#because how do you tell them you are engaged to the enemy

[loverslodge]

Glitch

summery: you is a broken mutant and Bucky is very adamant to protect her

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

warning: experiments, violence, ptsd, angst, fluff

A/N: finally a bucky baby romance. love him so much i want to cuddle him to death.

You didn't know how to react. You were kissing Bucky Barnes and you didn't know how to react. This was not the way you thought kissing Bucky Barnes for the first time would go.

You joined the team over two years ago. You weren't an agent, you were a lab rat. Well, a lab rat is a harsh way of putting things. You had somehow gained some sort of superpowers. You were attacked during the Ultron takeover and something burst near you that gave you just enough powers that could make you glitch. Many glitches later, you determined that it was the panicked adrenaline that set off the glitches and once you calmed down, everything was ‘normal’. Someone must have found out about you after years so SHIELD came to you. They basically kidnapped you and shoved you in their labs.

You met The Avengers. The new recruits as well. Including the famed Winter Soldier. You have seen him work, when he was under control. Actually, they had exchanged conversations. He did save you from an enemy, the one he was supposed to assassinate. But he was beat so you had nursed him. You had left the next day, you were on the run after all. And now, here you were again, meeting him. He didn't remember you and why would he? You were nobody with whom he shared a passionate kiss as Winter Soldier. He made her a promise that he'll come back for you but you knew you weren't going to see each other again.

He stood on the other side of the glass and was talking to Captain America and Iron Man about something. He kept on glancing and pointing at you. You also saw the Eye Patch Man join the discussion. Winter Soldier was getting angry, frustrated maybe, you couldn't really tell. Captain America put a hand on his shoulder and patted his back. He huffed in frustration and left the room.

Bucky saw the state you were in. none of the avengers were allowed in that facility till two years later. He was shocked to see you, a person, like him, treated like a lab rat just like he was. Something about you seemed familiar but he couldn't put a finger on it. He got angry. They told him she was going to be part of the team and yet she was trapped in a glass cage for everyone to look at. She had wires attached to her. She seemed unbothered, unfeeling even. It broke him a little, to see you give up. He used to be like this, then he got friends and they helped but you had nobody. He had Steve. He argued with Tony and Fury but they said you needed more time. He knew what that meant. They were willing to keep you in there till they had control over you. He didn't like that. All of them walked in the conference room where the rest were. They all put out points. Wanda saw his point and agreed, so did Natasha. They finally agreed to have her roam free in the compound but she would be engaged in the lab with Banner. She would be his helping hand and might also be part of experiments that will help her. They explained to Bucky why you needed to be experimented on. You had become part mutant which was not good for you. Either they can help you be a complete mutant or take away the powers and turn you human. Till they find the root of it all, they couldn't even give you options. Bucky agreed. He just wanted you not tied to the wires.

You got your own room. To your right was Wanda, to your left was Natasha and across you was a huge room of Winter Soldier, whom you now know as Bucky Barnes. You were introduced to almost everyone. Others later, once they came back from their missions. They were so nice to you. Especially Wanda and Natasha. But you knew, they had you close because they were supposed to watch you. Make sure you dont glitch on the compound and if you do, drag you straight to the labs. Sleep was evasive. You would wake up glitching because of nightmares. You would not sleep with water because it gave you a reason to walk to the kitchen and settle your glitch. Every night you would meet Bucky there. You didn't talk but both of you shared a silence. He kept your glitches a secret from Fury. and that made you want to look for a solution even harder. You didn't want him to be in trouble because you were sure it was because of him you roamed free.

You avoided Tony’s parties. But your window provided enough entertainment of these parties. You would gaze down and see people buzzing. Sometimes you had tears in your eyes and sometimes you glitched. Bucky knew you were watching. It was obvious. He felt eyes on him and he could hear your little squeaks when he looked up at your window. He liked having you around but he didnt know how to help. So he would stay silent. He followed your schedule. He knew you had nightmares. He also knew you liked to go to the kitchen to grab water because it took your mind off. He started to wait for you. The moment he would hear your door lock after you after you returned from the kitchen, he would go back to sleep as well. He wanted to keep you safe, he doesn't know why.

It was the Fourth of July. It was also Captain Rogers’ birthday. You loved to make small desserts so you thought this was a good time of showing the team that you were grateful for inclusion. You gave the first piece to Steve and he very graciously accepted. He loved it so much he asked you to bake some more for him whenever you had time. You blushed. He nodded vigorously and bumped into Bucky. He insisted you call him that. You offered him your dessert. He didn't have to say he liked it, his face and eyes talked for him. You felt your heartbeat rise and you ducked away from them, yelling ‘happy birthday steve’. That was the loudest he had heard you. He loved your smile. He loved your voice. Even though none of it was directed to him, he still soaked them in.

You started to open up more. Not a lot, just enough for people to interact more casually with you. You started to spend more time in the kitchen. It started relaxing you. You did glitch sometimes, if startled, but over all, you were getting ‘better’. Dr. Banner had taken your blood samples and had been working on reconstructing your cells. He said something about broken threads needing to be sewed but you wouldnt understand. You were more of a stenographer in the lab, everything Banner said was written down. You were happier, more relaxed. Even tried to step outside the compound once but someone saw you glitch and you ran back to your room. You spent more time with Bucky too. He said he could train you and you had said yes. Twice a week was your schedule with him. He would make sure you both were alone in the gym and so, even if you glitched, he would be there to calm you. His presence did that to you. Calmed you so much that even the tiniest glitch disappeared. Just like it did when he had kissed you way back.

There was a part of this though. You were very scared of fireworks. It reminded you of your lonely years and attacks. You had been dealing well because New York had been protected by The Avengers. You rarely hear fireworks too. Just during the New Years this year but they were muffled because FRIDAY had turned on sound blockers after seeing you flinch, glitch and shiver.

The celebrations began. You were in your room again, looking down the window. Your eyes were following Bucky. Again. He was enjoying his drink with Steve and Sam. he glanced up and you squeaked and slid down to hide. You still weren't aware that people couldn't see you from down there but Bucky loved it. He loved that your eyes followed him everywhere. But then he heard Tony say that he had bought shit-ton of fireworks this year to celebrate Steve. He tensed. He weaved his way to your room. You were unaware of this blasting development and gazed down at the people. Bucky knew you feared fireworks. FRIDAY told him after the first time. He was vigilant and made sure nothing startled you but he would always startle you. He was very stealthy after all.

He was seconds away from your room when the fireworks started. You jumped and glitched and screamed. He heard you. He ran. He asked FRIDAY to open your door. He saw you glitching and quivering under your blanket. He rushed in. He held you tight and covered your ears. The sound blockers were not working. You grabbed his shirt. You think you tore it a little but it didn't matter. You were holding onto him for your dear life. You were hyperventilating.

“Can't… breathe…” you huffed, trying to regain your pulse.

“Breath with me, y/n. Here, feel me. See, I am breathing well, yes?” he tore off his shirt and placed your palm on his heart. It did calm you a little but not enough. You tried to concentrate on his breathing but the loud fireworks riled you up even more.

He had read that stopping someone’s breathing for a few seconds would help with hyperventilation. He could choke you but you were a blubbering mess and he didn't want to leave marks saying he tried to kill you to save you. So he did the only logic that spun in his head. He pressed his lips against your. His hands were cupping your face and his lips firmly against yours. He felt your breath hitching to a stop and he sighed. He held for a few more seconds to actually feel your body relax against his. But something unexpected happened. Your lips moved against his. Now his breath hitched. You were kissing him. You angled your head for better access and he registered that. He immediately pulled you on his lap and moved his lips. You opened your mouth and his tongue went right in. you moaned. The familiar feeling of kissing him was back and you didn't want to let him go. Your hand moved from his chest to his neck, pulling him closer. His hand held your waist tightly against himself and the other cupped the back of your neck.

Suddenly he was transported to his Winter Soldier days. One day to be very specific where he had almost become Bucky just because he shared a heated moment with a girl. That familiar touch, that moan and those lips. They were the same. He latched onto you even further. He remembered you. He went back to look for you but you were long gone. Then shit went down and he came back to be Steve’s best friend. He had forgotten about you, almost, till this very moment. He cradled your head and tried to pull back to let you breath but you caught his lips again. As if you were thirsty. He chuckled and started caressing your head. He slowed down the pace of the kiss and you calmed down. You slowly pulled away and looked down. Your face was on fire. The fireworks had died down.

He cupped your face and tilted it to make you look at him. “It was you, the one who almost pulled me out of my insanity. I have you back in my arms.” he sighed and kissed your forehead. “Are you okay? I will talk to Tony to not schedule updates on fireworks days.”

“I thought you didn't remember me.” your voice came in whispers. “I'm okay. Now. I didn't mean to pull you away from Steve’s party. I, uh, waited for you. A bit. Back then. But I had to run.”

“You didn't pull me away from anywhere, doll. I came to you myself. I always found you familiar but it was your kiss that reminded me that you were the one I had lost back then. Now you wont run, will you?” He asked, looking at you. You shook your head and he pulled you to his chest. You could hear his heartbeat clearly. You breathed deep. You were exhausted after the episode.

“Let’s get you to bed.” he stood up and carried you to his room. Your blanket was still wrapped around you. He lowered you down on his mattress and went to change out his clothes. You nestled deeper into his bed and tried to keep your eyes open. He trudged back in the room and got in bed beside you. Your arms immediately went for him and he let you pull him to you.

“You will not let me go again, will you?” you asked softly.

“Never. You are holding on to me forever.” he wrapped his arms around you and you both snuggle to sleep.

[kncrowder88]

Alright, Garcy fans, I've been considering that AU engaged idea of mine some more and I honestly think it would work so well. There is a lot of ideas I recall from back when I was so obsessed with the show I was helping with the saving of it and planning the saving of it and all that ... anyways I remember Garcy fans loving the idea of Flynn sneaking into Lucy's lectures before he stole the mothership.

It is rather true that we don't get a lot of things concluded within the series but thats okay this is why fanfic exist. So, lets say we go with this idea of upon the return from the Hindenburg with Lucy getting back home and learning all this new shocking things about her changed life ... we also get Flynn getting a phone call, from Noah (lets no take the Carol route, she wouldn't put herself that close that early - and its clear in the show that Rittenhouse has a means of monitoring the changes).

Noah is very likely a Rittenhouse member as well - it would make sense that Carol Preston wants her kid engaged to and having a future with another Rittenhouse member, keep that 'royal' line going. We never even got Noah's last name for all we know he was actually a direct line descendant of the Rittenhouse family. Which honestly, would go in line with some of the stuff we saw later in the series. Anyways, back to the AU stuff .... basically the returns happened. Lucy walking through her door calling for Amy. Jump to Flynn back as well and walking through his bunker or wherever he's landed, a phone starts ringing. Back to Lucy, calling for Amy, heading through her house. Back to Flynn, diary in his hand. Maybe Anthony behind him in the background going for the phone on the table - confused as he looks at it, maybe one of the other goons doing this. Then back to Lucy as she finally gets that turn point where its her mom and not Amy and she's stunned because her mum is well. Then back to Flynn and someone telling him the phone is for him, he's turning because who calls him. He doesn't know anyone who would want to call him. Not here, not in the present. They only have a phone for needs of the mission and honestly he cant deny his goons a chance for untraceable calls to their families if they ever asked - he'd get asking. This sort of thing just keeps repeating and repeating bouncing between the two - I could see it on the screen. Playing and playing. Until its Carol Preston asking about Lucy's ring and Noah on the line with Flynn asking him out for beers, making a joke about bachelor days (but not making it clear whose bachelor days - Noahs or Flynns?) Then jump into the Lincoln episode and all that chaos. Flynn processing having a friend/person/someone close enough to want to get beers with him in his life. Lucy processing the loss of her sister and gain of a fiance. Rufus and Wyatt trying to figure out how to help Lucy process her sister being gone. Because how do you help someone just disappearing - not dying just never existing - and they dont even know she's engaged yet. And not to mention that she so easily just seemed to shove it aside when the history date was mentioned and jumped into the mission like it was so easy, and they dont get that.

Then of course, you have the encounters that would happen that mission. Lucy with Robert Lincoln, talking to him, and the way that Flynn would engage with her. The conversations. Her frustration. His boiling under the surface of "WHY DIDNT SHE WRITE ABOUT NOAH?!" And just all of that. Only for the mission to be over and them to get back and Noah is bringing him to a house, a nice house, and Lucy is returning home - her mother frustrated she is late to her own party and how dare she ask about her father on this day - and Lucy is turning from that because she cant and there in the doorway he stands. Noah's left him to go find her mum - update her of course its his job - and she's just there staring at Garcia Flynn in her house and all he could say is

"I guess its me who is getting engaged not Noah." and all she can say is

"You have got to be kidding me"

[auroralwriting]

hii!! this is so random but i just read ur spencer reid x genius! reader fic and i was wondering if u could like expand on it?? or like maybe the team finding out that they went on a date and everyone is like oh gosh finally?? thank u and i love ur writing :P

wedding bells

spencer reid x genius!bau!reader

part two to the gun, can be read as a standalone

spencer and you were enemies, now, you’re just into each other. what happens when you show up to jj's wedding as each other's dates?

word count: 1.6k

warnings: the most insane amount of tooth rotting fluff (you're welcome)

thank you for this request! i decided to expand even more and connect it back to the actual episode i wrote about, 7x24 :)

It had been about two weeks since you’d gotten out of the hospital from your last case; the bank robbery. You managed to get out with a couple of stitches and bruises. You were lucky to be alive.

The one good thing that came from the whole ordeal was the fact that you and Spencer, who was your previous academic-agent enemy, had turned into somewhat of your lover.

It started with trivia night at O’Keefe’s. The two of you decided to just pair rather than join a large team, and you kicked ass. You allowed Spencer to handle more of the academic side of trivia while you took pop culture. Quite literally, you were the only team with points.

That date went so well, that you ended up going out to dinner at the new Chinese place by Spencer’s apartment. That one went great too, and a third came along, a simple date that included Spencer taking you to an art museum.

You actually got to know Spencer, and he got to know you. Sure, you’d been team mates for years, but with suck a strong rivalry, you never got to know the man. You were both eerily alike, and things were going great. There had been no cases, Strauss gave your team a break after JJ’s boyfriend had almost died, along with you.

Spencer and you were at his place watching Doctor Who when you got a phone call. You picked it up, “Hey, Rossi.” The tv was paused and Spencer was looking at you expectantly. “Mhm.. mh- Oh my god! Oh, Rossi. That’s such a good idea. Yes, I’ll be there. I’m, uh, actually with Spencer, so I’ll pass on the message.” Spencer raised an eyebrow at you as you hung up. "Okay, don't freak out, but JJ and Will are engaged."

"What!" Spencer exclaimed with a bright smile. "Oh my god!"

"And Rossi and Will are planning for the wedding to be this Friday," You continued. "JJ doesn't know yet, so we have to keep it a secret."

"Speaking of secrets," Spencer coyly began, "Does Rossi know about, well, us?"

You chuckled, "I didn't tell him, but he knows we've been together more. Significantly more,"

"I've been thinking," Spencer said. "What if we don't keep this a secret anymore."

The only reason it was a secret in the first place was because the team would freak out if they knew you were going out. "I don't think now's the best time to tell them. We don't want to steal JJ's thunder." you frowned.

"No, no!" Spencer quickly shook his head. He grabbed both your hands, rubbing them with his thumbs. "Do you want to be my date to their wedding?"

Your heart raced at his words, and you felt the heat rise to your cheeks. "Yeah, Spence. I'd love to be your date." You smiled brightly.

The wedding was only three days away, and you were quick to go out with Penelope to buy a dress. You wanted something elegant that wouldn't take away from JJ, so you decided on a flowey, burgundy-maroon dress. It was formal, but nothing too glamorous. The whole time, Penelope kept rambling about how since she and Kevin were no more, the two of you could be girl-dates. You casually agreed, not wanting to give up Spencer and your cover yet.

You'd asked Spencer if he wanted to see your outfit on Thursday, but he wanted it to be a surprise. So, with Pen, you both did each other's hair, makeup, and got ready. You arrived together at the Rossi mansion to make everything less conspicuous.

"Oh my god!" Penelope whisper yelled. "Kevin has a date--a date!" She grabbed you and dragged you to Emily and Morgan in a panic. "He brought a date, and I didn't bring a boy date, oh my god I look like an idiot!"

"Pen, you don't look like an idiot." You rubbed her arm softly. "He's the real idiot for moving on so damn fast."

Emily nodded, "And you look so gorgeous, I bet he can't help but think about you. Play it cool."

Penelope took a large sip of her drink. "I'm- I'm gonna go, go somewhere, uh, somewhere he's not."

"Hi, Penelope!" Beth, Hotch's new girlfriend, said cheerfully as she walked up.

"Hey, hi," Penelope quickly walked off.

Beth gave a soft laugh, "Hello everybody."

You smiled and pulled her into a hug, "Ex problems, don't mind her. Hi Beth, and hi Hotch. You both look great."

"Says you! You look absolutely stunning! That is so your color." Beth smiled as she took your hand to spin you around lightly.

The three of you said hello to Jack as well. As the group began to disperse, you quickly spotted Rossi. You made your way over to him, a smile on his face. Rossi was like a father to you. Growing up under his help and guidance, he was more than just a mentor. "Oh, honey. Look at you, you look so grown up."

"Dave, I've been grown up for a lot of years now." You laughed as he kissed your cheek. "Have you seen Spencer by chance?"

"Not yet," Rossi replied. He raised an eyebrow at you, studying your face. "You two are together, aren't you?"

A look of panic crossed your features. "Shh!" You quickly hushed, looking around to see if anyone noticed. When they didn't you turned back to him. "We've been going out on dates, hanging out. That sort of thing. We aren't.. boyfriend-girlfriend."

"I'm happy for you two," Rossi smiled. "You two make a good pair, especially now that you aren't planning each other's murders."

"Who was murdered?"

You turned around to see Spencer standing behind you. His eyes went wide when he saw you. The way you turned, bright eyed and graceful, it made his heart leap in his chest, especially when you looked so ethereal.

Spencer breathed your name softly, looking to Rossi. You gave a small nod, letting him know that Rossi knew. He walked over, giving you a small hug to secretly press a kiss into your hair. The two of you hadn't really kissed yet, but you knew it would happen soon.

"You're an angel," Spencer softly spoke, caressing your cheek as you smiled.

"You look amazing, too." You replied.

Rossi and Spencer gave each other a quick hello before he excused himself to go reveal to JJ that this was her wedding night. It only took a few minutes and JJ ran up to you. You hugged her before she could say anything.

"You knew?" Her voice cracked, but you knew it was from joy.

"We all did," You smiled. "Hey, while you and Will get ready, let Spence watch over Henry."

JJ's eyebrows furrowed as she watched Spencer nod quickly, giving your shoulder a squeeze with the sweetest smile she'd ever seen him give someone. "Uh-"

"Don't worry about it," You shook your head. "This is your night." When you saw JJ was about to ask again, you filled her in. "Going out on dates, not dating."

She just smiled, holding up her dress. "This is it. I wanted to ask you, actually, if you wanted to be my maid of honor? Help me get ready?"

Your eyes filled with tears, "Oh, Jayge. It would be my absolute honor." You hugged her again tightly, leading her upstairs with her mom.

It didn't take long until the ceremony began. You were already at the end of the isle, watching Spencer do a magic trick with the ring with Henry. You giggled, Spencer's eyes meeting yours as he smiled back to you.

JJ was the most beautiful bride you'd ever seen. She came up to the front and you hugged her, taking her flowers from her and standing next to Spencer and Penelope. As the ceremony went on, you found yourself tearing up. Weddings always made you cry. Spencer took notice, taking your hand and pulling you against his chest as he rubbed your arm. The team was too busy watching JJ and Will to notice.

The dancing was the best part. Penelope pulled you to the dance floor before Spencer even had a chance. You happily slow danced with her, then Derek, who stole you away. From there, Hotch had a dance with you, and then Rossi. Finally, at your favorite slow song, Spencer approached.

"Dave, would you mind?" He softly asked.

"It would be my pleasure." Dave passed you off to Spencer with one hand as Spencer slowly pulled you into his arms. If you took closer notice, you'd see him go to Strauss and begin to dance.

"Hi," You whispered, one hand in his as his other rested on your waist. Your free hand was on his shoulder. The two of you began to sway to the music.

"Hi," He echoed, giving you the softest look you'd ever gotten. "I missed you. I didn't even get a chance to dance with you."

You softly giggled, "Well, now it's yours. All yours, Spence." You leaned in closer, "You're the only one I wanted to dance with."

The position changed, both of Spencer's hands were on your waist as you wrapped your arms around his neck. This was much more intimate. "You're the only one I want, too." The double meaning made your stomach twist in the best way.

As the two of you danced, your teammates began to finally notice. "Oh my god," Derek mumbled. "Those two dumb geniuses finally got together."

"Actually, they're just going on dates," JJ corrected as she swayed with Will.

Emily smirked, "Not for long by the looks of it."

"They make such a sweet couple," Beth cooed.

Penelope gasped, "Oh my sweet baby Jesus, I took her away from him all night!"

"I'm sure he doesn't mind." Hotch smiled, actually smiled, as they all watched you lean your head on his shoulder, one of his hands coming up to the middle your back to splay out, almost protectively, holding you closer.

"I think I hear some more wedding bells in our future." Derek smiled.

[kookxmira]

Workaholic 1 | Jeon Jungkook

"tell me baby, how was the kiss?"

smut

ceo!jungkook x wife!reader

summary : how’s the best way to tell your husband his enemy kissed you? while he’s fucking you.

WARNING : kissing, begging, penetration, rough sex, manhandling, doggy style, missionary, degradation, squirting

word count : 3.6k

part 2

-

you hardly remember the last time you dressed this beautifully, wearing a tight red dress that accentuates your curves in all the right places.

you don't have a reason to look this good anymore, but now that you're all dressed up, you miss it.

you were eager to show your husband the dress, but work is keeping him busy again tonight.

you wish he could've been here. you wish you were slow dancing with him and kissing his lips, but instead, you're drowning down your fourth cup of wine.

"hey," a voice calls from behind, pulling you out of your drunken haze.

you turn your head, checking to see who the voice belongs to, and in that very moment, your heart skips a thunderous beat.

"hi..." you greet back.

feeling apprehensive, you instinctively reach for your purse to prepare your leave, but minho speaks before you can.

"you should stay. a little company wouldn't hurt right?" he suggests.

caught in a slight dilemma, you hesitate on what to do. should you engage in a conversation with your husband's enemy or walk away?

you know it should've been the latter, but your feet stay in place.

"where's your husband?" minho inquires, scanning the crowd with a mischievous glint.

"he's busy with work," you reply. you see the small smile appear on his lips before he looks back at you.

"since we're both alone, how about a dance?" he says, placing a hand on top of yours.

oh.

surprised by his request, you quickly remove your hand from underneath his. of course the obvious answer is no. how could you possibly dance with someone your husband despises?

"no thank you," you reply gently.

minho's eyes twinkle as he looks you up and down, licking his lip.

"you're wearing this beautiful dress and you're not even going to dance?... don't be lame."

you'll admit, it look you a while to find a dress this perfect and that's because you were only doing it for jungkook.

it really is a shame he couldn't make it.

"us? together? i just don't think that would be a good idea," you insist, shaking your head.

"because of your husband?"

"yes, exactly." that should've been obvious from the start.

"but he's not here.." minho smirks, leaning his head to get a better look at your face.

"that makes it worse," you retort with a raised brow, coming to final terms that his intentions aren't as pure you tried to make them to be.

"i just can't help it... i think you look absolutely gorgeous," he compliments.

caught off guard, you avoid eye contact. "oh. well, thank you," you mutter.

you're just confused. you have no idea why he's talking to you.

"if you were my wife, i promise you would never have be alone," minho states in a lower tone, inching closer to you "i would treat you better than your husband."

you quickly move away from him, creating a safe distance as you shake your head.

"jungkook does treat me right," you state firmly, a hint of defensiveness in your voice.

"a true gentlemen would know if his women was feeling lonely," minho tells you. "your body yearns for the attention of your husband, but he can't satisfy you. no, he can't do that."

"that's not true," you step in defensively.

"he's only busy with work and although he doesn't have time for me, i still love him," you add.

"but does he love you?"

you hesitate..

"he does love me," you mutter, averting your gaze to the abandoned wine on the table.

it reminds you of jungkook. it reminds you of the reason why you started drinking again after many years of cutting it out of your life.

minho's smirk deepens at your change of expression.

lost in your thoughts, you fail to the notice the hunger of his gaze fixated on your lips.

"to be fair.." minho continues, his voice softening as he gets closer, "it's common for husbands to grow bored of their wives, even if they're as beautiful as you."

before you have the chance to react, minho's lips smash onto yours in a sudden unwelcome kiss. you instinctively push him away as you stand up abruptly.

"minho!" you exclaim, voice drowned out by the blasting music that fills the large room.

"hmm, better than i thought. cherry lip gloss?" he retorts, a malicious smirk playing on his lips.

a mix of disgust, guilt, and anger courses through your body and slowly, you begin step backwards, unaware of the sudden presence behind you. just as you teeter on the edge of a small step, a pair of arms catch you before you fall.

"are you alright?" taehyung's concerned voice fills your ears.

although surprised by his unexpected appearance, you're relieved as you nod at his question.

without any hesitation, he drags you away to a quieter corner near the entrance.

"why were you talking to him?" taehyung questions, his voice laced with a mix of worry and confusion.

taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you try to gather your thoughts. everything had just escalated so quickly.

"i... don't know," you mutter softly.

you're aware that engaging in a conversation with minho is strictly forbidden, a rule repeatedly told by both jungkook and taehyung.

"i never intended for anything to happen. i.. don't know what I was thinking," you confess.

"i saw him kiss you," taehyung sighs, rubbing his forehead. "i know that's not your fault, but don't ever, and I mean it y/n. don't ever talk to him again," he says sternly.

"okay," you softly reply.

"don't be angry at me, but i actually told jungkook to come and pick you up," taehyung reveals, and your eyes widen from panic.

"he texted me and asked if you were here because he noticed you weren't home," he adds.

dang it.

feeling slightly overwhelmed by everything that's happened with minho, and now with what's going to happen with jungkook, you sigh in distress.

"he's here," taehyung announces and your heart jumps at the news as you quickly straighten your posture.

as your husband approaches, you notice him engrossed in a phone call, and you nervously gulp down the lump in your throat.

"thanks for texting hyung," jungkook says before firmly grabbing a hold of your wrist. you're unable to give taehyung a proper goodbye as you're dragged out of the door.

once you reach the car, jungkook opens the door for you, a stern look in his eyes.

"get in the car," jungkook commands, his tone telling you that he doesn't care about your explanation as of right now.

he ends the phone call, telling his secretary he won't be available for the rest of the night before he drives off.

"wanna tell me why you snuck out?" he asks, a small tinge of anger in his tone.

you understand why he's upset. after all you lied about going to sleep early and then snuck out. and lying has never been an issue in your guy’s relationship.

"i just didn't want to be stuck at home," you reply honestly, nervously biting your lip.

"you still shouldn't have lied to me," jungkook asserts, one hand on the wheel with the other in his lap.

both of you fall silent for a moment, the only sounds permeating the air being the distant hums of passing cars and the rustling wind.

that's until jungkook picks up on the familiar fruity scent in the air, and he furrows a brow.

"were you drinking?" he questions in a mix of concern and disbelief.

a surge of panic hits you, causing your body to tense involuntarily.

"uh. just a bit of wine," you mumble, voice barely audible.

you can see the way jungkook's jaw clenches, frustration building up.

"you always throw up after drinking wine, so why do you keep drinking it?" jungkook scolds sternly.

"i don't throw up anymore," you say, like it's any better.

you know that's not an excuse for drinking, but you're unsure of how to explain yourself right now.

"y/n. it's not just about that, it's about your health," jungkook says frustratedly "we've already had this conversation before."

you close your eyes for a brief second as a soft sigh escapes your lips. you really don't want to argue right now because you already know you're in the wrong for drinking.

at the same time, he pulls up to the driveway and you quickly hop out of the car. you head to your shared bedroom, with jungkook cautiously following behind.

the discomfort of your high heels becomes so unbearable that you almost stumble on the stairs, so you quickly kick them off when you reach the room.

when you step in front of the full-length mirror, you notice your disheveled hair and slightly smudged eyeliner.

you honestly don't know why you even try so hard to look good sometimes when it's all for nothing.

you catch a glimpse of jungkook's reflection in the mirror, his eyes fixated on you, but you choose to ignore it.

he removes his blazer, his movements deliberate before gently encircling your waist and tugging you closer to him.

deciding to admire you instead, he takes a deep breath to let go of his frustration, inhaling your sweet rose scented perfume.

"you look stunning," jungkook compliments, looking you and down through the mirror.

"let me fuck your brains out, yeah?" he whispers into your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

you take a moment before you respond, gulping down the lump in your throat.

"jungkook, we were just arguing-"

"i need to teach you a lesson," jungkook speaks softly, making you anticipate his next movements.

he abruptly pushes you down, bending you over your makeup table, knocking down and over some products.

"jungkook!" you let out in surprise.

"my beautiful wife needs to be taught a harsh lesson," he says, roughly lifting the tight dress over your ass. "she needs to learn that lying and sneaking out has consequences."

he slaps your ass, hand imprinting on your flesh as you whine from the sting.

"you look so fucking beautiful in this dress," jungkook whispers. "and i'm about to fuck you in it."

he swiftly grabs your arm, turning you around to kiss your pretty lips before he proceeds to push you on the bed with a smile.

"open your pretty legs, baby," he commands, slowly removing the black tie from around his neck.

he takes a seat on the chair in front of you, eyes dark as he waits for you to comply.

"i said open your fucking legs Y/N," he repeats.

you scurry to the top of the bed, gradually spreading your thighs for your husband.

he stands up and slowly unbuttons his dress shirt, his gaze intimate and naughty.

you feel your panties gush with wetness again and bite your lip to refrain yourself from moaning.

"miss my cock huh?" jungkook teases, a smug grin on his face.

although you don't respond, the look on your face explains everything.

he gets rid of his dress pants, his semi-hard cock coming in view as he slowly strokes it up and down while looking at your body.

his cock begins to harden, blue veins becoming prominent.

at the sight, you subconsciously close your legs to get some friction.

"open your legs," jungkook commands again, in irritation.

he watches you struggle to obey as your thighs barely part, slightly rubbing against each other.

he roughly grabs your ankles and swiftly tugs you to end of the bed, forcefully prying your legs open before he slaps your drenched pussy.

"what? i haven't fucked my wife in so long and all the sudden she doesn't know how to follow orders." jungkook shakes his head in disapproval.

"i'm sorry," you mutter.

"i bet you are hmm," he hums, tightening his grip on your neck.

you feel the head of jungkook's cock poke at your entrance and you hold your breath, waiting for him to push all the way in, but he doesn't. he only pushes the head in before pulling back out.

"stop teasing me please," you beg, furrowing your brows in desperation.

all you need is to feel him.

he laughs in delight, enjoying how desperate you are for him.

he then pushes the head of his cock inside you again and pulls out just to hear your cries.

a minute later, he finally pushes all the way in, knocking the air out of your lungs. your mouth falls agape, unable to make a sound as you feel his cock scape against the inside of your tight pussy.

"shit- i feel like i'm fucking a virgin," jungkook voices breathily, forehead coming in contact with yours.

he begins to thrust in and out and you whine, the pleasure making your stomach churn.

"ah fuck-" you finally moan.

jungkook pushes deeper inside you and you gasp, hands coming to touch his pecs as you breath against his lips.

"jungkook, you're so fucking good- fuck" you moan desperately.

"yeah?" he responds teasingly, a handsome smirk on his face.

"hm- you fuck me so good!" you repeat.

jungkook continues to pound your cunt, the tightness of your walls making him go absolutely crazy.

he stares at your fucked-out expression, your red cheeks wet from the tears running down your face.

"fuck- please," you sob, submitting to jungkook just like he wants.

"you dirty- little fucking slut," he says through gritted teeth, feeling his cock become even bigger.

his eyes bounce between the cream on his cock and to your face, unable to decide which one he likes more. he loves both, he wants to see your white cream paint his cock while your alluring face contorts in pleasure.

the sound of the bed hitting the wall becomes louder and he sighs in pleasure, hands tightening around your neck again.

before he can go any further, the ringing of your phone goes off causing jungkook to groan. it takes him a second before he pulls out, leading you to whine at the empty feeling.

"it might be an emergency," he mutters to you before quickly rising off the bed. "stay right there," he instructs.

you do as he says, curiously waiting for him to get your phone while your throbbing pussy begs for attention.

you're unsure of who would be calling you at this hour.

jungkook sighs, retrieving your purse from the nearby table and rummages through it. his eyes land on taehyung's name flashing bright.

raising a brow in question, he walks back over to you and throws your phone on the bed. he nods at it.

"answer the phone."

you grab the device beside you, about to answer, but jungkook sinks back onto the bed, cock returning to your entrance.

"jungkook-" you gasp, attempting to stop him, but he grabs your wrist, pinning it to the bed as he shakes his head.

"no baby. answer the phone," he says, pushing his thick cock into you once again.

you moan loudly, unable to control the lewd sound.

"please-" you whimper.

he goes easy on you, stopping his thrusts as he motions for you to answer the phone.

you clumsily push the button and immediately, the booming sound of taehyung's voice comes through.

"hey, I called to see if you made it home safely," tae says, and you curse under your breath in a little bit of annoyance and pleasure.

this call is in fact, not an emergency.

"y-yes, i'm home safe," you reply, trying your very best to sound as if your husband's seven inch cock isn't inside of you right now, but it's difficult.

jungkook smirks, stifling a mocking laugh.

"that's good. and sorry i basically told on you," taehyung laughs.

"it's not your fault, it's jungkook," you say, unable to resist the urge to blame him, but that doesn't go well for you as he thrusts a lot deeper into you.

you accidentally drop the phone and it lands next to your head as you silently moan, whimpering against his lips.

"did you guys fight?" taehyung asks.

you slightly recall the small fight in the car about your drinking habit, thinking that's what he meant.

"a little.. bit," you let out breathily.

"yeah.." taehyung chuckles. "did he get mad?"

"y-yes, he was being a jerk," you reply.

jungkook simply pokes his tongue at the side of his cheek at your response, thrusting harder into you and you cry, biting onto your lower lip as you shut your eyes.

you slightly push his chest, signaling for him to go easy on you, but all he does is show a lopsided grin, telling you he's going to do the opposite just to see you try not to moan.

you whine into his ear, nails scratching his back as you let him fuck you so good.

"well.. i don't blame kook. i would hate it too if minho kissed areum," taehyung blurts out.

his words cause you to freeze in surprise cause you surely weren't expecting him to say that.

jungkook furrows his eyebrows, replaying taehyung's words in his head to double check if he heard it right before he stops thrusting.

"i- um-" you stutter, mind racing to find the right words, but you're too late as jungkook figures things out, your panicked expression only adding to his final answer.

"you kissed minho?" jungkook's voice rings out in anger and disbelief.

in a sudden burst of frustration, he snatches your phone, abruptly ending the call.

his eyes darken, the intensity of his gaze sending a shiver down your spine.

"minho was at the fucking party?" he asks, anger coursing through his body.

he grits his teeth, deeply breathing against your face as he stares at you.

"jungkook-," you try to explain, hands on his chest to push him away, but he doesn't move.

instead, he manhandles you so swiftly, moving you on your hand and knees, slapping your ass hard, making you wail.

he pushes your face to the bed, smearing your pretty makeup against the white sheets.

jungkook inserts his cock back in your pussy in one fast movement and you gasp for air. you can feel him so much deeper this way, the tip of his cock hitting your cervix.

he angrily begins to pound harder into you.

he puts your hair in a ponytail with his hand, yanking you backward until your back is pressed against his chest.

"i- specifically told you to stay away from him," jungkook grunts into your ear, sending shivers down your spine. "he got to kiss.. your pretty lips."

you whimper, trying to explain yourself, but his cock doesn't allow you to.

"tell me baby, how was the kiss?" he asks, his unoccupied hand digging into your hip.

"m-minho-" you moan loudly right as he hits your g-spot.

you begin to shake, the repetitive rub against your g-spot making you see stars. you would've fallen over by now if jungkook wasn't holding you to his chest.

"what's that?" jungkook mockingly says, knowing he's hitting your g-spot so perfectly that you're unable to speak.

"ah!- minho k-" mascara tears stream down your face, your red cherry lip gloss smeared across your cheek.

"stop moaning his fucking name," jungkook grumbles, landing another hard slap on your reddened ass.

he finally let's you go and you fall right back on the bed, cheek pushed against the sheets before he picks up an even faster pace.

"tell me what happened y/n," he says, sweat dripping down his face.

"oh god! s-slow down-" you manage to let out, sobbing in pleasure.

"tell me what happened," he repeats in irritation.

he spanks your ass two times on each side before grabbing your hips to go deeper, but slows down his pace so you have the chance to talk.

"i- ... i was talking to him," you admit breathily, turning to face him with innocent eyes. "and he started telling me.." you hesitate, turning back to the bed to avoid showing guilt.

"telling you what?" jungkook asks, beginning to increase his pace again.

"how b-bad of a husband you are," you whimper. "he said- that i'd never have to be alone a-agin, if he was my husband."

you moan wholeheartedly, your g-spot being pounded so hard that it becomes too much to bare.

"ah! he- d-doesn't think you- love me," you let out, more tears streaming down your fucked out face.

and with that, jungkook fucks you harder, faster, and deeper, making you wail pathetically as your eyes roll to the back of your head.

"and do you really believe that?" he questions, grunting at how close he is to cumming inside your dirty walls, but he controls it.

"no- jungkook," you sigh, feeling your orgasm approaching.

he can feel you tightening around him, making him angrier.

"fuck y/n. you're getting so fucking tight."

his hips stutter and he growls, knowing he's about to cum hard.

"talking about minho turns you on, huh?"

"no-" you moan, stomach tightening.

"no?" jungkook pounds your cunt so hard that you shake, screaming his name until your voice gives out.

"i'm cummin-" you squeal, body shaking from high pleasure.

your pussy becomes so tight and jungkook pulls out from the pressure, watching you squirt all over the bed as you moan shamelessly.

he pumps his cock, groaning at the lewd sight of you destroying the sheets and he finally shoots his cum, painting your expensive dress all dirty.

he moans proudly, coming down from his high as he jerks his cock between your ass, wanting to feel your beautiful pussy rub against his vein.

"fuck y/n," jungkook growls, watching you shake from overstimulation.

he feels his cock throb before it begins to soften and he looks at the mess you both made with a chuckle.

he gets off the bed, taking deeps breath to regain control of his breathing before grabbing a towel from the bathroom.

he wipes the cum off your back and in between your legs.

jungkook then turns you around on your back and smiles at how you beautiful you look, even after getting fucked and crying your makeup off.

you look into his handsome eyes and he can see the guilt written all over your face.

"i know i s-shouldn't have been talking to him, but we were just talking and all the sudden he was kissing me and i-"

"yeah baby?" jungkook interrupts, wiping your stained cheek with his thumb. "but what did i say about talking to him?"

you gulp nervously, hoping he won't get mad again.

"to walk away if he ever tries to talk to me," you answer, melting under his touch.

it makes you feel even guiltier.

"and what did my baby do?"

"talk to him.." you mutter.

all of the sudden, jungkook sucks in a breath, a groan leaving his lips as he tilts his head toward the ceiling.

he rolls his eyes in annoyance.

"why does my wife have to be so gorgeous?" jungkook sighs, dropping his gaze to look at your beautiful eyes.

your cheeks turn a rosy pink as you avoid his strong gaze, but he captures your chin between his fingers, forcing you to look at him.

"i love you," jungkook says and you feel your eyes begin to water, the loving feeling swimming in your heart.

"i love you too."

[grandline-fics]

Unconscious Protector

DESCRIPTION: When you suddenly lose consciousness 

WARNINGS: Descriptions of fainting

CHARACTERS: Luffy, Zoro

WORDS: 1,042

A/N: Just want to say thank you to each and everyone of you who have been reading these fics. Hope you enjoy this one

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

MASTERLIST

----------

LUFFY

This island was far too hot, probably just as bad as the fire side of Punk Hazard. The only reason you were struggling more this time was because you were trying to keep up with your excited Captain. You’d drawn the short straw to be his babysitter as he explored the wilderness while the others got to stay in the town and shop. You admired Luffy greatly but he just refused to pause for two seconds to take a break. At times like this you were even more jealous of his seemingly unending reserve of energy. You’d tried earlier to convince him to stop in the shade for a moment but then he’d spotted a mountain in the distance he was adamant about climbing it before stopping. So you had to just endure the heat if you wanted to keep pace with him. 

You just had to keep telling yourself this was like training, just something to keep yourself motivated because if you stopped now you didn’t think you would get back up. As the incline of the mountain got steeper the more your legs shook. Just a little further you told yourself while roughly shaking your head, trying to focus your vision as it blurred once more. You could make out the outline of trees at the top. The thought of lying down under the shade was your reward for trekking this far without stopping. You could do this. You would do this. Over the growing ringing in your ears you could make out Luffy’s excited cheering when he got to the top and calling your name to see the view. Shakily you let out a laugh. “Coming, Luffy.” You tried to call out but could only manage a weak huff.

Only now did Luffy turn and see you stumble up the mountain towards him. He frowned heavily, finally seeing the struggle you were pushing through. As much as his hands itched to stretch out and lift you the last few feet he resisted the impulse. You’d gotten this far and suffered because of him. To treat you like a weakling now at the last hurdle would have been an insult. You had a strength he greatly admired, you wouldn’t be part of his crew if you were frail. He had to just watch. Finally you staggered to a halt beside him and doubled over, breathing heavily and eyes swimming. Forcing your head up you took in the amazing view of the town far below and you could see just how far you really came. “I did it…” you cheered in an exhausted whisper only for your eyes to roll back and your body slumped over. Luffy’s arms caught you with ease and he lifted you towards the thick line of trees.

“Just rest now.” He grinned, throwing himself down onto the ground, holding you close and safe against him. When his hand lightly touched the top of your head he noticed how warm it was. That was his fault too he realised, he was too excited to go exploring he hadn’t given you much time to prepare for the trek. Ah well, he’d apologise when you were awake and on your feet again. With a grin he pulled off his hat and draped it lightly over your head, letting the extra shade it created cool you down. His grin only got wider when you relaxed more against him. 

ZORO

That had to be the last of them, please let that be the last of them. Paranoid and alert your eyes swept around the destroyed battlefield. You’d pushed yourself too far this time. You knew that but it was necessary. The others were scattered and engaged in their own fights and that left you to protect the entrance to the building where Luffy was currently fighting your group’s current enemy. That enemy however was a coward and kept sending subordinates to try and overwhelm Luffy to try and gain the upper hand in the fight. That wasn’t going to happen, not while you had any breath still in your body. 

You felt a sudden presence by your side and you reacted, whirling and throwing your sword out in an attack only to freeze when it was blocked by a familiar blade. Relief flooded you and a smile broke out over your face. If more enemies came now, protecting Luffy would be a whole lot easier. You adjusted the hold on your sword and pulled it away from your crew-mate, eyes returning to the battlefield in search of anyone approaching. 

Zoro could see the dimness in your eyes, the tremble of your limbs and the shallow breaths you were taking. You were only standing and acting out of instinct and loyalty at this point. He could see the toll the exhaustion that fighting waves upon waves on enemies and using your Devil Fruit had taken on your body. While he was concerned it didn’t lessen his pride and respect for you. He put his own sword away and reached out to curl his fingers around yours that still held yours in a vice grip. “Hey it’s okay. The fight’s over.” He coaxed, his voice holding its usual deep rumble but there was a softness in his tone that he reserved only for you.

His words were all you needed to finally let your body succumb to what it needed most. Relinquishing your weapon and yourself into his care, your eyes slipped closed as his free arm settled around your waist, supporting your deadweight against him like it was nothing. Taking the utmost care with you, he lifted your body to cradle against his chest while he sheathed your weapon and stood to lean against the wall you’d been protecting so fiercely. Zoro’s eye moved across the destruction you’d caused and chuckled as he took it all in. You certainly were a force of nature and one that pushed him to be stronger too. He knew no one else would come by here and that it wouldn’t be long before Luffy wrapped up his own battle and everything would settle once more but he couldn’t help but enjoy this moment of being your protector even if it was for a little while.

[magerightsmagefights]

I know people tend to forget Wyll a lot in this fandom (I wonder why. What Could Possibly Be Different. Can you spot the difference?/s) but I'm genuinely surprised at the lack of Durge x Wyll content. Especially if you're going Redeemed, there's that inherent flavor of "My lover cannot know the truth, I am horrible and they would hate me, they would be correct to hate me." And with Wyll it's just... so juicy, he's so pure and shining, and Durge is so filled with filth and misery that there's barely a person left underneath.

Idk, as a femme romance reader I've spent so many years reading the "love redeems" arc where a FMC plays beauty to an MMC beast, in every genre, medium, budget, etc. I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum, but beauty and the beast as a story structure has never done it for me.

until it's reversed, apparently, because Wyll as the beauty to Durge's beast needs to be injected directly into my veins like yesterday. All the other companions are good and sweet, don't get me wrong, but their reactions are coded like 'i accept you,' where Wyll to me comes off much more as 'we will heal you.' He doesn't have any funny little quips about you trying to bite him, no innuendos, no "I Will Put You Down" a la Laezel, he's just... so good, and he believes in your inherent goodness, he so easily sees "you" and "your urges" as wholly seperate entities he would step between if he could.

Speaking of which!! The coronation scene, when everyone finds out you're Bhaalspawn? I never see anyone talking about Wyll's reaction compared to other companions getting angry (even Dark Shadowheart will yell at you) because Wyll seems to be the ONLY PERSON who immediately separates you(the person he knows) from you(the person you used to be). Astarion isn't angry, he even appreciates your scheme freeing him from Cazador, but he also kinda falls into the whole "I will talk to you as if you are the exact same person who did these things, this is Your True Nature and I feel positive about it."

Wyll's reaction feels like the only one saying "You WERE that," instead of "You ARE that." It also feels like the only one that kinda-sorta acknowledges Durge's actual amnesia, because he doesn't treat this revelation like a betrayal the way the other "good" companions do. They be saying "The real evil was hiding within our ranks all along" like wym hiding? Durge didn't know either, how tf they supposed to tell you?

Wyll doesn't even blink. Once he knows what you are, his No.1 priority is reassuring YOU about it. The fact you're Bhaalspawn isn't a betrayal; it's a Horrible Burden and he's sorry you have to bear it, but there have been others like you who were good, who overcame, and your blood isn't who you are. His first instinct is to offer hope, to reassure you that there's a way out, he believes so hard that your urges are a defeatable enemy and he's ready to fight them with you.

(I also fall into the Durge And Gortash Fucked camp, and I cannot overstate the tastiness of Durge waltzing into the coronation of their ex, the Worst Man Alive, while bringing along their new boyfriend, the Best Man Alive)

Idk, I've just never engaged in a romance where I played the part of the Beast. As much as people rag on pure, princely archetypes, I don't actually see them that often. I genuinely don't remember the last time I read/saw a male lead behave like Wyll, but I've seen plenty of Astarions, Fenrises, Rhysands, etc. Romance loves a fixable MMC, but so rarely an MMC who wants to do the fixing.

Anyway. Justice for Wyll or whatever. I can only cross my fingers that future DLC will include more romance content, because we all deserve to have a Beauty for our Beast sometimes.

[yandere-kokeshi]

Hi,I really love everything your write and wondering if you could do 141+Alejandro & Konig got heartbroken as Reader said no to their proposal of marriage then few years later they all realise that the Reader just want to protected them because the enemy was threaten them to kill 141+Alejandro & Konig?

Take your time and don't forget to drink water.

— Yandere TF-141 and König reacting to their darling refusing to marry due to being threatened

Warnings: yandere behavior, talks about death and torture, hints of sex, and kidnapping.

A/N: Aw, thank you <3. Also, I decided to change up your question a bit; I don’t think they’d wait a few years, so I changed it to: ‘When they find out after they’d kidnap the reader’. Hope that makes sense. Enjoy :)!

Captain “Price” John:

He’s confident; something a Captain should be. When buying the ring, he makes sure it’s all customized and liked to your taste – something he admires a lot. It’s a beautiful, classy Koa wood ring; stainless steel with gold specks.

When the time is right, and he’s on his knee, Price would be taken aback at first from your rejection. He’s quick to asking why, but with you dodging any of the questions and watching your nervous body language, he’s soon putting away the ring and distracting you with your favorite take-out.

Reaching his breaking point and taking you away from the public eye, leading him to finding the reason you denied the marriage, Price is… angry. His hands tighten into white fists, his threatening tone asking ideas and clues on if you know it is.

When words slur out of your mouth, he’s telling you to stay clear upstairs. A kiss on your forehead as a promise to be back before 8. Before you know it, you’re awakened by the front door opening and slamming, his recognizable boots storming into the bedroom as he huffs and pants.

John never told what he did, and he didn’t have to. Not with the way his beard was stained with blood, his tactical gear and guns stained with… gore.

Days later, the news began talking about a gorey show; images of those enemies, and classified information on how they were killed due to the inhumane ways of torture. A pang of relief and a slight hint of fear. He was inhumane. But he did it for you, it shows his love and obsession.

—

Simon “Ghost” Riley:

Marriage is big for Ghost. A big commitment. But, something he wants and needs with you. Marriage binds people together, and he would make you officially his. The ring is simple, but gorgeous enough. It’s hand-made, made in thick black gold with Moissanite Celtic jewels; engravings of vines.

The moment he passes the box while eating after a particular romantic act, Simon is holding your hands as he whispers the works – he’s hopeful and nervous; ready to slide the hand-made ring he worked months on onto your promising finger.

But the moment you reject him, he will become quiet. He would just stare at you confused, not wanting to believe that he heard that right. But once the situation settles in, it will get uncomfortable and awkward. Simon will simply nod, before sliding it back into his pocket and finish eating – doing the dishes and heading off for the night, not looking or speaking at you.

Though, the minute he makes you permanently his, figuring out why you denied the engagement ring, Ghost becomes a brutal person.

His eyes are darker. Nothing is in them. He’s demanding, using his Lieutenant voice to ensure you stay here and do as he says while he leaves. A kiss on the lips and your forehead was comforting, but seeing the rifle slung on his back wasn’t.

It had been days since he was gone. And ensuring you were okay, he frequently called you — his nicknames and lovely nicknames were a comfort. Though, the next day he returns, his mask sliding off the minute he sees you; his lips crashing on yours as he greedily picks you up.

Nothing of that day is talked about, but he promises you it’s fine, he took care of it, and you’re safe. Nothing can or will hurt you as long as he breathes against your lips.

—

Johnny “Soap” MacTavish:

Soap always dreamed of marriage, especially when you came into the picture. Days and months, if not years, going into the thought of the ring. He makes sure the ring is the most extravagant; silver and rose gold, an oval cut mixed with mossy green and pearly white. It has a crown, mixed with smaller jewelry all around the gemstone.

When he got on his knee and saw your nervous look, a shy shake of the head, his heart stopped. Johnny is in absolute denial, not even wanting to think that you just don’t like him. He blamed it on everything else. You probably didn’t feel well that day, maybe he did something wrong, someone else confused you now in your life. Due to his delusions, he didn’t fight against his darker thoughts, believing that it was all just for you and making you help to realize your feelings.

He didn’t get it. Why didn’t you want him? Though, he’s persistent. Leading him to kidnap you in the name of ‘talking things out’. Which, also, leads to him finding out the truth.

At first, he stared at you: a small ‘what?’ whispering out before his blue eyes going deeper in the waves, abruptly asking when it happened; bringing you into a bear hug as he promises he’ll take care of it and you.

The next day, Johnny is acting too excited and calmly — making you the biggest plate of breakfast, ensuring he doesn’t want any as he’s going to run some important errands for the team.

You don’t think of it, but something nitpicks your skin. You go on the day, doing chores and finally ending the night into a foamy, bubbly hot bath; alongside with your headphones and garlic bread. Though, you didn’t see Johnny coming in, wiping his face with a white towel, which is smeared with blood.

He jumps in, surprising you with a sexy gift, he says it’s deserved. And you directly ignore the stained blood; a naive thought coming in. Johnny promises over his life, that he’ll protect you — regardless of what happens, he loves you.

—

Kyle “Gaz” Garrick:

Marriage was something he didn’t know he could have – sure, he’s thought of it. But the preparation was longing, the tiredness of needing to see your reaction to the perfect bought ring made him smile cheekily. He wanted this to be perfect, just like you.

The ring he’d picked out was simple, but something you’d admire. It’s a thick, multiplied silver ring accompanied by a raw sapphire diamond, smaller stones beside the middle one. He made sure it’s a bit tight, only enough, so you can never take it off.

Once finding a romantic spot, breaking down to one knee with a flustered smile; the famous words of romantic promises being spilled out. But the moment you rejected him, it was all very awkward. Gaz, is heartbroken, but is overplaying his heartbreak; ensuring you that it’s fine whilst keeping a fake smile on.

Ensuring he’s okay, the outside seems fine but the inside? He’s calmly planning a plan – bringing you home gagged and locked in his home, forever.

His reaction to finding out why you rejected him, his face, is contorted into anger. An ugly feeling and look. Seconds later, his shoes were on and so was his mask. Just like any lover, he would do anything for you.

He gladly cleans himself up before coming home, his gentle smile and reassuring hug engulfing you. The next few days, he’s hovering and overbearing – his kisses and hugs too tight and rarely off of you.

From now on, he makes sure to keep intact with you – your freedom stripped away even further. He didn’t want you to see the TV talking about the cruel murder case that involved with all types of issues.

—

Alejandro “Colonel” Vargas:

He’s the most optimistic about marriage — he loves you. Has dreamed of it ever since he met you. The scenario’s coming in like ocean waves are peaceful to him; the big and special photos of you and him dancing at the ceremony, dancing at the picked song for the wedding makes his heart full.

He makes sure to take a long amount of time picking out the ring, something special. He decides to pick a glamorous, cubic-zirconia Heart. Made out of silver-copper, the gem is iridescent opal and shaped like a heart. Much like Gaz, he made sure the band had thorns — a promise of never taking it off.

Alejandro takes the planning seriously. He makes sure to pick a beautiful area, taking you out to an expensive dinner beforehand, before getting on his knee; his gentle smile and lovely eyes so wide. But, when you said no, his smile and excitement died down.

His face says it all: intense and scary. He’s mad, and immediately confronting you with a heartbroken look; Alejandro is asking why, why did you deny me? Don’t you love me? Did I do something?

This ends up with him remotely kidnapping you. But, when you wake up, he promises to take care of you — which ends up with him finding out the reason you rejected him in the first place.

Ultimately, his reaction is anger. His eyes widen, and his eyebrows furrowed; he asks you clues, giving him ideas on who it is. And when you did, he’s leaving — grabbing his boots, gear, and a promise of being back as soon as he can; a mission needs to be finished.

Alejandro comes back a few days later, arms filled with expensive gifts. His smile is welcoming, his eyes filled with love, and a bunch of kisses delivered with specialty. His whispers in your ear is a clear sign of perfection, nobody will hurt you.

—

König:

He’s excited. König’s been dreaming of this day, his mind replaying fake scenarios of him holding you after marriage. Your naked and sweaty bodies pressing against one another is the brink of his life.

Getting to the ring was hard. Not only did he want it simple and cute, but overbearing and telling you that he loves you. He picked on a silver ring, the band coppered and the gem a garnet. Beautiful designs imprinted in it.

He picked somewhere quiet, a date secluded for you and him; an area full of beautiful flowers and security, and a land of where he can take off his mask. Furthermore, he’s devastated when you shake your head. König doesn’t understand why you would reject him, and his mind begins stumbling with what he probably could have done better, leading him to have a good few days of snapping and rude behavior.

The kidnapping of you was easy. But finding out why you denied was hard — he was fumming. A pissed-off soldier. Even though he’s boiled, he takes care of you first, ensuring you are safe and loved on, and no he won’t leave. Not tonight. But tomorrow he will. He’ll take care of everything, just like he had in the past.

König makes sure you know he loves you and he isn’t mad. But he is to the enemy. He asks help, from a few friends and the team. He leaves with an excuse, and leaves stained kisses all over your neck; a promise of him coming back.

He called you often, reminding you that he loves you, and he will be home as soon as he can. Work is hard and okay. But, this problem will be fixed as soon as possible.

The minute he comes home, his attitude is more open; he’s clingy, unbearable, and always following you around. He’s never letting you out of his sight, König is your personalized guard dog — a constant reminder of who he is.

—

My Masterlist :)

© yandere-kokeshi 2023 — Do not copy, modify, edit, repost, or use my works for ASMR readings, tiktoks, or other content.

[shinysobi]

pretty u

summary: when joshua, your best friend gets engaged, you can't help but feel as though you're missing out on something important. jihoon, your other best friend, kindly offers to set you up with one of his many friends. chaos ensues, seungkwan is an observer who knows everything, and unfortunately, mingyu is a hapless victim.

pairing: woozi x fem!reader

genre: crack, fluff, angst

word count: 10k~ish

warnings: alcohol consumption, general warnings apply

A/N: uhh..hi? this is the first time i've written rpf, and it makes all the more sense for it to be centred around woozi, my svt bias. this has no plot at all, and i just wrote it for fun and vibes...also unbetaed, so if you see any mistakes, no u did not :)) shout out to my twitter gc for cheering me on as i wrote this hehe u guys are the best

a/n 2: reblogs and comments are much appreciated! please tell me if you're liking this lmao

chapter 1 | chapter 2

Chapter 1

Whoever said that every love story is universal, was not lying, unfortunately. Every good love story is a mix of tropes that unfortunately work well together to form a coherent plot. And the longer you read books, the easier it becomes for you to identify (or avoid) these tropes.

The enemies turn into lovers.

The friends turn into lovers.

The inn only has one available bed.

Your brother’s best friend is somehow smoking hot and doesn’t see you as an annoying little sibling anymore.

Your one-night stand is your new boss, and he is inexplicably obsessed with you.

Your parents have forced you into an arranged marriage, and your partner is a. incredibly hot and b. also obsessed with you. You get the gist, so on, and so forth.

All love stories go for a trope that becomes the central conceit of the story, no matter how unique they try to be. The small-town girl/boy falls for the hotshot city lawyer/businessman/vague marketing executive and shows them the importance of family, and of course, of love, because without it, business is notoriously low. People need romance to feel something other than hatred in their already terrible lives, and books offer escapism. Escapism and on some other level, a sense of belonging. You can identify yourself with the girl who falls in love with her brother’s best friend, or the man who has feelings for his sworn enemy, or the person who has, surprise, fallen in love, with their best friend. Or their best friend’s brother. Take your pick.

And unfortunately, as a critic, reading romance implies wading through the countless reiterations of trope-y goodness on offer at every bookstore, and trying to find something that strikes a chord. It is a given, that one has to kiss some proverbial frogs in the meantime, and of course, any professional mishap has to be accompanied with a gossip session with one’s friends, where any complaints you might have about your work, is unloaded onto the brunch table, for my friends to laugh about.

Because at the end of the day, everyone is a character in their own kind of romance novel. A victim of the tropes, if you will. In my case, I am the perpetual single childhood best friend, who puts up with every single antic of the main character. In of course, an enemies-to-lovers romance. Apparently unrequited love sells too, if its written well. If not, then it just becomes one of many repetitive marketing gimmicks that frankly, don’t sit well with anyone, let alone someone like me, who critiques books for a living.

“It’s your attitude that’s a problem.” Jihoon says, taking a sip of his coffee, “you’ve been writing for the newspaper for years and I have never seen you actually be satisfied with a book. There’s always something that could have been better. Maybe this is why you are so—”

“I am so?” I say, eyes narrowed, “finish that sentence, Jihoon.”

“You want me to?”

“Do you really have to fight every time we meet?”

Both Jihoon and I turn our head to the third person at the table, Joshua. Dressed impeccably in a freshly ironed pair of shirt and trousers, he looks far better than either me or Jihoon, because both of us look as though we have been through botched murder attempts. I am in a hoodie and sweatpants, and Jihoon is somehow worse than me, wearing a pair of shorts and a black t-shirt. His abandoned khaki bomber jacket hangs on the back of his chair, and I cannot believe I’m saying this, but he actually looks worse when wearing the jacket. Joshua looks as though he has been seated at our table by mistake. I’m slightly annoyed by this, but it seems as though Jihoon is more annoyed than me, “what do you mean we fight every time we meet?”

Joshua makes a vague hand gesture, “really? Look at us. You both are dressed as though you’ve been through a typhoon. I feel horribly overdressed.”

“I had a long night.” I reply, “worked overtime at the desk for the Sunday paper.”

“I came here straight from the studio.” Jihoon says, “I didn’t even go home to shower.”

“See, this, this is what I am talking about.” Joshua groans, “both of you dress like homeless people, and then when you come to brunch, you fight all the time. Do you guys never get tired of fighting?”

“Never.” Both Jihoon and I say in unison.

Joshua sighs, before picking up his knife and fork, “I give up. I can never get you two to agree on anything apart from the fact that you guys, apparently, don’t fight.”

“She needs to quit complaining about her job.” Jihoon points his fork at me, “she’s got the cushiest job imaginable, and she manages to complain about it all the time. Every week, she’s here complaining about something at her job.”

“As if you don’t complain about your job all the time too,” I reply, not one to back down from a fight, “you complain about the people at your job all the time as well. And it’s not as though your job is shitty; you literally work at the biggest music corporation in the country—”

“Guys!” Joshua half-yells, and I stop. Everyone is looking at the three of us, and unlike the two of us, he looks embarrassed. “Guys, if you have to fight every time we meet, maybe I suggest we stop this weekly brunch. Jesus—”

“Oh, he swore,” Jihoon whispers, and I giggle, “we finally made him take the Lord’s name in vain.”

“—it’s like you’re kids all over again. This isn’t freshman year of university, for heaven’s sake,” he takes an elegant sip of his coffee, “and for your information, Jesus isn’t the Lord. I’m not letting you guys get the satisfaction of hearing me fucking swear.”

“Does he hear himself?” Jihoon mutters. “I don’t think he does.” I whisper in response.

“Yes, I’m aware I said ‘fuck’, thank you very much.” Joshua sits back in his chair, “I’m proposing to Eunseo tonight.”

“Tonight?” Jihoon yells, bolting upright from his chair, and everyone in the restaurant looks at us, “you’re proposing to her tonight?”

Joshua grabs his hand to drag him back onto his chair, “yes, tonight. Are you stupid? Everyone is looking at us now.” He looks at me, “what do you think about it?”

Oh. Oh.

Remember when I said that my role in a romance novel is that of the eternally-spurned childhood friend? The one who has loved the main character from a distance, never really daring to express their feelings? Well, I’ve not known Joshua since my childhood, we met at high school, and it hasn’t been that long since I discovered that I might have a tiny, the most miniscule of crushes on him. But I’m that trope. The childhood friend who gets spurned, and the main character turns away to the actual love of their life, leaving only a broken heart behind. Too little, too late.

Well, who wouldn’t?

He’s tall, good-looking, gentlemanly, with just the right amount of unhinged, has a good, stable, get-off-at-the-right-time government job, and above all, he’s unflinchingly kind to everyone. Yes, including me and Jihoon, even though we make his life a living hell on most days. Realistically,  it was only a moment of time before either Jihoon or I had any feelings for him. And I was betting on Jihoon too. Fuck.

“Are you okay?” Joshua’s voice is soft, insisting, and all I can see when I break out of my reverie is the swoop of his collarbones as they disappear under the shirt, and suddenly I feel very dirty. Not just dirty, but also simply awful. Why am I out here thinking about his collarbones when he’s thinking about how to propose to his girlfriend? His very nice, very beautiful girlfriend?

“I’m fine,” I nod my head, “have you picked out a ring for her?”

“Not yet, but I have a kind of ring in mind already.” He says, turning to Jihoon and starting to talk about the different cuts of diamonds that are present at Tiffany’s, and how they suit different kinds of people. Eunseo, I learn, is partial to a pear cut. Jihoon, the idiot,  who can’t shut up when it comes to arguments with me, is unnaturally quiet, only offering comments here and there. It’s very uncharacteristic.

And then he gets that look on his face which is a signal for both me and Jihoon that we are about to hear an hour’s worth of praises of Eunseo, and I step in. Making a vague sign towards my completed plate of fish and chips (not that great, the fish was soggy) I say, “before he begins singing praises of his girlfriend, sorry, fiancé, can we get the check?”

“You keep saying it as though you don’t know how much I love her.” Joshua sounds annoyed  but unfortunately, I can see through his mask of fake annoyance, “I already paid.”

“Thank goodness, I forgot my wallet.” Jihoon smiles, “for a moment, I thought I would have to use my online wallet.”

“Aren’t you ashamed?” I elbow him lightly in the ribs, and he doesn’t even flinch. Apparently, music producers these days have to be certified gym rats, or they won’t let them into the building, “you’ve mooched off of Joshua and me for the past twelve years, maybe it’s time to start paying.”

“Maybe I do pay, but I just don’t like you.” Jihoon replies, sarcasm evident in his tone, “so I don’t want to pay for your meal.”

“You little—” I’m about to commit a murder in broad daylight, but Joshua, the sweet angel that he is, stops both of us, waving his card in between like a bullfighting matador.

“You guys just don’t stop, do you?” He grins, evidently thinking about how he’s going to propose to his loving girlfriend this evening. Nauseating. It makes me want to throw up. Because Joshua is not going to wake up one morning and decide that he wants to throw away his living relationship of five years to—to pursue his unfortunate best friend, who has nursed an unfortunate attraction towards him for the past year. That is never going to happen. So, let’s scratch that. That should not happen.

Because apart from being unfairly gorgeous and rich and beautiful and did I mention gorgeous? Eunseo is also unflinchingly nice, the kind of nice that leaves other people wondering if the person in front of them is real or not, or if they have some kind of hidden intentions that border on murderous or at the very least, fraudulent. She’s the one who took me under her wing when I was a freshman and had no friends except the two weird guys in my required sociology class, and thanks to her, at the end of four years of university, I had friends in the journalism club, people I come into contact on occasion such as weddings and the odd reunion.

Her niceness is also the reason why Joshua fell for her at first sight.

“I’m out.” Jihoon picks up the abomination of a bomber jacket from his chair, “and before you ask, no, hyung, I’m not helping you with picking out a ring for your girlfriend. You can do that yourself. Or ask her for help.”

And before Joshua can look at me and before I make a fool out of myself (yet again), I turn away, rejecting his proposal for looking at pear-cut diamond rings on a Sunday morning, “I’m ideologically against the institution of marriage. Do it yourself.”

Joshua sighs, because of course he has anticipated this. The fucker. “cannot believe you’re still on your Dworkin streak. Fine,” he says, getting up from his chair and walking out of the café, “I’ll get Eunseo’s ring myself. And when she asks, I’ll tell her that none of you helped me.”

“Ooh, threatening your girlfriend on us, I’m shaking in my boots,” Jihoon replies, sarcasm evident in his voice, digging through his pockets to get his car keys, “when are you planning to get the ring?”

“Later, in the afternoon,” Joshua is opening the door to his car, and looking at me, “do you want me to give you a ride? Your house is on the way.”

“She only takes buses and the subway,” Jihoon grins, “don’t you remember the time in university when she kept saying about how much she likes welfare policies and transportation benefits?”

“Shut the fuck up,” I reply, elbowing him, harder this time, and Jihoon flinches, “I’ll just go to the office. Jihoon will give me a ride.”

“When did I say that I’ll give you a ride?” Jihoon looks like he wants to begin an argument with me in front of the café, but he acquiesces, “ugh, fine. I’ll give you a ride. Your office is on the way.”

—

“I’m still not convinced that you simply wanted to ‘spend time with me’.” Jihoon grumbles an hour later, seated at his studio and fiddling with his computer. “You’ve been lying there and scrolling twitter for hours now.”

“Your couch is much better than my office chair,” I hum a non-committal reply, before making myself further comfortable into the soft plush material of his couch, “and I’m not scrolling on twitter, I’m trying to find another flat to move into.”

“Lease up?” Jihoon asks, “wasn’t your agreement still valid for at least another few months?”

“I’m just trying to get ahead of the curve,” I reply, “if I start looking from now, maybe I’ll get a better flat by the time the lease is up. My current flat is—��

“A shithole.” Jihoon finishes my sentence for me, “seriously, I don’t know how you manage to live there. And you’ve been holding onto that flat for the past seven years. everyone moved out of their university flats, but you managed to hold onto yours for so long.”

“That’s because it’s a good deal,” I mutter, “ugh, I can’t manage to find a single good deal on any of the flats.”

“Because you’re never satisfied with any deal,” Jihoon replies, “your ideal deal is if everything was free.”

“And I still maintain that housing should not be monetised.”

“Why thank you for that insight, comrade.” Jihoon puts a finger to his mouth, “shut up for a while, I’m trying to concentrate on this song.

“Who’s it for?” I sit up, intrigued, “a new artist?”

“The company’s new girl group.” Jihoon says, “I was asked to produce the title track for their debut. I only have four months on hand, and I still haven’t finished the track. The higher-ups are going to have my head for this.”

“No, they won’t,” I reply, “they like you too much. Speaking of—”

“—if you want me to give you an interview, I won’t, I’ve already told you five times,” Jihoon cuts me off, wheeling his chair away from me, “jeez, you’re tenacious.”

“Oh, but come on, it’ll be fun,” with an extra emphasis on come on, I think I’ve got Jihoon’s attention, “people keep speculating on the kind of person you are. I mean, people know Woozi, but do they know what kind of person he is, underneath all that secrecy? You’ve never given an interview, and you keep avoiding any kind of public appearance. One might think you hate the spotlight.”

“Even if I were to give an interview, I wouldn’t be giving it to you. Who knows how you’re going to spin my words.”

“I’m hurt, Lee Jihoon. This has hurt me.”

Jihoon turns around and blows me a raspberry. I roll my eyes. Is he twenty-eight, or just eight? “whatever you say won’t affect the way I think. I still won’t give you an interview.”

“Just so you know, I’m known to be an excellent interviewer.” I say, walking over to his chair, “come on, Jihoon-ah, give me an interview. Please?”

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

“No.”

“Pwease?”

He turns around at that, fixing me with a stare, “don’t you ever fucking do aegyo in front of me. I’m going to kill you if you do that again.”

“See, if you gave me an interview like I’m asking you to, then I would not have a reason to subject you to aegyo, but as things stand, you really give me nothing else to work with.”

“Ask Joshua for an interview then, if you’re so desperate for one,” the words coming out of anyone else’s mouth would have given me enough reason to walk out of the room, but Jihoon made them sound softer, almost romantic. It was funny, how he managed to change the intonations of every word, changing them to his whims. I suppose that’s what I do with words, and that’s what he does with sounds.

“Joshua is not the elusive Woozi,” I flop back onto the sofa as I counter, trying actively to not think about Joshua picking out a ring at Tiffany’s for Eunseo right at that moment, “he’s an adjunct professor. Not the most interview-friendly of all occupations.”

Jihoon looks at me, and for a moment, I think he’s going to ask me a very uncomfortable and difficult question, but at that moment, both our phones buzz simultaneously. I check the phone, and it’s a single message in the shared chatroom. Joshua has sent a message, a single picture of a pear-shaped diamond solitaire ring (don’t ask me how I know the cut of the diamond) with an attached message;

joshuji: picked up her ring! <3

“Damn, an exclamation point, and an emoji,” Jihoon says, typing out a reply in the chatroom, “our joshuji is entirely too far gone, isn’t he?”

I don’t say anything. Its far easier to pretend that you’re typing out a reply and can’t hear anything, especially when it comes to Jihoon. He’ll take anything in stride.

hoon: wow Eunseo has you whipped

big dick (canon): hey I think it’s cute

Jihoon sets his phone down with an audible clack, and fuck, I’ve messed up. Joshua is oblivious and blissfully happy in his own little life, but Jihoon? The Jihoon that I’ve known ever since our seats were beside each other in the sociology class that made me develop an irrational fear of surveyors? He’s single-minded whenever it comes to pursuing anything. One doesn’t become the most sought-after music producer in the industry with just talent, they need to be dogged in their pursuit of success. And unfortunately, when Lee Jihoon turns his mind to something, he accomplishes it, whether it’s producing a Billboard Hot 100 hit, or, judging by the way he’s looking at me right now, getting words out of my mouth.

“Okay, spill, I’ve seen this go on for long enough,” he says, getting up from the chair and walking over to the sofa, where I am currently hiding behind a throw pillow, “you’ve been weird for months now, and we need to talk about it.”

“We, don’t need to do anything,” I reply, “I’m perfectly fine. If something happened, I would tell you. Or Joshua. Or both of you, at the same time.”

“Like you inform us after every breakup of yours?” Jihoon laughs, “you mean to say you’re going to hold another one of your ‘meetings’ to tell me and Joshua about how some poor bastard made the mistake of trying to date you?”

“I’m actually nice when I date, and I can hold down a relationship for more than two weeks, Mr I-don’t-like-commitment. Tell me, how did your last date go? Did she walk out of the date itself, or did you ghost her?”

Jihoon blinks at me, and then, a slow, catlike smile passes over his features. Fuck.

“You’re being combative today,” he grins, and fuck, its infuriating how predictable I am, and how absolutely incapable I am of not taking his bait, “so, there is something that you’re hiding.”

“Ugh, I hate this.”

“Then you shouldn’t have taken the damn bait,” he replies, “do you want to tell me yourself, or do you want me to guess your little secret?”

“I’m not telling you anything, and its nothing you can suss out either.”

“I can just beat it out of you,” he smiles, flexing his arms, and I belatedly remember that Jihoon, to my disadvantage, had decided at the early age of twenty-one, that he was going to make up for his height by being The Broadest Man on Earth, and now carried a protein shake in his bag everywhere he went, that somehow tasted more disgusting than it looked. He could easily beat me to a pulp. And he would do it too, the little shit.

“Jihoon, remember the time I carried you home when you were drunk?” I don’t know how to do the specific variant of the thing they call ‘puppy eyes’, but I try my absolute best to emulate the little I know, “and you threw up all over my clothes? Remember? It was at Mingyu’s birthday party, and you got drunk on an empty stomach—”

“Don’t fucking do that,” he throws a pillow at me, “fuck, that’s creepy. Also, I got drunk and threw up on your clothes in my second year of university, damn, how long are you going to milk it for?”

“As long as I can,” I reply, “please, Jihoon, just this once.”

“Damn, fine, weirdo,” he stands up, going back to his chair, his back now towards me, “isn’t as though you like Joshua or something.”

I freeze, hoping that the intake of breath at that last sentence hasn’t been heard by Jihoon. I know I’m an atheist, I pray fervently, to whichever god that’s listening, God, Allah, Buddha, Jesus, if anyone’s listening, please, please, please, let Jihoon not notice—

“You like Joshua?”

Fuck.

“No.” I lie brightly, “I just—stubbed my toe on the table.”

Jihoon looks at me in a way that screams bitch, I know you’re a liar so don’t even try. “You know you’re a horrible liar, right?”

“I am?”

He nods, “its one of the many endearing things about you. But unfortunately, you’ve given yourself away now. Really, Joshua? The Joshua Hong we know?”

“Really, it isn’t like that,” I’m sweating, and praying Jihoon doesn’t notice that I’m sweating, “its nothing, and besides, I don’t even like him in that kind of way—”

“Do you want to fuck him?”

I choke on a breath and begin coughing. “What?” I manage to say, after I recover enough to breathe properly, “I don’t want to fuck anyone!”

“Great, because if you wanted to fuck him, it would have become massively awkward.” Jihoon shrugs, “since it’s one of those passing feelings, you can take care of it; it happens all the time. I once had a crush on you too. It’s bound to happen.”

“You had a crush on me?” I screech, “what the fuck, Lee Jihoon, you’re supposed to wait before dropping this kind of information on me!”

“Dude, its long gone,” Jihoon places a hand on my shoulder, a touch that’s meant to be reassuring, but it only suffices to make me angrier, “it was during my military service. I remember that you came with my parents to see me off, and it was—nice. So, I had a crush on you. I got over it when I got out of the military, though. Turns out seeing your best friend live in a hovel really does wonders for your lingering feelings.”

“For eighteen months?” I hold my head in my hands, “you had a crush on me for eighteen months? What the fuck kind of information is that? And you got out of the military three years ago!”

“M-hmm, see, that’s what I mean when I say these feelings will go away.” Jihoon looks sage, as if he’s imparting the secret to life and how to be a good Buddhist, and not bombarding my mind with information I would rather not know, “wait, have you masturbated to Joshua?”

“What the fuck?” I stand up, pacing the room at a speed that would closely rival that of an Olympian, “why would I masturbate to Joshua Hong?”

Jihoon shrugs, “people masturbate. You are a person. Hence the question.”

“Of course, I haven’t masturbated to—wait did you masturbate while thinking of me?” I’m yelling now, yelling and pacing the room like a woman possessed, because of course, Jihoon has made me lose my mind, “Lee Jihoon, did you jerk off to my pictures?”

He shrugs. “What are you going to do if I say yes?”

“I’m going to kill you, and then I’m going to kill myself,” I say, grabbing his shoulders, “you know what, Jihoon, lets do that. Let’s both die.”

“Why would I consent to a murder-suicide with you?” he sounds terribly composed, which again, does not bode well for the numerous murderous thoughts I have currently running through my head, “its just a little masturbation. I was twenty-three, I was bored to tears at the military camp, and I had a crush on you, so, I did what I did.”

“Which was apparently, masturbation.” I flop facedown on the couch, “I want to castrate you, you know that, right?”

“Figures. You’ve always been weird about sex.” Jihoon makes a face, “So, you didn’t tell me. do you want to fuck Joshua or not? Because if you do, then it just means that you want sex. If you don’t, then I can’t help you.”

“How can you help me in any way if I say I want to have sex with Joshua?” I ask, “even if I do, which I don’t, just by the way—”

“You want to jump his bones. Right.”

“—how can you even help me, short of getting me a male prostitute.” I pause, horror spreading through my features, “oh fuck. Jihoon, are you going to hire a gigolo?”

To his credit, Jihoon looks appropriately disgusted, “why would I hire a prostitute? No, I would set you up with one of my friends.”

“Who?”

He thinks for a while, then says, “Soonyoung.”

“No offence, but I’m about 90% convinced that Soonyoung is a furry.”

“Jeonghan-hyung, then.”

“He’s too similar to Joshua,” I groan, “why am I going along with this idea? This is literally the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Then do you want to help yourself?”

“Masturbate to thoughts of Joshua? Yeah, like that’s gonna work.” I hold my head in my hands, “fuck, I have to sleep with Soonyoung, don’t I? I’m half-convinced he will do a tiger impression in bed.”

“I’m fairly convinced he mimics a roar when he orgasms.” Jihoon mutters.

“Oh, fuck, now I have to talk about orgasms with you,” I say, face buried in one of the pillows, “I have to sleep with one of your weird friends and then everyone will know about my crush on Joshua and I’ll be shunned from our three-person group forever and ever—”

“Calm down, no one is going to spill your secrets,” Jihoon says, “and I have other friends too, you know. They don’t talk as much as those idiots, but they are good people.”

“But I don’t want to fuck anyone right now.”

Jihoon stares at me.

“Okay fine, maybe a little bit.” I concede, “but still, not enough to warrant a setting-up. Maybe I’m just sexually frustrated.”

“Then go fuck someone!”

“It isn’t that easy!” I snap, and Jihoon looks surprised, because its so unlike me to be incandescent over something as stupid as this, but I can’t help the shiver of anger running over me, “it isn’t so fucking easy. If it were, I would have gone and slept with a stranger from a bar. Yes, I know it’s dangerous, but I would have done it. But I’m telling you now, its difficult for me to even know if I’m attracted to Joshua, and if my attraction means I want to jump him or whatever.”

“Then what does it mean?” Jihoon, it seems, is also incapable of not reacting to my moods and temper, he gets angry easily sometimes, “What does it mean when you tell me you’re attracted to someone? We’re twenty-eight, for fuck’s sake. What the fuck else do you mean?”

“I don’t know!” I half-yell, half-sob, “I don’t know what I want, and I don’t know if I want to sleep with anyone, least of all Joshua. I’m confused, and I don’t know what to do, and all I want is a little acceptance, not you rattling of a list of people I should sleep with in order to get over my feelings for Joshua—”

“Hey, I’m sorry.”

“—and you can’t even give me that, Jihoon,” I finish lamely, looking at his concerned expression, “yeah fine, I’m leaving.”

The door is loud when I close it behind me. to his credit, Jihoon doesn’t pursue me, because even if he’s abnormally idiotic in matters like these, he’s got some sense.

—

I deeply regret befriending either of them, because both Joshua and Jihoon have apparently no sense of boundaries between people. Joshua keeps assaulting my inbox with messages along the lines of oh look how much I love my girlfriend and how much I can’t wait to see you guys and celebrate my engagement because I’ve got my life sorted out unlike YOU fuckers, and Jihoon has rewarded me with radio silence ever since I blew up in his face about his idiotic idea regarding me having sex with one of his friends.

And, as a testament to my misfortunes in life, Joshua has decided that his proposal to Eunseo must be followed up with a party thrown in her honour, or at least a dinner as per his last text message; which of course, he has to send to the shared chatroom with a  variety of threatening and non-threatening messages.

joshuji: just saying if you guys aren’t here for the dinner, I’m never talking to you

hoon: aren’t proposals supposed to be an intimate thing? For couples??? Why are you asking us to be there????

joshuji: Eunseo wanted you guys to celebrate, too

joshuji: also, I’m proposing to her in the afternoon. I’m asking you guys to come over for dinner

hoon: maybe we should ask Eunseo about her feelings?

hoon: idk if she would want two others celebrating her engagement. Maybe we should stage an intervention and try to convince her to leave you. Its not too late already

big dick (canon): idk if I can make it guys

joshuji: I told u I wouldn’t be forgiving you if you don’t attend

hoon: you also tell us that every other week, I think we’ll be fine

joshuji: please?

hoon: don’t you fucking dare

big dick (canon): send us the location. Also, you’re paying

hoon: that’s the least he can do, after inflicting all this on us, and on her

joshuji: don’t worry, dinner is on me. [location attached] be there.

Fuck. Fuck my life, and fuck the two other people also in my life, and also, fuck Eunseo for good measure, because if it hadn’t been for her coming over to the mixer in third year, Joshua would never have fallen head over heels with her at first sight, and he wouldn’t have asked her out, and then I wouldn’t have had to deal with my conflicting feelings in the middle of a random Sunday. In the middle of me contemplating whether to clean my flat or not, too. If you look at it, its all her fault. Her fault for being so flawless and lovely and gorgeous that even I cannot bring myself to be jealous. The woman volunteers her free time at an animal shelter, for god’s sake. She’s the kind of person you write rambling horrible love sonnets about, and inflict them on your best friends after getting drunk and vomiting on a sidewalk at three in the morning. I should know, because that was Joshua when he was twenty-five.

Everything seems to go to shit at the same time, so of course, my landlord has to make an appearance when I’m in the middle of a neurotic episode over whether or not to do my laundry and contemplating hurling myself out of the window. His knocks are rhythmic, three seconds apart, which gives me enough time to prepare with a butcher’s knife in my hand. To ensure my safety, of course, in all my good conscience, I could never murder someone.

“Ah, yes, if it isn’t my favourite tenant,” he smiles, wide enough for me to see the gold tooth he had put in four years ago, “don’t worry, I’m only here for a routine check.”

“I bet you say that to all your tenants, Mr Kim.” I mutter, not moving from the doorway. If this man can sell me a glorified hovel posturing as a flat, I can disrespect him as much as I want. “I’ll get back to you on the renewal on my lease as soon as possible.”

The nosy bastard (man) that he is, Mr Kim cranes his neck around me to take a look inside my flat, “don’t worry, you’ve been one of my longest-running tenants for a while, you can take your time.” Then he looks at me, and the gold tooth is again on display. Ugh, I fucking hate it, “Is there a man inside? Boyfriend?”

“I don’t know why I’m saying this to you, Mr Kim, but I don’t have a boyfriend.” I reply, suppressing my urge to bury the knife held in my hand in his chest, “I was cooking, if you want to know that badly.”

“No boyfriend?” he tuts at me as though my dating life (or its lack thereof) is a personal slight against him, “but there are men coming over to your house all the time?”

“Those are my friends, Mr Kim,” I grit out, fake smile getting more brittle by the second, “men and women can be friends, you know.”

“Ah yes, I know, I know,” he nods, before clapping his hands like he’s received some sort of epiphany, “I forgot to tell you, but if you do decide to renew,” here he takes a deep breath, as if he’s bestowing upon me some great honour, “the rent will be raised. By twenty.”

“Twenty percent?” I screech, and the student in the flat next to me has probably heard it, “is that even legal?”

From the smile on his face, I don’t have to hear anything else. It probably is.

Mr Kim goes away from my line of sight (my kitchen knife’s line of attack) with another, equally insufferable, smile, and I close the door with a loud enough bang that the hinges rattle. I lied to Jihoon, because I only have two months left on my contract, and I still have had no luck in finding a new flat to move into. Everywhere I go, its either overpriced, or the facilities are too shitty, or the vibes are off.

Back in the room, I try to busy myself with laundry, when my phone rings. Its Jihoon, who’s apparently decided that making me angry is a full-time job for him. He’s making use of the private chat, which is rare for him, and somehow, equally annoying for me.

hoon: sorry about what happened in the studio this morning

hoon: offer still stands though

big dick (canon): that’s not how you apologise to someone

hoon: what? I’m trying to help my bestie get some

hoon: is that such a scandalous thing to ask for

big dick (canon): yes. Yes, it is

big dick (canon): also, fyi, I’m not sleeping with any of your friends. They’re all too weird for me

hoon: Mingyu? I remember you saying once that you’d motorboat him

big dick (canon): platonically

hoon: not sure how you’d motorboat someone platonically

big dick (canon): he’s too outgoing for me. cannot imagine I’d ever have a moment to myself if I ever dated him

hoon: Wonwoo? Everyone liked him back in university

big dick (canon): unfortunately, all he seems to talk about is gaming. I don’t mind gaming once or twice, but talking about it all the time? That bores me

hoon: Chan? He’s younger than you, but you could be a cougar, for all I know

big dick (canon): I’ve seen Jeonghan beg on his knees for him to go home after a drinking session

hoon: Minghao?

big dick (canon): He once teased me for my curtain bangs for a week straight

hoon: fine then, Cheol?

big dick (canon): Too competitive

hoon: Seungkwan?

big dick (canon): Too athletic. Also, isn’t he joining the culture desk soon?

hoon: Seokmin?

big dick (canon): Too outgoing

hoon: Vernon?

big dick (canon): Too quiet

hoon: Jun?

big dick (canon): Too weird

hoon: Jesus, fuck, woman, what kind of person do you want to date?

big dick (canon): ykw, just set me up with Mingyu. If nothing I can still get to say I motorboated some great pecs

big dick (canon): seriously, his pecs are bigger than my boobs

big dick (canon): how does he do it

big dick (canon): can I hold them

big dick (canon): respectfully

big dick (canon): in a non-sexual way

big dick (canon): please

hoon: I’m sure he’s going to appreciate that

big dick (canon): please ask him

big dick (canon): how does one get that kind of pectoral muscles

big dick (canon): wow

hoon: my pecs are bigger than his

big dick (canon): is this some new sort of dick-measuring contest idk yet

big dick (canon): if it is

big dick (canon): you’re losing

big dick (canon): I need to take a bite from his tits

big dick (canon): One

big dick (canon): Teensy tiny

big dick (canon): Munch

hoon: I’m so close to blocking u

big dick (canon): They hated Jesus because he spoke the truth

hoon: maybe you need to consider that Jesus had very bad vibes

hoon: so, you want to go on a date with Mingyu?

hoon: I feel like I should tell you that he eats the equivalent of three people

hoon: at the same time

big dick (canon): As long as he lets me motorboat him

 big dick (canon): I don’t care

big dick (canon): He can eat as much as he wants

hoon: why must you be so horny over Mingyu of all people

hoon: he’s not even that attractive

hoon: and I’ve got bigger pecs than him

big dick (canon): congratulations on having bigger pecs, but I’m still gonna motorboat Mingyu

big dick (canon): going to gently hold his tits

hoon: between you going feral and Joshua badgering me about his engagement party dinner

hoon: I can’t help but feel as though both of u are out to make me go insane

big dick (canon): are you gonna go to that?

hoon: he’s already made plans at the barbecue place where we go to

hoon: even got a whole discount coupon and everything

hoon: normally I’d be upset that he’s being cheap, but after researching the price of that ring, I’m prepared to forgive him this once

hoon: next time I’m forcing him to take us out to a good dinner place

big dick (canon): are you planning to spend all his salary

big dick (canon): I’m in

big dick (canon): Ugh I haven’t eaten anything since the morning

big dick (canon): Can you ask Mingyu to bring me food

hoon: you’re incorrigible

hoon: have you been able to maintain eye contact with him?

big dick (canon): UNFAIR

big dick (canon): You know I can only do that with you

big dick (canon): Since you’re exactly my height

big dick (canon): Hehe

hoon: I’m blocking u and this number right NEOW

hoon: cannot believe I’m conversing WILLINGLY with someone who slanders my height

big dick (canon): see u at the barbecue place tonight

big dick (canon): have fun on the song

hoon: I’m trying to finish it

hoon: cannot believe I’ve gone into a slump

big dick (canon): you know how this can be cured?

big dick (canon): An INTERVIEW

big dick (canon): With yours truly

big dick (canon): Please

hoon: ask someone else

hoon: Soonyoung

big dick (canon): he’s an idol, yes but  

big dick (canon): I’m terrified he’s going to do at least three tiger impressions

hoon: wrong, he’s going to do at least five

hoon: ugh gotta go

hoon: see u at the dinner

I stare at the dark phone screen for about five minutes after I’ve finished texting Jihoon. His interest in setting me up with one of his friends aside, he’s not wrong. I’m sexually frustrated, which means I’m just projecting my desires onto the closest available person, which in this case, happens to be Joshua.

Okay, fair enough, then why not anyone else? The people at my workplace aren’t that bad, and some of them are fairly good-looking, so why not them?

As soon as that thought comes into my mind, I shake it away violently. To willingly date someone in the workplace is inviting a whole host of problems, HR notwithstanding. And to imagine the fallout when I eventually break up with them, while still having to work with them in the same office—no, I’d rather take a transfer. The only option that remains are Jihoon’s friends, and while they’re all nice, they can also be terrifying, and therefore, not the best options for dating. Or sleeping around, which is what Jihoon wants me to do.

“Ugh, why do I have to have these feelings,” I moan into my pillow. It would have been great if I were born as an amoeba. Or as a plant. No need for my feelings to take centre stage, no need to maintain friendships with annoying people like Jihoon or Joshua. Just peaceful photosynthesis, and being eaten by a random goat on a random Tuesday. I wouldn’t even need to go to university. Nothing required. Just basking in the sun.

And unfortunately, because my mind is a little traitor, it focuses on the one thing that I don’t want to focus on: Jihoon’s offhand comment about his pecs being bigger than Mingyu’s; which, if I know Jihoon as well as I do, is a blatant lie, but even the thought of it is enough to send me into a downward spiral. What the hell does he mean, he has bigger pecs than Mingyu? Its not as if I want to see them, and let this be known, and made into public record, that I’ve never once wanted to see Jihoon’s pecs.

But.

Of course, its not as if I haven’t thought about it. not as far as Jihoon, who apparently masturbated to the thought of me, but of course I have idly wondered, what it would be like. When he came back from the military, its all I could think about for a couple days, before I had to physically slap myself back into reality. Unfortunately for me, his one petty comment about the size of his pectoral muscles, threatens to throw me back into the pits of desperation yet again.

Ugh. I slam my face into the pile of fresh laundry, hoping for it to soothe my nerves. Spoiler alert, it doesn’t.

Its at that moment that the chatroom pings again, this time with a  message from Joshua.

joshuji: SHE SAID YES!!!!

hoon: congratulations!

big dick (canon): Congratulations!!!

—

The barbecue place is good enough for us, but for a dinner celebrating Joshua’s engagement to Eunseo, it seems a little too shabby. Although given the amount of money he’s spent on an engagement ring (I saw the prices, and I had to stifle a gasp) it can be forgiven. Just this once, as Jihoon said.

I’ve come here late, on purpose. Between the excited texts from Eunseo, who texted me a picture of her ring, and I had to act appropriately surprised, and Joshua’s infamous enthusiasm for a. showing the world how much he loves his girlfriend and b. to torment his friends, I’m feeling drained. I’m dressed for a night of eating greasy food and drinking cheap alcohol: a hoodie borrowed (stolen) from either Jihoon or Joshua, and jeans. I can’t even lie to myself and give myself a reason to dress up, because even I can’t delude myself into doing that. Jihoon once saw me with day-old vomit on my shirt, and Joshua has seen me dress in my sleepwear for exams week.

The place is filled with smoke, emanating from the meat being cooked on the grills, and it takes me a moment to adjust myself to it all, before I look for the other three. They have all arrived, and according to Jihoon, who’s sent a message out of his own accord on the chatroom in a long time, they’re all eating lots of beef.

“You’re late,” Jihoon grumbles as I approach the table, “I had to sit through half an hour of these two being happy and in love.”

“You’re a liar,” I say, sliding into the seat next to him, “you enjoy romance movies.”

“Wow, that’s something I didn’t know about him,” Joshua says, with a twinkle in his eyes that I don’t want to decode, “how come you know everything about Jihoon?”

“Occupational hazard,” I reply, reaching for a piece of meat, “every time you bailed on us to go on a date with Eunseo, Jihoon and I would be forced to hang out together.”

“It was horrible,” Jihoon agrees, “she’d force me to watch all these romance movies.”

“Says the man who cried while watching Love Actually.”

Eunseo giggles at that, almost doubling over herself. I narrow my eyes at Joshua, “have you both been drinking since the afternoon?”

“No, no, I haven’t,” Eunseo wheezes, and it’s unfair how gorgeous she is while laughing, too. She’s wearing an apron to prevent grease falling on her expensive clothes, and she’s still gorgeous. I snort when I laugh, and once Jihoon saw me with mango juice coming out of my nose, “it’s just funny.”

“What is?”

She points at the two of us, “you know, the both of you keep talking about how annoying you find each other, and yet you’re both closer to each other than anyone else. It’s just so funny to me.”

“Joshua,” Jihoon says, very seriously, “I think your fiancée has been taking drugs.”

“At the very least, she’s insane,” I supply helpfully, “no one in their right minds would date Joshua. Not to mention agreeing to marry him.”

Joshua puts an arm around Eunseo, “stop slandering my fiancée.”

Jihoon puts a piece of meat into his mouth, trying to change the topic, “have I mentioned I’m helping her hook up with someone?”

I cough violently, while Eunseo and Joshua wear twin expressions of confusion. “Wait, Jihoon,” Joshua says, “I thought you—”

“I told you not to talk about that!” I wail, a noise that’s fortunately covered by all the meat-grilling around me, “no, I’m not going to hook up with any of your friends. Jihoon has terrible taste in people, not to mention that all your friends aren’t exactly hook-up material.”

“You take that back,” he gasps, “weren’t you talking about how you’d like to motorboat Mingyu?”

“That was platonically!”

“I’m sorry,” Joshua interjects, looking at me as though I’ve sprouted another head, “how can you, and I’m just going off on a limb here, motorboat someone platonically?”

“That’s what I said,” Jihoon grumbles, “she keeps asking me to set them up once.”

“That’s because he’s the hottest out of all your friends.” The soju is bitter as I drink it, “if I have to engage in a night of mindless sex, might as well do it with the hottest guy around.”

“Knew it,” Jihoon wags one of his fingers at me, “knew you only wanted Mingyu for his body. How dare you do that to my friend.”

“You once stole his socks.”

“Once.”

“For a whole semester.”

“Fair enough.”

“Both of you,” Joshua says loud enough for us to stop bickering, “explain it to us properly. What do you mean you’re helping her hook up with one of our friends? And why are you letting him hook you up with one of our friends?”

I shrug, “It’s not a big deal. Besides, you heard us. It’s only going to be one time.”

“Do I need to give you the talk?”

Jihoon  laughs, “you do realise she’s an adult?”

“I’m not saying she can’t do anything; I’m just saying she needs to be careful!

“If I have to be careful around the rest of the guys, then maybe you shouldn’t be friends with them.”

“What do you mean she should be careful around the people who have known her for so long?”

“All of you!” Eunseo claps her hands, and like kindergarten children, we all turn to look at her, sheepish, “Josh,” she turns to the man in question, who looks sufficiently contrite, “let me have a word.”

As they leave, Jihoon pulls a face. “asshole.”

I take another shot of the soju, “he’s just looking out for me.”

“Then he shouldn’t be so overbearing about it.” Jihoon takes a look at me downing another shot, “should you be drinking this fast?”

“Don’t you start.” I say, shaking my head, “I’m going to drink enough to wipe out Joshua’s bank account.”

Jihoon says nothing, just looks at me, and then, after ten seconds, “do you want to do it?”

“Do what?”

“The date. With Mingyu.”

Maybe its just the alcohol getting to my head, or maybe its all this smoke, but his voice seems different. Is he concerned, or is he joking, as per usual? It’s confusing. Should I blame the alcohol? That seems easier, given how it’s getting to my head. “I don’t know.”

“He’s not that bad, you know. He’s a good listener, and if you want him to shut up, he will. He’s great that way.”

I stare at him. Jihoon has a strange look on his face, one that I can’t really place. Alcohol. Yes. Blame it on the alcohol. I take another shot, but before I can form a reply to him, Eunseo and Joshua are walking back to the table, hand-in-hand, identical smiles on their faces. As soon as it had come, the look in Jihoon’s eyes is gone, replaced by the usual, blasé attitude he has perfected.

“Sorry for being late,” Eunseo breezes as she settles into the table, “Joshua needed to be reminded of adult boundaries.”

“I’m sorry.” Joshua offers by way of an apology, “I overstepped.”

“Damn right you did.” Jihoon mutters.

“Apology accepted,” I smile, picking up a piece of meat, “can you order some more?”

—

Mondays are, unfortunately, the worst. Especially if one spent their Sunday evening drinking enough alcohol to lose half their memories. I slide into my seat at work, yawning as I inspect the things I have to finish working on before the end of the day.

“Morning, sunbae,” a cheery voice says, placing a cup of coffee on my desk, “you look like shit.”

“Not the time, Seungkwan,” I mutter, pressing two fingers to my forehead, “too loud, too loud.”

“Heard you got shitfaced with Jihoon and the others last night,” Seungkwan says louder, “Jihoon texted the chat with the others at two in the morning, saying how he was going to take you home.”

“He did?” thankfully, I have no recollection of this happening, so I just let him fill me in on the details, “all I remember is drinking too much at the barbecue place.”

“Celebrating Joshua’s engagement, right?” Seungkwan’s smile is irritating, and I hate how cheery he is in the morning, “he texted about that, too. The pear-cut diamond was, oof, it was something to see.”

“Why do you know about diamond cuts?”

“I grew up with sisters,” he shrugs, as if growing up with sisters imbued one with all the hidden knowledge of womankind, including, but not limited to, engagement ring diamonds and their specific cuts, “you pick up stuff from listening.”

“Jihoon told you all he took me home?” I ask, “he doesn’t usually say that kind of stuff.”

“You got especially drunk last night, so he made an exception for you.” Seungkwan grins, leaning in, “what do you think about Jihoon?”

“He’s a pain in my ass.” I mutter, switching on my computer, “also, go back to work, Seungkwan. You’re not even supposed to be here until next week!”

“Yoo-min quit, so they asked me to join a week early,” he gives me a grin that again, I try not to decode (what is it with all these men and their mysterious grins?) before settling down into the seat next to me, and promptly jumping up to subject me to a ninety-degree bow, “Boo Seungkwan, at your service!”

“Ugh,” I wince, waving at him, “sit down, for the love of god, no one needs to be that loud in the mornings.”

“You are my senior, as it happens, and I’m very keen on maintaining proper relations.”

“Get me one of those hangover cures.”

“I like the American style.”

—

To no one’s surprise, Seungkwan is a very competent worker. He’s a social butterfly, which means that he quickly endears himself to everyone at work, and by the time lunch rolls around, I have to hear praises of Seungkwan from everyone. It’s terrifying, how competent he is.

Being one of the associate editors, means I have to mostly edit the articles sent in by the reporters on ground, not to mention I get to pick and choose which issue I want to cover. I maintain as much of my professionalism as I can, while having a raging headache.

“Sunbae,” Seungkwan approaches me right before lunch, “will you be going out to cover an article?”

“I have an interview with an author after lunch, so not yet,” I reply, putting the finishing touches on a report sent in by one of our field staff, on some celebrity’s rash driving case, “I have some time.”

“Do you want to have lunch with the rest of us?” he asks, gesturing the group of five waiting behind him, “we’re going to have naengmyeon at the place down the block.”

“I have enough sense to not butt into the affairs of my juniors, Seungkwan,” I say, standing up from my chair, “here, have the card. Since its your first day here, the office should treat you.”

Seungkwan takes the offered card with a bow, and smiles brightly, “oh, but the editor said we’re having a company dinner tonight? Won’t you be joining us for that?”

“A group dinner?” I ask, and the group behind him nods their head, all in unison. It makes them look like little bobbleheads, for some reason. “Sure, I’ll join in.”

“Yes!” he seems unusually cheerful about the company dinner, which in my own experience is nothing but a pain that I had to accustom myself with when I joined the paper, “see you tonight, sunbae!”

“This kid,” I groan, picking up my coat. The prospect of lunch makes my stomach turn, and now I have to contend with dinner?

I text Jihoon while walking out of the offices. Joshua is busy with his new fiancée, and Jihoon’s building is far closer to mine that it is to Joshua’s place of work.

big dick (canon): Are u free

big dick (canon): For lunch

Unless Jihoon texts first, he takes an hour to respond at best, but as soon as I send the message, he’s typing a reply.

hoon: lunch?

hoon: if it isn’t lunch I’m killing u

hoon: dude I’ve never had a block this bad I think I’m going to go crazy

hoon: not to mention the hangover from last night is crazy

big dick (canon): it is for lunch, you idiot, why would I text u otherwise

big dick (canon): and I can agree on that, my head is killing me

hoon: is hangover soup cool with u

hoon: I know a good place

hoon: meet u at the front of your building in five

hoon: please tell me all the details about Seungkwan

“He took five minutes to get the editor to warm up to him?” Jihoon cackles, as the lady serves us two steaming bowls of seollongtang, “of course, it’s Seungkwan. He can make anyone warm up to him in minutes.”

“I fear he takes it as a challenge.” I say, spooning the milky broth into my mouth, “ah! Its hot!”

“Why can’t you just wait for a while, before eating your food?” Jihoon pours me a glass of water, “did you die of starvation in your previous life?”

“I don’t believe in that.”

“Yes, yes, Miss Atheist. Tell me what else our little dongsaeng get up to in the meantime.”

“He’s not been given a lot of work, given that it’s his first day,” I take another, more tentative sip of the broth, “but unfortunately, I’ve to attend another company dinner tomorrow morning.”

“Another company dinner? Haven’t you gone through enough pain to consider drinking again, what,  barely twenty-four hours later?”

“Twenty-fours is pushing it,” I say, wincing at the sound of my own voice, “ugh, this damn hangover. I can’t even function. Let’s just eat in silence.”

“You want a cider?” Jihoon asks, looking around for the owner to ask for two cans of cider, but the owner is faster than him, setting down two cans of soda in front of us with a smile on her face.

“Your boyfriend is very caring.” She tells me, “its so nice to see someone taking care of their girlfriend so well. The sodas are on the house, okay?”

“Oh, but he’s not—” even before I’ve finished my sentence, she’s gone again, tending to her other customers. Jihoon opens one of the cans for me without saying a word.

“We should stop coming here.” I say, accepting the can from him, “why would anyone think that we’re a couple?”

“They can’t accept that men and women can just be friends, that’s why.”

“Too bad the food is great.”

Jihoon pauses for a moment, then a slow, sly smile spreads all over his face. I know that look. That look does not bode well for me, or for anyone else involved. The first time I saw Jihoon have that look on his face, Seungcheol embarrassed himself so badly in front of a group of first-year students, he refused to come out to any events where Jihoon was invited, for almost a month. This look means that he’s got some sort of evil plan in his mind, one that involves another person and their total embarrassment. He takes a look around the restaurant, and sits up straight. The words that come out of his mouth next, however—

“Babe,” Jihoon says, loud enough for half the restaurant to hear, “don’t you think this place is great?”

What the fuck?

“Jihoon, what are you doing?” my voice is a whisper, “they’re all looking at us!”

“That’s the point.” He whispers, before smiling, “you should say something too, you know. Make the whole thing more believable.”

“I don’t want to!”

“They gave us free sodas; they deserve a special performance at least.” He points to the owner, who looks like she’s about to break her face from smiling so damn broad, “sorry, my girlfriend is a very shy.”

“Oh,” the lady waves it away, “anyone can see you are in love!”

In the end, when Jihoon is paying for our lunches, she takes a final look at the two of us, and croons, “you two make a lovely couple!”

“What the fuck was that?” I turn on Jihoon as soon as we are safely out of the restaurant and far enough for anyone to eavesdrop, “Why the hell would you tell her that we’re dating?”

“Thought you needed a pick-me-up,” Jihoon grins, “at least I got you to stop worrying about things so much.”

“There are better ways of going about that than telling unsuspecting diner owners that we are dating!”

“It was funny, you have to admit,” he smiles, and I have to begrudgingly agree, “see, told you we’d make a cute couple.”

I would rather die than tell Jihoon that I agree with him on anything, so I keep quiet. Thing is; it was rather funny. Especially with how the owner reacted to us.

“And later on,” Jihoon says, holding on to my arm as we cross the road, “when you come to this place with someone else, you can just tell her that we broke up.”

“You need to stop talking about how I’m going to start dating other people.” I mutter, “just because I’ve got some frustrations I need to work out, doesn’t mean I’m going to go running into the arms of whoever it is who offers first.”

“Careful with that,” he says, standing at the crossroads where he’s supposed to walk towards his building, “you might end up regretting it.”

And with a single wave, he’s gone. I stand for about five minutes, like an idiot, while the busy crowd walks past me, trying to decode his words. Why would I regret my decision to not date someone just because I need to get over myself? Not to mention Jihoon has been behaving strangely since the previous night.

“Sunbae,” Seungkwan materialises next to me, “penny for your thoughts?”

“Jesus!” I narrowly escape jumping three feet into the air, “give a girl a warning!”

“I did call out,” he pouts. Its disconcerting how adorable he is. “You were pretty engrossed in looking into the distance to even notice my presence.”

“Are you upset?”

Seungkwan smiles, “if you agree to a badminton match with me over the weekend, I’ll overlook this slight.”

I sigh. “You drive a hard bargain,” I say, making my way into the building, “see you at the dinner, then.”

—

[jeyneofpoole]

asoiaf dash simulator

🥀 fool4you

ohhhhhh my goddd……. florian and the fools concert in kl opened with jonquil fucking flashing the audience?????? ohhhhmmfnf my gofifhddd??????? cannot believe she’s straight truly a tragedy for the ladies loving ladies community

🫀weirdwoodd

imagine believing in the doctrine of exceptionalism….. no hope for this realm i fear

🐉 fyre-and-blood

hey guys op actually worships the old gods so i would just go ahead and block them before they overtake your mind with hideous blood magicks. stay safe out there!!!!!

🌊 salt3dwif3

bro you can always tell when someone paid the gold price for their baubles 😭 this greenlander does NOT reave or raid like come onnnn where did you get that finely crafted dirk because it sure as hell wasn’t the cooling corpse of your enemy lmao

🎇 rhaegars-cervix

if i see any of you making fun of the tragedy at summerhall on the anniversary i will block you immediately. people lost their lives it’s not fucking funny.

⚡️dondarriugh

ok tumblaeyr user rhaegars-cervix

❄️ thelastofthegiants

thinking about Her (brave danny flint)

🐁 rat-cook-rave

me when i’m literally wandering the nightfort’s shadowy halls

🍂 barwench

if you’ve ever apprenticed for a trade or eaten a high lords castoffs you have no place in the serf rebellion how many times do we have to say it. uplift actual smallfolk voices how hard is that to grasp

🪱 leeching-loving

didn’t you grow up within sight of a holdfast 💀

❤️‍🔥 rhollorslight

cannot believe the sheer amount of heathenry on this site…. WAKE UP!!!!!

Blazed Post

☀️ martellmesweetlies

you’re on the wrong side of the narrow sea lmao

💫 mothers-tears

hey i know you mean well but it’s really important not to engage with r’hollor cultists, they thrive off of engagement and all you’re doing is giving them exposure. just block and move on

[lemonandlime22]

Randomly generated incorrect quotes pt 40 Obey me! (a few changed) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diavolo: Yesterday, I overheard Mammon saying “Are you sure this is a good idea?” and Mc replying “Trust me,” and I have never moved from one room to another so quickly in my life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thirteen: The next time I open up to someone, it'll be my autopsy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mc: Do you want some tea? Solomon: What are the options? Mc: Yes or no.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satan: I wish I could control wasps and bees to sting my enemies. Asmo: You’re too young to have enemies. Satan: You don’t even know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Squad is playing Among Us* Levi: I believe Mephisto is innocent, I was with them the whole time. Beel, what were you doing? Beel: Oh, I was just murdering… I mean, nothing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diavolo: How would you guys deal with a toxic friend? Barbatos: Tell them how you really feel. Satan: Slowly distance yourself from them. Levi: Engage in a 1v1 sword battle and if they lose they have to stop being toxic or pay the price. Diavolo, being handed a sword: …well heck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mammon: Reverse tooth fairy where you leave money under your pillow and the tooth fairy comes and leaves you a bunch of teeth. Solomon: Why? Mammon, shaking a bag of teeth: Just because.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[n0tamused]

Came across House of Dragons and kinda got invested then I saw you accept Jiyan requests so now I’m kinda thinking what a mixture of the two would be like….Jiyan with his own dragon riding in Westeros…Jiyan courting you despite protests from his court…Jiyan protecting his queen from anyone that tries to hurt her or his heirs…idk I am just a causal watcher I have no clue what’s actually going on in GoT and HoD tbh

A/n: I'm uploading this from my phone because I just can't wait to post this, so if there's formatting or grammar errors - rest assured, I'll do my best to get to it once I get on my laptop. Where do I begin though? 😭 My goodness, you couldn't have sent me a better idea than this one oml. I'm smooching you on the head istg, thank you so much for this request! And I hope you enjoy this jumbled ramble <3 I'd love to do more of this little au and I most definitely will, and for some other characters as well.

Contents: Jiyan x Reader, headcanons, you/yours, written with a F! Reader in mind, dragonrider reader and Jiyan, Game of Thrones/House of The Dragon universe, pregnancy, angst, happy ending, somewhat arranged marriage lol, tell me if there's anything else to tag.

-War had taken many noble houses to an early grave, leaving behind nothing but ghosts and ruin over the vast lands. The ones that remained standing were either the rich or the cruel. All except one.

-Jiyan, originally hailing from Jinzhou, and belonging to no noble or rich lineage. His mother was a notorious healer, and his father had long been lost to travels and war himself.

-He had joined the battles as a young green boy alongside his mother, moving beside the long columns of soldiers in their tattered armor and ringmail. All he could do was stare at them in wonder and question - Why do they spill so much blood? For what?

-There was no looming threat of the Others coming to claim their lives, it was just them - the people and the common folk, yet they fought each other like animals for a few extra inches of land or a few extra coppers in their liege lord's pocket.

-As much as Jiyan didn't wish to engage in the art of war and bloodshed and only wanted to heal and save, it became apparent, all too soon, that the way to survival and peace was through battle. Healing will get him nowhere, and if a good commander was not put at the front, it wouldn't matter how well he healed if two in three soldiers died, even after receiving his aid.

-The war changed him, hardened his heart and fortified his mind, until the healer he once was became only a distant memory. Spear replaced herbs, and instead of the tattered medic tunic he now donned armor and ringmail. A companion also joined his side after he ran into a deep cavern for safety during one particular battle. A large unclaimed dragon, which nearly took his head off now stood at his side like a mountain, guardian him day and night and heralding the doom of his enemies with a thunderous roar and loud snap of it's wings. The dragon was a beautiful pale green, with bronze horns and amber eyes with darker lines of green running over its back. It was a beauty as much as it was a beast. Men quickly took to respect him, and it became evident Jiyan’s person hid many talents besides that for medical aid and spear holding.

-The previous commander perished, another life taken by the savage ways of war, and Jiyan was appointed as the new commander by the soldiers after he rose to the occasion - having led them to success in war, as well as safety when the odds did not favor them.

-It was during his reign as the lead commander that the lands saw the end of the war. Blood was shed, yes, but not for naught.

-Upon his return to the central city, the throne was found vacant, the king slain along with his entire council. The word of it was that they were taken unawares from the seaside, and had no ways of defense, as all the manpower was at the front lines

-Jiyan came into his rule as king at a young age, far too soon, and yet despite all the doubt he had flourished quickly. Proving himself as an able and just ruler, unlike the ones that came before, his foundation as a commander giving him good wind in the back

-The city wasn't in good condition after the war, but in the years following Jiyan had sent many commands that would aid in its rebuilding

-Slowly, but surely, the common folk started to feel the dawn of a new age - summer has finally come.

-The one thing Jiyan has gladly forgotten about was marriage. As a king, it was expected of him to take a bride to be his queen, to have heirs and to start a new lineage that would, hopefully, carry better blood instead of the hot blood that sought destruction. It wasn't something he often thought about as other duties preoccupied him day in and day out. But it was neither something he was against.. Deep in his heart he would admit a thought of his own family did make him feel…alive. But how would that family fare in these conditions? With his status? This was nothing like his small village he grew up in, so the image he once had in his mind was no longer so clear.

-His mother was a person he'd eventually seek advice from regarding such tender subjects, earning himself a laugh occasionally, as his cluelessness was rather amusing. Where other Kings misused their power and gave commands as they saw fit, Jiyan exercised caution, and even sympathy for the bride he didn't even have yet.

-Eventually, a match was arranged, between him and a lady of a higher birth. His mother had met you before he did and vouched for your good character - but Jiyan remained nervous, vowing to keep his judgment and thoughts to himself until he met you himself.

-Your journey to the city was a long one, yet you entered the long and towering palace halls like a breath of fresh air. Keeping your lady wits about yourself and keeping your courtesies with you, you had quickly rubbed off on Jiyan. The wedding was still a matter of question, as Jiyan had insisted on giving you and your family the due time to explore the city and to see whether this was truly something they wanted to go through with. His compassion was answered in kind by many gifts sent from the city they hailed from, consisting of foreign fruits and vegetables to cattle and coins and silks.

-It was endearing. And the courtship between Jiyan and (Y/n) soon began, as the former began to make moves. He preferred to do so in some amounts of privacy, as the many eyes that followed him as King were uncomfortable and he swore he could never get used to them.

-This seemed to please and comfort his bride-to-be as well, and both of them would show their true colors. It was a rare thing for a royal match to be founded in love rather than simple responsibilities to make heirs, but it wasn't unheard of either.

-What they both had in common was that they were dragon riders. (Y/n)’s dragon was a stark comparison to his own with red scales and two pairs of black horns and dark amber eyes, the underside of the dragon’s wings being a shade of yellow that looked like gold under the sunlight. It was a terrifying dragon, arguably even more scary than his own mount.

-When no one was looking, the two would go down to the Dragon Pit and take their dragons to the skies, racing over the cities with one another or going over the seas to breathe the salty air. It was an escape from duty as well. The moment their dragons took to air, all status and responsibilities remained on the ground, and only the sky was the limit to their freedom.

-Jiyan relished in this freedom like a luxurious drink he could never tire of, and your laughter was a sound like no other.

-The dragons took to liking one another as well, and would dance in the air while the pair were seated on their backs, spinning and falling, and right before the ground came too close they'd pull away and take to the skies once more.

-The commonfolk took this as a good omen. The dragons ruled the skies again, and a good King was on the throne, with a good queen soon to join him.

-Jiyan would find himself inviting (Y/n) to his chambers in early mornings to break their fast together or late dinners to share their day with one another. It was as if the two were already married. And even that wasn't too far from coming true.

-The wedding was a big event. Tables and tents were set all the way out and around the keep as well as in the big ballroom inside. Although Jiyan would've preferred to keep the celebrations a modest one, the council insisted that this occasion warranted the eyes of everyone, the joy had to be shared. This once he gave in to their requests.

-Flower petals were thrown on them as they passed by the rows of commonfolk standing at the sides of the rode, him and his Queen riding at the back of an open carriage dragged by four horses, white and elegant with plumes in their manes. Everything was near perfect and out of a fairy tale.

-King and Queen would share their dance in the ballroom once they returned from the High Sept where they got married before the priest, sharing their first kiss - something Jiyan made sure to cover and hide to the best of his abilities by pulling your veil over both of your faces.

-The celebration lasted all the way into the eerie hours of the night. And both Jiyan and you were exhausted, and upon retiring to your shared bed chamber you simply collapsed onto the plush mattress.

-That night, Jiyan fell asleep with his lover in his arms, watching your soft breaths make your chest rise and fall in slow successions, his fingertips tracing the lines of your face and the skin of your back, until he couldn't resist the urge to sleep.

-This wasn't a life Jiyan asked for…but it was one he was glad for.

-Children came later. A lovely little daughter being the first to be born of the love from the King and Queen, bearing the signature feature of you. Jiyan was beyond happy.

-During the birth of his daughter he was in the city, conducting business over a new architecture project when news arrived that his Queen had gone into labor. It is believed he had never dropped a matter as quickly as he did that day, racing back to the keep and searching for his wife.

-Despite the protests of the midwives, he responded only to you, racing to your side and giving you comfort and encouragement if nothing else, welcoming the fruit of your shared love together. It was the first time Jiyan ever cried in front of anyone else. He had delegated some more of his duties to the others in favor of having the time to spend with his newborn and you, helping you recover from the birth.

-It wasn't rare to see Jiyan roaming the dark halls in the middle of the night to visit the kitchens for food for you, bringing back foods and snacks, whatever you wished, even the weird food cravings. Hell, sometimes he'd indulge in them alongside you. Once, during your first pregnancy you requested a big honeycomb, and it just happened Jiyan felt like a sweettooth that evening as well. That ended with you sharing quite a candid moment, lips sticky with honey with a waxy feel between your teeth as you tried not to laugh at one another.

-The second pregnancy was a boy, following two years after the daughter was born, and he came with a little more trouble. The new prince was quite a big baby, and the birth left you even more exhausted. A fever soon settled within you, greatly worrying Jiyan and the entire council. You could barely hold the boy to feed him without shaking, and the fever lasted for days.

-It was the scariest time of Jiyan’s life. Any moment spent away from you plunged a dagger into his heart that twisted itself further in. It pained him. And he nearly got sick himself from worry.

-There were maids around you constantly, when he couldn't assist you it was them that took care of you. His mother was close by as well, bringing you great herbal teas and green tea cakes and broths. The time for you was a blur, filled with uncomfortable heat of your body and sticky feelings of sweat.. does it ever end?

-It was as if the whe world was plunged into depression once you fell ill. Dark clouds corresponded with Jiyan’s bitter and grieving mood, and the dragons themselves were restless. In this time, the others, outside of his kingdom, saw it fit to attack and plunder the neighboring villages and cities.

-You had recovered enough to talk, but your days were still mostly spent by sleeping and eating.

-You could vaguely remember seeing Jiyan entering your chamber, holding your son for a short while before putting him back in his crib. A concerned look pinched his brows together, you could remember, as his gaze went to you.

- “My love?... Are you alright?” He'd ask as he kneeled by the side of your bed, taking your hand in both of his and kissing the knuckles that felt like they were ablaze underneath his lips. He was dressed in all armor, a sword at his hip. Why was he leaving?.. Where?

-It all seemed like a dream, an illusion borne from your illness, but it was real. He had a duty over the kingdom, and over you. Yet it pained him no less to leave the place he was closest to you. He had entrusted your care to his mother and the maids, and he had already bid farewell to your daughter. She had clung to him like a moss clings to a tree, asking him when he'd return.

-You couldn't give a reply, staring somewhere through him.

-Has the reign of peace perished so quickly?

-His dragon waited at the Dragonpits, and the troops were already marching out of the city gates when he took to fly over them, leading them to the front lines once more.

-You recovered in the following days, finding yourself alone - not literally, as there were maids and servants all flocking to you, but Jiyan wasn't there. His Hand sat the throne instead of him. And your children had grown significantly, as if years had passed instead of several days.

-Responsibilities choked you until you began to move, throwing yourself back into work and and duty. Your son was always at your hip or breast, making up for the time lost. And your daughter was always pulling at your skirts unless she was at her lessons.

-It was a restless period, and a terrifying one. The first letter you sent to Jiyan was met with an ecstatic response, him being overjoyed you were healthy again, yet he encouraged you to rest more.

-His other letters brought bitter news of losses and bloodshed and treason, but he reassured they were holding strong. You could only believe him.

-Months passed. Months. And a letter from Jiyan was yet to come in. It worried you. This everlasting silence, it was of more concern than the sorrowful letters.

-During one evening as you sat on one of the tall balconies of the palace, overlooking the city as your son cooed in your arms, you heard a shriek. One coming from your dragon in the Dragonpits. The dragon was as restless as you, her calls weren't foreign to hear, but this time her shriek was returned by a call of another.

-Your husband's dragon flew down from the murky clouds. The green dragon roared, splitting the sound mid air, earning another roar from your own dragon.

-Jiyan has returned.

-You’re unsure how you raced so quickly down to meet him, with a babe in your arms and not properly dressed either. Appearances didn't matter. Your husband's return did. He mattered.

-And once you saw one another, nothing else could hold you back from running into eachother’s arms, the baby carefully tucked between the two of you in a protective embrace as Jiyan kissed both of your heads, pressing his forehead against yours soon after, laughter shaking his shoulders and chest.

-He was sure he could cry right now, and seeing you shed tears of joy almost encouraged him.

-Jiyan knew he'd split the world in half if it meant keeping you whole and with him.

Ⓒ n0tamused. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.

[mxtxfanatic]

Hm, I know I said at least in my first reading of mdzs that I felt like Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were actually friends as kids, I would like to remind folks that the catastrophic breakdown of their friendship was not because of some misplaced care but because Jiang Cheng is a stagnant character whose whole role in the story is to be the one who never learns, changes, and grows past his insecurities and resentments. They were always going to fall out with each other, even if the Sunshot Campaign never happened, even if the Wen Clan didn’t exist as a subjugating force terrorizing the other clans, because no matter how much Jiang Cheng cares about anyone, he will always place his personal resentments first.

I’m so serious: reread the pre-fall of Lotus Pier parts of the novel (flashback extras included), and tell me how many times Jiang Cheng says something genuinely nice about or to the benefit of Wei Wuxian without prompting. Point to me places where Jiang Cheng puts himself on the line for Wei Wuxian that is not him distracting the Wen. Compare the number of unambiguously positive interactions they have to the number of interactions they have in total, and I bet you’ll see that the positives are laughingly scant. Most every interaction they have together, Jiang Cheng is being a negative nancy. He’s the type of friend who, if you said “Today is a good day!” would snidely respond back, “What’s so good about?” before loudly complaining about what a nuisance your happiness is. Jiang Cheng is the type of friend that tells you that everyone else hates you because you’re so annoying, and you need to do something about that because he also finds you annoying so you should be lucky he “puts up with” you. And all of this negativity can be directly traced back to the resentment Jiang Cheng feels caused by his own mother projecting her insecurities onto him. Jiang Cheng, who cannot grow, learn, or change, is unable to extract his own self from his mother’s insecurities, ending up inheriting them as his own, instead.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like teen!Jiang Cheng is some irredeemable monster (that is reserved for his adult self), but Wei Wuxian already shows signs of being tired of his attitude as kids. He snaps at Jiang Cheng rudeness in the lotus pod seeds extra. He constantly admonishes Jiang Cheng about his blatant disregard for the lives and safety of other people. Most of the time, Wei Wuxian won’t even engage in the petty little remarks that Jiang Cheng makes, just treating it like nobody had spoken at all. The only times Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian move as a unit is when they have a common enemy—like Jin Zixuan—but without that, they are only held together by the fact that…they’ve been friends for a long time.

And this kinda leads me back to the point about the yunmeng friendship not being able to withstand the test of time even without an outside conflict: I would place the point of no return for their relationship at Wei Wuxian killing the xuanwu of slaughter, not at the fall of Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian is one of two individuals that killed a mythological bloodthirsty creature responsible for hundreds of deaths, spent a week in a coma from his injuries and lack of immediate care, and what does he get for it? Jiang Cheng shows up with soup gifted to Wei Wuxian by Jiang Yanli, except he’s eaten all the meat out of it. Jiang Fengmian gives the most lukewarm praise to Wei Wuxian for his achievements—which Wei Wuxian neither complained about nor called him out for—because they were both trying to be mindful of Jing Cheng’s insecurities, and Jiang Cheng still made it about himself. When Madam Yu storms in to yell about how Wei Wuxian is a “bastard child” and he’s just trying to show off, Jiang Cheng consciously and unambiguously sides with his mother. Wei Wuxian had to drag his feverish body out of bed—after just awakening from a week-long coma—to placate pity-party Jiang Cheng, and the only thing that makes him feel better is not promises of continued friendship but of servitude. Even if at this point Wei Wuxian was still viewing Jiang Cheng as a—admittedly caustic—friend, Jiang Cheng’s view had fully transitioned from “annoying friend my mother hates” to “the servant I need to keep in line lest he overshadows me.” If anything, the fall of Lotus Pier, the debt placed on Wei Wuxian by the Jiang leaders, and the subsequent war probably allowed their friendship to last longer than it naturally would have (remember, they are only united against outside forces).

All this to say that while Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian may have started out as genuine friends in their childhood, their transition to enemies has absolutely nothing to do with that care. Sometimes we fall out with people because we just do not like them as people. Jiang Cheng’s resentment prevented him from appreciating Wei Wuxian as a person, leading to the end of their friendship and their descent into eventual enemies. Not misplaced or warped care, just pure, undeniable resentment.

[emmylksblog]

BEYOND THE BENEFITS PT.2 // H.FORT

summary: Hector and you have been friends with benefits for some time now, but you begin to feel jealous when Hector starts spending time with other girls. But one night, at Marc's party everything takes a turn.

content: friends with benefits! , angst

warnings: physical fight but no injuries mentioned

words: 1115

The next day, Hector heads to football training with his Barcelona teammates. They all notice that he's in a particularly sullen mood. Usually, he's the life of the party, but today, he's quietly seething. Because of one girl, the girl he has known for years but only came to discover his feelings for her recently.

Marc, trying to keep things normal, approaches him like he usually does, but Hector gives him the cold shoulder, avoiding eye contact. The tension between the two best friends is palpable.

During a practice match, Hector and Marc's tension reaches a boiling point, and it all explodes in the form of a physical altercation. Hector starts by pushing Marc a bit too hard, and Marc retaliates, the two of them trading blows.

Lamine, noticing the escalating fight, rushes over to separate them. He yells, his voice breaking through the chaos, "Hey, hey! Stop it! ¡¿Qué os pasa?!" ("What are you guys doing?!")

Lamine physically pulls Hector and Marc apart, holding them back from each other. They're both panting and seething, glaring at each other with a mix of anger and frustration.

The rest of the team stands by, surprised and shocked by the sudden clash between their teammates who were known for their tight bond. Some players exchange worried glances, while others try to appear unaffected by the tension.

The coach is furious seeing his players engage in a physical altercation on the field, and he immediately pulls them both aside.

"What the hell were you two thinking?" he scolds them. "You're supposed to be teammates, not enemies. You're acting like children. Both of you, on the bench!"

The coach gestures towards the bench, his stern gaze fixed on Hector and Marc, making it clear that they are not to rejoin the game until they've sorted out their issues.

Once they're seated on the bench, Hector slumps down, his shoulders slumped and his head hung low. The weight of his regrets and mistakes seem to crush him as he breaks down and apologizes to Marc.

"I'm sorry," he says, his voice hoarse. "You deserve her more. You should be the one she's with."

Marc is taken aback by Hector's sudden confession, but he quickly catches himself. He shakes his head, a mixture of amusement and disbelief in his eyes.

"Soy amigo de un idiota," ("My friend is a dummy,") Marc retorts, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You couldn't be more wrong. She's in love with you, you fool. You're the one she's been pining over this whole time."

Hector looks up at Marc, disbelief written all over his face. "Pero que estás diciendo?" ("What are you talking about?") he asks incredulously. "She would never... I mean, she and I... we're just..."

Marc rolls his eyes, exasperated with his friend's obliviousness. "Yes, you two are just 'friends with benefits,' but that's because you never had the guts to tell her how you really feel. She's been crazy about you for ages, and you've been too dense to notice."

As Marc sees that his friend has lost all hopes of gaining your trust again a plan forms in his mind. He turns to Hector, a glint in his eye.

"Alright, listen up," he says. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to convince her to come to the match today, and then, when you score a goal, you're going to dedicate it to her in a way that she can't mistake it for anything other than a confession."

"Thank you Marc, I think that was the easiest plan you could come up with" Hector said his voice leased with sarcasm.

You had reluctantly agreed to come to your friends' football match, primarily for Marc's sake and to stay away from Hector, but guess what? Number 32 was playing too.

The match had commenced, but each time your eyes caught sight of Hector on the field, a flutter of emotions stirred within you, painful reminders of the complicated feelings between you both.

Just as you were about to stand and leave, unable to bear the sight of him, Hector scored a goal. Without hesitation, he ran towards the stands where you were, heading directly towards you.

You stood frozen, torn between the desire to escape and the overwhelming presence of his gaze fixed upon you. He stopped right in front of you, his chest heaving as he caught his breath from the run. His eyes searched your face, filled with an intensity that left you breathless.

Hector stood there, captivated by your presence, barely acknowledging the fact that he had just left the field mid-game. Instead, his focus was entirely on you as you started to ramble nervously about his unexpected action.

But as the words spilled from your lips, he didn't appear to be listening to the words themselves. His eyes were fixed on you, completely mesmerized by the sight of you before him.

He couldn't hold back any longer. The pent-up emotions and longing took over as he passionately pulled you towards him and kissed you. Right there in front of everyone, he poured his feelings into the kiss. It was more than just a declaration of affection; it was a confession of how deep his love ran, how his feelings for you surpassed anything you could have imagined.

He longed to communicate all this through the kiss, to make you understand that you meant so much more to him than you ever thought possible.

As he kissed you, everything else melted away, and all that mattered was the connection between the two of you. The field, the crowd, the game—none of it existed at this moment. All that mattered was the intensity of the emotions and the depth of his feelings for you, which he expressed through every movement of his lips against yours.

You break the kiss, your heart racing from the intensity of the moment, but also knowing that the match is still ongoing. As you gently remind him of this, he leans in and dodges your face to be close to your ear.

"I love you," he confesses and swiftly leans out.

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he quickly pecked you on the lips before dashing back onto the field, leaving you stunned by his boldness. However, the sight of him receiving a yellow card while grinning like a fool caused you to burst into laughter.

Hector, in the end, realized that his feelings for you ran deeper than anything he had ever known. The boundaries that had once seemed to define your relationship blurred until they faded away entirely, replaced by a love that embraced both of your personas. He loved you beyond the benefits.

[xo-cod]

a/n: enemies to lovers with simon lmao. full of angst 🤍

continued from this drabble

forget me not

"note to all teams the target is incredibly dangerous. once located do not engage and call for backup"

the message was loud, clear over the comms but you couldn't hear over the thundering of your heartbeat. you couldn't focus on much, the crushing weight on your chest squeezing your heart made it that much more difficult to focus on the task at hand. dread filled your veins at the thought of staying in the car longer than you had to, looking for any suspicious activity outside. his smell invaded your space as you resist to try and hold onto it. since the attack and the kidnap, he hadn't been the same. he usually was reserved when it came to you but this time it almost seemed like he hated the very ground you walked on

regardless you don't think you've ever been in the middle of such an awkward and tense situation before

he was seated in the passenger seat beside you. completely stoic, face and body covered in his usual gear with just the whites of his eyes peeking out from his balaclava as he sat stiff, his hands locked on the binoculars while his trained eyes focused on the house. you could practically feel the tension vibrate from his muscles around the car as you sigh softly. your hands on the wheels looking back at the scene silently cursing price for pairing the both of you together, it was too soon

you knew simon wasn't used to sitting around. he was the first to go guns ablazing into the fight. actions first, words later. you knew it was taking everything in him to sit patiently, to even be next to you in a cramped car. but alejandro and rudy called you all in, needing the extra pair of hands to handle the target delicately as they planned the best way to take them down. you'd only been back for a month and been involved in an attack, a kidnapping, several missions all within a few weeks.

sitting next to him like this, you almost feel the same fear and nerves you had done when you first met him. you glance back at him, eyes slightly narrowed as the frustration bubbled inside you. the contast feeling of being in edge, of waiting him to bite was enough. he was still hurt, rightfully so. but it felt like judgement day the way he kept you waiting deeming just how severe your punishment should be.

simon riley was a big burly man, standing tall at 6'4 and a wall of pure strength and muscle. he was unbeaten in his work, he was powerful in his skills but you had been the one thing that made him crumble to his knees. and god how he hated it.

the rage practically rolled off from him in waves, his hand gripped firmly around the hilt of his gun until the knuckles whitened fighting the urge to make any irrational decisions. and all you could do was just sit there, sinking into your seat and observing the camera footage. you didn't even know what to say now ironic because you could never stop talking when you were around the others

but now not a word could pass your lips

"three years" his deep voice snaps you out of your trance, the familiar voice blowing through you as you caught your breath. the low baritone of his tone caressed your senses, it was just as beautiful as you had remembered. and then the coldness in his voice cuts deep through you like the dagger coiled with pain

this wasn't the simon that you knew. this was the ghost that they feared.

"three years of being your friend, your lieutenant, someone who i cared for so goddamn deeply. three years and you cut me off, cut us all off, so easily as if it never meant anything at all. you didn't even have the decency to tell me to my face" the scoff was harsh, he could've laughed in pure bitterness at the thought of it.

simon wasn't one to open his heart so easily, god knows how difficult it had been for you in the beginning of joining the taskforce. he kept to himself mostly, only ever interacting with you for the sake of the mission at hand.

but overtime you had managed to weasel yourself in his heart, you were everywhere you shouldn't have been. in books, in songs, in random conversations, in alcohol, in his dreams. in his veins. all these places you shouldn't have been. and the sheer irony of you still lingering even though you were gone, a paradox indeed

there was nothing that you could've said to defended yourself, a resigned sigh leaning your lips as you leaned back in your seat. almost two years ago you had requested price to move you to another team across the sas. the only reason you had offered him was that it had been personal and he nodded, pressing a hand to your shoulder before he filed the paperwork.

everyone else seemed aware of it, you had begged the rest of the 141 not to say anything to simon. figuring you'd tell him in your own time, with the correct words. but the time never came, you had to go and the memory of your departure only served to haunt him further.

it had been friday, the usual movie night as he readied himself. he could never forget the feeling of his heart dropping at the small note in your empty barracks, stomach lurching at the popcorn he had bought specially for you. heart pounding as he hoped and prayed it was all some kind of sick joke.

it took him a while to forgive the rest of them but you hadn't been extended that same courtesy. so seeing you there tied up beside him brought up the same feelings and emotions he had tried to bury back then but they were potent, penetrative, stronger than he had anticipated them to be. it was too soon to see you. too soon to come to grips with the fact that his hurt had ran too deep for him to move on

"i'm here now" your voice had dropped slightly, a hint of a plea for him to understand but he rolled his eyes in your response his hand clenched tightly around the gun resting on his knee

"oh congrats. you're here now. until you find something else and you're running off again" he spoke harshly, shaking his head as he looked out the window to calm his heart and his thoughts.

he should've listened to his own advice, it was always the ones closest that caused the most pain. he expected to be hurt, he expected the pain but from anyone else. not from you, never from someone he had spilled his deepest darkest secrets to. never from someone who he held in such a high regard, from someone who he cherished so incredibly hard. and your heart hurt the more he spoke, the voice you had missed terribly for years was now echoing in your head but it was the most painful thing to listen to.

"you know it was the best thing to do-" you started but he snapped, glancing at you for the first time full of pure anger. "for you. best thing for you. don't act like i had any say in that decision you made for the both of us" he cut you off harshly, his hands thumping against his thighs in frustration as if the small space of the car was suffocating him and he couldn't get out in time. this time he allowed some of the hurt to trickle in his words, the words he had suppressed for so many years were now cracking, spilling out from his scarred lips.

simon shifted to face you, his face was still, unreadable, observing every little detail and every expression. he could feel his own heart thump heavily with how much he realised he had missed you, how much he had yearned for you. he dreamed for the moment where he would see you again in the flesh again, to smell and touch you like he used to.

every part of his being ached when he took a good glance at you. you'd change so much and yet you still looked the exact same. he wondered if your preferences had changed, whether you still slept in the same pair of pajamas that had been his favourite, whether your food preferences were different now.

you see in his eyes the sea in his eyes churning beneath. the waters ready to drag you from the surface, plunging you in the darkness that lay just below. his gaze lingers briefly upon your lips, slowly following the arch of your mouth, grazing your cheekbones before they finally meet yours. it makes your heart squeeze that much harder, restricting your breathing when your eyes meet. the pain was so heavy, you could've reached out and touched it.

everything you had ever missed came rushing to light, you had to hold back your hands back from wanting to touch his face. to feel the skin you had been restricted from touching for so many months. even when simon was in front of you, even when he was here in the physical, you still missed him.

"bloody hell, you were my whole world. you fuckin knew that. i waited for you every night, sat by your door every damn day just hoping you'd come back" his voice cracked the slightest at the end of his sentence, coughing to rid the tremble but you had heard it all. he didn't think he could sink any lower but you proved him wrong, you shattered his whole world and he was left to pick up the pieces again

"simon i-" "lieutenant. it's lieutenant to you. rookies refer to superiors with their rank" his snarl was biting, a tone he usually reserved for enemies. just as it had come, he was back to being the ghost again. it makes you want to cry, makes you wish the ground could swallow you whole just seeing the amount of pain in his eyes. how they used to twinkle and sparkle under the lights whenever he spoke to you, irises dilated ever so slightly only now they were dull and flat. impassive and empty

the walls that you had broken with great care and gentleness were now standing strong as ever, all because of you. the heart that once craved to be next to yours, the heart that was once placed in the palm of your hand had been snatched away and hardened until it was stone. impenetrable and inaccessible.

you were back in the 141 like you had desperately wanted to be, he didn't know anything more. he thought you had been a willing participant throughout it all. the lump only seemed to grow as you look at him helplessly, he doesn't seem to want to listen anymore and you could only wish that he could understand your reasoning behind it all. that you were in pain by the departure just as much as he was.

i loved you, i loved you, i love-

the camera beeped, indicating activity inside the warehouse. the pure relief for a moment on focusing on something else other than the burning relation between you both was a welcome respite.

though in typical simon riley fashion, he watched the camera carefully before he reached over for his gun and the bullets barely even giving you a glance

"stop we need back up, please. you'll get hurt" your voice was soft, heavy as you try to reach for his arm but he pulled away. the tips of your fingers just barely grazing his tatted arm, heart caught in your throat at just how much you missed his skin. how much you missed his scent, his comfort, his love.

how you'd lost it all in a heartbeat

"i don't know how they taught you to fight back there. but this is my operation, i know what the hell i'm doing. just leave, you're good at doing that" his command was sharp before he left the car, the door slamming behind him as he stormed off to the target. you watched with the tears shining in your eyes, wondering just how horrible everything had gone.

one wrong move and your past would've blown up in your face, one wrong move and everything you had tried to keep hidden away would reveal itself. only this time you didn't have the luxury of having simon in your corner this time around. your rank back there meant nothing now to him or to the 141, you were just a recruit in his eyes. an annoyance, a burden. it makes the pain deepen as you suck in a soft breath and steady yourself before you head inside the house.

you broke him and in response, he watched you break.

[thefirstknife]

The weekly lore book is so funny with Guardian reports. Love these two justifying why they didn't kill the enemy:

Instead of opening fire, it juked backwards and ran. I've never seen a Vex run before, and honestly, I was so surprised, I missed my shot.

+

Saw a big ol' Vex Minotaur hanging out in the shallows. It was far downrange, but it looked like it was leaking data or something from its neck. I fired before my Box Breathing kicked in, so it wasn't a kill shot.

This one got me. I sure do know what you mean:

The Minotaurs were being really defensive, staggering their shields to cover each other. If you've ever gone up against a team of Titans in Crucible, it was like that.

This one is so relatable:

The necklace Vex were wiped out and the others ripped the radiolaria cores from the bodies and took them back through the portal—or they would have, if I hadn't Thundercrashed the whole group.

Thundercrash!!!!

But outside of the funny bits, I am really looking hard at the little details. The changes in individual Vex, for example:

The thing must've caught a glint off my optics because it looked right at me.

+

It looked back at me, then it popped its own juice box and dumped itself into the radiolaria.

+

Anyway, when I moved in to make sure they were dead, I saw little model buildings in the dirt. I'm telling you, they'd been building sandcastles.

+

Right as I was about to draw, the Hobgoblin waved its hand at me. I figured it was signaling an ambush and I looked around, but it didn't have any backup. It waved again, and I gave it a little wave back—I didn't see the harm. Well, it got real excited at that and waved with both arms.

+

It was creeping through the branches and making a little noise—almost like it was laughing, if that makes sense?

There's also a strange focus on singling out Precursors and how othey don't appear to have the collars:

One of those sleek Precursor models was leading a group of normal Vex Goblins. The Goblins all had glowing collars, but the Precursor didn't.

+

Saw them clearly before I engaged: some Precursors mixed in with Nessus Vex. Nessus ones had the glowing mantles from the reports, but the Precursors didn't.

What does it all mean.

[softlyopulent-if]

Softly, Opulent is a dark fantasy romance, an interactive fiction not suited for those under 17.

Demo. [Prologue and Chapter One.]

The Queen dies the night you’re born. And your family locks you away.

All of King Adder’s children are a mystery to the common folk, but you—you are nothing but a ghost. A ghost, that spends eighteen years locked away in the deepest part of the palace, so that no eyes may lay upon you.

And those that do—they do not treat you kindly.

And when you are finally of age, at last, you are betrothed to the child of the King of a far away kingdom, to secure an alliance that your father has been seeking for years.

And you are swept away to a place even more foreign than your own land, to be wed to a stranger that looks at you with contempt. To live in a kingdom of citizens that despise you.

And perhaps, just perhaps, fight a war.

Content Warnings: Softly, Opulent contains many upsetting themes, such as: arranged marriage, child abuse, child neglect, assault, death, murder, suicide, sexually suggestive scenes, and more. Viewer discretion is advised, and this story is only appropriate for those 17+.

Customize your main character. (Name, Pronouns, Appearance, Personality.)

Romance one of four characters. (All of which are gender selectable.)

Overcome your past trauma.

Befriend many side characters.

Learn magic, learn how to fight.

Possibly overthrow your father, the tyrant King.

Attend balls, and witness the viper pit that is high society.

Fight an undead army.

The Betrothed, Aleksandar/Aleksandra. (Gender Selectable. She/Her. He/Him.) - They are the heir to the throne of Aslerea and your betrothed. But it’s the last thing they want to be. They seem to hold something against you. They are serious and spend hours upon hours training—they’re preparing for something. Their engagement to you is quite the hinder, but can you make them see it differently? Their duty blinds them, but you can change that.

The Pirate Captain, Rhys/Rhea. (Gender Selectable. She/Her. He/Him.) - They are a mystery. They are a pirate—the very embodiment of freedom and sea, yet they choose to remain in the kingdom of Aslerea more often than not. They stand to gain something by being there, but you don’t know what. There’s something in you that tells you that you can’t trust them, but their smile is so pretty, and their flirtation so constant that you want to. But maybe—just maybe, if you play your cards right—they will treat you as tenderly as their dearest treasure.

The Shadow, Calixta/Calix. (Gender Selectable. She/Her. He/Him.) - They are your betrothed’s younger sibling, and so no one pays quite as much attention to them. Though they seem content in their sibling’s shadow—content with their lack of responsibility—you can’t help but wonder if there’s more to it. They are as lazy as a bump on a log, and they likely sleep more than anything else—but there’s an interest in their eyes when they look at you. Is it something deep, or just a longing to claim what their sibling has? You could find out.

The Tutor, Mestra/Mestrn. (Gender Selectable. She/Her. He/Him.) - They are assigned as your tutor and tasked with the great undertaking of making you fit to lead. But they are also close with the people in the palace, and help the servants when they can. They know commoners by name and spend nights in the tavern, surrounded by free drinks. And while they are kind, there is something beneath it all that suggests a person that will go far to protect those they care about. Whether it’s because of their kind nature or something else, they have no enemies.

OTHER LINKS.

RO APPERANCES.

RO HEIGHTS.