#MAY YOUR FOOD TASTE BETTER THAN USUAL AND YOUR DAYS BE WARM AND CHILLY

[theogonies]

headcanons: snow day

characters | sanji, roronoa zoro, nico robin, nami

content warnings | tooth rotting fluff, zoro's and nami's get a tiny bit suggestive

word count | 1k

winter holiday event masterpost

sanji

Predictably, Sanji can’t imagine any better way to spend a chilly day indoors than preparing a feasts’ worth of delicious food for his loved ones.

His winter menus are especially hearty, comforting, and of course, delicious. Stews, casseroles, roasts, fresh-baked breads and sticky puddings–all catered to your particular tastes and dietary needs. He’s well aware that winter can be a difficult time for many, so when it’s cold and dreary out, he focuses on creating dishes that will soothe your heart and warm your body.

Most of the time, Sanji can be rather territorial when it comes to working the kitchen; if you offer help, he’s likely to ask you to sit at the table and keep him company, safely out of the way. But with the holiday season keeping him busier than usual, you may find him a bit more welcoming when you offer a helping hand.

This goes double if the two of you are already close. Romantic that he is, Sanji can’t get enough of little intimacies like frosting cookies side by side with you, or spoon feeding you whatever soups and sauces he’s working on to check the seasoning.

The chances of getting to lay your hands on one of his chefs’ knives are still slim to zero, though, so don’t get your hopes too high.

If you don’t share his culinary skills, there are other ways to spend time with him while he’s hard at work in the kitchen, too: decorating the dining room for a feast with the rest of the crew later that night, for example, or simply keeping him company. It doesn’t take much more than your presence to make Sanji happy.

roronoa zoro

Zoro doesn’t like to break his routine if he can help it, so snow days aren’t really different from any other day to him.

Even when it’s bone-chillingly cold and snowy out, you can find him on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, half-dressed and going through his morning stretches.

Try to entice him back inside all you want. Trying to persuade Zoro to do something he doesn’t want to do is a Sisyphean task, but he’ll be charmed by your concern, even if he doesn’t express that. Outwardly, it’s much more likely for him to brush you off. If he’s feeling generous, he might even explain that training in sub-optimal conditions helps him build discipline.

Post-workout naps are an entirely different matter. While he prefers lazing around on the deck, when it’s cold, he’ll make do with his bunk or other secluded and warm areas around the Sunny.

He may not look or act like much of a cuddler, but when he’s not working himself to the bone, Zoro is extremely physical in his affection, so there aren't many things he loves more than napping together.

Catch him at the right moment, offer him a pile of blankets and pillows, a fire in the hearth, maybe even some steaming mugs of whiskey or cider, and he’ll be like putty in your hands.

And of course, if you’ve got ideas for some other ways to warm him up, he’s all ears.

nico robin

As an archaeologist, Robin is no stranger to adverse weather conditions like this, especially following her time fighting in the revolution on Tequila Wolf.

Bad weather is a common occurrence out at sea, but proper snowy days like this are hard to come by, let alone take full advantage of. So when Robin has the chance, she likes to get outdoors in the snow, whether that means winter sports like skiing and snowboarding or more relaxed activities like sledding and snowshoeing.

Ice skating dates are a favorite of hers. It comes quite easily to her thanks to her natural elegance and grace, and with the help of the Hana Hana no Mi, there’s no need for you to worry about having a hand to brace yourself against or catch you if you fall.

Snowy days are also the perfect opportunity to pull Robin out of her more reserved persona. She loves childish activities like making snow angels and snowball fights–although she may fight a little dirty in the latter, acting uninterested only to nail you in the back with a perfectly formed snowball as soon as your guard is down.

She especially enjoys building snowmen. Chopper and Luffy often join in with her on this, but while their sculptures tend to be more goofy and “creative” in nature, Robin is a genius when it comes to putting whatever materials are at hand to use in creating some of the cutest snowmen you’ve ever seen. Snow kittens, snow mice, snow bears–anything soft and fluffy will do.

Once you’re both nice and tired, she’ll pull you indoors for a mug of hot tea and a nap, preferably curled up by the fire.

nami

Nami prefers to take advantage of the snow from indoors; why sacrifice warmth and comfort when the wintry scenery is just as beautiful through the windows?

Her energy tends to be lower in the cold, so her favorite way to spend a winter morning is curled up with you in bed. Waking up slowly, watching the snow outside as you wrap the blankets tighter around yourselves and keep each other warm with your body heat–all the ingredients of a perfect winter morning to Nami.

When (and if) you can drag her out of bed, though, she becomes a master at creating the perfect cozy atmosphere; lots of blankets and pillows, a crackling fireplace, and your favorite warm drinks are a given.

If you’re up for it, she also loves snuggling up while you both indulge in quieter, independent activities like reading, drawing, or knitting.

Once she’s a little more awake, Nami becomes a little more open to things that require more active involvement. If there’s a town close enough, she loves shopping for gifts (although she tends to end up buying more for herself than others–it’s the thought that counts!)

A personal favorite winter activity of hers is getting massages, or paying a visit to saunas and hot springs. Nami works hard in her day to day routines as a Strawhat, so enjoying the warm and calming atmosphere while feeling her sore muscles loosen and relax is a win-win in her books. Even better if it’s an opportunity to share an intimate moment with you.

[cuisinecravings]

Does Bacon Go Bad? Complete Guide on How to Check?

Does Bacon Go Bad? Bacon is a tasty meat that is frequently eaten with breakfast. Bacon packages are often larger in size, which may provide some issues when attempting to preserve for an extended period of time. Does bacon spoil? Yes, bacon spoils, but it takes a long time if it's frozen. Frozen bacon has a shelf life of six to eight months. Uncooked bacon can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks to one month if kept at a constant temperature. An open pack of bacon has a shelf life of seven days. Cooked bacon, on the other hand, may be kept in the fridge for five days and frozen for two weeks.

Does Bacon Go Bad

How to Store Raw Bacon and How Long Does Raw Bacon Last

When you get your favorite packet of bacon home from the supermarket, it is critical that you store it quickly so that the temperature does not change. Does Bacon Go Bad Keeping the bacon at a constant temperature is the greatest way to prevent bacteria from growing and causing it to spoil faster than it should. Bacon can be stored in two ways, and how long it lasts in the fridge or freezer depends on whether or not the bag is opened. Fridge Never keep an unopened pack of bacon in the pantry or cupboard. When stored in the fridge, an unopened pack of bacon will last two weeks to one month. Does Bacon Go Bad Place the bacon in the meat drawer of your fridge for the greatest results. You should also keep an unopened pack of bacon in the back of the refrigerator to avoid being exposed to warm air every time you open the door. There is no need to eat the entire pack of bacon when you eventually open it. Bacon behaves differently than hamburger meat. An open pack of bacon will stay in the fridge for about a week. Keep track of when you opened the bacon and eat it within 7 days. If it's already the end of the month, it's usually better to fry the entire bacon pack and consume the cooked bacon over a few days. Freezer Some people like to buy multiple packets of bacon so they don't have to run out to the store every time you make breakfast. Does Bacon Go Bad Bacon that has been properly frozen and has not developed freezer burn will last six to eight months. So, if you have several packs of uncooked bacon in your shopping cart, put them in the freezer and they will keep for a long time. It is not a good idea to seal and refreeze a frozen packet of bacon once it has thawed and been opened. Refreezing and thawing meat destroys its texture, so the next time you thaw it, it will not taste as nice. It is preferable to boil the entire packet of bacon rather than refreezing unused raw bacon.

How Long Does Cooked Bacon Last and How to Store Cooked Bacon

You will have leftover bacon if you create a large serving of bacon or if someone is not hungry that day. Cooked bacon can be stored in the fridge or freezer, but they must be stored separately. Refrigerated cooked bacon: First, remove the bacon from the pan of fat and allow it to cool on a rack or paper towels. Does Bacon Go Bad Then, clean the bacon to eliminate any excess grease before placing it in a Ziplock bag or container. Bury the bacon beneath any items that are already chilly but not heavy enough to shatter the bacon. Cooked bacon keeps in the fridge for five days. To freeze cooked bacon, remove all extra grease from the slices so that the grease does not freeze with the bacon. After that, store it in an airtight food storage container. It is preferable to store it in a container so that heavier items do not crush the slices. Cooked bacon keeps in the freezer for two weeks. If you want to reheat cooked bacon from the fridge or freezer, you can either microwave it for 45 seconds or reheat it in a skillet for a minute.

How to Thaw Bacon From the Fridge

This section is only in case you forgot to remove the bacon from the freezer and place it in the fridge to frost overnight. It is not difficult to defrost bacon in less than one hour. Does Bacon Go Bad All you have to do is remove the frozen package of bacon from the freezer, lay it in a bowl, and cover it with warm water. The water should not be too hot to steam. The bacon should not cook inside the packaging. Dump out the warm water in the bowl and refill it with warm water when it becomes cold. Refill the basin with warm water as needed until the bacon is flexible.

How to Tell If Your Bacon Is Bad

Bacon, uncooked Because it is raw meat, a slice of uncooked bacon should be sticky when you pick it up. However, uncooked bacon should not be slimy. If the slice has too much moisture, there will be a white coating on your hand when you set it down; then it is too late. Does Bacon Go Bad Bacteria are already growing in the bacon, making you nauseated and perhaps causing food poisoning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOmzrdOf8dw The fragrance is another indicator of poor bacon. Raw meat has an extremely pungent and foul smell that you will never forget. Always smell uncooked bacon before cooking it, regardless of whether it came from the fridge or the freezer. Raw meat and raw fish should never smell like meat, especially when cold. There will be no need to touch or smell the bacon if it has been sitting in the back of your fridge for far too long. It will appear rotten. When bacon rots, it turns strange colors like blue, green, and even pink. So, if you see any of these colors on your bacon when you take it out of the package, toss it and wash your hands. Bacon, cooked When cooked bacon turns bad, it loses its color almost instantly. As a result, the vivid red and burned red colors on bacon will lighten, nearly to the point of turning pale. Does Bacon Go Bad Also, if cooked bacon is left in the refrigerator for an extended period of time, it loses its crunchiness. So, if you bite into bacon that is considerably softer than how you cooked it, it is too old to eat.

Conclusion

- Bacon, whether cooked or uncooked, can be kept in the refrigerator. - In the fridge, an unopened packet of bacon will keep two weeks to one month. - Raw bacon keeps in the freezer for six to eight months. - The raw bacon pack has a seven-day shelf life once opened. - Cooked bacon keeps for 5 days in the refrigerator and 2 months in the freezer. When raw bacon rots, it turns blue, green, or pink and develops a sour odor and slimy texture. - Cooked bacon loses its crispness and its color fades. Frozen bacon can be easily defrosted by periodically pouring warm water over it. Related Articles :- - Does Velveeta Cheese Go Bad? – Full Analysis - Does Nutmeg Go Bad? How to Know & Check? - Does Beef Jerky Go Bad? A Complete Guide - Does Kraft Mac and Cheese Expire or Go Bad? Full Guide - Do Nespresso Pods Go Bad? How to Know and Check? - Does Coconut Milk Go Bad? How Do We Know? Read the full article

[echo-of-sounds]

waking up

Small headcanons of how waking up with Aizawa, Toshinori, Hizashi, Fatgum, Gang Orca, and Hound Dog would be like.

Warnings: nothing incredibly explicit, but a couple of these talk about sex

Aizawa Shouta

Waking him up: Most days, Shouta wakes early. His body’s used to rising early, so it naturally does on the weekends as well, as much as he absolutely hates it. To make up for the early rising, he chooses to lay in bed until the absolute last minute. Your body is often his pillow while he stews about the oncoming day.

If you need to wake him, expect lots of pushback and grunts and swears. Watch out for his hands. They might try to pull you under the blankets, halting your attempts and keeping you tight in his arms. That would be great if his work didn’t start in ten minutes. To help, have coffee and a muffin ready. The quick breakfast drives him just enough to get up and get dressed.

Waking you up: Don’t expect anything romantic. The guy can barely wake himself. Shouta goes with an ‘easy’ shoulder nudge. It could turn into a shove or squeeze if you’re a heavy sleeper. He isn’t mean about it though. He has no want to be your rude awakening. 

When you’re both able to sleep in, free from any tasks and jobs and errands, Shouta’s mind forgets about waking up, more preoccupied with staying beside you. He loves, but won’t admit, how much he loves when you’re facing each other and you hold him in your arms. Lips press over your chest. Legs languidly rub against yours. Brush his hair with your fingers, kiss his forehead, and whisper him back to sleep. He’d stay snuggled together like that all day if you let him. And it’s easy to do just that once you see him finally sleeping restfully. 

Yagi Toshinori

Waking him up: Toshinori doesn’t get the necessary amount of sleep. He’s also a fairly light sleeper, and stress and anxiety keep him restless. On the off chance he isn’t woken up by you getting up, usually, all it’ll take is a shoulder tap. It’s better to wake him with a cup of green or ginger tea in hand. The warmth eases his mind. And he enjoys enjoying the morning drink beside you.

It’s seldom for him to spend an entire day relaxing. When it finally happens, just leave him be. You can hear him tossing and turning, but restless rest is better than none. Eventually, he may stagger into the living room with groggy eyes and a drowsy smile. Invite him to lay on your lap. As your fingers comb through his hair, he nods off, motionless and content under your care.

Waking you up: Toshi, no matter if you slept in and need to rush out the door, gently kisses your forehead, welcoming you awake. His chilly hands are a shock but his warm lips compensate for it. He nestles close, continuing his butterfly kisses over your shoulders and neck. Your weak, half-asleep laugh is one of his favorite sounds.

If you had a bad night or he’s in a particular mood, he makes your preferred breakfast before waking you. While it’s preparing, Toshi crawls over you and lovingly massages your back. His whispers of your beauty touch your ears. His kisses on your neck rouse you. The kneading travels lower and, when you roll over to return the kisses, skims into your underwear, softly stroking you for the perfect morning orgasm.

Yamada Hizashi

Waking him up: You’re going to have to be quite stern with Hizashi. He’s a heavy sleeper. An alarm doesn’t work that well. Sunlight doesn’t faze him. Use food. Bribe him. Egg Benedict with extra sausage always works like a charm. The smooches he gives you in thanks are also nice.

Sometimes his sleep isn’t the quality it should be. Fidgeting and hyperactivity keep his mind from fully resting. You can tell by his eyes when it was one of those nights. He’ll stumble out of the bedroom at six in the morning, barely able to focus (mentally and physically) on anything. Brew some chamomile tea, hunker down on the couch, and, hopefully, he’ll doze off, resting on your tummy.

Waking you up: An alarm clock is the best way to wake up, so you don’t have to deal with the rude awakening that is Hizashi. He belly-flops on the bed and shouts your name. The morning is supposed to be a cheerful time. But he doesn’t understand (or just really doesn’t listen/care) how some need a more peaceful alarm than him.

Rainy and snowy mornings are excellent for staying snuggled in bed together. The covers are only opened for bathroom breaks or a snack run. Other than that, you remain cuddled up, making out during the commercials of old cartoons and dumb B movies. 

Toyomitsu Taishiro

Waking him up: Taishiro always manages to wake up in a great mood. It’s kind of weird. You could pour water on him and he’ll bid you good-morning with a laugh. But don’t do that. He doesn’t deserve it, and it’s a pain to dry the sheets. The sweetest way is to climb onto his stomach and kiss him awake. He sighs into your mouth, mumbling he loves you.

Since he only has one job, he can sleep in much more than the other guys. That means you’re getting cradled and fondled all morning. His joyful mood rubs off on even the grumpiest person. His kisses comfort even the saddest person. And since he favors sleeping naked, the petting generally leads to morning sex. His lovable and attentive fingers play with you, however you so desire.

Waking you up: It’s normal for you to come to, or at least stir a little, when he gets out of bed. The shifting weight is very noticeable. But it’s easy to adjust to. If he ever accidentally fully rouses you, he hushes you to sleep by stroking your head and softly whispering a lullaby. Despite his voice not being topnotch, it’s deep and soothing, ideal to drift off to.

Every once in a while, Tai treats you to a big breakfast. The smell of perfectly sizzled bacon and rising pancakes drifts into the bedroom, waking your stomach before your brain. And by God, his pancakes are immaculate: golden brown, round, fluffy, and buttery. They’re topped with peanut butter and drizzled in real maple syrup. It’s to die for.

Gang Orca

Waking him up: Kugo doesn’t sleep in. Once it hits five in the morning, he’s up. He enjoys the quiet time, watching the sunrise, and drinking coffee while reading a book. If he isn’t awake by the time you are, something’s wrong. He’s either sick, recuperating after a strenuous fight, or having an off mental day.

Don’t disturb him. Simply lay with him. He may wake from your touch, but it’ll also lull him back to sleep. Whatever he’s struggling with is alleviated with your presence. The covers are a small sanctuary that only you two get to experience. 

On the rare chance Kugo has the day off and chooses to stay in bed, he lifts you onto his chest. The downtime together is savored. It’s okay that you’re sleeping through it. Feeling your body, watching your face, and hearing your breathing is more than enough. Whenever you begin to rouse, he holds you close, stroking your back, assuring you your morning is as calm and gentle as can be.

Waking you up: Most often, you’ll need to rely on an alarm clock. Kugo’s out the door and working before you need to get up. Days when he’s home, he turns off the alarm and runs his fingers over your forehead and cheeks, calmly greeting you as your eyes flutter open. Your sleepy smile at him warms his heart. It keeps him coming back to you every morning, tenderly waking you for another day.

Hound Dog

Waking him up: This is a chore. If Ryo doesn’t want to get up, Ryo doesn’t get up. You can try ripping off the covers, rolling him over, bouncing on the bed, and playing loud music. He just doesn’t care. Like Hizashi, the easiest way is to draw him out with food. The instant you step through the door, carrying breakfast burritos stuffed with eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, salsa, and a plethora of vegetables, he’s bounding out of bed. 

Another surefire way is to give him a blowjob. His hormones are akin to a teenager. Morning wood is common and sucking him off, riles him up. The arousal overpowers any sleepiness.

Waking you up: Ryo enjoys licking your cheek. The sudden wetness is plenty to wake someone up. And it tickles as he nibbles behind your ear, especially with his cold, twitching nose. The more reluctant you are to wake up, the more his tongue prods. Don’t make his fingers join in. 

Ryo isn’t a snuggly guy, so snuggly mornings don’t happen often. Soak it up when your waist remains bundled in his arms. He’s big and warm and superior to any giant teddy bear. You may feel an occasional lap of his tongue. Your natural taste is the strongest in the morning, and he wants to lap up all of it. Your smell is similar. It’s possible it’ll draw his licking downward for the full experience, leading to sleepy, relaxed morning sex.

[costellos]

a/n: the Crusaders have a very special place in my heart during the holidays. I finished Part 3 around this time last year, and things were a lil rough then. as a result, I wanted to focus on happier things for this year! so without further ado, here are ya fav globe-trotting boys and their fav holiday traditions.

tw: mentions of death and alcohol in Polnareff’s section.

❥ ┋ ❝ stardust crusaders & their favorite holiday traditions to do with you!

joseph joestar.

Joseph’s favorite holiday tradition is putting up Christmas lights.

the eldest Joestar is really obnoxious when it comes to holiday traditions. while he loves them all, he has a particular affinity for decking out his house in elaborate light displays. it brings him a lot of good memories from when Holly and Jotaro were still young.

that said, he has to get you involved in helping him. he pulls out the biggest boxes from storage and drops them at your feet. despite his being a literal millionaire, it feels very... suburban. not that you mind. you knew exactly what you were getting into when it came to Joseph. that childish zeal for everything keeps you on your toes, and while putting up lights may not be the most fun activity in the world, his boisterous laugh makes you think otherwise.

Joseph’s smiling ear-to-ear as you help him, especially when you set up an LED wire reindeer without his help. but nothing will top that toothy grin when you’re standing side-by-side, right in front of the house, and he plugs in the displays.

the house erupts into a flurry of colors ― blues, reds, whites, greens ― too many for you to count. that LED wire reindeer comes to life, with its head slowly rising and falling. and the trees, all laced with bulbs that mimic stars more than tacky lights from Home Depot, twinkle and dance to the displays around them. it’s beautiful. (and like him, a little obnoxious.)

you feel an arm wrap around your shoulder, pulling you to Joseph’s enormous figure. though his smile is unwavering, his gaze isn’t on the house in front of you. no, it’s on you yourself. for all the sweat and effort you both put into this, his attention still falls back to you. ↳ “haha! there you have it. you have a real knack for this, kiddo. couldn’t’ve done it without you. ...now let’s go back inside, I can’t feel my damn fingers...!” 

muhammad avdol.

Avdol’s favorite holiday tradition is drinking hot chocolate.

though he doesn’t celebrate Christmas, Avdol enjoys the traditions that come with it for you. his personal favorite is drinking something hot after a long day. Cairo may be in the desert, but it still gets quite chilly at night!

he usually opts for tea in the evening (masala chai being his favorite), but he’s starting to warm up to hot chocolate. while American hot chocolate is far too sweet for him, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a little cinnamon makes it more tolerable.

it’s become something of a challenge to get him to drink hot chocolate. it’s not his first choice. sure, he’ll still drink it if you offer, but you’re quick to notice that small grimace as he takes his first sip. you’ve taken it as a sign to make something delicious for him. so you go back to the basics: cayenne and cinnamon. considering Avdol’s distaste for overly sweet foods, you opt to make the beverage out of semi-sweet chocolate. mix it all together with some warm milk, add a cinnamon stick and some nutmeg at the top, and you’ve got the key to Avdol’s heart.

you place it proudly in front of him. this has to be it. you know him well enough to recognize his tastes. yet when he rests his mug against his lips, taking that first sip... you can’t read him. his features are still. 

truth be told, it’s exactly the kind of drink he’d love. damn. you nailed his tastes a little too well. but he's not going to admit defeat. seeing you try so hard to impress him in a desperate attempt to share your culture with him... it’s heartwarming. he doesn’t want it to end. so he sends you a click of his tongue, a sly grin, and the shake of his head. ↳ “it tastes much better, but I think something is missing... why don’t we try to find it together?”

jotaro kujo.

Jotaro’s favorite holiday tradition is eating Christmas cake.

Christmas cake is just a strawberry shortcake. it’s a simple dessert, something that most Japanese families eat around the holidays. Holly’s become a master at baking it. and while Jotaro doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, he loves Christmas cake.

the only thing he loves more than Christmas cake is his family, though he’d never admit it outwardly. he has a lot of fond memories of eating Christmas cake right after dinner. sometimes if he behaved well enough Holly would sneak him a slice before then. even now he gets a warm feeling seeing all his favorite people together, sharing the fruits of Holly’s kitchen labors.

and because he’s dating you, you’re one of those people, too. the invite is casual; he makes it sound like you can come if you have nothing better to do. so of course you come. you show up at his house, smile in tow, eager to celebrate with him and his own family. (but let’s be real, Holly has adopted you as one of her own ― his family is as much as yours now.)

that same warm feeling creeps up on him as he watches you and Holly bake the cake. you look so happy here, so natural, as if you were always meant to be a part of this household. he won’t smile back at you. no, if you catch him staring, he’ll just dip his head and turn away. you know by now that he’s happy too, however.

when it comes time to eat, Jotaro won’t say anything. he’ll let his mom, Joseph, and Suzie Q do their little pre-feast speech, rambling some bullshit about tradition and midnight Mass. but when he looks back at you, standing there at his side, that warm feeling bubbles in his stomach once more. you belong here. this is where you’re meant to be: right here, with him, placed so perfectly within his own family. ↳ “hey. you know you can come back whenever. being surrounded by all this noise is actually tolerable when you’re here.”

noriaki kakyoin.

Kakyoin’s favorite holiday tradition is exchanging presents.

though his family isn’t Christian, Kakyoin fondly remembers his parents exchanging presents every year. small things, tiny trinkets and letters to express their love for one another. as such, he’s always wanted to celebrate it with someone special. he’d be lying if he said he hasn’t romanticized the holiday.

as such, he’s beyond excited to celebrate it with you. he tries to keep his cool about the whole affair, but his eyes are bright and he refuses to let go of your hand as he pulls you through the streets of Tokyo.

the city is decked out in all sorts of light displays, from hanging icicles to flashy LEDs. mascots line the streets delivering candy canes with advertisements for local restaurants. the smell of chocolate is evident throughout every street you turn on.

but the city is only part of it. a big part of the date, yes, but Kakyoin has the finale all planned out. he brings you to a shrine outside of the hustle and bustle. it’s a bit of a hike and it’s dimly lit, though you figure that’s why no one else is up here. he sits you down on a short bench, short enough for you to be sitting shoulder to shoulder, gazing down at the city below. that’s when he gives it to you:

it’s a small gold box wrapped with a red ribbon. fancy, you think to yourself. with his teasing you to just open it, though, you get to work pulling apart the red ribbon. you’re not sure what to expect. Kakyoin’s not one for brands, nor does he like anything flashy himself. had he gotten you something like that...? yet when you open the box, what stares back is a cassette tape. of course. he’s far more thoughtful than you gave him credit for. ↳ “clichéd, I know. but every time I hear any of these songs, all I can think of is you. I can, ah... I can play it for you when we get back.”

jean pierre polnareff.

Polnareff’s favorite holiday tradition is shopping for presents.

shopping for presents is a melancholy activity. it was a tradition he had with Sherry, to go about the nearest market and pick out the best gifts for their family and friends. she’s been gone for a while now. even still, it hurts all the same.

he’s beyond thankful that he has you. you don’t try to get him to forget about her, but you also don’t let him to wallow in self-pity. you honor her memory, letting him reminisce about better times. likewise, you’re more than happy to accompany him on his shopping trip.

Polnareff is quiet for most of the trip. it’s uncharacteristic of him, and if you’re being honest, a little uncomfortable. though you know he’s doing his best to focus. you can tell from the way his gloved fingers stay laced with yours, his grip tightening just the slightest to remind you that he’s still present. 

you try to cheer him up by getting a spiced wine and offering to share with him. and. jesus christ. his eyes just light up. it’s that cute, couple-y shit that he loves and you did it for him like it was nothing. from then on, Polnareff is a little less mopey. more lighthearted. the Polnareff you know and so deeply love, back at it with his high-spirited self.

he stops you when it’s time to return home. shopping bags rest in his grip, with the faintest tint of red on his upper lip from all the wine. you’re pretty exhausted ― both from shopping and trying to keep him happy ― and he knows this, yet he stops you nonetheless. it’s a quick affair, where he puts a simple, glass heart ornament in your palm, the date written in silvery letters. oh? he must have gotten it when you weren’t looking. ↳ “you’ve helped me a lot today. you know that, vérité? I just... want to remember this day forever.”

[exosmutfactory]

Six Phases 005 Pt 2

Who knew it nearly took 6 months to win your heart, and 6 phases for Baekhyun to lose his mind.

[ contains: romance, fluff, angst, & smut ]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  P(1) P(2) | Part 4 P(1) P(2) | Part 5 P(1) P(2) ✓ | Part 6 P(1)  P(2)

•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •

Orginally posted by sefuns

I'm starting to wonder when that talk will happen—if ever. It's been two weeks of us in the same dynamic as the start of our relationship. If I had known we would resort back to this point all those months ago, I would have left that night of our first kiss and never looked back. (Says this with my full chest as if my heart would allow such a thing. I'd just continue sitting and staring up at the ceiling with disappointment squeezing the mess out of my poor muscle).

A buzz pulls me from my miserable thoughts, turning my attention to my phone dangerously close to falling off the side of my bed. I catch it just before it tips over the edge.

//

I'm outside

1:30pm

//

Puffing my cheeks while sending a reply, I stand up from my pile of blankets. Temporary safe haven left for my return in a few days.

Smoothing out the fabric of my blue jeans, I move to slip into my simple black and white converses; making sure my phone and charger are safely tucked into my silver purse. Taking one last look around the room still containing Jenny's messy array of clothes on her bed, my lips quirk up into a quick smile. Some things never change.

Choosing to go down the stairs today, I make sure the door is locked behind me; shoving my hands into the pockets of my dark gray hoodie with quick strides. The hallways are packed with students preparing to leave for the long weekend as well. A few barely familiar faces waving me farewell.

I slip through the door someone carelessly walked out of moments before, not even to look back to check if anyone else was coming out in their haste. I’ve hit my face a couple of times from instances like these. Never again.

Shaking my head, I pick up my pace at the sight of a familiar shiny black Audi parked out in front. The visual of Baekhyun's form clad in a black t-shirt, white hoodie, and an off-white coat leaning against the expensive car is nearly enough for my heart to stop. And the smile he sends my way could melt me into a puddle all together. "Hey." His voice is tentative like the hand that gently tucks hair behind my ear.

"Hi," My voice is barely above a whisper as he moves to open the passenger door, the way his brown eyes watch me has my own shyly lowering to his ripped blue jeans; carefully maneuvering around his brand new multicolored gray shoes to step into the car. I take a peek at him walking around to climb inside as well; smiling at his little shiver when he opens the door in wake of a chilly breeze.

"You're not bringing anything?" He inquires once he’s settled in the driver's seat, looking over at me while the engine purrs to life.

I simply shake my head, observing how the colorful trees pass by the window, turned into an array of different hues in the wake of the best season there is; Fall. It may only be the beginning of September, but the signs are all there. Late sunrises, chillier nights, and the scattering of fallen leaves across the ground. The season of pleasant walks without the hinder of bees, sneezing fits from pollen, or the unmerciful heat of the sun.

We barely say a word as the rest of the world flies by, but there is less tension in the car. I hesitate a bit before reaching for the stereo, pausing when Baekhyun beats me there; turning the radio to our favorite station with a knowing smile.

It's about a 3-hour commute from campus to my home. Tall innovative buildings gradually morphing into more humble structures; brick walls versus floor to ceiling windows.

I direct Baekhyun down a few back roads that his GPS struggles to navigate, taking pleasure in how his eyes widen the moment we pull up to the house. "Whoa…"

Rose bushes I helped my grandmother plant are still in full bloom out front in the spacious yard; ruby reds and pretty pinks basking in the unshy sunlight beaming from above. The familiar scent of freshly cut grass greets my nose the moment I step out of the car, glancing back at Baekhyun when he goes to retrieve his duffle bag from the backseat.

"Baby!"

Spinning back on my heel, I open my arms on instinct, receiving a tight hug from a fast moving small person with a quiet ‘oof!’ "Hi Mom." I mumble through my restricted breath, her short hair tickling my chin.

She pulls back a bit in realization, grinning sheepishly up at me before her brown eyes flicker somewhere behind me, hardening into that classic protective mother bear look. "You sure haven't been calling much this week."

"I was busy," I try to justify, a slight whine in my voice that seems to startle Baekhyun. The loud thud of what I assume is his head hitting the roof of the car makes us both turn to him. He's gingerly rubbing the back of his head, the expression of a kid being caught doing something they shouldn't on his reddening face.

"Busy, huh?" Her eyes narrow in suspicion.

"Yep! I had a few assignments to finish up in advance," I chirp; mindful to keep the nervousness out of my voice, easing her up a little as Baekhyun carefully makes his way over to us. My hand comfortably slips into his despite the swarm of butterflies in my stomach under her watchful stare. "Mom, this is Baekhyun." Peeking over at him, I look back to her, motherly instinct still visible in her eyes. "Baekhyun, this is my mom."

"Hello, Mrs. Parker," His tone is similar to the one he uses when greeting associates; calm, respectful, and observant of her fiercely yet wary mannerisms while sliding the duffle strap further up his shoulder before holding out his hand to her.

She squints down at his hand, meets his eye, and grips his hand for a firm handshake; pops of his bones being squeezed audible to all our ears. "Mr. Byun." After one last look to size him up, she swiftly turns away.

"Did I ever mention she's ex-military?" I whisper in his ear as she walks back up the short driveway leading to the house.

"No," He replies just as quietly with wide eyes, slowly flexing his fingers.

"Well then! Let's go," Holding his hand more firmly in mine, I venture after my mom, quick to catch the door before it closes behind her. "There's someone else you should meet."

"Your dad?" He inquires stepping over the threshold.

"Shoes go over there," I point to a rack stationed next to the large carpet that we keep in front of the door, slightly shaking my head. "No, men rarely enter this house."

His lips part along with the furrow in his brows, question at the tip of his tongue, "Wha-"

"Honey bear!" I turn just in time to be wrapped up in another tight hug, resting my free hand on their back. "Hi Grandma," My voice comes out muffled in her shoulder, the comforting scent of lavender and her shoulder-length salt & pepper hair tickling my nose.

She pulls back to look me over with a warm smile, sending the same sentiment Baekhyun's way before taking my other hand. "Come on, I'll whip up something for lunch."

Baekhyun's eyes light up a bit at the prospect, his shoulders losing tension as he neatly sets down his duffle bag on the couch, letting her lead us further into the house. A few family pictures on the wall catches his eye along the way. I gently cup his chin to distract him from the more embarrassing ones, why the hell is there a photo of me completely destroying my dinner in my high chair on the front wall!?!

"Grandma," I start the second we step into the kitchen, placing my hand on my hip, "What happened to the cream curtains?"

"In the closet," She lifts up the blinds of the blue-curtained window above the sink, making her way over to the refrigerator. "I forgot. We can put them back up later, have a seat."

Taking my designated seat at—arguably—the tail end of the rectangular table, I shoot a smile over at Baek settling into the seat to my right, sliding my hand back into his under the privacy of the autumn-themed tablecloth.

The distinct smell of chicken and relish reaches my nose, dragging my attention away from admiring the warmth of his brown orbs. "Grandma? Are you making chicken salad?"

Her reassuring hum makes me squeal a little, my gaze shifts back to Baekhyun when he lightly squeezes my hand, shooting me a fond smile. "Chicken salad?" He inquires, sparkly eyes full of curiosity.

I nod, softly playing with his fingers, "It's canned chicken, relish, and mayo."

His brow lifts a little, "I thought you hated mayonnaise?"

"I do," I mumble, sneaking a quick kiss to his cheek when no one is looking, feeling my heart leap a bit at the unexpected act of affection. "It tastes better than it sounds, trust me."

His cheeks redden, and even more so when mom's voice rings out in the quiet room.

"Kissing in the kitchen now, huh?"

"Mom," I weakly protest, hiding my red face behind my hand as Baekhyun directs his gaze to the tabletop. She swiftly enters the room with a teabag in hand, opening the fridge while Grandma stands by the countertop, mixing all the ingredients together.

"Perfectly fine," Mom comments, coming back out of the fridge with a small glass container in her other hand, walking over to our side of the table while cheekily adding, "Not in front of the food though."

"Kimberly," Grandma chastises, making her way over as well. Mom just sets down the dish with a playful smile, "I peeled you a few carrots when I heard you were coming."

"Really?" I perk up, receiving and thanking them for the food while Baekhyun shyly gives his gratitude as well; I can't help smiling at the bashful expression playing at his handsome features, looking totally out of his element. Who knew he'd be this reserved? It's cute.

"Here," I quickly retrieve a packet of crackers from the shelf stationed against the wall behind me, opening them up as Baekhyun looks over the food curiously. "We usually eat it with bread or crackers," I pause, taking a good look at him then, "Do you want bread instead?"

He lightly shakes his head, the motion causes his long hair to dangle into his eyes, creating an even more adorably shy expression on his cute face. It's hard containing my fond smile while giving him some crackers and scooping chicken salad on his plate. "We ate this often back in the US," I murmur, handing him the spoon before grabbing another. "Chicken salad. Sometimes with soup."

"She'd toast her bread," Grandma sits across from Baekhyun, digging into her own small portion of tuna salad; the potent smell of onions filling the air.

"And drown it with mustard," Mom mutters, phone in one hand and steaming cup of ginger tea in the other. "She puts that shit on everything, I swear."

"Hey!" I shoot them both a mock look of betrayal as she takes the remaining seat, setting her phone neatly on the table. "Why must you two gang up on me?"

"Gotta make sure he knows what he's getting himself into," She mumbles, sipping her tea, turning to face Baekhyun then. "Does she still leave leftovers if it's more than a sandwich?" She inquires, eyeing him evenly. "And her eyes sparkle at the mention of ice cream?"

"Ah, well…" He falters, eyes briefly flickering to the ceiling, a thoughtful expression on his face. A little smile forming on his lips before looking her way again. "Actually, yes." He utters softly, sparkly orbs peeking over at me.

I start taking a bite out of my meal with my hand blocking them from view, pretending as if they—and myself—are not here.

"Still got the appetite of a little kid." Grandma chuckles, glancing over at me while spooning tuna on her bread. "How is Sehun doing, sweetie?"

The shy feeling in my chest eases away. Perking up at the change of topic, I chirp, "Great! His gym is going well, and he just moved in with his lover into a new apartment.~"

"Really?" Her smile is visible even from her blue eyes alone, aged hand brushing away wild strands of salt and pepper hair from her forehead. "That's good, I'm glad."

Mom makes a noise over her cup of tea, arching a brow as she utters lowly, "Y'all not thinking of moving in together are you-"

"Mom!" I shake my head, waving my hands around. "No, no. We're not at that point-"

"We're not?" Baekhyun mumbles, a petulant tone to his quiet voice.

We all fall silent at that, wordlessly looking at him. My blush dying down in an instant.

"Ah, Kim," Grandma pushes away from the table, sandwich clutched in hand. "I need help with that thing I told you about earlier."

"Thing?" Mom's brows furrow, pure confusion on her face, "What thing-"

"The thing," Grandma emphasizes, urging her to stand, already leading the way out of the kitchen. "Let's leave the lovebirds to their meal, they must be tired from their journey." She throws her arm over Mom's shoulder as she continues to grumble in confusion, glancing back at us with knowing blue eyes as they turn the corner and flashing a wink.

I relax back in my chair, sinking down a little with a shaky sigh. Heart jumping at the fingertips tentatively searching for my hand.

"You good?" Baekhyun murmurs, warm breath caressing my cheek.

"Yeah," My eyes lazily drift back over to him. The dazed look in his eyes makes me straighten up, "I should be asking you that. You okay?"

He hums, dabbing his lips with a napkin. Crescent moon eye-smile giving away the hidden curl of his lips. "I'm a little surprised, is all." He murmurs.

"Really?" My eyes widen, heart-squeezing uncomfortably in my chest. "W-Why?"

"You," Baekhyun mutters, setting down the napkin. Slender index finger smoothing out the furrow between my brows, "You're a spitting image of your mom and a carbon copy of your grandma..." He tilts his head, brown orbs twinkling thoughtfully; a little smirk forming on his lips, "With a dash of rebel spirit."

"Yah," I complain, batting his hand away from pinching my cheek. He isn't wrong though, I only let my mom boss me around. And even then, I always find loopholes within the rules she sets out for me. Thanks, Grandma. But it's hard playing the role of a good daughter with him around. Do I behave like the person he knows or the one he hasn't seen? This weekend will be full of testing the waters, it seems...

Baekhyun just chuckles, going back to his meal.

"Do you wanna go somewhere?" I mumble after a few minutes, holding a cracker topped high with salad and carefully cupping it with my other hand while stuffing it in my mouth.

Baekhyun hums, brown eyes shifting from the last few bites on his plate to focus on me. "Where do you wanna go?" His words come out muffled, cheeks adorably stuffed with food.

"There's this nice park in town," Neatly tucking our leftover crackers into a sandwich bag to keep them fresh for later, I add, "It has biking trails, a playground, and a mini water park-"

"Your stomach hurts if you walk too much after eating," Baekhyun raises a brow, swallowing the rest of his food. "And you hate getting your hair wet."

"I know!" It's hard containing my smile. I'm flattered that he remembered such trivial things. I rest my head on his shoulder and hug his arm, looking up into his sparkly brown eyes. "We could go swing for awhile?~"

Baekhyun looks me over for a long moment, lips quirking up as he reaches to dab the corner of my lips with a napkin as well. "Okay," He mumbles, adding fondly. "Only for you."

I bite my lip to fight back another smile, stacking our empty plates and taking his hand. Gently setting them in the sink before leading him deeper into the house. "Mom? Grandma?"

"In here, honey."

Following the sound of Grandma's voice, I rest my free hand on the open door frame, peeking into her bedroom. Finding mom clicking around her old computer while she stands by the open window. "I'm gonna show Baekhyun around at the park, we'll be back for dinner."

"Okay, baby," Mom mumbles, brows furrowed in concentration. Grandma shoos us away with a little smile.

Smiling their way, I glance at Baekhyun, squeezing his hand before walking back out into the living room. We retrieve our shoes from the rack, slipping into them again. His quiet chuckles filling the room while steadying my wobbling body before I fall over; cursing gravity while struggling to pull on my right converse.

A few neighbors are out in their yards as we make our way to the car, some men that go to the same college I do. The sight of them and their cat-calls has me flinching, quickly hiding behind Baekhyun. Peeking with an embarrassed expression over his shoulder as he glares at them. I swear I've seen them at Jongdae's party… My face bursts into flames, even more so at the way Baekhyun gives me the side-eye as if he has a good idea of why they are like this as well.

I meekly climb into the Audi, gently closing the door behind me as Baekhyun starts the engine. Throwing his arm over the back of my seat while backing out of the driveway in an unfairly attractive manner. His brown eyes flicker over to me with a blank expression on his face. I just sink down as far as possible in my seat.

The ride to the park is dead silent, not even the radio is on to defuse the stifling tension in the air. I fight the urge to keep taking glances over at Baekhyun. His tight grip on the steering wheel is enough of an indication of the current mood he is in. What has him mad now? I don't know how much more of this I can take…

We finally arrive at the park, I slip out of the car the moment he pulls into a parking space. Not even waiting for him before venturing down a familiar walking trail. The sounds of his shoes hitting the pavement has me quickening my pace. Adrenaline fueling me forward.

"Riley!"

Nope nope nope. The last few weeks bombard me all at once, causing a lump to form in my throat along with the tight squeeze in my chest. I crouch down under the weight of my unrelenting thoughts, wrapping my arms around my knees. Why did I let him come home with me? How do I face them now when we are like this? One look at my face and they'll know everything.

/

"How do I know you were with her?"

The bitterness in his voice perfectly matched the cold of his dull eyes. The bite of his menace full words.

"You were out fucking Jongin."

/

My heart practically shatters, feeling pressure behind my stinging eyes. Will we always be like this? Are we just going to continue down this road of destruction until… until—

"Riley."

I flinch away from the hand resting on my shoulder, head snapping up to see him through blurry eyes. The concern written all over his face nearly enough to send me to tears.

"I told you not to push yourself," He mumbles, thumb gently swiping beneath my eye. Brown orbs a complete 360 from what they were earlier. "Come on," He urges, crouching down to my level, looking all over my person. "Let's go sit down. You wanted to swing, hmm? I'll push you."

I slowly nod, my stress ebbing away as he wraps his comforting arms around me, carefully pulling me up to stand. His distinct scent makes me soften further within his hold; my gaze focused on our respect shoes as he leads me toward the playground with his arm over my shoulders.

"No one is here today?" I look up at his question, briefly taking in the confusion on his face before sweeping my eyes over the vacant area. "Strange," My response is simple, hands shoved deep in the front pocket of my hoodie.

Baekhyun glances down at me, brushing his thumb over my jaw. "Pick which one you want, love."

Wordlessly moving away from the warmth of his embrace, I plop down into the swing I always go to when no one else is using it. The leather seat is visibly higher up from the ground than its twin, a fresh patch of lighter shaded dirt underneath. Less strain for me later when I try to stop myself instead of having to stretch my legs towards the dug-up ground. And white sneakers be damned, I need this.

The scent of vanilla tickles my nose, Baekhyun's lean form in my peripheral vision as I tighten my grip on the metal handles. Butterflies fluttering in my stomach while he pulls me back, my feet lifting off of the ground.

He gives me the lightest push forward, and I scoff, shooting him a glare. "You can do better than that, Byun."

His lips twitch, a mischievous glint in his eye while I'm swinging back towards him, tucking my legs to make sure my shoes won't dirty his jeans. His next push has significantly more strength behind it. I squeak at the croak of the old chains, laughing loud as I launch myself along with the motion; soaring towards the sky. There's nothing quite freeing like the weightless feeling that comes with swinging. Aiming higher and higher until the chains drop heavily under my weight on the way down. Nothing to worry about except the wind in your hair and falling out at a scary height.

"This is so fun!" I yell, beaming with bounds of delightful adrenaline; glancing over my shoulder at Baekhyun. My smile dims when he isn't there.

"Baek?.." I slow down to a stop, burying my converses in the dirt. Twisting around in my seat for any sign of the silver-haired man, a sense of panic steadily rising in my chest. Where did he go? He… didn't leave or anything, right? It's getting a bit harder to breathe.

"Baekhyun? Baek-" I yelp at the sudden tug on my swing, looking up at the man in front of me with wide eyes.

Baekhyun holds the eye contact with dark brown orbs, slowly pulling me closer until our foreheads touch, his breathing steady compared to my slightly labored one. He looks so eternal against the backdrop of the sun beginning to set. Stunning pink, purple, and orange hues framing around his heart-stopping features like the most beautiful portrait, painting him in a hypnotizing glow. The way his eyes constantly flicker down to my mouth makes me gulp, my face heating up against the cool fall air.

Baekhyun licks his lips, meeting my eyes before leaning in. I release a shaky breath, eyes fluttering shut at the brush of his soft pillows to mine, grip tightening on the old sturdy chains of the swing.

The kiss starts out soft, his lips tentatively moving with mine, but then the mood shifts. His hands grabbing my hips and my own tugging on his silver hair, our tongues battling for dominance in a knee-weakening dance. The loud clearing of someone's throat breaks us from our spell.

Baekhyun remains unphased, shamelessly taking his time to pull away with a wet smack of lips. "I think we have an audience, love." He chuckles, licking his bottom lip in a way that has my insides quivering. I avert my gaze from the stranger's heated glare, focusing on our dirty shoes instead.

Baekhyun tucks his finger under my chin, bright orbs twinkling in amusement. "Let's go?" He mumbles, raising a brow, holding his hand out to me.

I nod quietly, still a bit breathless as he helps me out of the swing, my shaky knees buckling under me. Baekhyun's hands rest with familiarity on my waist, holding me up as I struggle to get my legs working properly again. His naturally addictive scent and alluring eyes don't help my current situation at all. Do I ever get a break from falling for this man? Literally!?

"Let's get you home before your mother skins me alive," He murmurs humoredly, his brown eyes alight, leading our way back to the car.

The smell of fried fish greets us at the threshold of the door. I perk up at the sound of boiling hot cooking oil, hastily slipping out of my shoes. Leaving Baekhyun to neatly place them back on the rack while running to the kitchen. "Grandma, you didn't!~"

"Grab a plate." She chuckles, setting a fresh batch of fish in a serving tray. The sight of fries and home-made onion rings making my eyes widen in glee. I skip over to the sink to wash my hands, quickly getting two plates from the high cabinets and heading to the stove to grab the desired pieces of fish. Setting a few of the biggest ones on Baekhyun's blue striped dish.

He joins us at the stove with washed hands just as I'm biting into an onion ring, pressing a kiss to my temple with a little hum. "Careful, baby!" He exclaims as I fan my burnt mouth, catching the ring in his palm before it can fall to the floor.

"Same little Riley," Mom shakes her head, handing me a cold glass of water with a pacifying hug.

"I'm not little!" My words come out weird around my throbbing tongue, wildly gesturing between our height difference as Baekhyun chuckles, taking our plates to the table. Grandma shortly joins in on the embrace, "Hush and go eat your food."

"That's what got me into this predicament in the first place," I grumble, wiggling away after a few moments.

We all take our seats, respective plates containing appetizing food. No one cooks Southern delicacy quite like Grandma. I swear, give her fresh meat or cans of anything and she can create a masterpiece. My mouth is salivating just at the thought of the perfectly seasoned meal in front of me. Baekhyun's knowing look keeps me from taking a bite of the steaming fry held carefully between my nails. Right, a repeat of a few minutes ago isn't the wisest idea. I set it back on my plate with a pout.

"Ooh~ she went for the onion rings again." Mom teases, drawing everyone's attention to me reaching for the ketchup bottle. "Expect to get a few mouthfuls of seconds," She continues, amused eyes drifting over to Baekhyun.

"Here," Grandma breaks off a few paper towels, handing them to me. I take them shyly, carefully breaking my pieces of fish in half, "Picky little eater. She gets it from her mom." She gestures to the other end of the table, Mom pausing mid-break of her fish.

"I like to know what I'm eating," She justifies, munching on a fry, "Can you hand me the mustard, baby?"

"Mmhm!" I stretch with the yellow bottle across the table, starting to stand up to walk around to her side instead when Baekhyun gently takes it from my hand, politely giving it to her.

Conversation flows easily after that. Both of them taking turns asking Baekhyun questions regarding his work and home life. I watch them carefully, swiftly steering the conversation away from a handful of embarrassing childhood memories. No way in hell I'm letting him hear any of that. My gaze shoots down to my plate, the last little half of my fish makes me wince at the thought of eating anything more. Realizing this, I shyly tug on Baekhyun's shirt, trying to inconspicuously get his attention, "Baekhyun…"

"Hmm?" His cheeks are puffed up with the last of his food, the attentive look in his eyes makes me bashfully lower mine.

"Do you want the rest of my food?" I meekly utter, worrying my bottom lip.

He chews a few times, swallows the food in his mouth, and dabs at his lips with a napkin before leaning to kiss my forehead, flashing a reassuring smile at me. "Yes, baby."

"Do you know she's afraid of the dark?" Mom sips her drink, grinning knowingly my way. Oh no.

Baekhyun hums thoughtfully, shaking his head. "No, she never mentions when she stays-" My muffled squeal draws his eyes back to me, innocent orbs widening, "Over."

Mom faces me then, "Do you need-"

"I'm sleeping with the lights on, yes," I interject, not missing a beat. A few decent nights of rest is needed before my first day of work on Monday. The thought alone makes me shiver. Why do I have to do this adulting shit again?

"See?" She complains, a whine to her loud voice. "I can't get her to sleep with them off for the life of me!"

"Scary stuff happens in the dark! You've said it yourself!" I rebuke just as dramatically, hands firmly planted on the table. Grandma and Baekhyun just laugh watching us.

"Lights out and sharing leftovers…" She mutters, idly swirling the contents in her glass, a little smirk hinting at whatever flustering thing she will say next. "When's the wedding?"

I seek an escape within my folded arms on the table, hanging my head in mock defeat as harmless laughter echoes around the room.

///

I insist on helping them with the dishes after dinner, Baekhyun being shooed out the room by Grandma and fixed with a stern stare from Mom. He goes on to take a shower while sheepishly ruffling his hair.

"So..." Mom gives me the side-eye, hands deep in soapy water. "You've been dating this man for a year and haven't made a peep about him-"

"Half a year!" I clarify, mindful of her disapproving tone while wiping at the damp plate with a brown square pattern dish towel in my hands. Listening carefully to make sure the shower down the hall is still running before lowering my voice. "Plus I wanted to make sure he was worth mentioning, Ma," I whine, shrinking back at the stern look she gives me. "Or bringing home…"

"Well, he seems like a nice young man," Grandma inputs, neatly setting dried plates up in the cabinets.

"Sure..." Mom mutters, handing me a glass, going back to washing the dishes. I send Grandma a grateful look over her shoulder, she just winks at me.

"Riley?" Baekhyun's gentle voice breaks through the quiet atmosphere of swaying water and silverware clinking together. I glance over my shoulder, turning fully at the sight of his hair dripping non-stop onto his black t-shirt. "Baek, what have I told you about drying your hair?" I tsk, walking over with quick strides. Pulling the towel hanging around his neck and reaching up to gently dry his silver locks. "It's not good for your health or your dyed hair." I can't help but grumble, carefully detangling the delicate strands. "Are you tryna get sick or go bald?"

"No..." He mumbles, head tilted down as I smooth out his hair.

"What am I gonna do with you…" I sigh, resting my hands on his shoulders, taking in the sheepish expression on his face. My weak heart softens, "Will you be alright out here for the night?"

He nods, putting the towel back around his shoulders, "It's not my first time sleeping on an air mattress."

My lips quirk up a little, sending him an apologetic look. An all-women house means all women rules—no men are allowed in our rooms in the rare instance they stay over. For good reason too, I'd throw a fit if either Mom or Grandma pulled that shit—keep your relationship business out of my earshot!!! For fuck sake.

I follow Baekhyun over to the mattress in the middle of the living room floor, stacked high with some of my own pillows. (The watchful stare I received from mom while tugging them out of my room… Worth it). And a thick comforter. It's that odd time of year where it's late to turn off the air conditioner yet too soon to switch on the heat. Subjecting us to many cold nights and hot mornings.

"You can kiss, we won't look," Mom's teasing tone floats from the kitchen doorway, Grandma not too far behind. The noise of protest I squeak out is too high pitched for my own ears, nearly jumping off my perch at the edge of the bouncy mattress.

Baekhyun laughs in that adorable way of his, cheeks rosy and eyes twinkling in delight as he wraps an arm around my waist. I hide my red face in his broad shoulder instead.

My family heads to sleep early for the night, lucky with being able to venture to the realm of dreams just as their heads hit their pillows. Must be nice, it takes hours of endless social media scrolling to catch up with friends before I can think of catching a wink of rest. Sehun sends me a meme so damn ridiculous I have to muffle my laughter in fear of waking everyone else up.

I don't settle down for sleep until well after midnight. The temperature in the room seems to have dropped 10 degrees within the last hour, making me shiver, quickly grabbing a fleece pajama top to pull over my butterfly printed sleeping shirt. After countless hours spent tossing and turning, I decided to get out of bed, walking over to open my door on light feet; peeking around to make sure no one else is awake.

Tiptoeing out into the hall, I avoid the creaks in the floorboards, smiling tiredly at the adorable sight up ahead in the living room.

Baekhyun is tucked under a pile of blankets, nothing but his silver-haired head exposed to the chilly temperature in the house. 70 degrees in Autumn is a complete 180 from 70 degrees in the Summer here. Thanks a lot, climate.

I ease my way into the room, taking a quick glance towards the dark kitchen that sends a shiver going down my spine.

"Baekhyun?" I whisper, trying to see if he's awake or not. Receiving no response, I inch closer; crouching down to rest my hand on his back, "Baek—"

He flinches, air mattress squawking under his weight, "Shit... Baby?" He chuckles, leaning upon his arm, running a hand through his ruffled hair. "You scared me."

"Yeah?" I whisper, biting back a laugh, "I can see that." Smiling softly at his weak glare, I shuffle closer on my knees.

"What are you doing?" He mumbles, sleep evident in his droopy eyes, low vocal octave, and the fabric indent on his cheek.

"Couldn't sleep," I shrug, watching him with a smile. "What about you?" I ask, hands resting comfortably on my knees, my eyes widening. "Are you comfortable? If your back hurts or anything we can sw—" A warm hand cupping my cheek silences me. I blink a few times while meeting his gaze; the fondness I find there warming up my sleepy form from the inside out.

"I'm alright," He mumbles, thumb rubbing over the curve of my cheek. Smile growing on his lips as I lean into his touch.

"Good." I hum, closing my eyes and nuzzling his palm.

"Come here," He sweetly requests.

Humming again, I focus on his comforting touch; squeaking when I'm suddenly being pulled onto the bed.

"Shh!" He hushes, laughing under his breath at the disgruntled look on my face; coaxing me to lay by his side.

I do so grumpily, heart still racing a mile a minute until the familiar scent of vanilla and Baekhyun wraps around me like a warm blanket. The racing of his own heart under my palm brings a smile to my lips. Quiet mutters under his breath has my eyes peeling back open to meet his, "Hmm?"

"It's not the same sleeping without you." He murmurs, softly squeezing his arms around my waist, a hint of shyness on his sleepy features.

"You seem to be doing just fine these past few weeks," I can't help but remind him, pointedly arching a brow.

Baekhyun sighs, pressing a lingering kiss to my forehead that causes my cheeks to warm. "I'm sorry."

"All talk, where's the action?" I play it off as a joke, teasing grin contrasting the war raging in my heart and the depths of my worried mind.

He looks me over for a while, tucking a stubborn lock of hair behind my ear. "I am. Starting…" He leans closer, soft lips hovering over mine, hot whisper making goosebumps rise on my skin, "Now."

//

"Sneaking around, huh?"

I barely give a response, snuggling closer to the pleasant heat of the pillow wrapped up in my arms only to pause when it vibrates under my touch, an all-too-familiar chuckle tickling my ear. My eyes snap open with a squeak, ducking under the covers at the sight of Baekhyun's lazy yet attractive smile. The feeling of his warm hand on the back of my bare thigh sends my cheeks aflame. How hard do you have to blush before catching on fire? I fear I am nearing that point.

"Here I was thinking I'd catch you both in your room this morning, but this-" Mom continues as I poke out my head, shooting her a grumpy look.

Grandma enters the room from the kitchen, lightly smacking her arm. "Leave them be." She scolds, smiling sweetly at us. "Good morning, lovebirds. Come, breakfast is ready."

And with that, Baekhyun and I swiftly began the new day. I offered to go to the store with Grandma to pick out something nice for dinner—and to sneak a peek at the dessert aisle. Who am I kidding, I got a cinnamon bun flavored tub of ice cream sitting in the cart right now. The description alone enough to make my eyes sparkle, according to Grandma.

"So," She begins, placing lettuce in the cart, "What was the fight about?"

"Grandma!" I splutter, nearly dropping the cucumbers in my hands along with my startled heartbeat. See what I mean? Can't hide shit in this house!

"What? You're both tiptoeing around each other like guilty little kids." She holds open the plastic bags as I drop the fruit inside with care. "It's not good to leave a fight unresolved, you know?"

"I-I know, it's just…" He's one of the most stubborn men alive—"Heart to hearts is not really our strong suit..."

"Do you want this relationship to last?" She looks me dead in the eye then, seeming to find an answer despite my silence. "A relationship cannot work without communication and trust." Her statement is firm, but her tone softens, "You've seen what happens when those are lacking."

I go quiet for a while, taking a peek at the grocery list, "I'll go pick the spaghetti noodles." With that, I venture off on my own.

My pace is slow, dragging my feet deeper into the store. A chew toy left in the middle of my path nearly sends me falling on my face. Texting and walking who? More like no thinking and walking, I've become a walking hazard here.

The desired aisle is easy to find, an array of noodle brands with tomato sauce on the opposite side. I scan the shelves, making sure every product matches the pictures on my phone. Mom is funny about what she eats.

I'm debating over which sauce is the right kind when a long fingernailed hand is digging into my shoulder. I spin around with a hiss, ready to tear into whatever fucker had the audacity to put their filthy hands on me only to pause, blinking at the woman standing in front of me.

"Oh good, it is you," The raven woman drawls in a high pitched yet raspy voice, smelling heavily of smoke. "I need to talk to you." Recognition takes longer than usual to set in. It's that fucking ex-fling of Baekhyun's—

Or is she an ex? That small part of me wonders, a lump suddenly forms in my throat. I ain't got time for this shit, and I swear her hair changes more than the seasons. What did Baekhyun ever see in her—don't answer that. Shut up.

"I'm casually gonna walk away," I utter blankly, swiftly turning on my heel only for her to end up following me.

"I need to tell you something."

My eye twitches, counting backward from 20 in my head. "I don't give a flying fu-"

"I know what Baekhyun refuses to tell you." She drops, stopping me dead in my tracks.

Slowly turning to her again, I look her over suspiciously, tucking the packet of noodles in the crook of my arm. "Like what?"

"Ever wondered why Baekhyun is notorious for getting around?" She looks me over for a moment, amusement twitching at her annoyingly red-painted lips, "Oops, I mean was sorry."

"Can you hurry the fuck up?" I snap with narrowed eyes, already done with her bullshit.

She looks at me for a long moment, the smirk melting off her face entirely. "Baekhyun has a lot of skeletons in his closet. And you know," She chuckles, shooting me a fake pitying look, "It's entertaining, seeing which one will jump out at you next."

She's walking away before I can respond, the stinging scent of her perfume and the annoying clink of her heels left in her wake along with my disturbing thoughts. What does she mean by skeletons?.. And how does she know that… He—

"Riley."

I snap out of it, turning around with wide eyes and my heart in my throat, "Oh! Grandma." I exclaim, jumping back with a hand over my heart, sighing shakily in relief. "It's just you."

"You okay?" Her brows are furrowed, concern shimmering in her blue eyes.

"Y-Yeah," I mumble, rubbing the back of my neck. Growing more uncomfortable the longer we stand in the middle of this damn store. "Just spaced out for a second."

She looks at me for a moment, pushing the cart towards the cash register. "Come, let's get you back home."

"Hopefully it's still in one piece..." I mutter, heart pounding furiously in my ears.

"I'm sure it is." She chuckles, sending me a reassuring smile. "I'm sure Baekhyun's missing you too."

Is he? The thought comes so suddenly, I freeze. Do I… Am I doubting him now?

Has a lot of skeletons in his closet...

I shake it off or at least try to on the journey home. But not even Baekhyun's warm smile and open arms can lift the sinking feeling weighing on my heart.

Dinner goes by in the blink of an eye along with a popular comedy movie we decide to watch together. The clever jokes and hilarious scenes distract my overthinking mind for a while. Enough for me to find peace in Baekhyun's embrace despite my growing anxiety and the obvious giggles coming from Grandma on the other couch across the room.

"Thanks for having us." I put on a smile for Mom as they send us off at the door, one she can easily see through with a frown, but that's okay. It's enough to fool Baekhyun while he receives a fist bump from her and a tight hug from Grandma. Their own unique ways of showing approval before turning to pull me into a three-way hug. I almost don't want to leave their loving hold, or this house I call home. Taking a year off of school was a good idea, but… is dating Baekhyun?

I can feel the negative energy coming off of me in waves, fuck, time to go.

Our walk to the car is quiet compared to the chaos going on in my head; warm fingertips brushing against chilly palms. I'm so lost in thought, the next time I look up we are on the highway again. An endless stream of vehicles traveling alongside us. The sunset has a reddish tint tonight, giant fluffy clouds attempting to hide the glowing star from view. Almost like the stunning man next to me, so close yet so far like a fading dream, just out of reach. Slipping out of your hands before you can fully grasp it and print it into your memory.

Something you hope for, but can never have.

"Baek…" I can only manage a mere whisper. My heart still hasn't left my throat, anxiously apparently in my restless hands. Every word I utter takes all of my strength to get out.

"Yes, love?" He briefly glances over at me, steering the car with a confident hand. The heart-softening endearment he uses only causes my heart to squeeze even more.

"Can I go home with you?" I can't bring myself to meet his eye, something he seems to pick up on, shifting uneasily in his seat.

"Of course, baby." He tries to soothe, free hand searching for mine. I shove my hands deep in the space between my thighs, keeping my gaze focused on the city lights streaming past the window.

Nothing else but the radio and the fast pace of cars fill the silence. I can just imagine the hurt expression on his handsome face, busying myself with bending shapes into my hair-tie; not brushing rebellious strands of hair out of my face despite how annoying it dangles in my eyes.

All too soon, Baekhyun is parking the Audi in his designated spot, pink lips parting unsurely, "Are you-"

"Inside, please." I utter quietly. Climbing out before he can respond; calmly closing the car door behind me and remembering how to breathe. I think it's about time… I tell him some things. And hope he feels comfortable enough to open up in return. —Or run if shit gets bad, Sehun's number is looking mighty tempting right now.

The walk up to his apartment is a long one. Standing on opposite sides of the elevator and footsteps echoing across vacant halls. He has that blank expression on his face again; lips downturned and brown orbs full of questions. Hopefully, I can answer them…

His apartment comes into view, the sight of the familiar door brings back memories of the last time I was here. The heated words spewed and frustrated feelings shared. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath as Baekhyun unlocks the door. Tentatively stepping into the cold home.

"Do you," He falters when I turn to face him; gulping before continuing, "Do you want to talk now?" The crack of his voice gives him away, looking more like a frightened child than the strong man I've come to know.

"Yes."

"O-Oh." It's a bit funny how much impact that simple word seems to have on him; an even more fearful expression takes place on his features. Sock clad feet shuffling awkwardly in the middle of his living room, voice as quiet as a mouse, "Okay…"

I close my eyes; hands gripping the bottom of my shirt. Here goes nothing. "I had a few boyfriends before you. And...they didn't leave the best impression on me." My eyes flutter back open, meeting his shaky ones. The words come a bit easier after that. "They'd chase after me for months—sometimes the whole school year—and as soon as they got with me, They…" I bite my wobbling lip, inhaling sharply. "They never wanted to be affectionate in public. Never wanted to tell their friends, and…"

Baekhyun steps closer, carefully holding out his hand to me. I place my trembling palm in his, inwardly cursing my nerves.

"All of them ended up cheating on me." Flickering my gaze up to his softened features, I gulp, nodding at the comforting squeeze of his hand before continuing. "I was...treated like an object, for lack of a better word." I chuckle bitterly, haunting memories playing behind my blurry eyes like a tragic film. "A bet of who would sleep with me first among a large group of friends. A group that I had trusted for years."

I shake them off, focusing on our joined hands instead. "Besides that… my last straw was my best friend at the time trying to convince me to go against my mom. 'You should go out more.' 'Tell her you want freedom'..." I scoff, laughing a little. "What an asshole. Acting as if he wasn't in on the dare as well. My mom has kept me out of more trouble than you would ever know. But to have my own best friend bad mouth her to my face and then say 'Well, you knew I was a jerk.' When I tried opening up to him about it…" Meeting his eyes, my heart aches a bit at the odd look on his face. He nearly looks in pain. "If it wasn't for Sehun, I would have been okay, but I wouldn't have been...you know." I shrug, laughing weakly, "More than a party animal if you know what I mean."

Baekhyun's brown orbs glisten as he pulls me closer to his chest. Strong arms wrapping me in his protective embrace, yet all I can think about is…

He didn't say a word.

Originally posted by exo-stentialism

What is even left for me to do at this point? I… feel as if I have been fair. I've given him a whole month to say something. Anything. And yet here we are, continuing with our daily lives as if there aren't unanswered questions weighing on our hearts—unless… D-Does Baekhyun even care? Is he really just going to sweep this under the rug?

…

Okay.

Okay, if this is what he wants, it's what he gets, right? Mr. Big shot CEO, holding onto his own vulnerability through thick and thin. I thought we had moved past keeping things from each other in our long talk all those months ago, but apparently… That isn't the case.

So okay. Let's pretend as if he doesn't get jealous over every man in my life and I don't feel insecure by just looking at the dresses that were once my favorite now hung up in the back of my closet. Because I love him—because I don't want us to fight. Am I just dating myself now? Is that what this is? Guess I better enjoy this ride before it crashes and burns, huh. Peachy. Mother fucking peachy! But hey, there is no peach like the cute curves of his cheeks or stars like the ones ever-present in his mocha eyes.

Fuck you, Byun Baekhyun. In more ways than one. But just your luck that I am a woman of many talents, hmm?

I don't need some tight-fitting dress or painfully high heels to grab his attention. No, the way I carry myself out on the dance floor like no one's business is more than enough to lure him close. As long as these hips don't lie, he's mine. And at the end of the day, if he decides that all the attention I give—all the unconditional love I fucking shower him with—isn't enough, then fuck him. What he could consider walking away, I take it as a favor. But no other fucking woman in their right mind would put up with his shit as I do, but then again… Who 'in her right mind' fell in love with the notorious, multi-millionaire playboy studying off-campus…

"Are you sure you want to go clubbing tonight?" Baekhyun's voice is soft enough, green orbs eyeing me carefully. Funny how he is asking this as if he didn't already have plans to go out tonight. Dressed casually in black with a subtle, middle part of his freshly dyed silver hair. When did he even get those contacts? It's funny how much of someone's life you can miss in a few weeks of little to no dates.

"Yes, baby," I purr, smoothing out my lip gloss in the reflection of my hand-held mirror. Making sure not a strand of hair is out of place. There's nothing like pairing my soft, blue button-down denim shirt with black shorts, and my hair parted the right. A few spritz of hair-spray doing a great job of keeping it durable yet mobile. Perfect for my plans for the night.

Baekhyun looks over at me from the driver's seat, adam's apple bobbing in his throat before he steps out into the cool night. Meeting me on the sidewalk. We walk into the club hand and hand, the booming bass of music pumping adrenaline in my veins.

"Do you want a drink?" His honey-smooth voice is nearly drowned out by the loud atmosphere, pinks lips brushing the shell of my ear. I simply nod, yelling, "The usual!" To his back as he gravitates to the bar. The sight of grinding bodies brings a smirk to my lips, hidden behind the glass Baekhyun hands me minutes later.

"Come," He murmurs, leading me over to an empty booth. Sitting down and pulling me into his lap. I slowly move along with his urging hands on my waist, savoring my drink. Relaxing against him with an appreciative hum, curiously watching him sip at his glass. The reddish concoction looks similar to my own.

It's rare that I take the time to observe the scene of drunken bodies dancing under the neon disco lights without the urgency to join them, but tonight is a special occasion. And with that comes uttermost care. Running my hand through Baekhyun's hair and pushing my ass against him while leaning forward to set my drink on the table.

"Want to dance?" I inquire, already finding the answer within his droopy brown eyes. The lazy way his slender fingers card through his silver hair enough of an indicator.

"No thank you, baby." He mumbles, dropping a lingering kiss to that sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder. I fight the urge to shiver under his touch, inwardly praising my self-restraint; shortly moving off of him to venture out into my home away from home—the dance floor. A carefree atmosphere after my own heart. The beginning of a familiar Latino song captures my attention.

¿Cómo te llamas, baby?

A little mezcal got me feelin' spicy

I know that we don't speak the same language

But I'm gonna let my body talk for me (Talk for me)

Raising my hands while swaying my hips side to side, I let the music take control. Spinning around to face Baekhyun with a cheeky nod, running my hands through my hair.

Hola, me llamo Katy

A little mezcal got me feelin' naughty (Let's go)

I know that we don't speak the same language (Woo)

So I'm gonna let my body talk for me (Talk for me)

I take my time strolling through the crowded dance floor as catchy Spanish lyrics ring through the air, glancing over at him every now and then.

Dress up with my girls, on the hunt tonight

Got a feelin' I'ma catch a wild one

I mouth along to the words, cooly dusting off my shoulders as I move around, trying to entice Baekhyun to come over with every sway of my hips. "And I know that I'm not typically your type. But you never had this kind of stimulation"

Trying to find a dance partner is proving to be difficult, I seek out eye contact with someone. Anyone. But everyone seems to lack rhythm tonight. Too many out of tempo movements and whiskey painted breaths. I push through to locate Baekhyun again, meeting his dark brown orbs from across the room.

Con calma

I see you're lovin' the way I work the floor now

I got the poom-poom, boy

You could be my Puerto Rican dream, and I'll be your California gurl now

I got the poom-poom, boy

Fuck it. I'll dance by my damn self. No one is up to par with my standards except the stubborn man seated across the room who's having way too much fun watching me struggle. But it's alright. I got something for his smug ass.

Con calma, yo quiero ver como ella lo menea (Con calma)

Mueve ese poom-poom, girl (Girl)

Es un asesina, cuando baila quiere que to' el mundo la vea

I like your poom-poom, girl

I pop open three buttons of my shirt, taking a few steps back towards the center of the dancefloor. Just far away enough to be partially hidden from view. Baekhyun leans forward, taking a hard swig of his drink. Fingertips playing with his bottom lip.

Come with a nice young lady (Let's go)

Intelligent, yes, she gentle and irie (¡Fuego!)

Everywhere me go me never lef' her at all-ie (¡Dile! ¡Ja!)

Yes-a Daddy Snow me are the roam dance man-a (Ay, Papi!) (Snow)

Once again raising my hands above my head while swaying my hips fluidly like a hypnotized python to a tamer, I run my hands down my body in time with the beat; eyes still locked on his. The clench of his jaw and tightening of his grip on the glass in his hand curling a knowing smirk on my lips.

Roam between-a dancin' in-a in-a nation-a (Prr-prr-prr)

You never know say daddy me Snow me are the boom shakata

I strut around the dance floor with attitude, flicking my hair while beckoning him over with my eyes. Baekhyun hastily sets his empty glass on the table, swiftly making his way over to me.

Con calma, yo quiero ver como ella lo menea (Menea)

Mueve ese poom-poom, girl (¡Woo! Girl)

Es un asesina, cuando baila quiere que to' el mundo la vea (Oh, yeah)

I like your poom-poom, girl

He meets me move for move, gripping my hips. Firm chest pressed to my back and erection prominent every time our bodies brush against each other. My laugh is swallowed up by the rest of the song.

Con calma

I see you're lovin' the way I work the floor now

I got the poom-poom, boy

You could be my Puerto Rican dream, and I'll be your California gurl now

I got the poom-poom, boy

Baekhyun spins me to face him before the song even fades into the next. Gathering me to his chest in a searing kiss.

We take a cab back to his apartment; the Audi was taken under Jongdae's and Chanyeol's care for the remainder of the evening. The travel takes much longer than usual with Baekhyun insisting to stop at every hidden corner. Endless kisses and impatient hands.

"B-Baek," I bite my lip, cheeks heating up under his lustful stare.

"Tell me how you want it," He mutters, ripping off his shirt before caging me to the bed, "Tell me how you need it."

I want to—boy do I want to. Every part of me is screaming for me to do it, but…

My palms slide up his back, getting a good grip before switching our positions, pressing him against the messy sheets instead. I have other plans.

Baekhyun looks up at me, a little smirk on his lips that fuels my determination to do everything in my power to wipe it off. I take my time pulling down his jeans, eyes locked on his dark ones while brushing my lips over his newly exposed skin. Chuckling at the goosebumps left in my wake. "Someone is excited," I murmur, tucking my fingers under the waistband of his boxers; running the tip of my tongue up the length of his clothed cock.

"Riley..." He breathes, pupils blown, desire twitching under my touch.

Deciding to put him out of his misery, I tug down the thin fabric to set him free, gasping when I'm nearly smacked in the face when his cock springs to attention. This is the first time I'm seeing him up close, and damn this man for being stunning all over. Even his cock is pretty with its flushed red tip and prominent vein running up the side. Drops of precum sliding down his shaft quickly collected by my eager tongue.

"Fuck." He hisses, tangling a hand in my hair as I take him into my mouth, being mindful of my teeth. "Baby."

I hum, something he seems to appreciate as more of his precum drips onto my tongue. His thighs tense up under my hands as I bob my head, gradually working him into my throat.

"B-Baby," His voice wavers, lips shaking when I glance up at him. He thrusts further into my mouth the second we make eye contact, causing me to choke, pulling a whiny noise from him that I've never quite heard before.

I keep up a steady pace, wrapping a hand around his base to massage his balls while moving to swirl my tongue around the head. His hips buck once again, grip tightening on my hair, a gruntle moan falling from his kiss-swollen lips.

After a while, he tugs on my hair again, rougher than before. I pull off of pulsing cock, looking at him with wide eyes as he urges me back up his body, "Wha-"

His lips smash to mine, hands roughly pulling at the rest of my clothes. "Let me see you," He murmurs, lips brushing over the sensitive spot on my neck. I slip off my shirt without hesitation, assisting him in taking off my shorts; pushing them off the side of the bed. He takes a brief pause, looking me over as my heart hammers in my chest, cheeks warming when his eyes meet mine once again. "Beautiful." His breath fans over my breasts, slender fingers tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, "Baby?"

"Hmm?" I tilt my head to give him better access, whimpering at the way his teeth graze my nipples.

"Sit on my face," He murmurs, hands urging me forward before I can even react.

"W-/What?/" I look at him, wide-eyed and thighs clenched around his waist, feeling my arousal pool in my underwear.

Baekhyun licks his lips, smirking at the way I stare, squirming above him. His large hands gently squeeze my waist, "Do you trust me?"

Gazing into his earnest yet lust-filled eyes, I nod, gulping. "Y-Yes."

"Come here," He murmurs, helping me slip off my lace panties.

I slowly climb further up his body, feeling immensely aroused yet a bit apprehensive as he helps me forward; shaking a little when my thighs rest over his shoulders. Having yet to find a stable position when his hands flex around my hips, warm wet tongue swiping between my folds.

I jerk away with a squeak, glaring weakly down at his chuckling form, "Baek!"

"Hmm?" His tongue brushes against me again, teeth tugging at my hypersensitive folds as I let out a soft moan. "You were saying, baby?"

My eyes don't stray far from his, heart and pussy pulsing in sync at the way he watches me crumble under his touch. Strong hands holding me steady as my breathing shortens; panting for air at his tortuous circles around where I need him the most.

"...Please," I mumble.

"Hmm?" He obnoxiously smacks his lips against my wet core, causing heat to rise onto my already flushed cheeks. Those brown orbs of his twinkling mischievously, "What was that, baby?"

I curse under my breath, hastily tangling my fingers in his hair, "You really are something-"

He gasps, looking up at me with wide eyes when I yank his head back, bending over to stare him down.

"What's the matter, baby? Hmm?" I muse a smirk curling at my lips. The shocked expression on his handsome face boosts my confidence. "You're not afraid I'll show you up in giving oral, are you?"

Baekhyun's eyes narrow, a switch seeming to flip in him before he's pulling me down to his open mouth. My gasp interrupted by his own moan, pink lips wrapped tight around my aching clit. "F-Fu—aah," I whimper, thighs shaking from the direct stimulation.

He chuckles, pulling back to lick his lips. "What's wrong, my love?" His warm breath fanning over my core makes my legs tremble more, whimpering as he tightens his grip. "Coming already?"

"N-" My eyes roll back as his tongue slides inside of me and fucking curls towards my sweet spot, damn near making me shatter around him right there and then. "No." I grit out between clenched teeth, bucking at the way his nose rubs against my sensitive clit.

"Mmm you're so wet," He groans, triggering my own moan when his teeth graze my clit. "Making a mess all over me. Do you like sitting on my face, baby?"

"Baekhyun…" I can hardly speak at this point, slowly grinding myself against his mouth, feeling breathless with every flick of his tongue that touches my quivering core.

"Fuck." His sudden grunt has me opening my eyes, looking over my shoulder at him stroking himself. The cute mole on his thumb is a complete contrast to the leaking cock in his palm. "I can feel you throbbing…"

My orgasm sneaks up on me before I realize it; thighs quaking and back arching so high Baekhyun is quick to steady me, continuing to pull me along his stiffened tongue as I cry out his name.

"Fu—ha," I tighten my grip on his hair, trying to get my shaky limbs to cooperate enough to lift off of his unrelenting mouth. "Baekhyun, please-"

"Mm-mm," He protests, landing a swift smack on my ass that makes me release a small cry, thighs clenching around his head. "Stay right there."

"B-Baek..." I'm slipping here—literally. My shaky thighs refusing to cooperate.

He takes a few moments to notice, lifting me off of his face before I feel a brief breeze, finding my back against the silk sheets. "You're perfect," He breathes, making me blush, gulping at his hands running up my trembling inner thighs. I hold myself up on my elbows, watching him press kisses up the length of my body.

"Baby," He looks at me with those dark eyes, sliding a hand down my abdomen, "lay back."

My heart is promptly set into overdrive. I do as told, relaxing against the pillows only to buck my hips with a gasp when he slips a finger into my core.

"Soaking wet for me," He murmurs sucking on a new spot on my neck, sliding another finger in with ease.

All I know is his name at this point, calling for him between hoarse whimpers and breathless gasps; feeling that knot forming in my stomach again as his fingers brush over my sweet spot. I reach down to wrap my hand around his wrist, clenching around his digits as he speeds up, obscene noises of my own desire sounding out amongst our shaky moans and heavy breaths.

"Look at you," He muses, watching me squirm under his touch, free hand pressing on my lower stomach to keep me pressed to the bed. I cry out when he hits my sweet spot head-on, "Taking my fingers so well."

"Bae…" My words falter, head thrown back when his thumb joins into the mix along with a third finger, the blissful stretch combined with firm taps on my clit sending me over the edge.

"Fuck." He grunts as I slowly open my eyes, not even realizing I had closed them while he slips his wet fingers between his lips, groaning loudly as I bite my own. He notes the expression on my face, attractively raising a brow while pressing his body back to mine, "I want to drink on your sweet." He murmurs, tone dripping with lust as he leans over to the nightstand.

"N-No." I pant, grabbing his forearm.

Baekhyun pauses, looking at me with wide eyes, brows furrowed in concern. "Do you want to stop, love?"

I shake my head, running my hand over his back as he leans down to me again, littering my jaw with soft kisses. "N-No I just…" I gulp, wrapping my thighs around his waist. "I don't want a condom."

Baekhyun freezes, and for a moment I consider backtracking, but he just cups my face in his hands. "Are you sure?" He looks me over, nibbling on his bottom lip.

"Yeah," Noting the concern still playing on his features, I reach up to brush my thumb over his cheek. "I'm on birth control, idiot."

"What!?" His eyes widen comically as I nod, "Since when?"

"The first time," I mumble, cheeks warming at the memory of our first night together. The deer caught in headlights look on his face makes me giggle, "I love you, but I'm not ready to have a baby with your Byun. Haven't you noticed?" I continue a bit quieter, gesturing to myself, "I got bigger..."

"No," He shakes his head, taking my hands into his own, staring at me with sincerity in his shining eyes. "You're just as beautiful, if not more so." His voice lowers, taking on that sexy lit again while nibbling my earlobe, warm hand soothing rubbing over my waist, "And sexy as hell."

My face damn near bursts into flames. Flustered giggles at his ticklish kisses on that sensitive spot behind my ear morphing into gasps as his cock brushes against my folds.

Baekhyun leans back a bit, taking a hold of himself while sliding his cock around in my arousal, making me whimper every time his head brushes over my clit. He pauses after lining it up with my entrance, looking back up at me from behind damp strands of silver hair sticking to his forehead.

I nod, biting my lip as he slips inside, my head falling back when he pushes into the hilt.

"God." He groans, starting to pull back out.

"W-Wait," I gasp, pressing my hands to his chest. Baekhyun tenses, looking at me with wide eyes. "You okay, love? Shit. Did I hurt you? I'm so-"

"Baek!" I laugh a little, cupping his cheeks so he'll look at me, shaking my head. "No," I murmur, a smile curling at my lips. "I just…" I hesitate, bashful under his attentive eyes. So sweet. "I want to top."

He relaxes with a gulp, strong arms wrapping around me before switching our positions. I carefully straddle him, finding a comfortable position on my knees before lifting up, letting him line his cock up with my entrance. He meets my eyes, smiling softly as if sensing my nerves, large hand lightly squeezing my hip. "I got you, baby."

Releasing a shaky breath, I nod, slowly sliding down onto him, taking pleasure in the way his jaw drops, head of messy silver locks thudding against the pillows. It's a tighter fit with him in this position. It feels so good I'm almost afraid to move at risk of coming again.

Baekhyun's fingers twitch against my hips when I move, tentatively lifting up to the tip before sliding back down again. My slow pace pulling the prettiest of moans from his red lips.

"Baby," He breathes, quickly licking his lips, eyes focused on where we are joined, "Faster."

"I don't know~" I smirk, lightly dragging my nails down his torso to pull a gasp from him, "I think I like seeing you like this."

That shift happens in his eyes again, giving me no time to prepare for his tightened grip and buck of hips, cock hitting a spot that falters my pace, leaving my thighs trembling. "And I like making you cum," He murmurs, smirk of his own on his lips while continuing to thrust into that spot, our bodies coming together with satisfying slaps of ass against his thighs.

"So fucking wet," He groans eyes drifting back to our joined parts, licking the pad of his thumb and bringing it down to rub quick circles over my clit.

"Fuck-" I gasp, trying to stay upright as he quickens the pace. "Baek-"

"Come for me, baby." He mutters in a breathy tone, thrusts tripling in speed until I'm coming hard around him, falling onto his chest in a heap. He slows down to a stop while I recover. Just when I think we are done, he's flipping us back over. "Baek-" I stop, whimpering as he pushes back into the hilt.

"We're not done, baby." He murmurs, lips brushing the shell of my ear. My pussy quivers at the thought of another round.

"I…" My eyes drift over to the glowing red clock sat on top of the nightstand; the timestamp of 5:00 am causing my eyes to widen. "D-Don't you have work in the morn…" I falter, arching my back when he circles his hips, thick cock stretching out my tight walls, "...ing?"

"Baby," He chuckles, tucking a wet strand of hair behind my ear, meeting my eyes, "We can stay up."

"I…" Biting hard on my lip, I press myself into his sneaky fingers lightly rubbing around my clit, just enough to get me soaking the sheets even more below.

"I'll go easy on you." He promises, moving to sit up only to pause, meeting my gaze again, adding softly, "Tell me if it's too much and we'll stop, okay?"

Smiling at him, I nod, accepting his sweet kisses when he leans in with a hum. "Okay."

Baekhyun's smile morphs into a more serious expression, concentrating on slowly moving within my walls to give me time to recover. He pauses when I lift my hips to meet his movements, reaching to place my right leg on his shoulder, the shift of position pulls a loud gasp from my lips. He moans in turn at my vice-like grip around his cock, steadily picking up the pace.

"Fuck, what a naughty girl you are." His grip tightens on my hips, tilting them up to better accommodate his thrusts, "Letting me fuck you raw in our bed."

My heart raced at the use of the word 'our.' A sense of belonging in this house; this room; this bed with him brings me to a dangerous peak. It feels more intense than all the others before and I don't know if I can handle it.

Baekhyun takes notice, holding my hips down to the bed. "Come on, baby." He slides a hand down to hover over my clit, "Come for me, give me one more." A mere brush of him over my sensitive bud and I'm gone, vision going black as a distinct ringing fills my ears.

"Fuck." His loud groans and wandering hands bring me back down to earth, thankfully he's slowed down the pace of his thrusts.

"Shit, you're squeezing me so tight." He says through gritted teeth, grinding against me as my walls don't let up their grip around him. "Mmm. Do you want me to cum inside you?" He breathes heavily, cock throbbing deep within my spasming walls with his slow yet hard pace. "Hmm? Do you baby?"

"Y-Yes!" I can't even recognize myself at this point, meeting his steady thrusts with my shaky movements.

"I know you want it." He grunts, snapping into me so roughly I give a small cry, clutching the bedsheets. "I know you need it..." He falters, pace taking on sloppy thrusts as I feel him harden even more inside of me. "Fuck," His eyes search for my own, the desperation in them makes me clench around him. "God, baby, can I?"

I nod quickly, wrapping my thighs tightly around his waist as he trembles. "Come for me, Baekhyun." I murmur, rubbing my hands down his heaving chest, "Come inside me. Make me yours."

My words seem to trigger him, the brand new feeling of warmth spurting inside of me pulls another loud gasp from my lips and whiny moans from his; his shaky forearms holding him up before his body weight can overwhelm me as I'm filled up to the brim with his cum full of lust and love. I hold him close, rubbing over his back as we catch our breaths.

Baekhyun nuzzles in my neck, letting out a long sigh. "God, you're trying to kill me."

"Me!?" I exclaim incredulously, giggling at his playful kisses peppering my heated skin. "Who's the one pulling four orgasms from my poor body?"

"You loved it," He mumbles, soft smile pressed to my skin.

"I did," I admit without missing a beat, giggling more at the blissed-out expression on his face.

Baekhyun hums, brushing my hair out of my face, a fond look in his sparkly brown eyes that makes my heart squeeze and soar at the same time. "I'll be right back," He mumbles, planting a quick peck on my lips, getting out of bed to head into the bathroom.

Sighing softly, I relax back against the sheets; nose scrunching up at the aftermath of our—cue the blushing—activities dripping down my thighs.

Baekhyun comes back with a towel in hand, gently cleaning me off with the damp material before throwing it into the hamper across the room. Snuggling back in the warmth of my worn-out body. "I love you," He utters, pressing a kiss over my heart.

"I love you too." My reply is instant enough; his satisfied hum evening out into deep breaths. Eyelashes caressing the tops of adorable mochi cheeks.

I point my gaze to the ceiling, feeling the tell-tale sign of tears brimming my eyes. Is this really the beginning of the end?

•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  P(1) P(2) | Part 4 P(1) P(2) | Part 5 P(1) P(2) ✓ | Part 6 P(1)  P(2)

Thank you for reading this long asf chapter. Let me know what you think! Even if it’s with pitchforks lmao. Have a beautiful Sunday.

[originofjaehyun]

Interlude: No More Drama | Part 5 | Day Dream

Interlude: No More Drama Masterlist

Word count: 3,496

Warnings: None

Part 5 | Day Dream

“Oh you and I falling further for love.”

Prev • Next

The amber flickers at the end of his lighter, lighting up one of the ends of his cigarette. He took a deep breath and exhaled the smoke into the air, leaving a trail of grey smoke. A tall dapper figure approached him, with the sound of the ice hitting the plastic glass filled with deep-brown liquid.

“Mind if I join?” Johnny said to him, already hung his cigarette in between his lips.

“I can use a company,” passing him his lighter, this is the usual afternoon after lunch for both Johnny and Jaehyun. They would go for a cigarette break at the smoking area while catching up on things. It can be work-related, or sometimes on personal subjects.

“So, it’s been three months. How’s everything?” Johnny asked while passing back the lighter after successfully lighting up his cigs.

“If you’re asking me how she’s doing, I think you know it better than I am. You’re constantly emailing her with the project. I bet you talk to her more than I did.”

“Seriously?” He lets out a puff, filling the room with his smoke. 

“Dude, it’s been three months and there’s no progress? I won’t be surprised if [Y/N]’s going to leave you for another man.”

Jaehyun tried to keep his calm, inhaling another breath of his cigarette, “It’s not like that,”

“I’m just… trying to be careful. We went on a few dates and she’s wonderful. I feel like every time we went out, even just to the nearby street food stalls, everything just sparkled and I could listen to her laughter every day.”

Johnny furrowed his brows, “You know that doesn’t add up, right? Did you hear yourself? You’re smitten, Jaehyun!”

Glints of flame appear on the end of Jaehyun’s cigarette. He is lost in his thoughts, not answering Johnny.

“Hey, look. I know you’re in… a difficult situation Jae. But think about it, she might be the one, but she might not be either. There’s no harm in trying, right?”

“But what if she’s the one, Johnny? The last thing that I would want to do is to hurt her feelings.”

Johnny used the hands that he didn’t use to hold his cigarette to support his forehead, grumbles, “I get it, and I get you can’t just tell anyone out of the blue about it too. But I hope you can give this one a chance. It’s been a long while since I saw you all over someone, and I know [Y/N]’s is not as weak as you thought she was. She’s amazing, I think she’d be the one you can tell about this.”

There’s a pause in between, space only filled with their huffs. The smoke waltzes in the air, making the room tasted like a jaundiced tar.

It’s been too long since he was selfless.

“Now you said it that way,” Jaehyun said, exhaling the grey smoke, “I might have to put my dib on her first. Who knows, someone might steal her away.”

Crescent moons emerged from Johnny’s eyes, “That’s what I’m talking about!” He then used his free arm to embrace Jaehyun, pulling his shoulder.

“By that someone,” Jaehyun then rolled his eyes to Johnny, “I mean it’s you.”

It replaces the dark, cloudy room atmosphere with laughter.

–

“Baking class?”

“Yes, I thought I can prove to you that I can cook fairly well.” The sound of the car’s engine was heard from the other side. It seems like Jaehyun just went home, and it’s almost 10 PM.

“Well cooking and baking is an entirely different thing, you know?”

“And that is exactly why I think the baking class is a great idea. I’m a great cook, if I may say so. I baked a bit during high school but that is when I…”

He paused.

“Jaehyun? Hello?” You called for him, wondering if the signal was disturbed.

“Oh yeah, I was saying,” He cleared his throat, “I think it would be fun. I actually already booked two tickets for us in advance, because the class that I’m taking is actually quite popular.”

That’s very sweet. You thought to yourself, “What if I say I wouldn’t come? That’s very brave of you thinking that I would just agree to it.”

He chuckled, “I don’t know, I guess I’ll take Johnny. I pretty much know his schedule and he’s free that day. I think.”

You burst out in laughter, “Two male adults taking a baking class? That’s adorable!” You pictured Jaehyun and Johnny both in aprons, decorating their cakes as you tried to bite your laughter. “You sure I wouldn’t get in your way to have the perfect date with Johnny?”

“Of course I would prefer to do it with you!” He sulked, “I mean, we’ve been going around coffee shops and I think a different date setup would be nice, no?”

“I'm just kidding, Jaehyun.” You decided not to tease him any longer, “I’ll see you on Saturday?”

He can finally sigh in relief, “Great. I’ll pick you up at your place. I’ll be there at 10 AM?”

“Wait, when is the baking class again?”

“It actually starts at 12. I think we’re not going to make anything that’s overly complicated so it won’t take that much time, but I thought we could grab some coffee first before we went to the class?”

Sweet as ever.

“But it’s Saturdaaay, don’t you think I deserve to have more time with my bed?” You whined, pretending that you have the cutesy charm when in reality you almost don’t have it at all.

You can hear the familiar sound of him letting out a soft chuckle at the other end, “I promise you I can give you better cuddles than your bed? Or we can cuddle first if you want… then I can bring coffees to your place instead.”

“Oh how smooth of you!” You shrieked, grateful that he’s not in front of you to witness your flushed cheeks.

“I’ll take the first coffee offer, thank you. I would probably need it anyway to fill up my daily caffeine intake.”

He laughs, genuine but there’s a slight hint of disappointment, “Alright, I’ll see you on Saturday. I almost reached my place so I’m gonna end the call.”

“Sure, I’ll see you soon.”

You paused before continuing, “Jaehyun?”

“Yes?”

“I’ll also take the cuddle offer if that’s ok with you.” You said to him before planting your face to your pillow out of embarrassment.

He finally laughed, lovingly, “Sure, [Y/N]. I’ll give you plenty.”

–

You took a sip at your hot latte, surprised with how perfect it was.

“How do you know my coffee order?”

He smiled, proceeded to blow his own cup while he guided you to walk to the baking class’ direction, “We went to a lot of coffee dates, [Y/N], it would be weirder if I don’t know your usual order.”

Jaehyun insisted that he would be the one who’ll take the take-away order. He asked you to just sit down and wait at one of the waiting chairs at the cafe. He told you that you’re going to walk to the class from the coffee shop since it is within walking distance but you know he actually wants to talk to you for a bit before going to the lesson. 

You took a glance at him, how could a person be so attentive? You wonder. He took a sip of his own coffee, immediately pushing the cup away from his lips then sticking his tongue out, indicating that the coffee is currently too hot for his liking.

“Aw Jaehyun, I didn’t know you have a cat’s tongue! You always order an iced americano so I never know.”

“Well, today is special since we’re walking outside, and it’s still quite chilly to get myself an iced americano,” He said while licking his lips, trying to subdue the numbness, “But yeah I guess there’s another free fact I give to you, huh?”

He stretched out his hands, asking for yours. Shyly, you took his hand and you intertwined your fingers with him. The weather was indeed rather cold, but Jaehyun's hand was warm. You walked together while he would occasionally swing his hand in excitement. He’s like an adorable golden retriever. You can’t help but to grin every time, and it is contagious as he would lovingly smile at you too.

You finally reached the shop, where the sign reads Kitchen Beat. The store was indeed well known for their pastries. It is a humble bakehouse, but it has recently become very popular due to a reality-show coverage. The cakes they sell are nothing that’s overly groundbreaking, but the taste feels very authentic and feels like a passed-family recipe, therefore gathered loyal customers. Because of that, they’ve been expanding their business to having limited baking class each month. 

“We’re here,” Jaehyun reaffirms that you will certainly attend a class here. “The class is on the second floor. Let’s go.”

He said while still refusing to let go of your hand. The store is busy, but not bustling with people. The atmosphere is cozy, and it feels like Christmas. 

“Hi!” A warm smile came from one of the staff, “Are you going to join our baking class today?”

Jaehyun replied to her smile, dimples poking both of his cheeks, “Yes, I already book 2 slots under the name Jeong Jaehyun.”

The staff nods, while checking the tablet she’s holding. “Yup, two adults for the couple, I assume?” She glanced at the sight of your hands that are still holding Jaehyun's.

“Oh!” You flustered, reactively letting go of his hand. “We’re actually not.”

“Yet.” Jaehyun intercept.

Your cheeks start to flushed in the color bright pink while you shoot a glare at him, embarrassed at why he’s so open about his feelings. The staff burst in laughter, “Well I hope our cakes can help you with that. They really are very good.”

“Please go to the room that has the label Kitchen One. We’re waiting for two more couples to come before we can start our class!”

You and Jaehyun walked to the designated room, and after a few steps you threw a slap onto Jaehyun’s arm.

“Ouch!” He rubs the part of his arm where you landed your slap. “What was that for?”

“Why did you have to tell her about us! You can just lie to her or something.”

“Oh?” He raised one of his brows, “So I can just tell her that we are official?”

You smacked his arm again, followed by him pretending that he’s hurt when in reality you know he can handle your soft punches. 

“You really are like a little firecracker, feisty as always.”

He opened the sliding door, exposing you and him to the audience inside. You are about to reply to his teasing, before you suddenly saw the change of the color on his face.

“Jaehyun?”

His apron was tied very well to his slim waist. His eyes met Jaehyun’s, only causing Jaehyun to tense his jaws. That person immediately approached where you and Jaehyun were, as Jaehyun stopped his steps after that person called him. He was another stunning man, and it makes you wonder what Jaehyun did in his past life to be surrounded with attractive people. 

“Taeyong.” Jaehyun’s voice was low, and faint, signalling that he didn’t want to be the center of attention since now few pair of eyes were in your direction.

“What are you doing here?” Taeyong finally breaks the tension in between them. His tone is not aggressive but you can sense that it is very territorial.

“I’m joining the class. I should be the one...” Jaehyun saw the name tag hanging on Taeyong’s apron. “Right, it makes sense for you to teach here.”

The silence grows louder. Jaehyun still remained in his position, not moving a single inch. You want to try to calm him down, trying to ask him to enter the room first and continue the conversation at one corner instead of in front of everyone. Taeyong finally saw your figure that has been hiding behind Jaehyun.

“So, you got plenty of time,” Taeyong looked briefly at you, “But you can’t afford to contact him?”

“Taeyong.”

“Do you know how much he holds on? Can you imagine how he would feel if he saw you neglecting him, just to see you having the time of your life with some random girl?”

“Yong!” Jaehyun finally raised his voice, “She got nothing to do with this. And if that is how you saw me, by all means label it to me, but don’t drag her.”

Realizing that now you have full attention of the other audiences that had been rudely eavesdropping onto Jaehyun and Taeyong’s conversation, you decided to step in, “Jaehyun? I think we should… move to the side for a bit.”

You can see his facial muscles start to relax. It seems that your voice managed to calm him down. He then holds your hand, trying to find an empty kitchen island so that you and him can start to prep yourself for the class, brushing Taeyong off.

Taeyong tried to stop you, fortunately the staff earlier came in with the last two couples. There were six couples in total, including you and Jaehyun. Thankfully Taeyong got stationed at the other end, and you tried your best to distract Jaehyun from him. You can see Taeyong took a glimpse at your table, every now and then, but you make sure Jaehyun didn’t notice it.

“Good afternoon everyone!” A woman in her mid-40s gathered everyone’s attention. “I’m going to be your main instructor today and we have few teachers that are stationed nearby you to help you during the baking process. For today’s class, we are going to bake our signature fresh cream cake. It’s pretty simple for beginners and it is very suitable to be eaten at this time of the year!”

She clasp both of her hands, “Alright now! Shall we begin?”

–

“I’ll put the cake in the fridge first, yeah?”

You’re back at your place, as there’s no way either you or Jaehyun going to finish a whole cake by yourself. You decided to eat them after having your dinner outside.

The baking class started off pretty rough, with how sensitive Jaehyun was. But you choose not to pry to his personal issues. So you just playfully smudge some cake flour, poking it to his dimples. He almost got his revenge but you’re in luck because the teacher was looking at him and told him not to play with the ingredients. Afterwards, the Jaehyun that you know is back, the warmhearted Jaehyun. It’s also a good thing Taeyong didn’t bother you much during class, as he was also occupied with teaching the other students. He did try to talk to Jaehyun after class, but Jaehyun just simply told him that today is probably not the best time for them to talk.

“Do you want to open the beers now?” He asked you while you’re busy re-arranging the content of your fridge.

“Ah, just leave mine on the counter. I’ll catch you up at the balcony.”

Jaehyun nods in agreement, leaving your share at the counter as instructed. He took his can and walked to the balcony. You’re almost done and you can hear the sound of his lighter.

You opened your can, making him turn his head to you. You walk to his side, resting your head to his arm. 

“You’re not going to ask?” 

You look at him, you were about to fire up your cigs, postponing it by drawing them out of your lips, “I believe you’re going to tell me on your own once you’re ready.”

“I know whatever happened today is probably something that I should never dig without your permission. Besides, it would also feel nicer if you’re going to tell me from your own will. Feels like you fully trusted me, you know?”

You ended your sentence with a smile, causing him to move his head downwards, before making another eye contact with you.

His lips are now pressing together, exposing his smile, “And this is the very reason why I’m grateful that I fall for you.”

You didn’t expect him to suddenly confess like this, so you are a bit taken aback with it. You awkwardly shift your gaze somewhere else, fidgeting on your unlit cigarette.

Jaehyun puts down both his cigarette and his share of beer, moving closer to you. He swiftly crossed his arms over you, forcing you to be within his arm and look at his eyes once more. 

“Oh, uhm, well…”

“I actually don’t understand why you do, actually.” You said as you look at the direction of the skyline, feeling too embarrassed to see him eye-to-eye. “I’ve mentioned that there are prettier girls than me, I bet you’ve met better ones in any other aspects too…”

“[Y/N], I wish you could see how much I love you.”

He cuts you before you could continue. He locks eyes with you and you could see just how deep they really are. The soft warmness of them wraps around you affectionately, but not in the way of those cheesy romance novels. You can tell that what he’s trying to say was true.

“Yes, I might be attracted to you because you’re different. The first time I saw you and talked to you, I can see a bit of me in you. You know, I probably longed for you because you don’t fawn on me in the first place.”

“But that night when I saw you again at Wolfgang’s, I just know I’m not taking anymore chances. The dates we’ve spent, you’ve let me discover a side of me that I didn’t know. I never know I could expose my feelings to someone like this.”

You can feel the heat starting to pile on your face, showing your now flushed cheeks over his confession. Noticing that the wind was a bit harsh, he pulls you closer in his arms. Not that you need another heat-pack, human-sized for it matters, you can also feel Jaehyun’s starting to get very warm too. You return his embrace, snuffling your face to his chest.

“The more days I spend with you, the more I fall for you.”

You swore you can feel the butterflies in your stomach start to fly in every direction. 

“I’m glad I found you. Loving you feels like I’m dreaming.”

He lets out the most genuine smile, eyes glistening with his droplets showing how sincere he is. “[Y/N], I really like how we are right now but I guess I’m quite the ambitious man.”

“Will you let me take care of you?”

You would regret it if you kept hiding in his hug, so you didn’t. You saw him directly to meet his gaze, and can’t help to admit that you feel the same way too.

“You know, Jaehyun, you’re an oddball. You just fall for a stranger, how dangerous could that be?!” 

“But then again, I guess I’m an oddball too. I don’t know, it’s probably the wind, but it keeps pushing me, one step at the time closer to you. And you’re warm, and I like that.”

Realizing where you’re going, Jaehyun couldn’t hide his smile.

“I guess, I’m falling further for love?” You said as you smile at him, making his smile grow even wider that you’re scared his dimples might be poking his cheeks a little bit too hard right now.

“If you’re sure you’ll have me, then I’ll be glad to have someone like you to take care of me. Only if you promise you’ll let me take care of you too.”

Your reply instantly filled him with joy, as he rushed to hug you tighter. 

“Thank you,” He said while caressing your head, “I promise I’ll treat you well.”

“Also,” He continues, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, nor did I try to hide anything from you. It’s just… the timing is not right yet. I promise you when everything is all good, you’d be the first person I tell.”

You let go of his hug, so that you can see him in the eyes, “Jaehyun, I understand. There’s no need to rush anything, yeah? I still love you for who you are and I don’t think that feelings could change that easily.” You cupped your hand to his cheeks, making sure Jaehyun knows that you’re being sincere.

Just before Jaehyun could reply, his phone rang.

He looked at the caller’s name on his screen, “Sorry, I think I should take this call. Do you want to smoke first? I’ll go inside for a while, I’ll come back soon.”

You nod, and he only answered after he’s inside so you didn’t catch the caller’s name.

How you wish you’d push yourself to know who the caller was.

A/N: Hehe eek is this chapter too sweet? I hope you guys are still around for the fluffy chapters T_T

[jungxk]

just one (vi)

notes: the only guy on campus who’s track record trumped that of your best friend’s - park jimin - was jeon jungkook. not that that was a problem…until he set his sights on you.

warnings: smut (f recieving), protected sex

genre: drama, romance, humour, college!au

wordcount: 5.3k

part i // part ii // part iii // part iv // part v // part vi // part vii // part viii // part ix // part x 

you watch sadly as you tip your case of empty paint tubes into the bin. they were your absolute favourite, a birthday gift from jimin almost two years ago. you had been so careful and stingy with them all this time to preserve as much as possible - at least to get you to the end of the semester - so it was disheartening to have to finally throw them out. oils were always your favourite. still, there wasn't much time for moping; if you were to get your next piece finished by the deadline you better start now because of the drying period between layers of watercolour.

"maybe jungkook has a hairdryer..." you mumble to yourself before padding over to his room. he's sitting at his tiny little work desk with his back to you when you peek over his shoulder. "kook, do you have a hairdryer?"

he points without removing his eyes from the screen. "the bottom drawer over there."

"thanks," you do a double take as you pass him with the appliance in tow, his eyes a little bloodshot and face twisted into what looks like terror. usually you couldn't so much as clean a paintbrush without jungkook all over you while you were at his place, but he barely spoke the whole afternoon. you take a tentative step towards him, because if he was anything like jimin when he's stressed he might get rabid. "you alright?"

"i dunno, am i?" he collapses back into the chair, threading his fingers through his hair which was getting wonderfully long. but the only thing you can pay attention to now are his panicked eyes and jittery knees. "i don't know what the fuck any of these numbers mean! why do i even need this for photography-"

"what is it?" you smooth your hand over his back, muscles stiff.

he deflates under your touch. "i agreed to peers taking questionnaires about my portfolio so far and i fucking regret it, noona. this stats software looks nothing like minecraft. i dont know what this all means. my prof said it'd help with cohesiveness - whatever that means - but he's off on one if he thinks this has done anything other than confuse me and ruin my life."

you try your best to hold back a smile, but jungkook is so cute when he's pouty and frustrated. "okay, well what are your variables?"

"my what? baby, i'm not in the mood right now-"

"no you dipshit, like," you gesture with your hands. "what are the things you're measuring? in the questionnaire?"

jungkook stares at you blankly. "i'm...what?"

you roll your eyes, grabbing the back of his chair to swivel him and plop onto his lap. "let me see."

jungkook has no idea what's going on, both because he doesn't know what you're talking about and also because you're covering the screen so he's spared of having to follow your clicking and tinkering. all he knows is that you fit nicely on his lap and that your bare thighs are warm on his, and it's much easier to focus on that anyway. especially since you aren't wearing underwear. after a few minutes he hooks his chin over your shoulder to at least try to keep up. "what are you doing, noona?"

"just cleaning up your dataset," you mumble. you finally perk up after a few more minutes. "oh, okay! so all you want to know is if the people who like the first half of your portfolio like the second half just as much, and whether that opinion affects the other? like a correlation, right?"

he sits up excitedly. "yeah! yeah, that's it," he stares at your profile in disbelief while you waste no time in running the analyses. "how do you know about this stuff, noona?"

"i did stats in my science major. the software i had back then, now that was a real pain in the ass. but this one isn't so bad," you reply absently while jungkook keeps staring at you like you're an angel that descended from the heavens especially for him. he has yet to believe otherwise. "hmm, you know i think you can skip all the sample level descriptives and cronbach's alpha scores and go straight to pearson's r if all you're looking for is a correlation. what would you prefer?"

he breathes in your hair; coconut, jasmine. his cologne. "you’re so sexy when i don’t understand what you’re saying."

x

x

x

jimin's face twists when he tests the contents of the pan. "can you tell me why this tastes like tae's dirty socks?"

“can you tell me why you know what tae’s dirty socks taste like?” you lean over the counter, swiping a finger over the ladle before bringing it to your mouth. you always used to cook for your family when you were younger, and although you had gone off it after what happened, you didn't mind when it was with jimin. with him, you didn't think about the memories of cutting onions with your father or grinding chillies with your mother and sister. it all felt new again, something that was never tarnished. which is why jimin is the only one you can stand to cook with even if he's unable to make anything but mojitos and a single pasta dish. "not enough garlic."

he squints at his phone while you manoeuvre him out of your way. "but it says two cloves in the recipe?"

"it's never two cloves," you take the knife and start to crush and peel more. "always start with four, maybe five."

"can't we just order takeout?" jimin pouts pathetically. he just washed his hair so its still damp, cheeks a rosy from the bathroom steam. you only wish his long line of hookups could see their ladies man now, bundled up in a powerpuff girls  sweater that he stole from you months ago.

"no," you pluck his phone from his hand before he can dial, replacing it with more cloves for him to peel. "you've been having takeout all week! all that oil can't be good for you, what's the point of sweating your tits off in that gym if you're just gonna eat shit?"

"i don't always eat shit!"

"jimin. we share a just eat email account. i know the chinese place isn't sending me customer loyalty codes," he rounds the stool where you're sat in the small place between your back and the wall, his palm skirting behind your waist to move you gently aside. "just let me see you eat a vegetable today, i'm begging. so if you keel over tomorrow from IBS i'll feel less guilty."

"alright alright," he huffs, rubbing at his puffy eyes with his sleeve before picking up the knife again. "i don't see what the big deal is, if i was breaking out then that'd be another issue but my body can clearly handle it. maybe it's like that episode of drake and josh where his body becomes accustomed to all the junk food he eats and-"

"please don't use drake and josh as a marker for your health."

"fine," and then without missing a beat, "but what about kenan and kel? all that orange soda and kel was totally fine. healthy even."

"physically, maybe. but did you see the screw in the tuna episode? don't tell me he didn't have inner demons that may or may not have been increased by an overly processed diet," you pause. "wait, am i the kenan in this friendship?"

"depends. i want to say you're the brains but i've also seen you try to open a can with a fork, so."

"hey! that wasn't my fault!" you exclaim, but jimin ignores you purposely. "taehyung told me you fucked yeri in the kitchen, how was i supposed to know what was and wasn't contaminated?"

"___, the fork was plastic."

"well what else would you have me do, starve?"

"what is this, the fucking famine? you said it yourself, we share a just eat email so the smart thing to do would be order. besides i dunno what makes you think i'd fuck a girl with a can opener in my vicinity anyway-"

"um, you're you," you chastise. "so i rest my case."

"then i'm definitely kenan," jimin laughs when you swat at him before your phone vibrates, one after another until it almost falls off the kitchen counter if you didn't grab it in time. you don't dare to unlock your phone when you see the contact name on the screen, too hyper-aware of jimin eyeing you over the chopping board. even he sees the gist of the messages jungkook sent you.

[jungkook 7:13pm] u left ur shirt here again noona

[jungkook 7:13pm] at this rate ur never gonna get it back are u :)

[jungkook 7:14pm] i'm free all day tomorrow

[jungkook 7:16pm] wanna come over?

[jungkook 7:16pm] i still haven't washed it btw so

[jungkook 7:17pm] we can do laundry together :))

[jungkook 7:18pm] or maybe later tonight ? i can pick u up ?

you don't even get a good read of the messages - all those smiley faces gave you enough of an idea. it wasn't a surprise or anything, but you still switch your phone to do not disturb and leave it face down on the counter like you have something to hide. which you don't. so why did it feel so wrong? so disrespectful, here in jimin's kitchen? you gnaw at your cheek.

jimin has his back to you so thankfully you're spared of having to gage his expression. he's probably sent a million thirsty texts so he knows what they look like, knows that he shouldn't be surprised. still, he shifts from foot to foot uneasily. the only thing that makes him stop is you leaning wordlessly over him to lower the stove to a simmer, turning the tap on to wash some rice and hum quietly. here was jeon jungkook, arguably the biggest stud on campus blowing up your phone on a friday night but nothing felt different. you'd always choose him and jimin knew that.

"what do you think of egg fried rice?" you ask over your shoulder. "i haven't made it in ages. the one with the veggies?"

jimin smiles. "i love that one,"

x

x

x

"he's not back yet?" you ask when yoongi lets you into the flat, shoulders deflating childishly. he gives you a lazy shake of his head before nudging you to the sofa to take up your usual spot on the matted cushion in the corner, kicking your shoes away and sitting cross legged. yoongi and namjoon's flat was only round the corner from jungkook's, a worn down little two-bed that smelled rather questionable at times, but it quickly became a familiar place. a safe place. especially because of how often you'd come over while jungkook was running late at class or the gym or photo-hunting. coming to terms with the fact that you were sleeping with jungkook wasn't that hard, but being friends with his friends was.

"it's leg day. you know how jungkookie feels about his chicken calves," yoongi says before flopping down next to you. namjoon was tucked into the other side with a book, effectively squishing you into yoongi with his big shoulders. if jungkook was here he'd pout about having nowhere to sit and the thought only makes you more pleased. "he'd be there until sundown if you weren't waiting for him."

"are you sure you're one to talk about chicken legs?" you reach to tickle yoongi's knees and he barely manages to flinch away in time.

"i love my chicken legs the way they are, thanks. can't say the same for your boyfriend though."

you freeze. "i told you to stop saying that, yoongi. you know he hates the b word. one more slip up and you won't ever see me here again. last time he avoided me for two weeks!"

"never see you again? doubt it. your hair clogged the shower drain yesterday so you pretty much owe rent at this point," yoongi keeps flicking through the channels on the television. "besides, i know what a man with a monkey on his back looks like. kookie just doesn't like being reminded of it because unfortunately for him there's no rehab to quit you."

a rush of blood goes straight to your cheeks. yoongi loves to tease you and you know that, second only to jungkook who actually does get off to it, but you still tap nervously on the carpet with your toes while desperately hoping for namjoon to step into the conversation with a weird conspiracy theory or black hole fact he read on an astronomy blog. anything to dig you out of this metaphorical hole you and jungkook are hellbent on ignoring. yoongi sees the way you curl in on yourself slightly, a sensible and collected flower like you reduced to a fidgety school girl. it's cute.

"hyung," namjoon says with his eyes still glued to his book. "stop winding her up or her face'll explode and then jiminie will come for your throat."

yoongi scoffs. "and? what's that short-ass gonna do, cry on me to death?"

"you're like two inches taller than him."

"two and a half, actually."

"so he really was a crybaby?" you scoot to fold your legs under you. "jungkook told me before but i didn't believe him! i've tried everything but i can never get a reaction out of jimin...i mean, if horny isn't an emotion."

"oh yeah, totally," namjoon puts an arm on the back on the back of the sofa behind you when he looks up. his silver hair brings out the beautifully rich undertone of his skin and it's difficult not to stare, being so close. "if the patriarchy hadn't fucked him up he'd be a real tree hugger, i'm sure of it. but the last time i saw him cry was...hmm..."

"five years ago," yoongi chimes. "when jungkookie got caught."

"ooooh yeah," namjoon nods. "but jimin and jungkook were super close back then. he was so protective of him, waited in the custody office for hours until they finally-"

"wait," you look between them. "caught? what do you mean?"

the boys exchange a glance between them. it's not like you didn't know that yoongi sells weed and often with namjoon's help. in fact, they often told you about their wild stories and close calls. but they had never mentioned jungkook being involved with any of that stuff, and neither had he. you always just assumed that he'd kept his head out of it, being a college student and all but yoongi's shrugging and namjoon's pursed lips tell you otherwise.

"jungkook got charged with possession as a minor," yoongi says. "i mean, seventeen but still. too baby-faced."

"jungkook sold for you?" you repeat, not quite believing your ears. he had always been the better off out of his friends that often did shadier things, but the more you got to know him the more you felt like the jungkook you heard about and the jungkook you knew were two different boys. it really shouldn't have come as a surprise, since he had practically grown up with yoongi, namjoon and jimin. his hyungs were his family and he'd do anything for them, there was really no reason he wouldn't take up their trade.

"oh yeah, almost a year. he was good at it too," namjoon laughs. "our kookie's good at everything if you give him enough chances."

"so what happened?" you press. "does he...does he still sell?"

"are you kidding? we got him out of all that shit the second he stepped out the office," yoongi rubs the back of his neck. "jungkook isn't like us. he's a good kid with a lot of talent and he didn't need to be doing all that you know? we convinced him to go to school instead but even then, jimin made us swear to look out for him because he left earlier than kookie."

"wow, jimin really hasn't changed," you lean back. "in like, taking care of people i mean. so is that when jungkook got into photography? he did talk about getting his first camera when he was like eighteen or something..."

namjoon nods happily in recollection. "yup! we were so proud when jungkook got accepted into university, especially after jimin and hobi. people from our town don't usually pursue higher education-"

"especially with kookie's record," yoongi laughs.

"why?" you blink at him.

"the weed was one thing, but jungkook also got a strike for violence."

namjoon winces. "hyung, he's gonna throw a tantrum if you tell her..."

"i don't care. she's fucking him, she has a right to know," yoongi retorts evenly, dark eyes swivelling to meet yours. his light hair is matted from under his beanie, barely missing his lashes. "a few years ago jungkook beat a guy so bad he had to go into emergency. it was pretty gross. broken nose, missing teeth, you name it. he's been on thin ice since but he doesn't act like it."

you take a second to digest the information. "do you...do you know why?" you waver, unable to keep the horror from your voice. "knocking a guy's teeth out? people don't just do that!"

"kookie did," namjoon sighs.

"but why? it's so...i just can't imagine jungkook doing something like that..."

"something like what?"

your head snaps to the doorway where jungkook can be seen only partially when he bends over to unlace his shoes, namjoon and yoongi simultaneously pinching your legs to wipe the wide-eyed look off your face. it was one of the many times when wearing your heart on your sleeve did not do you any favours. you just about manage to look normal enough within the half a second it takes for jungkook to come in, hair mussed from his post-gym shower and tee wrinkled from being stuffed into the bottom of his bag. his eyes look extra big today, nose and knuckles blushed pink from all the lifting. he couldn't look farther from the violent offender yoongi and namjoon described. in fact, the sudden urge to kiss him hello was near suffocating.

"i was telling her about the time you wore hyung's underwear for two weeks," namjoon explains, years of lying paying off with how smoothly he returns to his book.

"what!" yoongi splutters. "are you kidding?! a whole week, jungkook that's disgusting-"

the younger boy winces. "not the same pair!"

"wait. you took more than one?!"

"um..."

"how many. tell me right now you little shit."

"i promise they were clean!" jungkook says defensively, but his buck teeth show in a defensive little grin. it's impossible to be mad at him. "my washing machine broke, remember? and i never have change so i didn't go to the laundrette's and-"

"which ones?" yoongi's voice becomes obnoxiously loud with dismay. "tell me right now so can go upstairs and burn them. jesus jungkook you could have at least asked me, now i have to live with the knowledge that your bollocks is acquainted with mine until i die-"

"hyung they were clean," jungkook insists. "and if i asked i knew you wouldn't have let me borrow them!"

"yeah because it's gross! why didn't you just take joonie's?"

"i did. but he caught me and told me to take yours instead."

you just about manage to insert yourself between yoongi before he can grab a fistful of namjoon's hair while jungkook throws back his head in a loud cackle.

x

x

x

[jimin 7:58pm] you dont mind do u?

it's hard not to roll your eyes at his message, momentarily leaving your phone on the bed while you unclasp your bra. it wasn't the first time jimin had bailed on you last minute because of some girl he'd picked up for longer than expected. you're just thankful that this time he had the courtesy to tell you before you got to his house and burst into his bedroom without knocking only to see areas of your best friend you really did not need to see. even though you shudder at the memories - yes, plural - the sinking feeling of disappointment can't be masked. it's movie night.

[you 8:01pm] yh its fine

[you 8:02pm] but u owe me one i put on a bra for you asshole

[jimin 8:04pm] ofc babe

[jimin 8:04] just skip it next time :)

you snort before locking your phone and throwing it on the bed, padding over the room in your knickers to select some sleeping shorts off the floor. jisoo went home for a family birthday and seulgi had a deadline for monday, so it was safe to say you were alone for the weekend. you were used to being alone but you didn't like it; it was the reason why you'd always trudge to jimin's if the girls weren't home or even yoongi and namjoon's, even if it was just to take a nap on their sofa. you needed the noise, the background bickering. that's why there's only so much paint brush washing and kitchen cleaning you can do before reaching for your phone and messaging jungkook.

or at least that's what you tell yourself when he's in your bed within the hour, head resting on your stomach and his leg thrown over your ankles. you trace along the tattoo on his bicep closest to you, admiring the cohesiveness and line placement while jungkook dozes off, like he often does after sex. he's had a long week so you let him sleep, hair sticking up and mouth open like a toddler, so impossibly cute you can't help combing through his nape. jungkook doesn't often spend the night at yours so this was a rarity, and you had to admit he did look a little out of place in your tiny little room. he was far too big for your bed, one foot already hanging off, clothes and jacket hurled into the corner with only cheap fairy lights to rely on so you don't go tripping over his shoes at the door.

you could draw him like this. jungkook's eyelashes are short and pin-straight, eyebrows angled and distinctive. quick, sharp pencil strokes. he's got the faintest shadow above his top lip from where didn't have time to shave today. you'd use charcoal for his hair, black with a slight wave. a swooping curve for his nose, a more gentle line for his jaw. he looks harmless like this: not at all resembling the boy yoongi described.

"why are you so quiet, noona?" he grumbles into the duvet, eyes still closed. "you should be snoring my ears off by now."

you pout. "i'm too busy wondering how i'm gonna get your river of drool out of my pillow."

he snorts. "throw your sheets in on a fast cycle and voila."

"what fast cycle? i just press every button on the machine until it starts."

he opens his eyes. "you're an animal."

you laugh, tugging on the roots of his hair where your hand is still nestled inside. "how do you know so much about washing machines anyway?"

"my mum worked a lot growing up," jungkook yawns. "hyung did the cooking and i did the laundry."

you freeze. "you have a brother?"

"i swear i told you that," he scoots across your stomach, taking the pillow with him to position it over your hip so he can look at you properly. his eyes look glassy in the lights, lids hooded and hair pushed back. a real dreamboat wrapped in a hello kitty duvet. "two years older, same as jimin."

"no wonder jimin cares about you so much," you keep playing with his hair, watching his eyes droop closed. "he may as well be your brother." jungkook hums in reply, growing more and more drowsy from all the petting. "so...how come your mum worked so much?"

his eyes open to look at you, hesitating. "dad left when we were young. she didn't really have a choice."

"i didn't know that jungkook..." you pause. "that must have been hard."

he rolls to face the ceiling, like he's thinking twice before he answers. "not really. eomma's a badass, there's nothing she can't handle. yeah money and stuff wasn't easy, and it sucked when i was younger and didn't understand why hyung and eomma were so upset after what happened, but it's whatever. the three of us are so good together, you know? i like it like this."

you nod. because you do know. or, did. you wonder now if that's the reason jungkook got involved with yoongi and namjoon in the first place, to help out his family, but even you know some questions are better left unasked. instead, you chip away at jungkook while you can, since you know barely anything about him beyond student life and his friends. who knows when he would be in the mood to open up again. "so what does your brother do?"

"an accountant. for some fancy law firm in the city," he smiles. "hyung is super smart. like you."

you laugh. "you know i didn't finish my first major, right?"

"by choice. not because you weren't capable," he finishes, and to that you have no choice but to shut up. no one had ever put it that way before. "he's super quiet like you too, keeps to himself. gives really good advice. oh my god, and his kimchi pork stew - amazing!" his teeth gleam take up his whole mouth when he smiles, lines creasing around his eyes. "so many times when me and mum would argue, hyung was the reason why we'd stop. guess i got her temper."

you watch him closely. "you argued often?"

"at one point, yeah. not because we didn't like each other or anything, just..." you can see him hesitating again, cheek sucked in from where he chews it while staring up at the ceiling as if the memories are playing back at him on a projector. you keep quiet, let him get there on his own. "mum went through a phase where she dated a lot. felt bad that neither of us had a father figure and all that bullshit. she brought home some real dickheads, some top tier cunts i'm telling you. and i...wasn't exactly nice to them. ever since then i just hate seeing girls be pushed around by assholes, you know? it does something to me, i dunno. here," he lays a hand over his stomach. "i can't just watch. i can't. it's like i'm gonna be sick."

it's hard not to cry listening to him, seeing the lines in his forehead appear along with the crinkle above his nose. it made sense now, what yoongi told you about before. thinking back to the whole escapade with jinyoung in your kitchen, the whole thing hit you differently.

jungkook was exactly the kind of boy your old family would have frowned upon, reckless and thoughtless and emotionally-driven in the face of adversity. absolutely everything you were taught not to be. but you admired him for those very reasons. before you can start crying you sit up, silencing jungkook with a kiss before he can ask you what's wrong. it's firm and deliberate, your hands holding both his cheeks. he's breathless. "you seriously fucking worry me, slick."

"oh?" his eyes stay focused on your lips while he moves to you, positions you underneath him on the foot of the bed, pulling your thighs around his hips so you gasp at the feel of his semi on your soft inner thigh. he dips his head to kiss along your sternum, hand ghosting over your breasts before closing his mouth around your nipple.

"i nev-never know what you're gonna do next," you exhale shakily, arching into him involuntarily at the sensation. jungkook takes the opportunity to rub the pads of his fingers against your cunt, using the remnants of your arousal to help you along. sure enough you accept his fingers greedily, but he takes his time in stretching you out and easing in further, further.

his thumb gently passes over your clit and you shake. "never? not even now?"

you have to forcibly yank his face away from your tits to kiss him, slowly and with passion. his skin grows damp under your hands, muscles rippling under your touch from where he holds himself up on his forearms. he likes feeling the softness of your tummy against his, your thick thighs cushioning him snugly against you. just like always, it's torture having to pull away from you for a brief second to grab a condom, but the familiar chuckle you breathe out to see him speed back into your arms almost makes it worth it. you take the packet from him, about to tear it open before he grabs your hand with a cheeky smile. "in a minute."

before you can question him about it you yelp he tugs you by the hips, sliding up to angle your ass so your knees have no choice but to hook over his shoulders. jungkook's arms wind around the top of your thighs, thick and secure, nails scraping gently through your coarse curls before he pulls your legs apart as wide as they'll go and lowers his mouth onto you. the noise you make is just as embarrassing as always, so loud and uncontrollable, hysterical even. you've gotten used to being jungkook's fourth, fifth and sixth meal of the day but he steals your breath away every time, leaves you squirming and trembling and this instance was no exception. today he was feeling indulgent so he eats you out messily, makes sure he's loud enough for you hear every squelch and slurp. you physically shake when he sucks a gently kiss to your clit, proud of yourself for not screaming. jungkook, however, isn't happy about that and keeps sucking until you do. harder, harder, and then filling you up with his fingers so you have something to clench around when you cum all over him in a rush.

your back is still off the bed when he reaches your eye level again, the family sound of the foil wrapper ripping from the condom packet making you lift your head up to look at him. he's already rolling it down his length when he peer downwards, and even though you only get a glimpse of his blushing head he's sticky and hot with pre-cum. you wiggle in anticipation and jungkook laughs at your cuteness before leaning back down, taking your hands in his for a change. he can see the appeal, interlocking your fingers with his palms against yours and using only his hips as leverage to push into your sopping center, letting you move against him so he's lodged in as deep as he can fit before he starts rocking into you.

your moans are his favourite song, maybe that's why he wants to listen to them all day. he'd like to make you cum again but it's difficult for him once his hips start stuttering uncontrollably, no matter how much he tries to slow his pace. you let go of his hands then to take his face, his eyes closed when he feels you press your smooth lips to his cheekbone; an encouraging kiss. a go on, i want you to kiss. the moan he let's out before giving in is fragile and wispy, nose digging into your neck while he ruts against you to his end. you clench around him harder just to hear jungkook whimper again, pliant and weak in your arms. all of a sudden, out of nowhere you wish you could feel the rush of his cream spilling from you when he pulls out to discard the condom. he nestles back into your breasts afterwards, smelling himself on your skin. 

jungkook falls asleep smiling.

[war--lords]

Can you make a headcanon of how would Masamune, Kenshin, and Mitsunari going to propose for wedding?

(with a southern accent) aw man I need sum fluff in ma life right now

semi-nsfw, gender unspecified

⁕⁕⁕

Masamune

It happens in a banquet in Oshu to celebrate many things, your relationship with Masamune included. It has been quite a while since the two of you became an item, and to commemorate your anniversary, the castle is alive with cheer. Even Shogetsu seems more energetic than he already is.

Everything seems deceptively normal. The humble extravagance (you like to call it that) is so Masamune-esque, and the people are happy, as they usually are during these times. You’re being showered by offers of food and drinks while Masamune is busy bringing out the food he prepared—you wanted to help with that, but he insisted that you sit tight and “feel the people’s love”, as he said earlier.

Your tastebuds are indeed being pampered, having tasted so many different flavors in such a short time. All sorts of fruit essence, little sips of wine not enough to render you intoxicated, finger food, the whole ensemble. Masamune never disappoints—except for the fact that right now he’s kind of tied up with serving the food, and his vassals are hogging him, showering him with attention… The vibrant party is nice, but it’s kind of pointless without him next to you.

Then suddenly his gaze meets yours and he smiles, appearing slightly surprised, before grabbing a bowl and moving to where you are seated.

“Wanna get some air for a bit?”

Sensing something afoot in his tone, you oblige. It’s also getting a little stuffy inside, so air seems like a great idea. The two of you sit next to each other and Masamune opens the bowl.

“Miso soup?” You ask. It’s warm, steam rising up along with the aroma of scallions, and you find your mouth watering. He watches, amused, as you down the contents in a couple gulps. Once done, his thumb comes up to your lips, gathering a drop of soup before taking it between his lips. You almost blush.

“How is it?”

“It’s good! So refreshing. Makes me want to eat more food back there.”

“Greedy kitten,” he chuckles, wrapping his arms around you. You lean against his built body, cherishing the warmth. Then he sighs, and you immediately become alert, looking up to his face to see what’s wrong.

His blue eyes are looking at you so kindly, so lovingly that you think your heart might burst. And of course, he knows what you’re thinking about, and somehow that gives him the courage to say whatever he’s keeping to himself.

“…You know, I’d love to cook for you every day for the rest of my life, only to see you smile like that.”

“Masamune—?”

He kisses your temple. “I promise you I’ll make you happy. Marry me.”

You feel your heart at your throat as every nerve in your body jolts with surprise, but it melts in a split second into warmth, coursing through your veins with each pump of blood. You cup his face and lean close, unable to resist the urge to smile. “I’m already happy.”

The two of you share a long kiss that got cut short for the better—it’s going to get indecent if left unchecked. Thankfully Masamune has it together as he swoops you into his arms and carries you back into the hall where the party is still going on, all the while yelling “I’m getting married!!!”     

Kenshin

Moments after sex with you are moments most serene for Kenshin. He likes it when you’re still awake, basking in both your afterglows with him as the spring breeze quietly slips in through the slightly-ajar sliding door that leads to the garden. His quarters are secluded enough for you not to worry about the sounds that might leave the room.

Kenshin likes to play with your everything, but in a nature unlike a few moments ago, where he can be fervent and passionate and burning. Now he’s tender, even as he traces the tips of his fingers down your neck, collarbone, chest, navel, circling your bare skin precariously. In turn, you play with his hair, soft platinum locks that feel so good when you run your fingers through them. He doesn’t look like he minds at all.

As the two of you lay next to each other, exchanging intimate touches, he finds his lips looser than they normally are, and so the two of you tend to exchange words as well. Tonight, he begins with a sentence that sort of surprises you, but only a little.

“I’m sorry I can’t stop fighting.”

You leave a loving kiss on his cheek. “Don’t apologize. We’ve talked about this before. And a time of peace is ahead, you know. You contributed to that.” He hums, kissing you back on your jaw before moving to rest his face in the crook of your neck.

“You spoil me,” he declares, running his hands down your side and relishing in the tickled giggle you let out. Kenshin turns to straddle you in order to see your face better—he loves it whenever he’s on top of you, looking into your eyes while commanding your gaze to lay only on him. 

“That’s because I love you,” you reply, feeling slightly playful because of his hands. Your fingers slide up his defined chest before ultimately ending up behind his neck, your arms draped around it as if caging him. He loves it.

“And I love you,” he pauses to leave a kiss on your lips, “forever.” Another on your jaw, and his hands, heavens, so mischievous, the way they dip between your legs… “I want to be like this with you forever.”

“Me too.”

“Then marry me.”

Your half-lidded eyes shoot open, meeting his calm, heterochromatic ones. Afraid that he might see you cry, you quickly pull him into a kiss, so loving and deep. He knows better, though. He can feel the hot tears down your cheek even as the two of you lock lips, but before the ugly voice of self-doubt in him starts to bellow of the rejection that may come, his open eyes only see your smiling face, your own eyes wet with soon-to-be tears. He has his arms around you as you nod many, many times.

“I’d be honored.”

  Mitsunari

Mitsunari’s job usually requires him to do a lot of work even after the sun sets, and that got him acquainted to late nights, the gleam of his oil lamp, cricket songs, and chilly winds. One way or another he would find himself unconscious on his futon. In the morning, there is always somebody to check up on him—mostly Hideyoshi, other times the other vassals if his lord is too busy, and then… you. You’re the most interesting of all his morning visitors (he thinks so without discrediting Hideyoshi, of course), simply because you lingered longer to make conversation. It’s as if you were longing to understand him. Perhaps he was also interesting in your eyes.

But then the wars have subsided, and though they are not gone forever, he can actually take it easy with his job for a while. ‘Take it easy’. What a foreign phrase to his ears. It means sleeping to the cricket songs and chilly winds, without the gleam of his oil lamp. And for a while now it means sleeping with you.

The morning afters are peculiar, but in a lovely sort of way. He’s still slightly nostalgic of how you used to wake him up from his unconsciousness with breakfast and a cheerful smile. He remembers introducing you to Kitty. Now, though, you wake up with him, sometimes even later than him. He likes it. He likes it very much, this feeling. Just you and him, under the covers, in various states of undress depending on the night before, the sunrays slowly seeping in through his sliding doors.

You’re cutely cuddling up to his chest while you mumble some gibberish, and that sort of helps him wake up, albeit stirringly.

He loves when you’re still asleep. He gets to watch your face, the way you shift and stir lightly, your little occasional snores, the squirming and cuddling up to him. Mitsunari is a man known for his intellect, but even he can’t quantify the amount of love coursing through his veins at the sight of you in the morning. It must be a whole lot because his heart feels like bursting.

You eventually awaken, eyes squinting and voice husky.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

A smile escapes you at the sound of the nickname. “Someone’s up early.”

“I can’t miss a chance to watch you sleep, now, can I,” he replies, and he kisses you on the lips.

“You like watching me sleep? What a creep.”

He laughs—you’re awake enough to make that remark, apparently. “If that makes me a creep, then you can call me the creepiest of creeps. Though in all seriousness, I really enjoy waking up before you.”

“You’re not a creep, Mitsunari, you’re a sweetie pie.”

Your lover turns silent for a few seconds, and before you can ask what’s wrong, he’s already asking you a question.

“Does it still make me a creep if I want to wake up next to you, like this, for the rest of my life?”

He has said that before, the whole ‘forever’ and ‘rest of my life’ deal, but something in the way he said it makes your sleepy eyes widen. He cups your face, eyes looking so earnestly into yours, and you’ve never felt more awake in bed in your life.

“I love you. And I want you to be here next to me every day when I wake up.”

You find yourself nodding before he asks the question. He smiles.

“Marry me?”

[adjure]

Previous chapter

Rating: Teen/PG13+ (Rating might change)

Words: 3247

II. First Moon

Who is Tony?

The Tony you know, the one you named, sits beside you while your question’s tossed up in the air. You’re back where you first saw him; in front of your family’s bakery, by the large display window, except this time the sun has barely risen and the people haven’t yet awoken from their slumber.

Mornings in Red Grave are quaint and calm in this side of the city, contrasting the nights where the air is thick and heavy with something you can’t pinpoint. People call it miasma; you’re not sure what that means. Dew and the crisp, cool air feels clean, unlike the dread that looms in chilly evenings. But your mother doesn’t let you out once the sun fully sets anyway, and you don’t think you’ll ever know what it feels like to stare at the moon and the stars. If it’s not hidden by the city smog, and the bright lights of houses and buildings.

After all, the demons roam, guided under the moon and stars, and you’re nothing but a small child. Easy picking for monsters.

“So who’s Tony?” he asks again, freshly baked breads and two tall glasses of milk— the breakfast menu you share— settles in between. Tony has his on his lap.

Difference being, you have a book on yours.

Distracted by the warm bread, and the scent of butter wafting through the vicinity, you raise a finger to tell him wait as you take a bite of your food. The taste is as you know so well; savory, a hint of sweetness, and the soft texture still fresh from the oven. They’re the best kind of bread, you think, and best eaten this way too. It’s a life philosophy.

“Eat before it gets cold,” you tell him, taking a sip of your milk.

Like always, he does as you say, stuffing the bread into his mouth. Tony pauses, blinks, and his eyes widen.

“This is good,” his voice is muffled, but it doesn’t stop his amazement from bleeding out. You can’t help the splitting grin.

“I know.”

Behind the smugness of your tone, there’s genuine cheer to be sharing something that means a lot to you with your new friend. Something you like, and have him like it too. You believe he deserves this much; clean clothes, patched up wounds, a hearty meal and some company. Because you think he looks a little lonely, and very, very lost. Looked, you suppose. He seems much better now.

“So you were gonna tell me about Tony in the book? Your favorite character?” he says, finishing up his bread and sipping from the glass of milk, eyeing your book.

“Yup,” you say, taking another bite, sifting through the pages. “Just give me a moment to find it… Hey, how’s Mrs. Goldstein treating you?”

“The old lady?” Tony hums, both hands now on either sides of his glass, chugging down the milk. There’s a white mustache above his lips that he licks clean. “She’s nice. I told her you told me to go here, and then I told her what happened. Told me to call her Nell though.”

“Really?” You hadn’t known of her full name before this. Nell Goldstein. “Oh, here it is. Tony.”

Finger on the paragraph, you turn the novel his way, and it makes him squint at the letters. He leans closer, reading it slowly under his breath.

“...he whips two pistols from the holsters, twirling them in his hands: Obsidian and Ivory? Hey, that sounds cool. Can you really twirl guns like that?”

“I’ve seen Mrs. Goldstein do it,” you shrug. “So I’m guessing with practice, you can do it too. Maybe you can ask her to teach you.”

“You know, that sounds like a pretty good idea.”

Pride swells in your chest, and you puff up just a bit. Tony looks at you, somewhat amused, but you give him a toothy grin and he can’t help shoot one back.

“Thanks,” you say. “You need to protect yourself from the demons anyway.”

“I do,” he agrees and finishes the last of his milk. Sometimes he still hears them roaming at night, or maybe they’re roaming in his nightmares as he recalls the day his mother and brother disappeared. But you don’t need to know that, and he doesn’t want to think about it either. “Okay, I’m gonna go and ask Nell if she can teach me!”

You watch as Tony jump from where he’s been sitting, and you close your novel to offer it to him. “Do you want to read it?”

Blue eyes find their way to look into yours, then flicker towards the novel. Tony gives a contemplative hum, finger tapping his chin, staring up at the brightening sky then back down below. It’s not too thick, he thinks, never been much of a reader but…

“Okay,” he finally nods, taking it. “I’ll read it. I wanna see what this Tony guy does. Since you named me after him.”

“Okay! Tell me what you think of it once you’re done,” you chirp, giddy that he’s interested in reading your favorite book, favorite story with your favorite character. He even thinks Tony is cool.

“I will,” he hands you the empty glass, “and thanks again for the bread and milk.”

“No problem. I’ll meet you at the park later afternoon?”

“Mhm,” Tony’s head bobs in affirmation. “Like usual.”

“Gotcha.”

That becomes the routine the two of you fall into: breakfast in front of your bakery in the morning, or sometimes you’d go visit Mrs. Goldstein with a basket of assorted, freshly baked breads. Afternoon is to play in the park with Tony, in the sandbox and slides, the swings and the see-saw. Other times, you’d find yourself chatting, talking about your family, and him?

Eerily, he never speaks of them. You wonder if he has any.

But nowadays, he talks more and more about Mrs. Goldstein. Or as he calls her, Nell, and her son Rock that visits from time to time. Maybe they’re his family, you guess. What about you? Are you part of his new, little family? After finding him ragged in front of your bakery, you’d like to think he is a part of yours.

You should ask that the next time you meet him. Tomorrow, at the park, because he can’t have breakfast with you since he's got an errand to run: “Am I your family?”

(So far, Tony's only failed to tell you when he's busy and got to go twice. And both times, he comes back when he can to tell you he's sorry. You always forgive him. He always smiles.)

Except that day, you don’t find Tony at the playground. Or at least, there’s someone who looks like Tony. Same height, same snow white hair; slicked back, for some reason. All unlike the style Tony sports, with his bangs covering part of his sky eyes that tends to annoy you. And they always fall back down when you try to swipe them to the side. This Tony look alike has got a sword strapped to his back, and blankly stares at the playground.

It makes you halt and frown. You know how Tony looks; and he looks exactly like him, save for the hairstyle. But that’s not Tony. As gloomy as your friend can be sometimes, his eyes has never been narrowed so much. He’s never frowned that deep.

That boy, his stare looks mean.

“Tony?” you call out anyway, walking towards him and catches his attention. He stares, wordless, and it feels like forever before he answers.

“You have the wrong person.”

“...Okay…” You figured that much, but the sheer coldness in his tone makes you hesitate. Stop in your steps. “Then who are you?”

The mystery boy— he falls silent one more time. You shift in place, a couple feet away from where he stands.

“Gilver.”

“Gilver?”

He nods. So you scrutinize him, and the awkward quietness is like a prelude to a disaster. Not that you notice the atmosphere, too busy trying to figure out why he looks so much like Tony and why he’s standing in the middle of the park.

It should be Tony there. He’s not playing a prank on you, is he?

But then you realize, he seems a little lost. Not as much as Tony was when he was slumped in front of your bakery. Maybe aimless would be a better word to use; it’s a word you read in your favorite book.

If aimless can be personified, then you think it would look like this Gilver boy.

“Are you waiting for something?” you try to continue the conversation, and Gilver’s responses are never immediate. He waits, and sits on it, and then he’ll reply after you’ve almost given up. After you’ve almost decided to sigh, call it a day, and leave him be.

“No,” he says, turning away. “Just visiting. I’ll be going now.”

“...Oh, okay.” You never get the chance to tell him that he looks similar to a friend of yours. You don’t get the chance to ask him to stay, and ask if he knows of the nameless boy you dubbed Tony. Because the way his back looks as Gilver walks away is alien and estranged; seems so far and out of your reach. Closed in, shelled, leaving so many things up in the air. And so many more probably buried under Gilver’s tongue.

You try to tell him wait, but your voice doesn’t come out the way you want it to and you watch him disappear around the corner of the street up ahead.

Then again, it dawns on you, there’s not a lot of white-haired, blue-eyed children around. If any at all, aside from your friend and the boy who just left moments ago. You wonder if Gilver’s figured it out himself; there’s a Tony, and the Tony you called out to looks like him.

The question is, does he know?

Except you won’t have a chance to ask, or figure it out. Not any time soon. You wait on the swing for an hour, maybe two hours, messing around with the sand and playing tag with a group of other kids who visit the park around the same time you do. They ask you the same thing you ask yourself:

“Hey, where’s Tony?”

Dismayed and without an answer, you shrug and tell them, “I don’t know.”

That day, you trudge home earlier than usual, passing by Mrs. Goldstein’s townhouse and finds that the lights are out, doors locked, curtains drawn. Is no one home? It’s not a wonder if they’ve gone off somewhere, maybe a vacation out of town.

What’s weird is, if they did go, Tony would’ve told you like he always does.

So you wait, the next day, and the next, till you lose track of the weeks and he’s nowhere to be found. Neither is Gilver; disappearing like a ghost, never seeing him around the neighborhood since that day at the park. It really tickles your nose, raises your suspicion about it being Tony playing tricks on you.

Still, you’re unable to fool yourself. Tony’s not a good actor, and you know that because he couldn’t even hide his distaste for the olives in a slice of leftover pizza you two ate once for breakfast. Written all over his face, twisting his nose. The prankster theory seems pretty implausible when you recall that memory. A doppelgänger, then? Or better yet, a twin?

In the end, three months pass, Mrs. Goldstein’s house remain empty and Tony doesn’t swing by like he has been for the past six.

Until he shows up at your bakery door, one evening, as the sky’s turning into a hue of indigo where the sun’s barely peeking on the horizon. Three times knocking on the wood; your mother thinks it’s a bad omen. You squint through the peephole, against your mother’s advice as she yells from the kitchen; “Don’t open the door!”

But what affronts you is a familiar face, and a pair of clear blue eyes that are cast in the shadows from the ill lighting. Despite that, they strike you so your eyes widen, and Tony stands there under the flickering streetlights.

Warnings forgotten, you open the door as silent as you can, slipping out with a whisper: “Tony?��

‘Hey,” he greets, voice hoarse. Tony clears his throat and runs his hand through his hair, pushing it back. You’re instantly reminded of someone, but it’s not the time to say it.

There’s a more pressing matter at hand.

“Where have you been?”

“...Sorry.”

That’s not the answer you’re looking for. “Are you injured anywhere?”

Tony shakes his head.

“Where have you been?” you repeat.

“We had to go,” he explains, inhaling, turning away, “run away for a bit. There were things following me.”

“Are they still following you?”

“No,” his head shakes again, “Nell took care of them. She got injured so we… so…”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” says Tony.

“You don’t get to decide that. If it’s your fault, then the jury will decide you’re at fault. There has to be facts presented, and there are laws,” you insist. “I learned that from Mrs. Orwell from across the street. She’s a lawyer.”

Tony’s lips turn twisty; as if he wants to smile, maybe laugh, but can’t bring himself to fully enjoy the humor. But he relents, and gives in. As always. But he’s still not looking at you. “Okay. If you say so.”

“Do you want to come in?”

“I couldn’t come in last time.” He finally gives you a puzzled stare. “Why now?”

“I don’t know,” you tell him, shrugging. “It’s been three months, Tony. Besides, my mom knows you now.”

“I think Nell will be looking for me, though. After what happened.”

After a short moment of pondering the point he brings up, you nod your head, agreeing. “Yeah, you’re right. You’ll be around tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah,” he lifts a pinky up, “I will.”

You hook yours over his. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

“You’ll have to swallow a thousand needles if you break it.”

“That doesn’t sound very nice.” Tony’s expression scrunches up.

“It doesn’t,” you shake your entwined hands up and down for a moment before letting go. “That’s why you’ve gotta keep your promise.”

“Mmkay. I’ll definitely keep it.”

However, the next morning; you find no sign of Tony, who’d usually knock at your door, or sit by the window and wait for you. Heart, pounding in your chest, you pace quickly with a basket of bakery goods your mother’s given to gift to Mrs. Goldstein, who she heard is sick. But you know the truth; she isn’t sick. She got injured. And there’s a big difference there. Of course, you consider the possibility that Tony’s overslept. After all, he looked rather harrowed last night. And just as you ring the doorbell, the door swings open, revealing Tony whose hair is still a mess atop his head.

Laughter slips out of you like water, though it’s a bit quiet, and laced with relief. And in turn, he stares at you with surprise, looking as if he’s seen a rabbit jump out of a rustling bush.

“You look ridiculous,” you comment.

“Shut up.”

“I brought some bread for Mrs. Goldstein. Is she doing better?”

“Yeah,” he nods, “she is. She was yelling at me to get her some water. I, uh,” Tony clears his throat, “overslept.”

At the same time, your voice overlaps with his and asks, “Overslept?”

He simply gives you a sheepish look. “Yep.”

“Well, that’s fine. I’m here anyway. Can I come in?”

“Sure!” There’s a bit of excitement in the way he says the word. A bit of a bounce. And you can’t help the happiness stretching your cheeks into a toothy grin. “We’ll go up to Nell’s bedroom together, and you can give her the bread basket.”

“Okay!”

The door shuts behind you then, and your days continue on as normal for the next three nights. Until, in the middle of your sleep, when twilight’s fallen and the clouds are thick, you’re awoken with a startle and your mother’s panicked voice. It vaguely smells of smoke, and crimson reflects off the window where the curtains are oddly drawn open. And you take a hold of your mother’s hand immediately, jumping out of the bed, running down the stairs barefoot and into the car as she drove the two of you out of town.

To your uncle’s, she says, until this dies down.

Firefighters on their trucks are wheeling down the road, their distant shouts muffled, spiking as your mother drives past them. Police cars, cops, civilians clamor the streets; hands over their mouths, tears down their faces. The scent of burning wood and flesh is so prominent in the air that you swear you smell it from the inside of the car, although all the windows are rolled up, and you’re tucked behind the seat belt, gripping it with tight knuckles, nails digging into your palms.

You haven’t said goodbye to Tony yet, you think. Or the other kids. You remember the question you’d wanted to ask and forgotten. Will he look for you? Worry, the way you did for him? Probably. He did go to your house first thing he returned that night after three months of disappearance, even though the sun had gone down. He also never leaves you hanging for too long, when he can. You hope you can do the same for him, after the fire's gone. Then, everything should return to normal. And your mind’s in so much of a jumble that you don’t bother thinking about all the things you’ll lose to the angry, greedy flames, only hoping that you'd return soon enough to tell the others you're alright. To tell Tony you're alright.

Now, you've got your head’s craned to stare at the smoke billowing into the heavens, gaze crested atop the sky where you can see not even a hint of a star. The moon hangs there, all lonesome. And just like the color of dying leaves, it reflects the hues of red against what would’ve otherwise been a glow of white. (But you don’t know that; no, not when this is the First Moon you’ve laid your eyes on in the dark blanket of midnight. It's too bad that you don't get to dance under the galaxy in your first dusk out, or on the swing at the park, flying as far from the ground and as close as you can to the twinkling in the sky.) You sink back into your seat, the grip on your seat belt not loosening, as exhaustion begins to wash over you.

One last time, you glance out the window, consciousness slipping. From behind your lashes as they draw closer and closer to darkness, you see the a terrible figure of a great shadow looming between brick walls of burning buildings. Closing in the curtains at sunset, locking the doors at nightfall, and heading to bed before nine while you ignore the wailing coyotes that has yowled louder than ever before tonight couldn't stop the blaze in its path. Clockwork begins to tick in you. Tick, tock, tick tock. You think nothing could've helped it. In fact, you think none of those things your mother has told you to do all your life possess the ability to prevent anything at all.

[swiftpng]

❥ — taylor swift’s fall netflix list // gettin’ deep & personal task.

Taylor’s a sucker for binge-watching a television show and ignoring the fact that she should be replying to emails about work, so what’s a better way to procrastinate than answering a bunch of fall related questions while watching a baking show? (click on the picture for hq!)

what’s your favorite part of fall? Everything. I know, I know… I might’ve said summer was my favorite season, but honestly? I love this time of the year so much. The leaves here are beginning to change colors. Soon they’ll fall to the ground in an array of golden-tones, stripping the trees bare in the process. We’ll all soon follow, wiping ourselves clean of the year’s hard times in anticipation of the better that’s sure to come. Pumpkin flavors can now be requested in coffee shops all over, and in just a couple weeks time, children will line the streets in costumes. There’s something in the breeze that heals. I can’t explain it, but I can feel it. Goosebumps litter my skin and at times I have to question whether I’m cold or whether my body is coming alive for the first time in ten months. Fall has arrived and so has my spirit. 

what about your least favorite? Hm, hard call. Maybe the colder weather? I don’t mind it, but I don’t really enjoy the feeling of my limbs feeling numb from the coldness.

what’s a song that always makes you think of Halloween? Thriller by Michael Jackson! If you don’t do the dance when you hear this song, we can’t be friends.

describe your quintessential fall outfit? Fall fashion is some of my favorite and, in my opinion, often the most creative! Usually, I’m always wearing fall colors with jeans, boots, and a sweater. Scarves, hats, and gloves can be found in my wardrobe during this time of year, too.

have you ever played with a ouija board? No, I wouldn’t do that. I’ve seen one too many horror films to know that it never ends well when you mess with those things.

do you feel that fall makes you happy or sad? Happy, most of the time! Although, it does make me feel slightly nostalgic, so that can always bring up unwanted feelings to the surface.

what’s your favorite Halloween-related movie? I always go for more light-hearted movies rather than all out scary movies, so I would have to say Hocus Pocus. But, I like Practical Magic, too.

now that the weather’s getting colder, what’s a go-to comfort meal for fall? Mac and cheese is my comfort food. It’s homey, warm, and so delicious. 

do you believe in ghosts & spirits? A little bit. I’m the kind of person to hear a mysterious noise and think “ghosts!” because that’s just who I am. I believe there are things we can’t see that exist, but I don’t really believe in the traditional ideas of what “ghosts” are. Maybe I’ll Buzzfeed Unsolved it one of these days and see if they’re truly real for myself.

favorite fall-related scent? Freshly made pumpkin pie from the oven is such a good smell, but I also love the smell of nature after it rains.

are you a generally superstitious person? I’m not overall superstitious, but I believe that there are things we can’t see or fathom. I believe there’s things we can’t explain, yet or ever. I believe that the number thirteen is my lucky number, and whenever it pops up randomly, I always believe it’s good luck for me.

do you rake up the leaves in your yard, or leave them fall where they may? I just leave them on the ground until I know it’s supposed to snow, and then I rake them up for them to burn. Fallen leaves make for a good bonfire.

if you were home alone and heard footsteps in your house, what would you do? I would probably check my security camera footage, and if I felt really spooked out, I’d call a friend to come over and stay the night!

hot apple cider or pumpkin spice coffee? Oooh, don’t do this to me. I love both, but a mug of hot apple cider is amazing when you’re at the window and reading a book.

pick a team of three people to go with you to a haunted house if you wanted to survive? Let me see… I think I’d choose Bill Skarsgård because he’s taller than me and I trust that he could protect the rest of the team; James McAvoy because he’s hilarious and I’m sure he could calm my nerves and lighten the mood; and Delta Goodrem since she’s my soul sister and I would need her for moral support. Bill, James, and Delta – those three would be my team if I had to go into a haunted house to survive.

do you use the pumpkin seeds once you’ve scooped ‘em from the jack-o-lantern? I usually save them! I roast them in the oven and eat them as a snack.

favorite Halloween costume that you’ve ever worn? Getting the chance to wear Ryan’s Deadpool costume was pretty cool. Didn’t think it would fit at first, but I’m glad it did!

what’s your favorite fall time activity? Going out at night and walking against the brisk air, warm coffee in my hand, feeling free and abandoned with my loved ones; sitting outside in the afternoons with a cozy sweater and writing/drawing; watching the darkening of the days, giving way to even brighter sunsets and sunrises.

graveyards at night: yay or nay? Uh, no. I don’t even like going to them in the daytime, so going to one during the night would not be for me.

do you enjoy baking during the fall season? Of course! Imagine if I didn’t bake almost everyday during the fall season? If you can name it, I can bake it. Cookies, pies, cakes, bread – those will fill my kitchen at all times.

are you more into Halloween parties or trick-or-treating? Since I’m older, I would say Halloween parties. Though, now that I’m living in Bayview, I’m hoping to get a chance to pass out candy to kids. Seeing little ones dressed up in their costumes is so cute.

what role do you play in a horror movie: the final girl, first to die, comic relief, the brain, or the murderer? Honestly? Depends on my mood. Kidding. Well, maybe. I feel like most people would assume that I would be the first to die in a horror movie and they might be right, but I feel like I could be the brain to come up with a plan to save us all. I’d be the comic relief if I’m nervous or feeling stressed during it all, the final girl if my plan goes like it should, and the murderer if I saw someone I disliked.

have you ever changed your appearance with the season? like dyeing your hair or doing different makeup? A lot of people dye their hair darker as the seasons change, but I don’t think I can pull off brown hair, so I just stick to blonde. I usually change my makeup to more darker tones.

after a scary movie… lights on or off? On, always. And I have to watch something more light-hearted afterwards otherwise I can’t go to sleep.

what’s your favorite candy that you look forward to getting around Halloween? Definitely Reese’s Pieces or M&M’s. You’ll never see me with candy corn, though. Whoever likes those are wrong. Very, very wrong. They have no taste, they’re boring, and they’re just not a good Halloween candy. Or even candy in general. Honestly, just don’t even talk to me if you like candy corn. Please. Also, if you have any in your presence, you should do yourself a favor and throw them away.

you’re a witch or warlock… what’s your familiar animal? Would it be too predictable to say a cat? It would be cool if they could talk like Salem, too.

it’s an apple, and it’s coated with what: chocolate, candy or caramel? A chocolate M&M covered apple would be my pick. I never eat it from the stick, so I usually cut it with an apple slicer and then have my way with it.

do you believe in any urban legends like moth man or chupacabras? Can’t say I do, only because I’m not really familiar with either of those. I will say that I believe in Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.

are you more into the fall aesthetic, or just in it for Halloween? Both? I love fall because of the crispness of the air against the gentle warmth of sunlight, the reemergence of cozy dark clothing and boots, a fresh brew of coffee as the sun rises and the chill starts to nip at your nose and cheeks, the faint scent of cinnamon, shorter days in exchange for softer evenings and brighter sunrises, greenery turning over to bold reds, oranges, and yellows, a tangible feeling that you can do anything… I could go on forever, I just really, really love autumn, my soul feels so at home when it’s this time of year. But, I do love Halloween and I refuse to believe it begins within the plane of manmade time, and is not an atmospheric state that graces us mere mortals every year without fail, bringing with it an odd chilly peace and natural pleasantries and a sort of magic, all of which is willed by the Gods of Spook. Yes, I know, I’m weird.  

supernatural time: do you wanna be a vampire, werewolf, or zombie? I’ve been a zombie once, and let me tell you, sitting for six hours in a makeup chair is not fun. But in all seriousness, if I had to choose based off of what I’ve seen in TV shows and such, I think I’d go with being a werewolf. I mean, having to turn on a full moon and have every bone in my body break doesn’t sound like too much fun, but it does sound better than having to live off of blood and never actually dying (unless you get stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake). With how much the world is changing, I don’t think I would to live long enough to see how it all ends.

[sugar-petals]

Underground Tattoo Artist Yoongi

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader Warnings: Smut, Yoongi’s sexy voice, fingering, hands/gloves kink, coarse language, protected sex, excessive pouting, tats kink (guess for which body parts), Irezumi, breast-sucking, PIV, handcuffs, D/s, Safeword: Spearmint, kissing, Yoongi being beautiful inside out Words: 2.2k

A/N: JK is a side character as is Hobi. Dedicated to my fellow Yoongi enthusiasts who’ve been with me on this journey for so long. @sugandcream @yoongiscookie @yaseminflames and a new friend, @seesaws-wife . 

Min Yoongi, born in Daegu, now Seoul-based at Genius Studio.

Seems to elicit a polarized response among the people who know him

Or think they do

Regulars, however, value him past how his name is thrown around on the streets

Yoongi is a knowledgeable artist with ten years of experience

His role model is the infamous Jun Cha

Like him Yoongi draws a lot of inspiration from mythology for sleeves mostly

He works hard

But stays humble knowing there are some true cracks out there who can surpass him with ease, those who run more imposing studios with a lot of creative staff

Plus he’s too aware that his time on this planet is limited even if tattoos give the illusion of longevity, even immortality in some strange kind of way

That’s why he likes motives centered all around death and morning

Yoongi knows what loss is like

He himself carries a skull on his right arm, tattooed by Jungkook

His younger, edgy assistant who works in the adjacent room

The studio is less lively nowadays but still doing times better compared to its modest beginnings. Yoongi keeps up the quality.

Probably the only guy around who’s not involved in criminal activities for sheer moral reasons even if big cash could be involved

The drug dealers would make his parlor even sleazier than it already is

At least in terms of reputation and target audience

Hygiene-wise, he won’t half-ass things. And that is his number one forte

Everything sanitized

From machines to needles to markers to aprons to razors to ointment applicators

And of course: The Hands

Yoongi is the cleanest bitch

He takes things seriously and plays by the rules

That’s exactly why he doesn’t fuck clients or gives out his treasured number

Which he’s asked for so so often, particularly by regulars

He’s not as sure as those who tell him he’s so attractive and ask him on dates

Yoongi thinks he’s so-so, just the tattoos make him look cooler 

And maybe the fact that he’s a patient and subdued guy by virtue of his profession

Clients appreciate that

Jungkook thinks they might be a bit disrespectful hitting on him so blatantly

But they arrive on time and pay rampant sums for completed sleeves says Yoongi 

Who schedules some pretty loaded people here and there to rake in the dinero

Clean bitch, rich bitch

He’s that good, but does he realize it?

It is true that a lot of visitors very much over-compliment his rugged, morbid look

Men and women alike

He thinks way too much about it. But what can he do, he’s forever an artist

What he’s confident in is creating solid, mistake-free pieces

That last

He specializes in creating couple tattoos 

The ones that people don’t wanna get rid of when they break up

Yes. He’s that good

Usually working with a lot of diluted ink styles for gray wash, detailed geometrics like JK often does, fine line, portraits with 3D elements

But also realistic nature themes and smaller polygons

The latter being what you schedule an appointment for.

It’s the sternum

The face of goddess Artemis with a crescent in fine lines

A friend of yours got a nice lettering tattoo here last May and recommended you

So you thought okay it’s a small piece why not, that seems fun, a change in looks is very welcome and you love Artemis’ story, it really means a lot

You wait for almost one and a half hours with a funny guy called Hoseok in a worn-out room who tells you the wildest things about his endless, already fading tattoos and where he got them and why and how

Then he comes around with his pouty pout and black clothes, converse, messy hair that shades the eyes

Min Yoongi who just finished a large Celtic design on a leg

Perched in a small corner with countless prints and drawings on the surrounding walls you discuss and plan at length, do the paperwork

You have to control yourself peering at the makeshift sketch you brought and not him in his low-cut tank top looking very, very appealing

Then, after paying, you get your breasts taped, cleaned. He’s fast and economical with it, the wipes are refreshing. His hands are apt in their tight matte black gloves

Yoongi makes sure you’re comfortable on the bench, hydrated, does the shaving, cleans again, applies the stencil, prepares some ointment and water to dip into

The first lines are rough but he encourages you

“Concentrate on my voice. Hurts less”

“Oh, what?”

Well he’s the expert, gotta roll with it, ten years of experience won’t lie right

And indeed

His slowed speech and deep, raspy timbre is soothing the pain a bit

That bedroom gaze of yours speaks volumes in return

You’re pretty certain he notices it, just his bangs are in the way. And he’s stern

Yoongi explains everything about needles and inks to you when he switches them

Shading the finished outlines and coloring flies past quickly and you really don’t want it to end, his fingers are so nice to observe at work

Not because it lessens the sting, but how he guides the machine so smoothly

After removing excess color and applying foam, the motif is revealed 

Artemis gazes with pride, confidence, and a watchful eye from between your breasts

He removes the taping with extra prudence, you pull on your shirt 

Almost finished

You agree to have him take a picture before he applies the ointment and bandaging

As a last instruction, he gives you tips for protection and care, the no-go things. Unsurprisingly to you, on the paper... he writes down his private number with a question mark after it without words. Figured so.

You didn’t need to hit on him. Yoongi already knows. JK always teases that he’s notoriously bad at reading people. But he’s not entirely oblivious like some amateur

Not when he’s being looked at like that, it’s a no-brainer 

The truth is JK is a guy who hoards baby lotion, sucks at making tribal designs, and is afraid of the new microwave in the studio kitchen

Clearly, his judgment can’t be trusted

The appointment finishes quite ill at ease but you manage to ask if he is busy next week with one eye on the phone number. The handwriting is very striking as you expected from a talented hand like that

His answer is everything after Thursday is good and that you should check out the studio’s Instagram by tomorrow or so

You go home holding so tightly onto the paper, you even forget your new tattoo thinking about him and that messy hair, his tank top

The next day you see the photo he took on Insta with a professional caption

Done by @tats_minyoongi at Genius Studio. Stay tuned for Tuesday Walk-In Day small motives only no tribal designs please | Email: agust@aol.com

But it’s tagged with an ominous but polite “#anytime” 

Savvy. Fucking Yoongi for the weekend it is huh

That got you feeling bold as Artemis

You text him that you really loved coming to him

So why not

Come on him

Smug emoji

Horny emoji

He answers you might like his place and suggests Saturday around 6, contraception provided, bring the handcuffs if you have some, please take care of the tattoo until then as he explained

A short pause...

Shy emoji

He’s an awkward cupcake but he knows the game and that counts

“Bring the handcuffs if you have some”

Accurate guess. It’s an artist thing

You turn up with take-out in a bag at his suburb flat, house No. 23

Which is as artsy, orderly, and dim-lit as you thought it would be, way below his means because Yoongi doesn’t mess around and loses his focus in life

The neat freak paradoxically looks more destroyed than ever even if he’s in his bathrobe at the doorstep with damp hair, fresh out of a warm shower. His breath puffs out in clouds because it’s chilly outside. November does bring out the lovers.

There couldn’t be anything sexier than such a view

Yoongi asks how you feel about the tattoo, is everything okay, are you alright

Half-healed, a bit of fallout, you look at it very often you retort. He did a good job

He’s blushy when you say it makes you think about him

So that Yoongi won���t get cold you quickly close the door behind you with one hand tangled up at his neck. Ready to pull him into a kiss

Those pouty lips. They’re just ideal. He tastes like spearmint

Which you set as safeword for this lovely evening

The food finds a place on the dark kitchen counter to wait for better days

Because you wanna peel Yoongi out of his robe and make those handcuffs go click clack on the metal frame of his bed and put a condom on him

One and a half hours waiting time? No need, not today

But he says you’re first and that he bought what you like. 

Surprise surprise, an actual wrapped present

You thought that could only get cringey because it’s something generic

No, no. It’s a new box of gloves. What level of customer service is he on

Extra matte, extra fitted. They snap around his lithe wrists in no time

The feeling on your skin is... so tingly

The feeling between your legs when he reaches down... even better

While his mouth works on your breasts separately

Carefully avoiding the tattoo but sneaking a peek at it while catching a breath

You love having eye contact now. A deep hazel glimmer. All yours.

The bathrobe comes off before you think your stamina is running out

To reveal his beautiful adorned body with modern, vibrant Irezumi. Scale-heavy Koi fish and flowers, poufy clouds, auspicious birds, branches.

And as the centerpiece on his back, his Chinese zodiac sign he says

A gorgeous red-orange rooster before an ascending sun. What a coincidence!

Elsewhere another cock is rising indeed

AND IT’S INKED, TOO

FUCKING MIN YOONGI

“Okay to go on?”

“Oh yes”

And you decide to ditch the cuffs for now, that was a bad idea

You want those hands on your body when he’s inside of you

And oh boy does he slip in easy. Wow, wow. His girth is good. Really veiny. The length fits, feels just right. Now Yoongi’s face goes all shy emoji 

Hot

Bless. He’s not a 7.5 in monster. Madam La Cervix is gonna thank ya later

Plus he can’t take his hands off your clit

With those damn squeaky gloves still on. Someone tasted blood

You love watching his inked chest rise and fall under a pretty heavy breath

Tattoo artists don’t do the track in their free time to get 30 laps a day together

They make art 

Which you enjoy seeing on his skin. Yoongi’s perfect eye candy and he can slide so well into you, too

The food gets cold, you wanna relish bouncing and gyrating on him instead

Feel his hands do their luscious work like a hot mess

Make you cum on that tatted dick hard 

Because in No. 23 the house walls are thick enough so the people from No. 25 and 21 won’t be bothered with the noise

Make him fill that condom good with gritted teeth

And your ears with his deep yearning moans

With them sweat drops covering his chest

It looks like there’s dew on the flowers and birds, the branches.

Life isn’t so full of loss and thinking of yourself as so-so when a lady climaxes on you 

He realizes that and is relieved having written down his number even if that’s very much against the rules

That orgasm has you in one hell of a mood afterwards

He cleans up both of you with wipes that leave a really refreshing feeling

Tattoo equipment works well in the bedroom it seems

You microwave that food fast because you wanna return to the sheets so bad

Flavored rice and vegetables with spare seasoning, no onions or garlic cause you want good kisses, and yep, spearmint is not an option 

Waiting until it’s not so hot anymore is a chance to calm down eventually

Yoongi is super hungry now and loves how you feed him 

You huddle up and he makes sure twice that your tattoo is properly covered.

Digging in you feel the urge to trace his chest with your fingers

Sleep comes after he told you the story behind his tattoos, where he learned his craft in Daegu and his first client ever, Hoseok. How the death of his mother inspired him to create a legacy. She raised her own Koi fish, dabbled in classic mythology, made portraits. Some of them, Yoongi keeps in his flat. Her art is just stunning 

Under each skin in the studio but especially his own does it live on

You know it’s what makes him so beautiful to others and you. That’s the secret

It’s easy to sleep next to him understanding that

He looks less wrecked than when he first opened the door

The next morning Yoongi types in a second ‘appointment’ with you into his Android

You say Tuesday afternoon is convenient, same take-out?

He says yes, and the gloves will be safely stored until then. Then hands over an expensive lotion for your chest to apply two times a day, super balmy with rosemary and Castor oil. You reply thanks but didn’t he give you some proper cream yesterday? Oh, that one was different? This is just the cherry on top then, alright. 

He smiles goodbye on the snowy porch with a muttered “Anytime” that leaves you giddy in your coat.

Min Yoongi

Oh well

He’s a clean bitch

From start to finish.

Masterlist

[multiimuse]

frost blue, burnt umber, tea orange, coral, currant, crimson, raspberry, baby blossoms, mallow, honey, new leaf, silk, atoll -- dr gang~

frost blue: does your muse enjoy the snow and cold? or are they the type to enjoy summer more?

Hajime - He’s not really a fan of the cold- it’s not that it’s physically difficult for him to take, or anything. He just prefers long, warm days to short, chilly ones. And as for snow, it’s an inconvenience that he could easily live without.

Kaede - She likes the cold, actually!  Mostly because it means she can drink more hot chocolate, but snowfall is pretty and soothing and it’s nice to have an excuse to snuggle under the blankets with a book or a video game and just… stay in.

Shuichi - He’s…. pretty neutral on it, really? Cold weather lets him get away with staying in bed longer, though, so that’s a plus. Warm weather and longer days tend to perk his mood up just a little, so it’s kind of a trade-off.

burnt umber: how stable is your muse, mentally and/or emotionally?

Hajime - Overall, he’s pretty stable both mentally and emotionally! So long as he doesn’t push himself past his limits, he’s a grounded person with a lot of confidence and determination to help his friends. He’s not without his traumas or his weak points, but he can usually hold himself together pretty well — unless he’s being stubborn and ignoring it, in which case it can end up overwhelming him. Generally though? He’s pretty stable.

Kaede - She’s a teenager in every sense of the word, so she tends to be pretty emotionally erratic. She’s trying very hard to be grown-up and put together but it doesn’t always work, and sometimes the cracks show, and show in ugly ways. She wasn’t happy with who she was before she went into the game, but she’s trying to be better now, and as a result is working her way toward emotional stability one day at a time. As for mental stability, her mother is a psychologist and is making sure she gets everything she needs to minimize trauma from the game. She’s not 100% stable in either category, but she has a good basis to reach that point going forward!

Shuichi - Hahaha what is stability? This child is not okay. Send help. …More seriously, he really isn’t in that great of a place. He suffers from clinical depression and struggled with keeping his head above water before the game. If Team DR had any kind of a screening process he wouldn’t have gotten through, but the company did not and so he got in, got pushed into the protagonist role and had to deal with that. He’s… really not okay, but he’s trying to stabilize, and is very slowly starting to improve. It’s hard, but he has friends to help him, and they won’t let him fall.

tea orange: what is something that your muse is fascinated with?

Hajime - For Hajime, what really fascinates him is emotions and bonds, and the way people can affect one another (can affect him) through both of these. After spending a few years without either, he doesn’t think he’ll ever be bored of simply feeling again. Besides this, he’s also still easily fascinated by things he can’t predict, and can lose track of what’s going on around him when he finds one such thing until he’s deciphered its mystery and worked it out. … Usually this doesn’t take long, but there has been at least one situation where he’s been contently staring at what looks like nothing for upwards of ten minutes.

Kaede - It’s kind of funny, given what she became in the game, but Kaede’s always been fascinated by music. Not classical music, really, but things like vocaloids and mixing technology, and she’s absolutely considered trying her hand at a few covers of her favorite songs. There’s just something about the way everything comes together, the way each little bit contributes to making a great piece. It’s neat!

Shuichi - Books, mostly! He adores fiction of all kinds, but especially mysteries, and he can spend hours curled up with a stack of books without realizing that time’s passing. He’s very well-read for a kid his age, and tends to spend most of his free time with his nose in a book. He also likes puzzles, especially number and logic puzzles - he doesn’t always have the mental energy for them, but he’ll never turn down the chance to try and solve one. 

coral: what is your muse’s romantic and sexual orientations?

Hajime  - Grey-asexual // Biromantic 

Kaede - Pansexual // Panromantic

Shuichi - Bisexual // Biromantic

currant: what’s something that absolutely disgusts your muse (can be a person, place, thing, ect)?

Hajime - … Junko Enoshima. Her concept of despair. People that use and control others, taking away their chance to choose their fates for themselves. And, on a much lesser scale, sakuramochi.

Kaede - People who hurt kids, people who turn a blind eye to others’ suffering, people who frame you and set you up to die because you’re a threat to their stupid toybox world—- ahem. Really, Kaede is most bothered by cruelty and indifference. 

Shuichi - Meaninglessness. It sounds stupid, but he doesn’t like it when something doesn’t have a point or a purpose. When something isn’t worth bothering with because there is no reason to bother with it. He doesn’t like gossip, either, because that kind of thing does nothing but bring hurt (and… he knows he’s been the target of gossip a lot in the past, which makes him like it even less.)

crimson: how passionate is your muse about the things they love most?

Hajime - Unlike a natural Ultimate, Hajime doesn’t have that same all-consuming passion that they do. He tempers his passions with realism, but that doesn’t make him love them any less - generally his passion is controlled and constant. A steady warmth and dedication rather than flares of heat.

Kaede - She tends to get very passionate about the things she loves! Vocal and excited, eager to engage with other people and share how much she loves it - her passion is bright and intense, and is a part of why it was so easy to make her into the Ultimate Pianist. Passion itself is a natural part of her personality, the game’s programming just… gave her a specific direction for it.

Shuichi - When his energy levels let him, he can be very passionate. (See the several-thousand word character analysis he wrote about Kyoko Kirigiri and an in-depth look at each investigation in both games, both posted to a popular internet forum.) But when his depression is flaring up even getting out of bed is hard, let alone investing himself into anything. If passion is a fire, then Shuichi’s periodically gets water dumped on it.

raspberry: what food and/or drink can your muse not get enough of? do they indulge in it often, or is it something reserved for special occasions?

Hajime - Kusamochi. It’s one of the few things the Neo World Program managed to properly dig out of his head. He… also thinks he may have tasted it as Izuru and enjoyed it a little then, too? Maybe? He didn’t really pay much attention to food while he was living like that. Either way, he hasn’t had any in a long time but is pretty sure it’s still his favorite.

Kaede - Koala March cookies, especially the green tea flavored. She’ll fight you for them. She’ll fight your friends for them. She’s happy to share them, though! Just.. don’t deny her access to them, you’ll probably regret it. (She also enjoys other thigns that are green tea flavored, like ice cream and mochi and  Kit-Kats. Strawberry and chocolate flavors are nice too, especially chocolate-banana, but green tea is her absolute favorite (which is… ironic, because she’s doesn’t actually like real green tea very much!)

Shuichi - Nori. Don’t judge him. He likes seaweed, and it’s easy to get and keep around to snack on. Even on bad days he can usually manage to eat that, and that’s not something you can just shove aside as silly. (He also likes salty things, but he only really likes sugar if it’s in a drink.)

baby blossoms: does your muse have a favorite scent? what is it, and why?

Hajime - This is a complicated question, actually. Hajime’s sense of smell was fine-tuned by the project, so he tends to pick out the component scents of something and gets a little overloaded by particularly strong, complicated smells. As a result he tends to like simpler, lighter smells, those that are generally faint to most people. He doesn’t have a specific favorite scent, though he’ll get… very twitchy around hospital smells. Hospital-grade chemicals and bleach tend to upset him.

Kaede - She likes floral scents, especially the scent of plum blossoms! There’s no particular reason for it, she just really likes that scent and will never, ever, ever get tired of smelling it.(Alright, it might be because she got into a bottle of plum blossom perfume when she was very tiny and, spilled it all over her pillow, making her room smell like plum blossoms for a week. She’s loved it ever since.)

Shuichi - He likes the smell of books the most - books are safe, and if he can smell them he’s usually somewhere he’s going to feel comfortable and can safely lose himself for a while. There’s just something soothing about being surrounded by so many books that you can smell the paper and the ink. (Bookstores and libraries are two of his favorite places, actually - it’s easy to tuck yourself into a corner for a few hours and read the day away.)

mallow: what sorts of things might remind your muse of those close to them? any scents, objects, sounds?

Hajime - Video game noises, clouds, the sound of a fountain, the golden light of later afternoon, toast instead of rice, getting bumped into from the side, white rabbits a game consoles, the smell of the beach and midday-warm sand. And this is just the two most important people!

Kaede - The sound of a pen on paper, business suits from the back, barely-comfortable chairs. Piano music and baseball caps, nail art and checkered scarves, Pocky and the hum of fluorescent lighting. Running footsteps, really embarrassing movie covers.

Shuichi - Aquarium bubbles, birthday cake, muffled sobbing, black ribbons. Piano music, planetariums, magic wands, exercising. Plum blossom perfume, the warmth of a hand on his, the feeling of grass under his palms, the sight of the sky at night.

honey: when your muse loves someone (whether it be romantic, platonic, or familial love), how do they show it?

Hajime - He tends to show his love by being present, by putting up with things that exasperate him or annoy him; by persistently reaching out if he senses something is wrong, and offering a shoulder to cry on or just a listening ear if that’s what’s needed. He really… he just tries to be there. That’s the most important thing he can think of for anyone.

Kaede - If Kaede cares about you she’ll make sure you know it. She tends to fuss. She’ll push and prod and nag a little if needed, making sure they’re taking care of themselves - but she’s also free with her encouragement and compliments, quick to smile and try to bring smiles, and generally try to make their lives a little brighter.

Shuichi - He’s quiet about it. Usually he tries to do little things - little acts of kindness, like giving gifts or, if he’s feeling up to it, making time for them and whatever they want to do. He’ll stand up for them if it looks like they need it, or try to find something encouraging to say if they’re not doing well. He… isn’t sure he’s very good at any of it, but he tries to show his care in whatever way he can. (He has a hard time telling people ‘no’, unless he sees it as something that’s important for him to refuse, and that doesn’t happen that often.)

new leaf: what message would your muse send to their past self, if any?

Hajime - Chiaki and Miss Yukizome are right. You’ll learn that eventually.You’re going to hurt, a lot, and life will feel very empty for even longer. But it gets better, and you’ll become someone you want to be in the end. You’ll find people who love you, too. Just… hold on until you do.

Kaede - Put that shot put ball back where you found it you absolute moron! No. Really. Rube-Goldberg machines are a bad idea and you don’t want to do that, you’ll regret it. Not just for what it does to you, but because of what it does to him.

Shuichi - It’s not cool. It’s not cool, it’s not interesting, and it’s not going to make the thoughts stop. It’s going to tear you apart over and over and over again and you won’t even know why it’s happening until it’s finished and you have to live with it all. How could you be this stupid? Just… just tell someone you’re thinking of entering. Tell them why. Let someone stop you.

silk: does your muse care about appearances much? do they spend a lot of time on their own appearance, or do they just go with the flow each day?

Hajime - Not really. He tries to keep clean, mostly, but beyond that doesn’t think about it. He keeps his hair short mostly because he didn’t bother looking after it as Izuru and woke up with it a tangled mess. He’s not doing that again. 

Kaede - A little bit! She likes to look her best, but she’s not going to get all elaborate and fancy about it unless she needs to dress up. A cute outfit, a brush of her hair and a little mascara and she’s good to go.

Shuichi - … That takes energy he doesn’t have. Even his school uniforms tend to be wrinkled unless his aunt gets on his case about it. He’ll comb his hair if he’s going out or having a better day. Otherwise… why bother? 

atoll: if your muse could go anywhere, without any restrictions whatsoever, where would they go? why would they go there?

Hajime - He might like to go to his old home, just to see what happened to it - to them. There’s almost no chance either of his parents are still alive, and he’s not sure what he would do if they are, not when he doesn’t really remember them apart from the fact that they weren’t happy with him. But… he’d like to know what happened, all the same.

Kaede - She wants to go to Australia. Let her go there, to see all the animals and explore the pretty mountains and swim on the Great Barrier Reef. She wants to pet a kangaroo and hug a koala. Please, somebody, let her hug a koala.

Shuichi - Maybe to an aquarium again? He’s… not really sure.The only places he wants to go don’t exist. It’s not like wishing could make Hope’s Peak Academy real, or make him anyone or anything special. …. Mostly he’d just like to be able to go somewhere and enjoy it. It doesn’t really matter where, as long as he could have fun again. Maybe somewhere with his friends? 

[livingcorner]

How to Grow Herbs in Containers | Gardener’s Path@|how to plant a herb garden in pots@|https://gardenerspath.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/How-to-Grow-Herbs-in-Containers-FB.jpg@|21

Container herb gardens are among the easiest and most rewarding of garden projects.

A must-have for cooks, herbs add wonderful flavor and fragrance to cooked foods and salads. But they provide many more benefits that go beyond their use in cooking.

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Many release their intense fragrances in the warmth of the afternoon sun or when you brush up against their leaves.

And most have enchanting, aromatic flowers that pollinators adore, and make an excellent addition to cut flower arrangements.

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Herbs are just as easy to grow in containers as they are in the garden. So you can enjoy them growing near the kitchen for convenience, or placed around decks and patios.

Plus, growing your own is an economical alternative to those pricey little packets at the market – and your pots of green gold have a garden-fresh flavor that can’t be beat!

Photo by Lorna Kring.

Most herbs are robust plants that don’t like to be fussed over, and many are drought tolerant once they are established.

Now, let’s get on with those tips to ensure your container herb garden thrives all summer! Here’s what I’ll cover:

Which Herbs Should You Choose?

With such a large variety of herbs available, the best place to start is to choose what you’ll use on a regular basis.

From there, you can ask friends and neighbors for recommendations, browse seed catalogs, and check out our herb growing guides.

Or, if you tend to cook a lot of a particular type of cuisine, choose plants based on that theme.

French cuisine favors bay, chervil, chives, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme.

Making pizza, or an Italian theme, would include basil, bay, fennel, garlic, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

For a taste of Mexico, cultivate chili peppers, cilantro, mint, oregano, parsley, and thyme.

Asian-inspired cuisine would feature Thai basil, coriander (cilantro seeds), garlic, ginger, lemongrass, hot peppers, and star anise.

If you put up a lot of preserves and pickles, plant a bay tree and sow celery, coriander, dill, and mustard for their seeds.

The foundation of your container garden should begin with herbaceous and woody perennials.

Chosen wisely, some of these plants can provide a year-round harvest – provided they’re hardy in your climate and region.

These include evergreens like bay, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, and winter savory.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

Parsley, a biennial, can also grow through the winter if pots are brought under cover or tucked into a sheltered site.

And many herbaceous ones – like chives, marjoram, mint, oregano, and tarragon – are among the very first plants to emerge as the days begin to lengthen, often well before winter is officially over.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

Annuals, such as basil, cilantro, and summer savory, are quick-growing and can be direct sown in pots once temperatures warm up in spring. Or you can start seeds indoors about six weeks before your last frost.

Learn more about which seeds to sow indoors and outdoors in this guide.

Site Selection

One of the best things about container gardens is that they’re portable.

Aside from the really jumbo-sized pots, you can lift, move, and rearrange them so they have optimal growing conditions available all year long.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

Position some close to the kitchen for quick convenience, if desired.

They can be placed anywhere for you to enjoy their beauty and fragrance, and look terrific arranged on the deck, doorsteps, edging pathways, patios, and in window boxes.

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But not all enjoy the same growing conditions.

Some prefer arid, hot conditions while others like to keep cool and moist with afternoon shade. However, they should all receive a minimum of six hours of sunlight each day.

Aside from that, position your pots according to the needs of each plant. And only mix plants in the same pot that share similar growing requirements.

You’ll also want to locate your pots close to a water source. Remember, containers dry out much faster than ground plants, and even drought resistant plants require regular watering.

A good rule of thumb is to choose pots that are at least one-third as tall as the mature plant, and half to three-quarters of its mature width.

Information about a plant’s mature size can be found on plant tags or seed packets.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

For example, a low-growing plant like common thyme grows to 12 inches tall with an 8-inch spread. The minimum pot dimensions for container-grown thyme would be 4 inches tall by 4 to 6 inches wide.

But for larger plants like lemongrass, rosemary, or sage, bigger is definitely better. For large specimens, the pot height should be closer to one-half of the mature height – or bigger.

Also, if you need to protect plants from winter temperatures, larger pots provide better insulation from the cold.

Whatever size you choose, each one needs to have drainage holes that allow water to drain away from the roots.

Root rot is one of the leading causes of plant failure in containers, and it’s easily introduced when plants have “wet feet,” or roots are left standing in water or oversaturated soil for extended periods.

I also recommend adding a layer of material over the drainage holes to prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged. Coconut coir, pebbles, broken pottery, and other similar materials are all suitable to help drain away excess water.

Containers are typically made of materials such as ceramic, metal, plastic, resin, terra cotta, or wood, and which you choose is a matter of personal perference.

But plastic or resin are the best options for overwintering, as they’re the least likely to be damaged by the cold. They’re the lightest to move as well.

Double Your Pleasure

If you have the room, it’s a good idea to double up on your favorites with two pots growing at the same time, or more if the space will allow it.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

This is a useful tip if you love adding sage to protein or pasta dishes on a weekly basis, or if you love making a big batch of pesto to include with meals as often as you’re able to.

Place one pot in the best growing site, and when it becomes over-picked and sparse, move it to a location with dappled sunlight or light shade.

Once moved, it can rest, recuperate, and produce new growth.

Move your second pot into the prime growing location, then rotate the two pots as needed throughout the growing season.

Start with Good Soil

To ensure the healthiest start for your container herb garden, begin with high-quality soil.

Container soil should be lighter in density than garden soil and enriched with organic matter. It should also be amended to provide excellent drainage as well as moisture retention.

The addition of landscape or builder’s sand helps to ensure good drainage.

And amending with light materials like perlite, vermiculite, or peat moss helps to retain moisture without compacting or saturating the soil.

Here’s a suited blend that you can use for potted plants:

1/4 garden soil or potting soil

1/4 landscape sand

1/4 vermiculite or peat moss

1/4 aged compost or manure

This creates a light, airy soil mixture that provides essential nutrients, easy water absorption, and free-flowing drainage.

For perennial pots, it’s a good idea to work in some aged compost each spring, and to completely replace the soil every 3 to 4 years.

Watering and Fertilizing

Containers can dry out quickly in hot or windy weather. They need to be watered regularly, typically when the top inch of soil feels dry.

Usually, in-ground herbs don’t require any fertilizing. But for the best growth and productivity, potted ones should be fed regularly.

A diluted solution of fish emulsion fertilizer, watered down to half strength and applied monthly during the growing season, provides the nutrients they need.

Fertilome Fish Emulsion Fertilizer

Fertilome fish emulsion fertilizer is available in three different sizes at Nature Hills Nursery.

Harvest Wisely

To keep new growth coming, pinch back or pick from your plants often.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

With leafy, clump-forming plants such as chives, cilantro, lemongrass, and parsley, pick the outer leaves first, working in towards the center and up as you harvest.

Those that have upright stems, like basil, mint, oregano, and rosemary, can be snipped right above a set of leaves to encourage branching and bushiness.

Many herbs, such as basil, mint, and parsley, begin to lose flavor once flowers begin to form. To retain the best taste, pinch out flower buds and stalks promptly.

But don’t toss those flowers!

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Not surprisingly, the flowers of edible herbs are edible as well – you can add them to dishes as a colorful garnish or salad topper, for a pretty and zesty addition to meals.

Fall Cleanup

As the growing season winds down, begin your cleanup.

Lightly trim away dead or damaged stems on woody perennials, and cut herbaceous ones to the ground.

Remove any existing mulch and apply a new layer of mulching material for winter protection.

Empty out any pots used for growing annuals, clean them thoroughly, and store them for the winter.

Winter Protection

To prevent frost damage, move pots used to grow perennials into a frost-free area for winter protection.

For larger containers, you can provide on-site protection for roots by insulating pots with branches, blankets, or bubble wrap.

And on chilly nights, you can give the top side of plants frost protection with fabric plant covers.

Warm Worth Plant Covers

Warm Worth covers are available in a variety of sizes at Wayfair.

Moving outdoor-grown plants indoors is another option in cool climates. We’ll cover this in another article.

Pruning

Annuals don’t require pruning, and herbaceous plants may simply be cut to the ground in late autumn.

But your woody perennials need annual pruning to control their shape and size, and to facilitate the production of fresh foliage.

Once they become overgrown, it’s very difficult to return them to a compact, tidy form because the woody stems won’t produce new growth. Cutting them at this point results in stubby sticks with no foliage.

The best time for pruning woody types such as bay, lavender, rosemary, sage, and thyme is in early spring, just when new growth emerges at the base of plants or on their lowest limbs.

Missed this window? The next best time is immediately after the plant has finished flowering.

Cut branches back by one-third, making your cuts just above a set of leaves. Remove any spent flowers and flower stalks as well.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

Avoid cutting back woody perennials late in the season. This encourages new growth to start when they should be preparing for dormancy.

Tender shoots are easily killed by winter cold, which can weaken plants to the point of killing them.

During the growing season, trim lightly as needed, choosing outside stems and snipping to keep a tidy shape.

Pots of Delight

Growing your own herbs is an easy way to enjoy fresh flavors in your cooking, and fragrance in your garden. To learn more, check out our full guide to starting your own herb garden.

Remember to water regularly, fertilize monthly, and harvest often for a steady supply of flavorful, fresh leaves.

Now that you know a bit more about how to grow your own container herb garden, will you be potting up some of your own delightful favorites? Let us know in the comments below!

And for more tips on container gardening, add these articles to your reading list next:

The Best 11 Vegetables to Grow in Pots and Containers

Keep Your Containers Looking Great with These 6 Simple Tricks

How to Grow Vegetables in Containers

Photos by Laura Kring © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photos via Home Depot, Nature Hills Nursery, and Wayfair. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock.

About Lorna Kring

A writer, artist, and entrepreneur, Lorna is also a long-time gardener who got hooked on organic and natural gardening methods at an early age. These days, her vegetable garden is smaller to make room for decorative landscapes filled with color, fragrance, art, and hidden treasures. Cultivating and designing the ideal garden spot is one of her favorite activities – especially for gathering with family and friends for good times and good food (straight from the garden, of course)!

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