#but I will keep drawing Jake until I’m burned out of him

[tinka-tank]

Can you guys watch him while I go smoke

[senascoop]

☁︎ . , WHAT'S AFTER LIKE? . . 엔하이펜 ☁︎

ꣀ꣒ things #ENHYPEN does to embarrass you

mean enhypen ! × embarrassed female ! reader : : fluff + established relationship : : m.list

♫︎ REBLOGS + FEEDBACKS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED

. , LEE HEESEUNG ☁︎ 이희승 !

Heeseung is just, well, Heeseung—playful, sweet, and a little too good at embarrassing you. He adores your laugh, finding it both cute and amusing, and he can’t help but imitate it at every chance he gets. At the dinner table with your mutual friends, he lets out a loud, exaggerated "Hahaha!" that perfectly mimics your unique laugh. Your eyes widen, cheeks flushing red as everyone’s attention turns to the two of you. “Heeseung, stop,” you mutter, nudging him lightly with your elbow, but he’s already caught up in his antics, repeating the laugh with a cheeky grin. He laughs even harder, clearly enjoying how flustered you are. “I can’t help it, babe. Your laugh is just too cute!” he teases, squeezing your hand under the table.

read rest of the members below !

. , P.JS/JAY ☁︎ 박종성 !

Jay’s made it his mission to finish your sentences in the most dramatic way possible, especially when you’re in the middle of a conversation with others. You’re out with friends, recounting a story about your recent mishap at work. “And then I said to my boss—” you start, only for Jay to cut in with a deep, overly dramatic voice, “—‘I CAN HANDLE IT, NO PROBLEM AT ALL!’” You shoot him a look, but Jay just grins, clearly pleased with himself. Your friends burst into laughter, while you try to compose yourself, cheeks heating up. “Jay, seriously?” you groan, but he just winks at you, unfazed. “What? I’m just helping you tell the story with a bit more flair,” he says, nudging your shoulder.

. , S.JY/JAKE ☁︎ 심재윤 !

Jake loves his nicknames for you—maybe a little too much, especially when he knows it makes you blush in front of others. You’re shopping at the mall together, casually browsing through racks of clothes when Jake spots you struggling with a decision. “What do you think, babe?” you ask, holding up two dresses for him to see. Jake smiles, but instead of answering, he decides to turn up the embarrassment level. “Hmm, I don’t know, my little sugar plum fairy princess,” he says loudly, drawing curious glances from the people nearby. Your eyes widen, and you quickly glance around. “Jake, keep it down!” you hiss, feeling your face heat up as you try to shush him. But Jake is having none of it. “Why, my precious snuggle muffin? You know I love when you’re all flustered,” he teases, giving you a cheeky grin.

. , PARK SUNGHOON ☁︎ 박성훈 !

One of his favorite tactics is showing off old, less-than-flattering photos of you—usually the ones you wish would just disappear. It’s a casual gathering at your place, with some of your mutual friends. You’re busy preparing snacks when you suddenly hear Sunghoon's voice from behind you, “Hey guys, look what I found!” Your heart sinks as you turn around to see Sunghoon grinning, holding up his phone with an old photo of you. It’s one from a few years ago—a particularly awkward phase where you were experimenting with a questionable hairstyle and had a goofy expression. “Sunghoon, no!” you protest, rushing over to grab the phone from him, but he’s too quick, holding it just out of your reach. “Aw, come on, isn’t she adorable?” he teases, flipping through a few more equally embarrassing photos, much to your horror. Your friends are laughing, but it’s all good-natured fun, even if you feel your cheeks burning.

. , KIM SUNOO ☁︎ 김수누 !

You’re out at a café with Sunoo and a group of your mutual friends. Everything is going smoothly until Sunoo decides it’s the perfect moment to share a story about your shared inside joke. “So, remember that time we were at the amusement park and you were too scared to go on the roller coaster?” Sunoo starts, grinning as he looks at you. “You said you’d rather face a herd of wild animals than go on it!” You feel your face flush as the group bursts into laughter. It’s a funny story, but it’s one that you thought was private and only for the two of you to laugh about. “Sunoo, stop,” you say, trying to cover your face with your hands as you feel the heat rise. “It’s not that funny.”

. , YANG JUNGWON ☁︎ 양정원 !

Jungwon has a knack for turning the simplest moments into grand gestures, often leaving you blushing and slightly embarrassed. You’re at a café with Jungwon, enjoying a quiet date. As the barista brings over your coffee, Jungwon suddenly decides to make a big show of his affection. He stands up, grabs your hand, and exclaims, “I just have to say, my favorite person in the world is sitting right here with me!” The other patrons glance over, some smiling, others trying to stifle their laughter. You can feel your face heating up as Jungwon continues, “She’s the most amazing person, and I’m so lucky to be with her.” Despite your attempts to shush him or pull your hand away, Jungwon just keeps going, completely oblivious to your growing embarrassment.

. , N.RK/NIKI ☁︎ 리키 !

Niki finds immense joy in teasing you, and he takes it to another level by making one of your most awkward selfies his phone wallpaper. You’re lounging in Niki’s room, casually scrolling through your phone, when you glance at his phone resting on the coffee table. You turn to Niki, who’s lounging on the sofa, scrolling through his own phone. “Niki,” you begin, your voice filled with disbelief. “Why is my most embarrassing selfie your wallpaper?” He glances up, trying to stifle his laughter, but the mischievous sparkle in his eyes is unmistakable. “What? That old thing?” he replies nonchalantly. “I thought it was hilarious!” Your cheeks flush with heat as you cross the room to grab the phone, but Niki grabs it first, holding it out of your reach. “Come on, it’s just a funny picture,” he insists, his grin widening. “Every time I see it, I think of how cute you look even when you’re being silly.”

tag list :: @moonpri, @iconchae

© senascoop | tumblr

[lvverleavr]

Upstairs | JTK

༘ Jake x f reader

༘ 1.8k words

༘ warnings: language, oral (m receiving), slight? degration kink, unprotected penetrative sex (wrap it pls)

You take your normal teasing a bit too far.

Jake was needy. He was good at hiding it to anyone else but to you it became blatantly obvious. Nights out always got to him. The low cut of your dress, the way you adjusted how you sat on his lap while you talked to various people. His hands would shoot to your hips, his forehead falling to the back of your neck. Sometimes you did it on purpose, sliding off his lap instead of standing straight up, your hand lingering on his leg while you talked to the people beside you. Usually he would be able to handle it, keep it together at least until you got to the front steps of your shared place. Tonight in specific was another story, he held you tight to his lap. He kissed the back of your neck, feeling your stomach muscles tighten under his arm. He slid your hair to the side, his lips centimeters from your ear, a soft whisper for only you to hear, “Don’t even think about trying anything tonight,” 

You let out a breath, only nodding in response. 

“Perfect,” He gently squeezed your side, motioning for you to get up as he walked over to the bar. 

The rest of the night left hairs on the back of your neck, his eyes always on you whenever they could be and you could feel the heat flooding your cheeks whenever you returned the gaze. Tonight was his turn to run you crazy and you were ashamed to admit his success. “Baby..” You sat in his lap, your knees hanging over his legs and his hand tightly gripping your thigh. 

“Shh I’m listening to this,” He squeezed your leg, as a man across the table shared some pointless story about his trip to the rocky mountains. 

“Jake..” You whispered in his ear, the tail end of his name coming out in a near whine, “I wanna go home…” 

You saw his jaw clench slightly as he ran his thumb up your thigh, stopping at the bottom of your dress, “shh” he said again, his gaze not shifting from the man across the table. 

You huffed slightly under your breath, he was making it painful for you and he knew it. You shifted in his lap slightly, hearing the hitched breath in his throat caused you to suppress a giggle. 

“Liz, wait up!” You called as she stood up from beside jake, excusing herself for a bathroom break “I’ll come with you, I need to fix this mascara disaster,” 

She smiled, “C’mon,” You slid yourself off Jake’s lap, your hand pressing gently on his thigh as you stood, leaning down in front of him and placing a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be right back,” You smirked at the look in his eyes. He could burn a hole right through you with it and you were living for it. You kissed him one more time, this time drawing away at a slower pace, his bottom lip lingering in between your two glossed ones. “Don’t have too much fun while I’m gone,” 

He didn’t say anything, his eye brows just sat slightly raised as he motioned for you to follow your friend. You smiled and ran after her, shuffling into the single stall bathroom together. 

You both fixed your makeup, chatting about whatever came to your mind throughout the night. “Ready?” You nodded, “I’ll be out in a second,” 

She smiled, leaving the bathroom as you closed the door tightly behind her, standing square in front of the mirror and letting out a deep breath. Here goes nothing. You carefully unzipped the front of your dress, exposing the near entirety of your red lace bra. You shook off any sense of uncertainty and took a picture, sending it to Jake with nothing else. 

Jake always played tough, acting like you’d get it once you got home but when it really came down to it he crumbled at your feet. You were curious and at this point you weren’t ashamed to admit it. You wanted to see Jake's harder side and it gave you a quick pulse to think about what he might do when you finally got him there. 

You stood in front of the mirror.

Read 11:45

Typing

Typing

Then nothing. Your breath hilted, shit. Then finally, 

Car, now. 

You got a rush of excitement, fixing your dress as you tried to contain your composure on the way to the car. “We’re leaving so soon?” You frowned as you got in the car. 

He glanced over at you, “Funny. Get in the car.” 

You smirked slightly, “What’s wrong Jakey-” Your smug look was quickly reset as he grabbed your face. His forefinger pressing against your jaw as his thumb pulled on your bottom lip. “You’re not fucking funny, now buckle and no more teasing because you’re fucking in for it tonight, got it?” 

You nodded, trying to hide an excited smile that was curling at the corners of your lips. “o-okay..” 

“Good,” he roughly dropped his grip, driving home in near silence, the only sound to break the breaths from each of you being the cool air from the cracked back windows. 

             You barely made it in the door before his arm snaked around your waist, pulling you back to him. His breath was warm on your neck and it sent shivers up your spine. “Go upstairs, I want the dress off and you on your knees when I get up there,” His grip loosened, an invitation for you to make your way up the stairs but you didn't move. “Now,” He bit out, gently urging you towards the stairs.

           You dropped your dress on the bedroom floor, quickly checking your hair in the mirror before sitting on the bed. Your heart was beating from your chest to your fingertips and you loved every second of it. After a few minutes you heard the door click and him come in, his eyes immediately fixing on you, “What do you think you're doing?” 

          “You told me-”

          “I said on your knees, on the floor” 

          You felt your cheeks heat up, nodding a bit and repositioning yourself on the floor. 

          “You really had some fucking nerve tonight you know that?” He undid his belt, “I fucking warned you and you didn't believe me huh? Didn't think i meant it when i told you you'd fucking regret it-”

         “I just-” 

         He unzipped his pants, tossing them to the side before looking down at you, “You just what? Got impatient? I think that's what it is, well now you've got my fucking attention,” He pulled his boxers off, running himself along your lips with no warning, “What? Shy now baby?” 

     You shook your head, looking up at him as you took the head of him in your mouth, working further down as he gripped your hair tighter. 

        You steadied your pace, slowing down slightly to see how he'd react, only to be met with a tighter grip as he thrusted slightly against you. “S-Shit” He groaned, pulling you off of him, resulting in you letting out a small whine. 

      “I'm not done with you,” He smirked, grabbing your face tightly as he leaned down. “So that's what it is? You're just a fucking cock slut huh? Couldn't wait a couple fucking hours to get my attention,” He applied more pressure on your cheeks causing your mouth to open, “You want me to fuck you stupid is that it?” You nodded quickly, “Youre so fucking pathetic,” He scoffed mockingly, his eyes flickering to your mouth as you opened it more. “Are you serious?” He smirked, you nodded again. 

    “Please…” You whimpered, as his thumb lined your bottom lip, “please please please,” You begged further, pulling his thumb into your mouth and wrapping your lips tightly around it. 

    His mouth hung open slightly, “Get on the bed. On your stomach now,” He pulled his thumb slowly from your mouth, taking your hand and helping you up. “If you wanna act like a slut I’m gonna treat you like one.” 

   You felt the adrenaline rushing through your body as you climbed into the bed, a small yelp leaving your lips as he gripped your hips. His half hard cock pressing against your ass. You opened your mouth to speak but stopped at the feeling of him pushing inside you, his nails digging into your hips. Your head dropped forward, “fuck jake!” You moaned,

     He didn't stop, moving at a near brutal pace that would be sure to leave bruises on your ass, “shit baby-” He muttered, “so fucking good,” he grabbed a hold of your hair his motions seemingly in unison with every take it fuck take it that escaped his lips. He drew you both to your first and second highs, flipping you to your back before slowly pushing himself inside you again. 

    “Jake-” You whimpered,

    “You can do one more can't you baby?” He cooed, his thumb gently circling your sensitive clit, “You're always so good for me you can do one more. You wanted me so badly now you have me… you can’t take just one more?” His voice was dripping with a mocking sense of empathy as he leaned back. His never trailed from yours as he opened his mouth, a small trail of spit dropping on your already sensitive clit. You nodded, your hips gently bucking against his fingers.

    “Theres my fucking girl,” He smirked, his lips smashing against yours as he started back at a near barbaric pace. His lips connected to your neck, his teeth sinking into the soft skin as your nails dug into his back.  

    “fuck-” You whimpered, as he dragged his teeth up and down your neck, each bite and mark feeling deeper than the last, “Please please” You moaned with every thrust, driving you through another high. You loosened your grip on his skin, expecting him to slow to a stop but met with the same pace as before. You threw your head back against the pillow, tears brimming your eyes and pulling your eyeliner further down your cheeks until you both reached a final high. 

   You let out a small whine as he pulled himself apart from you, suddenly feeling empty. “Jake..” You said softly, 

   “I’m right here angel,” He whispered back, pulling you against him. Your breaths slowly evened as you turned to see him. His eyes were soft again and his kisses were gentle. They were full of love and care, “I didnt hurt you too bad did I?” He asked, placing a gentle kiss on the marks slowly showing along your neck.

   You shook your head, your hand resting gently on his cheek, “No baby.. I loved it, I promise” You smiled tiredly as you tilted his chin to look at you. His blinks were slow and long, a sweet smile plastered on his face as you placed a gentle kiss on his lips, “I love you.”

   “I love you,”

[topguncortez]

Speak Now ~ J. Seresin

Hangman Masterlist | Main Masterlist

synopsis: Jake gets a wedding invite from the girl he's still in love with. Based off of Speak Now (TV) by Taylor Swift

word count: 4.1k

warnings: cursing, break-ups, runaway bride, miscommunication

Jake knew you probably hated the invites. You had told him over and over that you never wanted a big wedding, you wanted something small. You had agreed with your mom to not just go to the courthouse, but would at least do something a little bigger. Jake ran his fingers over the pale pink paper that was decorated with flowers and had your name and your fiancé’s name written in gold cursive letters. He knew you were somewhere screaming and pulling your hair out.

‘PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE CEREMONY OF MATRIMONY OF Y/N M/N AND BILLY “FRITZ” AVALON’

“Yeah, I just got it,” Jake said to Coyote. He had called his best friend the moment he saw the light pink envelope in his mailbox, “I looked up the address, it’s a church. She always said she wouldn’t get married in a church, she was worried it would burn down around her,”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Javy said, “She must be a different person now, when was the last time you talked to her?”

“I don’t know 2-3 years ago. I heard Bob ask Nat if she had figured out a bridesmaid dress yet,” Jake sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I guess it was for this.”

“Did you expect anything less? They’re best friends.”

Jake shrugged knowing his friend couldn’t see him, “I don’t think I’m gonna go,”

“You can’t do that!”

“Why would I go? To submit myself to the torture of watching her marry someone else? Watching someone else give her the life I couldn’t give her?” Jake said angrily, the images of their last fight filled his mind. He looked over to the front door from his kitchen, the replay of you walking out the door, with your bags packed and tears in your eyes was forever burned into his mind.

“You pushed her away, Jacob. You can only blame yourself for that,” Javy scolded and Jake sighed.

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Jake mumbled.

“Well do the true right thing, and go to the wedding, for her. It’ll make her happy to see you there,” Javy said and Jake told him he’d think about it.

Jake sat down on his couch and closed his eyes. Ever since that fateful day, he let you go, he couldn’t fathom thinking about you with someone else. He knew though, he knew you had met someone else, but didn’t know it was Fritz until about a month ago. The two of you waltzed into the Hard Deck, hand-in-hand, smiles on your face. Jake couldn’t stand the sight of it. It made him physically ill to stand there and keep a smile on his face. You had caught only a glimpse of him as he walked out the door. 

Jake pushed himself off of his spot and walked to his room. He pulled down the box that sat on the top shelf of his closet and opened the lid. Pictures, concert tickets, notes, mixed CDs, random t-shirts, and postcards were all packed away in the box. Jake dug to the bottom of the box and pulled out the tiny light blue ring box and opened it. The pear-shaped diamond ring glared up at him in mockery.

———————————————

“Have you ever thought about the future?” You asked him, as you were both relaxing in the bathtub. Jake had a stressful day at work and just wanted to relax. You had made him something to eat and draw a bath.

“Of course,” Jake said, kissing your bare shoulder, “I think about it a lot, what I’m doing next week, or next month, or even next year,”

“Do you ever think of our future?” You asked softly.

“I-I uh, yeah sometimes. But I like where we are,” Jake said and you frowned slightly. You had been with Jake since freshman year of high school, right by his side through it all. From giving up your dream of going to UT, and moving to Maryland while he went to the academy, to waiting with other partners and spouses for him to come off the carrier after a deployment.  You loved Jake, you really did, but you were hoping for more, you wanted more.

“I think about getting married,” You said and sighed into Jake, “Something small, probably in my parents’ backyard on a beautiful summer night. I want that perfect day, where you just wake up and say, ‘Let’s get married’, nothing too crazy. I told my mom I won’t just go to the courthouse.”

“Yeah,” was all Jake could say.

“What?” You asked, turning your head to look at him, “You don’t… you don’t see that?”

“It’s not that I don’t see it, it’s that I don’t want it.”

“Oh,” You nodded. There was a beat of silence, until you pushed yourself up from Jake’s embrace.

“Wait, Y/N,” Jake said reaching out to you as you grabbed your towel.

“The water is getting cold,” You said and dried yourself off, before heading into the bathroom.

Jake cursed himself and got out of the bathtub, grabbing his towel and following you. You sat on the bed and looked at Jake with tears in your eyes. You had this sinking feeling for a while. Like things were bound to break between you. You loved Jake, you really did, and every day it felt like you were falling more in love with him. He always did something new to make you fall in love. Whether it was surprising you with some new recipe, bringing you home your favorite flowers, to sending you postcards from where ever he was in the world. But lately, all that had seemed to stop. You had slowly wondered if maybe, just maybe, Jake wasn’t in love with you anymore.

“Y/N…” Jake said your name softly.

“When did you fall out of love?”

“What-“

“Jake, please,” You asked him, tears now running down your face.

“I love you, Y/N, I really do. But I- My career is just starting to take off. I. . .,” Jake sighed, “I- I don’t want to be holding you back from everything that you want.”

“You don’t want to hold me back, or you don’t want me holding YOU back?”

Jake sighed and looked down at his feet. Truth was, he didn’t want to hold you back. He could see the small changes in you. You had decided to change your major from education to business, something that you insisted was what you wanted. He noticed that your grades had slipped, your GPA the lowest it had ever been. You had spent more time at home, next to him, than hanging out with your friends. Jake didn’t want to hurt you, but he wanted you to follow your dreams, even if that meant having to break his and your heart. Jake took a deep breath and grabbed your hands.

“I’m breaking up with you,” He said and bit the bullet. You closed your eyes and Jake was fighting the urge to wipe the tears from your eyes. A sob left your pink lips and you pulled your hands from his, “I’m sorry-“

“Just shut up, Jake,” You said and pushed yourself up from the bed. You walked into the bathroom and slammed it shut, locking the door behind you. You gripped the sides of the sink and sobbed. Jake listened on the other side of the door as you threw everything off the counter, and could hear the breaking of the mirror as you threw a hairbrush at it. Jake changed into his pajamas and then set some out for you. He wrote a note that he was going to stay at Josh’s for the night.

The next morning you woke up to a cold bed and a pounding headache. You looked around the empty room and sighed. You began with the closet, dumping all your clothes into your suitcase, leaving behind the stuff that Jake had either bought you or gifted you. You packed away all your underwear, socks, and makeup. The apartment slowly became bare as you packed your little trinkets and decorations away. You had hoped to get most of it done before Jake came back, but you weren’t that lucky.

“Where are you going?” Jake asked, walking into the apartment and seeing your bags by the front door.

“My sister’s house,” You said and Jake looked at you confused. This was the first time you had mentioned a sister, and he had been dating you for over 5 years, “You don’t know her, she’s a half-sister,”

“Okay… this is really it?”

“Yeah,” You said softly as you looked down at the item in your hand, a picture from your first date, taken when you were both 13. Your parents wouldn’t let you go alone, so Jake’s older sister and her boyfriend at the time had to tag along. She took the picture and Jake gave it to you as a gift on your first anniversary, “Here,” You handed Jake the picture.

“No, no, keep it.”

“I can’t,” You said, your voice breaking. You placed your hand on Jake’s cheek, and kissed his lips softly, one last time, “Goodbye, Jake. Be good to yourself, okay?”

“I will, Y/N. I love you,”

You couldn’t bring yourself to say it back, as you grabbed your bags and walked out the front door. Jake bit his lip as he watched you walk out the door and out of his life.

———————————-

You looked half dead, as you sat in the makeup chair, bright and early on your wedding day. You had tried to go to sleep, but you tossed and turned the whole night. You had thought about running away, getting your car, and driving off to god knows where, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Instead, you took some melatonin and slept for about 4 hours, until Natasha burst through your door with her unusually high amount of energy. You were just happy she brought you red bull and donuts.

“You look like shit?” Natasha said as she poured you a mimosa.

“I feel like it,” you reached your hand out for the glass.

“Oh my god,” She said and pulled the glass back, “Are you pregnant?!”

“No!” You yelled, “Give me the damn drink,”

“Fiesty,” She laughed and handed you the glass, “I steamed your dress, it’s hanging up in the bathroom,”

“Thank you,” You answered, “The boys?”

“I talked to Billy’s brother, Steven, he said they are up and moving. But, if you were wondering Rooster said that they are ALL on their way,”

“He’s coming?”

Natasha gave you a small smile and nodded, before going over to where the rest of your bridesmaids were. You looked up at your makeup artist and smiled as she placed false eyelashes on your eyes. You had tried to keep yourself from shaking with anxiety over seeing Jake, but you couldn’t help it. You had brushed it off as wedding day jitters. For the rest of the morning, you and your bridesmaids drank and ate a light breakfast that your parents had provided. You had a photographer taking pictures of you guys as you got ready. The bridesmaid dresses you had picked were emerald green, and you let them pick their own design. You sucked in a breath, as Natasha zipped the back of your dress. You stared at yourself in the mirror, and could hardly recognize the person in the mirror. The dress you and Billy had picked out was a classic style dress, with a deep v-cut, lace sleeves that went down to your wrists, and an open back. Billy said you looked like Princess Kate, but you felt more like Princess Di.

“Absolutely breathtaking,” Natasha said and You smiled, trying to make yourself feel better, “They want a first look. You okay with that?”

“I mean, Billy picked the dress out, so why not,”

Natasha smiled and walked out of the bedroom. You blinked and stared up at the ceiling, trying not to cry. You took a deep breath and then headed out of the bathroom. You looked up from your shoes to be shocked by the 3 men standing in front of you, one noticeably missing.

“Well god damn, Y/N, you can clean up nicely,” Javy said You laughed and walked over and hugged him.

“Like our very own princess,” Bob said.

“Thank you,” You said looking at all of them. You could feel a certain pair of blue eyes burning into you, “I can’t believe you guys actually came!”

“Well, my girlfriend is your maid of honor,” Javy said, putting his arm around Natasha’s waist.

“She’s the best maid of honor I could ask for,” You smiled at her.

“Speaking of which, we gotta get going. Can’t be late for your own wedding,” Natasha said and your face faltered.

“Yeah,” You said hoping none of them noticed the change in your demeanor, of course the oldest twin did.

“Alright, let’s get going okay,” Natasha said and the boys nodded, following her out of the room, all except Bob who hung back a second.

“You look amazing,” Bob said, “He would be here, but he just couldn’t see you quite yet.”

“Thank you, Bob,” You said honestly. He kissed your cheek and then left your room.

“You ready?” Natasha asked, coming back into the room. You nodded and grabbed the champagne bottle that was next to you. Natasha watched with wide eyes as you downed the rest of the bottle, “Liquid courage?”

“If I do something dumb, you promise to support me?”

Natasha squinted her eyes at you, “Depends on what dumb thing you’re thinking about doing.”

“We’ll have to see,”

The church was decorated beautifully, white roses and emerald green flowers were mixed in and decorated the altar. Javy sat on Jake’s right and Rooster on the left. Jake’s eyes were locked on his shoes as Billy and his parents made their way down the aisle. Rooster nudged him as your mom and brother made their way down the aisle. Your mom sent Jake a warm smile, making his heart beat faster in his chest. The look in her eyes was one that Jake had seen far too often. 

‘That should be you.’

“What if I stop the wedding?” Jake asked Javy.

“Don’t even think about it Jacob,” Javy whispered harshly.

“You saw how unhappy she is!” 

“She’s nervous, it’s her damn wedding day!” Javy snapped. 

“Stop, Natasha is walking down,” Bob said noticing his WSO walking down with your fiancé’s brother. Natasha winked at the boys, as she took her spot right next to wear you would stand at the alter. 

Jake’s heart fell to his ass as he heard that oh-so-familiar wedding march and everyone stood up, to look to the back of the church. The doors opened Jake’s breath caught in his throat. You were breathtaking, the dress hugging your body perfectly. Jake couldn’t help but wish that was for him. Your eyes were locked on Billy, as tears left his eyes. You had tried to dig deep in your heart and remember why you were going to marry him, but everything was drawing up a blank. The aisle felt like it was miles long, and you hated everyone’s eyes on you. When you got to the end of the aisle, Billy stepped down to take you from your father.

“Who gives this woman, to this man?” The priest asked.

“Her mother, and I,” Your dad said. He turned to you and hugged you, “Jake is here,” You went to move your head to look for him but your dad kept you from moving, “Make the right choice,” You nodded and kissed his cheek before pulling back and stepping up on the altar.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you maybe be seated,” The priest said and You handed Natasha your bouquet, your eyes searching the crowd of people, and finally landing on those familiar brown eyes, “Welcome, we are gathered here today to witness the symbolic ceremony of love between these two young people, Y/N M/N L/N and Billy Fritz Avalon. Is there anybody who believes that these two shouldn’t be married, speak now or forever hold your peace,”

Y/N closed her eyes and waited for someone to say something. Jake was about to stand before Javy grabbed his arm and held him down. He looked at his wingman with wide eyes, but the boy just shook his head and pointed toward you. Jake looked at you and locked eyes with him, as the priest was reading some passage about marriage and what it means in the Bible. Jake could read it in your eyes, you were really going through with this. Jake saw his window of opportunity finally close and the stages of grief started settling in his chest. He leaned back against the pew and tried to keep from crying.

“Billy, do you take Y/N, to have and to hold, to honor and treasure, to be at her side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times and bad, in sickness and health, for rich or for poor, to love and cherish her always until the moment of your last breath?”

“I do,” Billy said giving your hand a squeeze.

“Y/N,” The priest said, basically startling you, “Do you take Billy, to have and to hold, to honor and treasure, to be at his side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times and bad, in sickness and death, for rich or for poor, to love and cherish him always until the moment of your last breath?”

You looked at the priest and then at Billy, “I…,” You quickly glanced over to Jake, whose green eyes were locked on you. You swallowed and looked back at Billy, “I-” 

“No,” A voice from the crowd spoke. You snapped your head towards the audience, seeing Jake standing up and the look of shock on everyone’s face. 

“Hangman, what the,” Billy asked, dropping your hands and turning towards him.

“You never wanted to get married in a Church,” Jake said, pushing past Rooster and Bob, to stand in the middle of the aisle, “You said the church of Elvis was fine, but nothing like. . . this,” Jake gestured around, “You want the wedding where you wake up and say ‘let’s get married’. You want to eat hot dogs and mac’n’cheese in your parents’ backyard and light off fireworks.” 

Tears gathered in your eyes as Jake stepped closer to you, and you took a step down from the altar. 

“You want to jump off the dock at the lake house in your wedding dress because the lake has good luck in it and you believe in that stuff,” Jake licked his lips, “This isn’t you. . .” You nodded and Jake wiped away a stray tear with his thumb, “What do you say? Wanna get out of here?” 

“Yes please,” You said, as you grabbed Jake’s hand. The church erupted in chaos as the two of you ran towards the doors. 

“The hell did you say to her!?” Your mom asked your father, hitting him lightly on the chest.

“I just told her to make the right choice,” Your dad said smugly, “Never liked Buster anyway.”

“It’s Billy!”

You and Jake were bursting with laughter as you sprinted to his car. Jake had helped gather your dress in the car, before shutting the door carefully and jumping into the driver’s seat. Neither of you guys said anything as you drove away from the church. You weren’t sure where you were driving to, and it honestly didn’t matter. You looked over at Jake, who had a smile on his face as he grabbed your hand, and kissed your knuckles. 

But suddenly, the fate of the decision hit you like a ton of bricks. 

“Stop the car,” You said. 

Jake looked over at you, “What?” 

“Stop the damn car!” You yelled. Jake complied and pulled the car over, putting it in park. You got out instantly, running towards the woodline, the soft rain falling on you. Jake watched as you tried to catch your breath. He walked to the other side of his BMW, and leaned against the passenger door as you paced. 

“I ran away,” You said eyes wide. You turned to face him, “I just ran away from the altar!”

“Yes, you did,” Jake nodded. 

“A-and because of you!” You yelled.

“I’m sorry,” Jake said, honestly. Guilt was swimming in his green eyes as you looked at him. He looked as bad as you felt. His suit was wrinkled, his hair slightly a mess from running his hands through it, his five o’clock shadow settling on his face. 

“Why? Why did it take you so long?” You asked and Jake looked at you. 

“I was scared,” He admitted, “I was scared of coming back and ruining what you had built. You went back to education, got your degree, you’re living your dream, and I…. I didn’t want to get in the way again.” 

You shook your head and walked up to him. You grabbed his hand, “Dance with me,”

Jake nodded and turned up the car radio. The sweet sound of Aretha Franklin’s Natural Woman’ filled your eardrums. Jake grabbed you softly and pulled you into him as he swayed with you in the moonlight. You guys lost track of time, as one song faded into the other, and you were both soaked, your dress was ruined.

“Your dress,” Jake said, looking at the dirty train, “I’m sorry, I’ll pay,”

“No, don’t worry about it,” You said and placed your hands on Jake’s face.

Jake’s rough hands carefully gripped the side of your face and pulled his lips against yours. For the first time in nearly 2 years, you were feeling his lips on yours again. You pulled him against you, wanting him to never let you go. He pulled back and rested his forehead against yours. You two didn’t say anything, but you didn’t have to. It was clear, you had made the right choice.

“Marry me,” Jake said and you looked up at him. He reached into his wet suit jacket and pulled out the blue box, “I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, I had this stashed away for the perfect moment but I just got scared. I didn’t want you to put your dreams on the back burner for me, so I let you go.”

“Jake, you dumbass,” You said, “You are my dream.”

“You’re mine too, I can’t believe I almost lost you to-”

“Shh, you have me now.”

“Marry me, please?” Jake asked getting down on one knee. You smiled and tackled him to the ground. He landed with a thud and laughed as he kissed you passionately. You pulled back and slid the ring that was already on your finger, and replaced it with the one Jake had for you, “Looks better.”

“Much better.” You said kissing him again.

3 weeks later, you woke up one morning to a cold bed, but the covers messed up. You looked out the window, seeing the sun shining and making everything glow warmly. You stretched and headed down to your kitchen, where Jake was already making dinner. You greeted him with a kiss and sat down at the table to eat the vegan pancakes he had made.

“We should get married today,” Jake suggested, “Javy got ordained online a couple of months ago and has been itching to use it.”

“My dad’s got a new dinner recipe he wants to try.” You said sipping your orange juice.

“Then it’s settled,” Jake smiled, “Let’s get married today,”

And that’s exactly what you two did. You sent out a text message for everyone to be at your house by 6 for your wedding. Nobody questioned It, knowing this was exactly what you and Jake wanted. Everyone gathered in your backyard, dressed causally for a summer backyard wedding. Jake stood barefoot in the grass as he waited for you to walk out of the house, in a simple white maxi sun dress. Javy was living for this moment to be the official of a wedding, and what better than to be one at his best friend’s wedding?

“Now, we can actually do this right this time,” Javy said winking at you.

“Jake, do you take Y/N-“

“Yes,” Jake said interrupting his brother.

“I have to say the speech, Jacobl,” Javy scolded and everyone chuckled, “Y/N, do you take Jake-“

“I do!” You answered by doing the same.

“You guys are so impatient,” Javy smiled, “Well, by the power vested in me by some officiating website and the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jake, you may now kiss your bride,”

“Don’t gotta tell me twice,”

You giggled as Jake smashed his lips against yours. Cheers were let out from your family as he dipped you and sealed the deal with a kiss. He set you back on your two feet and grabbed your hand, walking you down the makeshift aisle, finally as husband and wife.

taglist: @shanimallina87 @phoenix1388 @desert-fern @mygyn @cherrycola27 @yanna-banana @seitmai @topgun-imagines @bradleybeachbabe @na-ta-sh-aa @startrekfangirl2233 @xoxabs88xox @atarmychick007 @lunamoonbby @sophiaslastbraincell @bradswolfe @fandom-princess-forevermore @thedroneranger @angelbabyange @callsignharper @dempy @lovelywiseprincess @krismdavis @eternallyvenus @dakotakazansky @pono-pura-vida @callsignartemis @starberryhorse @daggersquadphantom @gspenc @toobouquet @dreamgirl3300 @avada-kedavra-bitch-187

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[builtbybrokenbells]

#2 with jake<333

“You’re beautiful, you know that right?”

w/c: 2.6k

pairing: jake x f!reader

warnings: insecurity, smoking, drinking, fluff 🫶🏻

thank you for requesting, I hope you like it!! ♥️

prompt list here

You stood, back against the wall and eyes glued to the crowd around you. You nervously looked from face to face, every so often focusing your attention on the drink in your hand. The sweetness of the mix combined with the burn of the alcohol was deadly, drawing you in further with each sip. It was your only reality check, keeping you grounded and your anxiety at bay. The longer you sipped at it, the more your shaking hands seemed to calm.

You weren’t exactly the party type; swarms of unfamiliar people and wandering eyes were just not your cup of tea. The only reason you had agreed to come was because you had a hard time turning down your best friend, Sam. That, and the added bonus of seeing his brother made the idea seem less than terrible. Now that you were here, and Sam was nowhere in sight, you were beating yourself up for saying yes.

The dress that clung to your body seemed to fit in all of the wrong ways, despite Sam’s insistence on you wearing it. He said you looked stunning, but you felt more like an eyesore. There were plenty of girls, dressed in fancier clothes with prettier faces that instantly made any shred of confidence disappear. You wanted to look pretty, to catch a pair of eyes that you had been desperately hoping would see you, but now you just felt stupid. Sam had disappeared almost as soon as you walked in the door, getting pulled in every direction by friends and colleagues. You weren’t mad at him; you understood that friendship with a rockstar wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but you definitely wished you had kept a closer eye on him.

You searched for even the slightest bit of familiarity, whether that be Sam or his brothers, or even a friendly face from around town. Once again, you were met with staggering disappointment and the growing need to keep drinking. With one arm wrapped around your midsection in hopes to hide yourself away, your other held the solo cup to your lips until the last of the liquid was drained from it. You drew the cup back, peering inside to confirm the emptiness. With a sigh, you decided it would be in your best interest to mix yourself another. You squeezed past the few people littering the way out of the room, taking a long overdue breath when you broke free into the hallway.

Just as you stepped forward, a body collided with you. Not hard enough to knock you off your feet, but definitely enough for you to notice. “Oh, I’m so sorry-“ you looked up, prepared to be faced with a stranger. Instead, a face you’d grown all too familiar with was smiling down at you. “Jake,” you heaved a sigh of relief.

“Don’t apologize. That was my fault.” He assured you, hand still on your arm from where he reached out to hold you steady. “Could I get you a drink to make up for it?” His lingering gaze over your face made your stomach twist into a knot.

“Oh, uh… y-yeah.” You nodded, silently furious that the words didn’t seem to want to come out. Instead of commenting on the stutter, he guided you in the direction of the kitchen, never letting his hand leave your shoulder. Once you made it to the table that was covered with bottles of liquor, he released his gentle hold on you.

“Pick your poison,” he said, still smiling. Your eyes drifted over the choices, unsure of what to have. “Beer, coolers, water, if you’re not particularly keen on alcohol?” He listed, helping you out a bit.

“Anything is good,” you told him, hoping he would ease off the pressure. He picked up on your nervousness, nodding in understanding. He held his hand out for your cup and you gave it to him, eyeing him carefully. He mixed you a drink, handing it back to you and watching you in anticipation. You gazed down at the liquid, internally shrugging and bringing it to your lips. You let out a hum of delight, shocked over his quick work at making such a good beverage.

“Apology accepted?”

“Never needed one, but yeah, I’ll take it.” You smiled.

“Sam ditched you?” He asked, the quick change of topic giving you whiplash.

“Oh, uh, I don’t think it was on purpose.” You let out a nervous laugh.

“Still, not very nice of him.” He noted. “I’ve been looking for you all night.” Your eyes widened in surprise, unsure of why he had been searching for you. You hoped that your cheeks wouldn’t rise with the dreaded blush that always seemed to make an appearance around him.

“Why is that?” You managed the question through the increasingly speeding thud of your heart against your chest. You wished you didn’t find him so attractive, and you wished that it wasn’t always so blatantly obvious. You hated having a crush on your best friends brother, and hated it even more knowing that you would never stand a chance with him.

“Do I need a reason?” He asked, giving you a small smirk.

“No, I guess not.” You replied. “Suppose I was just curious.”

“I always like spending time with you, y/n.” He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. You swallowed hard, feeling like maybe you misheard him and you were reading too much into the situation. “Oh, and because of this.” He reached into the pocket of his button up, grabbing something and pulling it out. Your eyes landed on the joint, your expression lighting up at the sight.

“So there was a reason?”

“Yeah, a couple.” He laughed. “Come on.” He held his hand out to you, prompting you to grab it. You did so, allowing him to safely lead you from the crowd of people all the way out to the back porch. You were pleasantly surprised to see that it was completely vacant. He shut the door behind you, slowly walking over to join you. He located a lighter in one of his pockets, lighting the end of the joint.

“It’s so quiet out here,” You breathed, looking around the large backyard. You weren’t even sure whose house you were in. Sam told you it was a party thrown by a long time friend of the band, but never elaborated. Then again, you never asked. Your intent was to get in and out as fast as you could, to talk to your friends and sneak out before anyone could stop you. The scene just wasn’t for you, and you were growing more aware of it with every second that passed.

“Yeah, I think it’s nice. A little break from the chaos.” He replied, handing you the joint. You took it from him, studying his face in the dim light. He was stunning, and although you’d been alone with him hundreds of times over the years, you couldn’t help the surge of nervousness that came over you every time. He looked back at you, finding you already staring at him. He gave you a smile, seemingly not bothered by it at all, but you still had a sense of embarrassment from the interaction. His eyes on you made you even more aware of the seclusion, and the dress that was uncomfortably clinging to all of the places on your body you wished you could hide. In habit, you crossed your arm over your stomach in hopes he wouldn’t catch sight of it, shifting uncomfortably on your heels.

You broke free from his gaze, but he didn’t back down. Instead, he was watching you with an air of curiosity. “I like that dress.” He said, catching your attention back. You were certain he’d only dished out the compliment because he picked up on your insecurities.

“Oh, thank you.” You mumbled, looking down at the fabric. “Sam convinced me to wear it.” A chuckle fell from your lips, but the memory wasn’t funny to you. If you could go back in time, you wouldn’t have listened to him at all.

“I’m glad he did. It looks great on you.” An incriminating blush spread across your cheeks, one that told him all he needed to know about your feelings for him. You were a bit sheepish at the comment, unsure of how to respond.

“T-thanks,” You mustered out, taking a long puff from the weed to avoid having to speak any further. You handed it back to him, avoiding his eyes at all costs. You hated how much of an effect he had on you. You thought the crush would dissipate after months of trying to bury it, but it only seemed to grow stronger with time. Then again, how could you not feel such a way about him? It was Jake, the most gorgeous person you’d ever laid eyes on. It didn’t help that he was sweet, and funny, and always seemed to make time for you, even if you were just his younger brothers best friend. “This isn’t usually my type of scene. I don’t know why I came.” You let out a small laugh.

“I know it’s not, but I’m happy you’re here.” He offered, eyes still burning into you. The cloud of smoke was enveloping both of you, mixing with the alcohol and the warmth of the night. You could feel the anxiety seeping away already, the weed taking its effect almost immediately. You took a long sip of your drink, trying to find the right words to respond with.

“Any particular reason?” You asked, giving him a small smile.

“Oh, come on.” Jake chuckled, in complete disbelief at your ignorance. You raised an eyebrow, imploring him to explain further. He took another long haul from the burning joint, gently flicking the ash from the end. He let out a long exhale, expelling any smoke from his lungs as he looked off into the darkness of the night, carefully formulating his thoughts. “You’re beautiful. You know that, right?” You were certain your heart stopped, shocked at such a blunt statement.

“Oh,” you squeaked. “Uh, thank you, Jake.”

“No, like, really beautiful.” He looked back to you. You half expected him to have a smirk, or some sort of sign that he was pulling your leg, but his expression was nothing short of serious. “The kind of beautiful that steals the air from your lungs and makes you forget how to breathe.” You watched him, hoping he would continue just so you had more time to wrap your head around his words. “Felt that way since the minute I met you.” He shrugged. You had no idea how he could throw such nonchalant action alongside such a breathtakingly beautiful statement.

“I didn’t…” you trailed off, too mesmerized by the gleam of hope in his eye. It was so similar to the one you held in your own any time he was around. “I didn’t know.” He handed you the joint, making no further move towards you. He wanted you to initiate it, if you wanted to. “I think you’re beautiful, too.” You finally replied, letting out a small giggle at the statement. You couldn’t help but find the confession a tiny bit funny. You’d thought it so many times, but had never said it aloud.

“Thank you,” he couldn’t help but laugh with you, finding your small sounds of happiness extremely contagious. “I am really glad you came, though. Seeing you is always my favourite part of the day.” You weren’t sure where his confession was coming from; there had never been a hint of reciprocal feelings in the time you had known him. Then again, you were fantastic at missing signals. “I always ask you to come outside with me because I like the alone time with you.”

“I just thought it was because you liked to get high.” You both had a small laugh at your lighthearted joke. “I like it, too.” You said with seriousness as the laughter died down. You watched the cherry burn out of the joint, figuring now that the weed was gone, this would be the end of your late night confessions. But, he noticed it too, and he made no move to leave.

“I like you, y/n.” He said, no longer willing to shy away from the fact. “I always have.” You gave a slow nod, soaking up the information.

“Me too.” You breathed, finally looking up to meet his face. You thought you should pinch yourself, just to make sure you weren’t dreaming. He gave you a smile, almost looking relieved at the confirmation.

“Another reason why I was looking for you.” He admitted. You watched him, unsure if you should advance or not. You so badly wanted to step forward, invite him in, but you were still nervous even after the new information. He noticed your hesitation, holding his hand out to you slightly. You extended your own arm, encouraging his movement. He let out a chuckle, reaching over and slipping his hand into yours. He gave you a gentle pull, bringing you closer to him. Once you were in front of him, he rested his other hand on your hip. “Don’t have to be shy with me.” He reminded, but you already knew that. As embarrassing as your crush on him had always been, you were never scared to be yourself around Jake.

The whole situation was surreal, making you question if the display was reality or not. The only thing that was easing your doubt was the feeling of his hands on you. It was more powerful than any feeling a dream could conjure. “You mean it?” You finally asked, a small smirk toying on the corner of your lips.

“Mean what?” He teased.

“That you like me,” you rolled your eyes.

“F’course I do.” He hummed. The closeness of his body was more intoxicating than any substance you could imagine.

“That’s good,” you let out a sigh of relief. “‘Cause I’d really like to kiss you.”

“What are you waiting for?” He gave a smile, pulling you a little closer. You took the hint, leaning in and closing the gap between your mouths. You raised your hand, gently cupping his cheek and holding him to you. You wished you could live in the moment forever, never leaving the comfort of the first kiss ever shared with him. You could feel his smile against your own, only furthering the sentiment of the experience. You were both ecstatic to be able to get the confession off your chests, and even happier that it was reciprocated.

When he pulled away, he didn’t stray too far from your face. His nose was still brushing against your own, and he didn’t dare move his hands from you. He leaned in once more, giving you a quick peck on the lips. You expected him to pull away after, but he did it once more, just for good measure. “I’m really glad Sam convinced me to come, too.” You said, still coming down from the high of his kiss. “I’ve wanted to do that for a really long time.”

“You can do it again. I certainly wouldn’t mind.” And you did, leaning in and capturing him in another kiss. This one was more relaxed, confidence laced within the action. All hesitation was completely forgotten, replaced solely by the thrill of the moment. “Did you want to get out of here?” He asked after parting, hoping for another positive response.

“Yeah,” you nodded, not being able to think of a better idea. He let out a sigh of relief, grinning down at you. He admired your face for a moment before pulling away, instantly leading you to the door. As shocked as you were, you couldn’t help but notice that he was feeling the same. He seemed like he’d been holding back that information for just as long as you were.

You were barely in the front yard before he had called a taxi, anxiously awaiting the arrival. The excitement wasn’t based on any promise of sex, just a mutual happiness for the nights events and an eagerness to get to know each other in a sense that was beyond friendship. You made a mental note to thank Sam later; his persistence and the gentle push out of your comfort zone had given you the best possible outcome. As much as you hated to admit it, the party was much better than expected. You were wrong for thinking so poorly of the idea, especially knowing that it had given you an opportunity like this. As thrilled as you were about the blossoming relationship with Jake, you still knew one thing for certain; you would never, under any circumstances, admit to Sam that he was right, even if he was. There were many things you learned that you should never do, and that was definitely one of them. No hangover could ever compare to the agony of listening to an egomaniacal Sam Kiszka.

[peaceful-melancholia]

The Worry (part 3)

Eleven days later, on Thursday the 21st, they had exhausted so many of Ethan’s rituals and ideas that they were finally trying one that Jake had found. The ritual had to be performed on an odd numbered Thursday, and the rest of the instructions were very specific as well, but Jake was intentionally keeping the details from the other two. He was worried that Max might decide that he didn’t want to do the ritual at all, and he was preparing to argue each element with Ethan individually, rather than all at once. Jake had the music prepped on his phone, the ingredients prepped, and he even had handouts. He watched the clock, waiting until it was about the right time to begin.

“Alright, Max. Take your shirt off,” Jake began. He pulled the two main components out of his bag.

“This is already off to a weird start. Why does it have to be eleven-thirty?” Max asked as he complied.

“It’s supposed to be close to the witching hour on an odd-numbered Thursday,” Jake answered.

“That sounds familiar. I think one of the rituals my cousin told me about was the same, but I can’t remember which one. It was one that we wouldn’t use, anyway,” Ethan mused.

“Now stand very still so I can get the sigil right,” Jake said, consulting a page where he had drawn the sigil he needed to draw. He opened up his Tupperware of blood and dipped his finger in.

“Where exactly did you get this blood?” Max asked.

“Oh, don’t worry, I didn’t bleed you or anything,” Jake reassured.

“That makes it so much worse. Do you know how many bloodborne illnesses there are?” Ethan said.

“What makes you think it’s even human? It just said ‘blood from a non-kosher animal’, nothing about being human blood. Although, I guess humans probably aren’t kosher, so that might work,” Jake said as he drew the sigil.

“So it’s pig blood?” Ethan clarified.

“Oh, yeah, that would have worked. I wish I had thought of that. Would have been easier to source, I bet, I was worried this wasn’t even going to come in time,” Jake said.

“What is it, then?” Max asked.

“Camel blood. See? Not all that weird. Now recline back a bit so I can put the glitter on,” Jake said.

“Glitter? Any ritual involving glitter could never work,” Ethan said as Max once again did as Jake asked.

“I know you say that, but probably a lot of these elements have several possible variants, or else it would have been really unlikely for any of them to have been developed in the first place. In this case, glitter is shiny, and the color is silver, so maybe the original used polished silver flakes or something. But that would burn him, so it wouldn’t really be worth trying it at that point,” Jake said. That was one of the two big hurdles he expected.

“Fine, I guess it can’t hurt. Except wasting camel blood,” Ethan said. “What’s next?”

“Well, then I draw a line from Max to each of us using the glitter,” Jake said. Ethan shook his head in continuation of his disbelief about the glitter, but Jake continued. “And then we have to fill our shoes with it and put them back on.”

“Right, obviously. You know, the only reason I’m still doing this is that you are reminding me of at least one of the rituals I heard about,” Ethan said, taking off his shoes for Jake to pour glitter into them. Jake did the same with his own shoes and drew the lines, opposite from each other and radiating away from Max.

“Do I have to have glitter in my shoes? And should I just be standing, or should I lay down, or something?” Max asked.

“No on the glitter, and it didn’t say, so do whatever seems comfortable for you, to be honest. You have the least active part. Except getting bloody, obviously,” Jake said. “Right, now take the handout, Ethan. We are going to need to do this dance, staying in the spot where the glitter line leads. Don’t mirror what I do, do it the same way I’m doing it, if that makes sense.”

“This seems familiar for a different reason,” Ethan said. “Anyway, it doesn’t look too hard. Is there a specific tempo, or is it just any synchronized pace?”

“Well, there is a specific tempo. We have to do it to Thriller, by Michael Jackson,” Jake said. Second big hurdle with Ethan.

“That’s a fully modern song,” Ethan said. He seemed to be giving up, though.

“As you said, it’s probably just for the tempo, so we might as well. And it’s pretty well themed, if I’m being honest,” Jake said.

“I think if you two are going to be dancing, it would feel weird if I was standing. I think I’ll sit, maybe,” Max said.

“Do you think you’ve got the dance down?” Jake asked.

“I guess so. I’ll have you to watch, anyway,” Ethan said. Jake knew his memory was really good, so he probably wouldn’t need the help.

“Alright, so when he sings the chorus, we start, and then we continue until either the blood catches on fire or the song ends, whichever comes first,” Jake explained.

“On fire?!” Max said. “I don’t know that I want to catch on fire.”

“Oh not you, just the blood. I don’t think it’ll melt the glitter, either,” Jake said, and he hit play on the music. He stood still, opposite Ethan, ready to start dancing – and then the chorus started.

The dance started with a twitch of the shoulder and neck, followed by a body twist and raising their arms to the side. Then there was a series of foot and hip movements, culminating in a clap. Slide right, stomp, look to the side and raise shoulders, slide left, swing one leg and arms to the side. Hips, superhero pose, hips, then Ethan and Jake pulled up their arms to the side, bending their hands like they were clawed, first on one side, then the other, standing on the leg opposite their arms each time.

“Is this really just the dance they do in the music video?” Max chimed in.

“It’s similar, but don’t interrupt,” Jake said. He and Ethan continued the dance, which required them to repeat the whole thing after they had finished going through it once. Jake was watching carefully for the blood to burn, which would indicate that they should stop the dance immediately, but it didn’t happen. Instead, the music stopped, and they stopped dancing when that happened.

“I don’t think it worked, but it did seem so familiar,” Ethan said. Just then the blood burst into flame, causing Max to scream and stand up, though he was ultimately unharmed in the process.

“Go see if there is anything different about you,” Jake said cryptically. Ethan’s eyes widened in recognition of why he had been finding it so familiar the whole time.

“This is the teeth ritual!” Ethan said. “You found a modern version of the teeth ritual! Why did this one have to be the one that worked, out of all of them? He won’t be happy.”

As if to punctuate the point, Max yelled “JAKE!” from the bathroom before stomping back out into the living room.

“So? Did it work?” Jake asked innocently.

“You did a ritual to make my canines even bigger?!” Max said, fuming.

“Well, the ritual was supposed to bring forward some of the most positive wolf-traits, just a bit, while you’re human. The teeth thing is probably just the most noticeable,” Jake said. In fact, there was debate about whether it affected anything other than the teeth, but he wasn’t going to mention that now.

“Well, they are,” Max said, pulling back his lips to show off his nearly animalistic canines, though they weren’t visible until he pulled his lips back. “If this is permanent, I’m going to kill you.”

“The site didn’t say it was permanent. I’m sure it’ll end either tomorrow, or after the full moon,” Jake said with a confidence that was entirely undeserved.

“Alright, fine, but if they are still like this after that, I really am going to kill you,” Max said, slightly comforted. “I’m going to bed, anyway. You kept us up this late on a Thursday night just to make my teeth bigger for a few days.”

Max marched into bed, leaving Ethan and Jake in the room together. They were silent for a moment before Ethan felt it was safe to talk without Max hearing.

“So…in the context I was told about that ritual, it was developed to mark a werewolf so that they couldn’t hide if they left to go somewhere else. So, yeah. It’s hella permanent.”

“Don’t say hella, it doesn’t work coming from you. And I’m prepared to die, anyway,” Jake said.

“Well, glad to hear it, because I’m not going to stop him. ‘Night,” Ethan said, leaving Jake in the room. Jake stayed in the living room for several more minutes in silence before standing to go to bed.

“Yep. I’m hella dead,” Jake said.

-:-

The next day, the moon was absent all the daylight hours. That didn’t mean very much, given the daylight hours were few and far between, but it still made it hard to track how full the moon looked. It made Jake uncomfortable how full the moon had looked the previous day, though he didn’t talk about with Max. Ethan kept reminding him that it wouldn’t truly be full until Saturday, but Jake wasn’t convinced. He was so unconvinced that he had to say something, which he did when they were all back at their apartment.

“I know the full moon isn’t until tomorrow, but it’s gonna look pretty full tonight. And I looked, and technically the last full moon was on a Thursday, not the Friday night that Max got bitten, so I really think we should set everything up and try it tonight, just in case,” Jake said. He had already started, actually, just before the others had arrived home.

“I’d prefer to be safe rather than sorry,” Max agreed.

“Alright, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Just until the moon has risen a bit, and then you’ll be able to get out anyway. The whole setup will only work while you’re not smart enough to deal with it,” Ethan said.

With that, they got to quick work, setting up their wolf trap. It was in the bedroom Max and Jake shared, which meant that Jake would have to sleep on the couch on any night Max actually was a werewolf, but that was a sacrifice Jake would just have to make.

The trap was a mix of a few experiments and a few certainties. The holy water they had mixed with salt and formed a line trapping Max in – or at least, trapping him if he were evil or if salt really had any effect on supernatural creatures. The more certain aspect was a padlock wrapped in silver wire. The key was also wrapped in silver wire. While that would burn Max, if he had the mind to, he would be able to cover his hands with something and unwrap the silver wire from the key, unlocking the padlock without issue. If the wolf even had mind enough to use a key, then the silver wire would probably prevent it from picking up the key. At least, that was the hope.

There was also a few strands of silver wire strung about the room in the hopes that it would prevent a werewolf from busting through the walls. There was a chance they wouldn’t be sufficient for that purpose, but they didn't have any better way to ensure the wolf couldn't thwart their efforts.  Max was already inside the room, and the key was on the floor. Max still had to close the padlock once the door was closed, but otherwise, they were ready. Jake closed the door and pressed his ear to it until he heard the telltale click of the lock snapping into place. Then he and Ethan went to the kitchen table to wait for the moon to be fully out.

It didn't take too long before they saw the moon, looking basically full. Ethan went to the door, informing Max that the moon was out. Max had a timer set for an hour, which was just to be extra safe and ensure that they didn't let Max out right before he transformed. They figured if he didn't transform in that hour, they'd be safe until the next night. On the way back, Ethan froze when they heard a crash from the room.

“Are you okay?” Ethan called out. There wasn't a response from the room, but there also wasn't any other noise, so Ethan came back to the chair he'd been sitting in. “Maybe you were right about setting it up tonight.”

“I don't know, I expected a lot more commotion from him changing. You know, the muscles growing and the getting taller and all of that. I would have thought he'd be moving around and be too big to fit properly in the room, and all that. So I'm guessing that was just Max being a dork and not wanting to admit it,” Jake said. Of course, he hoped he was right. It was kind of exciting to think that his bedroom would be trapping a giant murderous beast. “Oh, and a howl. I mean, wolves are pack animals, so werewolves probably are, too. So they probably howl to get together right after they all transform.”

Ethan looked only slightly skeptical, and the two waited to hear any kind of noise from the room after that. They spent nearly half an hour waiting before they heard anything, and when they did, it was the sound of ripping fabric. They waited a bit longer, expecting to hear any continued sounds of change. Instead, they heard the metallic click of the lock being reopened.

“Timer's not up yet,” Jake whispered, getting nervous.

“No, it's not. It seems the wolf might be smarter than we planned for. Let's hope the salt and holy water stop it,” Ethan said, more calmly than Jake but still nervous for what was about to happen.

There was a thud of the lock dropping to the ground, and the doorknob moved. The door opened, barely revealing the tip of a wolf's muzzle from inside the room, confirming their fears. The door opened wider, revealing Max in his full werewolf form.

“So what pisses me off about this,” Max said, his voice maybe slightly deeper or more raspy, but ultimately the same as usual, “is that it means whoever that guy was, he bit me, like, fully with the knowledge of what it would do and in his right mind. That's way worse than if he were some kind of mindless beast. Who does that?”

“So your mind is the same in every respect? Anything strange?” Ethan said, eyebrows raised at the unexpected sight of Max's werewolf form.

“Why are you only in your underwear?” Jake asked.

“I started changing and I took all my clothes off so they wouldn't rip. But then I didn't really get any bigger. The tail might have been uncomfortable with pants on, though,” Max said, looking himself over.

“But we heard ripping. What ripped?” Ethan asked.

“My underwear. It was intentional. I had to make a hole to put the tail through,” Max said, turning to show them the tail poking through just under the waistband.

That prompted each of them to give Max a proper looking over. His fur, which covered his whole body in a medium-length slightly fluffy layer, was a similar blond to what his hair had been. His face was a full wolf head, ears, teeth, and nose. His legs were an odd blend of dog and human, making it look like Max might have just been standing on the balls of his extra-long feet, were it not for the pads and claws. His hands also ended in claws, but were otherwise fairly human. He was maybe a few inches taller than he was before, but he didn't look larger in any other dimension.

“Did it hurt?” Ethan asked.

“No, it didn't really feel like much. It just felt weird afterwards, because of the fur and the tail. And I'll have to get used to the claws. The feet, surprisingly, not that hard to get used to,” Max said. “I only fell once.”

Jake was stunned by how different Max's werewolf form was from what he was expecting. So much so that he couldn't form the right words for a moment, but eventually he found his voice again.

“You're really just…” Jake said, searching again for the right words. “a cute little werewolf puppy.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow at Jake, but Max's mouth was hanging open in shock. It was surprisingly expressive for being so wolf like, Jake thought.

“I will BITE you if you say anything like that ever again!” Max said, clearly offended. “Wait,” he continued, clearly coming to some kind of realization. “Oh, man! I called that werewolf a cute puppy! And then I threatened to bite you for that, so I guess I get it now and that means I can't be mad at him! This is the absolute worst.”

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Breaking Down the Comics: Fighting the dead.

Moon Knight, Issue 21: The Master of Night Earth / Murder by Moonlight

It's officially spooky time and have I got a Moon Knight comic double feature cross over event for you! 

The first one features Brother Voodoo! A lot of you probably have no idea who that is. I used to sit in that boat too. (Marvel is not good at keeping up with their characters until they think they can suddenly make them popular or make money off them). 

In fact, Brother Voodoo was once Sorcerer Supreme many years ago when Strange 'retired'. (See 'Search for the Sorcerer Supreme'. A good event that I really enjoyed in which all of Marvel's magical characters got featured). 

Firstly, look at that beautiful cover! I’m a sucker for black and white and rough style drawings. 

Alright! 

So we open up in a port in Haiti. Moon Knight's fighting some gun runners when suddenly a specter appears to join the fight. 

The thugs all run! 

"It is him! The disciple of Papa Jambo!! Brother Voodoo! His spirit has come to fill our hearts with fire!" 

(Moon Knight is no newbie when it comes to Voodoo. He's faced down things like this before in a previous issue.) 

"Well, whatever you are, pal, you sure put the Kibosh on these thugs. They're runnin' faster'n a clock at happy hour!" 

If that isn't Jake talking I'll eat my hat. 

The ghost inhabits one of the running goons and forces the goon to turn and take a stab at Moon Knight. 

Moon Knight socks it to him and accidentally knocks the goon and ghost off the pier and into an escaping speed boat. 

I think the funniest thing here is that the comic now points out that Moon Knight has a two way mic in his cowl that connects to Frenchie. How often do you think Frenchie sits up there just listening to it all? 

While Moon Knight is no Spider-man, he does often talk to 'himself' or have a snippy running commentary. 

"Guess ya heard my prize winnin' monologue, Frenchie. The birds've flown, so you might as well bring down the chopper to pick up--Huh? Drums!" 

That's right. The sound of drums fill the air and a man appears in a wall of flames. 

I think my favorite thing is how much Moon Knight recognizes his poor luck and when things go weird. 

Moon Knight has certainly seen his fair share of mystical and weird things so he takes it in stride, of course. 

"Who in blazes are you?!" 

As meetings go, this is pretty tame. Considering every time Moon Knight meets someone they end up fighting (with one notable exception coming up in another issue). 

We get a brief review on who they are. Jericho Drum is Brother Voodoo! 

Moon Knight introduces himself, "I'm a lot of things at a lot of different times, Pal, most of 'em based in New York, but before New York, ONE of those things was a mercenary, a soldier for hire. Y'see, I've fought a lot of fights under a lot of flags and identities... But I've probably enjoyed my free agent mercenary experience the most." 

An interesting introduction. I take a strong feeling of Jake earlier with the accent and speech patterns. (Not to mention use of the word Kibosh, which is actually not Yiddish, but Irish slang that is often mistaken as yiddish!) Yet, Jake doesn't like to leave New York. He'd rather stay where he is comfortable and has the upper hand. 

Here, with the instant description as his old days as a Merc that enjoyed the fight so much that he still does it, one might get the impression it's Marc. 

BUT... 

"You might say that's what I'm doin' now--What I'm the very best at, and doin' it by way of my identity as a costumed clown. And though I got money to burn--I don't mind pickin' up a little extra cash." 

"Then you were paid to come here to Haiti?" 

"You might say that, too." 

Marc picks up his old job with resistance. He has never been one to jump in the saddle and go out hunting for money. Not anymore. 

But there's more: 

"I did my homework before acceptin' the assignment, if THAT'S what you mean. Enough to know Im on the side of the angels." 

One gets the feeling that Marc is doing what he does best with the prodding of something he needs to do. Perhaps co-fronting with Jake as a sort of protector. Letting Jake run things to keep his spirits up and prevent him from crashing and burning like he did in Israel. 

An early sign, perhaps, that they are struggling but learning to work together. 

Anyways, back to the story! 

Brother Voodoo explains that Haiti has suffered many coup d'etats and there is a current terrorist attempt to take over. He is head of security here and he offers to pay Moon Knight handsomely if he agrees to help stop the latest attempted overthrow. 

Brother Voodoo warns him of “Houngans, the lord of the crossroads and demons, master of night earth, night forests, and zuvembies and voodoo.” 

Moon Knight first scoffs at the notion of REAL voodoo but then takes pause not to scoff at such things when he saw this man become a sort of ghost first hand. 

"The spirit you saw was my slain brother, Daniel." (See Brother Voodoo backstory to find out more! But basically his brother was killed and now acts as a spirit at his side that can inhabit people to help the cause). 

Let's back up a moment. Houngans, also known as Oungan in real life Haitian, is a male priest in Haitian Vodou. A powerful man that can work with the spirits. 

Moon Knight sends Frenchie off with his chopper to dispose of the stolen munitions they recovered. Meanwhile, Brother Voodoo and he take a boat down the river to track down the escaped speedboat. 

Daniel, the spirit brother, has inhabited one of the thugs still and will help guide them to the safehouse. 

On the way there, they encounter Zombies on gators! 

I’m going to add this informally to my check list of animals Moon Knight has fought. Zombie gators and Zombie snakes. That’s a new one there, Moon Knight buddy. 

Brother Voodoo and Moon Knight put up a fight, but it's hard to kill what's already dead. 

Just when it seems to be a lost fight, the zombies suddenly start to retreat! 

It would seem that the grand leader doesn't yet have full control of the undead. 

The zombies head down one direction and Daniel's spirit went down the other. Frenchie shows up and Moon Knight head off to fight the terrorists while Brother Voodoo sets out to track down the zombies. 

Marc and Frenchie find a fortress deep in the swamp. Meanwhile, Brother Voodoo comes across a waterfall that comes out just on the other side of the fortress! 

Moon Knight attempts to glide in to save him from the waterfall but Voodoo refuses and goes over the edge. 

I just want to say how much I ADORE this art right now. It’s the formless features of the face hidden in darkness with the eyes. Old Moon Knight cowl was just amazing and O dig classic costume. LOOK AT IT. 

Moon Knight is surrounded by thugs with guns and thinks it might be the end when drums start up again! 

Brother Voodoo appears and the ghost of his brother returns while the thugs make a run for it. 

The art of surprise is over, but they decide to use stealth to sneak in. 

And we all know how Moon Knight does with stealth... 

Do I have a crash through the window counter? I really should have started one of those... 

He’s such a drama king. 

Anyways, if Moon Knight is asking for five minutes alone with a guy, it isn't going to go well for that guy. 

Moon Knight confronts the smartly dressed man and demands the rest of his money. 

(Does everyone owe him money? Marc what the hell you been doing?) 

The man gives Moon Knight the owed money then tells him that Brother Voodoo has joined the terrorists and needs to be taken out. 

"No dice, Giscard. I've been paid in full to stop the terrorists, and that's just what I'm gonna do... Startin' with you, the stinkin' leader of the terrorists!" 

The man hired Moon Knight to stop terrorists, which were a few sacrificial goons, in order to look good to the government leaders. Meanwhile, he was staging the coup while pretending to be stopping it! 

Honestly, Marc should have caught wind of this earlier. I'm sure he's been in charge of MANY coups and run with plenty of warmongers. 

He hits a trap button and Moon Knight is shot with a poison dart! 

Moon Knight awakens to find himself staring down the villain, now dressed in a new outfit. 

"You see, Moon Knight, I play three roles...You have seen me in two of them- as the Government security chief and as the leader of the revolutionary forces seeking to topple that government. But now, you see me in my third and most important role- the Grand Bois, leader of the unholy trinity, lord of the crossroads and demons...The Master of the Night earth and night forests!" 

He gives a long convoluted speech explaining how he will soon gain control over death once the full moon has fully risen. 

Once he has full control over death he will raise his zombie army to take over Haiti. 

During his speech, Moon Knight has slipped his restraints. 

Zombies show up again and so does Brother Voodoo. 

They fight the zombies and try to shatter the large mcguffin that is helping to control them. 

Moon Knight calls in Frenchie with the big guns and he uses the chopper's gunfire to break the mcguffin and send the Zombies back to their graves. 

The goons show up and turn on the villain, deciding they are tired of the zombies. Turns out they weren't too happy to see their ancestors turned into zombies. 

He offers his pay to Brother Voodoo, seeing how the money came from Haiti’s treasury in the first place. 

Let’s give away this bread. 

What an interesting crossover. 

The implication of Marc working as a Merc again under the guise of Moon Knight, accepting money, to stop a coup. There's a lot going on there. He doesn't need the money. It's just more to toss onto Steven's pile. And I'm Sure Steven would not be thrilled to have to deal with more laundered and ill-be-gotten cash. 

And then there's the whole feel that this is NOT Marc, but Jake. But also Marc. Like a combination of the two. Like Marc felt he needed to help a government that he probably at one point help over throw and put into chaos... But he needed someone to oversee him. To do some hand holding to prevent him from reverting to old tactics, flashbacks, or guilt. 

Maybe I'm putting too much into it, but after the issues that preceded this one, maybe Marc isn't ready to settle in yet but also is trying to do some good as a Merc but as Moon Knight.

It was also interesting to hear him talk about his other identities and actually refer to Steven as "the other guy".

And there was also a nice counter to the villain being three roles: Government rich guy, Leader of a coup, and then the religious zealot.

Counter that with Steven, Marc, and Jake in their own roles.

Generally when there are cross over issues, it's an effort to get people interested in the other character enough to go look into their comics and start reading those too. So there really is a general light version of both characters without a lot of weight or back story. They don't want to off put people just tuning in with a lot of lore and things you should know.

So the skirting of the Marc vs. his identity as the merc without guilt issue is avoided here. This issue is for Brother Voodoo.

(And you know what? Those tactics work because I got into Moon Knight because of a Moon Knight cross over issues and went "Who the fuck is this guy?!")

-

BONUS ISSUE! "MURDER BY MOONLIGHT" by Alan Zelenetz. 

Oh boy you guys. This is a Khonshu story! 

"Under the timeless gaze of the ancient Egytpain god, More than Marc Spector have known the power of Khonshu.... TALES OF KHONSHU"

We open up on a full moon and a city in distress. An officer has been shot killed and the perp is on the loose! 

A man named Herb Russell runs through the botanical gardens. The narration paints him as ruthless and a man that won't stand to loose. 

Tired of running, he turns to find he's landed at the Brooklyn Museum "where a late evening lecture series is still in progress." 

"Hey, if I can cool it a couple of hours in there, then I just leave with the crowd like a respectable citizen - ha!- when it opens in the morning, and no worries." 

He sneaks into the museum and into the night lecture being conducted by a famed Egyptologist "Dr. Richard Mark". 

He lectures on the benefits of X-rays for examining mummies without having to disturb them or dishonor them. 

He explains that he plans to radiograph some more things before the exhibit opens in the morning. 

Hmmm... I sense foreshadowing. 

Meanwhile, upstairs, Herb Russell is sneaking through the Egyptian exhibit. 

"I'll bet this stuff must be worth a lotta dough. I oughta swipe somethin' before I leave." 

Ah yes…. The Khonshu statue. ……Wait. How did it get there? It’s supposed to be in the desert waiting for Marc to raise him from the dead. That’s the cloak that Marc streals to make as his own cape. What’s he doing in a museum in Brooklyn? 

He's so judgy.

This will end well. 

The night guard takes a look around and deems no one there then leaves. 

Now, Russell tries to leave the sarcophagus only to find the lid stuck! 

' "What is the punishment of the sinner?" Reads the heiroglypic proverb painted along the mummy case... "Evil shall pursue him and the soul which sins shall die." ' 

Come morning, we seed the Egyptologist prepping for the exhibit and taking radiographs. 

Let’s pretend that maybe there are in fact multiple Khonshu statues. There was, after all, a moon cult back in the day when Ra fell out of favor and people decided Khonshu was the way to go. So there may have been more than one statue or temple. So Marc dies at one, takes that statue home. There is another in the museum. Maybe one in London too because London has half of Egypt. 

Anyways, Khonshu has always been a judgy dick. Also what a way to go. Spooky, right? 

Zombies and scary stories of suffocating in coffins under the judgy gaze of a moon god…. What a way to kick off the spooky season! (this comic came out in July of 1982). 

What do you guys think? What about the sudden change in Marc’s behavior in the first part? What about the duplicate statues all over? 

[seresinhangmanjake]

"“You know, I’ve been told I’m a phenomenal learner,” you hear, but it’s a much deeper sound than the curly-haired woman at your side is able to produce. The unexpected addition makes the sip of soda in your mouth travel down the wrong pipe, throwing you into a coughing fit.", "“Oh, shit,” the voice rushes out, snatching a napkin from the next booth and thrusting it in your face. You take it to muffle the sharp choking noises fighting their way out of your windpipe. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”" - oh, I love this!!! He just pops up!!! And then he is so sweet!

"It was almost two hours ago that you began feeling that same burning sensation from a couple of weeks ago, but you thought little of it, having scanned the room for him when you first arrived at the bar.", "He still found you. He still affects you." - I adore that you keep this sense of connection between them!!! It's so cool!!! And just adds so much to their relationship!!!

"“Fuck,” you mumble.", "“Name a time and a place, sweetheart, and I’m all yours.”" - hahahaha, this is so funny!!!

"There’s not a single uttering from the group of four as Lola and Gemma stare at you and Jake staring at each other. Neither of you is willing to break eye contact, and the tension becomes heavy, like rich honey—thick enough to drag your finger through." - your descriptions are amazing!!!!! So palpable!!!!!

"Jake shakes his head, clicks his tongue, and faces your table again. “Honestly, I know the feeling,” he says. His eyes connect with yours, puzzle pieces locking together until the burn starts to sear too deep and you have to look away. “It’s a tough spot to be in,” he continues. “And I can’t in good conscience move in on the girl whose laugh has made another man blush three times within the last hour.”" - this is just so sweet! I love the way you write Jake so much!!!

"You chew on your lip, trying to ignore his pull.", "Jake smiles; another thing you don’t have to see to know it’s there. You feel that grin just from its power alone." - again, I love the way you write their connection!!!

"You don’t know what he’s thinking. You remind yourself that you don’t care." - this is such a great detail!!! Just the slow surfacing interest and attraction!!! Love it!!!

"He sighs and drops eye contact. Like it’s too hard to maintain. Like he’s ashamed or confused or contemplating, or all three. Then he wets his bottom lip with a dart of his tongue; he draws that lip between his teeth, biting down; he barely shakes his head before he rejoins your gazes." - YOUR!!! DESCRIPTIONS!!!!! A-MAZ-ING!!!!

"“Because I look at you now, and I don’t understand how it was possible,” he admits." - I am MELTING!!!! This is so touching!!!!

"For a man you’ve witnessed succeed in his every attempt at wooing women until you, you won’t deny that what he’s doing is gutsy and, you suppose, unworthy of being shamed. He’s resilient, determined, and you have great respect for perseverance, but in this case, it's not sufficient to rearrange your perception of him." - yesss!!!! The respect!!!! Love it!!!! What all good relationships are based on!!!

"He smiles; not broadly, not boastfully, but gently, sweetly, as if reliving a memory. “I asked Penny after you left that night,” he tells you. “It’s beautiful. Suits you.”" - again, I am MELTING!!!!

"Your woven arms tighten, pointed nails digging into your bicep. Don’t shiver, you command your body. Don’t show the tingling chill he just shot up your spine and through your limbs. You try swallowing through the ghost-like grip he suddenly has on your throat. The light grasp of wispy fingers that don’t aim to choke, but simply rest around the column. Possessive but not controlling. Also not really there. And you don’t appreciate the growing strength of his power to touch you without you being within reaching distance." - the description!!!! Beautiful!!! And again, this show of connection is amazing!!! And I love that you keep the magical feeling to it!!!

"He steps closer. His arm moves toward you, hand prepared to plant itself on your forearm, but at the last second, he thinks better of it and drops that limb back to his side. His fingers ball into a fist that tightens and loosens and tightens and loosens. He doesn’t know that you see him doing it, and then it stops. “Look, when you said that you're not my type, you were right. You were right. You're not right anymore. You only weren't my type because I'd never seen you before.” He takes a breath. “But I know I could swear that up and down, right here, right now, and you wouldn't believe me; not really; maybe not at all. So I have to prove it, don't I? I have to earn it.”" - this whole section is amazing!!!! The action, how Jake thinks better of touching her and how he is so respectful too and how he knows that he has to earn her trust and interest and her time!!! I love it!!!! Beautiful!!!

This whole chapter is AMAZING!!!!!

Thank you so much ☺️ 💓 This makes me glad I wrote part 2. It didn't seem like people liked it and one comment wasn't even about the story at all so I was kind of feeling like I shouldn't even bother.

[hacked-by-jake]

Hi yes hello I just got away from someone who I think was stalking me and I am freaking out and know I will continue freaking out for several days. Would you kindly write something where MC is in the same situation and Jake helps them in some way? He doesn't have to physically show up if it doesn't make sense storywise he can just talk to MC and tell them to go someplace public or whatever and help keep them calm. I don't know. Thank you.

Take you home.

>Part 2

Summary: Jake helps you when you’re being followed by a stranger on your way home at night.

Words: 2,3k

Warnings: MC is being persecuted and the person has no good intentions / Light swearing.

⚠️A/n: Okay, first of all, I’m really sorry you had to experience this. I very much hope that you are well / that you are better and everything is okay. If you want to talk to someone you don’t know, feel free to write to me.❤️

>>So, then, of course, please take all care of yourselves! Be careful and when you get into a situation like this, find someone who can help you quickly. People on the street, ring a bell even if you don’t know who lives there. Ask for help and draw attention to yourself. If you are alone, there are almost now numbers everywhere you can call if you happen to be on your way home or wherever. Save this number to your phone and get help there. Or call the police, even if it seems exaggerated to you, but at such moments it is not exaggerated.<<

To the Story: I started writing this but realized in the way I wrote it that I didn’t feel good about it. So I decided to write another alternative. Alternative 1. I have left both alternatives there, it is marked. The beginning and the end of the story are for both alternatives. However, Alternative 2 is a little more fictional, while Alternative 1 is a little more serious (if I can say so). I just felt Alternative 2 wasn’t serious enough for this really serious subject. Nevertheless, I left alternative 2 inside to maybe / hopefully leave a little bit more good (more cute etc.) feeling.

So, and at least: In this story, the perpetrator is a man. But I would like to point out that it is not only men who do this. This can happen to all genders and all gender can be perpetrators!

Now, I hope you will like it and I can help you a little bit with it or that it will calm you down a little. Thank you for your request and always be careful. Stay healthy.

Sorry about the mistakes.

"See you tomorrow" you call laughing and wave goodbye to the others once again. You put both hands deep into the pockets of your jacket and make your way home in a good mood. You and the others have all spent a nice evening in the Aurora. Actually, the others wanted to drive you home but you said that the fresh air will do you good because it is always very warm and stuffy in the bar. "Good night, MC" says a friend of Phil who is coming toward you and only now enters the bar. "Bye" you smile.

You breathe deep in the fresh night air, which is more than good for your body and your mind. You close your eyes and enjoy the silence for a moment. Nothing can be heard far and wide. No cars, no people, not even ravens crowing. A beautiful and clear night in Duskwood.

Your way home is fortunately not so far. From the Aurora about 15 to 20 minutes walk. Quietly you mumble your favorite song and whistle the music in some places. Until you see a black shadow across the street.

You turn your gaze there and see a man, dressed in dark, looking around. His eyes are flashing in the light of the street lights and you quickly turn your gaze away again. From the corner of your eye, you can see that he’s moving across the street to yours. You’re twisting your eyes, not pleased. Of course, you don’t want to say right away that this man is a bit weird just because he changes sides of the road but nevertheless you have a queasy feeling. It’s no secret you have to be careful.

Just for your own safety and to calm your mind, you turn left on the next street. It is not really a shortcut, the way remains the same, but enough to avoid him. But when you notice the quiet steps behind you also turn into the alley, you become really uncomfortable. You are getting closer to your apartment and thus to the edge of the forest.

Not many people live here anymore. After Hannah was found and the case solved, many people moved away from here and when you moved to Duskwood, you found your apartment in the edge of the forest.

Since there are really not many people living here, you also know that the probability that the man has to go exactly this way is low. You try inconspicuously, turn your head backwards to look over your shoulder. It seems to you that the man has accelerated his steps, which automatically makes you run a little faster too. Of course he notices your look.

"Wait a minute," he calls and your heart stops for some knockers. Quickly you look straight again. Speed up your pace again. Don’t want to get panicked and hectic, yet you can’t resist your mind that immediately tells you 'run' "You don’t have to be afraid," he shouts behind you. A goose bump spreads on your body and a wheeze leaves your lips.

Your mind goes crazy and your body immediately enters survival mode. You’re starting to go faster, panicking of the strange man.

You thought Duskwood left those dark days behind.

"You don’t have to run away!" he calls again and you tighten your jaw muscle. It’ll still take a little to get to your apartment. Again you look back, see that the man has come even closer, also runs very fast. The houses and apartments around you are all dark, people are sleeping, no one would wake up. And then you get the idea.

Jake, the only one of the others who lives near you is Jake.

When he moved here, he moved into an apartment about four blocks from you. Further downtown, it has become difficult to find anything. You pull your phone out of your pocket and open the phone immediately. You always have Jake on speed dial, so you can call right away. Afraid, you press the phone against your ear. Your other hand wraps tightly around the pepper spray you own since there was the Man Without a Face.

'Pick up, pick up, pick up'

"I just want to talk to you!" calls the creepy man from behind and this time you can not hold back and the first sob leaves your lips.

"Hello, MC?" you hear Jake’s astonished voice. Of course, he doesn’t expect you to call him at 2:00 a.m. "Help me" you whisper quietly, your voice is a squeak, panicked, anxious, desperate. "What’s going on?" Jake immediately sounds alarmed. Immediately notice that the situation is serious. "A man has been following me since the Aurora, he wants me to stop," with deep sobbing you explain the situation. "How much distance is between you?" Jake asks calmly. "About 7 or 8 meters, but every time I run faster, he runs faster too!" you answer. You hear loud rustling from Jake. "Okay, MC, you just have to stay calm, don’t hang up, I’m already on my way" You agree, mumbling. "It won’t be long before I’m with you," insured, and you hear fast paces echoing through the phone.

"Stay now!" the man shouts loudly and you flinch. He sounds much more aggressive than he just did, impatient and annoyed.

---------------------------------

>>Alternative 1

"Hurry up, please," you beg Jake.

"Stay calm, okay, MC? Put me on speaker" he orders and tries to keep his voice relatively quiet so as not to make you more nervous.

You do what he says and unlike what you expected, he makes a request for a video call. You take the call and put it on speaker.

His face appears and you immediately feel a little more safe. You keep the phone further away from your face so that the man behind you can also see that at least someone is there who can see you." I’ve got your location, I’m on my way to you. It’s only two streets away," Jake says aloud, briefly holding a second phone in front of the camera where your location is displayed. Even if your pursuer may not be able to see it, the gesture counts.

Carefully you turn back and take a look again. For your joy, his steps have already slowed down and a little more distance is between you.

"I don’t need a minute until I’m with you, MC," Jake informs you and you nod relieved. You wipe the tears from the cheeks that have calmed down a bit and breathes trembling deeply before you look behind you again.

The man changes sides of the road.

"It works" you breathe and nod wildly with your head, in relief.

You see the man walking the other way, in the opposite direction of you. He has given up, seems to have noticed that you're safe now.

"Stay there," demands Jake, "I can see you," he informs you, and you look to the right, into the street next to you. In fact, you see the hacker running towards you, but now also slowing down his steps.

"Oh God," you croak relieved, lowers your phone and run towards him. From afar he stretches out his arms and you throw yourself into his embrace. <<

---------------------------------

>>Alternative 2

"Hurry up," you plead. You’re accelerating your steps more and more. Jake answers something, his voice is blurry, choppy and distorted.

Quickly you look at your screen. No signal. Your phone has no signal. It’s a dead zone.

You hear as Jake asks about you, also difficult to recognize. The first tears run down your cheek and burn into your skin.

Slowly everything starts to turn, from the panic in you. It all feels blurry, imaginary and not real. But unfortunately it is real. "Shit!" you hiss as your screen turns black. Jake has to hurry!

"Stop!" the man calls again and suddenly you hear firm and fast steps behind you. Without looking, you know he start running. And without hesitation you start running as well. It feels like there’s a loud sough in your ears, like an old radio is losing the signal.

Your surroundings become blurred, out of focus and you feel as if everything is pulsating around you. The houses are getting closer, it feels like it’s getting darker around you, It’s like the sky is getting even blacker. And the only thing booming in your head is 'run, run for your life' You can’t prevent a weepy whining from coming out of your mouth followed by a loud sob. You try to blink the tears in your eyes away to see something but it doesn’t work. The more you try, the worse it gets.

Your lungs are starting to burn. Stitches in your sides make this run unbearable. You lift your legs higher while running to reduce the risk of stumbling. Just focus on running and breathing. The steps behind you are not to be heard, like this mute everything feels. "MC" you hear it calling from somewhere, can not arrange the voice, your mind imagines that your persecutor knows your name. But then, suddenly, you see, out of the alley next to you, an arm coming out fast. He’s reaching for your upper arm. It’s so fast, you don’t even have time to scream. You get ripped around and hit against a back hard.

In the first moment you want to fight back, defend yourself, to kick around you but you quickly recognize the voice as Jake’s when he says "I’m here, MC, everything is good". Full of pure relief, you wrap your arms around him from behind, "Thanks God" you sigh and press your face into the soft material of his sweater. Jake’s hand reaches for yours and puts it on it calmly as he builds up tall in front of the man. You don’t want to look at this guy, you don’t want him to see you.

"Can I help you?" Jake asks in a deep and dangerous-sounding voice. You never thought he could speak like that, so angry that his voice is almost shaking. You hear how the other man’s steps have finally stopped, "No, everything is fine," he grumbles.

"Then fuck off now" Jakes hisses aggressively and takes a step forward. You will be pulled along and wrap your arms even more tighter around him.

"It’s all right, man," the other one grumbles and really seems to turn around to leave. Jake doesn’t move a bit, his whole body is tense, he is under high tension, you feel how tense his muscles are. Feel how trembling his breath escapes.

When your persecutor finally disappeared, Jake takes your arms off his belly and turns around. Without a word, he wraps his arms around you and pulls you tightly against his body. Your mind finally realizes that you don’t need to be afraid anymore, you start crying again, but this time out of relief and happiness.<<

---------------------------------

You start crying hard, crying against his chest, his arms holding you tight, protective.

"It’s all good, MC," he whispers, and his voice sounds like he’s about to cry too. You’re pressing so tight and close against him that you’re afraid you might crush him, but you have no control over it. And he doesn’t seem to mind.

"It’s all good, MC, I’m here now, you’re safe, I take care of you. He can’t hurt you anymore, and he’ll never be able to hurt you," he whispers, pressing his lips on your forehead.

"You’re safe," he keeps confirming that everything’s okay now. Does not let go, holds you and gives you stability and safety.

"Thank you" you whimper and bury your hands in the fabric of his sweater.

"Don’t thank me, there’s no reason to thank me, everything is fine," he easily walks away from you to look at you. Lovingly and carefully he puts his hands on your cheeks to wipe the tears from your cheek with his thumbs.

"You’re safe, okay? I’m here"

You nod, try to calm down and stop your tears." You’re coming with me, all right? You’re sleeping in my apartment today. You don’t have to be alone right now. And you can stay as long as you want," he suggests, and You exhale with relief, glad you don’t have to be alone.

"Thank you" you croak again and again he kisses you lightly on the forehead.

"Shall we go?" he asks cautiously and you agree.

Jake takes your hand into his, and slowly you start on the path that luckily is not far.

"You never walk home alone again, all right? You can always call me and I’ll pick you up. And if you want to walk, then I’ll come and we’ll go home together"

You don’t contradict him, you’re happy about it. Never want to walk alone again.

"I got his data from his cell phone, and we know who he is. Tomorrow we’ll see what we can do," he tells you, and you try to smile a bit.

-

When you two gets home, he picks out some of his clothes for you, a shorts and a T-shirt. You take a warm and soothing shower while he makes you a cup of tea.

Together you lie down, he holds his arms open for you and holds you tight and takes care of you until you fall asleep.

🌹🎭❤️

[marvelatthetwilight]

Good to be home.

A/N: Just a quick one while I sort out some follow up pieces.

You had missed your brother immensely in the 5 years since you had been home. You were 7 when your mom left, and your dad moved you both back to La Push hoping that being back at the reservation would help you both, growing up as part of a community. Your dad gradually grew distant, starting to drink more and more. Sometimes he could be gone for days at a time, leaving the two of you to fend for yourselves. You relied on each other for everything. It was a shock when, at 13, your dad decided you should go back to Tacoma and stay with your grandparents, claiming that he couldn’t care for two teenagers, and that your brother was “easier” to deal with.

And so, the two of you were separated. Partners in crime, peas in a pod, best friends, ripped apart.

When your grandparents passed away, you finally had the money and the means to move back to La Push, reuniting you and your brother Paul once again.

~~~

“Y/N Lahote as I live and breathe!” Jared Cameron came bounding over to your car as you pulled up to the address Paul sent you.

“Paul has NOT stopped talking about you coming home, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so excited” Jared smiled as he opened up the passenger door and helped you with your bags.

“Jared, you look so grown up! You used to be so weedy! What happened?” You stared incredulously at him, he had grown at least a foot since you last saw him, had filled out and become muscular, nothing like the Jared you were expecting to see.

“Ha! If you think that’s something, just wait until you see your brother.”

You followed him into the house which you understood to be Emily and Sam’s. They had offered to let you stay with them whilst Paul was still finishing his house he was building for himself and Rachel.

As you entered the kitchen you were greeted with a hug from Emily, you recognised her from the photos Paul had sent you over the years. Emily was closely followed by Kim, and then Rachel, who you had spoken to on the phone almost everyday since you had planned to return home.

“Y/N! We are all SO excited to see you! Paul and I have so many plans for us!” Rachel jumped with joy, excited to spend time with her new “sister”.

“So where is my brother? I was expecting him outside waiting considering the amount he has been bothering me with questions about my arrival this week” Rachel looks over at Emily before saying; “he’s out doing some errands with Embry and Sam, they will be back soon, let’s get you settled!”

They gesture for Jared to help with your bags, and he picks them up with ease before leading the way to the guest room.

“This is going to be so hard keeping everything from Y/N if she is staying here, it’s going to be right under her nose. The boys aren’t subtle at all.” Emily whispers to Rachel.

“I know but that’s why we are in charge of keeping her busy! At least until Paul’s house is ready, then it’ll be easier.” Rachel replies as she starts walking towards the guest room, not realising that you had hung back to ask Emily a question away from Jared, unintentionally hearing their conversation.

~~~

An hour later you are in the kitchen at Emily’s dining table, bonding with the girls over your love of cooking, discussing your favourite bands. But you couldn’t stop thinking about what you had overheard. What were they keeping from you?

At that moment, Paul appeared at the door, an enormous smile on his face.

“Y/N!!!!!!!” He ran towards you, lifting you from your seat, into a bear hug. Oh how you had missed his hugs. Although you don’t remember them being this warm.

“I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am that you’re here, I have so many plans, we can go to the beach, go for a hike, I can show you the house, you can choose how to decorate your room..”

“Maybe give Y/N a chance to process what you’re saying before you keep going there Paul. I’m Sam, it’s so good to finally meet you, I’ve heard so much about you” Sam holds out his hand for you to shake, you choosing to ignore that and pulling him in for a hug instead. Woah, it’s not just Paul who feels like he’s burning up. They’re like heaters.

“Obviously I have to hug the man who’s helped my brother out so much. Thank you for everything you’ve done.” Sam smiles at this, before turning his attention to Emily, pulling her in for a hug and peppering her face with kisses.

“...thanks for running off Paul, Sam can you please explain to this idiot that just because he’s one of the fastest wolves in the pack doesn’t mean he needs to run at full speed all the time?!...oh...erm...” everyone’s heads turn to face the two new people who have appeared at the door, seemingly unaware of your presence until it was too late.

Paul’s face turns red with anger, you recognise this quickly from the stories he had told you over the years. Rachel is quickly to his side, arms around his waist, forcing his eyes to her own, speaking to him softly and calming him down.

You look again to the two men still standing in the doorway.

“Erm...hi. I’m Quil, and this idiot is Embry. Sorry, we forgot you were coming today Y/N, please ignore Embry, we have a running joke with Emily calling us all wolves because we act like a pack and we eat her out of house and home”. He laughs unnaturally at this, glancing at the others who join in, catching on that this should be funny.

You smile tightly at him, something is definitely up here. Then you turn your attention to the guy you now know to be Embry. You vaguely remember Embry and Quil from school, friends of Jacob Black’s, you were in the same year but not friends, but you don’t remember him looking like this. Why are all of Paul’s friends so muscly and tall? You definitely didn’t remember Embry being this handsome, he definitely would have stood out more. It’s like Sam has a type for his friends, another thing to add to your list of suspicions, as well as this bizarre reference to wolves. What is going on?

You realise that Embry is staring at you, his eyes are unfocused and he looks like he has completely zoned out. You cough slightly, drawing him out of his trance, attention back to you. His eyes are soft and warm, his face breaks out into a huge smile as he reaches out his hand.

“Hi, it’s so good to see you again Y/N, we’ve heard so much about your time away, erm, I’m Embry.”

You take his hand in yours, he’s so warm, why are they all so warm?

“I remember you Embry. You, Jake and Quil were like the three musketeers, always together!”

Embry smiles at the fact you remember him, and nods his head at your statement.

“We still are, don’t know what I would do without them!”

A growl sounds out from across the room, a quick cough coming from Sam stops the growl suddenly. You turn to see Paul, still with Rachel wrapped around his waist trying to calm him, shooting daggers at Embry.

“Oh this is great! I am SO looking forward to you getting out of this one Embry!” Jared laughs and claps Embry on the back.

“Paul, Embry, outside now” Sam states sternly, the two men quickly following him out of the house. You follow them with your eyes until they disappear into the tree line.

Everyone looks awkwardly at each other, before Emily suggests you help her with dinner. You agree, nodding, hoping that someone at some point will explain to you what the hell is going on.

~~~

The guys finally return an hour later, both Paul and Embry smiling as they playfully push each other walking back towards the house.

“Paul’s let him off far too lightly. I wanted Embry to at least come back with some bites...” Jared stops as Kim nudges him in the ribs.

“Can we speak to you outside Y/N?” Paul says, giving you a look and motioning outside.

You follow him out, and they both walk a bit away from the house towards the open space behind them.

~~~

You now find yourself standing next to Embry, a giant grey wolf standing in front of you.

Apparently, they really are all wolves, and you vaguely remember stories like this when you lived in La Push when you were younger. You just assumed they were nonsense, just silly stories to keep people in line with the threat of wolves and cold ones.

But they were all true. So this is what everyone was keeping from you? But, if they were going to tell you anyway, why was this all a big secret?

You turn to Embry, to see him watching your face carefully. His cheeks flush when he realises he has been staring again.

“So, this is why everyone has been acting strange around me all day?” Paul’s wolf nods and Embry speaks up.

“Yes. We weren’t allowed to say anything about it, so it had to be a secret. But...something changed that means we can now tell you.” He looks embarrassed again, and Paul huffs like he is unhappy about what has been said.

Embry flashes him a look, and Paul stalks away back to the tree line he emerged from minutes earlier.

“Can we sit? I feel like we should be sitting for this.”

You nod, still suspicious and then you both make your way to a small bench close to the house.

“So...one of the perks, I suppose, of our wolves is that we imprint. Erm...and imprinting is basically our way of finding our soul mate. It’s like a pull, we don’t want to be away from them but ultimately, we just want them to be happy. ...It’s not always romantic soul mates, it can just be a friendship...whatever the imprint wants from us basically” he shuffles in his seat, glancing at the floor, scuffing his foot in the dirt.

“Ok...so that’s what Paul and Rachel are, imprints, that’s why she was able to calm him?”

Embry nods.

“And Jared and Kim, Sam and Emily? They’re imprints too?”

Embry nods again.

“So...why are you telling me this? What has changed for me to now know your secret?”

Embry’s face flushes at this question. He was hoping you would have caught on and he wouldn’t need to actually tell you.

“Y/N...” Embry looks up, looking deeply into your eyes, willing you to understand.

“Oh...” you whispered, he was saying that you were his imprint. You thought about this carefully. Embry. “You’re saying that I’m your imprint?”

Embry nods a final time. Hesitant about your reaction.

“But we can be whatever you want us to be, it doesn’t need to be anything else.” He looks away again, hoping that you want what he wants, but not wanting to push you into something you aren’t comfortable with.

You can admit to yourself that you do feel a pull towards him, more than just a friendship you think.

“Erm...maybe we take it slow? But, I think...I want...”

You look up at him, his eyes full of love and something clicks inside you. You lean forward, closing the space between you. He looks shocked but he closes the space again until your lips are inches apart. He waits for you to take the final move.

Your lips touch briefly, and your body tingles at the touch, a shiver running through you as you move apart and the contact is lost. Wow.

“I definitely want to be more than friends Embry.” You whisper to him, leaning your forehead against his, your lips still close.

“I am going to make you the happiest girl in the entire world Y/N Lahote.” You smile and kiss him again.

I could get used to this, you thought.

It’s so good to be home.

A/N: so this wasn’t as short as I thought haha. Got caught up!

Taglist:

@volturidoll13 @clearwater-hoe @like-rain-or-confetti @teampaul @fatiguing-thoughts @wallwriterstuff

[duskwood-legacies]

“Blood Moon Masquerade”

•Fandom: Duskwood

•Pairing/Character: Jake x fem!MC

•Word Count: 1.5k

•Genre: Romance, Angst

•Summary: MC pursuaded Jake to attend the infamous Blood Moon Ball along her side. However, the blissful and furious spark of the night shall take an unpleasant turn.

-----

Cold air surrounded Jake and MC, spots of the starry sky covered by dark clouds. Their arms were hooked together as they neared the castle’s entrance.

MC had persuaded Jake into attending a masquerade ball on this special night with her. He was strictly against it at first. He thought public events portrayed a too great threat for them, but after seeing MC’s sad, almost heart-shattered expression he gave in.

Tonight was the night of the “super blood moon”. Jake didn’t want to steal it away from her. She has always wished to see this moon, has been expecting this day with joy and excitement for weeks. When she saw the poster inviting to this event, she couldn’t be held back anymore.

It was a masquerade ball. Parts of their faces would be covered, making it harder for them to be recognized. Jake also knew MC would be as careful as him. Those were the main thoughts keeping him composed.

Guards supervised the entrance. MC and Jake greeted them with a lightly nervous but friendly smile. The guards inspected them intensely, going as far as searching them through for weapons and other harmful objects.

Jake’s corded muscles relaxed by a bit as they got a green light and were allowed inside. MC gave him a kiss on the cheek to reassure him everything was okay before finally entering the building and venturing through the castle’s corridors. After taking three or four turns, they arrived at the open doors of the ballroom.

The ballroom was enormous. Chandeliers made of crystals hung from the ceiling and the walls were lined by elegant pillars. Soft shades of beige painted the entire room, occasional decorations made of gold provided the final touch of luxury to the royal place.

They entered the room with sheer amazement.

Countless amounts of people filled the place after them. Countless of amounts that could get them in trouble, countless amounts that would help blend in and hide. The endless contraries Jake and MC faced on their run, the endless opportunities each of these contraries brought.

It’s not about how face the world, it’s about how you view it. How you observe it. Observe the contraries, weight your chances and then face the world.

Right now, they blend in perfectly. Their chances of staying safe were high.

They stood near the windows as happy chatter sounded through the air. Closely Jake examined MC’s appearance from under his mask, not being quite able to tear his gaze away from her.

She wore a plain black mask around her eyes and an A-Line dress that hugged her figure tightly to the smallest part of her waist, until it divided into a wider, floor-length skirt. The skirt was made of a black base with uneven layers of golden fabric, which were yet again covered by a thin, transparent black net-like fabric. The upper part of her dress was black as well, covered in marvelous golden flower pattern.

MC did the exact same. From Jake’s black leather boots, to his black and white suit to his golden tie and black-golden mask. He looked breathtaking. Both their outfits matched well together, both their outfit matched well with their surroundings and other couples.

The chatter quieted down as the hostess announced herself. Applause filled the air, Jake and MC joining in.

After the hostess’ speech, music started playing and butlers walked around the room handing out champagne. Jake and MC both took a glass, smiling at each other and taking a sip. They kept standing on the sidelines, assuring they were safe and their pursuers weren’t nearby, or at least didn’t recognize them.

Once the alcohol of the now emptied glasses reached their blood flow, their tension eased a bit off. MC waved a butler over so she and Jake could get rid of their glasses.

After the butler walked away, Jake turned towards MC, a gentle smile evident on his lips and holding out his hand for her.

“Would you give me this dance?”

MC grinned and gratefully took Jake’s hand. She knew how much he hated dancing and how much he probably despised being here, but she was endlessly thankful for him to come along and even offer her a dance. Not even his smile could convince her otherwise.

Jake, somewhat reluctant at first, drew MC close and slowly started swaying across the dancefloor with her. He wanted her to enjoy the night, in defiance of the presence of danger. The only way to assure they kept safe and allow MC to enjoy herself was by dancing.

Against the fact of Jake’s initial boldness, they relished the dance and soon started to move more elegantly as Jake grew more confident. Despite the growing confidence in both of them, neither let their environment quite out of sight.

The lights of the room went out, allowing the silver-blue moonlight from outside to illuminate the place through its large windows. It was part of the ball. The guests grew excited, knowing exactly the vanishing of the lights announced the soon-arrival of the blood moon.

The music and dancing carried on. If it wasn’t for their eyes, touch and heart-stopping appearance, MC and Jake would have gotten exhausted by now. It was the adrenaline, each other’s company that kept them on their feet, kept them going, kept pushing further.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours.

They danced as the music drowned the room in mysterious beats and melodies. Tranquilized with each other’s bodies in their embrace, they lost themselves in the music and danced away in their own, little universe.

Jake’s and MC’s feet guided them over the wooden floor like they were leaping through a sea of clouds. Their caution dissolved into nothingness with each step they took. They became careless in a world with no mercy left for them.

The world around them got competitive without their awareness. Everyone wanted to out-dance one another, everyone wanted to show that they are better than anyone in this room.

The soft moonlight began to shift. The lunar eclipse has begun.

Timed perfectly, the music increased in tension and speed, sending floods of hot lava through their veins. MC’s and Jake’s minds were melting away piece by piece.

Passion burning like millions of fires ignited in their bodies as they moved over the dancefloor with swiftness and finesse. Nothing has ever felt so indescribable. Jake’s gaze remained on MC. The black mask around her eyes made them shine brighter than the stars outside, brighter than the diamonds and crystals of the chandeliers.

The moon’s gleam grew into a rosé color.

The competition that had broken loose before kept going. The ballroom now didn’t hold hundreds of people anymore, but hundreds of universes those people were floating in. MC focused on every single one of Jake’s touches, savoring, memorizing every second of this moment as long as it lasted. She looked up to see his face. Despite the mask, his face seemed so perfect, so comfortingly familiar.

By now, the moonlight seized the entire room in its deep red glow.

The meeting of their eyes was like a match thrown into gasoline to their feelings. Their performance they never imagined to appear so flawless, so powerful, reached its climax. The sea of clouds they were walking on turned into an ocean of feathers, pushing them across the floor with weightless elegance and emotion.

MC’s dress was flowing with ethereal grace as she spun underneath Jake’s hand, catching him in a trance he’s never been in before. The red, the gold, the black. Her sight was too heavenly to look away.

He pulled her close again and lifted her off the ground, pirouetting with her in his arms. Her legs wrapped around his body for better hold and tighter proximity.

MC stared deep into Jake’s eyes as they twirled over their ocean of feathers. The moonlight crossing his eyes, the red color painting his frame. He was too divine to break away from.

Jake gently set MC down on her feet again. It was time for their dream to come to an end.

Both of them noticed people pushing through the crowd, people that didn’t exactly look like guests. The fierce sensation the taste of danger left prickling on their skin made their hairs stand up.

Their chances of a safe escape slipped away.

MC felt guilt creeping into her eyes as the endlessness of this night seemed to crawl away, their pursuers drawing closer than they’ve ever been.

She placed her hands behind Jake’s neck and pulled him closer. His hands snaked around her waist, gradually giving in to her pull.

Their lips met in a soft, almost defeated way.

They knew they’ve been caught, they knew they had to fight their way out. They knew they were outnumbered.

Helplessness spread in both their chests as they broke the kiss. Their gazes met one more time with the awareness of their evaporating opportunities lying heavily between them. MC could feel the tears gathering in her eyes, feel the remorse in her throat.

“I’m sorry, Jake”

-----

A/N: Hi everyone!💕 I want to mention that I don't really have knowledge on how masquerade balls work, so I apologize for inaccuracies in advance! I still hope you enjoyed the story🌿💕

[sir-crocodile-smile]

Can We Just Be Happy Now?

Hello everyone! Once again my brain has decided to write content no one asked for... Surprise! It’s a mini songfic (cringe is dead and I’m killing it) for none other than the big sweet mochi man himself, Charlotte Katakuri! The song is CWJBHN by Jake Scott & Josie Dunne. This one is mostly fluff, with a dash of hurt/comfort for flavor. Enjoy! (look at his eyelashes UGH he’s so pretty)

Katakuri x gender neutral reader

    “Not too much farther now,” you called over your shoulder to the Sweet Commander as you lead him through the forest and up the mountainside. Despite how easy it would be for the tall man to keep up with you, Katakuri hung a few steps back. Being close to you brought something soft out of him, something he desperately wanted to hide from his family. He never let his guard down in front of others, but there were moments where your bright eyes and easy smile made his breath catch in his throat. He couldn’t let himself get close to you.

    In fact, he shouldn’t even be here right now, trudging through the forest with you. He should have turned you down when you asked him to accompany you, he really should have. But you said you wanted to show him your favorite place in the world, a secret place you had never told anyone else about. The way your eyes sparkled, how you nibbled on your bottom lip as you waited patiently for his response…

    How can I say no when you look at me like that? 

    So here he was, following where you lead. He was tempted to take a peek into the future, just to make sure it was safe for both of you, but it felt wrong. This was your special place. He wasn’t going to invade it, even if it was just in his mind’s eye. You mattered too much to him for that. You mattered to him, and that was something he was afraid to even think of. Even the silence of a thought was too loud. 

    But my heart is begging my head not to get in the way.

    “Finally! We’re here,” you smiled triumphantly as Katakuri reached the plateau behind you. Carved into the mountainside was a shallow cave, shielded from the wind and rain by a few planks of wood sloppily nailed together. You moved the makeshift door aside. “I remember that door being a lot heavier when I was little. Guess I really have gotten stronger!” Inside was a pile of old blankets and a bed made of straw that started decomposing years ago. The walls had a child’s drawings on them, and there was even a tattered Jolly Roger plastered to the wall with glue that was probably as solid as cement by now. You sat down on a rock off to the side with a wistful smile, the cave being far too small for either one of you to fit inside. 

    “What… is this place?” Katakuri asked gently, trying to resist the temptation to look in the future for your answer. 

    “Home. Well, kind of. I grew up here,” you explained, eyes scanning over the cave with bittersweet nostalgia. “There used to be a village on this island, but I didn’t spend much time there. I lived here, for the most part.”

    “Alone?” He asked, eyebrows popping up in surprise. You nodded your head, eyes downcast.

    “I never had any family, and the townspeople… well, there was hardly enough food to go around already. No one wanted to pick up a stray.” These words hit him like a knife in his heart. Even when he was a child, he always had his brothers and sisters. He couldn’t even imagine a life without them, and didn’t want to. And to hear you call yourself a stray? That hurt him in ways he couldn’t describe.

    “I’m… I’m sorry,” was all he could manage to say, though he wished he could say so much more. But before he could think of anything else, you met his gaze with a wide smile. 

    “Don’t be, Katakuri!” You grinned before turning to gaze out across the little plateau. The sun had just dipped to touch the ocean, sending brilliant oranges and pinks streaking across the water. His piercing ruby eyes didn’t stray from you as you spoke. “I brought you here because I wanted to thank you.”

    “Thank me? Why?” 

    “Because… I know it’s you that keeps sneaking my favorite sweets into my room.” Katakuri felt his face grow red hot under his scarf. How… how did you know? He always used his future sight to make sure he wouldn’t get caught! But you didn’t stop there. “I know that you vouch for me to your siblings when I’m not around. You look out for me, and compliment my baking even though I know it’s not as good as you say!” His cheeks could not be any redder. All this time he thought he was being sly, thinking he could keep his affection secret, so that you would never know and no one could see his softness. He wanted to turn into a ball of mochi and tumble off the cliff, he was so mortified. You continued talking, though, so despite his embarrassment killing him, he stayed.

    “I grew up not knowing if anyone would ever care about me,” you explained as your voice grew a little shakier. You brought your knees to your chest. “So… thank you for caring about me. I care about you too.” Tears started to prick at the corners of your eyes, but you held your chin up as you watched the sun set. There was a vortex of feelings in your chest; your sadness from your childhood, your happiness from the way Katakuri cared for you, but most of all, how you loved him for it. You wanted to be so much more than friends.

    Walls were falling down all around his heart as Katakuri watched the sunlight dance on your face, in this moment where vulnerability had struck you both like lightning. Was there a chance… that you felt the same way about him that he felt about you? With every crumbling brick there was hope and fear rising in his chest. Could you even be together if you wanted it?  What about his image as the perfect commander? His responsibilities? Would it paint a target on your back to be with him? What if Mama didn’t allow it? Or worse, if she approves and it doesn’t work out? Would it even make sense for you to be with a monster like him? Would you love him until you saw what he hid under his scarf? What if he disgusted you? What if you hate him for hiding it? What if-

    His spiraling stopped the moment he saw a tear roll down your cheek. Suddenly his insecurities meant nothing to him, they evaporated in the face of his love for you. In a blink, he wrapped you up in his strong embrace, accidentally burying your face in his scarf.

    “I care about you, [y/n]. More than words can say. I thought I could hide it, but,” he whispered to you as he held you tight. “I should have known I couldn’t fool you.” You pushed yourself out of the fluff that was obscuring your vision with a sniffle. You looked up at Katakuri, his normally sharp eyes soft and warm as they stared at you. He lifted a gloved hand to wipe away what was left of a tear on your cheek, cradling your face like you were porcelain. 

    “Kata…?” you stammered, struggling to process what was happening.

    “You’ll never have to be alone again, my sweetheart,” he reassured, leaning down to press his forehead to yours in an intimate gesture that took your breath away. “I’ll be here for you, taking care of you, no matter what. If… if you’ll have me.” You gasped, then immediately threw your arms around his neck and buried your face in his scarf. You were laughing, crying, and telling him yes over and over and over again.

    When both of your heartbeats calmed, Katakuri lifted you effortlessly and sat you down in his lap. The warmth of his arms soaked into you as you both watched the last of the sunset dip into the ocean. For a moment, his insecurities bubbled up, but he quieted them with a glance down at you in his arms.

    Can I just be happy? Even if it doesn’t work out, even if it doesn’t make sense, or even if it all burns down one day, can I just be happy for now?

    Can we just be happy now?

[ellispup91]

Day 1: Cross

(This isn't so much late as I've been posting these on AO3, but it's new on here.)

Smoke fills his vision, billowing thick and dark until it fills air too, fills the streets of the once peaceful seaside village. No. Not again. He sucks in a sharp breath that catches, stutters—his body jerks, one heavy step and then another and another until he’s running.

“Ell! Wait!” 

He doesn’t wait. He knows how this plays out. But— Maybe this time. This time, for sure. 

Shadows move against that bright glow—people running back and forth, hauling buckets heavy with water. It won’t be enough. He ignores them, sprinting straight through. His chest burns with every laboured breath he forces into lungs that are suddenly three sizes too small. 

The flames rise tall before him and, just like always, his body stops, skidding to a halt before that which had once been his home. 

“No…” He’s in there. Sick, alone— “No!” He stumbles forward, reaching— I have to get him out. I have to save him. This time, please, Spinner—

“JAKE!”

He jerks awake in darkness, jaw tense and tight, a scream held captive in his throat. That tension echoes through his body, every muscle vibrating with it—even his blond-furred ears quiver with the force which they pin back against his skull. Tears burn behind his eyes. His lungs burn, too, and he realises he’s holding his breath. He lets it out in a long, shuddering sigh that takes the tension from his body, and rubs scarred and calloused hands over his face. A nightmare…

“Mm? Ellismus?” The voice of his lover is thick in his ear, with the sleep his restlessness has disturbed, and he knows if he looks over he’ll be met with sanguine eyes, almost aglow in the night, so much more vibrant than his own shade of crimson. G’raha. He counts to three, willing his voice not to shake. 

“Everything’s fine. Y’ can go back t’ sleep.” The bed shifts and Ellismus knows—he doesn’t buy it. This time G’raha’s soft voice is close enough that he can feel the warmth of his breath, so much gentler than the memory of flames. His ear twitches.  

“Are you alright?” He nods, refusing to look at his fellow Seeker, and hums a strained affirmation.

“Mhmm. Yeah. M’fine.” Fine. He was the vaunted Warrior of Light—he was fine, wasn’t he? Fine, always fine. 

“Except you only use the word ‘fine’ to lie through your teeth.” Damnit. Why did he have to be so observant? “Come… What is wrong?”

“It was…” All too real. A terrible, awful memory given life again under the moon’s cool gaze. A shiver runs down his spine, short tail fluffing. “Just… a nightmare.” Blowing out another breath, he throws the blankets off and swings his legs around to perch at the edge of the bed. The rush of cool air brings goosebumps to pebble his pale skin. A hand settles on his shoulder. 

“If you wish to talk about it—”

“No.” His voice is firmer than he’d intended and he sighs, gentling under that kindness. “No… It’s… nothin’ important. Just…” A memory. Another scar. “Need some air, s’all.” The hand on his shoulders slides around as his partner’s warm body scoots against his back, fingers trailing over the scars marking his chest and coming to rest over his heart. 

“Alright.” G’raha murmurs, chin resting where his hand had previously. “You will tell me, though, if it becomes a problem? I know I cannot take the hurts from your soul… but you can always come to me. About anything. And if you will allow it, I would help you carry them.” Ellismus swallows thickly, sure the other man can feel the painful thud-thud under his fingers. He draws his slitted eyes up to meet brighter red in what little light the night shines through the window. 

“...Yeah. I… I’ll let y’ know.” The other Miqo’te blinks at him slowly. 

“Promise me?”

“...Yeah. I promise.” He can feel the curve of a smile against his shoulder.

“Cross your heart?” His breath catches and for several seconds his heart stops in his chest.

‘Ell, you keep getting hurt and… I’m scared. Promise? Promise me you’ll always come find me after. Even if I can’t do much… let me help. Promise.’

‘Jake, c’mon…’

‘Promise!’ 

‘Okay. I promise.'

‘Cross your heart?’

‘An’ hope t’ die.’

‘Okay, we don’t need to go that far.’

Emotion prickles under his scalp, in the corners of his eyes. His ears fall. His lilted voice is barely a whisper, rasping.

“...Cross m’ heart.” And hope to die. It’s a long moment before G’raha finally draws away and he knows it’s too much to ask that he didn’t notice. One day. One day, I’ll tell him. But not tonight. A parting kiss is left on his cheek. The bed squeaks, covers rustling.

“Alright. Do not be gone too long. It’s cold out.” 

“I won’t.” He rises, the need to escape leaving his fingers and tail twitching. “Don’t wait up.”

But he does anyway, and when Ellismus returns a half hour later and climbs back under the covers, G’raha’s arms welcome him back, drawing him close and chasing away the lonely chill.

[amyscascadingtabs]

don’t want to keep secrets just to keep you [chapter 2]

CHAPTER TWO: see me in hindsight, tangled up with you all night

excerpt below, read whole thing on ao3

Amy doesn't return to the office until after she's spent a good hour at home. First, she showers, washing off yesterday's old makeup and grime and letting the warm water run over her shoulders as she lets the sweet scent of raspberry shower gel replace the vague smell of old beer and sweat. Her back is sore; probably thanks to Jake's lumpy mattress, she thinks, and wonders for a second if she should add buy new mattress to the contract before deciding it’s far too much. That's relationship stuff, and that's point one of the contract; that's not what this is.

She blow-dries her hair and replaces her makeup, taking extra care to try and cover a pink mark that sits just a little too high on her chest before giving up and picking a different shirt instead. Then she fills the biggest coffee cup she has, eats a buttered slice of toast standing up, and feeds her pet fish before rushing back out the door.

She probably looks fresher than most days once she's done, but she's still worried Gina can sense something from her secretary desk as Amy walks in. She raises a brow in greeting like she's actually interested, which is rare in itself, and Amy can feel her eyes on her as she walks into her own office and closes the door behind her.

Amy starts regretting her decision as soon as she's opened a new document. What is she even supposed to name it? Friends with benefits contract is too obvious. FWB-C sounds like code for something. Sex agreement makes her sound like someone who’s read Fifty Shades Of Grey too many times (which really is just once). Jake and Amy is a wedding invitation, Rules too general. She puts her head in her hands, staring at the blinking line, and groans. Then she writes in Jake, looks at that for a moment, and adds stuff after. Not her proudest, but it'll have to do.

Amy’s relieved she doesn't have much work to do today, because she spends every free minute she can come across tweaking details on the document, adding and removing sections to suggest. When she's finally happy with the result, she saves it in a personal folder she can be sure no one’s ever going to open, and praises the office-gods for the fact that she has her own printer.

~

There’s a faint smell of artificial lemon in the air of Jake’s apartment as he welcomes her in, and the thought that he might have cleaned for her makes Amy blush. It seems unlike him, but the living room area does appear less cluttered to her than it did this morning, so maybe he isn’t totally incapable of it. She still doesn’t want to check his cabinets.

“You cleaned,” she says instead, nodding to the couch that looks almost neat now. “You expecting to get lucky tonight, or something?” Jake’s cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink, but then he shakes his head and points to her outfit. “You’re one to speak.”

All Amy’s done is put on a maroon floral blouse with lower cleavage than she’d ever do for work and put on a touch of pink lipstick, but he’s not completely wrong. She still chooses to ignore him. “I’ve got the contract. Should we do this, then?”

He offers her an orange soda, which she declines, but accepts a mug of Earl Grey tea from a package that seems to have remained unopened since before the brand last changed its design. A hot drink might calm her nerves, she hopes, but it ends up being quite the distracting experience to watch him make it for her. She tries to read through the contract one last time while searching for spelling errors she knows aren't there, her eyes keep being drawn to his hands as he holds the label of the teabag between his thumb and index finger, bobbing the bag a few times with focus once he's finished pouring the water into a New York Knicks mug. It's hard not to think about how those fingers felt dancing across her skin yesterday, massaging the sides of her breasts and holding on to her inner thighs, and it's harder not to imagine what they'd feel like another time –

“Tea,” he interrupts her thoughts by placing the mug in front of her. “Thought maybe you wanted a cup that didn’t say NYPD on it.”

“Well, you're right in that.” She brings it to her lips, almost burning her tongue and hoping he didn't see. “You want to read it on your own, or should I read it to you?”

Jake sits back in the massage chair closest to her, spreading his legs and putting his palms on them before shooting her that disarming smile again. “You read it.”

Amy swallows hard. “Okay. Section one: relationship status. This arrangement only works if we're both single. We’re not bringing more people into this.”

“What about an open relationship?”

“No. Still complicated. This is complicated enough with just us. If either of us gets in an actual relationship, it's over.”

Jake nods. “Cool. Next rule?”

“Section two: appropriate behavior. We're not dating,” she says, pointing first at herself and then at him with the ballpoint pen she brought from work. “So we can't behave like we're dating. Outside of our apartments, we're strictly friends. Or acquaintances. Honestly, it's weird we're even friends.”

“But you admitted we're friends.”

“Sure.” She takes another sip of the tea. “But that means no public flirting, no inappropriate comments, no like, commenting heart or fire emojis on Instagram pictures –”

“Are these rules for you or for me?” Jake winks. “I know my selfies are stunning, but I’m sure you can control yourself.”

“For both of us. Section three: we part in the morning. No exceptions. Staying overnight is okay, but once we wake up, we’re done.”

“What counts as morning in this scenario? I’m not going to have to get up at six a.m., am I?”

“Not unless you stay at my place when I have work.”

“I’ll remember not to do that, then.”

“Great. Section four – protection.”

“You have an entire section on that?” Jake looks like he’s trying not to laugh.

“It’s important!” She exclaims, feeling herself getting defensive. “I have an implant, so we’re safe from pregnancy, but it’s either condoms or you need to get checked.”

Jake nearly spits out some of his orange soda, coughing slightly. “You must be fun at parties.”

“I’m actually a nationally accredited and registered chaperone.”

“What is that?”

“Doesn’t matter. Are you going to do it or not?”

“Fine. You, then?”

“I will if you want me to.” Amy shrugs. “But I haven’t slept with anyone since my ex, so we should be good.”

Jake’s eyebrows fly up. “Really?”

“That so surprising to you?”

“A little? In the least jerk-ish way possible, you must get, well… offers.”

“People don’t flirt a whole lot with their lawyers,” she says, shifting in her chair and crossing her legs. “And it hasn’t been my focus. Are we good with the contract?”

“Actually, I want to add one more rule.”

“Yeah?”

Jake leans back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head and flexing his biceps through the green shirt with a smug grin. “You’re not allowed to fall in love with me.”

Amy looks at him for a moment, trying to determine whether or not he’s joking, but he doesn’t waver, so she leans forward and draws a fifth section sign on the blank space left on the document. No developing feelings or this ends, she prints out in capital letters, signing her name on the allotted line.

“Won’t be a problem.”

Jake signs the contract, and Amy tries not to grimace at how messy his signature is as she places the document in a thin plastic folder, promising him a copy tomorrow.

“Cool,” Jake nods. He’s messing up his curls with his right hand again, the way she’s noticed he does when he’s trying to flirt. She wonders if it’s strategy or nerves. “So, are you doing anything else tonight, or...”

“What, contract signing’s got you all hot and bothered?”

“I mean, seeing you in full lawyer mode. It’s not, not hot.”

“Double negation?” Amy scrunches her nose. “Oh, you’re going to have to make that one up to me.”

“Maybe I will,” he says, and she needs only to notice the way his eyes darken to know that it’s on.

Amy can feel her legs still shaking a little as she hails a cab outside Jake's apartment just after, and she closes her eyes in the backseat and wonders how it's possible to feel this amazing, this satisfied from a cocktail of what she knows is mostly dopamine and oxytocin. It still makes her feel all giggly, like she can't stop smiling to herself.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket, and she picks it up to read a text from Jake.

Fucking hell that was SO GOOD.

Maybe this friends with benefits thing won't be so bad after all.

~

[20rubixcubes]

enhypen as baristas

maknae line x gn!reader (comedy, fluff, mild angst)

~1.2k words ea (headcanons)

warnings: cursing

a/n: i just wrote this for funsies, please be mindful that there is heavy swearing in these headcanons (particularly in ni-ki’s part), so if that isn’t your taste, perhaps skip this one! other than that, the rest of this is pretty chill, so i hope you enjoy my shitposting. oh, and lmk if you like this enough to want part two with the hyung line 👀 just maybe i’ll do it

sunoo

was only recently employed as an afternoon shift employee and was both shocked and distressed after discovering the cafe didnt have an instagram

“what do you MEAN you dont have instagram??? how do we post selfies???” “sunoo we sell coffee” “NO ONE WANTS COFFEE JUNGWON THEY WANT CUTE BARISTAS”

starts an instagram for the cafe and takes aesthetic pictures of his latte art

his selfies get way more likes though

speaking of his latte art, he masters the skill like a week in and everyone else is incredibly jealous

their jealousy wears off when jungwon tells him that he has to start training the new apprentices

pretends he forgot how to do it for like a week but it hurts his pride so he begrudgingly agrees to train the apprentices instead

in his free time he can be found snapping pictures around the shop, eventually expanding to taking pictures of the others too

“sunghoon stop moving you look cute and i need to take a photo” “sunoo im holding hot milk” “does it look like i care beauty is pain sweetie”

other than that, he sometimes sits in the booths to snack on muffins and do his homework since he only comes in to the shop for about an hour during his school lunch break and on the weekends

you meet sunoo after applying for an apprenticeship, wanting to get a job before you finish high school and start college

seen as though jungwon looks like the boss, you approach him, nervous for your first shift

“i’m here for the apprenticeship program?” “oh yeah! one second!”

he trots off to the back room, leaving you standing awkwardly in the middle of the cafe

“SUNOO GET OFF JAY YOU HAVE AN APPRENTICE TO TRAIN” “*gasp* YOU MADE ME SMUDGE HIS LIPSTICK I'M QUITTING” “NO YOURE NOT GET OUT THERE RIGHT NOW”

the yelling pauses before who you presume is sunoo stomps through the back room door, a scowl on his face

he spots you, groaning loudly “are you the apprentice?”

“yes” you say meekly, guilty for seeming to ruin his shift

he gestures you to follow him behind the counter, pulling an apron out from under the sink and shoving it to your chest

its clear that hes pissed, yanking his tools out from the cupboards as you tie your apron behind your back quietly

“have you made coffee before?” “only instant coffee” “oh fantastic”

he seems to be getting more irritated by the minute before he takes a deep breath and starts directing you around the machines

“to do the art, you angle the mug like this and draw with the milk, but it wont show until it reaches the top so dont go crazy”

as if its nothing, he demonstrates by drawing a perfect swan in the milk, setting the latte down and dusting his hands off

“wow… thats amazing” “i know right? no one here appreciates me enough” “they should! this is the best i’ve ever seen”

he grins at your compliment, nodding with satisfaction and sending a wave of relief over you as you notice he looks less angry with you now

“um… im sorry if i interrupted whatever you were doing before” “oh, that? i was just doing jay’s makeup” “you like makeup? me too! i’ve never seen a boy interested in it though, thats really cool” you smile genuinely at him as he blinks in surprise

“really? you think its cool?” “definitely!”

you watch the gears turn in his head before he smiles widely, seeming to have come to some kind of revelation as he nods

“i like you.”

your cheeks heat up immediately, but before you can say anything in return, he starts calling out for jungwon, leaning over the counter

“JUNGWOOON, CAN WE HAVE THIS ONE?”

“well thats up to them” he looks up from the table hes wiping down, adjusting his apron as he walks over to the counter

“so youre all finished with the course? i hope sunoo wasnt too much for you”

“i wasnt! anyways, youre employed, okay?” “sunoo stop theyre just an apprentice”

he groans loudly, irritated once more as he whips his head to you

“you have to work here, ok? i said so, so come back and apply or i’ll be mad!”

you laugh at his antics and smile “i’ll see what i can do”

after jungwon pries sunoo off of your arm, you return your apron and leave the shop with a wave

“YOU BETTER COME BACK!” is the last thing you hear as you step out onto the street, the bell ringing to signal your exit

a week later, you return to the shop, slightly anxious that your new friend(?) might have forgotten about you

but this is quickly washed away when you hear a high pitched squeal from the counter

“JUNGWON! HURRY THE FUCK UP AND GET THE FORMS THEYRE HERE”

you laugh as you approach the counter, a teasing tone on your voice

“are you supposed to be talking to your boss like that?” “whats he gonna do? fire me? im the only one who can make coffee in this place” “true”

soon enough, jungwon comes out of his hiding place, his hands clasped together

“im really sorry to ask this but please, you have to work here, sunoo hasnt shut up about you all week and i dont know if i can stand him anymore, i’ll even pay you extra please dear god”

you give sunoo a look, only receiving an innocent smile and puppy eyes back

“sure, i’ll take the job!”

jungwon sighs in relief as sunoo begins jumping up and down, yelling something about having his own little baby to take care around the shop as you groan, covering your blushing face

once you have your hours established (sunoo made you take the same as all of his, but you did the nights instead of the afternoons on the weekends, to his displeasure), you get straight to working

… well, sort of

it was hard to get work done with sunoo pestering you around the clock

“you think im cute right?” “yes sunoo” “even though i have bags under my eyes? “yes sunoo” “you promise?” “yes sunoo” “good”

admittedly he is slightly of help when it comes to the more fiddly parts of making coffee, but every other second of the day he seems to be flirting nonstop

“can i kiss you?” “no” “why not” “sunoo we’ve been over this” “BEING AT WORK ISNT A VALID EXCUSE”

worn down after his incessant yelling all day, you find yourself snapping faster than usual

“we’re not even dating, sunoo! why would i kiss you!? just stop playing with my feelings already!”

for the first time since you’ve known him, sunoo goes quiet

“why not?”

“what are you talking about now sunoo?” “why arent we dating”

now its your turn to go quiet

“do you not like me?” “what? no, sunoo-” before you can reason with him, you watch him quickly rush away from you around the counter, slamming the break room door behind him with tears in his eyes

cursing to yourself, you ensure there are no customers to serve before quickly darting after him

after looking around a bit, you hear sniffling from the supply closet and knock on the door quietly

“sunoo?” “leave me alone!”

you sigh, taking a step back and turning on your heel to face the opposite direction, running a hand through your hair as you think

you spot a dog bed at your feet, suddenly remembering that jake usually keeps his dog supplies covered in dog hair in the closet

“sunoo arent you allergic to dogs?”

“... *sniffle* y-yeah”

after you persuade him to come out by mentioning that his face is going to get all puffy, he steps out, eyes glued to the floor as he looks away from you in shame

placing a hand on his shoulder, you speak to him softly

“sunoo, look at me”

he does, hesitantly, his eyes red and watery and, as you said, puffy and inflamed

despite this, you smile

“i do like you back”

his eyes start watering again, your heart skipping a beat in fear that you had said something wrong

“e-even if my face is all puffy and gross?” his voice wobbles, the tears filling his eyes giving him a sense of vulnerability as you sigh

“yes, even if your face is all puffy and gross”

he smiles at that, shutting his eyes cutely as you press a kiss to his cheek

“and theres your kiss”

he whines “i was supposed to do that!”

“you can do it after we finish work, okay?” “WORK STILL ISNT A VALID EXCUSE…. but maybe today just because i need to ice my face” “yeah you really should, can you even see?” “no not at all” “great”

jungwon

the previous manager left suddenly and jungwon was given a semi-forced promotion as he was the only employee with at least half of a brain cell

poor boy is stressed 24/7

doesnt get paid enough for this

“hey jungwon we ran out out of coffee bea-” “I ORDERED NEW ONES FOUR HOURS AGO NOW SHUT UP IM TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE BOSS DOESNT FIND JAKE’S DOG SHELTER IN THE SUPPLY CLOSET”

goes through hell every day just to make sure the others dont burn the cafe down

is supposed to be on the morning shift but he stays until the afternoon

in his rare moments of downtime, he likes to go around and water the hanging plants around the shop

is that one vine where the mom listens to nicki minaj for the first time and screams “no” over and over whenever ni-ki gets control of the cafe music

“RIKI NISHIMURA WHAT IS THAT ON THE SPEAKERS” “ITS OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR ARIANA GRANDE” “TURN IT OFF THIS IS NOT PG13” “SHUT THE FUCK UP GRANDPA”

is only 16 but acts like a 32-year-old father going through a midlife crisis

lifts boxes of supplies all day yet his joints are famously brittle

“hey jungwon did you hear glass shattering too?” “sorry jay that was my back” “you need to invest in physical therapy” “maybe if i wasnt paying for property damage every other week 😊”

you meet jungwon when you drop into the cafe for a croissant and a coffee before your class starts

usually you come at night maybe an hour before closing so you had never seen him before, but here you were watching this cute but clearly stressed boy scramble around the shop carrying boxes of supplies to the back

trying not to be creepy, you sigh, turning back to your phone after watching him for a solid five minutes straight

as you do, you hear a crash coming from what you assume is the supply closet followed by a disgruntled groan

pausing, looking around at the other customers typing away at their laptops and waiting for another staff member to go check on the boy, you stand up as you discern that he must be the only one working and hesitantly go to see if he’s okay

“hello? are you okay?” you peer through the door, your eyes widening at the sight of him rubbing his head with a wince on his features, supplies strewn around him at his feet and a box knocked over beside him

“ah… um, yes, i’m okay, sorry if i disturbed you with that noise…” he smiles bashfully, pulling himself back onto his feet

“do you need help with all of that stuff?”

he opens his mouth to protest, not wanting to have to ask for help from a customer, but after seeing the amount of crap off of the shelves, he realises that there is no way in hell he’s going to be able to clean all of it up alone before his shift ends

“um… is that okay?” his cheeks flush with embarrassment as you smile

“sure!”

over the next couple of hours you two establish a little system of bagging the spilt supplies and passes them to eachother to put in boxes, chatting never ceasing as you discover that you actually have a lot of things in common

“since you work here, what’s your favourite kind of coffee?” “i like lattes… i cant stand bitter things” “me too! my friend drinks espressos though” “ditch them”

you also find out that he started being homeschooled after becoming the manager as he doesnt have time to attend normal school

the both of you find yourselves laughing nonstop, having fun in eachother’s company

so much so that you end up late for school

“oh shit! i completely missed my first class”

guilty for making you late, he offers to take you

“i can take you?” “you drive?” “well….. not exactly”

once sunoo and ni-ki arrive to care for the shop, he takes you out to the car park, pulling a spare helmet out of his backpack and securing it on your head before giving your head a pat as he gets onto his scooter

“you look cute” “i look like a bug” “a cute bug”

once you get to school, face red after having to hold onto him the entire time, you hop off and pass him the helmet with a shy smile

“thanks for driving me” you mutter, brushing off imaginary dirt from your shirt as you do your best to avoid eye contact, your face still flushed and heart racing

is it possible to develop a crush on someone this quickly???

jungwon is so cute that he makes it possible, you surmise

“of course” he mirrors your nervous smile, a blush finding its way to his own cheeks

as you bow and spin on your heel to start walking inside, he stops you

“wait!”

“what is it?” you turn to him, your heart still thundering against your ribcage at the fond expression he has plastered on his features

“actually… can i pick you up? after school?”

when you pause, your face growing hotter and hotter, he begins to sputter

“i-i’m really sorry, its fine if not! that was way too forward, i just really like you and- oh god that was even more forward- um-” “okay” “yeah i’m sorry that was a stupid questio- wait, what?”

before he can say anything else, your smile widens

“i’ll see you later, okay? don’t be late!” you wave, skipping into the building with a fluffy feeling in your chest

with an awkward wave, jungwon watches you leave, his mouth wide open in shock before a grin replaces his expression

getting back into his seat, the lovestruck smile never leaving his face as he drives off, he begins to count down the minutes until he gets to see you again

ni-ki

works the afternoon shift

technically an apprentice but he gets paid and has been there forever so basically an employee at this point

or he would be if he ever actually made coffee

he sits with the work phone all morning and chooses the music

perpetually dancing to 7 rings by ariana grande (look up his cover. youre welcome in advance)

jungwon and jay scream at him to at least do the mopping to which he complies, but not without performing a whole ass concert with it

once they saw him twirl and dip the mop

eventually they just told him to go back to curating the music because he was scaring customers away and they were losing business

he was horrible at cleaning anyway

“hey jungwon i think i got window cleaner in your plant” “im firing you” “i dont even go here” “STOP QUOTING MEAN GIRLS AND FIX THE DAMAGE YOUVE CAUSED”

you meet ni-ki while youre drinking your coffee at a booth and he plays your favourite obscure indie song so you have to compliment his taste and get to talking

he plays your favourite songs whenever youre in the shop and audibly hisses at anyone who tries to change it

makes choreography to said songs at home and tries to impress you by casually belting it out by your booth

when you compliment his dancing and ask how long hes been practicing that choreography hes all like “oh hahaha it was just casual freestyle super easy peasy”

(hes been practicing for two weeks)

thought he was being super obvious by doing these things but apparently nOT because you have not caught the hint at all and hes getting impatient

asks for advice from the others begrudgingly

“give them flowers” “jay thats so boring” “do you want to use one of my dogs? everyone loves dogs” “wtf jake since when have you had more than one dog” “make them latte art with a heart on it” “sunoo ive literally never made a coffee in my life” “why dont you just ask them out like a normal perso-” “shut the fuck up grandpa thats so weird no one does that”

eventually he settles on sunoo’s idea of making you latte art and he embarks on his journey to make his first coffee

rather than focusing on the actual taste, sunoo tells him to just do whatever so that he can show him how to do the art

“why is it green ni-ki” “you said to do whatever” “and your first idea was to make poison? idk if this is the best idea if youre trying to ask this person out” “shut up and pass me the milk”

burns his hands on the steaming milk jug at least fifteen times and ends up with so many bandaids on his fingers

despite how stiff the bandages are on his hands, he eventually manages to make a sort-of legible heart

“it looks like africa” “have you ever had steamed milk poured on your eyes sunoo?”

poor ni-ki waits for you all day, his heart leaping every time the bell on the door rings only to roll his eyes when it isnt you

he even stays past his shift so youd better let him take you on a date or hes quitting

when you finally arrive he trips over the bucket at his feet he was using to clean and spills dirty water all over his pants

“omg ni-ki are you okay what happened” *five octaves higher* “NOTHING I'M COMPLETELY FINE WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT”

by the time he’s finished cleaning himself up (and by that i mean fixing his hair in the mirror for twenty minutes) he takes a deep breath and walks over to you, somewhat cold latte in hand

“um,” he clears his throat, his face growing red as he slides the mug towards you “i made this for you”

“aw thanks ni-ki! why is it green” “........its matcha?”

youre slightly suspicious but you look back to the mug and slowly realise that the “drawing” slightly resembles a heart, smiling a little bit to yourself

when you look back to him, youre a little confused as to why hes just standing there

“is something wrong?” you press the mug to your lips, taking a sip

“o-uh uh actually, i wanted to ask if… if you would uh maybe sort of go on a date with me”

you can only smile

“yes, but…”

his heart starts beating faster, watching you anxiously

you stand up, taking the notepad and pen from his apron pocket and scribbling your phone number

“only if you promise to learn how to make actual coffee” you wink, handing him the notepad and sauntering out of the shop

hes stood there dumbstruck, stars in his eyes at the slip of paper in his hand

but then he realises: he has a new mission

rushing to the back room, he slams the door open

“grandpa, i need you to teach me how to make coffee right now” “literally why do i pay you”

with your promise in mind, the others see him work more diligently at the counter than they ever have before

“wow youre actually working today?” “shut up i need to figure out how to do this butterfly before i pry my eyes out with a fork” “haha funny joke ni-” “did i stutter”

at the end of the week, he forces heeseung (the cafe’s best coffee maker) and sunoo (the cafe’s best latte artist) to judge his latte

“this is… surprisingly good” heeseung peers into the mug, smiling at the swan ni-ki created with the latte foam as sunoo grumbles “dont tell me im gonna have to start competing with this kid, it probably tastes gross” “it tastes amazing too” “im quitting”

with his coworkers’ notes in mind, he finally works up the nerve to send you a quick message telling you to come into the shop

when you arrive the next day, ni-ki greets you and immediately gets to work, making sure to stand as close as humanly possible to your booth so he can show off his newly acquired coffee making skills

with you only inches away, he does make a mistake and spill milk on his shirt after looking at you and not his hands for a second too long, but you decide to give him the benefit of the doubt when he sets the mug in front of you

“wow! this heart is perfect!”

you smile, looking up to him “did you seriously learn how to do latte art just so you could take me on a date?” “… y-yeah, and?”

you can only chuckle as you press the mug to your lips, readying yourself to drink liquid dirt…

“this is… really good!” you grin, taking another sip and putting the mug down on its saucer

“i think you’ve definitely earned yourself a date… or two”

at this news, ni-ki’s face lights up, shoving the urge to scream down his throat before nodding stiffly to try and contain his excitement with a strained “cool” escaping his lips

“are you okay ni-ki?” “yes just give me one second”

he quickly scrambles to the break room, a moment of silence wafting through the store before a shrill scream fills the air

eyes wide, you turn to jay, who had been manning the till, after hearing him burst into laughter

“what is he doing?”

“we told him the freezer was sound proof”

[plaidbooks]

May I PLEASE have a Sonny Carisi x reader fic where they're fake dating?! Thank you in advance my lovely ❤️

Undercover

A/N: What? Two Sonny fics back-to-back? That’s right! I love this trope too damn much, and I was done with the whole “home for the holidays” cliche, so this is different. Also, the second-hand embarrassment in the beginning killed me. Hope you enjoy, Karen, and thanks for the request @the-baby-bookworm <3

Tags: none, just fluff

Words: 1640

Taglist: @the-baby-bookworm @beccabarba @thatesqcrush @itsjustmyfantasyroom @stardust-fray @permanentlydizzy @infiniteoddball @ben-c-group-therapy @glowingmess @whimsicallymad @reading--mermaid @averyhotchner @mrsrafaelbarba @detective-giggles

You had an arm wrapped around Sonny’s waist, his arm around your shoulders, as you walked through the park. You chuckled lightly, pretending he had said something funny as you both moved closer to the perp you were tailing.

“He’s heading for Alice,” Fin’s voice came through your earpiece. But that was the plan; Alice was the bait to draw out the man who had assaulted her. On a different trail, you saw Amanda stretching in her tracksuit, subtly watching the perp. You and Sonny moved closer, making sure Alice wasn’t in harm’s way, that you could grab this guy if anything happened.

And then, someone cut off your line of sight. “[Y/N]?? Hey! How are you?! And who’s this??” they asked. Your eyes focused, and you panicked; it was your cousin.

“Shhh! Abby, not right now,” you whispered, trying to look to see if the perp had heard any of this exchange. So far, it seemed like you were still in the clear.

“Is this your boyfriend??” she asked, looking Sonny up and down. He grinned nervously, trying to be polite, his eyes still trained on the perp.

Fin’s voice came over your earpiece. “What’s going on? Who is that?”

“Abby, look, this is a really bad time—” you started before she cut you off.

“He’s cute, though! Good job, [Y/N]! You have to bring him over for dinner though!” Abby was gushing, her voice getting louder and louder. The perp turned and looked over at the three of you, and you gave Abby a huge smile, playing the part.

“For sure! I’ll bring Dom over later…tonight work?” you asked, trying to just get rid of her now.

Sonny, sensing your plans, pulled you closer, kissing your temple. “Yeah, I’d love to meet some of your family, babe.”

Abby smiled. “Tonight sounds perfect! 7 o’clock work?”

“Yep! Bye now,” you said, just as the perp started walking down the trail again. You and Sonny pushed by your cousin, keeping on his trail. Sonny quirked an eyebrow at you, but you simply shook your head; you’d explain later.

 ********************

Thankfully, the run-in with your cousin didn’t blow your undercover, and you were able to apprehend the perp. But by the time you caught him, made it back to the precinct, interrogated him, and sent him to processing, you had completely forgotten about the encounter with your cousin in the park.

After filling out the paperwork for the arrest, you made a cup of bad, precinct coffee and downed half of it in one gulp, making Sonny chuckle as he watched.

“What’s so funny?” you asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

He grinned. “I’ve never seen anyone actually drink this sludge, let alone that much.”

You opened your mouth to reply but stopped when your phone chimed with an incoming text. Brow furrowed, you glanced at it, seeing it was from your cousin, Abby, reminding you to come over at 7pm. You let out a groan. “Fuck, I forgot about dinner at my cousin’s place!”

“Oh shit, I did too…have you told her I’m not actually your boyfriend? That we were undercover?” Sonny asked, leaning back in his chair.

You shook your head slightly. “Nah, Abby’s kind of an airhead. I don’t know if she even knows what the word ‘undercover’ means….”

Sonny was silent as he thought this over. “So…” he started. “Are we going undercover at your cousin’s place?”

You swallowed at what he was suggesting, touched that he would do this for you. There was no rescheduling when it came to Abby, no explaining things away. You’d have to go to this dinner, and you’d have to bring Sonny. Even if you did tell her you weren’t dating, she’d still insist you were, tell everyone in the family.

“Even if we did, this means my whole family’s gonna be asking about you,” you murmured, staring at your half-empty coffee.

“And if we blow off this dinner?”

Your cheeks burned. “Then the rumors Abby would spread would be a hundred times worse…and the family would still be asking about you.” You remembered the last time you were late bringing an ex over, and Abby not-so-subtly tugged the collar of your shirt down, looking for hickeys.

Sonny chuckled. “Well, I guess that leaves us no choice, now does it…honey?” He grinned at you, his eyes crinkling in that way they do when he’s amused, and you shot him a playful glare.

“I’ll owe you cannolis for a month,” you promised, and he laughed, shaking your hand, and sealing the deal.

 ******************

You and Sonny stood on the doorstep of Abby’s brownstone, waiting for her to answer the door after you knocked. “Thank you again for this,” you murmured, heart in your throat.

“Of course. We’re partners. I’d take a bullet for ya…or pretend to be your boyfriend for a dinner,” Sonny replied, making you laugh.

“Glad those are on the same level for you,” you rolled your eyes as the door opened.

“[Y/N]! Welcome! And Dom!” Abby greeted, and you furrowed your brow, trying to remember if you really called Sonny be his first name in the park. You normally referred to him by his last name only. Guess you were sticking with Dominick tonight.

Abby moved out of the way, letting you enter her place. “Thanks for having us over,” Sonny said, smiling.

“Nonsense! I’m happy to meet [Y/N]’s…friends,” she gave you a knowing look, and you grimaced. “She’s always so busy with work, I’m amazed she has time to date!” You groaned and Sonny chuckled good-naturedly. “So! How’d you two meet?”

 ***************

Abby’s husband came home soon after you had arrived, their two children with him. Then dinner was served. Abby never stopped asking questions, and to Sonny’s credit, he answered everything thrown at him—mostly about his family and life. He answered truthfully, neither of you really lying, even when asked “couple” questions. When asked how long you’ve been together, you were able to answer how long you were partnered at SVU. Having worked so close for so long, spending many days and nights together, meant you could answer pretty truthfully, even if Abby didn’t get that you weren’t really dating. Your only issue was catching yourself almost calling him Carisi, which only happened a few times, and you quickly corrected yourself. Otherwise, you answered everything perfectly. Except for one question, asked after dinner, when Abby was watching Sonny play with the kids.

“So, any talks about marriage?” she asked, sipping on her glass of wine.

You choked on your own wine, putting the glass down as you coughed. “Ah, no—not yet,” you sputtered.

“Well, you should get on that. I mean, look at him,” she said, gesturing at Sonny. One of the kids, the five-year-old girl, pushed his chest, and he dramatically fell backwards onto the floor, making both kids squeal with laughter.

You grinned at him; it was adorable watching Sonny with the kids. This wasn’t the first time you thought your partner was cute, but it hit…differently this time. Your cheeks burned as you caught yourself starting to feel…no. You stopped the thought right there; you were not falling for him.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you replied, finishing your wine. “Well, it’s getting late.” You walked over to Sonny, helping him up off the floor. He got up, pulling you close, placing a kiss on your cheek, and your heart stuttered.

“Ready to go home, love?” he asked, nuzzling his nose into your hair, his arms wrapping around your shoulders.

“Yep! Let’s get out of here,” you replied, squeezing him to you before pulling away. “Thanks for dinner, Abs; it was delicious. Nice seeing you, too, Jake.” You hugged them both while Sonny high-fived the children, then said goodbye to Abby and Jake. Placing a hand on your lower back, he led you out into the night, heading towards his truck.

“Thank you again for tonight, Dom,” you said once you were far enough away from Abby’s place.

Sonny grinned at you, and you melted. Fuck, you really were falling for him. “Of course, doll. I had a lot of fun tonight, undercover or not.”

You climbed into the passenger side and Sonny slipped into the driver’s seat. He turned the engine on, but didn’t move to put the truck in drive, instead gripping and regripping the wheel nervously. “Listen, [Y/N]…would you, uh, like to go out for coffee with me sometime or something?” he asked.

You turned to look at him, dumbfounded. “Like…like a-a date?”

Sonny swallowed. “Y-yeah…I mean, if you wanted…. Look, just forget I asked—”

“I’d love to,” you replied, smiling.

He looked at you, eyes wide before he broke into a wide grin. “Okay, great. That’s…that’s great.” You both sat there for what seemed like forever, just grinning at each other like idiots. “Oh! I guess I should take ya home, huh?” Sonny asked, his cheeks going red.

You laughed. “That would be nice, yeah…. It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah, it has…but a good day.”

“A fantastic day,” you agreed, making his grin grow. You had butterflies in your stomach as you thought about going on a date with Sonny, your heart fluttering. Your heart full on stopped when he parked in front of your apartment, though, pulling you in for a chaste kiss over the center divide of his truck, his face beet-red after he realized what he did.

“I’ll text you tomorrow,” Sonny said in a small voice, leaning back in his seat and looking embarrassed.

You smiled, leaning over and kissing his burning cheek. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.” He watched you leave his truck, waiting until you made it through your front door before driving away. You smiled to yourself, thrilled about going out with your partner, excited to wake up in the morning.