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realcube · 3 years

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The Maid Café || Saiki K x Reader

summary: nendou and kaidou keep pestering saiki to visit their favourite maid café but he shuts them down every time. however, after a bit of prying they manage to convince him to give the place a try and while they are there, you just so happen to be on shift.

tw// cussing, maid café, (she/her) reader

key:

“non italicised text” = somebody besides Saiki speaking

“italicised text” = Saiki telepathically communicating

‘italised text’ = Saiki’s thought

‘Of course Nendou and Kaidou would be into maid cafés of all things — not cat cafés, not internet cafés — it just had to be maid cafés.’

Saiki’s internal monologue began as Kaidou continued gushing on about the cute lady he met at the café a few days ago as an argument to why Saiki should join them next time they go. Not to say Saiki wasn’t listening as he felt extremely sorry for whatever lady had to tolerate Kaidou’s advances and his prayer went out to her but besides that, he really couldn’t care less about the maids or the café.

Until, his attention was involuntarily aroused at the vocalisation of his name from Nendou, “Saiki’s definitely in for Friday, I’m pretty sure I sold him when I told him that the sandwiches there are almost as good as the ramen we usually get.”

‘No, you didn’t. I won’t be coming to join you on Friday. I’d much rather stay--’

Somehow Kaidou managed to cut off Saiki’s internal monologue with his annoying voice, “Don’t be silly, Nendou. You’re not going to win Saiki over with such a ridiculous comparison, one that he clearly doesn’t care about.”

‘Am I delusional? Is this a hallucination? Or did Kaidou just say something logical and based in reality?’

Kaidou’s aura immediately changed to dark and sinister as a mischievous smirk crossed his face, the background squawks of the crows suddenly became much louder for some unknown reason. “Instead, you must locate your opponent's weak point before you can recognise the crucially important moment to exploit it. The process takes patience but it is one I have learned from my many years rebelling against Dark Reunion. Now, young Nendou, watch and learn.” He finished with a dramatic flip of his school jacket which was slung over his shoulders as a cape.

‘What was all that about?’

Saiki wondered before Kaidou turned to him, much less brooding than he was a few seconds ago, and said casually, “Your loss if you don’t come, Saiki — you’ll be the one missing out on some of the best desserts in our whole town — not to mention the coffee jelly.”

✿✿✿✿✿

‘How do I always end up losing to these people? I am a psychic for god’s sake!’

Saiki mentally cursed himself out as he stood shamefully in front of the maid café, wearing a carefully curated outfit — including his germanium ring — created especially to hide his identity from anyone from his school that might pass by the café and spot him in there through the window or something. Honestly, he wouldn’t be caught dead in a maid café, or so he thought.

However, all the reviews he read along with both Nendou and Kaidou’s thoughts helped him conclude that this place’s coffee jelly and general dessert selection is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, his favourite Tumblr blog - DeadlyDesserts11037 - visited the place and gave it a 5 star review, recommending everybody who happens to pass by the town to definitely check the place out. After that, he was sold.

Saiki looked over at his friends and couldn’t help but facepalm in response to their bright red, thrilled expressions. “Good grief, please don’t tell me you are both that excited over ladies in maid outfits.” As you might’ve guessed, Saiki didn’t really understand the concept of a ‘maid café’, so he simply assumed the male obsession with maids had something to do with the objectification of women hence he obviously did not want to take part.

“Saiki, you’re seriously just built different if this doesn’t touch your soul.” They both brushed the pink-haired boy’s comment off, completely mesmerised by the sight of a particularly pretty maid-lady walking by the window — probably on her way to serve a table — carrying a notepad in one hand and a plate with a scrumptious-looking coffee jelly on top.

Saiki followed their gaze, his breath hitching at the sight. He was speechless; no sarcastic comment, no running commentary, nothing. Just..woah! If he had known that the girls that work at this place were so gorgeous and the food looked so delicious, he would’ve came a long time ago.

He wasn’t even sure which one he wanted more; the girl or the jelly. In a way, one wasn’t complete without the other because the coffee jelly which she held high next to her head brought out her (E/C) eyes while her shapely figure highlighted the defined curves of the jelly. Drool was quick to start forming at the corners of his lips but he was even quicker to wipe it away; he was starving.

“We’re going in.”

✿✿✿✿✿

To Saiki’s dismay, it was not the stunning (H/C)-haired girl who he had caught a glimpse of through the glass that ushered them to their table. Rather, it was a slightly less gorgeous maid-lady who had long, bright purple hair which was clearly a wig.

Fortunately for him, after she left Kadiou, Nendou and himself to take their seats, she rushed off saying that someone will come take their orders whenever they are ready.

Even with his psychic abilities, there wasn’t much he could think of to alter fate so the pretty coffee-jelly lady would end up serving their table, and besides that, he was way too caught up in gawking at all the mouth-watering desserts they had pictured on the menu.

Simply glancing over the menu brought a stupid grin to his face, he wanted to try every delectable treat presented in front of him. However, he knew he must exhibit restraint, which was fairly simple as he knew deep down there was only one thing on the menu that he was truly after. You guessed it — coffee jelly.

Usually, he couldn’t care less about what his friends comrades were going to order but in this case, he was tempted to try convince both Kaidou and Nendou to order something he liked so he could take a bite of whatever they were having, “What are you two going to order?”

Yet again though, he was ignored as Nendou and Kaidou were both too busy checking out other types of snacks to care about the ones on the menu.

Then, a movement out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention so his head jolted from the menu to his new target, the beautiful girl he had saw through the window earlier. Previously, she was holding a coffee jelly but now she was basically empty handed, until she approached the table and pulled out a notepad and pen, “May I take your orders?” She asked in the most calming, melodious voice Saiki had ever heard, the sounds that left her mouth were nothing short of angelic. Which made sense since her serving their table must’ve been god’s gift to Saiki for all his hard work.

Chills, Saiki got literal chills before he mused, “A coffee jelly, and two brownies for the pair of clowns.” His blood ran cold; curse his smooth sarcastic comments! Most of the time, he was able to filter himself but due to the nerves that arose while talking to you, he probably shouldn’t be surprised that he had a little slip of the tongue. But now, you probably think he is a bitch that insults people on the regular; which he is, but not usually aloud! Plus, he couldn’t even tell what you were thinking due to his germanium ring and your distant expression, awful combo!

While he was in the middle of feeling bad for himself and considering teleporting away home, a miracle happened, you burst out laughing. And somehow, your laughter was even more silvery than your voice.

Saiki had zoned-out from pure shock for a moment before coming back to reality, noticing that you had started jotting down something in your notepad, a sweet smile still lingering on your face despite the fact you had stopped laughing. “Alright, so one coffee jelly and two brownies. Anything else?” You asked, glancing back and forth between the three equally unique and strange men sitting at the table.

“That’ll be all, thank you.” Saiki telepathically communicated as he usually did, considering actually using his mouth to speak for a change so he didn’t seem weird but in all honesty, he couldn’t be bothered. In any other situation, he would’ve gotten a drink of water or perhaps hot cocoa but right now he was way too afraid of making another error in his speech to request something else.

Silently, he extended his arm to hand you the menu he was given when he entered the café, along with the ones Kaidou and Nendou were given too. His actions single-handedly shooting down your plan of leaning across the table to ‘take the menus’ but in reality it is just a subtle way of showing-off how nice your torso looked in this maid outfit, a trick you learned from your supervisor.

You nodded, closing over your notepad and making your way over to the kitchen, being sure to swing your hips just a little bit extra to impress the pink-haired megane at the table you just took an order from. You mentally cursed your stupid brain though for always crushing on guys/gals who don’t seem the least bit interested in you. In this case, the guy’s attention was divided between his star-struck friends and the desserts on the menu, rather than you which was an unusual sight in a maid café considering that most people would only come to ogle at the waitresses.

✿✿✿✿✿

“So, Saiki.” Kaidou finally landed back into reality after a large chunk of the waitresses roaming around were now in the kitchen which he didn’t have viewing access to, “What did you order us?”

‘So, he was fully aware that the waitress came to take his order, he just chose to ignore her and left me to order his food. What a child, it must be a side-effect of his eighth grade syndrome.’

Saiki couldn’t help but sigh, “I ordered you both brownies.”

Kaidou stuck out his bottom lip to form a pout as he crossed his arm over his chest like a toddler, “I hate brownies.” He muttered to himself, realising that if he wanted something done right, he’d have to do it himself.

An amused smirk tugged at Saiki’s lips but he resisted the urge to laugh, ‘I know.’ He thought, his masterplan to eat more food without looking greedy falling into place. “Oh well, more for me then.”

Suddenly, Nendou spun his head around to abruptly join the conversation, “Hey guys, did you see the hottie that was serving our table?” He inquired with starry eyes, as if he was a kid in a candy store.

Saiki nodded, ‘Obviously I did, you moron. I was the one who ordered the food for goodness’ sake!’

Kaidou shook his head, his eyes lighting up as he leaned in close to Nendou, “Nope! I was busy looking at the other girls, but tell us!”

Nendou chuckled at Kaidou’s enthusiastic reaction before glancing to the side, outstretching his arm and pointing at the waitress that was now approaching the table with the food in her hands. “There she is!”

‘Don’t point at her, you idiot!’ Saiki mentally insulted his friend but instinctively followed the guidance of the tip of his finger until his eyes landed on your shapely figure — accentuated by the nature of the maid outfit — slowly heading toward his table, holding the coffee jelly and the plate of brownies in the same graceful way you did when he saw you through the window.

The gleam of your gorgeous hair, the movement of your luscious lashes, the gentle bounce of your upper body, how your perfectly manicured nails clutched the base of the jelly glass; everything about what he was seeing made him believe that if/when he were to die, this would be his ideal first sight as he passed through the gates of heaven.

Before he knew it, you had reached the table and placed his jelly down on the table, gently nudging it towards him, “One coffee jelly for the cute boy with antennas.” You mused, making Saiki’s heart flutter in a way he was unfamiliar with. Then, you placed the brownies in front of Kaidou and Nednou who sat opposite from Saiki, “And two brownies for the clowns.”

If it wasn’t for the fact the pair of clowns were too busy leching over you in your maid outfit, they’d probably be curious as to your choice of words but luckily for both you and Saiki, they were way to entranced by your visible bra strap to care about the little nickname.

Saiki felt a light blush creep onto his face, which only got worse as you discretely sent him a playful wink before turning on your heels to stroll back to the kitchen, “If you need anything else, just give me a wave.”

All of them hummed agreement in unison until the waitress was out of sight, giving Saiki a moment to process the events that had just went down. Not only did you refer to him as ‘the cute boy with antennas’ but you also winked at him, if that wasn’t a clear sign you were interested, what was? However, Saiki still had his doubts since this was a maid café after all, perhaps you were just trained to do that with all your customers.

Luckily, the had the foresight to slip off his germanium ring to read your mind and that helped him come to the conclusion that you were either interested in him or you were just very competitive as the whole time you were serving the table your thoughts were along the lines of;

‘I’ll adjust my skirt- Ha! You looked! Try resist falling for me now, you hot lil’ megane! Your heart is mine and I know it! See, I’ll fidget with my corset too-- just make a move already, pinkie!’

Although he didn’t appreciate being called ‘pinkie’, he had no right to judge what was going on in your brain. All he could do is be thankful that you didn’t say that aloud.

✿✿✿✿✿

You sighed as you noticed the pink-haired boy and his little posy exit the establishment without so much as a goodbye, or even a wave!

It was disappointing as you had already mentally planned your future with this guy and he had the audacity to do the real life equivalent of leaving you on read. But oh well, it would be approximately a week until you developed a crush on a random customer that lasts for around 30 minutes and for the time being, you can focus on doing your job.

You glumly shuffled over to their table to gather their plates to be washed, then a piece of colourful paper attached to the empty jelly glass caught your eye. As you held up the glass to inspect it further, you realised that it was a sticky note with a message written on it in black ink and neat, cursive handwriting. It read:

‘Dearest waitress,

Thank you for the excellent service, we (myself) tipped accordingly.’

You hadn’t finished reading yet but you were curious as to what he meant by that, and apparently you service must’ve been exceptional as the writer had left a whole ¥2000 tip. That’s a huge addition to the demonia fund.

Followed by this charming little message was an extra tip for you; the writer’s phone number! Meaning that this little sticky note was something you had to protect with your life..so you shoved it in your bra for safe-keeping.

But not before taking a moment to giggle with delight at who the note was signed by,

‘Sincerely, the hot lil’ megane (aka Kusuo Saiki)’

#saiki no psi nan #kusuo saiki x reader #the disaster of psi kusuo saiki #the disastrous life of saiki k.#saiki k x reader #saiki x reader #saiki headcanons #saiki k headcanons #kusuo x reader #saiki kusou no psi nan #kusou saiki x reader #saiki fluff #saiki k fluff #saiki k oneshot

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chatsu · 3 years

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hi hello hi chelsea !

if you’d like to, wanna ship your moots?

ah okay i'm not prepared & cannot think on the spot

i use the word ' think ' a lot because this is just my opinion and observations so feel free to correct me

++ no particular order, i just went through my follower list and looked for that bright green symbol <3

@maipxilia & iwaizumi — ur recent fic may have been an influence but i honestly think yous would be so cute ahh ! ur v v sweet and always thinking about others, and you share similarities, both supportive, intelligent & well respected (iwaizumi by his underclassmen and u, by me ofc). while iwaizumi is reliable he is also stubborn — who can he depend on ? you !

@missmorosis & bokuto — UR DYNAMIC I'MJSNDNDFJKS ur so comfortable to talk with i remember being ur '<33' anon and that was the first time i ever interacted like ever and u were so welcoming :') bokuto would find that admirable and while he is energetic and playful, when you're around he'd try his hardest to impress you with his wits, and shift to more of a shy demeanour. but since u share many similarities he just becomes his usual, bubbly, loving self. much like u ! idk if he likes rain, but he'd gladly spend his time dancing with u in the rain, even if it's lashing. happy birthday loveee <33

@ellewords & oikawa — i've said this so much but, oblivious idiots to lovers ? need i explain. at first he doesn't understand why there's a pang in his chest when you "reject" his advances, but in all honesty, you'd just grown used to his flirtatious nature and brushed it off, even though you also probably felt something in your chest. butterflies, perhaps. it's only when he labels the photo booth pictures you've taken with terms of endearment, he realises.

@monitsou & kageyama — maybe it's cause ur having a kageyama brainrot but tbh yous would match. he would admire ur kindness but it's when he finds himself laughing with u that he finds comfort and realises lol. i can imagine u as their manager and because u give great advice you would offer him a word or two about his bluntness, but to no avail, cause it's his frank words that confess his feelings for u <3

@xybi & yachi — yes she is intimidated by literally everyone, and she would be intimidated by you but only cause ur v pretty and a single tear would probably shed down her cheeks because of this. she'd become very flustered in your presence and blurt out a handful of compliments — your piano playing, volleyball skills, and most definitely dresses you've sewn, and gift you a dress back. anyways, you both are too cute.

@kohi-zeri & saiki — the disastrous life of saiki k was the first ever anime i had watched, and i loved it sm and when i found out u liked it too ? i knew then and there, i had exquisite taste. i think he'd befriend you, assuming you have similar characteristics, and that he'd rather be friends with u than nendou and kaidou, and to steer clear from teruhashi. but he'd find himself chuckling to your jokes. yes, kusuo saiki, laughing ?? being stubborn and prideful, he would not admit it, but was forced to when you had caught him sabotaging others who had gotten a bit too close LMFAOO. ALSO I JUST SAW UR CARRD AND IT IS SO COOL

@astroqphillic & nishinoya — k i love noya so much he is my number 1, but yous are just too good together omg <33 as expected, he'd fall shy under your gaze but when he found out ur also a libero ?? he is back to his boisterous self. until u compliment him on his receives. whoops, he's gone again. all the flirting n cuddling gets bundled into a box labeled "just friends" because yous are oblivious. until he comes up behind you to give you a back hug. but you. turn around. and lips have met. "just friends" my ass. SOULMATES UR HONOUR.

@mysterystarz & akaashi — i mean, we all saw this coming. who else could it be ? although i was late to ur wedding, i was still able to witness the amount of love akaashi holds for you, and vice versa. it's in his eyes, his playlist when he's handed the aux, and the marks on his hand ?? oh yeah, ink smudges. from writing poems for you with utmost affection. keinova 4 life <3

@rintarhue & sugawara — YOU ARE SO FUN AND LOVING AND EASY TO TALK TO, I LOVE THAT AND I LOVE YOU !! and yk who else would ? sugawara koushi. ah yes, with his soothing yet cheeky personality you both would be perfect, i think. mischievous is the word i'd use to describe your relationship. maybe he'd have you visit his class and you'd become the childrens' favourite ! what a perfect match. jk u match with me, even tumblr said so

63.543 notes ? we clearly have some shippers bae

@shirari & shirabu — okay we haven't interacted much but you seem so kind !! and ur theme is so cute ahsbdh shirabu would probably fall in love with the playlist u made him <33 despite the amount of studying he has to do (medical field things </3) he would definitely spare time for you two <3

@tesoromia & ushijima — u seem so very sweet and i think ushijima would admire that, from afar atleast, being the stoic person he is. but something about the way you dance, fully immersed with the movements and flowing with the music, he can't help but compliment you. expect a lot of compliments, due to his blunt nature.

@planetoru & oikawa — you made him ugly laugh and he contemplated life for a bit. i sense an enemies to lovers typa beat. he started asking all of life's unanswered questions, as well as accusing you of poisoning his coffee cause he felt a funny feeling in his stomach. then he realised you made him laugh cause ur funny, gorgeous, sweet, perfect and he loves you. then i knock him out cause i'm literally going out with u <3 and gojo too even though he could kill me on the spot !

@tooru-luvs & tsukishima — hii i read through a few of your posts to get to know you a bit and i think he would love u ahh <33 u seem very kind but also very determined to get tasks done and he'd admire that ! also sarcasm ? he would definitely love that.

@shoyotime & akaashi — ahh u seem so nice but chaotic and fun at the same time ?? you'd think akaashi would be used to it due to bokuto's enthusiastic personality, but while he seems calm and composed with him, i feel like he'd become flustered whenever you're around ?? he'd definitely go to bokuto for some advice and to accompany him as his wingman when he wants to talk to you HAHBSBD

@kozuelle & kiyoko — k i know u love kenma but kiyoko would be madly in love with u. again, she is one to admire from afar and maybe shower you with compliments once in a while if she's feeling courageous. other times, i feel like she would be big into giving u gifts, or perform acts of service. maybe she'd show up to watch you play the violin, or do ballet and admire your notes ! or perhaps, a heartfelt card showcasing her true feelings for you that she's been harbouring. boom, confession.

@animated-moon & tendou — soulmates yes. he would make custom chocolates for you to help with studies ! unique molds, unique tastes, all curated for you. all the childhood memories really did come in handy along with the several dates you've been on. multiple chocolates placed in a ferris wheel themed box, symbolising your tradition to go on it every year.

@mnzu & kenma — aa u seem so funny and kind !! he is introverted yes, but he has definitely analysed your whole personality while trying to find out more about you. he has vine references memorised with the hope that you will laugh along with him. if you look over his shoulder and into his switch, he's naming his animal crossing island after you. LMFAOO

@elitparadox & kita — U ARE SO SWEET AND KITA WOULD LOVE U !! and he is not afraid to show it. similar to atsumu when he had a cold, he would send baskets full of love for u ! ur fave snacks, fluffy socks, a heartfelt letter. except, he would send this every week, even if you are not sick. a different one yes, but wow you're gonna have so much baskets HAHSBD. you'd been expecting another basket upon hearing a knock at the door, but instead received a confession ! what a lovely exchange <33

@atsuvu & sakusa — no doubt about it, he'd fall in love with your music taste. HAHD IT'S SO GOOD THOUGH. you seem very chill, and he'd admire that, but you're also sweet and funny which he admires too. much to atsumu's dismay when he tells sakusa that he's also extremely funny. also mitski wahh i love her !!

@mattsunbae & tanaka — he'd fall in love with you immediately. best friend's brother typa beat ygm ?? i feel like you and saeko would be best friends for sure, and tanaka would see u, and boom. love at first sight. yeah he'd definitely shower you in compliments every second and knock every male within a 30cm radius. one night you'd be at saeko's house until her window fucking broke ?? you take a glance outside and witness tanaka ryuunosuke. attempting to lift a massive boombox over his shoulder whilst panting heavily, because he had to run back to his house, having initially thought that you were at your own house. boyfriend by big time rush is playing.

@tohman & atsumu — YOU SEEM SO FUNNY AND YOU AND ATSUMU WOULD BE SO PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER !! he'd probably see those men on your phone screen and start bawling with jealousy until you explain that it's from an otome game LMFAOOAOAONDS

@liv-laugh-die & kuroo — u seem very chill but also very sweet and kind !! he'd flirt with u non stop !!! agh i feel like you would be so very cute together, but if you compliment him back,,, whew he'd get so flustered <33

@strawbearisamu & lev — quality time and words of affirmation are his forte ! k while you'd eat spicy ramen, he would definitely attempt !! but once you see tears brimming at the corner of his eye, you have to hold him back from his bowl while he denies that he was ever in pain LMFAO <33 don't be afraid to tell him about your ideas, because he will encourage you and be so supportive ! you can pursue anything <3

@shinalie & bokuto — you seem so kind ahhh and bokuto would fall in love with you at first glance ! he'd compliment everything, from your writing, to your music taste ! everything <33

@moonless-abyss & daishou — yes he is competitive, yes he would fight for your attention. if he ever finds out that kuroo had taken an interest in you ? prepare for war <33

@srkuv & yamaguchi — i feel like he'd bump into you and be so embarrassed bshbhf but you'd reassure him and just like that, he's fallen in love. with your kindness and humour, how could he not ? feel bad for tsukishima though, as he receives a chain full of texts from yamaguchi about none other than you <3

@tetsvhoe / @rantess & kuroo — i think you'd probably report a social media account that was claiming to be you, but in reality it was a fanpage by kuroo. tbh you should've guessed based on the multiple hearts in the pictures and captions, but no regrets as you see a look of panic on kuroo tetsurou's smug, now frightened, face. he'd gift you a kitten as an apology <3

@sakuctsu & osamu — ahh i know we've just interacted recently but you seem very welcoming and so very kind ! he'd listen to your playlist and compliment each song on it. although, your yoga sessions accompanied by rain might be interrupted once you hear the clanging of his pans and ingredients in the kitchen </3 but not to worry, it's a meal just for you ! and he'd add it to his menu <33

#plays +#THIS TOOK ME TOO LONG #i tried to include everyone so #pls tell me if i forgot anyone !#not proofread

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burgerkang000 · 3 years

Text

Who needs a soulmate?

also this is a wooyoung fic

yes, ill be adding the read more thingy

@beyoncesdragon @aixy-hpsa (if anyone else wanna be tagged, tell me )

enjoy? :/

THIS FIC IS BEARABLE BECAUSE OF @mingination so, actually most of my fics are bearable cuz of her so uhm go hype her up?

In a world where soul mates exist, your soul found amity whenever you were with Jung Wooyoung. You always thought people had soul mates because it brings peace to their souls. You thought it exists because when two people were together; their souls go on an adventure, an adventure that was never the same for a pair, or even a trio of people.

But all that changed when you met Wooyoung. It happened when you were dragged outside by your friend, because you tend to hole up in the dorms. As she was dragging you to her car, you bumped into a stranger holding a house plant, the glass pot shattered and the soil scattered, making quite a mess.

“Ah, that hadn’t had set yet.” The stranger exclaimed. You had no idea why he was so calm about it as you expected him to lash out any moment, but instead he smiled at you, displaying his beautiful pearly white teeth and told you not to worry about it.

You stared at him dumbly as he tries to pick up the shattered glass, and that’s when you decide to speak up.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” You kneel down to help him with the glass all the while expressing how sorry you are, and rush up to your room to grab cleaning supplies to clean the soil. After the both of you cleaned up the mess, you offered to go plant shopping with him, to pay back for the one you clumsily broke.

Of course, he refused, but you insisted and he gave in.

Your friend had seemed to leave, leaving you to make small talk with the stranger.

Later that night, you shrieked at your friend for leaving you alone with the handsome stranger and she laughed it off leaving you absolutely furious.

The day that you had planned to go to the greenhouse, Woo contacted you and said that there was a change of plans, you were confused but agreed anyway. But you were a little surprised when he took you to the flower shop, where the enthusiastic florist explained the meaning behind all the flowers Woo had picked. You had enjoyed yourself very much that day, surrounded by the scent of different flowers and the rays of sunshine that had brought a specific kind of warmth to the store, even though this was going to burn your savings for a good whole month and you’d have to stick to ramen if you wanted to pay rent for the shared college dorm you were in. When you were done picking flowers, Woo ended up paying, saying that your company was enough as a payback for breaking his plant.

Before he dropped you off at your dorm, you were shocked when he handed you the flowers he bought and your eyes widened as he leaned in closer to leave a soft kiss on your cheek and whispered to look forward to his texts. As he left you stood there dumbly, blushing profusely and unable to comprehend what just happened. And that night you went to bed with a smile on your face, sniffing the flowers which now were placed on your bedside table.

That was how it started; now you have a theory on what soul mates are; they’re people who were created to be perfectly adaptable to you, but the chances you find them were 0%, except for the few people who would search everywhere for their soulmates and find them. You’ll never meet your soul mate in this world or the next one, because there is a definition of perfect for the universe, but everyone else’s definition of perfect is different.

And even if you do meet your soulmate, there is no guarantee that they’re the one for you, since the universe is changing. And it’s about time it changes the rules set for humans.

You find amenity when you’re with Jung Wooyoung and that’s all the reassurance you need.

Even though your theory has helped ease (like the tiniest bit) of your frustration over the resounding problem which was, what if Woo finds his soulmate? The thought of that suffocates you; you turn into a human zombie pondering through assumptions, and possibilities. Until one day Woo sits you down and asks what’s wrong.

“What would you do if you find your soulmate?” you ask quietly. He shakes his head, conveying silently that your worries are unnecessary or maybe he’s disappointed in you for thinking things like that, but it’s not like you can help it.

“I’d tell them, no thank you, I have a lovely girlfriend who wants the universe to change its rules and I stand by it.”

You lightly hit his arm and huff out a laugh.

“I’m serious”

“I’m Wooyoung”

‘’I’m sick of your bad jokes” and as you get up to leave, he pushes you back down, places a hand under your chin and says-

“I won’t leave you for the fucking world. You hear that?”

After a few weeks of dating and becoming official, Woo took you to visit his friends, who were the reason you met in the first place, the innocent plant was asked to be delivered by one of his friends, you needed to thank them, since the plant was long gone.

And, you’ve heard a lot about his seven friends, who share an apartment house, with four rooms. When you were led inside, you were attacked with greetings, compliments and questions; you tried to reply to all of them, you really did. They were more intimidating in the beginning, but now you wonder what was it about them that made you feel that way.

Jongho was a person you would always avoid, you were mostly shy (read: terrified) of him. But one day you were eating an apple, and he wanted to show you a trick. And you were beyond shocked when he just broke it into two halves with his bare hands. And every day after that, you’d bring an apple when you feel like it, and pass it to Jongho and tell something utterly ridiculous like

The cat ate my knife

I’m too broke to buy a knife

It’s banned to cut apples with knives; I heard it on the news

And he would roll his eyes and do it for you anyways.

Once you handed him a melon, and you were surprised that he attempted to break it open. He banged it on the table twice and glared at you for making him look weak; you ran as he chased you around with a melon.

Seonghwa was your favourite. He’d come over, be annoyed at the mess you and Woo made and then proceed to clean it up. But all jokes aside, you really liked Seonghwa, and he does laundry too!

Hongjoong, you assumed would be very authoritative, was actually an adorable goofball. And you enjoyed teasing him about his height.

Yunho along with Mingi were the dorky and mischievous pair, and always managed to earn a yell from Seonghwa for dirtying the place with their ridiculous pranks.

Yeosang, who was Wooyoung’s friend for over 5 years, appeared to be a very quiet person and somewhat normal compared to the others. That's what most people would think anyways, but once he opens his mouth you’d regret ever calling him quiet. The guy knew how to expose people better than Dispatch did.

San, now San you have beef with.

Because he takes Woo away from you, and you keep on complaining to no one in particular-

“This is not fair-” you ramble off

“Look I’m only helping, it’s for the greater good-“

“Oh? What would that be?” you shot.

“Woo, likes it when you get all jealous”

Your cheeks heat up and then you angrily look at Woo who shrugs and says “I didn’t say a thing”

You storm out the room and hear something along the lines of

“He also likes it when you get all hot headed; I’m helping you get laid, your welcome….”

You and Woo have fights too, But you have an unspoken, but definitely existing rule; communication. Sure, there might be couples out there who can guess what the other person is feeling, or what the other person wants-

But for you and Woo, communication is key and you like it that way.

It’s impossible to wake Woo on Sundays, so you have taken the matter into your own hands.

Despite being adults who have different jobs and no longer go to school, you aggressively shake him and yell

“Woo, time for school, you missed the bus, wake up”

“There’s a fire, the cat is dying”

“I love you”

You were the first one to put it out there. You just blurted it out one night, lying in bed, when you were lying next to each other, hands intertwined in between you both, just staring and outlining each other with your eyes. You were ready to drive off the nearest cliff when-

“It’s obvious I do too, no words necessary”

You were suddenly embarrassed and rolled over to the other side to hide the colour of your cheeks, yanking your hand away and muttering-

“Great or else you can find me at the bottom of a cliff with your damaged car.”

“Didn’t know your life was on the line”, he says back hugging you and grabbing your hand back.

“It’s clearly an exaggeration, dumbass”

He chuckles and both of you fall into a silence of nothing but the sound of your breathing and the clock ticking. And right when you were almost asleep, you hear him mutter I love you, I love you, I love you and press a kiss to the side of your head before pulling you closer and tightening his hold around you.

You think you’ve never felt more content, sharing a complex emotion, which is filled with other complex emotions and being understood, it was profound to be understood.

Who needs a soul mate, you’ve got Jung Wooyoung and that was more than enough for you.

49 notes · View notes

loverspersonas · 4 years

Text

the most beautiful moment in life | vi

pairing: ot7? x reader

genre: hyyh au, high school au, angst, drama, fluff, smut?

length: 7k

summary: Eight strangers with different stories happen to meet one day, by fate or some kind of cruel, exquisite happenstance, and realize that they’re not as different as they thought.

↳series masterlist

In the night, you dreamed again.

It began with you in the passenger seat of a car. You couldn’t see where you were driving, or who was with you, before the dream started to change. You saw Jungkook on the roof of a building again, but the scene shifted before he could jump. And then there was Yoongi, to your surprise, surrounded by a ring of fire, but he wasn’t burning. When you tried to move closer, suddenly, it started to rain. Now, Jimin stood across from you, the rain soaking his hair and clothes. You wanted to call out to him, but the room seemed to be filling with water so fast that within a minute, you were submerged.

Your head began to pound from the pressure, lungs constricting, and finally, you gasped for breath—

With a jolt, you awoke in your bed, hand reaching for your throat. The sensation of feeling choked and breathless was always so perplexingly real.

Why do you think that is, a voice in the back of your mind said to you. It was a voice that had been shut out completely last summer, as a result of persistent anxiety and medication. It was better that way, your parents and doctor had said. You’d thought so too.

But now, it seemed to be re-emerging and showing resistance to being stowed away and forgotten. But why now? What had changed? What did it mean?

Deciding to get up earlier than usual, you showered and dressed for school, now making yourself busy in the kitchen, an attempt to forget the previous night. You had your hair in a loose mignon and an apron tied around you while you let your ingredients mix in a large mixer. At the same time, you prepared a pan by greasing the bottom and sides with butter.

“You’re baking again,” your mother’s voice came out surprised. She must have heard the noise in the kitchen and had come to see what it was.

You didn’t look up as you said, “Clearly.”

If she heard the dry and impassive overtones of your voice, she didn’t act like it. “I just meant that it’s been a while.”

“No, it really hasn’t.” Maybe if you’d actually spent more time at home, you would’ve noticed.

Baking was something you’d gotten into in the previous year, that you’d turned out to be very good at. With your job at the Brew, it came around to be a handy skill, and something you got to practice often. After your other extracurriculars and hobbies were no longer something you could do, you’d thrown yourself even more diligently into baking. Spending hours in the kitchen with something to preoccupy yourself was effective in forgetting all the things you dreaded.

Your mother walked in now, eyes scanning the counter and the pale yellow batter which had just finished mixing. “That smells great. Are those your lemon—“

“Yes,” you answered, not sharply though that was how it sounded in your head. You folded your arms across your chest. “What are you doing?”

“You mean, in the kitchen?“

“You know what I mean.”

She sighed finally. “All right. I don’t want to fight with you, Y/N. But you can’t just walk out like that whenever you feel like it. That’s not how it works.”

You held back the urge to roll your eyes. “Fine. If I say that I’m sorry, will you leave me alone?”

“Well, do you mean it?” Your silence answered her question. “How was your study session with Sana?”

The forcefulness of the conversation made your insides squirm. Could she not tell how awkward this was? But instead of making a retort, you started pouring the batter into the pan. “It was fine.” You thought back to seeing Sana at Cypher. It wasn’t a complete lie technically; you had spent some time with her.

“You were out pretty late,” she commented.

You suddenly recalled going out with Jungkook for ramen and conversation. “We decided to have dinner.”

She hummed with mild interest. “How’s Yuna doing?”

This took you by surprise, but you didn’t show it. “We don’t really talk these days.”

“Oh.” It was her turn to seem a little surprised. “I thought you once said your lemon squares were her favourite.”

You froze as you were reaching for the pan. Now that you looked at it again, you did recall how the girl used to ask you to pack her extras for cheer practice, and now you wondered how you’d made it through the entire baking process without thinking of it. Shaking it off, you walked over to the oven and placed the pan inside.

“Why did you two stop talking?” your mother asked hesitantly. “I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She stabbed me in the back while pretending to be my friend. What more was there to talk about?

Her gaze swept over your face which had you averting yours. You always felt bare when she did that. She used to tell you that a mother could read her children so well, even when they tried to hide something. You used to believe that. But there were times even now when you caught yourself feeling nervous that she might be still able to see through your mask.

“I know I’m really busy these days,” she started. “I know that this past year has been hard, and that you have school to worry about… but I think we should still find time to talk.”

You glanced at her with a small scoff. “Maybe you’re the one who should take that advice.”

Irritation flashed in her eyes briefly and some sick part of you thought with satisfaction: finally, she’s cracking. “Y/N, please. I’m trying to talk you and all you do is act like this.”

“Like what?”

“Like—like a child,” she exclaimed. “You want attention, but anytime someone tries to talk to you, you throw it back in their face.”

“That is not true,” you defended.

“Isn’t it? Earlier in the year, you came to me and tried to tell me something, do you remember? But you ended up arguing with me instead and— and then—“

You knew you shouldn’t keep pushing. The result would hurt you more than her. But you were so close to feeling unhinged. “Then what?”

“You wound up doing that to yourself! How is anyone supposed to help you when you act like you don’t want their help?”

Your expression morphed from anger to shock before settling with consternation. Why did it feel like she’d just slapped you in the face?

Your mother’s features softened as she noticed this. “Y/N—“

“I have to get ready for school,” you said as you rushed past her to your room.

When you meant that you would’ve liked for your mother to acknowledge you every now and then, this wasn’t what you’d had in mind. The anger had passed at this point. Anger at the fact that every conversation had to include her patronizing you in some way. Now, there was only a realization and despondency left to simmer.

What if she was right? What if somehow all the bad things that had happened, you’d brought them upon yourself?

“Penny for your thoughts.”

You nearly jumped in your seat, but relaxed when you saw Hoseok’s face above you, wearing a grin. “Oh. It’s you.”

His grin transformed into a contemplative frown. “Funny. A lot of people usually say it like that.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you said, scooting over on the bench to make room for him. Besides, you doubted that was true. There was no way people could dismiss such a bright and contagiously optimistic presence like his. A part of you hoped that quality in him could affect you in the same way, someone who only seemed to linger on sepulchral thoughts.

“I get it,” he said. “If someone interrupted me while I was in deep thought, I’d be annoyed too.”

You hesitated. “I wasn’t in deep thought.” The look he sent you told you that he didn’t believe you, but wouldn’t question it. You didn’t realize you’d had your emotions on display. In your defence, you also didn’t expect to see anyone you knew. “Fine. So, I was thinking about something.”

He nodded. “You seem to do that a lot.” You gave him a sideways glance which made him continue. “I’ve just noticed that you’re… thoughtful about things.”

“So, you’re saying I’m too serious,” you deduced.

“No, not too serious,” he spoke quickly, like he was worried he’d offended you. “Just the right amount. It’s a good thing, really. Especially when you’re usually surrounded by a bunch of dumbass kids.”

At that, you chuckled. “Thanks… I guess. Do you live nearby?”

“No, I stay in the academy’s dorms,” he answered. “I came to visit the orphanage on this side.”

“Do you volunteer there?”

“Not exactly. I used to live there.”

“Oh,” you said in surprise. What was equally surprising was how he didn’t seem to be uncomfortable talking about this. "I, um, didn’t know that.”

“It was before I started at Sky, so it’s been a few years,” he explained. He wasn’t looking at you while he spoke, so you took the opportunity to study him. Hoseok seemed like such a glass half full kind of person, someone who can make others smile easily. You wouldn’t have thought there was a darker past to it. “I like to go back and visit every now and then. Help out around the place, thank everyone who looked after me.”

You smiled softly. “That sounds nice.”

He glanced at you finally, before looking down at his hands. “You don’t have to do that, you know. That silent pity thing. I’ve gotten it a lot.”

“I—I didn’t mean it like that.” You bit your lip. “I just couldn’t help but think how strange it is that we’ve gone to the same school for years and I never knew that.”

“You’re right,” he said after a moment. “None of us ever really talked before that detention. I guess we don’t know anything about each other.”

You hummed. “Not completely true. I know you’re a dancer.”

He turned to you, eyes widening a little. “What? How?”

“You were on the academy’s dance team. And you’re practically the best one there.”

By the way he scratched the back of his neck and the rose colour that appeared on his cheeks, you could tell he wasn’t used to receiving compliments like that. “Oh, um, thanks. That’s actually how I came to Sky. They recruited me after seeing me dance at some show, said it was pretty much like a dance scholarship.”

“Well, I’m not surprised. Imagine if talent like that never got to be seen.”

He chuckled, waving away your comment. “You’re just being too nice now.”

You had to bite back a smile at how embarrassed he was getting. It was funny to you and you would’ve liked to keep going, but decided to leave that for some other time. “No, but, seriously. I used to take dance when I was younger—“

“No way.” His eyes widened in surprise, but he was smiling widely. “You used to dance?”

You gave a tiny, shy shrug. “I’ve tried out a lot of things. It made cheerleading easier too. But anyway, I haven’t seen dancing like that before. You’re very… fluid with your movements. Almost like you just dissolve into the music and embody it. Kind of makes me wish I didn’t quit dance.”

He glanced at you out of curiosity. “Why did you?”

“I can’t remember at this point,” you said with a shrug. A part of you wondered if he could read your face right now, if he could tell that you’d rather not talk about it.

“I’ve been thinking too,” Hoseok spoke again after some time. You turned your head towards him curiously. “About all of us. I think you might be right about that. I’ve never thought much about fate, but… it might explain why we keep running into each other all of a sudden. So, I decided to just go with it, and not fight it, you know? Fate eventually catches up to us all.”

As sunlight streamed out from behind the clouds, you had to squint to see in front you. You’d believed it was fate too, because at some point, things stopped being coincidences. You were glad to hear him share your belief; maybe the others did too, more than you’d thought. Because at this point, it felt like the universe was trying to tell you all something, by bringing you together.

Fate could be cruel sometimes. You knew that very well. But it had a way of always finding you in the end. So, was there really a point in running from it?

“I watched this movie once where bad things started happening to the characters when they ignored the signs of fate.”

You rolled your eyes, half amused. “Wow. For a second, I was actually taking you seriously.”

He laughed. “Just kidding.”

You gave a halfhearted hum in agreement. “I’ve been thinking about fate too lately…” What if these recent dreams you were having had something to do with the painting or the hwa yang yeon hwa characters or your detention squad? But why did it seem like it was all bringing the past—things you couldn’t seem to understand— back?

“Hey.” There was a light nudge on your arm as Hoseok looked at you from the side. There was a latent seriousness in his tone underlying the following humorous one, and somewhere between it, concern. “Maybe there is such thing as thinking too much.”

You tried to return his smile before looking away and tucking some loose hair behind your ears. Maybe he was right; you were just overthinking now. You reached into your bag for the plastic container. Opening it revealed neatly stacked golden-yellow lemon squares. “Here. I made them this morning.”

Something appeared in his eyes in that moment, an emotion you couldn’t quite decipher. But somehow, you thought maybe he was lost in an old memory. The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. “Thanks, Y/N.”

The way he said it with a kind of gratitude had you waving it away. But deeper down, you were glad for it. It was a gesture on your part to show that you were closer than strangers at this point. But for him, maybe it also meant something more. “Consider it compensation for that lunch I ruined.”

“This is so good,” he said through a mouthful of a square. “You actually made these? Wow. You have officially blown me away. You might just have to ruin more of my lunches, because these might be the best lemon squares I’ve ever—“

“All right, that’s enough sugar for you,” you said, scowling a little as he talked with his mouth full, as you closed the container when he reached for another piece.

He made a face and groaned. “Okay, mom.”

Just as you rolled your eyes again, you noticed the bus turn around the corner. “Come on,” you said as you dragged Hoseok by the arm towards the bus.

When you and Hoseok entered the academy’s main building, you were somewhat relieved to find that it wasn’t very crowded. The last thing you wanted was people shooting strange glances and whispering to each other about Y/L/N Y/N beside someone other than the regular one or two people she interacted with.

A thing about Sky Academy was its hold on the status quo. It was important to know your place and stay in it. Social circles and ladders were concepts you learned throughout your time there. Positions and opinions and people could change, but only in the eyes of the academy if they wanted. Your fall from the top of the castle had been a complete shock in the beginning, but was now an accepted thing. But the idea of you now as a person, it seemed the academy couldn’t come to a mutual agreement.

What you didn’t anticipate was another set of teenagers, one of recently more familiar faces, gathered in a small circle near the end of the hallway, turning their heads upon your arrival.

Namjoon was the first to comment— a line that was becoming more and more common amongst you—eyebrows quirking just slightly. “Well, this is interesting.”

“Did you guys come here together?” Jungkook asked.

“Yeah, we ran into each other at the bus stop,” you answered.

Yoongi choked up a sarcastic laugh, eyes flicking to the boy beside him. “What’s interesting is that you’re not ditching today.”

Taehyung hummed with a whimsical grin on his lips. “Well, the day is still young.”

Jimin looked like he was holding back a smile before announcing, “I have class now, so… I’ll see you guys later.” And there was something about it that you liked the sound of. It was the way Sana would say the words to you. Like they came easily, like you were friends.

“I’ll walk with you,” Hoseok said. He gave you a glance before he joined the shorter boy. Somewhere in it was an I’ll-see-you-later and a thank you and maybe even checking to see if you were fine with him leaving your side. The thought of it was nice, so you returned it with a small nod.

“What about you guys?” Seokjin asked once they were gone. Again you remembered that he was new to the academy, and that everyone here was as unfamiliar as strangers got. And yet, when he looked from you to the rest of the boys, it almost didn’t feel that way.

“I have a free period,” you said.

Taehyung’s eyes widened in a mixture of alarm and horror. “Why would you show up here earlier if you have a free period? You could get an extra hour of sleep! Sleep is precious, Y/N!”

His sudden fervour was somewhat amusing to you so you quirked a brow. “I have work I thought I’d get finished.”

With a soft chuckle and roll of his eyes, Yoongi said, “That’s the least princess-like thing I’ve heard you say.”

“Well, not all of us are naturally academically gifted.” Your glance passed over Namjoon before settling back on Yoongi with an unserious sternness in your eyes. “And some of us do care about doing well in class.”

“I do well.”

“Barely passing is not the same as doing well, Yoongi.”

“As much as I’d love to stay and hear the rest of this lovely banter,” Namjoon began with a sigh— it seemed like he just realized he’d have to get used to preventing arguments amongst all of you— “I should get going now.”

“Me too,” Seokjin said. “I’d rather not get lost on the way and end up being that one kid who stumbles into the class, all wide eyed and out of breath.”

“A vivid picture,” Yoongi remarked in what now seemed like his usual sarcastic tone.

“I can show you where it is,” Namjoon offered, and the two of them walked off down the hallway.

You glanced between the four boys who were still remaining. It didn’t seem like anyone had anywhere urgent to be. “So…” you started.

“Were you going to go to the library?” Jungkook asked you.

“Probably—“

“Oh, no, no, no,” Taehyung cut you off, his expression incredulous. “The library? Come on. That’s so basic. You want the best possible place to get shit done? This way.” With a secretive smile, he turned and began walking.

“He really enjoys the whole theatrics, doesn’t he?” you said to Jungkook and Yoongi before the three of you followed the other boy to wherever it was he was leading the way to.

“The storage room?” Jungkook said. His eyes were skeptical as they swept past your vicinity as though someone would appear and catch you. “Are we even allowed to be in here?”

Taehyung was already pushing open the door, striding into the room you were sure you were quite familiar with now. He spun around to face the rest of you, arms dropping to his side. “Well, we’re the ones who put this whole place together when it was literally falling apart. And besides, no one even knows it exists.”

“Sounds good to me,” Yoongi said. He moved further inside, dropping his bag on the floor as he settled on the sofa.

You noticed Jungkook making a move to follow him, but you couldn’t help but hesitate still. “I don’t know, Taehyung…”

“Come on, Y/N,” he said. “You didn’t always used to be so paranoid about these things, did you?”

“Well, no, but—“

“So, what’s different now?”

“What’s different now is that the headmaster has no problem with giving me as many detentions as he wants. So, excuse me if I’m a little wary,” you said with a slight sharpness in your tone. But then you released a sigh, finding that no one had come bursting into the room yet. “Fine. It’s quieter here anyway.” After taking a place at the coffee table by the couch, you glanced at the boy closest to you, who you’d just seen recently under unusual circumstances. “Hey. How are you?”

Jungkook looked at you, his brown eyes warm in the natural light seeping in from the windows. “I’m okay.”

You were aware of Taehyung and Yoongi having their own conversation, so decided to bring up what had been on your mind after you’d parted ways with him that night. “Your family didn’t give you a hard time when you went back, did they?”

“They were asleep, so I snuck back in without having to see anyone.”

“I was going to text you and ask how things went last night, but I wasn’t sure if the timing was good.”

“Thanks,” Jungkook said in a quiet and solemn voice. “For wanting to look out for me.”

“Who’s looking out for who?” Taehyung’s voice carried forward, and you realized both the boys were waiting for an answer after realizing you and Jungkook had been having your own conversation too.

You glanced at Jungkook, letting him decide if he wanted to share this detail with the others. And to your slight surprise, he didn’t seem so uncomfortable to tell them. “My family isn’t exactly… the most healthy environment right now.”

Yoongi leaned back in his seat. “I’d drink to that.”

“Same here,” Taehyung echoed. Part of your mind shifted back to the time you’d run into him in the very same room, how he’d shared ambiguous parts of his life, and you wondered if he’d already hinted at this.

“It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I left my house in the middle of the night on Friday,” Jungkook continued. “Y/N kept me company for some time.”

“Wait, did you say this was Friday night?” Yoongi asked. “After we were at Cypher?”

“Woah, woah.” Taehyung blinked, holding up a hand as if you pause the conversation. “You two were at Cypher?”

“You’ve heard of it?” you asked.

Yoongi gave an amused chuckle, followed by a roll of his eyes. But unlike how it had been when they’d first met, it wasn’t as much of a rude gesture, as it was of a friend teasing a friend. “Only you wouldn’t have heard of it before.”

“It’s only the best underground rap scene in the country,” Taehyung continued. “It’s where my two favourite rappers, Agust D and RM, started from.”

When you asked him, “You listen to them?”, you didn’t notice how the other boy sitting on the couch sat a little more upright.

Taehyung scoffed. “Only when I wake up in the morning and get ready to sleep. And every minute in between. There may be only 24 hours in a day, but I listen to those guys for at least 32.”

Jungkook frowned a little. “That doesn’t make se—”

“Time is a social construct, Jungkook,” he interrupted. “I have to play a track for you guys.”

“Go for it,” you said, sharing an amused glance with Jungkook, as he pulled out his phone and a hip hop beat began to play from the speakers. You recognized it only after a few lyrics. “I remember this one. He performed it the night we were there.”

Taehyung sighed dreamily and anyone passing by would’ve thought he was thinking about the love of his life. “What was it like, seeing the Agust D in person?”

“He was good, I’ll admit.”

“Haven’t you seen him before?” Jungkook asked.

“No.” The other two boys didn’t seem to notice how his shoulders fell a little, mouth drawing into a straight line. Or if they did, they didn’t say anything. “I haven’t really gotten a chance to go to Cypher. Or when I did, he wasn’t performing.”

Again, you wondered if the abrupt change in demeanor had to do with the things he had told you about. “Yoongi was saying he’s pretty familiar with the artists that perform there. Maybe he could help you get to see him perform. Right, Yoongi?”

He seemed to snap out of his thoughts, meeting your sideways glance. “Hmm? Right. Sure.”

“Thank god,” Taehyung said. “I will give you my first born for this.”

Yoongi grimaced. “I don’t want your first born.”

“Then second—“

“You can keep your non-existent children, Taehyung.”

Halfway through the day after another class, you came to your locker to put some books away, but as you opened it, a slip of paper fell out, landing beside your boots. You would’ve dismissed it as some extra notes or rough working from a lesson until you turned it over to reveal an old but familiar handwriting. It read 1:00, our spot.

“Y/N,” Sana emphasized like she was repeating it. Her figure seemed to materialize in front of you as you blinked. “Are you even listening?”

“Yeah,” you said after a second, turning your attention back to your locker. You slipped the note into your pocket before she could notice. “Sorry, I just spaced for a second.”

Sana’s expression remained skeptical. “Uh huh. Have you been sleeping better?”

You waved it away. “Yeah, it’s just homework. I was up studying last night.”

She gave a half laugh, half scoff. “Only you would spend the last night of the weekend studying.”

Normally, you would’ve agreed internally, or defended yourself, but now, there was another person in your mind who you were sure could relate to you in this. Not that Namjoon needed extra study hours. “Well, what were you doing then? Stealing lighters from convenience stores? Or wait, raiding your father’s liquor cabinet?”

Her face instantly turned into a scowl. “I did that once. And I felt bad, so I returned it. My guilt cancelled out my sin.”

“Yup,” you clicked your tongue. “That’s how it works.”

“Alright,” Sana exclaimed. “So, you’re still mad that I ditched you at Cypher. I said I was sorry.”

“And I said it was fine.”

“But when have you ever said what you meant? Conversing with you would be so simple then, you know.”

You shot her a little sly smile. “But what fun is that?”

She unfolded her arms from across her chest, pointing a finger at you. “You’re a different kind of manic, you realize that? I’ll catch you later.”

After she walked off, you turned back to your locker, closing the door. You started making your way to the cafeteria, the note tucked into your pocket on the back of your mind. Why did he want to see you now? You wanted to throw away that part of your life that had been, but what if that had been impractical? Everyone you knew was still here, you had to face them almost everyday. Avoiding that old part was turning out to be more of a struggle than you’d thought.

At some point, you must have stopped in front of the doors that led to the swimming pool, because your gaze was drifting inside. Another perk of Sky Academy being more than well funded. You’d been to every community pool in the area, had even seen a lot of private ones, but they didn’t compare to the one here.

There was this sudden anxiety churning in your skin and you realized how long it had actually been since you’d stepped inside.

“Hey.” The voice startled you from your thoughts, and to your right, you glanced a slightly taller boy with black hair and soft features. Jimin looked from you to the view of the pool through the glass windows of the doors. “What are we looking at?”

Shaking your head, you turned away from the pool, leading him towards the other side of the hall. “Nothing. Do you have lunch now?”

“I do.” He nodded. “Cafeteria?”

You hesitated a little, ignoring the weight of the note in your pocket. “Sure.”

He looked down at his hands uncertainly before beginning, “I wanted to ask… are you planning on visiting the hospital some time soon?”

You frowned slightly. “I’m not sure right now. Why?”

His cheeks burned pink. “It’s nothing, really. I just…” When he noticed your expectant stare, he let out a sigh. “I have to go there again. But I didn’t want to go alone. Stupid, right?”

“Why do you say it’s stupid?” you asked curiously. You’d spent more time in the hospital in the past year than you had in your whole life. You could see why anyone would hate having to be there so often. While you didn’t know what Jimin had been doing there, you were starting to think it was something serious.

“Because I’m almost eighteen and I—I hate hospitals,” he admitted, something close to shame or embarrassment in his voice. “I was that one kid who was completely terrified of needles.”

You stifled a laugh. “You were?”

He shot you a pointed look. “Hey, don’t judge. They’re literally stabbing you with a sharp edge. Stabbing.”

“Valid point,” you agreed. “Get it? Point? Come on, it was a little funny.”

“You’re hilarious,” he said drily, waiting for your amusement to pass. “Satisfied?”

“For now.” You bit your lip. While you hadn’t planned on visiting again so soon, you didn’t want to say no to him when he resembled a scared little boy who didn’t want to go somewhere alone. You could almost imagine yourself coming to your mother for the same reason years ago. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”

Surprise lit up on his face. “Really?”

“How does tomorrow sound?”

“Tomorrow is good,” he said, smiling at you kindly.

“What’s happening tomorrow?” Namjoon asked. You barely noticed him appear at your side, looking between you and Jimin, who seemed like he’d been put on the spot. And you knew he must’ve been debating whether or not to explain.

“Oh, you know,” you drawled. “School. Work. My sanity slowly slipping away.”

“Eventful,” Namjoon remarked with a sarcastic undertone.

From across the hall, another set of eyes met yours. Miss Oh was looking your way like she wanted to speak with you. You scratched the back of your neck. “Um, you guys go on ahead.”

“You sure?” Jimin asked. “Today’s dessert is coconut cream pie. Those somehow run out faster than I can blink.”

Namjoon must’ve noticed the way you were averting your gaze from the guidance counsellor and an answer for them, so he clapped Jimin on the shoulder lightly before saying to you, “We’ll save you a slice.”

After sending a grateful glance his way, you slowly made you way towards the main office.

“Y/N,” Miss Oh said. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you. It’s been a busy week.”

“For you and me both,” you half muttered.

Miss Oh smiled at you warmly, an adult asking a child for a favour. “Would you like to step into my office for some time?” It wasn’t like you could say no when she already opened the door and was leading you to her office inside. She took a seat at her table, patiently waiting for you to sit down from across her. “So.”

You avoided eye contact at first. Instead you tried to focus on the decor of the office and to spot what had changed since you’d last been there. “So…?”

“How are you? How are classes? I’ve heard you’re faring quite well."

You sat up a little straighter in your seat. “No offence, Miss Oh, but I’d rather not have a conversation this… forced.”

“Well, I’m not forcing you to speak to me.” She tilted her head at you. “You chose to come in here, didn’t you?”

“I guess so,” you said slowly. She had you there. “I seem to be making many uncharacteristic choices, as of late.”

“Do you mean those boys you were talking to in the hallway?” She ignored the way your head swivelled in her direction. “I don’t want to sound like I’m intruding, but I couldn’t help but notice—“

“That I talk to people other than my one friend?” you retorted.

Her gaze on you was silent warmth. “It seems to me that perhaps you’ve found a few more of those.”

You remained quiet for some moments. Somehow that warmth was trying to seep into your skin. But at the same time, there was a knot tying up in your throat. “Maybe.”

“Meeting new people is fantastic, Y/N. Stepping out from these walls you’ve built around yourself is a good thing.”

“I don’t have walls.” There was no harshness in your voice now. You spoke quieter, more pensive. “I’m just… more reserved now. When people who were supposed to be your friends turn their back on you, I think it’s sensible to be cautious.”

At this last part, she chuckled. “You’re more sensible than half the people your age. It is good to be a little cautious, but you don’t have to shut people out at the same time.”

“It felt like the only thing I could do,” you admitted from nowhere, and the weight it held took you aback. If you’d been standing, you might’ve even lost your balance. Maybe that was a good metaphor for your life. Like losing your balance on a tightrope.

“Like the only thing you had control over,” Miss Oh continued somberly. “It’s normal to want some kind of control when everything seems to be spinning out of it.”

“Do you know what I just realized?” you said, almost like you were thinking out loud. “You’re the only person who has actually tried to talk about that night. You’re terribly vague about it, but that seems to be a quality of yours.”

She hesitated only slightly, twirling around the pen in her hand. “I believe it’s best not to force everything all at once. I think you’d agree.”

Words seemed a little sharp in your throat suddenly. It felt like something was poking your eyes, turning them watery. “I think that everyone has already decided what they think of me. I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon.”

“I didn’t realize how much you cared what people thought of you.”

You chuckled without any humour. “Have you seen the kids at this school? It’s like they get off on whatever drama and rumours they can find and exaggerate.”

“What exaggeration have they made that you’re referring to?”

“I don’t know,” you spoke after some time before shaking your head. “It’s nothing. It’s just… lately I’ve been confused about some things. Like there are doors being opened around me, doors to the past and maybe to new opportunities. A chance to do things differently. But I can’t help but wonder if it’s better to be cautious.” There was an interminable pause. “I don’t want to make any more mistakes.”

She sighed eventually. “I can’t tell you what decision to make. But mistakes are normal for everyone. Don’t think of them as that, as setbacks. Think of them as lessons to be learned. Know that they only make you smarter and stronger.”

You wanted to tell her that you had an abundance of mistakes in your belt, but it didn’t feel like they’d done you much good. If they had, maybe you’d actually feel smarter and stronger. Maybe something good would’ve come out of everything.

That evening, you didn’t have a shift to be at and your only friend, Sana, had a family obligation, as she put it. And you weren’t ready to go home and face your mother so soon. What would you even say? You may be right, and I hate that it’s true?

So naturally, you wandered the city area. The weather was nice that day. A salty air breeze grazed your face and hair. It was weird how you loved that sea water scent, but something about the ocean was daunting. As you strolled through the streets, you maintained a cautionary distance from the ledge separating you from the river below.

Finally, you came to the place you thought you might’ve been looking for all along. The black Chinese characters seemed to give off a different vibe in the daylight. Rather than an enigmatic puzzle to be solved, it was like a painting that brought some sort of comfort.

The most beautiful moment in life, Namjoon had said. You’d been thinking about it all day without even realizing it, along with every other thing that seemed like a problem in your life. Past events, memories, people, even dreams. Was it strange that they seemed to be related? But what did it even mean though? Was it a reminder of something? Or a warning?

A crackling sound disrupted your inner thoughts. When you turned your head, you saw a tall, brown haired boy with broad shoulders approach you slowly. His feet were light on the gravel and sand.

You sent him an impish grin, placing your hands in your pockets. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Seokjin returned the lightheartedness with a grin of his own. “Right back at you.”

“The weather was nice. I was on a walk.”

He hummed. “Seemed like a purposeful walk.”

“Maybe.” Finally, you noticed he was holding something in his hands. It was an old camera that you could’ve found in an antique store. “What, were they out of digital?”

“I just prefer instant film. There’s something old but refined about it.” He paused, debating whether or not to say anything else. “This was a gift from my mother.”

The way he held on to it, it was clear it was something important to him. More valuable than just money. You put on a tiny smile. “Vintage. I like it. What was she like? Your mother. Sorry, did I get that wrong—“

“No. You didn’t.” He chuckled slightly as he played with the camera in his hands. “Honestly, I don’t remember her much. I was just a kid when she died. It’s just nice to know that she’s held this camera in her hands too. That I’m looking through the same lens as she did. That maybe I might see the same things as her.”

You kept quiet for a while. This was a different shade of him, one that only recently you suspected existed. It was a side that most people wouldn’t expect from him, you guessed. Because why would there be anything wrong in your life when you’re rich and privileged?

“Is the camera the only thing of hers you have?” you asked. To you, it sounded like he didn’t talk about the topic often. Or that he didn’t have anyone around to listen. “It’s just the way you’re holding on to it.”

He cracked another grin. “You’re observant, aren’t you? Yeah, it is. Along with her old pictures.”

“Pictures are memories, wouldn’t you say?” you said thoughtfully. He barely remembered his mother, yet he loved her anyway. Maybe you were a little envious of that. If you’d known your mother less—no. If she knew you less, would she treat you more like a daughter? “So, maybe you don’t remember her, but you do have her memories. That’s a way to remember her.”

“Yeah… I guess it is.” Just from the light in his eyes, you could tell that he had found some comfort in your words. “It’s funny that way, isn’t it? When we leave this place, the only thing of us that will be left is our memories. That’s how people will remember us.”

“What?” you laughed a caustic laugh. “Is this the part where you tell me you want to be remembered for something great?”

He bit down on his lip, shifting his gaze towards the river. “No. Not really. But I guess I just want to do something worthwhile. Or be someone worthwhile.”

You followed his gaze like you could try to understand his thought better. But all you saw was ripples in the water in the colours of the sunlight. “That’s a lot to take on.”

“Maybe. My grandmother used to say that as long as you do your best and stay good, the rest will fall into place.”

“That’s nice to think.”

“No, it isn’t.” At your palpable surprise, he sent you a knowing look. “You don’t believe that.”

“What do you mean?”

When he looked at you again, his mouth was somewhere between a frown and puzzlement. “It’s weird. You seem kind of hopeful sometimes, but cynical at other times. Kind of like when it’s raining and it stops suddenly just for sunlight to appear for a few seconds. Then the rain starts again like nothing even happened.”

An ironic smirk appeared on your lips. “So, I’m nonsensical. A contradiction?”

He rolled his eyes halfheartedly. “How does it feel to be the biggest mystery at Sky Academy?”

Your face was wiped from amusement. You could feel your throat tighten, secretly hoping he didn’t know what you think he did. “Why do you say that?”

“People like to talk. They talk about you quite a bit.” You felt his gaze on you, trying to gauge your reaction. But you remained still and passive. “But it’s all over the place. You can’t tell fact from fiction.”

“I used to think it was better that way... not being known,” you found yourself saying. “If people don’t really know you, they can’t have power over you.” The power to control you or hurt you or take something away from you.

“But now?”

Now, I think it’s kind of lonely.

“It’s different now, when you have time to realize what it’s actually like,” Seokjin filled in for you. You appreciated the gesture just again, how he never pushed you for more than you wanted to say. Maybe he knew how you had done the same thing for him.

Your eyes wandered again, back to the wall of graffiti when something leaped in your chest. It was that feeling of finding something you hadn’t noticed before. “Hey, what is that?”

“Where?”

You stepped closer to the wall, pointing at the characters. “Near the bottom. It looks like… a signature.”

Seokjin’s eyes filled with surprise. “As in, the artist’s?”

“Maybe.”

The two of you exchanged a glance before turning your focus back on the thin scrawl that almost blended into the black paint of the final character hwa.

Smeraldo.

chapter v // chapter vii

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romantic-barnes · 4 years

Text

gin, tonic & a lemon on top

Pairings: fluffy!bucky x bartender!reader

Summary: Maybe Bucky’s an alcoholic or maybe he just has a crush on the sweet like syrup bartender.

Warnings: alcohol consumption

Bucky Barnes, the college student struggling to put food on his plate, eating ramen noodles like any other in his shoes. The one who spends too much money on textbooks and tutors, now sitting at the bar of one of the few places good enough to pay a visit to.

Bucky has a knack for alcohol, not the bad type; he just enjoys himself a long-drink or a cocktail once in a while. It’s something that struck his interest oddly enough.

Now here he sat, a Knickerbocker Martini in hand but his eyes fixed on the woman behind the bar.

She’s somethin’ else.

Her all black outfit blended her in with the other staff if you didn’t care to look hard enough (or too drunk).

Bucky emptied his drink in one gulp, the dry vermouth stinging in his throat.

“Excuse me?” He called out, catching the attention of the girl. She walked over to him, a polite smile on her pink lips.

“What can I get you?”

“A gin tonic, doll.”

She went right ahead, grabbing a glass from behind her, filling the glass with ice and alcohol, a slice of lemon on top. She slid the drink in his direction taking Bucky’s money in return.

He stared at the drink for a minute, his eyebrows wrinkling. “Where’s the cucumber?” He asked, not rudely, but with a smirk playing on his lips.

The bartender chuckled. “Well, if you must know, Tanquery gin is actually infused with citrus fruit, not cucumber.” She leaned on the counter, pointing a finger at the drink. “That’s why we put a slice of lemon in it.”

Bucky’s lips parted slightly, dumbfounded by the knowledge he was hit with. He could smell her perfume from the close proximity.

Bucky send Steve a quick apology, arriving at the bar just in time for happy hour.

Although he could’ve hung out with Steve and Scott, he’d rather spend his time eyeing the pretty bartender, besides drinking.

Bucky slipped onto the bar stool he had almost claimed for himself and started to look around for her. He didn’t know her name, or if she even worked tonight, but he was hopeful nonetheless.

Just in time for him to order, she appeared around the corner, walking behind the bar. They locked eyes and Bucky flashed her a million dollar smile.

“You again. Should I be worried you’re stalking me?”

“Oh god no, but I should call the police on you and have them arrest you for being so damn pretty.” Bucky shut his mouth before he could say anything further. His face glowing red afraid he stepped over a line.

“Please do, I like being handcuffed.” She winked at Bucky and he chuckled.

“Kinky.”

“What are you having today?”

“Mojito.” Bucky said without looking at the small menu of drinks.

“Classic. I see.”

She went ahead and mixed his drink, throwing a few leaves of mint in a glass, lime and syrup. Ice was added and liquid. She finished off his drink with powdered sugar on top of a tree of mint.

Bucky took a sip from it, satisfaction written on his face. “No brown sugar?”

The bartender chuckled. “No, we make our Mojito the Italian way.”

“Why’s that?” Bucky took another sip, contend with the taste.

“Because the owner is Italian.”

The following week Bucky couldn’t wait to see the cute bartender again. Between classes he tried on different outfits to find one that would look good enough to catch her attention, but also casual enough to not seem desperate for it.

His efforts didn’t go unnoticed though, his two friends teasing him and asking questions nonstop. Bucky wouldn’t give in to it though, his mind focused on the girl he was trying to impress.

The days ended slower than Bucky would like to and friday rolled around after all. He mentally prepared himself to make a move, exhaling heavily upon entering the bar.

Sat on the bar stool he had chosen as his favourite, he watched with curious eyes, the girl mixing drinks with ease, like it’s so engraved in her body she doesn’t have to look at the bottles to know which one is which.

“Hey there.” She smiled, approaching Bucky.

“Hey.” Bucky wiped his hands on his jeans. “Can you recommend something for me?”

She thought for a moment, grabbing all the ingredients, mixing them up and setting the finished product on the bar top.

Bucky was about to fish money out of his wallet, but she stopped him.

“This ones on me.”

Bucky’s cheeks warmed up from the gesture, shyly looking away from her eyes to the drink in front of him. Within seconds he could tell it was Tequila Sunrise, the orange to red gradient giving it away.

“A Tequila Sunrise?” Bucky quirked a brow, stirring the orange and red together.

“It’s my favourite.” She watched as he sipped. “I like my drinks like I like my men. Sweet.” She said, quiet enough for only Bucky to hear.

He choked slightly, making her laugh. She walked away tending to the other customers, her head turning to him, winking.

He forgot all about the move he wanted to make, too flustered to say another word.

“Just take us with you, Buck come on!” Scott whined.

“Yeah, we wanna know who took your sanity.” Steve followed up, smiling at his friend.

“No, you guys are just going to embaress me.” Bucky mumbled, sliding his arms through his jacket.

Despite all efforts to keep Steve and Scott away, they insisted and wouldn’t drop it until Bucky gave in, even following him outside.

They reached the bar, Bucky nervously biting his lip. Luckily for him, there seemed to be a good amount of people scattered around the bar to keep the barkeeper distracted.

He needed to find the courage somewhere within himself to speak up, but Steve took the lead waving his arm at the girl. Bucky lowered his head afraid of what might come.

“Good evening gentlemen, what can I get you?”

“I’ll have a uh,” Steve took a quick glance at the menu, “Apricot Lady.”

“One Bee’s Kiss for me.” Scott said, glancing over to Bucky to let him order.

He slowly lifted his head, surprise in the bartenders eyes as they connected with his. “A Moscow Mule.” He smiled shyly.

“Is that her?” Scott asked earning a confused look from her. Bucky’s cheeks tinting bright red.

She smirked, working on the three cocktails. “Depends on who I’m supposed to be.”

“Excuse my friends, they’re idiots.” Bucky glared at Scott and then Steve who were smiling, knowing exactly that she’s the woman he’s been so whipped for.

She set the drinks in front of the three men, tending to the other costumers at the bar.

“Why haven’t you made your move yet?” Steve looked at Bucky.

Bucky let his shoulders drop, his lips forming to a frown. “I don’t know if she likes me.”

“Aw come on, anyone with eyes can see that she’s interested to see what Bucky Barnes has in store.” Scott patted Bucky on his shoulder a reassuring smile on his face.

“Look, she’s coming back.” Steve nodded to her and Bucky’s gaze shifted from his friends to the bartender. “We’re just going to go get some fresh air.”

Bucky opened his mouth to protest, but both Scott and Steve were already out of reach.

“Your friends left you all alone, how rude.” She said, leaning her elbows on the bar top, her head resting in the palms of her hands.

“Yes, they uh - they.” Bucky stuttered, quickly trying to search for some confidence, unsuccessfully.

The bartender leaned in, her eyes warm and full of affection. “My shift ends in ten minutes, maybe I could accompany you instead of your friends.”

Bucky’s mouth opened slightly, taken back by the question.

“I promise I won’t abandon you like them.”

Bucky nodded a smile stretching across his face. “I’d love that.”

“What’s your name?” She asked, slowly moving away from the bar top.

“Bucky and yours?”

“Y/n.”

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky fluff #bucky barnes fluff #fluffy!bucky #bartender!au #bartender!reader #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky x bartender #bucky x bartender!reader #gin tonic & a lemon on top #clair writes #gin tonic and a lemon on top

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inahazzze · 5 years

Text

A Long Way From Home (Part 2)

You’re travelling and meet Harry in your hostel when you share a bunk bed in a tiny mixed dorm room. It’s a long week.

READ PART 1 HERE

A/N: ALWFH part 2 is finally here!!! I’m sorry it took me so long but this part is a hefty 9.5k so enjoy!! A huge thank you to my wife/cheerleader @sadwishlist and one of my favourite people on the planet @sleepyeyedstyles for beta reading for me! <3

Warnings: smut, alcohol, anxiety, swearing

“So… you speak Japanese?”

“Oh, yeah, a little.”

“Sounded like more than a little,” you say, placing your elbows on the long dining room table. You take a bite of your cornflakes, raising your eyebrows at Harry for downplaying his understanding of Japanese. There are a handful of other people eating the hostel’s basic breakfast a few seats down from you, but you’re focused entirely on the light green eyes before you. He looks down and blushes, smiling into his toast.

“I picked up a little bit when I was in Japan recently.”

“Nice,” you say. “How long were you there for?”

“A little over a month,” he says into another bite of toast, smearing a bit of jam on the side of his mouth. You have an instinct to reach over and wipe it off for him, but stop yourself before your body can act on the thought. He licks up the jam with the tip of his tongue and then wipes his mouth clean with the back of his hand. You look away, thinking about how it’s too early in the morning to think about his tongue. You clear your throat and try to focus on getting to know him a little better. You’ve noticed that he hasn’t really opened up about himself very much, so you find yourself always wanting to know more. He’s got that mysterious, intriguing quality about him that won’t stop drawing you towards him.

“What were you doing there so long?”

“Just travelling around, you know,” he says. You’ve noticed that his answers are often vague, so you try to lightly prod him for some more information.

“What was your favourite place in Japan?” You ask, hoping for a lengthy story that says something about what he likes.

“Probably Tokyo,” he says. You wait for him to continue but he doesn’t say anything more.

“I’d love to go someday,” you say, trying to continue the conversation without feeling like you’re interrogating him. “Any recommendations?”

He hums and thinks for a minute before responding. “Do you like animals?”

You’re a bit thrown by the seemingly random question but don’t hesitate to answer him. “I love them! Except lions, they’re scary.”

“I don’t think you’re very likely to run into one in Japan,’’ he laughs. “I only asked ‘cause seeing the deer in Nara is a must.”

“Ooh, I’ve heard of that!” You respond enthusiastically.

“It’s amazing. There’s so many and they come right up to you,” he says.

“That sounds so cool.”

“It is. And I did a Japanese cooking class that was awesome, so I’d recommend that too.”

“Yum, what’d you make?”

“Okonomiyaki and a killer ramen,” he looks pleased to report.

You beam at him, thrilled that he’s engaging with you and seeming more animated than yesterday. “You’ll have to give me the details of where you went.”

He agrees with a warm smile and then turns the conversation back towards you. You talk about the places you’ve been recently, and discuss the long list of places that you both want to visit in the future. The conversation is so natural and comfortable that you stay there talking until the hostel’s breakfast room is cleared for cleaning. You’re not sure what to do next, so you ask a staffer at the hostel’s front desk. She recommends a few options, but you and Harry decide on Elizabeth Park for its gardens and Vancouver city views. Neither you or Harry have been there, so you get to experience it for the first time together. If you’re honest with yourself, you don’t really care where you go or what you do as long as it’s with Harry.

You have to take public transport there, and spend the whole train ride sitting next to Harry with the top of your thigh pressed up against his. You feel like your leg is on fire from the smallest contact, and the fire spreads throughout your body. This isn’t something that usually happens to you – there’s just something about Harry that your body instinctually responds to. The longer you’re sitting next to him, the more you have to stop yourself from pressing your thighs together. It’s something you can ordinarily get away with in public but Harry would definitely notice. You’re a bit annoyed that you’re already itching to touch yourself because of Harry and it’s only mid-morning, but at least you can blame the low hum of vibration tickling your body through the seat from the train’s running engine.

When you finally arrive at the right stop, you leap up from your seat in relief. You see Harry furrow his brow a little but he doesn’t say anything. Walking from the station to the park, you try to steel yourself with several deep breaths of fresh air. You walk with Harry in a comfortable silence and mentally reprimand your body for misbehaving already.

The park is beautiful and rich with colours that shine vibrantly in the sun. Your eyes flit between the soft greens of the flourishing trees above you, to an overgrown patch of violets in every shade of purple and blue you could imagine, to the glimpses of multicoloured roses in various stages of blooming. There are tennis courts with families playing, the odd runner or cyclist, and dogs of all sizes making new friends across the lawn. It feels peaceful and alive in a way that downtown Vancouver didn’t. As much as you love the city, there’s something special about nature that makes you feel happy and at home. Everyone is always in a rush in the centre of cities, hurrying from one place to the next without really looking around - but here, time is irrelevant and you can just enjoy your surroundings without feeling stressed.

You take another deep breath, basking in the feel of the sun pressing down against your shoulders like warm breath across your skin. It’s a pleasant light burn that relaxes your muscles and tugs a smile at your lips, causing Harry to smile at you in response. He can see how much more at ease you are in this environment, even more so than when you went to Stanley Park yesterday.

You continue to walk together in a comfortable silence, and the path that winds around the park and gardens only become more beautiful at every turn of a corner or round of a bend. When you come across an impressive large glass dome of a greenhouse, you’re in awe of how the sunlight reflects off of the interlocking triangular panels of the structure. It somehow manages to look futuristic at the same time as perfectly fitting into the landscape. In front of the building is an array of fountains built into the ground, and you can’t help but giggle as you watch a group of children chasing each other through the water jets. Everything about this place is peaceful yet joyful, and you find yourself more relaxed than you have been in a long time. You almost forget that Harry is next to you, until you turn to find him watching you with a grin on his face.

“What?” You question him. He only shakes his head and mumbles that it’s nothing, walking further down the path ahead of you. You follow him and consider asking him again what his grin was for, but the thought immediately leaves your mind when you see the first view of Vancouver ahead of you. It’s breathtaking, especially on such a bright and sunny day, and it leaves you staring with your mouth agape. You can see downtown, the water, all the way to North Vancouver, and even further to the snowy mountains in the distance. You’ve expected a nice walk in the park and maybe a pretty view, but not this. This - stumbling upon sights that surprise and excite and astonish you - is why you love travelling.

As you look out over the spectacular view of Vancouver with a lovely stranger at your side and a sense of ease in your heart, you feel a sense of gratitude wash over you. Travelling is a luxury that you certainly haven’t taken for granted, but in moments like this you feel overwhelmed by how lucky you are to have these experiences. You get to see the world, meet new and interesting people, and create memories that will last a lifetime. You get to try new foods, learn about new cultures, and sometimes even jump out of your comfort zone. It can be scary, but it’s worth every minute.

Remembering that Harry is beside you, you try to swallow your emotions and hope that they’re not showing on your face. You’re not upset, just a little dazed by how happy and lucky you feel in this moment. These are the moments that you live for.

“Y’alright?” Harry breaks through your thoughts to ask you. Perhaps you weren’t as good at hiding your emotions as you thought.

“Yeah, fine,” you mumble in an unconvincing drawl that causes Harry to furrow his eyebrows at you. But he doesn’t push you on it and accepts that you must not want to talk about whatever was going through your mind. “Lunch?” He asks and you nod your head with a smile. There’s still quite a bit of the gardens to walk through, so you decide to see the rest and then find lunch after exiting from a different side of the park that you entered from.

The path winds down a steep hill around every type of flower and plant that you can imagine. You stroll slowly to try and take it all in, but there’s so much to see. You don’t know that much about the flora, but it’s pretty to look at. It’s clearly been well designed and carefully maintained to be kept in pristine condition. If you lived here, you’d love to come to these gardens to read or draw for a few hours.

Once you reach the end of the park, you and Harry find a cute little cafe to have some lunch. You both grab some sandwiches and chat about mundane things like the best flavour of milkshake and the best cartoon. Harry’s adamant that the best cartoon is one called Big Mouth, which you can’t argue with since you’ve never seen it, and your choice is the cartoon Daria that you grew up loving. Harry also loves Daria, and mentions that he used to love watching it with his sister Gemma. It’s the first time that he’s mentioned any family members, so you’re a little surprised but do your best to not show it on your face. You want to know more about his family and his life, but you also don’t want to push him away or freak him out. It’s clear to you that’s he’s a very private person and will tell you whatever he’s comfortable with in his own time.

You’re pretty exhausted from your lack of sleep and anxiety last night, coupled with the long walk in the sun through Elizabeth Park, so you decide to spend the late afternoon by taking a nap in Harry’s bunk. Once you mention a nap, he agrees that it’s a good idea and then promptly leaves you in the dorm alone. You promise to meet him at the hostel’s downstairs bar area after dinner at 8pm, so you know you have plenty of time to rest and grab some food later. You hate wasting your time in Vancouver like this, but you know that you’re too tired to do anything anyway. You don’t want to push yourself too hard and get sick, like what happened to you when you were travelling in New York City.

As soon as you climb into Harry’s bed, you’re engulfed by the smell of him and the feeling as if he’s there with you. It’s comforting and homely and a little musky, but in a pleasant way. You curl yourself beneath the tangled sheets and breathe deeply into the thin pillow until all of your muscles relax. It doesn’t take long before you fall into a deep sleep.

By the time you force yourself out of Harry’s bed and finish a quick dinner from the Tim Horton’s across the street from the hostel, it’s already five to 8. You hurry back to the hostel to meet Harry at the bar, but find the area littered with people. Everyone is animatedly chatting with one another, some holding glasses of beer that they drink in eager gulps. You don’t know any of them, and already feel a bit overwhelmed by the unexpected crowd of people in the small bar area. You’re just deciding whether to abandon your promise to Harry and head back to your room when you feel a light touch on the small of your back. You jump a bit at the feeling of the hand on your back but relax when you turn and see Harry’s vibrant green eyes shining at you. The mostly empty glass in his hand and his slackened eyelids tell you that he’s clearly had at least one drink already.

“You coming?” Harry asks you with a hopeful smile.

“To… where, exactly?” Your eyebrows furrow and you wonder if he told you before your nap and you somehow forgot.

“The pub crawl!” He drawls in an excited tone, prompting a whooping shout from a few people surrounding you.

“Oh- um, I… I dunno,” you say, stammering your words as you think through the unexpected suggestion.

“It’ll be fun!” Harry’s face lights up even more. “I mean, you don’t have to,” he clarifies and lowers the volume of his voice so that only you can hear. “But I want you to come.”

You look into his eyes, seeing the familiar genuine expression paired with a more unfamiliar timidness. You’ve never seen him look even slightly unsure of himself until now.

“Okay,” you say softly in response. If Harry wants you to spend the night with him, then you’re going to say yes even if it pushes you out of your comfort zone. You’ve never been on a pub crawl before, and it makes you nervous. But maybe that’s a good thing - travelling is all about experiencing new things, meeting people and having fun. You’re about to say something more to Harry, but you’re cut off by a booming voice that floats over the crowd in ringing precision.

“Alright, who’s ready for the pub crawl?” You hear, and turn your head to see the tall bearded man who checked you into your room. He has an Irish accent and a warm, laid back smile. “I’m Ben, I’ll be leading us around to the five pubs of the night.” Another whoop breaks out from the group that’s already grown by a few people since you arrived. “I have a map of where we’re going for each of you in case you get lost or want to leave. It’s a half hour per pub, so don’t get too comfortable.” People are starting to talk amongst themselves so Ben raises his voice to make sure he’s heard. “At the bottom of the map you’ll see a band which you can rip off and put around your wrist, it’ll give you 20% off all drinks and one free shot per bar.” A rapturous cheer fills the space, and you can feel the energy of the group prickle your skin like electricity.

You grab a map from Ben and mill out of the hostel’s front doors along with everyone else. You’re heading to a bar called The Tap first, which is only a few blocks away. Most of the group are deep in conversation the whole way there, but you and Harry walk beside each other in silence. You spend the walk listening to two girls behind you conversing in rapid Spanish, only catching a few random words that you know. It’s a good distraction from the constant awareness of Harry’s presence next to you.

When you arrive at the first pub, you head straight for some booth seating near the back. At least half of the group head to the bar for their first round, so you figure that you might as well wait it out as you’ve never been assertive enough to be served quickly at a bar anyway.

Harry slides into the booth beside you, followed by Ben and a few other people that you think you’ve seen at breakfast or in the hostel’s hallways before. Classic rock plays on the overhead speakers, and Harry hums along with it perfectly. His voice is smooth and rich as butter but there’s also something else in his tone that’s raw and real. You can’t imagine how he must sound when he’s probably singing if he sounds this good merely humming. You turn your head to look at him in interest, but he stops humming as soon as he catches your eye.

“What?” He asks. You don’t know how to respond, or what to say, or even exactly what you were thinking. You just found yourself astounded by this mysterious man who you happened to meet by chance and couldn’t stop thinking about. What was it about him? How did he seem so comfortably familiar yet surprise you at every turn?

“Nothing,” you reply, darting your eyes to your lap.

“You alright?” Harry asks into your ear so that the others in the booth can’t hear the question.

“Yeah, fine,” you say, but Harry raises his eyebrows in disbelief. “I’m just a bit tired still, s’all.”

He quirks his lip up and starts to get out of the booth as the people next to him get up to let him out. “I know just the thing.” He heads towards the bar and Ben takes Harry’s spot next to you.

You strike up a light conversation with Ben in Harry’s absence, mostly about how he started working at the hostel and what his favourite places in Vancouver are. When Harry returns, you notice that he’s clenching his jaw and not as relaxed as he was before. He’s holding two drinks and two shots, and you gulp at the ease with which he’s holding so much in his large hands. Harry slides into the booth opposite you and passes over a dark brown drink with a thick layer of white foam resting on top of it. He explains that it’s an Irish coffee which is black coffee with whiskey and sugar mixed into it, to both wake you up and start your night of drinking. A clear liquid in a two shot glasses sit next to the beer that he bought for himself. You thank him profusely for the drink and take a sip of the rich concoction that you hope makes you loosen up for the rest of the night. It’s strong, and not very pleasant, but you happily drink it anyway.

As you slowly enjoy your drink, you talk to Ben and a girl named Sian from Scotland. You don’t talk very much, but you enjoy the easy company and the conversation around you. Across from you, Harry silently nurses his drink and listens. He darts his eyes towards you occasionally and looks as if he’s holding himself back from saying what’s on his mind. You wonder whether he’s thinking about you, because you certainly can’t stop thinking about him.

By the time you’re only halfway through the Irish coffee, you already feel more awake and social. You start to talk to Sian and Ben more, but Harry remains quiet. You try to include him in the conversation, but his mind seems a bit far off.

When Ben calls for the group to move on to the second pub, you haven’t had your shot or finished your cocktail. Harry hasn’t had his either, so you make eye contact with him and gesture towards the tiny glasses. His lip quirks up for the first time in a while, which you consider a small victory that you’ll take. You don’t know why he’s acting so weird, but you also don’t want to ask him about it. Maybe he’s just shy.

The shot feels like acid crawling its way down your throat. You’ve had shots before, but you don’t usually have them so early in a night of drinking. It leaves a nice warm feeling in your stomach, but you don’t think you’ll have any more shots from the other pubs. Looking up, you find Harry giggling at your scrunched up face from the shot. You reach over the table and playfully whack him on the arm, to which he only giggles more. Even though you can still feel the uncomfortable acid burning your throat, you think that it was worth it to get Harry laughing and smiling again.

On the way to the second pub, the cool night air doesn’t feel as chilly anymore. You’re very comfortable in your t-shirt and jeans, and don’t feel as underdressed anymore. While some of the other girls are in nicer clothes and heels, others are wearing similar casual outfits as you. Harry isn’t dressed up either, and the pubs aren’t exactly fancy venues. The second place is even more grungy than the first, but it feels homely and welcoming with its dim lights and cute little tables for four. As you walk in, you can sense Harry’s hand hovering behind the small of your back. He guides you both towards the bar to get drinks together, and you don’t bother to debate why he’s bringing you along this time. He orders you both a beer, and you thrust the money at the bartender before Harry gets a chance; seeing as he paid for the last round.

You would’ve been happy to continue talking to Ben and Sian, but they’re already deep in conversation at a full table. You notice that Harry is pleased about something, but you let the curiosity escape you when you spot a table with two chairs free. You end up talking to a couple named Mateo and Sofia from Argentina, who are a bit reserved at first but lovely. Harry speaks up a little more in this conversation, asking the couple about their favourite cities to visit in South America. You mostly listen as they talk about the national parks they’ve all visited and the ones they’re yet to trek. You’re just happy that Harry seems to be in a better mood and more engaged than before, so you’re not fussed that you don’t know what they’re talking about.

You go to the bathroom and grab yourself and Harry another beer on the way back, enjoying how the rich malt coats your throat. You see Ben at the bar and chat to him for a bit, mostly about different types of beer. It’s not a particularly interesting conversation, but you nod your head and smile anyway.

When you return to the table and hand Harry his beer back, he thanks you but his smile doesn’t reach his eyes. You wonder what he might’ve talked about with the Argentinian couple while you were gone - perhaps the discussion about national parks turned dark or became awkward in some way.

Before you know it, you hear Ben call across the bar that it’s time to head to the third venue of the night. The crowd whoops and skulls their glasses before filing out the door with significantly more enthusiasm than the first pub. You stumble a little when you stand up, suddenly noticing the alcohol in your system. Harry is by your side in an instant, holding your upper arm gently and asking if you’re okay. You tell him that you feel fine and just stood up too quickly, but he doesn’t seem convinced.

The fresh air is delicious on the walk to the third pub. You feel like you have a little pep to your step from the warm buzz of alcohol flowing through your limbs, and you enjoy the feeling. You’re not quite drunk, but you’re definitely in the happy tipsy zone where you feel on top of the world. It’s giving you a pleasant dreamy feeling, almost like you’re floating as you walk next to Harry.

Once you turn a corner onto a main well-lit road, Harry slows you both down to take the pub crawl map out from his pocket and look closely at it under a flickering streetlight. Other hostel guests in the group pass you by without question.

“How are you feeling?” He asks you again, this time looking you dead in the eyes. “Do you…” he takes longer than he usually does to think before he finishes his sentence. “Do you want to… go back to the hostel? Instead of goin’ to the pub?”

Your eyes widen at his question, wondering what it could mean. Does he want what you do? Could he be suggesting something that has gone only unspoken between the two of you for the past few days? Or is he merely being a gentleman who wants to make sure that you don’t get too drunk and get back to the hostel alright?

You realise that you’re merely staring at him instead of giving him an answer, but he’s patient and waits for you to think it through.

“Um… yeah. That’s a good idea.” You finally decide to tell him, realising that you were only excited about the pubs because you got to be with Harry at them.

“Okay, cause we can just walk down that way to get back,” he says with an outstretched hand pointing down a street. “And the other pubs only get further away.”

“It’s a plan,” you say, immediately regretting the choice of response.

The journey back to the hostel is mostly silent, but your mind is racing. In fact, you find yourself so distracted wondering what Harry is thinking about that you end up tripping on your own feet and nearly falling face first onto the gravel sidewalk. Luckily, Harry catches you in time - even though he’s tipsy himself and probably has slowed reflexes. You take a deep breath and thank him for saving you from both the injury and embarrassment. He probably thinks that you’re more drunk than you are, but you’re sure that you tripped because of the distraction of him - not to mention that you’re already uncoordinated at the best of times.

Harry’s not showing his alcohol intake as much as you are in his body language, but you can see how tipsy he is based on his flushed face, narrowed eyes and far-away gaze. He looks over at you every few seconds, and keeps one arm held very closely behind your back in case you stumble once more. You know that you shouldn’t - but you’re tempted to trip up a second time just to feel his firm hands on your arm and waist yet again.

When you finally arrive back at your room, it’s dark and you can hear light snoring from the Japanese girl that you saw Harry speak to this morning. Thinking back to then, you can’t believe how long ago that felt considering you barely knew anything about Harry this morning. You feel like you’ve never learned more about a person in a single day until today. Once Harry follows you into the room, you can only see by the light of the moon. It casts a pale glow in one long streak on the wall next to the window. Once your eyes adjust, you can tell that the other bed above the Japanese girl is still untouched. She’s fast asleep and facing away from you, and you can see that she’s got an eye mask on and neon yellow ear plugs in.

You stumble through the room, blindly making your way the few steps towards the bed with your arms pointed out in front of your body. When your hands collide with the metal divider of the bunks, you stop abruptly in your track. Before you can say anything to Harry, he runs directly into you, pushing you into the bed. You hit the metal of the bed and it sounds worse than it feels, either because of the alcohol or the reverberation of the sound in the quiet room. Either way, you’re not very bothered by it because you’re distracted by the butterflies in your stomach screaming about being right next to a bed with Harry this close to you.

“Oh shit, are you alrigh’?” He asks you frantically and unnecessarily loud.

As a response, you start to giggle uncontrollably, and he joins in as soon as he realises that you’re fine. You’re both trying to smother your laughter so as not to wake up your roommate, and luckily you notice no change in her consistent snores. As your bodies both shake with laughter, Harry suddenly takes your shoulders in his hands. You jump a little, not expecting the touch. You’re still facing away from him and he’s chillingly close behind you. He begins to lazily massage into your shoulders, slowly moving his hands like waves on your skin. His touch is firm yet careful, and you feel immediately relaxed and comfortable under his hold. You’re both in a trance from his movements, almost paused in time, but you sense that he would let go of you in a heartbeat if you showed any signs of discomfort.

“But really, are you okay? That sounded bad,” Harry says, all the while loosening the tense muscles in your upper back and neck. You don’t mean to do it, don’t even realise what’s happened until after the sound leaves your mouth, but the massage feels so good that you let out a light moan. Your hand shoots up to cover your mouth in an instant.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” he says with a satisfied chuckle, and you’re really glad that he can’t see how embarrassed you look right now.

“Guess we should get to bed then,” you say. Except that neither of you move. You think back to your conversation this morning, where he offered to swap beds with you and even joked that you could share a bed. It was an easy flirtation to laugh off this morning, but it’s feeling far more tempting and possible now. You look up at the top bunk with dread, knowing that you won’t sleep again if you have to go back up there. You’re frozen in place, undecided on what to do next, when you hear the sound of fabric brushing against skin from behind you. When you turn around to look at Harry, your eyes go wide. He’s taken off his shirt and is already undoing the top button on his jeans.

“What the fuck?” You say, eyes wide and voice strained in shock.

“What?” He calmly whispers back. It takes him a few extra seconds because of the alcohol, but he manages to pop out the button of his jeans and bring down the zip. You’re taking the opportunity to appreciate his myriad of tattoos that still stand out despite the lack of light in the room, and your tipsy mind lets your eyes linger on his body even though he’s clearly noticed your gaze.

“Why are you taking off your clothes?” You manage to ask.

“Are you planning on sleeping like that?” He says, gesturing up and down your body.

“Well, no, but…” you stammer, unsure of what to say. “I’ve got pajamas.”

“So are you gonna get into them or just keep standing there ogling me?” He says with one eyebrow raised. You can feel the embarrassment rush over your face, so you turn towards your suitcase to pluck out your matching set of summer PJs. You make sure that he isn’t facing you and take off your shirt, replacing it with the soft red tank top that’s most comfortable to sleep in. You then take your bra off under your shirt, only slightly struggling with the clasp and straps. You can hear from the bed’s straining springs behind you that Harry is climbing onto the mattress and getting comfortable. It’s surprisingly loud in the nearly silent room. The only other things you can hear is your roommate’s light breathing and the distant sounds of Vancouver still alive with nightlife. You glance behind you again to make sure that Harry is still looking away, and see that his face is lit up by his phone screen. You quickly shimmy out of your jeans, feeling the cool air on your legs raise goosebumps across your skin. You’re a little dizzy trying to put on your silk pajama shorts, and end up needing to hold onto the bed’s metal railing to keep your balance. The Japanese girl is still breathing evenly and clearly in a very deep sleep.

When your shorts are on, you turn back to the bed and pause, unsure of what to do. You feel like your brain needs to catch up and process everything without the sight of Harry almost naked in the bed before you. He’s under the covers, but you can’t help but think about the glimpses of his body that’s burned into your memory. You feel hot and cold at the same time, and shiver at the odd sensation. Harry senses your presence and looks up from his phone to find you awkwardly motionless in front of your shared bunk bed.

“You coming?” He asks.

Your confusion shows on your face with a frown and furrowed brows. He responds by pulling back the covers and shifting his body over as close to the wall as he can get. You finally understand in your tipsy haze that he’s offering you a spot.

“But it’s a single bed.”

“I’m a cuddler anyway,” he says in a tone that is far too calm and collected for the present situation. The light from his phone screen turns off but you still catch his cheeky expression.

You’re conflicted. You like Harry, and have enjoyed all of your time with him so far, which has felt like so much more than two days. But you don’t really know him that well, and this is something that you never do. You try to remain a little objective about the fact that you’ve barely known him two days, because you feel as if you’ve known him for years. He’s so easy to talk to, kind, thoughtful, genuine, and funny. His smile brightens up every room and you feel such a natural chemistry with him that you can’t deny.

You don’t know if he just has a flirty personality or is genuinely attracted to you like you are to him. You’re already mortified at the thought of making assumptions and being rejected by him. Your skin begins to prickle with the familiar feeling of panic. Your options are to return to the top bunk, or sleep in the same single bed as Harry. The choice should be easy, but your tipsy mind is faltering at the thought of your body pressed up against his.

His confident smile is replaced with concern when he sees panic in your eyes. “If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll go up to the top bunk and you sleep here, it’s really fine.”

You think for a moment, considering why you’re so hesitant. It’s not that you don’t want to crawl into the bed with him. You do, more than anything. You want to be that person who does this kind of thing on a whim because it feels right. But you’ve always been the type to overthink and miss opportunities that you later wish you’d taken up.

As you contemplate your next move, Harry watches you patiently. After a minute, he tries a new approach to convince you to join him.

“You’re not thinking of going up there again, are you?” He raises a brow. “You wouldn’t even make it up there in one piece given the state you’re in.”

“Hey, I could get up there if I wanted,” you say, slightly slurring your words. This only further proves his point and he giggles at your grumpy scoff.

“Oh, really? You wanna try, then?” He’s mocking you now, but you don’t care because his dimples are on full display and his eyes are shining - even in the dim light. This is when you give up, and decide wholeheartedly that you’ll join Harry tonight.

“I like to be up against the wall, if that’s okay.” You say in a soft voice.

He grins widely and shifts back to where he was initially, allowing you the small space tucked into the wall. You’ve always felt safe there, as it helps to keep you grounded from your anxiety.

Harry seems relieved at your decision, even blushing a little bit. The only problem for you now is that you need to climb over and on top of him to reach the empty space in the bed.

Resting your knee against the side of the mattress next to Harry’s thigh, you duck your torso down so that you’re parallel to his body. Leaning over him, you can almost feel electricity between your bodies. Your hairs are standing on end, like they are pulling you down towards his body. Your mind falters at your proximity to him, and his scent of mint and gin. There’s another scent that catches you, something musky and floral that you’ve never come across. It’s comforting and warm, and makes you want to melt into him until you smell the same.

As you lift your leg over his body, your inner thigh grazes against the outside of his thigh, skin to skin. You shiver at the contact and he takes in a sharp breath. You feel like you’re immediately more intoxicated from the overwhelming scent and grazing touch of him alone. Hovering above him, you pause for a moment and make eye contact. Even in the dim light, you can see how light and soft his green eyes are while looking upon you with enlarged pupils. Your brain tells you to move towards the wall, but your body stays put above him. And as you don’t go anywhere, Harry shamelessly moves his eyes down your body.

His gaze feels like fire, or ice, or anything that takes control of your body and encompasses you in the feeling alone. He drags his eyes back up to yours, and you swear that his pupils are so large that there’s barely any colour left there. His muscles are tensed and you notice that his skin bares the same goosebumps as yours. You don’t dare look down at his body the way he’s glanced over yours, even though you can sense his eyes daring you to.

After what feels like minutes but must have been only seconds, you manage to pull your leg over his body to gracelessly land in the bed next to him. Your back hits the freezing cold wall and it sends a sudden shiver down your spine, leading your body to instinctively jump away from it – straight into Harry’s arms. You don’t even realise what’s happened until it’s too late. Your chest is pressed firmly against the soft warmth of his naked torso and your face is only a breath away from his. Harry seems just as surprised as you are, but he doesn’t move away. You let out a shaky breath, taking a moment to notice how his lips are slightly parted and glistening against the reflected moonlight. He takes his bottom lip between his teeth and glances down between you where your bodies meet. His forehead brushes against yours with the movement and the light touch causes you to arch your back even further into him. On any other night or with any other person, you might be embarrassed at such a response to someone barely touching you. But you can’t find it in yourself to care, and it’s not just the alcohol talking. Harry’s intoxicating all on his own – and you feel unbelievably alive being this close to him.

You make eye contact and hold it for a few moments, both daring each other to protest or move. He keeps hold of your gaze and slowly snakes his hand along your side – up your thigh, over your hips, and into the dip of your waist. It feels like your body has ignited, set ablaze by his rough fingertips taking their time with your shivering body. You realise suddenly that one of your arms has become numb while crushed under your body but you can’t find it within yourself to care. Harry, still holding eye contact with you, trails the hand on your waist behind your back and presses lightly so that you’re tightly held in his arms. You can feel your nipples hardening against his chest and wonder if he can feel the sensitive nubs poking into him through your tank top.

There’s a pause where you both even your breathing, him just holding you close, before he adjusts his hips to shift sideways and meet flush against your own. You draw a sharp breath, feeling how hard he is against your upper thigh with barely any fabric between you. Your mind jumps to life and your arm finally moves from your own thigh across to his. You get as far as the hem of his boxer briefs before he breaks the silence.

“We shouldn’t,” he whispers, sounding unconvinced himself. “You’re drunk.”

“So are you,” you challenge him. He lets out an exasperated breath.

“I want you,” he says with surety. “But we can’t if… you’re not able to… think about it properly.”

“Harry, I wanted you before I had any alcohol. And I feel it but I can also still think clearly, I promise you.” He looks at you for a moment as if considering your words and then gives the slightest nod.

“We don’t have to have sex right now,” you say, shocked by your own confidence and the boldness taking over you. “I just want to touch you. Is that okay?”

He shivers out a quiet yes, and your hand continues to move up his thigh and over his hip. You bypass his cock to tease him a little and travel up his tensed torso, tracing your hand over his tattoos as you’ve imagined doing for the past two days. He begins moving his hand again too, going back down your body until he’s cupping your ass and squeezing gently. You’re exploring each other’s bodies silently and all you can hear is the sound of your heartbeat reverberating in your ears.

Your fingers dance across his shoulders and back until they land on his stomach, tickling the trail of hair just above his crotch. You move lower and lower until your hand pushes the band of his underwear down his thighs, releasing his cock to spring up against your joined bodies. You look him in the eyes as seductively as you can manage as you reach down between you and wrap your fingers around him. You both breathe in sharply – him from the feeling of you finally touching him, and you from the shock at just how big he is.

He’s already rock hard and throbbing in your hand, and you haven’t even done anything yet. You squeeze him gently, marvelling at how your fingertips can’t touch each other around his thick shaft. You keep your hand in place and let your thumb wander over his head, caressing along his tip until you discover all of his most sensitive spots. He’s biting his tongue but can’t stop himself from breathing in heavy, shaking bursts. You can feel that he’s too dry, so you remove your hand from around his shaft and lift it up to your face. He looks confused for a minute, and then his eyes widen in aroused surprise as you very slowly lick one long stripe from the base of your palm to the tip of your fingers. You keep eye contact with him the entire time, and he lets out a light hiss when you dip your fingers into your mouth with sucked in cheeks. You don’t know what’s gotten into you but you have no plans to stop – you feel hypnotised and utterly helpless to stop whatever it is you’ve begun.

When you return your hand to his cock, it’s gotten even harder and seemingly even bigger than it was just a moment ago. You slick your saliva up and down his shaft, squeezing a bit as you reach the base. Around his tip, your touch is smooth and feather-light. You familiarise yourself with the feel of him, imagining how the bump of the thick vein on his side would feel inside of you. He’d be the biggest you’ve ever had, and you can feel yourself dripping into your underwear at the thought of him fucking you. Once the image is in your head, it stays there while you work at him and feel him unravel before you. It’s a powerful feeling – knowing that you’re the reason that he’s feeling so good and beginning to squirm in your arms.

Your hand twists and turns as you work his shaft, making sure to graze the underside of his cock with your thumb every few thrusts. A few times, you even feel him twitch in your hand. His hips begin to jut up into your hand, matching your rhythm and allowing you to run the full length of his shaft with each thrust. He’s clearly concentrating on remaining quiet but can’t help the tensing of his muscles and rough pulls on your skin with his free hand. He runs his fingers up your back and buries his hand into the hair at the base of your scalp. He closes his hand into a fist and your back arches at the dull pull of your hair.

You make eye contact yet again and this time it’s more intimate than ever. Your hand slows down and holds firmly in one place as you both look over each other behind hooded eyes. Harry then uses the hand in your hair to push you towards him, and your lips lock. It’s immediately passionate and wet, as you seem to have skipped past the hesitant or innocent first kiss that you might’ve had. You’re doing things out of order but neither of you care because it all feels so right. He tastes exactly like he smells, but somehow even sweeter. Your tongues dance together in an easy and natural rhythm, without any stumbling or awkwardness that often comes along with a first kiss. You let Harry lead the kiss and fall even further into the intoxication of him. Your mind is in the clouds, and your body is following instinct.

When you finally part from the kiss, panting and blurry-eyed, he moves his sweaty torso back a little bit so that he’s no longer pressed completely against you. He glances down between your bodies at your stock-still fingers around his cock and bites his lip.

“Go on,” he says, and you shiver at the command. You continue, and Harry releases the arm pinned under him so that he can explore your body with both hands. You do the same and he shivers when your second hand wraps around him. He dips his fingers under the hem of your tank and sighs when he drags them up to massage over your bare breasts.

“So beautiful,” he whispers in a tone of heavy arousal.

“You’re so big,” you respond with the first thing that comes to mind. He chuckles lightly and his dimples appear in a smug grin. You’re not usually so forthcoming with thoughts like this, but something has seemed to take over you tonight.

“This is all I’ve thought about,” he admits, sounding truly vulnerable and unsure of himself for the first time.

“Me too,” you reassure him. “I wanted you since the first time I saw you.” You brush your fingers against the head of his cock, collecting the pre-cum beading up. His mouth opens in a relieved but pained expression, and he presses his sweaty forehead down against yours.

When he collects himself, he returns to a self-assured smile. “Oh, I know. I saw the way you looked at me in the towel when we first met,” he whispers in a deeper voice than you’ve heard come out of him.

“Can you blame me?” You say, playing into the praise he’s clearly enjoying. “Been thinking about touching you since then.” You’re both speaking in the softest whispers you can manage, basically breathing dirty thoughts into each others’ mouths.

“What have you been thinking about?” He asks you, his voice strained and husky. “Tell me.”

“Touching you,” you whisper, barely audible. “Like this.” You squeeze your hand harder than you have yet and twist at the same time, eliciting a deep groan from the back of his throat.

“I wanna touch you too,” he moans, moving his palm from where it rested on your breast down your skin until it hits the top of your shorts. “Can I?”

“Please,” you mutter. You help him move your shorts far down enough for him to access your underwear, but you need him too much to take the time to fully remove them. Every part of your body is on fire, and every touch of his hand against your skin reverberates through you like waves. He takes a moment to tease you by dragging the tips of his fingers along your soft inner thighs, which sends chills down your spine and makes your head instinctively fall back. But then he lightly brushes his fingers over your vulva, and it takes everything in you to not loudly moan at the feeling. You can feel that you’ve soaked through your underwear, which might have embarrassed you on another day, but today all you can do is push your hips up towards his fingers to urge him on.

Harry catches your eyes in the dark and watches you as he hooks his thumb into your underwear and pulls it out of the way. He bites his lip and stares at you intensely when he first runs his fingers through your folds, clearly enjoying the way that your mouth drops open at his touch. He collects your arousal over his fingers and drags it up to coat your clit before circling against its hood with the pad of his ring finger. It feels so overwhelmingly good that your muscles begin to clench and your thighs instinctively try to close around his arm. He doesn’t hesitate to move his leg so that he’s holding yours open and apart. He then leans forward and starts kissing your neck, all the while circling your clit with masterful fingers, causing you to feel like you’re going to fall apart. It usually takes longer for you to get to this point, but you’ve wanted Harry so badly since the moment you saw him that it’s like you’ve been wound up and ready for days.

After a minute, you feel something warm twitch in your hand and realise that your palm is still loosely wrapped around Harry’s cock. You’ve been too overwhelmed and distracted to do anything for him, but it only turns you on more to think of getting him off at the same time that he’s getting you off. You suddenly squeeze him tightly and rub your thumb over his head, and he lets out a surprised squeak that cuts through the silence of the room. Your breath catches in your throat at the reminder that you need to be as quiet as possible, but there’s absolutely no way that either of you can stop now. You test another squeeze around him, and he exhales lightly in relief. He can’t be that far off at this point, but you don’t care because neither are you. And it’s not just the fact that you’d both been drinking a bit earlier in the night - there’s something about him that’s electrifying and sets your body alight in a way that it never has before.

You already think you’re going to burst from the way Harry’s touching you, but it gets even more intense when he brings his middle finger down to tease your entrance and press into it slowly. He replaces his ring finger with his thumb so that he’s still touching your clit, except that the added element of his finger inside you makes you want to scream. When he presses a second finger in and moves them around against your walls, you know that you’re absolutely done for.

All you can focus on is pumping your hand up and down Harry’s shaft, but his fingers feel so good that you struggle to keep a constant rhythm. Harry’s movements also become messier as they go, as you both become frantic and desperate for your releases. When you can barely hold on anymore, and Harry is clearly on the verge of cumming too, you meet each others’ mouths with a passion that you’d both been hiding but wanting to let out. As his tongue dances against yours, you’re overwhelmed with the fact that all you can feel and breathe and sense is him. And he brings something out of you so powerful that you’ve never experienced it before.

It’s more blazing than fire and more chilling than ice, and it encompasses every cell in your body. Harry holds down your shaking legs with his own but he can’t stop your chest from curling in on itself until your forehead presses between his neck and shoulder. And for one extended moment, everything stops. Even your breath stops for the rush overtaking your body in waves of flaming relief. Time doesn’t exist - only feeling does. Only you and Harry and every place that your bodies meet.

At some point, the tension ebbs out of your muscles and your body starts to relax. And that’s when Harry starts to shake and curl into you just as you did to him only seconds before. You focus all your energy on working him through his release, and you swear you’ve never seen a more beautiful sight. You can see the sweat beading on his bent forehead in the low light and his lips are a plump cherry red. His eyes are tightly shut and his expression almost looks like one of intense concentration. He holds on to you tightly and restlessly bucks his hips into your hand, until you feel the viscous warmth pool across your fingertips. His body goes limp against yours and you both take a minute to catch your breath and listen to the now thundering silence.

In the absence of his whispers and kisses and heavy breathing, you can hear the distant sounds of cars and people hollering on the street. The hostel’s downstairs bar plays dance music that you can feel the bass of if you concentrate. Someone just went to the toilet down the hall, or maybe the sound is a person taking a late night shower. Your roommate is still snoring lightly, thankfully unaware of the night’s events. It’s almost shocking remembering that the world is still here all around you.

But the loudest thing that you hear is your own heartbeat hammering away in your chest. You can feel it reverberate where Harry’s fingers just were, like your body is mourning his touch. You don’t know what to say or do now - but you’re feeling more sober than ever.

You don’t regret it, not for a single moment, but you’re a little worried that he might. Your mind whirrs at the thought of every worst case scenario that could follow such a high - what if he doesn’t want to spend any more time with you after tonight? What if he goes into the top bunk to avoid cuddling after your orgasms?

But then Harry caresses your arm gently with the tips of his fingers and your worries fade away into thin air. He looks soft and vulnerable; prettier than you’ve ever seen him. His eyelids weigh down with drowsiness but he looks completely content. His fingers snake behind your shoulder, and his palm presses against the centre of your back until you’re drawn flush against his body. You breathe in his comforting musky scent, and smile at how safe you feel in his arms. He swiftly collects the blankets from the end of the bed to drape over you both and adjusts his other arm to rest under your head like a pillow. You feel yourself drifting and sinking faster than ever, and already know that you’re going to sleep like the dead. You’re not sure if you’re already dreaming or not, but you swear that the last thing you notice before you fall into unconsciousness is the feather-light touch of Harry’s lips against your forehead.

#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fan fiction #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #harry styles fic #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #one direction #one direction fan fiction #one direction fanfiction #writing #a long way from home #alwfh

279 notes · View notes

balancingdiet · 4 years

Text

Tabula Rasa

Detective Conan & Magic Kaito Characters: Shinichi/Kaito Words: 3100 ish Chapter: (1) … (18) (19) (20)

Shinichi always finds his neighbour weird. But he didn’t expect to find his neighbour lying on a patch of grass and donned in Kaitou Kid’s costume, too.

Dear Diary, 24 Dec

Hello! Before I start, let me first introduce myself. My name is Aoko, and I like to cook and volunteer at the hospital. There’s always this sense of accomplishment whenever people enjoy my cooking and company, and it makes me happy when they are happy!

What else... Oh, I haven’t thought of what I want to be when I grow up, but I do have lots of inspirations around. First of all, my dad is a Police Inspector! And Kaito, my childhood friend/neighbour is an amazing magician! Both Keiko and Sayaka, my close friends in high school, aspire to be a baker! Yuna too, wants to be a vet.

Ok, I think I’m starting to drift away from the main topic... Anyway, this notebook was a gift from Kaito. Or not. He said he got it as a complimentary item for some stuff that he bought online... But well, the fact that he even thought of me is already pretty sweet.

I originally wanted to use this book to do my homework, but Keiko suggested writing a diary with it, so I shall give it a go! Let’s see how long this diary-keeping thing will last (^-^)v

Dear Diary, 4 Jan

Bakaito got a cold today.

Okay. Let me rephrase that.

Kaito got a cold today.

Well, I guess he doesn’t deserve to be called Bakaito when it was sort of my fault that he became sick... But he’s so stupid! Yesterday, I told him I needed help because I sprained my ankle at the supermarket, and he came WITHOUT HIS COAT. It was such a long way home! What was he thinking??

But yeah... so now we’re both stuck at home. Me with a sprained ankle and him with a fever... I guess I can't see Kaito's ice skating fails any time soon! (≧∀≦)

Dear Diary, 22 Jan

Today, Kaito and I went to volunteer at the hospital.

We found out that Mika-chan’s dad passed away last night.

This is so horrible... Mika-chan loved her dad so much.

When I heard the news, I couldn't control myself and had to cry in the bathroom while Kaito started the magic show on his own.

I felt bad. The atmosphere wasn't great and Kaito wasn't in his best condition either, yet he still put on a smile the entire time.

Ended up, his performance cheered me up too.

I don't know what I'd do if Kaito wasn't there.

Dear Diary, 1 Feb

( •̀ω•́ )σ ( •̀ω•́ )σ ( •̀ω•́ )σ

KAITOU KID SUCKS

KAITOU KID!!!!

SUCKS!!!

( •̀ω•́ )σ ( •̀ω•́ )σ ( •̀ω•́ )σ

Dear Diary, 28 Apr

It’s been a few months since Kaitou Kid returned.

I never like him, and will never understand why everyone treats him like a celebrity either. But now... I think I should start viewing this from another perspective.

Since Kid first disappeared, and also mom’s death... I rarely see dad ever energised for anything. But after Kid returned, he's so much more motivated to go to work now. Speaking of which, dad was on his way out to the office before I went to school this morning. He even agreed when I suggested to make and deliver him bento dinner. He never wanted them the last time, just because...

But even though I’ve decided this MAY be the best for dad, that DOESN’T mean I will EVER tolerate Kid’s criminal ways!! Dad is definitely gonna catch him in the end, and by then, let’s see if he can still walk around in his costume!!

Seriously though, what’s with his hat.

He looks stupid.

(」ﾟﾛﾟ)｣

Dear Diary, 18 May

Today, Kaito and I went to Tropical Land.

I know I should at least be a bit happier when I had so much fun, but I still feel a little bad... especially when the reason why I asked Kaito out in the first place was because I thought he was Kaitou Kid! Or at least that was what my dad thought.

But in the end, I’m glad Kaito proved my dad and I wrong.

How can he be Kaitou Kid anyway?

I think I owe Kaito more than just an ice cream treat for ever doubting him. Maybe I should ask him out to Tropical Land again properly next time. And then we’ll have real loads of fun!

Dear Diary, 30 May

EDOGAWA CONAN THE KID KILLER IS MY NEW IDOL!!!

I have no idea who this kid is, but he’s really, really smart and cute! And comparing to all the Kid’s fans out there, I can’t believe it’s A CHILD that knows what’s right and wrong...

Hakuba-kun always uses the right words to irritate Bakaito, but I think the name “Edogawa Conan” has more effect on him. If I could get an autograph... I think it would be the best thing to use to tease Kaito and his stupid obsession with Kaitou Kid! (｀▽´)

Dear Diary, 21 June

Today is Kaito’s birthday!!

I used to always buy him magic crafts and gadgets from our local bookstore, but now that he has the capabilities to make his own tricks, it’s a definite no-no! I considered bringing him to his favourite Ramen store, but I figured it’d be the easiest to just ask what he wanted to do or eat instead.

Guess what was his answer?

He said he wanted me to teach him how to cook fried rice.

I was like what?? That’s it? And he said yeah. So we spent the entire day getting the ingredients at the supermarket before going over to my house. It was easy and Kaito got the steps fast, but... silly Kaito. I mean... if he ever wants to eat it, he can tell me and I can always cook it for him.

But oh well! It’s nice to know Kaito wants to learn something else besides magic tricks. I had fun teaching him anyway. And I believe he had fun too!

As long as he’s happy, I think that’s all that really matters.

----

“Kudo-kun!”

Shinichi shut the notebook and turned, watching as Takagi walked to close their distance on the rooftop. Keeping the book inside the pocket of his suit jacket, Shinichi greeted back.

“I thought you’re taking a break.” Takagi gestured to Shinichi’s suit once he stood beside him. “Turns out you’re reading your notes? For a case?”

“No, it’s not anything related to work.” Shinichi afforded a smile, but there was just so much his lips could move as his heart squeezed at the thought of Kaito.

Takagi nodded understandingly and said nothing more, which Shinichi couldn't be any more thankful for. “Anyway, I’m not sure if anyone told you since you missed this morning’s debrief, but a new division is on its way.”

“Yeah, Inspector Megure did tell me,” Shinichi said.

“I’m so glad things are going back to normal for us again.” Takagi heaved out a relief sigh after a long stretch. “And maybe by then, you can also focus on what’s worrying you all these while.”

Shinichi blinked. “...What?”

Takagi raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been worrying about something, or someone, haven’t you?”

"Um..."

“I may be wrong, and I’m sorry if I am. It’s just that I noticed some similar things in you that I had whenever I worried for Miwako-san.” Takagi scratched the back of his head. “I hope things are okay for you.”

“...Thank you.” Shinichi turned and looked over the view beyond the roof. “Anyway, you’re not wrong. There’s someone I’ve been worrying about recently.”

And that was all Shinichi could say.

It wasn't just for the sake of Kaito’s privacy or identity. The truth was, Shinichi had no idea what to do besides worrying. And this was the first time he felt so, so useless in this entire decade of his life.

He pressed a hand over his suit, feeling the bulge from the notebook.

“Then I hope things will work out for that person too...” Takagi’s voice trailed off as his brows furrowed in concern. “Actually, is he or she someone I know? I’ll be more than glad to help if I can.”

“No, you don’t know him... but he did knock you out disguise as you before,” Shinichi muttered at the end.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Shinichi smiled. “Thanks for your concern. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.” Takagi slapped a hand over Shinichi’s back. “We’re a team after all.”

----

Dear Diary, 16 July

Kaito has been pretty busy lately. And tired. Yes. Definitely tired.

I thought it was related to his track-and-field club and went to ask Chihaya-chan, but she said there wasn’t any recent competition lately. In fact... Kaito hasn’t been an active member since many months ago.

I then asked Kaito a few times about it, but he always deflected my questions and started talking about other things. And that is ALWAYS his habit. Guess what, BAKAITO??? The more you try to avoid, the more obvious it becomes! <(｀^´)>

I'm so frustrated at him, but you know what’s even more frustrating? It’s the way he never fails to make me want to forgive him in the end even though I should have stayed angry at him longer. Always giving me those pretty roses and placating me with Tamago...

So SO FRUSTRATING!!

Dear Diary, 11 Aug

Kaito fell asleep in class again.

It’s not like I’m worried for his grades when he never needed to pay attention in class to score well (;¬_¬) What I’m worried about is his health.

I’ve already given up asking why and what he is exactly busy with, but I’m afraid he’d started stressing himself to attend the volunteering sessions with me, just because he doesn’t want me to worry...

I’m grateful, and forever will be, for those days when he accompanied me to visit my mom and even signing up for the volunteering program just for me. I’m really, really grateful for all he has done and all that he is doing now, but what I want is to be able to help Kaito, to lift whatever burden he is carrying... And what I want even more is for him to trust me. Trust me enough so that I can do all those things I want to do for him...

Just... ugh.

Stupid, stupid Bakaito...

Dear Diary, 9 Sep

Today is my birthday.

We didn't have school and Keiko asked why I didn’t take the opportunity to hold a party, but to be honest, it slipped my mind. I had been so busy with homework and worrying about... well, yeah.

Dad has work, but he wished me early in the morning before he went. Keiko, Sayaka and Yuna came over to my house and baked a cake for me. Everyone in the hospital helped to celebrate too when I went to volunteer in the evening. Kanna-chan even made a bracelet as a gift! Having a party or not, I still feel extra loved today.

As for Kaito... he had wished me in the morning through a text, but I didn’t see him all day. He must be busy.

It’s fine anyway. There’s always next year.

OH my god. Bakaito CAME.

Guess how did he do it?! He had climbed up to my balcony and scared the hell out of me! AND HE STILL HAD THE CHEEKS TO SAY HE WAS 12 MINUTES EARLY. He must be some monkey in his past life! ヽ(ಠ_ಠ)ノ

He then asked me to follow him to his backyard. Like, seriously, he could have called or texted me on the phone instead of climbing up to my balcony... but beside the point, I followed while he led the way.

And turns out this Kaito... He had cultivated a bush of blue roses as a gift for my birthday.

Oh boy... It is really, really beautiful!!!! And I think I must be so overwhelmed that I just... sort of pounced onto him as a form of...thanks. (//∀//)

I called it a hug, and he called it an attempted murder.

Then with only 3 minutes left, he sang me a birthday song with Wasabi and Curry sitting on his shoulders while Tamago sat on his head. I think I hadn’t laughed that hard since ages.

And I think I hadn’t seen Kaito looked so bright and cheery for a long time.

He told me to make a wish afterwards. But to be honest, I don’t think I needed one.

At that point of time, I felt as though all my wishes had already come true.

Dear Diary, 1 Nov

With the way Bakaito has been handling his life, I knew he will fall sick sooner or later...

He’s now down with a cold and a fever and has been missing from school for three days.

I was so tempted to tell him a ‘I told you so,’ when I dropped by his house for a visit, but I rather Kaito get well soon than to jinx him any further. He kept on drifting in and out of his sleep too, and it pained me when I saw him like that.

I stayed till dinner time and had to force feed him the porridge I cooked, while convincing him that I DID NOT put any fish in it for about 90 times. He seemed to care more about the non-existent fish than his fever and the medicines he hadn’t eaten. Silly Bakaito.

Maybe I should visit him tomorrow again.

Dear Diary, 2 Nov

Today, Kaito got admitted to the hospital. He’s getting proper treatment, but he’s still sick, which is why it’s getting worrisome. This is the first time he’s been sick for so long.

And luckily Jii-chan was around... Or I don’t know what to do alone...

Dear Diary, 3 Nov

Kaito Kaitojis Kaito iskasit

Kaito is Kaitou Kid.

The portrait of his dad in his room... I thought it was just an ordinary portrait. I thought...

I’ve thought so many things.

I just wanted to pack Kaito’s clothes. I don’t know why I heard a sound behind the portrait. I don’t know why I decided to give it a push. I don’t know why the portrait could flip.

I don’t know why I ended up in another room.

I... don’t know.

In the end, I had to lie to Jii-chan that I had something urgent and couldn’t bring Kaito’s clothes.

I can’t face Kaito.

I just can’t.

But then... What should I do now?

Dear Diary, 6 Nov

Kaito is well.

That’s all that mattered for now.

Dear Diary, 7 Nov

THIS BAKAITO. DID HE SERIOUSLY SEND A HEIST NOTE RIGHT AFTER HE RECOVERED?!

WHY IS HE DOING THIS TO HIMSELF.

Dear Diary, 10 Nov

It’s been a long time since I went to Kid’s heist.

Tonight’s loot was a golden sapphire, and it was held inside a museum of a very, very wealthy man... And thanks to dad, I got into the museum and avoided being squashed by the crowd that were cheering outside, but I wasn’t allowed to hang out at the main area. I went to the security room instead.

The heist lasted around ten minutes, which was quite typical, based on what I heard from dad. Blackout. Smoke bombs. Escape. But for that ten minutes, dad had spent the entire day with the Task Force and the owner, just to prep enough to take down Kid.

And as for Kaito... he probably used hours and hours to plan, hours and hours to prepare, and hours and hours to do all of everything for this... and yet after a day or two, he would return the loot back in great condition...

Why?

I can’t figure Kaito out . Or Kaitou Kid. All these things... they don’t make sense. And if I can’t understand, I can’t find any reason to forgive Kaito.

But I want to.

I really want to.

Why is he making it hard for me to do so?

Dear Diary, 14 Nov

What should I do?

Dear Diary, 16 Nov

What should I do?

Dear Diary, 20 Nov

What should I do?

Dear Diary, 22 Nov

What should I do?

Dear Diary, 28 Nov

At the rate Kaito is sending his heist notes, I’m pretty sure he’s going to fall sick again, what’s more the weather is getting really cold soon... How does Kaitou Kid keep himself warm in his costume? And that hat... it’s just ridiculous.

Everything is ridiculous...

Maybe I should have made a wish when Kaito asked me to on my birthday.

Maybe I should have told him how I feel.

Maybe.

I don’t know anymore.

Dear Diary, 24 Dec

This diary is one year old now.

How time flies so fast...

Oh, and it’s Christmas tomorrow too. Keiko had invited me to her house to celebrate, and I think I’m going to go.

It’s the only place I could go.

Dear Diary, 18 Jan

During the volunteering session today, Kanna-chan told me she missed Kaito and his magic shows.

It’s good to know I’m not the only one too.

But even though I feel that every single day, being told about it by someone else caught me off guard, and I didn’t really know how to response. So I just... told her he will drop by soon...

I think Kanna-chan wasn't convinced though, which isn't strange. I mean... I'm never a great liar after all. But it's ironic how Kaito hasn't seen through the things I've been hiding from him until now.

----

Shinichi reached the last written page of the book.

(But it wasn’t the end. In fact, there wasn’t an end.)

He brushed a finger at the bottom of the page, feeling the creases caused by the countless blotches of dried, water stains...

Shinichi closed the book.

Of course he knew better, but it was easier, and nicer, to think it was simply water and nothing else.

#kaishin #dcmk #detective conan #Kuroba Kaito #kudo shinichi #tabula rasa

28 notes · View notes

purplesurveys · 4 years

Text

652

We’ll do the last people I messaged, like before.

Friend One What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? JM. He’s a guy. How old are they and what month is their birthday? He is 22, but he blows his candles every July 6th. Does this person have a Facebook account? Yes he does. In this country, 98% of the time you kinda need to have a Facebook account, because work-related stuff is mostly conducted there (if you’re in school) and it’s a way to stay connected to family and friends. When was the last time you saw this person? Yesterday. He’s my classmate in my last class for the week, which is on Friday afternoons. Do you find this person attractive? Objectively yes, but I don’t have a huge crush on him lmao.

Have you ever lived in the same house as this person? Nope. Where does this person work? We’re currently just students, so no job yet. And as far as I know he plans on taking law so assuming he passes, he won’t be working for another four years. Friend Two What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Gabie, she’s a girl and a very pretty one at that. How old are they and what month is their birthday? 21, June 5th. Have you ever been to their house? Yeah, plenty of times. I’d be concerned if I wasn’t allowed to visit them lol. Are you friends with any of their other friends? I’m civil with her two best friends but I don’t really mix well with her other blockmates. Where did you meet them? I went to school with her for 14 years. What are their siblings’ names? Don’t really feel like sharing that here. Have you ever cooked a meal with this person? Technically yeah. We had to run a small restaurant once for a final project in home economics, so we had to make hundreds of burgers and chicken strips hahaha. But other than that, the only thing we’ve made for ourselves is instant noodles, because we’re equally bad in the kitchen :/ Friend Three What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Andrew, boy. How old are they and what month is their birthday? I know he’s also 21 but I have no clue when his birthday is, which I should be partly ashamed of because he’s really into astronomy and always tells me about his star sign, which I’ve also forgotten about lmao. Have you ever hugged them? A few times. He’s not really someone I’d approach to hug. Do you know what their favourite candy is? LMAOOO we also talked about this with JM literally just a few days ago but I forgot already. I’m awful. But I guess it also kinda has to do with the fact that he’s incredibly talkative and some things he says just go into my ear and exit the other. Have you ever had a crush on this person? I’ve never had a crush on him. Do you know their parents? His mom knows of me, but I’ve never met her. He’s not close to his dad, so I don’t care whether I know him or not. Do they have a boyfriend/girlfriend or other significant other? Yeah, in a surprising turn of events he’s seeing my seatmate/good friend from high school, Leigh. Friend Four What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Angela, and she’s a girl. How old are they and what month is their birthday? She’s 21 and has her birthday on September 15th. Are you related to this person? Mmm nope. But I do know she and Chelsea, another friend of mine and who was in my high school circle, are distant cousins. Does this person have an Instagram account? She does. I think I’m the only person in all my circles with no instagram. Do you know the rest of their friends? I know most of her friends, but tbh she’s super sociable so there may be friends that I haven’t heard of or met. What are their parents’ names? Alain and Girlie. When was the last time you spoke to this person on the phone? A few months ago when she called me up crying because her boyfriend was being a jerk. Friend Five What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Sophie, girl. She is also my girlfriend’s sister so that 1/2 answers the question on the section on Friend Two, lmao. How old are they and what month is their birthday? She just turned 15. If I’m not mistaken, November 14? Something along that week, anyway. Do you know what their favourite colour is? I have no clue but knowing her aesthetic, she’d probably go with a pastel shade. Have you ever been swimming with this person? Neverrrrr. I remember planning it once at their village’s clubhouse, but it never happened because I just never brought any swimsuits whenever I go visit haha. Do you live in the same town/city as this person? You can say that. But our city’s divided into upper and lower parts, and we’re on either side so it’s still a bit of a drive to get to their place. Would you answer the phone if this person called right now? I’d be surprised, but I’d take the call. Does this person live with their parents? Yes. Friend Six What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Tina, also a girl. How old are they and what month is their birthday? It’ll always shock me that she’s a year older – aka she’s 22. She feels like such a 1998 baby, if that even makes sense lol. Her birthday is September 11. Have you ever gone out for coffee with this person? We’ve bought coffee for takeout, but I’ve never sat down at a coffee shop with her. Does this person take selfies? If she does it’s only meme-ish in nature, or selfies with her dogs. Would this person come pick you up in the middle of the night? No and she wouldn’t be the first person I’d call because she lives too far from me and I don’t want to burden her too much. What does this person usually wear on a day-to-day basis? Growing up in Abu Dhabi where it’s warm/super warm all-year round, she can’t go anywhere without a thick jacket or sweater as she’s constantly cold. Have you ever shared a bed with them? I don’t think I have. Friend Seven What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Hannah, girl. Because most of my friends are girls. How old are they and what month is their birthday? She just turned 20! January 16. What do their parents do for a living? I have no clue. It’s never really been brought up in conversation, so I haven’t thought to ask and she hasn’t thought to tell. Have you ever gone to the cinema with this person? Nah and I think we have very different tastes so we wouldn’t be able to agree on what to watch anyway. Are they older than you? No, she’s much younger than me lmaoooo. What is their middle name? Her second name is Millenne, pronounced mell-EEN/mill-EEN. Since she’s a January 2000 baby, she was named after the word ‘millennium.’ Does this person go to school or college? Yeah, we’re coursemates in UP and equally hate journalism jfkhkdjhgg. Friend Eight What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Gab, guy. We’re not that close anymore but he recently caught up with me because he wanted to lend me his WWE Network account, which is super sweet of him. How old are they and what month is their birthday? If I’m not mistaken he was born 1998. But my second guess is that he was born 1997. Either way, his birthday falls on May 11. Do you have any inside jokes with this person? We have some inside wrestling jokes here and there. When was the last time you messaged this person? Thursday. I realize I never replied to him :( so I’ll have to get on that soon haha. How long have you known this person? We applied for our org at the same period, and that was two and a half years ago. What was the last thing you did to help this person out? Keep him company when no one was talking to him during the Christmas party. Have you ever said “I love you” to this person? Maybe when Nacho died. But it’s definitely not something I’d tell him all the time. Friend Nine What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Her first name is technically Denise, but I don’t know anyone who still calls her that. We all know her as Mils, from her surname. How old are they and what month is their birthday? She’s also 22 and while I don’t memorize her birthday, I do know she’s a Scorpio. When was the last time you hung out with this person? It’s been...a while. We’re pretty close, but we’re from different circles and we never hang out. I think it’s as far back as 2016, when she invited me to her and Leigh’s birthday thing and they treated us to a screening of Doctor Strange. Have you ever set this person up on a date with someone else you know? Nope. Again, not that close. Does this person have any pets? Yes, her family has a dog. How far away is their house from yours? It’s pretty close, but she lives in the heart of Cainta whereas I live on the very border of it, and I never go to that area. Would this person help you if you asked for it? It depends. She’s a hit or miss. Friend Ten What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Blanch! Also a girl. How old are they and what month is their birthday? She’s 20 turning 21, but not until September 8th. Have you ever stayed the night at their house? Nope. I’ve never been to her place and I don’t think I’ll ever get to, because she lives allllllll the way in Las Piñas. When was the last time you spoke to this person? Friday. We’re classmates in a history elective. Do you knock on their front door, or just walk right in? I’ve never been to her place. Have you ever ignored a phone call from this person? We’re not close enough to just call one another, plus I don’t think she likes talking on the phone anyway. Have you ever kissed this person? No. Friend Eleven What is their name and are they a boy or a girl? Apple! Still a girl. How old are they and what month is their birthday? Like Gab, I’m not sure if she was born 1997/1998, but her birthday’s May 4. Have you ever gone to dinner with this person? Yes, but along with a bunch of people. She shocked all of us when she quietly downed an entire bowl of ramen in like five minutes, which is why her nickname on our org’s groupchat to this day is still “Ramen Nagi Queen” hahaha. Do you know what their hobbies and interests are? She’s down for anything, but she particularly likes stuff that forces you to be active, like hiking. Does this person go to the gym regularly? It’s possible, considering she’s into sportsy stuff. I’m not 100% sure. But one thing I do know for sure is that her resolution this year is to cut back on rice. Have you ever been to a party with this person? Not yet but she seems like such an awesome person to party with, given that she’s in a sorority lol. Have you ever secretly checked this person out? I have not.

#survey #surveys

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azuleif · 6 years

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11 Questions!

I was tagged by @gardenoftulip, @nessajjewell and @rueitae to answer some questions. Thank you all, you made me feel special! 💚💙

Rules:

1.always post the rules

2. Answer the questions given by the person who tagged you

3. Write 11 questions of your own

4. Tag 11 people you want to get to know better

Sorry this got a bit long!

Questions from @gardenoftulip

1. Name 3 things in nature you find the most beautiful? The sky, stars and animals.

2. What's the funniest way you've been injured? I'm clumsy. I could fill an entire post with stupid and funny ways I've gotten hurt! The most recent though, was probably trying to walk across a clear living room floor with a dead leg. I tripped over literally nothing and managed to sprain pretty much everything possible in my ankle! I spent 12 weeks in a walking cast...

3. If you could ask your pet 3 questions, what would they be? Can you please exist? 😂 I don't have a pet, sadly. I would LOVE a cat though.

4. What are your pet peeves? Hmm, tough one. Maybe when people interrupt me for no reason when I'm watching or listening to something. Especially if I have headphones in. Can't you see I'm busy??? I'm 100% the kind of person that aggressively pauses my show until they're done.

5. What's the first thing you ate today? Toast! With marmite on.

6. What makes you laugh? A lot. It's not hard. But puns and bad jokes are especially a huge weakness of mine.

7. Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what? If I do, it must be really well hidden...

8. What's your zodiac sign? Does it fit your personality? I'll be honest, I have no idea about zodiac stuff. It's not something that interests me So I'm afraid I can't answer.

9. What is your favourite holiday? Any holiday that means I can stay home and not interact.... 😂

10. If you have one, who is your celebrity crush? Yoo Kihyun, the main vocalist from the Kpop group Monsta x. I think Jeremy Shada might be getting there too...

11. If you could be a genius at something, what would it be? Anything? Please? Okay seriously though, I'd have to say music. I love music, but I just don't have the skill for it myself.

Questions from @nessajjewell

1. What is your favourite food? My favourite food changes a lot. I guess the only consistent thing is fresh seasonal fruit?

2. place you've always wanted to go? A tour of Asia would be cool. Or France.

3. Favourite show? J-just one??! Voltron Legendary defender has to be my all time favourite, at the moment at least. But I also love shows like Scorpion, marvel's Gifted, miraculous ladybug, full metal alchemist and Teen titans.

4. Single or nah? Single!

5. Video game you last played? Monster Hunter.

6. Can you do a weird talent? Not that I can think of. What would even class as weird?

7. Tennis shoes or sneakers? Uh oh. I uh... what's the difference??

8. Soda or pop? As in fizzy drinks? I don't tend to drink any.

9. Favourite drink? Coffee! I live off the stuff!

10. What is your favourite hobby? Gaming. As much as I love drawing, it does sometimes get stressful, especially if it isn't working out how I want it too. Gaming is my stress relief and always fun~

11. Is there a store you go to frequently? I'm very introverted, and shops are sooooo stressful for me. I do all shopping online if I can! But I make exceptions for certain comic book, game and merch shops.

And finally, questions from @rueitae

1. Movies that had a great impact on you as a child - you know the ones you vividly remember watching as a kid? There are so many! Eldorado, Sinbad, Osmosis Jones and all the pokémon films really come to mind though.

2. What is your occupation? Or what do you want to do as a career? Tell me about it! My actual job is pretty boring, so I'll talk about my dream job instead! I've always wanted to be in game design. I love designing characters, and I would LOVE to be on a team that creates concept art for games.

3. Spinning rides or up and down rides? I get motion sickness really easily... But having said that, I love spinning rides for as long as I can enjoy them without feeling ill.

4. What is the most neat place you've ever visited? Would you live there? I haven't really travelled much, even within my own country. But I've been to Newcastle a few times to visit family, and I do love it there. I don't think I'd live there though, I'm a country girl and I think the city would overwhelm me too much after the novelty wore off.

5. How did you find your current fandom? My uncle watched Voltron before I did, when it first came out. We're really close and have similar tastes so when he got excited about it, I was definetly interested! I kept putting it off though, and it wasn't until I kept seeing it on Tumblr through miraculous blogs I follow that I eventually watched it, only a month or two after my uncle did.

6. What's the hottest wing sauce you've ever eaten? I don't really know, sorry! But I do like spicy food.

7. What's the fic/art you've always wanted to write/draw but haven't gotten to for any reason. Oc? Original story? Tell me all about it! Oooh boy. I am ALWAYS coming up with story ideas. I have an entire universe of stories that I've wanted to write and draw since I was 13! I've got entire timelines and realities planned out, and even every single side character has concept art!

My favourite story of mine at the moment is probably Thieves Heart. It's so much fun to draw! And I love coming up with new ideas for it. I even love the designs I have for my main characters, Kyrad and Chiel, which is a rarity.

Kyrad is a thief because it's his family business.

Chiel is a thief because she loves the thrill of it all.

They keep crossing paths, and while Chiel adores the competition and might have a growing crush on her newfound rival, Kyrad isn't so keen. He'd much rather steal in peace.

He does have his eye on a cute but sassy civilian though, and has no idea she's actually the very same thief stealing all his hauls!

There's so much more I could say, amd although I really want to enthuse about all of my stories, its kind of nerve wracking and I also know that once I start, you literally can't shut me up. I get carried away easily...

I do keep toying with the idea of starting a webtoon, but my own lack of confidence holds me back I think.

8. Comfort food. if there is one snack/meal that is your go to- what is it? Maybe it's a drink? Any kind of hot food including rice, noodles or soup works for me. It could be my mum's chicken soup, it could be instant ramen. It depends a lot on my mood.

9. One person you really look up to as a role model. It's... really hard choosing just one person. I can't choose only one from my family, so I'll have to go for a friend of mine instead. She's a good 10 years older then me, but age doesn't matter. She's such a dear friend and I don't know what I'd do without her! She's helped me through so much. She has a lot of the same issues I have, and seeing how strong and amazing she is really inspires me. She's helped me with my anxiety in such a huge way, and if I could be a fraction of the person she is I'd be so happy. I want to help people like she's helped me through my problems. ❤

10. Favourite colour combination? Maybe pastel blue and silver?

11. What is your favourite outfit? That one clothing combination that makes you feel hip or comfortable or both. Just jeans and my Star Labs hoodie. My hoodie especially is my favourite piece of clothing and is so comfortable, it's baggy, it's soft and warm. I miss it every time it goes in the wash!

Again, thank you so much for this, it's been fun! I'm sorry it got so long.

I'd love to tag some people to answer some of my questions but not only have I spent a little too long on this already, but I'm a nervous wreck when it comes to tagging people So... oh well?

#tagged #about me #i got to gush about a story of mine a little bit!#thank you #11 questions

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espytalks · 6 years

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Tagged by @medicinemane

Rules: answer these questions then tag 20 blogs you’d like to know better

Nickname: Just call me espy.

Zodiac: Libra. I think cancer’s my moon sign, in case that matters.

Height: tall enough to reach the bottom shelf, but too short to reach the top.

Time: by the time this posts it’ll be about 6:30 in the morning.

Favorite band/artist: or3o, caleb hyles, the musical ghost, and i like some of da game’s music.

Song stuck in my head: it switches around a lot. right now it's this really inappropriate cover of asgore’s theme, and i hate it so much.

Last movie I saw: i think moana? it’s been a few weeks since i saw anything. it’s really friggin good though, i’ve watched it quite a few times.

Last thing I googled: jordan smith. i was gonna list him as one of my favorite artists just now but i decided against it. I mainly just wanted to make sure i was thinking of the right person. the tab’s still open, too lol.

Other blogs: well i have a few. my main account is @espeonna, my art blog is @espy-art, and i have a couple of failed ask blogs i don’t want to link to, since i’m kinda ashamed of them.

Do I get asks: not often. what you see me post is about all i ever get.

Why did I choose this username: i dunno who started calling me espy first, but it became my nickname, and several years ago i made my artblog to keep my main blog and art blog seperate. a few years after that i decided to make a personal blog. i decided to call it espytalks, since why not just make it obvious what this blog is for?

Following: does it matter? enough to see a lot of good quality content, and the occasional funny meme. and plenty of good art from various fandoms.

Average amount of sleep: look, i could theoretically keep an accurate up-to-date mathmatical count of the average amount of time i spend asleep, but it’ll neither fix when i actually should be sleeping nor make me feel good about myself. it’s about quality, not quantity, and i sleep fine.

Lucky number: 8.

What am I wearing: uhm atm it doesn’t matter, since when i take a shower i’ll just put on something comfy.

Dream job: i’d love to work in the animation industry somewhere.

Dream Trip: oh there’s lots of places i wanna go. i really do wish i could go to bronycon next year, but i looked at how much it’d cost and it’s definitely not gonna happen. i’d also love to visit disneyland in california.

also right now, it’s not so much a dream trip as much as i’d like to go back and tour st augustine again. i haven't been since i was a kid, but we did some stuff there that was super fun. i especially loved the ghost tour and ripley’s museum. dunno if either of those are still a thing.

Favourite Food: sour cream and cheddar flavored chips.

Play any instruments: is mayonnaise an instrument?

Eye colour: a greenish blue.

Hair Colour: it’s naturally a dirty blonde, but i like to dye it purple. it’s faded a lot, though, so it’s kinda a mix of light blonde and pastel purple.

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: soft pastel colors, mainly of a purplish scheme, clouds, bubbles, thick blankets, sketchbooks, pencils with cute decorations, glasses of water with paintbrushes in them next to a pan of watercolors, the soft smile of someone too shy to speak, the sound of rain, and the smell of cheap ramen noodles.

Languages you speak: just english. i know scattered words in spanish and japanese, and in spanish i know enough to say i can’t speak spanish.

Most iconic song: “Waving through a window” by owl city. and “for just one day let’s only think about love” from steben uniberse.

Random fact: did i ever tell y’all i broke my arm when i was a kid? i was trying to fly a kite and ride a bike at the same time, and i fell. it’s been so long i can’t remember feeling pain, but i do remember vividly crying screaming at my brother and our neighborhood friend to get help. the cast i got was purple, and hated it so much purple was my least favorite color for years.

not too long after that, my mom and dad told me we were going to disney world! so all the pictures of me are of me in that cast lol. As if i’ll never forget that specific shade of blue-purple.

I don’t want to tag anyone, so do this if you want.

#espy talks

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lovemesomesurveys · 3 years

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Is your hair long enough to pull over your face like a moustache? :3 No, it’s way too short. Do you ever find yourself making up survey questions throughout the day? Ha, sometimes. Who is your favourite online friend? You guys. (: What was the last thing you tried for the first time? This Ben & Jerry’s dairy-free ice cream made with sunflower milk. The last thing you said outloud: How loud were you speaking? I wasn’t speaking loudly; I used my “indoor voice.” Probably quieter than that.

What is your favourite nail polish colour to wear or see on others? Black was my go-to. What was the last thing you learned? About some new businesses that are coming to my city soon. How warm do you like your showers / baths to be? I like to take hot showers. The song you're listening to right now: What lyrics did they just sing? I’m not listening to music. Are there any advertisments / commercials you actually like? Which? Ones with catchy songs, I suppose. Which holidays do you decorate your house for, if any? Just Christmas, really. How often do you visit your relatives? I don’t see extended family often to be honest. I used to all the time growing up, but over the years it lessened as everyone got older or became busy doing their own thing. Plus, due to health related reasons I’ve missed some family get togethers these past few years. In your opinion, what is the scariest natural disaster? All of them. What design is on your bed sheets? There’s blue seashells and starfish all over. If your house was a hotel, what would it's star rating be? We have wifi, food, coffee, comfy beds, TVs in the bedrooms with tons of channels and streaming services... I’d say a 4-star, ha. We’re just missing a swimming pool and hot tub. What is your favourite brand of fizzy juice / soda? Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper. As a kid, did you use toothpaste that wasn't minty? (Like orange, etc) I liked bubblegum flavored toothpaste. What is your favourite vegetable? Spinach. Do you any other countries' timezones saved to your computer / mobilephone? No. What was the last musical you watched? I don’t remember. Which meal of the day is your favourite to eat out for? Breakfast. Is your username the same for every website? No. Do you enjoy taking photographs? What do you usually take them of? I have a lot photos of my doggo. What do you have in your bookmarks? (Online) The main websites I visit. Do you have a lucky number? Why is it so lucky? No, I don’t believe in luck. I have a favorite number, though, which is 8. Do you set your browser to remember passwords? No. Describe the perfect burger: I’m a simple gal, just cheese, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and pickles. What was the last thing you made yourself to eat? Ramen. What is something most people find ugly that you find cute? Hm. I don’t know. Have you ever stood on a sea creature while at the beach? D: I don’t think so?

What's worse: Speaking in all caps or all lowercase? I don’t like either one. What's your favourite place to go to for fast food? I mainly just go to Jack in the Box or Chick-Fil-A. How many fillings do you have? A few.

Do you prefer having cold or warm hands? Warm. Have you ever had a mud fight? No. When you see people in love is your first reaction, "Ew" or "Cute"? xP I don’t think it’s “ew” at all. Good for them. Have you ever woken up from a dream and thought it had actually happened? Yes. Are you obsessed with a certain countries culture? (Not your own) No. Do you know anyone who closely resembles someone else? (With no relations) Not that I can think of at the moment. When your sunburn peels, do you leave it or pull at it? I can’t help myself, I have to peel it. :X What type of food do you find yourself craving most? (Sweet, meat, etc) Salty, savory. Why did you last go to the doctors? I see one every 1-2 weeks for one of the health related things I have. Are you good at Name That Tune? I kinda think so; I know a lot of different songs across genres and decades. I like those types of games. Name something that frightened you as a kid that you like now: Scary movies. I love ‘em now. Do you prefer pictures or videos? Both. The people who pop in your "Who you might know" list:Do you ever know them? I get a lot of suggestions for people I don’t know for some reason. Do you ever highlight excerpts of books that you particularly enjoy? If I’m reading through the Kindle app I might, but I don’t like marking up actual books. How easy is it for you to recognise what quote / lyric something is from? I’m a lot better with lyrics than quotes. On a scale of one to ten, how tired are you currently? 10 and yet here I am doing this.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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dulcetcomet · 6 years

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i was tagged by @honeyycrepe

1. nickname? kiki and keonsters, depending on the friend group

2. myer-briggs type? infj

3. star sign? aquarius

4. height? 5′6

5. favourite feature? my eyebrows or my shoulders

6. favourite colour? pink, yellow, and green usually but this can change drastically sometimes depending on the mood i’m in

7. favourite food? i’m always in the mood for curry and ramen

8. favourite animal? frogs and sheep

9. dogs or cats??? both!

10. how many pets do you have? one cat

11. average hours spent sleeping? about eight hours

12. number of blankets you sleep with? usually one (if we’re not counting sheets) but sometimes two or three when it’s chilly

13. number of pillows you sleep with? three if you count a body pillow

14. what’s your dream trip? wales or greece

15. best places to visit in your town/country? not much to be honest, but i guess there’s a few nice hiking spots. most stuff is a bit out of town

16. favourite ice cream flavour? my favorites are honey and ginger

17. what’s an ideal day like for you? wake up early and make some breakfast and coffee, get some work done in the afternoon, have lunch, then hike and have a picnic for the rest of the day, then come home and shower and go to sleep

18. favourite book/book series? series wise i guess i’d say dune, but only the first couple books. in terms of books that aren’t a part of a series though, i really like howl’s moving castle and a tale for the time being

19. favourite movie/movie series? princess mononoke and spirited away

20. favourite video game/video game series: legend of zelda (breath of the wild, twilight princess, and wind waker), animal crossing (new leaf and wild world), and splatoon

i tag: any of my mutuals who feel like participating!

#sorry i responded to this a bit late haha #you don't have to participate if you don't want to #just let me know if you don't like to be tagged in these sorts of things #sorry for posting two of these in a row haha #tag game #txt

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followtheyellow-brick-road · 6 years

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Tagged by @thejordipie 😊

1) What was the first piece of media (movie, book, TV show, etc.) you were obsessed with?

First movies I was obsessed with (I can't list just one!!) most of these titles I'm still obsessed with to this day: Anastasia (the music❤️, the characters--how they are actually believable and Anya(anastasia) doesn't take crap from nobody, and because I'm a sap the romance-because not only were the characters believable, but their relationships were), Prince of Egypt (again the musicc--the songs still give me chills/goosebumps, i like how it's a movie about fighting for what's right even if it seems impossible), speaking of impossible makes me think of another old favourite movie Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1997 Cinderella musical lovee Whitney Houston and her song in it called "impossible"💜, 13 going on 30 is one I'm always up to rewatch, and star wars.

First book series I was obsessed with : as a child: Romona Quimby books, Wayside School book series but the book series that really got me interested in reading was Twilight😊

First TV show I was obsessed with: Sailor Moon of course!❤️❤️ Other early years obsession TV shows : Kim Possible, 6teen, Deliah and Julius, Cybersix, Gargolyes, Instant Star, Radio Free Roscoe, Phil of the Future, That's So Raven, The Amanda Show, Zoey 101, Escaflowne, Archie's Weird Mysteries, Sabrina the animated series, avatar the last airbender, ouran highschool host club, fruits basket, Cardcaptors, Danny Phantom, teen titans (original not teen titans go), Hey! Arnold, inuyasha, friends, and many many more

2) Given the choice, would you want to have the ability to fly or to effortlessly adapt to various climates and environments?

Hmmm if I had the ability to fly that would be pretty cool and I would be able to visit my friends overseas a bit easier, but I wouldn't want the government to go after me cuz I'm this mutant who can fly and what would I do if I all of a sudden get tired over the ocean? I guess on a positive my arms will get toned from all the flying, unless it isn't me who physically flies but i invent a devise that allows me to freely fly whenever I want (I think i like that idea better) I consider myself a pretty adaptable person as is and where I live currently the weather changes from one extreme to another frequently so I think I'm good! I have clothes in my closet for all types of weather situations!

3) Is there a type of food that you never liked, no matter how hard you tried to give it a chance?

I'm not really a picky eater, like I'll atleast try something before I pass it off as a no-go. I guess vegan cheese is something I'll never have again (my brother is a vegan and he made this pizza and the cheese made me sick), also i don't like squid, eel or escargot.

4) Describe a time/moment in which you were scared out of your mind.

graduating university (I've been in university for so long that I got used to it, comfortable. Then I was entering the job force to work in a career--super crazy feeling to me! Plus the uncertainty of not knowing if I'd get hired was quite scary because I was afraid of letting everyone down. I still am. Another scary moment was my first parent teacher interviews--god was i ever terrified of what the parents thought of me.

5) Hand-drawn animation or CG animation?

Nothing beats hand drawn❤️❤️

6) Has there ever been a time when you agreed with the phrase “Love sucks”? (by this I mean romantic love)

I've been so focused on my career/school that I've honestly never been in a relationship and now that I'm in my mid-twenties with no experience I have absolutely no idea where to begin/how to relationship lol

7) Describe something funny that has happened to you recently.

When it was my last day of teaching my students at the school I taught at last school year, a young student of mine pulled me aside and said " here this is for you because I want to thank you for being my teacher" he gives me two nickles, 10 cents. Then he adds "Get something nice" I didn't want to embarrass him because he was very sincere and seeious about this gift, so I didn't laugh I thanked him because to him 10 cents was quite a bit of money so that was thoughtful. So I guess this is a funny/cute story lol

8) What was the worst book you had to read for school?

Lord of the Flies

9) Did you go through any particular phase that you regret? If so, what was it?

I don't know if this is considered a phase, but I do regret how shy I was in school. In university I made myself get involved and that shyness mostly went away. I am not afraid to do presentations or introduce myself to people I don't know. I wouldn't say I'm an extravert now, no I'm still introverted but a more brave introvert than I used to be. I regret that way I used to be because I feel that it held me back from doing what I wanted to do.

10) What song are your currently listening to? Or what was the last song you listened to?

The last song I listened to Grease movie: You're the one that I want.

11) What are you sitting on right now?

My bed, I should probably get up and eat breakfast but I'm too determined to finish this questionnaire lol

1) What do you most want to be remembered for?

Kindness, being a good friend, being helpful, hard working.

2) Top three favorite song lyrics?

"Lean on me, when you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it won't be long 'Til I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on"

"So no one told you life was gonna be this way

Your job's a joke, you're broke

Your love life's D.O.A

It's like you're always stuck in second gear

When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month

Or even your year, but

I'll be there for you

(When the rain starts to pour)

I'll be there for you

(Like I've been there before)

I'll be there for you

('Cause you're there for me too)"

"If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends

(Gotta get with my friends)

Make it last forever friendship never ends"

Honestly I can't think of specific lyrics but these three songs lyric choices I think all send a good message. I'll probably think of different song lyrics after I'm done this questionnaire lol

3) What is your favorite kind of weather?

Warm sunny day where there's a nice cool breeze to make it the perfect temperature.

4) Where would you most like to travel?

So many places. Probably Japan is the top of list because I have quite a few friends living there, also with UK, but first I'd like to travel to each province/territory in Canada to fully experience my home country.

5) What literary quote best defines you?

"We do not remember days, we remember moments."

- Cesare Pavese

6) What is your go-to comfort food?

Grilled cheese, chocolate, ramen noodles, sushi.

7) Tell me a time you felt great about yourself or an accomplishment.

Graduating from my Education degree program and being placed on Deans honor list for both of the two years of my program.

Getting my first teaching job, and sticking through it through good&stressful times to the end of the year.

8) Do you cry when confronted or get mad? Blush when embarrassed or laugh it off?

Yesss if I get frustrated because I'm really mad I do cry. When I'm embarrassed I do blush but also try to awkardly laugh it off as a joke.

9) Do you know what you’re heading for in life or just know the general direction?

I know the general direction. Teacher in early years ages. But I have no idea where I'll end up in future. I like the idea of having a family but have no idea when that'll ever happen lol

10) What would you think of to produce a patronus? Is it a real memory or fake?

Real memory.

11) Describe your boggart and how you would repel it.

My biggest fear is either being a disappointment/failure or being forgotten. So I think it would appear to me as a group of ominous shadows of people surrounding me that are gossiping about me and laughing. I would repel the boggart by talking about all that I accomplished and saying that I'm far too cool to forget lol

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fromwinnipeg2everywhere · 3 years

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Autumn in Japan

It’s been hard finding motivation during the endless lockdowns here in Manitoba, and one of the things that I have slacked on is keeping this page up to date. I was under the impression that nobody read this blog, but recently I found out that at least one person does and that is enough inspiration for me to keep going.

Our last international trip prior to the pandemic was in November 2019, to Manila and Japan, probably around the time when the pandemic was getting started in Asia. We visited with family and friends for a week in Manila, then flew to Japan and stayed there for a week and a half.

Our first stop was Osaka. First, I’d have to say that flights to Japan from Manila are unbelievably cheap, relative to what we must pay for flights here in Canada. We paid about $150 CAD per person for our Cebu Pacific flight and we were told that this is not actually a good deal. I’m not sure that I can even get to Saskatoon from Winnipeg at this price! We stayed at an Airbnb in Osaka, and the apartment was very spacious and conveniently located near Namba Station and Nipponbashi. We stayed in Osaka for 2 nights, but we enjoyed our short stay. We walked around Dotonbori for our first night and had ramen at Ichiran. The following day, we set off early for Nara to beat the crowds and get some alone time with the deer. Shortly before lunch time, the tour buses started arriving, and that is our cue to get back on the train to Osaka. We went to Kuromon Market for lunch and basically ate everything we could get our hands on – otoro (fatty tuna), matcha ice cream, Kobe beef, tako tamago (baby octopus), crab meat and tofu. The food was reasonably priced and fresh. We went back to the Dotonbori area for dinner. I’m not quite sure I get the appeal of this area. I like big cities and crowded places, but I couldn’t find myself connecting with this area. It was just a bit too flashy and busy for me.

The following day, we took the 11am train to Kyoto. It was a little confusing to find which ticket to buy but the attendants at the train station were very helpful. Once we got the tickets figured out, the next challenge was figuring out which platform and which train to take. The train ride to Kyoto was very crowded, so thankfully it wasn’t too long, just about an hour and a half. As soon as we landed in Kyoto, we had lunch at Ippudo and walked around the Nishiki Market while waiting for our check-in time for our Airbnb. Our Airbnb was not centrally located, everything is expensive in Kyoto and this was the most reasonable accommodation we could find. We did have a grocery store next to us, and one of my favourite things about Japan is that you can buy good, cheap meals at convenience stores and grocery stores. They have affordable bento boxes, with lots of variety. Walking around a grocery store or convenience store in Japan is an adventure. There are so many interesting and unfamiliar snacks, and even the ones that you are familiar with, you will find some unfamiliar flavours in Japan. I could survive on grocery store sushi and Calbee chips in Japan, and of course, their beer.

After a quick rest, we walked to the Ninenzaka area to visit the Yasaka Pagoda. The area is very charming, and I think this is what comes to my mind when I think of Japan. Everything looked very traditional, even the stores and cafes. We also had a chance to go to Kiyomezu-Dera at night to see the pagodas and the gardens lit up. We were very fortunate to come to Japan during the fall season while the leaves are changing colours. I’m sure this place would have been beautiful anytime of year, but it was breathtaking with the bright red and yellow leaves. The following day was an early day. We left the apartment at 4:30AM to catch the first train to Fushimi Inari. It was still very dark by the time we got there which was good for hubby because he was able to take some photos before the crowds came. There was really a very a small window of opportunity to enjoy something to yourself when you are in a touristy place. I was able to climb the summit by myself, which was a very peaceful and introspective experience, and because we got there so early, we still had plenty of time to go to other places for the rest of the day. We went to Eikan Do right after Fushimi Inari. Prior to coming to Japan, we were very worried that we were too early for fall colours, but fortunately, some of the leaves did turn colours the week we were there. I can’t even imagine what it would have looked like had we come a week or two later, but it was so pretty that even the crowds didn’t dampen my mood.

Our last day in Kyoto started early again. We took a cab at 5:30AM to go to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The cab fare came to about 3300 Yen ($40 CAD), but we did get a “free” flashlight to use. The cabbie was probably wondering why we’d go to the bamboo forest while it’s still pitch dark, but clearly, we weren’t the only ones with that idea because when we got there, there were already a few photographers set up. We got there at a perfect time as the sun was just starting to rise, and it bathed the bamboos in a very soft light. It felt very peaceful and surreal at the same time. The area around the bamboo forest is surrounded by mountains in fall colours. We walked along the riverside and just enjoyed the perfect weather and the view. At 9:00AM we hiked to the Monkey Park. It was a long and steep climb, but you’re rewarded with amazing views of Kyoto, and at the end of the climb, you get to hang out with local monkeys. They are in their natural habitat, but you can feed them. What is cool about this experience is that you get to feed them while you’re the one in a cage and they get to roam free outside. After the hike down, we went to Kinkakuji and then back to Ninenzaka to buy some souvenirs, and then back to the apartment to pack.

The following day, before leaving for Tokyo, hubby and I walked to Ninezaka again at 5:30AM to try and take pictures of the Yasaka Pagoda without the crowds. It was still dark when we got there but there were already about a dozen or so photographers setup. We stayed about an hour and then had to leave for Tokyo. We took the Shinkansen from Kyoto Station to Tokyo. The trains were very sleek and fast, and I got a bit of motion sickness from it, but nothing that a Gravol couldn’t fix. Enroute to Tokyo, if you sit on the left side of the train, you can catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji, albeit very briefly. We ended up lost and confused at Shinjuku Station trying to find the bus to our hotel, but a kind man not only gave us directions, but walked us to our bus station. It wasn’t a short walk so that was an extremely kind gesture that I hope I can someday repay to lost travelers here in Winnipeg. We rested for a bit then headed to Shibuya Crossing for the evening. I was feeling very overwhelmed on my first day in Tokyo. The trains were packed, the stations were packed, the streets were packed even as it neared midnight. I can’t even imagine what this experience would be like post-pandemic now that we have introduced the fear of crowds into our lives.

Our second day in Tokyo was a designated shopping day. We took the train to Akihabara and spent the day there. We went to Yodabashi, Uniqlo, and we were even able to do a side-trip to the Ueno Royal Museum to catch their Van Gogh Exhibit. Our last day in Tokyo was a very rainy day, so we spent it again indoors shopping. In the evening, we got to experience eating at a “sushi train” place. For 2300 YEN, we ate 14 plates of the freshest sushi we have ever had in our lives. It’s probably considered “fast food” sushi so I can’t imagine what fine dining would be like there. We will save that for next time! Tokyo was a little bit too busy for me. The maps are also deceiving in that I didn’t find it walkable at all. I enjoyed looking at the cute knick knacks at the stores, but I think for next time, I would stay longer in Kyoto. The one thing I do regret is cancelling the day trip to Mount Fuji to go shopping instead. I just couldn’t face the prospect of another early day catching trains and buses, and we weren’t quite sure if we would even see Mount Fuji because I heard that it is usually covered in cloud. However, that morning, when we were having breakfast at our hotel, we could see Mount Fuji, completely cloudless.

I really enjoyed travelling to Japan. Out of everything, I really enjoyed the food most of all. Although we stayed for a week and half, we only did get to enjoy the cities for a maximum of three nights, and I think next time, we would focus our stay in one city and really get to relish the experience, instead of rushing from one place to the next. With the scarcity and inequitable distribution of vaccine supply, it’s hard to imagine when we can travel to Asia again and I’m super grateful that we were able to go, right at the cusp of when everything was about to fall apart. I think, at that time, our attitude was don’t sweat about some of the things we are missing because we would always get the chance to go back anytime we want, but the last year and a half has shown us how very wrong we were.

#japan #tokyo #osakacity #ancient kyoto #foodie

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nicoismywaifu · 6 years

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Ikanaide (Don’t Go)

Summary: Nico leaves to go on tour, and Maki can’t go with her. It’s not the first time one of them has been left behind in the winter. Theme: Winter Relationships: NicoMaki, implied NozoEli and a lot of friendship between them. Words: 4786 Approximate reading time according to hemingwayapp.com: 20 minutes

Notes: Mainly written in the past three days with an awful fever because I am a master of bad life choices. I didn’t mean to catch the fever, I swear… Just as I didn’t mean to write something this long.

Ikanaide (click here!) is one of my friend’s favourite songs, and I get the feeling that @opahcity is a fan of it as well with an amazing animation that they made (found on page five of their tumblr, not that I’m a stalker or anything). So, this is what emerged. It’s a lot different from what I usually write. It’s so sappy.

Enjoy!

Cursing the impracticality of wearing a skirt on a winter weekend, Nico enjoyed all the warmth she could get as her friends took turns hugging her before she departed on her ‘Winter Wonderland’ tour. The bullet train that pulled into the station would take Nico to her first stops across Japan, before she set off across the rest of Asia. And for the first time, Maki wouldn’t be able to go on tour with her, instead chained to her internship at the family hospital.

Nico got onto her tiptoes, and Maki felt herself being wrapped up in a hug. Well, as possible as it is to be wrapped up by someone a few good inches shorter than herself.

‘I’ll be back soon, Maki-chan,’ Nico said, keeping her voice quiet enough to have a private moment between them.

‘I know.’

‘Please don’t blow up our apartment while I’m gone. Remember not to leave metallic items in the microwave.’

‘I’m aware,’ Maki said, slight irritation creeping into her voice. ‘That was just an accident.’

‘Just saying. Because last time we had to call the fire department-‘

‘Jeez,’ Maki said, blushing as not so quiet giggling emerged from Rin and Honoka beside her. ‘If you’re just going to nag me then you can hurry up and leave.’

‘Awww, you’re so cold, Maki-chan!’ Nico teased with a grin. ‘But that’s okay. Nico knows that really means you love her and wish her a safe trip.’

‘Whatever,’ said Maki, almost deadpan apart from the small curl of her lips. ‘Get out there and become the Number One Idol in the Universe.’

‘Silly Maki-chan,’ Nico replied. ‘Nico’s always been the Number One Idol in the Universe. It’s just that the Universe doesn’t know it yet! But they will soon,’ Nico added, and Maki saw the flare of determination like fire in her eyes. She pivoted her bag behind her, preparing to set off. ‘I’d better be heading off now, then.’

Nico only made it a few steps before there was a tug at the sleeve of her coat. She turned and found Maki, her mouth opening and closing, as if trying to find the right words to say.

‘Hey, Nico-chan…’ she whispered. ‘Don’t…’

Nico made a slight tilt of her head to one side, looking quizzical. ‘Don’t?’

Maki blushed and looked down to her shoes. Took a breath of air to steady herself. When she finally looked back up, she met Nico’s confused gaze with a smile.

‘Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.’

That only confused Nico even more, and maybe caused a small flicker of doubt to flash across her face, before she beamed a grin to match Maki’s anyway. ‘Whatever you say, Maki-chan!’

To a chorus of ‘Goodbye Nico!’, ‘Nico-chan!’ and a single ‘Nicocchi!’, Nico grinned, looked forwards and headed off. To Maki, her back looked taller and broader than someone of Nico’s stature had any right being. Pride, determination and ambition – it showed the irrepressible parts of Nico that Maki couldn’t help but admire.

All Maki could do was stand and watch as the sound of plastic wheels on concrete faded further and further away, stopping only when Nico vanished onto the train. She wasn’t gone for long – soon, Maki spotted Nico pressed up against the window, waving goodbye with one hand with the other formed into a Nico-Nii.

Maki stood and waved back with everyone else as the train began to pull out of the station. She wouldn’t take her eyes off it until it was well over the horizon.

So this is how it felt like to be left behind.

As a cold breeze blew through the platform, Maki wiped at the warm tears in her eyes, finally whispering the words which threatened to spill out before.

‘Nico-chan… Don’t go.’

When Maki thinks of winter, she thinks of grey skies and the early encroach of darkness in the evening, which is what she sees when she exits the hospital after a shift which feels three hours too long. She thinks of hospital wards, crammed full of the unpleasant infections which spread like bushfires in a dry summer. (Ordinarily, that would be a morbid thought, if not for the fact that she’s currently working in one of those wards. That makes it more acceptable… she thinks.)

She thinks of the cold which numbs her fingers and makes them feel like lead as she sits in front of the piano, causing her to knit her eyebrows together and focus that little bit extra on making the notes sound right to her ears.

She thinks of the rush of warmth which spreads through her body when the door to the music room opens, and she doesn’t have to look up to know who it is. She can just feel her presence, somehow, different from anything else.

She thinks of a tiny little girlfriend swaddled in more layers of clothing than you’d find in a moderate sized department store. And perhaps the memory of giving that girlfriend a playful shove and watching her topple into the snow like a pitiful, pink domino.

(Maki helps her up again, of course. After taking a few photos and sending them off to mu’s group chat.)

She can almost hear Nico’s teasing voice like they were back on the platform.

‘You’re so cold, Maki-chan!’

Slumped underneath a kotatsu which doesn’t feel as warm as usual, cold is how Maki feels without her Nico beside her.

It was the third time Maki had her rest in the off-duty room interrupted by someone looking for the toilets. When she calmed down and thought about it, they were right next to each other, and the signage wasn’t the best. But that was after she had snapped and shouted some choice words before she could catch herself. She’d be on Santa’s naughty list this year, no doubt about it.

Man, this winter was really starting to suck.

The thought of Nico being just a few hours away by train was somehow enough to feel like a lifetime. Yet it hadn’t even been a week since Nico had set off, the image of her twin-tails bouncing with a life of their own playing on repeat whenever Maki closed her eyes.

Her quality of living went from privileged to student as soon as Nico departed. Oh, how Nico had yelled at Rin for introducing Maki to cup ramen and the availability of easy, cheap junk food meals. She must’ve known this would happen.

Checking her watch, Maki saw that her shift had ended some time ago. She groaned to herself and pinched the bridge of her nose before checking her phone as she walked to the hospital entrance. Ooh. Some messages from Nico that came while she was hopefully asleep. Her thumb pressed onto the app in an instant.

Her reward was a picture Nico dressed as a miniature Santa (emphasis on miniature) and handing out presents to what looked like all the children in Hokkaido.

A caption: what does maki-chan think of nico-nii’s latest event photoshoot (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

It was the cutest thing Maki had ever seen.

5/10 she replied.

With a stupid smile on her face, she didn’t even look up from her phone as she walked across to the entrance. She was rewarded by walking into someone who didn’t step out of her way in time.

‘Ah,’ Maki apologised, looking up at the person she had run into. ‘I’m sorry- Wait, Eli?’

Eli greeted her with a grin and placed her hands onto Maki’s shoulders. Her gloves were warm and comforting – at least she had the sense to wait inside the hospital for Maki in this weather.

‘Hello, Maki,’ she said kindly. ‘How was work today?’

‘Busy as always,’ said Maki, her voice weary and haggard. ‘It being winter doesn’t help. But never mind me. What are you doing all the way out here, anyway?’

‘Well…’ Eli rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. ‘It’s a case of idol’s orders.’

Everything seemed to whir into the background as Maki strode alongside Eli, the former with hands buried deep in her pockets and Eli cheerfully pointing out all the Christmas decorations. A normal Maki would’ve done the same; a cold and grumpy Maki now feeling the lack of sleep she had gotten just shrugged.

‘Not even excited about Christmas,’ Eli mused somewhere along the way. ‘You really are missing Nico.’

It wasn’t even a question, which meant she didn’t have to give the obvious answer. As she followed Eli onto the subway and saw the line they were transferring onto, her destination became obvious. She couldn’t help but smile despite herself at the nostalgia - it’d been a while since she had last visited the place.

‘I’m home!’ Eli called out as she shut the door behind them and kicked off her shoes.

‘Pardon my intrusion,’ Maki said.

‘Ah!’ Nozomi looked back from her apartment’s benchtop, where she was preparing the evening’s dinner. From the look of things, and especially from Nozomi’s special grill which was already laid out, it was going to be yakiniku.

‘Evenin’, Maki-chan! Nicocchi told us to look after you, so Eli went and fetched you while I finished my class.’

Maki paused for a moment and thought. Something just sounded off with that statement. ‘What did Nico-chan really say?’

‘Something along the lines of you being a massive baby who needs to be kept away from heat sources and sharp objects in the kitchen,’ said Nozomi.

Maki groaned. ‘I’m good with a scalpel, though.’

‘She also said that if left unsupervised you’d live off a diet of coffee and convenience store food,’ Eli continued. ‘I refuse to believe that, because a medical student knows the importance of good nutrition, but…’

Maki shifted awkwardly and averted her gaze.

Eli sighed. ‘Seriously, Maki?’

‘So, that’s why you’re here for the evening!’ Nozomi said, cheerfully returning to chopping bits of meat with her knife. ‘And besides, it’s always good to catch up for a chat.’

Settling herself under their kotatsu, the warmth seeped through Maki’s extremities with a tingling sensation. It was similar, but not quite the same feeling as returning home to Nico’s one. But she gave a contented sigh all the same.

‘What do you want to talk about?’ asked Maki.

Just from her tone, Maki didn’t need to see Nozomi’s face to know that her eyes were twinkling with mischief. ‘Seeing as how this is a special occasion, do you wanna hear embarrassing things about Nicocchi?’

After several plates of grilled beef, occasional vegetables and mostly responsible drinking choices, Maki felt alive and refreshed in a way that she hadn’t been sequestered away in her own apartment. Forget antibiotics: a meal shared with two good friends should be used as a cure for all ills, the medical student thought, as she tried to keep her lungs somewhere within her body from laughing too hard. Nozomi was stood up from the table

The laughter faded down into quiet between the three. Eli took a sip of her drink; Maki adjusted the way she sat to get a bit more comfortable. When she looked across the room, however, she found Nozomi looking her way, a hand propped under her chin in thought and her emerald eyes making a quiet appraisal of her. It was a familiar feeling to her, but Maki still fidgeted under the scrutiny.

Evidently, she had passed whatever mental test Nozomi had calculated, as she broke the comfortable silence between them. ‘Hey, Maki-chan,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘What comes to mind when you think of winter?’

‘The usual things, I guess? Cold. Snow. Santa-san. Why?’

Nozomi took a sip of tea before turning her gaze into the drink. ‘Because when I think of winter, I think of a tiny high-school girl with a pink umbrella handing out flyers in the Otonokizaka courtyard.’

Seeing Nozomi’s expression, Eli sidled across the chair and draped a comforting arm around her shoulders. ‘Nozomi…’

The atmosphere felt different now to Maki as she watched her two seniors again fall into a hush. When Nozomi looked back up at Maki, it was with a pained smile.

‘A girl who hates the cold getting covered in snow for hours and hours, waiting for someone to take the flyers she made for her Idol Research Club. A girl who tried not to care what other people said not so quietly behind her back, crying in the bathrooms when she thought there was no one else around. That’s what I think of most when I think of winter, Maki-chan.’

Maki now knew why Nozomi had hesitated before – she could feel a swell of emotions spring up from somewhere in her chest just thinking about it. They’d talked about Nico’s past before, but never quite said how bad it was for her. Just how much it might’ve hurt. It made it difficult to think of a response other than ‘Oh.’

As she watched Eli comfort a shaken Nozomi, Maki got the sinking feeling that Nico might’ve had an even lonelier winter than she could ever dream of.

The chime of bells brought class to an end and Nico sighed with relief, looking up from her notebook which was more like a sketchbook after her latest efforts. After classes of English, algebra and geography, she had learned how to draw the perfect frills for her new costume.

Lingering in her seat for the moment, she propped a hand beneath her chin and watched as the rest of the class broke into that excited chatter that only the end of a school day can bring – like places to navigate afterschool for the perfect snack, or the club activities that they were looking forwards to completing that day.

It made Nico think of the Idol Research Club, as she flicked through her textbook and reviewed the activities planned that afternoon. It made Nico think of the Idol Research Club which had shrunk by half in the last week, and was down to two other members apart from herself.

She didn’t want to get up after that thought crossed her mind.

She dropped her bag to the floor, slumped further down into her chair and began idly riffing through pages to kill some time. That was, until a sudden voice called out from behind her.

‘Ni-co-cchi~!’

After being surprised by a hug from behind, Nico would’ve said that she responded in a calm, composed manner. Nozomi would’ve said that Nico squealed and pre-emptively brought her hands across her chest.

‘What do you want, Nozomi?’ Nico replied with cool sophistication. Probably.

‘It’s nothing,’ said Nozomi, smiling. ‘You just seemed a bit out of it, that’s all. Is everything okay?’

‘Everything’s fine,’ said Nico as she turned her head away from Nozomi to face the front of the classroom. Nozomi simply walked around her desk and sat at the chair in front.

‘Is that really true?’

Nico buried her head against the desk to avoid Nozomi’s gaze. Undeterred, Nozomi placed a soft hand to the back of Nico’s head.

‘Nicocchi…’

Nico vigorously shook her head to clear Nozomi’s hand. There was only one way to get rid of her and her prying questions - it was time to use the not-so-secret weapon.

Flashing a smile and making a Nico-Nii with a spare hand, Nico held eye contact this time - just like she had practiced in the mirror over and over again. Because smiles are contagious, and an idol’s job is to make people smile. Especially when you’re the president of the Idol research Club.

‘Nico’s fine, Nozomi,’ Nico said, using her sugary sweet idol voice. ‘Really.’

As she fixed Nico with a questioning look, Nico could tell that Nozomi didn’t buy it, and was running calculations in her head as to what she wanted to say next. After a long, thoughtful look, Nozomi sighed and gave a small shrug of her shoulders as she stood up in defeat, pushing her chair which scraped against the floor with a sharp noise.

‘If you say so, Nicocchi.’

Once more, she had gotten away with it like she always did – the cost was the feeling of an overwhelming tiredness, as Nico rested her head against the table once more.

As Nozomi’s footsteps made their way somewhere near the classroom door, Nico heard Nozomi turn around to tack one one last thought. ‘Just remember: Elicchi and I are always here for you, okay?’

‘Yeah.’ Nico didn’t bother looking up, instead huffing and grumbling into the wooden desktop, looking and sounding too tired to care. ‘Whatever.’

After another moment where Nico knew she was being appraised once more, the classroom door finally slid shut. But it still didn’t completely muffle the two voices from the other side.

She heard Eli and her concern first. ‘Is everything alright with Nico?’

‘Who knows,’ Nozomi replied, in a whisper which wasn’t quiet enough.

A small flicker of anger flared inside Nico. She was fine. She didn’t need their concern, their pity, because she was fine. Why wouldn’t they believe that?

Perhaps it was because she didn’t really believe that herself.

More importantly, Nico mused to herself as her feet finally carried her in the direction of the clubroom, if they had the time to worry about her, then Nozomi and Eli could do something about the stupid school uniform rules. Isn’t it some kind of cruel and unusual punishment to walk around in winter with only a cotton blazer for warmth?

If Nico had her way, she’d be ensconced in the puffiest, warmest, pinkest parka she could scrounge from the thrift stores. And because she’s Nico, she’d make it look absolutely dashing as well. But according to Eli and Nozomi, the cardigan was pushing the rules far enough already. Not like Nico was obliged to listen to her friends on the Student Council or anything…

So instead, she wore the hand-me-down thermal underwear which was slightly too long and loose in the chest department, which would probably be funny to people other than Nico.

Opening the door, Nico folded her arms in front of herself and trembled. How did the room always manage to turn into a freezer during the day?

It was time for the usual routine: shiver her way over to the heater and crank it up to max, spend a few minutes feeling the heat melt away at the gross, damp spots of her clothing, then at last settle into her chair, open her notebook and check her practice routine planned for the day. That, of course, required the other members (what was left of them, anyway) to show up.

That was already a surprise now that Nico thought of it. She’d been delayed by her own thoughts and a pesky Nozomi already, and the other two hadn’t shown up yet? She looked to the wall and checked the time on the room’s clock. 15 minutes late, and counting.

How inconsiderate, Nico huffed to herself as she settled into her chair at the head of the table. An empty room takes longer to heat up. It was still cold enough to feel like knives driving into her bones.

‘Stupid winter,’ she muttered to herself.

After a few minutes spent directly in front of the heater with her hands outstretched, they finally arrived. The door opened with a clicking sound.

‘Sorry we’re late,’ apologised the brown-haired, first-year student. Her voice was meek, her eyes downcast and avoiding eye-contact.

The other first year took a deep breath, then marched across the room towards Nico. When she drew close, Nico noticed the sight of two, white envelopes placed in her hand, which she laid out on the desk in front of Nico.

An uncomfortable, twisting feeling formed in her stomach as she eyed the two envelopes handed to her. Despite the warmth of the heater starting to fill the room, Nico felt her fingers go a prickly numb and cold as she extended them and took hold of the letters.

‘What…’ Nico’s voice came out choked, before she swallowed her nervousness once more. ‘What are these?’

‘What do they look like? They’re our letters of resignation.’

For all her bravado, the taller girl still wouldn’t look Nico in the eyes, instead looking at the corner of the room. In the background, the other girl had her hands nervously clutched at the hem of her blazer.

Nico opened her mouth, then closed it and shook her head. The silence that ensued was overpowering. After a few moments which felt like hours, Nico realised that the only thing she could do was ask. ‘Why…?’

The girl clenched her hands into fists by her side. ‘We can’t do this anymore,’ she finally said. ‘Not everyone is as dedicated as you are. Why can’t you see that? You’re always going on about being the Number One Idol, but you look more like a girl in primary school. And the “Nico Nico Nii” you always make us do? It’s seriously weird. Not cute,’ she scoffed. ‘This entire thing has been a waste of time.’

‘A waste… of time?’ Nico repeated.

‘She didn’t mean it like that!’ the shorter girl spoke up in a panic. ‘She meant-‘

‘Don’t. We’ve made our minds up.’ She made her way over to the other girl by the exit. ‘Come on – we’re done here.’

Nico rushed to her feet and reached out with her arm. She grasped at thin air. ‘Ah, wait!‘

They didn’t. There was only the sound of the clubroom door being shut, followed ny footsteps disappearing down the hallway, which rung and reverberated inside Nico’s head and left her too stunned to sit back down again.

When she realised what she wanted to say, it was already too late.

‘Please,’ she said, sniffling and running at her nose. ‘Don’t go.’

Looking down with her hands folded into her lap, Maki felt the heat of a tear running down her face. ‘Why are you telling me this?’ she said, her voice coming out hoarse.

‘Because whenever winter comes around, we want Nico to have happier memories than those,’ Nozomi said. ‘She’s precious to us. And to you too, right?’

Maki nodded a bit too hard. ‘Of course she is.’

‘I’m sure Nico wouldn’t tell you something like this,’ Eli said, gently running her hand across Nozomi’s shoulders. ‘It’s not something she wanted to dwell on.’

‘We tried our best to help her after that,’ added Nozomi. ‘We really, really did. But you know how Nicocchi is. She didn’t want our “pity”. But I always wonder, Maki-chan. Should I have been more forceful? Could I have done more for Nicocchi?’ Nozomi returned a guilty gaze to her lap and mumbled. ‘I don’t have many regrets, but leaving her alone is one of them.’

‘But,’ Eli interrupted, ‘Nozomi always had faith that things would work out for Nico one day.’ She took Nozomi’s hand into her own. ‘And she was right, as per usual.’

‘Elicchi…’

‘Nozomi…’

It was like a warm, comforting breeze had swept through the room from the affection the two gave each other. Maki smirked, and realised that her reaction was the same as what Nico’s would be.

‘Gross.’

Her upperclassmen traded a look of mock affront between them and spoke at the same time. ‘What’s with that? I don’t get you.’

‘So!’ said Nozomi, changing the subject with a cheerful shout. ‘Because you’re the one closest to our Nicocchi, we want you to make a promise.’ ‘That was another reason Elicchi and I had you over this evening.’

Getting up from the couch and making a small whine at the lack of contact with Eli that followed, Nozomi sat herself beside Maki and outstretched a pinky. ‘Do you swear to always be there for Nicocchi, through rain, sleet and snow?’ she asked. ‘Cross your heart and hope to die?’

Maki took Nozomi’s pinky within her own and shook. ‘I promise.’

Making her way over to Maki’s other side, Eli brought out her left pinky to meet Maki’s. ‘Promise to never, ever leave Nico standing there by herself, cut off your pinky and swallow a thousand needles if you lie?’

Maki nodded. ‘I promise.’

‘Then it’s settled,’ Nozomi said, leaning them into a group hug. If Maki had closed her eyes, she might’ve sworn she felt Nico hugging along as well.

‘You two know so much about Nico-chan,’ Maki whispered after a while. ‘I’m jealous.’

‘Well,’ Eli replied, happily entwining her hand with Nozomi’s, ‘we do have two years head start on you.’

‘We’ll help you catch up, then. What were we talking about before?’

‘Oh, that’s right,’ they said in unison. ‘More embarrassing Nico stories!’

The buzz of a phone in her jacket pocket left Maki fumbling to retrieve it. ‘Ah, I’m sorry,’ she said, before grinning when she saw the caller’s name. ‘It’s Nico-chan.’

With knowing smiles given by Eli and Nozomi, Maki stood up and excused herself into the kitchen to take the call.

‘Maki-channnn!’ Nico sung out of Maki’s speaker. ‘You’re still alive?’

‘Nope,’ Maki replied. ‘I can’t eat, drink or do anything without you, so I died.’

‘Still as sarcastic as ever,’ said Nico. ‘But that’s fine.’

‘How was today’s concert? Where are you right now?’

‘Concert was amazing, mainly because Nico was in it. And Nico could melt in the bed pf her hotel room,’ Nico said, punctuated by a yawn. ‘It’s so warm after a day in the cold…’

‘You should rest, Nico-chan. You’ve had a long day.’

‘Maybe later,’ said Nico. ‘Right now, I just… kinda want to hear your voice.’

Maki felt the heat rising into her cheeks. Nico could be so unfair sometimes. ‘W-What do you want to talk about?’

‘For starters, I’m curious as to what Eli and Nozomi would’ve talked with you about. They tend to talk about Nico a lot when Nico isn’t there, apparently,’ Nico added with a scoff at the end.

Maybe not in the way you’d think, Maki thought to herself. ‘We talked about winter. And embarrassing Nico stories.’

‘What?! ‘I should’ve known,’ she said, groaning. ‘They’re such blabbermouths. So? What amazing things did you learn about me?’

Maki found herself smirking again. ‘That’s a secret.’

‘Unfair,’ Nico said, and Maki could hear another groan behind it.

‘Hey, Nico-chan…’ Maki hesitated. Nico waited for her, the sound of nothing eventually becoming overwhelming. ‘What do you think of winter?’

There was the sound of Nico shuffling herself on the bed. Maki could picture Nico bringing the blankets over herself, hearing her voice become drowsier and yawnier with each passing moment.

‘Winter?’ Nico sleepily answered. ‘I hate it. It’s cold, dark and lonely – all things that Nico doesn’t like.’

‘Mmmm. I see.’

‘Nico would rather be under the kotatsu with Maki-chan, or going someplace warm with her friends and family…’ Unguarded and unfiltered, Maki made a mental note to talk to Nico when she’s tired more often.

‘Leave it to me, okay?’

‘Sounds… good…’

Maki smiled as she heard Nico’s breaths settle into a steady, sleeping rhythm. ‘Goodnight, Nico-chan.’

‘Night… Maki…chan…’

The singular ‘break’ in Nico’s tour schedule was to return to Tokyo for Christmas Day, before a flight out of Haneda in the early hours of the 26th. As she climbed up the stairs to her apartment late in the evening, she had a rough idea of what would be awaiting her.

‘I’m home,’ she announced, immediately finding the tree, lights and decorations all painstakingly set up by someone who cared about Christmas wayyyy too much. But it was strange – she had at least expected Maki to have been standing in the doorway. Not being pounced upon by a jovial Maki high on the power of Christmas threw Nico off completely.

Until she found Maki sprawled under their kotatsu, then she wondered why she was surprised.

‘This is your favourite place,’ Nico said, smiling.

Sitting beside her and taking in her glorious, stupid, drooling face rested against the tabletop, Nico felt the tiredness fading from her bones.

Maki eventually shifted when she noticed Nico’s presence and eased herself upright. She yawned. ‘How long was I asleep for?’

‘Long enough that it looks like you’ve spilled a drink on the table,’ Nico replied.

Maki looked down and gave a groaned reply.

‘Sorry,’ said Nico, wrapping an arm around Maki’s shoulders. Maki took things further and pulled Nico into for a hug. Buried in the crook of Nico’s neck, Maki finally felt the warmth she had missed all this time before.

‘Nico-chan…’ Maki began, shyly tugging on Nico’s coat sleeve. ‘I know you have to leave and be amazing tomorrow. But for now… Please don’t go anywhere else. I… I really missed you this winter.’

Nico held Maki close and rubbed a circle into her back.

‘I’m not going anywhere. I promise.’

#nicomaki #nozoeli #love live secret santa 2017 #opahcity

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