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#and second of all: people were SO nice to me all day
sansaorgana · 1 day
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Domestic!Gale figuring out how to build a crib
hello! 💗 thank you so much for this request, I had lots of fun writing it 😂 mr. I can build a homemade crystal radio experiencing problems with building a crib was making me giggle all the time 🤭😌
my inbox is open for blurb/short fic requests for major cleven 🤗
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Almost everything had been already prepared in the nursery – Bucky had helped your husband to paint the walls and insulate the window. You had chosen the furniture and decorations and it all looked put together now except for one thing – the crib. You couldn’t find the one that you’d like enough and that would fit in the nursery design. You were slowly running out of time since the baby would come in less than two months so on that weekend Buck took you to one of those big stores in the city. It took two hours to drive there from your town but you promised him that this time you would choose the crib for sure.
“What about this one?” You asked after a while of staring at one of the cribs in front of you. It was light wood and there was a picture of a cute teddy bear on the side.
Your husband furrowed his brows and inspected the price tag. He hummed to himself for a while and began to examine the crib itself, knocking on wood and feeling the texture with his fingertips. You chuckled at the sight – one would think he was a carpenter and therefore an expert.
“So?” You asked, impatiently.
“It’s nice,” Buck admitted and straightened his back. “It’s convertible, too,” he added. “Are you sure you want this one? I won’t be coming back here to return it if you change your mind tomorrow.”
“Oh, I am sure!” You smiled at him and caressed his arm.
“Do you need some help?” The salesman approached you with a smile. “You seem to be interested in this model.”
“Yes, we are. We want to buy it,” Buck told him.
“Excellent,” the salesman nodded his head and pointed at the counter with the cash registers. “I’ll bring one from the storeroom,” he told you and walked away.
“From the storeroom?” Buck furrowed his brows at you. “I thought we could take this one,” he pointed at the crib behind you.
“Don’t be daft, it’s a big city store! They have these for display only,” you sighed and dragged him to the counter, excited to finally make this purchase.
The salesman joined you a moment later, barely holding a huge box with the image of the crib chosen by you printed on it.
“I’m paying all that money and I have to put it together on my own?” Buck asked and you tugged on his sleeve to shush him. The salesman raised an eyebrow at him.
“It’s designed to be assembled quickly and easily, sir,” he assured your husband. “But if you require an additional help, we can–”
“No, thank you,” Buck chuckled at him as he took his wallet out of the pocket. “I don’t need help with such things. I can build a homemade crystal radio out of a wire,” he casually bragged as he put the money on the counter. It was unlike your husband to act like that, so you assumed the salesman had upset him with his insinuation that building a crib would be too difficult to handle.
The salesman widened his eyes as he laid his eyes on you and you rolled his eyes and smiled at him. He relaxed and handed Buck the big box before taking the money. Your husband struggled way less with holding the box than the salesman had.
“Please, wait a second, I need to give you a receipt just in case you want to return,” the salesman brought out some papers.
“I’ll wait in the car,” Buck told you and you nodded at him. He walked away and when he was out of sight, you bit on your lower lip and approached the salesman.
“So… What if building a crib turns out to be more difficult than building a radio?” You asked him.
“There’s a manual inside the box. And a phone number in that manual. The factory that made that crib produces lots of furniture and they have a hotline for people experiencing problems.”
“Thank you,” you smiled at him and got the receipt.
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Buck was determined to put the crib together on the same day. When you walked inside the house, he brought the box upstairs as you followed him.
“Gale, I’m about to prepare dinner now. It can wait for tomorrow,” you leaned on the doorframe of the nursery.
“Oh, please, baby, it’s gonna take me five minutes. You won’t even boil the water before I finish,” he opened the box and discarded the manual as he threw it across the room.
“Buck, I’d rather you not…” you crouched down clumsily to pick the manual up. “I mean it, Gale. I know you’re good at such things and you have nothing to prove,” you sighed. “I wish you assembled this crib according to the manual because I want it to be safe for the baby,” you pointed out.
“Go, make dinner. You can inspect later if I did it right if you know so much about building cribs,” he looked up at you. He was more playful than rude but you were sick of his attitude anyway. You threw your hands up in the air to show defeat.
“You know as much as me about building cribs… but fine,” you rolled your eyes and left the nursery with the manual still in your hands.
You went downstairs to boil the water for the pasta and began to work on the tomato sauce. Fifteen minutes later the food was ready but your husband was not.
“Gale!” You called for him. “The food is ready!”
“Give me five more minutes!” He shouted down and you nodded to yourself.
Five minutes later, you called for him again.
“Gale, I’m hungry!”
“Eat without me!” He answered in a tone more frustrated than before.
So you did eat alone and even washed the dishes while his plate still was on the table. You sighed and walked back upstairs.
“Baby, your food’s getting cold,” you entered the nursery and then you gasped at the sight of his focused and angry face and all the screws scattered all over the floor. The pieces of the crib were not put together almost at all. “Jesus, Gale,” you laughed and he looked up at you. His anger turned into embarrassment as he blushed immediately.
“I’ve never seen furniture like that! Don’t laugh at me, it’s the new generation or something,” he mumbled.
“Buck, baby…” you chuckled at him as you approached him to fix his ruffled hair. “Go downstairs and eat. We can deal with that tomorrow, alright?”
“Yeah,” he nodded and sighed in defeat.
You turned the light off and closed the door before going back downstairs after your husband. You sat by the table with him and watched him eat.
“Is it not too cold? I can heat it up for you,” you proposed.
“It’s fine,” he shook his head. He was still blushing and visibly avoiding your gaze.
“You know, in the manual, there’s a phone number. We can call them tomorrow, they have a hotline for people experiencing problems and…” you started.
“I’d rather die than call them,” Buck looked up as he told you, seriously.
“There’s no shame in not knowing everything, Gale,” you chuckled softly.
“It’s about honour,” he shook his head.
“Honour? Baby, for God’s sake, it’s only a crib!” You rolled your eyes. “Anyway, I can call them and pretend that it’s me experiencing problems.”
“You will not do such a thing,” Buck pointed his finger at you, sternly. “I can start following the manual, fine, but I will not call any hotline. And you will not either.”
“Okay, okay…” You rolled your eyes again at him. “But you’re so stubborn sometimes.”
“I’m the father of this baby and I will build that crib myself,” he told you.
“Alright, but I don’t mind calling the hotline, just so you know. It won’t change anything for me and I won’t tell anyone about it if it’s so important to you,” you assured your husband.
“It is important to me and it will change everything for me,” he stated.
That night before sleep, instead of reading a book, Buck was analysing the manual.
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After breakfast you both went back to the nursery. You sat in the armchair with the manual book in your hands and watched Gale gather all the scattered screws to put them back in one place.
“Now, I will read the steps and you will do what I tell you, yes?” You asked for confirmation of the plan you two had for this special task.
“Yes, sir,” he nodded playfully and you chuckled at him.
With your help – and the pictures in the manual – fifteen minutes later the crib seemed to be already assembled. You stood up to examine it but it was stable and balanced properly. You showed Buck where you wanted it to stand and he moved it to that very spot as he stared at his creation proudly.
“You see? No hotline was needed,” he told you and put his hands on his hips.
“No, no hotline,” you approached him and put your arms around him to hug him tight. “Just listening to your wife, hm?”
“Yeah,” Buck chuckled and kissed the top of your head, “just listening to my wife.”
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allastoredeer · 2 days
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Hello I had this dream last night and I need to share it with you!!!
We know the whole crew is invited to the Cannibal Cookout for the weekend.
So I imagine Al is gonna let cameras take pictures of him and Lucifer, that way the headline of his relationship with the king of hell will reach the seven pentagram faster(it was showed that he can take pictures when he wants to, since vox kept one). But that also mean he is gonna be exposed for the first time in probably forever. Like he is known for his terrifying radio podcast, which means that not many ppl know about his true form, especially new born sinners. So I can only imagine the surprise of those people to see the radio demon , the scariest overlord of them all, being a cute deer with a a fluffy tail and all the package that comes with it. Also Alastor mentioned to Lucy to ‘Wear your Sunday best.”, which might imply that he is gonna wear something nice as well…
It would be hilarious if Half of hell will start simping for Alastor and downright ignoring Lucifer.
I can imagine the internet exploding with Alastor pictures and people going like 'aww his ears are moving’ or something, sinners go as far as make fan club about him, meanwhile a certain picture box is having a mental breakdown…
~Valentino: “u know u can just say it that u want him”
~Vox: “Alright alright fuck yea I do and so Does half of hell. God damn it”
Meanwhile Angel reading through the chaos Alastor just unleashed
“oh he is so stealing my job already”
Lmao
OFC In all of this Al is completely oblivious about the situation he caused, so the crew tries to keep him out the flow, to not freak him out, which it’s not hard at all, since the dude doesn’t have a phone, but he does get a bit suspicious when Lucifer makes him wear something to cover his upper body, almost as far as making him wear an hat and glasses lol(I don’t see Lucifer as being who enjoys losing himself on new trends and gossip on the internet, so Angel probably showed him a innocent picture of them, but Lucy made the bad choice to go read through the comments. Nonetheless to say he was scarred for life, and decided to take it upon himself to protect Alastor’s privacy)
Also Alastor can probably sense when someone takes pictures of him, twitching his eyes and tail but otherwise leaves it be for the sake of maintaining the charade.
This was it ehehe, I kinda felt bad I woke up from that dream, I honestly wanted to know how it ended.
Either way I can’t wait to see how u are planning to go with it. Cause I just know u are gonna make me love every second of it😆👌
thank you for listening
Ps I wrote this at 5 in the morning a week ago, and I am not sure if I already sent it to u or my mind is playing tricks to me…so I am sorry if u already got the message.
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Heheheheh I love this! You have the BEST dreams. I'm so in love with most of Hell not knowing Alastor, or not really remembering what he looked like, since he's been gone (and Hell is expanding by the thousands every day, so of course there would be people who don't know him).
And so they see him for the first time and it's such a stark difference to what they were expecting XD He's developing a fan-base and Lucifer has to scare them all of (otherwise Alastor WILL murder. He will).
And no worries! I did get the ask from earlier! Sometimes, if it takes me a long time to get to an ask, that's because I want to draw some doodles for it like the pics above ^.^
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stveharringtn · 2 days
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Hi, can I request a part 2 to the secret relationship fic where he makes it up to reader and earns us back??? It was so good, but that ending really bummed me out.
(If this is not okay, I totally understand and I am sorry. I hope you have a nice day)
thank you for requesting this !! i was gonna just leave it as a oneshot, but a bunch of people requested a second part!w; second chances!! tags; @kingstevesgf, @need-a-life-or-grass, @marvelcasey05, @emma-munson part one.
it’s strange when even your closest friends will not speak to you over something you did.
granted, eddie knew he deserved it - he deserved it big time.
the club had even stopped sitting with him at lunch, which made him feel slightly embarrassed. then he remembered how he knocked your food all over your clothing in a cafeteria full of teenagers who would never let you live it down.
dustin, lucas, and mike had stopped speaking to him immediately after that had happened, going as far as missing meets. gareth, jeff, and tony had showed up to a meet, but instead of playing, they drilled him for questions.
safe to say, they were not happy with their friend.
robin and steve even ignored him when he would go into family video, only speaking to him when they had told him the price.
he was getting desperate for anyone to speak to him again.
anxiously, he stepped into family video, frowning when steve simply looked away and back at the clipboard in front of him.
he lets out a small sigh, walking towards the horror section. he stops when he hears robin muttering to herself.
he follows her voice before stepping into the comedy section. “absolutely bori-”
“please, just talk to me. i’m going stir crazy.”
she looks over at him, brow raising slightly. “imagine how she felt.” she then walks past him, tapes clutched to her chest.
he follows after her, desperate to let her know his side of the story. “i didn’t mean to hurt her-”
“really? bullying her to the point she didn’t want to show her face?”
“that’s… that’s not what i wanted to do, anyway,” he says. “i was scared.”
“you could’ve talked to her about it.” steve finally speaks up.
he looks at steve and sighs. “it’s just…. it’s not that easy for me to talk about something that bothers me.”
“yeah, but she was supposedly your girlfriend. she’s there to listen to any of your worries, eddie. you didn’t have to … to do whatever you thought you were doing.” robin shakes her head.
“protecting her.”
“by bullying her?” steve’s brows lift.
“yes! i thought… i thought maybe it would-” he pauses because he knows the next thing that’s going about to come out of his mouth is not really a good reason. “i thought maybe people wouldn’t suspect us dating,” he winces. robin narrows her eyes. “i didn’t want her to get embarrassed.”
“sounds like you were the one who was embarrassed.” steve says dismissively.
“what?! no! why would i be embarrassed of her?”
“why didn’t you just… talk to her about it?” robin asks.
“i… i just- i don’t know,” he rubs at his forehead. “i didn’t think she would understand.”
“she did,” robin nods. “she thought you were embarrassed of her.”
his shoulders slump. “she did?”
“well, with the way you were acting and everything, i wouldn’t be surprised.” steve shrugs.
eddie sighs and nods. “i… i need to make this right,” he says. he then squares his shoulders and nods, seemingly confident. “i’ll make this right.”
“i’d be surprised.” robin says, watching as he walks out of the store quickly.
-
dustin opens the door, only to roll his eyes and pushes to shut the door. eddie’s boot stops it from shutting all the way.
“wait! i know your mad at me. but please, i need your help.”
“what could you possibly need my help on?
“i want to make things right with everyone. but first… i want to make things right with her.”
dustin narrows his eyes, tilting his head. “and what makes you think i’d help you do that?”
“b-because your my friend?”
“that was before you decided to-”
“it’s okay, dustin,” eddie perks up when he hears your voice. you come into view. “i’ll talk to him.”
he lets out a little hmpf, turning and walking past you. eddie steps back slightly when you step out, shutting the door behind you. you cross your arms over your chest.
“what.. what are you doing here?”
“the kids wanted me to come over and watch a movie with them.” you shrug.
he lets out a little oh, nodding.
your brows lift. “what do you want, eddie?”
he sighs softly. “i want to make things right,” he nods. “i… i didn’t mean for everything to get out of hand like it did. honest,” he looks at you. “i got scared that people were figuring out that we were dating.”
“and that’s a bad thing?”
“yes! i don’t want people to look at you differently because we’re dating.”
“people look differently at me now, that’s for sure.”
he chews at the inside of his cheek before stepping a bit closer. “and i’m sorry for that,” his voice was low and somber, a hand hesitantly reaching out and gripping your bicep. “i was just nervous…”
“then you should’ve talked to me like a normal person would, eddie. not… made me regret you.”
his heart breaks at hearing that and he nods. “if… if you give me another chance, maybe you can teach me how to communicate my feelings better.”
you let out a small sigh because you know you’re going to say yes. you love eddie too much to turn away. “one condition.”
“anything.”
“this won’t be a secret this time,” you point between the yourself and eddie. “i… i love you and i want people to know, eds. i don’t want to hide away what i love.”
he smiles softly, nodding slightly. “i think i can agree to that.”
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navybrat817 · 2 hours
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Sergeant Snuggles
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader Summary: Bucky wants you to get some much needed rest. Word Count: Over 1.6k Warnings: Fluff, swearing, humor, reader is tired, slight feels (it's me), Bucky Barnes (he's a warning and the best boyfriend, okay?). A/N: I'm tired. I want Bucky to fix my schedule. Again! ❤️Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!
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You should’ve taken the afternoon off. You knew that. There was no reason for you to remain in the building beyond your earlier debriefing. The mission you completed was successful, but you hardly slept over the last few days because of it. Describing yourself as tired was an understatement.
But you had a tendency to stretch yourself thin at times and were stubborn, a trait Bucky both loved and fought you on.
The beautiful brunette you were lucky enough to call your boyfriend leaned over in his chair as you stifled a yawn. “That’s the fifth time you’ve done that in the last two minutes,” he whispered low enough to not draw attention.
“Glad you’re keeping count,” you whispered back, feeling his steel eyes linger on you as before he turned his focus back to Steve. At least he didn’t say he told you so after you turned down his suggestion this morning to call in.
You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, the stubble on his strong jawline catching your attention. He hadn’t shaved in a few days. Hardly slept either. Still looked gorgeous.
How was that fair?
“Just take a break,” he urged, tucking a strand of his long hair behind his ear. “It’ll help.”
“No, I’m fine,” you argued, picking up your drink and downing the rest of it, as if it would give you a boost. “We have a busy day. I don’t have time to use one of the pods.”
S.H.I.E.L.D. had recently built a lounge area for agents to rest and recoup during the day and between missions. Some of the pods were large enough for two people to rest comfortably together. Why not cuddle with your soldier for a short time? As nice as it sounded, you had to get through a few more hours of work.
“I love you, but you’re about two seconds away from putting your head on the table,” Bucky whispered, your heart skipping a beat. It did that whenever he professed his love for you. But you were also feeling a bit grouchy, even though he was only trying to help
“And I love you, but I’m about two seconds away from flipping this table,” you hissed before Steve cleared his throat. “Sorry,” you added sheepishly. It wasn’t his fault the mission cost you precious sleep.
The blonde’s brow furrowed. Like Bucky, he knew you pushed yourself too hard some days. You had to though. You weren't a super soldier like they were. “It’s okay,” he said before he continued.
Exhaustion veiled your normally bright and attentive gaze. The Captain had a commanding presence, yet your eyelids drooped as he kept talking. You weren’t sure if you were able to fall asleep sitting up and you didn’t want to find out. With a shake of your head, you had to try and fight the waves of drowsiness that crashed in your mind and washed over your body.
It was a losing battle. You used to laugh at memes that talked about meetings that could’ve been done in an email, but it didn’t seem so humorous now that you were living it. Why didn't you just stay home?
You jolted when your boyfriend suddenly placed his hand on your thigh and you wished you could say you blamed it on his touch. “What? What happened?” You asked. Did you fall asleep or just zone out?
“The meeting’s over,” he replied, nodding to the now empty room. You hadn’t seen anyone walk out. That wasn’t good.
“Shit.” You rubbed your temple, an ache building in your head. You’d have to apologize to Steve later because there was no way you retained anything he stated. “What time is it?”
Bucky checked his watch with a slight frown. “It’s 10:55.”
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck that.
“Yeah.” Bucky’s lip twitched in a smile when you realized you said that out loud. “Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck that.”
You huffed, your head cloudy again before you slumped in your chair. There was no way you’d make it through the day, as much as you wanted to try. You were useless in this condition. “Okay. I may need a nap,” you admitted.
He smiled softly as he pushed his chair back and held out his hand. “I had a feeling. That’s why I booked us one of the pods before we got here,” he said. It shouldn't have come as a surprise. He knew you better than you knew yourself. “Let's go.”
You pouted, but took his outstretched hand. “Are you sure I can't just try and suck it up?” You asked, covering your mouth with your other hand when you yawned yet again. “There’s still work to do.”
“And you're not going to finish it right this second,” he stated firmly, the drop in his voice making your throat go dry. He meant business when he used that tone. “You're going to let everyone else handle it, and they can handle it, and you are going to get some rest.”
You loved this man for putting up with and caring for you. “Yes, Sergeant, but I still don't want a nap,” you grumbled, wondering just how whiny you sounded.
He chuckled, the sound making you giggle. It was infectious. “Just twenty minutes. It’s all I'm asking for to start. You worked hard and deserve a nap,” he said, sneaking a soft kiss in when you pouted again. “If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for me? Please?”
Something vulnerable flashed in his eyes before he blinked it away. Nightmares still plagued him and you discovered that he rested easier with you beside him. Your presence didn’t always chase the horrors away, but it helped. Maybe he needed this nap just as much as you did.
What kind of partner would you be if you didn't help?
“Okay, Bucko. For you,” you smiled, leaning into his side as he guided you down the hall. You’d do anything for him. “You know, my caffeine let me down,” you added.
“I know, baby.”
“It’s a betrayal. It was supposed to stimulate me,” you mumbled.
“I know, baby,” he said again, going along with your tired rambling. “But we both know I stimulate better than that ever could.”
“Yeah, you do,” you smiled. He was very good at that. “And this is a good excuse for us to cuddle.”
“As long as you get some sleep, you can have all the cuddles you want,” he promised.
A tired smile touched your lips. “I should call you Sergeant Snuggles.”
It was at that moment that Sam walked by, the smirk on his face telling you that he at least caught the nickname you just came up with. Your gaze flickered to Bucky’s profile, catching the clench in his jaw as he stared at his colleague and friend. It was a sexy look, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. And Sam, the good man he was, didn't say a word. He nodded and went on his way.
Which likely meant he pocketed the nickname to bring up at a later time.
“Sorry,” you whispered, hoping you hadn’t embarrassed him.
Fondness took over Bucky's blue eyes when he swung his gaze back toward you. “Don't be sorry. You can call me whatever you want,” he assured you, taking you into the longue.
The low light created a peaceful atmosphere and you found yourself longing for relaxation as Bucky brought you to the pod furthest in the corner. He helped you in before he climbed in beside you, his massive frame making you feel safe and warm as he held you against him. His fingers moved along your back in a slow and soothing pattern and your breathing began to match his after a minute. It made it easy for your eyes to slip shut.
You still couldn’t believe that you had someone in your life like Bucky. The man did everything in his power to put your needs first and make sure he took care of you. Not because he didn’t think you were strong or capable enough to do so yourself, but because he recognized that you didn’t have to do everything alone. That was why he was your partner.
In work, in love, and in life.
“Thanks, Bucky,” you sighed, wishing you were awake enough to say how much you appreciated him. “Sorry for whining and bitching and being stubborn.”
“You don’t need to thank me and you didn’t whine or bitch. I’ll give you stubborn though,” he said, casually tossing a leg over you before you could move away. If you asked it of him, he’d lay on top of you like a blanket. “Just get some sleep and don’t push yourself today, please. I’ll feel a lot better if you relax.”
You’d feel a lot better, too. “One more question and I will.”
He hummed as he waited for you to speak.
“What's the policy on sex in the pods?” You asked, resting a hand on his chest and feeling his heart start to race. “For future us, for the record. I love you, but we’re not trying somnophilia here today.”
He exhaled a laugh against your forehead before he kissed it, warmth spreading like a balm through your head. “I love you, too,” he whispered. Dragging his lips down to yours. “And I’m sure we can find a way to make it work, but not until you rest, okay? Need you at one hundred percent for that.”
“Yes, Sergeant Snuggles,” you replied, feeling him hold you a little tighter before you finally got some much needed sleep.
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I hope this reads well. 🤣 I'm le tired. Love and thanks for reading! ❤️
Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi
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unluckilyimnot · 2 days
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hihihihihihihihihi HOW r uUUuUuuu,u think u could take this request?😭 it’s about Sae, idk…imagine Y/N being flirted by her co-worker? Like he starts sending her gifts and all. How Sae would react?
if his s/o was flirted with - i.sae
m.list || rules
note: hiii thank you so much for your request <3 here's a little hc for you !
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I don’t think he’s the type to get jealous easily bc damn the man that he is but he would be pissed off easily
you didn’t really mention it at first because you thought your colleague was only being nice
but he overheard a conversation on the phone with one of your friend and colleague and he didn’t hesitate to ask about it
“you were hiding it from me ?” yes you were because he would get salty but now you had to deal with it – and you can’t say that
you lose count how many time he rolled his eyes
“he’s just being nice” is your favorite answer even if you had to tell him how he brings you foods sometimes, to thank you
he’s suspicious, picture him lifting his eyebrows in a “are you for real” way, but you know what, that’s fine, you’re amazing it’s normal that people wants to be around you
but he still prepares your meal EVERYDAY since he heard about it. even if he has to stay up later than he should to do so and messed up his sleep schedules that is so dear to him 
sae does got a little more clingy in a way
he’s kinda trying harder as if, first, he needed too when he already does a lot for you, and second as if your colleague even had a chance with you
he’s less annoying, he jokes around less and is more cuddly 
he tries to spend more time with you even if he already does his best with his schedules 
he had take you to way too many date since you mention it, but you try to not bring it up because you know he would be sulky and never admit it 
but deep down you’re reallyyyy amused by the fact that he still tries to win you over someone you already doesn’t stand a chance
anyway, he tolerates it for a while, not that he asks much about nor do you talk about it, it’s not important for you either and he’s not being pushy
but if he does, that’s another story
i’m not saying he comes at work to blow that poor man’s face, but nearly
if he’s really not smart and send you a gift to your place and Sae falls on it at the entrance just know it ruined his day and that he’s now ready to make that poor man’s life feels like hell itself 
he would waits for you to come home before throwing it away, to say that he’s pissed is an understatement 
don’t mention it if he ever bringed you gifts or flowers at work ‘cause Sae would do his best to get him fired in one way or another 
he knows his worth and that being that angry at someone hitting on you means nothing compare to your relationship 
honestly be prepare to see him at your work to make things clear when he’s free because he will not let that pass like you do, he’s too prideful for that 
he’s not grabbing him by his shirt because he’s a respectful man but he will say the worse things heard on earth to that guys
you’re not flirting with his s/o 
“Know your place. Do that one more time and I won’t be that kind.” 
he’s acting up but the same night he’s all clingy and stuff, he won’t let you go even if he just cleared the situation 
he’s rather confident that he won’t happen again, yet he’s still a little bother in a corner of his mind, but you brush it off easily with a thank you and few kisses hihi 
he makes sure to ask about it as days pass to be sure that he doesn’t happen again but also make sure that your honest with him 
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I hope you liked it! ♡
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Protecting French Fry
Oiled Paintings (1)
> melissa schemmenti x fem!reader
> requested? maybe?
> content/warnings: mentions of violence
> a/n: this got me staring at the wall for 4 hours 😭 i rlly don't know if this can compete with the first part
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Contrary to popular belief that French people were extremely rude; Mr. Morton thinks that the lone French in their school have been nothing but nice and cheerful. Unfortunately, Mrs. Microft and most of the 7th to 8th grade teachers did not share the same sentiment. Thus, leaving them to tolerate the rude welcome and treatment of the senior teacher towards you, and that went on for the whole five years you’ve been in Abbott.
“Good morning, Mrs. Microft!” You greeted the senior teacher with a smile. And although she paid no attention to your presence and your greeting, you maintained your composure and left your lunch inside the fridge, then went on with your day.
Yet, when you came back to the lounge for lunch, you found no remnants of your lunch; even the container was gone. Deciding to let this slide, like the other mistreatment you got from the senior teacher, you sighed and took your purse to eat lunch at the coffee shop near the school.
“Damn, Y/N. That is wild; I didn’t think white racism would be prominent here; guess I was wrong.” Ava gave you a pat on the back while sipping her coffee. “This coffee is also wild! Y’all gotta try this new coffee maker I got for the school!”
Barbara and Melissa gave Ava a look before giving you sympathetic glances. This made you roll your eyes at Ava. “Stop looking at me like that; that was about three years ago.”
“If y’all ever want to plot revenge, I got her address somewhere in my office. I ain’t helping you look though,” said Ava, leaving all of you to think for reasons you haven’t reported her to HR yet.
“I’m just glad she left; with no one to torment me now, maybe the other teachers will also treat me like a colleague.” You straightened your posture and gave a clap. The smile on your face was so contagious, it took Melissa turning her back to you and looking at Barb to hide her smile.
“Doubt that.” Mr. Morton always knew when to rain on your parade. His comment made Melissa’s face turn serious.
“And why’s that, huh? Y’know any more teachers that’ll torment French fry here?” Melissa tilted her head towards you while still looking at Mr. Morton. While the protectiveness was appreciated, you couldn’t help but blush at the nickname that the redheaded teacher gave you. Ever since knowing that you were French, the Italian made it her daily routine to criticize your lunch, whether it was homemade or a takeout from the local French restaurant.
Sitting down on the nearest chair, Mr. Morton nodded and opened his lesson plan. “That girl, new hire, Charity Microft.”
The hand supporting your face fell on the table with a bang, making Melissa and Barbara look at you incredulously. With your eyes as wide as saucers, you gave Mr. Morton a horrified look. “What do you mean, Charity Microft? As in, Charity Microft the girl I talked to you about? Or Charity Microft the successor of Mrs. Microft the she-devil?”
“Both.” Letting out a cry, you hid your face from your ‘friends’ if you could call them that and huffed.
Janine, the ever-caring human that she is, caressed your back for a solid second before she saw Melissa giving her a glare, making her pull her hand away from you and whisper something to Jacob. Whatever Janine said, it made Jacob choke in fear when he glanced in Melissa’s direction.
As Barbara was about to say something to Melissa, the bell rang, making the kindergarten teacher sigh and give Melissa a look that said. ‘We’ll talk later’.
Nodding her head, Melissa stood up and pulled your arm. "C'mon, French fry, let’s get you to your classroom. We’ll talk later.”
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Your ‘talk’ didn’t happen. In fact, Melissa left before you and Barb could even catch her. She only saw Ava before leaving with a grin.
“What do you mean she left flexing her arm?”
Sighing, Ava dropped her foot from the table and leaned forward. “Look, I ain’t snitching why she left that way or why she went here before leaving.”
Huffing, you crossed your arms and raised an eyebrow. “And why is that, Ava?”
“She’ll beat my ass,” Ava said before shooing both of you out of her office.
Pursing her lips, Barbara turned to you and gave you a pat on the shoulder. “Now, I need to leave. My Gerald and I have a schedule at that French place you told us about. But after that, I’ll try to get a hold of Melissa, and then I’ll call you to tell you what I gathered.” Then she left, leaving you to contemplate whether to call Melissa on your own or wait until tomorrow. You decided on the latter.
Groaning, you stomped towards your Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250. Your mother harbored great disdain for your choice of vehicle, and your father was extremely happy when you told him you bought a bike rather than a car. He even went all out to message you every detail about riding motorcycles in America and how it differed from riding a motorcycle in France.
As you drove our normal route, you thought you saw Melissa’s car parked on the street a block away from you, but you shook your head and thought there was no way she lived that close to you. Parking your vehicle in front of your house, you jumped repeatedly, a tradition you caught on to because of your father back in France. Your father told you that jumping just outside your home left the awful things that latched onto you that day outside.
Stepping inside your house, you were greeted by your cat purring around your leg and nipping your toes to get your attention. Laughing, you gave your cat a pat on the head. “Okay, okay. Mommy’s going to give you treats once she gets out of these uncomfortable clothes.”
But you didn’t get to change your work clothes. A knock souned through your house walls before you could walk into your room. "Oh, come on!” You stomped towards the door and pulled it open. “What do you want?”
“Hey hon,” said a redheaded woman holding a baseball bat covered in shards of glass and red paint. What you hoped was red paint.
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gglitch1dd · 4 hours
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How would paralysed!izuku and reader yk do the deed….bc I need the Deets🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️
... you're disgusting... I love you. Funny enough when I first was writing the ending, I did a lot of research on what happened to people who become paralysed particularly men and damn is it rough out there. Luckily our Izu doing stem treatment so it would probably be easier on him.
Paralysed Dilf Izuku x Reader
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Note: this happens a year after the surgery. Contains cunnilingus and mentions of ED.
You sat in bed, reading your book as you sat beside Izuku. It was late already but Izuku said he was having trouble sleeping so you decided that you would stay up with him in the mean time until he got tired enough to sleep. You knew some days were rougher than others, so you stood beside him regardless.
With all the kids in bed and Toshinori gone off to UA, it was nice to have a quiet moment like this.
"Y/N..."
"Hm?" You let out softly as you turned the page of what you were reading.
Izuku hesitated as he sat next to you. He was trying to word this correctly but he wasn't sure if there was a correct way to do this. You waited until he was ready to speak, not pressurizing him as you sat at your place beside him.
"Could we have sex?"
You paused, your body not moving for a second before you turned to look at him. You closed your book, heat moving up your neck and to your face at the question. "Are... are you in the mood for it?" You asked.
He moved a hand to the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle. "Not exactly." He told you honestly.
You weren't surprised to be honest. One of the unfortunately aspects of spinal injuries for men is the fact that it often came along side erectile dysfunction. Now you never thought that could happen to your husband at any time in your marriage, considering how insatiable he was. However, after the incident the both of you really didn't even try to explore sex until around two months ago.
With the stem cell therapy and physiotherapy, Izuku was making great stride. However it also caused some random boners that took you by surprise and also your husband.
"But I want to make you feel good." At that statement, your face dropped in surprise but you smiled appreciatively. Izuku looked at you with an honest expression and smile. He offered a hand and you took you carefully. "Even if I don't want pleasure, I want to give you pleasure for as long as you want me to."
You eased with a sigh. You put the book you were reading away on your side table. "Alright... you're lucky that the scene I was reading was spicy." Izuku laughed at your reasoning as you sat back down. "Where do you want- IZU!" Suddenly you felt yourself being grabbed and manhandled up away from where you were sitting.
You found yourself sitting on top of your husband on his chest. You looked down to see Izuku's face between your thighs, a grin on his face. You felt like your face was on fire, it had been so long since the both of you had been intimate together so it felt still so odd to you but not unwanted.
"Izuku!" You furrowed your eyebrows down at him. "How on earth..."
"Honey, I might walk slow but it doesn't mean I have to be slow." He stated plainly.
You huffed as you looked down at him. "But I'm- I'm heavy. I don't want to hurt or strain your spine any more."
Izuku gave you a blunt look almost as if not believing you would use that as an excuse. "Honey, I've stopped a semi-truck from falling down a cliff with my bare hands. You really aren't that heavy." He told you bluntly. "Now, will you keep finding excuses or will you let me eat out my wife in peace."
You looked away from him, your face burning at his words. You let out a sigh as you lifted up the large oversized shirt you were wearing. You worse simple cotton briefs but Izuku would be lying if he said he didn't like them on you. He hummed as he moved his thumb to go up and down your slit, brushing against your clit.
You let out a sigh as you found yourself relaxing on top of him. The feeling of friction finally against your sex was heavenly. You let out soft hums, affirming what he was doing. Izuku focused on rubbing circles on your clit the way you liked it. A moan tumbled out of your lips as you flicked your head back.
Izuku moved your panties to the side. His eyebrows twitched raising in surprise at how wet you were already. It had been a while but he was nevertheless glad you still responded so well to his touch. He took a moment to appreciate you, moving his finger down your slit almost like he was trying to memorise your cunt to memory.
You looked down at him with a frown. "What are you staring at?
"You." He answered dead seriously. He looked up at you with an honest expression. "I've missed you." He whispered softly. You weren't sure if he was talking to you or your sex or both.
You dragged a hand through his curly hair making a hum come out of him. You moved your hands up your thighs before moving to spread your lips for him. "Go on then." You nodded to between your legs. "It's waiting for you."
You felt the grip on your thighs tighten. You made the mistake of making eye contact with Izuku. It was the exact reason he lulled you into his grasp. Those eyes. Those eyes that looked into you like you were everything. His hooded eyes were dark with lust and wanting as he dragged his tongue up your slit, flicking at your clit. You gasped, tensing your thighs.
However, you didn't have a lot of time to brace yourself as he buried his face dead first into your sex. You had to hold a squeal as he start to lap at your sex. Izuku's arms were wrapped around your thighs, keeping you seated on his face. You let out a moan as you started to grind your hips down on his mouth.
Izuku lapped at your cunt like a man starved. He licked every drop of essence that left your aching depths like you were water and he was a man stuck in the dessert. He let out a groan, his eyes closing. The feeling of his groan against your clit made you moan.
"Yes..." You whispered. "Yes, just like that Izu." You urged as you thrusted your hips closer to his mouth. You grasped his curls making him groan again. "Fuck~ Like that. Come on." You urged as you started to become desperate.
Suddenly you felt a finger press into you. You flipped your head back as a deep groan left your lips. His fingers always felt better than your own. So much more thicker and so much more filling than yours could ever do to you. You were aching for more of him deep inside you.
You didn't want to be selfish but...
You missed his cock.
You felt another finger press into you making you stretch around his fingers. He curved his fingers, easily finding that spot inside you that had you seeing stars. You let out a moan. "Oh fuck! Right there! Right-" The words were taking out of your mouth as you arched your back, your thighs tightening around his head.
He chuckled. Izuku easily moved his fingers, deeply thrusting into your sopping wet hole. He moved his mouth to your clit making you gasp. It was everything all at once. You felt like you were so close. So bloody close. You just needed him to just-
"Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't bloody stop." You downright ordered of him as your thighs tensed. Suddenly without warning your toes curled as ecstacy washed over your body. Your body shivered in pleasure as you gripped his hair roughly. You were shaking in pleasure as your body felt like it was floating.
With a gasp you leaned back, moving your sex away from his mouth, trying to take control of your thoughts once more. You took in deep breaths as you closed your eyes. That felt good. It felt really good.
"That was great." You said softly.
"Yah?"
You nodded your head. "Yah." You turned to get off of him. The bottom half of his face was covered in slick which he happily licked off his lips. You shook your head with a flush but couldn't help but giggle. "Thank you Izu, I really needed tha-" Suddenly you stopped speaking as you looked down.
Izuku tilted his head before following your eyes down. Izuku's face bloomed red as the both of you looked at each other before the rather big problem at hand.
"A... Are you hard?" You asked.
Izuku hesitated to answer before looking back up at you with a nervous chuckle. "Surprise?"
Moral of the story?... There's a lot of riding and head involved.
-Glitch1d
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rougecreator1 · 2 days
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Hi I’ve been thinking about this request for poly!plastics for a while now. So basically everyone knows that Regina gets angry and when she does people just don’t part ways with her. However, y/n is worse especially when she doesn’t get her full sleep which she didn’t get bc Gretchen and Karen were up and loud. (Y/n would never fault them bc she just loves them so much and their quirks). So throughout the school day, everyone has been getting on Y/n nerves like making comments about her girls etc. at lunch time, cady decided to make a “joke” about Karen being dumb, Regina being a bitch, etc and Y/n just explodes. Maybe heavy make out sess or smut after to calm Y/n down.
Slow Boil
|| Poly!plastics x fem!reader
(I myself am poly)
|| Warnings: swearing, reader almost punches Cady, reader has an attitude, little make out session at the end but nothing overly detailed or anything
|| Summary: reader doesn't get enough sleep, the next day people get on her nerves and it pushes her to a boiling point where she snaps at Cady for insulting her girls.
Requests open!
~~~
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To say you were exhausted would be an understatement. You barely got any sleep the night before with Gretchen and Karen being up all night giggling and gossiping. How Regina slept through them... you didn't know, but God you were envious of her sleeping abilities. Though you would never blame or get mad at Gretchen and Karen. You would however be frustrated at yourself for not falling asleep sooner.
The day seemed to drag on. As if seconds were really minutes and minutes were hours. Classes taking too long to complete. In Health & Fitness you just gave up and fell asleep, head rested on your desk with one arm folded around it and other stretched out in front of you. Cady glanced at you and raised an eyebrow.
The bell woke you from your sleep and you groaned, grabbing your bag and slinging it over your shoulder. At least it was lunch. You'd get to see your girlfriends.
"Sleeping beauty rises." Mr. Carr comments, getting a few laughs from some kids in the back. You roll your eyes at him.
"I bet you thought that was clever. Do everyone a favour and keep your damn puns to yourself." Mr. Carr seemed taken aback by your attitude, usually you didn't have one. You were known for being kind and laid back. Not snappy and agitated. For that reason, he decides to let it go. Not without giving you a small warning lecture first. It certainly didn't make your mood any better.
You left the class, a sharp (sleep filled) glare glossing over your eyes as you walk through the halls. Some conversations catching your attention, people seemed to be talking about your girlfriends a lot lately. The things they were saying weren't always positive and that just did nothing to improve your mood. One voice in particular catches your attention. Cady.
You snapped your head in her direction, seeing her chatting with those art freaks Janis and Damien.
"Honestly, Karen's gotta be the dumbest person I've ever met. When I went to Regina's house Regina told Karen she would help her with her eyebrows and Karen asked if she could still have two." Cady talked, Damien and Janis laughed. You could feel your blood boiling," Speaking of Regina, don't even get me started on her. She is such a bi-"
"The next word out of your mouth better fucking be "bi icon" or I swear to every God that's listening..!" You yelled, taking a step towards Cady who froze in place. Damien and Janis exchanged a look.
"Y-Y/N, I didn't think-" You cut Cady off.
"Clearly! What the hell, Cady?! They've been nothing but nice- well, to your face- and this how you repay them?" You were livid. The news about you fighting with Cady quickly spread throughout the school, eventually reaching your girlfriends who sprang into action. Hoping to stop things before it escalated.
Regina got there first and put herself between you and Cady right as you had been about to strike. You pause the moment you see Regina and your arm falls to your side. Gretchen and Karen link their arms around yours and keep you back while Regina sighs.
"Baby, take a breath for me." Regina says, you ignore her and look at Cady. She snaps her fingers in your face," Don't look at her. Look at me."
You listen. Reluctantly.
"Breathe." Regina urges, hand resting on your shoulder. When that doesn't work she grabs you by your wrist and pulls you to the bathroom, Gretchen and Karen quickly following behind.
Once there, they all turn and face you.
"What was all that about?" Gretchen asks.
"Cady was being a total bitch." You mutter, arms folded across your chest.
"You mean like Cady Heron?" Karen looks confused.
"No, KD Mac and Cheese." You snap, then realize who you just snapped at. Regina narrows her eyes at you. Karen frowned and you relaxed your shoulders.
"I'm sorry... I just- didn't get any sleep last night and my patience has been pushed to the edge today because of it..." You admit in a mumble, hand covering your face as you tilted your head down. You felt bad.
Gretchen took a step towards you and wrapped her arms around your shoulders, pulling you into her side as she moves her hand away from your face. Giving you a deep, soft kiss that you immediately melt into. Hands resting gently around Gretchen to pull her closer. You could feel as your body finally relaxed. Whatever anger you had being washed away.
She broke the kiss and rested her hand to your cheek," Better?"
"I could maybe use a couple more kisses..." You smile sheepishly, looking over at Regina and Karen. Your girlfriends laugh softly and the tension in the room seems to fade.
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Text
Guys I’m thinking about Rick and Daryl fighting, like Daryl is definitely a professional little brother and spends all day wrecking havoc upon Rick (and maybe a few others)
also I know Daryl is a hardcore hair puller. In the bed and in fights. When he and Merle would fight, it was like a second nature for his hands to latch onto to curly hair, yanking the strands and on one occasion knocking his head into a wall
me when rickyl but also brotherhood
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆
On the outside, Daryl Dixon was quiet, dark, and mysterious. He was a dusty book that had been closed and locked tight for decades, never opening up no matter who or what tried to pry. Most people would think that he was just one of the ones that never expressed any type of concern or emotion, but really, Daryl’s just a silent person. Until someone he knows pops into the picture.
“Get tha’ fuck off me! Get tha’ fuck off of me!” His voice rang out through the community alongside side Dogs chaotic barking.
People rushed out of their homes at what they thought were very distressed cries, Carol’s bow loaded and almost aimmed as he stepped out onto hers, only frowning deeply when she saw what all the ruckus was.
Daryl and Rick were wrestling in the dirt, the huntersman pinned down underneath the officer in a very uncomfortable looking position. Dog was barking at the two of them, tail wagging in the air as he stood in a playful position, standing over his defeated owner.
“Blah blah blah. You’re just a sore fucking loser” Rick laughed at him, pointing a finger in Daryl’s face, and pulling it away when his sharp teeth clamped down. “Gon’ make mah dog eat you alive” The man grumbled and squirmed.
“Gonna make the walkers eat you both alive” You sighed from where you had approached behind Rick, Dog now eagerly lapping and jumping around you as you too stood over your defeated hunter. “Seriously?” You shook your head and pushed Rick off the man, watching the way he dramatically fell over. “He started it! I was bein’ nice” Daryl frowns, and so does Rick, sitting up to face Daryl who had childishly wrapped himself around your leg. “Nuh uh, no! This asshole tried sticking mud down my pants!” Daryl cackled at the sentence and you knew he was gulity.
“You two are grown ass men” You huffed, shaking your leg slightly only for Daryl’s to tighten his grip. Absolutely wonderful.
“He needs to be put in time out” Rick grumbled, and you wondered if you were getting paid for this. “Time out?”
“Time out?” Carol approached, bow and arrow no longer in hand.
Daryl pointed at Rick, while Rick pointed at him, both men staring daggers at each other. “Him! He fucking started this!”
You share a look with Carol as the men bicker, and it’s quite funny untill you feel a sudden emptiness at your leg, and Daryl is hurling a ball of mud at Rick, who unfortunately catches it with his face. “Now I can really call ya ‘shitface grimes’” Daryl laughed as he climbed to his feet, standing behind you as Rick wiped his eyes clear, immediately locking them on his target.
Daryl doesn’t wanna admit that he didn’t think Rick would just go right around you, yelling when the officer took a swipe at him. “Stop it yew shit eater!” Daryl ran away with Rick hot on his heels, Dog sprinting right alongside them and barking excitedly.
“Can you imagine a small mini version of all that?” You shake your head, smiling softly at Carol. “You have got quite the character on your hands. Clinging to your leg? He must love you” You laughed, peering up the street where they had run off too, a cloud of dirt forming as they tussled, and from Daryl’s very loud screams he was probably getting what he deserved. “Dealing with him? He better love me” You scoff, knowing that your giant manchild loves you more than life itself.
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆
Each press of the cotton to his skin makes him hiss, and he winces at the burning sting of alcohol. “No more fights” You frown softly, tilting Daryl’s head as you cleaned his wounds, gingerly placing bandaids over them. “But he-“ “Yes I know he started it, he also finished it” Daryl pouts, legs swinging off the countertop. You stick a bandage over his nose, and kiss his forehead. “All better. I want you in this house before it’s too dark, okay?” Daryl drops onto his feet, and plants a quick but eager kiss on your lips. “Yes mama” He tosses over his shoulder as he snatches his crossbow off the floor, barreling out the door with Dog. You watched them go, a smile tugging your lips. It faded at the sound of a Rick’s high pitched scream.
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆
looks around because I dont know what happened and because I really like childish Daryl now and wanna write more
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crownmemes · 1 day
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Assorted Media Sentences, Vol. 8
(Sentences from various pieces of media. Adjust phrasing where needed)
"You know, you're very, very cute. You're also very manipulative."
"Relax. You can't see everything coming."
"Are you trying to make me look stupid in front of the other guests?"
"I'm going to count to three. There will not be a four."
"That's the thing about war. People die."
"If you put your faith in people, eventually they're going to break your heart."
"You don't want to rush into things. You can't undo them later."
"You killed them all, didn't you?"
"I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing. It looks like somebody's nightmare!"
"We know too much about each other."
"I did not ascent to this position by being stupid."
"You just won't die, will you?"
"You take the law into your own hands and I promise you, you'll swing from one of those ropes out there."
"What the hell has my country done for me?"
"What did you say your name was again?"
"These last few years working for you, that's the first home I ever knew."
"How far do you expect to get in life with an attitude like that?"
"Are you talking about spying?"
"The worst thing you can do in this business is overstay your welcome."
"I always knew that you were the one. I just didn't have anything worked out, that's all."
"Who I know and who I don't is no concern of yours."
"You think this is who I wanted to be?"
"That's the second time you've saved my life, and I won't forget it."
"I never lied to you, you know that. I may not have told you everything, but what I told you was true."
"Oh God, you don't dance as well, do you?"
"If I don't kill him, we'll never be out of danger. It's his life or ours."
"That's a very nice suit. It would be a shame to ruin it."
"Innocent people die every day - they may as well do so for a reason!"
"Who are you really?"
"We all have our ghosts."
"With everything that's been going on, it's a wonder that we're not all crazy!"
"Relax. This is a matter of inconvenient timing, that's all."
"If you love someone, you've got to try and trust what they tell you is true."
"I don't suppose it's occurred to you that I might hugely prefer someone else?"
"If ever I have to break your neck, I promise to do it with a minimum of force."
"What exactly are you looking for?"
"In my line of work, it's best not to have any long term plans."
"I always thought my life would end like this. I just never thought I'd care."
"You know you're a nag? A very pretty one, but a nag."
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hobbylobbyy · 24 hours
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Okay! How about a Lucifer x male (or gn if you’re more comfortable) reader in a platonic fic? Reader is like a servant who helps Lucifer through depresso days
A/N: This sounds like a really nice friendship dynamic, I’m rlly happy I get to write it!
Also btw you’re an imp for the sake of not knowing what a duck is
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Coping Methods
Summary: It’s been a few months since Lilith left Lucifer and he’s been taking it about as well as you think he would. He can barely get out of bed until you manage to coax him into a fun activity to ease his mind.
Platonic Lucifer x Male!Reader
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Nobody expected Lilith to leave. Maybe that’s what made it worse when she did.
She didn’t leave anything behind either, not her clothes, not her shoes, not even a single letter.
Every being in that castle fell into a deep depression, it just felt so gloomy without her there. Though, it hit the Morningstar’s the hardest.
Charlie had moved out nearly a month after Lilith’s disappearance, claiming she wanted to find herself and have her own independence rather than rely on her father for the rest of her life.
Lucifer, however, barely even left the castle, let alone his own room. Very few people were allowed near him at the time, only his personal servants, and you just happened to be one of them.
Today was one of those days where Lucifer couldn’t even bring himself to get out of bed, so you found yourself outside his door, hesitating to knock.
You couldn’t deny that you were terrified, but you had to make sure the king was okay, it was your duty as one of his personal servants.
You took a moment to collect yourself before knocking a few times.
It took a moment before he answered, “Who is it..?” The way he sounded so fragile almost broke apart of you, not once in your thousands of years of working for him have you heard him sound so vulnerable.
“It’s me, sir.” You replied, twiddling with your thumbs.
The door creaked open with a blur of golden magic, no doubt his own.
You stepped in and closed the door behind you, knowing that he’d prefer if nobody saw him in this state.
“Why are you here?” He asked, not looking at you as he curled into a ball on his humongous bed.
“Nobody has seen or heard from you all day, sir,” You started, making your way over to the edge of his bed but not daring to step any closer, both out of respect for him and fear for your safety, “We needed to know that you were still alive.”
“Alright, well, you’ve seen it now, haven’t you?” He asked rhetorically, “Just leave and take the day off for all I care, I-I just want to sit here for a little bit.”
“Sir..” You started, keeping your voice firm, “As your servant, I respect all your wishes, but as your friend… I will have to deny you this one.”
Before he could respond, you continued going, “In fact, I’m going to have to request that you stand up for me” you knew you were definitely going to get in trouble for this, whether by him or by one of your superiors.
“A-Are you trying to command the king of hell?” He asked, “You are nothing but my servant, I.. I don’t have many friends right now..”
You weren’t going to stop so soon though, your persistence was what got you this job in the first place, “Sir, I’m not trying to command you, I am just asking that you at least sit up and look at me”
It took him a second but he groaned in defeat as if he was a small child. He sat up, letting you see just how much he’d been crying. His hair which was usually neat was now a mess of curls and his face seemed redder than usual.
“I’ve done what you asked.. Is this all you wanted?” He asked.
“No, I actually wanted to request that you.. Uhm…” You had to think of an excuse for what you wanted to do first, “Could you accompany me to your workshop for a moment..? This is the only time I’ll ask you to do this, I just… N-Need to know where you’d like everything to go so I can clean!”
You commended yourself for being quick to think of an excuse, you knew how much the king liked his neatness.
“…There’s no need to clean it” Well, that stunned you.
“S-Sir?” You stuttered, “It definitely needs to be cleaned, just.. please?”
“I already know where everything is, just leave it be” Lucifer waved his hand dismissively before flopping back onto his bed, gripping a nearby pillow.
Well this won’t do. You needed him to get out of his bed. You needed him to actually do something.
“Sir, please, just accompany me to the workshop and I’ll leave you alone” You pleaded.
He sat still for a moment before shifting his head towards you, “…You’ll leave me alone for the rest of the week if I accompany you, do you hear me..?”
You nodded enthusiastically, “Yes sir! I-I can totally do that!” Not only did it give you an excuse to just do nothing for the rest of the week, your plan might actually work.
“Alright, just let me get ready first” He yawned as he sat up and threw his legs over the edge of the bed.
You quickly left the room for his privacy, as much as you loved your gracious king, you didn’t love him that much.
He left the room almost immediately, not having bothered to clean up his hair or the bags under his eyes. He knew that nobody in their right mind would point it out anyway.
“Just so you know.. I’m going to leave as soon as you’re done in there” Lucifer said.
“That’s alright with me, sir,” You flash a grin, “I’m just glad you got out of that messy room of yours”
“Watch it.” He rolls his eyes.
You chuckle softly as you approach his workshop, but you’re surprised once you open its doors.
The workshop that was usually a mess with his inventions and dreams and even dioramas of his theme park was now barren, only holding the pictures on the walls and his work bench.
“Wow, would you look at that..” Lucifer started, “Guess you don’t need me anymore, I mean, no mess to clean up!”
But you’re not gonna let him off the hook so easily.
“Uh, sir?” You smirked, “Could you at least spare me one request before I stop bothering you for the week?”
Lucifer groaned childishly, obviously not wanting to spend another moment out of the bed that he once shared with his love.
“Fine, fine, I guess it’s the least I could do since you so desperately wanted me over here” He conceded, walking with you to his workbench.
“So, what do you want?” He asked.
You grinned before pulling out some supplies from your pockets, “So, you know how made that thing on Earth before you fell? What was it called… Cuck..? I-I don’t know, but it made that quacking noise”
“A duck?” Lucifer cut you off.
“Ah, precisely!” You nodded.
“What.. What does that have anything to do with this?” He asked.
“Well, Mr. Lucifer, my request is that..” You paused for dramatic effect, “You recreate that! I wanna see what it looks like, and you seem to have pride in the fact that you made them, so maybe it’ll make you feel better!”
Lucifer paused for a moment before laughing. It might’ve been aimed at you rather than with you, but you’d gotten him to laugh at least.
“A-I’m sorry- Is that really all that you want me to do? Make a duck?” He said as the laughter died down.
“Yup! That’s what I want!” You nodded, making him chuckle once more.
“Alright, alright, fine” He sighed, “I’ll make you a duck, but then you let me wallow in self-pity, mkay?”
“Sounds fair!” You responded.
He didn’t say anything back to you as he started to work. You could see sparks flying as he melded metal together, shaping it into the form of a small creature.
“Pass me my yellow paint, would you?” He asked, pointing in the direction of his paints.
You hummed, grabbing his yellow paint for him and setting it down next to him on the table.
“Oh, and the black paint too” He said.
You huffed, “Couldn’t have told me that while I was getting the yellow?” But you got it for him regardless, wrapping your tail around it and ignoring the cold paint as it splashed on you when you brought it over.
He didn’t respond, too focused on painting it perfectly.
Then, the sparks and painting stopped, he smiled softly at his little creation.
“Here it is,” He said, picking it up with gentle hands, “This is what a duck looks like”
You looked at it in awe. It looked so.. cute. It looked so different from all the life in Hell, like it didn’t pose any threats at all.
You took a moment before nodding, “Alright, that’s uh… All I wanted” you smiled before standing up.
“I’ll lead you back to your room and you won’t have to worry about me for the rest of the week” You continued to speak before he cut you off.
“Actually…” He said, “Stay, I think I might need your help grabbing supplies for me while I make some more of these”
You took a moment to process what he said before your eyes lit up with excitement, “Really?!” You had actually been successful in getting the king to enjoy something!
“Really” He chuckled.
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A/N: I hope this lived up to your expectations. I noticed too late that the reader doesn’t really have a gender specified but I guess that just means you can depict them however you want to!
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Look at him :)
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mwahkazu · 19 hours
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random hcs of kazuha and the other people in the gang:
scara/kuni likes playing rhythm games like colorful stage: Hatsune miku or whatever it's called but refuses to admit it. so whenever he does the poll of "what should i play" his comments are flooded with either "PLAY ANIMAL CROSSING" or "PLAY ---- rhythm game" or bonus" "PLAY STARDEW VALLEY :D"
idk why but kazuha is one of those "don't talk to me before i drink my coffee/tea". if you talk to him after he wakes up, he's probably going to insult and shake your perception of reality and then smile after drinking and say some shit like "good morning. weather's good toady" as if he didn't just cause you to rethink life
heizou likes black tea. kuni and kazuha are green tea people. xiao likes to drink coffee. ayato likes boba. i like drinking water.
tysm for reading my random brainrot!!!
-rin
RIN I LOVE THESE HCS SO MUCH !! omg idk if you or anyone here has watched the anime fruits basket but there’s this one scene with the character yuki (who’s seen as like the prince of the school and reminds me of kazuha☺️totally not because they share the same jp va COUGH)
but there’s this one episode where he’s extremely clumsy and just so out of character as he’s waking up and i just see kazuha acting the same way along with his cold-ish attitude😭really whichever attitude you get definitely depends on how much sleep he got the previous night LMAO
ahem..now allow me to feed into my scara/kuni video game brain rots because i saw the words stardew valley and something in me awoke
video games with scara/kuni:
admittedly it’s a bit of a challenge to try and get him to play some relaxing/cozy games with you
i kinda feel he’s more the type to play mmos or fps games as they’re more fast paced and actually require more action from him
also ik some people might say he’s the type to be a “rage gamer” and be aggressive which i can see happening if he’s super into the game he’s currently playing
but normally he’s just the blunt player who calls you out on your bs LMAO
“how tf did you manage to shoot everything but the player?” “can you not read?” “ykw just follow my lead. explaining this to you is pointless.”
this kind of behavior tho is more so towards his close friends
w/ you it’s a somewhat of a different picture
idk if anyone knows that one meme where it goes: “YOUR AIM IS ASS! let me chill out—your aim is…not good, okay? let me be nice.” LMAO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S HOW IT WOULD GO WITH HIM😭
but ofc aside from that he’s patient with you and willing to even teach you special tricks and techniques that he uses in the game
whenever you manage to successfully do one of the things he taught you when you’re playing together, you’ll get all happy and giddy while he’s just be softly smiling at you, secretly finding your childlike excitement adorable
gives you a head pat or ruffles your hair while saying he’s proud or “see, i knew you could it”🥺
BUT ANYWAYS BACK TO COZY GAMES
there was one instance in which scara was playing at his desk one night, as usual
just a casual gaming session with his friends
you were off to the side watching him play and do his thing but being a little bit bored out of your mind
you always did this thing where if you were wanting his attention or were bored you’d sigh and wander aimlessly around the room
which is exactly what you were doing rn and ofc he noticed
he’d excuse himself from his friends for a second, muting his mic before turning to look at you, “you know doll, instead of sighing and pouting around like that you can just tell me you need something.”
“but…you’re playing with your friends aren’t you?” he’ll roll his eyes, “i can always play with them another day. it’s not the end of the world if you want me to stop and spend some time with you.”
so once he says bye to his friends that is when you introduce him to the wonderful world of cozy video games~
“hell no.” “WHAT ;-;”
it takes you a solid 10 minutes to finally get him to try stardew valley w/ you
and for once you finally get to be the one to explain how the mechanics and such work!
“and then…oh! there’s different crops for every season so we have to make sure we plant the right ones and- kuni? are you even listening—?”
bro is already in the mines fighting mobs and getting ore😭
self indulgent hc here:
you’ll tell him about the romance aspect of the game, how you can date other npcs and such
and you’ll explain how your favorite villager npc to romance is sebastian (or any other npc) gushing about cute he (she) is and just fawning over this pixelated character
he doesn't like this. at all. but won’t admit to his jealousy. there would be signs tho…
“where are you going with that quartz?” “i’m gifting it to sebastian so i can get more hearts for him…” “no give it to me we need more refined quartz”
“ooo should i ask sebastian to be my partner for the flower dance?” “no. you’re going to be my dance partner.”
yea don’t even think about trying to marry anyone else but him in the game
without even realizing it, you both will go hours playing this quaint little farming sim game together and by the time your eyes grow tired of staring at a screen for so long, suggesting you both get some sleep for the night he’ll frown
“but we’re almost done with year one..let’s just finish it and then go to sleep.”
he ended up staying up that night to finish while you went soundly to sleep
in the morning you’d wake up to find him cuddling you in bed, arms wrapped around and just pure soft mornings
you’d try to get out of bed to get breakfast started but he’d immediately pull you closer and tighten his hold on you
nuzzling his head into your necking and mumbling for you to stay in bed with him
which you do because how can you say no him <3
i could go on and on about this but i’ll stop myself here for now! humbly brought to you by rin and yuomi’s not so daily dose of brain rotting hcs together :D
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k4thl18n · 1 day
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First Kiss (Race 3)
A strollonso AU where 18 year old rookie Lance Stroll falls helplessly in love with the notoriously mean world champion. (1.5k words, angst, hurt/comfort) [@v3lnys @biancathecool] {I was worried I wouldn't have motivation to write this but i got it done in one sitting LMAO}
last part - masterlist - next part (coming soon)
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Thankfully Mark listened and stayed far away from him while the drivers were getting interviewed, leaving the rookie to just have to answer a few questions from smaller journalists.
It was nice to not be swarmed and just asked questions about his dad but he did wish he could've spoken to Fernando again before quali, seeing how much fun he seemed to be having with Mark.
Quali was decent, he got 7th so it wasn't anything spectacular but it was in the points. All he had to do was keep his spot or better and he'd count it as a good race
Before he could even reach Nico's side of the garage he heard a voice call him, though it wasn't the one he expected
"Alright, Stroll, you're the only one left" Mark announced, earning a groan fron the younger
"Mark please" He begged, not entirely serious but also not wanting to get interviewed anymore
"Fernando will but you dinner if you let me interview you" Lance wasn't one to turn down free dinner.
"What am I doing?" Fernando asked, finally reaching the garage
"Sure" Lance laughed, neither him nor Mark answering Fernandos question as the three of them left the paddock
By the time they reached a restaraunt Fernando had pieced together what exactly he was doing but he didn't really mind, the three of them had paid about the same amount while going around Australia together so it wouldn't kill him to treat the two to a little dinner.
They got seated not long after entering, Fernando and Mark in chairs while Lance sat across from them in the booth
"So, Lance. You ready for your interview?" Mark asked, having no plans on really interviewing him
"Shh," He said, bringing his finger to his lips "After Nando pays" Lance laughed, hoping Mark wasn't serious because the last thing he wanted to do after his second favourite part of the day, eating dinner (talking to Nando is first), is be interviewed.
Last nights dinner went well, Lance liked having friends, Karting had kept him from having too many growing up so having friends in F1 was a nice feeling, it gave him something to look forward to outside of the car.
Today was race day and all Lance wanted was to keep himself in the points.
He walked out of his drivers room, race suit tied around his waist (he couldn't be bothered to keep pulling it up), as usual Fernando somehow managed to completely ditch his garage and get away with it just to wish him good luck.
"Lancito, good luck today, let's see if we can get you on that podium, eh?" He smiled at him, elbowing him slightly
Lance loved seeing Fernando away from Media, he was completely different when the cameras were off, by this time in the season Lance had read the articles, seen the blogs, watched the interviews, people were convinced Fernando was some mean winning machine, he was a winning machine, yes, but the last thing he was was mean (at least to Lance.)
"Thank you, Nando, but don't be too hurt when I beat you" He flashed Fernando a cheeky grin, he wanted to beat him of course, all racers want to win, but a part of him knew that wouldn't happen
The cars all lined up and then started the formation lap, as it ended someone had already spun. Lance knew this was gonna be a hectic Grand Prix and it hadn't even started yet.
Lance stared anxiously at the lights ahead of him then everyone took off, the Australian Grand Prix had begun.
Nico was involved in a minor collision on the first lap with two other drivers, causing him to lose his rear wing, Lance was told over the radio that he was fine so he wasn't too worried, the two had gotten used to not finishing by now.
The safety car was deployed then recalled in two laps but then a driver crashed and it was deployed again. Lance was annoyed, why even bother to take it out if it was just gonna be out not even ten laps later.
They got about 20 laps in when cars started to pit and to Lance's surprise he took the lead, he was leading a Grand Prix, he heard instructions over his radio to take care of his tyres, with better cars coming back out with fresh ones he had to defend like his life depended on it.
He wasn't surprised when Fernando took back the lead, he wasnt sure why but he wasn't exactly mad about it either. He managed to build up a decent gap ahead of the driver behind him and asked if he should pit, he was advised not to so he stayed out.
On lap 32 there was another safety car, he took the chance to finally pit, getting into the pit lane first, the race starting behind the safety car again with him just behind Fernando, for the first time he had a chance to be on the podium with him, he was overjoyed at the idea, if his first podium was with Fernando he was sure it would he a memorable one.
On lap 35 the safety car was recalled but literally one lap later it was out again, they might as well have a safety car out all race at this point.
Two more cars retired after the last safety car was recalled and Lance made it to the final lap, he had managed to stay in 2nd for the past 34 laps, it was insane to him, his engineer tried not to say too much but it was obvious how excited he was for him, and now all he had to do was finish.
He had four corners left, then three, then two... then his engine blew. The car right behind him had been covered in oil and the safest thing to do was pull off the track, ten meters away from his first podium.
"I'm sorry- I'm so sorry, I was almost there, I'm so sorry, I'll try harder in San Marino-" He kept apologizing, wondering if he had made the right choice, wondering if the team would be mad at him
"Lance, It's okay, you're the driver, right? Do what you feel is best, if this is what's best then it's fine." His engineer consoled him, the canadian having a hard time not crying
He finally reached the garage, taking off his helment and his balaclava, his eyes red as he talked to his engineer at the back of his side of the garage, not noticing as the tears began to fall
"Fuck, Brad- I'm so sorry, I feel like i fucked up. I could've kept going, I should've, I almost got us a podium, I was so close." He gasped as he spoke, the Canadian distraught as he thought about his team being mad at him, what if he lost his seat because of this? The media already doesnt like him what would they say now? Was Brad lying about not caring?
"Lance, Lance it's okay, no one is mad at you for keeping yourself safe" He promised, speaking to the boy as if he was a child, which wasn't too far off
Lance couldn't respond, all he could do was cover his face, embarrassed at the reality of him sobbing after a DNF, he didn't care the other times.
Lance got himself together before Fernando came looking for him, not saying a word before dragging the rookie out of his garage
"Nando-" He started, Fernando moving them behind the Racing Point garage "Fernando what-"
Then he hugged him, without saying a word he just hugged him, arms tightly wrapped around the rookie as he sunk into his arms, unable to stop himself from crying again
"Fuck, Nando" He choked out "I feel so stupid"
"Shh, is okay, Lancito" He spoke softly, hand stroking the taller mans hair but at that moment the thing he felt was big. He was embarrassed, trying not to cringe at the reality of him crying in another mans arms but all that mattered was he felt safe in his arms "You did well, am so proud"
Lance hummed, sniffling as he kept his head in the crook of Fernandos neck "I'm sorry, Nando," He practically whispered "I wanted to be up there with you"
Fernando knew that, he was upset to hear Lance was no longer behind him, all he wanted was to celebrate with him, he was looking forward to it for the whole race and now he's stood there with the younger man a complete mess in his arms, he hoped San Marino would treat him better.
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puuta-heinaa · 1 day
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Joker Out, Paris (Café de la danse) 22.3.2024
I arrived at the venue around 14ish, and was third to last in the EE queue. However queueing is part of the party! I exchanged sooo many bracelets and met amazing people, some of which I just met that day, some I knew from Discord or tumblr or earlier gigs, couldn't have been happier. Got selfies with Bojan and Jan?? Hug from Bojan??? HELLO. That would never happen in Finland. I described his hug as jämäkkä and turvallinen, which roughly translates to sturdy and safe.
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Some of the bracelets I made for the concert!
Met someone in the queue who had hawk's eyes and who encouraged me to go and ask for a selfie with Jan, and later on she spotted Bojan on the street 100 m before everyone else did. I had a chance to give Bojan 3 2 ananaslonkero -bracelet that I'd made, with a tiny drink charm. If the main joke in fandoms is that a hug from your blorbo would cure you? well it's true. Getting a hug from Bojan removed some stiffness between my shoulder blades that I didn't even know was there. It was literally easier to breathe after the encounter. I also kept vigorously shaking for 3-5 minutes afterwards, so much that some people asked if I'm ok. Just released years worth of trauma ig. Also LOTS of happy hand stims throughout the day, my autism was showing lol.
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Jan was outdoors SMOKING!!! And Bojan had charmingly dirty hair! He was taller than I had thought.
ANYways the gig !! I ended up on Jance side, which was nice as I was on Kris' side in Helsinki. Whole stage was about as wide as K-18 section at Kultsa, and I think they suit better on smaller stages.
We got Vem da Gres and Gola in soundcheck! I was wearing Vem da gres -bracelet that I got in Helsinki a few weeks ago and thought about that person for a few seconds!
Gola was ok. Bojan got disney mickey ears, and he was wearing my 3 2 ananaslonkero bracelet. Bojan also got a maca plushie that he was NOT scared of, he even made it fly.
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Kris left the stage as soon as the last notes of Gola were over, other boys stayed jamming in accelerating speed for couple of more minutes. I showed them my UM sign that only read "I want to sing UMAZAN" at that point. :')
20h02 was ok, didn't connect with their music at all though. JC Stewart seemed a bit sick, but sounded good nevertheless. Finished my sign.
They started with Katrina and Bele Sanje, and people were singing even guitar riffs along. Dopamin hit like dopamine followed by Ne bi smel, Nace was staring at me several times during those songs.
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Liinu's superb edit of staring sc Nace and struggling Kris and Arcti's edit about Jan's forgotten library books made my day
People were already singing along to Sta bih ja, and Bojan was sooo happy (and sweaty. We were all very sweaty, the concert hall was ridiculously warm.). Kris disappeared for a moment in the beginning of Sta bih ja, and Bojan looked like a lost puppy (wait, where is kris?? about 5-10 seconds into sta bih ja). Bojan said Kris didn't like how Jan played the riff and that's why he left the stage :P. Jan flipped a bird to him.
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Decibels raised by about 20 when they played Ona and Demoni. Turns out they might be the easiest to sing along for absolutely everyone, not just for people who speak Finnish. Bojan looked me directly into eyes during second verse of Demoni for several seconds, and I felt so seen (in a good way). EE was definitely worth its price.
In Helsinki I felt like the setlist was over before it even started, but in Paris it felt more like we were really dancing and playing until the stars fade. I think it had something to do with how much they interacted with each other and with the public during each song. In Helsinki they seemed like they had forgotten how to be on stage, and there was just TOO MUCH SPACE, whereas Paris had Nordic Tour energy.
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They all moved a LOT on stage!! Kris was on jance side several times! Nace had a mating dance thingy going on with Kris at least twice, Jan once. Jan interacted with the public on Kris's side a few times. Bojan almost run into Kris at one point - no wonder he caressed Kris's arm to let him know he's there before grapping his hips?? and dancing behind him??? during Behind those eyes. It's cafe de la danse after all.
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Def thinking "THIS is how we'll trend on tumblr tonight" right after the famous dance
Everybody's waiting and soooooo many people raised hands when Bojan asked in his spiel before the song if anyone here suffers from panic or anxiety attacks, and I think it made everyone feel less alone. He sang I'm the problem it's me -line to make things a bit lighter before proceeding to the song.
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We got Omamljeno Telo and I felt SOOOO HAPPY (but also sad for Moonu) but also SOOOO HAPPY it was on the setlist, I think I screamed VITTU JES on top of my lungs (manifesting it for Ruisrock huh). Famous water spray on Jan during OT, and it shows I've grown old, because instead of "yeeeess I want Bojan's spit on me" I went "rat disease, why am I not wearing a mask".
Everyone sang along during CD, not in French though even if there was a fanproject French translation published a whole 28 hours before(....). Plastika hit like a hammer once again, but I think I was already waiting and stressing for UM, so I didn't mosh for example. Which, good idea, because my neck was soooo sore after Helsinki.
Bojan announced the karaoke song, and asked which versions we have today. He saw my sign, asked "Slovenian version?", to which I "said" (from 4th row on Jan+Nace side) Finnish version, and he heard it and corrected himself and said perfect. I was not afraid at all even if I knew I'm probs going to sing in front of about 500 people in 5ish minutes???? How??? I'm usually a ball of anxiety but here I was just proud and excited to sing my version of it.
I loved the Bretogne/French version (I've still no idea what were the words, but it rhymed super well and she sang well, but that was def NOT paris region French), cringed at some of the "translations" because they did not fit the lines and did not rhyme, sang along to Slovenian versions in Finnish, felt bad for one of them as the karaoke singer started at the wrong moment and Bojan spent most of their special moment trying to orchestrate the band.
When Bojan approached with "I think we still have a Slovenian version, OH NO, A FINNISH VERSION" I chortled, and felt the last bits of nervousness disappear. (Cue "some boat, titanic, oh no".) I had my ACTUALLY finger pointing moment, which, on point with my personality, telling him it's a hybrid version. I don't know what he meant with SUOMI SAA, but it was NOT full-on Suomi SAATANA, that much is certain. I quite like the idea/interpretation he was making a pun with SAA(tan)Are you ready? But who knows. Sad about missed chance to answer "ArE YoU???" now that I think about it, but at least I wasn't the only one who failed the moment :') . Speaking of cursewords though, a histronic youngster next to me did shout vittu though! I loved my spot but she was super annoying throughout the evening.
The Finnish version is in the beginning of this one, and the Arabic version right after Finnish version is AMAZING. The French version is on the first part, as well as Bojan going "uuu Finnish version? perfect".
Started in Slovene, which made him have a Ok?? face, but when I switched to my own Finnish version that rhymes with the Slovene version, he raised his brows and seemed so impressed that I just nodded to him, sending telepath(et)ic messages that yes, our languages match and rhyme, about time you collaborate with Jere. I think he remembered I asked for a hug in the afternoon, because he did not hug everyone during karaoke. Afternoon hug was better btw.
I love his little surprised smile right when I finish the first Finnish line on this one
I usually think quite a lot about how other people perceive me, but now I didn't give a single fuck, just enjoyed being the main character for 20 seconds, having this interaction with my blorbo. Forever grateful for the 4 different angles I received from friends I made in the queue, and 1 from a random guy who asked me after the concert if I'd like to receive a video he took of me singing. Even Vita was filming the whole thing with her big light + camera + phone ensemble. I often sing in my car, and even IMAGINING i'm singing karaoke makes my voice suddenly tiny and weak and compressed, so I'm overflowingly glad it went this well, you have no idea even if I've just bragged about it for 4 paragraphs.
I later realised I was the only one who didn't hold the mic themself, this is a clear example how I objectify the boys, seeing Bojan just as a mic stand.🫣😵‍💫
I got fluent Kiitos from Bojan, that guy needs to move to Finland he speaks Finnish so well. Also LMAO I forgot to sniff him in the afternoon, now I'm praying the snifff I took after karaoke wasn't too evident and doesn't show on Vita's video……….. Jere is wrong, Bojan does not smell like shit, but there were no parfume smell either? He just smells like nothing in a pleasant, pheromone rich way lol.
my translation: Sanje so tvojega okusa Aamuihin taas tuoksusi Neula ei haarukassa Sieluni on hukassa Etsimässä tietään luoksesi
I haven't figured how to translate the first line. I've been playing with "Makus' on tarrannut uniini", but it does not rhyme with the og well enough. Otherwise super proud of my version. Neula and haarukka are parts of compass, basically saying the compass is layed on the map the wrong way. 🧭
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This is how small the place was??? I was in 3/4th row, and the hat guy in the right corner was right behind me during the concert so the club truly was tiny.
Apparently bubbles were not allowed on stage in Cafe de la danse? But some people had brought their own so we had bubbles anyway.
Jure exchanged his drumstick to a breadstick. I laughed because a) it was a clever pun and b) such a stereotypically French thing to bring a BAGUETTE wrapped in a napkin to a concert. Also no wonder boys are always sick, I don't even want to know how many people touched that bread before it was on stage.
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Life is pain (in mouths)
We waited for the boys after the concert outside the venue in the rain, and they walked past quite quickly. Bojan stayed for 30 seconds to take a group selfie. <3
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Honestly so happy I traveled there and met amazing people and surpassed myself on so many levels.
I feel like 2004 again, because that's when I last made a post this long on livejournal and also when I last was this hyped about a group.
I loved band's AMAZING OUTFITS in Café de la danse, everyone had some idrija lace on them, and I'm afraid my next special interest will be bobbin lace.
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newbromantics · 2 days
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galex when harry met sally au!!!! genius idea!!!!! say more (if you want!)
omg hi… thank u for your interest that’s so nice! one thing abt me I will always say more
first of all I consider myself a when harry met sally scholar and I’m always like why are there not more whms aus? but the answer is most likely that the premise (men and women can’t be friends) is ridiculous and hard to translate to fic where the couple is not straight man/straight woman. I’ve seen a fic before where they tried to be like “gay men can’t be friends w other gay men” or something but respectfully this somehow makes less sense than the original version imo which is already goofy. anyways the solution is u have to just forget abt that part and move forward w the delicious friends to lovers drama
to me the next step is well who is harry and who is sally and luckily thanks to bisexuality I think they can both be a little of each or like you could justify either way depending on which angle on their personalities you’re taking. tho I thinkkkk I lean more alex harry George sally. primarily bc of the two George would have days of the week underwear. this all came to me in a vision when I did my most recent traditional nye rewatch
I think I can’t write this as an actual fic bc I’m too loyal to the source material and would just end up name changing every iconic scene instead of thoughtfully adapting the material based on Alex and George’s perceived personalities but it’s still fun to put guys in situations in my head so I’m taking this opportunity to bullet point. thank u again lol
when they drive to New York from chicago George is sally and Alex is harry and as mentioned above at the diner george does tell the days of the week underwear story. to me Alex being like “well you’ve never had good sex then!” and george defending himself is very fun and then also the “they don’t make Sundays” punchline seems like good sneaky funny guy george humour that would catch Alex off guard and have him be like oh this weird uptight guy who is being really strict w the driving schedule is actually kinda fun
ALSO the exchange of:
Alex: you’d rather be in a passionless marriage
George: and be First Lady of Czechoslovakia
Alex: than be w the guy you’ve had the best sex of your life w just bc of his job?
George: YES and so would any practical person w any sense!
is so galex to me. imo one of them needs to have some sort of preconceived notion that the other finds ridiculous and their relationship is abt the push and pull… is this anything
side note in this au george drives them the whole way to New York and when they reconnect it is a treasured anecdote abt how George drives like a maniac
When they part ways I think Alex insults George’s driving and George is like 🙄 okay see you never man! and Alex was honestly gonna ask for his instagram (modern whms I guess!) but okay “I guess we’re not going to be friends?” and George is a little embarrassed but he thought Alex who made fun of him for fucking a guy named Sheldon and reads the ends of books in case he dies prob doesn’t want to be friends w George anyways and might be making fun of him rn so he says “I guess not” and Alex is like “okay too bad.. you were the only person I knew in New York! have a nice life” and George watches him walk away w a little pang… missed connection… honestly plot hole bc George would like Alex right away but needs must
time jump but do they meet at the airport or just like a party w mutual friends idk… either way to me the important galex moment from this segment is the conversation abt dating being hard and alex does the harry monologue abt how after you hook up w someone you lie there and think how long do we have to cuddle before I can leave? is 30 seconds enough? and George is like u can’t be serious w that you don’t think that (do people think this abt George???) and alex is like yes obviously! smugly looks at George “how long do you like to be held? all night right?” George sputters and alex goes on “that’s the problem. somewhere between 30 seconds and all night” in my head the title of this fic is between 30 seconds and all night. my priorities are very in order
next fun thing to think abt for me is the sally friend group and I’ve decided that CHARLES should be the Carrie fisher character bc it pleases me to think abt charles being involved w a married man who is never going to leave his wife for him (yes the married man is seb thanks for asking) and dramatically sighing “he’s never going to leave her” and George going yeah charles that’s true mate “you’re right you’re right I know you’re right” anytime u can get charles leading a dramatic side character life in a fic I think it is a win
Alex and George reconnect fr and start spending so much time together in their post break up eras. George definitely has a sexual fantasy where a man rips off all his clothes and that’s it but sometimes his outfit is different
they go on their double date where George has brought charles for Alex and Alex brings Pierre for George (chalex is very fun to me and I think ideally I would want Alex and charles to have the sally/Marie relationship but George and Pierre is a harder connection to make other than that one time they went to ihop together apparently. so redbull trauma connection it is)
Alex explaining to Pierre that George actually is good looking and has a good personality and Pierre is like 🤨 well why did you say GOOD PERSONALITY everyone knows this means ugly. Alex put in a position to explain why George is attractive and fun to spend time with yessss let’s not connect those dots king
Piarles triumphs of course and George is like please charles just be nice to Alex he’s actually very sensitive… u can text Pierre but just for tonight be chill I’m begging u. Charles and Pierre immediately decide to share an uber. George says oh does Pierre live in charles’ neighbourhood Alex says Well. No across the city actually
Haven’t thought abt the set pieces that much beyond this double date scenario tbh but we of course have Alex and george having a run in w Alex’s ex while they’re doing something silly and george is like ohhhhh he’s not over it and they get into a fight at Charles and Pierre’s place (tho can’t imagine in this world that Charles and Pierre would argue abt ugly furniture like.. they’re wearing matching ridiculous pants) where alex is like well where do you get off lecturing me abt taking my emotions out on my friends when you don’t even care abt your breakup you’re totally fine! and George is like just bc I am PROCESSING THIS DIFFERENTLY doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings
plot moves along etc etc they’re seeing other ppl that they’re both lowkey dismissive of etc etc THEY HOOK UP its perfect George is like wow it’s all clicking I hadn’t thought abt it but we were definitely heading in this direction meanwhile Alex is FREAKING OUT very much in his head abt how he is ruining his friendship w George and did he take advantage of George in his emotionally distressed state is George gonna be upset with him he really needs to get out of here to think. in the morning when Alex is nervously getting tf out but politely inviting George to dinner after work and George is picking up on the tense energy like oh god he regrets this and therefore I regret this! he cannot believe he let himself get into a position where Alex was calculating how long he had to hold George before he could run out of George’s apartment
At dinner George says “it was a mistake, you’re my best friend and I value that” and alex thought this is what he wanted george to say bc that means they’re on the same page so actually why does it feel so terrible?
Things are now VERY AWKWARD which is what Alex wanted to avoid but george is allegedly very busy and can’t hang out so they next time they really see each other is at charles and Pierre’s wedding where they get into a fight and alex is like well sorry I didn’t come over w the plan to sleep with you but what was I supposed to do when you were looking at me with your big weepy eyes!!! (extremely galex moment thanks nora ephron) and George is going to DIE he cannot have alex sleeping w him out of pity
Alex groveling montage etc etc George is really hurt but picks up the phone and he cannot be Alex’s nye party date bc he cannot do more just friends not dating w alex and he is NOT a consolation prize back up plan!!! alex realizing that George is not a back up plan to him he is actually everything and if he doesn’t want to ruin the best relationship he has he unfortunately has to do something abt it and be EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE
insert nye perfect romcom speech scene. love wins they want the rest of their lives to start as soon as possible and shall be married in the fall.
and yes it’s about old friends
Realized I did not address the I’ll have what she’s having scene and it’s bc I actually can’t decide who is who. on one hand george has been sally for most of this and I like the dynamic of George doing things that Alex doesn’t expect but also I can picture a world where George is the one w more preconceived/rigid notions abt sex but also I think I’m lowkey close minded abt how a convo abt faking orgasms would go between 2 cis dudes. would they have this convo?? realism obv my #1 concern in my f1 real person fanned fiction
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Message in a Bottle [1]
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Genre: strangers to lovers; fluff; slow burn Pairing: Choi Seungcheol x Reader Warnings: mature themes, sloooow burn, suggestive Notes: 19.7k words, song prompt was Message in a Bottle by Taylor Swift. Synopsis: Seungcheol likes his coffee dark and iced; you like yours creamy smooth and searing hot. Your differences, mutual interests, and love for coffee bring you close together. It was all fun and games until you fell madly in love with a Choi Seungcheol whose heart still belonged to someone else.
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It was crowded when you went for your usual coffee run at the cafe across the street from your university. The rain was pouring hard and for you, the unexpected downpour was today's bad luck because you didn't have an umbrella with you. Fortunately, your jacket kept you warm and some nice schoolmate shared her umbrella with you on your way to the cafe. The ambiance is nice, like always and you're thinking about staying until the rain passes, maybe catching up on the book you were reading. But judging by the number of people present in the cafe right then, you figured you wouldn't have a chance to even open a book. Initially, you assumed most of these people were taking a quick shelter because of the rain, but when you noticed the large number of girls with their giggles and chatters, you figured out what was going on. Today is Saturday, the day when the cute part-timer will be here. Of course, you should have expected the place to be full with zero vacancies.
Right then, you spotted a corner table where a guy sat quietly by himself, a book covering his face as he read. You grimaced at the way he was holding the book at eye level with one hand. To you, that's the most uncomfortable way to read, especially with a hardcover book. But hey, each to his own, right? You shouldn't judge people just because their ways aren't what you're used to. Especially right now when you're in dire need of a seat and he has a table for two by himself.
"Hi, excuse me? Are you alone? Do you mind if I sit here?" you pleaded, your tray heavy in your hand and not because of its actual weight but because you were being really careful not to spill the mug of hot coffee. The guy didn't even look up from his book when he dragged his glass slightly towards him, a gesture telling you he was making space for you on the table. "Oh, thanks, you're a lifesaver!"
You set your tray down and placed your orders on the table before a service crew came over to take the tray. As you settled down, you fished the Kindle from your bag, glancing at his book to see what he was reading. "The Republic by Plato? Are you a student here?"
He peered at you over the book, lowering it slightly to reveal a set of big, round, dark brown eyes and arched eyebrows. You grinned sheepishly, now realizing that your attempt at small talk was a bad idea. First, he probably wanted some peace and quiet, too immersed in his book and didn't want to be disturbed; second, you're not even fond of making casual conversations with strangers in the first place.
"Oh, sorry. I had to read the same book last semester for class so I just assumed you're a student here too," you explained.
"You're a senior?" he asked, lowering the book on the table for a moment. You were able to take a good look at his face which bears somewhat exotic but good-looking features. He had a prominent nose, and pouty lips that caused his jaw to clench when they were pursed. "That's a requirement for senior Political Sciences students."
"Yeah! Yes, I am," you smiled, nodding as you stirred your steaming coffee so you had an excuse not to look him in the eyes. He seemed older than you, you could tell by the way he was sitting and his manner of speaking. Also because of the way he's not dressed like guys your age. "How about you?"
That was your low-key attempt at asking his age.
"I graduated a few years ago," he shrugged before taking his iced coffee and sipping from the glass straw.
"Ah, I see, you're an oppa," you noted, nodding again as you blew on your cup. You stopped in your tracks, realizing belatedly the implication of your reply. You looked up at him and sure enough, he had a confused smile on his lips. You briskly sat up and shook your head and hands at him. "No, no, I mean, like you're older than me. That's all. I'm not trying to flirt or anything."
He just nodded with his eyebrows, smiling wider with his lips together before returning to his book. "What's your name?"
You fumbled with the thoughts in your head, suddenly forgetting your own name upon being asked what it was. After clearing your throat to silence your crazed brain, you told him your name and threw in that you're a senior Linguistics student.
"Linguistics have Plato?" he asked, referring to the subject you mentioned a while ago.
"No, but I took an elective."
"Hmmh, you seem to have plenty of time," he replied, eyes still glued on his book. "Seungcheol."
"Huh?"
His eyes fluttered to you. "My name. It's Choi Seungcheol."
"Oh, I wasn't ask— I mean, yeah, nice to meet you, Seungcheol-nim."
Seungcheol flattened his lips together in a smile before shifting his gaze back to the book. You smiled back, although his eyes had already left you. After that brief exchange, you both plunged into your own worlds, reading books in two different mediums, immersing yourselves in two different types of literature, and drinking coffee at two different temperatures. The little nook you shared was quiet, even with the chattering around the cafe and the consistent giggling when the handsome part-timer would smile at a random someone among the customers. You were so immersed in your own little world that you lost track of time, only realizing how long you've been sitting there when you touched your cup and it has gone cold. Seungcheol's spot in front of you is empty. The rain has stopped too, leaving a mist behind that fogged the glass.
"Okay. I will stop here because I have self-control and John Green will still be here when I come back to it," you whispered to yourself, like a mantra to keep yourself from using up all of your time doing something you consider to be unproductive.
As you tucked away your reading tablet, you spotted a piece of untouched donut on the table and a note with it that said: It was nice to meet you, Y/N. - SC
"You ate it? You ate it?!" Seolhee, your roommate, hollered at you when you told her about meeting Seungcheol and the donut he left for you. "You ate a donut from a stranger?"
"Technically, he's no longer a stranger. I already knew him when he gave me that."
"Yeah, for three hours!"
You sighed, lying on the couch. "You're missing the point."
"No, you're missing the point. You ate food left to you by a stranger. What if he was some creepy old guy who's slipping chemicals on women's food and then abducts them?"
"Okay. You do have a point," you told her, sitting back up again. "But first, he's not creepy old, maybe like three or four years older. Second, it was at The Coffeehouse. What kind of psycho kidnapper would abduct women in broad daylight and in a crowded cafe? And third, he just didn't strike me as a bad guy. I mean, he seemed completely normal, educated even. And you know I have a good eye for people."
"Yes, you have. But you can't entrust your safety to intuition alone. For all we know, it could be a ploy. Get you to warm up to him before he abducts you and leaves you in a ditch, naked and lifeless."
You shook your head. Criminal Psychology had Seolhee thinking the worst things about people, but you don't blame her because she obviously had a point and you were admittedly being naive when you did what you did. Still, you stood by your initial impression of Choi Seungcheol; he's a decent guy.
"So, is he handsome?" Yoori asked, just as she had finished doing her makeup in front of the mirror.
"Yoori!" Seolhee chided but your other roommate just shrugged.
"What? If you're wrong, and he really was a decent guy, then we have to know if he was good-looking enough for our girl."
"Why does that matter?" Seolhee questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Because he might have a crush on her. He left y/n a donut and a note. That's something a guy won't do unless he has a reason to."
"He's old."
"No, he's just a little older," Yoori corrected, jumping over to your side of the couch. "So, how much older is he? You know, older guys are way more attractive. They're mature and open-minded. Sometimes they can be a little intense too, but that's the best thing about them."
"Intense?" you asked and she scooted closer to whisper in your ear.
"Oh, you know..." In a lower but clearly audible voice, she said, "Intense and experienced."
"Okay. You're done," Seolhee announced, tapping your shoulder repeatedly. "Get up and go to bed. You have class."
But Yoori grabbed your head and locked it in a hug. "Hey, don't baby my y/n. She's old enough for that conversation! She even brought a guy here before!"
You slipped away from her grasp and ran to your bedroom, shutting the door behind you as you heard them bicker. It's one thing to live with roommates, but it's another when said roommates are two people with different personalities who are dating steadily. Seolhee and Yoori are such people. You liked living with them but ever since you moved in, they started treating you like their very own daughter even when you're literally the same age. You gotta admit though, it feels good to be taken care of.
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Your coffee runs went on as usual; just dropping by to grab a cup and then leaving. Sitting around a cafe isn't really something you habitually do, especially when you're alone. Even though you were curious about Seungcheol, you never thought about sharing a table with him again or turning your spontaneous acquaintance into an actual friendly relationship. Admittedly though, each time you went to the cafe, you found yourself looking around to see if he was there but so far you haven't seen him again since that one rainy Saturday. You assumed he wasn't a regular but it could also be the timing of your visits. Either way, he only ever crossed your mind when you're at the cafe. Then two weeks in, it got to a point where your eyes automatically scanned the cafe in search of him and when you realized that you had subconsciously associated him with the cafe, you felt like a foolish teenager with a massive crush on someone.
"I gotta stop doing that," you chided yourself after you walked inside the cafe and did your routine quick scan of the place.
"Doing what?" Yoori asked, both her and Seolhee casting curious gazes at you.
You shook your head and nervously replied with the first excuse you came up with, "Talking to myself."
You looked for a vacant table while your roommates ordered the food. As you did, you spotted the corner table you shared with Seungcheol and found him sitting there by himself, reading a book. Seeing him there made your heart race, an unfamiliar kind of nervousness creeping into your chest. Seungcheol looked unfamiliar too, as if it was the first time you'd laid eyes on him. But then again, you never really got the chance to get to know him properly, let alone take the time to familiarize what he looks like.
"Who's that?" you heard Seolhee ask and only then did you realize you were staring at Seungcheol.
"No one," you said briskly, sounding defensive. You folded when Seolhee gave you a skeptical gaze. "I mean, someone. That's the guy I told you about. Choi Seungcheol."
"Choi Seungcheol?" Seolhee grimaced but Yoori gasped. "That name rings a bell."
"Seungcheol? The donut guy?" asked Yoori to whom you responded with a nod. "Well, isn't he a looker?"
"He is, but stop looking. You guys are embarrassing," you scolded quietly, tugging Yoori's hand to sit her down. You talked about random stuff for a while, eating your second breakfast between conversations. Yoori, however, can't seem to get over seeing Seungcheol for the first time.
"You should go say hi to him or something," she chimed when she caught you staring in his direction for the nth time. You chuckled incredulously, acting like you just heard a ridiculous suggestion.
"Why should I?" you questioned, hiding your nervousness behind your mug as you sipped from it.
"You can't stop looking over there. You might as well just approach him."
You didn't, of course. But you saw him stand up and get ready to leave. Just as he was passing by your table, he gave you a smile and an acknowledging nod that you returned politely. It was a fleeting exchange, almost unnoticed but you knew your friends saw that. As soon as he was far enough, Seolhee tapped your arm.
"I know that guy. Choi Seungcheol, was it? He's friends with the professor I am currently working for as a TA," she announced.
"He is?" you questioned, glancing briefly at Seungcheol who's now standing by the doorway, chatting a coffeeshop staff. "Does he teach?"
Seolhee crossed her arms over her chest, thinking. "I don't think so. From what I know, he's probably a lawyer or something. He graduated law school here three years ago and he's older than us by... five years, I think?"
"How do you know all that?" asked Yoori.
"I told you, he's friends with the prof. He comes by sometimes and they chat. Sometimes I hear them talking so I pick up things. They seem close too. They're probably related."
You just shrugged, intrigued to know a little about him but you're also less curious now that you know he's not only older but old enough to have a decent job and have his life figured out. Now that you've thought about it, you realize he's an intellectual. He went to law school, reads Plato to pass the time, and even has a professor for a friend. You can claim yourself to be an academic but not to that extent. Choi Seungcheol is in a different league and your tiny little crush on him faded after finding out how much gap the two of you have, both in age and way of life. You don't even want to begin imagining the possibility that he's wealthy too.
Studying is hard, but for someone who's got nothing else going on with her life, you've grown to love school and studying. College life gave you enough to live a fun life; classes, friends, and hobbies, even dreams and aspirations. It has its advantages but it also has its drawbacks that you dislike so much, like deadlines and homework. As you sat on a tall stool by the long window table at The Coffeehouse, you glared at the words on your computer, muttering curses under your breath. It was late in the evening when you arrived with heavy feet, having no choice but to do your homework here because your roommates had a little party going on in your shared apartment. You had a written task you forgot about and only remembered when a friend from the same class mentioned it to you earlier that evening. Now you have to pull an all-nighter to finish a ten-page in-depth analysis of a famous speech. Is it possible to finish in one night what would have taken at least two days to complete? You blew the hair out of your face again, squinting at the words while a part of the speech played on a loop through your earphones. You could swear you've memorized every word uttered by this person, even the timing of the pauses and the occasional clearing of his throat. If this goes on, you'd go nuts. Time check, 12:45 midnight.
"Okay! Four pages: done, six more to go," you blurted, stretching your arms to start typing again. Downing more of your hot coffee, you focused on the sounds from your earphones. Oblivious to your surroundings, you have cut yourself off from the world, eyes not leaving your screen while you type everything that comes to mind. And when you finally wrote the last line for your paper, you raised your hands in the air to celebrate. Even boasting to yourself when you see the time. "2:15? See, finished it in five hours, no sweat."
You pulled the earphones out of your ears, breathing a sigh of relief as you reached for your cup. Only then did you notice several empty cups sitting next to the warm one you just touched. A strange thing to see because you don't remember ordering this many. Come to think of it, you never ordered a refill but your coffee stayed warm and full the whole time you were working.
"You did great," said the man sitting one chair away. You recognized Seungcheol, eyes fixed on his book while leaning on the backrest of the stool.
"Seungcheol-nim..." you trailed off, wondering if you were right to think he had been reordering your coffee while you were working on your assignment. "Have you been here the whole time?"
His eyes fluttered over to the empty cups and to you, then back to his book. "I was here before you."
"No way, have you been refilling my cup?" you questioned when you noticed that he was drinking iced coffee.
He flipped a page and exhaled. "You look like you could use a few more cups while working," he replied.
You felt your cheeks flare, making you stare into your computer screen then shut your eyes to calm down. If there's one thing you're shy to admit, it's the fact that your heart is fragile for even the smallest acts of service. Imagine this much thoughtfulness from someone you just met? And someone really attractive at that? You'd be head over heels in no time! That can't happen!
"Why though?"
Seungcheol shrugged. "You were too passionate with what you're doing. I was touched."
You weren't sure if he was joking but that made you laugh. "Well, thanks? I guess? I appreciate it."
He gave you a brief glance and nodded. "Anytime."
You looked around the cafe, taking notice of the students with their laptops and sleepy eyes fixated on their screens. It was quiet but you could almost hear the chaos in your fellow students' heads as they worked and studied. Other customers were just lounging, but most of the people there were college students.
"Wow, this place looks miserable," you sighed, returning to your own laptop to save your work. "I guess it's true what they said about this cafe."
"What do they say?" asked Seungcheol, closing his book and crossing his arms over his chest. He looked warm in his brown coat, and you were reminded of the age gap again when you compared his coat to your cartoon sweater. Does he not even dress casually when he lounges at a cafe late at night?
"They say this place becomes a graveyard after midnight," you replied, chuckling. "I mean, every student looks close to dying. Including me."
Seungcheol smiled. "Back in my day, this was a pork belly barbecue restaurant."
"It was?" you questioned, genuinely amazed. But then a snort came out of your mouth. "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that you sounded so old when you said, 'Back in my day'."
Seungcheol chuckled this time. "To be fair, it has been a while and this place looks nothing like it did before. Here, let me show you."
He fished his phone from his coat's pocket and toggled on his screen for a moment before leaning closer to show you a photo. It was of him with some other people and he looked younger in it. You assumed it was when he was still in college and took notice of the place around him. It was a bit shabby, with smoke around, writing on the walls, and barbecue tables all around. It looks nothing like the posh and clean interior of the cafe now.
"This was six years ago while I was in undergrad school. Different, isn't it?"
You nodded in agreement, genuinely impressed by his revelation. "It is. Hard to believe this was the same building." You looked around the cafe. "What happened to that restaurant?"
"The owner passed away a few years back," he replied. "The building was renovated shortly after."
"Well, damn. That got sad pretty fast." You flattened your lips together. "You looked cute when you were a student though."
Your last comment made Seungcheol chuckle. "Thanks?" he replied, sounding unconvinced.
"Right, by the way, if you don't mind me asking," you began, moving to occupy the seat between the two of you. "What do you do for a living?"
"What do I do?"
You nodded with enthusiasm. "Yeah. I have this friend who said you were close with a professor she was assisting. I got curious about your job because you have this academic vibe."
Seungcheol's shoulders rocked as he laughed. "Do I now?"
You smiled sheepishly. "No, not really. But you seem like one. Given your choice of books and professor friend."
He nodded affirmatively. "I can see how you came to that conclusion."
"See, even the way you talk is intelligent," you commented and that seemed to have caught him off-guard, making him laugh shyly and look away for a second.
"Do you always speak that way?"
Your hands flew over your mouth, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Why? How do I speak?"
"Like you're empowering people by praising them too much," he replied. "Or do you do it unknowingly?"
"Is that how I sounded? Wow, that explains a lot of things," you blurted, recalling all the times you got unwanted attention from guys who claimed you were flirting with them.
"Like what?"
"What?" you retorted, refusing to answer honestly.
"Never mind, but to answer your question, I'm not really an academic, whatever you think that is." He paused and appeared to hesitate before saying, "I'm a liar."
"A lawyer?"
"No, a liar."
"Yes, a lawyer," you repeated, chuckling as you took a sip from your still-warm cup of coffee. "I figured that much after finding out you went to law school."
"You know an awful lot about me," he quipped so you shook your head in denial.
"No. Just that bit." You paused, realizing you knew more than that bit. "And your professor friend. And maybe your... age... too..."
"My age? Were you curious about my age?"
Yes. "No," you lied, laughing derisively. "It just came up during the one time when we talked about you. Once."
Seungcheol chuckled heartily. "Alright, if you say so."
You were still reeling in embarrassment when your phone buzzed, signaling a message from Yoori. She was asking if you're still out and when you'd be back so you took that as your cue to leave.
"I have to go. It's way past my bedtime," you quipped, pointing at your wristwatch. That prompted Seungcheol to check his too.
"Yeah, looks like it." He smiled at you, a friendly smile that you knew you'd be seeing again sometime. "Good luck with your assignment."
"Ugh, don't remind me." You rolled your eyes as you finished packing up your stuff. "See you around, Seungcheol-nim."
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Your little meet-ups with Seungcheol were spontaneous and mostly happened when you least expected it. But over time, you got familiar with his patterns and found out he was there at random but at specific times of day; either late in the morning or late at night. Most of the time, you catch him there late in the morning, in the quiet nook he seemed to have reserved for himself or the long table by the windows. Whenever he sees you walk in by yourself, he offers to share his table where you would lose track of time just talking. The subjects of your conversations were random, often mundane but interesting enough to keep discussing. In these encounters, you found out how, despite your differences in preferences, you share common interests in literature, coffee, and music. He still speaks like an older guy, and his insights were interesting. More often than not, your opinions agree with each other. On the rare occasions when it doesn't, you're always the first to call him out, sparking a friendly debate that lets you in on his deep thoughts about the matter. While the age gap isn't that much and most people his age are good enough with technology and trends, Seungcheol admits he does not indulge too much in such things. This became something you would always tease him about.
"Is this seat taken?" you asked the moment you caught him by himself at his usual table. He panicked at your arrival, closing his book at once and hiding it under his hands.
"No classes today?" he casually asked but you already have your eyes on the book he was hiding. You sat across from him and placed your stuff on the vacant chair.
"Not until 2:30. What's that you got there?" you hinted, grinning mischievously before trying to snatch it. Seungcheol was quick to hide it and pretended not to know what you meant, looking around stupidly. "You don't have to hide it. I know that book. I saw it when I came in. I thought you're not a fan of romance novels?"
Seungcheol quietly took the book out of his coat and placed it on the table with a flustered expression. "I'm not but I do read a few. And this is a good book."
You grimaced. "Wait till you finish reading it."
"I have actually. I like to re-read this from time to time," he confessed, clearing his throat as if he was embarrassed to say what he just said.
Now you're straight-up giving him a judging gaze. "No, you don't."
"I do."
"But it's terrible. The author portrayed love in the most clichéd way possible and she wrote the most boring main character ever with no character development and ended up leaving everything behind for a guy. She started as a damsel in distress that needed saving and she stayed that way until a macho male character saved her. So boring."
"I disagree. The story is set in the 1500s when opportunities were scarce for women. She was denied a lot of things and had to live a life mapped out for her by society and other people. Her love interest was a man with access to limitless privileges. And while I do admire headstrong and independent female protagonists, I also think it's alright to get out of a bad place with someone else's help."
"I have to admit, that's a good point. But that's not the only problem. The author wrote a perfect love interest. He's too nice and charismatic. Also consistent and cares about her thoughts et cetera. He's too good to be true. And the way he pined for her and never gave up on her? Unrealistic! That's where I draw the line."
"I thought you didn't finish it?" he teased. "You seem to know the story better than I do."
Rolling your eyes, you crossed your arms over your chest. "I had to force myself to finish it because it was for an assignment. I remember writing an analysis and a vicious critique on it."
"Did your professor agree with you though?"
"Hah! Of course not! But she still gave me a good grade for my work. Her insights were the same as yours, actually. Obviously, people can have different opinions about the same things. So, you're entitled to your own opinions just as I am to mine," you replied, chiming as you recalled that particular time in your life.
"Have you ever been in love?" he asked, as if challenging you to argue your claim.
"I have. That's why I know the author made a fantasy version of love."
"You don't know that. What's fantasy to you might be reality for her. Or to whoever it was that she got the inspiration from."
You scoffed, "Seungcheol-nim, love is subjective. You can continue enjoying that book. You don't have to convince me. My last relationship showed me an entirely different version of romance. While he seemed like the man from the novel at the very beginning, with his handwritten letters and sweet-smelling flowers, it took him four months to show his true colors. He dated three women while we were together. Three! And we're all from the same university!"
Seungcheol looked appalled. "He did?"
"Yes! Gosh, he was an absolute jerk. I always wondered how he got away with it for that long."
"That's relatable, somehow," he commented, making you snigger.
"What? You got cheated on too?" you asked but then you saw him hesitate so you shook your hands at him. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I'm only comfortable telling you about my ex because I believe more people should know what a scumbag he is."
He laughed upon hearing that. "Alright, but did that last relationship change how you think about love at all?"
You crossed your arms over your chest and confidently said, "Of course not. All I got from that experience was that he was a jerk, and love is a different experience each time. I know not everyone will treat me the same way. I've had good relationships before that."
"If any of it were good, it wouldn't have ended and you wouldn't have met your last ex." His comment made you scowl and snicker.
"So you're like a love expert now?" you teased so he laughed heartily. "I mean, I had no idea I could talk to you about love and romances like this."
"Honestly? Me too," he laughed, tapping the book on the table. "This book has this effect on me, I guess."
After a few more criticisms about the book, you and Seungcheol let the hours tick by just talking. Lunchtime came soon enough and you had to leave first because you made plans with some friends to eat lunch together.
"Ah, can I get your number?" he asked just as you were about to leave. He handed his phone to you and added, "If you don't mind."
"Yeah, sure," you told him, taking his cell to type in your number. You've been talking and hanging out with Seungcheol for almost a month already, but this is the first time he asked you for your number. Not that he has to because you two never really needed to talk remotely. Thinking about it now, you don't really have anything to talk about on the phone. Maybe that's why he never asked for your number before nor did you wonder why you don't have his. Sure, you follow each other on social media, but asking for your number means you are closer now and will probably start texting each other.
You were right. When you got home after school that day, you received a text message from him, introducing himself and asking you to save his phone number. Turns out Seungcheol is going out of town for work and wants to keep in touch.
Seungcheol: Execs are boring. I could use someone to talk to.
You: it's okay to admit that you chose me because you don't have other friends
You grinned mischievously after sending your reply, happy to tease him. You once asked him why he's always alone when you find him in the cafe and the subject ended with you concluding that he had no friends. It has since become an inside joke between the two of you that you would sometimes tease him about.
Seungcheol: I do have friends but I'll admit I enjoy our talks more than with any of them.
You: Okay, Seungcheol-nim.
Seungcheol: Speak comfortably, y/n. You don't have to keep calling me Seungcheol-nim.
You: ??? You: I'm used to it now tho You: It would be weird to start calling you oppa LOL
Seungcheol: Why is that weird? I'm older so technically, I am your oppa.
Shock triggered your hand to lose grip on your phone and send it falling on your forehead, making you yelp and sit up from the bed. Groaning, you pressed the throbbing space between your eyebrows and picked up the device to reread Seungcheol's message.
"Wow," you sneered. "Choi Seungcheol, you handsome specimen, you better not be flirting with me."
You: Alright, then, Seungcheol-oppa.
"Because I will flirt right back," you mumbled, unable to hide your grin.
You had no idea at the time that your little nook in the cafe was about to expand and take up a bigger space in your lives.
Texting Seungcheol was funny to you because it eerily felt like an email correspondence. He sounded serious all the time and formatted his texts in a standard manner. He's too formal and rarely ever used emojis. He reacts with a plain 'hahaha' and the best you can get out of him is a 'lol'. It was probably because he's a lawyer; the formal nature of his job must have influenced even his basic activities, like casual chatting and texting. Surely it has to be that because there is no way he's too old to know how to use emojis or any slang. After all, five years ain't that much of a gap.
Seungcheol: Yes, it is extremely boring but this will all be over tomorrow so I'm holding out.
You: damn You: 1 more day of listening to old men talk all day? You: couldn't be me. You: I'd be gone on the first day. props to you for surviving the past three days tho
Seungcheol: lol hahaha
"Eh? Did he really just 'lol hahaha' me?" You squinted at your screen, glaring too much that you thought your eyes might bore a hole through your phone. Your thumb tapped the call button before pressing the device to your ear.
Seungcheol picked up almost immediately, clearing his throat on the other line before greeting you with a "Hello?"
"Is now a bad time for a call?"
"The day is over and I'm in my suite now so no, it's not a bad time."
You nodded, although he couldn't see it. "Good. My fingers are tired," you lied because you thought it would be rude to tell him you can't handle any more of his boring standard text formatting.
"Really? You could just tell me, you know. We can call it a day. Get some rest. Talk again tomorrow."
His voice reverberated beautifully in your ears; calm, well-articulated, and soothing, like mellow music playing in a cafe. That alone was enough for your heart to feel at ease but he just said you can talk again tomorrow. He's saying he wants to continue your little chats. He's enjoying your company even though it's only through the phone. Maybe you're right, but maybe you're reading too much on something that has no meaning at all. Either way, your heart swelled with excitement and joy along with a tiny ache that you can't explain. You knew this feeling since you've felt it before. The friendship you have with Seungcheol is starting to make your heart flutter.
"Hah!" you scoffed at your own thoughts. "Alright then. Good night, Seungcheol-nim."
"Or we could talk now too! Now!" he blurted in a panic, making you laugh. "I mean, if you're not tired yet. We could keep talking. Isn't this better than texting?"
"It is," you agreed. "But what can I do? It's already past my bedtime."
Seungcheol chuckled. "I thought your bedtime was at 3?"
"It's constantly changing. It's the era of drastic changes, Seungcheol-nim. Adaptability is a good edge," you jested. You can hear him laughing from the other side and couldn't help grinning to yourself. He sounded so humored that you felt a little proud of your wit.
"Right," he said as he stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "So is it your bedtime yet or what?"
"No. My bedtime changed thirty seconds ago. Adaptability, you know."
He went on to laugh again, making you grin fondly. It wasn't even that funny but he's laughing like he's in a standup bar or something. Either way, the sound that's filling your ears is also making your heart feel full.
The next morning, Seolhee complained about you being a tad too loud last night with your laughter and giggling. That caught you off-guard, making you hide your phone after sending a reply to Seungcheol's message.
"Sorry. I was on the phone with someone," you confessed, scrunching your nose cutely as you watched Seolhee take her seat on the dining table.
"Have you started seeing someone again?" she speculated. "You talked for hours last night so it must be serious."
You shook your head. "No, duh. It's just Seungcheol-nim."
"Choi Seungcheol?" Yoori asked, placing a plate of side dishes on the table. "You're dating Seungcheol now? Good for you, girl!"
"What? No!" you strongly denied. "We were just talking. It was a friendly chat."
"Friendly chats don't go on until past midnight, y/n," Seolhee hinted, giving you a knowing look. "Whatever it is that you think have with him right now, you better confirm it before you go falling for him. I know he's charming and all that but safeguard your heart."
Yoori hummed affirmatively. "She's right but falling for him is not that bad an idea. He seemed nice."
"He does seem nice but you have to first make sure you're on the same page. The earlier you know, the better. You can't wait until you've fallen for him before you ask what his intentions are."
You would never bring up relationships with Seungcheol, especially between the two of you. It would only make things awkward between you if it turns out he was just being friendly and even more so if you find out that he was looking to date you. Why? He is a wonderful guy, but there are a lot of things to consider. You don't know his background despite knowing his hobbies, his dislikes, his habits, etc. You can't help but think Cheol had been hiding behind a persona the whole time or that he isn't willing to properly open up to you. Sure, you're up close and personal, but there's a fine line between who he is with you and who he is as a person. Somehow it felt like you knew a lot about him but not enough to really know who he is.
So you sat in front of your computer, looking through his Instagram account for any clue about his life. Based on the dates of his posts, he rarely updated his feed and probably never used the site that much. He had random pictures posted there but he didn't have one of himself except on a handful of group pictures. His profile picture isn't even of himself but a dog.
"So he has a pet, huh?" you mumbled, smiling at the pictures of a cute Maltese dog. "Of course, he has one. He looked like the kind who would have one. I wonder who takes care of it when he's away or when he's at work."
You were still scrolling through his posts when your phone buzzed, signaling a message. It was Seungcheol. "Wow, you really should not speak of the devil."
Seungcheol: Any plans tomorrow night? I have two tickets to a concert. You can have the other one if you want it.
You grimaced. "Or you could just invite me to go with you like a normal person."
You pouted as you thought about what to say but then something in your mind clicked, sending your heart on a rampage. Could it be that he's inviting you to go with him? Obviously, he is, right? He said he had two tickets and he'll give you one. That's it, right? That's the invite!
"Oh lord," you blurted, closing your laptop and tucking it into your bag before you went running out of the cafe. You typed in a hurried reply as you walked briskly back to your shared apartment.
Barging into your apartment and closing the door with a loud slam, you stared wide-eyed at Seolhee and Yoori who looked back at you curiously.
"I think Seungcheol-oppa just invited me out on a date."
"And?" Seolhee asked while Yoori was suppressing excited squeals.
"And I might have said 'yes'."
Seolhee was stern about your ambiguity. You said you were invited, but you also said it wasn't an explicit invitation. Still, she helped you prepare for the date along with Yoori who was just leaping with joy.
"Remember, he didn't say it was a date. So don't overthink it," Seolhe told you while styling your hair on the night of said date. "As long as he doesn't say it out loud, there is no real relationship between you other than a friendly relationship."
"Remember also to enjoy the night," Yoori interjected. "Don't let negativity ruin the experience."
“Now, where is he? Didn’t he say he’d pick you up?” Seolhee asked as soon as you were ready to leave. Dressing up took a while because you couldn’t decide which dress to wear and what look to go with. It’s a classical music concert and the dress code was black tie. Thankfully, your roommates were eager to help.
“He should be here by now,” you replied, glancing at the clock on the wall. At that moment, the doorbell of your shared apartment rang.
Cheol was dashing in his suit. He had always looked attractive in casual clothing–a shirt, a jacket, or a layer of coats and shirts. But seeing him all dressed up made you giddy. Even his hair is styled neatly. He greeted your friends and had a small talk before you got into his car. You know he drives a car, but you've never really seen him in it. When you pointed that out, he said the cafe was close by so he always walked there. 
"Are we neighbors?" you had asked.
And he replied with, "No, not really. I go the opposite way from your apartment. So, we’ve been meeting halfway all this time."
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The concert was fancy, not your type of scene but you enjoyed it nonetheless. Even the people looked wealthy. It was a hall filled with all kinds of people who exuded an air of elegance, power, or authority about them. As if that’s not intimidating enough, you and Seungcheol had to sit in a private booth on the second floor, away from the regular crowd, with just about five other people there with you. They said your guts would know if you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be, perhaps that’s why your belly is turning. 
You weren't poor, but you're not rich enough to afford these types of pastimes either. Your parents are self-made businessmen who are earning enough to be in the upper-middle-class society. Still, even an occasional, super rare splurge on shopping is a luxury. Thus, you started to wonder what Sungcheol does for a living. Is he self-made? Do lawyers earn a lot? Or did he come from a wealthy family? It must be his family because operas and classical music are usually acquired tastes.
The concert ended and was met with a standing ovation. Heck, even the way these people clapped was elegant, like there was a certain discipline to it. No cheering, no hoots and whistles, just synchronous, pleasant-sounding clapping. 
You were still clapping when you felt Seungcheol’s shoulder on yours. He was leaning to your ear, whispering, “Come meet my parents.”
“Your what?” you blurted, surprised. Before you could utter another word, however, Seungcheol was already tugging on your waist, ushering you toward the other side of the booth. You spotted two elders who you assumed were his parents. With them was a younger man who just said something that made the elegant lady laugh.
Then the younger man caught sight of you and smiled widely. “It’s Seungcheol!”
“Mother, Father,” Seungcheol greeted as soon as you got closer to where they were standing. You clenched your fists, hoping to stop them from jittering. “Good to see you.”
Mother? Father? Don’t people usually call their parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’?
“Hello, hunny,” his mother beamed, welcoming Seungcheol in her arms when he moved to hug her. And while his father was shaking hands with him, his mother eyed you curiously. “And who is this lovely lady?”
“Oh, um–”
“This is my friend, y/n,” Seungcheol introduced. “She’s joining me this evening.”
“So I see,” the Mother chimed. She glided over to you for a quick embrace. “It’s nice to meet you, darling.”
“It’s good to meet you too,” you replied with a smile. “You raised an excellent man.”
His mother laughed heartily, flattered. “I wouldn’t boast about it, but he did grow up excellently.”
You shared a giggle before Seungcheol’s father spoke to you. “Are you a friend from work? You look quite young to be a lawyer. Fresh from the bar exams, I take it?”
“Uh, no,” you replied, trying your best to not appear nervous. “I’m actually still a student. AB Linguistics.”
“Ah, I see,” his father hummed. “Linguistics? That’s a good program.”
“Thank you, sir,” you beamed. “I enjoy it very much.”
“As you should. Seunghan here is pursuing Linguistics too. He’s in his fourth year.”
Seunghan, Seungcheol’s brother smiled widely at you. You smiled back and said, “I’m in my fourth year too.”
“Really? Wow, are we the same age?” he asked, genuinely amazed. He turned to Seungcheol. “We’re the same age? I almost called her Noona.”
Seungcheol was about to respond when a woman interjected with a cheery greeting. It was the cellist from the concert, the star of this event. She first went to greet Seunghan and then the parents.
“Thank you so much for coming,” she told the father, who smiled in response.
“It was an impressive performance. You did well,” he praised. 
“Mom, you’re glowing,” she told Seungcheol’s mother. “You look even prettier than the last time we saw each other.”
“Oh, you sweet little fox,” his mother chided, but she was giggling and touching her face. The woman’s statement seemed to have flattered her more than when you said her son was excellent. And she called her Mom, she must be family.
“Oppa!” she exclaimed, leaping a little to wrap her arms around Seungcheol whose arms were still around your waist. You got pushed aside, violently, and fell on the floor with a thud. 
Embarrassment made your cheeks flare as you hurriedly stood. Seungcheol helped you up, worriedly asking if you were alright. 
“I’m sorry,” the other woman apologized. “I didn’t think that would happen. How clumsy of me.”
You smiled half-heartedly, looking away from everyone’s worried gazes. “I’m fine,” you told Seungcheol who was still eyeing you with concern. You patted your dress down, feeling extremely shy. 
Then the woman held out her hand, “I’m Mina. Nice to meet you.”
You stared at the hand for a moment before taking it in yours and telling her your name. “It was a great concert. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you liked it,” she smiled, then looked at Seungcheol. “Is she your friend? I’ve never seen her before.”
“She is,” he replied curtly. You couldn’t help noticing Mina’s elegant demeanor. She exuded elegance and class that you’ve only seen on TV shows about rich people. The way she spoke was beautiful and enticing. Even her motions were so fluid and beautiful, plus her mannerisms were cute. It was like being in the presence of someone who is hundreds of times better than regular people–than you are.
“Anyway, thanks again for coming, oppa,” Mina told Seungcheol, patting his shoulder before placing her hands on both. She flashed a sweet, coquettish smile and leaned to kiss Seungcheol on his cheek. “See you again soon?”
“Okay,” Seungcheol replied, flattening his lips into a smile.
Mina turned to you, her hand sliding naturally on Seungcheol’s arm and linking it there. “It was nice to meet you, y/n. Good thing you’re not dating because that would have been so awkward.” She laughed.
"No, we're just friends,” Seungcheol iterated.
“I know. You already said so, oppa,” Mina beamed. “I have to go. Thanks for coming and see you next time.”
She then fled the booth, leaving you and Sungcheol there by yourselves. His parents left a while ago, telling you to catch up with Mina. Seunghan didn’t stay for long too, and left shortly after their parents. Your eyes flitted over to Seungcheol who was still looking at the door Mina exited on. You even witnessed the heavy sigh he let out a few minutes later before turning to you.
“Shall we go?”
You nodded in response. He offered his arm for you to hold on to and you did just that as you walked out of the booth, to the hall, to the lobby, until you reached the entrance where his car was being driven out of the parking lot by the valet. The first few minutes of the ride home were quiet and it was stressing you out. He should at least say something to fix this awkward atmosphere. Maybe, you should. But you had no idea what to talk about.
Should you ask him about his family? Or Mina? What do you have to lose? He brought you here so he should expect you to have questions. This is one way to get to know each other, right? Right.
“How do you know the cellist?” you began, eliciting an inquiring hum from Seungcheol. “Mina, the cellist. You seem to know each other.”
“Ah, her,” he acknowledged, pausing. “Yeah, we knew each other. We used to be in a relationship.”
You expected this to be the answer, but it still shocked you to hear him confirm it. “I see.”
“We broke up a long time ago. She had to leave and study music abroad. It couldn’t be helped.”
“Mmhmm,” you hummed. You couldn’t say anything because your mind was focusing on the slight but stabbing pain in your chest. You were, in fact, feeling a little jealous. Mina was everything you’re not. She’s close with his family too and they have a history. Maybe Seungcheol was just being friendly, after all. 
When you arrived home, your roommates were excited to hear about the date, but you told them you were tired and wanted to sleep. As thoughts floated through your mind endlessly, you wondered if he brought you to the concert as a decor to make his ex jealous. That made you even sadder but you told yourself you were overthinking it and you know he is not that kind of guy. 
And then again, if you think about it, did you really truly know him that well?
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You hadn't heard from Seungcheol for a while after the concert. Sad, but it was fine too because you weren't really looking for him. You had a crush on the guy, but it was over before it got deeper–which was good because now you don’t have to think about him all the time. School was demanding enough, you can’t have a guy distracting you from that.
And yet, despite your constant denial, not a day passed by without Seungcheol crossing your mind. What can you do? You don’t just forget someone overnight, especially if you like that person. Funnily enough, thoughts of Seungcheol never distracted you from your studies, instead, they made you want to work harder.
That said, you sat at a table at The Coffeehouse with a classmate to work on a project. His name was Jinwoo and he’s been flirting with you all semester. In fact, he paired up with you on this project just so he could spend time with you–he said so himself. He’s alright; charming, smart, and cute. Although you had no intentions of going out with him yet, you thought it would be fine to see where things would go. Especially with Seungcheol out of your hair.
“Seungcheol-nim?” you blurted. You were just thinking about Seungcheol when you realized the person who approached your table just now was him.
“Hello, y/n. How have you been?” He was asking you, but his eyes were fixated on Jinwoo, who only noticed Seungcheol when you called out his name.
“I’ve been well,” you replied hesitantly, recognizing his intense gaze on your classmate. “This is Jinwoo. We’re working on a project together.”
“A project?” he asked, his face softening as he glanced at you. “Good. I texted you.”
“Oh, you did?” You fished your phone from your bag and saw that he did message you; one from last night and another a few hours ago. “Sorry. I was working on school stuff. I haven’t been checking my phone much.”
“Alright. I won’t disturb you. Good luck,” he smiled.
“Yeah, I’ll text you later.”
“You don’t have to. But I’ll call you after dinner.”
You tilted your head in wonder. But you still said, “Okay.”
And he did, he called you at around 8 that night and asked how your day went. It wasn't strange to tell him how your day went. That had always been your topic every time you called each other at night. But Sungcheol seemed overly interested in it today. He kept asking more questions instead of responding to your answers with a few accounts of his own day. When he seemed to have run out of anything to ask about your day, he asked about your partner on the project. 
"So, do you always get paired up with that guy?" 
Your brows creased. "That guy? Jinwoo?" 
He changed his question. "Never mind. How long have you been working on that paper?"
 "Just a few days,” you replied, lying down to stare at the ceiling.
"Three days?" he asked from the other line.
"Now that you mentioned it, yes, it's been three days. How'd you guess that?"
Sungcheol huffed. "I just did." 
"You just did?"
"We haven't talked for three days, so I just pieced it together."
"I see," you hummed, nodding even though you know he can't see it. You squinted your eyes, realizing something in his tone and attitude ever since you started this conversation. "Seungcheol-nim, is this an interrogation?"
"And there's that too," he sighed from the other line. You can almost picture how his already pouty lips are pouting even more along with the creasing of his forehead. 
"What?" you asked.
"Seungcheol-nim."
"Huh?"
"Seungcheol-nim. When did you decide to go back to calling me that?"
"Oh, that? Just recently."
"Why is that?"
Because you found out his ex called him oppa and is still calling him that. "Just because. It shouldn't matter. How I address you is not that big of a deal."
"It's not?"
"No. It's not."
"Alright."
"Alright."
"Alright..." he echoed. You had nothing else to say to that, so you just breathed. The thoughts swimming in your head don't make sense, but you let them keep your mind busy instead of overthinking this whole conversation with Seungcheol. He's gone quiet too, probably running out of anything else to say. Or probably thinking random thoughts like you are. But it looks like he didn't want to end the call and of course, you don't really want to either.
"Seungcheol-nim?" Breathing. All you can hear from the other line is breathing; deep inhales and calm exhales from him that make you assume he had fallen asleep.
"Are you sleeping?" you asked but again, all you could hear was calm breathing. You pictured him on his bed, one hand pressing the phone on his ear and the other resting on his abdomen. You pictured the rise and fall of his chest with every inhale of air that you can hear. You pictured his face, peaceful and handsome even with his eyes closed. These are the thoughts and images that filled your head as you closed your eyes and fell asleep to the sound of his breathing
Your phone was dead when you woke up in the morning, making you wonder how long were you on the phone with Seungcheol; if he really was asleep the whole time, or if he woke up and hung up sometime in the night. As soon as you turned it on after a quick trip to the bathroom, you found a message from him.
Seungcheol: Working all day today. Cafe tonight? My treat.
You smiled as you typed a reply saying 'yes' to meeting him tonight. The bounce in your steps and the chime in your voice did not miss Seolhee's radar and she ambushed you at the breakfast table.
"You look like you had a good sleep. I thought you said you're done with Seungcheol?" Seolhee began.
"And those two correlate because?"
"Because Seungcheol is obviously the reason why you're smiling today."
"What makes you think so?" you retorted, trying to squirm out of her grasp. You wouldn't lie to her but you would never admit it either, especially after you gave them a whole spiel about you not settling for a guy who seemed uncertain about his intentions. 
"I just know."
"You're too confident," you jeered, poking a sausage with your fork and taking a bite out of it.
Seolhee chuckled. "Whatever you do, don't get hurt. I'll kill him myself."
You chortled. "That's weirdly reassuring. Thanks."
You couldn't wait for your evening class to be over and run to the CoffeeHouse. It was an embarrassing thing to admit because only a few days ago, you were upset and told your roommates you didn't want anything to do with Seungcheol anymore. And yet, here you are, back to acting like a giddy teenager.
Seungcheol: Are you still in class? The cafe is closed.
"Damn it?" you muttered upon reading Seungcheol's text. The class just finished and you were walking out of the classroom with other students. As you typed a reply, you noticed Jinwoo walking with you.
"Hi. A little update on our paper," he began, standing in front of you and walking backward so he was face-to-face with you while talking. "I've proofread the entire thing and fixed any error I could find. It's pretty much ready for submission."
You beamed at him. "Thank you, Jinwoo. Do you think it's okay to submit it earlier than the deadline?"
"Knowing Professor Choi? He'd be singing our praises all semester for our punctuality and whatnot."
You giggled, finding his sentiments accurate and funny at the same time. "I bet he will. I'll trust you with it alright?"
"You know you can," he chimed, the lilt in his voice was endearing. "Listen, there's a party at the Delphi this Saturday. Would you like to-"
"Seungcheol-nim!" you called out when you spotted Seungcheol by the gate. He found you among the crowd and waved at you with a smile. The pleasant sight of him smiling didn't last long though because seeing Jinwoo made him scowl.
"The cafe is closed?" you asked as soon as you were within his reach. "Why though? The cafe never closes."
Seungcheol sighed, eyes focused on Jinwoo who was still tailing behind you. "Yeah. Something about a sanitation check. I'm not sure. I just found out about it."
"Did you ask Mingyu?"
"I did. He said it was a sanitation check but he wasn't sure either." He exhaled before shifting his gaze on you. "Do you have other plans tonight?"
You gawked at him for a second and then realized Jinwoo was still there. Seungcheol must have thought you had plans with him.
"No, I don't," you replied then turned to Jinwoo. "Thanks again, Jinwoo. Let me know if Professor Mich says anything about the paper."
"Yeah. Okay," he blurted, backing away. "See you tomorrow."
You smiled at him and beckoned at Seungcheol who was still wearing a deadpan expression. When you've walked far away enough from the gate and Jinwoo had gone his own way too, you tugged on Seungcheol's coat.
"Everything okay? We could just go home, you know. Try again tomorrow?" you asked, thinking he was miffed about the cafe being closed.
"It's alright. There are plenty of other cafes around," he replied, forcing a smile. "Are you okay with walking around tonight? I would have brought a car had I known the Coffeehouse was closed."
You rolled your eyes. "Duh. Let's go."
And thus began a spontaneous night out. Seungcheol suggested you go for a walk to the next cafe but your conversations proved to be too much fun when you missed the cafe and even missed your apartment. It was funny to both of you and you would go on to continue walking until you reached a quiet neighborhood. You climbed the uphill stairs and watched the cityscape from there.
"Seungcheol-nim, what was your dream?"
"My dream?" he asked. surprised.
"Yes, as a child. Your current job, is it what you dreamed of?"
Seungcheol leaned on the railings and gazed at the city lights. "Not a lawyer, for sure. I kinda just had to do it because everyone in the family is doing it."
You rested your chin on the cold steel bar of the railings. "So what was it?"
"A teacher."
Your eyes widened. "A teacher?"
"Yes." He chuckled. Your eyes appreciated how the wind blew his hair out of his face. "A college professor, actually. My uncle was one and he was my role model. I was set on being a teacher before I entered college but as you can see, I'm not."
"How about now? I'm sure you still have time to change careers."
"Nah," he shrugged. "I'm content with where I'm at right now."
"But do you want it?" 
Seungcheol looked at you, pursing his lips as he nodded. "Of course. And if I don't change my mind about it in, say five or more years, I might consider shifting."
"It shouldn't be so hard, right? I mean, you're already a lawyer. You can teach criminal justice or something like that."
He smiled at you, impressed by your input. "Yeah. Something like that."
You wiggled your eyebrows. "I bet you'd be a really cool teacher."
Seungcheol frowned. "You said I'm boring and speak like an old man."
"The old man part was a joke and even if you're the boring kind of teacher, you'd still be cool because handsome teachers are cool."
"You think I'm handsome?"
You started laughing a little too loudly after he caught you off-guard. "Did I say that?"
"You didn't but you were implying it."
"You lawyers like to twist people's words, don't you?"
Seungcheol shrugged, chucking his hands in his coat pockets. "Only when it's advantageous. And there was no need to twist anything. The implication was clear."
"Okay, I'm gonna go," you chuckled, walking back down the stairs. Seungcheol followed behind you with a smile. "Oh, and we should drop by the coffee shop. I need caffeine because I've been home all day and there's no coffee at home."
"Isn't it too late for coffee? Don't you need to sleep?" he asked, casually catching your elbow when you lost your balance on the steps.
You felt the way his hand clenched on your arm, impressed by the strength of his hold. Then your mind embarrassingly flashed an image of his muscles underneath his coat. The amount of times you saw him in t-shirts sometimes had you gawking at his strong arms but only now did you start imagining how it would feel like to be locked in those muscles.
"Decaf?" he prompted, making your eyes flutter back to his face. You pulled your arm back and continued walking.
"Yeah. Decaf."
You shook your head a few times, trying to erase the image of yourself in his arms. It was embarrassing and you were worried that he could see through you. He can't obviously, but you still wish you were not giving off any signs. You refused when Seungcheol offered to walk you back to your apartment but he insisted on it, saying it would be dangerous for you to go alone. He must have thought it was weird for you to decline because you never did that before. If he did think that, you'll never know because he never said so.
"What's your dream?" he asked, breaking the silence between you while you walked down the quiet streets.
"Like a dream job?" you questioned, briefly glancing at him to see him nod. "I'm not sure. I actually don't have one. But I was thinking of establishing a tutoring clinic like my mom has."
"A cram school?"
"Yes. My only dream was to be content and happy with my life; to live in the city in a cozy apartment, tending to plants, and reading books. But of course, none of that is possible without an actual job and I thought my mom's job was cool, so I was considering doing what she does."
"You'd make a really cool teacher."
You snorted. "I'm not gonna be a teacher. More like an instructor."
"Aren't they the same thing?"
"They are kind of the same thing," you laughed shyly. "But they're different too. I don't know. I haven't given it much thought. I think I'm just living for the now, going where the flow takes me and not taking control of my own life. It feels awful sometimes."
"How is that awful? Going with the flow is actually smart. Knowing what you want your life to be is good too, even if the path towards that hasn't been planned yet."
You shrugged. "I guess you're right. But I think I'm just lucky enough to not worry about my future as much as other people do. No one's pressuring me into anything, not my parents, not the society."
"Yes. You are lucky."
You pointed to the apartment complex in front of you. "I'm here. Thanks for walking me."
Seungcheol smiled at you, reaching to tuck a few strands of hair behind your ear. "Good night, y/n."
"Good night, Seungcheol-nim."
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Is there any way I can get you to drop that?"
"What? Seungcheol-nim?"
"Yes."
"What else would I call you?"
"You didn't seem to have any problems calling me oppa before?" he complained, looking away as he scratched his nape and muttered. "I liked that better."
"What was that?" you asked when you didn't catch his last sentence. He glanced back at you.
"I said you can call me Cheol."
"I can? But you're older than me."
"It's alright. You said how you address me is not a big deal."
You beamed happily. "Alright, Cheol."
“Alright, y/n.”
You beamed. “Alright.”
“Alright…”
Like Hazel Grace and Augustus, alright has become your always.
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Imagine living in a big city, with lots of massive stores, and massive buildings, but you still bump into an ex from three years ago? Baffling. But then, here you are, awkwardly sifting through shelves for a bottle of mayo while your ex asks you how you’ve been.
“I’ve been well, Yeol. Thanks for asking. Now would you please go away? I’m busy.”
Yeol just chuckled, amused. “I see you haven’t changed one bit.”
“I have. I don’t care about anything you have to say anymore,” you retorted but it only made him laugh harder.
“Gosh, y/n. I really fumbled you, didn’t I? You’re so endearing. It’s a shame you had to find out about the other girls.”
In the past, you would have kicked his shins, but you don’t even want to give him the satisfaction of getting a rise out of you. You turned to face him, gave him a deadpan expression, and said, “Move. I need that one there.”
Yeol moved one step aside, letting you take a product from the shelf behind him. As you were examining it, he crossed his arms over his chest and asked, “By the way, I heard you’re seeing someone now. Is it true?”
You scowled, but you didn’t meet his eyes. “It’s not true.”
“It isn’t? That’s good. Save yourself the trouble. Choi Seungcheol and Song Mina are trying to get back together.”
You froze in your tracks, your hand hovering by the shelf as you were about to put a product back in it. Yeol, oblivious to your shock, continued. “From what I heard, they’ll soon be engaged.”
“How did you know?” you asked him, forehead creasing with curiosity and annoyance.
“I know a friend of Song Mina’s. I got to hang out with her the last time she was in Seoul,” he replied but you shook your head at him.
“No. How did you know about me and Seungcheol?”
Yeol touched his chin to think. “I heard from a friend who told me he’d seen my ex-girlfriend with Lawyer Choi.”
“That’s all?”
“He said you two seemed close and asked if I knew you were seeing him. I told him I didn’t, of course. I had no idea what you’ve been up to since we broke up.” Yeol was still talking when you pushed your cart and walked away. He called out your name but you ignored him.
Seungcheol is trying to get back with Mina; why didn’t you think that’d be a possibility? He must still have feelings for her. And if they’re engaged, then it’s fine too. The news made you sad, but at least it was clear to you now that his intentions weren’t to date you or anything. He wanted you as a friend, that's it. Nothing more. At least you now know which place you’re allowed to stand on in his life. If you keep letting yourself mistake his actions for affection, it could end badly for you. 
Resolute, you decided to limit contact and meetups. It's inappropriate to keep seeing him regularly when he's trying to win his girl back. There will be no more late-night talks, no more meeting up for coffee, and no more hanging out until late with just the two of you. You’re drawing the line for Mina and him to get back together. And most importantly, for yourself to stop falling for him even more. 
Although you’d like to completely avoid him, you couldn’t. Seungcheol never said anything about liking you or trying to date you. So you can’t hold it against him if you develop feelings for him. That’s on you. Plus, you liked being friends with him and he seemed to like that too, so you’re cutting yourself some slack and allowing yourself to at least enjoy your friendship. You feel a little terrible, some itty bitty heartache but it’s fine. Everyone does.
“How are things with Mina?” you had asked him once when you ran into each other at the CoffeeHouse. He had been caught off-guard, but he just shrugged it off.
“We’re working on it,” was what he told you at the time.
“Good for you,” you had replied, although you didn’t mean it.
Over two weeks, you counted all the times he invited you out but you refused: four. You did fewer coffee runs and spent less time in the cafe. You focused on your other hobbies and hung out with your other friends. Whether or not he noticed the shift in you, you wouldn’t know because you never got the chance to talk about it.
“Ready?” Yoori asked, her head peering through the doorway of your bedroom. “Our ride is here.”
“Yeah, I’m just looking for my tumbler,” you replied, going through your bags.
“It’s in the car already,” she prompted, picking up your backpack on your bed. “Let’s go!”
You followed her through the apartment and outside where you saw Seolhee standing by a familiar car, and talking to an even more familiar guy.
“Ah, there they are!” Seolhee exclaimed, beaming at the two of you. “Shall we go now?”
Your eyes were locked on Seungcheol, confused and curious about him being here. He just gave you a smile and a small wave before taking your backpack that Yoori handed over to him. While your friends excitedly occupied the backseat of Seungcheol’s car, you waited for him to load your bag in the trunk and make his way to you.
“Good morning,” he greeted, looking cheerful and excited. “Are you ready to go?”
“What are you doing here?” you questioned sternly.
“What do you mean? Yoori invited me.”
You scowled. “Why would she do that? And why would you say ‘yes’?”
At this point, Seungcheol looked genuinely abashed by your confrontation. “Honestly, I have no idea why she did, but I said ‘yes’ because it sounded fun.”
You sighed, shoulders sagging as you contemplated whether going on this trip was a good idea anymore.
“Y/n, is everything okay? If it’s uncomfortable for you, I can cancel. I’m sure I can come up with a good excuse–”
“It’s fine, Cheol,” you said through gritted teeth. “Let’s just go.” You turned to open the car door but Seungcheol grabbed your arm before you could.
“Hey,” he called, his voice filled with worry. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” you exhaled.
“I meant between us. If you don’t want me here, I’ll just go.”
You took his hand off your arm and forced a smile. “Everything is fine, Cheol. Let’s go have fun.”
Yoori and Seolhee had no idea that you’ve been trying to avoid Seungcheol, and that was obviously why they thought inviting him to your weekend camp trip was a good idea. In the car, Yoori explained that they ran into Seungcheol at the grocery store and invited him to join you on this trip, even quipping that you all could use a free ride.
The ride to the campsite was noisy, with both Yoori and Seolhee singing to the top of their lungs. At one point during the two-hour travel, you forgot about your issues with Seungcheol and managed to have fun with everyone. Seungcheol was mostly taken aback by the energy from you and the girls, but he seemed to have had his fun too. By the time you arrived at the campsite, you were all full with the food you bought at the rest stops. None of you were tired though because you immediately got to work on building tents and setting up your area.
Seungcheol was tasked to set up the barbecue table after you girls realized how much easier it was with a man around to do the lifting and assembling. When you were done with your tent, you approached Seungcheol by the bonfire with a bottle of water. He looked like he had run a mile, with his sweaty forehead and messed up hair. He even took off his jacket, revealing his muscular physique in his tight dri-fit shirt. Had he always been this hot? You knew he was handsome but did he have to be hot too?
You cleared your throat to prompt him so he immediately noticed your presence. Looking away because you couldn’t help staring at his arms, you handed him the bottle of water.
“Thanks,” he chimed, taking the bottle and opening it.
“Tables gave you a hard time?” you questioned, eyeing the table that was standing on crooked legs.
Seungcheol gulped down half the bottle and let out a big ‘ahh’ after. “I’ll admit, I’m not so confident with this kind of task.”
You scoffed, rounding the table to the crooked leg. “I can see that.”
“But hey, I did well with the chairs,” he beamed, pointing at the chairs. “Don’t you think so?”
He was gleaming with pride and you couldn’t help smiling at him. He’s so endearing and he’s not even trying. “Yeah, good job, Cheol.” 
You showed him how to fix the table and you were amazed to find that he was eager to learn.
“Guys! You should get ready for the boat!” Yoori called after a few minutes. You waved your hand in response then turned to Seungcheol.
“I hope you brought a rashguard,” you told him.
Seungcheol tilted his head in ponder. “Well, Yoori said I should bring one so I did. But I still haven’t been told why.”
You scowled. “What do you mean? Did you come here without knowing what this trip is?”
Seungcheol shrugged and looked at the tents around. “It’s a camping trip.”
“My god, Mr. Choi Seungcheol,” you sniggered. “This is a wakepark.”
Of course, the campsite didn’t look like a wakepark. If it did, Seungcheol would have figured it out. But if one were to take a quick hike up the hill and descend on the other side, he willl find a massive lake there and a wakeboarding facility. Seungcheol was amazed when he saw it and uttered praises about the location and safety concerns.
“I don’t do much water sports,” he told you as you were queueing for the safety check.
“Have you tried wakeboarding before?” Seolhee asked.
Seungcheol had an exhilarated look on his face. “I haven’t. This will be my first time.”
“Oh, you’re gonna love it,” Seolhee lilted. “I was scared to do it at first, but it was really fun.”
Yoori scoffed. “Which is why this has become our favorite weekend activity.”
Your friends were first to be briefed and while you waited below the platform, Seungcheol leaned to your ear to ask, “Is this what you do for fun?”
You looked up at him at shrugged. “Not all the time, but I do like wakeboarding.”
“Hmm. You didn’t strike me as the type to like extreme sports.”
You rolled your eyes and chuckled. “First of all, this isn’t that extreme. Second, since when have you been making assumptions about me?”
“That will be from the moment I first met you,” he grinned.
“Is that so?” you teased. “How many times have I proven your assumptions wrong?”
“So far, you’ve only been proving me right,” he crooned, looking pleased. “Ah, right. Except today. I’m impressed.”
“Thanks,” you deadpanned. “Since you’re not so big on water sports, what do you do for fun?”
Seungcheol paused to think and then replied, “I go to shooting ranges with friends. Sometimes golfing. It depends on the company I have, really. I mostly just do what they want to do.”
“Like right now?”
He nodded. “Yes. Like right now.”
Seungcheol said this was his first time wakeboarding and it showed when he did it for the first time. But then several times later, he has shown proficiency on the sport. In no time, he’s wakeboarding on obstacles and doing it flawlessly. While you who’s not a first-timer would rather avoid obstacles.
“Whatever happened to the safety issues you were pointing out when we got here?” you taunted when he came back from his 17th time on the board. Was it 18th? Honestly, you’ve lost count already.
“Seolhee was right,” he reveled. “This is fun.”
“I know, Mr. Sportsman. But this is where the fun ends,” you announced, motioning to the sky and the setting sun on the horizon. “This place is closing.”
“So they said,” he replied, sighing. “We should come back here next time.”
Is he saying he wants to come back with you? He said ‘we’, didn’t he? 
You shook your head to get rid of your intrusive thoughts. “Yeah. For now, let’s change and go back. We’re having barbecue.”
Seungcheol was talkative on your trek back to the campsite. He’s going on and on about how thrilling wakeboarding was and how he’d love to do it again. He was even describing the experience and the tricks he did and almost did. Listening to him was heartwarming, like talking to a child adorably blabbering about something he likes.
“I take it you don’t get this much thrill in your life?” you guessed, giving him a probing gaze.
“Absolutely not.”
“Then, I guess you need to have more adventurous friends.”
“I guess but…” he trailed off. You waited for him to finish his sentence, but he didn’t.
When you reach the campsite, your friends have got the fire going in the barbecue and they wave at you to join them. Seungcheol said he needs to put away his stuff first so you went ahead without him.
“He really kept going, huh?” Seolhee asked as you sat in front of the table. “Until closing time?”
“Yeah, he was like an energetic toddler,” you quipped, laughing fondly. “You should have seen how sad he was when it closed.”
“He’s so much older than us, but he’s so cute, isn’t he?” Yoori chimed before leaning close to you and nudging your elbow. “Also, you two look cute together.”
“Friends, Yoori,” you iterated. “We’re friends.”
“Whatever you say,” she teased so Seolhee scolded her. You stuck your tongue out at her, happy that Seolhee took your side.
“Hey,” Seungcheol prompted from behind you before sitting on the chair next to yours. “I just noticed we only have two tents.”
“Huh?” You glanced over your shoulders to where the tents were set up and saw that you did have two tents only. “Oh. Oh no.”
You looked at your friends and Yoori just shrugged and told Seungcheol, “I must have forgotten to tell you to bring one.”
“Well, we’re not gonna share a tent,” you told them in a matter-of-factly tone. “I mean, duh?”
“Of course. But where would Seungcheol-nim sleep?” Seolhee asked.
You looked at Seungcheol who seemed as lost as you were. Surely you can’t share a tent with your housemates either. Yoori and Seolhee like to get intimate whenever you come to this place. You don’t know why this place specifically and you’re definitely not curious enough to find out. BUT maybe they’ll reconsider just this once?
“I can just sleep with you–”
“No!” Yoori and Seolhee interjected simultaneously.
Yoori giggled shyly. “You two can share.” You were about to protest but she spoke over you. “You’ll be in sleeping bags. Just scoot far from each other. Your tent is big anyway.”
You looked sideways at Seungcheol who shrugged and then said, “I can sleep in the car.”
You nodded. “Or we can rent a tent. They must have one in the reception.”
“Reception is closed,” Seolhee said, sheepish.
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You could swear your friends are purposely trying to get you and Seungcheol to sleep in one tent. But when you checked the reception area, it really was closed. Seungcheol can’t sleep in his car. It’s uncomfortable and you’d feel bad if he did. Had you known he’d be joining you, you would have planned the trip properly. Although you knew you would probably refuse to go if you knew he’d be here too. 
Before you spend the entire night contemplating the matter, Yoori manages to convince you to share the tent. Between you and Seungcheol, you eventually end up agreeing that neither of you is uncomfortable and you are both willing to share the tent.
“The kimchi is amazing, Seolhee,” you told your friend.
“Thank you. We have plenty at the apartment,” she chimed.
You turned to Seungcheol. “Seolhee’s grandma owns a restaurant in their town. Her food is out of this world amazing.”
“Really? We should go there sometime.”
There he goes again with his ‘we’ declarations. It makes you hope that there really is something between you and he feels it too. But that’s just wishful thinking. He’s actively trying to get back with his ex, he shouldn’t be hanging out with you like this. And then again, maybe he’d rather hang out with you. Maybe he’s decided that he likes being here better than anywhere else. And maybe you’re overanalyzing things so much so that you’re starting to think delusional thoughts.
No. Delusions are things that aren’t real. His jacket that he wore on you because he was worried you’d be cold was real. His hand over the backrest of your chair was real. Your bodies leaning toward each other whenever you laugh was real. The jokes you had to whisper to each other because only the two of you would understand them were real. Seungcheol is very real. So maybe, just maybe, this was something worth overthinking about.
“Okay! The bottle has spoken and it picked you, y/n,” Yoori announced, pointing the tongs at you. “Truth or dare?”
The food has long been devoured and you’ve gone through bottles of alcohol already. Seolhee suggested you play a game of Truth or Dare, so here you are.
“Truth!” Seolhee shrieked, which was very unlike her but she was too inebriated to care.
“Do you…” Yoori began, standing up. “...like someone who’s here right now?”
You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “I didn’t say Truth.”
“Dare it is then!” Yoori declared, clearing her throat. She wobbled a little but regained her balance after shaking her head. She looked at you and then at Seungcheol then back at you again. “I dare you to kiss the person you like here.”
“We agreed no kissing dares,” you told her calmly so she sat and pouted, sulking.
“You’re no fun.”
You laughed at her and glanced at Seungcheol who was laughing too, probably amused by your drunken girlfriends. He’s mostly quietly observing, laughing here and there, and responding only when he’s talked to. During the game, he would only pick Truths and answer questions close-ended. Still, he didn’t seem bored, if anything, he looked like he was having lots of fun.
“Ah, crap. We’re out,” Seolhee said after pouring beer into her glass only to find that it was empty. “Ah. Y/n, I dare you to go buy more beer.”
You scowled. “Seriously? Haven’t you had too much?”
“Not nearly enough, love,” Seolhee replied, shaking her head and then laughing. You looked at Seungcheol, wondering how he was reacting to this. He just shrugged.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Go!” Yoori scolded, drunkenly shooing you away.
“Yeah! Go!” Seolhee giggled and the two of them chanted happily. “More beer! More beer! More beer!”
You rose to you feet to leave and Seungcheol grabbed your wrist. “Wait, are you going down all by yourself?”
“No, dumbass,” you scoffed, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. “You’re coming with me.”
The convenience store was a little far from the campsite, about a ten-minute walk down. You and Seungcheol were talking as you went, laughing in between jokes. The cold autumn air of late September was chilly, but you’re warmed by his jacket over you. Your cheeks are hot too and you’re not sure if it was the alcohol or the proximity between you and Seungcheol as you marched down the sidewalk. Your shadows were on the road, separate but they fuse with the slight tilt of your head in his direction. Even that was making you giddy. Damn. It really must have been the alcohol.
You were still looking at your shadows when he said, “Look at the sky!”
“Where?” you asked, looking up at the sky only to find nothing but darkness up there. “There’s nothing there.”
“I didn’t say there’s anything up there,” he giggled and it was such a cute sound to hear. Alcohol loosened him up a bit and it had him giggling and laughing at the littlest things.
You gave him a deadpan expression. “Wow. Funny.”
He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again and looked at the sky. “Oh wow, I think it’s raining.”
As if on cue, the rain started pouring from the sky. You squealed when big raindrops fell on your head. Seungcheol took you by the wrist and you followed him running to a nearby waiting shed. Laughing, you both stumbled into the shed, patting down the rainwater on your clothes. 
“Gosh, we should’ve just taken the car,” you blurted, peeking at the sky from under the roof.
“We had beer,” he replied, reaching to the top of your head to pat your hair back. “I don’t drink and drive.”
“But you’re not drunk.”
“I’m not irresponsible either,” he retorted, chortling at you. You were looking up at him, eyes gleaming.
“Wow, you’re very large.” Your comment came out of nowhere and even you was surprised you asked something like that.
Seungcheol flashed an affectionate scowl as he laughed. “Large?”
“Yeah, like you’re tall and your build is large,” you explained, shivering when the wind blew. “I knew you were bigger than me but I didn’t realize you were this big.”
Seungcheol chuckled. “Come here.” He tugged on your arm, pulling you in front of him so he could stand behind you. Then you felt his body pressing gently over you along with his pair of muscular arms wrapping around your waist.
Your heart skipped a beat before raging wildly in your chest. “Cheol?”
“Hmmh?” he inquired, placing his chin on the top of your head.
“What are you doing?” you asked, trying your best not to let your voice crack with nervousness.
“Helping with the cold,” he replied, taking a deep breath and then exhaling. “Damn, I think I had one too many beers.”
Seungcheol kept breathing in and out, steadying his breath as he fought against his tipsiness. You tilted your head back, urging him to get his chin off of your head. He did so and then leaned his forehead on your shoulder instead.
“You shouldn’t have drunk if you can’t hold your liquor,” you chided softly, almost in a whisper since his ear was close to your mouth.
“No, I can hold my liquor just fine. I just–” he paused to exhale and then continued– “I just need a second.”
The rain was loud against the roof and the wind was cold but your heart was warm; it was swelling with emotions, all leaning towards falling in love with Seungcheol. Surely you can’t do that, right? You’ve done well making sure you don’t fall for him even more, but now you’re back at one.
“Seungcheol?” you called softly, lifting your shoulder slightly to prompt him. “Hey.”
“Hmmh?” he responded, gently pushing you away when you moved to get him off your shoulder. “Sorry.”
You turned to face him, staring up at his sleepy expression. He beamed, eyes almost closed. It must have been the alcohol, or it could simply be the overwhelming emotions filling your heart to the brim. Maybe it’s his gentle smile and his eyes that are as beautiful as himself. Whatever it was, it made you take a step towards him, hold onto his arms, and then tip-toe so you could press your lips on his.
Seungcheol froze on the spot, eyes widening in surprise after your sudden action sobered him up. But it was only for a second. He kissed you back, holding your cheek so he could pull your face closer. Your grasp on his arms tightened as you tried to steady your body in your tiptoes. Seungcheol must have noticed you struggling to stand because he wrapped his other arm around your waist, keeping you in place.
A few seconds later, he exhaled sharply into the kiss and you could feel the temperature rising. It made you pull back, breaking the kiss. Seungcheol looked taken aback when you did.
You stuttered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.” 
“Are you okay?” he asked and you nodded in response. Seeing that, Seungcheol leaned to kiss you again. The warmth emanating from his body, plus the delirious feeling of his lips on yours made you close your eyes, immersing yourself in the kiss once more.
This time, you parted when you were both ready, forehead pressed together as you catch your breath. Seungcheol’s eyes were closed, and you were staring right at him as the situation slowly sunk in. You took a step back, forcing him to let go. 
“Choi Seungcheol,” you called out. Seungcheol looked at you, curiosity evident on his face. “You should probably stay away.”
“What?”
“You shouldn’t stay so close if you don’t plan on staying at all.”
The face Seungcheol made upon hearing that shot an arrow straight into your heart. For a second there, you had expected him to finally put a label on your relationship. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“I’m sorry, y/n,” he said, his voice apologetic and regretful, sending another surge of pain in your chest.
You were worried that you might cry, luckily, you didn’t. As you waited for the rain to stop, you both stood at the opposite ends of the waiting shed, not saying anything. The pitter-pattering of the rain kept you sane. When it finally stopped, you walked back up the hill, Seungcheol following closely behind. At the campsite, you found that Yoori and Seolhee have deserted the bonfire so you headed to your tent. Realizing that you were supposed to share it with Seungcheol, you mentally cursed yourself.
“Fuck it.”
You hid in your sleeping bag, facing the tent so you didn’t have to see Seungcheol or interact with him at all. But hours passed by, and you lay there with your eyes wide open, unable to sleep because of the thoughts floating in your head. Seungcheol didn’t enter the tent and several times you wondered where he was. 
He’s probably in the car. He won’t possibly sleep outside, right? Right. And so you forced yourself to sleep, hoping the hours tick faster so you can go home and get over everything. When the first light peeked into the seams of the tent, you rose to your feet with a heavy body and an even heavier stride. The first thing you thought of was Seungcheol as if you hadn’t already been thinking about him all night. He was in his car, sleeping in the reclined driver’s seat. He must have been uncomfortable there.
Yoori and Seolhee are still asleep so you took it upon yourself to pack up your stuff. You packed the trash away and brought the dirty containers to the wash area so you could wash them. Halfway through, Seungcheol arrived.
“Do you need help with that?” he offered but instead of answering, you left the dishes half-done.
“Take care of it then,” you told him before walking away to take the trash to the recycling area. Yoori and Seolhee soon woke up and you all agreed to eat breakfast at the rest stop.
The silence between you and Seungcheol was the loudest in the car. You knew your friends noticed that, but they were nice enough not to pry. Instead, they minded their own business, flirting and being rowdy in the backseat among themselves. Several times they would prompt the two of you to let you in on what they were laughing about. Seungcheol would respond just to be polite, while you gave the most half-hearted reactions. When you arrived home, the girls thanked Sungcheol and hauled your stuff into the apartment.
As you were getting out of the car, Seungcheol tried talking to you. When you ignored him and went for the door, he grabbed your hand, squeezing it firmly.
“Please?”
You feel pathetic enough as it is, you don’t want to linger any longer. “There’s nothing to talk about, Cheol. It’s fine.”
“I just want to apologize, y/n. I overstepped.”
"It's okay. I should be the one apologizing. It was me who kissed you after all, so, I was the one who overstepped," you professed, not looking at him out of embarrassment. 
"Don't be. I didn't mind it."
"Thanks," you muttered, getting ready to get out of the car. "This was fun. Thanks for everything."
Seungcheol’s face darkened with concern. "You mean the camping trip, right?"
"No, I meant all of this. Everything that we did, everything we shared, it had been fun and I would probably miss all of it but it shouldn't be that hard to forget," you replied, holding his gaze for the first time since that kiss. Seungcheol's mouth opened and then closed again. You felt even sadder, knowing he didn't want you the same way you wanted him. "Goodbye, Cheol."
"Wait, y/n," he called, so you stopped opening the car door. "Can't we be friends? We were good friends, right? I really enjoyed hanging out with you."
"I liked hanging out with you too but things will never be the same between us, Cheol and you know it." Seungcheol released your hand and you felt your heart shatter into tiny little pieces. Seeing how he's just letting you leave, you figured this was all your fault for falling for him when all he wanted from you was friendship.
He didn't even say goodbye when you left and as soon as you were inside the house, you broke down crying. Luckily, Yoori and Seolhee were there to comfort you, staying right next to you as you cried your heart out. It was ridiculous and you're telling yourself that you shouldn't even be sad about it. How can your heart break over something that was never about romance in the first place? To him, it may have not been about romance, but to you it was. He shouldn't have reeled you in like he did. You should have just ordered a takeout when you couldn't find a seat in that cafe. You shouldn't have joined him or eaten the donut. You shouldn't have met him at all.
"Imagine breaking up with someone you never dated? Couldn't be me," Seolhee jeered, getting a glare from Yoori.
"Hey, she's heartbroken enough as it is. Don't rub salt in the wound."
Seolhee just scoffed. "What did I tell her? I told her to make sure they were on the same page before she fell for his charm and all! Look at the mess he left her in!"
Yoori sighed, still holding you in her embrace. "To be fair, he did tell her he hasn't moved on from his ex and they're trying to fix it. So romance was obviously out of the table for him right now."
“Then why did he keep hanging out with her? He may have been clear about where his heart was but you and I, including him, know their coffee runs and all that meeting up are intimate enough to be called dates!"
"Seolhee, sweetheart, you can't hold him hostage for something he can't control. Yes, he's accountable for y/n's heartbreak. Yes, he got her hooked with his charming personality. And yes he was a jerk for still hanging out with another girl when he was trying to get back with his ex. But nowhere in the equation did he explicitly mention the possibility of dating y/n. He was nice and apparently, he liked talking to y/n. Our girl fell in love, he had no control over that."
"We kissed," you croaked, sniffling into the blanket.
"You what?" Seolhee asked, confused.
"Well, I kissed him, actually."
"And he kissed you back?" Seolhee interrogated so you nodded.
Yoori let go of you and stood with her arms over her chest. "I beg your fucking pardon?"
"Babe," Seolhee blurted, holding Yoori by the arm. "Calm down."
"I’m calm. But he… He's dead," Yoori attempted to go to the door but Seolhee managed to stop her.
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Seungcheol sat on the table opposite Mina, absent-mindedly slicing his steak. His mind was elsewhere entirely, while Mina was rambling about her trip abroad. His lack of attention was unusual, even for himself, especially since he had been looking forward to this dinner ever since Mina's last concert. But why is he thinking about an entirely different girl from Mina, in an entirely different setting from this fancy hotel restaurant?
"Oppa," Mina prompted, taking notice of the steak that has now been reduced to tiny, uneven little pieces. Even the vegetables have been sliced the same way. "Are you alright? You seem spaced out."
Seungcheol heaved a deep sigh upon seeing the state of his food. "Yes, I'm fine. Just not hungry."
Mina pouted cutely. "You should have ordered a salad or something."
"You're right, I should have," Seungcheol grinned.
"You weren't listening to the waiter so I ordered your usual." Mina looked worried. "Are you sure you're okay? We could meet up some other time, you know."
"I am, Mina. I'm sorry if I'm not fun to be with right now."
Mina just nodded and continued eating. "So, as I was saying," she began, falling back into a long monologue about her latest trip abroad.
Seungcheol watched her speak, recognizing the delight in her voice and the way her cheeks lifted whenever she smiled, as well as the slight annoyance on her face when her story included something bad that happened there. He watched the woman he knew so well, trying to find the reason he was sitting here in the first place. Seungcheol knew it was love. He had loved Mina for so long and so much that he couldn't even look at other girls. Even when she broke up with him, he couldn't bring himself to move on and find someone else, someone better, someone who wouldn't do to him what Mina did. He waited for her to come back because she was all he wanted, the one he loved most. It was pathetic, but he didn't care. He told himself he could wait until she was ready, and he did just that, not listening to any of his friends or his self-respect. He loved Mira, and only Mira.
But why does he keep picturing you in your usual spot at The Coffeehouse, reading your books on a small tablet? Why does he keep imagining you rolling your eyes at his lame jokes and making him laugh with your witty remarks? Why does he still clearly remember how it felt kissing you in that waiting shed, with the sound of the rain draining the noises of his pounding heartbeat?
"Oppa," Mina prompted again, this time she looked annoyed.
"Yeah?"
"Are you even listening?"
"Yeah, no. I'm sorry. What was that?"
Mina huffed. "Nevermind. I'll tell you when your mind stops flying out to space."
Seungcheol was holding Mina's hand as they walked out of the restaurant, with her giggling about the good food and him nodding along. That's how it should be, the two of them hand-in-hand and together. That should make him happy because that was what he wanted. Still, he was struggling to find contentment. When he got home that night, he had to grab a can of beer in an attempt to help him fall asleep. His mind is still filled with thoughts of you, especially the part when you last saw each other.
He loves Mina, he knows that. But he felt like crap for hurting you. Seungcheol knows he's a jerk, alright. You were right, he shouldn't have stayed that long if he wasn't planning on staying at all. But he saw you as a friend, a good friend he can talk to comfortably without the pressure of being perfect. You made him laugh easily, made him drop his guard down without warning, and crept into his heart like it was only natural to do so. He knew this could happen at one point but after you found out he'd been trying to get back with Mina, you drew the line and told him you could be good friends without any expectations. He had been blind to see that you've already gone past being friends. Now he's losing his mind over you, replaying the kiss in his head and reliving the day he let go of your hand to never see you again. He's thinking about you but he can't erase Mina for someone he recently just met, regardless of how wonderful it was.
"Ah, fuck," he muttered, massaging the bridge of his nose in an attempt to alleviate his headache.
Seungcheol kept seeing Mina after that, and he was under the impression that they were back together already. She hung out with his mother a lot and discussions about marriage were being brought up but he was unenthusiastic about it all. He was too busy trying to get you out of his head, which he kept failing miserably because the effort only made him think about you more.
"What are you thinking about?" Mina asked, tracing lines on his chest.
"A lot of things."
"Can you stop thinking about them for now?"
"I don't know. I'm trying."
Mina propped herself up on her arms, smiling as she straddled Seungcheol again. "I could help," she grinned, grinding on his crotch.
"Mina, we literally just finished—" Seungcheol was cut off when Mina leaned to kiss his lips.
Right. This is what he wanted, to have Mina back in his arms again. This should feel right. Seungcheol decided to ignore the alarms ringing in his head as well as the weird feeling in his gut that he shouldn't be here at all.
"Mr. Landlord!" Mingyu greeted when Seungcheol walked into the cafe. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"I got busy," Seungcheol replied, smiling at the younger man behind the counter. "Everything good here?"
"Perfect," Mingyu smiled, turning to make Seungcheol's usual drink order. "Are you looking for y/n?"
Seungcheol realized he had been looking around the cafe and cleared his throat to shake off the shame of getting caught. "Has she been here at all?"
"Oh, she's here all the time."
"All the time?"
"Yes. She's here almost every day. I talked to her once and she said she's working on the final editing for her thesis."
Seungcheol nodded. "I suppose she is."
Mingyu glanced at the door when it opened. "There they are."
Seungcheol head has never spun that quickly; it hurt his neck a little. And seeing you walking inside the cafe with Jinwoo from one of your classes made him scowl.
"Oh," you blurted, stopping in your tracks as soon as you saw Seungcheol by the counter.
Seungcheol gave you a timid smile before Mingyu tapped on his shoulder to give him his order. "Right. Thanks."
He turned to you, smiling and then sighing. "Good to see you."
You just responded with a slight bow of your head and Seungcheol went on to find a vacant seat. He sank into the chair, taking his book out and covering his face as he scolded himself for the stupid line. You were standing right there, he could have asked to talk to you properly.
"'Good to see you'? Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head and putting his book back down. He would soon regret it because he could see you and the guy you were with laughing together from the window table, far from where he was. He couldn't help admiring your smile, realizing just how much he missed it. But his face darkened at the sight of the guy's arm resting on the back of your chair.
"Don't punch someone, Mr. Landlord."
Seungcheol jolted when he heard Mingyu's voice in his ear. The latter just laughed heartily, placing a plate with a donut in it right in front of Seungcheol.
"It's on the house. The owner saw you come in. She's probably hoping for a discount on the rent."
"Tell her thanks and that it's not gonna happen," Seungcheol jeered and Mingyu raised a hand on his forehead as a salute.
"Will do," he chimed, tucking the tray under his arm. "Oh, by the way, I think that guy likes y/n."
"How do you know that?"
Mingyu scoffed. "Everyone likes y/n. She's popular at school. They even have a title for her."
"What's the title?"
"Million Dollar Smile. She's the university sweetheart. I have friends from the school who are head over heels for her."
Seungcheol smiled absent-mindedly, repeating your title in his head. It suits you because you have a radiant smile that he now can't get out of his mind.
"The other day, he gave her flowers," Mingyu said, souring Seungcheol's mood. He saw the frown on Seungcheol's face and thought he didn't believe him. "It's true. I was here when he did it. I don't think y/n likes him though. She left the flowers on the table."
"Then why are they still together?"
Mingyu shrugged. "No clue."
Seungcheol sighed and hit Mingyu's abdomen. "Are you here to gossip? Don't you have work to do?"
"I just thought you'd like to hear updates about her," he complained, massaging the part where Seungcheol hit him. "Why are you so mad?"
Mingyu marched back to his post and Seungcheol went back to his book, trying to ignore your presence and failing because he ended up just stealing more glances. You didn't linger for long though, leaving the cafe with your friend after you were done with your coffee. Seungcheol could only get peace of mind then. Or so he thought. You came back alone and sat on the chair opposite of his.
"What's your deal?" you asked, looking annoyed.
"What do you mean?" Seungcheol asked back, trying to appear calm despite being surprised by your sudden appearance.
"You wanna talk to me, say it. Stop acting like a stalker."
"A stalker? I wasn't acting like a stalker," he denied, chuckling. "You were sitting within my line of sight. I can't be blamed for that. And I was here first. You have no case."
"Are being a lawyer on me right now?"
"No,” he replied briskly. “Yes, maybe."
You huffed, leaning on the backrest of the chair and crossing your arms over your chest. "Is everything alright with you?"
"Yes. Everything's fine," Seungcheol replied, smiling at your warmer attitude.
"You look…” you paused, shrugged, and added, “I don't know, different?"
"Different how?"
You shrugged. "You look like you haven't slept properly. You got thinner too and a little paler than usual. Were you sick?"
"Did it always feel this good to be cared about?" Seungcheol blurted out before he could think twice about it. He saw your brows twitching and felt nervous about what you were going to say next but you just looked away. "Don't mind me. What about you? How are you these days?"
You huffed. "If you're so curious then you should have texted me."
"You told me to leave you alone."
You glared at him. "No, I didn't."
"Pretty sure you did," Seungcheol smiled. "You just used different terms."
"And you were dissecting my words."
"Nothing much to dissect when it was staring me right in the face."
You huffed impatiently, standing up from your seat. "I didn't come here to get smart with you, so goodbye."
Seungcheol grabbed your hand. "Coffee? Won't you at least have a cup?"
"I just had one."
"Yeah, I saw that. Were you working on a project again with that guy? Jinwoo, was it?"
"Why do you care? I never asked you if you're back together with Mina."
Seungcheol's hand on your wrist twitched. You were right to ask that. Why does he even care? He has Mina. He shouldn't be acting like this anymore.
"Don't stop coming here just because I come here, Cheol. This was your favorite spot. I'm graduating anyway so I'm pretty sure I’ll stop being around much."
"No. I—" Seungcheol sighed, letting go of your hand. "Okay. It was nice seeing you again."
You gave him a small smile before walking away. Seungcheol sat there for the next hour, staring into nothing with muddled thoughts and a weird aching in his heart. He kept telling himself that he shouldn't have let your hand go for the third time around. But how stupid was he to think that?
It was only when his phone rang that he stood up and left. Mina called and asked to meet him. He drove down to a restaurant, wondering why Mina was inviting him out to another dinner. It was with their common friends this time and she was gushing about some really good news.
When he got there, Seungcheol was confused to see his girlfriend sitting next to a guy, smiling happily with her hands wrapped around his arms. She spotted Seungcheol and waved happily.
"Oppa! You made it!"
You recognized the guy as the pianist who always accompanied Mina on stage. He was smiling at him too with the same glow of happiness as Mina.
"Come join us! Everyone's here," Mina said, running up to Seungcheol to guide him to a vacant seat. But he didn't budge. "What's wrong?"
"What's this, Mina?" Sungcheol asked, sighing in frustration. 
"My friends. They wanted to meet you."
Seungcheol sighed again, grabbing her by the wrist and walking out of the private restaurant. He stopped in a quiet hallway, looking at Mina with conviction.
"Are we doing this again, Mina?" 
"What is?"
"Who was that guy?" he spat and Mina laughed incredulously.
"That's Hyungjae. My pianist."
"Your pianist?"
Mina shrugged. "We're kind of seeing each other but it's not serious."
"Mina you were with me just a few days ago. You were in my bed!"
"I know! And I loved that," she smiled, placing her hands on Seungcheol's chest. "I love you. You don't have to worry about Hyungjae. He's just temporary."
"Are you seriously doing this again? Am I supposed to turn a blind eye while you go sleep around with just anyone? And you asked me to come here so you could introduce me to your friends? What do you take me for, Mina?"  Seungcheol grunted, swatting her hands away. "Do you see how messed up this is?"
"Oppa!"
"Let's stop this."
Mina’s face contorted with annoyance. "What do you mean? You can't say that!"
"Why not?”
She shook her head. “You can’t break up with me! Who do you think you are?”
Just like that, he’s had enough. Seungcheol walked away, completely ignoring Mina's nonstop calling. He found his car and drove a long way without an actual destination. But when he saw the Coffeehouse, he stopped right in front of it, sighing as he watched it from the side of the road. He wasn't expecting to see you there at all, smiling while talking to someone on the phone. He couldn't hear you but he was smiling along, content with the sight of your bright face.
Seungcheol was a fool. All this time, he had been blindly going in the wrong direction. He didn't want Mina because he still loved her, he wanted Mina because she was familiar. He had been chasing the empty shell of the love he used to have. He had been focusing too much on what he lost that he failed to acknowledge what he found. You. He found something really beautiful in you. He was realizing just now that he was in love with you after all. You were so graceful and pretty, like a breath of fresh air. He was enamored by you, not because you were alluring or sexy, but because you were smart and spoke kindly even when you were speaking carelessly. You were beautiful to look at, and even more breathtaking to listen to. Seungcheol was an idiot. He knows that now. He knows he would be an even bigger idiot if he let go of something as beautiful as this. But after hurting you, even though he never meant to, Seungcheol knew he couldn't just walk back into your life like he was welcome to do so anytime.
Your phone call ended and you chucked your device back in your bag. As you were turning to leave, Seungcheol panicked. Getting out of his car, he called out your name as loud as he could. 
“What the–” you blurted, surprised to hear someone shouting your name. When you spotted Seungcheol walking towards you, you scowled. “Choi Seungcheol?”
“Hi,” he sputtered. He held your hand as soon as you were within his reach. “Can we talk?”
“Now? I’m kind of in the middle of something–”
“It won’t take long, I swear. I just need to tell you something.”
You glanced inside the cafe and then at Seungcheol. “What is it?”
“I’m sorry,” he confessed, almost out of breath. “I’m so sorry. Can we do this again? Let’s try again, can we?”
“Cheol, what do you mean? Where’s Mina? What happened?”
“She’s gone, y/n. It didn’t work.”
You retracted your hand from his hold, glaring at him as you stepped back. “Are you serious? Did you come here because it didn’t work out with Mina?”
“What? No!” he denied strongly, reaching for your hand again but you backed away.
“I don’t think we should be talking right now, Cheol,” you told him, genuinely concerned. “You don’t seem to be in the right headspace. You’re not even acting like yourself.”
You were right. He was rash and impulsive. This was unlike him at all. “I’m sorry.”
You were about to speak when a group of people walked out of the cafe laughing and chattering. Seungcheol recognized his uncle among the students.
“There you are, y/n. We’ve been waiting for you inside. What took you so long?” the Professor asked. Then he noticed Seungcheol there so his face glowed. “Seungcheol! I didn’t expect to run into you here!”
“Uncle,” he said meekly, eyeing you curiously. “I was just passing by.”
The elder man laughingly walked up to Seungcheol, giving him a pat on the shoulder before proudly saying, “This is Attorney Choi Seungcheol. He’s an alumna of our university. My dear nephew.”
A chorus of ‘Nice to meet you’s was heard from the group, to which Seungcheol replied with, “Good to meet you too.”
“How do you know y/n?” the professor asked Seungcheol who seemed to hesitate.
“He’s an acquaintance, Prof,” you replied curtly.
The elder nodded. “Very well then. You should join us for dinner. My students just passed an important exam so I’m treating them to dinner.”
You panicked. “I think Mr. Choi is busy–”
“I’d love to, uncle!” he chimed, grinning. “I brought my car. The rest of them can carpool with me.”
“Good. Good. Let’s go.”
The group proceeded with excited chatter while you lagged behind. Seungcheol hesitated to speak to you and as he was about to try, you shook your head to dissuade him.
At this point, Seungcheol is improvising–something he’s never done in his life before. He’s hoping that it’s worth it.
[To be continued in Part 2]
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