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volklana · 18 days

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Cursed Eyes Don't Lie

Request: Could you do something where in season 4 when they're escorting the children, that they encounter a woman on the travels they adopt into their band essentially to help with the children but she despises Sihtric because when he was one of Kjartans men he plundered her village and she never forgot him? Does that make sense and then somehow through all that angst make them fall in love?

Warnings: Mentions of past trauma associated with SA, I do not go into detail at all, it's just alluded to that it happened. If that isn't for you, please don't read, protect your peace and you can catch me next time xx

For some parts I have replaced things that Eadith did in the show with reader.

It was Finan who had spotted the little flicker of a fire in the distance that he insisted on following, he and Sihtric leading the way until they were brought to the ruins of an old Roman building at the edge of the woods.

They shared an unsure look, with Uhtred who looked to Eadith for reassurance.

“The children are tired, we need rest,” she urged and so he nodded at his companions to proceed.

They crept forward, up along the ridge of the broken ruins to try and decipher how many men were camped inside but to their shock and amusement they could only make out the silhouette of one woman, warming herself beside the fire, completely unaware that she was being watched.

“Just a woman?” Uhtred tilted his head in shock.

“I should go first,” Eadith offered, “If a band of men wander in demanding refuge you may startle her.”

Uhtred nodded in agreement and so Eadith made her way inside the ruins, ensuring to drag her feet a little to announce her arrival.

You swung around dagger in hand ready to attack and paused when she raised her hands in surrender, but not putting down your dagger.

“Please, I am with a group traveling with children, all I ask is that we may share your fire for the night. No harm will come upon you and we will leave at first light in the morning.”

You looked behind her to the small band of warriors and children clinging to their sides.

“I have no provisions or food, but there is a stream, you may wish to bath and collect water from,” you finally relented, placing your dagger back into its sheath around your waist and allowing them to pile in around the heat of the fire, while one of them announced they would try to hunt some food.

Introductions were made and you shared a little of your water with the children, while still remaining a little cautious of the men in the group. Eadith came to sit by your side and she bumped you gently with her arm.

“I know why you are wary. Us women have no choice but to be wary but I assure you these are some of the best men I have ever known, you have no reason to be worried. I promise you.”

“If you had seen the things I had seen lady you would be wary too,” was your only reply but you were reassured enough to loosen your guard.

Eventually as dusk was beginning to turn into the night the last of the men, the Dane Sihtric returned with two rabbits much to the cheer of his friends who immediately set about preparing them to cook while Finan, you had learned was his name, brought more wood to keep the fire going.

You went down to the stream to collect more water to give to the little Aelfwynn who seemed to be struggling the most with the conditions of the road, so much so you had parted with your furs for the night in an attempt to keep her warmer.

Uhtred’s man Sihtric, the Dane was washing his hands and face in the river and so you moved more upstream to collect the water.

You eyed him suspiciously, as he bathed but when he turned to face you, two mismatched eyes set a fire burning in your stomach and before you had time to think your actions through, you flung the animal hide you were using to store water with at him and it connected to his chest with a thud, as you fumbled for your dagger.

Your chest rose and fell in fury as you seethed, and he put his arms up in surrender, face a mixture of terror and confusion.

“You were one of Kjartan’s men, do not deny it!” you spat.

“Lady please,” he begged but made no move to stop you pressing the dagger to his neck.

“You sacked my village. You murdered my family.”

Sihtric’s eyes swam with emotion, his Adam's apple bobbing when he swallowed.

“Please, it was a different life, I had no choice.”

“No I had no choice,” you spat “No choice but to endure while your men took what they wanted from my village and from…me,” you refused to look away at the last part, the shame was on them and not on you and you refused to allow it to shame you now.

“And when I think back on that day I see your eyes. Eyes of the devil looking down on me, leaving me there amongst the burning embers of my life. I swore I would never forget those eyes. I have cursed those eyes and I would have my revenge one day.”

There were tears in the Danes' eyes and you did not care.

“Then have your revenge, I won’t try to stop you. But know this,” he pleaded “I never willingly served Kjartan a day in my life, all I did was to survive his cruelty. He killed my mother, he would have killed me too had I not proven myself useful as a warrior but I never ever relished in destruction. And I never forced myself upon any woman, not then, and not now and I have served Lord Uhtred faithfully, especially since he killed my father.”

You cocked your eyebrow in curiosity and Sihtric sighed.

“I am Kjartan’s bastard,” he spat “And the world is a better place for him not being in it.”

You hated yourself for loosening your hold on the dagger ever so slightly, but Sihtric made no move to escape, “I am sorry for what you have endured at the hands of the men I was with, and for my part in it. I will receive punishment in whatever way you see fit.”

You pushed the knife further into his skin again, watching a trickle of blood run down his neck to his collarbone and disappearing under his vest, tears pooling in your own eyes.

“I’ve waited for this day for years. Night after night remembering those eyes, imagining what I would do when I had you in my grasp, it is what kept me going all these years, and now I’m here and I can’t do it. I can’t do it,” you cried, dropping your dagger at your feet.

You stood facing each other for an eternity, chests rising and falling, looking into each other’s eyes, before Sihtric knelt down before you, “On Thor’s hammer I offer you my protection for as long as you will allow it. Travel with us, the road is no place for a woman on her own and I will never allow any wrong to fall upon you at the hands of another man again. This I swear until you release me.”

You examined those two mismatched eyes once again, ones that had many moons ago offered you his hand and pulled you from the table you were hiding under, pressing an apple into your hand as he gathered the few possessions he had plundered, and watching you with sad eyes before he mounted his horse.

“Coward,” you had roared after him, in the midst of your burning village, but now it was you who was the coward.

You considered him carefully, and could see that he was sincere.

“I accept the offer of your protection. But make one unwanted move on me and I will have your balls for earrings,” you promised.

He couldn’t help but smile as he rose, and you ordered him to pick up the discarded hide of water to bring back to the camp, which he hastily fumbled for.

“And the curse?” he shouted trying to catch up to you.

“Remains until I see fit to lift it,” was all you offered, not giving him the chance to fall in step with you.

“What happened to your neck?” Finan asked as you walked back together.

“Ah, must have nicked in on a branch,” Sihtric dismissed but Finan warily eyed the dagger on your waist, and you cocked an eyebrow in challenge but thankfully he let it go.

You tossed and turned but could not find sleep. Every time you closed your eyes all you could see were Sihtric’s eyes. Those mismatched eyes you had grown so accustomed to hating. Sympathetic eyes, pulling you from your hiding place of fear and smoothing you down but making no attempt to force himself on you. And accepting eyes as you held a dagger to his throat, willing to allow you to hurt him, this made you feel more conflicted than you had in years.

Sihtric in turn could not sleep. He had earned two black eyes and a swollen lip once Tekil had informed Kjartan that he had refused to take his turn with you, but he could never admit that to you now. You had said you had cursed his eyes and maybe you had, Sihtric was no fool, he had seen the damage a curse could cause, maybe his curse was to have found the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on and never be granted the opportunity to earn her love. To see her but never to touch or hold.

The next morning Finan woke everyone up and the scramble to collect everything began.

Sihtric was by your side in an instant as the camp made to leave.

“She comes with us,” he announced, causing Finan and Uhtred to step toward him in bewilderment, “She comes with us. She comes with me.” was all he offered in terms of explanation and began walking, to which you simply followed behind.

Life on the road the next few days were a blaze of walking as far as possible in the light and hunkering down for the night wherever Uhtred deemed safe. Finan and Sihtric always took the nightwatch whilst you and Eadith tended to the children. Little Athelstan had taken a real shine to you, always opting to sleep by your side or holding your hand in the dark, but by day he only ever wanted to be by Finan’s side.

“Horses!” Uhtred warned and you all took to running. Sihtric grasped your hand in his.

“Keep running,” he urged, pulling you alongside him and you grasped his hand for dear life running as fast as you could. Only halting when you nearly fell into the lake with bodies of the dead from the sickness, Sihtric gripping you to stop you falling in.

Deciding against Sihtric’s suggestion to swim through, you had no option but to surrender to Eardwulf and his men’s approach, Sihtric ushered you behind him, one hand in front of you in an attempt to protect you.

“Protect the children with your lives,” Uhtred commanded as Eardwulf’s men dismounted their horses and you reached for your dagger, while Sihtric gave his own dagger to Athelstan.

As Edith revealed the truth of her brother’s treachery and he fled away into exile, Sihtric once again took your hand in his, squeezing it gently three times, for reassurance.

At Wollerton, you found horses and provisions for the next part of your journey, Eadith and Osferth were to remain with Aelfwynn, to try keep her alive, and Young Uhtred and Sihtric were to find Aethelflaed, you lingered awkwardly for a moment having received no orders.

“You will ride with me?” Sihtric announced but it was more like a question, and you nodded, before mounting his horse and he climbed on behind you. You were both awkward with the proximity, you wanted to put more space between you two but Sihtric’s strong arms encased you and in the end you had to relent to the fact that you could not escape his touch.

“Woah,” Sihtric jolted forward to catch you, it had been hours worth of riding and you hadn’t felt yourself falling asleep, but Sihtric caught you before you fell from the horse.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled feeling embarrassed.

“It’s okay I’ve got you,” he shushed “We will rest soon I promise, but lay your head back on me, that way you can close your eyes and I’ll keep a stronger hold on you,” and even though you didn’t want to, exhaustion overruled and you obeyed as his left arm locked around your waist.

He tried to ignore the hammering of his heart and for a long time he wouldn’t allow himself to look at your peaceful face, but when he did his breath caught in his throat and he had to force himself to look ahead again.

When you finally caught up to Aethelflaed and Sihtric relayed the news, you were almost dead on your feet.

Sihtric agreed to take Aethelflaed to where Osferth and Eadith were caring for Aelfwynn, and you delayed a moment.

“Leave me here,” you urged, “I will slow you down.”

“No,” Sihtric shook his head furiously, “I will not leave without you.”

“Sihtric,” you sighed.

“No y/n I am sworn to you and I will not abandon you. Where you go, I go.”

You knew him just well enough to know you were not going to win this battle so reluctantly you climbed back onto his horse.

When you finally reached Aegelesburgh to the news that Uhtred was to be named the Lord of Mercia, Sihtric went to go drinking with Finan and Osferth, but you went to catch some sleep. Promising you would meet him in the alehouse afterwards.

You arrived to a very solemn, very quiet group of soldiers, lamenting the fact that Uhtred had given up his chance to rule Mercia. Stiorra moved up a space to allow you to sit beside Sihtric and he bumped you reassuringly with his shoulder despite his sour mood. Finan returned with two jugs of ale and Eadith and you all settled into a heavy night of drinking. So much so that when the time came to depart for bed Osferth was sick outside and you were unsteady on your feet, so much so that you had linked arms with Finan while he sang some merry tune. Sihtric could not deny the fiery jealousy that was burning in his stomach as he watched you walk ahead.

He watched you throw your head back in laughter as the Irish man spun you around, “I’m going to slip,” you giggled and the sound was devastating to Sihtric, he would never make you laugh like that, and you would never allow yourself to be this carefree around him. Forever, you would be guarded and wary of him. That was the real curse.

He huffed and stormed past you both, refusing a glance at you both and you scoffed “What’s up his arse?”

“Can’t you tell?” Finan laughed “He’s soft on you and in all fairness I’ve been hogging you all night.”

It was like you were sober in that instant. Sihtric was developing feelings for you and you had sworn to hate him forever.

You couldn’t sleep, and you certainly couldn’t stay, so you made up your mind to leave at first light. You would gather enough provisions to make it on your own. Your heart was sad because you had grown accustomed to the company, to Sihtric in particular. His reassuring touches, his gentleness and the way his eyes seemed to always be on your. Those eyes. “Curse those eyes,” you spat but you couldn’t quite bring yourself to mean it.

At first light you began to pack your things together and startled when a gentle knock on your door pulled your focus away from the task.

You opened it fully surprised to see Sihtric standing sheepishly outside.

“We’ve been tasked with escorting the Lady Aelswith safely on her way to Bedwyn- Are you going somewhere?” he asked eyes frantically inspecting the items on your bed.

“I’m leaving, yes.” you answered defiantly.

“Leaving?” he rushed “But where will you go? Why are you leaving? I am sworn to you. We should stay together, no?”

“You are sworn to Lord Uhtred, you go wherever he commands,” you quipped.

“No. No!” he huffed stepping foot into your room before you come stop him, “You can’t leave, where will you go? Back on the road? I won’t allow it!”

“You won’t allow it?” you scoffed “And what on earth makes you think you have any say in what I do or where I go?”

“I have sworn myself to you, on Thor, until you release me, or have you forgotten? Your safety is everything to me. All I have done is try to keep you safe. Can you not see that?”

“If your concern is your oath I release you, there you are free from your bond and I am free to take leave of you,” you turned on your heel and began hastily pushing things into your travel bag.

“You would dismiss me so easily?” Sihtric sounded crestfallen, his mind was scrambling a thousand miles a minute trying to comprehend what was happening and trying to find something, anything to say to make you stay.

“Sihtric, I’m not entirely sure what you think we are to each other. Did you think us friends? Lovers? I never agreed to either of those.”

“So what if I did love you, y/n is that so terrible? I have tried in so many ways to show you that I am not the man you thought I was. But you are intent on hating me forever aren’t you? It’s hopeless, I will always be the heathen who plundered your village to you. Nothing more.”

Your heart was pounding in your ears because it was quite the opposite, you could not hate him.

“It is hopeless,” you repeated, “And you should not be prevailed upon to look at someone you love, who does not love you back every day.”

“Could you,” he looked down at his feet, unable to meet your eyes, “Could you not love me, some day?”

You wanted to burst into tears right there and then, throw yourself into his arms and tell him you loved him already, Sihtric could see your resolve melting and it was enough to spur him on, he took your hand in his and squeezed it three times. You had long suspected he did it to reassure himself more than you and this moment confirmed it.

“Sihtric, how could we ever be?” you cried “Look at how we began. I can’t look into your eyes and promise you that I will never not harbour resentment for what I went through at the hands of your men.”

“And I can never make that up to you, even though I would give my life to do it,” he replied. You sniffled and allowed him to pull you to him as he embraced you tightly.

“Let me go Sihtric,” you mumbled against his skin, “Let me go as I have released you,” he nodded slowly and when you broke apart you noticed there were tears in his eyes.

“I lift my curse,” you nodded, tears falling from your own eyes“Go forward and know that I wish you no more ill.”

Sihtric looked into your eyes for what felt like hours, before finally with a firm nod he departed your room and you briefly considered running after him before making your mind up resolutely to let him go, for his own good.

And so you departed Aegelesburgh before Uhtred’s band had even gathered their belongings to leave.

After you had been walking for hours, you came across a band of Danes, careful to jump off the road and remain among the trees but it was unmistakable, a hoard of Danes were making their way along the road you had just traveled and it did not sit right in your stomach.

“How much further to Winchester?” one of them complained and your stomach dropped.

Uhtred and Sihtric were going to walk right into this trap and without even thinking your actions through you took to running back in the direction you came from, you were hoping against hope you could intercede them and warn them before the Danes got to them. Your heart racing in your mouth with each step, if something happened to Sihtric and you never got to tell him how you felt you would never forgive yourself.

You had lost track of the Danes along the road, but you no longer heard them and that worried you immensely. Still you ran as fast as your legs would allow you. Until you came to the remains of what would have been a camp for the night and you carefully made your way among the trees, you had to cover your mouth with your own hand to stop yourself screaming at the sight in front of you, hanging upside down from a tree was Uhtred, Finan, Osferth, Father Pyrlig and Sihtric. You had to fight the urge to be sick, but they were guarded by two Danes you did not have a hope of defeating alone, so you needed to act quickly, it didn’t help that you could visibly see Sihtric was not doing well and he was in trouble.

Everyone startled at the bloodcurdling scream they heard from within the forest, and when it was followed by another more pained, one of the Danes went to inspect.

You made quick work of him with your dagger, stabbing furiously until you were sure he was dead and then you stole his ax, and silently crept back up to the camp, avoiding the second Dane who ran into the woods calling his friends name.

“Y/n, quickly, go to Sihtric!” Uhtred urged in surprise and you made quick work of the binds tying his hands together, trying your best not to panic as his arms hung limp beside his head, and then you swung wildly at the rope tying his feet, grunting under the strain as Finan shouted words of encouragement, as he fell you grapsed his face in your hands “You’re alright, you’re alright,” you assured but Uhtred shouted for you to release Pyrlig and so you sprung into action while Sihtric attempted to regain composure.

As you were working on Pyrlig, the second Dane returned and you watched Sihtric grapple with him and when you finally released Pyrlig the two of them took him down, Sihtric stabbing wildly until he Dane finally fell.

You made quick work of Osferth, Finan and finally Uhtred.

When all were finally free you ran to Sihtric graping him into your embrace.

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry,” you kept repeating while he placed kisses to your head and face, anywhere his lips could land. “It’s alright, I’m alright,” he repeated in between kisses.

But you did not have time to revel in the moment as Uhtred had commanded you all to run, the Danes had Stiorra and you were going to make the journey on foot to Winchester, and so you found yourself hand clasped in Sihtric’s once more running through fields in an attempt to keep up.

Not stopping once until you reached Winchester, but Sihtric never once let go of your hand.

When you volunteered yourself to go in disguise to check on the captives, Sihtric wanted to be sick. If the Danes in Winchester were preparing for a siege you were going to be stuck inside but you were certain on your path.

And you surprised even yourself with the gumption you had found, as the guards cleared you to enter the city.

But it did not take long before you found yourself in Haeston’s hands as you had tried to enter the castle using Eardwulf’s execution as a distraction. The moment he grasped you, you knew you were in trouble.

“What do you want with me?” you cried as he dragged you across the courtyard but you already knew what he wanted, as he pulled you up to the loft of a building and you prayed that you would have no need to use your dagger on him, because you would in a heartbeat.

Thirty days passed under Haeston's control with the city under siege. He tried each night to lay with you for the first two weeks but each night you rebuked him with warnings of gouging out his eyes whilst he slept. He brought you morsels of whatever food he could find and as you weakened, he relished in your lack of strength. He was the worse kind of predator, the one who strikes only when the prey is too weak to defend itself, but you would not allow yourself to become his prey.

But when he frantically came up to grab you, telling you the battle had come, that he did not want to face it, your heart hammered excitedly at the prospect of seeing Sihtric again.

He pulled you along until you finally found your strength lashing out at him until he relented and released you.

“Stay here and you will die,” he spat and you stood fast.

“Die then ungrateful bitch,” he shot before turning his back and fleeing.

You ended up in the midst of the fighting, with only your dagger for protection, but in the chaos you fell and were being trampled on, worsened when both sides shouted for a shield wall. It was Finan who had heard your groans of pain, breaking the shield wall in order to pick you up and carry you to safety.

As soon as the negotiations began Sihtric was by your side, mismatched eyes searching every part of your body for injury.

“My love,” he cried “Oh my love,”

“Sihtric,” you mumbled, allowing him to pull you to him, you hand flew up to trace the scar on his face and you ran your thumb across his lips “Your eyes that I have cursed a thousand times were the only thing that kept me going. Each night I would dream about your eyes and I would find the strength to endure. I was wrong to tell you I could not love you Sihtric, you are the only man I could ever love,” you cried and he shushed you, gently bringing his lips down to meet yours and you whimpered at his gentleness.

That night you stayed with Sihtric. He tended to your wounds with delicate hands and shaking fingers. He was afraid that you were going to disappear at any moment, but he stilled all actions when he felt you begin to cry in his arms.

“My love? Did I hurt you?” he almost shrieked and you shook your head vehemently.

“I was so wrong about you, Sihtric. I feel I’ve been cruel. I shouldn’t have tried to dismiss your feelings back in Aegelesburgh.”

“None of that matters,” Sihtric shushed you, cupping your face in his rough, tattooed hands “What matters is you know how I feel about you, and you know that I am yours for as long as you want me.”

“I want you forever,” you cried, placing your own hands over his, and turning your face to press your lips to the palm of his right hand.

He was gentle laying you down on the bed, pressing sweet wet kisses to every inch of skin that became exposed to him as he undressed you, and you eagerly pulled his clothes until they too were a discarded mess on the floor.

Sihtric’s groans were delicious in your ear and the gentle pace he set, had you gasping for air as he teased you.

“I’ve changed my mind,” you panted and Sihtric’s mismatched eyes, flashed to yours in worry “I reinstate my curse on your eyes,”

“Oh yeah?” Sihtric laughed rolling his hips with a flick that had you gasping.

“I curse them to only love me for all your life,” you grinned, trailing your hands along the sides of his torso.

“In that case I am happy to be cursed love,” he grinned, picking up speed and not relenting until you came apart in his hands, finally reaching his own high as he bit down on your shoulder.

“I will love you from here to Valhalla," he panted "And cursed eyes don't lie,” he chuckled before collapsing down beside you.

Tagging: @canyonmoon-2 @sihtricfedaraaahvicius @whitedarkmoonflower @shamrockqueen @thenameswinter99 @foxyanon @acdassenza @thatawkwardlittlefangirl

#sihtric x reader #sihtric x you #sihtricsmut #sihtric kjartansson #sihtric fic #the last kingdom fic #volklana writes

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baddiewiththebook · 5 months

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ONE OF THEM [PART 4]

-> Dating your best friend Eddie Munson might have been pictured differently in your head. Despite a blissful weekend, you’re met with a few bumps in the road; and, your friends slowly figure out that what you're doing in private crosses the boundaries between friend and lover.

-> eddie munson x you (she/her)

-> friends to lovers, secret relationship, angst

-> warnings - strong language and suggestive scenes [no smut]

[Part 4] [Part 5 - Coming Soon]

This is a sequel to One of the Boys

-> <-

“Do you think he has plans for that asparagus, or does he just need a friend?” Eddie’s head is tilted just to the right, while he studies the man across the aisles.

You plop five plump potato’s into a plastic sack provided by the grocery store, and hum a soft tune to yourself. Ignoring Eddie, you take the sack and drop it down onto the metal scale to imagine the price point.

When you move, however, Eddie is frozen in time. His eyes move past the displays of fresh lemons and limes, and over the apples and pears. A man is scratching his finger over the Saran Wrap tucking a set of asparagus in a tight film. Peering through Coke bottle glasses, he pouts his bottom lip and then puts the produce back.

“You’ve been watching him for a while?” You try to sound less irritated than you are. Shopping with Eddie got easier once you asked him to push the cart. In a way, this tethered him to you because he kept his hands busy and off of the shelves where he insisted on touching everything.

Eddie doesn’t mean any harm, after all he is just looking. Suppose he looks for a bit too long and he’s a bit distracted, then you’ll correct him with a sour sort of ‘come on, Eddie,’ like his uncle Wayne does sometimes. But, his uncle never buys fresh potatoes. Eddie has got no idea what you’ll do with those. When you told him you wanted to make dinner for him tonight, he thought the box of mashed potatoes was fine enough and the steaks in the back of the freezer had only been there a few months - or a year. Who can tell the difference?

You surely can.

When you suggested that he come with you to go to the grocery store, he saw the glee on your face. He can’t say no to you.

There’s something soft about the way you’re touching everything on purpose. You studied those potatoes like the man did with his asparagus, but when you got a little pouty, Eddie’s heart fluttered in his chest.

You’ve got one hand on the cart, so to him you feel connected even if you’re not holding onto each other. Guiding him in the right direction down the isle, he'll never get lost as long as you're there with him.

Eddie is damn near snoozing by the end of the laundry list of grocery items. There is only six, but that's six too many. You offer to buy him something sweet in exchange for his patience with you.

“Did you want to go to the little bakery? They’ve probably got chocolate cake or cookies,” you wiggle at the end of the cart.

Eddie straightens his back at this.

“Sure, but no chocolate,” he shakes his head. “I don’t like that stuff.”

“You don’t like chocolate,” you’re more taken aback than he imagined you might be. “But, what about the chocolate cake I made you for your birthday two years ago, and the cupcakes I made for your birthday this year! You said they were the best. I even kept the recipe!”

“Sweetheart,” he catches up to you, so he can wrap an arm around your shoulders. “How could I possibly tell you that I didn’t like chocolate when you’d spend all day baking for me? Hm? I really did appreciate the gesture. You know- among the thick layers of goo- oof!”

You’ve elbowed him in the side. Rightfully so! Smiling into the case of donuts, you make a beeline for the grinning worker behind the counter.

“Can I get a loaf of- erm, that one,” you’re not sure how to pronounce the name.

Eddie’s gone when you spin around with your bread loaf. Eyeing the treats, he aims for a small cherry pie. He pulls his hand back and shakes his head. Your boyfriend flicks his hair behind his ears because as much as he likes his hair, he does get hot sometimes. Boyfriend.

Eddie Munson is your boyfriend.

Have you said that out loud yet?

“The bread,” you announce like he’s memorized dinner plans.

Eddie shocks you, “steak next, right?”

Aisles of produce pass you by like time ticking on a clock. You’ve gotten everything on your list by now that Eddie clutches in your hand. Time wastes on because you don’t want to go home quite yet. You’re in control of the cart, and Eddie’s bounding between aisles to show you something ‘cool’ he’s found.

The cart slowly is taken over by snacks you haven’t planned to spend money on, but you do anyway because Eddie’s joy means more to you than a dollar.

Eddie pops a rope candy in his mouth, while you organize the cashier belt in line.

“Don’t forget the bags,” Eddie pulls some plastic bags from the bottom of the cart that you keep in your house. You reuse them as long as possible, and Eddie finds this endearing.

“Thanks,” you put them in the front of the groceries already stacked on the belt.

Eddie tosses a wrapped piece of chocolate onto the belt you hadn’t seen him grab from the shelves.

“I thought of you,” he taps the wrapper, before the belt sweeps the sweet away. “It’s got caramel. Your favorite, right?”

"It is," you sigh completely defeated that he knows more about you than you about him.

"My favorite is cherry," he swings the licorice in the air.

“Sir,” the cashier’s lips thin. “You’re paying for that, right?”

Eddie’s chewed through the whole package of candy by now, and humorously he’d like to imply that he’s not. But with you in mind, he hands the woman the wrapper without fuss. You wrap onto his arm like a child, and he places another kiss to the top of your head.

You’re paying for the grocery run today, but Eddie promises that the next time you’re shopping together that he will pay. The conversation floats past your ears because you’re just thrilled there will come a next time.

The van is waiting for you in the parking lot, where Eddie tosses you the keys to unlock the doors. He’s busy rummaging through the back trying not to rattle his band equipment, but he does use the inside of the drums to steady the dozen eggs.

“Are you buckled?” Eddie climbs into the drivers side.

You’re set in the passenger seat with the chocolate that Eddie bought for you. Using his thumb, he swipes at your chin where you’ve smeared melted chocolate on by accident.

“I’m buckled,” you tighten the seatbelt. “Do you want a bite?”

“No, but could you hand me the hamburger back there?”

You scrunch your nose. “How long has that been there?”

“Eh.. like a couple days?”

“Eddie!”

Laughter fills the corners of the van like a harmonious song. Well tuned - perfectly pitched.

-> <-

Eddie is an awful cook.

Finding your attention drawn onto the sharp knife in your hand, slicing potatoes into chunks, you’re not watching Eddie scrambling behind you. He’s got two spoons in his hands, but he scratches his head at what for. It isn’t until you’re gasping at the blackened smoke coming from the stove.

Flipping the carrots around in the pan, Eddie’s apologizing over and over. You reassure that the carrots still could be edible, but judging by the blackened bottoms, you both know well-enough to toss them.

You’re putting the potatoes into the hot water, only burning the tips of your fingers.

Eddie’s in control - er, sort of - cutting up new carrots. Following along what you did earlier, you bite your tongue at the massive pinches of black pepper and salt he’s added. Tablespoon or teaspoon? He’s got no clue!

“I’ll keep an eye out this time,” he holds a staring contest with the searing hot pan that’s still a bit too hot for the carrots.

You turn the burner down, and flick the carrots around until the smoke clears. Eddie groans, and takes over because he doesn’t like being micromanaged. It’s all in good fun, though. He does find being in the kitchen with you quite homey.

Homey.

Eddie’s never had that feeling before. Last time he’s felt at home, no offense to Wayne, was when his mom found him hidden in the cupboards of their little house. Sure, life wasn’t perfect for the Munsons, but his mom always kept the court dates and the legal shit out of his eye the best she could.

When she died, a part of Eddie had too. He misses the warm hugs and kisses, the way she lets him lick the spoon when she makes cookies from the tube.

But, alas, if his life was perfect then he wouldn’t be here with you. Eddie finds himself feeling pretty perfect anyway because you’re there. You’re humming a tune to yourself, as you twist the timer to twenty minutes. Old and barely alive, the timer clicks on like a mighty oak.

“Twenty minutes until the potatoes are done,” you swirl around to Eddie. He knows the sigh coming from your mouth is less about the exhaustion from cooking, as it is dealing with him in the kitchen. “What should we do while we wait?”

Eddie places his hands on your cheeks, and brings you into his chest. Chest to chest. Heart to heart. Beating rhythms of your hearts pump between you two. You’ve got your ear to his breast imagining what’s dancing around in there.

Unintentionally, Eddie flicks the backing of your bra. A flame ignites inside you. Did he notice? Did he mean too?

Are you even prepared if the night falls that way?

You’re a bundle of nerves knowing that when that moment drops, and the both of you find yourself even closer than you are now that nothing could be the same. Going back isn’t an option. Swirling stars cloud your vision, as your breathing slows.

Eddie hums when your grip on his back loosens. He sways with you, while you’re drifting farther into your head.

Skies of warm orange and cotton candy coated pinks cloud your eye. Touching a garden of soft spring flowers. Ridges of the stone bridge. A kiss is pressed onto your forehead like a dew drop, raising you from your state of hypnosis.

“You still with me?” Eddie’s voice vibrates through your ears.

“Hm,” you hum. “Should we sit down?”

Eddie guides you to the couch where you’ll stay drifting into your own world with a blanket draped over your lap. You attempt to join him in the kitchen when the timer goes off, but Eddie raises his index finger and says,

“Don’t you dare.”

Then, your boyfriend wrestles with the oven to get the roast from it’s hot cage and plops too much butter into the mash. He winces when he puts the spoon to his lip, and tries to fend off your worry by telling you that the food is just hot.

Eddie sits next to you with two plates of food - one in each hand. He waits a moment for you to sit back up after sinking into the aged sofa, then lands the warm plate in your lap.

You’ve got no idea what you’re watching on the television, but right beside you is all the entertainment you need. Laughing heartily at Eddie’s cross expression, he sticks out his tongue at the well-done carrots.

“Don’t eat them,” he reaches for a glass of water. “They’re really awful.”

You nibble at the end of a carrot, and suck down your outward terror at how salty the vegetable is.

“It’s not that bad.”

They are indeed that bad.

Worse - even.

“You’re cute, but a terrible liar,” he pinches your shoulder.

-> <-

tags: @stardustingold @loves0phelia @ogoc-19 @hellfirenacht @blackholegladiator @alligator-person @eggo-segual @rustboxstarr @harmfulb1tch

#eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things imagine #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x you #eddie munson preference #stranger things fic #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic

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milky-mink · 2 years

Text

Tadaima

Chapter One

Yandere Bonten Mikey with a Time Leaper Darling, Ft. Platonic Yandere Bonten

Disclaimer: Based on the Time Leaping Series @cheesus-doodles and Time Leaper anon's scenario. I have received permission from both of them to use the concept. Please note that this would be very different compared to Going Home since this would tackle much more darker aspects of Yandere Bonten Mikey.

TW: Yandere, Guilt Tripping, Age Gap, Dub-Con, Non-Con Touching

“Ah! I’m sorry!” You mumbled an apology as you bumped into yet another stranger, who just ignored you and went on his merry way. You sighed as you tried to look around the city that you were familiar with, or at least you were half an hour ago after you suddenly blacked out for a moment and woke up from your ‌short mental stupor, the kind that would daze you right till someone snaps you out of it or you snap yourself out of it. You did the latter, but instead of snapping back to your everyday reality, you snapped out into a familiar yet foreign place to you. You knew that this was Tokyo, there are the buildings that you are familiar with, roads that lead to the same places that you know very well and even people, although they aged for more than a decade are still in the exact place where they used to be, like the Obasan, who still sold Taiyaki and other Japanese sweets in her stall, still in the same familiar location that you know very well.

But it was also very different, like the new shops around the Taiyaki stall, which are very unfamiliar to you. Where were the other shops around the stall that you were used to seeing? It was impossible for the shops to change for a second after you blacked out. And also the Taiyaki stall itself, it looked so different; it looked like they had renovated it to look like the other stores around it. There were new things around the place, around both you and your surroundings. There were so many new things around you, not only the shops but also how people dressed, and people that you usually see every day while you were passing through this street were either gone or looked older than they should be. It honestly made you stunned on how everything looked familiar but at the same time very alien to you.

“Calm down, everything will be fine, you just need to walk to your home.” You thought to yourself as you walked to the familiar road that you used to walk to with your friends after school. It's fine, everything is fine, there is nothing to worry about as long as you don't panic, just keep saying those phrases like a mantra in your mind and you would not spiral into a panic attack right there on the street, you just have to keep going, to go home, while avoiding the people around you as you kept trudging forward towards your destination.

Bile started to rise up from your throat as you finally arrived at the building where your apartment is located. It was not the building that you expected to arrive at, it looked modern and very futuristic, just like those fancy European apartments that you’ve seen in those interior designing magazines.

“No, no, no, no…” You mindlessly mumbled to yourself as your eyes widened in disbelief, you felt your feet getting weak and wobbly as you let out a whine before finally collapsing on the ground and puking the bile that you had earlier, tears streaming down to your face as you let out the confusion and frustration that you had been persistently holding down for half an hour. As you cried your heart out, unsavory thoughts and the gravity of the situation started to sink into your mind. What should you do now? You’ve been transported to the future for some reason, this situation should’ve been impossible. Why were you in the future and who sent you here? Those kinds of thoughts swirled in your mind as you looked down on the puddle of puke that you had let out a while ago, you could see the lunch that you ate earlier with Mitsuya and Hakkai, it was less than an hour ago and right now, that lunch was probably more than a decade ago from now.

You got up from the pavement as you tried to comprehend what had happened to you right now. You were in the future, you were currently homeless, maybe already marked dead by the government, and right now you were standing outside on the streets of Tokyo during the middle of the night, as a middle schooler. You sighed in frustration as you wiped your mouth with your handkerchief - you needed to find a shelter soon; you don’t know any homeless shelter in Tokyo, If there’s any but you know a place where you could stay, at least for a while.

Determined to survive the night, you dusted off your clothes and walked to the place you knew where you would be safe, a special place that you had always been comfortable to stay in.

Musashi Shrine

Although the place was a semi abandoned shrine, it was still well kept and tidied up, most likely by the older people who volunteered to sweep it clean or the local groups that managed the neighborhoods. You sighed in relief for that as you walked towards the shrine and opened its door, and lo and behold, it's interior looked the same as you’ve remembered it to be, although there were some things that had been either misplaced or missing, it still had the same interior and the same furnitures that you and your friends had left in the abandoned shrine. Even though the place was very dusty and full of cobwebs, it was still a better place than the streets or a shelter that would most likely be full of people.

You smiled in contentment, although it was abandoned, it still had the memories that you cherished from the bottom of your heart, small trinkets that you hadn’t thought about for a while that were very sentimental to you. You looked over towards the abandoned electric lamp that you once frequently used with the boys to either stay up at night watching the stars, or have a sleepover in this very shrine telling late night stories. You turned it on, hoping for it to work and thankfully, it did. You put the lamp on the floor and then closed the door and locked it, looking around the cabinet to where the futons were usually stored in case of a sleepover or an afternoon nap.

“Oh my goodness.” You thought as you pulled them out - although they weren’t as fluffy as before, they were surprisingly clean and well kept, unlike the times where you washed it every week due to how frequently the others, especially Mikey, used them. Although those memories were very fond, the same memories just made your situation much more bitter than before.

“Okay (Y/N), tomorrow would be a new day for you, you need to get yourself together,” You said to yourself as you dusted off the floor and threw the debris out the window, putting the futons down on the now-clean floor, before placing your bag on the table and finally laying down on the futon. Tomorrow will be a new day and you need to be well rested before forming a plan to either find some way to go back to your time and go back home, or find your former friends who most likely have forgotten anything about you. That thought made your heart ache, but you shook it off. Tomorrow is a new day and would be vastly different compared to today, you would just hope for the best - either for you to be back in your own timeline or for your friends (former friends?) to believe your ridiculous situation that you somehow got yourself into.

You turned off the lamp beside you and let the darkness take over your vision as you closed your eyes and blacked out into nothingness. You prayed that tomorrow, there would be answers or clues on why you were suddenly in the future.

A screeching scream echoed throughout the abandoned warehouse as incoherent stutters and loud sobs filled the air. There were five men tied to separate poles, with most of them looking wary and defeated, as if pleading to get this thing over with. “I’m going to say this again shithead, who were the fuckheads that were in that part of the port when the pigs busted one of our Shibuya buildings?” A man with salmon pink hair asked the fourth man tied to the poles, but as usual, the man didn't know who he was talking about. This promptly made him back off and quickly slashed his left cheeks, an action that made the man scream in pain while the rest were either trying to get out of their restraints or chanting pleas that they are innocent.

“Fufu, we haven’t even gotten started, so don’t scream too loud.” A man with streaked lilac hair said to the tied up fellow on the pole as he was cleaning off the tools that would help the salmon haired man to do his job. While humming a tune and getting the tools ready, the pink haired man instead walked away from the tied up group and headed towards the man sitting on the side lines, and although he wore a simple black shirt and sweatpants, he held himself in a rather distinguished manner that would make anyone feel like a lesser person. He had unnaturally pale skin and heavy eye bags under his eyes, as if he’d been lacking sleep or energy for so many years now.

“My king, we have captured the suspected people that leaked the location to the police,” The pink haired man said as he slightly bowed while addressing him. The man who was referred to as king gave him a side glance and then promptly looked back on where his focus was earlier. It was a picture of a young girl wearing a sundress and holding a picnic basket, and although the picture’s quality had gotten terrible throughout the years of usage, it still held on after being folded and placed in various wallets or pockets.

“Sanzu.”

The now-identified pink haired man looked up as the pale skinned man jumped down from the crates that he had been seating on earlier. “I’m getting tired of this charade, let Ran and Rindou handle the job, I wanna go back to the penthouse.”

Sanzu nodded before looking back at the person who was putting the tools down on the table. “Oi Ran! We’ll leave this to you and Rindou, Boss wants to head back.” He shouted to the tall lilac haired man, who just replied with a nod and called for his brother from the sidelines to do their job. The two then headed out of the warehouse as the screams of the victims started to flow again throughout the building. As they left, the pale haired man then looked at Sanzu, although the man is unnerved by his dead gazed, he is also ecstatic that his king looked him in the eyes, it's rather rare for him to be this direct at anyone.

“Before we head back to the base, let’s stop by that place.” The pale skinned man then looked away as he walked towards the parked car near the abandoned warehouse. Sanzu bit his lips - he knew what he was talking about but he was rather confused by his king's request, he wouldn't disobey his orders but he knew that his king had been avoiding that place for a long time, so why now? Sanzu shook his head, his king gave him orders and he knew better than to question him or his motives for going to that place. He quickly followed his king to the car, after all, he had an order to follow.

Sano Manjiro never thought in his whole life that he would end up this way. He thought that when he grew up, he would still have his friends and family by his side. Mikey knew that he wouldn’t be the best at studying or doing school work in general so early on in life, the prospect of college and any other professional careers had been thrown away. In the future, he would either be the one that continued the Sano Dojo or go along with Draken and join the motorshop business.

He would imagine that after work, he and his friends would go out for drinks as they talked about the past, reminisced on their gang days together before going back to their homes, him going back along with Draken to their home where they would either be scolded by their grandpa or Emma, who would most likely be married to Draken and have a child on the way.

While they were being scolded by Emma or his grandpa, you would suddenly announce that the food was ready, and they would get off scot free quickly because it was dinner time. You were there with him, living together with his family, him confessing to you during highschool and you accepting his proposal and would stay together as lovers ever since. That was the future that he envisioned when he was younger, and although it was pretty average and mundane, not the future that any of his peers in the gang community would have expected him to have, but to him, that was the future that he dreamt of. That dream had been shattered a long time ago, with him having nothing to show but this twisted and sick future that he himself had created.

Everything had gone through the drain ever since you suddenly disappeared - he thought that some of the gangs that had bad blood with him had kidnapped you, so he mobilized every member of the gang to look out for your location, beating up every rival gang members that he had even an inkling of suspicion that may know your whereabouts. But in the end, all he received was nothing: no clues, no leads and not a single trace of where you were. It made him spiral more into a deeper abyss of darkness and impulses that led him from one bad decision to a worse one that led him to be in this situation.

Was it a position that many would want to be in?

Debatable.

But was it filled with luxury?

Oh, certainly.

Was this the one that he wanted to have?

Absolutely not in the slightest.

He would often think of how you would react if you found out what he landed himself in. Would you be distraught? Concerned for his well being? Disgusted at how he became like this? Those thoughts always swirled in his mind when he thought of you or the days that you’re with him, before your sudden disappearance. There’s that meager longing in his mind that one day you would come back and either him proding you for information, angry on why you had left him, or just hugging you, being grateful that you finally came back to him. But he knew those fanciful pipe dreams would just hinder him on his way and would just crush him furthermore into the abyss, so he did the same thing that he always did to other wishful ideas that he has, crushing it immediately.

He often wondered why he could not just end it right here, right now. After all nobody could stop him: his close friends had not contacted him due to his actions, his underlings would certainly not dare to try and stop him doing whatever he wanted, and you weren’t even there to try to stop him. So what's blocking him from doing the deed and just ending it all? Maybe it was the fact that he was scared of death, or he still had that pitiful hope that you would come back to him and he was scared that he would not be there when that happens.

While Mikey was trapped in his own mind, Sanzu looked at the rear view mirror, looking at his king. He wanted to tell him that they’re near that place but he didn’t want to interrupt his king’s train of thoughts - most likely, thoughts that are involved with you. Sanzu then looked back at the road. He decided that he would just keep quiet until they arrived at their destination.

Musashi Shrine

It still looked the same, just as Mikey remembered it, the long stone stairways that lead into the torii entrance of the shrine. The same thing could apply on the shrine and its surroundings, it was still the same, although there was new vegetation on the surrounding forest and the shrine hadn't gotten any sort of maintenance other than its cleanliness, thus making the shrine look a little bit more decrepit than he remembered. But it still didn’t stop him from approaching the shrine just to sit on its wooden floors like the old days, where he would either look over his gang or he would spend time with his friends and do the things other normal teenagers do in that age, goofing off and bonding with each other. This place held a lot of fond memories that made him smile as he looked around the area. The place really didn’t change at all, from the exterior to the foliage - it was just like he was back to the time when he was actually happy, when he was with you.

He walked closer to the wooden shrine, wanting to sit on its floors, but while walking, he noticed that there was something off about it. He walked closer as he analyzed the building; although it looked the same, there was a nagging feeling in his gut, but he didn't know what it was. But as he drew closer towards the shrine, he finally noticed it. The door was left slightly opened; one of the caretakers might have carelessly left it opened. Mikey let out an annoyed grunt as he walked towards the door of the shrine, but just as he was about to close it, he noticed someone was inside the shrine. Out of curiosity, Mikey opened the door, revealing the interior of the shrine where they used to have a sleepover or just a place to stay for the night.

Mikey’s eyes widened as he saw who was the person that was inside the shrine.

It couldn't be.

It can’t be.

Mikey carefully walks down and crouches to the person who is sleeping on the old futons that he used to sleep in. hands trembling as he can’t believe what he was seeing, he rubbed his eyes, trying to see if this is just one of his hallucinations again due to fatigue but instead of the person going away, they’re still in there.

As he crouches down to observe your sleeping form, his eyes attentively look into your stature, you are still wearing the same outfit that he last saw you wearing and you still have that hair clip that he gifted to you on your birthday. Which you have been wearing everyday ever since. Tears started to form in his eyes as he looked down on you.

“Its you,” Mikey murmured as he brushed your cheeks, tears flowing down on his bony cheeks

“I’ve finally found you,” He murmured as he cupped your cheeks and kissed your forehead, while you peacefully slept on the futon, blissfully unaware of the situation that you were in right now.

You let out a groan as you felt yourself waking from a deep slumber, and as your consciousness started to come back, your eyes widened as you felt someone hugging you from behind, while laying on one of the softest beds that you have ever laid on. Sweat started to form on your palms as you looked around your surroundings, assessing your current situation. The room was very luxurious, with high ceilings and glass windows that overlooked the whole of Tokyo City, and with a massive flat screen tv, the room looked like it belonged to some billionaire. You could only wonder how expensive the room was, with its opulent decoration.

You then look back to the man who was hugging you from behind, even though he was bony in structure, his grip on you was very strong, feeling his hold on your waist slowly crushing your stomach. You let out a silent gasp of surprise when you felt him move one of his hands, crawling into your upper stomach just under your breast. It made you blush in embarrassment when you felt his thin long fingers pressing down on your belly.

“Where am I?” You thought to yourself as you laid there in bed, keeping as steady as possible as not to wake up the stranger that was hugging your back. Had you been kidnapped? Had you been trafficked by someone? Those thoughts swirled in your mind as you observed the room that you were being held in - whoever it was was obviously very powerful and important. You knew that not many rich people could afford prime real estate in Tokyo, let alone a penthouse that overlooked the whole city. As your brain went into overdrive and you, getting increasingly panicked at your situation, your captor, much to your surprise, let out a low gumble from behind you.

“Don’t move too much, (Y/N)-chin. It's still 4 am in the morning, go back to sleep.”

Your eyes widened when you heard your captor’s voice. Although it sounded much more mature and huskier, you could always identify that voice. After all, who wouldn’t recognize the voice of the person you had been friends with since your childhood?

“M-Mikey?” You stuttered, looking back at the skinny man you greatly feared earlier. Your eyes widened as you took in his condition. He looked like a walking skeleton, with unnaturally pale skin, hollowed cheekbones and dark puffy eye bags that could only be seen in insomniacs. Your lips quivered as you got up, wanting to know the extent of his well being. What happened in the future that made him like this? The Mikey you knew was energetic and full of life, and it greatly stupefied you as to how he became like this. He looked so grim and despondent, as if he had been suffering for a very long time.

You placed your hands on one of his palms, gently holding it as you looked him in the eyes, concern and worry reflecting in your orbs.

“Mikey, what happened?” You whispered as he looked down, his dark blank eyes refusing to meet your gaze. In response, you gripped his palm tighter, wanting him to answer your question. As he felt your grip, he suddenly faced you again, but this time, with a sad weary smile, an expression that you never seen him make in his entire life.

“You suddenly disappeared, (Y/N). My gang and I searched for you everywhere and even involved the police in searching for you and you were still gone. Things started to happen and…” he trailed off as he broke his gaze again.

Your mouth quivered at his expression - it greatly hurt you inside as he slowly reached out to you and pulled you into a hug. You reciprocated his action as you felt him slowly burying his face into the crook of your neck as he hugged you tightly, as if you were going to disappear any time. You let out a soothing hum as you gently comforted him, wanting him to know that you weren’t going anywhere. As the two of you hugged each other on the bed, you suddenly felt tears leaking from his eyes. You let out a sad smile and hugged him tighter. “It’s alright Mikey, let it out.”

You felt him freeze for a moment before he let out a whine and started to cry uncontrollably, letting all the pent up feelings that he had been keeping within himself for so long, hitching sobs as the two of you comforted each other. As he was sobbing, small droplets of tears also started to form on your tear ducts, the future- the future had been terrible for him hadn’t it? It defeated one of the strongest men you knew in just a decade, and it made you fear that if the future did this to Mikey, what of your other friends? Did they meet similar fates as well? Or had they moved on and found greener pastures in life? You hoped to yourself that they chose the latter. As much as you wanted them to miss you, you also loved them as much and wanted them to have a better life even without you in the picture. You don’t want them to be burdened with guilt that wasn’t their fault.

As time passed by, the two of you started to sink back into the soft bed underneath, though neither wanted to release the other from the hug. As you laid there in bed, you smiled at Mikey, who’s eyelids were now starting to flutter, comfortable enough that sleep started to once again take over his consciousness.

“Cute,” you thought to yourself as you observed him trying to fight it with no avail, as if the stubborn Mikey that you knew very well started to come back. You let out a giggle before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, making his sleepy eyes widened in surprise. “It's okay Mikey, I’m here, I’m not going anywhere,” you murmured as you patted his now-silky hair, just like you used to when he was the leader of Toman. You felt his grip on you getting tighter as he buried his head into your chest, you smiled as his antics and closed your eyes as you started to fall asleep. You reminded yourself that you would cook breakfast for Mikey this morning - he looked so skinny, and you knew that he hadn't eaten properly in years. Time passed by as your thoughts started to dwindle, and you felt your eyes getting heavier before once again, sleep had overtaken your consciousness.

Your eyes fluttered open as you felt the morning sun shine on your face, waking you up. “Uhg,” you groaned as you looked away from the blinding sunlight invading half of the spacious room. As you started to wake from your deep slumber, memories from the previous hour started to return to you, your eyes widening in realization as you looked down on the sleeping form of Mikey, who was now relaxed and in a deep state of slumber. You smiled at his relaxed expression as you carefully freed yourself from his grip. It made you feel guilty that you would leave him in such a state but you needed to cook something before he woke up.

“Mikey, I’m going to cook breakfast okay?” You said to him even though he was asleep, and you gave him a quick peck on his forehead before getting up and walking to the door that opened to the rest of the penthouse. Silently closing the door behind you and heading out to find the kitchen, your eyes looked around as you walked, widening at just how luxurious the penthouse was - the place made you feel small just by walking down its marbled hallways.

As you were able to finally spot the staircase that most likely led down into the kitchen, you hurried your footsteps, eager to start to cook breakfast as quickly as possible. You stop walking as you touched the staircase railings, which overlook the rest of the penthouse and had a better view of Tokyo down below. “What kind of job does Mikey have?” You thought to yourself as you walked down the stairs and was able to spot the ginormous kitchen that this penthouse has. You quickly walked down to that kitchen, wanting to start the cooking process as fast as possible. You opened the ginormous pantry, filled to brim with ingredients that you needed to make a simple Japanese breakfast, and as you scoop the rice from the rice bag, you smiled to yourself - hopefully Mikey would be able to eat properly this time around. After all, he once ate all of the food that you have made for him and the rest of your friends.

Mikey’s eyes slowly opened as he woke up from what felt like a blissful dream, one that he hasn't had for almost a decade. In that dream, you came back to him, him finding you inside Musashi Shrine as if the entities that he desperately prayed to during his teenage years finally giving him what he wanted: to be with you. Placing you inside the shrine, as if a gift for him to find. And after that, you wake up in his arms and comfort him, finally freeing him of the years of pain and loneliness, silencing the dark impulses that swirled in his mind. He bitterly smiled at the thought and looked at his hand.

“Those drugs were stronger than before,” he thought to himself, reluctantly getting up on his bed to go back downstairs, either to look at the paperwork that Kokonoi had for him, or grab a quick snack from the fridge - probably the frozen Taiyaki that he usually consumed in the morning. But as he walked down the marbled hallway, he stopped at the smell of something cooking, and as he sniffed the smell wafting most likely from the kitchen below, he recognized that smell - even if it had been more than a decade, he knew very well the dish being cooked. His eyes widened in recognition and he quickly sprinted down the hallway and the staircase. Looking down, he noticed someone cooking, and he certainly knew who it was. He swiftly walked down the stairs and ran to the kitchen, where you were cooking breakfast.

You hummed the same tune that you always sang every time you were cooking - it was a tune that your mother had sung when you were still learning how to cook from her, you remembered, looking down at the miso soup in the pot. “Looks like it's done,” You thought as you turned off the stove and looked back at the rice cooker - that took a long time for you to figure out since it has so many new unknown functions. Opening the lid to find a soft and fluffy cooked rice, you smiled at the result before quickly looking around in the cabinets to find the plates and utensils. As you were placing the food onto the plate, you heard sudden frantic steps coming from the staircase, but you only smiled as you gripped the plates and walked to the dining table. “Mikey, you’re just in time for breakfast!” You said as you looked back at the frantic man, who still couldn't believe what he was seeing right now. Although his expression was amusing, it made you crestfallen because you knew the reason why he was like that.

“You looked so scrawny Mikey, I made you some breakfast, I hope you’ll like it,” You said to him as you placed the plates on the table: pan seared salmon and rice, with miso and a vegetable side dish, the same breakfast items that you always cooked for him every morning, that he use to take for granted before your disappearance. He nodded obediently as he silently sat down on the dining chair, which made you glad - this was one of the first steps on his recovery, and you would try your best to make sure that things were going to be better for him day by day. While he sat on the dining chair, you quickly head back into the kitchen to fetch some glasses and a pitcher of water, before joining Mikey at the dining table to eat. And to your expectation, he hadn’t yet touched the steaming hot breakfast, as if waiting for you to eat with him.

Although it made you much more sympathetic to his condition, it also made you determined that no matter what the cost, you were going to help him recover. As you started to eat your breakfast, you looked at Mikey, who just stared at the food right in front of him, making you curious. Tilting your head, you wondered what could possibly be bothering him. “Is there something wrong?” You asked the white-haired man in front of you, who nodded his head.

“What is it then?” You smiled, wanting to know what was bothering him during breakfast.

He shyly looked up. “Can you please spoon-feed me (Y/N)?”

You froze for a second before recovering - you should have expected this happening to begin with. During your younger years, even when Toman was just an infant Tokyo gang, Mikey had always demanded you sit in his lap and spoon-feed him any food, whether it was the food that you cooked or those from the stores. You playfully smiled, adding, “Would you also like me to sit on your lap?”

Though this made Mikey promptly freeze before frantically nodding like a child, taking you back to how he used to act.

You got up and walked to his side of the table and slowly sat on Mikey’s lap, to your surprise, his lap is much softer compared to his body. You then gently pick up both the spoon and the plate and scoop out the rice and salmon together, you blow air a little bit on it to cool it down and then carefully place the spoon full of food near Mikey’s mouth.

“Say ah~”

Mikey obediently opened his mouth as you spoon fed him the breakfast that you had made. “Well, is it delicious?” You asked as Mikey gulped down the food, smiling and nodding to your question which made you giggle. You’ve repeated the process throughout the duration of the whole feeding, albeit a bit uncomfortable due to the slight bump on Mikey’s lap - it was soft, which meant that it wasn’t likely to be a belt buckle, but you shrugged off the feeling. Probably a crumple from your skirt or the cloth of his pants. As he finally polished off the vegetable side dish, you gave him a wide smile, happy that Mikey was taking his first step towards recovery.

“Mikey, don’t forget your water,” You said as you placed the cold glass in his hand, which he then drank and placed back on the table. Seeing that he was done eating, you made to get up from his lap, looking to eat your own cold breakfast, yet before you could stand, Mikey instead pulled you back into his lap, placing you on the exact location where his bulge could brush to your panties, making you blush for reasons beyond you.

“Mi-Mikey, why did you do that?” you exclaimed to your friend, surprise by his action

“Mikey!” You called him out again, lightly slapping his shoulder.

“Imma feed you myself,” You heard him grumble in response as he hugged your waist. Sighing in defeat, you had almost forgotten his stubbornness when it came to certain things. Just because he was so sensitive earlier this morning didn’t mean his other behaviors were suddenly gone just like that. You gave him the look that you usually used when you gave in to his childish demands, before relaxing back on his chest. Clearing out the used dishes on the side and placing the ones that still had food in it, Mikey then mirrored your earlier actions. Sometimes, there were just some things that you had to do for the people you care about.

After breakfast, he still refused to let go of you, not as you washed the dishes in the sink, and not even right now as you two were watching movies in the movie room - you didn’t even know there was a room specifically for watching movies. While watching, you couldn’t help but feel flustered as you felt Mikey stroking and pressing up against your thigh; his actions made you strangely flustered and even a little bit embarrassed. Although you were used to his physical affections, his actions now felt weird to you, his actions made you feel odd for some reason. But you ignored it and instead tried your best to focus on the movie, which involved a group of superheroes in New York saving the day.

As the movie showed the group encountering the villain in some public place, you felt Mikey’s hand slowly reach to the upper part of your thigh. You gasp, feeling his hand slowly crawling inside of your skirt, but before he went any further, his phone suddenly rang, stopping his actions. You let out a huge sigh of relief as he got up from the bed that the two of you had been lying on to talk to the person on the phone, albeit in an annoyed and reluctant manner. As he was talking to the unknown caller, you refocused on the movie, which now had your full attention instead of having to split it with Mikey’s wandering hands. The movie passes with a blur while Mikey talked on his phone, and after a while had passed, you heard him end the call and crawl back into the bed, though this time instead of hugging you in the back like before, he seemed to have changed his mind and instead hugged you from the front, his face burying into your chest as he hugged you tightly. Although it was an improvement from before, you still couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable as he pressed his face into your breast, making you flustered like a tomato. You still chose to ignore his actions, and returned to watching the movie.

#yandere tokyo revengers #yandere tokrev #yandere mikey #yandere bonten #yandere #tw yandere #yandere scenarios #bonten mikey #tokyo revengers headcanons #mikey imagines #mikey headcanon #mikey hcs #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers x you

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mindofharry · 6 months

Text

Y/N didn’t know why she came back to Hallows Creek. After everything that happened, she promised herself she would never step foot back in that town. But Y/N is loyal and if you need her, she’s there. Her best friend, Niall from high school, is expecting his fifth child. His wife, Amelia needed some extra hands around the house while Niall was working on the farm, but didn’t want a stranger in her home. So Y/N offered. They knew her background here. But she insisted. Her job wasn’t doing much for her, her rent was insane and she had no one around to support her, so many Hallows Creek would be good for Y/N.

It would be good if she didn’t bump into him.

Y/N left for a reason.

And that reason was Harry Styles.

She was so infatuated with that man, always following him around like a lost puppy until he eventually gave in and gave her a chance. Y/N likes to think they were high school sweethearts, but that might be too nice. They dated for a year and then Harry got bored. He’s a cowboy, he needed something more and Y/N wasn’t interested in that. And so Harry broke her heart and chose his farm, instead of the girl.

Y/N didn’t blame him for that. The farm had been in his family for centuries and he was always going to be the one to take over when his father and mother retired. She blamed him for the way things went down. When he took her to the prom and publicly humiliated her.

He thought that dating Margaret Miller, the mayors daughter, would be better than little old Y/N.

That’s what Y/N thought anyways. Why else would he kiss her while he was meant to be with Y/N?

After the whole prom fiasco, her parents told her they were moving. She could stay with her grandparents or she move up her whole life and move to the coast with them. And Y/N knew what she had to do. She left when she was 17 and never once came back.

And now at 28, she wasn’t sure if she made the right decision.

Hallows Creek looked the exact same. People everywhere, all the stores open, kids running up and down the street, the ice cream parlour that everyone knows still up and running. She smiled to herself. It was like she never left. Y/N clutched her bag and made her way through the crowd, not recognising anyone. These were the knew locals now and Y/N just wanted to fit in, so she smiled and lugged her suitcase up the road to the diner she used to eat at everyday.

“Well, I never! Is that Ms Y/N I see?” Missy yelled from behind the counter, throwing her cloth down and running down the diner to throw her hands around Y/N. Y/N laughed loudly as the swayed side to side.

Missy had been here for over 30 years. Her father opened this diner and after he passed away, she made it her mission to make the best diner on earth. And that she did. She was here for everything. For Y/N’s first kiss, her first bully, her first everything. Y/N worked here during the summers and Missy was like the older sister she never had.

“You look so beautiful,” Missy cried out, throwing her arms around Y/N again.

Y/N blushed, “Oh, stop. I look a mess,”

Missy smacked her arm and took her suitcase, “Please, you look like you got off the runway,” she replied, dropping her suitcase at the first booth. Their both.

Harry and Y/N came to this diner for their dates. There wasn’t much to do in this town, but that didn’t bother Y/N. She loved coming here.

“Let me get you your usual and then you can tell me why the fuck it took you so long to come back,” Missy said, Y/N scoffed and tutted.

“I think everyone knows,” She murmured, looking out the window.

Y/N took her phone out and texted Niall that she was at the diner having some lunch and that she’d walk over to his soon, but Niall insisted on collecting her. So here she was, an hour later on her third milkshake, filling Missy in on everything she missed.

“So let me get this straight.. you could literally be the president of the united states and you’re here.. in Hallows Creek?” Missy asked incredulously.

Y/N cackled, “I’m a lawyer Miss. A bad one at that,”

“Who’s a bad lawyer?”

Y/N peeked over the booth and saw him.

Harry Styles was now standing in front of her for the first time in almost 11 years. He changed. He was more tanned, had tattoos up and down his arms. His eyes were the same, green and wide. And he wore the same cowboy hat, that Y/N used to steal.

They met eyes and it was like all the air was knocked out of her. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not this fast, she couldn’t do this.

She threw out a couple of dollars and a tip, grabbed her bags and then practically flew out of the door.

“Don’t follow me. Don’t follow me. Don’t follow,” She chanted as she walked away from the diner.

“Y/N! Come on. Y/N!” Harry yelled, jogging up to her.

“God, woman you move fast,” He smirked, looking her up and down. Y/N scoffed and kept walking forward.

“Come on, let me talk. Please,” He begged, reaching out to hold her arm.

Y/N stopped abruptly and looked up at him. He’s taller than she remembered.

“I didn’t know you were coming back,” He said, biting his lip.

“I didn’t think you’d care,” Y/N whispered, moving forward again.

“Of course I’d care. You left me,” Harry said, his voice breaking. Y/N turned around quickly, her suitcase falling to the ground.

“You broke me! You did,” She whisper yelled, she looked around and tried to contain herself, picking up her suitcase.

“Don’t follow me, Harry,”

And he didn’t.

Y/N spotted Niall’s car and immediately walked towards it like her life depended on it — in a way, it did. Niall didn’t ask questions when she saw the tears running down her cheeks. He just hugged her and let her deal with this. He knew it would be hard. Not just seeing Harry, but coming back to a town with no great memories.

“Let’s get you home,” Niall said kissing the top of her head.

“I think I am home,” Y/N said, pushing him away playfully.

“The kids and Amelia are so excited to see you. Millie has grown so much since Christmas,” Niall said, putting her bags into the boot of the car.

“Yeah?”

Niall nodded, “Knox had a growth spurt as well. Jesus, they’re all growing up,” Niall said, turning on the ignition. Y/N looked out the car window and saw Harry still in the same spot, his hat off and in his hands.

“He’s not with Margaret anymore,” Niall said. Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Don’t care,”

Niall chuckled, “Sure,”

Niall’s farm wasn’t anything special, but he took major pride in it. And it paid the bills. It wasn’t anything like Harry’s, but Niall liked it more as a hobby than a job. His whole life didn’t depend on it. During the winter, he taught middle school. In the summer, he helped his workers on the farm.

Amelia and Niall met in college. Both teachers and had so much love for kids, both coming from big families. Five kids might be a too much for Y/N though. But she loved them all like they were her own, and she’d love this baby too.

The rolled up the driveway and there they were. Her family.

Amelia had the youngest, Peter, in her arms and her bump was absolutely huge.

“Sure it’s not twins?” Y/N joked, Niall scoffed.

“The last time you said that, we actually had twins. So keep it to yourself,”

Millie and Knox, the twins, were jumping up and down in front of their mother. Taylor and Matthew were on the porch playing with their trucks, but immediately perked up with they saw their father. Y/N loved seeing him this happy.

“Y/N, you look amazing,” Amelia smiled, putting peter down and pulling Y/N into a hug.

“Eight months pregnant and still looking sexy as ever,” Y/N replied, as Niall took her bags in.

“Now where are all my hugs!”

After settling in, Y/N decided it would be nice for her and Niall to catch up. So they went to the local bar. Amelia did not want to go, cause she could barley see her feet, but she pushed the other two out of the house told them to have fun.

Niall placed a cowboy hat on her head as they walked to the car.

“Now, you’re home,”

Y/N grinned and skipped to the car.

“Feels like I never left,”

They arrived at Earl’s Bar at just the right time. A couple was leaving so they robbed their table quickly, laughing to themselves.

“I’ve missed this,” Y/N said, putting her hat down on the table.

“Remember when you grew boobs and everyone started give us free beers?” Niall laughed and Y/N hit his arm.

“Don’t even,”

“What did I miss?”

Niall stood up quickly, puffing his chest out. Y/N rolled her eyes and stood between Niall and Harry.

“No need to play Alpha, boys,”

Harry tipped his hat at Niall, “Just wanted to say hi to the competition,”

Y/N scoffed, “I’m getting a drink,”

She walked away and up to the bar.

“We need to talk,” Harry said placing a hand on her hip. She melted into his touch.

“No, we actually don’t,”

She turned around and looked him in his eyes.

Huge mistake.

“We’ll talk. But you buy me a drink first,”

#part 2?#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #harry styles fanfic

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nczennie · 11 months

Text

summer 1963.

Part One of She's Like The Wind

Pairing: Reader x Stray Kid's Lee Know AU: Summer love, based on the film Dirty Dancing Genre: Angst, Fluff (this part) Preview: “Yeah, I carried a watermelon.” The words tumble out of your mouth before your mind can comprehend them. At this, Minho spares you a judging glance that makes you feel small, not bothering another word before turning and walking back to the dance floor. Words: 7.9k *Warnings under cut

Warnings: Some curse words, mentions of food, eating, and being full, mentions and allusions to drug use and bad side effects of said usage, overall mature themes.

Your head lulls softly to the side, pulling your gaze to the window- the same green stretch of grass stuck in your view for the past couple of hours of your drive. The deep colors seem refreshing even in the summer heat, much more appealing than the grey concrete that you were accustomed to.

Looking to your right, you see your older sister trying for the fifth time this hour to paint her toes a deep red without messing up with the occasional bumps on the road. In the passenger seat, your mom flips through a home decor magazine- one of the hundreds she brought to keep herself busy during the long ride to the countryside. Driving, your dad stays concentrated on the destination all while humming along to the songs coming from the radio.

You’ve come to love the idea of spending your last summer with your family at a resort a couple of hours away from the city. When your parents first mentioned the idea, it seemed less than appealing- being more focused on quality time with your friends before everyone moved away for college. But now that you’re here, you’re glad to have this time with them knowing once you leave to the college an hour from home- everything will be different.

You push those thoughts away for now- the inevitable change that is making you more nervous by the day but you want to focus on what you have now.

Not a half-hour later, the car makes its way on the dirt path to the large buildings surrounded by vast fields of green. The many guests loiter around outside, walking to their next destination or sitting, soaking up the sun. The closer you get, you spot a large lake just down the hill, complete with some volleyball nets and kids splashing in the water while their moms try their hand at tanning.

The scene is so different than the summers you’re used to and suddenly you can’t wait to see what else there is in store here.

Pulling up to the front behind several other cars, your dad parks and gets out, everyone else following in suit. A worker, no doubt a high school student with a summer job, quickly comes to assist with taking your luggage out of your car. You let your eyes wander to him, feeling bad as he’s left to heavy bags by himself as your family follows your father- he’s just spotted the owner of the resort and his old friend and excitedly makes his way to greet him. Staying behind, you make your way to the back of the car and start to hand bags to the boy. He gives you a genuine smile, his eyes nearly closing as he does and you can’t help but return it.

“You really don’t have to help, it’s my job, ya’know. You��re here to relax.” He claims as he places the bags on the bell cart. You smile softly, “I know, but it’s the least I can do. My sister tends to overpack, that would explain why we have eight suitcases when there’s only four of us.” You chuckle and the black-haired boy joins in. “Well, thank you for your help. I hope you have a wonderful stay.” He says piling up the last of the bags. “Thanks,” you let your eyes wander to his nametag, “Jeongin. Have a nice day.”

Jeongin waves you off as you make your way to find your family. You’re thankful you don’t have to go far when you see them standing in front of the resort, your dad still talking to his friend. At your presence, your father puts his arm around you bringing you closer into the view of his friend, introducing you as his youngest daughter.

“And this is here is my roommate and dear friend from college, Max Kellermen. He also owns this lovely place and invited us here for a stay.” Your dad smiles brightly as he talks about his friend. The middle-aged man politely shakes your hand as he smiles just as bright, the two of them clearly excited to catch up.

“I have no doubt you and your family will have a life-changing experience here. This vacation will be like no other.”

After a slow afternoon of settling in and wandering around the property, you find yourself sat between your dad and sister at the dinner table. One of the nicer dresses you packed feeling much harder to breathe in after the five-course meal that was presented to you. Dinner at the resort was held in a fancy ballroom-like hall where all the guests gathered to be waited on by the multiple waiters from the kitchen. The whole thing was enjoyable but the events from the day were starting to wear on you. You quietly stir at your coffee, barely listening to your father who loudly babbles on to Max who has joined your table for dessert.

“Is there anything else I can do for you all?” Your waiter for the night, a polite, handsome young man with an enjoyable sense of humor, asks checking in on you all once again. Max and your father smile up at him, “I think we’re good, Chan.”

Chan smiles his charming smile and you speak up before he can leave, “Actually, can I have a box for my leftovers. I wouldn’t want to waste,” You finish off bashfully almost embarrassed by your comment. Your father nearly rejoices by it though, “That’s right, Chan. We could all use some boxes. Wasted food and hunger are the worst problems in our country, could you believe?” You feel second hand embarrassment by your fathers words, clearly being affected by the wine he had for dinner. “You see,” he speaks to Chan and Max, “My youngest here is going to change the world. She starts college this fall and then after that, the Peace Corps that President Kennedy founded” He smiles proudly at you and you feel nauseous by the statement. You grew up close to your father, whereas your older sister enjoyed tea parties, ballet, and shopping trips with your mom, you tended to golf and volunteer with your dad. You suppose your closeness has allowed for him to push his views on you, so it shouldn’t surprise you at this point how much faith he puts into you and your nonexistent aspirations.

You hate it.

All this he talks of, college, peace corps, those are his dreams not yours. You fear that after all this time you lost a sense of who you are without your father's interference. You love the man to death, but hate the fact that you are living under his idea of a perfect daughter.

Max merely smiles at you before turning to your sister, “Well if she is going to change the world, what are you going to do, Daisy?” Your mother chuckles speaking up, “Oh, she’s going to decorate it.”

It takes you all by surprise when Chan speaks up as he clears the used dishes, “I think she already does.” He smiles at her before excusing himself. You giggle at the redness of her face and give your mom a look knowing just how much your sister loved it.

The conversation drags even longer between the two and you’ve even ended up asking Chan for another cup of coffee to help keep the sleep off of you.

Sometime later, a young man comes to your table seeking Max out, “Uncle, there you are. I’ve been waiting at our table or an hour now.” He chuckles and you glance over him. Max lights up at his presence and stands to wrap his arm around his nephews shoulder, “Everyone, this is my nephew, Neil. He is one of the managers here at the resort.” He proudly smiles at the boy. Neil politely greets everyone before taking an empty seat next to his uncle, “You must be the family my uncle has been talking nonstop about all summer. He’s so excited you all could finally make it out.” He keeps a wide smile on his face, letting his eyes wander over everyone at the table.

You keep a small smile on your face but inwardly groan at the thought of the conversation continuing any longer. The next fifteen minutes are spent with your dad being utterly impressed with Neil as he talks nonstop about himself and his accomplishments for being so young. You don’t think you've ever heard one man talk for so long about only his own matters and it didn’t take long for you to be completely put off by the boy.

Your relief came not long after when the boy stood, “Well, it was so nice to meet you all but I must be going. I’m due in the lounge to watch over the dancing.” He politely smiles. “There’s dancing?” Your sister asks curious about the activity she has yet to see at the resort. “Oh, yes. Every night we have a live band in the longue and most guests come to dance the hottest dances- from the foxtrot to the mambo. We even have professional dancers staffed that can teach and demonstrate to the guests. It’s really great.” Neil explains the situation and Max nods along proud of the popular activity the resort could provide.

Your mom and sister look to each other clearly interested in the activity whereas you could care less, never really have been much interested in dancing yourself. You look up with a start as your dad calls your name, “Doesn’t that sound fun? You know, Neil, maybe you should take her over to check it out, I bet she would love it.” Your dad smiles excitedly and you realize quickly he was so impressed with the boy he’s started to play matchmaker.

Trying your best to keep your emotions contained, simply looking to your father. “I don’t know, daddy. I’m quite tired from traveling today.” “We don’t have to stay long,” Neil smiles at you, “You can just check the scene out that way you know where it is for other nights.” “That’s a good idea, sweetie. Why don’t you go check it out for us and let us know if we should all go over tomorrow night.” Your mom speaks up nodding at you.

The longue is much bigger than you expected and the dimly lit room made for the perfect atmosphere. The live band continuously played upbeat and slower tunes to appease the large crowd of dancing guests. Though, much to your dismay, Neil insisted on having one dance with you and yet here you both were three songs later. You were never much of a dancer, not even interested in the deed during your final prom in the spring. Not much has changed as you stand swaying boringly back and forth with your partner. Though all the people around you seem to be having the time of their lives lazily moving to the music, you were bored from the moment you started.

As Neil continues his nonstop talking, you begin to think maybe it’s your partner that is making the dancing so miserable. The owner's nephew was very polite, but it didn’t take long for you to realize just how full of himself he is. The past fifteen minutes were full of him going on about how amazing he is to have started managing- not one but three resorts, at such a young age. You were able to slip in a few words about how hardworking he must be but other than that, he seemed to be content with you just listening to his whole life story.

The song finally comes to an end, the crowd stops their movements to applaud the band. You’re thankful for the opportunity to prepare yourself to tell Neil just how tired you were, but the band starts again- playing a much more upbeat tune than that of any you have heard the time you’ve been here.

You look on with curiosity as the crowd starts to cheer and clap as a couple makes their way into the center of the circle the guests have carved out for them.

Your eyes follow the couple in awe as they command the spotlight and start to dance, clearly much more advanced than anyone else in the room.

You’re unable to even find it in yourself to leave Neil as you’re absolutely captivated by the way the pair move across the floor all by themselves. Eyes wandering to the boy as he swiftly and gracefully moves across the floor, effortlessly gliding his partner.

A smile pulls on your face as he lifts her slightly, spinning her around letting the coral dress she’s wearing flow freely around her. The two were clearly professionals and watching their dance brought you joy as well as all of the other guests who stayed aside to watch their show. You had never seen professional dancers before but watching them now you were allured by their talent, unable to take your eyes off of them. Every part of their bodies seemed to move to every beat, everything about what they did seemed natural and intentional at the same time. “They’re amazing,” you let out as your eyes continue to follow the couple whose looks are as beautiful as their movements. Neil scoffs from beside you, “Yeah, well they should be we pay them for it.” He shakes his head as he continues to watch their routine, “They’re supposed to be selling lessons to the guests but they’re just showing off.” You want to argue that everyone around them is clearly enjoying the act but you don’t bother using the energy to talk to the boy.

You stay watching the couple, unable to tear your gaze away from every twist and twirl they make. They eventually end and bow respectively to the crowd who cheers loudly for their talents. Even then, your eyes stay focused on the gorgeous girl and boy who shines just as beautifully. You watch as they go their separate ways, making their way in the crowd to politely dance with some of the guests- a clear part of their attempt to sell lessons. You follow the boy’s head until you can no longer see it, mind wandering to ask your father to pay for dance lessons this summer. That would be a great idea, you thought, if only you liked dancing.

The next couple days of your vacation were uneventful- relaxing but nothing too memorable. You often found yourself wandering the resort by yourself as you parents partook in the multiple activities offered and your sister spent as much time as she could with the waiter, Chan.

This night wasn’t much different as you wandered around the different paths of the resort after dinner, picking daisies that littered the grass. The sun had fallen long ago but you couldn’t find it in yourself to stay cooped up in the room when Daisy had gone into town with Chan and your parents were watching a screening of a new movie in the small theater within the hotel. So, much like any other time, you found your feet carried you outside and simply walked where you could.

You hum along to a song that’s tune has been in your head all day as you hop along the rock-paved path going to the bottom of a hill you have yet to explore. Half way down, you notice the presence of another. It was a boy who seemed to struggling to carry something as he walked further in front of you. Squinting your eyes, you notice the boy is familiar. “Jeongin! Hey!” You call out with a smile, happy to see another person you know. You jog briskly down the hill to meet him where he stopped with a smile. You hold your white dress to keep it from flowing too far up and you make your way to the black haired boy, sending him a big smile as you finally reach him. “Hey,” he returns your smile and you look down to see him struggling to keep his grip on a couple of watermelons. You automatically go to grab one with a huff as it’s much heavier than you first expected, “Where are you going? I’ll help take this there.” Jeongin chuckles at you, “What? Don’t you have to go meet your manager boyfriend?”

You frown at the mention of Neil, the boy clearly having seen your parents attempt of having you spend time with the conceded boy. Rather annoyed by his comment, you roll your eyes, roughly pushing the watermelon back into his arms and turn around to take your leave, disappointed by the boy you were originally pleased to see.

“Hey! Wait! I was messing around, c’mon I could use your help.” You spin around, sending the boy a glare as you pull the extra fruit from his arms. Jeongin laughs and hoists the fruit he still has further up in his arms, “Well, let’s go then. But don’t you dare even mention what I’m about to show you.” he says the threat with such a light tone that you barely register what he was saying. “What do you mean?” You ask as you follow him further away from where you met. “Where we’re going is only for staff members, so you’re not even allowed to be there.” He says nonchalantly and your confused as to whether he is being serious or not. “And when I say that, I mean only certain staff,” he huffs as you two make your way up a hill, “So don’t mention it to nobody, especially not the manager.” You roll your eyes but refrain from biting back at the comment about Neil once again.

Finally making your way to a small wooden building, Jeongin roughly shoves the two doors open using the back of his body, making sure one of them stayed open long enough to safely let you in. Yet you’re so surprised by your new surroundings you can’t even find it in yourself to thank him.

Though the lighting is dim just like the dance lounge on the main resort - that is the only thing that you find familiar. The room is hazy and filled with smoke and there is a loud booming from the speakers playing music from the record. A completely different genre from that of the live music you enjoyed at dinner and in the lounge. It sounds much like the music your peers listened to on their own record players when you visited their homes.

As you try to keep your gaze on Jeongin to follow him to the designated destination he had in mind, you find it nearly impossible. The room was crowded with workers who are enjoying their time off, dancing to the loud beat of an unfamiliar song. And though you try your hardest to keep your eyes on Jeongin through the tight-nit crowd of people, you can’t help them wandering to take in just how the people around you are dancing.

Never in your life have you seen just- frankly to put it; crude dancing. You weren’t really sure if you could call it dancing at all.

Pairs of people who pressed together so tightly it was nearly difficult to tell where one body ended and the other began. There was groping with wandering hands and groins pressed and rocking together. Your cheeks flushed as were almost certain these moves were only meant to be done in private.

Finally reaching your destination, you place the watermelon on an empty table beside Jeongin's. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he chuckles probably taking in your flustered reaction. “Do you like the dancing?” he moves a bit to lean back against the wood, moving his view the the crowd of moving people before you both.

Following his actions, you move closer to him, making sure he could hear you even with the blaring music, “So they are dancing?” You aren’t even sure yourself if your question is facetious or not. Jeongin merely lets out a laugh, “Could you imagine if people danced like this out on the main floor?” He shakes his head just thinking about it, “Max would have all of our asses out on the street.”

You smooth the fabric of your dress down, suddenly feeling self conscious of how you're dressed. Compared to those around you, you feel like you're dressed for church. "Wanna try?"Jeongin speaks up from next to you, raising his eyebrows, as you swiftly shake your head. There was no way you would dance like that. Not only did you not believe your body would move like that, but you were sure you would be far too embarrassed.

Your attention is drawn back to the crowd when everyone seems to let out a small cheer, looking you notice they make way for a new couple to join the dancing right in the center of the room, where everyone can see them.

Immediately, you recognize the pair.

It was hard not to, with the man striking features and the smoothness in which both of them move. Though this dance is completely opposite than that of what they danced to the last time you saw them. You enjoy watching them nonetheless, you could hardly keep your eyes off of them, absolutely captivated by their swiftness. Automatically, your head starts to bob to music. “They’re incredible!” You lean closer to Jeongin to express your fondness. “Right? They’re the best this resort has. That there is my cousin, Minho. And his partner is Momo!” The boy has a smile on his face as though he is proud to introduce you to the talented pair he happens to know very well.

“They make such a great couple.” You let out, even you could see their chemistry.

“You would think so, huh? They’re not romantically involved though.”

Pursing your lips, you look at Jeongin after his comment, blown away with the information he just shared with you, “Seriously?”

He nods quickly, crossing his arms, “Oh, yeah. They tried it out once in high school, ended it two days later. Momo actually has a boyfriend who lives in town.”

You let out a small hum of acknowledgment, letting your eyes stay focused on the pair you two talked about, “And what about him, your cousin?” The younger boy laughs beside you, “Oh he’s single, alright.” The current song comes to an end and some pairs start to break away. Almost as if he knew you were talking about him, his cousin's eyes wander over to where you and Jeongin are resting.

And much to your dismay, he starts to make his way over to you both.

As the boy makes his way in front of you both, you realize how intimidating he was. His dark eyes are sharp and unimpressed, sweat lingering on his face from dancing in the hot, crowded room. Maybe it was because you were aware you weren't supposed to be here, but you swear his gaze was intense enough to make you sweat yourself. You do your best to keep your eyes locked on his chest, his arms, his neck, anywhere that kept you from meeting his eyes. All the while you could feel his own locked on you.

“What is she doing here?” The older boy questions his cousin. “Oh, she helped me out on the way here. Saw me struggling and all.” Jeongin trails off as if to observe what his cousin’s reaction would be. “Yeah, I carried a watermelon.” The words tumble out of your mouth before your mind can comprehend them. At this, Minho spares you a judging glance that makes you feel small, not bothering another word before turning and walking back to the dance floor. And as soon he turns your eyes rolls and you mumble to yourself about your idiotic words, shaking your head with a sigh as you wish you could forget the awkward encounter.

The next couple of songs play without incident; you stay by Jeongin's side, making idle small talk as you enjoy the music. All the songs being played are quite different from those that the live band play on the main floor, but you might even enjoy these songs even more. As each melody goes on you find yourself subconsciously moving and bobbing to the beat, especially as you watch everyone around you flowing along with the instrumentals.

Continuing your small movements with a small smile upon your lips, your eyes wander around the room, taking in how the crowd changes their movements when a slightly more upbeat song starts to play. As your eyes make their way back to in front of you, the smile you once sported falls just as you still your body. You find a familiar dancer making his way straight towards you.

He makes his appearance without a word, simply reaching out to grasp your hand with his nimble fingers. Minho gently gives you a tug, head nodding towards the dance floor as he walks you there. You feel your mouth slightly part in surprise but you find yourself unable to protest, head glancing back as Jeongin as he merely gives you a shrug, looking almost as confused as you are.

Minho doesn’t stop until you’re both in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by the other moving bodies. He makes his way in front of you making sure he has your attention, “Watch.” You swallow deeply as the taller boy starts to move, simply swaying his hips back and forth to the beat of the song. “Go on.” He states again and you bite the inside of your cheek questioning if you would rather run back to his cousin than to attempt to dance in front of him, but you figure you can attempt this basic move he basically saw you doing before he dragged you out here.

You start to move after a deep breath, following along the best you could though you could already tell you were not nearly as smooth as the dancer.

“Good,” he nods his head “Now bend your knees, lower your hips.” He taps his pelvis to draw attention to the next move, his body now lower even as he continues his swaying movements.

Your body awkwardly lowers to try to match him and you suddenly become aware of how foolish you must look. A fish out of water compared to how smooth everyone is around you. Quickly glancing around you, you try to see if anyone else is seeing how awful you’re doing.

“Hey, look at me. Keep your eyes on me.” You draw your eyes back to Minho as he attempts to keep your attention on him. You do your best to keep everyone else around you out of your mind and hope you don’t draw their eyes in with your bad dancing. “Now roll your hips right,” he demonstrates slowly, “And then left.” He smoothly rolls his hips in a circle, alternating sides as he told you.

When it was your turn to attempt you furrow your brows clearly having to concentrate more to get it done. He chuckles slightly at you but still praises, “Good, that’s it.”

The two of you continue that for a moment before he creeps closer, grabbing your waist and pulling you flush against him. Your breath hitches in your throat as he holds your hips to his, having to place one of your hands on his bicep to keep you from stumbling, both of you still moving with the flow he taught you moments before. You can feel your face flush at the proximity and the mere movement you both are doing together. The only other time you can think of doing something similar involves the last boy you were with and being between the sheets, the movements could almost be the same you find yourself thinking. Only the thought flushes your cheeks even more.

As the two of you fall into a more comfortable rhythm matching the song, Minho starts to move more. He skillfully sways you both side to side even dipping you back slightly, your hand finding its way to his shoulder to steady yourself. It’s all much funner than you expected and you can’t help the smile that finds its way onto your face along with a giggle that breaks through your lips as he pulls you closer to him.

Unfortunately the fun and the song have to end at some point, Minho separates from you, magically twirling you around as the last notes of the song play. The crowd around you stops dancing and the room fills with claps and cheers end off the music.

Still giddy, you clap along turning around with a smile only to find the boy was nowhere to be seen.

Awkwardly stopping your movements, you flatten your hair and start to move through the crowd looking to make your way back to Jeongin, suddenly feeling red and flustered, your heart still pounding in your chest from the small dance you just shared.

It’s only a few short nights later that you find yourself in the presence of Minho once again, but this time the circumstances are very different.

You stand under a well lit gazebo along with your parents and Max. The large platform acts as a dance floor, many bodies dancing classically to the soft music, a change of scenery from the usual ballroom floor. The fairy lights are bright enough to brighten up the whole area, the music plays from a record player in the corner; a contrast to the live band, and being outside once the sun goes down allows for a coolness to cover the space. It’s not much, but you are glad you decided to wear your cardigan.

You stand closely to your mother, both of you keeping an eye on your sister who dances in the center of the place with Chan, who had the night off. Glancing up at her you both give each other a knowing smile at the kind boy that has caught Daisy’s eye this summer.

As they move a bit from out of your sight, you bring your attention back to your father and Neil as they talk of their old college days.

As the bodies continue to sway and move you can’t help but notice Minho among the crowd, his expert moves sticking out like a sore thumb. You watch as him and his partner move closer to the corner where you stood. You look at the girl in his arms and notice it’s not his usual partner Jeongin introduced to you as Momo. Instead this woman you could immediately tell was much older than Minho in age, that was obvious in appearance. And unlike Momo’s professionalism, this woman seemed much more interested in staying close to the boy rather than any real ballroom dancing.

“Hello, Ruby. How are you doing?” You turn your head towards Max who speaks to the woman in Minho’s arms. She gives him a cunning smile, resting her head on the dark-haired boy’s shoulder, “I’m doing just fine, Max.” Max keeps a smile and nods as the pair continue their dance moving on along the room.

Once they’re far enough you hear Max sigh, “That’s what we call a Bungalow Bunny here.” This has the attention of both you and your parents, “They come every summer with their husbands, though their husbands only come down on the weekend. Ruby’s husband pays for her dance lessons,” he puts out his head to where she was with Minho. “It’s a difficult situation, she must be lonely.” He states and you swallow at his implications; that Minho is offering much more than dance lessons to this married woman.

You find yourself getting sleepy the more you stand there, no longer interested in any of the conversation your father and Max find themselves having. And just when you thought your mood couldn’t be more sour, you spot Neil entering the gazebo and make his way over to the corner. You politely greet him but you dread it when he asks you to join him for a dance, “Oh I don’t know, Neil. I’m practically falling asleep here.” You force out a giggle to keep the atmosphere light. “Well how about a walk then? There’s a full moon tonight and the view will be beautiful by the lake.”

You’re just as ready to turn his offer down again, but you feel your mom slightly push your lower back. You know right away what this means, go on with him. Though you dread it, you know it’s the right thing to do when his uncle is standing right next to you and he being the one to invite your family to stay at his resort.

So that’s how you find yourself walking along the grass towards the lake, the moonlight being the only form of brightness in the night. Neil has been dragging on about how he got in an argument with one of the lifeguards and you haven’t been able to get a single word in since you started your walk. Finally getting to the dock, you take a deep breath and enjoy the view trying your best to block out Neil’s ramblings.

Your view seems to almost be ruined though, when you feel the boy place his arm over your shoulder, “And I said, you know what Jimmy doesn’t have? Three hotels!” The boy laughs at his own joke and you give him a tight lipped smile to keep your rudeness at bay.

But that seems to be getting harder to do when you feel Neil start to play with the ends of your hair, taking it softly in the tips of his fingers. “You know, when it comes time, there are much more important things than looks when choosing a man is involved.”

An unamused laugh leaves your lips as you slip yourself from out of his grip, “You know Neil, I’m actually kind of hungry. Maybe we can head back so I can have a snack.” He smiles at you, not at all fazed by your actions, “No problem at all, there’s actually a small kitchen for the staff in this building, we can grab you something there before heading back.”

You follow him to the small building by the lake, you look around the dark building as Neil points out the sights. “And here is the kitchen, it’s pretty small but it’s usually just for the staff to have their lunches when they’re working around the lake.” He stands by the doorframe as you walk in the narrow kitchen. The boy continues to talk about some of the different staff schedules as you hear a small whimper coming from the corner.

Looking alarmed at Neil, he doesn’t seem to notice as he continues his talking. Carefully you move further into the room pretending to look at the different arrangement of snacks. Finally you hear the sound more clearly and look in the corner, someone is hunched between the fridge and the wall. The person looks up and you fight the gasp that threatens to leave your throat. You make eye contact and immediately know who it is, you would recognize his partner anywhere.

Momo looks up from you, whimpering and shaking, clearly having been crying for who knows how long.

You swallow quickly and trust your gut.

Turning around you make your way back to Neil, grabbing an apple in the basket by the door, “I think it will do, Neil. Thank you for showing me this, and for the snack. I think we should head back now, I wouldn’t want to worry my parents.”

“Of course, let’s go.” He shuts the door behind him and you make your way back to the gazebo as quickly as you can.

Your heart is in your throat and you consider yourself lucky that Neil has separated himself from you by the time you get back to the gazebo. You try to think of the best way to approach the situation and decide it’s best not to interrupt Minho, whom you still barely know, especially when he’s with his client in the middle of the dance floor. Recalling from earlier in the night, you remember you saw Jeongin in the opposite corner from you, doing his job of handing out drinks to the guests.

Relief floods your system when you see the dark-haired boy in the same spot as before. Rushing over as quickly as you could without drawing attention to yourself, you finally place your arm on his shoulder. A friendly smile starts to form on his face but before he could even greet you, you bring your mouth to his ear, hand cupping around them both in order to tell him of the questionable situation you were in before finding him.

His eyes widen at your words and he quickly makes his way to Minho in the middle of the floor, obviously not having the same worries as you did about interrupting him. You keep your eyes on the two boys and you notice Minho becomes just as alert as Jeongin when he tells him. There’s a part of you that is relieved you told the boys, it seems as though you made the right decision with how they’re reacting as you watch them rush out of the busy gazebo.

And before you can tell yourself any better, you follow them.

The adrenaline is still high in your bloodstream as you follow both of the boys as they nearly run to reach Momo. You’ve realized long ago you really have no place to be here but your curiosity gets the best of you once again; you need to know what’s happened to the girl and you can only hope it’s nothing bad.

“Do you know what happened?” you ask and they get closer to the location and Jeongin looks back as if he’s shocked you’re still there. He answers nonetheless, “She’s having a bad high.” The older doesn’t seem pleased by the information his cousin disposed and he nearly yells back at him, “Fuck, Jeongin! You can’t just go around telling people that shit.”

Your heart is stuck in your throat as you feel you’re being told off, perhaps you now know why curiosity killed the cat.

“Now she’s going to off to tell her manager boyfriend, gonna get us all fired” Minho mumbles even further and you can’t help but your blood to boil at the underming comment. “I would never tell anyone, I’m not some kind of snitch.” You bit back not even getting the chance to explain your nonexistent relationship with Neil before you’ve reached the destination.

You stay put outside with Jeongin and Minho hurriedly picks up Momo and comes out to continue along the path.

Figuring you’re already in deep enough, you continue to follow them to where you assume is their home for the summer.

Further down the dirt road, you’re met with a series of small apartment-like houses; there’s a sign further up the hill reading “Staff Housing”. They’re quaint and obviously not as well taken care of as the main resort. The porch creeks under the weight of you all as you make your way into room numbered 143.

You stay put by the door you’ve closed behind you, keeping your hand on the handle; ready to leave if the hosts deemed your presence unnecessary (though you already knew it was).

Watching quietly, you take in how Jeongin brings her a glass of water and Minho wraps her in a blanket, sitting beside her on the small couch and urging her to drink.

Momo must’ve had been alone for some time because she already seems to be sobering up and paying attention to Minho who rubs her back comfortingly.

“You have to do the program, Mo.” He speaks softly to her and you listen carefully to their hushed conversation.

Jeongin, who had made his way back to stand closer to you whispers to you, “There’s a program she’s found out about that could help break the addiction.” You nod at him, silently thanking him for explaining to you once again.

The girl finishes her water and the boy beside her repeats himself once again, softly removing the hair from her face in order to look at her properly. She scoffs in return, turning her head away from his hands, “You know I can’t.”

“Why not?” You speak, what you meant to be a whisper where only Jeongin could hear but your voice comes out much louder than you intended. The couple on the couch look at you and your face flushes with the feeling you don’t belong.

“The program costs a lot of money,” Jeongin murmurs, still answering your question whether the other two wanted it to be known or not.

Momo, who seemingly just noticed you were here, stares at you for a second before speaking up herself, “Yeah, try three hundred dollars. That’s a whole summer’s worth of paychecks.” She leans back into the couch but keeps her cold gaze on you, “But you wouldn’t understand that, would you? Must be nice to have access to daddy’s money.”

It’s clear the words are spoken with the purpose to hurt you but you don’t make a move, not giving her the satisfaction. It feels as though you both are in a staring contest until Jeongin makes the first move, “I’ll make you a sandwich, you should eat.” Momo turns her eyes to the younger boy, giving him a smile and you take the chance to quietly leave the room you were never welcome in.

You knew you shouldn’t let the words Momo said affect you so much, she had not been in the right state in the first place. But nonetheless, her comment played through your head as you toss and turn in bed that night.

The next morning you found yourself trekking to the golf course bright and early to find your father. Walking along in the cool morning you’ve tried to justify your actions by convincing yourself what you’re about to do is for the sake of helping someone else. But no matter how many times you repeat it, you know that’s not the reason at all for your petty actions.

“Daddy!” You call out finally locating your parents practicing their putting. Grabbing his attention, he looks up with a smile, “Good morning, my love. Did you already have breakfast?”. Keeping the bright smile on your face you go to hug him, “I was on my way to but thought I would say good morning first since I didn’t see you last night.”

He hums, taking another hit at a ball. “Daddy, about last night,” you start recalling the lie you’ve made up, “I made a friend and she’s trying to buy a place ticket. Her mom is sick and she wants to go home and see her but she has no way of affording it.” He silently looks at you and you take the chance to continue, “She’s a worker here and they don’t pay enough for her to buy it herself.”

He nods and hits another ball, “And what do you suggest we do?” You make your smile a bit smaller, “I was hoping we could help her, daddy. As a doctor I know you always help people in need so I thought this could be my way of helping her, wouldn’t that be nice?”

Knowing you’ve hit a soft spot with him as he tries to hide his smile, you keep your own bashful. “I suppose you’re right. I’m so lucky that my daughter has a good heart like you. I’ll write you a check at lunch.”

Walking into the workers lounge late that night, you feel almost powerful with the check in your hand. You confidently make your way in, moving through the bodies closely dancing together until you spot Jeongin on the side of the room.

You make your way to him giving him a smile which he returns. Just to the right you notice Momo dancing with Minho to the calm song playing over the speakers and you take the chance to approach her. Jeongin follows closely, either curious about what you have to say or worried she won’t be happy to see you.

You slightly tap Momo on the shoulder, grabbing both her and Minho’s attention. Motioning for them to follow you, you go to the edge of the dance floor where they could hear you better.

The pair follow without question, obviously curious about what you have to say. They stare at you for a moment and you hold out the check to her, “Here.”

She cautiously grabs the paper and looks shocked when she realizes what it is, “Are you serious right now?” Minho looks just as surprised, grabbing the check to look at it himself. You merely nod at her, keeping your face serious. “How did you get this?” The dancer speaks up as he examines the check and you keep your gaze steady, “It was easy, all I had to do was go ask my daddy.” You look at Momo raising your eyebrows, “Right?” You can’t help but the petty comment to slip your lips but you thought it was the least she deserved.

She bashfully looks down and takes the check, passing it back to you, “Thanks, but I can’t take it.”

Your eyebrows furrow, “Why not?” Your confusion grows as even the man beside her looks shocked, “Yeah, why not? You need to take it, Mo.” She merely shakes her head and it’s Jeongin who finally speaks up. “The program takes place on Thursday nights,” at the comment Minho seems to understand, a frown forming on his face.

“What does that mean?” Jeongin looks at you, “They both have another gig at a hotel a little away from here. If they don’t show up they lose their spot not only this summer but next summer too. They need the money,” he trails off.

You think quickly, “Well can’t someone else take your place?” Minho rolls his eyes at your suggestion, “No, no one can take her place. Everyone works around here but that’s not something you would know about.”

Eyebrows furrowed, you feel fed up with the comments about your work ethic and you’re half tempted to grab the check and leave, never having to talk to them again.

But before you can even process, Momo lights up, “That’s right! It’s perfect, everyone does work but she doesn’t! She can take my place!” You already panic at the weird idea and you can see right away Minho does too, “What, absolutely not! She’s not a dancer!”

His cousin on the other hand seems to agree with Momo, “I think it’s a great idea! I mean, you were literally just teaching her how to dance the other night, weren’t you?” Jeongin states almost smugly. At this Momo turns her head to Minho, raising her brows, “Well, then that’s that.”

Taglist: @linocvp1d @blankdyean @adeards @lomllino @brooklynie @noellllslut @djeniryuu @eternitywaveshello @drhsthl @urmomma0324

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ruggiethethuggie · 8 months

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Sterling Cooper || Stardew Valley

wc: 2550 tags: fem!reader, she/her pronouns, Sterling Cooper, fluff, first meetings, alcohol consumed (by adults obv), reader is mid 20s, a bit flirty if you ask me hehe, never proofread ~we type and upload

Walking to the local general store was the last thing you wanted to add to your to-do list for the day. If only you had gotten up earlier, then maybe you would’ve noticed sooner that you were out of seeds to be planted for this season. No seeds means no crops, and no crops means you would be struggling to maintain the little level of sanity you had after taking on your grandfather’s long abandoned farm. The autumn season was beautiful here in your new home of Pelican Town. It was much different than the typical rustle and bustle of the city life you had before. But working in the corporate world had become too much stress. Not that this new flourishing farm was any less stressful, but the townspeople were always willing to help and you knew your grandfather would be proud that you were doing this for yourself.

Luckily, the farm wasn’t too far from the heart of the town where all the little stores and businesses were. It was just on the outskirts, maybe a mile or two outside the town limit, but you didn’t mind the walk. Walking was much more pleasant than sitting at a desk all day. Every day you fidgeted in your seat, anxiously awaiting for some way to leave and get out of the hell hole that was the corporate life. If not for that letter you remembered your grandfather had sent you, then you would probably still be stuck, the metaphorical chain still attached to your leg from the desk you were assigned to. It was a huge leap for yourself. Taking on an abandoned farm? Since when did you know anything about farming or crops or profit margins? The truth is that you had zero idea what you were doing, zero idea if this would even work out in the long run, but you wanted to have faith in yourself. You needed this change badly.

You checked your watch, almost 2pm. The store was still open until 5pm, so you had more than enough time to get there. Thankfully, you weren’t noticing your lack of seeds on a Wednesday or else you’d be out of luck until the next day.

The door’s chime bells dinged and donged as you opened the front door of the store and walked inside. Ever since moving to Pelican Town, you had told yourself that if you were going to buy seeds, you weren’t feeding the wallet of that scoundrel, Morris, at stupid Joja Mart down the road. You’d much rather contribute to the small community businesses. The mom and pop shops were always your favorite in the city; here, it was the same. You were no stranger to the aisles of Pierre’s; however, this was the start of a new season. The layout changed a bit each time, making room for the new seeds and items for sale. As you looked towards the counter, you could see Pierre speaking with Mayor Lewis. The conversation looked … intense? More than likely something about taxes and what not, so you didn’t want to really interrupt just to ask where the new season’s seeds would be.

You went down the first aisle, browsing through the shelves. There were so many new fall things that caught your eye, you almost forgot your real reason for coming to the store. As you turned down the next aisle, where hopefully those pesky new seeds were at, you bumped into another who was moving to the aisle you were on. You stumbled back a step or two but were able to catch your balance quickly.

“Oh, gosh! I’m so sorry, miss! I wasn’t looking where I was going. I hope you’re okay.” A hand reached out to assist you from the person you ran into. Clearly neither of you were paying any attention coming around the corner.

You brushed off his extended hand. “No, no. It’s fine! I wasn’t paying attention either, I’m sorry, too. I’m fine though, thank you,” you said with a smile. The man in front of you looked relieved that he didn’t hurt you in the head on collision you two had had. He was wearing a white button up, where the sleeves were so casually rolled up his forearms, with a black apron and a nametag on it. “Oh! Do you work here… Sterling?” you asked as you tried to read the scribbled name on the tag. He patted over his nametag and laughed. “Yeah, I do. Sorry, I know this chicken scratch ain’t the easiest to read. My name is Sterling, Sterling Cooper. And you are?” he asked, his smile was as radiant as the sun outside. “Oh, me? My name is Y/N. I just moved here awhile ago, took on that old farm down the road. It used to be my grandfather’s and he passed it on to me.”

“Ah, so you’re new here, huh?” he chuckled. “I used to live here as a kid and then moved to the city. I just moved back not too long ago either. Ole Pierre was nice enough to let me have my old job back from my teenage years.” As he said teenage years, you stared at him and laughed. He honestly didn’t look that old, but he talked as if he was pushing his 30s. “Teenage years? You mean like 2 years ago?” you jokingly said. He shook his head and snickered at your words. “I know this face looks fresh and new, but I promise I am 27. Those teenage years feel like a lifetime ago.” Twenty-seven? He didn’t really look it, but you were going to take his word. You laughed at his response as you stood there. His sapphire-like blue eyes sparkled the more he smiled. It was hard not to admire him, but you were here for seeds- not some maroon haired, blue eyed store clerk that you just met.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” he asked to break the silence between you two. You noticed he had a cart next to him that was full of new seasonal items. He must be stocking the shelves, I bet he knows where the stuff is at, you thought to yourself.

“Actually, that would be amazing?! I’m looking for some of the new fall seeds so I can get ahead on planting them on the farm. Just some things like artichoke, amaranth, bok choy- oh and pumpkins, of course! It wouldn’t be fall without those,” you chuckled as you read off your small list you had made for yourself.

“Well, let me see here,” Sterling said as he turned around and dug through the cart behind him. He was almost tossing stuff to the side in his search before finally finding a few seed pouches and turning around. “I’ve got the amaranth and bok choy seeds right here, but you’ll have to go down that way to get the artichoke and pumpkin seeds you need.” He offered you 4 small pouches of seeds, which you gladly took from him. “Thank you so much, Sterling! You’re so handsome!” The words just seemed to roll off your tongue without you even realizing it. You stood there like a deer caught in the headlights, embarrassed that you just said that out loud. Sterling, shocked as well, stood there silent with his mouth open- almost as if he was going to respond but couldn’t find the words to say.

Without saying anything more, you hurriedly walked past him and put your head down as you made your way to where he said the other seed packs would be. You could feel your face get hot with anxiety. You told yourself that next time you needed help, you were just going to interrupt Pierre or wait however long it took to get assistance from him. There was no way you would even think about asking Sterling for help again. You picked up the other packs of seed and damn near ran to the front counter. All you wanted to do right now was pay for your things and leave without talking to anyone else, especially not any other store clerks here.

“This it for you today, y/n?” Pierre said as he took the packs and started ringing them up. “Yeah, for a while at least. Hopefully I can get these planted today and have a good start for the season, y’know?” You spoke the words, but your mind was elsewhere, and Pierre could tell. “You okay? I can get you water if you need, you look like you should sit down or something.” You shook your head at his words, you didn’t need anything more from the store- you needed to go home and plant these seeds and, maybe later, hop into Gus’ bar and relax with a drink or two after today’s efforts. “Well alright then,” Pierre said with a sigh. He gave you your total, and you passed money over the counter. It took everything in you to not snatch the bag from him as you rushed to leave. But before you left, you decided to torture yourself even more and sneak a glance at Sterling, who was still stocking the shelves in the aisles. He was very handsome, there was no denying it, but why, oh why, did you have to say it out loud?

You were standing at your kitchen sink, still cursing yourself internally about being weird at the general store, while you washed the dirt off your hands. The seeds were finally planted- at least one stressor for your day was gone, and with the homemade fertilizer you had whipped up, you hoped that this coming harvest would be bountiful enough in profit to hold you over til the cold winter months were through. After the day you had had, you just wanted to relax, so you changed out of your dirty, farming attire and slipped into some comfy,everyday wear. A nice drink and slice of pizza from Gus’ would make anyone’s day better.

By the time you arrived back in town, it was roughly about 9pm- a young night for those out and about at the saloon. You walked inside and approached the bar. “Oh, goodness! Y/N! Been a bit since you’ve come in, what can I get ya tonight?” Gus cheerily said as you sat down. “Can I get just a rum and coke and then let’s do a slice of that Gus’ famous pizza,” you hummed as you tapped your fingers on the counter. “Comin’ right up!” Gus turned around and started prepping the oven and grabbing an empty bottle to make your drink. The atmosphere was already making you relax; Gus had felt like a long distant uncle since you met him. He was always someone you could rely on that would listen to your woes and try to brighten your day in any way he could, which was usually with that pizza you loved so much.

As Gus put the drink in front of you, out of the corner of your eye you could see another person leaning on the bar as they sat down. “Hey, Gus! Can you get me an ale? Actually- make it two!” the voice sang. It didn’t take long to figure out who the person was that took the seat beside you. “Ah, absolutely, Sterling! Let me check this pizza and I’ll get ‘em served.” Sterling nodded as Gus went about his business and then turned to face you. “Did you get your seeds planted alright? Pierre said you didn’t look so good when you left the store earlier.” He put his hand on his cheek and leaned on the counter, smiling as he waited for you to answer.

“I’m fine,” you said as you glanced over at him. “They all got planted. I just … felt a little light headed. Yeah, lightheaded. But I’m fine now.” You traced the rim of your drink with your finger and then took a sip of it. The awkwardness from earlier in the day was still there for you, but he acted like nothing was wrong- or like you didn’t weirdly blurt out a compliment and run away when meeting him the first time.

“Lightheaded?” Sterling chuckled. “If that’s what you say it was, then I’ll take your word for it.” Gus placed the two ales in front of Sterling and went to the other side of the counter to take more orders from the townspeople waiting. “Don’t think this is a pickup line, but do you come here often?”

“Come here often? Sounds like a pickup line to me,” you teased. “But no, actually, I only come every once in a while- usually when it’s been a long day and I just need to relax. Why? Do you come here often?”

“Wow, first you call me handsome and now you’re asking if I come here often? Was it me that made you lightheaded? I’m flattered.” He grinned at you with a smile so delicious you thought that the few sips of your drink were already clouding your thoughts. As he took a drink of his ale, he could sense you still felt some type of way about the exchange earlier. “I mean, you called me handsome and I couldn’t even say anything before you scurried away. What if I was going to compliment you back?”

“So it was a pickup line. I’m not interested,” you said harshly, your brain and heart pulling you two different ways. “It wasn’t a real pickup line, I swear it,” he said as he held his hand over his heart in sincerity. “But what if I said I was interested? Then what? What if I wanted to tell you that I also think you’re stunning and I’d like to get to know you more, if you’d allow me?”

“Gus, is my pizza ready? Can you box it for me?” You practically shouted as you ignored Sterling beside you. You stood up from your seat and fumbled in your wallet to grab the money for your food and drink. “It’s like that?” Sterling asked with a surprised look on his face. “I have to get back to Shane anyway, he’s probably laughing at my failed attempt right now. I hope I’ll see you around though.” You watched him from the corner of your eye get up from the counter and grab the two drinks and walk over towards the fireplace where you could see Shane standing.

As Gus took the money you handed him and put the box in your hand, he didn’t let go of it. You looked up at him confused. “He’s a nice guy, really. Been through some hard times, but I wouldn’t cross him off your list just yet.” He gave a wink to you and let go of the pizza box. “Thanks, Gus,” you said quietly. You looked over your shoulder at Sterling and Shane, laughing and drinking their ale together. The way he looked when he was happy, smiling and laughing, it was like sunshine in human form. You downed the remaining bit of your drink, which truthfully wasn’t even that much, and left the saloon with even more on your mind than before you came in.

#~.writing #~.stardew valley #sterling cooper x reader #sterling cooper x fem!reader #stardew valley x reader #stardew valley x fem!reader #sterling cooper sdv #sterling sdv #sterling cooper fluff #sterling cooper #sterling cooper imagines #sterling cooper x farmer #sterling cooper x fem!farmer

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snapeaddict · 8 months

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Snapetober Day 12 - Amphibian

Silliness alert - He Deserved Better AU, Severus is around five

A response to @waningstarlight's prompt

Diagon Alley was particularly busy; perhaps they should have elected to go on another day, but the present weather was lovely, especially in contrast to tomorrow's when heavy showers were forecasted all over England. So be it - they were ready to brave the crowd for the bookshop and toy store.

Severus found three books he was looking forward to reading and a lovely set of play cards, for rainy days. There were, of course, many such days in the Highlands, and the few times they had taken him out to play, he had come down with a cold. Minerva intended on keeping him indoors as much as possible during the worst days of late autumn, but the boy did like the rain.

Now was time for the mandatory ice cream, a tradition instituted since Severus' first visit to Diagon Alley, over a year ago. He asked for vanilla and coffee, Minerva picked a scoop of pistachio, and Albus, of course, requested a huge cone with chocolate, lemon and raspberry scoops decorated by a garish amount of sprinkles and chocolate sauce. The seller even added a cherry on top of it all, evidently quite pleased with the ridiculous amount of money Minerva ended up paying him.

The deputy headmistress attempted to make her way back to Severus and Albus without bumping into anyone. They were waiting for her on the other side of the street, in the shade. It was a complex balancing act deserving of the utmost praise, and she was about to comment on it when she caught sight of Severus - in the middle of the street.

They had put the boy in a child harness, for obvious reasons. While they were frowned upon on the continent, English and Scottish people took a more practical approach to things when it came to child safety. But half that leash was now in the middle of the road, and a mule carrying stacks of books was approaching dangerously. The boy was looking in the other direction - Albus was absorbed in the contemplation of a shop display - no one was paying attention -

"ALBUS!" Minerva screamed, stopping most people around her in their tracks.

Her cry was visceral: she could not breathe properly, and the "s" died in her throat.

The headmaster turned around. His eyes landed on Severus and he immediately waved his wand; the collision was narrowly avoided. People let the furious transfiguration teacher come through, cowering on both sides of the street.

It did not matter how many ice cream cones she was holding: she looked absolutely terrifying.

"My dear", Albus began contritely, "I have cast all sorts of spells on him - he's absolutely fine - he would have bounced into the air -"

"It does not matter if you know he is safe, Albus Dumbledore", she interrupted him. "What matters is what we teach him. How incredibly stupid can you be? You think it will do him any good, to think he can just wander around because you have cast the right spells?"

The crowds around them, though civilly feigning to look away, glanced at Minerva furtively with a mixture of awe and astonishment. Had the dignified deputy headmistress of Hogwarts just called the most gifted wizard of the century stupid?

Albus lowered his eyes.

"You are right, of course, Minerva. I apologize. This is not about me."

"Indeed", she replied acerbically, her temple vein pulsating.

She turned to Severus, who had been watching them fearfully. Her face relaxed slightly.

"You do not ever go on the street by yourself, is that understood, Severus?" she told him gently, though firmly.

The boy nodded eagerly.

"I'm sorry", he replied quietly.

For a second, she thought he was going to cry. She knelt in front of him, determined for their day to not be ruined by Albus' carelessness.

How the man could be both so brainless and brilliant, she could still not understand...

"It's alright, Severus", she told him softly. "We all make mistakes and we learn from them, mmh? Now you know. Here, take your ice cream."

When she got up, the headmaster was watching them apologetically. She handed him his ice cream, still tight-lipped.

"May I know what was so interesting to look at?" she told him rather drily, in an undetermined attempt to resume the conversation without letting go of the issue.

Taking the hint, Albus nodded at the shop display in front of them which presented various items of clothing. He was pointing at a specific robe, gold and deep green, with quite refined ornaments and motifs: the triangular sleeves were long and trimmed with delicate emerald lace. Upon closer inspection, though, it had something peculiar...

...The whole thing was covered in slightly lighter motifs of jumping frogs, going from one lily pad to the other. While in the dark they were not very striking, it was all one could see in the sunlight.

"It looks dashing, don't you think, my dear? There's a formal dinner at the ministry next week..."

Minerva closed her eyes, sighed rather loudly, and pulled out a handkerchief from her left pocket. She knelt again and proceeded to clean Severus' face. When she was done, she put it away and simply replied:

"Given your questionable taste in clothing and appalling wardrobe, Albus, this would be absolutely fine at the school. But at a banquet with foreign ministers... think about it..."

"But precisely! I understand green is more suited to the occasion than purple..."

"Didn't you say the French prime minister would be there?"

"I did."

"And you think he is an idiot."

"There are often... gaps in his understanding."

"Then no, Albus, you cannot wear a frog-teamed robe to a meeting with a French official you clearly despise."

The old man looked crushed.

"And we are here solely to buy Severus a proper raincoat, if I recall. Let's go in."

"You seem sceptical, my dear", the headmaster told Minerva as they exited the shop.

He was meticulously folding a green garment, which he then placed in a large paper bag.

"I assure you, Severus is not going to meet any French official, if that is what is troubling you", he added, smiling smugly.

She rolled her eyes.

On their next rainy outing though, she had to confess Severus looked absolutely adorable in that frog-shaped raincoat of his.

~~~

Severus' coat looks like the combination of these by the way:

#In which Albus is bad with kids' safety and diplomacy #The former is completely canon #The latter is a lesser known fact only thanks to Minerva #severus snape #pro snape #minerva mcgonagall #albus dumbledore #snapetober #he deserved better #snapetober 2023 #'Frogs' is used by the Brits as a pejorative way to call the French btw #Which I find very cool and cute actually

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trulybetty · 6 months

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dec' 08 x sweets

Prompt: sweets Pairing: marcus pike x f!Reader Word Count: 3,196 Warnings: barely beta’d, all mistakes my own, this is au and way off the plot of anything to do with The Mentalist, mentions of baked goods and fluff and I apologize for the tough of angst 🍰 Summary: Maplewood, a small town nestled in northern BC where people flock to see the festive decorations of main street and enjoy the festive traditions. It's been a couple months since you arrived in Maplewood and your relationship with Marcus has blossomed, but could there be a road bump ahead that might cloud the festive season? AO3: Linked

x. masterlist

Something Festive This Way Comes Part I

Much like all the businesses and homes in Maplewood, Black Cat Books was fully decked out for the holidays. Between the shelves crammed with books and tables piled high with paperbacks every available space was full of tinsel, baubles and fairy lights. Libby had been absolutely giddy when you’d agreed to help decorate the place.

You still didn’t know how she managed to store so many seasonal decorations in her storeroom, let alone how she managed to fit decorations into every nook and cranny of the store. Everywhere you looked there was something, all leading to the crowning glory at the front of the store. The bright pink tree she’d decorated with miniature handmade books for the Merry Tree Trek.

However, since taking your new job your days in the bookstore had been greatly reduced so you jumped at any chance to be in there to find yourself lost in the endless sea of stories and whimsy that both Black Cat Books and Libby offered.

“Stop trying to get me to walk under the mistletoe,” You complained when Marcus steered you away once again from the string of lights you were fussing with.

“I have no clue what you’re referring to,” he shrugged nonchalantly as he crossed his arms at his chest, “Just wanted to show you a potential place for more light.”

You looked up pointedly at the mistletoe you were now standing under and raised an eyebrow as you looked back at Marcus, the grin on his face no longer concealable.

“Well, since we’re here, they say it’s bad luck if you don’t…” he trailed off, his lips hovering tantalizingly close to yours. Your breath hitched, your heart fluttered and you closed your eyes, eagerly awaiting the soft press of his lips against yours, the promise of mistletoe magic hanging in the air.

But a kiss didn’t come.

Frowning, you opened your eyes to find Marcus’s attention taken by something outside the frost-kissed window of the bookstore.

“Are you okay, Marcus?” you asked, a note of concern hanging off your words as you followed his line of sight across the street to the warmly lit bakery, its windows foggy from the heat within.

Sarah and Maria were holding down the fort allowing you and Marcus the afternoon together and the place appeared to be still standing in one piece. You squinted to try and see what it was that had caught his attention. The only thing that stood out was the lone figure standing in front of the bakery window.

Taking his hand in yours you gave it a gentle squeeze, “Marcus?” you asked again, and you frowned, his face was pale - it looked like he’d seen a ghost.

You hadn’t seen Marcus in two days.

Two days since you were both in the bookstore.

It wasn’t as if he’d disappeared altogether, he was currently at the bakery and you had tried the day before to go see him but Frank had turned up and hadn’t taken the hint. So you’d taken your pastry and made your way back to work.

Speaking of work, your new job at the Maplewood Tourism Board was proving to be a lot more than you had expected for a seemingly sleepy town.

The Winter Christmas Eve Ball was the crown jewel of Maplewood's holiday season, and as a fresh face on the Tourism Board, you were thrown into the merry deep end. Every day was a whirlwind of phone calls, schedules, and coordination with local businesses. The festive season was a community effort, and everyone wanted to make this year's events more magical than the last.

Tapping your pen against the desk you decided to call it a day. Your head was spinning with festivities and a list of events for the town for the month to organize and there was a promise of a drink over a pizza with Marcus. His offer of an apology to make up for his absence. Work had ramped up with an influx of tourists for the holiday season. Apparently, your short tenure with the tourism board had yielded quick results.

Stepping out of the bustling office, you made your way through the snow-dusted streets of Maplewood, the festive decorations twinkling in the early evening light. As you approached Maple Delights, you could see through the steamed-up windows that the bakery was in full swing, with Sarah cheerfully serving a steady stream of customers.

Pushing the door open, you were greeted by the familiar, comforting aroma of freshly baked goods. The warmth of the bakery enveloped you, a stark contrast to the chill outside. You scanned the shop for Marcus but there was no sight of him.

“Is he around?” you asked from the back of the queue as you caught Sarah’s eye.

Sarah closed the lid on a bright pink cake box, stamped with the bakery logo before she pulled a string of twine to secure it, she nodded to the back, “You’re in luck, he just got back from the coffee shop.”

You nodded your thanks and headed to the back of the shop and to the kitchen.

Marcus was pulling out a large bowl of what smelled like gingerbread dough when you stepped into the kitchen.

“Hey, Marcus,” you called out softly, not wanting to startle him.

He looked up, his expression shifting from concentration to surprise, then a warm smile as he recognized you. “Hey! What brings you by? Shouldn't you be neck-deep in Winter Ball plans?”

You walked over, leaning against the counter. “I am, but I needed a break so I left early. I wanted to see how you're doing.”

Marcus wiped his hands on his apron, his smile lingering. “I’m doing alright, just a bit swamped with the holiday rush. Always the same this time of year,” he said, a hint of weariness in his voice.

You nodded, noticing the flour dusting his hair and the tired lines around his eyes. “I can see that. The bakery looks busier than ever,” you paused as you watched him roll out the dough, the scent of ginger and cinnamon filling the kitchen. “…the other day, in the bookstore. You seemed really distracted before we left, you sure everything is okay?”

He hesitated for a moment, then let out a sigh. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just long hours.” Marcus quickly changed the subject, “So, pizza night? I hope you’re ready for my world-famous ‘after-hours bakery pizza’ – it’s a special treat,” he finished with a wink.

Marcus' switch of topics didn't go unnoticed, but you decided not to push any further.

“Your world-famous pizza, huh? I'm intrigued,” you said with a playful smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Marcus's face lit up at the chance to shift the focus to something more positive, “Just you wait, it's something else.”

The sight of the joy on his face was infectious, “Big promises Pike,” you chided with a smile.

As the bakery doors closed for the evening, the atmosphere inside shifted. The bustling energy of the day gave way to a more intimate, relaxed setting. It was just you and Marcus, alone with the warmth of the ovens and the soft glow of the kitchen lights.

Your eyes followed his movements as he peeled off his plaid shirt, revealing only a plain black t-shirt that was already dusted with a light layer of flour. You couldn't help but admire him in this simple moment, a man at ease in his own skin.

He began to walk you through his pizza-making process, his hands skillfully kneading the dough. There was something mesmerizing about watching him work, the way his hands moved with such confidence and care.

“Come here,” he said, guiding you to take his spot as he stood behind you, his hands running the length of your arms until they covered yours and guided them in the same motions he'd just demonstrated to knead the dough on the flour dusted table.

As you continued to work on the dough, Marcus's body behind yours felt warm and comforting. His breath tickled your ear as he whispered instructions and encouragement.

“See how the dough starts to come together?” he said, his voice low and soothing.

You nodded, enjoying the closeness between you two. Marcus's hands moved with yours, guiding you through the process until the dough was perfectly kneaded.

“Great job,” he said, stepping back to admire your handiwork. “I think we make a great team.”

You couldn't help but smile at his words, feeling a flutter in your stomach at his compliment.

After topping the pizza with fresh ingredients Marcus had pulled from the walk in fridge. Ingredients he'd picked up from the local market the day before in preparation for your date. Marcus placed the pizza in the oven with a satisfied grin. “Now we just have to wait for it to bake,” he said, as you jumped up onto the table.

The air between you two crackled with unspoken words and shared smiles. He moved closer, his hands leaving traces of flour on your knees as he stood between your legs.

“I'm glad you're here,” he whispered, his breath warm against your skin.

You up at him, feeling a rush of warmth in your chest. “Me too,” you replied sincerely. There was something about him that always made you feel at ease and happy.

Your heart raced as he leaned in, his lips meeting yours in a soft and gentle kiss. Your fingers found their way into his hair, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened.

Marcus's hands traced up your thighs, sending shivers down your spine. You parted your lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss, as his hands moved to your hips. The warmth between you two was palpable, and every touch made your heart race faster.

As you pulled back from the kiss to catch your breath, Marcus's hands slid up to your hips, causing you to shiver at his touch. You moved your hands to his chest, feeling the solidness of his muscles beneath your fingers.

Suddenly, the timer on the oven beeped, and Marcus reluctantly pulled away. “I guess that's our signal,” he said with a chuckle.

You hopped down from the table as he took the pizza out of the oven. The aroma was mouthwatering, and you couldn't wait to dig in.

The snow crunched under your boots as you left True North Brews, the warmth of the coffee cups in your hands contrasting sharply with the chilly air. Maplewood was a hive of activity, with residents bustling about, embracing the festive season's joy.

As you turned the corner, you nearly bumped into a woman standing in the middle of the sidewalk. She was staring intently at the bakery down the street.

“Oh, I'm so sorry!” you exclaimed, instinctively stepping back.

The woman turned, offering a small, somewhat forced smile. “No harm done. I should have been watching where I was standing.”

You noticed the lost look on her face, “You're not from around here are you?”

She laughed, “That obvious hey?”

You smiled, “Only because I was stood where you are with the exact same look a couple months ago. What brings you to Maplewood?”

“I'm here to catch up with someone,” she paused before she carried on, "You don't happen to know Marcus Pike by chance?”

The name 'Marcus' caught you off guard, causing you to fumble one of the coffee cups, barely catching it before it spilled.

“Marcus, from Maple Delights?” you asked, trying to mask the surprise in your voice.

“Yes! That Marcus,” she confirmed, her eyes briefly flitting back to the bakery. “I stopped by but he's not there today they said. I know it's a small town, but any chance do you know where I could find him?”

You swallowed down a lump in your throat, you knew exactly where Marcus was. He was in your bed in your apartment above the bookshop after your pizza date at the bakery last night, waiting for you to come back with the coffees in your hands.

Before you could open your mouth to respond, the woman shook her head as she laughed, “Jeeze, look at me asking questions and I haven't even introduced myself, my name is Theresa,” she said, offering her hand to you.

#december x 500 #something festive this way comes #maplewood au #marcus pike #marcus pike x you #marcus pike x reader #marcus pike x f!reader #marcus pike x female reader #marcus pike fanfiction #jmarcus pike fanfic #pedro pascal character fanfiction

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emberfrostlovesloki · 4 months

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Aaron and Criminal Minds March/Spring Prompt List

Photo credits: Left (@foxy-eva) Center (@agentdilfhotchner) Right (@enid-rhees)

Good evening loves! We made it to February! It’s hard to believe we are one month into 2024! I love the idea of the team during Spring time and I thought I'd make some March/Spring prompts because it makes me happy. This prompt list is inspired by the always amazing, @imagining-in-the-margins who always make the best prompt lists. I'm currently writing for her New Beginnings Challenge (linked) and having a blast). For my prompts, I won’t write for all these prompts, but I will for at least a few. The rules for using these prompts are that there are no rules! You could use any Criminal Minds characters, OCs, reader inserts, etc. You could draw, write, make mood boards, or imagine anything else. I have included 31 prompts for each day of the month. I also get inspiration from plain old words, so I’ve included 10 Spring words that might inspire something. Lastly, I’ve included a few dialog and art prompts too. You can find that all below the cut. If any of these prompts inspire you to create, I’d love to be tagged to see what you have made. This is all just for fun. I wish everyone a great start to the month. Please know I’m proud of you wherever you are right now. Love - Levi 🌸

General Prompts

Character A buys Character B their favorite flowers once they are in season.

Character A plans a fun day out at the park with their kid and they run into Character B unexpectedly.

The team gets called to a case on the beach in Florida.

Character A had experienced something bad this time last year and Character B checks in on them.

Character A buys a new swimsuit to feel confident in their own skin.

Spring Break with the BAU (young AU or present-day or anything else.)

Character A becomes addicted to a seasonal drink at a coffee shop and begs the barista to teach them how to make it.

Character A buys pastel lingerie for Character B.

A night of celebration after the case reveals feelings that have been hidden for over a year.

The newest member of the BAU has their birthday on their first case ever. The team still tries to make it something for them anyway.

A Character manages to catch a cold in the middle of Spring.

On an incredibly hot case, Character A collapses from heat exhaustion.

Characters A and B bump into each other at a music festival.

The team goes to the beach together and Character A and B awkwardly put sunscreen on each other.

Characters A develops an allergy to a favorite food and tries to find alternatives.

The BAU faces a lockdown in Quantico as an active threat is in the building.

Character A confesses their love to someone and gets turned down. Character B makes sure Character A is holding up okay after the rejection.

Character A gets drugged and Character B gets them to the hospital.

Character A has a bad dream and calls Character B; they talk till morning.

Breakfast in bed.

Characters A and B go on a date to a bookstore/record store and things get more frisky than expected.

Characters A and B try role play in bed for the first time.

Characters A and B take a road trip.

There is a malfunction on the jet and it makes an emergency landing. The team is stuck in the airport for a few hours.

Characters A and B get matching tattoos.

Characters A and B get a little too competitive about March Madness / Sports.

Characters A and B talk about possible baby names.

BAU case on a ranch in the West (Yeehaw).

It's Characters A and B's last night before their wedding.

A tragedy strikes the team at the worst time. The must bond to move on.

Easter Egg Hunt with the BAU.

Word Prompts

Refreshed

Swimsuit

Break

Lemonade

Tipsy

Easter

Park

Blossom

Picnic

Beach

Dialog Prompts

“If you can beat me at beach volleyball, I'll do your files for a week.”

“________ people wear sunscreen for a reason. You're all burned up.”

“Do you have any idea how many people lose their virginity during Spring Break?” "No... Why do you ask?"

“Spring is great until you get to the allergies.”

“This time of year isn't all it's cracked up to be. At least, not for me.”

“_______ if you don't buy that sun dress and make ______ swoon I'm gonna believe love is dead.”

Art Prompts

Any CM kid in a cute Easter costume. Bonus if the parent matches.

Any BAU member in a swimsuit.

A BAU prank gone wrong.

Garcia in the most SPRING outfit possible.

______________________________________________________________

Tag list: @tgskitten @geminitapestry

Want to be added to the tag list? Please see this post, CM tag list (linked)

Want to request a fic or mood board? My requests are open. Please see this post before requesting, CM Request Post (linked)

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not-a-space-alien · 8 months

Text

K&J x MMSS 4: Valen & Jim Part 2

Part two of the fourth crossover with @whumpsday!

K&J masterlist

MMSS masterlist

K&J x MMSS crossover masterlist

To be added to the taglist, contact @whumpsday

Warnings: Misgendering a transmasculine character, some dehumanization

In this chapter: Valen and Jim go out, but happen to bump into an unexpected and unwelcome someone.

***

When Jim wakes, Valen is sitting across the room in a beanbag chair reading a book. The vampire glances up. "Ah, have you slept enough? The sun's down now, so we can go shopping if you're ready."

It takes Jim a moment to get his bearings and remember where he is, but he smiles when he does. He's out.

"Yeah, thanks." He sits up. "I'm good to go. I could eat a horse."

Valen's eyes widen. "Is that–is that a euphemism for something? I'm not sure where to get those."

Jim laughs. "It's an expression. Means I'm real hungry. I'll eat whatever you can get your hands on."

"Oh. Good to know." He's visibly relieved. He'd thought that seemed like far too big of an animal for a human to eat, but he didn't know for sure. "Let's go, then. I imagine you'll not want to get more than you can carry, but I have a backpack I can give you to carry things. Let's take the car there."

Valen leads Jim down to the building's parking lot, where he unlocks a white sedan for them to take to the marketplace. Unfortunately, it becomes clear quite quickly that Valen is a very bad driver. Fortunately there aren't many other cars on the road, and vampires are much more lax about traffic laws, but it's obvious nobody taught him how to drive a stick shift. He spends most of the drive there in first gear and is visibly afraid of the noise the car makes when he tries to shift into second gear.

Jim considers asking to take the wheel, but figures it's probably not kosher for someone who has no license here and isn't even considered a person to drive, oblivious to the fact that the concept of driver’s licenses does not apply to vampire territory.

He does end up verbally coaching Valen on his driving: Jim isn't the best himself, having only been driving for 3 years before he was taken and not having driven since, but he was at least better than Valen is. "Just go slow, so that if anything happens it won't be too bad."

Valen takes the advice to heart, nervously tittering about how he's not used to having someone else in the car, let alone someone who would get seriously hurt if they crashed. He goes along at a nervous crawl.

They do get there eventually. Valen has taken Jim to a specialty store, which is also where he buys his ethical blood. It's run by countercultural vampires who have also set up a portion of the building to be a place for humans to shop for food. The number of humans in vampire territory with the authority to make their own shopping decisions is vanishingly small, so the store as a whole still caters to vampires, but Valen figured Jim might appreciate going to a store where the staff see him as a person and the design is to appeal to him rather than his supposed owner, despite the more limited selection.

Jim feels a little relaxed when he sees the store's whole 'ethical blood' schtick. Guess there are places in vampire territory that don't support treating humans like shit. Makes sense that Valen would frequent those places.

The cashier has spiked purple hair and facial piercings, and Valen introduces her and Jim as though she and Valen know each other.

"Hey." Jim greets the cashier with a wave. "Cool hair."

He's quickly distracted by the selection of food. He grabs a can of beans, a bag of rice, and a few apples. His stomach growls as he stares at the apples he's holding. It's taking some restraint for him not to dive into them before Valen has a chance to pay for them.

Valen can see Jim staring longingly at the ready to eat foods, so he quickly takes the apples and moves to the front of the store to buy them, then brings them back. "Always a bad idea to shop on an empty stomach."

"Thank you!" Jim bites into an apple and hums pleasantly. "This is so good. I never thought an apple could taste this good. Holy fuck."

He puts the rest of the food in the backpack and follows Valen out of the store. Unfortunately, as they make their way back to the car, they're interrupted.

Jim gasps when he sees him. He wants to run, but it's too late: Anton’s spotted him first, and is already making a beeline for them.

"Valen. Valen, we have to go now,” he urges, voice dripping with terror.

"Hey, funny seeing you out here, Kane's thing. Long way from home. With... Priscus Kithrara's wife?" Anton laughs. "How'd that happen? Looks like you've got something that's not yours. Would've thought you'd have enough humans. How about I take this one off your hands?"

"Valen," Jim squeaks, clinging to him now, eyes brimming with tears. "Please, please don't. Please don't let him take me, I'll do anything."

Valen gives Anton a dirty look and scoots Jim behind himself. "And who might you be, sir, to come up and randomly demand to take my human?" He tries to be confrontational, but he really can't remember who this person is, but he obviously remembers who Valen is, and that puts him at a disadvantage.

"Anton de Sang. Tsk-tsk, that's not your human. That's my brother's human. I didn't forget." Anton gives Jim a grin that makes him cower behind Valen. "Don't worry, you can just hand him over to me. I'll make sure he gets back where he belongs. With someone in the family, anyway."

de Sang. Anton de Sang, brother of Kane de Sang, the poor, wretched creature who was socially ostracized for not being able to use persuasion. That's why Jim wasn't brain damaged, his captor simply couldn't use persuasion at all.

"No," Jim whispers, horrified. "Please, I can't be his. I can't, you said, you s-said I could–" He stops himself from saying go home just in time. "–be yours." He hugs Valen tightly, the only bastion of safety he has, tears brimming in his eyes.

Valen feels a wave of sympathy for Jim. He feels bad for Kane, for being treated harshly for something he can't help, but he feels even worse for Jim. He can only imagine what Jim was treated like in private, the one person Kane could take his problems out on. Given Jim's condition, it's probably quite bad. He'd noticed the broken arm that hadn't healed correctly, and Kane had apparently threatened to shatter his ankles.

Yet Jim is apparently more scared of being with Anton.

"I found him out in the wild fair and square. It's of no concern to me who he belonged to before that." He starts to back towards the shop as he speaks, shuffling Jim towards it, the shop filled with vampires who think humans should be treated decently.

Jim takes the hint and darts inside, looking pleadingly to the cashier. "Please help me," he begs tearily.

Anton laughs. "Ha! Oh my god, did his human really escape? That's hilarious. Bet he's still searching the area like a dumbass, doesn't know you're taking his human on fucking shopping trips." He eyes the shop. "Yeah, seems about right from what I've heard about that marriage."

Valen's face twists stormily at the mention of his failed marriage. "My marriage is none of your business, sir, and I use the term loosely," he snaps. "And to be perfectly clear, the only way you're taking this human home with you is if you physically attack me, right here in front of everyone, to make me. So you might as well turn around and leave."

Anton peers through the shop window. Jim has ducked behind the counter, still cowering. More trouble than it's worth.

He chuckles. "Fair enough. Be seeing you." Before Valen can question that, he’s already dashed off.

Valen turns and runs back into the shop, the bell on the door clattering behind him. "Jim, where are you? Are you all right? He's gone now."

Jim's tear-streaked face peeks out from behind the counter. "Thank you." He sniffles. "I, I thought I was a goner for a sec there. Worse."

"You're all right," Valen says. He takes Jim's hand and pulls him up into a hug. "You're all right, we won't let anything happen to you." He looks to the cashier. "Thank you for letting him hide in here."

"Of course. Be kind of a shit ethical blood shop if I didn't."

Jim hugs back, letting himself be held. He's safe, he's protected. There's finally someone looking out for him. It's not just him alone, woefully overpowered anymore. He sobs into Valen's shoulder. "Thanks, Valen." He's choked up. "That means a lot."

"Of course. Come on, let's get home quickly. I have no reason to believe that Anton, or any of the de Sangs, knows where I live." He scoops Jim up. "It'll be faster for me to run us there."

***

Tag list:

@barebarb

@cc1010foxy

@emcscared-whumps

@hurtpluscomfort

@lolrpop

@melancholy-in-the-morning

@pigeonwhumps

@secretwhumplair

@some-thrilling-heroics

@t0rture-me

@thecyrulik

@thejinglingcourtjester

@vehan-tikkun-olam-and-stuff

@whuarri

@whump-cravings

@whump-my-heart-away

@whumpycries

@wolfeyedwitch

@whump-addict

@why-not-ask-me-a-better-question

#whump #K+J #angst #whumpblr #hurt/comfort

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im-fckn-threaded · 1 month

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Hey, I know this blog is about knitting and the people following me would like to see knitting stuff, or so I guess. But I'm also a transportation engineer and urban planner by day and there is a lot of cool stuff out there that I thought some of you might want to see.

Therefore, HIGH LOOP be upon ye (image is clickable and takes you to the project website):

This is the Puji Road Bridge in Shanghai, that is supposed to be transformed into an elevated park "offering a unique urban journey". It connects the districts of Zhabei and Jing’an. From an architectural point of view, this walkway is fun, creative and has a unique and interesting aesthetic. The different colors are supposed to indicate different functionalities. Yellow indicates social activities like sitting and chatting or gastronomy. Magenta areas are supposed to invite the pedestrians to meander and enjoy the view of the river and cityscape. Green is a fast lane for scooters and bikes. And blue is just the background color and space for pop-up stores or event space. Cool cool....

I had to do a bit of digging around on google maps, but this is what it currently looks like and on the other side what it is supposed look like one day:

Except, from a transportation engineering perpective this thing is a nightmare!!! You wanna know why? Safety and order! Three things are just going to cause lots of issues and that are the colors, the road markings and the assigned spaces for the different groups of road users and the way they mingle.

The following is not supposed to be bashing cool new concepts for the fun of it, but is based on serious knowledge and experience from a professional and practical point of view.

We know from experience and recent research, how pedestrians decide where to walk. For example by sending them through a virtual reality environment or using eye tracking technology in the real world. Generally they are the ones most sensitive to detours, because they are the slowest group of road users. So, red is for pedestrians? Imagine being the wheelchair user or their companion in the lower right corner of the picture, having to walk the red line:

First of all, noone in their right mind is going to do that, not even when taking a walk and taking in the scenery. That's going to take forever.

Secondly, we know that pedestrians as well as any other participant in traffic need some kind of visual aid to know, what their designated space to use is, where does other participants' space begin and end etc. Even on streets dedicated to cars only, we need a division in lanes, as soon as a certain width is reached. That creates a feeling of safety and also gives people a general sense of order (which is what the brain wants in almost all kinds of situations in life). Usually in urban and transportation planning we try to work with axes. This bridge, I don't even know where to place this in terms of axes. There is not a single axis. You have to change direction all the time or you bump into something. Everything is all over the place. Look how many times the different paths cross. And then they want to let city scooters drive there? And what is that green line in the middle of the road? The murder lane? Dissecting the entire space into three parts, so you have to cross even more times, from left to right, from the yellow sun loungers on the right to the yellow sitting area on the left (which is probably catering or a pop-up store or whatever), from one view point to the sitting area? There are these flower pots (seemingly random), sometimes round, sometimes oblong. And people walking on the blue parts???? Which are dedicated to what exactly?? Just think of how annoying it is to walk somewhere and having to bypass even the smallest obstacle, inconveniently placed.

Lastly, no road marking on the entire thing looks like established standards. Most people don't even know the meaning of road markings, they don't see very often. Let alone something they have never seen before. What is the difference between the red and the white dashed line? Why is the white one left and then right on the fast lane? Why does it stop and start again in the middle of nowhere? Does it make a difference for me and my scooter, where the white stripes are? Where do the bikes go, whre the scooters? What if you are faster and have to overtake? And why do the stripes suddenly stop and the regular doted line divides the lanes?

I dream of this design at night and wake up crying. But it's fun to look at.

#urban planning #urban design #transportation engineering #pedestrian walkway #not knitting

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it-happened-one-fic · 1 month

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Hours In The Moonlight: Fairest Midnight - 6. Shatter to a Billion Pieces

Summary: Questions always came with answers, and sometimes they were answers you wouldn’t like. But sometimes it's hard to realize quite how bad a situation is until something smacks you in the face with the reality of it all. And reality can be the harshest thing in the world even when you're surrounded by creatures that ought to be pure legends.

Type: Gender-neutral reader/ Vampire AU/ romantic/ angst/ angst with comfort/ fluff/ platonic interactions too!

Trigger Warning: Vampire, Blood

Word Count: 1570

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

Despite Rook’s suspicions, the murders continued even after my run-in with the vampire woman and her subsequent death.

And the matter had gotten far worse than it had been. While there had previously been no incidents, murder or otherwise, around where I lived, that had changed swiftly and to a degree that had been beyond upsetting.

Especially since I’d stepped out of my apartment building to head off to work one morning only to find officers across the road talking to the crying Felmier family.

It hadn’t taken me long to trot across the street, immediately wrapping my arm around Granny Felmier and softly questioning her while the officers talked to Epel’s distraught parents.

“What happened?” I’d looked down at the old woman worriedly as she’d hugged me tightly, pressing her face into my shoulder, before she at last pulled away and looked up at me with teary eyes.

“Epel’s gone.”

Her tear-choked words had almost caused my heart to stop right then and there as I went cold all over.

Epel. Epel was missing.

By now, it was a well-known fact in the neighborhood, with missing-person signs hanging on almost every wall. Constant reminders that my young friend had disappeared amid all the bloody murders that had been taking place.

I sighed slightly as I took the bags that Rook had insisted on carrying for me after he’d bumped into me at the store. A ‘pure and joyous coincidence,’ as he’d put it. But he and I both knew that wasn’t the case.

I’d been seeing more and more of Rook since Epel went missing, which only made me feel more and more like the recent attacks in town had some sort of connection to the fact that vampires were after me.

The only question was, why now? What had changed?

I was still living in this same area that Vil had declared his zone, so if this was a vampire, they weren’t afraid of challenging Vil at the very least.

There was something going on in the neighborhood that Rook wasn’t telling me. And with the knowledge that he was a vampire hunter, whatever Rook was hiding couldn’t be good.

I could only hope that his suspicions and my fears weren’t true. Because if the vampires were the ones causing the numerous missing persons along with the murders, then Epel…..

The thought of him being attacked by vampires sent a pang of worry coursing through me.

It was probably for the best that I’d bumped into Rook, though. Vil probably would’ve had something to say if he’d found out I’d been out shopping after dark on my own, despite the potential risks.

I glanced at Rook clandestinely, wishing I could ask him about everything but knowing he wouldn’t answer. Rook had many secrets, only one of which had been his status as a vampire hunter.

“Thanks again for carrying my bags, Rook, though you really didn’t have too,” Despite my words, I knew exactly what response was coming as Rook looked over at me fondly.

“Non, non, Trickster! I could never let you carry your own bags when I am here,” He smiled blissfully, and I shook my head slightly at his grandiose words. So like him in an undeniably comforting manner. Almost like he knew exactly how much time I’d been spending preoccupied with my own fears and concerns for Epel.

I waved slightly before turning to go and head into the apartments. But I only made it a little ways before I froze in place without even rounding the corner and coming into sight of the doorway to the apartment building.

I stared wide-eyed at what, or rather who, was kneeling by the wall, trembling from the cold with a blood-stained scarf wrapped around his throat.

I would recognize that soft-looking, pale purple hair anywhere.

I breathed out his name in both relief that the missing boy had been found and fear that stemmed from the sight of blood on his person, “Epel.”

He flinched and looked up slowly, a glazed look to his large blue eyes that had me going tense all over. Something was definitely wrong. Something that had me feeling oddly chilled to my innermost core. But all I really knew was that he needed help.

I dropped my bags and dashed towards him, “Epel! What happened? Are you hur-”

My words ended harshly in a shriek as I was yanked backwards, just in time to be pulled away from Epel’s sudden wild dive. He stopped short, staring at me with bared fangs as he hissed, his fingers curling into his palm in an almost inhuman way.

And I stared in horror, my eyes wide as I gazed at him. But this wasn’t the Epel I knew… The short-tempered but sweet young man who was always holding open doors and greeting me with a wide smile.

This one was…

Rook’s solemn, almost cold words said it before I could even finish the thought, “He’s not human anymore, Trickster… And he’s at his limit.”

My blood had turned to ice in my veins the very instant I’d registered the fangs that now replaced the boy’s once-human canines. And yet a part of me still didn’t want to believe the truth, even as it stared me in the face, “But he…”

I trailed off, my voice cracking slightly, and Rook’s grip on me tightened slightly before he gently turned me so that I was no longer facing the once-human boy.

My eyes were wide, even though the only thing I could see was the fabric of Rook’s coat as he rubbed my back soothingly and murmured words that I hardly even noticed.

I was oddly unable to cry. Instead, that frigid numbness that started in my veins now seemed to spread throughout me in an almost condemning way.

Epel was a vampire now. And even though I didn’t know how, some small part of me whispered that it was my fault.

I’d known that vampires were after me, and yet I’d still lived so close to other people. Rook had told me that vampires were the ones causing the murders, but I’d stayed. I’d let myself believe that Vil’s words would be enough to drive away other vampires. And now it was my fault that Epel was cursed in such a way.

“Y/n?” I froze at the quiet, hesitant voice that I recognized all too well. Rook’s motions had stopped, and he let me turn but kept a steady grip on my shoulder as I made eye contact with the now-lucid-looking Epel.

“Y/n… I didn’t…?” He trailed off, his voice cracking weakly as he looked down at his hands with wide, too-wet eyes.

My heart began to break as tears began to trail down his pale face, and he shook his head, burying his face in his hands as he broke.

His muffled sobs were like reality’s way of smacking me in the face. There was no going back after this. My life was that of someone who was surrounded by vampires and who knew what other monsters.

Even those who were close to me weren’t safe.

I attempted to start forward, to go and comfort the crying boy, even though it was my fault he was like this, but Rook wouldn’t let me go. Instead, he held me tightly to his side as he responded in a quiet, remorseful tone, “They are unhurt, Monsieur Cherry Apple. You did not bite them.”

The young man lifted his head, sniffing slightly, “That’s good, I thought…. I was afraid….” He trembled slightly before crumpling forward.

“I’m so sorry, Y/n…” His voice broke even as he continued to speak. Apologies spilling from his mouth even though I was the one who was truly at fault here, “I didn’t mean to, I’m just…. I’m so hungry, but I can’t… I won’t…!”

He shook his head, his hands curling into trembling fists on the pavement as I attempted to swallow the raw feeling in my throat that was slowly trying to choke off my ability to speak.

Rook inhaled slightly but nodded, rubbing my shoulder and giving it a squeeze before at last letting go, “He hasn’t lost his way yet, but… He needs to eat. I'm going to take him with me.”

Rook’s green eyes met mine, a concerned and serious look in their green depths that told me he’d had the same thoughts that were currently threatening to overwhelm me. Epel hadn’t been a target. He’d just been unfortunate enough to live near me.

When Rook spoke again, his voice was solemn, “You need to go inside and not let anyone enter, Trickster.”

He carefully knelt, carefully collecting Epel, even though he was putting himself at risk by bodily supporting a starving vampire. But he hardly seemed concerned about that; instead, his eyes stayed on mine, “I will send Roi du Poison to you. Until then, stay inside and stay safe.”

His gaze softened slightly as he glanced down at Epel and then back to me, “He will be alright. I promise you.”

I distantly nodded as I let that numbness swallow me whole. Freezing my emotions and allowing my brain to take over.

I would handle my grief and guilt later, when I was alone. When Epel wouldn’t see me shatter to a billion pieces over the horror I’d brought into his life.

His now immortal life.

If you would like to read more:

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