#and she had so much on her plate she needed someone in my position to help her out

[oflgtfol]

the way some of you people say like oh its a nonprofit which means nobody gets paid…. Like how clueless are you. yes nonprofits tend to use a lot of volunteer labor, but that doesnt mean NO ONE gets paid, because most things require at least a handful of people to be there consistently and put consistent work in just to keep the thing running, which you can only guarantee by putting those people on an actual wage. this means that the money required to pay those full time staff are factored into the organization’s operational costs, which is NOT PROFIT. a nonprofit doesnt mean theres no money involved, it means that the money that is involved is not for profit. it will still have operational costs and the cost of paying the handful of full time employees that keep the organization running smoothly consistently and reliably are considered operational costs

[taexual]

sleepwalking ● 23 | jjk

pairing: jungkook x fem!reader

summary: due to unfortunate circumstances, you ended up managing your ex-boyfriend’s band. you thought you’ve both made peace with it, but suddenly he’s very eager to prove to you that first love never dies.

genre: rockstar!jungkook / exes to lovers

warnings: explicit language, mentions of drugs (nothing graphic), descriptive SMUT (pet names and a sprinkle of worship included, beware), fluff and too much flirting to be allowed, some angst, SLOW BURN

words: 19.8k

read from the beginning ○ masterlist

chapter 23 ► in this open warfare, i won't fight fair, and in your waking moments, i will be there

The next morning, you and Jungkook took Minjun, Luna, and Maggie to a small restaurant—unreasonably far from your hotel in London—to have a late breakfast and to plot. The five of you were a lot more concerned with the latter, and the bacon and egg sandwiches on your plates were relegated to mere decoration.

You had already discussed your plan with Luna and Maggie over the phone last night, but you wanted to meet everyone in person to ensure you were all on the same page, and to inform Jungkook of his role (which was intentionally non-existent).

You believed that the fewer members of Rated Riot got tangled up in Sid’s slimy web, the lower the risk of collateral damage. Ideally, you would have left Jungkook out entirely. But his friendship with Sid made him a linchpin in the machinations of your scheme—he would be the most affected if something went awry.

“This plan relies heavily on the circumstances, I admit,” you said, while your friends feigned interest in their food to avoid the disapproving glances of the restaurant staff. “But maybe that will work to our advantage because we will hardly have to do anything. We will draw the authorities’ attention to Sid, and that’s it. He’ll do the rest himself.”

“Yeah,” Minjun added as your primary accomplice in this scheme. He was busy trying to stop his napkins from blowing away in the fierce wind on the restaurant’s terrace. “And that’s why we need Jude to let us into their hotel room—”

“Wait,” had become Jungkook’s new favourite word. He used it now, too. “And are we sure that Jude won’t change his mind?”

Maggie and Luna turned to you, mirroring Jungkook’s skepticism.

“We’re not,” you admitted. You were aware of the risk, but time has never been more of the essence, and Jude was your best option. “We’re not telling him too much and hoping for the best.”

“And to be honest,” Minjun added, “the fact that she gave him that laundry list of shit to do—”

“Wait,” Jungkook said again. “What list?”

You waved off his question, but Minjun answered on your behalf, clinging to this as if it was the only convincing evidence the five of you had against Jude changing his mind.

“Like, vitamins and stuff,” he explained. “To ease his withdrawals. I don’t know if he followed her instructions, but anyone could see how much it meant to him, just the fact that she cared enough. Maybe that’ll be what keeps him on our side, even though he’s back with Sid right now.”

Maggie wrinkled her nose in clear disapproval, although you knew she would have reacted the same way if she’d seen Jude—her heart was bigger than her head, bless her.

“He’s done nothing to deserve this from you,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, he—yeah,” Jungkook agreed, the confidence in his voice wavering as he alternated between gratitude for your concern about Jude, and guilt for putting you in this position. “You didn’t have to help him.”

“He’s really not doing well,” you said. “And don’t think I’m so kind, I acted largely out of my own self-interest. We need him for our plan.”

Jungkook recalled Jude’s sneezing, his shivers in forty-degree heat, and his nausea. All of his symptoms always came and went without warning, but the memory of someone going out of their way for him was likely to stay.

“Okay,” Jungkook acquiesced. “That’s—let’s keep going.”

“We won’t need to involve Jude every step of the way, though, right?” Luna clarified. “I mean, I assumed we’d mainly need him to get rid of whatever Sid has in his phone gallery.”

“Yeah, but not just—we’re not just deleting the videos with Jungkook,” you said, glancing at Minjun, who had supported you wholeheartedly when you mentioned this part of the plan to him. He nodded now, too, encouraging you to explain. “We’ll delete everything he has in his Cloud storage and factory reset his phone. I doubt Sid had enough sense to back up his files to an external drive, so this will clear every copy of everything he has on there.”

Maggie’s eyes finally lit up with lively excitement, Luna nodded in agreement, and you felt a smile forming on your own lips, too.

Jungkook, on the other hand, appeared almost disappointed.

“W-we don’t have to go through all of this just to delete those videos,” he said, fixing his gaze on his untouched cup of matcha latte; the artwork on the surface had begun to blur. “Those things happened. I did all of that shit, and Sid recorded it. That’s who I was back then, and maybe I shouldn’t try to—”

You interrupted his words—the ones you’d already heard before—with a gentle touch of your hand over his restless fingers, and Jungkook stilled, turning to you.

“No, those videos are not who you are. You are the one who decides who you are,” you reiterated once more and the table fell silent around you as if everyone had witnessed something they were not supposed to. “And if you want to leave those things in the past, you should be able to. Sid has no right to bring it up now.”

“But if we lock Sid up,” he persisted, “then maybe those videos won’t matter anyway.”

“He could publish them,” Minjun countered. “He sent them directly to you now, but he could post them publicly later. I’m sure he’d find a way to do that even behind bars.”

Jungkook felt a rush of dizziness and he was very grateful that you’d pressed your hand on his. Minjun was right. Sid had done something like this before when he’d posted your picture; he clearly wasn’t above making private matters public.

“We would leave the videos be, let Sid have them, whatever,” you continued, reading the colour on his face, “but he wants to use them against you. He’s cutting them up to paint you as an irresponsible asshole. And you’re not an asshole, Jungkook.”

“Yeah,” Minjun agreed. “And I talked to Jude about an hour ago. He sounded sober, which is shocking to me, but, anyway—Sid has plans to go out tonight, so Jude should be able to do this tomorrow morning while Sid’s still passed out.”

The whole terrace of the restaurant seemed to hold its breath in anticipation as soon as he said that, the clink of cutlery and the muffled chatter around you growing tense.

Jungkook, even dizzier now, turned back to you once more. You gave him a small nod.

He took a breath and nodded back. “Okay. Alright. Fine. Let’s do it.”

“Good!” Maggie cheered from across the table. She turned to Jungkook, and you watched as her reassuring tone chased the last doubts from his eyes. “Even without those videos, we need to do this to get back at Sid. And I know this will do just that. I’d be tearing my hair out if someone cleansed my Cloud.”

You noticed that Maggie was much more vigilant with her phone today, hardly letting it out of her sight. She’d improved her security measures and had to enter her passcode every time she wanted to reply to a text today, because the facial recognition struggled to recognise the wind in her hair. This was the reason she hadn’t bothered with it before, but Sid had taught her a valuable lesson.

You gave your friend an agreeing nod and settled against the back of your chair.

Luna sat on your other side, leaning her elbows on the table, and she quickly noted the way Jungkook’s eyes widened when you pulled back, as if you had torn off a piece of his skin. She glanced at Maggie, who noticed nothing and kept checking the time on her phone as if she was late for another meeting to plan someone’s arrest.

Somewhat disappointed, Luna turned back to you, her grin doubling in size to compensate for her lack of company in teasing you.

“One big problem,” you said, focused on the intricacies of your plan and, therefore, unaware of your surroundings, “lies in our next steps. If we manage to get Sid arrested, he will likely weaponise his friendship with Jungkook. He’ll try to make it seem like they’re as close as brothers, and if he’s going to jail for meth possession, then Jungkook is probably doing drugs, too.”

You pulled your phone out from your bag and allowed for the weight of your words to settle on the table like a heavy grey tablecloth while you opened your gallery.

“So, this morning,” you continued, “Maggie and I put something together. This is a list of people who are banned from Rated Riot’s shows.”

You passed your phone to Luna first. She looked at the screen, nodded, and handed the phone to Maggie, who smiled to herself right away—she had designed the layout of the list and was very pleased with it.

By the time your phone reached Jungkook, he was already squirming in his chair. As he examined the list of names, displayed in bold white letters on a black background with a crumpled paper texture that Maggie had crafted and digitalised herself, he realised that the only name he recognised was Sid’s.

He looked up. “But if you post that—that’s—isn’t it supposed to be confidential?”

“I won’t post it,” you said. “We’ll leak it.”

“Oh.” A gleam of affection suddenly sparkled in his eyes. He felt a little like he’d just met you for the first time, all over again. “Can we do that?

Maggie reached across the table, snatching your phone from Jungkook’s hand to see the picture of the list again. She scrutinised the names for a minute as if trying to uncover the social security numbers of the people listed.

“No,” you replied. “But Sid never played fair, so we’re simply levelling the playing field. The other names on the list are made up anyway. They’re generic enough to match someone on Facebook, but no one will know which person is on this list.”

“But they’ll recognise Sid,” Maggie pointed out, squinting at your phone. “Even though he’s listed as Isidore here. Right?”

“That’s him, yeah,” you confirmed. “And you’re right. Everyone will recognise Sid. We’ll leak this before he gets arrested, and anything he says after that will just be taken as blatant slander.”

Jungkook took another deep breath and glanced at your phone, which Maggie slid towards you across the table. It bumped against the corner of your empty water glass.

“Won’t there be consequences if something else leaks?” he asked, his teeth grazing his bottom lip.

“Yeah, I was thinking that, too,” you admitted. “But then, Luna texted me a brilliant idea last night.”

You gestured towards your friend, and she continued.

“It’ll be accidental,” she explained. “Maggie usually posts backstage pictures on her Instagram. She has almost as many followers as the main account of your band at this point. So, later today, she will post a new set of pictures, and this list of names will just happen to be visible in some shots. Just a coincidence, really. And then we hope that one of your fans will notice it, zoom in, catch Sid’s name, and share it.”

Jungkook looked down, nodding to himself. He realised that Sid stood little chance against the collective resolve of everyone at this table.

“They will notice it,” he said. “I don’t doubt it.”

“We’ll have to rely on them to spread this,” you added. “Even though this list isn’t really something we need to hide. It’s just, you know, sort of customary in the industry to keep your dirty laundry to yourself.”

“Alright,” Jungkook said, sensing the weight of everyone’s gaze on him. He had the feeling that everyone was waiting for his final approval to move forward with this plan. “So, uh, Maggie won’t get into trouble for posting it?”

“Hmm?” Maggie looked up from her phone at the sound of her name. “Oh. No. I’m the photographer. As long as I get good shots, I never get in trouble. And this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve taken a picture that reveals more than I intended.”

She gave you a sheepish look, and you shook your head, sensing where the guilt in her eyes stemmed from. Maggie knew that Sid was behind the chaos caused by the bathtub picture, but she still felt a gnawing sense of responsibility because she was the one who had taken the picture.

“Alright. You, uh—you guys really put a lot of thought into this,” Jungkook remarked, looking at you first, then at your friends, and finally at Minjun on his other side. “I’m, uh—I-I’m actually a little afraid of you.”

Luna and Minjun snickered—Maggie was back on her phone, but she was smiling, too—and their excitement made you feel much more optimistic.

“Good,” you said, reaching out to touch Jungkook’s hand again. He immediately turned his hand round and firmly clasped yours—to ensure you wouldn’t pull away this time. “Sid should be, too.”

A tense silence settled over the table, punctuated by the subdued conversations on the terrace.

For the first time since you arrived at the restaurant, Jungkook finally took a sip of his coffee. It tasted bitter and lukewarm. You refrained from touching yours, but accepted a bite of Luna’s tiramisu. Everyone else at the table seemed to remember simultaneously that they had ordered food when they got here.

“Uh,” Maggie spoke up after a second, still chewing on the brown crust of her bacon and egg tart. “Is this a safe space for us to voice our, uh, concerns?”

You straightened in your seat, bracing yourself before she’s even said anything. Jungkook sensed your growing anxiety and squeezed your hand.

“Of course,” you replied, keeping your voice steady.

“Okay.” Maggie swallowed and set down her fork after taking exactly one and a half bites. “Well, I’m worried that Sid will say something provocative and one of us will end up getting arrested for assault.”

There was something absurdly comical in her question—or the potential outcome it suggested—and you could see Minjun quickly lower his head to conceal his broad smile.

Jungkook, meanwhile, was extremely pleased that no one turned to look at him, the person who had, more or less, already assaulted Sid before. It comforted him to know that everyone here would have loved to smack Sid upright in the head, too.

“That’s a great point,” you said, clearing your throat. “If he provokes you—well, then you might have a legitimate reason to, uh, land a good punch. You probably wouldn’t be held in custody too long for that. There’s no premeditation, you acted on impulse because of something he said.”

Minjun raised an eyebrow at you from across the table.

“I thought our focus was drug laws,” he said. “Did you research assault, too?”

“I researched assault laws the day I met Sid,” you deadpanned.

He snorted. “Yeah, fair enough.”

“Not to mention, we can always argue it’s self-defence,” Luna added, prodding her sandwich with a toothpick as if it were a not-quite-dead bug. “Sid is very—let’s say, aggressive.”

“That’s true,” Minjun agreed. “Especially when he’s irritated.”

The energy around the table had increased considerably; everyone seemed to have something to say about possible reasons to hit Sid. Maggie was already listing five ways to throw a punch that would knock out your opponent—she had a WikiHow article open and was illustrating it with enthusiastic demonstrations on Minjun.

You realised, quite suddenly, how happy you were to sit here with your friends. They were smart and cunning enough to rob a bank, escape a prison, and start a money laundering scheme all in a week, but they chose to be sweet and loving and a little vengeful instead. You felt almost giddy.

“He wouldn’t throw the first punch, though,” Jungkook interjected with a hint of frustrated sorrow. Maggie halted her research, retracting her fist from Minjun’s cheek. “He’ll just keep running his mouth until you strike him. And he’ll make sure the provocation is very minimal.”

“Well, sure, but who at this table will attest to any of that?” Luna questioned, undeterred. “Everyone who witnessed Sid throwing the first punch, raise your hands.”

All of you raised your hands in perfect synchronisation, and Jungkook felt himself smile again.

He had never doubted the success of your plan, even if he doubted the details. But sitting here now, while all of you held your hands up, he was fully convinced that this meeting marked the beginning of the end for Sid.

“Right. Okay,” he said. “I like how this is looking.”

“Me too,” Maggie said, locking her phone and slouching in her chair. “I feel better now. Didn’t want to spend the night at the police station.”

“You wouldn’t,” Luna assured her. “We’d bail you out.”

She snickered. “That’s good to—”

Jungkook suddenly jumped up in his chair, interrupting her.

“What about Sid’s bail?” he asked urgently. “Can he—could he pay for his release?”

Everyone at the table turned to you once more. When you and Minjun did your research yesterday, your focus had quickly turned from penalties to potential loopholes that Sid might use with his money, so you understood their sudden concern.

“No,” you said. “Apparently, it doesn’t work like that here. They would give him bail automatically; he wouldn’t have to pay. But they need to charge him with a specific offence first, and they won’t know the exact charges until they know what, uh, substances he was carrying on him and keeping in his hotel room—oh, and how much. Not to mention, bail may be denied if there is a risk that he’ll commit further crimes. And we know Sid is violent. He will not sit idly in his little cell.”

“Yeah,” Minjun agreed. “We’re 95% sure he won’t be given bail.”

You nodded, grateful for his confidence.

“So, we definitely won’t be in London by the time they charge him,” Maggie concluded, frowning. She regretted not ordering whiskey instead of espresso; alcohol helped her think.

“Definitely not,” you confirmed. “Our plan concludes with Sid’s arrest, everything else is not our problem anymore. And we’re only participating in this as the staff of Rated Riot, so the only people who will have to speak to the police are those who will be present when they arrive at the venue tomorrow. So, ideally, only Luna, Mick, and me. That’s it. That’s as far as we’re getting involved.”

“Wait,” Jungkook said. He understood the need for Mick’s presence and felt comforted that you’d have someone from security with you, but now he was worried about your friend. “Why Luna?”

“We need an additional witness to observe Sid’s erratic behaviour,” Luna explained. “We thought it’d be better to have someone random, and not just your manager and head of security there.”

Jungkook kept his gaze on hers. “How do you know he’ll behave erratically?”

She gave him a look.

“Right.” He leaned back in his seat. “Good point. Okay.”

He already knew that the odds were good that Sid would try to provoke you tomorrow, but now he realised that even if Sid suddenly decided to be docile, it wouldn’t matter. The five of you were tight as a glove—Sid could sit in a corner, purring and meowing, and you would all collectively claim that he was threatening you.

Finally, Jungkook realised that he had narrowly escaped something dreadful, and he felt very grateful to find himself at this table, and not on the other side of this plan.

“I, uh—this isn’t a concern exactly,” you said after a minute. “But I have to say that a lot of this hinges on Sid trusting my word, and I’m—well, I’m not sure if he’ll care about anything I tell him.”

Minjun looked almost offended. He was the one who devised this strategy after you told him that you needed a way to quickly draw the attention of the authorities to Sid.

Why don’t you call him? Minjun had suggested. And invite him to meet you.

You had thought he’d decided to go insane right before talking to you. But you’d kept your suspicions to yourself because, ultimately, calling Sid seemed like the only option. It felt unfair, however, not to mention your doubts now.

“Actually, I agree,” Jungkook said, giving you a long look. “I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with any of that. You’ll have to be alone in a room with Sid. And we can’t be sure that he won’t—”

“Sid will care,” Minjun asserted, ignoring everything Jungkook had said. He kept his gaze on you, his certainty almost as intimidating as it was comforting. “Maybe not because he has feelings for you, but because you’re Jungkook’s girlfriend.”

Maggie looked up from her phone, surprised about the possibility of Sid having any feelings at all, and turned to Luna. The two of them finally exchanged the look that Luna had been waiting for.

“And you’re okay with doing this?” Jungkook asked you, his gaze flickering from your eyes to your lips. He was careful not to miss any hint of dishonesty.

“I’m okay if this actually works,” you said. “If Sid shows up. If we get him arrested. I’m willing to try this if you’re all sure that we’ll succeed. And I wouldn’t be all by myself anyway.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about that part,” Maggie said to Jungkook, rolling up her sleeves for emphasis. Technically, she wasn’t supposed to be at the scene tomorrow, but she felt she had a personal debt to settle with Sid, so she would find a way to interfere if she had to. “I can fight.”

Jungkook looked at her in a way that was more amused than it was skeptical—Maggie was very small in size, but very big in energy—and she tried to flex her arms to prove her point.

“I believe you,” he said, a smile breaking through his uncertainty. “I just don’t like that this will all be happening during our show. I won’t be there with you.”

“That’s just the plan,” you said. “We need to keep you away from him so that anything he says later won’t carry any weight. He’s obsessed with you and he has problems, and you’ve been distancing yourself from him for some time now. We’ll release an official statement about your, uh, separation once we’re done with him. And the leaked blacklist will back up our claims.”

A resigned acceptance clouded Jungkook’s features: he understood that this was the right decision, but he couldn’t help feeling unhappy about it. However, although he would have typically complained and whined about this—and you expected him to—now his posture was stoic.

You felt a little dispirited. You knew you wouldn’t joke around much today, but Jungkook’s unusually serious demeanour emphasised the gravity of the situation even more.

“Okay,” Minjun said. “Any other concerns?”

You shifted your gaze to him.

“Actually, I have another one,” you said. “I’m also worried about how this will affect your parents.”

The two girls beside you exchanged another glance—you hadn’t explained Minjun’s family’s dependence on Sid’s mother yet.

“If Sid’s in prison?” Minjun asked, unperturbed. “Well, their stocks will probably drop, so it will be weird to throw a party. I think we’ll celebrate quietly.”

You glanced at Jungkook, and he met your eye with an amused grin.

“You sure you’re okay with this?” he asked Minjun then.

“Are you kidding?” Minjun looked optimistic and upbeat. He seemed ready to take on the world, and locking up Sid was just the first step. “We should have done this years ago.”

Maggie suddenly slammed her palm on the table, forcing everyone’s coffee cups to rattle against the plates.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” she exclaimed, and her excitement quickly spread to the rest of the table.

“I agree,” Luna added, much quieter. “But maybe it’s time we headed out. The people at the next table are whispering and, uh, pointing at Jungkook.”

Jungkook raised his eyebrows and turned to you instead of looking around, his expression filled with a shocked wonder. He had only been recognised in public a handful of times since Rated Riot started out, and each instance had left an indelible mark on him.

You gave him a smile and a nod that spurred him out of his chair and towards the people at the neighbouring table, all of whom held their breaths when he stood up.

You glanced back at your friends—all smiling as they watched Jungkook introduce himself and singlehandedly cut off the air supply of four different people—and you thought about how wonderful it would have been if you had met Maggie and Luna earlier. If Jungkook and Minjun had stopped entertaining Sid’s whims sooner. If you and Jungkook had never broken up at all.

Perhaps, you thought, there was an alternative universe where you’d known and loved these people your whole life. You felt very close to that universe now.

Just as you finished your breakfast—where the five of you consumed one cup of coffee and half a slice of tiramisu in total—you executed the first step of your plan and sent a text message to Sid. It was innocuous, just a conversational, “are you ever going to stop doing this?” but it was meant to serve as a subtle precursor—so as not to approach him out of the blue tomorrow.

Then, as the five of you exited the restaurant, Maggie got enthralled by the most gracious little corgi sitting at a table, and dragged Luna and Minjun (who looked like he was not sure what was happening) back inside to ask for pictures. You and Jungkook opted for a scenic route back to the hotel instead.

Although the day was overcast, the sky did not look particularly ominous, offering instead an unexpected serenity that you thought you could use to clear your thoughts.

Interestingly, fresh air was not what you really needed at all. It was his hand holding yours as you strolled past extravagant hotels and expensive restaurants near Hyde Park, weaving through crowds of rushing tourists and cranky locals.

You felt significantly lighter with your hand in his, but Jungkook still appeared troubled. The shadows on his face were far more pronounced than those in the sky.

“What’s on your mind?” you asked.

He let out a weary sigh as he met your gaze. He seemed overwhelmed—as though his head was trying very hard to grow twice as large to contain all his thoughts, while the rest of his body fought desperately to resist the growth.

“I—well, I didn’t want to say this in front of everyone,” he started slowly, “but I’m worried about you.”

“Me?” You frowned. “Wh—because of Sid?”

“Because you’re doing all of this on top of your other responsibilities,” he said. “I don’t want you to burn out.”

Your expression visibly softened, but dark edges of guilt still coated the appreciation in your eyes. You felt disappointed in yourself—for letting it get so far that, over a week later, Jungkook still sometimes looked at you as though you might faint any second.

“That won’t happen,” you replied, your tone gentle, but determined. “I promise. And I’m not alone. I have so much help. And this won’t—it’s just a few days. We deal with it tomorrow, and it’s over.”

“Okay. But what if it’s not?” he questioned then. “We’re heading to Paris right after we, potentially, deal with Sid. And what if it doesn’t work, and we’re not here to fix it?”

You had to admit, this same possibility had been weighing on your mind ever since Jude first mentioned the bags of drugs in Sid’s hotel room. However, as soon as you saw Jungkook’s solemn features, you found yourself resisting all these worries. You would figure it out, no matter what happened, just so he wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.

You shrugged nonchalantly. “Then it won’t work.”

“He’ll be furious,” Jungkook said. “Even more vindictive than before.”

“I know,” you replied. “But no matter what he decides to do, we won’t back down, either.”

Jungkook frowned so deeply that several new wrinkles declared permanent residence between his brows. He dreaded the idea of spending a lifetime seeking revenge.

You sensed the reason for his apprehension—you wanted this over quickly, too—and instinctively squeezed his hand.

“I’m with you,” you said, reaching for your phone to check if Sid had reacted to your text. “And I told you, I’m not entirely convinced that this will work, either. I mean, here, look. Sid hasn’t replied. But if this plan falls through, we’ll come up with something else. Maybe something—well, less grand.”

He glanced at your phone, toying with his lip ring between his teeth. The prospect of failure felt more daunting with each second that Sid remained free to do whatever he pleased.

Jungkook didn’t want to do something else. He wanted this to work.

“Maybe he hasn’t replied because Jude deleted everything,” he suggested, searching for a plausible explanation that aligned with your plan. “Including the texts.”

“No, that’s tomorrow,” you reminded him. He groaned. “We need—Sid needs to notice my texts first. Then we delete them. I’ll use a disposable SIM card tomorrow, so there’s no trace that I ever contacted him.”

Jungkook felt like his head had already grown far too large for his body. He was a bit unsteady on his feet and clutched your hand tighter.

“Right,” he said. “Okay. That—yeah, no.” He lifted your intertwined hands to scratch something at his forehead. “My head is spinning. I can’t remember that much.”

You gave him a sympathetic nod. “That’s fine.”

“I’m not saying that I’d be too dumb to follow a plan like this,” he felt the need to insist.

“I didn’t think that.”

“I’m just saying,” he continued. “There’s a lot.”

You nodded in exaggerated agreement again. “Mhmm.”

His eagerness to prove his intelligence to you was very endearing. But it was a little funny, too, and Jungkook stopped walking to study your expression more closely. After a moment, he came to an appalling conclusion.

“You think I’m dumb,” he said.

A wide smile finally broke out on your face. “I think you’re very pretty.”

“Very pr—okay.” His expression shifted as you laughed, pulling on his hand to continue walking after an elderly couple gave you a rather well-deserved disapproving look for blocking their path. “Pretty and dumb. Is that your type?”

“It is,” you said, grinning. “That’s why you’re the only boyfriend I’ve had.”

He raised his eyebrows and scoffed. “Oh—wow. Wow. I am both very flattered and very offended.”

You chuckled, gently pushing his shoulder with yours. Jungkook shook his head and finally smiled, too. But right as he prepared to say something else, he ended up having to quickly yank your hand, pulling you into him and out of the way of an oncoming bicycle.

“Shit,” you were breathless against his chest as the bike drove past, your hair whipping forcefully in the wind, “thank you.”

“Pretty and dumb,” he said, allowing you to take a step away from him now that the danger has passed, “but with great reflexes, huh?”

You laughed again, leaning into him when you did and successfully dissolving everything sharp and uncomfortable in his chest.

“I know you’re not dumb,” you said. “And let’s be realistic: Minjun and I had been simmering in the details of this plan for days. You just barely learned about it a few hours ago. We’ve got this. I wanted you to know what we’ll do, but I don’t want you to be involved at all.”

“Yeah. I—no, I just…” he faltered, weighing his next words. The thought of everything that would happen tomorrow made his stomach feel very heavy. “I feel like you’re trying to protect me from Sid by keeping me out of this, and I’m—I don’t know how that makes me feel.”

“We’re not just keeping you out, we’re keeping the whole band out,” you said. “I want to protect all four of you. And if anything, you’re the only member who isn’t entirely excluded. Does that… make it any better?”

Jungkook considered this for a moment.

“Not sure,” he said. “Because I’m still not participating.”

Exhaling softly, you looked around, searching for a quiet spot on the pavement where the two of you could step away from the crowd. Nearby, there were two traditional phone booths that tourists were gathered around, obstructing your view. Once you passed them, you noticed a parking meter right by the park gate that everyone seemed to avoid. You decided to pause there.

Jungkook glanced around before stopping in front of you, slightly unsettled by the large, dark green hedge covering the park fence, and all the bugs that emerged from it—bees, mostly. They all seemed very curious about him.

“Okay, look at it this way,” you began. “Sid has known you and Minjun since you were kids. He knows all your weak points. He can predict exactly how you and Minjun will react in any situation. Sure, you took him off guard when you gave up your Katana, but he can still read you very well. He doesn’t have that luxury with me, Luna, or Maggie. He’s less certain about our reactions. Who else could do this if not us?”

“Right,” Jungkook murmured. “But you’re still going out of your way for me, and I feel—”

“And why wouldn’t I?” you interrupted. “I love you.”

He thought he died for just a second and it felt surprisingly nice: he could feel something soft and warm against his skin—the phantom shivers of every time you’ve touched him before—and he could taste a sweet, lingering flavour on his tongue—from every time he felt your mouth against his own.

He would never tire of hearing you say you loved him. The only downside was that his chest usually attempted to collapse in on itself right after that, leaving him speechless for anywhere from a minute to several days.

“Not to mention,” you continued while Jungkook fought against the haze in his mind and the bumblebees around his neck. “Sid has long stopped at just you. With the videos and pictures he’s sending you, he’s threatening everyone on this tour. Anything that affects your reputation, affects the band and the staff, too. So, when you look at it like that, we’re really doing this for everyone.”

Finally, Jungkook managed to stop his thoughts from pulling him in every direction and anchored himself to this pavement right here—with you, and the persistent bugs, and the chattering of people as they walked past you.

He squeezed your hand that he had not let go—not now, and probably not ever, really—and exhaled.

“Yeah, I get that,” he said. “But I was the one who brought him here, and that’s—I guess that’s what’s bothering me right now.”

“You did bring him here,” you agreed.

“I—oh.” He looked up, his eyebrows knitting together. He had expected something else. An ‘I told you that was a shit decision’ or a sarcastic ‘yeah, and thanks for that’—but your kind expression did not change. “Y-yeah. I did.”

“But we’ll get him out,” you said.

Jungkook held your hand and observed you, trying to process this while simultaneously trying to figure out what was it about him that attracted these British bees to him so much. It couldn’t be his cologne, because you loved him far more than he’d allowed himself to believe. It couldn’t be his clothes, either, because you were looking at him like you believed anything was possible in this world, and he thought it really was.

He realised that to you, he must have appeared as if he were struggling to interpret prehistoric cave wall paintings, and this process was causing him immense pain. He cleared his throat.

“You don’t blame me?” he asked.

“For making a stupid decision?” you replied, and shrugged your shoulders after he nodded. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

He pressed his lips together, his expression a mixture of incredulity and pure delight.

“Okay,” he said. “Sure.”

You were smiling again, and he was a little too proud to admit how much your loving eyes and your great mood soothed his anxiety.

“And what would I gain from punishing you?” you added. “You’ve already seen through Sid. You’ve had enough. You learned your lesson. You’re good.”

Jungkook felt his chest swell as though he’d swallowed the swarms of bees around him, and now they’ve built a cosy little home right on the hills of his heart.

“You think so?” he asked, his eyes glistening.

“Why do you look so excited?” you countered. “Do you have more dickhead friends I haven’t met yet?”

He chuckled, waving his hand around his face. “Can I answer that inside the park? I’m afraid these bees are in love with me.”

You had already noticed his struggle with the bees—it was hard not to, one was perched right on his shoulder—and you found your own apparent immunity to this new bee predicament especially entertaining.

“Want me to fight them for you?” you suggested.

“Oh, in a battle of who loves me more?” he quipped, swatting vigorously at three stubborn bees that were particularly intrigued in his eyes.

“Yeah,” you said. “We’ll all sting you at the same time, and whoever dies first, wins.”

He snorted. “These are bumblebees. They don’t die after they sting.”

“Oh, so maybe we should just stay here,” you teased. “You all seem to know quite a bit about each other already.”

He squinted at you, a smirk playing on his lips. “Are you jealous I’ve grown so close to these bees?”

“Of course. They’re all over you.”

“I’d rather have you all over—”

“Public park!” you interjected hastily, cutting him off.

His laughter in response was unapologetic and infectious—you found yourself shaking your head to suppress a treacherous smile.

“Did you also research public indecency laws?” he asked, turning past the menacing, bee-infested hedge.

You followed him through the gates into the park, your fingers intertwined with his. The clouds above had thickened, and the wind had picked up, but there was nothing about this afternoon that Jungkook did not enjoy.

“Actually, I did,” you replied. “Because of that stunt you pulled in New York last year.”

Recognition flashed in his eyes for just a fleeting moment before he pursed his lips, distancing himself from the memory. A gentle breeze swept through the park, rustling leaves and carrying the scent of damp earth; it would rain soon.

“I don’t remember,” he declared.

“Really?” you responded wryly. You both knew very well that he remembered. “Nothing familiar to you about the busking that turned into half-naked dancing in the middle of the street?”

“Nope,” he said. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“There was a lot more grinding than actual dancing, now that I think about it,” you pressed on. You noticed, through your peripherals, the way he scrunched his nose and furrowed his brows, evidently despising the memory he claimed he did not have. “Someone had drawn a crown of thorns on your forehead. You had a—sort of a cloth wrapped around your waist, and nothing else. Almost everyone on the face of the earth accused you of being in a sex cult after those pictures came out.”

“I don’t know anything about that,” he insisted. “They must have confused me with someone else.”

“Sure. They must have,” you relented, pouting your lips in mock-sympathy. “There are plenty of people in sex cults out there.”

“Exactly,” he replied, finally meeting your eyes.

Something about you bringing up this incident—“incidents” were a prominent category of his actions in his mind—reminded him of the videos Sid had sent him. However, with you, the feelings in his chest were vastly different.

You were playful. Lighthearted. Your love language was teasing the hell out of him.

Sid was venomous. Arrogant. Vile. His intentions were humiliation and destruction.

You were joking about a matter for which Jungkook undoubtedly owed you another apology. He could tell that you knew he would apologise eventually, but you were hoping—with every jest, every tender smile, every affectionate bite you sent his way—that he would not plunge himself into self-loathing again.

He wouldn’t. He had matured significantly since the day under discussion. He knew he had, even if it was easy to forget.

“I’m surprised how well you remember all that, actually,” he commented. “Are you secretly into sexual rituals?”

Your scoff returned his smile to his face.

“Oh, absolutely,” you said. “I keep a picture of you from that day on my desk at home. I look at it every night before I fall asleep.”

Jungkook kicked a few dry, scattered leaves on the pavement. When he glanced back at you, his grin bordered on ridiculous.

“I am aware that you’re trying to mock me right now,” he said, “but I feel obligated to inform you that I’m taking absolutely everything you say as a compliment.”

You nodded sagely. “I would expect nothing less from you.”

“Good,” he replied. “Please tell me more about how you look at pictures of me before you fall asleep every night.”

You tsked reproachfully at his grin.

“I take back what I said about you being smart,” you said. “You are the biggest idiot I’ve met.”

“Oh,” his face was jubilant, “but that just means you love me that much more, right?”

You let out a deep sigh. “I’m afraid so.”

He felt the swarms of bees in his chest, and they were buzzing incessantly—eager, restless, and yearning. They took every emotion he felt and spread them across his skin.

“I knew it,” he said, delighted by the look on your face. You were so captivating when you were trying to resist smiling; it was why he never stopped teasing you. “This must be awful for you.”

“Mmhm. It is,” you said. “You’re like a disease.”

He nodded, attempting a formal tone. “How bad is it?”

“Chronic and untreatable, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, thank you.”

A deep, vibrant laughter finally erupted from his chest, and he stopped walking. Tugging on your linked hands, he drew you closer and wrapped his arms around your waist before you could say another word.

“I love you so much, you know that?” he whispered, his voice low against your neck. “It’s not even funny how much.”

He rocked gently on his feet with you in his arms, and you could not tell if the vibrations you felt came from his chest or yours.

“More than the bees love you?” you asked, your hands sliding over his shoulders.

“Much more than the bees love me.”

“Oh, must be quite a lot, then.”

“It is,” he said, chuckling hopelessly. “It really fucking is.”

He tightened his already firm grip until he felt your deep exhale against the side of his neck. He held you and his heartbeat chased after yours while the bustling crowds, the rustling leaves, and the solemn park benches whispered incomprehensibly around you, their frustration about your public affection lost on you.

When he pulled away a minute—or ten—later, he realised that his cologne had brushed off on you. There was something wildly intoxicating about you smelling exactly like him, and he needed a minute to make the park stop spinning.

“I, um—” he started to say, but his voice broke. He cleared his throat, took your hand in his to continue down the park, and tried again. “Jokes aside, I feel—I really appreciate what you do for me. What you’re doing to fix my shit right now, and what you—what you’ve always done to fix my shit. I don’t say that enough. Thank you. For taking care of Sid, too.”

You shook your head. You knew you couldn’t tackle Sid alone—probably no one could.

“This is a team effort,” you replied. “If this works, you can bake us all a cake later.”

Jungkook no longer had even half of a doubt that this would work, one way or the other. And if he’d stayed with you longer, he would have easily started to believe that Rated Riot would be elected presidents, too—one after the other.

“I’m not much of a baker,” he said.

“I’ll help,” you offered.

“Your help,” he responded, his smile turning mischievous, “usually consists of walking around, eating chocolate sprinkles, and distracting me.”

It was your turn to look offended.

“I’m the only one who remembers how many eggs the recipe needs,” you retorted, dignified. “How do I distract you?”

“How can I remember the eggs when you’re dancing and singing around me?” he countered.

He noticed the way your chin quivered as you fought to maintain a serious expression.

“Well, that’s on you,” you said. “Any skilled chef knows to keep their staff busy so they wouldn’t have time to sing and dance. Also, don’t play good songs when we’re in the kitchen.”

“Alright, we’ll bake in silence,” he decided. “And you’ll do everything while I sit and order you around.”

The corners of your lips finally curled into a smirk.

“That’s interesting,” you said, your thumb lightly brushing over his as he swayed your hands. “Switching up the dynamics.”

He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, very intrigued by the insinuation in your words. “You want me to order you around?”

“I mean…” You shrugged. “I’d like to see you try.”

He stopped walking suddenly, right in the midst of a group of senior ladies, forcing a few of them to gasp and walk around him with very exaggerated expressions of disbelief as though they’d never felt more wronged (there were a few obligatory comments about “kids these days,” too, of course).

Jungkook, undeterred, took a step to the right until he was standing in front of you.

“Kiss me,” he said.

The demand in his tone caught you off guard, but you tried to blink away your surprise. “I didn’t mean right now—”

“Kiss me,” he repeated more assertively.

You felt your stomach lighten and go for a little float inside you, like a loose helium-filled balloon.

“We are in the middle of a busy park,” you said, looking around. “We’re blocking—”

“Kiss me,” he interrupted again, his voice firm but lively, “or I won’t move.”

You poked the inside of your cheek with your tongue, torn between amusement and apprehension as you battled his self-assured grin, while passersby shot disapproving glances at the two of you.

“See, there’s ordering people around,” you said, “and there’s acting like a three-year-old.”

He simply shrugged, relentless. “I see no difference.”

“Do I sound like a toddler when I tell you to do things?”

“Sometimes.”

His satisfied grin only gained prominence when you scoffed and looked away, rolling your eyes.

You questioned, sometimes, how you managed to put up with him for so long. But then you also questioned, much more often, how you’d survived without him at all.

“If I were a teacher,” you said, “you’d be in detention for disrupting everyone’s day.”

“Oh! And what would I have to do?” he teased, mischief gleaming proudly in his eyes. “Write an essay on the importance of respecting authority?”

“That might do you good, actually,” you retorted. “Maybe you should consider writing it anyway.”

He shrugged his shoulders and cocked his head to the side. “Kiss me and I’ll do it.”

He looked so utterly unfazed that you did feel very compelled to lay your hands on him and do something.

He might have been one of the most exasperating people you’ve met in your life, always ready to say something cheeky no matter what you told him, always causing trouble wherever he went, never letting you breathe in peace for just one second.

You were outrageously grateful to have found him.

“People are staring at us,” you said, but there was no conviction in your voice. “We look like idiots.”

Jungkook admired your cautiousness, but he wanted you to let go of it. People would always stare; he just wanted you to kiss him.

“They’re staring because you’re defying authority,” he countered easily.

“Jungkook, just—”

“Oh, see?” he cut in, his tone triumphant. “Maybe you should be the one to write that essay.”

You groaned very demonstratively, but he saw the corners of your lips lift. Finally, you took a small step towards him and pressed your lips to his in a quick peck. He pulled you into him just as you attempted to pull away, and kissed you properly.

At last, the crowds disappeared, allowing you to dissolve in the warmth of his lips and come back to life with all the shivers that ran down your spine when he touched the back of your neck. You felt his smile and felt your own, too, when he brought his tongue over yours, deepening the kiss.

“You are insufferable,” you managed to mumble between kisses, and the affection in your voice was impossible to mistake for something else.

“I love you,” he whispered in response, each word sweet and sugary against your lips.

You kissed him once more—to soothe your racing heart—and then once more again—to soothe his—before you pulled away, whispering back, “I love you.”

Jungkook only managed half of a pleased “I—” before he felt a few soft, cold droplets land on his forehead and both of his cheeks. He raised his head.

“Is it me, or is it—”

“Yeah,” you confirmed, looking up at the angry clouds. “It’s raining.”

“Do you—should we go inside?” he asked, looking around.

There was no specific “inside” anywhere close to the two of you, but you looked at him again and spotted something at the very edge of the park behind him, right across a busy bike lane.

“There’s a little gazebo over there,” you suggested, pointing.

Jungkook turned around and seemed to have an epiphany when he noticed the crooked structure.

“In the—in the park,” he mumbled to himself, feeling a little weak in the knees. He took your hand in his again. “Let’s go.”

He led you straight into the bicycle traffic as he crossed the road, causing a commotion and undoubtedly endangering everyone’s lives—and not even realising it in his eagerness to get to the gazebo. You attempted to raise your hand in apology to the cyclists, but quickly realised that the smile on your face likely made the gesture seem mocking.

It occurred to you that you and Jungkook were being very disruptive today, very annoying, very much in everyone’s faces about your relationship. And you realised, as he pulled you past the groups of people running from the rain, that you did not actually mind this all that much. Or at all.

There was a certain beauty in the unapologetic way that people in love behaved in public—grinning at their phones, kissing at bus stops, holding hands on narrow streets barely wide enough for one person. Running across the park in the rain and stumbling into every puddle possible.

When you and Jungkook finally reached the gazebo, you were both drenched and breathless. And you realised, belatedly, that it was not a suitable shelter at all: there were no railings or benches, the roof was not only crooked, but obviously decaying, and the rain splattered you if you got too close to the edge.

But you’d been here before: caught in the rain on your way to the restaurant for your first date seven years ago, seeking refuge under a much sturdier roof of a similar gazebo in an empty park, while the vividly green trees—almost a rarity so late in September—whispered wearily from the heavy rain on their leaves.

You’d been here before, and you did not want to go anywhere else.

“I’m starting to think,” you began, “that there’s something about us that attracts rain.”

Jungkook was thinking this very thought and laughed so heartily that the rain stopped for just a second, shamed into silence by a sound far more charming than the eager pitter-patter against the roof.

“You think we could make some money out of it?” he joked, his eyes energetic. “Maybe add a little performance to it? Rain dance?”

“We might have accidentally performed one already,” you said, stepping closer to the edge of the gazebo to watch the raindrops splash against the damp ground.

“You’re right,” he agreed, taking your hand in his and guiding you to face him. “Let me see.”

He brought your hand to his chest and you watched, puzzled, as he closed his eyes and pretended to concentrate very hard on the sounds around him. People across the street screeched as they ran from the rain. A stubborn gull was screeching in the exact same way somewhere overhead.

Jungkook clutched your hand tighter and hummed. He was joking, clearly putting up a show, but you heard the faint sound of distant thunder, and the joy on his face turned luminous.

“I knew it!” he exclaimed as you laughed, and the rain, encouraged by your approval, began to pour even harder.

You watched him revel in this delightful coincidence—or an elusive sign—and allowed his radiant smile to bring back the memories that you had locked away in a box you didn’t dare touch unless you were half-asleep.

It had been raining on your first date seven years ago, but it had also been raining when he suggested that date. You’d felt invincible then, the only one staying dry in the whole world, as you nearly sprinted home from the party where he’d asked you out. You stumbled over the threshold of your dorm room, your shoes wet and slippery, and landed on your knees, shouting the news to your roommate, who was startled out of bed by your loud entrance.

This was the beginning of the happiness you’d felt almost every day since then. But this happiness came with a price: you would come to class and you could not rest, could not find it in yourself to calm down, until Jungkook arrived and took his usual seat behind you. You wouldn’t even have to look, you’d always know he had come because you’d feel a sudden sense of peace—and then you’d lock eyes with him across the room.

For years after this, even today, when you tried to find a period of your life where you’d felt the happiest, these were the moments that your mind returned to.

“What are you thinking?” Jungkook asked, brushing a damp strand of hair from your cheek and bringing your focus back to the rainy moment with his touch.

“It—it’s been seven years and now we’re back in the rain,” you replied, distracted by the lingering echo of the years that have passed outside this gazebo. “Nothing’s changed.”

A faint smile danced on his lips.

“Yeah. Nothing important has,” he agreed. “I still love you.”

You met his gaze, a little thrown off. “W-what do you mean, still? That was our first date seven years ago.”

“Yeah,” he said, raising his eyebrows at the confusion on your face. “Oh, did you think I asked you out right after I saw you? No, no. I spent a whole year absolutely fucking pining after you before I finally mustered the courage to ask you out.”

You assumed he might have liked you a little, based on the way he’d introduced himself to you. But you obviously didn’t know about his alleged year-long pining that preceded your first date. And you weren’t sure if you wanted to believe him, given your own year-long pining. It made little sense for the two of you to like each other for so long and not do anything about it.

On the other hand, considering the past few years, perhaps it made perfect sense.

Your heartbeat had sped up, so you argued childishly, “no, you didn’t.”

“I did. Ask anyone,” he said, grinning. He wasn’t as embarrassed about this as he used to be—and your surprise made it easier for him to admit everything. “I never knew how to love you quietly. But it still took me ages to talk to you even with everyone’s encouragement. And that, uh—our first conversation didn’t go very well.”

“Wait—what do you mean? It went very well,” you disagreed. “I remember everything you said word for word. ‘We have Sociology together, I saw you sleeping in class, very cute by the way, the professor does not know how to shut up, have you seen that new Studio Ghibli film, I recently watched their classic with some friends, My Neighbour Jungkook, I’m Totoro by the way, I thought maybe—wait—no—’”

He interrupted you once your smile had grown dangerously wide. “Don’t you dare make fun of me.”

“I would never!” you said through laughter. “I think I knew I was in it for life the moment you said all that.”

He had to look down because the bees inside him had multiplied, spreading rapidly to his head and his lungs and his stomach, and he was a little concerned that he’d start buzzing, too.

“Not one period, nothing,” you continued, a melancholic haze in your eyes. “Just commas and an endless stream of thought. You could have asked me to bury a body, I would have said yes.”

He smiled, but everything inside of him was turning upside down, returning to normal, then turning downside up.

Every time he remembered how he approached you seven years ago, he either felt a little uncomfortable or completely mortified. He’d never thought you’d remember that day so well and with such fondness.

“By the way,” you added when he did not speak, “you did look a little like you were about to confess to accidentally murdering my roommate when you started to speak.”

This finally made him chuckle, and he felt his skin thaw from the frozen state of amazement. He remembered hoping that you’d forget all about what he’d said that day. Now he realised he had never felt more thrilled that you remembered.

“I know,” he said. “I was shaking.”

“Yeah. I, um—” you trailed off, needing another minute. “I had a crush on you, too, actually. For a long while.”

His smile faded, replaced by a look of criminal disbelief. “You did not.”

You recognised your own suspicion in his words and smiled. However, unlike Jungkook, who owned up to his stressful pining and memorable first impression, you did not feel ready to confess to your silent sulking quite as easily.

“I did,” you said. “But you turned away every time I looked at you on campus, so I thought, oh, okay. That guy hates me for some reason. Nevermind.”

“I didn—I never—”

“I actually made a playlist before we met,” you added quickly before you could change your mind. “And I, uh, kept updating it throughout our relationship.”

You did not look at him when you said this, so you missed the befuddled look on his face.

“A pl—you made a playlist?” he repeated, his thoughts momentarily derailed. He couldn’t even hear the rain anymore. “And you never told me?”

“And I will continue to act like you don’t know about it,” you said.

He was too ecstatic to care. He hadn’t dared to imagine that he would have such a strong presence in your thoughts that you would create a playlist about him—for him? (he thought he might faint)—before you even met.

“No, b-but I’m supposed to be the one making grand gestures in our relationship, and you have a playlist about me? Ab-about us?” he questioned, almost frantic. “Is it—well, what songs are in it? About our relationship?”

You tried to put your words together, your slow, calculated breaths a stark contrast against his passionate energy. Another clap of thunder, unusually intense, rumbled in the sky.

“Sort of,” you finally answered. You thought that a playlist did not come anywhere close to everything he’d done and attempted to do for you, but you still struggled to articulate yourself. “Or songs that we both liked. Songs that we listened to together. Songs that we discovered on roadtrips—just, uh, stuff like that.”

He shook his head, every part of his skin itching with an unfathomable urge to hear these songs.

“You have to let me listen to it,” he stated.

“No,” you said, giving a determined shake of your head. “It’s enough that you know it exists.”

“I will absolutely never shut up about this,” he retorted, gesturing with his hands to emphasise his commitment to being annoying, “and I might end up telling more people.”

“I will kill you if I have to,” you warned.

“So I will haunt you, then,” he returned. “Is it on Spotify?”

You narrowed your eyes. “It’s private.”

“I am not above pulling a Sid and stealing your phone,” he said, resolute.

You snorted despite yourself.

“Okay. Fine,” you said. “Maybe I’ll give you the link after.”

Jungkook waited for further clarification, but you decided you’d said enough.

He was confused. He no longer had any clear delineations of time in his life—ever since he found you again, his whole life had shifted to “after.”

“After—after Sid?” he asked.

“After everything,” you replied, unintentionally ominous as your gaze wandered to the fragmented reflections of the clouds on the rain-soaked pavement. “After we leave London. After we deal with the label. After it stops fucking raining every time we go out together.”

Jungkook thought he could already see these things: the Parisian streets after you’ve left Sid in London, the peace after you’ve told the label about your relationship, the sun in the sky after the rain lost its courage to threaten you again.

“Okay,” he relented, his features softening. “I’ll hold you to it.”

Your lips curved into a gentle smile. “I know you will.”

He hummed, stepping on a loose floorboard with the edge of his boot.

“Now, then,” he said, “tell me about this crush you supposedly had on me.”

“It was a crush,” you insisted, your voice growing more fervent right away.

Jungkook smiled but tried to remain collected. He had decided it was better for his sanity not to believe you.

“I liked you ever since I saw you at that first freshman party,” you continued and he realised that he was absolutely, without a doubt not collected at all. “I spent that entire night scrolling through the list of people invited to this event on Facebook until I found your profile. But I didn’t dare to send you a friend request, because—well, you know. We hadn’t talked or anything. I thought maybe you’re not interested.”

He thought his heart might stop because this freshman event was where he first saw you—and for every waking and sleeping moment since then, he had been interested.

“I noticed you around campus after that,” you continued. “And I would have talked to you first, I think. If you hadn’t looked like you dreamed of my violent death every time you met my eye.”

He groaned, rubbing his eyes with the pillows of his palms.

“Well, obviously, I liked you too much to look at you and not glare,” he said, even though none of that was obvious. “I actually thought I developed some sort of an allergy right when I first saw you.”

You raised your eyebrows. “An allergy?”

“Yeah. Shortness of breath, just feeling hot all over, sweating profusely,” he elaborated, moving his hands away from his face to reveal his faint, nostalgic smile. “That had never happened to me before. It was either the dust in the room or you. And there wasn’t a lot of dust.”

You pursed your lips before your cheeks could stretch any further.

“I don’t know,” you teased, “they don’t clean the building that well.”

“It was you,” he stated firmly. “Got my breath catching in my throat. Gave me butterflies, made my heart race—made me feel all the things that people write embarrassing bubblegum pop songs about.”

You looked down to collect yourself before all the signals that your heart was sending to your brain could reflect on your face.

“Catchy songs, though,” you murmured.

“Catchy, sure,” he agreed, his tone wistful. “Until all those things they sing about happen to you, and you feel like you’re drowning.”

You felt a little like you might drown just now as your heart pounded in your chest, angry at you for another wasted year.

“I’m really happy we finally ended up together,” he said. “Seven years ago, and today.”

You finally looked up at him and remembered all the times when you used to worry that you had already lived through your happiest moments, and any little joy you’d come across later would pale in comparison. You knew better now.

Jungkook was your happiest moment, and he was right here. He’d always been right here.

“I love you,” you said, a little suffocated by the overwhelming warmth in your chest. “I’ve loved you every day for all these years.”

He was smiling so widely that his lip ring dug into his stretched lips. He reached out to caress your cheek, resting his palm on the side of your face for a moment, his eyes bright and glittering.

He kissed you slowly, his bottom lip lingering between your lips while the rain washed the noise of the city away. He tasted love and longing on your tongue, and he had never in his life wished for the sunshine to stay away longer.

The rain listened. It had become a fundamental part of your present and a prophet of your future: the two of you were going to spend the rest of your lives listening to the rain and falling in love.

Since Rated Riot had a day off and the other members let you know where they were by bickering continuously in the groupchat, you and Jungkook locked yourselves in his hotel room when you returned.

You changed into dry clothes first, and then noticed that Sid still hadn’t replied to your text. In case he really hadn’t received it, you sent another one—with just question marks—hoping that he’d interpret your repeated messages as a sign of your desperation to talk to him.

You put your phone away and climbed back into bed. The sun had already set outside the window, casting faint, elongated shadows around you in the room. You and Jungkook listened to the music playing on his phone and returned to the snacks he had bought for your film night a few days earlier.

As the song switched to the latest Bad Omens collaboration, you closed your eyes to nod along, and he reached over to snatch a chocolate-covered cherry bonbon from you, causing a spark of static electricity to pass between you.

“Sorry,” he said, chuckling after he heard you gasp. “It’s from the bees, I think. They must have somehow electrified me.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely something that bees can do,” you played along, sitting up on the bed and unwrapping another candy for him. “Maybe you should take an ice bath to avoid these after-effects.”

He accepted the candy with a grin. “No. I like shocking you when I touch you.”

To be fair, he didn’t need bees or electricity for that—but you decided not to point that out.

You realised how much peace you felt here: listening to music and eating sweets with him across the bed from you. You didn’t think there was anything you still needed in life. Watching him close his eyes as the chocolate melted on his tongue, and hearing him hum with childlike delight as he swallowed, filled an emptiness inside of you that nothing—no trips abroad, no late-night drinks, no shopping sessions—could have filled.

This random moment in his hotel room was nothing at all, yet it was everything.

Suddenly, your phone buzzed, startling you both.

“Sid?” Jungkook asked eagerly, letting the remaining chocolate melt slowly on his fingers while you reached for your phone.

“No,” you replied, checking the screen. “It’s Maggie. She just posted the backstage pictures with our list.”

His expression tightened. “Oh.”

“There’s nothing from Sid,” you added.

Jungkook finally popped the rest of the candy into his mouth. He decided—quite abruptly—that he’s had enough discussions about Sid and everything you’ve been through because of him.

“You know what we should do?” he asked, licking the remnants of the chocolate off his fingers. “We should go to the sea after the tour ends.”

“Oh—we—yeah?” you asked, stumbling over your words. You thought it was very unfair of him to ask you this while running his tongue over his fingers all in the same breath. “We—but we don’t know when that’ll be.”

“Whenever,” he said with a shrug. “Let’s go.”

It took you half of a second to say “okay,” and he didn’t think he’d ever learn how to stop his heart from soaring every time your agreement came so quickly, so easily.

To be honest, you didn’t know why he even asked. It was fairly clear that there weren’t many instances where you would have refused him.

However, your response still painted his features with every warm hue in existence, and he settled back on the bed, resting his head on the pillows and closing his eyes. As you watched him, you were forced to acknowledge one more time that witnessing him like this should have required an admission ticket—and a sign reading, “do not touch the exhibit.”

“I feel like I have everything,” he said, unknowingly echoing every sentiment you felt. “I don’t even care if Sid replies to you and if our plan works.”

You leaned against the pillows on the other side of the bed and turned to your side to face him. “Yeah?”

“Mmhmm,” he replied, a melodious hum in his tone. He opened his eyes to meet yours and placed his hand on the pillow beneath his head. “We’re—you’re here with me. The tour is going well, it’s—that’s it. That’s my whole dream.”

He looked beautiful in an almost devastating way. He looked like every extravagant adjective that sounded made-up when you encountered it in writing for the first time: transfixing. Beguiling. Effulgent. Pulchritudinous.

You really wanted to touch the exhibit.

“Do you know how we formed Rated Riot?” he asked suddenly, distracting you.

You raised your eyebrows, then turned your gaze away. Jungkook realised you probably didn’t understand where his question had come from, but you didn’t ask him anything, so he did not explain.

Truthfully, you did not know the complete story behind how Rated Riot got together. You only knew what each of the boys was doing when they first met.

“I don’t know much,” you admitted. “I know that Hoseok kicked things off.”

“Yeah.” Jungkook nodded, then stopped. “Or maybe Namjoon, actually? Because Namjoon saw Hoseok at some gig that he went to. When he asked about his band, Hoseok gave him, like, fifteen business cards. But even though he filled in for all these bands, it was still only maybe one gig per week. That’s nothing. So, Namjoon told him he’s too talented for that shit. He said he needed his own band.”

You recalled Yoongi mentioning that Namjoon was the first producer that Rated Riot have worked with, but you hadn’t realised this was before the band was even formed.

Suddenly, the broken air conditioner in the room whirred back to life, interrupting your thoughts.

“S-so, they started talking,” Jungkook said, momentarily distracted by the loud noise. “Hoseok wanted to be independent, and Namjoon didn’t push him to sign with Jett Records back then. He helped him. Unofficially, I guess. They found Taehyung very randomly at this one after-party for somebody at our label—well, our future label. Namjoon took Hoseok there to network, and Taehyung just happened to be there. No one knows why, but you know Taehyung. He’s always going to be right where he needs to be.”

“Yeah,” you said, nodding knowingly. Taehyung always seemed to find his way to the people and places meant for him.

“Yeah, so he was at that party,” Jungkook continued, “and he overheard Namjoon and Hoseok discussing the plan for Hoseok’s band. They were saying that they needed a bassist first. And Taehyung just chimed in like, “I play bass.” Just out of the blue. Namjoon asked him who he was, and he introduced himself. Namjoon then asked what he was doing here, and Taehyung said, “I’ll tell you if you let me join the band”—which he never did, by the way. We still don’t know what he was doing at that party.”

You chuckled softly. Knowing Taehyung, nothing in this story surprised you, but you were still impressed by how quickly his energy captivated Hoseok and Namjoon.

“So, they let him join?” you asked.

“Namjoon claims he auditioned for them first,” Jungkook said, clicking his lips questioningly. “But one time when Hoseok was very drunk, he admitted that he’d felt desperate. Namjoon was busy and couldn’t help him much, so Hoseok had to figure things out on his own. He said he called and invited Taehyung to join right away. He thought they could find a proper bassist later, and Taehyung could fill the spot for the time being. Funny.”

“Oh,” you said. “Because he hadn’t heard him play yet?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “He hadn’t seen Taehyung even holding a bass before. So, he had doubts. I guess I get that. Anyway. He invited Namjoon to their first rehearsal and Taehyung blew Namjoon the fuck away. That’s it. Hoseok said that after that, he was worried Namjoon would sign Taehyung and leave him behind. Not that Namjoon would do that, but uh—yeah. Taehyung was that good.”

“They’re both that good,” you said. “Hoseok never acknowledges his own talent.”

“Right?” he nodded eagerly, turning to his side to look at you. There was a warm smile on your lips that Jungkook really enjoyed. “They’re both amazing.”

“So, how do you come into the picture?” you asked.

He took a breath before answering.

“I saw Hoseok and Taehyung playing at this dive bar that Sid dragged me to,” he said.

Your eyebrows arched in surprise. “No shit?”

“Yeah,” he said, running his tongue over his lips. “He said I was annoying and mopey, so he kept taking me to a new place every night. There were hardly any people at this bar that night. Taehyung was singing, but he sang, like, one verse, and then they launched into the longest instrumental break I’ve ever fucking heard. And it was incredible. Shit, I—I’m more into vocal music. But seeing Hoseok and Taehyung play together—there was another guitarist with them, actually, I don’t even know who it was—anyway. It made me realise how powerful instrumental music can be on its own.”

A dreamy fog had descended upon his face, and only now did you realise that the air conditioner had stopped working again, seemingly calling it a day. You appreciated the silence and the way Jungkook looked when he played back the memories in his head, his eyes shimmering with the bright lights and the sounds of the bar that night.

“I didn’t know that Sid met the other members before you joined the band,” you said.

“Oh, yeah,” he replied. “He also said he could be a better bassist than ‘that guy.’”

“He—of course,” you groaned. “Wait until Luna hears this. She’ll take care of Sid for us on Taehyung’s behalf, I think.”

He nodded, snickering. “I bet. But Sid actually left the bar before they finished their set. I stayed back. After they wrapped up, I went up to Hoseok at the bar and told him how much I enjoyed their performance. Told him I was thinking of picking up drums—”

He paused abruptly, noticing your surprise before you remembered him mentioning this to you.

“Oh, was this when you and Sid were planning to start your own band?” you asked. You had assumed they were joking.

“Yeah,” he replied, snickering. He had been joking, but he still found drummers to be effortlessly cool. “So, Hoseok delivered the longest fucking speech about what his job was like. Don’t ask him about it, by the way, or you’ll have to sit through three hours of him making drum sounds. But anyway, I was pretty drunk by then, and I don’t know, I guess I hummed along to some song that was playing or something.”

You nodded. Jungkook was almost always humming something.

“Then Hoseok said they needed a vocalist for their band,” he continued, “because Taehyung didn’t want to do it. And he noticed me humming, so he jokingly asked if I happened to sing. I said sometimes, nothing serious. Everybody sings sometimes. He told me to sing something for him. I told him to get fucked, we’re in a bar.” Jungkook had to pause here to let you finish laughing. “And Hoseok just shrugged, like, “no one’s at the mic, why not?””

“That did it for you?” you asked.

He nodded. “That fucking did it for me.”

You laughed again, knowing that he would never shy away from anything that resembled a challenge.

“What did you sing?�� you asked.

Jungkook gave you a look. There was only one song that always lingered at the back of his mind. You could have guessed it, really, but you were a little frightened about its significance in this context.

“You—you sang Biffy Clyro?” Your throat was dry all of a sudden and useless questions continued to pour out of your dumbfounded chest. “At that bar? In front of Hoseok? “M-Many of Horror?””

“Of course,” Jungkook said, as if there had never been any other song he could have chosen to perform that night, besides the one that followed you and him throughout your relationship. “It—it really fucked with me, though. We had just broken up maybe a month ago, so it was still fresh, you know? And this was my first time singing “Many of Horror” in public, on top of that. And I was—I didn’t do well. I think I missed half the lyrics in the last chorus because it was too much.”

He snickered lightly, trying to lessen the impact of his words. You felt frozen.

“I-I was standing there,” he continued, and you could almost see it, “hiccuping to the I still believe, it’s you and me ‘til the end of time, while Hoseok just watched me, expressionless. And then I drank half the bar right after I got off stage.”

He sang the two lines of the song as he shared the story, his voice quiet and tender, and you thought you must have resembled Hoseok right now—so lost in all the emotions brewing inside you that you did not immediately realise he had stopped speaking, and it might have been appropriate for you to reply.

“Y-you still sounded great, though,” you managed. “Obviously.”

“Yeah, maybe four people clapped. Out of the ten or so at the bar,” he said, chuckling. “Hoseok told me he had to make a call, told me to stay right where I was, and then he disappeared. He returned twenty minutes later with some dishevelled guy in a turtleneck with a little hole in the collar.”

You recognised the description. “Namjoon?”

“Namjoon,” Jungkook confirmed, the smile on his face matching the one hesitantly spreading on yours. “I was fucking wasted. They were saying I had to meet with them for rehearsals, they wanted to see how I’d sound with them. And I’m—I couldn’t fucking think straight. They were telling me they wanted me to join the band, and all I could think about was that you weren’t here.”

The excitement in your eyes quickly turned into pain as a sharp twinge of longing pierced through your chest. It cut into every open crevice of your heart, reminding you of the way it had bled in those first few months after you broke up—even on this particular day, while Jungkook was struggling to get himself together in the face of his future, and you were likely at home, tossing and turning in your bed because you did not know what to do with yourself.

“I wanted to tell you so badly,” Jungkook admitted, his eyes fixed on the bedsheets, his voice filled with incorrigible regret. “But we weren’t talking anymore. I thought—there was this one moment where I thought, well, what’s the point? What’s the use of joining this band if I can’t even tell you about it? A-and they weren’t even a full group when I met them anyway. It took about two more weeks for Yoongi to join.”

You made a conscious effort to swallow the lump in your throat, and shifted your focus to Yoongi to allow for the sudden ache in your chest to subside.

“Yeah, uh—Yoongi mentioned that he was the last to join,” you commented, hoping to steer the conversation back to a less emotionally charged topic. “He used to play for a different band before, right?”

“Yeah. Somnia,” Jungkook said. The name did not sound familiar to you. “They weren’t—um, going anywhere. That’s a very blunt way to put it, but they were just stuck. And Yoongi and Namjoon go way back. So, Namjoon called him one day and lied that he was producing for this new, promising band in need of a permanent guitarist. Said they had a solid rhythm section, but their artistic direction needed some refinement.”

“And, uh,” your voice was a little lighter, “I assume they had a great vocalist, too?”

Jungkook smiled. “They did, yeah. I was trying to be modest, but you brought it up.”

You snickered, offering a nonchalant shrug. “Just trying to help you out.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “Yeah. So, Yoongi was the last one to join. He’d—he has a lot more creative freedom with us than he had with Somnia, which still isn’t a lot. But it’s something. And I think that was the main reason why he left them.”

“And they were okay with him leaving?” you asked.

Jungkook turned on his back and sighed.

“I assume they weren’t,” he said, briefly glancing at the ceiling before turning to look at you. “That’s why he doesn’t talk much about it.”

“Ah.” You nodded. “Makes sense.”

“Yeah, but anyway, Yoongi joined and we were complete,” Jungkook continued. “We released this one song, “Keep Quiet” as our first single, and I think it had maybe ten streams in total on Spotify, two from each of us and Namjoon. It wasn’t great, but it’s our first song together, so it’s—you know.”

Your smile was soft, patient. You knew that the members of the band did not have many fond memories of their first single. Taehyung had once admitted to you that if they hadn’t felt so pressured to release something, they would have waited.

“It’s one of your mostly instrumental songs,” you said. “It sounds great as the introductory track at your gigs.”

“Yeah, but it—it’s not really the song that introduces us as a band,” Jungkook replied. ““Haunting” is. We released it independently, too, a few months after that first song. That—okay, that was in June. Some time after that, this radio DJ that Yoongi knew played “Haunting” on his radio show as a birthday gift to Yoongi. Namjoon and Christian Jett—”

“CJ, apparently,” you cut in.

“Right. CJ,” he repeated. “They heard the song at some event. Apparently, CJ loved it, so Namjoon told him about us. When CJ found out we weren’t signed to a label, he reached out to us. It took Taehyung and me three days to convince Yoongi and Hoseok to go to that meeting. They both had some shitty experiences with record labels in the past. But we persuaded them to at least show up. CJ had us perform “Haunting” and “Cursed” for him, and he signed us on the spot. Well, after Yoongi finished negotiating with him about our contracts.”

Your heart started to race as if you had just realised how much the universe had to align, how many intricate coincidences had to happen to lead Jungkook to his band, and to bring the two of you to this moment in his hotel room.

“We started working on our album,” he went on, “and about four months later—in July, right?—the record started to finally come together. That’s when CJ started to look for a manager for us.”

You took a breath and finished for him, “and reached out to me.”

“Yeah,” he said. “All CJ told us was that he found someone. He mentioned that this person was already working under the label and that the band they managed had recently broken up.”

You did not interrupt the silence that followed, because you thought that Jungkook had paused for a few seconds. But he stopped speaking altogether, waiting for you to share your perspective.

“I-I was, uh, Nick’s assistant at the time,” you said, realising what the silence was for. “We were working with The Jungle Will Get You.” You turned to Jungkook and he shook his head. “Yeah, they were—they weren’t popular. And the members weren’t really motivated, especially towards the end. They split up, eventually. Nick moved on to manage Reconnaissance, and I took on administrative tasks for various bands under the label. It was only for a few months, but I thought I’d end up buried in endless piles of papers. So, when HR called me in to tell me about Rated Riot, I pretended to know exactly who you were to get that job.”

He was smiling next to you on the bed, lost in the memories that did not hurt anymore now that he shared them with you.

“I doubt even HR knew who we were,” he said, gazing up at the ceiling and clasping his hands on his stomach. “I’m just—I’m constantly—I don’t know. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that it was you that they chose for us. I mean, you’re amazing, you could have worked with any band out there. But they picked you for us.”

You grappled with the same impossible coincidence.

“I’m thinking about that, too,” you said. “You had so much potential and CJ... I wasn’t sure if he even saw it when he reached out to me. Not to mention, you and I were—we were broken up for two years at that point?”

“A year and seven months,” Jungkook replied.

“Right,” you said, slightly out of breath from the precision of his answer.

He turned to face you. “Did you ever consider turning down that offer to work with us after you found out I’m in the band?”

You exhaled what little oxygen you had left in your lungs. You’d considered many things when you saw him again that day, and you realised now that you still hadn’t fully grasped all the thoughts that had passed through your mind at the time.

“For maybe half a second,” you said. “I was very confident that we could move on from our relationship.”

He grinned. “Look how well that worked out for us.”

“Mhmm, right?” you agreed, meeting his gaze. “So professional.”

He chuckled, intoxicated by your proximity and the peace he found in the knowledge that the universe had put in a good effort to lead you two here.

“I know that—well, it seems like everything just fell into place to get all of you together for Rated Riot,” you said. “But it wasn’t that easy for you guys, was it?”

“Yeah, no, it definitely wasn’t,” he agreed. “After Yoongi joined, we struggled to write one fucking original song for months. We thought the band was going nowhere.”

You could see the sadness in his eyes. “It was that bad?”

“Yeah. Everything we tried to work on was shit,” he said. “We were getting drunk every night, trying to find something that could work as our proper first song, something that could really show what sort of a band we were. And nothing worked.”

“So, what happened?” you asked.

“You,” he answered simply.

Your brows creased. “How—what do you mean?”

“Namjoon pushed us to release something authentic for our next single,” he began. “Something that would be more Rated Riot, and less of what Rated-Riot-wanted-to-be, which was what we did for “Keep Quiet.” This next song had to be different. Better. And so, the other guys decided to kick my ass and force me to work. They knew I was writing something, but it—it wasn’t anything serious. Not like what they write. You know I can’t just create shit on the spot. My lyrics have to be about something that I’ve been through. And you’re—you are every single meaningful experience that I have had in my life. The guys—they wanted to use that. So, you’re sort of the main reason why Rated Riot are where they are”

You exhaled slowly, your mind filled with thoughts just like it had been the first time you walked into Rated Riot’s meeting room and saw Jungkook there—looking only slightly different from the music video Luna had shown you before, and remarkably different from your memories.

“And that—this is why I brought this up now,” he said. “It’s all because of you. We broke up, and Sid dragged me to that bar to help me get over you. I sang our song to Hoseok, and he brought Namjoon to convince me to join the band. I wrote “Haunting” about you, and CJ heard it and decided to sign us. We put out several albums, filled with songs I’ve ever written for you, and now we’re on this tour. If it weren’t for you, I just—w-we wouldn’t be here.”

You felt your skin prickle, the sensation quickly turning to a painful sting, and you looked away. Frankly, you did not believe that your influence was this significant—not even after Jungkook had told you that it was. These events seemed like an unbelievable sequence of coincidences that he decided to treat as signs, and you found that you couldn’t breathe if you looked at them as signs, too.

You felt his eyes on you and only meant to glance at him very briefly, but he held your gaze for a few moments longer, watching as a shuddering breath passed your lips. Then he propped himself up on his elbows.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he declared, the look in his eyes so final, so determined that you were almost afraid to move when you met his gaze. “And then I’m not letting you go. I don’t care if Sid texts.”

Your voice was very small. “I don’t care, either.”

“Fuck,” was more of an echo than a real whisper as his lips finally collided with yours. The kiss was deep and vehement and full of everything that had built up inside you over this day alone.

But then his tongue met yours and you realised that this day wasn’t all that special. You could have kissed him at any point of any day, and you would have still felt overwhelmed and aching, and you would have needed him right at the tips of your fingers as much as ever.

He tasted like the chocolate-covered cherry bonbons that he’d bought you because they reminded him of the summer nights you’d spent together. He tasted like the sticky homemade candy that the two of you baked when there were no other sweets in your dorm room and you craved something, but refused to leave, refused to pull away. Like the moments on the balcony of his house after you snuck away from his cousins. Like the rainy walks to class when your hair would be sticking to your face, but you couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop looking at each other.

All the thoughts that had been screaming at you for the past fifteen minutes suddenly quieted down as he leaned closer until he was hovering over you, one of his hands on the side of your face.

He felt shivers on the back of his neck when your tentative fingers found their way to his hair. He exhaled softly against your mouth and stilled momentarily when he heard your quiet whimper in response to his kiss, to his breathing, to him.

The room suddenly spun completely out of control around him.

He needed you so much and for such a long time that every time you were with him, every time you kissed him, he worried that he was dreaming again. So he kissed you harder, held onto you tighter—not wanting to find out if he was asleep, not wanting to wake up.

He unbuttoned your denim jacket without pulling away and slid it off your arms, holding the side of your neck with one of his hands. His kiss was so deep, so riveting that you felt your lungs give up, felt them pack up and leave, forcing you to breathe him instead.

His hands caressed your shoulders, finding the straps of your shirt and sliding them down your arms—and then stopping abruptly when he realised that you weren’t wearing anything underneath.

Exhaling shakily, he pulled back—lightheaded and winded and completely obsessed with you—just to look at you for a minute. There was a playful grin on his lips when he kissed you again.

You pulled away enough to ask, “what?”

“Nothing,” he murmured in-between kisses, “you’re fucking perfect. But I want this off.”

He pulled you closer and you instinctively bucked your hips off the bed, causing a momentary hitch in his breath. He lifted the hem of your shirt, pulling the material up and tracing the invisible symbols on your skin along your ribs, your chest, and your arms. Tossing your shirt aside without looking, he leaned back in, yearning for the feel of your lips on his again and accepting that he could not last one minute without you. Perhaps not even one second.

He felt your hand on his chest, trailing down to the edge of his black t-shirt and distracting him from the kiss with the softness of your touch. You lifted his shirt up to his chest—as far as it would go without breaking the kiss—and felt him hiss at the cold sensation of your bare fingertips on his stomach.

“I’m sorr—” you began, but the second you pulled away to apologise, he leaned in to capture your lips in another kiss.

“No.” His whispers were frenzied against your lips. You could have electrocuted him with your touch, sliced him into pieces with your fingers, and he would have thanked you for it. “No. You—d-don’t apologise. You’re perfect.”

He heard the way you cursed under your breath—under his breath, too—and he found it hard to inhale against the pressure in his stomach, against the tightness in his jeans. He was humming with near desperation when you pulled him closer, running your hands over his arms, your touch gentle enough to truly kill him.

He was frantic, eager to touch you, to feel your arms, your thighs, your chest, your neck—all of you—before someone interrupted you. Before his time with you ended. He knew he had the rest of his life to spend with you, but now he worried it still wouldn’t be enough.

His tongue moved over yours, his kiss deep, rushing, dizzying. He did not need to look to find the button on your pants, unclasp it, and slide the rough material down your thighs, swallowing a moan when he felt you shivering under his touch.

He quickly pulled his own shirt over his head and tossed it aside before kissing you again, high on the sound of your lips smacking against each other. He shuddered when your hands unexpectedly met his on the belt of his jeans.

“Let me do it,” you asked in a whisper—but he was wholeheartedly yours at that moment, and you didn’t even have to ask.

“Okay,” he complied, allowing you to gently push him back onto the bed.

Closing his eyes, he savoured the newfound sweetness from your kiss on his tongue. He felt you shuffle closer to him on the bed and had to take a sharp breath when one of your hands slid down his abdomen to his jeans.

You leaned over to kiss him again, and he broke—only capable of lying idly for so long—reaching for you and caressing your shoulders and your arms. He made it almost impossible for you to keep doing what you were doing; unruly wildfires blazed everywhere he touched you.

Jungkook was determined not to break the kiss even as you undid his belt and unzipped his jeans. He thought he did well. But then he lifted his hips off the bed to help you pull his jeans off and you brushed your fingers over the bulge in his boxers—your touch featherlight against the material—and he was very nearly finished.

He whimpered lightly into the kiss, his breaths growing heavier, his hands growing greedier. You made sure to hold one of his hands in yours to prevent him from flipping you over on the bed, and he responded to that by cheating: he held onto you tighter and attempted to pull you closer every time he gently bit your bottom lip and you got distracted by the pleasant sting.

Finally, you managed to slide his boxers down his thighs, catching each of his heavy breaths on your tongue. You pulled back, and he was about to protest until he saw you throw one of your legs over his, straddling his hips.

He watched you slide your panties down your legs while hovering over his thighs and he wasn’t sure how long ago he’d stopped blinking. Mesmerised by the sight, he didn’t immediately rush to assist you in maintaining your balance as you lifted one knee off the bed.

Once he recovered enough to remember to inhale, he sat up and pulled you flush to his chest. You gasped in surprise when he hooked his fingers behind the waistband of your panties and slid them down your legs faster.

“I said let me do it,” you reminded him with a pout, and he kissed you instead of replying, too impatient to wait.

Your hands slipped down his chest and your hips bucked into his just barely, but he exhaled deeply, breaking the kiss. You used the moment while he was dazed to push him back into the pillows.

He fell back on the bed, knowing very well that he’d been in this position before—with you on top of him, your fingers tracing over his length before finally wrapping around the base—but he still shivered, throwing his head back into the pillows. He still kept his eyes fixed on your face when you started to move your hand in gentle strokes, killing him a little more with each movement of your wrist.

“Fuck,” he sighed. “At least let—l-let me touch you.”

He phrased it like a request, but he did not mean it like one. You didn’t resist when he reached for you, his hands travelling over your thighs, lingering on your lower back, squeezing your ass, and pulling your hips into his.

One of your hands had come to rest on his chest for support while you continued to stroke his length in deliberately slow, languid motions. You could feel him getting harder under your touch, and you closed your eyes, your teeth sinking into your lip.

He could not look away from you. He wanted to be the one to bite your lips, but he couldn’t move close enough to you with your hands on him. He settled for exploring the skin on your hips, sliding his hands up and down your thighs. Soon, you felt the tips of his fingers brush lightly over your stomach and then descend lower to slip between your folds.

He exhaled deeply through his mouth when he felt how wet you were, and that was enough for him—he would have found a way to hold you tightly against his chest even if you were across the world from him.

In a flash, he was sitting up, connecting your lips again and bringing his tongue over yours while he gathered the wetness between your folds with his thumb. Your grip on his length tightened instinctively, and Jungkook groaned, automatically applying more pressure to the sensitive bundle of nerves on your clit—just enough to have you arch your back into him.

He felt you move faster, squeezing the base and speeding up until your fingers brushed over his tip. Trying to fight back a moan, he reflexively bucked his hips into your hand while two of his fingers teased your entrance, sliding over your wet folds in a teasing, tickling motion. You broke the kiss, sighing and dropping your head on his shoulder.

He didn’t give you much time to catch your breath—you didn’t give him any of that, so he thought this was only fair—as he kissed along your jaw, gently sucking on a spot on the nape of your neck. His fingers continued stimulating your clit with a combination of light, fast circles and harder, slower strokes that he knew would make you break for him.

“F-fuck, wait,” you exhaled, grabbing his wrist to stop his movements. “I w-want you.”

“You have me, my love,” he whispered back, running his tongue over the faint mark he’d left on the sensitive skin of your neck and humming, his tone gravelly and rasp, when you hissed at the feeling. “All of me.”

You gripped his wrist tighter. “Lie back.”

He didn’t immediately obey, opting to use his only free hand—the one you couldn’t hold, because you needed both hands to stop his determined fingers from drawing you any closer to the edge—to squeeze your ass and pull your hips over his length instead.

“Lie back,” you ordered again, your words firm, but breathless. It started a raging flame in his lower stomach, but he still resisted a little more—kissing you again, sucking on your tongue, sliding his hands over your thighs, and nearly making you lose it before he finally leaned back against the pile of pillows.

Jungkook still thought he was doing fairly well, considering the burning on his skin and inside him, but watching you unwrap a condom package and slide the latex down his length—torturously slowly, it seemed to him, to really test his limits—he thought he might lose it, after all.

You felt him jerk slightly in your hand, sensitive as you rolled the condom down his length, and your deep exhale blended with his sharp inhale. He locked the sound of your breathing somewhere deep in his mind, too focused on your touch to revel in it right now, but far too inspired by the response your body had to his to forget it altogether.

He bit his lip, his eyes locked on yours as you positioned yourself over his length. He was convinced that you were teasing him on purpose when you brought his tip closer to your entrance and then paused. He could already feel the wetness of your folds on him, and the second he lifted his hands to touch you, he was forced to let them drop in utter defeat when you finally slid his tip in.

“Fuck,” he whispered, his eyes rolling back at the feeling of your tight, warm walls as you struggled to take all of him in at once, and stopped, most cruelly, halfway in.

You looked breathtaking on top of him and there wasn’t a single coherent thought in his mind, so he couldn’t offer to help you anymore, couldn’t even guide you down on his length. He could barely stay still, biting his lip and clutching the sheets so he wouldn’t ram his hips into yours.

“You’ll kill me,” he whispered in a strained voice when you lifted your hips again, sliding his length over your folds, but not slipping it back inside.

Finally, you lowered yourself on him again, taking all of him in, inch by inch, and a soft sigh escaped your lips before you could stop yourself. “O-oh.”

You had to suppress another whimper when your hips met his, the stretch of his length stinging pleasantly. He hissed at the feeling, his hands flying to your hips to keep you in place.

His touch reminded you of Amsterdam suddenly: of the way he had held you, the way he had felt after all these years.

You wanted him so much that it no longer felt like a simple wish. He felt like a necessity and you could not understand how you’d ever managed to go on with your day when he wasn’t in the room with you.

You needed a moment to adjust to him and Jungkook watched you all through it. Even though he was barely able to keep his eyes open, he took in all of your reactions as the initial sting subsided and your hips twitched against his.

“Fuck,” he whispered. “Move for me, love. Please?”

You sighed as his endearing words—and the loving lilt in his voice—lit up your stomach and made you involuntarily clench around him. He groaned, digging his fingers into your hips. You had told him to lie back, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could obey.

Finally, you began to move and he threw his head back, swallowing hard at the feeling. You rotated your hips in slow circles, allowing his entire length to delicately rub the walls inside you, and he could not remember when he’d last felt you like this. He could not remember anything outside this room, and when you rested both of your hands on his chest for balance, he seemed to forget his own name, too.

“Fuck,” was a soft, jagged breath that got caught in his throat as he watched you in the dimly lit room. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough to make out your silhouette, and he squeezed your ass tighter so he wouldn’t immediately lose it at the sight.

You drew back all of a sudden, placing one hand on his chest and resting the other against the mattress, right by his arm. You pulled your bottom lip in with your teeth as you lifted your hips, then slowly lowered yourself on him again. It took you a moment to find your rhythm, and Jungkook parted his lips, inhaling sharply through clenched teeth every time your thighs met his.

You shifted your weight to your knees to increase the pace and he nearly choked on his breath when you placed your hands on his shoulders and bounced your hips against his, his length gliding against your velvety walls.

“Y-you—oh, fuck. You look s-so beautiful,” he stammered, his hands travelling from your hips to your waist, then back down again.

Love and lust burned in his darkened eyes when he looked up at you, his hair falling in messy curls around his face. His chest rose and fell underneath you, the muscles on his abdomen tightening each time you sank down on him again.

You watched him like this and you changed your mind about describing him; an adjective that would fit him had not been invented yet.

You tried to respond to his words, but he suddenly lifted his hips off the bed to meet you halfway and knocked all breath out of your lungs, forcing a soft whine to pass your lips instead as you leaned into him, losing your balance.

It was starting to get too much—how deeply he reached inside of you, how tightly he held onto you—and Jungkook noticed it right away. Squeezing your hips, he adjusted his position by bending his knees for a better angle and bouncing you on his lap very slowly once, then twice, before pulling you into his chest and thrusting into you faster.

Curses and almost desperate whines fell from your lips, matching the rhythm of his skin slapping against yours. He knew he had hit your sweet spot when he felt your nails digging into his chest, when you tightened around him, when your strained breaths got louder, when your teeth grazed his collarbone—and he growled, gripping your hips tighter and trapping you against his chest with his other arm.

“Jungkook—” you panted, barely able to speak, and the sound of his name on your lips ignited the room around him.

He grunted softly and flipped you both to your sides, pulling your back into his chest by wrapping his arms around your waist and chest, his grip firm, deliberately inescapable, but his fingers gentle as he teased your nipples. His thrusts were slower at this new angle, but now they were deep and hard. It was your increased breathing and louder, uncontrollable chants of his name that encouraged him to speed up.

“Fuck,” he exhaled. And again, louder when you clenched around him, “f-fuck.”

This position allowed him to reach even deeper inside you and the way your walls sucked him in was as blissful as it was worrisome—he wanted this to last, and he didn’t think it would. Not when he had you so close to him, inhaling the scent of your apple shampoo, peppering breathy kisses on the side of your neck, feeling the goosebumps that he brought to your skin when he caressed your nipples, and thinking he might actually explode every time your body jolted against his with each one of his thrusts.

He slid one of his hands down your navel and kept his palm right above your entrance for a distracted minute, feeling himself move in and out of you, and groaning into your shoulder before lowering his hand to your clit. You writhed against him as he rubbed on a soft, gummy spot there, bringing you dangerously close to your high.

“Fuck, Jungkook,” you whimpered, almost helplessly clutching his arm that was wrapped around your chest. “I’m—s-so close.”

“I’m here, my love,” he whispered. “Come for me.”

Anything you were going to say died on your tongue when you felt his lips on your neck again. His fingers continued to massage the soft spot between your folds and your walls clenched and pulsated around him with each thrust of his hips. White clouds gathered on the edges of your vision and a low moan passed your lips as the knot in your stomach tightened.

Jungkook felt you tremble in his arms and pulled you into his chest harder. Keeping quiet had stopped being an option for you when he pressed on your clit with the pillows of his fingers, his hips continuously drilling into you—he remembered the spot you liked, and he made sure to hit it every time. He felt you tighten again, so close to your peak, and he relished in your loud whimpers.

Pulling his lip ring in with his teeth, he held you tightly against him to maintain a steady pace, his strokes assured and calculated, to push you completely over the edge. He fell impossibly more in love with you when his name got caught in your throat with your breath.

“Fuck, you’re so pretty,” he cooed as you writhed in his arms, coming down from your high. “S-so pretty—oh, fuck, my love—when you come for me.”

The anticipation of his own climax soon caused his hips to start moving with a certain frenzy, and he pulled all the way out before plunging himself into you again and fully bottoming out.

“Oh, fuck, fuck,” he grunted breathlessly, twitching inside of you.

His hips stilled completely and he cursed again, spilling himself into the condom. Groaning deeply, he drove his hips into yours instinctively, this way prolonging his pleasure and the time he spent watching you bite your lip in an attempt to stay quiet. He thought he heard you whisper a breathless I love you and he was convinced he came again just at the sound of it.

He buried his face into the crook of your neck and his voice cracked in the middle of his breathless chants, “fuck, I love you so much—I-I love you so fucking much—”

He still didn’t release his grip on you, lifting his head to kiss your neck again, while the two of you tried to recover and accepted, eventually, that you probably never truly would.

“Fuck,” he exhaled. Then, again, from the back of his throat, “fuck.”

You turned around as much as you could with his arms around you, and met his lips with your own, humming into the kiss and causing him to lose his sanity again—although, to be perfectly honest, he wasn’t sure if he’d even regained it yet.

Your bodies remained locked in an almost desperate embrace for another minute, your lips moving leisurely against each other as your breaths mingled and the room—but not your hearts—quieted down.

Unfortunately, you had to strain your neck to kiss him from this position, and Jungkook ended up having to let go of you. He pulled out carefully—the gentle contact still making you hiss from sensitivity—and helped you roll to your other side to face him.

After pressing another kiss to your lips, he grabbed a stray pillow and placed it next to your head. He touched your chin gently, prompting you to lift your head so he could slide the pillow underneath.

You smiled at the unnecessary, but very appreciated gesture. “I love you.”

His chest contemplated bursting.

“I love you,” he replied. “So much that I am not—I don’t want you to leave this room. Or my bed, actually. I want to stay with you every second of every day, and I’m okay if every court would qualify me as insane for that.”

You snickered into the pillow, your expression radiant. “I don’t think you’re insane.”

He grinned and got up to discard the condom before climbing back into bed.

“And I want to stay, too,” you added, closing your eyes.

He pressed a kiss to your cheek as he got comfortable on the bed. “Not just tonight, but always?”

“Of course,” you whispered, your voice turning lighter, “but I do have my own room.”

He settled in his spot next to you and draped an arm over your waist with a soft grunt. “Fuck if I knew why.”

He pulled back slightly to see your laughter. You didn’t seem like you were going to object or tell him that you should leave, but he still caressed your cheek, bringing his fingers over the smile lines by your lips that he had caused. His heart fought fiercely against his mind at the sight of them. He was almost ready to call Rated Riot’s next song “Smile Lines” and just sigh dreamily into the microphone for five minutes while Yoongi played gentle piano chords in the background.

“I think you should stay with me everywhere we go,” he said, leaning in to connect your lips in a deep, lingering kiss. His voice was a whisper against your mouth, “so we could do this again. And again. And again.”

You broke the kiss—and he would have been very upset about that, but you did that to laugh again, and he understandably forgot everything he was thinking of doing.

“You have a show tomorrow,” you reminded him gently, your eyes warm.

He shrugged. “So we’ll have to take a break for a few hours.”

You pressed your lips together, trying to contain your smile to an appropriate level. “Hmm.”

He rested his forehead against yours. “Sounds good?”

“You are messing with my head,” you whispered.

He grinned, pressing his lips to yours again. “I love you.”

You kissed him back but made sure to click your lips in feigned disapproval as you pulled away. “What did I just say?”

“You messed with mine first,” he countered, his quiet laughter blending with the warmth of your kiss.

He had already stolen all air from your lungs, robbed your mind of every thought you possessed before him, and kept your heart hostage—and now he was beaming like he knew very well he’d done all that. Like he wasn’t one bit sorry about ingraining himself in your life so much that it felt like you shared one soul, and it had stayed with him after you broke up: forcing him to suffer from the weight of it, while you searched for something missing inside you.

“I love you,” you said again. Your words were a whisper and they got lost on his tongue but found their way to his heart anyway.

Planting a few quick, butterfly kisses to your lips, he leaned back against the pillows, keeping his palm on the side of your face so he could rub gentle circles over your cheek with his thumb.

He loved you, and sometimes this love was all that he could think about.

Other times, however, the shadows in the room grew just a little darker.

“Sid hasn’t replied, huh?” he asked quietly, reluctantly.

You sighed, shaking your head. Your phone had been silent all night, and the more you tried to ignore the silence, the more noticeable it became.

“Should I text him?” he suggested. “To poke the bear a little.”

You frowned and felt your stomach sink—a feeling that Jungkook made even worse by pulling away from you and allowing for the brutal, cold air of the room to fill the space where his hand had been.

“What do you mean?” you asked, sitting up.

He rolled over to grab his phone from the nightstand.

You moved closer to be able to see the screen over his shoulder. You frowned the whole time, but it really did not take Jungkook more than a minute to compose a message that almost sparked an argument between the two of you.

After some relatively mild back and forth—consisting of your annoyed, “I told you I want to keep you out of this” that was followed immediately by his melodramatic, “I’m doing this because I love you”—the two of you reached a compromise.

Look, his text to Sid read. I know you’ve been texting my girlfriend. Stop. Let’s keep this shit between us.

This wasn’t the full truth. After sending you a few mocking texts after he posted that picture to his Instagram, Sid hadn’t texted you anything else. You weren’t sure if this would even provoke a response, but Jungkook was convinced. He sent the text and pulled you back onto the pillows despite your protests.

“I’m sure it’ll only be a few minutes,” he said. “Until he texts you.”

Sure enough, he did.

Just as you lied down next to Jungkook, just as he intertwined your hands, his fingers toying with yours, just as you were about to forget your phone altogether—just then, the text finally came.

Your eyes widened, but Jungkook had the decency not to gloat. Instead, he wrapped his arms around you until the beating of your heart returned to a reasonable pace. Then he let you sit up again and reach for your phone.

Sid’s message read, “eager to talk to me now?:)” and you breathed out a sigh of relief as soon as you showed the text to Jungkook.

“Alright,” you said, content. You didn’t even need to respond to him anymore, he’d already started the next step of your plan. “Now we’re good to go.”

Jungkook, smiled, nodding and extending his hand to pat the bed. You lied back down and he wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you closer to feel your skin against his again. His breathing was soft on your neck and you smiled back, finally losing yourself in the calming darkness of his room and the warmth of his touch.

For one blissful minute, you focused on his breathing and traced the edges of his tattoos, and felt as though nothing bad, nothing hurtful or upsetting had ever happened to either of you.

“Will we be okay, do you think?” you asked wearily. “Tomorrow.”

He was taken aback by the question, you could tell from the way his breathing increased, but his response was quick and certain.

“We’re already okay,” he said. “Today and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the day—”

“I love you,” you interjected softly, successfully stopping him.

“Thank you,” he said. “I would have kept going.”

You grinned. “I know you would have.”

He snickered, pulling you closer until you nestled your face into his neck and rested your hands on his chest, tapping, every now and then, to the beat of his heart.

“Sleep,” he whispered. “For a few hours, at least.”

You leaned your head back enough to press a gentle kiss on the corner of his lips instead of replying.

Jungkook hummed and melted into you, easing his grip to give you some space to breathe, but still remaining attached to you like he was a part of you and you were a part of him.

He could have stayed with you like this, he thought, for the rest of his life. And for at least a hundred more lives after that.

chapter title credits: sleep token, “give”

prev ○ nextf

[ghcstao3]

that one slower scene in every superhero movie when the good guys take a beating from the villain and need to regroup, so one of the members of the team is like 'i know a place'.

so, nik gets some coordinates from soap and flies them to a countryside in scotland where mrs mactavish greets them on the front porch of a lovely house and immediately threats them with an ass whooping if they don't take their muddy combat boots off before going inside.

momma mactavish seems completely unafazed by a helicopter in her backyard, doesn't ask any questions, treats them all like a family. she's tiny and a little scary, makes them eat their vegetables and treats them to a delicious dessert. she can't stop kissing johnny's head and roast him for his mohawk.

ghost notices how relaxed and happy johnny is and how domesticity suits him. he would like to see it more often. for the first time in his life he is reluctant to come back to work.

immediately pictured the avengers at hawkeye’s house

-

Usually when someone on their team says I know a place when they find themselves in a bout of trouble, they don’t usually mean their childhood home.

Usually, I know a place means a warehouse, a run-down safe house, or, God forbid, some cave. And yet instead, here they all exist idly in Soap’s mum’s house while she coddles them in between scolding her son like it’s just another normal day for her. Like they aren’t all hardened soldiers standing in her home, each with innumerable kill counts and severely blacked-out personnel files.

It’s… weird, being crowded into a dining room and served a home-cooked meal despite coming unannounced and uninvited. That isn’t to say they’re not all thankful, having surely used up the last of Mrs. MacTavish’s gauze and bandages to get to this point, but it’s just—not at all what any of the team had been expecting.

Soap’s about the only one who seems unperturbed. Price is still rubbing his wrist from when Mrs. MacTavish smacked him for his insistence on helping with supper.

You’re guests, she had said, sounding positively aghast. What kind of host do you take me for?

Ghost can certainly see where Soap had gotten his fiery nature, as he bickers back and forth with his mother while the rest of them eat quietly, tentatively, like they’re not sure they’re allowed to. They may not share much in looks, but it’s no doubt that Soap is his mother’s son.

By the time dessert rolls around—which is yet another surprise—Mrs. MacTavish has finally been directing conversation to the soldiers sat around her table, asking about work and life as if they aren’t all bruised and scarred and about half-dead from an awful fight. Yet they all find themselves discussing what’s asked of them like it’s no more than the weather.

Something about Mrs. MacTavish’s spirit instills a sense of familiarity, homeliness. Ghost understands why Soap thought to bring them all there.

Ultimately it’s Gaz who charms Soap’s mum away to the living room along with Price and Nik that lets Ghost, at the very least, get away with helping with dishes once everything is said and done. Unfortunately for Soap, he’s never offered the choice.

“Good thing you have goin’ on here, Johnny,” Ghost eventually remarks, once they’re finally in the swing of wash, dry, wash, dry. “Not afraid of anything getting traced back here? To her?”

Soap shakes his head as he scrubs at a particularly tough stain. “Nah. It’s no’ on any of my records. Hell, it’s barely on any records. We’re off grid, LT, no need to worry your pretty head.”

Ghost rolls his eyes. He wipes off the plate that’s handed to him before setting it on the drying rack, and tossing his towel over his shoulder. It’s not until Soap’s trying to hand him something else does he take notice of Ghost’s pause.

Slowly, Soap sets the dish back in the water, frowning up at Ghost. “What?”

“…Nothin’,” Ghost says after much too long. He huffs. “Just… nice seeing what home looks like on you.”

Ghost doesn’t allow himself to linger watching Soap’s expression change from confusion to a near softness, instead making a reach for the discarded dish in the murky, soapy water to kick their routine back in gear.

He doesn’t want to think about it too closely. Doesn’t want to think about the things he’s realizing about himself this evening, or the fleeting thought that maybe he’d like to stay here forever, instead of return to the field where death waits openly at every turn.

It’s still appreciated, though, this moment of tranquility. He’ll have to make sure to thank Mrs. MacTavish when he gets the chance.

[lady-of-endless]

Maybe katakuri with a s/o kinda like the annoying neglected kid in her family and she’s never tried donuts 🍩 please

Trying donuts for the first time with Katakuri headcanons

Author's Note: I love getting requests for some of my favorites that don't get that much attention! Thank you for your request and your patience. Hope you'll like it!

- First off, his liking for donuts is something that you will find out later as he's more introverted and always wants to keep that warrior impression for others as much as he can. Have patience when it comes to him, opening up about his likes and dislikes

- Finally, he invites you to take a break with him. You follow him to a room and you finally see him sit down and rest next to a big plate with donuts, his sugary obsession.

- Again, he knows that he is a warrior, a guardian, who's supposed to be intimidating and all but his sweet tooth wins, every time. Try not to look surprised or he will feel a bit hesitant about revealing this to you.

- While he enjoys those finer things in life, donuts, he notices the curious look on your face. He follows your stare and lets out a subtle and barely audible chuckle, his gaze softening at you.

"Which one?" He asks wanting to find out which one's your favourite.

- With this, you let him know that you never tried donuts before, without the rest of the story. He is baffled, after the shock he immediately wants to give you the donut he just bit into but shakes his head dismissing his instinct.

"Well, aren't you missing out?" He asks calmly, taking the plate and holding it out to you to take one from it.

- He waited for your reaction, almost breathless, like he was the one who made that donut. He starts thinking about the fact that if you liked sweet and sugary things as he did then he had found the right person. Cutie

- It's a shame that he still tries to hide his smile when you react positively to his favorite dessert is just so precious. But either way, you'll see it in his eyes.

- If you decide to tell him why you haven't tried them before, you'll see his relaxed expression turning gradually into a serious one.

- Katakuri seemed taken aback by her confession. That had been...very sudden. He felt bad that you had to face that kind of problem with your family. Before asking if you want to share more, he decides to comfort you first, if you allow it, of course. He knows when someone needs comfort because there were times when he needed it but didn't get any. He'll wrap an arm around your shoulders and pull you closer to him, caressing your back, still having a serious expression on his face. Mainly because he could not understand how someone as wonderful as you had to go through that.

- From this point on, Katakuri takes it as a mission to show you all the other beautiful and enjoyable things in life that you might have missed out on because of your family.

- Also, he will always ask you to enjoy some sweets with him, it will become a routine. One time, he gets a bit carried away and puts a hand on your shoulder and says with a caring tone "Why don't you stick with me for now? I promise you that you'll be treated better."

[bmbochangetales]

Another meeting Ashley was on the sidelines for. She wanted to make sure she made a good impression even if she wasn’t involved. She had just graduated college and wanted to work her way up. She had been helping pass out papers and serve the members of the board.

She even pointed out to the Board President a valuable client opportunity in his files. When suddenly he commanded the attention of the other men.

“Gentlemen, what a waste of talent you have keeping Ms. Smith in this position!”

Finally, someone saw her talent and skills. This was looking good for her. The President saw that she was good at the job and could do so much in a higher position.

“I mean look at those milkers, obviously she is going to make one of you a very happy man.”

What was happening? Her boobs suddenly tripled in size. Her once demure button down now squeezed he boobs out on display for the men. Oh fuck. They were huge. Maybe this was a test though to see if she could handle boardroom talk. She just began to remove their cups and dishes.

“Did you see they was she cleared the table too? A tray full of coffee cups and plates from breakfast and she did it in heels and a skirt! A domestic goddess waiting!”

Her skirt shrunk and become a tight miniskirt. Her sensible pumps became sexy high heels. Her hair and make up overly done for a day at the office. She continued clearing the table showing off. Making sure to touch the gentlemen and show off her assets to the company.

“And just look at those hips. My wife popped out 6 healthy kids and Ms. Smith looks even more able. Think of how many times you could knock up a young thing like her.” He gave her ass a slap for emphasis. Ashley’s hips widened as her ass bounced out. Ashley saw all the eligible men in the room. She wouldn’t have time for a career supporting one of these sexy, smart men. She would do better at home, getting knocked up, taking care of their home, making sure they don’t have to worry about a thing especially with their stressful job, that she could barely understand. She was here to serve them coffee and pastries.

“I’m sure she would bring you lunch and those lips for a good afternoons blowjob.” He gave tits a good squeeze as she refreshed his coffee. She let out a long moan but kept doing her job. She imagined being under the desk deep throating a big cock as her husband kept working. Stopping only to spray cum down her throat. Then wobbling down the hallway showing off her big pregnant belly, as she went home to make him a dinner worth of a Michelin star.

“Who is taking this fine bimbo home gentlemen?” The president asked the board. There were murmurs of negotiation as the gentlemen pulled rank and status on each other. Well the men were busy arguing, the lowly mid level manager decided to do things more forward. He grabbed Ashley and bent her over the projector table. Her moans called all the men’s attention to their lost prize as their subordinate claimed her for himself. They all looked to the president as the manager emptied his balls into Ashley who was just letting everyone know what a slut she was.

“Hostile takeover style,” the president said, “that is the kind of men we need in leadership here. The bimbo is yours. Now let’s talk promotion.”

[iggy5055]

Yandere Emperor Darth Vader X reader Part 3

Vader uncrispy

Summary: (Y/N) lands on Coruscant, the foreign planet and giant palace that was now her home being a bit too much at first. Vader, refusing to let his love suffer, shows her something that helps her adjust as they grow closer. 

Warning: Yandere, manipulation, obsession, age gap.

________________________

"Welcome to your new home my Empress."

I couldn't believe my eyes, my jaw was nearly on the floor. I knew Coruscant was big, considering there were over several trillion people who lived there, but this was just outrageous.

It was a beautiful planet, half of it bathed in artificial light and the other shining in sunlight. On one side I could see lights of all different colors from the never-ending city making it glow beautifully. On the other side that still had daylight I could see a shining light from the sun reflecting off all the beautiful shiny buildings that covered the entirety of the surface. 

I had jolted back into Anakin when we came out of hyperspace. The sudden jolt caused my accustomed legs to falter, my knees almost giving out on me. Anakin's arms were still wrapped around me securely keeping me from falling as I thanked myself for not putting on the heels, my back was tightly pressed into his front. I couldn't help but flinch a little as the little box on his chest plate dug a little too harshly into my back but I didn't say anything. 

I Find myself ignoring the sharp pain as nervousness came to the forefront of my brain. The reality of my situation suddenly being dropped on me. This whole time I have been worried about the emperor himself, and while I still am, I realized what position his affection puts me in. the thought making me shake a little. 

I look up at Anakin. All I could see was the dark red almost black lenses that covered his amber eyes. The Emperor of the galaxy really was intimidating in full armor that's for sure. It made sense though, someone with so much power was bound to be very intimidating, he had many subjects to lord over, I can understand why he would want some anonymity. But I knew I was safe in his arms, no matter how scary he looked but I also knew I was woefully unprepared for what was about to happen and the new life i was about to enter. 

________________________

I could feel her nervousness seeing me in my full armor but also at the new life that was in front of her. I didn't like seeing her so tense, but she would have to get used to it. As much as I wish she could alway gaze up into my eyes for comfort, that was a privilege only my love would ever have, so it was a comfort she only got to have when we were alone. 

I knew adjusting to her new life would scare her and I wish I could comfort her properly, the way I wanted to, my skin on hers, but it would have to wait. I started to rub my leather clad thumbs across her shoulder and made sure not to squeeze her middle too much with my other hand as I counted the seconds till I got her alone. 

She stared back at me with a nervous look on her beautiful little face. I leaned down again, whispering into her ear not wanting to scare her anymore, just sticking to talking in a low voice so as not to frazzle her anymore. 

"When we land I'll show you your new home, my love. I promise you'll love it."

She seemed to relax at my words, nodding her head and giving me a slight smile. My heart melted at the sight of her. I continued to massage her shoulder and give her a little squeeze with my arm wrapped around her middle giving her a subtle hug. I loved her more than anything but I still needed to be seen as an intimidating leader. But at the same time holding her close to me told everyone else to stay away from her.

Wanting to give her as much physical contact as I could give her, I subtly pulled her closer to my chest only to feel her flinch as I did, a grimace flashing over her soft features. I could feel a pang of pain coming from her throught the force. I gave her a little once over but couldn't see anything wrong with my love.

"What's wrong, my love? Why are you hurting?"

She looks back up at me after a moment, her face still twisted in discomfort but also confusion as she tries to figure out how I knew. I couldn't help the smirk that made its way onto my lips at her adorable face.

"T-the thing o-on your chest is d-digging into m-my back."

I immediately loosen my grip on her significantly, moving my hand that was on her stomach to her other shoulder looking down to where my chest computer rested. It was what circulated clean air into the suit to let me breathe. I hadn't even thought about it digging into her poor delicate skin. I turned her around so she would be facing me and leaned my head down and gently rested my masks forehead onto the top of her head as a sort of kiss in lue of the real thing. As much as I didn't want to show weakness in public I needed to apologize to my love, even if it wasn't as intimate as I would like

"My apologies, my love I hadn't realized."

She smiles at me again, the discomfort no longer plaguing her expression. She opens her mouth to say something but was interrupted when Captain Shaef Corssin came over to us interrupting her.

"We are starting our descent my Lord, we wi--"

He was cut off when I removed one of my hands from my loves shoulders, my hand forming a pincer, holding him up and choking him as he hung in the air. My Empress, the sweet soul she was, heard the sound of his pathetic choking and attempts to beg for his life and tried to turn around to see the source of the noise. 

I gently wrapped my remaining arm around both her shoulders, holding her to my chest face first making sure the computer wasn't hurting her but keeping her in place at the same time, ensuring she didn't catch sight of the pathetic fool behind her. She tried to turn her head but my use of the force preventing her from turning her head. 

She looked up at me innocently after a few failed attempts at turning her head to the sound of the dying man quickly realizing something wouldn't let her, the look on her face making me want to kiss her non-stop.

'What were you going to say my Empress?'

She blushed a little at her new title, she must have been in too much shock earlier to realize I had already called her that. 

"It’s fine”

As much as I wished she could see the smile that formed on my face at her words, I was a little grateful for the mask at that moment. My love made my cold heart melt, a loving smile stretching across my face as it did. As much as I loved her I hated how soft she made me in her presence. That softness was only for her.

After a minute of staring down loving at my little girl, my smile turned into a harsh scowl as I stood straight once more keeping my love close. Her small hands had made their way up to rest on my chest, giving her a buffer between my hard armor and her fragile skin.

"Now. What were you saying, Captain." 

My voice was full of malice, as I released the now blue tinted man to the cold steel floor of the bridge. Making sure my love wasn't able to turn around with my other hand now finding purchase on the back of her head.

 I regretted that my love had to hear me speak with so much anger in my voice so soon but I would be sure to make it up to her later. 

I knew she would hear me talk like that to our subjects and soldiers eventually and I knew that one day she would see me kill someone, but I wouldn't let her see that just yet. She needed to feel safe in my presence no matter what and that would take time. I wanted to covet her innocence as long as humanly possible. 

The captain was now on his knees, his hand gripping his neck as he coughed and sputtered trying to gather his bearings. I was beginning to lose my patience.

"W-we will land in t-ten minutes m-my lord."

I shoo him away and look back down at my little love. I card my fingers through her soft hair, stroking her head gently. I could feel her confusion with regards to what just happened, only being able to hear the choking of a man and then a hard thump from behind her. I kept my movements soft and slow, despite the brave face she was wearing I could feel her anxiousness.

I continued to caress her and gently tell her about Coruscant in a low soft voice telling her how wonderful her new life would be till we touched down on said new home.

The Executor landed with a harsh hump, for someone like me I didn't even notice it anymore, having been on star ships for most of my life but for someone like my love, who had never been on a ship in her life her first landing felt harsh. Any jolt or thump, any sudden noise made her jump, flinch or gasp as the ship began to decompress and get ready for offloading. 

Regardless of her being in my arms I felt my anger begin to boil over. My love was clearly overstimulated. All these new things hitting her all at once and yet I couldn't do anything about it but wait for the startling ordeal to be over and take her to our room so she could calm down in my arms, safe and sound. For once I found myself seething at the armor encasing me, the thing preventing me from comforting my love properly. Unable to ground her with the touch of my skin. 

“Come my love, it is time to show you your new home.”

She looks up at me with big eyes. 

When we finally were secure in the hanger and ready to start unloading everything (Y/N) was shaking like a leafs. Her eyes were closed and she was clutching her hands together so tightly they were snow white. Her head was buried into my chest despite how uncomfortable of a position it is.

I stand straight and look out the bridge window. It was already dark, if she had a normal day she would probably be heading to bed soon, but she had just woken up a few minutes ago. I will show her around our chambers, maybe show her the throne room and my office so that she could find me when she needed, and end the tour by showing her the garden. Some of the plants glow in the dark, I'm sure she'll like them. 

I continue to card my fingers through her hair as she shakes in my arms. 

"Come, little star. Let me show you to our room. The palace isn't far, You can rest soon."

She doesn't lift her head from my chest but she does nod. Oh what I wouldn't give to take off all this cumbersome armor and hold her in my arms, kissing her till my lips fall off and hers a sweetly swollen and puffy. 

I slowly drag my hands from her hair back down to her shoulders and turn both of us around to the doors. No one dared to speak a word. All of them keeping their heads down not daring to look at me or their new Empress. I would have to hold a ball or a banquet of some kind and a coronation to crown her as the Empress of the galaxy but that would come after she grows custom to me and we get married. Rumors will spread by then so everyone will know who she is and who she belongs to. So the ceremonies will really all just be for show.

I led her out of the hangar and onto a private hover car to take her home. We were completely alone now with no chance of us being seen so I pulled her close and allowed her to curl up into my lap. Once again we sat in silence as she began to breathe a little easier. I gave her a little drink that she was slowly nursing on. I gently rubbed up and down her soft exposed back. Most of her clothes that I got her were revealing but not slutty. It was perfect for me to have some kind of skin contact in public while not exposing too much to others. 

It took me a while to figure out what clothes would work but these really were perfect. All her clothes had open backs with a kind of cap of some kind to both match mine and let me have easy contact on her but she isn't exposed to any other eyes. However the plunge neckline on her clothes that exposed her tits did irk me a bit but at the same time I couldn't help but enjoy the little liberty.

She had little goosebumps all over her skin. I knew she was a little cold but at the same time it made her more willing to cuddle up to me for warmth, all thought I will admit that my suit doesn't give much warmth. 

I gaze out the window into the brightly lit night. You could see the Coruscant palace now in all its glory.

I tap (Y/N) on her shoulder. She shyly looks up at me with her big doe eyes silently waiting for me to tell her what I wanted.

"Look over there, my love. Your new home."

She looks over to the window at the place. Her jaw nearly hit the floor. She had such an amazed look on her face. She has mostly been looking down in her lap or at her drink so she hadn't really taken a moment to look at Coruscant at all. I imagine she hadn't seen buildings as big as this in her life. I doubt she had even thought that building so big was even possible. 

I kept gazing down at her and her adorable look of shock and amassment. She was so cute I wanted to burn the look into my memory.

_____________________

I couldn't believe my eyes. Never in my life had I thought someplace like this could exist. The lights were extravagant. Everything was extravagant. 

My breathing got a little heavy. Suddenly this whole situation hit me. My new home, my new life. My smile started to drop, My hands started to shake. I didn't know how to react. This was all too much. 

I felt Anakin pull me closer to himself, if that was even possible. His hands slowly moved over to the drink in my hand, gently taking it out and placing it on a little table in the hover car. Even the car itself was ridiculously fancy. I mean who has ever heard of a little table in a car. 

He lifted his hand up to my face. Cupping my cheeks and guiding my head into his shoulder, taking my vision away from the city. In all honesty his shoulder wasn't very comfortable because of his armor but even with the uncomfortable armor digging into my cheek the gesture was still comforting. 

I closed my eyes. Slowly gathering my thoughts and trying to get everything straight. I understood everything that had happened up till now. My being rescued, the trip to Coruscant and now we are on our way to the Grand Imperial Palace that was now my new home with the Emperor who was now apparently my lover. I understood and now I had everything in order but it was still overwhelming. 

I couldn't help the tears streaming down my face. I let out soft hiccups every now and then as I tried to keep my crying as quiet as possible. 

Anakin was gently carding his gloved hand through my hair quietly cooing at me as I started to slowly calm down. 

"Relax, my love. It's ok. You will be ok. Just breathe with me."

I did my best to follow his breathing. Feeling the rise and fall of his chest throughout his suit. The sound of his breathing helped too.

I wasn't sure how long we had been sitting there but after a while Anakin raised my head to look up at him, or, well, his mask.

"We are here my love."

I looked over to the window again, and sure enough the Palace was there. My breathing was getting a little uneven again. What happened after this? Where do we go? What should I do? I could feel my head fill with a heavy ner painful fog. 

Anakin helped me get out of the hover car but the second my feet touched the ground I felt everything go black.

_________________________

I was a fool, I can't believe I let this happen to my sweet little love. I had overwhelmed her too much, shown her too much at once. Of course she passed out. 

I kept pacing the room around the luxurious bed that me and my love now shared, that she was currently passed out in, with rage. 

I had been so happy, so consumed with my love for her, knowing that soon she would be in my, now our, home and live the most luxurious life imaginable with all the most luxurious things ever known to any spices in the galaxy. She would want for nothing, need for nothing, always safe and loved and cared for in every way imaginable in my arms. But in all that happiness and the distraction of dreaming of the future I would give her I didn't keep my force around her. I wasn't monitoring her as much as I should have been. 

This was my fault. My doing. All because of my carelessness. 

I angrily took off all my armor, throwing it about the dark room. I was sure to close all the blinds once I tucked her into our bed. Once she passed out I caught her before she could fall too far, no part of her ever having the chance to hit the floor before I immediately wrapped her in my force at the sight of her starting to fall. It only made my rage worse. Not at her, never at her, but at myself. I could feel her overwhelming fear, her concern and her nervousness. 

I also felt a horrible headache coming on once she was out cold. The darkness of the room would help, even if it was dark the city lights did plenty to replace the sun and would no doubt still be too bright for her hurting mind. 

My armor was now completely removed, I had on a pair of comfortable loose fitting sleep pants and lose a shirt. Just as I had finished putting away my violently tossed armor in its proper place and gotten a bottle of painkillers and some water to give my love, when she woke up with a whimpering. 

Her face was harshly twisted in a pained expression. Her body was so tight it looked painful. I rushed over and set the cup of water and bottle of painkillers down. I sit down beside her, running my fingers through her soft hair. Gently my knuckles make their way to her cheek, gently guiding them down to her jaw. Her face relaxed some but her body was as tense as ever. 

I felt her mind was in such painful turmoil. Even in her sleep she was hurting so much, so scared, but at my gentle caresses she began to calm a little. I couldn't help the feeling of pride that grew within me knowing my touch made her relax, even just a little. 

After a few moments of my hands caressing her hair and soft skin her beautiful eyes began to flutter open. Her eyes were lidded, trying her hardest to keep them open with all the fog and pain in her mind. Tears started to form her eyes making them shine like crystals and beginning to cascade down her now reddened cheeks like a waterfall. 

"Oh, my love~"

I cooed at her, taking both her cheeks in my hands, caressing her puffy cheeks with my thumbs, gently pressing my forehead to hers as she sobs loudly in my arms.

"It is ok my love, I have you, just relax."

She was shaking like a leaf in my arms, so scared and in so much pain. 

"Its ok, my love~"

I gently sit her up, regardless of her quiet protests, moving behind her and letting her lean back into my warm chest. I reach over for the pills and water. I take out two pills and place them in my hand once again placing down the bottle. 

"Open wide my love, this will make all the pain go away."

She opens without any kind of hesitation. The action makes my heart warm at how completely she trusted me but at the same time it hurts knowing that even with her complete trust I didn't take care of her properly. I hold up the water to her lips as she gulps it down. Once she was done I placed everything down and tilted my head down to her cheek to give her a peck on the corner of her soft lips. 

We sit in silence for a while as she slowly relaxes more and more in my arms as the pain meds start to take effect. I was sure to keep my force around her, being sure to comfort her and ease some of the pain myself. I could tell she wasn't tired anymore even if it was dark. 

After a few minutes of holding her in our bed, she starts to calm, her mind relaxing. Her turmoil calmed significantly. While our room was big it was also pitch black. You could see almost nothing in the room at night and with the blinds drawn like this. Just being in a dark room with nothing to see, nothing to become overwhelmed with, helped her stressed mind.

"How are you feeling now my love?"

She looks up at me with her big eyes, the slight remnants of tears could be seen under her eyes. They were slightly puffy and a little red.

"Better."

I smiled down at her lovingly, Her voice was a little hoarse and it was just nearly above a whisper. All that crying took a clear toll on her.

She was still in stock to an extent but clearly not willing to go to sleep. From the time I took her to now she has been sleeping for a good chunk of that. She couldn't fall asleep even if she wanted to. But that was only her mind. Her body was clearly weak with exhaustion but laying in bed wouldn't do anything for her. 

"How about we get up and get you a little something to eat, then we can go down to the gardens and we will see how you feel after that, Hmm?"

Her eyes were still pretty sluggish, most likely from the pain killers that told have started to take effect, but she nodded and moved to get out of my lap but before she could get too far I pulled her back by her waist and gave her cheek a kiss then stood with my love in my arms. 

"Your body is exhausted, my love."

I started to walk towards the door to our room but despite my words she still squirmed in my arms a little, trying to gently get out of my arms without angering me. I could feel how nervous her mind was to annoy me even if she trusted me. 

Little did she know that nothing she could do could annoy me, that is except from her trying to leave and her hurting herself, but without her memories it's highly unlikely she will try to leave unless it would be to explore which I'll let her do once she's comfortable here, but never without me. And hurting herself, I would never let her do that. Besides she will sparsely ever leave my side. 

"Now now, my love~, let me take care of you. I wouldn't want you to faint again."

I press my lips to the crown of her head, letting them linger there as she stills in my arms, going completely limp as I open the door with the help of the force. 

As I walked over to the dining room I could feel her become completely limp in my arms, her head resting on my bare chest. If it wasn't for my force surrounding her I could have thought she had passed out. 

Her head nuzzled into my chest. I looked down at her, her face was completely relaxed. Just as we made it to the doors, I leaned down to kiss her head again, opening the door in the process.

_______________________

In Anakin's warm, safe arms I take in my new surroundings. The room opens with just a flick of his finger, like magic, but of course I knew better than to believe that. But there was no doubt the force was, well, for lack of a better word the force was a mysterious force to recon with. For instance this constant presence. I always felt him, in my mind, surrounding me in a blanket of safety. 

The room was grand, a large room that was black and red themed with hints of gold here and there. The room was huge, pillars going all the way to the roof and a red carpet adorning the floor right underneath the biggest dining table I have ever seen in my life. But despite the table's grandiose size there sat only four chairs around it. Two sat at separate heads of the table, they were much fancier than the other two, clearly for people of importance such as the Emperor. The other two sat on the sides of the table and while still very nice and comfortable they couldn't have been better than the chairs at the heads of the large table that stood a good seven feet away from the side chairs. 

To the right of us were two grand glass double doors, much taller than Anakin. The black marble stone floor stretched out past the doors and from the windows making up the doors it seemed to drop off into a staircase. I didn't get to see too much before Anakin walked over to the chair at the head of the table to the left. I thought he would have just placed me down and taken his seat elsewhere but instead he pulled the chair out with the force and sat down, me still in his lap. 

I squirmed a little, both out of awkwardness but also to get a little more comfortable on his muscled thighs. Even if I wanted to get off his lap his gentle but firm grip on my body told me this was where I was staying till he decided to let me go. 

The second we sat, servants came out from the doors around us, carrying plates of food and placed them on the empty table that now seemed to have no free space on it once all the dishes had been brought out.. 

I looked in front of us, well in front of us for Anakin, for me I was looking to the side, out the doors. I knew Coruscant was a planet that had very little to no plant life, so I found it odd when I took a closer look outside the doors to see green. Endless plants and trees with flowers of all kinds of colors. I couldn't see too much of it but from what I could see it was the most beautiful place on this planet of metal.

Lost in thought I hadn't noticed that the empty plate in front of us was now full of food, nor that Anakin was trying to feed me. I only noticed when he had placed the small piece of fruit he was holding to my lips, breaking me out of my stupor. 

I look back up at him, I must have had a funny look on my face because he chuckled. 

He reached up his metal hand, and ran it through my hair down to my cheek and jaw. 

"I'll take you into the garden later my love, first you will eat."

He presses the fruit a little closer to my mouth, the juice dripping down my chin a little so to avoid too much of a mess I open my mouth to eat it. It was so juicy and sweet. I had never tasted anything so good in my life. I groaned a little at the taste. It was just so good. It was only once I had swallowed the fruit that I realized how hungry I actually was. I reached over for more food only for my wrist to be grabbed gently by his mechanical hand and brought back over to my chest. I was going to turn my head to question his actions but before I could look over at him I felt warm lips on my neck.

I yelped out in surprise, not expecting it. His lips trailed up my neck, following the trail of juice that had dripped down my chin and apparently my neck. 

I look back over at him shocked at both his actions. Was I not supposed to eat? Then why did he feed me? Were we supposed to do something first like a blessing? I didn't take him for a religious man but he could use the force so maybe? And the kiss, while welcome there were people in the room. It didn't seem like a thing an Emperor should be seen doing especially to someone like me in public. 

Anakin just smiled gently down at me, seeing nothing wrong with his actions. 

"I know you are hungry, little star but you need to eat slowly or else you will get sick. Let me."

Without another word he held another piece of fruit up to me. it wasn't the same fruit as before but it still looked really good. He didn't even bother explaining his kisses, nor did he seem to care about the public setting all that much. 

After taking the other piece of fruit from his fingers I discreetly looked around, all the servants were now standing against the wall surrounding us, not daring to look at us, instead opting to look straight ahead at the servant standing opposite of them. 

I looked back out the windowed doors again. It was dark so the plants out in the garden weren't fully visible but from the city lights I could make out some colors.

__________________________

I continued to feed my love but it was clear it wasn't me or the food that her focus was on, more like she was just eating because I was feeding her despite how hungry she clearly was, otherwise completely lost in her own thoughts. 

It was clear the garden was all she could think about, but first her health came first and that meant eating but being lost in her own thoughts wasn't hurting anyone so I would let her dream until I fulfilled them once I was done feeding her.

I had fed her a fairly juicy piece of meiloorun and the juice once again ran down her chin to the column of her throat. While there was nothing wrong with her getting lost in her own thoughts that didn't mean I could try and distract her from them a little. 

I started from the bottom of the droplet, slowly kissing and sucking my way up to her jaw. I take my sweet time not being in any kind of rush, my little star on the other hand seemed to feel differently. 

With the use of the force it was clear that she wasn't necessarily uncomfortable with my actions or the feeling but our setting, the fact others were here, not like she had to worry. If any of them valued their lives, they won't even steal a glance. Regardless, I didn't like her being uncomfortable so I wouldn't drag on my affections. 

I kiss the corner of her lips before finally pulling away and leaning back into the chair once more. Her face was as red as my lightsaber, it seemed to glow almost as bright as it as well. The sight of her made me chuckle at her. 

I take my flesh hand and gently caress her cheek with my knuckles. 

"Do you want to eat more, my little star?"

She seemed to ponder the question for a moment both gathering her flushed thoughts and seeing if she was in fact still hungry. I had fed her for a while, not like she seemed to notice, so lost in her own little head. 

After a moment she shook her head, before I moved however I strengthened my force around her, making sure she really was full.  She wasn't exactly full but she was satisfied enough and with that I was satisfied. I quickly hoisted her up into my arms and started to carry her out to the gardens she seemed to long for so much. 

Once she realized where we were going her eyes lit up brighter than any of the lights on Coruscant. I squeeze her tightly to my chest, the contact making my heart flutter. 

I didn't want to take her outside. The closer we got to the doors the more I wanted to turn and take her back to our room, safe for everything and anything in my arms. I had my saber with me and the security here was stronger than anything in the galaxy but still. But I knew how much she would love the gardens.

Some part of me reveled in the fact that the servants and guard saw how I treated her, how I held her, how she belonged to me. but on the other hand I wanted to lock her away, I wanted to be the only one who ever saw her soft face and kind eyes full of trust. However the contrasts don't stop there, I want to hold her, always and forever. always to have a part of me touching hers. I know she is safe and protected but most importantly loved. Locking her away would eventually break her, and I could imagine no greater pain than hurting her. 

I wanted to make all her hopes and dreams come true, like I said, she would never want for anything, and right now my little star wanted to go to the garden, so in the safety of my arms that is exactly where she would go. 

Opening the doors with the force I could hear the servants scatter out of the room once me and my love crossed the threshold. 

I refused to wear my armor and mask around her all the time, especially when we are spending time together, such as eating dinner, or simply walking around the palace together, of course of locations outside the palace I will have to wear it, I already don't like that my servants are seeing my face for the first time but even without it I am still an imposing figure, but now they have a face to the phantom. They know I am human and have emotion when they should see me as an imposing emotionless being. But for my love, my reputation means very little as long as I have the power to do as I please and keep them in line. 

A rush of fresh air hits us as we enter the open space of the garden. I could feel my love wiggle around in my arms, clearly wanting to explore a little by herself, so clearly awestruck by what she saw in front of her. Reluctantly I let her go but I remained close to her at all times, often resting my hand on the small of her back softly, just letting her know I was here.

Occasionally I would add a little more pressure only for her to whip her head around to look at what just touched her, clearly get so lost in her own head she completely forgot she had company. I usually didn't like getting ignored but with her it wasn't an insult but a compliment and a win for me. It meant she felt safe enough with me that she was able to completely ignore my imposing presence and yet feel no danger even though I was right behind her, just out of her peripheral vision. 

Every time her little doe eyes shot back to look into my cold and sharp ones she would smile a little making my heart flutter once again. 

As she walked around admiring all the different kinds of flowers, faunas and other arrangements of plant life I took a few steps back. We had been walking around the massive garden for around thirty minutes now but we haven't even seen one third of it yet, she was certainly taking her sweet time. 

After about ten more minutes I was sure she completely forgot about me, even going so far as to quietly call her name but she gave me no reaction. 

I decided she had walked around for long enough, she would have all her life to walk around and memorize every single plant in the garden. Slowly while keeping my force tightly around her I summoned one of the servants, instructing them to bring me something warm to drink and to set it up in the garden. She hadn't eaten as much as I would have liked so I was sure they brought some sandwiches for us as well. Once I was sure they had set everything up again I went over to my little star, She wasn't hard to find. I knew where she was the entire time so all I had to do was follow the force. 

When I saw her she was sitting on the side of a stone raised flower bed delicately holding a flower in her hands and smelling it as she admired the colors of the petals. Her back was facing me which was in my favor, slowly I walked over to her. Once I was right behind her I wrapped my arms around her body, caging her in my arms with hers pinned to her sides. She lets out a frightened little yelp and for a moment I can tell she really is scared something bad is about to happen to her. 

Before she can scream too loudly I turn her around and incase her lips in mine, effectively stealing her breath away. I pull her into my arms as I kiss her deeply. Ensuring she is comfortable. 

After a moment she realizes I was the one kissing her, she goes from scared for her life to embarrassed. I could feel the heat radiating off of her cheeks as she finally kissed me back. 

She is shy, clearly inexperienced, but she is young, and I had no problem taking the lead. Being her first made my ego swell. Being able to teach her new things, discovering her pleasures together for the first time. The thought of it alone made other parts swell.

Slowly I unlock our lips, letting her catch her breath as I rest my lips on her forehead. I could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, I had clearly scared her but she knew she was safe.

"Hello my love."

I could help the chuckle that escaped my lips as she gently slapped my chest.

"That wasn't funny, you nearly scared me half to death."

"I was just playing with you, my love, I would never let anything harm you."

I reach my hand up to her cheek, caressing it with the gentleness of a feather. 

I was about to tell her about the food I had prepared for us but just as I opened my mouth I could hear her stomach growl lightly.

Her face flushes with embarrassment and all I can do is chuckle at her. 

"Come my little star, I have some food for us."

This time I placed her in her own chair but remained close, but this time the table was very small so I was within arms reach of her. 

She looks around the selection of sandwiches in front of her and picks a meat sandwich, slowly she takes a bite as I sip on our warm drink taking in her beauty. 

She moans at the taste of her sandwich and I find myself closing my eyes and taking in the sound, locking it away in my mind. But still, I wanted more, I needed more. But all in due time. I had no need to rush her.

I open my eyes again to look over at her, a crumb on the corner of her mouth. I lean forward and kiss it away. She gasps at the sensation. Not expecting me to kiss her again so suddenly but I could tell she liked it when I kissed her no matter how much it seemed to surprise her, I just seemed to have developed a habit of doing it at unexpected moments. 

She blushes looking away and continuing to eat her food, taking the occasional sip of her drink. 

The garden had a bit of a chill to it, especially at night and I could see bumps appear all over her skin from the cold. The warm drink helped some but it was clearly time to go once she had finished. 

I stared at her as she slowly ate her food, enjoying every bite. As I look at her kind face as she eats I find my mind wandering to all the things I have planned for her, for us. All our firsts, seconds and thirds, they would all be mine.

I imagine at some point her moments will slowly start to come back but all I would have to do is erase them again, while being sure to keep all of our memories, her true memories. And at that moment I knew. 

I could never let her go, and I never would.

Once my love had finished eating I took her hand in mine.

“Come on my love, we best get inside before it gets too cold.”

At my words she seemed to realize how cold she really was, a visible shiver going up her spine. She shyly nodded at me, standing to go inside with me following close behind her. 

She seemed to remember her way around the garden for the most part. Making her way back to the doors of the dining room, walking up the stairs and into the room, gasping a bit as the door opened just as her hand reached for the handles. I couldn't help but chuckle a little at how she jumped back a little once the doors started to open by themselves. 

She whipped her head around, pouting at me for laughing at her, making it that much harder for me to stop. 

“Come my love, there is still more I want to show you before we go back to our chambers.”

She was still pouting as I led her down an adjacent hall. The luster of the palace had been lost on me for many years. Once being the Jedi Temple, it had been completely renovated, looking nothing like the holy place it once was. The late emperor took much pleasure in desecrating the temple, not that it mattered much to me. The memory of the temple leaving a sour taste in my mouth. The memories of my old master, the counsel, all fools and slaves to tradition and weakness. But now I would make new memories, the halls of the palace no longer being so dark and lonely. 

Walking down the hall my little star took in all the details. The painting on the walls of different planets and their immaculate scenery. Our private wing was the only part of the palace that actually had any proper decoration, the rest of it as bleak as one would expect from their droid of an Emperor. 

We walked down the hall, slowing every now and again when a specific painting caught her eye. A walk that would normally take ten minutes ended up taking thirty, normally that was nothing in the galaxy that pissed me off more than slow people who wasted my time, but with her. I wished it was longer. I wished we could walk like that forever. My hand on her back and her beautiful eyes lighting up at any pretty thing she saw, so lost in her own little world nothing could bother her while I got lost in her eyes. Memorizing every feature of her face. 

After a few stops we finally made it to our destination. My love's eyes widened at the doors in front of her, They were a pair of massive doors. Several feet tall made of black marble with gold vined accents curving in every which way and into handles.

I open the doors for my love and I, walking into the largest library on Coruscant. What was once the Jedi archives had been added too from my late masters and my rule.  The Jedi archives were already very extensive but it was limited. With my late masters renovations he expanded the archives into the library it is now. It was once full of empty space but now it was bursting with knowledge. 

My love was awestruck. Looking around with wide eyes at the massive shelves going up to the second level and from there, to the roof. Ladders spanning the entirety of the shelves. 

My little star turned back around to me, her mouth agape with a glimmer in her wonderful eyes. Her mouth moved as if she was speaking but no words came out. 

“This is our library little one, anything you would ever want to learn is all here. And it is all yours.”

Her eyes widen impossibly larger. 

“M-Mine?”

Her voice cracked, not truly believing my words. I couldn't help but chuckle at her flabbergasted face. 

“Yes my love. Everything in this palace belongs to you, including this library.”

She turns back around, slowly making her way to one of the shelves. Running her fingers over the wooden shelves, taking in all the titles of the books, some of them were in languages she didn't understand, but instead of skipping them she would pick them up and skim through them. Looking over the unfamiliar shapes with such interest before delicately placing it back.  

_______________________

I felt like I was in that library for days, the size of it was enough to keep me distracted from reality for weeks. 

I had never seen such an extensive wealth of knowledge. Lots of it I couldn't read but the books I could were in the possible billions. Not to mention all the digital archives. Anything I could ever want to know or anything I was curious at my fingertips. I could learn anything. Do anything. 

The knowledge was really on anything I could ever want: Gardening, Cooking, Baking, Different Species, Politics, History. Even things to read for enjoyment: Sci Fi, Fantasy, Action And Adventure, Anything I could think of was here. 

I had settled on a book called “Dathomirians, Species and Culture.” A very thick book but it was so interesting. I had seen many species on my home planet from visitors, but It never seemed appropriate to ask such personal questions about their lives and species as a whole. 

I had read through a good chunk of the book after a few hours of sitting in a chair close to a large window giving me a view of the city. Anakin had situated himself on a couch across from me, reading a book that he had already started. I glanced back up at him every now and then. Taking in his calm demeanor as he focused on his book, occasionally looking out to the city that I now apparently rule alongside him. 

I couldn't help the anxious feeling that swelled inside me every time I thought of being  ruler. I had no experience in politics or leading. Being as young as I am I found it hard to believe that people would accept me as a ruler. But anytime those thoughts plagued my mind, as soon as they came they disappeared and a warm fuzzy feeling washed over me. 

After many hours of reading and so lost in thought I didn't even realize how tired I had gotten, not even realizing the many yawns that had escaped me. Apparently it didn't escape Anakin's notice as he moved over to me plucking me from my chair making me yelp not expecting him to suddenly pick me up.

“Come, my love. Let's return to our quarters, we both need sleep.”

I was about to protest, wanting to continue my book but a yawn had interrupted me. After a few seconds I lay my head on his shoulder, nodding solemnly, already missing my book.

Asd if Anakin had read my mind he chuckled deeply, the rumbling in his chest reverberating back onto my head.

“Don't worry, my love. The book will be waiting for you tomorrow, but now we both need some sleep.”

_______________________

I carried my love back to our room, as she nodded off in my arms. Once back to our quarters I set her down only to see she was already out cold. I looked down fondly as I tucked her into her side of the bed. 

I stripped my tunic off, sliding into bed and pulling her into my side carefully, so as not to wake her. Letting her head rest on my shoulder as my arm wrapped around her, keeping her secure as a stare down at her. Taking in her soft sleeping features as I drift off.

_______________________

Waking up was peaceful. The most at peace I have been for years. I look down, seeing my little star dead asleep in my arms, her soft breaths wafting across my bare chest, clutching onto our blanket, her head nuzzling into my shoulder. 

I gently reached my free hand over to her face, brushing away a piece of hair that had fallen over her forehead. Leaning in a little closer my lips gently brush against her forehead. I sighed softly as I looked out the window. The blinds were drawn, leaving the room mostly dark, only a slight silver shining through telling me its near noon. 

I knew I would have to get up, regardless of how late me and my love were up last night but I had unavoidable duties that needed to be fulfilled. I hated the very thought of leaving her, especially so soon, her mind was so fragile. being exposed to so many new things. And as much as I wanted her to be by my side all day it was still far too early for her to start learning how to be a true ruler of the galaxy. 

I slowly lifted her, setting her back down on the bed, tucking her back in before stepping away to get ready. Once dressed I looked over my shoulder at my sleeping star before I had to go. I would normally have to leave early on most days, not like this was early. But some work could only be left to me, but with luck I would always return before my love woke up. She wouldn't need to be woken at such an ungodly hour. 

After a few minutes I opened the door once I was sure she was fast asleep. Once I shut the door and began walking down the hall I reached out and wrapped my force around her, keeping a light hold on her mind. This way I would know when my love awakened, being in the throne room wouldn't give me proper access to her but it would tell me how she was feeling at the least.  

Walking into the throne room I could already feel the deep-seated corruption and greed that polluted the room like a poison fog. Greedy politicians that only wanted to benefit themselves. It wasn't common for me to work with the senators and representatives of the planets I ruled but I did have to have audiences occasionally. Hear their petitions for the planets they claim to represent, as if their own wants wasnt what truly drove them to an audience with me.

But as much as I would like to, I can't spend all my time with my little star. Already I found myself on edge, leaving my love alone wasn't helping but I knew she was safe, and being able to keep tabs on her helps, but there was something else. Something in the air. Something that told me to keep on my toes. Today was definitely not a day to test my patience. 

___________________

Waking up felt colder than I was used to, I turned over a little snuggling into the overstuffed pillow under my head slowly opening my eyes as I find my hand wandering over to the other side of the bed where Anakin would sleep, only to find it empty, empty and cold. I slowly turn my head and look over as if feeling the need to visually confirm that he wasn't there. 

But regardless of the lonely bed I found the feeling disappearing rather quickly, as if to just vanish into thin air as it was replaced by my excitement to get back to the book I was reading last night. The excitement was reminiscent of sitting by the fire with a fuzzy blanket and a good book on a cold dark day.

I looked up at the ceiling with a soft smile on my face. Regardless of my anxiousness I couldn't help the feeling of safety in my new home, and the excitement to start discovering all the secrets that accompanied it. I let out a soft sigh as I closed my eyes again, allowing my body to take its time waking up. 

Sitting up in bed after having a good stretch, I looked outside the window, the dark black curtains had already been pulled back a little so I could see the beautiful view of the city. I furrowed my brows a little. Getting closer to the window let me get a proper look outside. Off in the distance I could see dark rolling clouds. A storm was coming.  Never in my life had I seen a more angry sky. The clouds were dark gray and black as they swirled violently. I felt uneasy at the sight of it like a rock had settled in the pit of my stomach. Something about the dark clouds seemed to bring a primal uneasiness to me. 

I moved away from the window, wrapping a robe around my body before I left. Feeling a little peckish. A light snack wouldn't hurt before I wandered over to the library. 

It took me a while to get ready and find the dining hall again but after a few minutes of wandering around like a headless chicken I finally found it again. I took my seat at the head of the table and started to fill my plate with the food already set out on the table. I quietly ate breakfast as I looked around the room again. Taking in all the hand carved details and stonework, the room was cold naturally but the robe I had wrapped around myself kept me plenty warm. A yawn escaped me as I finished up my food. I grabbed the cup of warm caff that was beside my plate and headed down the hall to the library. It was much easier to find than the dining hall was but upon entering the large magnificent room I couldn't help but stop and gawk at the vastness of it. Tall black marble pillars stood several meters above my head, reaching all the way to the roof standing in between the wooden book shelves. 

The library had two levels, the second one following a grand staircase with books adorning large bookcases. I had only skimmed through a few books last night and lots of the books were in languages I couldn't even read, but the ones I had found were amazing. Stories of distant civilizations, worlds completely unknown to me, books of universal plants and fauna, animals I could never have dreamed of. There was so much knowledge I had never even dreamed of hidden on these shelves. enough to keep me busy for a lifetime. I wandered over to the window seat me and Anakin had found ourselves at last night. Picking up my abandoned book, settling in to continuing from where I left off.

Settling on one of the many comfortable couches by the window I open the book to the page I left off on. The culture and practices of the Dathomirians was very intranet and mysterious, practices I had never considered before like tattooing their entire body starting at a young age, each tattoo having a deep meaning and all markings being unique and helps to distinguish the members of their communities. 

There was also information on the Nightsisters, the female counterparts to their male Dathomirians, unlike the men and their vibrant coloured skin the Nightsisters had more of a light gray color to their skin, with lighter coloured tattoos that don't cover their whole bodies.

The book itself was large with many chapters on the history of the species and planet, I became so enraptured in the pages I hadn't even realized the sky had been completely eclipsed by the energy clouds until it happened.

_______________________

I scowled as I made my way back to my stars and my room. Those damn politicians and senators had taken up all my time, never taking a breath before trying a new way to suck to me or to try and convince me to favor their system. 

The sun had already disappeared by dark storm clouds, the city being illuminated by the lights as a storm began rolling in.

I had done my best to keep tabs on my little star but in trying to get my day done and over witht as quickly as possible I had neglected to keep a very close 'eye' on her. I made my way over to the kitchen to instruct the staff to bring our supper to our room, wanting to be alone with her for the rest of the night. 

I could hear thunder crashing outside, the sound rattling the windows, it was clear that the storm would last us all through the night and most likely the rest of tomorrow. It would make a good excuse to stay in with my love. 

As I make my way to our private wing I feel a sharp pang in my heart before I feel it in the force, I could feel (Y/N) distress, it felt the same as when I first brought her to her new home. I ran towards the library, nearing bursting the doors off the wall. It was dark, all but a single candle by a book on a table but I didn't need the light to know where my love was.

Running over to the corner she was sitting in, her back against the wall and crouching down and cupping her cheeks in my hands, She gasps and tries to get away from me, her eyes screwed tightly closed as tears cascade down her red cheeks and down onto my leather gloves.

Her loud sobs broke my hard as I moved to hold her close only for her to scream as another clap of thunder seemed to shake her soul.

"Shhhhh, my love, it's me. You're ok, just breathe."

She wouldn't relax as I continued to try to calm her down with my words, flooding her senses with the force that seemed useless in her panic. 

I slowly remove my hands from her cheeks to pull off my helmet, setting it aside. Placing my hands back on her cheeks and forcing her to look into my eyes.

She gasps as she finally focuses on me, as if she had only just realized I was even in the room with her. She stopped for a moment only to collapse back into my arms in sobs. 

I lift her in my arms and take her over to the couch to sit. Holding her close in my arms and thunder continued to crash outside. Every time thunder would go off she would yelp and flinch at the sound. 

I keep her pinned to my chest as I try and comfort her rooting around in her brain to try and figure out what was wrong. After a few minutes of rooting around I finally realized what it was. 

The thunder sounded like a blaster bolt being fired, it wasn't something she remembered consciously, it was a physical reaction to PTSD. Even if her brain didn't remember it her body made her think something was wrong without her actively knowing what it was scared of. 

I let out a sigh of relief, obviously I wasn't pleased my darling was scared but at least she hadn't been hurt or attacked. 

"Shhh my love, it's ok. Nothing can hurt you while you're in my arms."

After what felt like an eternity of me trying to calm her I decided to use the force, blocking out her sense of hearing in a desperate attempt to relax her. 

Slowly but surely she began to calm down, no longer able to hear anything. Once she began to breathe normally I placed my arm under her knees and one on her back lifting her. She gasped a little as I lifted her and started to walk back looking up at me with big wet eyes. I give her a soft simile as I make my way to our room.

Once we arrive I gently place her on the bed and move away to take off the remainder of my armor only to feel her hand wrapped as tightly as it could around my arms, Looking back at her with surprise I knelt down to her level, relinquishing my force a little so she could hear me but nothing else. 

"Don't worry my love, I'm not going anywhere."

"Please."

My heart breaks at the sound of her voice, so soft and broken.

"Shhh my love."

I place my forehead on hers, slowly coaxing her to lay down. Once she was laying on the sheets I took a step back so I could remove my armor. Once it was off I crawled over her, hovering over her, my elbows on either side of her head as I brought my lips to her ear.

"You never have to be afraid of anything, not as long as I am here. I'll always protect you."

She sniffled softly, hiccupping a little from left over sobs. She lifts her arms and wraps them around my torso, her nails lightly digging into the skin on my back. I groan softly in her ear, loving the feeling of her clinging to me. 

"I'll always keep you safe."

I kiss her forehand, scowling moving down to her eye-lids and cheeks, kissing every tear.

I continued to hover over her and kissed her softly till she had calmed down, her hiccups quieting down as she finally went limp under me, her arms no longer clinging to me for dear life, instead just hugging me gently.

I lifted myself up, moving to crawl under the covers, pulling her with me till we were snuggled together in the middle of our bed. Once the blanket was wrapped tightly around her, one of my arms under her head as a pillow and the other kept her close to me by her waist. Our legs tangled together in a mess of comfort and love. 

I kiss her forehead once more as I slowly feel her fall unconscious in my arms.

Right as I had closed my eyes feeling content with her in my arms I felt her soft warm lips on my bare chest. My eyes slash open to look down at her lips pressed tenderly to my chest.

"Thank you, I love you."

Her voice was blurred with sleep but I heard her well enough.

My heart began beating faster than it ever has in my life. I kissed her tenderly, holding her impossibly closer, relishing in those five simple words, treasureing them. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine she would say such words so soon, but she did. 

I couldn't believe it at first, but as she fell asleep in my arms, her words replaying in my mind, burning it in my memory for all eternity I knew, I finally had my true love.

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 | Crossed Lines

Some things are better left unsaid.

Tags/Warnings: Alien!Jungkook, Human!Reader, dystopian AU, space/Sci-fi/cyberpunk-esque, Enemies to lovers, Angst, Violence, Drama, romance, adult, angst, potentially triggering content, mentions of prostitution, fluff??, injury, I'm sorry for this one don't hate me

Length: 3k words

There is no taglist for this fic.

-> Masterlist

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──👽── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

You never really thought of Jungkook as the jealous type- and maybe you're interpreting his foul mood entirely wrong too.

But you've got a feeling that his clear displeasure is mostly due to the very tall and very charismatic Alien who's been all over you ever since you woke up.

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't need help eating her food, Jin." Jungkook growls, eyes a vibrant green with a little red swirling around sometimes, as he watches you on the lap of the tall Alien currently feeding you. Jungkook's arms are crossed and he honestly looks ready to tear someone's throat out- and while you're still learning what the colors of his eyes might mean, you're starting to somewhat connect certain colors with certain feelings.

"Pah, just let me enjoy this before you take her away again!" The man named Seokjin whines, pulling you a little closer. "I can't believe you found such a sweet thing.. you don't even want her, just leave her here with me!" He complains, and Jungkook's eyes turn a little hotter in color, orange burning bright as his anger seems to rise. Why that might be you're not sure- you don't understand why he's not letting you stay here either. Seokjin seems like a nice person, and Yoongi, a cat-like Alien who'd taken care of you while you were resting, told you that the three of them are all very good friends. So why did Jungkook suddenly change his mind?

"Shut up." Jungkook barks under his breath, turning his face away. "…she can stay if she wants to. Who cares." He mumbles more or less, and at that, your heart skips a little uncomfortably. In a way, you knew he wanted to get rid of you sooner or later- but to hear it too, makes it all the more real. Maybe deep down, that small hidden innocence in you had thought he was warming up to you- but maybe that was just your imagination after all.

So you shrug, and look down at your plate of food, shaking your head when Jin offers you another piece to eat.

"I can't believe that you're worse than me, Jeon." Yoongi says, shaking his head in disappointment. "That was mean, even for my standards." He mentions from his spot near the only window in the small metal shed Jin lives in, his tail swaying a little. "Humans are sensitive. You can't just say things like that." He says, before he adjusts his position, crossing his legs.

Jungkook however just scoffs, and refuses to look at you.

You truly want to say something, but your voice just comes out horribly strained, making you cough- so you just leave it, trying to clear your throat, as Seokjin holds the inhaler you got from Yoongi to your lips.

Only that the hand is.. tattooed?

One look upwards and yes, there he is- it's actually Jungkook who acted so fast, eyes a slightly stressed pale blue, as he carefully helps you use the plastic container with the medicine inside, face a mix of worry and annoyance. You just let him, for now- and decide that maybe, this is his actual issue. You're now sick, you're gonna use up a lot more resources, let alone the cost of your medicine and everything. You're no use for him, only baggage.

Jungkook sighs, sits back down before he puts the inhaler away into his canvas bag. "If she wants to stay, she can, I guess.." He says, crossing his arms again. "If she wants to come with me, she can. It's whatever." He huffs, and Yoongi sighs to himself, while Seokjin chuckles.

"Well, I guess that's as much of an invitation as you'll get, little thing." He shrugs, looking down at you.

And this time, you don't feel like running after Jungkook like a lost dog.

So you just quietly shrug, and eat the rest of your meal.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──👽── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

You're still hiding in Seokjin's bedroom, upset and saddened by the fact that Jungkook is truly preparing to leave you behind, when you hear someone walk through the pearl curtain that disconnects the bedroom from the main living area of the little house. "Here." He mumbles, throwing something on the bed- a plastic box, a rubber band around it to keep it shut, you guess.

You don't react, but you hear him sigh, as he sits down on the mattress, bed dipping down a little under his weight. "At least look at it, so I know I didn't buy the wrong shit." He huffs, and you roll your eyes, before taking the scratched up box, pulling the rubber band from it. And inside-

-are two, different colored knitting needles, a small pair of scissors, and two balls of grey, thick yarn.

"So?" He urges, and you can hear him play with the keychain in his hand a little. Is he nervous? Or just impatient?

What is he really thinking about you?

Why did he buy this, if he didn't at least mildly care about you?

You turn around towards him, and tap his shoulder to gain his attention- which you get, as he turns a little towards you- clearly caught off guard when you hug him. You want to see something- you need to check if your instincts are correct with this.

And when his arm- admittedly rather awkwardly- wraps around you and pats your back, you get your answer.

So you get up, put your clothes and the plastic box into a bag given to you by Jin, and stand by the pearl curtain quietly, nodding outside.

"Are you sure?" He asks, not getting up yet. "Jin's a good guy. Yoongi visits regularly, and he's got a human partner. Knows all about human health." He explains. "I mean, the planet's climate sucks, but it's at least somewhat peaceful." He says, and you just roll your eyes, and cross your arms. "..guess that's a no." He sighs to himself, though you don't miss the warmth in his eyes as he gets up, and takes your bag from you, walking out to say goodbye to Yoongi and Jin- well, mostly Jin. Yoongi just.. quietly bumps his head against yours and Jungkook's, before he simply leaves.

But Seokjin? He goes in for the hug, and it's honestly a little funny how annoyed Jungkook seems at that.

"You'll have to stay in contact!" Seokjin whines. "I need to know she's okay, and that she eats well, and that she's not getting lonely, or sad, or-" He rants, and Jungkook groans, clumsily taking your hand in his to pull you closer.

"Yeah yeah whatever, I'll look after her just fine." He argues, before he turns with you to walk off- letting you wave to Seokjin for a bit, before he tugs on your hand. "Look ahead. You'll trip otherwise." He scolds, though he keeps holding your hand-

The moment you're both back on the ship, he immediately runs an entire scan of the system and Ship's interior- telling you that he doesn't trust the mechanics on this planet too much, and that he wants to make sure they didn't leave anything here that doesn't belong. What exactly he means by that you're not sure- but after noticing how he even physically searches your room for anything off, especially the camera up in the corner, you're starting to have an idea of what he meant by that.

and it feels oddly kind, the way he keeps you both connected with a surprising tender amount of strength.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──👽── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

"Do you want to stay here or come with me?" He asks, and you shrug, taking a blanket from the bed with you to instead walk closer to him. "…I really made you clingy now, didn't I?" He sighs to himself, looking at you a bit annoyed- though the faint pink-ish hue of his eyes gives you hope that he's just trying to act tough, and not genuinely upset over the fact that you'd like to keep him company from now on.

If Yoongi was correct, Jungkook simply has trouble attaching himself to others- the cat alien had told you that he didn't have the greatest upbringing, and that it left him with permanent scars.

Scars that one might not be able to see, but they're still there.

"Alright, let's see.." Jungkook mumbles to himself, as he logs into his system's autopilot, taking over the controls as he reads through all the info flying past on the screen. It's impressive to you how quickly he can seem to soak up any information practically flying past him, and it shows you just how long he's probably been doing this.

Yet, now that you think of it, you're not actually sure what exactly Jungkook does for a living, besides selling cargo here and there. But then again, should you really question it? He's putting food on the table, and gives you a safe place to stay. Better not ask too many questions, you tell yourself.

So you instead sit down somewhere near the windows, studying the pictures of the faded paper instruction manual that came in the plastic box of knitting stuff- the language foreign to you, though some words seem to click in your mind. It doesn't seem too hard to do, and considering that you've tried it in the past, it's not that difficult to pick back up where you left off years prior.

And the entire time, you don't even notice Jungkook occasionally watching you, the sight of you happily occupied with your new present doing something special to him. After all, usually, to his kind-

gifting things is considered something only mates do for one another.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──👽── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

"Hey- come here for a second." Jungkook says one morning, urging you a bit closer as you enter the command center where he already sits in his usual seat, though he doesn't seem as relaxed as he's been these past few days.

Your throat has been healing well, and the entire ship by now is filling with your little animal shaped knitting work- one better than the last, after Jungkook had picked up some other colors of yarn for you at one re-fuel stop. It's been a good handful of days now- and you feel like you're actually getting comfortable with the Alien. "I'll be turning course today. I'm.. gonna leave you with Jin for a while." He says, and you instantly furrow your brows in confusion, unsure what's wrong.

"Why?" You ask, voice still a bit raspy, but it at least doesn't hurt as much to talk anymore.

Jungkook just sighs, looking away. "It's not for long, just a few weeks. I'll pick you up before the seasons change-" He explains, but you won't have it.

"That doesn't answer my question." You say, clearing your throat after somewhat getting that small sentence out. He runs his hands over his face.

"It's.. urgh, fuck!" He groans out agitated, and it's honestly both funny and a little unnerving to see Jungkook so.. embarrassed.

"I'm-… It's mating season for my kind." He huffs out defeated, arms crossed. "And since you're a female, it's kind of.. distracting." He explains, and you take that info in for a second.

And Bolku people are a proud but reserved kind, only really staying in pairs, never in groups. But Jungkook doesn't quite fit the visual characteristics, apart from his eyes- so maybe he's a hybrid too?

"Oh." You simply answer, unsure what else to say. Well, you didn't really think about that- but yeah, you remember reading something about Bolku people's.. well, mating traditions, so to speak. Not really because you ever thought anything of it- it was just interesting to find anything to read back on earth, and when you stumbled upon a common book about foreign galactic humanoid variants, you read through it.

It's how you know that Seokjin must've been some sort of human-Shairo hybrid; with his tall body and caring nature, but otherwise rather human appearance. The short, thick and scaled tail gave him away, mostly, and you read in your book back on earth how his kind has a problem with gender in their kind. They're mostly male- females are incredibly rare to be born for some unknown reason.

What's interesting now however, is how the past few days and Jungkook's actions during them, change in nature to you. The gift of the knitting stuff. The blankets he kept bringing to your room. The way he'd cuddle you throughout the journey through Cryon- all of it suddenly feels odd to you now that you know he's near his kind's mating season.

Does that mean that those weren't acts of kindness? That you weren't making any progress at all? That he was just..

..acting on instincts?

"I can just stay in my room again for the time being." You shrug, and he notices the way your posture and tone change. He's become quite good at reading your body language and subtle hints here and there- be it the tone of your voice, or the way you avoid eye contact, or how you'd change topic if he was to talk about something that made you uncomfortable. And right now, it seems as if he said something that made you almost.. defensive. And he's not sure what.

"No, I don't want to.. lock you in there again." He shakes his head. "You're not a prisoner anymore. Or anything similar." He denies.

"Then what am I?" You ask, looking at him- and he can't help but feel a little called out by you.

"That doesn't matter." He responds, but that's not enough for you anymore. You've become bold- mostly because you're not scared of him any longer, and because he's slowly, unknowingly, nurtured your will to survive back to life.

"It does to me." You croak out, coughing right after, making him cringe as his eyes turn a concerned blue hue. But he knows not to try and do anything right now- you're on edge, and he feels as if he's arguing with a cornered animal right now, any wrong move or word enough to set you off.

"Then what do you want to be?" He asks instead, making you look at him with a gaze that just screams uncertainty.

You don't know what you want to be. Especially not what you want to be to him.

When you came onto his ship, you didn't care what happened to you. You'd given up, you were ready to take whatever was thrown at you- but now you actually want to live. You want to be alive, and most importantly, you want to stay with him, and stay on this ship, and stay in this little space where everything seems okay. The amount of safety you feel here has spoiled you at this point, causing you to feel protective over it.

You don't want to stay with Seokjin, no matter how sweet and kind he is. He isn't Jungkook, and he isn't this ship.

"I don't care!" You huff out at him, moving to sit in the middle of the control center, grabbing your blanket before you throw it over your head, and hiding underneath it as you sit down facing the large window, face barely exposed. "I'm staying." You growl to yourself, and Jungkook can't help the slight amusement tickling in his chest at the fact that you're starting to pick up on some of his own behaviors.

Though your growl is anything but intimidating. It's cute, but nothing dangerous at all.

"It's just for two weeks. Three at max." Jungkook sighs, turning on the autopilot before he walks closer, tip of his boot gently tapping your back. "Hey." He calls out, but you don't answer. "I'm talking to you."

"And I'm not." You respond, pulling the blanket close so he can't see you as he crouches down next to you to catch a glimpse. "You'll leave me there."

"I thought you wanted me to leave you?" He wonders in an oddly soft tone, but you can't help but feel as if this too is just his instincts, and not actually him.

"Shut up." You respond, and he laughs.

"You kind of sound like me." He tells you, sitting down in front of you with his legs crossed. "Doesn't fit you- so stop it." He argues, pulling on the blanket- but you got a steel hold of it. "Come on, stop being a brat-"

"No!" You bark out, scooting away from him a good bit.

"I'll pick you up again." He sighs. "Promise."

"Your promise is empty." You mumble, finally giving in as he manages to pull the edge of the blanket enough with his fingers to expose your face.

"How so?" He wonders, face clearly confused, and somewhat upset.

"Cause you said it!" You argue. "I'm distracting you because you're like- horny or whatever. That's not you. And when your.. mating season is over, you'll just.. leave me with Jin." You say, looking at the ground.

"How come you humans always get so horribly attached to things so easily?" He mumbles, as if he's mostly talking to himself- eyes distant as he looks at you, hands in his lap. "Attach yourself to Jin. Not me."

"Why?" You ask timidly, unsure what he's getting at. You're not even sure yourself what you're thinking of him. You don't know why you're so attached to him.

"Because he's.. a better fit." He shrugs. "He's nice. Knows human social norms, since he's partially human as well-"

"So are you though?" You ask, testing the waters, and the way he tenses up, eyes flashing a pale, unreadable color, gives you the answer you were looking for.

So he is a hybrid too.

Suddenly, his face seems angry, jaw clenched and tongue pressed against the inside of his cheek as he looks to the side, eyes a blazing red as he gets up and walks away. "I changed my mind." He says, tapping away on his control panel. "Go stay in your room or whatever. I don't give a shit." He growls, and for some reason, you suddenly feel guilty.

So you quietly leave, door hissing shut behind you-

before it clicks, small display near it offering only a single, pulsating message.

[Locked by Administrator]

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──👽── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

[angel1010xx]

ｏｖｅｒｓｌｅｐｔ

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Pairing: Monkey D. Luffy x Reader

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was such a relief for it to be so peaceful at night.

The days at sea brought an ever-revolving door of chaos. Every threat the Straw Hat crew faced on the Grand Line was big—monsters from the deep as expansive as the clouds in the sky, tsunami-level tidal waves the pirates could barely tether through, hurricanes and whirlpools that spanned as far as the gods’ hands could possibly stretch. However, as it would be, big turmoil breeds bigger talent. The Straw Hat crew members carried themselves with pride, and they took each sunrise as an opportunity to grow. 

They had goals to accomplish, after all; their Captain was not yet king of the pirates, and they would see his future to fruition.

The newest addition to the sea-faring group laid quietly in the crow’s nest of the Thousand Sunny. Her body was wrought with exhaustion. There was a palpable and rather obvious difference in skill between her and the rest of the members. They were experienced. She was… inexperienced. She had not fought to overthrow dictatorships, save princesses, or taken year-long excursions to hone her craft. This is not to say that she did not have a role. No, no, she was taken on as the crew’s ambassador. She had a way, a very, very prominent sway among others with her innate ability of hypnosis. 

Captain Monkey D. Luffy had been immune to her sway. It perplexed her. She wanted to chase him, to follow him. Was this what it was like to stand with another on equal ground? Could this young man really see the true her twixt the mirage? 

Luffy had taken an instantaneous liking to her. This was, of course, after he had seen how everyone else threw themselves to the feet of the young woman. “I could use someone like you on my crew!” He had exclaimed. “Nami has been getting onto me about…. ‘Public relationships,’ and such. ‘Parently people don’t like us. Well, I don’t know care. But she’ll know what to do with ‘ya!” 

The boy might as well have thrown a bouquet of roses and a diamond ring at her, because she was smitten. “Yes, yes, I will come!” She had cried. 

The young woman shuffled her sitting position to rest her back on the rails of the nest. She had almost fallen asleep while reminiscing on her meeting of her captain. She felt as though she owed everything to him. He had given her a family. He had given her a home. Most important of all, he had given her hope. 

A smile crept up onto her face, and she gazed lovingly at the stars.

*------*-------*-------*

“Where is she?” Sanji inquired, eyeballing the untouched plate still resting on the dining table. Everyone else had eaten. “She was on night duty,” Chopper responded. “I think she fell asleep. I knew that was going to be too much! She was in tatters after yesterday’s fight!”

Luffy listened on, a pout growing on his face. He knew his newbie was struggling to adjust to the intensity of the high-stakes pirate lifestyle. As oblivious as he was by nature, it was hard to ignore the signs when his newbie had collapsed in front of him multiple times before. He’d sweep her up every time. He’d get met with a “Please, Luffy, I can get it myself,” to which he’d just give a sly grin and shake his head. “No! Chopper needs to see you!” He’d insist.

And each and every time, he rather liked the feeling of her arms around his neck. 

The captain whistled and giggled as he stretched and slung himself up to the crow’s nest. There she was, his newbie, fast asleep. Luffy’s dark eyes studied her for a brief second, taking note of how peaceful she looked. He’d get her down to Chopper, in a moment. He’d have to stick his tongue out at her, ‘cus his newbie was sure to protest. And he’d enjoy having her frame flush to his, with the warmth of her arms around his neck that he enjoyed so very much.

[cloudy-em]

Hi, that's me again😅

So... my other idea for Lip is: (again with relatively shy reader, because I love the thrope a lot) the reader and Lip are already in a relationship, one day someone teases her a little too much on the sexual theme (they haven't had sex yet so she's a bit insecure about it) he notices, he defends her, and once they're alone he starts to joke around, teases her in a sweet way, to make her feel more comfortable to talk about it. (She is not a virgin, she's just not that experienced)

Hope you like this one, if not. It's okay, I promise😂

another great idea! <3

personally i don't celebrate thanksgiving but i remember an episode from one of the earlier seasons of them doing a thanksgiving meal which is very convenient for this so it's loosely based on that

warnings: sexual comments, innuendos, Mickey's kinda being an ass but his comments aren't ill-intended

xxxxxxxxxx

The Gallagher household was bustling with activity. Fiona and V were in the kitchen, finishing up some last minute food preparations while Kevin was entertaining Carl and some of his friends in the yard with games. Ian was fixing drinks for everyone, desperately trying to find Debbie to figure out what she wanted (she was in her room, Mandy braiding her hair for her so she could impress Little Hank). Lip was finishing up a project for some sophomore who'd offered to pay him $100, and Liam was sitting patiently in his high chair. Y/N did her best to help out by setting the table, ensuring there were enough chairs and that everyone had all the proper utensils.

Mickey walked in the front door, beer in hand and flopped down, watching as Y/N reached across to the other side of the table to put a fork next to the plate. Mickey whistled like a boy in a 60s tv show.

"Damn, I bet you're used to that position," he quipped, taking another swig or his beer. Y/N looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows.

Mickey shrugged. "You know, cause I'm sure Philip bends you over pretty often." Y/N realized his implications, blushing and looking away. Mickey laughed, much more comfortable on the subject of sex than she was. "I'm sure Fiona's had to schedule time out of the house with the rest of the kids just to give you two some 'alone time'!"

Y/N grew increasingly uncomfortable. She wasn't a virgin or a puritan, but she and Lip hadn't had sex yet. They hadn't had a conversation about it or anything, but she wanted to wait a while and Lip had never brought it up with her.

Mickey laughed, "Look, kid, don't have to hide anything, we've all walked in on Lip with one of his hookups before." He paused for dramatic effect.

"Besides, it's always the shy one's who are the kinkiest!"

Y/N looked away, trying not to pay him any more mind and focus on her task. Lip walked down the stairs having finished with the sophomore's project, and immediately noticed something was off. His girlfriend was shy, sure, but she never bowed her head as low as she had.

"Hey, Lip!" Mickey called, teasing. Lip looked at him, eyebrows raised in expectation. "Maybe you should go out back and have quickie with your girl, get 'er to stop bein' such a priss." Lip realized what was wrong, walking over to his blushing girlfriend and placing his arm around her waist.

"Fuck off," Lip sighed. "Y/N isn't a priss, she just doesn't think the whole world needs to know about her sex life like you and Ian seem to."

Mickey raised his arms in surrender, "'Kay, fuck, Gallagher, it was all teasing, no harm meant!" He got up from his seat and went to the kitchen, presumably to grab another beer.

"C'mon, baby," Lip said softly, squeezing Y/N's waist and guiding her up to his room. He sat with her on the edge of Ian's bed, holding her hand and rubbing his calloused thumb on the back of it.

"I'm sorry he was messin' with you, baby," he whispered. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Anything I can do for you?" He emphasized his apology by pressing a soft kiss to her temple.

"No, just," she paused, thinking about how she wanted to phrase her next sentence. "Do you ever, I don't know, feel like I'm holding you back?"

Lip had a puzzled look on his face. "Whatd'ya mean, hon?"

"Well with like, you know," she sighed, pulling her hand away from Lip to hide her face. "We haven't had sex and I feel like that's my fault." She heard him chuckle quietly, her embarrassment seeping into her soul even more.

"Baby," he cooed, wrapping his arms around her in a hug as she continued to hide her face. "It's nobody's fault. We haven't talked about it yet! That's the most important part of any relationship, and that's taken me a while to learn. I figured you'd bring it up when you were ready. I didn't want you to feel pressured."

She looked up at him, eyes wide and glazed over, on the verge of tears because of her embarrassment. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," he nodded like he had given an order to the universe.

"I thought that maybe you weren't attracted to me or that you thought I wasn't good enough," she whispered.

"Me? Not attracted to you? Aw babe!" he laughed, nose touching hers in a loving exchange. "A pretty thing like you deserves to be worshipped. When we have sex, I'm takin' my time with you."

She giggled at his compliment, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

"Oh, what you don't believe me? I've wanted to sleep with pretty girl forever, I just wanted to make sure she's ready for me," he smiled at her. The more he complimented her, easing in sex references, the more comfortable she felt on the subject. He had waited for her! He didn't think she was a prude or anything, he just had respect for her; he cared for her. She felt warmth in her chest as she processed the conversation. Lip kissed her nose briefly, helping her stand up from the bed.

"And try not to let Mickey get you down. He's just like that and assumes everyone else is comfortable talking about their sex life the way he does. I'll warn him to dial it down when he's around you, though," Lip told her, looking into her eyes to make sure she knew he was serious.

"Thanks, Lip. I love you," she told him, hugging him again.

"I love you, too, Y/N. Now, we'll talk more about us and our boundaries and moving forward later," he told her, trying to help her be more comfortable discussing sex with him. "But right now I think we've got a dinner to be at."

xxxxxx

thanks for reading! sorry about me projecting a lil bit in lip and reader's conversation lol, i just think it's really important to have these conversations with your partners and i think lip, despite being all tough and "not sappy" (but he totally is) really cares about discussing boundaries with his partner

have a great day!

[its-time-to-write]

Hi there!! I absolutely adore your writing, and I was wondering if I could request a little something about Jamie being your guest to a wedding?? Just something sweet and fluffy because I feel like he’d be a spectacular wedding date. Love you!!

Here you go! Haven’t been able to write as much this week, I had finals and in between tests and papers, I’ve been pretty much living at the doctor’s. My brain is feeling a little fried, so I hope this is a coherent fic because I’ve tried to proofread a bunch and it all just looks like squiggles to me, so… anon, if you read this, send me your honest feedback in my inbox. Love ya!🍊💚

i’m glad you exist

“What’s this?” Jamie asks from his position on your kitchen island. 

You glance up from the stove. “What’s what?” 

He holds up an envelope rimmed in gold. 

“Oh, that’s an invite to my old roommate’s wedding. Remember I told you about her? Calls everyone ‘queen?’”

Jamie’s face shows recognition. “Right, yeah, she the one dating that motivational speaker?”

You laugh. “Yeah, they got together a month after I met her. He lived one floor down. Anyway, their wedding’s in a few months so I left the invitation out so I’d remember to RSVP.”

Jamie’s engrossed in the details on the invitation. “Says you can bring a plus one.”

“Yeah,” you reply, “probably won’t though. It’s back home, so, it’s not just a weekend-type deal. My mom and dad want me to come stay for like a week and a half.” You turn back to the stove and narrowly avoid burning the food. “You like your dinner a little crispy, right?”

“Babe,” Jamie says slowly, “you stayin’ with your parents?”

“Nah,” you say, transferring the food onto plates, “too crowded. And loud. My mom always has all the grandkids over all the time.” Your older sister has two kids, and your older brother has three. “She offered, but I told her I’d just get an AirBnB or something.”

“Y’know,” he says, taking the plates and moving to the table, “it’s on the off season. Don’t have any branding deals that week either.”

“Jamie,” you begin, a smile beginning to spread across your face, “are you offering to go to this wedding with me? And meet my parents?”

Jamie shrugs nonchalantly. 

“You are!” you say gleefully, “Oh my god, my mom is going to lose her mind. You know she absolutely loves you, right? She talks about their trip out here all the time. And this time you can meet my whole family, like my sister and her husband, they’re definitely my favorite because my niece and I have the same middle name. Plus my brother is always busy with work and his wife is cool, I guess, but we don’t have a lot in common? Except one time we watched High School Musical together, and she knew all the dances and all the words! It was crazy. And we’ll definitely have to go to the beach, do you know how to surf-?”

You ramble on happily as Jamie just grins at you, digging into his food. 

—

It’s wedding week, and your dad picks you up from the airport. You and Jamie are on your way to your parents’ house before checking into your own house and you’re confident that most of your family is going to be there. Your parents are the only ones who have met Jamie in person, and right now your dad and Jamie are in the front of the car chatting on about who knows what. You just know you’re tired, and you’re grateful that your dad picked you up a coffee. You’re probably going to steal Jamie’s too, because he does not need more energy and yours is gone way too quick. It’s nice to be home. The sun is shining, and the streets are familiar. You’re looking forward to seeing your old friends, and showing off your gorgeous footballer boyfriend.

They’d all heard about him of course, and were more than thrilled that you had finally found someone who actually liked being around you. That sounds terrible. You’re not annoying. You just have a habit of being with men who see you as a chore, not for the wonderful person you are. The person Jamie sees you to be.

You’re pulling into the driveway, and just as you suspected, the entire family is there. You notice your brother’s Range Rover and your sister’s Jeep. You smile to yourself. How very like them.

You hop out of the car, grab Jamie’s hand, and the door is open before you even make it all the way up to it. Your mom’s arms are open for a hug which you reach for except she turns away at the last moment and hugs Jamie first?

“Mom!” you say, laughing, “I’m your literal daughter and I haven’t seen you in forever!”

She smiles and pinches Jamie’s cheek. “I’ve spent more time with you than with him. You’ll survive.”

She wraps you in a warm hug then says, “Come meet the family, Jamie! And you’re staying for dinner. You can get to your house after you’ve taken a break.”

You shake your head and Jamie just grins. Poor boy has no idea what he’s getting himself into.

—

Jamie was thoroughly interrogated by your family, including your nieces and nephews (“Why do you call it football instead of soccer? Did you bring us candy?”). You’re both so exhausted that as soon as you walk through the door of your AirBnB, you collapse onto the bed, fully clothed.

—

It’s the day of the wedding, and you’re stressed. You’d been fine until the exact moment that you and Jamie began walking up to the venue. Everything is fine, you’re walking hand-in-hand, but then you just stop. 

“Jamie,” you say, tugging on his hand, “Jamie I can’t do this.”

He turns to you in surprise. “What d’you mean you can’t do this?” 

“I mean, it’s a lot of people I haven’t seen in forever and I don’t know, I’m just freaking out.”

Jamie laughs of all things. “Babe, it’s all right. Look, you’re with me, yeah? And I’m fucking amazin’. And you’re fucking amazin’. So whatever you’re worried about, ain’t a problem.”

Sometimes you forget how cocky Jamie can be. And how much it can boost your confidence. 

You blow out a breath. “Thanks babe. You’re right, it’ll be fine.”

—

It was more than fine. Like, way more than fine. Your friend looked lovely, and she was overjoyed to see you, and Jamie was the absolute best. He befriended your entire table and insisted you dance with him for every song. He was weirdly good at it, too. 

“It’s all in the hips, babe,” he said.

It definitely was.

Your favorite part, though, is the last dance. 

It’s a slow song, and the only people left were couples. The bride and groom had left, sneaked out a back door because she hated send-offs, so everything was winding down. 

Jamie has your hands in his, and brings them to loop around his neck.

“You alright?” he whispers. You nod. “Good,” he says, voice still low. “Wanted to make sure you had a good time. I fucking love weddings. The dancing, the food… you.” He grins and you smile back. “You look fucking gorgeous, by the way. Not sure I mentioned it earlier.”

You’re blushing now, swaying to the music as his hands circle your waist.

You say, “Thanks for coming with me, Jaim. I don’t think I would’ve had as much fun without you.”

Your hands are on the sides of his face now, thumbs tracing his cheekbones.

You lean up to kiss him and right before you do he whispers, “Gonna be us someday, yeah?”

You forget how to breathe for a moment, opting to nod instead.

Jamie smiles, and leans down to finish what you started. 

[yagirlwrites]

(Not) My Baby (5)

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Synopsis: Y/N is having girls night with her roomates when an odd call comes in. Rafe and Y/N meet up to discuss the wedding plans. Drama ensues.

A/N: Hiii! It's been a while, I know! Yet again, I apologize for the long wait. Hopefully this longer chapter makes up a little for how late it is 😅 I hope you all enjoy it! This one is funny and silly, with lots of girly dynamics, but also Rafe and the drama that always comes when they're together 🤭 There might be some sexual tension in this one but our girl loves to stay delulu 🤷🏻‍♀️

Series Masterlist

My work is my own; it's not to be copied, transferred or translated. Reblogs, comments & feedback are always welcome and appreciated❤️

Happy reading! 🥰

(Not) My Baby (Part 5)

She was putting the finishing touches on dinner when her phone buzzed on the counter with an incoming message. The salmon and veggies were still sizzling in the pan, the aroma of a freshly cooked meal making her insides flutter with both hunger and gratitude.

After the past several days, she was glad to finally be back to normal. At least, as normal as it gets under these strange circumstances she found herself in; because of a selfish, conniving, bit- No! No thinking about him tonight. Tonight is for the girlies.

Y/N, Stella and Lena all found themselves having a family dinner after quite a while. Deciding to put each other first and spend a peaceful evening together - complete with a cheesy horror movie and delicious food. Tonight was going to be fun and she wasn't going to let thoughts of him ruin that for even a moment.

A moan could be heard from the direction of the couch where Stella was impatiently waiting for food to be ready. She had been going on about how 'hangry' she had been all day and how much she missed Y/N's cooking. Even though Stella was a decent cook, and Lena could technically fry an egg, it was a known fact in their household that Y/N made "food for the soul". That's exactly what all three of them needed, all of them buzzing with excitement. Even Lena had turned her phone on silent and vowed not to text Kelce the whole evening, wanting to focus on her best friends she felt she had been neglecting.

"Hurry up, please!" Stella's whining made Lena roll her eyes and smack her shoulder causing the girl to pout in mock hurt. "I am an injured woman!"

Y/N laughed as she walked into the living room holding onto the food tray, thinking about how much she missed when all three of them were together like this.

"You'll live." Lena replied without missing a beat, plopping herself down on the chair next to the couch, while the chef presented them with their dinner. Stella's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and even Lena couldn't stop a smile from breaking through.

"Oh this smells so fucking good, Peach! Come to mama!" She practically jumped to fill up her plate, completely ignoring the other two who smirked at each other, knowing how she gets when she's hungry.

Lena had chosen a movie for them to watch while they eat and decompress. It was some old horror with bad practical effects, demons and gore - perfect for the occasion. They spent the first 20 minutes of the film just enjoying their food in peace while trying to catch up to the plot. Even though the movie was silly it was still spooky and they loved that. Once the food was finished, Stella cleared their plates and brought back ice cream for them to share. The movie was getting real weird and scary when buzzing broke through the intense atmosphere they were in. Stella gasped, dramatically; Lena spared a glance in the direction of the glowing phone and shot Y/N a glare for the interruption. She realized someone was calling her.

"Who the fuck calls?" She mumbled, begrudgingly getting up from her comfy position on the couch to grab the phone and end the annoying buzzing. There are only three people who ever called her, albeit rarely, and two of them were in the room with her. The third one being her mother and she never called this late.

Looking at the screen, her eyes widened and a panicked "what the fuck" left her mouth. The girls both looked her way in confusion, seeing her staring at her phone.

"What?" Stella whispered, as if talking any louder would disturb the fictional characters on the screen.

"Guys..." Y/N slowly turned her phone to face the girls and they both gasped in unison.

"What the fuck?!" Lena jumped from her chair and took her phone from her hands as if it were a trick of the eye and the words on the screen would change once in her posession. But the caller ID hadn't changed...it still clearly said "Devil's Spawn".

The movie forgotten, the silence was now filled with only the incessant buzzing. Whoever it was was not letting the call drop.

"Answer it." Lena spoke causing Stella to jump from the couch.

"Are you insane! No, do not answer that! That is horror movie 101 right there!"

"This isn't a horror movie, this is real life , Stel." Lena responded, exasperatedly. Y/N gulped, Lena's words ringing true.

"...Hello?" Her voice still nearly trembled with trepidation, but she managed to keep it steady. If this was some psycho demon she was not showing any weakness.

"Finally!" A breath of relief left her, and she closed her eyes trying to calm her racing heart.

"Why the fuck are you calling me?" Her voice now taking on a note of clear annoyance, hinting to the girls who might be on the other end of the line.

"Well, hello to you too, Y/N/N." She could just feel Rafe's eyes rolling through the phone. She was not amused.

"Why are you calling, boomer?" He scoffed out a laugh at that one.

"Well if you answered your texts I wouldn't have to call like some boomer, would I?" She rolled her eyes this time, looking down at her phone to see she had several unread text notifications.

"What's so urgent it couldn't wait until morning, then?" She wanted this conversation to be over and for him to stop constantly ruining her fun.

"I need your measurements." "What?" She was dumbfounded at his random request.

"For the dress? My stepmom's been on my ass about getting her your measurements for weeks so if you could-"

"Oh, you mean while I have been blissfully unaware of your schemes? Good times." She sighed wistfully and he had to take a deep breath to calm down.

"Yes. Could you just send me your measurements so I can give them to her, please?" He sounded mildly desparate and quite irritated and she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy that.

"Hmmm... fine. But only so I can end this conversation sooner." He sighed on the other line.

"Great, whatever." She scoffed at his attitude.

"You're such a brat." She couldn't see it but his eyebrows rose at her remark, a disbelieving smile on his face.

"A brat? That's a new one." She rolled her eyes once again at his attempt to keep the conversation going after she made it clear she wanted it to end.

"Yep, that's you. Bye, now! Don't call me again." She hung up the phone before he had the chance to respond and she smiled in satisfaction at her small victory. Lena and Stella were both staring at her, the former unimpressed and the latter barely holding in a laugh.

"What?" Y/N shrugged in confusion.

"Devil's Spawn?" Lena posed the question and Stella finally burst into laughter.

"Okay, yeah. So I might have saved his number under that name... And then forgot I did it." Y/N gave them both a sheepish smile, hoping they let it go and that they could forget the past 5 minutes ever happened.

"And in my defence, you were also freaked out for a minute!" Lena scoffed, faux offended, while Stella nodded somberly.

"It was the movie. It made us paranoid." Stella whispered again and the other two girls agreed.

"Sooo... Keep watching?" "Fuck yes!" "Lets do it." The trio agreed and made themselves comfortable in their assigned seats again, resuming the film. Y/N couldn't help but check her phone to see the texts he had sent her before that awkward phonecall.

Devil's Spawn: hey sry 2 bother u at girls night but could u send me ur measurements?

Devil's Spawn: my stepmom needs them

Devil's Spawn: for ur dress n stuff

Devil's Spawn: btw she made reservations at the Modiste 4 Tuesday so u can try some stuff out

Devil's Spawn: pls lmk the measurements asap

She read through his texts with a raised brow. How did he know they were having girls night? Kelce must have told him, she guessed. The Modiste? What was this, Bridgerton? A scoff escaped her, met by shushing from Stella by her side. Her friends were once again deeply engulfed in the film playing on their TV screen. Y/N, however, was distracted.

She couldn't stop thinking over everything that had happened recently. Thinking about Rafe, or the 'Devil's Spawn' as she had aptly named him. She had forgotten all about the little nickname she dubbed him with in her phone, right until she picked up and heard his voice. Then it came back to her - the group chat Lena had created to keep them all in the loop over a trip they had planned, her tipsy and giggling to herself while she saved his contact at how funny and clever she was. Truth is she never expected to use it, she just wanted to spite him, even if it was petty and just for her own amusement. But that was so long ago now, and the little rebellion completely escaped her memory. Which is why she had given into the horror induced paranoia tonight. It was funny though, even funnier since it was all three of them who fell for the spooky caller. She looked over at her friends, smiling. She had missed this so much. She finally let herself sink back into the couch and tried watching the rest of the movie but she soon dozed off from exhaustion.

The next day she woke up groggy and confused. She realized she was still on the couch, but this time alone and covered by a blanket. The girls took care to make her comfy before going to their respective beds. She took a deep breath, looking at the time on her phone seeing it was just past 7, wondering if she should just move to her bedroom and go back to sleep when a text came through.

Devil's Spawn: can u send me those measurements??

She rolled her eyes at his insistence and lack of patience. It's not like she had the numbers lying around. She needed to measure herself first. That would prove a challenge since she didn't have a tape measure. She pondered on whether Stella might have one when Lena made her way into the living area.

"Oh, you're up?" Lena had been an early bird for as long as she knew her. Stella was the opposite, she could sleep forever. Y/N was somewhere in between, not quite a morning person like Lena, but definitely not comfortable staying in bed until the afternoon.

"Yeah. Morning." Y/N rubbed her tired eyes giving her friend a sleepy smile.

"Good morning." Lena smirked and went to the kitchen to start on her coffee.

"Hey, do you have a tape measure?" She asked in hopes she wouldn't have to wake up Stella and risk losing a limb.

"A tape measure? Why?" Lena's confusion echoed from the kitchen area and Y/N slowly got on unsteady feet to patter closer to her.

"Just need to take my measurements." She sighed, smelling the coffee Lena was brewing.

"Why?" Lena repeated the question and she knew she wouldn't let it go, she was stubborn like that.

"Rafe needs them." Lena gave her a knowing look. Knowing of what she was unsure. He was such a pain in her ass.

"Why does Rafe need your measurements?" Lena posed the question as she pulled out two mugs and started filling them with the precious liquid.

"I don't know. Something about his stepmom and the wedding. Do you have one or not?" Y/N grabbed the oat milk from the fridge and handed it to Lena who thanked her with a smile.

"Not." Lena poured herself a bit of milk and Y/N a generous amount. The girl was looking at her friend with a deadpan expression after her answer.

"Stel does, though." Y/N groaned, realizing she'd have to sneak into her best friend's room because of Rafe. Ruining her day before it even started, the prick.

"Do you know where she keeps it?" She asked hopeful, praying it might be a quick in and out mission and the risk of waking the lion would be low.

"Hmm. No, sorry. Maybe her desk drawers? That's where she usually keeps her craft supplies." Lena shrugged and took a long sip of her coffee, closing her eyes in pleasure at the strong aroma waking up her tastebuds.

Y/N let out a breath and braced herself for the mission ahead. It would be fine. Stella was probaby knocked out cold. She'd just do a quick check and if she can't find it in the drawer she'd text Rafe to leave her the hell alone until Stella woke up. She crept into Stella's room, her sock clad feet making as little noise as possible as she inched towards the desk. She was almost there when Stella stirred and she froze in place, bracing for an attack. But it never came and Stella kept snoring. She sighed out in relief and went searching through the desk with minimal noise. She managed to find it, in the last drawer of course.

She retraced the footsteps back out of the room and felt impressed when she made it to the living room without waking her friend. Maybe she could be a spy or a cat burglar cause that was seriously cool. Lena was looking at her with a blank expression as she crept back to the kitchen. She swore she had the two most dramatic women for roomates. Stella took the cake of course, but Y/N definitely acted up sometimes and gave Stella a run for her money. It was hard being the reasonable one in the household.

"I got it." Y/N whispered, showing off the prize.

"Good job, bub." Lena said, semi sarcastically, but Y/N just grinned proudly.

"Can you help me?" Lena rolled her eyes but got up to help her friend. They had to look up instructions on how to take measurements correctly and wrote them down in Y/N's notes app. It took longer than they thought it would. Once they finally finished, she sent them to Rafe with what she deemed an appropriate warning.

Baby: here are your damn measurements

Baby: I expect you to be a lot less pushy from now on

Baby: I'm doing you a favor, don't forget that

Lena had packed up her stuff and left the apartment not long after and Rafe responded in suit.

Devil's Spawn: why thank you your holiness I wouldn't dream of being pushy with thee again

She scoffed at his idiotic response just as the next text came in.

Devil's Spawn: u want me to buy u a purse for ur troubles madam?

Baby: that's sexist

Devil's Spawn: so that's a no on the birkin?

She rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him and his sarcastic little messages. She could feel how tired she still was and since it was a day free from classes she figured going back to bed might be her best option. She poured her coffee into a bottle and put it in the fridge for later and then made herself comfy in her own bed. After a night on the couch her back was screaming in protest. She had to remember not to fall asleep in the living room again because her back hurt for days every time it happened. She was just about to fall into a slumber when her phone buzzed on the night stand. She almost groaned but checked it anyway.

Devil's Spawn: can we meet 2day?

She hated the way he texted. Was it so damn hard to just spell out an entire word? She was about to ignore him but the phone buzzed again.

Devil's Spawn: we need 2 go over some stuff 4 wedding

She groaned into her pillow after reading that. Couldn't she go one day without dealing with his bullshit? One day without thinking about the damn wedding she is forced to attend with him? At least she had the car, she reminded herself and smiled. She hadn't had much of a chance to drive it yet, so why not take advantage of it?

Baby: fine. 6pm at Rooftop

The Rooftop Bar was a gorgeous place right outside of town at one of the hotels overlooking the ocean. It was a 30 minute drive so she could enjoy the ride and the beautiful view. That was at least one good thing to come out of this whole mess.

Devil's Spawn: ok see u

With one final eye roll she finally laid her head on her soft pillow and traveled all the way to dreamland. Unfortunately so did her thoughts of a certain irksome boy and his blue-green eyes.

--------

After waking back up around 11, she went on with her day somewhat normally. However, the cloud of her approaching meet up with Rafe kept gnawing at her mind, never letting her fully relax. She debated cancelling at least 20 times, but she didn't. She knew it was time to accept her fate and make peace with the predicament she was in. She reminded herself she'll be getting something out of the deal too. That and the car. She smiled at the thought of the Mustang parked in front of their building.

It was only a few days ago that Rafe reluctantly handed her the keys to his most prized posession. He was sulking the entire time, a pout on his face she would have made fun of if she hadn't been so damn excited nothing could rain on her parade. And frankly, taking something from him that he loved would probably humble him a little and he desparately needed some humbling.

She had been eyeing the Mustang for years. She didn't know a lot about cars but she always liked the classics, fawning over them if she saw one on the road. She didn't care for the men driving them, obviously. She just found older cars to have more character, as most new cars all looked exactly the same to her - she couldn't even tell you what make any uber she'd ever taken was. But the old cars were different, pretty, special. She had always wanted to drive one but never had the opportunity. Suffice to say she had been jealous of Rafe having such a gorgeous car, believing a dickhead like him did not deserve it. And as soon as she had the idea to barter for it, she was ecstatic.

When she slid into the sleek leather seat, turned the key and heard the engine roar, she was in heaven. Rafe's misery at the arrangement was quite enjoyable too, given that he put her in such an impossibly awkward position in the first place. She felt it was only fair he suffer as well. So she didn't feel guilty driving away from him, in his old Mustang, while he looked after her with anger and sadness as she left him in the dust.

She hadn't told her friends what she was going to do, what she would ask of him in the end. They were mad at her for keeping them in suspense and she knew they'd lose their minds once she drove home in Rafe's baby.

She had barely stopped the car in front of their building when she impatiently dialed Stella's phone. Once the girl answered, Y/N only relayed a quick, criptic message of her "coming downstairs, now" and hung up. Stella had been confused but made her way out of the building all the same. As soon as she saw her in the black Mustang, Stella's jaw dropped and Y/N couldn't hide her smirk.

"No. Fucking. Way." Y/N just laughed at her friend's shocked expression.

"You took his car!? Oh my God, you're an evil genious! Remind me never to piss you off." Stella joked as she ran to hug her, both of them beaming in excitement.

"How did you convince him to give you his car? That's like his baby!" Stella shook with nerves and excitement.

"Like you guys said, he couldn't say no." Y/N shrugged, seemingly chill. However, she also couldn't quite believe she managed to get him to give her his fucking car. He really was desparate for this deal to work, otherwise he would have told her to go fuck herself and never spoke to her again. What a mess. But hey, it was a mess he got them into himself and she wasn't going to pass up a good opportunity by feeling guilty about it. He was a dick and he deserved a nice portion of humble pie.

It wasn't until later that night, while Stella and Y/N were in the apartment doing their respective work, that Lena burst through the door looking dishevelled, like she ran all the way to the third floor. The two girls were completely bewildered at their friend until she spoke.

"Where's Rafe?" Lena was looking around the apartment expecting the boy to pop up from behind a counter or something.

"I don't know? What-" Y/N started, but was interrupted.

"Why is his car in the parking lot?" Once Lena posed the question the two girls gave each other a knowing, mischievous look. Lena looked at them confused.

"About that..." Y/N started the story. Suffice to say Lena had been thoroughly shocked and amused by the ordeal.

"I can't believe you took his car. You are devious. He loves that thing more than himself." Lena chuckled and Y/N rolled her eyes.

"Well, that just isn't true or he wouldn't have agreed." She smirked and the girls nodded in agreement. Lena praised her for her nerve and Y/N thanked Lena for giving her the push to go after what she wanted.

That was two days ago and aside from classes she hadn't had a chance to drive her new car which was tragic considering how excited she was to have it. But tonight that changes. She'll finally have an oportunity to get in her new Mustang and cruise. She was buzzing with butterflies at the prospect. She had picked the location of their meeting specifically so she could enjoy the drive there and back. Also she really loved the place, rarely getting a chance to visit it. It had a gorgeous view, loads of fresh air and affordable drinks. What was not to like?

She decided to put some effort into how she looked tonight, wanting to enjoy herself to the fullest, ignoring the fact that the person she'd be meeting would probably piss her off at some point. She chose to focus on the fun parts of the evening. She picked out a cute outfit, leather jacket in tow, put on a red lip and looked herself over in approval. This is exactly the aesthetic she wanted, the kind befitting a girl driving a car like that. She grinned in excitement and got ready to leave.

She had told the girls she'd be meeting Rafe tonight and she was glad they weren't home to see how much effort she put into her appearace. She knew they'd assume it was for him when it wasn't. Not even a little bit. She was dressing for herself. And while that usually meant comfort to the max, she really wanted to look good tonight.

------

The drive was peaceful, filled with her favourite playlist and the roar of the Mustang she was falling in love with. The sea air was refreshing, helping her calm herself down. No matter how much she was enjoying her ride, the fact was it would end with meeting him. She tried so hard to keep herself cool and carefree but when it came to him it was an impossible feat. He always managed to get under her skin, no matter how much she claimed she didn't care. This whole situation was so messed up and she hated him for putting her in it. It was so absurd she couldn't believe she agreed to it. Even with the stunning automobile she was currently driving.

She forced herself to put it out of her mind for the rest of the trip; so she could enjoy the wind in her hair, fresh air in her lungs and Chappell Roan on the stereo.

Once she stopped the car she noticed he was already there, she could see his bike in the parking lot. A very nice bike, she had to admit. But of course it was, his family was loaded, he only had the best of the best. He had tried making her feel bad about taking his mode of transportation, knowing full well he had his bike to fall back on. She scoffed at the memory. What a bitch.

She had hoped she'd get there first and perhaps have a drink in peace before having to deal with him but alas the universe was not on her side tonight. Well, it seemed like it hasn't been on her side for a while.

Putting aside her anxiety, she held her head up high when she entered the hotel, beelining for the elevator that led to The Rooftop Bar where Rafe was waiting for her. He was early, she realized. It wasn't even 6 o'clock when she parked the car and he was there already. He wasn't usually late, as far as she remembers from their hang outs, but she doesn't think she'd seen him be early either.

Once she stepped out into the fresh evening air she felt herself relax slightly. The twinkling lights spread around the open-air bar were beautiful and the view of the coast breathtaking. She loved the smell of the sea, it always brought her peace. She supposed that's part of the reason why she chose this place, to help her out while she dealt with the one person who always managed to get under her skin.

Her eyes moved across the rooftop until they met his blue ones. He was sat at one of the tables closest to the edge, one with a great view. His eyes had been on her since she stepped foot out of the elevator, having been anxiously waiting for about 20 minutes. He wasn't sure why he came so early but for some reason he just didn't want to be late and risk angering her.

He had the chance to take her in before she noticed him. And boy was she a sight to behold. She looked good, too good. With a dress that hugged her curves just right and a black leather jacket making her look sexy and cool.

She always looked good when they were out together with their friends but for some reason he thought she looked extra nice tonight. Perhaps she was trying to mess with his head. Or maybe she wasn't thinking of him at all when she got dressed. Which was a thought that kind of stung given how much effort he put into his own outfit. He changed at least four times, feeling shockingly nervous to see her. He spent the whole day anxiously awaiting 6pm. He wasn't sure why he was feeling so amped up, maybe because they were meeting up alone, in a really nice and maybe even romantic place. Maybe because it was finally setting in that this whole thing was really happening and that less than two weeks from now they'd be playing a couple in front of his entire family. He chose to chalk his nerves up to the latter, not wanting to dwell on anything else.

It would have been comical, how fast her body language changed once she saw him, if it didn't cause a sharp pain in his chest. A moment ago she had seemed relaxed and maybe joyful but the moment their eyes met she stiffened up, as if she had to be on guard around him. It sucked, thought he knew she had every right to be upset with him, he did put them both in an awkward predicament. It still kind of stung that she felt so unwelcoming toward him. He chose not to dwell on that either and gave her a nod in greeting.

She mentally prepped herself on the walk over to their table, trying to remind herself that she is a grown woman and this man couldn't unhinge her unless she let him. And she wouldn't let him.

"Hey." He stood suddenly and rushed to pull her chair out, the action taking her by surprise.

"Hey. Thanks." She gave him a small awkward smile and he nodded, sitting back into his own chair across from her and waving over a waiter.

She took him in while he was distracted. He looked good and she hated it. With a button up and a leather biker jacket draped over it, he looked efortlessly cool. She was worried for a minute she might be slightly overdressed and he'd be in his usual t-shirt and backwards cap combo but he seemed to have cleaned up too. She supposed it was this place. It had a fancy vibe that made people want to dress just a little nicer for it. That was it, no other reason.

The waiter came and took their order, she realized he had not ordered a drink yet so he must have gotten here only minutes before her. He ordered a craft beer the waiter recomended and she asked for a fruity cocktail. One drink wouldn't hurt, it would help with her nerves. One drink only though, so she could safely drive back home.

"Thanks for meeting me today." He gave her a sweet smile and she responded with a mere nod, not willing to risk speaking when she felt so confused about how nice he was being. It was uncharted territory and she didn't trust it. She had to keep herself on guard.

"I love this place." He looked around with a small genuine smile, and she could tell he was being sincere. "It's a shame we don't come here more often."

"It is, yeah." She gave a tentative smile as she agreed with him. Another extremely unusual occourence - the two of them agreeing on somehing. The silence started dragging on so she decided to stop it before it spread any longer and it became awkward.

"So, what is it you wanted to discuss?" Her voice took him by surprise, breaking him out of a haze he found himself in for a moment.

"Oh, um. Just, stuff for the wedding. We should be prepared, you know." He looked sheepish and her suspicion was rising.

"Sure. So go ahead." She gave him a pointed look.

"Hm?" He looked out of it and her brow furrowed.

"Tell me more about this wedding. Your family. You know, prepare?" She was looking at him oddly, slightly concerned with how airheaded he seemd to be acting.

"Oh, of course yeah." He nodded and readied himself to spill the beans.

"Right. So we should probably start with my family." He looked uncomfortable saying it but she agreed. It did seem like the most important part. Getting them to believe they were a couple.

"Yeah, so theres my dad, my stepmom - her name is Rose, by the way - and my two little sisters." As he recounted his family dynamic and threw in tidbits of information she should probably be aware of, she found herself in awe for a moment. She had known he had sisters but she did not expect the love he exhibited while talking about them.

He mentioned how his relationship with Sarah had been rocky when they were younger but they found a way to communicate in the past year and how relieved he was that they were finally talking again. That he missed her. There was an embarrased but endearing blush on his cheeks at the revelation that made her smile. Once he noticed it, he smiled too. It was an oddly comfortable moment between the pair.

He spoke of his younger sister Wheezie with unbridled adoration, retelling a few childhood stories that made them both laugh. It was weirdly nice, sitting there together like that. Neither of them really expected it to feel that way. Almost, natural. Like they were just two regular people, sitting in a bar and chatting about their lives over drinks.

Soon enough the mood shifted as the story got to his father - Ward Cameron. She found herself bearing resentment towards the man and she'd barely even met him. He was always pompous at any event he'd come to at their college but she wasn't too bothered by him. She knew how to work people like that, figure out what they're like, tell them what they want to hear and she'd be golden. But the cloud over Rafe's head as he spoke about his dad made her heart clench with empathy for the boy. She couldn't imagine having such a terrible relationship with your father that you'd look so miserable at the mere mention of him. It tugged at her heart.

He explained how Ward very much cared for appearances, which she knew already. He mentioned that he always saw Rafe as a disappointment and he really didn't want to be one anymore. She kind of felt bad for him even though in his desparation to impress his dad he put her in this shitty position. The ice around her heart was slowly melting. She still hated the entire ordeal, obviously, but she kind of understood why this was important to Rafe.

She still didn't like that he was using her as a pawn in his game of "win dad's approval" and she wouldn't pretend otherwise no matter how much of a sob story he sold her, though. She knew he was laying it on thicker than necessary to try and gain her sympathy. And while it kind of worked, the method didn't go unnoticed and she resented his manipulation tactics.

He described his stepmother as a vain woman, just as obsessed with image as his father, which made sense. She wasn't sure if his negative image of her was warranted or not, given that she'd never met the woman. She decided to keep his warnings in mind but leave an open mind for Rose. As far his sisters went she already knew she'd like them. She just felt bad that she'd be lying to them. That part sucked.

He mentioned some of the influential people who would be attending this wedding, and she was kind of surprised with just how many people relevant to her future career would be there in one place. And she'd get the chance to network. This really was a good opportunity for her, he wasn't lying when he said that. She was impressed.

She knew he was smart, but it took her by surprise just how much he knew about who she'd be interested in meeting and even giving her some pointers on how to impress a few of them he knew more closely. Rich people really do all stick together. She almost scoffed but refrained as he was doing her a solid giving her these bits of information that could definitely help her when she approached her targets.

When he had finally reached the conclusion in his debrief, the waiter returned to take their empty glasses and ask if they'd like to order more. As much as she enjoyed the sweet cocktail she remembered the promise she made herself and ordered a coke. Rafe ordered the same and gave her a cute smile.

It was odd, how natural it felt opening up to her. Even for a bit. He didn't quite understand how this woman managed to make him feel both exposed and understood at the same time. Like she could see right through him but she simply listened and empathized. It was fucking with his head.

He had spared her most of the details about his father which he deemed not necessary for her to know. It was all about preparing her for the wedding, that's all. He was amused at the way her eyes sparkled when they talked about her part of the deal, all the people on the guest list she would no doubt be able to wow. She seemed kind of excited and it made him feel glad. So far she had only expressed anger and disapproval over their arrangement. But there was a great opportunity for her in it too, which she had been ignoring for the most part. He knew she would manage to charm any one of those guests she wanted to. She was like that, incredibly charismatic and charming. He simply wasn't on the list of people she wished to charm. And he was fine with that, it didn't matter that there was a short burst of pain inside his ribs at the reminder that the only reason she was sitting with him right now was the deal they made.

"So what's with this "Modiste"?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm at the use of the word.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Rose likes to keep things looking perfect. She wants us to match so we need to try some things out." He rolled his eyes at what he deemed his stepmother's dramatics. "The clothes need to be tailored, not a single crease in sight."

For Y/N, it was beginning to sink in just how different their worlds were. The mere clothes they wore were so startlingly different in price, she shuddered to think what this entire wedding would look like. She did not belong in the world of oppulence. She was a small town girl, on a scholarship, trying to make a difference in this world. But the world was quite literally tailored to the upper classes, and her dislike of them had to take a back seat if she wanted to fulfil her dreams. Change starts from within, small steps and all that. She had to remind herself to breathe as her thoughts nearly spun out of control.

Rafe noticed her expression change and frowned.

"Everything okay?" She startled at his voice breaking her out of her daze.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah all good." She gave him an unconvincing smile and he had to hold back from calling bullshit. He didn't want to piss her off, things were finally going somewhat okay between them and he wanted it to continue on like that.

"Okay so we just gotta pick out a few outfits on Tuesday and that's what we'll be wearing. Rose will take care of everything else, like always." He attempted a joke in order to relieve the tension that was radiating off of her.

"Right. Makes sense." She nodded trying to focus on the topic at hand. "Wait a few outfits?" She questioned, confused.

"Oh, yeah. Well one for the first day, the rehersal dinner-" she interrupted him before he got to finish his thought.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on." He looked bemusedly at her.

"What?" Her brows furrowed in confusion at his words.

"What do you mean the first day?" He was looking at her like she had grown a second head.

"Well, the rehearsal dinner, as I was saying. Then the wedding on Saturday-" he didn't get to finish again.

"I'm sorry, I'm gonna stop you right there." He was barely holding in his annoyance at her rude interruptions.

"You're saying this is a two day deal?" She was looking like she was about to pass out and alarm bells finally started ringing in his head.

"It's actually three days." His voice was careful, trying not to upset her further because she seemed like she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Three days?!" Her voice was louder than she expected, and she got a few dirty looks from the table next to them.

"I told you this?" It came out as a weak attempt to placate her.

"No. You did not." She was glaring at him, and if looks could kill he would be a full 6 feet under this hotel.

"I swear, I thought I told you!" His desparation could be felt through every syllable.

"Rafe I swear to God-"

"I'm sorry! I really thought I did..." he looked petrified. Like the very thin line they had been toeing was about to break and he wasn't sure he could ever fix it if it did.

She got up from the table and walked away without a second glace. It happened so fast, one second she was there, steam practically coming out of her ears, then he blinked and he was faced with her back leaving the bar. He jumped into action, throwing some cash on the table to cover the bill and ran after her.

She had already gotten onto the elevator by the time he reached it and she purposefully closed the doors on him... Fuck. He realised his only option was to run down the stairs as fast as he could in hopes he reaches her before she takes off.

By the time he runs out of the staircase the elevator is empty and he curses his luck. He rushes out, panting, panicking, ready to see his car gone but it isn't. The car is still parked in front of the hotel but she's nowhere in sight. His relief turns to confusion, turns to concern until he notices something moving across the road and sees her standing at the railing overlooking the ocean. He hurries to join her. Her eyes are closed and she's breathing in a deliberate manner.

"Y/N/N-"

"Don't." She interrupts him again, this time he lets the silence roll. They stand there for what feels like eons but in reality was no more than 2 minutes. She opens her eyes and stares at the sea bellow them, the waves crashing into the cliffside. Her breathing evens out and she exhales a deep breath.

She had to get away from him, she needed a minute to breathe, calm herself down. She was reaching an anxiety attack up there and she needed out.

He stood a few feet away, mimicking her posture, waiting for her to speak or move or do something. He was so scared he screwed the whole thing up by not telling her. He really did think he had. But to be frank, he mostly blocked out those extremely embarrassing moments when he revealed to her the truth of his transgression and begged her to help him. So how was he to know if he actually did or didn't mention it? By her reaction though, it was clear this was the first time she was hearing about it. He wanted to slap himself.

"I'm sorry." His voice was quiet, small, defeated almost.

She finally looked at him then and realized he wasn't lying about believing he had told her about the wedding being a three day affair.

She wanted to cuss him out, slap him, tell him to take his car keys back and to leave her the fuck alone for the rest of time. But the way he was looking at her, so broken, so desparate, sad. Like she was holding his entire world in the palm of his hands and if she dropped it he wouldn't survive it. And she cursed herself for being empathetic because he really kept pulling the rug from under her again and again. Just when she thought she was finally in control, understood what she was dealing with, he reveals something else that tilts her world off its axis.

She sighed again and looked out at the setting sun. He kept his eyes on her. He was sure she would have cussed him out by now or maybe pushed him over the railing by how angrily she had looked at him back at the table. But she hadn't. Hadn't left either. She was still there. Maybe there was still hope.

"I swear, I thought I told you." He repeated himself pathetically, not knowing what else to do. She looked at him, the intensity in her eyes knocking his breath out of him. He was at her mercy yet again.

"I know." He looked dazed at her words. Hopeful for her next.

"You hate me now?" His voice was barely a whisper at that point. Why does he always fuck everything up?

"I don't know." Ouch. He was kind of hoping for a no. By the dejected look on his face she realized her words were a mistake. And untrue.

"No. I still don't hate you." She spoke looking back at the horizon. His head swiveled back to stare at her gauging if she was being truthful or playing with him. He was greatful it was the latter.

"Are you gonna back out?" The silence and the suspence were bad for his health, he felt faint. She let out a loud breath, seemingly fighting with herself.

"No." His eyes snapped up to hers incredibly quickly. But before he could say anything she continued.

"But you need to be honest with me. No more surprises, okay? I can't deal with any more of this shit." He was nodding along with her words enthusiastically, trying to hold in a smile that was desparate to come out. She wasn't abandoning him. She was still with him.

"I swear!" His hands were in the air in an apologetic manner.

"So is that it? Or is there anything else I should know that you forgot to mention?"

"No, that's all, I promise." He was nodding again, trying to convince her he was serious.

"Rafe, I swear to God if anything else pops up-"

"It won't!" He came closer to her, staring in her eyes, begging her to believe him. His move startled her but she didn't move, couldn't. It was as if his eyes were keeping her in a trance. She could see no sign of deception in them, so she nodded.

He finally let the smile out, the relief and gratitude overwhelming him. She hated that the sight of him made her want to smile too. She kept hold of herself though. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"So, three days?" He realized she was asking for an explanation.

"Right. So the plan is we get there on Friday in time for the rehearsal dinner. Then Saturday is the wedding and reception. That's where you get to make your move." He gave her a cheeky wink and she rolled her eyes.

"And then Sunday is recovery from the wedding and a continuation of the celebration for the bride and groom's closest family and friends. A way to spend some time together before they go off on their honeymoon."

"So three whole days of playing the part." She was deep in thought. Partly doubting her ability to pull it all off for so long, partly hyping herself up at the prospect of those connections that were so close to her reach.

"Look, I know it's more than you exepected but it's not a big deal." The look she gave him showed him her thoughts. Bullshit. He cracked a smile. She wanted to slap it off him. He was too damn cocky for either of their goods.

"You do realize we have to convice your family, friends and everyone else there that we're a couple, right?" He nodded, as if it was obvious.

"And we have never been able to not piss each other off for more than an hour." She waved back toward the hotel, reminding him of their most recent disasterous interaction. He sighed, putting his head in his hands, exasperated.

"So what then? I don't know what you want me to do. You're the one who ran away from me." He looked at her and noticed her glare was back. And they had just fixed things. This was exhausting.

"I needed a moment to breathe and think after getting yet another major reveal from you." She was right.

"I know. I'm sorry." He approached her again.

Why did he keep getting into her personal space, looking at her like that? Why did it keep affecting her the way it was? Why did she keep letting him? He was a breath away, it seemed. And those eyes looked anything but sorry then. They looked wild. As if their proximity was ruining both of their resolves. She had to put an end to this tomfoolery. So she stepped away, crossing the street back to the parking lot, leaving him dazed and confused.

After a moment he followed, hands in his pockets portraying a picture of nochalance which was nothing more than a facade. She saw through it but she didn't want to know whatever it was that was going through his head now. She needed this interaction done with, once again feeling drained of all energy. It was like he had this annoying ability to rattle all her senses just by being near her. She hated that. She opened the car door, his car door, feeling his stare boring into her.

"I'll see you at the Modiste." She offered a neutral, but somewhat friendly goodbye. He nodded, looking at her with an intensity she didn't know what to do with.

He hated seeing her like this. So calm and collected when he was anything but. Hated how easy it was for her to walk away from him, time and time again. How pathetic he felt wishing she wouldn't, again and again.

She looked infuriatingly good, standing by his car, like she owned it. Like she had the right to drive it. It pissed him off that it suited her, looked like it was made for her when it was his most prized posession, which she stole from him. He hated how much he liked seeing her getting into the drivers seat, how he got a great view of her ass as she did. Hated how much every little thing about her seemed to affect him in the worst ways. Mostly he hated that he didn't hate any of it, how much it stirred inside of him, stuff he wanted to pretend did not exist. And he resented her for not feeling the same unhinged way he always seemed to when they're together. He hadn't moved from his position by the car, not even an inch. Just staring at her while she turned the ignition on and the familiar sound of the old muscle car roaring to life shot a pang through his heart.

He resented how good she looked driving his car. It was so fucking unfair.

She looked back at him, confused as to his state of mind, from the intensity on his face and the way his eyes just wouldn't leave her. She felt an overwhelming urge to break the tension somehow. Just driving away while he stared at her seemed too unnerving of a prospect.

"You promise no more surprises?" She managed to break him out of his reverie then. He clearly did not expect her to speak again. He processed her words and smirked.

"What would life be like if there were no surprises, Y/N/N?" The look she gave him made him laugh and reassure her.

"No. No more surprises. Scout's honor." Dramatically, he puts a hand over his heart.

"Good. Because if I show up there and find out that it's actually our wedding or something, I'm going to murder you."

Those were the last words he heard before she took off in his beloved Mustang. Once again leaving him in the dust, this time a live wire from their encounter. He was left with the unfortunate image she had now put in his head. Why would she say that?

Why would she say that? What was she thinking? At least she managed to take him by surprise and break whatever daydream he was in. But why did she say that? Now she was thinking of how awkward it was. She wanted to leave on a funny and unaffected note but now she was left embarrased.

She took a breath and made a conscious decision not to dwell on that cringe mistake and leave it in the rearview along with him. And as she drove further away from the hotel and the man in front of it she managed to convince herself the worst was behind her and whatever came from now on would be easier.

Just as she was starting to believe it, she heard the roar of a motorcycle and she knew it was him. She expected him to zoom past her but he slowed down to match her pace. She looked over at him confused, but couldn't see his face. So she did the only thing she could think of in that moment and waved at him. That seemed to do the trick as he waved back and finally took off in front of her, leaving her to wonder what the hell just happened.

-------

When she finally got into bed that night, freshly showered and tummy full, she noticed a text notification on her phone.

Devil's Spawn: it looks good on u

It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. And then it dawned on her. The weird moment on the road. He was checking her out while she was driving his car. Her cheeks turned a furious shade of red as it sank in. And he had the audacity to send that text. Not only was he checking her out but he wanted her to know it too. What a pompous douchebag.

She decided that the fluttery feeling in her stomach was caused by the anger at being so blatantly objectified, not because he was flirting with her. His message went unanswered as she forced herself to calm down and get some sleep. This would prove a futile attempt, him once again making her too riled up and forcing her into yet another long and restless night.

-------

Taglist: if anyone wants to be tagged in future work let me know; @lovelornanonymity @mentallynot-here @wishing-i-was-rafes-princess @emeloyy @kanib45 @clinelyn @magnificantmermaid @hey-sunrisee @mannstarkey @harringtonstudios @totallynotkaibiased @popcrone818 @bookaholics-stuff @zzzina7 @fangirlwithlou @namelesssav @rafesxgold @cmac-writes @malfoytargaryen @alinaharlow @mveggieburger @theyluvmesblog @withbeautyandrage @sierrahhh @harrys-humble-housewife @piceous21 @vifuckingp @ditzyballerina @xoxo3m1ly @jessmaybank @whore-4-drewstarkey @palmwinemami @mew227 @dustbunniess @sublimepenguinpeach-blog @starkowswife @ietss @beansprout713 @tpwk-mia @starkeysbebe

[thewulf]

So Clueless || Aaron Hotchner

Summary: Request - I do want to add to your plate if you don't mind 😬 can I request a hotch x younger!reader fic where it's years after WITSEC and his retirement and he's remarried to someone younger he met at his new, normal person job... Read Rest Here

A/N: I'm back!! Loved writing this one so much! Hope you guys enjoy :)

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Y/N

Word Count: 3.8k+

You never planned to change your last name if you ever got married. You came through on that plan after falling in love and marrying Aaron Hotchner. He, in his early fifties, and you, a little younger than that, fell in love quickly after meeting at work when he started there almost ten years prior. You were a zookeeper and Aaron was your area manager, the rest was quite literally history.

The two of you hid the secret relationship until he was moved elsewhere in the zoo finally allowing you to come out with it. Dating turned to an engagement turned to marriage. You became Jack’s, now 17, stepmom and brought in his younger brother, Riley who just turned 9, and sister, Madison who was 7, not too long after the two of you tied the knot. Weeks turned to months turned to years and you loved your life, you really did. But the kids were getting older, and you needed a bit of a challenge. Aaron joked about you joining the FBI and the idea stuck. You weren’t a profiler, no, but you would make a damn good communications liaison. You’d basically become that for the zoo you were working at anyway. Your position of zookeeper gradually shifted to communications lead throughout the park.

Your plan was put on hold until one fateful afternoon when you saw the elusive job posting come through to your inbox. You just kept rereading the job posting before making sure your resume was up to date. You wanted to apply but decided to wait for Aaron to make sure it looked as good as possible. He worked there for years, he had to have some tricks up his sleeve.

It wasn’t a few hours later that all three of your children and Aaron came bounding through the front door off to do whatever they had planned. You’d always offered to pick the kids up from their various sports practices after work, but Aaron often refused, he wanted to spend the time with them. You could only imagine how guilty he felt about missing out on Jacks start of life. He refused to miss out on any of Riley’s or Maddie’s.

“Sweetheart.” Aaron kissed your cheek as you finished putting dishes in the dishwasher.

“Hi hon.” You hugged his side pulling him into your embrace, “How was your day?” Laying your head on his chest you looked up to him with all the love in your eyes.

“Pretty uneventful. Mandy and Anthony were at each other’s necks again. The animals behaved better than people, the usual.” He hugged you back brushing a few strands of stray hair from your eyeline.

This was his favorite part of the day, spending time with you. The fact that he knew he got to come home to you warmed his heart. Too often before he spent time in hotel rooms instead of his own bed. Oh, how he loved his own bed.

You grinned, “They just need to hook up already. For everybody’s sanity’s sake.”

“Y/N!” He laughed squeezing your side.

You pulled away from him shrugging, “What? You know they only bicker like that for one reason. They both need to just need to get it over with. I think Tammy said she was going to kill one of them sooner or later if they don’t shut the hell up. Her words, not mine.” You pulled a beer out of the fridge handing it to him. It was a Friday night, neither of you had any commitments in the morning, why not get your husband a little tipsy?

He took it from you, happily, “Cheers.”

You clinked glasses with him giving him nothing but a happy smile.

“Anything we’re drinking for something?” He raised an eyebrow, surely profiling you.

Letting your head nod up and down you laughed softly, “How do you always know?”

He smiled walking closer to you, “It was once my job to notice.” He pulled you back into his embrace by looping a finger through your jean belt loop, pulling you right towards him.

“Speaking of that.” You leaned your chin on his chest looking up at him with a smile. You didn’t miss his eyebrow raise in curiosity, “Job opening just came through.” Handing him your phone you waited for him to say something, anything. He knew how hard you’d been working to set yourself up as the most desirable candidate. Often going to lectures and seminars. Inserting yourself in the world you were so far away from. Going to go get a criminal communications degree at the FBI’s favorite school, Georgetown. You wanted more, needed more than what you were stuck doing.

He nodded giving you another once over, “Honey are you sure?”

“I’m positive.” You smiled, “I finally graduated with my criminal communications degree. I’ve outgrown my position at the zoo. I think it’s perfect timing Aaron.”

“Okay sweetheart. Let’s go get that resume cleaned up.” He reached for your hand ready to get down to business. He’d do anything for you, and this was what you wanted so that made it what he wanted too.

You weren’t sure how much Aaron had helped but you knew it had to be more than he was admitting to. He claimed he simply gave Prentiss and Strauss a call to put in a good word. You knew it was more than that when you got the compensation offer for far more than you’d discussed. You weren’t going to question it though. Your mom always told you never to look a gift horse in the mouth.

You’d have assumed Aaron had told somebody of your relation to him. That assumption was soon to be proven untrue when you met the infamous BAU Unit Chief Emily Prentiss from all of Aaron’s stories who was clearly trying to figure you out. When she asked you, “Are you married?” You knew she hadn’t a clue who you were. This was so Aaron to keep his two lives completely separated. A little heads up would’ve been nice though.

“I am. I have a stepson and two kids with him.” You smiled wondering how long you could play this game until they figured it out.

Emily smiled pressing the elevator button going up, “What are their names?” She was just being friendly. Knowing she was childfree for good reason.

You knew it wouldn’t give you away in the slightest, but it gave you the slightest thrill to speak his name out loud, “Jack is my stepson. Riley and Maddie are my younger two.” You pulled out a picture that strategically hid the younger Hotchner’s face showing it to Emily.

“They’re adorable.” She handed the phone back to you.

“Do you have any?” You asked knowing the answer. It felt odd knowing everything about her, yet she hadn’t a clue who you were. But you had to play stupid, or you’d make it pretty obvious something was up.

She shook her head, “No. But I have six agents that act like it sometimes.” She shot you a wink letting you get out of the elevator first. You got along great with the team after quickly recognizing JJ, Spencer, Morgan, and Penelope from Aaron’s pictures. Playing dumb was getting harder and harder throughout the day when you let it slip that your husband’s name was Aaron and that his son Jack had just gotten his license in a story you were retelling. Something they had just been told by him not that long ago. Surprisingly nobody picked up on anything, not that you could tell anyway. You weren’t a profiler but being married to one had you pick up on the small things that people normally glossed over.

When you got home that night you had Aaron howling with laughter after you detailed the day and how his old team didn’t seem to have a clue that you were in fact his wife of nearly ten years now.

“Don’t tell them. Let’s see how long it takes.” He cupped your face in his hands brushing his thumbs over your lips softly, waiting for your response.

A slight nod in his hands, “Any reason?” You asked, all too curious.

He shook his head, “Let’s see how well I trained them.” He laughed again. You joined in finding his joy more than contagious. More often than not he was in an incredible mood finding any and every reason to make you smile.

“They’re not doing so well Agent Hotchner.” You baited him. Taking a step back with a silly little smirk you watched his reaction.

He threw his hands up, “it’s only been a day sweetheart. Give them a week or two.”

“That’s a deal.” You grinned pulling his waist in for a quick kiss on the lips. Grinning when you felt him smile into the kiss. You felt those similar butterflies you always got from him. How he managed to make you swoon all these years later was beyond your wildest dreams.

They in fact did not figure it out within a week or two. It had been a month now since you started working with the BAU at the FBI and they had yet to even piece two and two together. You’d given them your whole life story minus pictures. The only good excuse you had was that you were private. It worked though. Nobody pried. You provided the same courtesy to them too. Only digging as far as they’d let you.

Aaron had even gotten his longtime friend and colleague, the one you’d actually met, Rossi to play the game. He stopped by the offices every now and then to help the team when they were in town. Retirement was great but even he had to admit he was terribly bored. He claimed he needed to keep his brain from going mushy, so he had to help on cases.

He was having all too much fun testing the team, “Y/N.” He called bringing you back to the present and away from your mind.

“Yes, Rossi?” You looked up from the stack of paperwork you were powering through, definitely your least favorite thing about the job.

“How’s your husband doing? Haven’t talked with him in a while.” He smirked knowing only you could see his face.

He wasn’t technically lying. Aaron and Dave normally spoke almost daily. They’d been missing each other this week though, “He’d good. Said he’s looking forward to seeing you and Pat this weekend.”

Morgan frowned interrupting the conversation between the two of you, “You know her husband?”

Had somebody  finally started picking up on it? How was Rossi going to talk his way out of this one?

Rossi nodded, “Oh yeah, we go back years. Friends for a long time. It’s a small world.”

Derek nodded trying to get a better read on the situation, “They’ve known each other longer than we have.” You smiled. If the team hadn’t been so overloaded he might’ve picked up on it. But he simply nodded turning back to his massive pile of bullshit he had to get done before he could leave.

“That was close.” You whispered earning a soft chuckle from the older man.

“I’ll see you later Y/N.”

You waved, “See you Dave.”

“Small world? Huh?” Derek looked back up giving you a side eye almost as if he didn’t fully believe your story.

“Incredibly small.” You confirmed.

If he knew he didn’t say a word. It wouldn’t be that hard to hide if they did any sort of digging, which you were sure Penny had already done. Why she hadn’t told the whole team was a mystery unto itself. There wasn’t a chance she didn’t do a deep dive on you for Strauss before the FBI hired you. Maybe Aaron had gotten to her before you did?

You only laughed when you saw Rossi’s old pickup truck siting in your driveway as you pulled in after working later into the night. To your delight the house was quiet leading you to believe the kids were elsewhere for the weekend. Aaron always had a plan, always. Something you’d grown to love very deeply. He could take charge of any and every situation no matter how big or small.

“David, I thought you said you’d be over Sunday. Not that I’m not happy you’re here.” You grinned setting your work bag down by the kitchen island.

“That was the plan until this afternoon. Aaron needed to know how his team is missing every sign.” David poured you a glass of the chilled Pinot Grigio he brought over.

“They are busy Rossi, be nice.” You took a long sit of the cool wine.

Rossi smiled, “We have to send in the big guns Monday Aaron. Jack has to come in. Bring in Y/N’s lunch or something.”

“That’ll give it away.” You grinned setting the glass down.

He shrugged, “They’ll never figure it out at this rate.”

Aaron sighed, “I’ve got to admit. I’m a little disappointed.” The smile on his face betrayed his words though. He loved every second of this. And with Jack being off for the summer he didn’t see why he couldn’t conveniently drive him in to drop off his mom’s lunch.

The plan sprang to life when Monday rolled around. You couldn’t believe Derek had gotten up almost the second that Jack walked out of the elevator. Waving him over you didn’t notice any of your teammates watching. Unreal, what were the odds of that.

He’d almost gotten in and out unspotted, or so you thought, before Derek walked back over spotting the now grown Hotchner.

“Hey kid! What are you doing here? You grew another three inches since the last time we saw you a few months ago.” Derek roughed the teen’s hair up. You only grinned sitting in your seat, somehow he’d missed the entire interaction between the two of you.

“Just dropping off my mom’s lunch.” Jack smiled knowing what game he had to play too. The Hotchner boys were having way too much fun with all of this.

“She works here?” Derek asked, surprise evident in his voice. He didn’t suspect a thing.

“She does.” He didn’t elaborate any further knowing he’d give the whole gig up if he did, careful not to look back at you.

You watched as Derek tried to figure out who the hell it could be. Obviously it had to be somebody on the floor. It wouldn’t be long before he put it all together now, “Well I hope that means we’ll see you some more kid.”

He nodded, “When I’m not in school. See you later Derek.”

“See you Y/N.” He waved making sure not to blow his cover.

“Bye Jack.” You winked at him making sure Derek couldn’t see, “I’ll see you later.”

When you looked back over at Derek he was staring right at you, “Sweet kid.”

He nodded confirming what you had just said. Curiosity got the better of him as he asked, “Did you see who his mom was?” Missing the fact that Jack just said bye to you and knew your name.

You shook your head, “Afraid not.”

“Interesting.” He kept looking at you. Then to the lunch that was sitting at your desk then back at you. He had to know. He was far too smart not too. But he didn’t say a word.

Raising an eyebrow, you knew he was so close to connecting the dots, “What is?” Giving him a sweet smile trying your best to play it off.

“Hotchner’s kid being here. Last thing I expected to see today.” He sat down at his desk across from yours.

You bobbed your head along, “Old boss?”

Derek hummed turning back to his paperwork letting you know he was getting back to work. How he hadn’t gotten it yet was a little surprising to you but being bogged down with so much work probably did have something to do with it. You didn’t see Spencer sitting there at his own desk across the aisle listening in very closely. He did see Jack come right up to you handing you a brown paper bag before making a beeline to Rossi’s office. It didn’t take him more than two seconds after that to realize you were his old boss’s wife. How could he not have seen it? Sure, you didn’t take his last name, but he still should’ve put it together. You weren’t shy about using his and Jack’s names.

Spencer let out an audible sigh once he realized deciding to keep his mouth shut. It was clearly a game at this point. How long would it take the rest of the team to notice?

You smiled looking at the team photos on the wall in the conference room. It was fun to see Aaron in his element outside of what he does now. It was hard to believe he was so serious and rigid. So different than the carefree man he was now. The one he was allowed to be after taking the retirement deal Strauss offered him all those years ago.

“That was is 2009. We were all pretty new to the team back then. Minus Hotch and Rossi.” Spencer’s voice spoke from beside you. That drew your eyes away from your young husband and back towards him.

“You all look like babies.” You laughed scanning over the much younger faces of the team members.

Spencer smiled, “I’d like to say we were naïve too, but we were years into it at that point. We’d seen it all, how awful humanity could be.”

You couldn’t fully understand Aaron’s stories until you had gotten here. This team truly saw the worst of the worst and stories only told you so much. In just your month here you fully understood. You got why he cautioned you. You could certainly handle it. It didn’t make it any easier though.

“Yeah, at least you had each other right?” You asked.

“Couldn’t have done it without them.” He turned pointing towards Aaron, “Without him. He did a lot for us. Miss him a lot sometimes.”

“He’s handsome.” You grinned not thinking Spencer had a clue of his relation to you.

He ignored you asking his own question, “Did you change your last name when you got married?”

You shook your head quickly, “No, too much of a hassle now a days. My friend got into a legal nightmare with taxes when everything didn’t switch over properly.”

He laughed softly enjoying your rambling, “What’s his last name then. Aaron what? Don’t think you ever told us, Y/N.” He leaned back on the wall grinning like a little Cheshire cat.

Busted. He had to have known. Do you tell him? Might as well, “Hotchner.” You bit your cheek to hide the little smile that was threatening to spill over.

He clapped his hands together, “I knew it.”

“Course you figured it out.” You laughed seeing the excitement of being right cross his face, “What gave it away?”

“Jack dropping off your lunch.” He scratched the back of his head, “It’s a little embarrassing I didn’t figure that out sooner.”

You shrugged, “It’s not like I’ve met you before. Plus, we’re more than a little busy here.”

“Is that why we didn’t get an invite to the wedding? He wanted to hide that side of his life away?” A flash of what looked like hurt crossed his face before a neutral expression took over.

You shook your head quickly, “Our parents didn’t even get an invite. It was just me, Jack, and Aaron.” You bumped your hip against his trying your best to reassure him.

Relief washed over, “Small wedding.”

You laughed, “Very intimate. We’d both already done the big fancy weddings. We wanted to make it just about us. It was incredible.” You admitted to him. Divulging another aspect of your life to him that had yet to come up. You’d gotten married and divorced. Married far too young with no plan didn’t make for a very loving and lasting relationship.

“Wait.” Derek’s booming voice came from the entrance of the conference room, “You’re married to Hotch?”

You spun around on your heal facing Derek and the team behind him with equally confused expressions, “Guilty as charged.” You smiled at them. You had to start laughing seeing all their expressions go from confusion to recognition to acceptance.

“Finally!” Penny let out a rather large sigh of relief, “I’ve been hiding that for far too long.” She shot you a wink.

Derek cocked his head to the side, “Why didn’t you say something baby girl?”

You spoke up for her knowing he was about to try and guilt trip her, “It was Aaron’s idea. Rossi and I just played along. Penny’s good at keeping secrets.” You returned her wink noting Rossi’s absence. He’d be so annoyed he missed this.

Derek’s jaw looked like it was about to hit the floor, “Well I guess it’s nice to formally meet you Mrs. Hotchner.”

Shaking your head you responded with a big cheesy grin on your own face, “He thinks he failed you all at this rate. We had a bet that you’d get it within two weeks. He took the under.”

“Don’t look so smug Hotchner lite.” He took two fingers and pointed them right at you.

The entire room erupted at that one, “Hotchner lite. I like that one.” You answered him once all the laughter died down.

“Alright,” Emily commanded the attention back from the room, “Hotch owes us all a round after pulling that little stunt.”

“That he does.” You agreed, “He said your all invited over once you figure it out. Consider this the formal invitation.” The team agreed before the day started and the case was given. Fortunately, the case was local.

When you got home late that night you found your husband quickly wrapping him in a big hug before spilling the details of your day. He stood there listening to every word like it could be your last. Just another thing you adored about him. He just made you feel so cherished and adored.

“Of course, it was Reid.” Aaron chuckled once you finished the story, “For as smart as they all are they can be so clueless sometimes.”

“That’s what I said!” You joined in the laughter with him as the two of you snuggled in on the couch. Neither of you making a move to turn on the TV, just enjoying each other’s presence. Leaning your head down on his chest your eyes drifted shut listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

“I love you sweetheart, get some sleep.” He ran his hands through your hair knowing that’d knock you right on out.

“Love you.” You mumbled before falling asleep on top of him, happier than ever with the way your life seemed to just fall into line.

Permanent Taglist (Message me or comment below if you want to be added!): @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @buckylov3r @taygrls @ah-blossom @cr1minalskies @daily-evanstan @hardballoonlove @14buddy22

Request Taglist: @louderfortheback @badbye666 @southernraven @yunirgo @thedarkling1313 @devilslittlebabyxx @hotchsdharma @modern-mermaid @lalalove-56 @daddypleasefuckme946-blog @cupidddd-d @fanfic5211

[bts-hyperfixation]

Outside of the Fox

Chapter 38 of????

2634 words

Y/N longs for a new life when the one she’d been living comes to an abrupt stop. Without much thought to those she is leaving behind, the little fox packs a backpack and disappears. She stumbles across the shelter and makes an interim home for herself while she works out exactly what she wants from her second chance.

Last

You wake up to the same squeezing feeling settled around your chest, although that could also be the weight of Jungkook's arms as the bunny holds you tightly even in his sleep. 

All things considered, you had slept quite soundly, you just wish someone had told your body that as it tries to tell you how exhausted you are. 

You do your best to worm your way out of the youngest's embrace, disturbing him only slightly before he turns around and gathers Jimin into his arms instead. You take one more look at their sleeping forms before tip-toeing out of the room. No one is sitting in the living room making your escape easier as you slip silently through to the front door. 

You aren't really sure where you are going, you just know one more minute in the house is going to make you combust. So you walk for a while, you pass your old office, pass the restaurant you went to the day you met  Jimin, pass Hobi's karaoke shop. You continue going until nothing around you is familiar and then your stomach starts to growl. 

You walk into the first cafe you see and sit yourself in a booth at the back, taking a deep breath as you finally take stock of the position you are now in. The cafe is mostly empty with one other customer in the far corner and two waitresses who look more than a little annoyed that you have invaded their space. The elder of the two hands you a menu and waits to take your order. You barely take any notice, pointing to the first thing under the breakfast title. 

With nothing left to distract you from the fear, it starts creeping back in; A remnant phobia from the hybrid genes mixed with your sheltered childhood. An instinct that tells you to disappear before you're trapped again. 

Your mind runs through the previous day countless times. How ready you had been to fight for Taehyung and his freedom, only for his solution to be to trap you with him. The logical section of your brain tries to remind you that he is not trying to collect or ensnare you, that this may be his best shot to stay with you and the other members of your relationship. 

The emotional side of you however can't quite get over how much your new life has come to resemble your previous one. Living in someone else's home, no career to call your own, and now a convenient trophy on the arm of another rich man... 

A stack of pancakes is placed in front of your face bringing you out of your miserable monologue but instead of finding the aging waitress, you find Noelle beaming down at you.

"Y/N! Long time no see," She smiles.

The mouse hybrid invites herself to sit with you, sliding into the booth opposite.

"Although it feels like I'm all caught up with the amount Jimin talks about you at the shelter," 

She reaches out and takes a berry from the side of your plate. You do your best to smile in return at her, before today you may have actually been thrilled to see Noelle since she was right, it had been a long time. But right now didn't feel like a socialising time.

"Perhaps I'm not all caught up judging by that sour look in your eye... Maybe a new set of ears can help?" She offers.

"I don't know. It's a lot, I'm not sure I fully understand my issues, I wouldn't want to burden you,"

"You're my friend Y/N, you could never be a burden to me. And if you're not at home talking this out with the seven wonderful men that dote on your every whim, then I think you need the outside ear... Am I wrong?" 

Noelle takes your hand from the table and holds it in her own, doing her best to reassure you. 

You ponder it for a moment, but she is right an outside opinion might help your brain to rationalise, although perhaps you should think about booking your own session with Dr. Triever instead...

Still, you relay the entire situation starting from your 16th birthday all the way up to today. And she listens to you patiently, not interrupting once even when you stray from the main subject on to distracting details, although she does steal a few bites of your breakfast. 

"And so I've landed at the point where I know I have to marry Tae, and I love him so that's okay! I'm just having a lot of trouble getting my instincts to retreat. My hackles raise every time I think about it, and honestly it's making my back start to ache."

"Have you considered not saying yes to marrying Tae?" Noelle suggests.

"Of course not. If I don't marry him then he and that poor girl are going to be forced together. I know what that's like and I won't let it happen to someone I love." 

"No, you'll just let it happen to you a second time," She rolls her eyes. "Okay, let's start with an easier part of the equation. Jimin said you had put a lot of the funds behind the new renovations, doesn't that make it your house, not just theirs anymore?"

"I mean, I guess? But it's not what I had in mind. My name isn't on any of the paperwork for the land, and I really did think I was going to live all on my own in the world."

"Living on your own is not all it's cracked up to be, trust me. I'd give anything for a cuddle some nights, especially during storms," She shudders dramatically. "And you gave up your job yourself, but I'm 100% sure we could get you another one if that is an issue, but I think your brain is just searching for reasons to run. Really think about it, how much do you mind not working?"

You do think about it. And maybe spending your time in the house was far more satisfying than going to your nine to five. But it's still the principle of the matter. You had promised yourself that you were going to do it on your own. Now you've failed.

And that's really the crux of it. Not that you're living with the boys, not that you've dipped into your money, not that you find yourself suddenly betrothed. It's the fact that you have perceived yourself as failing. Unable to prove that you could take care of yourself in the big bad world that your parents worked so hard to protect you from. 

You let Noelle in on your thoughts as she finishes off your breakfast for you.

"The way I see it, you haven't failed yourself. You've just found something more suitable instead. But if your stomach is still in knots about it, it's better to run now than on the day of the wedding," She shrugs. 

"You make an excellent point," You concede.

________________

With the food gone, and your heart somewhat unsqueezed, you and Noelle head back into the world. You walk her back as far as the shelter. You intend to leave her at the door, but Jimin sees you through the window before you can make your escape.

You contemplate running, pretending you didn't see him. But a confrontation is on the cards either way and it's probably better to get it over with than let Jimin drive his colleagues insane through the course of the day. Plus the man is far faster than he looks and he is stood in your path before you would've been able to escape anyway.

"Where the hell did you go?" The redhead tries to sound stern, but his voice cracks in the middle, your heart along with it, "You didn't wake anyone, you didn't answer your phone, you didn't even leave a note. Why?"

"I couldn't breathe, I didn't really think about it, I just knew I had to move," You answer honestly.

He sighs and glances around you, noticing the audience that seems to be gathering in the windows

He wraps an arm around your waist pulling you into him, and his other hand lands in your hair smoothing it down. He shuffles the two of you into the shadows of the building instead of standing out in the open where anyone can look out and see you there.

"Obviously you're not okay so I'm not going to ask you that... Are you... Is there anything I can do?"

"No, it's not your problem it's mine."

"Was it the proposal? I think that caught us all off guard and Taehyung doesn't expect you to go through with it."

A dry laugh escapes your mouth before you can stop it. Jimin takes a step back and meets your eyes.

"You don't believe me?" 

"I believe you that he doesn't expect me to go through with it, but I think we all know that I have to... and I want to! honestly, I do. I'll do anything so you guys don't, so we don't, lose Taehyung. I just need to get my head around it."

"I think you should go home Y/N. Talk with Jin or Namjoon, although maybe avoid Kookie and Taehyung until you can lie more convincingly than you did to me just now," He pecks your forehead and lets you go fully, "I'm so glad you're safe."

He sends you away with a promise to text him when you return home. You drag your feet the entire way knowing that Jimin is right and you need to talk through everything with a voice of reason. Jin might be the obvious choice, while a clown the majority of the time, his clinical doctor side allows him to separate emotion from sensitive topics. Something tells you that he isn't what you need right now. 

So when you reach the main house you walk inside the unfinished building and straight into Namjoon's new office finding him sitting at his new oak desk, just stroking the wood. He startles as your hand lands on his shoulder. 

"Shit Y/N, where did you come from?" He clutches at his chest dramatically. 

You flop down onto the new armchair as you wait for him to recover from his mini heart attack. He sits silently observing you for a moment too long until you start to wiggle uncomfortably.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" He reaches out a hand and places it on your knee. 

You thought you were, but the concern in his voice makes you hesitate. You just shake your head in response instead. 

"Okay, then let's not talk. Stand up." He stands too. 

He switches places with you sitting down in the armchair and pulling you back into his lap. He manhandles you until you're curled up on his knees with your face nuzzled into his neck. His fingers trace patterns along your thighs and the two of you sit in silence. 

The tightness in your chest is still there, curling up in Namjoon's arms is doing nothing to assuage that feeling but it still feels nice everywhere else. You think about what Noelle said about finding a new goal for yourself and you let yourself sniff Namjoon's comforting firewood scent. 

"I missed you this morning," He whispers in your ear. 

 "I'm sorry,"

"Don't be sorry, you needed space and that's okay. I just wanted you to know I missed you," 

He pecks your cheek and you continue sitting in silence. The rope around your heart seems to release, just a little as you allow yourself this comfort. 

"I love you," You whisper.

"I love you too," He confirms.

"I love all of you,"

"But you aren't ready to marry Taehyung, or any of us for that matter." He guesses

"I don't think so no... But I can't let Taehyung leave. I know better than anyone how it feels to be in a marriage you didn't choose. And it's so much worse for Taehyung, no one ever threatened me, I didn't have anyone I loved that I had to leave."

"We can think of other solutions for Tae Y/N. We aren't going to let you put yourself in a situation you don't truly want ."

"You don't know families like Tae's, families like mine. There isn't another option. I'm just going to suck it up and marry Taehyung."

"Ah yes, what every man wants to hear his fiance 'suck it up and marry him'" Namjoon chuckles.

You roll your eyes at his unserious response and start to wonder whether you should have gone to see Jin instead. 

"Look, this whole situation sucks for all of us, but there are other options we need to consider as a family, this burden doesn't lie on you. Now tell me what else is going on, because the proposal may have been a catalyst but it isn't the whole problem, I can see it in your eyes." 

"It's nothing," You sigh 

"If it's something, then it's everything. You listen to all our problems so often but won't let us listen to yours." He chastises.

"That's because you guys have real problems, I have stupid insecurities that have no basis in reality. There is no point in me bothering you with superficial issues."

"if it bothers you then it's not superficial and you should be talking to one of us. It doesn't have to be me, but I would love nothing more than for you to be able to confide in me."

"Really Joonie it's silly." You assure him.

"Tell me anyway," he insists. 

You contemplate confessing more of your issues. Realistically you know that he does actually want to help you but you also know the burden he already holds, having everyone else's concerns on his shoulder, you want nothing more than to lighten the load for him, not pile more on. However, you also know he won't drop it. 

"If I tell you, you have to promise you won't make a big deal out of it. It's my issue and it's something I will get over by myself,"

"Scouts honour," He crosses his heart.

"I'm fairly certain you weren't a scout," You raise an eyebrow.

"The sentiment still stands," He shrugs, "Now tell me."

So you tell him what you told Noelle. He listens intently to each minor problem, each insecure thought, and he doesn't say a word. But you can see the cogs turning in his brain as he tries to come up with solutions. As you finish speaking, you hold a finger up to his lips.

"But I..." He tries to speak around your finger but you just press harder against his lips.

"You promised," you chastise. 

He smirks and your finger slips past his lips and onto his tongue. 

He pulls on your wrist to remove the digit from his mouth but not before licking along the length.

"If you really don't want my opinion I won't give it... but I would love for you to sign your name on the lease." he suggests

"That sounds like a solution I didn't ask for," You complain.

"But it's an easy solution that makes so much sense, don't you think?"  He sounds far too excited, probably because he is right.

"Maybe... but I still need to come to terms with all these issues on my own Joonie," you enforce the boundary.

"And I will let you... if you let me distract you from those issues for a little while." He says suggestively.

"And how do you propose you do that?" You ask innocently.

He responds by replacing your finger in his mouth and using his now free hand to trace back up the inside of your thigh.

Next

Masterlist

[jaegeraether]

Sunsets and footballers (Part 10)

Lucy Bronze x Reader (10)

Masterlist (other parts here)

Lucy was on her back when she woke, her arm automatically reaching for YFN who wasn’t there. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, finding her glasses neatly on the bedside table. YFN must have taken them off her last night. She looked down at the little pillow under her knee and smiled. She must have done that also. YFN had been right, of course. Her orgasm last night was well needed, and she felt relaxed and a lot less stressed. Her knee, however, was numb almost, which wasn’t the best sign. It was going to hurt today, she knew it. Trying to ignore that and be positive, Lucy wondered where YFN was and suddenly smelled cooking. Excited, she made her way to the bathroom and had a cold shower to start her day.

She found YFN in the kitchen with headphones on. She seemed to have remembered where everything was after cooking the night before. She had on a pair of Lucy’s socks, her England kit shorts and a bra. Her golden brown sun-bleached hair was in a messy bun and her hips swayed to the music as she sung to herself. The kitchen counter was set out neatly with two little bowls filled with fruit and two empty plates which she presumed were for the hot food she was cooking on the stove. Lucy sat at the kitchen counter and watched her move. She loved being able to look at her like this, without her knowing. God, she could stare at the back of her all day, let alone the front of her. Her hips swayed and Lucy remembered the way she’d fallen apart on her face just two nights ago. She’d been thinking a lot about how much she wanted that again. Right now. At the pub last night. During training. It was becoming an obsession. She spotted the little dimples in her lower back and tilted her head, smiling. How had she not noticed them before? Dimples on her cheeks, and her back? Obviously now she wanted her on her hands and knees she could look at her dimples while she played with her from behind.

Lucy caught herself. Never before had she had such sexual thoughts about someone. The power this little Australian held over her.

YFN turned around, phone in hand, and it went flying. She visibly jumped at the sight of Lucy casually sitting there admiring her. She recovered quickly and couldn’t help the happy smile that spread across her face. She pulled her headphones down with her spare hand. “Luce!” She beamed like she was the most important person in the world to her.

“Morning, dimples.”

Her brow raised slightly in delight and she rushed around the kitchen counter to embrace Lucy. They were both the touchy type, their bodies naturally grabbing for each other, YFN’s arms around her head, Lucy’s around her waist with her head in her neck. They pulled back eventually, still hanging off each other. Lucy’s fingers found her little back dimples and played with them curiously.

“I hope this is okay..” YFN gestured to her cooking. Lucy nodded heartily and pulled her close again. YFN used her hands to tilt Lucy’s head up and brush her lips over her own. Lucy’s eyes fluttered shut as she sat, lips parted, enjoying the love. YFN kissed her so softly, she almost couldn’t feel it. The kiss slowly became more passionate, Lucy tasting like mint toothpaste and YFN tasting sweet like she’d just been eating some fruit.

“Mmn, pineapple.” Lucy murmured against her lips.

YFN pulled back suddenly with a knowing expression. Lucy was taken by surprise. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Well you did say the safe word..”

Lucy tilted her head back and laughed at that. “I don’t think I’ll ever have to use a safe word with you.”

YFN covered her in kisses from along her jaw up to her forehead, ending at her lips. She pulled back to see a grinning Lucy, eyes closed and accepting the free love.

“You’re going to meet my mum today.”

YFN was suddenly nervous. “Say that again?”

“She’ll be at the game with Jorge and the kids.”

“Who?”

Lucy frowned. Was she getting cold feet? “My mum..” She said again, the ‘u’ sounding like an ‘or’.

“Oh, I heard you the first time. I just really love the way you say mum.”

“You love a lot of things about me.” Lucy grinned, cocky and relieved.

“That… is true. You’re a bit addictive to me.”

“Oh?” Lucy was interested to hear more but YFN jumped in before she could.

“Can I ask about your knee?” Her hand found Lucy’s knee and stroked it supportively.

“I think she’ll give me some trouble today.”

“And not playing is not an option, right?”

Lucy nodded with a sigh. “I don’t have much time left, so I need to make the most of it. My knee is always going to be an issue regardless of surgeries, so I figure I just need to deal with it until it gives up on me.”

“Until they stretcher you off?” She quoted.

Lucy nodded.

“I wouldn’t like to see that,” she said quietly. “I’d like to learn how to help.. how to look after your knee. Where it gets sore, where to massage it and what helps.”

“You already did so much for me last night,” Lucy murmured adoringly. “Far more than I’ve done for you.”

“Flip our situations and you’d be doing the same, or more, and you know it.” One look at the way Lucy looked at her and she knew it was true. “I can give you something to help me with while I plate up breakfast for us?”

“Anything.”

She took her phone and showed Lucy. Since she’d been followed by so many female football players as of late, her notifications had been blowing up. Lucy’s follow had the worst impact of all. Her phone was losing battery quick and she could barely use an app. She could fix it, but she knew Lucy liked being helpful.

Lucy looked at the issue and got a little serious. “I can fix this.. I just hope no one has been nasty, the internet world isn’t a great place at times.”

“I haven’t read anything to be honest. I barely managed to reply to you last night and play music this morning.” She laughed and left to plate up their food.

They ate breakfast, chatted, flirted, kissed. It was like they’d been together for years. They washed up together and spoke about different things and shared stories. Lucy spoke about her family, and it sounded like her mum was the most important person in her life. She’d supported Lucy when she was young and not so confident, especially when she’d gone over to America to play football. She sounded like a strong woman, someone who YFN hoped would like her.

Lucy let her play with her knee, showing her the problem areas and describing the anatomy of it all. She’d done a degree in sports science and knew a lot about knee issues, particularly on female football players. YFN found all of it interesting, she’d always liked anatomy and the way things worked. She listened carefully and managed to pick up quite easily what helped and what didn’t with her knee.

Somehow as they were trying to talk about Lucy needing to go, they found themselves on the couch and unable to keep their hands off each other. Lucy had pulled her down to straddle her and YFN had let Lucy’s hair loose, fingers tangled amongst it with Lucy’s tongue in her mouth.

“You need to go.” YFN gasped.

Lucy nodded against her. “I need to go,” she said into her mouth and her tongue brushed YFN’s again.

They were eventually parted by Jordan replying to YFN’s messaged from earlier. She was on her way to pick her up for lunch before the game.

Lucy was hesitant as they were saying goodbye at the door. “Little one… if today’s game doesn’t go well.. I think it’s best you don’t see me after it… I can be a bit too much if I’m upset at myself.”

YFN stepped forwards so their faces were inches apart, eyes loving each other. “We’ll take it one step at a time, okay? Don’t worry, you aren’t scaring me off anytime soon. And if you get upset on the field then just look up.. I’ll be the one with the Australian flag.”

Although they’d spent every day together since they met at the beach, YFN still felt like she was neglecting Jordan a bit because of how Lucy had drawn her attention. And so today she delved deeper into conversations with Jordan about her mental health and her future goals. It was a productive talk. Jordan admitted she was at a point where she was going through the motions instead of having goals to aim for, and so YFN helped her make new goals. She wanted to buy a house close to her family, and friends. YFN offered to help her look. She was also going to work extra hard at Villa to ensure Sarina picked her for the next camp. “England’s not getting rid of me anytime soon!” She said with a passion and YFN clapped hands with her, buying her a drink for the confidence. The last thing she agreed with was that she needed to meet more people, potentially non-footballers. There was the hope of meeting a partner but they both agreed that needed to be organic, like YFN meeting Lucy by chance. They both admitted that social events were the best bet, and Jordan made YFN promise to wing-woman her which she accepted eagerly.

Together after an early lunch they got dressed for the game, both wearing their Bronze shirts. They drove to the stadium bantering and talking about what Jordan’s ‘type’ was, because obviously her wing-woman needed to know. Though, Jordan didn’t really know either and it was very much a ‘do you like this’, ‘what about when she does this’ conversation.

They met up with Lucy’s family before the game. Her mum seemed eager to meet her and it definitely confirmed that Lucy had spoken to her mum about her. Her mum seemed just as eager to make an impression on her as she did. Luckily, they clicked immediately. YFN thought she looked adorable in her blue England kit, she showed off Bronze and the number 2 to everybody with a proud acknowledgement of “that’s my Lucy.”

There was one strange moment as they were in the stadium, battling the crowd, as YFN was shoved hard into a wall by a girl wearing an England shirt. She was amongst her friends who all glared and muttered something but YFN couldn’t hear.

“You right mate?” Jordan asked, seeing what happened.

YFN nodded and shrugged. Football had the most passionate supporters she’d ever seen before.

They found their seats and YFN found herself sat bunched amongst the chaos of the Bronze family, Jordan by her side. They were overwhelming in the best possible way. They all cheered Lucy loudly as she was warming up. Although she was obviously in pain, the grin across her face was noticeable from the stands. The game began and Lucy was taking it carefully this time. More often than not, she passed the ball back instead of pushing forwards like last time. No one, however, could get past her. She defended aggressively. The player she was marking was also aggressive though and there was a lot of pushing and shoving. Lucy was frustrated and looked up a few times, her eyes finding YFN and her Australian flag in the crowd.

Just over 30 minutes in, Lucy saw a gap and went for it. The person marking her slammed into her very late, hitting her bad knee exactly the wrong way. Lucy went down, hard, knee in hand. The entire crowd was up screaming at the player. The red was shown immediately. Lucy’s face showed her obvious pain and YFN’s heart sunk as she watched. Her Lucy. If she wasn’t getting up, it must have been really bad.

One of the England players, Alex Greenwood, slammed into the player responsible, knocking her to the ground. She was yellow-carded as her teammates pulled her away. YFN recognised them as Millie Bright and Lauren Hemp breaking up the fight, pulling Alex away. Lucy forced her way to her feet to the roars of the crowd, but she could barely put weight on her knee. She tried and tried but eventually made the decision to leave. She shook her head, obviously mad and in incredible pain. The crowd seemed even more furious. All of them were yelling at the opposition player, some throwing things. Lucy limped straight off the field with the medical staff and into the tunnel without a glance up at her section. Regardless, the Bronze’s, Jordan and YFN all went to go see Lucy downstairs.

Lucy’s family weren’t in the room long before they left. Her mum was the last out with a knowing frown on her face. They all understood – Lucy needed to be alone with her emotions. YFN felt uneasy with the idea of leaving, though. She needed Lucy to know she was there.

“You guys go ahead. I’ll stay.” She said to Jordan and the Bronze’s.

They all seemed unsure, and as if they weren’t wanting to scare her away by telling her just how pissed Lucy was.

Lucy’s mum put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t take anything she says to heart.. she’s very hard on herself and can be on others too when she’s upset.”

YFN put her hand on hers and nodded. “I’m just going to let her know I’m here.”

“We’ll see you back up top, mate.” Jordan said.

YFN entered the room to see Lucy laying on the bed, knee propped up and heavily iced. Her head was facing the other way, but she turned when she heard the door. Her expression was hard, eyebrows furrowed. She paused her words when she realised who it was, but then spoke.

“I can’t do this right now,” she said, harder than she would have liked.

“I know,” YFN replied gently. She didn’t need to talk. Lucy was smart and YFN knew she was already mulling everything over in her head, making them and her emotions all try to make sense. Words were the last thing she needed right now. But she was still Lucy, and she still needed to feel supported.

YFN took a seat in the corner of the room opposite Lucy and put her headphones in. She didn’t look at her, she knew that would add stress. She just needed her to know she was there. She curled up, pulling her knees to her chest and laid the side of her head on the chair, facing away from the footballer.

A while later the physio came into the room and started asking Lucy questions, touching around her knee. YFN let herself look and saw Lucy frustrated, jaw clenched, answering but almost grudgingly. The physio eventually left the room giving YFN a supportive smile on the way out. Did he know who she was?

10 minutes later, YFN again turned to look at Lucy and this time, she was also looking at her. The anger had downgraded to frustration and though she still didn’t look ready to talk, they’d made progress. YFN stood and walked towards Lucy who shifted uncomfortably. She still wasn’t ready, but YFN knew that. She laid on the medical bed next to her and closed her eyes. She knew Lucy was watching her. She could feel it. And she knew by being so close, it would soften her.

She was beautiful, and even better, she understood her. Lucy had let herself stare at her curled up in the corner of the room, lips moving as she softly mouthed the songs she listened to. She didn’t approach her, didn’t try to talk to her like her family who knew better. Only when Lucy had calmed a little had she wandered over, closer, which was exactly what she needed without realising it herself. Watching her chest rise and fall, her fingers tap on her stomach to the songs, she felt herself forgetting about her aching knee. Lucy needed her closer. She reached over and grabbed the bed, pulling, so it was flush up against Lucy’s. YFN had turned to look at her a little surprised and possibly also a little turned on at Lucy’s strength. She gave a little smile and they stared for a while, saying more words with their eyes than their mouths ever could. YFN reached out slowly and hooked her pinky around Lucy’s. God, that smile. God, this woman. It was just the perfect amount of support, the perfect amount of touch. Not too much, not too little.

Lucy went to open her mouth, struggling with words. YFN nodded, as if she had spoken them. Understanding what she was going to say.

Lucy felt her strong, angry barriers falling down further until she found herself with her head in YFN’s chest, crying. YFN was now sitting up between the beds, her arms holding Lucy tight, hand stroking her hair slowly. Lucy heard a door open at one point but didn’t look up. She felt YFN shake her head above her and the door closed. She whispered sweet nothings to her, telling her to let it out. She did. She calmed down after what seemed a long time. YFN felt her calming and kissed her forehead, one long and steady kiss.

Before the game was ended, YFN had spoken to Jordan and a few people from the England team who let her take Lucy out of there before the game was ended. She wanted them to avoid people. Jordan came down and although they didn’t speak to Lucy, she helped YFN half carry her down to the car, as well as her kit. She’d spoken to Sarina who knew Lucy needed some time. They would talk when she was ready.

It was YFN’s first time driving in the UK and she was nervous. Lucy’s hand on her thigh helped, and she supported her vocally as well. As they passed her turn off, Lucy told her that she missed it, amused. This was a good sign. YFN smiled at her for a second and told her they weren’t going home. She figured that would have been too depressing, to go home and wallow in pity. No, she had other plans.

They arrived at the beach when the sun was low. She suggested they could stay in the car for the sake of her knee, but Lucy refused. She could do it.

They first went to the café near the beach, getting take away. Lucy said she wasn’t hungry, but YFN knew her better than that and insisted. Food in hand, they wandered down to the little alcove where YFN had first met Jordan and sat in the sand. They talked while the sun was setting. Lucy realised after a while that she was indeed hungry, and her appetite increased as she ate. Condiments galore. YFN had a good little chuckle at this.

They watched the sunset together, enjoying each other’s company and holding each other when it began to get cold. Just after sunset, Lucy’s phone buzzed and she looked at it.

“Mum’s planning a family barbecue for tomorrow. Probably to cheer me up. Do you want to come?”

“Of course. I had a lot of fun with your family. They’re a little chaotic.”

“Yeah,” Lucy said, reading another message. “Sounds like my mum likes you a lot.”

Just then YFN’s phone also buzzed, and she looked at it. It was a notification from a stranger on Instagram. Looking at the profile picture, she’d recognised her from earlier when she’d shoved her at the stadium. How had she found her?

Kristie-Bronze: *Sent a photo*

The photo was of YFN helping Lucy into her car just hours before.

Kristie-Bronze: Stay the fuck away from Lucy.

[freesia-writes]

Ch 29: ...Pay the Price

Master List ~~ Previous Chapter ~~ WC: 2.3k

Song: Not the sound so much as the lyrics: Chris Isaak - Wicked Game Lyrics (youtube.com)

.

Hunter slowly became aware of his face smashed into a pillow, and as his consciousness returned, he was simultaneously incredibly comfortable and insanely wrecked. His whole body hurt, with a particular stinging pain on his ribcage, and waves of nausea immediately commenced as he pushed himself to an upright position. The netting shirt from the night before was wrapped around his hair, and a part of it fell into his face before he threw it off with vehemence. He’d been sprawled across the entire bed in their shared hotel room, and he glanced around for Luci, rubbing his bleary eyes and blinking quickly to try to focus. 

He spotted her in a chair, passed out face-down on the small dining table. Brow furrowing, he painstakingly climbed to his feet, bracing himself against the wall for a moment as his head spun and stabbed. He drew near enough to confirm that she was breathing, then staggered to the bathroom for some undignified time of dealing with the consequences of the night before. He tried to take a shower, but the water made him feel even sicker, so he settled to splash cold water on his face and search the hotel cooling chamber for some water. 

“Hey babe,” came Luci’s high, soft voice as she sat up from the table, wiping a small line of drool from the corner of her mouth. Her hair was a rumpled mess, falling around her face in frizzy waves, and she pushed it back as she stood up. She’d ditched her clothes in a pile by the door at some point and was instead wearing one of the hotel robes, which she had to re-tie upon standing. Hunter stared out the window, his hand loosely clutching the small bottle of water he’d found. 

“Not good,” was all he could mutter, smoky voice hoarse with discomfort. 

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, stretching and yawning before taking a quick bathroom break. She emerged a few moments later looking like her normal self – clean face, hair smoothed and scrunched, and bright eyes ready to take on the day. “There’s a juice bar here that has just the thing to help you feel better.” She appeared no worse for the wear, and he stared at her over his shoulder, heavy-lidded eyes scrutinizing her bubbly, carefree disposition. 

“You’re fine?” he grated. 

“It’s not my first pod race,” she smiled, approaching him slowly. “But I’ve been there.” She carefully touched his cheek, causing him to flinch and a wave of nausea to rise again, and she backed away, large eyes filled with apologetic empathy. “You know what… You rest here. I’ll get the juice and be back, ok?”

“Mmph.” 

Hunter was simultaneously starving and sick, and he couldn’t tell if he needed to eat or to never touch food again. He carefully sat on the couch, stretching his feet out, and pressed a hand to his eyes. It was so damn bright, and the water in the pipes in the wall was so damn loud. It was only once he had settled himself into apprehensive stillness that his mind began to race. 

What the kriff had he done…

* * * 

Plates clinked above the general hubbub of conversation at family dinner, and the twinkling string lights above the table danced in the gentle breeze. Everyone was together again, bringing a general atmosphere of contented joy. It had been a few days since Hunter’s return from his overnight trip to Plata, and it had taken him that long to feel semi-normal again. 

“Sounds like someone’s got a bit of a crush,” Wrecker’s teasing voice reached his ears, and Hunter turned just in time to see Crosshair glaring at his brother with piercing eyes that could skewer any living creature. But Wrecker was unaffected, clapping him on the back in his trademark move of affection. Crosshair’s expression softened for a moment and he shook his head, stabbing a piece of meat on his plate. 

“He’s just good at his job, alright?” he evaded, but Tech was on his case now too.

“Competence can be extremely attractive,” he chipped in, casting a glance at Phee, who wiggled her eyebrows at him with a small smile on her face. “There is no shame in it. You have experienced it a number of times since our arrival here with a variety of people of all genders. I am surprised you find it something to be embarrassed of.”

“I’m not embarrassed,” Crosshair hissed. “I just don’t need you all meddling in it.”

“We’re not meddlin’, we’re cheerin’ you on!” said Wrecker, positively beaming now. “You deserve a lil fun!”

“I think Hunter’s been having enough fun for all of us,” Omega’s voice came from the other end of the table, and his head jerked up, eyes narrowed. 

“What do you mean?” he asked slowly, mind racing through all the possibilities that he absolutely didn’t want to consider. 

“Well, I was having a late dinner with some friends on a cafe patio on Plata…” she began, a wry grin curving her cheeks. “And I saw the funniest thing…”

“No you didn’t,” Hunter said, far too quickly. They now had the attention of everyone at the table, and there had been a slow development of tension in the air that now seemed about to snap at a single word. 

“Oh, okay. I didn’t,” she conceded with a casual shrug. “So, Echo… Where did you go this last week?” 

“Oh no you don’t,” Echo snickered, shaking his head with a smirk. “Hunter’s not getting off that easy. Please, Omega, go on. What did you see?”

“The whole town seemed to be quite boisterous with the music festival,” she said slowly, flickering a glance to Hunter, whose expression looked like someone ready to face their own death. “And I could swear I saw Luci running down the street and diving into a fountain.”

“And Hunter was there to rescue her and give her a stern talking-to about her reckless behavior?” Echo interrupted, nodding sagely with an expression of utmost innocence. 

“You would think so,” Omega continued, eyes sparkling with mirth. “But I didn’t even see him there… Luci was being chased by some dude with pigtails and a mesh shirt…”

Phee slowly leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table – the only movement among an entire group of people who seemed frozen, holding their breath, about to crack at any moment. 

“Was… Was it Hunter?” Wrecker ventured, eyes large as plates, voice tight with restraint.

“I don’t think so,” she answered, a slight letdown passing through each person, yet the tension remained. “This guy looked a lot like him, but had quite an interesting tattoo on his ribcage. It looked pretty fresh.” 

“It would be most unwise to expose a fresh tattoo to the innumerable pathogens in a public water fountain,” Tech interjected. “And Hunter’s ribs are already tattooed.”

“On one side, yes,” Omega said. “Or… is it both now?” 

Hunter shifted in his seat, staring at the rest of them with an utterly dumbfounded expression. He held his breath.

“Well, go on,” Crosshair needled, eyes glimmering in delight. “Let’s see it, Hunter.” 

“This is all ridiculous,” Hunter began, but the air was starting to break with little snorts and snickers from his family. 

“Come on, Sarge,” Phee said playfully. “All you’ve gotta do is show us and we’ll leave you alone.”

With one last sharp glance at Omega, who was smiling at him angelically, Hunter carefully lifted up just one side of his shirt, revealing the faded skeleton tattoo that followed the curves of his ribcage. 

“And the other side?” Echo said politely. 

It was useless to resist. They had him cornered and he knew it. With a deep sigh, he picked up the rest of his shirt. The entire patio was immediately filled with a cacophony of hoots and hollers.

“What is that?!” Wrecker bellowed, slapping the table between fits of laughter. 

“Karking hell,” Echo spluttered, mouth open slightly as he stared between the tattoo and Hunter’s face, which was as red as he’d ever seen it. 

Omega had melted into helpless giggles, and once overcoming their initial shock, Tech and Phee were both snickering behind their hands. 

In the middle of his ribcage, on the right side, Hunter was now sporting a brightly colored tattoo about the size of his palm. The graceful wings of a butterfly curved up either side of his body, but this was quite a special creature. One side of the insect was a plump body and lush wing of with purple, orange, and blue… and the other side was just a skeletal outline.

“Oh, it’s perfect,” said Crosshair, absolutely radiating delight. 

“What in the vast, Maker-forsaken galaxy possessed you to do that?!” Echo’s question was peppered with snorts as he stared at Hunter in mirthful disbelief. 

“There are few possibilities that don’t involve mind-altering substances of some sort,” Tech posited. “Which is not highly unlikely, considering the lifestyle of Hunter’s current romantic interest.”

“Doing drugs and partying on Plata?” Omega said, shaking her head in parentified disapproval. “Tsk tsk, Hunter. You know that island is a cavalcade of beggars, sin, and wine.”

“What kind of phrase is that?” Echo chuckled.

“It’s from a song,” she grinned. “Hunter probably knows it now.”

Lowering his shirt and his head in utter dejection, Hunter’s mouth felt dry. He’d never been so ashamed, and it was quickly giving way to anger. How had he gotten here? There was something refreshing about the lighthearted fun and thrill-seeking freedom that Luci invited him into, but this was too far. 

Another masterpiece by @clownbloody 😂

.

“We need to talk,” Hunter said, as soon as Luci opened the door to her apartment. Concern flickered across her face, but she ushered him in with the same warmth nonetheless. 

“You okay?” she asked, slipping her arms around his waist. 

He pulled away.

“That Plata stuff… That’s not me.” He stood in the center of the living room, wide space around him on all sides, then pulled up the right side of his shirt, watching her eyebrows climb far up her forehead as she clapped her hand over her mouth to hide her simultaneous mirth and cringe at the sight of his half-skeleton butterfly. “This is not me. I don’t know what got into me, but that is not going to happen again.”

“That is… Wow, that’s a good one,” she snickered, turning serious as she lifted her eyes to his face, which had absolutely no hint of humor. “If it makes you feel any better…” she paused, pulling her pants down on one side to reveal a surprisingly old tattoo across the side of her thigh. In an embellished, messy Aurebesh, it said “No Ragrets”. 

Hunter stared.

Luci giggled, tugging her sweats back up. 

“It happens,” she said simply, with a casual shrug.

“Not to me,” Hunter growled, rubbing his face in his hands before returning his gaze to her. “I’ve really enjoyed our time, but that’s too far.”

“I get it,” came the quiet response. She was matching his energy now, joining him in the sobriety of the situation. “I’m sorry," she said, drawing near to touch his forearm as she looked up at him with an inexplicably soft expression, apologetic and affirming all at the same time. “You’ve had such a hard life of duty and strife… It’s nice to let go of it all for a while. But I absolutely understand.”

"Well, your way of 'letting go' isn't going to work for me," he started, but drifted off lamely with a huff of indignation.

"All good, babe. I get it." She nodded, earnest and calm.

"So..." He wanted to put his foot down more but didn't know where to go with it. She waited patiently for a moment, then spoke up.

"So... no worries. I enjoy being around you and I'm down to keep having fun. No pressure, no expectations, no strings attached. I know we're going to have our differences, and if it's too much and you don't want to hang out anymore, that's alright too."

Hunter sighed. It felt as though some kind of command or decision needed to be made, and yet she seemed content to leave it completely unresolved. He was eternally mystified by her ability to hold things so loosely and was trying to convince himself that it was somehow... freeing?

Just then, some random memory from that fateful night on Plata resurfaced in his mind, something about sadness and emptiness, and he wracked his brain in an attempt to recall the full sequence. But it was lost, along with whatever else happened that he was unaware of, and he was brought back to the present by a light pat on his arm.

"I'll give you some space. You know where to find me."

“Alright,” he said, face softening slightly as he looked at her. She always threw him off; he'd expected some kind of defensiveness and yet had been met with acceptance., and he couldn't deny that he was mildly mollified by her accommodating response.

"Can I make one small request though?" she asked, as though just remembering something. "You don't have to answer now. But that wedding we agreed to go to together is next week. I'd appreciate if you'd still come as my date."

Hunter squinted.

"It's nothing crazy!" she added quickly in response to his expression. "It's here on Xylo. Small ceremony on a restaurant patio, calm dinner in the Town Square, and some nice orderly dancing. I'd just love to do a couple of the ones we practiced, if you're willing."

"Hm." He heard her. It sounded reasonable. And he hated that it sounded reasonable.

"Let me know," she invited, giving his forearm a squeeze before backing away courteously.

.

Author's Note: Okay, now that I'm reading this again after sharing the journey so far with you all, I imagine it might feel frustrating or out of character for Hunter to not be 100% done with her, but there were a few more scenes that were necessary for the overall plot, progression, build-up, etc. So... forgive me if it rankles a bit. 😬 (littlefeatherr explained it well here though!!)

.

Previous Chapter ~ Master List ~ Next Chapter

Join the tag list by commenting for the discord server link or filling out my form.

@techhasmjolnir @falconfeather23435 @ladylucksrogue @padawancat97 @baddest-batchers

@anxiouspineapple99 @yunggoblin @littlefeatherr @cw80831 @all-mights-babygirl

@totallyunidentified @lightwise @moonstrider9904 @clonemedickix @dangraccoon

@nursekyra @callsign-denmark @heidnspeak @stardusthuntress @lune-de-miel-au-paradis

@ivyyyyy @kashasenpai @followthepurrgil @littlemissmanga @littlemissbshine

@crosshairscrustysock @lamiliani @skellymom @burningnerdchild @galaxyofthoughts99

@sweeticedtea @starrylothcat @mxkyrie @reader6898 @eyecandyeoz

@trixie2023 @vrycurious @youreababboon @photogirl894 @subbing-for-clones

@yve-barr @salaminus @ezras-left-thumb @etod @dhawerdaverd

@techsgalaxy02

[writing-whump]

Bad careraker

Needed a break from the drama, so have some Dylan with indigestion and Rip having no idea what to do about it.

When Dylan came home from his emergency hospital call from his sister, it was already late afternoon.

Rip spent the day polishing the kitchen, trying to manage the chaos Dylan left in his wake. Dylan was messy even on a good day, but when he got into something—like digging out his boxing gear or work-out equipment Rip couldn’t identify—their living room turned into a disaster zone.

Forced to live in less-than-clean environments in the last years, Rip cherished the chance to take care of this place—sweeping, dusting, mopping the floors—and he was practically in love with the dishwasher! It was the coolest thing, aside from actual clean plates without splitters that weren't plastic or from the garbage.

Plus, he felt like he was contributing something. Moving around the place was safe, and he could feel himself managing more and more on his feet every day. Which was good cause keeping up with Dylan's fast pace of ruining his work was a worthy challenge.

How Dylan functioned in that mess when he didn't have to was beyond Rip's reality.

When Dylan arrived, his shoes went, of course, flying in two different directions. He discarded his sweaty shirt on the floor as he went, then collapsed in the middle of the sofa in the living room. "Ugh, that was horrible."

Rip had to work hard to contain his annoyance to twitching eyebrows. "Hi to you, too."

Dylan buried his face into the tiny pillow on the sofa with a long-suffering sigh.

"How did it go?"

"Didn't find out much. Just Sel crying her eyes out and everyone being super secretive. God forbit someone finds out Isaiah was sick."

Rip raised his eyebrows, bracing his hands on the kitchen island that offered good view into the living room. Must have been something serious if it got the Executioner into a hospital. Especially one that had such extensive medical knowledge. Something even he couldn't handle?

"I have never seen her like that." Dylan turned his head to the side, facing the turned-off TV. "Or I did, but like an eternity ago. Not since when she came to my room to cry about some bullying classmate or some shit. She was 12."

Rip rubbed the back of his head, not sure if that was information Dylan should be sharing with a stranger. "Will they...ehh, be okay?"

"Should be coming home soon. Honestly, I don't get the drama, he's got a shadow and is healing up. What could be so bad? Touchy wolves and their invulnerability crap."

Rip wondered if he should remind him that Dylan was a wolf too. It was funny to watch how he sometimes counted himself among humans without thinking.

Dylan's cheeks suddenly puffed out and he burped loudly. "Ughhh. My stomach's killing me."

Rip cringed. "What did you eat?'

Dylan turned to the side, so he could rub at his middle with a grimace. "Took Sel to McDonalnds. I completely forgot about how greasy that food is. Didn't eat stuff like that for months."

Rip's gaze went to the collection of protein shakes and vitamins that covered the cupboards next to the sink. Dylan was surprisingly aware of his health, on a diet to grow his muscles and aid his gym efforts. It was hard to meet someone that obsessed with himself. "Why would you do that, then?"

"Cause I forgot, that's why! Had like two burgers, chicken nuggets and fries....and the one more, cause we were waiting on empty and it was getting weird." He opened his mouth with another loud burp, his stomach churning aggressively. "Damn, it's really brewing in there."

Once again, Rip was at a loss for words in the face of Dylan's unashamed openness.

"s gonna ruin my streak too," Dylan said mournfully as he lifted himself up into a sitting position, swallowing heavily.

"Why is that so strickt?"

Dylan gave him a glare. "You are not gonna get sixpack from McDonalds and chocolates, man. And I need to look good on videos if I want sport and vitamin companies to sponsor me." He looked terribly pleased with himself. "I'm gonna make thousands of euroes from being an infleuncer on TikTok with his physique, you just watch."

Rip would be glad to watch if he knew what TikTok was. Dylan forced his old Samsung on him but Rip got easily overwhelmed by the number of apps installed there. Didn't help Dylan's teaching skills encompassed zero patience. Just as short his attention span. This online genration.

Dylan groaned, kneading into his stomach with both hands. That worked up a string of loud belches.

Rip scrunched his nose. "Really, man?"

"What? It's helping."

"Is it?" Rip said dryly. Dylan was getting paler by the second, swallowing frantically. Rip stepped closer to the sofa, and sure enough, he could hear loud, upset gurgles through the whole living room. "Maybe you should lie down or something."

"You don't lie down with indigestion, stupid. Sitting up is supposed to help." His stomach gave another growl again, like a cornered wolf.

"...are you gonna hurl?"

Dylan winced, glaring indignant daggers at Rip. "No. Just feel sick is all."

"That's what that usually entails."

Dylan gulped again, breathing through his teeth. "Do we have something for it?"

"Huh? We?"

"Yeah," Dylan said sullenly. "Sel always has drops or tea or some digestion enzyms at hand."

Rip shrugged, never having any of that ever, not to mention at hand.

"What about coke or tea?"

"Man, I don't do the shopping." He hadn't been outside since the stabbing. Saving that up for later, after Isaiah promised to see over his shadow and figure out what he should do to interact with people normally. His only contact outside was Dylan. "I can get you water?"

"Water? Geez-buurp-thanks, no thanks." Dylan cradled his belly gently, a shiever rocking his spine as his jaw snapped up with another wet burp. "I really don't...feel good."

"What about you go to the bathroom so you don't make a mess?" Rip suggested in irritation.

"I'm not...not gonna throw up," Dylan protested but dragged himself clumsily to his feet, arm wrapped tightly around his stomach. Now that he was standing Rip could see how bloated it was, skin stretched around a giant ball instead of the usual toned muscles.

The black haired wolf followed after Dylan. He didn't really want to be around, he wasn't sure what to do, but it also didn't feel right to just leave him to it. Not when Dylan had been so crazy about helping him at every turn.

Dylan didn't get far, bracing against the kitchen sink as his throat bobbed, working out another burp. He shook his head and grimaced queasily. "Not sitting right. Really wants to fight its way out of there."

"Less talk and more moving," Rip said, cause this was looking too close for comfort. He tugged at Dylan's hand just when the brown-haired retched emptily over the sink.

"See? Hurry up. Sink is gonna be a hassle to clean."

"Y-you are so mean, anyone told you that?" Dylan whined, but let Rip pull him away and towards the bathroom.

Rip felt a stab of guilt and defensive anger. Why was Dylan making such a big deal about a little nausea? Was his own fault for eating crap he knew he shouldn't.

Dylan stumbled in front of the toilet and moaned pathetically towards the water, hands shaking as he grabbed the rim for support.

Rip made a move to leave, then bit his lip at the pitiful whine. Dylan was so dramatic. "What now? Anything else you want?"

"Jerk," Dylan said, spitting into the toilet. His belly gave a loud gurgly moan that ended in a deep rumbling belch towards the water. "Oh, that hurts."

"Where is your fighting spirit," Rip said bitingly, but turned back to stand over Dylan. What was his role supposed to be in this? Dylan obviously wanted something, making such a scene out of it, but Rip couldn't figure out what.

"T-hink the f-fries are winning this round," Dylan wheezed. His shoulders hitched as he retched, but only another burp came up.

"Let it happen already. Geez, you make a big deal out of this," Rip said, rolling his eyes. He was close enough to get the stench from Dylan's unmuffled burps.

Dylan lurched forward suddenly, a wet burp bringing up a small gush of puke. The next heave came right after, a much thicker wave of yellowy mush.

Rip grimaced and looked away, but Dylan's loud retches and throaty burps didn't leave much to imagination.

Dylan was holding onto the rim of the toilet with both hands, a long string of saliva hanging from his mouth. There were little tears of strain sliding down his cheeks and he was sniffling.

"That it?" Rip asked, reaching over to hand him a bunch of toilet paper. "Nothing to be so shaky over, come on."

Dylan lowered his head, lips quivering as he wiped his face. Rip flushed the toilet, still standing over him.

"C-could you get me some water?"

Rip scoffed. "Now he wants water. Honestly, you don't look like you can keep it down yet. Let's not waste it."

That had Dylan's head snapping up, cheeks all red. "You are such an asshole, it's not a waste-"

Rip sighed and drummed his fingers gently over Dylan's back. Dylan's eyes glazed over and he turned back over the bowl sharply as it worked up another burp.

The next one brought a new splatter of sick though.

Rip chuckled at how well that worked. "There you go. Just get it out."