#Proudly French 1

[elia-the-bibliophile]

The Paddock Princess Diaries (Dad! Charles Leclerc x Wife! Female Reader)

Genre: Fluff Word count: 2k

Join Magalie Leclerc, a four-year-old who steals the hearts of the Formula 1 world as she accompanies her father, Charles Leclerc, to his race.

In their hotel room overlooking the scenic Ardennes forest, the morning sun peaked through the curtains, casting a comfortable glow upon the Leclerc family. Charles stood in front of the mirror, his usually impeccable hair staging a rebellion of its own, sticking out in every direction imaginable.

“Charles, sweetheart, we've got to hustle! The race isn't going to wait for your hair to behave,” Y/N called out from across the room, trying to stifle her laughter at her husband's wrestling match with his brown locks. Meanwhile she is gently nudging Magalie's tiny feet into her Ferrari-themed sneakers. The vibrant red of the shoes matched the excitement in the room.

“I know, I know, just a second,” Charles groaned, his frustration evident as he attempted to coax his stubborn strands into submission.

Y/N smirked. “Well, maybe you should have a chat with it, see if you can reason with it,” she suggested, earning a side eye glare from her husband.

“Ha-ha, very funny,” he retorted before handing her the comb in defeat. “Here, you're the only one who can tame this wild beast.”

Grinning triumphantly, Y/N took up the challenge, expertly smoothing down his hair with exaggerated motion. As she worked, their eyes met in the mirror, a silent exchange passing between them. “There, much better! You almost look presentable now,” she teased which elicited a mortified gasp from Charles.

Magalie proudly showed off her Ferrari-themed outfit to her parents. “Regarde, Papa, Maman! Je suis prête pour la course!” she exclaimed in her adorable, still-learning French, her words a delightful jumble of accents and mispronunciations.

Charles laughed, swooping in to scoop her up into his arms. "Bravo, ma petite championne! You look très chic in your Ferrari gear,” he said with a wink, earning a giggle from his daughter.

As they made their way towards the door, Magalie suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Papa, Maman, can Teddy come too?” she pleaded, her voice hopeful.

Charles and Y/N exchanged amused glances, charmed by their daughter's request. “Of course, honey,” Y/N replied with a smile. But only if Teddy promises to cheer loudly for Papa!”

Magalie's face lit up with delight, and she hugged her teddy bear. “Bien sûr, Maman! Teddy loves Ferrari too!” she exclaimed, her words punctuated by the enthusiastic nodding of her stuffed companion.

Chuckling at the adorable sight, Charles ruffled Magalie's hair affectionately. “Alright then, it's settled. Teddy can come along to keep you company,” he said, his heart swelling with love.

With Magalie clutching Teddy in one hand and Charles holding her other hand, the Leclercs set off, their laughter echoing through the hotel corridors.

__________________________________________

Mechanics scurried about, fine-tuning the scarlet machines, while engineers huddled around laptops, analyzing data and strategies for the upcoming race.

Magalie, clutching her teddy bear and sporting her Ferrari-themed outfit, drew immediate attention as soon as she stepped into the garage. The team members couldn't help but pause in their tasks to admire the adorable sight before them.

“Regardez, c'est la petite Magalie! Elle est trop mignonne!” exclaimed one of the mechanics, his eyes twinkling with delight as he knelt down to Magalie's level.

“She's like a mini-Charles, but even cuter!” another chimed in, a fond smile playing on his lips as he admired Magalie's outfit.

Magalie beamed at the attention, her cheeks flushing with pride. “Merci!” she replied shyly, her French accent adding to her charm as she clung tightly to her teddy bear.

The team members chuckled warmly, ruffling her hair and exchanging amused glances with each other. “Watch out, boys, we've got a future heartbreaker in our midst!” one of them joked, earning a chorus of laughter from the group.

As the Ferrari team members gathered around Magalie, she couldn't contain her excitement. With a gleam in her eye, she raised her tiny fist into the air, ready to unleash her rallying cry.

“Fowza Fewawi, sem-pwe!” she declared, her attempt at rolling the R's coming out more like a playful purr than a roar.

The garage erupted into laughter. “Close enough, Magalie! We'll work on those Rs later,” one of the mechanics joked.

Magalie giggled along with the team. “Forza Ferwawi!” she tried again, determination shining through despite her adorable mispronunciation.

Charles and Y/N exchanged amused glances, their hearts melting at their daughter's antics. “She's trying her best,” Charles whispered to Y/N, his voice filled with pride. And Y/N could swear that the man is on the verge of crying.

Magalie, not content with just her own cheering, looked down at her teddy bear and had a stroke of genius. With a toothy grin, she grabbed Teddy's arms and began moving them up and down in sync with her own cheers, creating a hilarious spectacle that had everyone in stitches.

Magalie Leclerc and her animated teddy bear became the unofficial mascots of the Ferrari team for the day. “Look at Teddy go!” someone exclaimed, while others clapped along to the makeshift cheer routine.

__________________________________________

As Y/N and Magalie settled into the Ferrari hospitality cafe, the lively atmosphere of the paddock enveloped them. Magalie took delighted sips from her baby chino, eyes sparkling as she soaked in the sights and sounds around her.

Suddenly, a familiar voice caught Y/N's attention, and she turned to see a friendly face approaching their table. “Y/N!” the voice exclaimed, belonging to Oliver Bearman.

“Ollie! It's great to see you,” Y/N greeted him with a warm smile, gesturing for him to join them at their table. “I did not expect you would be here”

Oliver took the seat opposite Y/N. “Well you can’t miss a Spa race.” he replied, his eyes lighting up as he glanced at Magalie. “And who is this little Ferrari fan?”

Y/N beamed with pride, placing a gentle hand on Magalie's shoulder. “This is Magalie. Charles finally agreed to bring her to a race. As you can see, she’s already a big fan of the sport.”

Magalie, sensing a new friend in Oliver, offered him a wave before taking another sip of her baby chino.

Oliver tilted his head curiously, “So, Magalie, do you want to be a racer like your Papa when you grow up?”

Magalie's face lit up at the question. Her little mind already cooking up something.

Y/N jumped in with a laugh. “She’s more of a water than land person. Oh, Ollie, you have no idea. Once she's in, Charles and I have to practically beg, plead, and promise her all the chocolates in the world just to get her out and dry,” she confessed.

Magalie nodded eagerly, “I want to be a swimming athlete,” she declared proudly, her arms flapping as she imagined herself gliding through the water.

Ollie chuckled as he imagined the scene of Charles and Y/N negotiating with their determined little swimmer. “A swimming athlete, huh? Well, you'll definitely make quite the splash in the pool.”

“That's right! I'll be the fastest fish in the sea!” she proclaimed, her imagination running wild with visions of swimming glory.

Magalie's eyes sparkled with excitement as she turned to Oliver, her voice filled with eager anticipation. “Oncle Ollie, will you train me to be the best swimmer ever?”

Ollie’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, uh, Magalie, I have to admit, I'm not much of a swimmer,” he confessed.

Magalie's face fell for a moment, disappointment flickering across her features.

“I'll cheer for you from the sidelines like nobody's business," he promised, trying to lift up her mood.

__________________________________________

The Belgian circuit buzzed with excitement as Charles Leclerc zipped around the track during qualifying. It is no surprise either when he got the pole position.

Charles embraced his daughter tightly as she clung to him, her tiny hands clutching his racing suit. “Did you see, Papa? You were so fast!” Magalie exclaimed, her voice filled with awe.

He beamed down at her. “Yes, Magalie, I did it for you,” he said, lifting her up so she could see the world from his perspective. “This pole position is for you.”

Magalie's eyes sparkled with delight as she recounted Charles with tales of her encounter. “Regarde, Papa! I met Ollie!”.

Charles's heart skipped a beat as he listened to Magalie's tale. “Oh là là! Mon dieu!” he exclaimed dramatically, his hand flying to his chest. “But Magalie, pourquoi Ollie? Tu préfères Ollie à ton papa?” he lamented, feigning devastation.

Magalie giggled, not quite understanding her father's theatrics. “We talked about racing, Papa! Ollie showed me his helmet and let me sit in his simulator,” her enthusiasm contagious.

Y/N chimed in. “And they discussed their favorite ice cream flavors too! Magalie was convinced that chocolate chip is the best,” she added, shooting Charles a playful grin.

Charles gasped. “Mon cœur! Mon âme! Comment peux-tu, Magalie?" he almost visibly flinch. “You prefer chocolate chip over my delicious homemade vanilla ice cream? Sacrebleu!”.

As the chatter in the hospitality club continued, Ollie casually strolled by, his charisma lighting up the room. With a theatrical flourish, he shot Ollie a mock-serious glare.

“Don't even think about stealing my daughter's heart,” Charles declared in mock seriousness.

Ollie, always one to play along, raised an eyebrow with a sly grin. “Oh, Charles, you wound me,” he replied, feigning offense. “I would never dream of it.”

Y/N, already accustomed to her husband’s flair for the dramatic, simply rolled her eyes with a fond smile, shaking her head in amusement.

But Charles wasn't finished yet. He launched into a series of grandiose tales, regaling them with exaggerated accounts of his own racing triumphs. Each story seemed to grow taller and more fantastical than the last, as Charles spun elaborate yarns of daring maneuvers and impossible victories.

Ollie played along, his laughter mingling with Charles's, as the two drivers engaged in a friendly competition of one-upmanship. Magalie watched with wide-eyed fascination.

As the playful banter reached its climax, Charles turned to Magalie. “Magalie, ma chérie, who do you think is more handsome: Papa or Ollie?” he asked.

Magalie's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question. “Um... Ollie!” she blurted out, her decision made with the innocence of a child.

Gasping dramatically, he clutched his chest as if struck by a sudden heart attack, his eyes widening in horror. “Mon Dieu! Ma propre fille me trahit!“ he exclaimed, his voice trembling with despair. “To think that my own flesh and blood would choose Ollie over her beloved Papa! C'est tragique!”

Y/N’s amusement bubbling over into uncontrollable giggles. “Charles, tu es si dramatique,” she teased.

__________________________________________

As the cameras pivot towards Magalie, she sits in Y/N's arms, her eyes sparkling with excitement. The journalists approach, their questions carefully curated for the young spectator.

“Well, hello there, Magalie! How are you finding your first race?” A journalist from Sky Sport greets her with a warm smile.

Magalie beams. “It's amazing! Papa goes really fast!” Her tiny hands gesture wildly, trying to capture the speed of the cars.

Y/N chuckles softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from Magalie's face. “Yes, he does, sweetheart. What's been your favorite part so far?”

“When the cars go zoom, zoom, zoom!!” she exclaims, her arms mimicking the motions on the track.

Another journalist, this one appears to be from beIN SPORTS, charmed by Magalie's animated gestures, joins in. “How about your Papa getting pole position today? What do you think about that?”

Her face lights up with pride, smile reaching ear to ear. “I knew he would win! He's the best!”

Y/N motions for them to wrap up the questions soon, and they all nodded in understanding.

“One last thing, Magalie, do you have a message for all the Ferrari fans who are watching this race?” someone inquires from the back.

“To all the Ferrari fans,” she begins, “thank you for cheering for My Papa! He loves you all very much, and he's going to win for you!”

As the interviews wrap up, one of the journalists can't resist bestowing a title for Magalie.

“Well, folks, it looks like we've found our newest addition to the paddock royalty! Introducing... Magalie Leclerc, the Paddock Princess!” The journalist announces.

Magalie glances up at Y/N, who beams with pride at her daughter. “Paddock Princess, huh?” Y/N muses. "I think that has a nice ring to it, your royal highness.”

“If I am a princess, then that means you are the queen, Maman.”

[ineffable-suffering]

INEFFABLE META MASTERPOST

Because I'm slowly losing count and need to organize. So, here's all my self-written metas or ones that I reblogged with my own added theories and commentary! In rainbow colours, naturally.

1 – Aziraphale, I love you. But you lied. And here's why. My most lengthy and proudest meta about the Final Fifteen and why I think Aziraphale lied on purpose. (Also: The absolute darling @esthermitchell-author bravely fought their way through it and wrote up some more interesting points and different takes on what I came up with. If you want to go down a S2 rabbit hole with us, go read it here.)

2 – Why Aziraphale is an unreliable narrator (links below) A three-part meta in which I try to analyse and explain that all of the minisodes in Season 2 are not objective narrations but actually Aziraphale's memories.

Part 1: The Story of Job

Part 2: The Story of wee Morag

Part 3: The Story of the Magic Show in 1941

3 – The Jane Austen Ball and why it was never about Nina and Maggie A meta in which I go into unnecessarily great detail about how the Whickber Street Meeting Cotillion Ball was meant to be Aziraphale's confession to Crowley.

4 – Crowley & Aziraphale were never free (reblog) A reblog of @baggvinshield's post in which I explain why miscommunication is the single biggest ineffable enemy in Season 2.

5 – In Defense of Aziraphale (double reblog) A double try at explaining why I think Aziraphale's POV in the Final Fifteen is just as horrible as Crowley's and why I don't think him "choosing" to go back to Heaven was the only point of his character journey.

6 – The Art of Miscommunication: Ineffable Edition A meta in which i once again explain why miscommunication is the single biggest ineffable enemy in Season 2.

7– Season 2 Bookshop Shot Meta A meta where I briefly loose my mind because of a single bookshop frame in Season 2.

8 – What if it wasn't Aziraphale and Crowley who performed the 25 Lazarii miracle? A mini-meta in which I propose the theory that Jimbriel helped with the miracle to hide himself away from Heaven & Hell.

9 – Things in Good Omens Season 2 I still find weird (reblog) A reblog of @ok-sims and many other great OPs' thoughts on the weird loose strings in Season 2 and what unanswered questions I still have myself.

10 – The Deleted Bookshop Scene (reblog) A reblog of @skirtdyke's video and @i-only-ever-asked-questions' smart thoughts on it, with my own overly-excited 'what that could have meant for the "It's too late" line'-theroy.

11 – The Bentley Handle Easter Egg A meta I can proudly say has been liked by none other than Mr. Neil Gaiman himself about Crowley's Bentley handle that might have existed before the Bentley ever did.

12 – The F*cking Eccles Cakes A meta where I briefly loose my mind because of a pastry. (Addendum: People said very smart things in the comments of the post!)

14 – Re: "You go too fast for me, Crowley" A meta in which I make myself sad by connecting that infamous line to Aziraphale assuming Crowley wanted the Holy Water as a suicide pill.

13 – Trauma-Dumping on your plants: The Anthony J. Crowley Chronicles A meta on why Crowley treats his plants the way that he does.

14 – Demonic Mental Health Awareness Post In which I talk about why I want to get Crowley a therapy voucher.

15 – The Curious Incident of The Flaming Sword in Good Omens A meta on why the Flaming Sword has no deeper meaning. Or does it? (Updated: here's a reblog from @queerfables who did a wonderfully exellent job at calmly explaining all the swordy questions I was yelling about! Consider this meta solved.)

16 – Ceci n'est pas une plume A meta in which I'm a bit of a nerd for language and also explain why learning French and magic the human way says so much about Aziraphale as a character.

17 – The meaning of "I forgive you" A meta in which I explain what both "I forgive you"s mean and why Aziraphale will always fight for what is right until he wins. Also, the lovely @sharksbeerr translated it to Chinese on Weibo!

18 – Memory, or the lack thereof, in Season 2 A little reblog on how memory is a big and unresolved, leaky-bucket theme in Season 2.

Addendum:

The one non-spoiler-y ask I could come up with about S2 that was actually answered by Neil, yay!

Also, this wholesome little post I added to that Mr. Gaiman also reblogged. :‘)

*** This is a work in progress and will get updated every time I post a new meta! ***

[leclucklerc]

Check Point MV1 - 01. Product of Glory

Pairings: Max Verstappen x Actress!Reader

Summary: She should've realized that coming back to Formula One after quitting the sport years ago is a bad idea. Especially considering that most of your childhood friends and rivals from your karting days are now in the paddock.

Word Count: 4.2k

Previous Masterlist Next

Weekends had always been her favorite part of the week.

Besides the fact that it's a time when there's no school, weekends had always been more special. When she was younger, weekends means that she’s going to watch her dad race. To feel the thrill of Formula One as she cheered for the man on the red car. Weekend means going to a dinner with her parents, still high from her dad win and spending the night laughing and spending time together.

When her dad decided to retire from motorsport, weekends mean another thing.

Weekend means racing.

Though this time it’s not her dad in a red car who race. This time it’s her who’s racing. It’s her who goes on top of kart and race against people her age. It’s her who got cheered on. It’s her, who will bring a smile on her dad face as he saw her with pride clear on his eyes.

Y/n loves weekends.

“Hi,” greeted the girl, smile wide and eyes crinkling. “Good race, huh?”

The blue-eyed boy furrowed his eyebrows at her while the other one, a dark haired one, let out a small smile at that. She could feel the stare that they directed towards the trophy on her hand. No doubt jealous at the number one engraved on it.

It only made her giggle, as she proudly showed it towards the two boys.

The three of them are now huddled in a corner somewhere in the karting track, adrenaline still high from the race earlier and hair still wet from all the sweat under their helmet. They still could hear the hustle and bustle from the crowd that had attended the race this weekend. The distant sound of chatters and karting engine.

It had been a tough race, a race where the three of them shoved each other on the track. Each trying to gain better position from the others. Each, trying to become the winner of the race.

Though, despite all of that, in this small corner, they felt that there’s only the three of them in this world. There is no strict parents, heavy expectations, or uncertain futures. In this little corner, there are only the three of them. The three champions with too much talent and boundless possibilities for their future.

“You’re only saying that cause you beat us,” said the dark haired one in a heavily accented English. Well, to be fair, all of them are speaking in a heavily accented English, considering y/n too mainly talked in French with her parents. "If you had lost you would've been crying right now."

"Psh, I'm not a crybaby like you guys," she laughed it off.

"I'm not a crybaby!"

Said girl grin only widened before she sat in front of the two boys. The trophy still clutched tightly as she adjusted it on her lap, not wanting to break it.

“Sore loser,” teased the girl. “You look like you want to fight me when I passed you in the last lap,” this part was directly directed towards the blue-eyed boy who had been moodily staring at her since the start.

“I did not” muttered the boy, also answering in a heavily accented English. Though, the accent is different from the previous boy and hers. He began leaning back towards the stack of wheels behind them. “I just don’t like losing.”

“Who likes losing?” asked back the dark haired one as he fiddled with his helmet on his hand. “I don’t.”

“No one,” agreed on the girl with a nod of her head. Inside of her head, she could already imagine all of the headlines and news if she ever performed badly in a race. Accusations of her being untalented to the blatant questioning if she’s her father daughter.

She can’t lose.

There is no way she can allow herself to lose.

“If we want to make it to Formula 1, we have to hate losing,” continue the girl as she sat in front of the two boys. "It's all about the mentality y'know?"

“Y/n is right,” said the dark-haired boy, nodding. “Also, my dad is not that happy if I got second place, so I really should win.”

“What Charles said,” said the girl. “Pretty sure my dad will also be disappointed if I don’t win a race.”

The other boy, Max, nodded his head sulkily. He doesn’t need to say how upset his father would be if he ever loses because both y/n and Charles knew that already.

Jos Verstappen, after all, is a terrifying figure.

While of course both Charles’s dad and y/n’s dad would be disappointed if they had a bad race, they would never throw a literal temper tantrum to them. They would console the both of them because they know, no matter how disappointed they are, the one that is the most disappointed is the children themselves. Instead of anger, they would offer them ice cream and advice. They would offer a shoulder to cry to and ears to ramble to. Max dad on the other hand-

(“Why did you lose?” asked Jos Verstappen, tone grave and eyes glaring daggers at the boy in fronf of him. He looks terrifying. Like a giant ready to stomp on those under him.

Max trembled, not daring to stare at the older man. “I-“ he started. “I-“ he desperately tried to get the words out. To force his throat to talk and explain and yet, no matter how much he tried, he just cant. As if, his body is refusing to even defy the man in front of him.

Y/n watched, heart trembling as she hid behind a building near them. Too scared to help and yet, at the same time she desperately wants to help her best friend.

But her feet just won’t move. Rooted on her spot as she silently watches the conftoration unfolds.

Coward.)

He’s terrifying. From the way he would yell at Max or the glare that he would throw to everyone in the room. From his large stature to the way he never looked that happy to see Max hanging out with y/n or Charles.

The three of them had basically grow up together with racing. Y/n doesn’t even remember when was the first time was the three of them had ended up in the same race, all she knows, one way or another, they had been racing against each other for the longest time.

It has always been the three of them on the podium. The three of them against the world. Sometimes y/n wins, sometimes Max wins, sometimes Charles wins. Her father had once said that the three of them is taking turn for the first place.

Before she knew it, she had become close with her two rivals.

(A lot of time, y/n would feel a bit guilty if she won first place. Because she knew what would happen to Max. She knew that his dad doesn’t like to see him in second place.

Though alas, the drug called winning is an addicting one. Moreso when you’re not mature enough to realize the consequences of your actions. Moreso, when you still watched the world through a rose-tinted glass.)

They’re her closest friends. The very first people that she talked to and confide to. It’s them against the world. It’s their dream against everything in the world.

Even though they live in three different countries – Max in the Netherlands, Charles in Monaco, and y/n in France – she felt as if they’re always with each other. Maybe it’s the frequent phone calls or maybe it’s the holidays that their family often arranged together.

No matter what it is, she can always say confidently that both max and Charles is her best friends. 

“Do you think we’re going to make it to formula one?” asked Max after a while, a thoughtful frown tugging his lips down. The silence between the three of them had been a bit unusual, though it’s not an uncomfortable one.

Both Charles and y/n exchanged a glance. “What? Are you doubting yourself?” said y/n, raising her eyebrows.

Max shook his head. “No, I’m doubting the both of you.”

Y/n and Charles hit his arm playfully. 

“Rude,” huffed out y/n. “As if you’re going to enter Formula One before me.”

“You will never enter Formula One if you still have that kind of sloppy overtake- ouch! Stop hitting me!” complained Max as the girl continue to hit his shoulder playfully.

The girl rolled her eyes. “That’s what you get for doubting my skill.”

"I won't be doubting your skill if you can actually kart properly-"

"You're so mean!"

Immediately after that, a laugh rang out. Both y/n and Max turned their head towards Charles who was laughing at them. Oddly, the both of them too started to laugh soon. The previously tense atmosphere from the earlier conversation gone as they enjoyed the moment together.

Truly, they looked like children their age here. Not someone who has a too heavy expectations and fame that’s threatening to consume her. Not someone with uncertain future and the desperation to show the world his talent. Not someone, with a father who doesn’t know to be a dad.

In this moment, the three of them are just children playing around. Something that they hardly did with all of the burdens that they have to bear despite their young age.

After a while, the laughter ceased, and the atmosphere had lightened up considerably. They looked relaxed, as they shared smiles with each other.

“We’re going to formula one, obviously,” said Charles, grinning. “We’re so good at karting!”

The way he said it was full of conviction without a hint of doubt. It made Max and y/n believed in him. As if, the case of them being a formula one driver is not a matter of if, but a when. That it’s only a matter of time before all three of them would drive for the top teams in Formula One.

It made her believe an almost impossible possibility.

Of her, still racing with her friends. Of her, making her dad proud with it. Of her, still sharing the camera with her mother.

A future with endless possibilities that she looked forward to.

“For sure,” grinned y/n. “We’ll make it to Formula one and we’ll race in Monaco!”

“Yeah!”

Though, back then, the three of them doesn’t know that yes. That dream will only stay as a simple childish dream.

Y/n l/n is many things.

She’s one of the most famous celebrities in Hollywood, the highest paid actress for the last few years. She has won Oscars, many times. Emmys, also many times, and other acting awards that could possibly exist in the planet. She's a fashion icon, an ambassador of many fashion houses and jewelries. She's a charming woman, someone that can get everybody's attention by just entering the room.

Y/n l/n is the talk of the town now.

Well, it’s not like that she’s not the talk of the town before. As one of most recognizable celebrity on earth, it’s normal for people to gossips and talked about her. Every now and then, her name would sit at the top of the trending topic. So, being the talk of the town is not something new to her. Now though, the reason why she’s even mentioned so much lately is the now viral video of her in her Jimmy Kimmel interview.

Y/N L/N ALMOST BECOMES A FORMULA ONE DRIVER? 

2,5 million views. Posted 1d ago.

She whistled at the number.

“It really is a good promotion,” said Andrew, her manager as he scrolled past his iPad. “We can cut the marketing budget for Product of Glory a bit,” he continued., sounding a bit pleased at that. “The producer is really thankful for that.”

The two of them is sitting on y/n’s living room, monitoring the public response from her appearance in Jimmy Kimmel. Besides Andrew, she could also see her private assistant walking around the house, no doubt doing an errand that she had asked beforehand. Though besides that, the mansion is quiet.

“Pay me more then,” laughed the female as she looked up from her phone. “I revealed my dark past for everyone to enjoy after all.”

“Well, I thank you for revealing your dark past or whatever," muttered the male, not even looking up from his iPad. "It will bring a lot of buzz to the movie considering well-“

“Considering it’s a movie about my parents?” asked y/n, raising her eyebrow.

“Well yeah,” agreed the man. "And it's also about Formula One, so it's related."

In hindsight, y/n really do think that there is no way her newest movie – Product of Glory – will be a failure. After all, it’s a high budgeted movie with star studded cast and an experienced director. The reason why she’s even taking the role was because it has an amazing script, something that will bring some kind of Oscar buzz surely.

Besides that, the movie is about Formula One. Mainly, the love story between a Formula One legend and Hollywood icon back in the 80’s and 90’s. The turbulence romance between a high-profile athlete and a high-profile actress. Both were at the top of their respective fields, making their relationship basically the power couple of the entertainment and the sport industry.

Before David and Victoria Beckham were even a thing, Reynold and Nicole l/n were the couple. The wet dream of every tabloid back in the day. With that kind of history, it has enough noise to make people anticipates the movie.

And then, the main actress of the movie and the daughter of Nicole l/n went into the Jimmy Kimmel show and shocked the world. 

It didn’t take a lot of time for people to verify that information and confirm that yes, y/n l/n is telling the truth and yes, y/n l/n got a really successful karting career back then. So successful that she was part of the Ferrari driver’s academy back in the day. So successful that she actually raced with so many famous names. Names that is now currently racing at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Without her now viral clip, many had put high expectation for the movie. Now, after revealing her almost career choice, people practically salivate at the thought of watching the movie.

“Is this good for my image?” she asked, finger thumbing around the video and yet she didn’t click on it. Should she watch it?

Truthfully, revealing her karting past is not something that she had planned before. The Jimmy Fallon team didn't even told her that it's a topic that they will brought up during the interview. Imagine her shock when said host brought out a photo from her karting days.

Memories of that time had resurfaced almost immediately. Things that she wants to bury and forget.

It had made her nervous, heels clicking on the carpeted floor as she tried to think on what she should do. Her exit from the world of motorsport had been really abrupt after all. There are so many things left unsaid, so many things that she should've brought closure to.

And yet she didn't.

So she had retell the tale of her karting journey. Of how she had decided that acting is more of her thing compared to racing. That in the end, her heart lies on playing a character in front of a camera. Like a mindless puppet.

“An amazing one,” said Andrew. “People really like the contrast of being an actress and a racing driver,” continue the man. “And Formula One is really popular right now, almost rivaling soccer, so it’s a huge boost for your image.”

“My dad will love it,” said y/n, letting out a dry chuckle. “I swear he’s a bit bitter when I chose acting years ago.”

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “The great Reynold l/n being bitter? Hard to imagine,” said the man. “He always seems friendly and easygoing.”

“It’s cause you know him after he retired from his racing career,” answered the female. “Mom likes to say that dad used to be a huge asshole when he was still active. Well, an asshole that she really likes so she just thought it was hot.”

The male let out laugh at that, amused. “Anyway, because of the interview, people are expecting you to be in the Miami GP this year,” he said. “A lot of people had thought that you were attending last year.”

“I was filming in Switzerland,” answered the female in order to defend herself. Truthfully, it’s not a good defense, considering the filming is not something mandatory. Y/n was just searching for a reason to skip Miami GP last year. She knows it and Andrew too knows it.

“Right,” said Andrew, not sounding convinced the slightest. “Mercedes and Red Bull had actually asked you to join them as a guest,” he continue as he showed her an email that he had received from both teams. “They seem pretty enthusiastic about that.”

Mercedes and Red Bull.

Bad idea.

Y/n sighed, “I’m attending with my dad, so it’s obvious that I’m going to go to the Ferrari garage.” Well, it’s not like Ferrari is a better option. But at least she will have a shield there, namely her dad.

Andrew hummed. “Well, I just thought that you maybe want to avoid both Red Bull and Ferrari garage.”

And isn’t that another can of worms that she has to open?

Tapping her feet – a nervous tick of hers – she let her mind wander to all the possibilities that she could encounter during the Grand Prix. She knows that attending a race is a bad idea. A really bad one considering she knows almost everyone on the grid. 

It’s a bad idea and y/n knows it.

She really really knows it.

An image of a blond- and dark-haired boy appeared inside of her head. Of them racing together, of them spending their holidays together. Of them, laughing and enjoying each other company.

“Ugh,” groaned the female. “I don’t fucking know, okay?”

“Well, you better think about it,” said Andrew, closing his iPad as he stared at her. “Because the Miami GP is happening soon, and I really need to confirm your attendance to the teams.”

Y/n gave him a thumbs up, mulling about her decision.

Maybe y/n had regretted her decision to choose acting over racing, once upon a time. 

But that was during a hard time of her life, during the weird period where she’s oftentimes considered too old for a child role but too young for an adult role. It was during the time where the phrase nepo-baby were stuck into her like a parasite, sucking her life force more and more as she continues to live in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles with rows and rows of failed auditions behind her. 

Her mother had told her once that you will be happy if you excel at your job. That you will find happiness only when you managed to find success at the thing that you do.

She agrees on that, considering that she had never looked back on racing the moment she won her first Oscar as a lead actress at the tender age of 18.

Now, seven years after that, y/n never even thought about formula one besides when she’s watching the race with her father.

“So close-!” Exclaimed her father as he leaned forward, eyes trained towards the heated race between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. “Ah, he really needs to brake here or-!”

Y/n almost winced as she watched how the Red bull and Ferrari almost crashed with each other. 

“Dad,” she called out, reaching towards the older man who will certainly fall from the sofa with how he leaned forward. “Relax dad, you’ll fall at this rate,” said the female as she tugged the man back.

Her dad let out a huff. “Seriously!” he let out. “Ferrari really need to get the world champion this year! Charles is leading the driver championship but they’re only at the second place in the constructor and Mattia really need to get their shittogether at this point!”

“I know, I know,” she said. “You can tell Mattia directly during the Miami GP, no?”

“Obviously I will.”

The female let out an amused snort at that.

Formula One had been going into a new direction as of late, something that her father had been really excited about. Last year, during the 2021 season, Max Verstappen managed to place first in the World’s Driver Championship. Ending Lewis Hamilton seven consecutive title. While Mercedes managed to still win the Constructor Championship, y/n really can’t help but thought that this was the beginning of a new era in the sport. 

When last year Miami GP had come around, her father had practically jumped around in excitement. Y/n gets it though, after moving to LA after his retirement in order to fully support his wife career and help raising y/n, the man had never really had many chances to go back to his racing roots.

That’s why every time a new Formula One season came around; her father would always make sure that he’ll watch almost every race.

The current grid of Formula One is a bit different, in her humble opinion. After all, there is so much young and talented drivers racing right now.

From Red Bull’s newest golden boy to Ferrari’s ‘Il Predestinato’.

Her father had thought that the nickname was fitting for the Monegasque, had praised Ferrari’s decision to put him in the team with Sebastian Vettel back in 2019. He had praised when Max debuted in Toro Rosso back in 2015, just one year after his admittance to Red Bull Junior Program and y/n’s retirement from the world of racing.

He had praised them more considering that both had also been her childhood best friends.

Had been.

“Max and Charles were asking for you,” said the man as they watched Charles’s red Ferrari won the Australian Grand Prix. Y/n really can’t help the proud feeling that’s settling inside of her chest. Something similar to what she had felt almost one year ago as she watched the race in Abu Dhabi. “Back in Bahrain.”

“Well,” started the female. “It’s not like I never talked to them anymore.”

“Max said you replied to his messages once a week,” continue the man. “And you always refused their holiday invitations every off season or summer break.”

“Well,” started the female again, readying to defend herself. “I just think it’s a bit awkward, I don’t even know their friends.”

“How about that time when they visited me here? Why did you leave as soon as they arrived?” proved her father further, referring to last year when both Max and Charles had visited him just before Miami GP.

“Back then I was-“ Though, she came short. “Uh- I really don’t have anything to say about that.”

She remembered all the countless invitations and messages that was left on read. All of the missed calls, or even the dry group chat that they had between the three of them.

It’s a bit painful to look at. To see what their relationship had become. To see, the relationship crumbled and destroyed under her hand.

Because that’s the truth, isn’t it? She really doesn’t have any reason to ignore her childhood friends one-sidedly for years.

Her father stared at her. “You know, it’s not fair to you, and to the both of them,” continue the man as he turned his attention back on the television. “I think the last time you met either of them was back in 2018, when Charles was about to debut in Formula One.”

She really doesn’t have any excuse for that.

After all, the three of them had been inseparable since their karting days. With how often they had raced against each other, it’s only normal for them to eventually bond and make friends with each other. Charles or Max had once said that there’s no way both would even be friends if there’s no y/n to be the middleman amidst their fierce rivalry.

They had spent summers and holidays together, their parents knew each other, they had supported each other racing career.

Regarding their fallout, y/n likes to think that it’s only normal for childhood friends to not become friends with each other over the years. That it’s normal for them to find better friends or better environments compared to their restricted childhood.

Though, y/n is also painfully aware that their fallout was not because of that.

They’re still each other closest confidants. They’re still each other biggest supporters. They’re still each other best friends.

The reason why they became like this, was because, y/n decided to back away.

Maybe it was regret or maybe it was the guilt that’s eating her away. Maybe it’s because what happened back in 2014 in Monaco or maybe it’s because what happened in the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. There are a lot of things that she must unpack regarding her past in Formula One and instead to do all of that, she decided to run away.

A bit embarrassing, but that’s what she did best. Always running away. Always, avoiding her problems one way or another.

Max used to call her out about that. This ugly habit of hers that absolutely refuses conflict and choose the easiest way out. 

“Are you going to attend this year GP?” asked her father after a few minutes of silence. “I know you had mentioned that you’re going to attend it, but are you sure?”

“I want to talk to you about that actually,” said the girl. “Because well, I know you will watch from Ferrari and I actually got invited to both Mercedes and Red Bull, but like you know how I will always try to avoid Ferrari and Red Bull-“

“Breath, darling,” said her dad, stopping her rant. “Breath.”

She took a deep breath. “I know,” said the woman. “I was panicking. A bit.”

Her father hummed at that; amusement clear on his face. “Well, I must say, that I’m glad that the time finally came.”

“What time?”

“For you to talk to Max and Charles again,” replied the older man. “I’m a bit tired to become the messenger bird for the three of you again.”

“Funny,” she lets out. “It’s going to be so awkward when it’s been years since is stared avoiding them.”

“Completely your fault.”

“I know.”

Silence fell between the two of them. On the television, the post-race interview began playing. Charles’s face appeared first as he began narrating today’s race and singing praises to the car this weekend.

“Do you think we can be friends again?” asked y/n finally in a small voice.

His dad turned towards her. “Darling, I don’t think the three of you ever stopped being friends.”

It’s the 2022 Miami Grand Prix.

It’s the 2022 Miami Grand Prix and y/n l/n is staring at Max Verstappen who also seemed shocked at her presence.

“Uh-“ she started. “Hi?”

taglist!

@mynameisangeloflife @dl-yum @hockeyboysarehot @stopeatread @cha-hot @ironmaiden1313 @unlikelythingbasement @sofs16

[milaisreading]

I will be his Valentine... right?

AN: This was kind of a suggestion from @chxxrybxxmb and I found it fun to write! Hope u like it!

Warnings: Reader uses she/her, but since she is crossdressing, the guys use he/him. Requests are open

⚽️Blue Lock belongs to Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura ⚽️

It was the night before Valentine's Day, and the boys at Blue Lock for the first time were invested in the day. Emotions were high and the tension was all over the place in the 5 stratums. Everyone was either nervous or excited about the upcoming holiday, excited to give their gift to a certain captain, who looked dead inside half of the time. Currently, it was bedtime for the players, and while most of the were asleep, the captain included, a certain group of people was wide awake and talking... as civiliy as possible.

German stratum🇩🇪

"What did you get for (Y/n)? I found this chocolate brand he wanted to try for a while." Hiori grinned as he showed off the box, the rest of the group looking at their wrapped up items.

"A-ah... I found a perfume and some other things I know he would like." Isagi said as he glanced at his present. He pretty much lied on that one. He remembered (Y/n) say how she wanted to try out make-up and mentioned a specific brand, but couldn't get it because her parents would get rid of it if they found it. So, he went and bought it when they had a day off. Yukimiya nodded his head and looked down at his present, which was wrapped up in pink and silver wrapping paper.

"I found some limited edition plushie at the Sanrio store. He did say he liked those items. I was lucky since it was the last one."

"I heard him mention he likes collecting sport cards. So I got them and an album where he can store it." Kurona added in, smiling proudly as Gagamaru remembered his present that was back in his room.

"I got him flowers! Heard roses are a good gift for Valentine's Day."

"My sister said something to keep your loved one warm is the best gift, so I got him a scarf." Kunigami chimed in as they all looked at each other. Silence fell among the players as they eyed the presents that were in the room.

"He will be my Valentine, just so you know." Yukimiya smiled, causing the rest to look at him in bewilderment.

"What? My present is clearly the best."

"No way! (Y/n) will be my Valentine! My present is a 100x better!" Isagi glared at the model, earning tsk sounds from Hiori and Kunigami.

"I am clearly the best pick here. (Y/n) needs someone who is gentle and calm."

"Oh please, Hiori. We all know that your facade doesn't work on anyone. You can't fool me. (Y/n) would probably want someone who is more reliable like me." Kunigami rolled his eyes as the cyan-haired boy looked at him while smiling.

"Didn't hear you correctly, muscle head. Repeat that."

"I am a good pick, as well! I know that! I know that!" Kurona added in as Gagamaru frowned a little.

"(Y/n) would like my gift way more. Plus, the two of us have more in common. I am a better pick."

French stratum 🇫🇷

"What did you just say, bird head?!" Rin yelled out as he looked at Karasu, who sported his signature smirk as Tokimitsu tried to calm Rin down.

"I saaaiiddd," Karasu said in a condescending manner, annoying Rin even further.

"I am going to be (Y/n)'s Valentine. I bought the best gift for him. He is closer to me than to you. And, we get each other's humor more. What do you two have in common, again?" Karasu's smirk widened as Rin's face turned redder.

"You?! You are literally beneath him. You can't even dribble the ball properly. Why would (Y/n) pick you? If anything, I am the number 1 pick."

"Not everything is about football." Tokimitsu chimed in, a little annoyed by the two of them.

"I am sure he connects with me the most. You know, not everything is about football skills. Sometimes personality wins." This sparked a even louder argument between the trio, each one of them trying to say why they are the ones (Y/n) would want.

Italian stratum 🇮🇹

Niko nervously wrapped up the gift he prepared for (Y/n) as Aryu and Barou were having their own conversation... more like mini argument. It started off as a calm conversation between the older two, but soon turned sour as they tried to justify why (Y/n) would pick just one of them.

"I am the one (Y/n) is closest to. Why would he pick a drama queen like you? Also, I bought a better gift." Barou glared at Aryu, who just rolled his eyes.

"It's not about the gift, Barou. It's about who makes (Y/n) feel the most comfortable and happiest, and that's obviously me. I always give him my skincare, always share my food with him. I have a way better chance." Aryu chuckled as Barou's face turned red in anger.

"I do way more for him that you do! He likes me more, just give it up."

"Over my dead body."

As the two continued arguing, Niko finished packing up the present. A small smile and blush decorating his face as he thought of the captain.

'I hope he likes it. It's the least I could do after he scared those bullies away that one time...'

English stratum 🏴󐁧󐁢󐁥󐁮󐁧󐁿

"Chigiri, I need you to be so serious right now and leave (Y/n) alone." Reo said, sending Chigiri a fake smile, something that the redhead returned to him.

"I am serious right now, Reo. (Y/n) wants me around, and probably would pick me to be his Valentine over you any day. After all, I am not the one who tried to throw him away as friend." Reo flinched a little from the last remark, but quickly recovered.

"We, as in Nagi, (Y/n), and I made up already. Stop being mad on his behalf. And even so, he knows me the best. Of course he will pick me as his Valentine. And I will make sure to rub that in your face tomorrow."

Chigiri's eye twitched for a moment as he saw the billionaire's smirk.

"(Y/n) preferes personality, Mikage. Something you don't have."

"You little bastard..." The two started shouting at each other while Nagi was sleeping soundly on his bed while hugging one of his pillows. In his dreams, it was already Valentine's Day, and he was out on a date with (Y/n) while he made sure to rub his victory into his teammates' faces.

Spanish stratum 🇪🇸

The atmosphere between Otoya and Bachira was surprisingly calm for the most part. Bachira was in his corner and Otoya was in his. Both were either preparing their speech tomorrow or making finishing touches on the packaging. Bachira smiled warmly as he looked at his present, already imagining (Y/n)'s reaction.

'Bachira, this is the best gift I could have gotten! Of course I will be your Valentine!' The boy giggled as be imagined the scenario.

Meanwhile, Otoya could feel his heart racing as he thought of all the possible outcomes. He can't really remember when the last time was that he was invested in the holiday.

'You are the best, Otoya! This is so sweet! Of course I will date you!' The boy sighed dreamily at the thought.

"(Y/n) will definitely be my Valentine." The duo said at the same time, causing them to look at each other.

"What did you just say?!"

"No! What did you just say?!"

The next day, the air in the dining hall was pretty tense as they waited for (Y/n) to come and eat breakfast. The Blue Lock team tried to stay calm and subtle, but prepared themselves to fight each other to be by (Y/n)'s side as soon as she walks in.

"Hmm? What's up with you all?" Loki wondered as he left his table to go talk with Rin, Karasu, and Tokimitsu.

"Nothing-" Karasu spoke up, but stopped himself as he saw (Y/n) walk in, holding a beige wrapped present.

'A gift?! For who?!' The team wondered, excited to see who will get it.

"Hmm? Good morning, you all! Hope you slept well." (Y/n) smiled at the team before walking over to where Loki was.

"Happy Valentine's Day! Here, hope you like it!" She cheered while giving Loki the present. The French prodigy smiled as he took it, then started guiding (Y/n) out of the dining hall.

"Thank you. My present for you is back at my stratum. Let's go and get it."

The team watched in horror and confusion as (Y/n) got taken away by Loki... Julian Loki of all people! How could they compete with him?!

'No way...'

'Why him?! Why not me?!'

'I knew (Y/n) for way longer than that guy! This isn't fair.'

The team gulped, sending each other frantic looks. They couldn't lose their captain like this!

"We need to separate them. As soon as possible." Rin spoke up as he slammed his hand against the table, earning nods from the rest.

[matan4il]

Hello hello, sending hugs as always!

I was hoping you maybe be able to give me some inspiration for a small series of food photos I'm assembling for Channukah! I'm doing an 8 part series celebrating the different groups within Judaism to 1. Be loudly and proudly Jewish at this current time, and 2. raise awareness for non-ashki Jews. In the UK it's super hard to find many non ashki peeps which makes it hard to chat to people about other classic Channukah foods, but I was wondering if you knew of any particularly good ones (that aren't latke or sufganiyot)? Would hugely appreciate any suggestions you have!!

Hi darling, sending you the biggest hugs right back! <3

Oooh, Hanukkah foods! I'm not gonna lie, some of my fave Jewish foods come from this holiday. With your permission, I'll give a small introduction, just for anyone reading, who might be unfamiliar with Hanukkah, and curious... and also talk about some of the lesser known Hanukkah food traditions among European Jews, too.

So during Hanukkah, we celebrate a miracle that happened with the oil at the Temple in Jerusalem. After the Jews defeated the occupying Greek forces that had desecrated our Temple, we wanted to light again the eternal flame of the Menorah (the Temple candelabra) with olive oil, but after the destruction caused by the Greek forces, there was only enough left for one day, and it would take 8 days to get more oil. The miracle is that somehow, that small amount of oil lasted for the whole 8 days, meaning the light didn't go out again. To remember this miracle, we eat food fried in oil! Being Jewish is so good for your health. XD

In shops and bakeries around Israel, there are already sufganiot being sold. They are YUMMY, and while some people call them "the Jewish donuts," I can say that after having eaten American donuts, I def think sufganiot are way yummier (in part 'coz they're not as "heavy" because the dough it's made of is fluffier? More... airy? Not sure how to say it, but I hope you get the idea). Also, you don't get robbed, because someone made a hole in the middle of the sufgania, taking out nearly half of it. The traditional type has strawberry jam injected inside, and sugar powder on top, but in Israel there are some crazy fancy kinds, and every year they seem to become more extravagant.

Traditional sufganiot (you can see a bit of the jam on top, but half the fun is biting and getting to the "treasure" of lots of jam at the center of the sufgania):

Fancy sufganiot:

Then there's the latkes, or as they're called in Hebrew, levivot. They're like savoury pancakes made out of potatoes, and obviously they're fried in oil.

In many Jewish communities, there was a custom of giving kids special pocket money for Hanukkah. In Israel, this "money" is given in the form of chocolate "coins." I freaking loved this as a kid! It was fun unwrapping the "coins," eating the chocolate, and then (assuming I was careful when peeling them off), make a collection of the different "coins," or just play with the wrap.

Greek Jews used to make a bread from potatoes and yogurt:

Georgian Jews made levivot out of corn flour (sometimes filled with cheese), or out of potatoes AND nuts, giving it the shape of a big omelette. Here's the corn flour version:

Czech Jews had a custom saying goose is the best meat, so for Hanukkah, they often ate goose related dishes. For example, they would make levivot from potatoes, eggs, sugar, lemon and goose fat.

French and Swiss Jews would make levivot out of apples.

The Jews of Iraq, Algeria and Buchara (which is in Uzbekistan) used to put the Hanukkah pocket money for the kids inside honey cakes. In Algeria and Buchara they also sometimes made levivot with meat added inside.

The Jews of Romania and Austria used to light potato Hanukkah candles! This was likely because they were so poor. Still, a pretty cool thing, when you can light your candle, and eat it (or at least a part of it), too.

In northern Africa, Jews used to make a type of cookie called Debla (sometimes nicknamed "dough roses"), which originated in Libya. They're usually eaten with a sweet syrup. It's more of a Purim dish (the equivalent of Hamantaschen), but was sometimes prepared for Hanukkah as well. Traditional Debla:

And a slightly "fancier" Israeli version:

Okay, maybe my fave Hanukkah dish! It's called sfinge (the 'ge' is pronounced like in "sponge"), and it's basically the Moroccan sufgania, which later became popular among Tunisia and Libya Jews, too. It can be round with a hole in the middle, it can be in the shape of a ball, while Libyan Jews make it flat. It's eaten with either honey or sugar powder, but again, in Israel fancier versions developed... I'm not a great cook, so IDK to explain why, but it's even fluffier than the sufgania, and that's why it's my personal fave.

Traditional sfinge with honey:

With sugar powder:

Israelis always having to make everything fancier:

They even made a savoury version of flat sfinge...

I hope this helps! Have a wonderful day, darling! xoxox

[thinkingaboutjaedyn]

the biggest bully ever ( selma bacha x reader )

prompt: your girlfriend is probably the biggest bully in your life (lovingly)

author notes: i wrote this just because i saw a video of selma jumping up and kicking someone in the face. i just know she is like a bad ass little kid. (also i love her so..)

selma prides herself on being your biggest supporter. always finding some time in her schedule to come see your games with paris saint german. proudly wearing your jersey while yelling as loud as she can in the stands and of course making sure to take a few pictures for the gram after the game is done. posting with a cheeky caption of, just met my favorite player ever! what a legend. however, you know first hand that this is just a cover up for how much of bully she really is.

in the privacy of your apartment or hers, she is the complete opposite. especially when you two are playing a game together even if it isn't a competitive game. making it even more laughable.

it was a nice sunday evening when you forced (selma knows she loves playing the game. she just won't admit it) your girlfriend to play minecraft with you. now if she thought you were going to be fighting zombies, creepers, and spiders. well she would be totally wrong. that would her job while you spend your minecraft time building a nice farm and house for the two of you to stay in.

"it's domestic! i'm like your little pixel housewife" you say as you continue to focus on working on the garden you were building. selma smacks her lips, "it's not domestic. just unfair! i don't wanna be the only one fighting off these dudes."

on her screen, selma was actively battling off a creeper. almost throwing her controller in frustration as the creeper blows up and creates another hole in the ground. she pushes you slightly, but just enough that you put down a block you weren't going to. "stop being childish and go kill some cows for me, dumbie" you say as you delete the block. giving selma a quick sight of you sticking out your tongue before going back to finishing up the veggies part of the garden. your girlfriend rolls her eyes, going back to fighting off a zombie to reach a few cows in the field behind it.

instead of getting some cow meat like you asked, selma runs away from the zombie. bringing it and other mobs along to you two's house. she smirks in revenge as she brings the mobs straight to you. you shout in surprise as the mobs surround you. "babe, help me! why would you.." you say as you try to fight them off. giving selma a nice punch on the shoulder once you were finally succumbed to the mobs and died. "that's what i said earlier, but you didn't come to help your absolutely amazing girlfriend, so you had to die" selma shrugs. acting nonchalant until the mob of mobs started to surround her. she manages to kill off a few, but end up dead just like you.

you laugh loudly as you push her shoulder using yours. she glares at you, frowning. "i'm totally killing you myself next time. less effort" selma says before standing up and heading to the kitchen for something to calm her frustration. you still got the last laugh though.

the french player can also be the biggest bully when it came to your games. whether you win or lose, she is always there to make a few snarky comments about your defense or how you let the ball pass you too many times. it was even worse if you two went against eachother.

it was one of the biggest games of the year for the division 1 league; paris saint germain vs lyon. your girlfriend and you were set to both play this match. the playful banter between you two the day before the game fueled the competitive spirit in you. selma was always competitive and ready to do whatever she needed to make sure lyon scored a win.

"ready to lose, babe?" selma says as she stands next to you in the tunnel. you roll your eyes before shrugging, "we'll see." the sound of the crowd ramps up you two's competitiveness as the two teams walk out onto the pitch.

the game goes off well for paris saint germain at first. with ramona scoring a goal for your team. however, despite your team's great defense, lyon was still able to score three goals. the game ends in disappointment with a lost of three to one. you groan out in frustration as you look at your teammates. the lost was a bit of sting just because paris saint germain needed the win, but also because you knew selma would never let you live this down.

after the game and lyon's celebration finally dying down, selma finally texts you; told you that I was gonna win. the text makes you roll your eyes. you message back, shut your mouth for two seconds please.

you two text back and forth. with alot of bragging from selma and tons of insults from you. eventually selma does stop her bragging, messaging you, but truly don't worry bae. you did well I swear. the message makes you smile as you lean your head against the bus window. thank you, baby. congrats on the win even if ... undeserved. after sending that text you shut your phone off and let the tiredness from the match catch up to you. letting yourself slowly fall asleep. knowing good and well your phone will be full of selma going back to being a bully.

[xflixer7]

all of my yellowjacket headcannons (so far)

word count is like a trillion ok i’m not counting all this

lottie

she/her transfem! lesbian bottom (try to convince me otherwise)

-schizophrenic

-definitely has some type of ocd

-ptsd

started playing soccer when she was little

will actually go insane is you steal any of her clothes if you look at her she will actually be drooling with heart eyes

this girl is french and is HORRIBLE at it

plays piano

also knows violin because her parents made her take it doesn’t play is anymore though

lottie isn’t jealous but very protective of you

her favorite (modern!) singers are

-phoebe bridgers

-tv girl

-faye webster

-clairo

-#1 laufey fan on the world

unironically knows every katy perry song by heart because she used to be her favorite when she was little

her room is huge

likes putting her hair in pigtails

golden retriever girlfriend she’s so sweet to you and loves to spend time and money on you you guys always stay at her house would literally kiss the ground you walk on if you asked her too:((

also the worst cooker you ever met like how did you fuck up toast why is the smoke alarm going off??

favorite color is blue

lottie definitely has a hairstylist she goes too every month to get permed and there really close i can see her telling them about ALL the school drama

lottie wants write story’s when she’s older maybe romance or mystery idk but i can just imagine her having a typewriter and writing you story’s she has wanted to do it since she was a kid and is very passionate about it:((

what i think her favorite shows are:desperate housewives,american horror story,sailer moon

time burton enthusiast

so scared of horror movie like she will start crying

her favorite characters are:

-emily (corpse bride)

-bree (desperate housewives)

-starfire (teen titans)

always goes on and on about how she’s bubblegum and your marceline she LOVES adventure time

her favorite movie is bridge to terabithia

lotties favorite animal is a bunny and she really wants a pet bunny

BEGS you to give her your bra and your confused but you give it too her and she makes a bracelet out of it and wears it practically every day proudly

also think that lottie is a great artist? like sketching and painting wise

nat

SAY IT WITH ME transmasc! (he/they) definitely bi and a bottom why? because i say so

-depressed

-dyslexic

-ptsd

started playing soccer in middle school

LOVES christmas like has an unhealthy obsession with it

northern italian knows the launage pretty well also a great cook

wants to play electric guitar

his favorite (modern!) singers are

-tyler the creator

-radiohead

-alex g

-motley crue

-is so obsessed with mistki don’t even get me started

randomly painted his room black one day when he was bored

usually prefers his hair down

you give him haircuts he doesn’t trust anyone else someone definitely fucked up his hair once and he never went back

he’s stubborn black cat energy but he can be soft sometimes he hates being vulnerable around you

his favorite color is black or gray

just wants to be famous tbh but he wants to be in a band

what i think his favorite shows are:rick and morty,bojack horseman,shameless

LOVES horror movies and reality tv like 90 day fiancé and the kardashions

also likes claymation

his favorite characters are

-ash (fantastic mr fox)

-sidney (i am not ok with this)

-coraline (coraline)

his favorite movie is little miss sunshine

nat’s favorite animal is a panther he saw one in the jungle book when he was little and just thought it looked cool

always headcannoing characters as trans like finn from adventure time or jeff from clarence he’s so cute:((

nat skateboards too definitely not great at it but does it when he’s bored

jackie

(she/her) is just a bratty pillow princess lesbian you can’t fool me

-adhd asf

-neurodivergent for sure

-ptsd

started playing soccer because she was bored eighth grade tbh i don’t think she likes it as much as the others but she thinks it’s fun

always takes your hoodies fact

this girl is a vegetarian for sure

jackie is greek which is shocking to everyone

jackie is jealous always period

hey gays ass button ups bro

her favorite (modern!) singers are

-ariana grande her fav

-rihanna

-billie eilish

-harry styles

-lana del ray

pretty mainstream music taste

all pink room it’s very like coquette?

ponytail girl but also enjoys her hair down

is obsessed with you like unhealthy obsession always needs to be around you

favorite color is light pink duh

jackie gets perms so she really doesn’t care who does her hair

wants to be a makeup guiro or just stay at home honestly she hates working

what i think her favorite shows are:euphoria, grays anatomy,glee

i think she likes very drama files shows and will rant about tv show characters and there dynamics and why she think that there like that and etc for HOURS

ughhh jackie is such a girls girl like she is the friend who always has your back and has gum or a tampon for you she is the friend who would check you on your period

her favorite characters are:

-maddy (euphoria)

-regina (mean girls)

-amy (gone girl)

her favorite movie is DEFINITELY jennifer’s body

jackie is a cat lover and has 2 i can see her with a orange and a gray cat and they always fight

shauna

DEFINITELY bi (she/her) and i could see her as a switch?

-bipolar

-ptsd

joined soccer with jackie eighth grade

has like thousands of boxers

russian

knows how to play saxophone (she doesn’t even know how she learned she just did) she doesn’t own one though

so jealous but never says anything (this girl cannot communicate to save her life)

her favorite (modern!) singers are

-the cranberries

was so mad when they got popular on tiktok and had to let everyone know they where her fav since day 1 (everyone knew)

-suki waterhouse

-cigarettes after sex

-never got over halsey since 2017

-lady gaga

she honestly doesn’t care how her room looks but it’s never clean

doesn’t do anything with her hair really

writes you notes about how she appreciates you or how much she loves you cause it’s hard for her to tell you how she feels but she loves you so much:((

green is her favorite color

shauna’s hair may seem simple but she’s VERY picky about how it’s cut and is always worried there gonna cut it bad so she gets it cut like twice a year(she always ends up hating it)

she wants to be some sort of doctorate she’s fascinated by the human body so i can see her wanting to be a surgeon

what i think her favorite shows are:good girls, queens gambit,13 reasons why

her favorite characters are:

-velma (chicago)

-cassie (euphoria)

-susanna (girl interrupted)

her favorite movie is chicago (loves musicals)

a simple gal she really likes dogs

taissa

she/her lesbian switch

-ptsd

joined soccer in fifth grade

mixed (duh)

used to be in the marching band

her favorite (modern!) singers are

-bruno mars

(screams when i was your man and grenade in her car way too much)

-frank ocean

-post malone

(also screams his songs in the car)

-has a soft spot for shawn mendas has all of his albums

-really enjoys 60’s music so she really likes elvis

her room is pretty big too not huge on decorating

doesn’t care about hair like at all will wear a headband sometimes

a good girlfriend like if your cold she will give you her jacket type she has a temper never jealous either girlfriend material she’s the type you would want your kid to date y’know?

respectful to adults gets good grades and stuff

her favorite color is brown and everyone is like that’s weird and she is trying to convince them like “no guys it’s pretty hear me ou-“

cuts her own hair thinks it’s overpriced and dumb to have someone professionally do it

tai wants to be something important like president or some shit i can see her being a lawyer

what i think her favorite shows are:the umbrella academy,big mouth,skins

tai only watches skins and euphoria type shows because she loves the drama

her favorite characters:

-hermoine (harry potter)

-patrick (perks of being a wallflower)

-nadine (edge of seventeen)

her favorite movie is the 6th harry potter movie she also thinks it’s the most underrated

she likes tigers

van

she/her and lesbian switch

-anxiety

-ptsd

joined soccer in sixth grade

irish

plays the trumpet but is kinda embarrassed by it

her favorite (modern!) singers are

-nicki manaj

-fiona apple

-tori amos

-girl in red duh

-david bowie

-was ziggy stardust for halloween when she was 8

posters EVERYWHERE can’t convince me her room is not painted red

doesn’t care about hair either puts in a ponytail to keep it out of her face

is a great girlfriend all the same traits as taissa except not the best at school she’s honestly surprised she graduated

favorite color is red

her uncle cuts her hair for like five bucks out of his garage also i definitely think she used to have a bowl cut when she was little

doesn’t really care about money she just wants to be happy wants to own a record store or be a professional soccer player

speaking of records she definitely has a lot of collections like lowkey a hoarder…but her stuff is cool though! like funky pops hat wheels cd’s records etc

what i think her favorite shows are:beavis and butthead, avatar, south park

mostly likes adult animation

her favorite characters are:

-harley (suicide squad)

-ron (harry potter)

-beast boy (teen titans)

her favorite movie is the bee movie or lego batman there cinematic masterpieces

van likes pigeons for not particular reason she just thinks there funny looking

i can see van as a surfer too like her dad definitely is one also i can imagine her being really close with her dad and they have a local family business bakery:((

misty

she/her and idk her position or sexually like i genuinely have no idea

-autistic

-ptsd

always wanted to be on the team but knew she was bad at sports

german definitely

her favorite (modern!) singers are

-boy genius

-the beatles

-justin bieber

-pink

-melanie martenz is her favorite forever

light purple room has justin bieber posters everywhere

lowkey forgets she has hair whenever people comment on it she’s like “oh yeah!”

very obsessive of you and loves you almost too much sometimes you think it’s creepy but than your like “awww she’s so cute”

loves the color yellow

i can see her being a k-pop stan too

(her bias in bts is j-hope)

also is a famous editer on tiktok and no one knows😭her username is like “gxxbflix” or some shit

literally has had one haircut in her life like it never grows?

i see her as a pharmacist

what i think her favorite shows are:walking dead,mlp,monster high

i just think she really enjoys getting into all types of fandoms

has SO many online friends

definitely loves romance anime

plays clarinet

is in band

favorite characters:

-cruella (cruella)

-alice (alice in wonderland)

-edward (edward sciccor hands)

and mistys favorite movie is alice through the looking glass (because it shows the queen of hearts back story and misty loves her)

and misty likes birds duh

those are my headcannons for them i know it’s a lot but i’m obsessed ok send requests if you have any please

-🙈

[amateurvoltaire]

When you get publicly slapped by 4 surrealist poets because you insulted a guy's historical crush

(translation and context under the cut)

Gallantly Defending Robespierre’s Honour

In the conservative daily paper, Le Gaulois, on March 3, 1923, the journalist and man of letters, Wieland Mayr, expressed his pleasure: there would not be, he wrote, a "vile apotheosis" for "that holy scoundrel" Robespierre. On the other hand, Mathiez had the Surrealists with him. Following the article in Le Gaulois, Robert Desnos (1), accompanied by Paul Éluard (2), Max Ernst (3), and André Breton (4), summoned Mayr in a café and publicly slapped him for insulting the memory of "the Incorruptible."

Why did Mayr get Slapped?

In short: studying history in the 1920s was a messy business, especially when it came to the French Revolution….

To explain why Mayr ended up getting slapped, please allow me to briefly dive into the French Revolution's historiography during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Keep in mind, that this is a grossly oversimplified version.

Before 1848, it was pretty standard for French republicans to proudly see themselves as inheritors of Robespierre’s legacy. (If you’ve ever wondered why in Les Misérables, Enjolras’ character is very much channeling Robespierre and Saint-Just, here’s your answer!) However, things start to change with the Second Republic.

In 1847, Jules Michelet brought back the negative portrayal of Robespierre as a tyrannical "priest" and leader of a new cult. This narrative helped fuel an increasing dislike for Robespierre, with radicals like Auguste Blanqui arguing that the real revolutionaries were the atheistic Hébertists, not the Robespierrists.

Jump to the Third Republic, and the negative sentiment towards Robespierre was only getting stronger, driven by voices like Hippolyte Taine, who painted Robespierre as a mediocre figure, overwhelmed by his role. This trend was politically motivated, aiming to reshape the Revolution's legacy to align with the Third Republic's secular values. Obviously, Robespierre, the "fanatic pontiff" of the Supreme Being, didn’t quite fit this revised narrative and was made out to be the villain. Alphonse Aulard (a historian willing to stretch the truth to make his point) continued pushing Danton as the face of secular republicanism. Albert Mathiez, one of Aulard’s students, was not having any of it and strongly disagreed with his mentor’s approach.

The general disdain for Robespierre began to shift after World War I. One reason was that people could better appreciate the actions of the Revolutionary Government after experiencing the repression during the war themselves. Albert Mathiez and his colleagues were actively working to change Robespierre's tarnished image. With tensions high, it's no wonder Mayr ended up being publicly slapped by a bunch of poets who were defending the Incorruptible's honour!

Notes

Robert Desnos (1900-1945) was a French poet deeply associated with the Surrealist movement, known for his revolutionary contributions to both poetry and resistance during World War II.

Paul Éluard (1895-1952) was a French poet and one of the founding members of the Surrealist movement, celebrated for his lyrical and passionate writings on love and liberty.

Max Ernst (1891-1976) was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet, a pioneering figure in the Dada and Surrealist movements known for his inventive use of collage and exploration of the unconscious.

André Breton (1896-1966) was a French writer, poet, and anti-fascist, best known as the principal founder and leading theorist of Surrealism, promoting the liberation of the human mind.

Source: The text in the picture comes from Robespierre and the Social Republic by Albert Mathiez

[wosowrites]

The Jacket (Alexia Putellas x Reader)

Warnings: None

A/n: based off requests from a few people.

Prompt: in which you love to ride motorbikes, and Alexia always steals your leather jacket. One day, after a game, she comes onto the field wearing it proudly.

Alexia was incredibly proud of you, proud of what you were accomplishing as a striker, proud of what kind of person you were. So the reason you kept your relationship private from the public eye wasn’t because she was embarrassed- she had had to reassure you about that once- it was because of how rapidly you were both growing, and how adding the painful, but expected homophobia to that list of things that came with fame, wasn’t a good idea. You had been together for nine months now, and both the spain and the canadian squad knew, as well as the barca squad. Alexia’s family knew too, and proved to be parent figures to you. You had never been close with your parents, them being conservative and homophobic. But the Putellas’ had taken you in, and that was how you liked it.

There were five things in life that you loved to no end. In no specific order, although you told Alexia she was first- you loved your beautiful ballon d’or winning girlfriend, football, indian food, stupid looking dogs and your motorcycle. Your vehicle was your pride and joy, along with a leather jacket that you wore a bit too much. The specific jacket Alexia had decided would go perfectly with todays outfit. Barcelona was playing against Real Madrid, and you left to go meet the team and the bus at 2:00, the game was set to starts at 6:15, meaning a number of things, but mostly that the bus left at 3:00 to be at the stadium at 4:00. You quickly kissed Alexia goodbye, who was still in bed due to her having gone out with childhood friends and only coming back at 1:00 in the morning.

"Im going now baby." You said to her, gently pressing a kiss on her temple. Her eyes fluttered a bit, and you knew not to say anything important to her right now because she was barely awake. "Mhm… will I see you before the game?" She asked, mumbling the words. "Probably not love," you said, brushing her hair out of her face. "Good luck then. I love you." She said gently. "I have an alarm for you for 3:30. Don’t sleep too late." You told her. She nodded sleepily and you pressed your lips to her half open ones gently. She smiled slightly, and then drifted back to sleep.

You arrived at the training ground at 2:30, parking your car and walking towards the group of players waiting outside. Barcelona was perfect weather right now, you loved it, it reminded you of home. You headed towards Lucy and Keira, two of the only other players who were native english speakers. You loved your team, but sometimes miss communication got the best of you. But they all knew that when you stated cursing and yelling in french, a language almost no one else on the team spoke, to either stay away from you or come save whoever you were mad at because shit was about to hit the fence.

You did a handshake with Lucy and the same one with Keira, the three of you having gotten very close over your year and a half at barcelona. You smiled at the rest of the girls who waved and smiled back. "Alexia coming today?" Lucy asked. "Yeah. She’s sleeping though. Long night." You answered. Lucy and Keira shared a look, then looked back at you with a teasing smile. "Wha- No! No not like that! Not like-" You looked around, blushing furiously. "Not like sex…" You whispered to them. "So you guys haven’t had sex?" Keira said rather loudly. You basically pounced on her, covering her mouth with your hand. "Shush!" You squealed.

You had always been a private person, and the girls all liked to embarrass you any way they could. "So you have or you haven’t?" Lucy asked, earning giggles from the other group of girls beside you guys, including Alexia’s close friend, Mapi. "We- of course we’ve done it. We’ve been together for months!" You said to them, earning claps and cheers from the group beside you. "I hate you all!" You yelled at them, a smile on your face betraying your words. Mapi translated to some of the girls who laughed. You threw your hood over your head, your cheeks still bright red. "Ahh, we’re just teasing! We love you." Mapi said, coming over close to you and throwing her arm over your shoulder, looking at you and laughing.

You arrived at Johan Cruyff stadium on time, the entirety of the team pooling out of the bus and into the grounds. You examined the pitch, talked with the group and then went inside to go over the game plan. You changed into your training jersey and shorts, put on your socks and cleats, tied your hair and did your pre game routine which consisted of listening to your hype playlist and walking through the stands before the fans got there. You did a full circle of the stadium in the top row by yourself and then came back down. Only 15 minutes later, music started playing loudly, and 15 minutes after that, fans started arriving.

The team walked out onto the field, Lucy upholding her tradition of going out last, and when you ran out because you were a bit slow, you ran out with Lucy, her grabbing your hand. You walked towards the right side of the field where two groups were doing a rondo to warm up. But as always, since Alexia got injured, you found her in the crowd and nodded at her. She nodded back and you smiled at her softly. It was your thing. You wished you could blow her a kiss instead, but you weren’t public.

Then, sooner than you knew it, the game had started.

1-0 win, goal by you. A crazy headed that you had dived to get, ending up in the back of the net. It was perfect, the crowd went wild, your team was ecstatic, and Alexia was looking at you with so much pride you thought your heart would burst.

"That was quite the goal," Alexia said to you, walking up to you, and hugging you in the least 'I’m in love with you' way possible. You smiled at her as you pulled away, but you were quickly distracted by her outfit. Blue jeans, a white top, and your leather jacket. "Ale…" you started saying, smirking at her. "That’s my jacket." You said. "Yes it is. I thought it looked good." She said, smirking back. "It looks very good. But I wear that jacket all the time. And there are people taking pictures of us… right now." You said, finding a camera and pointing at it. " Everyone’s gonna know. The fans- they’re…" You started saying. "Stalkers?" She joked and you barked of laughter. "No! Well… yes. But they’re intuition is good. They’ll just know." You said. "Does it matter? I mean I know it’s not what we wanted by I want to be with you and have everyone know you’re mine. The whole world. Fuck what they say, mi amor." Alexia said. "Really?" You said. "Yeah. But let them figure it out first. For… what’s the expression you always say?" She asked. "For shits and giggles." You smiled. "Yes. I dont underhand it. But for that."

You were scrolling on your phone, it was a day after the game and your head head was on Alexia’s lap as she looked through her own phone. You were scrolling through your for you page on tik tok when you saw a video. It was a video of you that Ingrid had taken as you walked down the street wearing black jeans, a white cropped tank top and the leather jacket. Following that came a few pictures of you wearing the jacket. Then, was a video a fan had taken of you and Alexia talking on the field, followed by pictures from Barca’s instagram of Alexia on the pitch. The caption read: sharing clothes are they now? I think they’re dating.

All the comments were agreeing, and just to be a little cocky, you liked the video. "Hey, Ale. Look at this." You said.

She watched the video and when she was done, she smiled down at you and pressed a kiss to your forehead. "They know." She said.

"They know."

[rosainta]

Team Fortress 2: 12 Flash Fiction Excerpts

('ms pauling' by makani on DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/makani/art/ms-pauling-208768568)

(Author's Notes (A/N) at the end. For now, enjoy these slices of TF2 writing cake, baked with the batter of my mind!) * * *

1 "The Runner's a Fool."

[Written 10-3-2024]

Scout’s heart was bursting as he ran through the underbrush.

He didn’t look back; he couldn’t. Not after what he saw. If he had known sooner, he might not have spent so much energy trying to woo her...

Maybe he wouldn’t have made such a fool of himself.

2 "Player of The Heart."

[Written 10-3-2024]

“Fine, one more time”, he grumbled.

Pauling gleamed as she turned to the tape player. Changing the song to something more romantic, she hummed along and placed herself into his arms. They began to sway with the music.

Sniper felt his heart racing, but his thoughts raced quicker.

He wondered: would the one he really loved be into this too?

3 "Long Overdue."

[Written 10-3-2024]

Spy knew what he had to do.

He sat down next to the crying boy, gently putting a hand on his back. “Screw off!” the younger yelled, pushing him away.

Seeing him like this broke him; it did every time. But he took a deep breath and said what he should have all those years ago:

“I am sorry, Scout.”

4 "What Happens if You Feed the Machine? (Or In This Case, Water It?)"

[Written 10-3-2024]

“Yer no fun, lad!”

“Come on now, you know how I’ve been goin’ dry...”

“What’s one bottle a’ scrumpy goin’ to do to you?”

“Well, let’s see here. How many eyeballs o’ yours do my teleporters teleport per use?”

“Er, one.”

“Well, expect that to be one less the next time ‘round, pardner.”

He chuckled, and in an instant, he gulped it all down.

5 "Soldier's Solace."

[Written 11-3-2024]

Soldier stared at the grand moon from the roof of the base.

After the day’s fighting and bread teleporting, the other mercenaries were off to bed. But Soldier remained, smiling contentedly from under his helmet without another care in the world.

Somehow, he knew that right then and for as long as he dreamed, everything would be alright.

6 "Буквы говорят о любви."

[Written 12-3-2024]

If Heavy learned one thing in all his years of studying Russian literature, it was that writing wasn’t something you did; it was something you became.

So, picking up the ink pen, he let his hand go and embodied with all he had what meant most to him.

“It is time I tell you, Doktor.”

7 "Like The Warmth of a Fireplace."

[Written 13-3-2024]

Pyro looked at Engineer as a child does a Mall Santa, clapping. “Huddah, huddah!”

“Okay, one more, just for you.”

The technician took a deep breath and began to strum on the old guitar, his low voice singing a song of pink skies. Pyro swayed to the beat in bliss.

And, with every hum, the two grew closer.

8 "A Smile Means A Million Words, That Is Until You Speak."

[Written 14-3-2024]

Scout liked sketching.

While words weren’t his forte, art allowed him to express what he felt but could never say. He licked his lips, furrowed his eyebrows, and furiously scratched at the page with a pencil. Every detail, every form-- they had to be perfect.

When he was done, he proudly smiled at his creation.

And it smiled back.

BONUS!

As he admired his creation, he didn’t notice Sniper approaching him.

“And just what are you scribblin' off today, mate?”

Scout snapped around, flustered. He wasn't expecting company, and especially not from him.

“A-ah, hey, Snipes!", he blurted out. "It's nothing, really. Just another drawing of Spy screwin’ those... stupid French bread swords, whatever ya' call 'em.”

As he stammered an excuse, his face slowly turning red, he didn’t realize that his creation's rough, sketched face-- a picture of the marksman himself!-- was peaking through the corner of the sketchbook in the crook of his arm. Sniper paused for a moment as he stared at the work in awe, its own happily gazing back at him. Then, snapping out of his trance, he wordlessly turned back to smile at the younger man.

“You’ve got some talent, kid," he said, softly. "Please, don’t waste it.”

Then, quick as he came, he ambled away.

Scout was left standing, bewildered, and admittedly a bit confused, and he slowly turned back to look back at his drawing.

He traced the rough face of the man, looking wistfully with a tinge of giddiness in his eyes.

“If only you knew...", he whispered to himself without thinking. "Maybe then I could draw you like one of my French girls.”

Then, upon realizing the stupidity of his own remark (and of its disgusting, Spy-related... Frenchness), he immediately gagged.

“Ew, crap, no!”

Somewhere in the distance, Spy instinctively rolled his eyes.

9 "I Feel Olive!"

[Written 15-3-2024]

Medic pinched his nose, a low groan rumbling from him.

"What is wrong, Doktor? You seem stressed", Heavy asked, concernedly lifting his nose from his book.

Medic turned to him, tired eyes smiling weakly. "Ah, it iz nothing. Just... ze dull, useless legal documents. You know, as per usual."

"Well, if it makes Medic feel any better, Heavy ran out of olive for sandvich, so eating it was practically useless! I could not even digest it without big frown", he said, frowning in turn.

He grumbled, continuing, "What Heavy means to say is... you are not alone in your troubles."

Medic paused for a bit, before laughing and grinning back at the giant. He was grateful for this goofy big old man.

"Oh, you alvays know what to say, Heavy. Come on, let us escape this prison of an office and find you that olive. I am getting quite hungry and ze papers can wait, after all!"

10 "Off-Target."

[Written 29-3-2024]

Scout's mind just. couldn't. think.

His head was jumbled, a puzzle with the pieces too lost in the messy maze of his brain ever to solve. He wished he could crack open his skull like he did the BLUs on the field; maybe that would knock some sense into him.

He really needed to focus. Sniper always did.

So, why couldn't he?

11 "Our Paths Shall Cross Again."

[Written 4-4-2024]

It pained him to see her like this.

So, for the first time in his life, he put his pride aside and took one last glance at the sleeping lady before leaving the room.

Scout wished he could stay all night and marvel at her familiar, sheer beauty, even as she slept so frail. But he knew what she needed most was not him, but help.

Who knew what she went through those 2 years?

He resigned himself to the couch, closing his eyes. His affections for Miss Pauling would have to wait, as they always did, but he was fine with that.

She was safe, and that’s what mattered most to him.

12 "Guess Who's Up For Surgery?"

[Written 6-4-2024]

Medic was practically laughing with joy! Or, in his peculiar case, cackling maniacally.

Ah, it was of no matter— the doctor was filled to the brim with inspiration! So many projects to start and bodies to stitch; oh, what a wonderful feeling!

Heavy smiled as he watched the doctor go about his merry way.

Sure, when he was in this mood, that likely meant imminent danger for all those around him (they’d be his newest experiment, no doubt), but seeing him happy always made Heavy’s heart feel a little lighter.

So, as the doctor bounced up to him with his newest rambling, he didn’t protest!

* * *

Author's Notes: Over the past weeks, I've been working on being more spontaneous in my writing—no planning, just writing with the flow! And what better way to do that than to write flash fiction about my favourite fandom? (Plus, I have been practically absent here (post-wise) for, what, months? So why not use this as an excuse to share them with you? Ehehe... Okay, let's forget I said anything; moving on!) Flash fiction, with its creative liberties and curt nature, is an excellent medium (not forgetting to mention the fact it's a disgracefully UNDERRATED form of media!) that inspires me to write because it sort of... brutally invalidates any excuse of author's block I have... since it is literally spilling the words from your conscience into text WITHOUT the worry of length (ah! My greatest enemies...). Plus, it is... sort of, maybe, kinda addicting because it's just so freakishly simple, and the more you do it, the more productive you'll be and feel! Isn't that wonderful? (It could even be a drug! Er, well, a good one... wait, is there even a thing as a good drug? Ah- nevermind.) Anyway, if you're struggling with author's block, I'd heavily recommend trying it. Of course, it may not work for everyone (and I am not here to legally endorse this like a paid sponsor!) but it's still worth a shot if you haven't yet already. And hey, if it doesn't, you can feel free to blame me for the waste of time! Don't worry, I won't mind. Before we go on, I have to take this moment now to thank the one sweet old woman (whom I've unfortunately forgotten the name of) who first taught me about it a few years back during a summer writing course. She taught me much about what I know and love today, so I owe this and much of my writing happiness and technique to her! Thank you, lady. May you continue to write on!! Anyhow, to give you more context, these are all excerpts taken from a private account (but not a secret one! It's out there... somewhere...) of mine, edited for quality purposes and also because a few of the original excerpts bugged me due to their... well, innate cringiness. Hopefully, there's less of it now, but I wouldn't count on my eradicating it as it seems that cringe is just a part of my habitual writing style (I am sorry to disappoint, unnamed woman from the course... I have failed you). I hope that at least is is bearable enough for you to read. However, if not, I offer you my greatest condolences. If you'd like some bleach for your eyes, I have that too. You can also tell by the number of Speeding Bullet and Red Oktoberfest excerpts that I was... in quite the shipping mood for some of them. So, if that doesn't bug you, feel free to indulge yourselves in these characters as I obsessively have over the course of writing these!! It would be my pleasure to offer that liberty to you (and perhaps, shamelessly to myself as well, ahaha..), so please, go ahead. Anyway, that's all of the random blurbs I have to ramble on about today. Thank you for reading- or skimming, at the very least- and please have a marvellous day, pally~!

~ Rosain Quivan

[lil-gingerbread-queen]

Why are people acting as if you have to be in the 1% to be considered rich??? That's not how it works. To be rich, you have to gain, per month, at least the double median net worth of households.

In France, if you make 3900€ per month, you are rich. That's not an opinion, it's what Insee (the French national institute of economic statistics studies) label as rich right now. Yes, the USA and France have a different cost of living, but I am pretty certain that the guys each makes more than the double median net worth of USAmerican households, I can say they make more than the equivalent of 4000€ per months.

Fellas, y'all just have a fucked view of what being rich is in the USA, y'all think one needs to make 2 millions per year to be rich (from this study). That's more than TWENTY times the median net worth of USAmerican households.

From the "eat the rich" country (and, actually, the people sang "kill the rich"), the guillotine country, I'm telling you, those guys are rich. And also, they weirdly proudly displaying the luxuries they can afford, the "eat the rich" they throw around is like a protection, it doesn’t sound genuine (see: Voidzilla's video where he cringes when Ryan says "Eat the rich" before showing off his brand new Nike proudly)

And let's not talk about y'all calling their videos, where they get drunk and read ghosts' stories from the internet, "art".

[randomenglishmajor]

Okay, so... Phineas and Ferb is a lot more complex than you might think for "a kid's show"?

Lawrence and Ferb are immigrants. (British and white, but still) Not to mention, the Flynn-Fletchers are a blended family that absolutely loves each other (Candace canonically states multiple times that she loves her brothers, even though she's always trying to bust them).

Isabella is a simp for Phineas, yes, but 1) she's very kickass and Phineas knows and relies on this, 2) she's Mexican AND Jewish. Two ethnicities that don't typically have good role models in the media.

Buford and Baljeet's relationship is odd, granted. Bully and bull-ee. Friends. But because Buford keeps being around Baljeet and HIS friends, he becomes more rounded as a person, showing his knowledge of French, random historical facts and literary quotes. Baljeet has someone to ground him when he gets too in his head with math and science. Oh, and let's also not forget that Baljeet is shown to be extremely smart. He made plans for a PORTAL TO MARS. He's a stereotypical nerd, but he's Indian and proudly so.

I dunno. I think most people focus on the smart writing and humor and music from the series, and maybe someone hasn't thought about this before?

[why-what-no]

Thrones & Crowns Part 2

Part 1

Pairing: Morpheus x Reader

Warnings: None. I just like jewelry

Requests: Morpheus gets his spouse that crown he promised them

Requested by: @jesllianaquilesrolon

He had heard their footsteps before their voice. But either was alright, good enough that he knew that they were there.

"Morpheus? Sweetheart? What's all this?" His spouse asked.

They stepped into the room, their attention on the wide table.

It had been cleared of books to leave room for a rather large collection of crowns, circlets, and tiaras proudly displayed. 

He offered out his hand to them, pulling them closer when they took it. "Well, I did offer you a crown." Morpheus reminded, gesturing at the jewelry. 

He felt a little pride at the obvious entrancement on (Y/N) face as they stepped forward for a closer look. And relief. While Lucienne had told him not to worry, he had briefly thought that this display might have been a little too much pressure on his spouse.

But (Y/N) ghosted their hand over one of the jewelry pieces. Not close enough to touch, being far more careful than they needed to. "These..."

"I thought about surprising you, picking one myself. But I decided it would be preferable for you to choose one yourself."

Their face was brightened with excited for a moment, before worry clouded their face. "You know you didn't have to do this, right?” They asked, making sure. “I married you because I love you. Not because of some throne or crown."

He smiled at their cautiousness. At their worry that he didn't know how much they loved him. 

"I am aware. But everything you've done since you came here, the help you've given..." Morpheus knew exactly that they married him out of love. He couldn't believe it sometimes, thinking that he most likely didn't deserve it. But he did know it. "You were the best thing that could have happened to me and the Dreaming. I could never repay you for it, so the least I could do is give you a symbol of the respect you deserve." 

His honest words felt were fairly uncomfortable to say, not loving the vulnerability he felt around (Y/N). But their grin made it all worth it, with all the gratitude in their smile.

They pulled him into a tight hug, voice muffled against his shoulder. "If I hear anyone say that you're emotionless again, I'll fight them. You're the sweetest.”

He just chuckled, tightening the hug. "Only for those who deserve it. Those like you."

They laughed nervously when he let them go, warmth in their cheeks at Morpheus’s loving words. “You know, if my ego gets any bigger, I'll turn into Lucifer."

Morpheus was about to respond to their joke when he noticed how their attention was grabbed by one specific piece. "Do you like that one?" He asked, and they nodded distractedly.

He would admit, it was a nice crown. Not the kind of thing that would pull his interest, but most definitely his partner's. "It belonged to a French Royal killed in the revolution. Desire took it from the palace, but quickly got bored of it. Moving on to newer, shinier toys." 

"How could they? It's beautiful."

He gestured dismissively, knowing that Desire was just the type of person to do that. "Well, now it's yours." While their attention was on their new gift, his attention was on them. "I love you." He spoke gently, getting their attention once again

"I love you too." Their smile was stunning to Morpheus, more beautiful than anything he could create. "Even more than I love this." They pointed at the crown. 

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Really?" The King of the Dreaming played along with his lover's enjoyment of gentle teasing

"I mean… at least a little." Their grin was wide, with a slight wink. Expecting him to response with a joking comment of his own.

But Morpheus just reached up to brush his fingers through (Y/N)'s hair. "Good, I'm glad." His response was gentle, soft. "And I'm glad that you liked your gift." 

(Y/N) thought about making another joke. But honestly they just wanted to tell him that he was worth so much more to them than any gift. That they were so grateful that he loved them and they loved him back. But words wouldn't be able convey the emotions they wanted to communicate. 

So instead they kissed him. Hoping it would let him know better than speech.

[inafieldofdaisies]

Siblings Q&A | The Donovan sisters (feat. John bcs he's a funny lil guy with things to say) | Tagged by @raresbaby

Note from OP: It can be used for any family member/friends who's close to your OC! / Questions from this post

1. Who looks the most like dad?

"Oh, I know that one!", Savannah grinned proudly, "Rin-Rin, looks just like her dad. Even got his hair."

2. Who looks the most like mom?

"This one here is mom's mini-me.", Sabrina nudged Savannah's shoulder before adding, "And with double the charm."

3. Who eats the most?

"I do?", Savannah nodded to herself, "Yes. You know, so I can grow up and be taller than John." John's gaze narrowed playfully, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Savi."

4. Who has been on the weirdest situations?

"How weird do you mean?" "Definitely me.", Sabrina's mumbled quickly after her sister, "For obvious reasons." "Yes, Deputy. I can vouch for that." Savannah let out a laugh at John's remark, "He always says 'yes' so funny, doesn't he?"

5. Who sleeps the most?

"Rin-Rin loves to wake up early and I LOVE my beauty sleep.", Savannah framed her face with her hands, "Mom says it's very important."

6. Mom and dad's favorite?

"Sav, of course. How can she not be?"

7. Most stable romantic life?

8. Worst habit of each one?

"I can be quite restless." Savannah appeared deep in thought, "I have a sweet tooth? Does that count?"

9. Who's the most dramatic?

"Uncle Cal?", Savannah giggled. "They mean between us two, pumpkin." "Still uncle Cal. Or that blond boy that follows him around, remember how he freaked out about getting his shoes dirty?" A smile emerged on Sabrina's face at the memory, "Seb stole them from John. Said they were Prada." "They were, Deputy. Past tense, indeed.", John frowned, "And I haven't forgiven that Sinner for it."

10. Who had a weird phase?

11. Best cook of the family?

"Rin-Rin! For sure."

12. Best memory together?

"Crater Lake.", the sisters said in unison.

13. Worst memory together?

Sabrina shook her head, "No such thing when we're together. We make the best out of every situation."

14. Dream trip together

"Paris. Uncle Cal promised to teach me some French."

15. Would you rather not being able to shower for a month or have the same clothes for a month?

"Um... same clothes." "Same clothes.", Savannah repeated her sister's pick, "But can I choose which? I have a favorite outfit."

16. Who's the older one?

"Why, of course, Rin-Rin."

17. Describe each other in three words

"Joyful, funny, and creative." "Best sister ever?", Savannah beamed, "That's three words."

18. Role model?

"My father.", Sabrina replied without missing a beat. "Rin-Rin, mommy buut for some things, Uncle Les, Ollie, Max, Mary May...", Savannah bit back a grin at John's expression as she continued to list off names, "And John, of course. You promised to teach me how to fly, remember?"

19. Who usually has the worst ideas?

"That Deputy Hartley... since we're naming him.", John spoke up before either of them could.

20. A GIANT insect is on the wall, who's taking care of it?

"I got that one covered." "And we would set it free outside, right, Rin-Rin?" "You bet."

Tagging, @socially-awkward-skeleton @strangefable @rhettsabbott @shellibisshe @wrathfulrook

@purplehairsecretlair @aceghosts @icecutioner @josephslittledeputy @josephseedismyfather

@harmonyowl @imogenkol @trench-rot @cassietrn @voidika

@finding-comfort-in-rain @la-grosse-patate @direwombat @carlosoliveiraa @simonxriley

@simplegenius042 @g0dspeeed @thesingularityseries @theelderhazelnut @cloudofbutterflies92

@killyourrdarlingss @captastra @justasmolbard @dumbassdep @jackiesarch and anyone that would like to do the Q&A <3

[mistydeyes]

Some very American (and asshole) things about Graves

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summary: Phillip Graves is 1. an asshole and 2. very American so here's some headcanons about him.

pairing: Phillip Graves x himself (fucking narcissist)

warnings: SWEARING

a/n: lol I have a love hate relationship with Graves so this was fun to write (like I wanna kiss him but also punch him in his stupid pretty face)

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊

He was on the Homecoming and Prom Court in high school and he ATE THAT SHIT UP

He also was voted “Most Handsome” in his yearbook

Joined the Army purely because of the glory he saw in Top Gun (he picked a different branch because he couldn’t handle the Navy training)

Was pissed when he saw Glen Powell in Top Gun: Maverick

For weeks his Shadows heard him complain that they based the character off of him

Loves pickle back shots (whiskey followed immediately with pickle juice)—something Price finds revolting

One time, made his Shadows get him Chik-Fil-A because he was craving it abroad

Speaking of which, he’s such a pussy when trying new foods—any spice will immediately put this man on the toliet

Always smothers his food in ranch dressing

Cool ranch Doritos? RANCH. Pizza? EXTRA RANCH. Mac and cheese? RANCH MIXED IN!

“Happy Independence day, you colonizing fuckers!” he exclaims whenever he works with soldiers over the seas (and it just happens to be the 4th of July)

If he’s at home, just know he’ll be chilling in an American flag tank top from Walmart and drinking a Natty Light

Plus he’ll be launching fireworks all night long so hide your dogs

His home? You might ask. Well, picture a mansion tucked away in either Texas or Wyoming with that Western Cowboy aesthetic

Even though he’s very Mr. Americana, he secretly buys French perfumes and Italian suits (but will always stand by a “Made in America” tag)

Just looks like he has a good face routine but DOES NOT moisturize his body (if he does it’s because he’s getting laid and is ashy)

He heats up hot water in the microwave and uses one of those Lipton tea bags Ghost almost shoots him

Definitely competed in one of those “All you can eat hot dog” contests

Also proudly shows off his award winning “Wet T-Shirt contest” photos

“Sweet Home Alabama” can never be played for the 141, they get war flashbacks of Grave’s playing it prior to the Dark Water mission

Confident that he could’ve played a better Ken than Chris Evan’s in the new Barbie movie

Got one of those terrible barbed wire tattoos when he was fresh out of bootcamp to look cool to his new army brothers

Also just know if he wasn’t in the Army, he’d be going to the University of South Carolina and be in one of their top frats

But while in the Army, he used the fact that he would be deployed oversees to bring women (and his Tinder dates) in

Reusable bags? HAHA never for Graves, he doesn’t get why he has to bring one in or buy one for ¢15

Will either buy the stupid bag or carry everything in his arms like an idiot

I also just KNOW this man doesn’t recycle

When he goes to New England, he makes a big fuss on how they can’t make sweet tea

Finally, he just RADIATES Ford F-150 or a Jeep with no doors energy

[matchagator]

Hustlers: Snow Retreat

The gems are further up the mountain, taking in the frigid air of Montreal, however, they're not prepared for the slippery slopes they will face as they enjoy their time at a Ski Resort.

*Make sure to check out previous episodes to follow the story. Let us know how you're liking the story so far by leaving a comment 😊*

{Main Pairings:} Jeon Jungkook/Original Female Character, Park Jimin/Original Female Character, Kim Taehyung/Original Female Character(s)

{Rating:} 18+

{Genre:} Alternate Universe - Hustlers/ Con Artists

{Word Count:} 24k

{Warning} Mild Sexual Content, References to Stealing, Mature Language, Manipulation, Angst, Sexual Harassment, Drugging, Drowning, and Alcohol

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hustlers Episode Order:

Episode 1: Sin City

Episode 2: Pink Diamond

Episode 3: Cyber Flight

Episode 4: Wine Country

Episode 5: Art Auction

Episode 6: Magic Men

Episode 7: Unwind

Episode 8: Snow Retreat

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BIG FISH: Seoho

LOCATION: Montreal, Canada

As the chill of the autumnal season morphed into a flurry of a white winter, the three femme fatales found themselves traveling to the opposite side of the great white north, enjoying more time in the cold environment as they found another target worthy of their time. 

Emmy and Ruby casually lounged about the main lobby of a luxurious ski lodge in the French province of the country, excited for some foreign flare as they embarked on another hustle to make up for their embarrassing loss in the Yukon. Ruby let her body melt into the plush fabric of the leather sofa cushions placed strategically beside a grand fireplace that warmed the entire space. 

The girls admired the large-scale stone structure towering over the lobby as two grand wooden staircases wrapped around the stone mantelpiece. The lodge had extravagant vaulted ceilings, the walls complimenting it perfectly with round logs lining its entirety. 

Jade ventured her way towards the youngest of her trio after successfully checking into their accommodations, holding up a small envelope with key cards as she proudly approached her friends. “Did someone request a luxury suite?” She grinned happily, handing off the keys to Ruby who seemed more than thrilled to have one of the nicest rooms the hotel had to offer. 

“That’s more like it!” Ruby’s eyes danced with excitement as she turned to face her counterparts. “I’m warning you both right now, I’m staying inside this lodge.” Her smile faded as she crossed her arms over her chest, a sneer of attitude dripping from her words. “It’s bad enough we’re staying another week in this god-forsaken weather.” 

Emmy and Jade glanced at each other from Ruby’s remark, both of them fighting a laugh as they agreed to her terms. “Don’t worry, this is my element.” Emmy reassured her as their conversation was drowned out by a group of men chattering not too far from their location. 

Jade’s eyes snapped in their direction, seeing the object of their attention strolling past them with a few hotel personnel escorting him to the concierge desk. She quickly maneuvered herself to sit between the other two girls trying to make out the conversation.

“That’s him.” Jade gestured with her head ever so slightly towards the multi-millionaire checking into the infamous ski lodge. “Lee Seoho.” Her voice was just hushed enough for Emmy and Ruby to hear. 

Emmy casually stretched her arm over the back of the couch, turning her body toward the eldest as her eyes shifted to find their target. She was surprised to find a devilishly handsome young man, someone who had to be relatively close to her own age. Her eyes sparkled with intent as she rested her chin in her hand. “He’s very handsome.” She cooed as Ruby finally glanced back herself. 

“Shouldn’t be hard for you then.” Ruby teased as she shot Emmy a knowing glance. 

Emmy shrugged her shoulders as she playfully bit her lip. “Always makes the job more interesting.” She admitted as Jade quickly nudged her side to gather her attention. 

“What are they saying?” Jade questioned, pointing subtly towards two hotel staff that were now speaking the native language of the province of Quebec. Emmy turned her attention to the two male staff members, eavesdropping in on their conversation as she identified the French words being exchanged.

Emmy looked back at Jade. “They said to make sure everything was arranged for his ski reservation.” 

Ruby quickly patted her hand on Jade’s shoulder, grinning mischievously. “Looks like someone needs to book a ski trip at the same time. Enjoy the cold.” 

Jade laughed sarcastically as she turned her focus back onto Emmy. “Emmy will be skiing,” she chuckled until she turned back to Ruby, placing the same dramatic pat on her shoulder with a shit-eating grin. “while you and I are scoping out.”

Ruby’s eyes widened as she held her hands up defensively. “There is no way I’m going back out in that stupid-ass weather.” 

While Jade and Ruby bantered for a moment, Emmy grit her teeth, feeling the bubble of irritation as she gathers the girls’ attention. “You might not have a choice, we got company.” 

Jade and Ruby turned their heads towards the concierge desk once more as they followed Emmy’s line of sight, suddenly noticing a familiar man checking into the lodge. Ruby’s features twisted uncomfortably as anger seeped through her being. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” 

Jade felt exasperated, completely shocked that once again the annoying trio of men seemed to have found their way to the exact same location as them. “They're following us, I’m convinced.” She groaned as her eyes shifted toward a bellhop, suddenly noticing Jimin handsomely wrapped in a luxurious men’s winter coat. “And he’s not alone.” 

Emmy instantly found Jimin handling their luggage as she frantically began scanning the area for Jungkook. She was trying to avoid him at all cost, yet it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to get him out of her mind. “We are not letting them fuck us over this time.” Emmy hissed, still scanning the lobby for any signs of the bane of her existence. 

“Agreed.” Ruby and Jade spoke in unison as they turned back toward the fireplace, sinking into the couch in defeat from yet another unplanned encounter with the three stooges. 

—

The atmosphere was cozy as Emmy settled into a tall leather stool lined along the edge of the bar with Ruby sitting beside her. Emmy adjusted the silk material of her short red dress, pulling the skirt down her thighs when it rode up. The bishop sleeves, stockings, and knee-high boots kept her warm from the crisp drafts that fluttered in from the occasional open door of the resort. 

Ruby, on the other hand, spared no expense in making sure she was securely warm as she wore a cream-colored jumpsuit covered by a matching faux shadow fox coat. She held her gold clutch tightly against her torso, keeping her limbs together as she anxiously looked over the menu for a drink to warm her up. 

“Which of these drinks will make me think I’m on the beach?” Ruby held the drink menu out to Emmy, looking for her opinion. Her usual drink choice would do little to keep her warm in these climates and if she was going to endure this torture, she was going to enjoy it the only way she knew how. 

Emmy looked over the drink options, skimming the recipes that were in French. “Hm, I think I know what will do the trick.” She grinned, waiting for the bartender to come by before ordering two caribous. 

“Don’t forget you need to stay focused, it’s bad enough the idiots are here. We can’t go empty-handed.” Emmy flinched as Jade scolded them through the earpiece. 

“Alright, Mom,” Emmy said sarcastically, plucking the bud from her ear and sliding it towards Ruby. “Here, I don’t need to hear her while I’m trying to do my job.” Ruby gave her a funny look, tucking the device in her clutch without a word since she knew Jade wouldn’t realize Emmy pulled out the earbud while she was up in their suite. 

Emmy glanced over the space of the bar, enjoying the homey but luxurious feeling of being surrounded by the rich cedar enhanced by the dark brown leather Chesterfield couches lining the far wall. She noticed Seoho sitting at one of the individual tables, his trench coat hanging off the back of his beige armchair. She dragged her gaze down the grey turtleneck sweater covering his lean torso.

His chair was placed just by the window overlooking the frigid environment surrounding the hotel, allowing him to keep his attention on the natural beauty of the glistening snow. He was relaxed, letting his arms rest along the chair as he crossed one leg over the other, his right ankle supported by his left knee. His focus was firmly fixated outside as he flawlessly reached for his whiskey glass, bringing the rim to his lips before tipping his head back and taking a large gulp. 

Emmy felt her breath catch in her throat when he returned his dark stare out into the wilderness, an air of mystery in the depths of his dark irises. He gently ran the glass across his full lips, holding the whiskey with lithe fingers as if he were caressing the drink intimately. His being dripped with sex appeal that rivaled Jungkook’s. Seoho seemed like the type to map out the expanse of your body, discovering every shape and preference in your pleasure while Jungkook was the type to burn through you like a wildfire, leaving nothing untouched or singed from his flames. 

Emmy was so captivated by the specimen of man before her that she hardly noticed the bartender had placed the drink she ordered in front of her until she heard Ruby snapping her fingers. The sound caught Seoho’s attention, his eyes snapping in her direction and locking with her own before she swiftly whipped back to her companion. “What?” She asked softly, trying to be discreet after getting caught staring at their target. 

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for the past five minutes.” Ruby expressed, looking annoyed as she held up her drink. “By the way, this shit is great.” She took another swig, letting the liquid heat up her body with the potent mixture of alcohol. 

Emmy took a drink as well, cringing as she adjusted to the bite of the drink. “I was not looking at him that long.” She scoffed with a swift roll of her eyes.

Ruby didn’t respond, only making a face that clearly stated her sentiments as if she didn’t agree with Emmy’s argument. “Anyway…” She stole another sip of her drink, “What’s your plan?”

Emmy glanced back, noticing Seoho’s gaze flicker away from her figure. A smirk slipped over her lips as she turned back to her companion. “Oh, you know, the usual.” She stole another look at her target, catching his eyes moving out toward the wilderness again. “Flirt and conquer, my body is already doing most of the talking for me.”

The door leading to the outside opened and Ruby bristled as a draft swept over her. “Damn, it’s fucking cold. “ She hissed, glaring at the perpetrator who allowed the crisp air to infiltrate her warm serenity. She froze on the spot when she noticed a familiar face, gently swatting her hand against Emmy’s to get her attention. “Your body better start talking faster.”

Emmy turned to see Jimin slipping in quietly, unaware of their presence until he sat comfortably along the sofas at the back wall. He had a newspaper tucked under his arm that he pulled apart, his eyes flickering over the pages and scanning over the brim of the parchment to take in his surroundings. His eyes fell on the two female hustlers and smirked as Emmy noticed his lips move as if he was talking to someone. 

“I swear if I see dumb and dumber, I’m gonna-” Emmy cut herself off as someone slipped into the seat beside her unannounced. 

“You’re gonna do what, baby girl?” She became stiff as she slowly turned away from Ruby to see Jungkook smiling at her expectantly. She went to argue but stopped when the green and beige tartan shirt beneath his coat caught her attention. She was almost insulted by how great he looked in the pattern, distraught that he effortlessly dismantled her with his appearance alone. 

Emmy heard Ruby address someone behind her. “Ugh, not you too.” The youngest member of the female trio whipped her head to see Taehyung had come up beside Ruby. She exhaled deeply, trying to keep her body relaxed as her mind spiraled, concluding that the two men snuck into the bar when Jimin distracted them from coming in through the cold. 

“So let me guess, you’re just gonna sit here looking pretty until he comes over, offers you a drink, and falls for your usual honey trap. Is that right?” Jungkook mused, his proud smirk still plastered over his features as he eyed her figure up and down. 

Emmy narrowed her eyes, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she fixed her glare on the belittling man next to her. “Like it’s hard. Men are almost too easy.” She smirked back.

“I hate to break it to you, sweetheart.” Taehyung grabbed their attention as he leaned into Ruby’s proximity, his hand smoothing over her soft thighs. “Your trap doesn’t work if other bears are sniffing around.” Ruby slapped his hand away from her leg, cursing at him under her breath. 

Taehyung only chuckled as he stole her nearly empty glass and finished her drink, intentionally dragging his tongue along the rim to trace the place where Ruby drank. “Fucking freak.” Ruby hissed, pushing the glass away when he placed it back down and hovered close. 

Emmy tightened her jaw, realizing he was probably right. She stole a glance at Seoho and noticed he was no longer entertaining her as an option and needed to grab his attention again. She smacked her lips, turning back to the bar to reach for her caribou. “Guess I need to find better company.” She tipped her head back and downed the rest of her drink, letting the burn buzz through her system.

“Come on, baby girl. You know that’s not gonna work. Guys love the chase.” Jungkook chided, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

Emmy met his stare, “Is that why you still bother me even though I told you to fuck off?” Without another word, she slipped from the stool and slowly approached Seoho, methodically sweeping her hips side to side to accentuate her assets.

Jungkook poked his tongue against the inside of his cheek, watching her walk away toward the target. When he saw her features light up when Seoho’s gaze found her own, Jungkook chewed on the flesh in irritation. He ignored Ruby and Taehyung bickering beside him as he watched Emmy’s every move.

She sat in the chair beside Seoho, reaching to touch his arm as she addressed the handsome multi-millionaire. Seoho, on the other hand, was completely eating her attention up. Jungkook noticed both parties subconsciously were turned toward each other, completely engaged in conversation. He couldn’t pick up any pieces of the conversation over the natural ambiance of the busy lounge.

He hoped his presence would keep her distracted from appealing to her target, but didn’t anticipate the moment she walked away Seoho would be crawling back for a taste. Jungkook scoffed to himself as Emmy seemed to become bashful, her cheeks tinting to a lovely hue that Jungkook had only seen after making her an absolute mess from his attention. He knew she had no interest in this man other than the money in his wallet, but it irked him to see her biting her lip with the blush lingering. 

Seoho looked down at his phone, noticing the time and addressing Emmy once again. Emmy seemed receptive to whatever he was saying until she fluttered her eyelashes, that blush intensifying as she nodded her head. Seoho smiled, his eyes squinting under the pressure of his cheeks swelling and rose from his chair, collecting his coat. He reached for Emmy’s hand, lifting her dainty fingers to his lips to place a delicate kiss upon them. 

“Ma belle,” Seoho said as he stepped away from Emmy. 

Emmy felt her heart race as she followed his retreating figure out of the lounge with her gaze. She lightly pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart race rapidly in her chest as her nerves danced through her body. A smile gleamed over her face as she stood up from the chair, making her way back to the bar to share in her success. She was so caught up in Seoho’s mannerisms that she missed Ruby’s expectant stare and Jungkook’s sad attempt to look unbothered by watching their interaction. 

“So, how’d it go?” Ruby finally asked, noticing an uncharacteristic smile on her friend's face. 

Emmy finally snapped out of it, the charm of Seoho falling from her mind as she noticed everyone waiting to hear if she got the target. “He invited me to dinner tomorrow night.” Emmy had never been looking forward to a dinner date more in her life. She was instantly surprised to hold a conversation with the man in her native tongue, but he was also very humble and down to earth. He wasn’t a man who flaunted his wealth openly or treated women like a piece of meat. 

Taehyung and Jungkook let their jaw drop as they realized Emmy already had the target under her thumb within only a few minutes. “How?” Jungkook’s features hardened as he looked at Emmy with scrutiny. He knew a guy would eagerly want the company of someone as beautiful as Emmy, but that seemed almost too easy. What exactly did they talk about?

Emmy smirked as she glanced at Jungkook, noticing his judgemental stare. “Try not to be jealous. Women are just better.” She winked, grabbing Ruby’s hand. “Let’s get back to the room and leave the men to drink their sorrows 'cause I’ve got this in the bag.” Her eyes flashed toward Jungkook again, looking smug. It was about time she paid him back for all his teasing remarks and reminded him why she was the face of their operation. 

Jungkook felt that familiar pit in his stomach and didn’t like the slow churn as he watched the girls walk off. Something was different about this mission and he didn’t like that he seemed to lose his hold on Emmy with a single interaction with Seoho. He knew he needed to get in their way as much as possible. 

—

The following morning while Ruby stayed in the warm comforts of her duvet, Jade and Emmy took a leisurely walk around the grounds, taking in the sights offered by the exclusive resort. As lunchtime soon approached, the pair made their way back to their suite with every intention of dragging Ruby out of bed to grab a bite to eat. 

“So, did he mention where he was taking you?” Jade asked as her feet crunched against the thin layer of snow on the path toward the grand entrance. Coming back towards the hotel, she was reminded of their mission and was gathering intel for this evening. 

Emmy hesitated, pursing her lips together in thought. “No, but I can’t imagine he’d go far. He told me to meet him in the lobby at 7.” She greeted some of the hotel staff as they passed by.

“So we’ll get Ruby ready, and head out for lunch. That should give you plenty of time to relax before you need to get ready.” Jade planned out as she glanced at the time on her phone before sliding the device back into her pocket. 

Emmy went to respond until she spotted the squinting smile of Seoho across the lobby, standing near the staircase as he seemed to be chatting with another man. She nudged her friend, gesturing with her head towards his presence. “Hide, he shouldn’t see you.”

Jade quickly turned, trying to look inconspicuous as she found a display of pamphlets. “Whose he talking to?” She whispered, keeping her eyes on the variety of activities offered in the local area. 

Emmy quickly whipped her phone out, pressing the screen to her ear like she was taking a call. “I don’t know. I can’t see their face.” The man wore a large insulated jacket and slacks, but with his face turned away the only thing Emmy could identify was his dark, slicked-back hair and slight undercut.

Seoho averted his eyes away from his company briefly, spotting Emmy in the distance, and locked eyes with her. He waved her over, looking eager by her presence. The man Seoho had been engaged with, slowly peaked over his shoulder and Emmy cursed when she saw it was Jungkook. She should have known.

“That asshole.” She hissed, still holding the phone to her ear and giving the illusion that she was trying to finish her conversation. “He’s talking to JK.” She informed her friend. 

“How do they keep finding us?” Jade hissed with irritation. “I got rid of my phone. I make sure there’s not a trace of us.” 

Emmy hummed, nodding her head almost dramatically like the figurative person on the phone was keeping her on too long. “I don’t know, but I gotta go. I’ll see you back in the room.” She finally pulled the device from her ear before sliding it back into her pocket as she swiftly made her way towards the two men. 

“Emmy, it is so lovely to see you.” Seoho pushed past Jungkook, gently guiding her hand up to his lips for a sweet kiss. 

Her gaze flicked to Jungkook’s momentarily to see him rolling his eyes before smiling back at Seoho. “Thank you. It is lovely to see you as well. How are you?” 

Jungkook felt his jaw drop when he heard her speak French. When he heard Seoho speak to her, he didn’t imagine she would respond and certainly wasn’t ready for how sexy she sounded. He had to restrain himself from jumping her bones in the middle of the lobby. He was so blindsided, that he almost didn’t realize they continued their conversation and were completely ignoring him.  

He waited a moment, watching Emmy giggle at what he could only assume was nonsense since he didn’t understand the language they were speaking. When Seoho had yet to turn around, Jungkook felt that pressure against his cheek as his frustration began to build. He cleared his throat, grabbing their attention.

“Ah, sorry! Emmy, this is -” Seoho went to introduce the man behind him, but Jungkook spotted an opportunity.

“JK, nice to meet you.” Jungkook stepped up, standing awfully close to Emmy as he placed himself in between them. He followed Seoho’s guidance by also grabbing a hold of her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles. However, he did not bring her hand back down, but instead kept it in his palm, cradling it close to his chest. “Mr. Lee, I had no idea you had such beautiful company.”

Emmy slipped her hand from Jungkook’s, eyeing him suspiciously as he schmoozed her target. Seoho chuckled, “What can I say? I have exquisite taste.” He stepped away from Jungkook again, slipping an arm around Emmy’s waist. 

Jungkook chewed his bottom lip, watching Emmy’s face flush from the attention. “It would seem so.” The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he glanced between the pair, unnerved that they looked like a proper couple. He shook his head, fixing his demeanor as he refocused his objective. “So, will she be joining us?”

Emmy curled her brow, looking curiously towards Seoho. Joining them? What could he and Jungkook possibly be up to? Seoho brightened at Jungkook’s suggestion as he addressed Emmy. “Oh, we’re going to go snowboarding. Would you like to come?”

Emmy contemplated her approach, realizing that Jungkook was trying to weasel his way into stealing from Seoho. She needed to get close to her target and fast so that by the end of dinner there were no other hiccups in the plan. As a natural-born Canadian, winter sports were her specialty, but if she really wanted to play into Seoho’s kind nature she would have to dumb down her skills. 

It took everything in her not to declare a competition with Jungkook as she displayed uncertainty. “I’ve never been, so I might not be very good.” Her large eyes bore into Seoho with a small pout.

“I will teach you, ma belle.” Seoho cooed, “Don’t worry.”

Jungkook chuckled to himself as he watched Seoho eat out of the palm of her hand, acting coy when deep down the multi-millionaire had no idea of the little viper hidden within. While Jungkook had the urge to kiss the stupid pout off her lips, he knew he would have plenty of opportunities to sabotage her advances and possibly redirect her attention onto himself. “This is gonna be fun.” He muttered, grinning as he fixated his stare on his pretty little klepto. 

—

The enchanting melody of Emmy’s laughter rang in Jungkook’s ears as he bitterly clenched his teeth. With a slick roll of his eyes, he dropped his gaze upon Emmy after falling on her bottom with Seoho chuckling over her. Seoho reached down to offer her assistance and she happily accepted, her cheeks swelling from the large grin on her face. Jungkook continued to watch with disdain, his tongue breaking through the barrier of teeth to push against the inside of his cheek. 

He was beyond agitated to see Emmy stealing Seoho’s attention with the clumsy and coy act, his nerves burning rapidly the longer he was forced to wait around for the pair to get their shit together. “Why don’t we catch a slope real quick and leave her down at the bottom to practice?” He suggested with every intention of keeping them apart to build Seoho’s trust as a comrade. 

Seoho was working on helping Emmy to her feet, swiftly dusting the snow from her light blue, insulated coat, and soft pink toque. She noticed Seoho glance back at Jungkook as they had completely forgotten that he was there and seemed to be considering his idea. She knew she needed to step in before she got left behind. “Maybe you can hold my hand on the way down? I just need help balancing.”

Seoho seemed enthused by her proposal, bringing her in close with an arm curled around her waist. “I think that can be arranged.” He hummed softly as Emmy’s body effortlessly molded against his own, one of her hands coming up to rest against the thick material of his black jacket. 

Jungkook cracked his jaw, tension building in his muscles. “Well, let’s get going then.” He huffed, impatience embedded in his being. He bristled when he was forced to remove his hands from the pockets of his white coat, forgetting to bring gloves in his process to sabotage Emmy’s chances with the multi-millionaire. He clambered in grabbing his snowboard and tucking it under his arm before shielding his fingers from the freezing air. 

Emmy and Seoho looked toward the third wheel as he grumbled to himself. “Seems someone’s having a bad time.” She spoke in her native tongue, keeping the words between herself and Seoho. 

Emmy pouted as Seoho stepped away, kneeling down to detach her boots from the board. “He’s only jealous because he does not have such a beautiful companion.” Seoho reassured her, glancing up at her with a charming smile while his gloved hands worked meticulously on her straps. 

She bit her lip as his dark eyes looked up at her, his stare almost hungry. Heat returned to her cheeks, nearly making her lightheaded from the difference in temperature. Seoho broke away to look down at his work, allowing her the chance to spot a sulking Jungkook. She imagined that maybe he was being so difficult because he hated seeing her with someone as chivalrous as Seoho, but she quickly shook the thought from her head, keeping her goal in sight. 

Her eyes flicked over Jungkook’s all-white attire, a smirk pulling at the corner of her lips before she peered down at Seoho. “I sure hope he doesn’t get lost in the snow, we’d never find him.” The man at her feet slowly registered her joke, looking back at Jungkook to see what she was talking about before he slapped a hand to his mouth, smothering the laughter under his glove. 

The male hustler would have been drooling over the smooth vocal inflections slipping from between Emmy’s soft lips, but he was already on edge with every touch shared between the couple. Jungkook was watching the whole exchange, only partially aware that they could be talking about him. When Seoho turned his head toward his direction and busted into a fit of laughter, Jungkook knew they were talking about him. “What’s so funny?” The smile on his lips was tight, hugging his enamel from the profound stretch across his face. 

Emmy cleared her throat, stepping off the board when she felt Seoho nudge her leg. “Oh, nothing. It’s a Quebec thing.” She lied, peering over at Seoho to see if he would agree to her deceit. 

“Yeah, I don’t think you’d understand,” Seoho added,  standing upright with his board tucked under one arm and hers under the other. “Shall we go?” He cut in quickly before Jungkook could investigate further into their joke. 

Jungkook glared at the two, following them as they walked past him in the direction of the chairlift. He grunted with frustration when they arrived at the revolving lift, only to see Seoho sitting at the edge of one while Emmy sat on the other end to make sure Jungkook had to wait for the next chair. She smiled triumphantly, waving to him as they pulled away. “See you at the top!” She hollered back. 

The third wheel of their snowboarding excursion contemplated his next course of action as he impatiently drifted to the top of the mountain. He watched Seoho wrap his arm over Emmy’s shoulder, pulling her in close to his side with her bell-like laughter dancing in the wind. He desperately needed to get them away from each other for the sake of making a clean steal, and his sanity. He almost missed the breathtaking scenery on his way up while the pit in his belly simmered, nearly ready to boil over. 

It was unsettling how irked he was by their proximity. Jungkook witnessed her seduce men before, but something felt different. Emmy seemed more susceptible to Seoho’s attentive charm, which developed almost too quickly for Jungkook’s liking. Emmy was always great at getting a man’s attention, having them eating from the palm of her hand. However, Seoho had the very same effect on her, and Jungkook did not like it. 

As he reached the top of the slope, he noticed the pair waiting for him and choked as her blue irises sparkled in his direction. He could see the small pull against her lips, tucking into her cheek as she glared at him challengingly. The sunlight peaking over the mountains shined in her eyes, enhancing the color along with her light blue coat. After hopping off the chairlift, he felt out of breath, but he wasn’t sure if it was the density changes or how beautiful she looked.

Jungkook was able to shake himself out of it when Seoho interrupted yet again to get Emmy ready for her first trip down the slope. The agitation soon returned as she allowed Seoho to coddle her onto the board. Jungkook prepared himself beside them, crossing his arms over his chest while he waited for them to finish. This particular hill they were going down was mild compared to the other options, and Jungkook hoped they’d get a chance to run down one of the harder tracks to let out some aggression. 

Once Seoho was finished getting them ready, he turned back to Jungkook. “Are you ready, JK?” He was standing close enough to Emmy so that she could hold onto his hands just as he promised. 

Jungkook forced a smile on his face as if he wasn’t completely bored out of his mind. “Why don’t you two get a headstart?” He suggested, knowing Emmy would be milking this moment as much as possible to distract Seoho and gain his favor. Snowboarding after them gave him a clear view of what they were up to the whole way, allowing him to analyze an opportune moment to sabotage their natural chemistry. 

There was no further communication as Seoho coaxed Emmy down the hill, taking their time to slide as she clung to him. Emmy couldn’t help but steal glances at the man supporting her, her heart fluttering at how genuine he seemed. There was a sense of endearment when she falsely fumbled, trying to get closer rather than the heavy lustful stares she received time and time again. Her pulse ran wildly when he smiled, his face illuminating as the swell of his cheeks overwhelmed his features. 

Jungkook slowly shuffled his board, making sure to keep behind them despite the urge to leave them in his dust. He hated that he had to hold back, but even worse, he kept his smart mouth shut as he watched them ogle over each other for doing the bare minimum. He clicked his teeth against his lip piercing, the metal freezing as he teased it with a quick swipe of his tongue. He searched for an inconspicuous way to wedge himself in the middle of their little mush fest but huffed when he realized anything he did at the moment would be obvious.

He perked up when he noticed Seoho drifting her towards a small jump, aligning it so that she would be able to go over while Seoho stayed firmly on the snow-covered ground. The lightbulb sparked in Jungkook’s brain, and he adjusted his stance on the board to speed up and race toward the small ramp of snow. As he approached, he could vaguely hear Seoho telling her how to prepare for the jump while Emmy anxiously giggled like she was nervous about falling. 

“Watch out!” Jungkook warned as he pivoted up the jump, successfully bumping into Emmy’s shoulder. He heard her shriek, imagining they would become a tangle of limbs, insulation, and laminated wood. However, to his surprise, he made it safely back to the ground and quickly snapped his attention behind him to see Seoho lying on top of Emmy. 

Jungkook felt a stab in his chest, coming to a stop as he turned fully toward them. Emmy was panting beneath the handsome multi-millionaire who curled his arms protectively behind her head. Their lips were nearly touching, and everything about the scene screamed intimate as fire scourged through Jungkook’s veins. He panicked when he noticed their proximity growing smaller, their eyes drooping closed as Seoho cupped her cheek with his gloved hand. “Hey! Are you okay?”

Jungkook felt sick to his stomach when he thought they didn’t hear him until Seoho pulled away, easing his odd spout of nausea. He sighed with relief, waiting slightly downhill for them to join him. Emmy glared at him the entire way, communicating that she knew he did that on purpose. “Sorry!” Jungkook apologized not even trying to hide behind genuine concern as he nonchalantly addressed his “mistake.” 

The rest of the way down, Jungkook kept to himself to avoid driving her further into Seoho’s arms with another failed attempt. He made sure to stay close, interrupting their conversations as he lingered off to the side or slid slowly behind them. His presence naturally killed the mood, and he couldn’t have been happier. 

Back at the bottom, they took a small break to rest their limbs before trying another slope. Emmy gave her review of her first trip down the mountain, fluffing Seoho’s ego with compliments for his guidance while resisting the urge to chew into Jungkook for his collision. 

Seoho glanced at the time, humming to himself for a moment. “It looks like we have time for one more. We should probably start heading back up now.” He mused, making sure to allot time for their return and preparing for a romantic dinner with Emmy. 

Jungkook and Emmy did not argue, gathering their things and following Seoho’s lead towards the ski lift. However, just as they approached the mechanism there was a ring of someone’s cell phone. The trio paused, looking at each other expectantly since the noise was close by. Seoho sighed when he realized it was his device, pulling the source of din from his pocket to check the caller's identification. 

Emmy noticed a flash of annoyance cross his features before he tore his glare away from the phone. “I’m so sorry, but I need to take this. Why don’t I just meet you there in a minute?” He smiled, lifting the device toward his ear and preparing to accept the call. 

Emmy was almost stunned when Jungkook swept her away unapologetically, pulling her from Seoho. She glanced back, catching the millionaire turning away as he greeted the person on the other line. She finally adjusted to her circumstances, slipping from Jungkook. “You’re such an ass.” She hissed, stomping toward the chair lift as Jungkook’s laughter echoed from behind her. 

They clambered onto the dual seat, holding their boards against the safety rails while the mechanism was in continuous motion. Emmy kept her gaze set on the forest surrounding them, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the spectacle nature provided. “So what’s your deal?” Jungkook asked.

She huffed with annoyance, swiveling her head in his direction, picking up the way he obnoxiously stretched across the lift and leaving her little to no space between them. “My deal?” She inquired, not understanding what he was referring to. 

She watched as he adjusted himself, subconsciously pulling at his pant leg to pull the cool fabric from his thigh. “Yeah, you’re going around speaking French,” He paused, his eyes flickering away as he clicked his tongue against his piercing. Emmy hated how much the metal resting on his lip taunted her to kiss him and stop whatever stupid nonsense was coming out of his mouth. “Having little inside jokes,” He mocked, poorly mimicking Emmy with a flutter of his eyelashes and pretending to curl his finger in his hair. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you copying their accent. What are you trying to be, a queeb?”

Emmy pressed her lips together, debating whether it was worth correcting him or not. However, the slang hit a little too close to home and her need to dismantle his attempt at belittling her was far too strong. “For your information, I was born here and lived in Quebec until I was 18. My first language is French.”

Jungkook blinked, interest swirling behind his dark pupils. His expression of surprise morphed into his usual smug smirk. “Born here, huh?” He leaned back against the chairlift, ignoring the small jostle as the mechanism ran over one of the riblet towers. “Are you going to tell mommy and daddy about the rich millionaire you’re trying to steal from or are they not aware of your…behavior?” He made a point to look her up and down, silently judging how she uses her body as a tool against those who are being targeted by the femme fatales. 

Emmy cringed when he mentioned the titles of people she barely knew, let alone recognized even if they were standing right in front of her. “I haven’t talked to them in years.” Her voice was oddly quiet, turning to face forward as distant memories slowly resurfaced with blurred images of what she could vaguely remember from her childhood. “So, no. They’re not aware.” 

Her eyes return to the forest with a heavy heart, avoiding whatever Jungkook might say next. Her heart beat against her ribcage, anticipating some remark from the male hustler that enlightened him about her past. She half expected him to make a joke about her having “daddy issues” but she was happy for the silence. It assured her that maybe his past life wasn’t so spectacular either or at least that he understood it was a sensitive topic. 

The rest of the ride was mostly silent between the two, Jungkook wordlessly grabbing their boards as his eyes met her own. Their gaze locked for a brief moment, their pupils drifting into the deep pools of each other until Jungkook looked away first. He moved toward the edge of the hill, waiting for Emmy to follow before plopping her board onto the ground. “Here, let me-”

“I can do it.” Emmy interrupted Jungkook’s offer to help with her boots. She swiftly stepped into place and strapped herself in effortlessly before Jungkook could finish his sentence. 

Jungkook chuckled to himself in mild disbelief, he knew she was faking it, but he had no idea how much she was playing Seoho with her naive persona. “So, you have been playing dumb…I knew it!” He grinned, feeling oddly satisfied that he was aware of her mannerisms to know when she was being genuine or not.

Emmy scoffed, rolling her eyes at the joy across his face. “I’m Canadian. Of course, I know how to snowboard.”

“Then race me.” He suggested, eagerly smiling at her, hoping to poke at her competitive side. 

Emmy curled a brow, looking him up and down. Part of her wanted to show him up and beat his ass on the slopes, but the more rational part of her said she needed to stay put until Seoho reunited with them. “No thanks.” She stated simply, shrugging as if she had not a single care to compete with the infuriating man in front of her. 

Jungkook smirked, seeing right through her indifference. “What? Afraid to lose to me…again?”

Her head snapped toward him, fixing a glare in his direction. She bit her lip, keeping her aggravation at bay as she continued to be nonchalant. She needed to save her energy for Seoho. “No, I just don’t feel the need to waste my time.”

Jungkook was licked by the flames of irritation, finding her lack of reaction more bothersome than when she outwardly argued with him. “Waste your time?” He reiterated as if her words didn’t brand themselves into his hippocampus. 

Emmy crossed her arms over her chest, cocking her hip to the side. “That’s what I said,” She concurred. “I’m here for Seoho, not you. I’m not playing your little games anymore and I’m certainly not going to bother fucking around with someone like you when I can easily have someone like him.”

Jungkook was taken aback by her dismissal, finding her rejection painful as he replayed the tiny interactions she shared with Seoho so openly in front of him. There was an unsettling churn in his stomach as his gut boiled over, pouring through his veins as he moved into her space. He noticed that his abrupt approach startled her for a moment until she readjusted her glare back onto him. 

The heat behind their eyes would have melted the whole mountain as he grabbed her shoulders firmly in his hands, making sure she couldn’t look away from him. “You know what’s really fucking annoying?” He spat, leveling his eyes with her own. “You rather play pretend with some millionaire than be yourself with someone who thinks you’re perfect.”

Emmy felt her heart stop, her lips parting while Jungkook glared at her with the power of an unstable wildfire. 

Perfect. 

Perfect.

The organ in her chest seemed to pulse with the echo of that word pounding in her head. She was suddenly all too aware of how close he was to her lips, or how he held her firmly to keep her close rather than to inflict pain from his blatant frustration with her. Despite the frozen environment surrounding them, heat engulfed her as she glanced down at his lips, moving back up to search both of his eyes. “W-what did you say?” She managed, her breath drifting like small white clouds between their lips as she urged him to elaborate. 

Jungkook’s blood ran cold as he registered what spilled from his lips. “I-I…” He was lost for words as he tried to escape his impulsive actions smoothly. He allowed his irrationality to take over and was now facing consequences he never anticipated dealing with. “Well, I-”

“Yes?” Emmy encouraged, wanting him to say it again and confirm she didn’t make it all up in her head. 

Jungkook opened his mouth, his throat suddenly tight as the air density made it difficult to breathe under the pressure of his situation. “Sorry!” The voice didn’t match Jungkook’s, causing the pair to turn their head to see Seoho running up to them from the drop-off area of the chair lift. “I didn’t think it would take so long.” Seoho smiled, noticing that Jungkook and Emmy seemed close, but not acknowledging it. 

Emmy felt cold when Jungkook released her, moving away from her so that Seoho could take his place. She glanced toward Jungkook hoping to get a read on what must be going through his head, but Seoho demanded her attention while guiding her to the beginning of the slope. She inhaled deeply, letting the odd mixture of confusion and disappointment get pushed aside to resume her pursuit of the multi-millionaire. 

—

The grand scale of the lodge's vaulted ceilings and large glass windows reflected the snow flurries outside as the warmth of the inside ambiance cast a romantic setting for an evening dinner. Intimate tables of mahogany with lavish leather seating allowed couples to enjoy each other’s company while indulging in some of Montreal's finest cuisine. 

Emmy and the handsome multi-millionaire were indulging in expensive house wines as the native French Canadian recommended ordering a duck a l’orange or a wood fire smoked steak. Seoho was putty in her hands, soaking up her beauty and foreign flare as they conversed in her native tongue, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. 

Not too far from their corner table sat the mischievous male trio, each enjoying their own luxurious meal from the upscale dining experience as they stalked their wealthy target. Jimin seemed completely unbothered by the pair as he cut into a juice coq au vin, savoring the liquor-infused poultry as he brought the meat to his lips. Taehyung and Jungkook sat opposite of him, their positions offering them just the right angle to spy on the feisty brunette, watching her effortlessly seduce the man across from her. 

While Taehyung seemed amused by her flirtatious gestures, Jungkook sat beside him with a heated glare burning through his pupils. He couldn’t help but let his eyes drink in the sight of Emmy’s leg scandalously peeking through the slit of her velvet gown, the terracotta color enhancing the glow of her skin beneath the dim lighting of the intimate dining room. 

“I wonder what her body count is?” Taehyung’s playful voice instantly pulled Jungkook’s attention back onto his partners in crime, watching a smirk pull across Jimin’s lips as his face morphed into one of judgment. 

“Well, she’s already slept with the two of you,” Jimin pointed out, bringing another bite of his truffled potatoes to his mouth before speaking once more. “Who knows how many men she’s screwed over in bed.” 

Jungkook’s jaw tightened as he pressed his teeth together, feeling the obnoxious churn in his stomach return as he imagined her following Seoho to bed. “Probably isn’t far off from yours.” Jungkook’s voice was harsher than he intended, thankful that his comrades didn’t notice the tension in his voice. 

Taehyung shrugged his shoulders at Jungkook’s comment, knowing if there was anyone who came close to seducing as many people as Emmy, it was definitely him. Taehyung reached for his glass, noticing it was empty as he glanced around to spot the closest waitress. “Excuse me, miss.” 

To the men's surprise, Ruby turned around to greet them, the false smile falling from her lips as she clicked her tongue in annoyance. “What do you want?” 

Taehyung seemed far too excited to see the brawn of the female trio, leaning into his elbows as he waved around his empty glass of wine. “Would you be a doll and fetch Daddy a bottle of wine?” Taehyung shamelessly ran his tongue across his bottom lip, grinning proudly at Ruby’s disgusted snarl. 

“Fuck off.” She spat as she turned around, prepared to completely disregard his request as the house manager walked through the space to check on their guests. 

Taehyung repeatedly clicked his tongue in disapproval as he shook his head, “Such terrible service.” He grinned, watching that Jimin and Jungkook were just as amused as he waved down the manager. “Pardon, Monsieur!” 

“Ruby!” Jade snapped in her earpiece, quickly catching onto the fact that they fully intended to complain about their service to the boss. Ruby groaned loudly as she turned back around, forcing a smile on her face as she walked back toward Taehyung who was still making eye contact with the manager. 

“My apologies, sir.” Ruby grit between her teeth, leaning forward to grab his glass. “One glass of wine, coming right up.” 

“Make that two,” Jimin smirked, holding up his own empty glass as Ruby fought back her urge to cuss them out. 

Their table was suddenly greeted by a man in a suit, a French accent gracing his lips. “Good afternoon sir, is everything to your liking?” He seemed hesitant as he awaited Taehyung’s review. Taehyung leaned back in his seat, enjoying the surge of power he felt far too much. 

“Everything is excellent.” He finally spoke, slicing the tension in half as he glanced up at Ruby, winking at her as she swiftly made her way to fetch their wine. “My compliments to the chef.” The man in formal attire nodded politely, satisfied with his customer’s comment as he urged them to enjoy the rest of their meal before continuing his rounds.

Jungkook’s attention flickered back toward Emmy and Seoho as the sound of her bright laughter echoed through the small space, his eyes narrowing in on her as she attempted to contain her giggles. Jungkook couldn’t help but feel the annoyance return as he thought back to their interaction on the ski slopes. One minute, he managed to falter her with his careless comment, and the next she seemed to completely forget about it, which only added to his frustrations. He was usually the one to have such an affect on her, and now he was forced to watch Seoho charm her mindlessly. 

“I’ll be back.” Jungkook finally spoke, his resolve snapping as Seoho leaned into Emmy to whisper something into her ear. Jimin and Taehyung watched as their youngest counterpart suddenly stood to make his way toward the couple, confidence exuding in each step. “Lee Seoho, what a pleasure.” Jungkook unapologetically interrupted, greeting Seoho as he turned to face Emmy. “I see you’ve managed to enchant your beautiful company.” 

Emmy felt her throat run dry, stunned to hear Jungkook refer to her as beautiful after calling her perfect just a few hours ago. Seoho smiled brightly, glancing back toward Emmy as he gently grabbed ahold of her hand, lifting it to his lips to place a swift kiss on the backside of her hand. “On the contrary, for it’s she who has enchanted me.” 

Jungkook felt the urge to laugh at his corny response, however, the way Emmy’s eyes sparkled at the interaction distracted him too much. He noticed a spare chair at the table beside them, pulling the piece of furniture over as he plopped down directly between them. “Mind if I join you for a moment? There was something I was meaning to discuss with you.” He smiled charismatically as Seoho glanced toward Emmy who simply smiled brightly. 

“Not at all. I was just heading to the ladies' room.” She fought the urge to smack Jungkook for once again interrupting but decided to continue her charming facade. “Will you excuse me a moment?” She glanced back toward Seoho, batting her eyes sweetly as he gestured for her to stand. 

“Of course.” 

Emmy flashed a glare toward Jungkook as she twisted her body to seek out the restrooms. She took slow steps, switching her hips as she walked, knowing that Seoho was most likely watching her strut away, admiring the curves of her body. What she didn’t notice was that Jungkook was also tempted to watch her, both men secretly fantasizing about her form. “What was it you wanted to talk about?” Seoho finally glanced back toward Jungkook who smiled childishly as he discussed another opportunity to ski down a black diamond trail. 

Jimin and Taehyung were surprised to see Jungkook smoothly capture Seoho’s attention with the daring sport while Emmy finally reached the women’s room, groaning in her earpiece as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. 

“What the hell is he doing?” She snipped in her earpiece, hearing Jade’s voice on the opposite end. 

“I don’t know. Ruby, what are they talking about?” Jade asked, a slight hint of concern laced in her voice. 

Ruby moved to serve a table nearby, confirming their conversation. “They're talking about skiing.” Her voice was less than enthused as she continued to make her way through the intimate room. “And his goons seem far too satisfied with their meal.” 

Emmy pressed her palms against the sink counter, adjusting her hair and making sure her makeup was still fresh on her complexion. “Jade, figure out a way to get them out of here.” 

“Me?!” Jade protested as Ruby quickly joined in on the discussion once more. 

“Unless you want to come serve these idiots, get your ass in here and figure something out.” 

Jade let out a huff as she contemplated a way to cause enough of a distraction. Emmy smacked her lips together as she smoothed over a fresh layer of lipstick, stuffing the small tube back in her clutch as she took another glance into the bathroom mirror. “I’m not letting him get in the way again.” While her partners heard her words, she mostly spoke them to herself, refusing to let Jungkook get under her skin and take another victory away from her. 

The youngest took a soothing breath before making her way back out toward her private table, noticing Jungkook and Seoho were still engaged in an intriguing conversation. She took her seat, smiling up at Seoho as he excitedly let her in on the information. “JK was just telling me about another trail. We might hit it up tomorrow before the end of my visit.” 

Emmy clenched her teeth together, bringing her wine glass to her lips. “Sounds delightful.” She lied, taking a sizeable swig of the alcohol-infused concentrate. 

“I can’t believe he managed to snake his way into their date.” Jimin shook his head in surprise, impressed by his comrade's ability to charm their targets. 

Taehyung finished the last bite of his meal, leaning back in his chair to let his stomach stretch out from the large amount of food he indulged in. “He’s a little shit, but he gets the job done,” Taehyung adds playfully, exchanging a satisfied smile with Jimin as they grabbed their wine glasses. “To another hopeful victory.”

Just as Jimin was going to clink his glass together with Taehyung’s, he felt a sharp sting across his cheek, glancing up frantically to see Jade standing before him in hysterics. “What the…” 

“How dare you!” She continued, threatening to smack him again as Jimin quickly seized the opportunity to snatch her wrist. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” His eyes were wide as Jade channeled her inner Emmy, pulling out her dramatics. 

She began to cry, drawing the attention of a few tables beside them. “I knew you were cheating on me, but I didn’t know you were gay!” 

Taehyung practically choked on his wine as Jade gestured toward him, her accusations accompanied by gasps from neighboring tables. Taehyung felt his cheeks flash red in embarrassment, suddenly looking at their table, realizing to an unsuspecting person they sure looked like they’d be on a date. 

“I’m not gay!” Jimin quickly retaliated as Jade let out a loud wail of sorrow. Jimin felt his body become tense in anger as he gripped her wrist tightly, his eye flashing red with wrath. “Can I speak to you a moment, privately?” He grit between his teeth, trying not to draw more attention to them as he stood from his chair, practically dragging Jade off behind him. 

It wasn’t until they were finally in the hallway that Jimin released her wrist, pushing her up against the wall as his irritation boiled over. “What the hell were you thinking?” He smacked his hand against the wall beside her head, causing her to flinch for a moment as she glared up at him. 

“What’s wrong? I figured since you clearly aren’t concerned with ruining someone’s date, I might as well ruin yours.” Jade couldn’t help but grin between each word as Jimin pressed forward, trying to intimidate her until they heard the door of the lounge open. 

Jimin quickly stepped away from her as a bystander glared in his direction, making him feel even more uncomfortable than he already felt. “This isn’t over.” He threatened back toward Jade who instantly began fake crying again as the witness continued to stare at Jimin as if he was a terrible human being. “And cut the bullshit.” 

Meanwhile, Emmy’s table seemed to be distracted by the commotion until Jungkook suddenly stood from his seat with the sound of glass breaking beside him. Ruby was inches away with a now empty tray, wine spilling all over Jungkook’s trousers as the chilled liquid seeped through his clothing. “Shit.” 

“I’m so sorry, monsieur.” Ruby falsely apologized as Emmy bit her lip, desperately attempting to contain her laughter. Jungkook seemed as flustered as Jimin while Ruby attempted to wipe his pants with her towel, shooing her away as he noticed Seoho’s attention directly on the situation. 

He chewed on his lip piercing as he kept his cool. “An accident, of course.” He hissed through his teeth, knowing it was clearly no accident. He took a cloth napkin from the table, wiping away any reminisce of the liquid from his pants, annoyed to see the fabric was now stained. “I should go get cleaned up. I’ll see you tomorrow then?” 

Seoho was quick to stand and politely say goodbye to Jungkook, confirming their plans before telling Ruby to get something to clean up the mess. Jungkook found Emmy’s glare once more, burning through her resolve with his fiery stare before turning to dismiss himself, the girls suddenly feeling proud of their chaotic distractions. 

Emmy respectfully called after Jungkook, waving him off as she turned her attention back to Seoho. A few staff members bustled to clean up the spilled wine as Seoho signed their receipt to have their meal charged to his room. Emmy simply brought her glass to her lips, watching the scene unfold as Seoho stood beside her. 

“How about a stroll, ma belle? To finish the evening?” He offered as he held out his hand. Emmy’s smile reflected in her pupils as she politely accepted his hand.

“That would be wonderful.”  She beamed, thrilled for another opportunity to get close to her target and enchanting date. “I have to admit.” She continued on, placing a playful pout on her lips as she stood up from her seat. “I was hoping for the chance to see you again tomorrow.” 

Seoho’s charming smile stretched across his lips as began guiding her out of the small dining room. “I’m sure I can arrange that.” He maneuvered himself beside her, snaking his arm around her waist as they retrieved their coats from the hostess. “How about ice skating tomorrow night?”

Emmy contemplated his proposal, bitter that he was still entertaining his morning skiing with Jungkook. She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously, leaning her hip into him as he retrieved her coat and draped it over her shoulders. “Sounds perfect.”

—

“Breakfast is ready!” Jade announced, moving out of the way for their dining cart to roll into their suite. The server pushed the collection of breakfast foods into the middle of the living room space, placing it at the end of the dining table. Jade slipped him a small tip, leading him back out the door as Ruby started sniffing at the food hidden beneath the silver plate lid on the large platter. 

Emmy was in the bathroom, taking a thorough shower in anticipation of her date with Seoho. “Why’d you say it like you made?” Ruby pulled off the giant lid, spotting her plate of pancakes and bacon before shooting Jade a judgemental side-eye. 

Jade swooped in, grabbing her plate of eggs, sausage, and toast with a side of maple syrup to sweeten her savory meal. “Technically, I ordered it so…yeah. Sorry, not sorry.” She quickly dashed off towards the sofa, curling her feet underneath her as she leaned against the arm of the couch, balancing her plate in her hand. 

Ruby shook her head, getting comfortable at the table with every intention of drowning her plate in syrup. “Hey,” She called out to Jade softly, hoping Emmy wouldn’t hear them under the stream of her shower. “Do you think we need to come up with a plan B?”

Jade curled her brow, pausing after already stabbing into the yolk of her egg. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, it’s just this is our last chance before our window closes. What if we lose again?” Ruby subconsciously poured syrup over her stack, her eyes flicking between the amber liquid and Jade’s thoughtful expression.

Jade contemplated their predicament, feeling her instincts screaming at her that Ruby was only suggesting a proper backup in case all else failed, but she tried to stay positive. “Don't worry, this guy has already taken the bait. Emmy is gonna reel him in and we’ll all reap the benefits.”

Ruby hummed, pursing her lips together as she glanced toward the closed door of the bathroom where Emmy was located. “I guess so.” She paused when she heard the shower turn off and the harsh raking of the hooks dragging across the curtain rod. “It just feels different.” She added, quickly dropping her concern onto Jade’s lap before cutting into her pancakes. 

Before Jade could dig further into Ruby’s comment, the bathroom door opened to reveal Emmy wrapped up in a white cotton robe, soaking up the dew from her skin as her hair was wrapped up in another smaller towel. “It smells so good.” Emmy commented, her eyes falling on Ruby’s plate that needed disaster relief. She chuckled as she grabbed her plate with a little bit of everything on it, joining Ruby at the table and making sure to face Jade. 

“Oh, by the way, nice job chasing the guys away.” Emmy complimented, looking at their intellectual counterpart. Jade snapped her head up, pausing mid-chew with a piece of egg in her mouth. She made a noise of acknowledgment, but Emmy continued. “I didn’t know you had it in you to make such a scene.”

Ruby laughed beside her, covering her mouth to hide the fact they thought the spectacle was hilarious. Jade swallowed the egg down her throat, clearing the remnants that lingered on her tongue. “Well, I just thought what would Emmy do and went with it.” Ruby’s laughter turned into a cackle at the back-handed compliment while Emmy narrowed her eyes at the oldest. 

“Haha.” She stabbed into her slice of bacon before lifting it to her lips to steal a bite, gnawing at the meat with her canines harshly. 

The girls ate in silence as Ruby settled her fit of giggles, choking down another bit of pancake before she decided to discuss their plans. “Anyway, what are you doing with Seoho today?”

Emmy paused, biting her lip as she thought of the handsome gentleman with the all-encompassing smile. “He’s taking me ice skating.” She mumbled before shoveling more food into her food to distract from the blush that slowly invaded her complexion. 

Jade noticed the suddenly bashful Emmy and made a teasing oooo sound with Ruby joining in for the fun of it. “Don’t tell me you're getting soft on us.” Ruby added like a cherry on top.

“No, don’t be ridiculous.” Emmy dismissed, waving off the pink hue on her cheeks. “He’s just really sweet, that’s all.” She couldn’t help but admit as she thought about how charismatic and down-to-earth he was. 

“Maybe we should ask if he wants three sugar babies and we can have unlimited spending money.” Ruby suggested, continuing to cut her stack of pancakes into uneven bites.

Emmy nearly cried watching the chaos unfold on her plate and Jade laughed out loud. “Yeah right. Between your drinking “habit” and Emmy’s maintenance routine, he’d be drained dry within a month.” Jade put quotation marks around the reference to Ruby’s daily alcohol consumption. The girls were all aware that she drank the burning substance like water, but luckily, she always managed to stay coherent in most situations. 

“Oh, don’t you even start. I’ve seen how much you spend on food, my little gourmet glutton.” Emmy snapped back, calling Jade out for indulgent and expensive eating habits. Ruby nodded in agreement, eyeing the plate of protein on the oldest’s lap.

Jade waved her hand as if she were shooing them away. “Whatever, I do what I want.” She said defensively, unapologetic for her spending habits. “So, what do you plan on wearing?” She narrowly changed the subject trying to keep them focused on the task at hand. 

Emmy quickly clambered out of the chair and raced to her bedroom, pulling off the outfit she laid out before she jumped into the shower. “What do you think?” She displayed it against her frame, only showing off the layers that would be hidden underneath a large faux fur coat. 

“Won’t you be cold?” Ruby nearly choked at the thin fabric that made up her outfit. 

“I’ll have a jacket obviously, but once we settle somewhere a little more private, this is what he’ll see.” Emmy seemed proud of herself as she imagined his eyes bulging from his sockets when she revealed the form-fitting outfit that showed off her legs that she hoped would be wrapped around his waist later that evening. 

“I’m sure he’ll be drooling on the floor.” Jade encouraged, noticing the genuine smile and giddiness in each step Emmy took on her way to place the outfit back in her room. She shared a knowing look with Ruby from across the room before Emmy returned. She waited as the youngest member got comfy in her seat, “Hey, are you sure you can do this?” Jade asked, trying not to show that she had any doubt in Emmy’s capabilities. 

Emmy seemed to shake out of her excitement, noticing her partners looking at her expectantly. “Yeah, trust me. I have him completely wrapped around my finger and we’ll be gone before tomorrow morning.” She ignored the slight tick in her smile as she assured the girls of her confidence, knowing their success depended on her. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep the subtle frown from pulling at her lips as she poked the prongs of her fork against the syrup-soaked pancakes. 

—

A brisk wind rushed by, seeping the touch of ice through Emmy’s layers. She adjusted her little blue coat around her torso, hugging the fabric tighter to smother her body heat. Seoho chuckled beside her, pulling her in close as he reached for her hand. “Here, allow me.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her forward as he cradled her palm within his other hand. 

Emmy allowed him to manipulate her body, his directions so gentle and nurturing that even his gestures warmed her up. She moved her legs, gliding across the ice as the cable knit of her light blue stockings flexed with every movement. “I know how to skate, you know.” She offered, her tone soft so that she didn’t offend his intimate nature. 

“Yes, but you seemed cold.” He offered, slowly slipping away.

Emmy grabbed him, bringing him back so that he continued holding her in his embrace. “I think I still am.” She lied, feeling the heat swell within her chest as his large smile overtook his features. She found the way his eyes closed endearing whenever he seemed excited or bashful. As she leaned into him, she couldn’t help but be perfectly aware of his fingers teasing the sequins of her silver skirt that accentuated the light blue ensemble. 

She stole this opportunity to enjoy her surroundings, skating over the ice with the assistance of Seoho while passing by the small village they had walked through just the previous evening. During the day, the white-painted shops and little red roofs were vibrant with life under the beaming sun. Layers of snow were scattered amongst the tops of every surface, decorating the scene in a natural winter scheme. During their stay, Emmy felt a combination of emotions as she thought of her life before she met Jade and Ruby, but tried to stay in the moment and thrive in the memories of the places she visited rather than the people she knew. 

“Excuse me!” Someone shouted, causing Emmy to jolt back into the present as a young teenager sped in front of them. Seoho was able to stop them just in time before they collided with the adolescent, nearly tumbling backward when he yanked Emmy against his frame. When he braced for impact, he naturally curled his arms around the woman, bringing her to face him where their skates were knocking into each other. 

Luckily, he managed to catch himself and looked sheepishly at Emmy who seemed startled by the abrasive course of action. “Sorry.” They stood still amongst the rink, looking into each other’s eyes, the tension slowly dwindling the longer they stood facing each other. 

Emmy blinked, the spell broken as she smiled up at him. “Something tells me you’re not that sorry.” She boldly slipped her arms around his neck, drawing him in close until his lips were level with her own. Her heart pounded in her chest when his eyes flicked across her face, taking in every detail and watching his pupils enlarge.

Seoho’s eyelids dropped, feeling heavy as he returned her gaze. Their breath began to mingle as he leaned in, his arms curled around her snugly. “You might be right.” His lips brushed against her own, nearly pressing them together until a fit of giggling children skated by and interrupted the mood. He pulled back abruptly, looking at their surroundings as if he had forgotten they were in the middle of a skating rink. “How about we get something to eat?”

Emmy pouted as the cool air swirled over her face, craving the taste of Seoho’s lips over anything that the village of small shops had to offer. She bit her lip, falling back into a slow glide beside him as they made their way towards the exit.  She peered over towards Seoho, trying to read his expression, and noticed the hungry look in his eyes still lingering. She chewed the inside of her cheek with anticipation, wondering how soon she could bring him to his primal instincts. 

She coyly moved her pupils in the opposite direction, spotting a small poutine cafe. She salivated at the thought of the comfort food she grew up with and turned to look at Seoho, “Do you like poutine?”

Seoho turned his head, keeping his gaze down to avoid skating into someone. “I’ve never tried it.”

Emmy gasped, moving her feet faster to race to the exit. “Well, let’s go then!” She squealed in excitement, eager to get a serving of a long-forgotten pastime. 

Seoho chuckled at her mannerisms, noticing she was like a child in a candy store. He reached out for her, slowing her stride down slightly as he threaded his fingers through her own. “Don’t leave without me, ma belle.”

Emmy nearly swooned as he used his term of endearment for her, slowing down as they approached the threshold for the skating rink. She bit her lip when he swooped in front of her, stepping onto the stable ground with the blades of his skates before helping her across. As she stepped close beside him, she continued to hold his hand and stood on the tip toes of her skates to place a kiss on his cheek. 

The moment was swift, but the dumbstruck look on his face was more than worth it. Emmy settled with her victory before stepping towards the benches to take her skates off while Seoho seemed to collect himself. 

After returning their skates and adjusting back into their boots, the pair made their way to the cafe Emmy had been eyeing. Seoho held the door open while Emmy stepped inside getting draped in the warmth and rich, savory scents of cooked food. The cafe wasn’t particularly big, but it was bustling with customers waiting in line to grab a basket which made it fairly easy to walk with. There were a few barstools along the wall leading to the counter and a handful of small tables that could seat up to four people.

Seoho came up behind Emmy, lightly placing his hand on her back. “Why don’t you find a seat and I can get it?” He offered, noticing the line was going to be a decent wait. 

“No, I’ll get it. Especially since you never had it before.” Emmy smiled back at him, insisting she treat him. She nearly screamed at herself when she realized that she should be making him pay, he was the target of their hustle after all. 

Seoho smirked, finding her determination amusing before fishing out his wallet and pulling his card out. He placed it gingerly in her hand, pulling away so that she could not return it. “Put it on my card at least.” He suggested. He brought the hand that was resting on the small of her back up to pull her hair off her shoulder, dipping down to brush his lips across her cheek. “I’ll save you a seat.”

Emmy felt as if her whole body stopped functioning as he left her in shambles; her heart stopped working, she couldn’t breathe, and every muscle in her body was frozen. Her sparkling irises followed him as he moved to a table by the large windows facing the front of the establishment, sitting with the same magnetism he had when she first encountered him. 

His sharp eyes found hers and she snapped out of her daze, a harsh blush slapping over her cheeks as she quickly shielded herself from his calculating gaze. She moved with the line as another customer successfully received their order, biting her lip as she tried settling her nerves. She took the opportunity to take out her phone, texting her friends with an update to help ground her from the treacherous emotions swirling within her. “I’m in trouble.” She mumbled to herself, her heart still dancing wildly in her chest.

Every time she was with him, it was like she completely forgot about what her goal was. She wasn’t sure why he was like kryptonite, but she couldn’t say this experience was frustrating in the least. She glanced down at the card he had given her, thinking that she could simply run with it and have her victory right then and there. It could have been possibly the easiest steal of her life, but she hesitated. Not only because they were in broad daylight and she could easily be caught, but because she didn’t want the date to end. 

Seoho had been one of the few men to actually treat her with any ounce of decency and Emmy could honestly say it was refreshing. He didn’t try to sleep with her at every turn or treat her like some piece of decoration on his arm, he was intrigued by her presence and very attentive to her needs. She glanced back at him as the line moved up again, wondering how she was going to deal with the guilt of fucking him over by the end of the night.

She pursed her lips together as the guilt set it, trying to think of something else that would distract her from potentially sabotaging the mission. They already lost to the guys, they couldn’t have another loss on their hands. Emmy nearly groaned as Jungkook’s face mocked her in the back of her head, the reminder that he was just on her coat tail with gaining Seoho’s trust considering they had just gone skiing this morning. 

You rather play pretend with some millionaire than be yourself with someone who thinks you’re perfect. She vividly replayed that moment in her head, wondering if she heard him wrong. He seemed so frustrated and genuine when he spit the words from his mouth, but Emmy had yet to see his behavior change to make her think it was anything more than just another little game of his. 

“Hello, what can I get you?” The sweet voice of a middle-aged woman disturbed Emmy from her thoughts, realizing that she traveled to the front of the line and it was her turn to order. 

Emmy quickly scanned the menu, embarrassed that she wasn’t more prepared and instead thinking of the bane of her existence even though she was on a date with a complete gentleman. She then placed her order, making sure to get enough for both of them before stepping aside to wait for her portions. She watched intently as they poured the seasoning and gravy over the small baskets of fries sprinkled with cheese curds, eager to dig into the dish once she sat down with Seoho.

They shortly offered her the baskets of food, gesturing towards the utensils and napkins for them to use. Emmy hurried to grab the tools she needed before scurrying to the small table Seoho claimed. “Here you go.” She said, placing the food on the surface prior to handing him back the card. 

Seoho’s eyes were wide as he looked at the meal before him, slipping his credit card back into his wallet without tearing his eyes away. “This looks delicious.” He moved his gaze towards Emmy, noticing her sitting across from him at the table. “Sit here.” He quickly pushed the seat out adjacent to him, allowing her to sit closer to him. 

Emmy happily placed herself by his side, grabbing the forks and offering him one. “You should try it first.” She waved the fork in his direction, her teeth shining in the natural sunlight that beamed through the glass window.  She held her breath as Seoho took the utensil from her, eyeing his first bite for the most covered morsels in his platter. He finally stabbed his fork into a covered fry, making sure to stab at a cheese curd like a small kabob on the prongs. 

He parted his lips, placing the food on his tongue before chewing, letting his expression do most of the talking while Emmy watched. The tension was high as she noticed his brows furrowed and he chewed slowly, taking in every flavor as he went. She relaxed when she heard the satisfying hum in the back of his throat, nodding his head as he stabbed into another piece. “Very good.” He uttered between a small seam in his lips as he finished up his first bite. 

Emmy felt giddy as she grabbed her fork, looking for her first bite until Seoho placed his hand over her own, keeping her utensil down. She curled her brow over her forehead, turning to look at him in confusion. “Is something wrong?”

She was startled by how softly he looked at her, cherishing her like she was a work of art worthy of such admiration. “Well, I thought maybe since it was my first time eating poutine, I could make this time special for you.”

“Oh?” 

Seoho continued to hold her hand as he scanned his smothered fries for another worthy piece. Once he found it, he offered it to Emmy at the end of his fork. “This could be the first time you eat it served by me.” He almost said it like a question, almost as if the idea was silly, but Emmy found his sudden shyness charming. 

Without any response, Emmy felt her lips pull at the corner as she leaned into him, guiding her mouth towards the food hanging off his fork. Seoho met her halfway, gently slipping the bite past her lips until they closed around the portion he offered her. Emmy blushed as he focused his gaze on her lips, watching her chew and savor the taste that reminded her of home.

 She moaned to herself in enjoyment, ready to dig in and demolish the rest on her plate but stopped when his hand curled under her chin, his thumb swiping the corner of her mouth. He quickly pulled away, teasing his tongue against the pad of his thumb to collect whatever remnants were on her face. “You had some gravy.” He mentioned, smiling as he realized what he had just done. 

Emmy bit her lip to keep from giggling as he looked down, suddenly enamored with the dish as the tips of his ears became red. Without another word, she started to dig into her own meal her heart thrumming against her ribcage as the heat of her emotions overwhelmed her beyond that of the warm food and atmosphere. 

Their time eating had gone silent as they picked apart the poutine, and slowly reached the bottom of the serving basket with every bite. Seoho glanced outside, noticing the sun start to make its way down from its peak. He cleared his throat, grabbing Emmy’s attention. “I was wondering if you would like to join me back at my cabin tonight?”

Emmy’s interest was piqued, her heart racing ever faster at the implications of his proposal. She subconsciously licked her lips as if she had a drop of gravy on them. She hesitated, knowing this was the moment she’d been waiting for. However, it was also the moment this charade of leading a normal, romantic life would be over. She looked at the man sitting beside her, finding him tense with anticipation as if she would reject him at any moment. Despite the pout pulling at her lips, she forced a soft smile over her face. “I would love to.”

Seoho’s cheeks swelled against his eyes, causing her heart to drop as she imagined what he would look like when he realized she was only using him. She suddenly found she wasn’t hungry anymore and pushed the rest of her delicious poutine away. “I’m full.” Seoho seemed none the wiser to the change in her demeanor as he finished up the rest of his meal.

The walk back up to the main resort was filled with light chatter, but Emmy found herself lost in thought as they turned off toward the private cabins. Her stomach churned with an odd mix of emotions. Being with Seoho was fulfilling in a way, therapeutic almost. 

He was a rare specimen that treated her better than she ever dreamed a man could. No one in her life really made her feel normal, but with him, it was the closest she ever felt and despite all the excitement of hustling, she was fond of the ease that came with doing the mundane. However, she wanted to prove that she could overcome these emotional obstacles and get a win against the guys. She couldn’t let her girls down.

Then a small part of her kept playing her interaction with Jungkook infuriatingly calling her out on the top of a ski slope. Even if there was a future to be had with a man like Seoho, there’s no telling that he would like her as she truly was. She created a more timid version of herself, appealing to his more doting personality that seemed to want to cater to her and treat her like a princess. Not that she can really complain, but yet again, Jungkook was right. 

“Are you alright, ma belle?” Seoho’s voice brought her back. Realizing they were walking down the path along the large lake overlooked by the resort’s property. She admired the expanse of the frozen surface, a world covered in white as even the tree tops were covered in snow. 

She finally turned to Seoho, noticing his concerned expression. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She shook herself out of her overthinking mind and curled her arm through his own, bundling up into his warmth. “Are we almost there?”

Seoho relaxed when she cuddled against his frame, flicking his attention up ahead to see where his cabin was located along the path. “It should be the next one.” Their feet crunched the snow-covered ground, the colors of the sky painted across the ice in darkening pastels with the setting sun. 

Emmy noticed a sparse line of lampposts following the path as they suddenly switched on as the evening progressed. She then spotted a small chalet not too far from the lake that she could only assume was the cabin he rented for his stay. It had large windows facing toward the speculator view of the winter scene and had enough distance from the other neighboring cabins for plenty of privacy.

Emmy was eager to get inside, getting a break from the cold and becoming toasty with Seoho. He moved up the short set of stairs leading to the entrance and quickly opened it, allowing Emmy into the warmth first. She shuddered from the difference in temperature as Seoho slipped inside, closing the door behind him. 

The space was mostly dark except for a light he left on by the entrance and the dim sunshine that peeked in. “Wait, right here.” He said, moving around her to turn on some more lights. Emmy was pleased to see the cozy loft, from the dark leather furniture accentuating the wood of the cabin structure and the stone fireplace beside the quaint kitchen area. “That’s better.”

Emmy stood patiently waiting to see where he wanted her to sit, surprised when he came over to help her out of her coat. He paused when he noticed her form-fitting long-sleeve shirt underneath, eyeing her frame up and down completely now that the bulky coat was off her shoulders. He placed the article on the hanger, his attention undivided as he offered her to pick a seat in the living room. 

Emmy kicked into gear, swishing her hips side to side until she perched herself on his couch. She crossed one leg over the other, allowing her skirt to ride up along her thigh and exposing more of the stocking that covered her legs. Seoho removed his jacket, showing off the crisp clean white button-down he had hidden underneath. She nearly jumped when he started rolling up the sleeves, watching the muscles of his forearm. “Are you thirsty?”

“Huh?” Emmy felt like she was caught red-handed checking him out, heat rising to her cheeks as he seemed to smile to himself. 

“I asked if you were thirsty. I have some wine.” He offered, switching to the other cuff and rolling that up his arm. He slowly moved toward the kitchen, waiting for Emmy’s response. 

She smoothed out her skirt, pulling the fabric down as she swallowed her spike of nerves. “Yeah, that sounds good.” She smiled at him, glancing at him as he went into the kitchen to grab two glasses. She waited until he seemed distracted before pulling her phone out and texting the girls. However, when she opened the device, she noticed there was no reception at their location. “Shit.” She cursed under her breath, slipping the phone away.

Seoho appeared shortly with a bucket filled with ice, the bottle tucked securely in the cubes and two glasses threaded through his fingers. He placed them on the coffee table before lowering himself to sit beside Emmy, knocking his knee against her leg. “Sorry.”

Emmy giggled, “It’s okay.” She anxiously fiddled with the hem of her skirt as he popped the cork off the bottle. He then poured them each a glass, filling them with a rich cabernet. After both were poured, he dunked the bottle back in the bucket of ice and handed one of the stemmed glasses to Emmy.

“Should we make a toast?” He proposed, opening up the air for any suggestions. Emmy could see by the intent look in his eye that whatever she said next would set the path for the rest of the evening. This was her opportunity to get him vulnerable and make her grab before she dashed back to the girls for a quick getaway. 

Emmy fell into character, pulling on her most seductive mannerisms as she twirled the liquid in her cup nearly tracing the rim against her lips. “A simple cheers will do, don’t you think?” She leaned into him, her eyes dropping low before traveling back up to meet those piercing dark irises. “I think I’m tired of talking.” With that note, she tipped the glass against her lips, taking a sip as she tilted her head back.

Seoho instantly picked on her innuendo, taking a gulp of his wine as he relished the way she slowly swallowed her wine down. After finishing every drop, she placed the wine glass on the coffee table and noticed Seoho looking at her with lust set in his features. He moved his glass out of the way, scooting in closer to her as he cradled her face within his hands, his thumb finding its way back to the corner of her mouth. “What is it this time? Wine?” She asked, her voice changing into a purr as she nuzzled into his warm palms. 

“No,” He whispered, leaning in close so that their lips brushed. “I just want to touch you.” He moved forward encasing her lips with his own, feeling her shiver beneath his hold.

Emmy moaned as she closed her eyes, getting drunk off the plush feeling of his pillowy lips against hers. She was amazed by how gentle his kiss was, yet so demanding as his tongue prodded against the seam. She teased him, not allowing him to deepen the kiss as she slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her. 

Seoho moved one of his hands down her side, gripping firmly at her figure as his fingers traced along the curve of her spine and his thumb grazed the peak of her breast. The same hand continued to conquer her body until it mapped the expanse of her thigh and manipulated the crook of her knee so that her leg curled around his waist. He laid her down along the sofa hovering above her as the other hand cradling her cheek slid down to gently grip her throat. “Open up for me.” He softly commanded, pulling away from her intoxicating lips to catch his breath.

He nuzzled his nose across her features, calming himself down as she panted beneath him. When he found that the air was properly circulating through his lungs, he sealed his lips back over hers. Her moan vibrated against his palm as he held her throat, keeping her from evading his kiss.

Emmy felt his tongue come knocking at her lips for entrance and giggled as she continued making him chase her. His hips retaliated against her with her refusal. He nipped at her bottom lip with his teeth as he grew impatient, the bulge in his pants serving as a reminder of the sexual tension coursing through his veins. Emmy finally gave in when he pulled her lip with his teeth, stretching the skin just enough to get her attention and have her chasing after his kiss. 

“I want you.” She managed, pulling him back and allowing him to slip his tongue between her lips. She felt his hand around her throat tighten but only acknowledged the rush of blood in her ears from the sensation as her senses were overloaded. 

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain on the side of her neck where he wasn’t holding her. She quickly pushed him away, opening her eyes to find that he had a syringe in his hand and a cruel smile on his face. She pressed her hand against the wound, noticing the syringe was completely empty. She felt cold as ice as fear struck her. “Why did you do that? What is that?” She managed before crawling away from him, unnerved by this sinister grin she had never seen from the man before. 

He didn’t answer, only chuckling as she backed away towards the door. When he stood up, she grabbed the win bottle from the bucket ready to use it as a weapon if he got any closer. “Are you scared? That only makes the drug work faster.”

Emmy could feel her heart racing, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from trying to leave. She felt her back collide with the wall adjacent to the entrance ready to make an exit, but when her hand went to grab the handle, it flopped against the cool metal instead. “Fuck.” She muttered, trying again only unable to use the function of her hand. She felt her leg muscles get weak as she slowly slid to the floor, her arms no longer lifting up or supporting her from falling towards the ground. There was the sound of breaking glass as the wine bottle cracked against the floor, shattering to pieces while she crumbled to the ground. As her world became blurry, the last thing she heard was the chilling laughter of Seoho before she was left helpless in darkness. 

—

Jade’s eyes skimmed the screen of her phone, chewing on the inside of her cheek nervously as she anticipated a message from their youngest as the numbers on her screen shifted to read four o'clock in the morning. It was highly unusual for Emmy to go such a long time without updating her teammates on her progress, even if she did get sidetracked by bringing one of their targets to bed. Jade expected her to have returned hours ago, a nervous pit forming in her stomach as she glanced towards the door of their suite. 

She took a deep breath, tapping away on her device as she located the Find My app, clicking it open to see if she could at least find Emmy’s location based on the whereabouts of her phone. Unfortunately, the minute the app ignited, she noticed a small message under Emmy’s icon, indicating that there was no location found for that user. 

Her eyebrows pinched together at the sight, assuming wherever she was there most likely wasn’t any service to accurately display her location. Thankfully for the tech guru, she knew exactly how to go around the system, tracking the device with her own hacked rescue network. 

To her surprise, there was still nothing showing her any glimpse at Emmy’s location, leaving her with nothing but suspicion of her friend’s whereabouts.

The soft hums of Ruby echoed from beside her, the brawn of the group resting on the couch, utilizing the opportunity to gather some energy as Jade grew more and more worried. “Ruby.” She spoke softly, glancing toward her as she sought out a pillow from the couch beside her, tossing it in her direction. 

The plush fabric refused to spare Ruby as it whipped against her face, causing her to jolt up from her slumber. “What?!” She groaned, her eyes clearly heavy with exhaustion. “Is she back yet?” 

As Ruby rubbed the exhaustion from her features, Jade stood up, feeling suddenly anxious that something wasn’t right. “No.” She spoke plainly, moving to retrieve her coat from one of the hooks near their hotel door. “She hasn’t even messaged.” 

“Did you track her?” Ruby inquired, watching Jade’s face fall pale as she twisted the screen of her phone towards her teammate, displaying the failed connection to locating Emmy’s phone. 

The reality of the situation caused Ruby to quickly sober up from her sleepy haze, watching the frightened expression stretch across Jade’s features. “Nothing?” Her agitation from being woken up seemed to dissipate as she plucked herself from the soft cushions, moving to grab her own coat from the opposite hook. 

“Something’s wrong,” Jade stated plainly, glancing over at the clock once more to make sure she wasn’t over-exaggerating. “She would’ve sent something by now. It’s been hours.” 

Ruby knew that Jade was the first to go into an instinctual protective mode, but she also had to admit that it was far too long for Emmy not to be back, let alone drop a text to fill them in. “Let's go down to the lobby.” Ruby offered with a hushed voice, knowing that it was far too early for anyone to really be up at this hour. Hopefully, it would help enlighten them on a possible lead to find their friend and comrade. 

Jade nodded nervously, feeling Ruby’s hand rest on her shoulder, attempting to comfort the eldest as she suppressed her own growing concerns. Did Seoho discover her true intentions and have her arrested? Did something happen on their date that led to them being stranded out in the frigid wilderness?

The girls made their way out into the lobby, hoping to see Emmy walk through the corridors on the opposite side of the door. To their dismay, it was eerily silent given most of the guests in the area were fast asleep. The walk to the elevators was deafening, the stillness only adding to Jade’s worry as they made their way down to the lobby. 

Downstairs, the lobby was vacant, except for a few resort staff and some alcoholics somehow still mingling at the bar. Taehyung was sunk into one of the leather couches adorning the lobby adjacent to the grand stone fireplace, his head slouched forward as he fought off a raging headache from indulging in one too many drinks. 

Jimin was sitting across from him, typing away on his laptop like a busy businessman when in reality, he was trying to crack the resort's software to gain access to Seoho’s information. Surprisingly, it was proving more challenging than he cared to admit. 

Jungkook was fighting off sleep beside him, his limbs now sore from his ski trip down the black diamond trails. “That’s weird,” Jimin’s voice echoed softly beside Jungkook as he peeked an eye open to hear out his colleague. “Seoho’s bank account is virtually untraceable.” 

Jimin’s eyes scrunched together as he tried to follow the cryptic code leading to the multi-millionaires information. It was as if someone had already hacked his account, blocking out any cyber attempt to steal his information.

 Jungkook adjusted himself in his seat, running his hand through his hair as he pushed the dark strands back. “I’ll give it to him. He might be a rich prick, but he’s a smart one.” There was an odd bite in his voice, his jealousy still bitterly threatening to reveal itself in regard to the handsome target.

It wasn’t often that the boys encountered a target who seemed smart enough to guard their belongings in such a secure way, almost manipulating the scammers away from the real location of his money. Jimin let out a long breath, shutting his computer screen as he sunk back into the couch, shifting his gaze toward Taehyung.

Jungkook suddenly noticed the elevators draw open to reveal Ruby and Jade’s concerned expressions as their eyes helplessly scanned the environment of the main lobby. Jungkook kicked his leg forward, hitting Taehyung in the shin as a groan festered in his chest. “What the fuck, JK?” 

“Look alive.” He spoke unapologetically as Taehyung ran his hand against the bone of his leg, annoyed by the sudden jolt. “We’ve got company.”

Jimin shifted his gaze toward the direction of Jungkook’s, noticing Jade hesitantly gesture toward them with the silent protest of Ruby’s eyes. After a moment of communication between the pair, the girls made their way towards their adversaries, causing Jungkook to sit up in interest, his curiosity whirling as to Emmy’s whereabouts if her friends were here.

Taehyung heard their footsteps, finally lifting his head to break free from his grog as his eyes lit up with mischief at the sight of Ruby. “If it isn’t the alcoholic.” 

Ruby couldn’t bite back the laugh that broke through the barrier of her lips, rolling her eyes as she observed the dark circles under his eyes. “I’m not the one currently hungover.” 

Jimin ignored their exchange as his eyes shifted up to find Jade’s, admiring the way her coat hung loosely on her shoulders, exposing a cropped sweater underneath. “To what do we owe this pleasure?” Jimin inquired, Jungkook stirring beside him. 

“Where’s the klepto?” Jungkook finally spoke, unable to prevent his eyes from scanning their surroundings in hopes of seeing Emmy joining them instead of being somewhere he didn’t want to imagine. 

Jade crossed her arms in front of her chest, feeling her worries return as Jungkook brought up their youngest. “Have you seen her?” Jade hesitantly questioned, wondering if they would even help them in this matter. 

“She’s probably getting her brains banged out.” Taehyung shamelessly added, causing Jungkook's expression to harden at the thought of Emmy being touched by yet another man. “He’s probably got her going all night long.” 

Jungkook bit down against the inside of his lip piercing, hating the familiar sour sensation churning in his stomach. He hated the way Emmy suddenly had him tripping all over himself, feeling an insatiable jealousy brewing. 

“Just track her phone,” Jimin commented nonchalantly. “I’m sure she’s not concerned about texting while her legs are spread open.”

Ruby shot her eyes over toward Jimin, annoyance bubbling in her core as she pressed her palms into the back of the sofa. “Like we haven’t already tried that, shortstack.” Jimin’s jaw tightened at the insult as Ruby held him pinned with her intense stare. “She was supposed to be back hours ago and her phone has suddenly gone dark.”

Jungkook’s brow pinched together, recalling just how obnoxiously charming Seoho had been this entire time. Something was off about how alluring he was to Emmy and the sudden news of her absence only stirred his thoughts further. He whipped the back of his hand against Jimin’s chest, his eyes filled with serious intent. “Look on the tracker.” 

His words were soft enough for only Jimin to hear as the eldest of their trio lifted the screen of his laptop, typing away as he pulled up a program. Jade suddenly became suspicious of his actions, moving to stand closer to him as her eyes studied the contents of his screen. “Why are you pulling up spyware?” 

Jimin ignored her question, maneuvering the program until he suddenly obtained a pinged location from what looked like a small portable microchip. As he zoomed in on the map, he noticed a small chalet on the lodge's property, pointing to his screen as he tilted it toward Jade. “This is the last location of her phone.”

Ruby adjusted her stance, glaring down at Taehyung threateningly. “And how exactly would you know that?” 

Taehyung’s post-intoxicated state didn’t aid in his discreetness as he chuckled mischievously. “It’s a tracker. JK put it on Emmy’s phone when he drugged her.” 

Taehyung suddenly groaned loudly in pain as Jungkook sent his foot directly into his shin. Jade and Ruby shot their glances at each other, suddenly realizing why the boys happened to show up everywhere they were seeking a hustle. 

“I swear, I’m gonna beat your ass.” Ruby hissed, latching her hand around Taehyung’s collar as she pulled the fabric up, causing him to follow. Jade’s expression was just as deadly as she leaned closer to Jimin who cleared his throat, fiddling with the program in an attempt to distract her. 

“Wait!” He interrupted abruptly, causing Ruby to release her grip on Taehyung as he plopped back onto the leather sofa. “Someone tampered with the tracker. It hasn’t updated since almost an hour ago.” 

Jade and Ruby’s anger simmered for the time being as Jungkook snatched the computer away from Jimin, finally putting together all of the pieces of the puzzle. “Something’s not right.” He spoke quietly as he switched screens onto the hotel's system. “Seoho rented the cabin yesterday morning but his transaction isn’t linked to a bank account or credit card.” 

Jade’s eyes widened at the realization, knowing that only scammers and highly skilled computer geniuses could complete those types of invisible transactions. “Emmy isn’t with a multi-millionaire is she?” Jade’s words were haunting as she spoke them, causing everyone to sober up at the severity of the situation. 

Jungkook stood from his spot, leaning forward to grab Jade’s elbow as he began guiding her towards the front doors of the lodge. “We need to get to that chalet…fast.” Part of him was thrilled that Seoho wasn’t this charming wealthy bachelor that could seduce Emmy, however, his excitement was rapidly replaced with concern for his adversary, wishing he would’ve tried harder to pluck her away from Seoho. 

“Come on.” Ruby gestured, encouraging Jimin and Taehyung to quickly follow. Despite them all being enemies in their hustles, they had grown to respect each other enough to feel worried for Emmy’s well-being. Jimin closed out all of his programs, leaving his computer at the front desk as he chased after them, realizing that the sun would soon rise to reveal light on the truth of Seoho’s intentions. 

—

Emmy stirred as she heard shuffling around her, her eyes struggling to focus as took in her surroundings. Her pupils danced around frantically, noticing she wasn’t back in her hotel room with the girls. She rested along a leather couch surrounded by a darkened room she vaguely remembered. Panic set in as she heard boots against the floorboards in the background while she tried to move her limbs. 

Her heart pounded against her ribcage, air pacing rapidly through her system when she realized she couldn’t move anything but her vision. It was like her soul was stuck in the body of a doll, observing the world from wherever she was perched. She glanced toward the large windows, noticing that it was fairly dark outside but she could not indicate the time of day. Her attention dragged across the living room, glancing over the cleaned-up coffee table before catching a glimpse of her things bundled together on an armchair by the entry. She spotted the glimmer of silver that resembled the material of her skirt and the fluffy coat she wore during her date with Seoho. She glanced down quickly, finding she still had the white shirt she wore and a white blanket over her lap.

“Ah, you’re awake.” Emmy looked up to find Seoho smirking down at her over the back of the couch. He checked the watch on his wrist swiftly, “I guess that means it's almost time to check out.” He hummed with amusement as he strolled over toward the entryway gathering her things. He cradled the items into his arms before walking them to the kitchen where Emmy remembered he got the wine from. 

The visions of Seoho’s seductive eyes flashed in her mind as she was jolted back to the events that transpired before she seemingly blacked out. The way his hands mapped her body as his lips caressed her skin. The sudden prick from the needle he punctured through her vein. His smile sent haunting chills along her spine, grinning as if he were the Cheshire cat watching a helpless bird trapped within a cage of his own making. 

She continued to try gaining function of her limbs by any means necessary, fear trickling deeper into her heart the longer she lay there uselessly. She nearly cried with frustration as her view was restricted by the lack of control of her neck muscles, rendering her completely immobile. Shortly Seoho returned, placing a bag on the chair where her things previously laid, and turned his focus on her.

He could see the whites of her eyes while her pupils continued to flicker across the room, trying to decipher what was happening and why she couldn’t do anything about it. During the night he changed out most of her clothing, anything that identified her on any surveillance during their date. He made sure to put her in a pair of white pants and kept her covered by a blanket while she was unconscious. 

“Aw, ma belle. You seem so confused.” Seoho’s usual term of endearment was far less comforting as his boots scuffed against the floorboards with every step he made toward her. His strong hands grabbed ahold of her body, adjusting her to sit up and making sure to cradle her head to keep her upright. “It’s nothing personal. You should know better than anyone it’s just business.” His cruel smile returned as her pulse quickened, her nostrils burning from the friction of air speeding through her system. 

Seoho watched her eyes scan the room, picking up on the perfectly cleaned area everywhere her focus landed. He savored the fear as her eyes became wide, her irises dilating. Seoho sighed as he sat on the coffee table, slowly drinking in the rapid pulse under his fingertips. He moved a hand away from her to pull out her cell phone, waving it at her as he tutted in disapproval. “You’ve been a very bad girl, Emerald…or should I say Emily?” 

Emmy would have flinched if she wasn’t already a motionless corpse. How did he know her real name? Who exactly was this guy, and what was he going to do with her?

Seoho sighed, placing the phone back in his pocket. “I get it…Our line of work doesn’t make it easy to use our real identities.” He noticed the subtle way her eyes relaxed, more intrigue behind her stare than fear. He released the support of his hand keeping her head up, letting it slump to the side toward her shoulder. He got up from the coffee table, moving toward the entry to bundle up in his jacket. 

He slipped his arms through the sleeves of his black coat, “The other downside is we make a lot of enemies,” He paused as his hand poked through the cuff, his arm stretched out to easily place the thick fabric over his shoulders. “Don’t we?” He grinned like he was sharing an inside joke. “Well, I know you made at least one.”

He zipped up the jacket, relishing in his success as he noticed the subtle furrow of Emmy’s eyebrows, indicating that the paralysis was starting to wear off. “See, my client has been desperately trying to find you for quite some time, but after a while, he contacted me, and well…I always find my target.” 

Emmy noticed the pride seeping from his being, suddenly seeming taller with her draped on his couch like she was his catch of the day. She wondered who this “client” was and what she could have possibly done to make him want to hunt her down? Then an unsettling thought occurred to her as she considered what else Seoho or his client planned to do to her.

He grabbed her large white coat before moving back toward Emmy, slumping her forward as he wrapped the coat around her torso. “You could say he’s an eye for an eye kind of guy,” He got comfortable on the coffee table again and then helped her limp limb into the arm of the coat. “Well, more like an eye for a life.” He chuckled at his own joke as he flicked his eyes up to catch the realization etch across her face. 

The pieces were falling together as Emmy realized why he cleaned up the suite so nicely and drugged her. He was taking care of the evidence. She shuddered to think of how he’d kill her and what would become of her body. What would happen to her friends? Would they find her? Would he hurt them too? Her insides were frantically fighting to get her muscles moving again, trying desperately to protect herself to the best ability. 

Seoho slipped her arm through the other sleeve and zipped it up, making sure to tuck her phone back into her own pocket. His eyes darkened with intent as he stood back up, walking into the kitchen. Emmy could vaguely hear him shuffling through some items, noticing a small clink of glass and gentle tapping sounds. 

She slouched against the armrest of the sofa, her body feeling heavy and light all at once since her mind acted as if she was constrained to the furniture with the most secure fastens. She huffed through her nose wishing she could scream or yell for help in this lifeless state. However, she glanced down at her fingertips wiggling on the cushion, the small appendages nearly tap-dancing along the leather. Her heart leaped with joy, wishing the rest of her hand to move, but found the rest of her was unresponsive. 

She was startled back to reality when she heard his boots again, stomping their way back to the living room. She noticed another syringe in his hand and panicked to lose consciousness again. She relaxed only slightly when he slipped the covered device in his pocket. “Your little friends made things difficult, but don’t worry…” He loomed over her body, pulling the blanket from her lap and wafting it in the air to fan out. He swept it around her shoulders, tucking it securely around her body. “You’ll see them shortly.” 

Emmy felt tears pool in her eyes as his deep chuckle reverberated through her core, his smile blurring behind the liquid veil distorting her vision. She raked her brain for who would want to kill her. She knew she fucked over people of all kinds, but she never imagined anyone would wish her dead. And because of her, Jade and Ruby were in danger as well. There was nothing she could do but listen to his monologue and watch as he made his preparations. 

Seoho yanked Emmy up, quickly lifting her into his arms like a bride. His expression seemed indifferent as he cradled her, moving toward the door after grabbing the bag he placed on the chair. Emmy was grateful for the layers that kept her warm when he opened the door. The cold darkness engulfed them as he stepped down the small set of wooden stairs, crunching on the thick layer of snow. 

Emmy was putting pieces together as events progressed, realizing why he changed her clothing before taking her outside. The further they got from the light bleeding from the windows of the chalet, Emmy could make out the dark hues of the morning sky which meant it was nearly sunrise. 

Seoho wordlessly held Emmy against him, their breathing coming out like small puffs of smoke. He moved across the path they walked along earlier and made his way toward the frozen lake. Emmy felt her heart sink, tears icing over her eyes as she realized what he would be doing. Her ears filled with her internal screaming, the sound loud with desperation but silent amongst the trees.

Seoho slowed down to a stop, looking over his shoulder to analyze the distance from the cabin. From his vantage point, he could not see any other cabin within sight and deemed this the perfect distance before placing her on the ground. He hummed contently when he observed her lying helplessly in the bundle of white, the only striking feature being her bright blue eyes and dark curtain of hair. 

He cupped her cheek, bringing her eyes up to look at him. “The ice is really going to make your eyes…pop!” He laughed to himself as he dropped her face, moving to shuffle through the bag to grab something. Emmy wanted to cringe at his attempt to compliment her in the form of a sadistic joke. 

“Perfect.” She heard him say quietly, flicking her attention towards the item he retrieved from the bag. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the axe in his hand. Perfect. She scrunched her features together as a wave of emotions crashed through her as she thought of Jungkook. Would he notice she was gone? Would he even care? She thought back on their odd moment on top of the mountain, wondering if she made the whole thing up in her head, hearing what she wanted to hear. She blinked her eyes rapidly as tears invaded her vision. Seoho noticed.

He held the axe towards her face, showing it off in a way. “Oh, don’t let this frighten you. Blood is too messy to clean up.” He brought it back to examine, his eyes sparkling the same way they did when he looked at her during their previous interactions. Now, the affectionate expression only made her wonder what he was thinking in those moments of the past. “No, I plan to let the lake take you.”

Crack!

Emmy would have jumped when Seoho slammed the axe against the ice, creating a clean divot with the blade. “Keeps my hands clean.” He laughed to himself before taking another whack at the ice, creating another notch into the surface holding them from the cold water below. 

He let out a relaxed sigh to see his progress as he effortlessly sliced through the ice. He glanced up at the sky noticing the coloration changing as daylight started spreading across the atmosphere. “I wonder what will kill you first…the cold or the water?”

Crack!

Emmy watched the breath from his lungs come out in strong huffs as the clouds of air leaving his lips grew in size. He panted as his muscles strained with the weight of the axe and the impact when he struck the solidified liquid.  “Do you know what it feels like? Being trapped under ice?”

His eyes swept up to clash with her own and with his bangs hanging within his view, he looked absolutely sinister as a smirk smeared over his lips. “You’ll feel the ice stabbing you like a million little needles, your clothes dragging you down further.” He dug the blade of the axe into the ice, testing to see if he could break through the barrier. “Then you’ll go numb while water smothers you in its icy, cold grip.” He lifted the axe again before thrashing it back down. “You’re insides will burn for air until all you can think to do is open your mouth to scream.” He worked faster against the ice, smashing the axe down with more power and setting his pace aggressively. “Water will flood your lungs, and the shock will make you black out.”

Emmy watched as he attacked the ice like a deranged animal, chiseled ice flying into the air like a small flurry. Her heart could no longer beat in tandem with the fear spiking through her, skipping beats from the overwhelming tremors that shook down to her core. She could feel her hand rotate under the confinement of the white blanket and prayed the sensation would continue to move through her body.

He paused in his efforts, sighing deeply as he caught his breath. “Then finally, you’re organs will shut down one by one.” He glanced at her, smiling softer than before as he relaxed. “At least you won’t have to struggle too much.” Emmy scoffed as he said the statement like he was doing her a favor. 

—

“Do you hear that?” Jade asked as the group of five quickly moved down the snow-covered path toward the chalet Seoho reserved. There was a strange echo moving through the atmosphere as they came closer to their destination. It rippled through the trees but the source was hard to pinpoint. 

Jungkook quickened his pace, feeling uneasy the closer they got to the private chalet as he realized how far apart the suites were from each other. Seoho picked these for ample privacy and something told Jungkook it wasn’t for sex. “Let’s hurry.”

Jimin spotted the light post that indicated the suite number of Seoho’s chalet as Jungkook blindly rushed by it. “Wait, this is it.” He kept his voice low, trying not to call too much attention to their suspicious actions in the early morning when the sun had barely risen. 

Jungkook stopped, turning around to look up at the dimly lit chalet that seemed lifeless other than the warm light burning off of it. He locked his jaw when he noticed a series of heavy prints in the snow that were far too fresh to be from the evening before. The others had started sneaking their way toward the entrance when he heard the sharp echo again. 

“That sounds a lot closer.” Ruby acknowledged as they all stopped.

Jungkook followed the line of footprints, noticing them going down by the lake which had a line of trees in the way of his view. “I don’t think they're in his room.” He said, his tone severely on edge. Without any regard for the others, he proceeded to make his way down to the water.

“JK! Where are you going?”

He could hardly recognize the voice as he focused on keeping his eyes forward and vigilant for anything out of the ordinary. As the tree line started to break apart, he caught a glimpse of someone out in the middle of the lake. He narrowed his eyes and recognized Seoho’s crop of hair before frantically looking for the familiar frame of Emmy. 

“Seoho!” Jungkook called out to the supposed millionaire, trying to catch his attention. His heart stopped when Seoho turned around with Emmy slumped within his arms. His mind ran with a million thoughts and scenarios, his only concern being that Emmy was still alive “Seoho!” He called out again as a warning, picking up his feet and dashing across the slippery ice. 

Seoho did not heed his tone and instead, quickly tossed Emmy into the hole he created as if she were a ragdoll. Jungkook felt the cold air stab his lungs as he began pulling his jacket from his shoulders, mentally prepared to dive in after her. 

“Emmy!” The rest had arrived just in time to see Seoho drop the brunette in the water. They followed after Jungkook, shock overtaking them as they saw this unrecognizable man reaching for an axe that was stabbed into the ice. “JK, watch out!”

Jungkook tore his gaze from the hole Seoho made to see his opponent holding a weapon, sharp stare trained on Jungkook. The youngest male hustler was undeterred as he advanced, prepared to get passed Seoho. He had to save Emmy and he wasn’t letting anyone get in his way. 

There was a scream from one of the girls as Jungkook tossed his coat into Seoho’s face, moving out of the way of the blade when Seoho tried to swing at him. Without missing a beat, he pushed off the balls of his feet and dove into the icy abyss. 

Seoho growled, ripping the material from his face, turning to see the water slosh over the edge of the ice. He smirked to himself, twirling the axe in his palm “Idiot.” He turned his attention to the others. “I hope you’re ready to join them.” He yelled out, preparing to kill off the two men first before finishing with the girls. 

Taehyung reached Seoho, staying a safe distance from the psycho as he made sure to keep him distracted while the others caught up. “I know she was trying to rob you, but this is a bit much, don’t you think?” 

Seoho chuckled darkly, dropping the tense facade for a second before quickly swiping at Taehyung to throw him off. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

“I’m gonna help the others!” Jade shared, grabbing everyone’s attention. She tried to run past Seoho but jumped back when the axe came swinging towards her. 

Jimin took his opportunity while Seoho was distracted and collided against his waist, knocking him to the ground while Taehyung and Ruby grabbed his arms. “Go!” He yelled at Jade, keeping his weight on Seoho who fought against the three with surprising strength. 

Jade quickly slid to the edge of the hole and quickly placed her hand through the water in hopes Jungkook would find her appendage in the darkness. “I need a light!” She screamed, looking into the dark pool below them, fear spiking her heart when she realized she couldn’t see a thing. 

Taehyung had tossed the axe away from Seoho while he and Ruby held him down by his arms. Ruby was struggling to keep him still as he tried to pry himself from her grip. Jimin glanced back at Jade, his brain working overtime to find a solution. “Your phone! Use your phone!”

Jimin was suddenly tossed off from Seoho, crashing against the ice. “Shit!” Ruby cursed when she realized he had broken away from her and attacked Taehyung. He punched him in the face, knocking his skull against the cold surface before crawling toward the axe. His eyes were frantic and wild as he focused on the weapon. Just as he reached for the handle, Jimin came up and kicked it away.

He grabbed Jimin and yanked him down to the ground. He moved quickly onto his feet, stealing the opportunity to kick Jimin against his stomach until Ruby jumped on his back. “Fuck you, asshole.” She hissed between her teeth, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

He pulled her arms apart and turned around, bending her elbow unnaturally with one hand. Ruby screamed out in pain, looking down at Jimin to see him struggling to get back up. “You were supposed to wait your turn.” Seoho spit in her ear, reaching into his pocket to pull the syringe out. He lifted it to his lips, trying to pull the cap off with his teeth, but stumbled when something blunt smacked the back of his head. 

The syringe dropped onto the ice as Seoho collapsed to see Taehyung standing with his axe being held so that he was it with the handle rather than the sharp end. Blood dripped from Taehyung’s nose while he tossed the axe away and plucked the syringe. “What is this?” He asked, looking down at Seoho with hatred. When Seoho didn’t answer, he pulled the cap off and held it threateningly. “What is it!?”

Seoho laughed in his face, “It won’t kill me.”

Taehyung kneeled down, pressing on Seoho’s chest to keep him on his back. He stabbed the needle into the only exposed patch of skin available on his neck. “Good, then I’ll sleep well tonight.” He pushed the substance into Seoho’s system, quickly discarding the syringe when Seoho started fighting against him. 

Jade worried as time went on, flashing her light down into the water and still not seeing any movement. “Come on, come on.” Her hand was numb, sitting in the freezing water, hoping and praying that someone touched it. She glanced up to see Jimin and Ruby crowding over Seoho who lay almost lifeless beneath Taehyung. 

She gasped when fingers wrapped around her own, quickly pulling her arm out when she saw the pale complexion of Jungkook burst through the small opening in the ice. He inhaled sharply as Jade helped pull him up, frantically looking to make sure he had Emmy with him. “Oh my god!” He lifted the youngest woman up toward Jade, her features completely gone of color. 

Jimin quickly hurried over to help Jungkook out, the younger male feeling his muscles strain against the cold that wrapped around him. “Are you fucking crazy?” Jimin asked lightheartedly, knowing that Jungkook was reckless but on this occasion, he ended up saving someone. 

“Emmy? Emmy!” Jade called to her friend, lightly tapping her frigid cheek with the palm of her hand. She ignored the alarming coloration of Emmy’s skin and the lack of movement from her diaphragm as she continued to try waking her friend up. 

Jungkook quickly crawled toward Emmy, “Watch out.” He remained calm as he pushed Jade away, situating himself on his knees and hovering over Emmy. He could vaguely hear the others in the background, but he was trying to take in as much air as possible before diving down and sealing his lips over Emmy’s cold ones. He forced the air bewteen their lips, making sure it would push to reach its proper destination. 

He moved away, placing his hands on the center of her chest. He began pumping against her torso, counting to himself before trying to rush more air into her lungs. As he stared down at her, her features became unrecognizable. No longer was she looking at him with a challenge in her vibrant eyes or smirking with seduction and triumph. Now she lay beneath him, fightless and dull. Lifeless.

His vision blurred as his heart raced, his muscles tired from the harsh cold. He could hear someone softly calling his name while others sobbed. Whoever spoke to him, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Despite the heaviness of their palm on his shoulder, he easily knocked it away still hellbent on bringing Emmy back from unconsciousness. 

He bent down, sparing more air from his lungs, and pushed a couple times before her body lurched up, water spewing from her mouth. She gasped as her eyes shot open, sputtering when she coughed up more fluids. Jungkook could hear the others singing praises as they crowded around them but ignored them as he looked down at her, blinking the blur away from his eyes.

He watched her as color started to slowly creep back over her features, moving her head ever so slightly to take in her surroundings. When her blue eyes found Jungkook, she paused. Her lips moved, but at first, no sound came out. She tried again. “JK?” Her voice croaked from the icy water and the drug still running through her system.

Hearing her say just his name had him melting with elation, it was as if hearing her speak confirmed that she was well and alive. Jungkook couldn’t help but chuckle as his hand supported her head, bringing her body towards his chest and his forehead to her own. His other hand came and cradled her cheek as he leaned into her, their lips inches apart. “You’re safe.” It was a promise that not only reassured her but reassured him. 

—

The sun finally peeked from behind the vast mountains, gracing the frigid atmosphere with its warmth. Red lights flashed over the pure white snow and soft blue frozen lake as the emergency vehicles parked along the path that led to the resort’s private chalets. Seoho was immediately apprehended with no struggle from him since the paralysis kicked in well before the officers arrived. Detectives were called in to investigate the scene while the group of hustlers were checked for their injuries. 

Ruby and Jade were mostly unscathed, while the others had some lingering trauma from the incident. Jungkook and Emmy were pulled apart for examination, working quickly to warm their body temperatures. Jimin was checked for any injuries on his abdomen while Taehyung was treated for his busted nose. Taehyung had no shame in flirting with the attractive EMT.

Jade sighed as she tapped away on a cellular device, Ruby glancing curiously beside her. “Did you get rid of everything?” The brawn of the group wondered.

“There wasn’t much to erase. This was a burner at best.” Jade huffed with defeat. Before the emergency officials arrived she made sure to swipe Seoho’s phone to get an idea of who exactly he was and erase any incriminating evidence he had on Emmy. However, she found the data was nearly empty other than a few exchanges with one particular phone number. 

Ruby hissed as she stretched out her arm, flinching in pain as it unnaturally popped. “Damn, asshole nearly took my arm off.” 

Jade glanced at her partner with mild concern. “You should have that checked out.”

“Ha! You wouldn’t catch me dead hanging around a bunch of cops.” Ruby laughed sarcastically, tucking her arms back into themselves to bundle up in the cold. 

Jade rolled her eyes, turning to spot Emmy bundled in a blanket offered by the EMTs. It seemed she was being questioned by one of the detectives, going over the events since Seoho brought her back to his suite. Her eyes moved across the landscape, noticing Jimin and Taehyung sitting beside each other on the bumper of the ambulance as Taehyung held a pack of ice to his nose. 

Jade nudged Ruby, gesturing with a jerk of her head towards the two men. Ruby sighed, cringing at the idea that she had to endure Taehyung who unconventionally saved the day and she was not ready for his gloating. Her shoulders fell in defeat as she followed Jade toward the ambulance, her lips sealed together as the cold wind drafted over her body.

The female EMT giggled yet again as Taehyung complimented her bedside manner causing Jimin to roll his eyes. He then noticed Jade and Ruby approaching them, jerking his elbow into Taehyung’s side to silently grab his attention. The EMT noticed a shift in the air as the two women approached, sensing tension amongst the group. “Are these your friends?” She asked Taehyung, looking for clarity on his availability. 

“Something like that,” Jade answered with a false smile, her eyes narrowed in Jimin’s direction. 

The EMT observed the four individuals and felt there was some unspoken communication between them she wasn’t aware of and made a quick decision. “I’ll give you a minute and be back to check on your nose.” She smiled sweetly at Taehyung before quickly evading the awkward situation hanging amongst the group. 

Jimin waited until her footsteps faded away before turning toward Jade. “Find anything on his phone?”

Jade pulled the device out, offering it to Jimin. “Hardly, anything. Just a phone number.” She watched him take the cell phone, quickly scrolling through it and looking through the data for any irregularities. She waited a moment as he scanned the information before a thought crossed her mind. “Are there any more tracking chips we should know about?”

Jimin broke his attention away from Seoho’s phone, biting his lip to stop his smile at her attempt to look intimidating. She had her arms crossed over her chest, hip cocked to the side, and a deep furrow to her browline, but he just couldn’t take her seriously. She didn’t have a violent bone in her body. He lowered the device from his face, smirking up at her. “And what if there is? What are you going to do about it?” 

He noticed her expression falter for a brief second before Ruby took a step forward to block his view. She leveled herself with his stare, “If I catch you following us again, I’ll castrate all of you.”

Taehyung laughed beneath his ice pack, the sound getting muffled under the cool gel. “If it wasn’t for us, you’re little friend would be dead, sweetheart.” 

Ruby snapped her head in his direction, burning a glare deeper through his skull. “Don’t make me break that nose.” 

Jade pulled Ruby back, feeling slightly guilty that they were giving them a hard time when ultimately their enemies ended up helping them. Despite all the trouble and grief they caused each other, they were able to work together seamlessly to save Emmy. “Thank you by the way.” While the notion was genuine, it felt odd on Jade’s tongue as she addressed the two infuriating men. 

Ruby scoffed as Taehyung ate up Jade’s gratitude, letting it go straight to his ego and display across his engulfing grin. Jimin’s smirk deflated, his features softening with the interaction. “There’s no more chips either…I promise.” He offered, hoping this might settle some turmoil between the two groups. While they were far from being friends, maybe it was safe to have an ally in situations like these. 

—

“Alright that should be all for now. I’ll try and get in contact with you if I need any more information.” The officer questioning Emmy quickly wrote down some information on a small notepad before tucking the article into his inner coat pocket. He nodded in dismissal, turning to head back to the suite to gather any other evidence against Seoho’s actions.

Emmy pulled her blanket tighter around her torso, her hair slightly frosted from the cold air freezing the water soaked within her strands. She relaxed as the police stepped away, finally catching her breath since they arrived. When Jungkook pulled her from the ice, her muscles were still gaining their ability to move as her vocal cords struggled to function. By the time the emergency vehicles arrived, she was able to move most of her upper body and got assistance from Jungkook across the ice to seek warmth. 

Once she was settled, they pulled him away to another area to be checked when they noticed his pale complexion. During her conversation with the officials, her voice was course from the constriction of the frigid environment she endured nearly all morning. She would glance in Jungkook’s direction off in the distance every once in a while but always looked away when their eyes met. 

“How ‘ you feeling?” Jungkook poked his head out from around the opened door of the ambulance Emmy was currently occupying. 

Emmy observed him, watching him come sit beside her. He had none of his usual mannerisms at the moment, and she was a little thrown off by how calm he seemed under the circumstance. “I’m fine.” She finally answered, bundling further into her blanket. 

The air was still around them as silence settled into the atmosphere. Emmy suddenly felt uncomfortable by this unusually quiet side to Jungkook she never encountered. “Did they find anything on this guy?” Jungkook asked, disrupting the suspense. 

She wondered what Jungkook might have been looking for in regard to Seoho’s character and was unsure what she could share with him. She bit her lip as she debated her response. When she talked to cops, she left a few details out that would cause them to start digging into her past, but with Jungkook she felt a little more lenient to share her side of the story. He knew parts of her life that any average person wouldn’t understand, not to mention, he also saved her from drowning. 

“Not really. Seoho’s not even his real name.” She said, gauging Jungkook’s interest. She was surprised when his large eyes were looking at her, his lips parted in shock. “He told me he was hired by someone…someone who wanted me dead.”

Jungkook’s heart plummeted to his stomach, the tranquility he had once knowing Seoho was arrested disappeared within an instant. He thought her near-death experience was an isolated incident with a psycho, but if he was hired to kill her that only meant the threat was still out there. “Any idea who hired him?” 

It all started to make sense to Jungkook as he replayed the last couple of days in his head. The way Seoho seemed so intent on Emmy’s attention despite Jungkook’s meddling. During their time on the slopes, Jungkook remembered trying to get more information from Seoho on a personal level, but his answers were always vague and left room for interpretation. Jungkook knew there was something wrong, but he just assumed it was his jealousy.

As Jungkook digested the realization of his emotions, Emmy thought back on Seoho’s one-sided conversation in the chalet. Eye for an eye…eye for a life…She went through her past targets, thinking of their eyes and wondering what he could have meant by that. “I mean, technically it could be anyone...” She laughed bitterly, “Look at Seoho. He was perfect until he tried to kill me.”

Jungkook was comforted by her sarcasm, slightly grateful that the man she was previously enamored with had at least one major flaw. He sighed, looking back at her as he noticed her conflicted expression. He knew besides the obvious trauma of the situation, Emmy was probably having a mental breakdown about Seoho. Even though he was a target, Jungkook could tell she liked him, and knowing that every interaction with him was an act had to be unsettling. 

“People like us…we can’t live normal lives.” Jungkook spoke softly. It was a hard pill to slow, but it’s what they both needed to hear in the moment. Feelings were making their jobs more complicated and more dangerous. Jungkook nearly killed himself trying to save her, and it shook him to think he would probably do it all over again if he needed to. “You just never know who to trust.” Seoho was a clear indicator of that comment as even Jungkook spent time with the unsuspecting hitman. 

Emmy digested his words, pressing her lips together as a pit formed in her stomach. While she knew he was right, she couldn’t help but see the flaw in his statement. There was a world full of people that she would always keep at arm's length, but there were also a few that she could trust with her life. If this situation proved to her anything, it was that there were at least five people who knew her better than anyone else. 

“You know, despite the fact that you’re an ass…I kind of trust you.” She admitted softly, refusing to look in his direction as she suddenly felt vulnerable.

Jungkook felt an unnatural warmth radiate from his core, biting the inside of his cheek to keep the grin from displaying across his face. He never imagined her saying those words to him or how his body would react. He wasn’t used to this feeling, but he couldn’t argue that it felt nice. “You know, even though you called me an ass, “ He kept his eyes forward, worried that if he looked at her he would be tempted to kiss her. “You're welcome.”

The air was still once again as silence drifted over them like a calm blanket, the tension dissipated as they savored each other’s company. It was unspoken that Emmy was grateful for his efforts to save her, but as she leaned her head against his shoulder, enough was said within the small gesture. The pair took in the scenery, no longer feeling the cold that clung to their frames, but enjoying the heat between them. The sun glistened off the crystal snow, reflecting its light beautifully over the crisp morning. The world was calm beyond the chaos and in that moment, everything seemed perfect. 

—

“He did what?” Emmy’s voice flared through the lobby of the resort. After things settled from the events in the early morning, the girls were able to make their way back to the hotel and properly check out. As they maneuvered their luggage downstairs, Jade and Ruby filled her in on what happened before their rescue mission. “That little shit.” She hissed, realizing Jungkook drugged her well before Seoho ever did. 

She remembered their time on the plane, obviously, some interactions sticking out more than others, but she always wondered how the few drinks she had completely knocked her out on the plane ride. She never imagined that Jungkook put something in her drink. 

“Yeah, and then put a chip in your phone so they could follow us.” Jade added while Ruby returned their room keys. 

Emmy was in utter disbelief. No wonder they were always infiltrating their hustles and stealing out from under them. They were always two steps ahead because they were already expecting to deal with their female adversaries. “Of fucking course.” She huffed, still digesting the information. 

“At least you lost your phone.” Jade mentioned, knowing that there was no way they could be tracked now that the chipped device was at the bottom of the frozen lake. 

Emmy laughed sarcastically, “Yeah, just perfect.” She shook her head, locking her jaw in annoyance. “He better hope we don’t run into them again 'cause I swear…” She groaned in aggravation, upset that she couldn't dig into him at that moment. 

Jade shrugged her shoulders, “Listen if they didn’t follow us, who knows what would have happened.” Jade hated that it was ultimately because of the three men that she was even talking to Emmy. If it was just her and Ruby, there was no way they would have been able to handle Seoho on their own. 

Emmy sighed deeply, still slightly agitated that Jungkook manipulated her, but then remembered how he treated her during this particular mission. He might have been difficult in the beginning as he usually was, but he was so attentive when he resuscitated her.

“Alright, can we leave now? I’m so done with the cold.” Ruby interrupted after leaving the desk. She was ready to get back to the desert as fast as possible. Jade and Emmy chuckled as Ruby set a fast pace for the large doors leading outside until Emmy caught a glimpse of a beach poster. 

Her interest was piqued by the friendly salesman standing behind a hostess stand, discussing their cruise line options that have discounts associated with the hotel. A thought crossed her mind, snapping her attention toward her friends who were still heading out the door. “Hey, girls? How about we take a vacation?”