#and then all i could think was >>> look what we could have had!!!
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pharawee ¡ 3 days ago
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It's finally June (happy rainbow month everyone! 🌈) so it's time for my annual "spot the QL actor at Bangkok Pride Parade" post in which I lurk around the socials to spot familiar faces and share some happiness (here's last year's post for even more happy memories).
As usual, please keep in mind that this is a month-long event for Bangkok Pride that already started yesterday. Many actors might not be able to attend for work-related reasons, they might attend other events or show their support in other ways. This post is for the Bangkok Pride Parade only because this is the part I enjoy most (but please feel free to add to it because the more 🌈✨ the merrier).
(I've credited all images via image description because I don't want to link directly to the hellsite that is x. If that's not working for you, please let me know and I'll add a direct link.)
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And who better to start with than Earth Katsamonnat aka Cooheart. I wish tumblr would let me post more than one video because he. is. breathtaking (but what else is new).
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Earth is there with his fellow WabiSabi actors Oat Tharathon, Tonliew Methaphat and Golf Pasatorn.
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Next up we have none other than Gun Atthaphan, and it makes me so so happy to see him there.
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And of course it wouldn't be a Pride event without Bank Mondop and Mos Panuwat.
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They joined along with fellow Star Hunter actors JJ Rathasat, Fong Bovorn and several members of Star Hunter's girl group Cosmos.
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Here we have Nut Supanut and Ping Orbnithi in traditional attire from their upcoming BL I'm the Most Beautiful Count. It's really difficult to find good pictures this year since it's mostly videos so I can't even show them in their whole glory. Nut especially deserves an award for walking Pride in these heels (then again, by now he's probably a pro):
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Here they are alongside fellow actors Belle Jiratchaya and Aton Thanakorn.
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Finally a good pic of Kongthup's artists walking the parade (it took me hours to find anything that wasn't a video): Mon Taechin, Pak Varayu, Lee Long Shi, Krismon Thanawat, Top Sumethee and Arm Chaiyapat.
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Park Anantadej and Big Thanakorn are attending again this year as well but this is the only halfway recognisable pic of them both I could find (pls up your video limit tumblr I can't do this anymore).
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Yoshi Rinrada is there as well (she's walking with Gun Atthaphan but I couldn't find any stills/pictures of that either 😭) and she is stunning.
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I had to resort to taking blurry screencaps to give you Nice Boripat and Gunner Natsakan. They look much better on video so if you hop on over to the hellsite that is x you can see them in motion.
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I finally found pics of our newlyweds Porsch Apiwat and Arm Sappanyoo.
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Next up we have some of the cast of the upcoming muay thai BL Swing Kick: Beboy Nanthakorn, Team Tatchanon and David Matthew Roberts (I think... only Team was credited 😭)
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Tiger Tanawat (the one Change2561 actor who's curiously always outsourced to other BL productions) was there by himself and walking alongside the group from Kongthup.
I will update this post as I find more pics of actors but for now this is it. Again, if you spotted more actors that attended (especially GL actresses because this is definitely my blind spot here) please feel free to add to this post or let me know.
But anyway, happy Pride my lovelies and ILU all 💛🧡❤️💜💙💚
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bitters-n-sweets ¡ 3 days ago
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take a break pt. 2 — michael "robby" robinavitch x fem!reader Months after Bali, you're finally back in the US, staying with your sister in Pittsburgh. You just have no idea who lives there, too. take a break pt. 1
warnings: age gap, cursing, inaccuracies of how the ER works, angst, misunderstanding trope, reader has a sister named Jenna—who gets mildly hurt, not proofread, mentions of miscarriage (not the reader), minors go away, 5.2K words masterlist I am overwhelmed with joy at how the first part of this got so much love, thank you all, I'm so glad you liked it ❤️
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"You’re telling me," your sister says, blinking like she’s trying to process it while trying not to get angry, "you spent an entire week with a guy who's decades older than you??"
You sigh. Of course she’s only focusing on that part.
"Just one decade and a half—"
"What were you thinking???" She’s pacing now.
You roll your eyes. "Look, I know how it sounds, okay? But it wasn’t like that."
She stops, arms crossed, and gives you a pointed look.
"I’m serious. What happened in Bali… it was different. I’ve never met anyone like him."
Jenna takes a deep breath a few times and sits beside you. The sharp voice softens. "I just don’t want you to get hurt again."
"Too late," you murmur with a bitter smile.
She sighs and pulls you into a hug. "Of course it is."
For a moment, neither of you say anything. Your phone sits on the table, still open from showing her a photo of you and Robby, sun-kissed and smiling. Jenna squints at it.
"Well," she says, "he is stupid handsome. Those sad-boy eyes? Come on."
You let out a laugh, some of the tension slipping from your shoulders.
"And he’s a doctor?" she adds, scoffing. "Girl."
You roll your eyes, but your smile betrays you. She’s trying.
After months of traveling, your lease ended, so you're staying at her place in Pittsburgh for now, just until you find a new apartment. Your sister's been your rock since you were kids. If anyone bullied you, or if you needed any help with friends, math, you name it, and she'll be there for you. She's the most reliable big sister you could ever have, so you don't blame her for trying to protect you.
She's also trying to balance being the protective sister, and the fun one. It doesn't always work.
"So what’s stopping you from looking him up?" Jenna asks suddenly.
You hesitate.
"He’s one Google search away," she nudges. "Don’t even lie."
You suck in a breath. "I know. I just… what if I find out he’s moved on? What if it really was just a vacation fling for him? And what if he lives in New York or something? I mean, we didn't reveal our hometowns for a reason. We could've easily shared our phone numbers, but we didn't."
Jenna frowns. "Okay, first of all? If everything you told me is true—and judging by those photos and the way you talk about him—it wasn’t just a fling. And second, so what if he’s in New York? That’s like a 90-minute flight. You work remotely. Things could actually work out."
You don’t say anything right away. You just look down at your hands and bite your cheek, the way you do when you’re unsure. Jenna bumps your shoulder gently.
She adds, "Look, I’m not saying go camp outside his hospital with huge cards, Love Actually style. But you should at least give yourself the chance to find out. What if he’s been thinking the same thing all this time?"
You barely say anything before Jenna snatches your phone off the coffee table.
"Wait—Jenna, no!"
She's already typing.
"Just a little digging," she says, her fingers working fast on your phone.
You lunge for the phone, but she twists away, standing up. "Give it back!"
"Nope, you had your chance and you blew it. Plus, you know you won't actually do this. I'm doing you a favor."
"Jenna, I’m serious—"
"Aha!" She exclaims, stopping in her tracks. "Michael Robinavitch, MD. Trauma Attending at—"
Your eyes are wide as you stare at Jenna. Her face shifts. Something unreadable—then disbelief. She scoffs and meets your eyes. "You're not gonna believe me."
Robby sighs as he slides through the ER doors once again. Like yesterday, like the day before, like how it will be for the rest of his life, probably. Dana's already at the nurse's station, looking at the board, phone in hand.
"You know, every day you walk in here, and you look even more like shit." Dana frowns. "I thought you just had a vacation, you’re supposed to look refreshed, not like you got dumped in the ocean and left for dead."
Robby huffs. "Well, good morning to you, too, Dana."
And then something in Dana clicks. "Oh my God. You got dumped in Bali."
He lets out a dry laugh. "I didn't get dumped in Bali. I just…"
"Wait, did you dump someone in Bali?"
"Can we not do this here?"
"I mean… I just expected you to come back tanned and smug, not pining like some sad indie drama lead." Dana lets out a little laugh at her own joke.
Robby exhales slowly, a tight smile on his lips. "It was a vacation. Nothing more."
Oh but it was so so much more. He hasn’t stopped thinking about you. Let’s just get that out of the way. Your laugh, your perfume, the way you fell asleep on his chest like you were meant to be there. He swears he still smells you sometimes, and it’s driving him insane. He’s off his game at work, can’t sleep at home, can’t eat without thinking of the dinners you shared by candlelight and crashing waves. So yeah—he looks like shit. Forgive the middle-aged man for wearing his heartbreak on his face.
"What's her full name?"
Robby pauses. "What?"
Jack shrugs like it’s the most casual thing in the world. "I know you keep checking the board for any new incoming traumas to see if it could be her." Jack continues, "You feel guilty for it, but you're still doing it. So tell me her name—I’ll keep an eye out on nights."
Jack knows it's a way to ease Robby, even just for a little bit.
Robby presses his palms to his eyes, just for a second. Long enough to see your face behind his lids, then mutters your name. He doesn’t want to see you on a stretcher. God, no. He doesn’t want to see you bleeding, unconscious, coding. He hopes you never have a reason to come through those ER injured, ever.
But the truth is, the ER is where estranged people meet. And though he hates himself for it, a small part of him still hopes one day you’ll walk through that door again—alive, healthy, maybe even smiling.
"Okay." Jack nods, then smirks. "How about a picture?"
"Jack." Robby warns.
"Backing down, backing down," Jack raises his hands in surrender, "Just testing the waters."
"She must've been something, huh?" He adds, "You haven't stopped thinking about her, and it's been months. You might be really screwed, brother."
Robby doesn't say anything. He knows.
[flashback]
You're both soaked.
It started with a walk along the beach. Then a splash. Then a challenge. Now you're standing in the shallows, dripping wet, and Robby is grinning like an idiot because he 'won'.
"You cheated! You said you wouldn’t grab me!"
He shrugs. "I said I wouldn’t splash you. Technically, dragging you into the water doesn’t count."
"You’re impossible."
"You're slow."
You gasp and lunge toward him, but he takes off running down the beach like a damn teenager. You chase after him, heart pounding, laughing so hard it burns. Eventually, he slows just enough for you to catch him, and you both tumble into the sand.
"I should’ve let the jellyfish have you," You pant.
"I think you'd miss me too much."
You roll your eyes. "You’re so full of yourself."
His voice drops just enough to make your pulse skip. "Am I wrong?"
Then he leans in and kisses you, slow and smiling, like he knows he’s already won. When you finally pull away, you rest your forehead against his.
"You're the worst."
"Then you've got terrible taste."
[present day]
You linger outside the sliding glass doors for longer than you’d like to admit.
You'd gotten the same rosĂŠ you both shared in Bali, with a nice bow wrapped around the neck, and a letter you'd hand-written. It's very clichĂŠ, but it felt necessary. And now you feel stupid.
Fuck it.
Part of you is excited to see him, see his reaction, would he run to you? Hold you in his arms? Kiss you right there in front of everyone?
You're smiling nervously now as you walk past the doors. The emergency room at PTMC is busier than you expected, the front desk doesn’t pay you much attention, which is good, they're probably thinking you're visiting with what you have in hand. You’re not sure what you would’ve said anyway.
You ask quietly where to find him. They point you toward the consult rooms, and you murmur a quick thank-you, the gift bag tucked at your side.
You spot him almost immediately through the narrow strip of glass in the door to Consult Room A.
Your heart stops.
Robby is inside. He’s really here. Still tall, still impossibly handsome, and especially in his scrubs, exhaustion clinging to the curve of his shoulders. You almost burst through the door—when you realize he's not alone.
Another doctor is sitting on the exam bed, bent slightly forward, elbows on her knees, one hand cradling her stomach. Her eyes are red. Robby kneels beside her, not quite touching her at first—then gently, cautiously, he places his hand on her knee. She covers it with her own.
He says something you can’t hear. She nods. And then, quietly, she leans forward and presses her forehead to his, smiling, tears in her eyes.
You freeze.
All the warmth in your limbs rushes away. You feel like someone's just completely taken your lungs away and you can't breathe.
You recognize her—Dr. Collins. You’ve seen her on the PTMC staff page, probably one of the first names you found when you searched for Robby.
You take a step back, slowly, like you might disturb the moment if you're not careful. Then another.
It seems like Robby has moved on.
You're not sure what to do. You feel fucking stupid. Of course, he has moved on. It was just a fling, nothing more. Tears blur your vision as you take short breaths, the rosÊ now clutched tightly to your chest, and you hurrily walk back down the hall. You don't want him to see you. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Collins exhales shakily, then squeezes his hand one last time before standing.
"I'll be fine." she says, voice hoarse but steady.
"You sure?"
She gives him a small smile. "Yeah. Go save someone who’s actually dying."
He watches her walk out, her back straight even though her world just cracked in half. They’ve been through a lot, he and Collins. It was never romantic—not really—but there were late nights and shared griefs. A handful of near-misses. People who endure together sometimes blur lines. But whatever they were, that part’s long behind them.
A nurse knocks gently on the doorframe. "Dr. Robby?"
"Yeah?"
"There was someone here asking for you," she says, "I told her you'd be out in a minute but I think she left. She didn't leave a name, she had a gift bag with her though."
Robby blinks. "Okay, thanks."
People drop off things sometimes. A patient’s family, a resident trying to get on his good side, a pharmaceutical rep hoping to buy his time. He doesn’t think too hard about it. He heads back out into the chaos of the ER, unaware of the gift that nearly reached him—or the woman who had.
[flashback]
"So what happens after you leave?"
Robby doesn't answer right away. He drags a finger through the sand. "Get on a plane, go home, back to work."
"You know that's not what I mean."
He sighs. "I know."
You wait and Robby finally meets your eyes. "I don't want to ruin this."
"This." You repeat. "This… fantasy? Or us?"
His jaw shifts slightly, he’s trying to choose his words carefully. "I mean the part where I don’t have to think about how complicated this would get if we tried to keep it going."
You nod, lips tight. "Right." Complicated.
"I'm not saying I don't want this. Us." He says quickly, "I just... I don’t know how."
You know he's right. It just hurts to hear it. "Yeah… me neither."
You glance up, and there’s a long, quiet look between you. "So, let’s not make promises we can’t keep?"
Robby nods, but his hand finds yours in the sand. And he doesn't let go.
[present day]
You've been sitting in your parked car for ten minutes after leaving the entrance.
Your hands still tremble a little.
You’d come here with hope burning in your chest, you ignored all of the doubts because you wanted to believe what you had with Robby was real. Because maybe despite not sharing phone numbers, there was something there. You hoped he also regretted not continuing what you had. But seeing Robby with her, the way he touched her, the softness in his expression… it had knocked the wind out of you.
Still, you can’t bring yourself to throw the gift away—or bring it home. Or the letter. So you decide to rewrite the letter. As a goodbye. You slip it inside the gift bag and get out of the car.
This time, you don’t go to the front entrance. You spot a woman smoking near the ambulance bay, leaning against the wall like she’s on break.
You approach her quietly.
"Hi. Sorry to bother you—do you work in the ER?"
She squints through the smoke, "Yeah, why?"
"I, uh, could you give this to Dr. Robby? I…have an errand to run, so, I can't give it to him myself." You offer her the gift bag.
She eyes the gift bag warily. "You trying to sell him something?"
"No, no, nothing like that. I just want to thank him. For everything he's done for me." You hesitate. "You can tell him it's from Ove."
She hesitates, then shrugs, taking the gift bag. "Yeah, sure."
You just offer a small, grateful smile. "Thanks."
Robby's sitting on his desk, busy charting, when Dana drops a gift bag in front of him.
"And this is…?"
"RosĂŠ delivery, apparently." Dana chuckles. "Someone wanted to thank you, so she told me to give you this. Said it's from 'Ove'."
His heart stops. He snatches the bag like it might vanish, scanning the pink-gold bottle, the smooth ribbon, the familiar handwriting he could recognize anywhere.
You were here.
He bolts.
"Wait—" Dana calls behind him, "There's—!"
But Robby’s already sprinting down the hallway, dodging a gurney, ignoring the startled nurse who calls his name.
He jogs a little down the street, scanning every face. A couple arguing near the bus stop. A woman in scrubs checking her phone. But not you. His breath fogs in the cold air, and something in his chest twists painfully.
He missed you.
"Fuck." He keeps repeating, "FUCK!"
"Robby!"
He turns at Dana’s voice.
She’s outside now, waving something in her hand. "She left a letter."
Hi Robby, I'm sorry I didn't give you this letter and gift myself. I know it probably seems cowardly to leave a letter like this instead of talking to you face to face, but honestly… I don’t think I could’ve done that without crying. Or jumping into your arms. Or kissing you… Or all of it. There’s so much I wanted to say, but maybe this will have to be enough. I’m happy you’ve found someone who makes you happy. I really am. I hope she’s good to you. I hope she sees what I see in you—your terrible jokes, your gentleness, the way you care too much and try to hide it. I hope she knows how lucky she is. Take care of yourself, doc. And thank you for all the memories. You deserve someone who makes coming home feel like peace. – Ove
Robby reads the letter once. Then again.
He’s standing in the hallway outside the break room, half-shielded by the open door, fingers curling around the page like it might explain itself differently on the third read.
You were here. At the hospital. He missed you.
His eyes skim the line again—the one about how you couldn’t face him without crying, or kissing him. Jumping into his arms. His heart clenches. It’s so you. Honest. Brave and terrified at once.
Then he hits the sentence that makes him stop cold.
I’m happy that you’ve found someone who can make you happy.
His brow furrows. Found someone?
He glances up like the hallway might have an answer. What are you talking about? There’s no one. There hasn’t been anyone. Not really. Just that moment with Collins—but even that... that wasn’t what you think.
His chest tightens. You thought he was with someone. That he moved on.
You thought he was happy.
He leans back against the wall, one hand dragging down his face. A deep exhale pushes from his lungs, but it doesn’t take the ache with it.
"Ove," he says aloud, the name barely a breath.
He lets out a quiet laugh, one that almost breaks halfway through. Of course you'd sign it like that.
Now you're leaving him rosĂŠ and a goodbye that read like a love letter sealed in regret.
His chest tightens. There's a stinging behind his eyes he doesn't want to name.
Dana watches him from the nurses’ station, saying nothing. She doesn’t need to. Robby just shakes his head, pressing his lips together.
"She was here," he says again, like he still doesn’t believe it.
"Yeah," Dana replies softly, looking at him sympathetically. "She was."
The letter is still in his hand. He folds it carefully, like it's something sacred. Then he tucks it into his jacket pocket and takes a breath.
He should have been faster.
He should have found you.
But now… now all he can do is stand here, holding the words you couldn't say out loud.
A few days after that, you're back to apartment hunting. Somewhere outside of Pittsburgh. You haven't told your sister, but you have a feeling she knows. She's been quiet in that careful way, watching you drift through nights of old movies and whiskey. Not rosé—never rosé. That would taste too much like him.
You're on the couch, laptop warming your thighs, when you suddenly hear a scream from the kitchen.
"Jenna!" You scramble.
Jenna had bought one of those aesthetic looking pots made of glass, and of course it shattered. Another sound—glass crunching, followed by a strangled yelp. You race in to find her on the floor, clutching her arm, shards of her new glass pot glittering across the tile. She must’ve slipped. Her forearm is red, swelling fast.
"I'm okay—" She groans and winces, "Okay, OW OW OW—No, I'm not okay."
You turn off the stove, moving quickly to help her up, careful not to step on the glass. "Let's get you to the hospital. I'll get a cab."
She’s quiet in the ride over, cradling her arm, the towel now damp from melted ice.
"I'm so stupid." She hisses. "It's not even that bad, it just hurts."
"You're not stupid," You say, "But it looks pretty bad. The glass shattered everywhere. You're lucky it didn't cut you anywhere else."
She lets out a breath that sounds more like a groan, then presses her head back against the seat.
"Are you sure you want to come?" She asks after a beat, always worrying about you first. "We're going to that ER. After everything that happened…"
You glance out the window, swallowing down the familiar ache that tightens in your chest at just the mention of it.
"Jenna." You cut her off gently. "None of that matters right now. You’re hurt. We’re going."
She bites her cheek, clearly reading more in your silence than you want her to. But she just nods. "Okay."
It's not that late yet, and the ER is still as busy as ever. Due to the level of Jenna's injury, you get in fast. You push through the double doors with Jenna leaning on your side, her towel-wrapped arm clutched to her chest. You follow the nurse down the familiar hall, heart tightening with every step, and help Jenna settle into a curtained bay. She gives you a strained smile, trying to act tough, but she looks worried.
"I'll go get a doctor for you, it'll be quick." the nurse says.
You sit on the edge of the plastic chair, elbows on your knees, trying not to breathe too deep.
Then the curtain rustles. "Okay, let's see who we have here."
You look up and freeze—just for a second—until you realize it’s not Robby. You exhale quietly, chest unclenching. "You're Jenna?" the doctor asks, flipping through the chart.
Your sister nods.
The doctor nods back, "I'm Dr. Abbot, and this is…" He motions to you.
"My sister," Jenna says, giving your name. 
That’s when you see it—Dr. Abbot's face changes. He repeats your full name under his breath, eyes narrowing like he’s connecting dots in real time.
Something clicks in his head. Then, without another word, he steps back. "I'll be right back." He’s gone before either of you can ask anything.
"What the fuck was that?"
"Robby!"
Jack whisper-screams down the hall, catching Robby just as he’s about to exit through the staff doors. Robby slows, eyebrows raised in surprise as Jack jogs up to him.
"Jack, I really just—"
"She's here."
Robby stops mid-step.
"She was," he corrects slowly, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "a few days ago. I couldn't catch her—"
"No, Robby." Jack cuts in, breathless. "She's here now. With her sister. Bay 5."
Robby's eyes go wide. "…A-are you sure? Wait, is she okay??"
"Well I mean you wouldn't show me a picture of her so—"
"Jack—"
"Right." Jack says, "She’s fine, she’s accompanying her sister. Just stay in the consult room. I'll bring her over, tell her she can wait there."
Robby feels like his world is spinning again. He doesn't want to get his hopes up. He still has your letter tucked in his jacket pocket.
He nods nervously. "Okay."
You’re still staring at the curtain, blinking like maybe it’ll open again and explain whatever just happened. But it stays closed. Jenna glances at you, then at her arm, and mutters, "Well, that was weird."
"Yeah." You frown.
You’re still thinking about the way the doctor said your name like he recognized it—like it meant something. Before you can say anything else, the curtain swishes again. Dr. Abbot reappears, breathless, like he’s jogged half the ER to get back. "Um, do you mind waiting in the consult room? There's… not a lot of space here, so…"
It's an odd request, but Jenna says she's okay, so you reluctantly go with the nurse who'll show you where the consult room is.
As soon as you’re gone, Jenna raises an eyebrow at Dr. Abbot. He’s still standing there, watching the curtain fall closed behind you like it just told him a secret.
"…Do you know something?" She asks. Vague, suggesting.
Dr. Abbot turns slowly and squints at her. "I don't know. Do you know something?"
Jenna tilts her head. "I might."
He tilts his head back at her. "Then I might too."
The nurse doesn’t say much. Just a polite smile and a gentle hand on your back as she guides you down the hallway.
You pass a few curtain bays, a trauma room, and then she stops at a door with Consult Room B printed in small white letters.
"Just wait in here," she says gently.
"Wait for—"
"—OK." But the door closes before you can finish the question. You blink. Turn. And that’s when you see him.
Robby.
He’s standing at the far end of the room, one hand braced on the counter like he might be holding himself up. He's still in his scrubs, navy jacket with his sleeves rolled up, and he looks like he’s seen a ghost.
You freeze. He sees you.
For a second, neither of you speak. Neither of you even breathe.
Robby braves himself to step closer to you.
"Robby," you finally say, voice barely more than a whisper. You swallow, shifting your weight, arms folded like a shield. "I didn't know—the nurse just told me to—"
You break eye contact and step back as he steps closer. You can't look in his eyes, because you know you'll break. You're already fighting the tears that are about to fall.
He watches you for a moment, trying to find his voice. "You okay?"
You nod. "Jenna—my sister—she burned her arm. Slipped on glass. I just… went into autopilot."
He steps closer again, slower this time. "Is she alright?"
"Yeah. She’ll be fine." You bite your lip, still not looking at him.
"You left me a bottle of rosĂŠ," he says, gently, still stepping closer. "And a name."
You try to smile. "I thought you’d figure it out."
"I did," he says, now only inches away from you, "and then I read the letter."
Your breath hitches, just slightly. There’s a pause as you nod, your hands tighten over your elbows, fingers pressing into your sleeves. "Right."
"Are you ever going to look at me?"
You try to hide the sob escaping you and back away a little, but Robby reaches out, placing both hands gently to cup your face, brushing away your tears. You finally meet his eyes, and the sight wrecks you.
Why is he crying?
He steps closer, trapping you within his frame, and leans in. His lips press gently to yours, careful—as if asking permission, checking if you still want this, if you still want him. Your hands clutch his scrubs, holding on like a lifeline.
You pull away first. "This is wrong." You whisper.
Robby’s brows knit together in confusion until he sees the guilt in your eyes. You think he's with Collins.
"You…" You sniff, "You're happy, Robby. You—You can't ruin it."
"Look at me," His voice is firm, "Do I look happy to you?"
"I—"
"I'm not with Collins."
You look at him. "What?"
"The woman you saw with me a few days go," Robby says carefully, "she had a miscarriage. I was just… trying to be there for her."
You stare at him, breath caught. Your lips part, but nothing comes out. Then, quietly, "Oh."
You look down, heart thudding, face hot with shame. You want to disappear into the floor, you feel even more stupid now.
He asks, a little broken. "You really thought I'd move on that fast?"
You shake your head, blinking fast. "I didn't know what to think. I thought maybe it wasn’t as real for you as it was for me."
"And what? Were you just going to leave?" He frowns. "You weren't even gonna let me say goodbye. Not even one last look at you."
You shake your head, eyes glossy. "I thought it would be easier on you," you whisper. "Like Bali."
Robby's expression shatters. "That was not easy on me."
"You left before I woke up."
"I thought you wanted me to." His voice catches. "You were quiet that whole last day. I figured you didn’t want me to make it harder."
"Because I didn't want to say goodbye!" You cry out, "I didn't want it to end. But I got scared, because what if you don't like the version of me outside of Bali? Because Bali was good, so good, and back here—" you sob, "—back here I'm not as confident. I'm nobody. I'm a mess."
Robby's heart breaks a little. He sees you, truly sees you, and realizes the irony: that’s exactly how he feels.
"You think I don’t get that? You think Bali wasn’t the first time in years I felt like myself again?" He swallows hard. "I was afraid, too. Afraid I’d already messed it up. Afraid if I said goodbye, it would feel real. Final."
You close your eyes, a tear slipping down your cheek.
"You’re not nobody," he says, softer now. "You're the person who saw me when I was at my lowest. Who laughed so hard on that motorbike I thought I'd crash us into a rice field. Who made me believe I could want more than just work and sleep and going through the motions. Whose letter I still keep in my pocket. You're the person who lent me your book."
You chuckle at that, still sniffing.
He cups your cheek again, thumb brushing away the tears you’ve stopped trying to hide.
"And you don’t have to be confident all the time," he murmurs. "You don’t have to be the Bali version of you. I want you. All versions of you."
You try not to cry again, nodding your head. "…I want you, too."
He exhales—like he’s been holding his breath for days—and his forehead presses to yours, gentle and grounding. "I'm no picnic, either. I overthink everything. I push people away when I should let them in. I’ve spent most of my life trying to act like nothing gets to me."
"But you do." His thumb brushes under your eye. "You got to me."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"The worst." He smiles a little.
"Then you've got horrible taste."
He chuckles. "I believe what I said was 'terrible' not 'horrible'."
You share a laugh and there's a long, quiet pause. You’re both holding your breath, holding each other like the other person could disappear, like this might be a dream.
"Robby…" you murmur.
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to make promises this time?" You ask, hopeful once again. "Ones we'll try our best to keep?"
He smiles. "Yeah. I do."
He leans in again, brushing his lips over yours. Your fingers tangle in the navy fabric of his hoodie, like you're scared he’ll vanish. But he doesn’t. He just holds you tighter, steadier. And it’s everything you’ve been aching for. No longer a memory of Bali. No longer a what-if. Just you and him.
You take Robby’s hand gently and guide him towards where Jenna is to introduce them. You thought she'd be asleep, but you hear chatter from behind the curtain. When you swing it open—you see her and Jack, gossiping like two teenagers, her wounds wrapped up long ago.
"Oh hey~ We were just talking about you two," Jenna smirks, "So, Dr. Abbot, how long did you say Dr. Robby here has been broody?"
"Well, I think since birth, really, but he became worse after leaving Bali."
You roll your eyes and glance at Robby, who's blushing like a tomato now. You try to soothe him, while Jack and Jenna share a subtle fist bump, quietly whispering to each other.
"We did that."
"Hell yeah we did."
--
hope you guys like it! side note, lowkey loving Jack and Jenna's interaction and thank you to all of you in the taglist for being so excited for this 🥰 ily, and im so sorry if i missed anyone, it is really not on purpose. I hope you enjoyed!
taglist: @biggestsimponhere @thesnugglingduck @qardasngan @lol-im-done @daisydark @onlyrealjoy @sabrinaselina55 @borbalalikesdocs @livingavilaloca @evans-dejong @thinemineours @marvelousmissmaggie @maiamore @hagarsays @evermoresivy @capj-1437 @beebeechaos @obfuscateyummy @omgbrianab @honestlystop @jazzimac1967 @msdariaknight @cozyfanficnook @wowitsafemale @princessjayll @heyysolsister @mcuwhore7 @1mverstappen @aryacoulson @the-one-with-the-grey-color @ravenouswild @littlezee80 @gardeniarose13 @bitchy-bi-trash @breemary05-blog @arrowswithwifi
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teambyler ¡ 2 days ago
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Let's talk about #WallGate
The Upside Down appears to have been created the night Will went missing. I just read a theory from @MarianDalton on YouTube that Will has powers and in 1983 he created an Upside Down version of Hawkins because he wanted to get back home...
Whether or not that's exactly it, there's SOME connection between the Upside Down and Will. And destroying the Upside Down and saving Hawkins might be directly connected to Will.
Remember the lyrics to "Heroes" about forbidden love and kissing at the Berlin Wall?
Well, it now looks like the Upside Down has a wall:
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It's possible that the Upside Down's wall maintains its structure, and destroying it is key to ending the UD and saving Hawkins. Since the Upside Down and Will are likely connected, what if the UD is connected somehow to Will's psychology and his likely coming-out arc this season? A place he created to wall himself in, a seemingly safe place, but also where he's closed off from the world because he can't be his true self? (His CLOSET?)
Ross Duffer has said about season 5, "This emotional arc for [Will] is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together."
One theme of the show has been the prejudice and fear of Hawkins. What if the physical wall parallels the metaphorical walls in Hawkins? After all, "conformity is killing the kids." We have an episode titled "Escape from Camazotz" which in A Wrinkle in Time was a hive-mind planet...
And what if the key to Vecna's power over Will is the fact that Will never thinks he'll find love? The show establishes that love is what frees people from Vecna.
Will and Mike are standing by the wall in the UD, and Will is about to use his connection to the UD to destroy it and save Hawkins, but it means destroying himself along with it. Mike can't stay or he'll die also. Will tells him to leave, which he refuses to do. Mike had promised Will they'd be a TEAM. Finally, Will, to explain himself, makes clear he loves Mike, and he can't let Mike die (my own favorite theory... mine lol). Mike absolutely will NOT leave and decides to die with Will.
When Will doesn't understand why Mike is doing this, Mike kisses him.
What they don't know yet, is that the key to tearing down the wall is that Will sees he is loved.
The wall falls.
The lyrics to "Heroes" suddenly become perfect:
Standing, by the wall And the guns, shot above our heads And we kissed, as though nothing could fall And the shame, was on the other side Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever Then we could be Heroes, just for one day.
-teambyler
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dark-night-hero ¡ 2 days ago
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Imagine being Rafayel's non-mc significant other.
Imagine being his fiancĂŠ, one he was long destined to be with. The one he may have not chosen for himself but grew to accept and loved as time passed by. The two of you were perfect for each other even thought it did not started with love. The two of you have found peace and contentment with each other.
Imagine for years, you had believed that his silence was strength, his distance a habit, and lastly, his loyalty was none other than yours. Rafayel have always been some kind of distant to other people that does not capture his interest. Sassy to those whom he find troublesome and annoying. To yours, he was soft, he treated you with care and gentleness. But lately, something has changed.
Imagine trying to find Rafayel within the island, strange shape seashell all nested in your arms as you try to show it to him. It looks like he was need of a inspiration so you took the chance to give him the things that he often looked for, something you often saw him do as you trail behind him, letting him to all the work as he please. He looked down these past few days, often catching a glimpse of him staring at nothing. "No no no, not that one, this." "You really have a strange taste, Rafayel." He was with his bodyguard, MC.
Imagine you never really find it weird that he was in need of a bodyguard, after all the recent event, it does seemed valid that he needed someone to look after him in a more safely way. But then again, something was changing. "Shall I accompany you-?" "No, there is no need for you to be there. Ms. Bodyguard would be there with me." There was something, "Will you be visiting this week?" "Hmm, this week? I have a meeting with a client." "Will Thomas be with you?" "No, but Miss Bodyguard would be there with me." Something was changing. "Have you eaten yet? I have cook-" "Miss Bodyguard and I have already eaten out on our way home- is that my favorite?" "Well... yes, but it's alright, I'll just take it home with me." No, something had changed.
Imagine the way you notice things had changed. The way he laughs more with her, the way he relaxes in her presence, the way he reaches out to her without thinking. He never does that with you. You never thought in the first place he was capable of laughing like that. Nor could he let his guard down like that. And the way... The way he looks at her, he never looks at you like that. He never looks at you with such fondness, with such adoration, with such...
Imagine the way you tried to deny it. But the truth is, deep down. The moment you saw the two of them together you had already begin to piece it together. The quiet observation from afar, half finished sentences and moments you were never meant to witness. In the first play they aren't even trying to hide it, or maybe, they aren't even aware of what was going on between the two of them as if it was natural.
"Are you sure you don't want to see him before you go?" "Would that change anything?" There was nothing but silence. "I thought so.." You replied to yourself and look around the island for the last time. This house no longer feels like home. "You cannot heal in the same place you got sick." You added, looking into your friend. "Please don't look at me like that, I know what I'm doing." You smile sadly at her. "Then, shall we go?"
Imagine, once upon a time, you always thought you have found the right prince for your fairytale. Turns out you were trying to hold on to a love that was never truly yours to begin with. Because if it was yours to begin with, why does it felt like you meant nothing to him? After all this time? You were no longer the one his heart answers to... and maybe never was. In the end, you left. You left because sometimes, the right way to love is to leave.
[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2025°
: I wrote this on my notes while doing my research paper. Ngl, i don't think I'll be making a part two for any of the non mc imagines but we'll see.
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my-castles-crumbling ¡ 3 days ago
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sleepover - jegulus - background wolfstar - @into-the-jeggyverse - word count: 359
It was early. So early that the sun shining into James’s bedroom window still had a grayish glow and the air wasn’t yet scorching. Bird chirped cheerfully outside, the house was quiet, and next to him on the bed, a heartwrenchingly adorable Regulus Black was wrapped so tightly in a sheet he looked like a burrito, his face peaceful as he snored quietly. James took several moments just to watch the younger boy sleep, his chest filling with warmth and adoration when the Slytherin moved closer, curling into James’s chest. 
But, after a while, James had to slowly sit up. Internally cursing his bladder for disturbing the calm and forcing him to get out of bed, he rubbed at his eyes and shuffled to the door, promising himself he would return to the warmth of Regulus as soon as possible. As soon as he pulled open the handle, however, he was greeted by a very unamused-looking Sirius, standing right on the other side of the door.
“Fuck!” he yelped, jumping backwards and nearly tripping over his own feet.
With a grunt, Regulus sat bolt upright in bed, bleary eyes scanning the room for danger.
“Enjoying your sleepover?” Sirius asked from the door, his gray eyes full of both amusement and annoyance.
“Merlin, Pads, did you wait outside all night?” James gasped, clutching his chest and trying to regulate his breathing.
“No,” Sirius said petulantly, dodging to the side to avoid the pillow Regulus sent his way. “Juat since I woke up a few hours ago and found Reggie gone from his room! What do you two have to say for yourselves?”
Both Regulus and James opened their mouths to argue, but before they could say a word, there was a muffled noise, and an exhausted-looking Remus appeared in the doorway across the hall. The doorway to Sirius’s room.
“Sirius? Where’d you go?” Remus asked tiredly, completely unaware of the chaos he’d just caused.
James immediately burst out laughing, while Regulus said flatly. “I say we all go back to sleep before Effie and Monty wake up. What do you think, Sirius?”
Without another word, Sirius returned to his room.
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fiastomatocheek ¡ 3 days ago
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MOMMY, DID YOU LOVE SNOOPY AT FIRST SIGHT?
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pair: dad!luke hughes x f!reader
genre: family, fluff, soft, domestic.
warnings: none. just pure fluff, soft parenting, and a talkative five-year-old who thinks ‘blink-blink eyes’ are the ultimate form of romance.
summary: now at five years old, lucy is curious about everything and especially how her favorite people in the world fell in love. one morning, she climbs into bed with you and luke and starts asking all the important questions about how you met, who fell in love first, and what love really means.
fia’s note: a dad!luke idea, i thought it’d be really cute if luce got super interested in her parents’ love story, like how they first met and everything. luke and the reader would definitely tell her the whole thing, and she’d be so proud of it, always talking about their love story in front of everyone.
tagging team fia ! — @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @dancerbailey3 @mashmashi @hopefulsuitcasemoneyzonk @kell9rs @alwaysclassyeagle @nokiaholland @macka @silvenyy
fia’s masterlist | join fia’s taglist | yap & fic
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Lucy came padding into your bedroom, her bunny-ear socks slapping the hardwood as she tugged her pink stuffed bunny along the floor behind her.
She peeked her head up over the edge of the bed and whispered.
“Mommy? Snoopy?”
Luke groaned beside you, still half-asleep.
“Mm. Morning, Luce…”
You smiled and opened one eye just in time to see her climb into the middle of the bed and drop dramatically between you, her little limbs sprawling out like she owned the place, which, frankly, she kinda did.
“I have a very important question,” she declared.
Luke propped himself up on one elbow, rubbing his eyes.
“This early?”
“It can’t wait,” Lucy said, serious.
“Snoopy… how did you and Mommy meet?”
You blinked at Luke.
Luke blinked back at you.
And then he smirked. “Ohhh. This is gonna be fun.”
Lucy sat up straighter. “Tell me the whole long story!”
Luke stretched, then sat up against the headboard with Lucy curled against his side.
“Well… once upon a time, before you were even a little peanut in Mommy’s belly, I saw her at a hockey game.”
“At a hockey game??” Lucy repeated, wide-eyed.
“Yup and after warmups, I looked up into the crowd… and there Mommy was. Sitting with a hot chocolate in both hands, big scarf, way-too-big coat, and—” he paused dramatically,
“Mommy’s in Hughes 86 jersey.”
Lucy’s eyes went wide and she gasp loudly. “Uncle Rowdy’s number?!”
You laughed out loud as she gasped.
Luke nodded solemnly. “Number 86. Betrayal.”
“It’s not betrayal,” you giggled. “I was a fan!”
“She was wearing Uncle Rowdy jersey,” Luke said, mock-offended.
Lucy looked between you both like she couldn’t believe her parents had survived such a scandal.
“Mommy… you liked Uncle Rowdy first?”
You held up your hands in defense.
“No, I liked the jersey. But then I saw Snoopy skate by and boom. Game over.”
Luke raised his eyebrows at you playfully. “Game over, huh?”
“I mean, look at you,” you said, teasing.
“I saw that floppy hair and bad-boy baby face and I knew.”
Lucy, still reeling, whispered, “So Mommy didn’t love Snoopy at first sight?!”
“No, no,”
You said, smiling as you tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“I loved Snoopy before he even knew who I was.”
Lucy grinned so wide she buried her face into Luke’s chest.
“This is so romantic!”
Luke leaned his head back, laughing. “I can’t believe my love story includes me losing to Jack.”
You pressed a kiss to his arm.
“You won in the end.”
Lucy wriggled her way up so she could look at both of you.
“Mommy, Snoopy, I have another question.”
“Here we go,” Luke mumbled, smiling.
“What does love mean?” she asked, totally serious.
Luke nudged her gently. “That’s a big one. What do you think it means, Luce?”
She tapped her chin dramatically like she was a professor.
“Love is like… Mommy and Snoopy.”
You and Luke both quieted.
“Love is when Snoopy and Mommy gets mad at eachother but they still talk before bed.”
Luke blinked and glanced at you. “She’s been spying on us.”
Lucy kept going, counting on her little fingers.
“Love is when Mommy didn’t brush her teeth in the morning, but Snoopy still lets her kiss him.”
“Hey now,” Luke said, trying not to laugh.
“And love is when Snoopy knows what makes Mommy feel not good and he makes sure she always feels safe.”
Your throat tightened.
“And… and love is when Snoopy has a bad day, but he still looks at Mommy with his blink-blink eyes.”
You snorted. “Blink-blink eyes?!”
Luke was cracking up now.
“What even are those?”
“You know,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Your sparkly, lovey eyes. You get them when you look at Mommy like she’s your favorite.”
Luke was quiet for a second, then smiled down at her.
“That’s because she is.”
Lucy melted into a giggle and tackled him with a hug, knocking over her stuffed dog in the process.
You curled beside them both, your hand resting on Luke’s arm and your eyes misty from the sweetness of it all.
“Okay,” Lucy said through a yawn, snuggling into the blankets.
“I think love is the best thing ever.”
Luke kissed the top of her head.
“Yeah, me too, Luce.”
“Even if Mommy wore Uncle Rowdy’s jersey?” she teased.
Luke groaned. “We’re never living that down, are we?”
The day is finally here, it was Lucy Kindergarten Closing Circle Celebration.
You were seated next to Luke in the second row, his long legs completely folded and awkward, your phone already in your hand and camera app open.
“She’s gonna be nervous,” you whispered, scanning the curtain.
Luke smiled softly. “She won’t be. She’s you with my stage presence.”
You rolled your eyes, elbowing his ribs.
The preschool teacher, Miss Haley, stepped up with a mic.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming to our Kindergarten Closing Circle Celebration! Today, our kids wanted to share what they learned this semester, especially our theme of ‘what love means to us.’”
Luke raised an eyebrow at you.
“No way.”
You grinned. “Don’t say it.”
“I knew she was scheming,” he whispered.
“All those deep questions that day weren’t just curiosity, they were prep.”
And then she appeared.
Lucy, in her sunshine yellow dress with two pigtails and a sparkly clip shaped like a heart, walked onto stage holding a paper heart in her hands. She looked out at the sea of faces, squinted a little in the light, and when she spotted you and Luke, she beamed.
Miss Haley leaned down. “Lucy? You’re next, sweetie.”
Lucy nodded, marched up to the tiny podium with all the confidence of a TED Talk speaker, and cleared her throat.
“Hello, my name is Lucy Hughes. I am five. And I’m gonna tell you what love is.”
You felt your breath catch in your throat. Luke reached over, fingers wrapping around yours tightly.
“To me, love is when Mommy saw Daddy for the first time but he didn’t know she loved him yet.”
The audience chuckled. You covered your face. Luke was grinning like an idiot.
“Love is when Mommy wore Uncle Rowdy’s jersey number, but it was okay, because Daddy gave her the blink-blink eyes.”
Luke’s head dropped into your shoulder as he tried not to laugh too loudly.
“Oh my god.”
Lucy continued, dead serious.
“Love is when Daddy leaves for his hockey game, he kisses Mommy and me goodbye everytime. Even when he’s late.”
You felt your heart crack a little because her words was too soft, too good.
“And when Daddy comes home from his game, even if he’s stinky or sad, he hugs us really, really tight. Because love is hugging after everything. Even the bad days.”
There was a gentle aww from the crowd.
“Love is when Daddy still lets Mommy kiss him even if she forgot to brush her teeth in the morning.”
You gasped. Luke doubled over in his seat, howling silently.
“She only does that sometimes,” Lucy added helpfully.
“But Daddy doesn’t mind.”
You looked down at your lap. “I’m never showing my face again.”
Luke laughed. “Babe, this is gold.”
Lucy held up her paper heart.
“I think love is like what I see at home. It’s when you talk after some disagreement. It’s when you’re safe. It’s when Daddy always looks at Mommy like she’s sparkly.”
Luke had gone completely still beside you.
You reached up and gently rubbed his hand. He swallowed, eyes misting.
“And I think love is when you grow up and find your person. Like my Mommy and my Snoopy. The End.”
The room exploded with applause, full of proud laughs and tiny sniffles. Lucy beamed, bowed, actually bowed and skipped off the stage straight into the arms of Miss Haley.
Luke leaned over to whisper,
“We just got called out by a five-year-old on a mic in front of 60 people.”
You laughed into his shoulder. “And I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“You know she’s gonna make us retell that whole story again tonight, every single details, right?”
“Only if she doesn’t write it into her future wedding vows first.”
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gimmethatagustd ¡ 3 days ago
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paint me naked | jjk
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After the mysteriously hot guy in your university class starts taking an interest in you, should you really trust that he’s not like all the other college fuckboys? Especially when his best friend is the guy who broke your heart?
Pairing: Jungkook x Reader (past Taehyung)
Rating: Explicit
Genre/Trope: College AU, friends to lovers, fluff, smut, light angst
Word Count: 17,025
Content Warning: Self-esteem issues, alcohol, marijuana (of course, it's a jai fic), brief mention of drug dealing, it's very "hehe I have a crush" y'know, kinda YA of me jshdfks rip, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex, cunnilingus, can you tell I was a depressed poetry student in college??
A/N: This ended up being my most popular fic back in the day (lol like a year ago). I'm ngl, I don't think of it as highly as I do the other fics I've written, but this was I think the second fic I ever wrote?? Back in 2022. Crazy times. So y'know, growth and whateva. The funniest part is that probs 85% of this fic literally happened to me sjdfks. Except the "Jungkook" was only my friend and we just got stoned and vibed, and instead of painting a naked woman, one time during our studio sessions he painted an abstract rendition of my "soul" but it really just looked like a thumb I'm ngl. All my friends said he was in love with me cuz who paints portraits of someone's soul??
Soundtrack: Paint Me Naked - Ten
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“Jungkook, I don’t think this is gonna work.”
“Let me try.” 
Your eyes strained to see the boy standing in front of you, but the room was pitch black. It was good, though. You’d purposefully blocked out as much light as you possibly could. It had been a surprisingly difficult feat, mostly because the two of you hadn’t thought this through very well. A rolled up towel was shoved against the bottom of the bedroom door to keep the light from the hallway out. Blackout curtains had already been drawn over the windows when you got there, so that made the window problem easier. Luckily, you’d remembered to unplug the digital clock sitting on the nightstand next to the bed, the last piece of light you could have some control over putting out. 
To make things weirder, you were in Jungkook’s parents’ room. 
“It’s the darkest room in the house!” he’d insisted and you hadn’t objected because, well, it seemed on brand for the way the entire night was going. 
With arms stretched out, your fingers pressed into something bumpy and hard. You could hear Jungkook’s breathing beside you and a light laugh alerted to you that he was much closer than you’d initially thought. After a quick prod, fingers gliding slightly upward, you realized you were grabbing his abdomen. The hard ripples you’d felt were his toned abs beneath his thin t-shirt. 
“Sorry,” you whispered, though there was no need to be quiet. Jungkook’s hands wrapped around yours and took the objects you had clutched between them: scissors and an undeveloped film roll. 
Drawing your hands back to your side, you waited in silence. The sound of metal scraping against plastic was the only sound in the room aside from the quiet rustle of wind blowing through leaves outside. You don’t think you’d ever felt silence before until that moment. It was electric, a pulsing sizzle that sparked up your fingertips and jolted into your heart as you stood beside Jungkook. The harmony your breathing had fallen into made the moment feel far more intimate than you’d expected. Why was standing in the dark with someone so intimate? 
“Fuck,” Jungkook muttered, and you heard what you imagined was him stabbing the scissors into the film. 
“Oh my god, please don’t cut yourself, okay? I don’t know where the hospital is from here.”
His only response was another quiet laugh and you knew from the sound that his nose was doing that scrunched up thing that it always did when he was making fun of you. After only a few months of knowing Jungkook he was certainly very comfortable teasing you. He was pretty comfortable with you in general, you were beginning to realize. 
And why were you here? Standing in the dark with a boy you barely knew from a shared university class, one who towered over you in height as well as being much larger than you physically. Trying to pop open film because Jungkook somehow thought you could actually develop this film without having access to a real darkroom. Sure, all throughout high school you’d taken film photography classes. You had the development process memorized by heart, from the length of time the film needed to soak to the different types of chemicals needed and what order you were supposed to submerge the prints in. You’d even emailed your old high school teacher to double check. 
But doing all of that in Jungkook’s parents’ house? You knew it wasn’t going to work, but the guy had insisted on you helping him. Was it concerning that he had all these chemicals stored in a plastic tub in his closet? Maybe. And was it the safest decision to use scissors to pop open the film instead of the proper tool (which Jungkook had forgotten to order off of Amazon in advance)? Absolutely not. 
On top of that, no one knew where you were; you’d simply told your roommates that you were going to hang out with the guy from your university poetry class. 
“Jungkook? The weird one with all the tattoos and piercings?” Your roommate, Amiriah, had asked.  
“He’s not that weird.” 
“Y/N, he wrote a poem about eating pussy for a class assignment. You said so yourself. Please tell me how that’s a normal thing to do.” 
“And didn’t he have to read it outloud to the class because he turned it in late?” Now it was time for Courtney to pipe in from her position lounging on the couch, an episode of Love Connection paused on the TV screen. 
“Okay, yes, he did do both those things. But I swear he’s actually really sweet. He’s just misunderstood.” 
Courtney had launched a pillow at you, though the object zoomed past your head and landed against the refrigerator, knocking down multiple of Amiriah’s magnets. Much to her dismay. 
“Maybe we should take a break.” 
Jungkook’s voice brought you back to reality, or at least some semblance of it. You couldn’t understand how someone could have such a soft voice. Listening to Jungkook speak was like floating on a cloud. His cadence was a gentle caress against your skin, a sound that could easily flutter your eyes and lull you to sleep. It didn’t matter what he was saying; everything sounded better coming from Jungkook’s mouth. 
You nodded, forgetting that he couldn’t see you. A few moments and a bit of shuffling later, the lights sprung on. Your eyes instantly shut and slowly pried open again from the blaring brightness. 
The poor film looked like it had been mauled by a bear, but it was still somehow intact. Jungkook slipped it into his pocket for safekeeping and turned to look at you. He had this thing about eye contact that really made you uncomfortable. When he met your gaze, he looked straight into your eyes, as if he was looking into you rather than at you. 
“Do you want a drink?” 
His question caught you off guard, but he was already picking up the towel from the floor to open the bedroom door. Without answering, you followed him through the house and into the kitchen. You stood in the doorway, hands clasped in front of you, eyes following his large frame navigating the kitchen cabinets. 
“All my parents have is rosé, is that okay?” 
He uncorked the chilled bottle and poured each of you a glass. Then he did something that your roommates could add to the list of weird things they’d developed for him. 
He sat on the floor. 
You stared at him with your lips slightly parted, unsure if you were supposed to follow him. There was an entire kitchen table with multiple chairs. Why was he sitting on the floor with his back leaned against the doorframe? Bottle of rosé sitting on the tile next to him. He looked up at you with impossibly soft doe eyes and you couldn’t just stand there with your glass. So, you slowly sank to the floor, your shoulders brushing against each other as you sat next to him. 
“Y’know, I just realized the film you have is color film.” You spoke slowly, hating that you were about to burst his bubble. “You wouldn’t be able to develop it at home, anyway. The chemicals you bought are for black and white film, and color film has to be developed using heat.” 
“Damn.” Jungkook tipped his head back to take a very deep drink of his wine. 
“We gave a valiant effort, though.” You flashed him a small smile and the grin you got in return made your face grow hot. 
Your roommates weren’t really wrong. Jungkook didn’t have the best reputation on your university campus. There were rumors that he sold drugs (marijuana and acid, specifically) and had gang affiliations. He was quiet, kept to himself, and didn’t seem to have a whole lot of friends aside from a few guys who were equally just as questionable. Yes, you knew he’d gotten arrested the day before spring break started for getting into a fight with a guy on campus, but based on what your friends had told you, it was definitely the other guy’s fault. 
You’d also heard he had great head game, but that was a whole other thing. You just had a really hard time believing all the bad things people said about him, even when he’d admitted to a lot of the rumors being true. 
“A gang tried to recruit me when I was fresh outta high school, but I like selling on my own. Can’t trust people for shit.” 
He’d said it so casually, and you wondered what was wrong with you for finding a conversation about dealing drugs attractive. 
The thing your roommates, and a lot of other people, didn’t understand was that there was more to Jungkook than whatever dumb rumors got spread around (real or not). He was an exceptional writer. His poetry weaved in elements of hip hop, almost sounding like eloquent and lyrical rap lyrics rather than your typical stuffy poem that other students in your class tried to pass off as profound. He didn’t shy away from writing about mental health, sex, relationships, and loss. Everything he put down was raw, and you liked that it made other people in the class uncomfortable. Jungkook wasn’t afraid to be himself. Wasn’t that what art was supposed to be all about? 
And he was artistic in every way. Not only did he write well, but he was obviously into photography, and he also dabbled in multimedia sculpture. But the most impressive was probably his paintings. You’d seen the work he’d posted on Instagram, and during one of your hangouts he’d told you about how he’d been commissioned by the city to work on a public mural with another local artist. 
Very few people knew these things about Jungkook. They saw the tattoos, the piercings, the occasional blunt wedged between his lips, and they painted him in a way that was so distorted it annoyed you. 
“Thanks for helping me, though. I appreciate you.” 
You bit your bottom lip into your mouth to suppress another smile, instead opting to simply nod your head and cover up any expression by taking a drink. 
At this point, the two of you had been hanging out at least once a week. Usually you just sat outside on his parents’ front porch and smoked and talked about life. His parents seemed to always be out of town, and although Jungkook lived across the hall from you in the university dorms, he stayed at his parents’ house a lot to take care of their dog. 
It felt weird, though, hanging out with Jungkook. It was like all your interactions could only happen during those moments; otherwise, he didn’t talk to you when you saw him around campus. Even in your advanced poetry class, he would lock eyes with you across the room, but he never said a word. 
And it didn’t help that he was best friends and roommates with Kim Taehyung, the campus casanova who’d fucked you like you were the only girl in the world for an entire semester until you saw him cuddled up at a party with some other girl who didn’t even go to your university. The next day he was standing at your dorm asking for his skateboard back, weaving some lie about how summer break was the time to be single and have fun, but that he would “never forget” the fun times you’d had. 
Then Taehyung got a girlfriend. 
So maybe you were a little bit bitter over how things ended with Taehyung (and maybe you’d spent the entire summer crying yourself to sleep at night and aimlessly scrolling through Tinder, looking for anyone who might replace him and finding nothing). But the worst part was knowing that Taehyung had probably talked to Jungkook about you, and you had no idea what he might have said. 
“Hopefully the film is still okay,” you said after a moment, trying to pull yourself out of the cyclical negative thoughts you were often consumed by. 
You finished your glass, shaking your head at Jungkook’s offer for more rosé. He nodded, pushing himself up to stand and reached out to take your empty glass. 
You watched him from the floor as he washed the glasses in the sink. Your eyes lingered just a bit too long on the way his forearm muscles flexed while he cleaned, a few veins popping out along the back of his hands and the inside of his arm. Tattoos and piercings hadn’t ever been your thing, not that you didn’t appreciate the allure of body modifications. You’d just found yourself going after boys who looked polished, good boys to take home to mom. Jungkook had been the one to initiate your friendship, asking to hang out while you worked on your poems or read the many poetry collections due for class. You’d be a liar if you said his sudden interest in you hadn’t sparked your own interest in him.
Just one glass of wine was enough to make you a bit lightheaded, and Jungkook was a heavy pourer, apparently. 
“You good?” 
You blinked and stared into Jungkook’s face. He was drying off his hands now, watching you with an amused look on his face. 
“Umm, yeah. Just a lightweight,” you said with a breathy laugh that sounded a little too forced for your liking. Jungkook didn’t seem to notice. 
“You wanna go to my studio with me? The one on campus?” 
You looked down at your phone, a few text messages popping up from your roommates demanding to know where you were. Swiping to clear the notifications, you looked up at Jungkook and gave him a small smile. 
“Sure.” 
-
“That thing so fire baby, no propane. Got good pussy, girl, can I be frank? To keep it 100, girl, I ain’t no saint.” 
Music came blaring out of the car’s speakers at an alarmingly high volume, causing you to exhale a startled shout. Jungkook quickly lunged to turn down the volume and accidentally honked the car’s horn when his shoulder leaned against the steering wheel. 
“Shit, sorry.” 
“Talk about fucking sensory overload, fuck,” you mumbled, heart still dazed in your chest. 
“It was actually nice outside for once. I was whippin’ with the windows down, so the music’s gotta be louder.” 
All he was getting from you was rolled eyes and the sound of your seatbelt clicking into place. 
Jungkook turned around to look over his shoulder as he backed out of the driveway. He grabbed onto the back of your seat to position himself; once again, you found yourself eyeing his arms, exploring the exposed tattoos. It kind of pissed you off how hot it was when guys drove backwards. What was evolutionarily advantageous about that attraction? 
“If you wanna change it, I got a couple CDs.” 
Jungkook motioned to the middle console. You flipped through them, finding the album that was currently playing. You’d recognize it anywhere; he was one of your favorite musicians. 
“Bryson Tiller?” You turned the CD case over in your hand, eyes scanning the tracklist on the back. “You listen to sex music while you drive? And off a CD instead of Bluetooth, no less?”
Jungkook barked out a laugh, all teeth and crinkled eyes that you could just barely make out as the streetlights streaked over his face. 
“Yeah, I guess I do. You got a problem with Bryson?” His fingers lazily tapped against the steering wheel to the relaxed beat of Don’t - which happened to be your favorite song on the album. “This car is twenty-one years old. You’re lucky we’re not sitting here listening to cassettes.” 
“Who doesn’t like Bryson Tiller? That’s the baby-making music of our generation,” you said with a laugh. “Honestly, I can’t believe this song came out in fuckin’ 2015. Why does that feel like such a long time ago?” 
Jungkook sat in the driver’s seat with his legs spread as much as possible; this position was what had made you realize just how thick and nice his thighs really were. Plus, he drove with one hand on top of the steering wheel, left elbow bent slightly. He usually let his right hand rest against his thigh, though sometimes he held onto the gear shift in between the two of you. 
There was rarely any traffic in your college town, and especially not at 10pm on a Tuesday night. The two of you fell silent, Bryson Tiller’s soulful lyrics swirling through the car in the absence of conversation. Jungkook was typically a man of few words. You’d grown accustomed to carrying the conversation. With most people, that would have bothered you, but with Jungkook it was different. You knew he was paying attention when you talked; you could see it in the way the corners of his mouth twitched when you said something dorky (which was, apparently, all the time). 
And when he did have something to say, it was always worth the wait. 
“You’ve got good taste,” Jungkook said after driving a few blocks. “Guess I should probably add him to my sex playlist.”
Before you had time to process his comment Jungkook was pulling into the east parking lot of your university, the part of campus that was off to the side and only held art-related facilities. 
He led you to an unmarked backdoor of the building closest to the parking lot. Pushing the door open, he held it for you with a sweep of his hand. 
“Ladies first, noona.” 
Scowling at the honorific, you still obliged, entering a long hallway. The walls were bare, just an eggshell white, a few black scuff marks here and there, as if someone had been carrying something large and struggled to fit it through the narrow space. Jungkook maneuvered past you to lead the way to another unmarked door. 
The studio was a lot larger than you expected. One side of the room had a large rack of painted canvases to dry. You turned to inspect the left side of the room, finding multiple easels with additional canvases of varying sizes, most blank or seemingly half-finished. A rather worn-looking couch was placed in the middle of the room. Beside it was a coffee table and a Bluetooth speaker. (So Jungkook did know about modern technology.) Paint-covered tarps protected much of the concrete floor, and there were paint buckets and other supplies scattered in every corner. The entire room was pure chaos, but it seemed like there was an organization to it that only Jungkook knew. 
“So… yeah. This is my studio.” Jungkook closed the door behind you and locked it. 
Your heart skipped a beat at his action, but you swallowed down the spike of fear that had threatened to bubble up inside of you. You’d spent plenty of alone time with Jungkook. There was nothing to worry about. 
“I had to practically beg the school to let me have my own space since I’m not an art major, but they eventually let up,” Jungkook continued with a shrug. 
You were impressed, honestly. Jungkook wasn’t known for being the most reliable student academically; it was surprising they’d given him such privileges. 
“I like it,” you said simply, eyes still roaming the space. You weren’t sure what you were supposed to do now. Studio art wasn’t really your thing, poetry was. 
Luckily, Jungkook had a knack for reading your mind. 
“You can sit on the couch if you want. I got a project due tomorrow morning, so I’m gonna work on it. But if you wanna paint, just lemme know.” He scrolled through his phone as he spoke, and eventually more R&B music started playing from the speaker. 
“Tomorrow morning? JK, it’s fucking 10:30.” 
You stared at him with your head tilted to the side in disbelief, but you were only met with another shrug and a grin. Living on the edge. King of Procrastination, Jeon Jungkook. You were already getting secondhand stress. 
With a quiet hum to himself as the music took over, it was clear to you that Jungkook had switched to his serious side. He began prepping one of his easels with various paint brushes and paints. Dragging a heavy-looking but small filing cabinet next to the easel, he used the surface to store his supplies while he worked. 
You flopped onto the couch, adjusting so you could have a clear view of Jungkook. He looked cute in his jeans and black hoodie, a blunt pencil tucked behind his ear. His lips pouted slightly as he planned what he was going to do with his painting. Occasionally the pencil would be plucked from his ear and a few sketches appeared on the canvas, too light for you to see what they were from your position on the couch. 
The vibration of your phone tore your eyes away from Jungkook’s figure. It was no surprise that your roommate group text was blowing up. 
Courtnayyy 😘 [10:00] BITCH WHERE ARE YOU A Mili Amiriah 👑 [10:01] pls tell me the weirdo didn’t murder u Courtnayyy 😘 [10:04] If he did can I have your Mac Miller poster?  A Mili Amiriah 👑 [10:15] court how tf would she approve of that if she’s dead? she ain’t gonna see this shit Courtnayyy 😘 [10:18] Ouija board A Mili Amiriah 👑 [10:25] stfu 🔫 A Mili Amiriah 👑 [10:25] Y/N you better answer ur fucking phone right now A Mili Amiriah 👑 [10:40] hellooooooooooooooooooo
You let out a sigh loud enough for Jungkook to look over at you, eyebrows furrowed. 
“My roommates think you killed me.”
Jungkook grinned and turned back to his easel with a shake of his head. You’d expected him to say something, but then the reminder that Jungkook was… unconventional slithered into your mind. 
[10:45] I’m alive. Can you pls stop blowing up my phone now? 💀 Courtnayyy 😘 [10:46] FUCKING FINALLY  A Mili Amiriah 👑 [10:47] what are you doing?? [10:50] We’re just hanging out at his studio. I’ll probably leave soon
You tossed your phone next to you on the couch and lifted your arms into the air to stretch. It was rather warm in the studio and the smooth music of whatever playlist Jungkook had on was making you feel sleepy. What kind of lame college student were you? 
“I was serious about what I said.” Jungkook didn’t look at you while he painted, too focused on mixing the right shade of brown. 
“About what?”
“You can paint if you want. All the paint and brushes are in the cabinet.” 
You chewed on your bottom lip, eyes flitting from the filing cabinet next to Jungkook to the easel off to the side with a blank canvas. What if whatever you painted looked like shit? You had no idea what you were doing. 
But when did you ever get to paint in your adult life?
Pushing yourself off the couch you approached Jungkook to start rummaging in the drawers for supplies. You were stopped in your tracks, however, the moment your eyes landed on his painting. Considering that much time hadn’t passed, Jungkook was far along in his work. You came face to face with a woman, or at least the naked body of a woman. She was painted in soft earthy tones, curves accentuated by what looked like a gold silk ribbon that wrapped around her. The painting was certainly abstract because she was missing a head and her limbs weren’t finished, but just having her strong torso and thighs, and a long regal neck, somehow made her feel complete. 
“That’s beautiful, JK. She looks so realistic… How can you do all those little details so quickly?” You spoke quietly, desperately wishing you could touch the canvas. 
“Painting nudity is easy.” Another classic Jungkook shrug. “That’s why it’s so overdone. There’s nothing more beautiful than humans in their purest state, right? We’re the original art.” 
You would have never considered nudity to be pure, but you liked Jungkook’s analysis. Society saw nudity as all about sex. Despite his depiction of breasts and genitalia, Jungkook’s painting was a reflection and appreciation of a body. 
You wondered if it was anyone’s body in particular. 
The thought soured your mood a bit, and you quickly returned your focus to finding the supplies you needed. Satisfied, you took up the easel beside Jungkook. What the fuck were you going to paint? Especially now that you had this beautiful work blooming next to you. 
“Don’t think about it so much. Just go for it.” 
There was Jungkook reading your mind again. 
You weren’t sure how much time passed with the two of you working silently. At first you’d considered doing something abstract, but eventually you felt compelled to do something a bit more realistic. You’d retrieved your phone (ignoring your roommates’ texts again) to pull up a photo for reference as you painted. 
After a while Jungkook lifted his finished painting and carried it to the rack to dry. By the time he had completed his painting, you were putting your final touches on yours - one that was far more simplistic. You found it entertaining, though. 
“Who is that?” 
You’d been so absorbed in getting those final details perfected that you hadn’t noticed Jungkook standing right behind you. You jumped slightly and that elicited a chuckle from the boy. 
“It’s a portrait of Bad Bunny.” Your greatest celebrity crush. 
“He’s cute. You did a good job considering you looked so scared to start.” His comment left your cheeks burning. You’d hoped it hadn’t been so obvious, but Jungkook was too observant for his own good (and for yours, too). “Maybe I should hire you as my assistant.”
“Thanks. It’s not as good as yours, though.” 
Jungkook waved you off and the action made him realize he had a good amount of paint on his hands. Rather than find a towel, he simply rubbed his hands against his thighs. You watched him, eyes lingering on the way his thighs stretched the tight material of his jeans. Looking up to return to his face you were met with a smirk. You were doing a real shitty job at being subtle, apparently. 
You chose not to say anything and focused your attention on finishing your painting, not wanting Jungkook to be waiting for you longer than he needed to. He sat down on the couch, now distracted by his phone. 
“So,” you spoke as you lifted up your finished painting, following Jungkook’s instructions to put it on the drying rack. “What was the inspiration for your painting?” 
Was it a bold question? You were trying to play it off like you weren’t going to cling to whatever his answer was. 
Jungkook patted the space next to him to encourage you to sit down. Once you were sitting next to him, your body turned slightly to face him, Jungkook leaned forward. His face was mere inches from yours and you could feel his breath tickle your cheek. He watched you with those brown doe eyes, such an innocent feature on an otherwise devious-looking face. The smirk that formed on his lips strongly contrasted the sweetness of his eyes. 
Jungkook’s tongue poked out to play with his lip ring before he answered your question. It was impossible to look away from his lips, and you thought you felt your heart stop. 
“The deadline.” 
The smirk grew deeper as he pulled away, running a hand through his hair. You were more than disappointed, feeling yourself deflate and finally realizing you’d been holding your breath. Your shoulders slumped slightly, but you managed to mask the reason for your disappointment by pretending you were disappointed in him. 
“Boy, you need to work on your assignments earlier so you can come up with something good,” you huffed, crossing your arms against your chest. 
“Was it not good?” He grinned, a cocky twinkle in his eyes, no longer doe-shaped but narrowed in mirth. “Come on, let me drop you off. It’s almost 2.” 
“Fuck, I have an 8am.” 
With a quick check on your phone you saw that it was indeed almost 2am. How had you spent almost four hours in the studio without realizing it? Nevermind the fact that you’d spent another three or four hanging out with Jungkook before you’d even gotten to the studio. 
“I’d skip if I was you.” 
Jungkook led you through the art building and to his car, making sure that the music didn’t startle you half to death when he started the car this time. 
“Unlike you, I’m a good student, thanks.” 
It wasn’t a terrible dig because you knew Jungkook enough to know he didn’t give a shit. All he’d do was give you a small smile and melt your heart with the confusion of how it was possible for someone to look both so soft and so dangerous. 
Your dorm was on the other side of campus, so the drive over was quick. But rather than drop you off at the sidewalk, Jungkook pulled into the parking lot, much to your surprise. 
“I thought you were staying over at your parents’?” 
Jungkook kept the car running, but he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned back in his chair.
“Me and Tae are gonna go smoke. I got this new strain of indica we wanna try.”
He didn’t look at you when he spoke, instead facing forward to peer out the window. Once he brought up weed, you realized you could smell the remnants of weed smoke in Jungkook’s car, partially masked by air freshener. 
At the mention of Jungkook’s roommate you felt your stomach drop. The feeling was only intensified when you followed Jungkook’s gaze to see a figure with long legs and broad shoulders make their way down the sidewalk, heading right in your direction. You felt ice shoot through your veins and panic settle into your chest. 
“Oh,” you squeaked out. You needed to escape, but you couldn’t force your hands to unbuckle yourself and open the door. 
“Do you wanna come with us?” Jungkook took your lack of movement as a desire to get high. 
You looked at Jungkook with an open mouth, but nothing came out. And even if you could speak, Taehyung was already flinging the car door open. 
“Oh, shit, Y/N. I didn’t even see you there.” Taehyung leaned against the car door, eyes sweeping over your small figure as you attempted to look as relaxed as possible. 
Did he lick his lips or were you just imagining that? 
“Want me to sit in the back?” 
Taehyung leaned down so he could poke his head into the car and talk to Jungkook right over you. The position gave you a perfect view of his neck and his collarbones peeking out from beneath the silk button-up shirt he was wearing, the first few buttons undone as usual. His cologne smelled like cedar and you could faintly smell something fruity, likely the strawberry-flavored vape he smoked. 
All of that was enough to send you mentally screaming into the void. 
“ThanksJungkookIgottago,” you sputtered, doing your best not to touch Taehyung as you moved around him to get out.
“Y/N!” 
You ignored Jungkook’s call, not daring to look back. Despite your exhaustion you took the stairs two at a time until you made it to your dorm, nearly dropping your keys as you unlocked the door. The kitchen and living room were dark, so you knew your roommates were asleep - or at least in their own rooms. You didn’t even bother to do your nighttime routine, opting to strip down to your underwear and collapse into your bed face-first. 
Darkness and silence brought you no solitude; quite honestly, they had the opposite effect. All you had in your head was Taehyung’s face… in your ears, his voice… in your nostrils, his smell. 
Groaning, you flipped onto your back and grabbed your phone to put on your favorite thunderstorm white noise playlist. In the middle of picking the perfect sound, your phone buzzed with a text. 
Jungkook (Poetry) [2:15] you good?
You bit your lip, not wanting to leave him hanging so late, but also knowing if you went down this rabbithole you’d never fall asleep. 
[2:16] I’m fine
Your phone vibrated almost immediately, but you forced yourself to put it away. Whatever Jungkook had to say could wait until the morning. Or until never, because right now you never wanted to speak to another human ever again.
-
Jungkook (Poetry) [2:16] you don’t have to lie to me Jungkook (Poetry) [3:02] lying destroys our intrinsic value as human beings by corrupting our ability to make rational choices and have free will Jungkook (Poetry) [3:03] immanuel kant said that
You didn’t realize you’d be hit with a philosophical lecture the moment you woke up, but then you remembered that Jungkook had gone smoking with Taehyung. The two of them got all philosophical when they were high, as if they really could achieve some kind of superior knowledge. 
They were idiots. 
“Oh my god, when the fuck did you get home last night?” 
Anyone speaking that loud and harshly so early in the morning was an assailant. You glared at Courtney, brushing past her to get to the bathroom. You shouldn’t have been surprised that the girl stayed outside the bathroom door as she waited for you to finish. 
“It was definitely after 1am ‘cause that’s when we went to bed,” she kept on talking even when you turned the shower on. “What could you guys have possibly been doing that whole time? Did you hook up?” 
“No.”
“What?” Courtney strained to hear you over the sound of the high-pressure water. 
“I said, no!” 
It was ridiculous that you were standing there, rubbing your naked body down with lavender exfoliating soap, while you discussed your alleged hook up with a guy you barely knew. 
You thanked the Lord Almighty that your schedule didn’t line up with your roommates on Wednesdays, or else you would have had to suffer Courtney and Amiriah’s interrogations the whole day. 
Instead you sleepily dragged yourself through two morning classes and a work shift at the university library before you’d eventually have to face Jungkook head-on. 
-
Your Advanced Poetry class was small enough that all the students could sit around a large table together. The small, intimate class size made it easier for collaboration and made workshops feel a bit less ruthless. You’d gotten to the point that you could read anonymous poems from each of your classmates and know exactly who wrote what. You were like a little family who met every Wednesday evening for two hours and poured your thoughts, dreams, fears, and goals into each other with every written piece. This class was going to be what broke your heart when the semester was over; you could already feel yourself missing it. 
“Alright, y’all, we’re going to workshop the imitation poems from the exercise last week.”
You felt your heart drop to the pit of your stomach. Whatever else Professor Mendez was saying didn’t compute; she sounded like she was speaking underwater and all you could do was shift your eyes to look at Jungkook across the table from you. You hadn’t expected him to be already looking at you nor for him to hold your gaze until you quickly looked away. 
The poem you’d written for the exercise was about Taehyung. 
You’d thought only your professor was ever going to see it. And now she was calling on you to read yours aloud first. No one else would know who it was about, but you knew Jungkook would know. 
“Y/N?” 
Professor Mendez looked at you, her star pupil, with an encouraging smile. You swallowed, avoiding Jungkook’s gaze though you felt him staring. If you kept the piece of paper on the table in front of you, you wouldn’t risk showing everyone that your hands were slightly trembling. And then you opened your mouth. 
I SAW YOU ONCE IN A FEVER DREAM  (After Kaveh Akbar) I saw you once in a fever dream shirtless  swaddling me in a hammock hanging from cedar trees   When you smoke it gets stuck   in your hair Save it for later The smell of marijuana   and strawberry vapes     lingered in my clothes     In another fever   dream you were my mother The doctor asked if I am  allergic to any medications and I should   have said yes but it is only you   I have felt love flow through me I have never felt   it given My friend once told me  there is only so much you can do   At what point am I the problem   Sometimes I stare at the wall and peel the nails  off of my fingers for every time you broke me  Somehow it feels better this way  
It was depressing, pathetic even. Sure, you’d imitated Kaveh Akbar’s unique writing style to a T, but now you looked stupid for writing about a man you’d never even dated, who had unofficially “dumped” you last spring semester. Jungkook had to know. Unless he was completely oblivious (which was honestly likely, when you really thought about it). And maybe you were being too cocky, assuming some guy who you meant nothing to would care or even pay attention to the fact that his friend had fucked you into a broken heart. 
You sat with tight lips as the class discussed your poem, a few people put off by your use of space on the page, others praising your unique way of formatting the stanzas. Jungkook never spoke, but he never did until the end of class when Professor Mendez called him out for being silent. Then he would provide feedback for whoever had gone before him, his opinion usually directly contradicting whatever your professor said. She knew he wasn’t being defiant, and she welcomed his creative challenge of the status quo. But sometimes he was a bit much. 
“Well, Mr. Jungkook. Let’s hear yours.” 
You could feel the entire room both tense and lean forward, as if scared but also unimaginably eager for whatever it was they were about to receive. 
“I didn’t finish, but I can read what I have. It’s a prose poem.” 
UNTITLED I met her in the evaporated residue of a midnight bong rip. Among glimmers of artificially-simulated worlds, of over-saturated hues. Hurried hues of a purple-pink bruise, bloom, slippery between thighs. Tongue flicks. Slide. These things only happen behind closed doors. An eternity of almosts, she likes to wear my hand as a choker. Drag me whole into desire, into pink folds and broken promises. Drip slick slow stroke glide and move inside, eat feast thrive. Beat it up every time. Pulsate. Pulsate. Own it. My hands on your hips. Blindfold over your eyes. Selfish fuck. I am a decomposing mind; her body whispers otherwise. 
Jungkook could have written a poem about dog shit and the way he recited it would have been breathtaking. It didn’t matter that his lines were verging on pornographic for an academic setting; simply the way the alliteration flowed like honey from his mouth was enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. The words came out like a gentle lullaby of filth, a smooth mantra, a promise of sin. It was no wonder the classroom fell silent. Even Professor Mendez stared at Jungkook with an unreadable expression on her face. 
“Thank you, Jungkook,” she said after a moment. 
He nodded politely and slouched into his seat again. 
Professor Mendez looked around the room for the first volunteer to take a stab at critiquing Jungkook’s poem. Only a brave soul could manage, and you were determined to keep your mouth shut. You could already visualize the way your classmates were going to gossip about this once class was over. You wondered how long it would take for Courtney and Amiriah to find out. 
“Who would like to go first?” 
It appeared the class had very few critiques, likely because no one wanted to dive too deeply into the abstract and overtly-sexual writing that had been. 
Professor Mendez went on a mini rant about the importance of knowing how to keep the flow of a prose poem that somehow derailed into a story about her new puppy. Perhaps someone had gotten her going to kill the last few minutes of class until it was 8pm and she was forced to let the group of you go into the night. 
You always managed to be the last person leaving the classroom every Wednesday night. Usually it was due to your prolonged conversations with Professor Mendez, the two of you gushing over a new poetry collection or the latest episode of a TV show. Jungkook, on the other hand, was typically the first to leave. Likely to go find his little crew of delinquents to do drugs with or whatever else they got themselves into. 
Except apparently not today. 
As you waved a goodbye to Professor Mendez, you headed down the empty hallway fully aware of the second pair of shoes echoing in the silence along with yours. Your insides were still scrambled from the series of exceptionally unfortunate events that had involved Kim Taehyung in the past twenty-four hours. You had no desire to entertain Jungkook, especially not after him staring you down all of class. And reading that fucking poem. 
“Are you really gonna ignore me?” 
You squeezed the straps of your backpack and stopped in front of the door to leave the academic building. If you acted bothered it would make you more suspicious. And it would let Kim Taehyung continue to rule your mind. You were better than this… 
So you turned around to face the doe-eyed boy and tried not to imagine his hand squeezing your throat. 
“I’m not ignoring you.” You cocked your head to one side in feigned confusion. Jungkook met your look with a small pout. 
“I’m sorry if I did something to upset you yesterday.” 
So, he didn’t know. Either that, or he was lying. But didn’t Immanuel Kant say lying is bad? You did everything in your power not to scowl to yourself. 
“I’m fine, Jungkook. I swear.” You let out an irritated sigh, casting a glance behind your shoulder as you heard thunder ripple through the air outside. You’d obviously forgotten to check the weather that morning, looking down at your t-shirt and shorts. 
“Okay…” He eyed you skeptically, but he didn’t want to push you further and threaten pushing you away completely. “Can I walk with you?” 
“Of course.” He lived literally across the hall from you. You could open your door and be face-to-face with his. 
“Okay… Can I give you a hug?” 
You rolled your eyes so far and deep inside your skull it was a surprise they didn’t detach and disappear somewhere. It wasn’t fair that you were taking out your frustrations on Jungkook simply because your ego was hurt. That self-awareness was what made you nod your head with your arms outstretched. 
Jungkook enveloped you in his large frame, the side of your face pressed against his chest. One of his arms wrapped around your waist, and he held the back of your head in his free hand. There was something about Jungkook’s closeness that caught you off guard. Perhaps it was because this was the first time you’d ever hugged each other; you’d never been this physical with each other at all, actually. You weren’t much of the hugging type, anyway. 
Jungkook’s warmth made you settle into his embrace for much longer than you’d expected. He felt soft, safe. Even the chemical smell of paint that had seeped into his hoodie was welcoming. Despite the rumbling of a heavy thunderstorm outside, you could still hear his heart beat beneath you. Something about that realization made you pull away from him suddenly. It was just too… close. 
He stared at you with a wrinkled brow and the pout was slowly coming back, but he stayed silent. You couldn’t meet his eyes. 
“Ready?”
 With raised shoulders you braced yourself for the downpour. 
By the time the two of you had sprinted across the courtyard, you were completely soaked. You felt your earlier frustrations melt with the water droplets gliding down your arms as you leaned against Jungkook’s equally-soaked body. He was nearly doubled over in laughter, shoulder pressed against the wall next to the front door of his dorm room. 
“You look like a wet cat,” he teased. 
“Oh yeah? Well you look like a wet dog.” Your poor hair was going to get embarrassingly frizzy if you didn’t take care of it immediately. 
Jungkook flashed you an evil grin and violently shook his head, sending water spraying all over. 
“Jungkook, stop!” you hollered, giving him a shove. “I feel so gross already.” 
You twisted around to fish out your dorm key from your backpack, but your fingers scraped the bottom of the pocket. No key. 
“Fuck,” you cursed, setting your backpack on the ground to search through more pockets. Giving up on that possibility, you checked the pockets of your shorts. Nothing. 
Unlocking your phone, your thumb hovered over your roommate group text, unsure if you should interrupt Amiriah and Courtney. It was a little after 8pm… Both of your roommates would be in their weekly sorority meeting that usually lasted at least an hour, if not two. 
“What’s wrong?” 
“I… locked myself out.” What a fucking rookie mistake. What was this, freshman year? “I’m pretty sure I left my keys on the kitchen table.” 
Now you were stranded in your hallway, cold and soaking wet. You could go downstairs to ask your RA to let you in, but she was a bitch. 
“You’re a mess. Come on, I’ve got clothes for you.” 
He didn’t give you the opportunity to protest; instead, he stepped inside his dorm without even so much as a look over his shoulder at you. 
Apparently your desire to be warm and dry was stronger than your fear of entering the Dorm Room from Hell. You’d never been in Jungkook’s dorm before, mostly because you didn’t want to run into Taehyung. 
The layout was the same as yours: full kitchen with adjacent living room, long hall with individual bedrooms that ended with a bathroom. The decorations practically screamed “guys who smoke weed” considering the giant marijuana leaf tapestry hanging in the living room and the multicolored string lights that hung on the ceiling casting a psychedelic glow throughout the dorm. An incense that smelled interestingly like the ocean was burning on the coffee table. 
You were pretty sure burning incense wasn’t allowed on university property. Then again, neither was smoking weed in the parking lot, but Jungkook and his roommates did whatever they wanted. 
“Are you just gonna stand there or…?” 
Jungkook led the way down the hall, you trailing a bit behind him as you continued being nosy. As you passed the first bedroom, the door suddenly swung open, causing you to yelp when you were face-to-face with a rather grumpy looking man with shockingly green hair. The bleary look of his eyes told you he’d been asleep. 
“Why the fuck are you wet?” 
You did a double take, shocked at the roughness of the question from a stranger. Before you could answer, Jungkook was pulling you forward by the wrist. 
“Hyung, I went to the grocery store today. There’s tangerines on the counter.” 
The green-haired roommate grumbled a thank you and shot straight to the kitchen. 
“Just ignore Yoongi,” Jungkook whispered, stopping in front of his bedroom. “He’s a fifth-year senior and probably ready to burn the entire university down.” 
Jungkook’s bedroom was the exact opposite of what you’d expected. After seeing the chaos of his art studio, you’d thought his bedroom would be much of the same. Instead you were met with a simple, organized room. No clutter, no mess. Everything had its place, not an art supply in sight. Peaking over his shoulder, you saw even his dresser drawers were organized, each article of clothing neatly folded. That was likely why Jungkook was able to quickly pick out a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts to hand you. 
“Oh, and this,” he tossed you a towel, as well. “You can use the bathroom. I’ll be in here.” 
“Thank you,” you said with an appreciative nod. 
The skin on your fingers had wrinkled up from the rain and you pressed them into the towel to find some relief. Who knew the feeling of wearing dry clothes would be so sweet? You took your time in the bathroom, rubbing down every inch of your body. Unfortunately, even your underwear and bra were soaked. If you put on dry clothes over them, the water would surely bleed into the fabric. So you opted for going commando, to your dismay. At least Jungkook’s t-shirt was baggy enough that your chest wasn’t on full display, and it wasn’t like anyone would know you weren’t wearing underwear. 
You caught a look at yourself in the mirror and laughed at how ridiculous you looked. It was like you’d come out of a really bad hip-hop music video from the early 2000s, literally drowning in baggy clothes. 
“Hey Jungkook… Do you have something I could put my clothes in?” You stood in the hallway in front of Jungkook’s bedroom, wet clothes in your hands. The door was closed and you were afraid of opening it if he was still changing. 
“You look cute.” 
You instinctively squeezed your bundle of clothes, turning your head to the side at the sound of that Mother. Fucking. Annoying. Ass. Voice. 
Taehyung raised an eyebrow at you, probably utterly confused as to why you looked the way you did, standing there in his dorm. You were determined to give him absolutely nothing. 
“So, you and Jungkook, huh?” 
A small smirk twisted at the corners of his mouth. By the way he was standing with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, it was clear that he wasn’t planning on walking away. 
“We just got back from class,” you said matter-of-factly. 
You focused on a spot on the wall to the right of his head when you spoke; it made it easier to look at him without having to stare into his eyes. Even though you found absolutely nothing about your statement funny, Taehyung started laughing. It was a low chuckle that brought that stupid smirk out even more. 
“Were you coming back from class at 2 o’clock this morning, too?” 
His eyes glinted with something that made a shiver shoot down the length of your spine. 
Luckily, Jungkook’s abrupt presence swinging the bedroom door open gave you and Taehyung someone else to focus on, and you could safely escape the fact that you didn’t have a witty comeback to shove in Taehyung’s face for teasing you about Jungkook. There was nothing there with Jungkook.  
He just gave nice hugs. And you respected his creative mind. And he had great taste in music. And you felt a little bit bad for him because people didn’t seem to give him the chances he deserved. And, wow, he was standing in the doorway of his bedroom wearing form-fitting gray sweatpants that sat low on his hips and you could tell that they sat low because he was shirtless. And your eyes were skipping down the path that his happy trail was leading from his belly button down to the strings of his sweatpants that hung down just on top of where you could make out a slight bulge in the fabric. 
“Y/N?” 
You quickly tore your eyes from Jungkook’s crotch to look at his face, not missing the way Taehyung’s smirk was growing even wider. You opened your mouth, then looked down at your clothes, then back at Jungkook. 
“She wants something to put her clothes in,” Taehyung admitted once it was clear you weren’t going to cooperate. “I’m going over to Natalie’s. Oh, and I dipped into your Trojan stash. Yoongi hyung didn’t have any and you have too many.” 
He flashed Jungkook a grin and pushed himself from his leaning position on the wall. 
“Have fun,” he offered over his shoulder as he walked away, heading to go fuck his girlfriend’s brains out. 
You were going to throw up. 
“What a fucking asshole,” you breathed through gritted teeth. 
Rather than be surprised at your cursing, Jungkook gave you a sympathetic look as he took your wet clothes from you to put in a small duffle bag. 
“I’m sorry…” he said after a moment, gesturing for you to step into his bedroom. He closed the door behind you and hopped onto his bed. Just as he’d done in the studio, he patted the space next to him to get you to sit with him. 
“C’mere.” 
“Jungkook, I don’t wanna bother you anymore. You’ve had to deal with me a lot the past 24 hours.” 
“Do I look bothered?”
You gave the boy a tight shake of your head and clambered onto the bed beside him, careful to sit hunched over a bit so your chest wouldn’t be too obvious. For once, he no longer smelled like paint. Instead your senses were overwhelmed by the strong scent of his laundry detergent, something akin to the ocean breeze of the incense the roommates were burning in the living room. He leaned his back against the headboard, but he turned at an angle to look at you from the side. 
“He told me about you two…” 
You felt your body stiffen at his confession and Jungkook rushed to finish his thought. 
“Not the details or anything. But just that you were hooking up.” 
Great. This was perfect. Leave it to Taehyung to treat you like a secret yet blabber to his friends. You hadn’t even told any of your friends about Taehyung. To this day, Courtney and Amiriah had no idea. And could you even trust Jungkook when he said the details were spared? Didn’t boys love to talk about their sexual conquests? 
“I’m sorry he’s such a fuckboy.” 
“Oh, like you aren’t, too?” 
“What?!” 
Jungkook stared at you incredulously, shocked by your sudden aggression. But you couldn’t stop yourself. The anger you’d let fester in you from countless boys quite literally fucking you over was all spilling over the top. It was just unfortunate that Jungkook was there to bear the weight rather than Taehyung; but you didn’t think he was wholly innocent either. College boys were entitled and selfish. Even though Jungkook had never done anything to you, you’d seen how some girls followed after him like he was some kind of mystery meant to be solved. He never explicitly talked about his love life with you, but you only took that as a bad sign. 
“Oh don’t act brand new, Jungkook. You literally make everything about sex. Literally all your poems are about eating pussy. You made that fucking painting of a naked women. And what the fuck is that?” 
Your arm shot out to point at a painting hanging on his wall that looked vaguely like an abstract rendition of a vulva. It somehow felt like the icing on the fucked up cake. 
“It’s called artistic appreciation!”
“You’re just as gross as Taehyung and all the other guys who just use women for their bodies and don’t give a fuck about how we feel or-”  
“Stop it.” Jungkook’s voice hit you like ice. You dropped your arm down and whipped your head back around to look at him, lips falling open at the harshness of his tone. 
“Don’t compare me to Tae. You don’t know what I’m like. You barely know me at all.” 
“That’s not-” 
“I said stop, okay?” he interjected again and the glare he sent you was enough to shut you up for good. Being scolded wasn’t exactly high on your list of favorite activities, especially not from someone you considered to be a friend. Your cheeks felt like they were on fire and you struggled to swallow down your words, shame creeping up your face in waves.
“I’ve spent the last four months in that poetry class watching you write about feeling broken and alone and misunderstood. And you know what I do? I invite you over to do homework ‘cause I know none of your other friends are studying English. And I asked you to go to Morgan Parker’s book reading with me ‘cause I knew you didn’t have anyone else to go with. And I invited you to my studio ‘cause you said you wish you were good at art and I wanted you to see that you could be good if you tried.” 
At this point his cheeks had turned bright pink and his hands were bunched up into fists in his lap. As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t look away from the fire in his eyes. 
“I’m not trying to make you feel like you owe me anything or to get some kind of recognition, okay? But just don’t fucking compare me to Tae when all I’ve ever tried to do is make you feel less alone. I like you, a lot. And I don’t even care that you’re not into me and you’re still caught up on him. I genuinely just want you to be happy.” 
With his monologue over, Jungkook turned his head to stare down at his hands, leaving you to peer at his profile with your mouth hanging open. 
It was the most you’d heard Jungkook speak, ever. It was also the most expressive you’ve ever seen him. Despite his passion for art, Jungkook was a very level person; he was collected even in the most stressful situations. To see him visibly shaking as he raised his voice was upsetting. 
“Jungkook…” You reached out to touch his arm and your heart broke into a million pieces when he flinched. 
“It’s whatever.” 
But it wasn’t. 
You felt like shrinking into the smallest version of yourself and disappearing. You’d spent so much time aching over the wounds Taehyung had left that you hadn’t considered what you might be missing out on, or how you might have been hurting someone else. Your head was lost in the dark cloud hanging over you; your heart couldn’t see anything in front of you. Blinded by your own pain, healing long overdue. 
You were so fucking stupid. 
“JK…” you started again. Lifting your hand, you brought your fingers to his chin and encouraged him to turn his head to look at you. “I’m so sorry. I really am. I just… It hurts? I don’t know what to do with the hurt.” 
From Taehyung and every other reckless boy. 
You let go of his face and waited, holding your breath until your lungs burned. Much to your disappointment, Jungkook maintained that cold stare, his eyes boring into yours so deeply that you felt like he was seeing something inside of you that even you didn’t know. You were afraid to look at him, shame making it difficult to hold your head up.  
“Give it to me.” 
“What?” It was your turn to cast your eyebrows down in confusion. 
“Give me the hurt. You don’t have to hold onto it anymore. I can take it.” His large hand enveloped your own, thumb running figure 8s into your skin.
You tried to speak, but you couldn’t choke out even a whisper as his words repeated in your head. Give me the hurt. Your hands shivered beneath his and you looked away quickly, feeling that horrid prickling in the corner of your eyes. You were not going to lose it just because you were touch-starved and never once in your life had someone so soundly declared their desire to take on whatever pain it was that you were feeling. You liked to keep your pain a secret, only letting out emotions through your poetry. And even then, you wanted to separate yourself from it. Writing was like putting down your emotion, letting it exist outside of you, so you could live free from it. But that didn’t always happen the way you wanted it to. 
You blinked quickly, losing focus on Jungkook’s face until you felt something hot slip down your cheek and you realized you were crying. 
“I’m sorry,” you whispered, embarrassment flooding your chest as you tried not to hiccup. What kind of emotional disaster were you? As Courtney would say, it wasn’t very girlboss of you. 
“I can take it.” 
This time the embers had gone out in his eyes. Instead, his irises were pleading with you. You tried to cover your face with your hands, but Jungkook held them down. He brushed your cheeks dry with his thumb, cradling your chin in his palm. 
“You deserve better, okay?” 
It was difficult to believe, but the soft gaze Jungkook held made you want to think maybe he was right. But how could it be possible for someone to want to carry your burden for you? He had no reason to. 
“I’m good now,” you said after a moment, the tears dried and your breathing returning to normal. You wanted to give him an out, let him have the opportunity to feel like he’d done his part in case he didn’t really mean what he said. You refused to let yourself fall for anymore bullshit. 
“Are you sure?” 
“Yeah, I’m fine.” 
“You don’t have to lie to me…” 
There was that familiar line. You felt your eyes instinctually roll and you couldn’t stop the next snarky comment from slipping past your lips, using biting humor as a defense mechanism to cope. 
“Okay, Immanuel Kant.” 
Jungkook snorted, matching your eye roll, but he gave you a smile that reached his eyes. A classic Jungkook grin that had you giving a small smile in return and making your stomach flip like a fucking gymnast. It made you slowly float back down to reality and you remembered you were sitting in a shirtless Jungkook’s bed, his body leaned forward out of concern for you, his face mere inches from yours. Hand still cradling your chin. 
“Jungkook…” 
Your voice got caught in your throat with what little breathing you could manage. Then you watched his eyes drop to your lips as you whispered his name, and the melancholic look he gave you when his gaze returned to yours made you squeeze your eyes shut with guilt. He’d confessed his interest in you and you’d completely glossed over it. Not on purpose, but somehow you were making your feelings the priority once again. And now he looked at you like you were already gone. 
“Yeah, Y/N?” You opened your eyes at his call. 
“I…” 
You wanted to tell him how you felt, you really did. But life had taught you that in relationships there was always someone who cared more, and that person always got hurt the most. You just couldn’t keep being that person. 
Jungkook studied your face for what felt like an eternity. If he was expecting you to finish your sentence, he was certainly being patient. But it was the way his mouth turned downward into a small frown and his eyes traveled off somewhere behind you that told you he’d lost hope. 
Until he was staring at you once again and his grip on your chin tightened so subtly you almost didn’t notice. 
“Can I kiss you?” 
His voice came out low and thick. The tone sent a shiver down your spine and made goosebumps rise along your forearms. You’d never heard his voice drop so deep before, nor had you seen his eyes darken the way they had now. A spark of desire fluttered in your stomach and you felt nearly lightheaded from the way your body was hitting a peak level of anxiety over his question. If you said yes, were you just giving into yet another boy who would ruin you? And you believed Jungkook could ruin you. He was an artist; they were always trouble. 
But there was no denying the fact that your nervousness was merely a physical response to your interest in Jungkook that had grown exponentially over time. You were weak, and he was right. You did feel broken and alone and misunderstood. And you knew that sometimes Jungkook felt that way, too.
Just when Jungkook began to pull away with a look of rejection written across his face, you nodded. Unable to speak, you watched Jungkook’s tongue swipe across his bottom lip as he leaned in even closer. 
You were prepared for something much more lewd than what Jungkook gave you. Though your lips were parted, he didn’t invade your space. Instead of tongue and lip biting, you were met with a chaste kiss. His lips were soft and gentle, and the way his hand cupped your face made you feel secure, just as you’d felt when he hugged you. You’d never felt a sense of security with someone from a simple kiss. 
And then he was ending the kiss just as quickly as he’d started it, finally dropping his hand from your face. 
“Sorry,” he sighed, no longer meeting your eyes when he spoke. “I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t want you to feel like you had to agree to that…” 
It was your turn to shut him up. Maybe it was the remaining hormones swirling in your brain from having cried so much, or the adrenaline from being kissed by a man you’d tried to shoo out of your mind, but you felt bold enough to take his chin in your hand as he had done to you. You pressed your lips against his, this time forcing his mouth into a faster, deeper rhythm. The kiss was heavy and more desperate than the first. It was what you’d initially expected Jungkook to give you; a makeout that went hard and fast from the beginning, 0 to 100. That was what fuckboys did, wasn’t it? Anything to get their dick wet the quickest. 
It was what you were used to.
Your small hands found the tops of his shoulders, fingers running along his smooth, warm skin before you pushed him against the headboard. Swinging your leg over his, your knees sank into the soft bed as you straddled him. You adjusted slightly in his lap and the shift made your core press directly on top of the bulge in his pants that you’d admired earlier. This realization made the sudden heat between your legs melt like lava, and you ground your hips into his in a smooth but firm motion. 
The movement elicited a deep groan from the back of Jungkook’s throat, another sweet sound you’d never had the pleasure of hearing fall from his lips. With his lips parted from groaning, you took the opportunity to slip your tongue inside of his mouth. His hands pushed up the hem of your shirt just enough to allow him to reach the skin of your waist, gripping you hard as your body moved against his. 
“Y/N, wait.” 
Jungkook pulled back to lean his head against the bed’s headboard and you were met not with lust-filled eyes as you expected, but eyes that looked so deeply pained you almost wanted to avert your gaze. 
“I don’t wanna be a rebound. I want this to mean something, or else I can’t do this.” 
Jungkook’s voice came out hoarse, and it trembled. His eyes still held that undeniable sadness that reminded you that, once again, you had failed to see how your own fear of rejection had made you ignorant to the feelings you were instilling in him. Here he was, willing to give himself over to you, holding back because he was afraid that you would hurt him.
Once again, shame flooded your face as you frantically searched for a way to show that you needed this to mean something, that in just a few months he had become the most constant person in your life, the person you were most comfortable with even when all you often did was just sit and talk about life. 
There was an obvious way to fix this, but you still had that gnawing feeling holding you back. 
“I like you, too, Jungkook.” Squeezing your eyes shut, you spoke just barely above a whisper. If you didn’t look at him, the vulnerability of the moment would be easier to manage. “You’re kind and smart even though you’re always toeing the line of academic probation.” 
Your words came out rushed, the last comment making you let out a laugh that sounded more like a short burst of air, and you held onto his shoulders for dear life. 
“And you’re the most creative and imaginative person I’ve ever met, but you’re so lowkey about everything. You deserve more than you give yourself credit for,” you continued, eyes still closed. “And… I guess you’re kinda hot…” 
With that you slowly opened one eye to peek at Jungkook’s face. It was embarrassing to say that the grin he wore made your heart soar and it was only then that you noticed the way his fingertips were running along your sides, tracing invisible designs onto your skin. 
“Only kinda hot?” 
“Oh shut up.” 
You gave him a playful slap against his chest. You let your hand linger there, palm pressed against him to feel the strength of his pec muscle. With your bottom lip pulled between your teeth, you ran your hand down the length of Jungkook’s chest and along his abdomen until you reached between your bodies to access the hem of his sweatpants. 
Without warning you gripped his cock, palming it over his pants. You felt it twitch beneath your fingers, already semi-hard and warm even through the fabric. Jungkook let out a low groan, hips slightly bucking into you. Suddenly aware of how painfully clothed you are, Jungkook slid his hands back up your sides, pushing his t-shirt off of you in the process. Ruining the orderly look of his bedroom, he tossed the t-shirt and brought his attention back to you. 
“Fuck, Y/N,” he hissed, realizing that you weren’t wearing a bra. 
You shuddered at the gentle way he ran his fingers up your sides once more and you leaned forward when his tattooed fingers lightly pinched one of your nipples until it went hard. Then he moved onto the other one, tweaking it slowly. 
After a moment you let go of him and reached for the hem of his sweatpants, waiting for him to lift his body so you could pull them down his legs. 
He’s big, bigger than you’d expected. You’d imagined he would have a nice dick, purely because it seemed like the most mysterious, standoffish guys always did. They didn’t have to compensate by being boisterous and arrogant; they knew what they were packing and that was enough. But Jungkook was quite possibly too much. You were a small person, for fuck’s sake. 
“We don’t have to do this. If you’re not ready, we can stop.” 
There was Jungkook reading your mind, yet again. How was it possible for him to know exactly what to say every single time? Were you just that expressive? If so, no one else in your life read you so well. 
“Stop talking,” you repeated his earlier command, but you didn’t look him in the eyes. Instead you were focused on how heavy and soft his cock felt in your hand as you admired him. You ran your fingers along the prominent vein on the underside of his cock, then you glided your thumb along the tip to smear the bit of precum that was already leaking. The action made Jungkook whimper and the sound sent a jolt straight into your core. 
But just before you could lower your head down to give him what you knew he wanted, Jungkook’s hand was cupping your chin once again. He pulled your face upwards to guide you back to his. 
“I’m fine, Jungkook. I want to do this,” you assured him, but he slowly shook his head. 
“You’re going in so fast, and you don’t have to. I’m not some asshole hookup. The point of all this isn’t just to get me off and make you put in all the work.” He leaned forward to kiss you on the tip of your nose and you’d never felt more wanted in your entire life. “You deserve to feel good for once.” 
Snaking his arm around your waist, Jungkook gently flipped you onto your back. Spreading your legs apart with his knees, he kneeled over you as he began laying hot kisses down the length of your neck, pausing only to suck at the soft skin where your neck and collarbone met. 
“Jungkook…” you sighed, squirming underneath him once his mouth began to travel further down. 
He flicked his tongue against one of your nipples, drawing a circle around the erect mound. He let out a deep hiss of approval when you moaned, arching your back to push yourself against his mouth. While his tongue was busy exploring your chest, Jungkook took his sweet time pulling his basketball shorts off of you, those too flying across the room. 
When he moved back into a comfortable position between your legs, his thigh brushed against your core and he let out a moan loud enough you were sure his roommates would hear him. 
“Fuck, Y/N, you could’ve warned me you weren’t wearing any underwear,” he groaned, his thigh now glistening with your arousal. 
“Sorry I didn’t think to tell you while I was crying.” 
“So dramatic.” 
You covered your face with your hands in embarrassment that bore even deeper into your soul when a pathetic whimper escaped your lips the moment you felt Jungkook’s hand slip in between your thighs. 
“You’re so fucking wet,” he sighed, effortlessly sliding his fingers along your folds. He ran his fingers up and down slowly as if he were memorizing each crevice and the way your legs jumped when he hit a certain spot, especially once he began stroking your clit. 
He was exploring, you realized. He was learning your body and there was nothing more embarrassing. All you could think about was the fear that Jungkook might not like what he saw. Or that he was comparing you to his past fucks. Or that Taehyung had told him things about your sex life. 
“Why are you hiding from me?”
You felt your hands being pried from your face and lifted over your head. Jungkook pinned your wrists above you, his face now inches from yours. You could see a restrained wildness in his eyes, but his eyebrows were knitted together in frustration. 
“Why?” he repeated. 
You shook your head, but another irritated call of your name made you question your decision to defy him.
“I just don’t want you to be disappointed…” you whispered, avoiding his gaze. 
“Does this seem like disappointment to you?” Jungkook rolled his hips into you, his now rock hard cock sliding against your dripping folds. 
“Ahh, n-no,” you gasped, wiggling under his hold. 
“Okay, so don’t hide from me. Let me take care of you.” 
Letting go of your wrists, Jungkook got off of the bed. You watched him with confusion that slowly melted into a mixture of anxiety and sweet anticipation as he hooked his arms around your thighs, pulling you to the edge of the bed. Falling to his knees, Jungkook let your legs rest on his broad shoulders. You could feel his breath against your skin and it took everything in your power not to begin squirming again when you felt his tongue lick a hot stripe up the inside of your thigh. 
“I want you to watch me while I eat you out,” Jungkook murmured, his dark eyes locking with yours as he leaned forward to plant a kiss against your lower lips. “Okay?” 
You had no choice but to nod in compliance, propping yourself up on your forearms so you could get a better view even though everything in you was screaming to break your gaze. You could hardly believe it was Jungkook staring at you through his bangs from between your legs. Not to mention you were usually very shy when it came to being sexually pleasured - mostly because it rarely happened. Guys were always expecting you to do them favors, not the other way around. You couldn’t even remember the last time a guy had gone down on you. 
But there was no time to be shy when Jungkook abruptly plunged his tongue into your folds. You let out a loud yelp and immediately slapped your hand over your mouth to muffle the remaining squeals threatening to slip from your parted lips. Jungkook chuckled at your response and the vibration made your cunt throb. 
Still, you kept your gaze locked with his as he lapped up your juices, no matter how dirty it made you feel to have those blown out pupils bore into yours. Your eyes only fluttered when his lips found your clit and began to suck on it while his tongue flicked a steady rhythm against it, the two sensations proving to be almost too much for you to handle. Your breathing became ragged as you felt your abdomen tense up. 
“Jungkook,” you whispered a moan, hands gripping the bed sheets so tightly your fingers started to hurt. 
“Hmm, baby? You’re gonna have to speak up.” The new nickname made you whimper. 
As if to encourage you to find your voice, Jungkook slid two fingers inside of you as he returned to pleasuring your clit. The sudden stretch immediately ripped a strangled moan out of you and your hips involuntarily bucked into Jungkook’s face. 
“I’m sorry,” you quickly apologized, but Jungkook only fucked into you harder, expertly curling his fingers at just the right spot to make your legs start to shake. 
“Don’t apologize. You can fuck my face all you want,” he lifted his head up to lick his lips, sending you a wink that made your heart stop. 
He could sense your orgasm coming soon by the way your walls were clenching around his fingers, but he was determined to make it as mind-shattering as possible. Fitting a third finger inside of you, he continued to suck on your clit, tongue swirling to the rhythm of his fingers. 
“Ohh, oh my god,” you sobbed, tears pooling in your eyes as you finally reached your climax. You let out a loud cry, fingers tangled in Jungkook’s hair as you struggled to still your shaking legs. 
Licking a final stripe up your lips, Jungkook lifted his head from your thighs and gave you a satisfied grin. He was truly a sight for sore eyes with his mouth soaked in your arousal and his hair a mess from your fingers running through it. You fell flat on your back, legs dangling off the edge of the bed. 
“You good?”
“I’m going to die.”
Your eyes were on the ceiling but you heard him laugh and you felt his strong arms lift your legs back onto the bed, adjusting you so you were comfortably in the center of the mattress again. 
“Damn, I didn’t realize I was gonna make you tap out so fast,” he teased, lying down beside you. He pressed a kiss against your throat. 
“Everyone says you have great head game and I should’ve taken them more seriously.” 
“Who says that?!” 
You turned onto your side to face him, already rolling your eyes. “Don’t you know the rumors that get spread about you?” 
Jungkook gave you a small shake of his head. “I don’t worry about people. I’m only worried about you.” 
The warm fuzzy feelings his words gave you were too much for you to bear, so you pushed them away by pulling him closer, crashing your lips into his. Jungkook wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you flush up against his chest. You could feel his cock still hard against your leg and it reminded you that this whole situation felt so foreign to you. Never had you been pleasured by a man who expected nothing in return.
“You are art, you know that? A fucking masterpiece,” Jungkook sighed against your lips, pulling away to nuzzle against your neck. 
“Jungkook.”
“Yes, baby?” There was that fucking nickname again making your pussy flutter back to life. 
Instead of answering him, you reached down to grab his cock. He groaned against your throat as you gave him a few slow pumps. He’d taken care of you just as he’d promised, and now you hoped he’d let you take care of him. Not because you felt obligated to, but because you genuinely wanted to. 
Wordlessly, Jungkook rolled you onto your back so that he was hovering over you, his forearms on either side of your head. 
“I want you so bad,” he growled against your ear, hips rolling into your open legs. 
“What are you waiting for?” you whispered. 
“Fuck…” 
You blinked and he was no longer on top of you. Instead he was rummaging through the drawer of his nightstand, eventually pulling out a shiny square packet. For someone normally so calm, Jungkook’s fingers were shaking with need as he rolled the condom on. 
“Is this okay?” He returned to his position between your legs as you laid on your back. Your heart stung at his thoughtfulness, shocked that he was asking you what position you wanted him in. You nodded, spreading your legs wider for him. Jungkook ran his fingers along the inside of your thighs, his head dipped down so his bangs fell forward, partially obstructing your view of his face. 
You gasped when you felt something wet hit your cunt. He’d spit on you. You could feel the extra lubrication slide down your folds and the lewd act made you shiver. Sure, maybe that was fairly tame for some people, but it had your head reeling.  
Holding the base of his cock, Jungkook rubbed the tip along your folds, further smearing his spit and your arousal together. 
“If you want to stop, just tell me,” he said hoarsely, and that was the warning you got before he was sinking his cock into your entrance. 
Despite how relaxed and turned on you felt, the stretch was considerable. You tensed for a moment and Jungkook froze, his eyes meeting yours. With a nod of approval from you, he pushed himself in further, finally bottoming out and holding the position as he waited for you to adjust. You felt so unbelievably full with him inside of you and the pressure of him against your walls was enough to make your legs shake once again. 
After giving you a bit of time, Jungkook began to move his hips, starting with slow but long strokes that got increasingly deeper. 
“Oh god,” he moaned, head hanging down so he could watch his cock disappear into your cunt over and over again. After a while he lifted one of your legs to rest it on his shoulder so he could adjust his angle to thrust into you that much deeper, and the next slam of his body into yours that had his cock make direct contact with your g-spot made you scream. 
“Shit, Y/N, Yoongi’s gonna kill us if you keep screaming like that,” Jungkook said with a grin that very much made it seem like he wouldn’t mind dying for such an offense. 
“You… just feel s-so g-good,” you cried out, your nails clawing at Jungkook’s arms as you searched for something to hold on to. 
He couldn’t possibly have been concerned considering he only thrusted into you even harder. The thing about Jungkook, though, was that he was going hard but he was going slow. He was savoring every time he slid into you, savoring the glisten of his cock as he pulled out. Turning his head to the side, he kissed the leg he’d draped over his shoulder, one hand running down the smooth skin while his other held on tightly to your hip to keep you in place. 
“Fuck, yes baby,” Jungkook groaned. He pressed his fingers against your mouth, gently prying your lips open to stick his thumb in your mouth. The action surprised you, but you obediently sucked on his thumb until he was pulling away again. Reaching between you, he pressed his now wet thumb against your clit and began rubbing circles as he fucked you. 
You whined at the sudden stimulation, your walls fluttering around his cock as your breathing turned into panting. “I’m gonna…” you let out another moan, your walls clenching around Jungkook’s cock. “I’m gonna come again.” 
“That’s right, come on my cock for me, baby. Let go for me.” 
How could Jungkook make dirty talk sound so alluring? So supportive? It was just like his writing, a gentle lullaby of filth. From the look he’d given you earlier, you knew there was a less tame side of him you’d yet to tap into. The memory of his poem flooded your mind, daring you to take things a step further… she likes to wear my hand as a choker…
Reaching out, you grabbed the hand that was holding onto your hip and brought it to rest on your neck. You saw that same wild look flash in Jungkook’s eyes once again, and you knew the action had affected him because his thrusting faltered for a moment. With your lips slightly parted, you tilted your head back slightly to expose more of your throat for him. Jungkook wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a sight more beautiful. 
“Shit, you keep acting up like this I’m gonna fall in love,” he grunted, biting down hard on his bottom lip as he opened up his palm to get a firm grip on your neck. As he resumed his rhythmic thrusting, he squeezed your throat. At first, the decrease in oxygen had you gasping in your body’s natural drive for self-preservation. Once your body and mind adjusted, though, you succumbed to the way your body tingled with excitement. When you moaned, your eyes fluttering and rolling back, Jungkook applied even more pressure. 
You’d never imagined you’d have another orgasm somewhere inside of you so soon after the first, but you were convulsing around Jungkook’s cock just as he asked you to, calling out his name in the sweetest song. 
It wasn’t long before his thrusts became sloppier and his grip on your throat became almost too tight. The string of profanity he growled in your ear as he came made you shiver. Was it really possible that you affected him so deeply? 
Jungkook hovered over you for a moment, attempting to catch his breath. 
“I think that’s the hardest I ever came in my life,” he said weakly, finally mustering up enough strength to pull himself out of you. He left the bed to throw away the soiled condom, you musing at his cute little butt as he sauntered away. 
“You’re welcome,” you said with a grin, though the hoarseness of your voice startled you. You pressed your hand against your throat and winced, not because your throat hurt, but because of the way Jungkook looked at you with deep concern. 
“Did I hurt you?” he asked softly, climbing into bed beside you. 
“Please,” you sighed, snuggling against Jungkook’s chest. “You did me too good.” 
“I’ll fucking do you again, too, if you don’t stop rubbing your thighs against me,” he murmured in your ear, causing you to chuckle lightly. 
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 
A loud knock on the door made you jump, your arm instinctually covering your chest though you knew Jungkook had locked the door. 
“What the fuck,” he whispered, silently willing whoever it was to go away. 
The knocking continued, this time a bit more aggressively. 
“Open up, bro, the light’s on. I know you’re in there,” Taehyung complained from the other side of the door. “You’ve still got my pen.”  
Your eyes grew wide as you looked at Jungkook. 
With a groan, Jungkook got out of bed once again. Grabbing the basketball shorts you’d been wearing, he pulled them on and snagged Taehyung’s vape pen from where it sat atop his dresser. He didn’t bother to put a shirt on or fix his sex hair. 
“Wait,” you whispered. “What about me?” 
“I don’t give a fuck,” Jungkook spoke at a normal volume as if to demonstrate how serious he was about not caring if Taehyung saw you there. 
“Seriously, JK?” Taehyung clearly thought Jungkook’s comment had been directed towards him. 
You quickly grabbed Jungkook’s t-shirt and pulled it on seconds before Jungkook swung the bedroom door open. 
You watched Taehyung’s eyes slowly scan over Jungkook’s appearance. His mouth twisted as though he were about to speak, but then he locked eyes with you where you still sat in Jungkook’s bed, probably looking just as fucked out as Jungkook did. 
“Here.” Jungkook dropped the vape in Taehyung’s open palm. “Need anything else?” 
Taehyung’s eyes made their way back to Jungkook and whatever snarky comment he’d been prepared to make before was now gone. 
“Nah, that’s it, thanks.” 
-
After a week of being exclusive with Jungkook, you felt the need to loop your roomates into the whole situation. Courtney and Amiriah were your best friends, after all. The three of you had been your own Golden Trio since day one freshman year, ending up in the same peer mentor group. The first time you’d all hung out together you’d gone to an off-campus frat party. Barely an hour in and Courtney had been throwing her guts up right into the pool. Needless to say, the three of you had never gone back to that house. As horrifying as it was, you felt like it painted the perfect picture of your relationship. You were all in it for the long haul, no matter how messy. 
But now you had to tell them you were dating the weird guy. 
You kept looking at your phone, checking the time. The two should have been out of their sorority meeting by now, which meant they could arrive at your dorm at any moment. Waiting was nerve-racking. You gnawed on a hangnail, only pulling your gaze from your phone when you felt Jungkook’s strong arms wrap around your waist. He pulled you into his lap on the couch and leaned into you, lightly brushing his lips along your neck, making you shiver. 
“Why do you act like you’re having me meet your parents?” he asked with a small chuckle. 
“Courtney and Amiriah are important to me,” you started, trying to find the correct words to explain your friends. “They’re also really… judgmental, but because they care about me. And they don’t trust men.” Which was fair. You did your best to look out for them as well. 
Jungkook hummed in response but didn’t speak. That didn’t surprise you. A man of few words, you knew he liked to have time to decide how he felt or what he wanted to say about things. 
“I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” you announced, standing up. Jungkook nodded and leaned back into the couch. Was it a good thing that he didn’t seem nervous? 
Of course the moment you entered the bathroom, Courtney and Amiriah came bustling through the front door. Their loud chatter quickly halted when their eyes fell upon Jungkook lounging on your couch, legs spread and tattooed arm draped across the back of the couch. 
“Hey,” he greeted them with a grin and a nod of his head. 
“Oh, um, hi?” Courtney’s greeting was more of a question. 
“Where’s Y/N?” What Amiriah wanted to ask was how he even got into your dorm, but she didn’t want to be rude. 
“I’m here!” You shuffled into the room, giving your friends a little wave. “Jungkook wanted to hang out here for a change.” 
The boy quirked his eyebrow at you and gave you an amused smile, noticing how you’d made it sound like it was his idea when it most certainly had been yours. Not that it bothered him. If anything, he wanted you to deflect onto him. He’d told you he could take anything you needed to give him, and he’d meant it. 
Jungkook got up from his seat and walked over to the three of you, hands in the front pockets of his jeans. The pose made his biceps and chest more prominent, and you couldn’t help but stare for a moment. God, he was too pretty. 
“I feel bad it’s the first time I’m finally meeting you,” he said in a warm voice. “Y/N never shuts up about how great you two are. Pretty sure I’ve heard the story of The Great Edible Debacle at the Dolph concert about fifty times.” 
You were shocked by how charming he was being. Really laying it on thick. 
“That is a horrible story to be telling people, Y/N! What the fuck,” Amiriah said with a laugh. “We’re only a little bit insane.” 
“And stupid,” Courtney chimed in. 
The four of you continued your bantering as you lounged around the living room, snacking on some food your roommates had brought as leftovers from their sorority meeting. Jungkook fit into the conversation rather neatly, talking a lot more than you’d expected, but still knowing when to sit back and let the girls dominate the conversation. He sat with his arm around your waist, keeping you close but not dipping into any PDA, knowing it would bother you if he did. 
The conversation came to a pause when Jungkook’s phone began to ring, all three pairs of eyes pointed in his direction. 
“Ah, fuck. Tae’s calling me,” he mumbled. “I’ll be right back.” As he stood up, he cupped your face for a moment, running his thumb across your cheek before he was bringing his phone to his ear. 
“Hyungie, what’s up?” Jungkook stepped out into the hallway, closing the front door behind him. 
“Girl, are y’all fucking?!” Amiriah leaned forward with a harsh whisper, excitement dancing in her bright eyes. 
“We’re dating, actually.” 
Courtney let out a squeal, bouncing on her knees where she sat on a pillow on the floor, wrapped in a fluffy blanket. “I knew it, I totally knew it.” 
“I’m gonna admit, weird or not, that man is foine now that I’m seeing him up close.” Amiriah loudly sucked her teeth and shook her head. “He’s got that snatched little waist. And those thighs? He could smash a watermelon.” 
“Okay, okay, but we gotta ask the REAL question here.” Courtney was now plopping down on the couch between you and Amiriah, blanket still in tow. “Did he eat it right?? In the words of Nicki Minaj, do he got good form??” 
You slapped Courtney on the arm in protest, but you were grinning as you spoke. “I almost started crying, it was so good.” 
“WHEW girl, stop it,” Amiriah grabbed your arm and shook it. “Are you willing to share? For charity?” 
Before you could scold your friend for trying to get her hands on your man, Jungkook returned. The shift in the room’s atmosphere was palpable, and the way Courtney and Amiriah watched Jungkook with new interest was almost too obvious. 
He gave you a confused smile as he squeezed onto the couch next to you. 
“So, Jungkook,” Amiriah began and you prayed to God she wouldn’t say anything stupid. “You said you heard stories about us, but we didn’t talk about all the fun things we’ve heard about you!” 
You shot your friend a glare but she was already on a roll with Courtney on her heels. 
“Yeah, we’ve heard all about your poetry,” Courtney added. 
You don’t think your roommates were prepared for the low chuckle that rumbled from Jungkook nor for the dark look in his eyes as he turned to you. He grabbed your hand, intertwining your fingers, and you silently pleaded with him to behave. 
“Yeah, I was trying to give Y/N a preview of what she could be getting.” 
“Jungkook,” you gasped and your friends started talking all at once, but all you could focus on was the way your boyfriend was smirking at you, his tongue playing with his lip ring how he knew you liked. 
He leaned into you, his lips ghosting your ear and sending goosebumps up your arms as he whispered, 
“Just wait until you come over tonight.”
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Living with Jungkook meant living with the constant smell of paint. Sure, you only just moved in together less than a week ago, but that was certainly long enough to know. And you were already finding little splatters on the floor and in the kitchen sink.
Living with Jungkook also meant that you were required to use the word magnets on the refrigerator to write him a poem every morning, just like he was going to write one for you. This was established as a house rule while the two of you discussed whether it would be a good idea to live together.
You thought the rules were going to be about who does the laundry, but you had to remember, this was Jungkook.
You tiptoed around the cardboard boxes full of all the stuff you two moved in with, but had yet to unpack. The hardwood floors glistened in the afternoon sunlight streaming through the flimsy blinds. Specks of dust glittered the air.
Jungkook was laying out a tarp in the entranceway of the apartment. An array of paint cans were placed around the tarp to hold it down.
“JK, what are you doing?” you inquired with your hands on your hips.
“Painting,” he said with a simple smile before turning back to his work. It was then that you noticed a large tray with fresh paint, and a variety of brushes sticking out of Jungkook’s pockets. 
“Here? This wall is the first thing people see when they walk in,” you pointed out. Leave it to Jungkook to start on a project before he’d even unpacked all his underwear. 
“That’s the point.” He didn’t look at you as he spoke, instead focused on mixing the color he wanted. 
You let out a small sigh. This man… 
“What are you going to do? Please, I beg of you, please do not paint genitalia of any kind.” It wasn’t that you didn’t enjoy your boyfriend’s artwork. You were obsessed with his creativity, actually. It was part of what made you fall for him. But there was no denying that he was… unconventional in his taste. 
Jungkook let out a chuckle, his nose scrunched up and his cute front teeth exposed. It was the laugh that meant he thought you were being ridiculous. 
“It’s gonna be something even better.” 
That was not reassuring at all. 
“Jungkook, my parents are coming to visit in a week!” 
Setting his brush down in silence, Jungkook extended his arm to hook a tattooed finger through the belt loop of your shorts. You begrudgingly let him pull you forward until you were pressed against his chest. Your arms circled his tiny waist and you forgot you were supposed to be annoyed with him when he started caressing your head, careful not to mess up your hair. 
“I’m gonna paint a mural of my muse,” he said in the wispy tone his voice took on when he was thinking through his plans. “That’s you, in case you didn’t know.” 
You lifted your head to look up at him, your chin resting on his chest. “No.” 
“What?!” 
“You are not putting up some kind of shrine for me in the middle of the apartment.” 
“Why can’t I let everyone know that I worship you?” Jungkook whined, letting go of you. You weren’t prepared to be set free, though, and you stumbled backwards. With wide eyes, Jungkook grabbed a handful of your shirt to stop you from falling, but it was too late. Your foot stepped directly into one of his open paint cans. 
“JUNGKOOK!” you shrieked, lifting up your foot to see gloopy red paint drip from your toes.
Jungkook’s cheeks grew puffy as he tried to hold in his laughter while he searched for his towels. It was a failed attempt, though, and you were glowering even harder as you watched the laugh come bursting from inside him. 
“I’m-,” Jungkook wheezed, holding out a paint-stained towel for you. He was laughing so hard his hand shook. “I’m s-sorry, baby, I-” 
He abruptly shut up when he felt your hand swipe his cheek and a thick liquid rolled down his neck. 
“That’s what you get for laughing at me!” you said with a wicked grin, admiring how you’d smeared paint all over the side of his face. 
Your grin slowly fell as you watched Jungkook lean down to drag his fingers through his tray of baby blue paint. 
“Don’t you dare,” you warned, pointing your finger at him. 
“What? I’m not doing anything.” Jungkook gave you the sweetest smile and reached for your legs. You felt his wet hands slide down your bare thighs and you shrieked again as he threw you over his shoulder. 
“Put me down! Kookie, you’re going to get paint all over the floor.” You gently beat his back with your fists, but your laughter made your actions less convincing. 
“Me? You’re the one ruining my painting area.” He tried brushing his bangs out of his eyes, but ended up smearing paint across his forehead and into his hair. “Now I have to clean my baby up.” 
You could hear the pout in his voice as he carried you down the hallway to the bathroom, dripping red and blue paint. The two of you were certainly going to leave your mark on this place.
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@rkiveslibrary @mar-lo-pap
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zstartrixxx ¡ 3 days ago
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𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 '𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐔, 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍'.
ʳᵉᵐᵐᶦᶜᵏ ˣ ᵛᵃᵐᵖꜝʷᶦᶠᵉ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ
𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓: 𝐘𝐄𝐒 | 𝐍𝐎
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𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: If being loved by a vampire means carrying eternity within you, what you have with Remmick is incarnate: his poison lives in your flesh, you are blood of his blood, a creature of his making. And because you are a part of him—a fragment that broke free and passed into you, sometimes even a sliver of his ancient soul trapped inside that dead body—everything you feel, he feels, and vice versa. Fleeing the imminent extinction of these lands, you and Remmick seek refuge in each other once more, bound together. Eternally, for he would never let you sever this tie—unless he were dead. Past and future memories knot inside you. Here, now—all blood and teeth—you fuse with your maker, your sacrament, your eternal groom. 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: this particular piece was a deeply interesting and special writing experience for me: not only did i get to explore the hivemind concept, but i also played more freely with language and the essence of remmick as a character. so let me make one thing clear: it’s never my intention to distort the film’s canonical portrayal, but rather—through poetic license combined with the possibilities of fanfiction’s universe, PLUS the way i’ve absorbed and interpreted the character—my version of remmick (at least in my fics) might not be as literal as the original script. that said: here we have this scenario with a wife, which i initially imagine takes place before the film’s events, but the specifics of when, how, and where she was transformed are entirely up to your interpretation (before his arrival in the us in 1911? somewhere between the early or late middle ages? the modern era? europe, asia, or africa... let your imagination run wild ;) i’ve also paraphrased/incorporated certain very specific lines and moments from the film. 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: +16 CONTENT. i think there's a lot of angst here and reader melancholy, so keep that in mind. use of some words in gaelic, i had to resort to good old google, if there is something wrong please tell me. remmik here it's (super) protective, almost toxic; hivemind concept explored, lots of internal dialogue, some gore (explicit description of blood and bruises), vampirism (blood consummation), and a slight sexual innuendo thrown in. 𝐖𝐂: 6k for whoever is going to read it, a great read! <3 likes, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated :)
𝖱𝖤𝖬𝖬𝖨𝖢𝖪 𝖯𝖫𝖠𝖸𝖫𝖨𝖲𝖳
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"turn to me, and love me like you lacerate; just hold me down like i don’t need air." (air, shedfromthebody)
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Your skin burned like Hell itself, which was kind of funny to think about: back when you were human, you loved spending your days under the hot sun, lying on the grass in the late afternoon and gazing up at the cloudless sky, where strange shapes would form just for you. You wasted away the days at the lake, naked, floating between water and sunlight, between cold and heat, simply existing.
Now, all you could feel was the searing pain ripping through your skin, sizzling in your ears like meat in a frying pan. Weak, you tried to run, but your legs wouldn’t obey, and your feet tangled with every step across the dry land, scattered with dead corn leaves. The rustle of the leaves irritated you, but what truly drove you mad were the screams echoing from behind, drowning out any coherent thought, merging with the heavy air that entered your lungs that no longer breathed. And that felt like a death sentence: not only the sun was paralyzing you, but also the distorted sounds that confused you, like a wounded animal, utterly disoriented.
You stopped in the middle of the cornfield, glancing around, trying to stay grounded, trying to reconnect the thread of thought between the two of you, searching through the suffocating haze for Remmick’s voice, calling him with panic and urgency, desperate for him to come save you. You looked at your shoulders: raw, scorched, smelling the acrid scent of burnt flesh rising from your own body. You shut your eyes, trying to find him, your voice lethargic: “Remmick… Remmick.”
Your vision began to darken, your body no longer felt like your own—it felt like it was floating, detaching, as if your soul—or what was left of it—was slipping out of you. Just like you’d felt a piece of yourself dying the last time you glimpsed sunlight through your human eyes, maybe ceasing to exist in that land would feel the same. All you had to do was slowly close your eyes, embrace the darkness once again, surrender to the searing fire that would extinguish you—and that would be it. You opened your eyes slowly, staring at the mighty sun before you: scorching, like your mother’s hugs, your grandmother’s kisses. Like Remmick’s grip when you were still human. Your entire body burned, tiny flames piercing through you, tears of blood trickling from your eyes. How long had it been since you felt even remotely human? All you had to do was give in, speak the one name that echoed in your mind, etched into your blood.
Remmick.
In poison and blood, within you. He was you and you were him. Remmick.
‘—Remmick, if you can hear me one last time, know that I—’
“Got you!” his voice came, rough and wounded, behind you. Firm hands grabbed you by the waist, your body partially covered by another, pressed against Remmick’s rigid frame. He whispered against your ear: “You’re safe, mo chroí (mu khree / my heart). Come with me.” He pulled you even tighter against his scorched body, shielding you like a protective shell, guiding you with quick steps into the heart of the cornfield. In the distance, the furious screams of some villagers echoed behind you. But despite the world turning into hell around you and everything seeming like the end, you felt safe in his arms.
Remmick looked back, staggering, using his sharp senses to search for any possible escape for the two of you. His left eye was swollen from the punch he took, combined with the sun’s deadly effect, and even with limited vision, he managed to find a way out from the horde chasing you.
You couldn’t stay upright. The sun’s weakness made it feel like your bones were nothing but dust beneath your scorched flesh. Tears of blood stung your eyes and soul, or whatever was trapped inside that immortal body, sharing a collective mind with Remmick and so many others before you. It longed desperately to escape this life and finally rest. But Remmick wouldn’t let that happen—oh no, let the pagan gods or the Christian God himself punish him with the harshest tortures if he did. You could feel that wrathful pain mixed with ancient rage flowing from him, harshly projected in flames and poisonous blood from him to you, as he nearly threw himself on top of you like a (scorched) leather jacket just to protect you. Madness. The voices grew longer, more indistinct, the hateful chorus fading, as Remmick, with his one good eye, searched for shelter.
Then, as if by magic, fate, or just the luck of some devil who still wanted to see you both wander through God's vast lands, there it was—a house beyond the edge of the cornfield. The perfect shelter. ‘Living food, darkness... —Remmick, don’t get your hopes up.—’ you thought back, replying to your creator’s voice with a sarcasm that didn’t quite match the moment. As always, he laughed—loudly, though the laugh came with dry, desperate gasps. He laughed. Even all fucked up, more than you, sizzling in pain and crying in despair to stay alive, he still found humor in his own misery.
“You’re getting real cheeky, huh, my little thing?”
“You’re the one who taught me to be like this, Remmy,” you managed to say, despite the bitter taste of blood rising in your throat—extremely unpleasant when it was your own blood boiling inside you. Remmick glanced over his shoulder, noticing for now that you were safe. He looked forward again, at what seemed like a mirage of a desolate wooden shack, dark, with the door and windows shut. It looked uninhabited to you. ‘—Love, don’t be so hopeless. Of course, there’ll be someone in there to be dinner. Or rather, lunch, given the time.—’ his voice cut through again, tugging you sideways, his hot and battered hand grabbing your forearm, where deep layers of your dermis were starting to show, making you let out a faint whimper. Remmick gave you an almost hurt look, immediately releasing his grip.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It’s fine. What’s a squeeze compared to almost melting under the sun, right?”
“You’re something else...” he muttered in disbelief, though his voice was laced with distress and anguish—a soft hint of the pain he was enduring. —If he died, you’d go with him by extension, in the worst possible way.— That was what was running through his disturbed mind, making you wonder whether you’d ever have a happy ending under those conditions. Remmick quickened his pace, and you followed beside him, feeling like the path to the house was more of a road to Hell than a material refuge. You were starting to believe it was a mirage and the Devil was waiting on the other side to welcome you both into his lap. ‘—Pathetic, darling. Pathetic.—’ ‘—Just like you, sweetheart.—’
Remmick ignored your retort, dragging himself up the steps, changing his expression as he began to shout for help. A wounded animal, fatally injured, a hoarse rasp clawing out of his throat, begging for help, pounding on the door with force. The sun’s haze was poisoning him—and therefore you—draining what little strength was left, forcing your bodies to absorb the foul smell of rotting flesh; even if your lungs didn’t breathe, they still had the cursed privilege of smelling. And even as supernatural beings, defying all human logic, you were still condemned to be inside those fragile bodies, exhaling the scent of flesh, blood, bone, thick saliva, venom, and a unique perfume your walking corpses carried. Not decay, but something more… floral? And that specific scent, like night-blooming jasmine in a graveyard or a dried rose in your garden, grew stronger as the mortal flesh imprisoning your immortal soul deteriorated.
Remmick kept pounding on the door and maybe—just maybe—with a little more effort, he’d become the first vampire to break the universal law by forcing his way in without being invited. He looked at you, distressed, his expression one of real pain. You pulled away from him, walking to a window layered in thick dust, wiping it with your palm. The cold, gritty surface scratched your sensitive skin even more. You peered inside and confirmed: ‘—There’s no one. It’s empty.—’ Remmick looked at you, almost dumbfounded, hearing your inner voice. He turned to the door, where simply twisting the doorknob opened it. The air inside was cold and stagnant, dust and mold, old wood and moth-eaten fabric, with an unwelcoming scent—but still, it carried that unmistakable smell of an uninhabited place. No human warmth or familiar energy.
Remmick was so relieved he dropped to his knees, like a devout soul who, tired of resisting sin, finally accepts divine punishment in good faith—arms open, body surrendering as he let himself fall into the house. You stood beside him, watching with a mixture of mercy for the poor wretch who was suffering, and with that sharp pain—hating, in a way, to share with him the memory and the collective sense of it all, because his pain was also yours.
Remmick crawled inside. You followed him, on your feet—weak, but standing. You looked one last time outside, toward the distance beyond the cornfield, where, by some divine mercy, those who had hunted you seemed to have gone. Just above, the burning afternoon sun pulsed like a condemning god, seated upon his sky-blue throne, mercilessly casting down his punishments upon you, poor wicked creatures.
You shut the door with a long groan, echoing the moan of the vampire now lying delicately at your feet—a strange sound between a whimper and the whine of a frightened dog. His hands were stretched above his head, face pressed to the floor, writhing from side to side, somewhere between fragile and furious at being forced into such a wretched state.
Through your mind, you could feel him tearing:
‘—These monsters will pay. As soon as the sun sets, I’ll hunt them one by one, haunt them in their homes, show them my wrath and my cruelty. Blood, blood… blood.—’
Your mind was now lapsing into a time far older than you, to a moment when Remmick’s humanity had been broken by the vampire’s curse—when the strangers came and took his land, his name, his faith. His prayers were converted, and all he saw before him were silver crosses and plaster Jesuses while he was taught the Lord’s Prayer. All of it disturbed you deeply. He clung so tightly to his roots that it made you feel everything: the fire of the scorched land, the spilled blood, the faithful ones he later killed one by one, the lands devastated by plague and by gold.
You closed your eyes, trying to impose your memories over his—to interrupt the bond that was bigger than either of you. You tried to think of blooming gardens bathed in sunlight, lazy afternoons of picnics and reading under trees, nights of endless dancing and joy.
Remmick stopped thrashing. His shoulders stilled, and his whimpers faded as he was slowly filled with his own memories, gradually regaining his strength and sobriety. He propped himself up on his arms—once feeble and lethargic, with bones eroded and flesh still scorched by burns—then raised himself and looked at you, a crooked smile forming on his lips:
“You’re always taking care of me, a aingeal.” (ah ang-yal | my angel).
“I was just trying to make you stop with those nightmares disguised as memories. I’m aching all over.” Your voice was somewhat harsh, despite your weakness, as you leaned your body against the wall, between the door and the window, where dust managed to dimly filter the sunlight. You were safe from the condemnation of the light.
Remmick rested his head. A look of sadness, lit by the darkness in his pupils, stirred something in your heart that no longer beat.
“I can’t let go of who I once was… even after all these years, there are pains that scar between our flesh and our soul, binding us to them forever…”
“I know. I know—” you smiled, somewhere between honesty and levity, trying to stay upright, feeling your body pulse and bleed, crying for healing. Remmick was in considerably better shape than you, even in his sorry state—his cotton shirt filthy with mud and dust, torn and bloodied from burned flesh; his pants tattered, shoes worn through, one bruised eye set into cadaverous skin with a polished hunger. He was enduring. The dark gifts made him far stronger than you. “—I’m just not in the best condition to relive those pains with you, not when mine are a little too real right now.”
Remmick nodded, drinking in your words, staring at you with glowing, coppery-red eyes—dim yet luminous—finally seeing your pain. His face twisted with worry and a flicker of anger as he staggered closer:
“Mo ghrá geal” (muh grah gyahl | my bright love), “they really hurt you, didn’t they…”
Then, Remmick recalled the grim scene when one of the townsfolk had found your hiding place—a house just as old and decrepit as the one you now sheltered in. The two of you were lying there together, side by side, entwined like tragic lovers, waiting for death—and maybe that had been part of the attraction, for just a few more seconds in that eternal rest, and you would have had a truly tragic end. Remmick remembered the moment the light from a blocked-out window was smashed through and the burn that followed. He opened his eyes instantly. You were still locked in your unshakable sleep when they grabbed you by the arms. He had fought men wielding torches and harvest tools. Then you saw it through his eyes: your body being pulled away—a blur. And you felt his fear and desolation as he fought off the frantic villagers to try and save you.
Then the man’s voice rang out again, clear and strong, a wounded hand touching your face with surprising gentleness:
“We almost didn’t make it out of there… If it had been closer to sunset, not a single one of those bastards would’ve made it—”
“Remmick.” His name traced your lips and tongue, thorny like the man himself. “They’re not to blame for acting the way they do—just like we, flawed murderous animals, once acted. They too have the right to want to destroy us. Wasn’t it you who taught me that human truth? That’s how we lived before we perished. That’s how we’ll go on existing, as long as we do.”
“Existing.” He clicked his tongue, and a sudden shadow passed through his eyes. For a second, his mind grew too clouded for you to read, to hear—but the visceral rage boiling in his venomous blood, oh, that you felt, bitter as it burned your dry throat. Dryness began to crack your lips. It weakened your warm body even more and made you feel the dark delusions start to crawl through the corners of your mind; that’s what happened when you weren’t fed—no matter how exceptional your self-control was, and even if you could resist without the human liquor for days, when you were in that state of true death, your body nearly collapsed.
Remmick dragged his pitiful, suffering gaze across your face. Around your minds, words in ancient Gaelic spun like ancestral chants—he was thinking about something beyond you.
His hand slid up to your face, grabbing your hair from behind, gripping it as he gently pulled it back, exposing the soft, burned, but still velvety skin of your neck. The cradle of your sacred blood—from where he had once drawn your human warmth into himself and given you, in return, the venom that turned you into him. And even though your heart no longer beat as before, when he first heard it, and your blood wasn’t warm enough to quench his thirst anymore, it was the vampire’s opium.
Remmick always thought of that comparison when he grazed his fangs lightly against your skin before penetrating it to anesthetize himself in your ecstasy:
‘—Your blood was sweet and warm when your heart throbbed between your ribs. But now, with my lymph and the poison of my being, it tastes better—bittersweet, undead. Our blood.—’
It made you moan and whimper.
Your hands pressed against his chest, palms open, trying to push him away from you:
“Remmy, are you sure about this?” you looked at him uncertainly, trying to find in him the assurance for the act.
Remmick didn’t answer you with words—not the kind spoken aloud:
“As weak as we are, there’s no one here, my love. Either we drink from each other, or we die like strays in this godforsaken place. Feed on my blood before you cease to exist…”
It wasn’t a request anymore by the time he was already pulling you closer to expose your neck, pressing his rough lips and sharp teeth against you, piercing the skin like needles.
Remmick held onto this belief that he didn’t need to ask much of you, because as you were one mind, everything he wanted was what you desired too.
Your eyes closed as you felt your flesh torn by his fangs—hard against your skin, like a stiff piece of leather being pierced by a sharp knife—until it reached where the blood, crawling weakly through your body, began to emerge in thick sobs, filling his mouth with your syrupy, bloody liquor. You were consumed by the burning and the sensation of ecstasy the act gave you, your body floating in the hands of the man who groaned with primal pleasure at being nourished by your life source.
Remmick also held the belief that since you carried his seed—that divine-profane gift of eternal life within your blood—through the consummation of acts and the laws of an ancient soul, you were part of a whole that pulsed with life. His life, yours, and those who would come after you both, all connected through that cursed and blood-stained lineage.
You squirmed restlessly in his hands. His claws were already out, tangled in your hair, scratching your waist as he held you as close as possible, bound to his pleading kiss.
Remmick whispered to you in thought:
“Mine, mine, mo mhianta (muh vee-an-tah / my desire), my life, my blood…”
—like a prayer, a rosary he recited bead by bead, his body burning as he inevitably felt his venom enter you. 
“Remmick—” your voice was pure wine of death, your nose the iron scent of flesh, your mind a stupor of souls that preceded you, strange voices you had learned empirically, faintly recalling the vampire Remmick who crushed you between teeth and acid; “—I think that’s enough, my love.”
Remmick let out an exasperated groan that vibrated against your mark, sucked a final portion of blood vigorously, licked the flesh slowly, then rose, revealing his face intact and free of wounds, his chin smeared with your crimson iron honey, eyes shimmering like copper pearls between iron and bloodlust. He smiled at you—there was heavy panting from paused lungs, a fresh breath, an almost spiritual renewal of his being.
“You are so delicious, blood of my blood, that it’s impossible not to want to drain your last blessed drop.”
He laughed—cursed and amused—raising his wrist to his own lips, biting it as if biting a pomegranate that exploded between his teeth, flesh and juice dripping at the corners of his mouth already stained with your blood; he extended his open wrist to you like bread to the dying, an offering to his god, waiting with generous eyes burning in the insane passion of his soul for yours.
His mouth salivated with the yearning to take it for himself, to drink from that wine that intoxicated you once and every time you drank it—in nights of lust where you feasted on the delights of the flesh, it intoxicated you.
There were sparks in your chest that burned from Remmick’s venom in your body, making you remember when he took you for himself, forever; Remmick appeared like a chorus behind you, chasing you through the darkness of forests and ancient buildings, ruins of nights wandering without meaning, inviting you to let him enter you repeatedly, giving him what he wanted, feeding the beast with your youthful joy, the beating heart—that which he had lost centuries ago, perhaps millennia. Life.
And once, proving that his love for blood and pain was greater than all lust or pleasure given to you, he offered you his ultimate love: he penetrated you with teeth and curses, buried memories imposed on you, suffocating you, watching you die before him, rot like a flower once beautiful and vibrant, now dry and hardened. Watching you rise with bright eyes and his bestial thirst, laughing and dancing with him, celebrating your new self. Or was it a piece of him, while you were trapped between so many layers of the one who created you?
And yet there you were, looking at him with veneration and anguish, taking his wrist with your misshapen fingers, claws that extended in excessive knots, placing your mouth against the torn hole that poured that offering of his flesh.
Oh, Remmick had your flavor too.
Sweet death he exhaled, primal sex and poisoned wine.
Feeding you slowly, bringing through that damned mortal sap your salvation.
You felt yourself revive, whining softly against his wrist, looking with complicity as Remmick watched you with the pleasure of pleasures on his face: parted lips, arched brows, eyes sparkling with desire and ardor. You smiled back, returning that passion, a hiss escaping from his mouth, pleasure bending between the memories shared through blood. His mouth detached from the bite’s embrace, a dull snap of flesh pulling away, the vampire’s blood dripping in sticky, thick drops like a whip on the wooden floor, a small pool of that iron blood separating you both.
He tilted his head back, satisfied, with a jubilation of pearl-ruby teeth, saying full of himself:
“Now we’re better!” He laughed between his teeth, while you felt his blood slide through you, healing the stigmata on your skin, slowly and pleasurably renewing you—him crawling between your bones and flesh, burrowing deeper into you as he pierced you with those eyes.
Remmick drew closer, your hands returned to normal, fingers caressing your now-soft skin, leaning down to kiss your lips with the sweetness of his honey staining them crimson, whispering through your mind:
‘—All we need now is rest, and once night falls, we can celebrate this moment together.—’
Eternal promises. As always, typical of him.
You welcomed him with open lips, tongue caressing his, you and he merging—blood and saliva, venom and the growls from the depths of your thirsty throats, your hands tangling into each other, desperate grips of bodies that loved each other through finite eternity.
…
In your dreams — or in that cathartic state of complete darkness of rest — all you had in your mind were the outlines of dreams of humans who had wandered through the eternities beside Remmick. You were a peasant in Irish lands, an English priest with golden teeth, a mathematician in Arabia, a physician from Prussian soil, a single mother prostituting herself in the streets of Whitechapel; everything and everyone. You were a pagan elder turned faithful parish priest. A hopeful young woman turned the vilest of executioners. Everything and everyone — and him.
Him.
Emerging in red, blue, purple, and black, from the shadows, blood dripping from his chin, stealing souls and stories like a devoted collector, a historian digging through pages and pages for what might fill his own gaps. Remmick pulled you by the hand like a savior — or a beast. That blurred in the shadows and forms, as he brought you into the light.
The light of consciousness, of being awake, of knowing night had finally fallen and you could once again wander among humans.
You opened your eyes with a sharp blink, seeing through a timid penumbra lit by a single candle — who knows where the hell Remmick had found it — exhaling, while he gently caressed your face, the tip of his finger tapping lightly against your nose, a serenity on his face that, under the warm golden light, almost seemed human. You smiled, rubbed your eyes, and let out a vocal exhale — a human habit you’d kept not to feel so detached from your nature — wetted your lips, surprised by the nudity of the man sitting at your side on that old bed, hard mattress, rickety frame that had served perfectly for your rest.
At the window, beyond the drawn curtain, a few wooden planks nailed to keep sunlight out were now opened, allowing the pale-silver glow of a Full Moon to shine on you. Between the bluish-gray mingling with the candle’s yellow-red, his slender and muscular body — shaped by the years when he was just a man of the land, using his bare strength — stood naturally before you.
His face, smiling at you tenderly, was damp, drops of water clinging to his nose, ears, and chin. A scent of dried flowers and soap wafted from his pale skin. His voice was soft:
“Come with me, a aingeal,” (ah ang-yal | my angel), “let’s take a bath to wash off this infernal day.”
Laughter spilled from both your mouths — irony mixed with ease — as his hand gently pulled you up, guiding you barefoot across the wooden floor, echoing down a narrow hallway toward what must have been the bathroom. Remmick nodded toward the wooden bathtub. Beside it, atop a chair, several candles were stuck upright with their own melted wax, casting a flickering light beside the moonlight that poured silver through the window.
“I cleaned it a bit before using, fetched some water from the well, and luckily found some flowers and a dried-up bar of soap lying around. Seems like the people who lived here left in a hurry — there’s still canned food and clothes in some closets. Let me help you!”
He placed the candle on the chair and undressed you, slipping off your dress and tossing it aside, smiling at your nudity, placing his hands at your waist as if admiring a statue sculpted by his own hands — a creation of his creation.
“Sit down. I’ll bathe you...” he said in a velvet tone, guiding your body into the cold water, which wrapped around your skin as he began to rub it with water, fragrant flower petals, and diluted soap.
And there you sat, still, watching him care for you — though you knew well what he was thinking.
‘—The hunt, the revenge against those who inflicted pain on us and—’
“Remmy…”
Your hand found his, pulling him from the depths of his thoughts, gripping the hand that tended to you, “...stop, at least for now. Just think of something else.”
“What else could I possibly think about?”
“In other things, I don’t know, think about music, about dance, about me...”
“I don’t need to think about those things because they’re already in me, darling. It’s almost a pleonasm, as that old professor we ate once said, remember?”
“The one we ate? What an absurd thing to say!”
“Sweetheart, seriously?” Remmick tilted his head to the side, a mischievous little smile playing on his lips. He stopped rubbing the dried blood off his neck to look at you with cynicism. “You, of all people, who loves sinking your teeth into those juicy necks that show up for us!? You, blood of my blood, my own creation, poison of my poison who...” he paused, narrowing his eyes, his voice coming out in a thin whisper, “loves sinking those pretty little teeth of yours into the most unusual places!?”
A daring finger touched your lips, slipping between them, lightly scraping your canine with its nail. You stared at him calmly, studying him in that unashamed nakedness, amused by you. Rolling your eyes, you pushed his hand away from your mouth.
“Pathetic. That’s what you are sometimes.”
“I love you too, my darlin’.” He chuckled through his teeth, returning to wiping the bloodstain from his skin, focusing on the act. Even in that silence made of voices loudly spoken, your minds were speaking through images, memories flowing back and forth in a stream of consciousness, undulating like the water that surrounded your body, tracing that eternal conversation you both had. Deep down you knew he wanted to go out hunting, to get drunk on fresh human blood, and then return to this shelter, take you in his arms and possess you in the most animalistic way possible. But on your end, you still felt his venom lingering through your body, the blood that had served as both nourishment and healing still casting a haze over your senses. Ancient blood from someone who had lived so long it carried stigmas. Strong, dense, defiled, concentrated.
Remmick finished scrubbing you, stood up from your side, and left the room, staying outside for a few minutes, leaving you immersed in the water and the moonlight. Thinking. For a moment, your mind seemed to detach from his, floating through the corridors of your own being—you saw yourself among humans, walking barefoot, feeling that burning thirst in your throat, the bile of anger tormenting you even as your melancholy made you ethereal; sucking foreign blood, capturing life stories for yourself. Remmick reached out a hand to you—a claw—with the ghastly smile of all the dead, always whispering to you: “Mo mhianta” (muh vee-an-tah / my desire), in your mother tongue. Remmick… Remmick. The one who created you and now was you too, part of your desires, part of your life, part of your soul. Would you ever be able to break away from that guiding thread? From the one who offered you both death and life? Would you be able to disconnect and be just… you?
Remmick emerged from the darkness of the house, carrying a bundle of clothes in his hands, wearing a pair of soft-fabric pants, his torso still bare. He smiled with those secrets he could hide from you between his lips:
“No, I believe that if one day you no longer belong to me, I’ll probably be dead.”
“Reading my thoughts again?”
The question was practically rhetorical, laced with a certain bitterness you couldn’t hold back. Standing before you, the vampire handed you the clothes.
“I am them. Even when you try to escape through the corners of your thoughts, I’m there.” Remmick smiled, sharp teeth glinting, a suggestion shining in his eyes like a beast ready to kill.
“Come on, love, the night is a child crying to be fed.”
“Smartass,” you hissed through your teeth, rolling your eyes. When you rose from the bathtub, your eyes suddenly caught sight of two figures approaching in the distance. Remmick didn’t even need to be warned—he was already spying from the corner of the window, his thoughts starting to hiss like a rabid wolf growling, thirsty for blood and slaughter. He turned his face toward you, a sharp smile while his eyes tiled the blood of the defeated. His tongue was a blade between needle-sharp teeth:
“We shall have a special feast, my love!”
…
The house was dark.
Its scent was of dust and stagnant wood, dry and moldy. In the background, you could catch the smell of melted wax. No noise. When that couple stepped into the house, shotguns in hand, eyes wide with fear, all they wanted was to play heroes for the little town—hunt the monsters that had been parasitizing the area and receive applause for their brave deeds. Fueled by fear and pride, they wanted to hold in their hands the heads of those two who had earlier been hunted and, for some reason, had disappeared; and there they were, in that shack abandoned for weeks—maybe months—eyeing each other with unease.
The woman said, glancing around the first room, a lantern serving as a flashlight:
“I don’t think it was a good idea to come here at night…”
“Nonsense, woman—we’ll catch those monsters before they go messing around with anyone else,” the man shrugged, walking toward the hallway, the woman right behind him—until she heard a little noise beside her, at the open door.
The man kept walking, oblivious to his wife, heading toward the back of the house, finding a side room with its door ajar—he pushed it open the rest of the way with the barrel of the shotgun, the wooden door creaking slowly, revealing a bed.
And a woman lying on it, back turned. Naked.
A shiver ran down his spine, his breath grew heavy, heart pounding against his ribs, and beyond all that, a wicked voice called him to approach her—that nest of lust and desire. Ignoring his partner, he let curiosity and depravity take over. He lowered his weapon, step by step, now close to the woman’s body, his hand trembling as it reached toward her, while the other held the lantern swaying noisily at his side, its yellow light flickering across the sleeping body.
“Have mercy on me!”
A high-pitched scream came from deeper in the house. The man startled and turned, dropping the lantern to the floor, where it shattered and sparked into flames. He raised his weapon again, spinning around—only to find a man behind him.
Eyes glowing with an inhuman red glint.
A macabre grin stained with blood painted his chin, his neck, his bare chest.
A rustle behind him made his knees weaken with fear; a cold gust of air fed the fire now licking at the wooden floor. He looked over his shoulder and saw you awake—eyes just as luminous as the monster in front of him, thick saliva dripping from your chin.
As he tried to scream, a hand clamped over his mouth—metallic blood flooded his tongue.
A tear welled up in his eye.
The vampire’s voice in front of him rasped out, bestial and raw:
“Shhhh… Shhhh… Don’t cry now. Didn’t your mother teach you it’s wrong to mess with someone else’s woman?”
And he laughed—demonic—gripping the man’s throat, nearly choking him, as you remained behind, salivating for the living blood pulsing through his arteries. Remmick looked at you from the side, tilting his head, his voice undulating between the three of you like a serpent shaking its venom:
“Darling, your wife was delicious! I hope you taste just as good for my wife!”
The man screamed with all the air in his lungs, while Remmick offered him up like an animal for ritual slaughter—offering him to you. And you took him from behind, draining him with the ease of mortality—no pity, no hesitation.
Remmick watched you with affection and admiration, something growing inside him with the euphoric pleasure of a successful hunt. When you finished draining the man, his corpse now at your feet, he held out his hand to you.
You took it, letting him lead you out of that room to the front of the house, where the open door allowed the silvery light to touch your naked body, your face covered in scarlet—just like his. Remmick cupped your face in his hands, looking at you with his soul reflected in your eyes:
“My girl, how do you feel?”
“Perfect. Just a little… overwhelmed. I think it’s the thrill of the hunt.”
“Good—” he murmured, leaning in to capture your lips in a wet, filthy kiss—saliva and blood, soft tongue brushing pearly teeth. When he pulled away, a string of bloody spit still connected your mouths.
“—'Cause now, you’ll let me take care of you, darlin’. The way you deserve.”
You felt him penetrate you through the soul, his hands pulling you close into the kiss of the dead upon your lips, speaking to you through your minds:
‘—Let me take care of you, darling, let me take care of you, let me show you how good I can be for you…—’
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𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒: maybe it deviated a little from the initial concept of the request (idk), but this one was by far one of the fanfics with Remmy that i enjoyed writing the most, it's side-by-side with my fanfic involving priests, religion, Christian guilt, vampirism, remmick and other little things…
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itsaintmebabe ¡ 2 days ago
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he stands up for you in an interview (midsize!reader)
୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ drivers: charles leclerc, oscar piastri, lando norris, max verstappen and carlos sainz
notes: this kinda came to me during the spanish gp today, let me know how you guys feel about it cause i’m not entirely sure abt it so lmk!! <3
୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ masterlist
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₊˚⊹ᰔ CHARLES LECLERC
He’d just come off the podium, drenched in champagne and Ferrari red, the hint of a smile still playing on his lips as he stepped into the media pen. Charles was running on adrenaline and pride until a journalist leaned in with a knowing look.
“Charles, you’ve been seen out with your girlfriend a lot lately. Some fans are saying she’s not what they expected from someone in your position. How do you respond to that kind of surprise?”
Charles blinked once.
“What they expected?”
His voice was calm, but the chill in it made the reporter hesitate.
“Yeah, just, you know… public figures usually date a certain ‘type’ and—”
Charles cut him off gently but firmly.
“She’s exactly my type.”
He folded his arms loosely, still not raising his voice, but something steel-like settled into his expression.
“She’s smart. She’s kind. She knows me better than anyone else, and she’s beautiful to me,” he emphasized. “If people are surprised, maybe they should spend less time imagining what kind of woman someone like me should be with, and more time questioning why they think they get a say at all.”
He gave the reporter a tight, diplomatic smile, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Next question, please.”
₊˚⊹ᰔ OSCAR PIASTRI
Oscar had just scored a clean P2 and was relaxed, arms crossed, posture easy. He was talking about race starts and tire temps, until someone slipped in a question that made his brow twitch.
“Oscar, some people think your girlfriend isn’t really the ‘look’ they associate with someone at the top of Formula 1. Does that kind of public reaction ever give you pause?”
Oscar’s entire body went still.
“No. It gives you pause, apparently.”
The reporter blinked. “Just saying, there’s a certain image that comes with being in your position—”
Oscar’s eyes narrowed.
“You know what image I care about? The one I see when I come home after a race. When she’s curled up with a book and one of my hoodies. That’s it.”
He shrugged, voice still even but there was a bite now.
“If that doesn’t fit into someone’s aesthetic fantasy, that’s their problem. Not mine. Not hers.”
He glanced at the camera with a smirk.
“And definitely not yours.”
₊˚⊹ᰔ LANDO NORRIS
Lando had just taken the win and was practically bouncing, messy curls, cheeky grin, and post-race glow. He was in a good mood… until someone tried to sour it.
“Lando, fans online have been debating whether your girlfriend’s the ‘right look’ for someone who’s becoming a brand icon. Do you ever think about image in that way?”
Lando laughed. He actually laughed.
“Are you for real?”
The reporter started to respond, but Lando shook his head.
“You think I’m dating someone because it looks good in a photoshoot? Mate, I date her because she’s wicked. She's hilarious. She's sharp. She's a bit stubborn sometimes—” he grinned, fond “—but she gets me. And yeah, she’s hot as hell.”
He leaned toward the mic, playful but very pointed.
“I’m not worried about my image. I’m more concerned with whether she’s gonna beat me at Mario Kart again tonight and talk shit about it for a week.”
Lando shot the camera a wink and gave the next interviewer a wave.
“Let’s talk about the race now, yeah?”
₊˚⊹ᰔ MAX VERSTAPPEN
Max wasn’t in the mood.
P2 felt like a loss, and the media pen was the last place he wanted to be. But he was standing there anyway stone-faced, giving short answers, until someone really pushed it.
“Max, your girlfriend’s not exactly what we expect from an F1 champion’s partner. Do you ever feel like you could be with someone who fits the image more?”
Silence.
Max stared at the reporter. No blink. No shift in expression. Just complete, icy stillness.
Then, very slowly.
“Did you just ask if I’d trade my girlfriend for a better… image?”
The reporter tried to reword, but Max held up one hand.
“No. Don’t backpedal. I heard what you said.”
He took a breath, voice low and flat.
“She doesn’t need to be anything other than who she is. I don’t date people to impress strangers. I date her because she makes me feel like myself. Because she’s brilliant. And yeah I think she’s stunning.”
Max looked the reporter straight in the eye.
“If that bothers you, I’d say that’s your issue. Not mine.”
Then he turned to walk away no fanfare, no press officer needed just gone.
₊˚⊹ᰔ CARLOS SAINZ
Carlos was in good spirits, having fought his way to a gritty P4. He was laughing with the Spanish press, animated and bright, when a British journalist edged in with a question that turned the air a little colder.
“Carlos, with so many drivers dating models and influencers, fans were surprised to see you with someone a bit different. Is that a deliberate choice, maybe to be more lowkey?”
Carlos tilted his head, smile still on his face but his eyes had narrowed just slightly.
“I didn’t know love was a PR strategy.”
The reporter coughed, flustered. “Well—of course not, but—”
Carlos raised a hand, cutting him off gently.
“Look. She’s not ‘lowkey.’ She’s just real. No filter. No act. She’s herself all the time. And to me, that’s rare.”
His voice softened, but not his resolve.
“I don’t care what anyone expects. She’s smart, she’s loyal, she’s beautiful and when I look at her, I don’t see a comparison. I see her. That’s enough.”
Then, in classic Sainz fashion, he smiled again calm and a little smug.
“And trust me, if you met her, you’d get it.”
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ifyouencounterwolf ¡ 2 days ago
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Normalize this normalize that, we as writers and ARTISTS need to normalize NOT to see any critiques/negative feedback of our WORKS as a critique of OURSELVES.
When your work is finished and posted, it is done. It marks the end of a unique creative process and is now by and large independent from you. No matter how much of a magnus opus you think of it, you will be creating something better in the near future. So how would that posted work serve you now? By getting the FEEDBACKS from your readers.
How did that make others feel? Did it do the job of disturbing people or comforting people that you have intended it to do? Do people feel something unintended from your work? Do people feel anything from your work? Those are things as authors, we needed to know about, in order to know more about ourselves, and that's not just about our current skill levels.
Believe it or not, there's no inherently bad feedback, the negative ones are not inherently different from positive ones. They are all. just. feedback. They don't define you as a person, they are not attacking you as a person. Even with the worst kind "I hate this so much hope you kys" you could either ignore or ask how they hate it and where do they hate the most. Hate supply is still supply as my narc self would say.
That is, unless you are creating something for money and engagement/attention, and getting criticized will destroy your so-called celebrity fame and break the illusion that you are a prodigy and you don't need efforts to improve like everyone else on this planet earth. But sis, that's your problem.
Writing is a way of communication and forming a discussion, conversations cannot happen if either side is not allowed to speak freely. That goes for both the bad readers who demand authors to stop writing certain topics that disturb them, and bad writers who demand special treatment from the world simply because they created something for free and they thought they have a certain moral superiority to the "free-loaders".
Yes. You did create something for free and you didn't ask for the criticism. But you did that out of love and passion didn't you? Because as human beings, we are privileged to have this creative mind and this desire to express ourselves through our artworks, we live inside our own world but sometimes we want others to take a look at it and therefore we write something or we draw something and they reflect our thoughts and experiences and imaginations.
So what do our readers owe us? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
No one had this moral obligation to only make compliments and really really really mild suggestions and they still have to live in fear thinking whether the authors are still going to get offended because they interpreted "Looking forward to updates" as a demand or "I thought I wouldn't like it but I did" as a jeer.
Damn, if I'm a reader I would just say FORGET IT. I like it or I don't like it, who cares about my opinion? One wrong word would get me in fandom jail.
Except we do fucking care. Do you know what a purgatory I'm living in when I wrote my heart and soul out and people are just not going to leave anything for me to know how I did?
The readers' silence and uncaring to artists is a much more cruel punishment than their hate.
We have talked so much about "don't like it don't click" as a gotcha for the readers, but how about "don't like it but still give it a chance and tell me about it even if you still don't like it"? Because I trust you as my audience, that you have sufficient levels of media literacy and you have good tastes, and you can engage with artworks responsibly... THAT'S WHY I POSTED IT.
I could have just shown my stuff to only a small friend circle and let them be the judge but I chose to put it out there. Because I wanted it to stir up something so I could engage in conversations with people who only know me through my work and I would prefer it to stay that way. If the conversation is just about my typos and my grammar be it that way. It's still better than nothing.
That being said, we should not make it a consensus that readers need to give only compliments or just shut up. We should make authors themselves decide whether they wanted to be criticized or not. Authors can absolutely set up boundaries on how their works should be engaged, authors could say that "I want feedback but please don't nitpick my grammar or typo" or "this is personal to me/I am a first time writer so please be more gentle with your feedback".
But if you don't say anything then consider your work a free game if you may. See who catches the most of your hidden details and symbolism and see who asks the most annoying questions. Damn. As a writer that would actually be my dream.
not to be controversial bc I know this is like…not in line with shifting opinions on fanfic comment culture but if there’s a glaring typo in my work I will NOT be offended by pointing it out. if ao3 fucks up the formatting…I will also not be offended by having this pointed out…
‘looking forward to the next update’ and ‘I hope you update soon!’ are different vibes than a demand, and should be read in good faith because a reader is finding their way to tell you how much they love it. I will not be mad at this.
‘I don’t usually like this ship but this fic made me feel something’ is also incredibly high praise. I’m not going to get mad at this.
even ‘I love this fic but I’m curious about why you made [x] choice’ is just another way a reader is engaging in and putting thought into your work.
I just feel like a lot of authors take any comment that’s not perfectly articulated glowing praise in the exact manner they’re hoping to receive it in bad faith.
fic engagement has been dropping across the board over the last several years, and yes it’s frustrating but it isn’t as though I can’t see how it happens. comment anxiety can be a real thing. the last thing anyone wants to do is offend an author they love, and that means sometimes people default to silence.
idk where I’m going with this I guess aside from saying unless a comment is outright attacking me I’m never going to get mad at it, and I think a lot of authors should feel the same way. ESPECIALLY TYPOS PLZ GOD POINT OUT MY TYPOS.
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puppysuh ¡ 2 days ago
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I need another part of nerd!haechan PLEASE my life literally depends on it.
and so the haechan brainrot continues… WHEN WILL THIS TORTURE END i can’t stop thinkinh about himmmmuuhhhhhghhghhgghhhhh ★ part 1
network(s) : @neocity-net
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it was honestly just supposed to be a harmless prank. go to his apartment under the guise of a tutoring session, see how much of a gross virgin loser he was and report back to your friends until the rumour of his dick cheese spread around campus faster than a common cold.
ridicule him. gain more popularity for yourself whilst subsequently ruining his already nonexistent reputation. use him as a cheap joke, something to have a laugh at over a couple of iced lattes with the girls.
anything but this.
when your friends ask you how it went, you try to lie through your teeth. “nothing special,” you say, staring at the froth gathered on the top of your drink. “the guy has a boner for math questions and league of legends, not actual sex. totally a waste of time.”
and that’s where the conversation ends, with your friends thinking the two of you didn’t kiss, didn’t even fuck because either he was too chicken or you lost interest quickly.
they couldn’t have been more wrong.
you ended up sleeping at his that night. when you woke up in the morning, dressed in nothing but one of his comic con t-shirts, you felt regret at what you did, or moreover, and you failed to do. whilst you were under the impression that he was a good for nothing loser, haechan had rocked your world the night prior, and you’re less worried about what you’re going to tell your friends, you’re more worried about how you’re going to stop yourself from becoming completely addicted to him.
nerd!haechan is even sexier when he’s just woken up. his hair is a mess, glasses askew as he moves around his kitchen with the same nerdy grace he does everything else, fixing himself a bowl of cereal as if he hadn’t fucked you seven ways to heaven the evening prior.
“you gonna get yourself something to eat? i’ve got cereal— well, i’ve got lucky charms or oatmeal. oatmeal’s a hassle and lucky charms might be too—” you groan, and he stops in his tracks. “what?”
he finally turns to you, and you feel as though you could almost faint. how didn’t you think he was this attractive before? “me and you. last night. you almost killed me. aren’t we gonna talk about it?”
he smiles, and it isn’t a cocky smile, it’s a nervous one, and his eyes are glued to the floor. “we can… and we can also talk about the whole passion project thing too. you never actually wanted to fuck me, did you?”
your heart pangs in your chest. you feel bad, so you walk towards him slowly before placing your hands on his shoulders. “i did. sure, the girls thought it would be funny, but…” your palm slides to his cheek, and you lift his gaze away from the ground. “i thought you were cute. kinda like… a teddy bear.”
“a teddy bear?” you nod. “sorry i didn’t live up to your expectations.”
you laugh quietly, and he smiles again, this time with a little more confidence. “i’m glad you didn’t. and i definitely wouldn’t mind going again.”
“you wouldn’t?”
“not in the slightest.”
suddenly, all idea of breakfast is abandoned, his bowl of lucky charms discarded and replaced with you sitting on his counter, legs spread as he kneels between them with his tongue buried in your cunt. your fingers card through his hair, urging him to tongue fuck you deeper, to rub his thumb on your clit faster.
“you were— fuck— you were a virgin before all of this. where the fuck did you learn to eat so good?”
“mostly porn.” the way he answers you so bluntly has your thighs squeezing around his head, neck tipping back and head pressing against his cabinet. he barely takes another breath before diving right back in, fingers joining his tongue as he teases your g spot with perfect precision. “didn’t know it would actually work.”
and it’s the way he keeps looking up at you, as if to beg for your approval. but you can hardly praise him, instead filling his kitchen with repeated moans as you hump your pussy desperately against his tongue. “gonna cum, don’t stop—”
you can feel his sly grin on your clit before he finally pushes open the dam, juices spilling down his chin as you cum on his tongue shamelessly. all that can be heard is your voice, whines filling the kitchen, along with the wet sounds of him dragging his tongue up and down the length of your pussy, nails digging into your thighs with a grip that could only spell possession.
the worst part is; you could go again. you would let him fuck you again and again, on his fingers, his tongue, his cock, and you would never be satisfied, and this guy was a virgin less than 24 hours ago. when he lifts himself off of his knees to kiss you, there’s nothing you want more than to go again, and when you finally leave his apartment, dressed in yesterdays clothes and hair a mess, you pull out your phone and scroll down to the unsaved contact buried at the bottom of your list.
you : same time tomorrow, freak?
unknown number : same time tomorrow, sweetheart.
a/n : started this blog less than a month ago and all i can talk about is him. can say i wouldn’t change that for the world 🙂‍↕️
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enwoso ¡ 2 days ago
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empty spot | alessia russo x child!reader
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grumpy masterlist
the sleek black suv rolled slowly into st george's park, its tires crunching the gravel as the early morning sun broke over the training grounds. a light breeze rustled the flags hoisted along the fences — england's colors flying proud.
inside the car, you bounced in your booster seat, gripping your esme the elephant and plastic gold medal in the other. your curls were tied up in two puffs, slightly messy from all the jumping you'd done in excitement at home that morning.
"are we there yet?" you asked for the fourth time in the past hour, eyes wide with excitement. "are they all here already?"
leah glanced at alessia and grinned. "remind you of someone?"
alessia laughed as she turned in her seat to check on you. "yes. you, before every england camp. only you would do it just a little quieter.."
"hey, ‘m not loud!."
as the car came to a stop, you could barely wait for the doors to unlock. leah stepped out and helped unload their bags while alessia scooped you up into her arms.
"okay, lovie," alessia whispered, nuzzling your cheek. "you ready to show everyone your medal."
the training ground was already alive — teammates milling about in clusters, the coaching staff waving, the buzz of excitement still lingering from the arsenal girls recent champions league victory.
though it had been a scrappy hard-fought match, the celebrations afterward were even harder. alessia and leah had, had about eight hours of sleep since the final on saturday.
they were barely through the gate before ella spotted them. "finally! look who dragged themselves away from the confetti and sangria!" she called, jogging over.
keira followed, pulling leah into a hug. "congrats, you played amazing."
more players gathered quickly — georgia, lucy, alex — all offering back-pats, congratulations, and coos towards you.
"you brought my favourite little russo," ella announced, lifting you from alessia's arms and spinning her gently. "i've missed you!"
you wrapped your arms tightly around ella's neck, giggling. "auntie ella! mummy and mama beat barcelona!"
"i saw! they were amazing."
as the adults chatted and caught up, you began to look around the growing circle of familiar faces. you waved shyly at lauren, who waved back with a bright smile, then at lucy, who offered you a goofy thumbs-up.
but your brows slowly knit together as she scanned the group, there was one voice you hadn't heard yet. "where mazza?" you asked.
the question came innocently, softly, but it brought a hush that wasn't lost on alessia. ella paused, her arms still around you. "...oh i-, um..."
you looked up at your auntie ella, confused by the sudden silence. "mazza always comes. is she late?"
ella bit her lip and looked toward alessia, unsure. "less... you didn't tell her?"
alessia chest tightened a little as leah shifted beside her. "no" alessia said quietly, stepping forward. "we didn't think she'd notice this soon..."
but of course you had. mary was one of your favorite and had been there for a while — the one who gave you goalie gloves for your birthday, who taught you the ‘mary stomp’ celebration, who always snuck you chocolate bars even when your mummy had told you that you weren't to have one.
you turned back toward her mum. "where is she, mummy?"
alessia crouched down to meet your blue eyes, brushing a stray curl from her face. "come sit with me for a sec, lovie."
alessia lead you to a quieter corner, where there was a few blue couches, just out of earshot from the group. leah followed, placing a gentle hand on alessia's waist but letting her take the lead.
alessia held your hand, your mummy's voice soft. "baby, i need to tell you something kind of grown-up, okay?"
you nodded slowly, your legs dangling off the edge of the couch. "mary's not coming to england camp anymore. she's... she's decided to retire from playing for the national team."
you frowned. "what do you mean? mazza loves england."
"she still does. so much," leah added. "but sometimes, when you've been doing something for a long time, and it's taken a lot of energy, you need to make space for other things. things like resting, or being closer to family."
"she's not gone forever," alessia said quickly. "she's still going to play football, just not for england anymore. and she still loves you."
"b-but... mazza promised she'd come braid my hair before training. she promised."
alessia's heart cracked at the tremble in your voice. "i know, lovie. i think... i know she wanted to tell you herself, but i think it was just too hard."
tears began to well up in your eyes. "she didn't even say goodbye."
leah sat beside you and wrapping you in an arm, kissing you curls. "she'll get the send off she deserves after the euros, how about we call her now? i bet she'd want to explain."
you nodded, rubbing your eyes with your sleeve. alessia pulled out her phone and opened facetime. mary's name popped up with a little lion emoji next to it one you hadn't insisted that your mummy had next to her name. alessia tapped the screen.
it barely rang twice.
"ou oi! look at these champions!" mary's voice rang out, bright and familiar as her face filled the screen. but her expression softened instantly when mary saw you, teary-eyed in your mums' arms. "hey... hey, little one. what's wrong?"
you crossed your arms a frown appearing on your face. "i mad at you."
mary's face fell and she knew immediately why. "oh, little one."
"you didn't come. you didn't even tell me."
mary exhaled, her voice dropping. "i know, and i'm so sorry. i should've called you. i just... didn't know how to say it without crying, and you know i'm not very good at that stuff."
your bottom lip trembled. "but why? you're the best goalie. you save everything."
mary smiled softly. "that means so much to me, little one. really it does. but sometimes, even when your body is strong, your heart needs a rest. i've been playing for england for a long time, and i've loved every second. but now i want to make space for new things... maybe coach little goalkeepers. maybe go see more of the world. maybe just sleep in."
"but whose gonna sneak me chocolate now. i still need you. mummy needs you."
"i'm still here," mary said. "i'll always be here. you can call me anytime and i'll always answer. and i know someone who'll sneak you chocolate and i'll let them know there mission but i can't reveal my sources when grown up ears are around" mary smiled as she pointed to your mummy and mama, you nodding slowly.
you sniffled. "you do?"
"course i do. can't let the chocolate monster down?"
after a pause, you reached toward the screen and said softly, "okay. but i still a little mad."
mary grinned. "fair enough. you're allowed. i love you, little one."
"i love you too." as the call ended, alessia pulled you into her lap, holding you close. the two of you sat there in the quiet for a minute, just breathing, before you looked up. "do you think if i practice really hard, i can be the goalie one day?"
alessia smiled through the ache in her chest. "with mary as your coach? you'd be unstoppable."
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fic-girlie ¡ 3 days ago
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Can I request one for reader asking Joel for a baby? Like, sheepishly, timidly asking him, uncertain how he's gonna react after all he's been through? (Hopefully he says yes??)
Where it begins
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Pairing: jackson!Joel Miller x f!reader Summary: You ask Joel for a baby—and together, you begin again in quiet, tender hope. Warnings: established relationship, fluff, family talk, soft smut, trying for a baby
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It had been on your mind for weeks now—quiet, persistent, a whisper tucked into the edges of your days. Not loud, not urgent. Just… there. The thought of a child. Of his child. It settled into moments when you least expected it: the way your eyes lingered on him across the table, how your chest ached watching him cradle Benji with that rare gentleness only Joel could carry, the quiet stretch of mornings where you stayed curled against him just a little longer. You weren’t even sure when the wanting had started. Maybe it had always been there, buried under gratitude and survival, waiting for a moment like this—when life had finally grown soft enough to let it bloom. But asking? Saying it out loud? That was something else entirely. Because Joel had lived through too much loss, and love didn’t come easy to him, not even now. You weren’t afraid of him. But you were afraid of the weight your question might carry.
The fire crackled low in the hearth, casting shadows across the wooden walls of your home. It was late—later than you usually stayed up—and Joel had already kicked off his boots, sunk into the old couch with the same quiet sigh he always gave when his body finally gave in for the night. One arm rested along the back of the cushions, the other slung lazily over his stomach, his eyes soft and half-lidded from the firelight and fatigue. You’d already joined him once, curling beside him, your fingers brushing idly over the worn fabric of his shirt, taking comfort in his warmth, his presence. He hadn’t said much. Just kissed the top of your head and let the silence sit between you like a familiar friend. Joel didn’t need to speak to make you feel safe. He never had. But that didn’t make the words burning at the back of your throat any easier to say.
You stayed like that for a long time, heart thudding quietly against his side. You weren’t even sure what was stopping you. You weren’t scared of Joel. Not really. But this—this was different. This was a question that carried weight. That might change the shape of everything between you. You didn’t want to ask like you were testing him, or like it would break you if he said no. You just wanted to ask because… you needed to know. Needed to say it out loud and see how it landed. You traced the stitching on his flannel shirt with the tip of your finger, trying to calm the jittery flutter in your stomach, and your voice came out quieter than you expected, almost unsure.
“Joel?” you said, just barely above a whisper.
“Mhm?” His voice rumbled low in his chest, lazy and gentle. You could feel it against your cheek.
You sat up just slightly, just enough to look at him—really look at him. He turned his head to meet your gaze, eyes soft, brows raised just a little like he could already sense there was something on your mind. Something real.
You hesitated.
And then, without letting yourself overthink it again, you said it.
“Have you ever thought about having another kid?”
The words hung there between you, trembling, delicate. You felt them leave your mouth like a confession, felt the weight of them fill the silence like smoke. Joel didn’t answer right away, and your stomach twisted, your heart suddenly thudding against your ribs with a frantic kind of guilt. You started to backpedal before he could even open his mouth.
“I mean—not that we have to. Or that I’m saying we should. I just— I’ve been thinking about it lately, and I didn’t want to keep it from you, but if it’s too much or—”
“Hey,” he said, quiet but firm. His hand came up to your cheek, warm and calloused, grounding you instantly. “Slow down.”
You blinked at him, your breath hitching. He looked at you like he always did when something mattered. Like he was trying to see every part of what you weren’t saying.
“You’re not upset?” you asked, voice small.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Not upset.”
You watched the way his jaw worked as he looked at you—how his eyes darted away, just for a second, before they came back. You could see the past moving behind his eyes. Not like a wall. Not anymore. But like a scar. Something that lived with him, always. Sarah. The years of loss and rage and ruin. The life he never thought he’d get again. And now this—this life with you in Jackson, where the snow fell quiet and soft outside the windows, and he could take off his boots at night without thinking of where he’d run next.
“I ain’t thought about it in a long time,” he admitted, his voice rough. “Didn’t think I’d ever get the chance again. Wasn’t even sure I should.”
You waited, breath caught in your chest.
“But then you came along,” he added, quieter now. “And every damn day since, I’ve started thinkin’ more and more about what it means to stay. To build somethin’. Not just survive it.”
Your eyes welled before you could stop them. His thumb brushed beneath your eye, catching a tear you hadn’t even realized had fallen.
“You’re sure?” you whispered, still not quite trusting your voice. “After everything… you’d want that again?”
He leaned in, pressed his forehead to yours, and let out a shaky breath.
“I’d want it with you,” he said, soft and certain. “Only with you.”
You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, and your hands found his. He pulled you into his lap without a word, cradling you like you were something fragile and precious. You weren’t sure how long you stayed like that, wrapped around each other in the quiet. His hands settled over your lower back like he was memorizing the weight of this decision, the gravity of your body against his.
“You’d be a good dad again,” you whispered against his neck.
His arms tightened.
“I’d try like hell,” he said, voice breaking just a little. “I’d give that baby every part of me I didn’t know I still had.”
And somehow, you knew he meant it.
You knew you’d never have to ask again.
——
Joel didn’t say anything else that night—not right away. He didn’t need to. You saw the answer in the way his arms folded around you, in the way his chest rose and fell a little deeper as you tucked yourself against him again, the silence wrapping around you both like something sacred. When you woke the next morning, he was already making breakfast. One hand on the skillet, the other rubbing the back of his neck like he’d spent all night thinking. And when he looked up and caught your sleepy gaze from the doorway, he said, “We’ll talk about it. Tonight. After dinner.”
He didn’t run from it. That alone told you everything.
You didn’t plan it—not exactly. That wasn’t Joel’s way, and it wasn’t yours either. Life out here wasn’t about calendars and ovulation charts. It was snowstorms and ration counts, shared patrols and quiet meals. It was real. And when it came to something this tender—this monumental—it felt right to let it begin slowly. Organically. Joel had said yes without ever needing to say the word. In the days that followed, it lived in the way he touched you, his hands lingering longer at your hips when you passed behind him in the kitchen. The way he pressed soft kisses into your neck at night, his body warm and solid behind yours in bed, the weight of him so grounding it made you ache. The way he looked at you like he was letting himself hope—really hope—for the first time in years.
The first time you tried, it didn’t feel like trying at all.
It happened late one evening, the two of you curled in bed after a long day. Snow had fallen heavy outside, and you’d spent the better part of the afternoon helping Maria with sorting winter clothes for the kids in town. Joel had returned from patrol smelling like pine and cold air, his cheeks pink from the wind. You’d kissed him when he walked in, and he’d murmured something about the way your hands felt warm against his skin.
Now, you lay facing him beneath the heavy quilt, your fingers curled in the fabric of his shirt. His eyes were already on you, soft and unreadable in the amber flicker of the bedside lamp. There was something there in his gaze you hadn’t seen before—not nerves, not exactly. But something like reverence. Like he already understood what this could mean, and it was already making him a little undone.
You kissed him first.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The kind of kiss that made time feel like it didn’t exist, the kind that deepened by degrees until you were both breathless, his hands cupping your jaw, your thighs parting beneath the slide of his body. You felt his restraint first—the almost hesitant care he used, like he didn’t want to push too far, like he didn’t want to break this moment before it had even begun.
“You okay?” he asked, voice low and rasped, his lips brushing your cheekbone.
You nodded, tugging gently at his shirt until he took the hint and shed it, baring the warm, solid plane of his chest to the cool air. Your palms pressed there like you were holding something holy.
“Yeah,” you whispered. “I’m okay. Are you?”
He kissed you then—not just an answer, but a promise.
Joel made love to you like he was memorizing the shape of this new future. He was unhurried, reverent, his hands everywhere—your hips, your back, the curve of your waist like he could anchor you both with nothing more than his touch. He whispered things he didn’t usually say, soft gruff words like “so beautiful,” and “I’ve got you,” and “you’re mine, sweetheart.” And when he finally pressed into you, he held your face in both hands and kept his eyes on you, chest heaving like he could barely breathe around the weight of it.
It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t frantic. It was deep, slow, and overwhelming in a way that had nothing to do with speed or heat. You felt the full truth of it in every thrust, every sound he let slip when your nails dug into his shoulders, every broken gasp when you whispered, “It’s okay, Joel. I want this too.”
Afterward, he didn’t roll away or pull back. He stayed right there, wrapped around you, his nose buried in your hair and his arm strong across your belly. You both lay in silence, breathing the same air, your limbs tangled beneath the blankets. His heartbeat felt steady against your spine, slower than usual. Peaceful.
“You think it’ll happen right away?” you asked softly.
He exhaled a short laugh, low and warm. “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.” A pause. “But I want it to. With you.”
You smiled, eyes closed. “Me too.”
And so it began.
You didn’t talk about it constantly. You didn’t need to. It wove itself quietly into the rhythm of your life. Joel would sometimes wrap a protective hand over your stomach as you drifted off to sleep, or press an absent kiss to the inside of your wrist after dinner, like the act of trying had opened something in him he couldn’t quite put into words. There were nights where you reached for each other out of nothing but need—hot, slow, breathless—and nights where he buried his face in your neck and moved inside you with aching gentleness, like he was holding something fragile between you both. Sometimes it was laughter, sometimes it was tears. But it was always real.
One morning, after a late start, you stood in the doorway watching Joel tie his boots before patrol. He looked up, caught the small smile on your lips, and raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
You shrugged, heart full. “Just like seeing you.”
He huffed, rose from the bench, and walked over to kiss you, rough palm cupping your jaw.
“Get used to it, darlin’,” he murmured against your skin. “Ain’t going anywhere.”
And neither was this dream.
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1d1195 ¡ 2 days ago
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Under Construction I
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Read Under Construction here | ~5.6k
From Me: this is going to be a bit of a slow burn, totally unsure how many parts it will be and how on earth it's going to go. I have no end in mind right now or any climactic parts. P.S. I had to give her a last name, I couldn't see a way to get around it, but I tried to pick on that would match the nickname Harry was going to give her.
Warning: fluffy, cute, maybe a little angsty in my teacher-brain mind.
Summary: Harry nodded. “I’d be happy t’help.”
“Oh, that’s completely unnecessary,” she assured him. “I can’t imagine you really want to be here after a long day of manual labor on a Friday no less and—”
“Miss Bird, I would imagine s’not nearly as draining as trying t’wrangle and keep the attention of twenty-something six-year-olds, for six hours a day,” he interrupted and looked at her knowingly. “M’happy t’help.”
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“Miss Bee! DJ took my crayon right out of my hand!” She turned from the table of four she was working with and glanced behind her to see DJ coloring and Janie pouting. She sighed.
“Janie, my love, there’s more crayons in the craft drawers,” she reminded her.
“But I was using that one!”
“I know, and DJ, you know better than to take something out of someone’s hand while they’re using it, please give it back,” she said knowingly. He frowned and dropped the crayon on the table. “Thank you,” she nodded appreciatively and turned back to her table.
“Miss Bee, I think DJ like-likes Janie,” Mae giggled.
“Ew,” Kaleb wrinkled his nose.
“It’s not polite to gossip, Mae,” she said knowingly. “Now can you guys tell me what’s wrong with this sentence?” She asked and held the whiteboard out. She watched the eight pairs of eyes scrutinize the marker.
The other students were at their stations learning and discovering. It was the last round of rotations. When the little bell chimed from the countdown on her SmartBoard they would head to the carpet for story time.
Her classroom was the stuff of dreams—or at the very least her dream. There were colorful posters around the room. Inspirational messages and words of kindness all about her space. The cubbies were filled with lunch boxes and snacks. Their little closet spaces hung their fall coats and backpacks. When they headed to lunch, she would sift through their take-home folders and make sure to gather notes and questions from parents and fill it with the weekly letter she sent to their family.
It was her fourth year of teaching kindergarten, and she loved it so much. The kids were so happy to see her each day, and it felt like she had a family of twenty. Each of her students was so sweet and lovely. This year she had really felt she had won the lottery with how good they were. Over the weekend she missed them. On holidays she was antsy about coming back to school and ask how they enjoyed their family time.
She was exhausted too, there was no doubt about that. Little ones were needy—over the smallest of things. Like the crayon stealing. Or the tummy aches. Sometimes the six-year-olds were just overtired or overstimulated and needed a hug.
But even her toughest kids loved her too. The parent night held just a couple weeks into the school year told her that. “He has never been excited for daycare or for school, but he is so excited for this year of kindergarten.”
The timer sounded off and like little, adorable robots her sweet students picked up their stations and settled all the items they were using back into place. She thanked her current group, and she marked where the current four were so she could pick up where they left off on Monday.
The group of students hurried to the carpet, sitting cross legged on the colorful squares. “All my friends love to sit quietly on a primary color while we wait for story time!” She had a lilt in her voice that wasn’t quite singing, but perhaps close to it. She watched as the students giggled helping each other remember what a primary color was as they all shifted around the rectangle looking for a spot. What they didn’t know is it helped spread them out a bit and would help them keep their hands to themselves while they waited much more patiently than any six-year-old had a right to.
“All my friends love to be super quiet,” she whispered putting her fingers to her lips. “We have to pick our friend who will lead us through the opener for the day,” she reminded them.
They all put their fingers on their lips; their eyes hopeful of being chosen. She pulled a popsicle stick from a cup and pulled out the name. “Milo,” she grinned. “Would you like to lead us today?” She always gave them a choice. Sometimes the little ones were much too shy.
He grinned shyly. “Okay, Miss Bee.”
She sat on her chair; a rocking one she thrifted from a local shop. A lot of her classroom was that way. A teacher on a budget. Organizing drawers and old bins that were a little worn and loved. Bookshelves that had been found at garage sales and even her office chair wasn’t brand new.
But she loved it and her students loved it too.
She watched Milo walk up to the board where she had everything spelled out for him and she waited patiently for him to read. “Today is Friday, October 5th,” he said softly. “We have art at specials time today,” his voice got quieter with his nerves of speaking in front of his whole class. A small snicker started and she turned to the culprit narrowing her eyes at him not harshly, but enough to make him know she meant business. The little one silenced himself and she returned her attention to Milo.
“Isn’t Milo doing a great job?” She whispered to the little one beside her.
Milo pushed his shoulders back a little and continued. “Today we’re going to start Char-lotties Web.”
“Good job sounding that out Milo!” She cheered. “It’s a tough name. It’s called Charlotte’s Web. Can everyone say that?”
She waited while everyone repeated, and Milo continued.
“It’s the thirty-seventh day of school.”
She watched all the little ones with rapt attention on their classmate while he read through the daily schedule. This was his second go around and by the end of the year she anticipated he would do it with ease and no anxiety. He was adorable, just like the rest of her group.
“Before we have our little math lesson we’re going to read the first chapter of Charolotte’s Web. Based on the title and the picture on the front does anyone have any guesses about what the story is about?”
A fleet of hands shot into their air and she smiled. She was a lucky teacher. “Hadley, do you have an idea?” She asked.
“A spider,” she wrinkled her nose.
“I know,” she agreed dramatically. “We all know how much Miss Bee hates spiders.” The class giggled as she pulled the book from the shelf. “Can anyone tell me who the author is?” She asked holding the book out for everyone to see clearly. “Raise your hand!” She added as they all opened their mouths to say it.
The little hands fluttered into the air again and right as she spoke Amara’s name, a loud bang sounded from outside. The little ones screamed; their eyes filled with horror as they were clearly terrified by the loud noise. It even spooked her so she went to investigate.
“Shh, shh,” she whispered. “It’s okay,” she placed the book on her chair and headed toward the window. Instantly her eyes were drawn to the construction crew next door dropping piles of wood and building materials. Fuck, she mouthed to herself and if the kids weren’t so freaked out, they might have noticed her saying the bad word in the reflection of the glass. “Don’t worry everyone, it’s just the construction workers.”
“Construction paper isn’t that loud Miss Bee,” Mae frowned. “It sounded like an elephant fell down!”
The rest of the class giggled, and she smiled. “I suppose it did,” she hummed. The noise continued. The sound of trucks backing up and the like. It was going to be a long few months of work and trying to teach at the same time. “Construction workers, my love, not paper,” she corrected. “It’s people who make buildings and things.”
They chatted behind her to one another offering instances in which they had seen construction done in their neighborhoods or that their uncle was a construction worker. Or that even they had helped their mom and dad with some work around the house.
For a few moments she considered her next plan of action. She briefly turned to the schedule Milo was reading. A quick detour and impromptu lesson on future career options, math in motion, and communication skills, could be managed and even helpful if it meant she could convince her class there wasn’t anything to be scared of nor would they need to find the noise distracting if they knew what it was and could work on tuning it out.
“Alright guys and gals, why don’t we put on our coats and see what our neighbors are up to?” she said with the air of going on an adventure while she grabbed her own coat from the small thin closet behind her desk. It housed her school bag, her coat, and her lunch bag.
The kids all hustled excitedly to put on their coats while she called the main office to let them know she would be outside with her class, and she was bringing the walkie talkie in case of an emergency. Tyler was line leader, so he led the group behind her, and her line ender was Zara making sure the back half of the group was okay too. They walked in a straight line and followed one another at about an arm’s length. A trick she learned in student-teaching so her students wouldn’t want to touch one another with excitement.
They headed outside and they played a couple rounds of eye spy as they made their way up the path toward the parking lot. She turned around, walking backwards grateful of her early morning outfit choice today was pants with comfy shoes and not a dress and her favorite wedge booties. “All my friends love to be really careful near the parking lot, and listen to Miss Bee so no one gets hurt,” she reminded them. “All of my friends know they have to listen to Miss Bee or they will not have show and tell this week.”
They all zipped their lips and threw away the key as they walked toward the fence where the playground’s baseball field turned into the driveway next door where the construction was beginning. The little ones all oohed and ahhed over the big trucks and pressed their faces against the chain link fence as the materials were brought into the area.
“Wow, that’s the biggest truck I’ve ever sawed,” Brayden whispered.
“Ever seen, my love,” she corrected gently. “Okay, who can tell me one thing they’ve never seen before and have a question about?”
Immediately hands flew up into the air but before she could call on anyone, they were interrupted.
“They told me we were going t’have a young crew for this job, didn’t think everyone would be this young.”
She turned her attention to the man approaching the fence and she felt her heart flutter like a hummingbird against her chest. The man was tall, sinewy from being part of a construction crew and doing all the manual labor, she was sure. He wore a T-shirt with the company’s logo across the front Under Construction that stretched perfectly over muscular pectorals. A white hard hat was on top of his head but she could see swirls of brown hair peeking out from underneath. There were the standard work boots and pants of a construction worker on his lower half but that was all she really noted of his body.
It was his face that drew her in. His eyes, his smile, even his eyebrows seemed to catch her interest. His face had the slightest scruff on his cheeks and over his top lip. He was deadly handsome and she momentarily forgot she and her little ones were the only thing there. “We’re not here to work,” Mae giggled.
She shook her head and smiled. “No, sorry we can’t be part of the crew,” she said apologetically.
“We were going to do math, but Miss Bee wanted to show us the scary noises,” Milo explained bravely.
“Ah,” he caught her eye. Did his smile grow? She must have imagined it. Was it hot out? It was early October, and the nice fall breeze was blowing a chill in the air, and she felt like she was about to sweat through her clothes and wish she hadn’t worn her jacket. Holy shit, he was hot. “Are you Miss Bee then?”
“It’s actually Miss Bird,” Kai explained. “But Miss Bee is a nickname.”
“Bird,” he repeated. “Nice to meet you, Miss Bird,” he held his hand out. “I’m Harry, Harry Styles.”
“Harry,” she answered. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Styles.”
He smirked at the formality but held her hand an extra second longer before letting go. Surely, she imagined that.
Harry saw the gaggle of children and the woman alongside them about five minutes prior as they approached the fence between the playground and the building site. “We got company boss,” Niall smiled while he moved some of the materials across the site with the help of his forklift. Harry turned toward the group and was in awe of the woman that could wrangle a group of little ones like that so effortlessly. As he got closer he became a little more entranced by her. She was all bright colors, her pants were firetruck red, and her jacket was a bright pink. She had an off-white bandanna or wrap in her hair of some kind that came to a knot at the top of her head from underneath her hair. She was beautiful. Obviously. Harry thought she was lucky she didn’t teach older kids because they would probably get nothing done staring at the pretty woman for hours on end. She looked so young too—no way older kids would take her seriously. But the little ones seemed to adore her, waiting patiently while they looked on with fascination.
She held a walkie-talkie in her left hand while she shook Harry’s hand during introductions.
He couldn’t keep his eyes off her smile and the way she looked fondly at her students while he introduced himself.
“We didn’t mean t’scare you all. We’re putting in a new fire and police station here t’keep you safe,” he explained to the little ones. “The noises y’heard were us putting the materials down.”
They all watched expectantly, waiting for him to continue. “Could they ask a question?” She smiled sweetly at him. “They’re waiting for you to say they can ask questions; it’s kind of a thing in the classroom,” she wrinkled her nose so cutely as she explained.
“Oh—right, yeah,” he chuckled. Harry wasn’t totally sure how a group of six-year-olds could have questions about what very little they had seen thus far, but he couldn’t wait to hear it. “Of course...do y’have questions?” Harry felt a little silly not seeing what inquisitive little minds she was molding behind the fence barrier.
However, all twenty hands shot into the air. She giggled and shook her head. “We aren’t getting to all the questions,” she laughed. “Mae, you can start,” she said.
One of the girls in the middle turned to Harry. “Why’s your hat white?”
“It means I’m in charge of everyone over there,” he explained. “It’s called being a foreman.”
“So, you’re like Miss Bee, she’s in charge of us,” Mae reminded him.
“Yes, just like Miss Bee,” he agreed catching her eye. She bit the inside of her lip and glanced at her line of students.
“Milo, do you have a question to ask?”
The boy toward the end of the line looked shyly at Harry and he grinned before looking at his feet. He mumbled something toward the ground and Harry took a few steps closer, bending in front of the fence. “Can y’repeat that for me, lad? I didn’t catch it.”
“How do you know where to put stuff?” He asked.
“We have maps and outlines of where stuff is going to go,” Harry grinned.
“It’s kind of like the maps we made of towns, remember?” She prompted. “Where we would put the school, the houses—”
“The ice cream shop!” Someone else called out from the other end of the line. The rest giggled and she nodded with her beautiful, ever-present smile.
“Yes, the important things if you recall,” she glanced at Harry apologetically. “One more question, then we have to head back inside for snack time.”
“But Miss Bee! I have a lot of questions!” DJ pouted.
“Me too!”
“I do too!”
The chatter started to become a little loud and overwhelming as they reminded her that they had many questions for Harry and he smirked at her as she shook her head. “All my friends love to turn on their listening ears and turn off their voices,” she practically sang. Instantly, they were soundless.
“Wow,” Harry murmured. “I should try that on my crew.”
They all giggled, and she smiled at him apologetically once more. “Zara, do you want to ask your question?” She asked.
“How do you know what tool to use?”
“It depends on what y’have t’do, but I had t’learn which tool t’use by going t’school,” he explained.
“You went to school too!?”
“That was another question!”
“It doesn’t count!”
“Miss Bee!”
“Hey, hey, hey! Hocus pocus,” she called gently.
“Time to focus!” They all silenced themselves.
“Wow,” Harry was in awe of her. That was almost superhero powered in nature.
“Mr. Harry, could we write our questions down to have you answer?” Tyler asked.
“That’s a great idea Tyler, but Mr. Styles has to—”
“I would love t’do that,” he offered immediately and caught her eye. “This project is going t’be a while,” he explained.
“Mr. Harry,” Janie asked pulling on his pant leg through the fence. “Could you fix Miss Bee’s desk? It’s all crooked,” she explained.
“Janie, my love,” she said softly, her cheeks turning the same shade of pink as her jacket. She was adorable and Harry was putty already. “That’s not very polite to ask. Mr. Styles is working,” she explained. “It would be like asking you to do your adding while you’re doing your sentences.”
Harry grinned almost apologetically as he caught her eye once more. “I could take a look at it,” he offered. “When does school get out?”
“Oh, that’s okay—”
“We line up for the bus at three-fifteen. That’s when the clock looks like this,” and they all turned to put their hands together to the left of their bodies, surely to mimic the hands of the clock where indeed, it would look like three-fifteen.
Harry grinned. She was a cool teacher to teach all these inquisitive little minds. “All my friends love to thank Mr. Styles for taking time out of his day to teach us about construction work,” she said knowingly and looked at him once more.
“Thank you, Mr. Harry,” they all sang.
“I said Mr. Styles.”
“But Mr. Harry is like a nickname, like you Miss Bee.”
She rolled her eyes. “Alright, Tyler, are you ready to lead?” She asked and waved to Harry.
As the line departed, he watched until he couldn’t see the pretty woman or the cute little ones any longer before he turned back to his job site. Niall rolled over on his forklift once more and popped out of the seat to stand beside him. “How was kindergarten?” He asked.
“They’re funny,” he smirked. “And very cute.”
“The kids or the teacher?”
“Both,” he shook his head, smiling to himself. “Get back t’work,” he mumbled and headed toward the other workers.
*
Harry watched the little ones boarding their buses and their teachers wave from below the overhang of the drop-off port as the kids left for the weekend. He could see the bright red pants and pink jacket from where he stood by the fence once more and a few students called out to him. “Bye Mr. Harry!”
She turned instantly and found him there. Harry’s crew was also leaving (trying to beat the buses before they got stuck behind) but Harry was without his hat now, waiting by the fence. He waved to the little ones, feeling a bit like a superstar with all the eyes that looked over at him. But he swore he could feel the pretty woman’s eyes boring into him more than the others.
He hopped over the fence now that the children were on the buses and parents had their children in cars. “Hi,” he smiled as he approached her. Her pretty lips parted ever so slightly in surprise. Her eyes scanned his face for recognition as to why he would be approaching her after the kids had left. “M’here t’look at your desk,” he explained.
“Oh!” She shook her head. “That’s okay. It’s Friday. I’m sure you have better plans than—”
“I don’t mind,” he offered with a shrug.
“Um...” she swallowed. “It’s really alright, I don’t want to put you out—”
“S’very okay, Miss Bird,” he teased. “M’happy to take a look.”
She nodded. “Okay, well...we just have to get you signed in at the office.”
“Sure,” he smiled.
“Do you have your license?” She asked.
He nodded and followed after her. They stopped at the front of the office, one of the older women greeting and going through the spiel of being a visitor. “Will you be here often?” She asked. “We could do a background check to make things simpler.”
“Oh, he’s just working nex—”
“That would be great, thank you, ma’am.”
She pressed her lips together, but Harry swore he could see the corners of her mouth twitching upward. Harry quickly filled out the information on the form and once he had a visitor tag on the front of his shirt, he followed her down the hall. The school was definitely older. It was part of the reason the safety buildings were getting an upgrade. The whole town was a bit older. They were silent as she led down the hall, her arms crossed over her stomach, he followed her down a stairwell and they stopped as a custodian greeted her.
“Hi Miss Bee, staying late today?” He asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I’ll keep my mess to a minimum,” she promised.
“Not a problem Miss Bee,” he was a bit older too. Clearly, he was used to seeing her around after hours. Late? How late did she stay? It was Friday. Didn’t teachers race to get out of the building on Fridays?
“I like to set up my classroom for next week,” she explained. “It’s a little easier to have everything planned out.”
“Well, I won’t keep you,” he promised.
“You really didn’t have to do this,” her cheeks flushing pink once more. “I’m a little embarrassed,” she explained unlocking her classroom door.
“S’nothing t’be embarrassed ‘bout. M’happy t’take a look.”
“I guess...but they shouldn’t have said anything. Six-year-olds. You can’t tell them anything.”
He chuckled. “S’fine,” putting his hands in his pockets as she pushed the door open. It felt like being transported into another world. A bright, colorful, sunny world. There were windows overlooking the yard separating the building and a soccer field. There were string lights around the top of the wall, along with floor lamps placed around the room as well. There was almost a separate room for her colorful carpet where an old rocking chair was situated in front of the whiteboard. On the other side of the room were her play items for the kids as well as tables and little chairs for her kids. There was artwork and displays of all her students’ work around every free space of the walls. All organized and stapled properly at regular spaced intervals.
Harry would have loved being her student, he thought, but he was glad he could get to know the pretty lady as she was right now.
At the back of the class near another door, there was her desk. Underneath one of the legs was a stack of old books. Harry frowned. It was very crooked.
“It’s really not as bad as it looks. I like to believe I’m pretty resourceful so that was one of the easier fixes of the classroom.”
He sucked his cheek a bit and nodded. “Is there anything else you’d like me t’look at?”
She shook her head. “No, really. It’s okay, this is too much as is,” she said hurriedly. It was hardly anything. “You’ve had a really long day.”
But as if her classroom knew that Harry was there, the wooden sign above the door they just walked through fell off the wall. He smirked while her cheeks turned another shade redder and she winced practically with her whole body. “M’happy t’look around,” he offered. “You’re here late?” He asked and knelt beside her desk inspecting it. It was old. A fairly solid wooden structure but Harry could see it was made mostly of cheap particle board. There was no way that this was up to the fire code instructed by the public buildings in town.
“Uhh...yeah. I have to make copies and cut some stuff out for my new bulletin board,” she explained. “I also like to do a little extra cleaning on Fridays. The custodians have a lot to do so I try to do my fair share,” she went to the little closet behind her desk built into the wall. The door stuck a bit as she pulled it open and she hung her pink jacket up and pulled out a broom and disinfectant wipes.
Harry nodded. “I’d be happy t’help.”
“Oh, that’s completely unnecessary,” she assured him. “I can’t imagine you really want to be here after a long day of manual labor on a Friday no less and—”
“Miss Bird, I would imagine s’not nearly as draining as trying t’wrangle and keep the attention of twenty-something six-year-olds, for six hours a day,” he interrupted and looked at her knowingly. “M’happy t’help.”
She watched Harry for a few moments surprised by how kind he was to a complete stranger. “Could I take these drawers out?” He asked.
“Um...” she swallowed. “If you can open them.”
He tilted his head at her with a smirk. “Is there a point t’having this desk?”
“I found it at a yard sale. It’s kind of my thing,” she explained. “Most of the shelves, chairs, et cetera are from yard sales. I’m a teacher on a budget kind of thing. They just need some TLC. I say I’m going to do it over the summer, but I tutor a bunch, babysit, and whatnot so I haven’t had the time. This is my fourth year of teaching so I’m hoping this summer will be different now that I won’t be preparing lessons much now that I know what I’m doing for the most part.”
Harry watched her as she spoke, a gentle smile on his face. God, she was cute. Without her coat, she was wearing a blue almost denim looking shirt and she looked so adorable he wanted to pick her up and twirl her around like she was a princess. “I think you’re a superhero,” he told her.
Her face flushed once more and she turned to the tables lower than any normal table Harry had ever sat at (especially for his tall frame) and she knelt to wipe the surfaces. Harry turned to the desk letting her settle with the compliment he offered. He tugged the drawers out, with effort. A piece of particle board splintered a bit but given the drawer was empty, he didn’t think she would mind much. But Harry would rather build her a new desk altogether. “I don’t sit much,” she added.
“Mm,” he hummed. “Shouldn’t take an act of God t’get a drawer open.”
He lifted the desk off the books once the weight of the drawers was out of the way. He carefully moved her piles of items and organizers onto the floor taking mental pictures of her setup. There was a framed photo of her and a man and his heart almost gave out at the thought that the pretty girl was taken. He glanced at her wiping the desks, her left hand bare of any rings. It didn’t necessarily mean anything, but there was no way he could ask if she was taken. He gently placed her laptop on the back counter behind him and then tilted the desk onto it’s side.
The weight of her gaze was prominent on his face, but he ignored it, focusing on her desk and hoping to make her life a little better. “S’this little screw for the leg.”
“Yeah, I figured. It was too stuck for me. I tried using some WD-40 but I didn’t get much luck.”
He pictured the pretty girl in her bright red pants trying to get her desk to unstick. Resourceful she was. “I think I have some in m’car, I’ll go pop out.”
“Let me prop this door open,” she offered and went to the classroom door labeled with a giant two. Just follow that path up,” she pointed. Harry hurried out waiting until he was out of her sightline to all but run to his car and back. He returned with a selection of random tools he grabbed and walked back to her classroom.
“—shouldn’t stay late on a Friday,” he hated how jealous he was of a man’s voice. “Come out with El and I,” the voice offered.
“Louis, I’m exhausted. I will come over tomorrow. I can’t even imagine talking to the two of you right now and I love you guys.”
“I know,” the voice sighed. “Do you need help?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Course not.”
“Shut up,” she rolled her eyes.
“That isn’t very kind of you Miss Kindergarten,” the voice answered with attitude.
Harry cleared his throat as he returned. “I gotta go, Louis. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Don’t stay too late, Miss Bee,” he sang.
She continued sweeping and glanced at Harry’s tools. “You really don’t have to do this,” she reminded him.
“Happy t’help,” he assured her. She seemed pretty adamant though. He wondered why she felt so uncomfortable asking for help. His eyes dropped to her left hand once more looking for a tan line or any indication she was taken. “M’a big fan of teachers,” he promised. “Had some really good ones,” he explained.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “If you’re sure. I don’t want to be a bother.”
Harry wondered who on earth made this saint of a woman feel like a burden. Her desk was old and rickety. It was hardly rocket science to fix it and it wasn’t even that heavy. The drawers stuck, which Harry would tackle next, but otherwise what was so difficult? He sprayed the screw at the foot of her desk and gave it a spin, but it didn’t work. He pulled a wrench from his toolbox and tried to get better leverage. “There we go,” he mumbled to himself as the screw unstuck. He untwisted it all the way and sprayed both the screw and the hole. He twisted the metal piece back in and smiled feeling glad he made her life a little easier. He stood, tipped the desk back to it’s rightful position. He put weight with his hands to ensure all the legs were the same length and he wiped his hands on his pants.
“There’s a bathroom through that door—everything is low because of the kids though,” she pointed toward the one right near him.
“Thanks bird,” he smiled and headed through it. Whoops, he thought to himself.
He rinsed his hands with soap quickly admiring the bright, neon green paper that said you should sing Happy Birthday to yourself twice to get the germs off while washing your hands. He imagined she heard happy birthday all day long and found that adorable.
When he reentered her room, she was already putting things back, including trying to get the sticky drawer back into position. “Oh, I can do that, love. Don’t hurt yourself,” he hurried over and grabbed the drawer from her grip.
“Thank you so much for doing this, this is so lovely,” she frowned. “Can I pay you or something?”
“Absolutely not,” he chuckled. “S’hardly anything, bird,” he assured her and jimmied the drawer back into position. “Y’can keep doing your thing. I’ll put everything back.”
She bit the inside of her lip. “Thank you,” she repeated.
“You’re welcome, seriously. S’hardly nothing.”
“No but it is,” she assured him. “I don’t mean to dump this all on you but my ex-boyfriend made it very clear that I put too much effort into my job and that all the extra time I didn’t get paid for didn’t mean anything because caring so much didn’t get me anything more. But I love this room and all it’s little quirks but this means the world to me, honestly. I want one of those Pinterest perfect classrooms in some ways, but I don’t think I’ll ever get it because this school is old and I don’t have the money, time, or energy I’d like to fix a lot of the things I probably need to. I don’t think I’m explaining it quite right and I’m sorry I just dumped all that on you, but I don’t think anyone has ever done anything this kind for me.”
Harry felt bad that his assumptions were correct, but he loved the way she let all of that out. He listened to every word with bated breath grateful for the word ex. It didn’t mean she didn’t have a current boyfriend, but it put into perspective why she was so overwhelmed by Harry’s little help. “Well, Miss Bee, m’at your service,” he assured her.
--
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frenchkisstheabyss ¡ 2 days ago
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♡ please me ♡
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♡ Pairing: drug dealer!wooyoung x good girl!chubby!fem!reader
♡ Genre: fluff/smut/playful enemies to lovers
♡ Summary: If there's one thing you've learned from having a criminal as a step brother it's this: Never, under any circumstance, get involved with a guy like him. It's messy, it's risky, and it almost always ends in tears. It's the #1 reason you've pushed Wooyoung away for so long but sadly for you he's sickeningly handsome and painfully persistent. A combination that was bound to break you down and today's the day.
♡ Word Count: 3.7k
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♡ Warnings: san's your step brother (only mentioned), wooyoung's a criminal but a cute one, heavily tattooed woo, he low key/high key worships reader's body, kissing, oral sex (f receiving, reader's first time actually), fingering, a lil handjob, scratching, unprotected sex, a lil rough sex, cock riding, choking, creampie, pet names (baby, princess).
♡ A/N: Hello, my darlings. For whatever reason (he's super fucking hot) I've had a thing for Wooyoung lately. I'm also such a sucker for a criminal/mafia/etc boy who's super soft for reader and that's how we ended up here. As always, if you end up reading this I hope you have fun with it my loves. xoxo
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The perfect sunny day. You’ve been waiting months for the weather to break and finally you’ve been blessed with one. Refusing to waste it, you’ve been relaxing by the pool all day. Occasionally you’ll take a dip, letting the cool sparkling blue waters wash over you, but mostly you’ve been right where you are now. Spread out on a lounge chair, your earphones blaring your favorite song as the sun sprinkles its rays across your soft skin. 
This is the most peace you’ve had in a long time and the preciousness of it isn’t lost on you. At any second your stepbrother and his “business associates” could charge through the front door, bringing chaos and bloodshed with them, but you try not to think about it. For now this sprawling villa is all yours and nothing can take that from you. Well, almost nothing. 
“What are you doing out here, kid?” Wooyoung asks, staring down at you through a pair of dark tinted sunglasses. 
With your eyes closed, you hum along to the music, blissfully unaware of his existence. Wooyoung takes a long look at you, his gaze scanning you from head to toe. In all the years he’s worked for your stepbrother not once has he missed an opportunity to observe your beauty and this is the opportunity of a lifetime to say the least. He prides himself as being a man who bows to no one but he’d get down on his knees just to beg for one nibble at that plush figure of yours. 
Pushing his glasses back to the top of his head, he leans in closer to that pretty face and shouts, “You should really be more aware of your surroundings!”
His breath skims your cheek and you open your eyes only to see the shadow of a man, his features obscured by the sun. “Aah, shit!” you scream, scrambling out of the chair and nearly falling as you do. 
Wooyoung cackles, reaching out to you in a half hearted attempt to offer some comfort. “It’s okay! It’s me!”
You snatch your earbuds out, your eyes adjusting to the brightness as you begin to make out who it is in front of you. “Woo?” you squint, “You son of a bitch! What’s wrong with you?” 
“Wait, I’m sorry!” he apologizes but you’re already raining slaps down upon him. Using the duffle bag in his hand, he holds it up, blocking a few of your hits. 
You maneuver around it, landing a half dozen more hits before you tire yourself out. “You don’t sneak up on people like that! You almost gave me a heart attack!” 
“I said I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to scare you, honestly. Come here, let’s make up” Woo opens his arms, approaching you for a hug and, as always, you shove him away. The rejection doesn’t even sting anymore, he just takes it as a part of your charm.
Eyeing the hefty bag in his hand, you fold your arms across your chest, eager to get him out of your hair. “Tell me what you want. Quickly.” 
“Well, I have this delivery…”
You throw a hand over his mouth, refusing to hear another word. The less you know the better. “San’s not here so you can go. Thank you. Goodbye.” 
With that you ease back down into your chair, ready to carry on with your day like this never happened, but Wooyoung’s not giving up so easily. Part of you knew he wouldn’t. 
Wooyoung scoffs, his tongue poking his cheek, “You know I can’t do that. Today’s the drop off date and I don’t miss my dates, not for anyone. Not even you, princess. So here…”
He holds the bag out to you and you shoo it away. The only thing worse than knowing what’s in that thing is having your fingerprints all over it. “Fine, I’ll show you where to leave it but get that thing away from me and don’t call me ‘princess’, got it?” 
You get up with a huff, pushing past him and storming towards the house. Wooyoung takes his time, lingering behind for as long as he can, too stunned by this perfect view of you from behind to move.
“So…” he says when he's finally caught up to you, “How’s work?”
“Fine” you snap, navigating the halls with little care for if he can keep up. 
“You still best friends with that girl, uh, Charlotte?”
“Scarlet and yeah, still friends.”
“How about your little boyfriend?” 
His mocking tone makes you roll your eyes and you throw back a sharp look at him as you turn down a hall lined with sleek, black doors. “Broke up.”
Wooyoung pouts, hand over his heart, “Ouch, sorry to hear that.” 
He may be offering his condolences but that slick grin on his face says otherwise. Wooyoung’s been trying to get with you for as long as you can remember. You’re far from oblivious to it and for his part Wooyoung’s been far from subtle about it. Being mean to him has done nothing to discourage it but you continue to try, hoping that one day he’ll get the message and back off. It’s not that you don’t like him. The truth is the exact opposite. The crush that Wooyoung has on you is mutual. So mutual that just the sight of him has your stomach in knots. 
With those gorgeous features and that silky dark hair, he’s your every fantasy come true but he’s also trouble. You’ve seen what falling for a guy like that can do to a girl and you refuse to spend your days crying while he rots in a prison cell somewhere. You just weren’t built for it but sometimes when you’re alone and his eyes are on you the way they are now, his gaze hotter than the sun itself, you contemplate letting your inner desires cave to your better judgement. 
Refocusing on the task at hand, you push the thought away. “You can put it in here” you say, opening the door to the guest bedroom. 
Wooyoung steps inside, waiting for you to join him, “You scared to come in or something?” 
“No, I just don’t need to. Closet’s over there.” 
“I’m kinda blind without my glasses. Help me out?”
There’s that smile again, the one that has you melting beneath that cold exterior. Giving in, you walk over to the closet, sliding it open for him. 
“Here.” 
Wooyoung tosses the bag inside and when he does you swipe his glasses away, inspecting them. “I know these aren’t prescription by the way.” 
He just shrugs, snatching them back, “Yeah but they’re cool, aren’t they?” Stepping closer to you, he slips the glasses onto your face, beaming at how adorable you look. “They look cooler on you though.” 
A tingly feeling comes over you at the realization that you’re wearing something of his. It’s such a silly, schoolgirl thing but it’s nice and you can’t keep yourself from enjoying it. You crack a smile, a rare occurrence, and Wooyoung’s face lights up at this new achievement. 
“Oh my god, did you just smile at me?” he teases, tattooed fingers extending to brush along your arm. 
You grab his wrist before he can, staring him down behind the pitch black lenses. “I don’t know what you’re talking about” you deny, forcing the cursed smile way, “You must be, I don’t know…seeing things.” 
Wooyoung laughs, inching closer to you until you’re pressed against the doorway, a thin layer of clothes the only thing separating your barely clothed body from his. Taking the glasses off of you, he shoves them in his back pocket, making sure your eyes are visible when he asks this. “How long are we gonna do this?” 
“How long are we gonna do what?” you ask, your pulse racing at his closeness to you. He’s even more attractive up close, not a solitary flaw in sight, and the dark shift in his demeanor only makes you swoon harder. 
Twisting his arm free of your grip, he laces his fingers between yours, his thumb drawing light circles on the back of your hand. “Go back and forth like we don’t both want the same thing.”
It’d be typical of you to pull away and it crosses your mind that you should but for some reason you can’t. Chewing at your inner lip, you try to avert your eyes elsewhere, “And what exactly is it that you think I want?” 
Wooyoung tucks a finger under your chin, tilting your face closer to his. Your lips are dangerously close to touching. One wrong or right move—depending on how you look at it—and they’ll meet. 
“Me” he whispers and your body tenses, giving away just how correct he is. 
“I…I’ve never said that” you stutter, flustered by him for the first time. You feel naked, your secret laid bare. How could he know? 
“Then say it now. Say you don’t want me and I’ll stop” he says, brushing your lips with his. 
His tongue peeks out, teasing the seam of your lips and they part for him instantly, granting him easy access to the warmth of your mouth. That’s it. Years of fighting this blown to bits by a simple kiss. Only it’s not simple at all. The motion of his tongue is like a whirlwind, sweeping you up in him and nothing has ever felt so right. 
Your hands float up to cradle his face, your touch more precious to him than anything in the world. He didn’t know you’d surrender. For all he knew you could’ve kicked him in the balls and showed him the door. But it was worth the risk to put to rest what felt like an eternity of pining. He needed to know and now that he does there’s no turning back. He couldn’t if he wanted to.
The kiss grows deeper with every motion of your lips. Time itself seems to stand still as you fall deeper into each other, a thin haze falling over your minds at the heaven of this indulgence. Slipping a hand along the curve of your hip, he reaches back to grab a handful of your ass, groaning at how deliciously soft it is. 
“San says guys like you are no good for me” you say, the aching between your thighs betraying the very concept of that. 
His fingers find the strings of your bikini bottom, tugging at the carefully tied bows little by little until the fabric falls away. “Let me show you how good I can be for you, princess.”
You bite down on his lip just hard enough to make him pay for calling you that again. Wooyoung grins, kissing his way down your body. He takes care to press his mouth against every inch of you. Your collarbone, your breasts, your stomach. By the time he’s down on his knees, his tongue dragging along the meat of your thigh, your body’s vibrating from the sensation of being devoured so fully. But there’s still more of you to taste and Wooyoung’s drooling at the sight of it. 
He glances up at you eagerly, tapping his left shoulder and you know exactly what he’s asking. You drape your leg over his shoulder, your thigh pressed right up against his cheek. Wooyoung’s always known you to be this bold, confident girl but a sudden shyness washes over you and he can’t even lie, it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen. 
“Don’t tell me no one’s ever…”
You bury your face in your hands, shielding yourself from the truth of his statement. It’s not like you haven’t been with guys before but they were all too focused on themselves to give you the special attention you so intensely longed for. Now, with Wooyoung’s face hovering close enough for his breath to tickle your clit, you can barely keep yourself together. 
Wooyoung strokes your entrance, swirling his fingertips in the juices dripping from you. “That’s a shame. She’s so pretty” he groans, curling his tongue against your clit.
You tremble at the contact, walls clenching as his digits press into you, scissoring you open. Moans spill into your palms, the feeling of him licking between your folds too perfect for you to keep quiet. 
He reaches up to grab your arm, tearing your hands away from your face. “We’re all alone, princess. Let me hear you.”
Slurping harshly at your pussy, his fingers sink in deeper, your cushy walls swallowing them hungrily. The silver watch on his wrist clicks with every rotation, matching the rhythm of him pounding your core. He purses his lips around your bud, alternating the amount of pressure he applies to make sure you can’t possibly predict what’s next. 
Your body tingles from head to toe, pleasure creeping into parts of you that you didn’t even know it could reach. The room’s just quiet enough to hear your arousal swishing around on his tongue, the space between his fingers squelching as you leak down his hand. You’ve never been this wet before and that knowledge only makes you wetter. A part of you has always known that Wooyoung could give you exactly what you needed. It seems criminal to have denied yourself of it for this long. 
“Woo, aah, baby…” you gasp, hands clamping down on his shoulders when he hits your sweet spot. 
He leans back, lips glistening with your essence. “Did you just call me ‘baby’?” he asks, lightly petting your spot to keep your walls quivering, “Sounds so cute coming from you.”
Wooyoung picks up speed, moisture splashing on your thighs as his fingers dip in and out of your core. Your nails dig into his shirt, hips rocking to match his movements. The pressure building is so intense it makes you dizzy. Your brain’s so scrambled that you have to remind yourself to breathe. You arch with that next desperate gasp for air and he takes advantage of this new angle, sneaking a third finger into you. 
“Say it again” he begs, still lapping at your clit, “Be a sweet little princess and say it for me.”
“Baby…” you whine as your glossy eyes meet his, “My baby.”
Wooyoung’s been hard for you since he saw you by the pool and it’s only gotten worse with your arousal coating his tongue but the sound of your voice—floaty and satisfied—calling him yours does something special to him. Something that has every bit of blood in his body rushing to his cock, the throbbing of it against his zipper borderline unbearable. 
A switch flips on in your brain reminding you that, your current position aside, he’s the one wrapped around your finger and there’s something incredibly hot about that. He’s a man that’s committed crimes you’d never dare ask about. He’s been to prison more than once, made men twice his size wish they were never born, and all his heart desires is for you to want him. You might not know what it feels like to wield the power he has outside of this room but, if it’s anything like what you’re feeling right now, it’s no wonder he can’t let it go. 
Summoning all of your inner strength, you thread your fingers in his hair, tilting his head away from you. “Take your clothes off” you demand, sliding your leg down from his shoulder. You do your best to put on a strong front but your legs are turning to jello and it’s only a matter of time before they give out. 
Wooyoung rises to his feet, staring back at you defiantly. You think for a fleeting moment that he might not listen. Maybe your bossy act was over when you opened your legs. But your fears are quieted with two simple words. 
“Yes, ma’am.”
You can’t take your eyes off of him as he strips down, slowly revealing a toned body mapped with tattoos and a cock you can’t resist wanting inside of you. “Like what you see?” he asks, pretending not to notice you blushing. 
It’s distracting how pretty the head of his cock is, pearls of precum decorating the swollen tip. “I’ve seen better” you lie, prying your attention away from it. 
Wooyoung takes your hand, wrapping it around his length to let you feel it pulse. “Have you?” he teases, noticing how you mindlessly trace each vein, admiring the slight curve of his cock as you stroke it. 
You shake your head, your bottom lip tucked between your teeth, “Can I ride it? For…research purposes.”
“Research purposes? Is that it?” he laughs, guiding you over to the bed. 
Pulling you down onto him, he captures you in another sugary kiss, untying your top to let your bare breast rest in his palm. You straddle his lap, your pussy gliding down his length as he toys with your nipple, the bud pebbling with every pinch. He grabs your ass, lifting you up until his tip is pressed right up against your entrance. When he lets go your body slams down onto him, the thickness spreading you so wide that you scream between his lips. 
“You said you wanted a ride” he whispers, raising his hips to meet yours, “Take it.”
Tiny spots of color litter your vision, a flash of heat catching you off guard as you do what you can to adjust to the stretch. Your lashes flutter away the moisture forming in the corners of your eyes as you sit up in his lap, hands splayed out on his chest feeling it rise and fall with every uneven breath.
“Ah, fuck, princess…” he hisses when your full weight settles onto him and he bottoms out, his tip kissing your cervix. 
Your pussy hugs him tightly, hips rotating to feel him in every way you can. Feeling him in your hand is nothing compared to having him between your walls. You cling to him, picking up on all the finer details. It’s as if your body wants to remember it. Commit it to memory so that the ecstasy of this fullness never fades away, even after he slips out of you. Not that he has any intention to. He’d stay here forever if he could, enveloped by walls as smooth as velvet, his senses overwhelming him like its his first time. 
“Anyone ever tell you how cute you are?” he asks, gently massaging your thighs. 
You pout, knees pressing into the mattress as you lift up a few inches, pausing your movements. “Just cute?” 
Wooyoung grabs you by the hips, slamming you back down, and the force of his thrust almost makes you fold over. “Cute. Beautiful. Gorgeous…” he hums, palms tracing your figure, “You’re everything I could ever ask for and I knew from the day I met you that I’d do anything to have you.”
“Even get on my nerves?” you tease, intentionally flexing your walls around him. 
A whimper escapes him, the shock on his face beyond amusing to you. “Now that was cute” you giggle, repeating your actions but this time he holds back, refusing to give you the satisfaction. 
Lacing his fingers around your neck, he gives it a light squeeze that warns he can go harder. “Don’t threaten me. Do it” you dare, scratching red marks down his chest.
Wooyoung doesn’t hesitate, tightening his hold on your neck with a controlled strength that makes you feel safe and in danger all at the same time. His free hand finds your clit, his thumb toying with your bud as you ride him faster.
The deprivation of air leaves you lightheaded, heightening the feeling of everything else and you find yourself zoning out. There is no room, no bed, no house. Only the two of you pushing each other further towards the edge. Wooyoung can tell when you’re right there, the stuttering of your hips giving away how close you are to falling apart. 
“You gonna cum for me princess?” he coos, thrusting into you. 
You bounce in his lap—a mindless, helpless, whining mess—and his brain’s eating itself alive trying to decide where to look. At all those pretty faces you make? At the way your body jiggles from the impact? At the place where your bodies meet to make all of those delectable sounds? His eyes dart back and forth, indecisive and needy. He wants to take in all of you but there’s not enough time for it. His stomach muscles are tightening, that familiar tension clawing at his insides. 
He flicks your clit faster, maintaining his hold on your throat until you arch one last time, a moan ripping from your throat even in the absence of air. He turns you loose, the air rushing back into your lungs as your high takes you under wave by devastating wave. You collapse onto his chest and Wooyoung holds you close, too hypnotized by the feeling of you soaking his length to brace himself for how quickly he comes undone. He erupts deep within you, spraying your walls in thick layers of warmth that only make you crave more. 
It’d be the lie of the century to say that sex wasn’t something you’ve always wanted from each other but that was never just it. You wanted what came after too. The closeness of having your bodies intertwined, basking in the afterglow with his arms around you. The softness of his lips pressed to your forehead as he whispers the sweetest things to you. 
“You know you’re mine now, don’t you?” he asks, lovingly petting your hair. 
“Oh, really? Who says?” 
He leans down to kiss you and any shred of resistance melts away. You are his. You should’ve been all along. Somewhere in the back of your mind your worries linger. What if he gets into trouble he can’t get himself out of? What if you lose him one day? But, as he stares at you with stars in his eyes, you can’t imagine the alternative of not having him at all.
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316 notes ¡ View notes
navybrat817 ¡ 2 days ago
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Hold You Tight: Part 26
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Pairing: Club Owner!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader
Fic Summary: The owner of The 107th wants you to be his girl whether you like it or not.
Part 25 | Series Masterlist | Part 27
Chapter Word Count: Over 4.1k
Chapter Summary: You get a little closer to Bucky, and you get in touch with your mom.
Chapter Warnings: Sexual undertones, bonding of sorts, inner turmoil, world building, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?), more warnings to come.
A/N: More Hold You Tight, and thank you for sticking with me! Over a year since we began this wild journey! Bucky edit by the beautiful @nixakimbo. ❤️ Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby, but any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @firefly-in-darkness. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!
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Sometime after the popcorn and candy fight with Bucky you began to doze off in his arms. You hadn’t meant to, but you felt so comfortable and at ease. It was the first time that day you felt like you could breathe. That frightened you a bit since he wasn’t meant to be the hero in your story.
Or was he rewriting the story?
“I should get some sleep,” you whispered. 
His stubble brushed your temple. “You seem pretty comfortable,” he said, not releasing you, but not holding you tighter either. “I don’t mind falling asleep like this if you don’t mind.”
“I should brush my teeth. Maybe shower and change,” you said. It was too late for a bath and you didn’t want to risk falling asleep in the tub, though you had a feeling he’d never allow that to happen.
He sighed, but didn’t argue as he helped you up. He didn’t look angry, which was a good sign. Disappointed maybe. “Do you mind if I join you?”
You stared at him, your mouth agape. Was he really asking to join you in the shower? Could you stop him?
He chuckled at your expression. “I should’ve been more specific. I know you don’t want me in the shower with you tonight, but I’d like to be in the bathroom so I’m close to you if that’s okay,” he said. He just wanted to be close to you? “I won’t look or try anything.”
Maybe what happened to you was raw for him, too, and he wanted you in his sights so he could relax. “Okay,” you said after a beat. You were going to trust that he wouldn’t do something so soon after Clark. “But I’m yelling for Curtis if you do try anything.”
Bucky raised an eyebrow. “You’d yell for one of my men because of me?”
“Well, he is my bodyguard,” you replied, smiling when his mouth fell open.
“You really do have claws,” he said proudly, pulling you away from the messy living room. “Something wrong?” he asked when you whipped your head around.
“Did I bring my phone out here with me or did I leave it in the library?” you asked. You hadn’t paid much attention to that since you had been so upset before Bucky brought you to the living room.
“Don’t worry about your phone. Tonight’s about you relaxing,” he said. You were about to argue, but he was right. 
Your heart picked up when he led you to the guest bathroom. It was smaller than the master bathroom, which meant he’d be somewhat close to you. It was vulnerable for you too, since you’d be naked and he’d be put together like always. That was one of the differences between you two. He had you vulnerable from the start while you had to work to peel back the many layers of him.
“I had some things brought from the apartment while you spent time in the library,” he said, testing the water for you after turning it on. “Your bridesmaid’s dress, the photo of you and your friends, the dress and diamond necklace I got you, and some other things.”
“Thanks,” you whispered, knowing you wouldn’t have the energy to go through anything tonight. You wondered what was left behind. 
“Natasha also reached out to check on you. I told her you plan to talk to her about those self defense lessons.” His eyes lingered on you until he moved a few feet away and turned his back to you. “I think you’ve made quite an impression on her.”
“I can’t imagine why,” you said, undressing as quickly as you could and keeping an eye on him. The tension in his body told you he wanted to look, but he stayed still while you stepped under the water and shut the door. The water felt nice and you couldn’t help but sigh. You also didn’t feel as tense as you expected with him being so close. 
Was that progress?
You still half expected him to strip down and join you since you hadn’t forgotten about the things he said he wanted to do to you. How he’d fuck you in the tub, make you ride his face before he fucked you, how he’d make you take his cock. Would he turn you into his perfect plaything when the time was right?
“It’s because you’re genuine and goodhearted, which she appreciates,” he said over the sound of the water, making you push those thoughts away. “My mother appreciated it, too, and so do I.”
You turned toward the sound of his voice and saw his hand pressed against the frosted glass. Could he see you? You pressed your hand against his, the pain bringing out the need to comfort him. Funny how instead of you putting a mental or emotional wall up, there was a physical door between the two of you this time. All you had to do was open it. 
“I’d like to do something for your mom,” you said. 
“What is it?” he asked curiously. “You already have Zemo making a donation.”
“I’ll tell you in a minute,” you said, quickly washing yourself so you could sit with him. “Is there a towel or a robe?”
“I hung it up for you. I’ll be right outside,” he said, surprising you all over again when he pushed off the shower door and left the bathroom. 
“He really is trying,” you whispered.
You dried yourself off, brushed your teeth, and wrapped yourself in the plush robe before you opened the door. Bucky paced back and forth in front of the bed, a haunted look in his eyes. It was a heartbreaking sight. Did he hear you open the door?
“Bucky?” you asked, his gaze softer when he looked at you. Your presence truly rid him of his demons. “Are you okay?” “Just thinking about you and my mom,” he said, taking a seat with a heavy sigh. “Everything in my head is so loud.”
“The anniversary of her death is coming up, isn’t it?” Between that and your attack, you couldn’t imagine the range of thoughts and emotions he felt. 
“Yeah, it is.” He clenched and unclenched his fists. “I don’t go to the club that day. I don’t really talk to anyone either. Not even Steve.”
You took a seat and leaned into him, hearing him exhale before he wrapped an arm around you. You were still tired, but you wanted to finish this talk before you went to sleep. Like you needed space earlier, you sensed that he needed this. “I can’t imagine how hard that is.”
“It’s one of the hardest days, and it hasn’t gotten much easier with time,” he admitted.
Time didn’t heal all wounds. “It isn’t much, but the thing I wanted to offer? I’d like to make a floral arrangement for her headstone.”
He faced you and you shivered. There was so much love in his eyes, enough to snuff out every other emotion. How was it all directed at you? “You would?” he whispered. 
“I would,” you answered. She was a good woman caught up in a cruel world, and you wanted to make something beautiful to honor her. “And you won’t have to be alone,” you added, unless he wanted to be. Grief hit everyone in different ways and you understood if he didn't want to be around you that day. 
“Thank you. That would mean a lot to me.” Bucky swallowed and gave you a soft smile. “The arrangement and you being with me.”
He looked into your eyes before they dropped to your lips. Another moment where he wanted to kiss you and held himself back. It had been too raw to kiss him in the living room earlier and it was still too raw now, but you pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. His grip on you tightened and you stayed still, not daring to pull away.
“I want you. Fuck, I want all of you. I need you,” he breathed, tucking your head into his neck. With your lips against his pulse, you could feel his heart was pounding. “But I won’t take you tonight.”
“I know you won’t,” you said. He wouldn’t push. Maybe he would tomorrow, but not tonight.
He moved you so you were both lying on the bed. “I’m such a bastard. I should be comforting you instead of talking about my pain and wanting you.”
“You’re allowed to talk about your thoughts and feelings, you know,” you said, trying not to yawn. “And you gave me space today and the movie night, which I needed, so thank you.”
“So, you’re telling me I was a good boyfriend today?” he asked, running a hand along your back, touching you without crossing a line.
“Uh-huh.” You did yawn this time. “You were a good boyfriend today, Bucky.”
You didn’t have to look at him to know he was smiling. “Prepping to be the best husband to you one day.”
“One day,” you whispered, too tired to disagree. 
As Bucky held you tighter, you wondered if you should’ve argued and not filled him with hope. But you knew deep down you’d have his ring on your finger and you’d have his last name in time. You would be Mrs. Barnes, his wife, his queen, his Kotyonok, his everything. It was inevitable.
Perhaps it was fate.
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Bucky wasn’t in bed when you woke up the next morning. You touched the spot where he laid and found it cold. He was giving you that space once again. Once he had you in the master bedroom, things would surely be different. Chances were he’d wake you with his mouth or cock. You weren’t naive. He’d be insatiable once that dam broke.
“Where’s my phone?” you muttered, searching the nightstand. Bucky had said to relax for the rest of the night, but you wanted to reach out to Addison and the girls. 
You checked the library first once you left the guest room and found it right where you left it. Nothing in the room had been touched. Bucky kept another promise. 
It wasn’t until you left the library that you noticed the messages and missed calls from your mom, making your stomach sink.
“It’s Mom. Answer your phone.”
“If you won’t call me back, call Dad.”
“Why are you ignoring your parents?”
“I need you to call us.”
Your parents didn’t reach out just because. They never did. Judging from the insistence of the messages, something was wrong. It had to be.
You tried not to think the worst as you called your mom. Was she okay? What was going on?
“You called back,” your mom answered, sounding more irritated than usual. “Finally.”
You sighed, walking toward the kitchen when you smelled coffee. She didn’t bother saying hi. “I’m sorry I didn’t call last night. I’ve been having a bit of a rough time and needed some rest,” you said, refusing to feel guilty.
“A rough time? What could possibly be so rough for you?”
You grit your teeth. So much has happened to you, and of course she didn’t ask what happened or voice any concern. It would’ve been nice if she had, but you were just a florist in her eyes. A disappointment. 
Bucky was already dressed for the day when you got to the kitchen. He looked handsome as ever in black. It really was his color. But instead of smiling, he frowned when he spotted you on the phone. “Who are you talking to?”
“My mom,” you mouthed, his frown deepening.
“Put her on speaker,” he said, setting a mug on the island for you. “Please.”
“Are you still there?” your mom asked since you didn't answer her question. 
You put her on speaker. “I’m still here, and it doesn't matter,” you said, as much as you wanted to tell her. Shouldn’t a mother’s duty be to protect and care for their child? “Is everything okay? Is Dad okay?”
“We’re fine,” she replied, making you sigh in relief. “But we’re in the city and we’re in a bit of a bind.”
“You’re in the city?” you asked. Bucky raised an eyebrow. When did they get there and why didn’t they tell you? 
“Yes. We wanted to see the sights,” she said. Bucky’s jaw clenched when your face fell. They wanted to see the city, but not you? “But we need your help.”
“You need my help?” You shrugged at Bucky who came over and wrapped an arm around your waist. “With what?”
“Well. Our cards were declined last night while we were out. We had to use most of the cash we brought to cover our dinner.” She huffed, a sign that she was embarrassed. The cards declining was a shock. They were careful with their finances. “We thought you might be able to spare a little cash until we can figure out what’s going on.”
“You called me because you need money?” You glanced at Bucky who had a smug smile on his face. Sipping his coffee couldn’t hide it. What did he do? 
“You sound surprised,” your mom said. 
“I am. With the amount of missed calls and messages, I thought…” You didn't say it wasn't an emergency. Not that declined cards weren't a bad thing, but the way she blew up your phone, you thought something really bad happened. 
“You thought the worst? I guess I can understand why, but this is an emergency. And I know a florist salary isn’t much, but surely you can spare a little for your parents,” she said, your cheeks hot. You felt so small, and you bit your lip so you wouldn’t cry. Bucky’s fingers dug in, not liking that she insulted your profession. 
“I…” You laughed a little, a small, sad sound. Your mom was calling because she needed money and not because she wanted to see you. It was the cherry on top of a bitter cake. At least no one was hurt or worse.
“We’d be happy to discuss it with you,” Bucky said, sounding friendly enough, but you knew better. “Wouldn't want you to worry about money for the rest of your trip.”
“We? Who is that?” your mom questioned. “Who are you?”
“I’m James Buchanan Barnes, but everyone calls me Bucky. I’m also your daughter’s boyfriend.”
He tilted your head toward him so you met his gaze. He looked and sounded so proud, like it was an honor to be yours. Why couldn’t your parents have even an ounce of pride for you?
“Boyfriend? I… I didn’t realize she was seeing anyone.”
“Maybe that’s because you don’t check in on your wonderful daughter and only reach out when you need something,” he said casually, your eyes widening when your mom sputtered on the other end of the phone. “I mean, you came to the city to see the sights, but not her?”
You gripped the mug, letting the heat seep into your skin before you let it go. He was voicing what you thought. It meant something that he was defending you. 
“Well, of course we were going to reach out and see our daughter,” she argued, sounding like she swallowed a piece of glass. Bucky’s dig at her upset her. “My girl, we were going to surprise you before this hiccup.”
You wished you could believe that she wanted to see you. 
“I’m sure you were,” Bucky said without a hint of warmth. “But if you need money to get through the rest of your trip, we may be able to spare a little.”
He gave you a nod, encouraging you to say something. “Yeah, I’m sure we can,” you said. He had put money in your account and you could give your parents a bit if necessary. 
“Thank you,” your mom sighed.
“Why don't we meet you at The Chateau at 1 o’clock?” Bucky offered. A nice restaurant. They would love that. “It’ll give me a chance to meet my future in-laws face-to-face and I can treat you to lunch.”
He smirked at your expression. Future in-laws? The moment your parents discovered he was made of money they’d be on his side. They wouldn’t be in your corner. But were they ever?
“Y-Yes.” Your mom cleared her throat. “Lunch would be nice.”
“Looking forward to it. And don't be late. My girl’s time is precious and I don't want to waste it.” Bucky hung up before your mom or you could get another word in. “How did you sleep?’
“I… How did I sleep?” you asked, confused by the subject change. 
“Yeah. You were so tired you fell asleep in your robe. You're still wearing it,” he said, running a finger along the collar as you tightened it around you.
“I slept fine, but I should get ready for the day. I'm a mess,” you said without thinking. You hadn't gone through your morning routine, immediately searching for your phone before you found him. 
He held your chin, his eyes darkening for a split second. “You're not, but one day I will make a mess of you before and after you wake up.”
The breath rushed out of your lungs. There was the Bucky you knew. “Bucky, my parents are very meticulous with their spending,” you said, changing the subject yourself so you didn't focus on his desires. “Did you have something to do with their cards not working?” 
Bucky had the power to do that, but what would he have to gain from that?
“I may have made a call or two.” He shrugged when you took a step back. He really did that? Why? “You were still in pain yesterday and I wanted to inflict a little pain on someone else who hurt you. Why not start with your parents?”
The gleam in his eyes didn't frighten you nor did his smile. He really thought he was helping you in some sort of way. “But why would you do that? Because they weren't overly loving to me?”
“That's exactly why,” he said, stepping forward so you were close to him once again. “Outside of me, those are the people who should love and protect you. And when have they been there for you? When have they supported you?” He shook his head in disgust. “They said your life was a waste.”
Your fingers curled. They did say that. All because you decided to do something you loved. “Then why do you want to see them?” you asked. Why would he offer to take them to lunch?
“Maybe I want to tell them what I think of them,” he said, touching your cheek. “Maybe I want to tell them you have a real family here who loves you and are willing to fight for and die for you.”
You didn't pull away when his other hand went to the back of your neck. Wasn't that what you wanted? Your friends were your sisters, but his men were willing to do that because of him, not you. “Did you really freeze their accounts?”
He chuckled and kissed your forehead. How many times has he kissed your forehead since you met? “I’m not heartless. I left them with something because they're your parents and you have a good heart, but I'm guessing they didn't bother trying that card.”
“You really did that?” you asked, still in disbelief.
“I did, and I’d do it again. They may not have put a hand on you, but they hurt you and I won't stand for that.” He moved his mouth to your ear. “Say the word and I’ll make sure they have nothing, Kotyonok.”
You shivered, your eyes shutting. He was willing to destroy your parents for wronging you. It was crazy, but it was his version of love. 
And why were you leaning into him? Why were your hands suddenly holding his arms? Was he tightening the chain on you more? 
“I’d do anything for you,” he said against the shell of your ear. 
The sound of heavy footsteps had you moving away from him, but he stood in the same spot with a knowing smirk. He felt that you had leaned into him, silently looked to him for support. You had to stay in control. 
“I think I got the right ingredients,” Curtis said, setting a couple of bags on the counter. “I hope so.”
“Ingredients for what?”
He raised an eyebrow at you and began to unpack the bags. “For the brownies.”
You turned your gaze to Bucky who merely smiled. “Did you send my bodyguard out to get ingredients for the brownies I plan to make for him? That’s ridiculous.”
“He didn't just get stuff for brownies. I had him get a few other things, too,” Bucky said, smiling more when you glared. “I love seeing your eyes light up with fire.”
“Curtis isn't your… errand boy! I could've gone shopping by myself or given you the list.” You threw your arms up when Bucky chortled. “Do not laugh at me.”
“I’m laughing at ‘errand boy’, not at you,” he said. 
You pointed to the doorway. “Get out, please. Curtis can stay, but you need to leave my kitchen.”
It was your kitchen now, and baking would help you decompress before seeing your parents. 
“You're kicking me out?” Bucky’s expression was a mixture of impressed and offended. “You want him to stay here while you’re in your robe?”
“Yes,” you said, crossing your arms. The robe covered everything. 
“Don't you need to get ready for lunch?” Bucky pressed. 
“I can do that after I bake brownies,” you said. There was plenty of time. 
“Will you wear the diamond necklace I got you?” he asked, staring at your neck. “It looks so beautiful on you.”
Your face warmed at the compliment. “Yes, I’ll wear it,” you said to appease him. “Now go, please. Go talk to Ray. Call Steve. Plot and scheme or do whatever the hell it is that you do when you aren't thinking about me.”
He smiled and kissed your temple as he walked by. “But I'm always thinking of you,” he said fondly, narrowing his eyes at Curtis. “Don't touch my girl.”
“Wouldn't dream of it,” your bodyguard promised. 
“I will hurl an egg at your head, I swear!” You stomped a foot when Bucky’s laughter rang out in the hall. He drove you crazy. “Did I just stomp my foot?” you asked Curtis. 
“Like a child, but I don't blame you,” he teased, unloading the rest of the groceries. “I think you’ve earned unlimited temper tantrums.”
You giggled and looked over what he bought. “This is everything I need.”
“Recipe from your apartment,” he said when you were about to question how he or Bucky knew to get the special ingredients. 
You hang your head for a moment. It wasn't your apartment anymore. “Thanks. I'm sorry you had to buy the stuff for your own brownies.”
“I don't mind,” he said, taking a seat on the stool. It did nothing to take away from his intimidating stature. “Do I scare you?” he asked when your gaze lingered. 
“No,” you said honestly. As intimidating as he was, he didn't scare you. He seemed protective of you, and not just because he worked for Bucky. “Do you resent that you're my bodyguard?”
“No,” he said easily, running a hand on the back of his neck. “Someone needs to look out for you, and I’m glad it’s me.”
You began to move around the kitchen to familiarize yourself with where everything was. “Why is that?”
He didn't say anything as he stared at a spot on the island. “Because I know what it's like to feel trapped with nowhere else to go,” he said so quietly you almost missed it. 
You spun your head toward him. “You're trapped?” you asked. How and why?
His blue eyes searched yours and you thought he’d elaborate when he opened his mouth. He shook his head instead and softly asked, “Can I help at all?” 
You regarded him carefully. Was he talking about the brownies or you? And if he was talking about you, what could you say without it getting back to Bucky? “Thanks, but I'm okay,” you said, offering him a smile which he barely returned. 
As you grabbed what you needed, you thought about how the rest of the day would go. What would your parents say when they met Bucky? What would Bucky say to them? Would you tell them anything about what happened? Would they care or try to help you if you did? And what was Curtis's story? Maybe he’d tell you.
Or maybe you’d both remained trapped in Bucky’s world. 
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Oh, how will this lunch go? And what do we think is Curtis's story? Love and thanks for reading! ❤️
Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi
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