#and i have no locker to put stray jackets in

[alter-koker]

i think im going to fashion jail.

[kyleoreillylover]

Monster- Part II

Summary: Roman thought you would get over what he did to you, and stand by his side like you always did, but he was sorely mistaken. He learned he needed to face his demons in the form of you when you threatened to wreck everything the two of you have built, and he realizes you're just as much of a monster as he is, and doesn't understand why you are hurting him, why you want to take away the empire he built. But he wouldn't be Roman if he didn't use your demons against you, in the form of Jey

Trigger Warnings: Manipulation, cursing, wrestling related violence, allusions to smut but no actual smut written, Roman Reigns being toxic but you’re just as toxic, etc.

word count: 19K

tagged: @southerngirl41 @venusesworld @jeysbae @reci1996 @tbonesteakwithasideofmashngrav @hope4more @selena-tyler-564 @saintaquarius @whatdoeseverybodywant @raya-hunter01 @empressdede @judgementdaysunshine

a/n: not my best work, but I decided to try and get rid of my writers block, and a lot of people liked this one-shot, so I decided to turn it into a series!! hope ya'll enjoy!

dividers by @firefly-graphics

“You know you can’t keep avoiding him, right?”

 “Yes, I can.”

You sighed at feeling Jey’s stare burning a whole through you, waiting for you to look up at him. You avoided his gaze, focusing on putting on your outfit for tonight’s Smackdown. You were wearing Jey's merch with one of his jackets to cover up the bruises that were blooming on your skin.

Jey approached you slowly, his footsteps echoing in the quiet locker room. His hand reached out, gently lifting your chin so that your eyes met. "Baby, you can't keep running forever."  he said softly, his voice tinged with concern. "He's not going to leave you alone until you confront him."

You swallowed hard, knowing Jey was right but not wanting to admit it.

Ever since your loss in the  HIAC match last week against Roman, you had been avoiding your former best friend. He thought you would run to him with open arms and get over the loss, but instead you were playing mind games by avoiding him, knowing it would hurt him, and tried  to distance yourself from the pain and the memories that haunted you. 

"I can't face him, Jey," you finally confessed, your voice barely above a whisper. "I thought I could handle it, but every time I see him, all I can think about is that match. How I let him embarrass me in front of you, how I let you down..."

"Hey, you didn't let me down." Jey's hand moved from your chin to gently cup your cheek, his touch warm and reassuring. "You had all the odds stacked against you, and you still scared the hell out of Roman. You fought with everything you had, and that's all I could ever ask for." 

Tears welled up in your eyes as you looked at Jey, feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt. "But I lost, Jey. I lost for us, for our family, for everything we stand for. I can't face him because I let him hurt you, I let him hurt the man I ove." You choked on the last words, the weight of your emotions heavy in the air.

Jey's expression softened, his thumb wiping away a stray tear from your cheek.  He felt the same embarrassment, knowing he couldn't stop Roman from humiliating you in the match. humiliating you in the match. But his love for you overshadowed any feelings of resentment towards Roman.

Having to watch you take blow after blow from the outside of the cell, watching the two people he loved the most beat each other to hell, seeing you push yourself to your limits despite the odds stacked against you, it tore him apart inside. But he also knew that holding onto that pain wouldn't solve anything.

"Babe," Jey whispered, his voice filled with tenderness, "Roman didn't hurt me. He didn't hurt us. He just... he pushed us. The only thing he hurt was your pride, but you didn't let him break you. You stood tall in that ring, faced him head-on, and pushed him to his limits, and you think I could ever be ashamed of that?" He gently wiped away another  tear, his eyes filled with love and admiration as he looked down at you, making you feel as though you were the only person in the world.

He pressed a kiss to your forehead, his lips warm against your skin. He wanted you to feel the love from him and know that he loves you no matter what. "Please...baby, I know this is hard for you, and I understand," Jey murmured, his voice barely audible over the hum of your racing heartbeat. "But he's family, and-"

"I dont care if he's family!" you interrupted, your voice rising with frustration and hurt. "Family is supposed to have your back, not tear you down in front of the whole world! He's not family to me anymore, Jey. He's just... just someone I used to know."

Jey sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he processed your words. He knew deep down that you were right, that Roman's actions had fractured the bond that once held you all together. But he couldn't shake the feeling of loyalty, the sense of duty he felt towards his cousin, even in the midst of the chaos he had caused.

"I hear you, baby," Jey said finally, his voice tinged with sadness. "But for me, please try to at least talk to him. For the sake of our family, for the sake of us. Yell at him, scream at him, do whatever you need to do to get closure, but don't let this eat you up inside. We'll get through this together, okay?"

What you didnt know was that Roman was forcing Jey to choose sides, and Jey felt torn between his loyalty to his cousin and his love for you. So to stop the escalating tension between you and Roman, Jey felt compelled to intervene, hoping to find a resolution that would appease both parties without causing further rifts in their family.

You took a deep breath, steel your resolve, knowing that Jey was right. You couldn't keep avoiding Roman forever, and as much as you resented him for what he had done, you also knew that letting this fester would only cause more pain in the long run. With a nod, you squeezed Jey's hand, silently promising to face Roman head-on, for the sake of your relationship and your sanity.

"Okay, Jey," you whispered, your voice wavering slightly but filled with determination. "I'll talk to him. But only because you asked me to." Oh, talk to him you would. You never said you would forgive him or forget what he did, but you knew it was time to confront the demons that had been haunting you since that fateful match.

Jey's eyes softened with relief, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Thank you, baby," he murmured, pulling you into a tight embrace. He was surprised that you agreed to talk to Roman, knowing you hated him right now with every fiber of your being. But he also knew that you were doing it for him, for your relationship, and for your own peace of mind.

He held you close, his arms wrapped protectively around you, silently promising to be there for you every step of the way.  You felt anger course through your veins at the mere thought of facing Roman again, and you knew it would go in a way Jey wouldn't like. But you didn't care. You were done running, done hiding. It was time to confront the man who had shattered your pride and nearly torn apart everything you held dear.

Roman was angry as he made his way to the ring, Paul Heyman flanking him with a concerned look etched on his face. He thought you would understand why he did what he did during the match.

He thought you would see it as tough love, as a way to push you to your limits and make you stronger. He thought you out of all people would know that he did it for your own good.

But instead, he was met with silence, with avoidance, with betrayal. He couldn't understand why you were shutting him out, why you were pushing him away when all he wanted was to help you become the best version of yourself.

He thought you'd get over the loss , of him using Jey against you, but you were proving him wrong with every passing day. As he stepped into the ring, the crowd erupted into a chorus of boos, but Roman barely registered their disapproval. His thoughts were consumed by you, by the way you had been avoiding him, by the hurt and anger simmering just beneath the surface.

The moment he picked up a microphone, the arena fell into a tense silence, every pair of eyes fixated on him, waiting for his next move. "Y/N," he began, his voice low and controlled, "I know you're out there somewhere, hiding in the shadows like a wounded animal. But you can't hide from me forever."

He paused, letting his words sink in, letting the weight of his presence hang heavy in the air. "I did what I did because I care about you, because I wanted to push you to your limits and make you stronger. But instead of seeing it for what it was, you've chosen to see me as the enemy, as the one who tore you down instead of building you up."

He took a breath, his chest rising and falling with the weight of his emotions. "But I'm not your enemy, Y/N. I'm your family. I'm your best friend. And no matter how much you try to push me away, I'll always be here for you. You can't ignore your  feelings forever, Y/N. Sooner or later, you're going to have to face them, and when you do, I'll be waiting. Because no matter what happens, no matter how much you hate me right now, I'll always love you."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, unsure of how to react to Roman's unexpected vulnerability. But Roman paid them no mind, his focus solely on you, on getting through to you, on making you understand his perspective. He lowered the microphone, his gaze scanning the crowd as if searching for a sign, a clue as to your whereabouts.

"So come out, Y/N."  Roman continued, his voice softening slightly. "Or are you too scared to face me?" Roman's voice echoed through the arena, cutting through the tension like a knife. He could feel the eyes of the audience on him, the weight of their anticipation heavy in the air.

But his eyes were focused on the ramp, knowing your music would begin playing now,  knowing you couldn't resist protecting your ego.

Sure enough, the familiar strains of your entrance music filled the arena, eliciting cheers from the crowd. You paid them no mind as you stepped out of the back, your expression guarded but determined.

Jey was standing beside you, his hand resting reassuringly on your shoulder as you made your way to the ring. He was your rock, your anchor, the one who gave you the strength to face Roman head-on, even when every fiber of your being screamed at you to run. 

Roman smirked to himself at the sight. He knew threatening the person you love most was a low blow, but he didn't care. He was tired of playing nice, tired of pretending everything was okay when it clearly wasn't. He wanted answers, and he wasn't going to stop until he got them.

You climbed into the ring,  your gaze locked with Roman's, neither of you backing down from the intense stare. You could feel the tension crackling between you, the weight of unresolved emotions hanging heavy in the air. But you refused to let Roman see how much he had affected you, how deeply his actions had cut you.

Jey lightly tugged on your arm, silently urging you to speak up, to get this over with. You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for what was to come.

"Roman," you began, your voice steady despite the tumult of emotions swirling inside you, "You are standing there, all smug and self-righteous, as if I wasn't this close to becoming champion and taking everything you worked so hard to get. I was 3 seconds away from winning, so don't act like you are some untouchable god."

Roman cackled at your words, the sound echoing through the arena like a gunshot. "Oh, Y/N," he chuckled, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Don't act so surprised. You knew what you were getting into when you stepped into that ring with me. You knew the stakes, you knew the consequences. And yet, you still couldn't handle the pressure." 

He took a step closer to you, his gaze unwavering. "You talk about being three seconds away from victory, but you forget that those three seconds were the most crucial of your career. Those three seconds were the difference between success and failure, between glory and defeat. And that's the difference between you and me. I don't crack under pressure, Y/N. I thrive on it. I thrive on the challenge, on the competition, on pushing myself to be better, to be stronger, to be the best.

But you? You crumbled. You let the pressure get to you, and you lost. And now you're standing here, trying to shift the blame onto me, trying to make excuses for your failure. But the truth is, Y/N, you have no one to blame but yourself."

Your jaw clenched at Roman's words, the anger bubbling up inside you threatening to spill over. How dare he stand there and lecture you about failure when he was the one who orchestrated your downfall? How dare he act like he was above reproach, like he was untouchable, like  was not at fault when he was the one who manipulated the situation to his advantage? 

Jey stood next to you, sharing a worried look with Paul and cautiously watching the tense exchange between you and Roman unfold. He could see the fire burning in your eyes, the rage simmering just beneath the surface, and he knew that if he didn't intervene soon, things would escalate beyond repair.

But before he could step in, you took a step forward, your fists clenched at your sides as you met Roman's gaze head-on. 

"You want to talk about pressure, Roman?" you spat, your voice dripping with venom. "You want to talk about what it means to thrive on competition? Fine. Let's talk about pressure. I used our friendship in that match to gain an advantage, and like the idiot you are, you took the bait. It only took you some tears to distract you, to make you lose focus, to show the world that you're not as untouchable as you think you are." 

You were now the one cackling at Roman's angry expression, relishing in the satisfaction of finally getting the upper hand. "'Oh Roman, I give up! Please, don't hurt me anymore!'

You mocked your words during the match, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "You really thought you could manipulate me into submission, didn't you? You thought you could use our history against me, use Jey against me, and I would just roll over and take it like a good little puppy. Well, guess what, Roman? I'm not your pawn. I'm not your puppet. And I sure as hell am not your friend."

Roman's expression darkened at your words, his fists clenched at his sides as he struggled to maintain his composure. He hadn't expected you to turn the tables on him, to use his own tactics against him. But as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't deny the truth in your words. He had let his emotions cloud his judgment, had let his anger towards Jey blind him to the consequences of his actions. And now, he was paying the price for his arrogance.

"Guys, maybe we should just calm down and talk this out," Jey interjected, stepping between you and Roman, his hands raised in a placating gesture. He could feel the tension in the air, the anger radiating off both you and Roman like a palpable force, and he knew that if they didn't find a way to resolve this peacefully, things would only escalate further.

But neither you nor Roman seemed inclined to listen to reason, both of you still seething with anger and resentment towards each other. You glared at Roman, your fists clenched at your sides as you fought to control your rising temper. 

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down, Jey," you snapped, your voice laced with venom. "He's the one who started this, who used you against me. He doesn't get to play the peacemaker now."

Roman scoffed at your words, his eyes narrowing in disdain. "You lost, you tapped out, you humiliated yourself in front of your family, and now you want to play the victim?" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You made your bed, Y/N. Now lie in it."

Your blood boiled at Roman's words, the anger and hurt coursing through your veins like wildfire.

"How dare you!" You shouted,  your voice echoing through the arena, your chest heaving with anger and frustration. You pushed Roman away from you, taking a step back to compose yourself. 

"How dare I?!" Roman pushed back, his voice rising with fury. "How dare you come out here and try to blame me for your own failures? How dare you try to make me the villain in this story when all I've ever done is try to help you? You're the one who tapped out, who gave up, who let your pride get in the way of victory. And now you have the audacity to stand there and act like I'm the one who's wrong? You're delusional, Y/N. You're a disgrace to this family, to our legacy."

A resounding slap echoed through the arena as your hand connected with Roman's cheek, the sound reverberating like thunder in the tense silence that followed. Roman staggered back, his hand instinctively rising to his stinging cheek as he stared at you in shock, his expression a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Jey quickly stepped between you and Roman, his hands outstretched to keep you both apart. "That's enough!" he exclaimed, his voice firm and commanding. "Both of you, calm down!" He tried to push the both of you away from each other, Paul rushing in to assist Jey in diffusing the escalating tension.

But the damage had been done. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, and neither you nor Roman seemed inclined to back down. You glared at Roman, your chest heaving with anger and frustration, while Roman's expression was a mask of rage and indignation.

"You said you were gonna settle this, baby!" Jey grabbed your waist, pulling you away from Roman, his grip firm but gentle as he tried to calm you down. "You need to calm down, please, We can't go on like this. You're both tearing each other apart, and for what? A match? A championship? Is it really worth sacrificing your relationship over?" Jey's words cut through the tension like a knife, his voice pleading for reason, for peace, for a resolution that didn't involve further bloodshed.

Roman gripped the ropes of the ring, his knuckles turning white with the force of his grip. He glared at you, his eyes burning with anger and hurt, but underneath it all, there was a glimmer of something else. Something softer, more vulnerable, hidden beneath the layers of resentment and pride.

"You're still part of the Boodline, Y/N," Roman growled, his voice low and threatening. "You may not want to admit it, but you're still one of us. And no matter how much you try to push me away, I'll always be here for you. I may not agree with your decisions, with your actions, but I'll always love you. And I'll always be willing to fight for you, even when you won't fight for yourself."

You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for the storm of emotions raging inside you. "I'm leaving the Bloodline, Roman." You declared, your voice steady despite the turmoil in your heart.

It was like a pin dropped in the arena, the crowd falling silent as they processed your words. Jey let go of your waist, his eyes widening in shock at your declaration. Roman's expression turned icy, his features hardening with anger, hurt, and betrayal.

"You're what?" Roman's voice was barely above a whisper, but the intensity behind it sent shivers down your spine. 

"Yeah, you're what?" Jey's voice was sad, and filled with disbelief, his eyes searching yours for any sign of doubt, any indication that you were joking.

"You pushed me too far this time, Roman." Your eyes were filled with tears as you took a step back, your voice trembling with emotion. "I don't care if you hurt me, but you hurt the man I love in front of me, and you made me watch the life slip from his eyes. I can't forgive you for that. I won't forgive you for that."

You bit your lip, fighting back the tears threatening to spill over. "I'm done, Roman. I'm done being your pawn, your punching bag. I'm done sacrificing my happiness for your ego. I'm done pretending like everything is okay when it clearly isn't. I'm leaving the Bloodline, and I'm never coming back."

Roman's expression darkened, his eyes blazing with fury as he took a step towards you. You were his best friend, his family, his everything, and the thought of you leaving was like a knife twisting n his heart. "You... you can't leave, Y/N," he growled, his voice laced with desperation. "You're a part of this family, a part of this legacy. You can't just walk away from that."

But you stood your ground, your resolve unwavering despite the fear and uncertainty swirling inside you. "Watch me," you shot back, your voice firm and resolute.

You turned around, but you were stopped by Jey standing in front of you, stopping you in your tracks. His hand automatically went to your shoulder, and his eyes were filled with sadness and regret as he looked at you, his grip tightening slightly as if trying to anchor you to him, to the life you had built together.

"Y/N, please," he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Jey..." You started, but Jey nterrupted you, his voice filled with desperation. "Don't do this, baby. Please. We can work through this together. We can find a way to make things right, to rebuild what's been broken... we can start over, start fresh. You don't have to leave the Bloodline, leave me. We can make it work, I know we can."

"Yeah, we can make it work. Not me and Roman." You said softly, tears glistening in your eyes. 

"You leaving is leaving us." Jey 's voice cracked as he spoke, his own tears threatening to spill over. "I can't lose you, Y/N. I can't lose what we have. Please, don't do this. Please, don't leave me."

It was like deja vu, watching him cry was bringing you back to when you forced Roman to sign the contract and thought you left Jey for good, and you knew you couldn't live without him in your life. So this time, you were gonna make the right choice.

"Then come with me," you whispered, reaching out to cup Jey's cheek, your thumb wiping away a stray tear. "Come with me, Jey. Leave the Bloodline behind, leave Roman behind. We can start over, start fresh. Just you and me, against the world."

Jey's eyes widened in disbelief, his heart pounding in his chest as he processed your words. The thought of leaving the Bloodline, leaving his family, wasn't something he could do easily.

Roman's laughter interrupted  the tense moment, his voice dripping with scorn and amusement.

"Oh, this is rich," he sneered, his gaze flickering between you and Jey. "This happy couple thing the both of you have going on disgusts me. You two think you can just walk away from the Bloodline, from everything we've built together? You think you can just turn your backs on your family, on your legacy, and expect to live happily ever after? You're delusional, both of you. You'll always be part of the Bloodline, whether you like it or not. And if you think you can just walk away without consequences, you're sorely mistaken."

Roman's gaze went to Jey, and the angry expression on his face made Jey's heart grow with fear, scared of what Roman might do to him, to you, to their relationship. "Jey, I know I might be hard on you, but I love you. I did what I did to protect her, and I'm sorry for any pain I may have caused you."

You gaped as Roman was... outwardly apologizing to Jey. Roman NEVER apologized to anyone, let alone someone he considered family. 

Jey's expression softened at Roman's unexpected apology, his gaze flickering between you and Roman as he processed the words. He could see the sincerity in Roman's eyes, the genuine remorse behind his tough exterior, and it gave him a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to move forward from this mess.

"But you have to understand, she's making a mistake. She's letting her emotions cloud her judgment, and if you go with her, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You'll regret leaving the Bloodline, leaving me. You'll regret choosing her over your own family."

"Roman..." Jey's voice was barely a whisper, his throat tight with emotion. 

"Don't you dare make him choose between us, Roman." You glared at Roman, stepping in front of Jey to shield him from Roman's manipulative words.

"You're the one that said something about making a choice, Y/N," Roman shot back, his voice dripping with contempt. "You're the one that's forcing him to choose between his loyalty to his family and his love for you. So don't act like I'm the bad guy here."

"Miss Y/N, he's right, y'know?" Paul interjected, his voice calm but firm as he stepped forward, his gaze flickering between you, Jey, and Roman. "You're putting Jey in an impossible position, asking him to choose between his loyalty to his family and his love for you. And as much as you hate to admit it, Roman has a point. You are making Jey get hurt either way, and if you truly love him you would sacrifice your own desires for the sake of his well-being."

You clenched your fists, your jaw tightening with frustration at Paul's words. He was right, of course, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. You couldn't bear the thought of losing Jey, of watching him choose between you and his family, between his loyalty and his love.

But you also couldn't bear the thought of staying in the Bloodline, of subjecting yourself to Roman's manipulation and control any longer.

"You're the one that's choosing to walk away, to abandon your family, your legacy, your bloodline. And for what? For a relationship that's built on lies and deception? You think Jey is going to choose you over his own flesh and blood? You think he's going to turn his back on everything he's ever known, everything he's ever fought for, everything he's ever believed in, just to be with you?"

You turned to Roman, tears filling your eyes as  you struggled to find the words to express the turmoil raging inside you. “Just shut up.”

“No, I’m not going to. And you know why?” Roman 's voice rose with anger, his fists clenched at his sides as he took a step towards you.

"Because I'm not going to stand here and watch you destroy everything we've built, everything we've fought for, everything we've sacrificed for, just because you can't handle a little pressure. You're selfish, Y/N. You're selfish for putting Jey in this position, for forcing him to choose between you and his family. And you're selfish for thinking that you can just walk away from the Bloodline without facing any consequences. I wont let you leave me, I wont let your stuborness destroy what we have, and  I wont let you take Jey away from me."

Roman's voice was low and menacing, his eyes flashing with anger and determination. “You will thank me for stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life. You will thank me for saving you from yourself.”

You shook your head, tears streaming down your cheeks as you took a step back, the weight of Roman's words bearing down on you like a ton of bricks. “I... you can’t force me to stay, Roman," you choked out, your voice breaking with emotion. 

"Like hell I can't," Roman growled, his voice laced with venom as he took another step towards you. "You're not leaving, Y/N. Not now, not ever. You're practically my family, and I'll be damned if I let you walk out that door and never look back. You're staying, whether you like it or not."

You scoffed at the utter insanity coming out of Roman's mouth, unable to comprehend how someone could be so controlling, so manipulative. "Are you actually this insane Roman?! You can't control my life!" 

"I can do whatever I want, Y/N," Roman snapped, his voice filled with rage and frustration. "I'm the head of the Bloodline, the Tribal Chief, and I make the rules around here. And the rule is, you're not leaving. Not without my permission."

Jey gently grabbed your hand, softly squeezing it in a silent gesture of support. "Baby, Roman doesn't mean any of that," he murmured, his voice filled with reassurance. "He's just... he's just scared of losing you, of losing his family."

You pulled away from Jey at his words. "What?" You stared at him in disbelief. You knew Roman had him in a chokehold, but you didn't think it was this bad. You were so gonna beat some sense into Roman. 

"Jey, please tell me you realize how crazy that sounds. He literally tricked you last week and put you in a chokehold to make me tap out. You think family acts like this? That they hurt and manipulate each other like this?" Your voice cracked with emotion, tears streaming down your cheeks as you struggled to make sense of the chaos unfolding around you.

Jey's expression softened, his eyes filled with regret as he reached out to cup your cheek. "I know, baby, I know," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of the crowd.

"But he's family, and... and I can't just turn my back on him, on everything we've built together. I can't just walk away from the Bloodline, from our legacy. I can't... I can't choose between you and him, Y/N. I can't lose you, but I can't lose him either."

In Jey's mind, he stood up to Roman by not letting him take you from him and by being with you, so the two of you just needed to work your shit out and get on the same page. 

You sighed, hurt, but knowing where he was coming from. You knew that Jey was torn between his loyalty to Roman and his love for you, and you couldn't fault him for it. But at the same time, you couldn't stand by and watch as Roman continued to manipulate and control both of you. You had to make a choice, and you had to make it now.

"I told you that he would never choose you over me." Roman's voice turned somber, and a sense of triumph rang in his words as he looked at you, his gaze piercing through the veil of uncertainty that shrouded your heart.

"So please... stop this insanity. Stop trying to tear apart the only family you've ever known, the only family you've ever had. You belong with us, Y/N. You belong with me. So please... come home."

You stood there, caught between the two men you loved most in the world, their words swirling around you like a whirlwind of emotions. Roman actually looked remorseful, regretful, and... lonely. For the first time, you saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the pain hidden behind the facade of anger and control.

And for a moment, you couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him, a flicker of understanding for the struggles he had faced, the burdens he had carried.

"Okay...I'll stay. Under one condition," you said finally, your voice firm and resolute. "I get another shot at your title. If I lose, I stay in the Bloodline for good, no strings attached. But if I win... you let me walk away, no questions asked... and I bring Jey with me."

You could feel Jey's gaze burning through you from across the ring, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief at your ultimatum. Roman's laugh echoed through the arena, but you could hear the hurt and resentment beneath the surface.

"You think I'm going to let you get another shot at my title, Y/N? You think I'm just going to hand it over to you on a silver platter, like some kind of consolation prize?" Roman sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. 

"You had your chance, Y/N. You had your shot at glory, and you blew it. You tapped out, you gave up, you proved that you're not worthy of holding this title. And now you have the audacity to stand there and demand another shot? You're delusional, Y/N. You're living in a fantasy world if you think I'm going to give you another chance to humiliate yourself, to embarrass yourself, to hurt you, because believe it or not, I actually care about you, Y/N. I care about you more than you'll ever know, and I don't want to see you get hurt again."

You bristled at Roman's words, the anger rising inside you like a tidal wave threatening to consume everything in its path. "You care about me?" you scoffed, your voice dripping with sarcasm. 

"If you cared about me, you wouldn't have manipulated me, you wouldn't have used me, you wouldn't have hurt me. You say you care about me, Roman, but your actions speak louder than words. And right now, your actions are telling me that you don't give a damn about me, about my feelings, about my well-being. You only care about yourself, about your precious title, about your precious legacy. Well, guess what, Roman? I don't give a damn about your title, about your legacy, about your precious Bloodline.

All I care about is getting justice for what you did to me, to Jey, to us. So you can either give me another shot at your title, or you can watch as I tear down everything you've ever worked for, piece by piece, until there's nothing left but ash and dust. The choice is yours, Roman. But know this... I won't stop until I get what I want. And if that means destroying everything you hold dear, then so be it."

"No, you not gonna do this." Jey interrupted, his voice filled with desperation as he stepped forward, his hand outstretched towards you.

"You think those bruises on your body magically appeared? No, they were caused by Roman. He manipulated you into signing the contract, he hurt you, he humiliated you, he made you feel like you were worthless. And now you want to give him another chance to do it all over again? You want to risk getting hurt again, just for the chance to prove that you're better than him? You want to get hurt by him just to prove a point? Just to hurt him?! Are you fucking crazy, Y/N?! Do you want to end up like me, forced to watch as you get hurt over and over again, unable to do anything to stop it? Is that really what you want?"

You flinched at Jey's words, the pain in his voice cutting through you like a knife. He was right, of course. You had seen the bruises on your body, felt the pain in your bones, and you knew deep down that Roman was capable of inflicting even more damage if given the chance. But you also couldn't bear the thought of letting him win, of letting him continue to manipulate and control you, to dictate your life and your choices.

Damn your stubbornness that led you to this point. "Jey... I''m doing this, for you." Your admission hung heavy in the air, the weight of your words settling over the ring like a shroud of uncertainty.

"You never got to choose how things went down with Roman last time. You never got to stand up for yourself, to fight back against the injustice he inflicted upon us. And I can't just stand by and let him get away with it. I have to do something, Jey. I have to fight back, for both of us. Even if it means risking everything, even if it means putting myself in harm's way. I have to try, Jey. I have to try."

"I'm not letting myself hurt you again." Roman interrupted,  his voice softening as he stepped forward, his gaze locked on yours with a mixture of regret and determination. "Listen to your boyfriend, Y/N. You really want to be battered and bruised again? You really want to do that? You can't beat me.

And even if you did somehow manage to win, it wouldn't change anything. I'd. never let you leave this faction, you'd still be part of the Bloodline, you'd still be my family, you'd still be trapped in this never-ending cycle of violence and betrayal. Is that really what you want, Y/N? Is that really worth risking everything for?"

You hesitated, the weight of Roman's words bearing down on you like a ton of bricks. He was right, of course. Even if you did somehow manage to defeat him, it wouldn't change the fact that he would never let you  leave the Bloodline. You would still be trapped in a toxic environment, forced to endure his manipulation and control for the rest of your life. And as much as you hated to admit it, you knew that Roman was right. You couldn't beat him, not without sacrificing everything you held dear. 

But as you turned to Jey, all that anger and hurt came back in a rush, the memories of everything you had endured together flooding your mind like a tidal wave. You remembered the nights spent comforting each other, the whispered promises of love and loyalty, the moments of pure bliss amidst the chaos of the world around you. And in that moment, you knew what you had to do.

"Yes." You whispered, your voice barely above a whisper as you looked into Jey's eyes, your heart heavy with regret and determination. "I have to do this, Jey. I have to try. For us." You turned back to Roman, a defiant look in your eye that he loved and hated at the same time. "Please, Ro." At your nickname for him, he paused, his expression softening slightly at the familiar term of endearment.

"Please, Roman," you continued, your voice pleading now, "let me do this. Let me have one more chance to prove myself, to prove that I'm not just some pawn in your game. Let me show you that I'm stronger than you think, that I'm capable of standing on my own two feet, that I'm not afraid to fight for what I believe in. Just... let me try."

Roman stared at you for a long moment, his gaze searching yours for any sign of doubt, any indication that you weren't serious about this. But all he saw was unwavering determination, a fierce determination that mirrored his own, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride swell in his chest. 

"If you can beat Auksa, and get back your Smackdown Women's Championship, then I accept  your request," Roman finally conceded, his voice low and measured. "But know this, Y/N... if you fail, if you lose to Auksa again, then that's it. No more chances, no more second opportunities. You'll stay in the Bloodline, and you'll never leave again. Do you understand?"

You nodded, the weight of Roman's words settling over you like a heavy burden. "I understand," you murmured, your voice barely audible over the hum of the crowd. "I'll do whatever it takes to win, Roman. I promise."

Roman's gaze softened at your words, a flicker of something akin to pride flashing in his eyes. "Good," he said simply, his voice firm but not unkind. "You'll need that title for when you lose to me for the 2nd time."

The tension in the arena was palpable as Roman's words hung in the air, a challenge issued and accepted. You knew that defeating Auksa and reclaiming your championship would be no easy task, especially with Roman looming over you like a shadow, ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness. But you knew you could do it.

With a nod of determination, you turned away from Roman, but when you turned back to Jey and saw the look in his eyes, you knew he was anything but okay with your decision. His expression was one of heartbreak and disappointment, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he realized that you were going to go through with this risky plan. You reached out to him, your heart aching at the thought of hurting him even more, but he pulled away, his gaze dropping to the floor as he struggled to compose himself.

But if you could finally beat Roman, then he would see that this was the right choice. You would prove to him that you were strong enough to stand on your own, that you were capable of making your own decisions, and that you were willing to fight for your freedom, for your happiness, for your love.

And that's all you ever wanted to do.

"Baby." You were now the one trying to talk to Jey, but he ignored you in favor of taking out  your luggagge in your rental car. You felt a pang of sadness as you watched him, knowing that you had hurt him deeply with your decision to go through with Roman's challenge. But you also knew that you couldn't let his pain stop you from doing what you believed was right.

"Jey, please," you pleaded, reaching out to touch his arm, but he flinched away from your touch, his expression closed off and unreadable. "I know you're upset, and I understand why. But please, try to see things from my perspective. I have to do this, Jey. I have to try to beat Roman, to prove to him that I'm not just some pawn in his game. I have to try to reclaim my title, to show him that I'm stronger than he thinks. And if I don't... if I fail... then at least I'll know that I tried. At least I'll know that I didn't give up without a fight."

Jey sighed, his shoulders sagging with resignation as he turned to face you, his gaze softening with regret and understanding. "I know, baby, I know," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I'm not saying that I don't understand why you're doing this. I do. I understand completely. But... but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

You felt a lump form in your throat at his words, the weight of his disappointment settling over you like a heavy blanket. "I'm sorry, Jey," you whispered, tears stinging your eyes as you reached out to cup his cheek, but he pulled away from your touch, his expression guarded and closed off. "I'm sorry for hurting you, for putting you in this position. I never wanted to hurt you, Jey. You have to believe me."

Jey sighed, his gaze softening slightly as he reached out to take your hand in his, his touch gentle and reassuring. "I know you didn't, baby," he murmured, his voice filled with sadness and regret. "And I believe you. I do. But..I know you ain't gonna stop till you get what you want, and I respect that about you. I just... wish you weren't so stubborn, that it wouldn't kill you to listen to me. Do you not see that I'm just trying to protect you, to keep you safe from Roman's manipulation and control? I love you, Y/N. I love you more than anything in this world, and I would do anything to keep you safe, to keep you from getting hurt. 

But I also know that I can't stop you from doing what you believe is right, from fighting for what you believe in. And as much as it hurts me to see you put yourself in harm's way, I also know that I can't stand in your way, that I have to let you fight your own battles, make your own choices, and live with the consequences.

So... so please, just promise me one thing, Y/N. Promise me that you'll be careful, that you won't do anything reckless, that you'll come back to me in one piece. Can you do that for me, baby? Can you promise me that? That if you lose to Auska, then that's it. You'll stop trying to fight Roman and accept that you'll have to stay in the Bloodline, for better or for worse?"

You looked into Jey's eyes, seeing the love and concern shining through despite the pain and uncertainty clouding his gaze. You knew that he was asking you to make a difficult decision, to choose between your desire for revenge and your love for him.

And as much as it pained you to admit it, you knew that he was right. You couldn't keep putting yourself in harm's way, risking your safety and well-being for the sake of a vendetta against Roman. You had to put your love for Jey above all else, even if it meant sacrificing your own desires and ambitions.

With a heavy heart, you nodded, tears streaming down your cheeks as you reached out to cup Jey's cheek, your thumb wiping away a stray tear.

"I promise, Jey," you whispered, your voice trembling with emotion. "I promise that if I lose to Auska, then that's that. I won't keep trying to fight Roman, to prove myself, to reclaim my title. I'll accept that I'll have to stay in the Bloodline, for better or for worse. I promise that I'll be careful, that I won't do anything reckless, that I'll come back to you in one piece. I promise, Jey. I promise."

Jey's eyes softened at your words, his gaze searching yours for any sign of doubt, any indication that you weren't being sincere. But all he saw was unwavering determination, a fierce determination that mirrored his own, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride swell in his chest.

"Thank you, baby," he murmured, cupping your face and kissing you on the lips, his tongue slipping into your mouth in a desperate attempt to convey all the love and longing he felt for you in that moment.

You melted into his embrace, the weight of his love and support enveloping you like a warm blanket, soothing the ache in your heart and easing the doubts swirling in your mind.

When you pulled away reluctantly, you clung to his comforting cologne and the feel of his arms around you, cherishing the warmth and security he provided.

"I love you, Jey," you whispered, your voice barely above a whisper as you rested your forehead against his, your breath mingling with his in a silent exchange of love and affection.

"I love you too, baby," Jey murmured, his voice filled with emotion as he pressed his lips against yours once more, savoring the taste and feel of you against him. "More than anything in this world. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, to keep you happy, to keep you by my side. I promise."

You smiled through your tears, feeling a sense of peace settle over you as you clung to Jey, knowing that no matter what challenges lay ahead, you would face them together, as a team, as partners, as lovers. "You really promise?"

Jey smiled at you, guilt and regret lingering in his eyes as he nodded. "I promise, baby. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, to keep you happy, to keep you by my side. I won't let anything or anyone come between us, not even Roman."

You leaned into his embrace, feeling a sense of relief wash over you at his words. "Thank you, Jey," you whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jey smiled, his arms tightening around you. "You ain't gotta know. I'll always protect you." Even from yourself.

He felt that same guilt when he was pacing in the locker room right before your match. He was so deep in his anxious thoughts he didn’t notice the door open until his twin's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, Uce. You alright?"

Jey looked up, meeting Jimmy's concerned gaze with a forced smile. He was glad his twin was finally cleared for in-ring action after his injury, but he couldn't help but feel guilty for dragging him into this mess with Roman and you. "Yeah, I'm fine, Uce," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper as he tried to push aside his doubts and fears. "Just... nervous, I guess."

Jimmy frowned, his expression filled with concern as he stepped forward, his hand resting on Jey's shoulder in a silent gesture of support. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, Uce," he murmured, his voice soft and reassuring.

"No, it ain't. You ain't been here, you don't know what been going on. Roman and Y/N been going at it, and I'm stuck in the middle. I just... I don't know what to do, Uce," Jey confessed, his voice filled with frustration and uncertainty.

"Did you talk to big uce?" Jimmy loved you and viewed you as a little sister, and he wanted nothing but the best for you and Jey. He knew that you both were going through a tough time, torn between loyalty to Roman and your love for each other. But he also knew that Jey needed to make a decision for himself, to choose what was best for him and his future.

Jey glared at the wall at the reminder of his conversation with Roman. It went about as well as you'd expected. Roman wasn't willing to let him go, to let either of you go, without a fight. And Jey didn't know if he had the strength to stand up to his cousin, to defy him and choose his own path. 

"Yeah, everything's good. He said he'd let her fight Auska on her own, but you know him. He gon' do something to interfere. He always does," Jey muttered, his voice filled with frustration and resignation. "I just... I don't know what to do, Uce. I want to be there for her, to support her, but I also don't want to go against Roman. He's family, Uce. And I can't just turn my back on him, on everything we've built together."

Jimmy sighed, his gaze softening with understanding as he squeezed Jey's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I know, Uce. But just let them work their shit out. If Roman wants to do some shit, then you let him. And if he tells you to stay out of it, then you stay out of it. You gotta do what's best for you, Uce. And if that means staying loyal to Roman, then so be it. But if it means standing by Y/N's side and supporting her, then you do that too. You gotta figure out what you want, Uce. What's gonna make you happy in the long run."

But Jey didn't know what would make him happy anymore. All he knew was that he couldn't bear to see you get hurt again, to watch as you put yourself in harm's way for the sake of revenge against Roman. He couldn't stand by and do nothing while you risked your safety and well-being for the chance to reclaim your title. But he also couldn't bring himself to betray Roman, to go against his family and everything they had built together.

A knock on the door made both men look up, and they saw you standing there, dressed in your wrestling gear and looking determined as ever, Naomi in tow.

Jey's heart clenched at the sight of you, knowing that you were about to step into the ring and face off against Auska, the current Smackdown Women's Champion, in a high-stakes match that could determine the course of your future.

"Can we come in?" You softly  asked, your voice wavering slightly with nerves as you glanced between Jey and Jimmy. You could see the worry etched on their faces, and it only served to heighten your own anxiety about the upcoming match.

"Of course, baby," Jey replied, his voice soft and reassuring as he stepped forward to open the door wider, allowing you to enter the locker room. He could see the determination shining in your eyes, the fire burning bright despite the uncertainty swirling around you, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride swell in his chest.

"You ready for this?" Jimmy asked after giving Naomi a kiss, his voice filled with concern as he studied you closely, taking in your appearance and demeanor with a critical eye. He knew that you were facing a tough opponent in Auska, and he wanted to make sure that you were mentally and physically prepared.

"As ready as she'll ever be." Naomi chimed in, her voice filled with confidence as she wrapped an arm around your shoulder, offering you a reassuring squeeze.

She narrowed her eyes at the worried looks on Jey and Jimmy's faces, knowing that you needed their support now more than ever. "You gonna show them what you're made of, right, sis?"

You nodded, a determined glint in your eye as you squared your shoulders and took a deep breath, steeling yourself for the challenge ahead. "Yeah, I'm ready," you replied, your voice steady and resolute despite the nerves fluttering in your stomach.

"We just wanted to say goodbye, before the match. Just in case." You forced a smile, trying to reassure Jey and Jimmy that you would be okay, even though deep down, you were terrified of what lay ahead.

Jey stepped forward, enveloping you in a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around you like a shield, protecting you from the doubts and fears swirling in your mind. "You got this, baby," he murmured, his voice filled with confidence and reassurance. "You're the strongest person I know, and I know you can beat Auska. Just stay focused, stay determined, and remember that I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens."

You nodded, burying your face in Jey's chest as you allowed yourself to soak in his warmth and strength, drawing comfort from his his presence as you clung to him for support.

"Thank you, Jey," you whispered, your voice muffled by his shirt as you breathed in his familiar scent, feeling a sense of peace settle over you. You pulled away and let him give you a good luck kiss, melting into him.

"Okay, okay, that's enough! I don't need to see that!" Jimmy exclaimed, pretending to shield his eyes from the affectionate display. You giggled at antics, kissing Jey exxageratingly, making him yell louder and Jey blush and chuckle in response. "Sorry, Uce," you teased, playfully ruffling his hair as you stepped back, feeling a surge of confidence wash over you at the sight of his smile. "We'll see you guys after the match, okay?"

Jimmy nodded, his expression softening with pride as he dapped you up. "Good luck out there, sis," he said, his voice filled with genuine warmth and encouragement. "I know you're gonna kill it."

You smiled at his words, feeling a sense of gratitude wash over you as you did your handshake with him, drawing strength from his unwavering support. "Thanks, Jimmy," you replied, your voice filled with determination and resolve. "I won't let you down."

With one last glance at Jey, you turned and followed Naomi out of the locker room, steeling yourself for the challenge that lay ahead.

"You see, she's fine." Jimmy concluded, his voice filled with pride as he watched you leave the locker room, knowing that you were about to face one of the toughest challenges of your career. He turned to Jey, his expression softening with concern as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You gonna be okay, Uce?"

Jey nodded, a determined glint in his eye as he straightened his posture, steeling himself for the emotional rollercoaster that was about to unfold. "Yeah, I'll be okay."

He just wished those words would become true.

"You motherfucker!" Roman screamed at you as you made your way out of your new private locker room, courtesy of the new championship that rested on your shoulder, fury blazing in his eyes. "You tricked me!"

Let's go back to a hour prior, where you were beating the hell out of Auska. The match was violent, fast paced, and brutal, and for good reason: a title was on the line, and a rule was in place. If the ref caught anyone interfering, the other wrestle would automatically win. No one else knew this stipulation but you and Auska.

As you threw punch after punch, the adrenaline coursing through your veins, you could feel the crowd's energy pulsating around you. Every strike, every kick, every move was fueled by a burning desire to prove yourself, to show Roman that you were not to be underestimated, that you were a force to be reckoned with.

But just as victory seemed within your grasp, just as you were about to deliver the finishing blow to Auska, everything came crashing down in an instant. Roman's music hit, interrupting the flow of the match. You scoffed, knowing the mind games he plays, and turned back to ignore the distraction.

Naomi was standing at ringside, her expression filled with concern as she watched the chaos unfold, but you couldn't focus on her right now. Your attention was solely on Auska, on the task at hand, on proving to yourself and to everyone watching that you were the rightful champion and that you were not going to let anyone or anything stand in your way.

It turned out to be a false alarm, and the distraction only lasted a few seconds. But those few seconds were all Auska needed to try and capitalize on your momentary lapse in concentration and mist you, just as she did before to take the title from you.

But Naomi yelled at you to watch out, and you managed to dodge just in time, narrowly avoiding the green mist, but it ended up hitting the ref instead, making him collapse to the mat in agony, clutching at his eyes. Auska stopped what she was doing as she realized the chaos that had ensued.

With the referee incapacitated, the match was thrown into disarray, leaving you and Auska in a standstill as you slowly looked back to her, and the hairs on her arms stood up as she saw the look on your face. It was a mix of fury, frustration, and determination.

Anger surged through you as you realized what Auska had tried to do, and you knew that you couldn't let her get away with it. Not again.

"Are you kidding me?!" You shouted at Auska, your voice echoing with fury as you advanced towards her, your fists clenched at your sides. "I'll fucking kill you!" You lunged at Auska, your rage propelling you forward as you unleashed a flurry of punches, each one fueled by the burning desire for revenge.

Your brain was on autopilot, your body moving on instinct as you unleashed all of your pent-up frustration and anger on Auska, each strike landing with precision and force. But even as you rained down blows on your opponent, a small voice in the back of your mind whispered a warning, reminding you of the consequences of your actions, of the potential repercussions of losing control.

But you couldn't stop. Not now. Not when victory was within your grasp, when all you could see was red, when all you could feel was the burning need for retribution. Naomi was hyping you up, encouraging you to keep fighting, her voice a constant stream of support and encouragement as you unleashed your fury on Auska.

But even as you fought, a sense of guilt gnawed at the edges of your consciousness, reminding you of the promises you had made to Jey, of the risks you were taking by giving in to your anger and letting it consume you.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the chaos came to an abrupt halt as your leg was pulled from underneath you, causing you to stumble and fall to the mat with a resounding thud. You blinked in surprise, momentarily disoriented as you tried to make sense of what had just happened.

And then you saw Kairi smirking at you, then that smirk getting wiped off as Naomi launched herself at her, taking her down with a fierce tackle, the force of the impact sending both women crashing to the ground in a tangled heap.

Auska joined in the fight, and you quickly scrambled to your feet, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you launched yourself at Auska, the four of you engaging in a chaotic brawl as the arena erupted into a frenzy of cheers and boos.

The match had devolved into utter pandemonium, with bodies flying and fists swinging in every direction. The ref was still down, so there was no one to call for order or to declare a winner. It was just chaos, pure and simple.

You all eventually ended up backstage, still beating the hell out of each other, the chaos continuing unabated as the brawl spilled into the backstage area.

"You thought you could beat me, Auska?!" You growled as you slammed her against the nearest wall, your fists raining down on her with relentless fury. "You thought you could take my title from me?!" You punctuated each word with a punishing blow, the sound of your knuckles connecting with her flesh echoing through the hallway as you unleashed all of your pent-up anger and frustration.

Naomi grabbed Kairi by the hair, pulling her away from the fray and slamming her against a nearby equipment crate. "Y/N, finish her off!" Naomi yelled, her voice filled with urgency as she grappled with Kairi, trying to subdue her long enough for you to finish the job. She knew that you were on the brink of victory, that you had Auska right where you wanted her, and she wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through your fingers.

You nodded at Naomi's words, your heart pounding with adrenaline as you focused all of your energy on defeating Auska once and for all. You grabbed her by the head, and started dragging her to the ring, your hands gripping her hair tightly as you pulled her along, determination burning bright in your eyes, going faster as you could taste the victory and feel it on your fingertips.

But just as you reached the entrance ramp, ready to deliver the finishing blow and claim victory, a push from behind sent you tumbling down the ramp, Auska's limp body collapsing on top of you as you both crashed to the ground in a tangled heap.

You groaned in pain, the impact knocking the wind out of you as you struggled to catch your breath, your head spinning from the sudden fall.

As you lay on the ground, trying to shake off the dizziness and regain your bearings, you felt a surge of anger rise up within you at the cowardly attack. You glanced up, expecting to see Auska standing over you, a smug grin on her face, but instead, you were met with the sight of Roman, his expression twisted with rage as he glared down at you, his fists clenched at his sides.

"I told you, I won't let anyone come between us." Roman's voice was low, filled with barely-contained fury as he stared down at you, his gaze burning with intensity. "Not even you, Y/N."

Instead of reacting angrily like he expected you to, too, you surprised Roman by laughing, a smile on your lips despite the pain coursing through your body.

He furrowed his brow in confusion, taken aback by your unexpected reaction. "What's so funny?" he demanded, his voice tinged with irritation as he glared down at you. The ref was down after being misted, and he was about to cost you the match.

You grinned up at him, your eyes sparkling with mischief as you shook your head. "That you only have yourself to blame for me winning." You replied, your voice laced with amusement as you pointed to the ref, who saw everything that happened and was signaling for the bell to ring.

"And due to disqualification, the winner and the new Smackdown Women's Champion, is Y/N!" The announcer boomed over the arena speakers, and you smiled even wider as Roman's eyes widened in shock, his expression morphing into one of disbelief as he realized the implications of your words.

You could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface, the frustration at having been outsmarted, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction wash over you at the sight of his defeat.

You got up with a smirk and made you way to the ring, grabbing YOUR title belt and holding it high above your head, your smirk turning into a smile as you saw Jey making his wy down to the ring, turning the other way and propping yourself up on the turnbuckle.

What you didn't see was Roman and Jey staring each other down, the tension between them palpable as they stood across from each other on the ramp, their eyes speaking more than words ever could.

Romans told Jey to go fix this or else, and Jey's eyes were telling Roman that he might choose his own path, to finally break free from Roman's control and to stand up for what he believed in.

But as much as Jey wanted to defy his cousin, to choose his own destiny and to fight for his own happiness, he couldn't bring himself to abandon his family, to turn his back on everything they had built together.

But then he thought of you, of the promise he had made to protect you, to keep you safe and happy, and he knew the only way to do that was to keep you in the Bloodline and make you and Roman patch things up. He could live with you being mad at him, but not with you being hurt because of Roman.

You dropped down from the turnbuckle to jump into Jey's arms, arms, wrapping your arms around his neck as he caught you, spinning you around in a joyous embrace as the crowd erupted into cheers, the sound echoing throughout the arena. You couldn't stop smiling as you clung to Jey, feeling a sense of relief wash over you at the sight of his familiar face, knowing that he was there to support you, to celebrate your victory, to stand by your side no matter what.

"I did it, Jey," you exclaimed, your voice filled with excitement as you looked into his eyes, seeing the pride and adoration shining in his gaze. "I actually did it!"

Jey grinned at you, his heart swelling with pride as he hugged you tightly, his arms wrapped around you like a protective shield. "I knew you could do it, baby," he murmured, his voice filled with genuine warmth and affection.

"I'm so proud of you." The guilt lingered in the back of his mind, a constant reminder of the difficult choices he had to make, of the sacrifices he had to endure for the sake of his family.

But when you kissed him passionately, all thoughts of guilt and regret melted away, replaced by a sense of overwhelming love and happiness as you basked in the glow of your victory.

"Huh, answer me?! Roman's outburst brought you back into the present time, and you looked up at him, a defiant glint in your eye as you slowly rose to your feet, clutching the title belt tightly in your hands.

"It's not my fault you decided to interfere." You snarked at him, a defiant glint in your eye as you moved towards him, clutching the title belt tightly in your hands. "I played the game fair and square, Roman. And I won. So deal with it."

You noticed the mist marks on his face and started laughing. "Oh, I guess Auska wasn't too happy that you ruined her plan, huh?" You taunted, a smirk playing on your lips as you took a step forward, closing the distance between you and Roman. "Looks like karma's a bitch."

You tried to move past Roman, but he stepped into your path, blocking your way with his imposing presence. His eyes burned with fury as he glared down at you, his jaw clenched tight with anger.

"Why are you acting like this?!" Roman growled at you, his voice laced with frustration and disbelief. "After everything I've done for you, after all the opportunities I've given you, you choose to betray me like this?!"

You scoffed, shaking your head in disbelief at Roman's words. "Betray you? Are you serious right now?" You shot back, your voice dripping with sarcasm as you stared him down, unflinching in the face of his anger.

"Yes, I'm serious." Roman replied, iconically sounding exasperated and defiant at the same time. "I've done everything for you, Y/N. I've given you opportunities, I've supported you, I've protected you. How many years have we been family, Y/N? How many times have I had your back, had your best interests at heart? And this is how you repay me? By going behind my back, by defying me, by siding with them?!"

"Siding with them? Are you hearing yourself right now? You sound insane!" You retorted, incredulous at Roman's accusations. "You're the one who started this whole mess, Roman. I'm the one trying to get my best friend back, to fix what you ruined!"

You took a step forward, your voice rising with each word as you stared Roman down, refusing to back down in the face of his anger. "I'm tired of being your puppet, Roman. I'm tired of living in your shadow, of doing your bidding without question. I have sacrificed too much for you to make you happy, let you push and push , but this time you pushed too far. And weren't you the one that said sometimes you need to show the ones you love the truth so they can understand the pain they cause?"

You paused, your chest heaving with emotion as you locked eyes with Roman, daring him to deny the truth of your words. "Well, consider this me showing you the truth, Roman. If I have to take the very title you hold dear to make you see that, then so be it."

Roman's expression was a mixture of shock and anger as he listened to your words, his fists clenched at his sides as he struggled to process the magnitude of what you were saying. He had never expected you to turn against him like this, to defy him so openly and without remorse.

But deep down, he knew that he had brought this upon himself, that his actions had driven you to this point, and he couldn't help but feel hurt at the thought of losing the person that meant more to him than anything else in the world. He thought of what he was doing wrong, of what he needed to do to make you loyal to him.

The only other time he had this issue was with Jey, and he made sure to make sure Jey knew his place in the Bloodline. But with you, it was different. You were family, but you were also his equal, his partner, his confidant.

Wait… Jey. Jey was the key in bringing you back into the fold, Roman realized. He pushed Jey to make put him in his place when he was acting out, and he knew he could do the same with you. He had to make Jey see reason, to make him understand that you both belonged with him, in the Bloodline, where you could thrive and succeed together. And he knew just the way to do it.

"Then I guess that applies to you too." Roman paused, his voice low and dangerous as he took a step closer to you, his eyes narrowing with determination. "If you want to show me the truth, Y/N, then let me show you mine." With that, he left the hallway, leaving you to contemplate the weight of his words and the implications of his actions.

You stood there in the hallway, feeling a sense of unease settle over you as you pondered Roman's warning. Part of you wanted to dismiss his words, to brush off his threats as nothing more than empty promises meant to intimidate you into submission.

But another part of you couldn't shake the feeling that there was truth to what he said, that he had the power and influence to make your life a living hell if you dared to defy him.

But you had Jey, Jimmy, and Naomi by your side. They would be by your side… right? Roman couldn't possibly turn them against you, could he?

"Baby?" At your voice, Jey perked up from where he laid in bed, turning to face you with concern etched in his features. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with worry as he reached out to gently brush a strand of hair away from your face.

"I feel like I should be asking you that." You murmured, your voice barely above a whisper as you snuggled closer to Jey, seeking comfort and solace in his embrace. "You've been quiet for the past few days. I know I leave you breathless with my beauty, but you have been unusually silent even for you," you teased, trying to lighten the mood with a playful jab.

Jey chuckled softly, the sound like music to your ears as he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close against his chest. "I've just been thinking," he admitted, his voice low and reflective as he pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head.

"That's not a good sign." You finished his sentence with a playful smile, reaching up to caress his cheek gently. "What's been on your mind, Jey? You know you can talk to me about anything."

Jey sighed, his expression turning serious as he met your gaze, his eyes filled with uncertainty and doubt. "I just feel like… I promised to protect you, to keep you safe and happy, but I don't know if I'm doing a good job of that." He confessed, his voice tinged with guilt as he struggled to put his feelings into words.

"I'm supposed to be the man and take care of you, but I'm failing at that." His voice was sad and filled with self-doubt, and you felt your heart ache at the sight of his pain. You reached out and gently cupped his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your gaze as you searched his eyes for any sign of reassurance.

"Jey, look at me," you whispered, your voice soft and soothing as you tried to convey your love and support through your voice, but he pulled away, avoiding your gaze as he shook his head.

"No, Y/N, I know what you're gonna say, that I'm doing my best and that's all that matters, but I'm not, and that's the fucking truth." His voice cracked under the weight of his emotions, his words filled with self-doubt and frustration. You could see the turmoil swirling in his eyes, the pain etched into his features, and it broke your heart to see him struggling like this.

"Jey, just because you feel like you're not doing enough doesn't mean you're failing," you interrupted gently, your voice firm but filled with compassion as you reached out to gently cup his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your gaze. "I'm doing this for you, I'm choosing to do this-"

"That's the problem, you're choosing to do this," Jey interjected, his voice tinged with bitterness as he pulled away from your touch, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and frustration. "You shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself for me, Y/N. You shouldn't have to put yourself in harm's way just to prove a point or to protect me. I should be the one protecting you, not the other way around."

"You are doing everything you can to protect me, Jey," you insisted, your voice filled with conviction as you reached out to gently touch his arm, hoping to reassure him of your love and support.

"How? By watching you put yourself in danger? By standing by while you risk your life for me?" Jey retorted, his voice laced with frustration as he turned away from you, unable to bear the weight of his guilt any longer. "That should be me taking the hits, taking the risks, not you. I can't stand seeing you hurt, Y/N."

"And you think I should just sit back and watch you get hurt instead?" You shot back, your voice tinged with frustration as you struggled to make him see reason.

"Yeah, I do." Jey snarked at you, his tone defiant as he turned back to face you, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Because that's what I signed up for, Y/N. I signed up to be the one to take the hits, to take the risks, to protect you at all costs. That's my job, my duty, and I won't let anyone else take that away from me. Not even you."

You blinked at Jey's words, stunned into silence by the raw intensity of his emotions. "What's that supposed to mean, Jey?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper as you searched his eyes for any sign of reassurance.

"It means that I love you, baby." Jey replied, his voice soft and filled with emotion as he reached out to gently cup your face in his hands, forcing you to meet his gaze. "It means that I would do anything to protect you, to keep you safe and happy, and I can't let you sacrifice yourself for me. I can't."

"But don't you get that I'm doing this because he hurt you! " You exclaimed, your voice trembling with emotion as you struggled to make Jey understand the depth of your feelings.

"I forgave him, Y/N." Jey's voice was quiet, but filled with conviction as he looked into your eyes, his gaze unwavering as he spoke. "And I think you should too."

His words hung heavy in the air, the weight of their meaning sinking in as you processed his confession. "What did you say?" Your voice was barely a whisper, disbelief and shock coloring your words as you stared at Jey, unable to comprehend what you had just heard.

"I said I forgave him." " Jey repeated, his eyes firm and resolved as he met your gaze, his expression serious and determined. "Roman may not have always made the right choices, but he's still family, Y/N. And family sticks together, no matter what."

You shook your head in disbelief, unable to comprehend Jey's words. "What did he say to you?" You murmured, your voice barely above a whisper as you searched Jey's eyes for any sign of hesitation or doubt.

"What?" Jey tried to act nonchalant, but you could see the uncertainty flickering in his eyes, the hesitation in his voice as he struggled to find the right words.

"Last week you were telling me that you have to let me fight my own battles, that you can't keep protecting me from everything. And now you're telling me that you forgave Roman? What. Did. He. Say. To. You?"

Jey's eyes were filled with fear and uncertainty as he met your gaze, his lips pressed into a thin line as he struggled to find the right words to say. "Nothing. Let it go, Y/N," he replied evasively, his voice tinged with guilt as he averted his gaze, unable to meet your eyes.

"Jey, please." You pleaded, your voice soft and filled with emotion as you reached out to gently touch his arm, hoping to reassure him of your love and support, and he flinched away from your touch, his eyes filled with sadness and regret as he turned away from you, unable to bear the weight of his guilt any longer.

"I can't, Y/N," he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to contain his emotions. "I can't let you keep sacrificing yourself for me. I can't keep watching you put yourself in harm's way just to prove a point or to protect me. I have to do this, for both of us."

You felt a lump form in your throat at Jey's words, a sense of sadness washing over you as you realized the depth of his sacrifice, the lengths he was willing to go to in order to protect you and keep you safe. "Jey, please," you pleaded, your voice trembling with emotion as you reached out to him, desperate to make him understand. "I can't lose you too."

Jey's eyes turned glassy, but he refused to shed a tear, his expression a mix of pain and determination as he met your gaze, and the longer your heart writhed in pain. "How do you think I feel, Y/N?" he whispered, his voice filled with anguish as he took a step back, his eyes clouded with tears as he struggled to contain his emotions. "How do you think it feels to watch you put yourself in danger, to see you risk your life for me? I can't bear the thought of losing you, Y/N. I can't."

You felt your heart break at Jey's words, the weight of his pain and guilt crashing down on you like a tidal wave. "Jey… I'm sorry that I put you in this position," you whispered, your voice choked with emotion as you reached out to gently touch his arm, hoping to offer him some small measure of comfort. "I never meant to hurt you, or put you in the middle, Jey. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Then stop, Y/N. Stop putting yourself in danger for me. Stop sacrificing yourself for my sake. I can't bear to see you hurt, Y/N. I can't." Jey's voice was soft, filled with pain and confusion as he pleaded with you, his eyes pleading for you to understand, to see reason, to stop endangering yourself for his sake.

"You already got a championship, do you really need to risk your life anymore? Can't you just let it go? "

'I can't let you get hurt, otherwise Roman will do to you what he did to me' Jey thought, his heart aching with the weight of his guilt and regret. "Please, Y/N. Please."

You blinked back tears at Jey's words, the depth of his pain and anguish cutting through you like a knife.

" I'm sorry, Jey," you whispered, your voice filled with remorse as you reached out to gently touch his cheek, hoping to convey the depth of your love and regret through your touch. "But I can't stop when I'm so close to getting justice for what Roman did to you. I can't just let it go, Jey. Not when he's still out there, still causing harm to people I care about. I have to do this, Jey. For you, for me, for everyone he's hurt."

Jey's eyes softened at your words, a flicker of understanding crossing his features, and he looked like he wanted to get something off his chest that had been locked in his heart for far too long, but instead he remained silent, his emotions roiling beneath the surface.

"I need my best friend back, Jey." You pleaded, your voice filled with longing and sadness as you gazed into Jey's eyes, hoping to convey the depth of your emotions through your words. "This Tribal Chief bullshit is getting to Romans head, and he's not the same person he used to be. He's lost sight of who he is, of what's really important, and I can't stand by and watch him self-destruct like this. I have to make him see reason, Jey. I have to make him understand the consequences of his actions, of the pain and suffering he's causing to everyone around him. I can't just let him get away with it, Jey. I can't."

Jey's eyes turned icy, his expression unreadable as he listened to your words, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. "You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped, Y/N," he replied, his voice low and filled with resignation as he met your gaze, his eyes filled with sadness and regret. "Roman's made his choices, and he's not gonna change just because you ask him to. You can't save him, Y/N. You can't fix him. And you can't sacrifice yourself trying to."

You felt a pang of guilt at Jey's words, the weight of his pain and sadness pressing down on you like a heavy burden. At the sight of your teary eyes, Jey sighed and inched closer to you, wrapping his arms around you in a gentle embrace. "Shh, I know baby. Please don't cry."

You wrapped your arms tightly around Jey, clinging to him for support as you buried your face in his chest, the tears streaming down your cheeks as you let out a choked sob. "I just want things to go back to the way they used to be, Jey," you whispered, your voice muffled by his shirt as you allowed yourself to release all of the pent-up emotions that had been weighing on your heart. "I want my best friend back. I want Roman to see reason. I want us to be happy again."

Jey held you close, his arms wrapped around you like a protective shield as he gently stroked your hair, murmuring soothing words of comfort and reassurance as he tried to calm your racing heart. "I know, baby. I know," he whispered, his voice filled with empathy and understanding as he pressed a tender kiss to the top of your head. "I got you. Always."

He maneuvered you to sit on top of him as he leaned back against the headboard of the bed, cradling you in his arms as he held you close, his heart aching with the weight of your pain and longing. He whispered sweet nothings to you as your tears slowly subsided and your eyes turned heavy with the need for sleep.

Jey's arms tightened around you, his touch a comforting presence as you drifted off into a troubled sleep, your dreams filled with visions of the past, of happier times, of a future filled with uncertainty and hope.

As you slept, Jey stayed by your side, his gaze never leaving your face as he watched over you with a mixture of love and concern. His mind went back to his meeting with Roman, and the weight of their conversation weighed heavily on his mind.

"Jey, we both know she won't stop until she tears us apart." Roman had told Jey during their meeting, his face filled with a mixture of anger and concern. "She's stubborn, Jey. She's determined. And she's not going to give up until she gets what she wants.So I need to stop her from beating Auska, and you're not gonna stop me making sure that happens."

"Hold up." Jey interrupted, his expression filled with confusion and disbelief as he turned to Roman. "You want me to know you boutta sabotage her match? You want me to go against my own girlfriend, my own family, just to keep her from getting another shot at your title? Are you out of your damn mind, Roman?"

Roman's expression hardened at Jey's defiance, his gaze narrowing as he took a step towards him. "I'm not asking you to go against her, Jey," he replied, his voice low and measured. "I'm asking you to do what's best for both of you, for the Bloodline. And if that means stopping her from getting another shot at my title, then so be it. You know she can't beat me, Jey. She's not ready, she's not prepared, and she's not strong enough to take me on. So why would you want to put her in harm's way, to risk her safety and well-being for the sake of a foolish vendetta against me?"

Jey clenched his fists, his jaw tightening with frustration at Roman's manipulative words. He knew that Roman was trying to play on his fears and insecurities, to make him doubt his own judgment and loyalties. But deep down, Jey knew that he couldn't betray you, not after everything you had been through together. You were his rock, his anchor, his everything, and he couldn't bear the thought of turning his back on you, of betraying your trust and love.

"This is between the two of you." Jey finally spoke, his voice firm and resolute as he met Roman's gaze head-on. "I can't choose sides, Roman. I won't. Y/N is my girlfriend, my partner, my family. And I'll do whatever it takes to support her, to stand by her, to protect her. Even if it means going against you."

Roman's face hardened, and he took a step closer to Jey, the tension in the air palpable as the two cousins faced off against each other. "I heard Jimmy's coming back tonight." At the mention of his twin, Roman took a step closer to Jey, the tension in the air palpable as the two cousins faced off against each other.

"Yeah, he is." Jey replied, his voice tinged with caution, excitement and anticipation.

"Would be a shame if Jimmy got caught up in all of this, wouldn't it?" Roman's voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge to it, a silent threat lurking beneath the surface.

Jey's eyes narrowed, his muscles tensing as he stared back at Roman. "You wouldn't dare," he growled, his voice low and menacing.

Roman's lips curled into a cold smile. "Try me," he replied, his voice dripping with confidence. "We both know that if I hurt poor Jimmy, that would only add fuel to the fire. Naomi would be distraught , Y/N would blame herself, and their relationship would be irreparably damaged. Are you willing to risk all that, Jey? Think about what's truly important to you. Is it your loyalty to your family, or is it protecting the ones you love?"

Jey's heart clenched as he gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. If he continued to defy Roman, he risked not only his own safety but also the safety and well-being of his loved ones. But if he betrayed you, he would lose the trust and respect of the person who meant everything to him.

"That's what I thought." Roman's voice was smug as he turned away from Jey, confident that he had gotten his message across. "You know what you have to do, Jey. Make the right choice."

His phone dinging brought Jey out of his thoughts, and he gently reached over to check the notification, his heart sinking at the sight of the message from Roman. "Did you convince her to drop the title match?"

That was their ultamatium. Make Y/N drop the match, or else Jimmy would pay the price. Jey's heart raced with fear and uncertainty as he read Roman's message, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. Either you get hurt or Jimmy gets hurt. It was an impossible choice, a decision that tore at Jey's heart as he struggled to find a way to protect both you and his family. but he would rather hurt you emotionally then see his brother pay the price for his defiance.

"She's on the fence about dropping the match," Jey replied, his fingers trembling as he typed out the words, his heart heavy with guilt and regret. "But I'll try to talk her out of it."

A sense of unease settled over Jey as he hit send, knowing that he was betraying your trust and love in order to protect his family. But deep down, he knew that he couldn't risk Jimmy's safety, couldn't bear the thought of his brother getting caught in the crossfire of his feud with Roman.

A ding interrupted his thoughts, and Jey's heart sank as he read Roman's response. "If that doesn't convince her, then you know who pays the price." Jey's hands shook as he stared at the message, the weight of Roman's threat pressing down on him like a heavy burden. He knew that he had to do something, had to find a way to protect both you and Jimmy from Roman's wrath.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion as he gently brushed a strand of hair away from your face, his heart breaking at the thought of what he had to do next. "I can't let anything happen to you, to Jimmy. I have to find a way to protect you both, no matter what it takes."

Jey knew that he couldn't let Roman's threats become a reality, and even if he had to betray your trust and love to make sure they don't come true, he was willing to do whatever it took to keep you safe.

FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN

incoming text from Naomi<3: girl, somethings up with our men.

outgoing text to Naomi<3: what do you mean?

incoming text from Naomi<3: Jimmy just left the house without saying anything, and Jey's been acting all weird and distant lately. I'm worried, Y/N. Something's not right.

outgoing text to Naomi<3: was jimmy acting normal before he left?

incoming text from Naomi<3: No, he seemed tense and on edge. And when I asked him where he was going, he just brushed me off and said he had some business to take care of.

outgoing text to Naomi<3: That's strange. Jey's been acting the same way lately. I think Roman is involved somehow. I think I know what's up. Talk to you after my interview. Love you.

incoming text from Naomi<3: kay boo, love you too <3

You turned off your phone as you shifted in your chair nervously, a tech telling you your interview segment with Roman would start in a few minutes. Your mind raced with thoughts of what could be happening. Jey had been acting strangely, and now Jimmy was mysteriously leaving the house without explanation. It all seemed too coincidental to ignore, and you couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, and you seemed to know what it was.

"I'm Michael Cole, and welcome back to Friday Night Smackdown! I'm here with the Tribal Chief himself, Roman Reigns, and the Smackdown Women's Champion, Y/N, for an exclusive interview. Roman, Y/N, thank you for joining us tonight."

"Thank you for having us, Michael," Roman replied, his expression cool and composed as he settled into his seat, his eyes locked on yours with an intensity that sent a shiver down your spine.

"You're welcome, Michael," you echoed, your voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside you as you met Roman's gaze head-on, determined not to show any signs of weakness or fear.

"Now, let's get straight to the point. The 2 of you used to be best friends, the unstoppable duo of the WWE, now it seems like all of that is just a distant memory. Fights, clashes, and tension have been brewing between you two for weeks now. Roman, can you shed some light on what caused this rift between you and Y/N?"

Roman's gaze remained steady as he spoke, his words measured and deliberate. "This 'rift' was caused when I reminded Y/N of her place, and I did that at Hell in a Cell when I tapped her out. She just can't accept that while I see her as an equal, she is not on my level. She can't handle that I have the power that she has always yelieded, and she can't handle that I have the power now. You lost your title, and I had to punish you for your disobedience, and that's when you started to turn against me."

You clenched your jaw at Roman's words, fighting to keep your emotions in check as you listened to his manipulative rhetoric. "You know what Roman? You are right. I was foolish in thinking that I was exempt from your tyranny. I was foolish in thinking that you were still the same person I used to call my friend. But you're not, Roman. You've changed. You've let the power go to your head, and now you're just a shadow of the person you used to be.

You leaned forward in your seat, your eyes blazing with determination as you faced off against Roman, refusing to back down in the face of his intimidation tactics "But don't you dare forget that I was the person that helped create the Roman Reigns that everyone fears today. I was the one who stood by your side, who fought alongside you, who believed in you when no one else did. I was the one that built this monster that you've become, and now it's time for me to tear it down."

Roman tried to remain impassive, but you could see the hurt that your words inflicted, the flicker of doubt and insecurity that crossed his features before he quickly masked it with a facade of arrogance and superiority. "And don't you dare forget that you, Y/N, are the monster that helped me become the Tribal Chief," he retorted, his voice dripping with venom as he leaned forward, his eyes flashing with anger.

"You were the one who egged me on, who pushed me to embrace my destiny, who encouraged me to seize power at any cost. So don't try to play the victim now, Y/N. You knew what you were getting yourself into when you chose to align yourself with me, when you chose to stand by my side as my equal. You are a manipulative, calculating, and selfish person who will do anything to get what she wants, even if it means sacrificing the ones she claims to care about."

"That's rich coming from the person who's willing to manipulate and threaten his own family just to maintain control," you shot back, your voice dripping with contempt as you stared down Roman, refusing to be intimidated by his attempts to gaslight you.

"Oh really?" Roman leaned back in his chair, his expression filled with smug satisfaction as he met your gaze head-on. "And how many women in that locker room have you thrown under the bus to get to the top? How many friendships have you betrayed, how many promises have you broken, how many lives have you ruined just to satisfy your own selfish desires? Why do you think no one trusts you, Y/N? Why do you think you're all alone in this world, with no one to stand by your side? It's because you've burned every bridge, alienated every ally, and betrayed every friend you've ever had."

Your eyes turned steely as Roman continued his tirade, his words cutting through you like a knife as he struck at the heart of your insecurities and fears. The worst part was that he was right. You had made mistakes, you had hurt people, you had let your ambition and thirst for power cloud your judgment and lead you down a dark path. You were a monster that had created your own downfall, and now you were paying the price for your sins.

"And now here you are, acting like you haven't done anything wrong, like you're the victim in all of this," Roman continued, his voice filled with disdain as he stared you down, his gaze piercing through your defenses with a brutal honesty that left you feeling exposed and vulnerable.

"Well, let me tell you something, Y/N. You're not the victim here. You're the villain. You're the one who's been pulling the strings, manipulating everyone around you to get what you want. And now you're paying the price for your actions, for your betrayal, for your selfishness.

And you know what? You deserve it. You deserve to suffer, to feel the pain and anguish that you've inflicted on others. You deserve to be alone, to be abandoned, to be hated by everyone you've ever cared about. Because that's what happens when you cross the Tribal Chief. That's what happens when you dare to defy me. But you can end this cycle of pain and destruction, Y/N. You can stop fighting against me and embrace your destiny as my right hand women, and come back to your best friend!"

Roman concluded, his voice softening slightly, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and pity. "All you have to do is drop the title match, and everything will go back to the way it used to be. You'll be safe, you'll be protected, and you'll have everything you've ever wanted. So what do you say, Y/N? Are you ready to stop fighting against me and start fighting alongside me? Are you ready to accept your rightful place by my side as my equal, my partner, my family?"

As you listened to Roman's words, a whirlwind of emotions swept through you. His accusations stung, hitting painfully close to home, but a part of you couldn't help but wonder if there was a grain of truth to them. Had you really become the villain in this story?

Had your thirst for revenge blinded you to the consequences of your actions? And was it worth sacrificing everything, including your relationships with those you loved, just to satisfy your own desires for justice?

"Y/N," Michael Cole's voice interrupted your thoughts, bringing you back to reality as he turned to you expectantly, his gaze filled with curiosity and anticipation. "What's your response to Roman's offer? Will you drop the title match and reconcile with him and bring your title to the Bloodline, or will you continue to fight against him and risk losing everything?"

You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for what was to come as you met Roman's gaze head-on, your eyes blazing with determination. "You call me a monster, but I'm not the one threatening Jimmy to get Jey to betray me."

At your words, Roman's facade of confidence faltered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features before he quickly regained his composure, his expression turning cold and impassive once again.

"Jey, you can come to me right now, I know you're watching, I won't be mad, I just want you to come to me." You looked straight into the camera, your voice breaking slightly with emotion as you addressed your boyfriend, hoping that he would hear your plea and make the right choice.

Roman's face turned from uncertain to smug as he realized he still held the upper hand. "I almost forgot how smart you are, Y/N. That's why you are my best friend and my partner, and I know you'll make the right choice." He said, his voice dripping with confidence as he leaned back in his chair.

"Jey, you can come out now." Roman instructed, and you scoffed as the camera panned on Roman's face, his smirk widening as Jey made his way from the corner of the room, stepping into view with a conflicted expression on his face.

Your heart sank as you watched Jey approach, his eyes filled with guilt and shame as he avoided your gaze, unable to meet your eyes. "Why are you putting him in the middle of this, Roman?" you demanded, your voice trembling with anger and betrayal as you turned to face Roman, your eyes flashing with fury. "He has nothing to do with our feud, nothing to do with our rivalry!"

Roman's smirk only widened at your outburst, his eyes gleaming with triumph as he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together in front of him. "Because, Y/N, Jey is family," he replied, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "And you said if you beat me, you would take Jey away from the bloodline, and you are not going to do that. So I had to remind him of where his loyalties lie, of what's truly important. And it seems like he's made the right choice, hasn't he, Jey?"

You felt a knot form in your stomach at Roman's words, the weight of his manipulation and coercion pressing down on you like a suffocating blanket. You had hoped that Jey would stand by your side, that he would refuse to be swayed by Roman's threats and intimidation tactics. But now, as you watched him approach with a heavy heart, you couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal and disappointment wash over you.

Jey's jaw clenched as he stood before you, torn between his loyalty to you and his fear of Roman's retribution. "I'm sorry, Y/N," he murmured, his voice barely audible as he met your gaze, his eyes filled with guilt and shame. "I can't let anything happen to Jimmy. I have to protect him, no matter what it takes."

Tears welled up in your eyes as you watched Jey turn away from you, his shoulders slumped with defeat as he joined Roman's side, his betrayal cutting you to the core. "Jey, don't do this." you whispered, your voice choked with emotion as you struggled to come to terms with the harsh reality of his choice.

"If you hurt Jimmy, I'll never forgive you," you whispered, your voice barely above a whisper as you turned away Jey, and your eyes were pleading with him to see reason, to stand up against Roman and protect his brother.

"No, Naomi will never forgive you if you continue to defy the Tribal Chief," Roman interjected, his voice cold and menacing as he fixed you with a steely gaze. "And I'll make sure she knows exactly who to blame if anything happens to poor Jimmy."

You clenched your title belt tightly, your knuckles turning white as you fought to hold back tears of frustration and despair. You had never felt so powerless, so alone, so utterly defeated in your entire life.

"You just proved my point. You are the most manipulative and selfish person I have ever known, Roman," you spat, your voice filled with contempt as you glared at him, refusing to let him see the tears that threatened to spill from your eyes. "And if you think that using the person I love against me will make me give in to your demands, then you don't know me at all."

Roman leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable as he watched you with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "Is that so, Y/N?" he replied, his voice calm and composed despite the tension crackling in the air between you. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see how long you can hold out against me, won't we? Because I'm not going to stop until you drop that title match and come back to the Bloodline where you belong."

He turned to Jey, who was standing by his side, his expression conflicted as he avoided your gaze. "Jey, what do you think? Do you think Y/N will come to her senses and do what's best for the Bloodline, or is she too stubborn and selfish to see reason?"

Jey hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting between you and Roman as he wrestled with his conflicting loyalties. "I don't know, Roman," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "But I hope she does. For her own sake."

'Please don't make the same mistake I made, I'm begging you.' Jey thought.

Roman's lips curled into a cold smile as he turned back to you, his gaze filled with a predatory gleam. "Well, Y/N, the choice is yours," he said, his voice dripping with malice as he leaned forward, his eyes boring into yours with an intensity that sent a shiver down your spine. "You can either drop the title match and come back to the Bloodline, or you can continue to defy me and suffer the consequences. The clock is ticking, Y/N. Next week there will be a Tribal Meeting, and you make your decision there. Choose wisely."

With those ominous words hanging in the air, Roman stood up from his chair, a smug smirk playing on his lips as he turned away from you, confident in his control over the situation. You watched helplessly as he left the interview area, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the weight of his ultimatum pressing down on you like a suffocating blanket.

You thought Jey would be by your side, that he would stand up against Roman's manipulation and coercion. But as you watched him walk away with Roman, a sense of betrayal and abandonment washed over you, leaving you feeling more alone and vulnerable than ever before.

You'd be lying to yourself if you said there wasn't a part of you that knew that eventually Roman's manipulation would wear down Jey's resistance, but you had hoped that he would have the strength to resist Roman's influence, to stand by your side no matter what. Now, as you watched him walk away with Roman, you couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal and heartbreak wash over you.

But amidst the pain and despair, a spark of defiance ignited within you, a stubborn refusal to bow down to Roman's tyranny, to sacrifice your principles and integrity for the sake of power and control. You knew that dropping the title match would only be the beginning, that Roman would continue to manipulate and coerce you into submission, until you were nothing more than the shell of the person you used to be. And you refused to let that happen.

Jimmy… you had to find jimmy.

You wiped the tears coming from your face as you stood up and walked through the hallway, your steps heavy with determination as you made your way to find Jimmy. You had to find what made Roman tick, and you had to make sure Jimmy was safe, to protect him from whatever danger Roman had threatened him with.

Finally, you found Jimmy about to leave the building, his expression tense and worried as he glanced around nervously. "Jimmy!" you called out, relief flooding through you as you rushed towards him, your heart pounding in your chest. "Where are you going? What's going on?"

Jimmy turned to face you, his eyes widening in surprise as he took in your disheveled appearance, your eyes red and puffy from crying. "Y/N, I can't be seen with you right now," he replied, his voice hushed and urgent as he glanced around nervously. "It's not safe for either of us."

"What do you mean it's not safe?" you demanded, your voice rising with concern as you reached out to grab Jimmy's arm, stopping him from leaving. "What did Roman do? What did he threaten you with?"

Jimmy hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering with uncertainty as he struggled to find the right words. "It's… it's complicated, Y/N," he finally replied, his voice tinged with regret as he met your gaze. "But you need to trust me when I say that you're in danger. Roman's not playing around, and if you don't do what he wants, then…"

His words trailed off, but you didn't need him to finish the sentence. The threat was clear, hanging in the air between you like a dark cloud. Roman would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, to maintain his control over the Bloodline, even if it meant resorting to violence and coercion.

"Naomi's worried sick about me," Jimmy continued, his voice heavy with guilt as he avoided your gaze, unable to meet your eyes. "She's afraid that something's happened to me, that I've gotten caught up in all of this mess between you and Roman. And I can't bear to see her hurting like this, Y/N. I can't bear to see her worrying about me, wondering if I'm safe, if I'm okay."

Tears welled up in your eyes as you listened to Jimmy's words, the weight of his love and concern for Naomi pressing down on you like a heavy burden. You knew that you couldn't let Roman's threats tear apart the people you cared about, couldn't let his manipulation and coercion destroy everything you had fought so hard to build.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy," you whispered, your voice choked with emotion as you reached out to hug him tightly, holding onto him as if your life depended on it. ""I'm sorry that you got caught up in all of this, that you have to suffer because of my feud with Roman. But I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you or Naomi, or to Jey. I'll do whatever it takes to protect everyone, no matter the cost."

At the mention of his twin, Jimmy pulled back from the embrace, his eyes searching yours with a mixture of gratitude and concern. "Y/N, I'm sorry bout Jey," he said, his voice tinged with regret as he met your gaze. "He doesn't mean anything that he's doing, he's just trying to protect us, to keep us safe from whatever Roman has planned. But I know that deep down, he still loves you, still cares about you, still wants what's best for you. Roman said…" Jimmy trailed off, his words catching in his throat as he hesitated, unsure of whether he should reveal Roman's ultimatum to you. But seeing the determination and resolve in your eyes, he knew that he couldn't keep it a secret any longer.

"Roman said that if Jey didn't convince you to drop the title match, then he would hurt me," Jimmy admitted, his voice trembling with fear and uncertainty as he met your gaze, his eyes filled with guilt and shame. "He said that if you didn't comply with his demands, then he would make me pay the price, that he would hurt me to punish Jey for his defiance. That Naomi would get hurt in the process, that I would be the one to blame for everything that happened. And I couldn't let that happen, Y/N. I couldn't let Roman hurt you or Naomi or anyone else because of me."

Your heart clenched at Jimmy's words, the weight of Roman's threats pressing down on you like a suffocating blanket. You couldn't believe that Roman would stoop so low, would resort to using violence and coercion to get what he wanted. But deep down, you knew that there was nothing he wouldn't do to maintain his control over the Bloodline, to keep you under his thumb.

"Jimmy, listen to me." your voice firm and resolute as you met his gaze, your eyes blazing with determination. "This isn't your fault. I won't let any of you get hurt because of me. Go home to Naomi, and tell her that everything will be okay, because everything will be okay. I'll find a way to handle Roman, to protect you both from whatever he has planned. But for now, I need you to trust me, to believe that I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Can you do that for me?"

Jimmys face was conflicted as he listened to your words, torn between his love and concern for you and his fear of Roman's retribution. "I trust you, Y/N," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he reached out to squeeze your hand tightly, his eyes filled with gratitude and relief. "I trust that you'll find a way to handle Roman, to protect us from whatever he has planned. But please, be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you because of me."

You nodded, a sense of determination settling over you as you met Jimmy's gaze, your eyes filled with resolve. "I'll be careful, Jimmy," you promised, your voice steady despite the fear and uncertainty swirling inside you.

A loud clank interrupted your conversation, making Jimmy nervously glance around and realize that at any moment , someone might discover the two of you talking. "I gotta go, Y/N," he said hurriedly, his expression tense with worry as he pulled away from you, his eyes scanning the hallway for any signs of danger. "But please understand that Jey cares about you, that' shy he's doing this, to protect you. He just doesn't know how to handle the situation right now. But I know he'll come around eventually, he just needs time to figure things out."

You nodded, a small smile playing on your lips as you reached out to squeeze Jimmy's hand one last time. "Thank you, Jimmy," you said softly, your voice filled with gratitude and affection. "You're a good man, Jimmy Uso, and don't you ever forget that."

With those final words, you watched as Jimmy disappeared into the crowd, his figure fading into the distance as he made his way towards the exit. And as you stood there alone in the hallway, a sense of determination settled over you, a stubborn refusal to let Roman's threats and manipulation tear apart the people you cared about.

You just wished that Jey could see through Roman's lies and manipulation, that he could find the strength to stand up against him and protect you and his family. But for now, all you could do was wait and hope that he would come to his senses, that he would realize the true cost of betraying you for the sake of Roman's control.

And you knew just what move you needed to play.

"Yo uce, you need to chill out." At Jimmy's words, Jey whipped his head to him and glared at his brother, his frustration and anger bubbling to the surface.

"Chill out? You expect me to chill out when Roman is threatening to hurt you if I don't do what he wants?" Jey exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief and desperation. "When my girl hates me because she thinks I'm betraying her for the sake of Roman's control?"

Loud music thumped in the background at the party both twins were attending, the bass vibrating through the air as people danced and laughed around them, oblivious to the turmoil brewing between the two brothers. Roman had organized a party that served as a facade, a way to keep up appearances and distract everyone from the tension and conflict within the Bloodline.

Lavish decorations adorned the room, extravagant drinks flowed freely, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter and revelry. Wrestlers and celebrities that the Tribal Chief had invited mingled with the guests, creating a facade of camaraderie and unity that belied the underlying tensions simmering beneath the surface.

"She doesn't hate you, Jey," Jimmy replied, his voice calm and steady as he placed a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder. "She's just confused and hurt right now. She doesn't understand why you're doing this, why you're letting Roman manipulate you like this. But deep down, she knows that you love her, that you would never intentionally betray her trust."

Jey shook his head, his jaw clenched with frustration as he turned away from his brother, unable to meet his gaze. "It doesn't matter what she knows or doesn't know," he muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness.

He snatched a drink from the nearby table and took a long swig, the alcohol burning his throat as he tried to drown out his feelings of guilt and shame. "What matters is that I'm a fucking pussy that can't stand up to Roman, and she probably thinks I'm spineless for going along with his bullshit."

Jimmy sighed, his expression filled with sympathy as he watched his brother struggle with his inner turmoil. "You're not a pussy, Jey," he said firmly, his voice tinged with frustration. "You're just caught in a difficult situation, one that none of us saw coming. Roman has a way of twisting things, of manipulating people into doing what he wants, and you're just trying to protect us from whatever he has planned."

Jey scoffed, his bitterness and self-loathing bubbling to the surface as he slammed his drink down on the table. "Yeah, well, look how well that's working out for me," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I talked to her, and she doesn't hate you," Jimmy continued, ignoring Jey's bitter remark as he pressed on, his voice firm and determined. He watched as Jey downed another drink, his expression clouded with anger and frustration, and he knew that he had to find a way to break through his brother's defenses, to make him see reason before it was too late.

"She's just scared and confused right now, Jey. She doesn't understand why you're letting Roman manipulate you, why you're putting yourself and your relationship with her at risk for the sake of his control. But she still loves you."

Jey's eyes widened at Jimmy's words, a flicker of hope stirring within him as he processed what his brother was saying. "You think she still loves me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he turned to face Jimmy, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and desperation.

Jimmy nodded, his expression filled with reassurance as he met Jey's gaze head-on. "Of course she still loves you, Jey," he replied, his voice soft and gentle as he placed a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "You know, she was crying when she thought you were betraying her. That's not the reaction of someone who doesn't care. And you need to try to secretly talk to her, explain everything, and make things right before it's too late."

Jey's heart clenched at Jimmy's words, the weight of his brother's advice pressing down on him like a heavy burden. He knew that he had to find a way to reach out to you, to explain everything and make things right before Roman's manipulation tore you both apart.

"But how am I supposed to do that, Jimmy?" Jey asked, his voice tinged with frustration and uncertainty. "Roman's watching us like a hawk, and if he finds out that I'm trying to secretly talk to Y/N, he'll make good on his threats to hurt you and Naomi."

Something in the corner caught Jimmy's eye, and he gestured subtly to something behind Jey, taking the cup out of his hand. "Looks like we've got company," he said casually, his voice low as he glanced over Jey's shoulder.

Jey turned around to see Roman approaching them, his expression unreadable as he made his way through the crowd towards them.

"Jey, Jimmy," Roman greeted them, his voice cool and composed as he came to a stop in front of them, his eyes flickering with a dangerous gleam. "Having a good time at the party?"

Jey clenched his jaw, his muscles tensing with frustration as he met Roman's gaze head-on. "What do you want, Roman?" he demanded, his voice laced with hostility. He didn't have the patience for Roman's games, not when his relationship with you hung in the balance.

Roman's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes glinting with amusement as he leaned in closer to Jey, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "I just wanted to make sure that you're still on board with our little arrangement, Jey," he replied, his tone dripping with malice. "Because if you're having second thoughts, then I'm sure Jimmy here wouldn't mind taking your place."

Jey's blood ran cold at Roman's words, his heart pounding in his chest as he realized the true extent of Roman's manipulation and coercion. He glanced at Jimmy, who was watching them with a mixture of apprehension and fear, and he knew that he couldn't let his brother suffer because of his own weakness.

"I'm still in, Roman," Jey replied, his voice firm and resolute despite the fear and uncertainty rippling through him. He couldn't let Roman hurt Jimmy, Naomi, or you, couldn't let his own selfish desires put his family at risk,

Roman's smile widened at Jey's response, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he clapped a hand on Jey's shoulder, his grip firm and commanding. "Good," he said, his voice low and menacing. "I knew I could count on you, Jey. I need you to stick to the plan tonight."

"Tonight?" Jimmy echoed, his brow furrowing with confusion as he glanced between Roman and Jey. "What plan?"

Roman's smirk only widened at Jimmy's question, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he turned to face him, his expression cold and calculating. "Oh, I just invited-"

"Y/N?" Your name fell from Jey's lips like a prayer, his heart sinking as he watched you enter the house, and god did you look beautiful. If you thought Roman was lavish, you were the epitome of elegance and grace, your presence commanding attention as you made your way through the crowd with confidence and poise.

Makeup on point, your dress clinging to your curves in all the right places, your hair styled to perfection. You were a vision, a sight to behold, and Jey couldn't help but feel a surge of longing and desire wash over him as he watched you approach, his heart pounding in his chest with anticipation.

"Y/N," Roman greeted you, his voice smooth and suave as he stepped forward to greet you, his eyes flickering with a dangerous gleam. "So glad you could make it to the party. You look stunning as always."

You nodded politely in response, your gaze flickering over Roman's shoulder to meet Jey's eyes, and the tension crackling in the air between you was palpable.

There was so much left unsaid between you, so many unresolved feelings and emotions swirling beneath the surface, and Jey couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and regret as he met your gaze, his heart aching with the knowledge that he was the reason for the pain on your face.

"I'm glad you invited me. I almost thought you had forgotten about me," you replied, your voice cool and composed despite the turmoil swirling inside you. You forced a smile onto your lips, refusing to let Roman see how much his presence affected you, how much his manipulation and coercion had torn you apart. "But it seems like I'm just in time for the party."

Roman smiled at you, his teeth glinting in the dim light as he gestured towards the crowd of guests milling around them. "Of course not, Y/N," he replied smoothly, his voice dripping with charm and charisma. "I figured tonight I could show you what true family looks like, how we celebrate our victories together, as one cohesive unit. And what better way to do that than with a party, right?"

You raised an eyebrow at Roman's words, the sarcasm evident in your tone as you glanced around the room, taking in the extravagant decorations and lavish spread of food and drinks. "Ah yes, because nothing says 'family' like a room full of people you've threatened and manipulated into doing your bidding," you remarked dryly, your voice laced with contempt.

Roman's smile faltered slightly at your words, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features before he quickly masked it with a facade of indifference. "Come on, Y/N," he said, his tone light and casual as he tried to lead you to a quieter corner of the room, away from prying eyes and listening ears. "Let's not ruin the party with talk of business and politics. Tonight is about celebration, about unity, about family."

But you didn't let him pull you away from the main gathering, keeping your feet planted firmly in place as you met Roman's gaze head-on, your eyes blazing with defiance.

"You're right, let's not ruin this party. I brought a plus one, by the way," you interrupted, your voice firm and resolute as you gestured towards Jey, who was watching the exchange with a mixture of apprehension and concern, the tension between the two of you thick enough to cut with a knife. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought it would be nice for him to see what true family looks like, to experience the unity and celebration that you speak of."

You turned back to Roman with a look in your eye that meant you were planning something he couldn't anticipate, a sense of determination burning brightly within you as you stood your ground against him.

Roman's smile faltered at your words. "Of course not, Y/N," he replied smoothly, his voice tinged with annoyance as he turned back to face you, his expression carefully neutral. "Everyone is welcome at the party, especially family."

"Good." You nodded in response, a satisfied smirk playing on your lips as you watched Roman struggle to maintain his composure in the face of your defiance. You turned towards the door, and when you saw him, a smile lit up on your face. "Cause he's here right now."

"He?!" Jey whispered under his breath at the mention of another guy, his curiosity piqued as he glanced around the room, trying to spot the person you were referring to. His heart skipped a beat when he saw who it was, his eyes widening in surprise and disbelief as he took in their presence, standing at the entrance of the room with a confident smirk on their face.

"Seth!" You exclaimed, your voice filled with excitement and surprise as you rushed over to greet him, your steps quickening with anticipation. Jey's heart sank at the sight of Seth Rollins, his worst nightmare come to life as he watched you approach the man with a smile on your face, completely unaware of the turmoil raging inside him.

"Seth!" you called out again, your voice echoing through the room as you reached his side, your eyes bright with excitement as you wrapped your arms around him in a tight embrace. "I can't believe you made it to the party! It's been too long since we last saw each other."

Roman's expression turned angry at the sight of one of his biggest enemies, the man who stabbed him in the back and betrayed him numerous times in the past. "What is he doing here?" he growled, his voice low and menacing as he watched you and Seth interact with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "I thought I made it clear that he's not welcome in our family."

But you ignored Roman's question, too caught up in the excitement of seeing Seth after so long. "I missed you, Seth," you said, your voice filled with genuine affection as you pulled back from the embrace, a wide smile on your lips. "I'm glad you could make it to the party. You have no idea how much I needed a familiar face tonight."

Seth returned your smile, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he glanced around the room, taking in the extravagant decorations and lively atmosphere. "Well, I couldn't pass up the chance to see my favorite person," he replied, his voice smooth and charming as he flashed you a playful grin. "Plus, I heard there was going to be free drinks and good company, so how could I resist?"

"You could resist because you weren't invited." Roman's voice cut through the conversation like a knife, his tone cold and menacing as he stepped forward to confront Seth, his eyes flashing with anger and hostility. "So you could leave right now and take your ugly outfit with you"

Seth's smirk widened at Roman's words, his expression unbothered as he met Roman's gaze head-on. "Ah, but where's the fun in that, Roman?" he replied casually, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I thought we were past all the animosity and hostility, that we could bury the hatchet and move on from our past grievances. After all, isn't that what brothers do, right? They forgive and forget, right?"

Roman's jaw clenched with anger at Seth's words, his fists tightening at his sides as he struggled to maintain his composure in the face of Seth's provocation, but before he could advance, you stepped forward, placing yourself between Roman and Seth, your eyes blazing with determination as you met Roman's gaze head-on.

"Let's not ruin the party with talk of business and politics. Tonight is about celebration, about unity, about family." You threw Roman's words back in his face, your voice firm and resolute as you stared him down, a manipulative smirk on your lips.

"Everyone is looking at you, Roman. Everyone is watching to see how you handle this situation, how you react to Seth's presence. And if you make a scene, if you let your anger and hostility get the best of you, then what does that say about you as a leader, as a Tribal Chief? What does that say about your control over the Bloodline, your ability to keep your family in line?"

Roman's expression hardened at your words, his gaze narrowing as he took a step closer to you, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Fine. Make yourself at home, traitor."

Seth's smirk only widened at Roman's threat, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he met Roman's gaze head-on, unafraid of the Tribal Chief's anger and hostility. "You know, Roman, for someone who claims to be all about family and unity, you sure do have a funny way of showing it," he replied casually, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "But hey, who am I to judge? After all, I'm just a guest at your little party."

With that, Seth turned away from Roman, his attention shifting back to you as he flashed you a charming grin, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "So, Y/N, how about we grab a drink and catch up? I'm sure there's a lot we have to talk about."

You returned Seth's grin with a smile of your own, your heart pounding in your chest with excitement and anticipation. "I'd love that, Seth," you replied, your voice filled with genuine affection as you linked your arm with his, allowing him to lead you away from the tense confrontation with Roman. "Let's go find a quiet corner and chat."

You passed by Jey, your eyes locking with his for a moment, and you could see the turmoil and conflict raging inside him, and wished that he was the one you were walking away with, that he was the one you were sharing this moment of reunion and companionship with.

But you knew that right now, he was still caught up in Roman's web of manipulation and coercion, unable to break free from the hold that his cousin had over him. And until he found the strength to stand up against Roman and choose you over his loyalty to the Bloodline, you had to focus on your plan and bringing him to you yourself instead of allowing Roman to continue controlling him.

"You're a really good actress." Seth commented as he led you away from the tense confrontation with Roman, his voice low and conspiratorial as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Roman wasn't following you. "I almost believed that you were glad to see me."

You chuckled softly at Seth's words, the tension slowly melting away as you allowed yourself to relax in his presence, grateful for the distraction from the chaos and conflict swirling around you. How did you and Seth get aquatinted, you might ask? Becky Lynch is the answer to that.

When Roman said you had no allies, something inside of you snapped, and you realized that instead of being a bitch and pushing away any allies in the women's locker room in favor of opportunities, you could actually start forming connections and alliances that could help you in the long run so you could forge your own path to success.

"I know you don't like me." You bluntly told her as you walked into the locker room, your tone firm and resolute as you met Becky's gaze head-on. "And honestly, I don't blame you. I've been a real bitch in the past, but if you want to get a head start in the line for my title, I would start listening to me right now."

Becky raised an eyebrow at your boldness, her expression unreadable as she studied you for a moment before responding. "You're right, I don't like you," she admitted bluntly, her voice tinged with skepticism. "But I can respect someone who knows what they want and isn't afraid to go after it. So, what's the catch? Why are you suddenly willing to play nice?"

You shrugged nonchalantly, a coy smile playing on your lips as you leaned against the locker next to hers, your eyes gleaming with mischief. "I'll give you a title shot."

Becky's eyebrows shot up in surprise at your offer, her skepticism giving way to curiosity as she considered your proposition. "A title shot, huh?" she echoed, her voice laced with intrigue. "And what's in it for you? Why would you be willing to give me a title shot out of the blue?"

You smirked at Becky's question, your mind already spinning with possibilities as you considered the potential benefits of forming an alliance with her.

"Because I need to get into Roman's head, and considering Seth is your husband, I figured you could help me with that." You replied casually, your voice filled with confidence as you met Becky's gaze head-on. "I need him to hang out with me when my plan starts, and I want your permission since he's your man, and I know how I'd feel if a random women started spending time with my husband without my knowledge or consent."

Becky regarded you with a mixture of skepticism and amusement, her lips curling into a wry smile as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're not as dumb as you look," she remarked, her tone teasing as she gave you a once-over. "But why should I trust you? What's to stop you from double-crossing me and using Seth against me?"

You held Becky's gaze steadily, your expression serious as you made your intentions clear. "Because I'm not interested in playing games, Becky," you replied firmly, your voice tinged with sincerity. "I need your help, and I'm willing to offer you something in return. If you agree to work with me, to help me get inside Roman's head and figure out his plans, then I'll give you a fair shot at my title. No strings attached, no hidden agendas. Just a mutually beneficial arrangement between two women who have a common enemy."

Becky studied you for a moment, her gaze searching yours for any sign of deception or ulterior motives. Finally, she nodded in agreement, a small smile playing on her lips as she extended her hand towards you. "Alright, you've got yourself a deal," she said, her voice filled with determination.

And that is what brought you to where you were now, Seth's arm around your shoulder (platonically, but Jey didn't know that) as e led you away from the tense confrontation with Roman, his voice low and conspiratorial as you chuckled softly at his comment.

"Thanks, Seth," you replied, your voice filled with genuine appreciation as you leaned into his side, allowing yourself to relax in his presence. "You aren't too bad yourself."

Seth chuckled softly at your response, his arm tightening around your shoulder as he led you to get drinks, the lights of the party casting a soft glow over the room as the music thumped in the background.

"Well, I aim to please," he replied, his tone playful as he glanced down at you with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Becky told me that she made a deal with you to get a title shot in exchange for helping you with Roman. That's some pretty impressive maneuvering, Y/N. Looks like you're not as helpless as Roman thinks you are."

You smirked at Seth's words, a sense of satisfaction swelling within you as you realized just how far you had come since you first entered the wrestling world. "Your wife is pretty smart herself," you replied, your voice tinged with amusement. "And she knows a good opportunity when she sees one. You picked a good one, Seth. You're lucky to have her."

Seth chuckled softly at your words, his gaze warm and affectionate as he met your eyes. "Yeah, I know," he replied, his voice tinged with pride. "I'm a lucky guy. But enough about us. Let's focus on you and Roman. What's your plan?"

You glanced around the room, making sure that no one was eavesdropping on your conversation before leaning in closer to Seth, your voice low and conspiratorial as you filled him in on your plan to take down Roman. When you finished outlining your strategy, Seth nodded in approval, a confident smile on his lips as he squeezed your shoulder reassuringly.

"That's a solid plan, Y/N," Seth remarked, his voice filled with admiration. "You've really thought this through. I'm impressed."

"I know." You quipped, grabbing a fruity drink from a passing waiter's tray and taking a sip, the sweet taste of the cocktail washing away the lingering tension from your confrontation with Roman. Seth giggled at your confident response, his laughter mingling with the music as he took a drink of his own. "Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance," he said, his tone light and playful as he gestured towards the dance floor. "But enough about business. Let's have some fun and enjoy the party. What do you say?"

You grinned at Seth's suggestion, feeling a sense of relief wash over you as you allowed yourself to let go of the stress and tension of the evening. "I say let's dance," you replied, your voice filled with excitement as you linked arms with Seth, allowing him to lead you onto the dance floor.

You wrapped your arms around Seth's neck, moving in sync with the music as you danced together, the rhythm of the music pulsing through your veins as you lost yourself in the moment. The tension and conflict of the evening faded into the background as you allowed yourself to simply enjoy the company of your friend, the music drowning out the noise of the party as you moved together in perfect harmony.

3, 2, 1- You counted down, knowing what would happen when Seth's hands wrapped around your waist.

"I'll be gone, remember the plan." You whispered to Seth right as a hand grabbed your arm and started pulling you away from Seth, interrupting your dance mid-motion. You turned to see Jey struggling to maintain his composure, his expression a mixture of anger and frustration as he pulled you away from Seth, his grip tight on your arm, dragging you upstairs.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Jey growled out as he brought you upstairs and slammed open a door, dragging you inside before slamming it shut behind him, his chest heaving with anger and frustration.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were given permission to talk to me." You retorted sarcastically, pulling your arm out of Jey's grasp and trying to get to the door, but Jey blocking your path with his body, his eyes blazing with intensity as he glared at you. Damn, he looked good in his fitted suit, his muscles tense with pent-up aggression as he loomed over you, his presence dominating the small room.

"Don't play games with me, Y/N," Jey snapped, his voice low and dangerous as he took a step closer to you, his eyes flashing with anger. "I saw you out there with Seth, flirting and laughing like you didn't have a care in the world. Do you have any idea how that made me feel, seeing you with another guy?"

You rolled your eyes at Jey's accusation, your frustration boiling over as you met his gaze head-on, refusing to back down in the face of his anger. "I was not flirting with him. And now you know how I felt when you betrayed me for Roman," you shot back, your voice laced with bitterness as you pushed past Jey, making another attempt to leave the room.

But Jey was quicker this time, his hand shooting out to grab your wrist and pull you back towards him, his grip tight and unyielding as he glared down at you with intensity.

"Don't you dare try to turn this around on me, Y/N," Jey growled, his voice low and menacing as he forced you to look up at him, his eyes burning with anger and frustration. "I did what I had to do to protect you and Naomi, to keep us safe from Roman's threats. I didn't have a choice."

You scoffed at Jey's words, your frustration boiling over. "I know, and that's what makes it worse."

Jey stopped in his tracks, his grip on your wrist loosening slightly as he stared at you in disbelief, his expression softening with confusion and uncertainty. "What?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he searched your face for any sign of deception or manipulation.

You sighed, your anger and frustration giving way to a sense of sadness and resignation as you met Jey's gaze head-on, your eyes filled with vulnerability. "I mean that I understand why you did what you did, Jey," you replied softly, your voice tinged with sadness. "I understand that you were trying to protect your family, that you were put in an impossible situation with Roman's threats hanging over your head. But that doesn't change the fact that you chose to betray me, to side with Roman over our relationship. And seeing you with Roman, seeing you go along with his manipulation and coercion, it hurt. It hurt more than you'll ever know."

You willed yourself not to cry, biting your lip to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over as you laid bare your heartache and disappointment, your words hanging heavy in the air between you as you waited for Jey's response. "And maybe I used Seth to make you jealous cause I knew there was no way you would talk to me without some kind of push."

Jey stared at you in stunned silence, his heart sinking at the pain and sadness evident in your eyes, his own guilt and regret weighing heavily on his shoulders. He had known that his decision to side with Roman would hurt you, but he hadn't realized just how deeply his actions had affected you, how much he had damaged your trust and faith in him.

"Baby, I…" Jey paused, his voice choked with emotion as he struggled to find the right words to express his remorse and regret.

"Do you know how I feel seeing you with another guy?" he finally continued, his voice raw with emotion as he reached out to gently cup your face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had escaped down your cheeks. "It tears me apart, Y/N. It makes me feel like the biggest piece of shit in the world, knowing that I'm the reason you're hurting, that I'm the reason you're crying. I never wanted to hurt you, baby. I never wanted any of this to happen."

Against your better judgement, you leaned into Jey's touch, the warmth of his hands comforting as you allowed yourself to be vulnerable with him, to let him see the pain and sadness that had been weighing on your heart. "I know you didn't, Jey," you whispered, your voice barely above a whisper as you gazed up at him with tear-filled eyes. "But that doesn't change the fact that it did happen. It doesn't change the fact you hurt me, Jey. And I don't know if I can just forget about it and move on like nothing happened."

Jey's heart clenched at your words, his own tears threatening to spill over as he realized the extent of the damage he had caused, the irreparable rift he had created between you. "I ain't have a choice, Y/N," he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion as he searched your eyes for any sign of forgiveness or understanding. "I had to protect my family, had to keep you safe from Roman's threats. I couldn't risk losing you, losing Naomi. I know I fucked up, baby, but please… please don't give up on us. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right, to earn back your trust. Just give me a chance."

You sighed, torn between the love you still felt for Jey and the pain of his betrayal, the conflict raging inside you as you struggled to make sense of your feelings. He leaned his forehead against yours, his cologne deliciously scenting the air around you as the tension between you turned into sexual tension. Your heart raced as you felt the heat of his body so close to yours, his breath mingling with yours as you gazed into his eyes, seeing the raw vulnerability and desperation reflected in their depths.

"Jey…" you whispered, your voice barely audible above the pounding of your heart as you reached up to brush your fingers against his cheek, feeling the rough stubble beneath your touch. "You hurt me."

"Then let me make it up to you." He pleaded, his voice husky with desire as he leaned in closer, his lips hovering just inches from yours, the tension between you crackling with electricity. "Let me show you how much I love you, how much I regret hurting you. Give me a chance to prove myself to you, to earn back your trust and your love."

You hesitated for a moment, the conflicting emotions swirling inside you as you struggled to make sense of your feelings. But in the end, your love for Jey won out, the bond between you too strong to ignore. With a soft sigh, you closed the gap between you, your lips meeting his in a passionate kiss that spoke volumes of the love and longing you still felt for him.

Jey's arms wrapped around you, pulling you close as he deepened the kiss, his lips moving against yours with a desperate intensity that left you breathless. It felt like coming home, like all the pain and heartache of the past few weeks melted away, and in that moment, there was only you and Jey, lost in each other's embrace, trying to mend the shattered pieces of your relationship.

You slip your tongue into his mouth and brought your hand to his hair, pulling him closer as the kiss grew more passionate, the heat between you igniting a fire that burned brighter with each passing moment.

Jey responded eagerly, his hands roaming over your body as he grabbed you by the waist and hoisted you onto the nearby bed, the kiss deepening as he hovered over you, his body pressed against yours in a heated embrace. The air crackled with electricity as your hands roamed over each other's bodies, exploring every inch with a desperate hunger born from weeks of longing and pent-up desire.

"Take off your suit." You whispered, your voice husky with desire as you reached up to unbutton Jey's shirt, your fingers trembling with anticipation.

Jey complied eagerly, his hands fumbling with the buttons as he stripped off his shirt, revealing the sculpted muscles beneath, his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. You ran your hands over his bare skin, feeling the heat of his body beneath your touch as you trailed kisses along his jawline, savoring the taste of him on your lips.

"I missed you," you murmured against his skin, your voice soft and filled with longing as you pressed your body closer to his, reveling in the sensation of his warmth enveloping you. "I missed this."

Jey's hands roamed over your body, his touch igniting a fire within you as he trailed kisses along your neck, his lips moving with a fervent intensity that sent shivers down your spine. "I missed you too, baby," he whispered, his voice husky with desire as he trailed kisses down your chest, his hands deftly unzipping the back of your dress and sliding it off your shoulders, revealing the lingerie underneath.

You watched him with hungry eyes, the desire burning brightly within you as he worshipped your body with his hands and lips, each touch sending waves of pleasure coursing through you.

You tried to focus on his body, on his soft lips against yours, on how good his hands felt as they explored every inch of your skin, but a thump in the background grew louder and more persistent, but you tried to ignore it until you heard a loud crash outside the room, followed by raised voices and the sound of scuffling. You and Jey froze, the passion of the moment shattered as you exchanged worried glances.

"What the hell was that?" Jey muttered, his voice tense with apprehension as he pulled away from you, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger.

"It was Seth." You looked up at Jey, your eyes widening with concern. The plan was going well, but you knew Jey wouldn't like the idea of Seth being involved in your scheme against Roman. "He got into a fight with Roman downstairs. It was my plan." You quickly zipped up your dress as Jey helped you with your dress before you helped him with his suit.

"Go the fuck to hell!" You heard Roman's booming voice from downstairs, followed by the sound of a scuffle and a loud crash. Jey's eyes widened in shock and concern as he processed your words, his mind racing with a mixture of fear and adrenaline.

"Let's go." Jey said urgently, his voice tense with apprehension as he grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the door, his muscles tense with pent-up aggression as he prepared to confront whatever chaos awaited them downstairs.

You nodded in agreement, your heart pounding in your chest as you followed Jey out of the room and down the stairs, the sounds of the commotion growing louder with each step. When you reached the main hall, you saw Roman and Seth locked in a fierce struggle, their fists flying as they traded blows with ferocious intensity. The room was in chaos, guests scattering in all directions as they tried to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"You're the weakest link in your own group, and that's why Y/N is smart enough to bring me here." Seth taunted Roman as he dodged a punch and delivered one of his own, his voice filled with confidence and defiance as he faced off against the Tribal Chief. "You think you can control everyone around you, but you're just a puppet master pulling the strings of your own downfall."

Roman growled in frustration, lunging at Seth and punching him square in the jaw, sending him stumbling backwards. "I'm the Tribal Chief!" Roman roared, and Jey and Jimmy grabbed his shoulders, pulling him back before he could do any more damage to Seth. "And I'll be damned if I let some backstabbing snake like you undermine my authority."

"You wanna talk about backstabbing?" Seth cackled at Roman's words, wiping the blood from his split lip as he regained his footing, his eyes flashing with defiance. "You are nothing but a traitor, Roman. You turned your back on your own family, on your own blood, all for the sake of power and control. You think you're untouchable, that you can manipulate and coerce everyone around you into doing your bidding. But you're wrong. You're not as powerful as you think you are, Roman. And sooner or later, your reign of terror will come to an end."

Roman's eyes blazed with anger and hurt at Seth's words, but security intervened before the situation could escalate any further, separating Roman and Seth and ushering Seth out of the house.

"You." Roman turned to you, his eyes narrowing with fury as he advanced towards you, his fists clenched at his sides. "You set me up, didn't you? You brought Seth here to provoke me, to try and undermine my authority. You know what he did to me, and you still brought him here to hurt me."

"Just like you hurt me by using Jey against me?" You shot back, your voice cold and composed despite the turmoil swirling inside you. "How does that sinking feeling you get in your stomach feel, Roman? How does it feel to know that the people you thought you could control are starting to see you for the manipulative, power-hungry tyrant that you really are?"

"Jey hates your guts, Roman. He's only here because he wants to protect me from you." You continued, your voice dripping with contempt as you stood your ground against Roman, refusing to let him intimidate you.

"Oh please, what are you talking about…" Roman trailed off when he noticed that your hair was tangled, your dress was wrinkled, and when he turned to Jey, his hair disheveled and that guilty look in his eyes, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place as he realized what had transpired while he was preoccupied with Seth.

"You two…" Roman's voice trailed off, the anger and hurt evident in his eyes as he looked between you and Jey, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. "You distracted Jey so that Seth could provoke me and make me look like a fool." Roman's voice was low and dangerous, his gaze flickering with anger and betrayal as he turned his attention back to you, his expression cold and unforgiving.

"I did no such thing," you replied calmly, meeting Roman's gaze with steely resolve. "But if you want to believe that, go ahead. It doesn't change the fact that your grip on the Bloodline is slipping, Roman. You can't control everything and everyone around you forever. Sooner or later, your reign will come to an end."

You felt everyones eyes on you as the party came to an abrupt end, guests murmuring amongst themselves as they filed out, leaving you, Jey, and Jimmy alone in the empty hall. "You should clean yourself up, Roman," you continued, your voice dripping with disdain as you turned on your heel and started to walk away, Jey following closely behind you. "You have a lot of work to do if you want to salvage what's left of your reputation."

You wanted to hurt Roman like he hurt you, and you knew that the best way to do that was to hit him where it hurt the most - his pride and his reputation. You had planted the seeds of doubt in his mind, sowing discord and chaos within the Bloodline, and now it was only a matter of time before those seeds grew into something much bigger and more destructive.

"Oh, and you don't have to wait till next week to know my decision about our match, I'm not dropping out. And if you hurt Jimmy, you'll face Seth instead of me, and we both know you don't want to face him." With that final warning, you turned to Jey and blew him a kiss before heading out of the door, leaving Roman seething with anger and frustration in your wake.

Your plan worked out perfectly.

1- You made Roman look like a fool in front of his guests, undermining his authority and sowing discord within the Bloodline.

2- You showed Jey that he couldn't ignore his feelings for you any longer, pushing him to confront the truth about his loyalty to Roman and his own desires.

3- Roman couldn't use Jimmy against Jey anymore, knowing you are willing to bring Seth into the mix if he tries to hurt his cousin, and now Roman couldn't guilt you into staying with him by threatening Jimmy.

Maybe you were a monster. But you didn't care, because sometimes you had to become a deamon to stop the monsters around you.

Cause Jey was worth losing yourself for.

[eroselless]

MOTH TO A FLAME

Chapter One: The invitation

Chapter Summary: After starting a new job at a prestigious museum in London, you form a close friendship with Helaena Targaryen. You're surprised when she invites you to stay at her family's estate for the summer holidays. [1.4k]

[aegon targaryen x reader, modern!HOTD AU ]

masterlist

Warnings: 18+ for explicit language, smut in future chapters, and talk of bugs. If there's any I missed let me know!

note: this is my first story in a really long time, I hope y'all like it! also, I actually have no idea how curating a museum works, this is just a general idea of what I thought it might look like lol

You're running out of breath when you reach the back doors of the museum. Your skin feels moist from a mixture of light rain and sweat beading on your skin from your run from the station. You quickly plug in the code to the door and step through, quickly shaking off your jacket and putting your things in your assigned locker. You check your watch and wince at the time, making your way out of the employees-only area into the lobby of the museum. The museum always has a scent of dried paint mingled with a faint aroma of coffee emanating from the café at the entrance of the museum. 

You spot Helaena from a distance. She’s leaning against a pillar, fiddling with her key card that hangs around her neck.  As soon as she sets her eyes on you, her eyes light up. She straightens up and moves to meet you halfway, pulling you into a hug.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it.” she laughs. You roll your eyes, fixing stray hairs. You can’t help the smile that makes its way onto your face.

“I swear Ari has it out for me” you sigh. Ariadne was your Australian shepherd puppy. She was the cheekiest little thing, taking socks, shoes and now apparently your keys to play with. “I swear I’m always putting the keys in the key bowl when I get home but she manages to take them and hide them.” 

“Sure,” Helaena says, leading you into the Entomology department. “Blame it on the dog.”

You met Helaena when you started working at the museum three months ago. You had been job searching for ages and finally came across a job that happened to be in a country completely different than the one you resided in. You packed your bags and took a leap of faith, moving to London on your own, only accompanied by your trusty puppy. 

You had always loved the idea of working in a museum and hadn’t thought it all the way through so where you arrived you were placed in the entomology department alongside Helaena. Together, you carefully managed the ever-growing collection of beetles, butterflies and moths, dragonflies and damselflies. 

You settled into your respective desks, papers stacked high and your computer buzzing with incoming research articles and showcase preparations. Helaena sits across from you, fiddling at her own desk, pulling up her email. 

“Oh shit, did you see the new collection of dragonflies we have coming in?” she asked, fingers suddenly dancing over her keyboard. “It looks like they’re butterfly dragonflies.” She enthuses and you both gradually get lost in your screens.

After a couple of hours, the day slows down and starts to go by agonizingly slow. There was only so much excitement a small batch of dragonflies could provide and you found yourself mindlessly combing through different online stores. 

After lunch, you hadn’t much left to do anyway. Showcases were mostly set up and you had already sifted through and organized a set of potato beetles you hadn’t done last week. Your eyes flicker over to Helaena as walks back to her desk, sliding her chair from one point of her L-shaped desk to another. She’s holding her phone up to her ear, listening fervently to the person on the other side. She nods every now and then, letting out small mhms. Her eyebrows are furrowed in concentration, her lips in a tight line as she uses her free hand to jot down notes on a pad. She nods one last time before bidding the person on the line goodbye and placing her phone down on her desk.

You watch her with your hands tucked under your chin, eyebrows raised as if to say sooo. She leans back in her reclining desk chair, stretching her feet out in front of her. She lets out a whistle and taps her fingers on the wood of her desk.

“You got anything planned for the holidays?” she asked, squinting at you, lips pursed out. You pretend to think for a second, eyes floating up to the ceiling before answering.

“I don’t think so. I don't have the funds to fly back home just yet so I’m gonna be here.” You state. A smile breaks out on Helaena’s face and she claps her hands.

“Great,” she begins, sauntering over to your desk and leaning over it. “Then you can come with me to the family estate.”

You blink, caught off guard at the invitation. “Your family’s estate? You’re sure I wouldn’t be impeding?” 

“Babe, no!” she says, shaking her head. “It’ll be a blast, the property is huge and I think my mom is even holding a gala or some shit.” Your mind races at the thought of spending the holidays with Helaena, surrounded by the English countryside and the hospitality of her family. You knew very little about her family, having only heard of her brothers in fleeting comments. You had briefly met her mother over the phone, having been at Helaena’s apartment one night when she face-timed her. 

“Okay,” you say, a smile growing on your lips. “I’d love to come.” Helaena’s smile only widens, her arms going around your shoulders in a tight hug. 

“I’ll let Mum know!”

The sun streamed through your apartment window as you pull clothes out of your wardrobe, tossing them at Helaena. She sits perched on the edge of your bed, gingerly folding t-shirts and pants into your bag. There were tops strewn across your bed, shoes littered all over the floor and small bags of toiletries and makeup set next to your nearly empty suitcase. You can hear Ariadne chewing on a shoe you gave up trying to get her to stop playing with. At this point, she only really played with household items instead of the actual toys you bought her. Helaena winces as you pull out a dress and hold it up to your chest.

“What about this?” you ask, swaying slightly. Her face stays in a slight grimace, shaking her head and laughing.

“We need to get you some new dresses, these look like they were taken off of a raggedy Anne Doll.” You let out a boisterous laugh, shoving her shoulder and you tuck the dress back into the wardrobe. She pulls a knitted sweater from the edge of your bed and tucks it tightly into your bag. 

Once your outfits seem coordinated enough, Helaena begins to place them carefully in your suitcase, making sure you have enough to last you all the days you’re there. She speaks up once you flip your suitcase closed, struggling slightly with the zipper. 

“So I know you sorta met Mum but I know you’ll love her now that you’ll be staying for a few weeks.” She states. “She’s been planning this gala for my father, for his retirement, for months. It’s going to be huge, my sister is even coming in from out of town with her children, everyone and their mother is going to be there.”

You let out a chuckle and bounce slightly on your suitcase, climbing over it, trying to press it shut with your knees. Helaena climbs on with you, raving about life at the estate, describing the sprawling gardens, her mother’s immense library of rare books and the little town that lies nearby.

“You know we could even get you a fancy dress from one of the shops in town, it's a tiny town but it has loads of shops.” you struggle but finally manage to zip up the bag, and you sit on top of it a little breathless. 

“Oh! Aemond and Daeron are going to be there too, though I’m not too sure about Aegon” she states, a thoughtful look on her face. It almost seems like she wants to say something more but waves her hand in the air dismissively. “But never mind that.”

You can't help but feel a flutter of excitement bloom in your chest at the thought of all that you’ll be doing. “I can’t wait for it all,” you say with a soft sigh, eyes shining with anticipation.

a/n: soo no Aegon quite yet but he’ll be appearing in the next chapter fo sho. I’m currently working on it but it’s hell week at uni right now so I won’t have too much time to sit down. If you guys are enjoying it, do not hesitate to reblog and let me know if you want to be tagged for the next chapter!

[rosella35]

Kaleb's Bad Day: Part II

Part II of my little thing featuring Kaleb's existentialism and Brooke being... considerate? Consider this a teaser of what their relationship will be like two months after the events of the main story...

I hope you enjoy!

Content warning: contains swearing and themes of prejudice.

****

After checking briefly that the coast was clear, Brooke sucked in a breath and exited the girls bathroom. She walked down the empty hallway with as much purpose as she could muster, though her heart still pounded loudly in her chest. She could feel a second, much smaller heart pounding against her body as well, fluttering even faster than her own. Kaleb sat hunched up at the bottom of her jacket pocket, his tiny, shaking hands gripping the thick denim on either side of him to steady himself.  

After the two of them had recovered from their embarrassment in the bathroom and Kaleb had readjusted the toilet paper around his waist, Brooke had taken it upon herself to put the rest of their plan in action—anything to get her mind off of what she’d just witnessed. Obviously, Kaleb had protested against her planned hiding spot for him, complaining that it would be too obvious. To prove her point, Brooke had stood in front of the mirror by the sink, demonstrating how little Kaleb’s tiny form actually stood out from inside the pocket. After seeing that, Kaleb had shivered but said nothing, and dropped down into the pocket without a word. 

If anything could have reminded him of just how small he was compared to a human, it was that. 

A few minutes of walking later and Brooke cleared her throat, a sound that Kaleb felt as well as heard from his position. “We’re at your locker.” She announced. When no movement could be felt from her pocket other than Kaleb’s slight weight, Brooke frowned. “Oh, c’mon, are you really gonna sulk for the rest of the day? Your clothes are in there, right?” 

Carefully, she lifted the flap of the pocket up, watching the small borrower inside shield his eyes from the sudden change of lighting and peer up at her cautiously. Curled up as Kaleb was, her pocket almost looked roomy, a thought that had never exactly crossed Brooke’s mind before. “If you don’t wanna move yet, then at least tell me your locker combination.” 

“It’s 1-2-6-4.” Kaleb replied, voice quieter than normal. 

“1-2-6-4…” Brooke muttered to herself as she fiddled with the lock. Moments later, the door came loose with a faint click, and she pulled it open, revealing Kaleb’s untidy collection of belongings. Brooke stared at the locker’s contents for a moment in bemusement. At first glance, it looked like your everyday teenage boy’s locker: a disorganised pile of notebooks, pens, and crumpled worksheets. What drew her attention though was the assortment of knick-knacks Kaleb had managed to cram into one corner—stray buttons, rubber bands, bits of string and wire, thumbtacks, screws, aluminium foil, and even an empty plastic soy sauce fish from a packet of sushi. Brook wrinkled her nose. “Sheesh, it’s like a dumping ground in here. You do know we have bins on campus, right?” 

Kaleb gave a sheepish shrug from within the confines of her pocket. “What’s that saying you humans use? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure?”

She groaned. “You’re obsessive.” 

Not bothering to wait for his snarky reply, Brooke leaned into the locker so her chest was out of sight of anyone passing by and reached a hand into her jacket pocket, closing her fingers around the borrower inside as gently as she could muster. Kaleb couldn’t help but shudder slightly as he felt the all-encompassing pressure of those digits against his torso. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to being handled by humans, despite how many times Brooke had proven herself to be careful in the past. Kaleb fought against his instincts to squirm against her grip as he was brought out of the pocket and into the relatively spacious interior of his locker. Once inside, he took a moment to adjust the toilet paper around his waist, before glancing across at Brooke, whose giant frame blocked out the expanse of the hallway beyond. 

“Thanks for the lift.” He said, shifting awkwardly under her gaze and trying to mask the unsettling feeling of being watched with a half-assed smile. “You can close the door while I get changed. I’ll knock twice when I’m done.” 

“Right.” Brooke nodded. The human girl spared the empty hallway a quick glance, before pushing the locker shut with a creak. 

The second the door clicked shut and darkness swallowed up the locker’s interior, Kaleb let out the breath he’d been holding in. His eyes adjusted instantly to the nearly pitch-black space, taking in the stack of notebooks, school supplies and trinkets he’d only ever interacted with at human size. It almost felt surreal seeing them now, like he was a stranger getting a glimpse into the unreachable world of Kaleb the human. Those thoughts nagged at Kaleb’s mind as he sought out the small pile of borrower clothes he kept tucked away at the back of his locker. Wasting no time, he tugged on a simple short-sleeved navy shirt, capri pants and tan shoes, and tapped lightly on the metal door to let Brooke know he was done.

Kaleb shielded his eyes as light flooded back into the locker and his world opened up again to reveal Brooke’s gigantic gaze. From outside, the human girl smiled slightly, glad to see him back in his usual borrower getup. Anything to get her mind off his bare chest, and… well… Brooke’s crude thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of the school bell echoing through the hallway. Kaleb jumped at the volume, tiny hands clamped over his ears. “Crap.” He winced, glancing around nervously. “I forgot we still had recess before next period.”

“Me too.” Brooke said, before realising the implications. “Oh, shit.” Acting on instinct, her hand shot out to wrap around Kaleb’s midsection, and she quickly lifted the flap of her jacket pocket to drop him inside, out of sight. The borrower yelped at the sudden transfer, disoriented, though his breath hitched as the noise outside suddenly picked up, hundreds of humans beginning to swarm the halls in their mad dash to the cafeteria. He drew his knees to his chest automatically, feeling smaller than ever. Despite knowing full well that no one would ever suspect Brooke Tucker of all people to have a borrower hidden away in her pocket, the layer of denim separating him from the outside world didn’t feel thick enough. 

Brooke, meanwhile, slammed Kaleb’s locker shut before anyone could see what she was doing, and started off down the hall. She passed by her own locker on the way to retrieve her packed lunch—with her parents’ current financial situation, joining the line for the cafeteria felt like a fleeting memory—before hesitating, wondering where she should go. 

From inside her pocket, Kaleb’s ears were pricked, listening intently to the sea of voices and squeaking of giant sets of shoes on the vinyl floor outside. It was always disorienting to travel by pocket and even more so when he wasn’t able to see what was going on around him. With a sigh, he shifted into a more comfortable position with his back against the wall of Brooke’s chest, hearing as well as feeling the pounding of her giant heart through the denim. Suddenly, the commotion outside ceased, and Kaleb frowned to himself, wondering where exactly his human chauffeur had ended up. Tentatively, he lifted the flap of the pocket, though froze when he felt the pressure of her hand on the outside, covering it. “Hang on.” Her voice rumbled through him. 

Kaleb’s stomach lurched uncomfortably as he felt her take a seat. Finally, once she was settled, Brooke lifted the pocket’s flap to allow her borrower passenger to take in their surroundings. 

Immediately, Kaleb pressed himself back into the depths of the pocket. “We’re outside?” He gulped, blinking up at the blue sky he rarely ever got to see from his regular size. “I thought you’d go to the library or something.” 

Brooke leant back against the trunk of the tree she’d chosen to sit under. Her face was dappled with the shadows of the rustling leaves above as she stared down at him, confused. “No one ever sits here, so I figured it’d be safer. I guess I could find us a spot in the library though, if you really want.” 

“Oh.” Kaleb said, hiding his flushed face. It was rare for Brooke to consider his needs like that. “No, it’s okay.” He said hurriedly, trying to hide the flutter of nerves that always came with being outside in an unfamiliar place. “I don’t mind staying here.” 

“Sweet.” Brooke said simply, turning to get out her lunch. Unwrapping her somewhat squished sandwich, she hesitated, sparing her downsized classmate a thoughtful glance. “Uh, do you want some of this? It’s just PB and J, but if you’re hungry…” 

“Sure.” Kaleb smiled gratefully. “Thanks.” 

Unsure how to go about sharing her lunch with a borrower, Brooke broke a small portion off her sandwich and held it out to him between her pinched fingers. She tried not to think about how she’d used her bare hands to touch his food, or how stale the bread her mum had used to make the sandwich probably was. Luckily, Kaleb didn’t seem to mind at all. To a borrower, food was food, and the novelty of actually being able to eat while at human school wasn’t lost on him. He accepted the squished clump of bread and condiments with a grin, nodding his thanks. 

It didn’t escape Brooke’s attention that Kaleb hadn’t asked to leave her pocket since she’d sat down. “You can come out, if you want.” She said, looking out at their surroundings. The tree she’d chosen was far enough against the perimeter of the school grounds that no other students were in sight, other than a group of boys playing soccer on the oval nearby. Even if somebody did come over, Kaleb would have plenty of time to duck out of sight before they arrived.  

Apparently that wasn’t enough to convince the borrower in question. “I’m fine just staying here.” Kaleb said dismissively. “I don’t wanna risk anyone seeing me.” 

He supposed it was a version of the truth. In actuality, there was a larger part of Kaleb that was absolutely terrified by the thought of being stuck out in the open without his borrowing gear. It was one of those realities of his kind that he would never expect any human to understand, let alone Brooke. To him, venturing outside unequipped was like a death sentence, something even the most hardened of borrowers wouldn’t dream of doing. Just as humankind had survived by creating their tools and weapons and inventions, a borrower’s grappling hooks, sewing needle swords, and thumbtack daggers were like their lifeline. Without them, Kaleb would be the perfect prey for a crow or stray cat, or worse, an overly curious human who just couldn’t leave well enough alone.

Which leaves me all the more dependent on Brooke right now. That unhelpful part of his brain reminded him. 

“Fair.” The human girl said. “I don’t exactly wanna be caught eating lunch with a borrower, either.” 

Kaleb smirked, internally glad she hadn’t pressed the issue. “Doesn’t really suit the exterminator’s daughter reputation, huh?”

“I will leave you here.” 

They were silent for a moment, and Kaleb took a bite of his makeshift sandwich, chewing thoughtfully and trying to ignore the sound of Brooke doing the same albeit at a larger, far more unsettling scale. “I never thought I’d see the school like this.” He admitted as a way of distraction, gazing over at the red and yellow brick building in the distance. From his current perspective, there might as well have been an ocean of grass separating it from where Brooke was sitting; a reality that was both humbling and unnerving at the same time. Kaleb found himself wanting to try and explain it to her, whether she chose to listen or not. 

“I’ve always kinda seen coming here as like my second life, where I can live the way any other human teenager would without being in constant fear of danger or being caught.” He said, arms draped over the lip of Brooke’s pocket as he brooded. “But right now, when I’m like this, it’s hard to explain. It makes it so obvious that the person I become when I’m human-sized—my whole identity when I’m at school—it’s all fake. Just a lie I built to protect this Kaleb. The real me.” 

Kaleb stared at the outline of his hands, so tiny in comparison to the human whose pocket he leant out of, and even tinier when held out in front of the backdrop of Westmount State High. When Brooke said nothing in response, he sighed, speaking more to himself than anything. “But still… Even though Upsize is a pain to deal with, and clearly it doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to, I can’t imagine going back to the way things were before I started using it.”

Her borrower neighbour’s honest words stirred up a torrent of emotions inside Brooke; something that had been happening more and more frequently lately. I should’ve known he’d start getting all existential on me, her thoughts were screaming. Deep down, she knew that she and Kaleb were beginning to reach a bit of a stalemate with their empty threats and bickering, but a part of her still found comfort in those interactions. She could keep her guard up that way, and maintain a certain degree of separation from being genuine with him. Still, Brooke couldn’t deny that other part of her—one she tried to keep sealed away—that yearned for connection. If someone had told her two months ago that she’d be finding that connection from Kaleb Finch of all people, she would have laughed in their face. And yet here they were, and Brooke couldn’t help but agree with his words. She was sick of pretending, too. 

“You basically just summed up why so many humans like playing video games.” Brooke mused, swallowing the last of her sandwich and leaning back against the tree trunk with her legs stretched out in front of her. She laced her hands behind her head. “When you’re playing as a character and really immersing yourself in their world, it’s easy to forget how shitty your own life is behind the screen.” 

Now it was Kaleb’s turn to hesitate, not expecting such an earnest answer. Brooke surprised him more and more with those these days. “My life isn’t shitty.” He said. “It’s just…” He stared down at his hands again.

“Small?” The human girl offered with a smug grin.

Kaleb hid his own smile behind the material of her pocket. “I was going to say dull, but I guess that’s a more obvious way of putting it.” 

“To be honest, I forget too.” Brooke said. “That you’re actually a borrower. You fake being human so well it’s kinda scary. But then I come home and you’re suddenly popping out of some random hole in the wall and scaring the shit out of me like it’s the most normal thing ever.” She gave a half-hearted, knowing sigh. “I get it. For you, the difference between who you are at school versus home is literally huge, and honestly, I don’t even want to try and imagine what that’s like. But you’re not really as alone as you think. Every human who knows what’s good for them puts on a face at school to protect themselves. It’s just part of fitting in until you’ve figured out the kind of person you want to be.” 

“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” Kaleb said, looking up at her dinner-plate-sized grey eyes as they gazed out across the grassy oval. He could see that the Brooke at school was a different person too, in a way. She always seemed sadder, more wistful. Hidden behind that trademark smug look of hers was the pain of understanding what it felt like to be marginalised. It made Kaleb wonder how much of that was his fault. 

“I just wish I could tell everyone the truth.” He blurted out before he could fall into that particular pit of self-loathing.

From his position, Kaleb could feel as well as hear Brooke snicker. “Seriously? Like the whole class?” She asked with an amused grin. “You reckon you could trust them all? Even Amy Snyder?” 

I trust you. Kaleb wanted to say. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He agreed instead, but found himself hesitating when two figures kicking a soccer ball across the oval caught his eye. Kaleb blinked, surprised at how small they both looked from this distance, even though he knew it was only a matter of perspective. The borrower sighed. “I’d want to tell Thomas and Marcus.” He amended. “I’ve known them since I started here back in middle school. It’s exhausting, lying to them about everything. I didn’t really notice it until I started opening up to you.” 

Brooke hummed in agreement. “Yeah. Now that you mention it, I guess you do find every opportunity to tell me some weird borrower fact that I don’t actually care about.” 

When Kaleb shot her a withering look, the human girl tried again, though not without smirking first. “You’re worried they’ll look at you differently once they find out what you are, right?” 

Kaleb’s gaze dropped to the inside of her jacket pocket, where he began to fidget with the overlock stitching lining the edge. “Well… yeah.” He said quietly. “I mean, you did, didn’t you?” 

“I… did. I mean, I do.” Brooke had to admit. He’d gotten her there. Glancing down at his tiny, sulking form, she sighed, trying not to think too hard about how much she meant the words that came out of her mouth next:

“But is that really a bad thing? Yeah, I admit I still think borrowers are shit-talking little tight-wads, and I bet you still think me and my family are just another bunch of human bigots… but at least that means we both understand each other a little better, right?” 

Kaleb froze in place. Tactless as she was, he could see Brooke’s intentions as plain as day, how this was her own roundabout method of cheering him up. It made him smile, properly this time, and he met her giant eyes, opening his mouth to reply.

But then the bell rang again, signalling it was time to go back to class.

****

Fourth period was as dreary as ever for Brooke, who sat in her usual spot up the very back of the classroom so she could doodle in her notebook in peace. Although she was by no means flunking out of the subject, she definitely didn’t harbour the level of care towards maths that the borrower stowed away in her pocket seemed to have. Feeling her eyelids droop out of boredom, Brooke hid a yawn behind one hand while she sketched the outline of a guitar with the other. She hadn’t felt Kaleb’s tiny form shift against the inside of her pocket in a while now, figuring he was busy listening intently to Mrs Crowley taking questions about their upcoming exam as promised. 

Brooke rested her elbow on her desk and propped up her head with a hand. At the front of the classroom beside the whiteboard, the clock ticked away at her tauntingly. She blew the bangs out of her eyes with a huff. The sketch of her old guitar had killed exactly ten minutes of class time. 

Only eighty more to go. She thought miserably, reminded again of Kaleb and his abnormal appreciation for maths.  

After triple checking that no one was looking, Brooke decided that now was as good a time as any to check on the borrower in question. Maybe seeing him taking rigorous notes using the tiny scrap of paper and pacer lead she’d provided him earlier would spur her into actually engaging in the lesson herself. So, as quietly and non-discreetly as she could muster, Brooke pinched the flap of her jacket pocket between her thumb and forefinger and lifted it up to peer inside. She was fully expecting Kaleb’s tiny hand to immediately try to bat away her intruding digits, and for him to let out a string of curses for interrupting his note-taking (which she probably deserved).

Instead, Brooke was met with a very different sight.  

Her borrower classmate lay fast asleep at the bottom of the pocket, paper scrap and lead all but forgotten. The human girl watched his tiny chest rise and fall steadily, undisturbed by her relatively giant eyes gazing in. His body was curled up, free of the tension it had harboured since shrinking down hours ago. The near-permanent shit-eating grin had been wiped from his face, his features softened and relaxed. Brooke’s gaze lingered on his slumbering form for a moment longer, before she let the pocket flap fall back into place.

So much for catching those stupid exam tips. She thought to herself. 

For some reason though, Brooke wasn’t as annoyed as she imagined she’d be. If anything, seeing Kaleb let his near-impenetrable guard down after everything he’d been through that day made the human girl’s chest swell with unexpected warmth and that all-too-familiar emotion she wouldn’t dare acknowledge out loud. 

The corner of her lips tugging upwards into a smile, Brooke let out a sigh and turned to a fresh page of her notebook, writing the title “final exam tips” at the top. 

“You’re welcome." She whispered as she got to work.

[sydsaint]

If you feel like it maybe Prompt 30 with Hook or Danhausen please

Loved writing this. I'm a sucker for softie! HOOK

Summary: The reader suffers an injury while helping Tyler out with a fight but doesn't tell him right away. Tyler can tell something is bothering her and is hellbent on fixing it.

Prompt: "How long did you think that you could keep this from me?"

You sit in front of the mirror and examine the deep purple mark on the right side of the jaw. A couple of days ago, while trying to help Tyler with a fight against Wheeler Yuta and the rest of the BCC, you caught a stray hook from Claudio in the jaw. Tyler was ushered off by security before the bruise started to form, so he didn't know about it.

You've known Tyler for a few years now, and the two of you have become close. Best friends in fact. With maybe just a hint of something more there. And you know that Tyler will only go off if he finds out about the accident.

"Ty! What's up?" You answer your phone when it suddenly rings with Tyler's picture on screen.

"Hey, Y/N. I just wanted to let you know that I'm almost there." Tyler informs you.

Your eyes widen at Tyler's warning. He was supposed to meet you at the arena. Not the hotel. "I thought we were gonna meet at the arena?" You ask him about it.

"We were, yeah," Tyler confirms. "But I forgot a couple of things in my room so I have to drop by." He explains. "I'll be there in a bit, so be ready."

You bite your lip, knowing that now you're going to have to rush your makeup job. "Alright. I'll see you soon, Ty." You answer and promptly hang up on him so you aren't wasting any of the little time you have left.

Tyler looks down at his phone after you hang up on him. "Alright." He wears a puzzled look on his face.

A bit later, Tyler grabs his stuff from his hotel room and then makes his way down the hall to your room. He knocks twice and calls out before he enters the room.

"Hey, Y/N! It's Ty!" He calls out and waits for an answer.

Tyler hears some rustling inside the room before finally, you answer him. "It's open, Tyler!"

Tyler slips inside the room and finds you grabbing something out of your suitcase. He also notices that there is a mess of makeup supplies scattered all over the bathroom counter. Which is odd for you. Tyler's never really known you to wear a bunch of makeup unless it's a special occasion.

"I like your eyeshadow," Tyler comments on your hard work when you finally turn his way.

"Oh, thanks." You nod. "You ready to go?" You ask him.

Tyler nods and hands your jacket to you from the chair next to him. You take it with a smile and the two of you head out.

"What are we doing tonight anyway?" You ask Tyler on the way to the Arena.

"I've got a match against Wheeler tonight finally," Tyler answers. "Are you going to come out with me?" He asks you. "I know that things kind of got wild last week with that fight backstage. But you know I've always got your back."

"Yeah, I'll be out there, Ty." You reluctantly nod, which Tyler notices but doesn't comment on.

The thought of seeing Claudio again shakes you up a little bit. You know that him hitting you last week was an accident. But it doesn't make it any less hard having to confront him again. Especially when this time around, Tyler has no idea how you feel.

Later in the night, you and Tyler are hanging out in the locker room and waiting for Tyler's match. Tyler is busy on his phone while you are letting your thoughts stew.

"Hey, Y/N, are you sure that you're okay?" Tyler asks when he glances up from his phone and sees the worried look on your face.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine, Ty." You insist with a nod, leg bouncing nervously.

Tyler puts his phone away and walks over to you. He sits down in the seat next to yours and makes sure that he's giving you his full attention. "Y/N, come on." Tyler prompts you. "We're best friends, you know that you can tell me anything. And I can tell that something is bothering you."

"I...it's nothing." You shake your head and look away from Tyler.

"Y/N, come on. I just want to help." Tyler keeps on trying to get you to open up.

When you turn away from Tyler he can't help but notice the purple mark being poorly hidden by your foundation. "What's that? Is that a bruise?" He asks you, but you don't reply at first. "Y/N, is that why you've been acting weird lately? Did someone do this to you?"

"It was an accident." You finally give in and turn back toward Tyler. "That fight backstage a couple of days ago with the BCC? Claudio accidentally hit me." You explain to him what happened.

"You should have told me." Tyler raises his voice a bit, angry at himself for not asking you about this sooner. "How long did you think you could hide it from me?" He asks you.

"Until it went away." You reply. "It was an accident. And You've already got your hands full with Wheeler. You didn't need the extra stress of dealing with Claudio." You pick at your nails sheepishly.

You look away from Tyler but hear him let out a sigh. He grabs your hand to get you to stop picking at your nails and forces you to look at him. "We're a team, remember?" He reminds you. "And I'm not mad, okay? I just wanted to make sure that you're alright."

"Thanks, Tyler." You sniffle. "It feels good to be able to talk about what happened." You admit.

"I can imagine." Tyler nods. "It's not good to keep all that shit bottled up inside." He adds. "Do you still want to come out with me? You don't have to if you don't want to. But just know, I got your back mami."

You shake your head and compose yourself. "I'll come out there with you." You inform him. "Someone has to watch your back, right?" You joke.

"Right." Tyler chuckles and pulls you into his side for a hug. "What would I do without you?" He smiles to himself.

[ladylooch]

give Sav a man for her to flirt in front of Lio, please

ope, okay here ya go!

“Damn, this new guy is going to be fun to work with.” Savannah laughs at his latest joke. Blake is a dream interview. His answers are thoughtful and detailed. He throws in the right amount of humor, cracking jokes but being polite.

The only problem is his locker is right next to Lio’s. Savannah had tried to encourage the new guy out of the locker room for the interview, but he was on a tight schedule and it was best to ask him questions while he undressed. She can feel every flick of Lio’s gaze against her skin. Her heart squeezes in her chest just being near him. She can feel the tears against the backs of her eyes and is grateful she only has one more question left.

“What are you most excited about coming to Jersey?”

“Ah, probably the city and the team. Honestly, the Devils have a great reputation in the league. Guys like this,” He points a thumb at Lio, “Make it an attractive place to sign, so I’m looking forward to hitting the ice and seeing what he’s got.”

“Great, thanks for doing this Blake.”

“No problem, Savannah. I’m looking forward to working with you as well. Lio’s told me great things.” Savannah grits her teeth into what she hopes is a nice smile.

“Well, that’s Lio.” She murmurs. “Thanks again Blake.” Her next stop if the head coach to grab a few quotes about his new lineup.

Lio lingers on purpose for Savannah. He knows she’ll be heading into the rink to start writing her story where the cool air helps her focus the most. He shrugs his jacket on, giving Blake his number before he leaves so they can grab a beer later tonight.

When he gets back out to the rink, he watches Savannah through the window in the door for a moment. He sees her bring her fingers up to the corners of her eyes, then hide her face in her hands. Her shoulders shake.

What happens next feels like a romcom horror movie. Blake comes strolling into the stands from the upstairs door. He makes his way down to Savannah, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to bring her into his chest.

Savannah is taken aback for a moment, but his chest is so comfortable and solid, she accepts it. Her fingers grip his back tightly. She can’t even put together words to this man she just met to thank him for being so kind.

“I don’t know what is wrong, but if this is over a dude, he is not worth it.” Savannah laughs through her tears. She’s told herself the same thing many nights the last month, but it doesn’t take away the sting of loving and losing Lio Meier.

Lio’s heart launches into his throat at the way Savannah’s fingers grip his new teammates back. She used to grip his back like that. She did the night he made love to her. He can feel himself beginning to tear up. Lio Meier is not a crier, but god damn it if there aren’t tears blurring his vision. Then, Savannah leans back her head and laughs, letting Blake wipe a few stray tears off her face. Lio is sick watching the whole thing. 

We still on for that beer? Blake texts him later.

Sorry, dude. Something came up. Lio responds, then pulls the comforter over his head, hoping sleep will take away the acidic pain eating a hole through his heart.

[volleychumps]

Heyy! Can you do one where Osamu, kuroo, akaashi and Tsukishima, say something mean to their s/o and their s/o avoids them for days? When they finally get ahold of their s/o, their s/o just sorta cries because it hit their insecure spot? Fluff in the end🥺

Listen, I can’t not write this. 

Irrevocable Words. 

- the one in which they accidentally make you give them the silent treatment because of their lashing out. -

~ Osamu Miya, Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji, and Tsukishima Kei~ 

TW: Cursing, angst to fluff, timeskip! for Osamu, 

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

Osamu Miya

“Those are important files, ya know?” 

“Samu, I’m sorry. You should’ve told me you needed last month’s earnings and I would’ve looked for them before we came this morning.” The hand you tried to settle onto Osamu’s bicep was shaken off as your movements faltered. 

Your voice wobbled at the sight of your stoic fiance, an annoyed glint in his eye as he rummages through his files. Osamu felt a flare in his stomach, a lack of sleep contributing to his impatient state. The day had been a busy one, Osamu deciding that he needed this particular file for his business call tomorrow before the two of you headed home for the night. 

“I told ya not to move anything back to the place.”

“I didn’t.” You bit the inside of your cheek. “Here, just let me help-” 

“Don’t touch a goddamn thing, I’ll do it myself.” There it was. The lashing out that was bound to happen occurred with a pointed tongue as he refused to look at you, rummaging through his file cabinets. “As I do everything else.” 

He closes the cabinet sharply. “The least ya could do is try your best not to be a nuisance-” 

Osamu flinches at the slam of one of the office desk drawers, chest sinking when he sees the tears threatening to spill from your eyes. The paper he needed is thrown on the desk carelessly as you shove your jacket on, wetness slipping down your cheeks.

“And I’m not your goddamn secretary. I’m heading home first.” 

“Y/N-” 

“And don’t worry, I promise I’ll manage to do this by myself somehow.” Your voice cracks bitterly, the bell by the door jingling mockingly in Osamu’s ears as you exit, the chef hanging his head with a sigh and regret tinging his chest.

He was wrong to pray this would blow over, not expecting to wake without your warmth by his side. You avoided him on the way to the restaurant, cleaning quietly while giving vague answers to his questions, shifting out of his attempts to embrace you with apologies. 

Deciding to give you space, he softly tells you to take the next few days off, unprepared for the tired look you had given him, simply nodding in response as you slipped into your side of the bed with your back turned to him.

“Where’s your pretty girlfriend?” 

“Fiance.” Osamu forces a smile at his two elderly regulars two days later, the wife’s smile widening at his correction. 

“Oho! Cherish each other while you youths still can, she really does brighten this place up, doesn’t she?” 

You do.

Osamu’s eyes feel hot as he does a messy job of cleaning up the restaurant, closing up shop early and stopping by your favorite bakery to pick up the ridiculously expensive cake he only ever buys for your birthday. 

Throwing the door open to your shared apartment hastily, you gasp at the gray-haired man’s sudden entry, dropping the spoon you were about to use to taste the dish you were making on the stove.

“Samu, y-you’re home early-” 

“What’s all this?” He tries to steady his breaths at the sight of a nicely prepared table, something you hardly ever got to share ever since the night shifts overtook your lives and caused a rift between the two of you. 

You’re silent for a second, looking away from his warm stare as you shift under his gaze. 

“...I miss you.” Dark eyes widen when you begin to hiccup over your words, tears threatening to spill down your cheeks. “But I didn’t wanna be a nusciance-”

“Oh god, darlin’ no.” You’re pulled tightly into his chest as you cry, whole body shaking with tremors as Osamu’s inner turmoil merely increases.

If Osamu could go back in time and punch himself he would, unknowing of the torment he caused you over the past few days, thinking you just needed space. 

“I want to marry ya Y/N, I’m so sorry.” 

“I love you so much Samu.” You sniffle into his chest, causing him to smile softly, a hand sifting through your hair to hold you tighter to him. 

“I brought cake.” 

You laugh through the onslaught of tears. 

“And I made dinner.” 

“Then what are we waitin’ for?” 

“Just hold me like this for awhile?”

“Y/N.” He kisses the top of your head, finally feeling at ease with your figure in his arms. Osamu whispers a confession he hardly shared with you, wanting those words in particular to be special as he bridged the gap between the two of you.

“I love ya so much more, don’t you go forgettin’ it.”

Kuroo Tetsurou

“I said I was sorry!” 

“Is sorry supposed to just fix everything, Tetsurou?” 

“Tetsurou? Are you seriously withholding me from my nickname privileges?” 

You cross your arms at his attempt to make you laugh, thoroughly angry with the mess your boyfriend made of things as his smile fades at your peeved stare. 

“Look, what was I supposed to do?” 

“How about not leaving my parents waiting for you at the restaurant that you invited them to for another one of your spontaneous volleyball practices?” 

“I texted you I had to cancel!” 

“That was a half hour before we were supposed to meet, Kuroo! They were so excited to meet you they got there early. God, why can’t you ever take things seriously?” 

“You’re right.” A bitter chuckle slips Kuroo’s lips as you falter at the sudden tone change, the volleyball gym seeming bigger than ever as his next sentence makes your lips tremble.

“Since I can’t ever take things seriously, then I must not need my serious girlfriend then, right?” Your eyes widen. “I can just find somebody else who won’t fucking hound me all the time.”

His cat-like eyes widen as the words slip his tongue, unintentionally coming out crueler than he intended. To make it worse, you simply stayed silent, your body physically backing down and away from him as you turned on your heel. 

“Wait, I didn’t-” 

“Do it then.” His chest just about shatters as your shoulders tremble, refusing to turn back around as your voice takes on an uncharasterically defeated tone. “I hope they make you fucking happy.” 

Kuroo runs a hand through his raven hair frustratedly at the way you rushed out of the gym, throwing a stray ball so hard at the wall before his vision becomes skewed with heat. 

He should have expected the next week to be utter hell. You left class before he could catch you by escaping to the bathroom with all your things, leaving school another way instead of the exit you always took together before he had to start club activities. 

“Kenma, what are you doing?” 

“You can’t come in here.” 

“I’m missing class for this. Let me through.” 

“She doesn’t want to see you.” Kenma shrugged, eyes on his handheld. “I told her I’d watch the door so you can’t surprise her during our breaktime.” 

“I’m her boyfriend. And you’re not her guarddog.” 

“No, I’m her friend.” Kenma’s eyes narrow at his childhood friend. “And last time I checked, you’re on the search for someone who isn’t her.” 

“So she told you.” 

“Dick move, by the way.” 

Kuroo’s calls go straight to voicemail, his emotions affecting his playing with each passing day. He leaves little notes in your shoe locker to meet him, heart sinking more and more with every time you stood him up. 

And it wasn’t until he saw you smiling again at a joke Yaku made that he truly felt like he was losing you. 

“Go home.” 

The sight wasn’t one you were expecting to see, Kuroo sitting on the steps to your house with his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets, the dark bags under his eyes sparking worry within you. 

“It’s probably better if my parents don’t see you-” 

“I’m sorry.” His eyes seem to have lost a little of their glint, regret swimming in the tall boy’s pupils as your guard softens. “I’m so goddamn sorry I ran my mouth and said shit I didn’t even mean-” 

“Tetsurou-” 

“And I hurt you in the process. I hurt the one thing that matters to me the most, and I’m sitting here playing the creepy ex that stalks the girl he loves-” 

“You love me?”

“Doesn’t matter, does it? You’re done with me, and I deserve it-” 

He’s cut off with the sight of tears hitting the wood in front of him, lifting his head to see tears streaking down your cheeks. On instinct, he reaches out softly, rising to his feet to cup your cheek, astonished when you curl into his touch. 

“I’m so fucking mad at you right now.” 

“Noted.” Kuroo laughs somberly, a wave of emotion hitting him as you do something you hadn’t done in days. 

You look him in the eye, tugging him closer by the sides of his jacket. 

“But I love you too, you absolute idiot.” 

Kuroo grins into the kiss you press onto his lips, heart lifting in weight as he pulls you closer. 

“Does this mean we can go back to Tetsu?” 

“I’m going back to ignoring you-” 

“No.” Kuroo’s tone turns serious as he holds you a little tighter. “I can’t do that again.” 

You smile as he presses a kiss to your temple lovingly. 

“Being away from you was complete and utter hell, sweetheart.” 

Akaashi Keiji

“Tell me how to make this right.”

“Right, Y/N.” Akaashi refused to meet your eyes as he loosens his school tie, not slowing his pace for you to catch up with as he throws the doors open to the volleyball club. The usually put-together setter had an angry glint in his eye that silenced his awaiting teammates. “Let’s just go back in time before you agreed to be his partner.”

“Hey hey, what’s going on you two?” Bokuto jogs up, his worried tone making your lips tremble even more at the sight of Akaashi’s turned back.

“I came to you as soon as he made a move! I didn’t let him-”

“There shouldn’t have been an opportunity for him to make a move in the first place.” Akaashi’s jaw clenched as you shuffle in place.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, you think I wanted him to try to kiss me?!” You fight the waver in your voice, standing your ground. “It was a project for class. I didn’t know his intentions-“

“I told you what his intentions were, but you never listen.” Akaashi turns hastily, startling you and causing you to stumble slightly backwards into Bokuto.

“Akaashi-“

“Stop defending her. She never listens to me, and then comes crying to me when it turns out I’m right.” Akaashi snips at his best friend, ignoring the silent stares from his quiet teammates. “Why can’t you get it through your head, Y/N? I’m not your goddamn babysitter-“

“You’re right.” You interrupt, fingernails biting into your palms as you choke back a sob. “You’re not, you’re my boyfriend. I just wanted to respect you by coming to you with something like this, but it turns out I’m just a hinderance.”

Akaashi falters for a second, blue eyes widening a fraction at the angry heat that fills your eyes as regret begins to bubble in his stomach at his harsh words.

“Y/N-“

“Give me some space, Keiji.” You say softly, patting Bokuto’s arm to let you through as your shoulders sink in a defeated manner. “I promise I won’t come crying to you about anything else.”

Your steps echo as you walk out of the gym, Konoha breaking the silence first when the door shuts behind you.

“Hate to say it, but that was well-deserved, man.”

Akaashi closes his eyes, head falling back towards the ceiling as he tries to steady his breathing, pretending like he wasn’t scared of you slipping through his fingers. He willed himself to not allow himself to chase after you, his anger directed towards you fading as he forces himself to respect your wishes. 

It was obvious you were avoiding him. Akaashi had blinked when Bokuto had self-proclaimed that he needed you as his “study buddy” during breaks when you weren’t even in the same year as the owlish boy. It got worse when you seemed to panic when Akaashi willed you to talk to him, eyes refusing to meet his watery blue ones as you pushed him further away.

So he gave you your space, wilting with each passing day. It wasn’t until he accidentally bumped into you a week later, the setter turning hastily on his heel to walk in the opposite direction before a soft tug on the back of his school shirt wills him to stop. 

“Keiji.” Your wobbly voice makes him turn back around immediately, a soft palm already cupping your cheek gently. “I’m s-” 

“I’m sorry for being cruel.” The words are whispered against your forehead, Akaashi’s heartstrings tugging in the worst way possible. “I was angry at the situation, my love. And that sorry excuse you call a classmate. Please,” 

His grip tightens just a little more as he feels wet warmth drip into the palm that was cupping your face.

“Forgive me.” 

“I told you I wouldn’t come crying to you-” 

“I want it all, Y/N.” Akaashi pulls back slightly, voice cracking slightly as blue stares intensely into your irises. “I want all of you. Tears included.”

You swat his chest playfully as Akaashi manages a soft smile, hand threaded through your hair as he presses you against his chest.

“Do you still need space?” He murmurs, and you smile at the sound of his hearbeat picking up as he awaited your answer fearfully. 

“Nope. The exact opposite, please hold me?” 

His embrace relaxes immediately, and your heart skips a beat at the sound of his relieved sigh, his slight nod making the weight lift off your chest. 

“Good, now I can take care of your classmate-” 

“Keiji-”

“Nope, my love.” He tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, Akaashi’s eyes swirling with devotion. 

“No one gets to try anything with you so long as you’re safe with me.” 

Tsukishima Kei 

“So I’m the bad guy again.” 

“Do you want the honest answer, Kei?” You exhaustedly run a hand through your hair as Tsukishima’s scowl deepens, his long legs easily catching up with you in stride as he tugs on your wrist as the rambunctious court gets further and further away. 

“It’s not my fault you’re insecure.” 

You flinch. “Well maybe you shouldn’t let the girls in the stands cling to you after your matches. They were all over you, Tsukki! And you didn’t seem to mind it one bit.” 

“What?” Annoyance brims the blonde’s voice as he takes another step forward, clenching his jaw when he sees the quiver in your lip, distrust filling the atmosphere between the two of you. 

“Afraid that they’re prettier or better than you’ll ever be?” 

You feel as if the wind was knocked out of your lungs, breath catching in your throat at his insinuation. His guard slackens almost immediately, clicking his tongue before turning away, too proud to apologize for the words he regretted as soon as they slipped his tongue like venom. 

“Yeah.” You laugh humorlessly, making brown eyes dart over to your expression immediately. “You’re 100% correct. I am afraid you’ll find someone better than me in all aspects. Because I love you, you absolute asshole. Is that what you wanted to hear?” 

The silence that befalls the two of you in the deserted hall is broken when you flinch away when Tsukishima tries to take a step towards you. 

“I didn’t-” 

“You never mean to do anything, Kei.” You say in a hushed tone, turning your back on him in an attempt to shield the hot tears slipping down your cheeks. “But you somehow always manage to.” 

The win for Karasuno didn’t mean much to the blonde that night, hoping that this would just go away and things would be back to normal. However, it was anything but. You didn’t look his way once in class, disappearing when it was over. Your voice trembled as you had avoided his seemingly stoic eyes through his frames, simply stating that you wished for some time away from him. 

He was fine. Or at least pretending to be on the outside. In truth, he would never find better, because you were it for him, words that you would never catch slipping his mouth. So he put on a front, pretending that your absence had zero effect on him whatsoever. Pretending the brush of your body against him in the hall as you pass each other didn’t make the blonde want to cave. 

It was the smile you shot at Hinata during one of your breaks that caused him to. The first glint in your eye in awhile, and it had been caused by him of all people, prompting the tall middle blocker to tug you by the forearm into the corridor.

“Tsukishima-” 

“I hate this.” 

You falter for a second, guard back up in a flash as your back touches the wall. “What did I do?” 

“You didn’t do anything, and it’s pissing me off.” 

“I don’t follow-” 

“I was wrong.” His forehead touches your shoulder as you stiffen before relaxing against his familiar touch. “I don’t care how many times I have to apologize. You win, okay? I’m sorry.” 

“This is a rather aggressive apology-” 

“Y/N.” Tsukishima lifts his head so it’s level with your height, unprepared for the way tears brimmed your eyes at the proximity, your guard diminishing. 

“What if you do find someone better one day, Tsukki?” Your voice cracks, inner fears trickling to the surface. “Do I need to prepare myself to lose you-?” 

You gasp as Tsukishima’s jaw ticks before kissing you intensely, his hand touching your lower back to pull you closer. 

“No. You don’t need to do something stupid like that.” His eyes were slightly glaring at you, a flush across both his cheeks. “Because there is no one better than you, okay?” 

It was your turn for heat to flood your cheeks as your eyes widen a fraction, his breath tickling your ear as you stutter. “Kei-” 

“I love you too. I said it, are you satisfied now?”  

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

General works: @takemetovalhalla  @faesbae  @savemesteeb @dreebbles @yams046   @let-me-have-my-own-name  @deadontheinsidebut @lifeisntjustblackandwhite   @curiouslilbeast  @aprettyfruit   @wisepandaslimeland   @h0ngh0ngh0ng   @lmkjimin   @orangegiraffe7   @dai-tsukki-desu   @kac-chowsballs   @spikertrash   @yamaguwuchi   @lord-suneater-explosion   @holaaaf  @babyybokutoakaashi   @lexysclubhouse   @disneyloving-muggle   @kuuuuroo   @theonep1ece  @that-chick212  @mjoork

[hotchscvm]

best friend’s daddy - part three

Warnings: dark!andy barber, language, mentions of age difference, mentions of sex, underage drinking, pregnancy

Word count: 4.8k

Summary: A series of snapshots with your past and current life with Andy Barber.

[highly requested—and i mean highly]

masterlist

Newton, MA - 2017 Homecoming Game

He saw you immediately, shamelessly staring at the bright, yet fake smile slapped on your face as you posed for the picture. Andy's eyes drifted to the football players arms around your waist, too far down for the assistant district attorney's liking, not that he could do anything about it. He was unable to contain the eye roll when one of the players pressed a quick kiss on your cheek while you looked at the camera.

Andy knew he had no right feeling that way. He knew you thought he hated you. The glares, the tone he used, the disapproval glances he gave Jacob whenever you were with him. It was enough evidence for you to think he didn't want you around. He didn't. But not for the same reasons as you think.

Jacob ran past him, pulling you into a hug as the players around you ran back to their pre-game huddle, hyping themselves up. He heard your laugh, his previous annoyance washing away as he listened, wishing he didn't have to keep up his act. Instead, he watched from afar, noticing the fake smile replaced by a genuine one as you hugged your best friend, your cheer skirt rising before dropping back to it's already short length as soon as Jacob let you go.

Like the years before, Laurie didn't come to the homecoming game, claiming she was far too busy with work but Andy wasn't dumb. He could see it in her face everyday, helplessly watching his wife distance herself from him. But he couldn't blame her; he was doing the same. After all, not everything is supposed to last forever.

He secretly admired you, silently praising your will to pursue the career you wanted despite the very many attempts, and lectures from your parents about becoming a lawyer. Andy had gotten calls from them, more than happy to show you around the building with your parents hope of you magically being interested in what they had planned. But you were stubborn, and you hadn't backed down. He was impressed.

You glanced at Andy, surprised he wasn't glaring at you but rather staring at you with an expression you couldn't quite place, and you quickly diverted your eyes back to Jacob. "I'm so glad you came! Thank you for not being a total nerd tonight."

"My dad practically dragged me out of the house, grumbling about how I had to support my best friend when she's on the cheerleading team." Jacob explained, motioning to his father, the older Barber climbing the stairs as he claimed a spot on the bleachers next to your father. "I think it was just an excuse to watch a game that didn't feature the Patriots."

Once again, you were surprised. As said before, you thought he didn't care for your presence; to hear he wanted his son to support you was surprisingly shocking no matter how small it was. "Oh. Looks like he and Dad are gossiping again. Your mom didn't come?"

"No, she had work. What about yours?" asked Jacob.

"Business trip." you answered, sarcasm dripping from your voice. You saw the Instagram posts her friends posted, the so-called business trip had turned into a vacation with the girls. You heard your name being yelled, your cheer squad waving you over. Turning back to Jacob, you smiled. "They're calling me over so I gotta go. I'll find you after halftime, okay? We can ditch."

Jacob arched a brow, the corner of his lips twitching up. "But you're head cheerleader. Aren't you supposed to stay for the whole game?"

"Nah, Leila can take over after halftime. I'll just make up an excuse and say I went off with a guy or something." you said, tightening your ponytail. "Oh, and don't use the last stall in the boy's bathroom. Pretty sure someone had sex in that."

"Pretty sure that someone was you." he replied, grinning as you flipped him off. He laughed when you nearly ran into toddler, apologizing to the little person before running to the squad.

Jacob joined Andy and your father, answering questions from your dad, and listening to the two fathers talk about the mundane life as the game started. Andy's vision kept drifting off to you, cheering on the sidelines as the game, accidentally missing parts of the game. Not that he minded to much, he had a nice view, and he knew the score. It wasn't that much of an inconvenience for him.

Before halftime, you snuck away, going into the school to grab another hair tie from your locker. Thankfully, the field was close to the west side of the school, the locker bay only a short walk from the entrance. Coincidentally, just as you walked towards the bathroom with the hair tie, Andy bumped into you, the phone in his hand dropping to the floor.

"Oh, shit." you cursed, quickly bending down, grabbing the phone and handing it back to your best friend's dad. "Sorry, Mr. Barber, I wasn't looking."

Andy sighed, studying his phone instead of giving into the urge to comfort your tense state. For the millionth time, he wished he didn't have to act like a dick to you. "It's fine. Just watch where your going or you might head into the mens' room."

Not knowing whether he was serious or not, you gave an awkward nod, walking pass him. You hadn't seen the lingering glance he gave you before walking back to the game. Pushing on the bathroom door, you let yourself drown in your jitters, hyping yourself up before coming back and performing.

You had forgotten about Andy by the time you returned.

—

Newton, MA - May 14, 2018

Andy heard the knock, getting out of his seat to unlock the door. A presence befall him, a feeling he only got when you were nearby. With that thought, he immediately opened the door, greeted by the sight of you soaking from the rainfall, shivering, eyes slightly swollen, and downright miserable.

He called out your name in surprise, shocked to see you in such a messy state, let alone see you in his office. "What happened? Come in, come in. Are you okay?"

"Sorry, I—" you shivered, biting your lip to keep from spilling every problem you had faced on him. "It was raining so hard that I had to stop so I wouldn't crash or anything. And this was the closest building I parked to. I ran inside but I guess it didn't make any difference seeing how soaked I am."

Andy wrapped his jacket around your shoulders, unable to find a stray blanket or anything warm to give you. He led you to the leather couch, softly pushing you down to sit on it. "Come here, sit down. Did school end early?"

"No, um, I skipped." you sniffed, sinking down on the leather, letting Andy's coat fall over your shoulders. "I had a fight with my mom. A big one. So, I didn't exactly feel that great to come to school and I've been driving around since eight."

"Sweetheart, you're soaked. You're going to get sick." Andy murmured, wiping his warm hand over your forehead, the little droplets of water wetting his hand. "I have some clean clothes in my gym bag. Tell me what you were fighting about, it might make you feel better."

You watched him grab his duffel bag from under his desk, opening your mouth to protest but the cold, wet clothes made you close it. "I made some backhand comment about having a job in fashion, then she just blew up. She wants me to be a lawyer, go to the best schools, and be successful even if I'm not happy. I told her to fuck off, yelling that I'll do what I want. She didn't like that answer, so I grabbed my keys and drove around."

Andy gave you his Patriots shirt, and a clean pair of sweats, taking his wet jacket from you. You whispered a thank you, before taking off your dripping shirt, not caring Andy was watching. He cleared his throat, diverting his eyes away from your half-naked body. "Well, what did you want to be? What do you want to do after school?"

"I don't really know, except for the fact that I don't want to be a lawyer, that's for sure." you replied, putting on the sweatpants Andy gave you, relishing in the warmth. "I'm sorry for getting your couch wet, I—"

"It's okay, don't worry about it, sweetheart. Are you okay, now? Do you want me to do something about it?" Andy asked, unsure to hug you so he settled for an awkward pat on your shoulder, moving closer to you.

You scoffed, fidgeting with the hem of the large Patriots t-shirt, rolling your eyes at the question. "Trust me, there's nothing you could do about it. They're both so persistent on me being this successful lawyer that it doesn't matter if I want to be one. Tell me, Mr. Barber, what's so fucking great about being one?"

He bit back a smile, shifting on the couch until he was touching you, the serotonin you gave him encouraged Andy to brush back your dripping hair behind your ear, tilting your chin up to meet his gaze. With wide eyes, and a slight frown, you meet his eyes. "Well, firstly, you're able to help people. In layman's terms, you either can defend a client, or prosecute a criminal. Putting the bad guys away. Um, you can meet new people, have some experiences that's unlikely for others. But, you're right. You shouldn't have to do what you're parents have planned for you."

"Try telling them that." you sniffled, goosebumps appearing on your arms, subconsciously leaning your cheek on Andy's hand. He heard the angelic sigh escape from your lips, his smile appearing. "Thank you for the clothes and everything Mr. Barber."

"Don't mention it." he replied, bravely wrapping his arms around your slightly shivering body. Andy felt you tense for a few moments before slowly relaxing, shifting so he could rest his chin on your head, his thumb rubbing soft circles on your back. After a few minutes of silence, Andy reluctantly broke the silence. "Would you like me to call Jacob?"

He saw the flash of hurt in your eyes before you composed your expression, nodding slowly as you pulled away. "Yeah, I'll call him. He has free period so he won't be missing anything, I promise. Sorry for keeping you from work, Mr. Barber."

Andy shook his head, helping you up from the couch. "No, no, no. I just had some papers to go through, you didn't keep me from anything. The rain is slowing but you can stay in here until Jake comes. If you want."

You nodded, giving him a weak smile. "Thank you."

—

The Barber House - June 1, 2018

Giggling uncontrollably, you leaned against Jacob, a bottle of beer in your hand. Jacob laughed over the cartoon character with you, throwing his head back at the ridiculous scene on screen. Scooby had just stared at the screen, ending the episode, the screen turning black before another episode started. The noise Scooby made just had you and Jacob in another fit of uncontrollable laughter.

The sleepover had been spontaneous, yet long way overdue. In less than a week, you'd have graduated, and moved out of Boston, living in New York City as you went to the same college. That was one of the upside of finally leaving Newton, but even with the continuous nagging from your parents, you were still going to miss them.

You had been extra quiet, knowing full well Andy was stressed for something Laurie had done, the wife walking out of the house just as you had pulled up on the driveway. She had given you a friendly greeting, asking questions about graduation, before hugging you and driving away in her car. You knew it was bad as soon as you entered the house, seeing Andy glaring at the kitchen counter as you waited for Jacob to come save you. Thankfully, you didn't have to make small talk with the lawyer.

But the his tense expression was enough to keep you quiet in Jacob's room. Well, until he turned up with beers he had gotten from a mutual friend of yours, Cory Gilbert, the bartender at the bar and grill you and Jacob frequented at. He was over 21, legally able to buy the beer, giving it to Jacob as a present for graduation. Cory had given you a nice bottle of brandy, but you had decided to save it for graduation night instead.

Getting drunk hadn't been hard, for Jacob anyways; it took more than a few pleads from your already drunk friend to convince you to drink with him. Once you did, you felt the liquid slightly burn down your throat and you greeted the giddy feeling it left you. Soon, you were found leaning against Jacob's bed, sitting on the floor as the both of you cackled at the animations playing on the screen.

Andy still hadn't came up to hush the both of you; and to be honest, you weren't sure to be relieved or disappointed. You settled for relieved once as you saw Scooby and Shaggy running away from a "monster."

It was half past ten when you finally got up from your spot on the floor, leaving Jacob to drunkenly slur at his phone while the tv played in the background. Getting up, you headed to the bathroom, careful not to make anymore sounds than you already had. You were too drunk to notice Andy standing outside his door, arms crossed as he amusingly stared at your little tip-toe walk to the bathroom.

You finished your business, washing your hands, and heading back to Jacob's room when you lost your footing and stumbled into Andy's arms. You yelped in alarm, glad for the muscular arms that caught you. Looking up, you saw what your drunk brain could only describe as Adonis. You smiled, patting his pec as you slurred. "Thank you, Mr. Barber."

"How drunk are you, sweetheart?" Andy asked, not letting you go. He felt you swaying slightly in his arms, bringing you closer to his chest until your face was only a couple of inches away from his. His eyes flickered to your lips, his tongue licking his own. "You look flushed."

Giggling, you couldn't help but grin at the human contact. You had been so sure he hated you, but from your current position, your assumption seemed silly. "You're making me blush. Me and Jacob haven't been drank—drinking that much, pinky swear."

He snickered at the tiny slip up with your grammar, the slowness and laziness in your voice evidence enough if it hadn't been for the burst of confidence, and shouts from Jacob's room. "You shouldn't be lying, especially to a lawyer. Let's get you sobered up, wouldn't want you waking up with a bitch of a hangover tomorrow, now would we?"

Andy places a hand on your back, his hand intertwining with yours as he tried to lead you downstairs safely but you halted in the middle of the hallway, laughing as you sneaked behind him. You tapped his shoulder, trying to push him down. "Gimme a piggy back ride, Mr. Barber. Like the ones you gave me when I was four!"

The lawyer burst out laughing, finding your drunk confidence adorable. He couldn't help but agree, squatting down enough for you to climb onto his back, your legs wrapping around his waist, your arms locking around his neck. Andy held your legs in place with his hands, shifting you upwards so you rested comfortably on his back. Turning his head, he raised an eyebrow. "You ready, princess?"

You nodded in response, your hair ticking his neck as you snuggled closer to his neck, nuzzling your cheek. All the alcohol had rushed to your head. Andy walked down the stairs, careful to keep his grip on you as he did so. He heard all the tiny giggles and gasps you made, his bad mood dissolving with each sound. He couldn't remember a time Laurie had made him that happy.

Reaching the kitchen, Andy sat you down on the kitchen island, reluctantly letting you go as he went to grab a glass of water. He gave you the glass, but you rejected it, too busy looking at the game on the tv, seeing past the arch and into the living room.

He set the glass on the counter, leaning against it as he crossed his arms, staring at the mesmerized—and drunk—girl in admiration. You turned your attention back on him as soon as the commercials rolled, catching him ogling you. Blushing, you giggled once again, waving him over.

Curious, Andy stepped towards you, surprised when you gripped the collar of his shirt, dragging him closer to you until he was only a couple of inches away. Leaning in, you whispered in his ear. "I have a secret."

"What is it?" Andy asked, one word away from kissing his son's best friend. The tension radiating from interaction had him weak, helpless from the very tempting chance to take you right there and then.

Cupping your hand around your lips, you felt him snake between your legs, bringing you even closer. With your lips near his ear, you whispered, "I have the biggest crush on you. Sometimes I wish you were single so I could ride you until I physically can't."

Andy growled, his hands digging into your waist as his lips hovered over yours, his blue eyes piercing yours. He murmured your name, so close to losing all of his control.

"Every time I come over, I hope you'd push me against a wall, rip my shirt off and fuck a baby in me." you confessed, loving his body warmth. His grip had tighten on you to the point it was borderline painful, but you relished in it, the alcohol numbing the rational thoughts in your head as they screamed at you to shut up.

The lawyer was so close to doing what you wanted, nearly taking you right there. But much to his dismay, his morals had held him back; surely all it would take would be another sentence murmured from your lips but he considered himself strong. "Sweetheart..."

Just as Andy's lips brushed over yours, loud, heavy footsteps made him pull away, spotting his son drunkenly enter the kitchen. You smiled brightly at Jacob as if you hadn't been about to kiss his father. Andy raised an eyebrow at his son, irritated for interrupting. "Jacob, what're you doing?"

"I—" the boy frowned, forgetting momentarily on what he was doing. Jacob pointed at you, returning a random wave. "I was looking for her, because I got worried she fell in the toilet or something."

"She's fine, I was just sobering her up." Andy answered before you could, reluctantly helping you off the table, wishing he had a few more minutes alone with you. "Don't let your mom see all those bottles when she gets home. She won't be lenient as I am."

Jacob saluted in response, watching his dad help his best friend off the table. He was too drunk to notice the longing looks you had exchanged with Andy. "Okay, dad. Night."

Andy stood in the kitchen, alone, watching his girl giggle at something his son whispered. With more confidence than ever, he pulled out the manila envelope from the kitchen drawer, placing it on the table. Laurie would find it when she comes back.

—

Newton, MA - July 4, 2021

"You're so fat." Jacob commented, eyes widening when he felt the baby kick. Without much thought, he invaded your personal space, placing his cheek against your stomach. You sighed, rolling your eyes at your best friend. Jacob chuckled. "This little guy is gonna be a soccer superstar. Like Cristiano Ronaldo."

Andy chuckled from the driver's seat, pulling into the driveway, pulling Jacob off your stomach and back to his seat. "Don't antagonize her, Jake. She might rip your head off for breathing the same air without her permission."

Childishly, you stuck your tongue, making your baby daddy burst out laughing before as he turned off the car and opened the door. But you could hardly say his comment was an exaggeration, grimacing at the memory of nearly snapping Andy's arm off when he had forgotten the almond milk from the weekly visits to the grocery store. It had been both a blessing and curse to have Jacob in the outs of the pregnancy when that incident occurred. You hadn't wanted him to see the growing bump.

With the help of both Barbers, you got out of the car, carefully and slowly for the sake for both you and the babies. The two were chatting as they unloaded the baggage from trunk while you made your way to the house, reminiscing in the days when Jacob's glances weren't filled with betrayal, as if you had ripped his heart from his chest.

It wasn't everyday he looked at you with that raw emotion in his eyes—the betrayed looks had started to decrease the more time you spent together—yet you still felt guilty. With a hand over your growing belly, you opened the door, bombarded with memories from childhood, once again reminding you who you were having a baby with.

Once Jacob had sprinted out of the room, in anger and denial after seeing his father tangled in bed with his best friend, you had pushed Andy off you, wanting to go after him. When Andy argued it was better off for Jacob to be alone, you had blamed him for everything, for ruining the lifelong friendship with Jacob and weeks of stress caused by sleeping with him the first time. The lawyer hadn't denied the guilt or blame like you thought he would—like you wished he would—instead drowning in the insults you threw his way.

You didn't start to forgive him until Jacob came back, but then loathed him after the your best friend announced he needed some time and space to think it out, uncertain which conclusion he would come to. Thankfully, he couldn't live without you in his life, no matter how hard he tried, so he came running back, wishing for an apology when all you wanted to do was cry and wish you didn't have to spend two months without him.

Andy, like the charming bastard he is, had slowly broke down the wall of bricks made from your anger and hatred, and unwillingly, you let him in. Jacob had explained, quite awkwardly, he should be in no way a problem to yours and Andy's relationship, only to be slapped by the pregnancy news. Surprisingly, he kept it light and took it well.

Unsurprisingly to Andy, the fetus (he had been very upset when you occasionally called the baby that) had been conceived on Thanksgiving, proving the plan B useless. You had given up any pretenses at that point, and gave in to Andy's precautions no matter how ridiculous they had been; safety for the fetus.

Your parents had been content with the excuses you've made, only a little suspicious on not wanting to see them during the months of carrying the baby. The baby boy to be precise. But the lack of visiting since college was consistent enough for them to not rise suspicions.

You settled down on the couch, exhausted by the road trip despite how short it was. Newton was hardly small, but with Andy's former title, it wouldn't be long before rumors spread, and with rumors came exaggerated stories along with middle-aged women judging your life decisions because they had nothing to do all day other than sit in their lazy asses.

Andy and Jacob set the bags down by the doorway, Jacob letting out a huge sigh while his dad walked over to you, kissing your forehead. You couldn't help but smile at the gesture. He sat beside you, leaving no room to breathe.

"Hello, gorgeous."

"Ugh." Jacob groaned, turning his eyes away from the PDA. "Okay, I'm gonna go before any more of this happens. I'll see you guys for dinner."

Before you could ask, Jacob closed the door, practically sprinting to his car. Seeing his father in bed with his best friend had scarred him. You turned your attention back to Andy, head tilting in confusion. "Where's he going?"

"He's giving me some alone time with you. Had to pay him a few bucks after he complained about stealing you, but he'll manage for the next couple of hours." Andy explained, his hands absentmindedly stroking your belly, his smile beaming.

"What's happening in the next couple of hours that he can't be here for?" you asked, curious. The blast of hormones had been a gift Andy knew he didn't deserve, with you crawling over his body in the earlier months of the pregnancy, waking him up with lips wrapped around his cock. With his precautions for the baby, he'd been a tease for the past few weeks with the due date just barely two months away.

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head in amusement. "It's not that, sweetheart." Andy chuckled at your pout, disappointed by the outcome. "I just wanted to spend some time with you."

You knew there was something more, but you let it go, one thing at the front of your mind. Your fingers clawed at his shirt, biting your lip. "Then let's spend some time together." Leaning closer, you softly nipped at his earlobe, whispering in his ear. "Daddy."

Andy murmured your name, stern and sure but the bulge in his pants deemed a different story. That was enough for you to stop seducing him. "You're going to be the death of me."

Laughing, you turned the tv on, cuddling next to the soft man. Well, as close to cuddling as you could with the belly in the way. Your feet had been sore despite the not having to walk much all day, but the road trip had taken a lot of your already drained energy. Andy understood, gently taking off your shoes and massaging your feet until they no longer felt sore.

Two hours were wasted watching true crimes documentaries, Andy passionately commenting on the evidence they clearly had missed, and voicing his opinions of who was clearly guilty. You muffled a giggle, amused by the former lawyer. It still surprised you to see Andy so ... light? The forehead creases only coming together when something had displeased you, no matter how tiny. Retiring must've done something to relieve the stress he carried.

It wasn't until the third Buzzfeed Unsolved episode came on that you got tired. Andy, sending the change, muted the screen, pressing a soft kiss on your close eyelids. He positioned you so you were leaning against him, your back to him as you laid on the couch, a hand over your growing stomach. Anxiety seeped through his veins.

Andy cleared his throat. Playing with your hair, he said, "Marry me."

Your eyes snapped open, growing wide as you pondered if you had heard him right. "What?"

He shrugged. "Marry me."

Andy had said if so casually, it wasn't a question, but a statement. Or more accurately, a demand. You turned around, putting space between you two. Your eyes were hurting from the lack of blinking. "What?"

He reached in his pocket, the small, velvet box that had rested uncomfortably in his pocket took your breath away. Andy opened the box, revealing a diamond, far too beautiful to look at. His smile widened, taking in your shocked expression. "Please marry me."

A minute of silence passed.

"You're fucking insane." you whispered, staring intently at his blue eyes who were sparkling in excitement. He knew the outcome.

Andy's smile hadn't wavered. "Is that a yes?"

"No!" you shouted, getting up from the cough. He stood up, his arms ready to catch your unbalanced body. You glared at him. "I'm not going to marry you because I'm pregnant! No! No, no, no. I forbid you to ask me that question until this baby is out of me."

He laughed, wrapping an arm around your waist. "So, when I ask in two months ... ?"

"You'll just have to see." you murmured. A smug smirk fell on his face, but this one was warmer, more heartfelt.

"You'll say yes."

You shrugged, but couldn't help the smile appearing. "Probably."

< previous

[hawks-supremacy]

Rubik's Cube of Emotions

Summary: You, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi used to be great friends but then one day it stopped. You and Tsuki are forced to confront each other when your new friend Yachi convinces you to be the new co-managers of the Karasuno volleyball team. (angst, fluff)

warnings: eating disorder, swearing, bullying?

genre: angst to fluff

word count: 2.2k

a/n: day 1 of attempting to write everyday until my birthday. Fun fact: I don't even like Tsukishima that much but my cousin hates him so I wrote it out of spite? Idk I don't like him but I see the appeal.

You were sitting in the library after school trying to do some research when your friend Yachi approached the table you were at. “Hey Y/n I need a favor.” She said sliding into the chair next to you. You closed your books and sighed, “Who is it this time?” You asked, looking at her. She looked at you shocked and started sputtering, “Yachi ninety percent of the favors you need from me are because someone was mean to you and you can’t confront them yourself. I mean last week Rei took your favorite pen and refused to give it back so you had to come get me.”

“Fine, it’s not that anyone was mean but this super pretty girl came up to me and asked me if I wanted to be the new volleyball manager because she graduates next year.” You held your hand up effectively pausing Yachi’s rambling, “Let me pause you right there and let me guess. You panicked, both because a pretty girl was talking to you and because she was your upperclassman and said yes.”

Yachi nodded, “Yes but that’s not all of it.” She said sheepishly, you raised your eyebrows and motioned for her to continue. “I also asked if you could be like a co-manager and she said that that was okay. I know you probably don’t want to but I cannot do this alone. Please come with me, the first practice I’m supposed to attend starts soon.” You rolled your eyes and started packing all of your stuff before starting to walk out of the library. You turned and saw Yachi looking like a kicked puppy, “Yach are you coming or not, you are the one who dragged me into this you big ball of anxiety.” She smiled and grabbed her bag running to catch up to you.

You were near the gym when you saw Kiyoko Shimizu. You assumed she was the pretty 3rd year that Yachi was intimidated by and walked up to her, “Hey Kiyoko? I’m Y/n, the person Yachi volunteered to be the co-manager I guess?” Kiyoko turned after hearing her name and saw you walking up to her with Yachi hiding behind you, “Yes, follow me. I’ll introduce you to the team.” You both followed her into the gym, you walking beside her and Yachi cowering behind you, gripping the sleeve of your jacket.

As Kiyoko opened the doors three boys approached one spouting compliments at her the other asking who you and Yachi were. “Guys these are your potential new managers.” Yachi took a step out from behind you before yelling, “Uhm, my name is Yachi!” You waved at everyone who was gathering around briefly telling them your name. As people were greeting you, you glanced around the gym, stopping at two people, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. You looked at them for a few seconds before moving on to the third year wearing a bun.

He bent down slightly, asking Yachi if she was a first year. You tried no to laugh as she screamed and politely and panicky told him that she was a first year addressing him as if he was more than a third year and then freaking out when the two second years were staring at her. “Forgive her, she's not good with new people, she’s hardly good with people she knows. She’s still scared of me sometimes.” As you finished your sentence Yachi mumbled that she was scared of you because you’re scary.

The third year with the bun turned to Hinata telling him, “This is great now you have managers for next year.” Before Hinata could really say anything Kiyoko stepped in saying nothing was set in stone and that you too just wanted to meet the team. As Yachi said it was nice to meet the team everyone bowed and said “Hello” at the same time, effectively freaking Yachi out. As Kiyoko was telling them to back up and not crowd you both you didn’t notice as Yachi slipped outside, “Sorry for bothering you.” She said and closed the door. “Again sorry, she’ll get used to you I promise. I’ll let you get back to practice.” Everyone said goodbye and dispersed to go do their own thing until practice officially started. As you turned to leave you heard the annoying voice that seemed to follow you everywhere, “Are you really that obsessed with me that you would join the volleyball team somehow. If you really had that big of a crush on me you could just say so.” Turning you saw Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, the latter looking at you apologetically. You rolled your eyes, “Yes Tsuki I'm oh so obsessed with you that you consume every waking thought I have. Get over yourself.”

Walking out of the gym you saw Yachi crawling on the ground. You were about to ask her what she was doing when someone interrupted you, “You alright?” He asked. She turned around looking at him for a few seconds before yelling, “Please don’t kill me!” and sprinting away. “Kill you?” He asked mostly to himself. “Sorry about her.” You said to him, you seemed to be apologizing for her a lot today. He jumped, turning around to see you, “Jesus kid you scared the shit out of me don’t do that, nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“We’re the possible new managers for the team. She takes a while to warm up to new people. Also you shouldn’t be worried about a heart attack at your age. Lung failure seems more like it.” You pat him on the shoulder as you went to go find Yachi to sternly talk to her about Tsukishima and Yamaguchi being on the team. Yamaguchi you don’t mind as much, it’s Tsukishima that's the thorn in your ass. It’s not that you hated him, you just well, hated him. He sat behind you in your classes and constantly picked on you. Needed to always tell you that he scored higher on the test or his paper was better than yours. He was just annoying.

You found Yachi by her locker gathering the rest of her things, “Hey Yachi! I need to talk to you.” You said as you jogged up to her, “I don’t think I can do this man, Tsuki is on the team and he is not going to leave me alone if i do this with you.” She put on her jacket and picked up her bag and you two began to walk out of the school to go home, “Please, I can’t do this alone. You said you wanted to spend more time with me anyway. What happened between you two? Weren’t you really good friends with him and Yamaguchi before this year?”

You shrugged looking down at your feet, “He got a stick up his ass I don’t know what you want me to say.” You looked over and her and saw her giving you a disapproving look and you sighed, “Yeah we used to be great friends, best friends even. Then this summer he just started being cold to me. I honestly don’t know what happened and I don’t know if I want to know.” She nodded and was quiet for a few seconds before speaking up, “I get it, I do. But I really need you to do this with me. I might die if you don’t.” You sighed dramatically, throwing your head back, “Fine but you owe me. I may have only known you since the beginning of this year but even I know that you probably would’ve survived.”

It had been a while since you agreed to help Yachi with being the volleyball team manager and so far it had been hell. You ignored Tsukishima when you could but one of his perks and your downfalls of being childhood friends was he knew what buttons to press. Now here you were at some training camp in Tokyo and ignoring him could only do so much. It was the last day and so far you’ve had to deal with him treating you like you had to do everything he said, him loudly and obviously talking about you to Yams, and snide comments about the way you looked or something you did.

The last straw was when you sat down to eat and he made a comment about your weight. You and Yachi were sitting down to eat when Tsukishima walked over with Yamaguchi, “Gee Y/n do you really need all that food?” You didn’t say anything as you looked down at your plate. You didn’t think you got a lot, you got as much as Yachi. You weren’t necessarily insecure but your weight was always something your family commented on, eventually it made you cut back on eating, some days not eating at all in hopes of maybe trying to lose some weight to appease your family. Lately it hasn’t been so bad, Yachi has been helping with it, you were eating more regularly and getting back to normal. But now you feel like you’re back to square one. “Not gonna say anything? That’s a first.”

You set your plate down on the step you were sitting on and told Yachi that you really weren’t that hungry before walking away. As you walked into the gym you were all eating outside of you heard Yachi talking to Tsuki and Yams, nearly yelling. It’s honestly the first time you’ve heard her raise her voice for the first time that wasn’t out of nervousness or anxiety.

You were tossing a stray volleyball in the air when you heard the door open and close. “Yachi I told you I’m not hungry honestly.” You said focusing on the ball not looking at her. “I’m not Yachi and you should eat something.” You sighed as you heard the one voice you probably didn’t want to hear right now, “Do I need to stop eating or do I need to eat? Make up your mind Tsuki.” You caught the ball and turned to face him. He was holding your plate of food and scratching the back of his neck avoiding eye contact, “I uh, I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

You scoffed, “Is The Tsukishima apologizing? I didn’t know you knew how. You’ve been an ass since this summer and now that you know you hit a soft spot you change? Not happening. Besides, it's not something I go around advertising.” You sat down on the bench and he followed suit setting the plate in between you both. You sat there for a few minutes not saying anything before he cleared his throat, “I really am sorry. You look fine. I’m sorry about being an ass to you this whole time, please eat.”

Narrowing your eyes you looked between him and the food, “If you’re so sorry then why? Huh? Why are you being an ass? I mean one minute we’re all friends and the next you’re rude and dismissive.” He sighed, rubbing his face muttering that it was stupid. “Tsuki it’s not stupid to me, I lost two of my closest friends seemingly overnight with no reason at all. I’ll eat if you tell me what the hell changed.”

He thought for a second leaning on his knees before speaking, “Yamaguchi and I were hanging out one night this summer and you came up in the conversation. After a while Yams made me realize that I maybe like you. I didn’t know how to deal with that so I pushed you away instead and I may have pushed it too far. I’m sorry for everything I just didn’t know how to tell you so I probably handled it in the worst way.”

You paused for a second thinking about what he said before laughing and picking up the plate to start eating. “You aren’t gonna say anything just laugh? See this is why I didn’t want to tell you.” He said standing up. You finished chewing your bite, “Sit down, god you’re so dramatic. I laughed because this all happened because you’re emotionally constipated. Yanno if you told me this once you figured out your rubik's cube of emotions we probably could’ve been dating this whole time.” You didn’t say anything else and finished eating what was on your plate as he sat down with his mouth open gaping at you. “Wait so you like me too?”

You covered your mouth as you tried not to laugh at him, “For someone who constantly pointed out how they were smarter than me for the majority of this school year, you’re pretty fuckin dumb aren’t you.” He pushed you over and told you to shut up. “Oh come on Tsuki, is that anyway to talk to your girlfriend?” You watched as his ears began to turn red and he repeated the word girlfriend in a questioning form. “Unless of course you don’t want me too, then this was all for nothing and we can walk out of the gym like none of this happened.”

“Fine I guess, you’re uh, my girlfriend.” He said, coughing and looking away. You raised your eyebrows and laughed, “God Tsuki don’t sound like I held you at gunpoint. You’re such a tsundere. I guess I’ll deal with it though.” You said as you sighed deeply. He looked offended and pushed you off the bench as you both laughed at each other taking turns making stupid insults about the other person.

Outside the gym Yams and Yachi were all but pressing their ears against the door listening to your conversation, “They definitely confessed.”

[alicanta77]

Boys Like This

Pairing: y/n x Haechan

Themes: fluff, angst, badboy au

Warnings: swearing, mentions of smoking, mentions of sex, sexual harassment (one drunk guy gets a bit too close)

Words: 18.8k - this was meant to be like 3k max someone save me

Tag list: @honei-n (happy birthday bubs!! ilysm and i’m sorry i’m not there to give you the biggest hug but have this instead) @lebrookestore @ch3nj1​ @ridinhyuck​ @cacaubs​ @cheonsa1004 @tyongf-sunflower99​

——————————————————————————

If you’re looking for the personification of the bad boy stereotype, look no further than Lee Donghyuck. His legs were clad in ripped black jeans and on his shoulders always lay his signature black leather jacket. His usually bruised knuckles were adorned with silver rings and the cigarette that hung from his lips all made him look like the typical bad boy out of a cheesy 90s romance film.

As infuriating as the smirk that was constantly plastered on his lips was, and the way he insisted everybody called him ‘Haechan’ instead of Donghyuck, you couldn’t deny that something about him pricked your interest.

Maybe it was something to do with how self assured he was, the confidence he radiated in simply being himself and being in his own skin that made people almost resent him for it. Or maybe it was something to do with how he reminded you of every boy that your mother would warn you about when you were growing up, being told to steer clear of the boys in black, they would be the ones to break your heart.  Maybe it was the fact that as soon as anybody new arrives in the area, they’re immediately told to ‘Avoid Haechan, he’s bad news.’ And you weren’t the exception to the rule.

There’s just one problem, you never do what you’re told.

So when you were told to stay away from Haechan, you simply rolled your eyes and kept walking, you weren’t afraid of some bad boy. You’d moved around your entire life, your father’s job meaning you had to be prepared to pack up and travel wherever he needed you to, and, throughout your time you had heard of and come across every kind of character that there was in a high school. A few groups in particular always stuck out to you.

The jocks. Probably the most famous group and likely the first group that comes to anyone’s mind when you talk about high school. Jocks are an elite crowd, often very popular and normally find themselves very important. For them, high school tends to be the best time of their lives, sadly finding that this popularity and fear doesn’t translate to the workplace. Jocks are a large group as well, in fact, they often have so many members that they divide into sub-categories, usually by sport. You have the baseball team, the football team, the soccer team etc. and then these are ordered into a hierarchy apparently based on the importance that each team has to the school when in reality it’s down to how attractive/popular the team captain is.

Splitting off nicely from the jocks come the cheerleaders. Originally part of the same pack but grew in popularity when they adopted mean girls cliché. Therefore, in order to gain more power and dominate the school, they became a separate breed. The Head Cheerleader was guaranteed to be just as popular as she was bitchy, a stereotype that you were fed up of. What if they were actually nice people and felt as though they had to be rude cause that was what the “role” of Head Cheerleader asked of them? What kind of a place would that be? Anyway, getting back to the point, the best thing to do with this group, would be to avoid them entirely.

Then, usually the polar opposite in terms of popularity, come the nerds/geeks. You had never really been sure why this particular group was always picked on. You always thought that being smart and doing well in life was something to brag about, but then, maybe you just had weird opinions. They formed a cluster and stuck with it, whilst also managing to keep themselves to themselves. They sat at the same seats in class, the same table at lunch and never argued back. Despite their deathly awkwardness and shy behaviour, they were usually pretty good people. You just had to be willing to put in the effort to break through their shell.

Next come the artsy kids. This group can, once again, split into sub categories based on Theatre, Art, Dance and Music but that depends on the size of the school. Normally they just come under the umbrella term of the artsy kids. Very easy to pick on but are normally left alone. They’re pretty chill and mostly mind their own business, despite often being slightly obnoxious about the art that they specialise in. You swore that if one person asked you to go and see their one woman show you might punch them. You’re a broke student, why would you pay to put yourself through two hours of pretentious speech? Yeah, the artsy kids weren’t quite your scene.

Honourable mentions go to the stoners, the class clowns, the hipsters, the ‘I was born in the wrong generation’, the gamers and the punks. But there was only one group left worth mentioning.

Finally, the last stereotypical school clique would be the troublemakers, otherwise known as the bad boys and bad girls The commonalities between the two groups tend to include things like, black ripped clothing, silver jewellery, sassy attitudes and bad decisions. They never stray from their crowd, finding other groups too boring and stuck up for their taste. The cheerleaders and jocks attempt to pick on them, but it rarely works out in their favour. Instead of leaving victorious while dropping the mic, they often find themselves running back to their respective groups with their tail in between their legs. They like to either find relationships with their own kind, or play around with various people until they’re bored. Things are never too serious for this group.

So as soon as you arrived, you knew you’d need to find somewhere to fit in. You didn’t really conform to one of the many cliche groups that roamed this new school. You instead thought that people were a mixture of all of them, and shouldn’t be defined by a single personality trait, but that often wasn’t the most popular opinion. In fact, that opinion is why you often found yourself alone, wandering the halls by yourself. Sometimes people pitied you (usually the hipsters or artsy kids who tried to make you “find your passion”) but, to be honest, you didn’t mind it.

Being by yourself meant that you didn’t owe anything to anyone, and it meant that you could turn the school upside down and disappear without regretting a thing. After all, that’s how you left your last three schools.

---

You walked through the doors on your first day, to empty folders tucked under your arm as you walked towards the Principle’s office. You had barely made it five steps before some guys in a football jersey stopped you. He moved in front of you, buffing himself up in an attempt to look more impressive. You refused to speak first, instead just raising your eyebrows judgmentally.

‘So what should I call you?’ He purred, looking at you through hooded eyes.

‘You shouldn’t.’ You cut back, already tired of his attempt at flirting. You knew you had “new kid” written all over you and this wasn’t a genuine attempt, but most like rather a “welcome to the school fresher” and you weren’t here for it.

‘Trouble it is.’ The guy flirted, sending you a cheesy wink to which you could only respond with a groan and an eye roll.

‘God could you get anymore cliche? You may want to be a bit more inventive if you wanna impress me.’ With a quick tilt of your head, you turned and stalked past him to the other end of the hall, leaving the poor jock with his mouth hanging slightly open at your reply.

You felt a bit bad turning him down so intensely like that, but you also knew that if you didn’t make a strong first impression, you would be like fresh meat to them. And you didn’t want to go through that again.

---

After meeting the Principle, getting his painfully rehearsed welcome speech, then dealing with the three students who called themselves the “Welcome Committee”, you briefly stopped off at your locker to grab the text book that had been left there for you and place your empty folders there. You wouldn’t need them until your classes anyway. You picked up the textbook and grabbed a pad of paper that was conveniently left there for you as well and headed towards your Maths class.

You walked through the door, sighing in defeat as you saw you were one of the last ones to arrive. This meant that all eyes were on you and the teacher stood up and introduced you as the new student.

‘So y/n why don’t you tell the class a little bit about yourself?’ The teacher gave you a wide smile, one that you were sure was meant to reassure you but it honestly just creeped you out slightly.

‘Uhhh, sure. My name’s y/n and I moved here about a month ago.’ You sent the class a quick nod before attempting to move off to head off an empty seat at the back.

‘Ahhh come now y/n, I’m sure there’s more that you can tell us.’ The teacher stopped you in your tracks, as you let out a breath of annoyance.

‘Ok. I’ve never lived anywhere longer than a year, I like coffee and I’m done with this now.’ You quickly moved away before the teacher could stand up and make you continue. You slouched in your seat, crossing your arms and letting out another sigh of frustration.

You had just opened your books and prepared to start listening when the door swung open again. All the heads in the class, including yours, looked to see who would be walking in so late. A boy appeared, his honey skin glowing slightly in the morning sun that reflected off his leather jacket and silver jewellery. He probably couldn’t get more cliche, but he also couldn’t get more beautiful.

‘Haechan, you’re late.’ Your teacher snapped and you looked back at the boy walking through the seats. 

So this was Haechan, this was who you had been warned about earlier. You remembered the annoyingly cheery welcome that this group of three had given you, yet this preppy ginger was the only one who spoke. You were sure she was a really lovely person, she was just way too excited about the first day of school to not be annoying. Anyway, she’d told you about the groups at school and made a point to mention this “Haechan”. Her exact words being:

‘Let me save you the trouble, Haechan is the last person you want to get involved with here, in any way. He puts himself as number one and nothing and no one is going to change that. It’s in your best interests to stay away from him.’

And yet, despite your absolutely minimal effort to avoid him, this Haechan was standing at the front of your class, and you couldn’t lie, you were already intrigued.

‘Yeah I’m aware.’ Haechan retaliated, his bored voice bringing you out of your memories and back to reality.

‘Do you feel like apologising?’ The teacher asked, a very forced smile on his face. Haechan turned back towards him, breathing in as if he was thinking before responding with a smile.

‘Not really, no.’ He then turned away and walked towards the back of the classroom. He approached where you were sitting, examined you quickly causing you to frown at his behaviour, before he pulled out the chair next to yours and collapsed into it.

He slouched back into his seat, crossing his arms and staring mindlessly at the front of the class, where the teacher was still sending him the stink eye.

‘Haechan, did you bring your books?’ The teacher asked with the kind of tone that told you he probably already knew the answer.

‘Nope!’ The boy replied, popping the ‘p’ and causing the teacher to obviously roll his eyes.

‘Well, maybe our new student, y/n, would be nice enough to share with you for today?’

It took everything in you not to roll your eyes at his statement. But you still shifted your textbook in between the two of you so that he could see it. Haechan sat up in his chair slightly in surprise, as if he wasn’t expecting you to actually do it.

‘Thank you y/n. Now let’s begin-’ The teacher turned back to the board and began the lesson.

After only about five minutes you realised that you had done this entire topic in your previous school. It had been necessary for you to pass the entrance exam here, so you knew all of this already. You huffed once again in frustration, dropping your pen and leaning back in your chair as you began to pick at your nails. Why would they bother to ask you to know something that they’re just going to teach you as soon as you got here?

You could see Haechan notice and begin to subtly watch your behaviour so you leant forwards to whisper to him.

‘Is there something interesting about me?’

‘That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out.’ Haechan replied, his voice just as soft as yours was and yet you couldn’t resist the shivers that it sent down your spine.

“Well let me know if you find anything?’ You spoke softly, turning away from him to look at the ceiling as he did the same.

‘Haven’t you been told to stay away from me?’ He asked you, not even bothering to look back towards you.

‘Oh yeah, I got that speech. The welcoming committee was quite informative about you and your personality.’ Now that got his attention. His head turned, as he looked at you out of the corner of his eye, examining your features carefully.

‘So...’ He spoke, dragging out the word as he looked at you.

‘So?’ You asked, not sure what he was getting at.

‘Why aren’t you doing as you were told?’ He questioned, leaving you to turn back to him with an amused look on your face.

‘What makes you think I wanna do what they tell me to? They look as though they have the personality of milk.’ You groaned, remembering the fake happiness that radiated off them.

Haechan couldn’t help the chuckle that came up in his throat, unable to believe just how accurate your words were. Nobody in that school would quite be able to admit that that girl wasn’t drop dead boring.

‘Well, you’re a little firecracker aren’t you?’ He smirked at you, causing you to simply raise an eyebrow in reply. ‘I think you’re gonna fit right in with us.’

‘Who says I want to?’ You smirked back, now enjoying the interaction you were having.

‘Do you want to?’ He leant in closer and you could smell the mint of his breath.

‘We’ll see. Don’t want to give away all my secrets so quickly.’ You pulled back, leaving Haechan awkwardly leaning over half of your desk just as the teacher turned back around.

‘Haechan! Not only are you not paying attention but you’re distracting y/n as well. If you’re not going to pay attention you can wait outside until you’re prepared to take this class seriously.’ He snapped, and Haechan turned to you with a surprised look on his face, not expecting you to have set him up like that. He nodded, unable to keep the small smile from his lips and stood, walking swiftly out of the door at the front.

He leaned back in for one second, just to cheekily wave at the teacher who looked as though he was about to explode and it took everything in you to stop yourself from laughing.

A couple more minutes passed before you were bored beyond belief. You were starting to think that getting your only source of entertainment, Haechan, kicked out of class wasn’t the smartest idea you’d ever had. You were halfway through counting the black marks on the ceiling when you heard a very quiet tapping from behind you, You turned around in your chair to see Haechan standing by the floor length window at the back of the classroom. He was on the outside looking in and quickly gestured for you to follow him.

He cracked the window open slightly and leant in, getting just close enough to you to whisper:

‘I’ve played your game, now it’s my turn. Your move y/n, are you gonna live up to your attitude or are you all talk?’

With that he moved away from the window, hiding behind the wall as the teacher turned around again. You didn’t want to get caught sneaking out on your first day, but you also couldn’t stand the idea of letting Haechan win. Somehow the boy was an addictive kind of annoying, no matter how infuriated or annoyed you had gotten, you already wanted more.

You waited for the teacher to turn around and quickly piled up your books, placing them on the shelf under your desk. This was your only class of the day and you were in here the next morning so you weren’t too fussed about leaving them behind.

You began to get up but your eyes suddenly caught sight of blue haired guy sitting a couple of rows ahead of you watching you. He raised his eyebrows in question, as if asking if you were going to go, to which you shrugged and he shrugged himself before turning back around.

You waited until the girl at the front had finished asking her question and, when the teacher turned back to the front to go through the example on the board again, you made your move. You quickly pushed your chair back, relieved when it didn’t make a sound and climbed out of the window. You pulled it gently shut behind you and turned to left, finding yourself face to face with Haechan.

‘Wow, for a minute then I didn’t think you’d have the balls.’ He grinned at you, pulling you out of sight of the class as you began to walk away.

‘Well as you can clearly see, I do. So what now?’ You replied, unable to stop yourself from grinning back.

‘Now we have some fun.’ Haechan said, the smile he sent you this time was the opposite of innocent and it made your heart pump.

This was someone you would enjoy causing trouble with.

---

The two of you decided that leaving the school and skiving on the first day was a bit too cliche and unoriginal, so instead you came up with the idea that, no matter what you guys did, it had to be on school grounds.

‘Interesting...’ Haechan mused, the smirk that you were already familiar with gracing his delicate features. ‘So we cause as much chaos as we like, and do what we like, but there’s a much higher risk of getting caught...’

‘Exactly.’ You clarified. ‘But we can leave for lunch though! I want McDonalds.’ You quickly added, Haechan laughing slightly at your expression.

‘Agreed. So we’ll have our fun here, then head to McDonalds for lunch. Tell you what, why don’t we leave a little earlier than the lunch break so that we avoid bumping into the rest of the students?’ Haechan watched as you nodded in agreement.

You allowed your gaze to drift around the unfamiliar halls until your eyes came to rest on the smoke detector on the wall. Suddenly an idea popped into your head. It was stupid, reckless and if you got caught you would be in serious trouble. Sounds ideal.

‘Hey Haechan?’ You began, turning towards him with a grin on your face.

‘Yeah?’ He answered, a grin appearing on his own. He didn’t know what you were planning but he knew it would be interesting.

‘Have you ever set off the fire alarm?’ You asked, raising an eyebrow as his furrowed in thought.

‘Like falsely pulled it? Yeah.’ He admitted, nodding like it was no big deal, but you shook your head.

‘No, not falsely pulled, actually set it off.’ You watched as his jaw dropped slightly and he shook his head. 'Yeah, neither.’ You told him, before looking away. He followed your gaze to see the smoke detector on the wall.

You both turned back to each other.

‘Well...’ Haechan began, a mischievous grin stretching across his face. ‘There’s a first time for everything.’

---

The alarm blared through the school as you and Hyuck laughed to yourself as the school emptied.

‘No talking!’ A teacher behind you barked, causing the two of you to roll your eyes in sync. Why you had to walk silently during a fire alarm you would never know. If the school was actually on fire you would be sprinting out of it swearing at the top of your lungs, not walking silently in an orderly fashion.

The two of you had had to find a way to set off the alarm, so you put your heads together. Neither of you had managed to come up with anything that wouldn’t get you caught, and you were about to give up when you noticed the cigarettes in Haechan’s pocket. Now that gave you an idea.

You had lit the cigarette and, with Haechan supporting you from beneath as you sat on his shoulders, managed to stuff it inside the fire alarm. You gently blowed on it, to make sure it was lit and there was smoke coming off it and suddenly the alarm blared throughout the school. You then proceeded to slip off his shoulders, him catching you easily in his arms and you both quickly moved into your respective bathrooms.

You stood by the door and counted to five before opening the bathroom door and leaving again. You’d noticed the men’s bathroom door next to you open and Haechan walked out. The two of you blended seamlessly into the crowd of students as they made their way out to the assembly point.

You had decided to hide in the bathroom for a couple of seconds so that neither of you were spotted underneath the fire alarm. You thought that if they noticed the bad boy and the new girl under the fire alarm that ended up having a cigarette stuck in it, the game would be over before it had even properly begun.

Students poured out of the doors of the school, lining up cleanly and efficiently on the sports pitches. You were standing in sections, divided by years and then each class split into lines. You faced your teacher at the front as they called out student’s names from the register.

‘Here.’ You spoke out as you heard your name, a similar call coming from your partner in crime behind you as his name was called. You turned around to face him. ‘Lee Donghyuck?’ You raised a teasing eyebrow.

‘Yep, that’s my real name.’ He replied, looking down at you.

‘So, can I ask then, why Haechan? Donghyuck’s a nice name.’ You wondered, tilting your head out of curiosity. 

Haechan opened his mouth to answer but before he could, a boy who you recognised from your Maths class came up to the two of you.

‘Already corrupting the new kid Hyuck?’ He joked, a large smile on his face. 

‘Trust me man, she barely needs corrupting.’ Haechan replied, laughing at his friend. ‘Y/n, this is Jaemin, he’s one of my closest friends.’

Jaemin flashed you a smile that you swore almost blinded you. You shook his outstretched hand and returned his smile with one of your own.

‘I’ve gotta say, I was impressed to see you follow him out of that window y/n. It looks like you’ve got some guts.’ Jaemin spoke, his face showing how he was clearly surprised. ‘And I’m guessing from what happened in Maths that this fire alarm may have something to do with the two of you?’

You and Haechan shared a grin and that small action told Jaemin all he needed to know. Jaemin laughed in disbelief, muttering something about how exciting the rest of the year was going to be if this was how you were acting on the first day. You couldn’t quite hear him though, your attention focused on the way that Haechan studied the features on your face, with such intensity you would think he was never going to see them again.

You spent the time making conversation with Jaemin and Haechan, getting to know the two boys, but your attention was drawn away from them when a fire engine made its way into the school gates. All the conversation surrounding you dwindled to a stop as one student asked what was going on.

‘Since there was no fire drill scheduled for today, we needed to call the fire department to determine what caused the alarm to go off.’ Your teacher explained.

The three of you looked at each other in disbelief, all of you unable to stop yourselves from giggling at the chaos you’d caused. You couldn’t help but think that Jaemin had been right. If this was day one, who knew what adventures this year would bring you? You’d never liked a place so quickly like you had here. Maybe for the first time in your life, you’d found somewhere you could actually see yourself staying.

You didn’t want to let yourself get your hopes up though. You had only been in this city a short while, and your father’s job would always mean that you had to move by this time next year. You couldn’t afford to get comfortable.

The boys watched as the firefighters entered the building, attempting to determine what caused the alarm to go off. It didn’t take long before they emerged with one of them holding a small plastic bag. A bad that you assumed that had the cigarette in. The teachers came into a small circle to have a short conversation before turning back to the waiting students.

The Principle suddenly stepped forward, immediately commanding attention from every student present as he began to speak.

‘This fire alarm was no drill. Nor was it an accident. We have evidence that it was set off on purpose and I seriously suggest that anyone who knows anything about how this happens steps forward. Do not make this any worse for you than it already is.’

With that, he turned, and made his way back into the school. An uneasy silence lay over all the students. You teacher walked back over to your group and spoke to the rest of you there.

‘Since it’s so close to lunch, we’ve decided to let you go early. But-’ They raised their voice as everyone began to move off. ‘This incident will not be taken lightly. To anybody who may have been involved, it is in your best interest to own up to it.’

You noticed their eyes were fixated on Haechan, and how they narrowed slightly. They seemed to fully believe that Haechan was involved with setting off the alarm.

‘They always assume it’s me. Whenever anything happens.’ He whispered into your ear and you nodded in understanding. ‘So... McDonalds?’

---

Haechan pulled back into the school grounds after your trip for lunch, Jaemin jumped out of the car and waved at the two of you before heading back into the building. While you and Haechan had a free afternoon, Jaemin didn’t, so, after some begging and bribing on Jaemin’s part, Haechan begrudgingly agreed to drop him off.

You turned back around to Haechan, wondering if you should propose to do something together, or if he was bored of you and had other things he’d rather be doing. However, before you had the chance to make up your mind, Haechan spoke for you.

‘I know where to go now.’ And with that he was off, driving out of the gates and off down the road. You couldn’t help but notice how good of a driver he was, always managing to keep his awareness on the road even when he was talking to you. 

Haechan fumbled for something down near his feet, letting out a happy giggle when he found it and pulled out an AUX cord. He offered it to you, telling you to put something on the speakers.

You raised your eyebrows in surprise at his offer, considering he’d adamantly refused to let Jaemin play any of his music on the way to grab lunch, instead choosing to listen to the radio.

‘Already letting me choose the music? Damn, I feel special.’ You teased as Haechan laughed.

‘Just don’t play that song and we’ll be good.’ He looked over for a split second, noticing your offended face and quickly continued. ‘It’s a good song, don’t get me wrong, but all Jaemin plays is girl groups and you reach a limit of how many times you can hear a grown ass boy with blue hair sing Feel Special.’

You looked down at your phone, chuckling to yourself at Haechan’s story. You scrolled through your Spotify to find a good playlist, eventually settling on your driving music one. ‘What You Know’ by ‘Two Door Cinema Club’ started to blare through the speakers.

Haechan nodded, his fingers immediately tapping on the steering wheel in time to the song.

‘Good song!’ He complimented smiling at you as you gasped over-dramatically.

‘Ahhhh, Haechan likes my music taste! I have officially won at life!’ You placed one hand on your heart to emphasise your point as Haechan rolled his eyes, laughing at you. ‘Where are we going by the way?’ You asked, looking out of the window and realising you had no idea where you were. You were still new to the area so you hadn’t got everywhere memorised yet.

‘We’re almost there, don't worry.’ He replied, not giving you an answer in the slightest. You leaned back into your seat, accepting that he wasn’t going to tell you and just listened as Haechan began to sing gently along to the song. You were surprised by his voice, it was soothing and honey-like, the opposite of his image.

You watched him out of the corner of your eye, secretly enjoying listening to his voice more than the music.

---

You were standing behind Haechan in a quiet little coffee shop, looking at everything on the menu. Everything looked so amazing you could feel your mouth watering just from looking at the display cakes. 

‘Any idea what you want?’ Haechan asked over his shoulder as you nodded.

‘I’m gonna get the Caramel Frap and a muffin of some kind.’ You replied. ‘What about you?’

‘Doubleshot Vanilla iced Coffee and a brownie. You gonna have coffee in your frap?’ He answered, moving forwards in the line as the person in front of you finished.

‘Always!!!’ You answered in a sing-song voice as Haechan rolled his eyes muttering something about you being as bad as Jaemin.

He stepped up to the counter and gave the cashier a friendly smile.

‘Hi, please can I get one large Caramel Frap with coffee and whip, one large Doubleshot Vanilla iced Coffee, one brownie and-’

‘Whoa what? It’s okay I can pay for myself.’ You interrupted him but he brushed you off.

‘Nah it’s fine, this is on me. And one peanut and banana muffin please?’ He finished the order and your eyes widened at his choice. ‘All the muffins here are good.’ He explained turning back to you.

‘Haechan I-’ You began, slightly in a panic.

‘Y/n, I told you I’m paying.’ He insisted but you continued.

‘Seriously I can’t-’ You stuttered, desperately trying to get your point across.

‘For the last time, y/n I am paying!’ He cut you off again.

‘No! I’m allergic to peanuts...’ You hurriedly told him and watched as his expression morphed into one of utter dread.

‘Oh god.’ He mumbled before turning around and almost throwing himself across the counter in an attempt to correct his order to a white chocolate and raspberry muffin. He turned back to you with the treats in his hand and gave you a sheepish smile. ‘Sorry.’

‘It’s okay, you didn’t know.’ You laughed, looking down at the muffin in your hand that smelt absolutely delicious.

It didn’t take long before your drinks had arrived and Haechan hurried you back into his car, claiming there was one more place he wanted to show you.

---

You were sitting on a bench in a deserted area of the park. Haechan had explained that if you wanted privacy, to come down here as people normally don’t bother to walk this far. He pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket, offering you one which you refused, before lighting his own.

‘It’s always worth it though. The tranquility that you get just from being a little further out.’ He looked sideways at you, tilting his head when he saw your confused expression. ‘What?’

‘Nothing it’s just... Why are you telling me all this? I mean I was told that you were aloof, never telling anyone but a close few details about yourself, keeping everything a mystery and yet here you are. With me, someone you’ve known now for about five hours and so far we’ve skived Maths, set off the fire alarm, brought the fire brigade to school, bought McDonalds, grabbed a coffee, almost killed me and now you’re talking to me about tranquility. You just... It doesn’t seem like something you’d do with someone you just met.’ You admitted, shrugging your shoulders as you finished.

Haechan looked away from you for a second, taking a drag from his cigarette before he faced you again to answer your question.

‘Well, I guess the only thing to say to that is, not all rumours are true. And yes, you have a point, not a lot of people sit and talk about tranquility with someone they just met, but not a lot of people get into trouble worthy of suspension on the first day. And even less of those people are willing to do it with me. Maybe that has something to do with it.’

‘Tell me something, then. Which rumours are true?’ You challenged.

‘Some of them.’ Haechan admitted. ‘I do smoke, I do cause trouble, I did sleep around quite a bit, and yeah, I hurt some people in the process. And also, yes, I didn’t really care that much. But the one thing I never did was lie to anyone or give them the impression that it was ever something more than just one night. That’s why I was “unsympathetic” to anyone. They knew what they were getting into so why is it my fault that they couldn’t handle it?’

Your jaw dropped slightly, not expecting that kind of answer. You mumbled a quick ‘fair point’ and turned your gaze back to the scenery. The river in front of you flowed gently, coursing it’s own way through life, the sun reflected off the constantly moving waves, casting flecks of light to dance across yours and Haechan’s bodies.

‘But I don’t think I’m gonna be doing that again. It makes you feel kinda empty, like you’re searching for something but anytime you come close to possibly having a chance at finding it, you take it away from yourself. Do you see that up there?’ Haechan changed the topic suddenly, pointing to a cliff edge in between the trees. You squinted slightly, trying to get a look at it, but it was difficult to see through the leaves.

‘Yeah, I think so. What’s up there?’ You asked, turning your body towards him as he grinned.

‘Real tranquility. If you ever want to properly get away, that’s where you go.’ He told you and you looked back. ‘From up there you can see the whole city.’

‘But how do you get up there?’ You wondered and Haechan simply winked in response, tapping his nose twice to signal that he wasn’t going to tell you. ‘Will you ever actually tell me anything when I ask?’

‘We’ll see princess, we’ll see.’ Haechan grinned, turning back to the river but at some point having moved closer to you, so close that your legs were almost touching.

Your heart was pounding, yet you weren’t sure if it was from the nickname or the close proximity of the two of, or both. As much as you tried to convince yourself otherwise, you had a strong suspicion it was the latter.

---

Before you knew it, another month had passed in your new city and you weren’t feeling so much like the obnoxiously new kid. You knew your way around without getting lost, your professors had started to get to know you and stopped treating you like you were made of glass because you were new, and you had a good group of people around you.

Haechan had easily become your closest friend, his constant teasing covered a layer of love that it took him a while to show to you. But once he did, you were constantly smothered by his affections. And if Haechan wasn’t smothering you, then Jaemin would be. Once you got to know him, Jaemin was almost too nice for his own good, his caring and loving nature making him a very easy person to get along with. There was never an awkward moment between the two of you and already, he felt like a friend you’d known for years.

Apart from those two, you had also become friendly with Momo from your sports class, Hyunjin from Chemistry, Siyeon from History and Dino from Music. But none of them really held a candle to how close you were with Haechan.

You found yourself spending most of your time with Haechan, Jaemin often came too but you realised pretty quickly after befriending him that, wherever you were, Haechan would find a way to be there too.

Your friendship hadn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of the school either. In fact, you were surprised by how quickly it had gone around that the two of you were close. The day after you had gone out for a coffee, you had walked into school to be greeted with confused stares and hushed whispers surrounding you everywhere you went.

You did your best to just ignore them, you told yourself you couldn’t care less what people here thought of you, it wasn’t as if you would be here for long anyway. Their whispers and accusations sometimes got to you slightly, but every time you finished your classes and saw Haechan waiting for you with his sunshine smile, you found all your worries melting off you.

You had always met some pretty cool people wherever you went, but you had never met anyone quite like Haechan, nor had you ever expected to. You already knew that he was something you would miss about this town when you inevitably left.

‘Bye Dad!’ You shouted through your house, a similar response coming from his study as you walked out of the front door. Even though you didn’t have class until late morning on a Tuesday, you and Haechan made it a tradition to grab a coffee together before it started.

And as you turned around there he was. Leaning out of the open window of his car grinning at you.

You smiled back in greeting, before climbing into the passenger seat, grabbing that aux cable he had offered you, and setting down as he took off.

Haechan had officially entrusted you with the music, naming you the car DJ much to Jaemin’s discontent. You were often on the receiving end of his whiny complaints about the injustice and unfair treatment he was getting.

Haechan pulled into the street that your favourite bakery was one, parking his car swiftly before you both made you way into the shop. You had arrived a little later than usual due to traffic, so you quickly approached the counter.

You leant forwards, catching the barista’s attention and gave them a smile before telling them your order.

‘Hi! Please can I have one Caramel Frap with coffee, one chocolate chip cookie, one Doubleshot Vanilla Iced coffee and one brownie please?’

The barista nodded, handing you the card machine as you quickly tapped your phone before Haechan could complain. You turned around, expecting to see him watching you in surprise, but instead he was nowhere to be seen.

The barista handed you the cookie and brownie in a bag before they moved to make your coffees as Haechan jogged into the shop.

‘Left my phone in my car.’ He explained before moving towards the counter.

‘Here.’ You said, offering him the bag which held his brownie. ‘Your coffee is on the way.’

Haechan reached for the bag slowly, confusion all over his face as he looked inside it.

‘I got you a Doubleshot Vanilla Iced coffee.’ You informed him, relishing in the way his face lit up with excitement at the mention of his favourite drink.

‘Why- You didn’t have to do this!’ Haechan whined. ‘I’ll pay you back!’

‘No you won’t.’ You said firmly, ignoring his protests. ‘I never paid you back for the first time we got a coffee together so this counts for then. Now we’re even.’

‘How did you know what to get me though?’ Haechan wondered, looking up at the menu.

‘I remembered?’ You offered, laughing at him slightly. ‘Plus you mentioned it to me a couple of days ago that it was your favourite so I thought it was safest to go with that one.’

You head turned towards the counter as your name was called, signalling that your drinks were ready. You walked over to collect them, missing the way Haechan watched you go with the softest smile on his face.

You handed him his drink as the two of you made your way back to his car.

‘Ready for class?’ You asked, groaning slightly at the thought of your history lecture that was looming.

But he didn’t reply, instead just looked at you. You tilted your head in confusion at him, wondering why he wasn’t starting the car.

‘Haechan?’ You asked and something in him seemed to wake up.

‘Hyuck.’ He corrected, turning away from you and beginning to drive away. ‘Call me Hyuck.’

You couldn’t help the small smile that spread across your face as you cruised through the streets.

‘Hyuck...’ You repeated to yourself under your breath, unaware of the way that Hyuck’s lips twitched upwards into a smile slightly as you did.

---

For the next two weeks you fully utilised your new privilege, calling him Hyuck at every opportunity you had. You also couldn’t stop yourself because every time you called him Hyuck, he would turn around to look at you with the largest grin on his face. There was no lying that both of you were happy with the rapid speed the two of you were becoming so close you were almost inseparable. 

You were lying in your bed on Friday night, your chemistry textbook and worksheets from hours ago lay abandoned on your desk as you stared up at your ceiling. Your final lecture had been cancelled, so you originally planned to come back and try to get some work done. Only, once you started did you realise that your mind was just a fuzzy mess and there was no way you were going to get through it.

Instead you decided to go to sleep, hoping that some rest would help you clear your head and you’d feel more refreshed the next morning. However, your attempt to get an early night for once was disrupted by your mind and body purely refusing to let sleep take you. 

You groaned, rolling over on to your side and staring at your clock. The numbers shined brightly in your face, the red 2:08am reflecting off your eyes as you stared at them. Turns out it was Saturday morning.

You were just about to give up and go downstairs to watch something, when you noticed your phone screen suddenly light up. You grabbed your phone and lifted it to your face to see a text sitting on your home screen.

Hyuck: yo

Hyuck: are you awake

You grinned at your phone, texting back a quick reply.

You: yeah

You: couldn’t sleep. why

Hyuck: come outside

You furrowed your eyebrows at that, silently moving to your window and pulling the curtains back. You looked down at your drive and saw Hyuck’s car sitting there with him in the driver’s seat staring up at your window. You made eye contact with him and he nodded towards his empty passenger seat. You held up a finger, asking him to wait a minute, and you shut your curtain again.

You quickly grabbed a pair of shoes and ran out of your bedroom, making sure to grab your keys on your way. You made your way through your house, leaving a quick note for your dad in case he woke up and thought you had disappeared, and slipped as silently as you could out of your front door, jogging down to the car that was waiting for you.

‘God it’s cold out there!’ You exclaimed, rubbing your arms to warm yourself up as you directed the heaters in his car towards you.

Hyuck raised his eyebrows at you, replying sarcastically.

‘Well, maybe if you’d worn more than a thin t shirt in October this wouldn’t be a problem.’

You looked down at what you were wearing, huffing when you realised he was right. Your choice of pyjamas, a t-shirt and jogging bottoms, while comfortable, were not doing much to battle the cold night air. You opened the door to run back inside and grab a jumper but Hyuck stopped you.

‘Don’t worry, I had a feeling you would do this, so I came prepared.’ He leaned backwards, reaching into his back seat and pulled out a hoodie of his before dropping it into your lap. ‘Here, wear this.’ He told you, quickly turning his attention back to his car as he got it started.

You looked down at the hoodie in your lap, unable to stop yourself from smiling slightly, and you whispered a quick thanks. You pulled it over your head, allowing yourself to be submerged in the soft fabric. The first thing you noticed was Hyuck scent taking over your being. You were surrounded by him and it was much more comforting than you were expecting.

Unknown to you, Hyuck found himself unable to take his eyes off you. Seeing you in his hoodie made his heart beat a lot faster than he was willing to admit, and, if he was being honest, he didn’t want you to ever take it off.

Hyuck began to drive and you found yourself automatically reaching for the aux cable. You decided to play one of your favourite songs that you hadn’t heard in a while, and soon ‘(Un)Lost’ by ‘The Maine’ gently filled the car, immediately reinforcing the relaxed atmosphere.

‘You hungry?’ Hyuck asked, and you shrugged slightly.

‘I could go for some ramen to be honest.’ You replied. ‘What’s going to be open at this hour though?’ You looked out of your window and found yourself filled with confusion. ‘Where even are we?’

‘Somewhere I like to come when I can’t sleep.’ He answered you. ‘Also, don’t worry, I know a place to eat.’

You hummed in response, trusting Hyuck’s judgement when it came to food. You had learnt that he always knew the best places. You couldn’t help the feeling of deja vu you were having, flashbacks to the time you and Hyuck first got coffee together and he refused to tell you where you were going, travelled through your head.

You stared out of the window, trying to recognise any of your surroundings, but you were on an empty road with trees on either side of you. If you weren’t with Hyuck you would have been terrified.

Eventually, he began to slow down, and you spotted a neon lit diner to your right. Hyuck drew the car to a halt and you both climbed out. He noticed the slightly nervous look on your face as your eyes darted across the dark woods surrounding you, and held out a hand. You smiled shyly, reaching out for him. The second you felt his hand in yours, you immediately relaxed and allowed Hyuck to pull you towards the diner.

A small bell sounded, signalling your arrival as Hyuck pushed the door open, and a man who you assumed was around mid-twenties appeared from the back. One look at the two of you and his face lit up into the biggest smile.

‘Donghyuck! Welcome back!’ He exclaimed, throwing his arms out to the side for emphasis.

‘Hi Johnny.’ Hyuck laughed, bringing you forwards as the tall male came around the counter to give him a hug. He pulled away from the hug and turned towards you. ‘Johnny, this is y/n. Y/n, this is Johnny, he runs this diner.’

‘Ahhhh, so this is the famous y/n!’ Johnny laughed, turning towards you. ‘It’s nice to finally meet you.’

‘It’s nice to meet you too.’ You replied, slightly taken aback at how nice this guy was.

‘So the usual?’ Johnny asked Hyuck and he nodded in response. ‘Anything for you, y/n?’

‘Surprise me.’ You said, having no idea what this place even offered, and Johnny nodded, his large smile never leaving his face.

‘Oh, Taeil is in the kitchen tonight if you want to say hi.’ Johnny said, turning back to Hyuck. Hyuck’s eyes lit up at the mention of Taeil and he turned to you, telling you he’d be back in a second.

‘Don’t rush, Hyuck.’ You laughed. It was clear from Hyuck’s expression that he hadn’t seen this Taeil in a while.

‘Tell him the order while you’re there?’ Johnny shouted, getting a shout back in reply. Johnny chuckled to himself, offering you a seat by the island and sitting next to you. ‘You know, Donghyuck talks about you a lot when he’s here.’

Your eyes shot up to his, your eyebrows lifting slightly in surprise and he nodded.

‘Yeah, you must mean a lot to him. Not only are you wearing his hoodie and you get to call him Hyuck, but he brought you here. That’s something...’

‘What makes you say that?’ You asked, sending Johnny an appreciative smile as he poured you a glass of water.

‘This is his safe space, the place where he comes whenever he wants to escape. Mainly from other people.’ Johnny gestured around him, and you followed his movements, your eyes resting on the seats, tables and jukeboxes that decorated this place.

‘I don’t get it, why would that make me important to him?’ You asked, looking at Johnny once more.

‘Well, most of the time, when you want to escape from something, you don’t bring the thing you’re running from with you. Donghyuck has never brought anyone here, not even Jaemin, and those two grew up together. So for him to bring you here, you must be something pretty damn special.’

You were speechless by the time Johnny had finished. You had been completely unaware of just how much Hyuck had cared for you. You weren’t even aware of the smile that was stretching across your face until Johnny chuckled.

‘I can see he’s special to you too.’

You looked back at him and nodded.

‘I...’ You swallowed slightly before speaking again. ‘I wasn’t expecting to care for someone this much.’

Johnny lifted up a hand, placing it on your shoulder and squeezing gently. You found the gesture surprisingly reassuring and you sent him a grateful smile.

‘For what it’s worth, you two make a good pair.’ Johnny said. ‘I’m glad he’s found someone he cares for this much.’

At the moment a laughing Donghyuck came bursting back through the kitchen doors, quickly followed by a slightly shorter male who you assumed was Taeil. Taeil looked up and saw you.

‘This is y/n?’ He asked Hyuck, who nodded in confirmation.

You stood up to greet him, placing your water on the counter as you did so.

‘It’s nice to meet you.’

‘You too, I’m Taeil.’ Taeil introduced himself, and you smiled at him.

Hyuck held up two boxes of ramen, the smell making your mouth water.

‘Shall we?’

---

You sat on the hood of Hyuck’s car and looked out over the skyline. The entire city was illuminated, the lights shining through the darkness and creating bright patterns in the night. You were mesmerised by the sight in front of you, the beauty of the twinkling lights demanding your attention.

The two of you were currently at the look out point which Hyuck had pointed out to you the day you had first met. It was a cliff edge that you could drive to, and it was only a couple of minutes away from the diner.

Your trip to the diner has been surprisingly entertaining. It was clear that Johnny and Taeil had known Hyuck and each other for a long time, but they made sure to welcome you and make sure that you felt comfortable. They wanted to know about the previous places you’d been to and any stories of your life or previous schools that you wanted to share. There was never an awkward moment, the three of them being so quick witted with their humour that you were in stitches the entire time. It felt as though you had spent the past half an hour laughing with old friends.

You didn’t know how long it had been since you’d felt an environment like that.

Hyuck was silently watching you, studying the reflection of the city lights in your eyes and wondering what was going through your mind. He eventually forced himself to tear his eyes away from you and back to the scenery in front of him. This view was normally the only that could set his mind at ease no matter what he was feeling, but after today, after seeing you interact so well with the friends he called his family, after seeing how beautiful you looked in his hoodie, how ethereal you were sat on his car in the moonlight... all Hyuck wanted to do was kiss you.

‘I’ve got to say, out of all the places I’ve lived, this is my favourite view.’ You softly broke the silence and Hyuck found his gaze wandering back towards you again.

‘Can I ask you something?’ He asked and you hummed in response. ‘How many places have you lived?’

You turned your head towards his and thought for a second.

‘Honestly... there’s been so many, I don’t think I could tell you the exact number.’ You told him. ‘I’ve moved around since I was a kid, we rarely stayed anywhere longer than one year before we headed to a new city which always seemed to be as far away from the previous one as you could possibly get. My dad’s job requires him to move wherever the company asks him to move, so we’ve never really had a choice. It’s nice, I guess, I get to see all these amazing places and travel so much already, but...’ You trailed off, unsure whether to continue.

‘But?’ Hyuck encouraged, looking at you with nothing but support in his eyes.

‘But it’s hard.’ You admitted. ‘People don’t really see how difficult it is. Everyone sees me as the lucky one, they tell me they wish they could travel like me, and see all the things I’ve seen. Someone even once told me that they wished they could only live in one place for one year before moving on, because then they wouldn’t have to worry about caring for anyone but themselves. Sometimes, for me, it really feels like that. But that it’s a good feeling. I’ve never lived anywhere longer than a year. I’ve even never lived anywhere long enough to call it home. I’ve never had a friendship, or relationship of any kind for that matter, that didn’t end a month after I moved away.’

‘You have your parents though, right?’ Hyuck asked, and you nodded in response.

‘Yeah, I have my dad. My mum, umm, she-’ You paused for a minute to take a breath. ‘She didn’t like the constant moving, she always said she found it too difficult. So, when I was nine, she decided she wasn’t going to move on with us. One night, she packed her bags, walked out the house and never came back. I haven’t seen her since.’ You confessed. You had never told anyone that, yet somehow, it felt safe to tell Hyuck.

‘I’m sorry.’ Hyuck offered and you sent him a smile.

‘It’s okay, it was a really long time ago.’ You tried to reassure him, even though you knew it wasn’t very convincing. ‘Moving like this... it’s a lot more lonely than you think it is.’

Hyuck moved himself slightly closer to you so that you were almost touching. He lifted his hand, and gently tucked your hair behind your ear before cradling your face.

‘You don’t have to be alone here. I’m going to be right beside you.’ He promised, the sincerity in his voice scaring you slightly. You knew that he meant it with every fibre of his being.

You didn’t know who leaned in first, nor did you care, but, either way, the two of you began to lean in. Your lips were almost touching when you stopped. Hyuck, noticing your movements, stopped immediately as well, his lips so close that his breath was gently fanning your face.

‘I’m leaving at the end of this year.’ You whispered, not moving away from him.

‘So we have two thirds of it left.’ Hyuck argued, his thumb gently stroking your face.

‘I’ll break your heart.’ Your voice was even softer than before, wavering slightly with emotion as your eyes fluttered shut.

‘It’ll be worth it.’ Hyuck whispered back, before you allowed him to finally close the distance.

He pressed his lips to yours, it was sweet, innocent and everything that a first kiss should be. You lifted up your hand to rest them on his wrists as he pulled away. He moved his hands away from your face and brought them down to your waist, pulling you closer and you wound yours around his neck.

You leant in again, this time kissing him with more passion. You were so overwhelmed with how much Hyuck cared for you, and how much you cared for him that all you wanted to do was show him, and this was the only way you knew you. Neither of you said it, but you both knew this was the start of your relationship, a secret kiss in a hidden place, with only the stars in the sky as your witnesses. And, honestly, it couldn’t be more perfect.

---

You closed the front door as quietly as you could, wincing as the lock audibly clicked into place. You briefly stopped to grab the note you had written for your dad before leaving and scrunched it up into a little ball before throwing it away. You then began to make your way through your house, tiptoeing silently past your dad’s room before making it into the safety of your own.

You fell into bed, pulling the covers up and smiling happily into them. No one had ever made you feel this way, and you couldn’t imagine ever feeling this way about anyone else.

There was something about Hyuck that made you want to just do things. Not in a “throw caution to the wind and cause chaos” kind of way, but in a motivational kind of way. He made you want to work harder, to fight for what you want, to always give people a chance to see the real them, to say yes more.

You couldn’t imagine what your life would be like if you hadn’t followed him out of the window on the first day. And if you could do it all again, you knew, you wouldn’t change a thing. You pulled the sleeves of Hyuck’s hoodie down over your fingers as you found yourself, once again, comforted by his scent.

It was only then that you realised you had forgotten to give it back, quickly reaching for your phone to text him.

You: i still have your hoodie

Hyuck: keep it for now

Hyuck: you can give it back to me at school on monday

Hyuck: or you can wear it

Hyuck: actually no

Hyuck: please wear it

You: i promise

You: night hyuck x

Hyuck: night

Hyuck: sleep well <3

---

You had kept your promise to Hyuck, wearing his hoodie into school and you were blown away by the amount of attention it had gathered. You would have thought that people would have more interesting things to talk about, but the main conversation topic in the corridors for the past week, was yours and Hyuck’s relationship.

Today was the Wednesday of the week after that Monday. You had a single lecture in the afternoon, while Hyuck was stuck in school until the end of the day. You had never been happier to hear the bell ring, signalling your escape from the most painfully boring Chemistry lecture of your life. You exited the classroom, laughing with Hyunjin as you complained about the hell you had just been put through.

He waved you a friendly goodbye, one which you returned before you walked towards your locker. You placed your books inside it and closed the door, making sure to lock it shut. You turned around, almost jumping out of your skin when you spotted three girls waiting for you to finish.

‘Can I help you?’ You asked, confused beyond belief as to why they were silently standing by your locker.

The one in the middle spoke first.

‘We just want to look out for you honey. Haechan is bad news, and we don’t want you to get hurt.’

You frowned at them in disbelief, wondering why on earth they were telling you this. You had never even seen any of them around Hyuck before.

‘Yeah, he’s a  bad boy for a reason and we’re just worried that you're blinded by his charms. We’ve all fallen for it at some point, and we don’t want you to get manipulated like the rest of us.’ The brunette on the left piped up as you rolled your eyes.

‘Ok, this is very.... weird. Also, it’s not really any of your business, so thanks for your concern, but I’m fine by myself.’ You picked your bag up from the floor, swinging it over your shoulder.

As if a switch had been pressed, the expressions on the girls faces changed in a flash. Gone were the sympathetic looks and wide eyes as judgemental gazes and cocky smirks replaced them.

‘I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re not the golden girl. You’re not the exception to the rule, the one who’s going to be able to change him, so stop trying. You’re not that special. You’re wasting your time and you’re going to end up with a broken heart.’ The one of the right spat, surprising you with her sudden change of tone.

‘She’s right.’ The middle one took charge again. ‘He’s nothing more than a cigarette puffing, selfish asshole. Just remember, we’ll be here when it all goes to shit.’

They began to strut their way down the corridor, leaving a very confused you standing by your locker.

‘Y/n?’ A voice suddenly rang out. You turned towards the sound to see Jaemin coming towards you. ‘What was that all about?’

---

You sat next to Jaemin on a bench at the nearby park. You dragged him down the river to find a deserted area, before sitting down to explain what had happened. Jaemin had insisted that you talk him through it, not wanting you to feel alone.

‘-so they reassured me that it was going to fail, no matter what.’ You finished, staring at the river in front of you.

Jaemin didn’t respond for a minute, just watched you as you finished speaking. Eventually, he broke the silence between the two of you.

‘You know, something that comes with having a reputation like Hyuck’s, is that everyone puts their own spin on it. Everybody likes to come up with new things that he’s done or find a rumour that sounds like him and spread it. He’s been ignoring it for god knows how long, but that doesn’t stop it from happening. I’m not going to tell you how to feel, that’s not my job. However, I am going to tell you this.’

Jaemin readjusted his seating, moving so that he was facing you more. You mimicked him, turning your side towards the water.

‘Hyuck is brave, and self assured, and confident, and cocky, but, just like everybody else, he has his weakness. And for him, it’s love. He’s completely terrified of falling in love. When Hyuck slept around last year, he didn’t do it just cause he wanted sex, or cause it was a confidence boost to get those girls. He did it because he wanted company, because he was lonely. But, he could never let it be for longer than one night because then he was putting himself at risk.’

‘At risk of what?’ You asked, and Jaemin sighed before continuing.

‘Of getting attached, of catching feelings, of being vulnerable, of caring. Hyuck’s afraid of falling in love with someone because, if he does that, then there’s no turning back. He’s at their mercy, and no one will have the power over him that that person does. And that terrifies him.’

You nodded as Jaemin spoke, taking in every detail. When he finished you leaned back on the bench, this time staring up at the clouds as they passed. Jaemin had made a lot of sense and, although you would never admit it, you did understand his fear of being in love.

‘I care about him.’ You began as Jaemin looked back towards you. ‘I care about him a lot. But there’s this part of my brain that’s telling me he’s got a reputation for a reason. That this only has one ending and I’m kidding myself if I think I’m any different from the previous girls.’

‘You’re kidding yourself if you think you’re anything like them.’ Jaemin huffed. ‘And, if you’re going to think like that, if that’s going to dominate your mind, then honestly, you should spare Hyuck the pain. After everything, he deserves to actually have someone who loves him, not someone who doubts him. If you can’t see past his reputation, then it’s not fair to string him along.’

You could tell from Jaemin’s eyes that he meant every word. As soon as he said that, it was like a cloud had been lifted, clearing your vision. You leant forward, forcing him to look at you while you spoke truthfully.

‘I’m not going to judge him on his reputation. I don’t want to. I care about him, and that’s all that matters. And I don’t care about what other people think about him, because I know him.’

Jaemin nodded at you, a smile forming on his face.

‘Good.’ He looked down at his watch. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be meeting him at yours tonight?’ He asked, looking back up at you.

You pulled out your phone, checking the time and your eyes widened. You and Jaemin had spoken for a lot longer than you had thought, and at this rate, Hyuck was going to beat you back to your house. You stood up, thanking Jaemin before giving him a quick hug and running home to Hyuck.

---

One takeaway, four movies and three deep conversations later, Hyuck had fallen asleep. You quietly closed your laptop, placing it on the floor as you climbed out of your bed. You picked up the food containers, carrying them downstairs to the kitchen as you cleaned up slightly.

You dropped the takeaway boxes into the bin, before washing your hands. You thought for a second before grabbing two glasses, which you filled up with water and made your way back to your bedroom.

When you arrived, you spent a short amount of time standing in the doorway and just watched Hyuck sleep. He looked so angelic when he slept, all the stress and worries of the day melted off his features. You placed the water next to your side, moving around the bed to place the second one next to him.

You stepped forward, lightly grabbing the blanket and pulling it up to cover him with it. You lifted up a hand, placing it in his hair and you gently stroked it. He let out a contented hum in his sleep and you smiled down at him. You removed your hand, replacing it with your lips for a soft kiss on his temple and then proceeded to stand up and move around to your side of the bed.

You lifted up the covers and climbed in. Hyuck, as if sensing the sudden weight, rolled over, his arm finding its way around your waist before you had even laid down properly. His other one snuck underneath you, unnoticed by you until you lay down and found your head resting on it. Hyuck tightened his grip, pulling you close into his chest as you were surrounded by his embrace.

As much as you loved sleeping in his hoodies, this was by far the better option. You rested one hand on his chest, the other one winding around his waist and you curled up as close to him as you could.

You shut your eyes, letting your mind drift back to the conversation you had with Jaemin earlier, and the unprovoked attack from the girls in the hallway, and, easily, you came to one very solid conclusion.

The girls in the hallway may have been talking about Haechan, the rumours, the past mistakes and the persona, but you knew Donghyuck. You knew the boy that would stay up until 2am watching movies and chatting with you about life because you couldn’t sleep. You knew the boy that pulled you closer to him, even when he was fast asleep. You knew the real Donghyuck, and you were getting very scared that you were falling in love with him.

---

Time started to pass faster and, before you knew it, another month had passed. Your father had met Hyuck officially as your boyfriend and loved him. You had met Hyuck’s parents too, thankfully getting on their good sides even though they weren’t around much. You had managed to convince Hyuck to quit smoking, something that he had found surprisingly easy. Any time you asked how he did it, he’d claim that you were more addictive than any cigarette ever could be and give you a sweet kiss. Hyuck had been the perfect boyfriend to you, caring, fun, teasing and through it all, he still felt like your best friend.

You were preparing to head off and see him today. You grabbed your phone and keys before leaving your room and jogging down the stairs. You landed gently at the bottom and began to head straight for the door when you heard your father’s voice.

‘Y/n? Will you come in here for a minute sweetheart?’

You followed his voice into his study to find his standing by his desk, his phone in his hand.

‘Dad? Is everything okay? I’m meeting Hyuck in like ten minutes so I can’t be long.’ You said, checking your phone for the time.

Your father turned around to face you, leaning backwards so that he was sitting on the desk behind him.

‘Yes of course! Sorry, I’ll try to make it quick. Would you be happy to stay here for a bit longer than normal?’ He asked, getting straight to the point since he knew you had places to be.

‘Like this town?’ You wondered and your father nodded.

‘Yes, right here. In the same town and same house. Would you be okay with staying here for longer?’ You father spoke, this time raising his eyebrows in question.

‘How much longer?’ You asked, remaining suspicious and skeptical so that you didn’t get your hopes up.

‘Well, I’ve been offered a permanent position here, and I accepted it. So as long as you like.’ You jaw dropped at his words, unable to process what he was saying.

‘No more moving?’ You asked him.

‘No more moving.’ He confirmed and you burst out into a happy laugh, running forwards to hug him.

‘Oh my god, Dad that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!’ You gushed, pulling out of the hug to see his smiling face.

‘So you’re happy to stay here?’ He asked and you grinned back at him.

‘I think I’d be okay with that.’

---

You made your way through Hyuck’s house, stopping only to briefly wave at his parents, before arriving at his room. You could hear him talking inside, so you entered as quietly as you could. He turned around as you entered, smiling and coming towards you to place a soft kiss on your cheek before turning his attention back to his phone call. The smile hadn’t left your face since your dad had told you his news, and you couldn’t wait to tell Hyuck.

He walked towards his window while talking, clearly attempting to wrap up the conversation without being overly rude. You approached his desk, chuckling at the piles of papers and discarded assignments that lay on it. Hyuck never was one for keeping things neat. You tilted your head slightly as one piece in particular caught your eye.

You reached for it, pulling it out from the bottom of the pile and scanned the words, your heart sinking as you did. The title as the top stood out the most: “the to-DO list”.

As you read further and further down the page you saw name after name of different girls in the school, and next to them were a short list of pros and cons, and the number of points they were worth. There were even lines though some of the names with ticks next to them, which you could only assume meant that they were checked off.

You recognised Siyeon and Momo’s names, neither of them having a cross through, but you also recognised the names of the “Welcoming Committee”. They were the same girls who cornered you in the corridor to warn you about Hyuck, and you ignored them. All three of their names were on the list, and all three of them had lines through them.

When your eyes reached the bottom of the page, your heart stopped. You forgot how to breath and you felt as though time suddenly stood still. You stared at the final name, the latest addition to the list that had the highest points and a bright red line through it.

Y/n Y/l/n - 150 points

Pros: new kid, gullible, not around for long, won’t stay to cause you trouble

Cons: defensive, needs effort to be worn down, not as easy as previously assumed

You stared at your name, the tears that filled your eyes blurring it slightly, but not making it any less real. This was a game. Hyuck and his friends were playing a game about who could get the most of the girls. You were just a target to him, something to tick off his list. And he had.

You registered Hyuck hanging up the phone and you furiously blinked away your tears.

‘Sorry about that. I was trying to-’ Hyuck stopped talking mid-sentence, his phone falling from his grip in shock when you turned around with the list in your hand. His eyes shot from the paper to you again, but one look at your face told him everything he needed to know.

‘What’s this?’ You whispered, holding up the piece of paper for him to see.

You watched as Hyuck’s jaw dropped and fear and panic took over his features. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish out of water.

‘What is this?’ You asked again, articulating every word. ‘Please tell me it’s not what I think it is. Tell me that this isn’t some sick game, that- that I’m just some game to you.’

You watched as Hyuck struggled to form a reply, obviously lost for words at what was happening.

‘I swear to god Hyuck, you better tell me the truth right now or I am gonna walk out of that door and I am not coming back.’ You kept your head up, refusing to let him see how affected by this you were more than he already had.

‘Tell me!’ You shouted, your temper flaring as your patience ran thin.

That seemed to finally get through to Hyuck, his eyes snapped towards your face as he stuttered out some weak reply.

‘No- no- no it’s -it’s not what you... No y/n I don’t... I can’t explain it I just-’ Hyuck looked at you, his eyes full of desperation but you couldn’t find it in you to feel sympathy for him.

You let out an empty laugh, one of pure disbelief at your own foolishness. You couldn’t believe that you really thought you were important to him. It’s Lee Donghyuck for Christ’s sake. He has a reputation for a reason. What made you think you were special enough to break that?

You swallowed, lifting your eyes to Hyuck’s once more and realised that you didn’t know a thing about the boy who stood before you. You opened your mouth and, with a shaky voice, you spoke.

‘You know, I was told by so many people that I wasn’t the exception to the rule, I wasn’t the golden girl, I- I wasn’t the one who could change your ways or prove that you were more than just a cigarette puffing, leather jacket wearing, selfish ass hole. But, god... I really hoped I was. And for a minute there, I actually believed it... you actually let me believe it. Maybe that’s why this hurts so much.’

‘Y/n please-’ He began, reaching out for you with one arm but stopped cold at your next words.

‘Save it, Haechan.’ Your use of Haechan instead of Hyuck struck Donghyuck right to his core. You hadn’t called him Haechan in the two months since he’d given you permission to use Hyuck, instead taking pride in the fact that you were close to him to not only call him by his real name, but by his nickname. When you used Haechan, he felt as though someone had picked up a blade of ice and driven it straight into his heart.

He had no idea why this was hurting him so bad. He knew from the moment he walked in and saw that look on your face that something was wrong. He never liked seeing you upset, but watching that door slam behind you, he never would have been able to presume that him being the cause of your upset would have been so heart wrenching.

There’s something about knowing that you’re the reason that the person you love most in the world is crying, that can rip a man’s heart in two. And for the first time in his life, Donghyuck began to experience what heartbreak was like.

---

You ran out of the door, tearing down the streets as fast as the tears were running down your face. You felt small, you felt ridiculous, you felt humiliated, you felt as though you were five years old again. And all you wanted to do was run away.

The irony was impossible to ignore. Your entire life, you had hated moving. Always leaving everyone behind, allowing them to forget you and forcing yourself to forget them. Every city, town or village you had lived in, you had wanted to stay, make friendships that would last a lifetime, fall in love, grow old in the same place you grew up, but you never could. Now for the first time in your life you were finally staying in one place, a place that you were supposed to call home, and yet, you wanted nothing more than to leave it.

---

‘Ok, I’m just going to say it. You’ve done a lot worse to a lot of other girls and you’ve never had this severe of a reaction before. Why now? What’s so special about this one that she’s the reason you’re suddenly experiencing the feeling of guilt?’ Jaemin leaned forwards towards his friend, hoping to finally get a solid answer out of him.

Jaemin had received an SOS text from Donghyuck and immediately moved to meet him at the local bar. He was currently sat across from the aforementioned, watching as his friend had a mini meltdown in front of him. This was the most emotional that Jaemin had seen Donghyuck in a while, and he knew that there was something about you that Donghyuck was refusing to admit. 

‘I don’t know, but when I was standing there, looking at her face as these tears began to fall... all I wanted to do was to run up to her and wipe them away. To hold her and reassure her that... that I’m going to be the one to protect her from harm, not cause it, that I’m going to be the one who she’s safe with, the one who provides her comfort, the one who...’ Donghyuck trailed off at the end leaving Jaemin unable to catch what he was saying.

‘Alright, so here’s my next question: Why didn’t you?’ Jaemin raised an eyebrow at Donghyuck’s moping figure as his head shot up.

‘Why didn’t I what?’ Donghyuck questioned, too tired and emotionally worn out to actually think through what he was being asked.

Jaemin rolled his eyes so hard that he thinks he actually saw the one remaining braincell of his that had survived this conversation, the rest of them choosing to jump ship and abandon him.

‘Why didn’t you go elephant hunting? What do you think?! Why didn’t you do all those things you wanted to? Why didn’t you tell her how much she means to you?’

Donghyuck paused for a minute, thinking back to when he saw you standing there, completely vulnerable, with all your walls down for just him to see.

‘I was scared...’ He admitted, looking up at his friend slowly. ‘I’ve never felt like this before and I don’t know what it means to do this kind of stuff and be good at it. What if I told her the truth and she didn’t feel the same? What if I scared her away when I told her how I felt? I was scared that she wouldn’t want anything to do with me if I told her I loved her.’

Jaemin didn’t respond for a second, his mind taking it’s time to wrap around the fact that Donghyuck was in love. He knew that you meant more to Hyuck than he had ever let on, but Jaemin never would have expected for his friend to have fallen in love with you.

‘Donghyuck... I don’t think you’ll lose her if you tell her you love her. But I do think you may lose her if you don’t.’ Jaemin watched Donghyuck’s expression change as the realisation of the reality of Jaemin’s words dawned on him.

‘What do I do Jaemin?’ He asked, begging to know how to get you back.

‘Do what you couldn’t before.’ Jaemin told him. ‘Tell her the truth.’

---

You could feel all eyes on you as you walked through the main gates the following morning. It was the first time you had walked in by yourself, Haechan having insisted on driving you every morning he could, so this seemed to alert people that there was something wrong. 

You held your head high and refused to let them see how emotional you were, biting the inside of your cheek anytime you could feel your eyes begin to water slightly. If it were up to you, you would have stayed at home today, choosing instead to drown yourself in chocolate and chick flicks, but, unfortunately, your dad was working from home so you had to come in.

You made your way towards your locker, unable to avoid making eye contact with a couple of people along the way. You accidentally caught eyes with the trio of girls who you had become all too familiar with from their welcome when you arrived and their more recent “friendly” advice by your locker.

‘Aww hun, we tried to warn you...’ They crowded you, one of them stroking your hair and all of them effectively drawing all the attention towards you once more. ‘We wanted to protect you from this...’

You tensed up, irritated and a little creeped out by the unwanted contact.

‘Fuck off!’ You spat, pushing them away from you. They stepped forwards again, obviously trying to paint themselves as your saviours in front of the rest of the school who were watching.

‘Sweetie, we just want to help! We knew this would happen and-’

You cut them off, speaking quietly at them through gritted teeth.

‘You don’t know shit about what happened. Stop pretending like you care about me and go back to whatever it is that you do, and leave me alone.’

With that, just like it had in the hallway, the fake smiles and false pretences melted off the three witches, as they rolled their eyes at you before strutting away. Gossiping just loud enough for you to hear.

‘If she actually thought that relationship was real she’s such an idiot.’

‘I know! I mean, it’s Haechan for crying out loud, is she dumb?’

You screwed your eyes shut, resting your forehead against your locker as everyone else began to disappear from around you. You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself and opened your locker. An envelope fell out of it as the door opened, the white paper landing on your feet.

You looked down at it in confusion, bending down to pick it up. You turned it over and examined the messy handwriting on the front. You immediately recognised it at Haechan’s and your eyes flew back to your locker, scanning it to see if he had left anything else. Your gaze focused on a bar of chocolate, which you pulled out and examined.

You nodded in disbelief. Did he really think that a bar of chocolate and a letter would make up for all that happened? When he couldn’t even look you in the face and give it to you himself? You grabbed your books, slamming your locker shut out of anger. If Haechan actually wanted to make amends, he should stop being such a coward and have the courage to face you himself to say whatever he wanted to. You weren’t going to give him an easy way out. 

Before you headed to your class you stopped briefly to dump the letter and chocolate in a nearby bin, unaware of Donghyuck’s teary eyes watching you as you did so.

---

You walked into the local bar, exhausted from the long day you had just had and desperate for a drink. The bar was a college bar, but it was famous amongst students to turning a blind eye towards seniors that may not be of legal drinking age yet.

That day, you had found flowers on your desk in History, your favourite coffee waiting for you at lunch and another letter and chocolate bar in your locker by the end of the day. By this point, you were fed up with it. Everyone had been pointing at you and watching you the entire day, trying to figure out what had happened, and these gifts were not helping to keep you away from everyone’s prying eyes.

All you wanted was to just sit at a booth by yourself and think for a minute before walking home. Unfortunately, life in the form of a slightly drunk baseball jock had other plans.

‘Hey there.’ He approached you, getting a bit too close for comfort.

‘Hi.’ You greeted politely, moving away from him slightly, an infuriated sigh falling from your lips when he followed you. 

‘Don’t run from me. What do you say that you and I get out of here okay?’ He purred, his face coming closer to yours so that you could smell the alcohol on his breath. You pushed against his chest, the alcohol coursing through his system worsening his balance making him take a few steps back. ‘Feisty... I like that.’ He began to advance again, making you quickly speak up.

‘Okay first of all, I just want to get a drink. Second of all, why would I leave when I’ve just arrived? Third of all, why would I leave with you?’ You turned away from him, rolling your eyes as you did so.

However, the message didn’t seem to go through his thick skull, with him pushing himself right up against you, his hand dangerously low on your back and he whispered into your ear, making your skin crawl.

‘You’ll pay for that later sweetheart.’

‘Hey!’ A different voice cut through and before you could register what was going on, an arm had wound its way around your shoulder and successfully pulled you away from the creep. ‘Back off.’

‘What do you think you’re doing, Na?’ The baseball player asked, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Jaemin pulling you away from him.

‘Spending some time with my friend, now beat it beefcake.’ Jaemin kept one hand on you, moving his arm off your shoulder but staying close so that you were comfortable.

‘Well, get in line I saw her first.’ He leant forwards to grab you again, as if you were some kind of prize that he’d won.

‘She said no.’ Jaemin said calmly, watching as the jock’s face screwed up in frustration as he lunged for you again, hitting Jaemin’s free hand as he reached out to stop the drunk from touching you.

‘That doesn’t matter.’ He began to raise his voice, the alcohol in his system fuelling his idiotic actions.

‘Allow me to explain, and I’ll use small words so you’ll be sure to understand.’ You had to stop yourself from smiling slightly at Jaemin’s words, his sass never failed to make you laugh and the fact that a couple of people in the bar had turned their heads towards the commotion made it even better. There was now an audience to watch as Jaemin obliterated the drunk baseball player in front of you two. ‘No means no. I understand that may be hard for you to understand, having taken so many hits to the head, but welcome to the 21st century you warthog faced buffoon.’

With that he turned away, making sure to keep himself between you and that jerk and guided you towards an empty booth as the jock was escorted out of the bar for uncivil behaviour. He sat down across from you and quickly whipped out his phone asking if you wanted anything.

‘I was originally planning on just getting something that wasn’t too strong but after that little experience I think I’ll take a vodka coke, thanks.’ You breathed, enjoying the safety of the booth that you were sat in.

Jaemin simply nodded, tapping away on his phone before putting it back into his pocket.

‘What do I owe you?’ You asked, reaching for your own phone so that you could pull up your mobile banking but Jaemin shook his head.

‘Why don’t you just get the next round?’ He proposed and you nodded in agreement.

‘Sounds fair.’ You trailed off after that, silence falling over the two of you as you tried to figure out what to say.

‘Thank you...’ You began. ‘For stepping in like that, he wasn’t backing down and I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.’ You were a little shaken up by it. Guys, especially drunk guys, had a tendency to be a bit gross and over comfortable but none of them had pursued and threatened you the way that guys had today.

‘Don’t mention it. He’s kinda famous for doing that kind of stuff, unfortunately people have just come to accept it. It’s fucked up.’ Jaemin chuckled. ‘People can get so used to seeing someone harass a woman that they begin to turn a blind eye.’

‘Yeah...’ You trailed off again, not sure how to respond.

Your drinks soon arrived, a waitress placing them down on the table in front of you. You reached out and grabbed the glass with your drink in as Jaemin picked up his. He lifted it to his lips and took a sip as you mirrored his actions with your own.

‘If you were meaning to catch Hyuck, he just left.’ Jaemin said suddenly, and you sent him a tight smile.

‘I wasn’t so don’t worry about it.’ You replied quickly, praying that this wouldn’t be the entirety of your conversation.

‘He misses you, you know?’ Jaemin continued softly, watching your face for any kind of reaction as you sighed.

‘Does he now?’ You muttered, staring into the dark brown drink in your hands.

‘Yes, y/n, he does.’ The certainty and clear frustration in Jaemin’s voice made you lift your eyes up to stare at him. ‘I’ve known Hyuck a long time and there’s something about you that’s stopped him in his tracks. He cares for you.’

‘He’ll move on. He always does, doesn't he? Soon he’ll stop wasting his money on the flowers or food and find his next girl to conquer. Don’t get mad at me for figuring out what was going on before he got the chance to pull the rug out from underneath my feet.’ You argued, slightly fed up that this was the only thing you could take about. You and Jaemin had always got along well so it upset and infuriated you that you had lost that relationship too.

Then Jaemin spoke again, this time the words that fell from his lips hitting you like a truck.

'Look, the list was never Hyuck’s idea to begin with, in fact he was really against it. The day you found it was the same day where he called our group to let them know that he was burning it, “it can only cause pain” were his words. The names that were crossed, weren’t crossed off by him. This old friend of ours, someone who we don’t speak to anymore after this, he heard about your relationship and gave Hyuck the list when he came back into town. Hyuck never wanted it, he never even looked at it once since he was given it, and he certainly didn’t care about it or use you just to cross your name off it. And the fact that you think that... y/n it’s killing him.’ He leant forwards as you averted your gaze, and forced you to look him in the eyes again. ‘Y/n, I've seen him work very hard to get girls and I've seen him work very hard to get rid of girls. I've never seen him work this hard to keep one around.’

And with that Jaemin stood, leaving the drink he barely touched sitting on the surface in front of you. You stared at it, not bothering to watch the boy leave as his last words swirled around in your head.

‘I’ve never seen him work this hard to keep one around.’

---

You stepped outside, shutting your front door behind you. You had arrived home from the bar to an empty house and having not felt like cooking, you decided to get a takeout. However, the one place you were really craving was only doing pickup so you had to walk there to order and get it. You pushed on the door, checking it was locked and then turned around, only to stop dead in your tracks when you found yourself face to face with Haechan.

The two of you just stared at each other, you refusing to speak first and, even though Haechan had practiced what he was going to say about a million times on the way over, all words had now left his mind. Eventually you just gave him a tight lipped smile and a nod and made to walk past him.

‘Wait! Y/n wait, please!’ Haechan called out and you slowed to a stop, lifting your eyes up to look at him once more. ‘I, um... I owe you an explanation.’

‘Really Haechan, you don’t have to it's pretty clear what was going on. It’s chill, we’re done and that’s fine. I’m just gonna do my thing and move on like I’d always planned and-’ You shrugged before getting cut off.

‘For the love of god y/n, would you please stop acting like everything’s fine and start dealing with your crap!’ Haechan snapped, causing you to look at him in shock. ‘Look, I’m sorry I snapped but... God, you don’t have to always pretend like it isn’t a big deal. You’re allowed to be upset about things. I hurt you, I know I did. You trusted me, confided in me, cared for me and I threw it all away, and it’s okay to be hurt by that. I’m not saying that I want you to feel hurt, obviously, but... not every has to mean nothing to you.’ Haechan was pretty much mumbling by the end of it, furious with himself for shouting at you when he was here to apologise.

‘Nothing? You think what happened meant nothing to me?’ You asked in disbelief. ‘Hyuck, when I saw that list, it was like everything I had ever thought, every reason I had ever had for keeping my walls up was proved true. I know it may seem like a small deal to some people, but it isn’t to me. It isn’t, okay? You lied to me, manipulated me for weeks, months even, and I feel like such an idiot. And don’t you dare think for one second that you mean nothing to me because the reason it hurt so much is because it was you. Nobody else has the power to hurt me and heal me like you do. And I keep my guard up, I keep my walls up, even when I’m upset, especially when I’m upset, because I don’t want someone to know what power they have over me. Because... if they see how much I care about them, how much I love them, what’s stopping them from using that against me? Once someone knows about it, I don’t have control over it anymore. Once someone knows about it, my heart is completely in the hands of, and at the mercy of, the person I love.’ You ranted, the tears in your eyes gathering rapidly as you tried with everything you could to blink them away. You never told people the truth about how you felt, scared about how they would react to the real you. In fact, telling Hyuck this was terrifying.

Hyuck stared at you with wide eyes, his expression, for once, was unreadable.

‘Love?’ He asked, hope reaching out across his face as you finally managed to get a read on him.

You swallowed, the fear that you had previously been trying to explain began to bubble up as you forced it back down.

‘Yes Hyuck, love...’

‘You’re calling me Hyuck...’ He pointed out, his voice just as soft as yours.

‘I guess I am.’

‘Do you love me?’

Your eyes shot up at his question, leaving their previous view of the tarmac of your drive and instead settling on Donghyuck’s brown eyes, ones that were currently glistening with tears.

‘Does it matter?’ You whispered. ‘It’s not going to change anything. It all still happened.’

‘But it didn’t! Well, it did, but I never wanted it to happen in the first place. I never wanted anything to do with that stupid list! I told him it would only hurt people and now I’ve gone and hurt the one person that I truly love and it’s not fair!’ Your eyes widened at his words, unable to process that fact that he just said love. Hyuck began to wind his hands through his hair as he continued his angry rant that wasn’t really directed at you but rather anyone who would listen. ‘I burnt it. I burnt the fucking list but it was too late and now it’s all a mess and it’s my fault cause I should have burnt it when I first got it. I never even scratched a name off, I’ve only spent time with you this year and I only ever wanted to and I want only you now and I’m not making sense anymore and-’

‘Hyuck!’ You interrupted, stopping him mid rant as his words began to turn to nonsense. His innocent doe eyes looked into yours and you refused to break eye contact. ‘Love?’ You asked, repeating Hyuck’s question from before.

You wanted as his demeanour completely changed. He forced some air into his lungs, dropping his shoulders as he took a deep breath. He lifted his head and locked eyes with you for the thousandth time that night, yet this felt very different. There was something in his gaze that held you captive, even if you had wanted to look away, you wouldn’t have been able to. Your eyes never left his, even as he began to speak and you saw the truth in his words through his sincere expression.

‘I’m not good at this. This kind of moment, this conversation where I admit how I’ve been feeling this entire time. I’m good with music, I’m good with food, I’m good with jokes and making people laugh, but... I’m really bad when it comes to looking someone in the eye and telling them how I feel. Especially if that means letting my walls down. I’m not here to tell you that I’m falling in love with you. I’m here to tell you that... I’ve already fallen. And I was terrified of falling for you, because it was so easy. The way you always remember my coffee order, or the way you drape a blanket over me when I fall asleep on the sofa, or the way that you made me care more about my life, about who I am and how I impact others. Loving you was so easy and that’s why it was so god damn terrifying. Because I couldn’t stop myself. No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop myself from being in love with you. I am utterly, hopelessly, irretrievably in love with you. More than you’ll ever know. And for the first time in my life, that doesn’t sound so scary.’

By this point, the tears that had been previously threatening to fall were now steadily making their way down his face. You knew that you looked no better, your vision was blurry and your throat was tight. He refused to look away from you, not even to wipe the tears from his face, instead, he kept talking.

‘And I know that this doesn’t change anything. You’re still leaving at the end of this year, but that’s just over seven months away. And, even though I know how it’s going to end, I want those seven months with you. I do. I want them more than anything. And I will do anything it takes to earn your trust back.’

There wasn’t a single speck of doubt in your body that Hyuck was telling the truth. This wasn’t Haechan speaking, this was Donghyuck, vulnerable, emotional and broken Donghyuck talking to you from his heart, begging for your forgiveness and understanding. You found it impossible to tear your gaze away from him, your eyes glued to his as you tried to come to a conclusion in your mind.

No matter how many times the irrational part of your brain tried to convince you this was all a trick, some elaborate scheme that will end up with you getting your heart broken, you couldn’t hear it. It was outweighed by the sheer volume of every atom, every fibre of your being screaming out for the boy you loved, for Donghyuck.

‘Hyuck, I love you... But I don’t want you to have only seven months with me.’ You began. Donghyuck’s face quickly fell, as if accepting defeat and he sadly nodded. ‘I want you to have more than that. And I know that it doesn’t seem possible, because I’m moving, but, what if I wasn’t...’ You trailed off as Hyuck’s eyes filled with hope.

‘What are you saying?’ He asked, his lips twitching as he fought back a grin. He had never wanted anything more than he wanted you to be saying what he thought you were saying.

‘I’m saying, my dad got offered a permanent position here, and he took it. I’m not moving. I’m staying here, in the only place on earth I want to stay. Because, here, I get to be with you.’ You revealed.

A second passed as the revelation sank in and Donghyuck’s face split into the biggest smile you had ever seen on him. He rushed forwards towards you, his arms making their way around your waist as your bodies crashed into each other. You wound your arms around his neck, dropping your head into his shoulder and feeling him do the same. You breathed in, savouring the feeling of being wrapped in his embrace, the place you had missed so much.

Hyuck eventually lifted his head out of your neck, looking you deep in the eyes before he leant his forehead on yours and breathed out a soft:

‘I’ve missed you.’

You couldn’t stop the smile that grew on your face, nor could you stop your reply.

‘I missed you too.’

You pulled your forehead away from his, watching as his gaze flickered down to your lips and back up again, a questioning look in his eyes. You nodded, giving permission and Hyuck wasted no time in pressing his lips to yours.

You could have sworn fireworks went off. You had never understood that saying until that very moment, but right there, you felt an explosion of love that you hadn’t known was possible. You pressed yourself into him as his arms pulled you as close as possible until there wasn’t any space between your bodies.

You both pulled away to catch your breath, yet neither of you moved away from the other at all. You stayed just as close as you had been, with Hyuck’s arms never loosening from around your waist. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing slightly, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

‘I love you.’ He laughed, provoking a chuckle out of you too.

‘I love you more.’ You replied, grinning up at him as he raised an eyebrow at you.

‘Not possible.’ He answered back, his voice softening as he leant down to kiss you once more.

Hyuck kissed you again, and again, and again. He kissed you throughout the whole night, only stopping to whisper confessions of his love or to attempt to pull you closer to him than you already were. He came with you to pick up some takeout, he also insisted on paying, but even when waiting for the food, he held you tightly in a back hug.

He pulled your legs over his on the sofa at yours as he fed you your takeout while you watched a movie together. And he kept his tight grip on you as you went to sleep, tangled up together like vines, so intertwined that it seemed impossible to pull them apart.

Hyuck never ended up telling you why he held you so tightly that night. In his defence, you never really asked, and, as much as Hyuck allowed himself to be vulnerable and honest around you, this was something that he kept as his own little secret. As his own little confession. Whenever Hyuck was struggling, he just thought back to this night and how amazing it felt to finally have the girl he loved wrapped in his arms, with the knowledge that she will still be there when he wakes up.

He had finally found someone who he loved and would do anything for, and he never wanted to let you go.

---

Not even one month later, it was the Winter Formal. The school had decided to put a monumental amount of effort into it, hiring out a local ballroom and turning it into a winter wonderland, complete with fake snow, white trees, gentle lighting and sparkly white silk hanging around the room. You would be lying if you said that your breath wasn’t completely taken away when you walked in.

Yet none of it compared to the feeling of walking in with Hyuck on your arm.

Hyuck had surprised, not only you, but the entire school it seemed when he walked in with a smart suit on, a white flower in the pocket and green tie neatly around his neck. It seemed as though all eyes were on the two of you when you entered the hall, and you were sure that Hyuck’s look was something to do with it.

Of course he disagreed. He insisted that it was all to do with the green gown that you were wearing, claiming the way it hugged your figure in all the right places and the slit in the thigh made you look like a dream. Walking out of your house to meet Hyuck and seeing his jaw literally drop was a major confidence boost. That boy knew how to make you feel good about yourself.

You met your friends at the dance, and not even two minutes after arriving, were immediately pulled onto the dance floor by Jaemin.

‘You guys look good!’ He commented, flashing you his million dollar smile. ‘Probably the best out of everyone here. ’

‘Well we thought it was best to make an impression.’ You shrugged, grinning back at him.

Just as Hyuck opened his mouth to reply, your maths professor walked past, unable to stop himself from commenting.

‘Nice to see you finally put some effort into your appearance Haechan.’

‘Thank you sir. You too!’ Hyuck replied cheekily, before turning back to the two of you with a confused look on his face.

‘Was it just me or was that a little bit weird?’ He asked the two of you.

‘Just a bit, yeah!’ You replied, laughing as Jaemin agreed with you.

The music began to slow down and Jaemin, not wanting to get stuck in the masses of couples who were taking to the dance floor, said a quick goodbye before moving away.

Hyuck gently grabbed your hand with his, wrapping his other hand securely around your waist and pulled you in close to him. You rested your free hand on his shoulder and gently began to sway to the music.

The whole scene felt like something out of a movie. The soft lights were gently shining down on the two of you, making you feel as though you were the only two people there as the atmosphere surrounded you, enclosing you in your own little bubble. You found yourself getting lost in Hyuck’s eyes as the music faded slowly into the background, the sound of your heart beating for the boy in front of you overpowering everything else.

There really was nothing that you wouldn’t do for Hyuck. And, no matter what people told you, no matter what rumours you hear, you knew that you knew him. The real him. Not Haechan, not the bad boy cliche image that he puts up everyday, not everyone else’s perception of him as the kid who didn’t give a damn about anyone or anything. You knew Hyuck for who he truly was, all the good, the bad and the ugly. You had seen him at his highs and his lows, you trusted him with your heart and you knew he would never break it.

After all these years of moving and leaving things behind, you had finally found somewhere you could call home. Only it wasn’t a place. It was a person. And you knew that, as long as he was looking down at you with that much love in his eyes, you wouldn’t need any other home ever again.

Maybe senior year wasn’t just the best year of your life as everybody says it is, but also the beginning of the rest of it.

Roll credits.

[armysantiny]

Letters For You - KSN

Pairing: Sunoo x female reader || Enhypen

Genre: fluff, oneshot, request

Includes: Soobin (TXT) mention, translator reader, idol Sunoo, massages, spa day, texts, gifts, coming home late, eating at a café, café, dying hair, KakaoTalk, cuddling, watching kdrama together

Word count: 1518

Warning: food cw

Rating: PG

Networks: @kwritersworld​, @kdiarynet​, @kpopscape​, @ultkpopnetwork, @kpopficsnetwork, @kpopcontentcreatorsclub​​ @k-dinernet​, @lovesick-net, @whipped-kpop-creators, @prism-nw​, @hybenet​, @k-library​, @k-mysticsnet​, @enhypenwriters, @enhypennetwork, @knet-bakery

Tagging:@teeztheflag, @intokook, @cherry-hyejin, @difcore, @ofaffectionate || Taglist Form

An: I hope you like this @xxatinyminionxx! I had so much fun writing this~

Long days at the agency weren’t anything new to Sunoo; just regular procedure. But coming home later than usual felt different ever since he had met y/n. Y/n was his lucky charm – Sunoo’s grounding presence when he would come back from the hectic rush of his schedule. And that night was no different, as the music artist sipped on his coffee on his way home. Entering the passcode for the shared apartment, the dyed-blond removed his jacket and shoes, a relieved sigh falling from him.

The apartment was quite that night however, much quieter than usual – the faint sounds of y/n working on a transcript nowhere to be found. Switching on the lights as he made his way to the kitchen, Sunoo’s eyes were drawn to the covered dishes on the table, and a note addressed to him.

“Does she have a part-time shift today...?” Voicing his thoughts as he went about following the neatly drawn instructions on the note, Sunoo warmed the prepared meal. Y/n had made his favourite, and he could almost distinctly hear – in his head – the subtle sound of y/n humming a nameless song under her breath, occupied with her next cooking project. His face flushed at the thought, humming the last melody he heard y/n singing. Perhaps y/n knew that he’d be home, because she’d video called Sunoo as he was putting the dishes on the drying rack. Picking up the call with a slight yawn, the teen perked up almost immediately.

“Noona! How was your day? Oh – where are you?” Sitting down on the sofa, Sunoo asked his question, parts of y/n’s background seeming vaguely familiar.

“Sunoo baby~ my day was good, I missed you today~ Ah – do you remember my sunbae? The one who went to study film?”

“Oh… Soobin hyung, right?”

“Mhm~ he needed a translator for his project late minute and I was the only one available. I’ll probably be gone for the weekend. I’m sorry baby~ will you be alright?” Y/n explained, an apology finishing her words. Soobin’s call had been the very definition of ‘out-of-the-blue’, but at the time y/n couldn’t deny that her sunbae sounded urgent. In any case, it was only for the weekend; Sunoo would be okay.

By next morning, Sunoo stretched as he slowly started to awake, his bedroom glowing from the light of the morning sun. Looking over to y/n’s side of the bed with a gentle but longing smile on his face, Sunoo traced his fingers over her pillow. She’d be back. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed and making his way to the bathroom to freshen up, the idol went about getting ready for the day ahead. Caught up on whether he should eat breakfast at home or go to a café, Sunoo grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge while he pondered on his options. Not expecting any calls for at least an hour from noon, Sunoo’s brow raised in curiosity when his KakaoTalk notification went off. Once he had read the display name, little butterflies bloomed in his chest as he opened the text message from y/n.

Y/n Noona: Morning baby~ I’ve been translating scripts until 2 am ☹ but I’ve got a long day, so it’s early alarms for me. Have you woken up yet? I saw a really nice breakfast café yesterday, I think you’d like it! I should vanish now, I’ll call you later. Love you, sunshine~

“Breakfast outside it is~”

Finding the café with the address y/n had given him, Sunoo marvelled at the exterior of the café once it had come into view. Had he walked into a kdrama set? The inviting scent of baked treats and hot chocolate were doing him no favours as it took a gentle hold over him, luring him into the ‘trap’ of a sweet breakfast – not that he was complaining, that is. Finding himself in line to order, Sunoo scoured the menu, easily finding something to eat that Saturday morning.

Watching people walk past the café windows while he nibbled on his pastries, Sunoo drummed his fingers against the table, unsure of what he should do to occupy his time. He could go and have a ‘me-day’; go to the spa, get a massage, redye his hair, all of it. Or he could head to the park and have a little picnic for himself, enjoy his break away from filming and schedules. Sipping on his iced coffee, the teen let himself get lost in thought as he set about finishing the rest of his breakfast. Food came first.

Making his way to the spa, Sunoo didn’t forget to make a stop by the library, buying one of the notebooks they had on sale. Y/n would definitely like it. The gift tucked away neatly in his satchel as he walked through the doors of his favourite spa, Sunoo went ahead and booked a massage for himself, a grateful a smile on his face as he took the clothes handed to him and went to the locker rooms to change.

A sigh of relief fell from Sunoo as the masseuse worked on his back, the knots in his shoulders finally being relieved after a long week. Feeling the urge to sleep getting bigger, the faux-blond let his eyes shut, the next thirty minutes passing by like a blur. Next thing he knew, the massage was over and he was being gently woken up by his masseuse.

“Mr Kim...?”

“Oh-oh, I must have fallen asleep. Thank you for the massage!”

“Oh no worries, you must have had a long week. Have a good day~”

“You too!” Bowing after he collected his things, Sunoo left the room, heading back to the locker room – where his clothes were waiting for him. Taking a seat and unlocking his phone, the teen scrolled through Twitter for a while before an – arguably cute – idea struck him. Opening KakaoTalk and recording a voice message for y/n, he sent it, a pleased smile on his face. That pleased smile soon turned into a wide grin as y/n replied almost instantly, cute stickers being sent his way. Snapping a quick picture and sending it, Sunoo put his phone aside as he changed, his heart beating as he anticipated his girlfriend’s reaction.

Y/n’s equally cute picture-reply on his mind as he sat in the salon chair, Sunoo had been getting his roots done, his hair layered between sheets of aluminium as he waited for the bleaching to work. His black roots had started to grow out, and he was due for a redye before it started looking like he had dip-dyed only half of his hair. Or before he started looking like a poorly designed manhwa character. Calling y/n, he asked about her day, listening to her speak with an endearing sense of curiosity on his face.

“I may have good news~” Y/n teased from the other line, watching the scenery pass by from her seat on the coach.

“Oh? Tell me~!” Sunoo replied, a light-hearted whine in his voice as he egged y/n on. He could just about hear the sound of steady traffic in between the momentary silence. “Are you driving Noona?”

“Hmm, kinda? I’ll see you later sunshine! Make sure to eat dinner~”

“I will!”

Returning home that evening after spending the rest of his day with his members, Sunoo opened the door to his shared apartment, a gift bag in hand. The sound of shuffling feet from the bathroom alerted him as he treaded slowly towards the front room. He wasn’t expecting any company, and y/n wasn’t due to return for at least the next day. Snapping his head to the sound of the bathroom door opening, Sunoo’s features brightened almost instantly, leaving his bags on the sofa as he ran over to y/n, engulfing his girlfriend in a hug. A laugh coming from the slightly older woman as she returned the hug, y/n cupped Sunoo’s face in her hands, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

“Y/n Noona! When – when did you get home? I thought you were coming home tomorrow?” Following y/n to the sofa, Sunoo pulled y/n’s hand into his own, playing with her fingers while she spoke.

“Ahh, the translator my sunbae was originally going to call made it to the location today. Most of the work was already done, so I managed to get home early. I did well, didn’t I?”

“Yep~”

Cuddled up together as they caught up on their drama, Sunoo paused the scene on screen when he realised that y/n was fast asleep on his shoulder, her subtle comments on the characters no longer accompanying the sounds of the romcom playing on TV. Resisting the urge to take a picture, Sunoo gently lifted y/n’s head, carefully holding her up while sliding a cushion underneath. Tiptoeing to the bedroom and returning with a blanket, he chuckled and covered y/n’s sleeping frame. Tucking in the edges and brushing a stray hair out of y/n’s face, he placed a kiss on her forehead.

“You’ve worked hard Noona. I’ll give you your gift tomorrow. Get some rest~”

[thefanfictionartist]

The Captain’s Paramour

A/N: I worked hard write this and would really appreciate any love you can give this story. I do intend to write at least one more part to this and would love to hear any feedback or requests that you all have! If any of you have a request for a one-shot, please feel free to message me!

Pairing(s): Tooru Oikawa X Y/N; Hajime Iwaizumi X Y/N; Koutarou Bokuto X Y/N; implied Aoba Johsai X Y/N

Summary

Growing up, Y/N knew that Tooru Oikawa was someone who intimidated her, regardless of her crush on him, and she opted to stay away. When they start college together and Y/N joins as team manager, Oikawa charms his way to being her boyfriend. Happy in the start of the relationship, Y/N has yet to wonder if she was right to stay away from Aoba Johsai’s captain from the beginning.

Word Count: 4.4k

Rated M for Mature; intended for 18+ audiences.

Warning: This fan fiction contains a toxic relationship and bullying. If you are not comfortable with manipulation, dub-con, degrative language, and otherwise abusive aspects, please do NOT read this. You have been warned. 

~         ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~ He was someone you told yourself to only admire from afar. Regardless of the fact that you had known him since the two of you could attend school. Even then, you hadn’t spoken much to Tooru Oikawa. 

It was intimidating to have him even look in your direction. 

He had a god-like presence that always shines too brightly when he smiles. His eyes had a way of singling out his admirers like a lion stalking his prey. On more than one occasion, you told yourself to stop going to volleyball games because you knew that if he ended up approaching you, you’d become a blubbering mess. At least, that’s how you always pictured it.

But rather than avoiding him at all costs, you couldn’t help to watch him at his practices and games. If there was anything that no one could deny, it was that Oikawa had a talent that was nearly impossible to beat. 

His talent alone had entranced you, and after years of watching him play in elementary and middle school, you found yourself applying for the manager position on Aoba Johsai’s boys volleyball team. 

Purely because now you had an obsession with the game. 

And since you’ve been so observant, you knew that you could at least help the boys on the team in a practical manner.

As a first year, you doubted that you would be accepted…

But after a week of waiting, you found yourself sitting in one of the school’s gymnasiums, helping Oikawa set up the net in the middle of the court for practice. You found that he was actually quite disarming in conversation, making it so that you could speak with him easily. Your anxiety about being around him slipped away with a single ‘Hello.’, and you weren’t sure if that unsettled you or not. 

When you applied to be Seijoh’s manager, you expected the long hours and dedication you’d have to put in. Actually, you welcomed the distraction it gave you as an extracurricular. 

What you didn’t expect was the disdain most girls had for you. 

Most girls at Aoba Johsai hated you and the time you got with who they considered to be the hottest guys in school. They’d blatantly ignore you and write cruel messages on your locker and desk. In the few times that any of the boys were present during these incidents, they’d come to your defense. And you couldn’t have been more grateful to have your team back you up. 

You would always assure them that the bullying didn’t bother you. It didn’t bother you much when you had friends on the volleyball teams all over the country, including the couple of female managers they had. 

It was something you reminded yourself of when the crude comments written on your social media did bother you. Although, the harassment progressed farther online with absurdly edited pictures of you on certain profiles. And the comments multiplied by the day, making it all the more worse.

When the remarks got particularly bad, you would hide yourself in the janitorial closet of the gymnasium, crying in the privacy of the vacant room. 

Having the girls at school, and only the girls at school, torment you was something you could deal with. 

But having strangers command you to die and tell you that you were worthless hurt you more than you could have ever expected. 

You were sniffling softly and nearly at the end of your tears when someone walked into the closet. Looking up at the shadow of whoever had come in, you wipe furiously at your damp cheeks, trying to erase the fact that you were just bawling your eyes out. 

“Oh- sorry, I’ll be out in a sec-” Speaking softly to the intruder, you stand up, taking a deep breath to calm yourself down. 

“N/N-chan?” Oikawa’s voice surprises you. 

“Tooru..”

“Why are you in here?” He takes a moment to observe your features and asks another question, “Have you been crying?”

Anxiously, you tuck a lock of hair behind your ear before fiddling with the ends of it. A sarcastic, curt laugh tumbles from your throat as your red-rimmed eyes find the linoleum floor. “Yeah..” You sniffle before adding, “Pretty lame, right?”

Before you have a chance to look at him again, Oikawa’s arms wrap around you in a binding hug. 

The jacket he wears feels cool against your skin and you find yourself leaning your heated cheeks against it, silent tears rolling down your cheeks from the gesture you’d never expect from him. 

“No.. No, you’re not lame at all, Y/N.” His mouth rests against the top of your head and you can feel his lips twist into a small smile. “Those people are gonna get what’s coming to them for being so mean to you, I’m sure of it. In the meantime, you should just ignore it, ya?” He leans back to look at you, thumb carefully wiping away one of your stray tears. 

“Maybe then they’ll get bored and find someone else to pick on.” He adds with his trademark dazzling smile. 

Nodding, you agree with him, leaning back onto his shoulder as he rubbed your back to comfort you. In that moment, your personal relationship with Tooru became much more than it was before. 

As far as you knew, Oikawa hadn’t spoken with anyone about what happened that day, but you did notice many things start to change. 

For one thing, the atrocious bullying had stopped quite abruptly and you now only had to deal with a few harmless glares during your classes. For another, Oikawa seemed to pay more attention to you. Not that you were complaining. 

He had a way of drawing you in and making you even more smitten with him, and he knew it. 

It didn’t take long at all for him to claim you as his girlfriend. 

And at first, you felt like you were walking on Cloud Nine. There was no way that you could’ve fallen any deeper in love with him. He was so considerate and gentlemanly and kind. He brought you on nice dates when he didn’t have practice and showered you with compliments all the time. And when he touched you, you felt a pleasure you could never imagine before. He made you happy. He did. 

Really. 

So you promised yourself that doing things like this wasn’t a big deal. 

Because Tooru wanted it. And you loved him. 

           - - - - -

“That’s right, baby girl. All of Iwa-chan’s dick in that pretty little mouth of yours.” Oikawa prompted you from the side of the room, sporting a sizable bulge as he watched the action. “I want you to make him feel really good, hm?”

Following Oikawa’s instructions, you force yourself to choke on more of Iwaizumi’s girth, your eyes watching as his head tilts back to let out a deep groan. 

Trying to evoke more of his noises, you wrap your hand around the base of his cock to pump the inches you can’t comfortably fit into your mouth. Behind you, Oikawa tutts, shaking his head. “Naughty girl.. You should know it’s improper to use your hands.”

Your scalp screams as he pulls you back with a fistful of your hair. A pitiful whimper leaves your lips which are covered in a messy amount of saliva. 

You fall into Oikawa’s lap weakly, the back of your head on his shoulder as he pries your legs open to display your arousal. As you attempt to close your legs, embarrassed that you’re so turned on in this situation, he hooks his legs between yours, so that his knees rest on the inside of yours. 

“Look at this Iwa-chan,” Tooru’s slender fingers slide along the puffed lips of your pussy, causing you to whine and grind your hips. 

Before you can receive any lasting relief, Oikawa pulls his fingers away from you, displaying the way your slick sticks and drips down his fingers. “She’s such a cock-hungry slut that she’s already dripping after sucking dick.”

His fingers dip down again, and this time he teasingly enters your twitching hole and pulls a moan from you. 

Oikawa starts to curl his fingers against you in a way that you know will have you seeing white. Skillfully he adjusts his wrist to reach deeper into you, brushing continuously against the sweet spongy texture of your walls. 

“Tooru- ‘M close!” 

And just like that, he pulls his fingers away, making you cry out. “Please, I wanna cum, Toru!” Your eyes brim with tears as you look at him, desperate for the release you nearly had. 

“That’s not my name.” His eyes are dark and he gives you a small smirk before saying, “If you wanna cum so bad..” He pushes you unceremoniously off his lap, relishing in the whine you give him. “You better beg Iwa-chan really nice.”

You look up to Oikawa from the ground, wide-eyed and begging. “Sir..” 

Giving Hajime a blowjob while Tooru watched was the original agreement and you weren’t sure that you much liked this spontaneous new plan. 

“Please, sir..” Your hands reached for his lap, intending to try pleasuring him so he’ll want to finish you himself. “I want you to make me cum, please.” Oikawa’s vice grip stops your hands before they are even close to touching him. The grip is tight enough it brings tears to your eyes, and you’re sure it’ll leave bruises for later on. 

“You heard me, pet.” He nearly spits in your face and you flinch at the nickname as tears collect on your lashes. “If you want to cum, you have to have Iwaizumi fuck you.”

He pushes you away with ease, letting you fall back onto your palms.

“So you better beg him hard.” His eyes flash with sadistic intent. “And before you even think about it.. There’s no way I’ll let you finish yourself tonight. I’ll tie you to the headboard if I have to insure it.” The smile he gives you doesn’t match his words.

When you turn to look at Hajime, you can see pity in his eyes. Like he can see just how uncomfortable you are with Oikawa’s behavior. 

But both of you knew that Oikawa wouldn’t let you leave until he got what he wanted. 

And that he got. 

        - - - - -

Events like that intense night with Hajime and Tooru became typical for you. And even though you had expressed your disinterest with being shared, you found yourself still wanting to make him happy. 

What started out as a normal relationship started to feel like ownership. 

You dwelled on how similar you actually became to the posts those girls used to make about you being a slut, and that just seemed to make you feel worse about yourself. 

So you would go to Oikawa again and again, seeking that warm comfort he gave you that one day in the janitor’s closet, crying your eyes out about how worthless and whorish you felt. And you’d be comforted by him for just enough time to make you feel okay before he would make you feel like a whore again; crying under him as he pounded you into the mattress. 

Then his pretty words would bring you snuggling up to him in bed as he told you how precious and special you were, and how much he loved you.

Even though you knew that you felt terrible and wanted to end things with him, you’d stay because you were in love, and because Tooru told you he needed you. 

You told yourself that he at least made you happy sometimes, and that it was normal for him to flat out ignore you after games because he needed to make his fangirls happy. It was understandable to a degree. A guy like him would need popularity to bring him where he wanted to go and you supported him one hundred percent. 

It wasn’t like you relied on him completely for happiness. 

You had friends for that. 

Most of your friends were from the boys volleyball league; people you had met during the many, many volleyball camps you had attended with the Aoba Johsai. 

You couldn’t have been more grateful for the frequent training camps in your third year, given the growing uneasiness you had around your own team. The only people on your team you felt comfortable around were the coaches and Iwaizumi, who was always respectful to you. 

After a while, you had caught on to the fact that Oikawa was making Iwaizumi feel like he had to do what he says, similarly to the way he makes you feel. 

Shortly after, you heard an argument break out between them and though you haven’t explicitly talked to each other about it, you knew that Iwaizumi had gotten fed up and told Oikawa he wasn’t gonna fuck his girlfriend anymore. And that Tooru should stop using me like a sex doll to be thrown around because it’s pretty clear that I don’t like it.

You had always thought of Iwaizumi as a protector and close friend. Someone who was gentle with the people he cares about. 

He always made a point of treating you as a gentleman should. 

In fact, most of the boys who weren’t on your team treated you kindly and warmly. It was truly no wonder that you enjoyed the training camps so much. 

Or nights like this one. 

When the second and third years from the prefecture would decide to throw a party. The presence of other school’s teams made you more comfortable with the environment. 

Finally you’re able to relax. 

“Hey, hey, hey, Y/N!” Bokuto’s voice makes you genuinely smile. You turn to look at him from where you stand on Kuroo’s porch, seeing as he was the one with the idea to throw a party during spring break. 

It takes you a second to realize that you haven’t seen Bokuto much in the past few months. 

But it’s like having the first breath of fresh air in a long time when you find him smiling just as wide as he had the last time you saw him. It’s enough to keep you floating, just like it always is. “Hi, Bo.” You answer without matching his energy, because you couldn’t scrape up the vitality to do so. 

His head tilts to the side and instead of pity, you see confusion in his expression before turning to lean your forearms against the railing like you were before. Your eyes simply watch the sky turn orange and fuschia as the sun sets, your face void of any expression except a small smile that Bokuto placed there.

“Uh oh..” You hear Bokuto approach you but remain looking at the evening sky. “I didn’t do something stupid, did I?”

A glance to Fukurodani’s ace has you softly giggling at the puppy dog eyes he gives you. He’s at your side, bent at the knees so he can be shorter than you, preparing to beg to be forgiven for whatever he thinks that he’s done. “No, of course not, Kotarou.” You shake your head at his words. “You’re nothing but an angel.” 

Your smile gets a tiny bit bigger as you pat his head, careful not to ruin the way he styled it. 

“Okay, then…” He brings his hand to his chin, straightening himself out to lean his elbow on the porch railing. Owlish eyes observe you carefully, a look of deep concentration etched into Bokuto’s features. It’s as though he thinks if he stares long enough, he’ll be able to read your mind. 

You look so much more dull and lifeless now than you had been when he first met you. You had bags beneath your beautiful eyes and your cheeks had sunken in a bit. What made him the most upset was how your eyes didn’t reflect your smile.

“I give up.. Why do you look so sad?”  His voice softly coos as he asks the question, head tilting with inquiry.

You shrug and give an unconvincing, “I’m just tired.” 

Bokuto is overwhelmingly unprepared for how depressed you sound. His smile falters with unease. It’s normally not so easy to read other people’s emotional states for him. He knew he could be dim-witted at times but this was not one of them. It was clear that whatever had you so down wasn't something you wanted to talk about. Regardless of how much he wanted to know, Bokuto felt it was his job to try to get your mind off whatever was upsetting you. 

In a few seconds, his smile is back in full force, wanting nothing more than to find a way to make you happy. 

“C’mon.” Bokuto holds out his hand for you to take, excitement flashing in his eyes. 

Now it’s your turn to be confused, but rather than asking questions, your hand slips into his and you let him pull you through the house to Kuroo’s backyard. Once you’re there, he lets go of your hand and runs to a playset that probably hadn’t been touched in quite a while. 

There are plenty of people lying in the grass and talking around the pool, filling the air with empty chatter combined with the music that flowed outside from the house. 

Your eyebrows knit together in a disapproving manner. “Bo..” 

The childish excitement he has when he sits on one of the two swings on the playset is admittedly a bit contagious. But, to save yourself embarrassment from accidentally breaking Kuroo’s childhood playhouse, you try arguing as you approach the volleyball player. 

“This is meant for kids like 10 and under, you know?” 

His eyes glint with competitiveness as he pushes himself back on the swing. “I don’t care, I bet I’ll still swing higher than you.”

Your eyes narrow and you quickly find yourself plopping into the other swing, quickly accepting the challenge. “Oh, you’re on, Mr. Owl.” Pushing off the ground with as much force as you can muster, your mind focuses solely on getting your own swing higher and higher. A grin spreads across your face, brightening your features as you allow yourself to have genuine fun. 

The rusted chains of the old swings squeak with sudden use, but luckily don’t show any sign of falling apart. 

Seeing as Bokuto’s body is dense with muscle, you find yourself soaring higher than him in no time; laughter seeping out of the both of you in a hysterical manner. “I win!” You shout as you reach the peak of your swing, glancing in the direction of Koutarou. Even though you can only see a blurred version of him, you can tell that he is wearing a look of utmost determination.

“No! I’m not even at my highest yet! Just wait!” He shouts eagerly and you concede.

“Fine, you have one more minute to beat me.”

In that minute, your eyes drift to the sky and appreciate the dazzling stars above. If you focus hard enough you start to recognize a couple constellations. The first thing you see is Orion’s belt, then the whole of Orion. 

As you pick out the stars of the Little and Big Dipper, you relax with the free feeling of your hair blowing back and forth with each rock of your legs. 

This is what you would imagine flying to feel like, and you get lost in the fantasy of having the power to fly away from the groping hands of your team. Although, you have no idea where you would fly. Maybe you find somewhere like Neverland and be able to live to your own whims and wishes. Or maybe on some desolate tropical island with natives who actually respected you. 

You’re so entranced with your thoughts that you don’t realize when you are genuinely airborne until you hear Bokuto’s voice shouting your name with panic. 

The impact with the ground comes just as soon as you’ve realized that you’ve tumbled face-first off the swing. “N/N!” Oikawa’s voice beckons you to look for him from where you are on the ground. When your eyes find him jogging towards you from the house, your cheeks burn with guilt at the thoughts you had. 

Bokuto’s at your side before Tooru and insistently, yet gently, squishes your cheeks in both of his warm palms to get you to look at him. 

Apparently you hadn’t been answering his questions while Oikawa's presence clouded your mind. “Hm?” You raise an eyebrow at Bokuto, telling him that you’re listening. 

“Are you hurt?” 

You bat away his hands and shake your head while brushing the dust from your knees, which had taken most of the impact. “M’ fine. Just scraped my knees a little.” A reassuring smile settles on your face, although it falls just slightly when Oikawa approaches your side. 

You could swear for a moment that Bokuto picked up on the shift in your mood when Oikawa appeared, but ended up just blaming that on wishful thinking. 

“I’ll go get some bandages.” The ace leaves you with the setter before you can detest.

Tooru remains silent in an eerie manner, and it takes a lot of courage for you to look him in the eyes. “Can you stand?” He reaches out to you with long slender fingers and when you grab them, a shudder runs down your spine from how cold they feel. 

“Yeah.” You answer, and within a moment you’re on your feet, being pulled into the kitchen by your tyrannical boyfriend. 

“Sit.” He motions to the island countertop and you obey, swinging your legs as you wait for Koutarou to emerge from the bathroom with the promised bandages. When he arrives, Oikawa swiftly takes the bandaids from him and bends down to apply them to your knees. 

Oddly, he seems to completely disregard Bokuto offering to help bandage you. In fact, it honestly seemed as though he were ignoring the ace. He must’ve gotten the same vibe, because within a minute Koutarou left the kitchen with Kuroo. 

“There. All better, right?” Tooru smiles as he gives you a kiss on the cheek, holding your hips to help you off of the counter. “Come sit with me for a while, hm?” 

His fingers swirl delicately at the skin peeking from between your shirt and shorts; you resist pulling away from the icy chill of his gaze and nod. “Yeah.” You agree and follow him into the living room, which was now clouded with smoke. It was hard to tell the exact source, but it was clear that a few of the people in the room were extremely high. 

After a few moments, the smoke was dizzying. 

You were never one to indulge in intoxication and you never really saw an opportunity where you would feel comfortable with it. The atmosphere of this room made you queasy, even more so when Oikawa pulled you into his lap on the sofa. 

He pulls you close against him, and for a moment you swear you feel like you’re suffocating. Your mouth becomes dry as you pull in an uneasy breath of pungent air. 

“ ‘Kawa, I need some water.” Your voice is small against the thumping music inside the house, but Tooru acknowledges your request. 

“Oi, Matsu!” The setter calls to his teammate from across the room. “Can you get Y/N some water?” Miraculously, the dark-haired middle blocker hears his team captain and within a short amount of time, you have a glass of water in your hands and chug it thirstily. 

Oikawa chuckles from behind you, wrapping his arms around your midsection. “Slow down babe, the water isn’t going anywhere. I promise.” He kisses the junction of your neck a bit more sultrously than you would like in public and you push your shoulder up to signal your apprehension with the gesture. 

He chuckles again, his chilling breath caressing your neck and making you tense. Another kiss touches the nape of your neck as Tooru snakes his hands to your inner thighs, fully intending to pull them apart. 

“Not now, Tooru.” You keep your voice quiet, not wanting to make a scene around so many people as your hands pull him away from your thighs. 

If he heard you, you couldn’t tell but it was clear in your body language that you were not comfortable. Oikawa, either ignoring your words or not getting the message, again latched his lips to your neck, this time nibbling to mark you. “C’mon, don’t you think our friends here deserve a show.” He cooed the words to you while his fingers nimbly began to unbutton your shorts. 

“No.” You push his hands away again and this time strain to get up and walk away. His strong arms easily pull you back down against an obvious bulge that grinds against you. 

“Tooru, Stop it.” Your voice gets slightly desperate, realizing that he really isn’t letting you go, and that your pleas are falling upon deaf ears. Writhing, you free yourself of his grasp momentarily before his hand is wrapped around your wrist to pull you back. 

“Oi- Shittykawa.” Hajime’s voice breaks Oikawa’s concentration and focuses the setter’s glare on his ace. “She said ‘No.’ So fucking stop it.”

With his focus on Iwaizumi, Tooru’s grip loosens and you take the opportunity to leave the vertigo-inducing room to find one that feels more safe. 

The house feels much bigger now than it did when you first arrived, and even after leaving the living room, you swear your surroundings are spinning. When you reach the front door, you hear faint chants reminiscent of a fight in the very background of your mind. Whether or not the fight was actually happening, you had no idea. 

All you knew was that there seemed to now be two door knobs that led out onto the porch. 

You blink and focus extra hard and end up grabbing for both of them. One of your hands ghosts through the imposter knob, while the other successfully twists and opens the door to the fresh air outside. 

Hope that the outside air would alleviate your symptoms quickly washed away as the wooden panels of the porch lurched beneath your feet, causing you to fall. Despite the desperate desire you had to get away from this place, you laid your feverish body on the ground. 

The only thing you could do against the spinning world was to close your eyes and hope it would go away soon. 

[bbytamaki]

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS as public high school students.

with: atsushi, dazai, ranpo, kunikida, yosano, kenji, kyouka, chuuya, akutagawa, tachihara, gin

genre: crack

warnings: american public school. that’s it.

note: the kenji bias jumped out but i am not ashamed 😌

atsushi — never knows what’s going on. the one in the class group chat who always asks “did [insert teacher here] give us work today?”. his grades are just barely passing but that works for him. tries to put in a lot of effort but ends up exhausted. honestly just wants to go home. he’s just trying his best.

dazai — never goes to class?? he just pops up in random classes and none of the teachers even know what class he’s actually supposed to be in. no one even knows if this is his real school. somehow isn’t failing. actually pretty nice to people. has some random but hilarious title in the school yearbook.

ranpo — that one kid who literally has whole meals in the back of class. once ordered food to the school and ate it in the middle of class (this actually happened in my sophomore year 💀). is never seen in his first period without a monster. was the school snack dealer until he got caught and had fukuzawa bail him out. the naturally funny senior that’s friends with everyone.

kunikida — corrects the teacher shamelessly. (not-so) secretly a burnt out gifted kid. now spends his time tutoring the freshman. has the best calculator by far. in a bunch of clubs (he’s definitely an overachiever). practically besties with the librarian and school counselor. seems like a very motivated person but is actually on his last straw waaaay before the second semester is over.

yosano — adopts introverted freshman but not in the annoying way. gives them answers on quizzes for teachers she’s had before them. has the prettiest supplies and everyone always asks where she gets them from. works on the yearbook committee and makes sure that all of her friends have the best pictures put in. she’s popular for all the best reasons.

kenji — you have to watch out for this one. he’s the super nice freshman that you have to remind take time for himself sometimes. he really enjoys being friends with you. keeps an extra copy of his notes in case you forget. really good at basketball in p.e. but never plays for the school team. the ideal locker room/bathroom/quick-trip-to-the-office-cause-i-got-dress-coded buddy. honestly who wouldn’t want to be friends with kenji.

kyouka — best outfits. kenji’s goth bestie. always asleep in class but manages to catch whatever the teacher is saying. one of the cool members of the lgbtqia+ alliance club. takes notes like a god. surprisingly popular as a freshman because she knows so many upperclassman. not really a teacher’s pet but is pretty cool with all the teachers and even get extra grace periods for late work sometimes (i’m not saying it’s me but it’s me 😃).

chuuya — the one everyone asks to braid his hair. always looks tired, always is tired. doesn’t smoke in the bathroom but he’s always around when it happens somehow. i am a firm believer in introverted high schooler chuuya. one of the quiet kids dazai always hangs around. everyone wonders how he hasn’t beaten dazai’s ass yet. his senior photos are absolutely stunning.

akutagawa — pencil chewer. doesn’t like anyone except gin and chuuya and atsushi. famous for growling/hissing at people in elementary/middle school and now he’s just there. doesn’t like anyone but cannot stand bullies. has gotten into quite a few fights because of this (and won). had ear piercings in high school but took them out when he got older. doesn’t bring a backpack, just one (1) pencil and a beat up notebook from 8th grade that was somehow salvaged.

tachihara — everyone assumes that he’s had like 12 boyfriends/girlfriends. that one boy that literally never has his shirt on in gym class. remembers his whole homeroom’s birthdays and brings everyone gifts even if he doesn’t really know them. famous for coming up with the most memorable senior prank. the underclassmen’s big brother. will let someone borrow his jacket or bring them to the nurse’s office without a second thought.

gin — has like 2 friends and they are chuuya and tachihara. sits by the big friend group at lunch to hear the gossip. has in headphones most of the day. comes home and immediately goes to sleep for like 4 hours straight. perfect attendance, spotless record. anytime she joins a club or does an extracurricular tachihara is joining right behind her like “yes bestie :)”. everyone asks to borrow lotion from her because her lotion smells so good.

tags: @cross-crye

[omigiry]

Sleepy 💤

Middle Blockers with a sleepy s/o 

warnings: none

━━━ 𝙏𝙨𝙪𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙖

He really doesn’t care if you fell asleep in class, but would compile notes for you if you ever did end up sleeping for the rest of the class.

Whenever you study together you’d always end up falling asleep as well or requesting for a nap.

He’s confused as to why you could sleep so much even if you get a whole 8 hours of sleep or even more. 

You yawned as your handwriting became unreadable, your eyes were starting to slowly close and your visions were blurry. It was a sign that you needed to sleep. 

“It’s only an hour into studying.” Tsukishima said as he saw you shaking your head trying to stay awake. Despite your sleepiness you still easily caught up on the lessons except for a particular subject that you hate. 

“No more studying, please. Sleep is needed.” 

“It’s only 8pm.” He loves to prolong a conversation when you’re sleepy just to see you suffering, but in reality he enjoyed your adorable whining expression. How you would pout, how your eyebrows creased together, and your eyes squinted. 

“Yeah, and it’s time for sleep.” 

“No, you need to finish this assignment first.” 

You grumbled at him and glared at the book in front of you.

“I can do it tomorrow. I’ll wake up by 4am and do it.” 

“I don’t trust you with that.” He said. If the subject is scheduled in the afternoon he knows that you would do tha assignment during break time. He knows that you could finish it, but cramming is not a good habit. 

“If you finish this right now, I’ll let you borrow my hoodie that you could sleep in.” With that statement coming out of his mouth it was enough to motivate you and try to stay awake as much as possible.

━━━ 𝙃𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙖

A sunshine. He would literally be beaming early in the morning.

When he visits your classroom during break he could see that you were sleeping at your desk. He would let you rest for a few minutes before waking you up to eat.

You couldn’t be mad at him for waking you up.

“Is (y/n) here?” Hinata asks one of your classmates. When they pointed to you, you were already sleeping at your desk. 

He entered the classroom and took the seat available in front of you. He puts his lunch box down and would just look at you while you sleep, sometimes he would play with your hair. 

20 minutes later, he wakes you up to have lunch together. You woke up with a frown on your face ready to fight whoever woke you up, but your expression quickly changed when you saw Hinata in front of you. 

“It’s time to have lunch. As much as sleep is important, eating is also important.” He said as he sets his lunchbox in front of you. 

You were blinking away the sleep from your eyes and grabbed your lunchbox as well.

He would start a conversation and by how he was smiling at everything he says to you, it helps you wake up. You hated the beam of the morning sun, but this was something you’d always want to wake up to.

━━━ 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙠𝙖𝙬𝙖

Annoys you whenever he sees you asleep in the classroom, but he would let you sleep in peace occasionally. 

Whenever you would fall asleep when he’s next to you he would let you lean on his shoulders. 

He tried giving you coffee every morning but it has no effect. You couldn’t drink straight black coffee so that was out of the option. 

First thing in the morning when he got to school, he saw you in class already asleep. It’s a surprise that you could come to school early just to sleep. 

He puts his bag down on his seat before he goes to you. He pokes your arm to wake you up and he will not stop until you do. 

You were slowly waking up and knew who’s annoying you first thing in the morning. 

“If you do not stop, I’ll break that finger.” You threatened him.

“Sheesh, no need to be violent. Can’t I just want to see your beautiful face?” 

You lifted your head and looked at him with a deadpan expression. He compliments you, but this one was something to annoy you. 

“Come on, let’s go buy some drinks. You're low on sugar.” He pulled you to get up and dragged you out of the classroom. You try to get away from his grip wanting to sleep more.

━━━ 𝙏𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙪

Already has so much energy first thing in the morning and it will not run out for the whole day. 

He would greet you with a smile and wants to talk to you about the latest chapter of manga he was reading but when he sees your head bobbing down he would stop talking and would gently lay down your head on the table. 

He may look sleepy but in reality you were the one who is actually sleepy. He may be playful and loves to tease whoever he is close with but he wouldn’t dare annoy you when you’re asleep. 

It was lunch break and Tendou was excitedly talking about his current favorite series. You were listening to everything said, afterall you also share the common interest. He would suggest some of his favorites that you haven’t checked out yet and tell you the gist of the series, characters, and some of his favorite arcs.

As you listened to him, your eyes were slowly closing. It’s not because you aren’t interested anymore, Tendou knows that, it was because of the time. You always feel sleepy after eating. 

“You always fall asleep when I’m getting on the good parts.” He says.

“Tell me more about it later. It seems interesting.” 

“Did you binge another series last night?”

You nodded and yawned. You doze off as he gently puts your head down on your desk.

━━━ 𝙆𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙤

Would also let you lean on his shoulders and offer an arm for you to hug. 

You’d always end up sleeping on your ride back home, and when it has gotten to a point where you missed your stop it was a wise decision to wait for Kuroo and go home together so he could wake you up. Sometimes you would end up also falling asleep while waiting for him.

He’d entwine your hands together if you fall asleep on his shoulder.

You were waiting for Kuroo to finish his practice as you finish your homework so you could sleep and relax once you get home. You were waiting for them by the court but when practice got intense and there would be a lot of stray balls you decided to go to the second floor of the gym and sat down there on the floor, since it was only a small walkway for people to watch from above.

Kuroo didn’t notice that you went there so when they were taking a break and did not see you at your usual spot, he was confused. If you went home early, you would inform him or at least wait for them to have a break so you could tell him. 

“Are you looking for (y/n)?” Coach Naoi asked. 

“Yes, have you seen her coach?” 

Coach Naoi pointed at where you were located and Kuroo went up there. He saw you leaning on the pillar of the wall with a notebook loosely held in your hands. Kuroo sighed and shook his head, but he found it adorable, he went back down to grab his jacket and put it over you.

He let you sleep peacefully as practice resumed and only woke you up once it was over. He was amazed that you could sleep through all the shouting they made when they play.

━━━ 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙖

He’s also sleepy as much as you are. When he sees you asleep on your desk, he would also sleep next to you, he also puts his head down next to yours. 

When he realizes that you’re a sleepy head he starts to bring a small pillow for you so you could be comfortable. 

If both of you were sleeping, that means someone needs to wake you up before the teacher comes. The twins were the one who does this, and find the most annoying ways to wake you two up. 

There was a vacant hour because of an emergency meeting between the school faculty. Suna went to the lockers and grabbed the pillow he leaves there for you. He knows that if there’s a vacant time you would spend it either asleep or scrolling through your phone. 

Once he returned to the classroom he pulled his chair and put it next to you. 

“Already sleepy?” You asked him as he laid his head down on your desk.

Suna hummed. “Not yet, I’ll just sit next to you until I do. I’m pretty sure you’ll be the first one to fall asleep though.” He replied.

“Is that a bet?” 

“You guys are so weird, who would make a bet on who would fall asleep first?” Osamu commented. You both ignored him as you turned your attention back to your phone and Suna did so as well. “It’s like I’m invincible when these two are together.” Osamu sighed.

“You’re not the only one.” Atsumu added. 

Eventually you and Suna dozed off at the same time. Suna taking up the most space on your desk you ended up resting your head on his back. Five minutes before the next teacher comes to the classroom, Atsumu blasted loud music near your ear. When you woke up, you were ready to throw your shoes at him. Suna wouldn’t even stop you, in fact he would be the one encouraging you, along with Osamu, as he readies his phone to record the moment.

[kuroos-moon]

We All Have Bad Days

- in which they feel down, ft. how they act around you 

pairings: Suna x reader, Akaashi x reader, Tendou x reader

warning/s: mild angst 

wc: 2.4 k overall

Suna 

he’s not really that open towards you— not that it’s intentional 

he just doesn’t see the need to communicate certain things

other than that, he doesn’t even admit to himself that he’s not okay 

you could easily tell, but he’ll brush you off every time you show concern 

he’s okay, stop worrying. stop looking at him like he’s fragile. 

“Rin, you could talk to me about anything you know?” 

he was just resting his head on your shoulder in peace

so why in the world do you have to complicate things 

he’s annoyed, you always try to comfort him, he doesn’t need it

“What are you so worried about?” He glares quite coldly, leaning away to look at you. “I said I’m fine, you act like you know me better than I do myself,” he casually says as if those weren’t hurtful words. 

“I��m not forcing you to open up to me, I just want you to know I’m here for you,” you say with teary eyes as he gets up from his seat beside you. “I’ll head to practice, see you later,” he says in a dull voice, not looking back at you as he leaves. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He sat on the empty locker room’s cold floor, practice was long over but he just didn’t want to get up yet. He’s tired, he feels so drained and maybe it wasn’t because of practice, maybe he really isn’t okay— just like you said. 

The image of you pops in his mind; particularly the moment earlier before practice, you were clearly hurt by what he said— he knew that. Regret washes over him as he leans his head against the locker behind him, you were right, he wasn’t fine.

He doesn’t know how you managed to see past his facade, but you did, he should be grateful— a normal boyfriend would be— yet he pushed you away when you only wanted to console him. I’ll apologize tomorrow, he thinks to himself, but yet again he felt conflicted because he also wanted to see you now. 

“Are you gonna stay in here all night?” He looks up at the sound of your voice. “Y/n,” he says, surprised at your sudden intrusion. 

“I was waiting for you outside but you were taking too long,” you smile, squatting down on the floor beside him. “I didn’t know,” he whispers. 

Heat flushes your cheeks when you feel a warm jacket getting draped over your shoulders so suddenly, “you were cold, right?” He asks, looking at your flustered expression for a while before he looks away. “Thanks.” He only nods in response. 

The two of you sit in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes, your shoulders touching. “You just want me to know you’re here huh,” he whispers to himself, quoting your words from earlier. 

“What?” You ask, not having heard him well. He shakes his head, getting up from the floor before he holds out his hand for you. “You’re ready to go home?” You ask, taking his hand as you lift yourself up. 

He gently spins you around so your back was to him, his hands on either side of your waist. “Rin?” For the second time that night, you blush tremendously. He had wrapped you in his arms in a tight embrace, your back against his chest. 

He rests his chin on your shoulder, letting out a breath as you both relax against each other’s closeness. “I’m not good at telling others how I feel,” he whispers. “I’m not used to having someone worry about me either,” he plants a soft kiss of appreciation on your neck. 

“It’s okay Rin.” 

“You’re so warm,” he sighs, snuggling against you. “Cheer me up like this often.”

“Let me go,” you tug at his arms, “I wanna hug you too you know,” you huff.

“No,” you feel him slightly smile against your skin.

You forcibly turn to face him, his arms still around your waist as he looks at you questioningly. “You can be sad in front of me you know,” you tell him and his eyes slightly widen at your words. 

“I can’t.” He deadpans, and you were left speechless, feeling as if he was too far away from you, maybe he’ll never open up. 

He shifts his focus to the maroon Inarizaki jacket wrapped around you, adjusting it so that it wouldn’t fall off. To your surprise, he gently pulls you by the jacket’s collar as he meets your lips with his. The kiss was sweet but short, he hoped to have expressed at least a fraction of what he felt for you.

“I can’t be sad in front of you, you make me not sad,” he mutters, slightly embarrassed to have said such a cheesy thing so he looks away with a small frown.

“Aren’t you sweet,” you tease, to which he rolls his eyes to in response. His hand glides down from your arm and to your hand, intertwining your fingers together before you both make your way to the door.

You yelp when he harshly kicks it open, followed by a series of groans as the Miya twins found themselves landed on the ground. “Rin!” you scold, slapping his arm lightly but he merely gives your hand a squeeze in apology before tugging you along with him.

“Lame eavesdroppers,” he mutters under his breath.

“Wow, an apology would be nice!” Atsumu huffs, glaring at the back of Suna’s head as the both of you walked away. 

“Wanna eat something first before I take you home?” He asks you with a small smile, looking down at you lovingly, and completely disregarding the curses the twins threw at him. 

Akaashi

first instinct is to rely on himself alone

he knows he could talk to you about anything but he doesn’t want to be a burden, even though he’s totally not 

is very good at pretending that everything’s alright 

you can hardly figure it out yourself if he doesn’t tell you 

but, he has a tell 

his hugs would be longer, he would be more silent than usual, and he would be so deep in thought you’d have to call his name twice 

“I’ll be back by dinner,” he says to your ear. You were sitting down on the couch, laptop on your lap while Keiji leant down to kiss your cheek. 

“What shall I cook?” You ask, looking up at him with a small smile. He looked and acted per usual, he seemed fine, but what gave it away was how he clung to you differently last night; it was more desperate as if he tried to console his own aches by having you as close to him as possible. 

The raven-haired lad looks back at you in surprise, hand stopping mid-way from the doorknob. “You will cook?” He raises a brow. 

“Have a little faith in me Keiji,” you pout at him before he gives you a small smile, putting his hand down before turning and making his way in front of you. “What do you wanna have for dinner? I’ll cook it when I get home,” he says, ruffling your hair a bit.

“I said I wanna cook for you,” you grab his hand. Let me do something for you, Keiji. 

“Why? Well if you say so I guess pasta would be nice,” he shrugs at you. “It’s not your favorite food, it’s mine,” you grimace, staring at his back as he makes his way back to the door; why is he all give with no take? 

“Don’t burn our house down love,” he calls off with light amusement in his voice before closing the door behind him. He proceeds to walk towards school, heart heavy in his chest though he can’t help but put on a small smile. 

You were too adorable, offering to cook dinner for him even though he knew you couldn’t cook to save your own life. You were just so naturally caring, by the slightest look, touch, or mention of his name, you gave him utter solace. 

That was enough, right? He didn’t have to tell you what was bothering him, everything will be okay eventually. You had your own struggles, why should he have you worry about him? 

“Ugh we have tons of homework today,” similar complaints and groans could be heard as he walked out of the lecture room, in a hurry to come home to you. “But dude, we’re lucky we aren’t from the other class, they have thrice the amount of work.”

Right. You had tons of schoolwork and deadlines, you shouldn’t waste time cooking dinner for him. 

Before he even opens the door to your house he could already hear your kitchen struggle. He should have refused your offer, what a burden I must be, he thought. “Y/n?” He immediately calls out for you as he sets foot in your home. 

“Over here, ah,” you yelp, probably having touched something hot by accident. He rushes over to the kitchen, a frown plastered in his face as he took in the sight of you tightly gripping your hand, the messy pans and plates on the side from your failed attempts, and the slight tears that rolled down your cheeks at the pain from your mild burn. 

He calmly guides your hand to the sink without saying a word, cursing himself for allowing you to make dinner for him. Your hand was placed under the running water as he scans his eyes on you to check if you were hurt elsewhere. “Hey, does it hurt that bad?” He asks you with worry as he saw you cry, his hands immediately planted on either side of your face to have you look at him. 

You shake your head at him, and he merely sighs as he tucks a stray lock of hair behind your ear. “I’m sorry, I should’ve been the one to cook, don’t cry,” he coos, his face crumpling up in guilt and concern as a chain of self-blaming thoughts mess with his mind. 

“Keiji, I’m not crying because of that,” you sniffle, taking his hands away from your face before pulling him in a tight embrace, your hand at the back of his head. “Y/n what’s wrong?” He asks in a small voice as he wraps his arms around your waist as tight. 

“I wanted to do something for you, to make you feel better because you’re not telling me what’s wrong.” He freezes at your words, “but now it’s a mess and you’re comforting me instead,” you sniffle again before he resumes on gently rubbing your back. 

“Can I take you to the bedroom?” He asks you, before letting out a small chuckle at your confused reaction. “Not for that, silly,” he shakes his head, lifting you up by your waist as you wrap your legs around him.

He gently lays you down on top of the bed before he lies down on top of you as well, letting out a long exhale. “Keiji, what’s wrong?” You ask him, running your hand through his hair as he buries his face at the crook of your neck. “Nothing y/n, I’m fine,” he snuggles closer to you. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you, you were just so busy and I didn’t want to burden you with me,” he admits. “Keiji, you’re never a burden, I love you a lot, you know that; and you also know how I’d love for you to share your troubles with me instead of carrying them all alone,” you softly tell him. 

“I know,” he sighs. “I guess I forgot, but you still comforted me in ways you didn’t know y/n,” he pulls away to look at you. “You simply exist beside me and I forget I’m sad in the first place,” his lips lightly brushing against yours as he spoke. 

You only give him a small smile, staring back at his eyes before meeting his lips with yours. “C’mon, help me cook,” he offers you a rare grin as starts to lift himself up. 

“I think it’d be better if I didn’t,” you frown and he ruffles your hair again; a habit he developed when he found you too cute to bear. “I know, just hug me as I do the work.” 

Tendou

tries to act too happy when he’s down in the dumps

he goes overly cheerful and jokes around more often

it’s impossible to figure out whether he’s just extremely overjoyed or if he’s sad, he’ll act all the same

because once he’s down, he secretly feels like he’s losing a grip on everything and everyone he cares about

the matter may be unrelated but his past insecurities resurface so easily 

that’s exactly why he unconsciously tries to be around you at all times, because he needs to reassure himself that your love won’t fade

“Y/n-chaan~!” He calls enthusiastically, dodging his way through the crowd of students as he makes his way over to you. “I don’t have practice, let’s go on a date,” he smiles, leaning on the locker beside you as you tidied up yours.

“Satori kiss my cheek first before asking me out,” you grin as you spare him a side glance, his eyes lighting up at your words just as you intended. He happily does as you say, overdoing it in fact as he kisses you repeatedly. 

“Satorii,” you whine, shoving at his chest lightly. “Soo, where shall I take my y/n today?” He smiles, looking at you expectantly after you close your locker door to look back at him. 

“You’re overdoing our dates, don’t you think? We’ve went out for four times this week, you also don’t let me pay for us,” you pinch his cheek, but guilt bubbles within you immediately as he looks at you in dismay. “How about we eat ice cream and go to the park instead? That’s still a date,” you offer, holding his hand. 

“Chocolate for you?” He asks, his eyes brimming with excitement all over again and you nod at him, a small smile on your lips. You didn’t need to say anything more as you both make your way out of school with his arm slung around your shoulder, Tendou happily singing random songs and stopping for you to continue. 

“How much do you love me y/n?” He casually asks out of the blue, and you immediately plant your feet on the ground to stop the swaying of your swing. “Tori, what do you mean?” You ask, you know him well; the way he acted these past few days were different from usual but you just couldn’t tell if he was actually happy or secretly sad.            

“What do you think it means?” He shrugs, mirroring your actions as he too stops the swing’s momentum. He looks at you in confusion, why can’t you just answer him right away? Are you perhaps hesitant and unsure about him? 

But you were actually silent because you were trying to figure him out; whether or not there was a certain depth to his question. “How much do you love me?” He asks again, still not looking away from you. “A lot,” you decide to say, “I love you more than you know Satori.” 

He purses his lips and squints his eyes at you before getting up from his swing. Crouching down in front of you, he asks, “to what extent will you continue to love me?” You simply sit there, staring down to look back at your boyfriend. 

“I don’t think I quite get your question Tori,” you offer him a sad smile, cupping his cheek with your hand. He hums to himself as he leans in to your touch, “what if you love me now, then get to know me more in the future— finding out certain traits or things about me that you can’t accept or learn to love, will you stop loving me then?” He murmurs, a small sad smile on his lips. 

You knew right then and there that his insecurities must have been keeping him up at night again, and you feel your heart clench at the thought. He can’t help but feel this way sometimes, you understood that, it was a product of being rejected by others so often when he was young. 

“Satori, I love you now, I’ll love you more tomorrow, and the days after that,” you caress his cheek and his eyes widen and he falls speechless. He could feel his breath hitch and his chest hurt, the good kind of hurt. You chased away his doubts, his worries, all you left him was the feeling of being loved. 

Just by your words. He nods, getting up before holding out his hand. “Let’s go home,” he says. The two of you walk down the sidewalk, Tendou happily singing his songs, he doesn’t even bother to stop between certain lines as you now sang along with him. 

You may not know it completely and he may not have told you, but you just made him feel a whole lot better. 

[wholesomemendes]

The Winter Ball Date

College/Friends to Lover Au

Summary: When one year you get asked to the annual Winter Ball by someone other than Shawn, the two of you realize what you’ve been looking past for years.

Author’s Note: Long time no see! This is part of Julia’s Winter Writing Challenge by @wondershawns and I am so excited to have participated! My setting prompt was “A knock on the window” and the line “You’re so cute when you’re half asleep like this”. I hope you guys enjoy! As always, I love hearing any type of feedback and I love you all x

Word Count: 8.4k

Presents, Christmas music, your mother’s famous cookies on your tongue, all playing one by one in your mind. The feeling of just being home again instead of in a small, stuffy dorm seemed so close, yet so far away and you couldn’t help but wish that this last month would fly by. A soft nudge to your foot broke you out of your thoughts, “What’s got you in a daze?” You blinked your eyes rapidly to focus your thoughts to the present once again, turning your gaze to the curly haired boy next to you with a bright smile on his face. 

“I’m just thinking about Christmas and being home again,” you sighed dreamily, your head coming to rest on your hand. 

“Christmas is over a month away, you’re better off worrying about finals if you’re thinking that far ahead,” he laughed as a hand came up to lightly push your shoulder.

You cast a harsh glare at him through the dim light of the library, “It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas. Aren’t you excited?”

“Of course I’m excited.” Shawn leaned back against his chair looking into space, “I get to go home and see family and I only have to worry about my sister instead of a bunch of rowdy frat boys.”

You let out a chuckle at his words, “Aren’t you also a rowdy frat boy?”

“You wound me.” He dramatically placed a hand over his heart, “Besides, I’m more excited to annoy you every day over break.”

“You already annoy me every day.”

“Maybe, but it’ll be much more convenient than me walking all the way across campus to get to your dorm.” You couldn’t lie that he did have a point there. The two of you had been best friends ever since the day your family moved into the house next to his in middle school. You had been inseparable ever since, choosing to go to the same college a few hours from your houses and meeting almost every day since you had joined as freshman. Three years later and nothing had changed, except for how tall Shawn had managed to grow in those years and how the both of you definitely had matured in both personality and appearance since you were in middle school.

“How fortunate for me then,” you laughed, turning your attention back to the abandoned textbook in front of you. 

Shawn’s eyes remained on you, cocking an eyebrow your way, “What, you’re not looking forward to my random visits?” 

“Oh no, I am so looking forward to being woken up in the middle of the night because you can’t sleep.”

“Hey that was only twice!”

“Two times too many if you ask me,” you mumbled under your breath, however the smirk on your face told Shawn that you meant for him to hear it. He simply pulled your chair closer to him and rammed his knuckles into your head until you were laughing and begging him to stop. 

____________________

“You’re coming to the game tonight right?” You had found your way into Shawn’s bed after a full day of classes with your head on his chest, a random hockey game playing on the television across from the two of you. Shawn’s arm provided a comforting warmth as it laid across your stomach, pulling you into him, and each pass of his fingertip onto your skin made you relax further into him. The cuddling wasn’t anything new to the two of you, even the electric feeling you felt from his touch had almost become normal to you. Almost.

“Of course I am. I’ve never missed one, have I?”

“You’re right you haven’t,” he smiled down at you, a stray curl falling in front of his face, “Just wanted to make sure my good luck charm would be there.”

You reached up to brush his hair out of his face, but Shawn quickly grabbed your arm, playfully biting your finger until you pulled away and your wrist was left in his grasp. “I refuse to believe I’m your good luck charm.”

“We’ve been undefeated for three years, hun. You’re my good luck charm.”

“But-”

“Nope, shut it. Don’t want to hear a peep from you.” He pulled you tighter into him before placing a delicate kiss to your hair, “Remind me to give you my jersey for tonight. Want to make sure everyone knows whose good luck charm you are.”

“You’re such a goof.”

____________________

Shawn won. Again. It was no surprise, especially since the team they were up against were no good, but that didn’t mean that you weren’t incredibly proud of him. He absolutely amazed you every time he went out on the ice and you couldn’t help but wait impatiently in the main corridor of the arena. Students rustled around you as you waited though you paid them no mind, simply choosing to admire the banners on the wall instead. The sudden increase in noise caused you to turn your head towards the locker rooms where a certain curly-headed boy was leading a pack of freshly showered athletes. You sprinted past the crowds of people in his direction as Shawn dropped his bag, opting instead to pick you up in his arms as you ran straight into him. You wrapped your legs around him like a koala with your head buried into his neck, breathing in the strong, heady scent of his shampoo. “There’s my good luck charm,” he sighed into your hair and you laughed, only causing a brighter smile to form on his face.

“You were incredible, Shawn. You’re constantly impressing me out there.”

“Thank you,” he smiled, lifting his head to look you in the eyes, “Always means the most coming from my number one fan.”

You flashed him a smile that mirrored his as he slid you down to the floor, making sure that you were always close to him even while others were surrounding him. Your eyes stayed trained on him and the aura that seemed to follow him everywhere he went. They followed the path of his jaw, his neck, to his broad shoulders he always made you massage for him. But before you could finish admiring him, you felt a presence behind you and a slight grasp on your arm. You turned only to be met with a tall figure with beautiful green eyes and dirty blonde hair. He seemed to be about Shawn’s height, maybe an inch shorter, and although his smile wasn’t as bright as Shawn’s was, it still managed to take your breath away for a moment. “Hi, I’m Grant,” the man introduced himself, extending his hand for you to grab, “Are you Shawn’s girlfriend?”

You turned your focus back to Shawn who was currently in the middle of a conversation with a couple fraternity brothers and sorority sisters before coming back to this new mysterious man. “Oh no, we’re not, we’re not dating. We’re just best friends.” Grant seemed to have some distrust in his eyes at your words, his eyebrow lifting up slightly in question. “I’m Y/n by the way.” Grabbing his outstretched hand you let yourself appreciate the polite person in front of you.

“I’m sorry I assumed you’re dating. I’m in the frat with Shawn; we’re not good friends or anything but I’ve seen the two of you around in there.” Suddenly your mind clicked to where you had seen him before off of the rink. Most of the boys on the hockey team all resided in the same fraternity so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to you to learn that you had been in the same house as Grant multiple times. “You two are really close, I can’t be the only one that has mistaken the two of you as dating.”

“Yeah…,” you trailed off, sparing a glance back at Shawn, “It happens a lot more than you think. But I promise we’re not. I’m as single as one can be.” Grant’s smile seemed to grow at your words and his shoulders relaxed an inch. 

“Well in that case I actually wanted to ask you…”

“What’s going on over here?” A heavy weight slid across your shoulders, effectively pulling you into a warm body you immediately recognized. You rolled your eyes at the interruption. Perfect timing as always, Shawn. 

“Nothing, just introducing ourselves to one another,” Grant replied, that smile that you were beginning to grow fond of diminishing slightly. 

“Good, was worried that my good luck charm was switching sides.” Shawn sent a pointed look your way with a smirk playing on his lips.

“Good luck charm?”

“Why do you think we haven’t lost a game yet?” Shawn questioned, reaching out to pinch our cheeks, “It’s this little one right here giving me all the luck.” You swatted his hand away bitterly, but his smirk only grew. “Well I’m sure this has been great. Grant, I’ll see you later at the frat and you missy, we have a celebratory dinner to catch.” He maneuvered his way through the people calling his name, bringing you right to his classic jeep.

“You’re horrible you know that right,” you huffed as soon as you got into the seat.

“What ever could you be talking about?” he said innocently.

“If you keep acting like this, I’ll truly never get into a relationship.”

“You’re being silly.”

“Says the one that literally interrupted an entire conversation I had barely even started yet.”

“I was simply worried about you.”

“Mhm, sure.” You stared out the window in protest, not even moving when you felt his hand on your lower thigh.

“Honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you liked Grant. I was just looking out for you.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I like him, I’ve known him for all of five minutes, but it would be nice to maybe explore some options without my personal bodyguard getting in the way.”

“Once again I’m sorry that I got in the way then. I guess Grant is not the worst guy you could have chosen out of the bunch,” he trailed off as he pulled into the diner parking lot the two of you had been frequenting at after almost every hockey game, “Now let’s put this behind us. I’m really craving some fries and a milkshake.” 

____________________

The brisk wind of the courtyard made you tighten your jacket around yourself in a poor attempt to keep the chills away. A sigh of relief escaped your lips once you rounded the corner of the lecture hall you had previously been in, leading you through a row of buildings that temporarily protected you from the harsh weather of Toronto. You kept your eyes trained in front of you, desperately trying to will your feet to somehow move faster to get you to Shawn’s frat house for your usual post-class wind down.

“Hey Y/n!” You whipped your head around to see the source of your name, but after coming up empty handed in the small crowd of students behind you, you shook your head, convincing yourself you just imagined it as you continued your walk. “Y/n, wait!” Pausing this time, you turned your body around completely only to be met with the sight of Grant maneuvering his way carefully around the other students. Upon seeing you stopped, his face light up and he started to jog his way towards you until he was close enough for you to feel some of his body heat. “Hey.”

“Hey, Grant. How are you?”

“I’m good, thanks. Sorry to catch you at such a bad time, but I didn’t know when I was going to see you again,” he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “I also didn’t want to wait too long to ask this because I was afraid I’d miss my chance.”

“What’s going on?”

“Are you going to the Winter Ball with anyone?” The Winter Ball was the annual end of the semester party Shawn and Grant’s fraternity held every year that was incredibly exclusive. The only way to get in was if one of the members took you as their date, which meant that almost every girl was dying for someone to ask her. 

At that moment your gaze fell to the beautiful bouquet of red roses that were present in his hands before your eyes lifted to meet his that were so full of hope and nerves. “As of right now I am not. Why do you ask?”

“That’s great! I mean, that’s not great that you’re not going with anyone, but great because I, um, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go with me?” 

You flashed him a bright smile as he handed the bouquet towards you, “I would love to go with you, Grant.”

“Really? That’s, that’s amazing. I’m looking forward to it.”

“So am I.” 

He wrapped his arms around you in a quick hug before moving the other way, “I hate to leave right away, I’d love to stay and talk, but I really need to get to class.”

You waved him off, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah of course,” he began walking away until his eyebrows raised and he came back, “Wait, can I actually get your number?” You saved your number into the contacts of his phone and gave him a wave, heading your way back to the line of frat houses you were looking for. The butterflies in your stomach were doing front flips as you tried to will the humongous smile off of your face. A guy just asked you to be his date to the Winter Ball. A really cute, sweet guy just asked you to be his date to the Winter Ball. Never in a million years did you think someone like him would even imagine asking you to be their date yet here you were, the most delightful smelling roses in your hand and a fluttering feeling in your body. You hardly comprehended that you had already stepped foot into the frat house until you were opening the door to Shawn’s room and falling onto his bed next to him with a dopey smile on your face. 

Shawn looked over at you questioningly from his phone, ‘What’s going on with the flowers and the face?”

“Shawn, you won’t believe it!” you practically squealed, turning onto your side, “Grant just asked me to be his date to the Winter Ball!”

“The Winter Ball?”

“Yes! Isn’t that the best thing ever! I’ve never been asked before!”

“What do you mean? You’ve been my date every year.” If you hadn’t been so caught up with the giddiness in your chest you might have been able to notice the fleeting look of sadness in his eyes as he spoke.

“That’s not the same though. I wasn’t really your date, we just went as friends.”

“Yeah, but you were still considered my date.”

“Still, it’s not the same thing.” 

A small moment of silence took over the room before Shawn cleared his throat. “So...you said yes?”

“Of course I said yes, I’d be stupid not to.” 

“Oh.”

You watched as he focused back on his phone, a tiny frown on his face that you could hardly notice, “What’s wrong.”

“Nothing. I’m glad you’re so happy about this.”

“Don’t lie to me, Mendes, what’s wrong?”

“Just wondering what I’m going to do about a date this year.”

“That’s what you’re upset about?” you looked at him incredulously, “Please, you’re one of the most sought after guys in this school. You could go up to any girl on this entire campus and none of them would even hesitate to say yes.”

“I guess.”

“You guess?” you scoffed, “What about Jessica? I’ve seen the two of you talking a lot at post game parties and everything. You two look like you get along.” 

“Yeah, I could always ask her,” he sighed, “But Jessica isn’t going to drag me into my room at four in the morning asking me to sing her a song on the guitar so she can fall asleep.” He sent a teasing smile your way as he referenced your habit of pulling his hand through crowds of people until you got to his room when you felt too tired and wanted to go to sleep.

“I’m sorry, Shawn. I promise I’ll make it up to you.” You thought for a moment, “I know! I’ll buy you pizza from your favorite pizza place! You know, the one across from the campus coffee shop where they put extra cheese on top.”

“That’s not my favorite pizza place.”

“But every time we go there you say…”

“I only say that because I know it’s your favorite pizza place.” His gaze fell soft upon you, “Don’t get me wrong it’s not bad, but I don’t have a favorite and I know you’re more likely to go there if I said it’s also my favorite.”

“Oh,” you looked down at your hands, “Well thank you.” Shawn hummed in response, his eyes traveling back to his phone. “You can still come over beforehand to get ready together like we always do.”

He let out a sad chuckle, “Don’t think Grant would much like that, honey.”

“That’s too bad if he doesn’t like it because it’s important to me that we get ready together and you’re the first person to see me all fancied up.” 

Shawn swore he felt his heart stutter in his chest, “If you want me over, I’d be more than happy to get ready with you.”

“Perfect, it’s a date.”

____________________

You couldn’t lie and say it didn’t hurt when you noticed that Shawn had been a little more distant with you in the past week. Your texts sat on delivered for longer, you were no longer going over to his room after every lecture due to him “being busy”, and the nightly FaceTime calls were no longer nightly. You blamed it on hockey practices piling up and finals getting closer but in reality, you knew that wasn’t the case. There was only a week until finals, and therefore the Winter Ball, when you finally ran into Shawn again on your way to a class, very obviously catching him off guard. “Hey, long time no see.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve been really busy lately,” he told you, but you knew him long enough to tell that the way his eyes wouldn’t maintain contact with you was a telltale sign that there was more to the story.

“Don’t worry about it, just miss you is all. Did you find a date yet for the ball?”

“Oh yeah, I asked Jessica like you told me to.”

“That’s great! Are you doing anything later today?”

“Uh, I don’t know…”

“I’m going dress shopping for the Winter Ball if you want to come with me like you always do.”

“Uh…”

“Come on, Shawn, you’re not going to break tradition are you?” 

He desperately wanted to respond with, “You already broke a tradition by ditching me without warning and going with Grant,” but he bit his tongue. “Sure,” he replied with a heavy heart, “I’d love to help you pick out a dress.”

“Yay! Why don’t we go right after class?”

“Ok, I can pick you up at three?”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you later, Mendes!” You left a searing kiss on his cheek before rushing off to class, leaving him staring after you longingly.

____________________

“Any ideas on what you want?” Shawn trailed behind you like a lost puppy as you skimmed your way through the many clothing racks. 

“Not really. Just want something that says ‘Please don’t regret inviting me. I swear I’m a good choice.’”

He couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped his lips, “I don’t think you need a dress for that. You do that by yourself.”

You bit your lip to contain your smile, “Thank you, but I don’t know if everyone feels that way.”

“Well they should,” he mumbled, his fingers mulling over the beautiful items of clothing. A deep maroon, velvet dress caught his eye immediately and he pulled it out, examining it carefully before nodding his head, “Try this one on.”

“Hm,” you turned to look at him as he studied the dress, “Oh, that’s gorgeous. I’ll try it on if you want me to.”

He nodded his head before turning back to the dresses silently, not making any other comments as you looked around. Once you were satisfied with the dresses in your arms, you headed towards the dressing rooms, looking both ways to ensure that no one was around before pulling Shawn into one with you. He turned around as you changed; sure he had seen you in bikinis before and you were both sure that on more than one occasion when you were drunk that you had both changed in front of one another, but he still had enough respect for you to turn around whilst you put the first dress on. 

The first one was a simple black dress with long sleeves that you thought would be nice for the cold climate that came with living in Canada and although it was flattering, it didn’t feel like anything special. You turned to Shawn with a sigh, “What do you think?”

Personally, from the second you told him to turn around, Shawn swore he had seen an angel. The way the dress hugged your curves had him twitching in his pants and he had to swallow thickly in an attempt to control his thoughts. “I, um, I mean you look beautiful. I like it.”

“Really?” you asked, admiring yourself in the mirror, “I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel special to me.”

“Why don’t you just come back to that one then. I think it’s really pretty on you.”

“Yeah, you’re right I’ll just do that.” Four dresses later and you still hadn’t found the dress for you. There was a dark green one that you didn’t feel complimented your skin tone well enough (Shawn begged to differ), a black one with a plunged neckline that went way too far down for your comfort zone (Shawn was glad he didn’t have to protest against that one, he didn’t particularly like the idea of all the drunk, disrespectful boys in the frat seeing that), another black one that went too far down your legs (even though Shawn argued that it would keep your legs warm), and a light blue one that didn’t really fit your feeling of winter (Shawn almost lost his mind when you had bent down in front of him in that one to pick up a loose string that had fallen off of it). 

Finally, you had reached the dress Shawn had picked out for you, just as you were beginning to lose all hope of finding a dress. The moment you slipped it on you knew it felt different than the others: it fit you perfectly with a plunging neckline that showed just enough, the fabric wrapped along the middle to the bottom to accentuate your waist, your curves were shown in a way that it was flattering, but not too overwhelming, and the maroon color complimented your skin beautifully. You couldn't lie, Shawn had somehow managed to find the perfect dress for you. “Ok, you can turn around now.” 

He slowly uncovered his eyes and faced his body towards you, his mouth immediately going dry at the sight of you. The combination of your body in the dress and the gorgeous smile on your face was kryptonite for him and he couldn’t help but wish even harder that he was the one who was lucky enough to be your date for the ball. He motioned you towards him, rubbing his fingers along the fabric of the dress in a way that sent your stomach flipping. “This the one?” he asked, looking up at you with bright doe eyes. You nodded slowly, watching him tug his bottom lip between his teeth. “Grant is very lucky to have you as his date, honey.”

You paused. The thought of Grant taking you to the ball instead of Shawn had completely escaped your mind and in that moment you regretted ever agreeing to changing your date this year. “Yeah, um, right, I hope he likes it.”

“If he has a brain in that head of his then there’s no doubt he’s going to be blown away by you.” He gave a gentle smile your way before tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear and tapping your hip lightly, “Now go and get changed so we can go cash out.”

You nodded your head as he turned back around, silently smacking yourself in the face for the sudden butterflies that were forming in your stomach. Since when did he have such an effect on you? And why was he doing it so easily?

The moment you got to the cash register, he immediately pushed you out of the way and gave his credit card to the cashier before you could even pull out your wallet. “Shawn, why did you pay for that? I was going to…”

“Calm down, honey,” he laughed at your outburst as he opened the car door for you, “Think of it as an apology gift for me not hanging out with you as much as I usually do this week.”

“But…”

“No buts, it’s already done.” The car engine roared to life and all you could think about while you sat in the passenger seat of his car was how you were going to be wearing a dress that not only did Shawn pick out, but also bought for you while you had to act like you weren’t constantly thinking about him as you stood next to Grant the whole night. Shawn had made sure that you were completely and utterly screwed.

____________________

“Are you almost done?” you heard Shawn’s impatient call from your bedroom. You were living in a larger suite with a bunch of other girls so you were lucky enough to have your own bathroom attached to your room. Shawn had gotten ready in the bathroom before you but you refused to look at him until you were finished as well, not wanting to ruin the surprise. So he sat out there waiting for you while you fixed your hair and makeup relentlessly, watching the time pass by ever so slowly.

“Give me one more second!” you called out to him, adjusting one final strand of hair. You checked your makeup one last time before opening the door, revealing yourself to a Shawn who was sat perched on the end of the bed, phone in hand. 

He looked up at the sound of the door opening, his mouth dropping open ever so slightly, “Damn, you look just perfect.” 

You willed the heat in your cheeks to go away, “Thank you. You don’t look half as bad yourself. Quite dashing if I say so.” It was true, he was wearing a simple black button up with black dress pants that fit to his thighs perfectly as he stood up in front of you. His outfit shouldn’t have looked as attractive to you as it did, maybe it was something about the way he had the top few buttons open to reveal the small amount of chest hair he was currently sporting or the way his hair was styled to perfection with your favorite curl hanging out in front, but your heart couldn’t stop fluttering at the sight of him. And then it dropped the moment you realized that you weren’t the girl that got to walk hand in hand with him that night.

“Before we go I have something for you.” Shawn turned towards his bag where he pulled out one single rose for you, “I know I’m not your date this year, but it felt wrong to break tradition. Besides, needed to make sure a beautiful girl like you got a flower in case Grant dropped the ball.”

You were suddenly extremely aware of how close he was to you, his nose almost touching yours. His eyes flickered to your lips for a brief moment, so fast that you couldn’t even tell by the way you were so focused on his breath hitting your lips. “Thank you,” you whispered, “You shouldn’t have.”

“I definitely should have.” His eyes went to your lips once again, this time letting them linger slightly longer so you got the hint. Your hands were trapped holding the rose against his chest as his hands ghosted over your hips, fingertips teasing the fabric of your dress. Shawn tilted his head ever so slowly, nudging your nose with his until your lips parted with a breath.

The sound of your phone ringing broke the two of you apart in a hurry as though you were both afraid of being caught. You scrambled away from him, heading to your dresser to grab a hold of your phone, Grant’s name lighting up the screen making the guilt in your stomach grow. “Hey, Grant, what’s up?”

“Hey are you going to be here soon?” his voice filled your ear.

“Yeah, I’m leaving right now.”

“Perfect, can’t wait to see you.”

“Can’t wait to see you either,” your voice came out soft before you ended the call, bringing your phone down slowly to face Shawn. He had the same conflicted look in his eyes that you couldn’t decipher as he held eye contact with you. 

He let out a deep sigh, picking up his bag that was on the floor, “We should probably go.”

“You’re right,” you agreed, but made no move to head towards the door.

Shawn came over to you, placing his hands in his pockets. “Grant’s waiting for you.” You nodded your head. “Jessica’s waiting for me.” You nodded once again. He let out another sigh, putting a soft hand on your cheek and a kiss to your hair, “We need to go.” You watched as he walked towards the door, looking back at you once he reached the doorway, and you had no choice but to follow suit.

____________________

Oh my god, I almost kissed Shawn. We almost kissed and we would’ve kissed if Grant hadn’t called me. Oh my god Grant. Why didn’t I think of Grant when I was with Shawn? Shawn’s my best friend, I can’t like him like that. Does he like me like that? Can you imagine if he liked me like that? 

“We’re here.” You looked over at Shawn who hadn’t uttered a single word to you the entire way here and was already proceeding to get out of the car without you. The door slammed shut and you winced, not understanding why he was so angry about what happened. Did he really want to kiss you that bad? Your heart couldn’t help but beat faster at the thought of him wanting to kiss you, but you willed it away, instead choosing to clamer out of the car after Shawn and attempt to focus your thoughts on Grant who was without a doubt waiting behind that door for you. 

“Shawn, wait up!” you called out as you ran after him, almost catching up to him as he reached the top of the steps before your heel got caught on the step and sent you tumbling forward. The second a squeal left your lips, Shawn’s arms were already around you, effectively saving you from a face plant on the concrete. You looked at him breathlessly, trying to compose yourself after what felt like a near death experience, “Thank you.”

“Are you alright?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes. Even when he was combating his emotions he still cared so deeply about you.

“Yeah I’m fine. I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for you though…”

“Y/n, there you are!” Grant opened the door, with a wide grin on his face, but upon noticing the position you and Shawn were in, his brows furrowed, “Are you two ok?”

“What?” you looked between the two of you, “Oh, we’re perfect. Just took a little tumble up the stairs is all.” Shawn pulled you up with an arm around your waist until you were stable on your feet before immediately retracting as though you were made of fire. 

“Thanks for saving her man,” Grant told him, clapping his shoulder as he snaked an arm around your waist, “Jessica’s been asking about you in there by the way. Told her you’d find her when you got here.”

“Right, thanks.” Shawn awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before excusing himself to push past the two of you into the house.

Grant leaned in closer to you as you both watched Shawn leave, “Is he alright?”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about him,” you reassured him, “Why don’t we get something to drink?”

“Sounds perfect.” Grant took your hand softly into his, leaving a light kiss to your cheek and leading you into the noisy house.

____________________

It had been hours since you arrived at the loud, people filled house. You had barely seen Shawn the whole night; you thought you might have seen him and Jessica making out in a corner at one point, but the multi-color lights in the house didn’t exactly make picking people out of the crowd as easy as it usually was. You had spent the entire night with Grant attached to your hip, whether it was while you were getting a drink, talking to friends, or dancing, he was always right by your side. His hands were currently on your hips, chest pressed to your back and peppering gentle kisses to your exposed neck as you swayed in rhythm to the beat of the song blaring through the speakers. The two of you hadn’t kissed yet, but with the way the drinks were affecting you, you doubt that statement would stay true for long. You were nursing your almost empty drink, the description of the contents long forgotten, all you knew was that your body had a nice tingly sensation running through it and your head was feeling just foggy enough that you knew exactly what you were doing, but you were willing to make some decisions you definitely wouldn’t make sober. Grant pressed a longer kiss to the back of your ear before whispering into it, “Stay here. I’m just going to run to the bathroom.” 

You nodded your head in his direction, taking the time to look around at the people around you. After waiting a few minutes for his return, you became bored and took it upon yourself to get yourself a new drink. You had been here enough that even drunk you knew your way to the kitchen so you easily maneuvered through the clusters of couples until you pushed open one of the entrances to the kitchen. No matter how much you desperately wished you couldn’t recognize the brown haired boy that was in there with you, there was no amount of alcohol that could make you forget his defining features. At the sound of the door closing, his head perked up to look at you and you became painfully aware of how the two of you were the only ones in there as you stared into his honey colored eyes. “Hey,” you breathed out, stepping closer until you were practically shoulder to shoulder with him. 

“Hey,” he bumped your shoulder with his, “Long time no see.”

The loopy smile he gave you told you that he was also feeling the alcohol, but probably only as much as you; the man knew how to hold his drinks. “Whatcha doing in here?”

“Told Jessica I’d get the both of us something more to drink,” he motioned to the two cups in front of him, “What about you? Where’s Grant?”

“Bathroom,” you replied, leaning back onto the counter, “I got bored waiting for him out there.” 

You lifted up Shawn’s hand that was resting next to you and began tracing the pattern on his fingertips. “What are you doing, love?” he laughed, the pet name slipping out as they usually did when he had some alcohol in his system.

“Playing with your hand.” You locked hands with him while he moved in front of you to make it all the more easier for you to continue your task. His large body trapped you against the counter, but you hardly noticed until his breath fanning over your face tore your attention away from his hand. “You’re very handsome you know,” you smiled, releasing his hand to run your finger over the light scar on his face, “So pretty.”

He let out a breathy laugh as he moved his now free hand to the counter to fully lock you in between his body, “That’s funny coming from someone who looks like those goddesses we used to learn about in school.”

“I don’t look like a goddess…” your voice trailed off, too occupied with outlining the features of his face.

“Yeah you do. Look like the prettiest one...what was her name again?” He smirked down at you, knowing Greek mythology used to be one of your favorite topics in school.

“Aphrodite?”

“Mhm, that’s the one. Swear you’re a real life Aphrodite.” He moved in closer to you, brown eyes boring into you and forcing your gaze back into them. He heard your breath catch in your throat as his nose touched yours, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing...you’re just close is all.”

“I am close,” he whispered, biting his lip when he felt the hand you had on his jaw move to his neck. “Y/n?”

“Yeah?”

“What would you do if I kiss you right now?”

Your wide eyes batted up at him innocently from where he was towering over you, your heart absolutely racing, “I’d kiss you back.” 

And with that his lips connected to yours feverishly, his body pressing to yours harder. His lips were soft and you could taste the alcohol from whatever drink he had been sipping on before that made him intoxicating. He licked tentatively over your bottom lip, practically groaning into your mouth when you immediately opened up for him. You tasted so sweet to him, so sweet that he swore he could easily become addicted to your taste. He pulled your bottom lip between his teeth, eliciting a soft moan from you that made his grip on the counter tighten and his hips push against yours harder. You could feel a bulge pressing against your lower stomach and you couldn’t help letting out another moan that Shawn eagerly swallowed into a kiss. Pulling him closer to you by his hair, he took that as a sign to thread his right hand through the base of your hair, the other hand reaching down to harshly pull your leg around his hip. Your hips bucked against his as his tongue fought yours for dominance that you easily gave him. 

Just as his hand was about to run up your thigh, the door to the kitchen burst open and Shawn swiftly moved completely away from you and back in front of the drinks he had originally come in for. You almost whined at the sudden lack of content, but the look of shock on the stranger’s face shut you up. It only took one look at your wide eyes and swollen lips and the sudden wrinkles in Shawn’s shirt for them to hastily exit the room with an apology spilling from their lips. 

The second they were gone you made your way back to Shawn, who was breathing heavily as he stared at the counter. You placed your hand on his chin, bringing his face back to you. Using your thumb to swipe at a rogue smudge of lipstick that had transferred onto him, you looked at him carefully, swallowing thickly when he placed a gentle kiss to the pad of your finger. You looked him in the eyes for the first time since your heated moment and while you could only see what you believed to be lust in his eyes, he saw yours change from lust to fear and to what finally made his heart drop: regret. “Oh my god,” you breathed out, successfully dodging Shawn’s attempt to grab your arm.

“Y/n wait!”

“I’m sorry, Shawn.”

“Please!” was the last thing you heard before you shut the door to the kitchen and rushed through the crowd of people. Your breathing was becoming erratic the deeper into your thoughts you got until you felt you were on the verge of a panic attack with no one to save you.

“There you are,” Grant sighed relieved, causing you to jump when his hand wrapped around your arm, “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” 

“Sorry, I was bumped around in the crowd and got lost trying to find you again,” you lied, trying to avoid his eyes.

“That’s alright, I’m just glad you’re here,” he smiled at you, his brows furrowing while his hand came up to your lips, “Hold on your lipstick is a little smudged.”

Your eyes grew ten times wider, “Um, I think I must have just messed it up while I was drinking or something.”

“Ok, do you want to go dance again?”

“Yeah, uh, that sounds great…” your eyes met a frantic Shawn’s as he searched for you in the crowd, “You know what, I actually think I’m going to go home.”

“What?” Grant asked, confused as he followed you through the people.

“I just don’t feel good all of a sudden, it has nothing to do with you I swear. You’re amazing, I just need to go.” 

“Stay here overnight, don’t go home.”

“Grant, I don’t feel well.”

“I know, I don’t want that. I mean you’re gorgeous and everything, but if you’re not feeling well then obviously not. It’s just, I’m not in the right mindset to drive, it’s frigid out there, and a drunk girl all alone in an uber sounds like a horrible idea. So why don’t you just stay? I’ll sleep on the floor so you can sleep in my bed.”

“I don’t know…”

“Please, I just want you to be safe.” 

Your eyes lingered over to wear Shawn was still watching you, this time with Jessica in front of him, obviously trying to get his attention onto her. “You know what...sure. I’ll stay.”

A bright smile formed on Grant’s face, “Perfect, let’s get you all settled then.” He grabbed your hand and led you up the stairs toward his room, Shawn’s eyes following you with a heavy heart.

____________________

The next morning you bumped into Shawn in the hallway as you were exiting Grant’s room wearing his clothes he had let you borrow to sleep in for the night. Neither of you said a word as you silently made your way past him and down the stairs towards Grant’s car while Grant came strolling out of his room with his classic smile on his face, having no clue how heart broken Shawn felt when he gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

____________________

It had been a week since you last spoke to Shawn. Not a single message or interaction between the two of you. You didn’t know what you would say if you even had approached him, but you hadn’t gotten the chance to find out. Having to pack up your dorm for the semester gave you an excuse for not talking and a way to busy yourself to get your mind off of him. But no matter what you did Shawn Mendes was still hanging in the back of your mind, taunting you with replays of different moments with him over and over again. You were lucky that this time you hadn’t been planning on driving back home with him so you didn’t have to face him on the hours long drive back, though you knew that didn’t mean you wouldn’t be seeing him at some point upon your arrival. All these thoughts were swimming through your head as you pulled into your parent’s driveway, immediately being met with a swarm of greetings from your family. You seemed to have arrived before Shawn, which you felt incredibly fortunate for as you were ushered into the house. 

You didn’t see Shawn the whole first week you were there either, no matter how much your heart ached for him. You found yourself more often than not wondering what he was doing just next door and if he was thinking about you too or if you had already become something unattainable and therefore not worth his time. Even though you knew he wasn’t that type of person, the little devil on your shoulder kept telling you that he wanted nothing to do with you anymore.

Christmas Eve you were tucked into your bed, soft breaths coming from your mouth. The snow was coming down in light, fluffy flakes, just enough that it was the pretty white Christmas you always loved without the terrible snow storm you couldn’t stand. The first knock on your window sounded like the wind, but the second one was unmistakable, abruptly pulling you from your sleep and to the window. A gasp escaped your lips when you saw Shawn’s face staring back at you and you hurried to open your window for him. “Thank god,” he chuckled, “It’s freezing out there.” Shawn had been climbing up the side of your house to reach your room since you were young, so it truly should have been no surprise to you that he was scaling it in the snow.

“What do you want, Shawn?” you sighed, already making your way back into bed as he followed you, “It’s two in the morning.”

“That it is,” he agreed, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” you turned to face him, eyes only opening slightly in your sleepy haze.

He brushed a stray piece of hair out of your face, “You’re so cute when you’re half asleep like this.”

You shrugged his hand away, “Shut up.”

“It’s true,” he whispered with his hand still lingering on your face, “My little Aphrodite.”

Your eyes shot wide open, your senses suddenly wide awake, “What’d you just call me?”

“My little Aphrodite.”

You sat up next to him. “Ok, Shawn, what do you want? Why did you come here in the middle of the night on Christmas nonetheless?”

“Can’t I just say hello to my best friend?”

“You haven’t said hello to your best friend in two weeks so that’s not a good excuse.”

“Don’t say that like you haven’t been avoiding me either,” he chuckled darkly.

“I couldn’t face you, Shawn!” you choked out, eyes beginning to well up with tears as you scooted away from him, “I couldn’t, not after....not after that night.”

There was a heavy silence for a moment before Shawn spoke harshly, “Why’d you hook up with Grant that night?”

“What?”

“Why’d you hook up with Grant?”

“I didn’t hook up with Grant,” you spat out, “Why would you even think that?”

“You really expect me to believe that after I saw you not only go upstairs with him, but also leave his room the next morning wearing his clothes!”

“I do expect you to believe it because nothing happened! I wanted to leave after what happened because I didn’t want to be in the same room as you anymore and he offered me a place to stay since it was cold and I was drunk. Nothing. Happened.”

“You didn’t want to be in the same room as me? Wow.” He shook his head, leaning back against your headboard on the other side of the bed, “One second I have your leg around me, moaning in my mouth, and the next you’re leaving me without an explanation and now you’re going to tell me you couldn’t stand to be in the same room as me?!”

“You don’t understand…”

“What don’t I understand?!”

“I couldn’t be in the same room with you after I realized something…”

“What did you realize, huh? What was so groundbreaking that you couldn’t even stand to see me?”

“That I was freaking in love with you!” Your mouth hung open. You had mulled over the thought of loving Shawn in the weeks you were apart, but you dismissed it every time, not believing you could have allowed yourself to fall in love with your best friend. Shawn stared at you with bated breath, his silence slowly killing you from the inside. 

Just as you were about to hide under your blanket in embarrassment, you felt something warm covering your mouth and a hand in your hair, his lips moving softly on yours. You sighed into his mouth, wrapping your arms around him eagerly to let him push you back onto your bed. He hovered on top of you, holding you close to him as he kissed you with every ounce of passion inside of him, stealing your breath away completely. His kisses were gentle, but still heavy with emotion. He parted from you to let you both catch your breaths, placing light kisses to your cheeks. “I am so in love with you, Y/n. You have no idea.” 

He left one last searing kiss on your lips before pulling away and leaning off the bed to retrieve a small wrapped box. “I got you something for Christmas.” 

You gingerly took the small box in your hand, carefully pulling off the paper to reveal a small black box. You looked up at him with curious eyes, but he only nodded his head for you to continue, placing a gentle hand on your thigh. Opening the box, a beautiful silver dove charm was revealed to you on a necklace, the light of your room catching off of it making it shine. “Shawn…” you breathed out, “it’s gorgeous.”

“It’s a dove. You know, the symbol of Aphrodite,” he smiled at you nervously, “Do you like it?”

“Of course, I love it. Put it on for me?”

Shawn pulled your back into his chest and brushed your hair out of the way to place the delicate necklace around you. Once the necklace was clasped, he left the softest of kisses to your shoulder. “There you go. Perfect for my little Aphrodite.”