownie batter box and a very nice man was in there trying to figure out which syrup was the best syrup. I explained to him that the one is actual maple syrup and that's why it's $10 and the other is maple flavored corn syrup and that is why it is $1. We decided that he would get the butter pecan maple syrup that is $2. And I hope that it came out good for him.

I also bought a bag of horchata. Always really liked horchata but you don't see it very many places around here. You might closer to highlandtown where it's a more Hispanic population but we're trying to just fun and so I got a bag of powdered mix. I'm going to wait until it's a little cooler before I have it but that would be pretty cool to be able to make it home kind of like I've been able to make Thai tea.

And then I went home. I got really hot. Was very very warm today. Originally was supposed to storm all day and then the rain went away on the forecast and then the sky turned black tonight so I don't know. But it was humid and pretty uncomfortable. But I was determined to make my brownies.

This did not go well. I preheated the oven. At least I thought I did. And then I mixed everything and I put it in the baking tray. I put caramel drizzle and sea salt on top cuz I wanted them to be fancy. And the oven wasn't hot. So I did all of our tricks to get it to kick on. Because the light is on underneath you would think that it would be getting hot but it is not. So we tried on tricks and nothing was happening.

So I just put the tray in there and hope that it would kick on and I would just check on it periodically. I finished cleaning the floors and did a little bit more picking up and then I was very sweaty so I took a shower and when I got out the brownies were still cold. The oven had not gotten hot yet.

I continued to try all the tricks but then I just felt like the apartments smelled like gas and I was very anxious about it so I turned on all the fans. And I kept checking and coming back and was just getting very frustrated. I made a sandwich and tried to just chill but it was very hard because I was feeling some kind of way about it. We need a new oven I think. So I messaged James so that they could let our landlady know that it was a problem and now we just wait to see if she gets back to us about it.

This was all after I gotten out of the shower so my hair was all wet because I decided to wash it and I was getting overheated again already so I laid in bed with my fan in the bed with me. I didn't want to have the air conditioner because I thought with my wet hair would make me uncomfortable. But laying there cooled me down and made me feel a little bit better. Even if I just kept checking on the brownies and they still were not cooking.. very frustrated.

I would have a pretty productive afternoon though. I worked on some more sewing. I finished the first set of frogs and I finished fixing a couple bears and then I got into fixing some of my larger bears that I don't bring to market right now but I will now that I have a whole basket. And I had to cut off two of their heads to give them shorter necks because they looked insane. And honestly they don't look that much better. The one does but the other one still has a lumpy head. But they're a little improved and I don't feel embarrassed putting them out anymore. Though it did look very violent chopping their heads off. It was cosmetic surgery for sure but I think it will improve their quality of life.

I also texted with Celia today about going to the State Fair next week and I chilled for a while. I read for a bit. And it was a nice day even if I was too hot.

Soon James was home. Still no new phone. Even though they paid $30 for it to be delivered today it did not come. Hopefully tomorrow. But it was really nice to see them even if they were very sweaty. And then they told me that Dante had to cancel his visit for next week and it was clear how upset that made James. Would have been nice to have somebody come down to visit and I think it's just one of those things were like a lot of friends are not making the effort when both me and James make the effort to come up to Philly all the time. Nobody else seems to and it just kind of hurts their feelings. Hurts my feelings too. But I understand everyone's busy and it's one of those things you just kind of deal with as you get older.

But I decided to take it into my own hands and text Dante that we need to make a new plan if he can't come next week. And so him and his girlfriend Allie are going to join us camping and I really excited about it. Unclear if they will actually camp with us or spend the night in a hotel but we're still very excited to have them regardless of their choice.

James would work on trying to get the oven to turn on for me and they sorted the laundry. They also took out the trash and I really appreciated that. Eventually they went and took a shower because they were dripping wet and very gross. And then we spend some time hanging on the couch together.

Eventually though we moved to working on our own projects. I would move to the studio to continue selling and James would work on editing their podcast. And that's when, about 4 hours later, the oven finally turned on and we were able to bake the brownies.

James would come in the studio with me while they were baking and they would help me buy stuffing the frog stuffed animals that I was working on and helping to flip their legs. Which is difficult and they struggled with so eventually I took that over and they worked on stuffing the legs for me. And now I have lots of rugs to sew the legs onto tomorrow and I'm really pleased. I was hoping to have more done for the market but that's okay I'm more done than I would have if I did not have the help. I love James so much for helping me all the time.

Elizabeth texted me and apparently she had texted seven other people before she texted me but she asked if it was an all possible for me to come in and help on Monday with the high school group and I honestly was a little bored at home today so while I don't want to work on Mondays because I want that day to be my day off with James I still said yes because I think it will be fun and she seemed super thankful so that was nice. Glad I could help.

We had our brownies on the couch. And watched a video. Spent some time just being together. And now we are getting ready to go to sleep. They are still without phone so they're doing their Spanish lesson online on their computer. And I'm going to go brush my teeth. Tomorrow We go to the market and then I don't know what I'm doing after that. I hope that it is a nice day though. I hope that you guys all have a good night. And let's hope that the bike race that is happening downtown doesn't completely scrub the entire day I make everything terrible because of traffic reasons. Good night everybody.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Moon Rocks

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason accidentally reunites his mother with an old friend after being caught shoplifting.

Chapters: 4/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Catherine Todd, Natalia Knight

Relationship(s): Natalia Knight/Catherine Todd

Additional Tags: No Capes AU, No Powers AU, Angst and Fluff, Old Flames, Romance

Chapter Four: Shape

Natalia went upstairs to wake Jason up, and to her surprise, he was already awake and dressed. He sat with his back turned to her, and she stood in the doorway. "Jason," she whispered.

Without turning around, he mumbled, "I don't even know if she's okay." Natalia walked over to him and sat next to him. He pushed his face into her lap as he cried. Natalia rubbed his back as she tried to find the right words to say to him. She didn't have any words to say, so she played with his hair to calm him down. Jason gasped and sobbed as he allowed his anxiety to swallow him whole. He gasped and choked and wept into her lap. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart," Natalia whispered, "It's okay. Nothing bad is going to happen to Catherine." Her voice was soft as she continued to pet him. Natalia allowed him to cry it out, and by that time, he lay fast asleep with his head on her lap. She let him sleep for nearly thirty minutes before waking him. "Jason, I have to get you enrolled in school today," Natalia let her fingertips dance through his curls as she spoke to him. He opened his eyes and sat up. "I shouldn't have done that," Jason mumbled, "I shouldn't have made such a—." "It's okay. If you're upset, I want to know," Natalia interrupted, "Kitty wanted me to take care of you, and that doesn't just mean feeding you." Jason swallowed hard and straightened up his collar. "School?" Jason asked. Natalia nodded, and they both stood up. Natalia fixed his hair and backed away. "You should probably put a jacket on. It's cold outside," Natalia suggested. Jason pulled a sweater from his bag and put it on. "You didn't unpack?" Jason didn't answer. He didn't want to offend her on accident. He followed her downstairs to the kitchen. Natalia made him a few pieces of toast and poured a glass of milk. "You won't hurt my feelings. I've got a very thick skin," Natalia whispered. Jason shook his head. "But it's not your fault," Jason whispered, "It's just that I haven't even been here a whole week... What if it doesn't work out and you want me—." "Jason, listen to me. I'm not going to make you go anywhere. As long as your mother is ill, you don't have to go anywhere. I mean that," Natalia promised. She gestured for Jason to eat. "And if you want, I'd like to get to know you." Jason took a sip of his milk. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have put that on you," Jason whispered. "Jason, you don't have to apologize. I want you to feel like you can talk to me," Natalia whispered, "It's just that sometimes I don't know what to say." Jason finished his breakfast and washed his dishes. "I know, but—." Jason sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The car ride to the middle school was short. Jason followed her to the office, and he sat while she spoke to the women about getting him enrolled. Jason filled out paperwork while they all talked about his schooling or lack thereof. He was ashamed to hear them talk about how many days of school he'd missed, but he didn't have much choice. "Jason, is there anything you would like to say?" the counselor asked. Jason shook his head as he went back to filling out papers. "Jason, we just want to hear your side of the story and your concerns." "I don't have anything to say," Jason shrugged, and he looked over at Natalia. "That's fine. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Natalia reassured him. He uncomfortably shifted as he sank in his seat. The principal looked him in his eyes, and he turned his head. "Well, I have a concern about students that display certain aloof attitudes—." "I don't have an attitude," Jason snapped before collecting himself, "Sir." Natalia excused both Jason and herself as they left the office and stood out front. "Jason... What's wrong?" Natalia asked.

"He pissed me off!" Jason exclaimed. "I'm not defiant. I didn't wanna tell those people that I couldn't go to school because I had to choose between getting the grade and getting enough to eat for my mom and me." Jason crossed his arms. "That's none of his business." "No, you're right. It's none of anyone's business. Jason, you don't have to go back in," Natalia whispered as she gave him the keys to the car. Jason stood there stunned as she went back inside. Natalia went into the office. In the heat of the moment, she forgot to close the door behind her. "While Jason is under my care, it is my job to protect him and care for his needs. I didn't want to sit here and watch you put him on trial for having a hard time—." "Ms. Knight—." "No. Don't Ms. Knight me. He is a child! Jason has no choice in how he was brought up or where he came from, and he doesn't owe anyone an explanation or an apology for who he is!" Natalia snapped. She took a deep breath and looked around at their shocked faces. "You will treat him with the same respect that you would treat anyone else... And from what I see, there is nothing on Jason's record that suggests he'd be a problem... Now, if you have everything you need, we'll be leaving." Natalia turned to leave and nearly ran into Jason. She closed the door behind herself, and Jason smiled at her. "Thanks, Nat," he whispered as he walked a few paces ahead of her back to the car. Natalia got into the car with Jason, and he gave her the keys back. Neither of them said anything else about the subject. "Jason, do you dance?" Natalia asked. Jason shook his head and smiled. "No, but Mom still dances when she's feeling good if that's what you wanted to know," Jason answered. "She never taught you how to dance?" Natalia asked. "My dad wouldn't have allowed it. By the time he was gone, she was too sick to teach me anyway," Jason replied. Natalia frowned. "Would you like to learn?" Natalia gently asked. Jason nodded. "Maybe we'll both surprise her."

[daegall]

# NEVER HAVE I EVER - h.rj

↳ youtube user renjunnie has uploaded a video!

'Going on a roadtrip with an old friend! (plus qna!!)'

it's great content, it really is, until Renjun realizes he's caught himself falling for his childhood friend in 4k.

pairing: youtuber! Renjun x reader

genre: fluff, crack, childhood friends to lovers! AU, youtuber! AU, roadtrip! AU

warnings: swearing, reader is implied shorter than renjun, mentions of tits, the aggressive cheesing of nostrils, so many granola bars??!?!?!?!!?!?!

word count: 9k words

a/n: part of my ALL FUN AND GAMES nct dream 00 line series, and @kokonomi 's natsuyo no magic writing event!! most of this is based off my trip to my grandfather's house (the tiddie mountains HAHA) also this might be a bit messy since i wrote literally half of this a week before it was due

and there maybe small easter eggs to the other stories... if you can find them :lipbites:

taglist: @neoturtles @knet-bakery @kokonomi @twozeronet @dailyyuta @lanadreamie

prologue.

Huang Renjun was always an artistic guy. You knew this since 5th grade, after you had requested him to paint you an elephant. You expected the elephant to be painted in gray, but it was filled with colors and such detail, you couldn't help but boast how you got such a beautiful painting.

But a youtube channel? You didn't really expect that from him. You didn't think he would really put himself out there, so publicly and expose his personal side, but he has been hanging out with Lee Donghyuck for years now so he was bound to grow more extroverted.

It was strange, you spent so many years with him during your childhood, and now you're one of his (thousands) of viewers, supporting him in a way you never thought you would.

You scroll through instagram on your bed, a face mask cooling your face as you relax after a long week of work. This week had been filled with assignments and tasks from the company you intern at, but alas, summer had come.

The first few hours of freedom and you're already relaxing so carelessly.

You quirk up in interest when you come across a post Renjun posted just minutes ago, reading through the lines of the caption with curiosity. Lines of how summer is finally back, something about a qna, you're definitely gonna submit something in. The next line surprises you a little bit.

'Here's my email if you guys want to tell me some stories or tell me a problem, now don't go complaining about my alien theories again ;)'

You contemplate on emailing him. You tried emailing him from the one he made in 4th grade, but of course nobody was managing it.

'ah, fuck it.'

Shrugging, you opened your emails, going straight to, and type in Renjun's new email address. But you doubt he'll reply, there are probably thousands of emails already sent in with the amount of fans he has.

'Hey Renjun! I don't know if you remember me but it's Y/n. The girl from 3rd to 8th grade? I doubt you'd remember me, but I just wanted to check if you did :) I tried contacting your old email you made in 4th grade but you didn't reply, as expected haha.

Anyways, if you see this, and you do remember me, hit me up! I'd love to catch up soon<3

Kind regards, Y/n Y/l/n.'

You cringe at the basic 'kind regards,' but press send anyway, turning your phone off to bring your laptop to your lap instead and watch Buzzfeed Unsolved instead.

The next morning, as you sit on the dining table and bid your roommate goodbye as she leaves the apartment you open your notifications, hoping one of your friends would ask you to hang out like your roommate.

Just as you take your second bite of cereal, you choke on it, eyes widening at the sight of an email, from Huang Renjun.

You quickly wipe off the milk and cereal from your mouth and chin, opening the email to see if it was actually him.

'Y/N! YES OH MY GOD I REMEMBER YOU! HOW COULD I EVER FORGET YOUR ICONIC PINK HELLO KITTY LUGGAGE LIKE BAG!'

Holy shit so it really is him.

You feel the tip of your ears, and even your cheeks warm up at how enthusiastic he sounded with the all caps message, biting back a smile. Your eyes travel to read the remaining of the message.

'Yes! I'd also love to catch up! Here have my number;' the next sentence contains his number, and you can't help but gape at it. It feels weird, to be his childhood friend, and kind of his fan at the same time.

With excitement, you copy the number, and instantly make it a new contact on your phone 'HUANG FUCKING RENJUN AAA'. You then quickly go to message him, the excitement of the moment bubbling within you.

You: RENJUN

As you don't expect such a quick reply, you continue eating your breakfast, but your eyes can't lie as they glance at your phone ever so often, anticipating for an answer.

After your last bite of cereal, your phone lights up, and there it is, a reply from Renjun.

HUANG FUCKING RENJUN AAA: Y/N

OH MY GOD

HOW DID YOU FIND ME

You: HOW DID I FIND YOU???? YOURE LITERALLY FAMOUS RENJUN

HUANG FUCKING RENJUN: NO WHAT STOP IM NOT

You giddily continue catching up with your childhood friend, legs swinging playfully in the air as you lie on your stomach, giggling to yourself at such a moment you never thought would happen.

After a few minutes (literally half an hour) of texting, Renjun brings up a strange idea that has your heart swelling and your stomach flipping.

HUANG FUCKING RENJUN AAA: hey

Do you wanna be in one of my videos?

you: hell no

i have no experience

HUANG FUCKING RENJUN AAA: so what??

You: so what???? I could pull a jeno and make the video boring af

HUANG FUCKING RENJUN AAA: HAHA DONT CALL HIM OUT LIKE THAT

but come on :(

You: sorry jun but you seriously wouldn't want me in one of your videos

You are unaware of the way the old nickname you call Renjun causes his heart to soar, he hasn't heard anyone call him that in so long. Let alone you, the girl he used to have a crush on.

The conversation ends there, you move on to a new topic until Renjun claims he needs to go grocery shopping.

That night, as you shut your computer down, your eyes linger on the messages that Renjun sent. You've always had a small urge to start a youtube channel, but you never thought people would actually watch your content.

Here Renjun is, with his thousands of subscribers and a video titled 'Literally just me sitting on my couch' and the video does not lie. It's just filled with him staring at his tv with his roommates occasionally joining in.

You wish to do things like him. Post videos without a care in the world, without caring if anyone didn't like it.

Shaking your thoughts off, you get under the covers and shut your eyes in hopes of a good night's sleep.

Exactly a week later, you find yourself bidding your roommate goodbye yet once again, but this time with a weaker smile as she had been gone everyday with her friends. And you just stay at home, hoping for one of yours to come unexpectedly to pick you up.

A sudden honk breaks through the quiet atmosphere of the sweet morning, you jump up at it, and your roommate comes rushing back in through the door.

She looks shocked, eyes wide and mouth agape as she points to your balcony and instructs you to look outside.

A bit scared, but definitely with anticipation, you open the sliding door to the balcony, walking out into the cool morning air, before you grasp at the railing and look down to see what it was.

To your utter surprise Renjun stands there with his camera in hand, looking around blindly, before lighting up when he finally sees you. He waves and sends you a soft grin, "Hey Y/n! Surprise!"

You didn't actually think your hopes would come true. Especially if it's Huang Renjun. "What the fuck are you doing here, Renjun?!"

"Come on! Be in one of my videos!"

"Are you serious?! Dude I can barely process this it's too early in the morning!"

"Yeah!" One of your neighbors steps out into his balcony as well, pointing at Renjun. "You shouldn't be honking at 7 in the fucking morning!"

Renjun awkwardly smiles and waves in apology, before turning back to you with a cheeky smile, "Too bad! Pack your things let's go!"

You're not so sure if Renjun saved your life, or made it harder. He is suddenly in your room, bouncing on your bed as he observes your surroundings, all the little things somehow giving off your vibes.

"How long are we gonna be gone?"

Your childhood friend continues jumping on your bed, spinning around playfully with giggles, "I don't know. At least a few days, I think?"

You stare dumbfounded at Renjun, as he flops on your bed and kicks around in your sheets like a child, before squealing and shocking you when he jumps off. "I can't believe you found me! It's been years, how are you?"

You can't help but smile at the stars in his eyes, gazing over the excitement and adrenaline in them. You wonder what time he woke up to get here, or how long he took. Wait a minute-

"How the hell do you know where I live, though?"

"I stalked your instagram and found your mom. She told me. She also promised a bunch of her cookies and kisses."

You shove the last of your belongings (you think are enough) to bring on the very unexpected trip, narrowing your eyes on Renjun, "I feel like she loves you more than she loves me,"

Renjun complies as you gesture for him to help sit on the duffle bag as you zip it, the contents inside shrinking and squeezing in dangerously together in the small space. He looks back at you with a cheeky smile, "I think so too."

This time, it's your roommate and her friends who bid you goodbye as you haul your bag into Renjun's car, awkwardly waving back at the people you have no relations too. You are greeted by a camera in front of you as you climb into the passengers seat, freezing and blinking along to the red light going on and off at the corner. Buckling your seatbelt, you throw a quick punch to Renjun's bicep.

"Ow!"

"You didn't tell me you were gonna record this!"

Your childhood friends huffs out a scoff, taking a left to onto the street, "This is totally vlog worthy!" He glances at the camera with big eyes, biting his lip in excitement.

"Welcome to Renjun's first video for the road trip series! Today, I am here, in my car, with one of my childhood friends who messaged me about a week ago! Say hi, Y/n,"

You look straight into the camera, mustering up your most polite smile, before raising your hand to wave at the waiting audience, "Hi, I'm Y/n, Renjun's childhood friend and girl he just kidnapped about 5 minutes ago."

"Y/n! Youtube's probably gonna take this down now!" Albeit his statement, Renjun snorts, coming to a stop at a sudden red light. You can't remember the last time you've been with someone else in a car, other than taxi or uber. You would always walk to campus or if you're occasionally (read: always) late to class you would take the bus.

You went shopping with your roommate last month, but you two aren't that close and it was just filled with her music. Quite awkward, but comfortable nonetheless.

Renjun unexpectedly pulls out his phone from his pocket, unlocking it with a very obvious password, his birthday, before he shoves it into your face.

"What-"

"Open notes and read the questions I picked out for the qna."

"Right now? I've been in your car for like a single minute and you're bossing me around already?" You face the camera with a dumbfounded look, "Classic Renjun, I guess."

Renjun says something about you bullying him the second you see him, but you don't pay attention as you scroll through his phoen for the questions. You don't take long, as it was titled very boldly, 'QNA QUESTIONS HERE!!!'. Gosh, how private must he be?

You skim through each of the questions, some painfully basic, and some actually pretty good questions, but there is one you do come across, "Do you still believe in aliens?" You gasp at the question, before breaking out into loud laughter, "Oh my god you're still on that? I thought you stopped at 13!"

Renjun shoves his fist gently into your side, growing flustered at the question he picked out, "Hey, don't clown me! Jisung even agrees with me on this, yes, yes I still do."

You hold back a laugh at his very serious tone, choosing to read another question. "Do you ever consider making a gaming video with Hyuck?" You've only seen this 'Donghyuck' about twice on his channel, once when he cooked for his roommates, and the second when he made a video to pull a revenge prank on him after Hyuck squirted a bottle of cheese string into Renjun's nose while he slept.

Oh how you would like to see that happen in real life.

Your childhood best friend sighs, running a hand through his hair, and you feel amused when he points at the camera as if to scold it, "You guys just love Hyuck, don't you?" There's a beat of silence that lingers through the air, before Renjun sighs agian, but in defeat this time, "Yes, yes I have. But why do you guys love Donghyuck so much when he squeezed a whole bottle of cheese string into my nose? It came out my other nostril!"

"Half a bottle," You cough out, attempting to hide the growing smile on your face.

Renjun only groans and mumbles for you to read the next question.

"What inspired you to start a youtube channel?" You turn your head and wait expectantly for his anticipated answer, also genuinely curious as to why he started making videos.

"Jeno." Renjun answers with an affirmative nod after a second of thought. "And Jaemin. They told me to make a painting video, for fun, but it got about 2 million views and a ton of subscribers." he shrugs with a smug grin, taking off once again as the light goes green again. "I guess I'm just that lucky,"

Smiling at the reminder of the video, you are also reminded of the elephant he painted you and how you cherished it so much. You still have it to this day, just with your parents back home.

"I still have that elephant painting from 5th grade, you know?"

Renjun gapes upon the nostalgic remembrance of his old art days, his first pieces he was oh so proud of. "Oh my god! No way, where is it?"

"Oh, still at my parents house. In my room, I think."

Beaming, Renjun turns to you with a mischievous smile, before grinning and pointing finger guns at the camera. "Look at that folks, my first masterpiece safe and sound, and hopefully in perfect shape too."

You don't know where Renjun takes you, but you trust him, and you're sure it couldn't be that bad.

i. renjunnie just tweeted! 'note to self: never let y/n push the grocery cart'.

Your roommate was definitely a foodie, along with her friends, which shocks you because they are literally so fit. Having leftover food brought to you after your roommate's long day of hanging out with her friends is great, but you don't always eat it as it would always do a number on your stomach, and your roommate finishes it anyways because she knows you don't always accept the food.

You were never one to literally kill for food, but you might just do it right now. Renjun didn't even let you finish your breakfast before helping you pack and instantly leave.

And now, about 2 hours into the ride you have never felt so hungry in your entire life.

Which is exactly why you forced Renjun to pull up at a gas station, with also had a diner, convenience store, and grocery store.

"You're a beast, you know?" You say as you grab a trolley, waltzing in with Renjun by your side with his camera stuck in front of him.

Renjun snorts, "Yeah well, I'm not the one who threatened to throw themselves out the car."

You simply stick your tongue at him, "You almost starved me!"

In his defense, he just wanted to get to the destination, which you don't even know where it is, which is pretty suspicious, but you trust Renjun nonetheless.

"Y/n goes mental when she's hungry, so thank god for her foodie roommate." Renjun makes a face at the camera, before reaching to grab a small packet of coca cola and plopping it into the cart.

Renjun's viewers know who you are now, they are the twitter detectives, searching up and finding your own twitter after Renjun posted a pic of you together in the car, account and following instantly. They even found your instagram account, which is pretty crazy because they have different usernames.

You don't remember telling him about your roommate, but you suppose you don't remember anything for the last 1 and a half hour because you slept after the first 10 questions for the qna.

You hum in agreement, finally realizing how luck you are for your roommate and her friends reaching to get a packet of sprite as well.

"What snacks should we add?"

Renjun places the camera into the corner of the cart, adjusting the camera to show the both of you. He waves a cheeky grin and a peace sign, and you follow along, shooting finger guns. "I'm on a diet, so I guess granola bars would be okay."

"Okay, chips it is,"

Repulsed, Renjun freezes in the middle of the isle with a dumbstruck expression, sighing, deciding to turn around and get the granola bars for himself. He takes his camera with him, knowing you'd be doing nothing but spewing embarrassing stories of him in middle school.

The granola bars aren't that far away from where you are, just about 2 isles down. Renjun speaks to the camera about his diet and how he finds granola bars so much more tastier than any snack he's ever eaten.

God bless Jaemin for shoving one in his face.

"Oh! This is it! The one Jaemin forced me to eat!" He excitedly grins, taking a box and waving it to the camera, "Thank you Jaemin for shoving it in my mouth, without you I wouldn't have found my-"

Renjun's sentence hitches in his throat and he yelps when he hears a loud crash nearby, holding the box of granola bars to his chest in shock. It takes him a few moments, before he hears muttering and occasional groans, that sound exactly like you.

Upon realizing what supposedly happened, Renjun stares wide eyed at the camera. He grows even more shocked when he sees you appearing behind him hurriedly from the camera, shrieking as he jumps back.

"What the fuck?!"

"Help I just crashed into the cereal isle,"

Renjun stares dumbfounded at you, glancing at the isle, only to see a few stray boxes laying about on the floor, "What?! How did you even-"

"I don't know! I was just pushing the cart to the chips, but you know how there has to be that one shitty wobbly wheel? It took a turn and all the other wheels followed along!"

Astonished, Renjun stares at you as if you were an alien, speechless at your sudden speech. You throw your hands up in the air, "I swear to god I'm not lying."

Your childhood friend only sighs, before he reaches out to grab your wrist to pull you towards the cereal isle.

Your cheeks heat drastically at his soft touch, his fingertips grazing softly against your wrist. "W-what are you doing?" You don't know which situation you're referring to, the mess of koko crunches on the floor, or the mess you stare at on your wrist.

"We have to clean it up before the employee's find out."

Renjun sets his camera down at the corner of the isle, mumbling how you were a little clumsy since you were children.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault! It was the wobbly wheel, Renjun!"

Renjun softly hits a box of lucky charms on the back of your head, picking up a few more, before placing them back in their place on the shelf.

You pick up the 3 boxes of corn flakes, making a face and muttering how they always tasted bland. As you look for the correct place for it, dread washes over you when you realize it's all the way on the top of the shelf, way to high for your own good. How are people supposed to take cereal from such a high shelf?

But then again, it's bland corn flakes, who would want it?

With all your strength and might, you reach up, attempting to fling the corn flakes at the top shelf, but to no avail, fell right back into your hands.

Before you could straight up throw the box up there, a sudden presence is warming your sides and arm, and Renjun takes the box from you with a small chuckle. He places it up on the highest shelf easily with the help of his tip toes, before giggling something about you being short.

Though you want to argue and comment about how he was literally the shortest in 5th grade, your words are stuck in your throat and there's heat covering your cheeks and ears.

No, this is ridiculous! You know for a fact that you feel like this when you like someone, and you also know for a fact that you forced yourself to stop liking Renjun in the 8th grade. The feelings can't resurface, they could never! It's been years!

But you can't lie to yourself, not when there's an inevitable smile covering your lips when Renjun picks his camera back up and yells something about leaving before the manager watches the footage.

ii. renjunnie just updated his story on instagram! 'y/n's first attempt at vlogging!'

"Ooh, there's this one place I went to once with Jeno the last time we went on a road trip with his best friend. The food was great." Renjun perks up at the memory of the delicious food, almost drooling at the thought of having to taste it again.

You're about to say something, but the though vanishes at the mention of Jeno and his best friend. "Wait what? They're not dating yet? I swear to god they're literally so dense."

"Oh my god, I know right?? Jen, if you're watching this, go make out with her already please."

You nod, staring at the camera with stern eyes, "Please,"

"So where is this place? I'm pretty surprised you know about it when we're literally in the middle of nowhere."

You had exited the highway some time ago, about 30 minutes, and it's already lunch time, which means an actual meal instead of a few bags of chips and granola bars.

"Hyuck's mom recommended it when she heard we were on a road trip, she has a lot of connections." Renjun explains as he checks google maps to see if he's on the right road.

You nod, looking out the window to admire the scenery before you. You're now literally on a mountain, occasional houses here and there, and the clear sky puts a spark the scenery. "Cool,"

There's a peaceful silence after that, which feels a bit wrong because you literally have an active camera in front of you begging for some nice content. Renjun hums lightly along to the song on the radio, tapping his fingers to the beat against the steering wheel.

You can't help but admire the trees that blow against the wind, watching the leaves shake within the air. You want to feel such wind in your hair, it's been do long since you have. The last time was when you rode your bike down that one hill whenever you go to your local library, but that was weeks ago.

Without thinking, your finger presses against the window control, and the window rolls down. There's instant wind that blows against your hair and face just like you wished it to be, and you instantly smile at the sensation.

Renjun chuckles at your delighted smile, reaching down to roll down all the windows of the car, wind rushing into the car quickly. The amount of wind causes your hair to go haywire, and it seems like Renjun's does too, it thrashes in the air, tangling with each other crazily.

You burst out in laughter at Renjun's head of messy hair, reaching out to flatten it with your palm. He decides the wind is too much, rolling the windows at the back up, but leave yours and his halfway open letting in some wind.

Renjun can't help but relish in the lingering touch of your fingers in his hair, reaching up to run his own through them. He bites down a smile, shaking his head to ignore his weird thoughts.

After a few more songs played over the radio, and a few more fits of laughter when Renjun's hair messes up again, the car comes to a stop in front of a small hut, looking cozy and aesthetic.

You gape in awe at such a tiny little place, feeling the excitement practically boil in you. Though, before you could walk into the restaurant Renjun suddenly hands you his camera, "Film yourself for now, I have to go do my business."

You try not to show any signs of your amusement, though you're sure the camera catches the way your cheeks puff out, before you nod and shoo him away.

The small hut only have about 3 costumers, and it wasn't just like any restaurant. It's built over a small cliff, the scenery of beautiful mountain, and has no windows, just open for the scenery.

You greet a few of the waitresses, taking a seat on the furthest table, closest to the view.

"Hello Renjun viewers," You smile at the camera with a wave, "it's me, Y/n! I'm sure you guys know me at this point. Renjun asked me to take over filming while he takes a piss in the bushes back there," You point randomly behind you with a cheeky smile.

"So, I think I'll just read a few questions you guys asked on twitter." You reach into your pocket to fetch out your phone, unlocking it instantly to twitter, which was already open.

You gasp as you spot a question for you, a smile curling your lips up in delight, "One of these questions are for me! When did you meet Renjun? Oh, we went to elementary school together, up until 8th grade." You explain with ease, knowing the story all too well.

"That's right, I was there for his glory days, when he had a bowl cut and a crooked tooth, though, his crooked tooth made him look adorable." You laugh at the memory, unaware of the figure approaching you from the back.

"You better not be talking shit about me,"

"No, I'm telling the viewers the good stuff about you. You know, your middle school ugly phase."

Renjun scoffs as he takes a seat next to you, snatching his camera back, "My viewers-"

You cut him off with a hum, raising one finger into the air, "They're my viewers now. They gave me questions for the qna too! Look here's another one, what was your craziest experience? With or without Renjun, is alright."

You grin and beam up at the camera, smugly nudging at Renjun who only observes you as you start to explain how you had a dog once who was really energetic and at some point dragged you around your backyard. Why did you even hold onto the leash in the first place?

Strangely enough, Renjun has a small smile growing on his face with each detail you include, unaware of it growing bigger and bigger. He leans his head on his palm, tilting his head and giggling when you sulk when you realize how harsh your dog was.

Heart beating fast, lips twitching up, Renjun is suddenly completely aware of how his cheeks are so sore and warm and how he has his utmost attention to you, he's a bit weirded out at this feeling.

He hasn't had it since high school, which was years ago.

Renjun thinks your smile is precious, the way you speak naturally to the camera is endearing, he might just blurt it out loud at how obvious he makes it by staring at you so intently.

You put down your phone after a few minutes of research, as you were previously curious to it's history and how old it must be, stifling a laugh and turning the camera to the view in front of you, nudging at Renjun to point at the two mountains that stand next to each other. The beauty is immaculate, you have to say, and you haven't seen such a sight in so long, dare you say, you haven't seen such a sight ever.

"Look, people say these mountains are so famous just because they look like tits,"

"WHAT?!"

Renjun stares astonished at your screen when you show him, feeling lightheaded and shocked that people made it famous just because of the boob like structure. "No, no, this is too much, how did I not know before??"

Renjun then begs to eat because he has an empty stomach, claiming that you need to eat too, 'chips isn't good enough to fill an empty stomach, healthily.' Though you want to argue, you know he's right, you're in the restaurant anyway, might as well take a rest and relax.

iii. y/n !! just tweeted 'renjun looks cute when he naps lolzers'

Before you know it the sun has already set hours ago, you're no longer on a mountain, and you're at yet another gas station in yet another town, filling up the car with gas for another adventure to your next stop, wherever that may be.

You exit the convenience store with more granola bars and drinks to keep you awake for the ride, but you know you'll be awake for at least another 4 hours for how long you napped in the car after the delicious food at that small restaurant. Food coma hit you right away when you get in the car, and Renjun took the chance to take lots of cursed photos for the future.

You grin at the sight of Renjun waiting for you in the car, his head leaned against the wheel as he slowly dozes off into sleep. You store the snacks you just bought in the back seat, before you pop open the door to the driver's seat.

Gently, you shake Renjun awake, "Hey, Jun, wake up." He thankfully isn't much of a deep sleeper, so he wakes up almost right away with a big yawn. "Oh sorry, give me one of the drinks and I'll be awake, just give me a few moments."

You laugh at his statement, shaking your head with a fond smile, "No, I think it's my turn to drive, you've been doing for 8 hours now. Go get some rest."

Renjun blink up at you once, and then twice, before he sighs and gives into your proposal, switching your seats as you said. He munches on one last granola bar, before he knocks out completely.

You start the journey once again, driving down a lonely road leading out of the town, ready for your next destination. If you trust Renjun with wherever he drives you to, you hope he trusts you to drive wherever too.

Of course, you won't be completely doing this randomly, you have google maps open in front of you, showing you the right ways to the next upcoming locations and spots you could visit.

Renjun's camera is surprisingly still on, albeit it's low battery, you notice how the red light blinks more often and quicker than usual, concluding it to charging it.

You reach out to grab it, but a sudden movement at your side stops you from completing your mission. You quickly glance to your side to see the purple ikea blanket you had brought was now laying on Renjun's lap. Huh, he must've been using it.

Carefully, you relocate your hands to the blanket, pulling it up and covering Renjun's arms and shoulders, patting it so then it covers all his exposed body parts.

Strangely enough, you continue to glance at him after fixing the blanket, even after you're sure it wouldn't fall off. His peaceful face and slightly parted lips draws your attention more than anything else does (other than the road, of course), you feel intrigued and observe each of his beautiful features.

When did he get so good looking? Sure, you always thought he was, but this time it's somehow different, like he's actually genuinely attractive, not like all the dudes you joke to be hot. He's actually... infatuating. Is that the right word? Your mind is running everywhere because of Huang Renjun, and for once you don't mind it, not one bit.

A sudden beep in front of you catches your attention and practically reminds you to focus on the road, and not the guy in the passenger's seat looking all cute while he sleeps.

You stare at Renjun's camera, only to realize that it's still recording, so it caught everything. You flush in embarrassment and reach out to the camera with a shy smile, mumbling a soft 'oh, shut up', before turning it off and charging it. It's like you've grown attached to the camera, like it's become one of your friends.

So this is what it feels like to make the content you want, to not care if anyone thinks anything about it, because you're just enjoying yourself. You feel pure happiness as you cruise along the road, the empty, dim road where you can truly enjoy your time.

iv. renjunnie just tweeted! 'another note to self: always let y/n pick out the next destination'.

Just a few hours later, you find yourself pulling up at the curb, turning off the car engine. You've been driving for hours on end now, with 2 gas stops and pee breaks, Renjun surprisingly hasn't woken up yet, he must be really tired from all the driving.

You relate to him as you stretch in your seat, sighing in delight at the relaxing sensation of your tense shoulders and arms. You open your door and smile at the sound of waves crashing against the shore, the smell of the salty sea, and the wind that grazes your tired face.

Reaching over tot he passenger's seat, you once again try to shake Renjun awake, "Hey, Jun, we're here,"

He stirs awake, rubbing adorably at his eyes with a sleepy yawn, "Hm? Where?" He looks out the window, and gasps at the sight, lighting up like a child on christmas. It makes you dangerously soft.

With a bright smile, Renjun hops out of his seat and onto the ground, where he stretches like a cat and groans in relief. You can really see the content on his face, and it makes you glad you came here.

Renjun sends you one last playful grin, before he goes taking off to the sand, running along the shore, where the tide is still high, laughing with pure happiness. Just the sound of it releases your stress.

"Y/n! Come join me!"

It should be too early in the morning for you to be comprehending anything, but after spending countless of hours (that feel like decades) with Renjun, you grow used to his morning bird antics, forcing yourself to understand whatever is happening.

You join Renjun on the sand, throwing your sneakers into the car, running up to him with a big smile. You two run wild on the sand, laughing and jumping in glee at nothing. It's alright, just the fact that you're enjoying yourselves is enough.

"Oh! Oh, the camera! We have to record this, it's-"

"Totally vlog worthy? God Renjun, just go get it!" Though your words are playful, your light push and soft smile say otherwise, expressing how you love recording everything for the memories.

Renjun quickly fetches his camera, running back to you while spinning the camera around him. "We're at a beach!!!" You hear, chuckling at the sight of Renjun jumping up and down with the camera.

The next few hours are filled with playing in the sand, walking ankle deep in the cold waters, and even catching the sunrise of the beach. It's incredibly beautiful, and full of wonder, it really feels like a dream. Or a fever dream with the amount of times Renjun buries your legs in the sand.

There's a feeling of euphoria and ecstasy that fills the air, it follows along the breeze and through your faces, it feels like a guilty pleasure.

What also feels like a guilty pleasure is the granola bars your snack on as a 'picnic'. You should've thought it through, really, but the granola bars give such a Renjun vibe that you don't mind it at this point. Plus all the lukewarm sodas all around you.

"Ooh, here's an interesting one, 'would you rather Jeno and his best friend not date until they're like thirty, or have hyuck cheese your nose again?"

"I swear to god Y/n if you read another question mentioning the cheese prank I will cheese your own nose." Your laughs are like melodies to Renjun, beautiful and full of emotion, he wants to hear it everyday.

Renjun's smile is something you too would like to see everyday, like your own personal ray of sunshine right in front of you, ready to cheer you up after a hard day.

"But god, I would let Hyuck cheese my nose if it meant for Jeno to get with his best friend."

"Jeno, last warning, if you're watching this and you still haven't made out with her we'll be cheesing your noses ourselves."

After a small fit of laughter, you move onto the next question, kicking your legs in the air. You lay on your back, on top of Renjun's legs, your phone reached out in front of you to block the sun and read questions at the same time.

"Favorite art work of yours?" You ask, bringing your phone down to look at your childhood friend. The sun glares at you, however, and forces you to hiss and squeeze your eyes shut. With a laugh, he leans forward and looks down at you to cover the sun with his head, humming as he racks his brain for an answer.

"I think the one I made with Jisung and Jeno. The late night finger painting, yes. The tea I made in that video wasn't too good though, just watered down tea."

You tilt your head with a frown, "What about the elephant painting?"

"Second," Renjun states with a peace sign thrown to the air.

You want to playfully argue how the painting he gave you should be the first, but as he sighs and looks up at the sky with his eyes shut, you decide not to, knowing it would just break his calm persona.

He smiles at the warm rays of sunlight that shine on his skin, feeling purely at bliss in the moment. With the perfect sunny day, at a beach, with you, it's all so relaxing.

As you scroll through the questions for the qna, you find lots you've already answered, and ones that are bit too personal, thumb constantly moving to find the next question.

You don't expect to come across one that has your eyes widening and cheeks warming up much more than how the sun could. 'never have i ever liked y/n'

Sure, you've seen a few posts here and there saying you and Renjun seem a bit closer than they think, but they never really fazed you. Somehow this one does, it catches you completely off guard, Renjun grows curious at the squeak you let out.

"What is it?" He asks.

Renjun's expressions are soft and laced with a bit of concern, but you wave it off, shaking your head. "It's nothing,"

"No, come on! Just read it!"

You hesitate to even look at it, just the thought has you so flustered, imagine reading it out loud and anticipating for an answer. Though, with Renjun's very curious eyes staring so innocently at you, you wonder what his answer will be.

With a deep breath, you prepare yourself for his reaction as you read, "N-never have I ever liked Y/n..."

There's a beat of silence, only the sound of the waves resonating through the salty breeze, and none of you look at each other.

"Y-you don't have to answer it," You try to cover up the situation, finally finding the courage to look up at Renjun. You might just stare at the sight of you for days, he looks so soft with his soft smile and pink cheeks, and with the sun on his skin? The most beautiful piece of art you've ever seen.

Well, other than the elephant, of course.

"Yeah, u-uhm next question?"

You're glad the sudden tension has passed and is over, though you want to know the answer. Has he ever liked you like you liked him back in middle school?

You have to say, the much upgraded and glowed up version of Renjun is much more attractive, and those feelings have resurfaced a bit.

Okay, maybe a lot.

But does Renjun feel the same way?

v.

You're surprised Renjun's car isn't wrecked and trashed with all the stuff he forced into front seat. The back seat is folded down and covered by your purple ikea blanket and another (very dusty) blanket Renjun keeps in his car.

You're also surprised you don't feel any grainy sands or pieces of dust sticking to you. You only fluffed the blankets a little before arranging it onto the trunk and back seat, along with a bunch of car pillows Jaemin forces Renjun to keep in his car.

You sigh at the new and improved back seat of the car, nodding to yourself proudly at the way you had set it up. Your childhood friend had went to change in the single stall bathroom they had a few meters away, though you are concerned if any crabs are there to pinch him.

Renjun, being the gentleman he is, let you change in the car, only for the price if you made the mini fort though.

You pick up Renjun's camera from the front seat, quickly running back to your spot in front of the open trunk, proudly pointing out the fort you made. "I made this all by myself, yup."

You direct the camera to the wooden stall in the middle of the sand, where Renjun is, "Jun is changing into his sleepwear right now, I hope no crabs pinched him in there."

As if on cue, the door swings open, And Renjun steps out with his old clothes in his arms, from his expressions, you assume your hopes were right and no crabs bothered him this time. He quickly notices you with the camera, waving with a small smile. You quickly beckon him to run (read: waddle) faster to come look at your creation.

Renjun chucks his old clothes into his duffle bag, before he comes back out to join next to you in front of the trunk. He instantly laughs and nods in approval at you work, "You did great! This looks cozier than my bed at home,"

"Might not feel as cozy," You state, "Sand."

Renjun shrugs and hops into the car, instantly settling down and laying on the blankets. His expressions are unreadable for a split second, before he pulls a moomin plushy into his arms and sighs, "Not too bad. Come on in,"

Without words, you set Renjun's camera into the bottle holder at the side, before flopping next to Renjun on your own side of the mini fort. Just as he said, it wasn't too bad. Not ever a piece of sand stuck to you, and the blanket felt soft too.

Maybe it wasn't too bad because you've been sleeping in a leather seat for hours before.

You hum and turn to lie on your side, facing Renjun. You observe his relaxed expressions as he gazes into the clear sky, you can practically see the reflections of the stars in his eyes.

You turn your head to look up into the sky, your breath takes away for a second, feeling blown away at the beauty of it. "You chose a really good spot."

You chuckle at Renjun's words, thanking him, before you two keep your gazes stuck to the sky. Your roommate is also an astrologist, those online ones, and studies a lot about constellations and all that.

You can't seem to name a single one, finding them just mere balls of intense gas.

The night is filled with occasional conversations here and there, lots of laughing, and staring into the night sky. The sound of the waves get louder as the night passes by bit by bit, crashing harshly to the shore as the wind gets a tiny bit harsher and colder.

You somehow find yourself much closer to Renjun than you thought, or even imagined, his arm tossed underneath your head as a substitute of a pillow. He doesn't really mind that much, it doesn't cramp that much, and it makes him a lot more warmer with the cold breeze that blows into the car.

You lean your head onto his shoulder comfortably, feeling his fingers lightly twiddle with the ends of your hair casually. God, when was the last time you felt this close and comfortable with someone?

"Thank you," You start, shutting your eyes, "for this trip." You look up to see Renjun already staring back down at you with a fond smile. "Really. I haven't felt like this in a while,"

Renjun quietly mumbles how he hadn't either, leaning back down to his pillow. There's a warm sensation in his chest, and yours too, like it wasn't there before, preserving all the calm and rest from the night. It feels so overwhelming and euphoric, as if nothing else mattered in the world.

You decide now, on an impulsive road trip, in Renjun's arms, that this was going to last a long time. You decide that you want to have Renjun back into your life for times like these.

Renjun thinks the same thing as he feels you snooze off into his shoulder, feeling as if this is what he's been missing this whole time. He stares at all the stars in the sky, feeling one festering in his chest every time your breath hits the skin of his neck.

vi. youtube user renjunnie has uploaded a video! 'Going on a roadtrip with an old friend! (plus qna!!)'

You go home the next day, both agreeing that though the trip was great and much needed, you also need to get back home.

So here you are, back at home, waving bye to your roommate yet once again. Though you're happy you're back home, you can't help but miss Renjun already, but you know he's a whole 2 hours away.

Renjun, back at his apartment, is currently editing his video, a granola bar hanging between his teeth. The bar and the video footage in front of him reminds him of you, and he too misses you just as much as you miss him.

There's a few knocks at Renjun's door, before the piece of wood swings open, "Hey, have you seen my flashlight? I need it for the camp and Hyuck said he left it in here after he killed a bug with it."

Renjun hums mindlessly, squinting his eyes at the video he's trying to cut. On his screen, is you, back at that one restaurant you when to, a big smile on your face as you point behind you, "Renjun asked me to take over filming while he takes a piss in the bushes back there,"

Your voice instantly brings a smile to Renjun's face, his heart racing as your face turns surprised as he approaches you from the back.

Jaemin takes note of his clear reaction to your voice, actions, you in general, a small smirk quirking his lips up smugly. "So this is Y/n?"

Renjun nods, snapping out of his sudden daze to edit the video. He takes a big bite of his granola bar, hoping it would hide the way he's trying to suppress a smile. "Yeah,"

Oh how Jaemin knew Renjun so well. He knows he has feelings from the way the tone of his voice is so soft, and how his response slowly dies down in his throat quietly when he gets flustered, he definitely has feelings for you.

Renjun coughs awkwardly, eyeing Jaemin as he wanders around the room for this flashlight. He knows he's there just to get him to spit something out.

He rolls his eyes, opening the drawer from his bedside table, and pulls out his own flashlight, before chucking it at his roommate. "There, just borrow mine."

Jaemin thanks Renjun one last time, exiting his room painfully slowly, eventually shutting the door behind him firmly. The older boy sighs, turning back to his computer to continue his editing.

His plan on doing it peacefully is quickly interrupted when Jaemin comes rushing back in with a loud slam, shocking his roommate to the point where he throws the remaining of his granola bar at him.

Jaemin, with his fast reflexes, catches it, and shoves the bar into his mouth. He then raises his hand to point a finger at Renjun, "You like Y/n! Admit it!"

Albeit trying to feel dumbfounded at his chipmunk looking roommate, Renjun is unable to, instead a feeling of shyness filling his senses instead. "W-what?! No way!" His soft tone returns, and the way his sentence quiets down at the end, and that's when Jaemin really knows he has lots of feelings for you.

He stares at his friend as he looks bewildered at him, and then turns to his screen where it shows you talking about your life, and Renjun in the background looking all lovestruck with his head in is palms, before looking back at his roommate.

"Okay, fine, I do like Y/n."

Jaemin should be feeling happy, over the moon for his best friend. But instead, he's filled with sympathy when Renjun stares longingly at you from his screen, knowing that he can't just go to you so easily.

There's silence that envelops the atmosphere, it's tense, and Jaemin can sense how Renjun really doesn't know what to do.

"Do it, Renjun, it's okay."

Both boys somehow know exactly what he means, what else would he be referring to anyway?

Renjun stands from his seat in front of his laptop, grabbing his jacket and 3 granola bars, before he walks up to Jaemin with a smile. "Thank you, Jaemin,"

Jeno and Donghyuck are confused as to why Renjun is rushing out the door with Jaemin following along hyping him up, but they get up and follow along nonetheless, rushing to the parking lot with whoops and yells for Renjun to 'go get her', though they have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

"Yeah! Go Renjun! You got this!"

The three watch as Renjun drives away, waving goodbye from the parking lot.

"So," Donghyuck looks at Jaemin with a puzzled look, "where is he going?"

You take a final bite of your donut your roommate brought last night, refreshing Renjun's youtube channel again and again, waiting for his video to come out.

Weird, he said 8, and it's currently 10, was there an error or something? Just as you open your chat with Renjun to text him your question, there's rapid knocking at your front door, which scares you out of your wits. You quickly get up to go answer the door, surprised to see the boy you were just thinking about in the peep hole.

"Renjun?" Astonished, you open your door to Renjun panting and leaning on the wall for support. He holds up a hand to stop whatever you were going to say, gesturing for wait for him to regain his breathing normal pattern.

Once he's done breathing heavily with his chest heaving up and down he gulps thickly, nervously, you've never seen this on Renjun before.

"Jun, what are you doing here?"

"I-I have a question." Renjun can feel his heart skip a beat at the nickname, and the twitch at the corner of his lips, and this time, he let's it show. He grins brightly at the nickname, gaining the confidence to finish what he came here for.

"Never have you ever liked me?"

"I'm sure you said that wrong-"

"Shhh, just answer."

You chuckle, and despite feeling your insides churn and mix at the question, you nod subtly, biting at your lip, "Yes-"

You never expected to be shut up this way, especially by Renjun, but he's pushing his lips against yours, lightly smiling against them. You instantly respond to the kiss, sliding your arms around his shoulders and neck to pull him closer.

It's everything you've dreamt of, since 6th grade, Renjun kissing you tenderly has always been something in your head, a fantasy, and now it's become a reality that feels surreal.

He surely feels out of breath from running to your apartment, but he doesn't want to pull away. Instead, he sighs against your mouth, his palms creeping up to hold your neck softly.

You laugh the second you pull away, as Renjun pulls you into his chest. "I like you," He mumbles into your ear, and he does it as if he knew every way to have your heart skip multiple beats and your knees wobbly. "I like you too," You mumble back, "A lot."

renjunnie just tweeted! 'i have a girlfriend now :00'

[nebulaofthorns]

TWST Boys Giving Their Partner A Cupcake

(I ended up using this piccrew a lot, and decided to write for what was created. Fluffy fun, and to give you an idea of the relationship between my OCs and the characters)

Azul Ashengrotto (Ube and Blueberry)

*He has the cupcake waiting front and center on a table in the back room during one of Sierra's breaks*

Sierra: ...You know that looks suspicious as Hell, right?

Azul: If you don't want it, my dear, I can always just toss it to the twins.

Sierra: *Her stomach groans noisily, due to not eating for hours* ...Just know that if this thing is bound to some kind of contract, I'm coming for your neck.

Azul: You're welcome.

Malleus Draconia (Black Velvet and Pistachio)

*Malleus invited Opal to his dorm house for dinner. The only problem being, he couldn't talk Lilia out of cooking..*

Malleus: Your bravery is truly remarkable.. *He groans, trying not to hurl*

Opal: He- *gag!* he means well, I didn't have the heart to turn his food down.

Malleus: *He gets up and goes to the kitchen, returning with the dessert* I hope you'll still be able to stomach this.

Opal: *She stares at it in amazement* Did you make this?

Malleus: Yes, and I can only hope that it pleases you.

Opal: *She chuckles a little* Well at the moment, I think my taste buds are burnt off. But how am I supposed to bite into something so pretty?!

Malleus: *He leans in close beside her, toying with a strand of her hair* Now you know how I feel~

Riddle Rosehearts (Dark Chocolate and Raspberry)

*Riddle and Lucinda had a disagreement for the millionth time, and Crowley demanded him to make peace with her. Begrudgingly, he slaved in the kitchen baking her a personalized cupcake, and then sent Deuce to deliver it along with a letter containing his apology*

Lucinda: Tsk. If that boy honestly thinks he can get on my good side with a cupcake, he's out of his hot headed mind. *She nibbles it angrily and then moans softly before taking another bite* Dammit, Riddle..this tastes like it came from Heaven.

Floyd and Jade Leech (Matcha with White/Milk Chocolate)

*The twins invite Raven to the lounge one night, to try a new menu item. Eventually later in the evening when the crowd of customers start thinning out, they put the cupcake in front of her*

Raven: This..is extremely adorable. How did you get the whipped cream to look like a shrimp?!

Jade: The chefs here are leagues more talented than any others.

Floyd: Are you gonna stare at it all night, or eat it?! *He flashes a very eager, unhinged smile*

Raven: ...There wouldn't happen to be a secret ingredient in this, right? Like size altering mushrooms?

Floyd: *He clutches his heart dramatically* Ohhhh, Shrimpy, your lack of trust wounds me.

Jade: There's only one way to find out. Now eat up~

Leona Kingscholar (Caramel Coffee Cake)

*He made up his mind to spend the entire day trying to make Maryam something heartfelt, while also reflecting her creative spirit. After several failed attempts, all of which were fed to Ruggi, Leona finally headed to the Ramshackle Dorm house to deliver the confection. He tried to keep a calm and collected expression as she turned to him and smiled, paint splattered on her clothes and some of her face from the work being done on the dorm house.*

Maryam: The sun is setting. Wouldn't you usually be taking a cat nap by now?

Leona: Look, I made these for my dorm mates, and there was one left over. You like caramel, so I thought you might appreciate it.

Maryam: *She gives him a sly smile* Wow, I never thought that Savannahclaw would appreciate such attention to detail in cupcakes~

Leona: *He growls under his breath, looking away in embarrassment* Do you want the damn thing or not?

Maryam: *Having already taken a bite, she presses her caramel covered lips against his* It's delicious. I'll have to repay you sometime, kitty.

Divus Crewel (Vanilla and Blackberry)

*During Shiloh's lunch break, Divus sets the cupcake on the front desk, hidden inside a white with black spots patterned bow with a red silk bow*

Shiloh: Divus, you didn't hav-

Divus: Before you say anything, won't you look inside?

Shiloh: *He nods and loosens the bow. The walls of the box neatly fall to reveal the confection. As soon as the scent of blackberries fills his nostrils, Shiloh's ears wiggle*

Divus: Cute..

Shiloh: This looks.. *he deeply inhales, closing his eyes and getting lost in the sweet, tempting scent* And certainly smells, perfect. But I didn't get you anything.

Divus: *He smiles sweetly and rubs Shiloh's head* You can thank me later this evening, my sweet fawn.

Epel Felmier (Lavender And Lemon)

*After Asani winds up in the infirmary due to injuring his leg, Epel brings him a cupcake to cheer him up. Though it seems that was barely necessary as Asani is his usual smiling self, especially once Epel walked through the door*

Asani: Hey, I promise I'm not in so much pain that I need to be put to sleep.

Epel: Oh ha ha ha, my sides are splitting. *He glances at the cast on Asani's leg* Does it hurt?

Asani: Nah, I'm on so many meds right now, I can barely feel my toes. Besides, it's not as bad as it could've been.

Epel: *He slams his hand on the bed* That ain't an excuse, ya moron! Next time it could be yer neck!

Asani: *He struggles to get serious, but can't help smiling more and blushing* I didn't mean to make you worry. I'm sorry.

Epel: If you're wantin to apologize, I suggest you eat that cupcake, and swear to me you'll be more careful.

Asani: I'll do the best I can, my poison apple.

Jack Howl (Orange Cream)

*After a successful basketball match, Jack meets up with Saanvi to give her a cupcake, although he seems a bit embarrassed*

Saanvi: *She happily starts eating it after thanking him* What's the matter? I love it, it tastes perfect.

Jack: It has cat ears.. because I couldn't figure out how to make them look like mine.

Saanvi: *She pounces upward, wrapping her arms around Jack's neck and nuzzling against one of his shoulders* God you're adorable.

Jack: *He crosses his arms angrily, despite his tail wagging behind him* If you were anyone else, I'd grind you into paste for saying that..

Saanvi: Good thing I'm me then, wofly~

Ace Trappola (Strawberry and Cinnamon)

*Ace is absolutely forbidden by Riddle to see Bronwyn, due to her shifty, thieving nature. Does that stop him? Certainly not. As she waited up for their usual midnight rendezvous, Bronwyn soon heard pebbles tapping one of the dorm house windows. She smirked and opened it up, smiling down at him*

Bronwyn: Riddle's going to have to keep you on a tighter leash if you keep this up~

Ace: *He smirks while climbing up to her* He can try, but you know me. *He kissed her hand and spoke in a dramatic voice* I'd rather lose my head than turn down an evening in your company

Bronwyn: *She rolls her eyes, tail swishing behind her* Corny. ... Although it smells more like cinnamon.

Ace: Clever as you are sexy, I see. *He chuckled, taking a cupcake in a transparent plastic case out of his pocket*

Bronwyn: *Her mouth waters as she reaches for it*

Ace: *He pulls it away* Ah ah ah~ You want it, you have to give me something in return.

Bronwyn: What are you, Azul?

Ace: Nah, the mafia get up doesn't suit me. But jokes aside, all I want is a couple hours with my favorite pillow. *He gives her puppy dog eyes*

Bronwyn: *She sighs and pulls him in through the open window* Two hours, and no tickling.

Ace: Squishing?

Bronwyn: GENTLE squishing.

Ace: Deal~

[mccoys-killer-queen]

I would like, if I may, to introduce you to some of the cats I work with:

Pringles is large. He's big. He's not fat. He's just big. His desire for attention is even bigger. He has a special milk crate he constantly spends 98% of his time on, and when approached, he rolls onto his back and always looks like he's about to fall off of his special milk crate. He's always in an "i'm SO adorable and I know it" mood. His face is too small for his head.

Shin. Appropriately named, as he will randomly rub against your shins when you're not paying attention. He always tries to escape from the intake room and has succeeded a few times where we didn't even notice he was gone. Other than that he's the best boi

Mack. This FAT bastard kept constantly trying to steal my lunch the other day. He wanted my apple, my cheetos, and even attempted to knock my pudding cup out of my hand, the bitch. I tried picking him up a few hours later and holy shit was he heavy

Princess is a princess and she knows it. She's about 10 and all she does is sit on the counter next to the sink and make direct eye contact with you. She's VERY soft and docile and likes touching foreheads

Ophelia is fat. She's round. That is all.

I'll admit the first time I took one look at Leo I started laughing a lot because his face just looked so damn funny to me. He looked like some cartoon character that was made to look angry and comically buff and it just looked like someone photoshopped his eyes too far apart. One time I turned and he was next to me and I went "hi" and he immediately put his paws on my chest. On my first day at the shelter, he got adopted! His profile is still on the website for some reason

Aunt Tammy is your fat grumpy-looking but loving aunt. Technically her name is "Kelly" in the records, but literally everyone knows and refers to her as Aunt Tammy and no one can seem to explain why

Niko is mine. He's mine. I am trying to convince my father to let me bring him home. I'm dead serious. He's mine. I wuv himb. He's got green crazy eyes and tries to hold my hand, he also has kitty AIDS and asthma so he's constantly making wheezing/snorting noises and it just made me fall in love with him. I used to call him Wheezy, and now everyone agrees that should've been his name. Soon, Niko, soon.

Sweet Potato is my best friend, he loves my lap so much and would spend the rest of his life on there if he could. He once sat on my lap for so long that he left a paw print. I've known him for almost a year and a half now, and he's an attention whore only when it comes to me. He's so fucking chill

Gander just likes to SCREAM. THAT'S IT. ALL SHE DOES IS SCREAM. SHE SITS IN ONE SPOT AND SCREAMS.

[shyrose57]

Brothers anon, sorry I've been gone for a while. To be honest I found out about Pokémon Uranium and I've been playing it non-stop for the last few days. And now I have a massive brain fart and can not remember a certain event in the story for the life of me for some reason. I know it happened I just don't know what happened. 

14: They'd both roll into a ball and if you throw them fast and hard enough it'll be like playing bowling! It happens when their all asleep, and about a month after Foolish. It happens because while everyone else is sleeping, Ranbob isnt, as he just cant sleep. So he's sat just outside the cave they stopped in, staring at the stars. When Raq sneaks up behind him, originally he planned to get Ran by using a mix of posion and slowness, but upon seeing Ranbob he takes advantage and gets him instead. So he shots him with a slowness/fatigue arrow and when Ranbob eventually falls asleep, he comes and gets him. Because he wants Ran though he leaves a message in enderian, then takes Ranbob to a camp with a few other hunters. 

Ran is pissed and acts impulsively, though his anger is used to mask the desperation, horror, and sadness he feels. Everyone else  are also mad yet scared, and are stuck between immediately going to help or taking time to come up with a plan. Specifically between Watson, Isaac, and Benjamin wanting to wait to come up with a plan. And Grievous, Cletus, and Jackie wanting to immediately go rescue him. While Charles focuses more on making sure Ran doesnt run off without anyone else...which he does anyway. They eventually settle on planning but that's ruined when Ran runs off and everyone has to scramble to wake up and follow after him. 

They get him back within a week actually so very fast. They get him back by Ran running off to the camp he had seen remains of eailer (it looked like a often camped at spot so it makes sense to check there) and since he got there at night no one saw him. Which gave him a chance to look around and find where Ranbob was. By the time the others caught up to him, the sun was rising and he was running to hide in the forest. They spend the next day observing the camp and what everyone does, then that night they launch a suprise attack where Ran manages to grab his brother and run away. Though he does get shot. 

In the aftermath Ran is poisoned with the same stuff his currently barely lucid brother is, and barely manage to get them to a safe spot. Where the others eventually find them and take to watching over and eventually grabbing them and running futher away. And when their finally in a safe spot and the brothers are awake and left alone, theres a bit of a heart to heart between the two that allows each to tell their side of things, and opens tons of doors for them. The heart to heart ends with them both apologizing and hugging, and at a later time (not sure when yet) during the night they comfort eachother and end up sleeping next to eachother. 

-------------

Not super often, but it comes into play for little stuff. Like the entire group is just mining when Ranboo just runs into a gaint vein of emeralds. Oh yes, he actually walks into a lake to get something he dropped when suddenly he's in extreme pain. And while the others treat his burns his brother is just silently disappointed that he didn't know he couldn't go into water. Ran knows well enough to avoid it from his time alone, Ranbob after the above accident tries to avoid water but forgets at time, while Ranboo will avoid water he also is the kind of person to just step into water because he can (its like that moment in one of his streams where they where talking about lactose intolerance people and how they just chug milk because they refuse to let natural selection take them.). 

Stealing items (which will get them almost killed), hiding things from people, the typical putting their bedroll over a hole, pushing Phil into water and running from him when he emerges pissed, etc. 

They have 3 main ones 1. Something malfunctioned with Karl's time traveling watch and sent all of them back to a time already visited, and because of the malfunction the watch as almost completely broke, leaving them stuck until its fixed. 2. Dream is behind it since he's in both worlds and found a way to break the time barrier and sent them back so they wouldn't get in his way. 3. God hates them. 

They do! Because they are stuck in the future. And because everything else that used to cause the anger and sparks the fights are gone now, and any current existing spite or problems between people are put on hold so they can find out how to escape. And with those factors out of the way they manage to actually talk and get to know eachother. 

I like to think that Techno and Phil have never gotten along with Dream (the only reason Techno ever worked with Dream is because it was for a common goal/interest, and it took more priority than killing eachother), and want to kill him for multiple reasons (Tommy, Wilbur, Ranboo, Fundy, etc) and will gladly take any excuse to kill him. The fact Dream went this far to harm this many people makes them disgusted and determined to finally follow through and kill him. There no real start to the ire between them all, they just never liked Dream from the start and all he's done has done nothing but depend it. Brfore knowing their reasons for being hesitant, their mad that Tubbo and Karl are even hesitanting in killing Dream. But after their explanation for their hesitation, everyone actually freezes and realizes, "Oh shit their right." And instead start to plan to find a soild way home first that won't collapse on them, then kill Dream. Which is easier said than done. 

He said what I said last time with the Technoblade stuff. But he also just kinda yelled at them about how Ran needs to stop ignoring evidence and how Ranbob needs to stand up for himself. He also empathizes that they need to think of how the others view this all, how it affects them, how they focused solely on themselves and now need to start focusing on others. 

Also you got a cat? May I see cat or no?

Pokemon are always awesome. Is the game any good? But good to have you back, Brothers Anon.

14: They could make a game out of it, when they're bored. Ill-advised, but certainly an interesting time!

Why does Raq know Enderian? How's Ranbob's time at the camp, if he's even aware of it, since you said he's out of it? Ran gets shot? If Ranbob's barely lucid, how does it effect Ran? How does that go, with both of them out of it?

They hug? Does Ran admit he was worried? Do they do this when they're more lucid, or no? How's the morning after this whole show go?

-----------

Can you imagine how everybody feels? They're mining for hours, Ranboo, five minutes in, comes out with half a stack of emeralds. The confusion, the bewilderment. Beautiful.

Ranbob: Oops, dropped something.

Water: *burns him*

Ranbob: *shocked pikachu face*

*Months later*

Ranbob: Oops, dropped something-

They just? Walk into water sometimes? Good lord, their poor groups. Imagine having to try and keep your endermen friends from taking a tip purely out of spite.

It sounds like these guys have more of a death wish than anything. Pushing Phil into water is just asking to die.

Pfft. God hates them? Who proposed that one? Hilarious image that invokes. They're all just sitting in a circle, throwing out ideas, very tired. Someone throws out theory number three. Everyone agrees immediately.

Very nice! Are we getting more found family here?

This implies Techno to be fairly closer with the mentioned people, if he's angry with Dream for what was done to them. What's his relationship with them all in this AU?

How does that whole thing go, with them originally being upset with Karl and Tubbo? Is it something that just comes out immediately, and is quickly resolved, or is it something that rolls out over the course of a few days?

Ranboo has very good advice, but also, like? Mr. Typically And Possibly Literally Spineless telling his descendant to stand up for himself? How did his group react to that?

Here is the kitty in question, Muff.

She's very energetic, but she plays a bit rough, and keeps gnawing on my fingers.

[pbandjesse]

Noone has ever been as happy as I am to be back in Baltimore. It has been a long couple of days. I'm real tired and I feel real gross very excited to go to sleep. But today was really way better than yesterday in many different ways. Actually can't believe that this morning I woke up in North Carolina. I can't believe that I was on the flight. And I didn't eat enough but that's okay. I'm going to have a snack I'm going to get some sleep and tomorrow is a better day.

Actually slept pretty well. All things considered last night. Things went from bad missing my connection. Too horrible. Having no flight until 8 am. But then I get to the hotel that the company had set up for me and they were all out of rooms. It was raining. I was in an unfamiliar City and then unfamiliar state. And if the woman at the desk didn't say she had a solution for me I was going to cry. But thankfully she did. She had already gotten me a room at a nearby Hotel. She gave me a couple cookies and set me in there shuttle to a really nice hotel.

It was actually one of the nicest hotels I've ever been in. It had a kitchen to living room. But all I cared about was taking a shower and going to bed. I stayed up long enough to talk to James on the phone. And I fix up my bag and I watch the rain for a little bit. I put on a video and went to sleep around midnight.

I was a little confused when I woke up at 4:30 because it was weirdly bright through the curtains. But it turned out to be the lights just from like the pool and stuff. I was able to sleep until 5:30 feeling pretty good. The shower had done me well. I got up and I wash my face and I got dressed. I finished packing my bag and I headed down to breakfast.

This hotel had a full free hot breakfast. So I got French toast and an omelette and potatoes. Like everything was small-sized but it was filling and I felt really good afterwards. I checked out and I took the shuttle to the airport. I was a little nervous because it was way busier at 6:30 a.m. than I was anticipating. But I made it through TSA without any issue and my gate was right there. What man was I tired. It was a short flight an hour and a half. And we got off the ground about 15 minutes late. But I was out before we were in the air. Like I don't even remember getting off the ground. I remember starting to go down the run with and getting speed but then I was asleep. And I was asleep until we were about 20 minutes away from the airport. I miss the snacks and the drinks. Which was the only thing I was distressed about because I was really thirsty and had one and orange juice. But it's fine there will be more juice in my future.

I woke myself up and watch the last couple minutes of the flight. And then I was home. I was in Baltimore. I collected myself and went and I got a real taxi. Which cost way too much money but I'm not paying for it so I'm glad I got home in 20 minutes.

I was so happy to see my cat. And he seemed happy to see me. Taxi got turned around a little bit so I had to walk a block from down the street. But that was fine. It was nice to get some fresh air before I got into my house because it's stuck in here. James hadn't thought to check the kitty litter. He's never owned a cat before he didn't know how often you did it. And the milk it's spoiled in the fridge. So it doesn't smell great in here right now even with everything cleaned up and air it out. Tomorrow I have the day off and tell my overnight so I'm going to like open the door and stuff then but it's fine. I was just so happy to see my little boy.

I am packed my bag and cleaned up a little bit. I changed. Fed sweet pea a little bit. And then I was out the door. I had to get to work.

I was two and a half hours late but I was there. I was so happy to see James. I was walking up I saw him on deck and he was about to go out and start making the charge for the cannon firing. And then we were yelling at each other from the pier. And it was so nice to see him.

And today at work was great. We had three new people who were training and they were hilarious and one of them has an Irish accent and the girl is really sweet. And I really like them. I hope they all stay on because they're lots of fun. And Brian came over and apologized for all the stuff that I was upset about in the emails that have never been answered. And I feel better about stuff there. And I'm not as ready to rage quit. I don't want to leave I like it there. I just don't want all this emotional turmoil around it all the time. But it was nice to be able to help train people. And James is firing was so good. We got new tin foil and it's making a really big explosion so that was nice.

And the rest of the day was really nice. I was half training people and half just be on the deck. I was on the computer downstairs for a bit and I got to run some programs. The day went fast and it was really nice. I got call James a whole bunch. And it was just an ideal day at historic ships.

We were done at 5:30 and I went and bought a pretzel. Haven't sat outside for a bit as the sun started to go down before I had to be at the Science Center. Today was a long day. But sciencenter was fine. I really liked my group. And they were fun to work with. We had jokes and I tried my best to answer their science questions and it was just a really nice way to end the night.

One of my co-workers gave me a ride home and when I got here when you Furby clock that I got for my birthday came and I literally laughed out loud when I realized what it says. Because it kept telling me it's nighttime and I need to go to sleep. And then I was trying to get on video and it just says it's 12 really sternly and I just couldn't stop laughing.

But that's probably partly because I'm exhausted. And like I said I don't have to go anywhere until the overnight at 4 so I am going to spend the day in my pajamas. I may go out to buy bread to make toast but that is the only thing I want to do tomorrow besides having James come over for cuddles and to put my bike back together. So I hope you all sleep well tonight and you're in your own beds. And you're not trapped in another state. Have a good night.

[vegandoughnut]

PART 5: Are You Kitting Me?

"You're good to go, Anekke" says Stephen, scribbling on his clipboard as if he were actually using it for something. Anekke frowns.

"I can't just finish the hour?" She presses, nearly pouting.

"Fine but make sure you clock out on the dot. I just don't have the patience this evening" Stephen says, voice laden with an exhaustion that doesn't even make sense. Anekke continues to spray some of the food prep surfaces with the natural mint scented surface cleaner and wipes with the cleaning rag.

Humbert hums in a whiny pitch as he adds the finishing touches to another serving of the Fall Special. Black anise waffles, vibrant orange pumpkin ice cream, chocolate chips and raisins, cat face drawn with chocolate or molasses. The ingredients seem to have plastered themselves all over Anekke's brain. She mutters them to herself as she cleans.

"What's that?" Comes Humbert's voice.

She ignores him, almost laughing with relief when Kitt joins them behind the counter. Kitt looks tired, with dark circles forming under her eyes. She flashes a smile to counter it.

"You need a coffee" Anekke says.

"You've never been more right" Kitt replies, picking up the staff french press off the ceramic hot plate, and pouring herself a mug of aromatic medium roast. "I have like five minutes to snag Gary Nygard's autograph but I just can't bring myself to. This is a once in a lifetime thing. Like. He's going back to Finland at some point. The band doesn't even tour anymore. Today literally feels like a weird dream and I don't know how to move. Like I'm walking through invisible cake batter or something"

"This is not a therapy session. You have a customer Kittie" says Humbert. Kitt sucks her teeth before turning to face the rest of the cafe to take a customer's order.

"You know we already have a supervisor and a manager right?" Anekke says through clenched teeth. Even if Humbert had said it to Kumlyun instead of Kitt, she would still jump in on the defense. She was getting tired of Humbert's antics, and was glad she'd be going home soon.

Humbert grunts and gets back to putting together a catering box.

"Wow" says Anekke, shaking her head.

A customer walks up to the bar holding Salem, the chill black cat purred softly in his arms. He orders an oat milk vanilla shake. She let's Kitt take that order, then goes back to cleaning, annoyed that earlier Kumlyun had implied the mess was made by her, when really it was probably Harper who was often sloppy with the food prep and forgetful of cleaning up. But at least she made Kumlyun look bad by implying she came in on her day off on purpose.

Finally some serenity blankets the cafe when all the customers are seated and eating, drinking or petting or feeding the cats they were paired with. Anekke quickly checks her pocket planner and crosses off a few things she remembered to do.

Memorize the recipe for the blueberry muffins by heart. Check. Disinfect the sink. Check. Renew library checkouts online. Check. Schedule a dentist appointment for next week. Check. Organize the discarded customer cards into her little file folder. Check.

"Anekke"

Anekke nearly jumps out of her skin when Kitt places a hand on her shoulder from behind.

"You scared me Kitt" she says, stealthily shrugging out from under her hand.

"I seem to do that for a lot of people" she says with a frown. "Anyway, what time are you leaving? so I know when to mentally prepare for the next few grueling hours behind this counter"

"Honestly just 30 minutes to go" says Anekke, taking a sneaky bite of the energy bar she hid in her half apron.

"Okay. Thanks" says Kitt.

Carl turns to look at the counter and smiles warmly when he coincidentally catches Anekke's eye. She smiles back quickly but goes back to her resting face just as soon.

"Hey Carl, want to cover for me real quick?" Kitt calls from the bar, undoing her waist apron.

Carl walks over immediately, and almost trips over a feathered pet toy but regains his balance without much embarrassment. Anekke watches intently. Still nervous, that one.

"You'll be working with the pretty blond, she should have no problem drawing in lots of orders so you can take a few pointers" says Kitt to Carl. Anekke's head spins upon hearing the strange sentence, and she wonders what Kitt was really saying. She had to force herself not to spiral into the whirlpool forming inside of her. What does she mean? What does that mean? Is it face value? Is there a joke or jab hidden in the arrangement of the words? Why does Kumlyun complain so much? Does Kumlyun whisper lies about Anekke to Kitt? Is Kitt trustworthy? Is Kitt priming Carl against her? She said "pretty blond". Maybe she should go to HR about Kitt. That'll make things make sense.

Carl and Kitt switch places. Carl ties a waist apron on and picks up a few beechwood mixing spoons. Why?

"Break a leg" Anekke tells Kitt who walks carefully towards Gary Nygard. Kitt flashes a confident cheese smile before heading straight for the Special Guest, the charming gothic rock star who had been in the cafe since before noon.

Anekke had thought he'd looked familiar, then realized he was a member of a band that had been really popular back when she was in high school. Yuck, she thinks, picturing those cringey teenage years in her mind with distaste. It was hard to imagine Kitt was one of the spooky kids who were obsessed with vampires and fingerless gloves, but who would've imagined that "pretty blond" Anekke was a nerd with no friends? The one who, even if she tried to make a joke, it came off as awkward or distasteful? Why were these things bothering her so suddenly?

20 minutes pass. Two customers came. Carl had watched eagerly when Anekke operated the waffle maker which she hated completely. The waffles would sometimes have holes in the outer pockets around the edges if the batter didn't spread perfectly. That's why she hated it.

"See you guys on Thursday" Anekke says, gathering her khaki trench coat, personal mug and backpack. It was without really looking at anyone in particular.

A few co-workers say bye in friendly voices. Why so friendly? Do they think she's stupid? Childish?

Then Carl says, "thanks for the tip about the waffle maker. I'm sure people prefer a perfect waffle over the skeleton of one" he says with a warm smile, trying to make her laugh probably. Anekke nods then goes out the door, relieved beyond words.

Kitt pulls her fingers through her dreads, which were the color of fallen leaves--- the characteristic Autumn hue between plum and red. She felt just slightly embarrassed to meet one of her teenage rock idols looking like a millennial-barista-spoken-word-slam-night-attendee-who-keeps-a-million-potted -succulents-around-their-house person, but so it goes. Some of teen-life's craziest caterpillars emerged from their cocoons as less stand-outy butterflies.

But there he was. Gary Nygard looking exactly the same, though less dressy, as she remembered during the heyday of Finnish metal's popularity in her generation. Jetty curtains of hair. The cozy cat skull sweatshirt over the pants with the boots. Gosh his legs were so perfectly thin. Kitt shakes her head.

"Darling" Nygard's voice steals Kitt's attention as he strokes just under the fuzzy siamese cat Sandra's chin. He is smiling slightly. "Is all well?" he says nodding towards her, like he could sense her trepidation, "this is a lovely place, beautiful really. Tell your boss, see, to keep doing whatever he or she is doing to keep it going. The cats are so dear, and you, all of you, have been lovely hosts"

He's so sweet and down to earth and candid and Scandinavian and beautiful and what inspired that song.... and will the band ever get back together and what does he do now that the band is... omg stop brain, stop it.... Kitt thinks.

"How long has the place been running for? It seems like a very hip sort of thing, an import, from Japan maybe... lovely country, Japan. They're very nice there" he continues as Sandra squirms and scratches at his sweater. But Gary Nygard is on to the silly cat, trying to distract her by scratching behind her ears while her head is turned in the opposite directions.

Kitt's mouth opens and closes. She blinks a mile a minute yet there's no wind in her face.

"Just a few years" Kitt responds, finding her composure again and holding onto it for dear life. "Yeah cat cafes, well, themed cafes in general, seem to be way more popular over there. This is kind of a knock---"

"A knock-off, but very nice" he finishes for her with a chuckle. He scratches his head then throws back the last of his green smoothie, Sandra sitting snugly nuzzled into his side on the velvet highback chair. Kitt watches the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallows the drink, the pale white of his throat exposed and blinding.

Suddenly she forgets that she can language, and just clasps and un-clasps her hands.

"It was lovely. Truly" he says, getting up from the chair. All 5'10 of him. Sandra scampers off across the cafe to bother some of the other kitties. "Kittie? Was that your name? Good girl" he mutters, pulling on his faux fur jacket. Kitt stands there dumbly.

She is frozen as he crosses the room towards the front door. She pretends to go fix tables near there then discreetly says, "wait. Sorry just a minute"

He stops and turns to face her, pulling a dark grey beanie over his hair and looking more and more like a mysterious pedestrian, becoming less and less real at the same despite. He was crossing the threshold of Kitt's world, reality, back into the far away world of teen angst nostalgia and dreams come true and old fires doused.

"I was a big fan when I was high school..." she says, quietly, softly, only he could hear.

He grins. A warm and genuine smile that touches his eyes that turn up slightly at the outer corners, like a cat's. He hands her his VIP customer lanyard and tag with his name and personality notes on there in his real life, almost-neat handwriting. The one thing customers usually toss.

"Thank you for today, Kittie" he says, with a brief, too light pat on her shoulder.

Then he's out the door.

Just like that.

A dream.