#Sunday x genderneutral reader

[oceisastar]

I don’t read much dom character stuff, but I could see that’s how Sunday prefers sex (as he needs to have control) at least starting out.

Maybe service top reader with soft dom Sunday

Reader wanting to take care of Sunday (maybe they’re in love but haven’t confessed yet and this is just fwb or something) and Sunday instructing reader how to best do that

Idk I’m more of a dom but I’m trying because I love Sunday and wanted to make sure you got prompts xo 😚

MDNI {soft dom!top!reader x Sunday, emotional sex, loving relationship, hsr spoilers}

you are such a doll, thank you 😘

service top reader x Sunday is so fucking big brain like. I feel like Sunday’s need for control permeates every aspect of his life and it’s only in those moments where you’re topping him where you see the depths of his desire and how deeply he needs to be taken care of.

getting him to even admit he wants to be topped is a feat because he feels so safe having others at a distance—what’s more intimate than you fucking him? he instructs you with a clear, crisp voice, his heart pounding as you loom over him—he hopes you can’t hear it. prays you can’t.

his life has always been in service to someone else, his caretaker, robin, Ena. he needs someone to see past it all and take care of him. but he’d never admit that.

the closest he’ll get is when you’re making love to him and you hit that particular spot—he stutters, breath hitching, as he grasps at your shoulders with shaking hands and fluttering eyes, struggling to keep it together.

he needs this, desperation so raw and vulnerable it twists into a cry he can’t hold back and soon he’s sobbing in your arms. he tries to collect himself but when you kiss his forehead and fuck him harder, he has no choice but to let go and let you take care of him, even if it’s just for a few moments.

the first time this happened, Sunday became quiet, trying to maintain his composure, but each time, more and more, he began to cling to you, until he’s wrapped around you like a teddy bear, holding onto you for dear life.

no one else could understand—he wouldn’t let anyone else see him like this. but you somehow know how to break down all his walls.

[gglitch1dd]

Izuku Midoriya x Reader Week!

Hey everyone! I have been hard at work for this coming week and I can't wait to show all of you what I have in store. It's Izuku Midoriya x Reader Week 2022! This week is to celebrate his birthday and also because I’ve done this man dirty in EVERY SINGLE one of my long fics and he deserves the love.

Each day (minus day 7) it will be a new topic but all regarding our favourite green haired hero, Izuku Midoriya. All characters are aged up (obvi). On the last day (Sunday) there will be the first chapter to my fantasy Izuku x Reader fic: Running Free. Set in the same universe as ‘Just the Three of Us’- a Fantasy KiriBaku x Reader fic I have written.

Reader is kept genderneutral unless stated otherwise, however, reader will remain AFAB throughout the fic. I do deeply apologize if I make reader more fem leaning as that is how I prefer writing reader as.

1.Anything (11 July)

Bunny Izuku x Bunny fem!Reader

Topic: Hybrids - Maybe this arranged marriage with another rabbit could work out better than you initially thought. (NSFW Warning) [Uploaded]

2. Meant to be (12 July)

Villain Deku x Gn!Reader

Topic: Yandere - He will find you and he will have you, no hero will stop him, because the two of you are just meant to be.[Uploaded]

3. A Hero (13 July)

Izuku x Gn!Reader

Topic: Reverse Comfort - Izuku never truly felt adequate. All his life he had been fighting for a chance and yet he still feels like he has been failing. Yet all it takes is you, an angel, reminding him why he is more than just a hero. (Angst Warning) [Uploaded]

4. Back to You (14 July)

Viking Izuku x Gn!Reader

Topic: Viking AU - Long ago, when you were still but a little one, you were friends with a little boy in your village. But after an attack, you never saw him again. Years later he comes back to return the village back to how it once was, with the body of a warrior, the heart of gold and the lightning of Thor in his eyes. [Uploaded]

5. Coming Home (15 July – HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZU!!)

Alpha Izuku x Omega Gn!Reader

Topic: Omegaverse - Izuku’s had a rough day, luckily for him, you are here to make sure he knows just how good he is. Izuku realizes that no matter what, he has you and no matter how the future looks, it wouldn’t matter, since he has you by his side. (NSFW Warning) [Uploaded]

6. Number One (16 July)

Dilf Izuku x Gn!Reader

Topic: Dilf Izuku - You just moved into your apartment and to your surprise your first friend is a six year old girl who intends on pushing you into her father’s arms. (Slight NSFW Warning) [Uploaded]

7. Free Day!!

Happy Birthday Izuku. And I hope you all love it!!

[pubbydreams]

eddie x genderfuck reader headcanons

pairing: eddie munson x genderfuck/fluid/queer/agender/nonbinary reader content: gendered & gender neutral terms used interchangeably, horribly self-indulgent content, autistic eddie munson (cuz i can't help myself fjdsklfj), briefly mentioned recreational drug use word count: 969

cis readers please do not interact. thank you in advance for respecting this boundary.

You meet at an underground queer event

You spot his flagging, he spots your...........everything. He's immediately enamoured

The two of you make typical party small talk before eventually veering into the topic of gender

You start with broader concepts before bringing in your own experiences and identity, which he's totally into ("You're what? No way, that's so metal!!")

Then he kind of sort of info-dumps a bit about some pulpy fantasy novel he's reading and how the creatures exist outside of the human understanding of gender

He compares hand sizes with you as a way of flirting (it works)

When the party winds down, he asks if maybe you'd want to go out with him for a coffee, or beer or something, and of course you agree

He's giddy about it the whole ride home, your number scrawled in pen on the back of his hand

By the time you start Officially Dating, Eddie's already totally, insufferably in love

You've both agreed to using specific gendered language/terms in public (you are in Reagan's America, after all) but in private & queer spaces, he plays with language all the time

"She's my boyfriend :D", "he's my wife :D", "they're my sweetheart :D"

Eddie "Lucifer Cross" Munson is a gender anarchist and is totally down with neopronouns argue with the wall /lh

Corroded Coffin take an immediate liking to you

(Does Jeff ask for your help finding a cool skirt at a thrift store? Yes. Does Gareth smoke & talk with you about the patriarchy? Yeah. Does Grant exclusively use genderneutral terms for you? Of course!)

Eddie's obsessed with seeing you in his clothes, but if they don't fit, he'll give you his socks, some pins, necklaces (etc.) instead

(If needed, he'll buy clothes that are too big for him but will fit you well, and he'll wear them for a couple weeks to get his smell engrained in before letting you borrow them)

Don't get it twisted, he loves wearing/having your clothes too (and sure, maybe he uses one of your shirts as a pillow case sometimes, but that's his private business, thank you very much)

You call him babygirl one time and he goes up in flames, hiding his face behind his hair, and shivering all over

He'll call you his fair maiden, his sweet prince, his muse...

Asks for your help with his makeup for a show (or, if you don't do makeup, he asks if he can do yours just once pwease? 🥺)

Gives himself a small stick-and-poke of an upside down triangle and offers to give you one to match

He takes every opportunity to pepper your face with kisses until you're pushing him away, both of you giggling as you do so

Sometimes when you're watching horror movies, you'll point to something weird/gross on screen and say that it's your gender, and he doesn't really get it at first, but eventually he really gets it, and joins in

(The sewer tunnel full of rats in Ben? That's Eddie!gender, baby!)

OH, Wayne adores you!!

While neither of you really tell him about your...gender situation...he's a smart man, and an observant one at that, so he picks up on things pretty quickly

Still, he avoids pronouns/gendered terms altogether to be safe and respectful (asking Eddie about his partner, referring to you by your name, or cute little nicknames)

Wayne calling you sweetpea 😭

ANYWAY

On lazy Sunday afternoons, he'll serenade you with some ballads, switching the pronouns as he goes

Eddie loves talking about how pretty, and charming, and handsome you are, especially when he's high and his brain-to-mouth filter is loose as all hell

But then you talk about how pretty he is, and he gets that flustered, lovesick look on his face again, whining about how he doesn't even hold a candle to you

(Then again, flattery works with him, so even despite his embarrassment, he laps up your praise like a little puppy)

Being with you emboldens him to experiment with his looks a little more

Yeah, long hair makes him feel best, and sure, he'll smudge some kohl around his eyes for a show, but he's never really tried anything else (he's not into that whole glam rock thing anyway)

He takes some inspiration from Rob Halford and tries some more leather gear, some mesh shirts, but it's not really for him

What is for him, though, is a little stud in his right ear

When it heals, you give him a small gold hoop you thrifted with the band a while ago, and he falls in love with it. Never takes it out. It's just a part of His Look now

Sometimes, in the privacy of his trailer, he'll put on some lipstick just to kiss you all over and admire the art he's left behind

(He also loves when you wear lipstick because then he gets to see it smeared across his face, while his lips and chin are still slick with your mixed spit)

He absolutely melts into a puddle when you call him princess

This man tells you he's writing a song about you, and gets all smarmy and quiet when you press for details

Finally, he debuts it at The Hideout, and you're met, not with a ballad, but a guitar-heavy, snarling thing about a changeling deity, and the strength of their thrall

How the protagonist of the song is trapped in their clutches, and unwilling to break free, because there's nothing sweeter than the cold bite of their chains

That night he tells you (all giddy and hand-flappy off the high of a surprisingly large and attentive crowd) that he's in love with you, and you tell him you love him too

In that moment he can't begin to imagine a time he's ever been happier

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

I have a lot more thoughts but I'll leave it there because this is getting kind of long fjdsklfj

masterlist ♡ ao3 ♡ kofi

[alienaiver]

Hello uh….you know exactly what I’m gonna say djdkshdkdhlsnsl aNYWAY do u have. Any kanda relationship hcs 👀👀

hi hey friend !!! ✨ you BETCHA i do! he was my very first love - i have a 162 page long fanfic with him thats oc (me, basically lol) x kanda from when i was 14 and its so very cringe but so very beautiful<3 I HAVE MANY THOUGHTS ABT HIM - i hope you enjoy them and that I do him justice!!! 🥺🧡🧡🧡✨ i feel like i went on a tangent with the confession thing hehe hes just SO PRECIOUS

wordcount: 1.2k (sobs,,, whoops? 🤡)

warnings: none! its fluff and dumbassery <3, genderneutral reader and set in a sort of modern au!

I feel like he's actually the most mature partner out of the main four!

BUT ONLY after you've unlocked level 43 on his romance route<3

He's reserved, in complete denial for a long while after realizing his own feelings and if you dont confess first he wont EVER, he decided.

However much this man has a resolve of steel though, his thoughts about kissing you DO get out of hand for him. He makes the mistake of ranting to Lavi about it, who won't stop teasing him about it.

Lavi accidentally spills the beans to Allen who goes into complete and utter shock - which pisses Kanda off even more because really, does he honestly seem like the type to be SO incapable of a healthy loving relationship at first glance?! (don't answer that!)

So he practices. A Sunday morning he's standing in the bathroom, looking himself in the mirror and trying to confess. He doesn't even get through one sentence though because talking to himself is absolutely ridiculous. 0/10 won't ever happen again!

Surprise! It does happen again, and again and again.... Almost every day at this point, after brushing his teeth.. He practices how to confess to you!

After he's deemed himself prepared he asks to hang out with you - which isn't an unusual occurence, you've been meditating with him for months now after you showed interest in wanting to learn and started hanging out just the two of you afterwards (you just wanted an excuse to be with him, mostly)

Also he is not even the slightest bit insecure on whether or not you'll reject him. Not because he's that confident but honestly? You’re close with him and he feels like he can read you like an open book. He’s not blind to the way your eyes linger on his lips (at least not blind anymore....)

 "Are you having a stroke?" Alma asked when he walked past Kanda on the couch one day as he was holding back a blush and a smile from reading one of your stupid texts again, "shut up, Alma".

So when the day comes he’s taking you to the meditation room, setting up with you and sitting down next to you. He keeps stealing glances and holding back a smile, knowing what’s about to happen (he gets to try and finally kiss your lips)

He honestly thought of something bigger but he wanted it to be about the two of you. So when you’re both seated and positioned correctly he breathes out an “I’m in love with you, you know.”

He keeps his eyes closed but he hears the way your breath hitches, hears the way you move around your mat and nears him and he’s actively fighting back a blush when he can almost feel your breath on his cheek. He opens his eyes to see you staring right into his, “what the fuck kind of confession is that!?” you ask, almost enraged by the casualty of it - if his words hadn’t been so... heavy, you would’ve thought he was joking. You still fear he is, “don’t mess with me!”

His face scrunches up at your reaction and he’s confused for a solid moment, unsure why you’re mad at him. “You don’t like me back?” he asks, almost confused and brows furrowed. You flop back on the mat with a sigh and even wider eyes, “you’re serious?” you ask again and he leans closer to you, his heartbeat quickening. He lets the blush he was fighting to hold back earlier loose as he gets on his knees to crawl to you, “I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

His hand travels to your cheek and he gently touches it with his thumb, “can I kiss you?”

You stare at him, dumbfounded and gather your strength to nod and lean toward him.

He’s a very gentle kisser! He’s aware of how rough he can be around the edges and wants to be the opposite with you

He doesn’t act like you’re made of glass, though! He will still kick your ass if you train with him! He sees you as a perfect equal and while he won’t admit to it, he likes seeing you riled up - especially if it’s because of him and silly things. If you’re ever sad or frustrated he will support you, though!

His toxic trait is jealousy... I’m sorry but this man is JEALOUS. He’s not possessive per say, but he will glare daggers at the person behind the counter at the supermarket who even remotely sounds like they’re flirting with you. His glare is scary for others to experience. You always smile apologetically to the poor cashier before you leave.

Kanda CARES so much about anniversaries! They’re very important to him - he remembers the days for your first kiss, your first (real) date, first time he slept over as your boyfriend and the day you moved in together. He even wants to celebrate the day he realized he was in love with you!! He’s so precious, he writes them down in both his own calender, yours and the joint one in the kitchen.

Kanda’s love language number 1 is physical touch. His favorite dates are when you’re sprawled out on the couch or the bed, completely entangled in each other, he’s like a cat. It took him a while to admit and even longer to start asking for it but he absolutely adores when you’re fingers rests on his hip, moving in mindless circles as you’re watching yet another film he hates

(”we can turn it off if you hate it so much,” you mutter after the second negative comment about the composition and camera positions (when did he become an expert in move making?) You feel his grip tighten on you, “never.” he mutters as he kisses the top of your head) You guess you’ll never figure out why he enjoys “torturing his eyes with such imagery” every weekend but you don’t complain. His gruff voice close to your ear and the expert cuddles makes up for it.

Kanda also has a soft spot for matching couple outfits.... Nothing wild, just matching sweaters or color coordination! He’s super embarassed about it at first though, grumbles through the entire Christmas dinner where you’re matching but can’t hold back the need to match again at New Year’s! It starts a whole thing for him.

Kanda snores. Loudly. I’m sorry but you can’t convince me otherwise. In the beginning it’s a whole “deal with it!” kind of situation but behind the scenes he’s researching how to help it - he buys one of those nose clips and even tries the anti-snoring nose sprays!

His first priority will forever always be your safety and happiness. So whenever you have arguments that take a stronger turn than friendly bickering, he sits you both down to talk it out and figure out what to do with any problems you might encounter! He doesn’t sacrifice his own principles for you and he expects you to hold to your own as well! That will cause clashes and fights once in a while, but he’ll always be there to hold you when it’s all said and done.

After all, there’s nothing he enjoys more than waking up for his morning workout 15-20 minutes before he has to only to look at you, peacefully asleep next to him, grumbling about the morning sun as you try to crawl into his skin to be closer. It’s home, it’s the love he lives for and there’s nothing better after any rough day than coming back and going to bed with you so he can experience these magical minutes the next morning, right?

I RLY HOPE I DID HIM JUSTICE... I MAY HAVE MADE HIM SOFTER THAN HE WOULDVE LIKED IF HE EVER READ THIS LMFAAAO but honestly..... emotionally mature kanda lives rent free in my mind!!! 👀 aaaa i wanna kiss him so bad rn 🫣 THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING HIM!!! its about time i made smth for him!!!! 😩🧡🧡 lmk if you want more !!! or a tiny fic mayhaps................ 👀

@hanayanetwork 🌸

[forevermores-posts]

Red Carpet Nerves

Pairing - Jared Padalecki x Reader(platonic),  Jensen Ackles x Reader(platonic), GenderNeutral!Reader

Summary - Jensen, and Jared help you through your first red-carpet nerves.

Warnings - Anxiety 

Words - 1226

It was your second season on the show and your character had finally started becoming more critical. It wasn't that you weren't in the first, more that you have more scenes, especially with Jensen and Jared.  Both men had taken a liking to you the first time you met and throughout your time together, you became a part of their friend group. 

You had been planning for this red carpet premier for months now. The fans were talking about it for what seemed like forever and they were patiently waiting to see you there. You had no idea what to expect since you'd never been on a red carpet. Honestly, this was your first real role anyway. As the days crept closer the nerves started to kick in, but you didn't tell anyone. You were still filming for the next season and people on set started to notice your changed behavior. 

After the last of shooting for the week, Jensen came up to you. “Hey Y/N, you alright? You’ve been a little quiet lately. Couldn’t help but notice.”

“Uh yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just been tired all week. It's all good.”

“Oh, that's good…Well anyway, Jared and I  got a limo for the premiere on Sunday but Misha just canceled on us. He wanted to drive himself. Do you wanna come with us? We don’t mind. It’s all paid for anyway.”

You took a second to respond. Thinking over all the nerves you've had recently. Maybe this will help. A drink and some friends before the premiere. “Yeah sure, just let me know when and where. It sounds fun!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day was here. You had barely slept last night because every time you tried to rest the thoughts of everything that could go wrong came up. What if I trip? What if all my pictures look bad? What if they don't even want pictures of me?  It was all too much. When you started getting ready it was 7 am and the guys were picking you up outside at 2. The morning was slow but you had time. You didn't even get dressed till 1:30. After all you were a great procrastinator and anxiety always seem to make it so much worse.  

Next thing you know, it's 2 o'clock, and your standing on your porch, all dressed up, waiting for the guys. You could feel your anxiety at the surface and your hands wanting to shake but you held it in. You kept telling yourself to take deep breaths because if they guys saw you this nervous, they would laugh. After all, this is all super embarrassing. Even more, since they guys are clearly more experienced than you at this.  

It seemed like in the blink of an eye they guys were getting out in front of you. “Y/N you coming or what? You’ve been standing there for like 5 minutes,” Jared yells at you from the limo. You walk to the car and got in but you notice the guy's worried eyes. They took note of the way you didn't respond, the way you just stared off into space, and how your hands had a slight tremble in them. The two men glanced at each other just now putting together the way you'd been acting and the fact that this is your first red carpet, something you'd told them about months ago while at a bar.

“Are you nervous? ..Y/N?” Jared asked while looking at you from across the limo. Jensen, opposite to his character, was the more emotional one of the two. He slid closer to you and put an arm around you, just trying to provide comfort. 

“Just a little. I’m fine though. It's just first-time nerves ya know. No biggie,” immediately defending yourself.

Not believing a word you said Jenson responded, “No your not…It's okay to be nervous. I mean we all were, and I still am sometimes. We can all see how stressed you've been about this but don't worry, you're going to kill it. All the fans love you and you are great with all the interviews. Just be yourself.”

“I just don't know what I’m doing! I don't know how to pose or where to look. What if I fall? Those pictures will never go away!” It felt good to finally express all your thoughts. They've been held in for who knows how long.

“How about this? You can stick to one of us all night. One of us will always be with you to stop anything that goes wrong,” Jared suggests.

You took a moment. What if they want pictures alone? You can move to the side or the fans always love it when you guys are together. “That's could work I guess.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you got out of the limo, you could hear the fans and paparazzi talking. You looked at Jensen with worried eyes and he reached for your hand. It was such an innocent act but he knew you just needed to feel like someone to be there with you. You followed the managers and boys around like a lost puppy until you realized it was time to go on. You took a deep breath and took your hand out of  Jensen’s.

As you took your first step out you heard the yelling start. It took you by surprise and you took a step back. Jensen and Jared both put a hand on your back and slightly pushed you forward.  

Jared put his arm over your shoulders and bent down to say, “Just simile and kinda look as one spot on the wall.” You did as he said you were blinded for a second. The flashes came in fast but they went away soon after. You did this again and again with both boys until you reached the first interviewer. 

“Hey Y/N, how is tonight going?” Marie the interviewer from Buzzfeed asked. 

“It's good… very loud and very bright but I'm excited to hear what people say about the new season!”

“Good, good. I can't help but ask, you've been sticking J2 all night. What is all of that about? We saw you holding hands with Jensen and Jared had his arm around you.”

“Well being the best friends that they are, they've been helping me through all night. This is my first big role and my first red carpet. I've been a nervous wreck all week preparing but I don't know what I’d do without these boys,” you responded not really ashamed of it anymore.

You continued the night on your own after telling Jensen you were confident enough to do it yourself. The next day you went online to see what the pictures looked like. Personally, you thought you looked amazing and so did the fans.  You saw a ton of fans commenting on that interview saying it was awesome how you felt comfortable enough to share that and how the boys helped you out. 

Just then you got a text from Jensen. 

“You did great Y/N! The pictures look great. Nothing is wrong with being nervous or anxious. Just tell us sooner next time, because we will always be there to help.”

[redskull199987]

Cover me in Sunshine

Damien the Mayor x genderneutral!Reader

Words count: 0.4k

Warnings:none, just a short fluff

Summary: You and Damien are making good use of his day off...

Masterlist

I didn't want my eyes to open, but they did anyway. Sleep was gone in a second and I saw rays of sunshine slowly entering the room.

I felt like I should get up, but I didn't want to. The bed was too warm, too comfortable. The arm draped over my waist felt to welcoming.

I silently shifted around, so that I could take a good look at Damien's sleeping Form.

His eyes were closed and for once, he looked calm. As the Mayor, Damien's to-do-list was always long and he had a lot of work to do. He always came home late, nothing but exhausted and all he wanted to do was to relax. Thankfully, today was Sunday. His free day.

My mind kept on wandering, as I admired Damien's calm face. I slowly reached forward to gently grasp his cheek. His light beard tickled my skin and I couldn't help but smile at the man in front of me.

"Hey", Damien suddenly said. I looked at him, a little startled:"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you"

"It's fine", he mumbled and finally opened his eyes.

I felt how he pulled me closer to him by my waist. I slowly put my arms around his shoulders, embracing him.

I heard Damien chuckle, as he hid his face in the crook of my neck.

"I love you", He mumbled and started to cover my neck in kisses. I giggled at his antics and grasped his face, pulling him up to me again.

"I love you too", I smiled and lightly pecked his lips. Damien chuckled before pulling me in for a full kiss. His lips were soft against mine and I felt him smile against my lips.

"Let's just stay in bad today", Damien mumbled. I hummed in agreement and and snuggled closer to him. I rested my head on Damien's chest, while his arms remained around my waist.

"Y/N", he mumbled.

"Hm?", I asked, eyes already closed again.

"I love you so much", Damien chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you too", I murmured, already falling asleep again.

[imonthinice]

The Criminal Psychology Majors, Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Part 7/?

Word Count: 3.5k

Author’s Note: Y/N - Your Name, A/N Any Name (your best friend’s name), (Name) - your ex’s name !genderneutral (Don’t use a DC character! Y/N hasn’t dated any other DC character!) :)

3.5k words, my god. And they’ve still only known each other for 4 days and we’re on part 7. I do not know how to finish this.

Lol, Enjoy!

Warnings: Swearing, Heated moments, There is French in this one, No beta bitch we die like Jason Todd

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20)

Falling asleep in Jason’s arms after that escapade the two of them pulled the night before was something magical to say the least. Of course, they only got like 5 hours of sleep before they had to wake up and get out, at risk of Y/N being caught in the building, although the thrill of it excited the both of them deeply, but that’s obvious. They liked breaking the rules already.

Riding back home seemed a lot less like a journey to her this time, she just wanted to spend more time with Jason, but he had work and she didn’t want to hang out at Wayne Enterprises. She’d probably go to the library today, she didn’t know exactly what she’d do today, but she always thought that was the most exciting thing ever. “I don’t know what I’m even going to do tomorrow,” one of her friends asked when she moved to Gotham, ‘How exciting!’ she answered.

That friend said the next day she ran through the streets of Metropolis with her arms outstretched like a kid, and she did it in Y/N’s honor. “I told you!” she said, “How exciting that sometimes you never know what you’re going to do tomorrow!”.

These thoughts swirled in her head as Jason drove her back home when, like clockwork, like it was out of a movie, he said,

“I have no idea what I’m even going to do today.”

She laughed, “I always say ‘How exciting!’ when someone says that to me.”

“Really?”

“One of my friends back home, when I gave her that advice, she then spent the next day running around the city with her arms outstretched in my honor, it was apparently one of the more fun things she’s ever done, so” she paused, “I really mean it. how exciting! The possibilities are endless, are they not?”

“Well, not really, I have work to do,” he frowned.

“So own it. Make the office your bitch. Take charge, take lead.”

“Why not?” he said in agreement.

“Why the fuck not.”

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

Jason walked her to her door, “Won’t you be late?” she asked,

“Dad knows where I am, I don’t think I’ll have my ass handed to me.”

“You never know,” she laughed.

He laughed too and slightly pecked her lips. He wanted more, he was hungry for more out of that kiss, but work and life gets in the way of their relationship, and he really whined when he had to break away, but she laughed at it.

“Slow your roll Tiger, one day,” she mused.

“You say that like you don’t want more.”

“This isn’t about me,” she retorted, “So, shut up, respectfully.”

He laughed and kissed the back of her hand, “You have a thing for doing that, huh?” she joked.

“I literally don’t know how to answer that, I think I’m losing my touch with flirting,” he joked back.

“Okay, okay, you need to get going now.”

“Fine! You want to get rid of me so badly, I get it,” he joked and walked back to the car and she waved him off. She hated that time he left, a lot. She knew it was healthy to take a day’s break if they’ve been on 3 back-to-back dates, but that didn’t mean she liked it.

She opened her door and walked in, thinking A/N was asleep so she wouldn’t be barraged for her hair being a mess, but, boy oh boy, was this girl waiting for her to get home.

“What happened? Why’s your hair a mess? Oh my god, did you have sex?” she asked.

“No, but we kissed, will you take that as information while I shower or do you want all the details now?”

“You can shower, you can shower. I’m not that needy.”

“Yes you are,” Y/N joked and went to go shower.

And like she always did, she opened her phone and looked at the news before answering her friends,

Millionaire’s Son, Jason Todd's Girlfriend’s Name Revealed!

She laughed, cause it wasn’t her name. She didn’t think he was seeing anyone else, and they used her picture, so she knew they just fucked it. She forwarded the article to Jason with the caption ‘ Fuckin’ idiots’ .

She then answered Artemis, who asked Did you two kiss? Dick’s up my ass about it ‘cause he knows we’re friends.

I want to take that out of context so badly. She joked with Artemis.

I knew this man had a terrible name that would come to haunt me, but did ‘ya kiss?

Yeah we did. Get Dick out of your ass, though, that’s weird, you have a boyfriend and he has a girlfriend.

Shut up, you’re not funny.

I’m pretty funny.

You are but I’m not going to admit that, girl.

And one of her old friends had texted her, it was someone who Y/N had seen off and on the past few years, they were polite, but she didn’t exactly want to speak to her ex.

Hey.

(Name)? What do you want?

Saw you in the news with the rich boy, guess we’re over?

We have been over for like 5 months, my guy. 

Bitch.

Okay!

People from her hometown were noticing her in the articles and recognizing her. Some would think this is the coolest thing that someone they loved met a nice boy, the money a bonus, some would give her the reaction her ex did, but she knew she was days, hours, maybe minutes away from her parents finding out about her love affair with Jason.  

She shuddered at the thought, she loved her parents, a lot, but something told her that maybe they wouldn’t did Jason to be like she found him. She also knew she could be overthinking it entirely and they’d like the Criminal Psych Major that she knew all-too-well.

But overthinking was fun, apparently. And she couldn’t stop thinking the worst of so much.

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

When she got changed and just threw on whatever the fuck she saw, she went out to go talk to A/N.

“Hey, nerd. I’m done,” Y/N said.

“Nerd? You’re the one dating the bookworm and  you’re in criminal psychology,” she joked.

“Ha, ha. So, how are things with your lover? Have you secured him yet or are you just doing your own thing still?”

“Still just doing our own thing, don’t really have the time to date while getting my degree and working.”

“I mean, if it works for you I can’t throw judgment.”

“What about Jason? How’re things with you two?”

“You ever seen the Wayne Enterprises Ballroom before?”

“In pictures, why- Don’t tell me he took you there you lucky bitch?!”

“Then I just wont tell you,” she laughed.

“The Ballroom? Oh my god, that’s crazy, he's really pulling out all the stops to make you smile, huh?”

“I would do the same if I had more to offer, but I have barely anything since I bought that place in the dance competition across the country,” she said.

Y/N had bought a place in this competition before she met Jason, and she was heading to it on Saturday, in two days, and she actually had practiced the routine during downtime between her and Jason. She hadn’t exactly told Jason about this, and Jason had asked why she looked strained and like her muscles hurt, but that just never seemed like something you share with your casual partner, to her. She never seemed like her casual competitions were worth anything. A/N had begged to differ since Y/N had met her.

A/N said that Y/N had talent, that she could go somewhere, Y/N saw it as an extra circular that didn’t affect her much. She wasn’t the type of brag, and all her trophies were back home with her parents, anyway.

“Have you told him about your,” insert A/N’s heavy sarcasm, “’Casual’  competitions, yet?”

Idk what the hell happened with that line ya love to see it

“I’ll send him a quick text about it, I guess,” she sighed and sent just a quick, Hey, can’t have a date on Saturday-Sunday, forgot to tell you but I’m going to Cali for a quick dance competition, lol. My bad, shoulda said something.

“Why are you like this, be proud of your accomplishments, dammnit!”

“It’s a casual competition!”

“And you’re talented! I’m this close to just showing him videos of you going at it,” she said, exasperated.

“He already knows, we danced in the Ballroom.”

“Oh my lord,” she laughed, “You’re an enigma, if I had your amount of trophies I wouldn’t be hiding it.”

“Im’ not hiding it! It just kind of never came up.”

And he texted back, Oh damn, are you at least going to kill it? You better, I want to show the live broadcast to my family and brag.

She laughed, “See!”, she exclaimed, showing A/N the texts, “He doesn’t care like you do, nerd.”

A/N laughed, “Sure he doesn’t. Do you want to go to lunch, by the way? I’m bored off of my ass.”

“Sure, why the fuck not.”

“Go get dressed then, and I’ll do the same.”

“Okay okay, meet up in 10?”

“Yes ma’am.”

And off they went.

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

Y/N texted back Jason for a quick minute before getting dressed, Of course I’m going to kill it, my notes aren’t a representation of my dancing skills.

Well, I hope you win something. And text me. But mainly win something.

Of course I’ll text you, Jay. It gets boring at competitions.

You should go to a Wayne Gala then, god damn, those fuckin bastards are the most boring events this side of America.

Well maybe you’ll invite me one day.

I’ll probably have to if you show up on National TV. The press will finally know your name.

I hope I’m not on National TV then. Fuck the press.

Fuck the press indeed.

Since Y/N didn’t feel the need or want to dress up, she didn’t. Quick shirt and jeans and she was out the door. Sometimes she would dress up for lunch dates with her friends, just because she was bored as fuck and dressing up was fun, but she just didn’t want to do it today. Combat boots, jeans and a shirt were enough most days. You don’t have to be a model just because the press knows your face, she thought, you don’t.

“Who’s driving?” A/N asked.

“I can if you want. I don’t mind,” Y/N said as they walked to the beat up car they loved so much. It was nothing compared to the Porsche she had been in the night before, but it was still running, and you don’t fix something that ain’t broke.

“Maybe your boyfriend will buy you a new car,” A/N joked.

“If anything, he’d buy me a new computer, since mine is getting mailed to me and you’re going to love hearing the sounds that bitch makes,” she retorted.

“Is it bad?”

“Terrible. My sister called it a screaming electronic goat once,” she laughed, “I hate that fucking thing. But if it ain’t broke-”

“Don’t fix it, I know.”

“Exactly.”

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

For some reason, they decided in the car to go to McDonald's, because hey, it’s not like Y/N is on a  dance diet or anything. She wasn’t, because she didn’t want to starve herself for the sake of winning a competition. That was even her thought process as she was younger and more vulnerable to her teachers, she always told them she’d never do that. Years later, she still stuck to that mindset.

They got out of the car and like fucking clockwork, the press was in her face.

“You! The girl with no name, Jason Todd’s girlfriend!”

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!” she whispered under her breath, “How do they always find me!”

“Tell us about yourself! Are you serious with Jason? How do you feel about his family? How-”

But then she had an idea,

“Quoi? Je parle pas l’Anglais? Qu’est-ce-que vous voulez?” she said, using her bilingual skills to her advantage.

“What? No I mean-”

“Pas de l’Anglais! Désolé mes amis!” and she ran off into the McDonald's with A/N.

“Did you just speak French to get them off your ass, you genius?”

“Spoke very broken French because I wasn’t thinking, but yeah, I did that.”

“I forget you’re multi-talented sometimes, you have a lot hidden under your belt and I try to treat you like a normal person but you’re far from it.”

“I appreciate you for trying, but I think with my new love affair, you aren’t going to get far with those attempts anymore, sorry,” she joked.

Jason texted her, Did you just speak French to avoid the press?

How do you know about that?

We were watching the news during a meeting and they said that you spoke French.

You got to do what you got to do to get by.

That is literally the most genius thing I’ve heard of anyone doing in so long. I think you’ve truly bamboozled them for a while and they might hop off of your back for a while.

You think so? ‘Cause I really hope that’s the case.

My siblings think it’s hilarious, and no one’s leaked that you are just joking with the press, so yeah, they might actually leave you alone.

Let’s fucking go. That is the news of the 21st century.

4 days of knowing each other and you’ve flipped off the press twice, outran them with me once, hid in the Wayne Enterprises Building with me and you’ve spoken French to bamboozle the press. That is impressive.

I feel like the press is going to hate me one day.

Probably. But they also hate most of us most days.

You should probably get back to work.

Yeah, talk to you soon.

She put her phone away and went to stand with A/N, who was waiting for their food.

“Talking to your lover?” she joked.

“When am I not doing that?”

“That’s valid.”

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

Going on a lunch date with A/N made a little bit of the harassment just better. They both bonded over how they hated the press before her love affair with Jason, and how their opinions wouldn’t change much unless, knock on wood, one of them went missing. Y/N told her about all the cases where the press and the internet did so much to solve cases around the world, love or hate the press, they did do a lot for solving crime.

She also told A/N that Jason was related to Dr. Barry Allen and Clark Kent, two people the two of them knew well because of the news and the fact that A/N knew Y/N when she wanted to go into forensics and was reading Dr. Barry Allen’s work.

When her mother texted her.

Y/N? Is that you in the press running around with Jason Todd?

Yeah mum, why?

Are you two in a serious relationship?

No mum.

Then why are the vultures so obsessed with you, says your dad.

‘ Cause you two made a pretty girl and he’s high up in the world, I guess, I don’t know. I don’t really like the press.

I can tell. We’re not mad at you honey, but be careful. And your dad says when you two get serious he needs to take Jason fishing.

He doesn’t speak French, mum.

Dad says he’ll work on his English for you.

Well tell everyone I love them, mum.

She panicked a little bit, her parents were nice when they wanted to be, but they were strict, why wouldn’t they be. So this, while being a welcomed surprise. was still a little panicky.

“Your  parents find out?”

“Yeah, they seem chill with it though.”

“Bing in the press sucks when you’re trying to keep your love life out of your parents' eyes, huh?”

“You could say that again,” she joked.

“Being in the press sucks when you’re-”

“I didn’t mean literally!” they laughed.

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

Back at Wayne Enterprises, Jason was betting bombarded by his colleges, friends and family about Y/N and how she was able to get around the press’ constant harassment without flaw. And also because Bruce had seen the two enter the building at around 12am the night before. So Jason was called into Bruce’s office that day.

“1, I know everyone is bombarding you, so you can hide out here, son, 2, you and Y/N didn’t have sex in your office right?”

“God no, dad. We just hid here because security is tight as fuck and unable to get past.”

“I saw you two kissing on the cams and heading into your office, Jay.”

“Okay, okay, but we didn't have sex and the intentions were there, dad!”

“Uh huh, pretty girl in your, my, car.”

“Dad, stop it,” he joked.

“Well, her little shenanigans with the press are very amusing, have you told her that?”

“I have.”

“She’s basically not afraid to tell them what we all think.”

“That’s what I said, dad.”

“Well, hold onto that one and don’t let her go.”

“Do you regret doing that with Talia?” Jason asked.

“God no, she’s insane. The son I got out of her antics is literally her spitting image, so if I need to be reminded of her I can just go talk to Damien for a couple minutes.”

“Dami’s a lot like you too, don’t act like his personality is just Talia, he acts like his dad in every aspect and you know that.”

“Lord help any woman or man that kid goes on to date, my god,” the two of them laughed. It was the small things with Bruce that made Jason happy to be a Wayne, even if he didn’t share the last name. Jason grew up on the streets and even before that, his mum and dad didn’t have a lot of money, so the amounts of money that Bruce could shower on him was a lot, but he was okay with just working for his money. And Bruce knew that.

He spent a lot of his workday in Bruce’s office, hiding from the rest of the office, and texting Will.

She knows about your kid.

Well, she’s a good kid. I’m glad you’re bragging about her, means I raised her right.

Shut up. I love that little girl and I’ve helped raise her, Will.

You’re used to my new name?

I changed your contact to Will when you changed your name, so I could remember that that’s your name now and not Roy. I’m hoping I remember it in person though. It would be awkward if I forgot my best friend’s name.

It would be funny to look back on, though.

Like how your relationship with Jade is funny now?

Never stick your dick in crazy.

I wish you would have listened to that sometimes, but then I remember Lian is amazing.

I’m a cliché of dumb choices, what can I say Jaybird.

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

In Y/N’s house, she would always play loud and sad music when she had the chance, some people thought her mental state was fucked, which sometimes it was, but most of the time the sad music went harder than the happy tunes you would catch from the other side of the house.

But even if music was blasting the loudest it could ever be, somehow she would still find herself lost in her thoughts, whether it was new dance routines or a story she would scribble down in her dream journal. there was something about those little fits of artistic passion she would experience from time-to-time.

It’s hard to put into words how those moments reminded her of the simplier times before sh was thrust into stardom, but also how they reminded her of Jason, and untouched mind she longed to know further. She knew there was so much more to the boy she had gone on dates with.

She would end up ignoring her phone for most of the rest of that day, just because she wanted peace and quiet, when A/N’s lover came over and she had to turn the music up louder so she wouldn’t be disrupted by the obvious.

I just got off of work, how are you? How’s your day been? Jason had texted Y/N while she ws turning up the music.

Well, I just had to turn up my music because my roommate’s lover is over, but other than that I’ve been enjoying peace and quiet in my room, waiting for something to do.

Is texting me something to do?

Yes.

That’s sweet of you. Work was boring though so I hope you don’t expect a story.

I don’t, don’t worry. You don’t always need a story for something to do.

Well, I’m going home with my brothers and dad, and we’re probably going to play office chair racing because I’m a bad boy.

You’re a bad boy?

Was that not funny?

It was pretty funny, isn’t that dangerous though?

Yeah actually, my brother broke his leg playing it and another time my little sister broke her leg playing it.

It seems fun but like, damn, two people have gotten injured playing that game, y’know.

Well if I die it’ll be a fun story!

[littleoddwriter]

Timthoy joylove x gender-netrual reader with lesbian mom's headcanons?

Timothy Lovejoy x GenderNeutral!Reader | Headcanons

Hey there! Thank you so much for the request, I hope you like what I've done with it. :) <3

notes; Gender Neutral!Reader; Implied/Referenced Homophobia; Christianity; Mention of God; Meeting the Parents; Growing as a Person.

Reblogs > Likes. Thank you!

He doesn't know until a few months into your relationship that you have two mothers and since he still has a lot to learn and bigoted views to overcome, he reacts with shock and something akin to disgust at first.

For that, he later has to apologise to you, because he slipped up and talked about how it's unnatural and blasphemous for them to be together and you were close to leaving him for it, since you're not going to tolerate any ill will towards your mothers, no matter how much you may like him.

Once he apologised, though, he - more or less reluctantly - asks you to help him educate himself and become a better person because he doesn't mean to hurt you and he really didn't mean to react like that; it's just been so ingrained into his brain that everything that isn't viewed as the default is bad.

A couple of months later, he will have gotten a better hang of things already and so you set up a Sunday dinner with him and your mothers.

He's very nervous about this dinner, since he's afraid of messing up and accidentally saying something rude and/or homophobic; but you assure him that you've warned your moms and that he's also already come a long way since those few months ago, so he should be fine.

In the end, meeting your mothers is what truly opens his eyes, heart and mind for good; because they're absolutely amazing women and he got along so well with them all evening long, it actually makes him stop for a second and really regret those hateful views he's internalised and spread for so long.

It's safe to say that he changes his ways from then on and also starts preaching in church that homosexuality is not a sin, like so many Christians believe/use as an excuse for their homophobia, and that God loves everyone the way they are because that's exactly how He's made them - "We are all built in God's image and He has a plan for us, there can be no wrong. Or are you really questioning the Almighty?".

[give-seconds]

I Love You

This is part two of my Jisung fic for A Vibe collab! If you haven’t read part one, here it is!

Paring: Jisung x genderneutral reader

Warnings: Death of a parent

Summary: In which you’ve been obsessed with the idea of meeting your soulmate since you were born, but your soulmate doesn’t think the same.

Word count: 19.9k

---

It’s been a month and a half since you found out Jisung was your soulmate. It took a week of Chenle’s magic counseling (his words, not yours) until you were able to stop avoiding him and Jaemin. Chenle made you realize that even if they had something now, Jisung was your soulmate. The more you got to know each other, the easier it would be for you two in the future. No matter how far away that future is.

After that week, you had to slowly condition yourself to be around them. It wasn’t easy at first, and it took you a few days to be able to look Jaemin in the eyes. Even though it took a month for you to be semi-normal with them again, they never pushed you to spend time with them. Of course, they still made offers for you to join for certain activities, and Jaemin made sure to let you know you didn’t have to do anything you weren’t comfortable doing.

In short, you quickly realized what Jisung saw in him. If you didn’t know who your soulmate was, you might have wished he were your soulmate.

“If you were to give someone an ‘I’m sorry I’ve been so weird lately, but thanks for being so understanding’ gift, what would you give them?” you ask into the phone.

“I don’t know, man. If you ask me, you don’t even need to get them anything,” Chenle answers.

“But you don’t understand,” you sigh, picking up a bar of chocolate and flipping it over to look at the back, “I’ve been so distant from them. They’re my only friends here, and I’m thankful they didn’t drop me after I left during that first lunch. I mean, I ghosted them for like a week or two. If I were them, I would’ve dropped me.”

“Okay, okay, I get your point. Get them a flower or just a card. Oh, offer to buy them lunch.”

“I already got them lunch, but I want to give them something more. So maybe a plant or something?”

“Unless you don’t like plants.”

“Why would you say that?” you laugh, stepping to the side of the aisle to try and stand more out of the way.

“I don’t know! Just buy them a fake one. That way, if they like plants, they can have one that looks like one. If they don’t like them, then they don’t have to worry about keeping it alive.”

“Have I ever told you how useless you are in these situations?”

“What can I say? I’ve never been in this situation before. So you have fun, and I’m going to enjoy sitting at home with my ice cream.”

“Completely, utterly useless.”

“If you’re done hurting my feelings,” he says, and you hear the sound of clinking as he picks a spoon from the drawer, “I have ice cream to get back to.”

You scoff, shaking your head. “Fine. Abandon me, like you always do.”

He chuckles. “Finally, I can’t wait to be rid of you.”

You smile to yourself, rolling your eyes at his words. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Was that your soulmate?”

You jump, spinning around to meet the person behind you, hand held against your chest. “Why did you do that?”

Jisung smiles. “I had to let you know I was here somehow.”

“And just saying ‘hi’ was too hard?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “There’s no spark in that.”

You scoff, shaking your head. “There’s a reason Jaemin and you get along so well, and I think that’s a big part of it. But uh—” you look away from him, turning your body to look at the same bar you looked at earlier “—no, that wasn’t my soulmate. Just my best friend.”

He nods, his eyes wandering around the aisle. “You two seem close. And before you worry too much, my English isn’t good enough to follow the rest of the conversation I heard, which wasn’t much to begin with.”

You smile softly, not taking your eyes away from the chocolate. “We are. We grew up together. He’s in China now, so I don’t see him that much,” you place the bar back on the self, turning to smile at him, “but I make sure to call him often so he can’t forget me.”

It shocked you for a second, Jisung asking you if someone else was your soulmate. You forgot for a second that you are the only one between you two who knows of the connection between you two.

“Sounds about right. If Jaemin moved to another country, I think I’d do about the same thing.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“So what are you doing here?” he asks, changing the subject.

“Oh, I’m looking for a gift to give my classmate. It’s his birthday coming up, but I don’t know him that well, so I was thinking of a plant? Do you like plants?”

He tilts his head from side to side. “Eh, kind of. I like how they make a room look though; they definitely spice things up.”

“Well, how about, if you’re not busy, you come and help me pick one out? His personality kind of reminds me of a mixture of you and Jaemin.”

“Sure. I was just here looking because I’m bored, so it’s not like I’m in a rush.”

“Weird, but okay.”

“Says you!" he exclaims, following you as you leave the aisle and walk towards the plant section. "You’re here buying a plant for a guy you barely know.”

You scoff, rolling your eyes. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

---

“Hey y/n, on Friday, Jaemin and I are going camping to celebrate the end of summer. Would you like to come with us?”

After you gave them the apology plants, Jaemin and Jisung had, of course, accepted your apology. It had turned more emotional than you thought it would, with Jisung telling you he didn’t have a lot of friends outside of you and Jaemin, and he was thankful you still wanted to stay friends. Jaemin agreed, saying he was worried they had pushed you away. He further went on to call you stupid and say you had nothing to apologize for.

“For how long are you thinking?” you ask, not looking up from the table you are wiping down.

“Just for the weekend,” Jisung answers, spinning himself on one of the stools that sat at the counter. “We’d be back Sunday night.”

You nod your head, dropping the rag back into the bucket and grabbing the spray that sat next to it. “Yeah, that sounds fun. How far out are we going?”

“It’s about three hours away. But Jaemin is going to borrow his friend’s car, so we don’t have to take a bus or anything. He’ll be our personal driver.”

You snort, shaking your head slightly as you walk into the backroom to put the cleaning supplies away. “Sounds good,” you yell.

“It’ll be fun,” he yells back so you can hear him. “We’ll all share one tent, and I'll be sure to put you in the middle so you feel safe and sound."  

“Tell me why that makes me feel more unsafe?” you ask, leaning on the counter next to him.

He shrugs, smiling innocently. “Because you have an active imagination and a low opinion of us.”

You pretend to think for a second before nodding your head in agreement. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

---

“You guys will never guess what just happened,” Jaemin exclaims, drawing your attention away from the card game in front of you.

“Sounds like the walk to the main office was more exciting than I thought it would be,” you joke, placing your cards face down on the metal table.

“Yeah,” Jisung answers, placing his cards on the table opposite yours. “I thought Y/n teaching me how to play spoons would be the most eventful thing, given it is the most stressful card game I have—”

“You’re just weak. Spoons is the best game—”

“You’re a psycho.”

“Psycho!”

“I’m hijacking this conversation to bring the attention back to me,” Jaemin interrupts, taking a seat next to Jisung. “Are you ready to hear the best thing to ever happen to me?”

You smile, happy to see your friend practically vibrating from happiness. “Yes, Jaemin, don’t keep us waiting any longer.”

“Are you ready Jisung?” he asks, hugging his arm excitedly.

“Yes, yes I am,” he laughs, trying to pull his arm away.

“Okay, okay,” he takes a deep breath, shifting his eyes between you and Jisung, “I met my soulmate while at the main office.”

You immediately look over to Jisung, watching as his smile slips off his face, watching again as he forcibly puts it back on.

“That’s great, Hyung. I’m so happy for you.”

“Yeah, Jaemin,” you force your gaze away from Jisung to look at Jaemin, smiling softly at him, “that’s great. What are they like?”

You’re thankful Jaemin can’t see the sad look in Jisung’s eyes or hear the forced happiness. You know Jisung must be hurt, and as his friend, you can’t help but feel bad for him—even if he is your soulmate.

“She’s absolutely wonderful,” he gushes, hugging Jisung’s arm tighter. “She’s here with her friends, and she was going to the main office when I was on my way back. Up until now, I didn’t know what my mark was. But when I made eye contact with her, everything except her lost its color. She was literally the light of my life for five seconds.”

You smile, the soulmate enthusiast in you pushing away the pain you feel for Jisung. “That sounds beautiful Jaemin, congratulations.”

“Thank you y/n! Also, and if it’s okay with you two, I was going to take her to dinner tonight to get to know her better. Is that okay?”

“Of course, have fun on your date Jaemin.”

Jisung nods his head, effectively pulling his arm away from Jaemin. “Yeah, go have fun Hyung.”

Jaemin smiles widely, pulling Jisung into a hug. “Thank you both so much. I know I set out to find us a dinner place and am now leaving you, and this is our first day here, but I’ll send you a list of some nice places that are within walking distance. And if you don’t want to go out, we have food in the cooler.”

Jisung nods his head, smiling sadly. “Yeah yeah, we got it Hyung. Go have fun.”

He nods his head, smiling brightly as he stands up from the table. “Okay, thank you both so much. I’ll see you when I get back.

You wave as he jogs out of your campsite and somewhere to the left.

After Jaemin leaves, silence falls over you two. When you turn to look at Jisung, he’s staring in the direction Jaemin had run off in. Your heart breaks at the sight of his watery eyes, knowing it must feel more or less what you felt when you found out about Jisung being your soulmate.

You clear your throat, picking your cards up and combining them with the deck. “I’m not feeling very well. Are you okay if we stop playing?”

He wordlessly nods his head, not taking his eyes away from the spot. “My head is killing me; I think I’m going to go to the tent and sleep.” He turns his attention to you, weakly smiling. “Are you okay with that?”

You nod your head, smiling back at him. “Yeah, of course.”

He nods his head, a faraway look in his eyes, as he stands up from the table and makes his way to the tent.

---

Of course, this had to happen on what was meant to be a fun trip with his friends. He knew Jaemin would never love him back—that was something he had been slowly telling himself. This was too much too fast, though. He isn’t ready to lose Jaemin yet.

He pulls his knees close to his body, hugging his sleeping bag closer to him. He wants to cry, but he knows he can’t. It had taken him months to come to terms with himself and his bisexuality, but he doesn’t know if he’s ready to tell anyone else. He had gotten so used to telling Jaemin everything it felt weird that there was something more he was hiding from him.

He’s thankful you’re not questioning his sudden change in attitude. That is if you even noticed.

He squeezes his eyes shut, taking deep breaths to try and keep the tears from falling. He feels so alone, and he knows that if he just manned up and asked for help, he wouldn’t feel like this.

Taking a deep breath, he sits up enough to pull his phone out of his backpack. Laying back down, he turns on his phone and scrolls until he finds the one person he knows can make him feel better.

“Jisung-ah! To what do I owe this pleasure?”

He smiles at his mom’s bright voice, and when he closes his eyes, he can imagine her face. “Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s a nice day, and I just wanted to call my mother.”

“Don’t insult my motherly skills,” she says sternly, and Jisung snorts at her response. “Now, tell me what’s wrong before I force it out of you.”

“Now, how would you do that?”

“Park Jisung, don’t change the subject.”

He sighs, the fake smile he put up to try and convey a happy attitude falling. “There’s nothing wrong, so to say, I just set myself up to get my feelings hurt and have to deal with the consequences.”

“There’s no way it’s that black and white. How did you set yourself up?”

“I—” he cuts himself off, debating what he can and can't tell her. He couldn’t tell her he fell for his best friend. She would know right away that he was talking about Jaemin. “I started to like someone who wasn’t my soulmate. Then today, she found her soulmate.”

“Oh, Jisung,” she whispers, and he can feel the sympathy in her voice.

Would she still care if she really knew who it was? The thought alone was enough to make tears fall from his eyes.

“It’ll be okay. At least the bandaid was ripped right off, right?”

“Yeah,” he sniffles. “I just wish I had more time to prepare for the bandaid to be ripped off.”

“I know my love. But you still have your soulmate out there. Maybe you’ll love her even more than this girl.”

He suppresses a scoff. He feels horrible lying to his mom like this; she’s been his best friend since he was young. Like with Jaemin, he tells her everything.

“Yeah, I’m sure I will.”

He can’t tell his mom everything, not this time at least.

---

“Can I sit?”

Jisung blinks once before turning his head to look up at you. You smile down at him, your hands held behind your back. He silently nods once before he turns his attention back to the water in front of him.

He knows he is being dramatic, but he can’t help it. The man he loves is out on a date.

“I got you this,” you say, bringing your hand out from behind your back as you sit down to hand him an ice cream bar.

He smiles weakly, taking the ice cream from your outstretched hand. “Thank you for this and for bringing the food into the tent for me. I’m sorry both of your friends aren’t being very fun after we practically dragged you on this trip.”

You shrug your shoulders, eyes trained on unwrapping the ice cream. “It’s okay. You’re not feeling very well, and on top of that, your best friend just found his soulmate. It can’t be easy.”

Jisung freezes slightly at the comment before forcing himself to unwrap the bar to make himself feel less suspicious. “Why would Hyung finding his soulmate make me feel bad?”

You smile softly, not looking away from the bar. “My best friend found his soulmate, and that was really hard on me. I mean, I knew I wasn’t the most important person in his life, but at least I was someone. And I still am someone, but I don’t matter as much as I used to. Me and him still talk almost every day, but when he first found her, after every conversation, there was this nagging thought of 'and now he goes back to his soulmate.'” You chuckle softly, shaking your head. “And maybe I’m being selfish. But at the same time, I’m used to being his go-to. And now that he has someone who can be there for him when I can’t—in more ways than one—I just felt this great sense of loss.”

Jisung nods his head, taking a bite of the bar to try and keep the tears from falling.

“Don’t get me wrong,” you continue. “I’m happy for him, and I can’t wait to meet her. I just hope that when I see her, this feeling I have of being replaced is gone.”

“Replaced. That’s a good word for it.”

You nod your head, turning your attention away from the bar and out to the water. “You know, my friend once told me something when I was talking to him about my worries. And to summarize, he told me how no one could fill my place. That Xiulan holds a place in his heart as his soulmate, a place I never had, nor could I ever fill. I don’t know if this will help you, but after about a week of sulking, that advice helped me. So it might not be okay right now, but maybe with this ice cream and some time, you’ll realize you haven’t lost him.”

Jisung silently nods his head, letting silence fall between you two. He appreciates you offering your advice, and he can’t explain how relieved he feels knowing you think he’s only sad because he lost a best friend. He’s also thankful he doesn’t have to go through this alone. He’s glad Jaemin made him befriend you.

“Thank you, y/n.”

You glance over at him, smiling softly before looking back out at the water. “Eat your ice cream before it melts.”

---

This has got to be the weirdest situation you’ve been in in a long time.

Jaemin, and his soulmate Ki, decided to have a “bonding breakfast” with her and her group of friends. So now, you and Jisung are sitting at a picnic table with her three friends while Ki and Jaemin make pancakes.

You and Jisung exchange a look as the three girls on the opposite side of the table continue to talk to each other. They had started off including you in the conversation, but they had somehow trailed off to some inside story that you and Jisung had no choice but to listen.

“So uh,” you start once you notice their conversation come to an end. “Do you guys live far from here?”

“Oh no,” Gaeun, a girl with short hair and a dazzling smile, answers. “We live like thirty minutes away. How far out are you guys?”

“We’re like three hours or so away,” you answer, nodding your head. After a few seconds of awkward smiling and eye contact, you turn around to look at Ki and Jaemin, silently wishing they would hurry up.

“So y/n, Jisung, what are your soulmate marks?” Kyungsoon, a beautiful girl who, despite the meaning of her name, was anything but mild.

“Mine is the tally mark one,” Jisung answers, and it surprises you how nonchalantly he answers.

If your past said anything, it was that, normally, this question wouldn’t bother you. In any other situation, one where your soulmate isn’t literally sitting right next to you, you would have been the first person to ask this very question.

But because your soulmate is sitting next to you, and he doesn’t know you’re soulmates, you find yourself freezing at the question.

“I-uh I don’t know mine yet,” you answer, rubbing your wrist under the table. After all, for the majority of your life, it wasn’t a lie.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kyungsoon says, and you smile softly at the sincerity in her voice. “Maybe your mark is something like Ki’s, and you’ll know it when you see them.”

“Yeah, maybe. How about you guys?”

“Oh, I actually met my soulmate when I was in my last year of high school,” Kyungsoon gushes. She reminds you a lot of yourself, and given your current soulmate situation, it’s nice to see someone as romantic as yourself. “He’s the nicest man I’ve ever met. And he knows how to cook! Which, for me, is a lifesaver. I can’t cook to save my life.”

“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you Kyungsoon.”

She smiles brightly. “Thanks y/n! I bet you guys will find your soulmates soon.”

Jisung laughs, drawing your attention away from the girl opposite you.

“Jisung?”

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes with a bitter smile. “I just don’t know if I’m ready to meet my soulmate, and I don’t know if I ever will be. I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to interrupt. Soulmate conversations are just hard for me to have.”

“What? What do you mean?” you ask. You’re not sure if you want to hear what he has to say; the message was pretty clear the first time around. There is still a small sliver of hope that says maybe you’ve misunderstood.

“I just don’t know if I ever want to meet my soulmate,” he repeats, shrugging before he turns to look at Kyungsoon  “That’s not to say I’m not happy for you, because I am. I’m just one of those people who doesn’t think a soulmate is for them.”

The other girls nod their heads, saying something about how they can understand that. You can hear them talking, but the only thing that processes in your head is that if Jisung found out who you are, he wouldn’t want anything to do with you.

“My parents were like that too,” Lian, a quiet girl who is by far the calmest member of their group, adds. “They met when my dad was in China studying abroad and had me a year after they graduated; despite not being married or soulmates. When I was six or so, my dad found his soulmate when he was back here on a visit. I’m not saying this to force you to find your soulmate, but just keep in mind that if you chose to live like that, nothing is certain.”

Jisung smiles softly, nodding his head in acknowledgment. “Having a soulmate who values you isn't certain either.”

After his statement, a silence settles over the table. It takes everything in you not to continue to stare at him. You can feel the awkward atmosphere, and normally you would do something to try and fix it. Right now though, you can’t bring yourself to even care. All your thoughts are centered on the fact that Jisung doesn’t seem to want anything to do with you.

“Pancakes are ready!”

---

Jaemin isn’t quite sure what happened.

The breakfast had been nice. It was fun getting to know Ki and her friends better while also hanging out with his own. After they had walked back to their camp, you, Jisung, and he packed up the camp.

It is now twenty minutes into the drive, and he could tell something had happened. On the drive here, you and Jisung had fought over the passenger seat. The car ride had been filled with conversation, and he thought the drive had passed relatively quickly.

Now though, Jisung had silently taken the back seat, and after the first five minutes, the conversation between you and him had mostly stopped. He tried to pick it up again, but he knows when people aren’t in the mood to talk.

“Hyung, can we stop at the next rest stop? I have to use the bathroom,” Jisung quietly asks from the backseat.

“Yeah, of course,” he answers, smiling into the rearview mirror.

Jisung isn’t looking at him and is instead gazing blankly out the window. It hurt Jaemin, the way Jisung had asked the question. He has never heard Jisung use that tone of voice with him. He sounded so hollow.

When they got to the rest stop, Jisung practically jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped.

“Should we go buy some snacks?” He suggests, looking over to you.

You nod your head, unbuckling your seat belt. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Jaemin hates this situation. Yes, there is something wrong with Jisung. But now, as you’re walking into the store, he sees something is wrong with you too. He feels helpless because he has no idea what even happened, and no one is telling him anything.

“Do you, uh, do you know what’s wrong with Jisung?” he asks nervously, sending a quick text to Jisung telling him where you are.

You wait a few seconds to answer, which he takes as you definitely know what’s wrong with his best friend. Again, it hurts him that his best friend, and now you, are hiding something from him.

“Yeah, I do,” you start slowly, and he can tell you’re hesitant to tell him. “I don’t know if I should be telling you this, so don’t tell him I told you. But I think he just feels threatened by Ki. I think he’s worried you’ll replace him.”

Jaemin nods his head, taking in a deep breath. Why does there have to be a downside to one of the happiest moments of his life? He’s been looking forward to this day since he heard the song Daddy Issues by The Neighbourhood five years ago at his music club in high school.

Like most people in the club, he was shocked when the title had been translated into Korean. He felt almost embarrassed for the girl that brought it up, worried that she would be judged by the other members—despite them being the nicest people he’s ever met.

But when she explained that the song was about the lead singer struggling to deal with his dad’s death and about how he loved the girl for her problems, he was able to see why she loved the song. The idea that a person could love someone else for their problems was magical to him.

That was when he decided he was looking forward to meeting his soulmate. He knows that just because people are soulmates that doesn’t mean they don’t have their problems. That being said, soulmates are made for each other, and he wants someone who is made for him, who will love him for his problems.

“I appreciate you telling me, even if Jisung didn’t want me to know. I’ll talk to him about it when we get back.”

You nod your head, picking up a bag of chips. “I’ll just have these. Are you getting anything?”

He shakes his head, picking up a bag of chips he’s seen Jisung eat many times. “I’ll just get something for Jisung. He texted saying he didn’t want anything and is going to wait in the car. But I know him better. Hey y/n?”

You hum in response. Despite the minimal response, he’s glad you didn’t seem to mind his quick change in topic.

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean? There’s nothing wrong.”

“I don’t know. You just seem … different. Did Ki and her friends make it awkward or uncomfortable for you?”

“Oh no,” you shake your head, sending him a small smile before mindlessly looking at the different snacks. But the look on your face seemed tired—and not from a lack of sleep. “I just hate long car rides. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Ki and her friends, but it’s a bit tiring for me to socialize with people I don’t know that well first thing in the morning.”

“Oh, okay. Well, thank you for doing that for me. It means a lot.”

You smile softly, nodding your heads towards the cashier. “You don’t need to thank me. I enjoyed talking with them.”

Jaemin smiles, following you to the cash register. “Well, the snacks are on me, as a thank you.”

You smile softly in thanks before turning and watching as the cashier scans the items.

He doesn’t know you as well as he knows Jisung, but he thinks you’re lying. He knows when to push, and right now, before a two-hour drive, is not the time to push.

“Ready to go home?” he asks, handing you your bag of chips.

You smile tiredly, nodding your head in response. He smiles back, trying to ignore the sadness in your eyes.

---

“Hey, how was your trip,” Chenle asks after you exchange hellos.

“It was fun!” You lean back against the kitchen counter, crossing your legs. “It was nice having some time with them outside of school.”

“Oh, I bet. Anything fun happen? Any bear attacks?”

You snort, rolling your eyes. “You know it! There were five bear attacks.”

“Wow, that little? Normally it’s in the twenties. How lucky you three were.”

“I know right! And on top of not being attacked by a bear, Jaemin met his soulmate.”

The line goes silent, and you almost feel bad for changing the mood so fast. But Chenle’s your best friend, he’s always there for you, and you’re always there for him.

“Is Jisung okay,” he asks softly.

You shrug your shoulders. “He’s as okay as you can imagine.”

“And how about you? Are you okay?”

You sigh, rubbing your free hand over your face. “You know, in full honesty, I was happy. I mean, this was my chance to show him how worthy I am of being his soulmate. This was my chance, Chenle.”

“Then what?”

“Then he said he doesn’t want to meet his soulmate.”

He sighs, and you squeeze your eyes shut.

“I know I have this conversation with you all the time,” you take a deep breath and push back the tears in your eyes, “but why does this have to happen to me? I like to think that I’m a nice person, so why doesn’t my soulmate want me? I just-this isn’t fair.”

“Y/n no,” he coos softly. “It’ll be okay.”

“How Chenle, how? Because the person I have been waiting my whole life for just said he didn’t want me.”

“Y/n you were worried about the same thing when you found out about Jaemin. That turned out okay and so will this.”

In any other situation, you would appreciate his optimism.

“Come on, Chenle. I appreciate you listening to me, don’t get me wrong, but do you really think this will be okay? I mean, he said he didn’t want to meet his soulmate at all. Last time, you told me it would be okay because I had a place in his heart that couldn’t be filled. Now, though, I’m trying to win a place in his heart. He doesn’t even want me, Chenle.”

You take a deep breath, squeezing your eyes shut. You hate everything about this situation. You have never liked drama, and ever since you met Jisung, your life has gotten more dramatic.

But he’s your soulmate; you love him.

“Okay y/n, listen. I know that right now, it seems impossible. But you believe in soulmates, right?”

You blink your eyes in shock. “Chenle I- yeah, of course, I do.”

“Then there’s your answer. He is your soulmate, y/n. He was made from the same star as you, and you have been with him for every single one of your past lives and will continue to be with him for your next lives. So maybe in this life, you guys just have a long story.”

You sigh, wiping your eyes. “Why me, though? I like to think I’ve been a good person, so why does my happy ending have to take so long?”

He laughs, and you can imagine he’s leaning back against the wall next to his bed. “Life has not been easy to us, has it?”

You chuckle, thinking about all the times you would stay at Chenle’s when your parents were too busy to look after you, or vice versa. High school had been the worst for both of you. It was when your parents decided you were old enough to look after yourselves and they could start taking more time-consuming projects.

You chuckle. “No, no, it wasn’t.”

“Do you remember that time when both our parents were gone, and you called me to come over because you were just having a horrible day? To be more specific, it was the first time I used the key to your house that you gave me. I opened the door, and the first thing I said was ‘sit down, I’m going to make you the best dinner you’ve ever had.’”

You chuckle. “Yeah, I remember. I’d had the worst day ever, and you put marina sauce on bread with cheese on top and called it pizza after cooking it in the oven.”

“And it was the best dinner of your life.”

“Whatever floats your boat.”

“You’re just in denial. Anyways, my point is, you’re going to be okay. You didn’t have parents around every day like most kids, but you came out just fine. And if your soulmate isn’t someone who sticks around every day, you’ll be okay too. There are other options.”

You scoff. You know what the other options are. They’re dating apps and bars made specifically for people whose soulmates had died or rejected them. Just like when you first read about your mark, you pitted the people who went there. And now, that person might be you.

“I know those options don’t seem very desirable, but if that’s what has to happen, then that’s what happens.”

“You’re right. I’m overthinking things.” You know you’re not unreasonably overthinking things; Chenle just has a way of seeing things simply. This is your soulmate, after all, the person you’ve been dying to meet since you could form a coherent thought.

“No, not really. I just have an outside perspective, so it’s easier for me to be objective,” he replies cheekily.

You smile, rolling your eyes at his attitude. “I raised you better than this.”

“Obviously not. How does it feel to fail?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

—-

“I’m sorry, what?”

To say Jisung is nervous would be an understatement.

This morning, you had sent him and Jaemin a text telling them they had to meet you at this café they had never heard of and that it was important. He had been the last to arrive, but judging from the fact Jaemin was still looking at the menu, he isn’t too late. He decided to sit next to you, and he tried to ignore the little glance Jaemin sent him over the menu.

It has been a month since Jaemin found his soulmate, and Jisung is still having a hard time adjusting. He knows Jaemin isn’t dumb, and he knows Jaemin noticed something was off about him. He just can’t force himself to be around him and act like everything is normal. It hurt too much.

“Listen, I know it’s fast,” you explain. “But my friend is coming back from China, and he didn’t tell me until this morning. He’s a very spontaneous person, and he said he wanted to meet you guys, and I was so excited at the fact that he’s back in the country that I just said yes.”

Jaemin chuckles, shaking his head slightly as he slides the menu across to him. “How come we’ve never heard of him? I didn’t even know you had a friend in China”

“Neither did I,” he adds, picking up the menu to see what drinks they have. Since he hadn’t known he was going to be meeting you today, he had already eaten.

“Okay, yes, but I have mentioned him to you, Jisung. He was the friend I was talking to when you scared me at the store.”

Jisung nods his head, not looking away from the menu. He remembers that friend, the friend who sounded like your soulmate but wasn’t. The fact that he’s about to meet someone so close to you without knowing anything about him worries him. What if he says something stupid to make your friend hate him, causing you to hate him?

“Fine, let me revise. Why haven’t I heard of him?” Jaemin asks, and Jisung can tell he’s smiling.

“Oh, I don’t know,” you look down towards your wrist before looking back up. “He just never came up, I guess.”

“Fine, then what is his—”

“Y/n?”

You and Jisung turn towards the voice before his attention is quickly drawn to you shooting out of your seat to hug a boy with light brown hair. “Chenle! Welcome back.”

Setting down the menu, Jisung slides out of his seat as quietly as he can and into the vacant seat next to Jaemin. Jaemin smiles softly at him, and Jisung quickly flashes him a smile before bringing his attention back to you and Chenle.

“It’s good to be back,” Chenle answers, and Jisung smiles softly at the way he hugs you tightly.

“I see you dyed your hair brown again,” you smile, backing out of the hug and ruffling his hair.

He smiles back at you, rolling his eyes. “I was telling Xiulan how much you liked my brown hair, and I realized how much I liked my brown hair, so I brought it back.”

You laugh, and Jisung notices how much happier you seem. “Well, you look nice. Now, before we make my friends uncomfortable,” you turn to face Jisung and Jaemin, your wide smile still present, “Chenle, this is Jaemin and Jisung. Jaemin and Jisung, this is my best friend, Chenle.”

“It’s nice to meet you two. Y/n has told me a lot about you both,” he says as you both sit down. Chenle smiles at them both, but Jisung notices the way his eyes linger on him longer than Jaemin.

Jisung smiles shyly back, breaking eye contact out of nervousness. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you too. But I can’t say y/n has told me a lot about you. This is actually the first time I’m hearing about you,” Jaemin greets, and he doesn’t miss the teasing smile Jaemin sends you.

“What? Are you ashamed of me or something?” Chenle asks, poking you on the arm.

“Oh, you know it,” you respond, wacking his hand, “I knew they wouldn’t want to hang out with me if they knew I hung out with someone like you.”

Jisung and Jaemin chuckle softly at the bickering. It might be too early to tell, but Jisung is willing to bet with Chenle here, he’s going to see a new side of you.

---

“Thank you, sir,” Jisung thanks, handing the cab driver the amount owed.

Jisung isn’t sure he can do this. Sure, it had been fun hanging out with Chenle, and, at the time, he thought it would be fun to hang out with him again.

Now that he was standing in front of a house he has never been to, with the intention to go in and watch a movie with you and someone he met this morning, he’s having second thoughts.

Despite it being hard to be around Jaemin, he wishes more than anything that he was standing next to him now. Had he known Jaemin wasn’t able to make it, he probably wouldn’t have accepted. Maybe it was his own fault for being slightly distant from Jaemin recently, but he used to know when Jaemin was busy and when he wasn’t.

Sighing, he pulls out his phone and presses on your contact. “I’m here y/n,” he says as soon as you pick up.

You chuckle. “Hello to you too. Chenle's on the third floor, apartment 311.”

“Okay, see you soon.”

Sighing again, he hangs up the phone, shoving it back into his pocket before he pulls the door open. Tapping his finger against each other as he walks to the elevator, he pushes against the feeling that something bad is going to happen. He should have brought something, a gift of some kind. Isn’t it rude to show up at someone’s house without a gift of some kind?

Shaking his head, he pushes the up button on the elevator, stepping in a second later.

“It’ll be okay, Jisung,” he mumbles to himself, watching the red number at the top change. “Y/n’s there, and they won’t put you in an uncomfortable position. You’ll be fine.”

He finds himself repeating the last three words as the elevator dings open, and he begins walking in what he assumes to be the right direction. Judging by how the numbers on the door kept increasing, he’d say he made the right decision.

Soon, he finds himself in front of the door with 311 posted on the front. Taking a deep breath, he brings his fist up and knocks on the door three times.

“Welcome to the-“ Chenle announces as he opens the door.

“Lee household,” y/n finishes. Judging from the confused glance Chenle sends you, that wasn’t part of the plan.

“Thank you for inviting me here,” he responds, slowly walking into the room and placing his shoes with the others. “Are you sure I’m not overstepping? I’m sure you want to spend some time with your family.”

“Oh, don’t worry, you’re not,” Chenle answers, closing the door behind him and walking to the left.”My parents don’t get back for another two days. Your company is welcome.”

“What about me,” y/n responds. “I’m literally sleeping in the room across from yours. Am I not enough company for you?”

Chenle pokes his head from around the corner, looking you up and down, before shaking his head and letting out a simple, “Nah.”

You gasp dramatically, and Jisung watches in amusement as Chenle disappears behind the corner again.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy?" you huff, leaning against the wall as you wait for Jisung to remove his shoes. "You're friends with someone for as long as you can remember, and this is how he treats you. Make a mental note, Jisung men aren't worth it."

Jisung chuckles. "Yeah, I'll be sure to remember that. I'm sure it'll help me tons in my life, you know, being a guy and all."

"Glad you agree! Now come this way, and follow me to the semi comfy couch."

"What did you say about my couch?" Chenle asks, watching as you both walk into the room.

"That's it's semi comfy," you answer, taking a seat next to him. "Ready to start?" you ask, patting the spot next to you and looking up at him.

“I’m just going to go to the bathroom first,” Jisung says awkwardly.

“Okay, it’s just down that hall and to the right. You’ll find it,” y/n answers, pointing to a hall on the other side of the room.

He walks towards the hallway, checking over his shoulder once to make sure he is going in the right direction. When you nod in reassurance, he turns the corner and is met with a short hallway with two doors. Pushing an already open door he assumes to be the bathroom further open, he’s met with a white bathroom.

“My mom would be so jealous of this room,” he mumbles to himself, closing the door behind him.

Coming out of the bathroom, he finds himself face to face with a photo of what he assumes to be Chenle’s family. Above the picture, the words “种 family” are printed in black letters.

Jisung tilts his head to the side in confusion. He can’t say for sure, but from what he remembers from the Hanja lessons at school, 种 doesn’t translate to Lee.

He doesn’t know what it translates to, so he takes a photo of it to check later. He feels like he’s overstepping, especially since Chenle invited him into his home despite only meeting him this morning. It just doesn't sit right with him; why would you lie to him?

“Y/n,” He hears Chenle whisper as he walks closer. The rest of the conversation is continued in fast English, making it hard to follow. Not that he’s trying to eavesdrop.

His presence in the room causes the conversation to end, and he freezes a second as they both look over at him. He smiles shyly, quickly walking towards the couch and taking the seat next to you.

“Ready to start?”

“Yeah, what are we watching?”

“Hope you like horror, Jisung, because that’s our favorite genre to watch together,” Chenle answers, scrolling through the movies on Netflix.

“Of course, if it really makes you uncomfortable, we can watch something else,” you add, smiling softly at him over your shoulder.

Jisung looks at the movie on the screen, a movie called Hush. “Um no, horror is good. I haven’t watched too many horror movies, so it’ll be nice to find out if I like them or not.”

“Good!” Chenle cheers, pressing play. “Then off we go!”  

--

“We’re soulmates.”

You blink back at him, the smile dropping off your face. “How’d you know?”

“You knew, didn’t you.”

Normally, Jisung isn’t this forward. He liked to word things carefully and do anything in his power to avoid confrontation. Normally, instead of meeting you outside your dorm building, he would’ve met you at a café or a park. Right now, however, he is too annoyed to take the time to be polite. You had lied to him.

You nod your head. “How did you find out?”

“There was a photo of Chenle and his family that said ‘Zhong family.’” He rolls up his sleeve to show you his tally mark. “Knowing that, the ZCL wasn’t too hard to understand. You really went on a date with your best friend?”

Your eyebrows raise in shock, and Jisung only barely notices the sharp tone in his voice. “Are you judging me?”

“No, no, I just better understand how you were able to give me such good advice about Jaemin.”

You laugh. “Listen, I don’t know why you’re being like this but you have no right. I have never had any interest in dating Chenle. I was able to give you that advice because while I may not love Chenle how you love Jaemin—which is fine, by the way—I do love him.”

Jisung is taken back with embarrassment. He feels naked now that you know about this part of him, and for a moment, he’s worried you’ll ridicule him. How did you even know? He hasn’t told anyone and he thinks he’s been relatively discrete about it. Then it clicks. You’re his soulmate. Again, he finds himself hating soulmates. If it weren’t for this, no one would know.

“You-you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You sigh. “Jisung, I’m—”

“Y/n,” he interrupts, his embarrassment fueling his anger. “I can’t see you anymore.”

“Wait,” you laugh humorlessly. “Let me get this straight, you’re deciding you can’t be around me anymore because I’m the person you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with?”

“You don’t understand,” Jisung sighs. Despite the embarrassment, he knows he isn’t in the right to be annoyed or angry; but you don’t understand what he’s trying to do and it's furthering his annoyance. He’s trying to help you.

“You’re right, I don’t. Because there isn’t anything to understand. But please, tell me what you think I need to understand.”

“I don’t need to explain this to you, so if you can’t understand I’m sorry. But I never liked the idea of soulmates, okay? My parents are soulmates and they didn’t fit well together, they still don’t. There is nothing certain about them, so why do I have to spend my life looking for this one person when I don’t even know who they are? I want to get to know the person before I decide if I want to spend my life with them. Not because I’m supposed to be with them.”

You scoff. “You’re being selfish and contradicting your own logic. You got to know me before you found out we are soulmates.”

“Selfish?” he laughs. “How am I being selfish?”

“Because you’re deciding you’re more important than I am. You’re deciding that your feelings of ‘oh, my parents failed as soulmates so me and y/n will fail too’ is more important than anything I have to say. Instead of considering my side, which is, ‘I understand that Jisung is afraid, but I’m willing to work with him to realize it doesn’t have to go the way he thinks it will.’”

He scoffs. “I hardly think that’s being selfish.”

“Oh, you don’t? I’ve waited my whole life to meet my soulmate, and when I did, I found out he wants nothing to do with me. So you know what I do? I put my feelings aside, and I decide I’m going to prove to you that I’m worthy of being your soulmate. That if you still don’t want me after I’ve given my all, then I’ll respect your wishes and you’ll never have to think of me as your soulmate again. But you, you weren’t thinking about me when you decided this, and you’re still not thinking about me. If not selfish, then what?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not going to let you talk to me like this. We can talk more when you’re calmed down.”

You nod your head. “Okay, you do that. My words may be harsh, and maybe I could have worded this better, but none of it is false. So you go, think about what I said, and let me ‘calm down.’ Then later, you’re going to decide how you want this relationship to continue for the time being. Because I love you, Jisung, and I’m not going to give up on you yet. But if you come to me tomorrow and decide you don’t want me right now, then I’m done chasing after you for the time being. I need a break from being second best.”  

You and Jisung look at each other in silence before he takes a deep breath and turns away from you, quickly walking away from your dorm building.

---

When he gets back to his room, he quickly throws himself face-first onto his bed. He still can’t believe the conversation he just had with you. How could you not understand? He was trying to help you; he was trying to save you from a forced relationship.

Sighing, he flips around onto his back and pulls his phone out of his back pocket. Opening his contacts, he scrolls until he finds the one he’s looking for. Jaemin’s contact.

He knows he has been distant towards Jaemin, and he feels bad that he’s only starting to get close to him again because he needs his advice. Better now than never, right?

“Jisung!” Jaemin exclaims as soon as he picks up. “What’s up?”

“I was hoping I could talk to you about something.”

“Yeah, of course. What is it?”

Jisung sighs, the conversation still fresh in his mind. “Y/n and I are soulmates. They knew we’re soulmates and they didn’t even tell me.”

The line goes silent, and Jisung can imagine his friend is having a hard time deciding what he should say. “How do you feel about that?”

Jisung shrugs his shoulders, putting the phone on speaker before laying it on top of his chest. “Just as you imagine I would. I never wanted to meet my soulmate, and now I find out my soulmate is one of my best friends. How is that fair?”

“Well,” Jaemin starts slowly, and Jisung can tell he’s still having a hard time picking his words. “I can say that if I were in your shoes, I’d be happy. Not that I’m not happy with Ki, she seems very nice, I just mean it would’ve been even better had I been friends with her before.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jisung sighs. “You know me, and you know about my parents. So you know why I don’t want my soulmate. I’ve said this many times before, but there isn’t anything certain about soulmates so why should I have to spend my life with them?”

“Did you tell them that?”

“Yeah, I did. I told y/n I couldn’t see them anymore, and they then proceeded to call me selfish.” He complains.

“How so?”

“They said that by deciding that I didn’t want to meet my soulmate, I was only considering my feelings and not theirs. Which is something I decided when I was like 10, so I hardly think that qualifies as selfish. Plenty of people decide they want to meet their soulmates at 10 and they aren’t called selfish.”

Jisung can’t hide how annoyed he is. He knows he should try and explain things a bit more, or mention how you had been calm at first until he started arguing. But he didn’t want Jaemin to side with you. Even if he is wrong, which he can’t understand how he could be, he doesn’t want Jaemin to say it. He just wants someone on his side right now.

“Well that in itself isn’t selfish. Is that what they said was selfish?” “Well, no. They said I was selfish for not considering their point of view; by not giving us a try. But there is no us,” he laughs, “We’re not even dating! Why should I have to give us a try when, a, I never wanted to meet my soulmate, and b, I don’t have romantic feelings towards them right now. How is it selfish to not want to go on a date?”

“Of course it isn’t. I think they just mean it’s selfish not to look at their point of view. If y/n didn’t tell you right away, that must mean they were considering it might be fast for you and chose to wait. I think they’re just hoping you’ll do the same.”

“But why do I have to give up this thing that I’ve held so close to me since I was little. I watched my dad treat my mom like she wasn’t the person ‘made from the same star’ as he was. He acted like we were just there. Which, yeah, I guess I should be glad he never physically hurt us. Jaemin, he doesn’t care about us. And I’m worried that if I find my soulmate—who is y/n, a friend—then we’re just going to end the same way. I mean, I may not like it, but half of me is from my dad. What if the same thing that is in him, the thing that makes him not care, has passed down to me and by the time y/n realizes it, it’s too late for them to leave. So I don’t think it’s fair that y/n thinks I’m being selfish when I’ve said everything I’ve said for them. It isn’t fair.”

Jisung takes a deep breath. He hadn’t expected to talk to Jaemin about this, but he’s glad he is. While he may not be able to talk to Jaemin about everything—mostly him being bisexual—he is glad he can talk to him about soulmates. Frankly, nothing scares him more than meeting his soulmate. It made him think about his dad; made him wonder how much like him he really was.

“So this is a fear thing, you know that right?”

“Well, no, not exactly,” Jisung pauses, thinking over what he just said before sighing. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

“Okay, then I think you should tell y/n that. I imagine they would be willing to work with you on that.”

“I don’t know if I want to do that.”

Jisung can imagine he’s tilting his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I don’t want to work through it. This particular thing has never been a problem for me until now. And it’s only a problem because it’s my soulmate. So if I just keep my distance from them—like I said I would—then I don’t have to fix myself.”

This, Jisung knows, is extremely selfish. But he doesn’t care. Why should he have to change who he is because he’s scared of one person? Why can’t he just save himself time and avoid the root of this fear?

“Jisung,” Jaemin sighs. “Do I have to tell you what’s wrong with that?”

“No, you don’t. I just don’t understand why I have to be the adult and change my whole way of thinking for this one person.”

“Y/n isn’t just a person, they’re your friend. Relationships are the same thing as friendships; you have to work together in order for them to work. Now, I don’t know everything about the situation, but from what you’ve told me and from what I’ve seen, they’ve been trying to work with you. Don’t you think it’s fair that you work with them as well?”

Jisung sighs again, bringing his hands up to rub his face. His annoyance is gone and it’s been replaced with tiredness. Jaemin has a point. “I-I know what you mean. I’m just so tired.”

“Tired? Tired of what?”

“I feel like I always have to change myself. I know it isn’t a bad thing to work on yourself, I just don’t know if I have the energy to change myself even more. This year has been so hard on me; so much has changed in my life. I’m just so tired of having to change myself.”

Jaemin hums and Jisung can imagine he’s nodding his head. “Yeah, change is hard. But if you do the work now, imagine how much better you’ll be in the future. I know this is something you’ve held onto since you were young, but at the same time, y/n has had it in their mind that they’d meet their soulmate and live happily ever after. They changed their thinking and were able to accept that it wouldn’t go the way they thought it would.”

Jisung knows he’s being selfish—now that it’s being thrown back in his face. “Alright, thank you for talking with me Jaemin. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem,” Jaemin pauses, and Jisung can tell he has more to say. “And Jisung?”

He hums in response.

“It was really nice talking to you again.”

Jisung closes his eyes. “Yeah, it was nice talking. I’m sorry I’ve been so distant from you lately. Like I said, a lot has changed and it’s just been hard adjusting.”

“Well if you ever want someone to talk to about that change, I’m here for you.”

“I will, thank you Hyung.”

---

“Long time no see.”

Jisung chuckles awkwardly, looking down at his cup. “Yeah, I’m sorry it took so long for me to get back to you.”

“No, it’s okay,” you smile softly. Honestly, the three days it took for Jisung to finally message you had been filled with worry. You thought he was never going to get back to you.

“So uh, I thought about our conversation,” he starts, slowly looking up from his cup. “And I just wanted to talk some more before we … decide anything.”

You nod your head, leaning forward in your chair. “Yeah, totally. Go ahead.”

“First, I want to apologize for how I talked to you once I found out. I was hurt because you lied to me, and I was,” he pauses, shaking his head and sighing, “embarrassed you knew about me and Jaemin. So I’m sorry that I used that tone with you, and I want to know what I can do to make it up to you.”

You open your mouth to respond but nothing comes out. No one, when apologizing, had ever asked you what they could do to make it up to you. That, paired with the sincere look in his eyes, gave you butterflies, and you found yourself struggling to answer. “Um, you don’t need to do anything. The fact that you’re even asking me what you can do to make it better is enough for me. It means the world to me.”

“Okay, I’m glad,” he smiles. “But if you think of anything let me know. Now I hope you’ll be patient with me during this part. The apology part is the only thing I really prepared for, so I hope you don’t mind me rambling like an idiot.”

“No, of course not. Take your time.”

He takes a deep breath, flashing you a quick smile. “So the first thing I want to talk about is what you want from this relationship. Because you know that I’m … a little hesitant to meet my soulmate and start a romantic relationship. So where are you hoping this will go?”

“If I’m being completely honest, years down the road, I want us to be together and have a family of sorts. Whether that family is kids or dogs, cats, or hamsters, I don’t care. But I can imagine that’s scary for you, so we can take it slow if you want. We continue to stay friends until you’re ready for more.” you take a deep breath, bringing your hands up to wrap around your cup, eyes looking down into the liquid. “Or, if you can’t see yourself even being around me, I can try and get used to the idea that you truly don’t want me. But I meant what I said, I don’t want to give up on you yet. I’ll give you some space and time, and then I’ll try again.”

Jisung nods his head, an emotion you think could only be ununderstanding clouding his eyes. “And this might be weird, but you said you loved me? Do you really?”

You nod your head. “Yeah, I’ve loved you since I was little. As soon as I was able to comprehend soulmates, I knew I loved you. And when I met you, before I found out we were soulmates, I thought you were cute. The way you were so nervous about having dropped that coffee on me was precious and reminded me of myself, and it just made my day better overall. When I found out we were soulmates, it was the first day we went out—all three of us to your friend's dad’s restaurant—was so sad because you loved someone else. I still loved you though it didn’t change how I felt about you. Then once I got to actually know you, my feelings were confirmed? I don’t know, that sounds weird. I just had this faith that you would be a good person, and once I met you, I was sure I was right.”

He blinks at you. “But-but I don’t understand. And maybe it’s because I never intended to meet my soulmate, but how could you love this person you’ve never met?”

You shrug your shoulders. “I don’t think everyone thinks the way I do. I think if you asked Jaemin or Chenle if they loved their soulmate before they met them, they’d say no. It’s just a me thing. I have faith that the universe put us together for a reason, and because we’re connected, I’m going to love you. Had you turned out to be a jerk, I probably wouldn’t love you now. But you’re a nice kid, Jisung, so I still have that love for you. I hope I don’t sound too weird.”

“No, no, you don’t,” he quickly denies. “It’s just I grew up watching two people—two soulmates—not love each other. I mean, my dad didn’t even seem to care most of the time. So I grew up thinking that soulmates didn’t work out like people said they did.”

“I’m sorry, that must’ve been hard.”

“It was what it was. I mean, that isn’t something I normally tell people, but I want you to understand I’m not doing it to hurt you. So can we stay friends? I’m not saying we’ll never be together. Right now, it’s just hard for me to say that I’m ready to be my soulmate’s other half.”

For a second, neither of you says anything. You can tell he’s nervous, and you mentally applaud him for keeping his composure. “Of course, I don’t mind staying friends, Jisung. Whatever you need to do.”

He lets out a relieved sigh before he pushes himself up from his chair and walks over to awkwardly hug you. “Thank you for understanding.”

You hug him back, gently squeezing him. He’s the love of your life; what’s the rush?

—-

“Y/n will you please come to the lounge of my dorm?”

“Yeah, sure. Is everything okay? You sound off.”

“I’ll explain when you get here. I just need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay, I’m on my way. I’ll be there in like 5 minutes.”

Once the line goes dead, Jisung leans back in the chair, running a hand over his face.

Jisung isn’t sure why he called you. In the past three months since he told Jaemin about you being his soulmate, they had slowly become normal. Jisung will still get pangs of sadness now and again when thinking about Ki and Jaemin, but it’s better than before. Since he and Jaemin are okay again, why didn’t he call him? He’s who he would normally call.

“Jisung, hey. What’s wrong?” You greet as you set your bag down and sit in the chair across from him.

“My dad died.”

He watches as you freeze before you blink slowly. “I’m so sorry.”

He shrugs his shoulders, averting his eyes to look out the window. “I didn’t even know him that well, you know? And then my mom calls me crying and tells me that he died because of a drunk driver.” He takes a deep breath. “I guess I just thought one of these days, when I’m older, I’ll finally get to know why he never bothered to stay around when I was growing up. That I’ll be able to tell him how well I’m doing despite how little he was around, and he’ll tell me that he’s sorry.” Jisung chuckles, shaking his head. He can feel tears start to well behind his eyes. “If you had known him, you would know that’s so unrealistic. Just a fantasy.”

Your face softens, and you nod your head. “That’s not a dumb thing to wish for. I don’t blame you for wanting your dad to show that he loves you.”

He nods, biting his lip. “All my life, I’ve never thought of myself as lacking. My mom was all I needed, and I didn’t need a man to teach me how to be one. But now that he’s dead, it just hurts. And I don’t know why it hurts, and I think that’s why I feel as upset as I do.”

Jisung looks at you with what he can only imagine are pleading eyes. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, he just hopes you have it.

“I’ll be honest, Jisung, I don’t know what to say. Both my parents were as loving as they could have been, despite being gone a lot. If I had to guess, though, it hurts because even if you weren’t close with your dad, he’s still half of you. He was also in your life every day.”

Jisung nods his head once before tipping his head back. Just yesterday, if you asked him about his dad, he wouldn’t have hesitated to say said he didn’t want to talk about it. He wouldn’t even feel bad saying he was a jerk.

Now that he’s dead, he doesn’t know what he can say. Of course, he isn’t going to lie and say he was a great dad, but something feels unresolved.

“I think I feel guilty,” he admits, bringing his eyes back to focus on you.

“About what?”

“I feel guilty that he died, maybe thinking I hated him.” He shuts his eyes as a few tears escape his eyes, and he quickly wipes them. “I don’t hate him.”

A silence sets over you two, and Jisung suddenly realizes how unfair it is of him to suddenly dump this on you.

“I’m sorry-“

“I didn’t know your dad,” you say, cutting him off, “so I can’t say for sure what he thought. Even if I had met him, I wouldn’t be able to say. But unless he was completely delusional, then he was able to see what a good kid you are. If he saw that, then he’d know you didn’t hate him. You should talk to your mom about it. She knows your dad better than anyone—I mean, assuming you’re not close to his parents.”

“Yeah, okay. Would you-would you come with me? When I go back home later today?”

You nod your head. “My last class ends at 2:30 pm. Can you wait until then?”

Jisung nods his head. He’s stopped crying, but he can imagine his eyes look glossed over. “Yeah. I’m not going today so I can meet you outside your class. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, let me just send you the classroom number so you remember where it is,” you respond, pulling out your phone. His eyes are drawn to your wrist and to the black line drawn across it.

He’s noticed that recently you have stopped hiding it. Before, you used to wear long sleeves or cover it with make-up. It was weird seeing the initials of his ex-girlfriend written in black across your skin. Next to the black line is the scar with Jaemin’s initials.

“I’m sorry.”

You tilt your head to the side, setting your phone on the table in front of you. “Oh, I don’t mind. I’m happy to come back with you and be there for you. You’re someone I really care about.”

“No, not that. I don’t know why I wasn’t more specific about that. I just mean, I’m sorry about the scar on your arm. From me.”

You raise your hand, twisting it around to look at the scar on the inside of your wrist. “You can’t help who you fall in love with,” you whisper, dropping your wrist. Taking a deep breath, you smile at him, hoping to show that it doesn’t bother you as much anymore. “It’s okay. The actual scar didn’t hurt for long.”

“Yeah, but I wish I weren’t this way. I mean, if I were normal, I wouldn’t draw attention to myself, and you wouldn’t have that scar on your wrist.”

“What do you mean ‘draw attention to yourself?'”

Jisung sighs, looking away from you. “I loved Jaemin, and I liked Gaewon. That’s different than normal. And since I’m that way, I’ll have to tell people, and then they’ll have it in the back of their mind whenever they talk to me that I like both men and women. That I’m bisexual.” He whispers the last part, not even wanting to say the word bisexual.

He’s never said the words “I’m bisexual” out loud before, and he never knew words could be so hard to say. He remembered when he finally decided on a label; he was so happy he almost cried. Here was this label that perfectly described what he felt, and here was this community of people who were telling the same story he was living.

After a few days, however, he found the joy slowly start to seep away. He identifies with the label, yes, but he hates it. Since he found out, he would go through different periods where he was okay with who he was and periods where he hated his label. His whole life, he has never wanted to stand out. Now though, he’ll stand out to anyone who knows. Which, right now, is one too many.

“If it’s any consolation, I’ve known about this side of you for as long as I’ve known we’re soulmates, and I’ve never thought of you any different because of it. You’re the same Park Jisung that spilled coffee on me. If I ever thought about you loving Jaemin, it was never thoughts of disgust or judgment. Maybe jealousy, but never judgment.”

He looks at you, watching your face for any hints of dishonesty. He sighs, averting his eyes. “Thank you y/n. I didn’t mean to talk about this today; I guess I got carried away on the emotion train. But I’ll see you at 2:30?”

You nod your head, smiling softly at him. “Yeah, sounds good. Call me or Jaemin if you need anything else.”

---

You glance over to the boy sitting next to you, nervously bouncing his leg. He seemed different than when you met him that morning; more nervous.

“Is everything okay?”

He glances over at you before returning his gaze to look out the subway window across from your seats. “I just haven’t been back in a long time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mother very much. It was just too weird with him there. But it will still be just as weird. On top of that, I’m coming back home with my soulmate who I haven’t told her is my soulmate, and I feel bad lying to her. I just feel like if I tell her, there will be some kind of pressure on us to act like traditional soulmates. Which I know is something you want, so then I circle back to feeling this pressure that isn’t even there. Now I’m stress rambling.”

You chuckle softly, shaking your head. “You’re okay, Jisung. Let’s take that apart point by point. No matter what you do, going back right now is going to be weird. But if you go now, it won’t be as stressful in the future; and that is something to look forward to. Now about us being soulmates. You don’t need to tell her if you don’t want to, but if you feel bad lying, just tell her the truth. And the truth is that we’re waiting for our relationship to develop more before we do anything else. You don’t need to feel bad about jumping straight into a relationship with me because you think that’s what I want to do. What I want to do is whatever you want to do.”

He sighs, ruffling his hair in what you assume to be stress. “But I’m worried you’re just saying that because you know that’s what I want to hear. You can be honest with me. I can take it.”

“I am being honest!” you laugh. “Trust me, Jisung, if I were the type of person to try and force you into a relationship, you’d know.”

He smiles. “Yeah, okay, I’m sorry. I’m letting the stress get to me.”

“Yes, yes you are.” You pat his knee.

---

“This is it,” Jisung whispers as you come to a stop outside an apartment door.

You turn your head to look at him, rubbing his arm in comfort. He sighs, shakily pressing in the code. He rests his hand on the handle, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open. “Mom, I’m back. I brought a friend with me too.”

“Jisung!” his mom laughs. She walks around the corner, wiping her eyes. “You should have told me you were bringing someone! I would’ve cleaned myself up a bit. Hi, I’m Jisung’s mom.”

You smile, bowing in greeting. “Don’t worry about it, Mrs. Park. You look just fine. My name is y/n.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you. But you don’t have to lie.” She smiles briefly before turning to Jisung. Her eyes start to water as soon as they meet his, and you move out of the way so she can hug him. “It’s been so long.”

“I know, mom,” he says, hugging her back. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come back.”

She pulls back, giving him an adoring smile. “Are you guys hungry? It’s around lunchtime, isn't it? Want me to make you something?”

“No, mom,” he shakes his head. “Let’s go out to eat. I imagine you need to get out of the house.”

“No, no, I’m okay,” her voice breaks, and a few more tears escape from her eyes. “Really. I’m okay.”

Your heart breaks, and you smile softly. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Park, that’s on my part. I told Jisung I wanted to take you out to eat since it’s my first time meeting you.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that.” She dabs at her eyes.

“But I want to! Your son and his friend are the only close friends I have, and I want to show you my gratitude for bringing him into this world. He really is an important person to me, and it’s important to tell people that you’re grateful for them.”

She blinks at you a few times, more tears streaming from her eyes. “That’s—thank you for saying that. As a mother, that is the best thing I could ever hear.”

You smile softly. “So you’ll let me take you and your son out to eat?”

She smiles, sniffling. “Yes, of course, I will. Let me go freshen up, and then we can go! Jisung, show our guest to the living room.”

He nods his head. “Yeah, right this way.”

You send his mom a smile before following him to the living room. He sits down on the blue couch across from the tv, patting the spot next to him.

“Thank you for covering for me. I didn’t know how I was going to come back from that,” he says softly, staring blankly ahead.

“No problem. And I meant what I said. I’ve been trying to let people know when I’m grateful for them, and I’d say I’m grateful you’re alive. It’s the least I can do, especially after her loss.”  

“That’s all?”

You tilt your head to the side, laughing at the silly question. "What do you mean ‘that’s all?' What other reason could there be?”

He smiles, shaking his head. “Nothing, never mind.”

“Okay, weirdo.”

“You know, when I was in high school, my mom and I used to watch TV here every night while we ate dinner.”

You smile softly, looking around the room. “Really? That sounds nice.”

He nods his head. “It was. She said she wished we could do family dinners, but they made her feel awkward because it was never something her family did.”

“I get that. As someone who had family dinners whenever both my parents were home, there could be some awkward dinners. Especially after a fight.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” he sighs. “We’ve always been so close, y/n, so why am I having such a hard time coming up with things to say to her?”

“Because this is an extremely hard thing to deal with,” you answer. “I don’t know what I’m going to say to one of my parents when the other one dies other than that I’m here for them. But I won’t be in the situation you’re in now. You have to figure out how to ask your mom about your dad. My parents may not have been around a lot either, but I know they loved me and I know the type of people they are.”

He leans his body against the couch, sliding down so his head is resetting against the top of the cushion. “When should I ask? Is right now too soon?”

“I don’t know, Jisung. Maybe you should spend some time with her and see where she’s at? But I don’t think waiting is going to help anything either. If you can spend the night, I would do that. Then you don’t have to feel like there’s any type of rush.”

"Would you,” he hesitates, turning his head to look at you. His eyes look so tired. “Would you be able to stay with me?”

You open your mouth, ready to tell him you have work early in the morning and would only make it if you left before they work up. But the longer you look at his eyes, the more you can tell he needs you. You smile softly, nodding your head. “You’re lucky tomorrow is Saturday. Let me just call into work and tell them a family member passed away.”

His eyes widen, and he pushes himself back into a sitting position. “No, you don’t have to do that for me.”

“Nonsense. You’re my family, so therefore he was my family. I’d do the same for Chenle or Jaemin, assuming they didn’t ask someone else. Well, I’d do it for Chenle whether he asks or not, I’m afraid I love him too much.”

He smiles, not breaking eye contact. You try to give him what you hope is a comforting smile, finding it hard not to let it turn into a shy smile. There wasn’t anything different about the way he was smiling at you—it always made your heart skip a beat.

Ever since Jisung told you he would be willing to take it slow with you, you have found that his smiles are more heart-fluttering, and his normal characteristics are more charming. For the first time in your life, you understand what it means to have a crush on someone.

"Okay, I'm ready to go!" Mrs. Park announces, walking into the room, digging around in her purse for something. "Where were you thinking of going?"

"Wherever your favorite restaurant is," you answer, pushing yourself off the couch.

She laughs. "Okay, how about we go to your favorite restaurant, Jisung? The Italian one?"

"Yeah!" Jisung answers, and you jump slightly at how unexpectedly close he was. "I haven't been there in forever."

"Italian it is then! Let's go."

--

Jisung doesn’t know what to feel.

He didn’t think he’d be able to sleep tonight. After he got the call from his mother about his dad’s death, he knew he was going to be up all night thinking about their time together and how unnecessarily mean he had been at times. Because of you, however, he had the strength to ask his mom questions he otherwise would have never asked. Because of you, he was able to hear that his father loved him the best way he knew how. That his mother had known him for a very long time, had seen his relationships with other people, and knew that his dad loved him more than anyone in the world. She showed him a box of memories his father had been saving for when he turned 21. Inside were photos of him from when he was younger.

She told him she thought he was a very sad man. She thinks he wanted to love her, but he couldn’t. She doesn’t know why, and when he asked what made her think such a thing, she just shrugged.

“I know how it looked, Jisung-ah,” she had said. “He did stay out late, he sometimes stayed out for days on end, and he felt distant from us. I know sometimes it felt like he was just this person instead of a father. Believe me, sometimes it didn’t even feel like I was married. I can’t explain it exactly, but I just got the feeling he wanted to love us but couldn’t. Maybe it was the box he made me promise to never tell you about or the new toys that would sometimes appear out of nowhere when you were a kid or the gifts that would be mailed to my office on our wedding anniversary or my birthday that makes me think this. I think he knew what was right, but he just didn’t feel those things, and I think that made it hard for him to be around us.”

While that didn’t make the past better, and he still holds a little resentment towards his dad for treating his mother so poorly, he thinks he might be able to better come to terms with his death. Even though he doesn’t know if he can say his dad was a good dad, he might be able to say he did his best.

In the end, his mom thinks his dad loved him. When he had tearfully asked her if she thought his dad thought he hated him, she told him that she doubted the thought had ever crossed his mind.

So when he set off to bed tonight, even though he wasn’t excited to share a bed with his mother—he had found out at a pretty young age that he hated sharing a bed with people—he thought he would be able to sleep tonight. That because the thoughts of his father weren’t taking up as much space in his mind as they used to, he would be okay. The thoughts of you, however, are loud enough to keep him up.

He has told himself that there can never be anything between you two because you’re soulmates. He had planned to let this continue until the end of college, where you would both go your separate ways, and he would try and let you down in a way that didn’t make you completely hate him. But lately, you’ve been turning his plan upside down.

He isn’t sure when exactly the plan started to go astray, but he does know that today was the wake-up call he needed to see things weren’t going how he planned. Maybe it was because of how emotional today was that he is suddenly feeling a strong pull towards you. He just knows that the way you helped him with his mom, the way you dropped everything to stay the night with him, and the way you constantly made him feel loved makes him want to spend every second of the day with you.  

“Shit,” he whispers, quickly covering his mouth and turning his head to see if he woke his mother up.

Falling for someone has never scared him before. Granted, he doesn’t have that much experience, the two times he had done it hadn’t scared him. Sure, falling for Jaemin had been worrying at times, but it never scared him. This—you—terrified him.

He wasn’t supposed to catch feelings for you. Hell, he wasn’t even supposed to meet you. Jisung sighs, flipping onto his other side and hugging the blanket closer to himself. He focuses on the warmth of his mother next to him and on trying to hear her breathing. He’ll deal with this tomorrow.

---

“Good morning dear, y/n made breakfast.”

Jisung freezes in place, looking between you and his mom sat at the small dining table.

“There’s some food in the pan on the stove. Grab a bowl and come join us,” his mom suggests, pulling out the chair between you two and smiling up at him.

He slowly nods his head, looking between you both once again before turning around towards the pan. “What is it?”

“It’s eggs and tomato. It’s one of Chenle’s favorite dishes, and I learned how to make it the other day,” you answer. “I was told I wasn’t allowed to leave until I got the recipe down. So since I had to deal with Chenle lovingly criticizing my every move, I thought, why not try it out on you two.”  

“Chenle, that’s an interesting name. Are they your soulmate?”

“No, he’s just their friend,” Jisung answers, staring down as he sets his plate on the table and takes the seat next to his mom.

He looks up as he scoots his chair closer to the table, quickly averting his eyes as he makes eye contact with you. He doesn’t miss the strange look you give him.

“Oh, okay. Sorry I assumed. I just thought that because you knew his favorite food, you must be soulmates. But thinking about it now, he could’ve also been your sibling,” his mom laughs.

“It’s okay, Mrs. Park. He and I are very compatible—sometimes it surprises me that we aren’t soulmates.”

She laughs, reaching over to pat your hand. “Well, I’m glad to hear that you have such a good friend. Jisung here has never bothered to bring the infamous Jaemin over. I have no way of knowing if my Jisung is in good hands.”

Jisung looks at his mother, holding her stare as she smiles at him. He knows she’s trying to embarrass him; she never talks like this. He squints slightly at her—he isn’t going to let her win.

You laugh, and he breaks eye contact with his mom to look over at you.

“Having met Jaemin, I can assure you he and Jisung are just as compatible as me and Chenle. He’s a great match for Jisung.”

“Well, if you’re any indication in his choice of friends, then I’m sure he’s great. It’s been a joy getting to know you, and I really appreciate you being here for my son. Speaking of,” she turns her attention away from you and looks at him, her eyes changing from teasing to sad. “I think I’m going to spend a few weeks with my mom. It’s—” she pauses, looking around the room. “It’s too hard being here.”

Jisung tilts his head to the side, setting his spoon down. “Of course, mom. Do you need me and y/n to help you pack some stuff?”

She shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. I only ask that you stay here with me until I’m done packing. I’m used to the house being quiet, but this is too much.”

You nod your head. “Yeah, of course. When you sleep in someone’s room, you get a sense of who they really are. And I have some questions for your son.”

Jisung scrunches his nose, and before he can respond in some sarcastic way, his mother interrupts him.

“I think that’s a great idea. You guys hang out, Jisung, show your friend the photo album, and then we can all leave together!”

He nods his head, smiling softly at his mom. “Okay, yeah, that’s a good idea.”

She smiles at you two before she pushes back the chair and walks to her room. Jisung lets a silence settle between you two for a second before he takes a deep breath and picks up his bowl. “Ready to go?”

You nod your head, pushing back your chair and following him to his room.

“Was the bed comfortable?”

“Yeah, thanks again for letting me take your bed.”

He nods his head, turning the knob and pushing open the door. “No problem. You’re already doing me a huge favor by staying here with me. The least I can do is let you sleep in an actual bed. Now have a seat on the bed. There was something I wanted to show you, so this is a good chance to show you.”

You nod your head, taking a seat on his bed and crossing your legs. He sets his bowl on the ground before walking over to his dresser and pulling out a photo book from the bottom drawer. He takes a seat next to you on the bed, setting the book between you two before bending forward to pick his bowl back up.

“This is my own photo album. I don’t think my mom even knows about this one.”

You tilt your head to the side. “Why doesn’t she know about it?”

He shrugs, taking a bite of his food. “I started it as a way for me to have my own album. When I was younger, I loved looking through my mom’s photo albums, and I wanted to start one for my future kids. One day, I was going through photos with her, and she threw away some photos she didn’t like. But those photos were important to me, so when she left the room, I took them from the trash and kept them here.”

“That’s sweet, Jisung.”

He shrugs. “You can look through it.”

Jisung hasn’t looked through this album in forever. Granted, when he was younger, he only ever looked through it when adding a new photo—which wasn’t often. This time, however, until this morning, he forgot he even had this album. He watches as you flip through the album, smiling at the photos of his first cat and some photos when he went to camp.

He lets his eyes drift from the album up to you. You’re smiling down at the album, commenting on how cute he was as a kid. Sitting here with you feels like something from a movie. He is sitting with you, on his bed, him finishing his breakfast and you wearing one of his shirts and pajama pants—they were technically his dad’s, but they had been put in his room a long time ago, and he never bothered to give them back—and he’s showing you something he’s never shown anyone. It feels surreal.

He puts the spoon in his mouth without any food and lets it hang there, hand still holding onto the handle. His thoughts from last night suddenly come rushing back, and he feels slightly anxious. He's falling for you, and he is slowly accepting that. But now that he's starting to accept that, he feels anxious not telling you. At the same time, the idea of telling you makes him anxious. He inwardly sighs, why is life so hard?

“Hey, Jisung,” you say, lightly touching his arm. “Is the spoon better than the food?”

He shakes his head and takes the spoon out of his mouth. “Hum? What do you mean?”

You laugh softly. “I asked you a question, and you didn’t answer. So I looked up, and you were just sitting there with a spoon in your mouth. I tried to make a joke, but I’m not very funny.”

“Oh, no, sorry. The food was great, all of Chenle’s loving nagging paid off. It’s just a thing I do when I finish my food, and I guess I got lost in thought. What was your question?”

“I was just asking who this was,” you answer, pointing to a photo.

“Oh, that’s Eunseong, one of my mom’s old friends.” He smiles down at the photo. It was a photo of him, his mom, and Eunseong looking for a Christmas tree. “He lived with us for a while.”

“Can I ask why?”

“When I was in fifth grade, my dad got transferred down to Busan for a year. Not that my dad helped all that much, but mom thought she needed more help so she invited Eunseong to live with us for a year. I think she just wanted to have someone you know? This was one of the photos she threw out.”

“What? Even though it is none of my business, why did she do that? You all look so happy.”

“Well, he felt like I did about my dad and wanted my mom to leave him. His soulmate had died, and I think he had feelings for her. Anyways, I remember there being this argument where he said that if she didn’t leave my dad, then he was done with us. They thought I was asleep, it was like five am so I was supposed to be. I remember her crying and nothing else. But the next few days he was still there and I thought it would be okay. Then, like a week before my dad came home, they got into another fight. I’m not sure what this one was about, but it was really bad. He yelled at her, and then he just left. He just left her, crouched on the floor and bawling her eyes out. I didn’t know what to say, so I just sat there with her. I decided then that I wouldn’t miss him. He came back the next day while I was at school, grabbed his stuff, and left.”

A silence settles over you two once again, eyes never leaving the photo.

“I’m sorry,” you finally say. “That sounds hard. But why would you want to keep this photo?”

“He was still part of my life. He was only with us for one year, but he actually ate with us on the couch. And while I’ve never thought I needed a constant father figure in my life, he was the closest thing I had to one. I remember that year when we were making gifts for our parents on parents day, I told the teacher I had two dads—one stepdad and one dad,” He shakes his head, trying to get his thoughts back on track, “Anyway, the point of the story was to say that while I may not have liked him at the end, he was still an important part of my life. And I think it’s important to remember him.”

“I agree with you. I think it’s important to remember even the hurtful memories. They help us grow.”

He nods his head in agreement. “I even have some of my parents' wedding photos; despite my mother hating how she looks in them. Of course, she still has some in her albums, but none of them are out to see. I think she looks beautiful in them.”

He turns the page and finds the photo of his mom and dad at their wedding. The photo he has is one of his favorites; one where his mom and dad are standing next to their parents. He always loved this photo because his mother looked so radiant. Aside from that, the idea that there was once a time his mom and dad were happy is something he’s always dreamed about. He knew, however, that the smiles in the photos weren’t one hundred percent genuine on his mother’s part. She always mentioned how stressed she was when planning it and that she was glad she never had to do it again.

“She is beautiful,” you agree.

“My dad looks so young,” he comments quietly.

“He’s very handsome. I guess you take after him.”

“No, I don’t look like either of my parents. My mom says I have his eyes, but I’ve never been able to see it.”

“Okay, be that as it may, I was just trying to compliment you on your looks and you should take the compliment.”

You laugh softly, and normally, Jisung would’ve laughed with you. This time, he just looks at you. The more he thinks about it, the more you and Jaemin have similar characteristics. You both care for him, you both have that teasing attitude (although Jaemin is more… aggressive with his actions), and you both mean the world to him. He thought that once he found out you were his soulmate, he would realize how incompatible you two are; how unfit you two are to be a couple.

Being here with you, watching as you cared for him and his mother in little ways, has made him realize how close to perfect you two could be.

“Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry if I did.”

“No, it���s not that. I just think—”

“Hey, sorry to interrupt,” his mom says, poking her head into the room. “but I think I should let you two know I’ll be ready to leave soon so if you want to leave with me you might want to change now. Of course, you guys can stay after I leave, I just thought I’d let you two know.”

“Are you okay with leaving with her or do you want some more time to get ready?” He asks turning his attention back to you.

“We can leave with you, Mrs. Park. Let me just go get changed, I’ll do the dishes, and then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Oh you don’t have to do the dishes,” Jisung says.

“Nonsense. I’m the one who made the mess in a house that isn’t mine, I should be the one to clean it up,” you answer pushing yourself off the bed.

“Really, I don’t mind. You cooked us food. Plus you’re my guest, what kind of a host would I be if I let you do more than you already have?”

“Park Jisung,” you say, not turning to look at him as you bend to pick up your folded pile of clothes. “If you don’t let me do these dishes, I will get your roommate to lock you out of your dorm for a week, leaving you cold and sad.”

“You do that and I’ll get Jaemin Hyung to—”

“Oh, you’ll get him to do what?”  

“Well, if you’d let me finish, I’d be able to tell you now wouldn’t I?”

“Like you have it in your heart to hurt me.”

He rolls his eyes, a small smile breaking out. “Okay one, I never said I’d hurt you. And two, right now it isn’t hard to imagine causing you a small inconvenience.”

“Did you hear that Mrs. Park? Your son is threatening me,” you walk towards his mom, stopping once you’re next to her.

His mom laughs, shaking her head slightly. “My my Jisung, how college has changed you. That is no way to treat a friend.”

“That’s low l/n, telling on me to my mom.”

You wink at him over your shoulder. “I’m here to win, Park.”

Before he can get another word in, you’re already walking towards the bathroom.

“I’m glad you have a friend like that,” his mom says softly.

“Yeah, me too.” He turns his attention away from the last place you where to his mother. “Hey mom?”

“Yeah hun?”

“I- uh,” he starts hesitantly, rubbing his hands together nervously. “Can you come here a sec? And could you close the door? I want to talk to you privately.”

“Yeah, of course,” she answers, quickly closing the door and taking your spot on the bed. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing’s wrong. I just—I just want to thank you. You’ve always been there for me, and I want you to know that I appreciate it.”

“You don’t need to thank me, I’m just doing my job as a mother. Is that all you needed to talk to me about?” She asks, worry lacing her tone.

“No, not exactly. I, um, I met my soulmate.”

He looks up from his hands in time to see his mother’s eyes widen and she excitedly pulls him into a hug. “Oh my gosh Jisung! That’s great, I’m so excited for you.”

He hugs her “Yeah, it’s been something.”

His mom pulls away, a bright smile spread across her face. “I always thought you didn’t know what your mark was; what’s your mark? Tell me about her.”

“It’s the tally mark one. See?” He turns his wrist out so she can see the black tally mark spread across his skin. She grabs his wrist, lightly tracing over the black line.  “But before I tell you about my soulmate, I have a few things I want to talk about.”

“Sure, go for it.”

“If I— if my—” he takes a deep breath, “Sorry, I’m kind of nervous.”

“No it’s okay baby, take your time. But I am kind of worried, is there anything wrong?”

“No no, nothing is wrong. Well, hopefully not anyways. If my soulmate were a... if they were a boy how would you feel?”

His mom freezes, and he quickly averts his eyes to his hands. I can’t believe I said that, I should have waited to tell her. God, what am I thinking?

“Is your soulmate a boy?” She asks hesitantly.

“I—just if they were, what would you feel? If I dated someone or liked someone who was a man, what would you say?”

“I don’t know Jisung, I’ve never thought about it,” she takes a deep breath, and he can tell she isn’t any less relaxed. “If I’m being honest, because you know how I feel about beating around the bush, it would make me slightly uncomfortable. But it’s not because I have anything against your soulmate being a man, I would prefer them to be a woman, it’s just because it’s different. Different is hard. But who you date or who your soulmate is won’t change the fact that you’re my son and I love you with my whole heart. I would die for you, Jisung, and while I might find it uncomfortable at first I could get over it.”

Jisung looks up at his mom, feeling his eyes well with tears. “Do you mean that? You really wouldn’t care?”

She nods her head self-assured. “Like I said, I would prefer it if it were a woman, but we can’t help who our soulmates are. If they just so happen to be a man, I’ll get over my hesitance towards it. But I don’t want you to worry about what I think, Jisung. You just need to live your life however that is.”

He feels a few tears escape his eyes. “I—thank you. Thank you.”

Jisung never knew how much of a weight this question had been bearing on him. While the answer isn’t exactly an ideal answer, it is still better than what he feared she would say. The fact that his mother is willing to change for him is good enough.

“Now,” his mom smiles, patting his knee. “Why don’t you go get changed and then we can leave together? It was an emotional day yesterday, and I think we both need to leave this house.”

Jisung nods his head, smiling weakly at his mother as she walks out the room. Jisung spent a lot of time in the house alone, so he is used to the house being quiet. His mom is right, though, now that his father is dead, the house is too quiet. He hasn’t been left alone since he got here, but now that he’s sitting alone in his room he understands what his mother was talking about. Even though his dad wasn’t around much, it still felt weird being in the house knowing his dad wasn’t going to be coming through the door ever again, no matter how late.

Taking a deep breath, he pushes himself off the bed and walks towards the closet. Pulling open the middle drawer, he looks down at the cloths inside. He hasn’t worn these clothes since he left for college. They are mostly the clothes his father had given him before he left.

It was when he had been away on a business trip for a week in Buyeo and he came home with three pairs of jeans and two shirts. It is the proudest he can remember his dad being of him. Even if he had tried to pass it off as his mom had told him that Jisung was running out of good clothes to wear and if he passed any clothing stores to get something. The fact that he even got him a congratulatory gift for getting into college had made Jisung falter.

“The one nice thing I know he actually did for me, and I never even showed him I appreciated it,” he whispers, smiling sadly as he pulls one of the shirts and one of the pants out of the drawer.

“I really want to thank you,” he hears his mom say as he leaves his room. “It means a lot to me that you’re here for my son.”

“Jisung is someone really important to me, Mrs. Park. You did a good job with him.”

“I don’t know what Jisung has told you about my husband, but he helped a little too. I think him being as… absent as he was really helped shape him into the person he is today.”

He leans against his door, listening to his mom talk. They have never really talked about his dad much, other than the few times he asked his mom why she stayed. It was new hearing her talk about him like this.

“Well, you and Mr. Park did an amazing job raising your son. Like I said, he’s an amazing person and someone who means a lot to me and Jaemin.”

“Yeah, yeah we did a good job didn’t we?”

---

“Will you come get some coffee or something with me?” Jisung asks, nervously messing with his hands behind his back.

“Sure! So long as it isn’t the place I work. I’m supposed to be grieving with family,” you answer, smiling brightly at him.

“Before we met you, there was a favorite place me and Jaemin Hyung loved to go. Let’s go there!”

You nod once, linking your arm with his and following him as he leads you down the street.

Jisung feels his heart skip a beat and he smiles to himself. After his talk with his mom, he feels like he can do anything. He had plans to talk to you today no matter what, but knowing his mom was accepting of who he was helped him feel more confident. As Jaemin would remind him constantly, confidence is key.

It didn’t take long for you to get to the shop from the bus station. When he enters the shop, he looks around in wonder. It had been a year since he had been here and it still looks the same. Along with his mom accepting him, it helped to be in a place he was comfortable with.

“What do you want to drink? I’m paying,” he offers as you’re both staring at the menu.

“You don’t have to do that Jisung,” you answer slowly, still reading the menu. “I can pay for myself.”

“Nonsense, you paid for our dinner last night, this is on me.”

“If you’re sure,” you answer hesitantly. “I’ll order, and then I’ll go get us a table.”

“It’s nice out, why don’t we sit outside?”.

You raise your hand to flash him an okay sign before walking up to the register and ordering. He watches as you smile at the cashier, nodding your head once before you turn towards the left and out the side door towards the outside seating.

“God, today feels so long,” you sigh, leaning over the back of the chair and stretching your arms out.

Jisung chuckles. “Yeah, and it’s only one in the afternoon.”  

“When I get back to my dorm, I’m just going to lounge.”

“That sounds like a good plan. Hey y/n,”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “Yeah?”

“I’m feeling really good right now. Well, let me rephrase that. It’s been an emotional few days. And in those few days, you have been there for me. These past few days, my dad has died, I talked to my mom to try and figure out the mess that is my relationship with my father, and then I talked to my mother about her feelings on me dating a man. So overall, I’ve been all over the place the past two days.” He laughs and you laugh nervously with him. “My point is, you’ve been there for me. You’ve been there for me despite how complicated I made our relationship, however many weeks ago.”

You awkwardly laugh, and Jisung worries he’s made you uncomfortable. “You don’t need to thank me, Jisung. That’s what friends are for.”

“Um yeah, but we’re not friends. We’re soulmates.”

Your face drops. “I tried to take things slow. I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I’ve been trying to keep things normal. I’m so sorry.”

“Are you done?” Jisung asks, trying to smile comfortingly despite how much he was freaking out on the inside.

“Yeah, yeah I’m done. Just know that I’m so sorry if I forced this whole soulmate thing on you.”

“Okay, first of all, you should be able to see that I’m trying to tell you how grateful I am for you. Did you miss the part at the beginning where I told you how you’ve been there for me?”

“I thought that was a way of you saying ‘you overstepped your boundaries as my soulmate being just a friend’ and that you needed space from me,” you answer quietly.

“You shouldn’t think so much,” he chuckles. “I said what I said to show you that I’m thankful for what you’ve done for me and my family.”

“Oh, well like I said, it’s what friends are for.”

“And like I said, we’re not friends; we’re soulmates.”

“See, that right there,” you point a finger at him, shaking it slightly, “This is what confused me. What is that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, we’re soulmates. That’s what the tally marks on our wrist mean.”

You blink at him. “I’m aware of that, Jisung.”

“And you’ll have to forgive me, because I know I’ve been going about this all wrong but I’m really nervous right now.” He clears his throat, smiling nervously. “What I was trying to say is that you’ve been there for me the past two days. Had this happened five months ago, Jaemin Hyung would have been the one in your place. I’ll be honest, at first, I wasn’t sure why I even called you. I mean yeah, things with Hyung haven’t been the easiest since he found his soulmate, but he’s still someone I find comfort in; he’s my best friend. But since I spent this time with you, you have shown me how much you love me. Let me just say, it’s nice knowing someone loves me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted; someone besides my mom to love me unconditionally.”

“How do you know I love you unconditionally?” You joke, but he can see it in your eyes that you’re nervous.

“Well I guess you never said those words specifically. But you said you’ve loved me since you were a kid, and that just makes me feel warm inside. I think I should chase that feeling.”

“Jisung I’m still not understanding.”

“I’m saying, I think I want to try being soulmates.”

Your eyes widen, and he can tell you’re fighting back a smile. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to be caught up in everything that’s happened and just tell me what you think I want to hear. I don’t want you to regret this.”

“I won’t regret this, y/n. The only reason I didn’t ask you sooner is because you’re my soulmate. I held you to this standard that we would be an unfit match together, and thankfully you failed to meet that standard. I think we would be a good fit.”

Jisung watches a wide smile spread across your face. “Jisung I promise you you’re not going to regret this. We’ll go as slow as you want to and you let me know anytime I make you uncomfortable. This—thank you Jisung, thank you so much.”

He mirrors your smile. He knew you were going to agree to this, but there was still that underlying fear that you’d reject him. “I know, trust me I know. I want to thank you once again for being patient with me. I know I’ve probably been taking this slower that you would’ve liked, but you have been so understanding of me. Even when I was being selfish.”

“Well, all you needed was for me to point out your self centeredness and you snapped right out of it,” you respond, leaning back in your chair.

He smiles, nodding in agreement. “Yeah yeah, you were right. But look where we are now! We’re able to sit here and have a nice cup of drink.”

You laugh loudly, a sweet smile still spread across your face. “Yes, we are having a nice cup of drink. Nicely put Park.”

“Thank you thank you, Korean is my first language” he tips his head slightly as a bow.  “You know,” he starts slowly, averting his eyes to look down at his cup he has yet to take a drink from. “If you are having a good time, this could be our first date?”  

When you don’t answer right away, he looks up at you. “Or, don’t be afraid to say no. I didn’t even ask you. Not that it has to be me who asks for the first date, I just thought that since we’re waiting on me to be ready, I should be the one to ask.”

Laughing, you cover your mouth with your hand. “I am so happy right now even your rambling is cute.”

“You should move your hand away from your mouth when you speak, it isn’t very polite.”

“Awww, look at you,” you coo, leaning forward onto the table. “You’re embarrassed. You're clenching and unclenching your fist and you won’t look me in the eye. You’re so cute.”

“I can take back my offer, you know. I’m not afraid to take back my offer, and leave you here,” he threatens. He knows you don’t take him seriously, based on the euphoric smile plastered on your face. That, and the fact his words hold no truth to them. You have him pegged.

“Oh come on,” you whine. “The date has already started, you can’t back out now Park.”

“Oh, so you are agreeing to this being a date?” He cringes slightly at how excited his voice sounds.

“Of course I am! Jisung, I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was little. So sitting here, with my wonderful soulmate who bought me a nice cup of drink, why wouldn’t I say yes?”

He nods his head once, smiling widely. “I um, wow I’ll be honest I thought you were going to say no. I had plans to take you to dinner or something.”

“You can still take me to dinner, can’t say I’d complain.”

“Yeah, but I have to keep the bar low. If I start at the top,” he brings his right hand up a few inches above the table, “then I can only go down. But if I start here,” he brings his left hand up and dramatically sets it on the table, almost spilling his drink, “then I can only go up.”

“Ah, good plan, good plan. Do tell, what comes next from here?”

“I’m thinking a few convenience store runs, maybe a trip to the zoo or something. We got to slowly build our way up, you know?”

You nod your head thoughtfully. “Yeah okay, that sounds smart. I mean, it’s not like we’re soulmates or anything so why try and impress me right?”

He snaps his fingers, pointing at you. “See, look at you go, you smart little thing.”

You roll your eyes, picking up your drink and blowing softly on it. He shakes his head, smiling softly.

“Hey y/n?”

“Hm?” you hum, finally taking a sip of your drink.

“I think we’re going to be really happy.”

You bite your lip, smiling as you set your cup down. “Yeah, yeah I think so too.”

---

Okay! Sorry for how weird this was posted, I’m the slowest reader alive so it took me forever to do the final read through. Thank you yo @jiwvnie for reading more than I told her she had to, I truly appreciate her. I have always wanted to write a soulmate au so I would love to know what you thought of this. 

Have a great day/night!!

Masterlist

[juniorgman187]

Most Ardently (Spencer Reid Drabble)

Based on my incurable obsession with Pride and Prejudice!

Summary: Regular customer, Spencer Reid, proclaims his love for Reader, a worker in the bookstore, through the only thing as beautiful as love itself - literature.

Couple: GenderNeutral!Reader x Spencer Reid Category: Fluff, Drabble, One Shot Word Count: 1.1k

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　

Call me what you want, but if there’s one word you should use to describe me - it better be observant. 

Most people would call me nosy, but it’s not like I was snooping or prying to get the information that I did. It was just there, in plain sight. Every time I cashed out a customer, I observed what they were buying for books, which, again, isn’t snooping, and therefore, isn’t nosy. 

Regular customers like Miss Jane, the third-grade teacher, often bought books geared towards her students’ demographic, with the occasional steamy romance or self-help book. I liked her. She was fun.

Another regular was Ed Corrigan. He was just an elderly man that liked to stop by on Sundays, usually with a piping hot cup of coffee in hand. He read books about fantasy, utopian and dystopian worlds, science fiction. 

If I had one wish, I’d wish to be half as cool as him when I grow up. 

But there was one regular customer in particular that I had my eye on. 

Mr. Spencer Reid.

He didn’t come in as frequently as Miss Jane or Mr. Ed Corrigan - his visits were monthly, and if I got lucky, sometimes he’d come in every other week. But the reason why I could remember him so vividly despite the rarity of his presence was because of his taste in literature. 

It was the exact same as mine - classics. 

Dickens. Wilde. Asimov. Bradbury. Poe. Chaucer. Bronte. Melville. Homer. Thoreau. Emerson. Whitman. Doyle. 

I think his affinity for classical authors made him all the more attractive - not to say that his looks wouldn’t suffice if he had a different preference, because they most certainly would. He was certainly beautiful. Very, very beautiful. 

But to be frank, I looked forward to his visits for the sole reason that I was unequivocally, irreversibly, hopelessly in love with him. 

He’d been coming to the bookstore for years now, and even though we never spent time together outside of my work, I felt like I knew him - that I’d known him my entire life. 

People like to say that books are the windows to the soul, but I strongly disagree. The books you like are the windows to your soul. Thankfully, he was always around to buy ‘the windows to his soul.’ And each time he was here, I’d cash him out, observing his ‘soul.’ In fact, he bought books so often that I had to wonder what his job was. I suppose the same well-paying job that helped him afford his red-bottom shoes, suits, high-end messenger bags, and the occasional Comme Des Garçons cardigan supported his book addiction, too. 

Luckily for me, he was a gentleman. Whether it was intentional or not, he’d never make me wait too long after leaving before he came back. Even luckier for me, he came in twice this month - once a couple of weeks ago and today. 

I was organizing a bookshelf in the autobiography section when he stumbled upon me. 

“Hey!” His voice only ever reached that high a pitch whenever he was truly overjoyed. 

“Hey, Mr. Reid!” I grinned, getting up from the floor to greet him at the proper eye level. “How are you?” 

“I’m good,” he nodded slowly. “Great now, actually. Because you were just the person I was looking for.” 

“I am?”

“I was wondering if you knew where I could find Pride and Prejudice.” 

I didn’t mean for my eyebrows to furrow quizzically, but they did out of earnest shock. “Pride and Prejudice?” I asked once more to confirm that I heard correctly.

“Yeah. Why? Do you not like Pride and Prejudice?”

“No, no, I love that book, I’m just surprised you’d want to read it. It’s not really your type.” 

“My type?” 

Now he was the one with the quizzical brow, returning the same perplexed expression I had on my face just a moment ago. 

“I just mean it’s . . . it’s a love story. It’s romantic.”

Rule 1 of when you’re stuck in a hole? Stop digging! 

Instantly, I tried to renounce the words that seemed to be failing me. “Not to say that you’re not romantic, just that it’s sort of like -” Thankfully he spared me the agony. “I didn’t think that’s what you meant.” A chuckle escaped him, lightening the room’s air that was suffocating me a second ago. 

Trying to regain some dignity, I brushed aside my mental malfunction and said, “But yes. I do know where to find it. Lemme show you.” 

He followed close behind as I guided him through the bookstore. He was so close that I could smell his cologne. It was the kind so unique to him, but so perfect in its own way that you could smell it over and over again and you’d never grow tired of it, but you’d never satisfy the insatiable desire to smell it. 

When I finally found the bookshelf with Pride and Prejudice, I went down the aisle, and strangely, he departed from me, walking into the aisle on the other side of the shelf. I didn’t question it and just left it up to the assumption that he was being his delightfully peculiar self. 

While searching for the book, I’d peer between each spine and inadvertently notice him staring down at me from his towering height. I even saw how he followed my every movement, right down to the pace of my footsteps as I walked through the aisle. At one point, I caught one of his stolen glances, unconsciously looking down immediately after I did so that he might not catch the way my eyes lit up from looking into his. 

Eventually, we both made it to the end of the row, and we met at the opposite side of the shelf that we started at. Handing him Pride and Prejudice, I said the usual line I would normally say at the cash register. 

“Did you find everything you were looking for?” 

He paused to fight the smile creeping onto his face. 

“I did, actually. That - and then some.” 

My quizzical brow returned. “And then some? What else did you find?”

I waited for an answer that never came but an answer I already knew. 

Love. 

Just as a means to break the loud silence, I told him, “I think you’ll really like this book.” 

“Actually, I’ve read it before.” He responded, not surprising me in the least. Given how well-read he is, how could he not have already read it?

“What’s your favorite quote?” 

He didn’t even pause to think before answering. 

“We are all fools in love.” 

This brought an unexpected smile to my face. “Do you believe that?”

“Ardently.” 

His word choice alluded to a quote in the book he knew I’d be reminded of. 

‘I love you. Most ardently.’

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　

[gglitch1dd]

KiriBaku X Reader Omegaverse Week!

Hey everyone! I have been hard at work for this coming week and I can't wait to show all of you what I have in store. It's Kiribaku x Reader Omegaverse week!

Each day it will alternate between Katsuki Bakugou and Eijiro Kirishima for a new Omegaverse topic with a fic x reader. On the last day (Sunday) it will be a Poly Kiribaku x Reader. These works will be both NSFW and SFW.

To get access to full NSFWs you will have to go to my AO3 for those which will be linked to every work. Reader is genderneutral and if reader's body is mentioned, reader will be AFAB.

1. Arranged (28 March)

O!Bakugou x A!Reader

Topic: Courting- Bakugou is at a pairing agency (according to his parent's wishes) to try and find a suitable mate. He has rejected every single Alpha so far, until he smells you. [Uploaded]

2. The Hunt (29 March)

A!Kirishima x O!Reader

Topic: Marking/Fated Pair- You always liked to run but one day its as if something is awaiting you. You meet your fated mate and so you decided to give him the chase of his life. (NSFW WARNING) [Uploaded]

3. An Invitation (30 March)

A!Bakugou x O!Reader

Topic: Nesting - You and Bakugou have been together for a few months and you finally feel comfortable enough to allow him into your nest. Bakugou at first didn’t know what was going on till you nested in his apartment asking him to come inside. [Uploaded]

4. Restless (31 March)

A!Kirishima x O!Reader

Topic: Ruts -Kirishima goes through his rut and as pack head Alpha, hell show no fury like him in his rut. He doesn’t want to hurt you, so you aren’t there but the pack swiftly realises that it is for the best that you are. You show up and assure him everything will be fine. (NSFW WARNING) [Uploaded]

5. Aching (1 April)

A!Bakugou x O!Reader

Topic: Heat- Your Alpha was called in on the worst day possible. The day you start your heat. Luckily for you, no one can stop Bakugou from getting back to you. (NSFW WARNING) [Uploaded]

6. A Job (2 April)

O!Kirishima x A!Reader

Topic: Domestic/ Fated Pair - You have a business trip coming soon and you need someone to watch your kids. Lucky for you, there is a certain redheaded Omega that is great with kids, qualified and has a smile that steals your heart. Quirkless AU. [Uploaded]

7. Big Happy Family (3 April)

A!Kirishima x O!Reader x A!Bakugou

Topic: Pups - Your Alphas come back to one of your pups gaining their quirk. It's tough but after all is said and done, they wouldn't be happier to be back home. [Uploaded]

I hope y'all are excited! It's about to get wild!

[flyingovertheandes]

Eight Days | Chapter Six: Sunday Morning | Frankie “Catfish” Morales x GenderNeutral!Reader

Reader reminisces about Sunday mornings with Frankie.

TW: Lots of Fluff! That’s all! (you’re welcome)

Word Count: 1.2K

NOTE: Italics in this story signify memories, they are not in present time. 

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five

You were only about a mile away from your shared home by now and it was starting to hit you what you were about to go home to. You knew the house would probably be a wreck, just like Frankie. You knew he’d probably be holed up in your bedroom wearing a shirt he’s been wearing for a week, his hair matted, scruff unshaved. You thought it was better if he didn’t know you were coming. After your last conversation, you knew he probably wasn’t in great shape...And as scared as you were to see him, you couldn’t wait to be back in his arms. You missed waking up next to him and holding him as you fell asleep every night. You missed mornings with him the most. Sunday Mornings. When neither of you had to work and you could slowly wake each other up with kisses and light touches… It was the best day of the week, easily. You just wanted to get back to that, no matter what it took. You wanted to help him be okay again. 

You had woken up to an empty left side of the bed this morning, which wasn’t uncommon for Sunday mornings, except it was a lot earlier than Frankie usually woke up. The room was only dimly lit by the light pouring in from the hallway. You made your way out of bed to investigate when you heard a loud thump from the garage. Your sudden wave of fear and adrenaline caused you to rush through the laundry room and into the garage where you found Frankie dusting off the back of his sweatpants.

“Frankie? Baby, what are you doing?” You asked, only slightly out of breath. 

“Y/N… Shit. Sorry for waking you up, baby… It was meant to be a surprise.” 

You laughed quietly. “You didn’t wake me, Frankie. I’m just wondering what you’re doing in our garage at… what time is it?” You asked. 

“Four...thirty.” He answered sheepishly. 

You walked closer to him and held his face in your hands. 

“Whatever it is you’re doing at four in the morning… can wait. Come back to bed.” You gave him a small kiss. 

“Actually...It can’t. We’re going on a trip.” He told you.

“At four in the morning?!? Francisco Morales, I hate to say it, but baby you are out of your mind!” You giggled as you began walking back towards the laundry room, pulling at his hand so he’d follow you. 

“Hey!” He stopped you and turned you around before speaking again. “Just please, trust me... Pack your bags and I promise you it’ll be worth it.” He smiled before kissing your forehead. 

You couldn’t resist his smile. 

“Okay...fine. But we’re stopping for breakfast! You owe me strawberry waffles for waking me up this early.” You informed him. 

“I thought you said I didn’t wake you up?” He asked, laughing. 

You shrugged over dramatically before making your way back inside, Frankie close behind you.

- 

“What do I need to pack? Where are we going?” You were both in your bedroom now, packing your respective bags. 

“Uh.. leggings? Boots? Oh!! A sweatshirt, maybe? And some extra changes of clothes…” He told you before continuing his chaotic search for an article of clothing he couldn’t find.

 You laughed at how all over the place he was.

“Okay… Is there anything else that I should pack for both of us?” You asked, wanting to be helpful and lessen his stress. 

“Baby… I will pack what needs to be packed. I have it handled, I promise you.” He reassured you. 

You smiled and put your trust in him. You knew wherever you were going, even if he forgot something, he’d always find a solution.

- 

That was how your morning had started. Bright and early, packing a bag for an unknown destination. But now you found yourself on a familiar stretch of road, heading towards the mountain that started it all. 

“Frankie… Are we going where I think we’re going?” You questioned, poking his arm.

“Depends… Where do you think we’re headed, baby?” He smirked.

“Are we going back to Blue River? The campgrounds?” You said excitedly.

“Maybe…” He looked at you and reached over to hold your cheek in his hand, tracing his thumb up and down.

“Frankie! Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped you pack everything we need! How long are we going to be there?” You asked, skeptical of whether he had thought this all through.

As much as you trusted him, you knew he was prone to forget the most important things you needed to survive a camping trip.

“Baby! Relax… We’re just going for tonight and I promised you I would pack everything we needed, didn’t I? I never break a promise!” He argued.

“Intentionally…” You joked.

“Hey!” He laughed and smacked your arm lightly.

Your head fell back as you laughed with him.

“Baby! Look! Recognize anything?” He smiled and pointed out the window.

As you looked out the window, you recognized the small motel where the two of you had stayed the day Frankie’s truck broke down.

“Aww, Frankie! We should stay there again sometime! Just for fun.” You looked back at him, shooting him a quick wink.

“Yeah? You wanna stay there tonight, baby?” He asked.

“No! You have our camping trip planned, we can make the trip some other time.” You promised. 

He gave you a questioned look and before you knew it, he was taking the exit to circle back around to the motel.

“Frankie!” You squealed as you smacked his arm.

“What? It’ll be an adventure!” He shrugged and smiled at you.

There was that smile again.

-

As you walked into the motel, a familiar face greeted you.

“Hello! How can I help you two?” She asked kindly.

Confidently holding your hand in his, Frankie asked her for a single room with the biggest bed they had to offer. Luckily, it was summer so there weren’t many travelers this way and they were mostly vacant.

“Of course!” Said the older woman, checking you in.

You walked past the original room where it all started.

“I think… I love you.” You remembered saying.

Back when those words had never been spoken between you.

Luckily… nobody brought alcohol this time…

Upon entering your room, the two of you immediately flopped down on the bed and laughed at how far you’d come. Neither of you wouldn’t change a thing. After a while of comfortable silence, Frankie spoke up.

“Y/N?” Frankie asked for your attention.

“Frankie?” You returned.

“Will you marry me, baby?” He lifted himself up onto his elbow so he could see your face.

Your eyes quickly found his in disbelief.

“What? Are you- are you serious?” Your eyes began to water.

“I’ve never been more serious in my life, baby. Marry me.” He said, sitting up now and guiding you to sit up with him.

“Of course. I-Yes! I’ll marry you.” You smiled bigger than you thought you ever had before.

He did the same before pulling you into a passionate kiss full of love and history.

He was going to be your Frankie, forever.

PART SEVEN

[alienaiver]

Tuna Oil

Kuroo Tetsurou x gn!reader

NEXT. ->

warnings: none! wordcount: 1.9k content: FLUFF!, genderneutral reader, neutral in skincolor descriptions and body type, meet cute, post-timeskip, canon compliant, mutual pining, chaotic meet cute, nerdy and chaotic kuroo! hes kinda lame here but i love him....., self-indulgent in a really soft way, prequel to my birthday fic to myself!, not beta’d

notes: SOOO. this is the prequel to Truffle Oil!! the story about carrot escaping!!! <:) i told you i’d write it! since its a prequel you don’t have to read truffle oil first<3 its going to be part of a series since i also plan to write the date after truffle oil! <3333 again, this is, like the first one, embarassingly fluffy and comforting! just kuroo being into you, basically!!

Walking around his apartment complex’s area with anxiety and a can of open tuna in hand is not how Kuroo imagined spending his Sunday afternoon. He woke up with his cat on his face, demanding breakfast by lieu of purring and aggressive headbutting at 6am. He’s still not sure how to explain the concept of weekends and sleeping in to his beloved feline. He then proceeded to have lunch with Kenma and on the way home he went by the store to buy more cat food for Carrot.

Which brings him here, the aforementioned feline. Kuroo lives on the third floor with a modest balcony that mostly consists of unopened bags of soil and empty pots. There’s a clasp on the door so he can keep it open for fresh air and his cat is, honestly speaking, a bit too round around his fluffy tummy to go through the opening – and has never shown interest in trying.

Or so Kuroo thought.

As he came home from the pet store, he found it odd that Carrot didn’t immediately greet him by the door as he usually does before showing Kuroo just how empty his food bowl is. A quick tour around the apartment with no apparent cat in sight had made his heart rate quicken and after the treats had been brought out from the cupboard and there still wasn’t any sign of four-legged fluffball, panic had set in – especially the second he saw his balcony door was wide open (how didn’t he notice sooner?)

The clasp had been lifted and unhooked and judging by the overturned plant from the windowsill next to said clasp, he had a pretty solid idea of who the culprit was. Running out to look behind the pots and soil bags but finding no Carrot left him with only one conclusion.

He’d jumped.

Three stories.

Carrot loves tuna. Kuroo isn’t one to give it to him because of the potential for mercury poisoning but the fear that Carrot’s afraid out there somewhere makes him grab a can from the cupboard before running down to the grassy area underneath his balcony.

  And that brings him here. There’s no injured cat to be found in the nearby vicinity, to Kuroo’s relief but his anxiety gets no rest – where is he then? Kuroo’s making sounds, crouching by every bush, calling Carrot’s name, and has even resorted to take some of the tuna out on the ground to possibly lure him back – if his landlord sees this, there’ll be a scolding with his name on it.

“Are you okay?”

He’s startled out of his cooing by your voice and looks up at you rather dumbfounded. It takes him a few blinks to realize that yeah, his extremely beautiful next-door neighbor is talking to him.

You’re about to say something again when Kuroo rises back up on his feet, wincing from being bent down so long, “Carrot’s gone! My balcony door was open!” he exclaims, his usual reservations to social interactions being thrown out the window in his distress. You look taken aback and your eyes widen, “…Carrot?” you ask but a quick glance at the can of tuna in his hands and the cooing he was doing before you approached him makes you connect the dots, “oh, your cat? Want me to help you look?”

Kuroo’s heart rate once again quickens but for an entirely different reason. Now isn’t the time to be flirting he dumbly thinks, but you’re just so breathtaking. The few polite conversations you’ve had makes him lightheaded to just think about. Your laugh is the most captivating thing he’s ever heard and he almost wants to apologize to you for making you have such a worried expression on your face right now.

He nods, his jaw slack and eyes unfocused. You nod and raise your fists to your chest to show your enthusiasm and fight to find his cat.

“I’ll run up with my bag and groceries and then I’ll come back to help you search!” you say and he repeats his action from before – a nod. You put a hand on his shoulder, “don’t worry, we’ll definitely find her! I promise!”

And then you’re gone. It’s not until Kuroo’s been standing for a few minutes that he realizes your interaction with him. You’re going to help him find Carrot. You’re so kind he almost feels like crying, but that might just be because his emotions are a bit muddled by fear.

He gets out of his stupor and looks back around the area and spots a bush he has yet to look through and hurries over there to check for his beloved black menace. There’s no sign of him.

 “Kuroo!”

His name is being yelled from above and he hurries to look up at you. Is he supposed to be reminded of an angel singing his name for him from the High Heavens?

“You better hurry up here!” you yell down to him.

“What?”

“I said, you better come up here!”

The elderly man from the second floor yells out some colorful swear words and tells you to shut up. You stammer out an apology and waves at Kuroo again. He hurries up the stairs to your shared floor and before walking to your door, takes a minute to get his breath. Admitting that youth has passed him and flying up three flights of stairs makes him out of breath is something that he begrudgingly has to accept – he might keep up a workout routine but his cardio isn’t like it was in high school.

  He clears his throat and is about to knock on your door as you open it – which makes him hit you on the top of your head. Gently, luckily, but still not what he wanted to do. You bellow out a laugh and the panicked expression Kuroo is sporting morphs into a lovesick, lopsided smile. You then usher him inside and he is hit by the scent of your home.

Hinata once told him that every home has a scent that is distinctly theirs. He feels honored he’s allowed to experience yours as he takes his shoes off by your genkan. You giggle as you show him into your living room and point towards your couch.

“Is this her? I honestly thought she’d be orange, since you’ve named her Carrot but… I don’t have a cat, so I’m assuming?” you ask and as soon as Carrot spots Kuroo, he runs happily toward him from where he’s been lounging on the couch and rub himself up against his leg. Kuroo vaguely registers that you think his cat is a female but he’s honestly too relieved right now to care. You’re also looking rather ethereal right now with your hair in a slight mess and voice sounding out of breath – perhaps you too, ran out the flight of stairs to help him as fast as you could. The thought makes his stomach to somersaults.

  He picks up Carrot and starts thanking you profusely, cradling his best friend in his arms. You laugh – oh, that beautiful laugh again, he thinks as his legs feel like jelly. You come over and scratch Carrot behind his left ear, “I have my balcony door wide open here in the summer, so she might just have jumped onto mine. I’m just glad she’s safe.”

Kuroo will never be able to recite what you said just now to anyone because he’s completely captivated by the gentleness of your touch on Carrot and warmth in your face. An innate need to cradle your cheek rises up in him, but he suppresses it and nods. He’s doing that a lot near you, he thinks.

You laugh, “after you’ve put her back into your apartment… do you want to have a cup of coffee? Or are you busy?” you bring your hands up in defense, “don’t feel pressured! You obviously have plans, don’t you? I apologize for asking so abruptly.”

He’s not sure why you’re suddenly so polite, bowing to him but he interrupts your panic-rambling with a smile and an affirmative answer, “I don’t have any plans.”

  Carrot is reprimanded and put back in his home, the balcony door closed. He’s going to find a more secure solution before he leaves home with it open again. He takes a quick look in the mirror in the hallway and holds back a groan. His hair is even messier than usual with the amount of times he’s ran his hand through it today. There’s sweat stains in the armpits of his shirt and more than a few stains of oil from the tuna on it as well. He hurries to his bedroom to find a new, clean shirt. He also needs deodorant. And he needs to brush his teeth too. Maybe he should put some gel in his hair? He should change his pants too now that he’s at it.

He decides to call Kenma.

“Carrot escaped,” he starts before he winces, “he’s okay! He just went on a trip to my cute neighbor’s place. Through the balcony!”

“A hello would suffice for proper conversation,” Kenma just replies dryly but Kuroo can also hear relief from the second sentence of his phone call, “but I’m glad he’s okay. Didn’t you close the balcony door before leaving?”

“Yeah, the clasp was on but he got it opened. I think there might’ve been a bird on the balcony but luckily, he only walked past the minor fencing to my neighbor’s!”

“Oh yeah, you have joint balconies, right?”

Kuroo explains what has happened and Kenma is suddenly silent for a while. Kuroo assumes he might be playing a game and that’s why he’s quiet – maybe he’s fighting a boss. After a few more excruciating moments, Kenma speaks, “so they invited you to coffee and you agreed to come back right after you’ve put Carrot back? How long ago was this?”

“Shit!” Kuroo hangs up and runs to his closet for a clean pair of pants. He forgoes the deodorant, toothbrush, t-shirt and hair gel before he jogs through his apartment to his front door and out. He looks back at Carrot through the open door and point at him with a scolding expression, “no more adventures for you, buddy! You’re staying here!” He replies with a meow before Kuroo closes the door and walks to yours.

  It takes a moment for you to open your door and as you do, you have your phone in hand, ending a call as you let him in. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up,” you laugh nervously and he winces, “I got sidetracked for a second putting the tuna away.”

You laugh, “oh, you spilled the oil putting it away?” you’re referring to his shirt and it’s only then he realizes that he forgot to change the one thing he should’ve changed. Kuroo can’t hold back his groan before running a hand through his hair, again, “I changed pants instead of shirt!”

You snort before it turns into a full-blown laugh and take some guest slippers out for him to put on. “The coffee is ready – I wasn’t sure how you take it though, so I’ve just put out everything.”

While Kuroo also thinks it’s a bare minimum when interacting with new people, his heart also warms up and soars at your thoughtfulness. He might’ve put you on a pedestal, his brain reminds him, but as you smile at him again and motion for the living room, all coherent thought goes out the window. He really, really likes you – and he thinks his cat escaping (and being safely returned) might’ve been the best thing that’s happened to him in a long while.

thanks for reading, mwuah!! heres once again a tiny little link to the sequel hehe in case you really enjoyed this<3

@hanayanetwork​  🌸

[folinasahlo]

“I love you, my Angel”.

So... This is a thing now. This is the first thing I feel confident about posting in 5-ish years of being around the internet... I hope you enjoy!

Pairing: Yancy x GenderNeutral!Reader

Warnings: ANGST (with a happy ending)

Words: 3627

--

You looked one last time at the prison doors, clutching the skeleton key in your hand. Visitation, every third Sunday. It was a promise.

November 17th, the third Sunday. You stepped out of the car and looked at Happy Trails Penitentiary. You started wearing contact lenses and dyed your hair, cutting it pretty short, with a big stuffy scarf hiding your face, with the excuse of the mid-autumn cold on Ohio. You hoped that Yancy could recognize you, but not the guards, although you weren't that relevant, you only stayed like one or two days.

Your heels clacked against the tile floor, accompanied by the shake of the keys at the guard's belt. You looked at Yancy, sitting at the visitation room, with a confused look, he never had visitors. He looked up when you entered. He smiled, with a glint of recognition in his eyes.

"You came!" You nodded and texted at your phone, the robotic voice started speaking, you look at him in the eyes.

"Promised. Every third Sunday." The grin on Yancy widened, he extended his strong big hands, taking yours.

"I'm really glad youses here! The rest of the family wondered how you were after you disappeared, in fact, Heapass was the last one to see ya', after I broke youses out." You nodded and started typing again on your phone.

"Heapass is the creepy dude that has a tattoo on his forehead?" The British voice read without feeling.

"Yeah! He's actually a really chill dude. He trespassed after he couldn't sell more of his yard grass, and has lots of tickets for speeding." You repressed a chuckle and spent the fourteen-minute visit talking about Yancy's Family in prison, and you "talked" really few words, only commenting that you returned with Mark at the base. Nothing more. You said your goodbyes and left the prison.

Outside, once more, you looked at the building. The Skeleton key now dangling in your neck, you touched the cold metal. One day, maybe, you could return the favor.

--

You kept your promise, every third Sunday. On the clock. You were there. Talking with Yancy about your life, and He talked about his. Sending each other's letters was also common, both happy about the new bond you were forming.

One summer night, after visiting Yancy, you looked again at the prison. You felt the weight of the Skeleton Key for the first time in months. It was maybe time. You approached the back door, the last time you were there, Yancy was on the other side. Stealthily, you opened the door. Closing it right after you. You walked a little bit aimlessly, the guards were inside, they were not preoccupied with anyone escaping.

You made your way to the Cells. Some still had the light on, and on one of them, there was Yancy, on the top bunk bed humming a song. He looked at you. And shocked, he stumbled to the bars.

"Y/N?" He whispered. You gulped, trying to put your mind straight. You felt really comfortable with Yancy and felt like you could be more like yourself with him

"…Yes." You stuttered. When you looked at the prisoner, his eyes were wide in shock.

"Y/N! You… you just talked…" You nodded. You could hear your heart pounding. But the soft warm touch of Yancy's hand went through your nerves with a soothing effect.

"yes, um… Can… can I come in?" You touched the Key dangling in your neck, and with it, you opened the door. He nodded, still surprised about your presence. You closed the door behind you.

"But, what are youses doin' here, Red?" You looked down for a moment.

"I've always thought… fourteen minutes is really little time… and today I'm not feeling like going home…" You sat at one of the chairs of Yancy's room.

"Y/N, Can I hug you?" You only nodded, incapable to use more words. Your hands were trembling. "Can youse tell me what happened? If not, that's okay." You gulped, still unable to articulate anything. You took out your phone and started writing.

"I argued with Mark, about me visiting prison. I'm not happy about it." He read, whispering. He hugged you again, calming your nerves. "I'm sure you could beat 'im up, hell, youse beat me to a fight." You chuckled. And nodded.

"Thanks, Yance. I needed this, but I should really go. Thank you for letting me enter." He read again from your phone. "It's no big deal, doll. Youse can come whenever you feel like it!"

You hugged again, one last time. Before fleeing the prison.

--

The illegal visits to Yancy started to become more and more common. And you felt like Mark was annoyed by that, and it made you feel uneasy about him. In exchange, you could feel that the bond you created with Yancy was getting deeper, making you more and more comfortable talking with him. With time, you started to develop feelings for a specific soft-hearted greaser. Time passed fast and two years since you broke out passed already.

Mark took the mail and as he opened the door he read the senders. He stopped and you gave you a letter, looking at you with a strange look.

"Happy Trails Penitentiary?" He inquired, you recognized the glint of jealousy in his eyes but decided to ignore it, blaming your slightly paranoid mind

"It's where Yancy is…" You sat on the couch and opened the letter. Reading it with attention, you squealed. "Yance got parole!" You saw the forced smile of Mark, while you bounced around.

"You surely got acquainted with that prisoner, huh? I hope this doesn't interrupt our plans, last time you deviated from the plan we got arrested, I got punched by that Spider webbed head dude, and you got in a fight." You chuckled, remembering how the same prisoner you fought, was the one you found yourself taking a liking on. "I just miss my good ole' partner, Y/N."

"I promise you, Me having Yancy in my apartment won't change anything!"

"Wait, wait, wait… You said he is coming here?" You nodded, excited.

"Yeah! He has nowhere to go, so Imma help him, why not? He helped me escape prison, is the least I should do."

"Okay, just be careful, and… If you need a ride you can call me." You argued that you had your own car, so you wouldn't need it. "Okay, now I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow in the base, we have things to plan!" He left the apartment, leaving you with the word in your mouth.

--

One last time, you looked at the building. Yeah, this felt definitive, the cold sky of the morning was clear, shining in a bright blue, you hid your face in the scarf, waiting impatiently for the now ex-convict. You saw him. The cuffed black jeans substituted the striped prison pants, his white t-shirt still rolled up, having the cigarette pack hid in one of them. On one hand, he had a little sports bag with the few things he had. He ran to hug you Throwing the bag at his side. You embraced him, his skin cold from the wind, he smelled like smoke and mints, something that was already familiar to you.

"I missed youse, Doll." He tightened the hug.

"Aren't you cold? I brought something in the case." You separated from him, and you reached into the passenger seat on the Pick-up truck. A big black leather jacket. "It's from my father, he doesn't use these anymore and I thought It would fit you better than mine." He smiled tenderly, putting on the jacket, fitting him almost perfectly. He looked curiously at the patches of old bands that decorated it.

"It suits you perfectly, Yance." You smiled at him and took the bag from the floor, putting it in the back. You hopped on the driver's seat while Yancy sat on the passenger's one. You drove to your apartment, talking to the ex-convict about how much you were excited to show him everything.

You helped Yance accommodate his new room, you got lunch in a café near your apartment and showed some places in the city.

"Have you already met your parole officer?" Yancy nodded.

"I told 'im that I already had a place to stay, and he said that he will help me to find someplace to work. The warden was surprised when I said to him that I was considerin' parole."

"I also was surprised to receive your letter. I know that it's scary, but we have each other now. Although I have some projects with Mark, so I might have to travel, but I promise I will try to get in contact with you even then, okay?"

"Yeah!" You felt the strong arms of the ex-convict wrap around you, you smiled fondly, and put your arms around his neck, looking at him. His face reddened, and you approached even more, clashing your lips against his, he stuttered a bit, surprised. "I… um…"

"Oh, no! sorry, I'm really sorry, I should… I shouldn't have done that!" you muttered, separating yourself from him. He only took you softly by the hand, making you approach him. This time he kissed you, you grinned.

"We have each other, right?" He asked, looking at you in the eyes.

"Yes, we do." You whispered, before kissing him again.

--

Living with Yancy was really good. You started movie nights on Thursdays, where you mostly cuddled and ended sleeping together in your bed. Yancy started to work as a barista in a nearby café while you continued your work. Sometimes Mark would come and hang out, but always if Yancy was outside working, or with his Parole Officer.

One night you and Yancy decided to go on a date, but before you could go outside, it started pouring, so you decided to stay at home, eating pizza, watching a movie and snuggling together. In the middle of the movie, you heard a knock on the door.

 "Were youse expectin' someone?" You shake your head no.

"I'm going to see who is it." You said, pausing the movie. You walked to the main door. On the Hallway, you found a soaking wet Mark. "Mark?! Oh my god, how could you think of coming here?! It's pouring outside!" You made him enter.

"I need to talk to you, alone." He side-eyed, Yancy, who got up as soon as he saw Mark, almost dripping.

"That can wait, go to the bathroom and take a shower, there are some towels in there. Yance, could you lend him some of your clothes?" Yance nodded, entering your room, two months after moving in, Yancy started sleeping in your room and you started using the spare room as an office. "Is it really that important that you had to come when it's raining like this outside?" You said to Mark, while you guided to the bathroom.

"It had to be the soonest as possible, Y/N" He looked really serious, making you a little bit preoccupied.

"Okay, okay, now go, I don't want you having a cold." You closed the bathroom door. You bit your nail and entered your room. Yancy was searching in his drawers.

"Do youse think this will fit 'im?" He showed you the clothes, you nodded, Yancy was more buff than Mark, but they had a similar complexity. Yancy could sense that something was up. "What's goin' on in that beautiful and/or handsome mind of youses?" You chuckled, still a little bit distraught.

"I think that I know why he is here… I'm hoping that this is only my imagination, but he wouldn't come on the pouring rain if it wasn't important." Yancy put carefully the clothes on the bed and wrapped you with his characteristic comfort that his presence gave you. He kissed the top of your head and he muttered a soft "I love you, no matter what." Mark knocked softly the door, a towel wrapped against his body. Yancy looked at him, and separated from you, he took the folded clothes and gave them to Mark, who glared at him with suspicion.

"I'm going to prepare some tea, you should stay in the living room, okay? I love you." You gave him a peck on the lips, before leading the way to the kitchen, where you started boiling some water. You heard mark sitting in one of the chairs around the small round table while you finished steeping the tea, you leaned against the counter next to the stove. "Tell me." You sighed, looking at his figure.

"The crew and I have another project… but is really far from here." He looked back at you. You turned, poured the tea into two cups and added some sugar.

"And you need me?" You turned and offered one of the cups to him, he took it.

"Yes, you are my partner Y/N, you promised me that having him over here wouldn't change anything about future plans." You bit your lip while staring at your cup.

"I know… Where do you need me?" You tried to disguise your shaky voice. "I will talk with Yance, he will understand." You felt a lump in your throat. Mark just nodded and started to tell you the plan. You had to go to Thailand to steal an important box, similar to the one you supposedly lost once you got out. You didn't tell him that the key that you always wore was the thing inside the box.

"Thailand? That's really far…" Mark took your hands between his. You knew they needed you. You swore to them that you will be with them for the long run… "Could we talk at the base tomorrow?"

"We leave tomorrow, Y/N, if you come tomorrow to the base is to leave." You sighed. "I have to go, I hope to see you there, I have to explain to you the plan." You accompanied Mark to the entrance, shoving an umbrella at his chest, and slammed the door at his face. You felt silent tears running through your cheeks. You punched the front door, angry. You were really angry, angry at Mark, for having so bad timing, but especially angry at yourself, for promising you were for the long run at the crew, for promising Mark that you would be at his side, for falling in love with Ohio boy with a heart of gold over there.

"Y/N, youses okay?" The voice of Yancy interrupted your thoughts, you didn't look at him, but you felt his arms wrap around you. He lifted you pretty easily, you looked at him and wrapped your hands against his neck, he sat on your bed and cradled you. "I know I shouldn't have done it, but I heard youses conversation with Mark…" He whispered. You sobbed against his chest. "You have to go… I understand."

"I don't wanna go, Yance. I want to stay with you… But I don't really have a choice…" You muttered. "I'm really sorry…" He shushed you, planting soft kisses at the top of your head. You don't remember that much, only that you ended packing your things between tears before returning to bed with Yancy, who didn't stop hugging you while you cried yourself to sleep.

--

You woke up at 5 am. It was still night-time. Yancy was hugging you like it was the end of the world, and low-key, it was. You hope this time the heist would be faster. You slipped out of the grasp of your lover, feeling cold without him at your side. You changed fast, driving through the night to the base. You promised Yancy you would return. You felt your vision blurring from the tears.

You entered an underground basement with the car, parking it next to a black car, Mark's. You got down the pick-up truck. Mark smiled upon seeing you there. He accompanied you to the table, where he started explaining the plan.

--

The annoying sound of the alarm woke Yancy up when he opened his eyes, he realized, you weren't there. For a moment, the bed felt empty without you at his side. He sobered up with the realization. You left with Mark. The ex-convict wandered through the apartment, thinking of the memories that he had at your side. The kitchen still smelled like tea. The leftover pizza was still in the living room. He looked at his old bedroom, now your office. A paper was taped at the dark wood door, he snatched it, recognizing your handwriting. He went to sit in the living room and started reading the letter, the tears piling in his eyes.

 "Dear Yance,

If you are reading this, means that I had to go far. I don't know how long I will be away; I don't even know if I'll ever have to use this letter I'm writing. Do you know you look really cute when you sleep? You look even more like an Angel, Ohio boy.

Anyway. I really, really hope that I won't need to give you this, but I promise you that I will return, that sooner than you expect it I will be next to you, again, cuddling in the mornings on the bed, making tea and having movie nights with you. I just want you to know that I really love you, and I really wish I could be at your side.

I love you, my Angel.

Y/N"

The tears stained the paper, the memories on loop in his mind, what the heck did you to affect him so badly?

--

Months passed, Yancy didn't have notice of you. His day now seemed empty and boring without you at his side, teasing and loving him. The door of your office remained closed during all this time. One morning the Ex-convict received a letter with familiar handwriting, yours. The paper inside was really wrinkled and stained, the words were written fast and slightly hard to read, but Yancy recognized that it was you.

"So, we had complications… But I promise, I'm coming home, I might need some months more… Remember Yance, I love you. I always think about you, angel boy.

Love,

Y/N"

And so, Yancy remained hopeful. He knew you would come, you promised, right?

--

A year passed since you left. It was midnight, Yancy already lost the hope of you coming back months ago. A soft knock made Yancy stand up, curious, who could be at midnight? Maybe they found your dead body, and wanted to talk with him… He opened the door. Mark, holding you, knocked out in bride-style. Yancy, fast, took you in his arms, protectively.

"What the FUCK did you do to them?" Rage quickly invaded Yancy.

"Nothing! Look, they are not okay right now, they need some rest… I can't take care of them, but you can." Mark tried to explain, with the intention to enter the apartment, but moving back a little bit when he realized Yancy didn’t step back

"Of course I can take care of them." Yancy kicked the door, slamming it in Mark's face. He carried you to bed. He assured your breath and pulse were stable, he realized you had a high fever and some bad scarring in your arms. Put a slightly wet cloth on your forehead, and sit on the other side of the bed. What the heck did you do this year without him?

--

You opened your eyes, groggily. The last thing you remember is patching quickly the wounds in the plane back home. You looked at your side, a man giving you his back, you swore he looked familiar. He heard you shuffle and looked at you. Could he be?

"Doll, youse awake! Let me help you." Yes. He was. Your Ohio boy, your angel. You smiled sheepishly.

"Angel, my angel, It's you?" You muttered. Yancy just nodded, crying silently. You just hugged him, still feeling a little woozy, and planted soft kisses in his neck, just to hear his giggles that you loved so much.

"Could you help me to the bath, My Ohio boy?" You teased, pretty sleepy. He just smiled, flustered, he accompanied you to the bathroom and started to fill the tub with hot water. He helped you undress, trying to not say anything about your new scars, he carried you to the bathtub and kneeled at your side. Watching you, fascinated, like it was the first time he had seen you. "What?" You couldn't stop smiling. He was real. He was at your side. Your angel, your Ohio Boy. You moved slightly and kissed him. He took your face between his hands and deepened the kiss.

"I missed you, my Songbird." Your heart fluttered. God how you missed his voice, his accent, you craved his touch. "Do you feel better?" You just nodded. Yancy helped you finish the bath and wrapped you with a warm fuzzy towel, carrying you to your bedroom. You dried and changed into more comfortable clothes, not without the help of Yancy.

"I missed you so much Yancy, I couldn't stop thinking about you… I'm really sorry for leaving, it's just that I owed one really big to Mark and I couldn't say no and I…" You sobbed, watching him kneeled in front of you, taking your hands between his.

"Y/N, Y/N. I understand, okay? You're here and that's what matters. I won't let him take you this far away ever." Yancy seemed really angry, you could see his tattooed knuckles going white.

"I know, I am here. That's what matters, I love you, my angel" You kneeled, looking at his handsome face with a smile, kissing him.

-------

A/N: And that’s it! Likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated, It’s really what makes me keep going.

Love,

Razz 

[starlit-serenade]

Dance With Me | Chapter 2

💙 Summary: After visiting the members of ONEUS during their dance practice, you find yourself inspired to learn to dance. You ask your friend Kim Geonhak to teach you.

💙 Chapter 2: 2,161 words

💙 Pairing: Reader x Kim Geonhak (Leedo) / Characters: GenderNeutral!Reader; Kim Geonhak (Leedo); Son Dongju (Xion); Yeo Hwanwoong (Hwanwoong); Lee Keonhee (Keonhee); Lee Seoho (Seoho); Kim Youngjo (Ravn);

💙 Rated: T for some minor swearing / Warnings: Minor Swearing; Jealousy (Later in the fic) / Genre: Fluff; Minor Angst (Later in the fic); Friends-To-Lovers; Happy Ending;

《 Series Masterlist // ONEUS Masterlist // Boy Group Masterlist 》

You and Geonhak agreed that you would meet together on Tuesdays and Thursdays, right after ONEUS practices. You couldn't wait to dance the following Tuesday. It's currently Sunday evening, and the practice room is probably empty, so you grab your workout clothes and bag and walk to the RBW building. You don't live super close there, but the walking distance is manageable. It's always been your only exercise, so you tolerated it.

You use the key that the boys lent you long ago to get into the building. The practice room is empty, the lights off. It's 6PM, and none of the idols are expected to be here practicing. Obviously, they can come if they want. Youngjo often spends a lot of time in recording studios when producing. There have been multiple times where you'd hang out with the boys as they finished recording before comebacks late at night. This is the first time you've been here completely on your own, for yourself. You feel like you're trespassing, by not being an idol or trainee here, but you already have a bit of a reputation here as ONEUS's friend. No one will kick you out.

You place your bag down, and don't bother with the light. Your computer will be light enough. After stretching sufficiently, you take out your computer. You find the Weekly Idol choreography video you'd used the other day, and repeat the dance presented on the screen. You recall Geonhak's instructions, his voice echoing in your ear.

You're rushing, slow down a bit. Step. Step. Step. There you go.

You can feel how clumsy and stiff you are, but you can also feel how much better you are than from when you'd practice in your bedroom, watching live performances.

Your steps are much more in line with the beat now. Your hand movements aren't half as elegant or intentional as Geonhak's on screen, but they're present.

When you get to Geonhak's rap, instead of stopping, you continue. You clumsily try to imitate his skips and hops, and you manage to get through it. You notice the power in his movements, how each movement he makes is emphasized by the beat. Every kick, every hip thrust.

The song arrives at the pre-chorus, where Keonhee begins singing, and your eyes widen. Those moves are so fast and large. You're not there yet.

You restart the song and continue practicing up until Geonhak's part. He looks so elegant in the video, and you wonder if you look even half that elegant as you try to mirror him.

Halfway through Dongju's part of the song, the door is opened and Geonhak walks in, startling you. You yelp in surprise, and he yells, jumping back, and hits his back on the doorframe. He yells out in pain, falling to his knees as you rush to his side to help him, but he's already recovering on his own.

"Sorry for barging in," he says, before realizing it's you as you rub his back where it hit the doorframe. "Y/N? What are you doing here?"

"I'm . . . practicing," you say, gesturing to the computer which displays the video. "What're you doing here? Didn't your practice end hours ago?"

Guhak ducks his head. "I came back to practice," he admits, laughing while rubbing the back of his neck. "So I could figure out how to help you on Tuesday."

Oh.

You smile, looking away from him. You didn't think he'd need to practice extra to teach you. If you had known that, you probably wouldn't have asked him, simply because you don't want to be an inconvenience.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your practice," he says. "You had the lights of, so I thought no one was here. I'll find another empty room if you want."

You shake your head. "No, you can stay here and practice with me if you want."

"I can give you pointers if you need any," he says, taking off his thin jacket to reveal a black T-shirt. You nod, and he sets down his own bag near yours before plopping down on the ground. "Have you stretched yet? If you don't stretch before and after exercising, you could hurt yourself."

You nod, but sit down anyway to join him on the floor. "I stretched a bit, but I'll stretch with you."

After you both have finished stretching, you restart the song. The two of you dance together to the start of the song, watching yourselves in the mirror. You can see that you're doing well, much more on the beat with Geonhak beside you to follow, but his presence is also distracting.

For one, you can't help but compare yourself to him. He's much more confident with his moves, more deliberate. His moves are sharp and strong, and yet elegant at the same time. While you make the same moves at the same time as him, your moves are somewhat shaky. Of course, Geonhak has years of dance experience, and months of experience with the song, while you only had that one day last week and various random days you found yourself vibing to the song in your room, but that thought doesn't help your confidence enough.

Secondly, his bare arms are a little distracting. He's very strong, is able to carry two of his members easily, even three if he wants. His strength shows in his arm muscles.

By the time you two have gone through the song a couple times, you find yourself panting with your hands in your thighs. Geonhak, however, is barely breaking a sweat. The song continues in the background, and you watch in awe as Geonhak continues to dance gracefully.

After the song has finished, Geonhak smiles at you with his soft smile, and you swear butterflies are fluttering around your stomach. You internally scold yourself and tear your gaze away from him. 

"Good job," Geonhak says, and you nod, avoiding his eyes. "You're getting the hang of it."

The butterflies don't mean anything, you tell yourself. You're just tired.

"Thanks," you say. Geonhak opens his mouth to say something when your phone rings loudly from inside your bag, which lies in the corner of the room. "Excuse me," you mutter, running to grab your phone. The caller ID reads 'Doongdoongie,' and you pick it up.

"Hello?" you ask.

"Hi Y/N!" Dongju's voice is loud through the phone, and you can't help but laugh a little.

"Hi Dongju," you say.

"Y/N, what are you doing right now?"

"I'm, uh, practicing dancing at RBW with Geonhak." You glance at Geonhak, and he shoots you a soft smile.

"Oh? Yes, I think Geonhak mentioned that he was going to be teaching you soon. He wouldn't shut up about it. He was very excited," Dongju says, and you raise your eyebrow, looking at Geonhak again.

"Was he?"

"Yeah, but that's not what I'm calling for. I'm calling to ask you for a favor. Can you come over to the dorm?"

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"Why?" you ask.

"Aish, Y/N, I can't tell you that. Hurry up!"

You sigh. You were enjoying practicing With Geonhak. But . . . "Alright," you say.

"Thank you, Y/Nie!"

"Bye, Doongdoongie," you say. Dongju hangs up and you drop your phone to your side.

"Sorry, Geonhak, I have to go," you say to Geonhak, packing up your stuff.

"What? Why?" Geonhak furrows his eyebrows. "You should stretch quickly before going, to relax your body. You could hurt yourself if you don't."

You nod and plop down on the floor, and Geonhak joins you in stretching. You stretch your legs out forward, and reach for your toes. It doesn't matter if you can touch them, the point is to stretch your leg muscles.

"I dunno why. Dongju wanted me to meet him at the dorm. He didn't tell me why." You hear Geonhak sigh sadly, and look up at him. "So you were excited to teach me?" you ask. Geonhak's eyes widen, and he tears his eyes away from yours, as if to pretend he's too focused on stretching.

"What did he tell you?"

"He said you wouldn't shut up about it." You smile at him teasingly.

"He's exaggerating," Geonhak says. "I'd only mentioned it to him." He pauses. "I am excited to teach you, though."

Your heart feels warm. "Thanks, Geonhak."

You get up, dust off your workout pants, and grab your bag. As you reach the door, you turn to wave goodbye to Geonhak.

"See you Tuesday for practice," you say. "Bye!" He waves back, the softest smile on his face which makes the butterflies resurface again. You ignore them, and quickly leave.

You exit the building and walk to the ONEUS dorm. You've been there countless times since ONEUS moved in before debut, so you know the way well. Sometimes it's for movie nights. Sometimes, to pick up something for a member who's working at RBW. You can probably find your way there with your eyes closed.

You enter the passcode to the dormroom, and find that Dongju is in the living room, sitting on the couch, his phone in his hand. Hwanwoong sits next to him, also on his phone. Dongju looks up as you enter.

"You took your time," he says, and you glance at your own phone for the time.

"Don't be mean," Hwanwoong scolds Dongju, hitting him in the chest. You shoot him a smile. You're friends with Hwanwoong, but you aren't very close. He's always friendly, but he's like that with everyone. Besides interactions like the one at practice last week, you two don't talk too much. You do like and admire him, but he's kind of intimidatingly cool and you can barely muster the courage to speak to him on your own.

"I had to stretch before I left," you explain. "What's up?"

Dongju leans back on the couch, and gestures for you to sit next to him, on the opposite side from Hwanwoong. You do so, and Dongju smiles.

"Do you know what day it is, Y/N?" Dongju asks.

You wrack your brain. It's not anyone's birthday. Keonhee's birthday was just over a week ago. And it isn't a holiday today. So . . .

"June 5th? Sunday?" you offer. Hwanwoong smiles, obviously very amused.

"And what's coming soon?" Dongju asks.

You ponder for a moment. "July 6th?"

Hwanwoong laughs loudly, clapping his hands, while Dongju rolls his eyes. "No! I mean--yes, but . . . Y/N, Geonhak's birthday is coming up on the 26th!"

"Oh yes. I remember. Is that why you called me here today? To tell me that Geonhak's birthday is coming up in twenty one days?"

"Yes," Dongju says, smiling widely. "And I want you to help me and Hwanwoong plan a birthday party."

You blink. "I mean, yes. Of course. But why don't you ask the other members, too?" 

Hwanwoong sighs and sits up. "The members decided to split birthday planning into two parts. We split ourselves into two teams. Team A, which is Youngjo, Seoho and Keonhee, and Team B, which is me and Dongju," Hwanwoong explains, his face too serious for the situation. Still, you listen intently. "Each team plans a separate part of the day. Before lunch and after lunch. Team A is also in charge of lunch plans, and we are in charge of decorations. Then we will come together the week before his birthday and figure out the final plan. Since we have one less member, we get to choose one person to add. So we invited you."

You blink, processing the situation. Two teams of ONEUS are separately planning Geonhak's birthday. Hwanwoong and Dongju want you to help them.

"Okay."

"You'll help?" Hwanwoong asks, an excited smile appearing on his face.

"Of course! He's my friend too."

 "Excellent. Do we want to start now?" Hwanwoong asks, patting the desk in front of the table. You notice a paper and a pencil have been lying there the whole time. "Let's make a list. What does every party have?" he asks.

"Cake," you suggest.

"Balloons!" Dongju says.

Hwanwoong scribbles quickly on the paper as you and Dongju shoot him suggestions.

"Games."

"Snacks and food."

"Alright." Hwanwoong says. "Remember, Team A is doing everything before lunch as well as lunch plans. We only need to decide snacks."

"He really likes ice cream," you say. "The one rainbow one from Baskin-Robbins. He loves that."

Hwanwoong laughs as he scribbles on the paper. "Yes, he does. Let's go back to decorations. What will we want?"

"Streamers."

"Balloons," Dongju says again. Hwanwoong snorts, writing it down even though it's already written.

You continue listing things off, chatting on and on about plans for Geonhak's birthday. You find yourself getting more and more excited and energized.

You end up leaving after a couple hours, walking to your own apartment, a smile on your face. You think about all of the good things going on. You're planning a surprise birthday party for Geonhak with Hwanwoong and Dongju. And on Tuesday, Geonhak will start teaching you how to dance.

[timtimmersdrake]

Lazy Sundays - Tim Drake x Reader

This is completely experimental. I’m not changing this blog to be an imagines blog or anything, but after I read a few posts about mischaracterizations on Tim Drake I wanted to take a stab at writing a Tim imagine with some canon stuff for him. This is also my first imagine, so yeah?

Would love to know how it goes for all of you. 

Summary: A lazy Sunday afternoon with Tim at home. The reader likes to tease Tim’s geeky passions. I’m thinking this is set after the Red Robin comics, everyone is alive and Tim is starting to relax after being a tense hero for so long. (Pre-52) (Genderneutral, no Y/N and no ‘you’ character description)

“I guess I’ll…serenade him?”

The incredulous look you got from Tim across the table was almost enough to cause you to break your innocent face.

“You want to what?”

“I’m a bard, right? I’ll serenade him to get across,” You answered a little more confident this time, the laughter building in your chest as Tim stared at you baffled.

“You want to serenade the giant monster to cross the room,” He repeated, looking down at the board and then back up to you.

It was a rare day off for the two of you. Contrary to popular belief, Tim was more than willing to take a Sunday off at home after a long week. Sure, he had work at Wayne enterprises tomorrow and patrol tonight, but he wasn’t doing anything today.

Tim only wore a pair of sweatpants and one of his old high school shirts, one you noted with bemusement that had the sleeves cut haphazardly off.

You had spent the day in, ordering lunch take-out and crashing in Tim’s refurbished movie theater apartment. The place had evidence of the two of you spending the weekend together and Tim’s usual messy vibe. For a hero renowned for being a neat-freak, Timothy Drake was a mess.

You leaned over the table separating the two of you and snatched the pair of dice from his hands.

“Yes, I do,” You state, continuing your amusement.

Timothy Drake was also a massive nerd.

You had come to understand this after a few weeks of dating him. To the public eye, Tim Drake-Wayne was a seventeen-year-old co-CEO of Wayne Enterprises with a cool demeanor and a genius intellect. For the first few dates, that was the person you had gotten to know. Attending galas by his side, going to an occasional restaurant (granted not for very long dinners, you didn’t know why they were so short till later), or visiting him at various charity events he had set up.

That was not the Tim you finally got to know.

Tim Drake had dropped out of high school. Tim Drake was a huge superhero worshiper. And most of all, Tim Drake was a passionate Dungeons and Dragons player.

You’re not as passionate as he is when it came to his geekier loves in life, but for his sake, you tried.

Especially if it gave you opportunities like right now to get him all riled up.

“You cannot be serious,” Tim whines at you, slumping forward as you aim to toss the dice.

“Why not?” You inquire, pausing just long enough to tilt your head playfully.

He threw his hands up in the air, something he had picked up from one of his brothers, Dick if you recalled correctly.

“Because there is probably an infinite number of different strategies that are better than that one?”

“But Ives told me-“

You watch, barely holding in giggles, as Tim puts his head in his hands.

“I’ve been trying to teach you how to play for three months and the one time I let you play with the boys, suddenly you think Ives has better advice? Don’t you remember how that game turned out for him?”

It hadn’t turned out well. But that was mostly because Ives had spent a majority of the game flirting shamelessly with you, much to Tim’s annoyance.

You liked hanging out with Tim’s old high school buddies; they weren’t nearly as intimidating to meet as say, the current Superboy. Yeah, you’ve learned that they were all just normal people behind the costumes, but there was still that superhero reputation that was rather intimidating at first.

Ives and Bernard were harmless compared to the Titans.

“Hmm,” You playfully tap your chin. “Then what do you suggest I do, boy wonder?”

“Maybe use any of the objects you’ve been picking up this whole time and doing nothing with because you have a strange obsession of using your bard singing powers to the max?”

“But I thought that was one of the strongest things a Bard could do?”

Tim slid his chair back.

“Maybe we should figure out dinner instead.”

“Pizza?” You throw out as a suggestion, standing and stretching lazily as you looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set over the skyscrapers, and you knew your time with Tim was becoming limited.

“Sounds like a plan,” Your boyfriend hums, heading towards his cell phone on the kitchen counter.

“I’m not eating that artichoke heart contraption you call food, we’re getting a normal pizza topping.” You grumble, coming up from behind and wrapping your arms around his waist, resting your head on his shoulder.

“Who told you about that?” He asks, amused, looking down over his shoulder at you.

“Kon,” You laugh. “Honestly, it sounds disgusting, how can you even say that order and not think so?

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” He smirks. “How about half and half?”

Wrinkling your nose, you nod at the compromise into his shirt.

You could feel Tim’s laughter reverberate in his chest, and you resisted the urge to roll your eyes at his clear happiness of winning. Sometimes dating a bat sucked.

…

By the time you had eaten, night had finally settled over the city and you could already see Tim beginning to transform into vigilante mode.  His voice was steadily dropping as he answered you, and he had already begun typing away at his laptop. You knew it wouldn’t be long before he would be reaching for the Red Robin mask.

“What is on the agenda tonight?” You finally ask, sliding onto the couch beside him.

“I told Bruce I would help him find an informant for a case. Nothing to major, probably going to be a fairly quiet night.”

“Quiet for Gotham, you mean.” You eye him, snuggling into one of Tim’s hoodies.

He turns to look at you, his eyes softening just a tad.

“Will you go to bed when I leave? Tomorrow’s Monday after all.”

You nod, interlacing your fingers on your knee so you can rest your chin on them and look at Tim as he finished off his final things. It would only be a minute before he would stand and announce it was time for him to suit up.

“Try not to stay up too late,” You murmur.

He doesn’t look at you, but his voice is warm when he responds.

“Like I said, quiet night.”

He finally stands, and you know this is it. Tim leans over, kissing your forehead as he shuts his laptop.

“Be careful,” You remind him, your usual mantra as he packs.

“Always,” He responds the patented Robin cockiness beginning to show.

Just as he is about to leave you lean over the back of the couch, grabbing the back of his shirt and dragging him back.

Understanding, Tim leans down once more, his lips connecting with yours lovingly, a comfortable embrace.

That’s when you break the news.

“I rolled an eleven by the way. I totally serenaded the monster to cross the room. Your mage can suck it.”

You laugh as Tim’s groans fill the sound of the apartment.