#Physical Chemistry Assignment Help

[cinnamorollcrybaby]

Miss ma’am, hi hello how are you?

I am presenting myself here, very very humbly to ask if we could please get another part of your Nerd Nanami fic?🥹🥹 please please puhleaseeeeeeeee

That was an actual masterpiece, I had to read it very slowly and savour it, making sure to process every single sentence of that fic. You’re so talented it makes me cry

Please offer us more Nanami, pleaseeeeeee

Giving the nerd a chance… part two

Tags: nerd!Nanami x fem!Reader, college au, smut with plot, nsfw, cunnilingus, unprotected sex, size kink, breeding kink, dom!nanami, sub!reader, marathon sex, exhibitionism if you squint real hard, mdni

Synopsis: Your nerdy boyfriend is so prim and proper in real life, but he has big dick energy over text.

An: 4K Follower Special! I got over 20 requests for a part two of this fic. At this time, it is my best performing fic on tumblr, and I fear… I may have peaked with it. I never EVER intended on writing a second part because I was sure that I couldn’t ever follow that fic up with something as good, but this sweet anon request warmed my heart so much that I decided to give the people what they’re asking for. This one’s going to be a long one… pace yourself because there will NOT be a third part… right?

Nanami’s a stoic lover. He doesn’t keep you hidden, but he doesn’t outwardly drag attention towards your relationship. Too much attention meant drama, and Nanami hates drama.

Nanami asked you to be his girlfriend a few weeks after the first time you two slept together. Of course, everyone in his friend group saw it coming long before you two had even hooked up.

They saw the longing gazes between you two when you pined for each other. They saw the cheeky glances once you two finally started texting. They noticed how their dear friend smiled more — was more laid back and relaxed.

Everyone welcomed you into their small found family with open arms. They simply couldn’t have picked anyone better to balance out Nanami’s far too strict nature.

Things with Nanami were absolutely a dream. You two had great chemistry emotionally and physically. Of course, he just made things so easy for you.

While he is a stoic lover, you never ever feel unloved by him. He’s always there to reassure you with words of affirmation or small touches that just remind you that he’s there.

Like when you two are at one of Satoru’s “exclusive” gatherings, if you’re not in Nanami’s lap, then he’s got his hand on you somewhere. Sometimes he gets so bored during those little get togethers that he spends his time leisurely pressing kisses into your cheek and neck. He never quite understood Satoru’s and Suguru’s affinity with public displays of affection until he met you.

Or there's those times when you need a little extra help with your studies. Kento is right behind you, with you on his lap, his cock is snuggly being squeezed by your warm leaking cunt. He presses small chaste kisses against your temple and ear while you try your hardest to focus on the homework.

"Do you remember this one, sweetheart? We went over it in class yesterday... Aw, don't go all stupid on me now."

When you get an answer right, he'll reward you with small, shallow thrusts, but you have to finish the whole assignment to get him to really fuck you.

Or if you two are walking together in the halls, Nanami holds his arm out for you, letting you latch onto him so he can guide you two through the crowd of people. He knows how you are in crowded areas, so he's keen on not letting anyone get too close to you.

Nanami’s a true gentleman too. His parents made sure they raised nothing less than a perfect man. You’ve never had to touch a door handle, any of your own money, or bags when you two go shopping. Nanami handles all of that for you. He doesn’t let you walk on the outside when you two are on the sidewalk. He’s respectful of you and your time, and he always listens to everything you have to say with his full attention because you deserve nothing less.

Nanami’s parents truly did their best work with him, and speaking of his parents, Nanami’s the type that wants to take you back home to meet them.

It was nearly fall break as you were sitting in your experimental research class — your final class before you’re free from the hell hole of academics for a full week.

You glance down at your phone as it buzzes in your lap. You and Nanami had been planning a trip out to his family’s home in Hakone for a little bit now, and the closer that time gets to you two leaving, the more stressed out Nanami feels.

Nanami: We’ll probably leave out early tomorrow morning and catch the first train. Will you be okay with that?

Yn: Mhm. That sounds fine, Ken.

Nanami: After class, I need to inform you a little bit more about my parents… I just don’t want you to feel shocked or surprised when you meet them.

Yn: I’m not sure why I’d be shocked or surprised, but I’m excited to hear more.

Nanami: Don’t get too excited.

You stare at his message for a bit, pondering what he could’ve meant by that. He hadn’t ever spoke poorly of his parents, but he didn’t necessarily praise them either. Actually… he never spoke of them.

*** *** ***

For the rest of the class, you wondered just what you were getting yourself into by going and meeting them. Maybe you two were moving too fast or..

“Sweetheart.” His steady voice broke your trance. He’s crouched down next to your desk to be eye-level with you, and the palms of his hand is gently caressing your cheek. “There you are. Spaced out on me.”

The entire classroom is empty. Class must’ve ended a minute ago because not even the professor is in the room now. You must’ve been deep in your own head.

You let force out an awkward laugh before nuzzling your cheek further into his palm, seeking out his affections as comfort from the insecure thoughts that somehow always manage to find a way in.

“I was just.. thinkin’ about your parents is all..” You finally give him some sort of explanation, and Nanami softens a bit.

“It’s just a weekend, my love. Then, I’ll make it up to you.” His words are a promise. You know for a fact Nanami doesn’t say things that he doesn’t mean.

“I think that was the part where you were supposed to reassure me that they’ll like me-“

Nanami pulls you forward and presses a soft kiss to your forehead. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll still love you regardless.”

Gods, his words are so sweet, but they cut deep like daggers.

“They’re… not going to like me..?” You mumble in a tone that makes Nanami’s heart sink. He takes your hands into his as he gets on his knee to better talk to you while you’re seated.

“My parents are… very traditional.” He carefully explains, and his hazel eyes search yours for a reaction before he reluctantly continues. “They want me to marry a girl from a specific family-“

“An arranged marriage!?” You blurt out — unable to control your emotions as it feels like your heart is trying to force its way up your throat.

“Something like that - but not exactly. It’s not arranged, but it’s definitely heavily pushed.” He tries to keep his tone steady, but seeing you so upset like this has him feeling raw with emotion as well.

“So, no, they will not be happy to know that I’m going against their wishes, but they’ll come around eventually.” His eyes focus on yours, and he gently tucks a strand of hair behind your ear.

“… and if they don’t?” A small sniffle escapes you before you can stop it. The thought of Nanami being with anyone else has your head spinning. There’s another girl out there who might be expecting for him to take her hand in marriage.

“Hey... look at me.” He coaxes softly as his hand guides your face to look him in the eyes. “I couldn’t give less of a fuck. I’m doing this as a courtesy for them — not because I need their approval.”

Chills shoot up your spine from his words. Nanami rarely cusses, but when he does, it’s enough to even make Satoru blush when he hears it.

Your worry instantly flees your body when Nanami’s lips press against yours to seal the deal. This was just a visit to his parents. Nothing more. Nothing less.

“I’m still gonna love you…” He mumbles his words against your lips before seeking out more of your honeyed kisses. “…still gonna marry you one day…” His deep voice groans a little as he gently suckles on your bottom lip. “…still gonna fuck you senseless every night.”

“Ken..” A breathy whine; a whimper; a plea.

“Because you need it every night, don’t you?” His lips are still chasing yours with an insatiable hunger. It just wasn’t enough. If the next class wasn’t coming in the next 10 minutes, he’d take you right here on your desk, but he doesn’t fancy the idea of anyone else’s eyes accidentally falling upon your ethereal body.

“Mhm… need it.” You murmur against his lips quietly in agreement.

Nanami suddenly pulls away, and he reaches out, wrapping his hand around your wrist. “Come on before I fuck you right here.” He threatens and picks your bag up off the floor for you.

*** *** ***

A gasp flees you as Nanami pushes your back against his bed. His lips are immediately assaulting your neck: suckling soft red marks into your skin and nipping at you gently.

He loves to see the aftermath of his love on you, but he has to be careful this time. Can’t have you going to meet his parents with hickeys all over your neck, can you?

“Mmm~ What about Haibara?” You ask now before you find yourself too hypnotized by his affections.

“He has a class right now.” Nanami answers before his hand trails up your thighs towards your already damp panties. He has had this on his mind all day since he saw you in that cute little skirt you’re wearing.

“Already so wet.” He groans into your neck before biting at your shoulder. The pads of his fingers tease your sensitive clit through the cloth of your cotton panties. “Fuck. You’re so good to me.”

Nanami drops to his knees on the edge of the bed, and his strong arms pull you by your legs to where you’re situated at the edge for him to eat you out to his heart’s desire.

He doesn’t even remove your panties before he leans in and presses a sloppy kiss to your cunt. He can already taste you through the fabric, and he needs more.

His fingers hook in the waistband of your panties, and he tugs them down your legs, carefully placing them on his bedside table. If he can swing it, he’ll definitely hide them from you and claim that you lose them — just so he can keep them for when you’re not around.

He’s not a pervert!! Well… he loves jerking off into his girlfriend’s panties when he’s too needy at night… Feeling the wet fabric that was pressed so unceremoniously against your heavenly cunt is more than enough to get him off quickly. It would be ungentlemanly to wake you up at your dorm for such a scandalous adventure. At least he washes and returns them to you promptly after using them a couple of times.

As soon as your panties are safely discarded, Nanami has his face right back between your legs. He uses his hands to prop your legs up on his shoulder, and he just.. absolutely begins to devour you.

“Ngh.. oh fuck— wait Ken.. I wan..” You can barely get your words out right while his tongue is lapping at your slippery folds.

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to interrupt someone during a meal?” His hazel eyes look up at you with such a serious look — you feel like you’re being scolded.

Your face flushes a bright red before you relax back into his bed — accepting your fate. Kento smiles to himself, knowing that it doesn’t take much to pacify you. You’re too much of a good girl for him.

“Mmm~ that’s right. Just lay back and take what I give you, pretty girl.” He hums in satisfaction as his tongue connects with your cunt once more.

He licks up all the sticky wetness that you so graciously leak for him. He’s so messy with it, practically french kissing with your cunt. Your juices are smeared across his chin from him hopelessly lapping at you. His tongue writes love letters to you against your clit, making your body shiver with pleasure and excitement.

One of your hands is clasping at the sheets, and the other hand is entangled in Kento’s blonde hair, giving him small tugs as he gives you the best head of your life.

Your thighs unconsciously press together, trying to run from the weird sensations that his mouth gives to you. Your boyfriend grunts in dissatisfaction — not enjoying the sudden disobedience from you.

His hand press against each of your knees, and he forces your legs back open — spreading you wiiiide open for him.

“You want me to fuck you, don’t you?” He asks while looking up at you through his lashes.

“Please — please~” You whine. Your hips involuntarily buck up, trying to get any sort of friction.

“Then be good, and sit still.” Nanami orders, and his hand ever so carefully swats at your sensitive cunt — sending shockwaves of electrifying pleasure through your nerve endings.

“‘m sorry.. ‘m sorry.. please.” You’re so whiny and desperate to be stretching by him. It’s honestly so pathetic that he pities you.

“My poor sweet girl.” He chuckles lowly before pressing a more gentle kiss against your clit. His tongue carefully dips into your wet heat. “Tastes too sweet for your own good. How am I supposed to stop enjoying you, huh?”

A glob of spit rolls down your cunt from Nanami’s mouth, and he uses his own two fingers to spread it around, softly toying with your glistening pussy. A smirk curls on his lips as he watches the way your entrance flutters — so enticed by the potential of being filled by him.

You quietly stifle a squeal as he stuffs you with two of his thick fingers. “So reactive, baby.” He murmurs as his tongue darts back out to gently lap and flick at your clit.

“Ken.. fuck, fuck-! Mmmph..” Your hips start to roll against his fingers, trying to force them inside you. Your boyfriend obliges your silent request, and he pushes his fingers in deeper, curling upwards to that spot he knows will make you cry out his name…

“Nanami-!” There it is. His fingers begin to roughly pump in and out, abusing your sensitive g-spot over and over again.

“Better be a good girl and tell me you love me.” He mutters lowly into your cunt. He knows he doesn’t have to tell you anymore — you’re already conditioned to tell him you love him when you cum. Even if he’s not the one making you finish, you’ll text him a quick “I love you” as you clench around your own fingers to the thought of him.

Your hips roll harder, and your moans are way more throaty — interrupted by small gasps for air. He can tell that you’re getting close. His mouth gently begins to suckle on the small bundle of nerves, and he focuses his tongue on swirling circles around your clit.

It’s all so much. It feels like Nanami is literally playing you like an instrument. He knows exactly what to do to make you a whiny trembling mess.

His fat fingers are pummeling into you, slamming into your sweet spot — making overstimulated tears well up in your eyes. “Sh-shit.. gonna cum.. Nanami… ah~ more..” You’re babbling utter nonsense while trying to find your orgasm.

Your stomach starts to clench, and it almost feels uncomfortable. Your breath stutters as Nanami murmurs into your pussy. “Let go for me, darling. Let it alllll out.” He encourages you as if his fingers and tongue aren’t absolutely tag teaming you.

“Ah~ Mmph… I.. fuck- I love you-!” You moan as you finally feel your orgasm suddenly break. Your tight walls clench around Nanami’s fingers, and fluids from your arousal gush out, making a big mess on his face and clothes.

Nanami quietly chuckles as he comes to realization that you just squirted on him. “Oh? That’s how you feel, huh?” He mocks playfully before pressing one last french kiss against your cunt. “I love you more darling.”

For a moment, you don’t know if it’s more directed towards you or your pussy.

*** *** ***

The early morning train ride was spent with your head cozied into Nanami’s shoulder as he had a protective arm around you. The scenery outside was beautiful. Hakone is known for their breathtaking sights of Mount Fiji. Too bad your eyelids were so heavy from getting up so early.

Nanami takes the silence as a time to reflect. He truly can’t remember a time when he was nervous like this. It was as if that emotion left him when he was a teenage boy. His family’s harsh regime for raising him left no room for shy or nervous behavior. Men were strong, confident, sophisticated. They exuded chivalry in everything they do.

Honestly, he’s glad that he was raised the way he was. Every time he bears witness to Gojo’s crude behavior, he can only think of how happy he is to have had a strict childhood.

But right now, he wishes he wasn’t so nervous. His heart is pounding in his chest, and he’s silently praying that you can’t hear it. Even though he didn’t care what his parents thought of you, he didn’t fancy the idea of seeing you torn down by his parents. Hopefully, they’ll have enough class to take up the issues with him — not you.

*** *** ***

Nanami’s parent’s house had a very traditional vibe to it, and it was easily twice as big as the house you grew up in. It was beautifully decorated, and the lawn was obviously meticulously cared for. It makes sense that Nanami grew up here.

“Just one weekend. Then, we’ll be back to normal.” Nanami murmurs softly into your ear. Though, he doesn’t know if he’s reassuring you or himself at this point. He takes a deep breath before knocking on the door with a heavy fist.

“Oh, Kennn.” His mother immediately ran up to Nanami and gave him a big hug after answering the door, which he returned back to her.

“It’s good to see you, mom.” He responds heartily before he holds out his hand to his dad.

“Look at you. Our son has grown up on us.” His dad gives a sweet smile while gently nudging his mom with his elbow.

“Don’t remind me!” His mom practically wails with her arms still wrapped around Nanami, and you’re awkwardly on standby.

Nanami finally puts his hands on his mom’s shoulders, and he forces her to take a step back. “It hasn’t even been that long since you two saw me, and besides, I brought someone for you two to meet.”

His arm carefully wraps back around your waist, and he looks at his parents before collecting himself briefly. “This is my girlfriend, Yn. Yn, these are my parents.”

His mom’s smile falters almost unnoticeably, but you immediately pick up on her dissatisfaction. His dad seems to just he surprised.

“Ah, yes, welcome to our home, yn.” His dad finally says with an earnest smile, and he subtly nudges his wife. It’s definitely a silent reminder for her to stop looking at you like you’re an intruder.

“Your home is lovely, Mr. and Mrs. Nanami. It’s nice to meet you two.” You try your best to not sound nervous at all, but his mom’s face just makes your stomach turn.

His parents guide you through their home, but they mostly focus their attention on Nanami: asking him about his studies, asking how Gojo’s doing, and asking if he’s contacted some girl named… Allegra. You couldn’t help but wonder if that was the girl who they wanted him to marry instead.

They didn’t ask you very many questions. His dad was friendly, but it seemed like he was tip toeing around all the awkward tension. His mom was just flat out ignoring your presence — clearly in denial about her son having a girlfriend who wasn’t this mysterious Allegra girl.

When it came time for dinner, his dad finally broke the awkward tension and asked about you.

“So yn, you go to the same college as Kento?” His dad seems to be genuinely sweet — just more on the passive shy side.

“Yeah, Ken and I actually share quite a few classes together.” You smile as your utensil grazes along the food they prepared. It smells delicious, but your nerves will barely allow you to nibble on it.

“What are you studying?”

“Oh, I’m in general studies for now. I’m still deciding on what to major in.” You reply as you finally feel yourself beginning to relax in your chair.

“Did you tell your friend that Allegra is studying to become a doctor? Wouldn’t that be nice to have in the family?” His mom finally speaks up, only addressing Nanami and not you.

Your stomach sinks as you realize why Nanami was so apologetic and reassuring this entire time. He knew his mom was just going to take subtle digs at you the entire time.

“One, she’s my girlfriend — not friend. Two, no, I have no reason to speak about Allegra with my girlfriend.” Nanami responds, and he gives his mom a subtle look. It appears they have a brief challenging moment before his mom looks away and relents.

Nanami’s foot gently nudges yours underneath the table, and you try to give him a small smile in response. It’s just hard when clearly you’re not wanted in this household.

The dinner goes silent for a moment, and the dining area fills with the sounds of chopsticks gently touching against plates. You subtly check your phone for an escape.

Nanami: Don’t pay her any mind, okay?

Nanami: I promise I’ll make up for this tonight. I’ll kiss you for every rude thing she says.

Yn: and for every time she says Allegra?

Nanami: I’ll fuck you until you can’t remember her name… make you so dumb until you can only remember my name. That’s all you need to know anyways.

Yeah, that’ll do it. The negative emotions are gone — replaced by a feral need for his cock. You take a subtle breath before putting your phone away, not wanting anyone to accidentally see him dirty talking you right in front of his parents.

“Ah, do you think you can help me out with the car tomorrow, Kento? Your old man is getting too old and worn out to crawl underneath there.” His dad finally breaks the silence once more.

“Of course, dad. What are you needing done on it? I’ll probably wake up early and get it done before day breaks.” Your boyfriend is such a good son. It’s no wonder that his mom is stupid protective over him.

“I just need to breaks changed on it. It’s probably due for an oil change too.” His dad explains, and Nanami assures him that he’ll get it done.

“I didn’t know you knew much about cars.” You take the chance of speaking up, and Nanami’s hazel eyes meet yours. His face instantly softens, and his mouth opens to speak. Too bad his mom beats him too it.

“Of course, he does. He needs to know all sorts of things like that in case his future wife needs her car repaired.” His mom says with a hint of hostility in her tone. “Speaking of which, Allegra just bought a new car a few months ago.”

You sit in silence for a moment, and you feel your stomach twisting in discomfort. You don’t know why you care so much for this woman’s opinion of you. Nanami already warned you that they likely wouldn’t approve of you, but you didn’t know you signed up to practically be bullied all weekend.

“I know a few basic things about cars. Nothing major.” Nanami responds to you — ignoring his mother’s comments. “I can show you too if you’re interested.”

A small smile curls on your lips, and you swallow back your emotions— trying to stay strong for him. “That’d be nice.”

“You definitely have a….”

“Mom.” Nanami immediately warns, staring down his mother before she can even finish her sentence.

“What? I wasn’t going to say anything mean.” She’s immediately on the defensive, casually laughing as if she’s been nothing but friendly this entire time. “I was just going to say that your friend certainly has a bold personality… wearing red to meet someone’s parents is definitely… a choice.”

Your eyes look down at the nice blouse you’re wearing, and you swallow harshly. Nanami was actually the one to pick it out for you. He reassured you this morning that you looked gorgeous — unknowingly signing you up to be bullied.

Your face is burning hot with embarrassment, and you wish you could just fold in on yourself and die right on the spot.

“Don’t talk about my girlfriend like that.” Nanami frowns, and he puts his chopsticks down on his plate. “I’m serious. Being a bully at your age is unbecoming to you as a mother.”

“Kento.” His dad warns, but Nanami doesn’t relent for a second.

“No. I’m not going to sit here and allow her to continue disrespecting my girlfriend like that.” Your boyfriend retorts, and he switches back to glaring at his mother. “I’m not dating Allegra — nor do I want to. I’m doing you a favor by introducing you to yn. I figured you’d like to know your future daughter in law.” He gestures to you,

The color leaves his mom’s face as she stares back at her son — as if him implying that he is going to marry you is the worst news she’s ever heard. Her eyes cut over towards you in a vicious glare. “How long have you even known my son?”

Your heart is beating straight through your chest. Confrontation isn’t your strong suit, and to be honest, his mother was terrifying even though she’s literally shorter than you are.

“W-well, we met in college so…” You inwardly curse for stumbling over your words, and Nanami frowns as he looks at you. He hates that his parents are making you so unsure of yourself and your role in his life. He wants to take all your insecurities away and make you forget this ever even happened.

“It’s not even been that long! You don’t even have history with this girl. Allegra was your first kiss.. your first everything!” His mother raises her voice at Nanami, making exasperating hand motions.

His first everything? He told you that you were his first.

Tears prick into your eyes before you can even think to stop him. Overwhelmed by shame and just utter defeat, you don’t even know what to do other than to hide and cry.

Nanami’s eyes widen as he sees you clearly trying to cover up the tears streaming down your cheeks. His jaw tightens as he returns his gaze to his mother.

“That’s funny. I don’t recall you ever being present for any of those things.” His mom starts to speak up, but he is quick to shut her back down. “I kissed Allegra because you were breathing down my neck to. I was barely 15 at that time, and it happened once. That was the first and only time I ever even touched her.”

His mom starts to try to speak up again to probably bring up some other point about why he should be with Allegra. Nanami interrupts her again.

“Allegra and I do not like each other. We hardly tolerated each other for yours and her parents’ sake. You have to get over it. I’m with yn, and I’m happy — happier than I’ve ever been. She was my first everything. My first real kiss, my first girlfriend, and since you seem to want to stick your nose so far in my business, she was my first in bed too.”

“Kento, you’re being incredibly disrespectful.” Her voice is much more strict now as she scolds her grown son.

“I wonder where I get it from. It seems as though we both have a propensity for being rude.” He retorts, and while he’s arguing, his hand slides over to your inner thigh under the table, and he gropes it harshly.

He’s so pissed. He doesn’t even know how to get rid of this anger. His hand squeezes your thigh tightly, making your face go bright red as you look away from everyone.

“I’m not accepting her into this family. You can forget that. She’s changed you.” His mother’s words are growing harsher, and his dad is trying to quietly calm her. She doesn’t pay him any mind though.

“Fine. We’ll just go make our own family.” Nanami scoots his chair back, and he stands up. His hand roughly pulls you up as well — not giving you a chance to even think about what he just said. He bends down and effortlessly throw you over his shoulder, making you gape in surprise. His arm securing you by wrapping around the back of your thighs. “And by the way, I chose the red blouse. It matches the cute bra she’s wearing that I also chose for her.”

His parents stare at him — both completely dumbfounded by what just happened. They didn’t raise him to be like that, but what were they going to do?? Stop him? That’s a laughable thought. You’re not even sure God himself could pull Ken off of you when he’s feral like this.

His footsteps are heavy as he stomps up the stairs towards his teenage bedroom. Nothing has changed since he was last in here. It’s still completely sterile from how he was made to clean it each day. The walls are littered with posters of various science related things, and he has some posters of older video games he use to enjoy.

Your body is practically flung onto the bed, and Nanami doesn’t waste a single second. His heart is pounding in his chest. His mind is fogged with pure anger. He hasn’t felt like this in so long. It reminds him of why he took up going to the gym.

With no punching bag in sight, you’re his only outlet.

His body is unwavering on top of yours — a force to be reckoned with, and his mouth immediately connects with yours in a suffocating kiss. Quiet hums and moans fill the air between you two, and he quite literally steals the breath from your lungs. His fingers wrap around your wrists easily, pinning them above your head on the bed.

No longer satiated from robbing you of your breath, Nanami trails his kisses down to your neck. To hell with not marking you — he needs to see his brand on your neck. You’re his, aren’t you? Who cares if his parents see?

“Ah~” You let out a breathy whimper as he angrily sucks and bites on your neck. Your skin is sensitive - already turning bright shades of blue and purple from his mouth. His dental imprint litters your neck and shoulders.

“K-Ken.. what about..?” You start to ask about his parents. They’re going to hear you two. Wouldn’t that just make things worse?

“Don’t care.” He responds so brashly. If he thinks about his parent’s behavior any longer, he’s going to need to fuck you into next week to get all his anger out.

Riiiip!

Your eyes widen as you look up at your boyfriend’s hulking figure. The blouse that you were just criticized for was now more like a coat, split down the middle, revealing your perfect breasts, so prettily on display in your red lacy bra.

His mouth waters as he looks you up and down. You have almost this panicked look in your eye, provoked by his unpredictability, and for whatever reason, it’s driving him insane.

His mouth is back on you like it never left: kissing and biting on your mounds, painting them so beautifully with his mark. “You’re mine.” He grunts lowly. His jealousy almost makes it sound like his parents were insinuating that you should marry someone else.

“Say it.” He demands before his teeth graze over your collarbone. His warm breath fans over your skin, making you shiver.

“Yours.” You comply with such a small whimper, and your body jolts when you feel his raging bulge rub against you.

“See what you do to me?” He rumbles lowly as he looks down to where he’s now shamelessly dry humping you through clothes like he’s a horny teenager.

“Fuck… Ken..” You whisper as you’re also mesmerized by the sight. His slacks are completely taught, outlining the shape of his cock so well. You can almost see the veins that protrude on him.

His hips rolls slowly against yours, savoring the way the fabric rubs against him and you. His dick is painfully throbbing — begging for the reprieve of being squeezed by your gummy walls.

“Are you as much of a mess as I am, baby?” He asks as his hand dips into your pants. His eyebrows furrow, and he lets out a low groan as his fingers are instantly coated in your slick. He slips his hand back out of your pants just to slide his fingers into his mouth. He holds eye contact with you as he hums in satisfaction. He'll never get enough of your taste.

“You want this, don’t you? Want me to fuck you where my parents can hear you?” He slides his hand back down into your pants, and his fingers rub tight, firm circles against your clit, making your body squirm from pleasure.

“Nngh~ ah!” You’re already so noisy, and he hasn’t even began fucking you yet.

“Give ‘em a show, baby. Let them hear how good I make you feel.”

“Mmm~ Ken…” You moan as your back arches up off the bed. His fingers press down harder on your swollen clit.

“You can do better than that, darling.” He can be so condescending in bed, using that insatiable need for praise against you.

“Ken!” You shout, all logical thought has abandoned you. He tells you to do better? You do better.

“Good girl.” He purrs before sliding his hand out of your pants. He can’t get your clothes off of you quick enough. His cock is beckoning for attention, still neglected from yesterday of just eating you out.

Your hands shakily try to unbutton his shirt, and he chuckles lowly at your pitiful efforts. “Aw, my poor girl. Already so shaken up. Go on. You can do it.”

You huff at his taunting. Usually, he’d just see you struggling and take off his clothes for you, but today he was thriving off watching you so desperately trying to get his clothes off him.

It takes you a minute to get his clothes off him, and you don’t even properly take off his pants. You merely shoved them down along with his boxers just low enough for his monstrous cock to spring out. Nanami merely watches you with a cocky smirk.

“Yeah? This is what you wanted?” He purrs lowly, and he carefully drags his tip up and down your core, smearing his precum along your lips as if his tip was giving you a sloppy kiss.

“Gonna take all of it, aren’t you?” His other hand releases your wrists, and he lovingly cups your cheek. His hand is so big compared to your face. He loves watching you nuzzle up into his palm.

You nod your head quickly in response, lifting your hips up to meet his with each slow movement. Wet slippery noises from your cunt weeping for him fill the room.

“Use your words.” He demands before he speaks up louder — just to spite his parents who are right below you two. “I said. You’re going to take this dick like a good girl, aren’t you?”

“Yes!” You whine before your body is completely shell shocked from a quick slap to your cunt. His cock is so heavy — you can feel the weight of it as his rudely smacks it against you again.

“Louder.”

“Yes sir-!” You immediately oblige, following his commands without a second thought in your brain.

His lips curl into a lopsided grin, and he carefully guides his sweltering tip towards your entrance, plugging your hole with just his head.

“Keep being a good girl like that, and I might have to give you baby. Do you want that?” He asks while carefully stretching you by fucking his tip in and out of your tight hole. “You wanna have my baby, don’t you?”

“Ffffuck- Ken! T-too much..” You squirm your body against his bedsheets, and he chuckles at your poor attempt at getting away.

“You clearly want this, so why are you running?” He hands latch onto your thighs, and he pulls you back down towards him, inadvertently impaling you even further on his cock.

A smug chuckles bubbles up in his throat as he sees how much of a mindless mess you are. He loves how he can make you all dumb so quickly with his dick. It brings him great joy to know that you trust him and can just let go, letting the more primal urges take over.

“Mmm~ so tight and wet for me, aren’t you darling? Need to just let Ken take care of you, yeah?” His voice is like velvet as he slowly thrusts himself in and out, sinking deeper into you with each movement, splitting you wide open.

“Ah~! nnnnn… so good.” You manage to whine out.

“What a crybaby. I know you can take me better than that, darling.” Nanami gives you a soft kiss on the forehead before his large hand wraps around your neck, applying pressure in just the right spots to make you all lightheaded.

"Come on. Show me how good you can take it~" His hips snap forward suddenly, sinking his full length deep inside you. Your eyes roll back into your head as he takes full control over you.

His hips are pounding forward, bumping his tip right against your cervix with every mean thrust. His balls are heavy and slapping against the flesh of your ass — a reminder for how pent up he's been recently.

Maybe it's the lack of an orgasm for the last couple of days or maybe it's his parents being utter assholes to you, but Kento finds himself feeling frustrated all over again. Low grunts and growls escape him, and he uses his grip on your neck to push himself in even further -- harder.

The sound of skin clapping against skin fills the room, and his childhood beds starts to squeak out with each forceful blow. He knows for a fact that his parents can hear every single noise. The thin walls of this house absolutely hide nothing. He may as well have fucked you right there against the kitchen table to really prove a point.

"Fuck-! Kenkenkenken! Ah~" You can't even form sentences much less words other than his name. Before you can even warn him, your walls begin to pulse around him - practically milking him while your orgasm takes you over. "Nnngh~ I-I love you.."

"Mmnn~ I didn't tell you that you could do that, sweetheart." He hazel eyes bore into your very soul as his grin shifts to a more wild one. His hips move with even more vigor as if he's trying to push himself straight into your womb,

His hand lets go of your throat, finally allowing you to get a deep breath of air while trying to cope with his massive size pumping in and out of you as if you're nothing but a senseless fuck toy, but you clearly fucking love it. You're practically dripping all over him, soaking his bedsheets in your arousal.

At this point, his parents aren't sure if he's killing you or fucking you. Either way, they're too afraid to intervene. They didn't raise a gentleman at all. They raised a monster.

"Mmph... Need to give you a baby. Can I? You'd make such a pretty mama. School be damned. I need you." Normally, Nanami is pretty controlled over his pillow talk. He's really good at it, but right now, he's completely lost in you -- just babbling promises of giving you a baby and marrying you.

"Y-yes, Ken! Fuck... give me a baby, please." Your legs are trembling around his waist, and your fingernails are giving him such pretty decorations along his back. Small trophies for fucking you just right.

"Fuuuck- Take it. T... take it all..." His voice is a gravely groan as his cock twitches inside you, spilling all of his seed directly into your tummy. It's so fucking much from holding back for a couple of days - completely filling you up. "I love you so much. Gonna marry you one day."

The house is eerily silent for a moment as both you and Nanami catch your breaths. He stays planted on top of you, keeping your legs hooked around his waist. Small creaks of footsteps against a floorboard fill the air, and you tense up, thinking his parents were going to come in there and raise all sorts of problems.

Nanami gently strokes your face with the back of his hand. "Shhh, they're not coming in here. Promise." He whispers lowly, pressing a loving kiss to your forehead. You slowly relax in his arms, trusting his words that his parents weren't going to come in there.

You can hear a door open and shut, and it sounds like bickering back and forth between his parents.

"See? They're just going to bed." He presses another reassuring kiss to your cheek.

His hips continue to lazily pump in and out of you, basically fucking his cum back into you as it seeps out. His cock is hyper sensitive, but he can't get enough. You're completely drenched for him. You deserve more of his loving.

"Keennn~" You whine quietly, shifting in the bed slightly as your legs are all achy and sore from him taking out all of his anger on you.

"What is it, baby?" He asks in a hushed whisper against your ear. His breath tickles your skin, making you slightly squirm in response. "I'm just making sure it takes, yeah?" His cock sinks further into you, already growing hard all over again even though he just finished.

"Mmmph~" You hum as your eyes slipped closed. Nanami smiles and presses a kiss to your forehead, knowing that you're already needy all over again for him.

"Answer me, darling. Want me to stop?" He asks while peppering kisses all over your face. If the last round was about degradation and taking his anger out, then this one was about how much he loves you and can't get enough of you.

"Nonono... don't stop, please." You murmur out quickly, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes.

"That's my good girl... Always needin' more, aren't you?" He hums lowly, and his cock pumps in and out so slowly, delicately smushing against your cervix with each loving thrust.

"Mmn.. I love you." You slur out, completely cock drunk at this point. Kento just smiles and continues to dote on your with messy kisses against your cheeks and neck. His hand is gently massaging your breast, just barely teasing your nipple while he makes love to you.

"And I love you, darling." He responds before he feels you squeezing around him already. "Oh pretty, again?" He asks as his eyes look down to your fluids gushing around his length. "Such a mess. How are we meant to sleep on these sheets now?"

"'m sorry... I c-couldn't help it. 'm so sorry." You whimper as your face dips into his shoulder, hiding you obvious embarrassment.

Kento's arms wrap around your waist, and he uses his hold on you to drag you up and down along his length — still moving at such a torturously slow pace, making you feel every inch as it enters you.

"Aw, that's alright, darling. I'll clean us up. Just take a little bit more for me, yeah?" He whispers into your ear while your pelvis is slotting against his. He's damn near holding you up into his arms. Lucky you for having such a strong boyfriend.

His lips find yours for a messy kiss. His tongue slips past your lips, claiming your mouth as his completely. A few seconds later, his cock is pumping you full again with his cum — still so much on the second round.

Without even missing a beat, Nanami's mumbling breathily in your ear. "Mmm, I know I said I'd clean us up, but you wouldn't hate a third round, would you?"

*** *** ***

Nanami didn't wake you up the next morning to watch him work on the car. He knew your poor little body was put through the ringer yesterday, so he gave you a tender kiss on the temple before making his way into the garage in just his sleeping pants and socks.

His father's car was already propped up on the jack, and his father groaned as he leaned up off the ground. "Well good morning." He says in a knowing tone.

"Good morning. Why are you down there? I told you I'd fix it today." Nanami asks as he shoos his dad out of his way, and he slides himself underneath the car.

"Well, I didn't know if you'd be up for it after your fun ventures last night." His dad hands Nanami a tool to help get the brake pads off the car.

Nanami stays silent. In his new found clarity, he does know that fucking you so loudly to where his parents can hear was a weird retaliation method, but he doesn't regret doing it.

"Your mother cried all night last night."

"Maybe she needs a reality check if she's that damn upset about who I choose to romantically involve myself with." Nanami rolls his eyes, and he grunts as he forces the brake pad away from the car.

"I don't think she was crying because of that. I think she realizes just how far she drove you away from her with her constant pressure over your love life." His dad explains, and he hands Nanami the new brake pad to replace on the car. "I'm not saying you or yn have to forgive her for how she acted today, but I am asking that you try to give her another chance today. I think she understands now."

Nanami takes a deep breath, but he nods quietly. "She's got one more time to say anything rude to my girlfriend, and we're taking the first train back to the university."

*** *** ***

Your eyes darted over to Nanami's nervously when his mother asked you to have a girl's day with her, but your boyfriend gently rubbed your back, silently assuring you that it'd be okay. At least, he hoped it'd be okay.

Nanami: Text me if she says anything rude. I'll pack our stuff up and we'll leave, okay?

Luckily, you didn't have to text him at all that day. His mom took you sight seeing around the town, out to eat at one of Hakone's favorite restaurants, and you two got your nails done.

"You know, I was being a bad person yesterday." She starts off as you two are sat next to each other. Her feet are being massaged by one of the workers, and you're getting your toes painted. "I guess I just had this idea of how I wanted Kento's life to go, and when things started not going to plan, I started trying to grasp onto anything that'd give me control."

You glance over at his mother, and she has a small nostalgic smile upon her face. "I can't believe I allowed myself to act that way towards you... especially after my parents did the same thing to Kento's dad."

"Your parents didn't accept Kento either?" You curiously ask, wondering how similar your stories were.

"No, but they didn't try to arrange me into a marriage either. They just didn't think Kento's dad was manly enough for me. They didn't like seeing me wear the pants in the relationship, but that's just what works for us... I use to beg for them to just let us be happy, but they never stopped criticizing him. I finally just.. stopping talking to them when I fell pregnant with Kento." She explains in a voice raw with emotion. You can clearly see how this still impacts her to this day.

"I don't want Ken to do the same to me... I want to be in his and your life and my future grandchild's life if that's what you two choose to do. I raised him well, and I know he has a good judgement of character. So, I know you must be a good person. If he's happy, then that's all that matters to me." She goes on, giving you a small apologetic smile. "I'm really sorry for how I acted towards you last night. It will never happen again."

*** *** ***

Nanami had spent the whole day checking his phone religiously while his dad kept him employed with random home renovation tasks. He was waiting for the moment to start packing up your stuff and telling his mom that he wasn't going to speak to them again.

When he heard sounds of wailing coming from the front door, he immediately hopped off the ladder that his dad was holding for him.

"Kento-!" His dad shouts as he wobbles around, but Nanami was already speed walking towards the front door to see what was happening.

To his surprise, there was no wailing. It was only hysterical laughter coming from you and his mom. He stood in the door way with a confused look on his face as he observed you two.

"Yes, he was such a cutie pie.." His mom laughs as she shows you another picture of Kento in high school.

"Aww, Ken... you didn't tell me you were emo." You greeted your boyfriend with a fit of giggles from seeing his high school photos. His fringe proudly in view.

Nanami rakes his hands through his shorter hair now, and he lets out a relieved laugh. Seeing you interact so happily with his mom was enough to make him feel full with love. His heart feels at ease now... until he remembers that he has to meet your parents at some point.

tags: @lemonlimecrystal-blog @theuniversesnepobaby

[mischivousvoid]

You will never be her

SYNOPSIS : You've been in love with your coworker forever, you sadly discover he's in love with someone else. Except, she's shattered his heart to pieces.

PAIRING : Zayne x Non-MC!Gender-Neutral Reader

TAGS : Hurt/comfort, Oneshot/Drabble, kinda-sorta-slice-of-life

❄️🍧☃️🍧❄️❄️🍧☃️🍧❄️🍧☃️🍧❄️🍧☃️🍧❄️

The first time you saw how he looks at her, it stung. I mean, it hurts, watching the man you've been pining for for the last few years be so desperately in love with someone who isn't you.

Yet somehow, what hurts even more, is that you can see from a mile away that she doesn't look at him the same way. How could she not?

Your coworker, Zayne, is perhaps the kindest, most thoughtful and caring person on Earth. He speaks in a cold and professional demeanor most of the time, and does not seem to emotionally attach to the patients, but his actions speak so much louder than his words. He stays late just to make sure things go smoothly, he checks up on patients in his free time, he stops stops by to help out people he doesn't know when he can. On the rare occasions he brings snacks for everyone, he remembers exactly what everyone is allergic to and what their favourite is.

It really is outrageous that the woman he lights up when seeing and keeps a picture of on his desk doesn't like him back. You almost think to yourself that how dare she hurt him like that. But I guess when you just don't feel the chemistry, you just don't feel the chemistry. Life is cruel sometimes...

Your heart feels like it's being squeezed and compressed into a black hole every time you look at him talk to her. One time it was so bad you almost scheduled an appointment with him to see if there's an underlying physical issue. But, no, sadly your heartbreak is emotional and has quite the obvious source... You doubt you had a chance before, you know. Zayne tends to keep his personal life out of the hospital and the hospital out of his personal life, he'd probably never go out with a coworker. And fat chance you were his taste. But seeing him so... enamoured with her. Right in front of your salad. Well, it really crushed your ribs from the inside. She didn't show up often, only some evenings to meet him after work and head off together, or occasionally as a hunter assigned to clean up when there was an incident at your hospital. But you still couldn't bear seeing them.

You sat with the feeling many evenings after work, suppressing it in the moment and putting away for crying into your pillow late at night. It sucked. It really sucked. Many sleepless nights of chest pain and close calls of being late to work because your meltdowns made you oversleep. But thanks to you processing your feelings and not ignoring them, over time, it got easier. At least, the pain didn't feel so suffocating and you made peace with the fact that you'll never have him. You felt... mildly content just seeing him happy.

Except, that didn't last. The more time passed, the more apparent it became that the woman he loved only saw him as a friend and would never "warm up and like him back" the way you thought. You don't know if he noticed that too, or if she outright rejected him, but you watched him slowly wilt. It was subtle, many people wouldn't even notice, but it was the little things. He'd eat his lunch just a little too long staring off into space, end conversations just a little too soon, stay so late at work that it wasn't just to check up on the patients anymore but quite clearly to distract himself. One day, she showed up with a man and cheerfully introduced him as her boyfriend, and said he'd be tagging along to their outing and that she hoped they'd all get along. The next week, her picture was gone from his desk. And the whole following month Zayne stayed late at work on every day and had bigger eyebags on him than you've ever seen.

This had to stop. You can't... You can't watch him destroy himself anymore. It was one thing to have your heart broken, but seeing him fall apart into pieces was so much worse.

You gathered up whatever courage you had, and invited him for coffee and pastries right after your shift ends on the day your schedule alligned. Made an excuse as to why it cannot be any later, apparently the cafe won't serve any cake after a certain hour because the owner believes sugar before bed will kill you. No, it can't be another cafe, it has to be that one, it has that special edition dessert you wanted to try forever but had no one to go with. Your treat, of course.

Somehow, he agreed. He wasn't very talkative, but you still had a good time. Doctor Zayne when he isn't a Doctor is a sight to behold... You had fun seeing all his reactions. His scrunched-up nose when he tried his drink before adding 5 spoons of sugar, his satisfied expression when finishing his 3rd slice of cake. You feel a little bad, enjoying this so much while inviting him to make sure that *he* feels better. But hey, he seems happier and he didn't overwork himself again, so maybe you deserve to enjoy this a little bit. At the end of the evening, you nod and go your separate ways.

You do this again the first time you have an opportunity, make some other outrageous excuse why it has to be right after work. And then again. And again. And every time, by some miracle, Zayne says yes. You talk more and more each time. By the third time, Zayne asks you if you'd like him to accompany you to your house. It is late, after all. In twice the time, you don't even have to ask, and he's ready to head off with you when your work is done. It becomes routine, you finish work, you go get some sweets and coffee, Zayne walks you home.

It feels like a privilege peering into his private life, to hear him talk of things other than patients and surgeries and scheduling. You learn of his terrible sweet tooth, his favourite foods, his interests out of work. You learn of his sarcastic and playful-jabs kind of sense of humour, his smile engraved to your memory. His outward cold demeanor seems like almost a facade with how warm being around him makes you feel.

You're so happy to see him better and to know these new sides to him that you don't even notice when he starts to linger around you, when it looks like he doesn't quite want to leave after walking you home, how he stands just a little closer when you walk next to each other. You're just glad to give him some company that you can tell he needed.

One fateful evening he does something you've never thought possible. He kisses you. Your mind melts while you try to process what's happening, but you instinctively kiss him back before you can even tell. You've wanted this for so long. You're not sure what you expected him to feel like, but his lips are soft and a little chilly before they warm up to yours. When the kiss turns open-mouthed, he feels much more like warm cocoa, even tastes a little like it, sugary flavour lingering after you two had your desserts earlier in the evening.

You pull away and try to hold yourself together. Emotions circle through your head, and you only manage to force out the dumbest thing you could possibly say right now.

"You know I'll never be her, right?"

You're afraid you ruined this for yourself when his face falls and he stares to the side into blank space. But he looks back at you and smiles.

"I know."

He looks a little melancholic, but he kisses you again and your worries melt away with the rest of your thoughts.

——————————————————————————

Sometimes, he still looks at her like he did before, but with an additional layer of sadness and melancholy to his expression. It doesn't hurt though. Because he looks at you with the same warmth and shine, and at least, you make him smile as well.

[fawnnlvr]

IMAGINE THIS spencer reid x academicrival!reader

summary: a timeline of spencer reid and his academic rival turned girlfriend in the span of a twelve years.

author's note: this layout is so different from my others but i am just going to keep it up. this is also inspired by the big bang theory and young sheldon and all the clips of it i watched on tiktok because i did not watch the show. that one scene with sheldon and that little blonde girl who is in every show and movie as a child prodigy. i hope you guys now what i am talking about but that inspired this entire thing. ♥︎

the two of you were born child prodigies with incredible minds that had the powers to rule the world.

spencer was used to being the youngest and the smartest until you showed up in his college classes being just a few months younger than him, yet sharing the same space he inhabited.

your joyful personality irked him to no ends as you treated education and learning like it was just a hobby while it was his life. he wasn't sure how it started but the two of you, at age thirteen, were competing to be the top of the class.

all the other college students simply gave up when it came to trying to outdo the two of you. the two of you were front row and center at every lecture due to the heights and late growth spurts.

unfortunately, the two of you were in many of the same classes despite being different majors. as the years flew by, the rivalry only grew stronger as the two of you competed by peer review when the professors grew tired of choosing favorites. who can write the best report paper to whose research was more useful, even to who had the best coffee order— everything under the sun was competition.

"i decided to get a doctorate" spencer told you one day and you almost dropped your papers, "just so everytime we meet, you will have to refer to me as doctor."

"no chance in hell reid. if you're doing that then so am i. suck it." you told him with a strong fire of determination in your eyes. the two of you were seventeen.

at age eighteen is when things took a turn. spencer had temporarily left to visit his mom in las vegas and get her help, and you unfortunately tagged along because you couldn't do airplanes but needed to get to vegas to visit your sister. meeting at the airport and unfortunately getting assigned seats right by each other, new perspectives were unlocked.

despite gaining an understanding for one another due to all the changes occurring, one thing that stayed constant was the rivalry. in a way, this one constant was a thing that saved the both of you.

you both knew that you were adults and it was childish, but you basically grew up with one another. he was there for you when you were harassed by college frat boys when you turned of age and you were there when he was ridiculed by the same frat boys for being a scrawny nerd.

there were many encounters were you only had each other to lean on and despite claiming to hate each other, you and him always showed up when needed. something that no one else can claim in their involvement in your lives.

now the two of you were there for each other as you each started another chapter of life.

"fbi?" you laughed, "there is no way you are passing the physical tests, spencer." the two of you were now twenty one and both went by doctor.

"h-hey! i can do it. the training will last for 16 weeks. i can improve by then." he puffed his chest out, straightening his posture.

"it will take a miracle or many exceptions, all of which you would need to be extraordinary to get."

"i am extraordinary. i quite literally have a doctorate in chemistry and working on another one — and i have a bachelor's in psychology. all at the age of twenty-one. i would like the see the fbi find someone better than me."

"you're forgetting that i exist." you reminded with a sly smile and you saw him freeze.

"i thought you're aiming for nasa!"

"i am but i might just have to apply for the fbi academy to prove just how much better than you i am." you shrugged and spencer felt even more determined.

"don't even joke about it. i have had to see you on this campus for the past nine years, i might loose my mind if i have to deal with you again for the rest of my life."

"how hurtful." you huffed, crossing your arms as you sipped on your overpriced coffee that you made spencer pay for. "i don't want to see you more than i have to as well." a bit ironic since you were on a small coffee get together with him.

"glad we can agree to something." he stated, taking a sip of his overpriced coffee as well.

"well since we are already at it. do you think we can agree that this meal definitely deserves a slice of that strawberry shortcake—"

at twenty two, it was finally time for the two of you to say goodbye. at least that is what you both thought. spencer was going to the fbi academy at quantico, virginia and you had suddenly gotten a job offer at the nasa headquarters in washington d.c, virginia.

"nineteen dollars for two coffees." he interupted and you closed your mouth. broke people should never talk, as that one saying went that spencer made up the last time he was forced to pay ridiculous priced food.

a dramatic goodbye, turned into a twisted fate of ill-fortune. your letter had came in the day spencer was to leave and a dramatic departure speech unsued for a good ten minutes full of the sweetest things spencer and you wanted to get off your chest before this was goodbye.

you opened the letter before he did his entire goodbye speech and you didn't feel like interrupting him. once you revealed the truth, spencer went all red and felt like fainting but instead had opted to grab his luggage and walk out the door and try to flag down a cab.

it was hard to stop yourself laughter after the small giggle slipped out due to how red he got and you had to chase him down your apartment building. he couldn't even look you in the eyes, averting his vision to the clouds above. taking your hand, you grabbed his chin and forced him to look at you.

"spencer, please don't be mad. that was honestly the sweetest thing you — actually anyone, in thst matter has said to me."

"no— it wasn't supposed to be like this. it was supposed to end—"

"i don't want it to end." you told him, honesty clear in your voice as he finally had the courage to look at you in the eye, "i like us— i mean this. what we have now is something i truly cherish and i don't want that to vanish. i don't want to be apart from you."

spencer furrowed his eyebrows.

"for too long i mean!" you quickly added in, "i mean gosh ew, nerd. you will have fbi money soon so that means it will be in my best interest to keep you around—"

you couldn't continue your tangent because he had pulled you into a hug. yes, the germaphobe spencer had pulled you into a hug. this was the first hug he ever initiated and it was the first time you had noticed simply how gentle his touch was as he held you in his arms. you wrapped your arms around his chest without a second thought.

then a sniffle. spencer sort of flinched back, trying to pull away but you clasped your hands behind his back, making it impossible. "are you... crying?"

another sniffle. "no." the croak in your voice gave it away, "allergies."

"you little liar. you totally will miss me and that's why your accepting the position in virginia and not california where your favorite actors are."

"shut up spencer."

"you'll see me in five months. it'll be fine and when i become an agent and i get my first pay check, we can go to that seafood place you really wanted to go but only has a few locations nationwide."

"they have it in virginia?"

"i already checked." he admitted and you raised your head from his shirt to look up at him, teary eyed but your eyes held a skeptical look. then, a smile.

"you were already planning for me to be there weren't you."

spencer pushed you off of him and he didn't respond.

"you know doctor reid, if i didn't know any better i would say that you are deeply in love with me."

"in your dreams. bye liar." spencer waved down a cab who pulled up within seconds.

"see you at the captial." you cheekily stated, hands clasped behind your back as you smiled at spencer getting into the cab.

"not looking forward to it."

"liar!"

he shut the door.

at twenty three, the two of you somehow ended up being roommates and sharing an apartment together. weighing the pros and cons, you both decided that this act would be very beneficial since the rent would be cheaper, the location was in between both of your guys' work places, and it would be more comfortable to live with a familiar presence.

at twenty four, a drunken night had led to drunken kisses. as the saying goes, "drunken words are sober thoughts". thoughts of consequences were thrown out the window as soon as the clothes were thrown on the floor. waking up, the two of you screamed in horror before having a talk about all the unresolved tension and words that needed to be said that one day the two of you were exchanging goodbye messages.

finally at twenty six, you went by mrs. reid.

[sweetcalebb]

Computer Science Major Zayne

⋆˚｡⋆୨୧˚ headcanons ˚୨୧⋆｡˚⋆

zayne, who codes better than he talks, but god—absolutely meltsss for you in soft, subtle ways.

INSPIRED BY @xyzvoid

tysm for letting me use ur concept!! ur gamer!caleb also gave me this idea for CS!zayne <3

—

⋆⁺₊❅。 zayne will make apps for you. he'll sit in his dorm, hoodie rolled up to his sleeves, brows pinched together in annoyance because he can't find what's wrong with his code. he should be doing his assignments, but how he can't forget that offhand comment you made about how messy your notes are. two days later, you get a link from him. it's your own custom-made app that color-codes and sorts them for you.

⋆⁺₊❅。 zayne will let you study with him while he works on his code. he normally doesn't let anyone see him like this—because honesty? he looks a little wrecked; the complete opposite of him in public, typing like he's trying to punish the computer for his mistakes. and when you tease him, saying he looks like he's fighting with his laptop he lets out a low, "i am." but there's a subtle smile playing on his lips.

⋆⁺₊❅。 zayne's never been one for affection, but for you, he'll make an exception. like sometimes, when he's in the middle of debugging, or writing some paper on the program he's using, he'll pull you into his lap, rest his chin on your shoulder, and murmur, "don't move. you're warm.”

⋆⁺₊❅。 to everyone else, zayne is an intimidating, composed computer science prodigy. to you? he's just a sweet, awkward, nerdy boy (still scary smart). because when he's alone with you, he's grumbling under his breath, glaring at his computer screen like it's personally offended him because he can't crack an assignment. and when he's done, he'll crawl into your arms. won't say a word, just lay there.

⋆⁺₊❅。 zayne's screen saver is a candid picture of you taking a nap on his shoulder. you hate it, but he loves it. it's his absolute favorite and he refuses to change it. sometimes, it'll distract him. he knows he should be doing work, but instead he'll sit there like a love-sick fool, eyes roving over the picture like he hasn't seen it a hundred times.

⋆⁺₊❅。 he doesn't care how much work he has left to do. he'll always find time to help you with yours. doesn't matter what class is it either. chemistry? he's patiently walking you through the formulas even though he just relearned the material last night. anatomy? he's skimming your textbooks and then letting you practice on him—turning into your own personal life-size diagram.

⋆⁺₊❅。 just like he isn't one for physical affection, he also isn't one for loud, sappy 'i love you's. no, he builds you a game. a whole game. based on some throwaway comment, like, 'i wish i was a bird'. days later, he's built you a short five-minute game where you play as a bird and at the end there's some sweet little note. it's short, but it's there.

⋆⁺₊❅。 he doesn't say anything, but he's positive he works better with you around. even when you're a little too distracting for your own good, how could he not work better when after every section of his code he finishes, he's pulling you in a slow, lazy kiss, then pulling back like nothing and working again?

⋆⁺₊❅。 sometimes, when you're feeling a little playful, you'll sneak up behind him while he works. you'll trail your lips up his neck, across his jaw, and then finish on that spot behind his ear he loves so much. he’ll mutter a rough, “don’t distract me." it has no real bite though, because before you can even apologize, he's turning around and slipping his hands underneath your shirt, pulling it up, then kissing up your stomach. soft, reverent open mouthed kisses.

⋆⁺₊❅。when zayne's finished with an especially grueling assignment, you'll offer to help him.. unwind. he'll say something short and quiet, like, "no, you don't have to." but he doesn't stop you, just watches with lidded eyes as you kneel down between his legs, tug his jeans down with his boxers and take him into your mouth. his breath hitches. "f-fuh—" he bites his lip to stops himself (bc for some reason he doesn't like cussing in front of you). he breathes out, "you really don't—nngh-" but he can't help it anymore. his hand is hovering over your head, hips twitching. "please don't stop."

[artemisrisen]

each saezuru side character’s understanding of yashiro and doumeki’s relationship is so unique that I must pause all work and write out how each one involved in the inevitable fallout of chapter 60 views Doumeki and Yashiro’s relationship prior to the Reveal:

Doumeki - he is in love with yashiro and he knows this, has known this. however, his understanding of yashiro’s feelings is difficult to pinpoint. he likely knows that yashiro does not hate him and even that there are genuine feelings there, but he also knows that yashiro is tragically complicated and pushes people violently away when they get too close. it’s not known what his end goal is, apart from keeping yashiro safe.

summation: doumeki loves yashiro and that’s all he cares about, point blank period.

Yashiro - knew that doumeki 4 years ago had feelings for him - whether those feelings were “real” or situational in his mind is another story - but now believes that yakuza!doumeki does not hold him in the same regard and bitterly resents him. they have physical chemistry but he believes doumeki is also sleeping regularly with the club mama. despite all that, yashiro has finally realized that he is in love with doumeki and it hurts.

summation: yashiro believes that he loves someone who doesn’t love him back anymore. cue sondheim’s “send in the clowns”, etc

Nanahara - knows doumeki used to have feelings for yashiro, but now it’s far more confusing. he does think that doumeki hasn’t changed too much and will still take care of yashiro when needed. on the other side, he definitely believes that his boss has never had romantic feelings for anyone, least of all doumeki.

summation: doumeki is the only one who ever struggled with any romantic feelings. yashiro feels sorry for him at best.

Tsunakawa - is growing suspicious of doumeki’s true loyalties and definitely sees that doumeki may have a lingering attachment to his old boss. likely sees doumeki to be a typical straight yakuza who only likes women and the loyalty is strictly in yakuza terms. he also knows yashiro is gay and sleeps with men, but still inspires a deep loyalty with his subordinates. it’s unknown if he thinks there’s anything sexual happening, as he is never shown to be suspicious of it.

summation: no romance between them, just the usual yakuza relationship.

Muraji - there’s no way he wants to have any opinion on this, lol.

Amou - the only person who knows both sides!! he knows doumeki’s feelings for yashiro and assisted him with staying in yashiro’s world, and seems to know those feelings continue even now. never explicitly stated but seems to be very cognizant that yashiro is in love with doumeki as well.

summation: he knows the whole story. that’s why sensei gave him a 5/5 out of Intelligence in the fanbook when even yashiro only got a 4.5. HELP THEM, AMOU.

Misumi - super mega jealous of doumeki and knows doumeki is weirdly attached to yashiro. knows that yashiro finds doumeki physically attractive. knows when they get together it’s a bunch of bullshit and yashiro acts even more outlandish. wants to kill doumeki with a gun.

summation: he probably suspects something deeper, but also covers his ears a lot.

Kamiya - knows doumeki and yashiro used to hook up out of “circumstance” and that yashiro is gay. also saw yashiro forcefully choose doumeki when kamiya was the one assigned to bodyguard. he knows when doumeki is lying to him and has keeps a very keen eye on everything around him, including doumeki and yashiro.

summation: he knows enough. his homophobia is the only thing keeping yashiro and doumeki’s love affair private - he and amou together would have the whole timeline laid out in like 30 seconds. fucking men! can’t gossip for shit.

[pastryfication]

homework | leclerc sister

pairings: charles leclerc x sister!reader, arthur leclerc x sister!reader

summary: you’re completely stuck on your homework, and arthur isn’t to much help. luckily, charles comes to your rescue.

warnings: mentions of physics the absolutely worst subject known to date

sitting at the kitchen table, your physics textbook and a notebook, filled with scribbled equations and crossed-out attempts at solving them, open in front of you, you feel like you are ready to cry. the clock on the wall is ticking away, reminding you of how little time you have left before the assignment is due. your older brother, arthur, is slouched in the chair beside you, brows furrowing at the same problem.

“i don’t get it,” you say, frustration and a hint of desperation evident in your voice. “why does physics have to be so complicated?”

arthur shakes his head, running a hand through his tousled hair. “i really wish i could help more, but i’m as lost as you are. i haven’t touched this stuff since high school.” he says, sighing at the defeated look on your face. you had called him almost in tears, begging him to help you, but he hadn’t been able to do anything but calm you slightly down. physics was as much his strong suit as it was yours. you really should have called lorenzo instead.

the two of you continue to stare at the problem, hoping that somehow the solution will magically appear. it doesn’t. instead, you feel the pressure mounting even more.

“i just don’t get how i’m so bad at it, arthur.” you sigh leaning your head on the table as you do your best to keep the tears at bay. “i have no problems in math or chemistry. it doesn’t make sense.”

“hey,” he leans forward, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “you’re not bad at it. it’s just a hard assignment. even i can’t solve it.”

you nod your head slightly, pulling yourself together as you sit back up in your seat, but arthur keeps his hand firmly placed on your back, his thump moving up and down in a repetitive, comforting motion.

“let’s try again.” he suggests, attempting to sound hopeful, but you both know that it won’t get any easier just because you try a tenth time.

it only leaves the two of you even more frustrated when you once again have to give up. the new site arthur had opened to find help proves to be as useless as his competence, so you’re just about to suggest giving up and accepting a failed grade when you hear the sound of the front door opening and closing.

“hey, are you home?” charles voice calls out from the hallway.

you and arthur exchange a surprised look. charles is rarely home. his demanding career keeps him traveling around the world for most of the year, and even now, when he’s on a break between races, he spends most of his time with his friends and girlfriend, so it’s a rare treat to have him standing in your childhood home.

charles walks into the kitchen where you are sitting, his presence instantly filling the room with a sense of ease and comfort, because your older brother is here. everything will be fine now. he looks at the two of you with a curious smile. “what’s going on here? you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

you hesitate for a moment before sinking further down into your seat. “we’re stuck,” you admit, gesturing to the textbook and your chaotic notes. “physics should be banned. it’s ruining my mental health”

charles raises an eyebrow in amusement as he puts away his things and takes a seat across from you, glancing at the problem. “mind if i take a look?”

“be our guest,” arthur replied with a huff, sliding the notebook over to him.

you watch as charles studies the problem, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table. despite his career in racing, he always had a knack for understanding complex concepts and problem-solving. you observe as his eyes scan the equations, his brow furrowing slightly in concentration.

“okay, let’s see,” charles begins, picking up a pen. “this part here,” he points to one of your scribbled attempts, “is on the right track, but you need to account for the force in the opposite direction as well. it’s a vector addition problem.”

you lean in closer, trying to follow his explanation. “i did not understand any of that.” you admit.

“okay…” he seems deep in though for a moment before he begins breaking it down step by step, making the complications seem much simpler. you and arthur nod along, starting to see where you went wrong.

“thank you so so much.” you gush in gratitude as you finally apply the correct information to your rapport.

“no problem,” he replies, grinning as your face loses the previous tension. “it’s nice to know that you still need your big brother sometimes.”

he is teasing you, so much is evident from his facial expression, but it’s also clear that there is some hidden sincerity in his words. he used to help the two of you with everything, and although he wouldn’t admit it, it hurts to see arthur taking over the big brother role when he‘s away. he was supposed to always take care of you.

arthur is smiling brightly at charles as he claps him on the back. “you saved us. we’d have been here all night.”

charles laughs, leaning back in his chair. “anytime. but i’m a bit disappointed in your lack of knowledge on this subject, arth.”

arthur gives him an offended look. “we can’t all be unhealthily obsessed with physics.”

as they continue their back and forth banter, you contentedly close your textbook. feeling a weight lift off your shoulders, you realize how much you’ve missed having charles around. his ability to jump into any situation and lend a hand is something you’re eternally grateful for.

tonight, he’s not just your older brother or a famous racing star—he’s the hero who saved you from the perils of physics homework.

a hero who’s always ready to save you from anything. always just a call away.

[strwberri-milk]

hii! i love your writing, hope you are doing well ♡

could i request a headcanon on how could the lads boys be like with a reader that asks for their help with their assignment on a college AU? tyy!

Zayne, Sylus and Xavier are all good with STEM. Zayne is best with anything biology, medicine, or chemistry related (of course) but is also good at most things in general so he's able to help you with some social sciences or non-visual arts (unless you need a diagram drawn). He's also great at helping you organise your day to keep you on track with getting your work done. I personally headcanon that he used to tutor or help his classmates with assignments so he's pretty good at explaining complex topics.

Xavier is better with coding and physics and stuff like that. He's more disorganised than Zayne is but at least if you need his help he's going to be able to help. He kinda sucks at explaining things though so you'd have to ask him to re explain it a bunch of times. He just doesn't seem to understand when he uses terms that are too complicated because he just assumes you already know what he's talking about.

Sylus knows a lot and is okay with helping you as well but he also isn't the best person to explain. He does try a bunch of different ways to explain to you and you'll get it eventually. He has a lot of patience for you so that helps. He is a lot better with math and coding, but he has enough of a knowledge base to at least point you in the right direction if you're not asking something math related. He also has no problem just finding someone who can tutor you and help you get your work done.

Rafayel is pretty smart and has a lot of general knowledge but if you need help for classes his strengths are going to be visual and performing arts, some art history in certain time periods, and sometimes literature. It really just depends on how much he likes something to know what his knowledge base is. He's good enough at teaching application (ex. how to paint, sing, etc.) but theory is kinda hard to get with him because he just goes off of vibes a lot of the time.

His theoretical knowledge isn't lacking just...hard to comprehend. His esoteric way of teaching is fine when he's showing you how to do something because you can at least watch or see what he's trying to get at. Let's just hope you need help with definitive questions or painting as opposed to philosophy or literary theory.

[junrenjun]

love and lacrosse jackets

pe teacher!vernon x chemistry teacher!reader (fem)

genre: fluff

wc: 3k

warnings: reader is referred to as ms. (and other fem pronouns), reader wears vernon's clothes

a/n: this is not an understand series update and i apologize for that. however, here's a vernon teacher au with a little side of lacrosse and dad!seungcheol

You were suddenly thrown out of your thoughts by one of your students sighing and turning from her worksheet. “Ms. y/n, can I ask a question?” 

You knew this student, Maya, was likely trying to get out of doing her assignment. She was too smart for her own good. “Depends. Is it about the worksheet?” 

She paused for a second, turning her head slightly away in order to avoid your gaze. “...no.”

You continued. “Do you need to go to the bathroom or the nurse?”

Maya sighed and mumbled, “no.”

You turned back to your computer while giving your final response. “Then I think you know the answer. I would be happy to talk to you once you’ve balanced all those equations.” 

You should’ve known she wasn’t giving up that easily. If anything, she probably gave up halfway through the worksheet because she knew the answers and was just looking for something to entertain herself. “Mr. Chwe lets us ask him questions all the time.”

You snorted. “Mr. Chwe is a PE teacher Maya. You don’t have worksheets to do in his classes. Unfortunately, you do in chemistry. So please finish this or at least study for your quiz next week.” 

Maya was apparently taken aback by this. She was quick to defend herself, saying, “how do you know we don’t do worksheets in PE?”

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. Maybe you should've been a college professor instead of a high school teacher. “I’m the girls lacrosse coach and he’s the boys coach. We spend a lot of time together and I’ve never once seen him make a worksheet.” 

An evil grin spread across Maya’s face. You internally groaned at this. That expression means she’s up to absolutely no good. She turned and tapped on her partner’s arm. Great, now she’s distracting other students too. “Henry, wouldn’t Ms. y/n and Mr. Chwe make a cute couple?” He grinned and started going off on a tangent about how funny it would be if the two lacrosse coaches were dating. 

This conversation really took a turn for the worse, didn’t it? There’s nothing you could do but groan, out loud this time, and put your head in your hands. Your neighboring teacher, Mr. Seokmin, really has impeccable timing though. He stuck his head through your door and grabbed your attention a few moments later. “Hey Ms. y/n, do you have a student that can run an errand for me real quick?”

Now was your chance. “Maya, since you seem to have no interest in balancing any more equations, why don’t you go help Mr. Seokmin?”

Before she could protest, the physics teacher grinned brightly at her before exclaiming, “perfect! Come on Maya, I need someone to help me carry these projects to the library.” Once she was finally out of the room, you breathed a sigh of relief. 

It didn’t last long though because your other students suddenly started giggling and murmuring amongst each other. Henry, who was still turned toward you, decided he needed to continue Maya’s antics in her absence. “You did say you and Mr. Chwe were close.” More giggles were heard. 

You’re not sure what you did to deserve this treatment from your 3rd hour honors class of all people, but clearly it was something. “Alright if you all don’t go back to your work I’m not offering any extra credit on this next quiz.” The rest of the hour passed in silence. 

“What’s with the long face?” Vernon thought the joking would cheer his best player up, but it just made Henry frown even more. 

After a few moments of silence, he finally answered, “I had a quiz in chemistry today. Don’t think I did too well on it.”

Vernon was quick to ask him which teacher he had. “Your favorite, Ms. y/n,” Henry responded. 

The PE teacher rolled his eyes at the comment but still clapped his hand on the player’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine, kid. She offers extra credit. But she also told me you and Maya were pestering her the other day instead of doing your work, so maybe you should put a little more effort into understanding the material next time.”

Henry grumbled, knowing nothing good would come of an argument. “Yeah, whatever you say Coach.” Then, he dropped his bag on the ground and ran out onto the field to start warming up.

Vernon felt someone approach him from behind. “See dude, even the kids can pick up on you and y/n’s chemistry. Haha, get it? Chemistry? Y/n teaches chemistry.” The head coach could barely restrain himself from flicking Mingyu in the forehead. He was a great assistant coach, but an incredibly annoying friend. 

“Why can’t I just be friends with a coworker and fellow lacrosse coach?” Vernon complained. Mingyu simply watched on as his friend continued. “Just because we’re both single doesn’t mean we should get together. I mean she’s really cool and works really well with the kids. And she’s an insane lacrosse player, an even better coach too. I think she could get the girls to state this year. I just think…” He’s cut off by Mingyu smacking his arm. 

For once, he’s grateful for the assistant coach’s intrusion, because he turns around to find you jogging up to him. Weird, he thought to himself, since you and the girls have a game today. You skid to a stop next to the two, and make eye contact with him. “You don’t happen to have an extra SVHS shirt do you? I think I forgot my coaching shirt at home today and I really don’t want Seungcheol getting on my ass for it.” 

Vernon’s world comes crashing down at that moment. Maybe he does have a teensy little crush on you. Because the thought of you wearing his clothes has him swooning. Mingyu, ever so helpful, snaps him out of the moment by clearing his throat to yell at the boys for messing around. Vernon blinks at you for a second before stammering out, “uh yeah I think so,” and reaching into his bag. He pulls out a gray quarter zip with the words “SVHS” and “Coach Chwe” embroidered on the chest. He debates hiding it from your sight and shoving it back in his bag to save you both the embarrassment, but he knows how strict Seungcheol is as an athletic director. 

He eventually tosses it to you, stuttering out something about good luck while watching you throw it over your head. Once it’s on you say, “I have the same one, so hopefully no one sees the difference. Thanks Chwe.” He can’t even process your words because his brain is simply malfunctioning seeing you in his clothes, especially ones that say his name. He’s no better than his high schoolers. Before he knows it, you’re turning on your heel and jogging back to the main field. 

Someone comes up behind him, filling Mingyu’s absence, since the assistant coach ran off to lead practice drills in the middle of Vernon’s little crisis. He hears the lacrosse captain snickering and then telling him, “damn Coach, you’ve got it bad. You’re redder than a tomato.”

Vernon simply cannot handle it any further. “Oscar, for heaven’s sake, please shut your mouth and go back to practice.” Oscar throws his hands up in mock defense, before grabbing the ball that rolled over to Vernon’s feet and running back onto the field.

You really need to give Vernon his coach’s jacket back. It didn’t help that you weren’t a morning person, and seemed to accidentally leave it at home whenever you left for work each day. It also maybe didn’t help that it smelled just like the boy’s lacrosse coach, who, admittedly, smelled pretty damn good. But, you couldn’t hoard Vernon’s things forever. You were lucky enough that you had gone a week without him mentioning the jacket at all, which you chalked up to him knowing you were busy.

Tomorrow, you told yourself. Tomorrow you would take the jacket back to school and give it to him. You even laid it out with your own jacket, which you were going to wear the next since you had a game anyways. That, however, was a mistake. Because in the morning, groggy from lack of sleep, you accidentally threw on Vernon’s jacket and shoved your own into your work bag. 

How no one told you until 3rd period, you’re not quite sure. Mainly because Seokmin had specifically complimented your outfit when you visited him before your first class. You thought maybe it was because you were wearing a new pair of pants. Clearly it was not and the physics teacher was using it as a means to tease you (and Vernon by proxy). If only you had known.

Maya stepped into your classroom extra peppy that day, which was already a recipe for disaster. The fact that she was the one to catch that you were wearing Mr. Chwe’s zip-up certainly did not help. A gasped “oh my god” stopped you in the middle of your lecture. You pointedly looked at the girl before asking, “Maya, is everything alright?”

The poor girl could barely contain her excitement, practically shaking in her seat. “You’re dating Mr. Chwe! I knew it!”

You were caught so off-guard that it took you a while to respond. “Maya, where did you even get that idea from? And you’re being disruptive, I’m trying to teach about equilibrium.” 

She stood from her seat and pointed at you, before excitedly exclaiming, “your jacket. You’re wearing Mr. Chwe’s jacket!” You looked down and, sure enough, Vernon’s name was plastered across the chest. To put it plainly, you were mortified. In fact, you’re pretty sure you’ve embarrassed yourself even more when you don’t respond for a solid minute. 

Finally, when you’re done wallowing in pity in front of a bunch of 16 year olds, you make your way to your desk and pull out a hall pass. You hand it to Maya swiftly before telling her, “if you’re too invested in this to learn chemistry, go bother Mr. Chwe about it. It’s his planning period.” She gapes up at you before scrambling out of the room.

You turn back to the rest of the class, making sure to pointedly look at Henry. “No other questions about my love life?”

A deadly silence spreads across the room. Henry sinks back in his chair but you watch a hand creep up from the back of the classroom. You sigh and call on the girl. She’s clearly surprised you even allowed her to speak, because the question is whispered to the point you can barely hear it. “Why do you have Mr. Chwe’s jacket?”

The inquiry is enough to throw you off the deep end. “Ok, I’m not teaching the rest of class. I don’t care what you guys do as it’s either A) not disruptive or B) asking me about my personal life.” 

Seungcheol is surprised when there is a knock on the athletic office door in the middle of 3rd period. Students should be in class and if it were a staff member, they would have just let themselves in. He tells whoever it is to come in and is slightly less surprised to see Maya standing in front of him. She doesn’t let him speak first, quickly letting out, “do you know where Mr. Chwe is?”

He raises an eyebrow at the girl. “You got a hall pass kid?” he fires back. Maya waves the piece of paper around in his face. He rolls his eyes. 

She puts her hands on her hips and looks pointedly at him. “Seriously though. Do you know where Mr. Chwe is? It’s supposed to be his planning period or something.”

Seungcheol is still confused why she needs to see Vernon in the middle of 3rd hour and how she managed a hall pass for it. “Why?”

Maya plops down on the chair in front of his desk with a sigh, clearly this conversation was not happening without a little bit of a fight. “Ms. y/n sent me to ask him a question.”

The athletic director can’t help but let out a snort at the girl’s comment. Maya is suddenly interested in his reaction. “Why is that so funny? Do you think they’re dating too?”

Seungcheol is surprised yet again. “Do you think they’re dating?”

Now Maya snorts. “Obviously. Ms. y/n is wearing his lacrosse jacket today.” She laughs when the man’s eyes practically bulge out of his skull. He rustles around his desk, grabbing a notepad and writing another hall pass for the girl.

After scribbling for a second, he passes the note to the girl and tells her, “Mr. Chwe is in his office, room 218.”

The girl grabs the note from his hands and gleefully gets up to skip out the door. She stops midway through and calls out over her shoulder, “thanks Dad!”

“I’m not dating Ms. y/n, Maya. You know that.” Vernon sighs exasperatedly. “Why are you even asking me this?”

He knows he’s in for trouble when she smirks. “She’s wearing your coaching jacket today. Care to explain that?”

Vernon knows he should’ve asked for it back sooner rather than later. But he was secretly hoping that he would be able to see it on you one more time. And the longer you have it, the more likely it’s going to come back smelling like you (not that Vernon cares anyways right?). He doesn’t miss a beat though, explaining to Maya that he lent you his jacket for a game and that you probably mixed it up with your own. She’s not impressed, but she knows it’s an explanation that’s most likely true. This doesn’t stop her from interrogating Vernon further. “Do you want to date Ms. y/n?”

His silence is incriminating. He can tell by Maya’s mile wide grin. Trying to put an end to it, the lacrosse coach stands up from his desk, telling her that he’ll walk her back to whatever class she left from.

One tiny important detail he forgot is that you teach 3rd hour honors chemistry. A class that one of his players, Henry, shares with Maya. And he’s currently standing outside your door, watching as you type away on your computer. Sure enough, “Mr. Chwe” is embroidered across the chest. Vernon thinks he might combust on the spot. His student clearly picks up on this, muttering something about how she’s “seen middle schoolers with more balls.” 

He waits outside your door as Maya enters the room. There’s only a few minutes left of the period, so he figured it would be better for both of you to talk away from prying eyes. As the bell rings, he patiently watches the students trickle out your door. When he’s sure that everyone is gone, he steps into the doorway. What he does not expect is for you to walk straight into his chest, stumbling back with the cutest “oomph” he’s ever heard. 

Vernon is stunned but you look completely mortified. Probably because you just ran into the man whose jacket you’re wearing basically without his consent. His assumption is correct because you start mumbling out apologies. “I’m so sorry I thought this was my jacket when I grabbed it this morning. I didn’t mean to wear it today, I made such a mess of this. I shouldn’t have even asked for it in the first place. I was just about to change, give me a second I…”

The lacrosse coach cuts you off in the middle of your little rant. “Do you want to go out with me after your game on Friday?” 

You blink at him, not even processing the words he just said. When you finally do, your cheeks flush and you glance down at your watch. “Do you think you can ask me that in like 4 hours, Chwe?”

Vernon has no idea what you mean by that. He gawks a little bit. Do you need time to think about it? Are you not interested? Do you already have a boyfriend? Shit, he should’ve thought this through.

You break him out of his little trance with a small chuckle. “We’re on the clock Vernon. And you have a class in three minutes.” 

He glances at his watch. His freshman PE class is probably waiting for him. He mumbles something about meeting him on the main field before practice. Then he’s out the door. You’re left there, stunned, still in his jacket. You don’t bother to take it off the rest of the day.

A few hours later, Mingyu and Seokmin are watching you both converse from afar. Vernon’s cheeks are the reddest they’ve ever been. You’re fidgeting nervously but also smiling. It seems to be going well. Seokmin turns to the assistant coach before saying, “took them long enough.”

They hear someone approaching and turn to see Seungcheol. “You both owe me $20.” 

Both the teachers roll their eyes at him but reach for their wallets. Maya pops up from their other side, walking up to her father. “I should be getting at least half of that. I did all the work.” 

Seungcheol grunts, pondering her proposition. He turns to her. “What about this? You can either get $20 now or $200 if y/n is Mrs. Chwe before you graduate college?”

Maya’s eyes brighten and that sinister smile spreads across her cheeks once again. “Deal.” (She’s $200 richer at her college graduation).

[4barbatos]

✦ seatmate!venti drabbles

— modern high school au

fluff + mild crack .ᐟ ( fem reader )

a/n: this one’s requested by anon !! tysm for the idea <3 i enjoyed writing this sm hehe :3 hope you like it too !! pls keep sending silly venti fic ideas i am thriving off of him being annoying and in love.

✦ seatmate!venti rests his head on your shoulder and pretends to be asleep so you won’t make him move.

“venti, get off.”

he fake snores. loudly.

“you’re literally awake.”

“shhh,” he whispers. “you’re my pillow now.”

you sigh. he smiles. ten minutes later, he mumbles,

“you’re really warm…”

you don’t move.

✦ seatmate!venti asks if you two can be lab partners “in life.”

“venti, it’s just chemistry class.”

“exactly,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows. “chemistry.”

“no.”

“denial is the first step to love.”

✦ seatmate!venti writes your name in his notebook with his last name.

“what are you doing.”

“manifesting.”

you look. there’s a little “mrs. venti” in cursive surrounded by sparkles. he’s coloring it in with glitter pen.

✦ seatmate!venti makes you a playlist titled “songs that remind me of us (even tho we’re not dating YET)”

“this is literally just twenty versions of ‘can’t take my eyes off you’.”

“and???”

“…and it’s kind of good.”

“so you admit it.”

“i didn’t say that.”

✦ seatmate!venti calls you his “favorite distraction.”

“you’re staring at me again.”

“yeah. i have a type.”

“what, people who ignore you?”

“people who look cute when they’re trying not to smile.”

✦ seatmate!venti keeps sending you notes during class even though you’re sitting right next to him.

you unfold the fourth one in five minutes. it says:

“do you like me?

☐ yes

☐ yes but in denial

☐ venti please shut up”

you circle the third box and throw it back at his face.

✦ seatmate!venti insists on carrying your bag even though it’s literally heavier than him.

“venti you’re going to snap in half.”

“then i’ll die doing what i love.”

“being annoying?”

“carrying your heart. and also your alarmingly heavy physics binder.”

✦ seatmate!venti gets jealous when someone else borrows your eraser.

“who’s that?”

“albedo. he asked for my eraser.”

“do you give everyone your erasers or am i just not special anymore.”

“…venti.”

“this is worse than betrayal. this is heartbreak.”

✦ seatmate!venti brings you snacks and calls it “wooing.”

“i bought you chips.”

“you got these from the vending machine.”

“with my own two hands. for you. because i’m courting you.”

“you’re unbelievable.”

“you’re welcome.”

✦ seatmate!venti keeps calling you “my muse” while doodling on the corner of his notes.

you glance over. it’s a badly drawn stick figure with little sparkles around it.

“is that me?”

“yes. look how radiant you are.”

“…you gave me three strands of hair.”

“it’s called art style.”

✦ seatmate!venti makes a dramatic scene every time you’re absent.

“the sun didn’t rise yesterday,”

he says when you come back.

“i was gone for one day.”

“i wrote you a poem.”

“venti.”

“would you like me to perform it.”

✦ seatmate!venti keeps quoting love poems dramatically when you pass him a stapler or something.

“i would staple the stars to the sky for you.”

“venti i just asked if you’re done with the assignment.”

“and i am. done. with pretending i don’t love you.”

“i am begging you to be normal.”

✦ seatmate!venti sends you good morning texts even though you literally see him in class an hour later.

“good morning sunshine 💚 did you sleep well? i had a dream we got married. anyway see u in biology hehe”

“please go back to sleep”

“can’t. thinking about u. also i haven’t done the homework pls help”

✦ seatmate!venti says “i love you” every time you lend him a pencil, but today he says it a little too soft. a little too real.

you hand him a mechanical pencil without looking. he takes it and says, like always,

“i love you.”

it’s routine by now. he says it every time. you never respond.

but this time, it’s quieter. gentler.

you glance at him.

he’s not even looking at you. just focused on his notes, twirling the pencil between his fingers like nothing happened.

“venti,” you murmur.

he hums.

you open your mouth to say something — then the teacher calls on you and you lose your nerve.

you don’t bring it up again. but you don’t take your eyes off him for the rest of the period, either.

[hashiruchan]

Headcanon: What subjects would Primarchs teach in high school?

(Based on subjects I had in high school or am familiar with)

This is my first Warhammer 40k headcanon, I hope you like it :'3 It comes with some quick sketches

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

Roboute Guilliman – Economics/Business Administration He is usually strict because it is his duty but he helps his students from time to time, everyone loves him

Vulkan – Civics and Ethics His class focuses on kindness, responsibility, and community service. Everyone gets an A, but he expects you to do your best.

Konrad Curze – Student Supervisor (Hall Supervisor/Dean of Students) No one dares break the rules when he is around. His office is dimly lit and no one knows how he always catches the students before they even think about misbehaving. What could you expect from the Night Haunter?

Corvus Corax – Physics He would make any class interesting, he is sad to fail students and he loves them like they are his children

Lorgar – Religious Studies Somehow, every lesson becomes a sermon and 20 ways to pray to the Emperor

Mortarion – Chemistry The lab always smells funny. An expert in handling toxic gases, the students suspect he is immune to all dangerous substances. Strict

Leman Russ – Physical Education "You're not tired! You're just weak! Keep running!" Gym class is less about fitness and more about survival.

Fulgrim – Philosophy Every discussion ends with an impassioned monologue and the students leave questioning their entire existence thinking what perfection really is. Typical handsome but ruthless teacher

Perturabo – Workshop The assignments are almost impossible. If your project isn't reinforced with adamantium and designed to withstand artillery fire, it's not good enough.

Jaghatai Khan – Biology He loves explaining evolution and animal physiology, he likes to talk about horses a lot, he would be a very funny teacher.

Rogal Dorn – Law/Government Studies He follows everything to the letter, very calculating and always remembers everything he and his students say in every class. Every assignment must be structured like a legal document.

Ferrus Manus – Engineering Very practical. "If you can't build it with your own hands, you don't deserve to use it." Students who present blueprints without actual prototypes are judged harshly.

Angron – Math No one understands why he is so angry when explaining basic algebra, He throws chalk at students who can't solve equations fast enough, don't blame him deep down he is good.

Magnus the Red – Psychology He knows what you are thinking before you say it. "I understand your trauma better than you do" he says. There are very intense debates in class and to calm them down the students leave with mild headaches.

Horus – Language and Literature (English/Literature) Charismatic, good, helps his students and motivates them to be better every day, everyone's favorite without a doubt.

Alpharius – Substitute teacher for any subject "Wait, weren't you teaching biology yesterday?" No one knows how many of them actually exist, I'm actually Alpharius

Lion El'Jonson – History Classes about wars always have a suspicious lack of details about his own past. "We don't talk about certain events. Let's move on…" he doesn't stop talking.

Sanguinius – Fine Arts Every class feels like a divine experience. Students often leave inspired… or in tears. No one wants to disappoint him, he always strives to make his classes relaxing, stimulating and creative for them, he would spend all night cutting out paper flowers to hand out the next day.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Coma

Coma - (from the Greek word ‘‘koma,’’ meaning deep sleep)

A state of extreme unresponsiveness, in which an individual exhibits no voluntary movement or behavior.

In a deep coma, even painful stimuli (actions which, when performed on a healthy individual, result in reactions) are unable to affect any response, and normal reflexes may be lost.

Coma is the result of something that interferes with the functioning of the cerebral cortex and/or the functioning of the structures that make up the RAS. In fact, a huge and varied number of conditions can result in coma. A good way of categorizing these conditions is to consider the anatomic and the metabolic causes of coma:

Anatomic causes of coma are those conditions that disrupt the normal physical architecture of the brain structures responsible for consciousness, either at the level of the cerebal cortex or the brainstem.

Metabolic causes of coma consist of those conditions that change the chemical environment of the brain, thereby adversely affecting function.

As in any neurologic condition, history and examination form the cornerstone of diagnosis when the patient is in a coma; however, history must be obtained from family, friends, or EMS.

The Glasgow Coma Scale is a system of examining a comatose patient.

It is helpful for evaluating the depth of the coma, tracking the patient’s progress, and predicting (somewhat) the ultimate outcome of the coma.

It assigns a different number of points for exam results in three different categories:

opening the eyes,

verbal response (using words or voice to respond), and

motor response (moving a part of the body).

Fifteen is the largest possible number of total points, indicating the highest level of functioning.

The highest level of functioning would be demonstrated by an individual who spontaneously opens his/her eyes, gives appropriate answers to questions about his/her situation, and can carry out a command (such as ‘‘move your leg’’ or ‘‘nod your head’’).

Three is the least possible number of total points and would be given to a patient for whom not even a painful stimulus is sufficient to provoke a response.

In the middle are those patients who may be able to respond, but who require an intense or painful stimulus, and whose response may demonstrate some degree of brain malfunctioning (such as a person whose only response to pain in a limb is to bend that limb in toward the body).

When performed as part of the admission examination, a Glasgow score of three to five points often suggests that the patient has likely suffered fatal brain damage, while eight or more points indicates that the patient’s chances for recovery are good.

Expansion of the pupils and respiratory pattern are also important.

Metabolic causes of coma are diagnosed from blood work and urinalysis to evaluate blood chemistry, drug screen, and blood cell abnormalities that may indicate infection.

Anatomic causes of coma are diagnosed from CT (computed tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans.

Coma is a medical emergency, and attention must first be directed to maintaining the patient’s respiration and circulation, using intubation and ventilation, administration of intravenous fluids or blood as needed, and other supportive care.

If head trama has not been excluded, the neck should be stabilized in the event of fracture.

It is obviously extremely important for a physician to determine quickly the cause of a coma, so that potentially reversible conditions are treated immediately. For example, an infection may be treated with antibiotics; a brain tumor may be removed; and brain swelling from an injury can be reduced with certain medications.

Various metabolic disorders can be addressed by supplying the individual with the correct amount of oxygen, glucose, or sodium; by treating the underlying disease in liver disease, asthma, or diabetes; and by halting seizures with medication.

Because of their low incidence of side effects and potential for prompt reversal of coma in certain conditions, glucose, the Bvitamin thiamine, and Narcan (to counteract any narcotic-type drugs) are routinely given.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Realistic Injuries

[fairyhaos]

seventeen as teachers

requested by @weird-bookworm ! it's a little to the left of what you asked but i hope it's alright anyway ><

masterlist

seungcheol

architecture professor. kind of thanks to physics!cheol anon for this idea but he really encourages hands-on learning especially for his subject, and he draws big diagrams on the board and gestures wildly with his hands as he's explaining why the models work and what do the students think of it? also he definitely gives vibes of someone who high fives the students when their models withstand his shaking tests, but also laughs and claps when they fall apart. because it's all about learning, isn't it? and he's with you to help you learn every step of the way. 

jeonghan

kindergarten teacher. cannot for the life of him handle kids older than that because then they get too tricksy and talkative for him and he gets tired too easily to deal with that. actually really good at handling the toddlers. he's also very pretty so all the kids unironically hang onto his every word, basically making him the god at keeping children in line. when he gets too tired of running around after them he just goes “kids :((( jeonghan is tired :(((“ and they immediately settle down to do something else

joshua

music teacher (1). he's a total department crush (and even school-wide crush) amongst the other teachers because he's so pretty and so kind, always and accidentally keeps making teachers fall for him bc he talks to them so nicely w that pretty smile of his. renowned for his ability to compose melodies on the piano on the spot, and always has students wanting him to help (cough compose for them) parts of their composition work. no one knows what he does outside of work, though. it's like he disappears into thin air after school finishes. 

junhui

gives me eccentric uni professor vibes. sits on his desk with his feet dangling and asks all sorts of strange and irrelevant questions to the students that are, actually, not strange and entirely relevant. has everyone walking out of his lectures feeling like a changed person because he either a) managed to get horribly off track or b) made them rethink their entire life choices. loved by all, and maybe a bit too much. poor guy definitely had an obsessed student try to follow him home before he got lost himself and so they both ended up in the middle of nowhere

hoshi

chemistry teacher. no other reason other than i think he'd look great with a pair of goggles on his forehead pushing his fringe back at funny angles whilst he grins maniacally and goes, “hey, kids, today we're gonna set things on fire!!!!”. so passionate about teaching these things to the students, and rambles on like he only has 5 minutes left on earth and he's gonna use every second to cram in as much chemistry knowledge into the students’ brains as he can in that time. it works, too. his passion inspires so many of them to take chemistry further up in the school. 

wonwoo

history teacher. all the students want him for their teacher when they take history because he's actually, like, competent and knows stuff. known for taking no shit when it comes to doing assignments on time because he sets reasonable deadlines and if you can't make them, then that's on you, not him. students love him. also super duper helpful if you have any questions and is always free at lunch to help bc he'll do anything to escape the hyperactive claws of mr. kwon and mr. wen who are always up to shenanigans

woozi

music teacher (2). mans life literally revolves around music and i can't imagine him doing anything else. department ace. conductor of both the symphony and concert orchestra, and rearranges all of the parts himself when the students find it a little too difficult. also do Not engage this man in a conversation about anything to do with music theory because he will rant for ages and any quick question turns into half of your lunch break being missed. he means well, though, and always gets ridiculous amount of thank-you presents at the end of the year. 

minghao

art teacher (1). dresses like one, too, and has been voted as ‘best dressed teacher’ for the past 3 years in a row. all the art students are kind of afraid of him because if you ask for feedback, there is a 50/50 chance that he'll rip you a new one whilst explaining what you did wrong. there's never any true cruelty to his words, though, cuz hes always actually giving genuine advice and he's always right in what he advises, so students either love him or hate him for his criticisms, though mostly it's the former. he's pretty, too, and his works are pretty, so that's a plus

mingyu

teaches business studies to the older students, purely cz i think he gives maths-adjacent vibes. he teaches a “special” subject that's not available to the younger kids and he's ridiculously handsome so he's kind of like a legendary figure in the school. even if he's a bit silly and adorable at times, he's also super good at holding intellectual debates with his students about current economic and political affairs. can be found bickering with mr. yoon bc the kindergarten teacher wants him to help with his taxes.

dokyeom

art teacher (2). smiles brighter than the sun at all hours of the day, and when the senior students are drowning in coursework and artist research deadlines, he's like the one and only guiding light that helps them get through it because of how endlessly optimistic he is. half the seniors take art solely because of him, actually. also a firm believer that all art is good art and there's no such thing as a “non-artist”. scolds minghao after work when he feels like the other teacher was being too harsh to the students

seungkwan

part of the senior leadership team. takes his position veryyy seriously, strides briskly around the school with a jingle of w set of keys he managed to procure from…somewhere. is always on top of uniform inspections which is always annoying for the kids, but he's also melodramatic and smiley so they love him anyway. the students are always try to recruit him for teacher quizzes and events bc he makes everything way more fun. 

vernon

classics teacher. this might seem odd but hear me out!!! dude loves ancient history and Will do deep dives on old artefacts and cultures that interest him, and i think that passion can definitely be transferred to him teaching kids about latin, ancient greek, old civilizations. known for sharing nothing about his personal life but also being able to talk for ages about something that happened over 1000 years ago. the students all find him super cool and also super endearing. 

chan

the guy who's hired externally from some sports club to act as the teacher to students during after school clubs. teaches martial arts, mainly, but he supervised an impromptu dance club one semester and the students loved it so much that they managed to bring the dance club onto the permanent schedule. everyone loves him. his sports club is 10000% sure that half the children who come to them were recruited through chan's lovely personality alone. 

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[mypurp1e]

lucid part three

summary: distractions. you need distractions.

relationship: Agatha x Reader (eventual)

word count: 5.3k

good to know: nothing nsfw but cut-to-black activity, side quest

note: sorry it's been a while. part four shouldn't take two months. 😅 maybe this chapter isn't where you thought it'd go, but there's a plan. i promise.

links: archive of our own | part one | part two

You may have left Agatha’s office physically, but you remained there in your head for the rest of the afternoon. Why hadn’t you just said yes when she’d asked if she should sign the form? You had to keep yourself from shuddering each time you heard your own voice echoing in your head:

They’re not about you. I just want you to know that.

You couldn’t have said anything more incriminating if you’d tried. And you couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was like the moment was on loop in your mind.

You needed to do something to distract yourself.

You asked Wanda to hang out later, but she had agreed to watch the twins she nannied, so she wasn’t available. You’d texted a few of your other friends, but everyone was busy. You’d even reached out to Vision, though, despite your desire for literally anything to take your mind off your professor, you were not all that disappointed when he said he had a chemistry lab he couldn’t miss.

You thought about going out on your own, but your mind immediately took you back to the last time—the missing journal, the panic—and your stomach turned. Going out hadn’t even been part of the reason you’d lost the journal, but they were so closely linked in your memory now that it didn’t matter.

So, you weren’t going out. But you weren’t going to go back to your dorm yet, either. It was too quiet there, despite your neighbor’s best efforts. Being alone with your thoughts right now wasn’t going to help anything.

The library was another option, but you knew you wouldn’t actually be able to focus on any sort of assignment. You opted for the dining hall. There would be no shortage of noise there, so at least you wouldn’t get lulled into your thoughts thanks to the quiet alone.

You sat for hours with only a glass of water and a bowl of cereal on your tray. Even as the crowds died down, there were still enough dishes clinking from the kitchen and conversations rumbling from other corners of the room to block out (most of) your unwanted thoughts.

When the dining hall staff started wiping down tables and flipping up chairs, you knew it was time to go. It was almost 11:00. Maybe Wanda would be back from her babysitting gig and you could go to her place.

You leaned down to grab your bag, but as you did, the sound of footsteps approaching your table caught your attention. When you looked back up, standing over you was the girl from the registrar’s office—Kate, you thought. She looked at you with a lopsided grin.

“Hey,” she said. “I’ve never seen you before in my life, but now it’s twice in one day. Must mean something.”

“Hey,” you responded with as much of a smile as you could manage with a jaw that hadn’t unclenched since that morning.

She scrunched her nose. “I’ll take that as a sign that your professor wasn’t very helpful?”

You sighed. “Not really.”

“Sorry,” she said, sympathetic. “Well, hey, would you want to come hang with me and some friends? We’re in the archery club. We’re going to go loose some arrows.”

She pointed back toward the last group of people in the room. A couple of them were glancing toward you, but the rest were busy watching one of the guys use a toothpick and a rubber band like a crossbow to hit flying gummy worms. It was not going well.

You looked back up at Kate. “I don’t know how to shoot.”

“You don’t have to,” she assured. “It’ll be really chill. And if you do get behind the bow, you’re almost guaranteed to do better than whatever’s going on over there,” she said, gesturing back to the group with a conspiratorial grin on her face.

You looked down at your bowl of half-eaten cereal—the rings soggy and bloated in the leftover milk—and thought of your empty dorm. You didn’t want to go back there. You’d spend the whole night thinking of that office on the third floor of the English building and replaying the afternoon over and over.

But, at the same time, you had no idea where else to go.

Hanging out with a bunch of strangers wasn’t the most appealing alternative. You didn’t know this girl, and you certainly didn’t know her friends. You did know, however, that at this point, they were your only sure option. At least it seemed like they knew how to fill the silence, and despite their collective interest in a potentially deadly hobby, they seemed pretty harmless.

Kate noticed the time you were taking to decide. “It’s a good way to let off steam. Seems like you need something like that.”

Your mouth tightened into a line. You couldn’t disagree. “You can’t make fun of me if I completely miss every shot.”

“I won’t,” Kate said, holding up three fingers, scout’s honor style, and trying to hide a grin.

“Okay,” you said after another beat. You took a deep breath in through your nose, and pushed it back out again, already half-regretting your choice, but trying not to show it. “I’ll come.”

Kate smiled. “Cool.”

About an hour and a half later, you were sitting on the back porch of one of the guys’ houses, having long been ejected from the game of archery knock-out you’d somehow managed to last three rounds in, and you were feeling a little tipsy. You’d shotgunned a full can of beer as required by the game when you’d been knocked out, and then you hadn’t refused the new can someone handed you as you took your seat.

By the time the game was over, after a final shootout between Kate and one of the guys (Clint, if you were remembering correctly, though it was getting harder to do that), it was well past midnight. Kate walked over, victory in her stride, and sat down on the stairs beside you. She nudged your shoulder. “Feel any better?”

Your thoughts were fuzzy, but you were still with it enough to realize you hadn’t thought about anything outside of that backyard since you’d arrived.

“Yeah. It was fun,” you said with a nod. “I’m glad I came.”

“Me, too,” Kate responded, her smile growing just a little softer. “I think we’re calling it a night. You want a ride back to campus?”

You groaned, leaning back against the stairs. “That’s so far.”

Kate laughed. “You can stay with me. I’m just down the block.”

You glanced over at her, eyebrow raised and a smirk settling in. “You invite strangers to sleep over at your house a lot?”

Kate rolled her eyes, playing along. “Only the ones I know are useless with a bow and arrow.”

“Hey,” you said, furrowing your brow. “You don’t know that I’m not good at something else.”

“Guess we’ll have to see,” Kate said with a shrug, before standing up. “Come on.”

You looked up at her for a long moment, thoughts and actions slowed by a combination of delayed reaction times and hesitation—was this a good idea? What did you know about this girl except that she could hunt you down without even trying? It didn’t really seem like she would. But she could.

When she offered her hand, though, you took it anyway.

-------

You’re back in the hallway, and you’ve been waiting for what feels like hours, because it almost has been.

You’re about to get up and leave, just like you had that afternoon, but you look toward the office door and no one comes out. Instead, you hear a muffled voice drifting out through the cracked door. You can’t make out the words, just sounds—low, rumbling, magnetic.

You hook your thumb through the straps of your tote bag, almost like you’re trying to steer yourself in the other direction, but your feet lead you to the door before you even realize where you’re going.

The voice inside is, unsurprisingly, Agatha’s, but as you get closer, you can hear what she’s reading. You recognize the words. Your dreams.

“Ask me,” you hear suddenly from inside—an interruption of the narrative. “I know you’re there.”

Your cheeks heat up—guilty for getting caught.

You put your hand on the door and slowly push it open. The room is bathed in the amber light of a single lamp. Half in shadow, Agatha sits behind her desk, heels kicked up on the tabletop, eyes still focused on the notebook in her hand.

“Ask me,” she says again, flipping the page without glancing up.

“Ask you what?” you finally choke out, your voice breathier than you meant it to be.

She finally looks up at you, and gestures you over to her side of the desk. You’re right where she wants you in an instant.

“Ask if you’re allowed to think about me like this,” she says, raising her eyebrows like she can’t believe you’d misunderstood such an obvious question.

You swallow.

“Am I allowed—”

“Ah—” she stops you, closing the notebook with a clap and bringing her feet down from the desk onto the floor. “On your knees.”

You drop to your knees without a second thought. Your head is level with her thighs, but you know you’re supposed to be looking her in the eye.

“Am I—”

She reaches out and puts two fingers under your chin, stopping you this time without a single sound.

“Say my name.”

“Agatha,” you say, “am I allowed to think about you when I—”

“Hey,” a voice cuts in, ringing—bright and warm—around the small space despite it being just a whisper. Not Agatha’s. She’s still looking at you expectantly from her chair.

“Wake up,” the voice says again.

You look at Agatha one last time as her image fades and gives way to a place much less familiar with much higher ceilings and softer morning light.

You blinked slowly as your eyes adjusted to the room, having forgotten for a few seconds where you’d fallen asleep last night until your eyes landed on Kate.

“Good morning,” she said, hovering above you as she leaned over the back of the couch.

“Morning,” you said back between yawns.

“Who’s Agatha?”

You had only been half-conscious a moment ago, still in sleep’s grasp, but suddenly you were wide awake. Your eyes instinctively flicked down to the floor where your tote bag was still leaning against the coffee table, and the face that had flickered away moments earlier returned to your mind’s eye in full force. Blue eyes you couldn’t forget if you wanted to. Still, you tried.

“What?” you asked cautiously, doing all you could to keep your face from looking any sort of way.

Kate grinned, amused. “You said her name in your sleep. Whoever she is.”

“Oh,” you said, resisting the urge to sigh at yourself. “I don’t know. Must’ve been someone from a dream.”

“Were you dreaming you were in 1927 or something?” Kate teased before vaulting over the back of the couch to sit beside you—or really, on top of you, since you hadn’t reacted quickly enough to move your outstretched legs before she’d jumped. She was practically in your lap.

“Maybe,” you shrugged, hoping by claiming that nothing had stuck with you, you would be saved from the conversation.

Kate tilted her head, undeterred. “Isn’t there a professor named Agatha?”

You tried to suppress a flinch.

“Yeah, Harkness, right? People drop her classes all the time.” She chuckled briefly, but then her lips parted in realization. “Is that the professor who’s giving you trouble? No wonder you’re trying to get out of there. I’ve heard she’s scary as hell.”

Your legs twitched, suddenly very aware that they were trapped beneath Kate’s weight. She mumbled an apology before lifting herself far enough in the air that you could curl them up against your chest. “Kind of, yeah.”

“I mean, she’s literally giving you nightmares,” she murmured, with a pointed raise of her eyebrow. She was clearly invested now despite your best efforts. At least she’d assumed nightmares were the problem. “Did you email her? What’d she say?”

“She hasn’t signed yet,” you said as you stretched your arms above your head, playing it off as casually as you could in spite of your racing heartbeat.

Kate snorted. “Yeah, she always gives people a hard time.”

You let out a snort of your own in turn. She had no idea.

Eager to change the subject, you stood from the couch, twisting from side to side in an awkward stretch. “What time is it?” you asked, leaning toward your bag to fish out your phone. Kate had hers in easier reach.

“It’s about eight thirty,” Kate said, before locking her screen again and looking up at you. “Want some breakfast?”

You shook your head. “I should go. I have a nine A.M.”

“Oh, okay.”

You looked over just in time to notice her face falter, but only for a second.

 “Thanks for letting me stay,” you said.

Kate shrugged it off. “Like I said—no big deal. Got a whole house here.”

You peeked in your tote bag to check its contents, and when you saw that you had everything, you shouldered the bag and stood from the couch.

“Hey,” Kate said quickly. You turned to look at her, still in her pajamas with a grin planted on her face. “Do you want to trade numbers? I mean, I can let you know if the club has another hang. Work on your aim.”

“Oh,” you said softly. The idea hadn’t really crossed your mind, but maybe it should have. “Sure.”

Kate held her phone out to you, contact page at the ready. You put in your number and handed the phone back.

“I’ll text you,” Kate assured.

You nodded. “Thanks again,” you said, before walking toward the entryway.

You took a last look over your shoulder as you opened the door and found Kate watching you, the same little grin stuck on her face. Your lips twitched upward quickly in her direction before you stepped out into the gray November morning, closed the door, and tried to figure out which way would take you to campus.

-------

Your morning and early afternoon were, thankfully, uneventful. You went to class, took notes, responded to some texts from the friends who had bailed on you the night before (with good excuses, but still).

Kate had texted, too, just like she promised, but beyond the little preview Hey, it’s Kate! Just… you hadn’t read it. Some piece of you wasn’t ready to open it.

But aside from that, things almost felt normal. Almost.

You were still tempted to check around every corner, and you were still compulsively touching the notebook in your bag before you left a room. But… progress. Right?

After your afternoon seminar, you thought seriously, for the first time, about going back to your dorm. You needed a shower and clean clothes—your shirt smelled like day-old anxious sweat and a bit like the beer that had run down the side of your pierced can during the game last night.

But you didn’t. You weren’t ready to be that alone yet.

Instead, you went to the student union, took a table, and pulled out your laptop to try to get some work done. You didn’t do much with all that was going on around you, but at least the constant chatter seemed to neutralize anything else that tried to come to the surface.

Around six, you got a text from Wanda.

Dinner?

You responded almost immediately.

Yes, please. Anywhere. Your choice.

You ended up at a diner about half a block from campus, one that still had a jukebox that hadn’t been updated since the 50s, but that was the way the owner (and Wanda) liked it.

Wanda was already there when you arrived, and her face contorted with barely-disguised concern as you approached.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

You’d done what you could in the restrooms throughout the day—straightening your clothes and splashing water on your face—but you clearly weren’t fooling her.

“I’m fine,” you nodded. “Just a weird couple of days.”

She tilted her head, unconvinced but silently telling you to go on.

You gave her a sanitized version of the last thirty-six hours, with no direct mentions of Agatha. It was just forms. Office hours. Bows and arrows. Beer. Sleeping on the couch of a girl who maybe seemed like she might like you—though you were never good at telling those things for sure.

“She could’ve just been being nice. I did probably look pathetic in the dining hall like that,” you finally finished and took a long sip from your glass of water.

Wanda looked at you thoughtfully from across the table.

“Do you like her?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You should go for it,” Wanda said before taking a bite of her veggie burger. “I mean, you haven’t seen anybody since…”

She trailed off, but you knew what she was referring to. You and Wanda had been friends, then a little more then friends in the pre-Vision days, but now, you were back to just being the kind of friends who didn’t sleep with each other. You knew sometimes Wanda thought you might be a little hung up on her, but you’d rather she think that than admit to the crush on your professor, especially now that it had taken such a weird turn.

“No, not since,” you said, shaking your head. “Maybe I will. I mean, she seemed nice.”

“Nice is good,” Wanda agreed, her eyebrows raised and her voice pitched up half an octave higher than usual, but she didn’t say anything more about it.

When you finished your meals, you paid the check, partly because it was your turn and partly because you felt bad making her listen to you talk about yourself for as long as you did. You walked back together and parted ways at the campus gate—you to go back to your dorm, and Wanda to go to her off-campus apartment.

Wanda stepped forward and wrapped her arms around you in a hug.

“Get some sleep, all right?” she said as she stepped back to stand at arm’s length. She kept her hands on your upper arms, though, and squeezed them briefly in emphasis. “And a shower.”

You chuckled. “I’ll try.”

Seemingly satisfied, she let go of your arms, and gave you a small smile. “See you later, detka,” she said before turning and walking away.

You watched her until she disappeared, putting off what you’d been avoiding for as long as you possibly could.

You sighed.

It was time to face it.

You walked back to your dorm building and up to your floor. When you unlocked your door you just stood for a moment, not even turning on the light.

Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe you’d been psyching yourself out.

But almost instantly, you were hit with the flash of scene. You. Agatha. That very room. The bed you didn’t sleep in last night.

It wasn’t a real memory. It was from a dream. One you’d written down months ago and forgotten about until just now.

Fuck.

 You dropped the bag to the ground, then grabbed for your shower caddy and towel and backed right out of the room, prepared to take the longest, hottest shower of your life.

-------

You’d told Wanda you would try to sleep that night, and you did, but sleep wasn’t coming.

Even after you showered long enough to turn your fingers pruny and your skin raw from scrubbing under hot water, and after you’d changed into your comfiest pajamas, there still couldn’t relax.

It had been hours since you’d returned from the shower, and you’d busied yourself with tidying up the room, trying here and there to read something for one of your classes, but never managing to get past the first page.

Around ten, you finally decided to try getting in bed and just letting the day come to an end. You turned on an audiobook and let it play low from your phone, hoping it would lull you toward sleep without letting your mind slip to other places, but you hardly registered any of the narrator’s words. Instead, you found yourself standing at the front of an empty classroom yet again, feeling the weight of the journal as Agatha placed it back into your hands.

You flipped onto your stomach and reached out to grab the phone. You’d been trying to avoid it, the mindless scrolling, but it wasn’t like laying in bed in a futile attempt to sleep was doing you any good.

You liked a few Instagram posts before turning your attention to your email. Seven new messages had apparently arrived since your last check.

You opened the app with a sigh, preparing for a wave of ads with emojis in the subject line, and that was mostly what you found.

But then you stopped scrolling.

In the middle of the gradebook updates and messages from the same brands as every other day, you saw it.

From: Agatha Harkness

Subject: Office hours tomorrow

Last chance. Won’t be in on Friday.

-AH

Sent 20 minutes ago.

You resisted the urge to bite your lip, which was still a little sore from how much you’d worried it lately.

It was hardly anything. Two sentences, barely. Clear as could be.

And yet, you were staring at it, in bed, at almost midnight, like you were trying to crack some ancient code.

Why was she sending emails at almost midnight? Was that normal for her? You’d never noticed when her class emails went out. You’d emailed back and forth with her a few times earlier in the semester, too, and never noticed anything that had arrived this late. But maybe you’d seen them in the morning and just assumed that’s when they were sent.

If it were any other professor, you’d assume they were extending that they’d maybe just forgotten to send earlier in the day. But no. Agatha didn’t do courtesy. But if it wasn’t just a reminder (as if you could’ve forgotten), what was it?

If you squinted hard enough, it almost read like an invitation. Maybe she was taunting you. Daring you to come to office hours again just so she could watch you walk out with an unsigned withdrawal form for a second time?

Or maybe she just wanted to torture you. She knew—she had to—how far under your skin she was. Maybe she was using it as a way to punish you. Keep her in your thoughts until you broke down, like you weren’t already halfway there all by your own doing.

If that was the case, she was probably enjoying it, too.

You pressed the Reply button and watched as your cursor began to blink at you, but what were you going to say? Thank you?

With a forceful swipe of your thumb, you left the app.

You weren’t going to respond. Anything you could say would feel like a confession you weren’t willing to make, because yes, you were thinking about her. And no, it wasn’t because you got that email. But also, yes, you were thinking about her because of that email and… is that what you wanted? It would be almost impossible not to ask.

A notification badge on your home screen alerted you to one unread text, which you were suddenly very grateful for. Whoever sent it, it didn’t matter. You knew it wouldn’t be Agatha.

When you check your message threads, you realized the unread message was the text that Kate had sent you that morning. You’d meant to come back to it, but clearly you hadn’t.

Hey, it’s Kate! Just making sure you had my number. Text whenever.

You ran your tongue over your teeth.

It was well past the time that you should’ve been responding to a text like that. New friends didn’t just randomly text each other at midnight for no reason. You knew what it would suggest if you replied, no matter what you said.

Hey :) Thanks again for last night. Guess I can cross playing knockout with the Westview U archery team off my bucket list.

You sent the message off, but your fingers were still poised over the screen—hesitant to type even though you had your next text drafted in your mind, as if your first response hadn’t been enough.

You doing anything now?

You sent it. You didn’t really expect her to answer. But to your surprise, she did. Almost immediately.

Nothing. You?

You swallowed, your throat drier than usual, before replying.

Me either.

Three dots appeared and then disappeared and then reappeared again and again before her response came through:

Wanna come over?

You let out a shaky breath.

There it was. The invitation. The implication of “Yes, I want you.”

That was what you’d asked for, right?

Still, you took another second before tapping out your response, like maybe time would reverse itself if you waited long enough to hit send.

It didn’t, so you watched as the tiny Delivered notification appeared under your message:

Yeah, I’ll be there soon. -------

In the morning, you woke up in Kate’s bed. The room was unfamiliar at first, but you were starting to get used to the smell of the house—something like blackberries and vanilla, maybe.

Kate was still asleep beside you, face soft and hand outstretched in your direction.

You sighed as a heaviness settled into your chest, from where, you weren’t sure.

You slid out from beneath the covers and walked as quietly as you could into the attached bathroom, gathering your discarded clothes as you went. You weren’t surprised by what you saw in the mirror—eyes half-cracked open, lids still heavy with sleep, a bruise clinging like a shadow to the side of your neck. You splashed some water on your face to try and revive yourself before getting dressed.

When you walked back into the bedroom, Kate was awake and looking at you from the bed with a satisfied, sleepy grin.

“Morning.”

“Morning,” you mumbled, feeling leagues less bold than you had the night before.

She stretched her arms above her head, and the comforter slid down to expose more of her chest—not for show, just with the carelessness that came with the haze of the first few minutes of the day. “Did you sleep okay?” she asked with a yawn.

“Yeah,” you said, nodding. “How about you?”

“Pretty well,” she said before snuggling back into the covers. “I hope I didn’t snore or anything.”

You chuckled once through your nose. “I didn’t hear anything, if you did.”

Your eyes scanned the room, and, over in the corner, half-hidden under a chair, was the jacket you knew had been flung somewhere shortly after you’d gotten there. You crossed the room to pick it up.

“You’re really the get up and go type, huh?” Kate asked, sitting up a little straighter against the pillows. She was teasing, but you could sense something very careful at the edges of her voice.

You hesitated before replying, and you wondered if Kate noticed.

You shrugged, but offered a sympathetic quirk of your mouth. “I have class.”

Maybe at this time a couple of weeks’ time, you wouldn’t be able to say the same thing, but you still had a few hours to make that decision. Either way, you’d said you’d be in class that morning, and something was keeping you from going back on that.

Kate folded back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “If you wait for me to shower, I can drive you. I have my shift in the office a little later, anyway.”

“That’s okay,” you said softly. “I should probably get back so I can grab a change of clothes and my notes.”

Kate responded with a grin, but you could feel disappointment permeating the room. She pulled on an oversized t-shirt from a dresser drawer before turning back to you. “Well, I’ll walk you out.”

You walked downstairs together in silence, and you picked up your winter coat from where it hung haphazardly at the bottom of the banister. You put it on, then fished your hat and gloves out of the pocket to put them on too.

 When you turned around, you realized Kate had opened the door so quietly that you hadn’t even noticed. You followed her outside.

She leaned against the side of the house. You wondered how she was standing in the cold in that thin t-shirt; you were shivering in your layers. “Text me if you want to hang out again,” she said.

You nodded. “I will.”

She hesitated for a moment, but then stepped forward to adjust your cap. It wasn’t romantic, but it wasn’t nothing.

“Bye,” she said, once she’d determined the hat was positioned just right.

“I’ll see you,” you said, nearly in a whisper.

You could feel her watching you as you walked down the path to where it joined the sidewalk, but you didn’t look back, like if you didn’t you could forget what you were walking away from.

Last night had been good. It had. But it hadn’t done what you’d hoped it would.

Even after everything, you’d woken up with someone else’s ghost lingering from yet another dream.

It wasn’t Kate’s fault. You wanted to say it wasn’t yours either, but that would feel like a lie. You knew what you were stepping into when you’d left your dorm last night, and you knew this was a possible—likely, even—outcome.

Still. It would’ve been so nice if a switch just flipped inside of you somewhere and you could leave the ghost behind. But, unfortunately for you, it didn’t seem to work that way.

You were only a few houses away from Kate’s—you could still probably see her front door if you looked over your shoulder—when you had the distinct feeling that you were being watched.

When you looked up, what you saw stopped you in your tracks.

The ghost herself.

Standing in the driveway you’d be crossing next was your professor—long hair free around her shoulders, wearing just a tailored coat and slacks—nothing more suited for the weather. You couldn’t see her eyes clearly from your distance, just the idea of them, but you could picture them—blue like flame, and they bored into you just the same.

You tried to think of something to say, but your mind and your mouth were not cooperating, which was probably a good thing. Who knew what would come out.

Instead, you just stood there, eyes locked on her and hers on you.

After a few long moments of nothing, Agatha’s eyes flicked, just for a second, behind you—at Kate’s house. She knew where you’d come from; maybe she’d even watched you walk out the door and let Kate, barely clothed, fix your hat. No doubt, she would be able to fill in the blanks herself.

You traced her face for any sort of reaction—surprise, confusion, disdain, even just recognition. But all you saw was absolute indifference.

Without so much as another glance in your direction, she opened the door to her car and climbed in.

You didn’t move. Not when the door thumped shut. Not when the engine revved to life. Not even as she backed out of the drive and disappeared in the direction that you now knew would take her to campus where she’d teach the class you said you’d be in this morning.

Of course, this was how your day was starting. And you weren’t even on campus yet.

tag list: @6stolenangel9 @filmedbyharkness @ahintofchaos @sweetmidnights @rizzlesregal13 @jujuu23 @chaotic-homoromantic @grilledcheeseandguavajelly @dandelions4us @dearcottagewhore @dontsblameme @harknessshi

if you don’t want to be on the tag list anymore, feel free to message me! no worries, honestly!

[autistichalsin]

Actually, that last post reminded me of a really important bit of advice I once received that not enough people know.

For math and the sciences? It doesn't matter what textbook you use. I mean, obviously, if your professor assigns you homework from textbook A, you need to have and read it to do your homework.

But if you're in chemistry, and the way your textbook explains Guy-Lussac's law to you makes no sense? Go to your local library and look for textbook B or C.

Science and math books for a given topic will all contain the same information, just explained in a different way. Every biology book in existence is going to tell you that all living things have nucleic acids made up of the bases cytosine, thymine or uracil, guanine, and adenine. Every chemistry book in existence is going to tell you that the noble gases are nonreactive because their outer electron shells are completely filled. Every physics textbook in existence is going to tell you that entropy arises as a result of the second law of thermodynamics and can never be reduced, only increased. You're going to get this information no matter what book you read- it's just that some will be far better at giving you this explanation in a way you understand than others.

ALSO, outside of textbooks, almost every concept (and especially every part of the math involved) will have tutorials on Youtube (and most likely Khan Academy). These saved my life in my biostatistics classes, and I wish I'd known about them when I was an undergrad, because as much as I excel with the conceptual parts of chemistry and physics, I struggled through the math, and knowing about these would have helped me a lot.

There are so many resources at your disposal- you can do this! Few peiople are going to breeze through it. Don't give up!

[marisainchina]

It's me... I am part of the problem.

I have read so many posts from people who are very negative about Chenford this season, and I won't pretend that I have been 100% happy. It has been weird that there haven't been clear "small doses". But I enjoyed them trying to work together and try to be professional when that has never really been a strong suit for them.

But yesterday, I read someone's post where they wrote that anyone who wants Chenford to get back together or hook up in the 7x06 episode is the FUCKING PROBLEM. So, guys, I am so the fucking problem. I don't want them to get all the way back together- that would feel rushed and be a disservice to us for not getting more to soothe our little broken hearts.

Episode 6x06 took my breath away, and I couldn't rewatch it for months. That is saying something because I am super busy with full time work and graduate school, I pretty much just repeatedly rewatch different episodes. It helps me feel less anxious. If you know, you know.

But I am so so so down for messy Chenford! They have fantastic chemistry and clearly had a great sex life. It would not be crazy to me if they were to "back-slide" and hook up. Is that the logical and best choice? Of course not. But I am not watching a drama show for everyone to be on their best behavior and making logical choices all the time. Bring on the mess.

I also haven't understood all of the hate I have read about the fact that Lucy and Tim did have a good sex life. I have read people say that their relationship was only focused on Tim being sexually gratified. Ummm, hello, he took a desk job before they ever slept together. He was already all the way in.

I am not sure how much I liked the "gratitude was repaid while dating" if it was meant to refer to sex. I don't think that is what Lucy meant, but I am okay with it if it is. Tim is hot, Lucy is hot they both enjoyed their physical relationship. When I was married (I'm a widow), my husband struggled with ED, so I basically had a sexless marriage. I will never, never do that again! I need a relationship that has physical intimacy as much as any man does, so go on, Lucy, get yours, too!

This is all my opinion, so feel free to think/feel differently. I read all of these opinions, so I also wanted to share mine. To me, it is not misogynistic for them to flirt and banter with implied references to their sex life. I would rather see a woman owning and being empowered in her sexuality rather than to just assume that she is fulfilling the needs of her man.

Bring on the messy! - My wish for 7x06 is based on the synopsis, promo, and episode stills that Tim and Lucy have that assignment together. Something happens to bring feelings up, which is why I think Lucy wears his necklace. Tim and Genny talk before or after this, and he invites her to go with him; I pray she questions his thinking and pushes him to start making better choices. Tim and Lucy end up in that room together (Is it a hotel? Or is it Tim's new house?) Then, I would love to see some of their chemistry explode on them. I'm cool with kissing or a full hook-up either way. Then they can have to deal with the aftermath in the other 11 episodes left in the season.

[silver-hwaberry]

⭑I Can See You⭑

TWO: cosmic rush

Warnings: angst, arguing, fighting (one physical push between 2 members), name calling, swearing Word count: 8.5k

⭑2016⭑

“Hello stranger!” Yunho greets her as Yeonghwa walks into the classroom

“Hey Yunho!” she laughs taking off her backpack

Yeonghwa hadn’t been at school for the past 3 days as she was in Japan working with Moonlight. They had a performance there plus were filming the MV for their new song ‘Cosmic Rush’.

“How was Japan?” he asks as she sits down

“Busy!” she simply answers. “How was school?”

“Boring! Mr Nams satellite ears weren’t as funny without you here!” he replies. He looks at her as she sets up her school stuff on the desk, “There is something different about you!” he says, not sure what it is

“Probably my hair!” she says not batting an eyelid

“Did you get a hair cut?” he asks looking at it more closely

“Not quite.” she laughs looking at him, “I am wearing a wig, Yunho!”

"A wig?" Yunho's eyes widen comically as he leans closer to inspect her hair. "No way! It looks so real!"

"Well yeah, that's kinda the point," Yeonghwa snorts, swatting his hand away as he reaches out to touch it. "And don't pull on it, I spent forever getting it to sit right this morning."

"But why are you wearing a wig?"

“New hair for the comeback, I have to hide. So wigs are a must when I am at school.” she sighs, “Personally I hate them as they are itchy and make my head sweat but it is strictly forbidden to reveal new hair styles and colours beforehand.”

“Am I allowed to know?” he grins playfully

“Absolutely not!” she laughs swatting his hand away again

“Oh come on, where are my best friend perks?!” he pouts

Yeonghwa freezes slightly at him saying ‘best friend’ and he notices her reaction. Since Yunho started at SOPA 3 weeks before they had gotten more friendly with one another, spending their time exchanging notes, talking during breaks and Yeonghwa was enjoying having a friend at school now but she hadn’t realised he saw her that way. She decides not to say anything about it but Yunho can see she is a little weirded out as she brushes it off.

"Well..." she drags out the word, pretending to think hard about it. "I guess since you did help me with that chemistry homework last week..."

"Yes? Yes?" Yunho leans forward in his chair, practically bouncing.

"It's white with these really pretty pastel pink and lilac streaks," she finally whispers into his ear covering her mouth so only he could hear. The sensation of her breath on his ear and the low tone of her voice makes his stomach flip a little. "But if you tell anyone, I swear-" she leans back

"My lips are sealed!" he mimes zipping his mouth shut. "But that sounds sick actually. Can't wait to see the big reveal."

“You will see it on comeback day if you watch the music video or our comeback stage.” she says, “I won’t be in school for a few days again.” she adds with a small sigh

“Of course I’ll be watching both and all performances afterwards! Just you try and stop me!!” he smiles, “When are the teasers dropping?” he asks

“First one is in 2 days so you’ll see my hair in its full glory then!” she answers, “And I can take this fucking wig off!”

“And don’t worry about schoolwork. I made you a copy of all our work this week and I will do the same next week too.” he says handing her a semi-thick folder

“Wow!” she gasps looking at it, “You really didn’t need to do all this! Thanks you Yunho!” she is grateful for his help in keeping up with her studies.

Previously, when she missed classes because of her schedule, no students gave her notes; she only received a small packet of assignments from the school to complete during her absence.

“It was nothing!” he shrugs nonchalantly

As Yeonghwa flips through the folder with a grateful smile, she notices a small piece of paper tucked inside. Curious, she pulls it out and unfolds it to reveal a simple doodle of a hamster which was her animal representative in the band with a phone number underneath it and faded heart at the end. It looks like he had drawn it and then erased it but the paper was still showing it faintly. It made her smile a little.

Yunho rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, "I know it's cheesy, but I wanted to give you my number so if you had any questions about school work you had a way of contacting me," he says with a shy grin.

Yeonghwa glances up from the drawing, her cheeks turning a bit pink at Yunho's gesture. "Are you sure this isn't just a trick to get my number?" she teases.

"What? No, definitely not! You don't have to give it to me if you don't want to!" he replies, flustered.

"Yun! I'm just kidding!" she laughs, "That's really thoughtful of you," she adds, placing the paper securely into her folder with a gentle smile.

“Oh!” he sighs in relief as he scratches his head awkwardly, a bashful grin on his face. "I just want to make sure you're all set for your comeback without falling behind in schoolwork," he says earnestly.

Yeonghwa nods appreciatively. "I really appreciate it, Yunho. It means a lot to me," she says softly. “But you may end up regretting it as I could end up blowing up your phone when I am on schedules!”

"Feel free to send me as many messages as you want!" he laughs. "Oh, and keep it a secret that I have a phone. We're not supposed to have them until after debut, but we all secretly do. Hongjoong would be so annoyed if he found out, but I'm pretty sure he has one too!"

"A secret phone? How scandalous!" Yeonghwa teases, lowering her voice dramatically. "And here I thought you were such a good boy."

"Hey, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do," Yunho says, puffing up his chest before breaking into a smile.

They sit in a comfortable silence for a moment before Yunho clears his throat. "So, um, are you up for a ninja picnic lunch today? My treat, I’ll buy you whatever you want!" he offers with a hopeful expression. “I’m not going to see Mingi today as he has a dental appointment.”

"I can't today," she explains. "My manager reserved one of the private halls for me to rehearse. We're filming the dance practice video for the song tonight, so I need to get ready."

"Oh, that's cool!" he responds with a nod, but she notices the disappointment in his expression.

"But I'll be alone, so i-if you'd like, you could join me," she stammers nervously, her fingers playing with the bottom of her skirt. "As long as you promise to keep the song a secret!"

"Really?" he responds, brightening.

“Of course!!” she breaks into a wide smile “Maybe I can finally see some of these awesome dance skills you say you have too!”

“My dancing is totally awesome!” he grins

"Oh yeah? Prove it then!" Yeonghwa challenges, raising an eyebrow. "Show me what you've got during practice!"

"Challenge accepted!" Yunho announces with a theatrical puff of his chest. "Just don't hold it against me if my awesome moves leave you feeling jealous."

"Pfft, please," she rolls her eyes, trying not to laugh. "I've been dancing since I was like, 4 years old."

"Well, I've been dancing since I was in the womb," he replies with a cheeky grin.

"That's not even possible, you goof," she laughs, giving him a playful shove. "If that were true, I really pity your mom for dealing with that while you were in her belly—and considering you're a giant too!"

"I'll have you know, I was just as small as you when I was born! I only shot up in height over the past two years!" he says with a grin.

“I find that hard believe!” she laughs, “Scary part is you are still growing too! I stopped when I was 13 years old!”

Yunho looks at her fondly. He had missed her presence in school the past 3 days. Although he did get more work done in class as he wasn’t messing around with Yeonghwa, it wasn’t as fun and he missed her.

As the rest of their fellow classmates begin to fill the classroom and the teacher walks in, they got themselves prepared for the day ahead. They spent break time together as usual, going over the folder of notes Yunho had made for her, telling her what assignments had been set etc and before they knew it lunch time had arrived.

“You get yourself something to eat and come to room 107 when you are ready.” Yeonghwa says as they make their way down the stairs

“Do you want me to get you anything?” he asks, hoping she’ll be eating something but she shakes her head.

“I’ve got a protein shake and a banana with me today.” she answers, “Misty handed it to me as I was leaving this morning. Said she’d hit me over the head with the banana if I don’t have them!” she giggles

“Good! I’m glad someone is taking care of you!” he smiles at hearing she is actually going to be consuming something for lunch. “Want a bottle of water?”

“Yeah I do actually!” she says pulling her purse from her pocket to give him money

“Oh hell no, put that away! This is my treat!” he smiles, “and after your promotions are over I will take you out for a lovely meal to celebrate!”

“I highly doubt my company would allow me to do that, they control every aspect of my life,” she responds. Yunho feels a pang in his chest at her words, not because she said she couldn't do it, but because her company has so much control over her. It doesn't seem fair. "But I wouldn't say no to having a ninja lunch with you after everything is done," she adds with a mischievous smile.

“Really?” he breaks into a smile

“Absolutely! If it is okay with Mingi, that is!” she replies

“I am positive he would. He is pretty cool. I think you two would really get along!” Yunho replies

“Its a deal then! Once my promotions are over, we do the great escape!” Yeonghwa nods with a happy grin on her face.

As they reach the bottom of the stairs, Yeonghwa make her way to the private dance hall, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The familiar scent of polished wood and sweat greets her as she pushes open the heavy door. Sunlight streams through the high windows, casting long shadows across the gleaming floor causing her to smile. She loved being in practice rooms, it was her place of sanctuary, somewhere she can be free. She sets down her bag and pulls out her protein shake and banana, placing them carefully on a nearby bench.

Meanwhile, Yunho navigates the bustling cafeteria, the cacophony of voices and clattering trays filling the air. He quickly selects a sandwich and an apple, his mind already racing ahead to the dance hall. As he paid for his food, he grabs two bottles of ice cold water, one for himself and one for Yeonghwa.

Back in the dance hall, Yeonghwa has changed into her practice clothes - a loose tank top and form-fitting leggings with a pair of sneakers. The choreo she was about to perform would be impossible in her stiff and restrictive school uniform. She stands before the wall of mirrors, taking deep breaths as she centres herself. With practised movements, she begins to stretch, her lithe body bending and twisting to get rid of the stiffness from sitting at her desk for so long.

Yunho arrives just as Yeonghwa was finishing her warm-up routine. He slips inside quietly, not wanting to disturb her concentration. Knowing himself how important it is to get into the zone before dancing. He finds a spot against the far wall and he settles down to watch, his lunch momentarily forgotten.

He notices that her black wig has been tossed aside and her freshly dyed white hair, which is now shorter and falls a few inches below her shoulders, hangs in loose natural waves with pastel streaks that are barely noticeable from afar.

Yeonghwa pulls out her phone and set it on a small speaker. She sets up her ipad infront of the mirror, ready to play the group rehearsal video if she needed any reminders. A moment later, the opening notes of Moonlight's new song filled the room. The beat was infectious, a pulsing rhythm that seemed to vibrate through the floorboards. Yunho can’t help but nod to his head to beat as his eyes focus on her.

Yeonghwa begin to move. Her body becomes a living instrument, every gesture precise and purposeful. She flows across the floor, her feet barely seeming to touch the ground. Her arms carved graceful arcs through the air, fingers splayed in delicate formations.

As the song reaches its climax, Yeonghwa launches into a breathtaking series of spins, her body a blur of motion. She ends with a dramatic pose, chest heaving, one hand on her hip. For a moment, the room was silent save for her ragged breathing.

Then, catching sight of Yunho in the mirror's reflection, Yeonghwa's serious expression melted into a wide grin. She turned to face him, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"So," she pants, eyes sparkling with mischief, "what did you think?"

Yunho sits there, mouth agape, still processing the incredible performance he'd just witnessed. He struggles to find words that could adequately express his admiration.

"That was... wow," he finally manages, shaking his head in disbelief. "I knew you were good, but that was... incredible. Seriously, Yeonghwa, you're amazing."

“I know it looks strange dancing solo to a group performance but trust me it looks a lot better when we do it together, I promise!” she laughs as he hands the bottle of water to her

“Not at all! I practice alone too so I get it. I can’t wait to see the comeback stage!” he smiles

"Time to show me those moves you were bragging about earlier," Yeonghwa says, taking a long drink from her water bottle. "Unless you were all talk?"

"Oh, I'll show you my moves alright," Yunho grins, shrugging off his blazer, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt and untucking it from his trousers to give him more freedom. "Just don't get jealous when I outshine you."

"I'm shaking in my sneakers," she deadpans, but can't help smiling as she watches him do some exaggerated stretches while she sits infront of the mirror to look at him head on.

"Okay, play that track again. I've got this," he says confidently, moving to the centre of the room.

Yeonghwa hits play and watches with growing amusement as Yunho starts to dance. Her amused smile is soon replaced with wonderment as he hits the majority of the moves - his movements are sharp and he has picked up the steps from that one performance she did. But when it comes to one particularly complex sequence that Yeonghwa does in the dance break which includes a backwards handstand and a landing into the splits, he gets his legs tangled and nearly face-plants.

"Shit!" he yelps, stumbling sideways. "How the hell do you make that look so easy?"

"Years of practice and one very scary choreographer," she laughs, walking over to help him. "Here, it's more like this-" She demonstrates the move slowly.

"My legs don't bend that way!" he protests, trying to copy her. "I think you might actually be made of rubber."

"Says the guy who's basically a human giraffe," she teases, adjusting his arm position. "Less flailing, more control."

"I am graceful as fuck, I'll have you know," he declares, promptly tripping over his own feet again.

“It is a hard move so don’t over do it, I don’t want you to hurt yourself. I fear your leader may hunt me down if I get one of his fellow trainees injured!” she says

“I can do it!” he nods

They spend the next few minutes going through the steps very slowly, Yunho's determination to get it right making Yeonghwa smile. Despite his jokes, she can tell he's actually trying hard to learn the complex move properly.

“Okay, you are getting it!” she claps when he nails the backwards handstand and nearly does a full splits

"That's not a move guys are supposed to attempt!" he chuckles as he stands, trying to resist the urge to massage his sore groin in her presence.

"You did great," she says with a smile. "But can you do it in sync with the music?" she adds with a playful grin.

“Is that a challenge?” he quips as she nods, “From the top!” he adds as she begins the track from the beginning

They both stand side by side facing the mirror as the music begins over the speaker, the bass vibrating through the floor they begin to dance in complete sync with one another. Yunho nailing every single move. Yeonghwas eyes are on him in the mirror as she dances beside him and she is seriously impressed.

As the dance break begins, Yunho smashes the quick movements, the backwards handstand and even the splits before getting up quickly to finish the routine off. As the music ends they are both breathing heavily standing in the ending pose.

“Holy shit!” Yunho groans flopping to the floor exhausted as Yeonghwa holds onto her hips and squats down beside him laughing.

“Yunho, that was awesome!” she says as she looks at him sprawled on the floor

“They didn’t give me the main dancer position for nothing you know!” he replies opening some of the buttons of his shirt to get some air, maybe a bit too many as the top part of his chest is on show.

Yeonghwa awkwardly looks away as she sees the skin of his chest before standing up and going over to her bag to get the banana. As Yunho sits upright he sees in the mirror how much of his chest he just exposed accidentally, quickly covering himself again.

"So uh, that was fun!" Yeonghwa says a bit too quickly, focusing intently on peeling her banana.

"Yeah!" Yunho agrees, still slightly out of breath as he fumbles with his shirt buttons.

An awkward silence falls between them as Yeonghwa takes small bites of her banana, very deliberately staring at the wall. Yunho clears his throat. "I think I’ve pulled muscles I didn't even know I had."

"You'll definitely feel it tomorrow," she snorts, still not quite looking at him. "Maybe I should've warned you about that part."

"Nah, totally worth it," he groans, rolling his shoulders. "Even if I have to crawl to dance practice tonight."

“Oh shit, you should have said you had dance practice! I would have gone easier on you!!” she says with wide eyes

"Please, I could do this choreo in my sleep," Yunho scoffs, though the way he's wincing as he stretches tells a different story.

"Oh yeah? Is that why you're moving like my grandpa right now?" Yeonghwa takes another bite of her banana, finally able to fully look at him now that he's buttoned up.

"Your grandpa probably has better flexibility than me right now," he groans, attempting to stand. "Shit, I think my legs are actually broken."

"Drama queen," she rolls her eyes, but offers him a hand up anyway.

Yunho eagerly accepts, forgetting her small stature as he pulls a bit too forcefully, almost causing her to topple over. He quickly steadies her by placing his hands on her hips as she clutches his shoulders for support. Even though he was seated on the floor, his height and her petite 153cm frame meant their faces were closer now than when standing. It was the first time she truly observed his facial features, and her stomach fluttered at how handsome he was, especially with the gentle way he gazed at her while her fingers softly held onto his shirt.

The moment stretches between them, neither moving. Yeonghwa can feel the warmth of his hands through her practice clothes, and she's suddenly very aware of how sweaty she probably is from dancing.

A loud bang from somewhere in the hallway makes them both jump. Yeonghwa stumbles backward, nearly tripping over her own feet this time.

"Shit, sorry!" Yunho says, hands hovering awkwardly in the air where her waist had been. His ears are turning pink. "I didn't mean to, uh..."

"No, it's fine! I mean, You did save me from face-planting so… thanks!" Yeonghwa says quickly

They both move at the same time to gather their things, nearly bumping into each other again. Yunho takes an exaggerated step back, almost tripping over his own feet.

"So uh, when exactly is the comeback?" he asks, trying to break the weird tension. "You know, so I can mark my calendar and everything."

"Thursday," she answers, grateful for the change in subject.

“You must be really exhausted with the preparations and school on top.” he says

“I think my body's running purely on energy drinks and bananas at this point." she laughs

“I wonder what Misty would say if she knew!” he smirks

"What Misty doesn't know won't hurt her," Yeonghwa says with a guilty grin. "Though she has this weird sixth sense about these things. Last time she caught me with a Red Bull she literally appeared out of nowhere like some kind of health-conscious ninja with shoving one of her disgusting kale smoothies into my hand."

"That's terrifying," Yunho laughs as he stretches his legs. "Fuck, I think my legs are actually dead."

"Aww poor baby," Yeonghwa teases. "And here I thought you said you were graceful as fuck?"

"I am! I'm just... gracefully sore."

“Well get used to it with being your groups main dancer! You’ll be pushed past your limits a lot… but it gets easier.” she says as they sit on the wooden bench beside the wall, “Hows things with your group anyway?”

“The same. Late night practices for all of us after school. Monthly reviews.”

“Ah I don’t miss those!” she nods taking a sip of her water, “They scared me every time!”

"I heard you were the top trainee every month, though!" Yunho remarks.

“Oh I was because I worked my ass off but also feared for my life too.” Yeonghwa confesses, as Yunho listens intently. "The company constantly threatened to terminate our contracts and give us bus tickets home if we didn't meet certain targets. I didn't want to go back to Yeosu! Don't get me wrong, I love my little hometown on the south coast, but I wanted this opportunity too much.”

Yunho nods, absorbing everything she's sharing, catching a rare glimpse of the real young woman behind the image of 'Korea's princess' that most people see.

“So hows your companies trainee search going? Last I heard there was someone you’s were trying to steal from another company!” she says

"We're meeting him next week, so fingers crossed he chooses us! We do have a new person who started this week, and you'll never guess his name!" Yunho responds excitedly.

“What is it?!” she giggles

"His name, Yeonghwa, is..." he pauses for a dramatic effect, emphasising her name, "Seonghwa!"

"Yeonghwa and Seonghwa!" she exclaims, eyes wide. "You have no excuse for forgetting my name now, mister!"

"As if I ever could!" he replies. "He seems nice though, older than the rest of us, and he's also from the south coast. I think he and San will have a lot to talk about."

"Where is San from?" Yeonghwa asks as she tosses her banana peel into a small trash bag.

“Namhae.” he answers

"That's right next to Yeosu! My family and I went to Namhae for vacation a few times. It’s really beautiful! My aunt actually moved there because she loved it so much." she says, her eyes lighting up. “And Seonghwa?"

“Just below Jinju, I don’t know exactly where but I heard him say he lived by the ocean so must be at the coast.” he answers, “Good news is the company will be giving us a dorm soon! Living together will help us bond more I think.”

“That is so cool! Dorm life can interesting but mostly fun! Do you know how many members your company is looking to have in your group yet?” she asks pulling her legs up to sit crossed legged

“At the moment they’ve said 7.” he replies, “Though the CEO just can’t make up his mind. Last week he wanted 5 members, the week before we said 11! Next week he’ll probably want 25!”

"God, can you imagine?" Yeonghwa snorts. "Just an entire army of idols on stage. The poor stylists would have a mental breakdown."

"The choreographer would quit on the spot," Yunho grins. "Though at least the fanchants would be epic. Might take fans three hours just to get through all the names."

"Your lightstick would need its own battery pack," she giggles, then grimaces as she shifts position. "Ugh, I think my legs are starting to cramp up too."

"I swear that backwards handstand into splits thing is actually torture disguised as choreography." Yunho groans

They both laugh, and Yeonghwa checks the time on her phone. "Shit, we should probably head back soon. Mr. Nam will have an aneurysm if we're late."

"His satellite ears might actually explode," Yunho agrees, attempting to stand up and immediately regretting it. "Fuck, I think I'm stuck. You might have to wheel me to class in a desk chair."

"Some main dancer you are," Yeonghwa teases, getting up with a similar feeling to Yunho. "Need me to carry you?"

"On your back?" he asks hopefully.

"In your dreams, giraffe boy." she says

“It was worth a shot!” he shrugs, “I’ll take our rubbish to the bins and wait for you outside as you get changed.” he adds

Yunho heads to the bins outside, clutching a bag of trash. After tossing it in, he leans against the wall, savoring a quiet moment alone. A smile spreads across his face as he reflects on spending his lunch break with Yeonghwa, watching her dance and learning from her. He had admired her dancing for a long time.

Yeonghwa emerges from the dance room, her wig slightly askew and her uniform slightly rumpled from changing quickly. She fidgets with her blazer as she spots Yunho waiting, her mind unhelpfully flashing back to the accidental chest reveal and the feeling his hands on her waist, the way he looked at her.

"Ready?" Yunho asks, pushing off from the wall.

"Yeah," she mumbles, looking down at her feet as they start walking.

They walk in awkward silence for a few steps before Yunho trips going up the stairs.

"Need me to call you an ambulance?" she teases, walking backwards up the steps to face him. "Or maybe a crane to lift you?"

"You're evil," he declares, dragging himself up dramatically. "Pure evil disguised as a tiny person."

She's about to retort when she notices her wig slipping slightly. She quickly adjusts it, glancing around to make sure no one saw.

"Your disguise is slipping, Spiderman," Yunho whispers conspiratorially.

“I hate this thing!” she grumbles “The quicker this comeback happens so I can stop hiding my hair the better.”

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I think your new hair looks really good.” he smiles as they reach the top of the stairs. “And the new song is amazing too. You ladies are going to smash the comeback.”

“Thanks Yun!” she says feeling a bit flustered at his compliments

Yunho notices her flushed cheeks and shy smile, and in all honestly it makes him feel good seeing her react to him like that. However he knows the reality of their situation. They are friends only.

⭑2020⭑

Yunho sees that same flushed cheeks and shy smile on her face now all these years later. It still gives him butterflies. As much as he wished it wouldn’t. Seeing her again after so long during the award season had been difficult for him. A mixture of emotions he hadn’t realised he’d been keeping inside were coming out now.

Their last conversation had replayed in his head over and over again despite not thinking of it in over a year. The hurt in his heart resurfacing once more. The words she said. It had come out of nowhere as well and he couldn’t wrap his head around why. He had just came home from a month long training trip to LA with the other members, they had spoken every single day on the phone in secret when camera, managers and Hongjoong wasn’t around. Nothing had changed until they met up, Hongjoong allowing her to visit the dorm for a bit since Yunho hadn’t seen her in so long, and as far as he knew barely spoken to her while away. Yunho had been so excited to see her, he cleaned up the entire dorm himself, set up his shared room with San with blankets and pillows to watch a movie (the door was to be left wide open at all times Hongjoong demanded), bought her favourite flowers and had presents from LA for her. He had been so excited to see her again, hold her close in his arms once more.

But the moment she stepped into the dorm, he sensed that something was amiss. After some time, Yunho broke Hongjoong's rule about keeping the bedroom door open, closing it when Yeonghwa repeatedly pulled away from his attempts to hug her or hold her hand—something she hadn't done since they'd become more than friends. That's when she uttered the words he never imagined he'd hear: ‘I don’t love you.’

She walked out and disappeared from his life, until award season arrived two years later. By then, Ateez had debuted and, though still considered 'rookies,' they were gaining popularity, meaning Yunho and Yeonghwa were bound to cross paths again.

His band members had silently rallied around him during each award show that Moonlight was in attendance at, trying to be subtle about keeping an eye on him but he could see through them. He truly appreciated their care but he didn’t want a fuss.

He takes one more glance at her and feels his heart skip a beat as she smiles at the fans in the audience waving to her. Her new hair colour - cherry red catching the lights perfectly. As a member of staff approaches the band, her focus turns to them and they all stand up. Clearly it’s time for them to get ready for their performance and it would be a lie if he said he wasn’t looking forward to it.

As the five women hurriedly passed by the group, Yunho attempted to focus ahead, but his gaze lingered on Yeonghwa as her subtle perfume enveloped him. He caught Mingi's eyes on him, and Yunho understood exactly what Mingi was thinking. Yunho had been open about his feelings for Yeonghwa since she ended things with him two years ago. Mingi detested her and was never shy about expressing it.

"For fuck's sake, stop staring," Mingi mutters under his breath, barely moving his lips as he maintains his camera-ready smile.

"I wasn't," Yunho whispers back, though they both know it's a lie.

"Stop making moon eyes at the person who-" Mingi cuts himself off as a staff member approaches with fresh bottles of water for them all, his expression shifting seamlessly into his usual cheerful demeanour. "Thanks noona!" he says brightly, before immediately dropping his voice again. "Who literally broke your fucking heart."

"I know, okay?" Yunho mutters, grabbing a bottle. "Trust me I was there, I know."

“And so were all of us!” Mingi grumbles, “Don’t let her suck you back in! She’s like siren - pretty and luring but evil inside!”

"I'm not getting dragged back into this," Yunho says, rolling his eyes, though Mingi's words tug at his heart. "And she's not evil! You never truly understood her."

"I know enough!" Mingi retorts, turning sharply to face Yunho.

"We're on camera, so both of you need to stop!" Hongjoong warns with a tense smile. "You can talk about this later when we're in private!"

Yunho takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension that had built up between him and Mingi. He knew his friend meant well, but sometimes his protective nature could be a bit overwhelming.

As Moonlights opening VT plays on the screen in preparation of their performance, Mingi leans in close to Yunho, lowering his voice. "I just don't want to see you hurt again, man. You deserve so much better than what she put you through."

Yunho nods, grateful for Mingi's concern. "I appreciate it, really. But I've come to terms with everything. It's water under the bridge now."

Mingi gives him a sceptical look, but doesn't press further as they all focus on the stage.

The lights dim, and a hush falls over the audience as Moonlight appear on a raised platform in the middle of the stage. They had changed into colourful sequin outfits that suited each of their styles. An ominous song plays as the camera does close ups of each of the members faces on the screen with the crowd cheering loudly and as Yeonghwa appears the noise appears the double in volume.

The opening notes of their latest song fill the arena, and the group burst into flawless synchronisation, their dance moves sharp and crisp. Yeonghwa was a blur of silver sequins and flowing red hair, her body twisting and leaping with astonishing grace.

As the song shifts into ‘Cosmic Rush’, Yunho's heart skips a beat. Moonlight launch into the energetic choreography for it - the same one Yeonghwa taught him years ago, back when they were just two innocent kids in school. Happy memories flood back to him - Yeonghwa giggling as he stumbled through the routine for the first time, her patient encouragement as he slowly got it right. The way she clapped, cheered and encouraged him when he nailed the complex moves.

As the song reaches its climax, Yeonghwa delivers the fast paced dance break moves with ease, her body seeming to hang suspended in mid-air for a breathless moment before crashing back to earth in a perfect landing. The crowd erupts into cheers, but Yunho barely registers them. His eyes are still locked on Yeonghwa, his heart pounding in time with the driving beat of the music.

“Aria is amazing!” Yunho hears Wooyoung say to San

San nods in agreement. “She always delivers every time! That’s why she is one of the best dancers in the business!”

“Shame about her personality!” Mingi says causing Yunho to glare at him

Hongjoong swiftly rises and guides Yunho to move to his seat, asking San to switch seats with Mingi positioning himself and San between Yunho and Mingi. Sensing that the situation was escalating, Hongjoong realised he needed to take action now.

On stage, Yeonghwa dances with dizzying speed and precision. Yunho can't help but grin - she was always destined for greatness on that stage. Watching her continuing to soar fills him with joy, even as a twinge of wistfulness tugs at his heartstrings. If only things could have been different between them...

As the final notes fade away and Moonlight take their bows to thunderous applause, Yunho feels a strange sense of peace wash over him. No matter what had happened between them in the past, he knew that Yeonghwa would always be an important part of his life.

As Moonlight make their way back to their seats, all their fellow idols standing to bow at them including Ateez, Yunho becomes intensely fascinated with his water bottle label, picking at it with his thumbnail while trying desperately not to look in their direction.

The award show drags on for what feels like eternities, with Yunho's leg bouncing so much that Hongjoong eventually places a hand on his knee to stop it. As the final award is announced and the closing ceremony begins, Yunho feels an overwhelming urge to find Yeonghwa backstage. He needs to talk to her, even if he has no idea what he'll actually say.

"Don't even think about it," Mingi hisses as they file off stage, clearly reading Yunho's mind. "I swear to god, I will literally sit on you."

"You're not my mom," Yunho responds, scanning the crowded backstage area.

"No, but I am your voice of reason, and right now your reason is telling you to get your ass to our waiting room before you make a big mistake."

"Mingi, I swear-" Yunho starts, but freezes as he spots a familiar figure in a silver sequin dress with long red hair disappearing around a corner. Without thinking, he yanks his arm free and darts away, ignoring Mingi's colourful cursing behind him.

Yunho weaves through the crowded backstage area, dodging staff members and other idols with his long legs while trying not to knock anyone over. He spots Yeonghwa again, this time talking to one of her members near the vending machines.

He hesitates for a moment, suddenly realising he has absolutely no plan. What the fuck is he even going to say? 'Hey, remember that time you completely shattered my heart? Good times!'

Before he can chicken out, Yeonghwa turns and spots him. Her eyes widen slightly, and for a moment they just stare at each other like a pair of deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, hi," he manages eloquently, internally cringing at himself.

"Hi," she responds, equally awkward. Her member Areum glances between them before making some excuse about needing to get her make up touched up. Yeonghwa nods grateful at her for giving her and Yunho space to speak.

"So..." Yunho starts, then trails off. Fuck, he really should have planned this better.

"So..." Yeonghwa echoes, fiddling with the sequins on her dress. "Your performance was amazing. As always!"

"Thanks. Yours too. That, uh, that backwards handstand gave me war flashbacks!"

She lets out a surprised laugh. "You remember that?"

"Kind of hard to forget when my groin still twinges every time it rains," he says without thinking, then immediately wants to die of embarrassment.

Yeonghwa snorts, covering her mouth quickly. "Still as graceful as fuck, I see?"

"You know me," he grins, relaxing slightly.

Yeonghwa can feel her heart racing in her chest at Yunho standing infront of her, actually talking to her! She never thought this would ever happen after she hurt him so much.

"Anyway, you are one to talk! Your moves are pretty insane!" Yeonghwa says, tucking some of her cherry red hair behind her ear. "The one where you practically fold yourself in half backwards. That looked painful as shit."

"Oh god, don't even remind me," Yunho groans. "My spine basically files for divorce every time we perform it. Pretty sure our choreographer is secretly a contortionist who enjoys watching us suffer."

"At least you're tall enough that when you do it, it looks cool. When I try anything like that I look like a garden gnome having a tantrum!"

Yunho snorts at her garden gnome comment. "Hey, at least you can do aegyo without looking like a sleep paralysis demon. I try to be cute and fans think I'm having a stroke."

"Oh god, remember that time you tried aegyo in the hallway during break and scared that poor freshman?" Yeonghwa laughs loudly, the memory hitting her suddenly. "Pretty sure she transferred schools after that."

"Listen, I was trying my best back then!" Yunho protests, though he's grinning. "And she only screamed a little bit."

"A little bit? The entire hallway thought someone was being murdered! Mr Nam came flying out the teachers lounge with a bat ready to attack someone!"

"Yeah well, not all of us can be naturally tiny and adorable," he says, gesturing vaguely at her whole... everything. "Some of us are cursed with being basically a tree."

"Please, you love being tall," she rolls her eyes. "How many times did you make me get stuff from the top shelf in the library or at the store just so you could watch me struggle?"

"It was quality entertainment!" he defends. "Like watching a very determined hamster trying to climb Mount Everest."

Yeonghwa gasps in mock offence. "I will climb you like a tree and fight you right now!"

"What, and risk messing up your fancy dress?" Yunho grins, nodding at her sparkly outfit. "Also I'm pretty sure if you tried to climb me in those heels, we'd both die."

"Worth it though," she smirks.

They both laugh, and for a moment it feels just like old times. Her laughter causing a flutter of butterflies to erupt in his stomach at hearing it once more. He has missed her a lot more than he realised. Then they hear Mingi's voice calling for Yunho from somewhere nearby, and reality crashes back in. "Ah shit."

"Still getting into trouble?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Some things never change," he shrugs. "I should probably-"

"Go," Yeonghwa finishes for him, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah," he says, but doesn't move. "It was... it was good to see you, Yeonghwa."

"You too, Yun," she says softly, and something in his chest tightens at the old nickname. He swallows hard, suddenly feeling like there's a whole fucking field of landmines between them.

"Are you... would you be interested in meeting up at some point? Maybe we could grab a coffee or something." The words come out in a rush before he can second guess himself. "Just as friends though! No pressure!"

Yeonghwa blinks at him in surprise, processing his sudden invitation. A part of her screams yes immediately, desperate to spend more time with him, but another part hesitates.

"That sounds nice," she says slowly, carefully weighing her words. "But I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Oh," Yunho nods quickly, trying not to let his disappointment show on his face. "Right, no worries! Totally understand."

"It's not that I don't want to-" Yeonghwa starts hurriedly, but stops herself. What is she doing? She can't do this to him again.

"It's fine," Yunho says again, forcing a small smile he doesn't feel. "We're both busy people with hectic schedules anyway. It was a dumb idea."

"No it wasn't-" Yeonghwa reaches for him instinctively grabbing his hand.

The sudden physical contact between causes both their hearts to leap. Without thinking Yunhos free hand cups her cheek as she nuzzles into it, finding comfort in his touch.

The moment stretches between them, charged with unspoken words and memories. Yunho's thumb brushes gently across her cheek as he leans down, drawn to her like a magnet. Their faces inches apart, he stops himself just before their lips meet, instead resting his forehead against hers. They stay like that for a heartbeat, sharing the same air.

"One coffee," Yeonghwa whispers, barely audible.

Yunho lets out a shaky breath of relief. "One coffee," he repeats softly.

"But if Mingi tries to murder me, I'm using you as a human shield," she adds with a weak attempt at humour.

"He'd have to catch you first," Yunho murmurs, still not moving away. "And you're basically pocket-sized, so you could probably just hide behind a plant pot."

"I will literally bite your kneecaps," she threatens without heat.

"See? Tiny but vicious. Like an angry chihuahua."

"Keep talking like that and that coffee's gonna end up in your lap," she warns, but her fingers tighten slightly in his hand as Yunho lets out a breathy laugh

"YUNHO!" Mingi's voice echoes closer, making them both jump apart like startled cats.

"Quick, go before he has an aneurysm," Yeonghwa says, taking a step back. "I'll text you about the coffee."

"You don't have my number anymore," he points out.

“I can easily get it,” She grins at him, tightening her fingers once more “I have my connections!”

Just then, Mingi rounds the corner looking annoyed, his long legs eating up the distance between them quickly. His eyes narrow when he spots Yeonghwa before he sees them holding hands. Yeonghwa immediately drops it and takes a step back, nervously fiddling with the ends of her long hair.

"There you are!" he exclaims, grabbing Yunho's arm. "We need to go. Now."

"Mingi-" Yunho starts, but Mingi's already dragging him away.

"Nice seeing you again, Aria!" Mingi calls over his shoulder, his voice dripping with fake sweetness with extra emphasis on her stage name, which Mingi also knew she hated being called. "Love what you've done with your hair. Really brings out the snake-"

"For fuck's sake," Yunho mutters, yanking his arm free. He shoots an apologetic look at Yeonghwa, who's watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. “I was just being polite!” he looks back at Mingi

"Just being polite? Are you fucking kidding me? You are standing there holding her hand like teenagers!!" Mingi's voice rises an octave. "What happened to 'I'm not getting dragged back into this' and ‘water under the bridge’?"

"We were literally just talking about dancing!" Yunho protests, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Oh sure, because that's how it starts! First it's 'oh hey, nice backwards handstand' and next thing you know you're sneaking out to hotels with her then crying into your pillow when she throws you to the side again."

Yunho catches Yeonghwa shifting uncomfortably in his peripheral vision, her eyes fixed on the floor. The awkwardness is practically radiating off her in waves.

"Can we not do this here?" Yunho hisses, although the corridor is practically empty now, anyone could hear Mingis loud voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this inconvenient for you?" Mingi's voice drips with sarcasm. "You know what else was inconvenient? Having to watch you mope around like a kicked puppy for months!"

"For fuck's sake, that was two years ago-"

"Yeah, and I'm not watching you go through round two of the Great Depression because you can't keep your distance from that bitch!" he points towards a startled looking Yeonghwa as Yunho pushes him. Mingis entire body language changes as he straightens up, somehow looking taller than Yunho.

"Song Mingi!" Hongjoong's sharp voice cuts through their bickering like a knife. Their leader stands at the end of the hallway, arms crossed, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Both of you, waiting room. Now."

"But hyung-" Mingi starts.

"Did I fucking stutter?" Hongjoong says making his way towards the three of them

Mingi throws his hands up in frustration. "Fine. Fucking fine." He shoots one last venomous look at Yeonghwa before storming off, muttering under his breath.

"I'm so sorry, Yeong!" Yunho says moving back to Yeonghwa, who's hugging herself and looking like she wants the ground to swallow her whole. "He had no right to-"

"Yunho," Hongjoong cuts in firmly. "Say goodbye."

Yunho's jaw clenches, clearly wanting to say more, but one look at Hongjoong's expression tells him it's not up for debate. He turns back to Yeonghwa, his eyes softening. "I'll see you soon."

She manages a small nod, still looking shaken. Yunho hesitates for a moment before following the path Mingi took, his shoulders tense with barely contained anger.

Once Yunho's out of earshot, Hongjoong turns to Yeonghwa. His expression isn't unkind, but there's steel in his voice, there was no denying his intentions with his words. "You need to stay away from him. You once told him to leave you alone - do the same!"

"I didn't- he came to talk to me," Yeonghwa protests

"Yeah, because he's Yunho and he can't help himself," Hongjoong sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Look, you know how he is. He sees the best in everyone, even when they've hurt him."

"I never meant to-"

"Doesn't matter what you meant to do," Hongjoong cuts her off. "What matters is what happened and what you did to him! And it nearly broke him." He takes a step closer, lowering his voice. "I know that you genuinely once cared for him… so I'm asking you, for his sake and mental wellbeing - keep your distance."

Yeonghwa swallows hard, nodding slightly. She opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by her manager calling her name from down the hall.

"Good," Hongjoong says simply, already turning away. "See you around, Aria sunbaenim." he adds with a respectful bow but his tone of his voice was anything but.

Hearing her stage name feels like a sharp blow. The message is unmistakable. She observes Hongjoong walking away, then turns to face her manager, who is watching from a distance. Taking a deep breath, she heads back to her dressing room.

"Are you alright?" she inquires, wrapping a comforting arm around Yeonghwa's waist as she joins her.

Yeonghwa can only nod as they walk back to Moonlights waiting room.

As Hongjoong returns to his own waiting room, the air is heavy and silent. Mingi and Yunho are sitting on opposite sides of the room, the space between them crackling with unspoken words. Mingi’s arms are crossed, his jaw clenched so hard it looked like it might shatter at any moment. Yunho, on the other hand, is slouched in a chair, his eyes fixed on the floor.

The rest of the group is scattered around the room, their usual chatter replaced by an uncomfortable silence. Seonghwa is leaning against the counter between Yunho and Mingi as if waiting to play referee, his brow furrowed in concern

“Hey,” Seonghwa says softly, pushing off from the counter and walking over to Hongjoong. “What happened? Mingi stormed in not saying a word and Yunho came in a few minutes afterwards and.. I’ve never seen him look this way before!”

Hongjoong sighs, running a hand through his hair as he shut the door behind him. “They were… ” he says quietly, tipping his head toward the two. “I don’t even know how to describe it. They looked like they were about to go at each other’s throats.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widen. “What? What happened?”

Hongjoong shook his head. “I don’t know the whole story, but I walked in on the tail end of it. Yunho was talking to Yeonghwa, and… I don’t know what they were discussing, but Mingi clearly didn’t like it. When I found them, they were standing in the hallway, it was like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.”

“Damn,” Seonghwa mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. “And then what?”

Hongjoong hesitates, replaying the scene in his mind. “Yunho… he pushed Mingi. Actually pushed him. I’ve never seen him like that before. He’s always the calm one, the peacemaker. But… he just snapped.”

“Yunho p-pushed him?!” Seonghwa asks shocked

“Mingi called Yeonghwa a bitch.”

Seonghwa’s expression turns grim. “Yeah well, that is like a red flag to a bull. We all know by now not to badmouth her infront of Yunho.”

“Yeah, well this was not only infront of Yunho but Yeonghwa too! And in a corridor!” Hongjoong sighs, “We are just lucky the corridor had cleared out by this point and no one saw or heard any of this!”

“Ah shit!” Seonghwa rubs his head, “This is bad. Really bad. We need to nip this in the bud, now!”

“I know,” Hongjoong sighs, his voice laced with worry.

"You know how Yunho becomes when it involves Yeonghwa. His judgment gets clouded, and Mingi... Mingi's just trying to look out for him, but he's handling it the wrong way!"

Mingi suddenly stands up causing everyone except Yunho who is still staring at the floor, to look at him. “Yunho… you are my oldest friend,” he says taking a step forward, “And I’m sorry that I upset you but… I can’t stand by and watch her hurt you again.”

Yunho lifts his gaze from the floor, his face reflecting both surprise and defiance. "Mingi, I get it," he starts, his voice unsteady, "and I know why you all have issues with her," he glances around at everyone else, "but you've only ever seen one side of my relationship with Yeonghwa, and unfortunately, it was the worst moment. None of you witnessed us when we were alone, those times when her guard down, and she wasn't Aria from Moonlight, but just Yeonghwa from Yeosu! You never saw her!"

"No one's saying those moments weren't real," Seonghwa cuts in gently. "But-"

"But what?" Yunho says. "She's evil? A snake? A heartless bitch? I’ve heard it all and worse, from each of you! You may not have said it to my face, but I could always hear you badmouthing her when you thought I couldn’t."

"Dude, she literally told you she never loved you while wearing your fucking hoodie," Yeosang points out. "Like, who does that?"

Yunho’s jaw tightens as he processes Yeosangs words. His fists clench at his sides, his eyes flickering with a mixture of hurt and anger. “I know what she said,” he grits out through clenched teeth. “But you don’t understand everything. You weren’t there for the whole story.”

Mingi steps closer, his expression softening. “Yunho, we just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Seonghwa nods in agreement, his gaze sympathetic. “It’s not about doubting your feelings, Yunho. It’s about looking out for you because we care about you.”

“And we are sorry you heard us speaking badly about her.” Wooyoung says

Yunho appreciates the support from his friends, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He nods gratefully, the sincerity in his eyes reflecting his gratitude. "Thank you, guys. I know you all mean well, and I'm grateful to have you looking out for me." He takes a deep breath, “But if you really do care about me, I need you all to back off when it comes to her.”

“What do you mean ‘back off’?” Jongho asks

Yunho looks around at his friends, his expression firm yet pleading. "I mean back off from talking about her, from trying to intervene with Yeonghwa. I need to figure things out on my own without all the negativity and interference. She’s agreed to meet me for a coffee… just the one!" he adds quickly as San groans.

Hongjoong frowns, concern etched on his face. "But Yunho, we just want what's best for you. We don't want to see you get hurt again."

"I know," he starts, his voice filled with gratitude. "But I need to handle this in my own way. I don’t know what is going to happen, we might never speak again after the coffee or we could slowly become friends once more…"

Mingi lets out a silent sigh at this that Yunho thankfully does not hear.

“But I can’t bear to have any of you disparage her anymore, regardless of what happens.” Yunho finishes. “You all say you don’t want me to be hurt, but hearing you speak that way about the girl I lov… once loved - THAT hurts me too!”

Seonghwa places a comforting hand on Yunho's shoulder. "We hear you, Yunho. We'll respect your wishes and try our best to support you in the way you need," he reassures him, his gaze filled with understanding.

Mingi, who had been listening quietly, finally speaks up. "Yunho, we've got your back. Just remember that we care about you and want the best for you," he says with a reassuring smile, his eyes reflecting his sincerity.

“That is all I am asking for.” Yunho replies

Wooyoung chimes in, his tone serious. "Yeah, we'll respect your boundaries. Just know that we're here for you no matter what."

Jongho nods in agreement. "We just want you to be happy, Yunho. We'll trust that you know what's best for yourself."

San can’t help but hug Yunho. "Just remember, we're here for you through whatever comes next."

“Don’t shut us out either!” Yeosang says

Mingi smiles at Yunho. "And I promise to keep my opinions about her to myself from now on. I didn’t realise I was hurting you whenever I spoke of her. Your happiness is what matters most to me.. to us."

With a collective nod, the group stands in solidarity with Yunho as he prepares to face the uncertainties of his meeting with Yeonghwa, knowing that they will be there for him every step of the way.

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