#actually that last sentence made me think I don’t think Dee is used to getting pinned like that by Avery

[dol-dee]

I need Avery to see Dee in her homewear and go stupid with lust < con it reminds her that she’s an actual person and not just the image she constructed in her mind.

Pro: It’s a little novel and fills her with the need to tarnish this previously unbeknown side of Dee. Get her filthy little hands all over her

​I need Avery to drag Dee to her car, immediately ripping* Dee’s biker shorts open for easy access. Dees protests get swiftly ignored "Those were cheap anyways, you can get another pair" as she proceeds to sink into her with a groan.

*new kink unlocked/this is a surprise tool that will help us later < blackmail marriage au

[booiiee]

Brooklyn Baby

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter- 3

MINORS DNI!!!!

You’ve had your share of dates, some good ones too, like that time this boy in college took you to see the northern lights- in a museum obviously and that one weird guy who took you to this restaurant with a complicated name that has the best wine you’ve ever had, none of those relationships lasted (fortunately?), but seeing a live band? For a first date? Very little possibility of anything going wrong really.

D- He is adorable but he is so stupid I’m sorry

R- Don’t say that! He is so cute

D- …..and dumb. Who takes someone on a first date at a noisy place like seeing a band? What was his other option? The Movies??

R- Dee….

D- No I’m just saying how are you guys supposed to get to know each other if you cannot hear yourself think!

But anyway, please wear white, you’ll look like a sexy swan, even better if he plays it safe and shows up in a black tux, you guys would look like you’re at your wedding reception

R- OKAYYY slow down, it’s a date, a first date

D- First of manyyyy

Now show me your final look

*You stand in front of mirror and flip the camera to show your final look to your ever so eager friend*

D- HOT HOT OHHH he is gonna dieeee

SEE WHAT DID I SAY THIS DRESS WAS MADE FOR YOUU

**Please picture this in white

**Hyunjae calling**

H- Hey, I’m outside your building.

You look out your window and as Hj’s searching eyes find you, you step away from the window.

R- I’ll be down in a second.

HJ's outfit

He’s dressed like a dream and Dee would have a field trip the moment she finds out you guys were coincidentally twinning, GOD he looks dreamy in white!

He hands you a rather big bouquet of flowers with a note that says “Don’t breathe if you’re allergic to pollen!” you laugh and say “I am not”

H- Well someone’s dressed to kill

R- And yet here you are, alive and well

Hand to heart he goes “Barely, Rose, Barely”

R- You don’t look so bad yourself

Funny how we’re accidentally twinning

He leans closer to your face making you lean on the car as he says in a hoarse voice “What if I was watching you and planned my outfit accordingly?”

R- The chances of both of us being a serial killer are zero so, no.

H- OKAY I LOST, let’s not have this roleplay EVER

He opens up the car door and like a boy from a fiction book, puts his hand over your head as you sit inside.

H- I did not know what flowers you like so that’s why the bouquet is a little messy, next time I’ll get you the ones you like

R- I like most flowers, peonies are my favourite and I know you’d think ‘d say rose cause im named after then but they’re not really my favourite you know and-

WAIT how do you know there would be a next time?

H- You did say yes to this date and I am going to make sure this date doesnt suck so fingers crossed

OMG DID HE JUST ACTUALLY CROSS HIS FINGERS?

H- umm yeah?

R- did i say that out loud?

H- So you DO always make sentences in your head before speaking them to me!

R- How far is this place? And what band is it?????

H- We have actually arrived.

When someone asks you out to see a band you expect a cafe or a bar with loud music and a lot of people, like any normal person. Turns out, by band he meant a private band that’s going to play music whilst you dine ON A FUCKING YACHT!!! You guys sit down as the band plays a rendition of a song you fail to remember.

H- Did i leave you speechless or do you absolutely hate this place?

R- umm so when you said we were going to see a live band, this isn’t what i was expecting. Its a little….grand. It’s crazy Expensive!!

H- Oh of course, I had to make a good first date for you, I want many moree

CUTE

H- THANK YOU!

GOD I NEED TO STOP TALKING TO MYSELF

The date went really good. You were comfortable with each other all the while having the romantic feeling of the date, later in the evening he even asked for a little dance and OH did you fall for him again. One date became 3, his contact on your phone changed from Hyunjaei to J with a heart. It wasn’t until the third date- a movie night at his apartment- that you kissed and it was unlike any kiss you’ve ever had. The atmosphere was CALLING for you to kiss, hell you would've kissed him on the yacht 3 weeks ago but he didn’t initiate but now that he had, there was no way you would back down.

Your first kiss with Jae also became the second, third and fourth and it could’ve become so much more if his neighbour had not decided it was the perfect time to come knocking on his door.You were prepared for him to either ask you to leave or sit in an awkward silence the rest of the evening, in your experience that’s how guys reacted after an interrupted makeout session. Hyunjae, however, made sure to cuddle you on the couch and talked to you the rest of the evening and if he stole a kiss or two in between, you weren’t the one to complain.

Two months into your relationship Hyunjae had dropped the L word and you wasted no time to tell him you felt the same- he was still never finding out he was your bias, you are taking that to your grave, or so you thought. Dee was meeting Hyunjae for the first time in the 2 months you’ve been dating, blame it on her “I wanna see him treat you good first” attitude- she was lying, she loved him way before you actually dated. She knew everything except the part where he still did not know he was your bias and you used to stay up late reading fanfictions about him. So when she went back home and texted you “why did he seem so surprised when I mentioned your stan account? Does he not know you were a popular hyunjae author?”

GIRL WTF!!!

H- Soooo when you said you did not hate me, did you forget to add the part where you were head over heels in love with me Miss Hyunjaescurlsdaily???

R- OH MY GODD I HATE YOU BOTHHH!!!

You throw the cushion at him and try to run in annoyance without remembering he’s twice your size and faster. He pulls you onto him as you both fall on the couch and for the first time all evening you realise just how many buttons he’s got unopened.

H- You can ogle all day but I am still gonna talk you you about your fan account.

R- I AM NOT TELLING YOUU

H- Yes you will. Now be a good girl and tell mee

In all honesty he said it jokingly but the way you reacted to that name changed the tone of his voice immediately.

H- oh, is it something you like hearing me say? Hmm love, tell me, what else do you like hearing from me?

The context of the conversation is long forgotten as his hands slide down your waist onto your thighs GOD WHY IS YOUR DRESS SO SHORT? And before you can process anything he’s now flipped the position with you under him, one hand on your thigh the other holding your neck gently, slowly moving up to your lips.

H- tell me rose, what do i do in those stories you stayed up all night reading?

Hmm? Was it something like this? *a peck*

Or perhaps this? *a kiss to your jaw*

Tell me, love. He asks as he softly bites at the base of your neck, making you sigh- only fueling his actions cause now his other hand is travelling up and up and all the way to somewhere too hot for the couch in your hallway.

R- Jae please. You half whine half sigh

H- Please what love? You wanna tell me something? His kisses on your neck dont stop. His hands now circling around your breasts, everywhere but where you needed.

R- Touch me.

H- I am touching you. His hands are now caressing your neck all the way to your cleavage and stopping just before your breasts.

R- You know what I mean. THIS IS TOO MUCH and not enough at the same time

H- I really *a bite at your left collarbone* really *and the other side* don’t *one just above your breasts*

R- oh god- you moan loud

H- Don’t think about god right now, love. I want to hear my name. He says as his hand travels south and cups you over your not so fancy underwear.

R- hyunjae! You moan loud sending him crazy as he other hand *finally* takes a handful of your breast over your dress.

H- If you want me to stop just say the word my rose, I will stop right now.

R- No, no please. I want this.

He cuts you in between as he jumps to kiss you hungrily. You’ve had some intense kisses with hyunjae but none of them were like this. He was kissing you like he wanted to show you how much he needed you, which wasn’t something you needed to be told, his bulge was obvious and obviously big.

You don’t remember when he threw your clothes off of you but the moment he took off his shirt you really felt as if you were seeing it in slow motion. He visibly shivers when your hands meet his chest and you moan when his fingers make you aware of your own wetness.

H- I want you. Do you want this?

R- I do. I want you.

You realise you’ve been taken to your bedroom when your back touches the soft sheets. Jae kisses you once before getting down himself. His gaze makes me shy as you try and hide your most private parts of yourself from you.

“Don’t take away my privilege of seeing you, my love” he says as he pulls your legs apart and attaches his lips to your thigh.

His kisses grow hungrier as he goes down and down until he reaches your very core. This can’t be- He won’t go down on you, right? Guys hate-

R- OH GOD

You yell as he licks you down there, holy shit what was that feeling?!

H- I told you love, don’t think about god, let me hear you scream my name. He says as he really gets to work

R- oh hyunjae fuck !!

The smile on his face was devious as he watched you come. He got down from the bed and started to unbutton his jeans and WOW you underestimated his size and wow you said wow out loud. He smirks and laughs a little hearing you say wow which, even in this situation made you want to squish his face, HIS LAUGH IS EVERYTHING!!!

He made sure he prepped you well but eve he knew it wasn’t gonna be enough cause the moment he entered you he really felt like he could come then and there.

H- oh fuck you’re taking me so well, my love, mine

Fuck you’re just so perfect for me

He kept groaning and praising you as he put those dancer hips to use and soon you both forgot count of how many times you screamed his name in pleasure. He held on to your breasts like it was the only way to keep himself sane, like you were laced with some aphrodisiac, and you kept pulling him closer, wanting him to lose himself in you.

The morning after was far from peaceful as you both wanted a repeat of the night before so if Eric’s knocking at your door screaming his name at 12 PM, it really brings you both to reality and against your wish, away from each other physically.

E- I don’t even wanna know why you have got so many marks on your body when you have a schedule today but JESUS CHRIST she looks like she was hunted by an animal!

And oh my god doc, are you blushing at that?!

H- Eric, get out.

E- So you can have a round 2 and be late?

H- It would actually be round 4

E- OH MY GOD!! I am outta here! Meet me downstairs in 5 minutes. FIVE!

With a pout on his face, which you did kiss away 5 times, Hyunjae leaves for his schedule and you prepare yourself for all that Dee’s going to say when she sees those marks on you.

Days turned to weeks and soon hyunjae and you shifted to an apartment together. There were days where paps would follow him around but nothing he couldn’t fool himself out of. 10 months later you’d find yourself not getting a call or a text on your birthday but before you can throw yourself on your couch and sob your way into the next day, you come home to decorations and hyunjae, your hyunjae, on his knee- a blue box in his hand as he says, “Sorry I didn’t wish you at midnight, I was getting the correct blue box for you this time around.”

THE RING

You said yes- a sobbing mess- and as your friends and family emerged from the background you complained to Dee that she let you get proposed in such a basic outfit. Hyunjae said “you look ravishing” so that made you feel better, and the HUGE ring on your finger, obviously.

D- You know this ring looks so familiar to the one y/n gets in- you stop her mid sentence before Hyunjae could hear

R- I WILL COMMIT ARSON RN SHUT UP

D- You do know he’s read your fics right?

H- Now she does

You turn as you hear Hyunjae answer Dee

R- Oh my god i am so embarrassed right now

H- Aww babe don’t be. It wasn’t anything you haven't told me before. Although that thing y/n does we should try that toni-

D- Eww you guys are too comfortable around me!

You both laugh as Daisy leave with a disgusted face, joining Eric who by the looks of it must’ve guessed the reason.

R- I really love you, you know that right?

H- I do, and I love you.

ALTHOUGH, I would love if you do that thing that y/n does.

R- DON’T!

fin.

hope you like it @un-love 💞

[latesunsetovermonroeville]

Transcription of Dr. Death Defying Radio Show, Special Holiday version, 14th February, 2019.

Couple: Party Poison/Dr. Benzedrine

[static]

Show Pony: …Oh, are we on? Hello, my favourite people of all people! I am your most beloved and requested host, Show Pony! Today is the 14th of February, you guessed it, it’s Valentine's Day! The advice of the day is to fucking tell that one joy that you are pastel for them, because personally, I think pastel is a cool word.

Now, last year, we brought on some Cherri Cola poetry actions and a special love song from our dearie Mad Gear. He played a wonderful melody dedicated to Missile Kid, who was, funnily enough, in the next room. I saw that you guys definitely enjoyed the special guests, so I figured, why don’t we have more this year? After all, it would be so boring to hear my lovely voice rambling all day, right?

So, without further a-do-a-dee, let’s welcome our new people. For privacy purpose, we are going to use nicknames so there’s no point finding them, folks, you better get rid of the idea!

Murder Wizard: Hi, I’m Murder Wizard.

Nosebleed: I’m Nosebleed.

Show Pony: Okay, let’s make this straight, you guys are a couple, yeah?

Murder Wizard: Pony, that is not the definition of straight. But yes, we are.

Show Pony: Wonderful! Happy Valentine! So, any plans for the day?

Nosebleed: Considering the fact that you knocked on our door at an unholy hour in the morning to drag us here, no, not really.

Murder Wizard: Sorry, he didn’t get enough sleep last night. We were busy-

Nosebleed: I dare you to finish that sentence.

Murder Wizard: …Alright.

Show Pony: Boys, boys, calm down. I know that this is my fault. To make up for it, how about we play a fun little game and I’ll let you guys go?

Murder Wizard: Sure.

Show Pony: Cool! The game is simple. I had some questions regarding love sent in from some killjoys out there who need advice, and you will have to answer them.

Nosebleed: You know that I should be the last person to ask for love advice, right?

Show Pony: I mean you got yourself this crash queen right here as proof that you got something up your sleeve, no?

Nosebleed: I think it’s because Murder Wizard is kinda fucked in the head.

Murder Wizard: Hey!

Show Pony: Let’s see… the first question is from a gentleman called Fusion Heatstroke. ‘Hello, Show Pony and whoever the guests are. I’m in a situation where I made a really bad first impression with this motor baby and I want to change that. Any advice?’.

Murder Wizard: That’s an easy fix. Just show ‘em that you’re better than what you showed. Like meeting them a lot, being nice and so on!

Nosebleed: You weren’t particularly nice to me.

Show Pony: What is your first impression of the other?

Murder Wizard: This guy is no fun.

Nosebleed: You still say that all the time, though?

Murder Wizard: Never admitted that I was wrong.

Show Pony: What about you, Nosebleed?

Nosebleed: Fucking annoying son of a bitch.

[someone yelled]

[static]

Show Pony: Please leave the fight after the show. Okay, let’s move on. This next question is from… oh, a familiar name, Tommy! What an honor! ‘Not really a question, but I want to get someone away from their crew from time to time, and I need a list of excuses ASAP. Whoever Show Pony brings on must be able to answer this, right?’

Murder Wizard: I take this as a challenge. Fixing a broken down vehicle, needing a helping hand at your store, you name it. It’s actually pretty easy, and my advice to you is to ask them privately before letting the crew know, ‘cause like, if the other person already agreed then what’s the point in stopping them, you know?

Show Pony: You seem experienced, Murder.

Nosebleed: You never had to do that with me. I’m wondering, where does this come from?

Murder Wizard: No! I saw… uh, that blond friend of yours using those shits to get my blond particle of the group away all the time!

Nosebleed: Fair enough.

Show Pony: Then what does Murder do to get your attention, Nosebleed?

Nosebleed: They are like, constantly invading my home and personal space. It never changes. I’m just better at enduring them.

Murder Wizard: I love you, too.

Show Pony: Leave that to the pillow talk and let’s move on to our final question so I can let you two disgusting creatures go-

Murder Wizard: Oh yeah? And who begged us to fill in because you were left hanging by a certain other couple?

Show Pony: This is from someone who would like to remain anonymous. Thank you for joining in! ‘How do I tell them that I am pastel for them? I don’t think just one sentence is enough, and a whole speech sounds kinda cringe to me.’

Nosebleed: Murder is good with speeches, I can give them that.

Murder Wizard: I am!

Nosebleed: Anyway, the point is that you get your feelings across, I believe, and do what you feel like it’s best. Other than that I don’t know what to tell you.

Murder Wizard: Getting philosophical, are we?

Nosebleed: At least I’m being helpful.

Show Pony: Since Murder is good at doing a speech, how about you declare your love to Nosebleed right here, right now? You have 10 seconds to prepare if you want.

Murder Wizard: I don’t need that crap. Ahem.

I love you to the moon and back, and then another 10 rounds around Zone 7. I would take down Battery City, sell my car, or even cut off my own arms and legs if they mean you will give me just a smile. I swear under the Witch and Destroya or whatever God is looking down at us that my love for you is undying, even if we’re dusted and gone. My love will bleed into the air you breathe, and it’s so much that you will breathe the same air in your next life walking this Earth.

[silent]

Show Pony: Wow, you don’t even stop to breathe.

Murder Wizard: Thanks.

Show Pony: Nosebleed?

Murder Wizard: Nosebleed, what are you- Get off me! We’re in the studio- Hmph!

Show Pony: Ew! Get a room, you two!

[something crashed]

[static]

Show Pony: Well, I guess that will be the end of today’s special Valentine show. I hope you find it fun, yeah, fun. Anyways, thank you for tuning in! I will see you next time!

[radio signal stopped]

[silent]

[threecrowsinatrenchcoat]

For One More Hour or One More Day

Dukeceit Week Day 6: Horror/Comedy

Remus and Janus work in IT, and Remus never fails to make Janus' life a bit more exciting than it should be. Janus wouldn't have it any other way.

AO3 Link: [here]

Word Count: 1416

Warnings: swearing, typical Remus-levels of implied sexual content. 

@dukeceitweek <3

-

[06032021 Network Node Down- 172.12.203.1 - Dee Why ]

Janus stared at the next ticket in his queue. He didn't even have to look at which tech wrote it. He just knew. He picked up his phone and dialed. 

“'Sup, DeeDee?" 

"Because they use ancient technology and refuse to upgrade, that's why." 

There was a beat of silence on the line. Janus didn't need to see him to know Remus was grinning like a maniac. 

“Oh, JD, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," Remus said finally. His voice was laced with barely-contained glee. 

“Uh-huh, sure," Janus replied dryly. He watched on his screen as an incoming call diverted from his in-use line. "Do you want to clarify for me, in excruciating detail, what, exactly, it is that broke this time? After all, if it's something I can fix from here, it would save the company an awful lot of money. And you know how I love saving this company money." 

“You don't feel like taking work calls either, huh?" 

“Ree, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

-

[06142021 CRITICAL | Device failed Availability and Latency checks - Dispatch Requested]

Janus sat in his truck for a few minutes, cross-checking the address across his e-mail, Slack, and the ticket itself. And yeah, they all matched. This wasn’t a repeat of that time Remus had changed the address on the ticket from 96th St. to 69th St. as a joke. 

(Janus had almost gotten mugged. He was still a little salty about that one.)

But this time, all the addresses matched. The problem was, he was parked in front of a restaurant instead of the usual office building, and that just didn’t seem right. He opened up Slack on his phone. 

Janus D’lyre: Are you sure the address is right?

Remus Rey: Yeah, it’s right.

Janus D’lyre: It’s a restaurant. 

Remus Rey:  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Janus D’lyre: Are you positive it’s right?

Remus Rey: I just write the tickets, Dee, I don’t do a background check. Just go in.

Janus sighed. He got out of his truck, hefted his tech bag over his shoulder, and went inside.

It was a nice restaurant. Very fancy, with a goddamn chandelier hanging over the front lobby. Field engineers weren’t required to dress in a suit and tie, but Janus did by habit- and he was glad he did, because he would feel like a horrible slob standing here in jeans and a polo.

“Can I help you?”

Janus looked over to the host, standing at the counter with a bright smile that only looked 52% faked.

“Yes,” Janus answered. “I’m here about the network issues?”

“Oh!” The host- his name tag read ‘Patton’- brightened up a bit. “Yeah! Remus is waiting for you, this way!”

“Remus is what?”

It was too late. Patton had already darted around the counter and off into the dining area. Janus sighed and, regretting every life choice leading up to this exact moment, followed.

Sure enough, Remus was waiting for him. Patton led him to a quieter area of the restaurant, where Remus was sitting at a table. Well, sitting was a generous way to phrase it, because in reality, he was tipped back on the rear two legs of the chair, combat boot-clad feet up on the table. He jumped up eagerly at the sight of Janus, and somehow managed not to fall backwards and crack his skull open. 

“Hey! You made it! Thanks, Pat!” 

“No problemo!” the host replied with a grin before heading back to the front counter. Janus briefly considered that he might be having a fever dream right now.

“Remus, what the fuck?” 

“Told you it was the right address!”

Janus glared. “That is not what I’m ‘what the fuck’-ing you about.”

“I mean, I’d prefer me fucking you-”

“Remus.”

“Well, you work so hard, DeeDee,” Remus said calmly, as if he wasn’t standing in the middle of the fanciest restaurant on this side of town, dressed in his usual tank-top and leather vest combo and probably mashing dirt into the plush red carpet, and definitely doing something that should get him fired. “I thought you could take a break, and we could have a nice dinner.”

No, he wasn’t doing something that should get him fired. He was doing something that should get them both fired. 

“You’re joking, right?”

“Kinda a lame joke.”

“Remus, you had me dispatched to a random address for a fake problem, to have dinner with you on company time?”

“‘Course not, who do you think I am?”

Janus did not dignify that with an answer. He turned to walk away.

“Jannie, wait!” Remus darted around the table to get in front of him. Janus stopped, and glared. “This is Roman’s restaurant! It’s not a random address, he’s an actual client.”

Janus’ glare lessened. Ok, sure, they did have some smaller commercial clients. And sure, Remus had mentioned his brother’s restaurant was using them as tech support now after a bad experience with a different company. But- “It’s still a fake problem, Remus.”

A shit-eating grin spread across Remus’ face. “Nah. I unplugged the router.”

Janus snorted in a totally dignified manner. “You didn’t.”

“I did.”

“...Well, I suppose… I’d better investigate the issue. Couldn’t be solved remotely, hardware problem and all.”

Remus held out a hand. Janus took it, and let Remus lead him back to the table.

“Great, cause I already ordered!”

-

[06192021 Switch is problematic. Unable to get into the switch || Serial No. 111-0203-2018]

Janus very calmly cleared the ticket, set his work phone to away, pulled out his personal phone, and sent Remus a text. 

Jannie-D: I know you’re upset I didn’t let you fuck me last night. Get over it. 

Remster: i will not 

- 

Virgil Caligo: yo are u and remus like good?

Janus D’lyre: We had a small argument last night. Why?

Virgil Caligo: [image attached]

Janus sighed. Virgil had sent him a screenshot of a ticket update Remus had just posted.

[06292021 Ticket #00679 Update.] ‘The device is not only unresponsive to simple ping requests, but is being kind of a jerk about it. 100% package loss, a tragedy. Device was confirmed to be connected to a working power source, but they all say that, so who can really be sure. Dispatch requested, please confirm maintenance window. Actually showing up would be great, too.’

Janus hastily typed a message to Virgil. 

Janus D’lyre: Did you take that one?

Virgil Caligo: ya. logan didnt see dw

Janus D’lyre: Thanks. You can transfer it to me, I’ll take care of it. 

Janus leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. What a comedy of errors this day had been. It was the last time he’d forget he and Remus had a date night planned, that’s for sure. 

- 

Remus sighed when a priority ticket popped up in his queue. He was having a grand time ignoring his other queues in favor of sculpting a rather elaborate dick out of the green Play-Doh he kept at his desk, but he really did not feel like getting bitched out by Logan for missing a priority ticket. Grumbling to himself, he stuffed the Play-Doh back into its tub and opened the ticket. 

[06292021 Ticket #00679 Update.] ‘Likely a hardware bug. Possible remote fix with reset and reconfigure. Device information missing from online records. Please check file and update record.’ 

Fuck. Remus hated pulling files. What a pain. He trudged his way upstairs to the records room, which was always dark and depressing because nobody ever went there because who the fuck used physical paper in 2021?

But when he unlocked the door and pushed it open, the light was on. And every surface was covered in flowers.

“What the fuck?” Remus asked the flowers. They didn’t answer. But, at the small desk near the door, there was a stack of green boxes from his favorite bakery- and on top of that, he saw an envelope with his name on it. Eagerly, Remus tore open the envelope. 

Inside, he found a single sheet of Janus’ fancy stationery paper, the kind with the little holographic snakes along the edge that he only ever used for special occasions. And on that paper, one single sentence, penned in Janus’ elegant, flourishy handwriting: Ok, you can fuck me tonight.

- - -

[06292021 Ticket #00679 Update.] ‘I take it back, the device is no longer being a jerk, and I love the device very much.’ 

[lifeofroos]

A/N: FINALLY a PROPER TITLE in THIS HOUSE. Anyway Hera has some words about and for Clarisse.

AO3 - KoFi

The Queen

Hera stood by her throne. It was devastating to see her home the way it was right now. There was rubble everywhere. Gods were fussing around, trying to fix what could still be fixed. Heroes were laying around everywhere, most of them wounded, all of them trying to keep a brave face. At the entrance of the throne room lay her statue, smashed to pieces.

Zeus took his place on the throne next to her. His gaze drifted around the room, as the other gods took walked to their thrones. It was time to address the heroes who had defended Olympus.

It was always the same. The demigods thought for the gods, they got a pat on the back, and then they got send away until next time. And there would always be a next time.

Zeus held his head high, as always dreading the moment where he had to thank his heroes. Poseidon looked smug, Hades uncomfortably out of place. Demeter was worried, Aphrodite entertained, Apollo and Hermes glad that it was over. Artemis and Dionysus had a certain pride over them, as if they were glad that their campers and hunters showed the titans what for. Hephaestus stayed in the background. As always it was unclear what he was thinking.

Then there was Ares. He was enthusiastically talking to a girl, clearly one of his daughters: She was bulky, muscled and mean. Quite probably Clarisse. Hera had heard of that girl before.

Clarisse was forcing a smile, yet Hera could see right through it. The girl was sad, afraid and exhausted. She must be the one Ares had insisted on blessing, halfway through their fight with Typhon.

Ares was the last one to sit down. He sent his daughter to the side of the throne room, where she waited with the other demigods.

Zeus began his speech, his long, long speech, which bored everyone after the first five sentences. Yet, it gave Hera the time to study Ares’ daughter.

The queen had seen enough broken people to recognise when someone had lost a loved one in battle. Perhaps a boyfriend, but it could also be a best friend, or a brother. It made her feel pity, yet curiousity at the same time. She knew how passionately her son could love the people close to him, under the violent demeanor. Perhaps this girl had gotten some of that nature.

After Zeus was done, the nature spirits, heroes and others had been rewarded, and promises had been made, Hera made her way out of the throne room, to a group of Ares’ children. A grand deal of them were boys, with only two or three girls. Still, Clarisse was clearly the leader of the bunch.

The queen coughed. ‘Excuse me?’

Some of them glanced at her, yet they kept chattering on. Hera clenched her teeth. She couldn’t have expected the children of Ares to be well-behaved, yet it still bugged her.

‘I’d like to speak to you.’ She pointed at Clarisse, who pulled a face.

‘Speak to me, ma’am? May I ask why?’

‘You’ll find out.’

For a second, the young woman (It was more of a young woman then a girl) was clearly debating whether to actually go. Then she took a look around her group and followed.

‘What is it, your majesty?’ She asked, when they entered one of the many secret rooms Olympus had hidden away.

‘I wanted to see you for a moment.’ Hera decided to ignore the sarcastic manner in which the young woman had spoken to her.

‘Why?’

‘Be quiet.’ Clarise had large bags under her eyes, eyes which betrayed how tired she really was. ‘You lost someone.’

‘I appreciate that it isn’t a question, at least.’

‘Who was it?’

Clarisse wanted to give a sassy remark. She just didn’t have the energy for it any longer. ‘My best friend,’ she sighed. She tried to push down the tears that welled up in her eyes. ‘Her boyfriend died a few days ago. At least they are back together now.’

‘Only your best friend?’

‘How little do you value friendship?’ Clarisse clenched her fist. She knew that she shouldn’t tick the goddess off, but boundaries were difficult to see right now. She hoped Hera would have some compassion for the situation.

The goddess forced a smile. ‘It’s not that…’

‘I wasn’t trying to be a homewrecker, or anything. I’ve got a boyfriend.’

Hera pushed her hand to her temples. ‘I do not care if…’

‘But you do. It is bright and clear that you do.’

Hera clenched her fists. ‘Give me a moment.’ This girl was absolutely out of line. Yet, when the goddess looked her in the eyes again, she once again saw that sadness, that absolute fatigue.

The hero looked away. ‘Ma’am, I am not feeling so well right now.’

‘...no. No, I reckon you do not.’

She had seen demigods like this before. Ones that were worn and tired and done with fighting. And every single time, she had sworn to herself that she would remember it. Perhaps now was the time to show she did.

Carefully, she placed her hand on Clarisse’s forehead. The demigod violently smacked it away. ‘What in Hades are you doing?’

‘Don’t use his name against me. I only want to bless you. Perhaps then your life will be easier, from now on.’

Clarisse shook her head. Hera narrowed her eyes. ‘What are you-’

‘Because that would fix everything, of course.’

‘...What?’

‘Because if you’d bless me, that would fix anything. That would make me forget the horrible past and happily move on, la-dee-da, wonderful. Then you gods won’t have to feel guilty any longer.’

‘Young lady-.’

‘I’d rather you didn’t bless me. I’m an Ares kid, we fight for ourselves. If you want to give me anything, just… I mean, promise me you’ll get me off of what I said just now without consequence, okay?’

Hera could only stand there, mouth agape. She collected herself. ‘Very well. Go back to your life, then. Exactly the way it was. Make the best of it.’

Clarisse looked like she regretted her outburst, yet she held her head high. ‘Thanks, your majesty.’ She bowed her head, before running out of the room, back to her siblings, who were already being driven to the elevator. It was time to go back to camp.

Hera held her gaze fixed on a point just above the elevator. Next time, she’d begin before it was already too late, before they were already disillusioned. No matter what, she’d have to try again. A queen didn’t give up, not when she had a plan so clear she could almost, álmost, grasp it.

A/N: I feel like this work has a slower pace than my work usually has. I like it though, and it fits Hera

[mikrowrites]

apple pie kind of life

dean winchester x reader

SORTA SEASON 15 FINALE SPOILERS!!!

summary: told in a series of vignettes, Dean and Y/N get to live a semi-normal life and most importantly, get their happy ending.

warnings: literally just fluff and slice of life, language, recreational drinking :), mild canon violence

a/n: this literally jumps all around the timeline. it’s also just me self-indulgently fixing what’s broken lmao

a/n: so these are just a bunch of events, in no chronological order whatsoever! enjoy!!

At 8:00 AM sharp, the sound of two alarm clocks went off in the bunker.

Y/N L/N reached over, hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock as she yawned, sitting up. She combed her hands through her messy bed head, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

Suddenly two strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling Y/N back down onto the bed, the woman letting out a squeal before she laughed softly.

“Ten more minutes...” Dean Winchester grumbled, resting his chin on Y/N’s shoulder, his stubble tickling her skin.

She huffed with laughter, interlacing one of her hands with his. “Ten minutes, then we face the music, yeah?”

Dean mumbled a “mm-hm” in response, pulling Y/N in closer.

The woman smiled, burrowing into his hold as they laid peacefully together, tangled in blankets and sheets.

—

“Oh my god. You suck at this.” Y/N scrunched her nose, watching as Dean stood steadily on the ladder, stringing the multicolored lights on the gutter.

“You wanna keep trashing my light-hanging skills?” Dean shouted over his shoulder. “Do you want to do it?”

“Nah,” Y/N smirked, biting her bottom lip. “I’m just enjoying the view.”

Dean rolled his eyes with a smile, continuing the strenuous task of hanging Christmas lights on their small house. Y/N watched from below, bundled into a winter coat, smiling up at her husband.

“You know, on second thought, maybe we should’ve just done white lights.” Y/N mused.

Dean turned and looked at his wife with raised eyebrows. He slowly made his way down and off the ladder, before grabbing a ball of snow and throwing it at her.

Y/N gasped as her jaw dropped in shock, shaking her head. “Oh, it’s on motherfucker!”

The two ran around the yard, dodging snowballs from each other, laughing like little kids. Miracle barked from the fenced backyard, adding to the chaotic scene. Y/N ran towards Dean, tackling him into the snow as she shoved more of the cold substance down the back of his coat.

“Okay, I surrender, I surrender!” Dean yelled, Y/N stopping as she smiled down at him.

“And victory is sweet.” She sang before leaning down and kissing him. Dean smiled against her lips, reaching behind him and bringing a ball of snow down over her head.

Y/N broke away from the kiss, sitting up and laughing loudly. Dean grinned, her laughs being the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. She stood up, holding out her hand. He took it, Y/N helping to hoist him up.

“Look at us. We’re a mess.” Y/N chuckled.

“I think maybe a nice hot shower should fix it right up.” Dean mischievously replied.

Y/N smiled. “I think that should do, Mr. Winchester.”

Dean smirked as Y/N grasped his hand, pulling him towards the house.

“Lead the way, Mrs. Winchester.”

—

The old barn was filled with the sound of struggle and fighting as the Winchesters and Y/N fought off the group of vamps.

Y/N shoved the vamp off of her, slicing off it’s head and spinning, elbowing another in the chest.

She saw Dean wrestling with a vamp, Y/N reaching for something in her jacket pocket. The creature tried to shove Dean against a wooden beam, but before it could its head was sliced clean off. The man looked at the vamp confused before looking over at his girlfriend standing about 10 feet away.

Y/N dropped her jaw in utter joy, reaching into her pocket again and producing another ninja star from between her fingers. Sam killed the last vamp, turning to look at the woman. “Really?”

Dean’s face shifted to a look of awe. “I love you so much right know.”

Y/N winked at her boyfriend, pocketing the ninja star. “Love you too. Now let’s go get those kids to safety.”

The woman went to go get the two kids, Dean and Sam turning to look at each other. The older brother sighed. “Should’ve let me use the ninja stars.”

“Shut up, Dean.”

—

Y/N pursed her lips, cocking her head to the side as she surveyed the room. She narrowed her eyes for a moment in thought before picking up a roller paintbrush and a can of paint, as she began to roll paint onto the walls.

She was about halfway through painting the room when she heard the front door shut, the familiar sound of her husband throwing his keys on the counter ringing through the house. “Hey, I’m home!” he shouted.

Y/N wiped her paint covered hands on her old overalls, walking out of the room to greet Dean. “Hey, De.”

“Woah, what have you been doing?” Dean questioned, Y/N walking up and sneaking a kiss from him before answering.

“Painting. Had to get done at some point. I promise, I’m not going crazy on it. I picked the mint color, it’s cute.” Y/N nonchalantly replied.

Dean raised his eyebrows. “Without me? Without anyone in the house?”

Y/N shrugged. “No, I had Miracle here with me. So?”

“Honey, you’re pregnant.” Dean reasoned.

“And I’m immediately helpless?” Y/N put her hands on her hips, smiling teasingly. “I’m fine.”

Dean huffed out a sigh, Y/N chuckling. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her hands resting on the nape of his neck. Dean placed his hands on both sides of her slightly swollen belly. “Everything’s fine.”

“I know.” Dean finally relented, kissing the top of her head before scrunching his face in disgust. “Gross, you have paint in your hair.”

“Aw, that’s the sweetest compliment you’ve ever given me.” Y/N smiled. Dean rolled his eyes with a laugh.

“I’ll change and help finish painting.” He replied, pulling away and shrugging off his jacket.

Y/N nodded in satisfaction, turning to walk back into the room. Dean watched her leave, a loving smile traced onto his lips. He shook his head with a chuckle, trying to reason how he became such a cheesy-ass husband.

—

Sam walked over to the table, handing a beer to Y/N. She tipped the bottle towards him in thanks before taking a swig. The tall brunette sat across from her, sighing.

“So are you gonna do it?”

Y/N choked on her booze a bit, clearing her throat as she sat up, looking around to be sure Dean wasn’t near. “Sammy!”

“What? We won. We can write our own lives now, what are you waiting for?” Sam chuckled.

Y/N sat her beer on the table, frowning. “I just—Dean’s not the kind of guy for domesticity and such. I don’t really think he’s a marriage kind of guy.”

“You won’t know unless you actually talk to him.” Sam urged.

She exhaled, sitting back in her seat. “Look. After this hunt I’ll talk to him.”

“Atta girl.” Sam teased, Y/N rolling her eyes with a smile.

“Besides, if I pop the question first it’ll bruise his big boy ego.”

Sam raised his bottle. “To bruising my brother’s ego with love.”

“Cheers.” Y/N grinned, clinking her bottle with his.

Dean watched the two most important people in his life drink their booze, smiling and laughing. A soft smirk formed, as he reached into his pocket, pulling out the velvet ring box with his mother’s ring rested neatly in it. After a beat Dean placed it back in his pocket, walking into the library.

“Hey, no booze for me?”

—

Y/N gripped Dean’s hand, grinning as they looked back at the officiant. He wore one of his fake FBI suits as she wore a white dress shirt with black dress pants.

She turned to look again at Dean, raising her eyebrows teasingly. “I do.”

“By the power vested in me by the city of Las Vegas, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The man stated. “You may k—“

Before the officiant could finish Dean wrapped his arm around Y/N’s waist, dipping her back and kissing her deeply.

She melted into the kiss, bracing her hand on his back. Sam whooped and hollered from the front pew, Eileen clapping her hands with a wide smile.

The two pulled away, Dean holding Y/N close as the two laughed, Y/N’s cheek pressed against Dean’s. Cas smiled fondly at the two, the light catching the gleam of Y/N’s ring.

The officiant shook his head in amusement, clearing his throat.

“I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Dean Winchester!”

—

Dean stepped inside the house, pulling a trailing Y/N in by the hand. He led her into the empty living room, grabbing both her hands and raising his eyebrows. “So?”

“So...” Y/N mused, looking around the small house. “... it’s kinda... perfect.”

The green-eyed man smiled, looking around. “It’s not suburbia, not big and fancy, it’s just—“

“It’s just a home.” She finished for him. “Yeah.”

Dean chuckled. “It’s a home.”

Y/N looked around. “Dee, there’s no way we could even afford this. My bartending and your side jobs, we couldn’t—“

“I talked to Sam. He’d help us work out how to do a loan. We could pay it off.” The man insisted.

She sighed, pouting her lips. “I do really love this house... do you think...?”

“We have a meeting with the realtor tomorrow at 3.” Dean finished her sentence.

Y/N nodded, exhaling deeply.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

—

Y/N ran the rag across the counter, smiling up at her husband who was talking up some of their customers with his ever-so-charming smirk. Soft music emitted from the jukebox in the corner, the lights lowered slightly for the ambiance.

The bar had been a labor of love for Dean and Y/N. They both had bartending experience, and after all, it was secretly always a dream of the hunter’s to open a place like this. It took many years, but they were up and running.

Eileen walked over to the counter, Y/N grinning at her sister in law. The brunette smiled back. “Mary doing well?”

Y/N chuckled at the thought of her three-year-old, throwing the rag under the counter. “Sleeping like a rock upstairs.” Y/N spoke while signing with her hands.

“Dean seems happy. Really happy. More than I’ve ever seen.” Eileen remarked.

“Yeah.” Y/N made eye contact with her husband, who threw her a dazzling smile. “He really is.”

—

Loud cries and wails echoed down the hallway as Y/N let out a loud groan. She reached over and checked the time on her phone. 1:34 AM. Y/N dramatically thrust her face into her pillow smacking her husband’s chest with her hand.

“It’s your turn.” Y/N’s muffled voice stated.

Dean chuckled lowly, sitting up and kissing the back of Y/N’s head before crawling out of bed. The woman turned and watched him leave the room, her eyelids fluttering shut as sleep overcame her again.

The man walked towards the crying, gently opening the door to the nursery. Dean approached the crib, reaching in and gathering his 3 month old daughter into his arms.

“Hey, Mary Jo.” He hushed. “You might wanna lower the volume a bit, I think your mommy’s considering adoption.”

The baby’s wails turned into soft wimpers until she fell silent, Dean exhaling in relief.

“I was kidding about the adoption thing, by the way.” He made his way over to the window, looking out it. “Did you have a nightmare? Yeah, mommy and I have them too. Pretty often.”

Dean lightly rubbed his daughter’s back, sighing. “One day, when you’re much older, the nightmares will never stop. You’ll learn about every nightmare out there. But we’ll be here to show you how to defeat them. We’ll teach you how to protect yourself from them. But don’t go chasing the nightmares. Learn to keep them away.”

He was quiet for a moment, before sighing and shaking his head. “I still chase nightmares. And I hope, I pray to Jack you never do.”

—

[raining-stormcloud]

Sanders sides oneshot

Intrulogical

This takes place directly after DWIT! Any other videos have not happened yet, but I'm still using Janus' real name.

TW: some sad remus, yelling

Remus sighed, his long day had gotten the best of him as he flopped onto the couch. He grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table and flicked on the TV. Static showed on the screen, and as he flipped through the channels, the noise from the static just got louder and louder. Perks of being a dark side I guess, no TV. The duke looked up to see a familiar face. Janus had sat beside the intrusive trait, watching as Remus carelessly threw the TV remote down.

"How was it?" The deceitful side asked, leaning back against the uncomfortable couch.

"I hit Roman over the head with my morning star," Remus said, rather monotonously, "And it was okay I guess, Thomas know about me now, but..." The duke trailed off.

"But...?"

"I don't know, I guess I expected it to go a little differently," Remus said.

"How so?" Janus asked, now a little confused as to why Remus wasn't bragging about his appearance in Thomas' video.

"Virgil and Patton reacted how I thought they would, but Logan- Logan didn't really seem affected!" Remus exclaimed, sitting up and staring at the blank TV. "I wanted to get under his skin y'know? and I managed to a little bit, but after a while, he started bothering me!"

Janus nodded to encourage him to continue.

"I threw throwing stars at him, I knocked his teeth out, I threatened him, but nothing, he just said that I had no effect on him! It's infuriating, I want to be scary, I want to show up unexpectedly, I want to reek as much havoc as I can into their souls! I just want them to notice me..."

Remus hadn't realised that his eyes had begun to water until he felt a singular tear run down his face. "I... I just want Logan to notice me..." The Duke quickly wiped his face, trying to stop himself from crying as the earth-shattering truth had just been revealed.

The snake-like side beside him gently placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping Remus from panicking too much. "I think you might have given him the wrong first impression..." Janus offered, "Maybe go talk to him..?"

Remus' eyes glanced down at the floor, looking at his feet as he took a deep breath. "What if he casts me out? Or tells me to go away?" He said, his thoughts plaguing with other 'what if's that he didn't deem necessary to share at that moment.

"If I know anything about Logan, considering I've impersonated him, I don't think he will do anything like that, you just need to go talk to him," Janus soothed.

Remus nodded slightly, his thoughts racing as he slowly stood up. "Thanks, Double-Dee."

~Lightside mindscape~

Virgil and Roman were bickering again, Patton trying to calm the two down as Logan watched from the couch.

"You are so insufferable!" Virgil yelled, earning an offended gasp from the prince, who probably didn't even know what it meant.

"At least I'm helpful to Thomas!"

"You spent the last video on the floor!" Virgil exclaimed, "How is that helpful?!"

"That wasn't my fault! It was-"

"Mine..."

Everyone stopped to turn and look at Remus, who had appeared behind the TV, similarly to when he showed up in the video.

"Remus," Roman said through gritted teeth, "what are you doing here Brother?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Roman... I'm actually here to speak to Logan," The Duke spoke, his tone rather calm, although internally he was screaming through the fiery pits of Hell.

"Me?" Logan asked, perplexed.

"Yes... uh... you..." Remus answered, glancing around the room for something to keep his mind distracted.

"Oh, then of course, we can go to my room," Logan suggested.

Remus nodded as Logan began walking up the stairs, leading to a hallway that was lined with Six doors. The logical trait lead Remus to a blue door, with a small white L painted on, and the nerd's Logo beside the door frame. The other doors were similar to this, their colour as the door, their initial, and then their logo beside it, however, the others had taken the time to decorate their doors, to make them seem more unique, and "them". Remus glanced at the doors, his eyes landing on the end two doors. They were both blank, no colour or letters, and only an empty frame beside the door frame. The door on the same side as Logan's room looked newer than the other blank door, as though it had only recently shown up.

Logan opened his bedroom door, walking inside and snapping his fingers to light up the inside, though no windows or lamps could be seen. The duke soon followed, looking around the sparsely decorated room, and glancing at the few science posters Logan had stuck to the walls. "Now, what is it you wished to talk about?" The logical trait asked, taking a seat at his desk, but turning his chair to face Remus.

"Right, yeah, Uhm..."

"Take as much time as you need," Logan said, sensing a bit of nervousness from the Darkside.

That singular sentence made Remus more relaxed; Logan wasn't rushing him, he didn't want the Duke to hurry and leave, he actually wanted to listen to him.

"I was hoping we could maybe start over..." Remus said, looking down and scratching the back of his neck. "When I popped up today, I wanted to scare you, I wanted to get under your skin, but... I think I just want to talk to you..."

"We are talking now, are we not?" Logan asked, a little puzzled.

"Well- yes, but- it's hard to explain." Remus continued to tell Logan about how he wanted Logan to accept him and talk to him, and treat him better than any of the other sides did. He explained to the logical trait that his desire to get to know Logan had somehow formed itself into the desire to unnerve him and break him, but that's not what he wanted at all, and as time went on, Logan slowly started to understand.

"You... wished to be friends?" Logan asked once Remus had finished rambling.

"Friends! Yes! That's the word! I wanna be friends..."

Logan looked up at the Duke, his face holding a soft expression that not many had seen before. "I would love to be your friend Remus," The Logical side said.

"Really..?" Remus asked in disbelief. No one had wanted to be his friend before, he and Janus didn't really have a choice, but this time... this time he had made a friend, a proper friend.

"Of course."

The two sides sat together on Logan's bed watching a murder documentary. Remus spent the time pointing out the most gruesome parts and telling Logan all the ways he could do some sort of murder and get away with it. The logical trait didn't mind Remus' gruesome and uncomfortable comments, that any people would be creeped out by, and instead pointed out the things and facts wrong with the documentary, and would get frustrated when a very simple clue was missed or misjudged.

The two friends found the presence of each other very comforting, and this soon became the norm when Logan wasn't working, or if they were both excluded from a video. Friends, yes, two good friends.

And maybe one day they would become more.

[stillebesat]

Scales (4/7)

Sanders Sides: Logan, Deceit, Virgil, Roman, Patton Blurb: Deceit hadn’t expected his absence from the Mindscape to be noticed by the others…until Logic knocked on his door. Fic Type: General Warnings: Shedding (snake style), Minor Injuries, Minor Pain, Touch Starvation, Death Talk Taglist in Reblog.

To Catch Up: Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Reveal himself? To the others? Like this?! 

Oh no. No. No. NO! Deceit violently shook his head. There was no way! Not even for...family. He could handle this on his own! “You really need to stop using that word.” He muttered, pulling his legs up and away from Logic. 

Leave his room? Get carried around like a sack of potatoes? Let the others see him in his weakened state? It was crazy talk. He was safe here. He couldn’t get--well he could get hurt less here.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Which word?” He asked, the barest of smiles on his lips. “Family?”

Deceit made a face. “No.” Stupid. Freaking. Shed. Making him all sentimental and--and…malleable. He was the one who should be pulling the strings and using manipulation, not Logic.

“Mhmmm. Well…” Logan smirked, his eyes glittering underneath his damp bangs. “If it’s working, I will keep using it.” He held out his hand, wiggling his fingers. “Your Family wants to help you, Lyal.”

“You want to help me.” Deceit said, his heart climbing into his throat. He never left his room during Shed. Never. “There’s a difference.” 

“I’m the only one who knows currently. That’s the difference. Give them a chance. You gave me one and it’s turned out alright, hasn’t it?”

But he was Logic! Logan wasn’t emotional like the others! “Yes, but--” Agh. Logic was using logic on him, and he was listening. Deceit looked down to his arm, his fingers twitching underneath the shed. “What could they give me out there, that I can’t get in here?” He whispered. 

Logan raised an eyebrow. “You’re the one still in shed. You tell me.”

His shoulders slumped. “Point.” Deceit conceded, reluctantly uncurling. Logic. Freaking Logic. He had done everything he normally would do in his room and it hadn’t worked. If he was to get his shed off before it did major damage he had to do something more...something...different. 

 Deceit exhaled, stamping down on the butterflies twisting in his stomach. Even...even if it meant going out...letting the others see him--could they actually help? Would they want to?

He ignored Logan’s hand as he stood, only to grab onto his arm to keep from collapsing to the floor as his knees buckled, his vision tunneling. 

Shoot! He was weak.

“I got you.”

Deceit barely had time to process the words before a band of warmth scooped up his legs while another steady arm supported his back as Logan lifted him bridal style. He inhaled sharply, flinching at the pressure on his left side from the other’s hand.

It was one thing for Logan to touch the shed. But holding him? It...he wasn’t used to so much contact. It was like a series of electrical pulses were dancing up and down his body reacting to the lesser heat that Logic gave off. It was an uncomfortable sensation, but also nice at the same time. Warm. And...okay it wasn’t bad. Especially when it wasn’t his left side pressed up against Logan. That contact would have been unbearable. The single band of the other Side’s arm across the shed was hard enough to tolerate.

“I--” Deceit cleared his throat, slowly resting his head against Logic’s chest, already knowing that arguing was useless. “I can walk.” He complained.

Logan hummed his disagreement, carefully adjusting his grip to put less pressure on Deceit’s scaled side. “You just told me your depth perception is off, which makes carrying you the safest option. Plus, you haven’t eaten in six days.” He reminded him as he turned for the door. “If. And I say If. You were able to walk, it would be better not to in order to conserve your remaining energy until you are able to ea---are you able to eat now?”

Deceit swallowed, closing his one eye as Logan shifted him a bit to get the door open. “I don’t know.” He whispered, shivering as they left his room, immediately regretting that he hadn’t grabbed his cape--not that he could wear it with the shed, but it was COLD out here. Drier. That couldn’t help him. He needed it to be warm and humid to get the shed off! 

Deceit pressed his head harder against Logan’s chest, seeking the heat he could feel there as he breathed in the familiar scent of paper and jam. “Normally food doesn’t sit well.” 

“But normally this lasts only--.”

“A couple of days.”

“Which fasting for that length is not unheard of.”

“Mmmm.”

“Six days though--”

“Is too long.” He knew that.

“You need to eat.”

“I….” Deceit exhaled, blearily opening his one eye, watching as Logan approached the stairs. His stomach twisted. He wasn’t quite sure if it was from hunger or nerves. The others were downstairs. He could hear their voices. They were going to see him like this. He swallowed, his heart rate picking up. “Yah…probably.”

“Can you?”

“I haven’t tried to yet, Genius. I don’t know.”

Logan huffed. “Point, but perhaps softer foods should be attempted first. Ice cream--”

Deceit winced, shuddering. “And freeze further? No thanks.”

“Soup then.” Logan said, pausing at the top of the stairs as Roman let out a particularly loud laugh below them followed by Patton’s quieter giggle.

Deceit gripped Logan’s tie, his fingers going white on the fabric, his vision blurring in his good eye. “Logic--” His breathing hitched as he moved his legs, shifting in Logan’s arms. This was a bad idea. He’d never shown the others this before. Never. They should go back to his room. It was safer. It was warmer. The others--  

“Breathe, Lyal.” Logan soothed, remaining still, his arms keeping a warm comforting pressure around him.

Ha. He peered over Logic’s shoulder to his bedroom at the end of the hall. Easier said than done. This was….this was--

“Logan?” 

Deceit tensed, ducking his head against Logic’s chest. Oh no. 

Anxiety’s voice came from the base of the stairs, taking away their last chance to retreat without being seen. 

Why did it have to be him next to see this?! Virgil would-- 

“Why are you--” Anxiety interrupted his own sentence with a loud curse as footsteps raced up the stairs. “Dee! What happened! Is he dead? He’s Dead!”

Dead? That reaction was a bit extre-- Deceit froze. Wait, was that worry he heard in Virgil’s voice?

“DEAD?!” Creativity’s voice rang through the common room.

Glass shattered. “Lyal? NO!”

“Guys! He’s not--” Logan tried to explain over Morality’s ear-piercing wail and Creativity’s loud swearing of vengeance as multiple feet pounded up the stairs. “Stop, it’s--”

Deceit hissed in displeasure as cool fingertips unexpectedly brushed his cheek. He jerked away from the touch, his left arm trembling as he half turned his head, his glossy snake eye staring at Anxiety’s vibrant heat signature.

“Dee?” Virgil whispered, eyes darting between the shed and the normal half of Deceit’s face.

“Annie.” He responded just as quietly, watching as Anxiety relaxed at the sound of his voice. Huh, usually he tensed up the Anxious Si--his nostrils flared, catching the swirling scent of cookies and pine needles just as the other two’s heat signatures joined Anxiety’s, surrounding Deceit like a wall of fire to his snake eye, their voices overwhelming his senses in a cacophony of noise as they jostled each other trying to see him.

“Guys-” Logan tried to interrupt.

“WHO DID THIS?!” Roman yelled over him, swinging his sword through the air, eyes dark with determination. “I Swear!---”

“Ohnononononohecantbehecantbedeadhecantbedead!” Patton cried, reaching out to Deceit only for Logan to deftly turn away so that he blocked the others from touching him.

“And I will SMITE them with MY SWORD--”

“Another Dark Side?” Virgil demanded. “Did they hurt--” 

“Ly! Ly! Ly! Come on, friendo. You’re okay. You’re okay! Pleasepleaseplease.” 

It was too much, far too much stimulation after six days of isolation, Deceit didn’t know how to react to so much...lov--concern. He tensed up, ducking his head against Logan’s tie in a useless attempt to hide from the others. If circumstances were different he would have already vanished, sunk out away from their attention. But considering that he wasn’t sure he could even stand...running away was out of the question.

It sucked being vulnerable. 

Logan tsked under his breath. “LYAL’S ALIVE.” He shouted. “He’s just weak.” He added in the resulting quiet, carefully turning back so the others could see him.

“He’s alive?!--what’s--what happened to him?” Roman demanded, his sword vanishing with a simple twist of his hand. 

“Alive? ALIVE! Oh, Lyal!” Patton blubbered. “You’re--” He reached out with both hands.

Deceit flinched back, reflexively baring his teeth, causing the father figure to freeze. 

“Careful.” Logan warned, taking a step back, holding him close.

Deceit hunched his shoulders before forcing himself to relax, taking some comfort from Logic’s steady warm presence. This wasn’t how he wanted things to go, but...they weren’t attacking him for being a monster. Not hating him on sight. He could sense genuine concern from everyone, even Anxi-Virgil, about his welfare. He cleared his throat. “It’s...I’m fine.”

Logan glanced down at that, fingers tightening on his legs, but thankfully he didn’t call Deceit out on the lie. 

“That doesn’t look fine dude.” Virgil retorted, fiddling with his hoodie sleeves. “Your skin--”    

 Deceit turned his head so the others could see his human side as well, carefully straightening a little in Logan’s hold, working to breathe normally. “It’s just...the scales shed. It’s normal for--for me.” 

“Normal?!” Roman demanded, frowning at the shed covering half of Deceit’s torso. “How come we’ve never--”

Virgil scoffed. “I’d think that obvious, Princey. Would you want to be seen if you looked like a walking mummy?”

“Well...no, but!--”

“Does it hurt?” Patton asked, bottom lip trembling, his eyes wide and shining with unshed tears. “Ly...are you...are--”

Concern from Morality. Deceit drew in a slow breath, ignoring how fast his heart was racing and without trying to think about it too much, held out his arm. “It’s just--sensitive to touch, otherwise it doesn’t-” He fought to not flinch as Patton tenderly took his hand, his fingers feeling like warm sunshine on the shed. “Hurt.”  

It usually didn’t hurt him...if it was under normal circumstances. This...was anything but that.

“I--” He looked away, trying to keep his voice from shaking, but it was hard...revealing your weaknesses like this after keeping them secret for his entire life. “I usually sleep through most of it.” 

“Which is why we haven’t seen Lyal this past week.” Logan added as Roman moved closer, his blazing heat like the flames from a forge as he gently rested his hand against Deceit’s cheek. 

“But?” Virgil crossed his arms. “Something’s wrong. Right? Otherwise I doubt that you would let us see you like this.”  

Despite himself, Deceit leaned into Roman’s touch, soaking in the heat even as his senses screamed that it was too much. Logan, Patton, Roman...all touching him. It...it was painful, yet he couldn’t find himself wanting to draw away. “Yes.” If he had his way the others would have never found out.

“This particular Shed is lasting far longer than it should.” Logan supplied as he edged his way through the others, moving them closer to the stairs. 

Deceit fought back the whimper that rose in his throat as Roman and Patton’s heat vanished from his shed, leaving his skin tingling. 

“Lyal tells me that his usual methods of using heat and humidity to help with the process are not working.” Logan said, his fingers tightening on Deceit as they descended. “So I suggested we come down and solicit solutions from the rest of the family to help him out.”

Deceit drew in a shaky breath, peering over Logan’s shoulder to the others as they followed them into the living room. There was that word again. Family.

“Humidity?” Creativi-Roman repeated, falling instep beside them, still peering at the shed, the regalness fading from his voice as his brow furrowed in contemplation. “But I thought--”

“How long is a good long for this?” Patton asked, hovering right behind.

“Th-three days.” Deceit managed, shifting in Logan’s arms as they reached the couch. He’d never expected the others to...to care like this. Sure, Logic had said that they would want to help--but--he hadn’t actually believed it possible. But even Annie was--- 

A growl reverberated from Anxiety’s chest as his hands clenched. “But it’s been--”

“Six.” Logan confirmed, carefully setting Deceit down, making sure he was stable before sitting next to Deceit on his human side, keeping an arm protectively around him. “I convinced Lyal to come out here to you all so that we could find a solution quickly.”

“Or?” Patton asked, taking a seat on the coffee table, looking into Deceit’s eyes.

Deceit shivered, leaning into Logan despite himself to keep close to the heat he was giving off. He pulled his left arm close to his chest, reluctantly keeping eye contact. “I---it can cause permanent damage to me.” His arm trembled. If it hadn’t already. 

Virgil frowned. “So why not just...you know.” He gestured to the shed. “Rip it off like a band-aid, Dee?”

Ri-Rip?! Deceit recoiled at the thought. “NO!” That was a very very bad idea! 

“That won’t work, Dr. Gloom” Roman retorted, crossing his arms as he continued to study Deceit. “If the scales aren’t ready, it would cause further harm. The skin has to loosen--” 

Deceit blinked, staring at Creativity in surprise. How--

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “How do you even know that, Princey?”  

Roman scoffed, gesturing to himself. “Please! Am I not the one always fighting the Dragon Wi--” He cut off, eyes sparking with fire as he plopped down on the couch next to Deceit. “That’s it!” He breathed jabbing a finger at him, barely missing poking the shed. “You’re doing it wrong!” 

He was WHAT? “Wrong?” Deceit repeated, jerking upright away from Logan’s heat. How could Roman say--WHAT?! “After thirty years of this.” He hissed, gesturing to his shed with a glare at Creativity, nearly nose to nose with him. “I hardly think I’m doing it wrong!” 

“But Dragons don’t need humidity to shed! I’ve helped the Dragon Witch often enough when she has to go through the same process to know!” Roman argued back, a stubborn glint in his eyes. “That’s where you’re going all wrong!” 

Off all the foolish things! Deceit scoffed, sitting back as he shook his head. “A Drag--I’m not some Fancy Creature of your Imagination Roman! They’re not dragon scales, they're snake scales you id--” He cut off, breath catching as he glanced uncertainly to Logic who raised an eyebrow at him, a slight frown on his face.

Hadn’t he caught the lie? He had to have.

Deceit drew in a shaky breath, pulling his scaled arm close to his chest. It wasn’t possible! And yet---“They’re snake scales.” He repeated, again hearing the lie in his words. A tremor ran through him. Impossible. “They--they…were snake scales.” 

Logan’s eyes flashed like a lightbulb turning on as he sat up straight, grabbing Deceit’s human hand, squeezing it. “Your scales changed.” He breathed. “That’s the difference.”

To Be Continued Chapter 4

[yourdorkiness]

My Opinions On Jujutsu Kaisen That Literally Nobody Asked For

I finished binging the Jujutsu Kaisen manga in 48 hours. I am having some expresso, because I’m depresso.

Here’s a Sad Stitch to show you how I feel.

(And of course, warnings for discussion/ranting/kinda meta on the Jujutsu Kaisen manga below the cut, so please read at your own discretion!)

Sukuna is truly a Bastard™, along with Mahito. 

I just- *cries in Shibuya Arc aka PAIN*

*Pulls out megaphone* Nanamin. 

That’s all folks. Thanks for reading, have a nice day!

.

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.

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(Just kidding!)

Ugh, NANAMIN 👏 WHAT 👏 A 👏 MAN 😭 😭 😭 😭 I became a certified Nanami stan once I saw the tired business man aesthetic (plus, his words about how work is shit? Truer words have never been spoken), and his little speech about adults and responsibility, how children no matter their circumstances are still children, and should be given the opportunity to act as such. Because, YES, FINALLY, A RESPONSIBLE ADULT WITH THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL aka the voice of Kenjiro Tsuda

Anyways, I love how the Jujutsu Kaisen manga shows that adults can handle things, and that is A-OKAY!!! If Jujutsu Tech follows the Japanese school system, Yuji is a first year in high school, so he’s probably 15 or 16 years old, way too early to go through Shibuya level of trauma (though, I think anybody is too young to have to go through what happened to Yuji in Shibuya). 

Children should have the privilege to be children. That doesn’t mean coddling, it means that children should have plenty of time to experience new things, enjoy being a child, and I’m so happy Nanami says this! 

In conclusion, Nanami deserves happiness and a vacation to Kuantan 🥺

YOSHINO JUNPEI!!! He and his mom deserve happiness, they’re both precious beans. I didn’t even realize Junpei was dead until 5+ chapters later. But it was too late, for I had already gotten attached!!! *cue curse worthy screeching* 

I was so excited for Junpei to join Jujutsu Tech, too! I had this whole headcanon of Junpei being HAPPY again, talking about movies with Yuji, interacting with the other first years, him seeing Panda for the first time!!! The thing was, back then, it wasn’t headcanon! I thought it was going to be facts, until Gege said ‘lol, you thought, peasant’, before spitting on any hope of mine for a happy Junpei.

(On a completely different tangent, I would be SO psyched if I got to meet a talking panda, we could act out all of “Kung Fu Panda” together, especially the chopstick scene, and maybe we could go to a zoo, just to mess with the zookeepers about a honest to god PANDA walking on its hind legs around the zoo)

‘If Junpei had lived’ is a phrase I think about a lot, and I think that is why the “Young Fish and Reverse Punishment” arc  was so crucial to the story and yet so tragic. 

Junpei has so much potential to be happy, and then he didn’t get the happiness he deserves. It really sets the tone, the high stakes to the whole manga, for we see the amount of damage a curse inflicts on somebody who could be in a situation like Junpei. 

As the readers, we understand the reasoning behind Junpei’s ideology, sympathizing with him as we see what horrible torment he has to go through. That very first scene of this arc, where the bullies made him eat the cockroach and BURNED HIM WITH A LIT CIGARETTE, and the teacher who saw all of this happening, JUST TURNS AWAY!!! It was haunting. But finally, finally, we get a light at the tunnel for Junpei in the form of our lord and saviour, the cinnamon roll of cinnamon rolls, Itadori Yuji. HERE is a person who is able to connect with Junpei, who wouldn’t dismiss how Junpei’s circumstances or feelings. and then Junpei dies.

(look at this cute face, how could you Mahito?!)

Also, the symbolism in the opening? The Junpei fish ENLARGING??? HNKDJSFLJDSF JUNPEI NOOO-

Also ALSO (sorry this is the last ‘also’), did we ever learn if Junpei was a sorcerer, or was he a window that possessed enough talent to summon a shikigami? I at first thought Junpei was a window, since he was able to see Mahito, and was hoping that we’d get a more detailed explanation of what windows actually do. (Do they just wander around Tokyo, or wherever they live, and act all ‘La Dee Da, just living my regular, normal life, oOOHHH is that a special grade? Tell that to the sorcerers, maybe I’ll get a bonus!’ Is their life basically a demented version of Pokemon Go? I have so many questions-)

All the villains were well written, and had super cool character designs. My top three villains other than Sukuna, my top three villains are Geto, and Mahito.

Geto’s backstory in the Hidden Inventory arc was so incredibly written, I especially liked the way Gege wrote how Getou’s righteous ideals gradually deteriorating throughout the Hidden Inventory arc as he realizes the depth of the curses of humanity, the dark hatred the “weak” hold towards things they have no understanding of. (i.e. Riko’s death by the Star Religious Group, Haibara’s death, and finally the villagers ignorant treatment and abuse towards Geto’s twins, Mimiko and Nanako, beating and imprisoning them for “causing” the deaths of the villagers) Geto’s chilling charisma and the reasoning behind his actions as a villain makes him a top tier villain in my eyes. 

As for Mahito, I love to hate him, and that why I think he is a great antagonist. I guess I’ve just been seeing a lot of villains that because of their tragic backstories, the readers or characters sympathize with them and rationalising their actions, turning the villain into a flaky antihero of lesser impact. It’s very refreshing to have a villain who is just pure evil. 

I think that Mahito fulfilled his purpose as an antagonist very well; his twisted ideals on the worth of human life foiling Itadori’s own ideals of giving others a “proper death”, the curse making Yuji continuously adapt both physically and mentally to defeat him. Physically, by learning new spells and techniques to defeat Mahito, such as the Black Flash (and possibly his own cursed technique! The weird “Past That Never Happened” in the fights with Choso and Todo), or mentally, by questioning his ideals, such as what exactly is a “proper death”, after Yuji had to kill the transfigured humans. 

(Ew look at this worm.)

Some Honorable Mentions of Good Villains IMO: Jogo, because I find his ideals of curses, who stem from the true emotions of hatred and fear, being superior yet suppressed by the emotionally faceted humans is definitely fascinating, and eerily reminds me of Geto’s hatred towards non sorcerers.  Dagon was pretty cute in his Cursed Womb stage, and I really liked Hanami because the eldritch environmentalist aesthetic is pretty coolio  👌 .

How do Inumaki children learn to speak if all the adults barely talk, only saying inane words like “salmon” and NOT ACTUALLY meaning “salmon, the fish” but an adult secret code for a definition that you might not even know?? Or do the adults just charmspeak the kids, like “SPEAK small child, and have full language comprehension, O tiny ball of pudge!” and boom! Babies talking in complete sentences, maybe understanding weird adult customs. Will the child know when then adult actually mean salmon, the fish, and not the code word salmon?

Let’s assume that Inumaki clan children from learning to speak to four or six years old will be able to speak normally until the clan technique sets in (because that’s when the jjk wiki says cursed techniques kick in). How do you explain to a toddler: “Hey sweetie, happy birthday, have a present! Oh, by the way, those cool tattoos of yours mean that you can’t talk normally to anybody anymore, EVER. Only using these specific words as code to mean these specific meanings, restricting any chance of normal interactions with non-sorcerers if by some inane chance you DON’T want to become a child soldier jujutsu sorcerer. Welp, guess you have to become a jujutsu sorcerer now! Make sure to restrict your choice of words, you could kill somebody! Have fun playing with your Legos honey, welcome to adult life.” Like, EXCUSE ME? 

You can’t tell mw a four year old is expected to understand that (or didn’t kill somebody by accident via cursed speech. That MUST have happened at least once). 

This is all an elaborate way of saying please give us Inumaki backstory, I’m very curious.

Anyways, thank you for reading my post, and I hope you have a nice day!

[kanene-yaaay-o-retorno]

The Color of my Soul(mates) [2]

[First oneshot]

[AO3 link]

Kanene’s Notes:

Nope, I do not regret the pun. New oneshot yaaaay!! Just a quick reminder that both Virgil and Patton’s mindsets are bad. They can work, of course, but only for a certain expense. Worry not. They will both start to go to a therapist and take care of themselves, even though this will not be heavily shown in the oneshots.

Warnings, fun facts, random things and stuff:

* That fanfic has Moxiety and Past Moceit and Past Virgil/Remus (no idea how it’s called dfghjdfghj) in a platonic relationship (yet), but it can be viewed as romantic, if you wish.

* Swearing, depreciative thoughts, losing someone (not death, just stopping to be soulmate), anger issues, anxious thoughts and nightmares. It’s hurt/comfort.

* [~*~]  Means passage of time

* [...] Means change in the focus of the narrative 

* This characters do not belongs to me. They all belongs to the amazing Thomas Sanders in his series of Sanders Sides.

* Something around 5.300 words. -w-)b.

* Sorry for any spelling, pontuation and grammar mistakes! Any advice is very very welcome!

* Tô com preguiça de postar a versão em português brasileiro aaaa! Thankys for reading, my lollipops! Say to someone important how much you love them, be safe, talk with the one that you love, drink water and sleep well! Byeioo!~

                          [~*~]

Loneliness is an island with missing boats.

Missing is when the moment tries to run away from the memories to happen again and can’t do it.

Memories are when, even without authorization your thinking re-presents a chapter.

-       Adriana Falcão - Meanings

[~*~]

Hey, Dee! It’s been some time, huh? Nothing really happened around here, so I have no interesting news to share today. Buut, I learned a new knock knock joke! I would finally get you to laugh with this one! It’s like that:

Me: Knock, knock.  

U: Who’s there?  

Me: Ice cream.  

U: Ice cream who?  

Me: Ice cream if you don’t let me in!

Funny, right?!

… It feels silly to continue to talk with you through those letters. I can’t-

I don’t even know where to send them! That is stup- not great.

I just… I just miss you, Dee. A lot. My uncle says that I should get your old representation out of the bed and hide it so I can start moving on, but… It feels empty, you know? Everything.

I really miss you.

Love, Heart.

[…]

“No.” 

His words echoed in his mind, the strap of his backpack slipping from his grip, his body throwing itself forward, heart jumping in the back of his throat as his steps inevitably brought him even closer to the faded green, almost white, shark plushie in front of him. 

“No.” 

He repeated, as if this was a spell able to make the scene before him change. His hands trembled and failed in touching the so loved object, a silent scream slipping from his slightly parted lips. Yet, he still tried to think of something. Anything that would erase his choices. He knew it.

He should have known. He read about it before, the butterfly effect. Any choice, any movement, any little thing you did could change drastically your future. It could make events – people – which would happen in your life just…

Disappear. 

[The stuffed animal remained quiet on his hands, it’s blank face staring superficially, not really seeing him. Not like before.]

He knew it. 

“Rat?” He knew it. He knew it. He knew, knew, knewknewknew it! “Ree?” His soul searched desperate for an answer. But he got none. No thoughts, no feelings, no small touches, no acknowledging sparks, nothing. 

That word seemed to ring unbearably in his ears. There was nothing there. Nothing except for the silence and the void which filled itself with despair at every that went by.

“This better not be a prank or this time I will throw you in the washing machine for real!” Virgil’s eyes were stinging. He should have done better, should have thought in another way or another anything. He shouldn’t have done that, he shouldn’t! 

“Ree, stop. That is not funny.” Ree actually preferred when Virgil called him Rat, and as his chest was scratched by an agonizing, crescent fear, deep down the young boy wished his soulmate would jump – his thoughts always felt like that, excited, uncontrollable jumpy frogs just playing around – from somewhere and demands Virgil called him by it. “Answer me!!”

His fingers squished the soft fabric, a short, unexpected wave of anger pleading for at least a shout of pain before Virgil realized what he was doing, immediately lighting his touch, tears shining in a sad gloom in the corner of his eyes. His breathing started to hurt.

He needed to do something.

“MOM!!”

Virgil opened his door with a strong slam, running through the wooded floor of the corridor, stumbling his way to the stairs, coming down at the highest speed he could muster. The adult figure was already standing in the living room, the Tv blasting a show in the background, probably the activity his mother was concentrating on before his cry. A frown painted her face and her dark eyes stared at the boy when he stood in front of her, holding his stuffed shark in her direction.

“Fix him!” 

[‘it’ a quiet whisper from his brain corrected his sentence.]

Her analytical eyes danced around the toy in front of her, looking for any teared fabric, any stain or hint of what happened to it, the confusion in her actions becoming more and more prominent as no visible result was found.

[And, as her analysis occurred, the quiet whisper in the back of his mind wondered if this was the original color of the shark before it became a representation of his soulmate. They were together for so long Virgil didn’t even remember what it used to look like.]

No! The boy with heterochromatic eyes firmly gritted his teeth, head shaking. This was NOT the shark’s real color. Its real color was a dark, deep, enthusiastic green full of chaotic ideas and dumb jokes and sparks and grins.

He refused to let everything end in this way.

Realization fell in her face, a soft gasp coming from her open mouth. “Oh, Virgil…”

“No, no, no! You- You need to fix him!” But her eyes… “Mom, please,” the way her arms opened to involve his small, trembling form… 

“Please, he is my best friend.”

[‘Was’]

She hugged him, cradling her fingers in his hair and lightly rocking Virgil and his sobs, her sweet words muffled by his cry. Then the younger one wiggled out of her touch, getting the plushie and running back to his room, the door slamming one more time.

He refused.

“No! No!!” He kicked his backpack, its content spreading across his carpeted floor. The shark was placed in his desk seconds before the Virgil focused his anger on his bed, throwing everything on the floor. His pillows hit the walls and the toys on his shelves. The cacophony of sounds made his head hurt, but he ignored this in order to kick and throw more things. 

Seconds, minutes, countless pieces of time passed before he stopped, panting and with stinging eyes in the middle of the room, his only possessions left untouched was his guitar and Ra- His shark stuffed animal.

Because he loves playing guitar. Because he loves Ree.

His fingers pet its soft fur, wandering in every detail, trying to burn in his soul how alive and colored it used to be before today.

Virgil felt like crying, felt like hugging his old-representation with all his might and just spent the rest of the day like this, pleading that Ree would come back and Virgil would do better and everything could be back to normal again.

But he refused.

He refused to cry like a baby. He refused to let this happen to him. He refused to be made a fool by the Soulmate System or whatever sadistic creature that observed him right now. He refused to go through all of this again. 

Ever again.

Virgil opened his closet and got up on his chair, hiding the shark on the highest shelf under a bunch of old comforts he never got to use.

They wanted him to be a Colorless? Very well, then.

[~*~]

Anger is when the dog who lives in you shows its teeth.

Sadness is a gigantic hand that squeezes your heart.

-       Adriana Falcão - Meanings

[~*~]

Hiya, Dee.

Some days are better, some are worse. 

It hurts.

But, hm, good things, right? Today was sunny and refreshing, I love when this happens. A ladybug landed in my hand yesterday, it was so small… I also found another beautiful feather when I went to the park last weekend, very fluffy and a baby on the bus smiled at me after I made some funny faces.

I hope you’re also receiving and giving some beautiful smiles there. Aunt just called me for the movie night so… See you later!

I miss-

Love, Heart.

[…]

Virgil woke up sweating. A tight feeling clutching the back of his mind. However, he managed to catch himself before his eyes opened, the back of his hand pressing them, as if to make sure they wouldn’t open against his will.

Urg… Not this again…

Virgil pressed harder the pillow curling around his head, the pressure easing the irritation as he groaned in protest, wondering how much more time it would take before he finally grew used to this routine. An annoying sensation banged rhythmically on his chest, hammering together with his heart and flying along with the butterflies on his stomach over and over again until a slightly nausea almost leaded the one in pajamas to give up and just find the nearest stuffed animal so his soulmate’s bond could finally be initiated, his representation showed up and then the exhausted teen could finally get some freaking rest  and then proceed to turn a blind eye to his soulmate for the rest of their lives.

Who would say that ignoring the Soulmate System would be so hard?

But, damn, even if this shit always came back at the right moment when the first ray of sunshine hit his face, usually Virgil had at least the freedom of the night to sleep!

His hand wandered clumsily, hitting the bean bag next to his bed and looking for the small device he always left there for the night. He sighs when his fingers make contact with the cold of his phone, quickly bringing it up to his face and making sure nothing else could get in his eye field. On the third try he succeeded to put the right password, ignoring the video shining on it and quickly lowering the brightness of his screen until it was almost nonexistent. 

Four in the morning. What the heck was his not-for-much-longer-soulmate doing up at this hour??

Ok. It didn’t matter, Virgil murmured to himself, his words slurring, completely engulfed by the fog of sleepiness which continued to involve him. It didn’t matter because Virgil was sure he would manage to win that battle, just like he did on every other occasion since Ree. Of course, he never had a perfect receipt for this, only a group of superficial orientations as focusing on something else, tossing around the mattress until the exhaustion took over his body or doing anything that guaranteed his suborn nature to fight until the bond faded away with some hours, maybe one or two days. 

However, this one was about to complete a whole week and his resolution was beginning to weaken, escaping between his fingers regardless of how much he fought to hold it with tooth and nails. The mild headache growing on him was the proof of this.

He flipped his pillow, letting its cold surface rest on his face, adjusting himself to lay starfished onto the bed. 

He needed distractions. 

Songs. He liked to listen to music a lot, something he would be very much inclined to do now if it wasn’t so late and his earphones were so far away. But, stopping to think about it, it was crazy how sounds work, like, even if they’re far away they manage to be heard. Pretty much like that weird sound captured by that boat who was only minding its business… The Bloop. Heh. The Bloop. Such a stupid name… He wondered if it was a Jurassic animal doing that and when humanity would be finally able to answer his question. If it is really an animal will they call him Bloop? That is a horrible name to give to something probably gigantic and scary… Bloop… Bloopers… blooo...

His muscles from his toes to the tip of his fingers began to relax, his breathing becoming more erratic as the trail of nonsense thoughts led him away from reality and straight to the cloak of Morpheus. Bit by bit he started to be unaware of his room. First the faint sound of his spider quietly scraping the sand on her terrarium, second the sensation of the pillow on his face, then the cold of his phone as it slipped away from his hand…

And, unsupervised by the teenager's eyes, his index finger hit the ‘play’ button on the video, and the blasting of Aquiles Priester’s drums filled the room in a hot shot, followed in the same second by Virgil’s hoarse scream. The confusion and sound making the one with heterochromatic eyes stumble to a sit position, blankets and pillows falling from him as his astonished movements tried to be coordinated enough to turn off his phone before his mother woke up and decided to know why and what her son was doing up at four-darn-morning. 

The button was hit and the silence was faster in cover the room all over again, being only broken by Virgil’s shaken gasps, his trembling fingers laying on his adulterated heartbeats, taking large, wobbly deep breaths in order to normalize it, his attention entirely focused on hearing any hint of muffled step outside his room.

In. Hold. Out.

In. Hold. Out.

He was fine. Everything was fine. 

This was only a scare.

In. Hold. Out.

In. Hold. Out.

Okay. No sound. Virgil allowed himself to fall on his bed, stretching and humming in attempts to ground him to reality, not taking too long to let the sleepiness begin to slowly crawl to his mind again, his body feeling surprisingly much lighter than it had been in days. A yawn escaped from his lips. What the hell he was doing with his cell phone anyway?

For the second time in the night his body fled to a sitting position, the sudden calm and coziness which hit his senses now having a slightly sour taste on his mouth as the teenager realized what it meant.

His soulmate bond was complete.

His gaze flew to the small pile of fabric on the floor, a glint of a sky-blue color shining amidst it. He pushed his blankets away and his breath hitched when the full form of his soulmate’s representation was shown.

Oh no. Nononono. That was- 

That wasn’t normal. Nor supposed to happen. Oh shit. Shitshitshitshit. What could he do?

Virgil dropped – carefully, even if the cold on the bottom of his stomach screamed for him to run! – the object on his bed, getting across the room and right in front of his closet in a blink of an eye. The door flung open, his gaze scrambling through all his possessions in search of that specific teddy bear his mother gave him a year ago, telling it was going to help him to heal, grabbing it firmly and plopping it next to the blue fabric calmly laying on his mattress. He bit his nails while his eyes ran from an object to another, waiting for the color to somewhat jump on the plushie, where it was supposed to go in the first place.

Virgil stared inquisitively at his pillow- no, his soulmate’s representation, as if he could scare the reality into changing itself. His fingers ran through his hair, feet pacing on the floor.

 Ok. His soulmate was a pillow. A literal pillow. That was not good.

Before he could fall on his parasitizing thoughts or hide the pillow and pretend nothing had happened, a badly muffled sound reached him, making his body freeze as his brain immediately recognized what it was:

Crying.

[...]

Before is a caterpillar who didn’t become a butterfly, yet.

Indecision is when you know very well what you want, but you think you should want another thing.

-       Adriana Falcão - Meanings

[...]

Hey, dear! Heart here again! It’s been a time, huh? I discovered a new Pet Shop nearby and a very nice old lady let me play with the puppies after school. You really should see the hamsters there! They’re the cutest, most precious soft things!!

They don’t have any snakes, sadly.

I… I hid your teddy bear and I’m getting used to not stare at the right corner of the mattress, looking for you. 

I still miss your smooth thoughts, your warmth, your advice and receipts and… you.

I think I’m getting better. The sensation is starting to feel… normal.

Remember we-

I used to-

I know you won’t really read this, but I’m trying to keep taking care of myself. 

Hooray?

Love, Heart.

[…]

Patton loved stuffed animals and this was a fact that anyone who got into his room for barely two seconds would realize. Small plushies of multicolored frogs rested on his shelves. A big polite giraffe sat on his desk, proudly showing off her new necktie and his older ones were in the closet, guarding his favorites clothes. His soulmates, of course, had a special treatment, receiving a seat on his bed, closer to him and within his research at any occasion, emergency or not.

And that was an emergency. Well…technically. 

Maybe…

Perhaps not. 

The teenager changed to a sitting position, his fingers trapping the mattress in a deadly grip, tears falling from his eyes, which was firmly focused on the moon shaped night light across his room, trying to kick out the too cold, too hot feeling the nightmare left on his skin. 

His brain felt fuzzy and his thoughts were all mushed together, way too messy to properly fight against the memories of his dream replaying on his head. The sensation of pure despair still running on his veins as the monster – tall, fast, its shadow hovering over his small form – chased him and his friends. Patton still felt his throat dry after running for what seemed hours, and for when he realized they would never manage to actually escape from it. He could feel the betrayed eyes of his loved ones as he made each one of them trip, the small period when the monster got them giving him enough time to escape, the screams ringing on his ears.

He muffled his sobs, slapping his hand on his mouth and getting up, going to his closet and grabbing his panda. It was one of the fluffiest stuffed animals he had and he could use a bit of softness right now. His steps were tired and he hid his face on the plushie even before laying on his bed again, curling around the bear as if it was the core of safeness, as if it would make all the bad thoughts and feelings go away.

As if it could erase all the nightmare and convince the part of his mind which said that if it was real life, that would be exactly what he would do, that it was wrong.

It was! It was completely wrong! Patton would never, ever, betray his friends, or hurt them, or go away when they needed most! He wouldn’t. He would fight, if it was needed. He would do his best every single time to help them! To be there. He wouldn’t just run away. He couldn’t. He couldn’t be alone. He didn’t even bear that thought.

[A part of his soul struggled, firm on its position. It kept holding into a bond that directed to another soul who kept pushing him away, both refusing to change their mind.]

Bear. Patton let go of a weak, barely audible, forced giggle, squeezing the panda on his touch tighter. Panda was a bear. Heh. His tears began to calm themselves, falling slower from the corner of his eyes, a strange and sudden wave of strange, but welcomed calmness hitting him.

A sudden warm touch laid on his forehead.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Patton gasped, his wide eyes flying open to stare at the now purple plushie on his grip.

Purple. Pandas weren’t purple. He was sure this one was always white with black dots and tiny glasses on it. Definitely not purple. Not unless it was-

Oh. 

Ohhh.

Oh no.

For a moment his breath was taken, adrenaline exploded across his body and his mind went blank, his face stumbling forward to press his lips on the panda’s forehead, a completely lack of words, especially when a flow of sentences began to appear running over themselves and leading to his very tired brain to struggle in order to try to grasp their meaning before another phrase came and took its place.

[His body seemed to relax, letting go of a ball of tension Patton didn’t even realize he had in the first place.]

“Fuck, sorry, that was pretty dumb. Of course you’re not fine, why else would you be crying? What I was trying to say is: Can you get better? No, wait! That sounded harsh and it’s definitely not what I meant- wanted to say. Ehh, shit. Okay. Uhh. Breath, okay? Breathing is a good thing. You have to breathe to stay alive so I think it’s already a good start. Keep breathing, please do not die. Oh god, wait, that is not a dangerous situation, is it? Are you in danger? Are you dying? Oh, fuck I can’t hear-”

A startled giggle made a run from Patton’s lips, making his new soulmate to be quiet.

“Urg, sorry.”

“No, no. I was not laughing at you!” He adjusted his grip so the only part touching the purple bear would be him holding one of his paws, realizing he forgot to stop hugging him earlier. “I am okay. I just… didn’t want to cry on you, sorry.”

“It’s okay. I don’t, huh, care.”

“Crazy how bonds happen nowadays.” Patton attempted a joke, feeling suddenly a bit vulnerable, internally wishing the other wouldn’t ask about the reason for his tears. “It-It’s hot today, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, with the Sun and everything.”

“Yeepp.” Patton sniffed, cleaning the tear track left on his cheeks before resting his back on the bed’s headboard, a beginning of a headache after that waterfall of emotions shining in the horizon.

“...Do you want to listen to a song? It helps me to calm down when I’m, ya know.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m already a bit better.”

“Ok, sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Maybe it was sleepiness or the excitement of having a new soulmate, but before he could think much more about it the hidden truth was slipping from his mouth, “I’m grounded. No phone for the week.”

“That sucks.” The teenager just shrugged, hoping his soulmate would understand the action by his movement. 

Silence impregnated the room, spreading and filling his system, his eyelashes closing bit by bit.

“I know how to play guitar. I can… play a song for you. Onlyifyouwantofcourse.” The thought was quick, quiet and disappeared as soon as it arrived, leading Patton to almost believe he imagined it.

A good feeling bloomed in his chest, a smile flourishing on his face as he held his soulmate’s free hand, carefully squeezing them in what he hoped it showed his gratitude.

“I would love to.”

“’Kay. Uh, cool. Give me a second.”

And then a few minutes later his form was engulfed by warmth. Patton let go a sigh of relief, basically melting in the so caring touch, don't having the heart - that word gave a hurtful tug in his chest - to remember his new soulmate he couldn't really hear the accords, only the shy, calming humming rumbling on his chest and lullabying them to a peaceful sleep.

[~*~]

Feeling is the language the heart uses when it needs to send a message.

-       Adriana Falcão - Meanings.

[~*~]

"How can I call you?" 

Patton stopped his voice before that old nickname got out, scratching his throat. He should try to move on, right? 

Baby steps. 

"Pat." 

"Pat?" 

"Pat-Pat!" 

Virgil rolled his eyes, denying the small smile which appeared on the corner of his mouth.

“You can call me V.”

[…]

“So, you’re a pillow.”

Patton blinked, a surprised snort filling the room. “V, I know I often say I’m soft but if you wanted to rest on me all you needed to do was ask!” He added some shadowing on some feathers, giving the drawing of the Bem-te-Vi more profundity. He was really happy he found that site about the birds of America. 

“No, I mean literally. Like… your representation is not a stuffed animal, it’s a pillow.”

“Oooh…” He blinked a few times. “I didn’t know that still happens.”

“What do you mean with ‘still happens’? This happened to you before?”

“Not with me, but I saw a video about this! Before the plushies became famous due their shape being easier to be seen as human-like, the bond would form in anything that could be quickly dyed, just like clothes, pieces of fabric, pillows… I think if they showed it to a doctor, he would describe their condition as ‘comfortable!’” Patton shook lightly the panda’s shoulder, smiling. “Uh? Got it? Comfortable? Because they’re soft?”

“Pat, that was horrible.”

“Awww, come oon.” Patton rested his chin on V’s head, forgetting his drawing for a while. “Puns are harder than knock knock jokes! You have to wait for the perfect timing to make them.” Virgil huffed. “Not even an itsy bitsy giggle?”

“Nope.”

Silence.

“Pat?”

“No. I am pouting.”

He felt a couple of pats (ha-) on his head, the touching going away in a few seconds. “You will get there some day.” The other answered his soulmate with a raspberry, giggling a bit of his own silliness before going back to his hobby. He really was planning to finish this bird today.

“The thing is… Since you’re, ya know, a pillow. I was thinking… okay, I know that this will sound weird but… I was thinking of putting some clothes on your representation so I can… try to see you better.” 

“Ah.”

“Only if you’re comfortable, sure!”

“No, no. I am! It’s just…” Patton bit his lips, lightly squeezing the shell of his ear with the hand that wasn’t holding the pencil, adjusting his body to a better sitting position. “What clothes do you have in mind? Not that I think your taste is bad or you don’t know how to choose good clothes or something like that!”

“No, it’s cool!” The thought came in the moment Patton forced himself to stop his nervous talking. “I wanted to ask you because of that, I, uh, have black t-shirts, jeans, an old grey hoodie, PJs, clothes when I was a kid, onesies, maybe I can get a dress?”

“Gasp. Do you have onesies?? Aww, I want!”

“Everyone has a onesie.” Virgil mumbled in defense, feeling his cheeks getting hot. “I have a skeleton one, a raccoon and the Toothless from How to Tra-”

“OHMYGOSH YOU HAVE TOOTHLESS!” Virgil had absolutely no idea how Pat managed to make a thought so high pitched and excited to the point the words themselves were barely understandable. “HE IS THE MOST PRECIOUS, CUTE LIL DRAGON…” and then a bunch of squeaks and mumbling took over his brain just as he has hugged and then lightly bounced before suddenly everything disappeared.

He decided it was safer to let the silence prolong itself a bit longer.

…

“Pat?”

“You might need to give me a few more minutes, kiddo.”

“You need to chill, dude.” Virgil remarked, a ray of fondness shining in his words. He gathered his onesie. It was his favorite one when he was fourteen, now it didn’t even fit on him anymore and it clearly wasn’t made to be used by a pillow, as well, but it would suffice until he thought of a better solution. “Ok. Got it, you might want to use your Blocker now.”

“Okayy, it’s somewhereeeeee...” Patton rummaged the content of his backpack, looking for the earphone-shaped object. He hadn’t the chance to buy the wireless prototype, so he struggled a few seconds to untangle the cables. “Here! So, see you in fifteen minutes?”

“Ok. If you hear or feel something just touch my arm and I will immediately stop.” 

“Right!! Bye!” Patton waved, more a habit than anything else, plugging the Blocker on his ears and the cluing its ventosa behind his head, right where his cerebellum was. A few pieces of time went by before his head became partially empty, only his thoughts filling it. He put the panda away. 

It was a strange feeling, to use this outside his school, nor parallel conversation of his classmates or a teacher’s voice filling the air to distract his attention for the fact that he couldn’t hear or feel his soulmates anymore. He hummed, wondering how Lo was and writing a self note on the corner of his paper that he should check on him later, ask for him to finish that story with the smart detective he was telling him on Sunday before Patton fell asleep due the other’s habit to keep petting his hair, probably a revenge for Patton’s constant need to hugging, holding or actively interacting with his serious soulmate’s representation, more often than not receiving fond-exasperate pokes in return.

He looked through the window, mind wandering as the wind hit the tree in his neighbor’s yard, messing with its leaves. It was a bit lonely to have your thoughts all to yourself…

But not entirely bad.

[…]

“Sooo, howz does it looks like?” The naturally excited voice asked. Virgil just pressed his hand firmer on his lips, his other arm hugging his middle. His gaze fell for what it felt the umpteen time in the blue dyed pillow before him, the sleeves of  his onesie folded inwards in a poor attempt to cut half of its original length, the ‘legs’ were criss crossed and all of this ignoring, of course, the unnatural rectangular shape of the whole thing.   

‘Like shit.’ It was his first thought, but he decided to not send it to Pat.

“Weird.”

“I am looking at my pillows right now and-” giggles, “but come ooon, it’s Toothless! There is no way it isn’t at least a bit cute!”

‘You have no neck.’ He internally panicked, looking at the few, sporadic tiny blue hearts appearing amidst the black onesie, showing the representation was getting used to the new fabric attached to it. ‘A probably-head, shoulders but no neck. It’s like a reverse freaking giraffe!’

However, Virgil decided against sharing this particular vision with the other. 

“I guess. Are you… breathing well or whatever?” His tune was a mix of nonchalant and nervous, the choice of words making him wince.

“I am. Why?”

“No. Nothing. No reason.”

“Oookay.” The teenage signed at the confusion on his soulmate’s tune, why did he had to talk in the first place or be so weird making a such big deal of something stupid like that? Urg. He stared at the blue object one more time. Damn Soulmate System. Damn destiny. Damn lack of socialization skills.

…………

But, dude, really, the guy has literally no neck here, there is NO WAY he isn’t feeling nothing because of that. Pat is probably lying because he pities him after a so horrible, futile attempt of fixing what he caused. No. Wait. He can’t just assume his soulmate is lying because of his overthinking, the other part of his brain retorted. Was he overthinking? He probably was. He always did it. Or perhaps this was a correct inkling of Pat. Soulmates were supposed to do that sort of thing after some time, right? One week was enough time? What he-

“Hey!” Pat’s thought cut his own. “Sooo, now that you can ‘see’ me a bit better… hug? You can say no if you want, sure!”

Virgil blinked one, two, three times.

“Ok. But you let go when I let go, got it?”

“Sure thing, V!” Warmth bloomed in his chest when he heard his nickname, Virgil wasn’t sure why.

He embraced the representation, feeling a bit silly, the same feeling that was fast to go away as Pat hugged him as well, firm but careful. The sensation overwhelmed his senses, but in a good way, leading the one who loved guitars and got a strange hyper fixation on drums to let go a sigh, body relaxing.

He patted Pat’s back two times before finishing the touch. “There you go.”

“Thanks! Sooo, see you later.”

“Sure thing.” He agreed, wanting nothing more than a good hot bath after so many feelings in such a small period of time. 

“uwu”

“How the fu-” 

“NO SWEARING!”

“-did you do that?”

Virgil snorted, the warmth still spreading on his chest and maybe - only maybe, - having a new soulmate wasn’t an entire bad thing.

[greenninjagal-blog]

Sentence starters: 14, with Roman & Deceit??

Haha, long time, no write! We’re having a pretty poor time right now so I figured a little bit of Roceit would be in Order! Warning: I did not edit this in the slightest. 

Summary: Roman has always been a little curious, but the pastry chef definitely takes the cake on this one. 

Words: 3007

Quick Taglist:  @chelsvans @dwbh888 @glitchybina @faithfulcat111 @felicianoromano @harrypotternerdprincess @holliberries @jemthebookworm @killerfangirl3  @musical-nerd18 @never-end1ng-suffering @nonasficcollection @silverflame-wc @stricken-with-clairvoyancy @the-sunshine-dims @themagicheartmailman @themultishipperchild @thenaiads @treasureofpriam @vianadraws  

Read on Ao3 || My General Writing List || Prompt Page (it should also be stated that you don’t need to pick from this prompt page if you don’t want to. Just send me an idea and I’ll do my best :D)

The Point of This is....

“Here, Bite Down on this.” 

Roman has had a lot of weird first meetings. As a kid he liked to wander around the town meeting knew people, which, of course, drove his mother up a wall the first ninety or so times that she had glanced away from him for a second and he had disappeared completely on her. Roman was just a curious type of kid. The first time he had been confused by a couple of workers who were fixing an outlet behind one of the counters at his mothers favorite little shop, and he had just wanted to know what they were doing.

They had told him! Which had been cool. Did you know there were wires all in the walls?! He hadn’t even realized that his mom had been frantically looking for him until she had grabbed his arm in a frantic panic and asked if he was alright, and then don’t you dare wander off again! What if something had happened?! Roman! 

It had happened again anyway, the store clerk had been redressing a mannequin and it had been neat! Then window cleaner, then flower arranger from the flower shop, then the busker outside the Irish themed pub he wasn’t allowed to be near, then the sign flipper at the street corner who taught him to spin one of the smaller signs--

The point was that by the time Roman hit middle school he knew most of the “little people” by name, and they of course knew his. Roman knew that a lot of them called him by his full name because his mother used to scream it when he went missing,-- Roman Alexander Prince, if you don’t get back here right this instant-- but he learned a lot of cool things! 

He could arrange flowers, knew when and where the most dense foot traffic was, knew how to flip signs and draw attention. He could Macgyver his way through most electrical circuits, had the sewers under his town fully mentally mapped out, and knew that if you hit the vending machine behind the laundromat just right, you could get a free snickers bar. 

He liked learning knew things. And for the most part? People liked to teach him.

As he got older, he noticed just how heartbreaking that sort of thing was. When he held the ladder steady for the owner of the Mom-and-Pop grocer while the old man replaced the “N” of the sign, the man had casually mentioned that the last person who asked him how he was doing had been a family man who had stopped coming months ago.

Then the more he looked, the more he had seen it: the when he waved to the woman who worked the bakery her whole face had lit up like he had gifted her the world, when he bought the street performer a water they had almost broken down to tears right there on the street, when he had offered the man sitting alone at the park with his head in his hands a chance to pet his dog, the man had called him a “generous kid” and tossed him five dollars before he left considerably happier than he was when he arrived.

The point-- and yes, Roman did have a point-- the point of all of this, was that Roman liked people. He liked learning things, and he liked hearing the stories that people had to share.

He liked telling those stories.

Which would probably explain how he got here: Mindscape, the ever prestigious school for the gifted. Although “gifted” tended to be a relative term. Roman had met a lot more people here, all his age, who eyed him warily like his smile was something to be scared of.

(”It is!” Remus, his twin had cackled from across the table in the dining hall, as if they didn’t have the same exact face.)

Roman and Remus had gotten in together, both on accident: Remus had crafted an application for Roman, sent it in without Roman’s knowledge, and then hacked the School’s Admissions database and marked the application for acceptance. 

Things should have gone really bad, because Remus hadn’t known that the School President, Thomas Sanders, checks each and every application and when he noticed an application had skipped most of acceptance process he started digging.

Things should have gone really bad then. Like really bad. Like Remus ends up in jail and Roman has to change his name and move countries, really bad.

Instead Thomas Sanders, had sent them both acceptance letters, and Remus was required to work in the IT department without pay and take all the computer application classes. Somewhere in the middle of that Remus had struck up some sort of deal with the cyber defense team where the Mindscape’s tech department spent all school year building their best unhackable code, and in the summer Remus got to take anything and everything he learned that year and try to break it. 

Remus had been winning for two years now. Roman had seen the grown men reduced to tears the moment that Remus’s hands had started flying over the keyboard. 

Again, the point to this-- Roman had been at this boarding school for two years now, barreling his way through the journalism and creative writing classes like they were tissue paper walls. He’s met a lot of people his age, and he’s witnessed a lot of weird quirks about them.

Like how that kid in the library who likes to sleep on top of the bookcases, and Roman had witnessed getting swatted with a broom so many times. He was a gymnast and an acrobat and really freaking flexible-- and he had told Roman to fuck off when he had tried to learn anything more than that. 

Or like that artist who ran the yearbook club took pictures of everything. It had been pretty cute the way the puffball had insisted on taking pictures of the cracks on the side walk, the clouds in the sky, the rainbow made from the refraction of the light through the glass windows. They had called it “catching little pieces of happiness in everyday!” Which was much sweeter than Roman had been anticipating. “Oops! Sorry gotta go, kiddo!” They had said and then they had been gone taking more pictures before Roman could ask anything about them.

Or like that guy from his Civics class who had gotten way too competitive about the trivia game they had played in class. It wasn’t just trivia though: Roman had learned later that he apparently Logan Ackroyd, the Logan Ackroyd, who had won the American chess tournament for three year in a row now. Any game that Logan touched, reportedly, he won. Chess, Checkers, Othello, Jenga, even Tic-Tac-Toe, and he treated them each like a life or death situation.

The point is of this is everyone had a weird quirk about them.

Roman knew that, knows that.

Heck, even Roman had a weird quirk, which apparently was wandering the school halls after classes. And now that includes being dragged into one of those classrooms by the hoodie of his sweatshirt and then immediately having a fork of something shoved in his mouth.

“VIRGIL!” Another voice squawks, followed by a telltale click of a camera taking a photo, but okay, Roman is a little too busy choking on a fork to take in everything.

There is a hand on his back, and one on his chest, holding him surprisingly steady, while he basically dies-- and man, he did not think that he’d be dying at seventeen years old. Who knew that his mother would be right all those times she insisted that his habit of walking around aimlessly was gonna be the death of him? 

There are tears in his eyes by the time he manages an inhale, and someone takes the fork back out of his mouth. The hand on his back is rubbing soothing circles and his lungs flutter weakly, like a butterflies wings.

“Dude,” A voice says boredly. Roman squints up at his attacker-- because yes this was an attack and Roman will forever be scarred by it-- and vaguely recognizes the purple patched up hoodie for the library acrobat. “I said “Bite down on this”, not choke and die on the floor.”

Roman coughs to dislodge the last bit of whatever food just got shoved down his throat.

“Please ignore him,” A smooth voice says, a new voice, and one that sounds exactly like silk on Roman’s ears. “Are you okay?”

The new person, the man who is holding Roman, is, in a word, pretty. Actually, no wait, not pretty; he’s gorgeous. He’s beautiful. He’s Michelangelo’s David come to life, an angel straight from heaven, the God Apollo himself taking a quick break from driving his sun chariot to walk among the mortals--

“Virgil, what did you do!” The breathtaking stranger yelps.

“I didn’t do anything!” The acrobat shoots back, although he looks worried, “I just put the fork in his mouth! Oh shit, dude come on, please don’t tell me you’re allergic to something-- Dee what was in that? I can’t go to jail for killing someone! I just got here!”

There’s another click and a giggle and Roman blinks himself to enough awareness to realize that beside the three of them, there’s also that photography artist and the Logan Ackroyd in the room, also what looks like a cake with three slices cut out of it.

“You aren’t going to jail,” Logan says, although he’s playing on a Nintendo Switch and isn’t paying all that much attention to what’s going on.

“It just a cake,” Dee adds, almost desperately and Roman’s knees really do go weak at that. A pretty man? Using that tone to address Roman? Roman’s surprised he’s still conscious at all. “Are you allergic to eggs? What about Wheat? Milk?”

“Deep breath, kiddos!” The person with the camera suggests, and Roman knows immediately that they are 100% aware that his flushed cheeks and lack of breath are not from an allergy. They take another picture and Roman dies a little more on the inside. 

“Please...don’t let... my brother see that,” Roman coughs one more time, “I’m begging.” 

The artist just laughs and takes another picture.

“No allergies?” The god beside him says and Roman finds him looking absolutely anywhere but at him. 

“No allergies,” Roman confirms, “None at all. It’s all good. And you know I should be--”

“What did you think of it?” The acrobat interrupts. And when Roman just blinks he snaps, “The cake, Princey! Tell Dee that the cake was fine and he can stop banging his head on the table now.”

Roman chances a glance at the man holding him up, and yeah, he could see the faint red marks were he had obviously been hitting his head on something. Unfortunately, said man was also looking at Roman, looking for his answer to the question that was just asked of him and Roman has already forgotten what it was again. 

His eyes were different colors, and that totally reminded Roman of that week in the summer when he hung around the ophthalmologist just outside of town. Roman had looked at a lot of eyes, learned a lot about eyes in that time, but really there was something different about those ones. One was a brilliant bright brown, like hickory and the other was glistening gold. He looked like something straight from a fantasy. 

Roman’s fantasy.

“Hey,” The stranger says softly, “Are you okay, darling?”

And that’s the last thing Roman remembers. 

Because he fainted.

Because the gorgeous, beautiful, ethereal stranger called him “darling” and Roman’s weak gay heart promptly shut off.

He comes to again, just a few minutes later-- long enough that his head is throbbing and his lungs hurt a bit and mere idea of moving sounds exhausting. He’s comfortable just fine where he is.

On the floor.

With his head in the perfect strangers lap.

“There you are,” The man gives him a nervous smile that makes Roman’s mouth dry out. “Do you remember where you are?”

“Heaven?”

Roman has many regrets in his life. Like that time he thought that crawling down the manhole would be fun. Or the weekend he spent hanging out in the courthouse, which had turned out to be incredibly boring. Or that time he brought dog treats to the dog park and ended up get ambushed by like seven dogs at once and broke his arm.

But this....answering that, and immediately hearing that all too familiar cackle that can only belong to Remus? Yeah Roman rates that at the top of Roman’s Regrets.

The stranger bites his lip but he’s grinning all the same. “Apologies. When you fainted we, called the emergency contact on your phone.”

“Remus is not my emergency contact,” Roman grumbles and weakly shuffles his limbs to sit up.

Remus wheezes, from where he’s situated with an arm over the artist and the acrobat respectively. “Like-- Hell! I changed that months ago!” Remus grins, “I wasn’t gonna miss a chance to laugh at you while you get carted away in an ambulance! You only die once Ro! I wanna be there for it!”

“I should have consumed you in the womb.”

“Butcha didn’t!”

“The intention was there.” Roman sways, and he really doesn’t like the way the floor shifts like waves of an ocean.

“Pussy,” Remus tosses out, just for the sake of having the last word. He pulls his arms back from around the other two and fusses with the little artist’s hair. “Alright, brats! That’s my cue to drag my dumbass gay twin away before he faints again. But this was fun! Lets do it again! This time Dee can even let Roman actually fall and crack his head on the floor instead of catching him!”

Roman’s ears burn, and he peeks at Dee with a morbid mortification, “You caught me?”

“Well I was already, holding you up so it wasn’t as much as caught you as you...ah,” there’s a twitch of his lips, “as you fell for me.”

The noise Roman makes is not in any way, shape, or form flattering. 

Remus cackles again.

There’s a click and a giggle, “Sorry kiddo! That was just too good to pass up!” The artist bounces slightly. “You both should definitely come back though! We’d love to have the company!”

“No, we wouldn’t,” the acrobat interjects, and lets out a heavy breath when he’s elbowed by his friend. 

“Yes, we would!” The artist says. “And next time you can even have some of Dee’s pastries!”

“That’s not necessary,” The stranger says quickly, “They aren’t that good--”

“Will you stop lying!” the acrobat says, “You literally got into this prestigious ass school for your pastries, dumbass. They’re good. Accept it already! Geez!”

The stranger rubs his neck and then his cheek, before turning back to Roman. “Perhaps you can be the judge of that then? Darling?” 

Yeah, Roman’s knees are weak again, but he’s stubborn enough that he keeps standing. “I think I’d like that. Although, I can’t say I’m any kind of pastry expert.” 

“We all have our faults, I presume.”

Roman’s heart beats a little faster. “And admittedly I will be a little bit bias.”

“A little bit?”

“Only a smidge,” Roman reports, “I’ve heard that good company can affect the taste of food.”

“You intend to be in good company?”

“If it’s yours I’m sure it will be.”

“Who knew there was a smooth talker under that blush of yours?”

“If you think this was smooth you should see--

Remus claps his hands loudly enough to make the acrobat flinch and Logan in the corner curse in Korean. “Okay yes we get it: You both are gayyyyyy!” Remus exclaims, drawing it out just enough that Roman feels a bit of the Cain Instinct(tm) in him rise up. “But if neither of you are going to start undressing to give the rest of us a show, then we need to go!”

“Remus!” 

“I’m just saying!” Remus shrugs and then hooks an arm around Roman’s neck and pulls him towards the door, “Its not fair to the rest of us, if you keep being a tease!”

“I hope you step on a lego and fall into a pit of sharks.”

Remus messes with his hair, which seems to be his thing right now.

The others in the room call out their goodbyes, and Remus drags Roman away before he can get more than a sloppy wave. Its still embarrassing.

Actually everything that happened was embarrassing, from top to bottom, and there was absolutely no moment were it wasn’t completely mortifying. Not only did he choke on a piece of cake he didn’t even get to taste, but he gay panicked, and then gay fainted, and every second of it was recorded via camera snapshots. And late at night, when Roman is turning it over in his head and screaming into a pillow, he barely notices his phone flashing.

He’s already miserable, because they probably just invited him back to be nice, and he didn’t even know their names. And Remus was still laughing at him for everything, and everything just really sucked. He opens up his phone to check the message, ignoring the way the his screen burns his eyes.

There’s a text message. 

An actual text message.

Stole your number hope you dont mind

Roman can’t breath. The phone in his hand vibrates again.

Oh and your heart. I stole that too. this is a ransom demand.

$40,000 in cash. Or a date to the coffee shop in town.

pls?

this is Dee Ekans btw

The baker?

oh fuck pls tell me this is the right number

roman?

And Roman rolls over and presses his face into a pillow and screams. 

But really the point of all this is that Roman got the number of the cute guy. And maybe a date.

[layce2015]

The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 8: Happy Birthday, Kiddo

Chapter 7

3 Years Earlier

"That's starting to sound like something." Joel said to Ellie as we walk up to her while she was sitting on a tree trunk, playing her guitar. We had decided to go out camping and since it was Ellie's birthday, we had a big surprise for her.

I had this homemade baby carrier, that would hold one baby in the front and one in the back, so that Aiden and Ethan could come with us. Ethan was strapped to my back and Aiden was in the holder that was around my chest. 

Ellie looks up at us then scoffs. "I suck." She said, disappointed. "Nah...just need to build up your callouses, that's all." Joel told her and she looks down at her fingers. "Man." She grumbles then she looks up at us. "All right, c'mon." I said to her. "This it?" Ellie asked. "Yeah." Joel and I said. "Oh shit!" She exclaimed, excitedly, but then stops herself then looks up at me. 

"I mean shoot." She said and I chuckled at her. Ever since the boys were born, she had been trying so hard to stop herself from swearing around the boys until they were old enough to understand.

"It's alright, Ellie." I said and we gesture for her to follow us. "I'm gonna start guessing." She said as we walked along the trails. "You wanna spoil your surprise now?" Joel asked her, curiously. "I dunno." Ellie mutters and I shake my head.

"Is it a dinosaur?" She asked and Joel scoffs, softly, at this. "Stop trying to guess, we ain't telling you." I told her and she scoffs. "All right. Is it...an elephant?" She asked and Joel grumbles at this and I smile. "Is it a convertible?" asked Ellie. "You're not gonna guess." Joel said.

"Is it a puppy? Is it a lotta kittens?" She asked. "You mean a litter?" I asked her. "What's a litter?" She asked, confused. "A bunch of kittens." Joel replied. "Then why is it not just called a bunch of kittens?" She asked. "We don't know. It's called a litter." Joel said, slightly annoyed, and we come up to this ledge and Joel pushes a branch back for Ellie to shimmy her way through.

"Mind your step." I warned her as she walks up and pass us. "I got it." She said and she starts to walk pass us when Joel gets behind her and pushes her. "Oops." He said and Ellie let's out a surprised yell and falls into the water.

Joel and I started to laugh, so did the boys, as Ellie resurfaces. "What is wrong with you?" She exclaims, angrily. "You should see your face right now." Joel said. "What if I drowned?" Ellie asked, angrily. "You're not gonna drown." Joel said, dismissively. "You gotta work on that confidence, sweetie." I said as we laugh. 

"Yeah, keep laughing, you two." Ellie said and the boys began giggling a bit at this. "Yeah, same to you, you traitors!" She said then Joel points up ahead. "This way." He said. "You guys are the worst!" She shouts and she starts to swim.

"You're swimming's getting better. Remember now, just don't flail about, you gotta--" Joel started to explain but Ellie talks over him. "Push the water with your whole arm. Blah, blah, blah." She grumbles as she meets up with a ledge and gets out of the water while we walk ahead of her. "Glad to know we're getting through." I said as we come up to a ledge and see a deer off in the distance.

"Ellie, c'mere. Take a look at this. You see that deer over there?" Joel asked as she walks in between us. "Where?" She asked and I point it out across the lake. "See it?" I said. "Yeah, just through there, look." Joel said and Ellie bends down to look. "Yeah, I see it." She whispers. "Looks, like..." but before she finished her sentence, she shoves Joel down into the water.

I snorted out a laugh and cover my mouth as he resurfaces. "How's that feel?" Ellie asked him, her arms spread out, the boys also giggling at this. "Refreshing." Joel replied and I shake my head. "Yeah, it's not nice getting pushed in, is it?" Ellie asked him. "Would've pushed (y/n) but...she's got the boys." She said.

"Well...actually we need to swim through this part anyway." Joel tells her. "I got you back, you're angry and upset." Ellie said, obviously annoyed that she didn't get the right reaction from him. "I am very angry and upset. Now c'mon." Joel said, sarcastically, and Ellie scoffs before she jumps in the water.

"Hey, don't get too upset, Ellie. You at least get to swim for a bit, I have to walk around this." I said as I started walking along the woods. "Just be careful, honey." Joel said. "Hey, safety is my middle name!" I exclaimed, with sarcasm, and I make my around the lake.

After walking across some fallen tree branches and getting around parts of the wood, I catch up to Joel and Ellie as they get out of the water. "See? Made it." I said and we keep on walking. "Is it...my 6th grade history teacher wanting to apologize for being a massive dick?" Ellie asked. "I beg your pardon?" I asked her as Joel and I turn to her.

"My friend and I would argue whenever he called the Fireflies terriorts. We got a lot of detention." She explained. "You know you really need go stop letting people rile you up." Joel said to her. "It's hard when they're dicks." She grumbles. "Point still stands." Joel said, firmly, and we continued on.

"Is it...a new pair of sneakers?" She asked. "How many of those do you have?" Joel asked her. "Not enough." She remarks as we walk deeper into the woods. "Okay. Fuck it. I'm done guessing." She said after a while. "Oh good." Joel said, relieved. "But like...is it a massive comic book collection...now wait...a new DVD collection?" She asked and Joel and I sigh at this, exasperated.

"Yes." We said and she looks at us, confused. "Well, which one?" She asked. "Just...yes." Joel said. "How about laser disks? I heard that's a thing." said Ellie. "Why don't you find out for yourself?" I said and I point towards a trail next to us. She looks at us, confused, then starts to walk along it.

Joel and I share a smile before we follow her until we see the giant statue of the T-Rex. "Holy shit, guys!" She said, shocked. "We're here." Joel said. "Oh my God! It is a dinosaur!!" She exclaimed with excitement, her hands on her head.

"That it is." I said and she turns to us, her face lit up with happiness. "Guys!" She said, shocked and happy. "Surprise." Joel and I said to her, smiling, while Aiden and Ethan made some happy noises. "Holy shit! It's a motherfucking dinosaur!" Ellie shouts as she walks up to the statue then she turns to me and looks over at the boys 

"I mean, uh...holy crap!" She said and I chuckle. "Ellie, it's okay." I assured her and she smiles as she looks at the statue. "Here, let me get Ethan." Joel said as he goes and pulls Ethan out of the carrier on my back. "Thanks." I said, relieved as my back was starting to hurt.

I look over at Joel as he holds Ethan in his arm and Ethan starts to lay his head against Joel's shoulder, his little arms wrapped around Joel's neck. He smiles then pats Ethan on the back and kisses the top of his head.

I smiled then I look towards the T-Rex statue and see Ellie on top of it, and I started to panic. "Ellie! What are you doing?!" I called out to her, worried, and Joel looks up as well. "I'm climbing a dinosaur!" She exclaimed as she gets to the head. "Yeah, we can see that just don't die from falling off of it." Joel calls out to her as she gets to the head and stands up.

"Look at me! I'm on a motherfucking dinosaur!!!" She exclaims. "Ellie! Don't jump! Just climb down!" I call out to her and she let's out a roar and jumps off, my heart stopped at this moment. "Hey, hey, hey!!!" Joel and I screamed as she falls and splashes into the water. Then she resurfaces and starts to laugh.

"Did you guys see that?" She asked us, happily, while Aiden and Ethan giggled and clapped. "Yeah, we saw that." Joel said, exasperated, as I let out a breath I had held in, my heart returning back to normal. "Wasn't that awesome?" She asked as she gets out of the water. "Awesome that you didn't break anything." I said to her and we head towards the old museum building.

We walk up to the entrance and Joel opens the door and we walk in as Ellie goes up to the old book holder and pulls out a book. "What's this?" She asked as she picks up the little pamphlet. "Uh...a book." said Joel and she looks up at us. "It's a dinosaur book." She said, happily, and she walks over to a shelf and finds a hat.

"Oh man!" She exclaims and she takes the hat and turns to Joel. "Hey, Joel. You wanna try it on?" She asked. "I do not." Joel replied and she shrugs. "Your loss." She said and she puts on the hat.

"You think it's okay for the boys to walk around here?" I asked Joel. "I reckon, just need to keep an eye on them." He said and I take Aiden out of the carrier and set him down on his feet. He wobbles a bit but started walking just as Joel set Ethan down, who walks as well. I can't believe that these two are only a year old and they already can walk, they're growing up way too fast.

"Whoa! Look at those talons." Ellie said, in awe, as she stared at one dinosaur bones. "That is a velociraptor." Joel said, proudly, as we walk up next to her while she pulls out her book. "Actually, it's a dee...Dee-oh-nin-y-chus." She reads. "Pretty sure these are velociraptor. Yeah." Joel said as he looks at the dinosaur. "At least that's what they called them in this movie we saw." I remarked and Ellie just hums then heads to the office behind the main desk.

Aiden and Ethan start to walk faster after her before they fall on their butts. Joel and I walk over to them to help them up as I said. "Boys, be careful. Don't run." Then I hold Aiden's hand and Joel holds Ethan's and both of us guide them to the office.

"Oh, hello, the dinosaurs are busy right now." Ellie said and we walk over to the door to see her sitting in the desk, holding the phone to her ear. "What are you doing?" I asked her and she looks up at us. "Oh, wait...two of the dinosaurs are here." Ellie said into the phone then she pulls it away from her ear.

"Joel...(y/n)...it's for you." She said. "Very funny." Joel said and Ellie chuckles. "It's pretty funny." She laughs. "Do you guys get it? Cause you two are old." 

"Oh we get it." I said and Aiden and Ethan giggle as well. "See? They agree!" Ellie said and I shake my head. "Just laugh it up, girlie. It's gonna happen to you too." I said then I stopped walking and placed my hand over my face. "Oh God." I groaned. "What?" Joel asked me, concerned, and I just chuckle. "Nothing. It's just....I just sounded like my mom right there." I said, shaking my head.

He gives me a sympathetic look but I give a small smile towards him before we continued on. Ellie would look around at all of the dinosaurs until she started to put her hat on one of them. "Guys, look!" She exclaimed, happily. "That is a hat on a dinosaur." I said. "It's called a hatosaur." She said and I roll my eyes at her while she takes her hat back.

Then Ellie put her hat on another dinosaur. "Is this going to be a thing? Please don't let it be a thing." Joel said and Ellie chuckles as she takes her hat back then comes up to Joel.

"Hey, Joel." She said.

"Ellie." He said to her, warningly, but too late she put the hat on his head and he groans while Aiden and Ethan squealed. "Don't you dare take it off. My birthday, my rules." She said and I chuckle.

"Now we just need to find you a hat, (y/n)." She said. "Ah, no thank you." I said to her. "Oh now I'm definitely gonna find one." She said and she starts look around.

We follow her to another section of the museum, when Ellie points out a large thick skull of another dinosaur. "Look how thick that one's skull is!" She said. "Kinda looks like Tommy." Joel said and Ellie and I snorted at this. "I'm telling him you said that." Ellie said. "Please don't." Joel begs and I look at the skull.

"You might actually be on to something, Joel. Just catch that in the right light, boom, Tommy." I said and Ellie chuckles as she runs off to the side then gasps. "Yes!" She said and she comes back with a hat, similar to the one Joel's wearing only this one is blue. "Oh hell." I muttered and she goes to put it on my head.

"See? Now you guys match." Ellie said, laughing, and I rolled my eyes then we make our way to the stairs. Joel and I pick up the boys, carrying them, as Ellie begins running up the stairs. "Did you guys go to museums alot?" She asked. "Yeah. Yeah, Sarah loved them. I swear that girl dragged us to every damned museum in Texas." Joel said and I nod. "Yeah. But we always had fun." I said as we come up to the top of the brontosaurus, which its head was facing us.

"Looks like a giraffe." Ellie said to us. "Yeah it does, doesn't it?" I said and Joel takes off his hat then tosses it towards the skull of the brontosaurus, where it lands on it perfectly. Joel chuckles then turns to Ellie. "I see the appeal." He said and Ethan and Aiden clap and make funny noises as Ellie chuckles. "Told ya." She said as we set the boys down on their feet.

"Hey, let's go this way!" Ellie said to them and she takes the boys' hands and leads them towards another section of the museum. I smiled at this then take Joel's hand just as he takes off my hat, tosses it aside then he leans and kisses me. We pull back and smile at each other then we follow the kids to what is the space section.

Ellie makes it around the corner and gasps once she sees it. "Did you guys know that this was here?!" She asked, shocked. "You don't like it. We can head back." Joel said, pretending to sound disappointed, and Ellie laughs. "Shut up!" She said and she walks over this device and used a crank to turn it, making the plants above us move.

"Hey, guys, can you name all the planets?" She asked as she spins the crank. Joel and I chuckle a bit before he clears his throat. "My very educated mother just served us nice pizzas." Joel said and Ellie looks up at him, confused.

"Uh...did you just have a stroke?" She asked and I laugh. "My: Mercury, very: Venus, mother: Mars..." I explained to her. "Ohh, okay. I get it. That's pretty cool." She said then she stops spinning the crank then goes to look at the spaceship replicas. 

"Hey, guys. Guess what was the first animal to go to space was?" She asked. "I don't have to guess, it was a monkey." Joel said and I think this for moment when an old memory came into my mind. "No, honey, I believe it was fruit flies. Something to do with radiation pressure or something." I said and Ellie looks at me, shocked and impressed.

"You're right! How'd you know that?" She asked me. "My cousin, Troy, and my brother were really into this kind've stuff when they were about your age." I replied. "I vaguely remember some facts but that one in particular, I remember because we argued about it as I also thought it was a monkey."

"Cool." Ellie said, smiling. "But did you know that astronauts said that the moon smells like gunpowder?" She asked and I shook my head. "No I didn't." I said and Joel chuckles, impressed. "Oh, wait--how would they--" he started to asked but Ellie talks over him. "Oh, they would take the moon samples back inside....and smelled them later, I guess." She said, shrugging.

Then she walks over to another area and picks up an astronaut helmet. "Oh cool!" She said and puts it on. "How does it smell in there?" Joel asked her. "Like space...and dust." She replied then she goes over to this shuttle and tries to open the door. Joel goes over and helps her open it then turns to her.

"After you." He said and she climbs in while I pick up Aiden and put him in the carrier on my front. "Careful." Joel said as he picks up Ethan and I get in to the shuttle at one end.

"Okay, Joel." I said and I hold out my hands and he hands Ethan to me and I pull him towards me as Joel gets into the seat in the middle of mine and Ellie's seat. "What the heck?" Ellie said in awe as I hand Ethan back to Joel while Ellie pushes buttons and makes noises.

"Wow!" She said as she looks around. "Would you look at all these buttons." Joel said as we just look around the set up of the shuttle, the boys reach out towards the buttons and push as many buttons as they could get their little fingers on. "It's so badass. Man. Could you imagine just..." she said then she laughs and starts to make noises of explosion, like the sound of a rocket taken off.

Joel and I share a look and I nod at him then he reaches into his shirt pocket and pulls out a cassette tape. Then he holds it out to her. "Happy birthday, kiddo." He said and she looks at it. "What is this?" She asked, gesturing at the tape. "That is something that took a might effort to find." I said to her and she smiles.

"Take it." Joel said and she takes the tape then pulls out her Walkman out of her backpack and inserts the tape. She pulls off her helmet and sticks her earbuds in her ear then puts the helmet back on and holds the Walkman up to her chest, before Joel places a hand over hers. 

"Close your eyes." He instructs her after she looks over at us. "It'll be worth it." I assured her as she was giving us a confused look. She turns her head forward and pushes the play button.

The tape was a recording of the Apollo 11 launch, and we knew that she would love it. 

She turns to us, her jaw hanging open, and she starts to giggle with excitement. We smiled at her as she moves her head forward and sits there for a few moments while I lean my head on Joel's shoulder.

Finally, she turns to us with the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face. "We do okay?" I asked her. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She asked, softly, and we begin to laugh. "You're welcome." Joel and I said, in unison, and we sit there, basking in the happy moment, before Joel looks around.

"Whaddya say we keep looking around, huh?" He asked. "Yeah, I guess." Ellie said and Joel hands Ethan to me and he climbs out as Ellie takes off her helmet then her earbuds and she starts to get up but then reaches out for Ethan. "Here, I'll hand him to Joel." She said and I hand him over and she gets out then leans in towards the doorway.

"Hand Aiden to me." She said and I pull him out of his carrier and hand him to her then I climb myself out of the shuttle. "Whew." I said then I dig into my pocket and pull out a space rocket pin. "Hey, Ellie." I said and she turns to me and I hold out the pin. "Welcome to Earth." I said and she smiles and takes the pin then hands Aiden to me. 

Then she puts the pin on her backpack and we begin to look around some more.

We head towards the back door and Joel opens it. We go through and see the other half of the museum, but there was a long drop and and a pond down below. "Look, there's more museum stuff over there." Ellie said as she points at the building. "Yeah, we never checked that building." I said to her. 

"Well, let's go." She said, excitedly. "And just how do you plan on getting yourself over there?" Joel asked her. Her response was to run and jump down into the water below. "Ellie!" Joel and I screamed, fearfully, as the boys screamed out as well. We go over to the edge and see that she had resurfaced and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Do you ever give anyone else this much grief?" Joel asked her. "Get down here!" Ellie calls out as she turns to us. "No!" We shouted at her. "Hey, who's birthday is it?" She asked us. "You can't keep doing that." Joel yelled.

"I want a good splash." Ellie said and Joel sighs then looks over at me. I look off to the right and go over there to see some platforms I could make my way down to. "I'll go down here. Put Ethan on my back." I said and Joel does just that. 

"Be careful." He said and I smiled.

"Always." I said then I lean up and kiss him on the lips. "Come on, guys! We got more exploring to do!" Ellie calls out and Joel sighs. "Well...Can't keep birthday girl waiting." I said and he sighs then goes over the other edge and I start to make my way down. 

"Geronimo!" He shouts as he jumps down and splashes into the water while I make my way down to the ground. "That was definitely a ten, sweetheart." I called out to Joel as he resurfaced and I come up to a pallet and I smiled.

"Hey, over here!" I shouted and both of them come over. "Use this to help get me and the boys across." I said and I push the pallet a bit into the water and Joel catches it. "Got it." He said and Ellie comes to the other side of the pallet and helps hold it.

I get on it and sit down while Joel and Ellie carries me and the boys to the other side. "Not so fun now that you have to help carry the pallet now, huh?" I said to Ellie. "Yeah, yeah." She grumbles as we make it over to the stairs and I get off and we start to walk towards the door.

Ellie goes to the door but it was jammed then she looks to the side. "Hey, boost me up there!" She said as she points at the open window. "Yeah, I don't know." Joel said, unsure, as I look up at the open window. "I'll open the door for you. Come on, we can't chicken out now." She said and Joel sighs and, reluctantly, stands under the window and boosts her up.

She climbs over and gets inside before we hear her call out to us. "Okay, bad news. There's shit blocking the door." She said. "Well, see if you can find another way in. We'll walk around the outside." Joel hollers at her. "Okay, be safe!" Ellie said. "You be safe!" Joel and I said. "There are dinosaurs around!" She shouts and I chuckle at this and we start to walk around the building.

"I'm glad she's enjoying herself." I said. "Yeah, me too. Just hope that there's nothing in there." said Joel. "Yeah, but she's a smart girl and we've seen her deal with worse." I said to him. "I know..." he mutters. I give a sympathetic smile to him and take his hand in mine when we hear a screeching sound coming from inside.

We jumped at this and Joel immediately takes out his gun. "Honey, stay here." He said to me and he walks ahead of me a bit. "Ellie!" I hear him call out as I slowly make my to him. Then I hear a door open and I come up behind him to see Ellie standing there.

"The hell was that?" I asked as we get inside. "It's just...some animal." She said and she looks at the wall next to her. Joel and I turn to it as well and my heart sinks when I see the familiar Firefly logo painted on the wall. Underneath it was the word Liars painted as well.

The three of us stare at it for a moment before Joel turns to Ellie. "Well, let's get a move on. I want to get a fire going before it gets too dark." He said to her as she continues to stare at the logo. "Come on." I said, softly, and we walk out of the building.

@fangirl-inthe-us

[bangtan-dreamland]

A Fairy Tale’s End [Chapter 3]

Pairing: ot7 x reader; jjk x reader; myg x reader; jhs x reader

Word Count: 18,825

Rating: pg-15

Warning: reader is a little ball of stress and a rambling mess, war is discussed, very brief mentions of slavery, some mentions of discrimination, violence, kidnapping

Genre: some angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, e2l, fantasy!au, elf!seokjin, fae!yoongi, dragon!hoseok, wizard!namjoon, vampire!jimin, kitsune!taehyung, mermaid!jungkook

Summary:  You wanted, for once, to be someone important, someone needed- to be wanted and appreciated, to love and be loved. Well, you should be careful what you wish for.

AN: Here we are with the third chapter… they really do keep getting longer ashjkdasd I’m sorry ;;; I just end up writing and rewriting and adding so much ;-; also, if anyone has questions about the story please do tell me lol my friend said the whole series had so much confusing stuff XDDD

As always, thank you so so much to not only @mindays​ and @btsxdoll​ for reading this over and editing it, but also for @dee-ehn​ who made the banner!!! I’m so grateful, because if not for them I swear this chapter would never have been finished or posted T^T

(Also the banner is fucking gorgeous and if like me you end up staring at it hard sAME)

masterpost // previous chapter

Taglist: @btsxdoll​, @mspjm​, @barbikatherine​, @xxqueenwxtchxx​, @catsandstrawberries​, @bangtan-bestofme​, @bubbletae7​, @butaes​, @serious-addiction​

»»————-　♔　————-«« The morning after that felt, in a way, different.

Oh, at first glance, everything was the same. Nothing much had changed- you were still you, stuck in a world unfamiliar, given a quest that you still didn't think you could do.

But you could try. And... it wasn't as if you were alone. You had Jungkook, and you had Yoongi too, didn't you?

The thought brought a smile on your face- and for once, you began the day feeling... excited? You paused as you saw yourself in the mirror, sporting a shy, sort of half smile, one that eventually grew into a grin.

... Okay, so maybe not much had changed, but the things that did- well, it was very, very important to you.

You opened the door giddily, wondering where the others (Jungkook and Yoongi) were-

-and immediately let out a squeak as you met Seokjin's eyes, the man himself only raising an eyebrow at your reaction to his presence. 

“Um.”

You couldn’t help but stare, your thoughts whirring for something to say. Even in the early morning, Seokjin looked composed and regal as ever. Was being calm and collected something like his default persona?

You resisted the urge to turn tail and flee, the automatic reaction you had towards Seokjin who you really weren't on the best terms with ever since the beginning. Still, your words from yesterday filtered into your mind- and you steeled yourself, gently toeing the water. 

Try, you promised to try.

"Um- uh, good morning?" You winced at the lilted end to your sentence. "Good morning, Seokjin." There that was better.

Seokjin's lips quirked into a slight smile for a moment. "Good morning, Y/N. Have you packed your stuff yet?" He asked. 

Wait, what?

At your blank look, he sighed and elaborated. "We explored the rest of the ruins yesterday. Since we already got the clue we needed, the next plan of action should be to head off to Crossroads, isn't it?"

"Oh."  You grimaced at the obvious oversight, readying yourself for a scolding. "Um- sorry, I'll, uh, I'll go get ready now. I'll only take a few minutes," I hope, "um- are- that, is everyone else all ready to go...?"

He only shook his head, observing you for a moment. "You just woke up," he stated, rather than asked. You hesitantly nodded. "... The others should be waiting downstairs. We can spare some time, but don't take too long."

You internally sighed in relief. "I will- um, thanks. I'll- I'll go now."

The moment he was well out of your sight, you released the tight grip you had on your clothes, the nerves leaving your body. You robotically stepped back into your room, your movements stiff- and then you reached your bed. With that, you immediately dropped to your knees, covering your face with your hands as you held yourself in a fetal position.

You internally screamed. Why did I do that for fuck’s sake what the fuck even Y/N you dumbass we just made progress last night and now-

You cut your thoughts off and let yourself fall forward, groaning as your face met the somewhat soft mattress. Why am I like this...

To the side, when you opened your eyes the few items that you brought along stared back at you. For a few moments, you sulked, feeling the embarrassment of the previous situation wash over you- and then you rolled over for one last scream into the blanket before determinedly getting back up. There was no use regretting anymore over what happened- it was done and over and nothing would happen if you kept moping, right? So!

You nodded to yourself, turning back to your items and checking them over, packing it all neatly into your bag.

“I fucked up, but- then again, it doesn’t seem like he’s too bothered?” You grimaced as you talked to yourself. “... I hope he’s not secretly tallying me up or something. I don’t really want to go back to how it was before... I might just go crazy if I have to put up with that again.”

“Huh. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen then, you’re one of the few people I can tolerate being around after all.”

“Yoongi!” You cried out, the item you were holding falling from your hand in your surprise. You pursed your lips, trying not to pout- then shot a glare at Yoongi who stood by the doorway, who was looking at you with amusement. “Can you not do that, please?”

“I just wanted to talk to you,” he said, though you could see the edges of his lips turn into a smirk.

“Yeah, well-” you bit the inside of your cheek as you tried not to show how upset you actually were. “You know, a little bit of warning would have been appreciated,” you finally said, sighing, before his presence registered into your mind. You scrunched up your nose.

“Um… did you need something?”

“I initially came to wake you up, but I guess it’s unnecessary now,” he shrugged. 

“Oh,” you mumbled. “T-Thanks.”

WIth that, you turned to continue your task. For a few moments there was silence- then the space beside you dipped low, and you could catch hints of Yoongi’s hair at the edges of your vision.

“Don’t mind him,” Yoongi eventually said, his voice much closer than before. You huffed, realizing what he meant.

“... Yeah, well, how can I not? He practically radiates authority and disapproval. Not that, I mean, not that’s a bad thing, but-” You sighed, giving up on your task for the meantime as you turned to face him. “Just… Seokjin really makes me nervous. For a good reason too, I mean- he just wants the quest to go smoothly, and I haven’t exactly been a good, well, leader? But, um, yeah, back to my point, he makes me nervous just by being in the same room.”

Yoongi sat nearby on your bed- the feel of him close helping you calm down as you finished your word vomit. You scrunched up your nose. “... Actually, how are the two of you even friends? I-I mean, you’re calm and nice and he’s, well. He’s very… intense.”

Yoongi cracked a smile at your words before he became serious. “Seokjin… He isn’t usually so strict,” he admitted. “The only time I’ve seen him act like this was during the Great War.”

“The Great War?” You drew your knees up to your chest, laying your head on your knees as you stared at Yoongi, curious. “I… remember hearing the people talk about how you two fought together with the hero.”

It could have been just a trick of the light then, but for a moment, you swore you saw Yoongi freeze, the remains of something dark and empty passing as soon as it came. 

When he answered your question then, it was with a mild tone of voice.

“Yes. The Great War… it was a turbulent period of time. But before that, you know… Seokjin was actually known for being goofy and playful.” He chuckled at the shocked look on your face, before continuing. “This quest… it just means a lot to him. Elves were one of the first to fall under the loss of magic… It may seem like it, but he doesn’t hate you, if you’re thinking that. It’s just that he’s hard on you because he wants this to succeed.”

“...I guessed all that with how he’s been to me since we met,” you sighed, your voice quieter than before. “Although he really was a jerk at first, but, I mean, he does have a point, and we ended up talking it out for the better, so,” you shrugged wryly. “Well. Though hearing that, I guess- his initial reaction to me makes sense. I mean, it’s not like I’m not qualified to be on this quest in any way, right?”

“You were chosen for a reason, Y/N. You’ll see eventually,” Yoongi’s tone contained hints of amusement and you rolled your eyes discreetly.

“Fat chance of that happening,” you muttered as you looked over what was left.

Thud.

You frowned as the two of you heard heavy footsteps, ones that you immediately recognized to be Jungkook’s (the only one other than you who walked so noisily, then again he wasn’t used to using legs so…)

“Y/N?” 

You looked behind, where Jungkook hovered by the doorway.

“What’s up, Jungkook?”

“Everyone is downstairs, save for you and Yoongi, so I thought I could look for you and see if you needed help... Seokjin also asked me to check up on you while I was heading here,“ he admitted.

You winced, realizing you’d taken so much longer than you intended, what with your talk with Yoongi. “I’ll be down in a few minutes. You guys can go ahead.”

“Alright then. I’ll keep him distracted while you finish up,” Yoongi teased as he got up. You could barely hear his footsteps, light, before the noise faded away.

You turned back to pack the last of your items. 

It was hard, deciding which ones to take and which ones to leave. There only remained a small pile of items on the bed by now, including several freebies given to you by the townspeople- you had to admit, even if you didn’t believe in it, everyone else seemed to all but worship the ‘savior’.

One of the items included two small dream catchers- pretty little things that you had to wonder how it was made, considering its design and its size. You put one inside, deciding to bring it along (the craftsmanship was beautiful, after all), before frowning. Where had the other gone to...?

You were surprised when you looked to the side to see Jungkook fiddling with the other piece, curiosity and intrigue visible on his face.

His fingers held each piece gently as he examined it closely- and then you remembered his words from before.

“This is my first time going on land.”

You paused in your packing. “You can have that, if you want.”

Jungkook flushed as he looked up at you, eyes wide, an apologetic look forming before your words sank in. “Huh?”

You fiddled with the bag, cheeks reddening, eyes darting to the side, even as you repeated your words. “The trinket, I mean. You can have it. You keep looking at it, so…”

“Oh… really?” He slowly grinned, relaxing.

“You can think of it as a reminder of today,” you mumbled. “Or, I mean, like… um, something to cement our friendship?”

“... I think I would like that,” he hummed, instantly putting in his pocket. “I’ll keep it safe, I promise.”

Your lips quirked into a smile at the earnest look in his eyes. “Really? I’ll trust you then.”

“The three of you seem much closer now.”

You almost jumped at the new voice, warily looking back over your shoulder.

Jimin casually leaned against the doorway, a nonchalant smile on his face as always, his face unreadable except for the slight thrum of amusement in his eyes. You wondered when he’d gotten there- and how much he’d heard. Beside you, Jungkook tensed up- and you instinctively moved closer to him in the hopes of calming him down, a small detail that didn’t miss Jimin’s eyes. 

“Quite surprising, considering yesterday’s events,” he added. “You seem to have made up? Though I’m surprised you’re as relaxed with Yoongi as you are with him.” Near the end of the sentence, Jimin nodded his head at Jungkook, who remained quiet, lips pursed.

“... Yoongi helped me in talking to Jungkook,” you eventually said, your guard up as well. 

“So you mean to say, Yoongi’s wise counsel was a huge help, then.” Jimin’s smile widened. 

“Yoongi is dependable, isn’t he? Isn’t it a relief that he’s travelling with us? The saviour certainly seems to appreciate him. Not to mention how close she is now with Jungkook,” he remarked, eyes darting to the side for a moment. You glanced there for a moment- but Jungkook said everyone was downstairs already. You frowned at him in confusion- what was he getting at?

Just as you were thinking how to get out of the situation, Jungkook cut in.

“Was that all you wanted to say, Jimin?” His voice was blunt as his eyes narrowed at Jimin. “If so, we’d like to go back to packing up. We are, after all, leaving soon.”

Jimin chuckled. “No need to be so hostile, I was just making an observation.” He cocked his head- the smile remaining on his face before he started to close the door. “Well, I’ll be going downstairs then. We’ll be waiting for you two.”

As the door closed shut, you released a sigh of relief at his departure “Well, that was weird,” you joked, before smiling at Jungkook. “Thanks for the help back there.” He offered you a shy smile.

“It’s no problem. I’ll carry your bag for you- consider it as thanks for the gift.”

You chuckled. “You just want to show off.”

“Well, when you say it like that…”

»»————-　♔　————-««

The next two weeks of journey, contrary to your fears turned out to be, well, not that bad. 

To start with, your departure from the town of Rivermouth was met with tearful farewells from the villagers- who, although you were glad for their support you were equally glad to leave, unable to bear their ever present eyes. 

The second time the eight of you were on the road turned out to be leagues better than the first- for one, you’d come to a sort of mutual agreement with Seokjin. And while it didn’t mean that you and he were friends, or anything like that, he at least stopped criticizing you for your mistakes, though there were times you’d hear him sigh and you’d internally wince. 

You decided to meet him halfway too. It was a given that you were, truthfully speaking, the weakest link in the group. After all, you didn’t have the supernatural abilities the others were born with, nor did you have the training that they had. Hell, you didn’t think you could match up with any of the villagers even, considering what you were used to was so far away from what the people here were used to. 

But that didn’t mean you’d stay helpless and useless.

Resolved to make the most out of it, you began to soak up every relevant information you could grasp from him, or from Yoongi, or (reluctantly, admittedly) from Namjoon. Maybe you wouldn’t ever need to know how vampires fed, or how kitsune made deals, but it was better than doing nothing.

Speaking of vampires, the day you left the town, you’d been surprised then, for Jimin to talk to you as you set camp.

“Good evening, Lady Y/N,” he almost purred your name as he strolled up to you, an easy smile on his face as always. You stiffened, almost dropping what you were holding then- before reluctantly steeling yourself to actually talk with him instead of at.

“G-Good evening- I mean, hi, Jimin.” For a moment you remained in place, thinking of what to say, wondering why he’d even approached you in the first place, but-

“I sincerely apologize for what happened in the town,” Jimin surprised you by taking the initiative then. You gaped at him, before hastily replying.

“Oh, uh, I mean, it’s okay! I-I mean? That, um,” you stammered, searching for the right words to express what you wanted to say. “It’s… okay. It wasn’t just your fault, I mean, Jungkook himself admitted that he should’ve acted better… although, um, I mean, w-why are you telling me this instead of Jungkook…?”

“I tried,” he sighed, looking at you with remorseful eyes. “But I’m not sure my intention came across for what it was. Although, I don’t blame him, after all, I share a huge part in the reason why the commotion happened.”

You shook your head. “No, I’m sure he did understand! I-I mean, if you’re sincere then the feelings should come across? Or, I mean. S-Something like that.”

You fidgeted with your fingers. “Actually, I should be the one apol-”

“I assure you, there’s no need for that.” Jimin’s tone remained nonchalant as he cut you off, at the same time taking over the pile of firewood from your arms. “After all, I’m aware that as vampires we carry a reputation not so favorable.”

You floundered, even as you could’ve sighed in relief as the heavy weight left your arms.. “Um- still. I mean, I’ll…” try to understand you? “... be better?” Even you winced at your words. “After all, just because you’re a vampire doesn’t mean you’re actually bad, r-right?”

You could have sworn his eyes flashed for a moment then, but it was gone all too soon and you were left wondering if you had imagined it. “Of course,” he nodded, a relieved smile appearing on his face. “Thank you, Lady Y/N.”

… Honestly, you still didn’t understand him and you would have preferred for him to keep his space, hopefully distance, but at least- well, at least you made up? Sort of?

There was Taehyung too, who, while when you’d left you’d been on a one-sided cold war with, you’d finally made up.

“Taehyung!” You could have knocked yourself on the head for how loud your voice was, but then again, could you have been blamed? You didn’t want to prolong it any longer- as much as Taehyung acted like an ass the first round of your travels, hell even from the start, having him determinedly keep quiet as he was most certainly pissed off made you nervous as hell. It was so much more easier dealing with him when he was pranking you- you knew how to deal with that, at least, but people getting angry with you and confrontation… not really something you ever got used to dealing with.

“... Yes?” You didn’t let the guarded look on his face deter you, though it made you all the more nervous. 

“Um. Can I… can I tell you something f-for a moment? It’ll just be quick I promise!” The last sentence fell from your lips in a rushed manner, you didn’t want to- well, if you had your way you wouldn’t even be having this talk in person. Preferably over the phone. Or email. At least that way you could think over your words and hide if needed. But it wasn’t as if you had that option now, did you?

“... Alright, I’m listening.” You heaved a small sigh of relief at his words, and so did he, although his sigh was more a disinterested one. You reviewed your words over in your head for a moment- before you spoke it all out.

“I’m sorry for what happened at the store!” If you had looked up then, you would’ve seen him raise an eyebrow in surprise. You’d evidently caught him off-guard with your apology. “I didn’t mean to imply that I agreed with the man, that you were stealing in any way. I was focused on stopping the fight that I didn’t stop to think that maybe I should’ve let him have it for just accusing you without proof, not when it was so obvious that you didn’t at all! Please forgive me!”

There. Short, sweet, simple. You could feel your legs tremble as silence trailed after your small speech slash yell; a part of you just wanted it to be done and over with. Still, your gaze remained locked on the ground, and the silence was deafening- in all honesty, it was probably only around a few seconds or so, but it felt way, way longer than that- and you gave in to your fight or flight instinct.

“Um,” you started, legs already moving. “That was all I wanted to say thank you andgoodluckIneedtogohelpcookbye!”

You didn’t look back at him as you left, too embarrassed.

And, well, if you found a little bit of unknown help instead of pranks the next time around, well. You were only too happy to accept.

Moving on, Namjoon and Hoseok remained the same as ever. Hoseok was still distant, polite, quiet. You had trouble reading him, he was so closed off to everyone. But at the same time- for some reason, you wanted to actually see what was underneath. Hoseok had been more of a mystery than the others, what with his quiet and unassuming demeanor so far.

Well, actually on that- you tried talking to Hoseok too, on the way. If only to thank him at least for what happened before. But…

“Hoseok- um, can I-?”

You looked around in surprise as you saw no one, though you could’ve sworn you saw Hoseok headed this way earlier. So what…?

Oh well. You could try again, right…?

And another time-

“H-Hoseok! Um, please-!?”

You squeaked as you almost tripped over yourself, for some inexplicable reason and what even just happened; when you looked up again, the man in question was gone.

For some reason, whenever you tried to talk to him, something would go wrong and you had to abandon your plan. Still… you wanted to hold hope and continue anyway.

Namjoon- well. It would be a lie if you said anything big had happened with your relationship with him. Although there was that brief moment at the inn, it was mainly centered around the quest- it did nothing to solve the root of the reason why you felt uncomfortable around him. So, sad to say, you were stuck where you were with him from the start- trying to somehow avoid him at all times, without making it obvious.

You grimaced at your thought, though you couldn’t deny it. What was worse was that whenever you tried to muster up the courage to correct his view of you, he would say something that would remind you of his hero worship, and you’d lose your courage. It wasn’t as if the others corrected him too, really...

You shook your head. A lot had changed for the better, at least that you could be happy about.

The biggest change in fact that made you happy yet was the new, easy friendship you fell into with Yoongi and Jungkook.

Ever since your arrival, and the start of the quest- you’d found it hard to relax even a single moment. After all, you were stranded in another world- one where nothing made sense to you, from how magic seemed to be real, or how the people interacted with you. It made you miss your old life terribly. At least, then, you knew what to expect. It may have been dull, and boring- but you never had to deal with so much trouble. These days it seemed as if your heart would stop beating from how much it was overworking.

However, with both men, for once you felt some semblance of peace.

Yoongi, contrary to what you expected wasn’t closed off, nor was he stand-offish- rather, it was in his nature (you giggled at that) to be quiet and calm, something that was your saving grace. Wise, mature and yet at the same time a fucking troll with how he always seemed to have schaudenfraude for your clumsy ass while helping you.

“Ah!”

You almost yelled as you tripped over a root- the twigs and sticks you collected so far in your hands all falling to the forest floor.

You would have, too- if it was for the hand that caught you. Dark eyes met yours, before Yoongi raised an eyebrow. Somehow, even if he hadn’t said anything you could still almost hear what he was thinking.

“I’m- uh, just not that used to trekking in the forest,” you huffed. “You literally live in it. Don’t judge.”

“Whatever you say, Y/N,” he smothered a laugh.

Still, for all that Yoongi seemed to have a witty remark for almost everything, and a complaint for every time he had to go out of his way to help you, you noticed that he was always there to lend a hand, even when in doing so he had to go through so much more trouble than necessary.

“The rain is going to fall soon,” Yoongi commented. You yourself noticed the grey clouds in the sky- still, you continued your task anyway. “We should head back. It’s a hassle travelling when it’s raining, and this one is going to be a rainstorm, I can feel it.”

“Not until I find this herb,” you insisted, a stubborn frown on your face. For all that Namjoon had come prepared, his stock of medicinal herbs was running a little low- so you volunteered to replenish it while the others set up camp, Yoongi accompanying you for both safety and as a guide. You didn’t think much of it at first. It was just picking herbs after all, right?

Wrong.

An hour later still found you searching through the grass for chamomile, your brows furrowed. Still, not even Yoongi’s warning could make you stop- even if you got wet, you would just change your clothes or something.

So invested were you in your task that you didn’t notice your surroundings, nor the time. When you finished, you whirled around to excitedly tell Yoongi- only to gape in surprise.

Around you, rain was pouring down, hard- but not where you were. Just… Just around.

When you looked up, you saw trees clustered around you, close, shielding you from the rain. Huge, and in any other situation they would have been imposing, but as it was, because of the trees even the sound of rain was slightly muffled, creating a semblance of peace within the area you were in. 

On one of the branches, you saw Yoongi frowning at the sky- his hands gently swaying as the trees obeyed his whims. It wasn’t hard to realize what he was doing.

Even when the rain stopped and you two returned to the campsite, not a single part of you was wet from the rain.

Jungkook, compared to Yoongi, was cheerful while shy. After your talk at the pub, and at that night in the kitchen, it seemed that he trusted you enough to let down his guard- becoming more relaxed and open as he told you about his adventures back home. Often he’d needle you about what your daily life was like, though you found it hard to answer. After all, the daily life you knew was drastically different from the one people had in here.

That wasn’t all he asked about, though. Jungkook had the curiosity of a cat and the energy of a puppy. Once he started getting interested about a subject he could keep asking about it for hours- only to surprise you when he would, in some sort of challenge to himself, attempt to learn all about it, proudly showing off his efforts to you after (which most of the time was a success). Talented and eager to learn, indeed- you could now understand why, despite being young even for his race, he was sent on the quest. 

“Jungkook.” If your tone was laced with amusement, well. He’d just have to deal with it.

On the ground before you, remained the mangled remains of a pheasant, a gaping hole in its body from the spear that pierced it.

Jungkook remained silent, but the look on his face told you everything you needed to know.

“I‘m pretty sure I told you spears won’t work the same way here on land that it would under the sea, right?” You continued.

He pressed his lips, eventually forming a pout.

You smirked, for once feeling the urge to tease him playfully. “... Really… you’re used to having your way, aren't you?”

It was obvious that you caught Jungkook off guard with your sudden teasing, and he sighed (in a rather dramatic way that had you biting back laughter). 

“Perhaps just a little…" he said, and you wouldn’t have been able to stop yourself from laughing then at how flushed his cheeks suddenly were, if it weren't for the look in his eyes that said he’d retaliate for any teasing done. “I’ll get it right next time, though. I know I will,” he muttered.

You could barely stop yourself from shaking your head. When you spoke, exasperation laced your voice. “You don't have to be the best at everything, you know. Do you see everything as a competition?”

It was then that he huffed before facing you with a playful grin. "You say that as though it's my fault I'm gifted at whatever I do. And as to your second question... hmmm, I don't know- tell me, do I?”

You scrunched up your nose at him, rolling your eyes dramatically. “Yes, yes, really… what’s even there to compete about?”

He only shrugged. “Well… when you say it like that, I suppose it isn’t so much as a need to compete, rather than a want to learn. I may not get a chance like this after this all ends, after all.”

His gaze lowered- and the words you were about to say were stuck in your throat. 

You scrambled your mind for a safer subject, instead. “If you really want to learn how to hunt on land, I mean… you could ask Seokjin, couldn’t you?”

“... Huh?” He looked back up at you, surprised. You continued speaking, almost stammering over your words.

“I-I mean! As an elf, he has to know a lot about the forest, and, I mean, he’s always carrying that bow! And, um, yeah, he’s old-” you winced and immediately backtracked, “-wise! He’s very wise!”

You cleared your throat as silence fell upon the two of you, the familiar rush of red flooding your cheeks. “So. Um. Yeah. You know. An option. If you want one.”

You kept your gaze firmly on the ground, away from him, resisting the urge to groan.

But then you heard Jungkook put the pheasant in his bag, and in a tone far too nonchalant for what he was thinking, he asked you, "… Y/N, which do you prefer? Hare, or deer?”

You blinked back at him, the sudden question surprising you. “I… I guess- deer? Um, why?”

He smirked. “Oh, no reason at all, I assure you,” he cheerfully replied. 

You couldn’t help smiling as you remembered the smug, but mostly proud expression on his face a few days after, as he presented a dead buck to you. It’d taken him hours to be able to do it as well as he intended, even with (and this part still had you reeling because honestly how, what even?) Seokjin’s help. 

Even more than that, when he shed away the ‘I am the best and you should pay attention to me’ show, you had to admit that Jungkook had this youthful, innocent charm around him, different from the one Jimin or Taehyung had- being able to melt even the hardest and coldest of people.

“I thought you didn’t know archery?” You looked at him curiously. “I’m no expert but this doesn’t seem like something a beginner could’ve done.”

He beamed at you. “I asked Seokjin for help!”

You stared at him in surprise. “You what?”

“I asked Seokjin for help,” he repeated, giggling at the dumbfounded look on your face. “Seokjin is a tough teacher, but he’s very thorough. Much better than my mentors back home,” he added.

You glanced up- meeting Seokjin’s eyes as he raised an eyebrow at you, before deliberately ignoring your gaze when he saw you were just gaping at him. Your eye twitched- and then you looked back at Jungkook, staring at him for a moment before your gaze became mock serious.

“You, are seriously dangerous,” you proclaimed, resisting the urge to smush his cheeks when he scrunched up his nose at you. “Seriously. No one is safe from you.”

He only laughed then. 

That night, and the next few ones, you all had plenty of food- although by the end of it you had to discreetly plead Jungkook to stop hunting, lest the presence of wildlife become too thin in the forest.

In a much better atmosphere than before, the journey to your next destination happened in a blink of the eye, and soon enough you were at the city of Crossroads.

»»————-　♔　————-««

“So this is Crossroads...” you heard Jungkook say in awe. Two weeks of being on the road with him- two weeks of being in close quarters with him almost every second of the day and Jungkook being a naturally open person had you being able to read him better and better. Even as you looked at him now, you could see the way his eyes flitted from almost every part of the city to another, his attention everywhere as he tried to take everything in. It was undeniably adorable.

“Countless books mention that the city of Crossroads is the capital of history,” Namjoon commented behind you. You looked at him to see him reading a book- before he snapped it shut and smiled. “It will be difficult, but for now there are a few inns we can rest at nearby, before we start looking for Alexander’s journal.”

“Still,” you mumbled as you looked at the copy of the map in your hands. “The city is really big, huh… I hope we find it in time…”

“You know, as nocturnal races we could start the search by ourselves,” Jimin suddenly spoke up. “As you’re so worried. After all, it’d be best to have this done as soon as possible, right?”

“Liars. You only want to slip away and do whatever you like,” Jungkook immediately accused them, frowning, before he turned to you. “We should go to the inn first, right?”

You almost wilted under their combined gazes, from Taehyung and Jimin who seemed to find amusement in your reaction to Jungkook’s who seemed to be asking for your support. Your eyes darted to Yoongi who only looked back at you calmly in return, as if to say that he was waiting for your reply too- Namjoon, who looked as if he wanted to intervene but held himself back.

You couldn’t see Seokjin in the back- but you could catch a glimpse of his back- as he crowded around Hoseok, who seemed uncomfortable. No help from anyone, it seemed.

You fiddled with the strap of your bag as you tried to answer as calmly as you could. “Inn first. We’ve had a long trek getting here, so, um, we should probably get some rest first,” you said, before faltering. “I mean, as much as the quest is important, it shouldn’t affect it too much to rest for one night, right? And, um, the shops are closing, so... “

“Sounds good to me,” Yoongi nodded, smoothly continuing your words as he turned to Namjoon. “Where should we head to, then? How recent is that map of yours?”

Namjoon hesitated, before answering. “It should still be accurate, it was made just a few months ago.”

“Well then, let’s go?”

»»————-　♔　————-««

Upon arriving at the inn, it was easy to get rooms, just as Namjoon had said- there were as many libraries as there were inns in the city, and fortunately the one you chose, upon learning who you and your companions were, were offered free service all the way. You still didn’t quite trust nor believe it, but you wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth anymore.

Dinner then on had been a peaceful affair too, as both Seokjin and Hoseok stayed in their rooms the moment they were given them- basically locking themselves up inside. Yoongi too had opted to join them, citing that the crowds were too noisy and technically, he didn’t need human food to survive, so… 

Jimin and Taehyung parted away from your table the moment you entered the bar connected to the inn, for what, you weren’t quite sure. Still, it wasn’t exactly unexpected anyway.

Thus it was only the three of you- you, Jungkook, and Namjoon. Dinner was somewhat peaceful then- or, at least, as much as it was with Jungkook being his curious self. He didn’t ask much while eating, but afterwards he kept asking you about so many things he’d seen as you entered Crossroads, ones that you were, while tired, all too happy to indulge him with. 

Of course, in accordance to your luck someone spilt soup on you as the three of you got up to leave- the perpetrator, a drunk man who, after drinking some water and talking to, turned out to be quite decent. Still, dealing with your wet clothes was much easier and something you preferred rather than talking to the man who was half-intoxicated, you just decided to go on ahead to your room.

»»————-　♔　————-««

“Although I expected it to be big, I didn’t think it’d be this big.”

Currently, you and Namjoon sat in what seemed to be the lobby of the guild, La Salutem. Situated near the middle of the city, it stood proudly and was obviously a center of operations, what with how many people passed through the doors.

Seokjin’s first suggestion in searching for the journal was to visit the guild, saying that if there was any place other than the kingdom of Quies that held Alexander’s old stuff, then it would be in the very guild he founded. Thus found you hours later, sitting in the lobby with the two men. While Jungkook originally wanted to go with you, he’d been told to stay at the inn with the explanation that as Seokjin had to go, someone had to stay behind and mediate if something happened with the others, and Yoongi might need help. With that, Jungkook reluctantly agreed.

Seokjin had gone ahead to talk with the guildmaster. While initially you prepared yourself for another uncomfortable one-on-one talk with a member of the ‘All Hail the Savior Y/N’ club, both men had, thankfully enough, picked up on your unspoken feelings about it. Though you still had to come along to the guild just in case- Seokjin would talk to the guildmaster himself.

You were still left with Namjoon- but, well. You were getting better at the whole ‘not looking like I’m freaking out over everything 24/7’ attitude, and it was getting easier to treat his more subtle (now) hero worship as nothing, so…

“Crossroads has a long history intertwined with not only the war, but the guild. This city holds one of the first guildhalls established, which must have been when it was but a small town- explaining how it remains in the very center of the city, as if Crossroads was built around it,” Namjoon explained, his words delving into a sort of rant near the end, though he soon stopped and grinned. “Though I admit, I find myself fascinated as well.”  

“‘La Salutem’, huh?” You mumbled as you looked around. “That means…”

“- ‘safety’,” Namjoon added. “‘Protection’, ‘health’, ‘security’. All things that La Salutem strives to embody, as a symbol of peace and prosperity for all that supported so many not only during, but after the war.”

“For all, huh…” 

Your eyes trailed over the banners that decorated the walls- and your conversation with Jungkook last night easily came to mind.

“Hey, Jungkook… um, can you… do you know what the war was about?”

“I don’t really know much about it,” Jungkook frowned as he nibbled on a piece of sushi. The inn you were staying at allowed you free reign of their facilities, and guess what- Jungkook actually knew how to make sushi, the food in question actually a specialty of his people. Was there anything he couldn’t do? “I was born after it ended, and even before that, mermaids stayed out of the entire war.”

“That’s okay,” you reassured him. “Just- um, tell me what you know, please? When I asked before in the kingdom, no one could answer me, so… and, well, um, I’m not sure if it’s something Yoongi would be okay with me asking.”

“Oh.” He scrunched up his nose, deep in thought, before answering. 

“No one knows how it started, if I remember correctly,” he started. “But... one day, they say dragons began to grow more greedy and blood thirsty. They started conquering towns and cities, even those from other species, looting and robbing them too, and then using the captured towns as their slaves, their own to use. It was… a pretty dark time. There were many more dragons then- enough that they had a capital too. Their power, the fact that no one expected them to suddenly attack others, and not to mention their numbers helped them. Each race kept to themselves then, and yet all the same it plunged everyone in distress, ready to bow down and acquiesce to the rule of the tyrants- but then there was a prophecy about the downfall of the dragons, and the arrival of a hero.”

“It was the only reason they still had hope. It was a good thing, too, as the dragons had taken over what had to be a fair amount of cities then- and a few kingdoms too, when he came. The Hero, Alexander. They say he arrived as the sky blazed bright. People didn’t believe him at first, when he declared that he was the chosen one, but…”

“Just when a city was about to be besieged by the dragons, he came up with a plan to defeat them. It was ingenious- and no one thought he’d succeed, because his plan seemed too ridiculous to work- but it did. And after that, he began to come up with other contributions to the war, the first and greatest of which was to unite the races to defeat the dragons.”

You released a shaky exhale at his words, at the story he was telling you. It was obvious to see the parallels between you and this ‘Hero’, and the way that the people treated you suddenly made a whole lot more sense.

“The humans and the mages were the greatest partners in the war, then- humans with their inventions and mages with their spells and enchantments. The elves, as much as they disdained getting involved with anything outside of their forests were persuaded to join, by the Hero of course- and so were the fae. I can remember my teacher telling me about Seokjin and Yoongi too, actually, how they fought in the war as well. Together they defeated the dragons and ushered in an era of peace.”

“... What about the other races, then?” You questioned. “What about the- yokai? The vampires? Surely they had to be involved in some way too.”

“That…” Jungkook paused, a furrow in his eyebrow as he tried to remember. “I think… I think I can recall people saying that yokai joined the war, but that most of them sided with the dragons. And as for vampires… They mostly acted as mercenaries in the war, fighting for whichever side offered them more money.”

It offered so much more insight to the way each race reacted to another than the book you read before could. Or, at least, that was how you saw it- piecing in what you could read between the lines as each race interacted with each other.

When the war ended, what exactly happened? To the victors went the spoils, after all. It was easy to imagine it now- the sins of the fathers being passed down to their children, the discrimination that followed those who lost, the whole race branded as evil, as wild, as dangerous. 

Humans and mages led the winning side, and so they were given the biggest credit, flourishing and thriving on the shares given to them as they took over what the losing side had. Lands, cities, treasures of all shapes and sizes taken not just as payment, but also as deterrent. 

For elves, the fae, both entered the war mostly just to protect themselves, and they succeeded- though, of course, the greater the risk taken, the greater the rewards reaped. They lost less than mages and humans, but in return they had little to show for after the war. They only kept autonomy over what they originally had- the lands and the forest that they lived in.

Mermaids- having stayed out of the war, the most neutral of all races as they refused to join in any way at all, remained almost completely clueless and out of touch with the developments that happened after the war then, as they isolated themselves.

Then the vampires, who, in a sense acted neutral- favoring no side but that of coins and money. The yokai who were divided, some joining humans, but most of them joining the other side… not to mention the dragons themselves.

You could easily see how the effects of the war lingered on from what happened then until now. You hadn’t seen even a hint of the last three races anywhere since you began your journey. While at first you chalked it up to each of the races not liking interaction with the others, now that you knew more about the war, it was easier to pick up on the general subtle hatred of the populace against the three.

It was obvious even now, inside the guild. You could hear certain words about vampires and yokai being spoken with disdain, apathy at best and hatred at worst, though more often than not disgust was in there too.

“I wonder if this is why they didn’t want to come with us…” You sighed, eyeing the recruitment posters, and the mission board- both of which further proved your suspicions. The recruitment posters, as long as they were, only held spiel about humans and mages, though a few minor lines were dedicated to elves and fae. And the mission board- you could see several job posters that called for a mediator between them and a ‘troublesome person’.

Well. Though. It wasn’t really much of a surprise, was it? Nothing was perfect- and even this, as much as the guild, as much as ‘La Salutem’ seemed to represent the harmony between races, well. You discreetly slid down into your seat with a sigh. 

Then you jerked back up at the sight of Seokjin coming down the stairs.

“It’s not in here,” he announced as he arrived to you both, a furrow in his eyebrows the only sign of his frustration. “We talked about it, but it seems that the item in question wasn’t given to the guild.”

“B-But there has to be a clue, he mentioned in the recording he wanted it to be known,” you muttered, deep in thought as well.

“It might be with one of the books he kept preserved then donated to the city’s libraries,” Seokjin didn’t quite sigh so much as the words left his mouth in a weary undertone and a light scowl. To the side, you noticed Namjoon closing his mouth, his face twisting before he looked away. Well, no surprise he’s not enthusiastic about it either. Who would?

You tried your best not to groan, you really did. “... The city? The whole city?”

He sighed, evidently dreading what was coming himself. “Yes. And… it seems we have no choice but to search manually.”

… Fucking hell damnit.

»»————-　♔　————-««

When you all returned to the inn, to your relief it didn’t take much before the boys were all assembled again, even as your nerves rolled in your stomach- a common thing that happened every time you held a meeting in regards to the quest.

“Alexander’s journals,” Namjoon spoke up first among you, his notes and a copy of the city’s map laid down on the floor in between all of you. “The guild already spoke to us that they don’t have the journal, but that it should still be here in the city… Although Crossroads is quite large, and there are many libraries around…”

“We should split up then to have an easier time searching,” Yoongi suggested as he looked at the map. “It’d be a more efficient way to cover ground, too.” 

His eyes flickered to you. “... How should we divide the teams, Y/N?”

You stiffened as everyone’s attention fell on you, except for Seokjin who seemed more content examining the notes.

“M-Me?” You stammered. Jimin’s lips curled into an amused smile.

“Well, yes. You are our leader, after all.”

You bit the inside of your cheek at that. Jimin’s words technically, were true, as much as you didn’t want to admit it. It didn’t quite help that Yoongi and Jungkook supported your ‘leadership’, as much as you first considered them trustworthy. 

Actually, on second thought, Jungkook was understandable. Yoongi was the insane one for still holding you to your alleged position when he knew how unfitted you were. Even if he thought you had potential.

You sighed as you looked over the men in the room one more time.

If you had to pair them up, then it would have to… Well, it would have to be by who got along with who, right? Although you definitely couldn’t put Jimin or Taehyung together- you weren’t sure they’d actually get anything done, no matter how Taehyung seemed to actually put in effort, and how Jimin apologized before. No, you had to break them up- but with who? You racked your brain for an answer- recollections of the many times Jungkook and Jimin almost got into a fight flitting in your mind, as well as the way Seokjin seemed to hold everyone at an arms’ length. Then again, so did everyone else to each other, now that you think about it. Jungkook was the exception- after the events in Rivermouth, he seemed to open up a bit more, becoming closer with both Yoongi and Seokjin. Still…

“Namjoon and Jungkook,” you slowly started. Namjoon’s shoulders slumped minisculely, and Jungkook looked disappointed for a moment- but then the next moment they seemed the same again, making you wonder if you had just been seeing things for a moment. Ah well.

“Seokjin and Taehyung,” you continued. Now your decision was met with raised eyebrows- mainly from both Jimin and Taehyung.

“Lastly, Yoongi and Jimin.”

Yoongi only held your gaze for a moment, as if to ask you if you were sure- then he looked away, catching Jimin’s eyes, who frowned, though it soon changed into a smile.

“I have every faith in our leader’s words,” he almost purred. “If she says we’re to do this together, then together we will do this task.”

You had to smother the laughter that built in you at the momentary twitch of the eyebrow you noticed from Yoongi, though he curtly nodded afterwards all the same.

“That said,” you added, “If anyone, um, if anyone has anything they want to say or add, about the teams, we’ll, um, we can discuss it.” You inwardly cheered yourself at how you managed to stop yourself from turning your sentence into a question.

A moment of silence fell in the room as each person looked at the others. Still, it seemed that they’d accepted your suggestions. You looked at Taehyung last, as you hadn’t heard anything from him as you mentioned the pairings, but he only looked nonchalant.

“You won’t hear a word from me,” Taehyung remarked, before a small smile alighted his lips. “Though I hope you don’t regret it,” he snickered. You scrunched up your nose at him before rolling your eyes.

“You’ll be with Hoseok, then.”

You looked at Seokjin, surprised at his sudden words- for a moment you’d forgotten about Hoseok, who remained quiet all throughout the meeting. Meeting Hoseok’s eyes, you flushed, embarrassed at how you were reminded of his presence only because of Seokjin.

“Um, yes. Those are the teams,” you cleared your throat.

Your eyes darted over to Yoongi- who, to your relief read the plea for help as it was and continued the meeting. “Now, as for which pairs will be covering which parts of the city…”

»»————-　♔　————-««

And that was that. Surprisingly enough, as much trouble as there had been deciding which ones would pair up with which to search the city, the rest of the meeting turned out well- Seokjin and Yoongi leading it, planning out what to do.

… Okay, you had to admit, there was a moment after the meeting, when you came down for your nightly talk sessions with Yoongi and Jungkook, that you found yourself faced with a sudden, unexpected little problem.

When you stepped into the kitchen, it was to the usual sight. Tea on the table (brewed by Yoongi, of course), snacks (also prepared by Yoongi, who knew he was such a housewife? You didn’t even think it possible, the image of gentle, domestic Yoongi cooking so far from what you first saw him as, but here you were), an amused Yoongi- you paused, why was he amused? Did something happen?

Then you looked at your other companion and had a double take.

Jungkook sat on the other side of the table from where Yoongi was, body hunched and head slightly turned away from you- and it didn’t take you more than two steps closer to see the frown that practically defined his current mood.

You warily stepped around him, choosing to gingerly take a seat beside Yoongi instead, confused. If you knew why Jungkook was sporting a scowl you might have made some attempt to talk to him, but as it was, you didn’t have a single clue why. If you talked to him now- you had a feeling you’d do more harm than good. Instead, you looked over at Yoongi, who looked a step away from snickering. You could see the smirk that lingered on his face, though he covered it behind the cup of tea he held.

‘What happened,’ you mouthed to him. He raised an eyebrow at you, as if to say ‘you don’t know?’. You narrowed your eyes at him, taking a quick look at Jungkook who seemed fully immersed into the glaring contest he was holding with his tea, before turning back to Yoongi.

‘Would I be asking if I did?’

“Neither of you are subtle at all,” Jungkook finally broke the silence in the kitchen with a grumble, gaze finally leaving his tea, but still, to your confusion, not to you. “I’ll have you know I’m neither blind nor deaf.”

“Well,” you started. “Um, you seemed a little, um, preoccupied?” You fidgeted with your hands, worry and concern bubbling over. “Jungkook, um- I mean, you don’t have to say anything, if you don’t want to, I mean, but just- are you okay?”

“... Don’t concern yourself over me,” he muttered. “This is nothing.”

You paused, feeling a trickle of apprehension flow through you. “But... um. You… seem like you’re in a bad mood.”

“... You said we’d tour around the next town we stopped at, he’s probably upset over that.” Yoongi generously offered, something close to laughter evident in his voice. As if on cue, Jungkook scoffed loudly.

“I’m not upset.”

“Oh.” 

You immediately had to hide the grin on your face with your hands, then, or even show a hint that you were feeling anything close to amusement, but eventually the amusement faded and you felt bad that he was, well, disappointed.

“I… I chose those teams for a reason,” you explained, hoping that it’d lessen his frustration. “I-I mean, if I had my way, I’d want to be with you, you know,” you admitted. “But, um, I made the decision based on who could work with each other best while, um, while taking the others into account. So… please, I mean, I’m sorry… I didn’t want to make you feel like I’d forgotten about it or something.”

You looked down, your hands fidgeting with each other, awaiting his response- 

- and to your surprise, Jungkook only deflated, the scowl turning into a pout. Glaring eyes became downcast,  fingers loosening from the tight grip they had on the cup. For a moment or two he seemed to be torn, before he released a long sigh.

When he spoke, it was still with the pout on his face and you had to physically stop yourself from cooing, finding him and his reaction way. Too. Adorable. “No, I understand. If it happened that you and I were on the same team I would be too tempted to do nothing but what I wanted. Which, admittedly, has nothing to do with the quest.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it though. I was looking forward to going around the city with you,” he mumbled, before pausing, a flush covering his face. “Both. You b-both.”

You ducked your head, feeling a wave of warmth wash over you at his words. Still, it was hard to keep the red out of your cheeks, the giddy smile on your face too wide. 

The shit-eating grin on Yoongi’s face was what made you finally compose yourself though, already dreading the teasing comments you’d certainly be hearing in the future.

“Really? But, I mean, it’s not like we’ll be separated the whole time,” you finally said, your voice light and giggly. “I’ll still see you in the evenings.”

“I know,” he- did Jungkook just roll his eyes at you? You had to stifle your laughter then. “I told you, this is nothing. I’ll get over it.”

With that said, he turned away, but not before you could spot the pout that, if possible, became bigger.. 

“... maybe we can have a few hours the day we leave to have a little walk around?” You suggested, smile faltering afterwards as you corrected yourself. “The three of us, of course. I’d, um, I’d love to do that with you guys.”

You heard Yoongi let out a small half-laughter at your words- you were so, so tempted to kick him then. As it was, you glared at him instead. 

Still, you could hear him snicker as he nodded his head, adding, “Of course, you could also take notes of places you really want to visit together along the way.”

“Yeah,” you mumbled- and this time it was you who had to avert their gaze as he looked back at you two. “So, I-I mean. Um- we can spare some time, m-maybe after the day’s search? And- well, I-I guess not,” you amended your words, wincing at your habit of speaking before you thought about it, descending into a rambling mess now, not noticing Jungkook’s brooding turning into something softer. “Well, I was going to say that we could walk around and take a look at s-some of the shops, but, I mean, on second thought if it’s night time they’re probably gonna be closed and we need to have energy so if we spend most of it wandering around we-”

A huff of laughter, and then- you stilled as fingers gently tucked a loose hair back, Jungkook’s focus on you then making your thoughts just stop.

“Um-” you choked out. “I-I-I-w-what?”

“I told you, I’d get over it. I’m not a child.”

“But if you insist, I wouldn’t be declining. Though…  you should wear the hairpin more often,” he finally said, a hint of smugness visible in his eyes. “If you’re only walking around, it wouldn’t be hard to keep it from falling, now would it?”

“I-” you stammered, “I m-mean, I, I guess so.”

He grinned. “Then, as a symbol of our friendship, and as a reminder of your words,” he grinned. “Tomorrow, before you head out with Hoseok, wear it- please,” he added at the end, though it didn’t erase the self-satisfied look on his face.

“Uh.”

All traces of whatever bad mood he’d been in before was absent then as he finally leaned back, and, with a hum, drained his cup dry of tea in a single swoop.

“Well, I hate to admit it, but I’m feeling quite tired,” he cheerfully announced. “I’m going to retire to my bed now- goodnight, Y/N, Yoongi.”

Even as he left, you could only gaze after him, mouth still slight open at his sudden actions.

What even…

It was only when Yoongi finally burst into loud chuckles that you were released out of your stupor.

“Pfft!”

“... Yoongi!” You cried out, red covering your whole face as you gave in and finally smacked him on the shoulder. “Stop laughing!”

“‘Stop laughing’, she says,” he cracked up even further. “Did any of you even notice at all- no, of course not,” he grinned, before it turned into a smirk. “But you know, if you’d seen-"

“I’m not listening,” you half-yelled half-shrieked, letting your head fall to the table as you covered your ears and shut your eyes. “La la la la la, I’m not listening!”

You stubbornly kept it up, determined to wait it out and spare yourself the teasing- although you couldn’t deny, that, well, a part of you was enjoying this. In some way. As much as you were embarrassed, in the moment, it felt like- well. It felt like the two of you were like closer friends, ones you’d see in so many places, teasing each other even if it made the other person angry beyond hell.

… although this wasn’t quite a normal friendship based on normal things.

And that was that.

Still, even with all the preparations, there was still a part of you that worried whether you would succeed in finding the elusive journal. The city was huge, after all, and a bustling port- it wasn’t hard to think that maybe the book had already been taken. Then again, Namjoon said he was certain, and considering his track record, you took him at his word.

So even as the fourth day rolled in, you decided to keep your spirits up.

In a way, you had to admit that there was something nice about going around the city with Hoseok. Make no mistake, the people at Crossroads, upon learning about your status treated you the same way the villagers at Rivermouth did- with reverence and awe. Wherever you went, you could feel eyes trailing after your every move- something that, while it used to unnerve you greatly, faded a little with every day that you had to endure it. At least, to the point where you could dismiss it as part of the background, somewhat. It helped that there were so many travellers and visitors in the city, who were there only for a short time and thus didn’t know who you were, ironically granting you more peace of mind in a crowd than there was without.

It was the first time since you arrived that you were able to talk to Hoseok one on one, too. That you were able to study him.

Hoseok was… an enigma, in a different way from the others. Sweet, polite and kind- but then you’d notice the moment someone got too close to him, he would back away and reject their touch, one particular time even flinching away when someone hugged him, mistaking him for someone else. It reminded you of the time you met him, though now you knew better.

Spending time with him was preferable compared to everyone but Yoongi and Jungkook.

“Y/N, do you- uh, do you mind if we try that today?”

You looked over his shoulder at the stall he was pointing at, noting the delicious smell of food that wafted from it. Another thing that helped you relax around him- you soon found out that Hoseok, much like Jungkook, held a very short history of interaction with humans. On your second day, after a few cautious suggestions from you, you both decided to satiate your curiosities and take your time examining each part of the city as you went from library to library- which included sampling each of the dishes and snacks you would pass by.

You wouldn’t admit it so easily out loud, but… Hoseok had a certain pull that you couldn’t help but get dragged into. At first, the atmosphere between the two of you was tense, all the way; he put nearly a few feet of distance at most, a foot at least between the two of you at all times, he remained quiet unless spoken to, and even then his words were short. It was almost as if you were with a ghost, but… 

“Hoseok!” You stood firm in your ground then, although the way your heart beat ever so fast, so nervously, easily gave you away. “Can you listen to me for a moment?”

“Uhm.” If the wide eyed stare wasn’t enough, the way he quickly averted his eyes gave away how close he was to bolting. At this point, even you could tell that he was avoiding you- in a weird, sort of way. Actually, it was probably easier for you to notice that he was avoiding you, because the subtle way he’d leave the area whenever you arrived, staying as quiet as possible unless spoken to, his words short and faint, well, you had firsthand experience with all of that.

“I just wanted to tell you something, please,” you lowered your voice, aiming for something soft and easy on the ears. To your endless relief then, he slowly, hesitantly, but all the same he nodded his head.

“Hoseok… do you, um,” you paused for a moment, trying to gather the courage. “It’s okay to, um, to talk to me? I mean-” you flushed. “I just, did I do anything to make you feel uncomfortable? We’re working together on this quest, and, just, um, I don’t want you to feel like you have to- um, like you have to keep so far away from me at all times.”

“I also… I mean, I also want to hear about what you think,” you mumbled out the last parts of your small speech, gaze trained on the ground as you nervously awaited his reply. Then you cringed. “No, sorry, um, you don’t have to if you don’t want to and I’m sorry for being pushy-”

“No!” Your head snapped up in surprise as you met his panicked eyes, and the two of you stared at each other, both shocked and nervous.

“Are you sure-”

“I should be-”

The two of you stopped again as you spoke at the same time, a deeper flush covering both of your cheeks. Though, you couldn’t help but giggle a little at the situation. Hoseok’s shoulders slumped forward, and you gave him a sympathetic smile.

“I...I’ll try,” you eventually heard him mumble. You grinned at him; Hoseok averted his gaze yet again, but you could still see the small tug at his lips.

“That’s all I ask for.”

True to his word, you had an easier time communicating with Hoseok then. What was a few feet of distance eventually reduced to walking side by side, and when you talked you didn’t seem like someone just talking to herself like a crazy person- well. You hoped you didn’t.

It always helped that Hoseok had a nice voice that you liked hearing.

“Sure,” you smiled. “I’ll just wait here, then.”

Currently the two of you had just about explored most parts of the city, at least the part assigned to the two of you. While you weren’t sure, you hoped at least that one pair would make progress in the search- but until then, you had to keep looking.

“Where do we go now, though…” You muttered to yourself as you examined the map in your hands.

“Miss Y/N?”

You glanced up at the voice. A familiar face greeted your eyes- your smile became a little strained as you recognized the person speaking to you. “Hello. You’re- uh, the one from the inn a few days ago, right? Abby?”

He chuckled at you. “‘Abby’... That’s really what they told you, huh? Then again, it is a nickname of mine… yes, I am. Glad to know I’m not that forgettable.”

“I don’t think I could forget someone who spilled soup on me... no offense meant, though,” you mumbled, cheeks reddening at the last part. He only laughed in response. 

“Yes, well, I can get wild when drunk… I apologize for that. Enough about me, though. I didn’t expect to see you again.”

“We’re-” You paused, thinking over your words. “We’re staying here for a while. Crossroads is pretty famous. There’s a lot to see and visit.”

He seemed pleased at that, a grin appearing on his face. “It is, isn’t it? Not only is it a central focus of trade, it has a long history too,” he boasted. “It’s one of the best cities in the kingdom.”

You smiled a little more genuinely at the sparkle in his eyes as he talked about the city.

“Which places have you already visited? Wait- actually, where’s your guide? I want to ask him if there are spots you haven’t visited yet,” he suddenly said.

Guides? … You hadn’t seen any, and you didn’t think there would be any…

“We’re just- um, we’re just actually walking around by ourselves,” you admitted. “I mean, if we had a guide, we’d probably have to set like- a time limit for every place, right? I like to, um, take my time.”

“You like to immerse in the city?” You hesitantly nodded. “You’ll miss out on a lot if you go just by yourselves, though…”

“Oh, I know! Maybe I can help. Why don’t I be your guide?” He suggested, grinning at you. “I never did get to formally ask for your forgiveness, for the other night.”

You fell silent.. 

“Ah, sorry,” he said, seeing your face turn somewhat wary. “Too sudden?”

You flushed. “Oh no, just…”

While the quest wasn’t really a secret, the finer details of it was. You weren’t sure if it was okay to bring in a stranger’s help.

“I’m- um, I’m not sure right now... we kind of already have plans for today,” you cautiously answered. It was best to discuss this first with Yoongi and the others, right? “How about tomorrow?”

He frowned, disappointment evident on his face. “I guess… Though, I’m supposed to leave in two days for work….”

“Oh,” you mumbled.

“Tomorrow, right? Consider it, okay? I could be a big help,” he offered again. “I’m a native to this city, after all. Born and raised here.”

You perked up at his words- though still unsure. Yoongi’s words resounded in your mind- ‘Be wary of everyone, you aren’t familiar much with anything here and it’s easy to trick you.’

“... Are you- um, are you familiar with Alexander?” You eventually asked, deciding on a middle ground- 

“Alexander, the hero? Of course! I know more about him than anyone here,” he jovially grinned. You released a sigh of relief at that. It wasn’t like any of you had been making progress on your own so far, so…

“Um- If it’s alright, can you tell us about him, then? Just for a while.”

“Sure- oh wait, I’ll just finish up my purchase. Be back in a bit.” And with that he delved back into the crowd, though you could see his back enter a shop nearby.

You pocketed the map in your hands, sighing. That… while you were hopeful at the sign of help, you were still unsure- you also felt it could have gone better too.

The smell of noodles under your nose brought your focus back- you looked down, then to the side- meeting Hoseok’s worried gaze. You blinked- and then reacted.

“Uh- sorry, Hoseok,” you flushed. “How long have you been standing there?”

“I just arrived a few seconds ago,” he reassured you, before peering up at you with an odd look in his eyes. “That said… who were you talking to just now?”

“Oh,” you tensed up. “That- someone I bumped into at the pub when we first arrived. It- um, it turns out that he knows a lot about the city, including, um, Alexander, and we weren’t making progress, so…” You faltered.”I mean, he offered to help as an apology? And I thought, again, it’s not like we’ve made much progress so far- not that we haven’t just been walking around, and it’s not like I just took his offer, just talking for a bit- I mean, we’ve covered a lot of the city by now and I’m having fun too, although I know this isn’t really for fun but you know what I mean and oh god I’m so sorry I’m just rambling right now.”

You fell silent, feeling the urge to cover your face with your hands, your face red- though unable to do so as you were holding food. You didn’t dare look up- only giving Hoseok a tentative glance when he hesitantly patted you on the back.

“That’s good news then, right? I mean, if he has information about the man that we don’t, it should help us.”

“That- yeah.” You hardly dared to react too much in fear that he would pull his hands away. For all that he was a dragon and they were assumed to be monstrously strong, Hoseok was gentle as he comforted you. In fact, his touch was light on your back- barely even touching you.

The two of you stayed like that for a few moments, until you saw the man come back, a noticeable bulge in his bag that wasn’t there before. He raised an eyebrow at the two of you- Hoseok withdrew his hands, his face reddening as much as yours did.

“Companion of yours?” He asked as he drew near.

“Um- yeah.” You dithered introducing Hoseok him- should you? It would be impolite, right? But for some reason, you could tell that Hoseok was wary of him. Still, before you could speak up again, Hoseok coughed, nodding at the man, a small, polite smile on his face. 

“Please, just call me Hoseok.” 

»»————-　♔　————-««

“Abby?” Namjoon repeated your words later that night, a slight frown appearing on his face. You looked up at him, a touch nervous as your hands fidgeted with the food on your plate.

“Um- yeah. Remember, the guy I bumped into our first night here? Red hair, silver badge with angel wings on his chest? We met him again earlier, and he said he had information about Alexander…” You trailed off near the end as Namjoon’s eyebrows remained furrowed- and you wondered what he was thinking about. 

“Are you- um, I didn’t say anything about the quest, if that’s what you were worried about,” you offered. “I just told him we were travellers who got interested in Alexander and his journals, since he’s someone famous in this city.”

“Oh- no, I mean,” Namjoon hesitated. “It- it’s nothing.”

“... It is alright, isn’t it?” You looked up, meeting Yoongi’s eyes.

Dinner at Crossroads for the time consisted of only you, Namjoon, Seokjin, Yoongi and Jungkook- you all agreed that you had to meet up nightly to discuss the efforts of the search, if only to conserve efforts. Still, it didn’t take much for you to notice how uncomfortable Seokjin and Yoongi were with the rowdy crowds ever present in the pub.

Currently you retold to them your encounter with Abby. It seemed to be a bit of a saving grace, really, as no one had had any luck so far. 

Seokjin and Taehyung had stuck to the plan quite neatly- you were amused to confirm that even Taehyung bent under Seokjin’s cold gaze, although from what you could tell he remained playful all the way. They followed and checked every place assigned to them in an orderly manner. Seokjin admitted in a quiet voice that Taehyung charmed the librarians and shop owners into helping them, but that they had no progress. No one had even heard of a journal in Alexander’s name, nor had they seen any book that matched its description.

The less said about Jimin and Yoongi, the better. Yoongi and Seokjin were the only ones that could Jimin in check so far, you noticed, so you put Yoongi and him together- but, hearing about their experiences, you realized that in the same line of thinking you set Yoongi up to be his glorified babysitter.

Namjoon and Jungkook, lastly seemed to be like you and Hoseok- simultaneously touring around while checking the appointed locations to them. Jungkook seemed to take a shine to Namjoon too, excitedly asking him about anything that he didn’t understand. Namjoon in turn seemed to take his questions in stride as he answered them as best as he could. 

Honestly, a part of you felt more than happy seeing Jungkook branch out, gaining a friend… or something like that in Namjoon. Even in your nightly chats together, all he could speak about was the little things he’d learnt about, and what he wanted to share with you. Although you yourself couldn’t stand to be in Namjoon’s presence because of the- well. You were at least happy for him. Them.

Still, they didn’t have any information either.

“If you’re sure of what you saw, then it should be,” Yoongi spoke up. When you looked at him with confusion, he explained. “A badge with angel wings means they’re part of the Silver Vanguard.”

“Silver Vanguard?” 

“It refers to an elite unit in La Salutem.” This time, you were surprised to hear Seokjin’s voice. When you looked at him, though, he seemed to be focused on his food, even as he spoke. “They only allow warriors who have a long history of merits to join. And if the person that you met really is a part of it, then... he might be trustworthy,” he finally said. “Still, remain on guard.”

“Wow, Y/N, way to go!” Jungkook grinned. “That’s more progress than any of us have done so far.”

“So it’s alright then, right?” You asked once more. Yoongi nodded. Jungkook bumped your shoulder in support- and even Seokjin seemed to quietly give his approval.

None of you quite noticed the lingering frown on Namjoon’s face.

»»————-　♔　————-««

The sun, painted in red and orange currently made a brilliant backdrop from where you were. Your feet hurt- but at least you were sitting down at the moment. The three of you were now at the park near the Fiendfyre ruins, after a day of touring with Abbadon (you had to ask him his name, you couldn’t keep calling him Abby after all no matter how he didn’t seem to mind it) as he immersed both you and Hoseok in the city’s history.

“You know a lot about the war, and the guild,” Hoseok quietly commented once, after Abbadon went into a rant about how it affected the trade in the city. Abbadon perked up at his words.

“So you speak!” He joked, before assuming a serious expression. “To answer your question, I’m a survivor of the war. There was an attack- my family didn’t survive, but... I was saved by La Salutem. They raised me.”

“You were?” He asked, his taut shoulders relaxing by a fraction, something you noted with relief.

You weren’t quite blind to the tension that existed between the two. For some reason, both were a touch, well, wary, about the other person, although it was mostly Hoseok. Whenever Abbadon wasn’t looking, from your position in the back you could see Hoseok give the other man glances, and then frown, something that happened more often as the day continued. With Abbadon’s answer now, though, he seemed to let go of some of his suspicions.

“Yeah. Trained me, too. And I got offered a place in their divisions right after the war ended,” Abbadon grinned.

“You must have done a lot of missions then,” you murmured. “Looking at your badge,” you explained. Abbadon chuckled. 

“So you’re looking for his journal?” Abbadon asked, a curious look on his face. “Huh. I didn’t think that was even real.”

“Yeah, well…” You flushed. “He seems like a really interesting guy, so.”

“True, true,” he agreed, before sighing. “Sorry I wasn’t much help in the end.”

“Oh, please!” You waved your hand, not wanting him to feel bad. “It’s not like our research was anything serious- besides, um, what matters is that we had a lot of fun today, right?”

For a moment your gaze flitted over to Hoseok who had been approached by a few children. From where you were, you could see him try to politely reject the kids- the keyword being try. They didn’t exactly give him the chance to make good on his answer as they pulled him to play.

Not that Hoseok seemed to mind it too much anyway, considering the smile on his face.

“If you’re curious about Alexander and his relics, then you should visit the castle ruins,” Abbadon told the two of you. “It’s a hidden place, known only to the city residents- a well-kept secret of ours.”

“A secret?” You echoed. “Why?”

“Why not?” He countered, before grinning. “Well, the reason is that there are bad memories attached to the place, so few people ever come there. Not to mention it’s falling apart, too, so it’s dangerous. Those that do are mostly kids curious about the ‘forbidden area’.”

“Fiendfyre, the castle of the late kings, and Blackburn, where the dragon’s fortress used to be.”

“Ah yes, he seems to be having a lot of fun, isn’t he?” Abbadon chuckled. “Still, they should be careful though, the ruins here are-”

“No!”

You suddenly gasped- some of the children playing close to you two had wandered too close to the ruins, tagging and pushing each other, when one of them tripped on the wall- causing a part of it to collapse. It fell straight down, and you could feel your heart beat in a frenzy-

But then dust cleared and there stood Hoseok, an arm propping up the huge rock as he shielded the children under him.

You released a shaky sigh of breath.

“Oh god, that was close,” you muttered, your heart still beating fast, before you turned to your companion. “Did you-”

He was staring straight at Hoseok, with an unreadable look in his eyes.

“Abbadon?” You hesitantly asked. 

“... I knew it. He’s a dragon, isn’t he? And that face… the son of the late king?” He finally said after a long while, and while his sentence ended in a question, the tone of his voice was a statement. You froze, and then you were about to refute his claim-

“Oh, don’t worry,” Abbadon smiled at you. “I’m not the type to talk or gossip with other people.”

You remained quiet, your nerves still strung high. Abbadon chuckled uneasily, a sheepish smile appearing on his lips.

“I won’t! I swear on my badge,” he promised you, a lighthearted air around him now. “That said, you should be careful though. Dragons- people around here have a complicated view of them, you know? Especially considering his status.”

“... I do,” you hesitantly replied. “I’m just surprised you easily realized it.”

He chortled. “Yes, well, in my job it’s an imperative to assess our surroundings, to know if we encounter an enemy or a friend. I just had this feeling when we met and I saw him- the super strength just confirmed it. Still, it’s something special, isn’t it?”

Your gaze returned to Hoseok’s figure, the bright smile contrasting with the red flush on his face as the two children and their mother thanked him profusely. 

True, you’d only recently got to know him better- only recently had you been able to take a look past the first set of walls he’d built around him, but even with the little that you’d seen so far...

“...Yeah, it is,” you smiled warmly. “He’s someone special.”

“Looks like it’ll be a while before they’re done playing, though,” Abbadon commented, frowning a little. “We still have one more memorial of Alexander’s that might help you, if you wanna take a look.”

“Though it’s getting dark soon…”

You hesitated, your eyes darting between Hoseok, the loud laughter of the children, then the darkening sky…

… It was fine, right? Abbadon had proven to be trustworthy, so far. It was the last option you could have at the moment- and tomorrow he’d be gone, while you and the others would have to stay, until at least you could get another clue about what to do next.

“... Okay,” you agreed, smiling at him. “Lead the way, please”

“Gladly,” he smiled. “It’ll just take a minute, I promise.”

You waved to Hoseok- but he remained busy, and you wondered if he’d even see you, the children asking him to play with them- you hurried your footsteps when you noticed your guide almost disappearing from view.

“W-Wait up!” You called, running after him- Abbadon’s figure almost disappearing amongst the trees. You frowned as he consistently remained just on the edge of your sight. What…?

When you came to, you realized that you were in a small clearing. “... Abbadon? Hello?” Your heart beat fast in your chest- a premonition, but then-

Your vision went black.

»»————-　♔　————-««

You woke up to coldness, clasped tightly around your limbs- the chill bitingly spreading across your limbs. When your eyes opened, for a few moments you could only groan- your memories and thoughts too jumbled to make sense of. Still, as you slowly came to, you realized one thing-

You were bound and chained to a wall.

As soon as the realization hit you, you instinctively jerked in horror and panic, the fear within you rising as the metal chains harshly kept you captive. You looked around again in panic- feeling the darkness seemingly close in on you, making you feel even more terrified-

“Y/N!”

You stilled, tears in your eyes. “... Hoseok?”

When you looked across you again, you finally made out the outline of Hoseok’s figure- and then you gasped.

If you thought your current situation was bad enough, Hoseok’s was way worse. Chains adorned almost every part of his body- from his feet, to his neck- even some sort of helmet cuff wrapped around his head. His hands and feet were similarly bound to his back, in a way that prevented him from moving at all, and you had no doubt that it was hard for him to even breathe, with how tight they were cuffed on him.

But it was the metal covering his face that was the worst of it.

“What…? Why are you chained up…?”

He smiled bitterly- or, at least you think he did. “To keep me from transforming. I think... “ For a moment he faltered, looking away, but then he continued. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I suspected it, but I wasn’t sure, and now you’re in danger.”

“‘All your fault’?” You repeated, confused and worried. “What do you- what does that mean?”

“It means that he’s aware of his sin.”

You fully flinched at the sudden voice that echoed through the walls of (what you were now sure to be) the dungeon. You glanced to the side, where the voice came from- freezing in surprise as the person revealed themselves.

“Abbadon?” You gaped, your mind scrambling to keep up. “You- why?”

The familiar figure of who you thought had been a friend and a guide- Abbadon looked at you with a slight smile on his face. “Hello, missy.”

“I-I thought- what’s going on,” you faltered. “Why are you doing this?”

“You don’t know?” He mused, coming closer to you. You flinched back when his hand drew close, a shiver running through you when he patted you on the head.

When you failed to answer, he let his hand fall away- staring at you.

“... You’re a part of La Salutem, aren’t you?” You eventually said. “This isn’t what the guild stands for, I’m sure.”

“Oh, you thought I was part of that stuffy old guild?” Abbadon giggled- your blood ran cold at the insinuations in his words. “Take a closer look, missy. These aren’t angel wings- these are dragon bones.”

“I- dragon bones?” You choked out. “What…”

“... You really are confusing, you know?” He eventually shook his head idly, intrigue on his face. “Maybe I should start with you first, cut you open, see how you can remain so deceptively naive.”

Hoseok suddenly growled- you stared at him in wide-eyed surprise, surprised to see this new side of him. “Let her go. She doesn’t know anything about it,” he snapped.

Abbadon only laughed. “Oh, I knew it! I knew there was something wrong- if she knew, she definitely wouldn’t be so lenient on you for even existing,” he chortled. You shivered at the tone of his voice- although you felt the beginnings of rage bubble up in you at his words.

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Lying before us in chains, is Prince Hoseok of the dragons,” he announced, a gleeful little smile on his face.

“I already knew who he was when I met him,” you frowned, still confused. He didn’t seem like he had a problem back then, so what…? “Not that any of it made me wary of him.”

“But you don’t know exactly why dragons are the vilest creatures, do you? There’s a reason they stay in their dirty little hovels,” Abbadon smiles, a nasty little thing that told you for some reason he believed he had information that would make you change your view. “Then again, it’s where they belong after all.”

“Really,” you narrowed your eyes at him. “And that reason’s what?”

“You’re evidently knowledgeable about the war. But nobody told you about the massacre, did they?”

“There was no massa-”

“Yes, there was. The massacre.” Abbadon’s voice was soft, yet deadly- a far away look in his eyes. “Near the war, the dragons were losing. As they should have been. After pillaging and conquering for so long, every rule of tyranny must come to an end. Good always triumphs evil, you see?”

“Mages and humans, together, on the battlefield, saving lives, not to mention elves and fae… I only watched memories of it, but, god, it must have been a sight to witness,” he sighed wistfully. “The rest of the other races stayed neutral or sold themselves out like whores- selfish cowards.”

“But it wasn’t enough, you know?” He eventually said, sighing as he walked over to Hoseok, looking down at him with sheer hatred in his eyes. He harshly struck him with the heel of his boot- smiling when Hoseok let out a muffled cry of pain. “Dragons are vile,” thwack! “selfish,” thwack! “greedy,” thwack! “filthy beasts.”

By the end of it Hoseok lied on the floor, unable to even speak as he curled in pain.

“Around their empire, the dragons had so many cities under them- a few of them composed from other races, but most of them human,” he said, still smiling, even as the resentment remained in his eyes. The look on his face kept you quiet- frozen in fear.

“Three days. Three days was all it would have taken to storm their dirty little hole,” he spat. “But the dragons, heartless as they were, loathed the thought of anyone taking away what they considered ‘theirs’.”

“So they burned down every city.”

Only the sound of breathing remained unnaturally loud- from who, you wondered. Was it you? It didn’t feel like it- you didn’t feel like you were breathing.

“The ruler of the dragons decided if they couldn’t have their empires then no one could have them,” Abbadon continued, every word smooth and hypnotizing even as he hissed them out. “Three days, and every city was burned. The amount of lives lost then- it was catastrophic. Not to mention how they must have felt. Three days, and dragons filled the sky, flames everywhere and bloodshed covering every area. Though they were all eventually eventually executed, it still doesn’t come close to repaying what they did.”

You didn’t notice Hoseok choke out a cry at his words, tears forming in his eyes. Abbadon only continued, eyes dull with pain and yet sharp with recollection at the same time.

“My family was one of those trapped, you know. I was only saved because I had to hunt animals then- I didn’t even find their remains, days after. All that remained was ashes all around.”

“The guild took me in, tried to give me a new life, but I said no. I only knew how to hunt animals- and even now, I still do my job. After all, don’t I have one in chains right now!?” He suddenly laughed, wild hatred present. “And to think! That I have the previous King’s son!”

“Why, I have the glory of putting an end to this evil bloodline,” he giggled. You wanted to throw up.

He turned around- you couldn’t quite keep yourself from biting your lip when he drew close.

“Knowing all that, doesn’t it make you regret ever standing up for it?” He sighed again.

“... So?” You eventually rasped out. “What does that have to do with Hoseok?”

He frowned. You continued, gritting your teeth.

“What does that have to do with him? So what if he’s that King’s son? That doesn’t mean that Hoseok is just like him!”

“Of course it does!” He spat at you, before calming down again. “No, no, I see now. You’ve spent too much time with it. It corrupted you. No matter, no matter… I’m not the type of person to kill someone innocent and manipulated by dragons to boot. I’ll let you go, on one condition,” he says, the smile remaining on his face. “I want you to kill it.”

“... What?” You stared at him in horrified disbelief. Still, he keeped smiling- manic, wild.

“If you won’t kill it, then I will. I’ll make sure to dispose of you after too,” he nonchalantly added, before visibly rethinking over his words. “Actually, nevermind. I think it’d be more fun to torture it.”

You felt bile rise up in your throat.

“If you’re really friends with this beast,” he hummed cheerfully, his tone becoming twisted as he gestured to Hoseok dramatically, “well, won’t you put it out of future misery then? I’ll even spare you, for finally coming to your senses.” He grinned. “Or- you could try to escape. But trust me, you’ll regret not accepting my deal.”

“Like hell I-!”

“Y/N,” Hoseok’s whimper was both a warning and a plea. You bit the inside of your cheek angrily- glaring instead at Abbadon who only gleefully smiled at your expression. 

When you saw his smile, you snapped.

“You sick bastard, I hope you rot in hell, because that’s where murderers like you belong!”

“Y/N!”

You trembled from the force of the blow- a bright, red mark showing on your cheek as Abbadon’s smile turned dark. Behind him, Hoseok’s growl was loud, fury present in the deep rumble on his voice.

“Cheeky little thing,” Abbadon sighed, swiftly moving away from you as you struggled in your chains to claw him up. “Really. Never would’ve thought you to be this rude too, when we met. No matter, I’m not that petty.”

Backing up, he aimed a blow at your stomach, and then at your head- you cried out in pain again, this time too weak to even fight back. Your sense dulled- you could barely make out anything. For a moment, all you could hear and feel was the thud of your heartbeat-

Moments later, when you felt a rush of clarity in your brain, you were shivering on the floor, weak, injured- but unshackled.

In front of you was a sharp knife.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, Missy. If your dragon isn’t dead by then, you can watch me as I punish it.” Abbadon’s voice echoed through the hallway. “Or you could join me, if you finally see the light.”

Thud

Thud

Thud

For a few moments you could only lie there in pain, groans leaving you, your heartbeat the only thing your mind could hold onto.

It was- hard to think. Hard to- feel. Brief flashes of pain flared up in your body, and you felt as if you would throw up- 

But then your blurry eyes met Hoseok’s and the situation sunk in.

Why were you lying down? 

You had to- you had to get up. 

You had to get up- do something-

Your stomach hurt so much- and your head, god, your vision was still shaky, your hearing faint. Hoseok’s words barely registered in your brain. You didn’t even understand what he was saying. 

But, you slowly thought, your legs weren’t injured. Neither were your arms.

You took a deep breath- whimpering in pain as you slowly got to your knees- and then to your feet.

Across you, Hoseok remained silent, still. No, no, no… that was bad. That was bad, right? Hoseok couldn’t- he had to keep going.

You took a step forward, your steps shaky- but still you continued. Think. Think. You had to get him out the chains somehow- find a way to free him, so you could escape together.

You forced yourself to go forward, your legs trembling as you reached him.

From where you were, you could see Hoseok’s eyes flutter open weakly. Unfocused- before they fell on you. Good, that was good, he was still conscious, you two still had hope. Now back to your main problem.

“... elf.”

You stared at the chains, still thinking. How, how how how? How were you going to get it off him?

“Y/N,” Hoseok whispered your name. You examined the chains- thick, metal, it was solid and obviously wouldn’t easily melt or break. Okay. Okay, so you had to look for another way.

“Y/N!” Hoseok’s yell was more of a groan- one that immediately took a toll on him as he coughed and hacked after. You immediately flinched, tearing up, even as your hands hovering uselessly above him as you soothed circles on his back.

“Sorry! Sorry- I’ll get you out, don’t worry, just…” You trailed off, frustrated with yourself. Hoseok caught one of your hands as you grabbed one of the chains again.

“Y/N, just go without me. Save yourself.”

The chain in your hand fell to the ground.

“Don’t say that,” you said, your voice calm, even as your hands quivered. “That’s not a good joke.”

“I-It’s not a joke.” Hoseok raised a hand to wipe away the tears forming in your eyes- or, at least he wanted to. Instead the bite of the metal around his arms kept him grounded. “Between the two of us, you’re much more needed. You should escape while you have the chance.”

You dryly laughed, the tears forming faster now. 

“What if I don’t want to?” 

“Think about the quest, Y/N. Give up on me.”

“And I told you,” you seethed. “I won’t. So stop asking. Actually, shouldn’t we talk about what he said? Why didn’t you defend yourself?” You snapped, before deflating. “Is… is what he said before the reason why you wouldn’t let anyone get close to you in any way?”

The two of you lay there for a moment then- you, awaiting his response, even as you stubbornly continued your task to free him and Hoseok stubbornly avoided your gaze. It was only when you took his hands in your own, inspecting the chains around his wrists that you realized he was shaking.

"... I'm just scared," he finally whispered. "I didn’t want you to get close to me. I didn’t want to get your hopes up for nothing. Because it’s instinct for us to shift, I feel like if I show even a fucking hint of this curse, I'll be proving everyone right... that I'm a monster just like him. I could hurt you easily even when I don’t want to. I just..."

Tears formed in his eyes and for once, you could see the resignation in his eyes. You stopped. "If there’s anything I know, it’s that I’m not someone people want to be near. Even if I seem nice, that doesn’t change the fact that I could easily kill at the same time… when we met, you seemed so nice and I wanted to be friends with you, but… I became scared that eventually you’d realize what they know. That afterwards, you’d be afraid of me too."

"But that's it. I'm not afraid,” you frustratedly told him, as the tears fell from your eyes, feeling a plethora of emotions inside you at his words. "Why would I be?"

“You heard it from him. I’m a mons-”

“Stop letting other people's words define you!”

For a moment it felt hard to breathe- rage and sorrow mixing in you as your emotions pushed you over the edge.

“You won't give yourself a chance because you just accept what other people say about you, like they know who you are, but you know what? Even if we’ve only been together for three weeks, even if I only got to actually spend time with you for only three days, the Hoseok I’ve seen so far isn't anything like that!”

“You hate yourself because you believe that you deserve only the worst, but please. I believe in you. I believe in the Hoseok that's kind and gentle, the one that smiles just from being able to make someone happy, the one that cries so easily because they read something sad, wearing his heart on his fucking sleeve, never even being able to lie because he knows how lies can hurt. The one that's honorable, and will fight for what's right. Being a dragon doesn't mean you aren't any of these things, it just means you have powers that others don't have. Being his son doesn’t mean you’re a carbon copy of him either. What you do with those powers- that's what makes you who you are.”

For a moment, after your rant, you breathed in slowly, carefully, all of a sudden feeling as though there was not quite enough air in the room. Still, you continued- and as your hands clutched your clothes, you felt something in your pockets. When you brought the item out-

You grinned wildly, for the first time since you woke up.

The Key of Eden fit snugly in your hand. Looking down, complicated as it was you could see the little keyholes that connected each chain, each one soon becoming undone as you pressed the key inside. With each chain that fell apart, you began to breathe easier. It was only when the last three remained that you began to speak again, determination hardening your voice.

“Even if the whole world says you're evil, Hoseok, how can you expect me to believe them when the whole time we've been together you've only been so far away from it?”

Clang

“Thinking it’s no good even before you try, giving up and just accepting their words and treating it as if it’s the truth…!”

Clang

As the second to last chain was unlocked, you looked him in the eye- ignoring how he stiffened under your hold.

“For once I want you to see yourself as someone that deserves to be heard, instead of something irredeemable.”

You reached down to free the last chain-

“I see you didn’t take my advice.”

-and found yourself gasping as your arms were harshly locked together, your body turned around. Abbadon- his face containing pity for you, never before had you wanted to strangle someone so badly- used one hand to keep you from doing anything. 

You stilled when you saw the knife in his hand.

“While I wanted to give you a chance… It’s a pity,” he idly remarked. “I’ll make sure you have a nice view.”

You instinctively kicked behind you at his words- the sharp clang of the knife as it fell to the ground mixed with Abbadon’s pained yell, one that felt like music to your ears- a split second was all it took before you lunged for the knife and leapt away from him in turn.

When he got up, snarling, you were already on the other side of the room.

“Come now,” he said even as his teeth were gritted into the semblance of a smile. “Give me the knife.”

“I won’t let you hurt him,” your voice was firm- even if your throat rasped.

“But then who’ll stop me from hurting you?”

Your breath caught in your throat- you dived to the side, his hands almost catching the edges of your dress before you scrambled away, feeling behind you for anything- Hoseok’s alarmed yell as he tried to help you but found himself restrained.

And then you felt it. The click of a door. Your eyes widened in surprise- then you grinned triumphantly at him.

“I guess I found my answer,” you taunted him. To your surprise, he only laughed.

“Sure, missy! Take a look behind you, it’ll surely help you escape- from life, that is,” he mocked.

You took another step behind you as you looked back- then felt your knees get weak.

All this time, you hadn’t considered just where the two of you might be. After all, you were much more concerned with freeing yourselves. But now, as you looked over what had to be more than a hundred meters of drop, you wished you did, if only to contemplate how you would be escaping.

You were in Blackburn, the tower’s entrance behind you, lying several hundred feet above the ground- you could see miles and miles of the surrounding forest and mountains.

“I thought it would be fitting, to kill it in its own house. That said, you have two options,” Abbadon said, his voice calm again. “Either take a step into Death’s clutches, or embrace Life. What will it be?”

“My companions are looking for us. They’ll be here any moment. Even if you kill us, you’ll still be caught in the end.” Your mind raced with excuses, words, anything that you could use to threaten him- yet he only laughed.

“But you both will still be dead. It,” he jabbed a finger at Hoseok, who glared at him, “will be dead, and that’s all that matters to me. Besides, are you even sure they’ll be coming? This isn’t the easiest place to find, you know.”

“If I fall, Hoseok will save me. Or have you forgotten dragons can fly?”

“Will it? I don’t think it’s ever even shifted,” he scoffed. “Which is a good thing, really. I would’ve shot it straight if it did. But no, if not just the chains sapping away its magic, then the lack of unease he has with the chains should tell you he’s never even tried shifting. How else could it tolerate the chains? If it tried now- I'd give it 4 seconds before it shifts back.”

Abbadon slowly smiled again. “So, how will you be taking your chances now?”

It was obvious that Abbadon took Hoseok as nothing but an ant, not a threat, just something so worn down that he wouldn’t fight back, even if he was freed. With how much he seemed as if he’d given up earlier, the weak, sluggish movements, and the hatred he had for being who he was- you weren’t surprised, but still, you hated it all the same.

Your heart beat in your chest then- fast, hurried. Inside you, you could only feel fear, the situation being as it was-

-but then you met Hoseok’s eyes. 

For once, they weren’t swimming in self-martyrdom or pity- but rather, in determination. You could see the support in his eyes, the decision he’d made. Trust me, he seemed to tell you.

Whatever fear you had then- it dissolved. 

“Neither,” you spoke up, your gaze firm as you looked Hoseok in the eyes and smiled. Abbadon frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not taking chances, because I know he’ll save me.” 

Saying so, you took a step off the edge- and let yourself fall.

Thud

Thud

Thud-

"-Hoseok!" You screamed as you descended. 

When you opened your eyes, instantly a burst of colors surrounded you, the grey walls of the tower being replaced by the vibrant scenery- the sky in itself being a mix of blue and white, with the vivid greenery of what had to be the forest-

The wind rushed around you, harsh, fierce, and you felt the urge to shut your eyes out of fear, but you kept them open, even if your sight blurred with tears. For a second, nothing- then-

You could faintly see the top of the tower collapse, dust and debris flying everywhere, and then a large mass of something diving after you. 

A wheeze escaped you as leathery wings wrapped themselves around you. Heat, warmth that felt addicting to feel after the chill of the dungeons enveloped you, and for a few moments all other senses dulled. Though this time, it wasn’t from any outside force, but rather from the weeping sense of relief of finally being safe, the adrenaline keeping you hyper aware even now that the danger was gone, the added drop in altitude making your heart beat fast, too fast for your liking-

And then a flash of light- and you were wrapped securely in his arms. In Hoseok's arms. You held  on to him tightly- and, even with your heartbeat pounding away at your ears you could finally feel the wind around you two settle down, and the gentle flap of what had to be his wings.

You shivered- Hoseok pulled you closer. Close and closer and you were close enough to smell the faint scent of smoke lingering on his clothes, and then- 

Your feet touched stable ground. Your legs still trembling from the recent, you almost stumbled forward when you let go of him, but Hoseok only held you in turn- firm, gentle, and so you remained safe.

For a few seconds, you could only greedily take in gulps of air, your form still shivering, disregarding everything else. Then- you disentangled yourself from Hoseok, even as your hold on each other’s hands remained.

"You… you saved me," was all you could say.  "I knew you would. Thank you for saving me."

Hoseok looked at you, an unreadable expression on his face."Y/N, I-"

"Y/N! Hoseok!”

You looked past Hoseok’s shoulder- the sound of footsteps becoming louder and louder, as you finally saw six familiar figures. The first to come near was, surprisingly enough, Seokjin- who smoothly pulled to a stop in front of you, shielding both you and Hoseok from Abbadon, who you just discovered was standing a distance aways from you two.

The next to arrive had been Namjoon- who looked at you with a worried look on his face, eyes darting from you to Abbadon. His eyes, when they met yours, widened and he looked away, face filled with something- and then Jungkook, who was obviously furious and also worried- Yoongi, who, while seemingly calm had a tight, neutral expression- and Jimin and Taehyung, lingering somewhere beyond your current view.

“Iron Butcher.” You’d never heard Seokjin’s voice so cold before, not even when directed at you- you trembled, for a moment, just hearing it- Hoseok’s hands squeezed yours in support. “Harming innocent people is against the law, as I’m sure you’d know.”

“Hah,” Abbadon scoffed. “That isn’t a person, that’s only a vicious beast. I’m merely upholding my job as a protector.”

“It has been years since the war,” Yoongi’s voice was without any emotion. “Hunting dragons and dragging in innocent civilians is a crime worthy of many years of jail, not to mention you went for the Prince and the Savior.”

“Your best option would be to surrender.”

“And if I don’t want to?” Abbadon giggled.

“We’ll fuck you up,” Jungkook snarled. “For daring to lay even a hand on them. On her.”

Your heart warmed at his words, even as you wanted to protest. For a moment, there was silence- and then-

“... Ahhh, fine. I know when I’m out of my league.” Abbadon’s voice was light, airy- he spoke as if you were only discussing a friendly match. You shivered at the familiar tone- now aware of the hidden darkness he could easily switch into. You burrowed your head in Hoseok’s chest- your grip on him tight, and while a part of you was afraid of his rejection- he only pulled you in closer, until all sounds were muffled.

You counted the sound of his heartbeats, trying to will your breathing to adapt to its rhythm. One, two, three, four…

You could hear someone’s words as they tried to soothe you, though you trembled not just from fear, but also exhaustion.

“... It’s okay now, Y/N...”

Yet again, you fell unconscious before you could hear the rest of his words.

[originofjaehyun]

Interlude: No More Drama | Part 12 | Dreams Come True

Interlude: No More Drama Masterlist

Word count: 7,105

Warnings: Smut

Part 12 | Dreams Come True

“My disappointing days, my insecure day, they will all become dazzling like myself right now.”

Prev 

A/N: Usually I would write my author note at the very end but today is going to be a bit special because we finally reach the end of the series! (Even the word count is different, lol!)

To be honest, I didn’t expect that I would come this far with this series. I guess I became more and more attached to the characters and the storyline as we progressed. I really did enjoy writing this series, like my fingers just couldn’t stop writing.

Also, not in a million years that I would dare to imagine any of you would read my story. Maybe it’s just me being insecure all the time? Who knows.

Nevertheless, I wish I could express how grateful I am. I know right now I can only say it via note like this, but I hope you guys able to feel how thankful I am for all of you. Really, I read every single notes, your reblogs, and it always made my day whenever I receive your feedback. (OK, stop –or else I wouldn’t be able to stop crying)

Thank you for loving Interlude: No More Drama. I hope you would enjoy this last chapter of the Interlude series, as much as you enjoyed the previous ones!

With love,

Dee (yup, my name everyone!)

“You’re not eating your meal.”

Yuta pulls you back to earth, noticing how you’ve been playing with your omelet instead of shoving it to your mouth.

“You’ve been dozing out recently, it started to get into my nerves.”

Yuta is always direct, he never sugarcoats his words. Clearly your action annoys him.

“It’s Jaehyun, isn’t it?”

You dropped your fork, telling Yuta that he shot a bullseye.

“Alright,” He rose from his seat, taking his plate and yours. “Eating is definitely not on your mind, sit on the couch, let’s talk.”

He quickly cleared the table, leaving you with no option but to obey him.

You make your way to the TV area. You spent so much time at Nakamoto's residence, you could practically walk there with your eyes closed. But it would be wasteful to do so, as the view from his window is always mesmerizing. Today is no exception, with how blue the sky is.

Usually, the view from his window is always complimented with your waves of laughters, because Yuta always managed to make you smile. But not today, or the last few weeks prior to the party. The unsettling feelings after the commotion last month still lingers.

“Here,” Yuta passes you a glass of water, which you immediately drank without hesitation.

“So,” He sat next to you, turning his body so he could face you. “When are you going to tell me that you’re still in love with him?”

You choked because he definitely took you by a surprise. You continuously tried to clear your throat. Feeling slightly guilty, Yuta helped you by tapping your back.

“What? No– I mean, Jaehyun and I, we’re a thing in the past and now I have you…”

“[Y/N],” He caressed your back, still worried about how he caused you to choke, occasionally pressing his thumb to give you gentle massages. “Any sane person would know that the feelings between you and Jaehyun are anything but over.”

You stayed quiet, completely did not expect out of all people it would be Yuta who calls you out.

“Listen, [Y/N],” He holds your arm, “We’ve been together for what, four months? And yet that night at the launch party, or the arresting party,”

You giggled at his remark, causing him to let out his signature radiant smile.

The comforting smile.

“I never saw you looking at someone with so much love. And that lucky person is no other than your ex.”

“But Yuta, I-”

“I’m not saying what we had wasn’t real.” He interjects, “It’s partly my fault anyway. I kinda force you into this relationship. So I do expect to be your rebound of some sort.”

“You’re not a rebound!” You quickly disagree with him, “It’s just…”

“I know, I know.” He finished your sentence. “We kissed, we even slept together –and don’t tell me I’m not good at it because you’d be lying.”

You smacked him real good at his arm, for continuing his jokes when the conversation is clearly not meant for any jokes –though you still give him the credit by laughing at it. “And, you are a wonderful person, [Y/N]. You didn’t let me do it after I spent nearly two months with you, and that’s a long time for a Nakamoto.”

“Because I know you care about my feelings too, and you really did try to like me. We spent many dates together, giving each other gifts and we shared lovely memories together. But I know whatever you shared with Jaehyun is something that I could never have.”

Your smile turns sour, at how true his statement is.

“Yuta, I’m sorry.” You finally couldn’t hold back the tears. “I tried, I really did. You are the most amazing person, you’ve patiently waited for me and I promise you I really, really cherish the moment we’ve spent together, but…”

Yuta hugs you, causing you to weep louder, wetting his shoulder. “I just… can’t seem to forget about Jaehyun. I don’t know, we’ve spent an equal amount of time like what I did with him, and yet–”

“You don’t choose who you fall for, [Y/N].” He caresses your hair, shushing your sobs. “As cliche as it might sound, sure, you would initially choose the person. But our feelings are something that transcends our logic. You could never force love.”

Yuta releases you from his embrace, now looking directly at you to meet your now red eyes.

“It’s always been Jaehyun, isn’t it?”

You’re unable to hold the pain of having to tell the truth, lips quivering. But Yuta does not deserve any lies, so you nod involuntarily.

“I’m sorry, Yuta…”

“Don’t be. Why should you apologize for falling in love?”

It makes you feel like you’re the worst. Why can’t you just fall in love with Yuta? He’s the kindest man, and he clearly cares about you a lot. He is very mature, and he – at least, doesn't have a complicated background.

But your heart just doesn’t beat as fast as it is with him when you’re with Jaehyun.

“Now wash your face,” He said, tugging your hair to the back of your ear. “Your eyes are swollen. I’ll reheat your meal. My mom always told me to finish my meal so you’re not leaving until you eat everything.”

You laugh, “I never knew someone would care about their ex this much.”

“Ex?” He snickers, “We were never official, to begin with.”

You pushed him playfully before you ran along to the bathroom.

You’re glad it was Yuta. How he’s always mature with his decisions. How he’s able to turn the awkward atmosphere into something that is anything but it.

The distance between where the bathroom is and where Yuta was was not far, but enough for you not to hear him whisper.

“And I will never apologize for falling for you, too.”

-

“He did what?”

Doyoung expresses what you experienced last week perfectly.

“No wonder you invited me out tonight. Thought it was quite odd for you not to be with Yuta.”

“What do you expect? Hanging out with two broken-hearted people?”

“As far as your story goes, I thought Yuta is the only one with a broken heart, ouch!” He squirmed as you pinch his arm.

“It’s equally as painful for me, too, Doy. I tried to fall for Yuta, you know.”

“It just doesn’t work out?” He asks.

You shook your head, “It’s weird, even when I think about it. Yuta cares a lot about me. He’s funny, he’s kind, and he’s honest. Why can’t I just fall for him, Doyoung? He wasted his time on me, while here I am still stuck with a person who I didn’t even contact for months.”

“How am I supposed to know? Guess you’re just dumb.” He flinches when you were about to slap him, pleading for your forgiveness. “It is as Yuta said, you can never force love. Yuta can be the ten times better version of Jaehyun but that wouldn’t matter if you already set your heart to Jaehyun.”

You replied with a sigh. He’s right. If you couldn’t understand your own heart, how could he?

Just as you were about to lit your cigarette, you saw a familiar figure entering the bar, pausing you.

“Johnny!” You stand up, greeting the familiar figure. He squinted his eyes to see who called him, and smiled instantly when he discovered you.

“[Y/N]! It’s been a while!” He crosses his hand over your waist, giving a friendly peck on your cheek as his greeting. “Oh, he’s not the guy at the party. Is this a new guy?”

Your palm landed on his upper arm. You might start with a professional relationship with Johnny, but he quickly became your friend. Although you didn’t talk as much after the project ended, you often had your cigarette breaks with him back then and talked about non-work-related stuff, so it’s not a surprise that you guys are chummy to each other.

“I don’t move on that quickly, Johnny. This is my best friend, Kim Doyoung. Doyoung, this is Johnny. He’s my client back in NCT Corp..”

“Ah, yes I’ve heard.” Doyoung greets him, “Hi, I’m Kim Doyoung. Nice to meet you.”

“Johnny Seo. A pleasure to meet you, Doyoung.”

“You’re alone, Johnny?”

“Nah, I’m meeting Taeil and Sicheng. But they’re still on their way, so actually, mind if I stayed for a bit?” He says, which you and Doyoung replied with a unanimous nod. He then scanned your expression. “Looking for a specific person?”

You rolled your eyes, “Stop teasing me, Johnny. I’m not.”

He chuckles, “Sorry, sorry.” He pulls his cigarette pack out of his pocket, “How’s Yuta?”

You were trying to flick your lighter, but you stopped at the sudden mention of the name. 

“He’s at home, I think.”

“You think?” Johnny furrows his brows at the statement, but decides not to pry further. “Can I borrow your lighter?”

“Sure,” You move closer as you lit up your lighter, which he quickly accepted to fire up the end of his cigarette.

“Thank you,” He draws out the grey smoke, “Anyway, is the perfume you’re using right now on trend?”

“My perfume?” You’re smelling yourself, becoming insecure with your scent.

“I swear I’ve smelt it before. I couldn’t remember, so I thought it’s on-trend. Maybe a few of my coworkers wore it before.”

“That’s so random, Johnny.” You finally light up your cigs, “You could’ve picked a better pick-up line. Also, it’s been a hot minute since I sprayed my perfume, so the scent shouldn’t linger anymore.”

He burst in laughter, amused. “Aside from the fact that I’m actually into perfumes, I wouldn’t dare to pick you up, [Y/N].”

You know what he meant but decided to change the topic. The three of you talk, with the conversation mostly filled with Johnny and Doyoung exchanging business cards.

“Oh!” Johnny suddenly shouted, catching both you and Doyoung off guard.

“The hell, John!” You protested.

“Sorry, sorry,” He chuckled. “I just remember where I smell your scent, [Y/N].”

“Okay, creeps. What are you, a dog?” Your remark causes the whole table to burst in laughter. “But go on.”

He rolled his eyes, “Sometimes I could smell that scent on Jaehyun.”

You stared at him, confused. Not only you are surprised that he actually remembers the scent, but even more so at the mention of your previous lover name, “Jaehyun?”

“Yup,” He lights up another cig, “It is a very distinct feminine scent, and usually Jaehyun would smell a lot like–”

“A jazz club?”

“There you go.” Smokes escaped from his mouth, “Though not always, he would sometimes smell very sweet. Which is odd, I thought Jaehyun is not a fan of such floral scent –hey, don’t give me that look.”

“No, now I really wonder whether I’m talking to a human or a german shepherd.” Doyoung is in awe of how specific Johnny’s descriptions are.

“Told you I’m a perfumer.” He self-proclaimed, “Yeah, but in particular it’s only during the weekends. Funny, isn’t it? The only time I didn’t meet Jae, I got to meet you and you guys shared the same scent! No wonder it feels very familiar.”

Then your eyes widen,

“Sure, I’ve been meaning to use your brand new body gel. The only time I can share the same scent with you is during weekends anyway.”

“Why? Scared of smelling like a female?”

“No, I don’t want others to know what you smell like. It’s exclusively mine.”

You suddenly stand up, scaring both of the men.

“I have to go.”

“Go?!” Doyoung felt betrayed. “Go where, you crazy woman? You didn’t even took a sip of your G&T!”

“Give it to Johnny. I’ll transfer the money.”

“It’s not about paying me back, but why the sudden rush?”

“I usually won’t order G&T but I’ll take the offer. Though, you’re not answering his question – where are you going?”

“I’ll text you the details. I have to go now!”

Doyoung rolled your eyes, “Ugh, fine. Promise me you wouldn’t do anything reckless.”

You linked your pinky to Doy’s, before grabbing your purse and leave the two men behind.

“I wonder why I could tolerate this secretive behavior. How is she and Jaehyun any different?”

Johnny nods in agreement, raising his glass for a toast, “Can’t argue with that, buddy.”

-

You’re standing on the familiar pavement. It was as cold as the first time you were here.

You looked up and dialed a number. It didn’t take more than three seconds before the person from the other side of the line picked it up.

“Hello?”

“[Y/N]? Why did you–”

You can hear that he is panting, then it struck to you that coming here unnoticed was probably a bad idea. 

“Did I bother you? I’m sorry I should’ve not called.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” He says, trying to catch his breath. “I just… Didn’t expect to receive a call from you.”

Then you immediately regretted that you left Doyoung to come here.

It’s not like you customized your shower gel.

What if it was someone’s else?

What if Jaehyun has already found someone new?

“Ah, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have called you this late. Please just forget–”

You were dozing off at the sidewalk, and a car nearby snaps you out of your daydream, honking at you. Of course, Jaehyun could listen both sound simultaneously – from the outside and from your call. 

“Wait, are you here?” He said, half doubtful.

“Oh, uhm, I thought I could make a visit because I have something to say. But you probably are busy and I came unnoticed. I’m sorry to have disturbed you, I shouldn’t–”

You can hear him on the other side rushing, and you didn’t have to wait long to see his figure standing on the balcony.

“[Y/N]?!” You can hear him loud and clear, even without pressing your ear to your phone. “What are you doing here late at night?! You could’ve just knock–”

“Now that I think about it, I should’ve told you in the first place that I was coming. Sorry, I’m not thinking it through. You’re probably not alone and I already disturbed your rest, I’ll get going.”

“I’m alone,” He stops you from going, “It’s damn cold outside, [Y/N]. I’ll pick you up,”

“Wait!” You stopped him from coming down, “Just... hear me out for a second.”

He returned to the previous position. Then you look at him, mustering all of your courage, “Jaehyun, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? For wh-”

“Just let me talk first,” You took a deep breath, “I’m sorry for leaving you back then. I should’ve stayed when you’re at your lowest. But my body just moves on its own. I think… fear took the best of me.”

“All of a sudden, you revealed everything in one night. It’s unfair, you know? Imagine how I would feel at the night of revelation. There’s not enough time for me to process, Jae. And what if you did cover everything perfectly? I wouldn’t know anything about you.”

You can hear him sighing, “[Y/N], I told you I never meant to do that. Would you believe me if I told you it was for your safety?”

“I know you are. But it still a part of you, Jaehyun. Not just any part, it’s practically a large piece of you. And for me to not know anything about you... is just devastating.” You continue, “Then, Yuta came into the picture. He was kind, mature, and he cares a lot about me.”

“Don’t tell me you’re engaged?” You can hear him panicking, “Because if you do, this is a very cruel way to tell your ex, you know?”

You softly chuckled at his remarks, “But he could never be you, Jaehyun.” You then felt a stream fall from your eyes, “I could list down Yuta’s – no, even the next guy’s great traits but they could never replace you.”

“I know this might came off as selfish after I pushed you away, but after me and Yuta were over, I’ve been thinking about why I can’t seem to forget you. What makes you different, Jaehyun?”

You can hear him startled, holding his breath.

“And meeting Johnny just now makes me realize,”

You wiped your tears, looking down as you muster every inch of your strength to continue, “That even though you hid things for me, or even when your father is a psycho, it doesn’t change the fact that nobody treats me like you did. The way your touches make me feel safe. The way you look at me that always makes me feel special. Also, the fact that you remember the details, though sometimes it’s borderline creepy.”

Both of you softly laugh, “But... I think the reason why I fell in love with you, not because of your gorgeous smile that is always accompanied with by dimple, or your wealth, but simply because you never give up on me. Even when I did.”

You thought you could continue without hassle, but your tears tell you otherwise. You are practically sobbing on Jaehyun’s ear.

“When I first left, you never stop texting me even though I put it on read. You even asked Johnny to spare you some time during our meeting that day just to talk to me. You even changed your Saturdays just to visit Interlude, just for you to see me. It… teaches me how you really value a person. How to treasure someone that deeply.”

“I was ready to live my life in ordinary. But you know, what is life without a bit of risk? You’re the one that I’ve been looking for, Jaehyun. The only person that sparks so many joy in my life, the one that is always full of surprises. That is you, and only you, Jaehyun. The one that I inexplicably was drawn to. It doesn’t make sense, I know, but neither does love.”

“Wait,” He finally replies. “Stay there.”

You were startled, you called his name but only receive elevator bell sound before the call was abruptly ended.

Soon after, you saw his figure, rustling to wear his jacket to see you.

“Hi,” You put your phone back in your pocket, now awkward because you didn’t expect him to come down.

“What was that about?” He demanded an answer.

“Well…” You’re unsure how to answer, “I just thought I would tell you everything right now.”

You slowly look at him in the eyes, and you saw how he furrows his brows together.

“I’m sorry. It’s been months and you are probably seeing someone. Please don’t think too much about it, I just want to let it out of my chest.”

You were about to leave before Jaehyun held your hand.

“You’re no longer Yuta’s?”

You shook your head, “I never said I dated Yuta. We… were seeing each other, but we never officially date. Just last week I told him I can’t continue because–”

Jaehyun rushes to hug you, and you can feel that he’s trembling.

“Is this real?” He chokes up.

You finally let your tears break free, “I’m sorry Jaehyun, it took me long enough for me to realize my own feelings. Ever since the beginning, it will always be you. I love you, and–”

“You love me?”

You nod, then snuggle to him, “I love you more than I ever thought I would be.”

His reaction was a tad too quiet. You looked at up only to see his eyes glistening, welled up from his own tears.

“Jaehyun, please don’t cry.”

He releases you only to wipe his tears with the end of his sleeve, “Sorry, I promise you I’m not a crybaby.” He sniffed, “This just... came completely unexpected. You’re the only one who could make me weep like this. This feels like a dream come true.”

“This is real, love,” You return to his hug once more, “This time, I promise I’ll stay.”

Both of you took your time to feel each other’s warmth, longing for each other.

“I know, I failed big time after I left you. It pains me if I remember the face that you’ve made that day. It will always haunt me, the ups and the down during our times together.”

You then took a glance at him, smiling at him.

“But you know, what’s the first year if I’m going to spend seventy more years with you?”

He sigh in relief, hugging you even tighter. When you locked your gaze to each other, both of  couldn’t help but to laugh at your swollen faces.

He then caressed your cheeks, yearning to touch you all over. 

“Your hands are cold.” You said as you snuggle yourself to Jaehyun’s touch.

“Let’s go up,” He offers, holding out his hand to you.

“Can I?”

The signature dimple that you miss so much finally made its appearance, “I need to refill my share of cuddles, anyway.”

–

“[Y/N]...”

His kisses feel warm. It feels like it’s been so long, yet feels so familiar whenever he planted soft kisses on the back of your ear.

“Ah, Jaehyun!”

You whimper at the way he kisses you, treating you like you are a delicate porcelain doll. 

“I miss you,” He whispers close to your ears, causing you to flinch.

“Ah!”

He moves his tongue to your ears, nibbling every inch of you. He didn’t stop there, as he continues to tease you, flicking both of your nipples.

“Jaehyun, stop teasing me!”

“Not a chance, love.” He trails his lips to your jawline, “I’m gonna kiss every part of you. Do you know how much I endured after you left?”

Jaehyun’s lips finally meet yours, and you can feel how he forces his tongue, slithering inside and dancing with yours.

He moves one of his hands to your clit, rubbing them while his right hand still pinches your nipple. Jaehyun always makes you feel good, and this time is no expectation. He took his time, but accurately know your sweet spot it almost driving you insane.

“Look at you, baby love,” He breaks the kiss, now looking at you with his sharp eyes, “You told me to stop, but can you hear how wet you are?” As he continuously slides his fingers up and down at your clit, resounding your wetness.

He moves down, spreading your legs.

“Jaehyun, not– ah!”

You quickly grab his hair, surprised with the sudden gush of pleasure. Jaehyun is not joking when he says he’s going to kiss every part of you, as he slowly takes his time licking your folds. You can feel his tongue exploring your part, making you drown in ecstasy.

“Baby if you lick it that much, I’m gonna–!”

That is when he broke free, “Not yet, sweetheart.” He licks his upper lips, tasting you, “We haven’t reached the best part yet, so be good and wait for a bit, yeah?”

He then proceeds to rip open the condom, expertly pushing it down to his thick shaft. It was rock hard, and the tip was deep pink in color, coated with his precum.

He wants you, and he wants you bad.

“Now come here,” He lifted you, making you sit on his lap.

He continued to kiss you, and each time your lips met, the kisses became messier. You guys were panting, at the increasing rate of your libidos. You thought he was going to spread you open, but much to your disappointment he only teases you further with his cock, grinding them to meet your clit. You want him, and you know he wants you too, so why did he hasn’t fill you up?

“Jaehyun...!” You purred to his ears, moaning even louder.

“What’s the problem, [Y/N]?” He slides his hand to hold your hips, a smirk appears on his face “You love this thing,”

He then sloppily rubs his growing member, only to make yourself even wetter.

“Just fuck me, Jae!” You pleaded, “I want you, I want you inside me.”

You opened your eyes to met his gaze that is saturated with lust.

That is when you know Jaehyun is in his dominant mode.

“Why don’t you try and stick it in yourself, angel?”

Jaehyun knows you don’t usually ride on him, or take the full charge because it’s still embarrassing for you to top him. But today he wanted to be in full control, that includes commanding you. The way he did it with you during your first time.

“You such a jerk,” You complained, but at the same time, you use your hand to carefully position his cock to enter you.

“Now,” Jaehyun gave you a victorious smile, “I know you can’t wait for it, so you better hurry up, princess.”

You’re never fond of those nicknames, but the way Jaehyun said it to you just gushes the hormones in you. You slowly slid down your pussy to meet his cock, and the moment his tip enters you, you swore you almost cum instantly.

You stopped because you were drowning in pleasure, embracing Jaehyun tighter. You didn’t realize that you unintentionally placed Jaehyun’s head in between your breast, only taunting the beast in him further.

“Huh?”

“I don’t know whether you’re playing innocent, or you purposely do this,” You can feel Jaehyun squeezing your ass, “But don’t go riling me up like that!”

Suddenly all of him enters you at once. You twitched at the sudden connection, moaning hard.

“Oh God, Jaehyun!” You rest your head to his right shoulder, arms crossing over his back for support, “If you stick it in all the way like that–!”

You cummed at the way he fills you up completely, without notice too. There’s no way to hide it because it’s positive that Jaehyun could feel how your walls twitch around him.

But you’re dealing with a very horny Jaehyun here. And your orgasm only provokes him even further.

“Cumming already, love?” He lets out a soft rumble, “We’re just started, yeah? I’m not playing nice today, so brace yourself.”

“W-wait, Jaehyun, I’m still very sensiti– ah!”

Obviously not in the mood to listen, it is as if he lost his control. He continuously thrust deep into you. Every time his cock slides in, you can feel his tip touches the deepest part of you.

“Jaehyun!” You stutter, “S-stop! I can’t–”

“Stop?” He continued to pound you, you can hear the sound of your skin slapping to each other, “But baby, fuck, you’re squeezing me,”

The moans become louder as Jaehyun picks up his pace. 

“You love my cock, do you? You practically suck them in.”

“Baby it feels so good!” Finally giving in to the pleasure, you begged Jaehyun. “Oh, God! Jaehyun you’re so hard, ah–!”

You dig your nail to his back, telling him that you are as turned on as him. Making him want to mess you up, hard.

“Jaehyun! W-wait!” You grab his hair, asking for mercy. “D-don’t!”

He kisses your breast, blooming a purple flower at one of them. You’re a wreck, not sure where to concentrate –the way he bites your nipple or the way he continuously pushes in and out. The way he slams into you while at the same time teasing your nipple causing you to feel that the knot inside is about to unravel.

“Jaehyun!” You shouted his name, “I’m cumming again!”

Jaehyun looked at you, satisfied, “Good, I’m almost there, too.”

Groans escaped from Jaehyun’s mouth, “Just so you know, I won’t be settled with just one round. I’m gonna fuck you till the sun comes out.”

He couldn’t care about his rhythm anymore. He thrusts faster, and when he swears and repeatedly call your name, you know he’s about to cum. He bit your shoulder and pushes inside of you a few more times before releasing what both of you have been building up. You couldn’t stop shuddering, while you can feel him stalling, taking his time to cum inside. Both of you took a short, frantic breath, desperate to fill your lungs with oxygen.

“That was so good,” You complimented him, still clinging to him.

“Hey, we just cummed, never thought you were this impatient, [Y/N].”

You look at him before both of you pinch his cheeks, filling the room with warm giggles.

“Why don’t you give up?”

He hummed, asking you to further elaborate your question.

“I mean, it’s been a while since the party... and yet you just easily let me enter your life again.”

He replied with a smile, “I’ve told you before and I’m going to tell you over and over again, you are my safe haven, love. I’ve spent my whole life trying to pretend to be someone that I’m not. But with you, I can just be myself. Also, we always had amazing sex, pretty good reason to not give up on you, right?”

You pinch his cheeks, to which he protested with multiple ouches. You look at each other again, before naturally pulling to each other hugs, not satisfied with only a short amount.

You can feel his heartbeat and his soft breaths right next to you as he tucks his face at the nook of your shoulder. You swore, you never felt this blissful.

You miss him, you miss him a lot. Your lips met his subconsciously, which he accepted gladly.

“Go clean up,” He separates his kiss, “Don’t frown, I’ll make love to you again. But right now all I want is to cuddle with you. I miss our cuddles.”

Though you pouted, you eventually agreed, marching yourself to the bathroom.

Just before the first droplet touches your skin, you took a glimpse at the stationary and instantly surprised. You ran back to the bedroom, only covering yourself with a towel inattentively. 

“You still have my shower gel?”

You’re not even surprised by the sight of him all naked as he was about to go to the kitchen to fetch some water. He wasn’t embarrassed, though (well it’s not like he have any reason to feel so when he maintains his shape very well), as he replies to your remark with his chuckles, pleasing your ears.

“I used them sparingly.”

“You like them that much? You even filled them with water, Jaehyun. You can just buy them at stores, you know?”

He shook his head, “But that one was yours. I only use them at the weekend anyway, like how I would use them if we were still together. I don’t know, it just feel like you’re still around when I can smell your scent.”

If it were other guys you would squirm at his cheesy remark. But it was from Jaehyun, a man that is so dear to you. Who always do this tiny things that managed to touch your heart, making you ran to him and give him a hug.

“No wonder you smell familiar,” You inhaled his scent, “You smell like me.”

He laughed, fixing your disheveled hair, “To be honest, I made this rule to myself that I would only move on from you once I emptied the whole bottle. I guess I cheated a bit, but fortunately you came just in time,” He kisses your forehead gently, “I guess the goddess of luck is on my side, huh?”

You couldn’t help but to slap his chest, annoyed on how effortlessly cute his action was.

“You have to bear with me smelling like you though tonight, I’d rather use a proper shower gel.”

“I don’t mind, it’s still you.”

He rolled his eyes up, thinking.

“Unless… Do you want to go to the store tomorrow? Let’s stock up your toiletries. Oh, your toothbrush is still here so you don’t need to buy those. Maybe we can go to your apartment afterward, so you can bring a few of your clothes back.”

You glared at him, “Did you just ask me to move in again?”

Jaehyun smiles, “Maybe? As long as you don’t give up like now.”

“I won’t,” You embraced him tighter, your laughter was filled with joy, “Why do you always ask me to move in with you after we fuck?”

“Because both of us are horny all the time?”

You gave him another slap, this time making him laugh harder that he even scrunches his nose.

-

“Stop staring!”

You are finally agitated at the way Jaehyun’s eyes are locked in your direction. At first it was bearable, but you’re sweating from organizing your wardrobe and you don’t exactly look at your finest.

“But I just can’t believe you’re back, love.” He walks to you and hugs you from behind.

“Jaehyun!” You protested, “I’m sweating! Please, I probably smell!”

“Doesn’t matter,” He drops his head at the crook of your neck, kissing you softly, “As long as you’re here. I can’t believe we’re finally going to live together for real this time. Don’t bother finding your suitcase, I hid it where you can’t find it.”

You slapped him playfully at the way he acted spoiled. Five months after your confession, the day where you move to his place is finally here. Jaehyun has been pushing you to start packing, claiming he sleeps better when you’re next to him. He even proposed to hire multiple movers so that you can move a week after that night. A new side of Jaehyun that you discover –you never know he was this clingy. 

“I miss you.” He said on the other end of the phone.

“Jaehyun, I stayed over last night. You're even going to pick me up tomorrow morning to accompany me to the bank.”

“But I want to sleep while hugging you.” He whines like a puppy, “Can’t you just stay here? Take some days off, I’ll cover the moving cost. Just stay with me?”

“I know you’re loaded, Jaehyun.” You laugh at how impatient he is, “But let’s just take this slowly, OK? I want to make it right this time, and if we can settle this with the most efficient –cost-wise, why bother rushing? I lived in this place for years, you know? It would be quite sentimental for me to suddenly leave it behind.”

You heard him sigh, “Why do I have to date a smart woman like you.”

“I thought that’s the reason why you fell for me?”

“Can’t argue with that.”

After you guys are back together, Jaehyun is showering you with so much love. Telling you corny things that borderline cringed you, calling you nicknames that you can only hear from dramas.

But you know it is because he can finally relax. There’s no need to hide things. There’s no more burden from his father. Jaehyun is finally free, able to show his true self for the first time. And you are grateful that you can witness it, and stand next to him this time.

For the past few weeks, your weekends’ agenda has always been you dealing with the move. Today was the day you return your key to the landlord, and from this day onwards you’re going to stay with a man that is dear to you.

“I won’t leave, Jaehyun.” You said, caressing the top of his head. “At least now I know you’re not dangerous anymore.”

You pushed him to meet his gaze, “Aren’t you?”

He scoffed, “Of course, love.”

You squint your eyes, and there’s a hint of doubt in the way you look at him, “Your father is one thing, but what about the secret agent stuff?”

“I wasn't a part of it to begin with.” He tucks your hair, “My deal with them is to let me be a part of my father’s mission, and that mission only. In exchange, their members can work at my company while being undercover.”

You knit your brows together, “Isn’t that nepotism?”

“Well, no, actually,” He laugh, dragging you to the kitchen so he could get some water, “Even though I will eventually accept them as my employees, they are required to have the skills needed for the position. It’s practically the same thing with personal connection. I guess you can say I’m like the shadow member? I’m not active on the field, but that’s the best deal that we could come up with.”

You hummed, taking the glass of water that he offered, “But I don’t want you to be involved in any danger, OK? Mark is finally able to visit you –or us, without him having to shit out of his pants. He really misses his brother, you know? So don’t be reckless. I don’t want to lose you anymore.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Don’t call me ma’am, I’m not that old, Jae.”

“Then what? Princess? Baby love?” 

“You only call me that when you’re on top of me or when I’m on top of you.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Don’t you sweat already? It would be a waste of water if you’re going to shower twice, should we shower together to conserve water?” He raised one of his brows, attempting on seducing you.

“Fucking sex addict!” You swatted his arm, causing him to laugh at your reaction.

“Oh come on babe, can’t we?”

“Jaehyun I swear ever since we’re back together all we did was fucking each other.”

“Your fault for tempting me. Told you I can’t have enough of you.”

“Not now, babe. Keep your libido intact, we still need to clear out these boxes, it gives me anxiety.”

You tied your hair to a top bun, ready to clear up the empty boxes that surround the kitchen island. Jaehyun rested his elbow to the countertop, eyes are glued to you.

And only to you.

“Marry me, [Y/N].”

Your first reaction was to drop the boxes, dropping your jaw. Jaehyun rushed to you and offers a helping hand.

“What the heck, Jaehyun?!”

He chuckles at your reaction.

“It’s not funny, Jae. Don’t joke around like that.”

“But I’m not, love.” He looks at your direction, giving you a deep meaningful stare.

“At least let me make myself proper. I’m wearing a God’s-know-how-old band t-shirt, no makeup, all sweaty, and I was just about to clean up. You even asked me to fuck you just now. Ever Google how to propose to your girlfriend, Jae?”

Soft giggles escape his mouth, “Believe me, I’ve planned a much more spectacular proposal.” He fixed his posture, reaching for your hand.

“But the moment I think how I’m going to spend my days with you at this house, doing even the most mediocre thing, I just can’t help to feel that I’m seriously in love with this woman. The woman unlike the rest of the people I’ve met before. Maybe it’s the way you laugh, and the way you look at me telling me that you’re in love. You’re so beautiful, sometimes I feel like I’m squeezing my luck just to be able to be with you.”

“You are the only one where I can be the truest version of me. And you accepted it. You are the only one that I could ever dream to live the rest of my life with. This person in front of me, who I care so much about, is the only one I could imagine to be the mother of my children.”

You are clearly unprepared for this. You can feel your face burning, eyes welled up.

“I-” He chokes up, trying to hold his own tears, “I thought after you left me, I would never be capable of loving someone again. It was painful, and I swear it felt like a truck just hit you without them hitting their break.”

“And yet, it’s always you. If there’s any word that could explain a greater feeling than ‘I love you’, I would use it. As if time stopped after I met you, I just couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

He then asks you to stand up, only for him to get down on his knees.

“It’s you, my love, because no one else makes sense. All of my better days were the one I spent with you.”

He then took a small red box out of his pants pocket, opening it to reveal a delicate platinum ring. The band is covered with diamonds and the brilliant-cut diamond center stone was the scene stealer.

“Because even in another life, no matter how difficult it is, I probably would just love you as recklessly. My heart never beat faster the way it beats when I’m with you.”

You tried to fight the tears that kept coming, but they refused to stop, making you busy wiping your eyes instead of looking him in the eyes.

“Stay with me, because I promise there would be no harm for you as long as I’m breathing. Be my wife, [Y/N].”

At that moment you know you don’t want to waste the rest of your life trying to find the answer. No man could love you the way Jaehyun did, because he is the one who will love you all the way.

At that moment, you found life. At that moment, you found him.

“Only if you’re sure to have me.” Your voice was crackling, trying to keep down your tears that’s been messing you up.

“I might be unsure about other things but never you, [Y/N].”

You gently nod as you accept his ring, and Jaehyun never felt any joy greater than this. He hugs you tightly, swinging you inside his embrace.

“Thank you, [Y/N], I promise I’ll treasure you.”

You can feel him trembling, and feel the wetness that does not belong to you on your shoulder. You look up only to find your now-fiancé eyes are red. This sight is no longer a stranger to you. Ever since you date him again, Jaehyun has been showing so many emotions with you.

You gave him a soft kiss on his lips. He reciprocated the kiss, biting you softly. It was the type of kiss that does not rush. It was the type of kiss that was gentle. The type of kiss that was filled with love.

“I love you so much, Jaehyun.”

“As I do too, love. I cannot wait to spend another seventy years, no, even longer with you.”

Of course, you know where he got his reference from, so you couldn’t help but giggle.

“Only if you promise you don’t hide anything from me anymore.”

Jaehyun joined you by adding his part of laughter.

“I promise.” He said, giving you another deep, long kiss.

“No more drama.”

[kieraswriting]

Coffin Chapter Eighteen

Masterpost

“Sir, Liam Hart’s house has been attacked by vampires.”

“I assume he has it handled?”

“No, sir. We have some video, but as far as I know everyone that was living there is dead.”

“Oh? I’m surprised. Do we know where the vampires went?”

“No, sir. But I do have the video. We are working on identifying them.”

“Well done. Once you’re done send out an alert. I want them shot on sight.”

“Yes, sir.”

•^*^••

Roman turned his head for a second when he heard the whimper.

“Please… Please no! I-I didn’t…” came Virgil’s weak voice.

Roman had to watch the road. He wished now he wasn’t the one driving. “Is he ok, Pat?”

“No.” Patton said bitterly. Then his voice came again, a bit more normal. “He’s having nightmares. But if we wake him up he’ll be hurting even worse.”

Patton was in the backseat, cradling Virgil’s head and shoulders so that he could lay down. Roman could barely look at Virgil. He had no idea how Patton was managing it.

A stream of broken pleas fell from Virgil’s lips, interspersed with sounds so pitiful they pierced Roman’s heart.

“Shh, Virgil, I’ve got you now. It’ll be ok,” Patton soothed.

Roman spared another glance backward. Patton was running his fingers through Virgil’s hair, and his face was wet and shiny from tears.

Roman leaned a bit heavier on the gas pedal, wanting to get to their destination as quickly as possible, though he knew that even with speeding it would be several hours.

It was maybe an hour later that Roman heard a sharp gasp, and rapid breathing, that quickly became hyperventilating.

“Virgil, it’s ok, I’m here. I’ve got you now. No one is going to hurt you anymore.”

The breathing slowed down gradually, becoming ragged in the way breathing does when someone’s trying not to cry.

“Oh, Virgil, baby, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry!” Patton started crying.

And then they were both crying. Virgil’s crying was interspersed with gasps and pained noises, and Patton’s with teary reassurances.

Roman didn’t know what to do. He pulled out his phone and called Logan.

“Roman? I’m sure you know I’m very busy right now.”

“I know, I know. But Virgil’s awake.”

The sigh of relief was plain through the phone.

“He’s in a lot of pain and I don’t know what to do.”

“Ok. Try feeding him. Vampires heal quickly just after they’ve eaten.”

“Ok.”

There was some muffled talking that Roman couldn’t make out. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call again as soon as I can.”

Logan hung up.

“Patton, Logan said to feed him. It’ll help him heal.”

“O-ok,” Patton said shakily. “Ow! No, no, Virgil, it’s ok, I’m fine. I’m sorry. It’s ok. Please, just get better.”

Roman again cursed that he was the driver. He knew it was better for Patton to be back there than for him, but he still wanted to be there!

It was a good two hours later that he pulled over, needing gas and to use the bathroom.

•^*^••

Patton also would’ve liked to go inside, but he was not going to leave Virgil alone, and by the time Roman got back Virgil had drifted into a kind of semi-sleep. Patton just could not justify waking him up.

His wrist ached a bit, and it was still bleeding a little. For some reason it wasn’t healing up very quickly this time. Patton wouldn’t have minded except that seeing the blood was turning his stomach.

He ran his hand gently through Virgil’s hair, trying to give what little comfort he could.

Roman cranked the car. “You doing ok?”

Patton nodded. “Yeah. It’s, uh, it’s been a long day. A really, really long day.”

“How—“ Roman started driving. “How soon did it, start?”

Patton swallowed heavily. “Pretty soon.” He looked out the car window at the setting sun. It had been late last night, or maybe early in the morning, when his dad had started banging on their door. His day had felt stretched into a week, and he couldn’t bear to imagine what it had been like for Virgil.

“Oh,” Roman said, the same heaviness sitting in Patton’s stomach apparent in his voice.

Patton nodded, and tears started slipping down his face again. Surely he’d run out soon. There was no way he could cry this much. And it didn’t do any good! He could cry all he wanted but it wouldn’t help Virgil!

But that thought just made the tears come faster.

•^*^••

“There’s the last of them,” Logan said. “Unless you want me to drop you off somewhere.”

“Nah,” Remus said, leaned back crookedly over the seat, completely unbuckled. “I think I’ll go with Dee Dee and Thomas.”

Logan nodded. “That would make sense, if it’s really what you want to do.”

“Eh.”

It didn’t take them long to meet up with the other car, though Remus was almost disturbingly quiet during the ride.

Thomas traded with Logan, and Dee went with him and Remus. Logan got into the backseat of the car Emile was driving, and Remy was in the passenger seat.

“We’ll contact you in a week,” Logan said, and was met with a firm nod from Thomas.

Logan still didn’t like this plan. While it might keep them safe, it also weakened them in case of attack, and there was nothing they could do in terms of helping any other vampires. But it did keep them safe, probably. So it was their best bet. At least until someone came up with anything better.

•^*^••

There was almost certainly an ambush both at their house and at the farmhouse. There was no way to return to get anything.

Thomas just drove. He didn’t know where they’d be staying that night, aside from the car, but he couldn’t chance being anywhere near Liam’s house. Probably not even in the same state. Hopefully crossing state lines would be enough. Hopefully. But it might well not be.

As it turned out, Remus wasn’t the absolute worst person to have in the backseat. He kept talking almost constantly, usually about things that Thomas hoped didn’t relate to vampires. Dee scoffed and rolled his eyes at every other sentence, but Thomas caught a hint of an amused smile more than once.

•^*^••

It hurt.

It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.

It hurt .

Everything hurt.

Virgil was constantly holding back whimpers and other sounds. He didn’t want them to know. They could see him, but silver never looked as bad as it felt.

Even after he’d eaten, and could just barely distinguish the itch of healing within the sea of pain, it still hurt.

His one anchor was Patton’s hand carding softly through his hair. The only thing on his whole body that didn’t hurt.

And then the car stopped again. Virgil was hazily slipping in and out of a semi-sleep. He didn’t catch the words Patton and Roman were saying, until they tried to lift him.

Virgil let out a pained yell. His arm flailed, reaching for Patton.

“Shh, shh, it’s ok, Virgil. We need you to be quiet, ok?”

“Can’t,” Virgil choked out.

“Ok, ok. Um.”

“Here, let me, Pat. You get the other end.”

“No! Please.” Virgil started crying and pleading with them to not pick him up. It hurt. It hurt so bad!

“I’m sorry, Virgil, I’m so sorry,” Roman said, and then put a hand over his mouth. “Now, Pat.”

They lifted, and Virgil screamed against Roman’s hand.

They carried him inside somewhere, and laid him on a bed.

“There, it’s done. I’m sorry, Virgil. I am. I’m truly sorry.” Roman left a thousand apologies before the exhaustion took over the pain, and Virgil slipped again.

•^*^••

They were in a tourist town.

“Why would you pick this place?” Logan asked, when he realized that Remy was turning in to a driveway.

“Because everyone’s a stranger here babe,” Remy said quickly. “Now I’ll hop out and work my magic, you two don’t watch.”

He took off his sunglasses and slipped them on Emile, and then got out of the car. Emile immediately turned up the music.

It was a while before Remy came back out, and was followed by a small family with heaps of bags, who piled into their car and drove away.

“What is it that you tell them?” Logan asked.

Remy flashed a smile, “They've won a cruise! I am here to personally give them the address and they have to leave right away for a ninety day cruise in the Bahamas!”

“Isn’t that… needlessly cruel?” Logan asked. “They have to drive a long way for nothing, and then they’re left with no house, and less money.”

“Who said it’s nothing?” Remy said with a wink, taking his sunglasses back.

“He really does own a cruise ship somewhere,” Emile explained. “It’s not the Bahamas, but it’s pretty nice. The ship is called Remy too.”

“Have you been on it?” Logan asked.

Emile nodded. “It was a long time ago, but yeah. That’s where I met him. I actually bought my ticket, though.”

Logan nodded slowly, though, to be honest, this just raised more questions.

•^*^••

“Well, I guess it’s better than nothing,” Thomas said.

“Are you kidding? It’s perfect!” Remus was out of the car and running around like a hyperactive child.

“I don’t know what you see in it,” Dee muttered, putting the seats all the way back.

Thomas just sighed. Sleeping in his car at a state rest stop wasn’t his idea of comfortable, but it was empty, and thus probably safe. And he still had Dee. And Remus, but Remus was more a wild card than a comfort.

There were bathrooms, and a vending machine for ‘breakfast’ in the morning. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

•^*^••

Patton didn’t sleep. He almost didn’t dare touch Virgil, for fear of hurting him. He sat on the edge of the bed, gently running his fingers through Virgil’s hair, and keeping a damp washcloth for his forehead. The poor boy was hot with fever, which Patton had hoped vampires couldn’t get, but apparently they could.

“Well, silver is poison to them,” Roman had murmured. “It burns, but too much will kill them. I just hope we got him in time.”

Patton couldn’t think about what if they were too late. They had him now. Surely that was enough. They were doing everything they could. Surely. Surely he’d get better.

[cosmiceverafter]

Mission Not Impossible

Random 29 for Belmanes - "How is my wife more badass than me?" for @manesalex. We have both Belmanes and Malex in this ficlet. I hope you enjoy it, love. 🧲❤️️

Isobel hadn't seen them coming, but she had the moves that were required. All that training after Noah manipulated her and died prepared her for anything.

Half of the Scooby Squad was out visiting an offsite location after finding an artifact that wasn't exactly human. It turned into somewhat of a double-mission-date with Gregory, Alex, and Michael all ready for action.

When they arrived in the abandoned building, they had unfortunately been separated.

Her husband, Gregory, liked to stick by her side—it made him feel more secure. He knew she was a tough cookie, he told her that daily, but it was his peace of mind having her within his sight. And if she could do anything for her love, it would be to give him that sense of calm after a lifetime of Manes' misery.

So she could only imagine how he was feeling now that somebody had scattered the group with gunshots.

"Damn," she muttered as she saw the two men lying on the ground, unconscious. They had appeared to be fit like bodybuilders yet had gone down like bowling pins.

Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb.

They had made some crude remarks about her ass and had barely finished their sentence when she had shoved them against the wall with her mind, something she had learned over time. Then she had dropped kicked them with her ankle. Graceful, too. 

Humans. So predictable.

Except for Greg. He kept surprising her, over and over again. Her husband was one of the good ones. That concept had taken her some time to accept, but once she had, it had been happily ever after for them. No secrets, just love.

She had fallen in love so quickly it had been like falling asleep. Every day together, seemed to be better and better. He was her reason for being on earth. It all made sense now; the pain, the hurt, all of it. Gregory Manes was her everything. 

Finally, she heard in the distance Michael calling out her name, "Izzy? Izzy, where are you?"

Then she heard Alex yelling as well, "Isobel? Are you okay? I think she's this way, Michael." Oh, the two of them. Just like how she was with Gregory, that's how Michael and Alex were and always would be. Those two husbands were almost as cute as she and Gregory were, but she would never admit that to them.

Michael didn't need that ego boost.

"I'm here!"

They came running into the room, sweat and blood dripping from their faces.

Alex looked down at the two men, "Impressive." He then peered over at his husband, "I told you she could handle it."

Michael just shrugged, "I'll always be protective over her; she's like my sister from another alien-mama. I can't help it."

"And oh how I love you for it," she replied, taking Michael into her arms. "Now, would you two mind telling me where my husband is?"

"He ran in the other direction, wanting to cover more ground to find you," Alex answered. He shook his head, "You know how my brother gets with you."

"And they call me protective," Michael laughed.

"Hey, I act the same way about you, babe," Alex responded, ruffling Michael's curls.

"I'm not complaining. It's actually a turn-on," Michael added, as he bit his lip.

"Okay, okay, you two," Isobel said, rolling her eyes. "Let's go find my man."

They ran down a gloomy corridor, which became darker with every step they took. Isobel brought out her flashlight and shined it into an empty room.

She was about to call out for Greg, when Alex grasped her arm softly and whispered, "There could be more of them. Just keep your eyes open."

Alex had more training in this type of situation, so she decided to follow the excellent soldier's lead.

When they heard a shuffle and a deafening noise coming from the second room on the right, Isobel pointed, and the other two nodded.

Carefully, they made their way down, creeping as quietly as they could without bringing attention to themselves.

As they stood by the doorway, Alex counted down from three, and they burst into the room.

Sure enough, Gregory was being detained at gunpoint, and Isobel was ready to kill the son of a bitch who dared to hold her husband against the wall.

He wasn't the only one that got protective over the one he loved.

"Let go of him, right now," she warned angrily.

Gregory's eyes widened as he took her in; she could see the relief, and then the fear re-enter them. "Isobel, get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you." She looked at the men, all three of them, "This is my last warning. Let him go."

"How about I shoot the bastard for trespassing, then all of you instead?" The tall man exclaimed with a toothy grin.

She glanced over at Michael, then looked around at Alex, who nodded at her. Their silent communication was code for ass-kicking time.

Isobel put her hand up, "Sorry, boys, that's the wrong answer."

The man with the gun flew into the wall, and Michael pulled the weapon into his now healed hand.

Alex moved so swiftly, he barely seemed human. He rammed his fist into the muscular man so powerfully that the man sank quickly to the hard surface with a grunt. The other man tried to take Michael out, but Michael flipped the guy instantly with his powers.

Isobel had one target to get to, and that target was her husband. The guy she slammed into the wall, tried to get up and she kicked him back down. What a nuisance. 

She rushed to Gregory’s side, kneeling next to him, and examined that his face was already swollen, "Are you okay, my love?"

Gregory caressed her cheek gently, and his cut lip turned into a soft smile, "I am now that I can see you're alright. I hate that we got separated. Did they hurt you?"  

"Honey, I took them all out easily. Truly, it was a piece of cake."

"She's right, she did. Two men, in fact, on her own," her brother-in-law replied proudly. Isobel winked at Alex, her now best friend.

Gregory glanced at the men on the floor, passed out, and chuckled, "How is my wife more badass than me?"

Isobel grinned, "It just comes naturally, I guess."

Her husband pulled her towards him and kissed her lips gently, "I'm in awe of you, Isobel Manes."

"I hate to break up this tender moment; as you know, I'm a hopeless romantic myself," Michael interrupted as he blew a kiss at Alex, "but these men are going to wake up any moment, and we should probably get the hell out of here. I'm not sure how much alien juice we still have left in us..."

Isobel groaned but pulled away slowly, "Dammit. We didn't even get the book explaining the artifact, though. It was the whole reason we came here. What a waste."

"I wouldn't say that," her husband murmured.

She looked over at him, as he reached into his back pocket, wincing, then holding up a small book. Isobel gasped and clapped her hands, "And you call me a badass. Well done, sweetheart!"

"Hey, being married to you, I've had to learn to keep up. Plus, I do have moves of my own, too."

Isobel helped Gregory to his feet, with the help of his brother. When he was up, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, "Don't I know it." She kissed Gregory’s cheek, hovering on his soft skin, thinking all about when she would have him home to herself. 

Alex laughed to the side of them, "I might have to agree with my husband on this one. You two rocked this mission, but we gotta go."

"Agreeing with Michael? I never thought I'd see the day," she smirked as they made their way out of the room; her hand intertwined with Gregory’s.

Alex grinned, “You’d be surprised. It happens from time-to-time.”  

"Hey! I know what I'm doing," Michael replied with a playful frown as they ran down the hallway.

"Sure, Guerin!" They all laughed.

Mission accomplished.