#also the paper fold textures are for once REAL

[onyourhyuck]

His Healer. | S.JH

— Prologue: “Maybe in my next life I can see you and the world in all the seven colours.”

— Summary: Prince Johnny has an eye condition allowing him to only see black and white. You’re the new maid arrange to clean his chambers you found out his secret illness.

— Genre: Prince!johnny. Royal romance + smut. Maid + prince trope. Super angsty to be honest, this is kinda sad and depressing story.

— Notes:

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The news of a new job becoming open spread fast in your village which made you act on your time. Everyone would die to have a job in the palace where the people work there in luxury. It felt like the best work offer there.

Lucky for you, you ended up becoming recruited fitting to the palace description and the needs they were looking for in a young woman like you. To become a Maid.

Not just any maid however, a maid for the prince. Every royalty has their own section of the palace that belongs to them; they have their own court, where nobles who are friends with those royalties will attend to play games, chat away about god knows what gossip and get self made tea from the maids. For you it was the prince. You were assigned under his name even though he hasn’t quite picked you, the king and the queen thought of you suitable.

They trusted a young girl like you who’s had a pretty face but also a determined outlook to be loyal to your job only. So they set you out to have your very first job to clean the Prince’s chambers where he sleeps. You didn’t think much of it because you heard the prince was out so it’s not like you’re going to get caught cleaning up the living hell’s mess he has on the freaking floor; the clothes were not even his some of them were bunch of dresses belonging to noble ladies. It was an unsatisfying experience picking up the clothes folding them under your hands and then proceeding to grab the hem of the many duvet layers they had on the giant king size bed. You swore this bed was bigger in real life than you could imagine.

Lifting the duvet’s embroidered on the bed puffing them out you crawl on the bed on all fours to go get the pillows. You begin fixing them puffing the material out making them bounce and thick once more. You wouldn’t want the prince to get a stiff neck by having the pillows be uneven and disturbing. Your hands crawl to the front hem of the duvet pushing them into the mattress making it look neater and cleaner giving it a slick texture. Later you came to the night stands were your eyes glimpse of two folded papers revealing names to the assuaged colours you couldn’t help but wonder why did the prince have that? But the minute you’d turn around you saw the door to the left open wide revealing the prince coming out of the bath chamber where a singular large bathtub was with foaming smoke behind him, it was a hot bath because the minute you saw him coming out while you’re on his bed on all fours — he was a smoking silhouette.

Your jaw came undone gaping at the bottom sight of the pelvis growing out into the many abs he has. The only thing covering him was a robe underneath the waist making sure it doesn’t slip out while the other towel was gently ruffling out the hair side to side to dry it quicker. Johnny’s stare went from being there to staring you down on the bed watching your maid dress guessing who you could be, it wasn’t hard to guess, you were doing maid duties. But the position you were in while on his bed made him snicker thinking otherwise.

He definitely came out at the wrong time.

Johnny saw you quickly get off the bed and look down bowing at him to pay a respectful image and apology to the noble man in front of you.

“Your highness. I’m sorry I was just… cleaning your chambers. I wasn’t aware you were here.” You bite your lips together sealing them tight like they were an envelope.

Johnny raised his eyes coming forward chuckling he found you surprisingly amusing and he hasn’t met you yet. He knows every maid of his but you must be new because if you weren’t he’d remember your pretty face that’s for sure.

“It’s quite alright I’d think you were doing your absolute best to make my bed tonight comfortable and war.” He boosts playfully catching you off guard. He was nothing like they said him out to be. He was handsome in person, actually more handsome than words could capture and describe. He was rather sweet and playful something that you found to be interesting considering his parents were strict and stern. They terrified you.

But not their son, he didn’t scare you once. Johnny slips out the blouse putting it on and then seeing you turn around letting him change. Johnny fully knows you wouldn’t peak and even if you did, no harm it in because he has nothing to hide. He’s fit and probably the fittest in the palace. He changed while you weren’t eyeing him, you only faced the wall in front of you so seriously that by the time Johnny was finished long time ago changing he was standing behind you.

You slowly turn around saying. “My prince are you done—“ and while you saw him standing there so close you could feel his chest hit your face nearly, you flinch up staring at how close you were.

Johnny’s twisting smile makes you fold because you’ve never seen someone as beautiful as him so close you could never forget this moment of time. Your memory will be definitely photo-snapping this.

You hush your words down. “I will continue to my duties my prince.” He grins nodding. “Don’t let me keep you from your work miss…?” He said watching you curiously.

You look back at him. “Y/n is my name.”

He smiles. “Miss Y/n. Beautiful name you have there. Tell me when we’re you assigned to my chambers?”

You were busy fixing the shelves that held so many books, brushing them away from the dust growing on them. Johnny was sitting on the bed’s edge watching you reach from the books each and one of them were dust without mercy. You couldn’t allow the prince to have any dust in the sleeping chambers god knows what that could do to him.

“I’ve been assigned today.” You reply with a strained sigh as you push the books in the shelves when they were all done and dusted. You’re turning around walking to the night stands where you saw the dust boiling on there, you sweep with your hands. Johnny hums turning around because his eyes were glued on to you, following you run around to clean. It was nerve wrecking to say the least.

Being watched while you clean wasn’t your favourite activity but he’s the prince you cannot say other wise. Maybe it was nerve wrecking because it’s him watching you.

You pause as you lift out papers with all colours of the rainbow. The seven colours you couldn’t help but wonder why the prince had that there. You turn around with your hands gripping it and the prince turns around fully seeing what you had fun.

“My prince why do you have the colours on the paper?” You couldn’t help but file your curiosity.

His smirk goes down and he slowly stands up but very softly brings the hand to grab it. You let him take it and Johnny stares at you murmuring as if it was something to be ashamed of. But nonetheless he can’t keep a secret from the maids. They always find out but there was a good feeling you would be different if he just told you. You wouldn’t gossip, you know you wouldn’t.

Johnny replies croaking like a broken bookcase. “I cannot see in colour. I have an eye condition that lets me see only in black and white.” Your curiosity dims down when hearing this terrible thing Johnny has. You look down apologetically again, feeling sorry for him. “Oh I’m so… sorry… I was prying on your shoulders.”

He shakes his head smiling. “Oh don’t be. You were bound to find out one way or another Y/n. If only someone taught me honestly. These colours. It’s not like I can go and ask anyone in the castle what they are.” He smiles sitting on the bed again watching the paper intensely.

The people would look down on him if he were to ask anyone what the colours are because this was children knowledge but the truth couldn’t get out anyways. The prince’s parents King and Queen told him to keep it a secret forever. The maids weren’t allowed to gossip and he somehow had a feeling you’d be different from the rest of them. It was a good stomach bug he had about you.

You could tell he was dreaming to be normal but in your eyes there was nothing wrong with him. He was perfect in your eyes even though he couldn’t see in colours. You sit down next to him murmuring, a suggestion that brought his heart to grow warm.

“I can teach you if you’d like.” You say to him.

Johnny smiles suddenly with eyes widen watching you like you were day. “You know how to read?” He was amazed when you nodded. He couldn’t believe it when you said you were self taught. It was rare to know a maid who’s well literate; only the rich could afford to do so. But you’re self taught and it made his respect for you grow ten times more.

You grin. “It’s the least I can offer to do for you my prince.” You were right about him being the most kind soul you’ve met. Maybe he was a little unserious but apart from that he was probably the sweetest soul you’ve encountered.

Johnny nudged you softly eyeing you with practically heart eyes for you. He couldn’t believe you were offering and he didn’t even thought you’d consider it as much as it caught him by surprise, he was glad today he met you.

“You can call me Johnny when we are alone like this. You don’t have to keep up with the honourifics Y/n.”

You never felt so exposed unlike the time he calls your name through his lips so casually, like you could speak to a friend, it somehow felt more natural when Johnny said it but when you try to call him by his name it was such a foreign concept your brain couldn’t handle.’

But he was right. If he wasn’t a prince he would just be Johnny. If he wasn’t who he was right now he’d still be Johnny and by the end of the time he will only be Johnny. It was only a matter of time till you get used to it.

Your eyes follow the prince’s round orbs like they were the sun and you were just a mere small planet following them close. “Okay…Johnny— I mean my prince— i—!” You pause catching your breathe.

To see you lose your head for a whole minute trying to pick an identity what you could call him was an amazing and interesting sight to see you fumble. It’s like seeing two people at war together trying to see who is right and who is wrong.

He chucked at you, finding this relatively amusing. “Y/n I have a feeling we’ll be able to get along very well.”

You smile hearing the prince think so too.

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When no one was around it was your and Johnny’s world no one else’s. No one coifed to the world you and Johnny made when you were together being yourselves absolutely no one. Although it took some time for you to open up to Johnny only seeing as Johnny and no one else when you finally loosen down you and Johnny were able to communicate with one another more than you would with other people. For once the prince felt like he has a friend who isn’t someone who cares for the image, or the status like many other people do. You were there because you enjoyed the company as much as he did and that’s what made Johnny like you.

“Red is this one. It’s like a bright colour. It’s warm and our blood is red.” You explained, knowing Johnny loved you describe the colours.

He could listen for days.

“And this one?” He points at the paper on the rainbow diagram. Your face looks at it softly explaining with a serious face.

“That’s blue. The colour of the ocean.”

He enjoyed seeing you become serious too.

He liked how you’re intellectually speaking. You have your views not many would agree upon you speaking but with him you can say anything and he’d be an unbiased judgement. You think it’s ridiculous that nowadays people are treated differently based on from working classes and what you do for work. Johnny agreed because it’s the exact similar thing with him. People don’t treat him like he was human they treat him like he was a god they worship.

It was both intense different scenarios but from yours it was depriving and from Johnny’s it was enforcing titles.

You’re both very opinionated but you’re always speaking the truth to one another where you’re never hiding anything.

When you aren’t near Johnny because the head of Maid’s who assigned the work to the other maids like yourself were told to help clean the gardens or the different rooms that weren’t in Johnny’s section of the palace he found himself longing to see you and missing you gravely — at one point Johnny was looking for you and saw you cleaning out the kitchens.

He made himself comfortable watching you in the corner which the other workers in the palace, like the chef and the cooks who you were helping would eye him suspiciously wondering why he was here. And then when you left he’d follow you like a lost puppy. You enjoyed his presence so it never weirded you out if anything it made your life better.

The people around the prince would question why he looks way happier than before to you, he found himself wondering why but all that came to his mind that was an answer was: you.

Now you’re both laying on the open field outside the palace where you both escaped to. It was middle of the daylight and the young prince was not feeling doing prince-royal-stuck up duties in the palace so he found you working on the second floor of the palace and dragged you when no one could notice you leaving the group of maids. You were about to clean the carpet today but not anymore because the next minute you knew Johnny said he wants to leave the palace grounds and you’re coming with him.

That’s how you’re now laying on the grassy field with the most handsome man alive next to you laughing and throwing flowers at you that he prickled off the ground. You would turn around and smack the flowers he’s throwing at you away and then you would straddle his arms away but he was far too stronger than your body.

“What if they find out we are here Hm? Will you take responsibility for me losing my job?”

You were teasing him while asking a true and real question that’s been on your head.

“I’ll just make it impossible for them to fire you, you know that.”

The prince responds to your liking but something he was so passionate about as he pulls you down grabbing your legs and sliding you underneath him where he straddles you. The grassy field poofs out some flowers flying out of your way as he was pulled on top of you.

You smile at his words that always creep into your heart making a home in them. Your smile widens on your beautiful face mesmerising Johnny as he looks down at you while being on top where your bodies — especially your chests were touching one another. Through the maid outfit you were everyday when working made your cleavage visible when you lie down thanks to the corset underneath. While his prince royal outfits made him standout-ish. Even though he hates flashy outfit he made them look ten times more better when he wore it.

It’s been a month since the day you both became friends behind everyone in the palace’s backs. You were sneaking off doing all sorts of things so you could chat away from your problems. You both were using one another as an escapism to your loneliness. To Johnny’s loneliness actually. You were the best thing that’s happened when the palace hired you. He couldn’t get enough of you, and only you he was seeking everyday.

If without you there was a moment in space and time where you were not with him he swore that he would be a different person, a different man that he wouldn’t know; he doesn’t want to be that person who doesn’t have you. He needs you to the point he’s trying to never let you go. Whenever you’re needed somewhere else he wants to go there with you, he wants to come and be with your presence even if it was through a little while. It could really make a difference to how he’s been clinging onto you.

Your cheeks grow out when you smile, you were the happiest with him around. You’ve came to an conclusion about it a few nights ago.

Johnny seeing how your happy wide smile was there he slowly leans downwards capturing your smile into a loving soft pecking kiss.

It was only three seconds. Three seconds it was when he gave a small kiss on your lips catching you off guard. He pulled away to see your reflection wondering how your reaction was like but to his face you were watching him so blindly.

Your voice comes out like the softest of sounds. “Please kiss me again.”

Johnny leans closer capturing another kiss to your command. Your mouths were softly press on one another rolling on the ground as you were in your tangled bodies in the meadow fields, kissing outside the palace like your absolute time depended on it. Your hearts were in synch like your own hands were in your each other’s hairs.

The prince pulled away first to solely undress himself taking off the blazer and the trousers instead of you undressing him. He was far too impatient and knowing your lack of time he was going to make this happen, you on the other hand took your dress off and the corset away from your body.

You and the prince roll your naked bodies on another again in which you felt his mouth latch to your neck sucking on it with kissing motions as he grabbed your hips strongly pushing them on his lap where your voice came out as a striking moan loud enough to attract the animals nearby. But thankfully the river down below if you walk for another two minutes was heard rocking against your soft noises he was so wanting to play on repeat. You sounded heavenly.

The way his name rolls off your tongue with your accent it made it so much better when he was going to be inside you. His mouth felt like scorching embers burning your skin from the inside to the outside. He marked you so much but enough that wouldn’t get you caught, further the point he stretched out out with his tongue. Going down giving you kitten licks to your pussy that’s been craving him from day one.

The taste of you on his tongue was indescribable to even think about he was addicted, physically he couldn’t stop sucking on your folds between your pussy making you arch your back on the field or the way you were twisting when he purposely digs his head deeper on your clit rubbing his tongue side to side in another zig zagging motion causing you to feel your fullest muscles work together to contradict your soft moans you were trying to bury down. Johnny made it impossible to be quiet because he didn’t want you to be. He wanted to hear you like it’s your last time.

“Johnny…! I’m going to slip…!” You murmur into nothing stopping you anymore as you shriek. Johnny practically moans against your pussy watching you now come undone on his mouth. He swore you tasted so much better than he could ever imagine and hope.

“You taste so much better than the palace foods.” He mentions boosting, something within you will forever remember that.

You felt yourself pant heavily as the sight of the prince lifting himself up slinging your hips with him where you could feel the growing manhood now push inside your wet hole. You slip in so nicely he lets out a string of long sleeves grunts and you wrap your arms on his chest.

Your breathing became unstable as you rut your hips on his lower body pushing him in fully, Johnny stares at you with half eyelids open filling him with pleasure and lust, but also the need for you.

You were both panting in the next minute when your pussy was stretched out by Johnny’s large cock inside you moving like a canon in and out constantly having you under the pressure of wanting to orgasm once again. Your highs were coming in fast and letting you rot on his cock Johnny couldn’t even remember how many times you came because next thing you know you’re here squirming out your biggest orgasm yet after the other. You’ve been hit on high with his cock pushing up your womb. Johnny’s hands roams your stomach surface like he was so proud of seeing him imprint on your stomach seeing you through him you couldn’t believe your eyes knowing that he was this far inside you.

“How’d you like the prince to finish inside you, my love.” He quotes into your ears and your eyes widen dilating on the pupils, he knew you liked it when he saw that crazy look on your face. Something screams you love getting bred and Johnny would gladly breed a hole like yours for days.

“My prince… please! Finish inside me. Use me to your advantage.” You achingly let out and Johnny couldn’t believe his ears how well you were doing with squeezing his cock. You really wanted him to finish inside you and you’re making it harder for Johnny to last longer than anticipated.

It was unending for you and him. Johnny only seeing him once in your stomach skinned out he came instantly in you filling your hole out with only his name, with only his load something you were screaming for to have and now you have it working inside you.

You could feel the way his warmth cock left its territory in on you and Johnny capturing a few more kisses with your sweet lips groaning out.

“We should do this more often, Y/n.”

Your cheeks grew warm when your eyes met Johnny as he said this. You’re both naked in middle of a field where anyone could see you but you both didn’t care at this point.

You smile kissing his forehead. “I agree.”

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The minute you split apart was the time where you were both scolded for not being around for your duties. Your order was to go to the chambers and clean up the mess the prince made. You knew he made a mess purposely to have you keep coming there because otherwise you wouldn’t be inside his chambers when he needs you.

That explains while you’re in his king size bed laying on the right side with your legs wrapped around and your arms on the side watching you guys stare at your eyes like they were a million stars in them. You smile cheesing when Johnny plays with your hairs twirling them around his fingers or sometimes putting them behind your ears, and occasionally he strokes it back so he could see your eyes.

You were in trouble but that’s all because of the prince you knew it. But you couldn’t care anymore because he made every worry melt away like it was nothing but a bunch of smoke.

He whispers. “Did you get shouted at alot?” He says worrying that you may of gotten punished.

You shake your head humming. “I was only shouted at. I didn’t get the capital punishment.” You joked and Johnny held you tight lowering his eyes. Something definitely wasn’t right.

Your eyebrows furrow seeing the worrying expression on Johnny’s face you couldn’t help but slowly wonder what’s happening to him. Usually he would be the one who’s lighting up the mood but now you’re the one left in the light and he was in the unusual dark cloud mood that’s what makes him standout now so weirdly.

Your voice came out as a surprise, spouting off at him. “Hey, is something wrong?”

Johnny didn’t answer for a whole minute until he pulls his arms away staring up at you. He was in this whole overthinking mess and you don’t know what could be making the young prince so much more absent minded.

This wasn’t the prince you know. The prince you know was the life of the party. In fact he we’re beginning to be bigger than life itself and you seeing him down on energy right now made it even worse because now you’re worried for him.

“My parents said they found a match for me.” He said lowering himself into multiple pieces where your heart sank.

You look away suddenly about to leave because you had the biggest reality check of your life happen to you right now. The man you love was getting married, the man you fell for was never going to be yours because people will talk and people love to talk about things that aren’t following the norm. You and Johnny were doomed from the start and somehow you had lingering hope that he would he yours but he’s ever going to be that.

Johnny grabbed your wrist so you couldn’t leave his bed. He pulled your wrist in his grip and when you turned around with tears in your eyes wanting to snatch it away.

You huff out breaking down. “Let me go Johnny.”

He didn’t let go.

You bit your bottom lip now begging. “Your highness let me go please.”

The unfamiliar name you’ve been calling him now wasn’t for Johnny. It wasn’t for the guy who fell for you it was the prince you work for in his own palace. Johnny looks at you unconvincingly he was struggling to want to let you go.

But the way you were watching him sternly made him pause and let you go. You left the chambers with the door shutting tight. The lingering footsteps dim down and he never wanted to scream so much in his life. It felt like the happiness leaving his life forever, because you were leaving.

The minute he knew when you both returned from outside his parents calling him to the meeting with him to tell him about the upcoming engagement of his to some princess from the east of Korea.

He never wanted marriage. He never intended on marrying ever but that was until he met you.

“You’re my only heir you need to get married and successful claim your lineage to the throne.” His mother tapped on the throne seeing Johnny.

Her son looks away scowling. “I don’t want to get married, Mother, I don’t know the princess either.”

Johnny could remember the moment from the afternoon like it was happening right now. It haunted him.

His father stood up glaring at Johnny for speaking back to his own mother, it was shameful to his father to have a rebelling son.

But for you he’d rebel the entire throne.

“You will marry the princess and you will be meeting her tomorrow. That is end of discussion.”

Johnny never plans to let you go. Even if you’re the first one to do so.

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You’re preparing decorations for the welcoming of the new royal family coming over to the palace, you however weren’t looking as happy as the other maids next to you who gossip about the new princess coming over. It fills your empty stomach with rage and nothing else knowing the man you love so dearly is about to be sweeping off his feet when a nice looking princess comes over.

You were basically feeding the lion in the den by working away. You clench your eyes into a glare fixing the flower bouquet with the ribbon.

One of the maids watch you roughly handle it. “Uhm Y/n you’re supposed to be gently tying the ribbon.”

You look over snapping out of your thoughts and your feelings were disappearing the moment one of your maid colleagues came over.

“Oh…right sorry.” You couldn’t believe you were nearly killing a bunch of flowers knowing damn well she will have Johnny fall for her.

I mean who wouldn’t of? You heard she’s the most beautiful princess in whole of Korea and you know that Johnny was a player in the past. It was clear the first day you came to clean his chamber’s he slept with plenty of women. But some deep part of you hoped he picks you, despite knowing well it’s a slim chance of you ever ending up with Johnny.

You felt betrayed almost. But you knew he can’t go against the throne or his parents because if he did it would be going against the world.

“Ladies the prince is coming!” The head of the maid said making everyone of the girls line up straight to greet the prince who was trotting his way to us.

You were pushed into a line straight up your shoulders and your head low. The minute the prince arrives walking past the maid line he saw each and one of them bow down paying respects to him this early morning on a new brand day.

He stops facing you suddenly and your gaze looks up at him. It was rather cold from you and you felt awkward when the rest of the maids stayed bowed down because they can’t get up until he leaves.

But he was facing you, speaking to you.

“Y/n.” He whispers almost and you widen your eyes looking away avoiding your eye contact.

Your hands push him when they couldn’t see. “Leave.” You say to him and Johnny bites his bottom lip in frustration as you pushed him away, once again. You’re so stubborn sometimes, he can understand why you’re being like this but is it too hard for you to stop and listen to him?

When he had no choice but to walk away with another heartbreak down his sleeve made by you the maids watch him strut away and they go back doing their work. They have to work faster because they will be arriving soon.

But you couldn’t work much when all you’re filled with is envious betrayal on your heart.

It’s like setting up your own lover to be with another. Johnny wasn’t even your lover but it definitely felt like it was that.

The next thing you know the whole palace was decorated in many fine refining decorations and designs. The walls were repainted into a pastel colour to suit fitting for the princesses arrival. It annoyed you at the same time, the idea of the princess coming and staying at the palace. You had no choice but to fake a smile and go along with it. Everyone was pleased by the outcome results and if anything they were happy for the prince who might finally settle down with someone, have children with, carry on the monarchy and lead the country into greatness once more.

But all you saw was heartbreak.

The royal family made their way into the throne room where they were greeted by many palace guards on stand watch patrolling the walls within the palace securing their grounds till they leave to further the work. The maids were pouring the warm tea on the cups resting by the table, the minute you saw the beautiful puff out dress on the young woman you swear you were never starstruck until now. She looked beautiful, beyond anything you’d imagine any else.

The queen and King welcome the princess’ and her family in like they were there own family members. It was cheerful greeting enough to make your thoughts flood back to negativity. You look away when the king turns his sweet attention to his son.

“Johnny what do you say to the princess?” The king saw an opportunity to introduce the two young people, with a sheepish smile.

Johnny couldn’t believe his father was trying to set him up with someone he could care less about. The prince looks at the woman bowing his head. “Hello Princess Haewon.” The young woman smiles bowing her head in return.

“Hello prince Johnny. It’s good to finally see you in person.” She smiles sweetly you could vomit into the teacup and serve it to her, god you try to stay less petty but you cannot help it.

‘I’d like to say likewise but it’s not.’ Johnny’s thoughts mourns in his death knowing that it was meant to be a blessing. But it’s not because this woman wasn’t who he seeks.

You were right there and Johnny felt the tension rise until the parents were soon to discuss dinner plans. Heck they were discussing all sorts of plans at first; starting with horse riding activities, maybe even attending Johnny to hunting which Haewon seemed more than merry to go about.

“Oh you must be tired. How about my servants lead you into your chambers for tonight?” The king encourages chipping the fingers at the servants and few maids to come forward.

“Oh Y/n, you can be assigned to the princess chambers instead.”

You stand by the side when the king called you specifically. Johnny’s eyes widen as he stood up suddenly making everyone in the throne room look at him with their eyes glued in confusion wonder. His voice strikes at the king and protectively coming to Y/n holding the side where he stares at his father in the eyes.

“Father Y/n is my chamber’s maid.” He remarks, the king was stunned looking at his son. “I’m aware but you have many maids who clean for you. Give Y/n to Princess Haewon.”

“She can have any other maid but Y/n.” He stated firmly and the King was left in confusion. “Why is that?”

Johnny looks down at you. “Y/n is the only one who knows the temperature i like my bed at. I will not stand in giving Y/n to anyone.”

Haewon’s eyes were watching you dreadfully. It caught everyone in surprise enough to give the impression that Johnny was possessive of you. You could feel everyone’s eyes simply eating you alive until the king gives up.

“Fine. Haewon you may have another maid assigned to you.” The princess nods at the king’s approval.

Johnny looks away. “If so i’ll be taking my leave.” Without saying anything else the prince leaves and grabs you along with him. The people in the palace room were deeply bizarre about this announcement as soon as you both left the room fell into awkward silence.

Just what on earth was that? They all had this expression that couldn’t possibly be processing the impression of the Prince.

The minute you found yourself running away with Johnny you were pinned by the wall nearing a corridor that’s been empty. No sign of palace guards patrolling leaving only you and a very self conscious prince pinning you by with a heavy pant. You found yourself arching your eyebrows at him huffing out and slapping his shoulders in annoyance. “What the hell was that back there huh?” You couldn’t believe he was there arguing about who you were working for and who you were not. Johnny stares down at you momentarily. “I’m not giving you up.”

He said sternly catching your attention into a prancing contest between staying in or staying out. You watch him in disbelief. “Your highness we can’t be together.” You whisper yelled, trying to get a point across to the stubborn man but he couldn’t budge and listen to your reasoning.

“Oh I’m your highness now?—” He suddenly bursts pulling away with a confused expression and the eyebrows arching at your words leaving the soft lips. You never call him highness, it’s always been Johnny. Always when it was just you two.

You held your breath in and the eye contact. “Yes you are and that is the problem here Johnny! You’re a prince and we will never be together.” — it broke to hear you say this to him when it was in fact a massive reality check to the prince who loves you dearly. But you were right and he couldn’t accept such a realm without you in it.

He lowers his gaze suddenly the legs felt weak like they were melting on the top of the ice berg where you were standing there holding back your tears. “Give me up don’t make this harder than it already is. We have no future together. If they knew — you would’ve been punished. And I would be dead.” You blunt out looking away. “I would be dead in a prison cell and your parents would have punished you.”

There was a sharing silence that kills the both of you quietly like a gas poisoning your insides turning them rotten just like how your love was breaking apart. Johnny can’t handle this breakup, this heartbreak from you he cannot be without you. It physically tore him apart like he was nothing but a piece of paper ready to be scrunched up and thrown into a trash can midway through the air. Your conflicted self was in a war between wanting Johnny but a large part of you self restraining knowing you weren’t able to; the best and better option is for you to run away from your lover, let him have a life he could thrive in unlike the life he would suffer with you.

The prince standing there no longer blocking the way he was just staying there watching your cold and broken eyes crying because he knew, he knew you loved him so why couldn’t you accept him? Johnny could always convince his parents. He could. He’s the heir and no one would say anything about him being with you, at least that’s what he will do no matter what it takes. But you’re being far too realistic in your own head. You had your own take vision on what will happen which left his dream to be crushed, just like how you were crushing his heart in your hand into miniature pieces resembling a broken mirror.

Johnny’s sullen face dimmers like the life leaving him. “Y/n there must be another way… I promise I can protect you from the public—“

“Johnny Suh!” You clench your jaw at him, instantly shutting the prince up watching you get an outburst for the first time at him. “Get it into your head. I don’t want you. Go be with your rightful wife.”’

He balls the fingers into his fist looking down. Your fingers pull themselves rubbing away the tears streaming down your cheeks.

“She’s no wife of mine.” He faintly told. “She’s not the woman I want. The woman I want, breathe, seek and dream claims to not want to be with me. But I find that hard to believe when you were screaming my name few days ago in the field.” He eyes you darkly and you hated how far your cheeks went red. You look away not finding this amusing.

Johnny never wants to let you go because you’re the only thing in his life that matters to him. Matters to him more than the throne itself, he could never replace you with his duty. The duty only hurts him but you, you don’t. You made him feel loved unconditionally and you made life worth while when he found it meek and cruel to survive in. But now instead of being his healer, you’re becoming the one thing that’s making him hurt with unimaginable force and consequences he didn’t sign up for.

You’re His Healer.

Johnny’s breath comes out weakly as he walks back to you making you take your footing back pushing you into the wall softly and your faces leaning together. You tried your best to fight the sudden urge to pull and kiss him right there and then, but you remind yourself it’s not your place to do those things. You told yourself to not give him any false hope. The prince couldn’t get enough of you, so much he caressed your hair behind your ears so he can look you in your eyes. “At least prove to me you don’t want me, Y/n, please.” You knew what he meant. You knew it by the moment he leans closer towards you slowly.

You await the kiss to happen and when it did Johnny felt the same way about kissing you the moment he did it the first time. It felt like the first but it was far by it being your first ever shared kiss, but this time it was much more desperate and filled with despair than the other times you’ve been kissing. You stay there pressed on the wall kissing him harshly enough to leave his lips becoming bright red and swollen like he was hit. Johnny was indeed hit, hit by your undesirable love, you’re kissing him like it’s your last.

He wanted to scream your name and tell you to marry him. He wants you to be by his side as he rules this country because he knows what you’re capable of no matter your status; he doesn’t need you to be wealthy and well respected. He just needs you.

You break away hearing Johnny struggle to pull away from the kiss as if he didn’t want it to end knowing this will be the last thing he will remember with you. You weep gently with your sadness showing currently becoming existing it was getting harder to stay strong.

The kiss broke you down more than you’d ever thought it would.

“Maybe in my next life I can see you and the world in all the seven colours.” Johnny said to you caressing your face, especially the tears rolling down them were caught between his soft nails. His words brought something within you alive as you close your eyes pressing your forehead against his.

“Goodbye Johnny.” Your last words trail to him.

Johnny will find you in this life or the next, you’ll become his and he will see you in all colours. He will witness the colour of your tears, the colour of your soft longing lips he wishes to always remember. Your first reaction when becoming shy or flustered, he wants to look into your eyes as the light reflects the colour in them. He wants to be the first one to see you in your wedding gown down the aisle.

All because you’re the one thing that saved him when no one wanted to. You’re His Healer.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

@onyourhyuck please refer from translating and copyrighting my work thank youu! Reblog this fic and follow me for more updates it helps a girl out! <33

[comatosebunny09]

Imagine Kyojuro’s birthday was also the day he passed.

A year following his demise, you visit his grave to celebrate it with him. Reminisce over saké, fighting back tears and the swell of emotions in your chest.

You didn’t have the gumption to tell your friend how you truly felt back then. How he held your heart in a vice and your voice in your throat, his kindness ever-flowing and energy infectious.

Your resolve slowly crumbled since then. You gradually fell into a pit of melancholy, nearly relinquishing your sword and abandoning the Corps.

You wander home when your bottle is empty, and fireflies dapple the sky. Your chest feels hollow; your sword is held lax between your fingers, screeching while dragging against the gravel.

When you reach your estate, you are greeted by an arctic, inky darkness that sinks its talons into your heart and drags downward. Crash into a downtrodden heap on your futon, molten tears and wounded sobs staining your bedding until sleep beckons you with her somber voice.

You awaken to muddled palettes of color swarming before you. Oranges, reds, and golds. To the savory aroma of fried dumplings and dango tinging the air. A symphony of laughter, music, and firecrackers pervade your ears. Once your vision adjusts, you fully ingest the sights with parted lips and wide eyes.

Crimson paper lanterns shiver overhead, intertwined with Japanese maple leaves. Technicolor signs glow, promising delicious confectioneries and endless entertainment. Children excitedly tug their parents towards the booths offering games, mirth coloring their pudgy cheeks.

You can’t recall how you got here; why you’re swaddled in a soft, weightless yukata, intricately-designed geta strapped to your feet. Where the silken coin bag wrapped around your wrist came from. Nothing, and no one seems recognizable. You haven’t the foggiest idea where or when you are. Just have a burning instinct to move, and you obey the call.

You try to push yourself up from the icy ground—when did you fall? Yet, a voice that often sullies your dreams dispels the cacophony of your mind, drawing your gaze to the source of it.

“Are you alright?” it asks, causing your heart to work overtime to pump blood to your extremities.

The air is punched from your lungs. Your throat fills with sand. A dizzying sensation overtakes you, soaking you to the bone. You nearly double over as he kneels before you, stretching a battle-worn hand towards you.

Time slows to a crawl. The world fades into a gentle bokeh of light around you. Nothing exists but the pair of you in this moment. Your gaze is trained on the worry hanging between his wiry brows. To every spasm of his lips. Every twitch of his jaw. Each measured rise and fall of his chest. Lingers on his proffered hand, soaking in the texture and warm-ivory glow of it.

Could it really be—no. There is no way. He died back then. You watched his life slip away as you clutched him in your arms.

Yet, there is no mistaking the homely scent of a kindled fire he exudes. No mistaking the warmth he radiates, lulling you into tranquility.

Kyo…juro?

Your voice scattered between the stalls; you can only nod, disbelief painting your countenance. Is it really you, you muse, shakily taking his hand. Your skin sparks from the contact like striking flint against steel, your heart thudding like a war drum in your esophagus.

He effortlessly hauls you onto your feet, tearing the wind from your chest. You flatten your palms against the hard press of his body to keep yourself from teetering. Feel his heart beating beneath the many folds of his yukata and each inhalation of breath.

It…feels like him. He’s real. Has to be. But…but, how?

The world seeps back in. You snatch away from him, sheepishly rubbing the nape of your neck, warmth speckling your cheeks. He regards you with eyes that simmer like liquid spilled over hot coals. Scans your face for any discomfort, raising tentative fingers to your jaw. He stops himself midway, his arm falling listlessly at his side. A grin slowly crests over his face, replacing the wariness which once resided there.

“Shall we continue, then?” Kyojuro booms, standing akimbo, confidence oozing off his skin.

His goofiness remains the same, causing fondness to creep into your belly. You muffle a chuckle behind your fist, tears of mirth springing to your eyes. The puppy-like confusion marring his features makes you laugh even harder.

You don’t know what higher power granted you such a gift. With the ability to stand by your friend again, basking in his boyish glow. On his birthday, no less. Whoever they are, you overload the heavens with praise; appreciative gaze turned skyward once your shoulders stop quaking and your cheeks ache in the aftermath.

Without a second thought, you loop your arms with Kyojuro’s, standing on tippy-toe to grace his cheek with a chaste kiss.

“Of course!” you chirp at his awestruck demeanor, a smile rounding your lips. You swiftly tug him towards the sea of festival-goers, his cheeks stained a beautiful shade of rouge in your peripheral.

And, was that steam you saw billowing from his ears just then?

Yep. It’s him alright.

[katastronoot]

Oh, I have a question. I worked with oil pastels the other day and they left flakes all over my page. How do you neaten up a piece when you’re done with it? (Absolutely adore your art!)

Aww thank you! 🥰 so I use pastel brands that are super oily and creamy. They are easier to blend once applied and usually do not flake. The best technique I have come across is taking a paper towel and folding it into a little triangular stump. It makes it easy to blend and mix the colors. Sometimes you have to blend with a lot of force depending on the brand and type of paper. I think smooth Bristol works best but I also use hard watercolor paper as well (not the heavy textured side) I use colored pencils to clean up edges and add detail. I will sometimes even use a colored pencil to blend into the pastel

I hope this helps! And have fun! Oil pastels can be tricky at times. I remember when I first used them in high school I hated them and now I wouldn’t trade anything for them. I used to paint with watercolor and I got so tired of cleaning my paint palette that’s the real reason why I switched to dry drawing media XD and I’m so glad I did.

[weirdgirlblogging]

okay I got the one (1) note on that post so as promised here is the paper thing

I was created to be a perfect material; one anyone could use to do anything with. Draw, fold, bend into how they wanted, whatever kind of craft anyone could ever dream of. Cutting me up to make more pieces to use was also acceptable. Even though this was my destiny, I felt myself unable to achieve real goals. Other pieces of paper are used and can make beautiful creations, they have different colors and textures and can be folded to make the most beautiful paper cranes. I am so plain, in color and what I can do. So basic, no one thinks about picking me up to make anything of use with.

That was until you came along. You saw my potential; you saw me as something that could be made into something of value. I had some semblance of worth for once. For once, I felt like I could be more than just some lame lazily done creation. Even if I couldn't bend right, or that I accidentally would cut your fingers, you would stay and attempt to make me feel like the crafts I could become would be anything better than what I could have imagined.

That was when the new stack of papers came. They looked fresh and came in a multitude of colors. Pink, green, yellow-- hues that I just could not compete with. Others would use the stack to make such beautiful creations. There were so many different paper rings, origami jungle animals, and paper planes as far as the eye could see. In some ways, I think I always knew I was not going to be able to compete with them for much longer.

I did not, however, expect to be thrown away in the trash bin with all the other scraps of paper. Well, I had fears that you would someday do that, but I had not expected it to be so soon. At first your folding got lazy, with less care put into it than you had originally done before. Less care was put in to how I was put together.

That was when you finally told me that you were going to use the other, prettier paper. You crumpled me up and set me to the side, going on to make different creations with the prettier colors of the other papers. I could not believe you had decided I was worthless and plain as I had always felt.

I felt so angry. If you did not want to use me anymore, who else could possibly want me? You had folded, crumpled up, and discarded me; I was barely useable anymore. There was no way anyone would have any sort of way to fix me, to make me something gorgeous like how you had attempted.

You used me to the point where no one else would be able to even make a simple paper airplane out of me. I was not good for much of anything, and I blamed you for my feelings. You can’t just abandon me, alone on a desk to only acknowledge when you need me to move around to get out of your way. It got to the point where I fell alone to the floor, alone with the other scraps no one seemed to use.

I would lay there in my crumpled-up ball, occasionally picked up by other students to look at, to see what I was before dropping me back down. Some would use me too, only to throw at other students in the class before I would get confiscated. It would only take a while before I would fall back to the floor, thrown around again and narrowly avoiding getting picked up by the custodians.

I managed to fall, luckily, into spaces such as inside of desks and small floor corners to stay safe from being thrown away. From being permanently forgotten. When I finally made my home in the bookshelf, I could see you at your desk with the better creations, witnessing just how much adored they were than I had ever been.

As infuriating as it was, part of it was my fault. Was it not me who would fill your hands with paper cuts? Who would not fold up in the right ways to become the perfect craft? I had been too difficult to work with, so it was evident that there was no reason I deserved to feel as hurt as I did. You leaving for something less rough and hard to deal with was always inevitable, I just for some reason did not realize how quick it would happen.

After what seemed like forever, I felt myself give up on the idea that you would ever come back. That was okay, something I did not think I would ever accept. The view from where I was on the shelves was lovely, and the sour thoughts were slowly drifting away.

How could I be so sad about you leaving when I had such a wonderful view in front of me? Colorful posters, bright markers scattered near the whiteboard, and the hanging decorations the teacher had seemed to add for flair. It seemed stupid, but I finally felt some sort of freedom. Not to mention you didn’t have to deal with me being difficult anymore.

That was when you finally found me again. I had fallen from my beautiful view, not even caring anymore where I was heading next. Suddenly, you picked me up, starting to uncrumple me and smooth me out again. Was this your way of apologizing? I was not totally certain. In some ways I thought you were doing good to make everything up.

You worked tirelessly to try and get every wrinkle and line out of my bland material, trying to undo the damage that had been done. I guess that is the thing about damage though, it will always be there. No matter how much you press books down on me, or even use your own hands to attempt to get rid of them, the past fold lines will always be visible.

At this point, I will keep quiet and refrain from causing any more papercuts. You are trying, and that is what matters. But would you have returned to me had the colorful paper not stopped being fun?

Honestly, we will never know that. Not for sure. But you’re trying to make amends, and showing me once again I am not the blandest paper.

[joyandrecipes]

Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

These Orange Chocolate Chip Breakfast Muffins are the perfect combination of sweet and tart, with the freshness of real oranges in every bite and just the right amount of chocolate to make them irresistible. Next time you're in the baking mood, give these muffins a try. In this post, we'll walk you through the simple steps to create these mouthwatering muffins in the comfort of your kitchen.

Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup melted butter

2 whole oranges

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Take one orange, cut it in half, and press the juice out of it, reserving the juice.

Peel the other orange and slice it into chunks.

In another medium bowl, add the egg, sugar, milk, orange pieces, juice, and melted butter. Use a hand mixer or whisk to mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients, mixing as little as possible, just enough to obtain a moist batter.

Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into silicone or paper-lined muffin pans and bake at 380°F for about 25 minutes.

Tips

Avoid opening the oven door while baking to prevent flattened muffins.

Do not beat the dough like a cake; it can hinder muffin rising and make them heavy.

Fill the muffin molds only three-quarters full and place them in the center of the oven.

You can use vegetable oil for lighter muffins or butter for added fluffiness.

Silicone molds give better results than paper molds, which can burn easily.

What Can I Do with a Bunch of Oranges?

Aside from making these delightful muffins, there are countless recipes that utilize oranges, such as homemade orange juice, orange rolls, candied oranges, and more. Oranges are not only delicious but also packed with health benefits. They're rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, helping to boost the immune system and fight infections. Additionally, their high fiber content aids in promoting healthy digestion.

Can You Substitute Orange Juice for Milk in a Muffin Recipe?

Yes, you can substitute orange juice for milk in muffin recipes. However, it's essential to maintain the recipe's balance. This Orange Chocolate Chip Breakfast Muffins recipe already includes both milk and orange juice, so if you decide to make the substitution, replace the exact amount of juice with the same amount of milk to avoid altering the muffins' texture.

How Do I Store and Warm My Muffins?

Once cooled, these Orange Chocolate Chip Breakfast Muffins can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to five days. You can refrigerate them for an extended shelf life. When ready to eat, warm them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds until they reach the desired temperature.

Can You Freeze Muffins?

Absolutely! You can freeze chocolate chip muffins for up to three months. To freeze them, place the muffins on a lined tray and then secure the tray in a reusable freezer bag. When you're ready to enjoy them, reheat the muffins in the microwave until warm.

With the delightful blend of fresh oranges and chocolate chips, these Orange Chocolate Chip Breakfast Muffins will surely become a breakfast favorite for your family and friends. Remember the tips for perfect muffins and enjoy the versatility of oranges in various recipes, making the most of their delicious flavor and health benefits. 

You May Also Enjoy

My blog is a treasure trove of delicious and wholesome recipes that are sure to bring smiles to anyone's face. From breakfast to dinner, snacks to desserts, we have a wide array of family friendly recipes for all to enjoy. Whether you're looking for quick and easy ideas, healthy options, or fun treats for special occasions, our website has it all. 

Roasted Chicken Wings in Turmeric and Herbs

Maple Syrup Pecan Walnut Butter Tart Squares

Rocky Road Fudge

Loaded Baked Potato Recipe: Oven, Air Fryer, or Slow Cooker

Whiskey Sour Cocktail with a Cherry and Lemon Twist

[noviceducks-blog]

Title: The strange one.

Summary:

Enter the inky life of Teddy Handymin. A strange, weird and new lost one who seems to leave those who encounter him a confused mess; they love helping out around the studio (even though no one asked him to) and enjoying the life he's gotten. Demons, Angels, and those in between better prepare themselves for the ink creature with the most vibrant personality.

__________________________________

PROLOGUE

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

At first, there was only darkness, only a black, dark abyss that seemed endless. Like a deep ocean of shadows. An infinite sea where an echoing cascade of wallowing groups of voices trying to outvoice the other, hoping to be at least unique, to be heard. In this pit of despair, that is the only sound. All the souls who were unfortunate enough to be here cried, screamed, or just laughed as they descended further into insanity. However, in this formless limbo, a soul stood out. It wasn’t scared, sad, or enraged; just…curious. Curious about the mysterious realm they reside in. It has just been so intriguing. It felt like it was swimming in the gloomy world it was living in. It enjoyed the odd, flying sensation in the world of nothingness as though it was flying. Perhaps it couldn’t hear the overwhelming voices or chose to ignore them.

Either way, it didn't matter, it had a strong urge to swim downward to the bottom, so it did, naturally. They swam, and they swam, and they swam. They were experiencing something so alien to this inky reality: fun. It continued until it felt a thick substance that acted as the bottom. Was this sand? It thought happily, never seeing sand before. The texture felt funny in its grip. It made them happy; they wanted to touch it. It dug through the “sand” intensely, taking out chunks to which it unsurprisingly made an ever-growing hole. It felt mushy but also dusty and solid, like wet and dry dirt in the palm of its hand, ignoring the oxymoron that lay before them.

It continued until they found something interesting…a glowing, glistening light. Yellow, wait, no, gold, it believes. It is like an unfamiliar world to the creature; it is beautiful and captivating, like a radiant light that beckons them to come closer. It glows like a blazing sun, and, just like Icarus, they want to get closer.

They reached towards the light, like a moth to a burning flame. Their vision was entirely and forcefully engulfed in golden rays of surrounding lights while, at the same time, it felt like a thousand fireworks being set off all at once in its mind. A strange feeling coursed through it, and, like a water balloon, it felt like it was about to burst and explode at any moment. It felt sick to its stomach and fell to its knees. It… Felt? It soon fell face first on the floor and, due to exhaustion, passed out of nausea…

Sometime after, it awoke. No longer did it feel sick or ill, but it did feel different. And they were somewhere different. It looked strange, like paper but less empty and blank, like origami without folds–no obvious indication, and like a question with no answer that made the head scratch. “Ok, that’s fine”, they thought. It turned its head around, searching for answers. When they searched everywhere, they found a large enough room with objects and furniture decorated like somebody’s house, its structure mainly made of wood. It gasped. Was this…”no, never mind,” it thought. This place was hard to describe, like an uncanny memory that never was but felt so real. And it felt normal, no, natural, to look at the outlines that gave this place form and dimension to each and everything here, but at the same time, uncanny. Sepia toned. Animated. Its chose to ignore the glaring red flag to save itself from a sure headache. Though confused, it didn’t feel scared, just curious as they usually were. It stood up; its legs were wobbly and slightly sluggish. It took a moment to get its bearings. Though it was highly irritating, they finally got their legs moving and decided to search around. Their steps made noticeable and undoubtedly funny squishy sounds that made it giggle. It felt like it was in a wonderland of knowledge. There laid a treasure trove of dozens of books, a projector and other do-dads and thingamabobs that made its eyes nearly pop out. The place was indeed a living area for somebody once; however, the original owner must’ve been gone for quite a while, leaving everything behind in a hurry, untouched without a care in the world. That, for some reason, annoyed the creature. If they didn’t want it, they would gladly accept it as any reasonable person would because you know what they say: If not, why not?. Not long after, they found a few audio logs just lying on the table in what it assumes is the sitting room on their own. The lack of labels filled them with intriguement; they took one at random with its black, slimy hand(?) And with great care, pressed the start button of the audio log to activate it.

“Is this (Buzz!) on?” The fuzzy audio of what they believed a man sounds like, “It’s working; good. So I have a chance to record my (Buzz!) voice, hahaha…” he makes a forced laugh like he’s nervous.

“Okay, I doubt I have long. This place has already taken its (buzz!) on me. I’m already losing myself, falling deeper into the darkness of what was once a “beloved” studio. I was just a handyman, mind you, who did odd jobs for others for a fair price. But times are tough nowadays, hard to afford a decent meal, you know? So, when I heard the “big” Joey Drew Studios needed extra hands with their workshop while they planned something big, I was happy to volunteer! A simple job for a simple old man like myself. Oh, was I wrong! Little did I know my need for a quick buck and my greed would blind me and trap me in this ticking time bomb they called an “opportunity.” I had trapped myself in here like a total putz. I would be better off selling myself to others as some fairy in the filthy streets, and if I knew what would happen, I would have,” the mysterious man sighs. “But, you know what? You can’t change the past. My memory isn’t what it used to be; all over the place, where left is down and up is sideways. So when you find this, please remember that my name is (Bzzz!) DAMN TAPE! Where was I? Oh yeah, My name is Teddy… The fun handyman loved to help when he could, and there was nothing he was afraid to do. Damn, what a fool I was. Anyway, I’d like to, at least, get that out there if I don’t get a chance to make more of these. Well, anyway…until next time.”

The recording ended with the sombre tone of the strange man’s voice. That was strange. It was perplexed by the old audio tape. But it was going to think about that later; it needed to focus on the importance of one word the older man had said.

Teddy. That is the name of the voice. It was masculine, defined, male. That name probably belongs to a man. It felt familiar with the gender, an obvious fact that was only, until now, forgotten, as it had always been one. Like he was always one. So, he's a he? “That's Wonderful”, they thought. A name belongs to a person, so it must be a person. That made sense. He had no idea what this place was, but they knew he was a person, so that was enough for now. Then suddenly, like a smack to the face, he realised something gravely important.

He still needed a name.

“T..edd..y,” It–no, he said in a broken voice, like an animal trying to speak with its growls. Like a fractured echo, his growls bounced around the studio. He tasted the words. The name sounded nice to him, but they didn’t know why. He kept repeating the word again and again like a broken record that had been since broken until he stopped displaying such a distorted, hoarse like voice and started to sound less like a glitchy jumble of sounds and more decipherable. One might even say intelligible.

“Teddy…I like th..at name. Hey, Teddy. teddY!!! Yes, teddy? gUEss what? whaT? I have A name! And it’s called…Teddy!” He said ecstatically. A voice of his very own, it made him feel proud. He didn’t sound like the exciting man in the tape, but he loved his voice regardless. When Teddy finished, he explored his new home a bit more. Keen to learn as much as possible from the senior resident of this room. Especially what a handyman is.

It was a more miniature world than he was used to — a much smaller world. But definitely more exciting. He was ready to take life by the hand.

He “felt” sensational.

[sebstanseabass]

Afterglow (A Bucky Barnes AU fan fiction) - Chapter 15

WARNING: Mature scenes ahead!!! ;)

A/N: Future u, i hope ur ok

Afterglow chapters

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The moonlight glimmered among the stars in the now pitch-black skies, fighting off against the bright lights hanging from above the tent. Bucky's digression to topics regarding his real family (or lack thereof, I think) never wore off, clearly avoiding talking about, dare you say, "the real stuff." But the classic "favorites" section of a date was indeed a delight. You had already covered favorite films (his was The Truman Show, while yours was Forrest Gump; but you also talked about other films that you both shared a liking to — Pulp Fiction, Me, Myself & Irene, Dead Poets Society, The Godfather, the Harry Potter series, Inception, and of course, any films that star the legendary Tom Hanks), favorite music to listen to (you both loved vintage rock and roll), and so much more favorites and would you rather and what ifs and if you weres. But you mostly talked about films — an in-depth discourse on their themes, writing, and cinematography (things you never thought you'd be able to talk about with anyone).

"Have you ever thought about shooting films?" Bucky asked.

You were now lying down on the blanket-covered ground, bodies upside down-like: your forehead aligned with his chin, and his chin aligned with your forehead, as if characters from The Fault In Our Stars.

"I did." You replied. "But I wanted to focus more on photography."

"Why?"

You turned your head, your breath fanning the side of his face. "There's something about the stillness of moving things, of people around me, beautiful people that strikes me as fascinating."

He hummed, closing his eyes. He was saying something, about how art, in all kinds of medium, connected people from all walks of life, how the beauty of it all can be different to each, and how he wished he could make one of his own: to give life to a canvas, to freeze a moment in time, to put his thoughts in pen and paper, and to embody a character different from his. At some point, you could feel him peeling down all his layers but then he stopped talking.

You respected the silence between you and took your sweet time studying his face. The wrinkles on his forehead looked like ridges of sand, ridges people would like to walk on for days, ridges that held untold stories of — perhaps — heartache, failure, and pain. His closed eyelids looked like a sleeping moon, gleaming. Almost touching his cheeks were his long, curved eyelashes. Then, my eyes trailed down to his nose, dotted with freckles, his nostrils releasing small puffs of air; then down to his mouth, slightly agape, and then down to the stubbles on the sides of his face. There was a small scar, almost concealed by where his beard started to grow.

You turned your body sideways, tracing the scar with your finger.

Bucky's body tensed under your touch.

"What happened to this fella?" You whispered, tracing the small scar.

He soon let himself relax, opening his eyes. "Car accident." He replied. "But I don't remember much of it. I don't know where it happened, or how it happened or if I hit something or worse, someone. But Tony told me he took care of everything. I haven't been behind the wheel since then. I fear history will repeat itself."

Then, you remembered all the times you've been in a vehicle with Bucky. Not once was he driving. "How old were you?"

"Nineteen? Twenty? I really don't know." He sighed, closing his eyes once again. It was the first time Bucky told you something so real — a fear, something personal, something close to home. "Hey, y/n?"

"Yes, Bucky?"

"Can you kiss it and make it feel better?"

You giggled, poking the scar. "You've got to be kidding me."

He pouted, his eyes still closed. "Please?"

You sighed, feigning exasperation. "Fine." You planted a soft kiss on the scar, your lower lip catching the rough edges of his beard.

"I'm still not feeling better."

"Oh Bucky, you are such a child." You laughed, giving it another kiss, and then another, and then another and then another, until rough edges turned into the soft textures of his lips. With lips entangled in an unusual position, you brought myself onto your knees, and positioned yourself on top of him — knees on each side of his hips, crotch pressed against his, hands on his jaws, lips on his lips, tongue inside of his mouth.

His hands found your neck, then up your jaws, cupping your face and pulling it closer to his. He then started to rake the roots of your hair, tugging it lightly, making a moan escape your lips. You felt one corner of his mouth turn a bit upward at the sound. He tugged your hair tighter and harder until your lips left his with your head pulled backwards, leaving your bare neck exposed.

Without any hesitation, his mouth moved onto neck. Gratified by the series of moans coming out of your mouth, he sucked deeper into your skin, biting every inch of your neck, making sure to leave damn marks. On impulse, you moved your hips against his, grinding his clothed crotch. Bucky groaned against your skin, his hot breath fanning your neck. You could feel your own wetness in between your thighs as you moved your hips more, Bucky's bulge growing under you getting bigger and bigger. The sensation left you breathless.

And you needed more.

You broke away from his grasp, returning the favor. You kissed him on the lips and moved your way towards his earlobes in which Bucky very much liked; so much that he thrusted his hips upwards, slamming loud onto yours.

"Oh, fuck." You moaned, moving your way towards his neck.

Bucky's hands immediately flew under your shirt. His cold hands making contact with your skin, sending you shivers.

"Wait." He said, pulling away from you. "Is this okay? Are you okay with this?"

You giggled and nodded, kissing him on the mouth to give him permission.

He cut the kiss short. "I'm sorry, but we live in a litigious society so I'm gonna need a verbal reply from you, especially that you're years younger than me."

You chuckled. "Yes, Mr. Barnes. You have my full consent."

He smirked. "Keep calling me that and I'll give you my full consent."

"Shut up already, Mr. Barnes."

He lifted the hem of your shirt and pulled it over your head, revealing a cotton white bra.

You bit your lip. "If you'd told me about the date, I would've worn a much better one."

"I don't mind." He breathed, sitting up. "I like white on you." He traced the lining of the bra with his finger, together with his eyes. He licked his lower lip before planting a kiss between your breasts. "So pure. Innocent."

"Innocent is not the word to describe me." You smirked. "Remember what I told you before?"

"Hmm, I seem to have forgotten." He teased. "What was it again?"

"I'm a devil on the sheets, Bucky."

"Then show it to me, doll." He purred.

As soon as those words left his mouth, all the worries and fear you talked about with Nat all washed away. And like always, she was again, right.

It was exactly like riding a bicycle.

And you were ready to be in control, in control of a man your senior, and to unleash something inside you you've never seen in quite a while.

You grabbed Bucky's face and kissed him on the mouth while pulling his shirt over his head. Every inch of his naked sculpted upper body glistened under the lights, like dewy grass under the sun.

You kissed his collarbones, shoulders, and chest. Before you could even move on to his tummy, a strong force came, flipping your body, your back hitting the blanket-covered ground.

"But not before I show it to you first." He growled, reaching something from above. He closed the front of the tent, pulling something from above. Within a second, the lights above went dim. The only light you now had was the moonlight.

You liked it this way. Darkness made you feel safe — but it was the kind of darkness with a sliver of light and Bucky was it. The inside of the tent grew hotter, making your body sweat, or perhaps it was just the sexual heat between you and Bucky as Bucky removed your pants, as well as his, leaving you in just your undergarments.

You wrapped your legs around his waist, pressing up against him, making him feel that you were already dripping for him, that you wanted him.

He moaned inside your mouth as you grinded against each other. His teeth pulled your bra down. With your bare chest exposed, you usually had the instinct to cover them up because they were small for people's taste but you didn't do that with Bucky. He admired them with his eyes, and admired them more with his lips wrapped around your nipples, pulling each of them softly. He then left fluttered kisses on your breasts before moving down to your belly, kissing every curve, every wave fold there ever was, and every stretch mark he came across upon.

His mouth stopped right on the folds of your lower belly, his fingers making their way on your wet cotton panties. His lips went back to yours while his fingers were circling all around you, clothed, making you wetter each second. Then, he slipped your panties aside, taking no time at all in inserting a finger inside.

A moan escaped your lips, opening your mouth more, giving access to Bucky's tongue. With another finger slipping inside, you bit Bucky's lower lip, pulled it away from him. He watched you gasp for air, listened to each moan, and felt you deep inside as he continued to thrust his fingers in you.

"You're quite tight, doll." He said. "I'm going for another to ease you up, okay?"

You nodded then whimpered as soon as a third finger made its way inside. Because you were, in his own words, quite tight, Bucky had a bit of a difficult time moving inside. He pulled away after a few moments, giving you time to catch your breath. He folded your knees, and held your legs in place using his veiny hands. He left a trail of soft kisses on your inner thighs, his teeth grazing on your skin every once in a while. You watched him inched forward, nearing your core. You watched him take delight in each mark he imprinted.

He hooked his thumbs on your panties and slowly slid them down your legs. On his knees, he ravished your body with his eyes, then your face. He leaned down, kissing you

"Beautiful." He mumbled in the kiss.

He soon devoured your pussy, his tongue moving up and down your folds, his upper lip nibbling your clit. You closed your yes, threw your head back and raked his hair with your fingers, guiding his mouth deeper. With his mouth still exploring every bit of you, he inserted two fingers inside. You whimpered at the sensation of both his tongue flicking your clit, and his fingers fucking you.

You moaned louder, arching your back, rolling your eyes at the back of your head. You badly wanted to see him, to watch him greedily eat you but his mouth and fingers felt so good that you couldn't even keep your eyes open. The more you tried to, the faster his mouth and fingers moved. It made your legs tremble under his touch, your thighs pressing closer and closer to his ears, which he didn't like as he kept spreading your legs wider with his other hand.

"Bu-Bucky, please." You gasped. "I'm gonna cum."

"No. Not yet."

With that, he released his mouth and fingers, leaving you suspended in ecstasy. You opened your eyes, seeing Bucky on top of you, his face studying you. Then, he brought his fingers — the same ones that were just inside you — to his mouth, licking them. Now, you really did wish you could've kept your eyes open the whole time.

"You taste good, doll." He said, giving you his fingers.

You opened your mouth and reached for his fingers, sliding up and down, the taste of you sitting on your tongue. You could feel Bucky weaken above you as you continued to suck his fingers. Your right hand moved to his boxers, stroking his clothed hard-on. His eyelids quivered for a moment, losing touch of his dominance. You kissed his fingers one last time and flipped him over, not wasting any damn time taking his boxers off.

He sprung up in front of you. He was big (the biggest you've encountered), and was throbbing under your touch. He was hot, and a little bit wet. You looked at him while you pumped him slowly, then kissed him, returning the pleasure. A breath escaped his mouth as your pace went faster, and faster. His body became weaker under you, his lips agape, surrendering to submission, to your dominance.

Bucky felt so fragile underneath you, not being able to regain the control he once had. He wanted this. He wanted you to show him how much of a devil you were.

You pulled away from his mouth and moved lower on his body, his large, throbbing dick between your eyes. You kissed the top, making his legs quiver. You soon took him in — all of him, which made Bucky grab your head, pull your hair, and guide you all the way. You looked at him as you worked him all the way up, then down, then up and down: his mouth was kept open, a series of moans coming out, and at the same time, gasping for air; instead of eyes closed, his eyes were wide open, looking at the unlit lights above him.

Usually, giving head to people wasn't at all satisfying to you. What would it give you, anyway? It was either forced, or just because they told you to suck them. But with Bucky, you didn't even hesitate on doing so. It wasn't an itch you were trying to scratch away. It was on impulse, an instinct, a desire you wanted. And seeing Bucky in this state gave you so much pleasure.

So much.

Bucky let out the loudest moan, sitting up straight, his chest heaving, trying to catch his breath.

"I need you." He rasped. "Now."

You nodded, satisfied with what you received on his end. You straddled him, grinded on his bare dick, and glazed it with your wetness. He groaned, guiding your hips with his one hand, the other on the ground, keeping himself straight up.

"Don't worry. I'm on the pill." you whispered.

"I thought it's been over a year since you — "

"It's for acne, dumbass." You chuckled. "You can cum inside me if you want. You have my full consent."

"Good."

You held onto his broad shoulders as you lowered myself onto him and within a second, you felt his tip inside.

You bit your lip as you inched yourself lower. With his whole inside you, you leaned your forehead on his shoulder, and let out a small whimper.

"Are you okay?" He whispered in your ear. You nodded and placed a kiss on his neck, reassuring him.

You moved your body up and down, biting your lip to keep small cries from coming out, but soon enough, you were taking in pleasure within pain until all there was was pleasure.

Sweet, sweet pleasure.

You bounced on top of him faster, — god, he felt so big and so good in you — skin slapping on skin, echoing against the thin sheets, with his lips on yours, then on your neck, then on your breasts; his hands on your jaw, on your neck, your breasts (sometimes, together with his lips), on the small of your back, on your hips, then on your ass.

"Oh god, you feel so fucking good." Bucky said, kissing your skin as you kept on bouncing on top of him. "But it's my turn, babydoll."

You moaned at the nickname, making your body frail to move and then the next thing you knew, you were flipped over, with Bucky on his knees, thrusting faster, then deeper as he inched forward, your chests pressed together. Your fingers clawed on his back, his hot breath on your neck, your breath on his ear where he could hear you moaning his name.

"That's right." He whispered, kissing your neck. "Say my name."

You wrapped your legs around his waist (a kind of intimacy you had never done before), and with it, pulled him closer, deeper, giving you an astounding pleasure, making your whole body tremble under him, getting you higher and higher on staggering ecstasy, and sending you over your edge.

You cried out his name one last time, feeling your white juices come on his dick, mixed with his inside you.

"My god," he whispered, "I think I could never get enough of you."

"You just read my mind, Mr. Barnes."

"Hey, I feel a whole lot better now." He winked.

You chuckled.

You caught each others' breaths, kissing one last time before he removed himself from you, and laid down beside you where he wrapped his arms and legs around you, your head on his chest. You weren't the one to cuddle but at that moment, your body, frail and vulnerable, gave in. You didn't want to fight it, anyway. You were both surrounded with each others' pool of sweat but it didn't matter.

You were bathing in bliss.

In this bliss he had given you.

"You're not gonna kick me out the next morning, are you?" You asked, half-joking, scared that you'd be in the same position as that of the woman from before.

"No, doll." He replied, "you have my word," then kissed your forehead.

Bucky pulled you closer, his chin on top of your head. You listened to his heartbeat slow down every five seconds, giving you a rhythm you soon fell asleep to.

[shioririn]

A World Through Your Eyes | XingQiu

Delicately smoothing out the creases of the folded paper, the hydro vision wielder’s golden amber orbs scanned through each neatly written sentence as if they held the answers to the world’s questions, a soft smile gracing his features. While it wasn’t uncommon for him to receive private letters, the one in hand carried more value than all others combined, for it was from a faraway land, sent by the purest of heart, and foretells the journey of a dearest friend.

My dearest Xingqiu,

Travelling without you has always been lonely, but somehow, this time around, I couldn’t help but feel as if I’m more alone than I’ve ever been. And for some reason, falling asleep at night felt harder than it should, but knowing that you’re staring up at the same stars as I am puts me at ease, for even if the distance between us is far, I’m assured that you aren’t. At least, it doesn’t feel that way to me.

Ah, how he’d finally mastered the art of weaving plain words into that which conveyed one’s deepest feelings. The young exorcist had came a long way in terms of expressing his emotions - and for that reason alone, Xingqiu let out a quiet chuckle, knowing how hard it must’ve been for his blue haired friend to confess to them when he wrote the letter - but unlike the stoic self from his teen years, had grown to be more open and relaxed around him, where he’d lessened the responsibility placed on himself, accepting that it’s alright to let go once in a while.

Xingqiu could tell that he missed Liyue - missed his home - but it was inevitable that work required him to travel afar, often having to leave for months at a time. He understood better than anyone else how difficult it is to live a life they could call their own when they were bound by duties since birth, unable to venture beyond familial traditions. Chongyun had always been the more reserved one out of the both of them, accepting the duties as they are, but Xingqiu desired the opposite, seeking to venture into the vast Teyvat lands as his spirit seeked to soar outside the cage they called duties.

It has been a while since we were able to explore Teyvat as promised all those years ago, but I understand that current circumstances allow no such feat. Your duties will, of course, be of utmost importance, and I would dare not distract you from them, but I also couldn’t help but be worried for your well-being. Are you eating well? Resting enough?

As for myself, all is well. I arrived safely at Inazuma around dawn, and I speculate that you would have enjoyed the sunrise as much as I did. You’ve always been the one who dreamt larger between the both of us, so please allow me to show you through written words.

There was once a time where Xingqiu struggled to understand what truly goes on in Chongyun’s mind, for they differed from each other, personalities contrasting greatly, but he’d eventually came to accept that there was no need to do so, knowing that they are, in the end, more similar than they’d come to admit. Chongyun, too, once had a dream - to travel the world with his best friend - but alas, the real world is much smaller than he’d imagined, and childish dreams could only remain as such. Nonetheless, the promise to see the world together had remained strong even after time had nullified it, and while Xingqiu might not be able to experience it in person, he would do so through him. He’d once been the one to show him a world filled with vibrant colours, and it’s now his turn to do the same.

Inazuma, as far as I could tell, is much similar to that of Liyue, but knowing you, you’d argue that there must be regional specialties that differ from our hometown. And you’re right. I happened to come across this plant that the locals here call sea ganoderma - a genus of mushroom akin wood ear mushrooms - as I walked along the shores, their appearance immediately reminding me of you. Much like how I remember you to be, these plants are soft and blue in appearance, and even if I dare not taste it myself, I’m almost certain that they should taste exquisite if paired with the cold noodles that you love, even if they’re closer to the sea than the mountains that we are familiar with. Should time allow, I will do my best to bring back some fresh ganodermas for you to sample, and perhaps you’d find them as interesting as I do.

The air here is much cooler than that of Liyue’s, for the land is surrounded by the ocean, its breeze carrying subtle hints of saltiness, yet refreshing enough that’ll make you want to close your eyes and lose yourself to time. Decorated by exotic and brightly coloured sea creatures by the shore, and at dawn, the faint glow of fireflies that surround the terrain, the view here truly reminds me of a fantasy world from the books that you often read about. If only I was able to capture everything in a bottle to share with you, I would have done so. But alas, I can only relinquish such ideas.

He could see it. The same world that he’d always dreamed of.

With dainty hands reaching out to nothing and amber eyes fluttering shut as he recited the written words, Xingqiu could feel everything that had been described. From the soft and squishy texture of the sea ganodermas to the salty breeze, for one brief moment, brought him to a land where he could be true to himself. Not as Xingqiu, second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, but as Xingqiu, a boy who dared to dream beyond the limits, even if it was only for a fleeting second.

As I write this letter, I can’t help but look forward to when we’ll be united again. Perhaps when qingxin flowers blossom is when I’ll be able to return, but until then, do take care - not just for me, but also for yourself.

Folding the letter, Xingqiu slipped the parchment between the pages of his novel, where it rests atop the highest shelf in the room, next to the window of glaze lilies. Like the memories embedded in ink, his dreams too, would fluorescent into celestial fragrances that remind him that some dreams are worth waiting for.

With love, Chongyun.

[homogrimoire-archive]

Kingfield's Fourth Anniversary - Final Day

If I Rose To Power It'd Be A Bouquet

Dwight has the wonderful idea to propose. Needless to say, David is in for a surprise.

AO3 Link

Dwight loved David with all his heart. He really did. Sometimes, it felt like he wanted to shout it out into the world for all to hear. He wasn't the kind for such public displays though. But, he was about to do something pretty close to announcing his love to the world.

He and David had been dating for years now. Everyone who they cared about knew. And just about anybody who was at least somewhat invested in pro boxing. As a pro boxer, David had a lot of eyes on him. David wasn't bothered in the slightest. He liked the attention, and had no desire to hide who he loved.

Dwight was scared of the notion, but was swayed by David. Deep down, he didn't want to hide who he was anymore. So, it had been public knowledge that they were a couple for a few years now. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but being able to kiss and embrace and display their love to one another whenever they pleased far outweighed any negativity it brought to their lives.

Dwight never regretted a single moment of their time together. He imagined that David felt the same. Thus, with David’s boxing career nearing its glorious end, Dwight figured he knew how to start this new chapter of their lives.

Of course, Dwight wanted this monumental moment in their lives to be very special. So he spent many a month planning. He knew he wanted things to be private. To do such a thing in a crowd with spectators was pushing it for him. He was quick to figure out how he wanted to do it, but where was a different matter.

He considered spending a night out and doing it at their condo, but the location admittedly wasn’t so romantic. Renting a boat for a scenic night of sightseeing along a beautiful coast was considered, but was quickly ruled out when he remembered that he would probably get seasick. But, then it hit him! Ocean sunsets were beautiful and very romantic. So, after more deliberation, Dwight decided on California. A popular tourist destination, so it would be easy to kill time before the main event. Next was finding the time to do the exciting deed, which was easy since all Dwight needed to do was look at David’s schedule.

Convincing David into taking a little, much needed vacation was easy. A little bit of seduction went a long way. It would be a week-long affair of sight seeing and fun, culminating to a fanciful dinner on the fifth day. Dwight never really got used to having the finer things of life such as a dinner that cost a week’s check for a part time job, nor did he gain the taste for it like David said he would. Hell, he still liked to eat cup noodles warmed up in a microwave. But he’d accept the indulgence for such a night.

Since the restaurant was not too far from their hotel, they decided to walk. They could have called an uber or something, but it was a comfortable and clear night. Holding hands, Dwight leaned against David as they walked. He smelled vaguely of his cologne, a scent which eventually came to bring Dwight a sense of comfort.

Time seemed to move so wonderfully slow in such reposeful moments. Yet, it always seemed to end too quickly, for they were already in front of their hotel. And suddenly, Dwight was hit with a wave of anxious anticipation.

“Hey, uh, I’ll be up there soon. I’m gonna take a quick smoke.” Dwight said with a kiss to David’s cheek. He knew David didn’t like it when he smoked, for a number of good reasons. Admittedly, it was a guilty pleasure.  But Dwight wasn’t actually gonna smoke. He just needed an excuse, even if a cigarette did sound very tempting to help calm his nerves.

“Alright, but don’t keep me waitin’, luv.” David replied, and leaned in close to Dwight’s ear and whispered something real low that made Dwight’s face flush. Well, two could play that game.  Dwight pulled David down by his shirt and whispered something that made David feel rather excited, to say the least. With a reminder to not start anything without him, David made his way into the building as Dwight pulled out a box of cigarettes just for show.

After a few minutes of waiting, Dwight made his way to the receptionist’s desk to get a bouquet he had ordered and set to be delivered to the hotel. The bouquet consisted mainly of beautiful red roses, with white lilies scattered throughout. Wonderful as could be.

He took the envelope, with the letter inside he spent weeks perfecting, out of his pocket, and gently placed it in the bouquet. On the elevator ride up, he checked his pockets for what must have been the hundredth time that night for that precious box. After getting out of the elevator and reaching the end of the hall where their room was, he looked out the hall’s large window to see the beautiful beach down below as it stretched onward. It was the first time he really got a look at the beach at night. It captured him, making him decide to make a change of plans. He hurried back to the elevator and made his way back down. Once he was outside, he took out his phone.

“Hey Dwight. What is it?” David answered.

“Come outside and meet me at the beach, I’ve got a surprise for you!”

“…Really?”

“Yes, Really! You’ll love it, I promise.” Dwight assured him.

“Well, If you say so. See ya in a moment luv. Love you.”

“Alright, love you too.” he said, and they hung up.

Dwight practically skipped to the beach. He was excited for how wonderful things were gonna be. It would truly be something to remember, more memorable than a balcony anyhow, even if it was a nice balcony with a nice view. As he waited at the edge of the beach, he checked his pockets once more. He felt his heart drop when he didn’t immediately feel the box, but let out a sigh of relief once he searched his other pocket.

”Oh, David, over here!” Dwight waved as soon as he saw the other man. He was careful to keep the flowers hidden behind his back as David jogged over to him.

"So, wot does mister handsome here 'ave in store for me?" David wondered as he playfully tried to take a peek.

"Close your eyes! It's supposed to be a surprise." Dwight said, and David followed his order. He brought forth the flowers, but pocketed the envelope before letting David know he could open his eyes. He decided its contents would best be given to start the height of the night.

"Awwh…" David said as his expression softened as he gazed at the flowers. "Aren't you a sweet thing?" he added with a kiss to Dwight's cheek. "They're lovely."

"Ah, well, I'm glad you like 'em. I was gonna give them to you earlier, but I saw the beach, and thought we could take a walk. The night's still so young, and you know, why end it soon?”

“I think that's a wonderful idea, luv.” David answered while still gazing into the flowers, and then turned back to Dwight and gently slipped his hand into Dwight’s. “Any time spent with you is time well spent.”

Dwight felt his heart swell. If he was uncertain before, which he wasn’t, he knew that he loved David more than anyone, and was determined to follow through with his plan.

“You’re a sap.” Dwight lightly laughed as they began their walk.

“Only for you.” David teased, knowing very well how sappy that was. “But, I’d say you’re a pretty big sap yourself.” he said, putting some emphasis on the flowers. With the evidence present, Dwight had no choice but to concede.

“Well, only for you.” he smiled.

They continued their walkdown the beach in the sand, David holding onto his flowers with his free hand, the plastic that encased them crinkling as he walked. It mixed with the quiet crunch of the sand as they walked on it and the ocean’s gentle night sway to form the background noise to their conversation. Dwight has his free hand shoved into his pocket, clutching the box.

It was indeed a beautiful night. They were relatively far away from the hustle and bustle of civilization, letting a few stars shine with the lower amount of light pollution present. They passed a few groups having a bonfire, eventually coming reaching a stretch of beach devoid of others. The bright, full moon shone down onto them on the near starless clear night. The moon formed a shimmering, thick wave of light on the dark ocean that stretched from the horizon to the edge of where the sand met the ocean waves.

"I'm glad you thought of this." David praised. "It's relaxing. Nice."

"It is." Dwight responded. Now or never. And now was perfect as could be. "Hey, um, I got you one more thing." Dwight said, and pulled out the envelope for David to take.

w3sZAEqaq

"And you really called me a sap." David jested as he jokingly shook his head and took the envelope. It was plain, but of a sturdy, textured paper. Inside was a folded up paper also of good quality. He unfolded it and turned so the moonlight would illuminate the paper. He also had to hold it close to his face, so he could read it clearly. Thus, he began to read it aloud.

"David, we've spent many years together. A number of 'em were in hell, but you helped make my time there more bearable. I'm glad I was able to do the same for you.  I'm glad we were able to make a life together here. And through those years we've spent building a life greater than any heaven, I grew to love you more than I thought I could ever love. It happened when we got our first apartment together and you cuddled against me that night, when you kissed me on live tv when you won your first championship, and it's happened a million more times. I love you more than anything. And I know I love you as much as you love me." David was sure he was about to cry out of pure elation. He went on to read the last sentence. "So, I've one question to ask you now:"

"Will you marry me?"

Shocked, David lowered the paper to see Dwight down on one knee before him. David was most certainly crying now. Unto him, a beautiful ring was offered. The intricate piece of fine jewelry could have been made of plastic and glass for all he cared though. What mattered was what the ring represented, what was happening.

"Yes!" he proclaimed once the reality caught up to him. He let Dwight slip the ring on, and then hoisted him up, pulling him in close and laughing and spinning with joy. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

He slowed down and let Dwight down as well, keeping him close as he expressed his own love with a deep kiss.

"Of course I'll marry ya, you angel of a man."

Dwight giggled, and pulled David in for another deep kiss. There were no words he could use to accurately describe the magnitude of the wonderful emotions he was feeling.

The blessed letter in his pocket and bouquet in hand, David walked back to their hotel with Dwight holding his other hand. Both fidgeted with the ring as they walked, whispering sweet words and recalling beloved memories.

Fiancé and fiancé, they spend their first night together as such, feeling a love they knew would never end.

[xiu21chen99]

hxh headcanon!!

/imagine ofc!! everyone expected another, i hope shhdjdkf

umm... my art?? I'll be transferring it to digi-art tomorrow or sth but uh be nice pls, im new to dis

the art is related to the hc,,, anYWAYS DARK CONTINENT ARC TIMELINE and... TW! blood, violence and death. this is what i envision the "battle for hisokas head" arc story thingey would go

ON THE BLACK WHALE!

Hisoka has killed most of the spiders already, all that was left were Illumi, Kalluto, Chrollo, Shizuku and Bonolenov (bc the latter three formed a group truce rmmbr)

he decides to save the Zoldycks for last so he hunts for the mf who mangled his face and literally killed him

Hisoka makes quick work of killing Bono and Shizuku (nooo my bby ;-;)

Chrollo and he have a sort of stalemate stance bc they're in a discrete room in the Black Whale, they're meters apart and they're literally just walking in a circle to see who'd make the first move

Bono and Shizuku's bodies are in the same room

Illumi comes in with Kalluto in tow and the two siblings stop dead in their tracks to watch

that's when Hisoka moves in for the kill

but Chrollo counters w a spell he pulled from his book- an explosion erupts, tho it's a small, kind of controlled one but still, everyone in the room are forced back

Hisoka's thrown to a wall while the other three skid back on the feet

the emergency alarms ring in the room, the automated doors move to close

Illumi and Kalluto make eye contact before Kalluto runs for it, Illumi goes to block the door when he left, making sure Chrollo doesn't follow suit before walking towards Hisoka

"what are you doing?" Chrollo asks when Illumi helps the clown to his feet.

"oh, did i not tell you?" Illumi pulls out a few needles from his outfit "Hisoka has also commissioned for your head, but only under the circumstance where he could see."

"no, you forgot to mention that." Chrollo humors, book in hand and a forced smile on his lips

"oh this should be fun," Hisoka adds beside him, cracking his neck with a sinister grin

"i take it you were serious about the... engagement ring you mentioned earlier?" Chrollo asks as he flips to a page in his book

"quite, yes. i have already told my brother to not contact our parents about it, hence why he was with me up until now." Illumi explains, pins glowing with violet nen

"how boring, i had hoped you'd at least introduce me to my in-laws before we get on with it." Hisoka teases, cards in hand

"disgusting." Chrollo sneers, and the tension in the room snaps.

There's another explosion, quite bigger and definitely stronger. Illumi blocks the stray debris from his eyes with a hand, squinted eyes taking in everything that was to see.

Hisoka was still beside him though his head was snapping from left to right trying to navigate their common target

There's whispering, then Chrollo's puppets appear behind them, seeming to have grown from the concrete ground

they were mindless pawns, Hisoka gladly kicked them all til they returned to dust

what came next were Bono and Shizuku, though Illumi could have sworn they were dead earlier

"it's a stolen power, they might still be able to use their nen." Hisoka warns, and as if to prove his point Shizuku attacks Illumi with Blinky

"cut off their heads!" Hisoka yells, disappearing into the still present dust cloud of the post-explosion

Shizuku was the easier target, death made her think that vacuum of hers was a sword. Illumi pins her to the wall and snaps her head off

Bono was more clever, he hid in the dust and used his whistle like body to distract Illumi from where he actually was

Then he attacks when he had his back turned to him

But Illumi soon gets the hang of it, whips back to his right to catch Bono mid jump, and crushes his neck like paper

He drops the twice killed body and wipes his hands on his pants

There's strong aura somewhere in the room, so he follows his instincts through the smog

Another explosion, but this time actual smoke builds up in the room, triggering the fire alarms and the sprinklers

"you fucking bitch!"

"you should have stayed dead, Hisoka!"

Illumi follows the voices and now obvious sounds of fighting

as the smoke clears, he sees multiple figures go after who he assumes was Hisoka. Logically speaking, he was the only target of those useless puppets

Illumi jumps to his feet to help him, throwing pins at the three running to Hisoka at stumbling speed

He lands behind Hisoka with grace, feet as silent as ever.

the smoke is nearly gone now, so when Illumi turns to see if Hisoka was alright he's shocked to find a rock figurine, roughly formed to Hisoka's shape and build

"Hisoka-"

"i can't believe you fell for that" Chrollo says behind him, but Illumi has already sent needles flying his way

"what did you do?"

unprepared, Chrollo's sent to the wall, hands pinned and spread. there were matching pins buried deep into the palms of his hands making him unable to move

"I just killed the bastard who shouldn't have come for my friends."

his hands needed to touch something to detonate. with two more pins each added to his hands (and two more to each of his feet), Chrollo's made to float with Illumi's Manipulation

(hc power here bc i think he could do this, but he only saves it for special occasions or enemies lol)

Illumi pulls forth a mind control needle amd jams it into Chrollo’s forehead, “answer my questions, and answer me truthfully"

"what did you do to Hisoka, you could not have killed him in that short amount of time. I should have been able to sense something if you did. he is not in this room, so where is he?"

Chrollo groans, "he's trapped in the room i laid out for him"

"explain."

"i stole some random passenger's teleportation ability. its' condition is to only be able to open a portal if the room's closed and only has one door. i opened the portal and left him in the in between."

"you have been planning this, correct?"

"i only came up with it when Shizuku encountered the man with this power. he's still alive of course, but if i kill him then his nen portals would cease, and Hisoka will be trapped in that limbo forever."

"and nen after death..?"

"he adores the spiders, he surely won't hold a grudge if i killed him for this."

"this is a well executed plan." Illumi complements despite the situation

"thanks."

"open the portal, bring him back."

"why should i?"

Illumi grabs another pin from his shirt, this time giving it a lick before jamming it into Chrollo's arm

"i am already annoyed at how everything has turned out, just pull Hisoka out of the portal."

life slowly drains from Chrollo's eyes, as he goes limp against Illumi's pins that kept him afloat and away from any possible detonation medium

Chrollo-puppet, now on his own two feet, pulls out his book and flips to a page. The wall behind him opens, the metal folding out as if crumpled then Hisoka walks out, in shock. The wall closes silently, as if it never opened to begin with

Hisoka snaps out of it quickly, lips curving into a pleased smile, "nice work, Illu!"

Illumi waves a hand dismissively. "would you like to do the honors?"

"ooh~ don't mind if i do," Hisoka pulls out a card from somewhere and approaches the still Chrollo.

Illumi walks to a wall to lean against it, knowing Hisoka would take his time.

"you've married an idiot, Illumi Zoldyck." a voice said beside him, and he snaps his head up to see Hisoka's killing slash

"wait-"

But it was too late

another explosion, this time strong enough to blow the doors open and the walls broken

Illumi's once again pushed to the wall, back through the metal it poked him with blisters

As the dust settled for a third time, Chrollo stood in the middle of the room, unharmed and unpinned.

Under his foot, Hisoka. Dead?

"no-" Illumi coughs, dust filling his lungs

Illumi stumbles to the pair as Chrollo backs away, to the door now open

"Hisoka-" he falls to his knees beside the man, cradles the head to his lap. This was real, this was really Hisoka. he felt it- he felt the last ebbs of his presence fade along with the explosion.

He was really dead...

Was his Bungee Gum/after death nen a one time thing?

He was so stupid, he should have noticed that Chrollo was a fake. It had been too easy. Fuck.

Hisoka coughs, and Illumi zeroes in on it, on the way his once steady chest heaves with labored breaths. "Hiso- Hisoka?"

"Illu..." he drawls, unable to say it clearly

"what do i do?"

"ta... take m-" he coughs again, "take my heart, Illu."

"what do you mean?" Illumi presses a hand to the side of Hisoka's neck, trying to find a pulse

"this is my nen condition-" heave- "Bungee gum will help me get the engagement ring to you. it's in my heart, literally-"

"Hisoka, you are not making any sense-"

"just kill me already, illu-" cough- "and carve out my heart. you'll find the ring there."

"o-oh" Illumi's eyes widen

"do it, illu. before my-" heave again "nen runs out."

Hisoka's smiling. his glamour of texture surprise has worn off already, so his nose-less, peeling face stared back at Illumi

"go on, love."

with no other choice, Illumi elongates his nails and digs into the crevice between Hisoka's rib cage. his blood felt hot and sticky between his fingers, but Illumi dug deeper.

his heart was still beating though weakly, as if it still had a chance to live on

"bye, love." were Hisoka's last breathy words as Illumi pulls the organ out. It was shrouded in pink nen, Bungee Gum he thought, its distinct tint a permanent brand in Illumi's mind

gore slid down his hand, as illumi held it closer to his face for inspection

for a few fleeting moments it continued throbbing, but now it's stilled to a mere heart.

Illumi has done this method of killing before, but this is the first heart he thought held value

blood dripped from his hand down to Hisoka's smiling face, eyes open and gaze somewhere to Illumi's direction

as the Bungee Gum lifted, a ring popped out from an outward ventricle.

a bloody ring

how did he manage to do this?

despite the crimson, Illumi slips it to his ring finger with a grim smile

even after death, Hisoka still amazed him

He gently puts Hisoka's head to the ground, off his lap, and closes his golden eyes

Illumi's en grows with unbridled rage that it covered the whole ship. Chrollo is just a few hallways down

Bloodlust up in new heights, Illumi lets his presence explode, making sure nen and non nen users alike felt his hunger to kill

Finding Chrollo was too easy, but this time he's sure it was the real one. he was at the balcony, looking out into the sunset.

"i take it, you loved him?"

Illumi doesn't answer, instead walks closer with eery silence

"if you loved him then why didn't you tell him?"

one step forward, two, three. just a few more left.

"he wouldn't have reciprocated? blah, he was of peculiar taste, I'm sure he would've accepted you."

pins, needles, hell even a card he got from Hisoka. he threw all of it to Chrollo, aiming for where he was and the surrounding spots he could have gone to, to avoid them

pinned down and bleeding, Chrollo continues "or were you not aware you loved him until you saw him die right before your eyes?"

Illumi, more than once, said that assassins don't need friends. didn't have a need for anyone else but family.

but

"he was my friend. that's all there was to it."

Chrollo's head rolls to the balcony, falls off and to the sea. a king of hearts was placed where the head should be, engraved into the floor.

later that day, Illumi went back to the room where Hisoka was, to find Kalluto there. His kimono was bunched up by his hands to make sure blood didn't touch the ends.

"aniki, what happened here? where's danchou?"

"kallu, i want you to help me with something." Illumi said instead, "can you help me clean him up?"

"should we throw him overboard?" Kalluto gestured to Hisoka.

"no, i want to fix him up and find a coffin in this ship. i will bury him when we get back to the mainland."

"why?"

"because..." Illumi fiddled with the bloodied ring, "he was my husband."

for those of u confused don't worry, i am too. basically chrollo used a bomb dummy of himself and that’s the one hisoka killed but uh got him killed instead. shjsjfkf sorry if this was shitty it's 2:30am nd i just wanted to write this before i forgot. I'll fix it tomorrow hopefully

also the hc is the ring in hisokas heart thingey and maybe the room trap plan bc togashi wouldnt have introduced that bitch if he didnt plan on using him for the plot shjsjdkfkgl good night!

[binkysteebnpewter]

Of Paper Planes & Teddy Bears

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Fem Reader

Words: 2100+

Summary: Wanda has loved you since you trained her when she joined the avengers. However she’s too afraid to confess all because she’s sure you’re dating the Diner guy.

I used a divider a few times, they’re by: @writeyourmindaway 💗

Warnings: TW:Dissociation, TW: Anxiety Implications, explicit (?) detailing, conspiracy thoughts (just to add flavor 🤷🏻‍♀️).

Taglist: @softpeachbarnes @thejournalman

There was so much that I could say about her. So much good, so much praise, so many compliments that'd sound like Shakespeare had possessed my body to write an entire play solely about how her eyes stared into my soul with just a simple fleeting glance she'd give as we passed each other in the hall. There was so much I could say about her to show someone how much I love her and what I love about her, but that would take too long— even though I knew I could talk about her until my lungs failed to take in air and my heart failed to beat.

What I would utter out was that her attitude was what got me up in the morning, other than the fact she always made breakfast for everyone even though she didn't have to— and her cooking is absolutely blissful if I'm honest. However her coffee is downright dreadful. She liked her coffee way too strong for me or anyone other than Tony and Bruce, who refused to drink theirs any other way now. I didn't see how she could drink it, especially not black with just ONE spoon of honey.

There were those days where sometimes she didn't want to cook and everyone would sometimes go to the nearby diner, and today was one of those days. She had dressed down pretty casual and comfy, but oh— she looked otherworldly in her comfort clothes, dressed to no ones expectations as she held her favorite teddy bear

Sam drove while everyone else talked, but her? She sat playing with a few small paper airplanes, making them fly with psychokinesis. Making one fly out of her course, she stops them all and looks to me. She smiles and one of them unfolds suddenly, refolding quickly. Smiling at the blossom flower, my eyes widen when I moved over and rested in my lap. She smiles to me once more and focuses on her airplanes again, leaving me a storm of emotions.

The time passes like it's racing as we all ordered, waited, receivers, and ate. Some of us were still eating, some were just talking and relaxing. It was peaceful and the diner was never busy enough to draw a crowd to us, thankfully.

"How you gonna be like 'she gotta blonde, she gotta be thick, she gotta be tan'?" She asks, standing up to a guy sitting near us as he dissed his own girlfriend.

"You ain't got the right to be picky. All you packing is a tic-tac.. what you gonna do breath mint?" She asks and he flusters.

"What you gon' do Listerine?" She asks, giving him a look full of utter sass and confidence.

Smiling as the guy flustered and began ignoring her, I nodded and gave her a thumbs up as she turned back around. She smiles to me and laughs a bit.

"Yo! You're here today!" I hear and she turns.

"Mattie! What's up?" She smiles, standing and giving the guy a hug.

Him.

The one I wish I was. The guy who gets to call her baby girl, the guy who gets to stay up and talk on the phone with her for hours, the guy who gets to hear her sleepy voice say those three words I so desperately want to hear and say back.

I love you.

Wanda had left my origami flower in the diner, right on the table with her plate. Did she not like it? Was it the wrong color? I purposefully kept my airplanes folded neatly in the colors black and red, the colors I knew she liked. Was I overthinking all the subtle things? Was I imagining them? It was possible, maybe I'm reading too far into things.

I walked silently across the street from the cemetery, a hat placed on my head and tipped low as I faced the ground. My fingers played with the fidget in my hand, the puzzle fidget I had solved too many times to count now. I was long overdue for a new one, there was no combination of moves someone could do to mess up the colors on my rainbow ball fidget toy to make sure I couldn't return each colored ball to its respective hole too quickly. Wind whipped around me and chilled my skin, my thin jacket doing nothing to keep me warm.

The pigeons, I swear, are staring at me as I walk. Following me, I know it, as I took turns and they stayed right nearby with me from the start of my journey. I was a long way from the compound, that I knew for sure. I'm convinced one day they'll begin recognizing individuals, or that maybe they're not even real— robots maybe. Do we ever see them sleep? Do the power lines charge them when they rest upon them? Do they video people and record conversations? Is this how the government truly finds wanted people?

A bus loops around and around, passing through the old streets. The neighborhoods of old tenement houses, public schools, coffee shops, and candy stores. Sidewalks lined with cart shops, their goods ranging from street food to newspapers and tourist spots. I haven't seen the bus stop once as it's passed by one time after another, yet there are always less and less people aboard it with each pass. Has it even stopped? Why come down this road so many times? Is it forever stuck in this route? Is it in limbo— wait, can objects be stuck in limbo?

dO UnITs hAVe a SoUL??

I pass a hot dog stand, the grilled hot dogs looked oddly like fingers to my eyes and I suppress a gag. Do they bleed when you bite into them? Is the juice metallic tasting? Is the texture— Let's stop there, yeah let's stop there.

I head to subway station to realize I had been in the Brooklyn-Queens area, my numb fingers aching as I swiped my subway card. I stand as far from people as I could, the suffocating feeling of the subway closing in. The scent of the train car was musty and pungent, like old sneakers in a gym locker and rotten food found in the home of a hoarder who'd dropped their food and never found it to pick up and throw away. My fingers pause in the motion of scrambling my fidget as I realize the conductor was making an announcement, I caught on too late. Asking the man nearby if he'd heard the announcement, I shuddered when he gave me a simple rat-like smile and said nothing with a shrug.

I guess I'll never know.

I feel as though someone is watching me and Natasha's words play through my head. 'If you feel like someone's watching you, it's because someone is.' Do I look for them? Do I make eye contact and sass them? No, don't. Really don't, never trust a man or even a women on the train this late at night— I have no clue why they're up, or why I'm up even. I had woke with a feeling of dread and left without a single thought about it, the compound had felt too stuffy and small— despite its size.

The compound was... a mystery to me. It was large and spacious yet at times it felt like it closed in on me, suffocating like a 5x5 room. It made me feel like SCP 096 in his airtight steel cube room, watched yet not seen.

I step off the train at a random stop, heading out back into the chilly night air to continue an aimless walk through a concrete jungle shaped like a maze of looming buildings that wait— wait for the perfect moment to swallow me whole like a fly in the air, gone like I had never even buzzed in someone's ear.

Walking off the sidewalk and into a parking lot, I glance around. The parking lot may seem empty but I don't trust it, there are cars here— I know there are. They just don't want me to see them yet. They like to hide, spook me when I'm not paying attention once more. The building seems to expend as I enter with my membership card in hand, I'm sure I'll never understand how everything fits inside this place— just like I'll never understand where all the shoppers in here come from, even so late.

Are they even people?

I don't know how long I've been in here before I begin to become hungry, taking notice of the samples being handed out. Don't trust it, never trust it— you don't know if that person is sick or has done something to the food. Buy something and make it yourself, or buy a packaged snack— some fruit even. I cannot find check out, and the lady I had passed only gave me an eerie smile when I asked how to get to check out.

What is up with people and not knowing the answers to questions tonight?

I sit motionless, vaguely aware i was on the floor in the kitchen. I was also vaguely aware it was some time past 4am, when I returned from my late name wander. However something is wrong, something is staring. I do not know what nor do I think I want to know, yeah... I don’t want to know— I never will want to know.

It feels as if I’m staring at the back of my own head, watching as blurs vibrate and buzz off me and disappear into the air. I was staring, but staring where? At what? What color is it? What shape does it take? Is it smooth or textured? Is it decorative or a utensil?

I want to reach and touch myself, reassure myself that I am, in fact, here— that I am tangible and existing. So I reach up to touch my forehead, but everything blues— freezes. It was like something had stopped me from proving I was tangible, but I didn’t know what stopped me. I can’t figure it out, I’m sure at this point I don’t want to figure it out.

Do not touch my own face, that is asking for trouble. Something has warned me not to do it, and blindly I will take the unseen things advice.

My mind feels cloudy? No, it feels foggy. Not quite... It feels as if someone has steamed it, the moisture leaking out my eyes— I am crying with a dull expression as I sit on the kitchen floor, barely aware I even exist. This skin isn’t even my own, who’s is it? Did I steal it? Did I win it? Did we swap? How do I give it back? It is uncomfortable and suffocating, irritating like a sunburn.

Who am I? Am I a spectator? Am I a player? Am I winning? What am I playing? What am I spectating? Are others here? Is this a competition? Where are the controls?

I’d like to take the controls now.

It was a very faint and ghostly feeling of a hand touching mine that made me obscurely aware my hand had never dropped from moving to touch my own face. How long ago was that? The world was a blur, scratchy and set in black and white like a very old VHS tape. I didn’t know how long it was of those ghostly hands rubbing my upper arms and occasionally wiping my face and eyes, but the feeling of those motions became more prominent— heavier and more tangible.

Eventually, my world came into color and the first thing I could see was red. Brown hair that was lazily held in a messy ponytail, skin adorned with a pair of red pajamas, green eyes that seemed so soft and worried as they met mine.

“You’re with me, miere?” She asks softly and I touch her hand that was cupping my cheek.

She is real.

She’s here, tangible, existing.

So I am real, tangling, existing— because she is talking to ME.

“Miere?”

“Please don’t leave me alone...”

“I am not going to leave, Miere. I am right here, don’t worry.. I am always right here.”

“I love you..”

“Miere?”

Meeting her green eyes, they seemed so bright but so cautious. Why? Squeezing her hand that had been holding mine, the corners of my lips tugged up a bit.

“I love you Wanda..”

“I... I love you too, Miere. I, I thought you were dating... Mattie?”

“Mattie..?” I mumble, confused.

Who is Mattie? Do I know a Mattie? Surely I do, she wouldn’t have mentioned a Mattie if I didn’t and— Oh, the diner Mattie.

“No, I’m not dating Mattie.. He was my friend from school.” I admit, his face now fresh in my head.

“Besides, I don’t like guys.”

“Are you... are you gay?”

“Of course I’m gay.”

[fandom-gt]

Voyeur!Steve gets safely vored by an unaware Bucky.

He’s got the Pym particles, a custom suit, he’s got the whole damn thing planned out. It’s perfect, it’s safe beyond all measure. Two backup fail-safe options just on the off chance that for whatever reason he can’t zap himself out of it once he’s done.

He sure as shit can’t tell Bucky, because he’d never agree to do it in a million years - no matter how many back-up plans he had. Besides, this... thing he’s got is a little weird, a little personal, he’s a little ashamed of it.

It’s just... Bucky’s got perfect lips, perfect teeth, a plush pink tongue, and every time Steve sees him toss something into his mouth and start crunching it up he stares a little too hard and gets a little too hot in his face.

He plants himself inside of Bucky’s favorite brand of chips while Bucky’s away at the gym, because he knows the guy comes back with a ravenous hunger and too impatient to cook.

He’s beyond small. The bag he’s in is a cathedral. The chip he’s on is nearly the size of the floor plan in his old apartment. If he’s even remotely noticeable at all, it’s as a fleck of seasoning at best.

Sure enough, right on the mark, he can hear the thunder that probably comes at the end of the world. A sound so loud and so deep his eardrums can’t properly perceive it. It’s followed by a rush of air, and then his eyes lift up to the metallic paper walls above him. One of them bends in with a sound so loud it’s like standing at the bottom of Niagara falls. Four more fresh dents appear in the walls around him, then crumple the ceiling in a way that actually makes his heart rate spike.

It’s like demolition. It’s like watching a skyscraper get quarantined and then ritually exploded, thousands of tons of mass falling in on itself - just to stop abruptly because Bucky’s stopped squeezing his fingers shut.

Feeling the movement is different in here. The bag itself is presumably soaring through space, but it almost has its own gravity at this point. What he’s got to look out for is the way the chips rearrange themselves - tectonic plates shifting, the one he’s on suddenly veering down sharply and another slicing across it. He watches over his shoulder as a chip a hundred or more times bigger than him just cracks in half like nothing, sending debris exploding that is also bigger than him. 

He’s got to grip on tight to the imperfections in his chip as it tilts up nearly vertically, just shy of a 90 degree angle. It’s at the top of the bag, at least, so he won’t be buried.

The divots disappear with that same rushing, deafening white-noise, and then above him the heavens open up. Where there once was darkness, now a slowly widening gaping light streaming in, blocked in the middle by a god-like face larger than any moon  in the night sky. Bucky’s face blown up times a million, every detail enhanced from his bright blue searching eyes to the little chapped wrinkles in his lips.

He stares straight down at Steve, unblinking. He can actually see Bucky focus on him, the pupil of his eye lined up with Steve’s like they’re making direct eye contact.

Except there’s no flicker of recognition. Not even a beat of pause. Bucky’s lips are blocked from his view by an intruder into his space, a massive creature of flesh, skin-toned whirls of fingerprints that are the size of trenches.

He ears a little thud when Bucky’s finger makes contact on the flat wall of his chip. Another slow-motion thud when his thumb clamps down. Soft scratching of friction beneath his fingerprints. 

And then the movement - the sheer force he has to fight against as Bucky pulls his chip from the pile, the others catching and falling off, the combination of gravity and g-force thrusting him down so hard he has to cling with every ounce of strength he’s got. Like an angel or like God, Bucky peels him from the darkness and slowly into the light, an unfathomable blurry bright space that stretches on infinitely.

There’s no pause in his motion. Steve sees the top of the bag, the distant colors of furniture and walls too far away to comprehend - he can barely see to the end of his chip. His only real focal point for several miliseconds is that too-close too-big finger pulling them through space, until very abruptly a new landscape comes into view.

He keeps soaring toward it, heart racing, the knowledge that even if he started yelling now, even if he changed his mind, there’s not a thing slowing down Bucky guiding that chip toward stretching, parted lips. He passes over building-sized teeth, and Bucky steers him toward his back molars. 

Passing into Bucky’s mouth is like going through a portal - from bright and airy to dark and humid, the feeling of exhaled breath surrounding him even without Bucky actively breathing, muggy and oppressive. 

He glances over his shoulder toward the exit, and he sees the vacancy of freedom through the slowly closing frame of teeth and gums and lips.

Above him, those molars descend unstoppably. They’re irregular and uneven, and Steve finds himself flat on his back staring up as his largest tooth comes down around him, the highest peaking ridges slamming down in sequential cracks to his left, to his right, grinding the chip there into dust before he even finishes biting down. 

And he does finish biting, but Steve’s made himself so small that even with his teeth really and properly shut they don’t crush him into nothing. He has one second to experience being pinned between upper and lower molar, the platform he’d been on cracked beyond repair, the enamel grinders around him merciless.

They part again, but barely. Bucky’s mouth doesn’t completely open, so no new light streams in. Just a sudden wash of saliva, the shifting of new chip over top of him, and then another pulverizing crunch that gnashes the chip into a clump that sticks him to the bottom tooth. He’s still trapped there when he hears the deep, guttural vacuum of a swallow that takes place off to his left, the surge of suction that follows it - it gently pulls at his prison, but it doesn’t dislodge him.

The teeth part more widely, and Steve sees in slow-motion the oncoming of a new predator. The tongue he always thought of as soft and plush becomes a tidal wave of probing muscle, the tip of it slamming down into him and grinding him back and forth against the surface of Bucky’s molar. It’s wet, there are long strings of saliva that cascade off of it as it moves, working and shoving Steve out of his tiny divot. 

He manages to dislodge himself from the remnants of his chip platform, winds up rolling end over end off of the tooth and to the floor beneath him - the slick, slippery underside of a tongue and the place it meets gums.

Seemingly satisfied, the tongue moves to drop heavily onto him, shrouding him in heat and darkness, trapping him beneath it so that he can only barely see the influx of light from Bucky’s parting lips. Another chip passes through them, and this time Bucky’s mouth closes completely before he chews - the tongue thrusts the chip up with great force into the roof of his mouth, cracking it and breaking it at the center so saliva and gentle guidance steer it in uneven halves toward teeth on either side.

Steve uses this freedom to thrust himself forward, clearing great distance toward the back of Bucky’s front teeth. If he stays beneath the tongue he’ll wind up trapped there. 

He launches himself as high as he can, barely managing to catch onto the ledge of Bucky’s lower front tooth. They don’t line up flush with the upper front teeth, so he thinks there shouldn’t be any grinding or swallowing to end him so soon if he takes up an audience view there.

What he’s not counting on is the force of the swallow, the way it drags him backward, the way he lands plastered to the bottom of the tip of Bucky’s tongue. 

Lips part slow, and he can hear the sound of the skin unsticking, tacky with saliva. He can hear the almost velcro-like sound of the middle of Bucky’s tongue peeling away from the roof of his mouth, and then he’s soaring through the air toward the light again - then down as Bucky licks his lips. He peels Steve off on accident by the way he keeps his lips closed for it, the sheer force and weight of his tongue pushing Steve down into one of the little divots in Bucky’s lower lip and sealing him there with sticky, glue-like saliva.

He’s stuck there, caught in the folds, arms outstretched and legs straight down. Staring up grants him only a limited view - Bucky’s upper lip stretching out in either direction like sprawling lawn, the very tip of his nose, maybe the edge of a high cheekbone, and nothing else. Not even a chance at eyes, because he’s just too god damn small to see over the curvature of Bucky’s face. It’s disorienting and a little overwhelming to know that he’s beneath even the ability to make one-sided eye contact.

But the experience isn’t over, and Steve watches another chip pass over his head like a UFO, soaring slow motion into the cavern behind him.

Lips close, meaning Bucky’s top lip presses down onto his bottom. As it descends, he sees every uneven bit of texture, every plump piece, every crumb still caught and still larger than him. He sees it coming down on him unrelentingly, sealing together on his left and his right until finally it seals him too.

He’s caught between upper and lower lip, and the upper one grinds back and forth over him while Bucky chews, dragging dry skin and heavy weight left and then right. 

The tongue doesn’t come back.

Two or three more chips pass before there’s a break between them, and something new arrives in his sphere of vision.

A bright pink mound, a smoothed over surface, shiny and as thick as the lip he’s on.

It touches down a hundred yards to the right, landing with a sticky, deafening thud. Then it begins to drag, passing at great speed and clearing too much distance toward him.

It passes over his entire being, and he recognizes the smell and the taste instantly. It’s chapstick, and Bucky coasts it back and forth, sealing him in place with two coats.

He didn’t account for this particular scenario when he made his backup plans. He’s trapped, unseen and known, on Bucky’s lower lip.

[leejihoonownsmyheart]

Once Upon A Christmas Night

Part Five of the 13 Days of Seventeen Series

Summary:

Being in an arranged marriage with Prince Soonyoung of the Kwon family is so backward, sudden, and so completely wrong that you can’t even believe that your parents are being for real when they suddenly spring it on you.

You hate Soonyoung, you hate being at this place for Christmas, and you can’t believe that every now and then you actually think he is nice.

New Year’s can’t come any faster.

 -

When you woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom, tucked into large warm fluffy sheets that smelled like detergent- you at first were confused… and a little scared.

You shot up in your bed and gazed around at the pearly walls, and the extensive décor that filled the room. You saw a pile of your bags in the far corner, a towel folded on a nearby chair and a note propped on the vanity by what you vaguely recalled to be your bathroom.

You rubbed your fingers exhaustedly through your hair, the concept of what was going on coming back to you ever so slowly.

You remembered your parents telling you that you were moving- not us- that you were moving. You remembered finding your room packed, and barely being told a thing before being carted off to a small country you had never even heard of before.

Upon arriving to this small nobody’s-ever-heard-of-it country, you were informed that you had a betrothed- yeah like in an arranged marriage­- And you would be meeting him in the morning.

Sure, it was kind of cool to be led through a palace. You loved architecture after all, so it was easy to get distracted by the long halls and the sweeping atriums. It would have been marginally easier to get distracted too, if it hadn’t been for the fact that everyone in the entire palace was watching you.

Their eyes carefully watching you to see what your next move was going to be.

You hated that. You hated the way that they watched you. You knew they hated you. You knew that they knew that you didn’t want to be there.

So why was this happening? Why did they all have to be going through this when literally nobody wanted it to happen?

You wanted to scream at the top of your lungs in protest. You desperately wanted to stop all of this.

Still, you couldn’t bring yourself to say a word. Just like them, you kept yourself quiet as you walked along with everyone, taking in the small things about the palace that you thought you would like, and the things that you knew you wouldn’t.

You hadn’t gotten to meet Prince Soonyoung right away, instead, you had been introduced to the king, and then carted off to what you were told would be your room until the wedding. Because then of course you would be moving in with your husband.

You hadn’t been too keen on the thought, but you had decided to just stay quiet about the whole ordeal. There was no point at all in making a big deal out of the situation. For once in your life you didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.

You were strangely better with that then you had imagined you would be. The instinct of course was to be angry. To freak out at the sudden lack of freedom you were experiencing.

However, instead, you got out of bed and addressed the person that was on the other end of your door.

“I’m up,” you called. You sighed a little. “I’m up.”

You walked up to the large dark door and rested your hand on it. You hesitated before opening the door to your room, not really wanting anyone to see you this morning. Not really wanting to do anything this morning.

No matter what you wanted however, you swallowed your pride and pulled open the door.

Standing there was a guy in a pair of dress pants and a long-sleeve white button-up tshirt. You smiled tightly at him, an action that made him tilt his head to the side.

He had dark hair, and dark eyes. His skin was pretty and tan, and he was just a bit taller than you. It made you wrinkle your nose. He was attractive, very attractive.

“I’m here to help you get ready for the day,” he replied softly. He seemed to be a little bit confused by his own words, and his nose scrunched in a way that replicated yours. That in itself surprised him as well. He jumped slightly and reached up to touch his nose.

His cheeks then flushed red and he dropped his hands to his sides.

“Uh, you must be the, uh, princes betrothed?” He stated. Your frowned deepened.

“So, I’m told.”

“You are beautiful,” the man responded in a hushed tone. When he was met with nothing but silence, he jumped back to action, clearing his throat unsurely. “Uhm, I’m the prince’s advisor. I’ll be attending to you today, while Prince Soonyoung is… Busy.”

It was so strange the way that he spoke. So, calculated and unsurely. You sighed.

“Prince Soonyoung is too busy to meet me?” You asked. “I’m supposed to marry the guy and he won’t even bother to meet me while I’m here?”

The advisor opened his mouth to say something, but you just raised your hand to silence him. When he stopped trying to speak you raised your other hand to pinch the bridge of your nose.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure that he is a busy person. He is a prince after all. It’s unfair of me to jump to assumptions. He’ll meet me when he can right?”

The advisor nodded silently, an odd look on his face. So, you just sighed and let your head fall to the side.

“What should I call you then?” You asked him softly. He stared at you blankly.

“What?”

“What’s your name?” You reiterated. He startled slightly, his eyebrows raising nervously.

“I, uh, my name is uh...” He continued to speak stupidly as if he couldn’t even think of his name. You rolled your eyes.

“Did you forget your name?” You asked him.

“Chan!” He finally blurted. You frowned at him suspiciously and he laughed unsurely. “Lee Chan. I would never forget my own name, I just worried that he wouldn’t like me giving you my name is all.”

You put your hands on your hips.

“What? Why would he care?”

“Because he likes you,” Chan blurted back, his facial expression lighting up a bit. “He’s known about you for quite a while actually. Since he was a kid, he’s been told about you. Your parents sent pictures and he always used to brag at school that he had a cute girl like you.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Oh, great so he’s superficial. Based on my appearances he’s in love with me?” You huffed. Chan pouted, looking a little helpless.

“You really dislike him that much?” Chan asked quietly. You sighed, running your fingers through your hair.

“I don’t even know him, and I’m supposed to marry him,” you blurted back. “I know I’m being harsh, but jesus I feel so trapped.”

Your nose wrinkled and you tilted your head towards Chan.

“Well, if I’m not meeting Prince Soonyoung.”

You couldn’t handle keeping the sour tone out of your mouth and while you regretted it, you didn’t regret it that much.

“What will I be doing today?” You finally asked. He let his head fall to the side again.

“Oh, right! Your schedule,” he exclaimed. You watched as he scrambled about with the papers in his arms, trying to find the one he needed. You watched with a raised eyebrow, unable to help but think that he didn’t seem to be very good at his job. “First you um… you have to get dressed.”

He brushed past you into the room and set his papers on the wardrobe. He began to pour through the documents wordlessly, clearly trying to find what he was looking for. You stared at him in disbelief as he fingered through each and every document. You wondered briefly if he had ever even seen these papers before.

Finally, the guy- dork really- grabbed a paper and held it triumphantly in the air.

“Here we go, yes! Uh, first you’re going to be getting dressed. Uh, we have some clothes you can wear-”

He set the paper back down and pulled open a drawer, rummaging through it silently. He grabbed a few articles of clothing and stretched his arm out.

“Prince Soonyoung actually chose this wardrobe for you,” he told you as you took the clothes in your hands. You opened your mouth to snap back that you weren’t going to wear something just because Prince Soonyoung wanted you to, but before you could you recognized the texture of the fabric in your hand.

Jeans, they were jeans.

You frowned in confusion and let the folded clothes come unraveled. It was a pair of jeans that closely resembled your favorite pair from back home, and a long-sleeved black and white t-shirt, that was the exact size that you liked to wear t-shirts. Just a little oversized.

“How…”

“I- He chose them out for you,” Chan replied softly, his eyes turning soft as he watched you looking at the clothing. “He made a point to study what you liked to wear. He wants you to be as comfortable here as possible.”

Chan sighed and looked around the room.

“He wants to apologize for the room though. He told them to style it after what would make you the most comfortable, but they didn’t really listen. They styled it after his general preference, and so he is styling his room- soon to be both of yours- to be in a more preferable style.”

You narrowed your eyes at the advisor, who for a moment was completely lost in thought. His eyes wandered to yours, and once he realized you were staring at him, he broke out into a nervous smile.

“Well, go on and get dressed! We have a busy day!”

-

You decided pretty early on that Chan was weird.

Not only did he not really seem to know what he was doing at any given moment, he was also getting weird looks from literally everyone around them, and on top of that he kept dragging people to the side- hushedly whispering at them to keep their mouths shut if they tried to say something to him.

You weren’t really sure what he was up to exactly, but you soon found that despite it all, you didn’t mind it.

It was kind of cute to watch him get flustered when he spoke too personally about the royal family, or when he got sidetracked by his own tales of his own misdeeds.

He was kind of cute, and you quite honestly liked his company.

He was strange, and he flirted too much, but mostly you liked the adventure that came with being around him.

“Okay, so then if we head over here…” Chan trailed off, his eyes squinting off down the hall. The silence through you off at first, making you worry that something was wrong, but before you could question any of it, his fingers were wrapped around your wrist and he was sharply pulling you. “Uhm sudden detour.”

You laughed out in surprise as he dragged you down the hall, forcing your skidding feet to regain traction. Soon you had picked up speed and were running directly decided him, dodging maids and butlers every once in a while.

“Where are we going?” You blurted out. He turned and looked at you, his eyes wide like saucers.

“I don’t know!” He admitted. “Out to town?”

You laughed again and let him drag you out of the palace and into the town. Delighted when you got there as he of course had some other bizarre adventure waiting for you guys.

Stretched out before you lay a large stretch of land, grass greener then you had ever seen it back home, with a small slope that led down into a shimmering blue pool of water.

You, slowed down your run, caught totally offguard by the gorgeous sight- but Chan just kept running. He pulled his shirt off, and then unbuckled his pants, clumsily hoping out of the them before splashing into the water.

You were so busy laughing at the entire display that you didn’t even notice him run back out to grab you and drag you into the water with him.

And every day with Chan was like that. Just one wild adventure after the other. There was never a dull moment.

“Okay, okay, tell me something about Prince Soonyoung,” you mumbled softly. Chan glanced over at you, his eyes wide and innocent.

“You sure?” He asked you. You wrinkled your nose and nodded.

“I can’t hate him, forever right? I have to marry him eventually.”

Chan sighed and looked away from you quietly.

“Well, you don’t have to act like it’s such a chore.”

You opened your mouth to ask him to elaborate on what he meant but before you could he had cleared his throat.

“Well, let’s see he’s a black belt in Taekwondo.”

“So, he likes violence… Gotcha.”

“His favorite colors are black and white.”

“Of course, the most boring colors.”

“He really likes sushi and ramen. Honestly, he loves it when he as to go to other countries because he loves to eat at the little convenience stores there,” he stated, shutting up your side comments with a glare. You chuckled at how easy it was to mess with him.

“Alright, alright. What else have you got?” You asked him. He hummed and looked to the side.

“Well, some people call him 10:10 because of the shape his eyes make sometimes,” he stated, you laughed, a confused look riddling over your eyebrows.

“Like, his hands make the hands of the clock when it’s pointed at 10:10?” You asked. He nodded, and that just made your confusion grow. “Did you know your face does that too?”

Chan’s eyebrows shot up and he looked to the side, chuckling nervously.

“Does it?” He asked. His hands came to a rest on his cheeks. “That’s so strange.”

It was moments like those that made you question Chan. He got uncomfortable when you pointed out that he and the prince could be quite similar in some ways.

“He’s adventurous. Hates it when he gets tied down. He’s always running off when his schedule gets to be too strict,” Chan was saying. You rolled over onto your back and stared at him from behind the book that you were holding.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Some people think he’s just immature. But he just ends up feeling so… So, trapped sometimes.” “I… I can’t believe he’s going through with this wedding then,” you murmured. “I mean, even I feel trapped, and I’m usually pretty cool with the idea of being in love.”

“Well, that’s why he isn’t scared,” Chan responded. “He loves you. That’s why he doesn’t want to run away for once.”

“You two must have spent a lot of time together growing up,” you commented. “I mean you even act like him.”

“Wh- I- But-”

You would laugh as Chan stuttered over himself, desperate to convince you that he and Prince Soonyoung weren’t that close. You didn’t understand what that was about, but you let it slide because after dinner Chan would always bring you extra food, and you two would eat and talk for hours.

You… Really liked Chan.

Maybe more then you had in the past.

When you first met him, he was just nice and always there for you and he would smile at you when you were upset, and he always made sure to make you feel comfortable.

He was there when you woke up, there when you went to sleep, and he was the only person in this stupid country that acted nice to you.

It started to get to the point where if you weren’t with him, you found yourself missing him and when you were with him, you couldn’t stop smiling, and when his fingers brushed yours, and he gave you that classic 10:10 smile…

But you were supposed to be getting married to Prince Soonyoung. You couldn’t just fall in love with Chan. You had to give this Soonyoung a chance.

You had to meet this Soonyoung.

You couldn’t keep avoiding him, you couldn’t let Chan tell you that “Soonyoung wants you to have this.” Or “You were supposed to go to this event but Soonyoung didn’t think you would really like it”. You needed to confront him

“Chan!” You called to the advisor. He turned his head and looked at you with that cute wide expression that you had gotten so used to. You got a little side-tracked by the look and then scrunched your eyebrows and look away. “Oh, god. I need to meet Soonyoung.”

“What?” He blurted.

“I have to meet Soonyoung,” you responded. “I can’t keep avoiding it anymore.���

“But-”

“He’s my betrothed!” You blurted back. “Christmas is today, and I’m supposed to marry him January and I just have to meet him.”

Chan looked conflicted.

He stood there for a long moment, his eyebrows furrowed and his chest slowly rising and falling. Every now and then his fingers would reach forward and fiddle with something in reach- his clothes, his hair, the nearby shelf- but the one thing he wouldn’t do was look at you. No instead he focused entirely on the floor, until finally he seemed to have come to a clear decision.

He looked up.

“First I… Should admit something,” he murmured.

Your heart skipped a beat.

“What? There isn’t anything you need to tell me,” you insisted.

He walked up to you, his cheeks flushed red.

“There actually is something I should tell you,” he mumbled uncertainly. You raised an eyebrow at him, letting your head fall briefly to the side.

“Yeah?” You asked.

He nodded.

“There’s actually a reason why you think you haven’t seen the prince yet.”

Your confusion only grew at his words. Why you thought you hadn’t seen the prince yet? What was he talking about?

“What do you mean?”

“My name isn’t actually Chan,” Chan replied hesitantly. That confused even more. You watched warily as the man before you reached forward, gently cupping your chin with his hand. You squinted at the action, unsure of what to make of it. “I’m uh…”

He sighed and looked away from you.

“I’m your betrothed. I’m Soonyoung.”

You stared at him, unable to believe that Chan- Soonyoung- whoever he was was actually who he was now saying he was. There was no way that he was Soonyoung, this man you had made the enemy in your mind for the last couple of days, this man that you had sworn to hate.

Because you had liked Chan. He was sweet, and cared about your feelings, and you most importantly wouldn’t mind having to marry Chan. Because when you looked at Chan, you saw someone who cared about you.

And for some reason it was scarier to think that the man you were being forced to marry after all this time actually cared about you then it was to imagine that someone who you could never be with did.

“I didn’t want to lie to you, but I wanted you to want me just as much as I want you. I knew you’d be opposed to all this- I tried to talk my parents out of it but there was nothing I could do, so I thought I’d make you fall in love with me without the outside influence of just wanting to hate me,” Soonyoung rambled nervously. “But I can’t lie anymore.”

You stared at him blankly.

“You can’t be serious,” you murmured. “I… I thought.”

“I know I shouldn’t have lied to you!” Soonyoung blurted out in frustration. He buried his face in his hands and screamed silently into the palms of his hand. “And of course, now you’ll never trust me or like me- And the dumbest plan I’ve ever come up with is now the reason that you’ll never like me.”

You suddenly… Weirdly enough felt bad for him.

Maybe it was because your brain still strangely thought that he was Chan, or because you hated to see someone upset, or because you just in general felt bad for him but either way, with his head buried in his hands.

You reached forward, your fingers pausing in the air right before you touched him. You rethought it for just a moment, but before you could fully commit to not comforting him, you forced yourself to touch his shoulder.

“I’m… I’m not mad Soonyoung,” you mumbled uncertainly. He glanced up at you, his eyebrows furrowing so you cleared your throat. “Prince Soonyoung?”

“You’re marrying me,” Soonyoung replied. “You can call me whatever you want. Soonyoung, Soonie, 10:10, some people even call me Hoshi-”

You raised a finger in front of Soonyoung’s face and rolled your eyes.

“Soonyoung,” you asserted. You paused and then wrinkled your nose. “You didn’t have to lie Soonyoung.”

“Right, ‘cause you are such an understanding soul when it comes to stuff like this.”

You glared at him, and desperately wanted to argue because how could he possibly know what you were like when it came to things like this… But you also couldn’t really argue with him, as he was right. You probably would’ve hated him for like at least two years if it hadn’t been for the fact that he had done this.

So, while you wanted to be mad. Pissed even, you couldn’t find it in you. After all, you liked him. That was undeniable. He was cute, and nice, and suddenly all the weird ways he had been behaving were no longer that strange.

“So maybe it was a good thing that you lied,” you murmured, pulling your hand away from him. Even as you did, Soonyoung reached forward catching your wrist with his hand. He gave you an easy smile and let his head fall to the side.

“Sorry, too much?” He asked nervously. “I… I really like your touch.” You wrinkled your nose at him, your eyebrows quirking in amusement.

“I mean…” You shrugged, reaching out your other hand. “I don’t mind your touch so much.”

He smiled and went silent for a moment, just appreciating your touch.

“So… You’re not mad then?” He asked you softly. You shook your head.

“No… Not really,” you replied. “Honestly, I’m kinda relieved. I really liked Chan and I felt kind of bad for it.”

Soonyoung’s grin only grew.

“You really liked me?”

“I really liked Chan,” you corrected.

“Yeah, but I’m Chan,” Soonyoung replied just as confidently. “Well… The only Chan that you know. You’ll meet the real Chan at some point.” He was contemplative for a second, looking away from you, before finally he cleared his throat and looked back at you.

“So… Then… You’ll do it?” He asked you. You tilted your head to the side again.

“Do what?” You asked with a tiny chuckle. He rolled his eyes as if what he was about to say was stupid.

“Marry me,” he replied. You snorted. What he had to say was stupid.

“Yeah, of course I will.”

He whooped and scooped you into his arms spinning you around once, twice, and three times before bringing you down and pressing his lips to yours.

You would never admit it to Soonyoung, but that had been your first kiss.

You had spent years fantasizing what it would be like. It felt like you had been waiting for this moment for decades. You had expected it to be one of those moments where sparks flew, and everything just sort of fell into place, and you realized that the man holding you in his arms was a man that you could love for the rest of your life and maybe possibly not regret it one day.

And it was that moment that made you realize that maybe just maybe, this stupid engagement wasn’t stupid at all. Maybe, just maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

Soonyoung pulled back, his smile so large and infectious that you smiled so hard that you buried your face into his chest.

“Prince Soonyoung, merry Christmas,” you mumbled into his shirt, your fingers gripping at his clothing. He smiled and buried his nose in your hair.

“Merry Christmas y/n. I love you.”

[lucidpantone]

Visitations Preview Chap 5: The Finale

**Go and grab your tissue box. You’ll really need to stop being so emosh. @cph-dreaming @fehmyn @hopetofantasy @cleocc @msmesasha​. If I forgot to tag you am sorry. It’s only one memory and that's all you're getting.**

Disclaimer: Same rules apply.

Italics is the past. If not, it's August 15th at any point in the day I chose to drop you into.

“Just one?” 

“Yeah” Robbe responded, acknowledging the cashier.

“To Amsterdam?”

Robbe nodded.

“1st or 2nd class?”

“1st please.”

“That will be €54”

Robbe shoots the cashier a nondescript smile as he sticks his credit card into the card reader and enters his pin to complete the transaction. The cashier hands him over the purchase receipt and signals for the next customer to proceed. Robbe begins to walk away and clumsily walks back a couple of steps and asks “In what direction is platform 3?”. The cashier signals towards the left hand side exit of the post office. Robbe sees the platform in the distance as he exits the store and runs towards it with a couple of minutes to spare before departure. He makes it in just the nick of time and settles into a window seat, anxious to reach his final destination.

The nostalgia of his final stop always caught Robbe off guard. Every time he came back here whether on his own, or with him, everything seemed to have stayed exactly the same since the first time. This place was a strange kinda of place wrapped up in its own personal deja-vu. Housing an unknown poltergeist where earthlingly oddities roamed and mother nature dared to roll around with the solar flares of the sun between her legs. A consequence of all the zygotes that got produced here seasonally. Robbe really didn’t care though, he loved it here, he always found himself here. There was something about this place; rudimentary in its makeup at best but possessing a sense of serenity,  with a dose of mystery, even some romance, a portal to another universe. This place always felt like home. Robbe would visit old haunts, walk the dunes of time, revel in the taste of sodium in the air. He’d hit up familiar store stalls, check out the best vantage points but eventually he’d always find himself back at their old place.

It was restaurant style. Not the fancy type made out of linen.It was white with miniature clams embossed atop, 2ply, 15 inches across but folded down the middle, then folded into 4’s and then once more to emulate the size of a standard envelope. Robbe had seen them in different colors but most people in the world only saw them in that pearl white that the standard restaurant napkins were made of. He just stared into the pattern recalling the day when this senseless artifact became an urn that stored the ashes of his love story.

“This is so stupid, I mean it's basically a pipe dream. It’s never gonna happen.” Sander told Robbe as he pulled out a marker from his back pocket.

“Come on just do it for me.” Robbe begged. Sander chuckled because he knew once Robbe made a request he was going to appease it.

“Okay…. So my dream tattoo shop would look something like this.”  Sander drew out three squares lined up horizontally next to each other like carriages on a train atop the restaurant napkin.

“So the whole concept would be based on the idea that it wouldn't even look like a tattoo shop but a gallery space. Operationally it would be a place of business but functionally it would double up as a tattoo shop/community art space. You know people always associate tattoo shops as these dark and dengy out posts but when you’d walk into mine you’d be flushed with a burst of light making the whole place feel airy. Like a sense of wholeness or something.”

Robbe found Sander’s light up smile endearing as he walked through his imaginary tattoo shop schematic. Robbe rubbed the top of Sander’s hand with his thumb encouraging Sander to continue explaining his future’s prospects.

“I love the way you think baby. You're always so thoughtful and creative.”

“Like I said it's never going to happen but you never know right….life is full of surprises.” Sander was downplaying how much he wanted this future to become a reality.

“No no no. Don’t say it’s never going to happen. We’ll find a way to make it happen.”

“Oh are you going to learn how to tattoo now?” Sander gave Robbe a cheeky grin because Robbe couldn’t even draw a rectangle correctly. Well at least not yet...

“No but I’ll find a way to chip in. I could run the reception or something.” Robbe knew that wouldn’t be much help but that's the best his nineteen year old self could come up with at the time.

“Promise we’ll find a way to make it happen?” Robbe always did this to Sander. Whenever Sander lacked belief in himself Robbe would make him promise on whatever desire he was discounting.

“Only if you promise we’ll do it together?”

“Deal, I mean that’s not a hard request. You know I always keep my promises.”

Robbe and Sander both giggled because both of them knew that Robbe’s promises never faltered. Robbe was the most reliable person Sander knew. Sander couldn’t help but indulge Robbe’s interest in their never gonna happen future.

“Anyways I’m thinking the color scheme would go something like white in the gallery, black in the tattoo shop and then maybe an entry to a garden or patio area.”

Sander rambled on and on about how eventually the gallery space could host events or have fun community sessions. He could teach art to youths since he knew how much art had helped him when he was younger. He had completely mapped out the potential of a place like this and the excitement in his voice was insatiable to say the least.

Robbe loved hearing the sound of Sander’s voice in this particular amped up pitch. It was so tranquil and soothing to him.

“Excuse me, do you need this? It was stuck in between the euros on top of your bill.”

Robbe looked up from the napkin and took inventory of his surroundings. He had got lost in his own memories again. It was becoming a frequent occurrence as of late. He looked up at the waitress who was attempting to hand him over a waxy piece of textured paper. He thanked her and took hold of it.

It was the post office receipt.

Robbe had almost totally forgotten about the dread of having to text Luc to let him know he had mailed back his stuff today. Specifically his GIRL brand skateboard that he adored so much. They hadn’t spoken since their break up but as Robbe went to grab his phone to text Luc he saw a text from Kes.

“Sorry, this is awkward but Luc asked me to ask you if you mailed back his stuff yet?”

        - Kes

“I did it today. It should get to him in 3-5 days. I mailed it 1st class.”

“Umm how’s he doing? Has he said anything to you?”

        - Robbe

“Look, That's my best friend.I don’t want to get involved. All he said to me was that you weren’t ready to invest in love….”

       - Kes

Luc always had a way with words. Always knew how to make Robbe feel guiltier than he already felt. Luc was as blunt as a knife's edge so when he stabbed you he made sure it was torturous and never swift.

As the waitress laid down Robbe’s change from his paid bill he took one final glance over to the broken down booth that he and Sander used to call “their spot”. It stung seeing it empty but he still smiled at the memory of his younger self sneaking the diagram that Sander had penned atop the napkin into his brown jacket. Not knowing then that eventually he’d get to remind an older Sander that sometimes dreams do come true.

The walk back to the house on the beach was refreshing. A light zephyr surged around the pier’s promenade creating an idyllic breeze that seemed to galvanize the local pelican community into flight. The whole ambiance of this beachy hideaway gave Robbe a much needed reprieve from the conflict ensuing in his mind. A litany of doubtful thoughts with no real answers. Continued avoidance was working so far in his favor but Robbe knew that Sander’s patience would wear.

They hadn’t spoken much since the break up. Sander had stuck around for a few days after the initial night to keep Robbe company but the whole ordeal lacked morality. They'd lay in bed together watching TV while Sander just held Robbe tightly. Practically bruising Robbe’s arms. Every few hours Robbe would be stricken with a wave of guilt over what he had done to Luc and he’d need Sander to fuck it out of him. The situation was dire and the irrational had somehow become the rational. Robbe needed to get his shit together and stop his dopesick lifestyle. Sander could not become the dragon he needed to chase to stop the withdrawals. He didn’t deserve that. Robbe had done what he had done and he needed to learn to live with it.

He did eventually kick Sander out after 4 days of this delirium stating that he needed time and space and he just needed Sander to respect that for now. He also called his boss explaining the situation and begging him to forget his resignation. Robbe was lucky that the firm was understaffed and had just signed on new business because otherwise Thibaut would have never agreed to it. At least that was one crisis averted, his apartment on the other hand was in shambles. Everything was in packing boxes and everything needed to be rehoused which was a painstaking process but he did it. It took him a couple of weeks but he did eventually put the pieces of his life back together. Finally waking up one morning after a three week haze with an impulsive craving to head to the house on the beach. Robbe wasn’t sure why he needed to go there, he just knew that it was calling and thus why he now found himself wandering down the promenade on his lonesome. A sherbet sky as his backdrop.

Robbe welcomed the change of scenery of his beachy escape. A part of him loathed his apartment now it was covered in a slime of memories he could not scrub away. Though the house on the beach was nothing more than some worn down furniture he welcomed the opportunity to grab his guitar and lay out on the garden bench outside his room and just strum the night away. It was that time of the day anyways. Sander and Robbe barely spoke or texted during this reflective period but they did communicate in the best way they knew how. See these siloed lovers had their own traditions. Sander had established it but Robbe had developed it. When either one of them didn't feel like talking, usually Sander they communicate in their most comfortable non-verbal formats. For Sander this was his usual set of drawings and for Robbe it was always his guitar. So keeping in line with their usual pattern Sander would text Robbe pictures of his drawings daily and Robbe would return to sender a voice clip of whatever chorus he had strummed together for the day. So that was what he was in the middle of doing when he saw it.

Robbe looked out onto the rainbow sherbet sky; it was an apparition in the distance. He blinked to make sure it wasn't an illusion then a second time for confirmation but it wasn’t a trick of the mind. A figure began to materialize over the sand dunes in an all black attire sporting some laced up Doc Marten’s.

Robbe’s body tensed up. How could it even be possible that he was here too... but as soon as the affliction of concern took over him it quickly dematerialized as the apparition in the distance came into focus and took on corporeal form. Robbe definitely didn’t know her but he couldn't stop observing her. She had a juggernaut presence, he was in awe, curious too but more so because she felt so familiar. Her lavender pinkish locks stood out; they helped frame her face with a dose of softness which was in opposition with the rest of her appearance.

She made a b-line towards Robbe’s direction approaching him with haste. She passed the candy strip ballards and walked onto the wooden planked walkway that paved the entrance of the house on the beach. She stopped at the teal colored Kalise cooler. She opened it and evaluated whatever she found inside and walked right over to the wooden garden bench where Robbe sat legs up strumming his guitar. Robbe shifted his focus downward in an attempt to avoid her gaze.

“Are you the manager here?”

Robbe looked at her completely bewildered recalling the previous time he was asked that same question. Before he had time to think of a cheeky retort she interjected into his thoughts.

“I just wanted to pay for a beer from the cooler”

Robbe kicked his legs off the bench and sat up.

“Oh those are mine actually but feel free to grab one. Free of charge of course”

Robbe shot her a wink.

She was pretty, he thought. Robbe had to double check his senses for a moment. He had never been drawn to a woman like this before. He took a moment to evaluate his entire life choices but it definitely wasn’t that. It wasn���t that kind of connection but there was something about her. It's like his body was reacting to some strange paradox in the universe that had hashed out this otherworldly eidolon sitting in front of him.

“Ummm do I have something on my face or something?” She asked as she brought the rim of the bottle to her lips.

“No…” Robbe replied with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

“Ok so what are you staring at?”

“Shit sorry, you just seem so familiar. Am just trying to put my finger on where I may have seen you before. Are you from around here?”

“Do I sound like I am from around here?” She slapped back with a hint of sarcasm.

Robbe felt like an idiot as soon as the sentence left his mouth. She clearly had a heavy accent and she definitely wasn’t from around here. Her dutch was terrible but conversational. Her whole vibe screamed from somewhere south.

“So whose heart did you break?”

“What?” Robbe scoffed in disbelief. The reminder of guilt sinking him back into his seat.

“Come on..a pretty boy like you strumming his guitar with this as his backdrop” She pointed out to the sherbet bleeding sky; currently highlighting a color mixture of tangerine and cadmium rouge.

“A bit cliche don’t you think?”

“How’d you know I broke someone’s heart and they didn’t break mine?”

“With a face like that. You’re definitely the culprit.” Robbe was blushing but he didn’t disagree; he just stretched out the bottom half of his jaw in a slight twitch.

“Come on I can smell the guilt coming off you? Trust me I should know, it’s my favourite scent.” The pretty girl shot him an eyebrow raise to check Robbe’s temperature. Making sure she hadn’t offended him.

“I don’t even know you….”

“That’s the best part. You can tell me everything and I’ll be honest with you”

At first this sounded ludicrous but then again Robbe hadn’t told anyone the events that had actually occurred that had caused his downward spiral. He was deeply ashamed of how he handled everything and couldn’t bear to see the judgement across Jens or Lia’s face.

“I am Robbe, perpetual dumpster fire of a person. What’s your name?”

The pixie doll apparition shot her focus downward and whispered out, “Whatever you want it to be Robbe?”

“Pick a name for me?”

Why all the mystery? Robbe thought to himself. A didactic approach, Robbe could recognize a fellow strategist when he encountered one.

“No no no, you don’t get to do that. I can’t be the only one telling my secrets.”

She scoffed.

“Fine fine. Call me C.J.”

Robbe pulled a face, “That is not your real name.”

“You said you wanted a name, you never said anything about it being my real name. Take it or leave it.”

God she really did remind him of someone.

“Ok Robbe, I kept my end of the bargain. So tell me your secrets.”

Robbe rolled his eyes at her. There was something about her that was positively unbearable but also highly comforting.

“I recently broke up with my boyfriend…..” Robbe murmured out. She waved her hand in a circular motion indicating to Robbe that she wanted more details and to keep going.

“Because I think i'm still in love with my ex….”

“You think? Or you know?” C.J. questioned.

Robbe put his guitar down on the side of the bench and buried his face in his hands as a display of his frustration.

“I gather that means you know.”

C.J. pivoted her entire body towards his and scooted over rubbing Robbe’s shoulder very lightly. A strangely intimate gesture to exchange between strangers.

“It’s okay, I mean it's not, but you know what I mean.” C.J. attempted to quell Robbe’s worries.

“Ok your gonna need another beer so you can tell me what happened.”

C.J. got up and scurried to the Kalise cooler and hurried back with a beer in hand.

Robbe took a large gulp as soon as she put it in his grip.

“I slept with my ex-boyfriend as soon as me and my new boyfriend broke up”

C.J. shocked her head back and forth as a sign of some weird understanding.

“How long after the break up?”

Robbe buried his face back into his hands. He didn’t want to look at her reaction.

“Like an hour…..”

Robbe clearly heard her shocked snort which was preceded by heavy coughing.

“Sorry, choked on my beer there for a second. An hour? How? Did you drive a ferrari to his house?” She was definitely mocking him now.

“No he was waiting on my doorstep?”

“You got him delivered? His not takeout Robbe.”

“But I gotta admit you Belgians are impressive. We don’t have those types of delivery services from where I'm from. At best you can get a lukewarm pizza to your doorstep.”

Robbe looked at C.J. who was clearly trying to ease the tension and crack a joke. Robbe felt a genuine smile come across his face. He’d been struggling to get one of those to appear as of late.

“Look, I am not gonna sugar coat it. You're a real life asshole.”

“Excuse me?” Robbe responded a bit offended.

“Yeah I mean who breaks up with their boyfriend and has their ex delivered to them within an hour? Kinda of an asshole thing to do.”

“You know what, I don’t need to explain myself to you.” Robbe’s tone had hardened.

“You don’t, but you want to, right? I know because I've been there. Am the biggest asshole I know.”

“So here we are two of the biggest assholes drinking a beer together. Cheers!”

C.J. tapped her beer onto Robbe’s.

Though his instinct was too feel offended by the words coming out of C.J.’s mouth his heart and his head felt a bit of relief finally letting it all out. No matter how ugly his truths sounded out loud.

“Have you ever done something like that yourself?” Robbe questioned C.J. hoping for a bit of camaraderie.

“Not something like that but I’ve put my girlfriend through some serious bullshit. Why do you think I'm in some foreign country driving towards home?”

C.J. pointed at herself, “Total asshole remember”.

“Look Robbe when you're young, a teenager even. You can make mistakes like that and people give you the benefit of the doubt but when you're older everything counts. It's harsh but true.If you keep messing up at our age you become a pariah, a write off, beyond repair, ready to be put out to pasture.”

“But at the same time life’s complicated. People are complicated. Your love story sounds complicated. So ask yourself this, would he really stick by you through the good times, the bad and the motherfucking worse? Because everyone swears they would but in reality that’s not really true. They have no idea how bad it can really get. How bad you can really get. So I’d ask yourself this, would he fight for you? No matter the outcome?”

Robbe just stared at her. He kept wanting to say something but he couldn't seem to construct a sentence. Then it clicked like osmosis.

“You remind me of him, you know. The way you talk. Your whole vibe.” Robbe did a wax on/wax off gestures in C.J.’s direction.

“Who knows..maybe we’re the same person. Do you believe in parallel universes?”

Robbe's head violently spun around. A tidal wave of deja-vu was submerging him. He just nodded in confirmation. Robbe was definitely a believer of parallel universes.

“Yeah I thought so. Kindred spirits and all. We tend to find each other.”

Robbe knew what she meant. It was weird but somehow he felt like they had been here before.

Robbe and C.J. just sat there in silence for a while watching the colors of tangerine and cadmium rouge disappear into midnight hues. Robbe occasionally strumming some chord changes into the air. C.J. humming out some impromptu melodies both go them going back and forth discussing guitar legends that one another should check out. Until it was time for their rendezvous to end.

“I should go. I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow.”

Robbe frowned a little disappointed. He didn’t want her to leave.

C.J. noticed and pouted in response. Both man and woman giggled into the breezy night. Before C.J. stood up she left Robbe with a nugget of truth as she drank the dregs of what was left of her last beer. Wiping her mouth down on her long sleeve shirt as she finished her drink.

“Robbe……” She sounded somber.

“The world never wanted people like you and I to be lovers. They bullied us into becoming fighters and we’ve been trying to get back to loving ever since. Just look at our past”

“My advice, look out for the small stuff. Signs. You can build a foundation off those. If you’re willing...”

C.J. began to get up from the bench.

“You’ll be fine either way Robbe but if you do have someone worth fighting for I try to protect that from the world. Remember through the good, the bad and the mother fucking worse. No matter the outcome.”

Her words struck a chord in Robbe.

“Promise me if you find that. That you’ll jump?”

C.J.’s dark brown eyes felt like they were pinning down Robbe’s soul down. Holding him to some unknown truth but he couldn’t say no to her.

“I promise” Robbe affirmed.

C.J. smiled and quickly broke the seriousness of the entire exchange.

“Right time to go. This was great. Best one night stand of my life. I didn’t even have to put out.”

“Are you ever just normal?” Robbe teased.

“What’s so great about being normal… am an enigma Robbe.” C.J. began to walk down the wooden sandy planks when Robbe shouted out to her.

“Hey, How do I find you again?”

“You don’t Robbe. This was just a random anomaly. We were never meant to meet in the first place.”

Though normally this would seem like a brush off. Robbe somehow understood the dyadic transaction that had just occurred.

“I guess we’ll meet again in another universe?” He let out.

C.J. stopped dead in her tracks.

She twirled back around, her entire self looking back at Robbe and said.

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

[rocksandrobots]

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 6 - The Beach

Saturday had come and Varian and the rest of his new friends were all crowded in Wasabi's car. Wasabi had precisely enough room to fit six people, though perhaps a bit uncomfortably. He and Varian rode in the front seat, with Varian carrying Ruddiger in his carrying cage, while Hiro, Gogo, Honey Lemon, and Fred were squished together in the back seat. The robot, Baymax, was folded up inside his battery pack and tucked away in the trunk to make room. 

Apparently today was a holiday and they were all heading to the beach. Well in truth the actual holiday was on Monday, but Americans spent the whole weekend in celebration. Said holiday was Memorial Day and was meant to honor warriors who fell in battle. However, despite this somber origin, most considered the weekend to be the official start of summer and would mark the occasion with picnics, parties, and public swimming. 

For Varian and his friends though, this was the end of spring break. Starting on Tuesday, the university they now all attended would open back up and the summer semester would begin. The thought of which sent Varian's stomach churning with butterflies. He'd never been to school before and didn't know what to expect. He was filled with anxious excitement and to calm his nerves he looked out the car window to admire the scenery.

He'd been in this strange new world for a week now but he'd had little chance to admire it. For the past five days he'd been busy studying for his entrance exams for college. Passing the 'graduation' test in particular was important for gaining admittance into the school and Varian had to do some serious cramming to prepare for it. Squeezing twelve years worth of educational knowledge into his brain in less than a week.  

Fortunately Varian was very good at memorizing facts and all his new friends were on hand to help him. On Monday, Hiro had helped him gather up the study materials he'd needed and told him what to expect. Wasabi gave him practice tests throughout the week and helped him pinpoint the areas he was weakest in. He was pretty good with math and grasped most of the science quickly, with Wasabi being on hand to fill in the gaps, but he needed help in other less familiar subjects. 

Gogo had swung by on Tuesday and spent the whole day giving Varian a crash course in Social Studies, which was a combination of history, geography, and civics. 

Varian took a special interest in America's founding and it's chosen form of government, which was unlike anything he had heard of before. They had no king nor royalty of any kind. In fact the country was founded by people who committed treason and fought a war to overthrow their ruler, and who then put into place a democracy made up of elected representatives instead. It most closely resembled the government of ancient Rome, before Julius Caesar had taken over, but was expanded upon to encompass a vast kingdom, larger than even most empires. 

Varian had already thought San Fansokyo was an impressively large city, but was completely flabbergasted to know that not only was it not the largest city in the country, it wasn't even the biggest within its own providence; and there were fifty of these states that stretched across the continent from coast to coast with similarly massive metropolises in each. 

It was mind boggling and it took him sometime to wrap his brain around the concept. And that was just the tip of the iceberg, he also had to catch up with some four hundred odd years worth of world events on top of that. But Gogo was a patient teacher and she carefully broke down everything into manageable chunks, giving him timelines, charts, and maps for him to refer back to. By the end of the day he had perhaps learned more in those eight hours spent with her than he had in his whole sixteen years. 

On Wednesday, Fred had showed up to help Varian practice for the writing portion of the tests. He would have to complete two essays on any given subject for each of the two exams. Fred himself had actually completed one of the same tests, the S.A.T, just a few months ago and knew what the graders were looking for when it came to such essays. 

Mainly, they just wanted to know if Varian could follow the basic guidelines of writing; paragraphs and sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and his overall ability to form an argument on paper. All things Varian felt pretty comfortable with, but it was nevertheless a good refresher of those basics. Essay writing and thesis statements were apparently expected of any student attending higher education and he would have to write many during the course of his studies. 

Thursday, Honey Lemon stopped by to help Varian with Language Arts. Both tests would cover reading comprehension and even more grammar. Once again Varian was pretty comfortable with those two subjects, especially given the writing practice from the day before, and so they finished pretty quickly. Even with Honey Lemon adding in extra information about various important books and plays that had been written in the past four centuries, just in case any of them made it into the reading part of the exam. Though Shakespeare was still deemed the most influential even in this modern age. A fact which disappointed Varian; he personally thought Marlowe to be superior to the bard. 

"You don't even like Romeo and Juliet?" Honey Lemon asked aghast, "But it's sooo romantic." 

"But it's sooo stupid," Varian mockingly admonished with a laugh. Which in turn made Honey Lemon give him a not-so-serious pout. 

"Look, what was stopping them from just leaving together in the first place?" Varian explained his point. 

Honey Lemon opened her mouth to retort back but just as soon closed it again; she had never considered that question before. She screwed up her mouth in thought as she searched for a better answer. 

"Weeelll, sometimes it's hard to leave the only home you've ever known. Isn't that why you want to get back to your world?" She asked him.

Varian just stared at her for a moment, thinking of an answer to give that didn't allow him to explain his past in detail. Finally he said, "I wanna get back because my dad is there. I couldn’t care less about Corona itself." 

"You don't care at all?"

"It's just a bunch of buildings." He mumbled with a shrug, then he added, more assuredly, "What matters is the people in your life." 

"I guess," She replied, "all I know is that I had a hard enough time just leaving Sacramento. Even though it's only an hour and a half away and I can still see my family whenever. I can't imagine what it's like to be lost in a whole other world." 

Varian ignored her attempts to sympathize, not because he didn't appreciate the effort, but because he was ready to move on from the conversation. Instead he shut his eyes tightly and tilted his head back, trying to recall some of the new information he had recently learned. "Sacramento; that's the capital of California, right?" 

"Yeah. But don't worry, no one actually memorizes all fifty states and their capitals. I only know like twenty or so." She admitted.

"Oh, good." Varian breathed in relief. Soon both he and Honey Lemon were just giggling, happy to relieve the tension in the room.

"Oooh, you know what? I brought my make-up bag with me!" Honey Lemon suddenly exclaimed, and just like that all previous talk about literature and writing gave away to other subjects, mostly chemistry.

Honey Lemon made her own cosmetics. It was a passion of hers to find new, safe, and 'biodegradable' chemical compounds to replace some of the more toxic stuff on the market. 

"And absolutely no animal testing." She added in all seriousness. 

She even sold her wares over the internet, shipping them to customers as they ordered them, as a means of making money on the side. 

She poured out the contents of a rather large tote bag onto the floor and walked Varian through each item, what it was for, and how she had made it. Varian listened intently and even tried some of the stuff himself. 

He found he didn’t care much for lipstick nor cakey foundation, the texture was off putting to him. He also didn’t like anything with a heavy perfume. However, he did like the eyeliner and the black fingernail polish he had previously bought. He was still fascinated by the concept of synthesized polymers. 

They were both sitting on the floor, makeup strewn everywhere, laughing over nothing in particular, when Wasabi came home from his part-time job. Honey Lemon was in the middle of applying mascara to Varian’s eyes and he was trying his best not to blink but failing at it, which only sent both of them into more fits of giggles. Meanwhile, unnoticed by them both, Ruddgier had gotten into the powered blush and was making a mess in another corner of the room.

“I thought you two were studying.” Wasabi said with a hint of annoyance to his voice. He was tired from work and none too happy to find makeup scattered about his dorm room. 

“Sorry,” Honey Lemon tried to say through her laughter, “but we finished early and I’d promise to teach Varian how to paint his nails.” Varian held up his hand to show Wasabi his newly painted nails as a way of response. 

“That’s nice.” Wasabi replied back in a sarcastic tone. “Did you also teach the raccoon how to put on foundation?” 

That’s when they both finally noticed Ruddiger. Varian got onto his pet and went to clean up the mess, effectively ending the study/make-up session. 

The next day, Wasabi gave him two final practice tests and then it was time for him to take the real thing. He met Professor Granville at the school and, alongside a few other hopeful students, took the two tests. 

The first test, the S.A.T., went smoothly, but he wouldn’t know his actual scores until his answer sheet and essay were sent off to be graded. The graduation test however was taken over the computer and it took several hours to complete with a few breaks between parts. He felt he could have finished sooner had he had the chance to take the test using a pencil and paper instead, as he found the mouse and keyboard awkward. But the positive thing about using the new technology was that he got his scores back sooner. He managed to pass all the parts, even with him just barely scraping by on the Social Studies section. His official certification would come in the mail, the professor told him, but for all intents and purposes he now had a high school diploma. 

Which was apparently a big deal in this world. Earning a diploma was considered to be something of a rite of passage. Obtaining one meant you were ready to start entering the adult world and with it you could gain full time employment or seek higher education, like college. According to his friends, he should’ve been extra proud of this accomplishment since gaining a high school diploma at his age, while not unheard of, was unusual, and he had done it in less than a week when most took years to achieve it. 

To signify just how important this was, all his new friends threw him a party at the Lucky Cat. Even Aunt Cass had pitched in and made him a special dinner. It was something called ‘sushi’ and she typically prepared it for celebrations like this one; having cooked similar dinners for both Tadashi and Hiro when they had graduated high school as well.       

Varian was appreciative of her efforts, though he didn’t quite know what to make of the food itself. The ‘sushi’ consisted mostly of rice topped with raw fish wrapped in seaweed. The taste wasn’t bad but the texture of the uncooked seafood was weird to Varian. Fortunately, not everything was raw. There were different kinds to be had and Varian was able to pick out some that he did enjoy; ones stuffed with crab, egg, or just veggies. He especially liked the ‘dessert sushi’ made with tropical fruit.

He’d just finished recalling last night, when Wasabi loudly proclaimed, “We're here!” 

There were whoops and joyous yells in response from the various passengers and Varian looked out the front windshield to see the familiar blue streak that was the ocean just up ahead. Wasabi parked the car in the designated parking lot and then they all piled out of said vehicle and made their way down to the beachfront. 

The sandy beach was tucked in between two rocky cliffs and you had to walk down a wooden stairway to get to it. As he made his way down the stairwell, Varian could look out and see the expanse of dark blue ocean and lighter blue sky go on forever. It didn't look much different from Corona's coast. What did look different were the inhabitants. Corona's coastline was usually deserted save for the ports and the occasional fishing boat off in the distance, but here the beach was a mass of half naked bodies and swarms of vacationers enjoying the summer sun. Spread out along the sandy tolls were towels, blankets, folding chairs, and umbrellas of all sizes with scantily clad people lounging upon or underneath. 

Varian tried to remember Gogo's words from a week ago, about how this was deemed normal and not to bring himself to attention by starring. But everywhere Varian looked he was met with the sight of a lovely lady's long legs or a handsome lad's toned chest. Not looking was very much like asking a small child in a pastry shop to hold their nose and ignore the sweet smells of pies and cakes surrounding them. Fortunately, he was able to keep his composure long enough for them to reach the shore and find a spot to set up camp for the day; managing not to hold his gaze for too long on any one person or thing. 

They had brought a variety of towels and folding chairs of their own, along with a large parasol and ice chest full of food and drink for the day. Varian and Wasabi had spent that morning making sandwiches for everyone; tuna fish salad, sliced cucumbers with butter, jam mixed with a spread made from ground nuts, and some sort of mystery meat called 'baloney' paired with cheese. Varian couldn't figure out if said baloney was made from ham or chicken, as it didn't really taste like either, though it also didn't taste bad per-say. They also stored small bags of crispy fried potatoes, individually wrapped miniature cakes, and bottles of some sort of fizzy drink called 'soda' in the chest as well. Varian found the carbonated sugary drink to be odd but surprisingly tasty. 

While everyone was setting up Hiro unpacked Baymax from his portable charger, the robot inflated to full size again before stepping out, and Varian released Ruddiger from his carrier. The raccoon was grateful to be let out of the small cage at last and promptly snuggled up on one of the folding chairs under the sun to catnap. Varian didn't think the leash necessary as there really wasn't any place for his pet to run off to. 

Once done with setting up, the gang then proceeded to unpack the various toys and games they had brought along as well. There was a game you played with a net, like tennis, only you used your hands to pass a 'volleyball' over said net instead of a racket and you didn't want the larger ball to touch the ground at any point. They also brought a flat discus called a 'frisbee' which you threw from person to person. Gogo had with her a flat wooden board used to ride the waves that broke along the shore. Which she let Varian and her other friends try out for themselves. 

Varian however was not very good at any of these new sports. While he was fairly athletic, capable of running, climbing, and whatnot, he had never been the best at coordination. More often than not he'd simply trip and fall in his efforts to keep up with the ball or maintain his balance on the surfboard. 

Instead Varian found himself wandering off occasionally to try and strike up conversations with new people. He'd hadn't had a lot of social interaction while growing up, especially with others his age, and he wanted some practice before he started school in a few days. Hopefully to ease the awkwardness of being dumped in a world that he knew next to nothing about. 

However every time he'd smile at a pretty girl or make eye contact with a cute boy his age, his efforts to make small talk were sabotaged by some mishap or other. Either his own clumsiness would get in the way or he'd put his foot in mouth, as the saying goes. One particularly unfortunate incident involved him getting beaned in the back of the head from a misthrown volleyball while trying to chat up a couple of vacationing teens. Fortunately, his embarrassing failures at flirting would be followed by one of his new friends trying to engage him with some other activity so he was never left alone with his awkwardness for long. 

Swimming, sand castle building, more games; like 'chicken', where you tried to push one person off another person's shoulders into the water, or 'Marco Polo' where one person had to find the others with their eyes closed, using the ancient explorer's name as a call and response, digging for seashells, and other similar actives were to be had to pass the time away. 

Finally, the sun started to hang low in the sky and they all headed back to the car. They were wet, tired and covered in sand. They tried to knock the irritating substance off their shoes and things before all squeezing back into the ill fitting vehicle in order to head back home. They all sat on towels so as not to get the seats wet and their bathing suits and cover up clothes all clung to them dripping with sea water. 

Varian sat again in the front seat, only this time Honey Lemon had asked to hold Ruddiger on the ride back. She, Gogo, Fred, and Hiro were all fast asleep in the backseat with Baymax once again tucked away in his battery case. Wasabi had the radio on in order to keep himself awake as he drove (and to drown out Honey Lemon's snoring if he was being honest). The music that filtered out of the speakers was called 'classical' music, which just meant it was mostly orchestral music from ages past. To Varian it sounded very modern and sophisticated to his ears, like chamber music played for royal courts, not the more rustic folk music he grew up on. 

Right now a gentle suite with piano and strings was playing and it along with the steady motion of the car moving was beginning to lull Varian to sleep as well. He looked out again at the houses and scenery that passed by and thought of the day's events and the fun he had had as his eyes grew heavy. This world was so much more inviting and nicer than his own, it was a shame he'd have to leave it soon, but his Dad needed him and that was that. And with that final resolve Varian drifted off to dreamland.