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horseshoegirl · 1 year

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Damn Those Dog Tags: Part 9 - Hang On, Hang On

This is the one you’ve been waiting for 💛 also, that second photo - I actually took it, which I’m really proud of!!

Kay Peeps, if you hadn't heeded the +18 warning, you better do so now. I mean it! Smut is an ever-present possibility from this point onwards.

18+ minors DNI. Ageless and blank blogs are blocked without warning.

❗+18, strong language, godmother reader/original female character, original child, sexual themes (I mean Smut, so get outta here if you ain't +18), Nightmares, Sad (And scared) Sadie is back.

#6.8k Words

Part 8 | Masterlist | Part 10

“So, what’s going on with you and Hangman?”

You choked on your drink, coughing hard, as you spat out, “Nat, come on.”

Natasha had pressured you into having a drink with her at the Hard Deck on your day off, holding you to your promise of having a girl's night before she was deployed.

Not that you didn't want to spend time with her, but you weren't feeling up to this particular Friday night. Or it could have been due to the fact she couldn't stop hounding you about Jake volunteering to pick Sadie up from school.

You had to give her credit. She knew something was up ever since they came home. And despite her best efforts to corner you, you had successfully evaded her. That was until now.

When you told her you couldn't because you didn't have anyone to watch Sadie, she saw right through your bald-faced lie, saying she knew Amelia would be coming over to help Sadie with a science project.

You were left with no way out of it.

“Rooster had a ‘chat’ with us,” she exclaimed. “Told us we needed to stop being mean to Jake, or we won’t be able to see Sadie anymore.”

You rolled your eyes. "He's exaggerating. You know I would never stop you from seeing Sadie.”

She nodded her head in agreement, but it didn't stop her from pressing further. "So spill. There was no way that would have come out of his mouth willingly."

She wasn't going to let this go, you thought. Maybe filling her in on bits and pieces of what happened would calm her curiosity, and you'd catch a break.

"Jake was helping me get through the whole CPS situation." you started, knowing Jake would have told Rooster as much. "Then I found Tyler's letter while you guys were deployed. So I showed it to him, and... Well, you know Bradley, he jumped to conclusions and thought he saw something he didn't."

"He basically accused me of not thinking about Sadie," Nat's eyes softened with your words. She knew without a double you considered Sadie before doing anything for yourself. For Bradley to suggest otherwise was harsh.

"So, I told him to stop being mean to Jake as an apology."

"Did Bradley see something he though he saw?”

You swallowed at her words. There was no way she saw you and Jake too. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, did Bradley actually see something going on between the two of you? When you showed him the letter."

You dug your nails into your thigh as you replied, "Are you implying something is going on between Jake and I?"

Nat didn't hesitate when she answered you with, "Come on, Liz, how many female friends does Jake actually have?"

That made you pause, blankly staring at her. She was right.

"Jake doesn't do that with most people."

You felt pinned down. With no way out but to deny everything. So instead, you went for, “How much do you know about Jake?”

“Besides the fact, he’s an ass?”

“Nat.” You snapped. “He’s not. Stop with that.”

Phoenix leaned back in her seat, a pleased grin on her face. “You like him.”

“Nat!”

"Hey, I know I was against it initially, but I honestly think you are making a difference for him."

Much like Penny's reaction, you thought Nat would have undoubtedly jumped to your defence, threatening to kick him to the curb or shoot him down the next time they went up together. So the fact she was actually reacting positively made you question everything.

You pinned her with your eyes. "Why are you so suddenly changing your mind about Jake?"

"Besides the fact he is good with the Bug? I think he genuinely likes you."

Well, that made your ears burn.

"He was different this time out. Less harsh on everyone. Actually wanting to talk to us like decent human beings. I don't think that's a coincidence."

“A man doesn’t change his ways for a woman,” you rolled your eyes at her.

“He does if it’s the right woman.”

You dropped your elbows to the table, leaning forward. “That’s so fricken cheesy, Nat.”

She huffed out a laugh, you joining in with her.

“I meant to say, if you want to, I’ll back you up.”

You opened your mouth, some retort about Jake never going for someone like you ready on your lips, when someone collapsed into the empty booth next to you, a body trying very hard to use you as a personal pillow.

It could have only been one person, literally from the fact he had done this once before.

“Bob?” you questioned, your hand coming up to rest against his cheek.

“Hi, Lizzie,” he hiccuped, burying his face into the back of your shoulder. You looked up at Nat, shocked. She stared at Bob for a few seconds before putting her face into her hands. “Dammit, Bob, not again.”

Rooster, Coyote and Jake swarmed your table, Rooster exhaled after finally tracking down Bob, sighing out under his breath, "There he is."

Clearly, that wasn't the correct thing to say in front of Nat.

“What did you guys do to my WSO?!” She cried out, staring at Rooster.

“It’s not our fault he’s a baby.”

Javy was hanging at the back of the group, a disappointing look on his face, which led you to believe he had nothing to do with Bob's current state. Meaning Rooster and Jake, standing at the front, were at fault.

You glared at Jake, your face saying everything words couldn't.

He only shrugged. “He wanted to play 8-ball for drinks.”

You were about to open your mouth to reply before your phone blared out. You looked down at your phone, frowning at the notification.

Serve weather warning. Seek shelter immediately.

“There’s a storm warning." You said out loud, scrolling through your phone to read the weather report. "It looks really bad.”

“I bet we could make it back home in time?” Coyote suggested, looking to Bob before looking out the back windows of the Hard Deck. You followed his gaze, and judging by the sky outside, the waves, and the sudden bursts of wind, they wouldn’t.

“Nope. Out of question. All of you are staying at mine tonight.”

It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve dragged the squad back to your house after a night of drinking. You were sure it wouldn’t be the last either.

But if this was the first major storm of the season lurking in the sky as an imminent threat and your house being only being five minutes max away from the Hard Deck, this would be the easiest way to ensure everyone remained safe, especially with Bob.

You wouldn’t risk the chance of something happening to them if you could help it.

“Are you sure?” Phoenix asked. “I don’t know about the others, but I would really appreciate that. But I don’t want to impose.”

You stared at her ridiculously. “Nat. Seriously. You guys have done a lot worse.”

“Okay,” She held her hands up, then looked to Bob. “But I’m not bunking with any of these lightweights.”

Judging by Bob’s hiccup against your shoulder, you didn’t blame her. Glancing at him from over your shoulder, you remarked, “This one is walking home with us.”

You looked back at the group. “Any takers?”

Bradley immediately replied, “I’m not turning down your couch. That thing is awesome.”

Javy nodded, adding, "It would be nice to have breakfast with Sadie."

Then you turned to Jake, raising your eyebrow. “You in? I promise I have enough room.”

You felt Nat kick you from under the table, and you did your best not to react.

Jake looked conflicted for a moment, his forehead scrunching together and narrowing his eyes. "You walked here again?"

"Why would I waste gas when I'm five minutes out?"

He couldn't really argue with your logic, but that didn't stop him from worrying about you walking by yourself. Not that you would be this time, but during the nights when you closed.

But a night under your roof? There was a time he had asked that question with nothing more than the intent to get you into a bed and fuck you until he was stated.

But now? He would do anything just to be near you.

Jake reached for Bob, peeling him off your body before handing him over to Rooster and Coyote, before holding out his hand to help you out of the booth. The cocky smirk was back as he said, "Lead the way."

Bradley and Javy hooked their arms under Bob’s shoulders, lifting him up and over to the front door. You quickly said your goodbyes to Penny and Jimmy, who swore they would be okay by themselves to close early. Deciding to walk was an easy decision. If the storm was as bad as the report said it was, they were better leaving their cars in the parking lot overnight rather than in your tiny driveway and along your street.

The heat was stifling as you exited the bar, the storm in the air and the sky behind the thunder clouds a deep orange. A car horn honked at you when, in your eagerness to watch the sky, you weren’t looking where you were going.

Jake walked next to you, making sure to put himself between you and the road on your journey home. And when a strong gust of wind threatened to knock you over, he pulled you tight into his side, his arm fastened around your waist as if you’d be swept off with the next gust of wind.

Your mind should have been racing with more thoughts about Jake’s hand on your waist. What it meant, if it was related to New Year's Eve, if he was just being a good friend or whether Rooster or Coyote saw now that Nat was no longer an issue. In fact, you were certain she was going to start encouraging it if it meant getting a reprieve from the tension amongst the team.

But Rooster and Coyote were too busy making sure Bob didn’t fall over because of the wind. And Nat was ahead of you all, leading the group up the street quickly because she didn’t want to get wet.

Instead, for some strange reason, you couldn’t help but wonder if the car driving out of the parking lot was the same as when Jake drove you home from your shift that night.

_____

You awoke to a rumble of thunder shaking the house.

The storm had only progressed in the hours since you arrived home with the Daggers. Amelia had already helped Sadie to bed when you greeted her at the door. You offered for her to stay, but she assured you she could get home before the real brunt of the storm hit. You only let her go if she promised to let you know when she got home.

Rolling over, you spied Nat on the other side of your bed, perfectly passed out and unbothered by the ruckus over your house. You envied her ability to sleep wherever, though you pitied the why.

Tossing and turning, you couldn’t get comfortable. You thought maybe counting the time between the rumbles of thunder and the sparks of lightning would lull you back to sleep, but nothing seemed to help.

Your eyes shot around the room, taking in the objects you carefully placed to make this room your own, till you paused at your bedside tablet. Your small jewellery box, a photo of Sadie, your alarm clock revealing 3:00 A.M. in bright green numbers. And your book Pride and Prejudice, the bookmark still in the same spot since the day you read it on the beach last year. The brief thought of reading came to mind, but you pushed it aside almost instantly. You knew you’d only pick it up to read the same page over and over, never venturing from the last sentence on that page, before you’d slam the book shut and throw it back to its resting place.

Deciding to bite the bullet, you lifted your covers, watching Nat carefully as you climbed out of your bed, thinking maybe a cup of tea would help.

After shutting your door carefully, you tiptoed through your hallway, pausing for a second outside your office door, where Jake would be fast asleep on your pull-out couch.

The minute everyone arrived, they went about making themselves at home, following the same routine they always did when staying over.

Nat instantly sought out your room with nothing more than a 'Goodnight, Losers!" over her shoulder. After Bob was settled on the opposite end of your couch, Rooster flung himself down into the cushions, an arm strung over his face covering his eyes as he pilfered the blanket you had strung over the back of the couch. Coyote had taken the floor, having dug around in your garage for your air mattress, finding it perfectly adequate.

After checking on Sadie, you found Jake standing in your kitchen, looking a little lost. You simply had looped your arm through his, taking him down the hallway to your office where you had already pulled out the bed, sheets and all ready.

Deciding against opening the door, you forced yourself to continue to your kitchen, the storm lighting your path. You hand sought out the light switch under the upper cabinets before reaching for your kettle.

After filling it up, you placed it back on its stand, pressing a few buttons before rummaging through your tea chest for Chamomile tea.

It would be a couple more minutes before the kettle boiled, so you pulled out your empty trash can from under the sink and a bottle of water from your fridge. After a quick pit stop at your bathroom, you made your way into the family room, carefully navigating yourself around the room so you could place the objects in front of Bob for when he woke up in the morning.

Even though Rooster's snores and the pain pelting hard against the roof, you heard the kettle whistle, and you eagerly made your way back to make what you hoped would be a cure for your insomnia.

Nursing the cup of tea between your hands, your oversized sleeves protecting your skin from the extreme heat, you leaned against the kitchen window over the backyard.

A gasp escaped your lips when you heard the sound of glasses clicking against one another a few seconds later. You whipped around to see what made the noise. Jake froze, his arm slowing dropping down after grabbing a glass.

“Sorry,” he said softly, voice riddled with sleep. “I just wanted to get a glass of water.”

You relaxed instantly, pressing your mug back to your chest. "It's okay."

After filling his glass, Jake joined you, leaning up against the wall opposite.

“Can’t sleep?” He asked, bringing the glass to his lips. You shook your head.

“I used to like storms,” you reminisced, playing with the string of your tea bag. “But now…”

You didn't need to say anymore. Jake knew, given the way you trailed off, making your body smaller by curling inwards on yourself. He decided to change the topic, offering a “Bob drunkenly confessed Rooster had a chat with him.”

You chuckled to yourself, knowing exactly what Jake was referring to.

"I'm sorry if it wasn't my place," you apologized to him. "I just had enough."

"Enough?"

"Of them treating you like that. Of Bradley not giving you a chance," you shrugged.

“I can't say it's not unwarranted,” he replied, glancing out the window to take in the storm. “I may have said something about his Dad in the past.”

"Jake..."

He faced you, looking ashamed. "I know what you're going to say. How could I, right?"

"I wasn't going to say anything," you spoke softly. "Only that it's your past. It's not who I know you as."

Here you go again, he thought. Treating him as if he wasn't undeserving of you defending him.

This time, it was you who decided to change the topic.

"I never thanked you for picking up Sadie. She had a good time."

Despite the heaviness from before, Jake smiled to himself. "She's a good kid."

Then he offered, “You don’t want to know what she wanted to talk to me about?”

You shook your head. “If she wanted to tell me, she would have. I don’t mind she has secrets, but I trust if it were important enough, she’d come to me when she needed me.”

“Besides,” you said, bringing the tea to your lips and smirking into the mug, “She told me you faced Ursula.”

The look on Jake's face was priceless. You didn't know a lot about what happened, and Lyssa was short on details. But they both told you Jake didn't bat an eyelid when she tried to flirt with him. But judging from the look on his face, something happened that they didn't tell you about.

Then suddenly, your words made you think back to you and Jake sitting in the booth that night before the almost kiss. He wanted to tell you something before Bradley decided to be an ass.

You thought about it for a second, knowing if you went down that road and brought up New Year's Eve, it would undoubtedly lead to a discussion about whatever happened between the two of you that night. You'd never know why the witching hour was suddenly the moment you decided you’d need to ask the hard questions. If you did, would Jake answer you honestly, here and now, in your kitchen?

You were about to ask, but the next rumble of thunder over the house was too close for comfort, the force causing the window next to you to clatter in the frame. You gasped, jolting away from the glass, a crack of lightning following right after.

Your power flickered once, then twice, before going out completely, and you instantly looked for Jake in the darkness. But the next sound that echoed through the walls didn’t come from a crack of lighting or a rumble of thunder. No, it was one of the most jarring screams you had ever heard.

You didn’t register it right away—another crack above masking the tail end of the sound. But Jake had. He was gone, running out of your kitchen and into your hallway, the bolt of lightning illuminating your kitchen and the spot where he once stood within seconds.

Only one person in the house could have produced such a scream.

Sadie.

You almost dropped your cup of tea, carelessly sliding it along your kitchen counter as you took off after Jake into the hallway, hands skimming along the walls as your heart pounded hard in your chest.

Her door was already open by the time you turned the corner. Reaching the door frame, you caught the tail end of Sadie lit up by another flash of lightning from her window, all red-faced and crying, scrambling into Jake’s arms as he sat on the end of her bed.

Taking her into his arms, Jake spoke soothingly, “Easy, Bug.”

"Uncle Jake," she whimpered back.

“It’s just a storm," he placed a hand on her back. "We’re safe. Your safe.”

She gasped out a sob, clutching Jake harder, burying her head into his chest. She dropped her hand down from the back of his neck, gripping his shirt tightly in her fist as she cried out, “Don’t let me go! Don’t let me go!”

“Not a chance,” he muttered into her hair. You pushed forward from the door, racing to the side of her bed, a hand on Jake’s back as you kneeled down next to them.

“Sadie?”

A bolt of lightning lit up her room, and you caught her shuttering at the light. She turned her head, still buried in Jake’s collarbone, to look at you. You placed your other hand on her back.

“It was a nightmare,” she sniffed before retreating back into Jake’s chest.

“It’s okay to have a nightmare, Bug. We all get them.�� You soothed, rubbing your hand up and down her back. Meeting Jake's eye, you could see his panic wash away, now replaced with concern that Sadie was merely scared than seriously hurt.

“Even me,” Jake offered. You were about to ask her, but Jake must have known what you were thinking when he followed up with, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

It took her a second, but she managed to squeak out a muffled, “Everyone didn’t make it home.”

Jake’s arms flexed just a little at her admission. It was obvious he didn’t want to let her go. Sadie didn’t want to let him go either.

“And… then the storm,” she stuttered. “Mum…and you. It's too much."

Jake and you let her catch her breath, Sadie wiping away her tears before resuming the grip she had on his shirt. "I was alone."

Your voice was firm, even if your heart was breaking at her words, when you replied back, "There will never be a point in your life, Sadie, where you will be alone. You have my word."

Another rumble of thunder shook her window, making her whimper. Her voice was small, “I’m scared.”

“What are you scared about?” Jake asked her softly.

“The thunder,” she cried. “The lightning. What else is up there.”

You caught Jake’s smile from where it was hidden in her hair. “Well, I can tell you from first-hand experience that it’s nothing but clouds up there. If there were, I would have seen it by now.”

Sadie pulled back, resting her chin on Jake's chest, peering up at him to take in his words. "Really?" She asked. Jake nodded. "I promise."

"Do you think you can manage to fall back asleep?" you asked her.

"I don't want to be alone," she managed to say before another burst of lightning filled her room, making her jolt.

“I gotcha, Bug.” Jake consoled her. “We won’t leave till you feel safe.”

Jake pressed his cheek to the top of her head, eyes closed as he held her, rocking back and forth as another rattle shook the house. Sadie shook harder with each roar, and he tried to soothe her the best he could.

As the worst of the storm passed, although no less intense as rain pelted against the windows, Sadie fell back asleep holding on to Jake. He lifted his cheek off her, glancing down at her with so much tenderness it made you want to cry. Placing a hand on the back of her head, he carefully picked her up so as not to disturb her sleep.

It brought you back to the nights Sadie would fall asleep on your chest as a baby or when she was only five years old, Ridley working night shifts at the hospital, and it was just the two of you. Falling asleep in the rocking chair in her room or on the couch, much like Jake was doing now, you’d carry her back to her bed, wondering how long it would be before she grew up and you couldn’t anymore.

Gently laying her down, Jake delicately peeled her hands off his shirt, ensuring she was settled, tenderly brushing away a piece of her hair covering her face. He stepped back to allow you to pull the covers over her. After pressing a kiss to her forehead, you motioned for Jake to follow.

Softly closing her bedroom door after Jake walked ahead of you, you pressed your back up against the wall next to her door.

“Thank you, Jake.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that," he said, standing opposite of you, looking down at the floor.

“No, I do,” you couldn’t gather the words to describe just how appreciative of what Jake just did for Sadie. “I… I don’t know what we’d do without you. She adores you... I..”

You had to stop yourself. You weren't going to admit to Jake that you liked him like this. It would be taking advantage of him, especially after that. But your mind raced, and instead, you went back to the question you wanted to ask before Sadie screamed.

You needed to know. If bringing up New Year's Eve would bring the downfall of this friendship, if setting a boundary with Jake was needed, then you'd rather rip the band-aid off now before your heart would ache further.

So standing in the middle of your hallway, just outside Sadie's door, with the rest of the daggers asleep in the house, you opened the can of worms.

“What did you want to tell me New Year’s Eve at the Hard Deck?” you asked him softly.

Jake lifted his head, shocked. “What?”

“When I showed you the letter, you wanted to tell me something.”

Jake shook his head, eyes cast down towards your floor, murmuring, “It’s not important.”

You frowned at his dismissal, pushing yourself off the wall. “Jake, it must have been important to you if you wanted to tell me.”

He turned around, raking his fingers through his hair.

“Jake?”

He looked to the hallway leading to your family room, pausing a few seconds before looking to your bedroom door, to Sadie’s, and then coming to rest on you. There’s a heat in his eyes, and you cannot help but feel the weight of it flushing down your body.

But you were still concerned. It wasn’t like Jake to be like this.

“Jake?” you tried again. This time your voice was significantly lower and a bit more concerning, hoping it would encourage him to speak. But then he licks the bottom of his lip, the little movement making your brain shortcircuit.

There you were, standing there looking up at him, worried something was wrong. In a sleep shirt, ten times too big for you. Standing outside Sadie's bedroom door.

You. His possibility of someday.

Penny gave him a green light. Sadie told him she was okay with it. But he realized he didn't want to be searching for those commanding orders in any decision regarding you.

A bell, a snake, his own fucking hesitancy. There would always be something preventing him from doing what he wanted. If he wanted to do it, he had to do it now.

If not now, when.

He doesn’t even lower his voice when he says, “Fuck it.”

Jake is in front of you in two strides, taking your face into his hands as he bends down without hesitancy, pressing his lips to yours. You froze, unable to move as your arms hung limply by your sides, trying to process exactly what just happened as everything around you went silent with his touch.

When you don't react, Jake releases your lips, his eyes wild and lips red as he takes in your face. And it hits you, at that moment, how desperate and turned on you were for him to give you more from that one kiss alone.

You lean up, pressing your lips back onto his. Jake wrapped an arm around your shoulders, walking forward and backing you up against the wall.

You were in absolute disbelief, yet a small part of you wanted to shake with joy. Maybe you were shaking with joy. Or nerves. You couldn’t tell. Not with how hard Jake was pressing you into the wall. His hold on you was just that tight. His other hand slips down from where it landed on the wall, along your hip bone, before grazing the bare skin of your thigh. His callouses a stark contrast on your soft skin.

But it’s not enough for him. He moves to grip the back of your thighs with both hands, bending down slightly to lift you up. Your legs instantly wrapped around his waist, and you let instinct take over, your arms wrapping themselves around his shoulders, hands and fingers looping around the back of his neck to weave through the roots of his hair as you keep kissing him.

You had no idea how quickly the two of you got where you were so quick, but you didn’t want it to stop. But your heart fluttering hard against your chest was telling you to stop, competing with the quiet urge deep inside you screaming for you not to ruin the moment and let yourself experience it, to take as much as Jake was willing to offer.

But you couldn’t. You were too terrified, beneath how your body responded to Jake and his touch.

You needed him to know. You needed him to understand.

You weren’t somebody he could fuck around with.

With Jake releasing your mouth, you sucked in a desperate breath, “I’m not a one-night stand, Jake. I don’t sleep with people for fun.”

The words spilled out of you before you even really knew you were saying them. The defence mechanisms that had been slowly breaking down since the night at the Hard Deck, the hike, the video chat, and the almost kiss on New Year’s Eve were crying out in some last desperate attempt to survive. This a last attempt at warning you nothing but trouble and heartache would follow should you choose to keep walking down this path.

You were subconsciously aware of Jake’s hand travelling up your back, fingers catching the top helm of your baggy sleep shirt, pulling it down and exposing the skin of your shoulder, his nose softly tracing your cheek near the corner of your mouth.

I know you don’t,” he rasped before kissing you again. Heart soaring up your throat, you forced yourself to pull away, panting out, “You have a reputation.”

“Do I?” He whispered against your jaw before pressing open-mouthed kisses down your neck to your collarbone before sucking on the soft skin of your shoulder. “Enlighten me.”

“A trail of one-night stands,” you whimpered as he sucked harder, your hand going to his chest. “Quitting bartenders of broken hearts.”

Words were hard. It took you a couple of seconds, between feeling him stroke at your skin and his mouth at your collarbone, to formulate the words you needed to explain your point.

“Your call sign up in the girl's bathroom.” Shit. “It’s obvious.”

“Is it?” He had the decency to sound like he wasn’t as affected as you were, with no wavering of breaths or stuttering responses. Even if his voice was a little bit rough, it oozed confidence.

“It’s what I’ve been told.”

The hallway around you was non-existent. The storm raging on was non-existent. Nothing mattered but the feeling of Jake’s body, his hands, his mouth pressing up against you. His fingers splayed across the small of your back, sliding down only to grope at the bare skin of your ass underneath your sleep shorts.

It was too much. And not enough.

“What happened to the clean slate?”

“The clean slate was different - Shit,” your voice caught in your throat when he adjusted his grip, you dropping a few inches down the wall, your pelvis now flush against his. “I thought you wanted to be friends.”

“Do friends want to do this to each other?” he smirked against your jawline.

They certainly don’t, was the first thought in your head. Friends with benefits, maybe, but you weren’t that type of person. You cared too much ever to let your heart get hurt like that.

So you challenged him back, “Why do you think Penny hired me back? They all left because of you.”

“Not for what you think,” Another sharp kiss, all teeth pulling at your bottom lip, hard.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Let me prove you wrong.”

You stilled in this hold, nails digging into his broad shoulders and your hand pushing him away as you gasped slightly at his words. Jake hesitantly pulled back to look at your face, hands pausing in their efforts.

“Jake,” you managed to say, your breath harsh as your chest heaved with effort. “Are you asking to take me out on a date?”

You saw the gentle movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed before giving a terse nod. “Just one. That’s all I’m asking, Liz.”

You started at him in shock. “You don’t date.”

“I would for you.”

“And when you realize I’m not worth it?

“Bullshit.”

He was angry at you for saying so, back to pressing an open-mouthed kiss to your lips as if it would prove to you just how much he thought you were.

“You don’t want me,” you spoke in between kisses, Jake responding in kind by urging across your lips, “Yes, I do.”

“No," you pulled away from his mouth, panting harshly as both your hands pushed at his chest.

“Since the first moment I met you,” he is sure in his words. “Making an ass of myself by attempting to pick you up. But I didn’t realize how much until we spoke when I was overseas.”

“Why?”

“Because,” he started. “You’re not the type of person someone spends the night with. You’re the person they come home to.”

“Jake,” his name is a cry on your lips. There was no way he would see you like that. It was fucking insane. He must be fucking insane.

You went to shake your head, Jake catching a kiss on your cheek, preventing you from following through. Then another, and another before he found the corner of your mouth. You were unable to resist the feeling, the drive to turn your head back to meet his lips.

Jake couldn’t stop kissing you. If this were all he could get, he would take what he could while he still could. He just couldn’t understand why you thought you weren’t worth a chance.

“You should know what you're getting into,” you said, tilting your head back to whisper against his lips. “If you want to date me.”

“What am I getting into?” he challenged, lifting his chin up to rub his nose against yours.

“I have little to no dating experience, Jake.”

“According to you, neither do I.”

“I’m not like other girls.”

“It’s why I like you.”

“I’m off limits.”

“Fuck them.”

“Jake, I’m…”

“Stop.”

Another kiss. But this time, you let him. You let him press you harder into the wall, letting yourself gasp into his mouth, to hear him moan with you, to let him stroke up and down the back of your thigh, only to realize Jake was working his mouth down your body once more, down your neck and across your collarbone. Your hand finds a grip his hair, anticipating the path his lips might take. But instead of going back to your shoulder, Jake goes for your chest.

An open palm trailed up your stomach and over your ribs, pausing just below your breast. “Can I?” he rasped.

“God, yes,” you managed to croak. You couldn’t help yourself. Not when this touch was making you feel this good. Jake kneaded your breast, and you mewled, your head thumping back into the wall. He used his grip to bunch up your skin, taking in a mouthful exposed by the dip of your shirt to suck. You let out a cry behind a closed mouth, Jake grunting with the noise.

Something was building in the pit of your stomach. Was it heat? You certainly felt hot, your skin exposed, vulnerable, under Jake’s touch and mouth. And the way he was working his way around your breast, tongue travelling down your skin. His tongue shot out, creeping just at the underside of your breast, your hand shooting out to the wall, searching for a grip that wasn’t there.

“I’m a package deal,” you gasped up towards the ceiling. Jake paused in his efforts, looking up at you before bringing his face level with yours.

It felt cheap to throw Sadie in as the last resort. But you needed him to know, to really understand Sadie was a part of this too. Even in his arms, feeling his body pressing into yours up against the wall, your legs wrapped on either side of his waist. That if he really wanted this, he needed to know it wasn’t only you he had to consider.

You already knew what he was going to say.

You just needed to hear him say it.

His eyes were soft as he replied, “It’s the both of you or nothing at all.”

“Are you sure?”

You didn’t mean to make your voice so small or shut your eyes. But even with your back-and-forth internal monologue of fuck it and no fucking way, your insecurities came out front, right and center.

He didn’t hesitate when he replied, pressing his forehead to yours, “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t sure.”

Every brick you had ever built to protect yourself from accepting you felt something more than just mere friendship with Jake crumbled at his words.

“One date, darlin’.” He breathes out. “Give me a chance.”

You could no longer keep lying to yourself. The last brick had fallen, and with the realization settling in your stomach, there was no possible way you would have ever kept that stupid promise to yourself.

You wanted Jake Seresin more than you needed to breathe - in all the ways that mattered. And he wanted you too.

“Okay.”

Jake pulled back, the hand gripping your hip proceeding to hold your jaw. The back of your head hit the wall, forcing you to open your eyes.

“Okay?”

He looked worried, you thought. But there was also something desperate about how his stare took you in, pinned to the wall with his body and hips. As if you possibly couldn’t be saying yes. Despite the nerves in your answer, you shakily raised your hand off the wall, fingers threading themselves through his hair once more.

“Okay,” you affirmed, nodding once. “One date.”

Relief. That was the look on Jake’s face as he took in your words. He closed his eyes, body sagging into you as his face found a home in the crook of your neck.

The two of you stayed like that for a while, your legs still tight on his waist, his hand holding you in place as his breath warmed the phantom sensations from the number he did to your neck. You’d have to escape to the bathroom to hide the evidence before anyone woke up.

And as you stroked your fingers up and down the back of his neck, all Jake wanted to do was take in the feeling of you in his arms. Your softness, your warmth, the smell of your bath soap. The pressures of maybe, what ifs and his inevitable ability to fuck things up abated for now.

You had said yes.

The realization led him to press small, gentle kisses to your collarbone. They were feather-light touches across your skin that made you press a kiss to his temple in contentment.

“I don’t put out on the first date.”

“Either do I,” a muffled reply against your skin.

You chuckled, fingers messing through his hair. “Liar.”

“Not with you,” feeling him speak against your jaw, a vibration just barely thrumming in your ear. “I want to take this slow.”

You couldn’t help the smile. “You call this slow?”

Jake bit down on your neck, a sensitive spot that made a shriek escape your lips and throw your head to the side. Your breath hitched at the feeling of his tongue soothing the sharp sting.

“For now,” his voice was rough. “Just let me keep kissing you. Before somebody wakes up or something stops me for god damn fourth time.”

Maybe it was the fire burning through your veins encouraging this bout of sudden confidence. You usually weren’t this forward. But the words spilled from your lips before you really knew what you had said.

“The last time was your fault. You should have aimed for my lips.”

Jake canted his hips, the arm wrapped around the back of your waist to pull you down hard. There was no mistaking the deliberate press of his hips or the meaning behind it when he squeezed your hip. The feeling of him hard, through the layer of his pants, caused a mix of a whine and a gasp of surprise to escape your lips.

Jake covered your mouth with his in an attempt to silence you; his voice honeyed against your mouth as he asked, “Did I aim right this time?”

It was a miracle the Daggers currently in your house weren’t light sleepers. If the low rumbles of thunder and cracks of lightning outside your house hadn’t woken them up now, your voice as Jake continued to work his mouth over your body surely wouldn’t.

Jake here, pressing you up and next to Sadie’s bedroom door, would not go over well.

You just hoped Sadie was still asleep on the other side of the wall.

So... no more pitchforks? 😂 Right?🫣

Tags:

@blue-aconite @tinytotontheoversizedpony @djs8891 @caitsymichelle13 @startrekfangirl2233

@mayhemmanaged @ereardon @dempy @shanimallina87 @teacupsandtopgun @daggerspare-standingby

@phantomxoxo @formulapierre @eli2447 @fulla02 @blckgrl-sunflower @mizzzpink @ohgodnotagainn

@bubblegumbeautyqueen @sarahsmi13s @desert-fern @lynnestra44 @memoriesat30 @penwieldingdreamer @mxlanciia

@bradleybeachbabe @bobby-r2d2-floyd @lavenderbradshaw @roosters-girl @lovinglyeternal

Part 10: Let's Dance coming soon.

Wickett ;)

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nerdieforpedro · 26 days

Text

It’s not that crazy of an idea

Chapter One of “Come live with me Angel” Series

Benny Miller x Diana (plus size OFC)

This fic is for readers 18+ MDNI

Word Count: about 2.2k

Summary: Bailing your friend Benny out of jail isn’t what Diana counted on for her night. She also didn’t count on needing to explain anything to him either.

Warnings: mention of jail/county, mention of violence, injuries from a fight, implied family issues, some pining (maybe)

Notes: I’ve had this idea for quite a while, a friends to lovers with our dear Benny Miller! I was finally able to make my ideas coherent. So here we are. 😆 We’re keeping it cute from now on, maybe. 🤔

Main Masterlist / Benny Miller Masterlist/ Come live with me Angel Series

“I’ll send you the money Diana, I just need you to go get him tonight before midnight. After midnight they’ll take him to county and we won’t be able to get him out until Monday.”

“Will, I mean I get why you can’t you’re out of state but I don’t know how to bail someone out of jail. Never done it. Like do I just someone?”

A deep roll of laughter is heard on the other end of the phone as Diana sighed. This was not funny. It’s 10:45pm and there’s a little over an hour to bail Benny out of jail.

“I’m telling you, it’s fine. Just use the money I sent to you and bring him home. I’ll deal with him Tuesday.”

“Did he say why he beat the guys up? He took down three of them didn’t he? That’s a lot.”

“Not really for Benny. That’s an easy job for him. The problem is his current profession and history. He can be considered a deadly weapon. In some circles, but he’s just my idiot little brother that I need you to bring home. Just help him out.”

“...Okay Will. I just go to the central booking. I’ll do my best.”

“You’ll be fine Diana. You couldn’t fuck it up if you tried.”

“I’m glad you're confident. I’ll call you again when he’s home.”

Nothing exciting had happened on a Friday night for Diana. She came home from work, cooked dinner, watched some TV and then showered and put on a Hallmark movie. It was after she had dozed off when her phone vibrated on her lap. She never had the ringer on. It was Will. He had never called her and she didn’t know he had her number. He asked her to bail Benny out of jail. Pope was overseas advising some local government on security, Fish was on daddy duty and Will was in New Mexico speaking to new recruits and wouldn’t be back in time to get to Benny. She was the only option. As far she knew, Benny hadn’t had any trouble with the law for the last few years. He had been keeping his nose clean and in his MMA career. Will never answered her question about why Benny would send three men to the hospital. But she could ask him in person, she popped on a grogu t-shirt and black leggings with her sneakers and headed out, following the directions from her phone to a large imposing building.

She told the man at the gate who she was here to bail out which he snickered and allowed her in. She didn’t get why he did that but focused on parking her small blue car and headed inside. Diana was patted down twice on her way in, it disturbed her both times. Not that either officer did anything odd, she just wasn’t good with touches from people she didn’t really know. Eventually through different gates and several sleepy looking guards later, she arrived at the holding cells. They were behind another large gate. The woman at the counter looked to be close to retirement, the fluorescent light highlighted the purple in her blonde wig. Diana didn’t think that it was supposed to be that color, but gave her a warm smile. The woman’s orange lipstick twisted with her lips as she spoke.

“Who ya here for honey?” She asked with a slow drawl. A question she’d asked many a time over the years.

“I’m here for Benny. Ah, Benjamin Miller. He would have come from the Tipsy Cantina bar.” She answered softly, her hands squeezing her phone and wallet.

The woman chuckled and reached through the small oval opening at the bottom of the plexiglass to touch Diana’s hand. “Simmer down honey. First time? No one usually tells me that much info. Yer boy’s fine. Few scrapes and bruises. Tell him to keep his nose clean. I wasn’t supposed to see him again before I left this place behind and got my place in the glades.”

Diana nodded and let go of her phone, setting it down on the counter and held the woman’s wrinkled hand, her rings dug in a little bit but that was fine. At least there was a person here who was calming. The woman turned toward a tall guard with a long beard that was braided at the bottom. “Johnny, bring out the Miller boy. His lady friend is here. You got his bail honey?”

“Y-Yes. Right here. Um, do you take cash, credit or…”

“Any’s fine dear. Whichever ya got.”

Diana let go of the woman’s hand and put her debit card in it. The woman swiped it and took the amount of money that Will had told her the bail would be. She put the card back and heard several loud buzzes before hearing two gates open.

“He’ll be out shortly honey.” The older woman assured her. And he was, but watching him walk down the hallways toward her felt like it was at least ten minutes.

Benny was glad to be out of that small cell where he had been stuck for the last three hours. He swore he’d never end up back in here after the last bar brawl he’d been in with all the guys. At least in that one, Pope, Fish, and Will had been in here to make the time to go easier. He did strike up a conversation with a guy who got caught with a prostitute and they discussed beer of all things. Weird subject to talk about but better than listening to the other guy who clearly was high speaking about the aliens telling him to probe people. He didn’t have much with him, the one office gave him his jacket and wallet back along with his hat. Benny was expecting a stern talking to from his brother who said he was going to come up with the money. He didn’t mention how he was going to get here though. Will had left for New Mexico sometime last week and that flight was at least a few hours if they even had one coming out this way.

The MMA fighter was shocked to see who was here to pick him up. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining why he was here. It’s bad enough she knows he’s in jail, but did she bail him out? Did Will give her the money? She looked worried and scared, they still do pat downs and crap when you come in here don’t they? That might be why, or she could be scared of him now. She’s supposed to know him as fun-loving goofy silly Benny, except in the ring of course. He licked his bottom lip that had a cut on it and ran his fingers through his hair he’d let grow out to the base of his neck. The bruises and cuts were still fresh on his hands and face from the fight and there was a little dried blood on his white t-shirt, could have been from him or one of the guys he decked, wasn’t sure. Benny was going to say high at least but Diana wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him tight. It hurt his ribs a bit since he had taken a few hits there, but bent down slightly to hug her back and patted her head.

“Hey Angel, sorry you had to come here. You alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He led with a weak joke that earned a sniffle instead of the chuckle he was hoping for. Diana looked up at him with her face tight. Instead of fear, now she was angry.

“Such a stupid joke Benny. Are you okay? You look worse than after a match! What the hell happened?” She asked as they let go of each other and walked over to the desk with the elderly woman. She handed Benny his wallet and jacket.

“You scared your girlfriend here Benjamin. I thought I wasn’t going to see you back here until I retired and went down to the glades.” She gave him a wry smile. He returned it and counted his money in his wallet before sticking it in his back jeans pocket and put on his jacket.

“Yes Ma’am. That was the plan but circumstances didn’t allow for that. Had those guys shut up, I’d be seeing you the next time me and the guys go fishing.” He answered and held the old woman’s hand.

“She seems sweet. Don’t worry her too much now.” She cooed.

“Ma’am. We’re not…” Diana went to clarify but shooed Benny away as he was given a final check by a nearby officer. She whispered to Diana as she took her hands and pulled her close.

“He’s impulsive but a good man. You came because you care. Get ya man hun.” She let out a long laugh as Diana felt her ears burn and nodded. Not that she disagreed with the woman but they’re friends. Have been for the last six months since they met at the Saucy Cantina bar. The pair left the building and Benny chuckled wondering how he was going to fit in her tiny blue hatchback car. Diana put her hands on her hips and said that if he wasn’t willing to sit up front, then he could lay in the back, just to be grateful that she came. Benny gave her another hug and told her that he was, though he still felt bad that she had to come and he knew that he’d interrupted a movie for her. Diana hated that he knew her routine so well already.

Being the goof that he was, Benny spread his long body across the backseat of the car and Diana drove, telling him to keep his shoes off the seats and he spoke about the new specials Ramon was starting at the Saucy Cantina. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She wanted to know what possessed him to beat up three men. It was clear Benny wasn’t up for talking about it right now. They arrived at her apartment where Benny could sleep on the couch and she would take him home tomorrow. As Diana unlocked her door, she had forgotten about the boxes though and how she’d have to explain them.

“So were you going to tell me that you’re planning on moving or just stop coming out with us and let me figure it out?” Benny asked, mimicking her with his hands on his hips as she had done.

“Well, my roommate is moving out with her boyfriend so I can’t afford this place on my own. It’s going to be an hour commute to work instead of thirty minutes and I planned on mentioning it eventually. I wasn’t sure how to tell you Benny.” Diana admitted. Her roommate still had some boxes to pick up so most of them were Diana’s. She needs to be out by the end of the month and planned to move back in with her mom for now.

“Why didn’t you just ask me? I got room. My house has three bedrooms and despite what you think I do clean, when I remember.” He flashed her a smile and she nearly said yes, but she’d be moving in with a man she had a crush on. What if he brings back someone? Will we have to talk about socks on doors?

No, no no no.

“I appreciate the thought Benny but it’s the most cost effective-”

“Are you sure you wanna move in with your mom? Didn’t you say you have issues with her and you two normally end up fighting?” Maybe she spoke to Benny too much about her family drama. She was seeing that now and she’d have to remember not to do that from now on.

“Can we talk about it tomorrow? Let’s just get some sleep.” Diana settles and walks to what will be her room for the next two weeks. Benny watches her walk away and waits until her bedroom door closes. He hears her on the phone and it sounds like Will since she said his name. It was short, just letting him know that he’s out. He then got a text from Will saying that they needed to talk when he got home.

“Ain’t shit to talk about that. I need to think about how I’m going to convince her to move in with me. It does sound crazy, but an hour away? That’s bullshit.” He removed his jacket, putting it on the back of the couch and set his shoes by the door. He laid on the couch and closed his eyes. Having Diana that far away bothered him for multiple reasons. Not only could he not just pop over to her place after practice, for a meal, movie or just to play some games with her. He would play his guitar sometimes because Will took it after his last visit to county. Benny had been able to convince Fish to bring his guitar over to Diana’s for safekeeping from his brother.

There’s too many things Benny wants to experience with Diana and to tell her. He’ll come up with a plan in the morning.

Hopefully.

Peeps who’d bail Benny out no questions asked ❤️: @tinytinymenace @laurfilijames @rhoorl @musings-of-a-rose @megamindsecretlair

#fanfiction #benny miller #triple frontier #triple frontier fanfiction #benjamin miller #benny miller x ofc #Nerdie fic

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cissyenthusiast010155 · 7 months

Text

The Morally Grey Ch 3: It’s a Pre-Date ~Peggy Carter xFem Scientist!Reader

You get invited by Howard Stark to a scientist society’s presentation. After weeks of not hearing from Peggy, your paths cross and she holds you to a promise.

Mommy… Master List

Requests & Prompt-List

Warnings: fluff, little angst, implied nervousness, scandal, teasing, pet names, etc…

Enjoy (:

Weeks past since you’d come across the female, British SSR agent who’d changed the course of your life. Or who chose to not change the course of your life, if you wanted to be technical.

The woman hadn’t left your mind since that day… Her memory stayed actively alive in your mind, even as you moved labs (at least the ones that the SSR had discovered), as you got back into the swing of inventing, and as you settled back into your daily, regular life. Your wounds had healed from that day, although you were left with two not so nice scars, one on your temple and one on the cheek.

On one of your just another day days, you received an invitation for a scientist’s society presentation hosted by the one and only Howard Stark. You had met Howard once or twice, and while he was indeed quite smart, you found him far to arrogant, scandalous, and risky for your tastes.

However, the letter said it was presenting a new type of bullet resistant armor, one that was “paper thin”. It peaked your curiosity to say the least… You doubted that he could have something better than what you had been developing, as you were quite certain that Stark didn’t have a material like Vibranium. But you were intrigued nonetheless…

So you found yourself driving up to one of the infamous Stark residences about a week later. You noted that no one seemed to have arrived yet… You were greeted by a man who introduced himself as Mr. Jarvis. He led you through the estate and to the backyard. Now your suspicion grew… And when you entered the backyard, it was confirmed.

There was no invention or presentation. Because in the garden stood only one person… Agent Peggy Carter.

“I apologize for misleading you Ms. L/N…” Peggy immediately apologized, “I needed to find a way to draw you out without leading the SSR to you. The safest way I know to do that was Howard. I wanted to see you, I—”

“It’s alright.” You cut the woman off in her rambling, “And Y/N is fine.”

“I’ll leave you two to talk.” Mr. Jarvis said, promptly leaving the garden.

The brunette smiles lightly and nodded.

“Peggy then, I insist.” She said.

You nodded in mutual agreement. The woman then indicated for you and her to sit. You two sat down and took a breath.

“Your wounds seem to be healing nicely…” she noted caringly.

You hummed and nodded in response. The air hung silent.

“Why?” You finally spoke up, “Why did you save me, Peggy…?”

Peggy sighed deeply.

“Like I said that night, you remind me of Howard. Albeit, you are most definitely not as scandalous, but neither you nor Howard belong in jail. You merely operate in a gray zone, which the SSR sometimes fails to understand.” She explained.

“Thank you. Again. I mean it.”

“I know.” She softly spoke with a small smile.

“How have you been…?” You asked the question that had been bugging you since you sat down.

“A lot has happened since I last saw you.” Peggy chuckled with another sigh, “My office dealt with a number of back to back pressing matters, one of which being the scandal of the Stark Trial, which I’m sure you heard about. A lot of it was a matter of life and death… So difficult to ignore. I do apologize for not reaching out earlier.”

“It’s okay, I understand.” You sympathized with the woman.

Peggy hummed in response.

“What about you? What have you been up to?”

“Oh Lots.” You eagerly answered, “Mainly studying and working with Vibranium. Lots of other little side projects.”

“I believe you owe me a little show of those little projects, hmmm…?” Peggy hummed, teasing you lightly.

You blushed lightly and nodded.

“I’-d- would love to…” you stammered.

“Good.” She chuckled with a pleased smile, “How about this next Tuesday at 9?”

“Sounds great…!” You quipped, finding yourself to be a little too excited for a mere show of your current projects…

“Lovely…” Peggy purred, “It’s a Date…”

D-Date…?? Oh God. Yes Please…!!

Your eyes went wide and your mouth went dry. You couldn’t do anything but nod slowly.

“I’ll need the address, that is…” The brunette coaxed you out of your embarrassing trance.

Your head clicked back into reality at her words.

“Oh right…! Umm…” you mused aloud, “Well Mr. Jarvis gave me his card, I can contact him with the information, and then he can contact you…?”

Peggy smiled and nodded enthusiastically at your plan, before standing up and insisting on escorting you back to your car.

“See you soon, Darling…” the brunette purred, as you drove away.

Oh God, this woman was going to be the death of you…

~~~

Peggy Carter Masterlist

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feralbutfluffy · 7 months

Text

50: Muriel

Chapter 50 (!!!) of Too Wise to Woo Peaceably

The sun was streaming in through the windows when Muriel made it back to the bookshop.

They circled the nest of blankets and cushions still on the floor and picked up a few, gripping the corners between their knuckles. They crossed the shop floor and flung three of them in the general direction of the sofa.

Two of them collapsed against the sofa cushions in a haphazard fashion. One of them bounced off and slid under the desk.

Muriel was too preoccupied to care.

They traipsed up the spiral staircase and flung another three cushions into the bedroom. Only one of them found its home on the bed.

Muriel didn't even notice.

More kissing!

What did that mean then? The angel and the demon weren’t back to themselves! Crowley was still hurt, and there was still tension, and they were still so... snippy! But also (apparently), kissing?

Muriel didn’t understand it! They were making everything more complicated than it needed to be. Crowley was, as Maggie had once put it, “head over heels” for Aziraphale (this made no sense to Muriel since so far as they could determine, heads were almost always over heels? Unless they were lying on the sofa with their ankles hooked over the armrest, which Muriel sometimes did while reading).

And Aziraphale... There was so much love there, but Muriel wasn’t even sure he was fully aware of it? It was paved over with so much fear! And guilt? And they weren’t at all sure, for example, that Aziraphale knew how awestruck he sounded when he spoke about Crowley!

... It was very much not the way he usually sounded when he spoke to Crowley (annoying).

Muriel frowned, chewing the inside of their cheek. They skipped down the staircase trying to figure out how to reconcile the discrepancy, when a knock on the glass of the door startled them.

Nina was peering in, and when she spotted Muriel she waved and pointed at the lock on the door. Muriel darted over and opened it with a welcoming smile. “Hello!”

Nina sidled into the shop. “Muriel! Where've you been?”

“Here? Well. Here some of the time? And the rest of the time I was… elsewhere!” Muriel took a big breath and blew their cheeks out, wondering if that was the right answer.

“Alright! Keep your secrets! Not gonna pry! Just wanted to check you’re okay. I suppose I got so used to you dropping into the shop after your hangouts with Crowley, that when you didn’t show…” Her eyes were questioning, and Muriel found themselves avoiding them, looking at bookshelves and lamps and a metal horse and really anything but Nina.

“Oh, I’m fine,” Muriel said and tried for a reassuring smile, wondering if there was any way to explain how their Wednesday had gone so spectacularly topsy-turvy.

Probably not.

Nina leaned her shoulder against the bookshelf behind her and frowned. “You’re fine? Is the emphasis implying Crowley isn’t?”

Black feathers, broken and scattered.

Incomprehensible angles folded into a crumpled heap.

Savage, brutal red smeared in a room of pure, blinding white.

Muriel felt their smile wobble and fall (oh no), and Nina’s eyes narrowed. She pushed herself off the bookshelf and strode over to grip Muriel by the shoulders. “What is it? Is he alright?”

“Mmm... Well he wasn’t alright for a bit, but we fixed it. He’s much better now!”

At least they hoped he was; Aziraphale had seemed rather annoyed about him telling Muriel about the new kiss.

Nina’s hand pressed a rotating pressure into Muriel’s shoulder (lovely!) and looked over their head into the middle distance. “I’m glad to hear it. He’s prickly as hell but we’ve a soft spot for him, God only knows why!”

Muriel privately agreed that God probably did know why. God knew everything!

“Where is he now?”

“At home?” said Muriel, thinking the bookshop was really far more homey than the grey level smoothness of Crowley’s expensive flat. “I left him with A-” Muriel stopped themselves, then continued after a brief moment of thought. “I left him with Mr. Fell.”

Nina’s eyes lit up at this bit of news and she immediately propelled Muriel to the sofa by the shoulders, pushing them down and curling up next to them with the grace of a large cat. “Mr. Fell is back? Are they…?” Nina raised her eyebrows suggestively and made a circular gesture with her hand.

Muriel had no idea what that meant. “Are they?” They repeated uncertainly. “They… are?”

It must have been the right answer because Nina whooped and grinned, then nudged Muriel with her elbow (friend-like!) and said, “Wait til I tell Maggie, she will legitimately explode! ”

Muriel didn’t think that sounded like a good thing, but Nina’s tone of voice was so elated that they decided to ignore the words and focus on the feeling. They smiled at Nina. They weren’t sure what they had done to be the cause of such joy, but they were glad to have done it!

“You know,” said Nina, leaning in towards Muriel, “We were absolutely bloody positive we’d screwed it up for a while there.”

“Screwed what up?” Asked Muriel, thinking of nuts and bolts and screwdrivers and allen keys.

“Their whole relationship. I know we haven’t really talked about this, but that day that Mr. Fell left the bookshop… Well, we sort of wound up having a chat about their whole thing. Only with Crowley mind you, because Mr Fell was out, but-”

“You spoke to Crowley about Mr. Fell?” Muriel breathed (intrigued!).

“Yeah. Yeah, Maggie thought it would be a good idea and I went along with it because…” she shrugged and her cheeks turned a bit red, “... well, I went along with it because Maggie thought it would be a good idea.”

Muriel thought the fondness in Nina’s face when she said Maggie’s name looked familiar.

“Anyway, we came here, and Crowley was alone... We really just wanted to tell him it wasn’t alright for them to go mucking about in our lives, doing weird spells or whatever-”

Spells, mouthed Muriel silently, and stifled a laugh. Did they think Crowley was a fairy? So silly!

“... And so, yeah. Basically we told him he needed to actually talk - like really talk - to Mr. Fell, to tell him what he was actually thinking.” Nina looked out the window. ”Next thing I knew I was watching him leave in that mammoth car he drives - alone - and I haven’t seen either of them since. Which is a pity; few enough people I legitimately like, but I liked them! Meddling sods...” She smiled affectionately.

Muriel was thinking a great many things and wondering which should be their reply.

Poor Crowley!

Oh, I think you might have caused a kiss!

I think he might have talked to him, but it was probably the worst possible time and it didn’t go very well?

Oh. No, they don’t really talk anymore. Well except now because Crowley nearly died, and we had to rescue him from Heaven, and he was unconscious, and then he got better, but then Aziraphale basically killed our manager with a sword, and now Crowley can barely walk - again - because I think proximity to Aziraphale affects his brain and he does truly stupid things around him? But they kissed again! Earlier today!

Muriel sighed. They supposed the question of whether the new kiss was another truly stupid thing remained to be seen. They had certainly both been acting stupid enough when they had left them!

They eventually settled for, “Oh I think they did talk, but Mr. Fell had just been given news of a promotion and he needed to relocate for it? And I think… I think his good news about the promotion sort of got muddled with Crowley’s talking? I think they weren’t really hearing each other...”

Because they were stupid.

“I think they were both just too... in their own heads? Does that make sense-?”

Nina nodded, looking concerned.

“... and then they kissed!” Muriel blurted out.

Nina blinked twice before a slow, wide smile broke over her face. “They kissed? Really? Christ! Imagine that!”

Muriel wasn't sure Christ would want to, actually.

Nina picked up her phone and typed something, still smiling into the screen, before placing it facedown on the sofa between them. “Sorry! Had to tell Maggie. She’s obsessed with Mr. Fell, thinks he’s an absolute angel.”

“Oh,” said Muriel very seriously, “he is.”

A bang as the door to the shop bounced on its hinges and then Maggie was hurrying over, hands flapping, eyes wide and sparkling. She stopped beside Muriel and took a deep breath, “Really? Are you serious? They kissed ?!”

Muriel sat up a bit straighter. These two humans were really putting a lot of importance on The Kiss, which wasn’t wrong exactly, because they did think it was important, but also it wasn’t right, because it wasn’t the sort of kiss they were imagining, probably. Muriel wasn’t sure how to untangle all of this excitement and delight without unwinding it into a large heap of disappointment.

“Yes, they did, that's actually why I was asking you so many questions about kissing when I first took over the shop-?"

"Oh yeah!" Nina laughed and turned to Maggie, "Remember I told you they were absolutely obsessed with kissing? God, the questions! You were relentless!"

"Yes, but it wasn’t-” Muriel tried to cut across.

“Maybe it worked!” Nina was saying to Maggie. “I think you were right, angel!”

“No, it was-” Muriel hated trying to interrupt.

“Took them long enough!” Maggie crowed, clapping with delight.

Muriel held up their hands, palms out. “No no, no! It didn’t work! ”

Nina and Maggie turned to them. “What? What do you mean?”

“Well, Crowley tried to talk, but then Mr. Fell sort of interrupted to tell him about his… promotion… and wanted Crowley to, ah, relocate with him? But Crowley didn’t want to, and then Crowley told him, I think, what you said? That is, he told him what he was really thinking? Only whatever he said made them both really very angry and upset, and they both nearly cried, and then…”

Maggie and Nina were looking increasingly horrified. Muriel ploughed on.

“... Crowley sort of grabbed him and kissed him, but not like a nice kiss? Like an angry, sad, desperate, heartbroken, griefstricken kiss? Almost like a punishment? Although I’m not sure which of them was being punished because they really did both look really upset? And then Mr Fell left and Crowley went home and they didn't speak for a very long time...”

Muriel trailed off.

Maggie’s face melted into an expression of utter sadness. “Oh,” she said, blinking away a tear. Nina jumped up to rub Maggie's back in small comforting circles (kind!).

Muriel twisted their fingers together.

“We really thought we’d helped!” Maggie wailed. “Maybe we shouldn't have said anything! Maybe we said the wrong thing? Oh, that’s so awful!"

Muriel thought of Aziraphale sending them to check on the demon, and how sad the mention of Aziraphale's name had made Crowley in the first few weeks of their tentative arrangement.

"It was quite awful. They were both very, very sad."

Nina brought her arm fully around Maggie and stroked her upper arm. "But you said right now they're at Crowley's place? Together?"

Maggie brightened. "They are?"

"They were together when I left so... Maybe?" Muriel paused and thought of something they had read about called the Schrödinger's cat paradox. Really, until Muriel could get back to the flat, they had to believe that Crowley and Aziraphale were there together! But also, maybe not there together? One of them might have killed the other! Or they could be kissing again?

Schrödinger's spiritual beings!

"Well there you go then, I'm sure they'll patch things up!" Nina's optimism sounded a bit forced but Muriel didn't contradict her.

Maggie sighed. "I hope you're right. They probably just needed to get back in touch."

Muriel thought of the new kiss and made a noncommittal sound.

"The course of true love never did run smooth," Nina said, and they recognised it at once.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream!" Muriel beamed.

One of the funny ones!

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that-ari-blogger · 3 months

Text

Are We the Baddies?

I have stated before that She-Ra thrives on realism and morality, and stand by this view. But in terms of morality, apart from the first two episodes and Catra's entire deal, this hasn't been explored explicitly. The story has heavily implied some moral complexity, but not developed the princess alliance in any depth.

Ties That Bind changes this, and the way it does that is fascinating.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Before I begin, I feel the need to get on my soap box and explain something: Morally complex does not mean evil. This is a lesson that a fair few TTRPG players need to learn, as well as the people writing The Boys. You can have nuanced morality and still be a good guy, or a bad guy, or something in between.

The overarching plot of this episode is essentially a bottle episode, characters get trapped together and have to work out their differences. Usually in live action media, this is the episode for with the crew realised they had no budget left over, so they use actors that are on hand and the set they last filmed in to make something interesting.

I say this, but these episodes have a habit of being some of my favourites in the series. Heaven Sent and Blink for example are often praised as the best Doctor Who has to offer, and they follow this rule, and Wild Blue Yonder is my favourite of the 60th anniversary specials despite the set being the Tardis, a greenscreen and two treadmills and some corridors.

Characters being trapped in one place is also the foundation of a fair amount of horror and detective fiction, and its the premise of my favourite play ever written: Waiting For Godot, by Samuel Becket.

However, you may have noticed that She-Ra and the Princesses Of Power is not, in fact, live action. If you haven't noticed, I'm not sure what to tell you at this point. So why does it have a bottle episode? What are the benefits of this style?

The answer is complicated, but it mostly pertains to character drama. Characters stuck in a room together with a mutual need to get out of that situation are forced to work together. Even enemies will work together if they have a common goal. Star Wars: The Clone Wars did this in Dooku Captured and The Gungan General.

But here's the thing, Ties That Bind subverts this in one simple way, the two parties in this story have opposing goals. If they get to Brightmoon, Catra will be imprisoned. So she works to stall the journey. The story isn't three people who don't want to be in a situation, it's two people who are trapped with a third.

Catra is a gremlin in this episode. She leans fully into the idea of power that Shadow Weaver taught her, manipulation, and it gets her pretty far. Although there are a few cracks, my favourite of which being how easily Bow pushes her buttons in return, and he's doing it accidentally.

"Come on. I bet even the Horde has friends. What about Adora? You two grew up together, right? What was she like as a kid?"

Bow's love of friendship is scoffed at. Catra doesn't have friends, so she thinks she is immune to this line of question. But then Bow brings up Adora, and touches a nerve, so he keeps pushing until Catra responds with a snarl. She's trying to keep up a bulletproof exterior, but that armour still has a weakness, that being Adora.

Catra also gets outmaneuvered by Glimmer, who has learned from previous adventures enough for an escape plan. So, her manipulation skills aren't as good as she thinks they are.

Bow isn't a particularly morally gray character; I don't think that is a hot take. He's the heart of the group, and usually holds everyone else to account. That isn't to say he is morally uncomplicated; the nuance of Bow's character gets shown when he interacts with complicated problems, like the guilt of having left Entrapta behind, and the question of what to do with Catra.

"We took a hostage! We're supposed to be the good guys."

And so, a question is raised, in times of war, do your ethics change? Is this a good thing or not? Just, please don't argue about it in the replies.

Bow's ethics don't change, he is kind and empathetic, and will remain these things, even towards a prisoner, and like Shadow Weaver before her, Catra uses this as a weapon.

Glimmer, on the other hand, is much more complex, and as perfectly moral strategies begin to fail, she is the one who is more likely to actually step into the more dubious territory. This gets displayed multiple times in the episode. For example, when falling, Glimmer plays a game of chicken with Bow's life, and I'm not actually sure what her goal is with it. Maybe she's just trying to scare Catra.

But there's also the scene towards the end when Catra calls Glimmer's bluff again. But this time, Bow isn't directly in the way, so she very nearly does outright kill Catra. Once again, however, it is Bow that keeps her sane.

"We can't take that chance, we're not them."

That's all it takes. All Glimmer needs to hear is that she has becoming her enemy. Bow's line draws attention to what he perceives as the difference between the Horde and the Princesses. The Horde gambles with people's lives, the Princess Alliance doesn't, in his eyes. But throughout this episode, Glimmer has done just that multiple times.

Glimmer's complexity comes from her strength of will. She is the person who will take that extra step when everyone else stops. She has the loosest moral code, and despite still being a good guy, she can react to situations in a completely different manner to others on her side.

The reveal of Entrapta's loyalty also brings up something interesting. People in this story can have goals beyond "good" and "bad", most of them do, in fact. Entrapta's switch from Team Princess to Team Horde shakes Glimmer and Bow's preconceived notions about binary morality. The best way of explaining that is actually this:

"You're on the side of the Horde?"

"I'm on the side of science!"

Don't get me wrong, the Horde is evil as an organisation, and people who are a part of it get up to some pretty heinous acts, this episode just complicates that. It gives a bit of wiggle room within the two sides of this war. But it makes something abundantly clear with Entrapta:

"At least we know for sure that Entrapta's alive, and working for the Horde, making weapons to wipe us out."

Being morally grey does not obfuscate the actions taken. Entrapta isn't villainous, but her actions do further a destructive end, and she is very clearly accountable for that. Being neutral is possible, but Entrapta is very much not neutral, she has chosen a side, and is aware of the consequences of that. It's a stretch to say Entrapta is evil, but she isn't good either, and she is complicit in the Horde's destruction.

Final Thoughts

This episode is ok. I'm not overly impressed by it, but there is some neat storytelling on display, and the animation is cool. Adora's storyline does raise a few more questions about the first ones, most notably: Why did Mara break the watchtower? There's more to this story and Light Hope isn't telling Adora what that is.

Next week, I'll be looking at Signals, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

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lily-orchard · 1 month

Text

Iris and Kiera - Fear (Part 1)

CW - Violence, Near Death Experience, Implied Racism

Kiera was practically shaking. She had never been this terrified in her life. Sat in a hospital waiting room, wearing her sister's bloodstained jacket and Larisa trying in vain to comfort her, she felt like she was already at a wake.

Six hours ago, she'd gotten the call from Larisa that Iris had been shot twice by a mugger. The two of them had been out getting wine and cake to celebrate Larisa's promotion, when they'd been held at gunpoint by a man who demanded they hand over their wallets and PINs. When Iris didn't answer him about the latter, he'd shot her and ran. That's what Larisa told her at least.

Kiera hadn't stopped spiralling since. She'd rushed to meet them at the hospital, but Iris had already been wheeled into the operating room. For the next six hours Kiera had to sit in an emotional limbo, having no idea if her beloved sister was still alive or not.

If Iris died... Kiera didn't know what she'd do.

Larisa held Keira tight and kissed the top of her head. "She's going to be okay, Sunspot. She's always been a trooper."

"Please don't," Kiera whispered. "If she isn't... don't give me false hope."

Larisa winced. "I'm sorry."

Kiera leaned against her as tears slipped down her cheeks. She'd been in a state of shock since she'd gotten there. It was surreal getting news like this and not being there. One minute everything was fine and she was fixing the DVD Player for a night of celebrating, and then suddenly one phone call later and her sister might be dead.

They'd only been gone for twenty minutes.

"Mrs Morgan?"

Kiera's head snapped up to the doctor standing over her. A mixture of relief and dread dripped down her spine. "Yes?"

"We have an update for you," he said. "Your sister took two bullets to the chest. They just missed her heart, but she did puncture a lung. One of them also hit her spine, but we're not sure of the long term damage just yet."

"She's going to live?" Kiera asked.

"She's stable," the doctor said. "She's woken up a few times, but she's unresponsive and can't answer our questions."

"She's mute," Kiera said.

"That would explain a lot," the doctor nodded. "You're free to go see her, just don't touch her. She's still recovering from surgery."

"When will she be able to come home?"

"When we're certain she won't relapse," the doctor explained. "A few weeks maybe."

Kiera wiped her eyes and nodded in understanding. "Okay. Can I see her now?"

The doctor nodded. "Right this way, Mrs Morgan."

Kiera sat by Iris' bed, holding her sister's hand. Seeing her stitched up and with a tube in her nose was wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen. If one of those bullets had been a few millimetres off, Iris would be dead.

Kiera occasionally had nightmares about losing Iris. To death, to doctors, to their parents. Every time she'd woken up in a panic, and wouldn't let go of Iris for at least an hour. She wanted to cling to her right now, and it was only the fact that her sister was in excruciating pain that kept her from doing so.

"You're going to be alright," Kiera said softly. "The doctors said you're stable."

Iris' closed eyes clenched.

"I know it hurts," Kiera whispered. "They're gonna give you some morphine soon."

Iris' hand clenched around Kiera's.

"I can't believe I almost lost you. Why would a mugger just open fire like that?"

Iris' eyes opened a crack and she slowly turned her head.

"What do you mean?"

Iris struggled to lift her free hand, still attached to a pulse monitor, and weakly signed.

"He shot Lari?"

Iris nodded and signed again.

"Called her- holy shit..." Kiera whispered, squeezing Iris' hand tighter. "...You took a bullet for her."

Iris nodded.

Kiera's eyes, which she had thought were cried out by now, started to sting again. She clutched Iris' hand in both of her own and pulled it to her chest.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I don't want to lose either of you. The two of you mean everything to me."

Iris gave her a weak smile, and let out a soft, barely audible hum. The first and only actual sound Iris would ever make. And that finally sent Kiera over the edge. She laid her head down on Iris' bed and broke down into a fit of tears. The emotional bomb of not only almost losing her sister, but learning she'd come just as close to losing her wife as well was too much to handle.

She felt guilty for being so unstable. Iris was the one who was shot, not her. But she couldn't help it.

Iris weakly lifted her hand and laid it on Kiera's back, before another dose of morphine was inserted into her IV and dulled the pain enough for her to drift back off to sleep.

#Iris and Kiera #vignette

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lex-drinks-blood · 2 years

Text

So... Maybe You're Bi?

Steve Harrington x Male Reader: obligatory "helping steve find himself" oneshot, AU where you both work at the video store together with rob, Steve also may or may not know he likes you before making this discovery...👀

Warnings: none?

Notes: I'm not in the mood to proofread this so I'm sorry for that but... here!

The tall male beside you pressed his hands to his temples and breathed a labored sigh.

"I'm just saying Harrington, maybe these supposed "babes and non-babes" are all babes!" you nudged his side with your elbow, which he did not seem to appreciate.

He took another deep breath, contemplating the former relationships he had with his close male friends and the thoughts that clouded his mind in the locker rooms at practice, he hated to admit that it seemed like maybe it was all adding up.

"Alright bozos," Robin interrupted, "as much as I'm sure I'd love to be included in whatever torture we are putting Steve through today, we have a whole stack of new shit to put out and I am not doing that by myself again!" as she spoke she wheeled over a cart full of new releases that needed to be priced and placed into their correct sections.

As much as no one in Home Video liked dealing with new releases, staring at the heap of tapes gave you an idea, "Hey Rob, you think you can keep up front running by yourself?"

"If you are even minutely implying that you and Steve are going to tackle these babies and leave me to run this peice-of-shit, cash-wrap, than I am absolutely capable Sir L/N," Robin bowed sarcastically as she concluded her strange response, but it meant your plan would go accordingly so you didnt take much time to ponder on it

"Thanks Buckley!" you planted a quick peck on her cheek that she quickly wiped off with her vest once you were out of sight, before tugging Steve away by his vest to the back to label tapes and unpack whatever was going on in that mess of a Harrington brain.

An agonizing 5 whole minutes passed in silence as the two of you quietly placed stickers on the tapes before placing them back on the cart and picking up a new one to repeat the process.

"Look, I don't want to force you to talk about this yknow? Especially cause yknow, I'm not the best with feelings and shit just cause I like dick but-"

Steve looked up from his tape, almost dropping it as the words left your mouth, "Waitwait, so you like guys?"

You looked at him inquisitively for a moment before going back to stickering tapes and speaking again, "Stevie, you are totally oblivious aren't you?" you chuckled to yourself.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing really, I think I just kind of assume everyone knows by now I guess. But to answer your question yes, I like guys. To put it your way, 'babes and non-babes alike'," this time you let yourself have a full, good laugh.

Steve followed suit and seemed to chuckled as well, seemingly relieved that the tension of the conversation had been broken up a bit.

He spoke up as he placed his tape back in the cart and rose to his feet, "I think that's the last one to label Y/N, wanna go set these out?"

You stayed sitting, leaving an uncomfortable space and height difference between the two of you that neither of you were used to, "Can I just ask you one... tiny, little, uncomfy question first, Harrington?"

Steve's body tensed a bit but he tried to act nonchalant, "Sure, today seems to be that kinda day already so, why not?"

"You sure?"

He was getting uncomfortable in his own skin now, being given more time to think about the space between you and how much he wanted to be close to you, how much he yearned to fill the space, how much he struggled to pull himself back to reality, "Yea man, go for it."

"Did you really never know? I mean, that I like dudes?"

Steve was frustrated that this was the question that you built up so much. Maybe he should have known sooner, but was it really such a huge deal? He fought to collect himself and managed to give a calmer response, "I mean, No. I just never thought about it I guess, yknow? Does that bother you?"

"I just- um. Well..." you struggled to find your footing in the words you wanted to say, so you settled on just blurting it out, giving up all elegance and grace, "I had a huge crush on you," your eyes stayed glued to the floor, waiting for his reaction.

Steve felt his heart melt. The boy he had been hiding his feelings from this whole time had actually liked him? Unbelievable.

He found himself approaching you slowly, like a scared animal he had found in an alley, "Y/N?"

You felt your leg start anxiously bouncing out of your control, but you decided to look up at him anyway, "Yea, Steve?"

"I'm gonna ask you to do something and I just need you to trust me ok? Is that ok?" You could see the subtle shake in his hands, hear the tremble in his voice, he was anxious in a way you'd never seen before and you had no idea what to expect.

"Okay. I trust you," and with that, your eyelids met and you were left in darkness to wonder what in God's name was going on.

You felt a gently trembling hand meet your cheek and before you could even think about what it meant for Steve to be cupping you like this, you felt his lips gently meet your own.

The kiss was nothing like you had expected from former King of Hawkins High. It was soft and gentle, the slightly chapped pillows of his lips were sweet on your tongue. He cupped his hand on your cheek and snaked his other around your waist and held you like you were fragile, like he was scared he could break you if he wasn't careful. And just as suddenly as it had started, it was over. His lips parted from yours and his hand slithered away from your waist, but his other remained on your cheek.

"I um... I'm sorry, I hope that was ok," he stammered, "You can open your eyes now."

When your eyelids separated from each other you realized that Steve was barely a couple inches away from your face, and his warm hand was still on your cheek, "That was more than okay, Harrington," you leaned in to place a quick kiss on his lips, showing him that you still wanted him with your eyes open.

"Cool... good to know," he sighed, this time relieved as he brushed his thumb over your cheek before readjusting his perfect hair.

You chuckled to yourself as he turned back to the cart and moved to the Documentary section, "Hey, wait up!"

"Well I wasn't planning on doing this by myself," he chuckled as you speedily walked to catch up to him.

"Hey, Harrington?" you whispered, almost like you were playing spies.

"Hey, what?" he whispered back, playing along as he placed the movies in alphabetical order.

"So... maybe you're bi?" you whispered, following suit in placing movies where they belonged.

"Yea probably," he paused for a beat, "I definetly like you though," he shot you a cocky smirk as he concluded.

"Yea yea whatever," you rolled your eyes, placing more movies in their rightful homes, "How is it that King Steve always gets what he wants?" you asked sarcastically.

He played coy, snaking behind you to place a movie just above your head as he placed a kiss to your neck, "I'm told I'm rather persuasive."

Robin walked to the back in hopes of letting you know is was closing time but had instead found the scene in front of her, "Oh jesus guys, get a room! You know Keith has cameras in here right!! Good god, I don't even get paid for this!"

"Oh shush Rob, just be glad he actually admitted it," you giggled from under Steve's arm as the three of you walked to clock-out.

Steve stopped in his tracks, "She knew before I did?!"

"Stevie... baby... we all did," you chuckled.

#steve harrington #steve harrington fluff #steve stranger things #steve harrington x male reader #steve harrington x reader #mlm steve harrington #bi steve harrington #home video steve

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petertingle-yipyip · 1 year

Text

LOOKALIKE - MULTIVERSE!READER

Pairing: None directly; implied multiverse!matt x multiverse!spidergirl!reader

Word Count: 2,447

Summary: Spider Noire, a female spider themed hero, and Spider-man’s partner. Yanked from her universe and dropped into a new one, she finds someone familiar but still different. // is this great? no. is it fun? eh. am i posting it anyway? yeah. //

This wasn’t New York. You quickly realized that when you nearly collided with a skyscraper in the path you were swinging, one that had been clear less than a blink ago.

Wel, maybe it was. But it wasn’t your New York.

The blocks weren’t set up the right way. Businesses that were on 11th were now on 44th. The bodega you and Matt always went to was replaced with a shoe store. Your own apartment building was now a Target.

With no idea where you were, you ran to the only place that seemed to be familiar. It was late so the chances that anyone was there were minuscule. He was probably out doing his work as the Kitchen’s vigilante but you had nowhere else to go.

You burst through the doors to Nelson and Murdock and found Karen sitting at her desk, a light on in either office to the sides. Your sudden entrance made her jump from her seat as you yanked the mask off your face.

“Thank God.” You sighed. “Is Matt here?”

“Matt Murdock?” She asked carefully.

“Yeah.” You nodded.

“No, he’s not here. I can get Foggy for you though, but um.. Who should I tell him is here?”

“What? Karen, c’mon. You know me.” Your brows furrowed.

“I’m sorry.” She let out a nervous chuckle.

“Karen, it’s me. Y/N Osborne?” The blank expression in her eyes made you continue, almost desperate to have her recognize you. “Spider Noire? Black and gold spandex suit?” You gestured to the suit you were still wearing. “I work with Spiderman and Daredevil all the time?”

“You know Daredevil?” Her brows raised.

“What is going on?” You let out a stressed laugh and pushed your hands through your hair.

“What’s going on out here?” Foggy came out and you were relieved to see at least he was the same.

“Y/N Osborne is here.” Karen spoke carefully.

“Osborne?” His brows raised as he turned to you. “You mean Y/N Parker?”

“Parker?” You laughed. “I’m not related to Peter, I’m related to Harry. Remember? We used to joke that Oscorp got me into Columbia.”

“The Y/N I knew was Peter Parker’s older cousin. She applied to Columbia but ended up at MIT instead.”

“Knew?”

“Yeah, Y/N died a couple years ago fighting the Hand.”

“The Hand? No, it wasn’t me that died. Elektra died that night.”

“Matt said you both did.”

“This doesn’t make any sense.” You mumbled to yourself. “And that- that- that kid on the billboard? The one who killed fishbowl guy. Who is that?”

“Spiderman?”

“C’mon, guys. Peter’s like my brother. I think I'd know if he was a murderer. That’s not Spiderman.”

“Yes, it is.” He nodded and took a few steps closer. “Are you okay? Is there someone we can call for you?”

“You’re not Foggy.” You said sadly and stepped backwards, fighting back the tears. “You’re not Foggy and I can’t find Peter and something is really wrong.”

“Ms. Osborne, wait.” He tried but you were already running out the door.

You yanked your mask back down and shot a web at the roof across the street. You ignored the shouts from the streets below. Some yelled for you to go home, that they hated Spiderman. They must’ve mistaken you for Spiderman because they yelled that you were a murderer. They hated you, but you had no idea what was happening.

You didn’t know Mysterio. You didn’t know why Spiderman suddenly looked different. You didn’t know why everyone knew Peter Parker was Spiderman. While everything was spinning in your head, your body reacted to something being thrown at you.

You dove out of the way and shot a web at it so you could fling it back at whoever threw it. When you looked over, you saw the familiar silhouette. You let out a sigh of relief before yanking off your mask.

“Thank God it’s you.” You breathed.

“I’m gonna need you to answer some questions.” Matt said firmly and you felt your skin buzz when you realized Matt was ready to fight you.

“Matt?”

“Who are you?”

“Not you too.” You said sadly.

“Who do you work for?”

You groaned loudly and knocked both fists against your forehead.

“Don’t make me ask again.”

“I don’t work for anyone! Why does no one believe me?” You shouted, watching as Matt began to walk slow circles around you.

“Fisk?”

“Who?” You asked in defeat.

“Yakuza? Did the Hand do this?”

“No, I-“ You groaned and flicked a quick shot at his feet. “Your pacing is making me anxious.”

“You need to tell me who you are.”

“Oh my-“ You complained before you dropped to sit cross-legged on the floor. “Y/N Osborne. You know me.”

“Y/N…” He said your name softly, as if he hadn’t said it in so long. “But she’s..”

“Dead? Yeah, I’m just as confused as you are… Something’s not right, but I’m not smart enough to figure it out on my own. I thought you could help, but obviously you can’t.”

“You’re not Y/N. Not the one I knew, at least.” Matt said carefully, kneeling to free his foot. The tension in your body had dulled and now you just felt lost. “Your heartbeat is different.”

“How?” Your head tilted and you watched as he pulled off the helmet. Overall, he was the same Matt you knew back home, but his hair was shorter and even though it was messy from the helmet, you knew it was probably styled poorly. That was almost enough to make you laugh but you found a small comfort in seeing the same eyes you knew. The same features, same expression, same inflictions in his voice.

“It’s stronger. You're stronger.”

“You said you knew me as Y/N Parker?”

“Yeah… And you couldn’t do this.” He gave a small smile as he gestured to your webbing. “You trained with Elektra and Stick.”

“Yeah, I knew Ellie. But I met her when I met you, back in college. At Columbia.”

“You’re so different…” He said softly. “You’re telling the truth but… You’re just not my Y/N.”

“Yeah, I’m figuring that part out.” You sighed. “You’re a dead ringer for my Matt, though. Perfect lookalike.”

He gave a small laugh. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

“It is.” You smiled softly. “But it isn’t. Just makes me miss him more.”

“Have you tried finding Spiderman?”

“Peter? I don’t even know how I found you.” You laughed nervously.

“Technically, I found you.” He teased and you mimicked him, making him laugh.

“I don’t even know if I’d find this Peter or the Peter I know. Hell, there could be five Peter Parkers floating around now.”

“I could help you.” He offered.

You glanced around the New York skyline and felt an odd sensation. It felt like a string, tugging you and it sent a strange feeling to the pit of your stomach. It sent a tingle across your skin and almost made you shiver.

“No… I think I have an idea.” You said distantly, attention still stuck on that feeling. You felt if you turned away, it would move and you wouldn’t be able to find it again. “If you can’t get out of that-“ You offered over your shoulder as you fixed your mask back into place. “-it normally falls apart in a couple hours.”

“Couple hours?” He repeated in shock. “No. Y/N, c’mon.”

“It’s fine. You’ll be fine. I gotta go.”

“Y/N!”

“Later, Daredevil!” You called as you stepped off the roof.

After what felt like an eternity of swinging in circles, you finally let your feet hit the ground. You yanked your mask again and slammed it at your feet.

“Goddammit.” You huffed and shoved your fingers through your hair.

You stopped on that rooftop and surveyed the nearby buildings, hoping to see a familiar figure in his trademark red and blue spandex. But you seemed to be alone, despite the way your head screamed that you were right.

“Where are you, Peter?” You asked the city, hoping the streets would answer or the lights would point you in the right direction. You didn’t really expect an answer so you jumped when you heard the voice.

“If you’re looking for a fight.” A tired voice came from behind you. You spun quickly with your fists ready, only to find a boy hunched over his folded knees that he clutched to his chest. “I really don’t wanna deal with that right now.”

“A fight? No, no.” You relaxed your hands and folded them behind your back instead. “I- I didn’t realize anyone else was up here. I’m sorry. I can go.”

“Doesn’t matter… I don’t care anymore.”

“Are you-“ You said gently, moving to crouch beside him. “Are you Peter?”

“Mhmm.”

“Peter Parker?”

“Unfortunately.” He muttered. “Who are you?”

“That’s a little uh, bleak. What’s going on, little Spidey?”

“Well everyone looking for me from another universe has tried to kill me so...”

“I’m sorry, another universe?” You repeated in disbelief but that seemed to be the most fitting explanation. “That’s what this is? Huh. Oh man, Pete’s probably loving this.”

“Well this Peter isn’t because tonight has been the worst night of my life and I want it all to be over.”

“Ah.” You nodded. “That seems to be the trend with Peter Parkers, apparently. The whole always having someone trying to kill you bit. My Peter deals with that all the time… Something really bad happened tonight, didn’t it?” You asked gently once you realized just how beat up he was.

All he could do was nod while he clutched his knees a little tighter.

“People call me Spider Noire, by the way.” You sat beside him and crossed your legs. “But most of the time, it’s Y/N Osborne.”

“Osborne?” He repeated quickly. Defensively, almost. “Like- Like Norman Osborne? The Green Goblin Osborne?”

“Norman, yes. But my dad was never the Goblin.” You defended immediately, putting your hands up in surrender. “He died of some sickness. They never tell the kid the details, especially if she’s not the one getting the company… No, that honor - along with the Green Goblin title - went to my brother before he died.”

“Oh…” He replied in a small voice. “What happened to your brother?”

“He died in a fight against Spiderman. Harry - that’s my brother - tried to kill me and his best friend’s girlfriend.. Dropped us down a clock tower. I managed to save myself but Gwen wasn’t so lucky… Kind of a shitty thing to do if you ask me but hey. It is what it is.”

“Against Spiderman…”

“Yeah, but I think it’s for the best.”

“Really?”

“I don’t think I could’ve forgiven him for what he did.” You confessed. “And even if he didn’t die against my Peter, I probably would’ve killed him myself.”

“You wanted revenge on your own brother?”

“To be quite honest, I don’t think he really saw me as his sister… I think he hated me and whatever made him snap just brought it to the surface. And I don’t look like my father so I have a theory that I was adopted but the only people who would’ve known are dead.”

“I’m sorry about your friend.” He offered honestly.

You thought it was kind that he would offer his sympathy to you, despite his clear suffering. You had seen the billboards and magazine stories that criminalized him. You received a handful of the hate and threats intended for him. You saw the news report of the demolished condo building from his fight. You saw the flash of Dr. Connors in his lizard form and the blur of a modified version of the Osborne glider. You knew he was going through hell in those moments, but he still offered you - a complete stranger from an apparently different universe - his kindness.

“Who was it?” You tried. “If you’re okay with me asking.”

“Hmm?”

“Tonight.” You shifted to face him. “I saw that there was a body recovered after a massive explosion during a Spiderman fight. Who did you lose tonight?”

“My Aunt May.”

“Oh no, Peter.” You said gently, putting both hands on his forearms. “I’m so sorry… I know what she meant to my Peter so I can only assume what she meant to you.”

“She was all the family I had left.” He whispered in a pained, broken voice. “How-“ He took a deep breath to settle himself. “How am I supposed to keep doing this without her?”

“I’m afraid I can’t help with that.” You sighed.

“She died because of me.”

“No.” You said quickly. You slid over to be on your knees in front of him to ensure you had his attention. “Peter, I promise it wasn’t your fault. I don’t care how the fight went down but it wasn’t your fault.”

“But it was!” He cried. “I told her- I told her to run. But she didn’t. She stayed with me and now she’s dead! And I couldn’t save her.” His voice fell to a whisper for the last line.

“Guilt is one hell of a burden to carry. Peter, you can’t allow your grief to become guilt because it will ruin you.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I saw it happen to my Peter.”

“What happened?”

“I can’t explain to you what he was feeling because I wouldn’t be able to tell his story right but I know someone who can… Do you wanna help me find my Peter? I’m sure he’d love to talk to you.”

“I don’t wanna do anything other than…”

“Other than what?”

“I want to kill Norman Osborne.”

“I can’t say I don’t understand where you’re coming from.” You nodded. “But you’re so young, Peter. You don’t want that type of blood on your hands, do you?”

“The world already thinks I’m a murderer.” He scoffed and threw his hands forward. “What difference does it make?”

“The difference is whether or not you are. Don’t fit into the narrative that the world paints for you.”

“Peter.” A girl said from behind you. You stood and found a girl and a boy, eyes locked on Peter and near tears.

You stepped away and let them embrace their friend. Your attention turned to a feeling from slightly above you and you turned to find your Peter watching. You let out a sigh of relief as he dropped down to embrace you.

But if you only knew how upside down that night would turn, you never would’ve gone out to begin with. Maybe then you would’ve been safe in your own universe.

#spiderman nwh #multiverse #spiderman fic #daredevil fic #tasm!spiderman #tasm!spiderman x reader #daredevil x reader #daredevil #spiderman #andrew!spiderman fic #andrew!peter parker #andrew!peter x reader #tasm peter parker #mcu fic #mcu multiverse

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a-small-batch-of-dragons · 5 months

Text

Protector: A Deal

Read on Ao3 Masterlist

Warnings: none

Pairings: LAMP, DLAMP, DLAMPR

Word Count: 3961

Talking, training, and a visit to the Aspen Witch.

Bonnie arrives the next morning to see Virgil sitting on his front steps, adjusting the straps on one of his gauntlets. She smiles and waves upon seeing him, holding out something that looks suspiciously like a bag of coin. He raises an eyebrow as she gets closer.

"I walked past the apothecary and she said I should spare you the trip," she says by way of explanation.

Virgil takes it, inclining his head in thanks as he stands up. "Have you eaten yet this morning?"

"Yes, I have, thank you." She follows him inside. "What are we doing today?"

"Well, I figured we could go over the basic guidelines for how to interact with magic users and you could practice them. Tomorrow, we will go over simple charms and enchantments. The third day, we prepare to see the Aspen Witch."

"Are you going to tell me why we're going?" He only smiles. "Will you answer any of my questions if I have them?"

"Some of them I will answer, yes."

"I have a feeling I'm going to want to throw something at your head quite often," she mutters and he chuckles, indicating the seat she took yesterday.

"Has anyone ever told you how to interact with the fair folk?"

"Not to give them your name."

"Is that it?" Bonnie shrugs. "Alright. Well, I'm going to give you a bit more than that."

"I thought you were teaching me about magic users?"

"In my experience, it's better to err on the side of caution when it comes to them. I treat them like they're fair folk—or what most people would consider like fair folk—and then I'm much less likely to end up on the wrong side of them." He folds his hands in front of himself. "My rules for myself tend to be this: first, if you discover someone to be a magic user, find the quickest and politest way to exit that conversation and get away from them."

"What? Why?"

"Because it gives you fewer chances to fuck things up."

She blinks. "Isn't that…rude?"

"If you do it right, by design, no. You'll have an easier time than most because you'll be in an inn, where you can say you've got another customer or something to see to. Second: if you're going to deal with a magic user, be it asking something of them or if they're asking something of you, name your price beforehand."

Bonnie gets a guilty look on her face and Virgil sighs.

"That's not what you did with the Aspen Witch, was it?"

"…no, I did, but I, um…I may have offered…too much."

Not your contract, not your problem, you know the Aspen Witch, don't ask, Virgil tells himself sternly as he shifts. "Well, now you know."

"Now I know."

"And third: if you ever find that you've pissed off a magic user, don't."

Bonnie snorts. "Okay, that's fair. I, uh, might have done that already?"

"The twins? If they wanted to take their anger out on you, they would've done so by now." He sits up. "Unless there's another set of magic users I need to be worried about?"

"No, I was thinking of those." She gives herself a shake. "Is that it? Seems pretty simple."

"That's because it is. The hard part is actually acting on those rules. Which is why I brought up the fair folk comparison: I'm going to teach you how to talk."

Bonnie raises an eyebrow and gestures back and forth between them as if to say what do you think we're doing right now?

"I mean talking to a magic user. You don't want to give away any extra information, you don't want to imply that they owe you a favor or that you owe them a favor, and you do not want to be rude."

"Is asking too many questions rude?"

He huffs a laugh at her expression. "I don't consider it rude, no, but again: err on the side of caution, remember?"

"Yes, I understand. Are we going to practice talking?"

"That's exactly what we're going to do. My proposition is this: we talk, we have a conversation, except we're going to pretend that I'm a magic user. I'll stop the conversation when you've put yourself in a dangerous position. How does that sound?"

"If I'll be dead or something?"

"Or if you've given them free rein to demand something of you, or to cause harm to you or those you care about."

"Okay. Are we—are we starting now?"

"Yes, we're starting now." He stands, going toward the cabinet. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Stop."

Bonnie blinks in confusion. "Huh?"

"You said 'thank you.'"

"Yeah, 'cause it's polite, why did you stop?"

"Saying 'thank you' indicates they've done something for you. It would be in their power to demand something of you in return."

"Then what do I say instead?"

"That yes, you would like it, or that you appreciate it."

"Okay. Um, do we start again?"

"Yes. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, I would like some tea."

"Alright." Virgil sets about making a cup of tea. "What about something to eat?"

"I appreciate the offer of food," Bonnie says, a bit slower now that she's choosing her words carefully, "but I have already eaten this morning."

"Very well." Virgil glances out of the window. "The weather is nice today, isn't it?"

"Yes. I like the sun."

"Oh?"

"It's my favorite weather."

The water finishes boiling a few moments later and he pours the tea, sliding it across the table. Bonnie nods, and he can see her stop herself from saying thank you, before she raises the cup to her lips and takes a drink. "Stop."

"What? But I didn't say anything?"

"You just drank something that I gave you without knowing what it is."

"It's tea!"

"I said it was tea, but you have no way of knowing if that's what it actually is."

Bonnie's brow furrows in frustration. "Start again."

"Alright, we've started."

"I've not had this tea before," she says, still aiming for polite but he can hear the undertone of stress. "What's in it?"

"It's tea."

"But what's in it?" He raises an eyebrow and she quickly continues. "I'm good friends with someone who makes teas."

"What friend would this be?"

"She works with me."

"And where do you work, that you would need someone to know about teas?"

"At a place that serves tea."

"Speaking of tea, you've not touched yours," he says, nodding to the still-steaming mug, "are you going to let it go to waste?"

She looks down at the mug. Her jaw sets. Virgil sees it work back and forth for a moment before he takes pity on her and calls for a stop. She puts the mug down slightly too hard and the tea sloshes dangerously close to the rim. She clenches her fists in the fabric of her skirts so tightly that he worries for a moment she's going to tear a hole in them. "I can't even get past two sentences!"

"It takes time," Virgil says quietly, "it's okay, Bonnie."

"No, it's not."

"It is," he insists, coming closer and nudging the mug towards her. "Here, drink."

"Would you tell me what's in it?"

"It is just tea, with jasmine flower and moon leaves." When she still glares at it warily, he takes another cup and pours some of it into it, taking a sip. "See?"

"I would like to know about the cup you've served to me," she spits.

"We've stopped, Bonnie," he says softly, crouching down to make himself smaller, "it's just tea, I give you my word. It's the same tea and cup I gave you yesterday. Although—that might have been the one I was drinking out of."

It takes another few moments before Bonnie reluctantly takes the cup and drinks, holding it in her lap and resolutely avoiding his gaze. "It's good."

"I'm glad you think so."

The wind blows through the open window, smelling sweetly of the garden outside.

"I should have asked how best you learn," Virgil says, still quiet after a while, "and I should not have been so harsh."

"No, it's what I asked you for," Bonnie says, "I just…wasn't expecting it. I'm sorry."

He frowns. "What are you sorry for?"

"I asked you to do something, you're doing it for no charge, and now I'm throwing a tantrum for it."

He huffs, standing—and not wincing at the strain in his knees, thank you—and pulling the other chair closer. "You're hardly throwing a tantrum, you're upset and you're expressing that. You don't need to apologize for it."

Bonnie gives a noncommittal hum as she keeps drinking. Her hands are still a little too tightly clenched around the mug for his liking, though, and he shifts to make sure his body language is as non-threatening as possible.

"Are you more frustrated," he asks as gently as he can, "or more scared?"

"Both," Bonnie mumbles, tilting the mostly-empty cup back and forth. "I can't even get past a cup of tea, and I'm supposed to protect the inn?"

"You're not."

"What?"

"You're not supposed to protect the inn," Virgil corrects, still taking great pains to be gentle, "you've come here to learn something, yes, but it's not your responsibility to keep the inn safe from magic users. There are other people there—the owner, for one—that will do that. And if you really need to deal with magic users, there are people like me."

She looks at him, finally, and almost immediately part of him wishes she hadn't when he sees tears brimming in her eyes. He gets up and fetches a soft cloth and hands it to her, watching as she dries them.

"I'm sorry I've scared you, Bonnie."

She shakes her head, swallowing heavily. "Part of the reason this is so hard is because I know it's you I'm talking to."

"How so?"

"You're not going to take advantage of any of the information I might give out accidentally, you're not going to hold any favors over my head."

"You've known me for what, a day at most?"

"And in those days, you've agreed to do something without charge, you've helped me with magic users when you didn't have to, and now you're comforting me when I'm upset," she shoots back, "do you really think you work in an inn as long as I have and don't develop the ability to read someone right away?"

He chuckles. "I suppose you're right."

"Can I finish my tea before we start again?"

"Of course."

They sit there in the quiet for another while before Bonnie takes a deep breath and sets the cup back on the table. "I appreciated the tea. It was very good."

"I'm pleased to hear it. Would you like some more?"

"Yes, that would be lovely."

Virgil gets up and goes to prepare the tea, making enough for both of them this time. He sets it on the table and slides her mug over to her. "There."

"I appreciate it. Would you tell me what type of tea it is?"

"Why?"

Bonnie doesn't say anything, waiting patiently for an answer, and he smiles as he lifts his own mug. "Jasmine flower and moon leaves."

"I see." She picks it up and copies him. "It's very good."

"Glad to hear it."

***

Bonnie walks in the next day as he's got his sleeves rolled up and several things spread across the table. He turns and beckons her closer. She approaches slightly warily but ends up at his elbow.

"What is all of this?"

"This," he says, "is the very basics of spell components and recognizing pre-existing enchantments. I'm going to show you how to make simple wards and shields and how to recognize scrying spells and low-level enchantments."

"How is this not being a magic user if we're doing magic?"

"Mixing things together until they do what you want them to do isn't magic."

Bonnie snorts. "You should tell that to the baker in our kitchens."

"Actually being a magic user involves…" He sighs. "It involves something that's explained in that book over there that I don't remember off the top of my head."

She reaches for the book, looking up at him in silent question.

"Go on, sure. It's going to take me a few more minutes to get this ready anyways."

Bonnie buries her nose promptly in the book as Virgil sets about separating the various herbs and powders into neat piles. He takes his pestle and mortar and sets it on one corner next to several squares of cloth. Reaching over the sink to a small box, he retrieves the moonsleek scales and the vials and puts them carefully next to one of the larger books.

"This says there's more than one type of magic user, though," Bonnie says as he starts to twist the twine together.

"Hm?"

"Like—there are witches," she says, reading from the book, "but there's also warlocks, sorcerers…what are the differences?"

He shrugs. "In my experience, it's been enough to know if someone is a magic user. I've never bothered to figure out exactly what kind."

"So the Aspen Witch is—well, she's a witch. The twins—are they all witches as well?"

"They're part of a coven, aren't they?"

"I suppose…"

"Leave your pondering aside for a moment," he says, nodding to her sleeves, "and come over."

"Coming."

"Alright," he says, "would it be helpful to you to know what everything is before we begin, or would you like to learn as we go?"

"Will you tell me what we're doing and then what we're using?"

"Sure. I'm going to show you how to make a basic ward bag. To do that, we need the cloth—" he points— "havershingle powder, elderberry, sage, and ostulum."

"I know what some of those words meant."

He chuckles. "Do you want to watch and copy me, or do it yourself while I watch?"

"Can I try?"

"Sure. None of these ingredients are particularly volatile, so there's no risk of anything happening if we mess up."

"…I don't think I like the sound of that."

"Don't worry," he says as he hands her a pair of gloves, "I'm not teaching you any of those. Now, take one of the cloth squares and put it in front of you."

She takes it and lays it flat on the table, smoothing out the wrinkles. "Okay, what next?"

"See the bottle of green powder near the book?" She picks it up. "Right. Add about as much as your thumbnail."

Bonnie furrows her brow in concentration as she carefully pours the powder into the center of the cloth. She stops a few times, holding up her thumb to compare it to. "Are your—is this enough?"

"Yeah, that's good. Then you want to take the elderberry—yeah, that's it—and crush it into a paste."

"Using this?" She reaches for the pestle and mortar. "Like this?"

"Yeah, that's it. Don't grind around the edges so much, try and pound it—yeah, there you go. Then just add it on top."

"Do you have to clean this each time?" she asks, struggling a little to get all the paste out.

"You should, yeah. Mixing the ingredients isn't great, but since everything's going in the same place it's not the end of the world. Now the sage—yep, add just a bit more—there you go."

"And you said the ostulum?" She picks up a small pouch of bright red powder. "How much of this?"

"A pinch."

"Okay, that much?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. Now see if you can wrap the square around it without letting any of it fall out—wow."

"It's like folding the pastry," she says, making one of the neatest ward bags Virgil's ever seen, "easier, actually, because it's not sticking to my hands. Do we tie it off with the twine?"

"Yes, here, let me—oh, no, you've got it." He puts his hands on his hips. "You're going to be good at this part, aren't you?"

Bonnie laughs. "I'd like to think all my years in a kitchen are good for something."

"Well, I was going to suggest you make a few more just to get the hang of it, but why don't we move on to the other thing first and then we can make a bunch of them for you to take with you?"

"Are you sure you're not letting me pay for any of this?"

"I'm not letting you take all of them, I need some too." Virgil steps up beside her and reaches for the box of moonsleek scales. "The other stuff you'll be able to get at most apothecaries, but these might be harder to find. Is there a river near your village?"

"Not too far away, yes."

"Do you know if there are moonsleeks there?"

"Not in the river, but there's a pond they like to swim in. Are those their scales?"

"Yes. Here, go on," he says, holding the box out as she runs her fingers through the scales, "feels cool, right?"

"Really cool. Do I need this many?"

"Oh, god, no. You'll just need about a pouchful. Take a few of them—one more, maybe," he says as she picks up a few— "and go ahead and grind them up."

"Can I wash the pestle and mortar first?"

"Sure."

"How did you learn how to do all of this?" Bonnie asks as she goes over to the sink. "It seems like a lot to learn by yourself, did someone teach you too?"

When Virgil's quiet for a long moment, she glances over her shoulder.

"Was that rude?"

"No," he says, slightly quieter, "it was a perfectly reasonable question."

"But not one you're going to answer?" He shakes his head. "Alright, fair enough. This is clean now."

"Great. Go ahead and start to grind up the scales." He comes to stand over her shoulder as she starts to pound the scales into a fine black-grey dust. "Once that's pretty fine, you want to add the rest."

"How do you remember in which order they go," she asks as he walks her through adding seeds and other ingredients, "is there a trick to it?"

"Generally when you're working with pestle and mortar spells, you want to start with the hardest ingredients and work to the softest. You can't overgrind something like a moonsleek scale but you can definitely ruin a pascor seed."

They keep working until the mixture is almost a paste, Bonnie's breathing turning slightly labored at the end.

"Now all you need to do is put it into a pot to be cooked down."

"This is literally cooking," she says as she starts to scrape it into the bowl, "we're just reducing this down now."

"I've never claimed to be good in the kitchen, but I can make a decent shield ward."

"You should try it sometime."

"Perhaps," he says, watching as the mixture heats up, "while that's going, let me show you how to recognize some basic enchantments."

He keeps one eye on the pot as they start to go over scrying spells, warding charms, and disguises. Bonnie asks questions about duration, strength, and how they interact with the basic things he's taught her to make. The faint smell of iron and spice starts to waft through the room as the day goes on, the sun moving the shadows slowly around the room. As they near the end of his explanation of scrying spells and how to recognize them, he sees Bonnie grow quiet, reading from the book. After another moment, she turns and stares at her cloak hanging by the door.

"I think there's a scrying spell on my cloak," she whispers. Virgil hums and she looks up at him. "Did you know?"

"I suspected."

"Were you going to tell me?"

"If you hadn't realized it on your own, yes, I would've told you right after we finished this section." He closes the book. "But I had a feeling you would notice yourself."

She looks at the cloak again, watching it sway lightly back and forth in the breeze from the window. "How do we take it off?"

"Are you sure that's what you want to do? It would alert the magic user."

"I don't want to be spied on," she says firmly, "and you're the one who's let it stay here for this long."

He concedes her point with a nod. "This isn't something basic, and I don't want you trying this on your own, do you understand?"

Her face tightens a little but she nods. "I understand."

"Take your cloak and go into the yard, then."

He gathers the requisite supplies and a dagger, tucking a charm into his pocket before heading out the door. Bonnie stands a few paces from the edge of the garden, holding the cloak. He comes up next to her and goes to take it.

"Wait." He pauses. Her mouth twists back and forth. "What if the magic user decides to come see why the spell was broken?"

"Then they come."

"…what if it's the twins?"

"Then we deal with it." At the fear that flickers over her features, he softens. "I don't think it's the twins, Bonnie."

"Who is it, then, the Aspen Witch?"

"No, not her either."

She stares at him for a moment longer before seemingly accepting that he wouldn't be offering to do this if he really thought she was in any danger, and so nods, holding out the cloak. "Do it, then."

"Take a step back."

He takes the cloak and lights the wick in the bottle he's holding. A bright purple flame flickers to life and he holds it near the folds of the cloak. With a massive puff and spark, something intangible fizzles away and he quickly blows out the flame, calling Bonnie close to him as he hands her back the cloak.

Not a moment later, the air ripples and Patton steps out of nothingness. Bonnie lets out a quiet noise of surprise but otherwise does nothing except move a little closer to him.

"Virgil," Patton says, "well, I was going to tell you that something might be happening to Bonnie, but…"

Neither he nor Bonnie say anything, and Patton just smiles.

"Seems I didn't have to."

"You put a scrying spell on my cloak," Bonnie says quietly, her voice polite yet demanding an answer.

"Yes, I did. I, well, Virgil asked us to keep an eye on you."

He sees Bonnie glance at him out of the corner of his eyes. "That didn't mean to put a spell on her. What if the coven spotted it?"

Patton's about to answer when Bonnie suddenly grips his sleeve. He turns instinctively towards her, keeping his eyes on Patton. "There are more of them. They're in the trees."

Ah, of course. Why would just one of you show up when all of you could? He sighs, tucking Bonnie a little more behind him, before he raises his voice. "I know you're there, come out!"

"I told you," he hears Remus say immediately, followed by an ow from Roman, probably. He just shakes his head as the rest of them emerge from the tree line, walking towards them. Bonnie takes another step closer, still holding onto his sleeve and he ducks his head.

"Don't worry," he murmurs, just loud enough for her to hear, "no harm will come to you while I'm here."

She nods sharply but doesn't move away. He can't say he blames her.

"Virgil," Logan nods, "Bonnie."

"Virgil," Roman says, spreading his arms and coming closer as if to hug him, "it's good to see you."

Virgil doesn't back away, but he makes himself look larger and moves his arm to shield Bonnie. Roman sees it, stopping and pouting but Virgil just stares at him.

"You must forgive them," Logan sighs, shaking his head, "they've been in a mood all week."

"Yeah, 'cause someone—hey!" Remus rubs the back of his head where Logan slaps him. "That hurt!"

"You'll live."

"You're an awfully long way from home," Janus says, addressing Bonnie, "what could you be doing all the way out here?"

He can feel the way Bonnie tenses behind him, but her voice comes out evenly. "I've come to seek a favor from Virgil."

"And what favor would that be?" She remains silent and Janus quirks an eyebrow. "Come now, surely that's not an unreasonable question to ask?"

"No, it's a perfectly reasonable question."

Virgil feels a smug rush of pride and he knows Janus can see it on his face. Even Logan chuckles as he rolls his eyes and folds his arms. "You're both no fun."

"Are you okay?" Remus asks next. "Have those two been giving you any more trouble?"

"No."

"What about the rest of the coven?"

"No."

"That's good to hear."

They lapse into silence again. Bonnie's slightly less tense but she makes no move to step out from where Virgil has her, and Virgil doesn't drop his arm. After another moment, he can see something akin to hurt flicker over Roman's expression.

"Virgil," he says, "you know—you know we're not going to do anything, right?"

"I do."

"So then why are you—" and he indicates their position— "like that?"

"It's not for him," Remus says quietly, "it's for her."

"The five of us are a lot for Virgil," he hears Patton agree, "and he's Virgil. What do you think it's like for Bonnie?"

"We all did just appear out of nowhere," Logan adds and Roman nods, but he doesn't look pleased about it. "We mean you no harm, Bonnie, truly. Any friend of Virgil's is a friend of ours."

"And we're sorry for how we acted in your village," Remus says quickly, "for putting you in danger."

Huh. So they do have manners after all.

Behind him, Bonnie clears her throat. "I appreciate your apologies, and I have a way you can make it up to me."

Virgil doesn't tense, but he moves the hand behind him slightly closer to her. What the fuck are you doing?

"And this would be?"

"Will you tell me what sorts of magic users you are?"

"Bonnie," Virgil says lowly.

"You said not to ask ones that I didn't know, but you know them," Bonnie says back, and she has a point, but Virgil doesn't have to like it.

"I'm a wizard," Logan says, because again, he's the reasonable one, apparently, "or witch, if you'd prefer."

"I'm a druid," says Patton, and he makes some movement with his fingers and a glowing flower appears.

"Artificer," Remus says, "that means I'm like a magic blacksmith."

"I'm a sorcerer," Roman says, "Janus is a warlock with a fair folk patron."

"Patron?"

"That's who gives him his magic," Logan says before Janus can speak for himself, "they have a pact between them."

"Like a magic sugar baby."

Virgil can't help it, he snorts. Bonnie does too. Janus simply smiles and smacks Remus upside the head. "Ignore him."

"What? It's true!"

"Are they always like this?"

"Pretty much."

"You two looked to be in the middle of something, though," Patton says over the rest of them starting to bicker about whether Janus is a magic sugar baby or not, "we'll leave you to it. And we won't put any more scrying spells on you, Bonnie, you have our word."

Bonnie nods and Patton starts sheparding the rest of them away. Roman glances over his shoulder and winks at Virgil as they vanish and he's thankful that Bonnie is still behind him so she can't see his face. As soon as he's gotten his blush under control, he turns and looks at her.

"I know, I know, that was risky," she says immediately, holding her hands up, "but I got my answers and you were right, okay?"

"You did well. They're…a lot, I know. I'm sorry if they scared you."

"I trust you, I knew you wouldn't let them hurt me."

He scoffs. "I think you have the wrong idea of just how much I can do to stop a magic user that really wants something."

"But they like you."

"I—well—they—I don't—" He shakes his head. "Still."

"Are we going to run into them again when we go see the Aspen Witch?"

"It's likely," Virgil says as they start walking back toward the house, "they…show up a lot."

"Because they like you?"

"Bonnie," he says, but it's not enough to deter her this time.

"And why did the sorcerer wink at you when he was leaving?"

"How about we stop talking for a little bit?"

***

As it turns out, they only run into two of them: Janus on the crossing of Skarind Bridge, which honestly, he isn't too upset about. Crossing the bridge himself is one thing, but with Bonnie…no, it's actually a good thing that Janus showed up. And then Remus, in the pond, where he offers to take Bonnie swimming and Virgil has to remind her that they only have so many dry clothes.

"But I could dry them for you!"

"I have a feeling that's beside the point."

"He's not letting you have any fun, is he?"

He does have to gently remind Bonnie that she doesn't have to know absolutely everything just yet, especially when she gets frustrated that she can't do something it took him years to master. She grumbles something about you try having someone be competent right next to you but lets him do all the really difficult things to keep them moving at a decent pace through the forest.

Every so often, out of the corner of his eye, he sees her get this look on her face like she's about to ask him something. A few times she opens her mouth, but then she asks about a piece of wildlife or something about their equipment and he can tell that's not what she really wanted to ask. Still, he answers her questions and they keep moving. It isn't until they're making camp for what should be the last night before they reach the Aspen Witch and he sees the look on her face again that he broaches the subject.

"I'm not a magic user, Bonnie," he says softly as they sit near the flickering campfire, "you can ask me what you want to."

Her expression flickers slightly before it falls completely and he finds himself shifting closer on instinct. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"This," she says, gesturing around, "taking me on this trip, showing me how to mix and make stuff, all of this. I'm not paying for any of it, and you're—you're being kind. In a way you don't have to be."

She fiddles with the locket around her neck.

"A-and with the magic users. You protected me from them, even though they're your—even though you know them and they know you and you were pretty sure they weren't going to hurt me. But you could tell I was scared and so you protected me—even though it made them upset at you."

"Bonnie," he says softly, interrupting her before she can work herself up anymore, "hey, look at me."

She does, her fingers still twisted into the locket's chain.

"You asked for my help, I'm giving it to you. There's nothing that bugs me more than a job done wrong, so I'm trying to do it right. And that means that yeah, it's a lot, but I'm happy to do it." He hesitates for a moment, then holds out his hand. She takes it. "I haven't had someone I could…help like this for a long time now."

The campfire crackles quietly as the forest hums with its nightlife. They sit there, in the quiet, as the smoke drifts up and into the trees. Far away, they hear the rustle of the wind as it blows through the leaves.

"I think I'm still scared," Bonnie confesses in a near whisper.

"That's okay," he murmurs back, "I'll protect you."

They spend the rest of the night talking quietly about not much at all until Bonnie falls asleep, her head pillowed near Virgil's leg. He wakes before she does the next morning, beginning the quiet packing-up of their campsite until it's time to gently shake her awake.

"Come on," he calls as she grumbles and looks up at him, "we're almost there."

He might be imagining the eagerness with which she scrambles up and makes ready to follow him, but he's not so sure he is.

Finally, they break into the clearing where the Aspen Witch lives. Over his shoulder, he hears Bonnie shuffle and glances back to see her fixing her hair and cloak. He chuckles to himself and walks to the door, pausing when he feels her touch his shoulder.

"Is there anything I should, you know, say or do?"

"I trust you."

And before she has time to ask him what the fuck that means, he's knocked on the door.

"It's Virgil and Bonnie, we've come to trade."

He can hear the surprise in the Aspen Witch's voice. "Come in."

He pushes open the door and steps through. Bonnie comes through a moment later. The Aspen Witch looks up from her table, smiling when she sees him. Then her eyes flicker to Bonnie and linger for a long moment before she reaches down for something.

"You said you have come to trade."

"I have come to trade," Virgil confirms, taking out the jar of peat dragon scales. "I have come to trade a jar of peat dragon scales for a snapdragon calyx."

The Aspen Witch peers at the jar he holds out. "It will take me some time to prepare the calyx."

"I can wait."

"I will trade you the jar of peat dragon scales for a snapdragon calyx."

He nods and sets it down. "If you are in the middle of something, I will not ask that you interrupt it. I will wait."

The Aspen Witch nods as he steps back, but her eyes keep flickering to Bonnie, who hasn't said a word yet. "You are wearing the locket."

Bonnie's hand goes to touch it. "Yes," she says, clearing her throat when her voice comes out thin, "yes, I am wearing it. I am…grateful for it."

"I am pleased to hear it." The Aspen Witch looks down and continues to…do whatever she's doing, but the tops of her cheeks are pink. "I am…pleased to see you, as well."

"Really? I—I mean, I'm pleased to see you too."

"And yet you stand so far away. You can come closer," she continues when Bonnie doesn't move, "I…it would not upset me."

Bonnie steps closer, hesitant, and when the Aspen Witch doesn't react, she comes closer still, peering down at the table. "I, um, I would like to know what you're doing."

"I am preparing a veridi-vorn hide to be used."

"What's—I, um, I'm curious about that."

"You're much more cautious than you were the last time you were here," she says with some humor, "though I suspect I know why."

"I have asked to know more about how to properly interact with magic users," Bonnie admits, "and so, I'm…yeah."

"I found it refreshing."

"My lack of caution?"

"Yes," she says, taking a thin blade and beginning to score the hide, "I have rarely been spoken to with such freedom."

"Well, all you had to do was ask," Bonnie says, clearly before she can think about it. But the Aspen Witch seems as surprised as she does, head jerking up, and she doesn't take it back.

"Would you," she says, "if I asked?"

"What, speak to you like I did before?"

"Yes."

Bonnie huffs. "I don't think there's much…well, I shouldn't say that."

The Aspen Witch's expression fades slightly but it's covered well enough. "The hide of a veridi-vorn is a useful component in spells that require particular types of rare plants. It can help them work well if they aren't in precisely the right condition."

"It's very pretty."

She tilts her head. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"You sound unsure, do you not think it's pretty?"

"I suppose I've never thought about it."

"That surprises me."

The Aspen Witch looks up, laying aside the blade in favor of wrapping the hide in a thin red string. "I am curious as to why it surprises you."

"I don't know, I guess I always think about it. Whether or not I think something is pretty."

She hums, glancing around. "I…suppose I'm now curious what else in here you think is pretty."

"Oh, let me look…" Bonnie leans forward, peering around the room. "That stone on top of the shelf, that's pretty. The plant in the corner, the flowers…that bottle, or whatever's in it…"

The Aspen Witch, who had turned to follow Bonnie's description, turns back and doesn't quite startle to see Bonnie looking at her, but the sure movement of her hands falters for just a moment. Bonnie smiles.

"…you."

"Me?"

"Yes," Bonnie says quietly, "you're very pretty."

The Aspen Witch blinks several times and the tips of her hair glows slightly. Bonnie's eyes widen and she laughs in disbelief. The Aspen Witch follows her gaze and shakes herself, the glow fading. "You came here to trade as well. I would like to know what it is you would like."

Bonnie's expression flickers for a second before a smile settles on her face. "I have questions about magic that I would like answered."

"Questions."

"Yes. But I don't exactly trust the magic users in my village and they're not the biggest fans of me."

"I suppose," the Aspen Witch says slowly, "and you would offer something in return."

"Yes, I would."

"What would this be?"

Bonnie leans on her hands, bending slightly over the table until her face is close to hers. "What about a kiss?"

The glow appears at the ends of her hair again. "A kiss?"

"Mhm."

"It seems in bad form for me to accept a trade I have no way of verifying," the Aspen Witch says, "how can I be assured of its value?"

"If you want to sample the goods, then, by all means."

And so, as the soft glow spreads further and further up her hair, the Aspen Witch leans down and presses her lips gently to Bonnie's.

"There," Bonnie murmurs as they break apart, "what do you think that's worth?"

"Not enough for all your questions," the Aspen Witch says softly, "perhaps you will have to pay more."

"That's not a hardship for me."

The Aspen Witch laughs softly, looking around for somewhere to put the hide, and perhaps they would've kissed again had she not spotted Virgil standing in the corner and promptly jerked back.

"Don't mind me," he says, not bothering to hide his laugh as Bonnie jerks and curses, "carry on if you so wish."

"I forgot you were here," Bonnie mumbles, her face in her hands, "oh, gods, that's so embarrassing."

He laughs again, only to see the Aspen Witch flush, mortified, and he takes mercy on them both, holding his hands up.

"You knew," the Aspen Witch accuses, "and that's why you brought her."

"I suspected," he admits, "and I'd rather not sit through however long it took you both to make up reasons to see each other, so I thought I might as well shortcut it."

"You," Bonnie exclaims, standing up and pointing a finger at him, "are the worst."

"That's funny, I could've sworn yesterday you said I was kind."

"I take it back!"

"I'm happy for you both," he says placatingly, smiling softly at them, "really. And yes, I did think something like this might happen if I brought Bonnie with me."

"Thank you, Virgil," the Aspen Witch says, even as Bonnie mutters something under her breath, "I…do not know how to repay you."

"Both of you can repay me by making each other happy, and by letting me know when my calyx is ready because I'm going to be waiting outside."

He chuckles once more as Bonnie hits him halfheartedly on the shoulder, shutting the door behind him and walking down the steps. When he gets to the bottom, he's only slightly surprised to see Roman standing just beyond the edge of the Aspen Witch's property. He walks over, nodding in greeting.

"Is everything okay?"

"If you mean are you safe, then yes."

He frowns. "What's wrong?"

Roman sighs. "Are we—are you mad at us, Virgil? Or are you mad at me?"

Virgil blinks, shocked. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Every time we've tried to see you recently, you've been acting like you're just waiting for us to leave. And I know we messed up with the contract—with Bonnie, but…" Roman sighs, raking a hand through his hair. "I thought we were doing better."

"We are doing better," he says softly, reaching out to take Roman's hand in his, "you've just come at bad times, that's all. I'm not mad at you."

Roman looks down at their clasped hands and nods. After a moment, he looks back up. "Logan told us about your worries with Bonnie," he says quietly, "are you…is it alright?"

Virgil sighs, glancing over his shoulder at the Aspen Witch's house. "I can't tell just yet."

"If you decide it's not okay, or if you need help, will you let us help you? Please?"

Virgil turns back, smiles, and reaches up to pat Roman's cheek. "Yeah, Roman. I will."

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#dragonbabbles #sanders sides #fic #virgil sanders #roman sanders #remus sanders #sympathetic remus #logan sanders #janus sanders #deceit sanders #sympathetic deceit #patton sanders

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pieroulette · 1 year

Text

| ROUTE 1: HEESEUNG |

— a story that starts with a text —

summary: when you installed a dating app to just mess around with random people, not knowing that you were turning your peaceful life into a bloody one the moment you sent that text.

genre: yandere, angst, college! au

warning: cursing, mentions of implied sexual assault and sex tape, drugs, degrading, manipulation.

pairing: heeseung x fem! reader

word count: 17.3k

a/n: part 2 of EP 9! Thank you for reading and I apologize for any grammar errors, reblogs and comments are highly appreciated by authors! Lmk what you think <3

. . .

| EPISODE 9: TRAITOR |

Heeseung’s eyes boring a hole onto yours as he waited for your answer along with others. Your palms start to get sweaty and your heartbeat quickening with each passing second. You have to save yourself. Shit. What should you say?

“I.. I–” you can’t help but stuttered, trying to think of what to say, the pressure was getting too heavy. You couldn’t bear to let your plan get ruined because of a mistake you did before. “I don’t remember I ever said that before?..”

They tilted their head, even Beomgyu. “Eh? But you did tell us though? Right?” he turned to Kai and Yeonjun, “Right?”

Yeonjun took a deep thought, saying in a low voice. “I'm sure you told us.”

“See?”

Fuck! You can’t let this happen, you have to insist. Shaking your head in confidence, with your lips tugging up in a smile. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about, we did met back then but I never say I didn't knew Heeseung.”

Beomgyu’s mouth gape even further, pointing at himself, “Then are you saying that we’re lying?”

“Even Yeonjun and Kai were sure you said it!”

“Don’t force her if she don’t remember, it was like months ago. It’s only normal that she forget it.” Soobin muttered, fixated on his guitar. "Or maybe you guys forget it. Remember when you forgot which one's your toothbrush back then? Yeah."

“No. No. That's different! Tch. You seem to be lying. . —”

“Beomgyu—”

“Don’t pay much attention to this kid,” you turned your attention to the voice, him. He walked past you and Heeseung, dropping his guitar on the floor. “He probably got a screw loose in his head once again.”

A snicker and giggles emits in the air upon hearing those words.

Beomgyu scoffed in disbelief, rolling his eyes as he dramatically clenched his fists towards Jungwon, “Yang fucking Jungwon, why–”

Too deep in trying to make an excuse for yourself, you snapped your head to look at Heeseung face, you gotta make an excuse. “Heeseung– I don’t know what he’s saying–”

Heeseung rubbed his hand on your arm in a comforting way, giving you an assuring smile. “Of course, Beomgyu just loves to force his opinion on others most of the time so don’t worry about him.”

“I believe you.” His lips tugged up and his cheeks dusted with a faint pink blush, it was obvious from his eyes that he was lovesick. Did he actually believe you?

“R-really?”

“I mean why would you even tell them you didn’t knew me? It just doesn’t make sense.” He giggled, pinching your cheeks and you pouted.

“I guess we were really mistaken, if Heeseung’s girlfriend says otherwise then it’s really not.”

“You are really pabo-yah, Choi Yeonjun.”

“The pabo is you!”

“It feels like i had too much kids in here.” Soobin sighed, and Taehyun giggled — your eyes meeting with his and he in turned gave you a small smile.

A ring echoes through the room, you realise it was from Heeseung who pulled out his phone from his pockets, you saw the caller ID as 'Dad'.

Heeseung then went outside after getting a call, “Oh gotta answer this.” you nodded, smiling sweetly.

You were left with the boys busy with their instruments, awkward you stayed silent but Taehyun smiled, not wanting you to feel left out. "Have you ever listen to rock music?"

Surprised that he asked you a question, you shook your head, "I think I did back then but it's not really my cup of tea."

"So Heeseung hyung is your cup of tea?" Kai giggled, your ears grew red upon hearing it while the others told him to quit it.

“I see you guys were practising, is it for the rock festival?” you tried to strike up a conversation.

“I see you still remember about the ticket.” Beomgyu snorted.

Yeonjun hissed instantly, glaring at him, “Beomgyu–”

“Alright, alright. My bad.”

“Yep! There's a festival set on 2 weeks later, and we were invited to perform. It's a bit bigger than we used to do. An accomplishment I may say it.” Taehyun spoke.

“And since you were Heeseung’s girlfriend, then you got the chance to match cosplays with him!” Yeonjun said.

“How cute.” Kai cooed. “Heeseung hyung cosplaying? What is it then, bet it’s a deer!”

Couple of giggles emits in the air.

“Hm?” you were confused. “Cosplay?”

“Yeah, you know visual kei bands? Maybe not, considering your expression.” Soobin chuckled, “Visual kei bands originally came from Japan but just because we aren’t there doesn’t mean we can’t do it, right? It would be suck-ass if that kind of rule exists.”

“So what do they do?” trying your best to look interested in what they were saying as possible as you can.

“We do cosplays, and makeups—”

“Not your typical boy band!” Beomgyu exclaimed, seemingly proud of what he was doing.

“---We do dress codes sometimes, its actually fun. Unlike classical music which I used to do.” Soobin continued. "Lame black suits and people with zero expressions, I'm glad I left."

You nodded, noticing the sincerity in Soobin's eyes as he spoke about his passion, their teamwork, and how they were going to pursue their dream without giving up. You were not sure what to feel about knowing them a bit more, the fact that they look so happy and proud of what they do makes you wanna puke, it's all because they look so innocent, so humane, and so loyal to each other — the type of friends that you would wanna have if they weren't actually the group that desires to ruin your sister.

And you only notice by now that Jungwon remains silent the entire time, sitting against the wall as he scrolled through his phone and writing on the notebook placed on his right thigh.

You had spent almost two hours in the studio watching them practice with Heeseung, and when it's time to go, Soobin went to talk with him leaving you alone again as you stood outside the studio.

The door behind you opens and you realise it was Jungwon as he pulled the hood of his hoodie and fixes the strap of his guitar case, he seems to not acknowledge your presence as he walk past you not even bothering to say a word.

It pissed you off, however you must take the chance now that you were here. You can't afford to wait another day.

“EJ.” Jungwon immediately halted his steps upon hearing the name leave your mouth.

“On Saturday, in the famous cafe around the city, he wants to meet up. However, please don’t tell Heeseung about it.” you pleaded.

Silence.

“—Why doesn’t he just text me then?” Jungwon raises his eyebrows.

You paused, biting your lips, “I can’t tell much but he just really want to meet you and I believe you know what I mean.”

Tilting his head as he faced you completely, “You’re Heeseung’s girlfriend, why are you still friends with the guy who pushed your boyfriend to the stairs?”

His question surprises you.

“H-he already apologised.”

“And you believe it?”

“I don’t see why you’re interrogating me but i’m only passing EJ’s words to you. Take it or leave it.”

Fuck. That’s too hasty, don’t you think? You frowned but there's not much time left, you could only hope that the boy walking off to the street are going to come. You could only hope.

You and Heeseung went into separate ways after he gave you a peck on your cheek, telling you to look after yourself after dropping you outside Chaeryeong's apartment. Keeping the bright smile on your face as you waved off, watching him as his car left.

The smile instantly disappeared from your face as soon as his car are no longer in sight, pulling your phone out your pockets, you tapped EJ's number.

"Fuck, EJ. I think I screwed up." You face palmed yourself, sighing dejectedly, "Do we really need him? It really doesn't seem like he want to help us."

"We still have to try, what did he say though?" EJ asked.

"He seems to be in Heeseung's side since he kept asking me why I believe you like shit, are you sure he isn't dumb?" You scoffed.

"He was just testing you."

"Huh?!"

"—Since you were with me, he just wants to see if you really believe in me."

"Well then I think I really screwed up since I said you apologized." You whimpered.

A giggle emits from your phone, "Don't worry, we'll just have to see if Jungwon would really come."

"But do you really think he's going to help us to go against Heeseung?"

“And that’s why we gotta try it, take the chance and try to see."

"Alright, I'll be going now. See ya, EJ." You hanged up unbeknownst to the pair of shoes standing behind you.

“What? What are you going to do with your boyfriend? Did I hear it right?”

You jolted in surprise, letting out a small scream as you turned around only to see Chaeryeong's shock expression, eyes widened and her mouth dropped a bit.

“(Name)?! I thought you really love him? That’s why I didn’t say anything even when he was your sister’s boyfriend.” Chaeryeong added in disbelief.

You kept silent as she wait for your response, and a few stares over here and there made you eventually gave up as you sighed.

“I’ll tell you when everything is right. I don’t know when but please, just trust me.”

"Just what are you trying to do, (Name)?"

"Please, just trust me." You pulled her arm, rubbing her hands. “You’re better of not knowing about it.”

Hesitant she was and yet she nodded eventually, just pulling you into her hug as the moonlight illuminated on the both of you.

"Just please stay safe of whatever the fuck you are doing." Chaeryeong pouted, and you giggled nodding in response.

—

The conversation had EJ deep in thought as he looked outside the window for a good min and shuffles around the room wondering what to do next, but he came into a halt and sighed, dropping down as he sat across his room, picking up a notebook scattered on the many piled up notebooks on it, flipping through the pages of his notebook which was filled with music notes and stuff, and so he lifted his eyes to take a brief glance towards the guitar case leaning against the wall but in turn, he didn’t expect to look at it much longer than he thought.

Standing up, he walked towards the guitar case, zipping it open and pulling the dark-red electric guitar and leaned against the edge of his bed, brushing his fingers at the once-played instrument. A surge of memories hitting him.

[ flash back ]

“I like you.”

Chaewon froze, her sweet smile contorting into an utter shock as the boy in front of her confessed with bravery and honesty, seemingly gullible of what situation he had put himself in.

“I don’t know when but I really do like you, Chaewon. Your smile, the way you carry yourself, the way you do stuffs and the way-”

“Shut up,” Chaewon raised her palms, eyes glaring, “Please, stop.”

“W-why? Did I said something wrong?”

“EJ, haven't I told you I had a boyfriend?”

EJ’s world stopped the moment he heard those words, “W-what?”

“I. . I'm sorry I didn't tell you,” she look at EJ with guilt in her eyes, pausing for a few seconds, “I don't know what's going to happen to our friendship now.”

“My bad, I should've known. I'm sorry for putting you in this situation.”

EJ went back home, head falling down in utter disappointment as he clenched the straps of his bag. The orange sunset illuminating his face while he walk across the street, passer-by and vehicles floating like clouds as he was in deep thought. Unbeknownst to him, someone was following behind him. Checking on him as he opens the door of his house with the keys.

He waited for a min, sighing with his hands inside his pockets as his feline-like eyes looks up to EJ’s windows now light up.

. . .

Next day, it was college once again. Dozens of students going in and out, going to their respective classes and hanging with friends and some, alone. Just like EJ right now, as he sat on the bench munching on his the mochi he just bought while on the way to college. He observed as the people scattered all in front of him like ants, in their own group and world.

He had a friend once, a group of friends to be exact, but the friendship had gone broken due to personal reasons, betrayal it was and despite how he had tried, he wasn’t able to do anything but let it fall on the ground, it’s pieces scattered and it’s content that took years to build was gone just like that.

He had gotten his fair share of karma slammed right to his face.

“That looks delicious, I wonder where did you bought it?”

EJ jolted in surprise by the sudden voice, snapping his like a whiplash at the said person and there the black-haired boy with cat-like features stood in front of him, hands in his pockets, and a guitar case hanging on his shoulders with the straps supporting it.

“Eh?” EJ asked again, eyebrows knitted together and his blank eyes emitting confusion as he wasn’t able to hear the previous question due to being in a deep thought.

A low chuckle, almost like cat noise EJ thought, “I asked,” the black-haired boy gestured to the mochi in EJ’s hand with his eyes, “That looks delicious, I wonder where did you bought it?”

“O-oh, this, I bought it in a famous shop across the street, it’s a bit far actually so it probably would take you time to even get there.” EJ cleared his throat, continuing to munch on his food.

“Thanks, would it be okay if you could show me the way later?”

“Huh?”

“Dude, you are somewhat deaf aren’t you?” The boy laughed, “Can you show me the way later once you’re done? Or at least when you’re free?”

“Oh, but don’t you have a map on your phone though?”

“I do, but it would be rather fun if there’s someone I could go with.”

“Friends? Don’t you have friends to go with?”

“They’re busy right now, but even if they wasn’t, I’d still want to go with you though.”

“Dude, don’t tell me you..?” EJ forms a defensive posture against the boy, “Are you gay..?”

“You can’t be serious?! I just wanna be friends!” The boy’s cat eyes widened, baffled at the question.

“Oh-oh, that’s nice then, for a second I thought you like me.”

“Yah, your mind’s really something, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, sorry, i guess having a lack of friend do it’s wonders.”

Silence ensues for a min, but the cat-like boy cleared his throat, “Jungwon.”

“Hm?”

“Jungwon, the name’s Jungwon. What’s yours?”

"EJ."

"EJ, wanna be friends?"

. . .

It was actually funny, EJ thought.

A simple question, and the rest was history and yet no matter how simple it was, he can't believe how something so simple could form a genuine bond between two people.

Since from then on, EJ has grew closer with this cat-like boy who he didn’t expect to turn out to be a gentle and reliable person, and especially as a friend. They now often hang out with each other, in random spots of the city, going to different restaurants and all.

“Bro, you bought fried chicken when I obviously told you that I’ll buy buns for us?” Jungwon sighed dejectedly, dropping the paper bag with buns inside it on the bench.

While, EJ who has a chicken in his mouth, shrugged in response and sat down, “Well, at least, we have two dishes now.”

“Can you finish it though?”

“Wha- Of course not?? Do I look like I can finish both?!”

“That’s the deal, you dumbo.” EJ groans in pain after getting flicked on the forehead by Jungwon.

Hanging out together in front of the bun shop, the hot smoke flowing through the air as both of them munched on their hot bun, their feet swaying in the air on repeat and their shoulders raising and falling, the starry night sky and the busy city of the nightlife serves as a spectacular scenery for the two boys. But soon, boredom strikes and a series of sighs and murmurs left the mouth of Jungwon.

“So? Do you have any girl you like?”

Silence. But EJ immediately regained his composure, munching on his bun, “Yeah.. but she..” looking at the meat filling inside his bun, “Nah, my crush actually had a boyfriend now.”

“That sucks, how come you didn’t knew?”

“I don’t know, I might be really dumb then that I wasn’t that up to date with the college.”

“You could actually say that, you even thought I like you at first. That I was gay, wow.” Jungwon gave out a look of disbelief, shaking his head.

“Bitch, it really do look like you like me. I mean, the way you said it sounds so gayish.”

“Maybe you’re the one who is gay for thinking that!” Jungwon gagged, rolling his eyes.

“Probably you! Okay then, got any crush?”

“Tsk, got no time for that-”

“Hah! Gotcha, gay you are!”

“Oh please, shut up.” Jungwon growled, “Got no time for that, girls are a waste of time, besides I’m too busy with paying off my bills and getting into rock venues.”

“Wait, you’re in a band?!”

“Bro, you’re certified dumbo at this point if you didn’t knew by the fucking guitar I was carrying all this time.”

“I just thought you love to play guitar!— but I guess we can say that.” EJ burst into laughter but pouted after, “But really, you play in those grand rock venues and the fact you are in a band?!”

“It’s not that grand, more like underground rock bands. We played for quite awhile now, but soon, I’m sure we will be able to play in the big venues.” Jungwon looks up to the night sky, painted with stars and the bright moonlight.

“That’s so damn cool.” EJ turns to look at his half uneaten bun once again, “I, too, wanna play .. with friends someday. Would be so damn nice.”

“You like guitar?”

“Yeah. I had one but it's rusty and old, been awhile since I used it.” EJ rubbed his head in an abashed manner.

Jungwon paused for a moment, thinking deeply and then turned to face EJ, “Wanna meet them?”

“Who?” EJ raised his eyebrow in confusion.

“My friends, the rock band.”

“W-wait, woah, really?! You gonna do that for me?” his jaw dropped with the content of his chewed bun inside, Jungwon cringe upon seeing it.

“Bro of course, but eat your bun first.” shaking his head while chuckling, Jungwon went to eat his bun again and EJ who was giddily eating, stomp his feet on the ground on repeat, excitement surging in his veins.

. . .

“We’re here.” Jungwon exclaimed as he pushes the door open, the bell above it clinking in unison with the chill fragrance of the studio hits EJ’s nose, the warmth from inside engulfed his being. The posters and random magazines splattered on the dark painted wall, along with the unused instruments hidden inside the glass box, the black carpeted floor leading to the living room with sofas and a dining room, the walls from the other hallway was painted orange with the faint glow illuminating from the lamp hanging on the ceiling.

It was EJ’s first to be in a place like that, a place that exudes rich and untouchable yet with an aura that also emits wildness and rebellious phase of teenagers.

People like him, and at the same, weren't like him.

Then Jungwon leads him to door of among the doors leading to the corridor, and a blaring sound of instruments were playing from the distance, a group playing together, it sounds nice, EJ thought.

Jungwon halted his steps in which he did so, motioning for him to stay quiet, EJ nodded in responsr and then Jungwon pushes the door open, revealing a few boys playing their respective instruments altogether completing a melodic piece throughout the room.

“Oh, Jungwon! God, there’s no food?”

“You just ate an hour ago." Yeonjun snorted which made Beomgyu rolled his eyes, however the face of the stranger standing behind Jungwon caught his eyes.

“Who’s that beside you?”

Jungwon smiled, “This is EJ, my friend. He also loves to play instruments! Especially guitar.”

EJ then moves forward, bowing down as he introduces himself, his bright smile beaming and heart beating in excitement with the thought of now having a group of friend around his age, once again. “I’m EJ, im- Nice to meet you all! I've been playing guitar since I was a kid—”

Upon introducing himself, he felt a bit embarrassed but to his surprise, all of them was delighted in meeting him, exchanging fists just like how he had always observed others do, and asking each other about their favourite hang out spots and stuff. It was the first time for him for a very long time. But all has come to an end, as the door to the room pushes open, revealing the tall boy on his phone with green highlights on his lush hair.

“Heeseung-ah!” W-what?..

“Look, Jungwon’s friend is so good with guitar! I wonder, if he could be a new member in our group?”

EJ’s eyes widened, world shattering as he take in the sight of the taller boy who was actually his crush’s boyfriend. A tint of hatred spiralling in the depths of his heart, face felling down and soon it turns into a glare towards the cat-like boy sitting across the room who was now confused by EJ’s sudden change of demeanour.

EJ bursts out the door, with Jungwon following behind, calling out for him desperately.

“EJ! EJ!” Jungwon pushes the door open, feet scattering around the now-dark city with the neon lights glowing in the darkness, and passer by giving a weird look at them, and some on their phone glowing against their face, ignoring the commotion.“EJ! What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?’ EJ lets out a dry chuckle, “What’s wrong with me, huh? Why didn’t you tell me that your friend was actually Lee Heeseung?!”

“Yeah? What’s wrong with that?”

“I told you my crush, my fucking crush, her boyfriend is Lee Heeseung!”

Jungwon froze, “C-chaewon? You mean Chaewon? You never told me though?”

EJ groaned, he couldn’t ignore that, he never did once told him that the girl he had taken an interest was Chaewon, nor the boy she likes was called Lee Heeseung. But shame strikes him and he ruffles through his hair in annoyance, him in a rock group along with the boyfriend of the girl he likes? This can’t be.

He stormed off despite Jungwon’s protests, following through his emotions.

. . .

[ end of flashback ]

EJ plucks the strings on his guitar, letting out a sigh for the nth time. “Would he forgive me though?” it came out as a whisper to the air, hoping that someone would actually give him the reassurance that his wishes would be able to come true.

Weekends. A sense of comfort. Sun rays reflecting against the glass window. The scent of coffee lingering in the air as the waiters shuffled around the place completing the orders. There EJ sat at the table, fiddling his hands as he waited for that particular someone. Would he really come? Was I wrong?

Those thoughts run relentlessly through his mind for awhile now, looking down to his coffee.

A bell rang and yet EJ didn't bother to look up.

"Welcome!" The waiter exclaimed. The said person approached EJ's table and stood in front of him. Slowly looking up, EJ's jaw dropped.

“Jungwon!” EJ exclaimed, utter surprise displayed on his face,"You came."

“Of course, why would I refuse to meet you?” Jungwon chuckled. "Been awhile, though."

EJ let out a dry chuckle, rubbing his head, “Yeah, been awhile. How have you been?”

“Good, the band actually miss you a lot.”

“I doubt that,” EJ said.

“They do care about you though.”

“We both know that’s not true.”

Silence ensues between them, as the crowds’ murmurs and life of the city moves through the space as they struggle with their words but the memories from past hits them.

“You know, I’m sorry I didn't try to understand you b-back then.” EJ lets out, stuttering as he didn’t expect himself to even do it. “And I’m sorry for even doubting you were capable of doing that.”

“It’s the past, let’s move on from it?”

“No.. no, at least tell me how mad you are? Something?”

“I don’t think there’s anything much to say already you know.” Jungwon sighed, "EJ, I still want to be your friend and hang out like we used to do but if you are here to ask me to do something against my friends, then you are greatly mistaken."

EJ knew. He knew Jungwon would say that, and yet he still tried.

[ flashback ]

After a few days, EJ throwed his head against the grey-painted wall of his dimly light room. The music papers he had spent a week ago so that when he go to the studio and meet them, he would have something to prove, something that would prove his worth and eligibility of being a part of them. Jungwon, himself, had never particularly asked for him to do anything but he just really wanted to at least try something. But what a joke it was that instead of practising with the band, he’s still in the same place, cold and alone on the comfort of his bed and the sight of his old guitar want to make him puke and disappear from the face of the earth.

His hasty and rush attitude, always the same thing, all his entire life, his attitude and short-temper that manages to ruin every opportunity in his life. Why did he even get mad at Jungwon? For what? He didn’t even knew so why did he— why did he throw his anger at Jungwon?

The sight of the extravagant studio makes his knee weak, almost changing his mind to just went back home and hide again but he couldn’t always be like this. He have to change.

He can’t blame Jungwon for not knowing about it, neither Heeseung. EJ never knew him, that guy Heeseung had never done anything bad to him so why should he get mad at him just because the girl he likes didn’t like him back? As much as his emotions gets bitchy sometimes, he can’t let his life get ruin by his petty emotions, once again.

Knocking on the door despite the blaring music making his heart drop, he still went through his decision and bowed, apologising at his actions that day.

But to his surprise, they accepted him and wasn’t a tad bit upset at his sudden outburst that day, neither was Heeseung who greeted him with the brightest smiles adorning his face, a complete change of personality of what he used to hear — a different guy he was from the popular names given among the ladies who wanted to get in his pants, and from the guys who envy him and wanted to be like him, as he stretched out his hand for EJ to shake, astounded was what he could feel at that moment, for the black-haired boy with green highlights over it wasn’t bothered at the fact and was seemingly delighted to make him, a random boy with a huge gap of their social status, a part of their rock band.

And EJ was far more grateful than ever. He spent all night and day hanging with his newly found group, he was in a complete bliss and joy, having what he call ‘friends’ or ‘peers’ and being wholly accepted for who he is, and praised by his skills, it was everything he could ever wanted, everything he could ever dreamed of.

Heeseung, had turn out to be the best guy and friend he had ever known, second to Jungwon because he couldn’t let the cat boy frowned upon their sudden closeness in which he laughed it off. EJ had looked up to Heeseung since then, he treated him like a younger brother and never a stranger, and was always delighted to help him in his instruments and taught him almost about anything. Even with his wealthy vibes and fuckboy status exuding too much in the air, Heeseung was humble and gentle, definitely the type of friend that screams 'bros before hoes' at this point.

At that point, life was perfect for EJ, and he wouldn’t trade any day or life for this moment. The wonderful sight of his peers with their brightest smiles beaming in the air while they respectively play their instruments and EJ playing along with them, was everything he wanted even if he wasn’t able to get the girl of his dreams.

EJ had by far, forgotten about the existence of the girl of his dreams. But almost it was, as reality pulls him back but in a much, much crueller and dirty canvas than his life used to be. It was represented to him in a way it would make him puke and never appear again, nor acknowledge the people he once proudly acclaimed as ‘family’.

The newly found family that turned out to be devils in disguise.

“EJ! Heeseung’s throwing a party, wanna join?”

“Yeah, join us! It would fun to have you there.”

“Besides you could meet more girls.” Beomgyu cooed, making EJ let out a chuckle and he nodded in response.

"Alright, I'll come." The red-haired boy jumped giddily upon hearing it.

It was EJ's first time to went into a party, especially with friends. The sight of Heeseung's house with flashy lights and buffet just around the corner made his jaw dropped. His stomach grew uncomfortable to their unfamiliar environment he was in.

But what he saw next was enough to make his heart burn in pain, there the girl he likes in the arms of the guy he now looked up to. He wanted nothing but to left at that point if not because of Jungwon along with Taehyun calling out for him, already noticing the weight of the situation.

“This is my girlfriend, Chaewon. Chaewon, this is EJ. The new member of our group.”

"Oh, hi." Chaewon hesitates to look up to EJ, but eventually responded.

"Hi."

EJ's eyes was filled with sorrow as he can only watch the girl he likes beams in utter happiness in Heeseung's arms. Clenching his fists, he turned around not wanting to see them anymore when the rest of the boys appeared, ushering him to go with them upstairs.

“Do you still like her though?"

"H-huh?" EJ was taken aback by the question. "What?"

"It's so obvious that you like Heeseung's girlfriend." Yeonjun smirked

"Yeah, even Heeseung realise that but he kept quiet because he priorities our friendship more."

Guilt engulfed EJ's being as he looked down, his fists clenching the material of his pants, "I'm sorry."

"So, do you still like her?"

"Why the fuck are you still asking, it's so obvious."

Because EJ doesn’t want them to get any more wrong thoughts about it, he denied, “No, I no longer like her and I won't let it ruin what I have now. I realise there’s nothing really much about her but I’m happy that she’s in a good hands now.”

“Fuck! I’m so glad to hear that, wooh.” Yeonjun spins around with the red cup in his hand, plopping to the couch beside EJ.

“I thought it would do some harm to our friendship but I’m glad it didn’t go that far.”

“Yeah right? Why let some random girl ruin our friendship for nothing?” Beomgyu patted EJ on the back before plopping to another couch.

“It’s a coincidence, really but I’m glad you think the same way as us. Heeseung really do know how to pick someone, he never got it wrong.”

EJ nodded, smiling but felt guilty for lying and yet they were right, he can’t betray his now group just because of a girl he barely knows, a girl that was actually taken from the beginning.

“It must be fate!” Beomgyu exclaimed, “Soobin, Yeonjun, Kai, Taehyun, me! Jungwon and you! Heeseung that bitch got some damn good eyes and it was really an honour to meet you all my good friends.”

“Ew, go away.” Taehyun laughed, pushing off Beomgyu who tries to give him a kiss and the rest chuckled upon the sight.

“Ouch, at least a kiss won’t do? My bromance heart is hurting you know,” Beomgyu shrugged but eyes on EJ instead, “EJ, my dude!”

Hovering on him, Beomgyu gave him a kiss to his cheek much to his protest and the other gagged but laugh eventually.

Kai giggled with his hands covering his mouth, “That girl must be really dumb, right?”

Froze. EJ tilted his head in confusion.

“I know right? Must be thinking she strike a prince charming in a city.” Yeonjun stretches his arms, yawning in the process.

“W-which girl?” EJ asked confused.

The others chuckled, “We mean Heeseung’s girl, Kim Chaewon?”

Soobin took a brief sip to his red cup before looking under the main living room where the both of them, Chaewon in Heeseung’s arms playing together at the table with the others, “Poor girl, yet so dumb, she deserves it though.”

EJ found no words to say, only getting bombarded with the shocking truth as they spoke even more about Chaewon.

“Yah, how long is Heeseung gonna play with her? It’s been like one or two months already? It’s taking so fucking long, I want my moneyyy.” Yeonjun whined.

“Dunno? Guess we just have to wait Heeseung till he gives the sign.”

“W-what are you guys saying?” EJ asked again but his face had gone cold and pale, but managed to regain his composure as to not look too obvious despite his dying desire to know the meaning behind their words.

“EJ, we had a secret.”

“But you gotta keep it okay?” Soobin raised his finger up to his mouth, “We had a deal, a somewhat pricey deal than usual.”

Frozen and speechless, eyes blinking back in tears as he stared at the billiard table, the scattered money on it which made him puke so bad but he contained it, biting his tongue.

"You see this?" Soobin picks up one of the tapes scattered with the money on the table, "Tell me what do you think that's kept inside this tape?"

Silence.

Soobin smirked, his eyes crinkling. “Sex tape.”

Crack.

“We had a business, y’know? How did you think we went this far? We fuck some girls and posted it online in some website, and there money we got!” Yeonjun exclaimed, waving the money in front of his face.

“But.. consent? They give you c-consent right?” EJ stuttered, unwilling to accept the reality represented to him and therefore he wanted to paint it in a much brighter light.

“Of course! Some of them gave us consent actually which made our job easier,” EJ's breathe hitched, "But some are a tad bit annoying that we had to threaten them.”

Another crack. Something broke inside EJ. His heartbeat rapidly slamming through his ribs and blood boiling inside his veins but he kept it in, trying his best to calm down by clenching his fists to the point his knuckles had grown white.

“So.. you forced them?” forcing out a smile, he glanced at Soobin.

“Smart!” Soobin flicks his finger, spinning around the edge of the table as he prepares to hit the ball wth his stick, “Heeseung told us that his girl would be the next target—”

“What?”

“— And it would take some time but Heeseung wanted to get his way with the girl, since you're with us now.. You'll join us recording her, easy right?”

EJ didn’t do anything. The monstrosity of this seemingly innocent boys who chased for their dreams turn out to be devils. He just nodded, the emptiness inside his heart was mocking him for even harbouring familial love for his ‘peers’. He couldn’t do anything.

In an instant, he stood up much to their surprise, “I’ll have to go outside to get some air, it’s getting stuffy here.” The rest nodded in response, Beomgyu telling him to take care made him wanna puke.

Take care? How can they do something so disgusting and yet still manage to say, take care?

EJ halted his steps upon hearing Chaewon’s giggles, her head resting on Heeseung’s shoulder as they played at the table together. Without much thought, with a great desire to tell her the truth, he approaches them but when he saw Heeseung, his feet halted by its own.

What are you doing? Why did you stop? You should fucking tell her and save her! Tell her the fucking truth! EJ screams in his mind.

And yet, he was unable to bring himself to approach them. Because in the depths of his mind, there lies words that rang inside the darkness,

Ignorant fool, why do you think she will believe you and not her sweet beloved boyfriend? You must be really dumb. Do you know where you are right now?’

In a party, who hosted it? Heeseung. Whose house are you in? Heeseung. The people in here, who are they? Heeseung’s friends. Chaewon? Heeseung’s girlfriend. Who do you think they will believe? You must be an utter fool to think that this is some kind of a drama where the good guys always win.

“EJ?” a hand rested on his shoulder snapped him out of his deep thought, turning around only to see his friend with those familiar feline-like eyes, Jungwon.

Mind dazed and empty and yet the burning rage inside his heart had him completely storming off the house despite Jungwon’s protests.

Walking back home was emptier, and wholly darker than ever it used to be.

“EJ! EJ! What’s wrong?!” Jungwon kept calling out for him and yet he didn’t halted his steps, but upon a few more calling, he froze and there he turned to Jungwon and within a few seconds of stare down, “EJ?”

EJ sprints towards him much to Jungwon’s surprise, he couldn’t contain his anger anymore to the point he punched the boy to the ground. “You fucking disgusting! Why? What kind of human are you, bastard?!”

“W-what are you saying?!”

Hissing with tears forming in his eyes, “Okay, tell me you didn’t know about the entire deal, that disgusting deal Yeonjun, Soobin, everyone including Heeseung! That tape!! You didn’t know right?”

Silence. A deafening silence forming between them which irritates EJ as time passed, but sadder he was when the truth slowly hitting him in a cruel way.

“You.. knew?”

“I..”

“You fucking knew and yet you did nothing?!” EJ pulled him through his collars.

“How could I do anything?! EJ! They’re my friend!”

“Friend? Those devils are what you called friends?” EJ scoffed, “They can’t even be called humans, what friends posted disgusting tapes of girls without their consent?! This is literally a crime!”

“I didn’t help them. .” Jungwon shakes his head, "I couldn't do anything. ."

“You’re still the fucking same!!”

“I couldn’t do anything! I could only watch them.” Jungwon keeps shaking his head, tears streaming down his cheek, “Tell me. What else could I have done?”

“Fucking report them off to the police, bastard!”

Jungwon lets out a dry chuckle, “You can’t be serious? Between those girls and my friends, you couldn’t tell me to betray them. I could never bring myself to betray my own friends.”

“—No matter how evil or disgusting the things they did, I could only watch them do as they please. I don’t have anyone but them.”

Silence once again. EJ couldn't believe what he was hearing right now.

“You can tell me to do fucking anything but you can never persuade me to betray my own friends. They’re all what I got.”

“Then are we even friends in the first place?” EJ bawled in tears, “I guess we were never friends then if you loved your so-called disgusting friends.”

Pulling away harshly, EJ walked backwards shaking his head, jaws clenching as he looks at Jungwon in disgust. “—I can’t believe you.”

"Go ahead. Please report us to the police."

"Huh?" EJ turned around, eyes red with tears.

"I could never betray my friends no matter how it hurts me that they were doing all these stuff. So do it. That way, at least I won't have to be guilty all the time."

. . .

[ end of flashback ]

Guilt was eating EJ as that was the last time they had ever met, was he being hasty at that time for not listening to Jungwon, now that he thought more about it, Jungwon did had a point — if he was his friend, would he had reported him off to the police? Which was actually the right decision to do? Which was the choice he should’ve made that time? Which one?

The hot brew of the coffee blows with the gentle breeze in the busy crowd of the cafe, and yet the deafening silence between the two boys grew emptier.

And even when EJ had expected for this, he was still surprised.

Not wanting to beat around the bush, EJ decided to just completely be honest, "That's what I'm here for. I want to ask for your help to get the tape."

"Tape? are you saying?—"

"Yes. Please give me the tape. I need it."

"So you did decide to do it. . Well I guess this is how our friendship ends then—" Jungwon pausing, biting his lip, "But I can't help you with it."

"What?"

"The tape, you want me to get it right? Well then, I'm sorry. I can't do that."

"W-why? Didn't you tell me to do it myself, to report them off to the police?"

"That's the point. Do it yourself. The tapes are in the studio. Get them yourself."

"You know I can't. You know that."

"I'm sorry. There's nothing much I could do. All I can say is get the tape yourself. I can't help you, I can only tell you where the tape is." Jungwon stood up grabbing his guitar case as the chair creaked in the process.

“Jungwon, you had a sister right?” Jungwon froze.

“What would you if it was your sister?—" his face had gone pale when those words left EJ's mouth, "What would you do if the girl they were recording, sprawled on the bed with her clothes stripped off, would you still choose your friends over your sister?”

EJ waited patiently for him to respond all while noticing the cat sticker on the back of Jungwon's leather jacket.

"Whatever you say, there's nothing I could do." Jungwon walks off to the door much to EJ's utter disappointment and yet he still tried one last time.

"If you ever change your mind, just know that I'll be here next week. In the same place and in the same time "

—

“Is that guy Jungwon really going to come though? I kinda doubt he will.” You shrugged as you scrolled relentlessly through your phone. A week had passed since Jungwon met EJ in this cafe, and you couldn't help but notice how he often sighed throughout the time, the fact he wasn't entirely sure if Jungwon would come either has you on the edge of your seats.

“I don’t know, we’ll just see.” you noticed EJ’s face falling down in disappointment as he look down to his hands.

“Do we really need Jungwon? Like we really, really need him?” you asked, curiosity glints in your eyes, “I mean he’s a part of that group, besides we can get that tape ourselves.”

"By what? Stealing? We only know that the tape is inside the studio not that we know where the fuck is it."

EJ sighed through his nose, “He plays an important role, he’s important because it’s only him who will be able to make this mission works. The only fucking problem was he is so fucking loyal.”

You nodded, was he really that important? You don’t know, there’s no other way but to believe in EJ like you always did, he always know what to do and so this time won’t be any different.

The both of you waited for a long long time.

It turn out to be a fatal failure as the sun went down in a slow agony, replacing the once blue clear sky with it’s orange glow and street lamps were glowing, the life of the city were merrier and livelier than ever.

“It’s obvious that he won’t come, it’s such a waste of time don’t you think?” You raised your eyebrow, “If you said that he was too loyal to his group then why would he even bother to come here? Like get an idea?”

“There’s still time.” EJ doesn’t bother to look up, but you can sense the determination and trust sparkling in his eyes, his knuckles growing white due to the firm clench he had in it, “I know, I know he will come.”

Looking far away in the distance, amidst the crowds, there your eyes catches something familiar; the boy with his lush black hair flowing through the breeze, shoulder hitting shoulder and his fingers brushing his hair off from his feline-like eyes. His rubber shoes bringing itself through the street with grace and the way he carries himself in a confident but silent manner emits a somewhat dangerous aura that you weren’t able to comprehend as he approaches you both.

“I knew you will come.” EJ exclaimed in happiness as he stood up, chairs creaking due to his sudden movement.

Jungwon stayed silent, and yet he managed to say a single sentence, "I don't know if I could help much but I'll try my best."

You don’t know why, you should have been happy right now that he came because it means that it will all go well soon but why there’s something about this boy that strikes a suspicion in you?

You observed as they talked, your arms crossing as you tilted your head, observing the boy.

“Can we really trust him?” you asked, arms crossing as you lean your head against the wall of the grocery store. Jungwon had left awhile ago and you are now with EJ, voicing your thoughts.

EJ drank through his soda can, fiddling his fingers. “That, we’ll have to see.”

You hummed in response. "I hope he won't betray us though."

"I really hope so."

—

It was an utter surprise when EJ calls you that Jungwon already got the tape, pretty fast than you think. You actually thought it would take awhile before he's able to get his hands on it, but is it still a surprise? He was one of them and you only compromise because EJ was always defending him and here you are with EJ and Jungwon as they prepare to play the tape.

Your stomach curled in fear from what you are going to watch soon.

“You know you don’t have to watch it if you don’t want to.” EJ asked you with concern on his face.

“No I’m good, I’ll have to see it with my own eyes. I.. really need to.” you looked down as you clasped your hands together, clenching it to feel the warmth forming. You really need to see it.

The tape starts playing. The familiar faces and voices inside the tape made your breathe hitched.

You froze when you watched the content of the tape, instantly bringing your hand to cover your mouth from puking at the disgusting sight. There you heard the laughter from the boys as they forced themselves on a girl you never know, but her pain you felt as her innocence were stripped away from hers, and then the camcorder were handed to someone, your heart sank when you saw the person’s reflection against the mirror.

Heeseung was the one who’s holding the camcorder.

Shock was an understatement as you can’t bring yourself to say anything, something seems to have been stuck in your throat and you punched your chest in a slow manner as suffocation slowly became the answer.

You can’t believe it. Heeseung, the one who had treated you with kindness as if he was an angel and protected you all this time turn out to be the worst person to live in the face of this earth, disgusting was what you could define him now and you turn out to be a hypocrite as well, since even though you acted like you hated him and wanted to ruin him, you still had this tiny hope hiding in the depths of your heart that you were actually wrong, utterly mistaken for suspecting him all because you just wanted everything to be fake so you can run to his arms like always and loved him with no limits.

But how funny it was that it was all true and reality slammed it to your face in a harsh and cruel way, representing Heeseung’s real persona in front of you as tears formed in your eyes, covering your forehead with your hand as your mouth trembles.

“This can’t be true—” you let it out as a whisper, not wanting to let EJ hear it but he knew. EJ knew and yet he lets you accepts it slowly till you are able to stand up on your feet.

Jungwon finally paused the tape, fixing his posture as he looks at you and EJ.

“So what are we gonna do? Give it to the police?”

“No, that’s basically digging our grave, you know how influential Heeseung family is? Who knows that the officer would be fucking corrupt as well.”

“Then how are we going to?” you asked.

“On the rock festival.” EJ clenches the tape in his fist, “We’ll put them in their place in the very eyes of their fans, after that, Jungwon you’ll have to speak and tell them that they should stop supporting a group like this.”

“Then we’ll get unnie to watch what kind of a shitty monster he was.”

“What?”

“You heard me, he’s the reason why me and my family are ruined. So they’ll have to be in there to watch with their own eyes.”

“But how? It’s not like they would come if you ask them too?”

“I’ll ask Chaeryeong.”

“Chaeryeong? You mean your friend? Wait, this doesn’t seem quite right. We’re not sure yet if we could believe her.”

“EJ, are you serious? Chaeryeong would never do that.”

“But, ugh. She haven’t meet Heeseung, didn’t she?”

“No not yet, I never introduce Heeseung to her yet despite telling her about our relationship.”

EJ contemplated, turning to look at Jungwon, “Jungwon can’t you do it for us though?”

“I don’t really talk with her, she rarely talk with us unless at the party. Though she only exchange a word or two then went to Heeseung for the rest of the night.” Jungwon sighed, “And I doubt she’s going to follow me considering her relationship with Heeseung.”

“I also doubt Chaewon would follow her, who obviously was your friend.”

“We gotta try it, please.” You pleaded, “Just let me tell her, she knows what to do so just let me do it, EJ.”

—

“So! What you wanna tell me?” Chaeryeong plopped on the couch, sitting beside you as she took a pillow, embracing it with a wide smile on her face.

“You know what I wanna tell you the other day? When I told you to wait?”

“Hm, yeah. That one. Why?”

“I think I’m ready. I’m ready to tell you now.”

You finally told her everything that had happened, not keeping a single detail from her. From the day you messed around with the dating app, to the hallucinations you got, the accident and then to the present where you were planning to go against Heeseung, your boyfriend.

“(Name), can you give me a slap?” Chaeryeong gave a light slap to her face, “Am I hearing you right? Your boyfriend- No, no. Chaewon’s boyfriend- That monster is doing this to you? And you didn’t even tell me before?!”

“I wasn’t sure back then! Still I couldn’t risk you getting into trouble because of me.”

“But we’re friends! (Name), friends don’t leave each other. You should’ve tell me in the first place, y’know just so I could help you and you weren’t alone in all this stuff.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not alone. EJ was with me the entire time.”

“I gotta thank that guy then.”

“But this is disgusting. That monster planning to do that your sister? But i’m glad you already got that tape, you should report him off to the police as soon as possible.”

“We can’t, actually. EJ said it was too risky. We were planning to reveal that tape on the day of the rock festival.” You paused, “And we’re gonna need your help.”

Chaeryeong looks at you with curiosity, “What help?”

—

“Your friend?—” you had bring Chaeryeong to EJ's apartment and even though he already agreed to let you being your friend, you could see that he was still hesitant and suspicious of her presence.

“We can trust her, she’s the only one who can talk to unnie."

EJ hesitates for a minute but eventually agrees as you all sat at the table, listening as he talks about the plan which tooks almost an hour.

“Remember, you’ll have to take Chaewon and her parents to the rock festival before it ends. I don’t care what method you take but you must take her there at all cost.”

Chaeryeong nodded, looking at you for comfort in which you gently rubbed her hand.

“Jungwon already converted the tape into a USB.” EJ said. “Is the USB still with you?”

“Yeah, here.” Jungwon pulls out the USB from his pockets, placing it on EJ’s palm.

“The plan’s set. This is the only chance we got.”

You all nodded in unison.

“I’ll keep this in my room, just in case anything happens. It’s not safe to bring it anywhere with you until the day comes.” EJ went up the stairs, leaving you all three at the table.

“I know it was serious, but didn’t knew it would be this serious.” Chaeryeong said in a low voice.

“I won’t force you, you know? It’s really risky, I won’t blame if you want to back out now.” You rubbed her hands in a comforting way as you gave her a small smile.

“Nah, I won’t. We’re gonna get that bitch his karma!” You two giggled in unison when a few knocks were heard outside the door.

“I’ll get it, it’s the landlord.” EJ closed the door behind him as he went outside to talk with the old lady. You let out a yawn, tiredness engulfing your entire being.

“Go get some nap, (Name).”

“Would it be okay?” you weren’t so sure if you could.

“Just go ahead,” Jungwon said while his eyes were fixated on his phone, his fingers scrolling through the screen. “EJ won’t mind. I used to sleep here too.”

There’s no words exchange needed as you smiled abashedly and went to the couch, taking one last look outside the window to see that EJ seems to be in a serious conversation with the old lady, thinking that it might take long, you slowly dozed off.

After a few minutes, Jungwon stood up, the chair creaking in result which took Chaeryeong’s attention from her phone. “I’ll just grab a drink, want some?”

“Hm, sure.”

Chaeryeong watched as Jungwon’s figure disappeared inside the kitchen, eyes flying into space as she waited when she suddenly heard him talking to himself, or rather, talking with someone on a phone. She then look at your sleeping figure on the couch, your eyes heavy and tired as your chest rose and fell silently, eyes frantically gazing around her surroundings as she slowly stood up on her feet to prevent the chair from creaking, up to the stairs she go. A small hallway with three rooms in either side, and one of them was opened as the bright sunlight were illuminating on the wooden floor.

Sighing dejectedly, Chaeryeong looks around and then halted her steps in front of the room which has scattered notes on the floor and the desks messy with open notebooks. The window left opened as the soft breeze past through, curtains flowing with the air. The dark blue mattress with the soft white blankets turned over, she went inside and stopping to take a brief glance to the notes on the floor.

Jungwon sighed, “Is there really no way to pay off the bills? Okay, don’t worry about it. I’ll find a way.” slipping his phone inside his pockets after hanging up the call, he filled the glasses with water and went back to the table only to find Chaeryeong’s disappearance. Looking around, only your figure sleeping on the couch and EJ standing alone outside. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion in which he then brought his attention on the stairs.

Slowly walking through the hallways, he halted his steps to see Chaeryeong touching the red guitar leaning against the wall.

“What are you doing in EJ’s room?” Jungwon’s voice emits in the silence of the room, jolting in surprise she turned around to see him standing at the doorway, his eyes narrowing and arms crossed.

“Ah-ah, nothing! I was just looking for the washroom- b-but.. B-but-” Chaeryeong stuttered, her cheeks dusted with faint blush, “The guitar just took my attention, sorry!” she bowed down.

“The washroom is downstairs. I’m not sure how you were able to miss that.”

“Oh, I didn’t realise. It’s my first time here so I wasn’t aware.”

“That doesn’t seem believable.”

“Huh??”

“What are you doing here? What’s wrong?” EJ suddenly appears behind Jungwon, and when his sight was met with Chaeryeong standing in the middle of his room, his expression changes, “What are you doing in my room?”

“She said she was looking for the washroom but your guitar took her attention.”

Silence ensues for a good minute when EJ spoke up, looking at his guitar leaning against the wall, “I understand if it takes your attention but I would appreciate if you ask before you go around in someone’s house.”

“I-im sorry, I didn’t meant to. I won’t do it again.”

“It’s okay then, you can go.” EJ said, and Chaeryeong immediately nodded walking past them when something caught EJ’s eyes.

“Chaeryeong?”

“Yeah?..”

EJ knitted his eyebrows in confusion as he tried to take a good look at what she was holding in her clenched fists. “What’s that?”

Jungwon then tilted his head to take a good look at Chaeryeong.

“What do you mean?.”

“No, show me.” Reaching out to grab her arm, she walked backwards as if to avoid EJ’s grasp. “Don’t tell me you took something from here, aren’t you?”

Chaeryeong froze but eventually scoffed in disbelief, “Fuck, EJ. I know you’re (Name)’s friend but have some decency, what could’ve I taken from here, huh?”

“You seem suspicious. There’s no need to talk much if you didn’t do anything. Show me.” Chaeryeong pulled away, pushing his arms as he tried to extended his hand.

“Look after your boundaries, this isn’t right!” Yet, EJ continued to pry away her hands, opening her clenched fists.

“Boundaries? You? Boundaries? Then you should’ve think twice before getting into someone’s room!” EJ yelled which shook Chaeryeong and Jungwon.

“I said I didn’t meant to! And still you don’t have the right to force me like this!”

“Just show it and we’re done.” EJ aggressively pulled her arm, prying her clenched fists open despite her protests.

“(Name)! Help! Fuck! Just what the hell you think you’re doing?!”

“EJ? EJ! What are you doing?!” you promptly stood up from the couch after hearing the entire commotion, hurried upstairs only to see Chaeryeong struggling with EJ’s grasp on her arms.

EJ finally pulled away, jaw clenched. “She took something and I don’t know what it is, you better ask her to show it.”

“No! I didn’t took anything, (Name)!”

“Huh? Are you saying that she?—” You struggled to make out words to say.

“There’s nothing to be scared of if you didn’t took anything. You know that tape is important and if she took it, then it’s all over for us. Jungwon had a hard time to take it and if she..”

Silence ensues, the atmosphere of the room growing thicker with tension. You turned to look at Chaeryeong who shook her head in desperation, hiding behind you.

“Do.. we really have to do it?” You asked, eyebrows knitted together as concern evident on your face.

“Shit, this is unbelievable. Why would I steal something?! For what?” Chaeryeong screamed at the top of her lungs.

“You know there’s no need to act all this betrayed if you didn’t do anything?”

“Look! I was just looking for my phone’s keychain! Nothing is there!” she opened her hands and there the fluffy keychain dangled around her fingers.

“God. If it was just a keychain then why you have to act all this way?” EJ groaned, ruffling his hair with his hands.

“I don’t know?? Maybe look at yourself, like the way you act or something. Getting all mad like that, that’s really fucking petty.” Chaeryeong stormed off but not before saying to you, “Where did you even get a friend like this, (Name)?”

You sighed, looking back at him, “EJ..”

“You can’t blame me, she shouldn’t have acted all that way if she didn’t do anything. Keychain? Bullshit. She must have done something.”

“EJ. God.” You went down the stairs, looking for Chaeryeong.

Jungwon had by far stayed silent throughout the entire commotion, rubbing EJ's back as he slowly approaches the window looking at you, thoughts running deeply as he left and walked across the hallway stopping at EJ’s room — staring inside for a minute and left, eyes growing dark and disinterested, seemingly bored.

“Chaeryeong! Chaeryeong where are you? Come back here!” you called out to the empty street, searching for her but she was nowhere to be seen. That girl ran way too fast for her sake, shit.

Your phone rang, and you immediately pulled it off from your pockets and the caller ID had never fail to make your heart sank. Was his existence had come off as too chilling for you that your heart sank in fear whenever you see his name?

Answering it, placing the phone close to your ear, you cleared your throat. “Heeseung-ah?”

—

You went to Heeseung’s home again after his request to meet you, and to actually spend more time with you. How funny was it that there was this tiny happiness inside you when he mention about spending time with you which made you cringe, this feeling was really shitty and you want nothing but to get rid of it quick. As quick as you can, because if you didn’t, then it would serve as a doom for all the hard work you did with EJ, something that can come off as betrayal for EJ and Chaewon.

Heeseung had bought you into an amusement park much to your surprise, you seriously don’t have any time for this though however there’s nothing much you could do but comply just so he wouldn’t get suspicious of you. With an icecream cone in your hand, you waited as he payed near the ice cream stall even though you were still worried for Chaeryeong.

A small hand tugged your pants and you looked down to see a young child around two years old giggling and raising its hands as if to take your icecream in which you chuckled, “You can’t have this kid. It’s mine.”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I hope he didn’t bother you that much!” the mother of the child gasp and carried her child in her arms.

“No, no it’s okay!” you watched as they left, the baby waved his arms for you in which you couldn’t help but smile over how adorable.

“I see you love kids?” Heeseung came, licking his icecream.

“Not really, they’re a tad bit annoying most of the time.”

“Not if they’re ours.”

“Gosh, what you taking about? Don’t you think it’s too early to be talking about kids?”

“It’s never too early, why not? It’s much better to plan early, you know.” Heeeung giggled, looking at you with so much love in his eyes. “What do you think about having a child though?”

“Well considering how my mom looks so tired everytime after she looks after us, I can safely say it’s gonna take a hell lot of work to raise a child.” You smiled, a thought passing through your mind, “It’s seems too early to be talking about it but I guess it’s probably nice to have a mini you walking around.”

“I bet the child would look beautiful just like you.” Heeseung’s eyes sparkled as he stares at you making your breathe hitched.

“I’ll take that as compliment, I guess?”

“You should, it suits you.”

“Say, how about marriage? How would it look like for you? Would it be an obstacle or a dream life for you?”

“I haven’t think about marriage yet..” you pouted. “It looks fun though? Having someone beside you for the rest of your life.”

“You’ll definitely take my last name, Mrs. Lee.” Heeseung chuckled, his teeth showing as he blinked in happiness, “It feels like you were born for that name. It suits you alot.”

"Stop with that cheesy lines." You chuckled.

“I mean being your boyfriend is already a gift for me, what more else if I was your husband?”

“Marrying me isn’t a good idea.” you shrugged.

“Marrying you would be my greatest gift. Because you’re my gift.”

“You’re so good, so eloquent. No wonder many girls fell hard for you.”

“They did, many did fell for me but it’s not harder as I fell for you."

Heeseung’s confession had taken you aback to the point you were speechless, your eyes connected with his as you see the soul behind those eyes containing so much sincerity.

“I just wonder what did you see in me, it's not like I'm so special."

“You are special, very special.. I realise you were all I need, (Name). I wouldn't trade you for anything.”

Fuck. Fuck. This stupid feelings. You thought as you bit the ice cream cone, chewing it in.

The topic never seems to go away as he kept asking you questions as you two walked across the street with trees in your either side, the breathtaking sight of the pink petals falling with grace five centimetres per second.

“What does being a housewife look like for you then?” Heeseung looks at you with so much love in his eyes for the nth time.

“Hm, asking such question to a 17 year old would surely backfire. Mr. Heeseung.” you hopped backwards, arms clasped behind your back as you turned to face him. “Being a housewife doesn’t look pleasing at all for me.”

“I can understand why you think so, however wouldn’t it be nice to stay at home.. Say, looking after our child while he plays around and then when I came home, you would greet me and we would have a happy dinner and went back to sleep after saying goodnights and ilys?”

“That’s so cheesy!” You exclaimed, giggling. “Never thought a popular boy could be thinking a traditional family life?” turning around with your back facing him.

“I know right, never thought so much about it till I knew you." Heeseung whispered.

—You don’t realise just how perfect you are to me, that I couldn’t stop myself to envision you in many ways I couldn’t ever imagine I would think of. Heeseung thought as he watched you.

It's all your fault.

—

Going home after a date with you had Heeseung already missing you, excited to pull out his phone to text you again. But the annoying voice of his big sister echoing throughout the house had him rolling his eyes as he sticked his tongue inside cheek.

"You went to date with that bitch again?"

“Fuck, Heeseung, what have you eaten, huh? What did you actually eat that you fucking went to have an affair with that bitch?”

Heemin’s complaint that never ceases to annoy Heeseung. Good old sibling, he thought in annoyance and if only he could kill her, if only he had the chance to do so, he would.

Heemin complains on repeat as Heeseung walks inside his room as he ignored her, despite this she followed behind further testing Heeseung's patience.

“Answer me! Lee Heeseung—” stunned by Heeseung’s cold glare towards her, she gasped, frozen to his sudden change of demeanour.

“Sweet big sister,” Heeseung let it out as a slow whisper, “Noona, I appreciate that you had the time to run that petty mouth of yours, but have you never thought that nothing important nor useful had come out from your mouth?

“What?! Lee Heeseung. Watch your mouth! I’m still your older sister!”

Low chuckle emits in the air, “Unnie, you see, you had actually helped me and I appreciate that but it’s getting too overboard, it’s getting annoying.”

“You had made it easier for me back then but you should know your place.”

“If you weren’t my sister, I would’ve cut that nasty tongue of yours, my pretty big sis.”

Heemin was left stunned, as he walks past her and her body shook to her core. This wasn’t her little brother with his big doe eyes, the one that often laughs at her petty attitudes and groaned. No.. this boy was different.

—

After the date with Heeseung, you went back to Chaeryeong’s apartment but to your surprise Jungwon was there, busy with his phone as he leaned against the wall.

“Um? Is there something?” his feline-like eyes raise up to look at you, slipping his phone in his pockets as he fixed his posture.

“EJ was apologetic over what happened, he asked me to bring a bag of cookies for you and Chaeryeong to reconcile.”

“Oh, he don’t really need to.” You shook your head, “I’m sure Chaeryeong would eventually forget it. She don’t really hold grudges.”

“No just take it.” your breathe hitched when he grabbed your arm, placing the bag on your hands. His grip around your arm and his fingers brushing against your hand in the process made you dropped the bag on the floor.

“I’m sorry!” you immediately knelt down, picking up the bag, breathing in relief as the cookies didn’t fell off on the ground.

“I-im sorry for doing that.”

“N-nothing, it’s just..” you rubbed your arm, something weird from his touch was giving you sudden chills and you couldn’t understand why.

“(Name), if you are still bothered by my presence, the fact that I belong to the group that .. you know, then I understand, I’ll take my leave now.” Jungwon bows down, giving you a small smile as he picked up his stuff and went off.

“No, no! It’s fine, you were never part of it anyways, I’m sorry.” you called out in an abashed manner, but you can’t shrug it off. Looking at Jungwon, there was something in him that doesn’t sit well with you. Was it really because of his friendship with that group and Heeseung? It might be, but at this point, you were willing to let it go for EJ’s sake and so it didn’t bother you anymore, you were certain it was, but why, what is this uneasy feeling that engulfed your being whenever he was in your presence?

The second time you ever met him was back then in the hospital, when you got in a fight with your sister and he came defending you, well not likely, but he did. He came off as gentle and firm through his actions, and he kept proving it over and over again and yet there was something odd about him, were you really just being paranoid due to his connection with them?

“I’ll take my leave then.” he slightly bowed his head, giving you a warm smile as he walked off to the street. You frowned slightly as you rubbed your arm again, watching his figure. It was weird.

—

“What’s up with your friend, huh?”

“Hm?” you looked up from your phone, curious at EJ’s sudden question, “Why?”

“She’s so suspicious, like i just passed by when she was texting and she was so defensive.”

“Maybe, she just doesn’t like it when people look at her texts, i guess.” you shrugged, "But you know she's still a bit pissed over that day."

“That? She got the guts to stay pissed at me when she came into my room all suspicious like that? And who the fuck would be so interested in who she text or what?”

"EJ. ." You pressed your lips tight as you stared at him for a good min.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Fuck, the cookies should've been mine though. She should be grateful." You giggled at to how silly EJ acts, shaking your head as you went back on your phone.

—

“I see you’re being good friends with (Name), that’s quite fast.” Heeseung leaned against the doorway, looking at Jungwon who was fixing his guitar.

‘Y-yeah, we found out we had so much in common, that’s why.” Jungwon stuttered, not being able to lock eyes with the taller boy.

“That’s nice, although I have to say, Jungwon-ah..” Heeseung paused, and Jungwon looks over at him through his shoulder, “I appreciate that you are taking good care of her but that’s my job, just please do your part and try to stay away just a bit from her if you can, please?”

“Oh, sure. I'm sorry, Heeseung."

“Just watch your boundaries, okay?” Heeseung smiled as he patted Jungwon’s shoulder, the boy were left stunned at his odd behaviour and yet nodded in response. "But I'm so excited to watch you guys perform the festival tomorrow though, in a bigger venue. We had gone through so many things I really feel proud to see you guys up there."

"Too bad, I couldn't perform with you guys." Heeseung added as an afterthought, pouting as he sat on the chair.

"We'll give our best to perform for you then, to show how much we had improved." Jungwon gives a small smile as he leaned against the wall, staring at his guitar.

—

It was finally the day, the day you and EJ had been waiting for, the rock festival. The festival where Heeseung and his friends will meet their doom. You couldn't wait for them to pay their price soon.

Ring! Ring!

The doorbell ringing snapped you out of your thoughts and when you went to opened the door, only a black box wrapped with a red ribbon were on the floor. You picked it up, looking around in confusion for anyone who dropped the box. Weird. You went back inside, placing the black box on the table but curiosity gets the best of you as you thought it was Chaeryeong's but when you pulled open the box excited to see the content, the note on it says otherwise.

You know cosplay are a thing for the festival right? So I bought this as a surprise for you, I just thought it would be nice if we could match outfits with each other. The dress would be so beautiful on you, can you wear this for me? :)

Your boyfriend, Heeseung <3

With the note on your hand, you called Heeseung. “What’s this?” trying your best to laced your voice with happiness even though your face was a complete contrast. “A wedding dress?”

“Surprise! Just thought it would look pretty on you, so why not? Also I’m gonna wear the same thing, matching I guess? I really wanna do it with you since back then, kind of a date if you ask me? ” Heeseung paused, “I personally asked them to cut it a bit so it’s easier for you to walk later.”

"That's sweet, of course why not? I would love to wear it then."

"I'm excited to see you in it! I already know you would look so beautiful in it." Heeseung's deep giggle had your stomach grew butterflies, heart sinking in disappointment along with it.

You pulled up the dress and by the looks of it, he really did picked you a wedding dress with multiple laces and diamonds adorning it in a rosy pattern, the dress has been shorten to knee-length when you raised it in front of you, taking a good look at it in front of the mirror.

It was beautiful. Yet, you weren't quite sure what to feel about him being all giddy and excited about matching outfits with you, it doesn't sit well. For a split moment, you felt guilt and yet you couldn't back out now.

You can't.

—

Fixing the piled up clothes on the edge of the bed, Chaewon sighed dejectedly as she relentlessly spent hours in placing them inside the bag. After all that happens, she couldn’t stay here anymore. Not when she had to bear the sight of you with Heeseung, the betrayal and all, it was all too much for her.

“Chaewon are you almost done?”

“Yeah, almost done.” Chaewon answered. After what seems an hour, the doorbell rang taking her attention. Thus, she went to open the door and surprise were splattered on her face, frowning immediately.

“Oh?— Why are you here?”

—

“Yeah. Yes.” Speaking through the phone, he sighed in relief for the nth time, "She'll recover soon, right?"

“Jungwon?”

Jungwon promptly covered his phone with his hands upon hearing EJ calling out for him.

“Who’s that?”

“Nothing, just the hospital updating me about my sister’s condition.”

“I see, I hope she's doing fine?" Jungwon nodded with a small smile, "That's great, the stage’s about to start soon. You have it with you?”

"I'll get back to you soon, please look after my sister."

With that, Jungwon hangs up the phone and went to his bag and there he pulled out the USB, "Yeah, I got it."

"Give it to me, I'll ask them to connect it to the screen when it's time." EJ clenches the USB in his fist as he took in a deep breath, you're done Lee Heeseung.

—

“EJ! Finally, I’m so fucking excited to play with yall. Fuck. this is so exciting, im gonna burst into the air!” Beomgyu jumps in small hops earning a low chuckle of disbelief from Yeonjun.

“But still though, what a fate it was! I thought EJ won’t be able to play with us but who could guess really?”

Soobin patted EJ’s back, “We’re a team after all, it’s nice to have you back, EJ.”

EJ’s lips tugs up in a fake smile, “Thanks, hyung.” Heeseung had accepted him again into the group after Jungwon brought him back a few days ago and EJ had to pretend that he was apologetic for his actions towards Heeseung, which he despised alot but really had no choice but to do it. To his surprise, Heeseung pulled him into his embrace like nothing happened.

Weird.

It was odd, EJ was so close to getting fooled by his innocent character once again and he had to slapped himself to get back on his senses. It was as he doesn't know what's real when Heeseung really seems like he's innocent when you're talking with him.

EJ was still skeptical over Heeseung's friendliness, and chose to remain alerted over what he could be planning anytime at now.

“Jungwon, what’s taking you so long, bro!?”

“Wait, give me a sec! My guitar is pulling up some real shit here.” Jungwon hissed as his fingers brushed across his guitar's strings.

“Why, what’s wrong?” Soobin went up to him.

“Nothing, it’s just the strings— It’s not working.” Jungwon’s concerned face gave them a uneasy feeling. "I think it broke on the way here."

"Huh? Are you serious? Right now?"

"Fuck, we must have had a bad luck."

"Just shut up, Beomgyu."

"You shut up." A series of hiss emits from the two behind.

“Guys, don’t we have any extra strings?” Soobin fixed his posture, looking at the rest of the band.

But his question was met with silence, only shaking their heads. “Taehyun has actually used it for his guitar, it’s the last backup string.” Yeonjun answered.

“So— what now? The performance is around an hour from now.”

“I have an extra string in our studio, it’s apparently old but I think we should try?” Kai suggested.

“I’ll go then.” Jungwon stood up.

"W-wait! It would take you 30mins to get there!"

"I'll be fast!" Jungwon exclaimed when EJ chased for him and tugged his arm.

“I can take you there.”

“No, no, there’s no need. I’ll really be fast."

“Hurry, Jungwon.” Beomgyu said and Jungwon nodded, his eyes meeting EJ’s whose face was painted with much concern and eyes screaming, hurry up.

—

Crowds moving in and out from the underground subway and until to the main entrance leading the venue where the stage will take place, scent of alcohol and dozens of different scented perfumes filling the air, and smell of popcorns making it’s way inside.

You frantically move around, trying to make your way to your seat. Heeseung had told you that he will come soon due to personal reasons with his family and you agreed, actually relief since he can’t come before your family does. Taking out your phone, you scrolled through your inbox and at that moment a new text came in from Chaeryeong.

Chaeryeong: We’re coming, (Name).

A breathe of relief came out from your mouth and content washes over your body. This is it. This was it, the chance, the only chance you had to bring everything back to the way it was before Heeseung ever appeared. The brightest smile tug up to your cheeks when you suddenly felt a strong push towards your back amidst the busy crowd going to their seats, you groan in pain trying to stand up but the weight was firmly pressed on you. The person who turned out to be a girl frantically apologises behind you while you assured that it was fine, pulling you up with her hand.

When you stood up, you were met with the sight of a girl around your age; a slightly huge bag hanging on her shoulder and her attire seemingly unfitting for the theme of the rock party, and something your particularly notice was the pair of keychains hanging down to her bag. Nostalgia hits you as it brought you back to the time you and your sister had coincidentally brought necklaces for each other. That particular moment was the best, actually.

“That’s a pretty matching keychains, you got there.” you blurted out with much thought, and a smile on your face that you didn’t realize were beaming brightly.

The girl notices it and smiled bright as well, “Thank you. I actually made it.

“Oh you did? That’s so amazing? Are you going to pair it with someone?” curiosity filled you in.

She nodded in response, “One of the members from the rock band. I owed him to be honest.”

“So which one of them?” you asked, somewhat curious of her favourite member.

“Hm— it’s one of the guitarist, I'll tell you when he's up there!”

You nodded. Suddenly the girl pulled out her phone, bright screen glowing against her face, someone called her and she nodded in response, “Sorry, I think I will have to go outside for a moment, can you watch my seat for a moment if it’s okay for you?”

“Of course, no problem.” You smiled and she whispered a small thank you before leaving through the exit.

Just then you felt a tug behind you, turning around only to see him. Heart sank along with the butterflies in your stomach, feelings conflicting in chaos as you manage to bring out a fake smile up to your lips in which Heeseung mirrored your actions but much more sweeter, and that made you wonder if his smile and his love was that genuine, then why did he do all of the questionable things he did? An apology or even a dozen ones aren’t enough despite how you want to deny it.

“Hey.” you gently spoke, noticing his attire which match yours; a black suit with a red rose inside the pockets.

“How was the place?” his soft voice brought your attention back on him.

“Awesome! It’s my first time to be in a place like this, the vibe is just so different but awesome.”

“I know right? Isn’t it so nice?” Heeseung smiled at you in which you smiled back. “It’s the first time I brought someone to my favourite place.”

“How about.. Unnie?”

“Ah, I once tried but she doesn’t like places like this."

You hummed in response.

For a moment, you would actually believe in him but there was no way your sister wouldn’t adjust her interests according to his since well, he was her boyfriend so it wouldn’t make any sense that she won’t go to this place even if she doesn’t like it.

She was far too lovesick with him to not follow him through his interests.

What a lie you got there, Heeseung. Too bad, it will come to an end today. I don’t know why you are doing all of these and even no matter how much I have grown to love you, a person like you doesn’t deserve love no matter what kind of excuse you give. It’s just too unacceptable.. you thought as observed him.

"I knew the dress would suit you, you are so beautiful (Name)." Eyes sparkling along with the sincerity and the faint blush appearing on his cheeks once again, you couldn't stop your heart quickening at the way he looks at you either.

Shit.

Heeseung grabbed your hands into his, snapping you from your thoughts. His wide smile remains on his face as he gestured for you to look up. “Look, they’re on the stage.”

The crowd began to cheer so loud the moment the boys went up the stage, going to their respective instruments and there you saw EJ with his plain brown shirt as he carries his guitar, you notice that Jungwon was nowhere to be seen.

Huh? Where is he?

The lights begun to flicker and colourful lights emerged from the ceiling, blinding your view of them for a good minute. EJ then notice you, his eyes beaming but narrowed immediately in which you caught on, looking at the said boy beside you once again. Heeseung smiling ever so brightly at his bandmates, that same bright smile that had caught your heart.

Too bad, that bright smile isn’t that innocent.

Then a burst of scream coming from the crowd emits to the air as Soobin talks through his mic in which you couldn’t be bothered at since they’re going to be gone anyways, that big led screen flashing it’s contents for this entire venue will play the video they recorded themselves for the entire world to see their true colour, for your sister and your family to watch and see what Heeseung really was.

But you couldn’t see your sister or your parents in sight no matter how you tried to search for them among the crowds. Is Chaeryeong running late?

“Do you need something?” Heeseung asked beside you in which you quickly shook your head.

“N-nothing, there’s just plenty of people than usual.”

Hearing that, Heeseung chuckled. “I know right? Our band is pretty famous around this district.”

The time has finally strike for the band to perform their first song but your sister and your parents are still nowhere to be seen. Clenching your fist, it can’t go wrong this way. But again does it even matter if they are here? Everyone right now, in this place, has a phone in their hands recording the entire rock stage in front of them — once the video plays, then it’s all over for them, for Heeseung and his bandmate. Their entire disgusting deal.

"10— 9, 8, 7, 6—"

The people began counting in unison, excitement engulfing each one of them.

“5, 4, 3, 2— 1!”

The led screen blacks out, the crowd had gone silent with some murmuring of what was going on. Finally. You are done, Lee Heeseung.

The bright glow when the led screen turns on again has you shut your eyes tight for a moment, and when you opened your eyes again, something was off.

White. White screen shines the stadium, straining your sight and after a few seconds there a big font letters displayed in front of the monitor has your body and face gone cold. EJ notice your expression and snapped his head to look at the screen behind him.

"(Name), will you marry me?"

Wh-what— W-what’s happening— This. This isn’t what suppose to be happening—

“Everyone,” Soobin chuckled, “There’s a small favour I would like to ask of you, could you please take your attention to the special girl up there who has taken our beloved member’s heart?”

In unison, everyone turns their torso looking at you. Bright flashes from their phone shines on you and multiple murmurs and cheers come all over them, straining your eye and there a hand covers your sight.

“Heeseung?! What are you—”

Plain shock splattered on your face as Heeseung knelt down before you, with one knee under the floor as he presented a black box with a shiny diamond ring inside it with a big smile on his face, doe eyes looking at you with fondness.

“It might be too abrupt, isn’t? He dryly chuckled with a shy smile. “You know, all this time you were the only who was there for me, and it was only then i’ve realised you were the one for me and i wouldn’t waste any more time again.”

Run. Why aren’t you running?

“(Name), could you give me the honour to now be the one who takes care of you and give me the chance to repay all the love you had given to me till this day? To let me be the one for you?”

You were speechless, unable to bring yourself to move and leave. You have to, but you can't.

“I know this is so hasty and all and that i must be rushing everything but.. I can’t wait anymore, I couldn’t wait any longer to take the next level our relationship. I know it’s only been a month but..”

No— don't say it. No!

You gulped, beads of cold sweat trickle down your neck.

"Will you marry me, (Name)?" You felt your world shattered when those words left his mouth, as if it was a dark spell bounding you to his once he let it out because you couldn't say no. Not in this place, not in front of everyone, not when it was so close to reveal the truth. It wasn't suppose to happened this way! Clenching your white dress in your fists, if you reject him then there would no longer be another chance.

"(Name)?" Heeseung's voice snapped you out of your thoughts, everyone was waiting for you to say yes, as some of them had their hands clasping — for the perfect couple in front of them to marry each other. You looked up to the stage to see EJ who shook his head slowly, his eyes screaming, you don't have to do it. You don't have to. Reject him.

“Don’t you love me too? You wanted to be with me too, right?” Heeseung's voice brought your attention back to him again. His eyes pleading with sincerity as he waited for your answer, right..?

Shit. Shit. Shit. Chaos were spiraling inside you as you tried so hard to keep the smile on your face, there's no other fucking choice.

You nodded and in an instant Heeseung gave you the widest bright smile ever and the crowd cheered so loudly more than ever before. EJ clenched his fist at the sight, with a thought of what the fuck was going on. This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t the fucking plan.

He puts the ring on your finger, pulling you into an embrace and loud cheers along whistles emits in the air with some of them congratulating you and wishing you a happy life as a future married couple.

Heeseung brushes his nose against the blade of your shoulder, feeling his smile against it. He strokes your hair with his finger and he breathes out a sigh of relief. He then leans into your face, almost touching your lips, you gasp and yet you shut your eyes tight at the incoming contact, however nothing happened. You opened your eyes to see the big smile still on his face.

“That wouldn’t be fun.” Heeseung giggled, his eyelashes fluttering as he looks at you with the utmost love.

“Huh?” you raised your eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t take my prize first, how about . . we play a game?”

“What game?”

“I also have another surprise for you! I think it will be in a few minutes soon?” Heeseung exclaimed, “But let's play a game first.”

You nodded, gulping nervously as you took a brief glance at the diamond ring wrapped around your finger.

“Whoever wins, will be able to take their prize!” he whispered against your ear, a smirk forming in his faint red lips. “Take your phone out, love.”

"Huh?"

You hesitated but complied, pulling your phone out of your pockets as you turned it on.

Just then a ting pops up in your phone, and Heeseung gave you a smug look urging you to open it and the bright screen pops up, lighting your face with it’s brightness.

BAM!

You jolted in surprise in unison with the crowds when multiple people in police attires barged in through the door, your eyes widened as you couldn't comprehend over what's happening right now.

“The p-police?”

The boys halted their performance as multiple officers walked up to the stage, the concert halting out of nowhere and the presence of the officers had everyone shook or confused to their core, their banners going down with their arms felling in the process. Confusion arises as murmurs came everywhere and you look around only to realise that when you turned to where Heeseung was standing, he was nowhere to be seen.

You gasp as you frantically look around, and only then you realise that your hands were shaking, noticing the ring in your finger had you frowning. Regaining your composure, you look up to the stage, the officers were up on the stage talking with Soobin.

You can’t heard much of it, only low murmurs and the concern and fear evident on the boys’ expression. It can’t be that EJ had reported Heeseung to the police?

You looked down, eyes unable to focus and a wait of agony as you watched them talking with the officer.

Just then, you heard a ting, likely from a phone so you look around at the crowd and then a two and three pops up.

Only then you realise that it was your phone in your clenched hand, turning it on as the bright screen glows before your very eyes. Your breath hitched and in a split second, shock engulfed your being as your hands weakened at the content displaying in front of you, the phone falling from your fingers in the process as you immediately covered your mouth with your hands.

No one has their attention on you as they were paying too much attention on the commotion unfolding on the stage.

Hands shaking and writhing, you gulped and bent down on your knees as you picked it up, turning it on, knees weak and heart quickening to the point you couldn't breathe as you couldn't believe what you were seeing right now: the text, the chat inbox, the username, the app. The distant voices surrounding you were so loud but were muffled into nothing as the texts had you shaking vigorously in utter fear.

Hee01: hello?

Hee01: anyone there?

Hee01: c’mon kitten, I know you can see this text.

A surge of scream emits in the air has you instantly looking up back to the stage and there your eyes widen in fractions and your soul leaving your body as you witnessed the officer approaching EJ who was now walking backwards.

You were unable to hear what they say, the fear from the text in front of you and the panic seeing EJ in a desperate situation has you frozen.

“W-what are you saying? Me?—” EJ pointed at himself, “Drugs?! Do you fucking hear yourself?! I do drugs?!”

“W-what..?—” stuttering as you heard what he said, and a series of gasp emerges from the crowd all around you.

EJ pushes the officers away, struggling to get off as he continued screaming, “The fuck?! What are your proofs, huh?!”

“A witness. We’ve filed a search warrant to check your apartment, don't deny it anymore. Your room contain drugs inside it.”

EJ couldn't let out any words, shook to his core over what he was hearing and yet he thrashed around when the officers approached him.

“Get off me bastard! Don’t touch me! I never do drugs! It wasn’t me! Fuck you!”

“What witness?! What in the actual fuck is the witness you’re talking about?! Someone reported me? Who?!”

Chuckle emits from the blue haired boy, Yeonjun who placed his guitar against the wall, he slowly mouths to EJ, “You see, traitor. I know what you were trying to do, guess what? This is what you get for betraying us.”

A couple of smirks formed in the rest of the boys' faces.

No. No! EJ pushes the officers from grabbing his arm which resulted in him falling to the floor with a loud thud.

Another ting emits in the air causing you to look down to your phone instantly, and what you saw had you knees gone weak, “No.. no—” the content displaying in front of you has an image attached to it, and it’s none other than your sister and your parents, blood trickling down their forehead as they were left leaning against the wall unconscious.

Tears formed in your eyes in an instant as you struggled to gain your composure, “No! No! What is this?! My parents! unnie!—” Bawling in tears as you thrashed around, pushing the crowds in front and behind you resulting in them screaming however the space leading to the exit was too tight that you were unable to move freely amongst the crowd, and just then you heard EJ screaming at the top of his lungs.

“GET OF ME!”

Another ting emits in the air serving a sound of pure horror to your ears, your hands shaking to see another text coming from him.

Hee01: why are you running?

Hee01: don’t you wanna save him?

Hee01: try to stop him from running or else he's gonna get a hole right to his dumb brain :(

The moment you read that text, another series of scream emits in the air causing you to snapped your head back to the stage and there you witnessed as EJ punched the officers, your feet instantly brings itself to the direction of the stage, “No! No! EJ don’t fight them!” pushing the crowd forward and yet it was tight and heavy you couldn't pass through easily.

“EJ! No!” you yelled at the top of your lungs, getting EJ’s attention on you but just then the officer kicks him on his back resulting in him falling off the stage.

Another scream.

Just when you were able to walk into the front, you were forced to witness as multiple officers pushed through and hovered upon EJ, who was struggling and thrashing around but soon they were able to pin him down with their gathered strength.

Another ting made its melodic horror through your phone, a two, then again.

Your couldn't stop your hands from shaking by, gritting your teeth as hatred consumed your being as you let yourself read the texts from him again.

Hee01: don’t waste your tears, sweetheart.

Hee01: it’s not the time yet :(

Wiping the tears of your face in an aggressive manner, you still can’t bring yourself to stop shaking as you type out a reply and sent it instantly.

sweetpurple17: why are you doing this to me?? What do you want?!

Hee01: didn't I say we would play a game?

- 👤 Hee01 is typing . . .

Hee01: you know the little game you wanted me to play before?

Hee01: what was it called again? Ah, the seventh month game. Right? :)) Too bad it's been over seventh months we knew each though :(

No— . . .How the fuck did he knew. .

The phone slipped out of your hands, dropping to the ground because of how sweaty your hands has become. Picking it up as fast as you could, you could only watch EJ struggling and you hissed, blinking back your tears.

Hee01: I remember you wanted me to guess your name, right?

Hee01: Well guess what, I won, babe :) (Name), was it?

Hee01: also I couldn’t believe that we’re now a couple <3

Hee01: let's play the game again, shall we?

👤 Hee01 is typing . . .

Hee01: kitten, why don’t you try to guess who betrayed you? Name the traitor and if you get it right, then I’ll tell you where your family is! Sounds fair?

W-what?— T-traitor? —

Hee01: still can’t seem to guess even after all the cute investigations you did :(

H-how. . . How— Who did this. . Who fucking betrayed you and EJ?! You bawled in tears, suppressing it by covering you mouth with your hand.

Hee01: don't cry.

Hee01: you look so damn gorgeous when u cry

Hee01: makes me feel like I just wanna take you now

The text was so disgusting to you that you want to puke right now.

sweetpurple17: why..

sweetpurple17: Why are you doing this to me?!! Tell me!

👤 Hee01 is typing. . .

Hee01: why you ask?

Hee01: then you shouldn’t have went and texted me in the first place, kitten.

Hee01: such a pretty dumb little girl.. But my girl :)

How, how, how. Unnie can't be the one who tell him about me! You hissed, shooting your head up to the crowd behind you, looking for any signs of Heeseung but to no avail he was nowhere to be seen, snapping your head back to EJ who was being dragged out by the officers, his hands being handcuffed.

"EJ! Don't do anything, please!" You called out for him but you weren't sure if he heard it as the crowd were getting loud.

He knew. He knew. He fucking knew! EJ was right. He was right, one of them had betrayed us! One of them! Your breathing has gone rough and rapid as you looked around in panic, looking for either of those two. Who did this?!— It can’t be Chaeryeong? But it can’t be Jungwon either!— Who— who was it?!

Another ting snapped you out of your dazed.

Hee01: time’s running

Hee01: go to the nearest carnival and name the traitor.

Hee01: one wrong move and your little family will pay for it :(

Hee01: can I get my kiss as a prize or maybe more if i wish to? :)

You gulped nervously, watching as he typed. Every passing second has you breaking down as the weight of the situation were pressuring you down, as right here, right now, you are all alone.

👤 Hee01 is typing. . .

Hee01: sweet kitten, let’s start the game, shall we? Now, now, who do you think is the traitor sweetheart? :)

-> secondary blog: @llyzblog

-> taglist: @mimikittysblog , @zanyduckkitten , @skuiall , @teugiie (bold ones couldn't be tagged)

#enha #enha imagines #enhypen #enhypen x reader #enha x reader #enhypen oneshots #enhypen scenarios #enha fanfic #lee heeseung #heeseung x reader #heeseung smut #enhypen heeseung

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