#I'm (if all goes well) moving to the US to live with my fiancé :>

[mossistyping]

So I have a VISA interview coming up, big deal etc. I need to have my birth certificate and police record translated into English for the interview.

The US Embassy doesn't require the translation to be done by a certified translator, just someone who can confirm they're fluent. EXCEPT. You can't do it yourself.

So tell me why I'm out here CORRECTING the translation service that I paid for because they spelled the same street name wrong TWICE?

[octuscle]

Hotel room: filthy chav tf

It was an imposition. An absolute imposition. Having to spend the night in a youth hostel was unbelievable. But in a triple room? Without your own bathroom? Using a communal shower room? That had to be a joke. Yes, his company had to cut costs. There was a new travel policy that banned five-star hotels and business class flights. All well and good. But a youth hostel?!?!?!?!! He called the travel agency and insulted his colleague in the worst possible way. She just replied dryly that everything else was fully booked because of the trade fair and that she had even written Alexander an e-mail asking if the booking was okay. And he had replied with a curt "yes". Unfortunately, there was nothing more she could do, he was still on the waiting list for two hotels. But if there was no answer by now…

Alexander moved into his room. It smelled like a lad's changing room in a community school on a council estate. Of course, he had no idea what it smelled like. But that's how he imagined the stench. Without greeting or acknowledging the teenager lying on the bed playing with his cell phone, Alexander went to the window and pulled it open. "Oi, did someone crap in yer head, mate? Shut that window, innit?" the chav yelled at him. "I don't understand a word you're saying," Alexander replied and began to unpack his suitcase. I don't know how the chav could live like this, he thought to himself. He needed order. He then changed into his bedding, which he saw as a further humiliation, and lay down on the bed. The chav was listening to music so loud that Alexander could clearly hear the bass. He found it more than annoying. But he tried to ignore it. He put on his headset and called his fiancée. Alexander assumed that the chav lying in the bed above him couldn't hear anything, as loud as he was listening to music. So he complained without a care in the world and blasphemed about the young man with the disturbed relationship to personal hygiene and the impossible haircut. "Honey, I have to stop, I have to get out of here and have lunch somewhere civilized." Alexander ended his phone call. He looked up. And he was looking at a dirty white sock.

"Oi, I'm Callum, but me mates call me Cal. So you call me Callum. Did ya just say my smell's botherin' ya? I thought posh gits like you love the scent of real man's feet." Alexander almost threw up. Without saying anything, he jumped up, grabbed his coat and left the room. He had a lunch date with an old school friend at a trendy steak restaurant. It was supposed to distract him and save the evening as much as possible. As he stood in the subway, he wondered what the devil had possessed him not to take a cab. It smelled almost as bad here as in his hotel room. Suddenly he realized that the smell was coming from his armpits. Damn, had he forgotten the deodorant this morning? The journey seemed like an eternity. People wrinkled their noses. My God, that was embarrassing. In the restaurant, he went to the toilet first, wet a towel, took off his shirt and jacket and wiped his armpits. In the stress, he didn't even notice that instead of a white microfiber undershirt with a V-neck, he was wearing a worn-out, yellowed fine rib undershirt. The waiter eyed him a little disparagingly as he brought him to his table. His friend was already sitting there and stood up to greet him. Alexander gave him a fist bump. His friend looked irritated and returned the greeting. "My best man, what kind of ghetto attitudes are these? At least it goes with your casual footwear." Alexander looked at the floor. He was wearing rather expensive-looking sneakers. And white socks. He stammered something about a suitcase that had gone missing and that he'd been a bit stressed. His friend grinned a little disparagingly and poured Alexander a glass of red wine.

The conversation was somehow wooden. Marcus told stories from their school days. But Alexander couldn't remember any of them. The wine was quite tasty, the steak was too rare for him, but he didn't dare complain. With lots of ketchup, it was fine. When the waiter asked if he should pour more wine, Alexander replied with his mouth full "Oi mate, gimme a big beer, yeah? And some mayo with them chips." The rest of the meal passed in silence. All you could hear was Alexander smacking his lips. And after he had finished, a loud and passionate burp. Marcus looked horrified at first. Then he laughed uproariously and burped at least as loudly. "Blimey, mate! That was a good one. Now off for a fag and a fart outside?" "You can proper bet on it, mate. Got a spare cig for us?".

Marcus and Alexander had to put their last few pounds together to pay. The waiter looked disgustedly at the stale bills. "You got a problem, mate? Our money not good enough for ya? What's it gonna take for a blowie, eh? Would ya prefer that?" Alexander could barely stop Marcus from starting a fight with the waiter. He waved for security. A few minutes later, the two chavs were thrown out the back exit.

The evening was still young. Alex called Cal to see if he would like to have a beer in the pub at the youth hostel and watch the game. Cal replied that he had just taken a punter up to the room and had to fuck him first. Blimey, Cal was always lucky. Mack suggested he stand by the mess hall exit. Maybe you could pick up a customer there too. Alex looked in his wallet. He was broke again. He could do with a few pounds. They had at least managed to scrounge two fags from a passer-by. The evening was off to a good start. And at some point it would end with a hot threesome in their room.

Pics found @maennersneakersockenfuesseskins and @belgiquecuir

[munson-blurbs]

I see you are taking requests. I love Eddie munson x reader angst. So maybe one where Eddie's band is doing well and he goes on a small tour and he attracts the unwanted attention of a stalker. She is so obsessed with him she moves to Hawkins and that is when she finds out that he has a fiance (the reader). The stalker than becomes obsessed with making the readers life a living hell. Death threats and all that bad stuff. Until the stalker hurts her one day. Make it as angsty as you want. If you can't do it, then please just ignore. Only if you are comfortable with it. Thanks 😊

Warnings: stalking, lots of violence, blood, knives, language, allusions to sex

WC: 3.7k

A/N: This is by far the creepiest thing I've ever written. Please let me know what you think. Your feedback really keeps me motivated.

"Oh, Eddie," Gareth says in a sing-song voice, peering out at their growing audience from behind the stage, "guess who's he-ere!"

"Oh, God," Eddie mutters as he tunes his guitar.

Puzzled, you look from him to Gareth for an answer, but when no one offers one, you ask, "Who's here?"

"Sorry to break it to you, Y/N," Jeff's voice is teasing, dripping sarcasm, "but Eddie's got himself a secret girlfriend."

"Eddie Munson!" you joke, feigning anger. "And here I am, trying to plan our wedding while you're collecting groupies on tour."

Your fiancé smiles at you wickedly. "Figured we could have a threesome or somethin.'" You give him a playful shove as he leans in to kiss your cheek. "Nah, babe. She's just a fan. Harmless."

"Just a fan?" Gareth sputters, throwing his head back with laughter. "Dude, she basically stalks you after each gig, trying to buy you drinks. One time, we found her waiting outside next to Eddie's van. I don't even know how she knew which one it was."

Worry rises inside of you. "Eds, be careful. Some of these girls can get a little unhinged."

Eddie's noticeably less concerned. "Don't worry. I'm gonna bring you out on stage tonight and introduce everyone to my beautiful almost-wife." He slings an arm around your waist. "Hopefully she'll get the hint."

~

Watching Eddie perform was an ethereal experience. Sure, you'd heard him rehearsing in the apartment you shared, but seeing him on stage was something else. He just exuded passion for music and connected with his audience. Maybe he connected with them a little too much, considering the situation with that girl, but she was far from your mind as you watched his fingers glide across his guitar. Eddie was born for this.

Corroded Coffin was in the middle of a six-week tour of different venues across Indiana. You weren't able to go to all of them without missing work, but when shows were close enough to home, you made the effort to be there.

They were wrapping up their set, with just the encore left, when Eddie spoke into the mic. "Thank you all for being here with us tonight. We hope we were able to rock your fuckin' worlds!" He's met with a chorus of cheers, widening the grin on his face. "I wanna introduce you all to someone incredibly special to me, who inspires all of the love songs I write." He waves you over and you bound across the stage into his open arms, beaming.

"This is my beautiful fiancée, Y/N. And see this?" He takes your hand and turns it so your diamond ring faces the audience. "Because of fans like you coming to see us, I was able to put this rock on her finger!" He plants a kiss on your lips with an exaggerated mwah! as the audience awws. It's hard to see individual faces, but everyone seems to be smiling. Everyone except for one woman.

She's in the front row, arms crossed over her body. She's in a tight red dress that lands just under her thighs. Her long blonde hair frames her scowling face and she's biting her lower lip as though she's trying to hold back tears.

That must be her, you think. That must be Eddie's "girlfriend." But you can't focus on her for too long, because Eddie grabs a chair for you to sit on while the band plays their encore. You're too enamored with Eddie and his performance to notice the pair of eyes that bore a hole in your head.

~

After the concert, you join the boys in their hotel room for pizza and snacks.

"You guys killed it!" you say as you take a cheesy slice. "The perfect combo of originals and covers. You had them in the palms of your hands!"

Jeff nods, his mouth full. "Thanks! Had a good crowd tonight, too."

"Hey, Y/N," Gareth teases, "didja see Eddie's girlfriend?" Eddie smacks the back of his head.

You laugh. "The blonde who looked like she wanted to murder me?"

"That's the one!"

Eddie puts his arm around you, sending tingles through your body. "Well, let's see if she shows up to our gig tomorrow. See if my good luck charm did the trick."

"Or, you know," you look up at him with puppy-dog eyes, "we could always try for that threesome."

~

You drive home the next morning after staying with Eddie. He normally shared the room with the rest of the band, but he'd rented an extra room so you two could...catch up. You didn't want to leave, but you also need to get to work. You spent the morning nestled into his arms while he kissed all over your face until the bedside clock warned that you had to go.

"Let me know if she shows up and you need me to kick her ass," you whisper into his lips as you say good-bye.

"Calm down, Muhammad Ali," Eddie kisses you against your car, cupping your cheek as he presses his plump lips to yours. "I'll be fine."

You reminisce about last night with your beautiful, wonderful fiancé until you arrive at work. You're so focused on the thought of him running his fingers over your body like his strums his guitar to notice the green sedan that's been following you since you left the hotel.

~

It's dark out by the time you leave work. You make your way to your car and unlock the driver's side door when you spot a piece of paper tucked under your windshield wipers. It's ripped carelessly from a spiral-bound notebook. You unfold it and gasp. Written on it in black ink are two words:

Die, Bitch

This has to be some kind of joke. Someone messing with you. Who would be unhinged enough to seriously threaten your life?

And then you remember. The girl at Eddie's show.

Your blood runs cold. The clock reads 9:07 PM, which means Corroded Coffin is on right now. You can't even call him.

"Fuck!" you yell to no one in particular. You look around and don't see anyone. Okay, you can do this. You just have to get home, lock yourself in your apartment, and wait until 10:30 when their set usually ends. Yeah, you'll just call the venue and ask to speak to Eddie, and he'll come right home. Perfect.

You turn on the car and take deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. You've only gone down the road before the low tire pressure light illuminates your dashboard. This always happens in the fall when the weather gets cooler, and you make a mental note to fill up your tires tomorrow.

A few blocks later, you hear a clunk coming from the front of your car.

"Oh, come on!" you groan, slamming your fists onto the steering wheel. You pull over and get out of your car to inspect your tires. Sure enough, the front right tire is completely flat. That never happens; you can at least make it back from work and to the gas station before they run out of air. But then you notice that the front left tire is dangerously low, too. And so are the the two back ones.

Did she...did she slash your tires?

You run the last mile home faster than you've ever run before, hair flying behind you. The night is chilly, but you're drenched in sweat from the sprint and the fear coursing through your blood. Blisters form on your feet but you push through the pain.

The lights coming from your apartment building have never looked so beautiful. It's a place where the plumbing backed up and the elevators were out of service more than they worked, but right now, it's the best thing you've ever seen. You dash up the stairwell, grateful that your place is only on the second floor. Your weary legs are nearly collapse under you as you turn your key in the lock.

"Hi, neighbor."

You spin around and see her, leaned up against the door of the apartment across from yours. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail, and she's traded her dress for an inconspicuous sweater and pair of jeans, but it's definitely her. A sinister smile creeps across her face.

"Did you see the gift I left you?" she asks, walking toward you. "Or did it fall flat?" She cackles at her joke while you stay frozen, both fight and flight failing you.

"W-why are you doing this to me?" you finally manage. "What did I do to you?"

She narrows her brown eyes. "I show up to Eddie's shows. Every. Single. One." she spits venomously. "And you show up last night, act like you're fucking gracing us with your presence, showing off a ring that shouldn't even belong to you.

"Do you know what Eddie needs? Who he needs? He needs someone who supports him all the time, not just when it's convenient for her. He's gonna be famous one day, and when he realizes how many girls would do anything for him, he'll leave you in the dust where you belong," she sneers.

"Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of patience," she says calmly as she reaches into her pants pocket, pulling out a small pocketknife. "So here's what's gonna happen. You're going to end things with Eddie, or I'll slice your throat open and go back home like nothing ever happened." She gestures across the hall.

"You...live here?" you ask incredulously.

"Just moved in," she announces proudly, "but I've been keeping an eye on this building for vacancies since I first saw Corroded Coffin play. Y'know, Eddie shouldn't have his address listed in the WhitePages now that they're really taking off." She says this like she's helping, like she isn't threatening your life.

"Eddie's playing a gig right now," you say, though you're almost positive that she already knows this, "but he calls me every night after his show. I-I'll do it then."

She offers that evil smile again. "Perfect. Gives us time to rehearse what you'll say. And if you go off-script..." she presses the blade to your neck and cackles. "Now, open the door."

~

The phone rings at 10:40, and you snatch it from the receiver with breathtaking speed.

"H-Hello?" You feel the knife against your throat as she leans into hear what Eddie's saying to you.

"Hey, babe! Guess what?" You feel his excited energy through the phone and hope he can pick up on your terror. "She didn't show up. Looks like our plan worked!"

"T-that's great, Eds," you choke out, wincing as she overhears the conversation. She tilts your chin so that your eyes meet hers, and you watch her mouth, Say it. "But I'm breaking up with you."

"Haha, very funny," he says, and your heart sinks as you realize he's completely oblivious.

"No, I'm serious. You deserve better than me. And," you swallow thickly, "and I've been cheating on you."

There's silence on the other end of the line. You think he might've hung up until he exhales loudly and asks, "With who?"

"Doesn't matter," you repeat the lines she's fed you. "There's been more than one guy."

"Why are you telling me this now, Y/N?" His voice warbles, and your heart breaks knowing you're making him cry.

"I'm sorry," you respond, feeling tears well up in your own eyes, "but I don't love you anymore." And you hang up and burst into tears.

"There, there," she runs a cold hand through your hair, fingers catching on the knots that formed throughout the day. She tears through them, sending jolts of pain into your scalp. "You did the right thing, Y/N."

"Please, just leave me alone," you choke out. "I did what you asked."

She shakes her head. "You're not dumb, so I don't know why you're acting like you are." She grabs your elbow with her free hand and stands you up. "Go and pack your things. All your things. You're leaving tonight." You hesitate for a second and she raises the blade to your neck again. "I said GO!"

You shuffle into the room, still sobbing. You fling open a suitcase and start shoving clothes in haphazardly. She's next to you the whole time, watching your every move. After 30 minutes, you've packed as many belongings as you can into various pieces of luggage and piled them at the entryway.

"Now, one last thing," she says in an eerily soft voice. She takes your left hand, plucks off your engagement ring, and slides it on her own finger. She holds up her hand as the diamond catches the light. "Fits like a glove. Like it was meant to be."

You're about to throw up when there's a knock at the door. It can't be Eddie; his show was two hours from here.

"Who the fuck is that?" she hisses. She ticks the blade upwards and you feel the skin break slightly.

"I-I don't know," you answer truthfully. "I'll answer it and tell them to leave, okay?"

"Don't try anything, or that cut will be a lot deeper," she threatens.

You open the door slowly, just a crack, and see Jim Hopper standing in front of you.

"Y/N, Eddie just called me, said to get over here. Said something's wrong," he whispers. You see his eyes meet the trickle of blood creeping down your neck.

Help me, you mouth, and then quickly say, "I'm not interested in supporting the Hawkins PD." You close the door and pray that he got the message.

"Open this door!" he bellows. “Open the door, or I’ll break it down!”

The girl grabs your hair tight in her fist. “Did you call the police, you bitch?” Saliva gathers at the corners of her lips.

“N-no,” you cry, “Eddie must’ve called them after I hung up. I swear.”

She turns her attention back to the door to address the chief of police, never easing her grip on your locks. “You break down this door and you’ll find her in a pool of her own blood!” 

You vaguely hear Hopper calling for backup through the pounding in your ears. I’m going to die, you think. I’m going to die right here in my home, where Eddie and I were supposed to start a family. She’s going to take it all away from me.

“It really is a shame it had to come to this,” she mumbles. “I’d hoped Eddie would see me at his shows and make me his. I dressed so he’d notice me, and apparently, he did.” She pauses for a moment, contemplating. “I bet it was you who told him to watch out for me. Because you know I’m a threat. You know I could steal him from you, and that terrifies you, doesn’t it?” She’s proud of herself, feeding her own ego.

You’re unsure whether it’s better to agree or argue, and you ultimately decide to say nothing. There isn’t anything that can help you now.

Another heavy knock on the door startles you from your thoughts. “Hawkins PD! Release the hostage, or we’re calling in the crisis team.” It’s not Hopper, but a different male officer, though you’re sure he’s still there.

She’s laughing now, and you only see pure malice in her eyes. “Fuck off,” she says, too quietly for them to hear. It’s meant for you.

The cop calls out twice more, and you hear him say something to the chief, though you can’t make out what it is.

“If you let her go, we can just take you down to the station. We don’t have to get anyone else involved,” Hopper tells her. “We don’t have to make this bigger than it needs to be.” 

The girl bites down hard on her lower lip, drawing blood. “You see what you do? You couldn’t just leave Eddie alone, could you? This all could have been avoided if you weren’t so selfish.” Her hand still in your hair, she drags you over to the bedroom. Strands tear from your scalp. “There. Much quieter in here.”

She throws you on the floor, where you land with a smack. Your head hits the bed frame before you can get your hands out in front of you, and you yelp. A curtain of red falls over your left eye.

“Clumsy bitch,” she grumbles, pacing in front of the door. 

She has to get tired eventually, you think. Just gotta wait it out.

She’s babbling on about her future with Eddie, what their wedding will look like, how adorable their children will be. That and the lightheadedness from losing blood is enough to make you sick. You feel the bile rising in your throat, but it stops when you spot something shiny underneath the bed.

Eddie’s handcuffs.

He used to just wear them as an accessory, but they’d been put to...other uses since you two had gotten together. They must’ve gotten kicked under the bed after you’d last used them.

A plan formulates in your head, though it’s hard to straighten your racing thoughts.

Wait until she’s sleeping...cuff her...run like hell.

You repeat the steps silently memorizing them as you did the lines to break up with Eddie. 

Your clock shows that it’s just past midnight when you hear his voice. 

“Y/N! Where is she?” he shouts at the officers, though you can’t make out their responses.

“Let her go!” he screams, fists hammering the door. “Just let her go!”

You’re trembling, desperate to be out of this room, to be held in his arms, to be away from the crazy woman who’s hell-bent on destroying you.

“Aw, your knight in shining armor showed up,” she taunts you now. “Wonder what he’ll think of my new ring. Think he’ll like it?” When you say nothing, she takes a sneakered foot and kicks you in the stomach. You curl up, shielding yourself from another blow. “I said, do you think he’ll like it.”

“Y-yes,” you say between clenched teeth. “I think he’ll love it.” You crane your neck slightly so you’re looking right at her. “What are you gonna do to me once you get him?” you ask softly, afraid for her answer.

“I’m gonna kill you,” she replies simply, as though it’s an ordinary response. “I’m gonna kill you and make him watch. Show him what happens when he makes the wrong choice, so he doesn’t do it again.” She flicks her knife and you shudder, but you don’t miss the yawn that escapes her mouth.

Keep her talking, you think hazily, but don’t talk too much. Don’t give yourself away.

“What made you go for Eddie?” you ask. “Why him?”

“We’re soulmates. I just...feel it.” Her eyes dance as she talks about him, the way he shows off for her on stage, the songs he writes that she knows have to be about her. She goes on and on, and the only thought keeping your stomach from souring completely is that she’s wearing herself out.

Hours pass, and the sun is starting to rise before her eyelids flutter as she lays against the bedroom door. The pinkish streaks streams through the blinds and you know it’s only a matter of moments before the bright light wakes her fully. You listen to her soft snores as you slowly reach for the cuffs, allowing yourself a tiny smile, a small moment of joy, as you grasp the metal between your weak fingers.

You snap one around her left wrist. You have to work fast but gently, strategically, to get the other around the doorknob. It won’t hold her back for long, but hopefully just long enough that you can get to safety.

As the second cuff clicks closed, her eyes snap open. “W-wha--” she starts, and you yank the door open and fly through the living room.

"I’m here I’m here it’s me!” you cry out, flinging yourself into the first person you see. That person happens to be Chief Hopper, who brings his gun down to his side to envelop you in his arms. You feel him breathe a sigh of relief, tension leaving his body.

“We’ve got you,” he murmurs. Someone throws a blanket over your shoulders and guides you towards an EMT. A swarm of uniformed officers, maybe a SWAT team, rushes into the apartment to arrest your assailant.

“Oh my god,” you hear Eddie breathe, making his way through the crowd of people until he reaches you. “Baby, I am so sorry.”

“‘S not your fault,” you sob into his chest, crumbling to the ground and taking him with you. 

“Yes, it is,” he’s crying now, too, “I paraded you out on stage, showed you off, instead of just going to the cops in the first place.” He takes your hands in his, a puzzled look crossing his face when he can’t feel your ring.

“She took it,” you tell him numbly. “She’s wearing it right now.”

“I’ll get you a new one,” he promises, but you shake your head.

“Don’t care about that,” you heave, trying to catch your breath but finding it impossible. And then the world goes black.

~

You wake up in a hospital bed, machines whirring and beeping around you. You stir and almost immediately feel a hand on your arm.

“Y/N? You awake?” Eddie’s voice floats past you, music to your ears. You smile as a headache pulses through your temples. You touch your forehead gingerly to find a bandage covering the wound you acquired last night.

“I’m awake, Eds,” you croak.

“Oh, thank god,” he leans in to kiss you, laying a hand on your stomach, but he pulls back as soon as he notices your grimace.

“She...she kicked me there,” you explain, and his face falls.

“Fuck,” he whispers. His voice shakes and his hands tremble.

“Where is she?” Dread flows through you as you realize she could’ve escaped, could still be out there, waiting for you.

“Locked up, no bail,” his doe eyes meet yours. “She won’t hurt you anymore. I won’t let anyone hurt you anymore,” he promises.

Your tears are those of joy, and he holds you close, letting you cry. You’re staining his shirt but neither of you care.

“It’s over, sweetheart,” he promises. “You’re safe.”

Safe. 

A word, a feeling, a state of being you’ll never take for granted again.

--

[astradyke]

I loveeeed your deep dive! Why do you think we are suddenly getting all the marriage references? “I think you’re just looking for the word husband”, “my fiancé nord VPN”, dressing each other in silly wedding attire, and many more!

(opening note that everything below is truly unedited, i know i say that every time but i get very anxious about editing my thoughts so i typically do go back-- this time, i probably will later but i really don't have much time to spare right now so if this has typos that's why! i'm sorry :c hope it's understandable)

okay hi! first of all thank you so much! i'm quite proud of it :)

i'll open this by stating that i am really not the best at articulating points about Dan, Phil, and marriage; there are many impressive theories/metas out there from incredible folks in the community, which i have lovingly absorbed (feel free to promo off this post if this is you!). but i am a very indecisive person who tends to waver on my thoughts in this subject, and i've not found myself as excitable about the latest hints they've left in this video. so, hopefully it's okay if i use your ask as an excuse to kind of... sandbox around my messy thoughts in this ballpark, and hopefully give you an apt response to your question along the way!

i said before that i waver on my thoughts about Dan, Phil, and marriage, but in actuality, i do have loose thoughts which i have stuck to, which is that i think there have been several past proposals. the following theory operates off of the idea that Phil was the one to propose; i don't necessarily think he's more or less inclined towards proposals exactly, but it kind of works better for what i have envisioned possibly happening. when i discuss this i will try to stay neutral on who does what, but that's important context especially around proposal two.

i joined the phandom in the very tail-end of the pre-II era; by the time i was really immersed approximately a year or two into discovering them, they began the promotion of interactive introverts. because of this, i really have spotty knowledge of their 'prime years' around TATINOF, etc. but i think, across their travels (possibly in Japan?) and during that period of massive fame-- where they were experiencing more security financial and in their careers, as well as becoming better situated in each other's lives off camera-- the first proposal occurred. and ultimately, regardless of who proposed to who, i think this proposal was rejected. certainly, they had a better handle of their images, but this was before Dan had disclosed his mental health to the public; this was before a proper rebrand of his content, even. Phil, similarly, had several issues i can imagine he was juggling at the time, and beyond all else-- the two of them were closeted. their flat had been located, their shipping wasn't at its max exactly but the eyes on them had risen exponentially, if they got married in any kind of formal way that would be largely problematic. 2015 was not ready for Dan and Phil, the people who literally brought YouTubers to the big stage, the golden boys in this strange collab limbo, and a well known duo act-- to actually get married.

so they resolve that, because they know each other well enough to communicate about that sort of thing, and the idea gets shelved. they move into their new flat, which they have secured to be a private space. Dan has rebranded and is opening up about his mental health, Phil has done his own stylistic rebrand, and we are approaching the II era. interactive introverts is a success, the gaming channel goes on hiatus, and Dan has decided to begin working on his coming out video. this is when, in what i imagine to be a much more casual conversation, the question gets put forward: maybe, now, marriage is a safer thing.

and it is, in some ways, but there's still more to unravel here. Dan was, for the first time, out to not only the entire world but also his close family. Phil-- who i worry sometimes has his own story understated at this point-- had been out to a few people but had undeniably been nervous to come out to everybody, too. they had a lot to explore, with this newfound freedom.

commitment and change were crowning points of this era, for Dan and Phil respectively (though, obligatory note that humans are multifaceted and they share a close life together, so both of them mutually did experience both phenomena). working in reverse: Phil would begin to experience, gradually, the onset of a chronic illness. he also had this ambiguous future ahead, as he tried to adjust to the lack of Dan in his public work-- only for COVID to arrive. his anxiety problems were increasingly going from something he could willfully avoid to something he needed to address, and that is a massive adjustment on its own. there were a lot of background changes happening with Phil, even as his content appeared to be the same-- a commitment he hadn't given up.

Dan is, in a lot of ways, the opposite of this. both Dan and Phil had committed to living in their two-flat situation together, but they were planning to move in with one-another throughout 2020. this happens amidst COVID, which crushes a lot of post-coming out plans Dan had both personally and professionally. YouTube systemically destroys his creative visions through bureaucracy and arguable exploitation of his image, and when you rewatch his video explaining this, you realize that he briefly mentions the fact that the sheer financial commitment he had to his dream work prompted him to talk to Phil and describe delaying the purchase of their house. Dan's whole life has involved commitment-- being with Phil, in its own right, has been that, as well as the BBC gig, tour work, etc.-- but you can see this conflict become pivotal as so many of these commitments tie themselves to a part of his very self, and then are ripped away from him. Dan was not ready to get married.

... so, cut to now. see, everything above that i described is very lazily speculative, which i sort of hate for a meta because i feel a rush that desires total accuracy, but i simply can't track all the different moments where a marriage was plausible, all the different hints and signs. what i do think is that there was a serious marriage attempt early in their lives, and then a second casual conversation in a very not-casual situation. where does this leave us now?

Dan and Phil are in a very fresh era of their lives, distinctive from anything of the past. they are out, collaborating together, rebranding themselves gradually into something more fitting to their core artistic identities, and fostering a close community with their audience. Dan is making a severe sequence of commitments here, but these are worth the risk-- bringing back the gaming channel was conditional on the fact that Dan was making a choice he could back out of, but he chose to commit to the channel through committing to his own happiness. Phil is going through a lot of his own changes as he comes to terms with his medical state, as well as his appearance changes and the shifts in confidence it brings. Phil embraces the seismic change that is the end of the hiatus, because for the first time in a while, it's not a bittersweet change or a change laced in uncertainty-- it's a good change.

and, really, it's been fifteen years since they first met, five years since they first came out. what better time is there for something like this?

honestly, i don't know if it's happened yet. i personally don't envision Dan and Phil to approach marriages all that typically; they are chained together, as Dan put it once, in really every facet of their life already. i do believe that both of them like the concept of a wedding but also hate every mini-concept that goes into a wedding, so i really can't imagine that happening.

but i think maybe all these wedding references are emerging for a couple of reasons: namely, to prime us for the idea of them possibly being married (or to tease us for our theorizing, who knows with them), and also subconsciously to prepare themselves. because a proposal isn't just going to be a casual conversation anymore-- it might not be fancy, the way they first did their proposal, in a traditional speech & kneel format somewhere in a beautiful city. but it's not like their second one, halfway through the first okay day in a string of stressful ones, sitting in an apartment packing up their things.

maybe this is Phil bringing up marriage terms in videos, smiling when his family refers to Dan as part of the Lester family (even though really, Phil, they've been doing that for years), thinking about the aesthetics of WAD and wondering if a black-and-orange ring is a little too much. maybe this is Dan calling Phil pet names more often, daydreaming about himself in a dress but realizing he wants to see Phil in a veil more, fully accepting that he does not want to take Phil for granted after spending so long hiding his love for him and several years trapped by his fear of himself.

maybe we are hearing so many wedding references because the two of them are warming back up to the idea. or maybe they're teasing us about it because somewhere both of them already know that they could do this.

me personally, i think Phil proposes first in a ring that is very deliberately artsy and aesthetic. i think some mishap happens during it and it's kind of a disaster but Dan laughs so hard he starts crying and he says yes before Phil can say anything because he knows Phil didn't script anything, that if Dan said no Phil would get up and kiss him anyway. i think Dan follows suit later, but he's really meticulous about getting Phil something comfortable to wear that still looks nice and complements his ring. it's less of a secret, now, so he asks the Lesters and grumbles about Phil beating him to it, but his proposal goes a lot more smoothly and still takes Phil off guard, doing that small smile you see whenever he looks at Dan.

and i think Dan really wants a fancy dress i mean come on. Phil gets the veil though. or maybe they just sign the papers or procrastinate them and no wedding ever happens. honestly, maybe i'm totally off here-- maybe they're never going to get married, just buy a house several years down the line in the isle of man and never really bother with the legal stuff.

but they're not taking things for granted, anymore. not them, and not their audience. they know they can make references to marriage and we'll go batshit, but they know we don't care. they know we want them happy. and they know that no matter what they do, nurses and bartenders are still going to think Dan is Phil's son and there's a joke i really want to make here but i'm not going to right now.

... yeah. i meant to take a shower about an hour ago! i've been sitting down for a long while and don't really remember what i've said ^_^ i hope you like it though!

[dollyyun]

𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 | 11

SYPNOSIS: wherein Hwang Stella's life is tangled in a predicament involving her clandestine identity as a racer, her seemingly daily life as the official heir to the Hwang Empire, and seven guys with whom she has a complex history with. PAIRING: non!idols enhypen members x fem!oc. GENRE: 18+ (mdni), reverse harem, chaebols, semi-college, racing, eventual adulthood, eventual enha being f1 drivers, multiple povs and written in fic. WARNINGS: expletives, angst, heartbreaks, drama. WORD COUNT: 10k FEATURING: ITZY Yeji TAGLIST: @aishigrey @kgneptun

✘ SERIES MASTERLIST ✘

"Do you really have to leave?" I don't bother to conceal my sadness as I watch Yeji organise and pack her stuff in her luggage. Tonight is her flight back to New York. To be fair, Yeji has been staying here for two weeks, and it is inevitable that she has to go back and resume her life. But I don't want her to yet, as it feels like only yesterday she arrived.

Yeji closes her luggage with a thud before zipping it up. She brushes strands of hair away from her face frame as she rises from the ground. With two hands on her waist, she looks at me with an apologetic smile. "I have to. Plus, I have busy schedules for the upcoming weeks."

A sigh leaves my lips as I slouch my shoulders in defeat. "I know. You're thriving in your life and your career. I just hate it that you're leaving me behind again with these people."

Yeji engulfs me in a hug, and as she is taller than me, I rest my head in the nook of her neck, hugging her tightly while the frown on my face deepens. "I'm sorry, but like I said, I'd love to bring you with me if it weren't for the fact that you must do what you need to." Yeji pulls away and cups my cheeks. A small smile appears on her lips. "Plus, I can't be apart from the love of my life any longer. He can be too clingy, just like you."

In an instant, my eyes widen in shock while my lips parted. "You have a boyfriend?" I accidentally raise my voice to a higher pitch.

"Yup, except that he's now my fiancé." Yeji nods her head. "We've been together for three years now."

I shouldn't be surprised by the fact that Yeji has already been taken by someone. I mean, she's Hwang Yeji, and her captivating beauty mesmerises anyone at first glance. But still.

"I'd like to meet this fiancé of yours." I can't help but grin, the sadness slowly dissipates.

"Come to New York, and you'll meet him." Yeji winks at me before we break into a fist of laughter.

My phone in my pocket rings loudly, interrupting us. As I glance down at the number, I give Yeji a tight smile before I excuse myself from her room. Closing the door, I move to the side and lean my back against the wall with my phone pressed against my ear.

"Henry." I greet, and my tone automatically goes into business mode. "It's been some time since you called and told me that I wouldn't be hearing from you for at least two months. I didn't expect you to call this sooner."

"Yeah, well, take this as a good sign." Hope kindles in me with his statement. "By the way, you'd never guess where I am at right now."

A sigh leaves my lips. "Las Vegas? Japan? I don't know, Henry."

"I've been wanting to go to Las Vegas now that you mentioned it." I roll my eyes at his whimsical tone. "I'm in New York."

I raise my eyebrow, intrigued. "Out of all the places?"

"Of course, considering your uncle is here, living in New York." He informs, and I swear, I feel my heart stop beating momentarily.

I swallow the familiar lump in my throat. "How is he? Did you get to meet and talk to him under disguise?" I hope Henry doesn't notice how shaky my voice is.

"Unfortunately, no. We've only seen him from afar. The last time we saw him was yesterday. He looked healthy and happy. Oh! We also saw him with a little girl. We assumed that she's his daughter, considering that she had some of his features."

My breath catches in my throat while my knees start to buckle underneath me. Tears prickle in my eyes as I cover my mouth, a mix of emotions swirling within me.

"Hey, Stella, you're alright?" I can detect the concern in Henry's voice. "Listen, I know that you've been worrying relentlessly about your uncle and your older brother, but for now, take it easy, okay? Your uncle is safe and living his life happily now."

I clear my throat as I compose myself. "Thank you, Henry. I'll wire you the money by today." I give him my gratitude before we hang up the call.

I'm happy to know that my uncle is alive and well, but the thought of my uncle having a family gives me mixed feelings. For as long as I knew him, he didn't want to get married after getting his heart broken by a woman. So to learn that he has a family of his own brings tears to my eyes. But why do I also feel downhearted?

"Yeji." I swing open the door, startling Yeji, who has been scrolling through her phone while sprawling on the bed.

Upon noticing the grave expression on my face, Yeji straightens her back and focuses her attention on me. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"It's about Uncle." I start off shakily with my finger running through my hair. "Henry called. He brought good news about Uncle."

I told Yeji all about my undercover work, including Henry and his team. "What did he say?" Yeji asks rather excitedly, but my lips remain flattening.

"He is in New York."

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

"I'll be sure to contact you once I manage to find him." Yeji's arms tighten around me, as though she refuses to let me go. She squeezes me once more before pulling away and smiling sadly at me. "As for you, if things get unbearable to the point where you break, do consider moving to New York and living with me. I love you, Stella. Never forget that."

I smile faintly at her. "I know. I love you too, big sis."

As I watch her walk further and further, my heart aches. Alas, the bustling people in the airport disperse at the terminal where I'm at, causing Yeji to blend in with them until I am unable to spot her.

I feel an arm draping around my shoulder, prompting me to take a quick glance at him. "I hate to see her leave."

Riki offers me a sympathetic smile as he brings me closer to his side, bringing me to wrap my arms around his torso with my chin resting on his shoulder. "You're going to be okay, Stel. You'll see her again."

I flutter my eyes close as soon as he leans in to peck my forehead while his arm is affectionately rubbing my arm. "The other guys are waiting by the pickup point." He murmurs against my forehead. "Who do you want to ride with?"

"I don't know." I purse my lips, looking into his eyes. "Who do you think I should ride with?"

Riki gives me a boyish grin. "I'd say me, but you already rode me in my car earlier with Yeji. I don't want the other guys to complain and whine at me like losers."

"Hey!" I playfully smack his chest as he chuckles. "They're your best friends."

"Yeah? Still losers, though." He smirks. "Let's go, my lady."

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Presently, we have just exited the convenience store nearby Han River Park after filling our stomachs with unhealthy yet delicious instant food. As I walk behind them, my eyes trail at each of them as they engage in banter and laughter with each other. We are only missing out on Jungwon, Sunghoon, and Jake. So it feels incomplete without the whole squad.

It seems that my silence is loud for one of them as he glances behind with an arched eyebrow. "Darling, are you okay?" Sunoo asks, drawing everyone's attention to me.

I muster a small smile as my arms wrap around my figure, feeling the cold breeze even though I'm already wearing a cardigan. "Yeah, I am."

"You know, it's okay not to be fine." Jay slows down and walks next to me. "Your sister had to return to New York. You're bound to feel upset."

"Just a little." I say, looking at each of them with my heart warming. "Besides, I feel a little less lonely now that I have you."

I don't know what our status is, given how we haven't exactly talked it out, but mostly I'm afraid of the outcome. Be it friends, best friends, flings, or even lovers, what matters to me is that I have finally found home in them. I hope to never lose this special bond with them.

"That's right. You have us now." Sunoo tells me with a gentle smile, but I don't miss the guilt in his eyes that flickers briefly. "We're always here for you."

"Now, let's not get too sentimental." Riki says, stopping in front of me and bending his knees. I don't ask, as I automatically get on his back. He quickly secures me with his hands underneath my thighs and my arms locked around his neck. "The first one to reach the bridge gets to send our girl home."

"But you have weight on you, aka me!" I protest, but yell out in surprise when he does a squat with zero effort.

"You're lightweight, Stel." I catch a grin on his face as I look at his side profile. "What are you guys waiting for?"

The next thing I know, laughter and my squeals taint the stillness of the atmosphere around us.

"Jake?" Jay calls for me, his voice has apparent confusion, just as I do as I look at him after he pulls up his car next to mine. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" I deflect the question, and the frown on my face deepens. "I got Jungwon's text. He said to meet him here."

"He texted me too." Jay scratches his head. "I wouldn't have come if he hadn't highlighted the fact that it's crucial."

That's weird. What's even weirder is why he wanted to meet just the two of us and not the rest.

The blaring sound of the exhaust draws our attention to a certain familiar biker as he decelerates, entering the parking lot and heading towards where we are. We wait patiently for him as he turns off the ignition and removes his helmet, revealing his distressed-looking face.

"Jungwon." Jay greets him with a small smile, but the latter doesn't reciprocate, which brings frowns to our faces as this is unlike him. The smile on Jay's face drops before he moves towards an unmoving Jungwon, who is still seated on top of his bike. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Everything is wrong." Jungwon mumbles, his eyes look hollow and empty, as though someone has crushed his heart.

Jay and I exchange wary glances. For as long as we know Jungwon, he isn't the type to allow his emotions to take control of him, as he always has them under bay. He does vent to us, but mostly he prefers to keep to himself. I know Jungwon, and the guy hates burdening others with his problems. So instead, he rather suffers in silence.

"Did something happen?" I ask carefully, but he remains unresponsive.

Jay heaves a sigh and places his hand on Jungwon's shoulder. "Jungwon, how are we going to help if you're not telling us anything?"

To our surprise, dry chuckles leave Jungwon's lips, while bitterness is evident in his dark gaze. "Help? You guys can't help me. No one can."

"Hey, you're the one who texted us to meet you." I can't help but snap at him, feeling slightly annoyed by his odd behaviour. "What's wrong with you?"

"Everything is wrong!" Jungwon bursts out, taking us by surprise at his sudden outburst. His eyes are glaring at us, as though we are his enemies. "Fuck! I don't fucking know what I did to deserve this shit!"

Jay and I look at each other once again. Jungwon rarely curses, and throughout the years I've known him, I've only heard him curse about four times, if I correctly recall. But once he does curse, that means something is indeed terribly wrong.

Instead of retaliating due to his outburst, Jay holds Jungwon's shoulder and squeezes it firmly while staring at him dead in the eyes. "We're not your enemies, Jungwon. Remember that. If you let us know what has happened, you know that we'll help in any way we can."

One moment Jungwon is heaving with indignation, and the next, tears spring to his eyes as he deflates. My heart clenches at the sight of Jungwon, who has never shown us his tears, being utterly vulnerable and crestfallen.

Jay doesn't hesitate to give Jungwon a side hug while the latter leans into him for comfort, weeping silently as tears flow freely down his cheeks.

"I'm fucked, and I don't know if I can ever find a way out of this." Jungwon's voice remains strong, but as he continues to speak, his voice starts to break.

"There's always a way. Heck, Jay and I can even help you find a way out of whatever you're stuck in!" I exclaim, feeling a rush of determination to help our best friend with his dilemma that has yet to be revealed.

"Tell us, Won." Jay says firmly yet gently, enough for Jungwon to heed.

And so Jungwon finally reveals his dilemma, a dilemma that neither Jay nor I expected.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

The revelation by Jungwon two nights ago still shocks me, as I am unable to forget. Upon hearing Charlotte's laughter, I look up and spot Stella helping to push Char on the swing. The vibrant smiles and laughter from them almost make me forget about Jungwon and his dilemma.

Presently, we are at a park, as Charlotte has been dying to reunite with Stella. Initially, it was supposed to be Sunoo's turn to hang out with Stella, but I pleaded with him, with Char being the reason, to which he couldn't help but agree.

My heart aches as I stare at Stella, knowing that she is most likely to be dejected by the revelation Jungwon informed us of. Since they were childhood best friends, Stella is bound to get hurt once Jungwon decides to tell her.

"Jaeyun!" I blink my eyes as I feel startled when Stella snaps her fingers in front of my face. I look up at her, noticing how concerned she looks. "You okay? I've been calling you for like five minutes."

I offer her an apologetic smile as I tug at her hand, prompting her to sit next to me. I grab her hand and give her a gentle kiss on her delicate fingertips. "I'm sorry, love. I was just spacing out."

Stella narrows her eyes at me. "Uhuh, and thinking about what?"

I maintain my smile, not wanting her to suspect anything since Jungwon made us promise to keep our mouths shut, as he needs to be the one to inform her instead. Deciding to catch her off guard, I lean my face towards her before pecking her lips.

It works, given how rosy her cheeks are. "We can't just kiss in front of Char."

"She's fine. See?" I point my finger to Char, who is still on the swing.

Stella bites her lips, seeming to be contemplating. "Jaeyun, have any of you hung out with Jungwon recently?" Her question makes me freeze in my spot.

Nervousness seeps into me while I avoid her eye contact. "No. I don't know about the other guys, though. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that the last time we ever had a proper conversation was on text, and that was like four days ago. He even seen all my recent messages. I tried approaching him on campus, but he seemed to be avoiding me, and I don't know why." Stella informs, her eyes turning crestfallen. "I'm worried that he'll abandon and ghost me again."

I'm sorry for lying, love. I grab her hand and settle it on my thigh, my thumb rubbing the back of her hand gently. "Maybe he's just busy or has issues to attend to."

"Then he could've told me instead of making me confused by his odd behaviour." Stella complains.

A wry smile settles on my lips. "I'm sure everything will be fine soon."

Stella sighs. "You're right. I shouldn't overthink and instead wait for Jungwon patiently whenever he's ready, even though I'm already impatient enough." She proceeds to wrap her arms around my torso and lean her head into the nook of my neck while I allow my arm to comfortably rest on her hip. We watch Char from a distance as we bask in silence.

As I hold Stella close, my mind drifts off to Jungwon again, and I suppress myself from heaving a sigh. I just hope he won't break her heart the way he did before.

"So, dusty green or beige?" In Aera's grasp are the dresses she bought recently. With my eyebrows furrowing in concentration, I stare at both gorgeous dresses, meticulously deciding which suits Aera the best.

A week and a half passed by like a blur, and before I knew it, today would be the day when my parents and Rena returned, much to my disgruntlement. Many things have happened in life during these periods, including falling head over heels for a certain bunch due to their treatments and how their physical touch makes me crave for them.

But then comes Jungwon, who is still avoiding me and hasn't returned any of my texts. He even skipped school on certain days. I asked the guys about his odd behaviour, but he, too, had been sketchy towards them.

I have been feeling uneasy about Jungwon. I even told Aera about it, and she tried getting Jungwon to talk to her, but to no avail. I am thankful to Aera for hanging out with me often these days, making me forget about Jungwon temporarily.

Aera sighs as she taps her foot on the floor impatiently. "You're taking longer to decide, Stel."

I raise my eyebrow as my eyes meet her impatient ones. "Do you want to look drop-dead gorgeous for the event or not?"

Aera pouts her lips. "Of course, I do!"

The event that is happening tomorrow night is a gala where every Chaebol is invited, including my family and me. The Gala happens once a year, but when it commences, everyone who attends dresses to the nines, as though they are participating in a fashion runaway. For this year's gala, the theme is rather interesting. A masquerade gala.

Though I am not exactly keen on such events, I have prepared my dress and mask in advance, as I dislike tardiness, unlike Aera.

"Dusty green." I give her my answer firmly. "It matches your new hair look as well as your mask. Trust me, you'll have heads turn."

The new shade of Aera's hair, which is a gorgeous ash blonde, suits her more than her previous hair dye. It was two days ago when I had to accompany her to do some errands, including waiting for her at the hair salon for about three long hours. Though I was evidently spent by the end of the day, I loved doing girly stuff I never did with a female friend.

"You best believe I'll finally find my prince charming tomorrow night." Aera flaunts her hair, prompting me to chuckle. "Seriously, though. I'm in desperate need to find my own prince charming." Aera then stares at me knowingly with a playful scoff. "I'm tired of being a third wheel whenever you're with my brother or the other guys."

My smile falters, and soon guilt churns in my tummy. "We're just friends, Aera." I say rather weakly.

Aera wiggles her finger at me. "Nu-uh. I know the looks of more than friends when I see one." Her lips quirk up. "Plus, I know you've slept with my brother."

I cover my face in my palms, embarrassed but ready enough to let her know the truth. "Aera, I've been sleeping with your brother and some of them." I don't attempt to peek through my fingers to see her reaction. "There's no excuse for what I did, and it is more than evident that I'm a homie hopper, but I have genuine feelings for them."

"I know." Aera states rather calmly, prompting me to look at her with wide eyes at how collected she appears. "Words have been circulating on campus that you're one of their girls for them to toy with. As in, you're now labelled as their slut, whore, promiscuous girl, or whatever."

I'm not entirely surprised, as I expected this. I look away from her gaze, my shoulders going slouched. "I'm sorry that you're friends with me. I'm sure you're regretting it."

I hear Aera snort a chuckle. "Why would I ever regret being your friend?" As I look at her, she makes her way towards me before sitting down next to me on her bed. She bumps her shoulder against mine in a playful gesture. "Correction: Best friend."

A frown pulls at my lips as I look at her. "You're not mad that your best friend is a slut?"

"A gorgeous slut with an impeccable taste." Aera grins at me. "No, I'm not mad. I've seen the way they all stare at you whenever you're not looking."

I merely hum, my eyes downcast. "Sure, whatever you say."

"I'm serious, Stel. I don't think you realise how much you mean to them."

"Even so, we can never work out." My voice is barely above a whisper. "I'm indecisive, greedy, and selfish. If you were to ask me to choose, I couldn't."

"Then don't choose." Aera states the obvious. "Have you heard about polyamorous relationships?"

I nod my head sullenly. "But still, it's impossible. I'm the official heir, and naturally, whoever is my parents' enemy is my enemy. Right now, I've long since affiliated with their enemies' sons."

"Nothing is impossible if you put your heart and soul to it." Aera rests her head comfortably on my shoulder as she hugs my arm. "You only live once, Stel. So fuck the rules and do what your heart desires. If you want to be with them, you have to sacrifice some things, but I promise you that it'll all be worth it. Love is worth it."

My eyes glisten. "Do they even truly love me? What if one day they change their minds and decide to toss me away like I'm just some girl who is only there to entertain and satisfy them?"

"I guess all you have to do is ask them. Have a heart-to-heart talk." Aera's mere advice sinks into me.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

The night of the gala has arrived. Unfortunately, Rena is invited as well. After they arrived yesterday, I didn't bother to acknowledge their arrival as I stayed in my room until Mary informed me that I was safe to go for a ride with the guys.

Presently, we are in a limousine, and I am forced to face Rena, who is seated across from me as we are in the back while our parents are in the front. Thankfully, Minhyuk and Jihyun didn't say a word to me or suspect anything about me being deeply involved with their enemies' sons.

On the other hand, Rena is looking at me as if I had committed a crime. I ignore her glares as I stare at the tinted window. I have to give credit to Rena for dressing up well for the gala. She is dressed in an iridescent light pink sleeveless gown, making her look as though she is a princess. In her grasp is her beautifully intricate pink mask.

I feel a familiar pinch in my heart. As much as I hate to admit it, Rena looks divine, whereas I, on the other hand, dress as though I'm about to appear in someone's nightmare, except in style.

I glance down at my black glitter lace dress, which has a slit, revealing my leg. It is a sleeveless dress as well. My lilac hair cascades down my shoulders in waves, and it is adorned with tinsel. Compared to Rena's divine gown, I look rather plain, but that's fine. I don't want to be the centre of attention anyway.

I'm there solely for the food and drinks. If I'm lucky enough, I'll get to sneak away with certain individuals without getting caught by anyone.

"You're lucky, you know?" Rena breaks the ice, her tone indicates no amiability. "Not only do you have Jake wrapped around your fingers, but you have all of them."

My lips press thinly as I look at her face. She must've gotten the information from her minions on campus. "So?"

Rena looks at me with disgust. "Gosh, how are you not ashamed of spreading your legs for them? Do you enjoy being their slut, Stella?"

My jaw tightens while my eyes harden, but I remain silent as she continues. "You do realise that they will toss you aside one day and lure another girl to toy around just as they did to you?"

"They're not like that. So I suggest you stop speaking about them as if they're playboys."

"Why are you defending them? They're supposed to be our enemies." Rena seethes in anger. "You're the official heir, but you don't act like it. Instead, you're affiliating yourself with them."

"You sound like father." I let out a humourless chuckle. "Don't be a hypocrite, Rena. Weren't you the one who got together with Jake?"

Rena deflates momentarily, but composes herself. "Jake is a little different. Speaking of, did you know that I pleaded with mom to do something to make Jake leave you?"

I sigh and roll my eyes. "You're too late. I already knew that."

"And did you also know that I was the one who wrote that note and slid it into Jungwon's locker back in high school?"

There it is. She finally confesses, even though I already have suspicions. But I look at her indifferently. "I know. Jungwon told me that the note was written in my exact handwriting, and you're the only one who is capable to copy my handwriting."

Rena seems rather pissed, probably because she doesn't elicit a reaction from me. Her eyes turn colder. "Then you should know I am capable of ruining your disgusting relationship with them."

The atmosphere in the car turns into something sinister, while the eye contact between us is intense. I curl my hand into a fist. "Don't you dare ruin what I have with them. I won't allow you to ruin anything this time."

Rena leans her body forward as a smirk tugs at her lips. "You seem to underestimate how I'm willing to ruin you and your life overall."

I grit my teeth. "Hwang Rena."

"You're participating in the Grand Prix on this upcoming Saturday, right? Since your name is already registered in the system," Rena smiles while I feel dread all over, and my heart stops beating momentarily. "Don't worry. Our parents don't know about you being a racer. But I suggest you keep a lookout."

"Rena─" But Rena exits from the limousine before I can even stop her.

I remain seated, allowing the fact that Rena now knows about me being a racer to sink into my frazzled mind.

First, Jungwon's odd behaviour, and now Rena has the upper hand? Why does it seem that everything is slowly crumbling?

I weave through the crowd of people by the massive ballroom. My eyes are searching for my parents while my chest tightens in consternation. I ignore the looks I receive from some ladies as my mind is focused on one thing.

"Sunoo!" Ni-Ki appears in front of me without his mask. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I'm busy, Riks." I tell him while my eyes continue to skim through the crowd. "I need to find my parents, and you should find yours as well."

The smile on Ni-Ki's face drops. "What are you talking about? And why do you look so anxious?"

I shoot him a scowl for being oblivious. "Do you not realise that they all could use this opportunity to bring downfall to the Hwangs? More specifically with the info I foolishly gave to them?"

Initially, I didn't regret anything, but as Stella slowly weasel her way into my tainted heart, I realised that I made a grave mistake. Fuck it if I have to face the consequences. I'd rather lose racing than losing Stella.

"Shit!" Ni-Ki begins to look around. "I lost sight of my parents the moment I entered this place!"

"Don't be too obvious." I grab his hand and drag him with me as soon as some eyes start to look at us. "We have to inform Heeseung and Jay. We must try to stop our parents if they decide to do something foolish tonight."

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

It has been ten minutes, and I'm this close to losing my mind over the fact that neither of our parents have been found. Deciding to unwind a little, I join my best friends and sit with them at a circular table. My hand is holding a glass of champagne while I listen to them.

"Wait, hold on." Jake says as I see him frowning. "Your parents are in this as well? Then that means my father has been working with them."

Currently, Jungwon is nowhere to be found, whereas Sunghoon fell ill, so he won't be attending the gala. Just moments ago, we had no idea that Jake would be involved in our parents' scheme until now.

"I can't imagine how Stella would feel." Jay's eyes go downcast. "I can't afford to lose her."

"Stella." Ni-Ki suddenly blurts out, drawing our attention to him, but he appears to be looking straight ahead. "There's Stella."

As we shift our gaze to where he is looking, my breath catches in my throat while my eyes widen at the sight of Stella. She looks utterly divine in a black glitter lace dress with a slit that reveals her smooth, slender leg with each step she takes. Even though the black domino mask covers half of her face, I recognise her instantly due to her divine lilac hair.

"Holy shit." Jay whistles lowly. "She looks mad fine."

Heeseung downs the leftover content of the champagne before putting the glass down. He rises from his seat as he adjusts his necktie. "I call dibs dancing with her first." Before any of us can protest, he leaves our table and makes his way to Stella.

"Second." I announce, smirking lightly as I press the glass to my lips.

Ni-Ki, Jake, and Jay look at each other for a moment before they speak unanimously. "Third!"

"You look incredibly gorgeous, sweetheart." Heeseung's low voice speaks next to my ear, sending chills down my spine as does his hand on my waist as we dance to the slow yet romantic tune that is playing in this massive ballroom.

With my hand placed on his broad shoulder, I look at him, meeting his dark gaze that seems to want me, to devour me whole. "You look handsome too." I compliment him with a small smile. I begin to admire him, loving how he looks dashing in a tuxedo and his hair that is styled in a half-up do, allowing his forehead to be visible.

"Don't look at me like that." He murmurs, pulling me close. "Or else I'll have to sneak us out from this place."

"Do it." I chuckle, grinning widely with my arms now drape around his neck while both his hands slither around my waist. "I bet it'll be way more fun than this boring gala."

Heeseung appears to be contemplating. "Maybe later. After the other guys have take turns dancing with you."

My mind begins to drift to a certain someone, which causes my smile to falter. "Have you seen Jungwon?"

"No." Heeseung shakes his head. "I don't think anyone has seen him, but he must be here already since we saw his father earlier."

"I need to talk to him. He can't avoid me forever." I look at Heeseung pleadingly. "Can you alert me if you see him?"

"Of course." Heeseung leans in to peck my forehead, and his display of affection draws some attention from the people in our vicinity. "As much as I want to dance with you a little longer, I must let you go now."

Heeseung's touch still lingers on me as he slowly walks away from me, until Sunoo comes in my view, making me feel taken aback by his new look. His hair is styled similarly to Heeseung, allowing his chiselled forehead to be visible. His white mask complements well with his white suit.

"May I?" He puts his palm out to me, to which I gladly place my hand on his with a smile on my face.

Sunoo doesn't waste time to place his hand on my waist while the other holding my hand up as we dance to the melodic tune. His shoulder underneath my touch feels slightly tensed.

"Are you okay?" I ask with a light chuckle. "You feel a little tensed."

A smirk tugs at his lips. "Why wouldn't I be okay when I'm dancing with goddess herself?"

I roll my eyes playfully. "You're exaggerating."

"No." His hand on my waist tightens. "I don't think you realised how divine your beauty is, just like how divine you are on the inside."

My cheeks begin to feel warm, especially when his gaze seems to be staring into my soul. "Sunoo─"

"Would you still be my friend if I were a villain?" His question throws me off guard. "Would you hate me then?"

I frown, noticing the desperation lacing his neutral tone. "Why are you asking me sorts of questions?"

Sunoo leans his forehead on my bare shoulder, as if he has fallen weak. "Please, I need to know." He pleads softly. "Give me an honest answer, darling."

Despite the fact that I am feeling pure confusion, I answer anyway. "If you had your reasons, then I'd try to understand and put myself in your shoes." 

I feel Sunoo's grip on me tightens again, as if he doesn't want to lose me. "Please don't hate me."

His soft plea makes my heart clenches. "I won't, Sunoo."

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

My feet are begging for mercy by the time I'm done dancing with the guys as they take turns. Jay offered to bring me to their table, but I excused myself from the ballroom as I wanted to find the restroom. I can already feel blisters forming at the back of my ankle due to the straps of my heels.

But the pain is immediately forgotten from my mind as soon as I spot Jungwon by the wide hallway, with his back leaning against the wall while his arms are crossed over his chest. As he is not wearing his mask, he appears to be in deep thought, staring into space.

With a huff, I begin to walk towards him with the intention of finally confronting him. I'm sick and tired of him avoiding me like a plague. If he doesn't want to be friends with me, then fine, but the least he can do is tell me instead of leaving me hanging for the second time.

"Yang Jungwon." I breathe heavily as I stand in front of him. His wide eyes meet mine, but they soon turn cold. "I'm done with you avoiding me. What is going on?"

His jaw tightens. "Nothing. You should head back inside, Stella."

I block his way just as he is about to walk past me. "You can't avoid me forever. Just tell me, please." I plead, my gaze softening. "Did I do something wrong?"

But Jungwon remains stoic, looking at me coldly as though I'm his enemy. "I'm done with you."

My face contorts into confusion. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm done with you and whatever we had." His lips form a sneer, looking as hateful as ever. "Besides, it's not like we were anything beyond friends. You're just there to satisfy our needs."

I visibly flinch, as if he had slapped me. "Jungwon, what is going on with you? Why are you acting like this?" My voice sounds shaky while my hand is trembling.

"It was a mistake to let you touch me and kiss me." With each word he speaks, it sounds venomous, almost like poison. "Just go back to them. Why does it matter to you that the relationship between you and me is over when you have others keep you company?"

"Stop." I grit my teeth as the backs of my eyes start to burn. "You expect me to believe whatever you're spewing right now? You're hiding something."

Jungwon flinches lightly but recovers quickly as he maintains his poker face. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter!" I raise my voice, uncaring that I might draw attention from some of the people loitering here. "You're a coward, Jungwon! You're just trying to make me hate you!"

"Fine, you really want to know?" His gaze darkens. "I'm getting engaged to another woman, who I will get married to in two years."

My heart feels as though it drops to the pit in my stomach, and my senses start to become numb. Why do I feel heartbroken when I have no right?

Jungwon gulps harshly and looks away from me. "I'll be moving abroad soon. You won't be seeing me again."

"Jungwon." I attempt to reach out for his hand, but he backs away from me. I blink away the tears in my eyes, refusing to let them smear my make-up. "You don't have to cut contact with me. We can still be friends."

"That's the thing, Stella. I hate the idea of us being friends." He tells me harshly. "Consider this the last night you'll ever see me."

"Jungwon." I choke back a sob as he brushes past me coldly. My chest feels constricted, and my heart is aching terribly. I stagger forward with my hand holding onto the wall.

"Stella!" Aera's voice can be heard from behind while her footsteps are getting closer. "Babe, I've been looking everywhere for you! Some guy gave me his number─ Stella?"

Aera's hand is placed on my shoulder. "Stel! What's wrong?!"

"Aera." My lips quiver as I pathetically reach out for her, and she doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around my trembling figure.

"I'm here." Aera keeps reassuring me as I fall weak, trying not to burst out into tears. "What happened?"

"Jungwon." I whimper. "Jungwon happened.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

"Jungwon's leaving Seoul?" Ni-Ki asks, his eyes widening in disbelief. "And what do you mean he's getting married in two years?"

Aera brought me to the guys, who were worried about how distraught I looked. They all decided to leave the ballroom and gather by the forum instead. They gave me some time to make me regain composure before I revealed everything Jungwon said to me earlier. Jake and Jay don't seem surprised like the others do, but I dismiss them as I'm too distracted with how my heart still aches.

"It means he's getting married, Riks." Jay rolls his eyes, but as he settles his gaze on me, his eyes soften. "Jungwon didn't want the marriage, but he was forced by his father."

"Even so, Jungwon shouldn't have to treat her coldly and tell her the exact truth." Sunoo scowls. "I'm going to have to knock some senses into him sooner."

"I'm sorry, love." Jaeyun gives me a side-hug and plants a kiss at the side of my head. "We all know how close you were with him."

I don't say anything as I look at him with a sad smile. I lean into him dependently, relishing the comfort he emits.

"We can't just allow Jungwon to leave!" Ni-Ki exclaims, looking at us exasperatedly. "There must be some way to convince him to stay!"

"His father is one hot-headed man." Jay speaks up, his eyes hardening. "Jungwon is in a position where he can't do anything because of his father."

"Uh oh, speaking of a parent." Aera draws our attention. "I'm guessing it's no good."

As we look at where she is looking, a confused frown dawns on my lips upon seeing the guys' parents. They don't seem exactly thrilled to see us together. A wry smile touches my lips. Since the night is already ruined, we might as well be totally fucked.

"Step away from that girl this instant!" Jaeyun's mother, Rhea Sim, orders as she looks at us indignantly. "Sim Jaeyun!"

However, Jaeyun refuses, as his arm remains unmoving from my waist. He sighs deeply. "Stop throwing a tantrum, mother. You're embarrassing me in front of them."

"What are you all doing out here?" Jay's mother looks at us pointedly. "To blatantly display yourself as being affiliated with Hwang Stella is a disgrace!"

"Mom, drop this." Jay groans. "Do all of you really have to reprimand us right here and now?"

"She's not our enemy." Sunoo pleads with his parents. "Her parents might be your enemy, but their daughter is our friend."

"Friend?" Heeseung's mother chuckles coldly. "From what we've heard, the Hwang girl simply has no dignity! Spreading her legs for you like a shameless slut!"

"Mom!" Heeseung bursts out at his mother, the anger in his eyes is evident. "Don't talk about Stella that way!"

"Enough." Heeseung's father intervenes loudly as he looks at us sternly. "Have you all forgotten the purpose of getting closer to the girl? Or did you allow your feelings to cloud your judgements?"

This time, I speak up, stepping away from Jaeyun's warm embrace. "What purpose?"

Though my eyes are trained on Heeseung's father, I can see the guys' faces, with perturbation and guilt. My stomach begins to churn with dread.

"Poor girl. You've really been fooled by our sons." Ni-Ki's mother smirks coldly. "They're the reason why you've been distracted and deviating from your duties as an heir. Do correct me if I'm wrong, dear."

"What?" My heart begins to palpitate while my pulse begins to drum in my ears. "What are you talking about?"

"Stella, don't listen to them." Jay attempts to reach out to me, but I back away from him with my eyes glaring at their faces.

"Tell me the damn truth." I demand calmly.

Sunoo catches my eye as he steps forward, looking at me with such desperation. "We've had the same goal: to get you distracted and astray from your duties, because in order to destroy the Hwang empire, we must get rid of you first from the top since ─" His eyes go downcast while his jaw tightens. "─you're the important piece in the chess."

"It's the reason why we've begun to become closer to you." Ni-Ki adds, and my mind begins to erupt into chaos.

"Stella─" Jaeyun tries to touch me, but I jerk away from his touch. "Please. Our feelings for you remain unchanged."

"That's enough." Minhyuk's cold, deadly voice cuts through the air like a knife, startling all of them except for me. "Hwang Stella, step away from them this instant."

I numbly comply as I find myself making my way to my father, who no doubt has heard everything. I can feel the guys' gazes on my figure, but I don't turn to look at them. No, I can't. I feel sick at the thought that they willingly agreed to be part of their parents' schemes.

"You all stooped low when you decided to target my heir." Minhyuk's hand grips my arm, and I bite my tongue at how deadly his grip feels. "But know this. You can never destroy my empire or my daughter. The next time you decide to pull this stunt, I won't hesitate to get rid of your heirs just as you tried to do mine."

Minhyuk doesn't waste time, as he drags me away from them. All the while, I feel as though I'm paralysed, unable to speak or think rationally. The only thing I can hear is the sound of my heart shattering into pieces.

Being bedridden for three days was not something I had in mind to spend over the weekend, and the good thing was that I managed to skip school yesterday, though I've skipped school without valid reasons before. I was supposed to go to the gala with my parents the other night, but I wasn't in good health. Now that I've recovered, I'm more than ready to hang out with my best friends, especially Stella.

However, Stella hasn't been replying to any of my texts. She has only seen them, which is odd because she's usually quick to reply no matter how busy she can get. But I don't overthink. She probably forgot to text me back, or she was seriously busy.

Or maybe something happened.

I shake my head at the thought. If Minhyuk had hurt her again, she would've called me or any of the guys without a doubt.

Still, I can't seem to ignore how uneasy my heart feels since this morning. A sigh leaves my lips before I push open the door to our lounging room, where my best friends are present except for one.

"Where's Jungwon?" I ask, casually striding inside and making my way to the single couch before I take a seat. I ignore how the atmosphere in this room feels foreboding and cold.

"You didn't know?" Ni-Ki asks, frowning as he sits across from me.

My eyebrow is arched as I look at him before noticing how sorrowful each of them looks. If I had no idea, I'd say someone just died. "Know what?"

"Jungwon's leaving Seoul." Sunoo answers sullenly while I feel my heart stop beating momentarily.

"What? Why?" I ask, no longer do I feel slacken. "Where the hell is he going?"

"No idea. He hasn't returned any of our texts." Heeseung tells me, but I am too busy scrolling through the contacts on my phone before I press on Jungwon's ID. I wait impatiently, but he doesn't pick up my call.

"It's no use." Jay rubs his tired face as soon as he notices the scowl on my face. "We've tried, Hoon."

"Then why the hell are y'all still here? We can't just allow him to leave." I rise from the couch and hoist my bag on my shoulder. "And does Stella know? We need to bring her with us if we're going to Yangs."

But the silence from them is resounding, prompting me to turn around just to see the guilt and regret on their faces. Apprehension begins to crawl its way into my heart. "What is it?"

"Stella," Sunoo starts off, looking away from my gaze while he visibly gulps. "She doesn't want to see us anymore."

A scoff of disbelief leaves my lips while my eyes harden, looking at them coldly. "What happened?"

"We had no choice." Ni-Ki says weakly, but I'm too enraged to care and understand their reasons.

"What did you guys do, huh?! What the fuck did you guys do?!" I burst out, seeing red. The next thing I know, I target whoever is nearer to me. I grab Heeseung by his collar shirt, fisting the material while my eyes that are blazing with such fury glares straight into his.

"Hoon, calm down!" Jay and Jake attempt to pull me away from Heeseung, but I try not to relent.

A muscle ticks in my jaw. "Tell me everything, or I swear each of you won't be leaving this room without a single bruise."

And so they reveal everything to me, including the fact that Stella has always been a racer, just as we are.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I give zero fucks despite knowing I have a death wish when I decide to head to the Hwang mansion. After the guys explained without leaving out any details, I almost wanted to punch them, but I didn't want to waste my time on them as I knew I needed to get to Stella.

I thought I had unhinged parents, but theirs are way fucked than mine. Even though my parents have intense rivalry against the Hwangs, they didn't stoop low to aim for the heir. Heck, my parents and hers have been rivals since university.

After I pull up outside of the mansion, I jog towards the door and immediately press the doorbell. The door swings open, but she's not the person I wanted to see.

"Park Sunghoon." Rena greets me coldly, her lips pressing thinly together as she folds her arms below her chest. "A bit brave of you to come here."

"I need to see Stella." I go straight to the point. "It's important."

Rena raises an eyebrow. "The audacity of you to show your face when you're probably involved in what happened the other night."

My patience starts to run thin. "You have no right to assume I was in it. Now, shut your mouth if you don't have anything pleasant to say and get Stella to meet me now." I glower at her.

A smirk tugs at Rena's lips while her cold eyes train on my face. "Do you want to meet him, or should I get our bodyguards to kick him out, sister?"

Finally, Stella emerges from behind Rena, and my heart aches at how vacant her eyes are as she looks at me. Though her beauty still shines, she doesn't look good. It is as though she has fallen sick.

"It's fine." Stella murmurs to Rena while the latter slowly steps aside. "I'll deal with him."

Rena returns her gaze to me, smirking at me before she finally disappears from my sight. Good riddance.

"Let's talk outside." Stella says curtly as she brushes past me, and I swear I can feel the coldness emitting from her body.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

We decide to settle on where I pulled up my car. She stands in front of me, but her eyes have yet to meet mine.

"Were you in it, as well?" She breaks the ice, but even her tone sounds icy enough. "Was that why you decided to unhate me in the first place?"

"I swear I had no idea." I begin to speak in a wavering tone. "Honest, princess. My parents and I weren't involved at all! My feelings for you have always been genuine since day one."

Stella lifts her head up to meet my eyes. There is no warmth or affection in her gaze. "When did you know?"

"Just earlier. Heck, I didn't even have the slightest clue, but with how weird they were acting, I forced them to tell me everything." I slowly approach her with caution. "I was furious and cursed them for what they did, but you have to understand that they had no choice."

Fury blazes in her eyes. "Here I thought you'd be on my side."

"I am!" Frustration laces my tone amidst the desperation. "I still am! But if you had known why they chose to take part in their parents' schemes, then you'd understand that they had no choice!"

She laughs dryly. "Would I, really?"

"You would, princess." I curl my hand into a fist. "Because if they hadn't complied with their parents' orders, their racing ventures would have been in jeopardy. You out of all people should understand that racing is important to them."

Stella deflates a little, but her eyes harden despite how they are glistening with tears. "Why are you still defending them when I'm the victim of their schemes? Yes, they had valid reasons, but that doesn't justify their actions."

"Because as furious as I am with them, they're still my best mates!" I accidentally burst out, my emotions are going haywire. I step closer to her, my knees buckling underneath me, and she almost has me down to my knees. "Please understand. Don't make things harder than they already are."

Her lips quiver as tears cascade down her cheeks. "I knew it. You'd choose them."

"Choose? Princess, this is not a matter of choosing sides─"

"But it is!" Stella exclaims through tears. "You've made your choice. I guess we're done here."

"Princess, wait." I plead, my hand shooting out to grab her hand. "I love you."

Stella sniffles as she tries to jerk from my touch, but I hold her hand firmly. "Then choose, Sunghoon. Me or them?"

"Don't make me choose, princess." My eyes start to sting with tears. "I can't, and I won't."

"I said choose, Park Sunghoon!" She cries out, her voice cracking in between. "Choose─"

"Them!" I burst out with the answer that comes to mind with zero hesitation. When I realise what I have done, my grip on her hand slowly loosens, prompting her to withdraw from me.

Crystalline tears shine on her cheeks as she stares at me with pained eyes, looking beautiful under the moonlight yet tragic. Stella sobs softly, her arms hugging her figure.

My breath catches in my throat, while my heart feels as if it drops to the pit of my stomach. "Stella─"

"Thank you for giving me your answer." Her voice is barely above a whisper and sounds broken. "Whatever we had, it's over. I'm done with all of you."

As I watch her leave, I stagger a step back, as if someone had ripped open my chest. I don't bother to feel ashamed for the tears that are flowing down my cheeks. Stella is the only woman I love, but why didn't I choose her?

You value your brotherhood with them more than you value her. My mind whispers, but my heart disagrees. Like a poison, my mind continues to whisper, taunting me. You didn't love Stella. You only loved the idea of her and the fact that she satisfied your needs. She's just like any other girl you've toyed with.

"No, it isn't true." I tell myself in a broken whisper, but my mind continues to taunt me even in my sleep.

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[pfhwrittes]

🧟‍♀️ scariest thing that’s happened to you

well i did say in the tags of one of my asks that i'd share this story but i'm putting it under a cut with a big fat trigger warning for domestic violence / intimate partner abuse also heads up, this is a long read.

so when i was 21 i met a man called matt. he was a friend of my sister's boyfriend at the time. super charming, funny and very handsome. he made me laugh like no one else and i would frequently think "oh he can't possibly be real" because i felt like he understood me in a way my ex-fiancée never did.

we dated for about a year. he met my parents and my friends and everyone loved him. he spent christmas with my family and even made my grandma laugh. he was literally the perfect boyfriend and i fully admit to neglecting my friendships to focus solely on him.

anyway, he broke up with me because he was moving for work and i was heartbroken but we agreed to remain friends. so we'd send each other silly memes, ask how things were going in each other's lives, occasionally get a bit drunk and tell each other we missed each other over late night phone calls. you know how it goes. then eventually we stopped talking.

two or three years later (i'm not entirely sure) he messaged me to say he was back in my area and would i like to meet up for a drink. i agreed. he completely swept me off my feet again and told me how much he missed me and how he felt like an idiot for breaking up with me, would i be willing to try again? of course i said yes! matt was back in my life! i wasn't completely over him so i went willingly back to him.

then he tells me that he's bought a house just outside belfast and that's where he was working now. he said he loved me but he wasn't sure he could manage a long-distance relationship so would i be willing to move in with him? aaaand again of course i said yes! my friends at the time were going "p, what the fuck? you can't move in with this guy! you dated for a year a couple of years ago. you don't even know him that well!" but hey i was in love and i thought i knew what i was doing like every mid-twenties person does. so i pack up my car and catch the ferry over to northern ireland (via dublin) to move in with matt. and that's when things started to change.

just remember that i was alone and in a new place with absolutely no support except for matt, so at the time things weren't too weird. he wanted us to join a gym as a couple? great. he wanted us to try a new diet together? cool. he wanted me to spend less time on my phone so we could spend quality time together when he came home from work? okay sure! he wanted me to do some housework while he was at work because i didn't have a job? no problem, that makes sense.

all of those are little things that look pretty innocent right? no big deal. but then he started going through my phone. then he started giving me the silent treatment if i said i didn't want to go to the gym because i was bloated and my cramps were making me nauseous. then he started pulling the duvet off the bed at 6.00am so i'd have no choice but to get out of bed. then he started making comments about the house was a fucking pigsty and he shouldn't have to live in filth on the days where i'd forget to hoover the carpets on the stairs. this went on for a few months.

and then one day when we were walking out of a multi-story car park i mentioned my friend lewis offhandedly and he pinned me against the wall and told me that "[he'd] never hit me over it but [he] was pissed off that [i] was spending so much time on [my] fucking phone to [my] friends." he apologised, said he didn't mean it. he just felt jealous and his temper and the fact he was so tired and stressed from work got the better of him. i believed him but i never brought up lewis again.

not long after that he hit me in the head for not paying attention to the roadsigns when he was driving when i accidentally told him to turn right instead of left at a t-junction. again, he apologised and said he didn't mean it. and i was so stunned i said it was okay, i understood. but i always flinched when he would reach up to adjust the rearview mirror or put his sunglasses on if he was in the car, even if he was a passenger.

then he started grabbing my wrists and pinning me down during sex. or slapping me on the face when i'd give him a consolation blowjob because i didn't want to fuck him.

breaking point was the day i was really sick with a cold and i had forced myself out of bed at 6.00am to keep him happy but i felt so shitty i went for a nap on the sofa immediately after he left for work. well i slept all day and didn't do any of the chores he'd asked me to do. he came home to a few dishes in the kitchen sink. and that was unacceptable. so he dragged me by my hair to the kitchen sink and smashed my face into the draining board. a couple of times actually.

he hit my head so hard i suspect i was probably concussed and my mouth was full of blood from where my front teeth had chipped off. he knocked my teeth loose enough that they actually moved and wobbled if i put pressure on them with my tongue. i had a black eye and a cut on my forehead where i caught the edge of the sink. i never went to the doctor about it and i didn't leave the house until the bruises had faded. but i was terrified of fucking up like that again.

i left him nearly three weeks later in the middle of the night after pouring him a few beers and fucking him so he'd fall asleep earlier than me. i drove like hell that night over the border to dublin's ferry port, absolutely convinced he was right behind me the whole way. that fear didn't stop until i had driven all the way to my friend's house in cwmbran and i practically collapsed on his sofa.

i'm safe now, but i still can't stand at a kitchen sink if someone else is in the kitchen with me.

[anjumzm]

Midsummer Night

A Legacy of Gods Fanfic

JerCes Daughter x LanMia Son

Chapter 15

Theodore Sokolov King

I knew this day would come, but not this soon. Although I had all my ducks in a row, I hadn't expected Abazi to make his move so... recklessly. He'd spread rumors that had caused our stocks to plummet. It also impacted the deals we'd almost sealed, making our partners skeptical. If I wanted to save myself and my cousin brothers from Grandpa Aiden's wrath, I had to be quick and efficient. Given his latest move, he now knew of my plans to go against him. Previously, both Abazi and I had attacked each other in shadows, but now it was evident that Abazi had gotten impatient.

Well, time for my first move.

I typed a message to my soon-to-be brother-in-law, Aaron Volkov. "Meet me at my office."

The reply was swift and curt. "Who's this?"

"Volkovs' soon-to-be son-in-law," I responded.

The next reply was a string of curses, conveying the asshole's frustration at the entire situation. If it were any other time, I would have taken pleasure in ruffling this buffoon's feathers, but I had more pressing matters at hand.

"I've heard rumors of Abazi having something of yours... something about a black book."

That earned me a long stretch of silence. He kept on typing and erasing the message.

"No worries, take your time, brother-in-law. Considering the way you're struggling to reply, I take it it's something of value for the Volkovs. Good thing you have me on your side now, don't you think so?"

"What do you know, King?"

"Nothing as of now, but I have my men in place. Soon, I'll have the location of your 'possession'. Chances are we can recover it from Abazi once the location is disclosed." Although the book was in my possession, I couldn't possibly let Aaron know this. If I returned it, well, the only outcome would be death by the hands of Jeremy Volkov. And I wanted to live, more so now than ever before.

If only to own Aanya Volkov.

"And you're helping us out of the goodness of your heart, I assume," Aaron replied.

"Of course. Cannot let a rat manipulate my beloved fiancé's family."

"Cut the crap, Theo. What do you want?" The guy was smart when he wanted to be.

"Down to business, I like that. Well, I'll be proposing something at the next Bratva meeting. Once we overthrow Abazi's control over the southern port, I'll propose to put you in his place. You'd be the new King of the Southern port, all but in name. You see, I'm a businessman and cannot involve myself in the illegal activities of the port, but you guys can. I want to be able to do business without suffering any loss. If all goes well, you can keep 10% of the profit we make. Additionally, I'd be giving 20% to the Bratva, which is more than the measly 5% Abazi offers. Give it some thought."

Five minutes later, my phone buzzed with his reply. "OK. But before agreeing, I have one more condition to add."

"Well, go ahead."

"I want you to break off your engagement with Aanya."

That did it. It filled me with a rage like never before, with a need to maim this asshole for good. I will burn each and every one who tries to come between me and my birdie. She was mine before she knew it, and I'll do everything in my power to keep it that way. "Aaron, let me remind you that you're in no position to make demands. You see, you're missing the point here. 'You' need something that 'I' can help you get back. Even if you disagree, I have other ways to get my plan in motion. Not to mention the point that I can and would get back the black book you so desperately want. Also, what are the chances that I blackmail you once I get my hands on your book? My offer is a mere courtesy given that we're to be relatives and all. As for my engagement with Aanya, deal or not, I fully intend to make Aanya my wife. Neither you nor your family has any say in it."

I needed an outlet. Something, before I started smashing stuff here and there. I called Alejandro and asked him to arrange a boxing match as soon as possible. It was a habit I'd developed in my teens to keep whatever this thing I feel at bay. And it did wonders, the pain, the exhaustion-all of it. Previously, Uncle Niko used to accompany me, but since I fell from his grace, Dom had taken up his place. I messaged him, "Up for something fun?" "Down for it always," he replied back.

An hour and a couple of bruises later, I was sated... if only for a while. After a while, Dominic came into view.

"That was a good fight, you left quite an impression. The news will have reached the King's Mansion. Grandpa Aiden will be furious. Get ready for the consequences. I'll be ready with popcorn and stuff. I'll ask Sean to join too."

"Thanks for nothing," I replied curtly.

"Seriously, Theo, what's wrong? What triggered this? I thought we were past our teenage shenanigans. Are you okay?" "Since when are you my therapist? Trust me, out of both of us, you need to get yourself checked. I heard about your latest episode. Uncle Bran must have been thrilled. All good at home, Dommy boy?"

"Asshole. I was asking out of concern. Bet you're not familiar with the term, you psycho."

"Don't care. Be present for the next Bratva meeting. I have a surprise." I left without waiting for his reply.

I knew that Aaron Volkov wouldn't decline the offer made because I made sure that there was no other option left for the Volkovs. As expected, I found a text the next morning. "OK. I accept the deal. But no one else should know about this-neither my father, Aanya, nor anyone."

"Sure. Looking forward to working with you, Mr. Volkov."

This needed a celebration. And what better way to celebrate it than with the little bird who seemed to occupy my mind a lot these days?

I called Aanya. "Hello, Theo?" she answered, her voice curious.

"Hello, little bird. Are you free this evening?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Why are you asking?"

"Good. I'll pick you up at six" I could already picture her face, the way her eyes widened in surprise, the way her lips curved into a reluctant smile. Every moment with her was a game, a tantalizing dance that I couldn't get enough of. Her presence was intoxicating, and the more time I spent with her, the more I craved it. I was obsessed, utterly consumed by the thought of her. The idea of anyone, especially Aaron, trying to come between us was infuriating.

Time to play with my little bird. To ensnare her in a way that not even she's able to keep us apart.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Omg I just saw that ask about moms being single moms even though they’re married, I just had a baby a month ago and I’m legit doing it all alone! My fiancé goes to work, comes home to a clean house and a hot meal and all he does is shower then go to bed, I even have to wake him up for work in the morning because he sleeps through his alarm, then I have to put the baby back to sleep because his alarm woke her up! He doesn’t get the baby when I ask him to, doesn’t wash her bottles when I ask him to, doesn’t thaw frozen breast milk when I ask, he even drags the baby in the bathroom while I shower! Let me add that if I don’t clean it, it stays and piles up until I do, and he’ll bring up how it’s dirty and I should set the baby down and clean it🙄. I told him I felt like I was doing it alone and he got pissed and went to sleep in his car, despite us having two guest rooms😭 I’ve found a wfh job and started saving my money so I can move into my own apartment. If I’m already doing everything alone, might as well live on my own and just clean up after myself and the baby🤦‍♀️

I'm sorry to hear this. My sisters in a similar position. Tbh it's one of the main reasons I don't want children.

[mellowtrait]

List 5 facts about a favorite sim of yours, and send this to 10 simblrs whose sims you adore ♥♥♥

Ahhh, I'm honored, you're one of my fav Simblrs, and I'm in love with Anani, thank you for sharing her story with us 🥰

I might post more than 5 facts because I was also tagged by @moonwoodhollow (thank you so much, I'm obsessed with your builds honestly and I can't wait to follow Suzette in her simventures 👀)

SHERI (tw: death, alcohol, bullying)

(if you've been following her story, you might already know most of this stuff but since I mostly give out details in the tags, they might have easily been missed + I tend to do a lot of time jumps, so this way, I'll have a way to explain/elaborate on some things so you can have all the info!! anyway enough rambling, here goes)

She grew up in Glimmerbrook in a manor her mother inherited from her own parents (which then went to Sheri). After her mom's death, she moved to Willow Creek (she currently lives there with her fiancé, Griffin… but for how long? 👀) The house is still in her name, it's just abandoned and is considered a haunted house by many (a group of teens probably ventured in there to scare the crap out of each other when no one was looking).

Her father was an author but never got the recognition he (thought he) deserved, ended up drowning his sorrows in alcohol which lead to arguments between him and his wife until he was ultimately kicked out of their house. Although she loved both her parents, he was Sheri's favorite because her mother was always more "distant".

She felt lonely as a kid (at home, at school)/was bullied constantly. She had an imaginary friend who took many a forms and would protect her from those who hurt her/made her sad. Hence her reaction here, she kinda liked having the power to protect herself from her tormentors. Her mother was scared of her especially since as growing up, Sheri embraced her 'new' powers, although she only used them to help those in need. Once she left Glimmerbrook as a young adult, everything went back to "normal" she finally started living her life but kinda kept to herself most of the time because of everything that had happened to her until now.

After HS, she enrolled in the Mortuary Science Program, far from home. Long drives home (to visit her mother who was not doing so well) didn't bother her at all since she loved being on the road/couldn't stay still for more than a couple minutes (still true).

She is a mortuary assistant in the current timeline, but if you've been following from the start (my first posts are in the future, when she goes back to Glimmerbrook (spoiler? not really)) she is actually a mortician (she's the lab's Tru Davies, if you've seen the show Tru Calling / the difference is: she helps the dead but she doesn't relive the day to save them).

She loves art, exercising (riding her bike), travelling, reading in her free time. She's also a great baker, it sort of relaxes her.

Griffin is the first person she's ever been in a relationship with (she was too scared to hurt her partners in the past; she would go on dates and then ghost ppl) They kept running into each other and ended up going on a date, then two, three, and the rest is history. He's a chef. Everything was going smoothly, Sheri was the happiest she's ever been until he moved in/proposed to her...... now she's having nightmares again......

[mediaevalmusereads]

The Marquis Who Mustn't. By Courtney Milan. 2023.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Genre: historical romance

Series: Wedgeford Trials #2

Summary: One good fraud deserves another… Miss Naomi Kwan has long wanted to take ambulance classes so that she can save lives. But when she tries to register, she’s told she needs permission from the man in charge of her. It would be incredibly wrong to claim that the tall, taciturn Chinese nobleman she just met is her fiancé, but Naomi is desperate, and desperate times call for fake engagements. To her unending surprise, Liu Ji Kai goes along with her ruse. It’s not that Kai is nice. He’s in Wedgeford to practice his family business, and there’s no room for “nice” when you’re out to steal a fortune. It’s not that the engagement is convenient; a fake fiancée winding herself into his life and his heart is suboptimal when he plans to commit fraud and flee the country. His reason is Kai and Naomi were betrothed as children. He may have disappeared for seventeen years, but their engagement isn’t actually fake. It’s the only truth he’s telling.

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: microaggressions, graphic sexual content

OVERVIEW: I read book 1 of the Wedgeford Trials a few days ago, so why not continue on to book 2? I love Courtney Milan's work, so there was no reason not to dive right in. And I'm glad I did; book 2 was just as touching as book 1, and I loved getting another story about the inhabitants of Wedgeford. The only reason my rating is a 4 instead of a 4.5 or 5 is because I think Kai's story is a little over-complicated, and though I could keep all the threads straight in my head, they did stretch believability. But even so, this book was a delight.

WRITING: I don't think I have anything to say about Milan's prose that I haven't already said before, but let me remind everyone: I love the way Milan makes her writing seem so effortless; it's quick, it's descriptive, it's full of emotion, and it balances showing and telling well. It's also full of heartfelt speeches that I've come to associate with her stories, and it had a tendency to grip my heart at the most unexpected times.

PLOT: The non-romance plot of this book follows Naomi Kwan and Liu Ji Kai as they pretend to be engaged (to each other) in order to both get what they want. Naomi wants to take ambulance classes in Dover; her parents (especially her mother) disapprove, so she slips away to sign up and uses Kai as her fiance who can give his permission. Kai uses Naomi as something of a shield to ingratiate himself to the people of Wedgeford; when last he was in the village, his father defrauded the inhabitants of a large sum of money. Now Kai is back to make things right while also pulling off a fraud of his own.

The strongest parts of this narrative, in my opinion, were not the moments when Naomi took her classes. As admirable as it is to have Naomi want to have basic first aid skills, the classes themselves became less important once Naomi and her mother started being honest with one another. As they talked about why Mrs. Kwan is opposed to the classes and what she sees (or doesn't) in her daughter, the evolution of the mother-daughter relationship became extremely compelling and heartfelt, and I loved that Naomi and Mrs. Kwan came to understand each other in ways that led them to reexamine their own behaviors.

Kai's arc in some ways mirrored Naomi's in that he had to redefine his relationship with his father. Though Kai's father is not present, their relationship affects the way Kai moves through the world, and it was satisfying to see him confront his past and his family in ways that paralleled Naomi.

However, I do think that Kai had quite a lot going on between his history, his "rules," his various goals, etc. I personally didn't feel like the childhood engagement added much to the story (and may have in fact been too coincidental and too much), and I think the "rules" could have been used as a structuring mechanism. But the heart of the story balanced out these overcomplications, so I wasn't as bothered as I could have been.

CHARACTERS: Naomi, our heroine, is easy to root for because she is determined to do what she wants to do. I liked that she was stubborn and didn't much listen when people tried to tell her what to do, and I loved that she was so quick to see Kai's value despite his past. I also really liked that her arc involved Naomi learning to value herself. Because of her relationship with her mom and being rather "plain" and hardworking, Naomi believes that she is unworthy of love. However, with Kai's help, she learns to redefine what it means to love and to view herself as worthy, so there was a satisfying message of self-love that ran parallel to the romance.

Kai, our hero, is the very picture of the guilty man with a shameful past, but I liked that he wasn't too mopey. He certainly grovels a lot and thinks poorly of himself, but this just means that his arc is similar to Naomi's (regarding valuing oneself). Kai also grapples with the feeling of being a burden on others, and it was satisfying to watch him learn that accepting support didn't mean he was indebted to people; people are willing to help those they care about, and deep down, all Kai wants is for someone to care.

Side characters felt more instrumental to the plot than the side characters in book 1. Naomi's mother, for example, had an arc of her own, learning not only to be honest with her daughter but to realize how unfair she had been to Kai both in the past and in the present. Mr. Bai, one of the villagers, is chatty and humorous, but also is one of the first to show Kai acceptance (which is important because he is also one of the most badly hurt by Kai's father). Even Naomi's extended family, including her aunt and cousin Andrew, felt present in a way that was real and grounding, and I appreciated the glimpses at their dynamics.

The only character I wish had been better done was Kai's father. Mr. Liu pops in briefly, and while I understand why, I also think it felt too abrupt and was over too quickly.

TL;DR: The Marquis Who Mustn't is a heartfelt story about two people who must learn to value themselves. Between the emotional mother-daughter relationship and the radical acceptance of the hero by the people of Wedgeford, this romance questions the degree to which one is shaped by one's family versus one's actions.

ROMANCE: Naomi and Kai's relationship is a fake engagement story, but there's less emphasis on the characters trying to deceive everyone than there is a focus on the two of them making one another feel wanted. Naomi and Kai both have a visceral understanding that no one will love them, but being drawn into a fake engagement shows them that others can care for them and even motivate them to love themselves.

I very much enjoyed the moments when Kai stood up for Naomi or listened to her when no one else would. He puts her desires first and never tries to control her, which endeared him to me.

I also loved that Naomi was almost fiercely compassionate and understanding, not allowing Kai's past to affect the way she views him in the present. Whenever she stood up for Kai, my heart just melted, and I always felt like the two of them had each other's backs.

[countrymusiclover]

33 - Desirable Soulmates Evening

Part 34

Her Life Means Everything

@mrs-fanfiction-2001 @the-big-bad-klaus @queenieala @samsgirl93

Entering the living room with the giant fireplace of the mansion I saw Nik sitting on the couch watching me. "Well I am pleased to see a smile grace that beautiful face after the sad days we've dealt with. Care to share why, Mads?"

He was right that ever since my mother's funeral it was rare to see me or my sister to smile. Sitting beside him on the couch staring up at him I giggled. "My sister decided to watch the twins tonight. So we have the entire evening to ourselves...to do whatever we want."

"That is tempting. So love what would the soon to be Mrs. Mikaelson wish to do?" He hummed, laying his right arm on the back of the couch staring at me with those deep blue eyes.

Avoiding his gaze for a second a thought crossed my mind. Since I was turned into a vampire I thought the soulmate bond would have disappeared. Yet I felt the twinge still inside my chest. On top of that my sister told me that I was apparently sired to Nik. The first day I drank blood she reminded me that's why I couldn't keep down animal blood. Only his blood or from the vein because he said so. "I want to see if the sire bond is real or at least if the soulmate bond is still there.

"I thought we agreed that I wouldn't force you to do anything, Maddie." He replied softly, staring at me.

Slumping my shoulders to my fiancé I knew he was trying to be nice but if I was asking he wasn't necessarily forcing me into it. "Nik, please. You wouldn't be forcing me. I'm asking so it's different."

"Tell me what you've feeling, Nik. What's your desire tonight?" I asked, smirking at him wrapping my arms around his neck climbing onto his lap.

His left hand goes to my hip while his right hand cradles my cheek in his hand. I let myself lean into his touch. Missing being able to be this close and simple with him. Ever since the twins were born it's like my life has turned upside down. "I want to kiss you...hold you like this...make love to you...and above all just treat you like the queen you are." He pressed his lips to mine, making me fall into his embrace.

"Let's get married...tomorrow." I mumbled in between kisses as his hand moved into my hair twisting his fingers into it. He moaned into the feeling when I started doing the same, making his hair a slight mess.

He bent his head down, starting to leave kisses up and down my neck. Throwing my head to the side I gasped gripping his hair in one and on the other hand I gripped his shirt in my fingers. "You're sister won't like such short notice..."

"It's not like she'll not figure it out..." Pulling his lips back down onto mine I cupped his face in my hands smiling. "She's had her whole wedding planned out since she was six."

Nik breaks the kiss showing me his hybrid eyes at me. Pulling my right hand back I used my thumb to trace the veins underneath his eyes. He parts his lips just watching my movements. "The first time I saw you like this I was terrified...but seeing it now. It makes you even hotter, Nik."

"Bloody hell, Mads..all you have to do is look at me like that and I'm almost weak to my knees. I can't stand it." He breathed out resting his forehead against mine. Moving my hands down his chest I played with his dog tags. "I want to draw you like this, Maddie.."

Lifting my head up a little if I could still blush as a vampire I would be a blushing mess right now. "Like Jack did for Rose on Titanic?"

"Well I don't know who those people are and I lived through that tragedy. But if it means I get to sketch you then yes." He replied a little snarky until I got to my feet offering me his hands vamping us into his art studio grinning ear to ear.

Klaus got his sketchbook waiting for me to enter the room. He was just wearing some pants and one of his gray long sleeve shirts. His hair is a little curly mess from our events a few moments ago. "I must admit I don't quite understand your fascination with such an event like the Titanic sweatshirt. It wasn't a good event in history."

"It's not so much the event, Nik. It hurts my heart and I will never understand how horrible it must have been for the ones who survived." I entered the room wearing only one of his tea shirts that was basically a dress on me. "But the movie characters Jack and Rose. They're just...epic. Every girl at one point must have wished they were Rose in that film. So just let me live out my little fantasy, please."

Nik waves his right hand shaking his head with a smile on his face directing me over to lay on the couch. "Tick tok Maddison or I'll have you in our bed before the evening is over." He teased a devilish smirk on his face.

"Like I didn't already know that, Nikky." I giggled pulling the shirt over my head letting my hair fall loose from its braid. Laying down on the couch I struggled to not laugh when I could see the urge in his blue eyes as he drew me. He was almost done by the time he dropped it on the ground vamping forward hovering above me.

He leans down, capturing my lips with his moaning into it when my hands flew up into his hair. His left hand runs through my hair while his right trails up my side. "Maddie, any work of art will not do you and your beauty justice. I could draw you like this a thousand times and still be baffled that you're mine."

Running my fingers through his locks letting my other hand move under his shirt tracing the tattoo on the front of his chest. He started breathing heavily, crashing his lips onto mine where I moaned into the kiss using my vamp speed flipping him on his back yanking his shirt over his head smirking down at him once I broke the heated kiss. "I love you, Nik. Now let's end this night together.."

Before I could blink my back hit the soft mattress of the bed with him hovering above me with a smirk on his lips. Closing my eyes for a brief moment I couldn't imagine that I was so worried about losing my virginity to him. Because now I enjoyed it far too much. "Tomorrow night I shall treat you like the queen you are, Maddie Forbes and every night after that..always and forever." He trailed off leaving kisses down my neck.

Throwing my head back against the pillows I giggled gripping his shoulders mumbling into his ear. "I love you, Klaus. Always and forever."

"Maddie, Klaus, I just had the greatest idea for our kids. Oh geez!" My sister enters the room covering her eyes with her freehand causing us to stop our current actions.

Klaus flopped on his back as I buried myself underneath the covers not expecting her to be home so soon. "Caroline, haven't you ever heard of knocking? We were right in the middle of a pleasant evening." He said, rolling over burying his face in the crook of my neck.

"Well I'm sorry but this idea I have is so great and it would hopefully help a lot of people. Especially kids." She sighed, removing her hand from her eyes. I could see it on her face that she was almost about to burst if she didn't tell us right now.

Shifting under the covers I looked at my twin knowing whatever it was it would be a big deal to her. "What's your idea, Care. Oh and Nik and I have decided on something."

"So I was watching the kids play today and I remember the school complaints about Lizzie and Josie..." She spun around on her feet grinning like it was Christmas. "I want to open a school for supernatural kids. To be a safe place for kids like yours and Ric's."

Nik sits up resting his hands on his knees underneath the covers glancing between me and my twin sister. "That's a brilliant idea, Caroline. In fact I'll give you some funding to help get it started."

"Thank you, Klaus. So Maddie, what do you think...and what's your news?" She clasped her hands together in front of her mouth, almost squealing.

Intertwining my hand with Nik's he lays his head against mine mirroring the same pure grin I have. "It's perfect Caroline...as for our news we were wanting to get married tomorrow."

"Are you two serious!" She slightly sounds annoyed but overjoyed over my news.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[loorain]

Sims 4 Fontenot Legacy - Beach Day!

As has become sort of a reacurring family ritual, the adults at the Legacy House pack up the kiddos for a little fun under the Sulani sun! Yes, it's a beach day once more for the Fontenot Legacy!

The family is in full relaxation mode! Sabrina helps Juno build a sandcastle, Scarlett gets some knitting time in, Robin goes for a dip in the water, and Sigrid watches as the girls chat and play with each other. Additonally, Sabrina's friend Nyla also comes along for the trip, in need of her own beach day. The two also plan to discuss arrangements for Lakshmi's wedding, but first Nyla needs some tanning time 😆

In true Audrey nature, she manages to make a new friend with another little boy enjoying a beach day. This results in them working on a sabdcastle together. In true Alma nature, she heads off doing her own thing 😆

Sigrid: That little one yours?

???: Yeah. Milo.

Sigrid: Audrey's the one in the blue. Her twin Alma is in the yellow.

???: Twins, huh? I'm sure they're giving you a run for your money. Little Milo runs me ragged all on his own.

Sigrid: They're definitely full of energy, but thankfully I have help. Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Sigrid.

???: Coty. Nice to meet you. Nice tats, by the way.

Sigrid: Thanks! Like yours, too.

Robin watches Alma playing in the water, but that doesn't mean he doesn't notice the guy talking to his fiancée.

Sigrid: So, is Milo's mother around?

Coty: Nope, just me and him. Moved out to the islands from the reserve not so long ago. My father was from these lands. Felt it best to raise Milo in a place like this.

Sigrid: That's really admirable. I'm sure Milo loves the arrangement, too. Must be nice living right next to the ocean for a little one like him.

Coty: He's taken to it, for sure. What about you?

Sigrid: Me?

Coty: Who's helping you? Two kids is no easy feat.

Sigrid: Oh, uh, I have my fiancé and his family.

Coty: Oh, fiancé?

Sigrid: Yeah, we've been together a long time. Highschool sweethearts. We've had a long engagement on account of us getting pregnant. We plan to get married soon, finally.

Coty: Ah, well, many congratulations to you.

Sigrid pauses, noticing the faintest twinge in Coty's mouth as he gives his congrats. She clears her throat.

Sigrid: Ahem, uh, thanks. Well in any way, looks like we'll be seeing more of each other. Seems like our kids are attached now.

Coty: I agree. I've never seen Milo take to a new person quite so quickly. Audrey's special.

Sigrid: She sure is. Both of them are. They're twins, but both very unique. Apple of their parents' eyes. We're a happy little family.

Coty: I know the feeling. Milo is my world. Well, let me give you my number so we can arrange a playdate sometime. Wanna let the kids spend as much time together as possible.

Sigrid: Ah, right, thanks.

Coty: Well enjoy your beach day, Sigrid.

Sigrid: Likewise.

Everyone's having a great time at the beach. Audrey and Milo finish their sandcastle, Sabrina and Nyla get a chance to talk about wedding plans, Juno spends time with Grandma Scarlett, and Alma and Robin finish up their water time and head back onto the sand. That's when Sigrid approaches her fiancé, greeting him.

Robin: Hey there. Having fun?

Sigrid: The kids definitely are. Audrey's made a friend.

Robin: I saw that. Was that the kid's dad you were talking to?

Sigrid: Oh, yeah, his name's Coty. Kid's name is Milo.

Sigrid: They live on the island, just moved recently. Coty said his father was originally from Sulani. He and Milo are by themselves out here, so I'm glad Milo was able to bond with Audrey.

Robin: Hm. Milo's mother's not around?

Sigrid: Doesn't sound like it. He's such a cutie. Maybe after things calm down in the New Year we can set up a playdate for the kids.

Robin: Yeah, maybe after the wedding.

Sigrid: Here, I'll share his number with you. Maybe you two'll get along as well. Good for you to have some guy friends. Hey, maybe he can help with the treehouse!

Robin can't help but notice Sigrid's enthusiasm. He cherishes it, as it was always one of Sigrid's best qualities. Still, there's the slightest part of him that feels something other than joy. Jealousy? Pah, what is there to be jealous of? Sigrid loves Robin, and she's never looked at anyone else the entire time they've been together. There's too much history. They have a family. Sigrid would never leave that all behind. So why does Robin still feel this way?

Whatever it is, Robin resolves to push it away. He just needs to focus on his girls as always. Maintain the family he loves so dearly. Be the man his father would be proud of. Things will be fine.

Yeah. Just fine.

[mama-cloud-goddess]

7 Baby "Hacks" I've Found Most Helpful

It feels weird to call most of these "hacks;" they're mostly preferences. But everyone calls nearly everything a hack nowadays and I got swept up in the trend. I've also seen "hack" posts including similar things to my points in this post, if not exact things, so I'm struggling to find another term for it.

Anyway.

One changing station. I'd seen a video of a mom saying that she kept a diaper caddy (diapers, wipes, rash cream, etc) in every room of the house so she wasn't constantly having to run to the room with the changing table when her baby had a blowout. For the first couple of weeks, I did this too. I kept a pack of wipes and a stack of diapers in the nursery, the living room, and the bedroom so that no matter where I or my fiancé were, we could easily change our son. I decided shortly after that it was too overwhelming to have changing supplies in every room; plus, I lost track of things way more often. I never knew how many packs of wipes we had left or where the hell the diaper cream was, and my son had a particular fondness for peeing all over the couch when I changed him there. So I decided to use his official changing table as the only changing station in the house and it's honestly so much better.

Two beds. In contrast to the last point, having two beds for my son (technically three, if we include the portable pack-n-play) has been very useful. We were gifted a crib/changing table combo that we keep in the nursery and use for his daily naps. We were separately and unexpectedly gifted a playpen/bassinet combo that we keep in the bedroom for nighttime sleep. That way as soon as he cries (or my alarm goes off on nights he sleeps past his feeding time), I'm up and tending to him, and he doesn't have to wait for me to drag myself down the hall. It also helps my anxiety to be able to peek over to the other side of the room and check on him versus staring at the video screen of my baby monitor.

Minimal bottles. When I first unpacked all of the bottles we received as gifts and counted only five, I wondered if I should buy more. I soon discovered, however, that having a limited number forced me to regularly wash them, keeping them from getting nasty and piling up in my sink until I had time. Washing used bottles is now part of my daily morning routine. I further proved this to myself when I was gifted a breast pump that came with about six bottles and, during a few days of exhaustion and executive dysfunction, used all of them and left them sitting on my living room table. Trust me; minimal bottles are your best friend. Unless maybe if your kiddo goes to childcare, then you might want some extra. I'm a work-from-home mom, so I don't know.

Multiple breast pumps. Despite the fact that having multiple pumps enabled my lazy bottle pileup, having options was a blessing. I started off with a Spectra, which if you're unfamiliar is a radio-sized machine that requires being plugged in in order to work. My next pump was a Zomee, which was much smaller and more compact as well as rechargeable, so it was much easier to use. My current favorite pump is wearable, and though it's bulky and a little awkward to keep in place while I'm moving about the house, it's by far the most convenient because I can stuff it in my bra and not have to sit in one place holding the flange to my boob. But my point is that I think trying (if you're able, breast pumps are expensive and I'm grateful to have been gifted the first two) multiple styles is important to ensuring you have a pleasant breastfeeding journey (if you choose to breastfeed - we don't bottle shame here).

Baby laundry detergent. When I first brought my son home, I washed his clothes and blankets separately but used the same detergent as the rest of us. It was plain old Tide, so I didn't think it would cause any issue. it took me longer than I'd like to admit to realize that my detergent was giving him eczema breakouts, so I switched to a baby specific brand. Between that and baby eczema lotion, his breakouts cleared right up. I'd toyed with the idea of switching everyone in the house to baby detergent, but the one I bought was more expensive than Tide, and there are three adults in the house, so the expensive baby detergent would be gone quickly. It's more cost-efficient for us to just buy both.

Hangers. In my current residence, we don't have a standard washer and dryer, because we live on the second floor with a narrow staircase and don't want to risk our lives carrying a washer and dryer upstairs. Instead, my ex-husband, when he lived here, bought a portable washer and spinner from Amazon. I'm sure you've seen it - they've been all over TikTok and Facebook Marketplace. It's not my favorite thing in the world, but that's not the point. It includes a spinner, not a dryer, so we still have to hang our clothes up to air dry them. I bought tiny hangers for my son's clothes, and honestly, it's much easier than having them folded up in a dresser. Putting things away (clothes, dishes, groceries) is the bane of my existence, so I often leave my own laundry hung up in the laundry room instead of packing it into a drawer. Plus, babies spit up a ton, and blow outs are common, and it's much faster to pluck a onesie off a hanger than it would be to go through a dresser.

Frozen pacifier. My son started teething early. Before I started buying proper teethers, since he's only 3 1/2 months old and can't hold a teether in his mouth yet, I decided to stick his pacifiers in the freezer. He absolutely loves it. When his gums are bugging him, a cold pacifier soothes him immediately. It obviously doesn't stay frozen for long, since there's no liquid in it to keep cold, but the initial cold is enough to distract him. His pacifiers now live in the freezer. I alternate them one at a time - whenever he needs a cold one, I stick the one he's currently spitting out back in its place.

I hope some of these "hacks" prove useful to you. Feel free to comment with your own!

[darlingimsxcared]

rarities.

Sometimes I feel like nobody wants to see me happy or live out my dreams. If I am not doing anything then the waters are calm but when I try to go off and do something totally out of the ordinary, I am met with the extremities of.... Extremes? I guess is the best way to put it.

I get it, I'm a mom. A mom first. Sometimes life gets so boring on a consistent basis to the point where I get on a dating app, put my location 3,000 miles away in Wales, fall in love with somebody for it to just completely blow up in my face. I felt a connection with someone 3,000 miles away. I can't imagine he is not feeling the same or going through the same emotions as I am because if he wasn't then the feelings weren't as real as they were for him like they were for me. We can all sit here and say bullshit like it was the accent. No it wasn't JUST the accent. We spent 5 days communicating back and forth to the point of exhaustion talking about life and common interests. We both had a created this monster that was becoming so much bigger than both us of that I did not know how to navigate it anymore. I reached my limit. He wanted to get on this 2 year plan, liquidate his business and come live with me, my son, and my family. I could not give that to him. And when he was met with my suggestion that he got his own place he called it quits. Not to mention he suffered from PTSD and also had a temper. How can I trust somebody like that after I have not even met you, slept with you, spent a single moment of time together? Maybe when we did meet things would've been different. I don't know where my life will be in 2 years but I am also not asking you to come here and you possibly hate it here & then completely dismantle your entire life there! I wanted this person but I could not provide him with opportunities. I started to feel like I was his way out of the UK.

When someone starts telling you, how do you feel about traveling in an RV for 2 months and like your friends coming to visit you from back home, you can't help but start to feel a certain type of way. And then the thought of you starting your business back up here and meeting someone new and then leaving me. That's the issue with these UK guys. You will come here, I'll provide you with a better life and yet you will go and cheat on me and probably leave me for someone 10x better looking than me and then what?

It got so serious between us within those 5 days that I reached out to TLC to potentially do 90 day fiancé---before the 90 days.

It was all a really tough pill to swallow but at the end of the day, I could not provide a home for you and YOU gave up and couldn't deal with my "inconsistencies." If you really cared you could've said well you know what I think that is a better idea, I am not sure how we will manage to do that but we will figure it out because you're right... I can't just move in with you, your son and your family. There is barely going to be room for me... in my own home, where do I put you? That's why when I got on this dating app, I put long-term relationship, lets chat and see where this goes.

I can't help it but I love rare things. I love rare people. Rare Animals. But then again who doesn't? I guess people that don't just like simple. While I do love simple, simple can get quite boring. I want a friend or friends in different places. Experiencing new cultures and different humans keeps life interesting. I just don't want to be looked at as an opportunity.

With that being said... I hope someday we get to reconnect properly with different intentions.

[themultifandomgal]

Shelby Clan (Platonic)- Secrets Pt1

Trigger warning! Abuse

I'm sat in my living room on the sofa nervously waiting for my fiancé to come home, the worst time of the day. For any other woman it should be their favourite time of the day because they get to see their other half, but for me the best time of the day is when he leaves for work. Why? because I know I'm free for the day, I'm free to be happy and not worry about when the next hit is going to be. James walks through the door, brief case in hand

"Pack your bags" he says to me

"Why?" I frown getting off the sofa and over to him to take off his coat

"Because I have business in Birmingham tomorrow. We're going to be there for a week"

"Why aren't I just staying home?" I ask timidly

"Because I don't fucking trust you" he replies. I stay silent not wanting to cause a fight between us. James looks at me as if he's waiting for me to respond to him "so your not denying that you'd go and sleep with the next bloke you saw" I frown at James

"Wha-how did you... huh? how did you get to that conclusion"

"YN don't start another fight" James sighs "I'm tired"

"I'm not starting a fight"

"Yes you are! that's all you ever do"

"You know what. I'll go pack and then I'm going to bed before this gets worse"

"No your not walking away from me" James grabs my wrist, another bruise to add to ones I already have

"James just let me go"

"God you make me angry"

"I'm not trying to. Just let me go"

The next morning we arrive in Birmingham. We're now at a pub called the Garrison. James has gone to speak to a group of men leaving me at the bar alone... well he can see me. A woman with blonde hair walks over

"Tommy wants a whiskey, Irish" the woman speaks in an Irish accent

"Of course Grace"

"I haven't see you here before" the woman Grace speaks

"Yeah, just visiting"

"Visiting? you don't visit Small Heath"

"My fiancé has business with the Shelby family"

"Shelby? so your Mr Thompson's fiancé"

"Guilty" I show Grace my ring but my sleeve slides down. Quickly I move my hand and pull my sleeve down

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing don't worry" James comes over, saved by the bell... well kinda

"Are you ready to go?" James asks

"Yeah. It was lovely to meet you Miss..?"

"Burgess, but please call me Grace"

"Look at this Mr Shelby our woman seem to be getting on rather well. I think this partnership may be an excellent idea"

"It is indeed" the man I'm guessing Tommy grunts while placing a cigarette in is mouth

"I'll see you soon YN" Grace smiles as I'm now being dragged out of the pub

"What did you tell her?"

"N-nothing. I was just showing my ring"

"You are going to be the death of me I swear YN. If you mess this deal up for me I'll fucking kill you got it?" James drags me back to our B&B leaving another bruise on my arm.

The end of the week soon arrives and in that time I have been getting close to Grace and a woman named Esme who is currently pregnant. I finish up putting makeup on to try and cover a bruise on my cheek

"You look like a whore take that shit off"

"If I do you'll see the bruise"

"Fuck" James sighs "I guess you'll just have to look like a whore then. Come on we're late" I slowly get up from the vanity and follow James out of our room and downstairs of the B&B. We get into his car and head over to the Garrison once again. Tonight the partnership between Shelby Company Limited and Thompson Company Limited will be sealed tonight "make sure you smile"

"Don't I always?" I mumble not really meaning to speak out loud

"What was that?" James grips my thigh digging his nails in

"Nothing. Sorry. I mean of course I will"

"Better" we arrive and get out of the car. Immediately I put on my best fake smile. From an outsiders perspective we look like the perfect poster couple, only if they all knew. We walk in, James goes straight to Tommy and the other brothers. I however find Grace and Esme

"YN you look stunning tonight"

"As so you Esme" I smile at the woman "you look beautiful Grace"

"Thank you. Polly will be here any moment with her son Michael"

"To bad your with James. Michael could do with a lovely lady by his side"

"Esme she's happy enough with James aren't you" Grace says, but I feel like she's trying to get me to say something about my relationship, she's suspicious. Grace saw another bruise on me the other day, I told her that I fell down some stairs, but she wasn't convinced

"Yes of course I am he's... the only man for me"

"Is that what you believe or is that what he tells you?" Polly now arrives with her son looking rather confused

"Excuse me?" I frown looking at Grace

"Tommy!" Grace calls towards her husband to be. Tommy walks over to us, James in tow "it's getting a little crowded in here for Esme"

"It is?" Grace nudges Esme "oh yeah it is" she nervously chuckles

"Yes so can we please relax in your privet room?"

"Yeah yeah. Just don't break anything or go through anything"

[ladyartemesia]

Since I'm in love with your writings and your taste in reading too. I know that your favorite is Brother's best friend or Best friend's brother, I would like for you to recommend me some of them please ❤️❤️🙏

꧁Brother’s Best Friend꧂

Clandestine by @junghelioseok is fantastic. Jeon Jungkook is the best friend of the reader’s slightly younger brother. He’s sexy and charismatic and DEFINITELY knows what he wants. The growth of his (clandestine) connection with the reader is utterly delicious. This one made me laugh and swoon.

Guarded by @xjoonchildx is basically legendary in my book. The lady in this story is not only Hoseok’s best friend’s sister—she is also his BOSS’s sister and by boss I mean mafia. This is the first installment in Ana’s amazing Rap Line Mafia Universe and it delivers on every level. Hoseok is tasked with protecting the boss’s sister after she is being threatened by sinister forces unknown and sparks fly.

Plums and Melons by @winetae is THAT FIC. The fic I just daydream about sometimes. It’s a fic about two people caught hard in eachother’s gravity. It’s so sexy and cerebral and the main characters are so hot. Jimin is just a guy trying to live his life, but whatever is brewing between him and his best friend’s sister is driving him insane. He wants to be a good guy, but she just isn’t playing fair.

Are You Sure? by @cutechim is such a swoon-worthy and touching piece of wonderful. I tell you I was MOVED. This is beautiful and emotional and EXTREMELY satisfying. Taehyung’s best friend has a sister who he has always secretly adored. When she comes to him and asks for some intimate experience, he isn’t strong enough to say no—not when she’s everything he ever wanted.

Drivers License and Detour by @gyukult is sweet and tender and just a fantastic coming of age story. The reader has been in love with her brother’s best friend, Park Jimin, for almost all of her youth... but what is going on in his head?It’s a tender story that really warms the heart. AND I am happy there is more coming. I would read about these two all day. She published the second part and oh my gosh it’s so incredibly perfect I could scream. This was just such a beautiful journey every step of the way.

Milestone by @1kook is probably one of the first brother’s best friend BTS fics I read and it is amazing. I adore it so much. Because Jungkook is your brother’s best friend he is there for every milestone in your life. But you’ve both grown up now and neither of you are kids anymore. It’s hot. Like really hot. Dialogue and set up are so sharp and fast paced I really loved every second.

Young God by @njssi is scorching hot smut with complicated feelings and warm revelations. You think it’s going somewhere and then it goes somewhere else and honestly it is so awesome the whole time. Jungkook was always your brother’s sweet little friend, but he’s returned determined to show you that he is all grown up.

Tease by @caiuscassiuss floored me. I loved it so much! I spent the whole story just squealing happily about everything. This story has it all. It’s scorching hot. It’s enemies-to-lovers. It’s Taehyung. Jungkook’s sister and Kim Taehyung do not get along AT all—so she decides to bring him to his knees by making him desperate for her. It’s a wild and completely awesome ride.

Wasabi by @ironicarmy is a classic. Hobi is a bad boy that Namjoon vehemently refuses to let near his precious baby sister. But love is too strong a force and soon Hobi and the clever object of his desire decide that some things are worth fighting for. It’s a really sweet story of facing challenges and relying on the people you love. Warm and fuzzy feelings abound, but it’s also super hot.

Forbidden by @btssmutgalore is a masterwork blueprint for this trope. Hobi is a carefree player who falls brutally for Taehyung’s sister. They two of them eventually give in to a VERY steamy series of secret encounters and feelings get very involved. This is hot, suspenseful, and emotionally satisfying. Excellent characterizations as well.

Prohibido by @personasintro is an office AU with a twist. Namjoon is not only her brother’s best friend, he is also her boss and the two of them have incredible chemistry. Watching them pretend that they’re not insanely attracted to each other is so endearing and hot. Reader is convinced her feelings are one-sided. It’s lovely and fun. Definitely a slow burn, but worth it.

Strawberry Kisses by @kimnjss is a fic that I devoured in one sitting and then re-read again immediately. Jeon Jungkook is a player who matches with a girl on a dating app and has no idea she is the sister of his revered mentor and close friend, Min Yoongi. I laughed. I cried. I GASPED OUT LOUD a bunch. It was a whole thing. This is a hybrid social media/written AU and it’s pretty much perfect.

Tempestuous by @ppersonna is so special to me because it was written at the very beginning of my friendship with Lindy. She was looking for requests and I was quick to request my favorite trope. Lindy is bae now and this fic she wrote is marvelous. You are forced to spend the weekend in the same house with your sexy arch-rival Taehyung who just so happens to be your brother’s best friend. Naturally snarky hotness ensues.

Off Limits @floralseokjin is basically a famous entry when it comes to this trope. It’s a Jin fic and Miss Jordan writes EXQUISITE Jin characterizations. There is a hint of mistaken (or unknown) identity in this one which makes it even more fun. Sparks fly between you and a devilishly charming Kim Seokjin at a party. You don’t find out until later who he really is—and why he’s off limits.

And finally I’ll recommend my own Brother’s Best Friend fic All I Want for Christmas is You featuring a charming Taehyung who falls for Jimin’s sister. Jimin basically blackmails his best friend into escorting his sister to several holiday galas. Tae and Jimin’s sister have never gotten along, but they soon discover (through multiple pranks and mishaps) that love (and desire) are out of their control.

Not Your Fairytale by @yeojaa is incredibly sweet and tender. Erin really does emotion so well and her Yoongi characterization is honestly so nuanced and brilliant. This story is about a girl who had her heart broken and instead of canceling the cake tasting she scheduled with her philandering ex-fiancé, she wrangles the tsundere best friend of her brother to pretend to be him.

Brother’s Best Friend by @bts-hyperfixation is a short and sweet moment between two people who have been fighting their attraction for each other. It is so hot and delicious I tell you. You’re in trouble and the person you call is probably the person you shouldn’t—but you aren’t the only one willing to take a risk tonight.

Off Limits by @kaddiiction will break your heart and put it back together again. This one was recommended to me by a reader and I cannot thank them enough. It is fantastic. Jimin is a player but he crosses the line when he begins a liaison with his best friend’s sister. Still there is far more to this situation—and Jimin—than meets the eye.

꧁Best Friend’s Brother꧂

Orectic by @gimmesumsuga is one of my favorite fics of all time. It is a hybrid fic where the reader is a cat hybrid and Hoseok is the brother of her best friend who comes to stay with her while her bestie is away... It is so tender yet SO HOT. I’m telling you I cannot even keep count of how many times I have read it.

Theophany by @ilikemesometaetaes was a JOURNEY. It made me so emotional. Like the story centers around art a lot, but let me tell you, this fic IS art. Jimin is just the man of my whole dreams in this piece as the brother of a former best friend with an irresistible allure. It is a coming of age story with the most beautiful twist. AND THE LOVE SCENE—oh my gosh I screamed it was so good. This story is just so so good.

Run by @neonlights92 is Jungkook’s story in the mafia universe I am COMPLETELY OBSESSED WITH. You don’t have to read the whole series to understand it (BUT YOU SHOULD). This is best friend’s brother meets arranged marriage and honestly it’s fantastic. Jungkook doesn’t do love and affection and being forced into an arranged marriage with his sister’s friend who has always had a crush on him is just a blow to his freedom... or is she? GAH! This story—like all the stories in this universe—is superb.

The Magic to Happiness by @readyplayerhobi is a best friend’s brother meets teachers AU meets Hogwarts AU. Now... all of those are top tier tropes so finding them together is like winning the lottery. Hobi was once just a skinny kid who had obvious heart eyes for you (his sister’s best friend) but now he’s tall and confident and really attractive. The magic of this story is evident in every word of the sweet relationship that blooms between these two.

Problem with You by @monvante is so sweet and kind of hilarious. I giggled so much! Jungkook is your best friend’s brother and he is kind of too perfect and too handsome and he’s always around and you hate him and he hates you... Right? When you cross paths with the infuriating Jeon Jungkook at your best friend’s wedding, you discover that you may have been wrong about a great many things.

Show Me Yours and I’ll Show You Mine by @ktheist is so so SO fabulous. I was obsessed with this (now complete) series from the very first installment. You and Tae are besties who have know each other since you were little kids, but lately Tae’s older brother Jin has been lookin mighty fine. Just how far can you push him till he breaks. And if he breaks.... what then?

This list is BY NO MEANS exhaustive. I just used it to compile some of my FAVORITES in this particular trope.

➪ IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER BROTHER’S BEST FRIEND FICS I SHOULD CHECK OUT PLEASE COMMENT (seriously please I love this trope so much) AND I WILL ADD THEM TO THIS LIST.

➪ Newer Additions are in PINK!

➪ Newest Additions are in BLUE