#basically my heart rate was higher than usual today

[the-fiction-witch]

You Don't Know What You're Asking For

Media - Rings Of Power Character - Elrond Couple - Elrond X Reader Reader - Y/n (Daughter of Galadriel and Celebron, Basically taking the place of Celebrían) Rating - 15 Word Count - 3118

Elrond even to this day found immortality rather strange and somewhat uncomfortable. He watched friends age and wither while he still lingers. He watched castles turn to dust. He watched the peace he helped create be abused by whichever opportunist sought power and pride. Twenty years seemed to pass in a blink of an eye and all things seemed to fade away. But there were small joys to in immorality, the soft joy of winters end and the gentle blooms of spring, as well as the visits few and far between of those he cared for,

Today was such an occasion, the lady Galadriel was visiting, with her husband Celeborn and daughters, from their usual home of LothLorien,

He smiled, feeling his features ease into a relaxed and welcoming smile before waving towards the small party,

First to emerge was lord Celeborn, who then took the hand of his wife Galadriel to aid her down from the horse,

"My lord, it has been too many of these long years," she greeted,

Elrond gave a light laugh, "It truely has been long, too many years" he replied, returning the greeting with a bow and taking her hands, "You look as radiant as ever my lady,"

She smiled the two sharing a moment in peace after such a long friendship,

"Last I saw this place it was a barely pile of rocks and mortar," lord Celeborn laughed, "you have crafted her into a place grander than Lindon I think,"

Elrond laughed, raising one of his hands in a dismissive gesture, clearly proud of the work the elves and men of Rivendell had done, but humble enough to not openly say this at the lavish praise of his home, "I simply provided the groundwork, a place for the great people of middle earth to call home, and it bloomed into this" he replied,

"A second home for many I'm sure" Galadriel smiled just as three girls approached,

Last elrond saw them the two eldest where barely maidens, and the third didn't exist. Now three stood before him.

"May I introduce, Themyscira our youngest" she explained and the little girl no higher then a hobbit bowed in her little blue gown,

Elrond chuckled at the introduction, lowering down to kneel in front of the young maid, smiling as she bowed to him, "It is a pleasure to meet you, little one" he said, his voice warm and soft, gentle and welcoming as he took her tiny fingers into his hand giving her hand a proper little kiss,

"And of course, you will recall Mellimina" Galadriel nodded,

The last time he saw the middle daughter she was a meer child no taller then his knee, she now stood almost to his shoulder with long blonde hair like her mother in a soft yellow gown,

"It is a pleasure, my lord," Melimina bowed,

Elrond nodded remembering her as a little girl, He was surprised by how fast she'd grown and how grown up, "No need for that, mellimina" he said warmly, waving a dismissive hand, "I am simply a friend, no need for titles and formalities" he smiled taking her hand to give it a polite kiss too,

"And I'm sure you shall recall Y/n," Galadriel smiled,

And for a moment elrond was speechless, Y/n, galadriel’s eldest daughter, last he saw her she was barely a maiden coming into her own, she stood now at his shoulder, a bodythat would be a Syren call for any man, wearing a lilac gown with embroidered stars, with hair pins of silver stars gracing her locks, a elvish gem necklace around her neck,

She looks up at him with eyes like gems as she bows without a word,

Elrond stared in awe, his heart beating a little faster as he looked upon the woman who stood before him. She was not the girl he remembered, she was grown now, grown and stunning. All the air seemed to flee his lungs as he gazed into those emerald eyes, her image in front of him like a vision that he would gladly lose himself in for an eternity. He stared for a few beats, unable to speak as he returned from the trance and gave her a nod, praying to the Valar that nobody had noticed his stare or the pink hue creeping across his cheeks, he swallowed, trying desperately to regain his composure and force the words from his lips "I remember you well my lady," he smiled taking her hand and giving it a slightly prolonged kiss,

"I to recall you my lord, I admit such memories I am reminded of fondly, I hope such years have blessed you with good health since last we met?" Y/n smiled, she spoke like a proper elven lady, much like her mother

a warm, genuine smile played across elronds lips as he nodded in response. She was as poised and as elegant as he remembered, but now there was also a maturity about her, a beauty that he'd never noticed before. He would get lost in the sound of her voice had it not been for her question, "Yes- yes I am well," he replied, his mind suddenly blank as he found it near impossible to think of anything to say when he stared into those eyes of hers, he took a quiet breath, gathering his thoughts and composure as he prepared to speak. He was a powerful elf Lord and commander, and yet now, in front of this beautiful maiden all he could think of was the way her gown shone in the sunlight, the way her lips moved when she smiled and the way her necklace sparkled against her neck, "And you my lady.. you are well?" he asked, silently cursing himself at how awkward he felt in this moment. He sounded like a flustered fool, stumbling over his words

"I have been blessed by such peace," she nodded

Luckily Galadriel and Celeborn requested to prepare their room, the younger girls did also but,

“If it is all the same I would adore a walk of the Rivendell Gardens,” Y/n smiled, “The foliage this time of year is so divine,”

“Yes, yes of course I’d be happy to take you.” he nodded

Galadriel, Celeborn and the girls excused themselves, Elrond praying silently they would keep a safe distance. He turned his attention back to Y/n, now alone in the courtyard.

Elrond exhaled a breath he had been holding, a soft sound of relief, his nerves slowly fading as he smiled warmly at her and offered his arm to lead her down to the gardens, he walked slowly beside her, silently trying to come up with something to say "You've grown so much.. you were just a small girl last I saw you" he laughed softly

she smiled as they walked, her hands wrapped around his arm in a very lady like way,

"Yes, the years have been long since last we are one another. I believe it was when you came to visit lothlorien before the birth of Themescara, I was but a child then,"

"Just a small child yes," he agreed quietly, his mind wandering back to the memory. He could still picture her, running through the gardens chasing butterflies, her little dress covered in a dusting of dirt, he chuckled as a thought crossed his mind, causing him to look at the woman beside him "You did cause quite a bit of mischief as a girl"

"I suppose it is the blessing of all children, to be graced with such chaos" She smiled,

He chuckled quietly, the image of her small form tearing through the gardens still clear in his mind "Yes.. though not all children have quite the same level of chaos. I believe you were one of the worst"

"I suppose I was, but isn't that the job of a first born?" She laughed

he laughed with her, shaking his head and looking down at the ground, "No, my sweetling, the job of the first born child is to be a good example, good role to their younger siblings, not to cause chaos" he teased gently, his voice soft and warm

she softly blushed "I know, I straightened up of course, for my sister's and for the people of lothlorien,"

he smiled down at her, seeing the blush that had risen to her soft cheeks. He felt a strange flutter in his stomach, butterflies that he had not felt before, as he looked at her face. He swallowed a lump in his throat, his thoughts racing as he desperately tried to find something to say, "Of course.. and look at you now, such a proper elvish lady" he teased gently

"I do my best" she smiled "… Father says he must take me to Lindon" she said rather sadly

he felt a pang in his heart as she spoke, a soft frown on his face. "To lindon… why?" he asked, his voice quiet and sad. The idea of losing sight of her again, being unable to see her or speak with her left a sour feeling in his chest.

"To formally present me to the elven court, and the high king." She nodded "as daughter of lady galadriel and lord celeborn, I am to be formally presented at court, so I may be wed to a high elven lord" she explained sadly

his heart clenched at the sound of the last part of her words, a cold feeling forming in his chest and a bitter taste in his mouth. His mind filled with cruel images of her being courted by high elven lords, her gentle laugh heard in the halls when she smiled at some young commander, her arm linked with another mans. It filled him with a strange mixture of anger and sadness. he tried his hardest to keep the anger he felt from showing in his voice "So.. you will be wed"

"I must do what my father commands of me"

he felt the words like a stab to his heart, a deep sadness filling the place where the anger had been. He had held her as a child, watched her grown into woman and now, after all these long years he was so close to losing her again "You could refuse" he said suddenly, his grip on her arm tightening. He stopped and pulled her to a halt, forcing her to face him

"I do not wish to upset them" she said "I must do what is best for my people, must I not?"

"But it may not be best for you" he said, gripping her upper arms now, turning her body to face him. "Being wed to some commander, some high elven lord, forced to live far out in lindon, is that truly what you want?" he asked, his voice quiet and pleading

"… I want whatever will make my family happy, whatever makes my people happy, whatever brings peace and tranquility is all I desire. And if my happiness is what must be the price then … So be it"

he felt a lump form in his throat, the thought of her sacrificing her happiness for others breaking his heart. He found himself taking a step closer to her, still holding her arms firmly, his fingers gripping the soft material of her gown "You can't possibly believe that. You deserve more than that, you deserve to be happy too"

"… I gave up many happinesses in the years since you last saw me. I suppose that's part of maturity, learnt to then away from that which use to bring you such joy…"

he stared down at her, his heart wrenching in his chest at her words. Without thinking, he reached up and cupped her cheeks, his fingers on either side of her face

she gasped her lips parted,

He swallowed, looking down at her. He noticed every feature now, the way her lashes framed her eyes, the rosy pink colour of her lips, the way her hair framed the soft curves of her face "You cannot give up on yourself" he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion "you cannot just accept that you will be unhappy…"

"… If I did what I knew would make me happy, I would have been cast out years ago" she whispered "there is… So much in this world I… desire. But my own pleasure and joy is not the life of a lady… Even if I so wish it could be"

he felt her words like a physical blow, his chest aching under the weight of emotion. Every part of him longed to pull her close, to hold her against his chest and assure her he could give her whatever she desired, to kiss those soft pink lips till he had taken all the air from her lungs. But he held himself firmly in place, his hands gripping her cheeks gently "And what is it you desire my sweetling…"

Without a single word, she moved to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, he lips soft and tender, she smelt of lavender flowers and tasted of strawberries, her hands settling on his chest as she pulled back enough to see his eyes

he froze in shock for a moment, unable to believe the soft feeling of her lips on his. For a moment, it seemed to him that the earth had stopped turning, that the world was no longer moving. The press of her lips against his own was like a jolt of electricity that shot through his body. It took an almost painful amount of effort on his part to prevent him from wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him, crushing her body against his in an embrace, until she pulled back and he gazed down at her, his heart racing "that.. was what you wanted?"

"mhm," she nodded her fingers playing with his clothes a little,

he exhaled a shaky breath, his mind still swirling from the feeling of her lips on his own. The way she played with the material of his clothes sent a strange shiver down his spine, and it took a lot of effort to not press her back against the nearest tree and claim her for himself he gazed down at her, unable to look away from her beautiful face, her pretty pink lips "And what else do you desire, sweetling?"

she softly bit her bottom lip and pushed his arms to entrap her waist

he let her move his hands, the feeling of the soft material of her gown under his fingers like silk as he slid his hands down to her waist. He could feel her body under the fine material, every curve of her waist and hips, and it took all of his self control to not pull her body against his, "And what else?… Tell me, sweetling" he said again, his voice thick with desire and need

"hummm I think it's your turn to tell me something you desire, my lord."

he swallowed, his hands gripping the material of her gown, taking in the feeling of her body against his palms. He wanted her. He wanted her so badly that he ached from the want of her. He wanted to hold her, feel every curve of her body, to run his hands through her hair, taste her skin.. he wanted her so badly it was like a fire in his blood he took a quiet breath, trying to control himself "You.. I desire you"

she bit her lip a little harder, and she giggled a little as he pulled her against him, squeezing their bodies together, "as so I" she whispered against his lips

he swallowed a gasp as he pulled her close to him, the feeling of her body against his own sending a shiver down his spine. He could smell the scent of lavender and it filled his mind with thoughts, of tangled legs and the sound of her soft moans. He longed desperately to run his fingers across her skin, to find every sensitive spot on her body and claim it for himself, he lifted a hand to her chin, tilting her face so they were only inches apart "How am I to keep my hands to myself if you do that"

"I do not wish you to keep them to yourself" she softly giggled

a smirk slowly formed on his face as he heard her words, his thumb caressing the soft skin of her chin as he gazed down at her, "Oh sweetling" he whispered, his heart racing, desire and need filling his body like liquid fire "you don't know what you're asking for"

"I have had years to know what I am asking…" She whispered back

he exhaled a shaky breath, closing his eyes as he tried to control himself. The feel of her body against his own was driving him insane, the sound of her voice in his ear sending his heart racing. He knew this should stop, that he should pull away from her before it was to late, before he could no longer control the fire in his blood. but her words, her breath against his ear, her body so close to his, it was like a drug that he could not resist, "You don't know what I want to do to you, sweetling"

she softly Giggled "I do not, but I'd like to know."

he felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound of her laugh, her voice like sweet music to his ears. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the soft skin of her neck, just below her ear "I want to touch you. I want to hold you… I want to bury myself in you" he whispered quietly, his voice thick with desire

she blushed hard craning her neck to allow him more space to kiss

he pressed a line of soft kisses down her neck, his hands gripping her sides as he whispered against her skin "I want to hear you moan" he purred, his voice like velvet "I want to taste you, make you come undone in my arms" he continued to kiss down her neck, his hands moving to her rear and pulling her body against his as he whispered in her ear "I want to take you to my bed and keep you there, so I can hear the lovely noises you make when I touch you"

she giggled once more as he pulled her as tight to him as possible, his hands on her ass, her chest pressed against his, heaving as she gasps desperately, "Then what is stopping you?"

he felt a shiver of pleasure run down his spine, the way her body was pressed against his own like sweet torture. Her voice in his ear, the feeling of her in his hands making his heart race, his blood burn, "Nothing." he whispered, his voice thick with need. He took her hand and pulled her towards his chambers…

[pearl-kite]

psych wants to check if it's not actually your bog-standard Clinical Depression™ and is in fact potentially a different mood disorder, like BPD II, in case I need something like a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic instead of SSRIs

[malarign]

physical

(enhypen as different forms of physical intimacy)

contains: bf!ot7 x gn!reader | genre: pure fluff | tw! kissing, thunderstorms, mild crying, mentions of food and eating (lmk if i forgot smth!) | wc: 1,9k

reblogs, likes and comments are highly appreciated!!!

author’s note: Heeseung’s scenario is literally inspired by how i passed one of my courses :’) enjoy!

Lee Heeseung | 이희승

➶ patting your head after you accomplish a hard task *ೃ༄

Heeseung watched as you typed really fast on your computer, finishing up your task. This course was supposed to take something about 3 hours to complete, yet here you were an hour before the deadline stressing your ass out since you completely forgot about it.

You felt like sweat flooded your whole body, heart rate higher than while running a marathon. A few tears formed in the corner of your eye, which were quickly wiped out by your boyfriend.

“Love, maybe I can help you somehow?” he asked carefully for the last time, but you shook your head in a decisive motion.

“Hee, it’s fine I think I’ll manage to hand it in before midnight,” you spoke a little bit incoherently, gaze focusing on a bright screen. “I just need silence, sorry,” you spoke softly, not wanting to sound rude.

Heeseung silently nodded in understanding. He went to the kitchen to make something warm for you to eat, knowing well how hungry you get after such stress. He perked his ears for any kind of reaction for you, but the only one he heard was a scream of satisfaction, a minute before midnight.

“I did it!” you screamed in pure joy, raising your hands in the air.

Heeseung rushed to you and seeing a proud expression on your face he gently patted your head.

“I knew you could do it,” he praised your determination to finish it, even though it wasn’t really a mandatory course. “Now eat, love. You must be hungry.”

Park Jongseong | 박종성

➶ kissing a forehead when you’re scared *ೃ༄

Lighting illuminated your room once again and you waited muffling your ears for a loud sound of thunder. When it came you flinched, as tears started flooding your eyes.

You took your phone and after hesitating for a while you finally texted your boyfriend.

You watched the screen for a few minutes when yet another lighting stroke that was soon followed by thunder. Your lip quivered and soon your face was wet from your salty tears.

Your relationship with Jay started not long ago, so he still lived in obliviousness to your terrible fear of thunderstorms. You looked at the time, thinking he must already be asleep since he’s quite an early sleeper. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case with you, especially during nights like this one.

After a few more strikes the thunderstorm seemed to get harder. Soon a doorbell resounded in the hallway, adding to your stress. You mustered the courage to open the door and the sight didn’t disappoint you. Without thinking for even a second you were pulled into the familiar embrace of your boyfriend. He rubbed your back comfortingly, realizing the course of your fear.

“I’m sorry for taking so long. I should’ve replied but I didn’t want to text while driving,” he explained in a quiet voice that soothed your anxiety.

“It’s okay,” you managed to say. “Sorry for disturbing your sleep at this hour.” You looked up at him and he smiled lovingly.

“Don’t apologize, that’s my basic boyfriend duty, to keep you safe.” His words made you let out a breathy giggle.

When another thunder resounded, he brought you closer to him and planted a tender kiss on your forehead, helping you forget about the scary noise.

Sim Jaeyun | 심재윤

➶ brushing his thumb on your cheek while cuddling *ೃ༄

“Are you done?” Jake whined leaning on the bathroom doorframe while you were finishing your skincare routine.

Smiling at his cuteness you said: “Let me brush my teeth and I’ll be ready.”

He smiled brightly and skipped his way to the bedroom.

Today you decided to finally go to sleep a tad bit earlier than usual. Your internal clock to messed up by sudden work, while his schedule didn’t help him get enough sleep, making you tired every minute of every day. You looked at your phone just to see the hour: 8:45. You made your way to your bedroom where you found Jake already under the covers, leaning at the headboard.

“Honestly I can’t remember when was the last time I went to bed this early,” you confessed while laying on your side of the bed.

“Me neither,” he responded and laid down facing you.

Only your head peaked from under the bedsheets, both of them decorated with blissful smiles. Suddenly he reached with his hand to your cheek and brushed your skin with his thumb gently. You closed your eyes at his loving touch, which instantly made you sleepy. He brought to even closer to his body, not leaving room for a grain of sand so you could feel his hot breath hit your skin.

“If you’ll continue doing that I might fall asleep a lot faster than I expected,” you mumbled easefully.

“Then sleep my love,” Jake said and planted sweet kisses on your eyelids, helping you doze off immediately.

Park Sunghoon | 박성훈

➶ carrying you to bed after you fell asleep on the couch *ೃ༄

Since promotions were finally over, Sunghoon along with his bandmates and staff members celebrated yet another successful comeback. Not realizing how late it got he stayed up until early morning talking and chitchatting with everybody involved in album making. But when he did realize you must already be sleeping he thanked everybody and called a taxi to go home.

When he arrived, the apartment was completely dark, with no lights turned on. He smiled, thinking you must’ve been really tired. And he didn’t blame you: even he couldn’t believe how much time he spent with his friends. He took a quick shower and did his whole night routine only to go to your shared bedroom and find an empty bed. His brows knitted together in a frown.

Did you go out? No, he would have remembered that. He quickly checked his phone to see if he missed out on any of your messages but found none.

Getting slightly nervous he sprinted out of your bedroom to search for you. Just when he was about to put his shoes on he noticed how some silhouette was laying down on your living room’s couch. He slowly made his way to what he was about to find out your form, sleeping peacefully, already in your pajamas.

He smiled at his overreaction and also at how cute you looked right now. Without thinking any further he carefully took you in his arms and carried you to your bed.

Throughout him carrying you, you kept on sleeping peacefully but once he put you down you aroused you whispered with a hoarse voice: “Sunghoon?”

“Yes, it’s me. Sleep well, princess.”

Kim Sunoo | 김선우

➶ tucking your hair behind your ear after a kiss *ೃ༄

You walked hand in hand with Sunoo to the third cafe today. Your schoolwork and his tight schedule didn’t let you do your long-awaited cafe hopping.

“Which one is next?” you asked and swung your hands back and forwards.

Sunoo took his phone and searched for your next destination. Soon he responded: “The one with wools and stuff.”

You looked at him with a sweeping head motion, which made him match your energy, but in a little bit more dramatic way.

“You know, we will never leave that place, maybe we should go somewhere else first?” you suggested, reminding him of your new obsession - crocheting.

“I know,” he simply said and motioned with his head to continue walking.

The place consisted of two levels, one with a regular coffee bar and some tables and upstairs was where all the wools and hooks were stored. You had to contain a squeal of excitement at the view of all the different shades and colors you couldn’t get, even on the Internet.

While you were picking all the things you needed Sunoo ordered you some beverages and desserts. You showed him some stitches and patterns you could teach him and you got to the work.

Focusing on your and his work you sipped on your coffee and didn’t realize the foam stayed on your upper lip. Noticing that Sunoo smiled and quickly cupped our cheek to steal a sweet kiss, tasting like a mix of coffee and cheesecake he’s been eating. Leaving you dumbfounded he kept his eyes fixated on yours, his hand reaching to the lone strand of your hair and tucking it behind your ear, just to go back to crocheting his work, like nothing happened.

Yang Jungwon | 양정원

➶ listening to each other’s heartbeat after a long day *ೃ༄

Both you and Jungwon plopped on your couch wordlessly. It was yet another day filled with lots of stress, anxiety, and dealing with other people not only for him but also for you. You took deep breaths and you could swear you would sleep here and now, but in the corner of your eye, you noticed your boyfriend spreading his arms for you to hug him. Chuckling at his cute gesture you crawled your way towards him and pushed him with your body weight to lay down. You placed your head on his chest that raised and fell rapidly because of his giggle.

“I guess your day was just as tiring and simply bad as mine, huh?” he asked, breaking the silence that surrounded you the moment you entered your apartment.

“Probably, yeah,” you answered shortly feeling dozing off taking control over your body and mind.

You relaxed in his comfortable embrace, the constant rhythm of his heartbeat helping your eyelids to close.

“As much as I know how tired we both are, I think we should go and shower first, Y/nie,” Jungwon spoke with his eyes closed, a feeling of bliss and serenity soothing his mind.

“I know,” you said, dragging out the last word. You tried to stand up but the sound of his heartbeat seemed to have hypnotized you, or even hook you on.

Jungwon sighed, noticing you truly fell asleep. Deciding not to wake you up he stayed in one position a little longer, eventually falling asleep too.

Nishimura Riki | 西村力

➶ holding your hand tightly on a rollercoaster ride *ೃ༄

You sat down after yet another extreme rollercoaster ride, wanting nothing but some moment to take a deep breath and calm down. But your boyfriend Riki had another plan, wanting to keep your adrenaline level as high as possible for the rest of your date at an amusement park. He grabbed your hand firmly and pulled you along towards another ride. Whining you waddled behind him, but he kept on shushing you. He knew damn well you weren’t scared of them, that’s why he insisted on trying as many as you could during this night.

“Come on, Y/nie, before the queue gets longer!” he rushed you. You just speeded along, taking your place in the line.

Riki watched the ride with the brightest stars in his eyes, you could see his inner child healing just by the sight and thought of having fun with you. You leaned your head on his shoulder making him look at you. He smiled t your cute action and planted a chaste yet quite long kiss on the crown of your head.

As your turn was closer and closer you felt even more excited for the fun ahead of you, but also knew your tiredness wouldn’t let you go on another attraction. Riki somehow sensed that.

“How about we grab some hot dogs after this ride?” he suggested to which you nodded your head happily.

“Are you ready?” the operator of the ride asked you and motioned you to take a seat in the front row. Before you noticed you were on top of the construction waiting for the big drop. Riki took your hand and entangled your fingers together. When you started he raised his and your hand on the way, to feel the wind and the speed. You could hear his laughter and screams of joy which filled your ears. You also screamed your lungs out at the turn and barrels you made. Wordlessly you arrived at the starting point yet none of you wanted to leave the carrier. Or each other’s hands.

thank you for reading! back to the masterlist

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[storiesforallfandoms]

fatherhood ~ zac efron

word count: 1519

request?: yes!

@kellysimagines​ “Can you make one where the reader and zac have been together for 13 years (since Hairspray) and the reader is a youtuber and they have a daughter who is 8 months old and the reader asks him questiones about him being a dad and stuff with the baby with us and we also answer fab questions on how we keep our relationship so good after so many years and stuff? :)”

description: in which they decide to do a q&a about their relationship and parenthood

pairing: zac efron x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist

“Wanna go to mama?” Zac asked as he held our eight month old towards me. She thought for a moment before pulling away, cuddling close to her father.

“I’ll remember this,” I told her, playfully narrowing my eyes at her.

I adjusted my camera to make sure it was perfect one last time before finally hitting the record button.

“Hey everyone!” I greeted the camera. “It’s (Y/N) and, back by popular demand, we have Zac!”

Zac smiled and waved at the camera. “Hey everyone.”

“And today we are also joined by the most adorable girl in the whole world, Dani Efron.” I looked over to see Dani was more interested in her socks than the filming. “You guys have been asking for a Q&A with Zac and I about parenthood, so I decided it was time to give you what you’ve been asking for.”

Dani squealed to herself before reaching for one of her toys on the floor. Zac bent over to pick it up and pass it to her. She smiled excitedly and began to play with it.

“I asked you guys to tweet me your questions regarding Dani, the pregnancy, the birth - but nothing too r rated - and about myself and Zac. I picked a couple, and now here we go,” I continued to explain.

I picked up my phone and opened the first question. “Okay, question number one says, Pretty cliché question here, but what was your guys’ first reactions when (Y/N) found out she was pregnant?”

“Shock,” Zac answered first. He began to laugh once he said it. “I know that’s also cliché, but it’s the truth. You told me you were pregnant and I remember just like...not knowing what to do.”

“I really wish I filmed your reaction now, but I was afraid it wouldn’t go well,” I admitted.

Zac and I had been together for nearly 13 years when I found out I was pregnant. Neither one of us had talked about marriage and kids seriously at the time, we were both comfortable with where we were in the relationship. We had talked about eventually wanting kids, but we were both still young and still focused on our careers.

I took a pregnancy test shortly after the second period I missed. When it came back positive, I went to the doctor to make sure and sure enough, it came back positive as well. I was so scared to tell Zac because I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. I didn’t think he’d be mad, but what if he wasn’t ready? Was I even ready?

He was shocked, as he had said. At first I thought he was going to pass out. I didn’t think he was even breathing. The longer it took for him to respond, the more anxious I got. When he finally spoke, my heart began to flutter.

“Holy fuck, I’m gonna be a dad!”

He had lifted me into his arms and held me tightly, happy tears running down his face. I kissed him for so long after that, and we were just happy.

“I was pretty shocked as well, but I had an idea that I was because I had missed two periods,” I responded. “I had myself convinced it was like a medial reason, though. I was so sure I wasn’t pregnant.”

“I suppose it was about time for us to have a kid, we have been together for years.”

Dani threw her toy onto the floor and immediately exclaimed. Zac chuckled and placed her on the floor, letting her crawl around after her toys.

“The next question is, What was it like being pregnant?”

“That’s a question for you,” Zac laughed.

“I’m aware,” I said and playfully stuck my tongue out at him. “At first it was basically just like having a persistent stomach bug, but once Dani actually started growing it felt...just weird. It was like this constant reminder that there was something inside of me growing. And when she’d start to move and was like...baby size if not getting to be baby size, it was this weird realization that she was actually there. That she actually existed. It was all just this weird sensation in general.”

“You went through so much while you were pregnant,” Zac admitted. “I will never be able to say I’m tough ever again cause I am no way tougher than what you went through.”

I couldn’t help but blush at this. I had been hearing this praise for over a year, but I would never get tired of hearing the compliments.

“Ah, I expected this one,” I said as I looked at the next question on my phone. “Is marriage next for you guys?”

I looked over at Zac. I quickly took in his appearance to make sure I wasn’t about to get a surprise engagement. I loved Zac, and of course I’d say yes, but I wasn’t ready to be proposed to while filming a video.

Noticing my look, Zac merely chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “I’m not gonna propose right now. When I do it, it’s going to be private and intimate. No one will even know it’ll have happened until after we’re married.”

I couldn’t help but smile brightly at his response. “I like that idea.”

Zac held his hand out towards my phone. “Let me pick the next question.”

I passed it to him and he scrolled through the list of questions I had saved. “Oh, I like this one: Did you guys have any other names picked out for Dani? What were they?”

“Well, we decided not to find out her gender until after she was born,” I explained, “so we had many almost names picked out for her.”

“I was adamant on Josh, just because I liked that name a lot,” Zac said. “And Theodor, I thought that was a cute and proper name.”

“I vetoed Theodor because the last thing we needed was people making jokes about us naming our kid Ted, for obvious reasons,” I said, playfully nudging Zac. “I tried to convince him to choose Troy instead.”

“I vetoed that one immediately.”

“As for girls, the only other name we had besides Danielle was Isabelle, but that’s because I’m obsessed with the Mortal Instruments series and Izzy is my favorite character. When she was born, though, we just knew she was a Dani.”

At the sound of her name, Dani looked up at us from the floor as she sucked on her toy. I couldn’t help but smile at my baby girl before quickly sweeping her up in my arms and placing kisses all over her face. She squealed in response, but I could hear the giggles in between them.

Dani stayed up in my arms through the next few questions before getting bored and wanting to play on the floor again. Zac and I decided to wrap it up after one last question.

“I think we’ll leave that there,” I said into the camera. “Thank you guys so much for watching. If you liked this video, give it a thumbs up and maybe I’ll do another Q&A some time in the future. Hit the subscribe button if you haven’t already, and if you have make sure you turn on notifications so you know every time I post. See you guys next week!”

I covered the camera with my hand before turning it off, my usual outro. Once I had the camera off, Zac stood from his chair and stretched his arms out.

“I don’t know how you film these videos,” he commented. “My body feels so cramped up right now.”

“I think I’ve just gotten used to it,” I responded as I stretched my legs out.

Zac picked Dani up in his arms and began to playfully rock her. “I got to talk about my favorite girl, so I’d have to say the cramped up body is definitely well worth it.”

Dani smiled, her single tooth slightly visible from behind her little lips. Zac kissed her cheek as he walked around our house with her, Dani more than content with being in her father’s arms.

I couldn’t help but smile to myself at my little family. I loved Zac more than words could ever say, and I didn’t think that love could get any stronger until the day I saw him holding our beautiful baby girl for the first time. He had been there for me through the entire pregnancy, and had been such a great father towards Dani. I couldn’t have asked for a better life partner than him.

Noticing my starring, Zac raised an eyebrow at me. “What?”

“Nothing,” I responded with a shrug. “I love you is all.”

He smiled back at me and responded, “I love you, too.” In a higher pitched voice, he moved Dani in front of his face and added, “And I love you, too, mommy.”

I giggled before standing from my chair. I walked over to the two and kissed Dani’s chubby cheeks before kissing Zac more sweetly on the lips.

[fromthedeskofelizabeththird]

Habanero

You're a good girl, well behaved.

Absolutely not the type to rail random guys in nightclubs.

Until you are.

Fandom: BNHA

Pairing: Present Mic x Reader, eventual polyamorous Erasermic x Reader

Rating: Explicit, minors BE GONE

Trigger Warnings: Verbal abuse

AO3: Here | Want to support me? I have a Kofi

One of my readers made a tiktok of a scene from this chapter!

Chapter: 9/16 (all chapters)

BZZZZT

BZZZZZT

You scowled and reached under your pillow for your phone, wondering who on earth would call you at this time of day.

BZZZT

BZZZT

You patted the usual spot under your pillow, but your phone wasn’t there.

BZZZZZZZZZT

You sighed and sat up, rubbing your eyes and staring at your surroundings, realisation slowly dawning upon you.

This wasn’t your room.

It wasn’t your phone.

It definitely wasn’t your bed.

You reached under the covers, tracing your fingers over your exposed skin. You had nothing on but an oversized shirt and even that wasn’t yours.

In which case...

You glanced over at the man beside you, who was equally annoyed at being disturbed.

“Go back to sleep,” he whispered, planting a kiss to your forehead before wriggling out of bed to hunt for his phone.

You wrapped yourself in the covers and watched him fumble in the dark, memories of the past few hours coming back to you all at once.

~~~~~

SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER

The weeks after the sports festival passed by in a blur. You had been right to spend so long adjusting and readjusting your schedule, for without such meticulous planning you would never have been able to keep up with queries from agencies and students alike.

You felt a little guilty for thinking it, but it was almost a relief once the internships actually began and you didn’t have to focus so much on open office hours. You had to keep some degree of flexibility for students struggling under the pressure of their new responsibilities, but very few of them came in. They were too busy giving it their all at their respective agencies.

You weren’t the only one to feel a weight off your shoulders. Midway through the week, Nemuri and Hizashi stepped into your office.

“(Name),” said Nemuri, “are you busy?”

At the time, you were browsing the web for techniques and activities to best support students with the pressures of exams. It was a relatively minor task in the grand scheme of things and you motioned for the pair of them to make themselves comfortable.

“How can I help?”

You had a perfectly good set of chairs, but they disregarded them, instead perching at opposite ends of your desk.

“Tonight, listener,” said Hizashi. “Clear your schedule! We’re going for beers!”

It had been weeks since any of you had visited the izakaya and you were more than a little excited at the prospect of finally being able to catch up with your colleagues in an informal setting. It seemed like all you had talked about lately was agency work, examinations and sports festival related matters. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm swiftly transformed into guilt.

Today was the day you had agreed to meet Akira for dinner and you were reluctant to rearrange it. He had already arranged the entire evening around your schedule, despite having work commitments of his own.

“Ahhh, sorry,” you said, “I have dinner plans tonight. Maybe some other time?”

You didn’t know it at the time, but Hizashi and Nemuri had asked only one person out for drinks before you and that person had also declined. Shouta’s arms and face were both finally healed and he was more than a little conscious of how long he had gone without training. He had plans to throw himself back into the action after school and, as such, had also declined.

Shouta had been telling the unabridged truth, but your revelation made them wonder if perhaps he hadn’t been completely honest after all. He wasn’t the sort of person to go out for dinner, but these were unprecedented times.

“Could it be,” said Nemuri, reaching for your hand, “our precious (Name) has a date?”

It wasn’t a date, but you blushed anyway. It was, after all, the same restaurant you had frequented as a couple.

“No, nothing like that,” you said, feeling a little embarrassed. “Truthfully, I bumped into my ex at the sports festival and he invited me out for a meal. It’s just a catchup, nothing else! A lot of things have changed since we broke up.”

“Is he involved in the hero industry? He must be if he was at the sports festival.”

“I guess you could say that...he’s one of the higher ups at Silver Edge.”

Silver Edge was well known to people with even the most basic level of knowledge of hero agencies and naturally Hizashi and Nemuri knew about it.

“Silver Edge??” Nemuri gripped the hand she had taken. “(Name), you have to tell me everything.”

“There’s not really much to say. We met at college and he took on a job there after we graduated. His uncle is on the board, so he had a lot of recommendations.”

“Maybe I’ve heard of him,” said Nemuri. “What’s his full name?”

“Masayama Akira.”

You hadn’t considered the possibility that your new colleagues might have known your ex in a professional capacity, so it came as something of a relief when Nemuri shook her head.

“Ahhh, it doesn’t ring a bell. Is he taking you somewhere fancy?”

“ Les Papilles ,” you said. “It was our favourite place before...y’know.”

“I’ve heard of that place,” said Hizashi. “They charge 2000 yen just for bread and olives.”

“Think of us while you’re helping yourself to gold leaf,” said Nemuri, cradling your hand and planting a kiss on the knuckles. “I want all of the details tomorrow.”

“Of course,” you said, suddenly wishing you hadn’t said anything.

Nemuri pulled out her phone the second they left your office, Hizashi following with his hands in his pockets. Against all of his better judgement, he had decided to continue looking for the woman from Ego . You getting involved with your ex should have been a good development, but it didn’t feel like one.

“Hello,” said Nemuri, pressing her phone to her ear. “Is this Les Papilles ?”

She pulled open the door to the faculty lounge and sauntered inside, seeming not to notice Hizashi’s gestures of confusion as she took a seat on the couch.

What are you doing? Hizashi mouthed, waving his hands to get her attention. She winked as she caught his eye, clearly unperturbed by his panic.

“Yes, hi,” she said. “I have a reservation tonight, under the name of Masayama Akira. I was wondering if you could confirm the time? Mhmm. Mhmm. Thank you so much! I’ll see you tonight.”

She hung up the phone with a satisfied smirk.

“What are you doing?”

Hizashi still had no idea that Nemuri’s objectives were so different to his own. His immediate assumption was that she meant to take the opportunity to make the night even more romantic and encourage the pair of you to reunite. He couldn’t have been any more wrong.

“ We ,” she said, “are going to Les Papilles .”

~~~~~~~

That night, you spent hours rifling through your wardrobe, trying on dresses and then discarding them, unsure of yourself in ways you never had been before. Akira had been your boyfriend for years, but you didn’t want to presume his intentions and risk sending out the wrong signals.

You managed to narrow your selection down to two: a modest dress you had picked out for a dinner party and the one you had worn to Ego .

As tempting as it was to wear the dress from that night, you decided against it. It was strange, but you felt strangely sentimental about it, as if you were betraying Shouta by wearing it around Akira. You knew it was irrational- that Shouta likely didn’t have much of an opinion either way- but even so, you set it back inside your wardrobe.

The group chat you shared with your friends had exploded at the news that you were going out to dinner. Almost everyone agreed that it was a terrible idea, that going out with Akira would reignite old feelings and undo everything you had achieved over the past few months.

You were confident, though, not only in Akira but yourself. If things got weird you would leave.

You took a deep breath and adjusted your clothes in the mirror, just as you had on the night you went to Ego . This time, though, you didn’t pull your dress down to tease your bra. Instead you pulled it down to cover your knees.

~~~~~~

Les Papilles was far, far out of Hizashi’s comfort zone. He shifted in his seat and watched the string quartet at the other side of the room, considering just how little he belonged there. Nemuri seemed not to notice, turning the pages of the menu and sounding out the specials in broken French.

They had dressed up for the evening in their Sunday best, Hizashi in a black dinner jacket and Nemuri in a burgundy dress. They didn’t look like themselves and he had mixed feelings about it. Ordinarily, he might have concocted a backstory for the pair of them, but his heart just wasn’t in it. Instead he stared at the menu in front of him as if it held the secrets to the universe.

He didn’t want to be there. He didn’t want to watch you eat dinner with another man.

Shouta had the woman from Ego , you had your ex. It felt like everyone had somebody except for him.

“Hizashiiiiiii,” said Nemuri, snapping her fingers in front of his face. “Earth to Hizashi…”

He blinked as if coming out of a trance.

“S-sorry, what were you saying?”

“Over there,” she said, holding up the menu to hide where she indicated. “Be subtle.”

He turned to where she pointed, mouth going dry when he saw you, laughing and smiling as your ex pulled out a chair. As far as Hizashi knew, this was the first time he’d ever seen you dressed up, and he couldn’t look away.

He watched as you slid down into your seat and laughed off a joke from your server, crossing your legs and tucking your hair behind your ear.

Nemuri kicked him under the table and he jumped.

“Subtle,” she whispered.

“Right,” he said, sitting up straight. “Of course. Subtle. I can do subtle.”

~~~~~

It was strange to be back at Les Papilles . In a lot of respects, it felt the same as coming home from college at winter break. Everything about it was the same, from the positioning of the cutlery to the servers and orchestra, but you were completely different.

Even Akira was the same. He made the same jokes to the serving staff, ordered your meal from memory, waved to the cellist at the front of the band as he always did. You realised as one of the servers arrived with your favourite vintage that the last time you had been here was the day of the breakup, back when you believed your life was over.

It was strange to be there so soon, laughing and joking as if nothing had happened.

Conversation flowed easily; you caught up on the antics of old friends and his family, his successes at work, his current projects. You didn’t ask if he had started seeing someone else, nor did you offer up any information of your own. It felt inappropriate under the circumstances.

After you finished off your starter, you dismissed yourself to freshen up in the bathroom, fixing up your makeup and checking in on the group chat.

>>How is everything?

>>It’s fine...better than fine. Did you know his sister got married?

>>Has he said anything about getting back together?

>>Of course not! We’re just catching up like old friends! It’s nothing like that.

>>Sure...

~~~~~~

“Oh my god,” said Nemuri, setting aside her fork.

“What is it?”

Hizashi turned back to your table, where Akira was having a conversation with the violin players and table staff. He thought nothing of it until he spotted what Akira was holding: a small black box, which almost certainly contained a ring.

He turned back to Nemuri, looking almost as horrified as she did.

“Is he...surely he isn’t…”

Unfortunately, you returned to the table only a short time later, long before they could intervene.

~~~~~

Akira was taking a sip of wine when you returned and got up from his seat to help you into your chair.

“I already ordered mains,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” you said, making yourself comfortable. “Thank you.”

Akira sat down and cleared his throat, eyes darting from you to the band to the table.

“The truth is, (Name), I didn’t call you here just to catch up.”

“What do you mean?”

He reached for your hand across the table, just as he had when he broke up with you. It was a small gesture, but an unwelcome one, unearthing memories and emotions from that night that you had refused to acknowledge for well over half a year. You remembered how excited you had been back then, so close to the only serious goal you had ever had. All of your hard work and sacrifices would finally pay off and you could become the perfect wife and mother. You could raise your children with a smile on your face, safe in the knowledge that their childhood would be nothing like your own.

“I miss you,” he said, squeezing your hands. “I thought I knew what I wanted but...I didn’t. Back then, I just...I don’t know...I felt like I was stuck in a rut. I wanted something, but I didn’t know what it was.”

He let go of your hands with an expression of pity.

“I slept with another woman,” he said. “I don’t want to hide it from you. I’m sorry...I know it must come as a shock. Promise me you won’t get upset.”

“Akira,” you said, weighing up the pros and cons of being honest with him about your own bedroom antics.

“No, don’t say anything,” he said. “I know this must be hard for you.”

It wasn’t, but you decided to humour him.

“I slept with her once and all I could think about was you,” he said. “I missed the perfect lunches you’d pack for me, the way you’d greet me after work with a glass of wine and listen to what I had to say. I knew I could tell you anything and you wouldn’t judge me.”

“Akira,” you said again, but he reached for your hands again.

“I understand now,” he said. “That other woman? She didn’t care about me as much as you did. I don’t think anyone else ever will...not even my mother. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I never wanted to break your heart…and now that I’m higher up in the business I understand where my priorities should be. My new coworkers are older. They’re settled down with families and always talking about their wives and children. Their wives are friends, their children play together...”  

He waved at the orchestra, who swiftly began to play a rendition of the track he decided was your song several years ago. You barely had a chance to register it before he got out of his chair and dropped down on one knee.

“(Name),” he said, holding up a small, black box. “Marry me.”

“Akira…”

“We can be together,” he said. “We can have everything we’ve always dreamed of.”

You stared at him, speechless. Not so long ago this moment was everything you had wanted. You had planned it in your head, had practised saying yes. Now that it was truly playing out in front of you, though, you realised you didn’t want it.

You weren’t sure when, exactly, but you had stopped thinking about weddings and babies. You had stopped thinking about him .

“I…”

“I know,” he said, lifting the ring from the box and towards your finger.

You glanced around the restaurant, feeling the weight of everyone’s gaze. The other patrons had realised what was happening and turned to watch, no doubt waiting to clap.

“Akira, I don’t know what to say...I…”

You couldn’t turn him down without making him look like an idiot in front of this roomful of strangers. Why, oh why, had he decided to make this such a spectacle?

“Just say yes,” he said.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, thinking back to the old you, who would have by now.

“Can we please talk somewhere private?!”

You got to your feet before he could answer, snatching up your purse as you strolled towards the front doors. Akira gave everyone in the restaurant a thumbs up before following you out into the night air.

You hadn’t realised how stiflingly hot the restaurant had been and took a deep breath.

“I have to say,” said Akira as he closed the restaurant door behind him and followed you into a side street. “Whatever skit you’re pulling-“

“ You dumped me ,” you said, turning to face him. “ You told me I was the problem in our relationship. You don’t get to just change your mind about something like that and come back into my life like nothing happened.”

It was the first time you had ever raised your voice at him, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Listen,” he said, “if this is about that other girl…”

“It’s not,” you said. “I slept with someone else too. Twice, actually.”

He took your hands in his, clasping them against his chest.

“Then you understand,” he said. “All of the time I was with her, all I thought about-”

“When I was with him I didn’t think of you at all.”

You hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but nothing else seemed to be getting through to him.

“You’re confused,” he said. “I get it. All of this stuff with UA...it’s just a phase. You’ll move on from it one day.”

“Maybe so...but even then I wouldn’t want to marry you.”

Akira didn’t say anything for several minutes and when he did it was to laugh out loud.

“You’re joking, right? This is a joke.”

“It’s not a joke. I’m sorry, but-”

He snatched his hands away from yours and gripped onto your shoulders.

“Who else is going to want you?”

“I...wh-”

“Look at you,” said Akira, looking you up and down. “You aren’t all that pretty, y’know. You should be grateful someone like me would even look at you, let alone ask you to marry them.”

“I’m sorry,” you said, keeping your composure, “but...I’ve moved on. You should too.”

He shook his head with a tsk, pushing you away with such force that your back slammed against the wall. He took the ring out of his pocket and threw it down onto the floor before going back inside the restaurant. The ring clattered as it hit the ground and you watched, crushing your hands to your face to try and stifle your tears.

All you could think about was the cooking classes you had taken; your instructor’s explanation about adding and subtracting ingredients. It was always possible to add extra later, but adding too much was the point of no return. You had experienced too much now; had seen your life from an outsider’s perspective and didn’t want to return to it. You no longer placed your value in tidy stitches and perfect pastries.

Even so, you considered, kneeling down to pick up the ring from the floor, you were as far from habanero as you were vanilla.

You had no idea who you were anymore.

~~~~~~~

In your absence the restaurant had fallen silent. The band had stopped playing as the door closed behind you both, the serving staff standing a little further back from the table with a cake in their arms, awkwardly exchanging glances with one another. The cake was quite clearly custom made, with bright red icing on the top that read “Congratulations Mrs. Masayama”.

Hizashi chewed his bottom lip, Nemuri cradled her wine glass. They didn’t need to speak to know what the other was thinking. They had seen the expression of horror on your face and the oblivious one on Akira’s. They knew it wasn’t going to end well.

When Akira finally returned, he was alone. He shook his head at the orchestra and serving staff, who swiftly carried on with their duties as if nothing had happened, smuggling the cake back into the kitchen area and resuming their ordinary track list.

Hizashi watched as Akira kicked at his seat before sitting down and turned to Nemuri, who gave him a nod. If he was kicking at chairs, they worried what he might have done to you.

Hizashi got to his feet and left the restaurant, shoving open the front door and rushing out onto the street. You weren’t directly outside and he headed off to check the side streets, heart shattering into pieces when he finally found you.

He could think of little else but the first time he saw you when you came to UA. The original guidance counsellor had been there for years, including when many of the faculty members studied there themselves. She had candies and a pat on the head for just about anyone and losing her was like losing a grandmother. That’s not to say they weren’t excited about the replacement, though.

He and Nemuri had spent hours hypothesising not only what the new person would be like, but the kind of person they hoped they would be. They concluded that they both wanted it to be a cute girl, the type of person they could take to the izakaya and influence in all of the wrong ways. Having you join the staff was like winning the lottery.

He and Nemuri had high fived the first time they saw you, opening the staff room door by a sliver and watching as Nezu took you on a tour. He would never forget his initial impression; that you were pretty and sweet and reminded him of a kitten. His opinions hadn’t changed even now that he knew you better. You held no ill will towards anyone, bent over backwards to help out students and colleagues alike, forgave just about anyone who wronged you even slightly.

Seeing you in tears hit him hard, simply because it was you.

He walked over, stomach churning at the prospect of what might have been said or done to upset you so much.

“Hey, little listener,” he said softly and you frantically rubbed the tears from your eyes.

“S-sorry,” you stammered, fumbling with your purse, “I’ll be right there…”

“Little listener,” he said again, reaching for your shoulders. “Look at me.”

You looked up at him and squinted, recognition slowly sinking in. Very few people recognised him outside of his hero costume and you were no exception to the rule.

“Hizashi? Wh...what are you doing here?”

You blushed a bright red and immediately started rubbing the tears away even harder.

“Saving the day,” he said with a smile.

“Sorry,” you said, though your eyes didn’t meet his. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Hizashi sighed and touched his fingers to your chin, lifting your face towards his. You didn’t have any visible swelling or other marks on your skin that pointed towards a physical attack.

“Don’t apologise,” he said. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” you said, tears welling in your eyes and voice beginning to break, “I’m fine. I’m completely fine.”

You still whispered that you were fine as he lowered his hand from your face, as you buried your face in your hands and began to sob. You still tried to murmur them when you choked with tears and could manage little more than single syllables.

Hizashi stepped forwards and wrapped his arms around you, stroking your hair as you buried your face in his chest and began to wail.

“That’s it,” he said, stroking your hair, “I got you. Just let it out, little listener.”

He reached into his jacket pocket for his phone and typed out a message to Nemuri.

>>I’ve got (Name). You handle him.

>>  ( ˘ ³˘)♥

~~~~~

Nemuri set down her phone with a grin and picked up her purse, making sure to swing her hips far more than was necessary as she approached Akira’s table. The servers, unsure what to do, had brought your main meals to the table, leaving Akira to glare at them in silence.

She slipped down into your chair, taking care to tease her low neckline.

Akira looked up at her and she picked up your abandoned fork, helping herself to a carrot from your plate. She made sure to run her tongue over it, licking off the honey glaze.

“Can I join you?”

~~~~~

You weren’t sure how long you sobbed into Hizashi’s chest, only that you couldn’t stop. You forgot where you were, so overwhelmed by misery and his warm body that the world seemed to stop.

When the tears dried and you came back to earth, you felt more than a little embarrassed. You’d smudged makeup and snot all over his shirt and likely made a scene in the process.

“Oh my god,” you said, stepping back and rubbing your eyes. “I’m so sorry, look at the mess i’ve made…”

Hizashi looked down at his shirt and shrugged.

“What, this? Please. I’m a teacher, a celebrity, a hero and a catch. Believe me, I’ve had worse.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that and he stroked his fingers across your cheeks.

“Ahhh, there it is,” he said, tucking your hair behind your ear. “Much better.”

“I don’t understand...what are you doing here? I thought you and Nemuri were going to the izakaya.”

“Uhhhhh, well,” Hizashi scratched his chin, “the thing is…you kinda put us in the mood for French food…”

Under ordinary circumstances, you would have been mortified at the realisation that they might have seen everything. Right then, though, you were exhausted and numb.

“Ahh, whatever, it doesn’t matter,” you said, reaching into your purse for your train card. “It’s been a long night...I should get going.”

“What are you talking about, cute listener? The night’s just beginning! Didn’t you know? This is the best time to view the city!”

He was trying to cheer you up, but you knew that not only was your makeup ruined, but you could never show your face in Les Papilles again.

“I can’t go anywhere looking like this,” you said. “I look like...like…”

Hizashi shook his head and reached into his pocket. He rummaged for a couple of seconds before grinning and pulling out a set of star shaped sunglasses.

“Now look at that,” he said, slotting them onto your face, “you’ve got stars in your eyes.”

It was such a corny line that you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do you just... carry spare sets of sunglasses everywhere?”

He reached into his other pocket by way of an answer, pulling out a set shaped like flowers, then another shaped like hearts.

“You never know what might happen,” he said. “Sometimes the mood calls for something a little different.”

“What’s the mood today?”

He lifted up both pairs, weighing up the pros and cons of each before switching his plain glasses for the heart ones.

“Now, then,” he said, shrugging off his jacket and putting it on you. “Have you ever been in a movie?”

“Have I what ?”

It was an absurd question, but he looked as dead serious as anyone could in novelty sunglasses.

“Pick a genre,” he said, reaching for his phone. “You’re the heroine now. What movie are we in?”

You considered it, thinking about the past year.

You didn’t know if you were vanilla or habanero or anything in between, but you knew what you’d like to be given the choice.

“It’s a romance,” you said, blushing scarlet, “a sickly sweet, cliched romance, where everyone falls in love with everyone else and no one’s alone at the end.”

Hizashi nodded, giving you sounds of approval.

“Your wish is my command, princess,” he said, fastening earphones to his phone and slipping it into the inside pocket of the jacket he had put on you. “Here…”

He held out the earphones and you picked them up, putting one in your ear and holding out the other, meaning to share. Hizashi shook his head.

“No, no,” he said. “It’s your soundtrack, not mine!”

You put the other one in and listened to the music he had loaded, taking in the wistful melody as he reached a hand for yours. You reached to take it and followed him along the street, gazing up at the street lamps and signs overhead.

You knew these streets better than most. Akira lived nearby and between going to his place and visiting Les Papilles , you had done a lot of walking here. Perhaps it was the sunglasses, the music or the fact that you were holding onto Hizashi’s hand, but it didn’t look the same. You spotted details you had never noticed before, like the dancing wisterias overhead and the glow of fairy lights in the windows. You spotted chalk drawings on the ground, smiling strangers who passed you with cups of coffee only to disappear from your life moments later.

You wondered how long you had walked these streets without really looking at them; how many years you had spent looking at your feet instead of the sky.

You didn’t let go of Hizashi’s hand as you got onto the train, peering out of the windows at every station you passed. You admired every piece of graffiti, the careful hand movements of the musician busking at the station entrance. You couldn’t hear him over the music playing through Hizashi’s earphones, so pretended he was the one playing.

You got off at a station you’d never been to before, listening to the gentle swell of the music as you climbed the stairs out onto the main square. Food vendors lined the streets and the scent of fried foods filled the air. Hizashi guided you along the street, pointing out a carousel. In the daytime it would have looked mundane, but at night it was beautiful, illuminating the night with a golden glow.

Hizashi guided you towards it and slipped the owner a couple of notes, motioning for you to choose a horse the moment he let you pass through the rope barrier. You picked one out and climbed up into the saddle, waving Hizashi over to sit behind you. He climbed up into the saddle and wrapped an arm around your waist, using the other to hold onto the rail.

You watched your surroundings as the ride began to move and your shadows hit the ground.

You had lived in this city for years and walked the earth for thirty. You had never known the city could look like this, that it could fill your heart with warmth and love until it shone as brightly as the carousel. You wanted to stay there forever and never come down, enchanted by the world and its infinite details.

~~~~

You hadn’t gotten around to eating dinner and spent more money than you normally would on warm doughnuts, corn dogs and yakisoba. The pair of you sat down at the end of the pier, taking off your shoes and dangling your feet down towards the sea.

By then, you had turned off the music and handed Hizashi his jacket back, relishing the sound of the waves hitting the shoreline and soft sea breeze through your hair.

“So,” said Hizashi, taking a bite of one of the doughnuts, “what’s the story with your ex?”

“There’s not really much of one,” you shrugged. “We dated at college.”

“And?”

“And...one day he took me out to dinner and said he wanted to play the field, live a little more, that sort of thing. He didn’t want to commit to a relationship, he wanted to get out there and have fun,” you said, poking at your noodles. “I thought it was the end...but...actually...I think I agree with him now. I’d spent so long in a relationship that I forgot who I was without it.”

“And are you any closer? To figuring out who you are?”

“No,” you said, sighing deeply. “I thought I was, but now I’m not so sure.”

“Well,” said Hizashi, dusting off his hands. “If this is you at 25%, I can’t wait to see what you’re like at full power.”

You turned to Hizashi, blushing at the way he had turned to look at you.

“I...I don’t really know what to say to that.”

“Then don’t say anything.”

“I never thought I’d hear you say that, of all people.”

“Hey!”

You giggled at his outburst, thinking back to Shouta’s words at your apartment.

Purple socks, studded leather, zombie movies, horror games, candles that smell like desserts, cheap sunglasses, expensive shampoo, eighties rock and dubstep mashups, light beer…

All of the things Hizashi liked.

Shouta had taken a step back and said he was rooting for you. Akira was no longer in your life. You took a deep breath and swung your legs to hide your nerves.

“Hizashi,” you said, somehow managing to blush an even darker shade of red.

“Hmmm?”

“Did you...uh...that is. Would you like to…”

You hadn’t propositioned anyone since Shouta and even then he had filled in the blanks. You prayed Hizashi was just as good at taking a hint.

“...wouldyouliketogosomewheremoreprivate?”

You didn’t dare look at him. You wanted the earth to swallow you whole.

“(Name),” he said at last, “are you asking what I think you are?”

“Probably,” you squeaked. “Oh god, I’m sorry, I-you must think I’m...”

He cupped your face in his hand, though, grinning like a cheshire cat.

“You worry too much,” he whispered. “Just let it happen.”

“Okay,” you said, heart fluttering as he stroked his fingers across your jawline and combed his fingers through your hair, touching his lips to yours with a softness you hadn’t expected from him.

One kiss turned into two, two turned into three and before you knew it you were gasping into his open mouth while he stroked his fingers from your ribs to your hip. You were grateful for the sunglasses he had given you; you dreaded to think how dazed you looked. You felt as if you were floating, head and shoulders above the clouds.

Hizashi broke the kiss before you did and got to his feet.

“Are you ready,” he asked, putting one hand on his hip and quite deliberately guiding your line of sight to his crotch, “for this jelly ?”

It was such an absurd thing to say that you burst out laughing.

This, this right here was what you expected from him.

~~~~~~~~

You’d been to Hizashi’s apartment before during the recording of Support Mic . Every time you went there, you made the same observation: that its walls were plain and its furniture simple, completely at odds with the man who lived there.

“You wanna see something cool?” he asked as he closed the front door.

“Okay.”

He reached out to flip a light switch and at first you believed he was going to leave you both in the dark. You wondered what was cool about that, only for your jaw to drop a moment later.

It was a light switch, but not in the conventional sense.

Hizashi, as it turned out, had blacklights installed in his home and every corner of every wall shone with otherwise invisible colours. Some areas had portraits and galaxies painted on them, others had patterns and handprints.

“W...wow,” you said, staring up at a ghostly milky way as Hizashi brushed your hair to one side and planted a kiss on the back of your neck.

Your dress hit the ground with a whisper, his belt fell at your feet. You had nothing on but your underwear by the time you reached the bedroom and stared at the sapphire hue of your skin. Somehow, even your own body felt foreign.

You glanced over at Hizashi, at the musical notes tattooed on the left side of his ribcage and stud through his right nipple, really seeing him for the first time. The Hizashi you had known before this was goofy and sweet. This one was a piece of art on par with the galaxies and flowers on his walls. You didn’t know why it surprised you to learn he too had layers of complexity.

He noticed you staring at him and almost looked bashful, though it lasted only a fraction of a second. He dropped to his knees and hooked his fingers around the band of your underwear, shimmying them down to your ankles and planting a kiss on the soft flesh below your belly button. You sighed into it, stomach fluttering, and kicked them off entirely.

“Now then,” he said, getting to his feet and planting a hand on the small of your back to draw you closer, “check you out, little listener! You look good enough to eat.”

Heat rose in your cheeks and you giggled, accepting the kisses he peppered across them. He kissed your lips and squeezed your butt, using your gasp to explore your mouth with his tongue.

His bedsheets were soft against your skin - almost as soft as his kisses. You crushed your lips against his without any kind of hesitation, trembling as he stroked a hand over your collarbones, breasts and then stomach before slipping a finger between your folds. You gasped as his fingertip grazed your clit and he chuckled, propping himself up on his other elbow and admiring the view as he traced his finger around the outside of your wetness.

“Look at that,” he said, sounding genuinely impressed, “you’re so wet already!”

He pulled his hand away from your slick and held it up so you could see, rubbing his finger and thumb together to show the wetness you’d left on them. You fell silent, feeling oddly bashful as he sucked on the finger he’d used to touch you.

You had no clue how you were going to look him in the face at work after this, but his touches felt so good that you didn’t care. You tasted yourself on his lips when he kissed you, shivered as he lifted your leg up onto his waist and shoved his hand between your thighs. He scissored his fingers inside of you and rubbed his thumb over your clit, laughing whenever a particular touch made you moan and buck your hips against his hand.

“Let me hear you,” he said, peppering your throat with kisses and drawing moans from your lips, relishing every vibration.

He pulled his fingers out of you and sucked them before lifting himself up onto all fours, rolling you onto your back in the process. You stared up at him, heart racing, taking in the silvery hue his hair had taken in the dark. He trailed messy kisses from your lips to your collarbone, crawling down the bed as his kisses travelled south. You closed your eyes the second his tongue crossed your nipple and let out a sigh of pleasure, which only seemed to spur him on.

“That’s it, baby,” he cooed, settling on his stomach and spreading your legs wide. “Sing for me.”

This was the first time anyone had gone down on you. You had no point of reference, no idea what to expect. You gasped at the strange, wet feeling, reaching down to stroke his hair as if by instinct. Every touch of his tongue sent your insides to jelly and you bit down on your fingers to stifle your gasps.

“No, no, no,” he said, “I want to hear you.”

He held your hips down and sucked at your clit so forcefully that you lost all coherent thought. It still felt wet, but the strangeness had gone, making room for a growing tightness deep inside of you. You wanted nothing more than to break.

He eased up, swirling the tip of his tongue against your clit so gently that you caught yourself bucking your hips against his mouth and arching your back from the bed, trying and failing to meet him halfway.

“Don’t stop,” you whined, reaching for his hair. “Please, please don’t stop.”

You were so close to unravelling and it felt like a matter of life or death.

You had no point of reference and no way of knowing how good Hizashi actually was at oral. All you knew was that his touches left your arms and legs numb. You finally understood why he had painted so many of his ceilings to look like outer space. The more he touched you, the more it felt like you were floating, watching your own body contort with pleasure from a distance.

He knew the exact moment you teetered on the brink and chose that one to loosen his grip on you and plant a kiss on your thigh. The anticipation faded and you could have cried.

“Hizashiiii…”

“No, no, no, not yet,” he said, sitting up onto his knees and wagging his finger. “I want to make you scream.”

You’d never screamed in bed before and just the thought left you feeling a mixture of embarrassed and morbidly curious. Exactly how good would you have to feel to scream? How dirty could Hizashi get?

You smiled, cheeks flushed.

“I’d love to see you try.”

“Those are famous last words, (Name).”

“At least I’ll go with a smile on my face.”

Hizashi grinned and adjusted his position, lifting one of your legs over his shoulder and the other around his waist, spreading you wide and slipping a finger in you, snickering as your toes began to curl. It didn’t take long to build you up again this time and you grabbed the bedsheets, bracing yourself for a peak that never came. Hizashi let you get close enough to taste freefall, only to drag you back to earth.

He rolled across the bed and fumbled in his bedside drawer, pulling out a condom and something else that you didn’t recognise in the half light.

“Say, (Name), do you wanna see something... really cool?”

“Go ahead.”

He thrust the condom towards you, motioning for you to take it. You did, turning it over in your fingers and squinting at the print.

“Are these…”

“Present Mic condoms! Designed, approved and beta tested by yours truly! Guaranteed to make your partner siiiiiiiiiiing.”

You knew that there was a lot of Present Mic merchandise. You’d seen shirts, alarm clocks, pyjamas and more and that was without deliberately seeking them out. There was almost certainly more on the internet, though it had never occurred to you that condoms would be one of them.

“I,” you said, “I don’t know what to say.”

You passed it back to him, watching as he wriggled out of his underwear. You licked your lips at the sight of his dick, unable to stop yourself. Where Shouta’s dick was wide, Hizashi’s was long and you didn’t know what to say of the fact that you had seen enough of your colleagues naked that you were able to make such a comparison.

He dragged the tie from his hair and wrapped it around his wrist, flicking his hair over one shoulder with a wink.

“You like what you see?”

Yes.

Yes, you did.

Between the blacklight, his naked body and long, golden hair, he looked like a painting.

“Come here,” you said, waving him over.

He stayed there, though, pouting.

“But you haven’t seen the cool part yet,” he said.

“You mean...there’s more?”

What else had he trademarked? Was he about to show you Present Mic lube?

He opened the condom wrapper, though, and you soon had your answer. It wasn’t any ordinary condom and, retrospectively, you regretted not realising it earlier.

Present Mic’s condoms were glow in the dark and shone green under the blacklight.

“It’s...it’s a glow stick,” you gasped, watching as he pulled it on. “Oh my god.”

“It’s awesome, right! Not sure how you’d wave them at a concert, though…Not without getting arrested, anyway...”

He said it so sincerely that you couldn't help but laugh, clapping a hand over your mouth in an attempt to stifle your giggles.

“You think that’s funny, eh?”

“I’m sorry,” you said, laughing harder.

“Hon, what are you apologising for? I could watch this all day.”

You looked up at him, taking in the tender expression on his face that was completely out of place in your current surroundings. You remembered the way he had cradled you in the alley, just as gentle then as he was now.

You would almost certainly feel embarrassed in the morning, but you knew that none of this was a mistake.

He leaned over you, kissing your nose as he reached out to the mystery item he’d put on the bedside table. You inhaled sharply when you realised it was a vibrator wand, something you had never seen in person. It looked like something from a science fiction movie.

“You okay, doll?”

“Are they...always that big?”

Hizashi sat up onto his knees and set the vibrator aside for the time being.

“Nope, but this one is especially powerful! I accept only the best, ya dig?”

You glanced from the vibrator to him, trembling from the anticipation. You had followed Rei and the others into sex stores, though stared at your shoes the entire time, too ashamed to look, much less join in their conversations. They bought you a bullet vibrator for your birthday once, just to see the horrified expression on your face.

Tonight you were well and truly diving in head first.

“Put your hands up,” said Hizashi, lifting your leg over his shoulder. You obeyed, slowly raising your arms above your head and onto the pillows. He licked his finger and slipped it between your folds and back inside you, stretching you out a little more before pulling it out and inching his dick into the gap. You gasped, relishing both the feeling of being stretched to accommodate him and the way he closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure.

“What the hell, (Name),” he whined, “you feel so good.”

“S-so do you,” you said, heat rising in your cheeks.

Hizashi bumped his hips against yours, both of you gasping at the sensation.

“How’s that?”

“Do it again.”

He obeyed, squeezing onto your thigh as he thrust back into you. You reached down a hand, meaning to stroke your clit, but he clapped you away.

“No, no, no, put your hands up,” he said and you rested them back onto the pillows. “The party’s not over yet.”

He took up a slow pace initially, changing it up whenever you got remotely close to coming. He’d go faster only to stop the moment you begged him to keep going and keep fucking you that way. He’d go slow and deep, brushing the soft spot inside of you, only to pull out once your moans got more frantic. You knew from the satisfied look on his face that he was doing it on purpose.

“S...stop teasing me like this,” you said, “I’m going to…”

Truthfully, you had no idea what would happen when you came. You’d never been teased this much before. Hizashi laughed, though, perfectly dodging the pillow you launched at his head.

“Are you suuuure? I said I’d get you to scream, remember? Do you think you can handle it?”

“Yes! Yes I can handle it!”

Hizashi smirked and fell still, reaching for the vibrator next to him. He spat on his fingers and rubbed them across your clit before flicking the on switch. You had never heard a vibrator so loud, but you were so focused on the tension inside of you that you didn’t care. Hizashi touched it to your clit and held it there, sending you over the edge in a matter of seconds. You gasped in delight, body twitching and full of warmth. Hizashi started to thrust, moaning at the feel of you tightening around his cock. He held the vibrator in place and you squirmed, tension building inside of you again, just as unbearably tight as before. It was overwhelming and you cried out at the feel of his rapid fire thrusts and hum of the vibrator, overstimulated to the point of no return.

He turned up the vibrator and you screamed in delight, losing all self consciousness as your body quaked.

He kept going, over and over, dragging orgasms from you until you lost track of the peaks. They started to bleed into one another, leaving you flustered and desperate. He went deeper and harder, praising you for how loud you were getting.

“Are you going to give me one more,” he said, switching off the wand. “One more, I know you can do it.”

“Mhmm,” you whined, watching as he set aside the vibrator and slipped himself out of you. “Hizashi…don’t stop…”

He lifted both of your legs and motioned for you to hold them open, planting a kiss on your slick folds before pushing himself back inside of you. You bit your bottom lip at the change in angle, his hips crashing into yours so deeply that you felt the bed rocking beneath you.

“Sssshit,” said Hizashi, “I’m going to come.”

“Me too,” you said, digging your nails into your thighs to keep them spread, “I’m going to…hnn!”

You arched your back as you came, the added twitching sending Hizashi over the edge with you. You watched in curiosity, wondering what would happen if he cried out, only for him to lean over and crush your lips with his own, moaning into your open mouth as he continued to thrust.

“You ready for the money shot?”

You nodded, placing a hand on the small of his back and feeling him thrust into you.

You watched as he sat up to straddle you, dragging off the neon condom and frantically pumping at his dick. He bit down on his own fingers as he came across your belly, covering your skin in a layer of hot cum, which glowed luridly under the light.

You reached out to touch it with trembling fingers as Hizashi got up off the bed to get rid of the condom, admiring the way it shone against your skin in the same way as the paint on his bedroom ceiling.

Before this, you felt your body had been as barren and plain as the white walls of his apartment. Perhaps it was the happy hormones flooding your body, but you felt just as transformed and ready to confront just about anything.

“You okay, little listener?”

Hizashi came back towards the bed, taking a seat beside you and combing your hair off your sweaty forehead. Both of you laughed when all you could muster was a shaky thumbs up.

“Well, lucky for you, the party isn’t over,” he said with a wink. “I am going to run you the warmest, bubbliest bath you’ve ever had in your life...if you’re lucky, I might even join you!”

~~~~~

PRESENT

“I got it, I got it,” said Hizashi, reaching up to answer his phone. “Hello? Hello…? Ah...Eraser, what’s…wait. Slow down. What do you mean?”

Something about his tone made you anxious and you pushed back the covers as he sank down onto the edge of the bed. You could hear Shouta’s voice, though not what he was saying.

“Okay,” he said. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

He hung up the phone and set it down on his bedside drawer, breathing a heavy sigh.

“That sounded serious. Is everything okay?”

“We have to go to UA,” he said, getting up to pick up the TV remote.

“Hizashi it’s...it’s three in the morning, what-”

You fell silent the moment he switched it on, taking in the stony faced news broadcaster and burning buildings, the video footage of Midoriya at the feet of the hero killer, Stain.

“Oh my god,” you said, hugging yourself.

“Yeah,” sighed Hizashi. “Guess there’s not gonna be a round two.”

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Gavin’s S2 R&S - Tempering (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers from an R&S (淬炼) which has not been released in English servers!🍒

This R&S features S2 Gavin!

[ Chapter One ]

Eight-year old Tang Chao wrote in his homework: My aspiration is to be free and easy, and get to sleep after a full meal. 

The teacher failed him.

Eighteen-year old Tang Chao wasn’t able to be free and easy, nor get sleep after a full meal. This is because he was recommended for admission into the police academy.

Everyone knows that he’s a “specially enrolled student”. When he entered the academy, he didn’t even have to go through the “Demon Test”. He wasn’t treated harshly by the officers during training. The first semester consisted of some foundational stamina training and a few superficial criminal investigation classes. In the first month, Tang Chao barely passed in every course. Yet, he remains unusually carefree.

Tang Chao’s roommate feels indignant. “It’s only because your Evol is special. Otherwise, you’d have been expelled from the academy a long time ago with such grades.”

“That’s right, my Evol is special.” Tang Chao arches his brows. “If the academy were to expel me, they’ll experience a great loss.”

Detecting lies is essentially an Evol meant for criminal investigation. And it’s precisely because of this ability that he was recommended for admission into this first-rate police academy despite his average physique. 

“Hmph. Anyway, you only have a few more days of being carefree.” His roommate flips over on the iron bed, sticking out half his head from above. “I heard from the instructors that the first month after entering the academy merely counts as a warm up. Actual training will only begin next week. The higher-ups even sent a third year student to supervise us. Guess who our class got?”

“Who?”

His roommate pauses with each syllable. “Gav. In!”

“Who’s Gavin?”

His roommate almost falls down from the bed. “You don’t even know who Gavin is?”

“Why do I have to know him...” Tang Chao mutters. “Is this person very famous?”

“Famous! He’s so famous! He’s celebrated!”

The famous Senior Gavin had passed, with record-breaking marks, the admission exam, physical capabilities, shooting, Close Quarters Combat, simulated sand tables... His marks for various segments have never fallen below the top three places. In his second year, he was already heading out on missions with full-time Evol agents. Even before graduating, he was so popular that police departments from various districts were already falling over each other in their eagerness to snatch him up.

“...but I heard that mission was pretty tragic. It seems a comrade from the same squadron as him lost his life... Hey, are you listening to me?”

“I’m listening, I’m listening.” Despite Tang Chao’s perfunctory words, he has to admit that this Senior Gavin is indeed more of a special police officer than he is.

Or rather, Evol special police officers ought to be like Gavin. 

“I should caution you. Apparently, he’s exceptionally haughty, and you might as well be a grain of sand in his eyes.” His roommate pats the edge of the bed. “You should be a little more serious next week.”

Tang Chao laughs. “What can he do to me? I’m someone with a special privilege.”

His roommate clicks his tongue, not advising him further. “Seeing that you have such virtuous conduct, you can ask for help after meeting him.

-

[ Chapter Two ]

After assembling in the field on Monday morning, Tang Chao realises that a young man in his twenties is standing next to their class leader. The other party looks fierce, his back even straighter than the Chinese fir trees along the field. At a glance, it’s evident that there’s a world of difference between him and this batch of newly enrolled students.

“This is Student Gavin from the Seventh Squadron. This semester, he will be a provisional supervisor and instructor. In the training from now onwards, I want all of you to be more spirited and driven, and prohibited from embarrassing our class.” The class leader exclaims. “Do you hear me!”

“Yes!”

Amid the uniform responses from the formation, Gavin’s line of sight sweeps across this batch of new students. Everyone holds their breaths and keep silent, thinking that this senior would be giving them a lecture. In the end, the other party simply nods. “In that case, we’ll officially begin. As a warm up, run 10km.”

How many kilometres?

Everyone looks at each other, thinking they must have misheard.

Tang Chao raises his hand. “Reporting to the instructor - We typically run 5km in the mornings...”

Gavin turns a deaf ear to him. “Turn to the right, get ready --- Run.”

[Note] I recorded the audio for his command because why not

At this point, everyone realises that Gavin is truly like what the rumours said, and is not to be trifled with. All they can do is gulp in resentment, running in formation. Tang Chao deliberately lags at the very end, then walks towards Gavin, giving him a salute. “Reporting to the instructor.”

Gavin looks at him.

“I can’t run 10km.” Tang Chao is straightforward. “I have a special situation. The class leader and the others know about it. If I were to run 10km, I’ll really die...”

“Since you’re enrolled in the police academy, there’s no special situation.” Gavin responds. “As for whether or not you’ll die, we’ll talk about that after you’ve finished running.”

“...”

In the end, Tang Chao finishes running. Or rather, he finishes crawling.

The other students in class have already finished running and have headed off for breakfast. He’s the only one who resembles a ghost, drifting on the field. Occasionally, some classmates would pass by. He usually laughs and jokes around while they’re still running, so seeing him - who entered through the back door - finishing last leaves them gloating a little.

Gavin, on the other hand, doesn’t gloat. When Tang Chao staggers to the end point, he speaks with a blank expression. “You’re late by 20 minutes. Have your breakfast. The class will assemble after 20 minutes, and we’ll start with the next training. 

Initially, Tang Chao was already too tired to speak. After hearing this command, he can’t help but do so. “Brother... ah no, Instructor Gavin, even if you’re just showing your authority at the first encounter, it should be enough.”

Gavin furrows his brows.

“Just look at how cooperative I’ve been. Seeing how I've ended up, the others in class will definitely listen and obey you unquestioningly.” Tang Chao cracks his knuckles. “But my physical constitution is really like this. It isn’t my choice to rank at the bottom of the class. Could you just close an eye and let me off?”

Gavin looks at his unwillingness to change, and speaks plainly. “Since you’re so unwilling to undergo training, what are you doing here.”

Tang Chao shrugs. “There’s not much reason. Someone needs me to be here, undergo some simple training, go through the motions, then graduate as a matter of course, then help crack some cases and make a living.”

“What I'm asking is - why are you staying here.” Gavin’s voice turns stern. “If someone didn’t need it, you wouldn't be here? When you were running, I asked your class leader for the training results from your first month. Most of your marks hovered around the passing grade, and you had to re-take a few tests.”

Tang Chao releases an “mm” sound -- even though it’s very embarrassing to be told this in such a straightforward manner, the results are black and white, so he doesn’t hope to get anything higher.

Gavin continues. “From the numbers of your make-up examinations, you actually have quite a lot of potential.”

Tang Chao is left dumbfounded.

“Since you have potential, don’t waste it.” After Gavin finishes speaking, he leaves.

-

[ Chapter Three ]

Gavin’s demon-like training continues. On the second day, he adds weight training and 200 push-ups to the training regimen. At this point, it’s not just Tang Chao who can’t handle it - the other new students in the class can’t endure it midway through. On the third day, he adds an obstacle course and forty minutes of wrestling on top of the basic training.

“I think I understand now. Senior Gavin doesn’t want me to die. He wants everyone to die.” Tang Chao feebly concludes during wrestling training.

Finally, a week goes by. A simulation tactics manoeuvre is added to the training. This is a rare course in which Tang Chao can attain high marks. With an Evol which allows him to detect lies, he’s especially skilled in courses related to psychological warfare. He looks at the holographic sand table before him. Filled with inexplicable courage, he suddenly raises his hand. “Report.”

“What is it?” Gavin’s voice drifts over from the front.

"I wish to challenge Gavin to a round.” Tang Chao raises his voice.

At this moment, soft discussions fill the surroundings. Gavin arches his brows. Amid the discussions, he walks to the other side of the holographic sand table, not engaging in superfluous words. “Which one do you want to start?”

“Rescuing hostages in a factory. I’ll storm the fortification.”

“No problem.”

Tang Chao’s palms begin to sweat slightly, but he maintains the provocative smile on the corners of his lips. “Instructor, if I win, could I be exempted from the remaining training for today?”

Gavin pulls open the map. “We’ll talk about that after you’ve won.”

The holographic sand table simulation is an entirely new course introduced to students in recent years. The maps in the sand table, the personnel’s Evol abilities, the weather and weapons are entirely constructed by the system. Because this is meant to train a students’ adaptive and judgment skills, there’s no such thing as a party gaining an advantage over another through undergoing a similar experience.

Not even after ten minutes after the round begins, Tang Chao’s moves have already garnered him sixty more points than Gavin.

In the lead over Gavin for the first time, his heart finally feels slightly pleased. He can’t help but lift his eyes to cast Gavin a glance. However, the other party doesn’t look frantic at all. Gavin’s line of sight is focused on the sand table in front of him, fingers continuously moving and tapping. The originally three-way defense team is quickly split into nine teams, intercepting and attacking Tang Chao from all directions.

At this moment, students observing from the side burst into an uproar. Having to command nine groups at the same time - is he human?!

Tang Chao is also very shocked. But in the next second, he loses his ability to be shocked. The symbols on the map representing each other’s movements flicker continuously. Gradually, he can no longer keep up with Gavin’s movements - there is too much false information. The moment he calculates that one path can’t be taken, many more paths around him have already been blocked. 

An increasing number of regions struck with red crosses appear on the map. When he finally grabs the hostage, the six teams he originally had have been reduced to a small four-person group by Gavin.

Gavin shuts the holographic sand table. “Any thoughts?”

Tang Chao remains stubborn. “At least I successfully rescued the hostage...”

“You think that’s called a success?” Gavin laughs coldly. “Do you know why the highest marks are awarded based on the number of people left in the simulation? Because every red dot on the map represents the life of a comrade in real life.”

Tang Chao feels as though something is lodged in his throat.

“In an actual operation, the situations you have to face are even more dangerous, and even more complicated than in the sand table.” Gavin looks around at all of the students. “The criminal will not give you as much time and opportunities to make judgement calls. Every wrong decision could result in the death of a comrade.”

His gaze returns to Tang Chao, his tone becoming more severe. “Give it proper thought.”

Tang Chao lowers his head. “Yes.”

“But you were courageous in bringing up the challenge, and it’s worth encouraging.” Gavin curls his forefinger and taps the sand table. “5km, go.”

For the first time, Tang Chao wholeheartedly finishes the 5km run. He pounds his aching and sore legs, preparing to return to the dormitory. Suddenly, he sees his opponent from half an hour ago at a corner not afar off.

Gavin is standing underneath a tree, holding a photograph in his hand.

Gavin doesn’t notice Tang Chao. All of his focus is channelled onto that photograph. In this moment, he seems to have unloaded all his defences, becoming a Gavin different from his usual self. Those perpetually stern eyes have grown dim, bringing with them a twinge of fatigue. 

Tang Chao holds his breath, subconsciously squinting his eyes to identify the photograph. On it seems to be... a female? Could she be Instructor Gavin’s...

But why is there blood on the photograph?

Before he can let his imagination roam, someone suddenly pats him on the shoulder.

“Hey, Tang Chao, have you seen Instructor Gavin?” His roommate asks. “I need to look for him.”

Tang Chao turns slightly, blocking his roommate’s line of sight. He points in another direction. “Oh, I saw him. He walked towards the canteen.”

The lies of a person who can detect lies will never be discovered by someone else. His roommate doesn’t doubt him, and gives him another pat on the shoulder. “Thanks.”

After his roommate walks a distance away, he turns his head once again to look at Gavin, before leaving quietly.

He doesn’t know what that girl in the photograph means to Gavin, but his instincts told him that the tranquil image before him wasn’t one which someone should have disrupted.

-

[ Chapter Four ]

Amid torrential rain, one group continues training on the field of the police academy. The gloomy weather and gloomy atmosphere seem to make the weight on their shoulders much heavier than usual. But this time, no one complains, including Tang Chao.

--Because yesterday, another comrade in the police academy lost his life in a hostage rescue operation.

The pools of water beneath their feet are akin to pools of blood. The wooden piles on their shoulders seem to be alive and breathing, weighing down on them, and leaving them unable to catch their breath. Tang Chao grits his teeth. Even if he’s at the very end of the formation, he doesn’t give up on pressing forward.

“Late by four minutes.” Gavin clutches the watch at the end point as always. “There’s improvement.”

Only Tang Chao knows just how much effort he expended for the few words “there’s improvement”.

In this moment, he vaguely figure things out in his mind. Even though it’s very unclear, there’s a life goal in his heart which is more definite and firm than being “free and easy, and sleeping after a full meal”. Carefree days are definitely good. If he were to cast down the wooden piles and shout “I quit”, he can have them. But as long as he remains in the police academy for one more day, as long as the vow he made upon entering the academy still remains engraved in his heart, his future is destined to have no fate with being free and easy.

Tang Chao releases a muddy breath. He unloads the weight, laying directly on the field. “Instructor Gavin, how did you tell that I had potential back then?”

Gavin is silent for a while. “...actually, that was a lie.”

Tang Chao bursts out laughing.

Perhaps it was indeed a lie from Gavin. But he had followed through with this lie, and enabled Tang Chao to believe this lie too - he had never given up on Tang Chao, and Tang Chao had never given up on himself.

The rain continues pouring down. After laughing, Tang Chao’s voice mixes with the clear water. “Did you know? I suddenly had the ability to detect lies overnight.”

Gavin doesn’t say anything, and Tang Chao continues. “At first, I didn’t even know how to control my Evol. I was so confused, and the people around me were also very alarmed. Because those around me could no longer conceal anything. No matter what kind of masks they wore, I could remove them. Many people were afraid of talking to me. They didn’t even dare to come near to me. That period of time was... pretty depressing. It’s such an incredible ability.”

“Afterwards, I fumbled around and became clearer on how to use this ability. I more or less figured out how to live in such an environment.” Tang Chao points at his head. “The secret is in not caring.”

“It’s not that you really don’t care.” Gavin says.

“That’s right.” Tang Chao smiles wryly. “It’s just that after pretending not to care for such a long time, I’ve become confused too. Instructor Gavin, do you think I can still find the reason for staying here?”

Gavin ponders for a moment before responding. “I can’t imagine how it feels like to be surrounded by lies. But right now, you’re able to walk out from those days, and maintain an independent judgement. It shows that you’re actually much more tenacious than the average person.”

“I don’t think that I’m strong...”

“No one is born strong.”

Tang Chao wipes at the rainwater on his face. “Including yourself?”

“Including myself.” Gavin says solemnly. “I was at a loss before, but afterwards... I found a reason to persevere. I think it’s only a matter of time before you’ll also find a conviction belonging to yourself.”

When Gavin speaks, his intonation doesn’t fluctuate much. It’s as though he’s elaborating on an obvious fact. At this moment, Tang Chao doesn’t use his Evol, because he knows that these are Gavin’s genuine words.

There’s no need to use a lie detector to determine this.

The rain gradually lessens. Tang Chao observes the ash coloured sky for a very long time. His voice is very soft, as though he’s speaking to himself. “I can’t think of any high-sounding reasons. In that case, my goal is to become a person who can live up to this ability.”

Gavin laughs. With neither too much nor too little force, he kicks Tang Chao’s arm with his foot, then blows the assembly whistle in his hand. “All right. Get up and prepare for the next training.”

Tang Chao sits up. “Big Bro, you should at least give me a compliment!”

-

[ Chapter Five ]

Without realising it, the semester is drawing to a close, and Gavin’s task of being an assistant supervisor is ending soon. The class had originally planned to drag Gavin along to a small New Year’s Eve farewell party. In the end, Gavin was sent to participate in a special operation that day, so everyone just brought the farewell party forward, and wish Instructor Gavin a smooth and successful mission.

After the students have left the classroom, Gavin realises that Tang Chao is still standing at the doorway. “Why haven’t you left with the others?”

“I heard this mission is pretty dangerous.” Tang Chao suddenly speaks.

“Every mission is accompanied with danger.” Gavin says.

“Not that kind of danger...” Although Tang Chao isn’t a participant in this mission, he has heard about its contents. “The moment it isn’t handled properly, the dissent between civilians and Evolvers would be aggravated. If the time comes, I’m afraid it wouldn’t end with just a few clashes and bloodshed.”

Although he’s often careless and relaxed, it doesn’t mean that he’s stupid.

“I know.” Gavin nods. “Since you’ve already heard about some of its contents, your class should more or less know about it too - did they ask you to inquire about it?”

“Not really. I wanted to ask you about it myself.” Tang Chao hugs his elbows. “If... and I’m saying ‘if’. If this operation contradicts with the convictions you’ve always persevered in, what would you do?”

“There’s no need for such hypothesis.” Gavin looks at him. “I’ll just use my own eyes to look at it, use my own mind to make a judgement, and not doubt it before the operation even begins. If conviction can be so easily swayed, it means it isn’t yours. Instead, it’s what someone else has forcefully given to you.”

Gavin pauses, glancing at his own palm. Even if its development clashes with my convictions, I’ll use my own methods to handle it.”

When Tang Chao hears this, he’s left dumbfounded. Then, he immediately laughs. “Ah, this answer is truly in line with Instructor Gavin’s style.” He moves over and crinkles his eyes at Gavin. “No wonder the higher-ups purposely trained you to become a leader. With such words, who wouldn’t want to be Instructor Gavin’s subordinate?”

Gavin shakes his head. “I’m not interested in being a leader.”

“Why aren’t you interested in anything? You said you weren’t interested in the competition earlier either...” Tang Chao grins. “It looks to me that the only interest you have is the lady in that photograph, right? When will you introduce Sis-in-law to everyone- ack!”

He receives a blow from Gavin’s elbow.

Tang Chao covers his stomach and pouts, looking aggrieved. “If you don’t want to be a leader, what about being a captain? I heard that after I graduate, the Special Operations Team proposed by the higher-ups will be formed. When the time comes, I reckon there’ll be many interesting and strong comrades joining the team. You can be the boss.”

“Am I the one forming the Special Operations Team? Can I be the captain just because I want to?” Gavin glares at him. “Why not consider whether or not you can join it first.”

“I think if it’s you, I definitely can.” Tang Chao laughs, showing his teeth. “If Captain Gavin can do it, I definitely can do it too.”

A few days later, Gavin sets out. Students from the class send him into the vehicle at the entrance of the academy. Tang Chao gives him a salute and a smile. “Wishing Instructor Gavin an early New Year’s, and wishing you a safe and successful operation.”

Gavin nods, returning a salute to everyone. “I receive your good wishes. Happy New Year. In the future, we’ll definitely meet again.”

Everyone watches as the truck leaves their line of sight. For a very long time, nobody speaks. Finally, with a deep breath, the class leader asks. “Are we continuing with training?”

“Of course we are!”

[noctisfishing]

That’s All He Wrote

Rating: T

Pairing: Sorato

Summary:  An admirer makes himself known to Sora when she finds a note in her locker one day. As she takes her two best friends along to help solve this mystery, she hopes for one of them to notice that she has already solved it.

Prompts: 

- music to my ears -  something that is pleasant or gratifying to hear or discover. In today’s prompt, incorporate the phrase. (200 words) [ Write Your Melody Prompts by me! ]

&

- “I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.” - You've Got Mail [ Famous Movie & TV Romantic Quotes Prompts by @renchan7 ]

Notes: Those quotes made me crave something fluffy and sappy, AND I wanted to combine a prompt from my own list. Both of these prompts were chosen randomly, and I got a combo to send my heart a-flutter.

Also this one-shot ended up being more than 10x my suggested wordcount (basically, not 200 words but upwards of 2.8K lol) so hope you enjoy. :D

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Sora opened her locker at the end of school one day, she noticed from the corner of her eye that something fell out of it.

"Oh - Sora, you dropped something," said Taichi, who bent down to pick it up just as she turned to do it herself.

She observed it with him as he held it between his fingers. A small piece of lined paper, folded a few times.

"Huh," she said. Seeing the quizzical stare in his eyes told her that Taichi was just as curious as she was. She took the piece of paper from his hand and unfolded it.

As she read the words on the note, she felt as though her heart stopped.

"Ah, well, look what we have here!" Taichi began. "You've got a secret admi-"

"Shh!" she hissed at him. "Don't talk so loud!" She looked around the locker room, paranoid that other students caught Taichi's words, but saw that no one else was paying attention. That didn't stop the heat flushing on her cheeks. "Do you know who did this?!" was her next adamant question.

Taichi leaned back a little, as though he was intimidated. "N-no, I don't! I'm just as clueless as you are!"

And Sora believed him.

But not completely. She shut her locker and walked away, processing what she had just witnessed. Taichi followed right behind her.

"Wait up, Sora!"

Sora walked hurriedly through the hallway, hearing a few students greet her but she was too focused on her own thoughts to answer. It wasn't until she heard her name once more when she realized that she was fast approaching someone and she was just about to collide.

"Whoa!" he said with his palms up.

Sora gasped as she halted, merely inches away from crashing into Yamato.

"Hey, Yamato!" she said with her voice unnaturally higher. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Deep thinking and power walking are not a good mix," Yamato replied, looking as though he hid his laughter behind his smile.

"Sora! Geez." Taichi appeared in a huff. "That note really got you, didn't it?"

"A note?" Yamato asked.

If her cheeks were pink, Sora wondered if the burn made them redder. She was suddenly hesitant to scold Taichi for mentioning it so freely.

"I found a note in my locker just now."

"Oh…" Yamato kept his eyes on Sora. "Should we be concerned?"

"What do you mean?" Taichi asked.

"Was it a good note, or a bad one?"

"I think that depends on how Sora feels about it."

Sora's voice seemed to be caught in her throat just as the two boys turned to face her.

"It's… none of your business." Sora turned away from them.

Taichi let out a sigh. "We're not going to get an answer from her."

"Maybe it's something she wants to figure out on her own," said Yamato. "If we need to be concerned, she'll probably tell us somehow."

The three of them walked to the front gate together, where they all would go their separate ways. Taichi was the first to walk ahead.

"Are you going to be okay?" Yamato asked.

"I think I will be," Sora replied. She smiled at him as she noticed his concern, then she remembered his question from earlier about the note. "You don't have to worry about it, Yamato. If anything, I thought it was a good note."

When they said their goodbyes and headed in different directions, Sora turned around to look back at Yamato. The way he stared at her and smiled at her comment made her wonder how much of a concern it all truly was to him.

With the note still in her hand, Sora set off towards her way home, smiling to herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~

On the next day, Sora had invited Taichi to help her find the mystery admirer after school. With eagerness, he said yes without another thought.

"Does this mean you've counted me out as your secret admirer?" he asked.

"I think you'd rather show up to my locker with flowers," she replied. "Besides, I could actually read the handwriting compared to your squiggles."

"Huh. Fair points. Want me to ask around? I could get the soccer club to investigate."

Sora shot Taichi a look. "I really don't want this to be broadcasted to the whole school, Taichi. I'm thinking we should ask our friends first."

Sora had also invited Yamato later in the school day, despite the fact that it was a day in the week that he usually spent time with his band. Somehow, she knew he would still come along with her and Taichi.

"I'm sure Yamato would've written out song lyrics if it was him," Taichi wondered aloud as the three of them walked out of school together.

"I'm sure that I wouldn't," Yamato retorted.

Sora agreed. "I'm sure you would make Yamato write out song lyrics for your note if you did it, Taichi," she added.

"You're probably right." Yamato laughed as Taichi frowned.

Sora had considered herself lucky that both Taichi and Yamato followed her pursuit without any objections. Their first stop was a visit to Takeru, whose eyes lit up the moment he saw Yamato.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked Mimi first," said Takeru after Sora filled him in.

"Well," Sora said, holding her hands together. "I texted her, and she said she'd ask around. She hasn't gotten back to me yet."

"Hmm, well, I could totally make a wild guess! ...But it might be completely wrong." Takeru added, and Sora took notice of the shift in tone between his two sentences before he smiled cheerfully. "I'll make some tea and bring out the snacks!"

Takeru headed for the kitchen and Yamato followed behind him.

"It's been a while since we've seen Takeru, huh?" Taichi asked Sora.

"Yeah, it has," she replied.

Sora looked toward the kitchen where she caught Yamato's grimace towards Takeru, who must have been teasing him from the look of his cheeky smile. When they both returned to Taichi and Sora at the table, they brought some cookies and a tray with cups and a pot of white orange blossom tea, which Sora knew to be Yamato's favorite.

After making a quick stop to the convenience store, their next visit was to Jou's apartment, and Jou quirked his brow in confusion at the three of them when he answered his door.

"Brought you some pick-me-ups for studying!" Sora said with a smile and raising the bag of goodies in front of her.

"Oh…" said Jou with a tinge of exasperation. "Well, come in. You can drop the snacks on the table."

"Got an exam coming up, Jou?" Yamato asked.

"There's always an exam coming up. I don't know how long I've been studying..."

Sora watched Jou sigh and run his hand through his hair that had been longer than when she saw him last. His eyes had dark circles underneath. In normal cases, he would be fretting about tomorrow's deadline and scolding one of them as a result of his anxiety.

She turned to the other two and exchanged looks of worry.

"Hey, Jou, why don't I make you some tea?" Sora asked.

"I'm good. I've had so much already but I can't seem to stay awake."

"Then, why don't we walk this way." Sora took Jou by his shoulders and led him to his room. "When's your next exam?"

"It's in a few days, but I need all the study time I can get."

They reached his room, and Sora saw his desk cluttered with loose papers and an open textbook.

"You've studied enough for now." Sora sat him on his bed.

"I need… to study…"

At the touch of her shoulder, Sora turned and saw Yamato holding the textbook in front of her. Sharing a look with him, she understood and took the book to give to Jou, just as she got him to lay down in his bed.

"You can study while laying down, right?" Sora asked. "It's more relaxing that way."

Jou didn't protest. He lay against his pillow with the open book next to him, and it only took a few moments before he drifted off to sleep.

Their final visit was to Koushiro, whom they also brought snacks and his favorite bottled tea. His greeting was chipper but he had a distant look in his eyes, and when he let the three of them into his apartment, he led them to his room, where he returned to his computer chair, grabbed his mouse and began to click.

"What are you working on, Kou?" Yamato asked, hovering over Koushiro's shoulder.

Sora and Taichi hovered at his other side, but Sora couldn't make sense of what Koushiro was telling Yamato, who seemed to catch on to every word. She still watched and listened out of politeness, but caught wind of Koushiro's stomach growling which caused him to stop talking.

"Well, we brought snacks!" Sora said with a grin.

"Ooh, I needed a break, anyway," Koushiro replied. He thanked Sora for the food and tea, and he swiveled his chair away from the computer to continue chatting with the three of them. The longer their conversations went on, the more Sora noticed Koushiro's eyes gradually appearing less distant.

The sky was darkening as they left Koushiro's apartment and headed home.

"Well, we didn't find out who your secret admirer was after all that," Taichi quipped. "Has Mimi gotten back to you, Sora?"

"Not yet."

"We didn't even get to ask Jou or Koushiro about it."

Sora didn't respond, and turned to glance at Yamato, who was looking ahead. She knew that Taichi was following along and wouldn't press any further for questions, but she wondered what Yamato had been thinking. When she looked ahead, she could tell that Yamato was looking back.

After they said goodnight to Taichi at his building, Yamato turned to her.

"I can walk you home, if you want," he said.

"Aren't you already late for your band's rehearsal?" she asked.

"They can start practice without me."

Sora broke her gaze from his eyes to keep him from seeing her blush. She started walking a few steps ahead of him, and she went over the whole day in her head, including the plan she devised and knowing exactly how it would go. How surprising it was for everything to fall into place, even until that moment.

And at that moment, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"It's a shame we didn't solve the mystery, isn't it?" Sora asked Yamato behind her.

"You don't seem too sad about it," he said.

"You'd think I would be. We spent a whole afternoon with three guys who didn't give us any clues."

"That's because they're the last three you would expect to have the answers to something like this."

Sora stopped walking, and her lips curled into a smile. Maybe he caught on to her plan, after all.

"I'm guessing you want to know why?" she asked.

"That would be my first question," he replied.

She continued to walk, knowing that he would continue following behind her. "Taichi's been complaining to us about how Koushiro never wants to hang out, and you've always mentioned whatever it was he likes to work on. I'm sure we'd all agree he needed a reminder of what other humans looked like."

Yamato chuckled. "Yeah. And what about Jou?"

"The other day, when Teacher mentioned exams, you told me you wondered how Jou was doing, and we all know how intense he can get when he studies."

Sora slowed to a stop and turned to face Yamato this time.

"And you always talk about how you never get to see Takeru, since you've been so busy with school work and your band."

A flash in his eyes told Sora that the dots were connecting.

"Are you saying that you planned all of this out for me?"

"I've been wanting to check in on them anyway, but I knew you've been wanting to see them, too. Especially Takeru."

Yamato stared at her with surprise. Then, he let out a soft laugh, walking a few steps closer to her. "I shouldn't be surprised. This was supposed to be for you. But you made it all about our friends. And, about me…"

Sora noticed Yamato look to the side as his face turned a tinge of pink, which forced a giggle out of her.

"...I shouldn't be surprised that Taichi didn't pick up on anything, either," Yamato added with a mutter. ""But, that brings me to my second question. Did any of this relate to solving your mystery at all?"

"I think we both know the answer to that, Yamato. I've already solved it."

Yamato's eyes returned to Sora's gaze, and her heart seemed to skip a beat.

"Tell me what you know," he said.

"Okay." Sora took a deep breath and exhaled. It was now or never. "Do you remember when Taichi seemed to think that song lyrics would give it away? Well… I think I know better."

Sora reached into her pocket and took out the folded note, held between her thumb and forefinger.

"This note was only three words," she continued, walking closer to Yamato. "There's a lot that goes into a note like this. It's hard to convey how someone feels when there are a lot of emotions. A few lines of a song might capture those emotions and reach another's heart, but why write a verse when three short words express more than enough?"

She lowered her hand, fixing her eyes on his as he watched and listened to her intently. She didn't expect him to respond; still, her heartbeat was quickening.

"I lied about waiting to hear from Mimi, by the way. You really can't get past her. And, I'm pretty sure Takeru would have been right on the money if someone didn't give him a look of death…"

Yamato's furtive glance to the side made Sora hopeful, and she kept going. "Mimi said his name, and Takeru was about to say it - the one person I've been meaning to ask, but I already know it's him. At least… 50% sure."

That was when Yamato scrunched his brows. "Why are you only half sure?"

"There's half of me that feels like I've known him for a long time. I know that when he wants something, he'll go for it. But he's going to have his doubts so he won't face it straight on. He won't be too melodramatic by hinting at it in a song, so he'll settle for sneaking a message into her locker."

"And what about the other half?"

Sora lowered her head, her eyes toward the ground.

"I have my own doubts. It almost seems too good to be true. How his note to me tells me exactly how I feel for him. I'd feel like a fool if I asked him about the words on the note and found out that it wasn't him, after all."

"So... why don't you ask me, Sora?"

A touch of his finger lifted her chin to meet his eyes. His blue eyes that glistened as he searched hers while he waited for her to ask him.

"What did you write to me, Yamato?" she asked in a whisper, her heart pounding in her chest.

And there, after a moment's pause, his gaze transfixed, he uttered the words that she had been wanting to hear:

"I love you."

Watching his lips move, hearing him say those words was music to her ears. She stared back at him with wonder.

"So it was you, after all." Sora suddenly stopped caring about the heat on her cheeks as her words cemented her realization. The light sting of tears crept onto her lids as she felt his hands hold her cheeks gently. "I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly."

She laughed, overjoyed and relieved that it was him. When he laughed along with her, she could tell felt the exact same way, knowing that his secret was out.

"Does this take away the 50%?" Yamato asked, looking back in adoration and brushing his thumb on her cheek.

"It does," she said as she placed her hand on his.

"I know you mentioned it… but I wanna hear you say it, too, Sora."

The note was gone from Sora's hands. She must have let it slip for the light evening breeze to carry it away. Just three words - that's all he wrote, but those words were all she wanted to hear, and at that moment, they were all she wanted to say.

"I love you, too," she said, her hand reaching Yamato's cheek. Then, in that moment, she caught the glint of tears on his eyes and the warm smile on his lips before he leaned forward, pulling her closer until their lips finally met for a kiss.

[todoroki-waifu]

Tanjiro x GN!Reader x Murata (one sided) 

Final: Tanjiro x Reader

Scenario: Murata asks Tanjiro to help him get to know the reader better. He specifically wants Tanjiro to find out if they’re single and their likes/dislikes. Of course, being the nice friend he is, Tanjiro agrees; however, he didn’t expect to fall in love with the reader as well.  

Word Count: 6518

Genre: Slight angst, drama, and fluff. 

Warnings: Gender neutral reader, cursing, love triangle, and some mentions of blood. 

“I can’t believe I’m tired already and we still have the rest of the afternoon. I hope I can make it.” You pout slightly, settling down on the outside porch of the Butterfly Estate. All the lower ranks were to train with the higher ranks and Pillars in order to prepare for the battle against Muzan. You and Tanjiro just finished training with Uzui, now waiting for the rest of your group to meet for lunch.

“I’m sure you can make it! You’re strong and I believe in you!” You slightly blushed at his words of encouragement, now feeling that you would regain your strength after your short break.

“Thanks, Tanjiro-kun.” You reply back as you look up at the sky, watching the clouds as you both sat there in silence. Tanjiro eyes you from the side, remembering his promise to Murata. He knew the boy wanted to know if you had a significant other, but it was hard for Tanjiro to bring it up. So he decided to start with smaller questions.

“Hey, __(y/n), I don’t think I ever asked you this but what’s your favorite color?” He asks and you turn your attention to him.

“You and your random questions. I hope you’re not collecting any data to use against me.” You laugh jokingly as he stutters slightly.

“O-of course not. I’d never do that to you. I-I’m genuinely curious.” Tanjiro hopes his cover isn’t blown.

“I’m just kidding. I know you won’t. Anyway, my favorite color is __(color).” And that simple question opened up a discussion of different topics. You noticed Tanjiro asking you random questions for the past two weeks, but figured he was just a curious guy. You actually enjoyed it since you loved his company. You met at Mount Natagumo and ended up seeing each other more often. The trio plus Nezuko basically added you to their group, seeing how frequently you were paired with them for missions. You didn’t mind. You got along well with them. 

“___(y/n)-chaaaan!” You hear a familiar thunder user’s voice. “Save meeee! I’m gonna diiiiie!”

You and Tanjiro turn your heads towards the entrance of the Butterfly mansion, the dark red head’s eyes widening slightly at how fast Zenitsu was running. Zenitsu was sprinting to you with wide arms, whining about how mean Sanemi was and how his tough training was killing him. Tanjiro reacts quickly, grabbing the front of your uniform and pulling you towards him. You froze at the sudden pull, your hands unconsciously latching onto Tanjiro’s chest. 

“Z-z-zenitsu!” He grabbed you just in time, watching the yellow orange haired male hug the air and fall beside you. “You have to be careful! You were running way too fast and could’ve hurt __(y/n)!" 

"But I’m going to diiiiie.” Zenitsu pouts as you hear Tanjiro scold him some more. Your heart was racing not only from being potentially tackled, but at how closely pressed you were to Tanjiro. He ignores Zenitsu’s complaints as he glances down at you, both his arms now encased around you. 

“Are you okay?” He asks.

“Y-yes, I’m fine. Thank you, T-tanjiro.” Your nerves were twisting and shaking, causing your voice to break during your sentence. Tanjiro couldn’t respond right away, his own heart racing at the proximity. He suddenly becomes aware of how __(color) and alluring your eyes were. 

The way you stared up at him, the way your lips were slightly parted, and how your hair frames your face; Tanjiro is only now appreciating your beauty. He felt a few degrees warmer as his breath was trapped in his lungs. He didn’t understand why his heart was pacing so quickly almost as if it was chasing something… or someone? 

“I-I-I’m so sorry!” He immediately releases you from his hold as he scoots back a bit as if to return your space. “I didn’t mean to just grab you like that. That was so rude of me, I truly apologize!”

Before he could bow, you held onto his shoulders, reassuring him that you were just fine.

“Don’t be silly! I’m glad you did that. Otherwise, I might’ve bumped heads with Zenitsu-kun or he might have squished me." 

Tanjiro laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as he hears Inosuke and Murata at the entrance. Ah, and that was another thing you noticed lately. Murata has been hanging out with your group a bit more often than usual. You assumed he probably felt like he wanted to connect more with all of you or that maybe his circle of friends were split up during training sessions. 

"Hi Inosuke-kun, Murata-kun.” You greet the boys with a smile and wave.

“The great Inosuke-sama has completed his training! Now I’m hungry… let’s get food!" 

"H-h-hi, __(y/n)-chan! How was your morning?” Murata instantly blushes at your smile, butterflies swarming in his stomach. 

“We should go see if Aoi-san needs any help! C'mon, guys.” Tanjiro gets behind Zenitsu and Insouke, pushing them to the kitchen area.

“We should go, too.” You tell Murata, but Tanjiro stops the both of you.

“It’s okay! We’ll be quick. We’ll come back if we’re not needed. You guys just…just stay there!” He immediately rushes his two friends as you tilt your head to the side slightly.

————————————

“Why are we hiding? I thought we were going to the kitchen?” Inosuke grumbles with his arms crossed.

“Oh, good! They’re talking.” Tanjiro lets out a small sigh, peeking out the window, careful to not be seen. He stopped pushing the boys once he was at a safe distance from you, checking if Murata was taking the opportunity he had given him. 

“He still hasn’t confessed?” Zenitsu knew about Murata’s dilemma, surprised that the black haired boy still made no move. “If it was me, I would’ve just asked ___(y/n) to be mine." 

"You already do.” The flame and water user rolls his eyes. “Murata-san is just really nervous. He wants to make sure he confesses to them properly." 

Zenitsu eyes his friend in the green and black checkered haori, blinking curiously when he notices Tanjiro’s gaze focused on you. When your laughter echoed in the courtyard, his sensitive ears picked up the quickening rate of Tanjiro’s heartbeat. Before he could question, Aoi found them lounging in the middle of the hallway, scolding them to hurry into the lunch room. 

That night, the three boys were getting ready for bed, laying out their futons on the floor. 

"You stupid boar, move your futon! That is MY spot!” Zenitsu yells, glaring at the mountain boy who laid right in the middle of the room. 

“No it’s not! It’s mine!” Inosuke grabs his pillow, ready to defend his territory.

“You’re supposed to be sleeping closest to the door! And you’re not even lined up properly!” Zenitsu was starting to get cranky, tried from today’s training and the dreadful feeling of knowing he had to do it all over again. 

Tanjiro ignores the bickering, concerned about his missing sister. He hasn’t seen her since dinner and she was usually with them around this time. She wasn’t one to wander either. He gets up from the floor, neglecting his half folded bed to search for his younger sibling. 

“Nezuko!” He calls out to her, careful with how loud his voice was so he wouldn’t disturb the other Butterfly residents. Tanjiro stops momentarily, picking up a sweet and joyful scent. It made his entire being warm with happiness, a smile slowly stretching his lips. He even felt like laughing, but held back the idea when his eyes caught two familiar beings. 

There you were, in the middle of the courtyard with his sister, jumping and spinning wildly. The two of you were dancing in the rain, giggling at each other’s movements. Nezuko noted a huge puddle forming to her left and immediately bounced both her feet into the water, creating a small series of waves around her legs. 

She made a noise to catch your attention, grabbing your hand as she pointed to another puddle. She stops in front of it, never letting go of your hand while she looks at you then to the water then back at you. The hand holding yours begins to slightly swing as if readying the both of you to dive into the miniature pond. You nodded, agreeing with her proposal and counted to three so that you both leaped at the same time. 

Nezuko cheers happily against her bamboo muzzle, raising her arms in excitement as you laugh, also holding your arms up. Your arms were stretched out horizontally, spinning around a few times and stopping just before you felt dizzy. Nezuko continues to hop into every puddle she sees as you stand for a moment in the rain, tilting your head up and allowing the water to wash over you. 

————————————

“Where is everyone?” Zenitsu realized that he was left alone with Inosuke, wondering where their third member went. As he passed by a few rooms in search of Tanjiro, he didn’t see you or Nezuko either. The yellow and orange haired male can hear a sequence of loud thumps, his feet following the sound until he finally reaches its source. 

“Tanjiro?” He says quietly, catching his friend standing on the engawa and looking out to the open space. Zenitsu’s eyes quickly traced to what had him so entranced. He finds you standing there, head slightly tilted back as you continue to be doused with water. You gave off a relaxed aura as you breathed in and out deeply. And there was Nezuko in the back, busying herself with the multiple puddles littering the courtyard. Even Zenitsu’s heart did a small jump at the sight of the warm scene before him. 

“What are they doing? Are they training?” Inosuke’s rough voice makes Zenitsu jump in surprise.

“What? No! They’re just play-”

“I’m gonna fight them! Let’s fight!!” He roars loudly as he zips towards you and Nezuko, causing the both of you to yelp in surprise.

“I-inosuke! Stop! Be careful!” Tanjiro is finally released from his daze, stepping down from the porch to stop Inosuke from chasing after you and his sister.

“You dumbass! Why are you bothering my sweet Nezuko and __(y/n)?” Zenitsu joins the spinning circle. 

————————————

“Gah!” Tanjiro accidentally slips on the wet ground during the chase and you quickly rush to his aid. Tanjiro’s fall momentarily stops everyone from running while Zenitsu immediately appears next to Nezuko, checking to see if she was okay and of course, complimenting how cute she was. 

“Are you okay?” You hold out a hand for Tanjiro to use as a leverage off the floor. 

“Yeah, I am. Thanks. I managed to break my fall a bit so I didn’t land too hard on the ground.” He takes your hand, accepting your help as he is finally on his feet. 

“I’m sorry about us playing in the rain. I didn’t mean for us to be out too late. And I also didn’t mean for Nezuko to get so soaked.” You hoped he wasn’t too upset with you for allowing Nezuko to be out in this type of weather. You were outside first and all of sudden, Nezuko appeared and begged you to let her join you. How could you say no? 

“I-it’s okay! No worries at all! I’m just glad you guys are okay. It was really nice of you for letting my sister play with you. I could tell she was having a great time, so, thank you for making her happy." 

"It’s no problem at all. I love your little sister. She’s wonderful to be around with.” You look to where the others were, smiling as you see Nezuko returning to her original task with Inosuke competing with her on who can make the biggest splash and Zenitsu telling him to let Nezuko be. 

Tanjiro stays silent as his gaze is focused on you again. You note his lack of words and you turn your head to the burgundy haired slayer, tilting your head at his staring. His eyes take in your cute and confused form, your drenched hair adhering to your face closely.  Before you could question his silence, the rain came down harder. 

“Oh wow, I thought it would stop soon.” You say as you find Tanjiro’s hair now falling to the front, almost blocking his beautiful, deep magenta eyes. You raise your hand up to his face, using your fingers to comb his hair back and securing them behind his ears. You smile once you get a clear view of his eyes, the boy’s cheeks burning a bright red. 

“There, now I can see your pretty eyes better.” You tease as Tanjiro’s face glows brighter. 

————————————

Ba-dum. 

‘There it is again.’ Zenitsu turns his attention to the two of you. 

Ba-dum.

The rhythm starts to get faster again.

Boom. 

’Now he’s making a different sound.’

Boom.

'Why does it sound like it’s getting closer?' Zenitsu frowns at the change of tone, trying to decipher the sound.

Crraakk! 

“Kyyaahh!” Zenitsu screeches at the new sound, recognizing it as thunder. A flash follows the rumbling, Zenitsu immediately recalling the time he had a very close encounter with lightning. He clings onto Nezuko, big tears dripping down his face as he now begs for everyone to go inside. Nezuko blinks at her frightened friend, patting his head gently as she is reminded of when Ryouta used to cry during thunderstorms. 

“I’m not afraid of any storm! Come fight me, thunder!” Inosuke shouts to the sky. The loud clap forced you and Tanjiro to gather the rest of the group inside, finally getting yourselves settled for the night. As Tanjiro lays on his futon, staring up at the ceiling, he thinks back to where you were dancing in the rain. 

You looked so beautiful spinning around so carefree and happy. He remembers your fingers adjusting his hair to its usual style and how you light and gentle your touch was when he felt it graze against his cheek and ear. Your touch and gaze sent a chill up his spine while his heart began beating against his chest. He quickly changes his position, laying on his side as he tries to focus on sleeping.

————————————

A few weeks pass and it has been the same between you and Tanjiro. Him asking questions or simply sitting beside you either on the engawa or in the middle of the forest during breaktime from training. It was something he looked forward to everyday. When you went out on a mission, he became slightly distracted and a bit more mellow for those three days you were gone. However, when he learns of your return, his demeanor is suddenly lifted.

That is until he hears you’re admitted to the Butterfly Estate for a head injury.

“Tanjiro!” He turns around to the source of the voice, recognizing Murata as the one calling him. 

“Hey man! Good thing I caught you. I need you to give this to __(y/n), please. I’d give it myself, but I feel a bit guilty since I was on the mission with them. I got too distracted by the enemy and I wasn’t there when they needed me. But anyway, please tell __(y/n) that I’ll see them later. I have to give the report to Oyakata-sama.” Murata hands him a small bouquet of flowers, turning towards their master’s home. 

“Wait! But…is __(y/n) okay?” Tanjiro was worried about your current state.

“Yeah, they’re fine. When the medics came, they said it was a minor concussion, but they still needed to be admitted and monitored. Anyway, I really gotta go. Thanks again, Tanjiro!”

“Y-yeah. You’re welcome! Good luck!” He tells Murata as he stares down at the flowers. Tanjiro also starts to feel guilty for not presenting a gift and feels slightly inferior to Murata. He immediately shakes that thought out of his head, almost forgetting his secret mission. He wasn’t supposed to feel competitive towards his friend. He promised Murata to help his feelings reach you. 

————————————

“Tanjiro-kun!” You beamed at him, your heart happily leaping that he is your first guest and the sight of flowers in his hands. You tried to calm yourself, not wanting to look too gleeful at the assumption that the bouquet was for you. 

“__(y/n)! I’m glad you’re okay. I’m sorry to hear about your concussion. Is it painful?” Tanjiro continues to eye your bandage. 

“I had a massive headache earlier, but I got some medicine from Aoi-chan, so, it’s much better now." 

"That’s good.” He almost forgets that he is still holding the flowers. “These are for you." 

"Aw, Tanjiro, thank you! These are so nice.” You gladly accept them, inspecting and admiring the flowers’ beauty. 

“They’re actually from Murata-san. He was really worried about you and wanted you to have these. He wanted to give them to you right away, but he said he has to meet with Oyakata-sama." 

"O-oh! I see. I have to thank him later.” You were both surprised and disappointed that it didn’t come from Tanjiro, but you were still grateful for the small gesture. You just wished it was from the boy who you had a crush on. “Well, thank you for delivering them." 

Did Tanjiro only visit to give you the flowers as instructed? You thought he was here on his own and that he was truly concerned. Maybe he was, but it did seem as if he was here only for Murata.

"You’re welcome. So, what exactly happened on your mission?” He starts the conversation, but suddenly, you’re not in the mood for visitors at the moment. Yet part of you doesn’t want him to go away. 

Before you answer, it was as if someone else decided for you and a knock was heard following the sound of the door opening. It was Aoi with a small tray of tea, medication, and bandages. 

“Sorry, Tanjiro, but __(y/n) needs their treatment and rest. You can visit them later." 

"Oh, right. Sorry about that.” Tanjiro stands up, putting his chair aside as he smiles at you. “I’ll see you later? I hope you feel better soon." 

"Thanks, Tanjiro. See you later.” You wave a hand to him before he exits the room. 

That evening, Murata had visited you as promised, updating you on what had happened before you lost consciousness during the mission. He apologizes repeatedly, even getting on the floor to show how guilty he felt for not protecting you. You reassure him it was okay and that you were not mad at all.

Then the conversation turns into a very different subject. Murata begins to confess his feelings to you and how he had asked Tanjiro to help him scout information on you. Murata tells you everything, again feeling guilty for using Tanjiro as a middle person instead of him going directly to you. He was too shy and afraid of your reaction and thought that the plan in his mind would work out. 

However, cupid’s arrow decided to go a different route and Murata knew to not stand in its way. Another reason why he decided to bring this up now was due to his curiosity. Though he knew his chances of being with you was low, he knew he’d regret it if he never asked. 

Unfortunately for him, his assumptions were right. You couldn’t return his feelings, but he was happy you weren’t too upset at him for what he did. He also begged you to not be angry at Tanjiro, solely taking the blame on himself. You again reassured him that all was well and that you were not upset at anyone. Instead you apologized that you couldn’t reciprocate his feelings.

Once the awkward tension disappears, you’re glad that you still have a friend. You have a quick and light conversation with him and before he leaves for the night, you make sure to thank him for the flowers. Once you’re alone, you sigh loudly to yourself, slightly shocked at what you learned.

Tanjiro was only talking to you for Murata and not because he wanted to get to know you. You knew you couldn’t be angry at anyone, but you definitely felt different with Tanjiro. You’re so upset that your crush didn’t want to get close to you willingly. You sigh again, mentally yelling at yourself to not think so much about it and that it was to be expected that Tanjiro might not feel the same as you. But that thought definitely made small cracks in your heart. 

————————————

“What? You told __(y/n) everything?!” Tanjiro exclaims, surprised at Murata’s bold move. He was so frightened to even talk to you yet here he was telling Tanjiro that he finally confessed to you.

“Yeah, I did. I felt too guilty and it was definitely wrong of me to make you be the middleman. I should’ve had more courage in the beginning instead of involving you. So, I’m really sorry for the trouble." 

"It’s no trouble at all. I’m not upset. I’m just shocked you told them the truth. Were they mad?" 

"No, not one bit. __(y/n) actually apologized that they didn’t like me back, but I told them it was okay. We’re still friends, but I’m not gonna lie and say it doesn’t suck.”

“I’m really sorry about that, Murata-san.” Tanjiro places a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“It’s fine. I mean, I had a feeling it wouldn’t work out, but hey, I think you have a good chance with them!" 

"Me? What makes you say that?” Tanjiro blushes at the mention of you and him potentially being lovers.

“Well, I’m gonna be honest with you, another reason why I decided to tell __(y/n) the truth was I started to notice something. The way you look at them and when you talk about them, your facial expression and tone become different. And different in a good way. You get super excited and happy, which isn’t a bad thing! But that means you totally have a thing for __(y/n), right? And I’m not gonna be mad or jealous at all. If anything, you guys have my blessing! I can see how much you really care for ___(y/n) and I don’t think I’m the right match for them.”

“Hold on, now I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to take them away from you. I hope I didn’t seem that way.” Tanjiro frowns, confused at Murata’s sudden disinterest in pursuing you. He really had every intention of helping his friend!

“God no! I know you’re not that type. I’m just saying, the way you look at __(y/n) and the way they look at you…there’s definitely something there and I’m not gonna get in between that." 

"Y-you really think so?" 

"It is so obvious, even the other three know it.” Murata was referring to Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Nezuko. They bid each other good night after a while, the Kamado boy smiling to himself as he felt relieved that he didn’t have to play matchmaker anymore. It also felt good to finally admit his feelings for you to himself. 

————————————

You were off of bedrest for a while, but decided to avoid the Kamaboko group for a bit. You were confused and conflicted after Murata’s confession and decided you wanted to either be by yourself or with a different group of friends such as Genya and Kanao. You were glad that this week you were paired with Genya for training, but trying to start conversations with him wasn’t the same. He either didn’t say much or he froze up.  

While you were on break from training, you decided to sit out on the engawa where you and Tanjiro usually sat at the Butterfly Mansion. You shook your head to clear your mind of the memory, focusing on meditating and total concentration breathing. You and Tanjiro were in different groups so you had assumed your breaks wouldn’t overlap. 

“___(y/n)!” Ah, what timing. Normally, you’d love to spend time with Tanjiro, but you were so disappointed that it hurt to think about him.

“Hey, Tanjiro.” You smile slightly as you stand to greet him.

“It’s been a while. How is your head?” 

“Much better. I’m all healed up and was cleared to practice my sword and techniques.” You tried to be polite, but deep down, you just wanted to leave.

“That’s good. I heard you’re in a different group this week. How has it been? Are they treating you well? We all miss you, you know. Me, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Nezuko.” 

“Tanjiro…you know, you don’t have to keep hanging out with me.” You felt like you were going to explode if you didn’t get the burden off your chest.

“What do you mean?” Tanjiro frowned, shocked at your response. 

“Murata-kun told me everything. From how he likes me to how you tried to help him. I’m not mad, I’m just a bit surprised.“ You avoided looking at him, your eyes moving from the clouds, trees, and the ground. "So, you don’t have to force yourself to spend time with me anymore. I know you have a busy schedule so I wouldn’t want to take that away from you. We can still hang out, like all four of us when we have a bit of extra time, but you know. . .you don’t have to go out of your way to get to know me anymore either. I wouldn’t want you to do anything you didn’t want to." 

Why did it hurt so much telling him that? If he was only being around you for the sake of his friend, that wouldn’t be fair to him. You didn’t want to be selfish, but not seeing him as often as usual was going to be a bit. . .lonely. 

"But __(y/n), it’s reall-" 

"Tanjiro, really, it’s fine. Like I said, I’m not mad or upset. But anyway, I actually have to go. . .so. . .see you around.” You bowed your head slightly at the male before walking towards the exit, telling your heart to be strong and to not let your emotions on display. You didn’t want Tanjiro to feel like he had to comfort you. You were done getting your hopes up. 

“Wait!” Tanjiro was too slow to respond, too stunned and panicked to get his thoughts organized. You were already gone, but Tanjiro caught a scent of sadness from you before you left. He could feel his heart unhappily thump against his ribcage, causing a small pain as his eyes watered more than usual. 

————————————

The rest of the day and the next week was difficult for both of you. You were used to the routine of spending a few minutes of alone time, but now, your alone time was spent, well, alone. You tried to nap during down time, but it was hard without thinking about Tanjiro. 

The checkered haori slayer was the same, thinking about you and wondering how you were and if the both of you were going to have normal conversations again. He sighed, trying to speak with you, but was always interrupted either by you saying you had something to attend to or busy with missions and training. While Tanjiro thinks of a way to communicate with you, his thoughts are now directed towards his crow flying above him. 

“Caw! Caw! Kamado, Tanjiro! Here are your orders. Head to the Takayama village and hunt the two demons terrorizing the village. The two demons have raided the neighboring towns and continue to spread their chaos. You will be with a team of four, who you are to meet at the front gate now. Prepare yourself well! Caw!” The black bird flies away and Tanjiro gathers his belongings and Nezuko before heading to the meeting place. 

He sees you standing by the gate, bidding your ___(bird) farewell as it flies away. Once his footsteps catch your attention, you turn to greet the person. You freeze slightly, recognizing Tanjiro and you couldn’t believe your luck. Your heart was pounding and you were slightly nervous, remembering how awkward it was between the two of you.

“Hey, Tanjiro.” You politely greet him, giving him a small wave.

“Hey, __(y/n).” He replies back, stopping a good distance from you. His heart was also racing, feeling the tension swirling around you and him. But this was his chance! The rest of the group wasn’t here yet.

“__(y/n), I really need to talk to you. I know that we haven-" 

"Alright!! Let’s go kill some demons!" 

"Why do you look so happy?! Don’t you know we’re gonna die?” Zenitsu begrudgingly walks to the front gate with Inosuke in front of him. 

“Hah! As if! I’m gonna kill them first!” Inosuke replies back. 

“Oh, Inosuke-kun, Zenitsu-kun! It’s been a while since we’ve been on a mission together.” You mentally let out a sigh of relief, happy that you didn’t have to engage in an awkward conversation. Tanjiro frowns at the interruption, his heart growing a bit heavier as he can feel any hope of you two patching things up slowly disappearing.

The five of you head towards your destination, reaching near the village by nightfall. Most of the people in the town were hiding in their homes, not a single soul was out in the streets. They have heard rumors about their surrounding towns being attacked by demons and became frightened of becoming victims. 

“We should split up. If there are two demons, we can find them faster if we’re separated.” Tanjiro suggests.

“I can look for them by myself!” Inosuke unsheathes his swords. 

“No, you won’t. Don’t underestimate them, Inosuke. Your safety comes first, not competing on who can kill who faster.” Tanjiro advises as the boar man stares at him with a giddy expression. “Anyway, I’ll go with Inosuke. Zenitsu, you go with __(y/n)." 

You were a bit surprised he didn’t try to pair himself with you, but you figured now wasn’t the time to ponder too deeply into it. The four of you head into the woods, splitting into different directions with your partners. 

————————————

Zenitsu screams loudly as a figure shoots out from above, attempting to pounce on you both. 

"Perfect! I’ll be ahead of the game once I eat you two.” He shouts, opening his mouth wide to dip his fangs into your flesh. Zenitsu runs behind a tree, trembling in fear while you go to swipe at the demon’s face. He immediately dodges your swing, but quickly attacks again. 

You learn that the demon was competing with the second one and they were playing a sick game on who could consume the most by the end of the night. Because of how much he’s been eating consistently almost every night, his strength was difficult to handle. 

Zenitsu watches in horror as the demon slashes at your back and arm, soaking your uniform with blood. After exchanging a few blows, you and the enemy are pushed back onto the ground, just a few feet apart. Your partner whimpers loudly when the monster crawls to you and grabs your ankle tightly, his sharp nails puncturing through your skin and muscle. He roughly lifts you up, spinning you a few times before throwing you against the tree the thunder user was hiding behind. 

“You’re next.” He laughs, slowly walking towards Zenitsu and you as you momentarily lose consciousness. 

“__(y/n)!” Zenitsu is by your side, panicking at the damage you received. He scolds himself for not participating in the fight and thinks how lucky he was to have a friend like you to tolerate his cowardly behavior. He also thinks of Tanjiro, knowing he would be so disappointed and angry to allow you to get hurt. 

“Run, Zenitsu. . .” You knew how hard this was for him. “I got thi. . .I’ll catch up, I promise.” You struggled to get up, but your injured ankle sends a sharp pain up your leg and through your spine, causing you to momentarily be paralyzed. You calmed yourself, readjusting to the pain. You look at Zenitsu, telling him again to hurry and leave.

“I. . .I won’t!” He refuses as he unsheathes his sword, blocking the demon’s attack. You argue back that you could handle the demon by yourself and you’ll find him once you are finished. 

“Zenitsu, listen to me! I told you I got-”

“No, __(y/n)! I can’t just leave you! I won’t let the person who Tanjiro loves die! He’ll be heartbroken if you’re gone. I don’t want him or any of us to go through that!”

“T-t-tanjiro. . .loves me?” You stare at him with wide eyes, shocked and in disbelief at the indirect confession. "Wait. . .what? Why? And how? How do you know he loves me? Did he tell you?“ 

"He didn’t have to tell me! I could tell by his sound. . .there’s this noise his heart makes and it’s been there for a while and it gets stronger everyday!" Zenitsu explains quickly as he runs away from the demon’s attacks. 

"Are you sure? Like are you really sure?” Your heart was pounding quickly but it wasn’t from the battle. 

“Yes! Of course! He’s been falling for you since the beginning but he was holding himself back to give you away to Murata because Tanjiro knew that Murata had feelings for you!" 

"Really? Does Tanjiro still have the noise? Do I have the noise? Does Inosuke and Nezuko know about this, too?”

“Should we really be talking about this right now!?” He screeches, becoming distracted by your torrent of questions as he almost misses blocking a set of sharp claws. You apologize quickly, forcing yourself to stand up and refocus on your mission. 

However, as soon as you stood up, Zenitsu was thrown to you, knocking you to the floor once again. The demon charges to your direction, licking his lips in anticipation. Before you could switch spots with your partner to take the blow for him, a third person emerges from the trees. 

“Found you!” Inosuke yells, but his twin swords miss your assailant. “Huh? You’re not the demon we were just fighting.”

“__(y/n)! Zenitsu!” You turn your head to Tanjiro’s voice and frown at the injuries on his person. Taking a deep breath, you concentrated your energy and mentality on the battle. You thought of multiple moves and plans to secure victory, sharing your ideas with the others. The second demon that Inosuke and Tanjiro were targeting found them, but instead of teaming up with his competition, their greed cost them. 

They argued constantly on who was going to eat who, which you and the others took advantage of whenever their attention was elsewhere. It definitely was not easy defeating the two, but it made things easier with your team. It took hours to defeat them which left you all panting on the floor from exhaustion, but you were grateful for another successful mission. 

————————————

You were the first to recover during your three day stay at the Butterfly Estate. Thankfully, your injuries were only mild, but the other three were recovering a bit slower than you. You were okay to return for training and missions tomorrow so you were planning on making the best out of the rest of your day.

“May I sit here?” You look to your left to see Tanjiro standing a few feet away from you.

“Oh! Hey Tanjiro, did Shinobu-san medically clear you also?” You gently pat the empty seat beside you, indicating for him to take the spot beside you.

“Yeah, just a few minutes ago.” He answers as he situates himself on the engawa. 

“That’s good. Now we wait for Inosuke and Zenitsu." 

"Yeah.” Tanjiro says softly, looking at the ground in front of him. He doesn’t wait too long to give you the opportunity to leave like before, needing to release the heaviness on his chest.

“I-I’m sorry! Please forgive me!” The burgundy haired slayer shouts suddenly, almost scaring you from the sudden burst of noise. “I know you’re upset with me because of what happened with Murata. I’m sure you must have felt angry and sad and you kept that to yourself all this time just to spare my and Murata’s feelings. You went through a lot because of my carelessness. I shouldn’t have agreed to help Murata-san had I known I was going to fall for you, too. But __(y/n), you’re wonderful. You’re kind, sweet, selfless, strong, funny, beautiful, and you make me feel so. . .so happy. So please, please know that I don’t regret or feel that the time I spent with you was a waste. I loved every second of it. It was the best part of my day and I always looked forward to it. I’m really sorry, __(y/n). I know I don’t expect you to forgive me right away or not be upset, but I miss you so much. I miss your company. I miss laughing with you. I miss sharing memories and secrets with each other. I just miss us being okay." 

You gently lift his shoulders from the ground after watching him bow lowly to you. 

"Tanjiro, of course I forgive you. I was never going to stop talking to you. I just wanted some time for myself. I know I might have seemed upset at you, but I was more upset about the situation." Your chest has a tiny knot from hearing him express how he felt. "I can’t be mad at you if you didn’t have feelings for me and wanted to help Murata. I was just confused and felt extremely dumb because I liked you, but when he told me everything, well I definitely felt embarrassed and disappointed.”

“I’m really, really sorry, __(y/n).” His heart would have done a happy leap when you mentioned your feelings for him. Instead, he was thinking of all the 'what ifs’ scenarios. Would things be different if he admitted his feelings earlier?

“Do you regret. . .falling for me?” You ask quietly, afraid of his answer, but curiosity would not let you hold back. 

“No, not at all! Never! I’m glad that my heart chose you. I just wish the situation could have been different. But like I said, I truly enjoyed getting to know you.”

“I enjoyed your company and your 21 questions.” You chuckle slightly. “Do you still have feelings for me?" 

"Y-yes, I do. They haven’t gone away.” Tanjiro looks down shyly, but his head shoots up quickly when he feels a pair of soft lips make quick contact with his own. 

“Me, too.” You send a small smile, scooting a bit closer to him. Although the kiss was short, he was left speechless, almost as if he was questioning if it truly happened. You start to get a bit nervous at his silence, looking at Tanjiro meekly. He responds back with a swift peck on your lips as well, both of your faces now painted with red. 

When you both finally have the courage to face each other, you share a laugh as you feel confident enough to snuggle into his side. You rest your head on his shoulder, snaking your arms around his. He, too, is feeling bold as the arm that was being held takes your hand and holds it firmly. You and Tanjiro say nothing, letting your hearts do the talking with the sound of their beating. 

[vincess-princess]

Valentine’s Special

a belated present from me for the Valentine’s day and at the same time a completed request for @cometsnix <3 sorry for making you wait so long, dude, i hope you like it :)

Fandom: Motley Crue Rating: T Pairing: Mick Mars\Nikki Sixx Word count: 1990 Warnings: lovestruck Nikki and an unhealthy obsession with blue eyes Summary: What do you do when you have no money and a local bar sells Valentine’s specials at a discount? Right, you and your friend pretend to be a couple.  Author’s note: basically a little silly ficlet :) haven’t really written fluff for a long time, so this one was fun to do. 

“Ew,” Nikki kicked a cardboard heart that was displayed at the entrance of the bar. “The most stupid holiday in existence. Who even came up with that bullshit?”

“Some gay priest or something,” Vince shrugged. “Dunno, man, girls like it. I tell you, your chances of hooking up on Valentines are way higher than usual. If you know how to act, of course.”

“For you, maybe,” Nikki waved his hand. “But I’m not gonna pretend to be romantic and all that stuff just for a hook-up. They gotta accept the real me, you see?”

“Nobody wants the real you, dude,” Vince laughed. “Especially girls. Anyway, are we entering, or?...”

“I’m in if girls are in,” Tommy smiled widely.

“That’s my boy,” Vince patted his shoulder. Nikki wanted to laugh at how he had to rise on his tiptoes to do that, but then he noticed Mick, who was following them silently, as he always did. He was looking at the cardboard heart lying in the dirt by the bar door. His face was devoid of emotion, but his eyes glinted strangely in the dim light of the bar’s neon sign.

Then he raised his head and looked straight at Nikki, and Nikki felt goosebumps running down his back. He quickly picked up the cardboard heart and put it back in its place.

“What, is our badass Nikki Sixx afraid of getting caught?” Vince, of course, had to comment, but Nikki didn’t even hear him. He turned away from Mick and pushed the door, trying to shake off the strange feeling a second of eye contact with Mick had given him.

The bar was almost full, mostly with couples whispering to each other and laughing too loudly at each other’s jokes. Vince spotted a couple of girls sitting at the bar and eyeing every man who entered, touched Tommy by the shoulder and nodded at them. Tommy’s face lit up. The girls weren’t even that pretty, but those two could fuck whatever moved and what didn’t move they would move themselves and fuck as well.

“Pick a table, guys,” Vince said to Nikki and, pulled by Tommy, headed to the bar, not looking back even once.

Mick and Nikki looked at each other and rolled their eyes in unison.

“I swear, they only think about one thing,” Mick murmured. “Let’s go find a table.” He turned around and looked over the bar. The only free places were either at the counter or at little tables for two. Damn it.

“Looks like someone will have to move,” Nikki said mischievously, nodding at the closest booth. The couple inside was in the middle of a passionate kiss.

Mick raised an eyebrow, and Nikki immediately felt like an idiot. Mick was very good at that.

“They can kiss perfectly well at a table for two!” he began, but Mick stopped him with a wave of a hand.

“Go on, hero,” he only said, but Nikki could see a smile in the corners of his mouth. Something warm as though spilled into his chest. Mick didn’t smile that often.

The couple didn’t stop kissing even as he appeared at the table, only letting each other go when he grabbed the guy’s shoulder. “Hey, lovebirds, time to move. Me and my friends need a table.”

The girl looked at him misty-eyed, probably still processing the kiss. The guy, though, understood everything perfectly well and began to go red with anger. Nikki couldn’t measure his height while the guy was sitting, but his shoulders were way wider than his own.

“We were here first!” the dude began.

“Yeah, yeah, heard that,” Nikki interrupted him. In these situations, being outrageously impudent was sometimes the best choice. Sometimes. “You two can move to that table ri-i-ght there,” he pointed at a small table in the corner with dirty plates still on it. “Atmosphere, privacy, music, it’s perfect! Come on, come on,” Nikki pulled the guy out of the booth by the shoulder. For a second he thought that the couple would actually move to that table, but then the guy flexed his muscles threateningly and grabbed Nikki by the collar of his jacket. Well, damn, this bar surely could use a little shake-up today.

Nikki’s back slammed against the wall. The girl screamed “Jordan!” behind their backs. The guy let go of one side of Nikki’s collar, but only to clench his hand into a fist, which then would certainly collide with Nikki’s nose.

But then a thin palm with long, delicate fingers landed on Jordan’s arm and grasped it firmly, holding it in place.

“Hold your horses, Jordan,” Mick said calmly. He looked absolutely relaxed, and only Nikki and the guy himself could notice how deep those fingers dug into his skin. “Be considerate for once in your life and move to that goddamn table.”

Jordan slowly turned his head and looked Mick in the eye, and Nikki realized with a shudder that Mick was way shorter and slimmer than the guy. Why did he even interfere, knowing full well he wouldn’t be able to fight him off since Nikki, with his six-feet height plus four-inch heels wasn’t intimidating enough for him?

Nikki could handle getting beaten, it wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last, but he somehow really didn’t want Mick to get hurt because of him.

Seconds passed. Jordan looked at Mick and Mick looked at Jordan, with his icy blue eyes that always left Nikki slightly uncomfortable, and Nikki kept expecting Jordan to punch Mick and the fight to begin. He could already feel his fists clenching at the thought of the guy hitting Mick, and the goosebumps of anticipation running down his neck and back.

Then Jordan’s grip on his collar weakened.

“Okay,” he said, and Nikki only now realized he was holding his breath. Jordan released him and moved to the table in the corner, his girl following him unconfidently and repeatedly shooting glances at Mick and Nikki.

“Wow,” Nikki mumbled, turning to Mick. “How’d you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Well, calmed him down like that,” Nikki felt stupid under Mick’s unblinking gaze. “I thought he was gonna break my nose for sure.”

“Not everything has to be solved with violence, Sixx,” Mick waved his hand. “Now, are you waiting for someone else to occupy that hard-earned table?”

“Yeah, sure,” Nikki hurried to the table probably way faster than was necessary, but he wasn’t ready to undergo something similar again for a damn table. Though if Mick was going to save his ass again… oh, nevermind, he cut himself off. He was perfectly capable of defending himself. Even from guys like Jordan.

Mick followed him, though maybe with more dignity, and they finally settled in the booth, sitting next to each other on a soft couch. An almost irresistible urge to move closer to Mick washed over Nikki, the urge to feel the warmth of his arm against his own. But then Mick would probably look at him with his staggeringly blue eyes full of contempt, and say quietly but very distinctly “Knock it off, Sixx”, and everything would be ruined. So Nikki stayed in his place, almost afraid to even turn his head to look at Mick.

“Whatcha waiting for?” Mick reached out to take a menu from the other side of the table. “Are we gonna eat today or not? I’m starving.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Nikki laughed nervously and took a menu handed to him by Mick. Their fingers brushed, and Nikki almost had a heart attack. He opened the menu on a random page and pretended to read the description of the dish.

What the hell this goddamn holiday was doing to him?

“Hm, Valentine’s special?” Mick said, moving closer to look into the menu. Turned out the page Nikki randomly opened had a special offer for couples on the Valentine’s day – fifty percent off for the second dish if those ordering it were a couple. “Look, it’s pretty cheap.”

“Yeah,” Nikki rasped. “Only we’re not, hm, a couple, y’know. Also we’re both dudes, just saying. They won’t believe us.”

“Well, if you keep being such a sissy, you can as well pass for a girl,” Mick snickered, and this was something Nikki absolutely couldn’t handle. He – a sissy? Fucking watch me.

“Hey!” he waved to the waitress to attract her attention. She was a good-looking girl, but now Nikki didn’t have time for that. As she approached, a notebook in hand, Nikki pointed at the Valentine’s special. “Could we have this, please?”

“Um,” the waitress stammered, “this is only for couples.”

“Yeah, we know,” Nikki nodded. “We are one.”

“You’re trying to prank me, aren’t you?” the waitress laughed nervously. “Sorry, guys, but we don’t give out special offers to anyone who asks.”

“But we’re not ‘anyone’,” Nikki insisted. Mick watched him from the side with those piercing blue eyes, and Nikki could practically feel his heavy gaze on his skin. “We’re a couple. We deserve to get the special offer. Or are you being homophobic? Do you want your establishment to be claimed as such?”

“What? No, no!” the waitress waved her hand, her cheeks flushed. Nikki even felt pity for her. But he needed to prove a point. “But we can’t just give it to you without- without proof-“

“Oh, you need proof?” Mick suddenly said. Nikki turned to him and almost flinched: Mick’s face was so close to his he could see his nostrils moving with every breath he took. “You’ll get it. Come here.”

He wrapped his arm around Nikki’s waist and pulled him closer.

And then he kissed him.

It lasted only a few seconds, a mere brush of their lips together. It was endless, infinite, and at the same time too quick, and over too soon. Mick’s lips were warm and dry, and his hand on Nikki’s waist firm and confident. Nikki wanted to dissolve into his arms, merge into his body, become one with him, breathe his air and- wait, that was getting a little weird.

Mick broke the kiss, and Nikki felt like a part of him had been taken away with it. He blinked a few times, still trying to process what happened.

“See?” he heard Mick’s voice as though from a distance. “Was it enough proof for you?”

“Yes, yes!” the waitress hurried to write the order down in her notebook. “Anything else?”

“Four beers, please,” Mick said, and he was talking so calmly, so casually, like a life-changing event hadn’t just happened to him. Maybe it really didn’t. Maybe he kissed his friends regularly, Nikki just didn’t notice-

“Hey,” Mick turned to him, “are you alright? Was that okay?”

“Er,” Nikki raised his gaze and looked Mick straight in the eyes. How was he supposed to say that was the best thing that happened to him in his entire life? “No, no, it- it was okay, don’t worry. Maybe we could- we could- do it again? Maybe some other bar has Valentine’s specials…”

“Maybe,” a little smile appeared in the corners of Mick’s mouth. “I wouldn’t mind, actually.”

“Me too,” Nikki murmured. His hand, acting on his own, found Mick’s and entwined their fingers. With every second passing Nikki expected Mick to move his hand away, but Mick never did.

They released each other’s hands only when Tommy and Vince came back to their table and plopped down on the other side of it. The girls at the bar looked at them with dreamy eyes.

“They aren’t supermodels, of course,” Vince nodded at them, totally oblivious to the blush that covered both Nikki’s and Mick’s cheeks, and the fact that they were sitting way too close to each other than friends usually do, “but could use some company, if you know what I mean.”

“I’ll pass,” Mick shook his head. His hair tickled Nikki’s cheek.

Nikki shot Mick a quick glance and said, “Me too.”

[kpopfanfictrash]

Pride and Fidget Spinners (M)

Author: @kpopfanfictrash , as part of the You’ll Never Shop Alone (YNSA) collaboration with @underthejoon and @suga-kookiemonster

Creative Content Contributor: @underthejoon, for this amazing banner

Rating: 18+

Warnings: oral (female receiving), dirty talk, big dick (it’s seokjin, duh), everyone in this fic is a brat, seokjin talks about fair lending

Genre: Rom-Com / Smut / Enemies to Lovers

Word Count: 18,623

Summary:   Seokjin has always prided himself on being the top mall kiosk salesman. His turf, the spot nearest to the fountain, is due to him being the undisputed best in the game. At least, until you arrive and throw his world into chaos.

[ cross-posted to Wattpad here ]

I GET KNOCKED DOWN, BUT I GET UP AGAIN 

YOU ARE NEVER GONNA KEEP ME DOWN

I GET KNO –

SLAP. Seokjin’s hand finds the buzzer, tuning off his alarm to burrow further under the covers. Sunlight streams through the open windows, pricking the back of his eyelids but Seokjin refuses to look. He can sleep for five more minutes. Five more minutes will not kill him.

Somewhere else in his apartment, a bedroom door slams. Wincing, Seokjin pulls his comforter higher. His roommate, Min Yoongi, spends most of his time annoyed with the world – but especially in the morning, and especially before having coffee. Loud banging continues, along with the sound of facial products hitting the sink. Groaning out loud, Seokjin pulls a pillow over his face.

Unfortunately, he is now awake and unable to slip back into his dream. It was a good one, too. Something about Iron Man and that hot barista at the mall Taehyung is crushing on. Squinting into his pillow, Seokjin abruptly sits up and tosses this on the floor.

“Fuck!” he yelps, throwing up a hand.

Every day, Seokjin somehow forgets to close his blinds before sleeping. Groping his way into the bathroom, Seokjin ruffles a hand through mussed morning hair. Turning on both taps in his shower, he waits for the water to warm and stares at himself in the mirror.

Clapping both hands to his face, Seokjin drags down the side of his cheeks. Getting older is weird.

Before he can get too hung up on this fact, Seokjin steps into the tub. “I GET KNOCKED DOWN,” he sings, lathering himself with soap. “BUT I GET UP AGAIN!”

Once out of the shower, dried and with a towel wrapped around his waist, Seokjin wanders into his closet. The sight dims his spirits a bit, seeing rows and rows of neatly pressed suits. Seokjin stares them each down in turn, knowing blinking is a weakness.

Reaching past them, he sighs.

The one at the front is navy, pin-striped and stares at him mockingly. Seokjin remembers wearing that one on his first day of work, nearly three years ago. He remembers how proud his parents were of him when he called them on his way home.

Seokjin’s heart sinks at the memory. That first phone call overlaps with another, less pleasant one. The one after his company decided to move their programming center out of his city. Seokjin was not one of the engineers selected to go. He was – rather unceremoniously – let go.

Let go. Seokjin snorts at the memory. Let go is such a nicer way to say fired. Fired has the ring of burnt smoke to it; it stinks of crumbling foundations and all hell breaking loose. If a company wants to yank one’s livelihood out from under them, Seokjin at least feels they should have the decency to call it what it is. Let go.

Shaking his head, Seokjin pushes past the suit to grab a white button-down. It has been nearly six months since that second call. Four months since his severance ran out and Seokjin realized he needed a job. Three months and three weeks since he began working at the Fidget Funk – even thinking the name makes Seokjin wince.

If someone had told him three years ago that he, Kim Seokjin, with his fancy degree and multiple years of experience, would ever be working a glorified mall job, Seokjin would have laughed in their face. He would have asked what they were smoking and if he could share – and yet. Here he is.

Frowning at himself in the mirror, Seokjin zips up his pants. Perhaps the worst part is that Seokjin was not upset when he was ‘let go.’ He was not actually disappointed by the firing, which disappointed his parents even more. When Bob and Karen from HR sat him down in that tiny, white room and handed him a tiny, white packet, Seokjin could not stop grinning.

His colleagues thought he had been kept when he left the room. That is how much Seokjin hated that company. His pure joy at finally leaving was enough to make up for the sucky way it happened.

Honestly, Seokjin was not surprised when he was fired. His entire last year he worked there, Seokjin spent most of his free time designing apps on his phone. No wonder they let him go, come to think of it. He was hardly their employee of the year.

Grabbing both wallet and keys, Seokjin shoves these into his pockets. Stepping into the hall, he glances at Yoongi’s room. “Yoongi!” he calls. No answer. “Hey! Min Yoongi!”

Continued silence, apart from the harsh thud of bass.

Leaning a shoulder against the wall, Seokjin tries again. “MIN YOONGI!”

The door at the end of the hall opens, hitting the wall. “What?” With a yawn, Yoongi drags a hand through his hair. Bleached blond strands fall about his face. “You said 10:00 AM. It’s 10:01.”

“Right.” Seokjin looks at him pointedly. “But I need to have the kiosk set up by 10:30, or else Bertha gets pissed.”

Yoongi walks past him and frowns. “Who’s Bertha? I don’t remember you working with anyone named Bertha.”

“I don’t.” Seokjin shrugs. Today is one of the rare days their work schedules lined up and – amazingly enough – Yoongi agreed to carpool. “Bertha is the name of my fidget spinner display. She’s temperamental.”

Yoongi groans, shutting the door. “Dude, you need to get a hobby.”

“I do have a hobby!”

“Then, get a girlfriend,” says Yoongi, sliding his keys from the lock. “You have way too much free time on your hands.”

“Do not,” Seokjin mutters, shoving both hands in his pockets as they walk to his car. “I’m working on loads of stuff.”

“Oh, really?” Yoongi flips his phone. “Which amazing app is it today? Let me guess. The one which meows every time a cat comes near? Or, the one which ranks all the apps in your phone from most to least used? Or, maybe –”

“Hey!” Cutting him off, Seokjin pulls open his car door. “You left out Alliterate! The handy app which suggests words which start with the same letter as yours – for casual alliteration.”

Yoongi stares over the roof of his car. “Dude, who would buy that?”

“English majors. Dramatic teenagers writing letters in the eighteenth century.”

“Seokjin.” Yoongi slides into the passenger seat. “You don’t give a fuck about any of these ideas, and therein lies your problem.”

“Oh, really?” Seokjin sticks his keys into the ignition. The car is sweltering, baking from having been left in the sun all morning. “Unlike you and your SoundCloud rapping?”

“Exactly unlike me and my SoundCloud rapping.” Grinning, Yoongi buckles his seatbelt and looks over at Seokjin. “Speaking of which – I have a new track to play.”

“No.”

Turning on the engine, Seokjin winces when a red warning light appears. He apparently needs an oil change soon but – with what money?

“Yes.” Yoongi reaches out, already hooking up his phone. “Just these two hooks, okay? Tell me which one you like more.”

Twelve minutes later, Seokjin pulls into his unofficial parking spot at the mall. “Will you look at that?” he says, turning off the engine. “We’re here! Time to go sell those fidgets!”

Rolling his eyes, Yoongi pushes open the door. Shoving his white Auntie Anne’s visor further up on his head, he glances around. “You’ll be sorry,” he says, slamming the door. “You’ll all be sorry!” Yoongi yells at the empty parking lot.

Patting him once on the back, Seokjin walks inside. “You know that I like your music.” Seokjin shivers when they both hit the AC. “More than like it, in fact. You’re too good and you know it – your head is inflated, and I have to take you down a peg.”

Yoongi scoffs. “Yeah, because all this pretzel rolling is inflating my ego. I’m basically Kanye, pre-Kim. Or Kanye, post-Kim. Say what you will about the guy, he’s remarkably consistent about how good he thinks he is.”

Snorting, Seokjin quiets when they pass by Kay Jewelers. Both men swerve to avoid eye contact, since they never know when what’s-her-name will be working. Seokjin makes a face. He always forgets her name, but the Kay Jewelers girl is usually after the dick of someone in the mall. Both he and Yoongi have been on the receiving end of that hunt before.

“Alright.” Coming to a stop at his kiosk, Seokjin lowers his gym bag to the ground. “Here is where I bid thee adieu.”

Yoongi continues walking. “Bye.”

“BYE, BEST FRIEND!” Seokjin yells, waving as Yoongi crosses the food court.

Several heads turn, and Seokjin continues waving until his roommate is gone. Grinning, Seokjin returns to his kiosk. Unlocking the metal grating, he pulls this up to reveal a brightly colored display. The morning routine is standard. Inventory, balancing the register, ensuring all displays are functional. Each time he passes the front, Seokjin sees his name on the register.

The kiosk’s top salesman, three months in a row.

It might seem like a silly thing to be proud of, but Seokjin is at a point in his life where everything has gone wrong. Everything he does seems to become a failure and even though he hates this job and hates these fidget spinners (okay, that’s harsh – no one hates fidget spinners), at least he can succeed at this one, small thing.

Selling shit to people they absolutely do not need.

Leaning against the counter, Seokjin crosses an ankle to wait. The mall opens on weekdays at 11:00 AM, prompt. Some places are open earlier – like Java Joe’s, the coffee shop, and maybe the gym – but Seokjin’s kiosk is standard mall hours. Rubbing his eyes, Seokjin glances longingly in the direction of Java Joe’s, but there are only five minutes until the mall opens. He needs to remain where he is.

Pulling his phone from his jacket, he shoots off a quick text.

Seokjin: yo [10:55 AM]

It takes a moment for Namjoon to respond.

Namjoon: what do you want? [10:56 AM]

Seokjin: nothing!!! [10:56 AM]

Namjoon: … [10:56 AM]

Seokjin: ok fine [10:56 AM]

Seokjin: I’ll come clean [10:56 AM]

Seokjin: are you doing the morning shift at T-Mobile [10:56 AM]

Namjoon: …. Yes [10:57 AM]

Namjoon: why? [10:57 AM]

Seokjin: do u think… on ur next break… u could bring me some coffee?? [10:57 AM]

Namjoon: get it yourself [10:58 AM]

Seokjin: pleaseeee Joon?? I never ask you for anything! [10:58 AM]

Seokjin: Chad called in sick, so I’m here all alone : ( [10:58 AM]

Namjoon: sigh. Fine – can you hang on until 1? [10:58 AM]

Seokjin: : ( [10:58 AM]

Namjoon: ur the worst but fine, I’ll try to get away sooner [10:59 AM]

Seokjin: THANKS JOON [10:59 AM]

Seokjin: grande iced Americano, no milk [10:59 AM]

Namjoon: u wouldn’t treat Yoongi like this [10:59 AM]

Seokjin snorts, shoving his phone in his pocket. He absolutely would treat Yoongi like this – problem is, Yoongi rarely responds. He usually spends his work breaks engrossed in his music. If anything, Seokjin is the one who brings coffee to him.

The first two hours pass by at a glacial pace. Seokjin regularly looks at his watch, wondering why the day is moving so slowly. True, it is a weekday but there is usually steady traffic. Stay at home parents and high school kids with nothing better to do than spend their summers at the mall, drinking Orange Julius’ next to the fountain.

It took Seokjin two months to convince his boss to put in for this spot. Next to the fountain is prime mall real estate, since you need to pass by it in order to reach anywhere else. Which is why it is strange that Seokjin has had zero customers.

He is still frowning when Namjoon appears at his workplace, iced coffee in hand. Namjoon wears his T-Mobile manager uniform, complete with a badge which declares his name and title. Kim Namjoon, Assistant Manager.

“Two?” Seokjin fake gasps, holding out a hand. “All for me?”

“Nope.” Namjoon only gives one to him. “One is for me.” 

“Rude.” Seokjin sniffs, turning to survey the mall.

“What is? The fact that I brought you coffee?”

“Sure.”

Namjoon laughs. “What’s up with you today? You seem super distracted.”

Squinting at the fountain, Seokjin shakes his head. “I don’t know. Things have been so quiet today. Is there something going on? A deal at Woodbury mall, or something?”

“Hm.” Namjoon’s brow furrows. “Not that I know of, I – oh, wait.” He straightens, glancing across the food court. “When I was walking over here, I did see a new kiosk. Maybe they’re taking some of your customers?”

“A new kiosk?” Seokjin looks up in alarm. “Where?”

“There.” Namjoon points behind a browning, potted plant.

Seokjin peers in the direction Namjoon is pointing. In his line of vision stands a brand-spanking-new kiosk. The sides are all pristine, gleaming and white, with the kind of bright-colored accents designed to draw people in. Neat boxes of toys line the shelves, almost as pretty as Seokjin’s own display.

Groaning, Seokjin sinks to his kiosk. “Drones?” He glances at Namjoon. “How are fidget spinners supposed to compete with fucking drones?”

“Dunno.” Namjoon takes a sip of his coffee. “I first saw them this morning, but they’re getting pretty good business. Nearly tripped over their salesgirl on my way here. She’s cute,” he adds, glancing at Seokjin.

Seokjin glowers. “Cuter than me?”

“Maybe.” Namjoon shrugs.

“Impossible.” Seokjin glares in the direction of the kiosk. On one side, he can barely make out the shape of a worker and based on what he sees, Seokjin begrudgingly thinks Namjoon might be right. You could be cute.

Namjoon drains the rest of his cup. “Well. Gotta go,” he says cheerfully, clapping Seokjin on the back. “Breaks don’t last forever. Hope the rest of your day picks up.”

“Thanks,” Seokjin mutters. “Hope so, too.”

Namjoon leaves, returning the same way he came towards the T-Mobile store. Seokjin continues to glance at the competing kiosk, staring with envy at its remote-controlled helicopters.

Up until now, the competitive landscape at the mall has been easy. There is a guy on the second floor selling Proactive but other than that, Seokjin has never had real competition. Until now, it would seem.

Rather than be turned off by this fact, Seokjin tilts his head. The only reason he lasted as long as he did at his prior company is because of how competitive he is. Even if Seokjin does not care about the product, he still works tirelessly to be called number one. He should stop by and check out the competition – just to be certain there is no real risk.

Seokjin’s phone buzzes, revealing a text from his boss. Lisa will be here at 5:00 PM, meaning Seokjin only must hold out a few hours before he can see the new kiosk.

Only a few more hours until he knows what he is up against.

Lisa’s arrival at five means Seokjin is afforded a half-hour break. He uses this to grab food, bothering Yoongi at Auntie Anne’s before moving on. Dinnertime at the mall is typically crowded and Yoongi tends to throw mustard if Seokjin overstays his welcome.

Not wanting to ruin his button-down, Seokjin wanders in the direction of your kiosk. He eyes this as he approaches, finding the reality of the situation to be worse than he feared. The drones you stock are cool and what is more – they are all beautifully displayed. The stand might even rival Bertha.

Crossing both arms over his chest, Seokjin examines the kiosk. The products are neat, all of them aligned in carefully placed rows. The fingers on his right hand twitch, really wanting to touch the remote- controlled helicopters, but before he can move –

“Can I help you?” you ask, bright and cheerful. Seokjin flinches, gaze darting to you.

Fuck – seeing you up close, Seokjin’s jaw nearly hits the ground. You are gorgeous. There is no other word for it. The smile you give is infections; it makes him want to smile back. More than that – Seokjin finds himself wanting to be the reason for that smile, but no! Straightening his spine, Seokjin reminds himself that you are the competition.

Looking at you, his scowl deepens.

Your own smile falters. “Did you want me to take that one out?” you ask, pointing at the drone. “Show you how it works?”

Seokjin shrugs, as though he could not care less. “I’m not here to buy, actually.”

Now, it is your turn to look confused. “I – uh, okay.” You squint. “Then, why are you here?”

Seokjin realizes how creepy he sounds. In your eyes, he has wandered over, stared at your merchandise for a prolonged period of time and then announced he was not here to buy. A grade-A creep rivaled only by that one flasher who lurks in female footwear.

“Uh…” Backtracking, Seokjin jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “I work at that kiosk, actually. I’m Seokjin.”

Unimpressed, you glance in this direction. “Y/N. And – uh, okay?”

“I stopped by to say hello. And to see what you’re selling.”

As he speaks, you read the name of his kiosk. Your upper lip twitches as slowly, you return to looking at him. Seokjin is unnerved by your smile. For some reason, he has the sinking suspicion he is the butt of your joke.

“Oh,” you say, tone entirely different. “That kiosk. Brandi mentioned you.”

“Brandi?”

“My boss.” You wave towards the middle-aged woman on the other side of the kiosk. Seokjin thinks he has seen her around before. “She said you’ve been selling pretty well the past couple of months. Great job.”

Seokjin tries not to seem smug – there is an undercurrent to your tone which screams subterfuge. “I mean, yeah,” he says carefully. “Things are going pretty well for us.”

“Strange, then.”

“What is?”

“Strange that we’re doing so much better than you.”

Someone could scrape Seokjin’s jaw off the dirty, child-scuffed floor. You smirk at him, tapping two fingers against the pretty, floral sleeve of your tunic. If Seokjin did not know better, he would think you were flirting with him.

Except you just fucking insulted him.

“I…” Shaking his head, Seokjin’s voice is strangled. “Mall traffic has been slow this morning. No big deal. I guess once you’ve been around longer, you’ll know that.”

“Hm.” You purse your lips. “I don’t know – things have been pretty crazy for us today. We already ran out of a product. Wild, right?”

Seokjin’s mouth dries, his ears starting to buzz – all evidence of his pure hatred of you. Obviously. It could not be anything else.

“You ran… out of something? Already?”

Seokjin’s voice squeaks on the last word, making him cringe.

“Not bad, huh? Although, I guess once we’ve ‘been around longer,’” you mock with a grin, “we’ll get more lulls. Must be nice.”

In the face of his clear disbelief, you have the nerve to wink.

Seokjin begins to see red. “Yeah,” he croaks, recovering himself. “Beginner’s luck is nice, too.”

Your smile disappears. “How long is your break? I don’t think my kiosk could afford to have me gone for so long.”

Not looking away, Seokjin shoves the rest of his pretzel in his mouth. Chewing exaggeratedly, he watches you wince. “Sorry,” he mumbles around cinnamon-sugar bread. “Thanks for the reminder. I do need to be getting back. Can’t have my kiosk without its top salesman.”

Nose wrinkled; you continue to stare. “If that’s your idea of finesse, I think they can manage without you.”

“Please.” Seokjin gives you a pointed look. “I’m literally dripping with finesse.”

Your lips twitch, suppressing the gesture. Seokjin is impressed by your stoicism, since he knows he is a good-looking guy. That much is a non-debatable fact. Even if it were not, he can see by the way your gaze lingers, that you like what you see. And still – when your gaze returns to his face, your expression is artfully composed.

Fuck, Seokjin realizes. You really are going to be competition.

“Is that all?” Blithely, you turn. “Did you just stop by to see how much better we’re doing?”

Seokjin scowls at your arguably perfect behind. “I came to see how much product you have left, yeah.”

Glancing over your shoulder, you grin. “Why? Worried we’ll sell out before you can buy?”

“No.” Undercutting his conviction, Seokjin glances again at the helicopter. “I’ve got my hands full, thanks.”

“Ri-ght.” You draw out the word. “Then, you should probably get back to the, uh – Fidget Funk.”

Seokjin’s ears turn red with embarrassment. “I will,” he blurts, spinning around on his heel. “You have fun at the Drone Dome – fuck,” he mutters, coming to a stop. “That’s actually such a cool name.”

Without waiting for a response, he stalks away. All the way across the food court, your laughter rings out behind him. Upon reaching his kiosk, Seokjin glances over his shoulder. You are not paying attention to him, already engaged with another customer and Seokjin’s stomach slowly sinks.

He might be in trouble – and in more ways than one.

Seokjin arrives the next day ready for battle.

Before, he was unprepared – caught off guard by your wily ways, but no longer! He is Kim Seokjin, crusader of goals and defender of the kiosk. The fact that Seokjin does not care about fidget spinners does not matter. They are his unfortunate chosen weapon and so, he will die upon this metaphorical sword.

Leaning against his kiosk, Seokjin spins a toy in one hand. Smiling and nodding at everyone who passes, he tries not to seem creepy or make eye contact for too long. This is the number one rule of kiosk sales – be deliberate, but approachable.

Most kiosk salespeople fail here, never ascending past the first stage of selling. They leer at shoppers, approaching women with earbuds in, or spraying perfume without asking. Not Seokjin. Seokjin is the very image of class, one ankle crossed over the other.

Seated at the food court is a large group of collegiate girls. At least, Seokjin assumes this based off one girl’s University sweatshirt. They sit clustered around Starbucks drinks (a slap in the face to Java Joe’s!), giggling every so often and glancing at Seokjin. Despite knowing they see him, Seokjin pretends not to care. Every so often, he pushes a hand through his hair and angles himself in the light.

Eventually, he knows one will come over and when they do, Seokjin will whip out the charm. A shadow steps into his path, blocking the sunlight.

Seokjin frowns. “Get out of the way,” he says, bored. “I almost have a sale.”

Arms crossed; you glance over a shoulder. The group of girls glare at you, clearly perturbed at having their view interrupted.

Snorting, you return to Seokjin. “Oh, please. So, what – you’re a pedophile, in addition to creep?”

Jerking upright, Seokjin scowls. “I am not a pedophile. I’m just trying to make a sale.”

“Of what kind?” you ask pleasantly.

“Fidget spinners.”

“Hm. Could’ve fooled me.”

Shrugging, you take a long sip of your coffee. Seokjin tries not to linger on the way your lips wrap around the straw.

I don’t have to explain myself to you,” he says stiffly. “Now, move. You’re blocking my light.”

“Whatever,” you yawn, leaving. As you enter the food court, you give Seokjin an excellent view of your backside walking away. “We’ll still beat your sales target today, anyways!” you call back.

Glaring at your retreating head, Seokjin holds out for as long as he can before dropping his gaze to your ass. Waggling fingers over your shoulder, you disappear behind the potted plant. The college girls resume looking at him but now, Seokjin finds he does not care.

Really, he should be thanking you. As soon as you are gone, three of the girls wander up to his kiosk. Seokjin sells five fidget spinners in one hour, thanks to the jealousy your presence provoked. Rather than be pleased by this fact though, Seokjin becomes even more agitated. He does not like feeling in your debt.

The next time your shifts overlap, determined to get even, Seokjin switches tactics. He parks on the opposite end of the mall, necessitating he should walk by your kiosk. Yoongi complains about this, but Seokjin merely ignores him.

Slowing as he passes your kiosk, Seokjin waits for you to look up.

Both elbows leaned to the counter, you scroll casually through your phone. When your gaze flicks up, taking him in – you blink.

“Oh, come on,” you groan.

Waving to Yoongi, Seokjin veers in your direction. “Oh, hey!” He stops at your display, nonchalantly stretching his arms overhead. “Having a good morning?”

Gaze darting to his pants and back up, you almost seem flustered. “I – how tight are those jeans?”

Seokjin’s grin widens. “What, these old things?”

Turning around, Seokjin checks out his own ass, as though surprised by its appearance. He is rather proud of his legs, actually. There is a reason Seokjin spends so much time in the gym with Jungkook. His newly bought skinny jeans show off his best assets. Not to mention how satisfying it is to see you rendered speechless.

Your gaze returns to his, smoldering. “There’s a tag still in the pocket, genius.”

“Oh.” Grandly, Seokjin plucks this off – fuck, that just cost him an entire week of spending allowance. “Well, there you go. Wouldn’t want to distract from the view.”

Jaw clenched, you seem as though you want to say more, but hold yourself back. “Great.”

Seokjin smirks. “Isn’t it?”

Whirling around, you pretend to be busy but Seokjin can tell your register has already been counted.

“Shouldn’t you be getting back to your kiosk?” You glower, glancing over your shoulder. “I’d hate to waste any more of your time standing here.”

Seokjin’s grin broadens. “You’re right,” he agrees. “That’d be a shame. See you around, Y/N!”

Happily, he turns and walks back the food court. With each step his grin widens, imagining you watching him leave. The rest of his day is spent in lazy self-satisfaction.

As it turns out, Seokjin should have been warier. Your silence was not acceptance of defeat, but a determined self-call to arms. The very next day, Seokjin walks past your kiosk and nearly spills his drink down his shirt.

You stand off to the side, bent to display a generous amount of cleavage. Seokjin’s jaw drops, unable to look away. He realizes how inappropriate he is being when you look up and see him.

“Seokjin!” Straightening, you wave.

The action makes your breasts bounce, causing Seokjin’s pants to feel tighter.

Yoongi snorts at his side. “Good luck, man,” he says, patting Seokjin once on the back before walking away.

Seokjin is left alone, facing the wiles of his enemy.

“Hey,” you say, raising both brows. “Seokjin? Are you okay?”

Forcing himself to move, Seokjin walks robotically forward. He does not allow himself to look below your collarbone – fuck, you must be wearing a push-up bra. There is no other way a single day could cause such a dramatic transformation.

Unable to help himself, Seokjin sneaks another peek.

When he looks up, you are smirking at him. “See something you like?”

The tips of Seokjin’s ears turn crimson. “I – what?”

“The merchandise,” you say sweetly, waving a hand. “We just got in a few new toys over the weekend.”

Seokjin has no response to this, having momentarily forgotten what words are.

Your lips twitch. “Is something wrong, Seokjin?”

Seeing the teasing look in your eyes, Seokjin fumes. “Nothing’s wrong,” he says, jaw snapping shut. “I’ll just be on my way, then. Lots of… fidgets to spin.”

Turning around, he dramatically walks off.

He cannot help but feel oddly unsettled, throat burning in a way which does not make sense. Anger, he tells himself. The emotion is merely annoyance. It is completely natural he would hate his competitor. Natural, for him to think about what their lips would look like shut up by his.

It takes two weeks for Seokjin to enact the next phase of his plan. Which is – dramatic entertainment. Basically, phase two involves Seokjin researching fidget spinner hand tricks for hours at a time on YouTube. It reaches to the point where Seokjin is in near hibernation. Jungkook sends him texts every so often, asking when he will return to the gym, but Seokjin is a man on a mission and cannot be stopped.

He starts off slowly, learning the simple fidget spinner hand transfer. Next is the hand twist, rated Difficulty Level Two by the most known YouTube star. From there, learning the around the back is easy. This maneuver is more complex – it involves Seokjin physically throwing the fidget spinner over his shoulder to catch in the other hand.

Once Seokjin can control two fidget spinners at once, he deems himself ready.

Phase two goes into action on a busy Saturday afternoon. Seokjin hijacks the Fidget Funk’s speakers, hooking up his iPhone to the horror of his co-worker, Lisa.

“Oh, no,” she groans. “Please tell me you aren’t doing what I think you’re doing.”

“Are you thinking I’m doing a fidget spinner trick show?” Seokjin adjusts the sweatband on his forehead. “Alright, then. I won’t tell you.”

“God, how embarrassing.” Lisa slumps low in her chair. “Well, at least do it before Chad gets here.”

“Noted. What song should I use?” Seokjin flips through his playlist. “Hero by Enrique Iglesias? Whatcha Say by Jason Derulo? The Cha Cha Slide?”

Lisa stares in disbelief. “What vibe are you going for, exactly?”

“None of those?” Seokjin frowns. “What about All Star by Smash Mouth?”

“How about Cotton Eyed Joe?” Lisa offers. “That seems more fitting with all of… this.”

Ignoring her sarcasm, Seokjin selects a song to press play. The first notes of Everybody by Backstreet Boys plays through the speakers. Lisa groans and slumps even lower.

At first, no one notices Seokjin at all. People sidestep him, focused solely on getting to the food court but then, Seokjin executes a perfect shoulder throw. A kid stops to watch. His mom stops too, trying to drag her kid forward but failing in her mission.

“Hey!” Seokjin beams, switching the spinner from one hand to the other. “Want to see more?”

The boy nods and before long, Seokjin has managed to gather a small crowd. Over the ooh’s and ahs of children, Seokjin converses with their moms.

“Fidget spinners are proven to help concentration in both kids and adults,” Seokjin says with a hand twist. “One of my friends was telling me a story the other day. He and this AVP at his office are both tactile people and remember better while doing something with their hands. So, they end up having this entire meeting while playing with fidget spinners from her office.”

The moms all laugh, moving forward to let their kids pick out a toy. By the time the day ends, Seokjin has beaten all previous sales records. He has also managed to capture the attention of most people in the mall – including you.

And Namjoon, who stops by before closing.

“Dude,” Namjoon laughs, leaning one arm to his kiosk. “Why are you being so extra lately? It’s just a temp job. Who cares?”

“I care, Namjoon.” Seokjin bristles. “Is it so wrong to want to do well at my work? To want to improve the sales of my peers. Frankly, Namjoon, I’m insulted you would –”

“Hey, Kim!” you yell, passing by. “Heard you’re trying to break into show business!”

Seokjin abruptly stops talking. “Trying?” he calls back. “I’m already there. Were you able to catch a performance?”

Rolling your eyes, you walk backwards. “Of course, I did! The whole fucking mall saw you, Seokjin. Your music was so loud, people physically moved in the food court.”

Seokjin’s grin widens. “What’d you think?”

“I think you should stick to sales.” Shaking your head, you try not to smile. “Anyways, just wait until you see what we’re doing this weekend. It’ll make your lame tricks look like nothing!”

“Can’t wait!” Seokjin cups both hands over his mouth. “I love to watch lofty dreams come crashing down!”

Shaking your head, you turn around and disappear into the mall. Once you are gone, Seokjin returns to Namjoon.

“What?” he blinks, seeing his friend’s smug expression.

Namjoon’s smile widens. “Oh, nothing.”

“What?”

Namjoon merely laughs, grabbing his smoothie and turning away. “Good luck with that, man!”

Seokjin stares after, not understanding but deciding it is not worth his while. Namjoon always thinks he knows so much – granted, he usually does, but that is not the point. The point is Seokjin does not and so, he should not worry about it now.

The next day is busy, which means Seokjin barely has time to consider the performance you mentioned. He is again covering for Lisa, who failed to show up. Chad and Seokjin are the only ones covering the kiosk, which Seokjin despises because Chad is his least favorite co-worker. Lisa may be flaky, but at least her presence is tolerable. Chad is always going off on tangents about who wronged him on Twitter that day, and why.

Chad is also terrible at customer service – no surprise – which means Seokjin must handle all returns and exchanges. A tedious task in itself, let alone with Chad’s monotonous voice in his ears. In fact, the morning is so busy, Seokjin barely remembers to eat, let alone visit you.

It is the sound of cheers over the food court which make him look up.

Midway through a transaction, Seokjin pauses to glance at your kiosk. You and your Manager – Brandi – stand before it, navigating two competing drones in the air. It seems several people are betting on which drone will win.

Rolling his eyes, Seokjin returns to his customer. Smiling blandly, he hands the woman her money and ignores the wild cheers growing steadily behind him. It makes Seokjin’s teeth grind, realizing you might be drawing a bigger crowd than he did.

Unable to stop himself, he peers over his shoulder. Seokjin’s eyes widen. Above the food court, a helicopter loops circles around a remote-controlled plane. They no longer seem to be racing, dive- bombing the crowd and swooping up at the last second. Kids squeal in excitement, running around underneath.

Seokjin scowls, slamming shut the register. His mind revolts at the knowledge that your show is better than his – also, there is the maddening fact that Seokjin wants a drone for himself. Huffing under his breath, Seokjin turns away.

Before he can tell Chad he is going on break, a scream pierces the crowd.

“MOVE!” Seokjin hears your voice above the rest. “KIDS, MOVE!”

Seokjin whirls around, spotting the helicopter spinning out of control. Kids duck from its path, their hands held overhead as the helicopter sputters, dips and sputters again. Steam curls from its top, clearly not responding to the remote you hold in one hand.

Worse than that, the drone is headed in their direction.

“Chad, move!” Seokjin yells, diving out of the way.

Chad looks up just in time to see the helicopter crash into their kiosk.

Fidget spinners fly every which way. From his spot on the floor, several hit Seokjin in the back of his legs – he winces, curling into himself. Chad’s sputtering continues above as the slow whir of helicopter blades begins to wind down.

Seokjin hesitantly looks up. The kiosk above him is chaos. Nothing seems to be broken, but his carefully placed display – Bertha! – is entirely out of whack. Brightly colored boxes lie on the floor, shelving hanging precariously off the sides of the kiosk.

You dash into view, skidding to a stop inches away from his nose. “I’m so sorry!” you cry, a useless remote held in one hand. “I don’t know what happened, I swear.”

Your gaze darts to Seokjin’s, still lying prostrate on the floor.

He slowly pushes himself to stand, staring in shock at the disastrous kiosk. Seokjin expects to feel angry. He should feel pissed, since all his hard work was erased and now, he will have to spend several hours cleaning it up, but – nothing.

Well, that is not entirely true.

Seokjin wishes he could wipe that look of distress from your face. “It’s alright,” he says, still looking at you.

Surprise flickers over your expression.

Chad steps out from behind the kiosk. “Oh… my… god,” he says, eyes wide.

“I’m really sorry,” you repeat, face twisted in agony.

Before you can continue, your manager appears. “Go back to the kiosk, Y/N,” she says, sighing. “There are a bunch of customers to take care of. I’ll handle this.”

It appears you wish to say more, but a stern look from Brandi is silencing. Giving Seokjin an apologetic look, you turn on your heel to walk across the food court.

Brandi waits until you are out of earshot before looking at Seokjin. “I’m sorry about the disruption,” she offers.

Seokjin tears his gaze away. “It’s okay.”

“What?!” Chad stomps out to point a finger at Brandi. “It is not okay! You and your dumb drones wrecked our display!”

Brandi looks at his finger, unimpressed. She glances at Seokjin. “You can throw that helicopter away. If anything of yours has been damaged, let me know. We’ll pay for it – just send me an itemized receipt by the end of the day, okay?”

Seokjin nods, a bit thrown by the interaction. “Yeah, alright. Sounds good.”

Brandi looks at him thankfully, turning around to return to her kiosk. Once she is gone, Chad whirls on Seokjin.

“Man, what the fuck?”

Bending, Seokjin picks up a lone fidget spinner. “What do you mean, what the fuck?”

“They should’ve…” Chad trails off, shaking his head. “Done more. I don’t know. They should’ve cleaned up the whole area, or something!”

Seokjin snorts, replacing the toy on the counter. “Relax,” he says. “It’s not like anything is seriously damaged. We just need to re-stock the display and besides, they don’t know how to do that. It’ll be faster if we do it.”

“Even so,” Chad mutters. He begins cleaning up, casting an angry glance in the direction of the Drone Dome. “They should still fucking pay.”

“They will, if anything’s broken,” Seokjin says simply.

He then tunes Chad out, putting himself to work. Re-stocking Bertha takes a while but, in the end, Seokjin is happier with its order. He keeps thinking you will stop by after your shift, but you do not. Perhaps you are too embarrassed to do so, or maybe Brandi warned you not to go near them again.

Whatever the reason, Seokjin cannot leave before closing. When he finally passes kiosk on his way to the gym, everything is closed, and you are nowhere in sight.

Seokjin lingers a moment before he moves on.

SLAM.

Seokjin drops his barbells, the sound echoing through the gym in a satisfying way. Several women on the elliptical look up in annoyance.

“Sorry!” Seokjin calls, wiping sweat from his neck.

Although the women continue to glare, they return to their workout. Jungkook snickers into the sleeve of his t-shirt, biceps bulging beneath the tight fit of his clothes. Pulling a power bar from his pocket, Jungkook waves at the weights Seokjin discarded.

“Give me ten more.”

Seokjin glares. “Go choke.”

“Can’t.” Unwrapping his snack, Jungkook takes a large bite. “Told my current hook-up that was just for her.”

“Gross.” Seokjin groans, bending to grab the weights. “I didn’t need to know that.”

Jungkook grins, displaying chocolate and teeth. “Ten more,” he repeats.

Despite several muttered curse words under his breath, Seokjin obeys. Dropping the weights again on the floor – in direct defiance of the no weight-dropping sign – Seokjin grabs his knees with both hands.

“Alright,” he huffs, squinting at Jungkook. “I don’t care anymore if I’m in shape. I care more about snacks. Snacks and alcohol.”

“I’m choosing to ignore that.” Jungkook takes another bite. “I’m using one of my free guest passes on you, so you better be worth it.”

Rolling his eyes, Seokjin takes a long swig from his water bottle. Despite this, he still follows Jungkook as they walk to the treadmills. Jungkook is right, he is doing Seokjin a favor by letting him work out for free. Truth be told, Seokjin hated Jungkook when he first began at the mall. Jungkook was young, good- looking and got tons of attention – male and female, alike.

He was the competition.

Over time though, this distrust dissolved and somehow, Jungkook is now one of Seokjin’s closest friends. When he is not annoying the hell out of him, that is.

Throwing his wrapper in the trash, Jungkook wipes both palms on his pants. “So.” Stepping onto a treadmill, he turns the speed to three. “How’s it going with drone girl?”

Seokjin follows suit. “She knocked over my display today.”

“Like, on purpose?”

“Nah.” Seokjin shakes his head. “On accident. She was doing a demo and one of the helicopter drones broke. Crashed into my kiosk.”

“Oh.” Jungkook’s brow furrows. “Still – annoying. Increase your speed.”

Seokjin obeys. “Eh,” he huffs, beginning to jog. “I don’t think it was on purpose. But still, she’s just so frustrating.”

“What’s frustrating? Increase your speed again to four.”

“I don’t know,” Seokjin says, following suit. “She’s frustrating. She has this way of looking at me, you know?”

“Looking at you in like, a creepy way?”

“No…” Seokjin’s feet pound the treadmill. “She’s a tease.”

“Sounds hot.”

“She keeps messing with me.”

“You keep messing with her.”

“She made fun of my fidget spinners!”

Jungkook bursts into laughter. To add insult to injury, he barely seems winded at all by their run and Seokjin is panting.

“Dude. Fidget spinners suck. I’ve heard you say that on multiple occasions.”

“Sure, but she doesn’t have to say that!”

“Whatever, bro.” Jungkook grins. “Sounds to me like you want to fuck her.”

Seokjin is so startled, he nearly trips on the treadmill. “I do not.”

“No judgement here! Do it once, get it out of your system.”

“I don’t want to fuck her, Jungkook.” Seokjin glares in his direction. “She hates me. And I hate her!”

“O-h,” Jungkook says knowingly. “So, you’re in love with her. I get it. Increase your speed to five.”

Seokjin obeys, face turning beet-red. “Jungkook,” he growls. “Shut the fuck up.”

“Make me.”

Reaching out, Seokjin turns the speed on Jungkook’s treadmill to eight.

“Hey!” Jungkook yelps, breaking into a sprint. He manages to keep up, pushing a hand through his hair. When Seokjin rolls his eyes, Jungkook grins. “Nailed it.”

Seokjin returns to his machine. “Besides, you’re one to talk,” he mutters. “Aren’t you in love with the juice girl, or something?”

On reflex, Jungkook glances over his shoulder. Seokjin can tell by his lovesick expression he is right. Juice girl only started working recently at the gym and from what Seokjin can tell, Jungkook is entirely smitten. He has never been subtle about the women he likes, but with juice girl, Jungkook seems to have met his match.

She is completely immune to his charms. Seokjin cannot help but feel sympathy for the guy. Or – at least, he does until Jungkook returns to him with a grin.

“So.” He wriggles his eyebrows. “How hot is kiosk girl, anyways?”

“No.” Seokjin reaches out to increase Jungkook’s incline. “You’re not going to fuck my mortal enemy.”

“Well, if you’re not going to.”

“Think about juice girl!” Seokjin yells – entirely unintentional, but he is running out of breath.

Jungkook retaliates by upping his speed. By the end of their sprint, Seokjin feels like collapsing. He steps off his treadmill with wobbly legs, feeling as though he has just run a marathon. Not that Seokjin would ever run a marathon, of course, but he can imagine. Jungkook follows suit, hopping down from his machine.

“Good workout.” Jungkook wipes his forehead with a towel. “Wanna come over and hang? Hoseok from Foot Locker is gonna come, too.”

Seokjin nods, taking a sip from his water bottle. “Yeah, okay.” He glances again at the door, but your kiosk is too far to see. “Sounds good to me.”

As they walk towards the locker rooms, Jungkook chatters aimlessly but Seokjin cannot stop thinking about you. While he showers and changes, Jungkook’s words replay in his mind. The idea of Seokjin having a crush on you is insane. The two of you have barely exchanged one nice word since you met.

Still. Snapping a towel free from his neck, Seokjin continues to wonder. He does think about you an awful lot. Usually, he is thinking of new ways to annoy you, but that is more than he thinks about anyone else. Chad, for instance – or Lisa.

Frowning, Seokjin slams shut his locker. He cannot ignore the initial attraction he had for you. If you had not been his competition, Seokjin would have probably asked you out.

The moment he thinks this, he freezes. Maybe this is why you annoy him so much – Seokjin is attracted to you and can do nothing about it.

Under any other set of circumstances, this fact would be enlightening but things being what they are though, nothing has changed. You still hate him. Seokjin still finds you his competition.

Staring at his locker, Seokjin’s lips twist.

“Seokjin!” Jungkook yells from the door. “You coming, or what?”

Jerking himself free from his thoughts, Seokjin picks up his bag. “Coming!” he yells, pushing you from his mind.

Seokjin has the next two days off work. He uses this mainly to work on his apps, pouring time and energy into working the kinks from his latest round of updates. In between each stroke of his keyboard, he is thinking of you.

Seokjin hates Jungkook a little, for pointing out the obvious fact that he likes you. Before that, Seokjin took his fixation with you at face value. He did not like you; he was just annoyed by you. Now, though.

He cannot help but wonder.

Exhaling loudly, Seokjin slumps against his kiosk. His manager is off once again – honestly, that dude never works – and Seokjin is stuck working with Chad. Absently, Seokjin twirls a spinner around his finger.

“You okay, man?” Chad breaks the silence.

Shaking his head, Seokjin stares into space. “Oh, yeah. Just a bit preoccupied, that’s all.”

“With what?”

Seokjin shrugs, not feeling like talking.

Chad is one of the few people capable of getting under his skin without saying a word. It is something about the way Chad stands – chest puffed, gaze lazy, as though the world owes him something. He always wears a backwards cap, even inside and Seokjin suspects a receding hairline to be the cause. Whatever the reason, Chad always has a chip on his shoulder.

He seems to be compensating for something. Although what he could be compensating for, as a white male in today’s economy, Seokjin has no idea.

“Hey.” Voice lowering, Chad nods towards the food court. “I know something which might cheer you up.”

Seokjin straightens when he realizes Chad is staring at you. Anything which cheers Chad up could only have the opposite effect upon Seokjin.

“What?” Seokjin asks, suspicious.

Chad leans in. “You know the bitch who ruined our display a few days ago?”

Seokjin’s jaw tightens, hearing you called a bitch. “What about it?”

“Ha.” Chad laughs, not hearing the clear warning in Seokjin’s tone. “Don’t worry about paying her back. I got this.”

Alarm bells go off in Seokjin’s mind. “What do you mean by, ‘I got this?’”

“Let’s just say it’s taken care of.”

“No.” Seokjin drops his phone, standing up from his chair. “Let’s say more. What the fuck did you do, Chad?”

Chad blinks at him in surprise. “Whoa – chill, dude. What’re you pissed about?”

Seokjin pauses, uncertain. It is not as though he knows you, not really. But still – Seokjin remembers how sincere you looked that day, apologizing for the display. You did not mean to injure their kiosk; he knows that much.

“Chad…” Seokjin mutters in warning.

He does not get further before screams erupt from the food court. Seokjin’s head whips sideways, spotting the source of the commotion. Once again, a drone is loose in the mall. Like two days prior, a rogue helicopter flies over the food court. It seems out of control, dive-bombing people at random and sending them running.

Seokjin’s mouth drop. Before he can move, the drone careens towards the ground. A girl stands alone next to the frozen yogurt place, holding her cone and staring at it in terror. Her eyes widen, fixed on the drone and Seokjin moves on instinct, darting into the crowd.

Before he can arrive, the girl’s mom appears to yank her to safety. Her cone spills in the process, mint chocolate chip on the ground, but at least the helicopter misses, swooping and diving again. Seokjin’s eyes narrow, realizing the drone moves much too fast to be out of control.

Glancing around, Seokjin realizes Chad is on his phone. When he sees Seokjin looking, Chad waves at him with a grin.

Seokjin’s stomach heaves. Before he can move, you are barreling towards him.

“YOU!” you yell, pointing a finger. Several people between you look up in surprise.

Seokjin blinks, also pointing at himself. “Me?”

“You!” you gasp, skidding to a stop. “What the hell did you do to my drone?”

You are holding several remotes in your fist, Seokjin realizes. Apparently, none of them are working. The helicopter swoops dangerously close to you both and Seokjin ducks out of the way.

“What did I do?” he blurts, staring upwards. “You think I’m the one behind this?”

“No, shit!” you yell, dodging the drone.

“Y/N, I –” The chopper dive-bombs again and Seokjin groans. This is not going to make you believe him, but he needs to do something before someone gets hurt. “Fuck it!” he yells and takes off.

Sprinting away, Seokjin hears you yelling behind him. Ignoring you, Seokjin leaps onto a table. He is not sure how Chad is controlling the helicopter – possibly from his phone, but Seokjin would not put it past him to have someone stationed elsewhere in the mall. Based on the depth of his vengeance on Twitter, Seokjin imagines Chad to be petty.

All Seokjin knows is he needs to stop the drone and a sure-fire way of doing that is getting the drone from the air.

Above, the drone does a loop before dive-bombing a cluster of girls exiting the lingerie store. The girls squeal, scatting in every direction as the helicopter pulls from its spiral. Leaping into the air, Seokjin’s fingers barely brush a wing before falling back to the ground.

“SEOKJIN, GET BACK HERE!”

Ignoring you, Seokjin continues pursuing the drone. “Sorry!” he yells, dodging a woman. “Y/N, this isn’t what it looks like!”

Your footsteps pound behind him, catching up. “It looks like you hijacked one of your drones!”

“See!” Seokjin glances over his shoulder. “I told you it wasn’t what it looks like!”

“Huh?”

“Aha!” Seokjin leaps into the air. Fuck – he barely misses. Crashing again to the ground, Seokjin takes off running. He uses his next jump to leap onto a table.

A guy looks up from his hot dog, mustard dribbled onto his chin. “What the f –”

Seokjin leaps into the air, fingers grazing the wing of the helicopter. Eyes narrowed, Seokjin swears as his heels hit the ground. A mother nearby covers the ears of her child.

“Sorry!” Seokjin yells in response.

A hand grabs his arm. “Kim Seokjin!” you blurt, whirling him sideways to face you.

Seokjin glances over your shoulder in distress. “It’s getting away!” he blurts, shaking free to sprint towards the fro-yo.

Your mouth drops, but you follow. “What are you doing?”

Not having the breath to answer, Seokjin runs faster. For the first time in his life, he is grateful Jungkook pushes him so hard at the gym. Jumping again in the air, Seokjin thinks he has done it – until you jump suddenly in front of him, swatting his hand.

“Hey!” Seokjin yelps, stumbling as he hands. “What the fuck, Y/N?”

“Mine!” you yell, darting forward.

“Wait – Y/N!”

Grumbling, he chases after you. The two of you must look ridiculous, racing around the food court. As you pass Auntie Anne’s pretzels, Seokjin swears he can hear Yoongi cracking up at the register.

One second, you are ahead of him and the next, Seokjin is. He runs faster, pumping his arms as he spots the drone by the fountain. Cutting you off, Seokjin puts on a sudden burst of speed and leaps into the air. His fingers wrap around metal, yanking the helicopter from the sky. As he descends, Seokjin cannot help but laugh – until your hand finds his elbow, pulling him sideways.

Seokjin yelps, stumbling when his feet hit the concrete.

There is a dangerous, teetering moment where you both hover at the edge of the fountain – and then he falls, taking you with. Seokjin yelps, soaked to the skin when a water jet hits his face. A second splash follows as your butt hits the water.

If feels like a scene from a movie; that moment when a song cuts at a party. One second, everything is happening and the next – nothing.

Slowly, Seokjin pushes himself to sit in the water. The trickling sound of the fountain fills his ears, one of his hands resting on something which is definitely not a penny.

“Gross,” Seokjin groans, seeing the wad of pink gum.

His pants are soaked, so is his shirt and Seokjin does not even want to imagine the state of his hair. Removing his hand from the water gum, Seokjin looks up.

You glare back at him, making Seokjin recoil.

At least the drone is down.

Seokjin can see its red wings submerged in the water, bobbing genteelly in the waves of the fountain. Slowly, the sounds of the mall filter back in. Someone nearby snickers and someone else starts to clap. In his peripheral, Seokjin can see a few teenagers recording and slowly, he closes his eyes. If he goes viral, there is no way his manager will keep him.

You seem to realize the same thing, glancing around you in panic. Seokjin realizes your situation is noticeably worse than his, since you were wearing a white t-shirt when you fell. The material sticks to your skin, making each curve of your body apparent.

Seokjin swallows, understanding crashing into him with all the subtlety of a lightning bolt.

He likes you.

Fuck. Seokjin likes you, and he is a giant idiot.

Snickering at the food court grabs Seokjin’s attention. It appears he is not the only one to have noticed your shirt. At least your bra is white, but this does not seem to matter to fifteen-year-old boys.

Glancing down, you inhale and cover your chest. Seokjin awkwardly tries to stand, rushing forward to help but slips in the process, nearly falling again. It does not seem as though you desire his help anyways, springing to your feet with tears in your eyes.

Teeth chattering, you hold one hand before you. “Stay away,” you blurt, wet strands of hair plastered against your face. As though unable to help yourself, your lower lip quivers. “I fucking mean it, Seokjin. Stay away from me.”

Seokjin’s feet falter beneath him. “I…” Staring at you, he slowly nods in defeat. “Okay.”

You bend, scooping the helicopter into your arms before turning away.

Giving him another scowl, you climb from the fountain. Your sneakers make squishing noises against the linoleum as you stalk through the food court. Seokjin continues to stand there, ignoring the water jets which repeatedly hit his kneecaps.

His stomach sinks, watching you disappear.

Logically, Seokjin should go and find mall security. He should explain to them what happened before they find him, or worse – before he goes viral on the web. Less logically, Seokjin wants to run after you. He cannot simply leave things between you like that.

At the very least, he should find you a dry t-shirt. Maybe Hoseok could get him one from Foot Locker.

Because this is partly his fault. Seokjin was not the one who took over the drone and he did not push you into the fountain, but you only reacted that way because of how Seokjin has treated you. It was not a wild leap of thought to assume Seokjin was the culprit.

Before he can think about this further, a laugh breaks through the crowd. Turning around, Seokjin sees Chad running towards him.

“Wow.” Chad skids to a stop at the fountain. “That was incredible. Did you see how wet she was? And guess who got it all on camera?” He winks, waving his phone.

“Did you?” Seokjin speaks pleasantly, although he is starting to see red. “Can I see that?”

“Sure.” Chad grins, handing over the phone.

Accepting the object, Seokjin promptly throws this into the fountain.

Chad’s mouth drops open. “What the fuck?” he blurts, watching the metal sink to the bottom.

Seokjin brushes off his hands. “You’re fired,” he says, stepping out of the fountain. Water drips from his shirt, splashing the ground at his feet.

Chad’s eyes bug. “You can’t fire me, asshole. You’re not my manager.”

“Maybe not.” Seokjin shrugs and walks past. His hands open and close, curling into fists. “But he likes me better than you and he’ll believe me when I say this was your fault.”

“You dick!”

“That’s right,” Seokjin mutters. He glances at your kiosk, only to find it empty – Brandi must be helping you to clean up. Something twinges in his chest, knowing this is partly his fault. “I guess I am.”

One week later, Seokjin cannot stop thinking about you.

He tries to forget. Truly, he does but this proves itself to be more difficult than he realized. Seokjin did not understand before, how deeply you integrated yourself in his life. He did not realize how much he looked forward each day to your banter, to hearing your laugh whenever he passed by your kiosk. The past month has been bearable only because of your presence.

Slumped at the counter of Auntie Anne’s pretzels, Seokjin stares forlornly across the food court.

“Either smile or move.”

Seokjin turns to Yoongi in confusion. “Huh?”

“Either smile,” Yoongi repeats. “Or move. You’re bumming out all my customers.”

Seokjin glances at the empty food court before him. It is 10:00 AM. “What customers?”

“Exactly. All my customers are scared off by how sad you are.”

Seokjin manages a weak chuckle. “Trust me, my face is not what’s driving your customers away. If anything, it’s your latest SoundCloud mix.”

Yoongi frowns, perturbed. “Take that back.”

Seokjin winces, seeing the genuine hurt on his face. “Sorry, man,” he mumbles. “I’m just not in a great mood today.”

“No shit.”

Seokjin cracks a smile. “That obvious, huh?”

“Much in the same way climate change is obvious to everyone but the Cheeto.”

Stifling a laugh, Seokjin quickly sobers. “I just… I don’t know. I thought she’d hear me out, at least.”

The entire past week, Seokjin has parked at the opposite end of the mall from your kiosk. It makes his morning walk shorter, but somehow lonelier.

“So, this is about her, huh?” Yoongi lowers his elbows to the counter. “She’s gone incommunicado.”

“Yeah, it’s about her. I guess I can’t really blame her for being mad at me.”

“No?”

Seokjin shakes his head. “I was kind of a dick.”

Yoongi snorts. “She was a dick, too.”

“Yeah, but I started it.” Seokjin takes a sip of his coffee. “I was the one who approached her all weird, called her the competition. That set a tone.”

“Okay.” Yoongi tilts his head, thinking. “So, what’re you gonna do about it?” 

“I’m going to do nothing about it.”

“Then stop complaining to me.”

“I’m not complaining!” Seokjin looks up and sighs. “Alright, maybe I’m complaining a little. I just… wish I’d realized I liked her sooner.”

“Who cares about that? Tell her now!”

“But she hates me.”

“She hated you then!”

Seokjin glares and takes another sip of his coffee – sputtering, he chokes, “Oh, shit – that’s hot.”

“Hey.” Yoongi gives him a look. “She thinks you messed with her job. That’s way different than wearing tight pants, or putting on a fidget show, or whatever.”

“Fidget spinner show, Yoongi. Fidget show sounds like something else.”

“Both are lame,” Yoongi says. “And my point still stands. She’s mad at you now because of something you didn’t do. Now, move your elbow – I need to clean that spot before lunch.”

Seokjin obliges, dutifully removing himself from the counter. Drinking his coffee, he stares out at the food court. Up until now, Seokjin thought he was doing the noble thing. He was respecting your wishes by giving you space. You said you did not wish to see him again.

Yoongi is right, though. You said all that laboring under a misconception. More than respecting the words said in anger, perhaps it is better for Seokjin to tell you the truth. Maybe pretending to be noble is just another way of chickening out.

Because if Seokjin explains everything to you and you still do not care, it means he is alone in all this. His feelings are one-sided and everything before now was merely a rivalry. The spark Seokjin feels when he looks at you, the burning desire to kiss you – if you knew all that and still hated him, then Seokjin would be alone.

Seokjin exhales and looks up. “Gotta go,” he says, slapping the counter. “See you after your shift?’

“Wait!” Yoongi catches his arm before Seokjin can leave. “Bracelet buddies?” he grins, holding up the pink cat charm wound around his wrist.

Seokjin groans, dutifully rolling up his sleeve to showcase the pale pink alpaca. “Bracelet buddies,” he says glumly.

Yoongi gave him the gift several days ago; payback, he said, for all the women Seokjin has sent his way with the promise of a free pretzel. That used to be Seokjin’s way of scoring dates at the mall. At least, before he met you. Seokjin is obligated to wear said bracelet for three months, or else Yoongi will send their friends pictures of him sleeping with his mouth open on the couch.

If he is being honest, Seokjin does not entirely hate the bracelet. The alpaca is kind of cute, but Yoongi cannot ever know that. Waving goodbye, he manages to scowl and keep up appearances when he heads towards his kiosk.

For the next several days, Seokjin continues to wimp out.

Kind of.

While he does not actually explain what happened, he tries to make up for it in other ways. On Monday, he overhears you telling the Kay Jewelers girl the legs of your stool are too short. As a result, Seokjin volunteers to work late and stays long after closing. Before he leaves, he goes to your kiosk and switches your stool for his.

On Thursday morning, your shifts overlap. Seokjin sees you yawn passing his kiosk, mentioning to Brandi you did not sleep well the night prior. Ducking behind his counter, Seokjin does not make eye contact.

Still, he stops by Java Joe’s on his break and begs Taehyung for coffee.

Taking the long way back through the mall, Seokjin visits your kiosk. It is the first time he has tried talking to you since the Great Fountain debacle. As you come into view, Seokjin swallows and forces the words from his lips.

“Hey.” He comes to a stop at the register.

You freeze when you see him. “Um. Hi?”

Seokjin holds the coffee tray out like a shield. “I was at Java Joe’s and Taehyung brewed too much espresso. Lisa doesn’t drink it, so I was wondering if you wanted it?”

Your lips part, staring at him for a moment.

When you do not immediately respond, Seokjin starts to sweat. “You don’t have to take it,” he says quickly. “I can give it to someone else. It’s too much for me though, and you were on the way back from the shop…”

Trailing off, Seokjin wonders if this entire endeavor is foolish. The tray he is holding is full – four, small cups of espresso which cost an hour of pay. Of course, you do not need to know that. You only need to know that he thought of you.

“I – yeah,” you say slowly, reaching out for a cup. “Thanks, Seokjin.”

Seokjin blinks, since your response was almost cordial. Before he can get too excited about this, Brandi appears.

“Wow, thanks!” she enthuses, grabbing a cup. “That was so nice of you to do this.”

“Right.” Seokjin deflates just a little. It is not as if he does not want Brandi to have espresso, but he was hoping for a shared moment with you. “Just spreading the love – or caffeine, as it were. Anyways…” His laughter trails off, gaze darting to you. “Guess I have one more cup to distribute. Enjoy!”

He turns around too fast for you to respond.

Each step he takes, Seokjin half-expects to hear you call out behind him. If this were pre-Fountain Incident, you probably would have. An insult, or horrible pun – something to let Seokjin know you were watching him walk away, but now there is only silence.

This goes on for a week. Seokjin continues to do nice things for you, passing by in the hopes you will say hi. He holds his breath and hopes you will speak first, but it seems you are determined to continue icing him out.

Seokjin supposes he cannot blame you for this. It is not as though you were friends, after all.

He has almost accepted the idea that you will continue being strangers when one day, Seokjin looks up and finds you at the register.

All words instantly die in his throat.

If he thought he was in the process of getting over you, Seokjin was sorely mistaken. The days of silence have not lessened his want, but only intensified it. It makes him swallow, uncertain, which must be a first. Out of all his friends, Seokjin is not the one to call shy.

Tentatively, you smile and Seokjin realizes he still has not spoken.

“H-hi,” he stammers.

Your shoulders seem to relax at his nervousness. “Hi. Is this a bad time?”

“No,” Seokjin says, slamming his register shut. “Lisa is on break, but it’s been a slow afternoon.”

“Yeah,” you exhale. “Same. Guess we finally found those lulls you were on about.”

Seokjin chuckles under his breath. The space between you falls silent again.

“I, uh…” Twisting your hands before you, you seem unsure what to say. “I haven’t seen you around, lately.”

Seokjin’s heart stutters. “Oh. I guess.”

“That’s kind of my fault,” you say. Seokjin’s gaze drops to your hands, which continue to twist. He finds the gesture oddly endearing. “I was the one who told you to stay away.”

Arching a brow, Seokjin turns towards the register. He does not know what to say without being rude. Yes, seems like the most obvious answer, but that could be construed as impolite. Casually, he sneaks a peek sideways. You are right, though – this is partly your fault, also. Even if the other fault is his own.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “I don’t blame you for saying that, though.”

“You don’t?”

Curiosity laces your tone and Seokjin looks up, surprised to see a question mark in your gaze.

“Brandi told me Chad was fired,” you add.

Seokjin stills. “Yeah. He was.”

You pause, as though waiting for an explanation. When none comes, you narrow your eyes. “He was the one who messed with that drone, wasn’t he? Not you.”

“I – yeah, I guess so.”

Exasperation enters your gaze. “Well, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I did!” Seokjin protests. “I told you when we were chasing after the drone and you didn’t believe me!”

“Oh,” you say, wilting a bit. “Right.”

Seeing your face, Seokjin softens. “Look, it’s not a big deal.”

“Is it?” you ask in disbelief. “I yelled at you in front of the entire mall for something you didn’t do, and you’re saying its fine?”

Seokjin’s lips quirk. “Well, when you put it like that.”

When you roll your eyes at the ceiling, he laughs. Weirdly, it feels good to have you disparage him a little. It feels as though you are on even footing again.

“I mean, it’s not like we were friends,” Seokjin continues. “Why wouldn’t you think it was me?”

“Hm.” You blink, taken aback. “I guess you’re right.”

After another long moment, Seokjin adds, “We could try to be friends now, though. If you want.”

You bite down on your lip. “Are you giving me a formal offer, Seokjin? Should I sign on the dotted line somewhere?”

“I can make a contract if you want. All good peace treaties are in writing.”

“Is that what this is? A peace treaty?”

“Of a sort.” Seokjin raises a brow. “I can’t promise to stop kicking your ass in sales, though. I was born talented.”

“Or, maybe it’s Maybelline,” you shoot back. “I wouldn’t want you to stop, though. It’s been too quiet around here without you blasting Backstreet Boys.”

“Liked what you heard?”

“Who doesn’t like Backstreet Boys?”

“Monsters.”

“Agreed.”

“Wow.” Seokjin’s brow furrows. “I think that’s the first time you’ve ever agreed with me.”

“I know.” After a moment, you frown. “It’s oddly unsettling.”

Seokjin laughs – a short, surprised burst which makes you smile. “Well...” Trailing off, he finds himself unsure what more to say. “Is that why you came over?”

“Let’s see.” You lift a hand, ticking things off on your fingers. “Tell you I know you didn’t sabotage my job. Check. Ask to be friends? Check. Oh,” you add, as though only remembering. “There was something else I wanted to say.

Seokjin waits, holding his breath as you start to lean in.

Angelic, you smile. “I lied before,” you say. “We aren’t having a lull. See you around!”

Dropping a wink, you turn to walk across the food court. Seokjin watches you go, legs having effectively turned to jelly in your presence. It is unfair that you have this effect on him. Slowly, he lowers himself onto his stool. It would seem the two of you are friends now.

Dragging a hand through his hair, Seokjin wonders what he has gotten himself into.

Over the next couple of weeks, Seokjin stops by your kiosk more often. He learns your usual morning coffee order – a grande iced Americano – and occasionally brings it along. You seem to have switched to the morning shift, he notices. Before, it was about fifty-fifty which time of the day you showed up.

At some point, Seokjin explains about his former job and current app development side projects. This turns into a running joke of him bouncing ideas off you.

“Okay,” you say, folding your hands across a wan food court table.

Seokjin takes a sip of his coffee. “Okay, what?”

“Okay, what’s today’s app idea?”

Seokjin snorts. It is 10:00 AM and neither of you must be at your shift yet but somehow, you both managed to arrive early.

“What about this?” Seokjin leans back in his chair. “Angry birds, but – instead of birds, its photos of friends that you upload yourself.”

“Pass.”

“Hm. A Bachelorette fantasy league app?”

“Hard no.”

“Okay, so this one is a kid’s game.”

“Go on.”

“A kid’s game where you change the oil of your dad’s car as fast as you can.” 

You snort, nearly spilling your drink. “Seokjin! That’s a terrible app idea.” 

“Bonus points if you spill no oil on the driveway!”

“Seokjin!”

He grins. “Yeah, Yoongi said it was bad, too. I don’t get it.”

“Please.” Shaking your head, your smile fades the longer you look at him. “I don’t believe any of those are your actual idea, though.”

“Huh?” Seokjin blinks. “What do you mean?”

“Those are just the ideas you tell people to make them laugh,” you observe. “It gets them off your back, so you don’t have to say your actual idea. You know, the one you really care about.”

Seokjin pauses, mouth suddenly dry. “I don’t know what you mean.”

You arch a brow. “I get it. That’s how I am with my writing. Freelance doesn’t exactly pay for dreams, does it? I tend to downplay my favorite ideas, so then if they don’t work out – hey, at least it wasn’t something I cared about. You know?”

Seokjin is not quite sure how to respond. In only a few sentences, you have looked inside him and summarized his thoughts. No one – not even Yoongi, whom Seokjin has known for years – is able to read him as well.

Inhaling gently, Seokjin leans back from the table. “Well,” he admits. “There is this one idea.”

“Oh?”

Nodding, Seokjin considers where to begin. “Do you know what fair lending is?”

“Not really, no.”

“It’s the unbiased treatment of customers by banks.” Seokjin pauses and, when you do not seem bored with the topic, begins to speak freely. “It ensures financial institutions provide uniform services, regardless of bias.”

“Gotcha. So, it’s like equal opportunity but for banks?”

“Kind of, yeah.” Seokjin exhales. “Basically, I want to create a fair lending app. There is a lot out there to help with credit decisions and stuff, but I want to put it all in one place. I want to break down the ‘non-biased metrics’ banks use and warn people how there could be bias involved.”

Your frown. “What do you mean?”

“Take income, for example.” Seokjin grips his cup tighter. “The vast majority of people below the poverty line are minorities. So, if a bank has a hard and fast income requirement for a loan, they inadvertently discriminate. It’s why a variety of factors are mandated to assist in … what?” Seokjin blinks, seeing you staring. “What is it?”

Hiding a smile, you shake your head. “Nothing, it’s just a cool idea. I think you should do it.”

“But then who will make bachelorette fantasy app?” Seokjin jokes, ducking his head.

“Someone else.” You wait until he looks up. “Do the fair lending app.”

Seokjin finds he cannot think of another joke. “Alright,” he says slowly. “It’s a plan.”

You nod, sipping your coffee as silence falls in between you. It is unnerving, how easy it is for Seokjin to talk to you. With most people, it takes him a while to show his true colors but with you, he finds he cannot be anyone else.

Glancing at his watch, Seokjin realizes how late it is. “Shit,” he mutters, jumping out of his seat. “It’s nearly 10:30.”

You wince, standing as well. “Damn, do you have to open today?”

“Unfortunately so.” Seokjin grabs his coffee. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay, Y/N?”

“Okay,” you say, waving when he turns out of sight.

Seokjin does not hesitate to walk away. He curses himself the entire way to his kiosk because he is becoming much too comfortable with being your friend. Enough that he keeps catching himself thinking about more.

It is hard not to think about his hands wrapped around yours on your coffee cup. Hard not to imagine carpooling with you in his car to work. Seokjin tries to be on his best behavior but still, the fantasies worm their way in.

It is why he has created several rules of conduct around you. First and foremost is never stay for too long. The second Seokjin feels himself becoming attached, he leaves. Like now, for instance. Seokjin does not really have to be at the kiosk before eleven but the way you were looking at him made his heart beat out of his chest.

Self-preservation, he reminds himself.

The rules are working until Taehyung throws a party.

“Saturday night,” Taehyung grunts, slamming Seokjin’s coffee order on the counter.

Seokjin blinks, reaching up to take both cups. Lately, Taehyung has been in the worst kind of mood. This mostly seems to stem from his hot co-worker who will not take him seriously. All the guys in the mall gave him shit about it before, but the kid really does seem to like her. Which sucks, since Taehyung has a reputation and the pretty barista clearly has heard of it.

“The party is at your place?” asks Seokjin, glancing up at the counter.

Taehyung nods. Loud enough for his co-worker to hear, he adds, “The party will be at my place this weekend! Can’t wait to see you there, Seokjin!”

Seokjin snorts, shaking his head. “You’re whipped, man,” he whispers. Then, loud enough for the female barista to hear, he adds, “I’ll be there! In fact, everyone should come!”

The girl does not react, busy at the register and Seokjin shrugs.

Sorry man, he mouths to Taehyung before pushing open the door. Making his way through the mall, Seokjin walks past your kiosk – only to see you deep in conversation with another guy. Seokjin does not recognize him as your co-worker, but he does recognize him from the gym.

Occasionally, Jungkook talks to him before they work out. Seokjin never found the guy threatening before.

Seeing him now though, the oddest sensation unfurls in his stomach. He does not want you talking to this guy – the desire flashes through Seokjin’s mind faster than he can stop it. Before he can turn around and leave though, before Seokjin can separate himself from the situation, you look up and smile.

“Hey, Seokjin!”

“Hey, Y/N.” Plastering a smile on his face, Seokjin forces himself to walk towards your kiosk. “And you are…?” he asks, looking at the stranger.

The guy grins, unconcerned. “Hey, I’m Josh.”

“Cool.” Seokjin returns to looking at you. “Are you coming to Taehyung’s party this weekend, Y/N?”

Everyone at the mall knows who Taehyung is. He is a staple for anyone who drinks coffee – and chances are, if you have stopped by Java Joe’s in the past three days, you are invited.

Your eyes widen. “I was thinking about it.”

“Cool.” Seokjin casually leans an elbow against your kiosk. He forgets about the wheels though, and as a result, the entire thing starts to move. Frantically attempting to right this, Seokjin nearly spills his coffee in the process.

“Anyways…” he mutters, ears turning scarlet.

You clamp your lips tightly together. “So, you’re going to be there?”

Seokjin nods. He has no idea what he is doing. He has no idea what Josh is doing, since he has not said a word since introducing himself.

Glancing at him now, Seokjin is reminded of Chad. Not because the two look anything alike, but because they both have that air about them. That condescending, could-bench-press-you-in-seconds look. Seokjin bets that, at some point in the past ten days, Josh has worn a snapback.

You are standing close very close to him, though. Seokjin cannot ignore this fact.

“Cool.” Your gaze lingers on his. “Then, I guess I’ll see you there?”

Seokjin nods. “Guess so. We’ll see!”

He turns, walking away and overhears Josh ask you details about the party. Gritting his teeth, Seokjin uncurls his hands from their fists. You are not his to be jealous of, he reminds himself. He has no right to be angry if you decide to date someone else. But still, Seokjin’s mood remains sour for the rest of the day.

You do not visit at the end of your shift. If could be because you are genuinely busy. Or, it could be something else. Or, someone.

Seokjin has the next two days off. He uses them to work on his fair lending app, getting a good bit of coding done in his apartment. Your voice plays in his mind as he works, telling him to go for what he wants.

Seokjin is tired of working at the Fidget Funk. He is tired of waking up every morning, going to a job he hates and feeling as though he is doing nothing with his life. What was supposed to be a temp job has stretched into months and Seokjin needs to act for anything about this to change.

There is only so long he can complain before doing something about it.

He wants to do what he loves; wants to do something he cares about – not this. Sometimes, making that decision is the hardest part.

The night of the party, Seokjin drives there with Yoongi. Yoongi, surprisingly agrees to come with little coercion. Usually, Seokjin needs to drag his taciturn roommate to social events. He was easily convinced tonight though, which results in Seokjin being more nervous than normal.

As they enter Taehyung’s apartment, he pauses on the threshold.

If he had your number, he would have texted to see if you were coming, but Seokjin does not and so, he could not. Wandering into the room, Seokjin winces when no one removes their shoes. Parties are always strangely barbaric in that regard.

Taehyung’s apartment with his roommate, Jimin, is much larger than his. Seokjin remembers Taehyung saying Jimin came from money but does not remember specifics. Jimin is a night nurse at NorthShore Medical center and often stops by Java Joe’s in the morning for coffee. Other than that, Seokjin does not know much about him.

Walking inside, Seokjin realizes Taehyung has downplayed Jimin’s wealth. There is no way they could afford this place on a nurse and barista salary. A bunch of people are outside – because there is an outside; a large balcony overlooking the city – chatting about nothing over the rims of their drinks.

Yoongi disappears as soon as they enter, heading off to god-knows-where. He leaves Seokjin alone, who shifts his weight about nervously. Glancing up, he spots Namjoon in the kitchen and hastily rushes towards him. Finally, a familiar face.

“Joon!” he calls out.

Namjoon waves, re-filling the cup in his hand. When Seokjin reaches his side, he hands another to Seokjin. “Hey,” Namjoon nods. “You just get here?”

“Yeah.” Seokjin scans the party again, red cup in one hand. “Is everything c –”

Cutting himself off mid-sentence, Seokjin stares when you walk into the room. Everything he wanted to say falls from his brain to the floor. It is not unlike that one scene in She’s All That, when Laney comes down the stairs and Freddie Prinze Jr. loses his mind. Seokjin cannot think, looking at you.

A red cup is in your hand, matching the red gloss on your lips and god, Seokjin cannot stop thinking about kissing it off.

He swallows, hard – and then notices the guy at your side.

You laugh, turning sideways to Josh. Because that is who it is, of course – the same muscle- bound jock you were talking to at the drone kiosk earlier.

Jungkook appears as well, clapping Josh on the shoulder. Seokjin scowls, swallowing a larger sip of his drink than intended. First, this guy tries to steal his girl and now, his best friend. Eyes widening, Seokjin straightens. Shit, you are not his girl. He needs to stop thinking that way.

“Seokjin?”

Seokjin realizes Namjoon is staring at him. “Uh, yeah?”

“You trailed off in the middle of a sentence and have been hard-core staring at that girl ever since. Is – oh!” Namjoon’s eyes light up. “That’s her, isn’t it?”

“That’s who?” Seokjin hastily swallows his drink.

“The girl! Fountain girl!” Namjoon shoves him. “The one you’re head over heels for!”

“Okay, fountain girl is a horrible way of describing her. And yeah, maybe that’s – shit, shut up,” Seokjin hisses. “She’s coming this way.”

Namjoon snorts into his drink. You are, indeed, waking towards them but Josh is no longer beside you. Craning his neck, Seokjin looks over your shoulder but does not see the guy anywhere.

“Hey.” You come to a stop right before them, glancing at Namjoon. “Namjoon, right?”

Namjoon sticks out a hand. “Yep. Y/N?”

You take this, stifling a smile as you shake. “Yeah.”

“And, of course, you know Seokjin.” Namjoon grins at Seokjin’s flustered expression.

“Uh-huh,” you say, offering him a tentative smile. “We go way back.”

Feeling somewhat nauseous, Seokjin takes another sip of his drink. “Y/N and I are friends.”

A flash of something – uncertainty? Annoyance? – crosses your features. “Right,” you say carefully. “Friends.”

Your expression remains stubborn though, and Seokjin wonders if he has done something wrong. Changing the subject, he glances around the apartment. “Have you been here before, Y/N?”

“No,” you confess. “But damn – which roommate won the lottery?”

Seokjin grins. “I know, right? I can show you around if you want.”

You blink, taken aback by his offer and Seokjin wonders if that was too forward. Well, fuck it – he is not getting anywhere by being subtle.

“Yeah,” you say, recovering yourself. “I’d like that.”

Pushing himself off the counter, Seokjin says goodbye to Namjoon and plunges into the party. He continues to look for hot gym guy, Josh, but does not see him anywhere. It is unlikely you came here together, but not impossible. Perhaps the two of you are dating. Perhaps you like him and want to date him in the future.

Seokjin is so busy running through what-if scenarios, he does not notice you looking at him.

“Right, so Taehyung and Jimin’s rooms are that way.” Seokjin leads through the crowd. “Aka, that hall is off limits. This is the living area and well, you already saw the balcony.” Steps faltering, Seokjin looks sideways at you. “Did you see the balcony?”

You shake your head. “Nope.”

“Scared of heights?”

“Not really, no.”

“Well, then you’re lucky.” Seokjin mutters, pushing open the sliding glass door. “Luck you never met that dick, Jared Karinsky.”

Laughing, you follow him out on the balcony. There are only a few other people outside and, once the door slides shut, it feels as though you are trapped in another world.

“Who’s Jared Karinksy?”

Glowering, Seokjin takes a sip of his drink. “Some dick who knew I didn’t like heights, but still brought me to the top of the jungle gym. Then, he left me there. It took two hours for my brother to find me and get me back down.”

Laughing, you lean against the railing. “I take it that didn’t help?”

“It did not,” says Seokjin. “If anything, my fear was worse after.”

You grin, draining the rest of your cup as the wind ruffles your hair. It makes Seokjin’s heart ache a bit to look at.

“Well, I have to say –”

The glass door slides open, interrupting whatever you were about to say. Josh’s head pops out. “Y/N!” he grins. “I was looking for you.”

You slowly turn towards the interruption. “I... oh. Hey, Josh.”

“Are you busy?” Josh glances between you and Seokjin.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Seokjin feels oddly foolish. It seems obvious now, that you came here with Josh. You must have been making a beeline for drinks when you ran into Seokjin in the kitchen. Seokjin assumed, then. He thought you were free. When he grabbed you, he was yanking you away from the guy you really wanted to be with.

“Not busy.” Seokjin drains the rest of his cup. “Not busy at all. Have fun,” he mutters, brushing your shoulder as he moves towards the door.

When he leaves, Seokjin does not look back and so, he does not see your lips part. He does not watch you stare after him with equal parts frustration and anger. All Seokjin sees is the kitchen before him, full of alcohol for him to consume. Alcohol he will need to get through the rest of this party.

He is almost to the kitchen when a hand grips his arm, yanking him around. “What the fuck was that?” you say, brows furrowed.

Seokjin stares at you, alarmed you are in such close proximity. “I – huh? What the fuck was what?”

You scowl, leaning in and Seokjin leans back. “That!” you demand, waving vaguely at the balcony. “Why did you run away?”

“Run away?” Seokjin’s gaze darts towards the offending location. “I thought you wanted to talk to that guy?”

“Why would you think that?” you ask, brows furrowing further.

“I…” Seokjin finds himself at a loss. “I don’t know. Didn’t you come here with him?”

“With Josh?” You wrinkle your nose. “You mean – my cousin, Josh?”

“…cousin?”

You nod, looking at him incredulously. “You thought I wanted to talk to my cousin, Josh, as opposed to you?”

A lightbulb clicks in Seokjin’s mind. “I – he’s your cousin?”

“Yes, he’s my cousin.” Scowling, you take a step closer. “But even if he weren’t, why would you just leave like that? We were in the middle of a conversation!”

“I don’t know!” he blurts, gaze narrowing at your tone.

Out of the two of you, Seokjin is the one with the right to be angry. You are the one looking so damn good tonight and currently yelling at him for something he does not understand.

Vaguely aware they should not have this argument in the middle of Taehyung and Jimin’s kitchen, Seokjin grabs your wrist and tugs you into the hall. The forbidden one, next to the bedrooms. Realizing this, Seokjin keeps going and decides to beg forgiveness later.

Dropping your arm, he whirls around to find you mere inches away.

“Why didn’t you ask me to stay?” he accuses, pointing a finger. “For that matter – why didn’t you ask if I was going to the party tonight? If my presence is so important to you.”

Glaring at him, you bat his finger away. “You asked me first! Besides, I thought it was obvious I wanted you here. You know… because of the… and…”

“Because of the what?”

Somehow, you have gotten very close to Seokjin. The tips of your toes are just brushing his. Electricity crackles between you, making Seokjin’s heartbeat oddly erratic.

Glowering, your gaze darts to his lips. “Oh – seriously? Shut up and kiss me, you ass!”

Grabbing your face, Seokjin does just that. His lips crash into yours, the kiss muffled and urgent as he backs you to the wall. You groan, hands fisting in the back of his t-shirt. Seokjin cannot think beyond his hand resting on your jaw, then sliding into your hair, then moving down to your ass.

He cups you against him, head reeling from the sudden warmth of your mouth, your body and the urgency of your touch. Seokjin has never wanted someone so badly. Each brush of your lips leaves him wanting more, an endless desire alight in his veins.

Your mouth opens, tongue flicking with his as Seokjin’s heart nearly explodes. He cannot breathe – each breath mingles with yours, leaving him dizzy and parched.

“Fuck,” he groans, breaking away to lean his arm to the wall.

You stare up at him, breathless and confused. Your chest continues to rise and fall, lips swollen from the wanton press of his mouth. Seokjin cannot look away.

“I…” He exhales, glancing towards the living room. “Do you wanna get out of here?”

You nod so fast, you nearly hit your head on his chin. “Yes.”

“Okay.” Seokjin reaches down, grabbing your hand. “You good with my place? It’s only a few minutes drive.”

“Yeah,” you answer, following him down the hall. “Roommate?”

“Here. At the party.”

“Good.”

Dragging you into the foyer, Seokjin digs his phone from his pocket. Letting go of your fingers, he shoots a text off to Yoongi, telling him not to come home. He can face the consequences of that later. Shoving his phone in his pocket, Seokjin opens the door.

“Do you have a coat?” he asks, looking at you.

“Nope. You?”

“Nope.” Seokjin shuts the door to the hall and the noise of the party fades. “This way?”

“Sounds good.”

When you move to walk past, Seokjin grabs your hand – he cannot help himself. Pushing you against the wall, he relishes your muffled exclamation of surprise and kisses you fiercely. Thoroughly. The way he has wanted to for so long.

Hands sliding into your hair, Seokjin feels you arch against him. Your hand is on his hip, pulling him closer and Seokjin cannot stop thinking about your hand on other places.

When he finally breaks away, you stare at his lips. “That’s…” You swallow, voice sounding strangled. “Fuck.”

Seokjin grins. “Come on.”

Grabbing you again, he pulls you into the elevator. The entire way down, the air between you is electric. Seokjin shifts his weight and you follow suit. Raising a hand, you rub the back of your neck. Seokjin’s skin prickles when he sees.

When the door dings, opening into the lobby, you suddenly come to life. Newly determined, your hand wraps around his and pulls Seokjin outside. He practically throws his keys at the valet, wondering how on earth he is going to survive the drive home without touching you. Thank god he only had that one drink tonight. It would have been torture to be so close to fucking you and then not.

Startled by the thought, Seokjin realizes the truth of the matter. He is going to see you naked. Whirling to face you, Seokjin blurts, “This isn’t some random thing. You know that, right?”

Surprised, you glance at him. “I – what?”

“This.” Seokjin steps closer and his peripheral, sees the valet hop out of his car. “I really like you, Y/N.”

Staring up at him, you blink. “You do?”

“Of course, I do! You thought I didn’t?”

“I thought you hated me.”

“Of course, not!” Grabbing his keys from the valet, Seokjin opens the passenger door. He waits until you sit before crossing to the driver’s side. “Why would you think that?” he asks, sliding into the seat.

You stare at him incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?” Seokjin pulls out of the driveway. “I’ve liked you for so long! I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Uh! Could’ve fooled me.”

“Are you serious? I was such an idiot in front of you! What other explanation is there?”

“That you’re an idiot!” you answer, scowling. “Are you seriously saying that was your idea of flirting?”

“I mean… well, no, but…”

You snort, facing forward. “You’re so bad at this.”

“At what?”

“This!” you insist, gesturing between you.

“Oh, come on! Like you’re Juliet, or something.”

“Who?”

“Juliet! Of Romeo and Juliet!”

“They… Seokjin, they died in the end!” you say incredulously.

“Well, what do I know?” Seokjin makes a sharp right, pulling into his parking lot. “I never finished reading that play, actually – fell asleep a third of the way in. What I’m trying to say is that you’re also shit at this.”

“Oh, really?”

“You said you never wanted to speak to me again,” Seokjin reminds, throwing the car into park.

Hastily, you unbuckle your seatbelt. “I apologized for that.”

“You were the one who said you wanted to be friends!” Seokjin shoves open his door and exits the vehicle.

You exit as well, slamming the door shut. “Well, it seemed like the next logical step!”

“No.” Seokjin strides forward. Caging you against the car, he growls, “The next logical step would’ve been admitting you liked me, too.”

“Too?” You blink, stuck on the word. “So, you admit you like me?”

“Never said I didn’t.”

These last words are muttered against your lips, Seokjin cutting off further retorts with a kiss.

Arching upwards, your hands twine around his neck. Seokjin’s mind stutters, unsure what to think. His brain is a vague mess of swear words and exclamation points when his lips move against yours. It is hard to grasp the fact that you are here, with him and wanting him the same way he wants you.

Breaking apart, Seokjin rests his forehead to yours. “Okay,” he manages. “I know you said you wanted to leave with me. I know you got in my car and drove all the way here. But – because I want to be sure – do you want to come in?”

Breathlessly, you laugh. “Yes.”

“Okay.” Withdrawing, Seokjin takes your hand. “Then, let’s go.”

Climbing the outdoor stairs to reach his apartment, Seokjin pulls the keys from his pocket so he is prepared to enter. He does not check his phone, certain Yoongi has texted him multiple epithets about where he can stick his ass.

Bracing his hip against his door, Seokjin jiggles the key to shove it open. Once you are both inside, Seokjin half-expects you to wrinkle your nose. It is not as if his and Yoongi’s apartment can ever compete with Jimin and Taehyung’s.

You do none of this, though. Stepping inside, you place your purse on the counter and glance around curiously. “You live with that guy from the food court, right?” you ask, turning around. “Yoongi?”

Stepping forward, Seokjin crushes his mouth to yours.

You inhale, the noise caught by his lips when your hands slide up his back. One of your legs curls around his, rubbing your core against the meat of his thigh. Seokjin’s head spins, gripping your ass to push you against the counter. You make a muffled noise, gasping when Seokjin hardens into your crotch.

It is embarrassing how ready he is for you. All it took where a few whispered words about how badly you want him and here he is, rock-hard and on edge. Admittedly, the noises you make are not helping.

“Shit,” Seokjin breathes, kissing down the slope of your neck.

You arch your throat, allowing more access. Your skin tastes of berries and something else – probably a perfume Seokjin does not know the name of. The warm press of your core to his leg leaves Seokjin reeling.

“My room?” he gasps, hand dragging up your side.

Frantic, you nod. “Yes.”

Bending, Seokjin grips your legs and lifts you against him. He stumbles towards his bedroom, realizing too late you are heavier than he thought. Maybe Jungkook was right about adding weight to his reps. Kissing you again, Seokjin staggers into his bedroom and drops you on the bed.

Laughing, you grab your top to yank overhead. There is some skepticism to your gaze, as though you expected him to fall short in carrying you. Seokjin’s ego flames in response. Growling lowly, he rips off his shirt and descends on the bed. Parting your legs, he presses a kiss to your thigh.

“Take off your jeans.” Seokjin looks up.

You blink. “What?”

“I wanna eat you out.” Seokjin cocks a brow. “Or, is that too much?”

“No,” you glower, undoing your buttons. “Go for it.”

As you shimmy your jeans down your legs, Seokjin’s mouth dries at the sight of your panties. He did not imagine them to be lace. He did not imagine them to be quite as revealing as they are. Slowly, Seokjin reaches out to peel these aside. You inhale, arching on the bed. Seeing your pussy like that, laid out before him, he can hardly breathe.

You are wet for him. Theoretically, this makes sense, but Seokjin did not think he could make you wet. Did not think he would ever see you as drenched as you are, the lace in the middle much damper than the rest. Pressing another kiss to your knee, Seokjin inhales and makes his way higher.

Flicking your clit with his tongue, he teases at more. You mewl, curling inwards and Seokjin pushes your legs down. He sucks the length of your folds, getting you good and wet before he returns to your sex. You arch again, pussy clenching even through there is nothing inside you.

Smirking, Seokjin takes pleasure in this fact. Your folds are glistening, ready even though has not touched you yet. He has not even pushed a finger inside that tight, wet cunt of yours. Lowering his head, Seokjin’s tongue curls over your clit. He turns needy, licking until your hands fist in the sheets on either side of your body.

“Seokjin,” you groan. “Please.”

“Please what?”

Seokjin leisurely sucks on your clit, pulling it between his lips. His other hand drifts to your cunt, tracing in circles.

You moan beneath him on the bed, arching to try and push him inside. Seokjin memorizes the visual – the black lace of your bra barely hiding your nipples, hair splayed on his comforter with his hands on your thighs.

“I need more.”

“Yeah?” Seokjin lazily traces your pussy. “Want me to finger you?’

“Fuck, yes.”

“Mm.” Seokjin sucks your clit until you cry out from pleasure. Releasing you gently, he sits back on his heels to rub with his fingers. “I could probably make you come like this, though.”

Reaching underneath your body, you unhook your bra. Seokjin stares in awe at your chest, bared before him. “Probably,” you agree. “But wouldn’t it be more fun to come inside me?”

Seokjin’s teeth grit, the words going straight to his cock. Already, it pulses against the tight fit of his jeans – when he feels how wet you are, Seokjin cannot stop imagining himself inside you. Grabbing your wrist, he brings your hand to his crotch.

You inhale when you feel how hard he is. “You’re so… big,” you murmur. “Will you even fit?’

Seokjin smirks, bending until his lips cover yours. “Not yet,” he agrees, spreading your legs with one hand. Stroking your center, he wets himself with your arousal. “That’s why I gotta stretch you out first. Get you ready for this dick.”

“O-h,” you gasp, mouth a perfect o as Seokjin’s finger pushes inside.

It is a tight stretch. Seokjin feels a bit light-headed, imagining something so tight and wet wrapped around him. Withdrawing, he pushes a finger inside you again. Rolling your hips, you force Seokjin deeper and he clicks his tongue, hand grabbing your waist.

“You don’t get to be in control,” he instructs, finger sliding back out. Adding another one, he slowly fucks you again. “You just have to lie there and take it.”

“Good,” you breathe, two of his fingers inside you. “Finally. I’ve been wanting you to yank my panties down and fuck me for weeks now.”

Seokjin’s jaw clenches – shaking his head, he is certain he must have misheard. “What?”

A smile curls your lips. “You heard me,” you say sweetly, pussy squelching as Seokjin’s fingers slide in and out. “You’re so hot when you’re mad. Why do you think I teased you so much? Wanted your dick in my mouth to shut me up.”

Heat blazes through Seokjin’s veins. He has never been this turned on in his life – hearing such sinful things from your angelic lips. Sitting back on his heels, Seokjin frantically undoes his jeans.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he mutters, pushing them past his ass.

Yanking out his cock, Seokjin wraps a hand around his girth. He rubs himself roughly, ignoring the pre-cum dripping from his reddened tip. Already, he is steeling himself to not come inside you. Pushing yourself up on your elbows, you watch him touching himself, lips parted in awe. Seokjin stares back, realizing you are as tuned on by him as he is by you.

Your gaze darts to his face. “Condom?” you ask, voice unsteady. “I don’t think I’ll last long once you’re inside me.”

Nodding, Seokjin grabs one from his drawer. Ripping open the packet, he rolls this on. Lowering an arm to the bed, Seokjin positions his cock at your core. As badly as he wants to be inside you, there is something so tantalizing about teasing. Spreading your legs, Seokjin rubs his cock to your clit and watches you twitch in response.

“Seokjin,” you groan, arms sliding around his neck.

“Yeah?”

“Need you to fuck me so good,” you whine.

“Yeah?” Cock at your entrance, Seokjin slowly pushes inside. “Like that?”

“Mhmm.” You nod, breath hitching slightly. “Like that.”

“There?” Seokjin pushes in a bit more, moaning when your walls flutter around him.

You are squeezing him so fucking tight, Seokjin wonders how much more you can take. He is aware of the fact he is big. It would not be the first time a girl could not take him; would not be the first time he gave up and ate the girl out until she came.

“No!” Eyes flying open, you grab Seokjin’s wrist when he starts to withdraw. Lips parted, you stare at him in a daze. “Please keep going,” you beg. “Don’t wanna stop.”

Seokjin arches a brow. “You sure? Sure it feels good?”

“Good?” You stare at him with a fucked-out expression. “Oh my god.” Wrapping both legs around his waist, you push Seokjin in deeper. “You’re stretching me so good, baby. Can’t wait until you’re pounding this pussy.”

“Fuck,” Seokjin hisses, gaze darkening. “I think I somehow got harder.”

“I know,” you laugh, somewhat dreamily. “Felt your cock twitch inside me. So fucking hot.”

Seokjin continues to ease inside you, inch by inch until your eyes start to water. Biting down on your lip, you urge him on and before long, Seokjin bottoms out. He stops there, panting at the feeling of being so deep inside you. Glancing down, Seokjin sees your pussy split by his cock and cannot contain himself any longer. He slowly pulls out.

“What…” Grasping for his ass, you panic a bit. “Seokjin, don’t –”

Grabbing your knee, he slams back inside you. The two of you groan at the same time. Him, because he has never felt anything as tight and wet as your cunt and you because his dick is so large, your body is trembling.

“God.” You fall back on the bed, chest bouncing. “I fucking knew you were big. There was no other way you could be so annoying.”

Seokjin withdraws, reliving the sweet sensation of thrusting his cock in your tight pussy. You are so warm and so wet – now that you have been stretched, you mold easily to him.

“Fuck,” you gasp, lifting your hips to his.

Seokjin toys with you. Slowly sliding in and out, he brings his thumb to your clit and starts rubbing. “You thought I was annoying, huh?” he breathes, lips hot in your ear.

Nodding, your hands fist in the sheets. “Still do.”

Chuckling, Seokjin captures your lobe with his teeth. His hips roll against you, pressing you into the mattress. “Mm. Know what I think?”

“What?”

“You talk too much. Flip over.”

Your eyes widen. “W-what?”

“Thought you wanted me to shut you up?” Seokjin presses a sweet kiss to your mouth. “Now, flip over, so I can fuck you senseless.”

Withdrawing, he ignores every inch of him which screams to stay put. It is worth it though, when you finally flip onto your stomach and stick your ass in the air.

Inhaling, Seokjin runs a hand up your drenched pussy. Your lips are swollen, messy with slick from him eating you out. Lifting himself onto his knees, Seokjin grabs his dick and pushes against your center. Slapping your clit a few times, he hisses when he feels you tremble beneath him. Hands soft on your hips, he slides into your cunt.

“Ah!” you gasp, head thrown back from the motion.

Wrapping your hair around his wrist, Seokjin thrusts into you again. He can feel every inch of your cunt, feel the tight squeeze of your walls on his cock. God, you are driving him crazy. Thrusting harder, Seokjin cannot separate the sensations before him.

Your ass pushing back on him, the way your moans fall from your lips. The tight wetness of your heat, his cock disappearing in and out. Leaning down, Seokjin slides an arm around your ribcage and pulls you against him.

He continues to fuck you like that, cock entering your body at a punishing speed. You feel so good pressed against him, nipples hard as they peek through his palms. Seokjin’s lips find your neck, sucking a hickey into your skin.

“Fuck,” you groan, walls tightening around him. Your bodies bang together, his cock fucking you open in a way which barely seems decent. “Fuck – Seokjin – yes! Oh my god, yes.’

“Yeah?” His grip tightens around you. “You about to come on my dick, baby?”

“Yes!” you gasp. He is basically holding you up at this point, fucking you senseless. “Oh – oh! I thought… you – mmph – wanted! Me – fuck! Quiet!”

Chuckling, Seokjin slides a hand between your legs. Finding your clit, he begins to rub with his fingers. “Changed my mind,” he grunts. “Wanna hear you scream my name so loud, you wake all my neighbors.”

“S-Seokjin!”

Your legs start to shake, trembling with your impending orgasm and Seokjin is not doing much better. The only thing holding him back is the intense desire to feel you come wrapped around him.

“C’mon,” he groans, angling his hips even deeper. “Wanna feel this tight, little pussy come on my cock. Can you do that, baby? Can you?”

“Yes,” you gasp and then you are coming undone.

Seokjin groans, biting your shoulder when your pussy clamps down. Your orgasm is so intense, Seokjin is surprised he can keep you against him. Pushed over the edge, Seokjin shudders when he lets go and releases into the condom. It goes on for so long, his cock aching as you take every last bit of him.

Slowly, his hand falls and strokes down your side. Lips brushing your neck, Seokjin exhales and gently withdraws. Everything is over-sensitive, each inch of his body buzzing with satisfaction. Tying the condom into a knot, Seokjin tosses this in the garbage and sees you roll out of bed.

His stomach twists. “Where are you going?” he blurts, wincing at how needy he sounds.

It is only – you look so fucking beautiful. Hair messy and lips swollen, traces of arousal lingering on the inside of your thighs. You smile at him, as if sensing his nervousness.

“Where’s your bathroom?” you ask, sheepish.

Seokjin exhales, relief coursing through him. He points to the left. “Over there,” he says, collapsing on top of the sheets. His dick is limp, soft in his lap, but looking at you, Seokjin is already thinking about more. “Want me to show you?”

“That’s alright,” you laugh, turning around. “I think I can make it to the closet alone.”

Grinning, Seokjin falls back again. “Come back soon.”

“Okay.”

Glancing at him over your shoulder, you sneak another peek before disappearing.

Seokjin stares at his ceiling for a moment before he remembers his roommate. Wincing, he reaches down to fish his phone from his jeans. Unsurprisingly, there are several missed texts from Yoongi.

Yoongi: k lol [11:01 PM]

Yoongi doesn’t matter won’t be sleeping anyways [11:01 PM]

Yoongi: too busy eating dessert ; ) [11:01 PM]

Groaning, Seokjin plugs his phone into his charger. He guesses this means Yoongi found someone else to hook up with. Rolling over in bed, Seokjin starts when you open the door.

“Hey.” You smile, almost embarrassed. Walking towards him, you bend to scoop your underwear from the ground.

“Whoa!” Seokjin blurts, grabbing your wrist. He pulls you into the bed before you can get dressed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Putting on clothes,” you laugh, curling into his side. “Clearly, I was wrong.”

“Mhm.” Seokjin’s nose nuzzles your hair. He is not sure why, but something about this feels right. Having your limbs entwined in his, your hand resting soft on his chest. He feels warm, satisfied by the thought of being near you.

Sleepily, you smile. “I’m not allowed to get dressed tonight, is that it?”

“Nope,” he agrees, heart soaring the longer he looks at you. “Something that good needs repeating.”

Laughing a little, you curl tighter around him. “Does that mean you want to repeat it?” you ask, uncertainty to your voice.

Sliding two fingers under your chin, Seokjin tilts your head up. “Yeah,” he says, quiet. “I can’t think of anything I want more, to be honest.”

“I – same.”

Laying your head on his chest, you are quiet for a moment as Seokjin basks in the silence. Then, he exhales and adds, “I mean, aside from trouncing your sales targets, of course. I always want to do that.”

You snort, shoving his side. Seokjin pulls you in closer, grinning widely. It is a lie, of course – right now, there is nothing he wants more than to be with you.

[ COLLABORATION MASTERLIST FOUND HERE ]

© kpopfanfictrash, 2019. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[let-it-raines]

your wonder under summer skies (15/18)

Summer in Storybrooke, Maine means one thing for its residents: tourist season. This year, for Emma Swan and Killian Jones, it means relationships ending and friendships changing all the while they attempt to figure out just what their relationship is. It’s somewhere straddling the line between friends and lovers, and there’s no guarantee of a soft landing if they fall into new territory.

Rating: Mature

a/n: And the weekend shenanigans continue for these crazy kids 😘😘

ao3: beginning | current

Found on Tumblr: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |

-/-

“Do we have any more chocolate?” Emma asks, standing from her chair and walking toward the folding table where all of their food is spread out. “Or did we eat it all?”

“I think we’re out of chocolate, but there are some more marshmallows,” Elsa tells her.

“Damn,” Emma mutters before turning around and plopping back in her seat. “I love those, could eat the entire bag so my stomach, like, expands forever, but all I really wanted was a Hershey’s bar. Do we have the stuff to make hot chocolate inside?”

“Killian was in charge of food,” Anna suggests. “Ask him.”

Emma glances around the fire to look at the faces that are illuminated by the flames, but there’s one that’s missing.

Where the hell did he go?

“Has anyone seen Killian?”

Ruby whistles and stumbles a bit. She has had far too much whiskey, and Mulan is going to have a great time getting her into bed tonight without her flopping on the floor first.

“Looking for lover boy so you can make out with him again?”

“You, my friend, are drunk,” Emma sighs, placing her hands on Ruby’s shoulders and steering her back to her seat. “You need to stay away from the fire and the water, okay?”

Ruby falls back into her seat and sticks her bottom lip out. “Why do you have to ruin all of my fun?”

“Because you’ve had more than enough fun tonight.”

“So much fun,” Ruby giggles, resting her head on Mulan’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you actually kissed Jones.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Emma rolls her eyes and look over at Mulan, who is shaking her head from side to side. “You gonna make sure she doesn’t fall into the fire?”

“I will try my best.”

Emma nods and walks away, passing by David and Mary Margaret, who ask her where she’s going. She says to see if she can find anything to make hot chocolate in the kitchen, which is only a half truth. She does stop in the kitchen first, rifling through cabinets and the fridge to see if there’s anything good, but most of it looks like food that’s waiting to be cooked tomorrow. So she grabs a bottle of Gatorade that she is definitely going to need tomorrow and starts heading upstairs so she can grab her stuff to shower and find Killian. He’s not in the bedroom when she walks in, so she figures maybe he went back out. He was probably only gone to go to pee or something anyway.

Emma grabs her bag from the floor, shuffling through it to find a pair of shorts and a t-shirt as well as her shampoo and conditioner, and once she grabs all of it, she walks back downstairs to the hallway bathroom. It takes a few minutes for her to figure out the shower. It goes back and forth between scalding and freezing, and she eventually settles on almost-freezing, quickly going through her routines and washing her hair before jumping out and wrapping her hair in a towel before getting dressed and finishing her nightly routine.

The towel around her hair drops when she bends down to pick up her clothes from earlier today, and instead of putting it back on, she hangs it over the shower door and lets her hair fall down her back. She’ll figure out what to do with it later.

The light is on in the bedroom when she gets back to it, and Killian is now in bed, his back propped against the small headboard and his phone in his hand.

“Hey, where have you been?”

“I took a shower in Liam’s bathroom. Couldn’t figure out how to get the bloody shower in that hall bathroom to work.”

“Me either. I basically took a shower in ice water.”

Emma drops her bag, and reaches up to grab her hair, twisting it around into a bun on the top of her head. Then she turns back toward the beds, and while she could easily climb up the ladder to get to her own bed, she’s not ready for that quite yet. So, instead, she walks over to the bed, puts her knee down on the bottom mattress, and settles herself over Killian’s lap while he still taps through his phone.

Sighing, she leans down and presses her mouth against the underside of his jaw, tasting his clean skin and the scratch of his scruff before trailing her lips down to his ear, nibbling in the spot she knows he likes all while her hips gently roll against his.

“I was thinking…”

“As you say, dangerous thing that.”

She bites down, hard, on his ear, and she hears his phone lock before there’s a gentle thud on the ground. “Shut up and listen.”

He grumbles, there’s some kind of curse, but really, she has no idea what he said.

At this point in time, she doesn’t care.

“I was thinking that we’re up here, separated from the rest of the group, and while we didn’t get a big, comfy bed like everyone else, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun.”

Emma dips her head down, nosing along his neck and down to his t-shirt, moving the material away from his skin until she can worry a mark against his collarbone. Or, at least, the beginnings of one that will fade in an hour. She doesn’t want them to get into another hickey situation with Ruby.

But when Killian doesn’t say anything, Emma looks up, settling back on her legs and looking down at Killian who is staring at her with pressed together lips and hooded eyes.

“What? Are you – ”

She doesn’t get to finish her sentence because then Killian is leaning up and slamming his lips into hers while his hand cups the back of her head, fingers threading into her hair and pulling her closer to him. It’s all tongue and teeth and is giving her no time to think or to set the pace on her own. She knows that she’s had a little to drink tonight, that Killian has too from the taste of rum still on his tongue, but there’s a buzzing emanating over her skin that has nothing to do with that.

It’s like she’s floating as he’s kissing her. Every inch of her body is on a high, one that she doesn’t want to come down from, and when Killian juts his hips up into hers, she knows it will be awhile before she does.

Killian tilts her head while his other hand wraps around her back, inching up underneath her t-shirt. He groans when his fingers get to the bare skin where her bra usually is, and Emma can’t help but laugh into the kiss, pulling back with a pop and a gasp of air.

“I was planning on going to sleep. Did you think I was going to wear a bra?”

“Can’t say I put much thought into it, love.”

“Really? I kind of figured you were always thinking about – ”

He interrupts her again, pressing his mouth pressed hotly against her neck while he gently flips them around. There’s not much space on the bed, and Emma’s leg slams against the wall, but then she’s managing to remove her t-shirt and settle under Killian while his mouth moves to her breast, lips wrapping around a nipple while she curls her leg around him and pulls him closer to her. She can feel his cock pressing into her through his boxers, almost exactly where she wants him, and God, it feels good. He’s heavy and thick, and she swears that her body goes even higher as her skin tingles with the buzz of anticipation of having him buried deep within her.

“Take off your boxers,” Emma gasps, scratching at his back.

“Not yet,” Killian mumbles into her stomach. “Not yet.”

She almost questions why, but then he’s moving down her body while he moves off the bed, settling down on his knees and tugging her to the edge. Emma takes the hint, lifting her hips she he can tug her underwear off and then wrapping her ankles around his shoulders.

Killian is damn good at what he does next, the warmth of his mouth pressed to where she’s aching and the roughness of his beard scratching against the inside of her thighs. She doesn’t need to tell him what to do, doesn’t need to instruct him, because he’s learned just what to do over the past few months. She’s already on edge, her body unable to stay pressed against the mattress, and her hands bury themselves in Killian’s hair, tugging on the soft, still slightly damp strands as he keeps moving in just the right direction that soon has her gasping for breath and having to mumble his name when she remembers that they’re not alone in this house.

Fuck.

After, he takes his time trailing his lips up her leg, settling his chin against her hip and staying there while her heart still pounds far too quickly and while she can’t even out her breathing. His eyes are hooded, deep blue showing itself from the blackness of his arousal, and after pressing his mouth against her side, he starts moving up her body again, kissing every inch of skin until he’s kissing her while she adjusts her hips so that he can press into her in a slide of heat that has her burning.

“So good,” she mumbles while he slowly rocks into her.

“You’ve got no bloody idea,” he rasps as his hands settle on her hips, fingers digging into skin, while he adjusts her underneath him. “Fucking temptress, doesn’t give a man a moment to breathe.” “You’re one to talk there.”

She can feel his laugh vibrate against her cheek, and she turns her head to capture his lips in a slow kiss as he begins moving within her and over her, pinning her to the bed. He’s warm over her, his back slick with a sheen of sweat, and she manages to press her hips tighter against him while he settles into a rhythm, slow and measured and one that she has a feeling could last forever if they wanted it to.

Right now, she can’t decide whether or not she wants this to go on indefinitely or if she’d like for him to fuck her into the mattress.

Killian seems to decide for her, keeping his thrusts slow as his lips ghost over her neck and her collarbone and then her nose, lingering there while his forehead presses into hers. She can see every eyelash, her freckle, every scar, and she’s so caught up in the feeling of him over her and within her and the subtly of his smile that her orgasm surprises her before overwhelming her, prickling at her skin in one long, slow simmer that she could definitely live in forever.

Emma’s nails dig into Killian’s shoulder hard enough to leave marks, and while he’s still pushing into her, she lets her hands fall to his lower black, pressing flat against the skin while Killian’s head falls to her shoulder, his lips pressing warmly against her. He keeps rocking into her, faster and faster until he stills and speaks something unintelligible into her skin.

Damn, Killian Jones.

Just, damn.

“And you complained about the bunkbeds,” Emma laughs as she waits for Killian to catch his breath.

“Not enough bloody space,” he mumbles before rolling off of her and standing up, grabbing his boxers off the floor and cleaning up with them. “If we mess these sheets up, someone will definitely see before we manage to get them in the wash.”

“You think ahead way too much.”

“I like to be prepared.” He shrugs and walks over to his bag, grabbing another pair of boxers and slipping them on before tossing Emma her t-shirt.

“Why are we getting dressed?”

“Door doesn’t lock, and our friends have no boundaries.”

“Ah, I have a solution for that.”

Emma rises from the bed, her legs still a little shaky, and slips on her t-shirt before walking across the room. She grabs the small chair next to the dresser and walks it to the door, propping it up underneath the knob.

“There,” she claps, “problem solved.”

Killian chuckles and settles down on the bottom mattress again. When Emma joins him, he shifts to the side, turning so she can stick her leg between his calves and rest her head on his shoulder. His hand wraps around her back, and he draws circles on her back, soothing her into a drowsy bliss that soon takes her.

-/-

Emma wakes to the extremely obnoxious sounds of birds outside her window, a constant chirping and chittering, and she should have put in her ear plugs before falling asleep.

“Oh my God, why do people like nature?” she huffs, opening her eyes and stretching her aching back only to realize that the warm body she slept next to last night is no longer there.

Huh.

This is a ridiculously small bed. It’s literally made for children. She should have felt Killian getting out of bed.

Emma sits up and reaches her arms above her head, stretching and pulling at all of the sore muscles. It’s like her entire body is on fire, and they’re probably going hiking again today. She is definitely going to need some ibuprofen or something.

Is she old in that the first thing she thinks of when she wakes up is ibuprofen?

Throwing the covers off her legs, Emma stands from the bed and reaches down on the floor to grab the t-shirt she’d put on after her shower last night and then pulls all of her hair up into a messy ponytail. She’ll have to fix that later, but from the feel of it, she can tell brushing it is going to be beyond a nightmare.

She slept with it wet without brushing through it and then Killian had run his hands through her hair, so there was really no way she was getting out of this predicament.

The door to the bedroom opens with a creak, and Killian steps inside. His hair is black with water, and he’s already dressed in a pair of black running shorts and a fitted pullover. Did he go running?

“Hey,” he mumbles in greeting, popping out an Air Pod she’s just now seeing.

Yeah, he went running.

“Good morning. What time did you get up this morning?”

He shrugs and toes off his trainers. “Early.”

“You should have woken me up. I know I’m no Skipper, but I make a good running partner even if my entire body hurts right now. My legs can be steady.”

He quietly chuckles, and she keeps waiting for him to look her in the eye and flash that smile she’s so accustomed to, but he keeps staring at his fingers as the hold onto the bottom of his pullover.

Something’s wrong.

Her superpower is going off, but it’s not…she doesn’t know why exactly she has this heaviness in the pit of her stomach.

“Swan, can I talk to you about something?” Killian asks, finally looking up at her.

Emma can see his eyes, but the smile is definitely not there.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Emma nods.

Killian reaches up to scratch behind his hear before he paces back and forth in the room, moving over to the window before leaning up against it.

“Look, you’re,” he finally begins, “damn, Swan, you’re fucking incredible. It’s bloody insane how good it feels to be with you. But I think it might be best for us to stop.”

It’s like she’s been slapped.

That’s the only thing she can compare it to.

She’s been slapped and punched in the gut and suddenly her legs aren’t so steady anymore.

Where the hell did this come from?

Emma opens her mouth to ask why, but she quickly snaps it shut. Killian isn’t one to mince words. He chooses them carefully. He always has. If he wanted to give her an explanation, he would have before he gave her any time to talk.

If he doesn’t want to sleep together anymore, that’s fine.

That’s what they agreed to.

There’s probably someone else. Women are always floating around him, flirting and talking and trying to make him laugh. He has to meet as many people in a day that she does, and maybe he found one that’s piqued his interest.

Emma swallows the lump in her throat and attempts to balance the toothpicks that are holding her up right now. She really needs to sit down or lean up against something, but she’s not going to budge from her spot.

“Oh, o-okay,” Emma finally sputters out, losing a bit of her balance despite herself. “If that’s what you want, that’s fine.” “Love, I – ”

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” she interrupts, holding her hand up. “It was a good arrangement, KJ, but that’s what it was – an arrangement. Either of us could end it whenever, no hard feelings.”

He nods, slowly, all while his gaze never leaves hers. She swears that she sees his jaw clench, but that could have just been an illusion, a product of her still tired mind and body.

“Right. No hard feelings.” Killian moves away from the window and walks toward her, hovering so close she can feel the heat of his body and smell the saltiness of his sweat before his lips lightly brush against her cheek, his scruff scratching soon after. “I need to take another shower. I’ll see you downstairs for breakfast, aye? Maybe do something with that mess you call your hair.”

“Shut up,” Emma laughs, pushing his chest so he moves away from her. “Half of that is your fault.”

He half shrugs before bending down to grab clothes out of his bag. “Perhaps.”

And then he’s walking out the bedroom door like she’s not standing here with shaky legs and a heartbeat so erratic she hopes an ambulance can get here soon.

Fuck.

What just happened?

No, no.

Nope.

Emma is not going to let herself think about any of it. It’s early and she’s got half of a hangover, and her brain isn’t functioning. That’s why she feels so off-kilter.

It’s the half hangover and the distinct lack of coffee and greasy breakfast food in her stomach.

Coffee and food. That’s what she’s going to focus on.

With a deep breath in and out, Emma goes to her own bag, grabbing her brush and working through the knots in her hair. It’s painful as hell and takes far too long, and while it leaves her hair bushy and a little too much like Hermione Granger in the early movies, there at least aren’t knots anymore. She pulls on a pair of shorts and then some socks before gathering all of the things she needs to get ready for today.

Everything is completely and totally normal, and she is not going to act otherwise.

By the time she’s brushed her teeth and washed her face, Emma feels almost normal. Her hangover is definitely still there, the headache creeping into the corners of her head and settling there, but thankfully, she smells bacon and coffee when she walks into the kitchen. David is standing at the stove, and Emma pumps her fist when she sees pancakes on the griddle.

“Bless you,” Emma sighs as she walks toward him. “You’re making enough for me, right?”

“I know better than to be in the same five-mile radius as you and to not cook you pancakes.” He leans down and brushes his lips over the top of her head because David is the epitome of a father figure right now. All she needs now is some kind of misguided lecture on her life choices. She could actually use one of those right now. “You’re up earlier than I thought you would be. Everyone but Elsa is asleep.”

“Killian’s awake. He apparently went for a run this morning.”

“He was smart and didn’t drink as much as us, so he’s probably the only one thinking clearly.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Emma muddles around the kitchen, finding the largest mug she can find and pouring coffee in it before adding milk since there’s no creamer, and then fixing herself a plate of food. As she sits down at the counter, she sees Elsa walk into the kitchen. She doesn’t look anywhere near as dead as Emma feels, but she also probably got a heck of a lot more sleep last night and wasn’t broken up with – wait, no. That didn’t happen to Emma. She needs to wipe that thought right out of her mind and never think of it again.

This is fine.

This is normal.

This is how it has always been.

Elsa and David talk as David continues to cook, and Emma stuffs a forkful of eggs in her mouth. She needs food and to get over this hangover, and really, she is far too young to have such a bad hangover after so few drinks.

She isn’t even twenty-eight yet. She should be able to still drink and then not feel like hell afterward.

“Something smells delicious,” Killian sighs as he walks into the kitchen. His hair is now wet from his shower instead of sweat, and he’s changed into an almost identical pullover and pair of shorts.

“Thanks, mate. It’s just from a box,” David chuckles.

“Oh, Dave, I hate to break it to you, but I was talking about Emma, not your cooking. Though, it does smell heavenly in here.”

Emma feels heat rise in her cheeks and something else drop in her stomach, and she doesn’t even try to avoid Killian’s gaze. He flashes his teeth at her before winking, and it’s like nothing has changed.

Good.

That’s good, right?

Killian jokes around with David and tells Elsa good morning as he fixes his own plate. He sits at the counter next to her, and he stays there throughout breakfast, even as everyone else wakes up and stumbles into the kitchen, all in different states of distress. He stays and talks and laughs, and for a few moments at a time, Emma can imagine that everything is normal, that nothing has changed despite this pit that keeps growing in her stomach.

“David,” Elsa starts, “I have to say that you make a hell of a breakfast. Liam could learn from you.” “Oi, what the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?” Liam grumbles, his mouth obviously full of food.

“That I didn’t fall in love with you for your cooking.”

“Really? Then what was it? My looks? My undeniable charm?”

Elsa laughs as she leans forward to press her lips into Liam’s cheek. “Your humbleness, honey, obviously.”

“Oh, Elsa,” Anna interrupts, “what about what you told me that one time?”

“You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

“You know – ” Anna waves her fork in the air before putting it down as the room quiets, everyone suddenly listening to this conversation “ – like when you said that you knew that you loved Liam because he was the first man who had ever made you feel comfortable in a relationship. It was like he didn’t make you chase him or play games. You knew where you stood, and it was just, you know, solid.”

“Solid,” Liam repeats slowly. “I like that. I mean, I think of myself as passionate and romantic and thrilling, but I like solid too.”

“I like that my sister just told everyone something I told her in confidence.”

Liam chuckles and then reaches up to cup Elsa’s cheek, his hand covering the blush that’s painted itself there, and then he kisses her.

Emma looks away, suddenly feeling like she is intruding on the most private of moments, and as she turns her head, she catches Killian’s eyes and the hard set of his jaw as he looks at his brother.

Solid.

Comfortable.

He makes her feel comfortable in way that she has never felt before, and that’s how she knew that she had true feelings for him.

Oh fucking hell.

That’s how Killian makes Emma feel, how he always has even when she didn’t realize it.

Neal used to always have her on edge. He was always playing games and making her second guess what his intentions were or if he was being truthful, and in their five years together, she doesn’t know that she ever felt comfortable.

What an utterly shitty thing to realize as she finally realizes why she has this pit in her stomach.

She’s fooled around and developed feelings for the one person who has the ability to shatter her, and he ended a part of their relationship that she’d really grown accustomed to.

It hasn’t been just sex for her in a long time, and Emma had no idea.

Maybe Killian did, though. Maybe that’s why he ended it.

He was trying to save her from herself by stopping things before they went too far.

Too late.

-/-

-/-

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[hale-13]

State of Grace

By Hale13

For the Summer of Whump Day 28 Prompt - Display and

Identity Reveal Bingo Prompt - “Were you ever planning to tell me?”

Peter can do this. It’s just high school and he’s only been on the run from the American government for the whole summer. He can do this.

Words: 2220, Chapters: 1/1 (Complete), Language: English

Fandoms: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)

Rating: Gen

Relationships: Peter Parker & May Parker, Peter Parker & Ned Leeds, Peter Parker/Michelle Jones, Peter Parker & Happy Hogan

Characters: Peter Parker, May Parker, Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones, Happy Hogan, Flash Thompson

TW: Mild Panic, Angst

Read on AO3 or below line break.

“Are you okay?” May asks him, leaned against the frame of his open door, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand and a silk robe knotted shut over her pajamas.

“Sure. I’m fine,” Peter says and holds back a wince – he doesn’t even believe himself. He continues to fiddle with the new notebooks he’s shoving in his ratty book bag, fraying and stained from his summer on the run. May offered to get him a new one but he had – stupidly – declined. And, yes, he regrets it now.

The look May levels him with is one of disbelief but he chooses to ignore it in favor of completely unpacking and repacking his bag, shoving his suit into the dark recesses and trying to ignore it. He hasn’t been out as Spider-Man since… well anyway he doesn’t really use his suit as much anymore but he can’t stand to not have it with him. He hasn’t told his SHIELD assigned therapist that yet but he can imagine what she would say.

It’s not pretty.

“You look real fine,” May tells him in her no nonsense way but then her face softens. “You know you don’t have to do this right sweetie? You can home school if you want?”

Peter’s fingers tap a staccato rhythm against his pants leg and he clenches his fist tight enough to turn his knuckles white to stop it. “I know May,” he says. He did consider it for a while but he genuinely loved Midtown and he wanted to have a normal senior year with Ned and MJ; apply to colleges, go to prom and on dates with MJ, graduate. He wanted to get into MIT just like Mr. Stark and share a dorm with Ned and just… be normal.

May lets out a sigh and enters the room, setting her cooling coffee mug on his desk and untangling his fingers from the strap of his bag before pulling him into a warm hug. Peter melts into her and reaches his arms up to hug her back gently. He loves her more than anything and he absolutely hates what he’s put her through. He hates that she can’t work at FEAST anymore, that she basically has to have a bodyguard with her everywhere she goes because of him. That all of her friends have alienated her except for Pepper Potts who lives over two hours away and can’t really visit.

“It’s going to be okay Petey,” she tells him softly as she rocks them back and forth using his childhood nickname and making tears well in his eyes. He’s already cried twice in the last twelve hours so he needs to dry it up or he’s going to look like even more of a mess when he gets to school. “I believe in you and I know you can do it but just know you can leave at any point okay? Remember the meeting with Morita? Just ask and you can leave.”

“I know,” Peter says into her hair – it smells like her favorite jasmine shampoo and the familiar scent is comforting. “I’ll be fine.”

A knock sounds at the door ending their embrace and May looks at her watch and frowns. “Happy’s early,” she mutters, grabbing her coffee cup and shuffling to the door. “Finish packing!” She calls over her shoulder and Peter haphazardly shoves the rest of his things into his bag so that he can join her in the living room as she opens the door and lets out a soft ‘oh’.

“Ned?” Peter says, confused at seeing his best friend in the hallway outside his front door smiling a massive smile. “MJ?” His girlfriend stands next to Ned looking just as bored and unaffected as usual except for the slightly faintly look in her eye that he knows means she’s nervous. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you honestly think we were going to let you rejoin society completely on your own?” MJ asks with a raised eye brow and a smirk.

“Yeah Peter what do you take us for?” Ned jokes, walking through the open door and giving May a quick hug as she closes the door behind them.

And, yeah, here come the waterworks again Peter thinks as he sniffs wetly. Ned and MJ had both spent most of the summer on the run with him or hiding in Dr. Strange’s weird house and he knows today is just a big of a deal for them as it is for him and he never would have thought that they would… he sniffs again and wipes his eyes. “Thanks,” he says sincerely, choked up as he pulls them both in for a hug.

Ned returns the hug, now just as emotional but he can basically feel MJ’s eye roll as she returns his hug. “I can’t believe you actually thought we weren’t going to be here after everything loser,” her voice is fond and Peter squeezes her just a bit tighter. “Besides, I want to see the look on Flash’s face – he has such a massive crush on Spider-Man that his face will make a great addition to my ‘In Distress’ series.”

Ned and Peter both laugh and Peter releases them both. He revels in the warmth for just one more minute before he sobers to say “You don’t have to do this. It could put a target on your backs and I don’t want you to get hurt.” Ned and MJ share a commiserating look with each other before leveling Peter with twin glares and he holds up his hands in surrender. “Just checking!”

He had tried to break ties with both of them when he left at the beginning of the summer but was told, under no uncertain terms, that he wasn’t allowed to make their decisions for them. MJ’s impassioned speech had also contained a thirty minute detailed history of women’s rights and how chivalry was just another way men belittled them and Peter really couldn’t love her any more if he tried.

Before either one of them got the opportunity to lecture Peter again there was a brief knock at the door before Happy opened it and walked in, studiously avoiding looking at May who was fighting a smile of her own. They had been on-again-off-again for months and Peter really didn’t want to think about it. “Hey Happy!” He said, going for bright but falling short and flat. Graciously, no one pointed it out.

“Didn’t know I was chauffeuring half of your school,” he grumbled and Peter’s smile became more genuine – Happy liked to pretend to be gruff but they all had his number – he was super soft and gooey on the inside. “You ready to go?”

Was he ready to go? No, not really, but he needed to so he just nodded, tightening his bag straps around his shoulders and turning to pull May into another quick hug. “I’ll see you after school,” she whispered into his ear with another quick squeeze before moving on to repeat the gesture with Ned and MJ. “Have a good day!” She told all of them as Peter slipped his hand into Michelle’s and followed Happy to the elevator. One of the two SHIELD agents that were constantly stationed outside his apartment followed behind them as unobtrusively as possible but it still made Peter’s skin crawl.

Nick Fury – the real one, not the Skrull (holy shit an actual shape-shifting alien!) that Peter had met in Europe – had assigned he and May a full security detail once he had been cleared of all charges. Peter had hoped they would be gone by the time school started but Fury was nothing if not cautious and Peter had to accept that they would probably be following him for most of the school year. At least he had managed to talk Fury and Hill into keeping them outside the school so he wasn’t being followed by a bunch of guys in suits to all of his high school classes.

“You good kid?” Happy asked once they had slipped into his town car and pulled away from the curb, Peter sitting in between Ned and MJ and a SHIELD vehicle following closely behind them as they navigated the Queens streets.

“Yep. I’m good. Great. So good,” Peter rambled, ignoring the heavy looks MJ, Ned and Happy all shared.

“You sound great,” Happy said sarcastically, flicking his eyes back to the road. The rest of the car ride to Midtown was filled with oppressive silence as Peter’s heart rate ratcheted up higher and higher the closer they got until it felt like it was pounding in his chest when they pulled into the parking lot. The group of four SHIELD agents behind them all left their SUV and ignored the curious stares of the mass of teenagers milling in front of the school as they disappeared into the masses.

“You ready to go Tiger?” MJ asked, taking Peter’s hand and squeezing it again.

Peter gulped, his mouth and throat suddenly dry. “Sure,” he croaked out.

“Dude,” Ned muttered. “You don’t have to do this; you know that right? You don’t have anything to prove.”

“I know,” Peter agreed. “But I need to do this.”

Ned studied his intently for another moment before nodding once. “Then lets go.”

The yard fell completely silent for about ten seconds when Peter exited the car, flanked by Ned and MJ, before everyone started furiously gossiping and pointing at him. Perter felt his cheeks heat up and he ducked his head. “Ignore them,” MJ said, grabbing Ned’s hand with her free one and pulling both of them forward. The crowd parted for them, staring at Peter like he was on display but no one dared to risk MJ’s wrath and approach them.

The hall’s were just as crowded when they stumbled through the front doors but the flood of students inside must have already heard about their arrival since they were, with the level of failed surreptitiousness that only teenagers could achieve, taking pictures and videos of Peter’s entrance into the school. He could feel his face paling and he let his eyes glaze over and go out of focus as his breath quickened.

“Don’t,” MJ said, pulling him along to his locker. “Get your chin up,” she hissed at him, “they’re piranhas, don’t show weakness.”

“Don’t show weakness,” Peter said weakly, feeling a little faint. “Right.”

“Back off,” he heard Ned say angrily to a group of juniors who were approaching Peter with hungry expressions and phones out. “Don’t you have a class to get to?”

“Clear the halls!” Mr. Harrington called from outside his classroom. “Home room starts in two minutes! Get a move on!” He caught Peter’s eye and winked at him as he started herding the unruly groups along and Peter felt something settle in his just a little.

‘Come on Spider-Man,’ He said, cracking his neck a bit and trying to hype himself up. ‘Come on Peter. They’re just people. You’ve got this.’ He rolled his shoulders back and kept walking, trying to put more confidence in his step and ignoring the surprised faces of his friends as he pushed through the crowd to his locker.

Ned split off to head a little further down the hall to get his own things but Michelle opened the locker next to his and gave him a self-satisfied smile. “That was hot,” she told him with a ridiculous wiggle of her eye brows and he let out a loud laugh, giving her a fond look as he stowed his gym bag and slammed the door shut.

“I’ll have to keep it up then,” he said, trying for confident and focusing on her slightly chapped lips. He really wanted to kiss her.

She snorted and grabbed his hand again. “Later Tiger,” she promised. “But only if you make it through the whole day.”

He grinned back at her, finally settling and ignoring all the people watching them. “How could I not with a promise like that?”

Ned had just joined them when, out of nowhere, Flash planted himself directly in their path, leveling an angry glare at Peter opening and closing his mouth a few times before finally just pointing at him.

“Yes Flash?” Peter asked, confused and tilting his head to the side at his frenemies odd behavior. Flash let out a growl of frustration.

“You’re Spider-Man,” he finally said.

“Uh…” Peter said, taken aback a little. “Yeah? Old news right?”

“You’re Spider-Man,” he said again, sounding beyond angry and yanking at his slicked back hair, mussing it. “You actually let me… I’m Spider-Man’s biggest… you let me call you penis!”

Ned snorted, his face turning red from trying to contain his laugh and even MJ looked a little smug. Perter just smiled. “And?”

Flash dropped his hand, looking crestfallen. “We’re you ever planning to tell me?”

“It’s called a secret identity for a reason Flash,” Peter pointed out and Flash rolled his eyes.

“Fair point I guess,” he agreed, hitching his bag up his shoulder. “See you at lunch Parker.”

Peter stared after him, bemused. “Did that just happen?”

“Oh yeah,” Ned cackled. “And I filmed it!”

Peter laughed and started walking again just as the first bell rang. Maybe he could do this after all.

[vegetacide]

Veggie art’ing Part II complete…  This is a continuation of THIS 

Also for something a bit new as I had several notes asking what was going on with the previous pic I wrote a little something to accompany this.  It took a rather unexpected direction on me as I had ordinally intended for this to be a reconciliation picture..   Just were my mind veered for some reason.. I blame these two idiots…

I have spent far too long plunking away at this so bare with me if its absolutely crap. 

Anyway.. if you wish to read it.. look check out below 

Working title: …haven’t come up with one yet.. meh. Sue me

Blanket warning: Hints to adult subject matter that some might find offensive or triggery..mentions of past trama…. etc etc

Rating: Teen.. I guess

Word count: 2726 words 

Characters: Virgil/Kayo

Fandom: TaG’verse A/U

Location: My made up beach house located somewhere on Tracy Island..  

Veggie notes:   Any errors are completely my own and I am sure I will catch them at some point on one of my obsessive read throughs of self doubt.  :D

Enjoy…

o0o 

Damn, how in the world had it come to this? 

Virgil watched as she padded on quiet, bare feet across the beach house deck.  Retreating again and effectively shutting him out.  Her slender shoulders so small under the too big flannel of his shirt, were hunched as she protectively wrapped her arms around herself. Closing off like she always did when things got too close and too real for her to deal with. 

His chest hurt, a dull ache behind his breast bone and he rubbed at it subconsciously.  Like his heart was too big and in its floundering it was trying to break through the meager sack of flesh that housed it.

Cursing, he rubbed at it again and resisted the urge to drive his fist in the plastered wall of the beach house.  The effort wouldn’t serve any meaningful purpose anyways other than splitting his knuckles. There was no detracting from his present circumstances and potential broken bones wouldn’t change that. 

He should have taken more care with his words instead of letting his thoughts run free as he did and he kicked himself for his short sightedness,  not that it fixed anything.  He’d been too caught up in his own little world,  completely forgetting the reality they were living and now here they were. 

On opposing ends of a vast chasm.  Him holding on with all his might to keep his family whole while Kayo fought against it. The horrible twisted image of family that a mad man had imprinted on her at too young an age warping her view on things to the detriment of them both.    An idea she had been fighting her whole life to make different and one she couldn’t escape, it seemed no matter how hard they tried to.  

The old doubts and worries were always just beneath the surface just waiting to spring forth to bugger things up. The present being a prime example.  

The morning had started out completely different and felt almost like a dream to where they were now.   Warm and lazy with a vague like quality one found just upon waking.   

Kayo had been snuggled in his arms. Her legs tangled with his among the rumpled sheets. A sweet ocean breeze blowing through the gossamer curtains and dancing pleasantly over their satiated bodies.  Wicking the dew of sweat from their skin as their pulses slowed and their minds drifted back from the bliss of carnal sensation. 

His fingers had been lazily tracing up and down her back, over the sinewy grace of her shoulders and down the curve of her spine. Paying homage and mapping every glorious inch to his artist brain. 

He’d been lost in a day dream of what could be. The gentle rise of her hip, the varied valleys of her ribs  directing the course of his thoughts.  A picture was forming of a future, one that stretched out before them like a blank canvas, waiting for them to take up the brush and fill it with colour and life. 

A story in images had started to sketch itself  in his mind’s eye.  The two of them, together.  Healing, growing and evolving with a world of opportunity before them and nothing to hold them back. 

Not being able to contain himself as he lazed with her, Virgil had voiced his thoughts. Letting loose all that he’d hoped for.   A tumble of words spewing forth that had Kayo suddenly growing still and stiff to his touch. 

“Virgil,  stop…”  Had been all she’d uttered before she’d turned from his embrace and slipped from the soft comfort of their bed.  Her hair a tumble of love tousled ebony, hiding her face. 

“It would be a nice picture to paint.”  He’d replied, mind still on other things and not on the present.   “Go anywhere, wherever we want.  Take in the sights for a change instead of just jetting by them.  Go to that little cabin by that lake I told you about… it would be a perfect spot to..”

“Enough! …” The abruptness of her raised voice had him snapping his jaw shut.  

With jerking motions, she’d grabbed up his shirt.  The match to his favourite pair of lounge pants.   The one she loved to cozy into and entice him with. A glimpse of flesh here as it rode up her thighs, a flash there as supple mounds peaked out between the row of loosed buttons. Now though it covered her in a different manner entirely.  Like a shield, she clasped it tightly 

He’d pushed up to his elbows, brows dropped low with concern as he’d finally taken note that something wasn’t quite right..  “Kay?"  

She’d cast her gaze back at him then.  The briefest of looks had been enough for him to catch the shadow of disquiet in them.  Their usual vibrancy muddied by brewing clouds of anger that had him sliding from the sheets and reaching for her. 

“Don’t.” Was all she said, shaking her head as he’d risen and moved towards her.  Her hands held aloft to hold him back as she’d strode from the room.  

“What… Tin,  what’s going on?”  

Grabbing up his pants Virgil had stumbled after her, hopping as he yanked them on amid a  litany of colourful words. 

“Shit… Wait..”  

Steps later he was confronted by a fury he hadn’t expected considering where and what they had been doing mere moments before.  

She had been pacing like a caged animal,  across the expanse of the living room and back again.  Rage flowing from her with each hurried step. 

“What…?”  Was all he managed to say before she turned on him.  Fire in her gaze,  colour high on her cheeks.  

“You know what?”  She seethed, poking a finger in his direction as she did another circuit of the room.

He’s own anger bubbled to the surface,  “Actually, I don’t. So would you enlighten me to whatever erroneous infraction it is that you think that I’ve done?”  

“Oh, don’t give me that.  You know exactly what the problem is.”

Virgil’s brows shot up as her words had struck a chord in his grey matter. “Problem? You really think…”

“What in the hell were we thinking?!”  She growled out, shoving a chair out to the way and knocking it over with a crash. “Selfish..Stupid.”

“With the lives we lead….You can’t ask this of me!”   

Her words had been like a physical blow and Virgil had taken an involuntary step back. She’d wanted her words to hurt and she’d succeeded.  She never did pull her punches and her aim was as impeccable as ever.

He’d seen the realization of what she’d said flicker through her gaze but she’d quickly buried it. Instead of saying more, she shook her head, turned  her back on him once more and walked out the open sliding doors putting more than just distance between them. 

And he’d let her go,  his shoulders slumping at the writing between the lines of what had been said. In his mind there was only one option open to them but maybe for her that wasn’t the case. The implications of those options was something he couldn’t dare to fathom…but it was a road he wouldn’t let her travel down alone.  

He had a responsibility to uphold,  as  her husband and as the man he prided himself on being.  A rescuer in dark times, when there was no one else capable of the job and sometimes those that needed rescuing were closer to home.

Squaring his shoulders he went after her.  She was begging for a fight. An obvious distraction from the core reasoning behind her lashing out at him but he wouldn’t take her up on the invitation.   He wouldn’t let her push him away to deal with whatever this was on her own. 

Passing through the doors,  his eyes scanned over the deck and his breath had caught.   

She looked so small, fragile and it had brought him up short. Slumping,  he braced himself between a support post and the beach house wall.  An uncanny exhaustion suffusing him as he saw the uphill battle of the task ahead.  A task he was determined to see through to the end, no matter the outcome. 

He hated seeing her like this and despite her best efforts to push him away, Virgil knew her too well.  Had spent most of his life knowing her.  He could read her nuances, gestures and mood even when she tried to close off from him like she was trying to do now under a mask of anger.  

“Tin,”  He said carefully, dropping his hand and pushing away from the post.  He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, letting the tension slip from his shoulders.   Approaching her with all guns blazing would only crank her defenses up higher and wouldn’t get them anywhere.

He watched her stance with a practiced eye as he stepped closer.  She was like an abused animal.  Even with all of her training, when she was emotionally compromised as she was right now the scared little girl she had been came to the fore.  The one they met when she’d first came to live with them, hiding behind her father’s leg.   

He hadn’t known her history then,  the actions of her uncle and the effect that it would have on the rest of her life.  How it would shape her into the strong, determined woman she was today.  Never letting anyone get close enough to see the frightened child she closeted away inside.  Virgil though had managed to find his way inside,  found the cracks in her apparent impenetrable armour and had broken through to  the core of the woman inside.  The one she tried desperately to hide from the world in a shell of fierce resolve and purpose.  

Under it all was a woman, who had seen too much.  Abused, battered, basically orphaned by her absentee father and desperately afraid.  To top it all off, she hated the weakness and fought tooth and nail to hide it from everyone.  With the exception of him,  she didn’t have a choice there. He’d wormed his way in and he wouldn’t stand by and let her retreat from herself or from him.  

Gently he placed his hands on her tight shoulders,  cupping their slender, wavering strength and he whispered her name again.  “Tanusha…”  

Her head bowed further,  a meager attempt to hide in the fall of her hair but he could feel the quiver in her body now,  hear the soft stuttered intake of her breath.  She was crying and trying oh so hard not to be. 

Pain and love swelled through his chest, and an undeniable protectiveness.  

Virgil pulled her back into his embrace, encircling his arms around her waist and with little resistance she melted.  

“I’m sorry,”  He whispered over the curve of her ear,  brushing his lips across the elven-like arch of it.  “I’m so sorry.”  

He put all his love he could into the words, hoping that by apologizing for something he wasn’t wholly the cause of would help alleviate her suffering in some way. 

“I wasn’t thinking and it was insensitive of me.”  He tightened his hold on her,  reassurance imbued into the gesture and slowly began to rock giving her the time to pull herself back together again. 

The slight tremor slowly dissipated,  her breathing settling into a somewhat normal rhythm and he knew that she was ready to hear. More so when she dragged in a ragged breath and exhaled a long drawn out sigh. He could almost hear her counting to ten in her head.  A method she used to reign back in some of her control and a calm he knew well creeped back in. One that camouflaged a great deal of hurt. 

He did the same,  his warm breath stirring her hair and ghosting across the smooth column of her neck which peeked out from the drooping collar of his shirt.   

“You know we’ve got this, right?”  He questioned though he wasn’t expecting an answer.  “Yes,  he’s out…”  She stilled once more in his hold but Virgil couldn’t stop now,  Kayo needed to hear this even if it was just a band-aid to the problem.   He couldn’t sit by and let her lose herself in fear so he pushed on. There was too much at stake.

“Yes,  he’s upped his game in a big way.  Dad knew he was capable,  your Dad knew….” A flinch at the mention of the absentee man but again he pressed on.  There was no backing down now.  What he had to say, needed to be said.  

“We were unprepared but we know better now and I promise you, Tanusha Kyrano Tracy;  just like I did on the day you said ‘Yes’.. That I will never,  ever let that man hurt you again.”  

He slipped a hand down,  between the soft folds of flannel,  across her silky, soft skin that concealed honed muscle and deadly skills. Brushed the edge of fine lace and stilled, cupped and shielded that which was only known to the two of them.  

With strength of purpose his chest swelled,  a determination unlike any he had ever known bulked up the threat behind his next words.  “I’ll do everything in my power to protect both of you, I swear it or the Hood will regret the day he heard the name Tracy.”

She turned, taking his hand in her own and lightly brushing her lips across his knuckles. “You’re too good for me Virgil Grissom Tracy and I don’t deserve you.”  

The brief storm of anger has fled from her eyes, leaving behind only doubt and fear.  “But I don’t think it’s as easy as that. You’re too good a man to stoop to such levels and I don’t think I could live with myself if you made that sort of sacrifice on my behalf. 

Besides,  what sort of life could we offer with him out there.   He’s already been the cause of so much pain.  You and your brother’s have suffered for years because of it..I don’t think I would have the strength if he was to get you or….” 

Virgil’s frowned.  “Tin,  I married you.  All of you and everything you brought with you. I knew full well what I was marrying into but that man,  that bastard… he can’t come between us and what we want unless you let him.”  

Her gaze dropped and with gentle fingers he lifted her chin and waited for her to meet his pleading eyes.  “Don’t let him win… not in this. Please God, not in this.”  

“We may not have a choice…” Came the whisper of her response, her forehead resting against his own as a lingering tear slipped from her lashes. 

“Tin, please….”

“Virgil, I love you.  God, how I love you but I can’t tell you what you want to hear.  Not right now. If the Hood found out…. 

Just then the island klaxon blared  and Virgil’s comms started to ping with urgency.

Kayo took a step back from him and he stared after her. Brain going a mile a minute with words he wanted to say,  emotions he wanted to express.   

“Go…” She said with resignation, her arms once more crossing over her frame.   “You’re needed..” 

“I’m needed more here.”  

His comms buzzed again followed by the voice of his star loving sibling. “Virgil, you’re needed in Ops. A.S.A.P.  Please confirm.””  

Conflicted, Virgil stood unmoving,  his fist clenched at his side.   Trapped between the woman he loved and the life they’d chosen.  

“Go,  I’ll be here when you get back..”   

His brother’s voice sounded again from his comms, pulling him in two directions at once.  The hint of stress he picks up in it though had him unfreezing and heading for the underground access to the hanger.  

Passing through the automated door and hitting his comms to reply to John, he looked back at Kayo.  His heart sinking and doubt filling him as he watched her turn away from him.  

Uncertainty prickling across his skin as he questioned the validity of her words but there was nothing he could do right now.   Lives were at stack…more so than just those that needed rescuing and his hands were tied… 

“FAB John,  on my way…”

FIN….????

[leesh]

because i have zero self control when it comes to christmas films and, well, cheesy christmas films are #life. 

basically, i have developed a collection of favourites over the years, including both classic christmas films that are fun for the whole family and terrible, dripping with all our favourite favourite cliches hallmark christmas films, and yet i am still always on the hunt for more. so, i thought i would try a little thing to share them with everyone else as well (and actually remember them for future reference)!

check out the tag here i will try and remember to use as i live blog some of these movies or head on down below the cut to see all of the christmas films i’ve watched in 2020. thoughts and star ratings included! as expected, i will also be updating this as i watch more and more this holiday season (follow along on twitter too if you want).

note: since i LOVE terrible hallmark films, some that i give a higher rating will not actually be......critically acclaimed. i am just #obsessed and have my reasons as stated, i’m sure.

holidate (2020) 

⭐️⭐️| first time watch | someone on letterboxd compared this movie to when you watch a rom com in sims and it’s just a bunch of random scenes that make no sense and they’re absolutely right. its only saviour is an australian dude and the line “so you know me well enough to cum in my mouth, but you don’t know me well enough to get me a christmas present?”

my christmas inn (2018) 

⭐️⭐️| first time watch | i’ll be honest, this film was pretty forgetful. i watched it over a month ago and don’t really remember what happened. however, i do remember being impressed that the leading lady wasn’t a stereotypical thin white woman. so i guess at least it has that going for it.

christmas made to order (2018) 

⭐️⭐️⭐️| first time watch | i actually thought this was pretty cute. it’s not the best, but also not the worst, so a decent medium if you need to fill up those figurative christmas stockings. the concept of hiring someone to decorate your entire house with no budget sounds pretty cool, but when the guy is aaron samuels and looks far from straight, it becomes a little questionable. 

last christmas (2019) 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️| rewatch | now this is not a cheesy hallmark film. in fact, i LOVE this film a lot and think i saw it twice at the cinema. last christmas is a top tier christmas song and i remember theorising about it when the trailer first came out, but i will say tissues may be a requirement to watch this. AND henry golding is my husband thank u and goodbye.

operation christmas drop (2020) 

⭐️| first time watch | interesting concept in theory, but this is nothing more than US military propaganda and a cgi lizard. bonus: white saviourism. 

the knight before christmas (2019) 

⭐️⭐️⭐️| rewatch | a medieval knight transported into today’s world and has never seen a car before can drive better than me. that’s it. that’s the movie. also, he literally says the words “modern technology is lit af” at one point. solid christmas film if you ask me. 

the princess switch (2018) 

⭐️⭐️⭐️| rewatch | i strongly believe in the vhcncu (vanessa hudgens christmas netflix cinematic universe). i also have so many questions, like how did they afford the flights or solid conversation or was it all expenses paid? how did they finish a bulk of the cake without a mixer? why does everyone always speak english with a posh english accent even though it’s a non-english european country?

the princess switch: switched again (2020) 

⭐️⭐️| if we learnt anything from a christmas prince, it’s that sequels are generally never better than their predecessor. that being said, this was much less cute body swapping christmas fluff and a little more literal kidnapping and saving the day. either way, blonde vanessa was hot and i appreciated the amber/richard cameo that insinuates a christmas prince is actually a dramatic documentary.

midnight at the magnolia (2020) 

⭐️⭐️| now if you’re after an absolute cheesefest that ticks the boxes on best friends meets fake dating over the holidays, then this is the movie for you! albeit it takes place between christmas and new year’s, it’s still filled with their families knowing they were soulmates the whole time and two people who are a literal too comfortable on the radio. also, the dad’s totally should’ve been gay. they had more chemistry.

christmas wonderland (2018) 

⭐️⭐️⭐️| tbh, i genuinely enjoyed this one. post breakup/high school sweethearts is a personal favourite trope of mine, so throw christmas & being forced to spend time together when she goes back home into the mix and i’ll have a serotonin explosion. bonus points for the guy telling the girl to go back to nyc to follow her dreams without being a dick. OH and the scene when he points a fuck load of sugar in his hot beverage.

a wish for christmas (2016) 

⭐️⭐️| who doesn’t love a good office romance between a boss and an employee at christmastime? especially when you throw in a little christmas magic that makes her more confident that results in her finally getting what she deserves and having to travel and rekindle with his family? also, fuck them rich white dudes, but props to her for the significant job promotion.

christmas with a prince (2018) 

⭐️| this was TERRIBLE and not in the good way. it featured: an entitled prince who suddenly had growth even though he did nothing to achieve it, majority of the film set in one hospital room, and the fact that she’s the only one with a tiara at the party filled with people who actually have titles. also, thought there was a decent ending but turns out there was still another 30 mins to go. ugh.

a royal christmas engagement (2020) 

⭐️| don’t be fooled by the title. the engagement doesn’t happen til the last two minutes. it’s actually about a prince (bet you didn’t see that one coming) who travels to america, pretending to be his best friend who works for this major marketing firm because he’s tired of being the spare. this gets one star purely for the line “she’s not a commoner, patrick. she’s an american.”

christmas wedding planning (2017)

⭐️⭐️| it looked like it would be half decent, and while it’s definitely better than the last two, it was still pretty eh. i could get on board with her texting her dead mother’s number as a way to talk to her still, and i understand we all experience grief differently, but.....actively paying your mums phone bill 3 years later? girl. also, the end made me SCREAM. WHY DID THEY DO THAT!!!!

santa girl (2019)

⭐️| this was just painful to watch. evil jack frost makes memes in his free time, santa has a fancy car and doesn’t eat sweets, and there’s an odd comparison between the elves, minimum age workers, and racism. however, one star purely for the entertaining (read: bloody awful) tooth fairy cgi that gave me a right laugh.

the christmas chronicles (2018)

⭐️⭐️⭐️| this was really cute and had the makings of what could be a christmas movie staple along with the likes of elf and the santa clause (but will never reach that standard, obvs). tbh, it’s just a nice heartwarming family christmas movie about two siblings who band together to help santa and save christmas. also, santa was a #dilf.

the christmas chronicles: part two (2020)

⭐️⭐️| one of these days i would love to see a sequel that’s better, or at least on par, with its predecessor, but that day is not today. sadly, this film lacked all the heart and magic the first one was filled with and some scenes were pretty redundant. kurt russell and goldie hawn, however... one star for each of them.

forever christmas / mr. 365 (2019)

⭐️⭐️| the title varies depending where you’re from, but that’s probably the most exciting part of this movie. a guy celebrates christmas 365 days a year and a reality show wants to invade his house? ok, sure. one star for the eye candy and one star for, surprisingly enough, their chemistry and all the kissing scenes that don’t usually make the mark in the hallmark world. 

noelle (2019)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️| did i renew disney plus just so i could watch this (and a couple of others)? maybe so... this movie is so fun! and family friendly! and is actually funny! it gives me major elf vibes, but if elf was set in a more modern day setting. either way, i had a great time and have been holding out on this one after loving it a lot last year!

the nutcracker and the four realms (2018)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️| anything nutcracker related is an instant win in my book because it’s my favourite ballet of all time (except for graeme murphy’s version, we don’t talk about that). does this movie actually deserve the four stars? maybe not. am i going to give them anyway purely for my love of the nutcracker and the soundtrack? absolutely!

[randomidiocyncrazies]

thoughts on 2.43 ep 3 (3/3?) - After credit scene (what is the ship name anyway? Odaoki? Aoda?)

i was watching 2.43 ep 3 again (I can’t help it! Oda is my type of character to a T) and, being able to catch the spoken dialogue this time, realized that a more literal translation for the “never mind” line in the after credits scene would be “it’s okay (even) if you don’t understand” which, if anything, makes it even more ambiguous 

(I also slightly prefer “I’m the kind of guy who does things with ulterior motives” over ”I’m filled with ulterior motives” for Aoki’s line, but I think that may’ve been too long for subtitles. The emphasis on “doing things” carries implications about agency and choice that aren’t fully communicated in the official subs, but subtitles have to consider duration of dialogue vs length of text.)

compared to the book, this conversation is massively trimmed down. in the book Aoki just constantly says things that makes it sound like he has a big fat (unrequited?) crush on Oda. ngl the entire convo makes me kiiiinda feral:

Oda teases Aoki about being the pragmatic type to dirty his hands in order to get what he wants, and Aoki replies with: “stuff that can be obtained with a little scheming isn’t really that impressive... after all, there are so many things in the world that can’t be obtained.” UHH HELLO??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT AOKI

Aoki makes fun of the teacher who fainted (”thank god he fainted, i lost 3 nights of sleep organizing this tournament and i was dying by the end of my 2nd match”) and Oda, who thinks it’s a bit rude to talk about their teacher like that, thought: ah well he worked so hard, he can run his mouth to his heart’s content today if he wants (usually Aoki is the indulgent one but sometimes Oda takes that role...)

the reason why Oda’s so embarrassed when he thanked Aoki was because he felt guilty that Aoki helped him so much with the volleyball team over the years (unlike him, Aoki has other options/responsibilities and plans to get into Kyoto University Law Dept, which is basically the cream of the crop in terms of higher education). even so, THE NEXT SENTENCE OUT OF HIS MOUTH is “sorry, I know it’s selfish, but... please be selfish together with me for a little longer...” 

the narration makes it clear that Oda can’t see Aoki’s face when they have the “ulterior motives” conversation, which is in response to Oda’s request (dialogue used in the anime is italicized): “I’ve told you already... you think too highly of me, I feel off-kilter. It’s my choice to play with you, and it’s what I want, so there’s no need to thank me for something like that. I was the one being selfish when I said I didn’t want Haijima to join, and if you wanted us to get into the same university, I don’t mind lowering my academic standing... anyway, just know that basically I’m the kind of person who does things with ulterior motives.” LIKE BRO??? for a guy who’s lukewarm on sports he CHOSE to play with Oda all these years, and would WILLINGLY SACRIFICE the time he could spend on studying for entrance exams with no complaints. ALSO he would GIVE UP ON HIS DREAM SCHOOL as soon as Oda says he wants them to go to the same uni???? that’s sweet but don’t do that lol

of course there’s the whole “ulterior motives?” “... it’s fine if you don’t understand” exchange that caps it off

Oda thinks THERE IS NOTHING MORE RELIABLE THAN THE SIGHT OF AOKI’S SLIGHT MOCKING SMILE

... and this is just one conversation between them. their chapter in the first book has A Lot of subtext and some romantic framing (including an instance of “ugh why did I ask Aoki something embarrassing like i’m a clingy girlfriend”, which feels like a deliberate choice on the author’s part). to my knowledge it’s never actually ~confirmed~ that Aoki has romantic feelings for Oda or vice versa, but the subtext is all there. 

(i honestly don’t know enough about genre conventions and Japanese cultural norms in the early 2010s to tell if it’s just bait for the sake of bait, or if it’s meant to be genuine inclusion of queer characters/relationships. either way, i think there’s support in the text for Aoki/Oda, or at least Aoki crushing hard on Oda at any rate)

[animalanie]

Oneshot - Detroit: Become Human [Take Care]

Fandom: Detroit: Become Human

Title: Take Care

Pairing: Connor RK800 x Gender Neutral Reader

Word count: +1.8K words

Warnings: Mention of death, mild language

A/N: This started off a little more depressed than I thought it would. :/

Basically Connor and Y/N acting like Hank’s parents.

If you would like to see my other works, feel free to check out my Masterlist! Or if you’d like to request something from any of these fandoms, here is where you can request!

“Give me another one.” Hank slurred as he slammed his empty glass against the bar’s counter. 

“Careful, these glasses are expensive. Wouldn’t want to add these onto your tab as well, now, would you? I think your trip to the Eden club was enough for the entire year.” You teased as he grunted in response. 

He was slumped over, as he usually was, and tried to push the glass in your direction. You chuckled and shook your head before finally grabbing the glass and pouring him another drink.

“You know, this is your seventh?” You nonchalantly mentioned and stared at the glass as the red liquid from your serving bottle splashed gently into in.

“Didn’t know you kept count for your customers.” He mumbled, clearly displeased by your statement and you shrugged, handing him his drink back.

“I’m just worried, Hank. At this rate, coming to this bar has higher chances of killing you than your job does. And to be honest, that’s disappointing considering how dangerous being a part of the police force is.”

“Are you done?” He finally looked up at you with his usual disgruntled expression. You sighed and rolled your eyes, going back to wiping the few leftover cups on your counter. 

No one was in the bar currently but the lieutenant and yourself so you had plenty time to talk to your heart’s content. However, when Hank started getting drunk, you thought it would be better to minimize your conversation as to not piss him off over something trivial. 

“You know,” Hank started suddenly, bringing you out of your thoughts as you subconsciously rubbed a clean cloth around the glass slowly. “I had a case today and, uh, I went to the crime scene to investigate.” He gulped down whatever was left of his drink and slammed the glass onto the counter.

You remained silent as he fumbled to find any words and looked up at you, his eyes baggy from possible lack of sleep.

“There was a... a kid.” He trailed off quickly before shaking his head. “Nah, nevermind, it’s not important. I’d rather have this conversation sober.” You furrowed your eyebrows, frustrated that he suddenly decided against speaking when he finally started to trust you with his feelings. A part of you, however, thought it best to question him about it later as you stared at his troubled expression.

“Are you okay?” He only shook his head.

“For fuck’s sake, they were just trying to live normal lives like us. Like you and I want to live. They were killed just for wanting that.”

You looked down and placed the glass in your hand slowly on the counter in front of you, not quite knowing how to respond. It wasn’t difficult to assume that the kid he mentioned brought back some trauma Hank had always tried hiding from you and Connor.

“Some humans are... terrible people, Hank. We can’t stop that. But we can help figure out who did this. You can.” You tried your best to bring his hopes up but were not quite sure what effect it had when he scoffed and pushed his glass towards you once more.

“Hank-”

“I don’t wanna fucking hear it, okay? Just pour me the drink. I am paying you, aren’t I?” He raised his finger, making you shut your lips tightly against your will as you grabbed the glass and started pouring his drink.

“You don’t have to go through it alone, you know that, right?” You mumbled and pushed his drink towards him but Hank didn’t have the time to answer, if he was ever going to. The light sound of the bell rung in your bar as your door opened and in walked the android you had grown close to because of his constant visits.

“Hey, Connor.” You smiled lightly, still feeling the weight of your unfinished conversation on your shoulders. The android, however, stared at the old man, perplexed, before turning to you with a slightly disappointed look. You furrowed your eyebrows as he walked forward and leaned onto the counter.

“I thought you would take care of Hank, Y/N.” He shook his head lightly after noticing the state Hank was in. 

“And I am! Don’t blame me!” You scoffed and stepped back in disbelief when Hank looked back up to stare at the android.

“Hey, stop bothering them! Don’t tell Y/N how to do their own job, asshole.” He grunted before going back to his drink, making you exhale sharply as an attempt of a chuckle.

“Yeah, Connor, don’t tell me how to do my job.” 

“Y/N-”

“Don’t worry. I’m taking good care of him.” You leaned closer to Connor to continue explaining to him through a whisper, “He just doesn’t know it, yet.” You leaned back and he tilted his head in confusion.

“Hey! Y/N, gimme another!” 

“Hank, let’s get you home. Come on.” Connor grabbed Hank’s empty glass and placed it away from him. With that, he tried to place the old man’s arm around his shoulders to help him up, only for Hank to grunt and pull his arm away harshly.

“No! Let me go! I’ll stay here for as long as I want!” He slurred and pointed his finger at his partner in anger.

“No, lieutenant, if you stay any longer, it will be bad for your health.”

“Hey! Are you suggesting my company is bad for a person’s wellbeing?” Connor instantly turned to you, eyes slightly wider, as he stuttered before finding the right words. 

“No! No, that’s not what I meant-”

“Calm down. I was kidding.” You waved your hand in front of you as you laughed before turning to Hank, who was now hunched over. “But, he’s right, Hank. You really should get going. I think you’ve been through enough for the day.” 

“Actually, Y/N, could I talk to you for a moment?” You turned to Connor to meet his brown eyes as he tilted his head to suggest talking away from Hank. You nodded and followed him to a far corner of the bar. He turned to you and stole a glance at his partner before staring at you. 

“I know you’ve been trying your best to help him out and ever since he started coming to your bar, he has been better at handling his drinking. So, what happened today?” 

“Well, let me assure you, his dearly concerned son.” Connor furrowed his eyebrows at the name but you continued nonetheless. “I only gave him 3 glasses that had any alcoholic content in them. After that, just mocktails- he’s literally been drinking Cranberry punch after that and he doesn’t even know.” You laughed and placed your hand on your forehead as you recalled how he acted even more drunk after every glass.

“What? Is that alright for you to do so?” 

“Of course it is, I own this bar, after all. Plus, I won’t be charging him for today.” You looked behind your shoulder to glance at the man in question, your eyes drooping as you remembered your conversation with him. 

“Hey, uh,” You turned back to look up at the android as he already had his eyes on you. “About what happened today- I know I shouldn’t pry into your business but Hank seems... emotionally moved, to say the least, after what you guys found at the crime scene. He doesn’t seem to be handling it that well so if there’s any way, take care of him. You know how he gets.” You dismissed any negative thoughts with a wave of your hand and turned your head away.

Somehow, Connor seemed to understand exactly what you were talking about as he stared at Hank. His eyes narrowed before he turned his eyes away as well.

“I understand. I’ll do my best.” He spoke without hesitation and you nodded in response, still turned away from him. He brought his hands to your face and turned you to look at him. “Y/N, you know you can count on me, yes?”

“Of course! You are possibly the only person I can count on.” You shrugged with a small smile as he removed his hands from your cheeks, now having your full attention.

“Hey! What the hell are you two doing over there?! I’ve been sitting alone over here for like 3 hours!” You rolled your eyes and turned to him, ready to head back to attend to your lonely customer.

“Minutes, actually.” You sassed and walked behind the counter as Connor went to stand beside Hank. “Well, you want another drink?” You picked up his glass and poured him another drink.

“Is that even supposed to be a question?” He slurred and sighed loudly. After placing his glass back in front of him, you turned to Connor.

“What would you like?” You asked with a smirk as he pretended to think and sat down on a bar stool.

“Well, do you have anything that would suit an android?”

“Hm, would Thirium work?”

“Oh, fuck, no. Keep that nasty shit away from him.” Hank grunted and took a quick sip as you laughed.

“Well, it’s not something I would go for as a drink but I can see why you would imagine so.” You chuckled at the seriousness in his tone and shook your head. “Would you like something, Y/N? I could try to mix up something, if you’d like.” You raised your eyebrows in surprise as you stared up at him.

I’m going to regret this so much.

“Your love.” You pressed your lips together to stop yourself from laughing as you went back to your work.

“I can’t give you something you already have.” You looked up suddenly, shocked by his unusually smooth response. Hank groaned while you stood still, speechless before finally exhaling and trying to hide your smile as much as possible.

“Well, aren’t you getting better at flirting? Who’s teaching you? Surely, not this old man that’s clearly disgusted by the exchange?” You narrowed your eyes at Hank as he finished his drink and started getting up.

“I’m gonna... go and you two can go to hell.” He slurred and stumbled, making Connor get up and support the older man. 

“Well, we’ll see you later, Y/N.” Connor wished and nodded in your direction as he started walking out. “I will make sure to pay you for tonight first thing tomorrow morning.” 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not going anywhere.” You smiled before remembering something. “Hey, Connor,” He turned around slightly to let you know he was listening. “I know you know this but take care of him for me, please. He needs it.” You pursued your lips as you looked at the condition Hank was in. Connor looked back at his partner before turning back to you.

“I will. Don’t worry.” With that said, both of them exited your bar, leaving you to your own thoughts.

I’m glad you’re there for him, Connor.

You thought to yourself as you stared at the door they left through moments ago, letting silence take over the place.