#NEED A BREAK FROM WRITING THIS ADVANCEMENT SOLO

[hannieehaee]

NO SONG WITHOUT YOU

18+ / mdi

summary: with zero experience or interest in the romantic aspect of his life, jihoon finds himself in an unexpected situation when his company decides on a collab between the two of you, not expecting the work-addicted producer to develop a bit of a crush on you.

content: idol!jihoon x idol!reader, afab reader, pining, jihoon's emotionally constipated, jihoon's pov, kinda inexperienced jihoon, smut, dry humping, oral (m receiving), penetrative sex, etc.

wc: 12.6k

a/n: this is probably my fave fic i've written so far!! love writing for jihoon aaaa anyways i hope u guys enjoy <3

masterlist

Jihoon was tired.

Beyond tired, actually. He couldn't remember the last time he'd left his studio at a reasonable time. He knew people on twitter made jokes about him being a bit of a hermit, with fans being able to spot his studio from outside the building, lights always on and indicating the producer was still inside.

He didn't have much of a valid excuse for this, other than being a 'workaholic', or at least that's the term Joshua had recently introduced him to, describing him as the prime example. Jihoon just couldn't help himself. He'd been like this ever since he could remember. If he had an idea, he had to work on it. And unfortunately for him, he was always full of new ideas. If Seventeen was releasing an album, that meant Jihoon already had enough material to fill up the next three albums backed up in a file somewhere in his computer.

Despite always having music prepared months in advance, - even having solo music up for grabs for whichever member desired it - he still found himself constantly working. It's not like anyone demanded this out of him either. It was quite the opposite, actually. From staff, to other producers, to members and even family, everyone always insisted that he took a break, maybe leave producing aside for a month or two. This was inconceivable to him, it was something that was simply out of his comfort zone.

The truth was, Jihoon felt lost. Any time he strayed away from work in some way or other, he didn't know what to do with himself. He felt like a failure in many other aspects of his life. Granted, he was a successful idol and producer, talented in every area necessary in his field, but past that, what did he really have to offer? He'd been stuck in a rut for a few years now. He had his members, his family, maybe some staff, but his social life didn't go much past that. He didn't have many hobbies outside of work either. Sure, he was avid when exercising, even being an overachiever in that area, but that was also kind of part of his job. He knew he needed to step out of his comfort zone at some point and live his life, but he kept making excuses for himself. He was 26 now, and was, quite frankly, beginning to lose hope in certain areas of his life due to his career, - although blaming his career was just an excuse, really - the romantic aspect of his life being one of them.

Jihoon had some experience, okay? It wasn't like he'd never liked a girl before. He'd had a few crushes in elementary, maybe even some up until high school. He'd kissed one of the female trainees back when Pledis was a smaller company (okay, it might've been on a dare, but to Jihoon it counted). A few years after debuting he'd even gone on a few dates with a former staff member from his company. He'd lost his virginity to that same girl, kind of rushing into it due to feeling pressured to just get it over with - something he didn't exactly regret, but wished had been more of a memorable moment. The point was, Jihoon had had a few romantic experiences in his past 26 years on this earth. But, he hadn't ever even gotten close to find that one great love he'd hoped he one day would. For someone who received constant accolades for his lyricism, he was never really able to relate to his own music. He'd never been heartbroken, never had an insane need for someone, never felt romantic love, never been in the throes of passion with a beautiful girl, even. It was all his imagination. His lyrics, that is. And maybe the rest, if he was being honest. He'd dreamt about it lately; the perfect girl who he'd find and sweep off her feet. But that was all it was, a dream.

So, Jihoon was tired. Tired of hauling himself up in his studio to make himself feel something. But that was where he now found himself; stuck and in a rut, hoping for something more.

He was once again in his studio, working on god knows what at this point. He had just finished a quick welive with carats, feeling like he'd accomplished his quota of socialization for the day (I mean, even if it was a one-way conversation, it still counted, right?) and decided to get to work on one of the many unfinished drafts in his hard drive. This was kind of routine by now. He would either get a quick meal with one of the members during their break from rehearsals, or would go back to his studio for a bit to work on music. This would've been fine and dandy if it wasn't for the fact that Jihoon would eventually have ended up right back at his stuido either way. It was the illusion of choice, truly.

He spent a few hours in there, messing around with his guitar and even working on some guides for the members to follow next time they had some time to stop by the Universe Factory. Today felt like a productive day for Jihoon. Granted, he did this literally every single day, but he hadn't felt stuck at any point today. Maybe he was on a lucky streak. He decided to cut the day short there, not wanting to ruin what had been arguably an uninterrupted day of working on music. However, his separation from his studio did not last long, as he received a call from his manager just as he was locking the door behind him. He picked up without much thought.

"What's up?"

"Hey? Jihoon-ah, are you still in the studio by any chance?", Jihoon almost vocalized his amusement at the question. Where else would he be?

"I was just locking up, but yeah, I'm here."

"Good! Stay right there! Gonna head up to talk to you for a bit," and with that he hung up, not leaving Jihoon any chance to respond.

Jihoon and his manager were quite close. This was the case with most idols and their managers, having to spend so much time together. Still, Jihoon found the interaction to be a bit odd. Usually his manager would be one of the many people to insist that Jihoon get his ass out of his studio every once in a while. He didn't mind his request, though, so he quickly reopened the door and sat himself back down on his chair, deciding to mess with a few things as he waited for his manager's arrival.

It took his manager about ten minutes to arrive, Hybe was quite a big building, after all. He knocked on his door, not knowing the access code to Jihoon's studio. The only people who knew his key code were Jihoon himself, and Soonyoung (who had learned it without Jihoon's knowledge, but he was too lazy to change it by now). He got up to open the door, simply expecting another one of his manager's short overviews of Jihoon's schedule for the week, which might've been correct, except that when he opened the door he was met with his manager accompanied by an unfamiliar face.

It was you. Jihoon didn't know exactly who you were, but you carried a familiar air to you. He hadn't really been interacting with many people as of late, so maybe you were just someone he'd seen in passing, he wasn't too sure. You and his manager walked in upon Jihoon's gesture to please come in, moving aside as to not be in your way. He closed the door behind you, accidentally closing the distance between the two of you for a second and becoming a bit flustered at the proximity. He wasn't sure why his manager would bring someone unknown into his studio, but if Jihoon was anything, he was a relaxed guy (or at least he tried to seem like it), so he just sat back down without making any questions, his manager would probably fill him in any moment now anyways.

"Okay, so this is Y/N! You've probably met before, right?"

Uh, not right. And now a little awkward. Was he supposed to lie?

"Oh! No, we haven't, actually. I know a few of his members, though, but this is our first time officially meeting," you spoke up for the first time. So you were friends with his members? That might be how he knew you. That didn't really narrow it down much, though. There were 12 of them, and Seungkwan alone was friends with practically the entire industry.

"Oh? My bad. Well, then I should introduce you, right? Jihoon, this is Y/N! Her group was just recently acquired by Hybe. They moved into the building just over a month ago, if I'm not mistaken," He turned to you as you nodded in affirmation before proceeding, "Y/N, this is Jihoon, producer and partial leader of Seventeen."

He wasn't too sure why he was introducing the two of you. If he got personally introduced to every group Hybe acquired in the past year, he'd probably be here all day. He'd stopped keeping track of who and which groups were now roaming the hallways, being too many for him to count. He wasn't complaining or anything, he was just confused as to why go out of his way.

"Woozi-nim. It's so nice to meet you! I've always been such a huge fan. Your work is .. it's insane. I've looked forward to meeting you for so long," the enthusiasm with which you said this made his lip quirk up a little. Sure, he received accolades on his work every day, but knowing that fellow juniors of his looked up to him always brought a smile to his face, although it still made him a little sheepish at receiving such a forward compliment.

"Oh, I- Thank you. And you can call me Jihoon. It's nice to meet you, too," he smiled shyly at you, not really knowing what to say past that. He felt a bit shy looking at you for some reason, as if he couldn't hold eye contact for too long or he'd burn.

He looked expectantly over at his manager, the instigator of this interaction.

"Oh! Right. Well, as I just said, Y/N's group just moved into the company. And the company's been pushing for some collaborations as of late, you know, in order to maximize all groups within Hybe all at once," Jihoon could kind of see where his manager was going with this, "So, I've brought Y/N along with me since you two will be working together for a feature."

Hold on. Rewind.

"Us? As in just us two?"

"Yeah. Hybe is dividing you guys into subdivisions. Mingyu will be collaborating with someone in BTS a few months from now, and Chan will be with Yeonjun from TXT. I think Seokmin is scheduled with a member of Lesserafim. Not too sure yet, but you're up first. I sent you an email about it a few days ago with the general idea. Did you not get it?"

Oh, right. Jihoon was always quite diligent about his work, but his work mostly entailed Seventeen only. Checking his email wasn't much of a habit of his when he could just call up the few producers that worked for Seventeen whenever he needed to. Collaborations and producer work for other people were not that common to him, so for the most part he would disregard anything that didn't entail his own group.

"Oh, I, uh. No, sorry," he felt slightly bad at having disregarded the person standing in front of him, specially when you had regarded him such such respect. He was giving off a terrible first impression.

"That's fine. Now you know. Well, just wanted to take advantage that you were here today - Hah, well, when aren't you here?", chuckled his manager before continuing, "Just wanted to introduce you just in case. Check the email I sent you when you can, I'll send you over more details of your schedule related to the feature first thing tomorrow, yeah? Y/N here is the main producer for her group too, so you'll be co-producing."

You produced? He didn't mean to sound like an asshole, but there were just so many groups who didn't make their own music. He could sometimes get a bit of an ego over knowing he was an anomaly in his industry, always having taken pivotal part in a good 90% of his group's discography. Still, he wasn't too happy about the concept of having to share the creative process with a producer he had never heard of, if he was quite honest. For the most part he would only work with Bumzu and a few other Hybe producers here and there. He didn't even know your group or the music you were credited for. Hell, he had only found out about this project two minutes ago, having had no voice in the matter. One of the down sides of joining such a huge company that fathered way too many groups at once, he guessed.

He decided to not show his slight discomfort towards the idea, simply offering a polite response before bidding his goodbyes to the two of you. You had stayed behind for a few extra seconds after his manager exited the room, once more voicing your admiration for Jihoon and letting him know you were looking forward to working together. Jihoon had to admit that your praise did something to him. He didn't mean to sound like a total loser when he said this, but he did not interact with girls too much. So receiving such direct praise on his music from a pretty girl who also happened to share a passion with him had his ears turning red. He quickly shook his head at the thought, deciding to just stay at the studio overnight once more and maybe finally go over the email his manager had sent him.

He had to admit, he was quite impressed. Shortly after your arrival he had decided to research you and your group. You were quite well known by then, having debuted the same year as Seventeen and now being one of the top girl groups in the game. Just like Jihoon, you were from a small company and had climbed your way up, eventually being acquired by Hybe just a few months prior. Your stories were quite similar, if he really thought about it. You had also taught yourself how to produce before debuting, taking on the official role of main producer upon making your debut.

He had found out an embarrassing amount of information about you very quickly. He couldn't help himself. He was immediately intrigued by you, even going as far as looking at online forums about you; places that would detail information about you that only a true fanatic would know. He was now privy to trivial information such as your birth year (one year after his), your favorite color (pink), how many moles you had (seven, total), when you joined your company (exactly two months before he joined pledis), your most popular fancam (the one were you wore that pretty purple top), and just general information he'd be embarrassed to relay he now had memorized. He could call himself a bit ... infatuated. He felt beyond creepy, despite all this being public information. He had just met you, why had he just spent the past three hours binging content about you?

Jihoon decided to shrug these thoughts away, instead opting to mentally prepare himself for tomorrow morning, which was apparently the first day in which you'd be meeting to talk over your future schedules together for the next month or so. He had finally checked the multiple emails his manager had sent him about the collaboration, realizing that he'd now have to spend most of his non-Seventeen allocated time with you.

From photoshoots for promo, to the actual producing of the song, the empty slots in his schedules seemed to have filled up on their own, now being occupied by your company, and much to his surprise, he was not annoyed at this sudden intrusion. He felt a weird feeling in his stomach, but it wasn't like the usual nerves he felt before going on an important stage, nor the grumbling he felt whenever he met an idol of his. He felt ... giddy? He was looking forward to it. He felt nervous to see you again, which was really strange considering that he felt completely normal upon meeting you just now. Yeah, you were very pretty (he had eyes, this was just a fact he couldn't deny), but he hadn't had much of a reaction to it. However, now, as he looked at pictures of you on his computer, he couldn't imagine holding eye contact again. He was going mad.

Tomorrow arrived sooner than he thought. Now he was now sitting in his studio, awaiting your arrival. He had impulsively tidied up the place, now embarrassed that you'd seen it a mess the day prior. He also tidied himself up. As he recalled, you were wearing a pretty dress yesterday, so he felt bad you'd caught him in sweats and a three-day-old shirt. He wasn't sure why he wanted to impress you, but he did. Jihoon had the hope of at least befriending you, now having formed some type of interest towards you.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, making his heart accelerate at the thought of who was on the other side of it. Upon unlocking it, he found you on the other side, smile on your face as you carried in some bowls of .. his favorite meal? into his studio.

"Hi, Woozi-nim! I brought you food, is that's okay? I asked Seungkwan what you liked," oh, so it was Kwannie you were friends with. That made sense. It was touching that you'd gone out of your way to get him something you knew he'd like. Now he felt bad at being empty handed in his own studio.

"Oh, I- Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

"It's no problem! Wanted to thank you for doing this. I know you don't do collaborations that often. Felt kinda bad about imposing," by now the two of you had sat down in front of his desk, chairs slightly too close for comfort as you unwrapped the food in the bags you'd brought in.

"You-you're not. Sorry if I made it seem that way yesterday, hah, I was just caught off guard."

Jesus Christ, he felt so awkward. Your close proximity had him at a loss. He didn't know where to look or what to say. Your perfume was also not helping matters. The pretty scent had him extremely distracted, his mind suddenly being flooded with the thought that, shit, everything about you was pretty. What was wrong with him? Was this his first time interacting with a woman? He had never felt more out of place, except that despite any improper feelings he felt, he still wanted to be in your vicinity.

"-Woozi-nim?"

Shit, had you been talking this whole time?

"Oh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

You chuckled at him, clearly not taking offense to his distracted nature, "I was just asking if you had any drafts you wanted to use as a baseline? Or we could use one of my unused drafts? It's whatever you prefer, really. I'd love to work with something of yours, though. I love your style, it's so ... hah, I don't know. It's just so you."

Jihoon thanked god he had not cut his hair as some carats had begged, because now the length allowed him to cover the red of his ears. A single compliment from you had him heating up, clammy hands getting even clammier at the thought of you using his talent as a compliment. If you wanted to use his music, there was just no way for him to deny you. He wanted to hear more of your praise to him.

"Y-yeah? I have uh, a few that I could show you. They're just drafts, but you know."

You visibly perked up at this, scooting even closer to him as he began to fiddle with his computer, opening up some files to show you. Your excitement at his work had him swooning internally. The amount of interest you'd been showing since meeting yesterday was already getting the better of him.

"Woozi-nim, holy shit. These are hundreds of files. Are these all unfinished?"

"Uh, yeah. I uh, tend to have a few drafts saved for future projects."

"I get that. Me too, but these have to be over 300 unfinished songs," you were in clear shock (perhaps admiration?) of the endless tracks in front of you. Jihoon wasn't sure if he should feel ashamed at having so much unfinished work (which made bit feel like a bit of a loser), or be proud since you seemed to be impressed at the vast number.

"I like to be prepared. You know, just in case."

"It's .. wow. I knew you were good, but this is insane, Woozi-nim."

"I, you can call me Jihoon," he didn't really care much for the distinction between Woozi and Jihoon at this point; he was pretty used to both. But a part of him just wanted to hear you call him by his real name; the one only those close to him really used. He also wanted an out from the conversation, feeling too flustered at your compliments.

You chuckled, nodding at him, "Okay, Jihoon. Sorry, didn't really know what name to go for at first."

"No, it-it's fine. I'm only a year older. You can speak comfortably."

The rest of the conversation was filled with technicalities about the collaboration. Now that you two had established a, let's say, closer acquaintance, you were able to discuss your ideas more comfortably. Jihoon still had to put up with the endless compliments about his work as you two went through possible tracks for the song, but he tried his best to take them like a champ, simply chuckling shyly and shrugging them off. Your genuine admiration for his skill had him reeling inside, enamored with the tone of your voice any time you'd express excitement at hearing exclusive Universe Factory content. He hadn't felt butterflies in his stomach like this in, well, ever. He felt like he was a high school student with a silly crush.

The disappointment in his face as you parted ways must've been clear (which made him embarrassed beyond belief), as you pulled out your phone and asked him to put his contact in, letting him know you'd be seeing him soon. The possession of your contact info made him excited. He knew it was probably just for work purposes, but he held a stupid hope in the back of his head that you'd given it to him because you had interest in meeting again soon.

And you did see each other soon, consistently meeting in order to work on the song. A few of the times you were joined by Bumzu (who was also helping out with the song), or Soonyoung (who was just a nosy bastard who wouldn't leave Jihoon's studio), which made him curse out his two friends, wanting you all to himself. His crush had developed quickly after that second meeting. You were now all he thought about. Every morning when he got ready to start his day, he wondered which shirt you'd like him best in. Would you like if he trimmed his hair or did you like it long? What did you like in guys? (Except had already gone on incognito mode on his phone to search your ideal type, growing instantly embarrassed and exiting out of the tab). He thought of you as he exercised, wondering if you'd like his muscles and physique. His entire existence was surrounded by thoughts of you. And he hoped maybe he was also in your mind.

The first time he saw you outside his studio walls was at the Hybe gym as he worked out with Mingyu, Soonyoung and Joshua. He almost lost hold on the dumbbells in his hands upon spotting you, tight leggings and cropped shirt adorning your body. He had seen you in less clothing before (Only ever through a screen, in all the pretty concept photos your group had done, or in the occasional fancam he'd come across), but seeing your silhouette in the flesh had all thoughts leaving his mind. He felt ashamed at his way of thinking. He didn't want to objectify you like that, but the thoughts of your beauty had not left his mind for two weeks now, since the day he first met you.

But his eyes couldn't be helped, glued to your form as you walked into the place, paying extra attention to the parts that stood out most for him. He was like a depraved monster, his breath getting ragged as he watched you move around, licking his lips and sighing at every small movement you made. God, what was happening to him? Why was he so immediately aroused? Luckily, his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a cough from a very annoying Kim Mingyu, who had just been spotting him before his abrupt stop.

"Hyung .. You're too obvious."

"Wha-what are you talking about?", he did not like the smirk attached to Mingyu's face, nor the matching mocking smile in Soonyoung and Joshua's.

"You should see him when she's sitting in his studio. It's sad to watch," snickered the fellow 96-liner.

"Oh? She's the girl? Damn, hyung. She's really pretty."

"It's not- there's no girl. We're just working together," his feelings were already complicated enough, he didn't need the involvement of his members' teasing.

"C'mon, Hyung! It's okay if you like her. She's pretty, she's an idol-producer. She's perfect for you. I think you should go for it," encouraged Mingyu, in his optimistic Mingyu-fashion.

"Yeah, I mean. You were just about to cum in your pants at just seeing her in some leggings. I don't think you have anything to lose if you're already at the point of public indecency."

Yeah, this was exactly why he wanted to keep them as far away as possible.

"Soonyoung, I swear to g-"

"Jihoon? Oh my god, hi! I didn't realize you were here," it was you, now at a closer proximity and a slight sheen of sweat attached to your skin. Had Jihoon not been snapped out of his trance earlier, he probably would've been salivating by now.

"Oh. Hi Y/N. How are you?", he felt like he was being scrutinized for his every word and move by his members, which made him feel extremely awkward (more than usual).

"Good! I didn't know you used the company gym. I'd never seen you here before. You should've told me. We could've come together," you smiled before turning to his friends, "Hi! I'm Y/N, it's nice to meet you!"

Soonyoung made a show of stretching his hand out to you, bowing way too low for such a casual setting (probably just to peeve Jihoon). He was followed by Joshua, who held onto your hand in a way that had Jihoon fuming to himself.

"Hello, Y/N. I think we might've met before. You're Kwannie's friend, right?"

"Oh, right! Yeah, I've been to your guys' practice room before, but Jihoon didn't recognize me when we first met, so I wanted to re-introduce myself just in case," you giggled in Jihoon's direction.

"Don't mind him. That's just Jihoon. He's too distracted for his own good. I'm Kim Mingyu, by the way," the youngest shot you a flirtatious smile.

He needed all of them to keep the flirting as toned down as humanly possible. Although jealousy was not an emotion he felt often, the thought of his best friends even looking at you had his ears turning red in anger. But in very expected fashion, they all continued to take turns flirting with you for the next twenty minutes, completely shrugging off any intention of working out they might've had before having spotted you. Luckily (and surprisingly) for him, you were not reciprocating the flirting, nor where your eyes ever off of Jihoon for too long, always including him in your responses to his members one way or another.

You were somehow immune to the charms of Kwon Soonyoung, which, yeah, Jihoon didn't blame you for. You were also unaffected by Jisoo, which was a little more rare from Jihoon's experience. What shocked him most, though, was that your eyes still stayed on him even while one Kim Mingyu blatantly flirted with you. He'd known one too many girls who had fallen victim to his flirting (whether it be intentional or not), and to see you fully shrug him off in favor of looking to Jihoon instead had his heart going at an inhuman speed.

The interaction ended not too much time later, leaving Jihoon's ears red, but now from embarrassment at his friends slyly suggesting his interest at you multiple times throughout the conversation. Despite them being subtle about it, he was still mortified, specially when by the end of it, they'd pushed him to walk you back to your practice room while they wandered off on their own.

"I'm so sorry about them. They can be a bit much."

"It's fine, Jihoon. Don't worry about it. They were really fun. I can see how you're all so close."

"Ah, yeah. You know how it is .. Uh, sorry they kept hitting on you like that,"

he knew he was a bit of an idiot for bringing it up, but he wanted to gauge your feelings on it. He needed to know if he at least held a chance against his members or if you'd just been being nice by not reciprocating in front of him.

You chuckled as you responded, "I know they weren't being serious about it, Jihoon. Don't sweat it. It's not them I'm interested in anyways."

Oh, great. That was good to hear .. Wait. What?

"W-What?l"

"Oh. We're here. This is my group's practice room. Sorry I made you walk all the way here, I know your practice room is like five floors up," you apologized sheepishly, completely disregarding what you'd just said.

"I-it's fine. I'll see you on Thursday, then?"

"Thursday? We have a shoot tomorrow, Jihoon. Remember? We need a jacket shoot for the collab. It was on the schedule."

Oh, fuck. He had completely blanked on that. You guys were almost done recording the finishing touches to the song, but he forgot you guys also needed to do the shoot for the promo and learn the choreo as soon as you gave the choreographers the finalized version for the single. There was still so much to be done, which only meant even more time spent with you.

"Yeah, right. Sorry, hah, completely spaced out on that. I'll see you tomo-"

"Come pick me up?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, stop by my practice room so we can walk together? Is that okay?"

Did you- did you want to spend even more time with him? He wasn't complaining. He wanted all his time to be consumed by you, but .. was the feeling mutual?

"Yes," he paused, realizing his answer had been too short and mechanical, "I mean, yeah, sure, I don't mind. I'll see you here tomorrow morning."

You giggled at him before bidding your goodbye once more, but this time offering him a quick side hug before disappearing through the door to your practice room. Jihoon was glad you were gone, because this time it wasn't just his ears that were red, but his whole face had begun to resemble a tomato.

It was time to admit to himself that he was down bad tremendously for you.

Jihoon had not at any moment stopped to wonder what type of vibe the collaboration was meant to follow. Yeah, he was working on the song (which was almost finalized by now), so he knew it was pretty much a pop-rock-ish vibe that they were going for, but he didn't know what the rest of the equation would look like, which was something he wished he'd prepared a bit better for.

He had walked you over this morning, even being enticed by Seungkwan into bringing you your favorite drink as a nice gesture (which worked perfectly, as it won him over yet another side hug). The two of you arrived to the designated area for photoshoots located in one of the lower floors of the Hybe building, then went your separate ways to head over to hair and makeup in order to get your outfits situated. He had to admit he liked his outfit. It was a little more provocative than usual, with it being mostly black leather and the top being unbuttoned enough to show off most of his abdomen. It was your outfit, however, that had him reeling.

Nothing could have prepared him for the moment he stepped out and spotted you doing a few solo shots in preparation, your outfit and makeup already perfectly in place. He had no words to express how he felt upon seeing you. You looked so ... gorgeous. Unsure of how to react at the sight in front of him, he stood there staring, almost as if he'd seen an apparition. It wasn't until one of the photographers called him over that he managed to regain sense of self and join you.

The entirety of the photoshoot was absolute hell for Jihoon. This was the closest he'd ever been to you (sans the now two quick side hugs you'd given him in the past day). The shoot was a bit .. sensual in nature. The first set of outfits were edgier, so the shoot was the basic scenario you'd picture for a punk-rock pictorial. The second set of outfits had been the issue, because they went in the complete opposite direction. You were in a beaten down motel room setting, wearing very simple outfits, although they were both very skimpy and thin, almost as if to signify the simplicity of the concept. You two posed together on the bed, with your poses getting more and more intimate by the minute. At some point he had been directed to embrace you as he looked into your lips, with the proximity being way too close for comfort (or at least that's what he tried to tell himself). At another point he was kneeling on the bed as he looked up at you, your eyes simulating lust as you looked down on him, hand on his chin, lifting his gaze to yours.

The shoot had been an experience, to say the least. Jihoon wasn't sure how he survived it without breaking. He thanked the gods for the years of preparation with all types of shoots he'd done with the members over the years. However, completion of the shoot did not mean he was unaffected. He had no idea how he'd get the image of your lips so close to his out of his mind. Despite knowing it'd all been professional and strictly fake, he could've sworn he felt something every time your eyes would meet when at such a close distance. He wanted it to be real so badly, but once again he chalked it up to being wishful thinking. At least the worst of it was over, and he could now get back to sitting next to you in his studio at a respectable distance.

~

Jihoon had been an idiot to ever believe that the shoot had been the worst of it.

It had now been a week since the dreaded photoshoot (The one that had him up at night imagining what it would've been like if he had just closed the gap between your lips, damning anyone else in the room), and now it had been a few days since the song had finally been completed. He had thoroughly enjoyed co-producing with you, geeking at your ability to compliment each other perfectly. Your voice was yet another thing he had fallen in love with during the process, fully enamored by every single take you did. It had actually slowed down the process, as Jihoon green-lit every single one of your takes due to the rose-colored glasses that prevented him from catching mistakes you swore you'd committed during a few of the takes. You seemed to be similar, however, as you continued to shower him in compliments (even at the shoot, where you had complimented him with his hard work at the gym - a moment he chose to disregard or else he would've lost his mind at the implications), refusing to admit any faults of his while recording.

Now, however, he found himself in very difficult and unchartered waters. Any other time in which he'd produced a song, he'd never been involved further than that. He'd done duo shoots before, with women at that, but what he'd never done was share a choreography with someone who wasn't a member of Seventeen. He had danced with women before, of course, even having participated in more sensual dances, but this felt different. All previous times had been with nameless backup dancers he had never known too well. This was you. He now had to work through an entire choreo with you as the two of you danced around each other (physically and figuratively, he believed).

Most of the song involved a very casual choreo, as the two of you danced mostly separately but complimented one another. The kicker was the bridge of the song, where the melody mellowed out a bit and allowed for a quick dance break of sorts. It was very sensual in nature, and required you and Jihoon to tangle against each other as you used the other's body to complete the dance. Going over it had been full of shy smiles and eyes that couldn't seem to meet. It almost made him believe that you'd felt just as flustered as he did. When you actually began to dance over that part, however, you left Jihoon's mouth watering at how easy it was for you to meld your body to his; how you would guide his shy hands to place them in all the correct places. The feeling of your body against his was new and unfamiliar, but it felt so right to him. He wanted nothing more than to leave his mark on your skin, signaling that he was the only one meant to touch there. He was truly going mad.

It had now been about two months since Jihoon had first met you. The song hadn't been released yet, but most preparations for it had been done. All that was left was a quick music video shoot plus a few music show appearances that would come after the actual release of the song. Thus far, the song had been announced, with a pending release date of a month from now. Jihoon had enjoyed public reaction to the unexpected collab, with people even going as far as calling you a dynamic duo due to your respective reputations as the main producers of your groups.

You seemed to also enjoy knowing the news had finally broken to the public, even going as far as mentioning Jihoon in some of your lives. He specifically recalled a moment he'd seen as he watched it live, one that had him blushing and kicking his feet. You'd been asked about what it was like working with Jihoon, to which you responded with a whole paragraph of compliments directed at his work ethic, along with a short quip about how cute you found Jihoon to be, deeming it 'difficult to focus with him around.' He felt like he was on cloud nine at the comment, despite how lightheartedly you had delivered it.

After that (and a few more instances of you shooting compliments his way), he had decided he wanted to see you outside of a work-related schedule. He had begun making excuses to find himself on your group's floor, going as far as using Seungkwan and Soonyoung (who you'd unfortunately befriended due to his constant unwanted presence as you two worked on your song) as pawns in order to not be as obvious whenever he went to see you. Despite your usually outgoing demeanor, you seemed a bit more reserved whenever it was only you and Jihoon. He wondered if it was because of his quiet demeanor, or because you might've maybe returned his feelings and felt too shy to be too expressive around your crush - he knew damn well that was his case, at least.

Today the two of you were working out together at the gym - a huge feat for Jihoon, who could not help but ogle at you whenever you weren't paying attention - with him playing the role of your spotter. He had extensive knowledge of weightlifting, which he had been proud to impress you with. Right now, you were working on your arms, which required Jihoon at a close proximity in order to make sure you didn't get hurt. He enjoyed this way more than he could admit to anyone or himself.

"Is this okay? Is this the right position to do it?", you questioned as you made eye contact with him through the mirror. Your arms were lifted above your shoulders, with dumbbells on each of them as you attempted to lift them both at once.

"Yeah. That's perfect. Is it too heavy? Do you need to stop?"

"No, I'm fine, Ji, I promise. Just stand a little closer, yeah? I don't wanna drop them. And put your arms under mine?", he followed your instructions, now towering over you from behind as you sat in front of him.

The two of you had grown more comfortable in the past two weeks or so, seeing each other almost every day while outside of official schedules. He'd learned that, unlike him, you didn't have any issues with personal space, often allowing him to stand too close for comfort. He couldn't complain, though, as he was always too hypnotized by the proximity.

"Shit!", you yelped, almost dropping the dumbbell before Jihoon managed to intercept it. You had begun to do a set before the one minute mark passed, deeming you too weak to lift the dumbbell all the way up. Luckily, you had instructed Jihoon to stand close to you in order to prevent any actual damage.

"Are you okay?", he asked as he placed the dumbbells on the ground, rounding the seat in order to stand in front of your sitting form.

It was mind-numbing, really. The angle in which he was looking down at you, with your pretty eyes looking back at him with a semi-worried expression on your face at the shock of almost dropping such a heavy weight on yourself. The incident left his mind immediately at the sight of you, a layer of sweat covering your skin as you panted while looking up at him. He pulled you up by your arms, helping you stand in front of him. In very cliche fashion, you tripped a bit, almost landing on him before he caught you by your forearms. The classic 'falling-atop-your-crush' trope did not happen, but he still ended up at even a closer proximity to you. Just when he had finally begun to forget the sight of your lips right in front of his from back when you did the jacket shoot together.

He did not move back, and neither did you, allowing the small distance between you to fog both of your minds.

"T-thanks, Hoonie. Could've really hurt myself," this was the first time he'd ever heard a stutter out of you, with your eyes not looking into his as they usually did. Your closeness still not diminishing even when the danger of the situation had already dissipated.

"'Course. Uh, I .. Maybe we should go back to a lighter weight?"

It took you a moment to respond, eventually choosing to look back at him with your pretty eyes, a seemingly empty head to match. He liked the look on you. He could've sworn he saw your eyes lower to his lips, but his mind was too clouded to confirm.

"Uh, actually, I think im done for the day. Is that okay? I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Oh, right. Yeah. I'll meet you in front of your practice room?", he was confused at your sudden departure, dreading the separation, but he figured one of you would have to break the spell eventually.

"Yeah. See you there, Hoonie. I'll text you later, okay?", you gave him a quick peck on his cheek before turning to the exit, leaving behind a beet-red Jihoon as he tried to get his heartbeat to slow to a healthy rhythm.

He was left standing there, in the cold and empty company gym as he pondered as to whether or not his feelings may be mutual.

~

The next day the two of you met again, no mention of yesterday at all. What would there be to mention anyways? That you two stood close to each other? Jihoon felt like such a loser even having considered it anything. He was just inexperienced at this, and very much touch starved, so any small suggestive interaction had him overthinking. Like right now, as you hooked your arm on his to walk along the Hybe building together, not a care in the world about anyone who would see you.

"Did you see the outline for the music video?", you spoke up once the two of you had reached the cafeteria, picking a secluded table to sit at - not that many people wandered there anyway.

"Hmm. No, what is it?", he still hadn't managed to beat the habit of not checking his emails.

You giggled, seeming a little flustered, "Uh, we're playing a couple. Very Bonnie and Clyde but with a grudge twist. Seems pretty cool, actually."

"Oh. We-we're playing a couple?"

"Yeah. I think we can pull it off. You did really good at the shoot. Did you see the finished product? Okay, never mind. I know you didn't. They look really good, though. We look very convincing."

He knew you didn't mean anything by it, but you constantly had him wondering. If you liked him you wouldn't be this direct, right? This must've all been very lighthearted to you. Sure, you were friends, but that's where it all ended for you. Jihoon was the complete opposite. Every single interaction you had had him falling deeper and deeper into a hole of infatuation for you. There was nothing about you he wasn't obsessed with. It had begun to manifest in all areas of his life, even his work. He had never had more unfinished love songs in his hard drive.

Unbeknownst to you, he had purposely avoided taking a look at those pictures, knowing his mind would go blank at the image of you looking at him with those lustful eyes from a third-person perspective. Living through it already had him in agony night after night as he thought of nothing but you.

"Y-yeah. I saw them," he lied, "You did amazing."

"Really?", you were always giddy at his compliments (which didn't come often due to his shy demeanor towards you), "I've never done a more provocative concept like this before. It's fun. It suits you a lot, Jihoon. I'm glad I got to do it with you of all people."

And you had no idea how glad he was too.

Shooting the music video had somehow been even more agonizing than the photoshoot. It was two grueling days of constant time spent together. He loved your company, but the stylists kept insisting on dressing you in the most provocative outfits imaginable to man. He couldn't think while he looked at you. You were like a siren. Even the strongest of men wouldn't be able to resist you.

The worst of it came in the form of the director instructing you two to act like two lovers against the world. Word for word. It wasn't difficult for Jihoon to pretend he was enamored by you, but he was truly at a loss of words over how well you also played your role. By now he had become numb to your touch, having run through the choreography with you multiple times by now, and with you having become increasingly touchier through the time you'd known each other.

He thanked god under his breath as soon as the two days came to a close, knowing that now he could at least keep his feelings under wraps for a while. It was now about two weeks until the release of the song. According to the schedule, all that was left was one pre-recorded Studio Choom performance, two comeback shows after the release of the song, and two variety show appearances together. It was all pretty straightforward from now on. There was no way Jihoon wouldn't be able to put up with what was left. He had this in the bag.

The worst thing imaginable happened after that. Jihoon had not planned for this, nor had you, apparently.

It was very sudden and came completely out of left field. It pertained to you, but had affected Jihoon more than anyone involved.

Dispatch had released an article just a week before the official release of the song. Promotions had only begun, but had been slightly disrupted by this sudden interruption.

The article featured you, and an unknown man. They were clearly pictures taken off-guard, from a distance. You were in front of some building, ignorant to any cameras nearby. You were too close for Jihoon's comfort. He knew there was some type of relationship there. The caption to the picture didn't help matters either. Something about an estranged lover you'd been keeping secret from the media. There were too many pictures for Jihoon to process. In some you were embracing, while in others you were sharing a low-quality peck from what he could tell.

Seeing that article had been an absolute punch in the gut. There was no argument against it. There was clearly something between you and that guy. He was standing too close to you, even holding onto you in most of the pictures. You could barely tell it was you, but to Jihoon it was obvious. He had never felt heartbreak like this before. The two of you had never dated or even insinuated actual interest in the other, but it still felt like betrayal to him, as irrational as that thought was. It was all his fault, really. Had he told you about his feelings, maybe things would've been different.

Jihoon felt like an idiot. Of course this had all been just a business transaction to you. You were assigned to work with him, just as he was you. Even if he had led himself to believe that the feelings might've somehow been mutual, it had all just been in his head. What would you see in him anyways? Yeah, sure, you had a few things in common, but who in their right mind would ever want to be with the empty-hearted producer who cared for nothing but work. Hell, the day he met you was yet another day in which he had been willingly locked in his studio all day. That was what you would've been signing up for, had you looked his way. He didn't wish such a loveless relationship to anyone. He knew by now that he did- he did love you, but he knew he was probably unable to love you in the way you deserved. He was incapable of that. At 26, he'd had no experience with love. Why would someone as beautiful and amazing as you want to be with someone like him?

He was in love with you. That was something he could now full-heartedly admit to himself. Within these two months he had fallen deeply in love with you. Nothing could change that by now, not even knowing that you were already taken. He couldn't help himself in locking himself in his house after that, ignoring and all messages from both you and his manager regarding the few rehearsals he had skipped over.

Hybe did their damage control, making the situation go away as soon as it arose, but to Jihoon the damage had been done. He felt like an irrational idiot being hurt by this, but he needed to be away from you for a few days. You hadn't done anything to him, but he couldn't see you right now without feeling pain. He was punishing you with no proper justification, but his feelings were too strong for him to put up with.

A little over an entire day went on like this, with no communication from Jihoon to anyone. He was surprised no one had come looking for him until now, the moment in which bangs against his front door could be heard all the way from his room. Whoever was looking for him had made liberal use of the doorbell too, not giving him a single break from its constant ringing as he tried to ignore it. He finally grew too tired of it, deciding to give up his moping and going downstairs to beg that person to leave him alone to his misery. He still needed a few days before he could go face his reality. He couldn't face you just yet.

Except the choice had been made for him. His first mistake had been not checking the doorbell camera, which would've made him privy on who exactly was knocking on his door. He felt bad at thinking this, but had he known it was you, he never would've opened it.

He was beyond embarrassed at his appearance, once more wearing a three-day-old shirt and his cheeks damp with the tears he hadn't yet wiped away. You, on the other hand, looked as beautiful as ever. You carried a worried look on your face, lips pouty and eyebrows furrowed as you looked at him. He was not given time to welcome you in before you barged in for yourself, launching yourself at him in a tight hug before he could say anything. He wasn't an idiot, and he was too weak for his liking, so he held you back just as tight, enjoying a good three or so minutes of silence as you held each other.

You pulled away too soon for his liking, unhooking your face from the crook of his neck as you spoke up, still holding onto him, "Jihoon ... I'm so sorry. It's- it's not what you think, I swear. Please believe me."

He wasn't sure why you were so apologetic. You didn't owe him anything. He felt like even more of a loser at making you feel like you had to apologize for having a boyfriend. He knew that by now there was no way you didn't know about his crush on you, which made him feel even more humiliated at the situation. He separated himself from you for the first time ever, creating some distance as he refused to look at you. He took this chance to close the door he had left open when you had attacked him with your embrace.

"You don't have to ..."

"No, Jihoon. Listen to me. Please."

Your eyes were glossy now, and Jihoon felt bad at causing you any distress, so he signaled at you to continue.

"It's not- it isn't what you think. Yeah, I ... I did have a ... a thing with that guy. I know Hybe denied it being me, but you know- you know it's me. But it's not how it looks!"

"Then ... what is it?", he couldn't believe he was even letting himself ask that question, as if you had to explain yourself to him. But part of him really wanted to know. He wanted to somehow hear you say that it wasn't true, that you would never look at anyone but him.

"It's an old picture. He- he used to work for our group, as staff. We had a thing. It ended badly. Haven't really dated since then. This was before I met you, Jihoon, please, I need you to know that."

"You .. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you need me to know that?", he hoped against all hope that you'd answer with what he'd been wanting to hear since he met you, but he knew he was playing with the devil when asking you that. He knew there was a very logical chance that you'd just confirm your platonic feelings for him, or straight up reject him.

"You know, Jihoon. I know you know. I- I'd never do that to you. I'd never look at anyone but you."

"Do you-"

"Yes', you paused, 'I like you, Jihoon."

And then his heart stopped beating.

"So much. Since we met. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the day we met. I like you so fucking much. I can't think of anything else. I thought it was just because I've always been a fan of yours, but ... being around you just made me feel so happy. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. Fuck, I'm sorry I made you feel like there was someone else in the picture."

He didn't know what to say. You'd said everything he had wanted to hear for the past two months. You liked him. It wasn't one-sided. There was nothing stopping him from making you his now. Those feelings he thought had been fake for the portrayal of your song's concept had been genuine all along. He'd never felt such relief.

"Jihoon? Is it not ...? Fuck. Did I misread everything? Shit, I'm sorry. I should, uh, I should go-"

Fuck. No! He needed to reciprocate, he just had no idea how. He couldn't have you thinking he wasn't equally (if not more) obsessed with you. So he did the one thing he could think of in that moment. Something he had imagined time and time again, but never had the courage to do.

You yelped against him as he pulled his lips to yours, but immediately began kissing him back. There was nothing tender about the kiss as Jihoon would've expected. It was a complete mess from the start. The kiss was a testament to how badly you'd both wanted each other this whole time.

Jihoon felt lightheaded at the feeling of your tongue sneaking its way into his mouth, and the moans that accompanied it. He couldn't help but feel immediate arousal at your touch. He wasn't sure how to kiss you. He'd never shared such a passionate exchange before, but he wanted to give you everything in him with his kiss.

You only pulled away when you were out of breath, still keeping yourself as close to him as possible as you breathed into each other's mouths, your lips lightly closing over his as you regained your breath.

"Hoonie ..." the sound of your breathless voice muttering his name did shameful things to him. There was no way he could handle a conversation right now.

"Tell me- tell me you like me. I need to know. Please ..." the sheer lust and desperation in your voice were things that would never leave Jihoon's mind.

"So much. I li- I love you. You have no idea. Every day was agony not acting on it. I'm sorry if it's too much, but it's true. I've never felt this way before. I'm in love with you. The thought of you with someone else made me wanna give everything up. It's ... God, I just love you."

You didn't seem to need any more words before closing the gap again, this time backing him up against the nearest wall as you kissed him with all your might. You took full control of the kiss, grabbing his cheeks and angling him so you could play with his lips as you saw fit. He moaned and writhed against you, shyly attempting to hold onto your waist but not actually daring to. You must've caught wind of his intentions, grabbing onto his hands and forcing them on your waist, pressing your chest up against his. He began to caress your waist, falling in love with the slope of your back in the process. He was still shy with his movements, but his lips were nothing but. He adored your soft sighs against his lips any time his tongue would suckle on yours, or any time his teeth nibbled on your bottom lip.

You must've eventually grown tired of his shy demeanor, grabbing onto his arms and pining them above his head, beginning to softly grind against him as you began to lick and suck at his neck. Jihoon was on cloud nine. His body was unsure of how to react to such pleasure from someone he had already grown so addicted to.

"Hoonie ... want you so bad ... please," his knees buckled at your begging, your warm breath hitting against his ear as he groaned out at the thought of you in his bed.

He was simply a shell of himself at that point, so it had been your responsibility to drag the both of you in the direction he pointed his bedroom was at, but as soon as you were there, you pushed him to lay on the bed. He was ready for whatever you were willing to give him. He had no chance against you anyway.

"Hoonie, shit. Been wanting you for so long. Can I, please?", you'd begun to straddle him, leaning over him as you ghosted over his lips. He swore he wasn't going to make it, body heating up at the mere suggestion of you touching him.

"P-please ..."

You began kissing him again, running your hands up and down his torso, eventually landing on his crotch, softly caressing it as he whined into your mouth.

"Oh? Jihoonie ... You're so hard. Want me to help you?"

"Fuck ... Need you so bad, please ..."

"But we haven't even started to have fun," you moved your hand away, now sitting up a bit to begin grinding against his crotch, deep movements making his eyes roll back as his arms laid limp on his sides.

"Won't you touch me, Hoonie? Don't be shy. You already know how much I want you," you guided his hands to your hips, making him clamp his fingers on the clothed flesh while you moaned out at the feeling of his hard cock gracing your most delicate parts.

You were both beginning to heat up, which led you to throw your shirt off, now only in a bra and some sweats. He audibly moaned at the view, only causing you to play it up for him as you caressed your own covered breasts, "Want me to take my bra off, baby? Hmm?"

"Y-yes. Wanna see you so bad. You're so beautiful."

That was enough for you to wiggle your way out of your pants, throwing off your bra right after. The sight had his cock squirming under you. No amount of lonely nights thinking about you could have ever prepared him for the sight before him. Your soft skin shining under the soft light of the half drawn blinds. He wanted to memorize your body, leave his mark on every inch of it, but his arms would not move from your hips. He knew that the moment he got his hands on you he would finally face insanity. There was not a single detail he wasn't already obsessed with. He wanted you so badly, but he didn't know what to do with himself. His cock was extremely swollen under his sweats, begging to find comfort in any crevice of your body you would allow. The fleeting thought of fucking your pretty tits flew through his mind, making him shudder as he continued to pant at the beautiful girl sitting on him.

"Touch me?", you asked, already guiding his hands to your breasts, making him sit up to be face to face with you.

"Holy fuck ..." he moaned at the warmth of your breasts in his hands. He couldn't help himself in getting his fill of you, hands squeezing and running all over your chest. The moment he dared to pinch at your nipples he truly saw heaven, hearing you whine his name in the prettiest sound he'd ever heard.

"Hoo-Hoonie ... Please. Touch me more. Just like that," you let your head fall back, sighing at the soft touch of his fingers pinching at your nipples, "Your mouth, Hoonie ..."

That was all he needed to lower his head and begin licking at your nipples, biting lightly as he pulled at them, dick twitching desperately at the pretty sounds leaving your lips. He could've sworn he'd cum just from how beautiful you sounded. His ears were ringing by now, only able to process the feeling of your hand pressing his face against your chest and your hips suddenly restarting their movements against his own.

You let him make out with your tits for a bit before pulling him off, much to his dismay. You giggled at his reaction, but began to pout at him to get him to remove his top.

"Shit. God, Hoonie, you're so gorgeous," you breathed out upon seeing his bare chest, running your hands up and down the blank canvas. You let your own fingers pull and pinch at his nipples a bit, slow in your movements as he whined at you. He understood now, how fucking good such a light touch in such a sensitive area felt. He was beginning to lose all air in his brain, mind foggy as you gave him all types of pleasure.

He needed you now. Needed attention in his nether area so bad. He could feel how wet you were through his sweats, softly begging you to please let him have you. The whisper against your ear had you pulling your hands away from his chest, separating yourself enough to look into his eyes.

"Want you too. Can I have it, Hoonie? Fuck ... Will you judge me if I beg? I just ... Want you in my mouth so bad, Hoonie, please."

He felt embarrassed by his reaction, but he couldn't help but moan loudly at that simple sentence, nodding like crazy at the proposition. The last time he'd been in someone's mouth had been years ago. He had felt intimate touch before, but only a handful of times total. He was fully unprepared for what your mouth encompassing him would feel like.

Before he knew it, you had thrown off both his pants and boxers, enticing him to sit at the edge of the bed as you knelt in front of him. You were looking at his cock as if it were your last meal, eyes crossed and a moan leaving your mouth at the sight. He couldn't believe a gorgeous thing like yourself would ever show so much thirst for him. His soul left his body the moment you lowered your tongue onto his tip, kitten-licking at it as you looked up into his eyes. What truly made him lose his mind, however, was the moment you began to bob your head up and down his cock, with your hands playing and scratching at his balls. His hands clutched at the sheets, unable to hold himself in a sat up position due to the unimaginable pleasure. He was unsure how he didn't cum the moment you put your mouth on him (or the moment you kissed him, if he was being honest).

"So- fuck ... So fucking good. You're perfect. Please ..." he wasn't sure what he was begging for. The pleasure was clouding his mind. And then you did something that had him gasping for air. You unglued your mouth from gagging on his cock in favor of licking and sucking at his balls. His eyes rolled all the way back into his brain, back arching against the bed as you took turns licking his balls and worshiping his cock.

Unsurprisingly, he came in your mouth moments later, almost blacking out at the feeling. He was unable to catch his breath for a good minute, all the while you swallowed his seed and sat back on him. Before he was able to resume his breathing, you had already shoved your tongue back in his mouth, making him whine at the mixture of your saliva and his cum twirling in your tongue. He couldn't help his hands running all over your body, hugging and squeezing at every curve he could reach.

"Baby, I-"

"Taste so good, Hoonie, fuck. You have no idea how much I thought about that. Every time you wore those tiny little shorts to dance practice all I wanted to do was kick everyone out and beg you to fuck my mouth."

Jesus Christ. He hated how outspoken you were sometimes. He felt himself begin to harden again at just the simple thought of you wanting him as much as he did you (even though he was 99% sure that was impossible). He felt bad, but he was a bit sad he had cum in your mouth. He had thought of the feeling of your cunt wrapping around him almost every night for the past month. He knew he'd get it sooner or later, but a sinister part of his brain was begging him to flip you around and go to town on you. He might've been inexperienced, but he knew that his body would take him there if he needed it.

"W-wanna ..."

"Hmm? Yeah, baby?", you softly caressed his cheek, looking at him with so much love in your eyes.

"Please ..." he couldn't bring himself to say it. He felt too ashamed at asking for even more out of you when he'd already made you do all the work to confess and even made him have the best orgasm of his life.

"Yeah, Hoonie? Want me? Want you too. You have no idea ..." he thanked god the moment you started grinding against his bare dick yet again, leaning down to lick at his lips, "Can I ride you, baby? Please ... Been dreaming about it."

All he could do was whine and nod as his hands squeezed at your ass, trying to entice you into lifting your hips so you could finally sit on his now hardened dick.

No words left his mouth as you finally lowered on him, all his focus on the pretty expression on your face as you moaned out at the feeling of being impaled by him. His back arched, head digging back into the mattress at the feeling of your cunt tightening around him. He felt your back arch too as you leaned down to kiss him, mouths open as you whined and mewled at each other.

You began humping him with no proper rhythm, causing him to thrust upwards to meet your own grinds. He was so desperate for you. Nothing compared to how good he felt in that moment. Your body was drawing all types of pleasure out of him.

"F-feel so good. Hoonie ... You're so- Ah! So fucking good for me."

"Me? You ... Shit. Never felt this good. You're perfect," you tightened at his words, making him plant his feet on the bed and begin to frantically fuck upwards, leading you to scream and whine his name for all his neighbors to hear.

"Love you so much- Fuck! Been wanting you forever. Didn't know how hard I'd fall for you that day, shit. You're everything to me," he couldn't help himself in rambling yet another confession in your ear as you attempted to match the animalistic pace of his thrusts.

"Love you too, Hoonie. You have n-no idea. Never letting you go. You- you're mine now," and yours he wanted to be forever.

Jihoon had never imagined he'd feel love like this as long as he was alive. He had lost hope in finding the perfect girl many years ago, assuming his lifestyle to be too difficult for him to find someone to love him so strongly, but now he had you. Now he had you in his arms as you professed your love for one another. He had never felt such happiness. His ability to think left him soon after, however, as you clamped down on him with yet another scream of his name as you found your end, taking him with you in his own.

After the two minutes or so that it took you to regain your breaths, you managed to cuddle up against each other, unable to stop caressing each other in one way or another. The smiles wouldn't leave your faces. Jihoon couldn't help but think of his life; how he had everything a man could ever want, and now he had you on top of all that, and you'd quickly become his favorite thing. You spent the rest of the day in his bed, making love and waxing poetic at one another. You completely disregarded any collab preparations for the day, opting instead to finally give into each other to the fullest extent.

Soon after, all promotions finally ended. You and Jihoon received equal accolades on your ability to mix both your styles, achieving a successful collaboration between two monster producers. The praise over being all rounders was also endless, as people commended you both for the production, vocals, dance, visuals and chemistry demonstrated all throughout the promotional period.

People noticed how comfortable you were around each other, despite having never publicly interacted before the release date of the single. People believed it was simply amazing work ethic being showcased by the two of you, but what didn't meet the public eye was the genuine love and enjoyment behind every interaction. The two of you had made it a point to begin appearing publicly together often from then on (strictly as friends to anyone who asked, of course), which allowed you to hide your relationship in plain sight.

Jihoon had never been happier, now having you as yet another companion to visit him at his Universe Factory any time he would lock himself in there to work, a habit that began to diminish as he grew more and more addicted to your company outside the confinement of those four walls.

Today was yet another one of those occasions, as you were sharing yet another meal together at the Hybe cafeteria. Staff was mostly unaware of the nature of your relationship, but you two liked it that way.

"Hey," you called out to him as you played around with his phone.

"Hmm?"

"Did you see this email from Bumzu?", he shook his head in denial, "He said Hybe's requesting your help producing for Gyu's collab with Jungkook. Cause of how well ours did."

"Yeah?", he chuckled, "Gonna have to talk to him. Not doing it without you."

"Oh, really?", you grinned at him, "Wanna team up again?", you leaned closer to him, but not too close to draw suspicion from the few other idols and staff around who were eating there.

"Mhm. You did most of the work. Couldn't've done it without you."

He knew that to be completely true, as he would've remained in his slump had you not come out of left field to make his life do a 180.

"Wanna team up with you for the rest of my life."

You smiled at him. He could see in your eyes you wanted to show some sort of affection towards him, but could not due to the public setting. All it took was one look between you for him to know you felt the same. You held his hand under the table, going back to conversation about your next possible collaboration together with your other labelmates, happy to have found a soulmate in one another.

a/n: idk how other writers are putting out 20k+ words monsters jesus christ. anyways i rlly hope u enjoyed <33 this concept had been plaguing my mind for a while so im rlly happy to have finally finished it!!

[night-market-if]

Good day. Question about Milo's romance. I really like him, but I can't build a relationship with a polyamorous character. I don't want to be a part of it, much less know that my partner has someone else. Can't MC and Milo talk about it in the next book? Tell him, that you are monogamous only. As an author, you must understand that this is totally unfair for those who romanced Milo for the whole game, wanting to be with him (not with him AND Malcolm), helped him overcome his grief, but as soon as Malcolm return, he immediately fell in love with him again? This is considered as a cheating for a monogamous partner. Please think about this during your break and I hope you can write Milo's solo route. I dont want to say goodbye to your game, it is interesting, but I will not be able to close my eyes to what causes me pain and discomfort. In advance for all the poly lovers, I'm happy for you, but I have the right to speak, thank you.

Hey anon,

You have the right to speak for sure and I want to say thank you for sending this in. I cannot say I am surprised because I knew there was going to be some discourse around this decision. However, I also have the right as an author to write the story I wish to write.

So, here is the thing. Monogamy within the Night Market does not have the intense value that it has here within our world and culture. No one cares who you are sleeping with or if you are monogamous or not. That being said, if your personal decision for your MC is to be monogamous, that is a great little flavor text and head cannon you can have for your MC. And, I have routes where there are RO's who do believe in that. If Milo not being monogamous is not something you wish to experience, Gabriel, Belladonna and Hazel are great routes because they have solo routes. Two of them have the chance to be open or poly but if you choose solo, that is fine. There are some tentative new romance options coming in book 2 as well that might better suit you. That being said, if the idea of it within the story makes you uncomfortable, I have said from the beginning of this book, there are a lot of wonderful authors out there that I am sure offer mono routes for every RO.

I would also like to address a few things you have stated in this ask just so I can be clear to everyone about it. Sometimes asks get confused with the text and people start to wonder if they missed something. First, the entire Milo/Mal thing has been around from the beginning. The uncertainty of whether or not they would be poly locked has been touch or go but it was addressed a few months ago and has been addressed on my discord, that you did not have to enter a poly, but Mal was always going to be around and vice versa if you decide you want to romance Mal. It was not ever brought up in game because, again, monogamy is not a construct that the Night Market has. For example, no one cares what Belladonna does. It is not like Milo is the first non monogamous character. The assumption was just made with Bella because she is a courtesan while the assumption was made that Milo would be monogamous because it is what is culturally acceptable to us. You need to remember that this place is a nexus point of a lot of different worlds. There are not a lot of things they bat an eye at. And yes, you can sometimes change the overarching things in this world (the treatment of people, for example) but I have made the decision that I do not feel comfortable having MC have influence or decision over RO's sexual preferences. That would be like having a LGBQT character that you convince to be straight. These characters are who they are outside of the MC and will not be changed fundamentally.

Also, the comment that MC helped him get over Mal? MC has not. Milo, is not grieving or holding onto the moment Malcolm died. Hazel is. Milo, already processed that. That is something that will be coming up in upcoming chapters. Also, you are assuming Milo falls instantly back in love with Mal. There is a line in this book that says he will always love him. But the idea that they are going to fall into each others arms with him back? You are assuming something that you have not read. I can also tell you, due to the end of this book, Milo being monogamous, is not what you need to be concerned about within this route.

Overall, I have been pretty transparent that the Night Market is a game and a story that I am writing, with characters that have a set of morals and beliefs. The MC, is not, and never has been, a self insert. They are a character in the story as well that you are just playing. I encourage you, if this is triggering, to read another IF. A piece of fiction is never worth your emotional comfort. That being said, I do understand this is a decision that will upset some people, but I am not writing a game to cater to everyone. There is no way that I possibly can do that.

I'm sorry if you do not understand my decision and I'm sorry if you feel misled. This is a wip, though. This is something that is in development. If you go back to Milo's description in the promo text, it does say his relationship is not as it seems. I did not make this decision without knowing how people were going to react and in the end, being true to my writing, and my characters, is very important to me. I love everyone who has supported me, but that does not mean that I owe you a change in my boundaries over my work, because of that support.

Zinnia

[sergeantnarwhalwrites]

Hollis the Multifaceted

This is for you @winterandwords! And any of the other Hollis lovers. Lol, I need a break from my school stuff. So we've got a bit of a Hollis character study going. I am also speed writing this on my phone so apologies in advance.

And a picrew of Hollis to the left and Green to the right.

Taglist: Tag list: @outpost51 @nanashi23 @winterandwords @jezifster @kk7-rbs @aether-wasteland-s @dumbthunder @manathen @the-void-writes @liv-is (Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist!) 

Hollis's bottom lip poked out, begrudgingly organizing the scattered parts on one of her multiple cluttered tables. She knew she could have a better system with stuff like this. And she should as an engineer/roboticist/doctor knock off. But she had been far too busy to make it look pretty.

She gathered parts she had hastily pulled out earlier in attempts to reattach an almost completely severed prosthetic. Her stomach did a hearty flip at the thought. The fix was— sketchy. She had to think as quickly as possible as she forcibly rebuilt and jerry rigged a leg prosthetic. The calf dangling from from the knee from a few wires, the joint bulging and tearing through fake skin. Hollis had sucked in a breath when she saw blood. Meaning she had to fuck around with living tissue too.

The engineer pushed a pile aside. Threatening to push them onto the muddied cement floor.

She poked the tip of her tongue through the gap in her teeth. Eyes wandering the dented walls in front of her. Door far to her left awkwardly hanging from the hinges. Torn through recliner she had often slept in not to far from it. She ignored the whirring of one of her bots leisurely rolling past her feet. Briefly overwhelmed with the desire of kicking it.

She rolled her shoulders back. Gaze lingering on the crooked door now, even though she couldn't see it clearly. Lenses removed from her eyes hours ago. And glasses snapped in two. It was starting to feel like a prison. Hollis crossed her arms then. So so smart. But dumb enough to make her own cell. Fancy enough to lack real bars. Just the piles of scrap, limbs, and endlessly injured that filtered in forming an ugly barrier.

"Fuck it."

Hollis slipped both arms free from the straps of her overalls. Tugging down the top as she approached another table with her phone, keys, and jacket. With heavy steps she hurried out, practically tearing new holes in the jacket with the force. She kicked the door closed behind her heading directly to the hangout she'd been too busy to see for months.

It was enough to convince her to leave. Hopefully the crowd would be enough to convince her it was worth it. She hadn't left one shit hole job just to suffer on her own. She'd never let them get the best of her twice. Her thoughts enough to make the rushed journey through streets with overfilled cars. The gust of wind from the overhead train barely disturbing the thick gray of smog.

She weaved through through one last street of cars forcibly stopped by the flashing lights up ahead. The engineer knocked her knee against the approaching door. Grunting as she lifted a stubborn handle, before jerking it to the side. Grinning a bit breathless when the door eased its way open.

Hollis had made her way to a classic. Though it had aged a bit over the years. The owner annoyedly scrubbing at mold on the wall. Music from the composers that typically performed here played through speakers hooked into the walls. If she stayed long enough she'd hear one of her piano solos filling the space. Something she had written before getting hired by a big bioengineering firm.

One wall lined with filled booths. A lot of the wealthier rejected the classic hangouts like this. But Hollis thought the busted doors, menus actually made by humans, and mystery stains on a few of the walls gave a place character. It is was always nice when she could play music for dancers that drifted in for a little extra cash.

And damn was the environment so much more inviting than her own home/workshop right now. She found her way to a bar seat, though she knew she wouldn't drink. But it was a nice spot to people watch, though it was more like ass watching.

"Hollis! Babe! You came for a show or we gonna see you play tonight?" The woman tapped Hollis's phone scanning it for payment before placing a nonalcholic beer on the counter.

Hollis grinned hearing the beep of a successful payment. She grabbed her beer looking away from the bartender. Fishing through her jacket pockets for her backup glasses. Humming in content when she found them.

"I came for a distraction. Whatever happens, happens," Hollis admitted sliding her glasses on.

"Well we always keep the keyboard clean for you. We'd invest in one of those fancy pianos for you if you came around more." The bartender laughed then, "And the top floor."

Hollis laughed then, taking a long sip.

"You trying to join me upstairs?" Hollis questioned, resting her head in her palm.

The bartender grinned, warm light of the bar gleaming off of her teeth, "I don't know. You don't seem very enthused. Work been dragging you down, babe?"

Hollis rolled her eyes then, giving her can a shallow tip towards her mouth. Savoring the taste coating her tongue.

"And if it has been are you offering a way to pull me back up?" Hollis grinned, tongue clamped between her teeth, "Or are you just going to tease me all night?"

The engineer turned to fully face her. The barstool squeaking at her movement. She looked the bartender up and down. Once. Then twice. Feeling her lips quirk at the urgency the bartender moved to wipe the counter.

The bartender went to speak, quickly interrupted by a heavy woman with a heavy sigh. Shirt unbuttoned enough to rip Hollis's attention straight away from the bartender to more pressing matters. Hollis watched a bead of sweat roll down her neck and swallowed.

"You find everything you were looking for Green?" The bartender questioned sliding the woman a glass of water.

The woman, Green, grunted low. Gave a small nod.

"Headin' to the next town over. Probably on a bus right now. I'll get that money from him." She shook the ice in her glass, taking a hearty sip.

Green's eyes locked on Hollis. Feeling the engineer's eyes on her.

Hollis didn't shrink under her gaze. Finishing off her drink as she stared.

"You're beautiful. You come in for the music?"

Green's eyebrows shot up. Eyes glancing around the space before she pointed at herself.

"Talkin' to me like that?"

Hollis shrugged and looked up at her a bit surprised by the deepening of the other woman's voice, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Green gestured to herself. Hollis caught sight of the bruised knuckles that time. And a tear in the knee of her slacks.

"I'm not the beautiful type. But music's a reason I'm here." Green responded stressing the 'a', lifting the glass to her lips.

Hollis laughed a little, "I think I can give you a couple other reasons. If you give me some time."

Green tapped her glass on the table, a very small and very crooked grin appearing on her face briefly. Hollis welcomed the small bloom of confidence in her chest. Pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose she met Green's eyes. Green unbuttoned the last few buttons holding her shirt closed. Hollis's eyes gladly followed the newly exposed skin.

"You just wanna fuck." Green laughed softly, it was a harsh sound leaving her throat, Hollis doubted she did it often.

Hollis shrugged again, not willing to lie, "So you're saying no to being my muse? Or joining me in the bed?"

"I've got someone far prettier to keep my bed warm. But it wouldn't be very gentlewomanly of me to leave you hanging." Green stated lifting herself from the stool.

Hollis watched her, finding herself smile a little hard when Green turned her head around. Green's eyes jabbing her after taking a brief look herself.

"Hurry before I make that gap in your teeth bigger."

Hollis slid off of the stool and took the woman's hand, "You'd be into it too wouldn't you?"

Green rolled her eyes. Grunting softly beneath her breath. Refusing to answer Hollis's question as she was led upstairs.

[miss-conner3]

Behind The Mask (MK Dad AU)

This post was posted after a brief but important conversation I had a while ago with @melancholialapelada7, the other co-creator of MK Dad AU, about why the seals are placed on children and the MK monkey form. I am going to explain some things as I have come to understand them.

With that understood, here goes:

Going back to some things I said in this previous post about the seals MK put on children, I forgot the small detail that not all children were planned, so there was no way MK prepared for it in advance.

So let's say he put them on after birth as a preventative measure.

Although…

After thinking about MK wanting to seal what could affect his children's lives, I remembered a very important seal placed on him.

Warning: I will make a small spoiler of season 4 if someone has not seen it yet.

Returning to a small scene in season 1 of chapter 1 where the Monkey King puts a seal on MK to limit his powers and thus be able to control them better, I thought... What if that seal were relevant again when MK discovers his monkey form?

In season 4...

During his fight against the Ink Demon, there is like a decisive blow that he makes against MK before he has his imbalance between his human form and his monkey form. Right there, I felt that it was the precise moment where the seal was broken, and although originally I thought that it could have been the seal that was given to it during its creation—that flashback will haunt me until I have an answer—I thought about the other possibility that it was the one that Wukong put on MK.

Now...

The MK Dad AU takes place after the events of Special 3, with the variable that the Monkey King disappears, and therefore the events of Season 4 would not unfold as in the series... so MK would have no way of knowing about his monkey form.

So I actually made MK achieve that transformation after years of solo training.

As I must remind you, 17 years passed after the victory against Lady Bone Demon and the mysterious disappearance of the Monkey King. So MK would have continued with his training despite the circumstances, which would have led to him breaking Sun Wukong's seal on his own by reaching a level where he already perfectly masters almost all of his powers.

Therefore, the seal that was originally placed as a limiter would be canceled naturally.

It's just… MK isn't entirely sure about using his monkey form.

Although his reasons for that insecurity are different from those raised by season 4, there is something that I did leave and that is that MK feels that this form is not just one more transformation.

He can only feel it.

The power. The force. The horrible need to cause… chaos.

So MK decides to meditate, on Nezha's advice, in the brief hope of keeping the seal under control. Taking care that it doesn't break. 

But this one will eventually, and MK knows it.

And he's not ready.

He doesn't want to be ready.

This aspect of his life no longer affects only MK, who decided almost indiscriminately to have children of his flesh and blood. So now he's scared that whatever he has, he's passed it on to the children.

Let this form that he doesn't fully understand change him, take everything he is, and become something he can no longer control.

Something unstoppable.

So he tries to lock it all away until he can't handle it alone anymore.

And it would be from there that Wukong would resume relevance in the AU.

Yay!

Although the details about how I would get to that situation are not clear to me yet, I will only say that from this small conflict, the relationship between MK and Wukong, whose teacher-student relationship was ruined, begins to be solved, or at least advances to its possible solution.

I actually have some little plots that I want to tell with that monkey form, the seals, and how this affects children.

But I still don't feel like writing a full-fledged fanfic at the moment, and I draw slower than I write. Haha…

So that...

That's all for now, bye! (ouo)/

[elizabethplaid]

daily notes for Feb 1 and 2, 2024

Got the library keys to LL-K on Thursday. She's opening solo today (Sat, Feb 3rd), as I'm taking February off for mental health.

The 1st was spent revisiting my past-self. The 2nd was starting the new friendship bracelet. Discussion below the cut:

I spent that evening going over some of my old writing and old photos. I talked with my friend about how those stories are like a time capsule - a slice of our psyche, our mindset at the time. I cried as I read an affectionate scene. Not happy or sad tears, just reflective. I was really hurting at the time (senior year of high school, through college).

Reading that paired well with my recent discussions of my behavior at that time. It eased some of my regret and guilt, allowed me to forgive myself a bit more.

----------

As shown in the previous post, I started a new friendship bracelet on Feb 2nd. I like sharing these happy memories with these friends. I had to hide away my Alaska-childhood-self in order to survive adolescence in NC, so letting "her" out again, rejoicing in that past-self, means a lot to me.

That evening, we had another long phone call. Discussed writing techniques, how to develop styles and just get the words out, different work styles. My friend's more advanced in methods than I am, as my stories live in my head more than in text.

We discussed tarot/oracle cards again, revisiting my Grail Oracle spread from Tuesday and seeing the cards he recently drew. On a card he thought symbolized me, I saw a pair of fish with the Pisces sign next to them. I'm like, "You know my cats were born under Pisces, right? They're my fishy-cats." There were also shed deer antlers on that card, which felt like a sign. Both images appeared on other cards in the draw, too. But there were more symbols that didn't speak to either of us.

Both our draws discussed the need/quest for playfulness, amid other themes. I mentioned how I felt drawn to the Hermit card in the past, on the self-reflection in isolation. After all, that's how I lived in recent years, and it was the key to my development/growth/healing.

I like using tarot for reflection. I can analyze the heck out of stuff, but I need a starting point, eg a card or prompt.

========

When I woke up this morning, Feb 3rd, I decided to wear my henna choker right away. Then I added the bell-necklace AND my glasses? This is even more significant than wearing heavy earrings on a public-day! When I'm at home, I rarely wear my glasses, because of the weight on my face. I'm staying home for the next month, so really didn't have to wear my usual jewelry or glasses. The bridge of my nose is starting to hurt a tiny bit, but the necklaces still feel okay.

I plan to work on the bracelet more, maybe try some knitting if I need a break.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I had painted my nails again before last night's call. I couldn't find my old nail polish remover, and the one tiny jar I found wasn't working, so I just painted over the old chips. It's a neat effect, though it's a little silly on principal. So yeah, more nail polish, more jewelry, even heavy glasses. It feels good. :D

[sailxrmxrs]

guess who is back on their au bs. spoiler it's me. time to relive my uni experience vicariously through fictional men in a college au <3 excuse the long post in advance but i have no self control and ofc they all deserve their time to shine hehe. also!! sometime soon i'll be writing n posting solo fics for the infinite blue boys that haven't yet had one so tobias, brooklyn, and alexei enjoyers your time is coming. until then i go hibernate and scream about rings of power to literally anyone that will listen. enjoy the college au softness gamers.

♡ leo ♡

Moving into your new room for the oncoming year of university had been an interesting process. The pinnacle of all the excitement had been the fact that your window aligned perfectly with the window of another apartment. More specifically, another person's bedroom. When you were sitting at your desk, you had the perfect view at the other person's own desk and, when he was sat there, you could see whatever he was doing. At first, it had been the cause of awkward stumbles and unsure movements. Should you acknowledge each other? Wave and try to say hi? Or would it be weird to make it known that you could, in fact, directly see each other at any given point of the day when you were both sat in your rooms. Your neighbour had made that awkward uncertainty feel like a distant glimmer of a memory though. One afternoon when you were tidying your room, you'd caught a glimpse of him in his room, beaming at you with a friendly wave. He looked as though he'd just gotten home, still wearing an outdoor jacket and dark blue hat atop his even darker hair. Even without meeting him it was glaringly obvious that this man was the walking personification of sunshine.

Since then, anytime you saw each other you'd happily wave in greeting. It soon became a comfortable bond, despite never having spoken a word to each other. Eventually, he began to communicate via post-it notes, writing out little messages for you and sticking them to the window. Somewhere along the way, you'd learnt his name was Leo and he was, as appearances suggested, just as much a ray of positivity as you'd first suspected. Sometimes his notes were little anecdotes about a movie he'd watched with his flatmate, or they'd be little messages of encouragement if he saw you were particularly stressed about a class or piece of homework. And you would do the same, offering little snippets of your life in the form of handwritten notes. Leo's presence was a soothing comfort with no pressure to talk when you couldn't; you were simply existing together in your separate bubbles with the knowledge that there was someone there to provide company should you feel as though you needed it. The two of you had also exchanged phone numbers one night when Leo had been concerned you were overworking yourself. He had called you instantly, warm voice gently reprimanding you until you agreed to take a break and get some rest. After that, Leo started texting reminders to eat or take breaks throughout the day. It was a sweet gesture that you soon discovered Leo also needed to hear, his own habits as bad as yours. He, too, seemed to be far better at taking care of others than himself.

"Aren't you supposed to be taking a break?" Leo asked, glaring at you from his own spot at the window.

"Aren't you? Either way I'm almost done and then I will. Stop looking in my window too it's weird." You punctuated your teasing comment with a knowing smile in Leo's direction that he echoed with one of his own. There was a beat of silence, the two of you just looking into one another's eyes before Leo broke that quiet.

"Want to do something fun?"

Your eyes narrowed, expression tinged with mild concern for the mischievous look on Leo's face. "Like what?"

He fidgeted in his chair, fingers playing with a pen as he answered. "Remember as a kid seeing those tin can phones in the cartoons?" He paused, waiting for a response or acknowledgement that you knew what he meant. When you nodded, he continued on, seemingly unconcerned with how ridiculously out-of-nowhere it might sound. "Have you ever tested to see if it works?"

"I think I see where this is going. But no, I haven't tried it."

"Do you want to?" Leo grinned as you rolled your eyes at the sight of the two tin cans he was now waving in the window. Why he wanted to try it out when you could already speak to each through the phone was beyond you, but there was no denying that his excitement was pretty cute. So you went along with it, watching as Leo figured out how to poke a hole to feed the string through. Soon he was opening his window and leaning out so that he could toss the other end over to you. If anyone was walking along the path between the two apartment buildings and happened to glance up, who knew what they'd think of the two college students orchestrating a hesit in the form of childlike communication methods. Once you'd managed to catch your end of the makeshift device, Leo cheerily called a 'goodbye' and hung up, holding his side of the can phone to his mouth. Miraculously when he spoke, you could hear his voice—albeit a little quietly.

"Look at that. Proper scientists we are," Leo commented, looking proud with himself for the success of his little experiment.

"Care to explain what sparked this thought? Seems a little random even for you."

"First of all, rude. And second of all, I had a secret I wanted to tell you and I thought this would be a fun way to do it. And before you ask, yes I did see it in an anime. No I won't tell you which one."

You couldn't help the laugh that spilled from your lips at Leo's flustered rambling. He would sometimes get like this when the two of you talked, particularly about matters of relationships or your friendship with one another. "Fair enough. So what's this secret then?"

"You have to listen close because I'm only going to whisper it once, okay? Don't look at me like that! I'm trying to be sweet and endearing here!"

"And you are succeeding. Now please tell me this secret before I perish from anticipation, Leo."

"You're cute." His whisper was barely audible across the tin can connection, though you knew you'd heard him right when you looked up to see his face was a bright shade of pink. In the time you'd known Leo he had never blushed, at least not this visibly. The can in your hand was quickly forgotten, your hands reflexively placing it down as you stood from your chair. Leo followed suit and, as though reading the other's mind, you were both quickly rushing out of your rooms to meet in the middle. It was in the spot right beneath your windows that you were wrapped up in Leo's embrace, his arms warm as they engulfed you close against his chest. The force of the two of you meeting had his signature hat falling to the floor.

"I didn't say it before but you're cuter, by the way," you uttered, leaning back slightly to admire Leo's impossibly large smile. His hold on you loosened as he leaned down to retrieve his hat, setting it on your head instead of his own and pressing a kiss to the tip of your nose before taking your hands in his.

"You're wrong, but I'll let it slide this time. Come back up to my room? It's got a great view."

♡ milo ♡

The early afternoon sun was warm on your face as you sat alone on a picnic bench with your laptop sat on the table. The library was far too warm this time of year to concentrate on anything and this class presentation needed finishing as soon as possible. And what better place to do so than outdoors in the warm summer sun? Flowers were in full bloom littering the grass around you and far off laughter of college students enjoying the bright weather provided the perfect ambient noise to work to. In the hour you'd been sat there, you'd managed to get a good portion of the presentation typed out and it was looking like you could fully finish soon so long as you didn't suffer from any distractions or interruption. Your phone was on 'do not disturb' and your focus playlist was softly playing in your headphones. In that moment you had finally achieved the perfect mood and environment to focus, something you so often struggled to find any other day.

"Excuse me? Are you busy or could you help me with something real quick?" A voice sounded from behind you, fracturing that picture perfect focus. Of course things could not go exactly according to plan. It was simply the nature of life to find a way to throw an additional difficulty into an already hard to figure out task. Turning around, you were met with a tall figure with long brown hair tied back from his face, though a few stray sections framed his neutral features. He held an expensive looking camera in hand, one that led you to believing with 90% confidence that this man was a photography student.

"Um, sure. I'm working on a presentation right now but I'll help as long as it doesn't take too much time," you offered, feeling too guilty to say no. After all, surely he wouldn't need much from you, right?

"I have to photograph someone for my class and I realise this might sound entirely insane considering we don't know each other, but do you mind if I photograph you? You wouldn't need to do anything too special. To be honest some shots of you working might be good too," he explained, eyes examining your setup and the surrounding area as though he was conjuring the perfect framing for his proposed impromptu photoshoot. He certainly seemed into the idea of having you be his model but the pull of your work was calling out to you. Sure, he said you could keep working while he took his photos but how much would you be able to concentrate while he did so?

"If you don't have the spare time that's fine, you know?"

"No it's fine! I have some time to spare. Promise this won't take too long, though?"

He chuckled, outstretching his pinky finger to you. "Pinky promise. And if I break it I'll personally help you finish your presentation." The offer was too tempting to pass up and you really didn't want to leave him without help, especially since this was for a class project of his own. Your mystery photographer introduced himself as Milo before setting down the small bag of equipment hanging from his arm. He started setting up, instructing you to continue on with your work as though he wasn't even there. It was a task far easier said than done. Despite Milo's quiet demeanour, the knowledge of his presence was just as distracting as any conversation might have been. It wasn't as though being a model for someone's class project was a usual occurrence for you. Once Milo got to work, it became apparent very quickly that he was very good at what he did. Between shots, you took fleeting glances up at him to see him entirely in his element. He would be examining each shot, eyebrows furrowed with concentration as he focused on each individual detail. Then he'd gently adjust the placement of your hand, guiding it with a surprising softness to wherever he needed it to be.

"How you doing over there? Do let me know if this is getting too long or distracting," Milo said, lowering his camera to speak to you. It had been about thirty minutes since he'd first approached you and, surprisingly, his presence hadn't ended up being as distracting as you'd initially thought. Milo wasn't one for unnecessary conversation, only offering quiet instructions to get the framing right for a shot or to check in with you. By now you were almost done with your work—a miraculous turn of events for which you were eternally grateful.

"Doing good! I'm actually about done here so you'll have my full attention soon," you replied, smiling as you finished typing your current sentence.

"Good to hear it. Once you're done, I might get a couple of you over by that tree then I should be all good here too." Milo checked something on his phone, nodding at whatever it was he saw. "Oh, and thanks for doing this, by the way. I get that you probably didn't want to be disturbed while you were working so I appreciate it."

Looking up from the screen, you saw Milo meeting your gaze with a small smile. He didn't seem to be the most physically expressive of people so that small shift in his features was surprisingly sweet to witness. "Of course! I'm glad to have been some kind of help. Although I don't feel like I've done a whole lot considering I've been sat here working for most of it."

Milo chuckled softly, nodding a little as he answered. "Perhaps. But we both got what we wanted so that's the important thing, right?"

Once you finished working on the last slide of the presentation, feeling confident that it was good as it could have been, you began to pack up your things. Milo had paused his own work for the moment, now sat opposite you and watching as you put away the laptop and notes accompanying it. Despite not speaking a word, his eyes on you felt louder than anything he'd said to you all day. He had an intensity about him that others might find intimidating and, if you hadn't just spent half an hour in his company, you might have agreed with.

"Ready?" Milo had directed you for the last couple of photos, again gently guiding your movements so that he could perfectly capture you under the sunlight and shade. It wasn't long before Milo was putting away his equipment, thanking you again for the help. It had been surprisingly fun to model for the afternoon—even if Milo was the one doing all the work in that regard. Still, his company had been nice and, admittedly, you were a little disappointed to be parting ways. Or so you thought.

"You know it's about time for food right now, don't you think?" Milo asked, glancing at the clock on his phone's lockscreen.

"You're probably right. Time for me to head home and figure out what meal I can scrape together with what little remains in my fridge." Your comment was lighthearted, poking fun at your lacking motivation to properly stock up on ingredients and cook for yourself. Cooking wasn't terrible of course, but after a long day of classes the last thing you wanted to do was stand over a hot stove and prepare all kinds of ingredients.

"Or how about I take you out to dinner? As thanks for your help. And, if you'd like, to get to know each other a little better?” Milo smirked at your widened eyes, noting your averted gaze as he continued to speak. “As more than just a photographer and his muse."

♡ rory ♡

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry."

When you got out of bed this morning, having a stranger accidentally spill their iced coffee over you was not a priority on your to-do list. And yet, here you were with a coffee stained shirt and a very embarrassed man apologising profusely for the mishap. The morning has already felt rushed enough, what with your phone alarm betraying you and leading to you getting out of bed half an hour later than planned. You still had some time to get to your lecture, but that once comfortable time frame was no longer quite so comfortable. There was just enough time to quickly grab a coffee and breakfast on the go. And this stranger's coffee had just torn a rather large hole in that plan. He seemed nice enough, but it still didn't help to quell the rising urge to unleash your frustrations in the form of tears right there in the middle of the coffee shop.

"Don't worry about it. Not your fault," you replied, hand clinging onto your phone to keep some semblance of yourself together. It really wouldn't bode well if you started breaking down in front of an already guiltstricken stranger.

"Then at least let me pay for your stuff," he spoke as he eyes landed on the drink already in your hand, purchased right before he'd spilled his. "Or I guess for a future drink."

"Seriously, it's fine. At least I only have the one morning class, right?" At the reminder of your class, you rushed to check your phone to see there were roughly ten minutes before you needed to be one campus. Which was a fifteen minute walk away. Today was certainly not your day.

Seeing your distress, your coffee spilling stranger leaned closer, concern knitting his eyebrows. "Need a lift in to campus? I can get you there in five as long as you're cool with riding on the back of a motorbike. Oh, and take this." He swiftly removed the oversized hoodie that had draped over his frame, holding it out to you. His flame red hair was tousled, stray strands falling over his eyes as he adjusted the plain white t-shirt that had risen slightly with the hoodie's movement. "Go on, it's cool. You can take it for today."

"Are you sure? It's kind of cold out. I'd feel bad."

"And I can just as easily go home and get another to wear. After we've gotten you to your class. The clock is ticking by the way so if you want to get there on time..."

Sighing, you took the hoodie from him, offering him your phone and drink to hold while you put it on. While succeeding in hiding the coffee stain, it was also perfectly warm and cosy. The stranger returned your things to you as he made for the door, holding it open for you to exit first. Right outside was his motorbike, painted black with accents of red that almost perfectly matched the shade of his hair.

"Come here," he directed, helmet in hands as he held it above your head. "Don't give me that look. I don't care if it's five minutes or fifty. You're wearing this helmet. I've already spilled coffee today and I'd like to keep to just the coffee, thanks."

Within minutes you'd sat on the back of a motorbike, arms clinging to the waist of a man you had, quite literally, just met, wearing his hoodie as he drove you onto campus. Surely if anyone you knew saw they'd suspect he was some secret boyfriend you'd been hiding away. With enflamed cheeks, you left your coffee spilling stranger, who you now knew was named Rory, and headed toward your lecture, miraculously on time. Despite being having left him, thoughts of Rory still danced on your mind. The way he'd so gently adjusted the helmet for you; the way he helped store your drink and phone for the ride in the fancy little cup holder on the front of his bike; the way he'd guided your arms around his waist when you loosely held onto the back of his shirt. Just thinking about it was enough to distract you from whatever the professor was talking about in the front of the lecture hall. Your one saving grace was the promise of the lecture slides being posted after it was over. Once the hour was up and you were freed from the suffocating warmth in the room, not made any better with the large hoodie you wore, you made a beeline to leave the university building. Your original plan had been to go and study for an upcoming exam before running some errands but after your catastrophe of a morning, studying could wait. You'd take a nice leisurely stroll into the city to get everything you needed and then head home where you could change out of the coffee shirt and into something comfy.

"Need a ride?" A familiar voice sounded from the side of the road. Rory was stood, leaning against his motorbike with his arms folded and a teasing smirk on his face. He was wearing a new hoodie and he toyed with the helmet in his hands, glancing between it and your surprised expression. "Figured you might want a short ride back home after earlier. And it's only fair of me to offer my services."

"You really didn't have to. Besides, I have some errands I need to run anyway."

"Then we can go together. Consider me your personal chauffeur for the day. Just don't expect this every day, alright?" Rory had closed the distance between you both, sliding the helmet onto your head once more.

"Seems like an awful lot to do for someone you just met. Even if you did spill coffee on them."

Rory grimaced, a hint of pink blooming on his cheeks as he finished securing your helmet. Clearing his throat, he turned to mount the bike and feigned boredom as you remained in place. "Are you coming or what? I don't have all day."

"Oh? And what happened to being my personal chauffeur for the day?"

"Just get on the damn bike. Idiot."

You climbed on the back of the bike, laughing at Rory's attitude. "Have you always been this mean?"

"Only to people who inconvenience me." He set the engine running, the muscles in his stomach twitching when you wrapped your arms around him, your earlier apprehension having disappeared entirely now that Rory's own grumpy attitude was starting to make itself known.

"Funny. I don't remember asking you to do this for me. In fact, you even insisted. If my memory is correct, that is."

Rory scoffed as the bike roared into motion. The rush of cool air made you grateful to have Rory's body shielding you from the brunt of it, though you instinctively burrowed into his shoulder as the wind hit your face. "I will push you off this bike and leave you."

"Oh so you're not denying that you insisted? How cute." It was hard to see Rory's face from your position behind him, but his light skin gave away the rising blush spreading across his face. The sight was sobering, making you suddenly very aware of where you were sat and who you were sat with. Somehow Rory felt like someone you'd known for months, maybe even years. And there was something about the way he teased, that push-and-pull, that had you thinking that maybe this was something more than just a kind gesture from the person who spilled their coffee over you. And, unbeknownst to you, Rory was thinking the exact same thing. He couldn't really explain his thought process. Or that the reason he'd spilled his coffee in the first place was because he took one look at you and suddenly forgot how to breathe. There was no way he could explain any of it, even to himself. But he didn't care if he understood it or not—all he knew was that he was interested and that he was determined to earn your interest too. Though he suspected he might already have it, and he was right.

♡ alexei ♡

Every new semester brought new people, new classes, new schedules. It served as a nice change of pace, though also meant having to adjust to all the new differences right after you'd just gotten accustomed to the previous semester schedule. Still, as you took up a seat in the science lab, there was a faint sense of excitement to see your new lab partner again. His name was Alexei and you'd shared a class with him in the previous semester but had never gotten the chance to speak to him. He tended to keep to himself rather than embedding himself in the wild socialising of college students. That wasn't to say that he was a complete recluse, of course, nor was he rude. He simply wanted to attend class, maintain a good grade, and go home. Despite not having spoken to him, the few occasions you'd glanced his way to find his eyes on yours had your stomach doing somersaults. It was enough to convince you to keep away until you could manage a conversation with him without feeling your heartbeat in your throat from how nervous he made you just with that mildly intense gaze. He always had an inquisitive look about him that felt as though he were analysing every part of you both visible and invisible.

This semester, however, you had been assigned as his lab partner which meant there was no tactical avoiding to be done. You were forced to face him, and your feelings, head on while also ensuring you looked and behaved like a normal human being. The first class had been more of an introduction to the semester plan so neither of you said much to the other outside of a small greeting when you took your seat next to him. But today would be the first chance for you to finally get to know Alexei as more than just 'the mysteriously smart guy in your class'. You hoped he would make for the perfect lab partner; there was truly nothing worse than being forced into working with someone who dumped all the responsibility on you without a care in the world. Though it became steadily apparent that Alexei was not such a partner. From the moment he sat down, textbook on the desk and a fresh notebook for the semester in his hands, Alexei regarded you with that same intense focus. Just as you'd been about to broach the conversation, the professor raised their voice to begin the class.

As the class went on, you scribbled down notes as fast as you fingers would allow, hanging on to every word that your professor spoke, including the frequent group assignments to be worked on alongside lab partners. The mention of partners had you reflexively glancing at Alexei for a split second. Your heart almost skipped a beat seeing a slight flicker of movement in his own eyes. Had he already been looking at you? Had he just looked away to hide it? Or was it simply your hopeful nature looking for a sign that wasn't there? It wouldn't help to dwell on the thought for too long so you continued to note down every matter of importance from the class lecture. The class passed by in the usual fast-paced blue that always manifested at the start of each semester. Bright-eyed students still holding some semblance of sanity before the real struggle kicked in and the collective mood dropped significantly. As you began to pack away your things, a soft voice spoke up from beside you.

"Are you free after this, by any chance?" Alexei's eyes were fixed on yours, that same familiar intensity in the strength of his gaze. This seemed to be normal for him, to regard anyone he spoke to with undivided attention. Once you got used to it, the mannerism was actually rather cute.

"Oh. Uh, yeah I should be. Did you need something?"

Alexei's eyes widened a little, his hands moving a tad frantically as though he might have imposed or overstepped some boundary in expecting help. "No, no. It's nothing important. I was just wondering if you wanted to—if you maybe wanted to go study together? It's totally fine if you can't! Or if you don't want to! It's just that I've not had a lab partner who actually did any work so I got a little excited and—"

"Alexei. Breathe. I'd love to go study with you. I was thinking the same thing actually."

Alexei took a moment to register your acceptance, seemingly expecting a refusal or some half-assed excuse as to why you couldn't go along. His expression soon shifted into a warm smile, his eyes crinkling in the creases as he led the way out. Along the way, Alexei asked, somewhat nervously, if it was okay for the two of you to go to either his apartment or yours to study. He explained how he can't focus in the library with all the noise of students talking and that he needs to be somewhere quiet so he can actually focus. Despite how apprehensive you'd been to speak to Alexei before, it quickly became apparent that he was nowhere near as intimidating as the version of him you'd concocted in your mind. It helped to ease some of the nerves that had fluttered in your stomach earlier that morning during your commute to campus. Since Alexei's apartment was closer, that had been where the two of you ended up. And now you were sat in his room, legs crossed on his bed with all your notes splayed out in front of you, Alexei doing the same. The study session had been going well, though the conversation tended to drift away to questions of 'what other classes are you taking?' or 'oh did you check out that new bar that opened up just off campus?' Things between the two of you just seemed to click. You shared similar interests, studied similar majors, and generally had pretty similar personalities. Alexei was just easy to get along with and not to mention incredibly smart; having him for a lab partner was definitely going to pay off in more than one way.

Hours drifted by and before you knew it, the sun was starting to set. It hadn't been until the sun was low enough to shine directly in your eyes that you realised exactly how long you'd stayed. Grabbing your phone to check the time only exasperated that hurried feeling that maybe you'd overstayed your welcome.

"It's getting kind of late so I should probably get going. Thank you for the studying though! I had a good time, even if we did end up getting a little sidetracked..." You laughed nervously, eyes averted away from Alexei.

"Hm? Oh. I didn't realise it was this late," Alexei murmured, clearly having the same sobering realisation that the two of you had spent so much time together after having officially met earlier that same day. "Thanks for coming over. I had fun." When you finally felt able to look at Alexei again, you were met with a gentle smile as he helped to collect all of your notes together.

"I'll see you in class tomorrow?"

Alexei nodded, the movement stiff as he followed you to the front door of his apartment. He seemed to be contemplating something, though you couldn't tell what. It wasn't until Alexei began to move closer and press the softest of kisses to your cheek that you realised why he was so uncertain. Heat spread throughout your cheeks, the only sensation you could feel aside from that lingering whisper of Alexei's touch.

"See you tomorrow."

♡ brooklyn ♡

A low buzz consumed the university library, white noise that felt far more comfortable than pure silence when sat at a computer trying to finish an assignment due for later that day. You didn't envy the students fuelled by their third energy drink of the day, clearly pushing through after pulling an all-nighter to finish the work they'd thought still had a week left to complete. Thankfully, your own studying was much calmer. You were sat alone at a small two-person table with books you were using as references piled beside the notebook you were scribbling any and all coherent thoughts that could prove useful. There was still ample time so you were not yet in need of your own caffeine induced rush. With headphones in and a study playlist quietly playing, you could leisurely flick through pages and note down key points of analysis for your future self. And, for later on, you had a snack or two stowed away as a little motivation. It was the ideal setup to make sure you actually stayed focused while you were there. That was, it had been an ideal environment until an unexpected guest asked to join you at your table.

"Spare seat for your favourite classmate?" Brooklyn asked, hand already dancing on the back of the chair opposite you. You'd met Brooklyn rather early on during your university studies. He'd been in your first class sitting right next to you and had clearly decided that by now the two of you were friendly enough to talk outside of class—a sentiment that you did not agree with. He wasn't an awful person by any means. It was just that the two of you didn't have a whole lot in common and you found him to be somewhat of a nuisance during classes together. He was the type of student to be so objectively perfect that it was annoying. He always had the exact copy of a text, always knew the assignment schedule, and would happily ask the professor to go into further detail toward the end of a two hour lecture meaning you would get home almost an hour later than you usually did. The professors all loved him, of course. After all how could they not love someone who embodied the definition of a model student. But, for you, he was a physical reminder of all the things you were not. All that you found difficult or tiring came easy to him and it left your ego feeling a little sore with every conversation you had with him. That said, you also couldn't bring yourself to turn him away when the library was as busy as it was.

"Go for it. Not that you're a favourite, mind you."

Brooklyn laughed as he took up the seat across from you, a large book heavily landing on the table. "So quick to correct me I might begin to take offence."

"Well if your conversation is as dire as your taste in literature then I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."

"You wound me," he proclaimed, one hand on his chest and the other resting on the far-too-big copy of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy as though it were a precious child of his. Although considering the fact that you'd never seen him without a sizable novel in hand, he probably did regard it with such reverance. You could empathise with his passion for literature, including the classics he always seemed to carry, but where Brooklyn always seemed to be buried nose deep into something philosophical or wickedly gothic, you preferred some of the lighter reads. Tales of romance and adventure were far more interesting and compelling than eight hundred pages of deep evaluations of the human psyche, expecially when it was late evening and you were looking for something easy to digest after a long day of classes.

"If my reading is dire then do enlighten me as to what might improve it."

"What? Trying to impress me, or something?" You quipped, pen now abandoned along with all hopes of being productive for the afternoon.

"So what if I am? Does that bother you?" Brooklyn's face was intense, eyes holding yours captive in a way that you hadn't felt before. No matter how much you might have wanted to, you couldn't look away from the depths of those amber eyes.

"No. I suppose it doesn't," you managed to whisper out. It was a miracle that Brooklyn had been able to hear. Although his eyes did flicker to watch each movement of your lips so he likely made the most of the visual aid.

"Then please, go ahead and indulge me as to your own, evidently superior, taste." Brooklyn leaned back in his chair, one arm folded across his chest and the other held atop it, his long fingers resting on his chin as his forefinger lightly tapped the spot of skin where his upper lip met his cheek. It took a moment to focus again, having to clench your fists as a physical reminder of where you were and what he'd asked of you.

"Well, for starters, would it kill you to reach something a little more adventurous, would it?"

"Hm? Do elaborate."

"You're always carrying around some classic that's about high society or a far-too-detailed account of some painfully boring political scape. Surely even you want to read something with a little magic or romance in it?"

Brooklyn nodded, barely hiding the smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips. "Oh, of course. But I didn't realise you paid so much attention to me to notice. It's rather endearing." He adjusted in his seat, leaning forward with both elbows on the table now. He was so close that if you leaned in you'd be able to see the intricacies of the colours that swirled in his irises. Such an inviting shade that it almost did lure you in—until you remembered exactly where you were, anyway.

"But I can assure you, I have indulged in plenty of romances. Care for me to show you exactly what I've learned?"

♡ tobias ♡

For any student, deadlines and due dates were the causes of insurmountable amounts of stress. Usually it always managed to work itself out but this time around, luck did not seem to be on your side. For most other classes all you needed to do was upload a file and subsequently forget all the stress that had once accompanied it. No, this one assignment required to be handed in to your professor and it just so happened that the moment you stepped out of your home, rain began to pour. It had only been a light shower so you'd decided to just brave the short walk onto campus. After all, the paper was safely stowed away in your bag and safe from the downpour. That was until it got heavier and heavier by the minute. And now, here you were, stood in the shelter of a bus stop as the rain continued to pour. Every few minutes you pulled out your phone to check the time, silently praying the time would miraculously pause until the rain lightened. Fate, however, was not that kind. Instead of granting you the kindness of clear skies, fate handed you a companion to bask in your bad luck with. The person who approached had clearly been in the rain for a while, his blonde hair damp and clinging to his forehead as he finally joined you in your shelter.

"Hi." His greeting was a little breathless, having rushed to get out of the rain. He carried with him a tote bag that he dumped unceremoniously on the ground as he pushed his wet hair back and out of his eyes. Taking a quick glance at the contents that peeked out, you saw a familiar looking essay title.

"On the last minute essay run, too?" You ask, eyeing the paper in his bag.

"Sadly. At least I was before all this rain started." One look beyond the borders of the bus stop was all you needed to know the two of you were going to be stuck here for a while. The sky was a darkened grey, the clouds knitted together so tightly the sun was merely a dull shine beyond them. The rain was hammering against the roof of the bus stop, a sound that you'd usually revel in when you were safely tucked away in your bedroom and without an assignment deadline steadily creeping closer. But if there were to be a silver lining to those rain clouds it was your new companion. He had moved closer, leaning against the back wall of the bus stop with his head tipped back.

"How long before we can brave it, do you think?"

"Hm, the optimist in me says not much longer but the realist says we're stuck here for foreseeable future. My only saving grace is I've got two hours before this assignment needs to be on the professor's desk."

His attention shifted to you, grimacing. "Why do they even need a copy when the internet exists?" The question was rhetorical, a frustrated reprimand of the professor who favoured a more traditional approach for their assignment submissions. On any other day it would be a mere inconvenience, but today it felt like a personal slight against their students.

You companion let out a sigh and stuck out his hand to shake yours in greeting. "The name's Tobias. Since we're going to be here a while." You offered up your own name, accepting his hand with slight bewilderment at his energy. Tobias sprang into conversation, rambling about another class as though the two of you were close friends and not two random strangers stuck together as a result of the bad weather. But you didn't hate it. In fact, you rather loved getting the chance to talk about nothing and everything with him. He had this energy you couldn't quite put a name to that rolled off him in waves, making you feel on the same relaxed wavelength he seemed to be on. It wasn't long before the impending deadline of your assignment was a distant flash of anxiety. With Tobias at your side, telling you about some exciting escapade he'd had last weekend with his roommate, you could momentarily forget that worry. Something about Tobias' demeanour set you at ease, and there was no ignoring the growing concern that you might not see him again once the rain subsided. A part of you ached to stay and linger, despite only having known him a short while.

As if sensing your desire to remain in Tobias' warm presence, the once hammering rain started to lighten. It disappeared as quickly as it had started; one moment everything was a murky, dull grey and the next the clouds were beginning to part so that the sunlight could sparkle in the reflections of puddles on the road. Wistful, you reached for your bag, noticing Tobias doing the same.

"Walk together? Since we're headed to the same place anyway," Tobias spoke, offering a hand for you to take. A silent nod of acceptance and your hand was in his. You'd expected him to let go as soon as you were out of the bus stop's shelter but Tobias's grip was warm in yours, his arm swinging ever so slightly with each step. He was happily chatting away as the both of you reached campus, hands still interlocked. Right until the moment you each needed to enter the professor's office to hand in the assignment, Tobias' hand didn't once leave yours. Neither of you addressed the unusual familiarity that manifested in the constant touch. Mostly because you didn't know how to. And also because you didn't want him to worry that you might dislike his forwardness.

After Tobias exited the professor's office, he offered up his arm in reunion. Upon seeing your confused look, he clarified. "What? Did you think I was about to ditch you after all that? Nah, I wanted to take you out for coffee. If you're free, that is?" Suddenly Tobias' relaxed nature fell away, leaving frantic worry in it's place that perhaps he misread the situation. "Sorry, it's fine if you don't want to—"

"No, no I do! I was just a little surprised, is all."

Tobias grinned as he offered his arm again, smile turning almost smug as you accepted the gesture. "Well you better get used to it, then." He winked, chuckling at the flush spreading over your cheeks. "Because, permission granted, I don't intend on letting you disappear on me."

[treatpeoplewithkindness-s]

Larry Lyrics? I will be comparing other artists music in the future

Harry & Louis Solo career lyric parallels

-

H: (Falling) AND I’M WELL AWARE I WRITE TOO MANY SONGS ABOUT YOU

-

H: (Little Freak) Stay green a little while

     You bring blue lights to dreams

L: (High In California) Blue like the lights surrounding me

    It all seems so different when I'm around it

    See all these waves and waves of green

(literally Lou & H’s colors??? This one kills me lol)

-

H: (Fine Line) You’ve got my devotion,

     But man I can hate you sometimes

L: (Too Young) It’s hard to think you could ever hate me

-

H: (Meet Me In The Hallway) Just let me know I’ll be at the door, at the door

     Hoping you’ll come around

L: (Habit) I know you said that you’ll give me another chance,

    But you and I knew the truth of it in advance

    That mentally, you were already, out the door

-

H: (Falling) And I get the feeling that you’ll never need me again

L: (Habit) I’ll always need ya, in front of me

H: (Falling) What am I now? 

L: (Habit) You’re the habit that I can’t break

H: (Falling) What am I now?

L: (Habit) You’re the feeling I can’t put down

-

H: (Sweet Creature) Two hearts in one home

L: (Habit) Come so far from Princess Park

-

H: (From The Dining Table) Woke up alone in this hotel room

     Played with myself, where were you?

L: (Walls) Nothing wakes you up like waking up alone

H: (Falling) I'm in my bed

     And you're not here

L: (Headline) Sometimes, I wake up and I wish you were beside me

-

H: (Adore You) I get so lost inside your eyes

L: (Walls) I looked you in the eyes, saw that I was lost

-

H: (To Be So Lonely) And I'm just an arrogant son of a bitch who can't admit when he's sorry

H: (To Be So Lonely) Do you think it's easy

     Being of the jealous kind?

L: (Defenceless) No, you don't have to keep on being strong for me and you

    Acting like you feel no pain, you know, I know you do

    And I can't get inside when you're lost in your pride

    But you don't have a thing to prove

-

H: (Music For A Sushi Restaurant) (Just a little taste) Oh!

L: (Kill My Mind)I can ease the pain, just a little taste, babe

-

H: (To Be So Lonely) Don’t blame me for falling, 

     I was just a little boy

L: (Too Young) We were too young, to know we had everything

H: (Sweet Creature) But we're still young

     We don't know where we're going but we know where we belong

L: (We Made It) Don't know why they put all of this on us when we're so young

    Done a pretty good job dealing with it all

L: (Fearless) Tell me do you, do you still remember being young?

L: (Unreleased- All Along) Were young and I was so naive

But in my head, that's how it had to be

-

H: (Meet Me In The Hallway) Maybe we’ll work it out

L: (We Made It) We were only kids just tryna work it out

-

H: (Ever Since New York) I have been praying ever since New York

L: (Don’t Let It Break Your Heart) I know you, left a part of you, under your bed in a box

-

H: (Falling) And I can't take it back, I can't unpack the baggage you left

L: (Walls) And all that's left of us is a cupboard full of clothes

-

(I know this is a big chunk together, but they all match up in my opinion?)

H: (From The Dining Table) We haven't spoke since you went away

     Comfortable silence is so overrated

     Why won't you ever be the first one to break?

     Even my phone misses your call, by the way

L: (Miss You) Now I'm asking my friends, how to say "I'm sorry"

     They say "Lad, give it time, there's no need to worry"

     And we can't even be on the phone now

     And I can't even be with you alone now

     Oh how, shit changes

     We were in love, now we're strangers

L: (Miss You) I’ve been checking my phone all evening

H: (From The Dining Table)Maybe one day you’ll call me and tell me that you’re sorry too

L: (Too Young) I’m sorry that I hurt you darling

H: (Sign Of The Times) We don't talk enough

     We should open up

     Before it's all too much

     Will we ever learn?

     We've been here before

     It's just what we know

H: (Just A little Bit Of Your Heart) Cause I can’t find the words to say what I mean

L: (All This Time) I'm tryna find the words to say for ages

    Just have patience

H: (Sunflower Vol 6) And I don't wanna make you feel bad, but I've been trying hard not to talk to you

L: (Chicago) Has it been long enough that you can forgive me?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

One’s that are a bit of a stretch:

H: (Two Ghosts) Were not who we use to be 

     No were not who we use to be

L: (Saturdays) Nobody stays the same

    No matter how much you want it

    Some things change

-

H: (As It Was) You know it’s not the same as it was (Basically the whole sing, As It Was)

L: (Change) Everything's changed outside, sometimes I wonder why

L: (Change) Everything's changed outside, but I feel the same inside

L: (Change) You know the people have changed

    Oh, it's such a shame, nothing stays the same

-

H: (Canyon Moon) Staring at the ceiling

L: (Miss You) Staring at the stars on the ceiling

-

H: (Lights Up) Never coming back down

L: (We Made It) Never coming down with your hand in mine

-

H: (Little Freak)Your delicate point of view

L: (Perfect Now) I wish that you could see my point of view

-

H: (Treat People With Kindness) Given’ second chances

L: (Habit) I know you said that you’d give me another chance

-

H: (Meet Me In The Hallway) Gotta get better

L: (Don’t Let It Break Your Heart) You’re doing better

-

(Kitchen theme, I’ve seen this mentioned a lot so I wanted to add it)

H: a whole song called From the Dining Table

H: (Two Ghosts) The fridge light washes this room white

H: (Sunflower Vol 6) Kiss in the kitchen like it's a dance floor

H: (Sunflower Vol 6) Kids in the kitchen listen to dancehall

L: (Too Young) Face-to-face at the kitchen table

-

(Okay, this ones the biggest stretch, but I feel like they all correlate if you don’t look for exact word matches but the meaning of the lines)

H: (Canyon Moon) I’ll be gone too long from you

H: (Love Of My Life) Baby, you were the love of my life

     Maybe you don't know it's lost till you find it

H: (Unreleased- Hunger) And as one year turns into two, I’m still not over you, still not over you

L: (Too Young) It's been two years since I've seen your face

    Tryna find some better words to say

L: (That’s The Way Love Goes) I think she's moved on, mate, it's almost been a year

L: (That’s The Way Love Goes) Remember when you told me I should give it time?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calling people home or mentions of home:

H: (Carolina) So far away, but she says I remind her of home

     Feeling oh so far from home

H: (Sweet Creature) Two hearts in one home

H: (Sweet Creature) Wherever I go, you bring me home

     Sweet creature, sweet creature

     When I run out of road, you bring me home

H: (To Be So Lonely) It’s hard for me to go home

H: (Canyon Moon) Two weeks and I'll be home

L: (Always You) Walked through my door, but it felt nothing like home

    'Cause you're not home

L: (All This Time) But the truth is, I still doubt the work

    I do can get me home

H: (unreleased - Already Home) from a beating heart to the farthest place you're already home

you don't have to go cause you're already home

Together we're alone, Both of us agreeing no one needs to know, That you're already home

Please let me know if y'all see any others that I missed or if you disagree. Thanks!

[andypartridges]

Hello! im really really sorry to bother you! i dont mean to i just love the content you put out especially your xtc content!! you are truly doing gods work thank you so much!! i was just messaging to ask if you could write out what your English settlement zine says? I'm sorry some words i cant make out its okay if you cant or rather not! again super sorry for bothering you

omg hi yes anon of course i can !!! if i can improve accessibility then it's no bother to me at all. it's probably too long to transcribe all of it in this ask so i'll transcribe part 2 here.

i apologise in advance for any grammar issues or just general clunkiness with the writing - i just wrote everything down in the zine without any preplanning and just sort of brain dumped my thoughts onto the page :-)

transcript below the cut !

no need to look back at pictures of lost From the haunting opening notes of 'Runaways', it's evident that XTC's fifth studio album was telling a story with a darker tone. Now, in 2022, we mark the 40th anniversary since the release of 1982's English Settlement, a double LP that would not only become the band's highest charting album in the UK, but the favourite album for many XTC fans around the world. It's a commentary on many things: the ideals versus the reality of Britain, Thatcherism, loss, and at times, a cry for help. It was the band's first album to break the self imposed rule that all songs must be able to be replicated live, and as such, you can hear a sense of 'vastness' - a sense of colour in the music. It's XTC like never before.

England's Glory: a musical portrait of early 80s britain Britain in the late 70s became a country under the leadership of Conservative PM Margaret Thatcher. While she irrevocably fucked up the UK in many ways, one prime example was contributing to the rampant xenophobia that was only on the rise with her comments such as being 'swamped' by (nonwhite) immigrants. Comments such as these only fuelled the activities of far right groups such as the National Front, the organisation that our main character Graham joins in 'No Thugs In Our House'. Both this song and 'Knuckle Down' are a snapshot of 80s Britain: the former depicts the insidious nature of racism and the latter, a call to end such ways of thinking. Graham is an example of how groups like the NF target the impressionable with lies and imbue them with hatred. With no parental figures to rein him in, this bigotry only festers. It's an ugly side of England, but one that still exists and is very much real. We talk about the glory of this country, but these songs point out that for some, much glory is founded in the suffering of others.

Save Us From The Ball And Chain: a musical portrait of early 80s britain (pt. 2) In addition to the negative impacts Thatcher brought upon Britain, her economic policies have also gone down in infamy, namely the millions put out of work as a result. Yet, the most infamous was the Miners' Strike of 1984-85, a bitter battle between Thatcher and trade unions. Miners and their families relied on handouts, receiving no state benefits at all. The landscape of the events, combined with Thatcher's belief that people were unemployed because they simply didn't work hard enough, is brutally reflected in the English Settlement track 'Leisure'. The economic tensions and anxieties surrounding employment reverberate through the song - most notably in Andy's cries of "leiiii-LEISURE!" and the shrieking, discordant alto sax solo at the song's climax. The other clear response to Thatcherism on this album is the record's second track, 'Ball and Chain'. A song protesting the destruction of the Swindon town centre, it was, according to Colin, a statement about "when eldermans in council chambers were getting outrageously fatter on inner city clearances". In other words, textbook Tories.

It's More A Way You Have To Give: English Settlement on Love XTC have never shied away from writing love songs; in fact, they've written some of my favourite, if not all time favourite love songs. But English Settlement isn't really an album about love in the way that, say, Wasp Star is. In my opinion, there are only 2 songs about the subject of love on English Settlement, and only one of them is really a 'love song'. That song, 'Snowman', isn't even a happy love song - it's about a loveless relationship, one where the narrator feels spurned by his girlfriend's coldness. It's a song about the painful elements of love, about rejection and hurt. In fact, it contains one of my favourite XTC lyrics: "people will always be tempted to wipe their feet on anything with 'welcome' written on it". It's just such a clever yet straightforward way of conveying the sentiment of being used, or being treated like you have no worth. Again, English Settlement isn't really an album about love at all, let alone an album that is sonically very joyful or celebratory - it is by far and away the opposite of that.

The other song I would argue is about love to an extent is 'All of a Sudden (It's Too Late)', a far more abstract composition - at least, lyrically - in comparison to 'Snowman', but a song that quite clearly touches upon the sentiment that we need love to survive and that we must realise this before there's nothing left to love and nothing left to give us love: "what can I say? why do we starve a thing that's near extinction? from day to day these weeds of fear are choking our conviction". Personally, I think it touches upon the idea that being sincere in regards to our emotions is always difficult - we're scared of making others feel uncomfortable, of being vulnerable and/or having that vulnerability exploited. So we hide our true feelings away, deep down inside of us - and then before we know it, the chance for honesty and truth is gone. The song is a reminder: tell someone you love them while you still can.

[ironfuryoffical]

Dear Tarja,

It's time to choose whether the story of Nightwish ends here or whether it will still continue an undetermined period of time. We've been working with this creation for nine years and we are not ready to give up yet. Nightwish is a way of life, something to live for, and we're certain we can't let it go.

Equally certain is the fact that we cannot go on with you and Marcelo any longer. During the last year something sad happened, which I've been going over in my head every single day, morning and night. Your attitude and behavior don't go with Nightwish anymore. There are characteristics I would never have believed to see in my old dear friend. People who don't talk with each other for a year do not belong in the same band.

We are involved in an industry where the business-side of things is a necessary evil and something to worry about all the time. We are also a band which has always done music from the heart, because of friendship and the music itself. The mental satisfaction should always be more important than money! Nightwish is a band, it's an emotion. To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with those emotions have become much more important. You feel that you have sacrificed yourself and your musical career for Nightwish, rather than thinking what it has given to you. This attitude was clearly shown to me in the two things you said to me in an airplane in Toronto: ”I don't need Nightwish anymore.” and ”Remember, Tuomas, that I could leave this band at any time, giving you only one day's warning in advance”. I can't simply write any more songs for you to sing.

You have said yourself that you are merely a ”guest musician” in Nightwish. Now that visit ends and we will continue Nightwish with a new female vocalist. We're sure this is an equally big relief to you as it is for us. We have all been feeling bad long enough.

You told us that no matter what, the next Nightwish album will be your last one. However, the rest of us want to continue as long as the fire burns. So there's no sense in doing that next album with you, either. The four of us have been going over this situation countless times and we have realized that this is the thing we want to do in life. It's all we can do. In December 2004, in Germany, you said that you will never tour again for more than two weeks at a time. You also said that we can forget about U.S. and Australia because the fees and the sizes of venues are too small.

In interviews I've mentioned that if Tarja leaves, that would be the end of the band. I understand that people will think this way. Nightwish is, however, a scenery of my soul and I'm not ready to let go because of one person. A person who wants to focus her creativity to somewhere else, a person whose values don't match mine.

We were never bothered by the fact that you didn't participate in writing/arranging songs, you never in 9 years came to rehearse the songs with us before going to the studio. Not the fact that while on tour you always wanted to fly, separately from us with your husband. Not the fact that you are an undisputable front image of the band. We accepted and felt ok about everything except greed, underestimating the fans, and breaking promises. It was agreed by the five of us that Nightwish would be the priority in everything that we do during 2004-2005. Still so many things were more important to you. The ultimate example being the already sold-out show in Oslo, which you wanted to cancel because you needed to rehearse for your solo concerts, meet friends and go to the movies. Those were the words Marcelo used in an e-mail explaining the cancellation. This being just one example of so many. I couldn't think of a worse way of being selfish and dismissing our fans.

Nightwish is a way of life and a job with many obligations. To each other and to the fans. With you we can't take care of those duties anymore.

Deep within we don't know which one of you drove us to this point. Somehow Marcelo has changed you from the lovely girl you were into a diva, who doesn't think or act the way she used to. You are too sure of your irreplaceableness and status.

It's obvious that you blame your stress and misery on us four. And you think we don't respect or listen to you. Believe us; We have always had the uppermost respect towards you as a wonderful vocalist and as a friend. And very often during the past couple of years the plans were made according to your decisions only. You were always the only one who wanted more money from the shows. This ”compensation and more money from everything” –attitude is the fact that we are most disappointed of!

We wish that from now on you will listen to your heart instead of Marcelo. Cultural differences combined with greed, opportunism and love is a dangerous combination. Do not wither yourself.

This decision is not something we are especially proud of but you gave us no choice. The gap between us is too wide. And the decision is made by us four unanimously. We are beyond the point where things could be settled by talking.

All the best for your life and career,

Tuomas Holopainen

Emppu Vuorinen, Jukka Nevalainen, Marco Hietala

Ps. This is an open letter for everybody.

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

Hola Sea

I have been thinking about HABIT - DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE THINK IT IS ABOUT H 😂! It is about Louis alone.

I always said that I'd mess up eventually/I told you that, so what did you expect from me?/It shouldn't come as no surprise anymore/I know you said that you'd give me another chance/But you and I knew the truth of it in advance/That mentally you were already out the door!

From my perspective - it is about his journey and evolution of his career and relationship with music. Louis writes in this song that his younger self (HABIT) his younger self is the habit he can't break- would mess up (you know what I mean )! Mentally "you" - his solo career was out of the door - X-factor and other delay in his solo career! Another chance - he was telling himself to give himself another chance/ or also his management (I guess ).

First verse Speaks so much about him being a very self aware person. In first verse itself.

You're the habit that I can't break

You're the feeling I can't put down

You're the shiver that I can't shake

You're the habit that I can't break

You're the high that I need right now

You're the habit that I can't break (he doesn't love anything as much as his loves making MUSIC)

I took some time 'cause I've ran out of energy

Of playing someone I heard I'm supposed to be(People didn't believe in him or maybe he thought the same about himself)

But honestly, I don't have to choose anymore(free to make his own stuff)

And it's been ages, different stages

Come so far from Princess Park(where his journey began)

I'll always need ya (His music and his fans he will always need us )

In front of me, in front of me (fans and his music)

You gave me the time and the space(his younger self was much more free and happier so conversation between his younger self and current self)

I was out of control and I'm sorry, I let you down (he made mistakes so he is ACCEPTING THAT HE LET HIMSELF DOWN)

Guess that I know what I already knew

I was better with you, and I miss you now (maybe he misses old authentic self and that was the price he paid to be what he is now and Miss You Now - these lyrics are for a 20 year old louis who smiled a lot more. Was better with 19 yr old louis and now he misses his younger self)!! Went for a walk today heard this song I can't believe how succinct Louis lyrics are and yet very layered and relatable!!! 🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌 Damn! Habit ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ! Addictive. What do you think Sea ?

I think throughout Walls, the songs have layered and multiple meanings, but the unifying theme is how to trying to continue in the music industry and stay authentic to himself. Habit is a lovely, honest, vulnerable song.

[hannieehaee]

NO SONG WITHOUT YOU (teaser)

18+ / mdi

summary: with zero experience or interest in the romantic aspect of his life, jihoon finds himself in an unexpected situation when his company decides on a collab between the two of you, not expecting the work-addicted producer to develop a bit of a crush on you.

content: idol!jihoon x idol!reader, afab reader, pining, jihoon's emotionally constipated, jihoon's pov, some angst, misunderstandings, kinda inexperienced jihoon, smut, dry humping, oral (m receiving), penetrative sex, etc.

(^ no actual content warnings in the teaser)

wc: 782 in this teaser; 10k+ in the final ver

release date: 12/7/23

update: FULL FIC HERE

a/n: so happy to have finally written a long fic for jihoon!! he's one of my biases so i had a lot of fun writing him :D hope u guys enjoy the final product <3

masterlist

Jihoon was tired.

Beyond tired, actually. He couldn't remember the last time he'd left his studio at a reasonable time. He knew people on twitter made jokes about him being a bit of a hermit, with fans being able to spot his studio from outside the building, lights always on and indicating the producer was still inside.

He didn't have much of a valid excuse for this, other than being a 'workaholic', or at least that's the term Joshua had recently introduced him to, describing him as the prime example. Jihoon just couldn't help himself. He'd been like this ever since he could remember. If he had an idea, he had to work on it. And unfortunately for him, he was always full of new ideas. If Seventeen was releasing an album, that meant Jihoon already had enough material to fill up the next three albums backed up in a file somewhere in his computer.

Despite always having music prepared months in advance, - even having solo music up for grabs for whichever member desired it - he still found himself constantly working. It's not like anyone demanded this out of him either. It was quite the opposite, actually. From staff, to other producers, to members and even family, everyone always insisted that he took a break, maybe leave producing aside for a month or two. This was inconceivable to him, it was something that was simply out of his comfort zone.

The truth was, Jihoon felt lost. Any time he strayed away from work in some way or other, he didn't know what to do with himself. He felt like a failure in many other aspects of his life. Granted, he was a successful idol and producer, talented in every area necessary in his field, but past that, what did he really have to offer? He'd been stuck in a rut for a few years now. He had his members, his family, maybe some staff, but his social life didn't go much past that. He didn't have many hobbies outside of work either. Sure, he was avid when exercising, even being an overachiever in that area, but that was also kind of part of his job. He knew he needed to step out of his comfort zone at some point and live his life, but he kept making excuses for himself. He was 26 now, and was, quite frankly, beginning to lose hope in certain areas of his life due to his career - although blaming his career was just an excuse, really - the romantic aspect of his life being one of them.

Jihoon had some experience, okay? It wasn't like he'd never liked a girl before. He'd had a few crushes in elementary, maybe even some up until high school. He'd kissed one of the female trainees back when Pledis was a smaller company (okay, it might've been on a dare, but to Jihoon it counted). A few years after debuting he'd even gone on a few dates with a former staff member from his company. He'd lost his virginity to that same girl, kind of rushing into it due to feeling pressured to just get it over with - something he didn't exactly regret, but wished had been more of a memorable moment. The point was, Jihoon had had a few romantic experiences in his past 26 years on this earth. But, he hadn't ever even gotten close to find that one great love he'd hoped he one day would. For someone who received constant accolades for his lyricism, he was never really able to relate to his own music. He'd never been heartbroken, never had an insane need for someone, never felt romantic love, never been in the throes of passion with a beautiful girl, even. It was all his imagination. His lyrics, that is. And maybe the rest, if he was being honest. He'd dreamt about it lately; the perfect girl who he'd find and sweep off her feet. But that was all it was, a dream.

So, Jihoon was tired. Tired of hauling himself up in his studio to make himself feel something. But that was where he now found himself; stuck and in a rut, hoping for something more.

[carlsenmurphy78]

Taking The Fear Out Of Solo Travel

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[best-online-courses]

The Definitive Guide to the Best Way to Learn Coding for Beginners

Embarking on the journey to learn coding can be both exhilarating and overwhelming, especially for beginners entering the dynamic world of programming languages and algorithms. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the best way for beginners to learn coding, emphasizing the transformative role of online web development course in shaping a structured and rewarding learning experience.

1. Understanding Your Motivation: The First Code You Write is Your Why

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[ayeon0307]

13th August (Sun)

Description

Week4 was the last research phase before entering the direct ideation part. First of all, I considered research questions as the 'outsiders', not as a 'project designer' while working on the project.

Education Efficacy

Cultural Practices

In particular, I investigated who is the main target of the food safety education courses in New Zealand and what kind of education is being conducted. As a result of the research, education was generally conducted for people in the food industry, and most of them were digital or articles. In addition, most of New Zealand's current food safety education tools for 'teachers' in the school curriculum and the proportion of kits seen and learned indirectly through posters and videos rather than direct education toolkits.

I analyzed the situation in depth using the toolkit based on the research. The name of the toolkit used is 'find issues, uncover needs', In the Collective action toolkit, a group of people write the different approaches to the problem and discuss it together. However, since I am working on a solo project, I investigated the problem by setting four personas and setting and writing down scenarios.

I created four scenarios in which four hypothetical people of different gender, ages, language, etc., could experience food safety difficulties or problems.

Finally, at the end of the week, I used the toolkit 'we saw, we head' to select the three most interesting pieces of information from the research and write down ideas on how to develop them.

Reflection

I've done various research, but I still think it's not enough to organize ideation. I will read more diverse articles and expand my research boundaries through direct experience. However, the current project progress requires initiating ideation, so I will accompany insufficient research as we begin constructing ideas.

Also, I think it is useful because I was able to get new information thanks to the use of the toolkit. However, since the collective action toolkit is the best toolkit for group projects, it was regrettable that the contents of the toolkit had to be modified for personal projects.

Evaluation

Project process 3/5 - I found that many students are currently in the ideation phase. I will recheck my timeline and plan a detailed schedule to complete within the time limitation.

Time management 2/5 - The extended break after the DES301 presentation led to a large amount of project processes over the weekend. From Week 5, I will make a detailed progress plan in advance on the previous weekend and proceed with the project through appropriate distribution.

Project result 5/5 - After Week 1 and 2, I already did research, but I got new information and various related information by using new tools.

Next Plan

Starting Ideation brainstorming and sketches for Week 5

Design 302 presentation preparation

Reference

David Sherwin. (2023). frog's Collective Action Toolkit. DAVID SHERWIN. https://www.davidsherwin.com/collective-action-toolkit

[ladyrolli]

Toggl pomo timer

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Whether you need to track your work, time online and offline activities or just need a simple stopwatch from time to time, add Toggl Track extension to your browser and see the benefits for yourself. Toggl Track is the ultimate simple online timer. You can use Toggl Track on the web, on desktop or on your mobile – all your data gets synced in real time. It allows users to track the time spent on various projects and analyze productivity. Toggl Track is the leading online time management tool for teams and solo users. If you have any problems or feedback regarding Toggl Track extension, write to us at Track extension is open source and we welcome all your contributions, check out our Github repo. Toggl Track extension also has advanced features like:įor more information on how Toggl Track extension works take a look at and enjoy seamless time tracking in your browser. Tracking your time will help boost productivity in no time Start timer inside one of the supported web tools and the task’s name and project will be added to your Toggl Track time entry.Ħ. You will quickly start noticing the Toggl Track extension in your favorite productivity toolsĥ. Under settings give the extension permissions to inject itself into the services you desireĤ. Log in to Toggl Track from the extension menu or from (tab can be closed)ģ. To see a list of all the supported tools please visit or Ģ. If you were looking for Toggl Button, you're in the right place -> we've just rebranded as Toggl Track, but the functionality of the extension remains the same (and we also switched colors a bit as well). Toggl Track timer can now also fill your Pomodoro needs through automated reminders. It’s fantastic.Puts a timer into any web tool and allows quick real time productivity tracking with all the data stored on your Toggl account Whether you use Trello, Slack, Asana, Todoist, Jira, Notion or one of the 100+ integrated tools, start tracking time without opening a new tab. It’s so useful for me and just makes starting and stopping my timers just so simple. On the menu bar item: “I absolutely love it.

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“There’s a lot to say about Timery this year.” “The big thing is that it is on the Mac which is fan-freaking-tastic.” Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break, (1530 minutes). “It means I can build shortcuts on my own again without needing to try and work out how the API works.” Start the Pomodoro timer Work until the Pomodoro rings Take a short break (3-5 minutes) Keep on working, Pomodoro after Pomodoro, until the task at hand is finished. On Timery’s Shortcuts support: “It’s just a million times easier than it used to be trying to put together URL schemes. And it’s really just a masterclass in long-term app development.” “It really is just absolutely fantastic, and it really feels like an application that’s so well made for the task that it performs. But this application-the amount of work that is put into this and new features is truly astounding.” I get such great use out of it, so it’s personal to me. “All the Timery widgets that deal with presenting reports about tracked time are one of the best implementations of parameters you can find on the App Store at the moment.” Timery is the leading example of the freedom granted by multiple widget types and sizes, and developer Joe Hribar has done a terrific job in going all-in with WidgetKit.” “Timery’s widgets are some of my absolute favorites for iOS 14, and I’m using several variations of them on my Home Screens. Joe Hribar knows that there’s lots more to effective time tracking that starting and stopping timers, and Timery’s users are the beneficiaries.” “Timery is a fantastic example of an app built with care, attention to detail, and an understanding of its users. “With saved timers, easy access to recent timers, a Today widget, and Siri shortcuts, Timery makes starting and stopping timers second nature.” The app has been on my Home screen for months now and gets a workout seven days a week.” “…for flexible, frictionless time tracking, you can’t beat Timery.

[greysauctions]

Toggl pomo timer

#Toggl pomo timer Offline

#Toggl pomo timer Offline

Whether you need to track your work, time online and offline activities or just need a simple stopwatch from time to time, add Toggl Track extension to your browser and see the benefits for yourself. Toggl Track is the ultimate simple online timer. You can use Toggl Track on the web, on desktop or on your mobile – all your data gets synced in real time. It allows users to track the time spent on various projects and analyze productivity. Toggl Track is the leading online time management tool for teams and solo users. If you have any problems or feedback regarding Toggl Track extension, write to us at Track extension is open source and we welcome all your contributions, check out our Github repo. Toggl Track extension also has advanced features like:įor more information on how Toggl Track extension works take a look at and enjoy seamless time tracking in your browser. Tracking your time will help boost productivity in no time Start timer inside one of the supported web tools and the task’s name and project will be added to your Toggl Track time entry.Ħ. You will quickly start noticing the Toggl Track extension in your favorite productivity toolsĥ. Under settings give the extension permissions to inject itself into the services you desireĤ. Log in to Toggl Track from the extension menu or from (tab can be closed)ģ. To see a list of all the supported tools please visit or Ģ. If you were looking for Toggl Button, you're in the right place -> we've just rebranded as Toggl Track, but the functionality of the extension remains the same (and we also switched colors a bit as well). Toggl Track timer can now also fill your Pomodoro needs through automated reminders. Whether you need to track your work, time online and offline activities or just need a simple stopwatch from time to time, add Toggl Track extension to your browser and see the benefits for yourself.Puts a timer into any web tool and allows quick real time productivity tracking with all the data stored on your Toggl account Whether you use Trello, Slack, Asana, Todoist, Jira, Notion or one of the 100+ integrated tools, start tracking time without opening a new tab. Each interval is known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for 'tomato', after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. You will quickly start noticing the Toggl Track extension in your favorite productivity toolsĥ. The Pomodoro Technique is created by Francesco Cirillo for a more productive way to work and study. Puts a timer into any web tool and allows quick real time productivity tracking with all the data stored on your Toggl account Whether you use Trello, Slack, Asana, Todoist, Jira, Notion or one of the 100+ integrated tools, start tracking time without opening a new tab.